i’m excited to share that over the weekend i set up a tumblr!
aptly named leaner loves it, i think of this little spot as a treasure box for all those pretty things i discover and lust over, be it photography, text, art, design, etc. leaner loves it will collect of all these gems and keep them safe for curation and reflection. rest assured, i’ll share of them here as well!
here’s to more beautiful art, more treasure hunting, and more time for soaking it all in.
it’s decorative gourd season!!!
over the past few weeks i’ve been obsessing over every autumnal detail, from pumpkin spiced coffee to capes. when we were at whole foods last weekend i fawned over the gourds display for an enormously long amount of time. this same situation occurred at the local farmers market. BARRELS OF GOURDS!
and so, the seasonal decorating, which will not commence until the end of january has begun. here’s my little pumpkin & gourd centerpiece on the side table in our living room.
hey, whatever makes your day. this most definitely makes mine.
i’m wishing i had a lamp-post to tie some cornstalks to…
…or a front gate on which to hang spooky cobwebs, as spotted in lincoln park.
any decorating tips for this seasonally obsessed girl?
spotted on the patio at work, gorgeous yellow-orange leaved trees.
seeing these trees changing on the patio has been a delight.
after what feels like, and very well may be, months of events and travel and rush here-rush there, we are finally planning a weekend IN.
i’m indulging in an unsest alarm clock, healthy home-cooked dinners, movie night, and my fuzzy brown blanket. much as i love them, a weekend free from the curling iron and lipstick is oh so needed. i’m trading in my blazer and glitter flats for leggings and my vintage bears hoodie.
can you tell i’m excited to do nothing? because i am.
here’s some favorite cozy & relaxing finds to peruse, especially while kicking it on your couch (like me!)…
ready to get your fall apron on? soups for the season.
the perfect bed to fall into.
live in chicago? i recommend county line orchard for some apple picking.
i’m dying to try this pumpkin bread pudding.
adorable halloween party invites on etsy.
holy dairy bliss. fancy grilled cheese recipes! do i hear dinner party?
the always stylish beauty department tutorial for CANDY CORN NAILS!
we’ve all done it at some point. and for those of us who live in a big city, we’ve most likely cried in public at least once in our adult life.
during my first year living in chicago i went through the full gamut of emotions, a challenging new job, adjusting to life without my family 20 minutes away, a break-up with a long-term boyfriend. so the tears were more expected then. but as i’ve come to find after living in chicago for over three years, my “city girl” shell cracks every so often; and when it does, it doesn’t seem to matter whether i’m in my bedroom or walking down busy michigan avenue.
take my epic commute home on the 148 bus on march 1st, 2010. the story starts earlier that day. a boy with whom i’d come to be thick-as-thieves told me over grilled cheese and cokes at the diner on wabash & monroe, that he was leaving his job. we’d worked together for two years, over which we’d gone from mentor-mentee, to work friends, to best pals. we were desk buddies, coffee dates, lunch conversation. i’d come to expect his familiar smile each morning, the way he would slide into view across the desk when looking for a chat break, and the seat he filled next to me at our weekly team meetings. and though i knew he needed to move on to pursue a career in his true passion, i felt something jolt inside me as he divulged his news of leaving.
everything stopped. i don’t remember the last half of lunch–paying the check, walking back to the office in a blur. i tried to hide my emotions. i was largely successful…until i got on the bus home. and that’s when it happened. right there on the 148 express from state & lake all the way to irving & marine, i cried. with the rain falling outside and fleetwood mac playing on my ipod, i let down my guard and finally let myself react. i cried deep silent tears openly and without hesitation at the realization that i’d fallen in love with this boy. how could i not have seen it? and now he was leaving, and work would be different, and would it make me want to leave to? would he ever love me back? i cried for all of those hard questions that had no answers on that day. it didn’t matter if someone was sitting behind or across from me. the backdrop went hazy and i finally felt alone and unguarded for the first time all day.
as melissa febos so eloquently states in her op-ed article, look at me, i’m crying, when living in a city, we find ways to make public spaces more familiar, more private. i’ve 1200ft of personal space and as febos accounts, there are times when public space outside the home feels more private than a shared apartment. my daily commute, shopping trips, and afternoon strolls are all shared with countless strangers. yet, to me, they’ve become my “me” time. i’m sure many a city dweller will agree, these are truly moments when we feel alone despite the how obviously public the space.
i’m happy to say that in the coming year i found answers to all the questions from my bus ride home on march 1. that boy does love me back, and we now share a home together. work without my best friend felt different at first, but is much better in the long run. god knows i was chatting with that boy far too much! i’ll always remember that bus ride home. it changed my life.
the privacy we find in public is an endearing part of city life. adapting to our surroundings is a key part of keeping our emotional sanity in this urban jungle. once you learn the ropes of living in the city, home & personal space aren’t just in your apartment, they’re anywhere you can find solitude & quiet time for reflection. a place to feel alone.
be it on the el train or in a favorite cafe, the familiar spots in our routine become comforting and personal; so much so, that when we need, we can let our guard down. sometimes even big girls need to cry.
spotted & hearted while dining outdoors at the zoo.
an elegant spider web glistening in the daylight.
’tis the season. autumn is here.
gwynth paltrow got it right, “beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. that, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
this fall i’m all about red lipstick. and not just at night. something about starting my morning with some red lipstick feels indulgent and glamorous. it’s the kick in my step, empowering, utterly feminine, and a style statement. ultimately, i feel like it pulls the “look” together. and boy do i feel great when wearing it.
lately i’ve been getting lots of questions about my rouge lips, so i thought i’d share my favorite products & some tips i’ve learned along the way. buckle up and get ready for rouge!
first, always try red lipstick on your lips. skip the hand test, it can be misleading.
second, stick to a color that works with your skin tone and hair color. warning: orange-y reds will make your teeth look yellow. check out this helpful guide!
third, don’t be afraid to wear red lipstick all day. it’s cheery and bright.
fourth, always use a moisturizer (bliztex is my go to) as a base. chapped lips & lipstick are not a good combination.
here are some of my favorite red/pink lipsticks. Benefit and Lancome both have wonderful long-staying bright colors that work with every ensemble. on the right is my classic shade of red.
{benefit silk finish: nice knickers, lancome: posh pink, lancome: retro rouge}
if you aren’t quite ready to wear a bold lipstick, or if you’re looking for a glossy finish, these three products are my favorites.
{clinique superbalm: lilac, clinique glosswear: fireberry, estee lauder gloss pops: berry twist}
take the leap and try red this fall! you’ll love it, i promise!
the weather outside has been FAR from delightful over the past few days. rain & grey skies interspersed with a few glorious moments of light warm sunshine. fall is here, folks!
and if you’re a chicagoan, chances are you’re heavy on the rain and grey skies part of the season. but with the volatile fall weather comes COLOR, wonderful bright foliage transitions happening all over. i dare say, i have trouble frowning when all this season scenery (say that three times!) is happening right in front of me.
these paintings by Allyson Reynolds remind me of my favorite of summertime sightings, butterflies. how fitting that the subject is actually moths, and the colors resemble the autumnal hues happening all over our parks.
cheery AND autumnal.
gettin’ around town is important!
city commuting is a topic near and dear to my heart. here are some transportation tidbits from recent news, a mix of fun finds & realistic expectations for a large and growing city, like chicago.
a dutch railway station recently installed a “transfer accelerator“, also know as a slide, to increase commute efficiency.
IS THIS NOT COMPLETELY AWESOME.
leave it to the dutch to crack the code on bringing a playground hit into the daily to and fro.
or how about this, chicago? tourist lanes on sidewalks. hilarious!
as a city resident, i can attest that its highly inconvenient to be bogged down during your typical daily commute by tourist traffic. i’m allowed to say this, because i’m admittedly hypocritical and am 100% that person meandering in the sidewalk, taking snapshots on my iphone, and busting out maps in the middle of the street when i’m visiting another city (ahem, london).
speaking of regulated commuting lanes, i’ve always wondered ranted on the topic of bus lanes, especially during those jam-packed mornings spent on lake shore drive. chicago is begging for more efficient and sustainable commuting.
why must my morning commute be cursed by car commuters who, for the greater part, are one to a vehicle? what happened to car pooling? ironically chicago was the first city to enact bus lanes in 1939, though they sure aren’t around these days. but all hope isn’t lost, a recent article breathes new life into my bus lane dreams–aptly titled “rapid transit lanes”. i can see it now–the 148 rocket ship blasting down lake shore drive. me, popping champagne and mixing mimosas as we zoom past lanes of bogged down car traffic. ahhhhh…
{spotted in london. i dream of these.}
along the lines of commuting fantasies coming true, chicago recently announced plans to make the city more bike friendly with the addition of protected bike lanes. in fact, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has committed to adding 25 miles of lanes each year.
BOOM. SAFE LEANER.
this makes me happy. as a biker, i’m terrified of getting “doored” (biking straight into a passenger opening their driver side door when parked). just last night the boy and i were in a cab which went past this spot on kinzie road. i want to bike down there just to use the paths!
i know i’m blessed to live in a city with public transportation at all, but i can’t help but dream for some of these improvements to come to fruition.
my dears, what are your transportation dreams for getting around town? am i crazy for being so passionate about commuting?
leaner by the lake 