color splash + vodka = i'm there

danielle needed me to stand in for a photo shoot she was working on for her blog. the assignment was to dress colorfully and pour vodka drinks. preppy but FUN. done and done.

i had the perfect color-splashed frock–a recent treat from kate spade saturday! i realize it's only a glimpse, but you get the idea of how fun the dress is. maybe there will be a full outfit post coming soon... maaaaybe.

dress | shoes (different color) | bangle (different color

photos by Danielle Moss

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 Everygirl Event at Kate Spade

As promised, a lil' candy-colored image recap from last Thursday's event at Kate Spade w/ photos directly from the iPhone of yours truly. To see far prettier photos from the professionals, visit The Everygirl today!

Hostesses with the mostesses. Or something like that. Decked out in Kate Spade because the brand is truly awesome like that.

Pretty maids all in a row.

Loved that so many Everygirl staffers and contributors came out! Including but not limited to...

our Everygirl copy editor Lisa Sanchez, straight from Boston

our super wordsmith Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Danielle and I w/ Everygirl alumn Caitlin Brown and Mary Mullen and our fall writing intern/in-house fashionista Annie Walsh

our dynamite photogs, Maura and John Stoffer, whose beautiful photos from the event you can see on The Everygirl today!

...and there were friends and loved ones! Not to say staffers aren't friends, obvi. But you know what I mean.

with the lovelies Taylor of Curly in the City and Gina of River North Paleo

 

Skirt PR represent! Clair and Caitlin (future and former Everygirls)

 

this tall glass of water surprised me and stopped by

...the only man in a sea of women and glitter who wasn't paid to be there (literally the only other men were photographers and waiters). #makesmyheartsing

And then there was my favorite part... meeting readers! No surprise how personable, smart, and stylish all these ladies were. And friendly! Many of them are from Chicago, two sisters were from Alaska! Their careers varied from PR to tech consulting. Boy would I love to get together with a big group some time and really talk - more than you can in the five minutes of chatting at a cocktail party. I'm sure we'd all become fast friends.

Seriously - how fashionable are these ladies?!

Yay Kate Spade!

Yay surprise write-up on Vanity Fair's blog!

Yay prettier event pictures by John and Maura!

Yay Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm finally going to Michigan to hang with my new niece!

What are your plans for my favorite holiday?

join the everygirl and kate spade new york for a holiday shopping soiree!

Danielle and I are thrilled to represent The Everygirl as hosts for a holiday event at kate spade new york next Thursday evening! The event will be from 6-8pm at their Oak Street store in Chicago, and it's open to everyone! So bring your friends, family, sister, mom, or coworker, and join us for cocktails and chit chat. The best part? There will be 20% off all full-priced purchases that evening! Gift shopping, anyone? Please call the number on the invite to RSVP.

We had a fun evening trying on outfits at the store yesterday. I settled on the gemstone collared sweater and colorblock skirt shown above! Danielle's wearing a tinsel sweater and bubble skirt that's covered in illustrations of gemstones. Festive, yes?

Hope to see you there!

quite possibly the best weekend of the year (birthday recap!)

the birthday festivities technically began thursday evening when these polka dotted delights arrived on my doorstep! thank you, papa bear! shown here on my striped rug from layla grayce.

then on friday, october 5 (officially my 27th bday), my best friend lauren took me out to lunch at my favorite mexican restaurant - uncle julio's hacienda. surprise sopapillas! it was a rainy day so i sported my ali ro anorak, of course (i'm obsessed).

Mike came back from work with the most beautiful (and huge!) arrangement of flowers for me!
(the pink rug is from rugsUSA.com - I'm obsessed and always get asked about it!)

and Mike's family had this tasty dozen delivered to my home! vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet from sprinkles. so thoughtful! these were a hit at my game night!

romantical dinner date for two at one of my favorite French restaurants - Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park. get the filet with red wine reduction. melts in your mouth.

followed by game night at my place! it was a large group so instead of my favorite board games, we played celebrity and drank a lot of wine. for those wondering, the striped flats are madewell.

it was the first time many of my friends were seeing our new place, so i wanted to create a nice ambiance! i decorated with gourds, pumpkins, yellow flowers, and candlelight. it was cozy and lovely. my new antler candlesticks from west elm were a perfect addition.

saturday my girlfriends and i headed to new buffalo, michigan for some r&r - if you've never been, it's a charming lake town just an hour and some change outside chicago. a little wine tasting at tabor hill, a hearty dinner, late night cocktails and chit chat. work often gets in the way of me hanging out, so it was great fun catching up and spending quality time with my best friends.

how beautiful is this winery? it's called round barn and we arrived just as they were closing, so we are planning on heading back w/ all the boys around christmas when it looks extra beautiful!

sunday i returned home and settled in on the couch with mike for a long day of football and fall ambiance! obsessed with this pumpkin souffle candle - a gift from danielle! and note i took the two oversized white hydrangea (i swear they must have been on steroids) out of the huge bouquet mike gave me and created a separate arrangement. two for one. awesome.

monday morning. back to work but not without a hot treat. loving my new crossbody bag from k.slademade and fair isle glittens i picked up in michigan.

Birthday Weekend Loot

Kate Spade ball hat / Kate Spade glitter bow belt / Kate Spade leather gloves / pumpkin souffle candle by Lumin Candles / k.slademade crossover bag in brown / wee heart ring in rose gold from Anthropologie / tippi sweater in shocking pink Paris in Color book  / Cupcake chardonnay / antler candlestick holders from West Elm / Kate Spade polka dot pumps 

Quite possibly the best weekend of the year. Thank you to everyone who made it so special!

kate and me

my kate spade polka dotted stick-on finger nails // xo ring by madison elizabeth designs

Over the past few years Kate Spade has continuously gotten better and better, embracing pattern, color, and the overly feminine (three things I love).  And based on what I saw for their spring and summer 2013 collection, the neon brights and bow-patterned dresses show no signs of stopping. But in the mean time, it's finally October, fall is here, and the countdown to the great holiday trifecta begins (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas)! And the folks over at Kate are trading in the candy-colored accessories for more muted - but equally fun and sparkly - accessories. My birthday is on Friday, so I thought I'd whip up a dream wishlist - nothing I need, but everything I'd want if that magical limitless Kate Spade gift card showed up on my doorstep.

(clockwise from top left) polka dot pumps | dazzle earrings | bow belt | dot watch | gold strappy heel | hunter green envelope bag | eyes iphone case | sunnies

What's on your Kate wishlist for fall?

word on the street

all good things to believe in.

as seen in the kate spade boutique on oak street

word on the street

drowning in work again. seems to be the norm. at least i'm loving what i'm doing and am so excited about all of the upcoming features for the everygirl. kind of seems like the stars are aligning...

also love this friendly reminder from kate spade. sometimes it's ok to escape for a day.

Holy Mother of All That is Good and Neon

I don't know if there's something in the water cooler over at Kate Spade's Manhattan headquarters, but they are SERIOUSLY hitting it out of the park this season. I had to run in to the Oak Street store yesterday to grab something for a photo shoot and spent twenty minutes longer than I should have. Behold.

First I walk in and see this dangly, saturated delight greeting me.

Gold Coast Meadow Bag in Flo

One part clutch. One part shoulder bag. All parts tufted and delicious.

Picked up a lil' somethin' somethin' for myself. I didn't think $38 was outrageous considering I'll probably wear them every day.

Finally, I'd like you all to meet Shelly. Who I've decided is the most perfect colored patent pump. And the 2.75" stacked heel makes walking eons easier versus my usual teetering shuffle on a stiletto. I love.

• • • • • • •

Ok, ok, one last thing. I know there are an awful lot of small business owners and entrepreneurs who read LCY, and if that's you (or really anyone for that matter), we've started an amazing new column on The Everygirl today with advice on how to grow your business and further your career. Today's piece details the importance of social networking WITHOUT a computer. I have to admit, I've actually seen this advice play out in person and it's brilliant. And does work. And is much easier than you'd think. So go check it out!