Trench Coat {similar that’s adorable and affordable here!}// Jeans {a steal from Marshall’s} // Earrings from Nakamol Chicago // Gold Flats {originally from J.Crew, but I love these here, here and here} // Chloe Purse {splurge here, vs. steal}  // Tied Shirt {similar here}

Don’t mind me over here, just doing a little happy dance now that it’s FINALLY spring!!! Even though it takes longer for Chicago to get the memo than it does in other places around the U.S., when it’s finally beautiful outside, you can’t help but smile.

This spring has been a season of change for me, and I’ve felt more refreshed than I have in previous seasons. To be honest, I was sorta in a rut this winter, and found that it was hard to focus on the good things when everything was gloomy and grey outside. These days I’ve been finding myself walking around the city, and stoping in my tracks realizing how grateful and overwhelmed I am with love for Chicago. They say there’s no place better than Chicago in the summertime, and I really think they might be on to something there.

But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, since spring inevitably means that it’s time to going to rain sooner than later. One missing staple from my closet has always been the perfect spring trench, even though I’ve been coveting one for years. I always dreamed of being a chic girl in the city walking around downtown with her Burberry trench taking Chicago by storm, but I couldn’t quite handle the $1700 price tag. Seriously – it’s a COAT! How can it be that life-changing?! Don’t tell me if it is…I don’t need another reason to dream about it…. So instead of buying a jacket, I borrowed my friend Kira’s pretty trench and tried it on for the day to see if I really loved it. I’ve found that if I have something one of my friends has that I want, chances are I’ll realize if I really need it if I try it on and give it a whirl. Turns out, I fell in love with her jacket, and found out that it was a fraction of the price of a Burberry one. So I went on an epic quest to find the perfect trench for less, and I found one I l-o-v-e. It’s unfortunately not this one {this is Kira’s which I adore!}, but I’ll make sure to share it in the coming weeks once I get a few photos of it. But these photos are like my gateway drug into investing into a beautiful trench coat all my own 😉  Oh, and I would definitely be remissed to not mention this little  shirt that I picked up a few seasons back from Club Monaco! I’m a sucker for anything with a bow, so when I spotted this open backed, bow-tied shirt, I thought it would be perfect for drinks and date nights in Chicago. Not only is it delicate, but it’s also the perfect shirt for super hot days since it’s so easy breezy. I’m planning on wearing it around town all summer long when I’m finally soaking up the sun – woot woot!