Baby Blue and Off to Chicago

Purse // Coat (old Zara) // White blouse // Heels // Scarf // Jeans

I'm headed home to Chicago in the morning and I'm so excited to see everyone and everything I've been missing since I left. Most of that includes people and some of it obviously includes food. As soon as I arrive,  I'll be meeting my family at our favorite restaurant, Greek Islands, in my old neighborhood of Greek Town.

  Make sure you follow along on Snapchat to see all the places I squeeze into my 4 day trip. 

See you soon, Chicago!

xoxo

How to Not Wear a Coat

Vest // Skirt // Tee // Purse // Scarf // Booties (similar)

Sometimes, despite the large amount of coats I own, I don't want to wear one. You know the times when you know you're going to be inside for more time than you will be outside. When it's cold but not freezing, I like to layer up so that I can remove my layers or just snuggle up inside them without looking like a shapeless sack.

The blanket scarf is genious for these situations. Layer over a vest and long sleeve tee and you practically have a portable blanket situation on your hands at any time. 

My Favorite Karen Walker Sunglasses

Purse // Jeans // Jacket (cute versions on sale here and here// Top // Sunglasses (free month with code HOTPINKSTYLE)// Booties (old, but similar here)

In case you haven't been able to tell I'm pretty obsessed with these Karen Walker "Sunburst" sunglasses! They are just so cool and make a huge statement with an otherwise casual outfit. They are on loan from Ditto, a monthly designer sunglasses rental site, but instead of keeping them for a month and swapping them for new ones, I've had them for like 6! I can't send them back!

If you would like to start your own weirdly long obsessive relationship with a pair of sunglasses too, use my code HOTPINKSTYLE for a free month!

Fun Things to do in a Cave!!

A few weekends ago Andrew surprised me with on of his fun outdoor adventure ideas. This time it was driving up to the Park City to the Homestead Crater to do Stand-up paddle board yoga in a geothermal spring! Pretty good surprise, huh? 

This ominous door was the entrance to the cave. 

When we walked in we found people swimming in the cave. Apparently there is a hotel across the parking lot that offers time in the crater as part of the hotel stay, much like most hotels have pool access. This one was just a little cooler though!

I didn't really know what to wear so I went with more Yoga attire than swim. I could have probably worn a swim suit but I just wore Zella capris and a Athleta tank. Of course layers on top for when we got out. The water may have been super warm but it wasn't outside.

This is what you see when you look up. Apparently this used to be the only way to get in. I'm glad they created the walkway, otherwise I don't think I would have ever made it into the cave to do the yoga.

It's kind of creepy inside but also really peaceful and serene. 

As for the yoga, It was harder than I expected. I'm not the biggest fan of deep water and when I found it was like 60ft deep below me, I got a little freaked out. It makes being bold on that wiggly board all that much harder. Andrew was killin' it though. 

Overall it was a super cool experience. I'm happy I got to try it even if I kind of sucked at it. If you are ever up in Park City skiing and are looking for a new adventure, you'll have to try this out. 

Casual Poncho

Poncho: Target // Jeans: Zara // Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar) // Heels: Zara // Hat: Sole Society // Bag: Kate Spade

This poncho was a great Target find. It's perfect for teaching when I want to look stylish but also feel cozy as can be. I wore it a few days ago with a blanket scarf over it for a poncho on poncho look that somehow wasn't overkill! I normally wear it with a plain black long sleeve fitted tee underneath it when it's colder, but lets hope that isn't necessary any longer!

Photos by Ashley of Sed Bona

Last Stop

Jacket: J. Crew // Dress: Trina Turk // Purse: Rebecca Minkoff  "Mini MAB Tote" // Sunglasses: Karen Walker "Sunburst" // Lips: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm stick #240 // Heels: Zara (very similar here) // Necklace: JewelryBlues on Etsy

This coat is pretty much my favorite purchase ever.  I could be wearing sweatpants and an old tee shirt underneath it and would still get compliments. Now that's a statement coat! I love this J. Crew Cocoon coat so much I had to buy it in the pale ginger shade too. When you find something this good and on sale, you don't pass it up. I always recommend buying your coats in the most fun colors possible, that way you stand out in a sea of basic black coats.

If you live in Chicago, you may be wondering how I can be in Salt Lake City and have outfit pics in front of this Chicago wall. Well, these are from my very last photo shoot in Chicago. I took them with one of my very best blogger buddies, Ashley. She proposed we take pictures anywhere I was dying to before I left and I had envisioned this Trina Turk dress and yellow coat here. Don't they all just go together perfectly.

I'm so excited to be going back to Chicago at the end of the month! I'll be there mostly to see my family and visit my old students but I'm also squeezing in a day to hang with some blogger buddies and do some shopping (of course) at places we don't have here. You better believe I'll be visiting Aritzia, Zara and Uniqlo. I also want to stop at the Michigan Ave. H&M to pick up some of my favorite bath and body products. They are one of the few locations that offer beauty and home products.

Have a great Monday!