I’m feeling extra fashion this week I guess, but has anyone else checked out Saturday.com? It’s Kate Spade’s newest brand and I’m already head over heels. It reminds me a lot of Kate Spade and I’m especially loving their dresses! And those notebooks? Sign me up!

Speaking of Saturday, we’re going to see Book of Mormon this weekend! Have a great one!

Yesterday, Madewell opened their shiny new Chicago store on Rush Street, so Christine, Arleigh and I headed down to check it out. Not only was I excited to see the store and do a little shopping, but it was the perfect excuse to get out of the house and catch up with friends over dinner.

After a fair amount of browsing, I left with a beautiful eyelet yellow dress and two really awesome t-shirts in heathered grey & summer sky. The dress fit perfectly, and the only downside is that I have to wait until it gets warm enough to actually wear it. As for those t-shirts, those will soon be on heavy rotation. I really liked the weight of these, especially the grey one, and selected a size up from what I normally get because I wanted them a little bit looser. You can never have enough of the basics, right?

We moved over to Luxbar for a drink and dinner before calling it a night. It was the perfect weekday outing and definitely has got me in the mood for spring! If it ever gets here..

Anyway, happy Thursday, I’m hoping to share some more exciting things in the next week, so it’s back to work. Oh, but one last thing, can you believe this was a Starbuck’s before??? Such a cool space.

*images taken for Design That Inspires

P.S. Happy birthday to my beautiful mama! Her & my dad are heading to Palm Springs today, talk about a sweet birthday celebration!

This past weekend I traveled to Arkansas with Rob to meet his grandparents for the first time. I was looking forward to meeting them as well as having a relaxing weekend. It’s so hard to have a low key weekend when we’re in Chicago when everyone is constantly making plans, fun plans. I needed a weekend like this more than I even realized. Not only did I get a good night’s sleep, but it was a good reminder that I need to slow down a bit. Breathe and take time for myself to do the other things I love — paint, work on some unfinished home projects, go to a yoga class and take long walks with Oliver.

Work has been total craziness lately and I’d been struggling with what to do to help me stay sane and happy all while doing what I love. On Monday, I met with Jess of With Intention to discuss the growth of my business. Talk about a MAJOR relief. I left feeling a trillion times better and more excited about the future of Leap and my blog. Sometimes all you need is to bounce ideas of someone who understands what you are doing. I’m excited for the coming changes in hopes that they slow down my work a bit, and allow me to fully enjoy other aspects of my life.

I’ve been playing a little bit of catch up on a few things that I’ve been putting off like signing and sending off my tax return, sorting through the giant stack of mail (loving the empty bin, ha!), getting organized and cleaning my apartment. I spent a good chunk of yesterday finishing up those things and then moved on to some more exciting things, like prepping for some of those big changes here and with Leap and I even made time to fit in a much-needed yoga class to get my zen on. It felt great.

Now that I’m feeling more balanced, I’m jumping back into designing today. I still have one more big project that’s almost completed and I’m starting on some new ones as well. Even though things are still busy, I’m able to mentally slow down knowing that some of the work things I’d been stressing about are going to be history.

How’s your week been going? Hopefully your April is off to a great start!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

The past month I’ve been doing a bit of spring cleaning to the apartment. Old pillows out, new ones soon to be sewn. My vintage chairs are at the upholsterer’s getting some love, my abstract painting is nearly finished and now my office is begging for a little love.

For as much time as I spend there, I think it’s fair that I spend time fixing it up and making it a place that I love and that keeps me inspired. As of late, I am sick of my rug. I bought it for about $75 for Urban Outfitters and it’s had a good run, but I’m thinking it might be time for something new. One thing I’m considering this go around is the fact that there’s a good amount of traffic in and out of my office. Oliver also spends a lot of time laying on the floor in there and let’s face it, he’s not always perfectly clean. The yellow and white chevron rug I have now shows dirt and things very easily, so the next one needs to probably be darker.

Naturally, West Elm is my go-to spot for rugs. I love just about everything they come up with and I’ve really fallen for their rugs in the past few months. Of course, one of my favorites is that white fluffy one, which is beautiful, but probably not the best choice for this room. Wah.

I’ve got a birthday coming up, maybe I should put one of these on the wish list! Which would you put in your office?

Drumroll please…. SWEET LEMON MAGAZINE!

I was overjoyed when SL brand manager, Brittney, emailed me asking if I’d be interested in working with them even though their deadline was in a month. I adore the magazine, and respect these busy girls. They’ve got full schedules and still put out a fabulous product every issue.

I knew it was going to be a tough month, and it was. I had my fair share of breakdowns the week before we launched, but in the end it paid off. For the amount of time editor in chief Paris and I spent on the phone and g-chatting, you’d think we were married.

After a few last minute calls and g-chatting into the wee hours of the nigh, the new look of Sweet Lemon Magazine finally arrived. Along with their latest issue, you’ll find a new logo, created by the SL art director, Meghan, and a new site that I got the pleasure of designing. I love the crisp, fresh, and edgy vibe the new design gives the brand. And I love the fun details and pops of color.

I owe a big thank you to the Sweet Lemon team for letting me work with them and being so wonderful along the way! No without further ado, go check out the new site and their latest issue!