My New Home Office

24 May

For the past few weeks, I have been getting ‘lost in projects’ as my husband puts it.  Similar to how men can play 18 holes of golf over a 5+ hour time span or mow the grass and trim the hedges all morning, I can spend hours lost in my house projects.  What type of house projects?  Gosh, it’s so awesome that my readers are so engaged and are asking so many great questions.  My projects are anything from hanging frames and art on my walls to cleaning out my closet for a Goodwill run to finding the perfect spot for a vintage milk glass vase to be displayed to transforming a space with just a few small updates.

And it comes as no coincidence that just last week, my team and I packed our boxes and exited our office space at the W Hotel in Chicago after a great, memorable and always entertaining five years.  We are venturing to new office space and until we find a place to call home, we are officially working from home.  And so I share with you one of my latest projects,  my new home office.  A place where I read, work, pray, talk and get inspired.

Two of my favorite things in this shot:

The Crate and Barrel Rug – inexpensive, great color options, works well in multiple spaces…sold!

The inspiration wall.  What I love about this, aside from the optimistic quotes that are great daily reminders, is the versatility.  In a few months I plan to change them out and make some new ones to keep the momentum going!

 

Bar none, my favorite new piece in my office is my makeshift bookshelf.  I found these vintage European wine crates at my favorite store in Chicago, Jayson Home.

Second to those would be a close tie between my Brazil map pillow, a gift from a dear friend (Brazil was my honeymoon vacay!), and my poster of Paris I found at a cute store in Paris called The Collection.

      

Last, a great reminder to BE. THE. GOOD.  Can I get an AMEN?!  :)


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My Me Weekend

21 May

Sometimes, we just need one.  After a long week at work.  For a special occasion.  On the fly.  To celebrate.  To be alone.  To recharge.  Or just because.  A “Me Weekend.” 

And this past weekend was just that.  If you haven’t done one of these in a while (or ever), I highly recommend penciling it in sometime soon.  It’s rare for me that I take intentional  time alone at home (in other words, not traveling for a weekend getaway or not committed to five plans in the course of two days), in Chicago, to enjoy some down time and partake in the beauty the city has to offer.  Here’s how I spent my “me weekend.”

Right at 5pm on Friday to get started and get my mind in weekend mode, I went to the gym and spent 40 minutes getting caught up on People’s Style Watch edition while busting a move on the elliptical.  Snagged some great ideas for some fun summer attire.  Check.

Believe it or not, I almost never have manicured nails and I actually don’t really like getting manicures.  Yes, I love the outcome, but, for me, it’s not relaxing and typically 30 minutes after I leave the salon, I smudge a nail.  And then I am annoyed.  But every so often when I am not rushed for time, I go all out and get a mani and a pedi. (Definitely prefer a pedi over a mani any day…they are more logical…they feel better, the polish stays on for a solid three months [slight exaggeration] and when else can you feel comfortable having someone deal with the calluses on your feet?)  I chose Essie’s “One of a Kind” poppy red color to kick off summer.   And no, I didn’t smudge any of my nails this time :)

Sometimes a girl just has to splurge and by herself some flowers.  For me, fresh flowers in my home are truly one of my favorite things and I love buying them on Fridays so I can enjoy them all weekend long.  And the even better part?  I am completely satisfied with the $9.99 bunch from Jewel.  See below.  They have also left such a fresh smell in my entryway which is a nice added bonus to fresh flowers!

   

I kicked off Saturday morning and ran eight miles in prep for my ten-mile race next weekend.  Not sure this was the greatest part of my weekend, but wow, the feeling I have after those long runs is like no other (and admittedly, I enjoy losing myself in thoughts and ideas while running).  And, talk about a great way to see Chicago…I ran from my house, along Lake Michigan to Museum Campus and back.  Absolutely beautiful.

These days, a “me weekend” for a woman would certainly not be complete without being on Pinterest for at least 10 hours.  I spent some time getting inspired and added some more pins to my boards based on some blogs I read.  Check out some of my latest pins!

I love reading and don’t do enough of it and so to get some quiet time reading The Next Christians was definitely a highlight of my “me weekend.”  There is nothing like uninterrupted time to lose yourself in a great read.

When I travel, one of my most favorite things to do is to dine solo.  I love walking into a brunch joint or neighborhood diner and sitting at the bar to enjoy some food in a new town while meeting new people.  And I almost never do that in Chicago.  So on Saturday, I ventured into a hood I rarely frequent, the eclectic and robust Wicker Park neighborhood, to dine solo at Milk and Honey Cafe…pictures speak for themselves.

And of course, I had to venture out into some new shops while on my Wicker Park adventure.  Division street is packed with all kinds of boutiques.  Boutiques for kids, co-ed boutiques and bridal boutiques.  It’s quite fun!  One of my favorite ones was Trillium and I did indulge in a fantastic new summer shirt, perfect for work or weekend (of course, with a camisole under it!).  I bought this in a peachy orange color which will work great with white skinny jeans and some espadrilles.

I took a nap at Starbucks.  Yes, I did.  In a big, brown, cozy leather chair with all kinds of people around me.  Slightly awkward, highly freeing.

Thanks to my friends at Groupon, I took my first photography class  with Chicago Digital Photo Academy using my new Canon Rebel DSLR camera.  The full recap is to come in a future blog, but for now, here’s a little sneak peek at the results.

What’s a girly “me weekend” without Skinnygirl Margarita’s?!  My best friend and her husband had a fantastic kick off to summer Mexican fiesta and what better time to try Bethenny’s new white peach margarita?  A-mazing, per usual.

I also had some time to sit on my balcony and do some writing which was so relaxing and nice.  (Sort of ironic as I type this blog.)

And that was my much-needed “me weekend.”  What would you do if you had a “me weekend” planned soon?

P.S. For those of you wondering where Rick was this weekend…Well, there’s this relatively famous convention in town called NATO.  Have you heard of it?!  :)   Rick’s hotel is hosting The White House, inclusive of Mr. President himself and Hillary Clinton (she prefers to be called and addressed as Madame Secretary and travels with an additional giant suitcase completely filled with books as she is an avid reader…this is no lie).  Needless to say he was a bit preoccupied ensuring everyone was happy and safe, while trusting the vast amounts of security and coast guards were protecting all 1,209 rooms at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

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New England Hidden Gem: Manchester, Vermont

30 Apr

There are many perks to working in the hotel industry.  Being around really hospitable and intelligent people  (killer combo…they are fun, nice AND smart).  Never running out of shampoo or conditioner due to the vast amount of bottles collected from past hotel stays.  The normalcy of hugging colleagues vs. shaking hands (come on, let’s hug it out!).  Meeting so many different people from all over the world.  Having the ability to help friends and family experience travel when they may not have otherwise been able to.  And, my personal favorite and the most obvious is the travel itself.  Whether for work or for pleasure, my job in the hotel business has not only allowed me to see many different cities and countries, but it has also allowed me to stay at some very unique and amazing hotels.  And most recently, I had the pleasure of having my annual team summit at The Equinox Resort & Spa in Manchester Village, Vermont. Why Vermont, you ask?  Well, about half of my team is in Boston and half are in Chicago.  Vermont is halfway between the two cities.  Okay, no it isn’t.  Not even close.  In fact, I found this allegedly useful website call MeetWays where you can find halfway points and technically, the halfway point between Chicago and Boston is Southern Tier Expy in Randolph, NY.  And, I digress.

Let’s get back on track, shall we? Vermont boasts the only Luxury Collection (one of Starwood’s highest end luxury brands) hotel in my portfolio of 90 hotels.  It’s their least busy season, otherwise known as mud season, which means the price was right.  It’s a three-hour drive from Boston and a two-hour flight from Chicago into Albany, NY so ease of travel was on our side.  And come on, it’s an incredible resort that sits at the bottom of Mount Equinox in a town of 600 in Bennington County (ahem, Bennington IS my maiden name after all).  Need I say more?

Having first settled in 1761, Manchester Village is an incredibly quaint town with so much to offer.  Having everything from hiking to fly-fishing, outlet shopping to eating incredibly delicious local food, it truly has something for everyone.  It’s a great destination for a girls getaway, a family reunion, a team-building retreat or even a solo weekend trip.  And given I love to take advantage of the perks of my job, I decided to head to The Equinox a few days before my work meeting and get some R&R in with Rick.  I have captured the highlights of the week below.

My advice to you:  Put this hotel and traveling to Vermont on your bucket list and start planning!  I promise you will not regret it.

The below are all views within the first 12 hours of arriving.  Mount Equinox, gorgeous flowers and the hotel’s famous apple cider donuts baked daily, served warm.  The trees and pond during my hike (the hiking path is in the backyard of the hotel, roughly 100-150 feet from the main resort).  And one of my favorite things at The Equinox Hotel was the fire pit in the courtyard of the hotel.  Enjoying a glass of vino while Rick enjoys a cigar, the heat of the fire is on your face but the chill of early Spring weather is in the air.  AHHH!!  It doesn’t get much better than that!

  

  

  

Balance.  This is what happens when you go to Vermont for the weekend.

The food.  Oh, the food.  It’s fresh, delicious, organic and local.  There truly isn’t a bad restaurant in the Manchester area.  Why?  Well, as the locals told us, “the bad ones don’t make it…”  We went to Marsh Tavern, Mio Bistrot, Ponce Bistrot, Northshire Bookstore Cafe to name a few.  We would recommend all of them!

And again, the hotel is perfect for a team offsite retreat.  During the day we were forging through workshops and education sessions.  And we always left time to connect together as a team. We kicked off our week with a wine tasting at Honora Winery and Tasting Room, located next door to the hotel.  We tried eight wines that were paired with food along the way.  Delish!

 

There are two very unique activities that we had the pleasure of being treated to during our week together.  The first was the Land Rover Driving School.  Talk about team-building and a great ‘do you trust your colleague?’ exercise.  There are driving courses in the midst of acres and acres of land where we took three vehicles out and testing our driving skills.  You learn about the vehicles (they don’t call them cars) and you quickly realize Land Rovers and Range Rovers are not for the city. It was scary, fun, and exciting all at the same time.  A must-do if you are in Manchester.  Besides, there are only five of these schools in the world so when else will you have this opportunity?

The second activity we did was falconry at The British School of Falconry.  Very different than driving school, but equally as fun and unique!  You definitely gain a new appreciation for the intelligence of birds :)  And, yes, I felt like Katniss in The Hunger Games.

  

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Before and After Entryway: A French Inspiration

19 Apr

If you have been reading my blogs for the last few months or if you know anything about me, I love almost anything French.  The food, the people, the culture, the wine and I especially love French decor.  And when we decided to give our entryway a facelift (and I say “we” to lovingly include my dear husband, but meanwhile, his role was in between minor and non-existent and ends with a “ahh, looks good honey” comment), French maison was on the [right] brain!

Today I share with you our before and after entryway transformation as well as a few of my favorite pieces from the full collection.  Would love to hear what you think!

BEFORE:  I wasn’t ever a fan of this shade of red upon moving into our place for one main reason – it didn’t offer a fresh, inviting feeling when you walked in.  And while I do like the furniture pieces, I think they were too bulky and dark for this space.

AFTER:  As you can see, the white paint is much more soothing and inviting.  Here I replaced the black mirror and now feature photos I took from some of our  favorite places we’ve traveled.  Combining Pottery Barn frames with others I had lying around, as well as some signs and mirrors,  the goal was to create a travel-themed collage that didn’t look too ‘matchy-matchy’ but that still worked well together.

 


BEFORE:  Lacking in functionality, I used this bookshelf to cover up the fuse box and to store anything that didn’t have a home, making the space feel busy and distracted (this is clearly a picture after I took everything off the shelves and the walls :) ).

AFTER:  This space that once had the black bookshelf against the red wall was also repainted which made it visually seem more spacious. It is now more functional and serves as a place to hang coats and our recyclable grocery bags (it’s always a good reminder to have them hanging next to the door so you don’t forget them!), as well as offers a seating area to put shoes on comfortably.  Last, there is a hint of France everywhere here!  Between the piece of art, the more subdued colors of whites, chalks and light woods, the textured writing on the wall and the birdcage frame, I smile every time I come home.  (And go to my wine cabinet to open a bottle of French Bordeaux to further the mood…ha!  Kidding.  Sort of.)

 

BEFORE: This space sits to the right when you walk into our house and between the blue paint (that bumped up against the red which felt far too patriotic) mixed bar stools and the desk lamp, it drove me nuts!  Needless to say, it was time for a little update.

AFTER:  While it’s hard to see the difference in color in these pictures, the paint has now been updated to a charcoal gray which makes for a great accent wall given the other areas of the space are now crisp and white.  I added vintage San Fran pictures (my mom bought these on the streets of SF around 40 years ago and her uncle made the frames…ahhhh, LOVE!), removed the mis-matched bar stools and desk lamp (which now is on my desk at work…genious, I know) and added this milk glass vase I bought at a flea market in Newport, Rhode Island.

And here is a snapshot of my favorite pieces from our new French-inspired entryway!

  1. Large Alaina Bird Cage Wall Frame from World Market, $29.99
  2. Zinc letters from Anthropologie, $18 each
  3. Coat hooks from Anthroologie, prices vary
  4. Wall stickers from The Collection, 10EUR
  5. Sophie Vintage Key Frame, Set of 3, from World Market, $29.97
  6. Simpatico Hobnail Candle from Anthropologie, $28
  7. Customized HOME map letters from Etsy Shop Little White Dog, $155

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Sometimes, it’s the Little Things.

15 Apr

If you live in a big city, you know the painful anticipation of running errands on the weekends.  Why?  Because, while we love our cities (and in my case, Chicago), driving one mile can sometimes take a solid 20 minutes.  And then add in a festival or a Cubs game or a Wisconsin resident that is in the big city for the first time and is very sweet , but very nervous and a slightly annoying driver.  No offense to anyone from the land of cheese (trust me, without tourists I don’t have a job).  It’s just an observation based on personal experience and a few fragile beeps of my horn to hurry them along.  I have actually spent 3-4 hours “running errands” to only have gone a mere three places.  Ann vs. Chicago.  Chicago wins.

And then to find a parking spot?  Ha! If it is truly your lucky day, you maybe can snatch a good spot and pay $4 to park for an hour or so.  Or, if you are like me, sometimes you valet at the most expensive restaurant in the city because you are running late but it’s right next to a few places you have to go and then you pay eight times what any normal human being should ever pay for parking.  I hope my husband isn’t reading this.

While you may think I am writing today to convince you to move to the suburbs where you never pay for parking and running errands takes 30-60 minutes, I am not.  I would choose the sweet-yet-annoying Wisconsin driver and wasting three hours of my weekend any day over the suburbs.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love all of my friends and family that live in the burbs and think there are reasons and seasons it makes sense to live there.  It’s just different strokes for different folks and city living is where I will be for the foreseeable future.

Okay, back to the point of this blog.  On a warm Saturday afternoon a few weeks back, I decided to tackle the dreadful running of errands on a Saturday afternoon.  After feeling defeated by traffic and only had checked one thing off of my infamous ‘to-do’ list, I decided to pop into my most favorite store  Jayson Home.  Jayson Home is an upscale French-European furniture and home goods market in the heart of Chicago.  Despite not being able to afford almost anything they offer, I go there to get inspired and pray I find something amazing on clearance.   I love this store.  And to my surprise and joy, I was even inspired when I pulled into their parking lot (ahem, yes, this is a store that has *free* parking and ample parking spots…I guess they have to make up for their ridiculously high prices) to find these inspiring, witty and delightful parking signs.  Aside from loving them at face value, I credit Jayson Home for being creative with parking spots.  I can say with confidence that no other store I go to has incorporated their brand into their parking spots. 

Which one inspires you the most?

  

 

 

 

Yes, sometimes, it is the little things.  Here’s to being inspired, no matter where you live.

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Anthropologie Local Event: Found, Free & Flea with Tereasa Surratt

9 Apr

You know she’s a friend when she signs you up for a local event at Anthropologie without even asking.  She knows me and knows that a night sub-titled “Curating the Past” is right up my alley.  Yes, this is my dear friend Vaneesha and she is to thank for the very fun, very unique experience at Chicago’s flagship Anthropologie.

Frankly, any trip to Anthroplogie is truly a remarkable, inspiring experience.  But this time it was all of that and more.  We were there with roughly 35-40 {primarily} women using our creative gifts working on a vintage craft project, sipping champagne, eating cupcakes and getting to know Tereasa Surratt:  author, blogger, assumed owner of Camp Wandawega, creative director, mother and wife.  Tereasa recently published her second book, Found, Free & Flea and to honor that, Anthropologie hosted her and offered die-hard Anthro fans a fantastic Thursday night out curated with a book-signing, meet and greet.  It was fabulous!

Walking into any place with beautiful cupcakes, arts & crafts, wine and champagne is bound to be a good time!

  

Tereasa Surratt

Happy girls, Vaneesha and I!

The creative work-in-progress using old music sheets, greeting cards from the early 1900′s, baker’s twine, matchboxes and more!

  

 

The finished product!  I found the perfect spot in my entryway for it.

 

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Weekend in Paris (validating my crazy love)

29 Mar

Any time I start to write a blog, the words just come to me and the storytelling tends to take shape almost immediately.  A clever headline pops into my head out of nowhere.  Some witty opener to grab the readers attention instantly rolls off of my finger tips onto the screen.  I have yet to truly experience writers block thus far in my alleged writing career…until now.  To make myself feel better about this little hiccup,  I have decided that writing about Paris isn’t the best way to communicate our adventure.  Instead, giving you a visual dose of Paris through my lens (literally) is arguably more fun and aspirational.

If you previously read part one of this two-part Parisian series, you will recall my love affair with Paris, despite never having traveled to The City of Lights (until last weekend).  Oh and if you didn’t read part one, now would be the time where you open a new window in your browser and visit My Parisian Birthday, Part One and read that before you continue on here.  Come on, people.  It’s like reading Catching Fire (the second Hunger Games book) before reading the first one.  

And so I bring you the validation of my crazy Paris love.  The name of the this game is True or False? 

True or False?  The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most beautiful monuments in the world.

 

True! The Arc de Triomphe was our first stop when we arrived and it had me in awe, snapping pictures from all angles.  At some point each day we ended up either walking by or seeing it from afar (it was only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel) and it was truly captivating.  And, it’s name is overly warranted, literally and figuratively. 

True or False?  Marc Jacobs is now the creative director for Chanel.

False!  I took this picture of an ad while walking through a metro station (map in hand, camera around my neck, not looking like a tourist at all) and was actually surprised to learn of this exhibit as well as the fact that Marc Jacobs is the creative director for Louis Vuitton.  And speaking of LV, yes, it’s very much worth going to the flagship over-the-top Louis Vuitton store on avenue des Champs-Élysées.  Boasting a museum on the 7th floor, a library on the 2nd floor and more euros being spent on bags than you can even imagine, it’s really a quintessential Parisian fashion experience.  I ended up there for about 60 minutes of which 45 was spent at the library.

True or False?  Eating a crepe at Marche des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris dating from the 1600′s, is an absolute must-do.

   

 

True!  The moment I walked into Marche des Enfants Rouges was the moment I actually fell in love with Paris, the moment my affair was validated and the moment I knew my feelings were real.  I have a thing for markets and to experience my first crepe (I chose the sweet version with Nutella as my filling), an espresso and an early morning walk here was heavenly.  Check out the below shots for a little Parisian marché inspiration!

 

True or False?  The Eiffel Tower is best to be seen during the day.

 

True!  Of course it is, check out those views!

True or False?  The Eiffel Tower is best to be seen at night.

 

 

True!  Of course it is, check out those views!  Though, I will say, the nighttime pictures do not do it any justice and my camera wasn’t being overly cooperative at that moment.

Contradiction?  Not quite.  Here’s the deal.  My recommendation would be to go see the Eiffel Tower both during the day and at night.  She’s a real beauty on both accounts.  Oh and at night, on the hour, she twinkles like a sparkler which is just truly magical, especially when you are on a boat with your  husband and it happens :)   Yes, Paris is a romantic city and yes, I leveraged all the romantic moments I could (though Rick and I did not make out in public which on various occasions was very normal at the outdoor cafes, while smoking).

True or False?  Koshka Mashka was my favorite boutique located in the posh 3rd district.



 

 

True!  A bit scared to get my credit card bill.  Enough said.

True or False?  The champagne in France is better than in the States.

False!  Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious and oddly really fun to order…until I saw the price.  Ouch.  For a glass of champagne it was anywhere from 16-28 EUROS.  No joke.  That is roughly $20 – $35 per glass.  Needless to say I stuck with the Sancerre blanc which was half the price and made me equally, if not more, happy :)

True or False?  The Louvre is overrated, the lines are too long and it’s not worth it.

   

False!  What is wrong with you?  It’s the Louvre for crying out loud.  The original Mona Lisa is here.  It’s like a million square feet of an art-lovers playground.  Overwhelming?  Yes.  But, it’s The Louvre and it can be overwhelming if it wants to.  I will confess to you that I only stayed for two hours (Rick a whopping five) as I wanted to check out the Nissim de Comando, a private French home of a banker from the early twentieth century and it was well worth it.  And fine, I did skip out go shopping, too.

True or False?  Going to see Moulin Rouge is a must.

Trick question.  Rick would say yes, I would say no.  My review would be 3 stars out of 5 at best.  Yes, the women and their perky boobs were beautiful and they were decent dancers.  But I was expecting something more upscale, more dramatic,  more romantic and less like an off-broadway cheesy musical.  Wow, that was a bit harsh.  Fine, go if you must, but I’d say save the 200 euros and go shopping and have a really expensive glass of champagne instead ;)

True or False?  These are sketches of Rick and I drawn by a vendor on the street in the St-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood.

False!  I crack myself up.  When my legs look like that and Rick makes those faces, it will be a real treat for the world.  Anyways, meet Juliette and Louis, the main characters of The Hugo Boss Love Story.  This story is a great advertising campaign and these shots were taken at the front of Hugo Boss on Champs-Elysees.  Check out the full Hugo Boss Love Story and share away!

True or False?  A day trip to Versailles is a must.

 

 

True!  Versailles is a beautiful village about 10 miles southwest of Paris and is well worth the 45 minute train ride.  The main reason to go is for the Palace of Versailles, home of Louis XIV and the center of political power in France from 1682 to 1789, just after the French Revolution began.  Versailles is filled with gardens and breathtaking views, as well as brick streets that are filled with cafes and quaint shops and boutiques.

True or False?  The food was great, but not as good as the Indian food from our trip to India last year.

False!  Ha, I crack myself up again.  There’s no comparison here, the French food overwhelmingly beats the Indian food. Check out some of our meals below.

 

True or False?  The French are rude to Americans.

  

False!  A big, fat False.  Honestly, Rick and I both agreed that the locals couldn’t have been nicer and more helpful.  They would accommodate our lack of having any French language skills.  They would take our picture.  They would give us directions.  They would smile.  They rocked.

And there you have it.  My validated love for Paris.  The food, the wine, the shopping, the culture, the walking, the people, being with Rick, being challenged in a foreign city, the late-night dinners, the vacation.  It doesn’t get much better than Paris!

If you have read this far and have answered all the True or False questions, congratulations!  As a little surprise, I am giving away a special gift from Paris (ahem, it MAY be from Louis Vuitton) to the first person to write me a note with the correct answer to this question (and feel free to share with friends…wink wink):

Out of all the Parisian experiences mentioned above, what were my top three favorite?  Good luck!

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