Home Run (See Jane Decorate)

1. dining room chairs / 2. pillow / 3. nesting tables

4. drum pendant / 5. pillow / 6. bar cart

7. gold flatware / 8. navy bed / 9. reclaimed wood dining room table

I'm moving in a couple weeks and all I can focus on is home decor.  Interior design both excites and exhausts me; I could look for hours on pinterest and blogs but when it comes to execution, I have a hard time putting it all together.  These items are either ones I'm eyeing or that I've already purchased; fingers crossed it looks cohesive!

On that note, any decorating tips or tricks that have worked well for you?

Short 'n Sweet (See Jane Wear)

J Crew tee, Joie shorts (also love these striped ones) , Zara heels (similar), TOMS sunglasses (c/o), 3.1 Phillip Lim bag

Hallelujah, it feels like summer!  I'm sure this will fade fast but in the meantime, I'm baring my legs as much as I can.  I'm sure i'll be wearing a turtleneck and jeans come Saturday.

Sportif (See Jane Wear)

H&M anorak (old but similar here and here), Zara kids sweater (old), J Crew skirt, Gap flats (old but similar), 3.1 Phillip Lim bag

I'm not very athletic.  I tried a handful of sports growing up and either all my friends/peers were extremely talented or I just wasn't very good (..and I'm leaning towards the latter).  So organized sports aren't really my thing and this outfit doesn't exactly scream 'wear your jersey to school on game day,' either.  An anorak and flats is probably as sporty as it gets for me.  And as you might've guessed, Sporty Spice was my least favorite Spice Girl.

PS Don't forget to enter the Henri Bendel giveaway here!

Henri Bendel City Guide + Giveaway (See Jane's City)

Mango jacket, Zara top, J Brand jeans, Henri Bendel bag, bracelet + necklace

I'm really excited to tell you all about my recent collaboration with Henri Bendel.  I did a little Chicago-centric city guide on their website where I listed all my favorite places in the city (and yes, most of them are restaurants because, hey, this city loves to eat) and was able to snap some pictures around town with this season's hottest accessories.

The best part of this is where you come into play; all the accessories in the photo above are up for grabs (includes this cross-body bag, necklace and leather wrap bracelet)!  Please use the rafflecopter tool below to enter; a lucky winner will be chosen on June 2nd.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of U.S., D.C., P.R. 18 years or older. Enter between 5/7/13 and 6/2/13. Limit one entry per person. For odds, prize descriptions & Official Rules visit facebook.com/henribendel. Sponsor: Henri Bendel, Inc.



PS Check out an excerpt of my city guide below!

Sun's Out (See Jane Wear)

J Crew chambray, Zara skirt (old but similar), 3.1 Phillip Lim bag, Zara heels (sold out but similar), Gap sunglasses

That's right; this week it was warm enough to wear short sleeves without a coat.  I felt a little bare but boy, did it feel good.  My "guns" (i.e. arms) leave a lot to be desired, so it may be time to get into a workout routine for real this time.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Eric's Favorite Cookies (See Jane Bake)

I've said it once and I'll say it again:  I'm not a baker.  Although I think these cookies are delicious, I generally look at baking them as a tedious task.  Eric has been living at the office lately and I wanted to lift his spirits a bit; nothing makes him happier than these salted chocolate chip cookies.  This is a big deal that Eric has deemed them his favorite, because he's a total sweets fanatic; what's equally impressive is that I also love these cookies (and am not at all crazy about sweets in general).  The consensus?  These cookies are a people pleaser, all around.

As for the recipe, I'm partial to this one as a base (I like any recipe that uses more brown sugar than white sugar) with a few of my own modifications.  I refrigerate the dough for a few hours before spooning onto cookie sheets; also, before baking, I sprinkle sea or kosher salt on top for more of that extra, salty goodness that I love.

Vertical (See Jane Wear)

Zara skirt (similar), J crew sweatshirt, thrifted Gap jean jacket (similar), Zara heels (old but similar), KW sunglasses

Although stripes take up a huge part of my closet, this is my first try with the vertical kind.  They're a a bit intimidating and a lot bold, so I paired it with the most disarming pieces in my closet: a  light sweatshirt and denim jacket.  A light sweatshirt, denim jacket and pajama pants is what I wear to walk Jerome most nights, too; I wasn't kidding when I said that they go with everything.