new acquisitions for the ladyplace

clock | colander | moscow mule mugs | quatrefoil jar

Shiny copper and a wall clock for the kitchen and coral for my bedroom - thanks to a few great sales currently going on at Joss and Main! Check out the Old Dutch and the Arcadian Accents sales. The wall clock was only $38, and the quatrefoil jar was called Alayna! I didn't have a choice really...

FALL! FALL! FALL!

my favorite season has arrived. 

i picked up this $3 "filler" flower (pink baby's breath? is that a thing?) and mini white pumpkin at the grocery store on friday. i went to see notre dame vs michigan state on saturday. and i ate chili while watching the bears win last night. woke up to 55 degree breeze streaming through the window. brrr.

i also sliced my hand pretty badly washing dishes (it can get violent), but hey - it's fall! silver lining, people. how did you celebrate the return of the greatest season of all seasons?

Tarjetas de Bizzness

Thanks to the talented Shayna, letterpress artist and founder of Steel Petal Press here in Chicago, Danielle and I finally have some respectable business cards. Since we printed our first cards in November 2011 (for our NYC trip), we've always gone to Kinko's for a quick fix before we had to travel or attend an event. But those cards bent, smeared, and this that or the other. 

Extra thick weight, coral painted edges, simple design. 

It's like a freshly baked chocolate cookie served up paper style.

Ladyplace: Plans for the Entryway

I love that my teensy apartment has a formal entryway. I find the separation of rooms charming, and I want to make a Wow! impact for guests when they arrive (and to put a smile on my own face when I walk through the door). Wallpaper is out of the budget and the question, because let's be honest, who knows how long I'll even live here... but I'm thinking stripes are a perfectly suitable alternative!

Behold: the inspiration

I definitely want to do vertical since it's a small space and no single wall is especially long. And I want slightly wider stripes (like the powder room shot above) - I'm worried thinner stripes will feel like a jail cell.

My entryway has been nothing special at all since moving in. Mostly a holding area for my old coffee table, shoes, and dog paraphernalia.

Until FINALLY, I was able to get a perfect entryway table. It was difficult finding the right size because it  couldn't be too deep, and I definitely wanted it to offer some kind of storage. I knew I wanted a light color since I was going to put black on the walls. 

This white wooden 3-drawered option from Overstock works perfectly!

It's also available in grey and a washed mint, both of which I was considering. But ultimately, I knew I wanted LIGHT and BRIGHT.

As you can see, that door straight ahead leads to my bedroom, but I've decided to leave it permanently closed since it's the only wall space in the bedroom that fits my dresser. (As you can see in my full apartment tour before I moved in, the bedroom has two entryways.)

You can also see I'm finally getting my letterpress European series framed properly thanks to affordable custom framing at Framed and Matted! Those will be hung here in the entry. But more on that later.

Still lusting after this French gilt mirror from Wisteria (which is conveniently out of stock). 

Not sure what I'll do about the rug. The jute one I got off Joss and Main simply isn't the right size and the door gets caught on it. Fooey. Maybe a flatweave from Dash and Albert. Don't know... we shall see. This is a heavy traffic area and the rug will get very dirty. But now I'd be hesitant to put dark or a pattern on the ground since I'm going striped walls.

Help! What do you all think?!

UPDATE: per reader Annie's suggestion, I moved some things around and instagrammed the new arrangement. LOVE it. The door looks like a great architectural accent instead of a secret, unused door. Thanks, Emily!

Ladyplace: Living Room Details

Today I thought I'd share with you some of the details to my wee lil living room.
Sofa is Pottery Barn Carlisle, rug is from Joss and Main, brass curtain rod and curtain are West Elm.

My Paris-inspired gallery wall complete with my own letterpress print of the Eiffel Tower.
You can purchase here.

The pillows on the sofa. Per everyone's suggestion, I removed the pink one, and am left with:
grey trellis from Serena and Lily , black and white spotted from Furbish Studio,

and gold polka dots from Caitlin Wilson Textiles.

Styling the new coffee table is a bit trickier with the different layers and round shape. I've included some of my favorite magazines, a vintage sterling silver tray I picked up at the Brown Elephant for $5 - I use it to store photo booth and polaroid photos (got this idea from my friend Caitlin Flemming), the marbled box is from Furbish Studio, and that beautiful white and gold candle is from a boutique in Charleston.

When I downsized, the only two pieces of furniture I was able to bring with me included the couch and the bed - the two pieces I never wanted my dogs on. So it was time to finally get them a bed they'd actually like. Unfortunately, the styles at Costco and Petco just weren't cutting it. Thanks to Harry Barker for this stylish black and white toile bed. It's the medium size so it's large enough for both of my 25-lb furfriends. They love it. And I'm happy.

This will inevitably change, but for now the $30 brass end table I got in Craigslist is showcasing a few decorative pieces from my old place. The milk glass lamp, the faux topiary (I can't keep real plants alive), a candle, some coasters, and my favorite porcelain horns that are Jonathan Adler but I got from Furbish Studio.

photos by Alaina Kaczmarski

black and blue

so excited to sport these shoes and this rebecca taylor dress at our bloomingdale's event tonight.
(my dress is actually the black and gold version)

hopefully i'll be seeing you there!

if you haven't yet rsvped–do so here! and bring your friends!

6-8pm
bloomingdales at 900 n michigan ave
enter on the walton street side
cocktails, photo booth, dj, light appetizers, and gift bags for the first 100 guests!

photos by alaina kaczmarski

leopard. so hot right now. leopard.

sometimes i moonlight as a fashion blogger. 

but only when tempted by free leopard print pumps.

or wine.

this was a case of the former.

ch-ch-check it out!

styling by me // photos by danielle moss for the everygirl

this week

so big, very busy week

monday
everygirl photo shoot at nordstrom rack

tuesday
everygirl event at the apple store on north michigan
details here

thursday
everygirl event at bloomingdale's at 900 north michigan
details and rsvp here

friday
friend's engagement party

saturday
my nephew's 1st bday in the afternoon
wedding shower in the evening

wish me luck!

my new hairs

I've had my hair the same way since I was a sophomore in high school. Long, straight, natural light brown color with the exception of getting highlights twice. I've always liked it just fine minus its complete lack of volume and tendency to get oily within 24 hours of a wash. My friends tell me I haven't damaged it enough. Rats.

So all is well and fine. Then my Chicago Magazine Singles article came out, and someone–an unidentified Elizabeth–left the following comment:

Your outfit looks great. What's holding you back is that hair! Long straight hair ain't doin nothin for ya. Cut it off to shoulder length...get some layers going...graduate to a more sophisticated style.

Ouch.

Well, Elizabeth. Shoulder length will NEVER ever happen on this girl. I love long hair on women, myself in particular. I think it's feminine and sexy and fun to flip around when I'm dancing. That being said, I was desperate for SOMEONE to help me with my volume situation.

Enter Andreas Zafiriadis, Chicago's leading hair stylist and owner of Salon Buzz on East Delaware Street. I visited the Streeterville location and three hours later emerged with my "more sophisticated style." Behold.

This place sure is perty. Chandeliers, zebra wood, and all.

Let's. Do. A Makeover!

So Andreas saw me and immediately said I had a face for "thick fringe." i.e. bangs. Whoa I was not ready for that. Maybe one day. But what we did do is lots and lots of layers and a darker rinse (my first one ever).

three inches off all around, six inches off in layers.
darker, fuller, fresher.

go me!

i'm still learning how to style it. there are some serious layers in the front that barely even go back into a pony (ahh! whadoido?!) my sis says a round brush is necessary. so i need to learn how to use that... more details to follow.

what's the craziest thing you've ever done with your hair?

fall fashion for europe: zara

fur top | olive coat | colorblock tee | contrast bag | chunky sweater | quilted jacket | knit sweater

my fall fashion for europe wishlist

from zara