Plastic Bags and Magazines

Blind Faith

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:01:48 -0500

So I finally decided to jump on the Warby Parker bandwagon and try their glasses. I absolutely...

Five Things...

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:01:21 -0500

Photo credit: Keith Caden I’ve noticed the “Five Things You Didn’t May Not Know About Me…” meme...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Apps...

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:02:00 -0500

Photo credit: By G.Hagedorn (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0...

Furniture and....Deejays

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:20:51 -0500

Last Friday night, Keith and I had big plans to go over to Greektown for dinner, but they were...

I love Alice Russell. In the “we’re really...

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:01:00 -0500

I love Alice Russell. In the “we’re really considering moving to Brighton and she could totally be my best friend” kind of love. She has such great stage presence and a hell of a set of pipes. Her voice is reminiscent of your Aunt Peaches turning up the stereo at the backyard barbecue and making everyone dance. It’s big, bold, and powerful - something I’ve always dreamed I could pull off, but don’t stand a chance!

I’ve seen Alice Russell perform three times in Chicago and it is never a disappointment. I wanted to share a clip from her performance at Township on Wednesday night. Enjoy!

I travel a lot for work. Some years I’m away from home for up to...

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:23:00 -0500

I travel a lot for work. Some years I’m away from home for up to 30 days.
A whole month spent somewhere else…

It used to be fun initially, but travel can get to be tiresome. The whole
packing process can be harrowing - not to mention the actual traveling,
whether it’s several hours in a car (cramped legs!), a long flight
(dehydration!), or a train ride (Amtrak’s abysmal lack of on-time trains!).

However, there are some upsides to travel - the frequent flyer miles, the
hotel upgrades, the general glamorous feeling of *going somewhere* -
especially if I’ve been stuck in Chicago for a while.

There are a number of ways that you can make your travel experiences work *for
you *instead of being burdensome. Here’s a few tips:

- Sign up for every frequent flyer mile campaign on any airline you fly.
Even if you aren’t picky about your carriers, chances are you will fly
some that are in the same family (i.e. Star Alliance) If you don’t gain
enough miles to redeem on travel, you can always redeem them for magazine subscriptions or newspapers (great Christmas gifts)

- Sign up for every hotel perks program for any hotel you stay at.
Unbeknownst to me, on this last stay at Sheraton Atlanta, I had gained SPG Gold status. This earned me a loaf of banana bread….and more importantly allowed me use of their Sheraton Club which meant unlimited coffee (yes!), a happy hour, and a quiet place to work.

- If your focus is on air travel, have your hotel points converted to
airline miles. That could bump you up to your next award level.

- Get a points loyalty credit card, or transfer a balance to one. Some
of the newer ones, through Citi for example, allow you to gain points to
redeem on anything. I have a MileagePlus card because I fly United almost exclusively, but used judiciously, you can pay monthly bills like your rent or mortgage on your card, pay your card off immediately, and gain the miles or points for regular, mundane bills.

- Forgot something when you arrive to the hotel? Ask the front desk.
They are there to serve you and will often have the minutiae that you may have forgotten, including iPhone chargers and body sponges (I was surprised that my room had a sponge when I arrived - I had forgotten mine!)

- Sign up for Airfare Watchdog. I like to get away for long weekends and I’m not tied to any carrier for those if I can get a cheap flight. Airfare Watchdog will tell you the best prices on the routes you select.

- Don’t forget about train or bus travel! Air travel can be a real
hassle at times, so if you’ve got the time or you are only going a short
distance, don’t rule out services like Megabus and Amtrak. I personally
love train travel and enjoy the freedom of walking around the carriage,
enjoying my own packed lunch and a few glasses of wine and watching America go by. For short distances, land travel is often cheaper.

April's Monthly Marvels

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:36:39 -0500

I’m starting a new section called Monthly Marvels where I want to share with you the things...

Maxi-million!

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:03:00 -0500

Photo credit: verypurpleperson http://www.flickr.com/photos/verypurpleperson/7730190894/ under...

49 cent vanilla ice creams at McDonalds are good for many...

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:44:14 -0500

49 cent vanilla ice creams at McDonalds are good for many things.

Including ice cream art installations. Behold the ghost cream and soft
serve tsunami.

Pretty trees by marvelocity

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:32:51 -0500

Pretty trees by marvelocity

No dirty shoes, fools #feed #chicago by marvelocity

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:31:52 -0500

No dirty shoes, fools #feed #chicago by marvelocity

Chicken dinner (with fried okra) at Feed by marvelocity

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:31:19 -0500

Chicken dinner (with fried okra) at Feed by marvelocity

Cat Fur.

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:30:31 -0500

I take up residence with three animals, one human one and two of the feline variety. They shed. The...

missmixologist: finally….trees in bloom.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:21:58 -0500

missmixologist:

finally….trees in bloom.

I went through about 10 iterations of this outfit last night...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:47:00 -0500

I went through about 10 iterations of this outfit last night (see previous post concerning Sartorial Paralysis) that involved a red blazer, a mauve blazer and a pink minaudiere, before I settled on an old tweed blazer that my mom bought me when I was 15. That wool blazer has been kicked out of my closet more than 5 times, but it always makes its way back in. Sometimes mama knows best.

In another cue from mom, I paired a red envelope clutch that my mom got in the 60s with a grey BCBG crew neck short sleeve sweater, Old Navy Rock Star skinnies, smoking slippers (is leopard the new neutral??) and a bold statement necklace and bangles. I forgot to throw in the menswear watch and classic aviators.

I decided on a bold red lip (Kat Von D’s Everlasting Love lip stain in Brick Red), mark. On the Dot eyeshadow in Neutrals, mark. Just Blushing powder blush in Charmed (coral - it’s my every day colour), and Mary Kay Signature waterproof mascara in Black Brown.

Perfect for a Friday evening just walking around Millennium Park.

Casual Friday by marvelocitystyle featuring boat neck tops

Farhi By Nicole Farhi boat neck top, $220 / Witchery slim jeans, $105 / Dorothy Perkins slip on shoes, $76 / Envelope clutch / Zad antique bracelet / LK Designs yellow gold earrings / UNIQLO Men Tweed Jacket / THORNTONA - sale’s women’s accessories for sale at ALDO Shoes.

Eating Like a Boss

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:52 -0500

If you’re anything like me, you are muttering “Coffee” or more precisely,...

Passport cardigan, $76 / James Perse long white shirt / Falke pantyhose, $15 / Mary Katrantzou knee...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:01:25 -0500

Passport cardigan, $76 / James Perse long white shirt / Falke pantyhose, $15 / Mary Katrantzou knee...

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to sit down and savor a cup of coffee and read the paper...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:46:00 -0500

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to sit down and savor a cup of coffee and read the paper...

Anna Scholz dress (see more anna scholzzes)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:28:34 -0500

Anna Scholz dress (see more anna scholzzes)

Worthington® Printed Pencil Skirt - jcpenney (clipped to...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:22:09 -0500

Worthington® Printed Pencil Skirt - jcpenney (clipped to polyvore.com)