The Everygirl and Birchbox, sitting in a tree!

We are so excited to have teamed up with Birchbox this month to offer an Everygirl box, which will contain five Affordable Luxuries - our favorite beauty products priced under $35.

We can't believe that within an hour, 7500 already-subscribers ALREADY signed up to get this box in August; and now it's only available to new subscribers. So click over and sign up for only $10 to get this sweet deal delivered to your door step in August!

And Danielle and I answered a short q&a with Birchbox about launching The Everygirl, our beauty routine, and the products we chose - check it out here!

photo by Stoffer Photography

10% Sale on Joss and Main Today!

I may or may not have acquired a few new pieces.

I picked up the gold lamps in the Bright Ideas lamp sale and the leopard print Martha Stewart rug in the Safavieh rug sale! Tacky or fabulous? I'm gonna go with the latter. Adding a bit of ladyglam to my lady apartment. Not really sure where the lamps will go (you get two lamps for $162 by the way). Probably the entryway and/or the bar and/or my desk. We'll see. They really work anywhere in my place. As for the rug, I recently got a tiny 2x3 area rug for my dressing room/hallway, but it got dirty in approximately 10 minutes. White just isn't practical with dogs. I desperately need to switch it out with something that will better hide paw prints. Animal print should do the trick. This is also the perfect size. My current white and black area rug is 2x3 and it's just too small for the hallway; this new one is 2'6" by 4–perfect!

Not a Joss and Main member? Sign up! Use code SORRY10 at check-out for the discount! There are a ton of great sales going on right now.

In other news, remember several weeks ago I pinky promised I'd be posting more? And then completely dropped the ball? Yeah. A few of you called me out on it. Rightly so. I don't know why... whether it's the cold, the holidays, the workload, the wanting to relax in the evenings with my friends, family, puppies, the wanting to do nothing at all, the lack of inspiration, the fact that I post apartment updates on Instagram, the cyber bullies lurking in the shadows, or - spoiler alert - all of it, I've just not felt the desire to blog much over the past couple of months. The real reason I started the blog in the first place was to find inspiration for my dream job. "Live creating myself." Write about all the things I loved in hope that what I should do with my life would reveal itself. And it has with The Everygirl! Sure it might not pay great and the hours aren't ideal, but it's truly my dream job and I feel so lucky it's what I get to wake up and do every morning. And there are so many ways I want to improve it and grow it. It's where I'd rather put my energy. And when my energy isn't going into my work, it's going into my family and friends.

So what does that mean for LCY? Has it served its purpose? Is it time to close up shop here? I don't know. I absolutely still enjoy documenting my decorating trials. And I like sharing news updates and exciting things going on in my life and the lives of those around me (when they allow me to share it). And I love love love hearing from readers; whether you write asking for advice or giving input about my place. How can you walk away from something that still brings you joy? You shouldn't.

So for now I guess we'll keep on like this. I do apologize that I'm not as reliable as I once was. But I appreciate those of you who have stuck it out!

Until next time... : )

BIG REVEAL: The Everygirl 2.0 and Shop!

For the past few months, we've been working on a "top secret project." We can be dramatic.

Today - it's here!

A fully redesigned The Everygirl site and Shop!

We teamed up with a small group of web designers and developers here in Chicago, and we are so thrilled with what they put together for us. There's a new fancy navigation, sorting by cities, filters, a lot more articles on the homepage, related articles within stories... basically all the practical functionality we never thought to add to the original design seeing as we are not UX experts and just cared about it looking great. Now that's all fixed! Not to mention it's FAST FAST FAST! No 5 second load time. 

You can read more of the details on what the new site offers here.

Or click over to The Everygirl Shop to snatch up stocking stuffers for all your loved ones and girlfriends!

Coming Soon: The Everygirl Shop

The Everygirl Shop and product line officially launches tomorrow, Wednesday, November 20th! Prices range from $12-$35, making them the perfect stocking stuffers for the inspiring, kick-ass ladies in your life!

More details here.

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...

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

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

Ladyplace: The New Coffee Table

so here's where we left off...

painted the walls white, got a new striped rug, added a gallery wall above the sofa.
love love love it, right?

well, if you recall from this pic of fiona getting eaten by the couch, it was a wee bit crowded.

this reclaimed wood coffee table from jayson home is my absolute favorite in the whole wide world. i got it for a steal at their warehouse sale, and i am NOT selling it, not ever, no way. but i need something smaller while i reside in this pocket-sized apartment. not wanting to spend a lot of money, i bravely dove headfirst into the dark abyss that is craigslist.

and after a couple of searches using the keywords "brass" "glass" "small" "coffee table" and "lucite," i found this funky lil guy!

which i immediately recognized as being similar to this lovely from lonny magazine (which i just so happened to include in my striped rug post)!

$100?! i emailed the seller and scheduled a time to pick it up. worst case, it didn't work out and i resell it.

similar styles are going on ebay for $175, $300, $899, and $1100! whaaa?! thaz bonkers.

so here it is! as you can see - it really opens up the space. so much more room for activities!

and from another angle. brighter, yes? and i love how the brass matches the brass curtain rods.

a lot less crowded than before.

so this just happened.

40% off j.crew's sale w/ code style40. too good to pass up.

i may or may not have scooped up these neon lace pumps, these pink and gold flats, and this neon striped sweater.

what's on your wishlist?

we call it #weddingweek

And it's happening again!

We've got you covered from affordable decor tips like this backyard wedding styled by Amber Whitehouse, to taking you inside the offices of one of our beloved wedding brands (Wednesday), and have a kickass fashion feature (Thursday) curated by top editors in the fashion and wedding fields. And more...!

Also follow along on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #weddingweek!

photo by Jen Dederich

Winning.

This morning I attended a faaaabulous event with fellow Chicago bloggers at Coach to check out their new spring and summer footwear. Amelia of The CHIcago Life Blog showed up wearing these show-stopping neon trousers (see photo here) which I expected to be some uber fancy-pants designer from Barney's. Wrong. They're the one and only J.Crew, and they're on sale!

Fast forward one hour later. You'll find me at my desk adding them to my online shopping cart...

pink and lime

Also picked up these razzmatazz pink goodies. You should too! Why? Because all items are currently 25% off w/ the code springfest! Winning.

In other news... Danielle's lovely one bedroom apartment is finally revealed on The Everygirl today! Yep. I get to hang out in all that pink, gold, and white prettiness whenever I want. #luckyme

image by Stoffer Photography for The Everygirl

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?

seriously awesome rugs for under $400

i have a weird obsession with rugs (literally have more rugs than i have floor space), and there is an insane sale on joss and main today - it's called Pattern Perfect - and all of these styles and more are available in a number of sizes, the largest sizes selling for under $400! if you're in the market, check it out stat!

styling makes me happy: the west elm parsons desk three ways

you KNOW i love a good styling project. these "how to style three ways" features for the everygirl really take it outta me... but they are so worth it in the end. since everyone and their mother has this white lacquered desks, yours truly included, danielle and i had been talking about this project for the better part of a year. well, thanks to the help of furbish studio, lulu and georgia, design darling, see jane work, junkyard lighting, and of course, west elm, it finally came together! i present "how to style the west elm parsons desk" three ways.

sleek and neutral

west elm parsons desk, west elm shelves (no longer available - similar style here), eurostylelighting chair, lulu and georgia pouf, see jane work calendar, see jane work test tube thingys, junkard light lamp, dayna decker gold candle (it crackles like a fireplace!), sarah and bendrix print, alicia bock paris photo, my own eiffel tower print

glam, pink & gold

west elm parsons desk, lulu and georgia rug, restoration hardware chair, land of nod lamp, furbish studio marbled box, sferra linen napkin (coaster)

 

colorful and bold

 west elm parsons desk, jc penney lamp (no longer available), two penny blue blazer, jonathan adler boxes (no longer available), jonathan adler iphone dock, furbish studio color pencils, biscuit home coaster, lulu and georgia picture frame, jessica durrant illustrations, pencil cup is vintage

there's a WHOLE lot more where those came from. check it out! 

which one is your favorite? i can't decide...

photos by danielle moss for the evergirl

styling by alaina kaczmarski for the everygirl

Belle: The Living Room Rug Debacle

Behold, the transformation of my living room. I am aware trying three different rugs in the matter of a few months is ridiculous and I don't advise anyone do this. But I'm not crazy. I had my reasons. The good news is I love the way this room has come together. And it's nearly finished...

Above you can see the apartment before moving in. A whole lot of beige going on.

You may recall the beige plague was remedied rather quickly. The room transformed with Behr's Classic Silver.

With furniture and art. It's better... I suppose. When I moved in the summer, I brought my living room rug with me, an 8x10 graphic Moroccan flatweave from West Elm that is no longer in stores (see similar style here). I love this rug, but it was just too dark given the sofa and wall colors.

So I perused West Elm for other options and decided on this light, bright, ultra cozy Fair Isle style. Only silly me assumed my brown rug was a 9x12, so that's what I ordered, only to realize my brown rug was in fact an 8x10 and this new fair isle rug was ginormous. Fortunately, so is the room, so I was going to make it work. And I loved how it brightened the room. Tucker agreed.

Then long story short, things kind of went awry, I thought I was going to have to move, and I came to the realization that the ginormous 9x12 fair isle rug would never fit into any other apartment, so I returned it. Only to realize I would not be moving... cool. Doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't be here forever and as I said, the rug was so big it wouldn't fit anywhere else. So I looked to my other favorite rug source, the online retailer RugsUSA. I was debating between a few graphic options, but ultimately decided on this twist of a chevron pattern. I kept my colorblock Stone Textile pillows, added in a fun spotted pillow from Furbish, switched out the art for my simple European prints, and added in a crazy pouf that has a sort of southwestern vibe from Lulu and Georgia... things are finally coming along! Totally neutral but still feminine thanks to the mirrored sconces.

So we have a winner.

SOURCES:
sofa // colorblock pillows // spotted pillow // coffee table // rug // lamp // graphic pouf // art // tray
 // mirrored sconces, candle hurricane, and jute pouf were West Elm but are no longer available

And so you know you'll eventually see my full home tour, complete with sources and beautiful photography, on The Everygirl. Probably in late February! Get excited.

I love a good styling project!

...almost as much as I love Joss and Main. I'm telling you: the flash sale home decor site and West Elm are currently rivaling for who gets to be featured in my home more. A few recent purchases off the J&M include this amazing arc lamp, this grey upholstered bed (shown below), and this retro black wall clock that will soon make its home on my office gallery wall. I'm not a spendaholic - I just have a lot of credit to the site! Referring readers is a glorious thing.

Anywho. Long story short. Danielle and I curated our second sale for the site on behalf of The Everygirl, but even better, they lent us some of the products from the sale to style and photograph for a "How to Style" feature. I styled a brand new version of our "How to Style a Nightstand" and "How to Style an Entryway." And you can shop both looks!

But hurry–items are selling out and today is the LAST DAY to shop the sale!

lamp | nightstand | nailhead bed | gold clock | jute rug

 console table | mirror | baskets | gold sea urchin | pink basket | iron jack | chevron rug

Shop The Everygirl Styling Sale on Joss and Main! Then come back here and tell me what you got! :)

Here's a lil' before shot from the evening before the shoot...

...because I like sharing the "process" of how these all come together. Yes, both shoots took place in my apartment.

photography by Danielle Moss for The Everygirl
styling by Alaina Kaczmarski for The Everygirl

six festive looks for six holiday fetes

these ladies sure know what they're doin'. so honored to be able to work with such kind, talented, generous women. check out the holiday fashion feature on the everygirl today.

big thank you to Liz Schneider of Sequins and Stripes (christmas party), Alicia Lund of Cheetah is the New Black (work party), Krystal Knight of The Feisty House (bundle up!), Sally and Molly of A Piece of Toast (christmas morning), Julia Engel of Gal Meets Glam (christmas day), Kendi Skeen of Kendi Everyday (new year's eve) for making this incredible, budget-friendly, inspiring holiday fashion feature happen!

and if you haven't, check out these other everygirl #holidayweek features:
FOOD: 5 non-cookie holiday dessert recipes
SHOP: the ultimate, budget-friendly gift guide
DECORATE: 12 tips for bringing holiday cheer into your home (when you don't have a tree!)

the everygirl's gift guide

You may have heard it's Holiday Week on The Everygirl and our gift guide is live! In typical Everygirl fashion, almost all of the 95 items in the gift guide are under $50, except for a few "splurge" favorites we couldn't leave out. We have a little something for everyone–the ladies, fellas, little ones, home, office, entertainer, and cook. And we've asked some of our favorite bloggers to share their picks under $30.

Have at it! We dare you not to buy at least one thing.

In other news, things have slowly gotten a little better for me this past week... the support from everyone - in my personal life and across the blogosphere - means more than you realize. Thank you.