Friday's Fancies: A Night on the River

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Happy Friday, party people!

Today I have plenty of pictures for you.

First of all, I have to congratulate {av} from long distance loving. She started her Friday's Fancies theme 100 weeks ago and it is still going strong! Happy 100th, av!

Friday's Fancies 100th by mkrulia featuring diamond jewelry

I picked a sparkly outfit for today's 100th link-up. While the dress is wallet-friendly, the luxe earrings, the deliciously sassy Vivienne Westwood clutch, and the divine Kate Spade shoes are certainly not.
Oh well!


Second, I have to share pictures from the boat cruise last night! Our friend got a Groupon for a BYOB night river cruise on the Chicago River. The weather conditions were not ideal, but the good thing about Chicago is that rain or shine, this skyline is always photogenic!

Our boat was enclosed, so our fun group stayed warm and dry, sipping brews and eating yummy treats. My favorite part was the music: Andrew played some Rat Pack and jazzy tunes that went perfectly with the rain patting down on the roof of the boat. No one else was on the river, either, so it was like the river and cruise were just for us!

And what a pretty sight!

I definitely recommend a night boat tour if you have the chance. It was only $12/person in our 9-person group with a Groupon!

Enjoy your weekend and go check out the other party outfits at long distance loving today!

Little Bit of Class Tuesday

Today I am not going to post pictures from my Classy Pinterest board.

Instead, I  compiled a collage from my jaunt around town yesterday afternoon. After all, Chicago is a classy broad.

Why wasn't I at work?

Well, our awesome CEO gave our company two free half days. I didn't realize that I needed to use both of them before Labor Day else I lose them. Oops. I cannot let that happen, so yesterday around 10:30 a.m. I scrambled to do all necessary work and decided I would take a half day. 
But what to do?

I was not armed with the appropriate attire for the beach, I do not have the money to partake in a shopping spree, and I recently got my nails done. The beach, Mag Mile, and the spa were all out.  (Wow. Talk about First World Problems. I kind of feel terrible right now.)

All I knew was that I was not going to spend a beautiful sunny Chicago day indoors.

I decided to be a tourist! I booked my hop on/hop off bus tour, met Andrew for lunch, and I was on my way!

The tour was about a two-hour bus ride in and around the Loop. While it was no Architecture Tour (LOVE THAT TOUR!), I do highly recommend doing it! Our tour guide was funny, incredibly informative, and clearly a Chicago native. I had a fantastic time!

Tomorrow I'm taking my second half day of the summer, and aside from changing my ID to my new address I don't have plans until book club. One Brick (volunteer group) doesn't have any events and I will workout in the morning before work with boot camp, so I need advice on what to do.

How would you spend an unplanned half day off of work? The weather will be glorious again, so napping at home is not an option. Send ideas my way!

Loving the Lake

Good morning!

Yesterday I decided to explore the area and went for a run from my place to Lake Michigan, about a mile away from our place. There is an incredible park with bike trails all along the shore. I just love it and can see myself working out along the Lake often. I just need a paycheck so I can get my bike some TLC!

I predict that today is going to be a good day. I'm currently at a coffee shop by the L for the wireless so I can do my freelance work (I have to have my report in by 9am EST, which means 8 here! Wah!). I can't wait for Comcast to come tomorrow! Anyway, Andrew just stopped by for a smooch on his way in to work. After this I'm going to head to a consignment store near our place to see if there's anything fun for our apartment. I am so excited for all of the little projects I have planned to organize the place. Are you interested in seeing pictures? I am happy to share them!

I am going to meet Andrew for lunch and then head to a headhunter for some job search help. I may temp until I find something I like. Don't get me wrong, I apply to roughly four jobs a day, but I don't hear from oh, about all of them. I also plan to be a server if I have to be unemployed much longer.

After my meeting I have my first beach volleyball game! I joined a team of Andrew's friends. I can't wait! I am short and have no vertical, but I sure do love to play anyway. Then we're heading to our sponsor bar! I'm so excited!!

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Sweet Home Chicago

Good morning everyone!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but life has been busy. Graduation Day and Moving Day finally came and went. Now I am in a new time zone with places to go and people to see. I am beyond excited for the new chapter. Andrew and I are ecstatic for the future, and our future together.

Here are some quick pictures of the new place. It's transforming quite nicely. After four years of paying an arm and a leg to live in old houses in DC, it is wonderful to pay a reasonable rent for a gorgeous apartment with new appliances and features! Thankfully Andrew's mom and aunt are helping us unpack, and we had fantastic friends assisting the move-in - seriously they are incredible. Our place is on the third floor without an elevator and to top it off the stairs are curved! It was a very hot and exhausting move!

First of all, our bedroom has a fireplace and a bay window!

Second, our room has French doors leading into the living area.
Finally, our kitchen is GORGEOUS!

We went to Target yesterday and are having a blast decorating! I will update as we progress, and the answer to your question is yes. Yes we will be entertaining often! Our house-warming party is absolutely happening sooner rather than later!