The Twin Cities

Last week, I got to tag along to an event my company was hosting in Minneapolis a.k.a. City of the Strangest Names (Minnehaha) and the Sweetest People on the Planet. Everyone calls you "lovey" or "dovey" or "lovey-dovey," and every time I heard that off-kilter Minnesotan accent, I mean, how can you not smile? Maybe I've just been in Chicago too long.


The point is, we stayed at the W Minneapolis at The Foshay, and it was...kind of incredible. The last time I stayed at the W was at the Times Square, New York with my mother, and from what I remember, it was too much, sleazy, and all wrong. But take a look at this one --

You can't really see it, but there are little welcome letters on the desk. Details, my friends!

Lobby

Foyer -- maybe the sleaze-lessness and charm comes from the building being so old. The Foshay is an art deco building from the 1920s.

I can't get a good photo, but these high back chairs were paired all along the foyer, and they were my favorite part.

Yeah, it was still a little too much, but sometimes more is more.

P.S. I studied for the GREs last night. The things Norman gets me to do...

Leaked

My personal favorites:

Missoni for Target throw blanket (This. Is. Mine.)

Missoni for Target scarves

Missoni for Target ties!! I'm gonna buy one. And I don't wear ties. (Surprise BF!)

Missoni for Target pillows

Yes! Missoni for Target houseware!

And finally...

The bike. With Missoni stripes. And turquoise tires. I don't know how to ride a bike, but for you, I'll learn. Or I could just leave you in my apartment and stare 'cause that's fine, too.

How, how, can they expect me to wait until Sept. 13?! 

(photos via fashionologie)

On Ikea

"IKEA is a retail tower defense game where you are the enemy trying to navigate the maze without losing all your money before the exit." 


(via apartment therapy)

Missoni + Target

Yup, you read right. Actually you probably already know because I decided to fall off the face of the planet when it was announced a few months ago. I found out from reading this month's Vogue, and after extensive research, I can tell this is going to be a problem. I can't restrain myself from reaching for my wallet, and the items aren't even on sale yet.

The partners gave Vogue an exclusive sneak-peek into some of the product they're working on -- and that's a big deal. They're guarding this stuff with the same security assigned to a classified government sector's nuclear bomb. A mini-tour of Margherita's Milan home, and most of the items in the spread are a part of the Target and Missoni collab (the biggest one the retailer's done -- over 400 items), including her clothes (!!!). And they want me to wait until September!

P.S. Yes, that is Missoni furniture.

P.P.S. Yes, that's a Missoni bike ($400).

Chicagoan

...finally.

And I know it's been like a month, but did I mention what Norman gave me for my birthday?

Yeah, I actually thought the box was the gift. Lanvin flats?! Are you kidding me?! I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Confessions of a Craigslist-aholic

Any good blogger knows poor blog maintenance means death. Oops.

But I swear I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted -- life is sneaky like that. And I-cannot-tell-a-lie I'm processing the last three weeks as I am writing this post.

I've graduated. High school. Wait, no, college. High school. College. I've graduated from something.

I've had two five eighteen one hundred and sixty four a lot of crises (involving the who, where, what, bills and other monkeys that come with graduating and starting a job two weeks later and finding the time to get the remains of my life in California all wrapped up somewhere between Northwestern and Real Life).

I've gotten a chance to reconnect with my family after six months, and I never even knew how much I missed the insanity that gallops in the family.

I finally got a Macbook (!!!).

And lastly, I've been cheating on fashion with furniture. (Don't reread that -- you got it right.) Yep, I've been so excited to move into this new apartment that I've become a bonafide Craigslist/Apartment Therapy/DIY blog/Etsy/West Elm nut job. You must understand -- I'm not just giddy about our amazing newly gutted space in Logan Square, I'm looking forward to finally having a space I can call my own with some kind of permanence (or semi-permanence...more permanence than undergrad). For the first time, I have a place I can start really investing in. (Stay tuned for a follow up post on "home".)

I still can't really visualize the apartment since I haven't seen it in a while, but here are a few things I'm really loving:

West Elm duvet cover

UO sham

A union jack something is a non-negotiable.

I mean I can take this room, too. That could be a non-negotiable. I can settle.

Coffee table on casters! Probably out of my price range, but the sheepskin rug is also a non-negotiable.

Awesome mirrors that are also out of my price range.

Acrylic lamp! Also out of my price range.

Acrylic bench

...that is also out of my price range.

You know what. This is my blog. I can dream.

Goodnight.

The Weekend Post

God after my own heart -- He always provides in the most unexpected ways.