Striped off the shoulder shirt // Skinny Jeans (this pair is my favorite!) // Tory Burch Heels {similar here and here} // Knotted Bracelet {similar} // Envelope Purse {similar here and here}

Oh hey there – long time no see! I’ve been a total blogger delinquent over the past week or so (sorry!) because life has been a little busier than usual. And honestly, my blogger motivation tends to go down when work is crazy and life picks up – so I’m hoping to find a little more  balance between the three in the coming days. Even though I’m zeroed in on finishing the workweek, I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend already – not just for the promise of sleeping in, but also to finally catch up on life!     Since I’ve been MIA, it’s only fair to catch up a little on what I’ve been up to these past few days (…weeks…) with life. I was able to head over to Austin for SXSW which has been on my bucket list for so many years since I started working in social media. After years of SXSW Interactive FOMO, I was so excited when ALDI sent me down there to learn from the amazing speakers, experience some of the branded experiences (like the Westworld activation – so cool!) and meeting other social media pros from around the US. It was invaluable – and best of all I saw Ludacris in a small backyard concert. Dreams are real people….

Besides SXSW, Tom and I celebrated our two year anniversary this past weekend and went to Beatnik for dinner and drinks. If you haven’t already been, I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of Instagram posts from bloggers in Chicago – and it was definitely worth the hype. The drinks were amazing (I had a few of their signature cocktails) and the Mediterranean-inspired food was delicious too. We left and I miiiiiight have already made reservations for our next dinner date 😉   In other news, it’s starting to feel a little bit spring-ish around Chicago (and I’m so thankful for a few days of sunshine recently!) Now that the temps are starting to rise, I’ve been adding a few more springy pieces to my wardrobe – like this cute striped off the shoulder number from Club Monaco. While it’s true I haven’t really been able to wear it in Chicago yet, I have a feeling some warmer days are just around the corner. I mean, they better be – otherwise we may have to all pack up our bags and head to California pretty soon because this cold weather is officially wearing on us all 😉 Despite a super busy day at work today, I’m excited to head home and attend the soft launch of the Royal Palms shuffleboard club that’s opening in Chicago in the coming days! I can’t say that I’m a shuffleboard pro by any means, but it will be fun to have a new place in the neighborhood to flock to on cold days in the city. I’ll report back and let you know how it goes 😉 Have a good Wednesday! xx