A very merry half birthday!

 While updating some behind the scenes stuff here I realized that between my last post in 2021 and my 2022 revival tour that we had a major life update here…. We adopted!  A dog, definitely a dog 🤣 

AND we just celebrated his very first half birthday with us 🥳 

So without further ado, may I *officially* introduce you to Fennec!

I had been low key looking online at dogs for a good while but my heart was still completely shattered from my sweet girl going to heaven. Every now and then I would send one to Gray and often did not get much of a reply. While scrolling through the new dogs of the day I came across this fluff ball and texted Gray a link. 

And again heard nothing… until I got home! Out of the blue Gray said "that was a really cute dog you sent me earlier". So I decided to fill out an adoption interest from. This resulted in me bawling my eyes out because it asks about your previous pets and why they’re no longer with you. So I told the the story of my angel dog and her hemangiosarcoma (fuck cancer).

And then we waited, and waited, and waited. We kept looking back at that fluffy dog and I was beginning to think I tanked the adoption application by over sharing. That was until I got a call from the rescue owner. She had been sorting through applications for Austin (his shelter name) when she came across ours. She had also lost a dog to hemangiosarcoma and “had a connection” with us. As soon as we talked we knew we wanted to meet him and planned to make the 1.5 hour trip down. 

Right before we left to go see Fennec for the first time I walked into my girlie room and saw my Kate Spade Chow purse. I should have known that was a good sign that I already have a matching purse to this dog😂

Fennec was listed as a sweet, cuddly, collie/pyrenees mix- so we thought he was going to be on the mellower side. Boy were we wrong!

Immediately upon seeing him, he comes barreling down the yard and then proceeds to jump/punch Gray right in the 🥜s! This dog is going crazy! He’s running laps, playing in water,  jumping higher than our heads- at this point we are both thinking what the heck did we just get into! And yet we're still trying to impress the dog rescue because we want to take him home… and we did! 

The FIRST pic we took of Fen to let everyone know he was coming home!

We changed his name to Fennec because he looks like a fennec fox 🐕 We also did a DNA test on him and found out our wild boy is wild to the core because he’s made up of every crazy, high energy breed! 

Here’s six fast facts about Fennec that we’ve come to learn in the past 6 months:

1. Ball is life. This dog LOVES to play ball 🎾 

2. He’s a talker and he’s got A LOT to say!

3. Fen has “winter nose”, if you look at the first car ride pic of him compared to more recent pics you can see his nose has turned from black to pink 🐽 

4. This dog is also ✨ obsessed ✨ with lasers and lights. If he hears the jingle from the laser pointer keychain it.is.ON.

Look at these post bath crimpies!

5. He gets “crimpies” all over when his fur gets wet 🥹

6. He’s 💯 the goodest boy (even when he’s a little bit naughty 😈) And he puts up with his mom dressing him in Lilly! 

He’s brought so much joy and laughter to our lives that he definitely deserves to have every part of him celebrated, including his first half birthday with us! Happy 1/2 birthday wild boy!

Vacation dreaming... and packing

 

We’re officially one month out from vacation! I’ve been mentally “collecting” what to bring in my head and starting to pack! Which, for me can be dangerous to do so far in advance. I’m not exactly what you would call a light packer and I am usually sweating at the check-in counter when they are weighing my bag.

I just like to have different options in case I decide I’m not feeling what I put on. My sister used to lovingly refer to this as my costume changes when I was younger.

Gray, on the other hand, will be throwing the first clothes his hands touch and a pair of shoes. This is literally us when it comes to packing:

@timdrugan While she brings 18 pairs of pants, 37 shirts, and 824 sweaters that have to go in my suitcase because she's out of room. #comedy #comedyskit #marriedlife #relationship #travel #minimalist ♬ original sound - Tim Drugan

 

So here’s the start to my guide to overpacking 🙃

1. Swimsuits - I recently bought 3 new Lilly suits for this trip because if I’m going to be on a beach in FL- I better be in Lilly! I plan on being at the beach every day and I loaaaaath putting on a cold, wet swimsuit. Also packing a coverup!  

2. Sandals – I just purchased my first pair of Jack Rogers specifically for this trip! I’m also plan to bring my faux Birks for the beach and maybe my block sandals for dinners

3. Dresses, Dresses and more Dresses – I normally wear a few dresses throughout the week, but on vacation I’ll wear a dress almost every day. I like to wear the dresses  that I normally cannot for work, plus every day is worth celebrating if I’m on vacation!

4. The comfy and causals – I’m not one to roll right out of bed and get dressed. I definitely need a lounge set for waking up in the morning and turning-in in the evening.We’re also hoping to do some outdoor activities like fishing and kayak that aren’t too dress friendly (not that I’ve let that stop me in the past)

5. Accessories  - I get paranoid traveling with too much jewelry and usually try to pack something nice but neutral for everything. So for me this will mostly be sunglasses and hair accessories. Though I’m not to sure I should even bother attempting to do something with my hair in the Florida humidity… tips welcomed!

6. BAGS  - I already know I’m going to struggle to pack smart here… I’m too excited and there’s too many possibilities. I think I’m going to approach this by picking out my outfits and letting them do the choosing.

7. Toiletries  - Probably my least favorite to consider when packing. I love all my lotions & potions and have a hard time getting down to just the basics. Definitely another area prone to over packing. However, I’m hoping to buy some stuff like shampoo, condition, sunblock, ect when we get there and then just ditch it at the end.   

8. Downtime fun  - I’m hoping to throw in a few books from my “to be read” pile. I bought “It ends with us” and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” back in December and haven’t started them yet.  I have been reading (I’m on my 22^nd book of 2022) but there’s just something about having a book checked out from the library with a due date that’s more motivating than the one sitting in my room collecting dust. If I have room I might bring along a needlepoint canvas to stitch too! I’m really hoping to stop in a LNS while I’m these since I don’t have one! 

This is as far as I’ve gotten with the tentative plans we have! I’m sure as we make more plans my list will only grow! What are your vacation must packs? 

 

For the love of Lilly

Lilly Pulitzer isn't very well known on the West Coast but I love it all the same!

I discovered Lilly when I was needing a some sunshine in my life and I fell in love.

Bright, colorful prints that had hidden animals?! Not to the mention punny print names. Yes please!

Redwood The story is the Lilly Pulitzer came up with these crazy prints while working a juice stand and trying to hide juice spills. Working in a winemaking lab I can confirm this is actually very plausible!

 We've begun planning a little vacation over to Florida and will be stopping in Palm Beach! 

And it just so happens we're going to be in Palm Beach ON MY BIRTHDAY. 

Yeeeessss, this Westcoaster Lilly is not only heading to the Lilly state 

but the Lilly mothership herself! 

I. CANNOT. WAIT!

And what better way to celebrate my 35th birthday than to get a custom shift and bag!

Lilly offers customs shift out of their flagship location only and also has Lilly print artists in hjouse that will paint you a custom bag!

::faints in Lilly::

This trips two months away but I'm already starting to research and think of what kind of shift and bag I want! 

So spill the juice! Have you made a custom shift or purse?!

Right now I’m leaning toward a maxi in “Lilly’s Jungle Patch” 

💚💗💚💗💚💗💚

Be Mine Valentine

 

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away and I’ve put together my first collage of some of my favorite products to celebrate the day! I’m a sucker for novelty so it should come as no surprise that there’s tons and tons of heart products!

Macarons: Obviously, I had to include one of my favorite treats on this list! The great thing about these particular macarons is you can have them shipped right to your front door! I’m also stalking my local Costco hoping they bring back their heart shaped macarons again!

Pizza: Let your favorite pizza lover know they have a pizza your heart! Being in Norcal my chances to get authentic deep-dish pizza are far and few in between. I LOVE when a loved one sends me some hometown love!

Pot: If you are more into cooking for the ones you love Le Creuset has brought back their Valentine’s Collection, including this L’Amour Soup Pot. This sold out FAST last year so if it’s catching your eye- treat yo’self!

Waffle maker: How much do I love waffles? Enough to own FOUR waffle irons including this heart shaped waffle maker by dash! I could not resist the hearts and the mini size. Side note; these mini waffle irons are usually under $20 and can be used to make chaffles if you’re looking to try keto!

Heart pie dish: Chocolate Pie is the way to Gray’s heart and this year I upgraded my heart pan to this Emile Henry pie dish. You could even use these to make a charcuterie board! I’ve also seen a Martha Stewart version at TJ Maxx for under $15!

Starbucks cup: Am I a coffee drinker? No. Have I still become a Starbucks cup fan? Absolutely and I blame my coworker a little bit. These cups are kind of like unicorns- elusive and magical if you stumble upon them. That being said if you see one you like, get it- it won’t be there when you come back.

Clear heart mug: If you prefer your coffee at home this Williams and Sonoma latte mug is for you! Once you fill up with your coffee or tea you have a heart! 

Heart crossbodies: No surprise that these are making this gift list. Last year the Love Shack Fancy bag went viral and this year she’s back and in more colors! This bag can be found at Kate Spade Outlets. Specialty stores are also carrying a heart bag this year- which is extra puffy and has a cute strap with more hearts!

Heart shoes: Dress the part head to TOE with these cute embroidered heart sneakers also at Kate Spade!

Sweater: I just ordered this sweater from Draper James and can’t wait until it shows up! Why not be cute and comfy?

Necklace: Kendra Scott has new colors of their every popular Ari necklace this year! You can mix and match metals and stones to find your perfect match.

Candle: Voluspa candles are a great add on to any gift. Not only do they smell great but they last forever! 

What’s on your Valentine's wishlist this year? 

I don't know about you but I'm feeling 2022

It’s a new year and time for some New Years resolutions. While I’m not typically big on resolutions, I thought this year I’d give it a go. Maybe making a list will keep me honest and motivated 🤞

1. As soon as Harvest approached I went MIA on here 🙃 So a goal this year is to not do that 🤣 I’m hoping to post at least once a month and that it will give me some accountability.
2. Work on our house 😑 We have some house projects that have stalled out once Covid hit and we ran into inflation and chain supply issues. This year I’m hoping we can get some of these projects finished.
3. Work on a healthier lifestyle. This is a double edge sword- both fitness wise and food wise. I am definitely an emotional eater, with a major sweet tooth so I have definitely landed myself in the pandemic 15 club 😵‍💫 I am lucky to have the fitness tools available to me and need to make a habit of using them! 
4. Read more! I LOVE a good book but hate having to find “the next one”. I loaded up my bookshelf and am ready to start diving in. 
5. Make time for hobbies! 
6. Go on more hikes and adventures! We’ve got some new friends around here and I can’t wait to hit the trails with them! 
7. Go on vacay!! Please be kind to us Covid  🙏
8. The rest? Who knows! Let’s just hope 2022 will be a step in a better direction than the past few years!

What are your New Years Resolutions?

Gossip Girl Here

Hey Upper East Siders,

This week the reboot of Gossip Girl dropped on HBO Max and I would be lying if I did not say I was a little bit excited. 

I didn't actually watch the original series until it was off the air and on Netflix but then I completely BINGED watched it. And while the plot could get a little beyond belief, I was absolutely in love with the fashion- especially Blair's wardrobe. 

Here are some of my favorite Blair moments from the OG Gossip Girl (and believe me when I say I had a hard time limiting the amount of photos!)

And now the reboot! I definitely tuned in to watch the first episode and the drama is already underway. This reboot has a darker, more sinister feel to it already. There's no denying how much social media has changed since the OG-GG and this show has already shown how influential it can be in a teens life.

 I like that we know right off the bat who GG is and "her" motive- though it seems a little cringey and sad that this is the teacher's only resort to get control.  

As for the fashion? The jury is still out on this one. I'm a grandmillennial who is still wearing skinny jeans and has a side part so I might not be into what highschoolers deem fashionable.  BUT I have seen some promotion stills that have peaked my interest and can't wait to see what this reboot brings to the table. I'm thinking I'm going to like Audrey Hope's wardrobe the best but so far I am not in love with her character.

What are your thoughts on the reboot? Anyone else feeling the urge to restart the OG Gossip Girl?

XOXO Gossip Girl

Whimsical Wednesday... a love letter to novelty

 If you've stumble over here from Instagram then you know I'm mildly obsessed with novelty bags.
Now I know these are not everybody's cup of tea but I have always loved a good theme party and this is kind of like a theme party for your everyday outfit. 

I've seen on boards people shy a way from novelty for being too "young" or impractical but I find most of these purses to pretty functional and fun. 

So here are a few of my recent snaps of some of my novelty purses out and about!

These two are a preview from the Holiday 2021 release!
The Chicagoian in me can't wait for the pizza!