fash•ion (fash-uh n) | red

Isn't this wall so fun? I love that I live so close to a private arts college because my neighborhood is surrounded by so much street art.

Ironically, and un-planned, I happened to follow in this wall's theme by dressing in all red.  Lately I've been on a mission to find red denim pants for the fall and I think because I've been having a hard time finding a pair that fits me just right, I made up for it by wearing the color from head to toe. 

outfit details | shirt - pou dou dou | shorts & scarf - thrifted | sandals - gap | purse - c/o 1154 lill | bracelet - calypso for target | watch - michael kors

My mission for red denim will continue, but for now I'll milk my shorts until summer's over.

|Are you into colored denim for the fall (or now)? What color are you in search for?|

food (food) | food trucks

Ever since my friends and family in LA were ranting and raving about these great food trucks, I've been in awe of the concept in general.  I mean if you ask me, New York has always been known as the city of food trucks - I mean sure you can consider the hot dog and pretzel cart a version of it, but what about the guys pushing falafel and shawarma - they've been there way before the food trucks became the rage.  Also, what about the sandwich and hot food trucks that pull up to construction sites - those roach coaches were jumping from one site to another serving food to those folks.  So why now have they become so popular?

I must say that I watch The Great Food Truck Race like it's my J-O-B and truly believe that if I had been handed down some great recipes that I could have my own food truck.  However, I enjoy eating much more than cooking and pinning down one of the popular food trucks in Chicago has been quite a challenge.  Yes, they've come around my office, but by the time I realize they're there most of the food is gone (womp womp)!  So when I heard that some of Chicago's most popular food trucks (combined with local celebrity chefs including Stephanie Izard from Top Chef) were congregating in one area for Time Out Chicago's Food Truck Social, you bet I dragged Matt to check it out.

I fasted the entire morning knowing that I would want to try a little bit of everything and also planned to get there right when they opened the gates because I know how crazy long those lines can get.  Thankfully I sometimes have the smarts because we got there right at Noon and as we started ordering food, the lines started forming behind us.

We started with the highly talked about Wagyu Wagon.  They had everything from tacos to mac n' cheese with cheetos to kobe beef burgers and as you can assume, everything had some form of the Japanese meat in it (except the mac n' cheese).  Matt went with sloppy joes and I went with a sample taco.  Although it was good - it definitely wasn't my favorite.  I know how good Japanese meat can taste and the strips in the taco were too big that it was a little too chewy.  The flavors were delicious, but I don't think I'll be trying hard to find the truck again in the city.

Next, Matt I took a stroll scoping out the Tamale Spaceship, Haute Sausage and LilliQ's, but what I was dying to try was The Isla Cafe.  Based on all the reviews I had read not only was it delicious food, but it had the most bang for your buck.  The food options were limited with a number of sandwiches, but there were tons of sweets and coffee based drinks that looked divine.  I settled for a tuna sandwich that cost me $4, but could feed 2 people.  Grilled on a panini press the ahi tuna sandwich had a ton of spice and acidity with lime juice, jalepeno, oil and tons of black pepper.  The best thing to balance it out were crunchy onions and lettuce.  I personally don't like mayo, so finding a good tuna salad is hard, but theirs was truly amazing.

Matt decided to settle for a lamb strip sandwich with olive tapenade and sauteed collard greens on a cibatta roll from Hummingbird which he loved. He's not as adventurous as I am when it comes to food so for him to try something new and like it was well worth the trip.

Beyond the 2 items we got, I was too stuffed to proceed with a food crawl, but everything we tasted was good. My verdict on food trucks? I don't love them enough to be following their trail and making a trek to go find them in the city, but if it happens to be parked outside my front door - absolutely it would be my first choice when hungry.

|Are food trucks big in your city? If so, what have been your favorite trucks you've tried?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | summer brights

I can hardly believe how quickly this summer flew by. One day I'm un-packing my favorite summer dresses and the next I'm making sure I wear all my summer gear before the season ends.  So that's exactly what I'm doing - wearing my brightest colors before I transition into deep plum, navy, camel and all those other neutral colors.

Since I always try to re-invent every piece into something I can wear to work, throwing a button down over a strapless dress is the perfect way to make it a little less scandalous. I'm pretty laid back when it comes to my work attire, but other office environments aren't as flexible.  So my rule of thumb is to air on the more conservative side and cover up anything you to have hide - bare backs, cleavage, you get where I'm headed.

 

outfit details | dress - libertine for target (kids) | shirt - ralph lauren | shoes - old navy | scarf - gap | necklace - vintage

|What trends or colors are you trying to wear before it goes out of season?|

beau•ty (byoo-tee) | bessie from bravoe runway

Individual beauty is something that even the most confident person struggles with.  We're so judgmental about our own beauty that sometimes instead of appreciating the features we've been given, we spend too much time wishing we had something else.

I've always admired when bloggers have the courage to open up and share stories about what they're self-conscious about and how they overcame their insecurities about it.  It makes those people more real and I know at least for me, it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only who has felt that way.

Inspired by Marie Claire's monthly feature, "What I love about me", I'd like to introduce my new post series called "Beauty".  Every week, I'll introduce you to a blogger who has been kind enough to share their story about a feature they love now that once brought insecurities and how they learned to love it.  Together, these women will help re-define beauty in their own words and will hopefully help others feel more comfortable in their own skin because each of you are beautiful - you should feel that way everyday! 

With that said, meet my first beauty Bessie from Bravoe Runway.

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“What’s that thing next to your lips?”  If I charged a dollar each time I was asked this question as a kid, I’d be independently wealthy now!  Birthmark, mole, beauty-mark, whatever they called it, it was certainly not from a mess I made with my chocolate cupcake!  Ahhh…..the joys of being a child!   A time when you are inquisitive and want to ask questions about everything without knowing the long term effects!  As I grew older, I had mixed emotions about my birthmark.  Year after year, my mom would ask the pediatrician “Should she keep it or remove it,” as the doc checked to make sure it didn’t turn hazardous. 

My parents always told me that my birthmark gave me character, but why did it have to be so obvious?  I always felt like when kids were talking to me, they were talking to my birthmark, not to me, personally.  Conversely adults at dinner parties would marvel at it and say, “Wow, it’s what makes her face unforgettable!”  Over time, the unforgettable comments overshadowed the forgettable comments, and soon after, I emerged from the shadow of “that thing next to my lips,” what I call my “birthmark!”  However, you may call it anything you’d like, a birthmark, a mole, or a beauty-mark!

life (lahyf) | the scout

Last Thursday a group of us went to The Scout which was hosting Chicago Magazine's last Stella Artois Music Series. Free Stella, free music and all around the corner from home? I wasn't in any position to say no.

The event drew a lot of people into this new South Loop watering hole beyond those that live in the hood.  Obviously the free Stella probably drew in majority of the crowd, but the acoustic performance by Jeffrey David Goldford was pretty decent.  He's very much a mix of James Morrison and Gavin DeGraw - so needless to say he's easy on the lobes.  The only downfall of the event was that eventually their keg ran dry of Stella and that was a clear sign that it was time to go home.

The Scout just opened a few weeks ago, but luckily since it literally is around the corner from where I live, I had a chance to check it out when my out of town friends and I snuck into their private party during Lollapalooza weekend. The Scout is exactly what my neighborhood needed - a nice(r) bar with lots of TVs, great ambiance and decent food that brings people together. We have a few of them right now, but none of this caliber. Although there are many people that live in my neighborhood, the South Loop is very much still "up and coming". There was a real opportunity to open up a place that catered to those that want to watch the Bears game close to Soldier Field, but without having to sacrifice an entire paycheck.  There was a void and The Scout definitely filled it.  Can't wait to get the boys together to watch some sports in our hood...now if only the NBA could get their act together.

|Do you have your own neighborhood watering hole (aka: Cheers) that you frequent?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | trunk club

I love it when Matt decides to listen to me. Especially when it relates to clothes. A few months ago (okay maybe a year ago), I got word that Trunk Club was opening in Chicago. What is Trunk Club you ask? Maybe the most genius thing ever for the fashionably challenged, or plain ol' busy, men of the world. It's a personal shopping service for men (in a nutshell). Not that Matt needs a ton of help in the fashion department, but sometimes he won't listen to me when I tell him to be open minded about certain pieces (ie: cardigan sweaters). This was a great way for him to get suggestions from someone other than me.

So I asked him to schedule an appointment with them and try their services. He met with Molly who helped identify what his "style" is with a style profile. She, as well as another personal shopper, were tasked to select items for him and ship them to our place once they had some things picked out. Well the "trunk" came and even though I knew there wasn't anything in it for me, I was just as excited.

The process is easy. Like something? Keep it (they have your card on file after all). Hate it? Then ship it back, but make sure it's within 10 days of when you received the items. Seems like the model a lot of online retailers are following these days.

So what was in the box you ask? Well first, there was a very nice hand written note from Molly who was personable to the point that she even referenced me in her note, as well as good selection of goodies: 2 pairs of shoes, 6 pairs of pants, 2 t-shirts and 2 sweaters. Brands included were AG, Earnest Sewn, Lacoste and Donald J. Pliner.

The service is genius - especially since some men have a hard time appreciating the quality of "nicer" clothes. I know it took Matt awhile to understand the value of it, but hey he came around eventually. Even if you don't live in Chicago never fear, Trunk Club has an online service where men can fill out their profiles online. Now if only they would read this post and realize that they need a blogger like me to do some work for them (hint. hint.) ;)

|The big question: What's he keeping?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) & life (lahyf) | chicago blogger meet up giveaway

Saturday I had the pleasure of mingling with some new and already existing blogger friends at Deliciously Vintage in Pilsen for the Chicago Blogger Meet Up.  As usual, it was a great time talking shop with people who all have the same interest in fashion/style as I do.  These are real friendships and it's so great to see all of us evolve together in the blogger community.  Also, I'll be honest - I'm really glad I've made friends with people who are much better at taking outfit pics than I am because they let me sneak into their shots and they share their pics with me.  Thanks to Andrea and Lisa for these wonderful pictures - as you can see I spend every minute of my life so seriously. :)

outfit details | shoes & blazer - h&m | shorts - f21 | shirt - zara kids | necklace - melrose flea market | arm candy - michael kors & vintage

The event was sponsored by Deliciously Vintage, Archives Vintage, 1154 Lill, eShakti, Kensie, Payless ShoeSource, Uncommon Goods and Shop Kempt. As part of the event, our WONDERFUL sponsors provided us with amazing goodies for each of us to take home and now YOU you have a chance to win one of your very own!

What's included you ask?

• 1154 LILL Wendy Tote (Reversable)
• Uncommon Goods Face Mug, Guitar String Ring, Bracelet and Fortune Keeper Key Chain
• BRASH makeup from Payless ShoeSource
• Kensie tote and necklace
• And much more!

Interested in getting your shot at one of these bags?  Enter my giveaway!

Here's how to enter:

• Leave me a comment with your email address.
• Extra entries if you like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter or Google Friend Connect (1 entry for each)

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, August 30th. 

Good luck and again THANK YOU to all the wonderful sponsors! 

fit•ness (fit-nis) | pull-ups

Nope not the diapers. Pull-ups as in the activity you dreaded in gym class when you were in grade school.  Friends, meet my worst enemy. So much that I have made it my goal to defeat it. Pull-ups with no weights whatsoever.

Last year Matt bought a pull-up bar for our condo and he makes doing pull-ups look so easy. I can't even do one without having the support of the machine that has weights to lift you up. In fact, a few years ago I couldn't even do that - whenever I used the machine my personal trainer would have to assist me by lifting me up just to make sure I could at least do one. Yeah, talk about fat kid.

So I made a deal with myself. This week, I'm going to work on doing (3) sets of 12 pull-ups with only 40 pounds to lift me up (right now I'm at 60). I'm going to show this pull-up machine who's boss!

|Is there a machine at the gym or exercise you are determine to be better at?  What is your plan to improve?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | suits

A few months ago BRB (Before Re-Brand), I did an an outfit post featuring Matt and got such fun responses that I decided to do it again.  Hopefully he'll let me do it more often, because as much as I'd like to take credit for his style - it's all him.  It was a lot of education and maturing throughout the years, but he's developed an awesome sense of style that compliments mine perfectly - obvi! 

I'm so happy more blogs are surfacing that feature menswear with Plain T-Shirt, The Midwestyle, ChiCityTrends, His & Hers and The Style Social as my new favorites.  Sometimes I think shopping for menswear can be much more fun than women stuff and I absolutely love how guys are able to show their personality with small accessory details like cufflinks, belts, etc. 

|Do you have an interest in seeing more men's outfit posts? Any other male bloggers out there that you can share?|

life (lahyf) & food (food) | a moment of silence

Sometimes life consumes even the best of relationships. Since Matt and I have totally opposite jobs it's that much more important for us to make time for each other. I've mentioned before that we do a date night every weekend, but we also make it a point to try and have dinner together every weeknights. At least the ones where neither of us have after work plans which is roughly at least 2 days out of the week.

What does that mean? A meal with absolutely no distractions. No TV, no cell phones, absolutely no interruptions. It forces us to talk about anything and everything going on in our day. Since we don't spend every waking minute together (nor would we want to), we make it a point to have time set aside for us. So what did we eat as we enjoyed our one meal together this week? A tasty (and easy) pork tenderloin with roasted brussel sprouts.

For the pork tenderloin:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin (butterflied)
• 2 tbsp of dijon
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 1/4 cup of white wine

For the brussel sprouts:

• 1 pound of brussel spouts sliced in quarters
• 4 strips of chopped bacon or pancetta
• 1 tbsp of chopped sage
• 1 sliced white onion
• 1/4 cup of dried cherries
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tbsp of olive oil

Directions for pork tenderloin:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium to high heat.
2. Season pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Rub dijon mustard on seasoned pork.
4. Place pork tenderloin on heated pan.  Cook for 7 minutes on each side and set aside.
5. Reduce pan to medium heat and add white wine, as well as chicken broth.  Simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Slice pork tenderloin and drizzle drippings over pork.

Directions for brussel sprouts:

1. Heat oven at 375 degrees.
2. Mix chopped bacon and white wine in large bowl with 1 tsp of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place on roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes.
4. While onions are roasting mix brussel sprouts and sage.  Season with salt and pepper.
5. When onions are done roasting, add to roasting pan and mix well with onions.
6. Place mixture back in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Add dried cherries and place mixture back in the over for 3 minutes.
8. Serve while hot.

|Do you and your significant other make it a point to have dinner together? What are some things that you do to ensure that you are able to spend quality time with one another?|

life (lahyf) | photography lessons

I made a deal with myself that when I re-branded and re-designed my blog that I would make it a goal to work on my photography skills. So finally (after half a year of having my new camera) I buckled up and signed up for lessons.  My problem is that I always want to know everything the quickest way possible and I realize with photography it's the classic rule of thumb that I need to follow, "Practice makes perfect."  Sadly I'm too impatient to practice and want to be perfect now, but I realize in this case, I should probably listen.  So here are some of the shots that I took over the weekend.  As you can see when the shots progress, the day started off beautiful and our class ended right before the storm was going to hit.

|How did you learn your photography skills? Did someone teach you? Were you self taught?|