Jeans // Top (sold out, but from one of my favorite spots, Alice and Wonder) // Leather Jacket (similar) // Slides (from WALMART, seriously!) // Purse (similar, and this one is $68!)

It’s February, friends! One month of 2021 down, and I’m already optimistic things might be better than last year (let’s hope my optimism isn’t too unfounded). There were a lot of highlights this month: road-tripping around the south, hiking in the Smoky’s, seeing one of my best friends in Nashville, and kicking off a few successful campaigns with work. But by far, the highlight of the month has been moving into my new place and finally feeling like I’m a little bit settled. Definitely nowhere near close to being all the way settled in, but there’s a lot less boxes (so I’m calling that a win!)

It’s been 8 years since I last moved, and my only memory was moving on what was one of the coldest days on record in Chicago history. It was -20 degrees, and so cold our movers (justifiably) cancelled, but for some reason I was so gung ho about moving that I convinced my mom  that we just had to move that day. Despite my reckless conviction to move, we somehow managed it, but beyond being freezing I didn’t really remember the details of how painful moving really is.

Anyways – I successfully hired movers this time, and made it though miraculously in one afternoon. Packing up 8 years of my life, with a puppy, all while working was a little stressful (okay, a lot stressful…), but it feels so good to finally be in a new place with a fresh start. I’m already dreaming up home improvement projects and making my place feel more like a home. I shed a lot of old furniture and home decor from my last place in an attempt to start fresh, so I’ve been spending my free time cruising the internet for new furniture, Facebook marketplace deals, and Amazon….lots of last minute purchases on Amazon 😉  But anyways, less about new home stressing and more about my trip to Charleston! On Wednesday I shared a little travel guide on the best things we did while in town, but one of my favorite parts of the trip was reconnecting with Shanley, a friend I had met back in 2014 (or maybe earlier? Time is flying!) when I went to Kansas City for a blogging conference. We’d stayed in touch over the past few years, and I loved seeing her career take off as a freelance photographer, copywriter and creative (you should definitely check out her site – her photos are gorgeous!).

I had posted that I was planning to go to Charleston and she reached out letting me know she’s spending the next few months there working remotely for a few months. I was so thrilled to catch up with her, get her recommendations on the best places to eat and drink (many which made it into my Charleston travel guide here!) and take a few photos around town too. We met up at Harken Cafe, which was the cutest coffee shop and we snapped these photos outside of it on a cloudy Charleston day. It was so nice to see her, and such a nice unexpected surprise and totally made the trip! Anyways – anyone have something good to look forward to this weekend, big or small? I’m trying to get back on my game when it comes to working out (especially now that most of my place is out of boxes!), and gearing up for a long weekend in Door County to have a little getaway. It will be nice to get away, and we have a dog babysitter (THANKS, TIFFANY!) so we can have a real, grown up trip where we don’t have to worry too much about Milo. I’ll make sure to share my weekend itinerary for anyone else in Chicago who’s starting to feel a little crazy being stuck at home all winter long too 😉