Blues, Greens, Wishing for Spring

 Jacket - J.Crew (old) // Blazer - H&M (want this one) // Shirt - J.Crew // Jeans - Forever 21 // Booties - Old Navy (similar) // Clutch - J.Crew // Jewelry - J.Crew, ASOS, H&M (similar) // Scarf - J.Crew

 This weekend was spent studying partial derivatives and Lagrange multipliers, and celebrating my dad's birthday. My dad has become a big health nut in recent years, so for his birthday dinner we tried out a vegan restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor called Jazzy Veggie. All of their food was delicious, especially their healthy heart aka sweet potato fries! I could eat those every day and never grow sick of them. :)

Of course, birthday celebrations would be incomplete if we didn't have the whole family together! Because of that, we made a day trip out to Grand Rapids to visit my sisters and of course eat at our favorite Coney Island restaurant (this family loves to eat, if you haven't noticed ;) ).  The rest of the day was spent checking out some new exhibits in the Grand Rapids Art Museum and eating chocolate espresso cake. Yum! :)

It's still cold here in the mitten, but I couldn't resist wearing some fun colors out and about. Maybe if I keep dressing as if it were spring outside, it will eventually warm up?! One can dream!

Happy Monday!

-Meagan

P.S. My sisters and I ended up wearing coordinating colors completely by accident! So, of course, I saw it as a photo opportunity we couldn't pass up...can you tell which individuals weren't too pleased with me about that? ;)

Don't Bring Nothin' but that Sunshine Smile

( 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 )

 If I can't be somewhere warm with a beach, at least I can pretend to be through pictures. Michigan, please heat up soon! Sincerely, Everyone in The Mitten.

-Meagan

Maximum Style

From left to right: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated my blog...my life has been pretty hectic the last few days with work and studying partial derivatives (Calculus 3, why must you be so difficult?!). I had grand plans to take all of these awesome pictures while in Chicago over the weekend and I literally took only two pictures with my phone. Believe me, I'm mad at myself too! All the more reason to go back soon though, right?! ;)

To celebrate the fact spring is finally here (despite the snow and cold temperatures trying to prove otherwise), here are some great maxi dresses to help kick-start your spring fever with some bright colors! For how much I love maxi dresses, I'm sad to say that I only have one in my closet. This needs to change because they are the perfect staple for the spring and summer seasons! Maxi dresses are one of those pieces that easily transitions from day to night with the simple addition of accessories and layers. Wear it at the beach and when it's time to get dinner in the evening, throw over a jean or moto jacket with a necklace and a ring or two and you're good to go!

-Meagan

 P.S.

Here is one of the two pictures from the weekend...the sun came out long enough to capture the bright kelly green color of the Chicago River!

Five Things Friday

 

Happy Friday, everyone! After work today I am hopping on the train and heading to the Windy City: Chicago! I haven't been to Chi-town since my marathon and I'm crazy excited to go back! I didn't see much of the city at all while I was there...ok that's a big lie, I saw pretty much the entire city with the race route but I don't remember what anything looked like since I was too focused on finishing ;) Anywho, I'm very much looking forward to checking out the sites, visiting my old college roommate, and seeing the green Chicago River!

(Image via 9to5Chic)

Can we talk about how amazing J.Crew's spring collection is right now? I took advantage of the sales going on in store (20% off all tees and blouses along with the extra 30% off sale items!) and really struggled to stop adding items to my basket. Luckily for my wallet, the store was closing so that made me hold off on buying out their inventory :) I may have to go back and buy some of the printed shorts for when the weather improves...this, this, and this pair of shorts are calling my name!

I found this cocktail recipe after my Saint Patrick's Day work party when I was feeling festive and looking for some fun drink ideas. This one in particular called Emerald Isle caught my attention because of the pretty garnish and the main spirit: Pinot Grigio, my favorite! Goal for the weekend: find a place that will create this drink for me in Chicago.

I saw this arm party picture while scrolling through Pinterest and it made me stop in my tracks. The simple elegance of the watch with the gold jewelry is just so perfect. Now I feel the need to find pieces just like these to wear all the time.

A little Irish blessing to leave you with for the weekend :)

Happy Friday!

-Meagan

Luck o' the Irish

 Coat - H&M // Sweater - Borrowed from Grandma :) // Skirt - J.Crew (on major sale here!) // Heels - Kelly&Katie (similar) // Earrings - Pearl Paradise // Necklace - Baublebar // Purse - Milly (on sale!)

Every year in college St. Patrick's Day magically fell on an unseasonably warm day in March. Last year I ran around campus wearing shorts and it was 80 degrees! Unfortunately with my days of being an undergrad done, it seems as though the St. Patty's Day warm streak ended as well. I'm not sure if you can tell, but it was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g cold out when I snapped these shots of my work party outfit. Let's hope for some Irish luck that the weekend will warm up a wee bit to make the celebrations even more enjoyable! Where's a leprechaun when you need one? :)

Until we meet again ;)

-Meagan

Colonel Mustard (Skirt) in the Library with the Purse

 "You are here"

 Shirt: Lands End Canvas (similar shirt here, love the print!) // Skirt - J.Crew (like this red version) // Shoes - BCBGeneration (similar) // Purse - Dooney & Bourke // Cuffs - ASOS // Ring - ASOS

My sisters and I were big gamers growing up: computer, board, video, card games...you name it and we probably played it.

One of our all time favorite games to play was Clue. Every time played we would fight over who would be Ms. Scarlet and the losers of the argument would have to settle for Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. White (because heaven forbid we couldn't be boys! Gross!).

Unfortunately as we grew older we caught on to the strategies and outsmarted the game. While most of our gaming is now reserved for cards during the summer, sitting in this room always makes me think of our whodunnit days. Maybe next time we're all home we will pull out Clue for old times' sake...I call being Ms. Scarlet! ;)

-Meagan

Seeing Stripes: Shop J.Crew's Sale

Necklace // Shirt // Hat // Sweater // Friendship Bracelet // Square Link Bracelet // Swim Top // Swim Bottoms // Pants // Ankle Wedge Boots // Cardigan

It's always a good day when I check my email and I have a message from J.Crew announcing an extra 30% off sale item! Above are some of my sale picks that I wouldn't mind magically appearing in my closet one way or another :)

It wasn't until I was finished compiling the board together that I realized nearly all of the pieces had stripes in some shape or form. What can I say, I love the nautical influence they add to an outfit and it's a timeless, classic pattern that can go with anything! What's not to love?! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do some shopping :)

-Meagan

Casual Sunday

Trench Coat - Banana Republic // Vest- J.Crew // Turtleneck - J.Crew // Jeans - BKE Denim // Shoes - BCBGeneration // Purse - Dooney & Bourke // Bracelet - Target // Necklace - Thrifted

The weather this weekend was beyond amazing...for March in Michigan that is :). I was able to comfortably wear my trench coat and at points no coat at all! The cold February sure is tough to get through, but it truly does make you appreciate the rising temperature!

This past week has been really great having my sisters in town and my cousin over the weekend. We ate a lot of delicious food, had some good talks over drinks and coffee (and more food), and acted like our crazy selves like we always do when we are together. 

I'm sad to see them go, but I won't lie that I'm happy to get back to my normal eating routine. Don't get me wrong, I love eating out, but after so many days of it I just felt sluggish and bloated blah.

 Luckily the weather was so nice today and I could enjoy a nice walk with my mom, followed by an entertaining run through town with my friend. It feels so good to start the week with some exercise! Hopefully this will help motivate me to keep up with the routine :)

Happy Spring Forward! :)

-Meagan

Weekend Wishlist: Happy Friday!

Shirt // Jeans // Blazer // Booties // Open Ring // Barrel Rings

Happy Friday, everyone! 

It's been fun having my sisters home this week and the fun is about to be raised since my cousin will be in town for the weekend! The next few days will be filled with walks around town, drinking lots of coffee, and getting serious with our board gaming. 

I hope you all have a nice, relaxing weekend! :)

-Meagan

Pattern Play

 Jacket - Mango // Sweater - H&M // Shirt - Tahari // Cords - American Eagle (similar here) // Sunglasses - UO // Bag - Dooney & Bourke (want this bag!) // Flats - Madewell (on sale!)

With our family reunited this week, we thought it would be a great idea to go to our favorite Italian restaurant to celebrate us all being together again for more than just 5 hours. We met up with another family that we are good friends with and enjoyed each other's company and good food! :)

Work has been pretty stress-free the past few days, but taking time to go out and have fun mid-week always makes the rest of the week easier to get through. Maybe if I had strawberry coconut gelato every day I wouldn't have so many worries ;)

-Meagan

Workout Wenesday: Exercising at Home

 With my sisters home this week, I didn't want to waste my free time at the gym that I could be spending with them at home. Instead, I went back to my childhood roots and jumped rope.

Maybe it's because when I was younger I would jump rope or "skip it" (remember that toy? 90's kid here!) frequently, but I do not recall it being so difficult! In just ten minutes' time my calves were on fire and my heart was pumping - yet it was fun! I had a big old grin on my face nearly the entire time..except for the last two minutes :) I was in the zone hoping my legs wouldn't fall off before I finished!

I think what was most surprising with this short workout was how sore I was the next day: my shoulders, calves, and abs ached as if I had done a long lifting session at the gym, but I had only worked out for ten minutes jump roping! It made me think about the other things I liked to do as a kid that could be incorporated into a workout session: hopscotch, rollerblading, jumping on a trampoline, soccer and basketball drills (or even a pickup game!)...there are lots of things that your former child self can inspire you to try!

What was your favorite activity as a child that was secretly good exercise?

For me, it was definitely the hours spent with my friends, cousins, and siblings spent swimming at the lake nearby. As soon as our chores were finished, we were in that lake playing Marco Polo or King of the Raft and were there until our parents called us home for dinner...and sometimes after that! :)

-Meagan

Spring Awakening

Monty Python??

Coat - J.Crew (great alternative here) // Sweater - GAP (similar) // Pants - J Brand // Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters (similar) // Shoes - Madewell // Purse - Dooney & Bourke (dream bag here)

It's days like today where I can feel spring is around the corner: the sun was shining, the wind was still and the snow melting, and there were even BIRDS chirping! I cannot wait for weather where I can go for a run in just a t-shirt and shorts instead of layers upon layers. People that know me well also know I'm weirdly obsessed with the couple weeks tree leaves bud and appear. Ahh, spring get here soon! Please :)

-Meagan