Say Cheese!

Have you ever been in a Smilebooth? My friend Jackie (on the left) and I tried it out at The Everygirl event at BHLDN this week, and it was a riot. We were a little intimidated at first, but the handheld clicker made it easy, and we saw the images pop up on the screen right away. SUCH a fun thing to have at a wedding or party! Here are a few shots of us...

Don't ask about the bow. We've been doing this since high school, and we cannot remember how it ever started. Most likely one of those "cool" high school moments... right?


To view the rest of the Smilebooth photos from the event, {click here}!

The Sweetest Thing

Via Ruche

Catching Up

I feel like life always gets busier this time of the year. People are out and about, and the city feels more energized -- I love it! The quiet and cozy winter gave way to spring summer temperatures this week, with the high reaching 82 the last two days! The sliding doors were open all week long to let the fresh air in, and I was able to enjoy some time in the sun on our deck. Since Darling Notes has been a little quiet, I figured a little catch-up post was in order.

1. Did you know that I'm a paper person? I'm head over heels for nice papers, pretty stationery and invitation design. I've been working on my husband's cousin's wedding invitation ensemble. The bride selected a pretty shimmering pink and green palette with starfish and shell motifs. We're in the design process right now, but I have no doubt they'll be beautiful!

2. The warmer temps have me thinking about flip-flops and being barefoot. I need a new polish color for the spring, and I'm thinking about this strawberry pink color from Essie. I'll definitely need a pedicure before our Hawaii trip.

3. I could not resist posting this photo of a pug in a bowtie in front of a ship. I mean, is he cute or what? Sweet Paul is hosting a giveaway for your choice of the bowtie or flower collar from Etsy shop Rover. I'm hoping to win the flowered collar for Bean.

4. Have you been keeping up with The Everygirl? I'm loving all of their daily features, and today's post is no exception. Click over to see two pretty and delicious drinks for St. Patrick's Day. Since this is our first St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, the husband and I are going to head downtown tomorrow morning to watch the river be dyed green. Apparently it gets VERY green, and I think I need to see that (maybe with an Irish coffee in hand?)

5. Last Friday, my old iPhone 3GS jumped right out of my hand onto the sidewalk (imagine!) and the screen sadly shattered. Although the phone was sort-of working for a few days, it took a turn for the worse and cracked a little more on Wednesday night. . Since it was over 3 years old and I was eligible for an upgrade, I headed to AT&T on Thursday morning and selected the 4S. IT'S AMAZING. I should tell you that it's currently being held in a massive Otterbox case that is probably bomb-proof. Knowing how clumsy I am, I'm willing to carry around the phone in a bulky case to keep it safe.

Have a great weekend and a very happy (and lucky!) St. Patrick's Day!

A Site for YOU

I am sure that you have heard the buzz about The Everygirl -- an amazing resource for all young women who want a place to turn to for lifestyle features/tips, fashion, career advice and more! The wait is finally over, as The Everygirl was launched TODAY! I made sure to wake up a bit earlier than usual so that I could sit down at my computer with a full cup of coffee and explore The Everygirl before getting to work. The gorgeously designed (and easy to navigate) site definitely did not disappoint -- from expertly styled photos to well written and comprehensive posts, The Everygirl is sure to be a continued success for co-founders Danielle and Alaina.

I first met Danielle shortly after moving to Chicago. As another Chicago-transplant, we connected immediately and I was immediately drawn to her upbeat attitude and clean, creative style. This past holiday season, I had the pleasure of meeting Alaina at Danielle's holiday gathering. Her wit and friendly nature (not to mention her style) won me over, too. These two girls have got it going on -- they know exactly what they want out of life, and are going after it at full speed! What an inspiration! I can't wait to toast their success tonight at a casual launch celebration. Cheers!

If you haven't checked it out yet, you should immediately click over to The Everygirl. Make sure to explore each section of the site, and check back frequently for updates and new content! Are you excited?

We're taking a little trip...

Actually, we're taking a pretty big trip. In late April, the husband and I are headed for sunny Hawaii! At the beginning of the year, it didn't seem like a trip was in the cards for us this year. Pesky things like work sometimes get in the way.  However, we sat down with a calendar and planned out our family visits and other happenings for 2012, and found some extra days... and decided to treat ourselves to a trip to the islands! Neither of us has been to Hawaii, so you can imagine our excitement. I want to start packing right now! We have flights, hotel and car booked, and we're having fun planning out our "itinerary" of activities. It's going to be hard to narrow it down, because EVERYTHING in Hawaii looks beautiful, and we want to see it all. We'll be staying in Maui and Kauai for a total of 10 days. So, friends who have been to Hawaii... what do suggest? What should we see? Where should we eat?

tote, sunglasses, sunblock, earrings, bikini top/bottom, shorts, flip-flops, camera, scarf, lei

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night, a few of the girls gathered for a little Valentine's Day fun! Yummy flatbread pizza, apps, lots of sweets, champagne cocktails, sangria and chatting -- it was LOVEly! I loved celebrating the holiday with Tess, Hannah, and Jackie!

How to Watch an Awards Show

The Golden Globes are this weekend -- will you be watching? I'm sure I'm not the only one who is mostly interested in what the stars are wearing. I love watching the red carpet specials and checking out the lovely gowns + dapper gentlemen. Here's my idea of how any award's show should be viewed:

1.

Grab a big bowl of popcorn. Bonus points if you have candy on hand.

2.

You'll want to be festive, so a can (or 3) of champagne will serve as your beverage of choice.

3.

It's an awards show, so obviously you'll need to dress up. Comfy pants are always chic, along with

cozy slippers and a bit of bling.

4.

Be sure to promptly tune in to the red carpet specials -- you won't want to miss any stars as they arrive.

Feel free to comment on dresses out loud, or via Twitter.

5.

Try to stay awake until the end of the show. I haven't succeeded at doing this, but I always give it

a good try.

PS -- I'm loving these gowns from the 2012 Monique Lhuillier Pre-Fall Collection. I think they're totally red-carpet worthy.

Chicago's First Snow of the Season

This morning when the Mr.'s alarm went off, I hopped out of bed to peek out the window. I usually roll over and fall back asleep for a few minutes, but knowing that it was supposed to snow through the night made me get up to check it out. A beautiful dusting of white snow was covering everything -- Chicago's first real snow of the season! This morning when I was heading to Barre Bee, I snapped the above photo on Armitage. The entire city is decorated, and it is so gorgeous & festive! I've been in the holiday spirit for a few weeks now, but this makes it even better.

A Trip to Northern California

Yesterday afternoon, we returned from an amazing trip to Northern California (including San Francisco, Sonoma, Napa and the surrounding wine country areas). We'd been anticipating this trip for so long, and had the best time with our friends Ashley and Bryan. Here are a few highlights from the trip:

We started the vacation in San Francisco, where we enjoyed a farmer's market, 24 hour brewed iced coffee, a visit with some friends, a cable car ride, sourdough bread, Alcatraz, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, and so much more. During our stay in San Fran, the Mr. and I celebrated our two year anniversary with a fantastic dinner at Foreign Cinema, where we sat outside and dined while an old black and white film played on the outdoor wall (a great date night idea for anyone living in the area!)

After exploring the city, we headed up to wine country. On our way, we stopped in Muir Woods for a dose of gorgeous scenery. The trees were beautiful, and I snapped a lot of fun photos.

Wine country was better than we had even hoped. Stunning vineyards, fantastic tastings, lots of sites, delicious food, and time to relax. We rented a house with the other couple that we traveled with, which turned out to be the coolest little house on a vineyard with an outdoor space that was to die for. We cooked our own meals two of the nights, and had an absolute blast playing bocce and sipping wine.

Some of my favorite tastings were at the smaller wineries, including Frias Family Vineyards, and Chase Family Cellars. Sitting down for a tasting with the wine makers is so neat, and we learned a great deal from them. The larger, more developed wineries were also great, though -- Plumpjack, Ravenswood, Duckhorn and Caymus for example.

If you ever have the chance to visit wine country, I highly recommend the trip! There are so many vineyards to see, so many wines to taste, and the sites are just amazing. For now, I'm happy to be back in Chicago, though - even if it's a bit chillier than 90 degree Napa! 

Excited and Honored: A Feature in the Triangle

Months ago, I was corresponding with a representative from Sigma Kappa Sorority (which I am an alumni member of) about my blog, and why I write. I've been waiting (not so) patiently for the Summer 2011 edition of the sorority's official quarterly magazine, the Sigma Kappa Triangle, to be published because... I'm one of the bloggers they chose to feature in an article on blogging! Darling Notes and I are discussed on pages 12-13 of the magazine, which you can check out {here}, if you'd like. If you want to get right to the part of the article that the blog is in, see the Entertainment section below! Two of my image board appear on page 13, too! I'm so excited about the mention, and honored to have contributed to the publication!

Sailing and the City

If you know me personally, you know that I adore anything and everything that is nautical. I especially love anything related to sailing. I really don't have any idea how to sail -- I know certain keywords and such, that's all. I am just obsessed with the idea of it. I've always wanted to be a sailor.

Last weekend, our (new to me, the Mr. already knew them) friends took us for a sailing trip out on the lake. Sailing alongside the city was so wonderful -- the best views! Although it wasn't the most windy of days, we had the sails up for a while before we motored around. We've been promised another trip once the Windy City is being true to its name. I can't wait! I've been seriously considering taking sailing lessons now that we live on the water. Can you think of anything more fun?

Personal photos

Point to Point

Over the weekend, we attended a derby-style event called Point to Point. This local tradition involves horse races, old-fashioned cars, pretty hats and dresses and mingling in the sun on a spring afternoon. We were lucky to have amazing weather -- although, the sun was a little strong in the afternoon, leaving many of us with sunburnt skin (oops!) It was the first time that my hubby and I had been to the event, and loved every minute of it - from the upscale "tailgating" to the horses and people-watching. Here are a few highlights from Point to Point 2011:

My dress was Lilly Pulitzer and I decorated the hat myself!

This group of gentlemen wore matching white suits and had the cutest trio of dachshunds!

An exhibition ride -- the kids were adorable!

An old-fashioned Rolls Royce -- it matched my dress!

Did any of you attend any fun derby events? One of my favorite parts was being able to wear a fancy floppy hat! 

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! How will you be celebrating? I’m planning on a yummy Mexican lunch and perhaps a margarita to end the night – on the rocks, with salt, of course. The best Mexican food I’ve had to date is from Rosa Mexicano in NYC. The pomegranate margaritas are divine and the guacamole is made fresh at your table in an authentic molcajete. For your cooking & eating pleasure, {here} are a few of their very own recipes!

Fiesta décor and flowers via Style Me Pretty, Margaritas via Martha Stewart

Thoughts on dreams, change and trying…

I’ve been spotting a lot of really wonderful inspirational images on Pinterest lately. Not only are these images inspirational -- they are lovely, too. Combine pretty design with motivational snippets and you’ve got yourself a winning combo. I think any of these little designs would make great prints for placing on a desk.

Image 1, Image 2, Image 3

Friends, do you pin? I’d love to follow your pins, if you do! Find mine {here.}

Simple

This image is sweet and lovely, and I'm dedicating it to my husband. Simple as that.

via Pinterest

Five Pretty Posts

Photo source

These dainty cake decorations, spotted on 100 Layer Cake, make me smile -- they are just so festive and uber adorable. I really wish I had the need to decorate a cake!

Check out the post {here}.

Lay Baby Lay has the cutest inspiration when it comes to little babes. I love the nursery ideas, but love the ideas for wall art even more. I’m head over heels for this adorable stork design -- it would make such a nice gift, don’t you think?

Check out the post {here}.

The bride’s look for this vintage Alabama wedding is simply stunning. Her hairstyle and dress give her an old Hollywood style. Be sure to click through to view the rest of the photos -- the details are beyond beautiful.

Check out the post {here}.

I’ve seen a lot vintage-style furniture being used at outdoor wedding venues and in photo shoots, and Ritzy Bee has rounded up some fantastic pieces! I love the chipped paint and rustic charm.

Check out the post {here}.

Atlantic-Pacific is a new blog find for me this week -- big thank you to Little White Whale for pointing it out! This girl has some serious style. I’m loving this rainy day look, complete with a preppy trench and red wellies.

Check out the post {here}.

It's a funny thing...

Just a few words for a Wednesday afternoon.

Vacation: Portland, OR

The Portland, OR leg of our trip out west seems like a blur, now! On Friday afternoon, after an amazing breakfast and then checking out the Space Needle in Seattle, we boarded a train to Portland. Along the way, we spotted Mt. Rainier, had lunch and took a much needed nap. My brother and his friend met my husband and I in Portland, and we immediately headed to Rogue for dinner and beer sampling. Saturday morning was spent strolling through the Portland Saturday Market, which was really neat despite the rain. Once we had our fill of the market, we indulged in Reggie sandwiches from Pine State Biscuits (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!) When the rain cleared out, my brother took us to Washington Park. The park is full of gorgeous trees and moss that is almost neon green. We also visited another Portland brewery and a massive bookstore. We dined on sushi that night, and then headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Early on Sunday, my husband and brother and I drove up to Mt. Hood for a day on the slopes. My brother is a really talented snowboarder, and is very familiar with Mt. Hood, having worked on the mountain last year. The snow out west is much different than the snow out east, and took some getting used to. The mountain was enormous -- we couldn’t even see the peak because of the snow and clouds. Everyone was tired after skiing, but we made it to one more brewery for dinner before crashing. On Monday, we slept in, packed and then had to head home to reality. It was a long day of traveling followed by a tired Tuesday, but we’re back in the swing of things now!

We had a great time on our vacation, and really enjoyed experiencing the Pacific Northwest. It’s a location that my husband and I have always wanted to visit, so we’re very lucky to have gone on the trip this year! I hope you enjoyed my vacation posts -- I’ll be back to regular posting now!

Vacation: Last Seattle Day

Today is our last day in Seattle. We woke up to a text message from my Mom, asking if we were OK. Confused by this, I checked email. There was a note from a friend making sure we were safe, since there was a possible tsunami approaching the west coast. Stunned, we turned the news on the see the devastation in Japan, and listened to local reports. As many of you already are, I urge you to keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers. The videos and photos are unreal, and it's astonishing what a force Mother Nature can be. After hearing that we would be safe here in Seattle, we ventured out. We were able to see all of Seattle from the top of the Space Needle -- Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, the city, and the lake that Tom Hanks' house boat was on in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. Later this afternoon, we'll be boarding a Portland-bound train to meet up with my brother. We're looking forward to skiing at Mt. Hood tomorrow, and exploring another city!

I'm sorry I haven't been able to share any photos of the trip -- my mobile blogging app is acting funny and not allowing me to upload any to my posts! I'll post a few highlights upon our return.

Vacation: The rain won't stop us!

The morning started out clear -- no rain, just a bit of wind. The hubby and I had Americanos at a cafe and then walked through REI. The cafe was "coincidentally" located next to the cafe. My husband claims he had no idea that the massive REI store, complete with it's own mini hiking trail around the store, was just near the cafe. I'm suspicious though, as he insisted on this particular cafe. He's clever like that! After fueling up on caffeine, we boarded the ferry and crossed Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. We each had amazingly delicious dungeness crab dishes for lunch and walked through some cute shops as the rain came pouring down. Now, we're back on the big ferry (don't you just mobile blogging?) and headed back to Seattle. We'll be checking out the underground city tour and then having dinner at one of Rachel Ray's restaurant picks. Another full day!