Do you ever wonder how to make it through a summer of weddings on a budget? Last summer George and I attended over 14 weddings (not a typo) and each stood up in 3 (2 separate and 1 together). It was absolutely exhausting and by the end of the summer I had my guest of the wedding dresses on repeat. Everyone knows weddings are expensive for everyone: the couple, the attendants and the guests. You can imagine the amount of money we spent on bridesmaids dresses, tuxedos, flights, hotels and gifts. DISCLAIMER: We were beyond happy to do so because we love everyone who's weddings we attended! Because of the extreme expense I only wore dresses I already owned when I was a guest. It forced me to reuse items I forgot about and save some money. I'm actually really happy I did that, because I think we often forget the gems hiding in our closets. I still felt gorgeous and most people hadn't seen the outfits. This is a a huge tip I have for anyone who isn't worried about instagramming a … [Read more...]
Top 5 Reasons to Plan a Cruise!
I love cruise vacations! They've gotten a bad rep the last few years (just google "Poop Cruise 2013" if you aren't sure what I'm talking about...), but I've been on plenty and have always had a great time! If you're still hesitant, see my list below for all the reasons why you should give cruising another shot! 1. They are easy! Once you're on board, you're done having to worry about traveling until you have to get off the ship and go home. That's a huge perk considering airport lines seem to be multiplying by the day. 2. You get a chance to travel to multiple locations without ever having to leave your cabin! For the most part the ship will sail over night, so you are free to explore your destination during the day, hop back on the ship around dinner time, and while you slumber you're traveling to your next location! How great is that?!? I went on one cruise where I got to check off 6 new countries from my bucket list! 3. If you're a little uneasy about staying in … [Read more...]
Brazilian Blow Out
Disclaimer: This is not an ad and yes we took all of our photos on instagram stories and forgot to save them. Everyone loves their hairstylist, but really mine is the best. I think I have actually said that before, but it needs to be said again and potentially once monthly after that. Krysta ( basesalonchicago.com ) not only has the cutest salon, but she knows her stuff. She has brought me blonde and back, banged, bobbed and I even let her diffuse my curls. We both decided Beyonce did not look good on me. We were also both equally disappointed. Krysta texted me one wonderful Friday, when George just happened to be available to watch Christopher and asked if I wanted to come in for a Brazilian Blowout so she can try out her new products. Given that my hair is curly, frizzy and generally awful I jumped at the chance. Also I love hanging out with Krysta and spending hours talking nicely about people :). We documented the entire process and had the best time. … [Read more...]
Real Housewives Trivia Party
BAM! I decorated. I cooked. I made it nice! And we all had an amazing time at Real Housewives Trivia Night. While Katie hasn't fully jumped on the real housewives band wagon her husband, Dave, is all about the drama, turtle time and wigs. Dave, a different Katie and I keep a running text thread of our housewives obsession and decided a trivia party was necessary. We roped most of our other friends into playing along and threw an amazing party. Each guest chose a housewife counter part. Katie claimed Yolanda (Beverly Hills) since she doesn't watch most of the shows and wanted to blame any wrong answers on her Lyme Disease. I love champs and am married to a doctor so I thought Heather (Orange County) was the perfect fit. In retrospect I wish I had gone with someone a little over the top. My outfit could have been more fun. The winners of the night in the costume department were definitely Katie (Bethenny, New York) and Ashley (Vicki, Orange County). They COMMITTED! Our food of … [Read more...]