The Weekender

I love my Summer Fridays at work, but I'm thinking we need to add Summer Monday's as well... Anyone agree?! I had a really fun weekend with my Dad. He drove back from AZ to Michigan this weekend and stopped in Chicago for a few nights. Seems like it would be a lot easier for him to just fly home for the Summer, but he insists on doing a road trip. I admit, I do enjoy getting to be a pit stop on the trip!

After a weird cold and rainy spell Thursday & Friday, Saturday turned out to be a sunny and gorgeous day. Perfect for a walk on the Lakeshore path. The view never gets old.

Enjoyed our tea outside on my new patio furniture!

And hit the first roofdeck of the season. One of my old standbys, The Terrace at The Conrad.

Hope everyone had a good weekend too. And the countdown to this weekend starts...NOW. Here's hoping for a fast work week...

In the garden and made in the USA

Happy Thursday! I'm so excited because it's my Friday today! We have the day off tomorrow at my office (bonus!), so I can't wait to start the long weekend. Heading back to Pure Michigan to spend the weekend with family and get in some nice beach time.

I finally got all my flowers planted this past weekend. Feels good to have that all done and I'm really happy with how everything turned out. One of the best parts of Spring/Summer is getting to pick out gorgeous flowers and plan out my patio! I'll be back with a full tour of the patio and front planters later, but here's a little sneak peek (because I know you guys are on the edge of your seats waiting, ha)

 

And for the Made in America bit, I had been wanting some garden clogs that I could leave on my deck and just slip on when I go out in the backyard. Look what I found at Target! I always love finding Made in America goods unexpectedly at regular stores, these were only $9.99 and so far I'm loving them. You can find them in the garden section at Target or by going to the Sloggers website. 

Hope everyone has a great Holiday weekend! Sounds like it's going to be a steamy one in Chicago and Michigan, bring it on!

Linking up to fellow Chicago Blogger, It All Started with Paint today! She has a great Outdoor party going on, lots of patio and gardening ideas and inspiration.

This is my happy place

I don't know about you but this image just takes me to my happy place. I was sipping this bloody last month, hanging out in Saugatuck after a perfect beach day. ::Sigh:: I don't want Summer to end. I need just one more perfect weekend in Pure Michigan.

My Summer Sun must-haves

I'm a little bit of a product freak...you should see my linen closet and bathroom drawers, too many products!! But, I have a lot of favorites for summer sun time that I thought you might like too. Here's my list of must-haves for beach time.

Clinique SPF Face Cream

My face can easily break out so I like to use an SPF formulated just for faces that is oil-free. I also like that this has a few added benefits that you don't always get with the drug store brands. Here's what Sephora says about this cream: Clinique's innovative SolarSmart™ complex triggers an anti-aging repair process while at once providing skin with a high level of defense from the aging and burning effects of UVA and UVB rays. The formulation also includes a boost of antioxidants to shield skin from environmental aggressors. 

My sister and I both have sensitive skin and this never irritates us. I also have a cream I use by Lancome but it doesn't seem to be available online anymore, bummer.





Floppy Hats
These are an obvious must-have! I have a big floppy hat from Gap, but here are a few others that I think are cute and definitely shield you from the sun. I used to have a straw cowboy hat in high school that I wore to the beach, so I added one to the mix. So cute.

Top left via, top right via, bottom left via, bottom right via.

SPF Spray Lotion
I don't know why this wasn't invented when I was a kid, so easy. I always bring a Target one with me to the beach or pool. Cheap and it works great.

Now, for after the sun I have a few things that never fail me...

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads
These just came out this year and I LOVE them. One little pad exfoliates your skin, gives it some antioxidants and leaves you with a great, natural looking glow. My face never seems to get that tan, especially with all the lotion I put on. This is a great way to give yourself a glow, minus the sun damage. Sephora and Nordstrom both sell these for around $32, but the best deal is really from Amazon, you can get a pack of 20 for only $26! And free shipping too.

Tree Hut Shea Body Butter
After a day at the beach I always slather on a really thick cream. This has been a favorite of mine since I got it for a birthday gift in January. It has the best beachy scent and really moisturizes great. Another bonus? The products are made right here in America and are all natural. Everything they make also uses certified organic shea. My favorite scent is Hawaiian Kukui.

Aromatherapy Sugar Scrub with Essential Oils
I've been using this scrub from the Bath&Body Works Aromatherapy line since high school, it's good stuff. Right when I see the first signs of any peeling starting I use this. Not only does it exfoliate like nothing else, but it also has an oil base so your are super smooth and moisturized when you step out of the shower. They have a lot of good scents too, strong, but not quite as over powering as some of the other B&B Works products.

Vasoline Cocoa Butter Body Oil
More moisturizers! To me, Summer is all about keeping your skin nice and soft and of course the moisture helps to keep your tan around a little longer too. I like to put this on my legs right after showering or before a night out! The oil contains:

• Brazilian nut oil - rich in essential nutrients known to boost skin's moisture barrier
• Almond oil - naturally high in minerals and known antioxidants

It smells great too!

That's the list! What about you guys, are there any products you swear by for summer time that I should try?

Favorite roofdecks in Chicago

Everything's better when you do it outside, isn't it? There's nothing I like more than sitting on a roof deck, overlooking the gorgeous skyline on a summer evening. Sipping a drink high above the streets always reminds me why I love this city. I put together my list of favorite alfresco roof decks to try in Chicago.

Let's start with The Terrace at Conrad. What I love the most about the Terrace is that it's unassuming. Very laid back and chill. Which is why it's great for drinks after work, any day of the week. They also show movies on Sunday nights, go here for the dates of showings. It's located on the fifth floor perched above Nordstrom and Rush Street. My cocktail of choice here is the Mango Bubbles because frankly, I can't resist a good cocktail with bubbly on top!

Via Conrad website

Above 4 pictures from big sister's camera

Next let's head up to the 26th floor at Vertigo Sky Lounge. This is another great spot for cocktails, a lot higher up than the Terrace and more happening for nights out, as opposed to just happy hour. Vertigo is a part of the Dana Hotel. Interesting to note, Vertigo is actually open year round! Yes, in the middle of December they have a fire going outside and you can put on one of the Dana hotel's bathrobes to stay warm and sip drinks! My drink of choice here is bubbly, but they have great specialty cocktails as well!

Via the Dana Hotel

And last but not least, C-View. I saved the highest for last, C-View is located on the 29th floor in the Affinia hotel. This is so high above the city streets you can forget about all the hustle and bustle going on below and just enjoy a drink and relax with awesome views of the skyline. They have a great drink list and serve food from the C-View restaurant. I haven't been here as often as the others, so no drink of choice, but whatever I had when I went was delicious!

Both via

My beautiful Mom!

If you live here or are just visiting, I hope you get a chance to check out one of the many roofdecks in the city! And more to come -- I'll be back later in the summer with Part II. We haven't even talked about one of my favorites, Trump yet!

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Terrace @ Conrad

521 North Rush Street

Vertigo @ the Dana Hotel

Two West Erie Street

C-View @ Affinia Hotel

166 E Superior Street

Happy Birthday, America

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.