Life: A Little Relaxation

Hi, gems.

Have you noticed my little hiatus from the blog lately? I tell you, this month just might be the death of me. I've been running around like crazy. Crazy, I tell you. And I'm traveling for work for the next two weeks. Unfortunately, I'll be seeing a little less of you guys until September. I'll miss you, I tell ya.

Lucky for my sanity, I did have a few hours of uninterrupted relaxation on Sunday, which were much needed. A few hours on the couch with my current addiction (New Girl), the best comfort food imaginable and a few hours by the pool, and I was a (semi) re-charged girl.

Thank goodness for that - because I'm about to be one busy lady until September.

See you in a few weeks! 

xo,

 - C

|| Photos are property of Twentyapolis. Do not use or distribute ||

Style: Feeling Fall

All that talk about October and Halloween on the blog the other day got me really excited for fall. I know, I know, all this talk about fall - I'm foolishly wasting away summer. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving these August summer days, but I like to think of my fall obsession as "preparing for winter." Living in Minneapolis, it's good to be prepared for the inevitable cold and snow, right?

While my bank account is shrinking due to all the summer travel I've been doing, my heart is set on these pretty little things for fall. Autumn has always been my favorite season, so I can't help but gravitate toward neutral colors, lots of layers and contrasting textures. With autumn just around the corner, it's time for this girl to start saving.

What are your fall essentials? Have a great Wednesday!
 xo,
C

striped tee || ankle boots || knit hat || faux fur snood || vegan leather leggings || parka

The Right Foot

Remember back in December when I made my resolutions for 2013? Well, number one on my list was to run a 5K and a half marathon. I checked the 5K off my list in February, but have made zero headway with the half marathon. But it's already mid-August, and I need to change that.

 So here it goes - starting TODAY, I'm training for my first half marathon!

Thankfully, I found the Beginner's Half Marathon Training Schedule on Fitsugar, which should help me start things off on the right foot. While I'm not in bad shape, I am by no means ready to tackle a half marathon, but this schedule should help get me there. While I have just less than 12 weeks, I'm really hoping I can make my resolution a reality by October 26 - just in time for The Monster Dash! A half marathon during my favorite month, close to one of the best holidays around? Sign me up!

While I'm ridiculously excited (and incredibly nervous) to start training and tackle a half marathon, I need a bit of help from you guys - have you participated in The Monster Dash or a half marathon before? If so, I'd love to hear your recommendations. I need all the positive encouragement I can get!

xoxo,

C

Love: Us

Uh oh, it's time for a sappy little post on the blog today, loves.

A few weeks ago, a good friend of ours, Jackson of Jackson Faith Photography, came by to snap a few lifestyle photos of Jack and me. A few hours, a nice long walk and a couple drinks later, we had ourselves a pretty little photo shoot. Needless to say, Jackson is amazing at what he does. I repeat, amazing. He made us feel so comfortable and so ourselves, that at times, I swear we forgot there was even a camera around (see the final picture). We had such a great time, and can't wait to hang a few of these gems around our apartment! (There will be an apartment post coming soon - I promise!)

Have a great Monday, loves!
 xo,
C

|| Photos are property of Jackson Faith Photography. Do not use or distribute. ||

Style: Obsessed: August

Happy August, gems!

I'm in-between trips at the moment, and finally found some time to blog - finally! While I'm busy as can be this month, I'm never too busy to share my current obsessions!

I've been excited to talk about one of my newly found (and newly favorite) Midwest brands, Flyover Press. Flyover Press is a Midwest-inspired apparel and home decor brand that launched in April. All of their products are made in the USA and are inspired by the people, places and culture of the Midwest. Being a born-and-raised Midwesterner, it's no surprise why I'm beginning to love this brand. One of my favorite pieces of theirs is the Patriotic Midwest Tank in navy. This tank is perfect for a day at the lake, an evening by the grill or a weekend at a summer music festival (which is where I'll be wearing mine!) But I've gotta say, the best part in my opinion is the corn and wheat logo. Adorably Midwest.

Next on my list are my good 'ole Ray Bans. It's finally sunny and (mostly) warm in Minneapolis, and I haven't been going anywhere without my favorite sunnies in my hand. 

Because it's finally been warm, doing my hair for work has not been my favorite thing to do. Even with shorter hair (I recently cut about 7 inches off!), my hair is still taking far too long to blow dry, in my opinion. But my new full volume blow dryer by John Freida legitimately cuts my drying time in half. I'm not sure how I've lived so long without this baby.

So with all of the business travel I've been doing lately, I realized that I didn't have a professional bag that could carry my laptop and all my purse essentials. So, true to my nature, I went shopping...and found that finding a bag to meet my needs was not easy! Luckily, Minneapolis is only a 45 minute drive to the Albertville Outlet Mall, where I was able to pick up a lovely leather Coach purse, similar to the one below. But buying it at the outlet mall meant I got it for a steal of the original cost, and it's a piece I'll have for years to come.

Finally, with all of the traveling I've been (and will be) doing through the rest of the month, it seems I haven't been going anywhere without Starbucks in my hand. Caffeine is the name of the game this month, gems.

So tell me, loves, what are you obsessing over this month?

xo,

C

tank || sunglasses || blow dryer || purse || starbucks

Life: What a Week

The more appropriate title for this post should probably be "What a MONTH." As you read this post, note that I wrote most of it on a plane on a day-long work trip. The craziest part? I have two other trips (much lengthier than a day) later this month. Apparently I'm a true "working girl" now. When did this happen!?

While I'm busier than I've ever been with work, these long plane rides have given me some time to reflect. It's been over a year since I officially joined the working world, and by golly, this first year has been quite a ride.

Graduating from college was bittersweet, and starting my first PR job was a rush. Since then, I lived alone for the first time in my life (in the most adorable studio apartment), became a "business traveler," learned more about Microsoft PowerPoint than I think I ever thought I would know, mastered the art of early mornings and late nights, moved in with Jack (much more on that to come in the future) and we booked our first "adult" trip (to Mexico!). We spent a lot of time with family, traveled across the U.S. for weddings, getaways and bonding trips with friends, bought FURNITURE, and became budding chefs (if I do say so myself). And most recently, both of us were offered promotions within our companies.

Like I said, we've got a few things to be thankful for.

So this weekend, we're taking a bit of time to relax and enjoy the little things (and the big things)...that is, until I leave on my next business trip. What a month, you guys.

Happy August, and have a fabulous weekend, gems.

xo,
C

|| Photos are property of Jackson Faith Photography. Do not use or distribute ||

**More on these pretty little photos next week!**