LCY Listens: my new favorite song. obsessed. download immediately. you're welcome.

This is the Little Green Cars. The song is called "The John Wayne." I've had it on repeat since I first heard it a few days ago, I've shared it with everybody I know, and they all wholeheartedly agree it's amazing. I get to see them live on Sunday! Yay live music. It's almost like summer's here.

You'll probably be seeing a lot more music posts around these parts... so get excited.

See more LCY Listens posts here!

Happy weekend! Any exciting plans?

flowers in your hair

It's not your wedding day or your birthday or any special day for that matter. Just a normal summer day. And you're heading out with your friends for lunch. I absolutely love the thought of wearing fresh flowers in your hair, but my Everygirl comrades all said no one does that. Wouldn't happen. So of course now I'm determined to do it. I think it will go perfectly with my summer frock obsession.

What about you–would you sport fresh flowers in your hair?

Reminds me of this darling little tune by The Lumineers, coincidentally titled... pause for shock "Flowers in Your Hair."

And the lyrics are the perfect amount of heart-warming goodness:

When we were younger
we thought Everyone was on our side
Then we grew a little bit
And romanticized the time I saw
Flowers in your hair
It takes a boy to live
It takes a man to pretend he was there 

So then we grew a little and knew a lot 

And now we demonstrated it to the cops 

And all the things we said 

We were self-assured 

Cause it's a long road to wisdom 

But it's a short one 

To being ignored 

Be in my eyes 

Be in my heart 

Be in my eyes ai yai yai

And be in my heart 

So now I think that I could 

Love you back 

And I hope it's not too late cause you're so attractive 

And the way you move 

I won't close my eyes 

It takes a man to live 

It takes a woman to make him compromise 

 Be in my eyes 

Be in my heart 

Be in my eyes ai yai yai 

And be in my heart

saturday

kate spade for half the price? dreams do come true!

introducing saturday, the new wallet-friendly brand by the legendary fashion line for all things colorful and happy. deborah lloyd and her team have been making magic happen and today it's available for all to start shopping!

i'm clearly on a dress kick lately. flirty, fun, and bright–they make dressing in the summer so easy. can't wait to throw one of these on and meet the girls for cocktails on a patio in bucktown. oh, when will it be summer?! and why don't i just live in california so i can sport my dresses year-round? also loving that linen raincoat and their home line!

which frock is your fave?

the dress every woman should own

Wow! Barely a peep from my the past two weeks, and today you get two posts! Naturally because it's super important.

I wore this scallop dress in the lime color for my Everygirl home tour feature, and I have to say I'm obsessed. I don't have a ton of clothes. I tend to wear the same things over and over and over again. i.e. my hot pink tippi sweater–which of course made it into the other shot from yesterday's shoot. But I tried this on in the store thinking the color would rock in my neutral living room, and not only is it abnormally adorable, it is so comfortable (made out of a stretchy material!) and thanks to vanity sizing, you buy it one size down. Win. I'm convinced it will look good on everyone. Best part is it's currently 25% off! Which color would you choose: lime, poppy, or navy?

And here's a blurry sneak peek picture of a picture from yesterday's shoot. Apparently having my photo taken makes me laugh. Ok. That's it. No more sneak peeks! Full home tour debuting on The Everygirl on Thursday, April 4! Mark your calendars.

Happy weekend!

snapshot from yesterday's shoot

love this polaroid john captured while maura was working her magic w/ the fancy camera. this duo is so talented - i cannot wait to see all the photos they took of my home.

round 2 today with a photographer from houzz. then we are finito!

mercury glass bottles and florals via jayson home // west elm nightstand (currently on sale!) anthropologie wishbone // eurostylelighting gourd lamp

photo via alainakaz instagram

home tour styling in session

dust, vaccuum, arrange flowers, style vignettes, remove dog hair from all cloth surfaces, iron said cloth surfaces, buy new pillow inserts, fluff pillows, rehang art, enter next room, and repeat. it takes a lot longer than it sounds and boy is it tedious. but the place is looking mighty fine!

the stoffers will be here at 8am tomorrow to start shooting and houzz will be here friday morning. oh, how i hope you all like it! i know i do. : )

wish me luck!

sunburst mirror via Layla Grayce // Eiffel Tower print via me // black and white photo by Kimberly Genevieve for The Everygirl // flowering branches via Jayson Home

photo by alainakaz

one of those weeks...

...where it was just go go go and it just didn't stop. conference calls, emails, posts, errands, planning for next week's photo shoot of my full home tour (eeek!)... this week just got away from me! i apologize for the lack of posts. productivity will no doubt carry into the weekend with some few last minute things to get done before maura and john stoffer come to shoot the place for the everygirl, then a photographer for houzz comes the following day (all the more nerve-wracking when i don't have access to the photos before the run)!

one of the last things i need to do is decide on floral styling for the shoot! yes, i consider myself a stylist. but i missed the floral styling gene. kind of like i missed the wedding gene (i have no desire for a big wedding or big dress or any of it). fortunately, the awesome and talented folks at jayson home and garden are helping out... here are a few images i've collected for inspiration. can you guess what will go in which room?

 

quince branches, simple white flowers, mossy green arrangements, and pink ranunculus in mercury glass. lovely.

what about you? any fun plans for the weekend?

My Love List #sharethelove

So some friends of mine (Danielle, Liz, others) and I have teamed up with Diet Pepsi to share our love lists with you. Things we enjoy–nay, loooove–doing to kick back, relax, and have a good time. Winters in Chicago limit your options, but that doesn't mean we sit around and mope. Here are a few things I've done this season to keep my spirits up despite the endless snow and clouds.

1. I love to grab drinks and/or a great dinner with friends. Few things give me more pleasure than a fantastic meal at a great restaurant or sitting down at a nice wooden bar to spill cocktails and secrets.

2. I love to spend a day on the slopes. I am by no means a pro skier. Amateur at best. I can get down the hill pretty efficiently without falling, and enjoy doing so - plus who doesn't love stopping in the chalet for some hot cocoa by the fire? I can probably count on both hands the number of times I've skied in my life; coincidentally, I own skis, boots, poles, the whole shebang. (Long story - bought the skis on CraigsList, the boots on clearance - all in a failed attempt to ski regularly while at Syracuse. I blame my guy friends at the time.) Anyone with a sense of geography knows there are no mountains around these parts, but we have some decent hills that fill the need. Boy would I love to experience Colorado... or better yet, the Alps. A girl can dream... photo by Gray Malin

3. I love to get a massage. Is there anything better? Have you ever had a massage? They are definitely a luxury, but if you've never had one, I recommend looking on Groupon this instant to find a deal for you and treating yourself to one. It is such a treat. I've never had one with hot stones but mmm would I like to give that a try. image via

A few of my favorite things to get me through the winter months' activities...

bright jewelry | leather riding boots | a pom hat | wool stretch pant | suede clutch | tortoise sunglasses
and of course, my drinks of choice: pinot noir, refreshing soda, or an energizing soy latte

What do you love to do? Please leave a comment and fill in the blank: I love to _______.

Or you can #sharethelove by tweeting to @dietpepsi with lists of all the things that make you happy! Be sure to use the hashtag #sharethelove - see what other people have said on Twitter by clicking here. 

This post was sponsored by Diet Pepsi.

CREATE YOUR LOOK

Faux Leather Leggings. Hottie McTottie. I recently got a pair from BCBG and if we're being honest, I kind of feel like a more bad-ass version of myself when I put them on. Of course, I'm not super fashion-forward or a risk taker when it comes to clothing, so my go-to styling for these slightly rock-n-roll, a-whole-lotta-sexy pants is to pair them with all black and top it off with some gold accents. It's classic, and it works. Let's call it a day. However, should you want to spice it up a bit (not that faux leather needs much seasoning), there's always the option of shoes...

THE LOOK  

wishbone earrings | black drapey top | long chain necklace | faux leather leggings | chunky bracelet black foldover clutch

WHICH SHOES WOULD YOU CHOOSE? 

white patent wedge (sexy) | black cap-toe (classic) | pink pop (fun)

view other CREATE YOUR LOOK posts here

Belle: Vote on (pink!) lighting for my bedroom!

Because we all have SO much fun voting on my decor (chairs for dining room, art for living room)... let's throw another poll your way!

Here is what my bedroom has been looking like. Off-black walls (Farrow and Ball), grey upholstered headboard, Serena and Lily duvet that I'm mildly obsessed with, Jonathan Adler Lust Pillow... awesome awesome awesome. I've since added white velvet drapes - super luxe, cozy, and overall fantastic, and a sweet, inspiring little print above my headboard. I realized it needed that finishing touch, however, to tie it all together. And what's better than a lil' pink?!

I was choosing between two pink lamps by Robert Abbey available through Euro Style Lighting: the classic Gourd and the edgy Delta. I may or may not have already decided on said lamps, but I would looove to hear what you think.

Also obsessed with the white mid-century nightstand from West Elm. Methinks a set of these would be perrrrfect against the black backdrop.

VOTE IN THE COMMENTS: gourd or delta?!

details from my weekend at home

For the past month or so, there have been two round dining tables sitting in the living room. My roommate purchased one she found on sale (marble-top from CB2, great piece), but we haven't had anywhere to put it. Until I realized it can actually work in the living room, not as a dining table, but as more of a decorative piece and end table for the giant chair I own. It works out perfectly! Sneak peek above. Oh, also - the pillow are from Furbish and Serena and Lily!

And in case you forgot... we are shooting my full home tour next week (eek!), and you'll be able to see it on The Everygirl at the end of this month!

Naturally, I had to style said marble-top table so that it worked in the space. Oh, how I love creating little vignettes; pulling trinkets from other places in my home and grouping them together in new ways. I'm obsessed w/ my marble pattern lacquer box and horn sculpture, both from Furbish. And I've been wanting Celerie Kembell's Black and White since it came out. It perfectly depicts what I've done with my living room.

Another project I tackled this weekend was repainting the office. Remember the epic fail of painting my office pink? The room looked white/purply/grey/pink depending on the lighting... well I went over it with a coat of Farrow and Ball's Middleton Pink, and it's pretty much everything I ever hoped for in a pink room. I will definitely use this shade of pink here on out in the future. *Note the wall color in the photo above is the old pink prior to getting a new coat.

How was your weekend?! Get anything productive done?