Leather Jacket {similar here, with more options at the bottom of the post!} // Skinny Jeans // Black Velvet Camisole {options here, here and here} // Knot Bracelet // Purse {similar here and here} // Rectangle Necklace

Good morning, friends! After an extra-bonus day off yesterday from work (YAY!) I’m back to the grind once again this morning. I hope you’re surviving and drinking an extra large cup of coffee this morning to make it through too.

It was so nice to be back home with my family and friends in Madison this past weekend to celebrate Easter. My family doesn’t do the typical Easter celebration, so instead our celebration typically revolves around having my mom’s extended family over for dinner (but that mid-day dinner at 4PM like good Wisconsinites!), making strong cocktails and lots of laughs. We’ve started a new tradition of making BBQ dinners on Easter Sunday, so this year my dad made some super delicious brown sugar ribs from the 12 Bones cookbook, a BBQ restaurant in North Carolina that’s one of Obama’s favorites. Needless to say, Obama was right and those ribs were pretty darn delicious, and definitely worth making if you’re a big BBQ fan too!  It’s always nice to be home for a long weekend, and every time I come back to Madison I try to discover a new cool spot in the neighborhood. I grew up on the Eastside (which we lovingly referred to as hippie dippie in my family when I was growing up), and in the past 5 years, it’s become one of the “cool” neighborhoods in town. There’s new bars, distilleries, juice companies, fancy restaurants, and condo buildings popping up every week it seems, and there’s always some place new to explore whenever I come home. This time around we discovered State Line Distillery and spent Saturday night checking out their cocktail bar and trying their gin and vodka they make right down the street from my childhood home! It was all pretty tasty (I had a gimlet and a Tom Collins) and they had an awesome string band playing all night in their barn-like space. If you’re in Madison (or are planning to visit soon!) I’d definitely check it out.

Other highlights included buying a vacuum (I’m officially an adult…), having dinner at Heritage Tavern (another amazing spot in Madison!), playing with my crazy little kitten and attempting to catch up on life during my extra day off. Overall, it was a pretty amazing weekend – and I’m ready for another one right about now 😉      Now that we’ve caught up – onto this little outfit that I’ve been wearing on repeat lately – mostly because I’ve not been quite as inspired to get out of my comfort zone in the fashion department so I’ve been wearing this Rebecca Minkoff leather jacket from a few years ago that I got for a steal at Nordstrom Rack (it’s now given me unrealistic Nordstrom Rack expectations and I constantly go in thinking I’m going to find something just as epic – all lies!).

While I used to think that investing in a leather jacket was a total waste of money, after having this one for many years I’m officially a believer – and I find myself wearing it constantly throughout spring and fall in Chicago. If you used to be like me and invest in a cheap faux leather jacket every year (I can recall at least 3 Forever21 jackets from my early post-college years), it’s worth the splurge buying a more expensive leather jacket that will last you years and years. Even after 3 years, my jacket is still in pretty great shape and I don’t anticipate needing to replace it for at least another 3. Makes the very expensive price tag of most leather jackets a little more palatable knowing it’s going to last for years to come! If I’ve maybe convinced you that it’s worth splurging in a leather jacket, below are a few of my favorites that will last for years. They’re all classic and will go with just about everything, especially with spring just around the corner!

Best Investment Leather Jackets: 

Alright friends, that’s enough for me today! Hope you all have a good Tuesday – and just think – we’re already just 3 days away from Friday 🙂