Steal of the Week: Kate Spade

OK, so I wouldn't call this a "steal," it is Kate Spade afterall, but there are two good deals going today. I have a real soft spot for Kate Spade, the colors, the prep, it's the stuff my fashion dreams are made of.

Today, Rue La La has a Kate Spade sale starting at 10 AM CST. There's sure to be some good deals in there. And the thing I like about Rue La La is that they are one of the only online deal sites that lets you make returns for cash back. Most other sites will only give you store credit. Use this link to sign up, ruelala.com/invite/alittleditty

Next, Kate Spade is offering an extra 25% off sale items!! And to top it off, free shipping. Use the code SALE25 at checkout. Happy shopping!

Chicago Eats: Grahamwich

I finally got a chance to try famed Graham Elliot's sandwich place, Grahamwich. It did not disappoint. I loved the decor and the food was delicious. Great place to grab lunch and it's really close to my office (ut-oh!). It's about 3 blocks off the Mag Mile in the River North area.

I had the pork belly sandwich. So good! I've got a major BBQ pork obsession lately, it's like I must try them at every place I go to! Anyway, this one had a perfect coleslaw on it and thin pickle slices. Yum. I also tried a Root Beer -- all of their sodas are homemade. My friend had the roast beef sandwich with spinach and shoestring fries, not sure what else, but she did really like it! And last but not least, my friend ordered the Truffle Popcorn. This was some good popcorn! It was seasoned to perfection and had Parmesan sprinkled on it. They also have homemade chips seasoned this same way, those will be a must for next time!

Lunch is a little on the expensive side $8 for a sandwich and the sodas and chips are extra. But hey, it's good stuff!

So all in all, we had a great experience. If you're visiting town, this would be a great place to take a break from shopping and you definitely won't find many tourists here! And who knew, behind bustling State street there is a quiet little landscaped courtyard where we ate our lunch.

One other thing -- the menu changes seasonally, so you never know what new creations they'll come up with. Always something different!

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Grahamwich

 - Website -

615 N. State Street

Chicago, IL 60656

Words for Wednesday

Fabric via Serena & Lily

A perfect place to sit

I found this little spot near the river while walking around the city one day. What a perfect place to take a break on a gorgeous summer afternoon. Given the choice I think I'd rather sit here and read then go back to work...

Summer arrived - pure michigan style

I know the official start of summer was Tuesday, but summer started June 11th for me when I spent a week on Lake Michigan with the family. Spending sunny days down at the beach with a book and drink in hand was pretty much pure bliss. We had a few cloudy/rainy days, but for the most part the weather cooperated. I found the cottage for us from VRBO, you might remember me talking about them here. I've had really good experiences every time I've used the site.

The cottage was right on Lake Michigan in Holland, MI. It's not too far from my hometown in GR, but we really liked the location because Downtown Holland is a cute area with shops and restaurants and you're only a short drive from Sagutack - an equally cute lake front city with more shops and places to eat. Here are a few pictures of the week...

Our perch on the beach, right in front of the cottage.

Sometimes I can't believe how gorgeous Lake Michigan is. If people aren't familiar with it, they often write it off as a typical small lake. Not the case, as we say over here, kinda like the ocean, but unsalted! I'm so lucky to live in Chicago right on the Lake and to have grown up 30 minutes away from the beach.

The beach the cottage was on was private and stretched on for miles. It made for some good walks. We headed up to the lighthouse, "Big Red" one day.

Me and the little bro.

For information on visiting Holland, MI go here.

Words for Wednesday

Made by me using image via flickr.

Hometown love. Grand Rapids lip dub

Have you guys seen this? My hometown created this awesome lip dub video in response to a Newsweek article that called Grand Rapids a "dying city." Dying my ass....

The video got almost 3 million hits on You Tube, in just two weeks. It's been covered on all major U.S. news networks and a slew of international newspaper mentions. Roger Ebert called it "The Greatest Music Video Ever Made." Oh and Ashton Kutcher tweeted about it. Go Grand Rapids!! When this many people are talking about your beloved hometown, I think it's only natural to feel pride! Check it out:



And for more on Grand Rapids go here.

Steal of the Week: tunic tees

I'm always looking for cute tops to throw over leggings or skinny jeans. Found these at Forever 21 last week -- such a great deal! They are super soft and I love the slub cotton look. You can't beat the $10.50 price, that's for sure! I think this top would be so cute dressed up with some jewelry, skinny jeans and cute flats. I could also see the white as a beach cover-up. If all else fails, these are so soft they would make the perfect sleep shirt so you can look cute even when you're just around the house.

Words for Wednesday

Image Via

Must have these

I've fallen in love with a pair of Kate Spade wedges. Someone please help!

Having a really difficult time trying to stay away from these online. They're on sale and it's so tempting. Aren't they the cutest espadrilles ever?!

One last look at Spring in the city

Before it's over I wanted to post a few pictures I took of Spring in bloom all around the city. We've quickly and suddenly moved on to Summer, it was 90 over the weekend -- but here is one last look at the first gorgeous blooms of Spring. Which after a long Winter, are always so welcome.

I love the bright yellow of Forsythia bushes!

And a few that aren't quite from the city -- Grape Hyacinths my sister cut. Isn't the purple stunning? The variations on each bloom look like a paint chip card.

In the Kitchen: Easy chicken fajitas

Since I haven't been blogging in awhile, I have tons of recipes stockpiled that I want to share with you guys! First up is a really simple chicken fajitas meal that's become a favorite of mine. The directions for this are probably a no brainer for most cooks, but it's so delicious I still thought I would share!

Ingredients:
- Chicken breast tenders (your choice on the amount)
- Bell peppers cut into thin slices
- Onion sliced
- Spices; ground pepper, chili powder, Jane's Crazy Salt, cajun spice mix
- One chipotle pepper in it's own juice
- One lime
- Whole wheat flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Tomatoes (optional)
- Guacamole and sour cream (optional)
- Olive oil  

Preparation:
First get the peppers cooking with a little bit of olive oil. Next you can make the guacamole to set aside, I just use a seasoning packet and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Next, take the chicken out and season it with all the spices mentioned above. This isn't an exact science, so feel free to add other spices that you love. For me, the key to the chicken is using the already cut up chicken breast tenders. The small size makes them so juicy and delicious! Heat up a pan to cook the chicken and throw in some olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice and one chipotle pepper cut up and a little of the juice from the can.

Now throw the chicken in the pan. Once it's in the pan, squeeze more lime juice onto each piece. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, turning a few times.

When the peppers & onion and chicken are close to being done, warm up your tortillas. I've recently made the switch to a true whole wheat variety, and I haven't even missed the white flour much! You can also get out all your toppings, I used shredded cheese, cherry tomatoes and a little sour cream and of course lots of guac!

Shred the chicken into small pieces and assemble the fajitas. YUM! These are so easy and so good! Let me know if you guys like them :)

This week I'm linking up to:
Tasty Tuesdays at my sister's blog!!

 

Words for Wednesday

Image via

I've always been a fan of Mary Engelbreit. I used to get her desk calendars every year when I was younger and the illustrations and quotes were so cute. On this first day of June I thought this picture was very appropriate. This reminds me of one of my oldest friends, whenever I think of lazy summers as a kid, I think of her. We were together almost every day laying out or hitting the pool in the long, slow summers off from school. Or, who am I kidding? Sometimes we just sweated it out in one of our backyards if we couldn't bike to a pool that day. Good memories!

Happy June 1st! We're beginning my favorite season of the year :)