Peace out, 2016!

I can’t believe we’re just a few days away from ringing in 2017 and that this year is officially coming to a close. It was definitely a year of ups and downs {especially some notable downs around the world…}, so I’m excited for a fresh slate and start next year. This year was a little crazier than most – I worked at 3 different jobs {and switched jobs twice!}, traveled around the world, made some big life choices and finally felt like I was getting in my groove in Chicago {and managed to use Google maps less this year than last!}. It was definitely an adventure, but a good one – and I’m hoping for even more adventures in 2017!

I love looking back each year and seeing some of the highlights that made it on CS – from my favorite looks, projects, adventures, home inspirations, and more. It was a pretty action packed year, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to share some of my favorite inspirations, creative projects and work with brands that I really truly love. I’m hoping for a lot more exciting highlights in 2017,  but here are some of my favorite moments from this year, in no particular order! The lovely Aimee captured a few of my favorite dressed up looks during the spring and summer, including this awesome TopShop tie dress {similar here!} and pom pom number {I love this one too}! While I’m usually not a big dress girl, I found myself buying more dresses in 2016 than most years, and I loved finding versatile ones I could rock for a day at the office or client meetings, and also for date night. These two dresses were definitely worn on repeat all throughout the summer, as well as the black romper in the top picture!  Fall was full of cozy knits, my new favorite over the knee boots for a steal, and this scalloped wool skirt that quickly became my favorite purchase of the season. We luckily had a long fall in Chicago, which meant I was able to mix and match my favorite cozy and light pieces for a few months, which was definitely different than years past! And now that it’s winter, I’m officially in “freezing my booty off” mode, so you can expect lots of outfit posts with coats in 2017, oops! There’s only so many times you can try to suck it up in the snow, but I have a feeling January and February of next year are going to be a little too brutal for that 😉 One of the other highlights of the year was working on a few condo updates to really make the place feel more like my own. My bedroom had long been a sight for sore eyes in the furniture department, so I teamed up with the amazing design duo of Erin from Relativity Textiles and Claire from Centered by Design to design my new and improved bedroom! It was quite the upgrade, and now my least favorite room in my house is officially my favorite – how could you not love the gorgeous wallpaper and that bright red bureau from MegMade?

I also updated my living room with a bright new coat of navy paint and these pretty pieces from Minted! After I moved into my condo a few years ago, I framed a few photos and cards in cheap frames, and I was ready for a serious, slightly more adult upgrade. My friends at Minted totally delivered, and now this wall is one of my favorite places in my home, filled with pictures that remind me of my travels – from the buildings in Paris to cactuses that look like the ones I loved in Santa Fe. It’s amazing what a fresh coat and new pictures can do to a room! 2016 was busy with some traveling for both work and fun, with two quick work trips to LA, and traveling for fun around the U.S, including a fun trip with the family to Captiva Island, Florida {a winter tradition my family has had since I was a baby!} as well as Austin, Texas {part 1 and part 2} with my friend Evalyn over memorial day weekend. I’d always wanted to visit Austin, and it turned out to be more fun than I could have imagined – the food, the shopping, the cute cocktail bars – everything was amazing…and I’m already planning my next trip back!The big trip of the year was from last month when Tom and I made our way to Patagonia and Bueno Aires for an epically adventurous trip! I’ve been meaning to get blog posts up about everything we did while traveling and backpacking around South America, but it’s probably going to make its way to the blog early next year – the holidays were just too crazy! In the meantime, above are a few of my favorite pictures, one of a gorgeous glacier in Tores Del Paine, and a cute shop of the very-Parisian downtown of Buneo Aires. But no matter where I go, I’m always happy to call Chicago home. It was a big year for us with the World Series win {go Cubbies!}, and I rediscovered so many reasons why I love this city. WE staycationed, visited the Bean quite a few times, and took in the city views from a few of my favorite spots {including the new London House Chicago, where I snapped this picture of the Wrigley building}. And even though I’m a little annoyed by how cold Chicago is in the winter, it’s still one of my favorite places to be – and I’m excited to kick off 2017 back in Chi-town!

Hope you’re spending some time reflecting on how amazing 2016 was and gearing up for an even better year is 2017. Enjoy celebrating the new year and see you in 2017! xx