Those Glitter Boots

I had a really unorthodox Xmas this year! The best part of it all was that I though (key word: thought) it would be a great opportunity to dress up in some sparkles. I normally go to Chinatown on the holiday, but this year me, the boy, and his family went to a casino.

Waffle Knit

We are still cruising on this nice December weather — enough so that last week warranted a lunch date in a simple waffle knit sweater and leather jacket.

My 12 Favorite Sparkle Shoes

I have a weird relationship with glitter and sequins. Here's the thing — I love them, but I find it difficult wearing them outside the month of December. There's just something about the holidays that makes me want to put on some sparkly shoes and party the night away. The best part of it all, even if you're not a heels type of woman, there are plenty of charming flats and brogues to get you in the holiday spirit. Hell, even sneakers! Click through for my favorite twinkle toes and get yourself prepped for New Year's Eve!

An Olive Jumpsuit

I have such a struggle with jumpsuits because of my height. I have a short torso and short legs — I'm a shortie! This number by MINKPINK is loose and cozy for a day off, yet easy enough to spruce up with some boots and leather jacket.

You've Got Nail 59

I don't think I've been as excited for anything as I have been for the new Star Wars release! I bought our tickets for opening night pretty far in advance, and had to create some nails to celebrate. As always, I'm not a huge fan of straight-forward every-nail-is-a-different-character type thing. I decided to subtly include C-3PO as an accent nail and create patterns and sparkles around him.

Organize your Likes with ListaPost

Prior to finding ListaPost, I was a big screenshotter. When I would find outfit, nail, or other inspirations, I was simply in the habit of taking a screenshot. When it came time to find that image — good luck. I spent too much time scrolling through my camera roll to find whatever it was or I would just totally forget about my save-for-later images all together. Upon discovering ListaPost, I've totally changed the way I save and categorize my inspirations.

Over-The-Knee

I mentioned on my Instagram last week that I have shit-talked knee-high and over-the-knew boots for so long. I don't know what it was (or is?) about them that I have despised for so long. But slowly, I began to come around. I have this coworker who wears these killer lace-up Jeffrey Campbells and I kept seeing them styled in different ways on other bloggers — then I found these.

1976 Fragrance Launch

Could there be any more Chicago love in this post?! I am so incredibly proud of my friends over at Lost Girls Vintage! Yesterday they launched their first fragrance. To celebrate, they had a small get together with champagne and Chicago's own Doodlebooth at their storefront in Pilsen. I put on my new (vintage) Levi's jacket that I got at Randolph Street Market and headed down!

Basic Weekends

We have been truly spoiled so far with winter. It's December and leaving the house in a tee-shirt and cardigan seems almost unreal. But I bought some snow boots yesterday, so maybe I jinxed myself and should be expecting snow soon...

You've Got Nail 57 // Twin Peaks Nails with Scratch

I get so excited when Scratch sends out their monthly emails to pick my set for the Mini Monthly Mani Box. I'm a little late to posting these, but the November box had my heart all fluttery with this Twin Peaks-themed set The Great Northern. See the three sets I made using these goodies after the jump.

Stripes and Camel

On Sunday, a friend and I ventured down to Bridgeport for the Renegade Craft Fair holiday show. I was hoping to find some holiday gifts but ended up just drinking more coffee than I should have and getting myself a new dress. Whoops!

Organizing with Caboodles

Admittedly, the space I now occupy in my guy's two-bedroom apartment is really small and awkward. I moved in a couple months ago and, albeit temporary, I'm trying to find a way to make my office organized and manageable in the interim. One of my biggest struggles is always organizing my cosmetics — I get a grasp on it for a short time, but the items I really want to use need to be easier for me to access and easy for me to put away when I'm done, or else the whole system becomes a mess. Enter the Caboodles!

Cyber Monday Sale!

I love shopping from home. Celebrate CYBER MONDAY with Mini Penny with 30% off all orders over $15. There are a few ways for you to shop!

❖ The easiest is through the Mini Penny Shop! There's no code required and the discount will show at checkout. Everything I have for sale is listed here, so it's the best one-stop spot for you to get everything you want.

❖ You can find me on Depop, which is a killer app for selling clothes, books, etc. To receive the discount, just PM me with the item(s) you'd like and I'll adjust the price to reflect the sale!

❖ And finally, there's always the trusty Etsy Shop. Here you'll only find vintage items. All prices are changed to reflect the sale.

No matter which you order through, there's always free shipping! The sale ends Tuesday night at midnight CST. What are you waiting for? :)

What I Wore // Pinstripes

Frank Sr.: You know why the Yankees always win, Frank? 
Frank Jr.: 'Cause they have Mickey Mantle? 
Frank Sr.: No, it's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes.

What I Wore // Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays. It's for gratitude and ... food. And family, of course. And for what it's worth, I think family dinners are a great excuse to dress up a bit!

Review // New Products from ELF

I've been using E.L.F. cosmetics for a long time — my first review of their line was over four years ago! I remember when my good friend Tish turned me onto them. Since, I've worked a few of their products into my daily routine permanently. With that being said, there are products they make that I think are a great value, and others that I think are a total waste of time. Over the past couple of months, ELF has been sending me some some of their new palettes, lipsticks and beyond.  Click through for an objective review of each of these beauty buys.

What I Wore // Thanksgiving Prep

Today was inevitably spent running around like crazy in preparation for the holiday — grocery stores, cleaning, other miscellaneous chores. My parents are coming in from Ohio for a joint-family Thanksgiving! How exciting!

Lazy Sundays

I love lazy Sunday mornings. Our Thanksgiving excitement starts today with friendsgiving dinner, then my parents come into town this week, and we have more friendsgivings the following weekend — plus my 29th birthday! So, this morning I'm enjoy a few extra hours in bed — quiet, soft, and relaxed — before the holidays are officially upon us.

November Shop My Closet Sale

It's that time again! The Shop My Closet sale! If you see something you want, send me an email with your PayPal address plus the item(s) you want and I'll shoot you the invoice. US Shipping is included with all of the prices — let me know if you're international and we'll figure out the shipping fee. As items sell, this post will be updated to reflect which items are no longer available. If it's here, it's for sale! Click through for the full listing and hurry — things go fast!

These listings have expired. Please see the newest post!

What I Wore // Checks

I feel like I spend a decent amount of time hunting for checks, plaids, and faux furs. This particular combo kept me cozy this weekend.

Tattoo Shop 101: FAQs, Etiquette, and What to Expect

I have had this article on my To-Write list for quite a while. I went back and forth between the whole blog-and-work life and really don't have a lot of interest in mixing the two. However, over the past year plus, I've gotten many requests wondering what it's like to work in a tattoo shop.

It wasn't until a recent (terrible) video by PopSugar came out and was being passed all around the internet that I seriously considered posting something like this. It's borderline embarrassing when I see any fashion "publication" write articles about trend tattoos and what you should get. 99.9% of the time they're so ill-informed and really are preparing you for the worst type of experience. With this, I figured it was time to make a long post about what you should expect when you get a tattoo, tattoo etiquette, and other FAQs regarding what I do.

(top image: My most recent piece is the start of a Pharaoh's Horses back piece. This was a four-hour linework session with Matt Pardo at Chicago Tattoo Company)

Wintergreen

I had a pretty strong feeling that after Halloween passed and my Furiosa costume was complete, I'd be dying my hair a new, fun color. I was trying to decide between a light mint green and bright cyan blue. The result: a happy in-between.

The minty-blue hair is a nice bright pick-me-up. The best past is that my hair is so short that it will be easy to change on a whim!

What I Wore // Gold Boots

Black and gold are a staple for me, but I added this olive woven dress as a layer of color on a warm November day.

A Gift from Clinique and Nordstrom

Truth be told, I love when I buy something and the store throws in a few extras. I think it's such a great way to discover new products that I otherwise may not known about. With that being said, the Clinique and Nordstrom Gift-with-Purchase event is great— instead of overstock sample-sized bits from last season, Nordstrom and Clinique curates a gift that lets you try some of Clinique's best-selling products.

You've Got Nail 56 // Black Cat Nails

Two weeks ago I posted a set of low-key Halloween nails.  Well, I made another set (plus two more) thanks to the Scratch October Monthly Mini Box!

What I Wore // Imperator Furiosa

Happy Halloween! Well, a day early, anyway. We had our Halloween event at work on Thursday, so I got a chance to break out my costume a few days early. I spent a good amount of time (and thrift store hunting! yay!) to make my costume. I'm so happy with how it turned out!

October Lists

Everyone loves October! I love October, you probably love October, your bestie loves October. I look forward to all things pumpkin-y and all that shit. October's 52 Lists Project and 12 Lists project were both great ways to get myself inspired and thinking about all sorts of things!

What I Wore // Open House Chicago

Last weekend, the boy and I decided to check out a few new-to-us places thanks to Open House Chicago. Each year, the city opens up hundreds of buildings for free tours that are normally closed to the public. We went into three buildings (and tried to see three others, but the lines were really long!) and enjoyed a beautiful day exploring in our own back yard.

Review // Farmacy New Day Gentle Exfoliating Grains

After reviewing another cleansing grains product two weeks ago, I was a little hesitant to give another one a try. I ended up throwing out the Saison grains, so upon opening the Farmacy New Day Gentle Exfoliating Grains, I let myself use it with open arms.

What I Wore // Ice Queen

This sweater is the most perfect icy blue! When incorporating color into my closet, I like to keep it pale and simple. Otherwise, I've got loads of black, grey and white — so these soft tones are great for mixing it up!

Review // More Colourpop Ultra Mattes

I've been in love with Colourpop Cosmetics Ultra Matte lipsticks ever since I made my first order. A couple weeks ago, they came out with a few limited edition colors. I ordered three that I thought I would love for the season. Similar to my last Colourpop review, I've swatched and review each of them! Click through for all the beautiful details.

What I Wore // Uniqlo

I'm so excited that there's finally a Uniqlo Store opening this weekend in Chicago! I remember seeing them board off the workspace for the new shop on Michigan Avenue over a year and thought it would feel like forever before it was time to shop. And now that time is here!