Striped Shirt {sold out, but similar ones I love here, here and here} // Silver Loafers {similar here, here and here} // Skinny Jeans {scored them for a steal at Marshall’s!} // Mark and Graham Tote // Warby Parker Sunnies

Spring is a good time to remind yourself of the things you’re thankful for – because let’s be honest, remembering when you’re buried in 5 feet of snow or rain can be hard sometimes. Now that it’s starting to get nice outside, it’s beginning to feel like Summertime Chi and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the best season in the Midwest. I’ve been busting out all my favorite spring clothes, making more of an attempt to get together with friends for drinks or dinner after work, and spending more time exploring the world outside of my apartment – especially since I felt like we were cooped up all winter long {don’t get me wrong, I loved catching up on Netflix, but I’m ready to soak up the sun and enjoy the city I love!}  There are certain places I like to frequent in the summer in Chicago, and Heritage Bikes & Coffee is one of my favorite coffee stores to sip and explore. I’m pretty sure I’ve written about it numerous times on CS, but it’s the cutest little place to go for a morning coffee meeting with friends, or to catch up on work between a few cups of coffee. It’s become a little home away from home, and I relish the summer days where I wake up early and walk to pick up one of the best lattes in the city – and believe me, I’ve tried a lot of lattes in Chicago so I’m an expert by now!

One of my new favorite things this spring is getting together early before work with my friend Kira of the Imperfectionist Blog once a week and snapping a few outfit photos together. We’ll usually meet over coffee, catching each other up on life and talking about random blogging questions or gripes we have {mostly about how having a day job can make blogging tough sometimes!}. It’s nice to have a blogger buddy to take photos with, especially since I constantly want to be creating new content but usually find myself struggling to catch up. Plus when it means that I get to hit up a few of my favorite places to take photos and drink a latte in the morning, it’s like the ultimate win-win to start my day!  Okay, now that I’ve rambled on and on, it’s time to give some love to this cute outfit. I’d long had my eye on this English Factory shirt when a few of my favorite bloggers were rocking it earlier this year, and I knew it had to make its way into my closet for spring. The stripes and pleats combo in perfect, and it goes well with jeans for a more casual look all summer long.

I’m also a self-proclaimed jeans fanatic, so I picked up a few new pairs at Marshall’s for a steal a few weeks back {3 pairs for the price of 1 pair of Hudson jeans?! Sign. Me. Up.} and are perfect for a casual day at the office or hanging out on the weekend. I also picked up this perfect brown leather tote from Mark & Graham for the summer, since I’ve been coveting a beautiful monogrammed tote forever and I finally found the perfect one! It’s large enough for my laptop during the week, or my carry on for weekend trips {I’m really hoping for more of those coming up!} In other news, who’s looking forward to the weekend?! I’m so ready to spend some much needed time off to enjoy the sunshine and hopefully a few cocktails along the way – that’s the best way to celebrate, right? xx