Black and Gold 30th Birthday

Hi, friends! It's already turning out to be a busy summer, but I'm happy to finally share photos from my birthday with you. I had so much fun planning, but really, it was a group effort - my husband and friends helped put all the details together. We had such a great weekend; any time I can spend time with my friends is the best time. Thank you to my rockstar girlfriends for flying in to celebrate - I love you!

James Roy Photography

Sources:

Gold foil balloons - Party City

Table runner - Paper Source

Mini champagne bottles - Binny's

Straws - Hobby Lobby

Gold ribbon - Hobby Lobby

Black gift bags - Hobby Lobby

Gold tinsel - Hobby Lobby

Cake - Sweet Mandy B's

Sparklers - Pigment

Flowers - Flora Chicago

Glitter candles - DIY 

Glitter 30 - DIY 

Sneak peek and an anniversary wish

Hi, friends - I've been away for a while, busy with work and life, but I will be back! In the meantime, here is a sneak peek of my black and gold-themed 30th birthday, but more importantly...

Happy 2 years, Mr. Smith!

Let's keep exploring.

I'll be back

via

Hi, friends. I know I've been absent the past couple of weeks, but truth be told, I just haven't had the time to blog or be a good blogger friend. I'm going to give myself some time to get my schedule a bit more balanced, and when that happens, I'll be back! Until then, if you're looking for reading material take a peek at the blogs and sites under the Inspiration tab (here).

Life lately

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Lately, I have been laying low as I get over a nasty cold, enjoying fresh flowers from James, and watching House of Cards and the Olympics pretty much every night.

And this weekend, we finally replaced my childhood desk with a grown-up sized desk and I love it! We're saving my old desk set for the future since it is lovely and good quality, but if I had hit my knee trying to sit down or get up from that desk one more time, I was going to lose it. 

I'll share more details and photos once I have had a chance to buy a few pieces, like a desk lamp. Have a great week!

all photos via

London calling

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I referenced a while back that I had something exciting in the works and I'm happy to finally share it with you...

I will be starting an Executive Master's in Management program at the London School of Economics (LSE) in August! It's a part-time, module-based program with 1-2 weeks of all-day classes at a time (vs. night and weekend classes).  I won't be relocating to London, but I will be spending time there, Singapore and Turkey for classes, and taking advantage of traveling to places like Paris and Amsterdam when I can.

I have been thinking about pursuing an advanced degree for years and I finally found the right program at the right school. It's going to be an intense 1.5 years balancing school with my job, but I couldn't be more excited. I'll be sure to share my travel adventures with you and please fill me in: what are your favorite parts of London?

Beating the winter blues with colorful workout gear

This Chicago winter has been so cold and so long that I pretty much want to hibernate until summer.

Sticking to a workout regimen can be incredibly difficult in freezing temps and sloppy weather, but as cheesy as it sounds, having bright, colorful gear and workouts you can get excited about just might help you beat the winter blues and stick to your exercise goals.

Personal Training with Jackie | Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 | Nike shoes | Yoga mat | Dumbbells | Water bottle | Hair ties | Headband | Yoga towel 

Adventure.

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Hi, friends! Sorry for my absence, but between work and a few days off, I haven't had a chance to write. 

We headed out to California to visit a dear friend and to ski at Mammoth Mountain. It was a great weekend and I loved having the chance to catch up with good friends and to embrace my one word: Adventure.

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Ski weekend gear

We're headed to Mammoth this week for a ski weekend with friends and I can't wait. I'm looking forward to hitting the the slopes during the day and cozy nights with good friends. My packing list looks something like this. What do you pack for a ski weekend? 

 Ski gear: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Cozy gear: 1| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

A cause to care about

I'm just under the wire, but I didn't want the month to end without touching on a subject I'm passionate about.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention month and I hope to help spread awareness about this very real problem. While it is a global issue, you might be surprised to learn that human trafficking and modern-day slavery exists in our home states, in our cities, and sometimes, in our own neighborhoods - human trafficking was reported in all 50 states last year. See the infographic below for more information about the scale and magnitude of this issue.

The good news is that there are ways to join the fight against slavery and trafficking. If you're interested in getting involved, here are a few ideas:

Give. 

• This week only, buy any item from the Sevenly shop (here) and $7 will be donated to The Polaris Project, a leading organization fighting trafficking and modern-day slavery. I'm loving this slouchy sweatshirt!
• Donate to UNICEF's Child Protection Programs (here).
• Purchase an item from the Somaly Mam Empowerment Store (here), to support their mission in creating a world where women and children are safe from slavery. I have this bracelet and love it!

Raise awareness.

• Share the phone numbers below online and post this flyer to get the message out to victims. 
• Follow organizations like The Polaris Project, UNICEF's End Trafficking, and Somaly Mam on Facebook and Twitter. Share updates with your friends and stay connected!

Contact your legislators.

• Ask Congress to support the welfare and protection of children (here).
• Ask Congress to support efforts to prevent labor trafficking (here).

If you or someone you know might be a victim of trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888 or text INFO or HELP to BeFree (233733) to be connected to a 24-hour help hotline.

via UNICEF

Stylish sneakers

Did you see the pretty sneakers featured at the Chanel Spring 2014 Couture show? As a tall girl who also has little stamina when it comes to painful heels, I love the idea of pairing stylish sneakers with an outfit.

Below are some of my favorites, but first, don't forget to enter the Henry and Belle skinny jeans giveaway (here)!

images via Vogue

Henry and Belle Giveaway!

Have you heard of Henry and Belle jeans?

I hadn't, but after one pair of perfectly fitting skinnies (I have these), learning more about the business model, and meeting some of the awesome people who work there, I am sold.

The Henry and Belle story starts with a real life Chicago couple in the early 1930s - Henry, the designer and Belle, his model and muse. It's a story founded on love, and if that weren't charming enough, Belle gave up modeling to focus on philanthropy, which remains a core focus for the company today (click here for more).

I was able to tour the Henry and Belle warehouse and meet Megan, the Director or Sales and Merchandising, in person. I loved seeing the Fall style boards (below) and the fabric samples, and Megan was a delight to work with.

Since receiving my pair of Lila Skinny in Royal (here), I have been wearing them nonstop. They are the softest, most comfortable, and most flattering pair of jeans I own - no joke.

James Roy Photograpy

And now for the really exciting part: Henry and Belle is giving away a pair of jeans to a lucky ANC reader! 

Just follow the Rafflecopter steps below to enter. The giveaway will run until Monday, January 27 at 12:00AM. A winner will be notified on Tuesday, January 28. Henry and Belle will manage fulfillment and shipping of the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Lila Skinny jeans were provided by Henry and Belle. All opinions expressed herein are my own. 

Changing your outlook for the new year

How about changing your perspective on the new year rather than setting resolutions?

My friend shared this Forbes article with me and I wanted to share it with you. The seven words you see above are the main themes for this mindset shift and there is a quick exercise associated with each.

Last year, I wrote intentions for how I wanted to spend the year (here) and this year, I'm energized about trying a new way to create a happy, healthy year for myself.

Best TV shows

Hi, friends. How was your weekend?

I was parked on the couch with the nasty cold that's been going around, but I was able to catch up on Girls and several episodes of Breaking Bad (we're on season 3).

I used to watch movies when I was sick, but with all of the fantastic shows on TV, I'd rather queue up several episodes.

Here are some of my favorites. What are yours?

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

Happy Monday, friends! How did you spend the weekend?

James and I enjoyed the last days of vacation sleeping in, watching movies, and finally going to the Lincoln Park Zoo lights (spiked hot cocoa in hand, of course).

I'm glad we went when we did because it is now officially closed for the season, closing a day early due to the crazy cold weather we're getting in Chicago.

James Roy Photography

Happy New Year!

How did you celebrate NYE?

I rang in the New Year with some of my closest friends at a BYOB restaurant here in Chicago. The night was long on wine, good food, laughs, and toasting to another year. 

Here's to a happy, healthy 2014!

James Roy Photography

Merry and Bright

Hi, friends! I'm still on vacation, enjoying the holidays, and hope you are too.

See you in the new year!

Lay Baby Lay via Society6

Holiday traditions

One of the things James and I have really enjoyed since getting married last year is creating special holiday traditions. Some of our favorites are below. (Not pictured: spiking hot cocoa at the Lincoln Park Zoo lights, watching Christmas movies, and listening to copious amounts of Christmas music)

James Roy Photography

Baking Chirstmas cookies. We actually started this tradition before we got married, but each year, the cookies look at little better. They also make for great gifts, so I usually package them up in a pretty Christmas-y tin to give away.

Making a gift for friends and family. Last year it was the hot cocoa mixes and this year, homemade body scrub.

Decking out our little home. We're slowly building up our arsenal of Christmas decorations and special pieces we hope to keep for years, like these personalized stockings.

Our Christmas card. It will look different each year as we get older and our family grows, but we love sending out a card from our little family every Christmas.

What are your special holiday traditions?

Easy DIY Body Scrub

Just in time for the holidays, I have an easy do-it-yourself gift idea for you! Last year's hot cocoa mix gifts (here) were so fun to make, I wanted to make something again this Christmas for our friends and family. 

I love a good body scrub and best of all, this all-natural recipe can be made with everyday items from your kitchen.

Other than the recipe ingredients (below), all you need is a small glass jar (here), gift tags (mine were from Marshall's, but these printable tags would be perfect), and ribbon - I paired green velvet with a shimmery gold from Michael's.

Below is the "recipe" for your body scrub - all you have to do is mix all ingredients in a large bowl and divide among the jars. To fill 10 small jars, I recommend making 2-3 batches.

James Roy Photography

DIY Body Scrub Recipe

Makes 1 batch

2 cups coarse salt (or sugar)

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. honey

Happy birthday, Papa.

It's the most wonderful hardest time of the year

The holidays have been different since my dad passed away 6 years ago. 

But this is the first season that I have felt the loss, his absence so keenly. It's like grieving all over again and I'm overwhelmed by how much I miss him.

The day I found out seems like a scene from a movie. I was at work, around 9:00 AM and I got a call - the call. I got up from my desk, rushed to an empty office, but before I made it inside, I heard it and yelped, No. Three of my colleagues, all women, were beside me, arms around me, crouched down in front of me, in an instant. I can't remember if I was crying.

One of them handed me a $20 to take a cab home. I went to my boyfriend's apartment, climbed in bed, and slept. What else could I do?

The memorial service was a blur. Still is a blur. I wouldn't remember who was there if not for the guest book. The weeks and months after that, I cried a little, but not a lot. I had nightmares, but during the day, I was a shell of myself, going through the motions.

And I realize that I have been pretty numb all these years. I've missed him every day since he died, but I have been avoiding how much it really hurts. How scary it is to say, he's not here and never will be again. How hard it is to admit that I used to pray, plead, bargain so that he would live long enough to see grandchildren. How shocked and stupid I felt that I took for granted he would live long enough to walk me down the aisle. Why didn't I pray for that instead?

My dad's name is Sam and his birthday is on December 13. My husband and I are putting together a little gift for him, for me, to celebrate. I'll share it with you on Friday.

If you're missing a loved one this Christmas, bless you - it aches, I know. Let's remember them together.