Shut Up! - Volume 1

Hey Team,

Welcome to Shut Up Fridays!

I am very excited for my first guest post.  I thought I would kick this off with a bit of a debatable piece of clothing…the overalls.  You either love em’ or you hate em’.  As you can see, this Chiquita loves them, always have and always will.   They are comfortable, you can eat whatever you want in them and breathe and you can change your oil if need be. 

You a lover or a hater?

MKLS

The goods:

Current & Elliott Overalls

Black Zara Vest (out of stock - similar style here)

Men’s Faconnable V-Neck

Stella McCartney Bag – Similar Here

Burning Torch Coat

Dolce Vita Black Booties

The Night I Met The Sartorialist

So, last night I had the pleasure of not only meeting Scott Schuman, but hearing him give a presentation and have him sign my copy of his latest book...Closer.

He was witty and  unassuming, and I'm so happy to have had an opportunity to hear him speak in person.

We even had a funny exchange when I had my book signed...let's just say that neither of us likes to get our picture taken. ;)

I walked out feeling more inspired and grateful for the chance to meet him.

talk soon
cp

character

Well said.

I'm picky about who I spend my time with.  Ask any of my friends + family and they will tell you that.  I will never be that person who has hundreds of friends, ever. 

That being said, the people I do associate with are (in my mind) people of great character.  In their own way they have something special about them...something that draws you in and makes you want to have a conversation with them.  Some of them make me laugh, some make me think, others push me to do better.  They are damn good people.

Character.  It's a good thing.

talk soon

cp


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wish list

My big day is quickly approaching.....less than a month away!  I am a big nerd about my birthday.  BIG NERD....as in, I love it.  I don't care what the age is (nor do I mind telling anyone how old I'm turning), birthdays are special and should be treated as such.

I put together a little collage of a few things I'd love.

1 - Scandal: Season 1 DVD (I'm a total nutjob about this show.  I swoon over Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitz Grant.  I mean swoon).
2 - Chuck Taylors: I haven't had a pair of pure white chucks in forever.  I think it's about time I change that.
3 - Moonstone Treasure Collar - Anthropologie:  It's gorgeous, enough said.
4 - Twirl by Kate Spade: Mmm, that smells nice.
5 - Things That Matter by Nate Berkus
6 - Printed iPhone 4 Case: A new outfit for my phone.
7 - Starbucks: I'll take a tall salted carmel hot chocolate, please.


What about you guys?  Any November/December birthdays out there?  What are you wishing for?

cp

slumber party

Now THIS is a bunk room.  Kids would love this, hell, I think any one of my adult friends would love to spend a weekend away here too.





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Each bed comes with its own iPod docking station too.  Seriously??!  Seriously.





Style Profile - Boom!

Happy Friday everyone!

A year ago, when I started this little journey of blogging, I knew that I wanted to feature some of the wonderful people in my life.....and today is one of those days!

I met Mallory six years ago, when she first started at the company I work for.  We met on her first full day...and as silly as it may sound, I knew then we'd one day be great friends. :)

As luck (+ hard work!) may have it, I now have the pleasure of working with Mal everyday.  She is funny + witty, and just an all around lovely person.

We always tease that someone needs to start jotting down the crazy phrases that come out of her mouth on a daily basis.......like Boom!, Shut Up! (more on this particular one later:)), etc.....they induce full blown belly laughs.  Full blown.

One of the many things we have in common is our love of all things fashion.  We have full blown conversations about designers, bloggers, etc.  That shared love is what prompted me to ask if she'd ever be interested in doing a weekly post for me, sharing her love/knowledge of fashion...and, drum roll please.........that's just what you'll be seeing in the next couple of weeks....the birth of 'Shut Up!'.

Stay tuned, I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to be a big hit!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a pictorial highlight from my recent visit to Mal's place...where she shared some of her favorite things with me.  We also did a little interview, where she tells us where her love of fashion began, etc.

Getting to know Mal -

Who was your 1st style influence (non-celebrity)?
That all started with my mom.  Ol' Liz has always loved clothes and putting together outfits.  Often times, I would come home from school and on my bed would be a new outfit she just picked up.  WHOOP WHOOP!  She appreciates clothes, and always taught me to take pride in my appearance and always encourages me to wear what I love.  I also remember loving our next door neighbor Wilan's fashion.  She was my mom's interior decorator and always dressed to the nines with tons of bracelets piled up her arm.  I could never take my eyes off of them, and I will never forget the sound of them clanking together when she talked with her arms.  I loved it.

How has your style evolved over the years?
As the years have gone on, I have realized what looks good on my bod and what does not.  I see girls that have a smaller build than me in tight pants and short tops, which looks fantastic on them, but that isn't going to work on this chiquita!  I stick to what works for me and what I am comfortable in.  It doesn't matter how many people say they love something on you, if you are not comfortable in it, it will look that way.  The only thing that has never changed is my love for any type of accessory!

What are your wardrobe staples?
My wardrobe staples are loose, long button-ups that are comfortable and easy to layer.  My two favorites include a pin-striped Current and Elliot shirt and a long denim Elizabeth and James shirt that are in constant rotation all year round.  I love pairing these tops with tight leggings.  I am not a huge jeans fan, so a legging with a bit of structure seems to do the trick.  I also love turtleneck sweaters of the boxy variety, any type of poncho imaginable, wide leg pants, control top tights, anything that is chiffon with a pleat....and bracelets, bracelets and more bracelets.

You have$500....are you buying shoes or clothes?
$500 on clothes....for shiz!

Name 5 of your favorite things:
My husband Stewy, my family, vacation, my closet, our white wrangler.

You're at a party....what are you drinking?
Obvi.....Chardonnay

What is your go-to outfit on a weekend?
Overall when I am getting dressed, I think about what the activity will be, how tall I would like to be and if there in an item I am diggin' at that particular moment.  I tend to have one item in mind, and then build an outfit from there.

Daytime:  Lululemon harem pants  (the ones men despise because it looks like you pooped your pants!), a button-up tucked in front and a sweater with my bright orange Nike's.  If I want to add something else, it would ususally be a bracelet and a scarf..
Night: Depending on the crowd, I decide if I want to be tall or short and then usually go from there.  Short would include a pair of flats, wide leg pants and a boxy short sweater.  Tall would be a pair of pumps or an ankle boot, jeans layered with a dress or a skirt, or both! :)  I love me some layers!!

Favorite places to shop:
Shopbop.com and I are BFF's.  If I am going to the actual store, I would say Intermix, Bloomingdale's, Cusp, Zara, Scoop and Saks.  I enjoy Barney's merchandise as well, but some of the salespeople can be a bit too big for their britches.  H&M I can do only if it is a weekday.

What, in your opinion, looks good on a man?
My favorite outfit on my husband is a fitted baseball hat, pair of nice jeans that do not have embellishments on the pockets or anything fancy on them, thick cowl-neck sweater with a grey tshirt underneath and his red wing hiking boots.  I basically want him to look like a lumberjack.

Dream car is.............
Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV

Favorite fall activity:
Shopping for fall clothes! BOOM!

Top 3 places you've traveled to?
London, Cayman Islands and Hawaii

The best thing about living in the city?
My family all lives here.

Favorite restaurant in Chicago?
I have been loving me some Ditka's and Hugo's for man-type food, RPM for Italian, Wakamono for sushi, Bandera for their prime rib sandwich and Ron of Japan for chop chop.  Favorite fries are Portillo's!!

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I love fashion, think about it all of the time and never get sick of it.  I read blogs and magazines which will sometimes trigger something in me or I just play around in my closet and try different things.  I am very good at visualizing ideas in my head, so I tend to see a piece I like and can usually come up with an outfit from there.

If you could have one super power...what would it be?
Eat whatever I want and never gain weight....BOOM!


Thanks Mal!
We'll see you very soon when your weekly posts start....can't wait to see what you have in store for us!

talk soon

cp

stop horsing around....

Horses are part of daily conversation in our house.  I mean DAILY.  Ryan has been obsessed with horses since the age of 5....so, that's 5 solid years to date of this being a topic of discussion. 

Although I find horses to be amazing, I'll be honest....there is a part of me that is scared of them.  Something to do with their being so massive, and also something to do with an incident I had when I was younger (let's just say I learned the hard way that you don't stand behind a horse....unless of course your plan is to get a swift kick in the knees and get thrown backward).  ;)  Regardless, they have become a fixture in our home...both in topic and in decoration.  Over the past few years, I've picked up a few pieces which I think demonstrate our adoration for this animal in a cool way.

I'm always looking for pieces to add...and these are some of my favorites. 

talk soon
cp

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happy day lynn!

A very sweet birthday wish for my friend Lynn today...........this next year will bring you new joy + laughter like you've never experienced before.  Take it all in + enjoy every moment.

Love you dear friend!

cp

fall favorites

Biennial Satchel
Excursion Quilted Vest
Sperry Top-Sider Shearwater Boot