Friday Finds || Week 14

Bows & Sequins Instagram photo of Landeau blush pink roses in a shoe box in front of the pink taxi at the Langham luxury hotel in Chicago

Happy Friday! This week was go-go-go for me… It seemed like every day of the week was back-to-back-to-back for a good chunk of the day. Lots of great meetings and events, but I’m craving a little bit of down time over the weekend. (Is it just me or does it seem like life always gets a little crazy in April?!) I’ve got another busy day today (headed out to the suburbs for an event!) and have quite few fun things planned over the next few days, so I know Monday will be here before we know it. After raining for the last two weeks, it’s supposed to be gorgeous here this weekend… High 50’s and 60’s! I can’t wait to take advantage. I have a drinks tonight for a friend’s last hurrah before moving and I’m going to try to go to a Pilates class on Saturday morning… First workout in like ten weeks, wish me luck! I have plans to catch up with a friend over coffees and a walk along the lake on Saturday afternoon, followed by another friend’s birthday party on Saturday night. And then a crazy cool event with Ali (and Sophia Bush, nbd.) on Sunday during the day! Typing that all out just made me laugh out loud… Guess it’s going to be busier than I thought. 😂 Hope you’ve got a good weekend ahead, too! xo

On to this week’s links…

How gorgeous are these flowers?! Landeau launched in NYC right after I moved away, and in Paris right after that. I’ve been seeing the beautiful bouquets on Instagram for the last few years and they’re finally launching in Chicago!! I absolutely love the luxe branding and Parisian feel. And I’ll for sure be finding a way to re-use the hat box as decor or organization. Today is the first day for pre-orders and deliveries start on Monday. Flower deliveries in the Chi just got a whole lot more luxurious! (FYI: They’re also available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Paris and NYC, too.)

This was a crazy week for retail… Jenna Lyons is leaving J.Crew, Ralph Lauren is closing it’s 5th Ave store (what does this mean for Ralphs?! 😭), Payless filed for bankruptcy, and Bebe is closing all of it’s stores and becoming an online only retailer.

On the decorating front, I finally decided on two prints from Gray Malin for my apartment! They should be here any day, I CAN’T WAIT! Gray Malin is currently offering free framing (and shipping!) until 4/11 so be sure to take advantage if you’re in the market.

Who you spend time with is who you become. Always a great reminder from Tony Robbins!

This scalloped trench is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! On sale for under $200… Which color do you like best… Blush pink, tan, or grey?!

Wait, maybe these gingham bow sandals are the cutest things I’ve ever seen!

Or these palm-printed mules tied with a bow!

AHHHH Loeffler Randall friends and family sale!! You guys know my obsession with the lace-up sandals and I have my heart set on a few of the new ruffled slides for spring and summer, too. 20% off, doesn’t get much better for LR! Use code LRFAMILY

I literally *never* watch TV (one hour a week when a Kardashians season is on), but Lauren suggested I watch Billions. I watched the pilot and LOVED IT! Have you seen it? Comcast OnDemand knows that they’re doing because they let me watch the first episode and then told me I needed to order Showtime to keep watching the rest of the season. 🙄

Did you know Starbucks offers free refills?

This SoulCycle video gave me chills! I haven’t been able to take a class since January and I miss it so much. Can’t wait to get back on a bike here in a few weeks!

I honestly want to plan a trip to San Diego mainly to visit Holy Matcha. HOW CUTE IS THIS PLACE?!

A navy straw hat under $50… Pretty sure I *need* this!

Bathing suit season seems even more daunting this year since I haven’t been able to workout for the last 10-ish weeks. I haven’t really gained weight (🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼), but I believe they call the term “soft.” I’ve definitely gotten soft. I can’t wait until I actually feel strong again and have some sort of definition on my stomach, arms, and legs! Trying to do as many squats, push-ups, and sit-ups until I can ease back into working out. Until I have the courage to try on swimsuits, I’ll just be adding them to my virtual shopping carts.

Adult friendships are hard. I resonated so much with this line… “Time really does fly, just like my parents said it would. With each minute that gets eaten by adulthood, one more good intention does, too. It is remarkable how quickly it becomes too late to send that card; that text; that wedding, housewarming or baby present.” Unfortunately, I’m so guilty of this. I have a stack of cards I’ve picked up over the last few months that I’ve forgotten to send, a baby gift sitting near my door that I bought in London before my friend’s baby was even born and now he’s going on six months old, an old friend I really owe a long text to, etc.

RXBars are launching three new flavors! You can enter to win them here.

Loving this blush pink and white outfit on Mackenzie!

I found my candy-colored striped sunglasses from Kate Spade for under $60!

Emily’s sentiments on regretting not studying abroad rang so true to me! I had the best time in college (probably too good of a time) and none of my closest friends studied abroad our junior year so I couldn’t have imagined leaving. I also don’t think I was ready back then… My parents started me early in school so I’m younger than everyone in my grade, almost by a full year! Nowadays, a year seems like nothing. But in your late teens and early twenties, one year makes a lot of difference maturity wise. While I’ve always been told that I’m mature for my age (probably has a lot to do with the fact I’ve always been the youngest of my peers), I don’t think I was at the point of living abroad for a semester back then. (Especially considering I grew up in a town of 3,000 people and going to a big University was a huge step for me!) I was planning on going on a shorter six week summer program in London between my sophomore and junior year at the London School of Economics, but my school ended up discontinuing the program right before it was time to apply to go. Womp, womp. I may not have been ready for a whole semester back then, but boy oh boy do I wish I could ‘study abroad’ now! Live in Europe for 6 months with a group of people that would become lifelong friends, not pay double rent in Chicago while I’m abroad, have my school organize all of the logistics and visa things… Sounds like a dream!

Anti-aging gin. You read that right… Gin with collagen added. Looks like G&Ts might be my new drink of choice this summer! (JK, gin & lemonade is where it’s at. 👌🏼)

Let’s end it with this… One of my favorite quotes!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” — Steve Jobs

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11 Comments

  1. 4.7.17
    Rena said:

    Thanks for the really great picks!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    http://www.dressedwithsoul.com

  2. 4.7.17
    Elle said:

    Such great links this week!! Saw that Soul Cycle video and it gave me all the feels!I can’t believe they are closing the 5th ave Ralph Lauren location. SO crazy! Have a great weekend.
    xo elle // https://splashofpreppy.com

  3. 4.7.17

    That scalloped blush trench coat is absolutely adorable, and I’m getting all the heart eyes for those gingham bow slides! So cute! Neither my husband nor I studied abroad during college, and we both regret it! We’ve talked about possibly forcing our children to study abroad someday. It’s such an invaluable experience. Thanks for sharing all these links- Happy Friday!

  4. 4.7.17
    Shannon said:

    Holy moly – that Starbucks link!! I never knew that!! And those flowers are beautiful! I hope they open a store in Florida soon!
    Shannon xx

  5. 4.7.17
    megan said:

    What happened w you and Hallie? 🙁

  6. 4.7.17
    Lauren said:

    I want ALL the printed bathing suits and pom pom sandals the world has to offer right now

    obsessedandoverdressed.com

  7. 4.7.17
    Daisy said:

    OMG Holy Matcha is so cute! I’m with you on wanting to plan a trip just to go there!

  8. 4.9.17

    YES to everything in this post…especially the adult relationships. Remember when being a friend was easy? Now we have to many commitments to manage that our friends become second, third, or even fourth priorities. Its important to keep those friendships – but it is also important to note that these relationships work two ways!

    Love the site 🙂

    Maria

    http://www.EducationChic.com

  9. 4.9.17

    Love this! The comment about time flying by…so true. As I read that, I looked over and saw the Christmas cards I forgot to get to 2 of my friends. Now, she’s on her honeymoon. *eye roll* Personally, scheduling things like spending time going through texts for an hour, can really be worth it!

  10. 4.10.17

    Adult friendships are hard. I resonated so much with this line… “Time really does fly, just like my parents said it would. With each minute that gets eaten by adulthood, one more good intention does, too. It is remarkable how quickly it becomes too late to send that card; that text; that wedding, housewarming or baby present.” Unfortunately, I’m so guilty of this. I have a stack of cards I’ve picked up over the last few months that I’ve forgotten to send, a baby gift sitting near my door that I bought in London before my friend’s baby was even born and now he’s going on six months old, an old friend I really owe a long text to, etc.

    Damn this post! I have been FEELING this lately, and you put it into such great words.

    Thank you so much for this, really intriguing and thought provoking lady.

    Have the best week!
    xo
    Krista
    http://www.hundredblog.com

  11. 5.5.17

    i love this post! xo

    http://www.dearserendipity.com/