Happy Xmas

What's your favorite holiday tradition? Each year, my best buddy and I go to Chinatown, eat a ton of food, and throw money away on scratch off lottery tickets. It's a silly way to celebrate our holiday, but we've been doing it for the past five years and I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

Bagged Lunch

Holiday errands and lunch on the go. I'm really living for the comfy paperbag pants this season! I bought these in two colors (and just realized that they're available online in more colors!) and they've been my go-to!

Last Minute Gifts with Sephora inside JCPenney

I love the holidays! The food, the friends, and of course, the gift giving and receiving. This year I finished all of my holiday shopping early with the help of Sephora inside JCPenney. I picked up a few last-minute gifts — you should add them to your list and get wrapping! Click through for more info on a few of my favorite gifts and how Sephora inside JCPenney can help cross names of your list.

You've Got Nail 93 // November Scratch Box

I was really excited to get the November Scratch Box! Last November they also did plaid wraps and I had so much fun creating with them. These red plaid wraps were reminiscent of a manicure I did earlier this year!

Thirty-Two

Today is my 32nd birthday. ♥

You're an All Star

There's nothing quite like a crisp new pair of Converse! I used to buy the All Star High Top sneakers in high school, so getting a new pair this week is a nice change from my typical low tops. Converse sent me over these shoes to review, and I must say that I will always love this classic style and design.

Current Beauty Faves

Every quarter I share with you some of my current favorite beauty finds! This is the perfect time to share this as we all begin thinking about holiday gifts of self care and indulgence. Click through for details of my current favorites!

The Yellow Sweater

I've been living in this sweater and am ready to buy it in all the other colors! I posted it on Instagram last week and got a ton of questions — and I'm happy now to share that it is actually from Amazon! When I styled it with these shorts, I sort of folded it and tucked it into my bra for a cropped look. But normally I wear it with jeans ♥  Meanwhile, I'm getting all packed up for my road trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving. Are y'all traveling this year?

You've Got Nail 92 // September Scratch Box

I'm slowwwwwly getting caught up on these old nails posts! The September Scratch set was one of my recent favorites with its colorful florals and versatility. During the late summer, I went through a checkered nail phase and it pulled over into my September manicure. Click through to see the planning process and the sets!

V♡TE

Please get out to vote today — and vote with compassion! I'm happy to support intersectionality, feminism, equality, science, and the environment. ♡

AMA // I Got My Lips Tattooed

At the beginning of last month, I took the leap and had my lips tattooed. As a cosmetic tattooer, this was something I had been considering for quite a while — my natural lips are nearly the same color as my skin, so I was constantly wearing tinted lip gloss or lipstick just to avoid looking washed out. Even though I was curious about the procedure, I didn't personally know anyone who had it done. However, I had full trust in my friend Krystle Harte to do a great job since her portfolio was already full of great, natural lip tattoo results! Click through for my experience, the healing process, and some of the most frequently asked questions I've been getting about the results!

Corduroy

November is here! I'm loving my new Angie the Snake Gold Pendant necklace from local maker Michi's Workshop. Pairing this gold jewelry with a warm cord suit felt like the perfect way to spend the day.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Minis! I hope you all have a safe and spooky day — meanwhile, Opal and I are over here reading some scary stories. (Psst: tomorrow is discount candy day!)

The Pumpkin Patch

Nothing says fall quite like a visit to the pumpkin patch. I was excited to style this plaid skirt with some boots and drink apple cider.

Lara Croft

Another really fun costume for this year: Lara Croft from Tomb Raider! This summer I spent a lot of time replaying the original three games on PS1, and realized I had pretty much all of the pieces for this costume in my wardrobe already! All I had to do what DIY a harness and get a wig.

Poison Ivy

It's finally costume time! I hope you have all had a wonderful Halloween weekend. I was sure to celebrate with a couple of costumes (and more to come!) for parties over the past couple of days. I love making my own Halloween costumes and this year was no different! First up: Poison Ivy. Click through for more details.

Cropped Sweaters Forever

I love cropped sweaters for fall! This beauty is from Wulfka. I've said it over and over — but be sure to check out her amazing designs! I have this Mish Cropped Sweater in another color (I posted about it here last fall!) and I love how this black version pairs with my thrifted zip-front skirt.

Hole in One

Mini Golf always reminds me of being a kid on vacation. I recently discovered a small course in downtown and had to get here before the winter comes. I even got a hole in one on the Michael Jordan hole!

You've Got Nail 91 // Halloween with Sinful Colors

It's my favorite time of year! I'm so pumped to be partnering with Sinful Colors this year to share with you their Conjured Colors collection for Halloween. I created three sets of nails using this line — glow in the dark AND creepy crawling included. Click through to see swatches of the collection and to see how I used them.

Fall Florals

If you've been paying attention to my Instagram, you probably noticed that I wore this skirt twice this week! I love it! I'm really feeling the fall-pumpkin-cider moods and colors this year. What are your favorite fall trends?

Mackinaw City

There's still so much I haven't shared from my Michigan Labor Day trip! My mom, Opal, and I had so much fun during our day in Mackinaw City — I couldn't help but get excited about this giant hot dog and a weird little cryptid store (see more on that in the post!).

The Aubree Jumpsuit

I'm still dying over how great this Aubree Jumpsuit by Wulfka is. In case you missed my last post about Wulfka, they're currently having a pop up at the Box Shops on Randolph Street. Stop by and try on some of these beautiful pieces!

You've Got Nail 90 // August Scratch Box

I can't believe it's been two months since I've shared nails. Whoa! That's very unlike me. Anyway, I suppose that means that these nails are now a little out of season — they were from the August Scratch Box. I loved the lemon pattern, and they matched my lemon romper perfectly for those warm summer days.

The Plaid Bomber

I found my new favorite bomber for autumn! My friend over at Wulfka made this incredible Danyell plaid bomber and I'm totally obsessed with it for the season. Wulfka is currently doing a pop up shop at the Box Shops on Randolph Street — so if your'e in Chicago, go see her and try on her lovely fall collection!

Ruffled

As we creep closer and closer to the holidays, I dream about adding glitter and sequins into my wardrobe. Don't worry,  I'm not in holiday mode yet — I'm a firm believer in enjoy Halloween 100% first! But I scored these glitter striped flares and just had to wear them ASAP!

Plus One

It's wedding season, which means it's time for all the beautiful dresses and +1 invites! I rarely ever wear green, but I fell head over heels for this draped number (pssst! Which is now part of the Shop My Closet Sale!).

Stay Cozy

Things that Opal and I both love are long walks on brisk mornings.

Autumn Bouquets at Flowers for Dreams

Flowers for Dreams is one of my favorite local companies and I was excited when they reached out to me about their new fall bouquets. They were sweet enough to send over the new Berry bouquet and I'm totally in love with it's purple and pink tones. If you're in Chicago or Milwaukee, be sure to head over to their site to learn more about the autumn options. Each purchase helps a charity of the month!

Spend Your Day in Bed

One of my favorite bougie brunch spots in the city is 3Arts! There's nothing much better than deciding to leave bed just to go lounge in ... more beds. I really enjoy exploring these place and its wonderful views.

An Evening at Z Bar

A huge thanks to Z Bar for having me last week for a lovely dinner! I finally had an excuse to wear this exquisite 70s dress that I thrifted (and hemmed, since the previously owner unevenly cut it short without finishing the edge!). It has incredible bubble sleeves and a super flattering neckline. You can see more on my Instagram! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. ♥

The Number 12

This might be one of my favorite photoshoots in a while. I headed downtown to catch a movie (if you are into thrillers/true crime stuff, check out 'Searching' before it leaves theaters!) and decided to take advantage of the cloudy day lighting. Isn't it weird that after living in Chicago for seven years, I still stumble upon blocks I've never seen before?