Getaway

H and I spent a week at a family member's lake house last week.  I got some stuff done for work and he mostly chiseled a log.  Seriously.  It was nice to get away from our normal routine and spend some time relaxing.  I sampled my way through Cherry Republic, like usual.  I picked up a some cherry barbecue sauce and their original cherry salsa (the best one, IMO).  I'm having a hard time not opening the salsa right now.  

Then I strolled across the street and probably tasted way too many types of olive oil and balsamic vinegar at Fustini's.  You literally just drink it out of a tiny plastic cup.  I ended up with the Tuscan Herb olive oil and 18 year balsamic vinegar.  I'm pretty sure people stared when I said I commented to myself about the deliciousness of the balsamic vinegar.  I also got some looks when I decided to try the chipotle olive oil and almost choked.

I accomplished a lot of sitting on the couch with my cat and watching Netflix. H was able to finish a Christmas gift for my mom.  A maple cutting board was in the works while I watched all the Netflix. You can have one custom-made at the Bucktown Designs etsy shop. 

We stopped by Jolly Pumpkin for dinner, which was pretty good. I had never been there before, but it's an annual destination for the guys on their man camping trip.  We had an extra weird experience at Old Mission Tavern where they gave me this alien fork and the supervisor asked to be called "Captain." 

Here are some gratuitous pictures of the scenery.

Now I have to run because I think my washer is exploding.  Welcome home!

All the other girls be checkin' my style

But I don't even care. No. -Ashley Tisdale

Words to live by.  These are my "going grocery shopping" and "at least get out of your pajamas you lazy turd" outfits. 

Sweater dress - Marshalls | leggings - Express | Boots - DSW- similar here

Long sleeve Tee - Target | Vest - Target | Boots - Intyce by Steve Madden

The target vest was my compromise instead of getting the J. Crew herringbone vest because I'm not about to drop $108 on a vest.  The vest runs small, so if you're in between sizes I would go with the bigger one.  The weather didn't give me a ton of time to wear the vest.  It has to be just the right temperature, or else good luck trying to wear it under a coat. 

I'd really like to get more sweater dresses, but I can't seem to find any that aren't totally shapeless and/or tapered at the bottom.  How did that become a thing?  I'm looking at you, Old Navy.

My bedroom is like a butterfly

Transforming from a weird-looking caterpillar. 

When we bought our new place, the decor left a lot to be desired (sorry I'm not sorry, previous owners).  It was hard to see past the weird combination of colors and styles.  

Don't forget the beautiful blinds with bugs stuck inside!

Nope.

Luckily the only thing we were left with was the odd paint color. It's hard to tell in the photos, but in person they were an unsightly yellow/green. Not exactly what I wanted to wake up to in the morning.  I spent way too many hours google imaging and pinning paint colors.  Here are a few of my inspiration pics.

Immediately after we closed, we swatched.  Swatched like never before. 

From left to right: Sherwin Williams Rainwashed, Sherwin Williams Waterscape, Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue

The Rainwashed looked way too gray in the light.  We almost went with Waterscape, but I was worried that it would be too bright.  I needed SERENITY! now. So we decided on Palladian Blue.

Omg, the taping.  

So much better. It covered really well, which was great because we were way too lazy to paint two coats. We went with the same color for our attached master bathroom. 

Ta-da!

 

Headboard - my parents made it! Thanks parents.

Comforter - Overstock.com, my new love

Sheet Set - DKNY Sea Salt via Bed, Bath and Beyond

Lamps - Target (no longer available, from what I can tell from my 5 minute internet search)

Sunburst Mirror - Martha Stewart for Home Depot

Heavy faux linen curtains - Overstock.com

Sheers - JCPenney online

Throw pillows - Marshall's

BOOM, butterfly. 

All I want for Christmas is...

You?  Unlikely. For it not to be too early to decorate? Exactly.

I've been really into Christmas stuff this year.  It's probably way too early for that, but I do what I want. We had some old decorations from our last place, but we have a lot more space to put decorative crap in now!

The first thing I ordered were these stockings from Pottery Barn Kids.  I don't have kids, but apparently Pottery Barn believes that only children are entitled to sparkly stockings, so I did what I had to do. 

 Buy them here… but don't buy that weird ice skate one

 I removed the names, but they are written in a beautiful red thread.  I don't know why I even bother. 

Also, in the aforementioned Target trip, I got a few things. 

First, I found this tree-topper. My favorite color this year is that one where you can't tell if it's gold or silver. 

I can not find this online. So, whatever.

This one seems to photograph really gold, but it's actually that weird color that I'm into.  

Then, while strolling about, I found this:

Snow Globe - Target

It plays what my husband calls "a jacked up version of silver bells."  Nice.

Not long after this, my cat swiped it right off the table and chipped a chunk of the glitter off.  Rude.

I also ordered this Smith and Hawken wreath online after seeing it last year on The Honeybee. It's made of curled wood and magic. 

Obsessed!

There are also matching trees that I'm trying really hard not to order because I probably don't need $60 of red decorative Christmas trees.  Or do I?  You don't know my life. 

I hopped up out the bed, turn my swag on

And then later I went to Target.

Check out my first, pre-Target cell phone selfie. 

This one is slightly blurry and super blarghy. The red lip (lipS if you are beauty blog illiterate) lets the regulars know that I'm sassy. 

I just wanted to first congratulate the city of Chicago for properly zipper merging on the way to Target. 

Every time you see me, I look good. 

faux leather jacket - Steve Madden via Marshall's

Cobalt blouse - Limited

Jeans - Target

Boots - Bandolino via DSW (similar here)

I made sure to cut off part of my head so you don't stalk me.  I also swung by the grocery store to pick up some liquor, where I noticed some other woman totally checking out my outfit.  

While I was at Tar-jay, I picked up some Christmas decorations because I couldn't help myself.  I have to go because my champagne hand is empty.  Blargh post to come!