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

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 (Images via 1 // 2 // 3 )

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all! I celebrated the day by taking a math exam after work...romantic.

Whether you go big or small on this day of love, I hope everyone had a lovely day and at least enjoyed some festive treats! My favorite are the cinnamon hearts with the sugar crystal coating and chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious!

Xoxo,

Meagan :)

Holiday Photos turned Impromptu Photoshoot

Yesterday night we got all dolled up and took a holiday photo to send to our family and friends. Of course, once we were all dressed we couldn't waste the opportunity to take even more photos :) Our good friend Marion joined in on the fun with us and it was almost like we were all 16 again hanging out, laughing and having a grand old time! There was lots of christmas cookie eating and baking throughout the night and we all knew it was time for bed when our sugar highs came crashing down, oops! Who could blame us though? you only get Christmas cookies once a year ;)

All Business

Whenever I'm with my older sister Eileen, things can get pretty weird silly. While my mom was out of the house, we dressed up in these plaid suits we found instead of getting ready for our family picture like we were instructed. We recruited our dad to take pictures of us though so we couldn't get in too much trouble with Mom ;)

Midnight Madness in Kerrytown

 My best Buddha impression...sadly this was not staged.

Outfit Details: Top - Forever 21 | Skirt - J.Crew (on sale here!) | Tights: Capezio | Coat: H&M (old but loving this coat here!) | Necklace: Bauble Bar | Bag: Dooney & Bourke

 Friday night after work I met up with my parents in downtown Ann Arbor for the Midnight Madness event in Kerrytown. Kerrytown is such a cute neighborhood in the city with interesting independent shops and businesses and is home to my favorite farmer's market and the delicious Zingerman's Bakery! We had fun looking at all the items offered by different vendors and the tasty looking pastries that tempted our empty stomachs. However, we weren't anticipating how big of an event this turned out to be! You could hardly move around and were somewhat forced to move with the masses. My parents and I were a little confused why there were so many more children than you find at typical community events, but we found our answer when we were leaving...does the name Santa Claus mean anything to you? ;)

Gifts for Her

My family is made up of my mom and dad, two sisters, and our crazy cat Miko. My dad would like to joke around and complain that he was the lonely male in a house full of women and estrogen and the poor cat didn't count as a guy since he was neutered.With all these ladies in my life, Christmas shopping is mostly centered around gifts that they would enjoy. 

(1) French Press from Lord & Taylor for Amy: It is no secret to anyone that my younger sister and myself love coffee...I mean, both of our blog titles revolve around our love for the bean. This french press is both eye catching and tough (designed to be used in cafés and restaurants) and would be used a lot.

(2) Glitter clutch for Katie: My college roommates and I had a thing for glitter and anything sparkly and girly. For Katie's birthday, we had a pink and purple themed party where we literally threw pink and purple glitter and tinsel throughout our entire house. It looked awesome but wasn't so awesome to pick up the next morning. Katie also loves purses both big and small, combine that with glitter and it's a guaranteed gift success.

(3) "I Have No Regrets" Print for Addie: I love France and all things French (Hello baguettes, Paris, macarons, Provence, champagne! I'll stop there..) and my college roommate Addie feels the same way. We both went to Paris in high school with our French class and have wanted to go back again since then. Addie has an eye for cool posters and prints and this one would be a great addition to her collection.

(4) Nail polish for Jordan: What girl doesn't like to paint their nails every so often? My old roommate and friend Jordan (or Red as I call her) goes past the term like to near obsession. Almost every day Red would have a new coat of polish on her nails or she was in search of that perfect shade of red or whatever color she was feeling. A bunch of nail polishes in the latest trending colors like this Wicked shade from Essie would make a nice stocking stuffer for Red or any girl who loves her mani-pedi's.

(5) Buffalo Check Plaid Shirt for Mom: my mom has always been the kind of person who wants presents that are "practical". Every year when we ask her what she wants for Christmas she replies with something like socks or a new oven pan. A comfy plaid shirt like this one from J.Crew would fall in her idea of practical, being the type of shirt she could wear around the house or going out somewhere. The style and pattern give it that dual power of being able to look casual yet put together.

(6) Wine scented candle for Eileen: Ever since I saw these candles at the cute boutique Rock, Paper, Scissors in Ann Arbor, I have been wanting to go back to buy one for myself my sister Eileen. In the past year or two, Eileen has gotten into more home decor and likes to have candles lit in her apartment when she is studying and relaxing with her roommate. With wine being her drink of choice, a Riesling scented candle would blend right into the aesthetic of her kitchen and dining area! If it were me I would go with the Pinot Grigio or Champagne scented candle ;)

(7) Monogrammed necklace for my mom, sisters, and me: My sisters are both in school on the west side of the state while my mom and I are hanging out together on the east side of Michigan. Being separated from them makes me sad often times and I know it makes my mom sad that she doesn't see them more, so a monogram necklace with our last name's initial for each of us would be a nice way to feel more close and connected.

A Week of Thanks

Coat: Banana Republic (old, but similar here), Shirt (not seen): Forever 21, Scarf: J.Crew (old), Leggings: Hollister (old), Booties: Report via Piperlime

As I've gotten older, Thanksgiving has climbed up my list of favorite holidays. It isn't often that my sisters and I are able to be together for more than a day, let alone with our cousins and extended family. This week of family really made me realize just how lucky I am for the great people in my life and their good company, who are always a source of laughter and joy that kick-starts the holiday season on a happy note.

Cousin and Sibling Time!

Turtleneck: J.Crew, Shirt: J.Crew (old, but other colors here), Vest: J.Crew, Jeans: Hollister (old), Necklace: Bauble Bar, Watch: Fossil

The passing of the chain

One curious kitty watching from afar :)

Thanksgiving is pretty much synonymous with family time. This year we were lucky enough to have our cousins Matt and Daniel come visit for the week and act like our goofy selves with one another. Growing up as kids, we spent almost the entire summer together every year between us visiting them in North Carolina for a couple weeks and then them staying with us for about a month. They became like the brothers we never had, and so whenever we are able to get together is special and fun. Today's weather was a (rare) lovely November day and when I returned from work we ran around and played outside just like we did as kids. We may be older, but some things never change :)