Dress shopping success!

Guess what?!  My little sister came into the city yesterday and we found her........




wait for it.....




wedding dresses!


Yes, that's dress-ES. Plural.




My sister is getting married in January and I was fortunate enough to get to dress shop with her!

After many stores and MAAAANY dresses, Ellie narrowed it down to two beautiful dresses at one boutique. What is a girl to do when she can't decide between two gorgeous gowns in two totally different styles?!

Buy them both, of course!

Yep, she bought two dresses for an INCREDIBLE price (we're talking two dresses for MUCH LESS than I spent for my ONE wedding dress!), so she's wearing one for her wedding, and one for her reception. This practice is becoming quite common according to the lady who owns the boutique, and I think it's fantastic. Why not wear two dresses on your wedding day? You're the freakin bride! Do what you like!

Plus if you saw how incredibly gorgeous my sister looked in both dresses, you'd tell her to buy them both too!

Unfortunately I can't post any photos right now because her fiance reads this blog, but come January 25, 2013 I'll be photo posting away!!

That's all for now because I have to get started on a paper for my political communications class. I'd rather not do homework during our trip to San Juan, so I am trying to finish everything due in the next week in the next two days. :(

I had better get started...

Til next post,
Emme

The Galleria (and why I love shopping small!)

I recently returned from a trip to the Galleria in the Andersonville neighborhood. If you live in the Chicago/Chicagoland area (or you're visiting) I truly cannot recommend this place strongly enough.

Someone described it on yelp as "etsy.com in but in a real life shop" and she is SO RIGHT. It is four levels of retail space that houses tons of mini shops inside. There's handmade art, clothing, soaps, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, candies, and tons of other goodies for sale.


You can check out the website here: www.andersonvillegalleria.com and there's a photo below that gives you a little idea of some of the things on sale...

I bought a generous bar of the most delicious smelling, organic vegetable fair trade soap for $4.00. I found a beautiful handmade necklace for $9.00. I spent an hour and forty minutes browsing all of the different goods, and I easily could have spent another hour.

I am a big fan of shopping small. Many of the people who sell their art/wares/gourmet goodies at the galleria make their living doing so, and how cool is it that I can help support that? I think it's pretty freaking fantastic that I have the power to help a family make their living by choosing to dine at local family owned restaurants rather than chain diners, or help a talented local jewelry maker pay her rent by purchasing a gorgeous, one of a kind piece from her collection, rather than something I find at a big chain retailer.

I love Target as much as the next girl, but lately I've been trying harder than ever to spend money when I can to support the local family owned businesses/artisans. These people need our dollars and they appreciate our dollars way more than Target ever will. Shopping small helps support people just like you and me; families just like yours and mine, and I'm all for that!

I urge you to shop small next time you have a little cash to spend; you might love it as much as I do! :)


Emme

Decisions, decisions!

I remember being about 8 years old and making my most important decisions using the eenie meenie miney moe song.

I was tempted to implement that old method to come to a decision on where the huz and I will celebrate our first anniversary.

We will celebrate 1 year of marriage on September 2, 2012; that's less than one month from today. Luckily, God has smiled on us and not only granted us a small window of time together, but also a budget of around $1,200 for this trip.

So with that being said; there are 3 places that made the final cut:

1. Traverse City, Michigan.

2. Denver, Colorado.

3. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I researched the crap out of all three places and priced things out. Believe it or not all of the trips came in under our budget. (our budget does not include spending money or food money, fyi, it's just our budget for hotel and transportation)

I presented my research findings to my husband, and told him whole-heartedly that our destination was his decisison, because guess what? No matter where we go, we're going together to celebrate us, and that is what's most important!

But the huz and I simply couldn't ignore the fact that I found a ridiculously good deal for 4 nights hotel + airfare to this place for $448.00 per person. So can ya guess where we are going?!


....



Well, can ya?


....



...


We're going to......











San Juan! I've shared a few photos below that I found online. I think I am most looking forward to touring Old San Juan, eating Puerto Rican food, and exploring the rainforest! It looks breathtaking.

A stunning photo I found online of Old San Juan.

El Yunque Rainforest

This is a photo of a street in Old San Juan. Love the bright colors!

Flamenco Beach










Until Next Time,
Emme

Unplugged

I recently rediscovered the joy of being unplugged.

You know what I mean. No cell phone ringing. No text messages pinging. No internet.

Just living.

Living in Chicago, sometimes I forget to exhale. Often my husband has to remind me to just stop for a moment, and relax.

And last weekend that's just what I did. And it was unbelievably nice.
 
I got to spend a whole weekend with my favorite people in the entire world (minus a few, of course). We had swimsuits on, hot summer sun beating down, coolers full of beer, and all we had on our to "do" list was:

1. take a long, lazy 6 hour float down a cool, clear Missouri river. Go back to the hotel, and sleep in extra late the next morning.
2. explore Onondaga cave state park.
3. Stop at cheesy antique mall on the way home. (Where I scored a Sopranos trivia game, and we took advantage of some silly photo opportunities. See the photos below.)

Yes, this Ellie and her soon to be husband standing next to a ufo. And hells yes, this is what made us get off the highway!

Me and the giant pink roadside elephant. Why not?!

My new-in-the-plastic Sopranos trivia game!

 I would say that our roadtrip to Missouri was a giant win in every way imaginable. :)


Hmmm so what else have I been up to lately?

Not only did I get to take a road trip and a float trip down the lovely Meramec with Ellie and her fiance, but the huz and I have had out of town company staying with us pretty steadily lately. I also made it home last week to go fishing with my dad on the river in Dixon.

And I was lucky enough to grab a delicious dinner at the Cozy Noodle (check out www.cozychicago.com), and take in a Cubs game with my cousins E and K, my sister Cher, and  my baby nephew Allen on Monday. The Cubs kicked the Pirates' asses, and it was awesome to see them playing so well, and to catch up with cousins that I see far too rarely.

Is my nephew cute or what?!

I know that I often talking about being broke, and it's true that money is tight. But  I'm really incredibly blessed because I have the best friends and family that a girl could ask for, and I have been having the best summer I've had in a long, looong time.

You'll have to forgive me for blogging less often lately, I'm trying to squeeze all of the fun I can out of the last couple weeks of summer. I start school on August 27th! Can't believe how quickly the break has gone by...