RED JEANS AND STERLING RINGS

(Zara Sweater, Jolt Jeans, Aldo Boots, Guess Ring, Bracelet from p.45)

I love these deep red jeans so much that I simply can't get enough of them. Surprisingly, they manage to go with almost everything in my closet at the moment and add a great pop of color to any outfit. I spent yesterday afternoon ogling the Christmas windows at Macy's while shopping for gifts for everyone on my list. Red and white definitely remind me of the holiday season!

NOVEMBER BLUES: FRANCESCA'S COLLECTIONS

Welcome to our blues, where we post about our outings together and highlights of the week or month. Blues will be posted up to four times a month and will be typically longer than our normal posts.

Last weekend, we took advantage of our few days off of school for Thanksgiving break by searching for a new favorite clothing store. We left our usual downtown hotspots with peppermint mochas in hand and headed north to Bucktown. We were drawn into Francesca's Collections by their gorgeous storefront and fell in love almost instantly.

  

Francesca's is a small shop with huge personality. It's got homestyle flair with a modern twist. The store had tons of beautiful jewelry options (for cheap!) as well as fantastic clothes and other vintage inspired knick-knacks. There are so many hilarious and useful gift options that we almost had to buy out the store. One of our favorites was this one:

 

We both walked away with some great new earrings and necklaces that we can't wait to wear. Francesca's is definitely one of our new favorite places to shop. It's one of those places that puts you in a good mood and makes you smile as soon as you walk through the door.

What a productive break we had.

CASUAL MONDAY

 

(Rubbish shirt, Jolt jeans, Steve Madden flats, dElia's bracelet, Forever 21 necklace) 

I often wake up on Mondays too tired to start my day and end up slapping the snooze button two or three or seventeen times instead. This does not always work out well for a girl who needs to be at school by 8. Since I get ready in a rush, I like my style laid-back and relaxed for the day. I make up for it by dressing up on Fridays.

It was a little cold outside but still not cold enough. It's surprisingly warm for November and I hate it. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!

HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

So, this post is pretty overdue, but better late than never, right?
I (Isabelle) spent Thanksgiving with my family in surprisingly warm Chicago. My mom cooked everything but dessert, which has never really been her thing. Legend has it she nearly burned our house down trying to boil water. So I took on the classic pumpkin pie.

I followed the recipe on the back of the can, and the result was amazing. It tasted just as Thanksgiving pies should, delicious and filling. Unfortunately, I did not have time to get a picture of the finished pie before my family scarfed the whole thing down, so enjoy the pre-oven pictures below.

There are so many things that I am thankful for this year that I can't even begin to list all of them. For starters, I am thankful for my generous and wonderful family who I love so much even though we don't always get along. I am thankful for my fantastic, hilarious, and sometimes insane friends who I would not be able to live without and who make each day interesting, to say the least. Especially when they do things like this.

I am thankful for the great education I receive and how lucky I am to be able to go to school unlike so many other children. I am thankful for the happiness I've had this year and the amazing memories I've made that I never want to forget. And I am finally thankful for the little things in life, like an accidental run-in with one of my best friends at Gap and the inspiration to write a little blog post like this one.
I spent the rest of Thursday afternoon before and after the big feast watching Season 1 of Gossip Girl. Couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving break. Let the Christmas music begin!

HOMEMADE OREOS

I (Liv) have never really had a strong attachment to Oreos. I find the cookies dry, and the cream filling overly sweet. I think another problem with them may be that they taste too artificial, like something that would never be produced in a kitchen. However, I have now found enlightenment. I have found this godsend, these homemade Oreos. Using this recipe I created these creations of comfort and childhood.  I am honestly not one to brag about my baking but this time, I can't help it. The cookies are chewy and super chocolately and the cream is sweet and delicious. The whole story changes though, when you bring in the glass of milk. They become so good that the only possible reaction is grunts of satisfaction. 

Let's hope Isabelle decides to make something soon. 

Happy salivating. :)

WHAT IS A BLOG?

For the love of clothes, and the hope they will last through the day.
For the love of friendship (however lame or deep that may sound) for where are we without it?
Also, welcome to Chicago where winters are bitter and summers are steamy.
Enjoy!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin