Mini Windy City Capsule

I have seen capsule closet’s talked about a lot recently and while I have never been tempted to actually convert my closet into one, I wanted to challenge myself with creating a ‘Mini Capsule Wardrobe’ for my trip to Chicago last week. When you take the train to Chicago, you can only bring what you can carry, so I knew I wanted to pack as light as possible, and figured now was the chance to try this.

In case you are unfamiliar with a Capsule closet or wardrobe, it’s essentially a minimalist approach to setting up your closet. There are no set rules, so you are able to customize as it choose, but you basically choose a set number of items (say 30) and only have that many in your closet to choose from when styling yourself every day. Most people change out their capsules every season because of the weather changes.

So here were the rules I determined for myself with this mini capsule challenge:

1. Only pack 5 items to create my outfits with for 3 days, 2 nights.

2. Pajamas don’t count since they are for sleeping (and grabbing donuts in my case haha).

3. Shoes and accessories also don’t count because 5 is a very small number!

4. I allowed myself one light jacket to keep in my suitcase only in case of emergency. I knew that the weather in Chicago this time of year could be very temperamental so the last thing I wanted to do was get too cold and have to buy a jacket. That felt like it was defeating the purpose of the challenge.

Items I chose:

1. Black Levis

2. Black Slip Dress

3. Graphic Tee (bought from my artist friend Jilly Makes

4. Red Blazer

5. Leopard Short-Sleeved Button Down Top

The really cool thing about the items I chose was that 4 out 5 of them were thrifted! I wasn’t planning to do mostly thrifted items, but I ended up loving that I was able to show you how versatile thrifted clothing can really be!

2 Daytime Outfits:

2 Nighttime Outfits:

What I loved about this challenge:

I loved how easy it was to pack for this trip! Since I wanted to make sure that I loved the outfit potential of the pieces together, it forced me to think about it ahead of time. I normally wait until the last second to pack for a trip, so this helped me plan ahead and sped up the process a little. Am I the only one who throws a bunch of stuff in a suitcase when they travel, hoping that they can create an outfit out of it when they get to their destination?

I also loved how easy it was to get dressed during my stay in Chicago. It forced me to be more creative with my outfits overall, but I loved how it took me no longer than a couple of minutes to get dressed every time I wanted to change.

Lastly, I loved how this challenge forced me to play with accessories more. Since I wanted to make each outfit unique, I loved how I was able to transform my vibe with hair clips, scarves, shoes, earrings, etc.

What I hated about this challenge:

The hardest thing for me about this challenge was that I wanted to break free of it the first day! It probably didn’t help that I bought some fun new pieces as soon as I got to Chicago, so I wanted to wear them, but I found myself not being as excited about my outfits. It was fun the first day, but after that, I was wishing I had just one more item to choose from!

I didn’t love that I chose to do the challenge during the unpredictable fall weather. It ended up being really hot the first day and I wish I had had a tank or something to swap out or my tee.

What I learned:

I learned exactly what I thought I would. Capsule closets are not for me. I love getting dressed in the mornings. It’s fun to pair different things together, especially now that I’m doing a lot of thrifting. The challenge was fun in the beginning but as soon as I knew what outfits I could wear, it lost the excitement that I normally have when creating an outfit.

Would I do it again and what would I do differently?

I would totally do this challenge again, but only if it was for another trip or a short period of time at home. I know that I would not enjoy turning my entire closet into a capsule, but I think it’s a fun way to get a little creative on a trip. I just love having options and as long as I’m not buying everything new and contributing too much to fast fashion, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a bigger closet.

If I were to do it again though, I would do it during a season with more consistent weather and I would try 7 or 8 items instead of 5, which is still really good!

Have you ever tried a capsule closet, big or small? What are your thoughts on the matter? Tell me below in the comments.

Have a great day!

Andrea

The One Where We Met Antoni

If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you might not know that last week I traveled to Chicago with one of my very best friends to attend a book signing for Antoni from Queer Eye and….MEET HIM.

YES! I got to meet him, hug him, say hello, sit front row for the event, receive an amazing goodie bag from Williams Sonoma, and got a signed copy of his new cookbook “Antoni In the Kitchen'“. It was an amazing experience and he was exactly as I hoped he’d be in person; funny, passionate, excited, and kind.

I created a little IGTV video that summed up the whole trip here but if you’d like to read a quick summary of our trip, keep on reading!

Day One:

• Took the Amtrak to Union Station. Finished up reading Middlesex, ate yummy banana bread, did my makeup and made friends with a cute little 8 month old and her momma.

• First stop, the Chicago French Market, where we shared a yummy proscuitto sandwich, and then we headed to the Doughnut Vault, where I ate a chocolate glazed doughnut as big as my face.

• Next, up we dropped off our bags at our hotel (Inn of Chicago) and headed out for a little bit of shopping. (Inn of Chicago was a great location, super comfy bed, but that’s about it. The actual room was kind of dirty and I doubt I’d stay there again unless I got a stupidly cheap deal).

• At Gap, Margaret and I both scored some awesome clearance finds, including a leopard print skirt, stripped button-down dress, and tank for me!

• Headed to Eataly to show Margaret my little slice of heaven. Picked up some items for a pre-Antoni charcuterie in bed!

• The ‘Antoni In the Kitchen’ event was next. Amazing. Speechless. I’d do it again in a heartbeat for his next cookbook so GET WRITING Antoni!

• We then headed to the rooftop terrace for a little moment to slow down before bed. We were tired and knew the next day would be busy so we chose to head to bed at 10:30 instead of going out like we had planned.

Day Two:

• We both woke up early at 6 am so we decided to stay in our PJ’s and head to get some donuts and coffee at Stan’s Donuts (one of my faves in Chi).

• Headed back to bed for some reading which was nice.

• Slowly got ready for a day of shopping in Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village.

• Visited Credo Beauty, Aesop, Deciem, Buffalo Exchange, Paperish Mess, Dark Matter Coffee, Peach Fuzz, and Humboldt House. I may have missed a shop or two that we stopped at, but we sure crammed a lot into a short amount of time!

• Next we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and then I got ready to meet one of my college bestie’s Nick for a yummy dinner at Luxbar to celebrate his 30th birthday.

• After dinner, Margaret and I headed to The Darling, an old Speak Easy, for a drink with her friend Olivia, and then we headed over to the Sparrow which felt like we time traveled back to Havana in the past.

• What better way to finish off the day then to spend the night dancing away until 2 in the morning.

• Our alarms woke us at 6 am promptly the next morning to head back on the Amtrack to Michigan, but it was worth the few hours of sleep!

Overall our trip was amazing! We packed so many amazing memories into such a short amount of time! I put together a mini capsule closet for the trip with only 5 clothing items and I’ll be sharing that post soon so stay on the lookout.

Where do you like to visit when you go to Chicago? Tell me below.

Have a beautiful day!

An Afternoon in Chicago

I love Chicago and this past weekend I visited it for some fun with friends who live in the city. I wanted to share my Saturday afternoon activities with you in a post because I highly recommend recreating it yourself! It was the perfect amount of fun, food and relaxation.

I headed into the city from Lansing on the Amtrak. If you’ve never traveled by train and this is an option in your area, I highly recommend it. Mainly because I love having the entire 3.5 to 4 hours to read, watch Netflix, listen to music etc. I love it because you arrive right downtown. It would take me about the same amount of time to drive it but Michigan winters are too unpredictable for me to trust that the roads will be safe and clean to drive on. Plus I hate having to deal with a car in the city. While I arrive Friday, I want to highlight Saturday afternoon because my good friend Nick killed it when it came to planning a run day.

First off, we headed to Bar Pastoral in Lakeview for brunch. It was a cozy space decorated for Christmas and we got to sit in a little bench nook in one of the front windows which is my absolute favorite. When the grapefruit mimosas arrived, I knew we were off to a great start to our day.

We split this beautiful charcuterie board of meats, cheese, spreads, and bread and boy was it delicious! Next door to the restaurant is Pastoral, where you can buy wine, meats, cheeses, spreads and more which was fun to visit after our meal. For my meal I chose the Biscuit BLTA which was divine! It was a turkey, bacon, avocado crema, & tomato sandwich on a biscuit with amazing potatoes on the side. The sriracha mayo that the potatoes came in was unreal too. I was in heaven. (In case you’re wondering “Wait a minute Andrea. I thought you couldn’t eat Gluten…?”, you are not wrong! Haha! I have medicine I can take to be able to tolerate gluten and not get sick, but I only use it in situations like this when I’m not at home and want to enjoy a meal out). Highly suggest having brunch at Bar Pastoral, and I’d even gamble and say their dinners are amazing too! Everything that came to our table was so delicious!

After brunch, we walked down to the grocery store Mariano’s where I got an espresso shot to negate my after-brunch coma I was starting to sink into. The espresso was awesome and my friend Nick mentioned that he prefers their coffee to Starbucks. Once I was refueled we headed over to the wine bar for a glass of wine. They offer a wine of the month and you can get a glass of the special for $3! It was a really delicious Pinot Noir. I wish I had remembered to get the name of the wine, but I completely forgot. Blame the brunch.

Next, we hopped in an Uber and went to a location I had been DREAMING of. Nick just knows me so well and planned for us to head into the amazing Restoration Hardware location in the Gold Coast neighborhood. I cannot even tell you how long I have wanted to go here, so I basically screamed when I found out that’s what we were doing. Walking through the beautifully renovated old building with a glass of wine in hand is a complete experience. There are 5 floors of stunning rooms and it doesn’t feel like a store. I can’t wait to go back in the summer and go out on the rooftop too! I especially loved the atrium in the center that has extremely high ceilings, a beautiful fountain and so much greenery. Next, I think I’l definitely eat a meal at the cafe.

I left Restoration Hardware feeling an immense sense of motivation and inspiration. While I currently can’t afford anything from the showroom, you can’t but help to dream of what the future could look like with hard work and perseverance. I cannot wait to buy something from there some day. I highly recommend visiting a place of inspiration like this because I think it’s important to see goals right before your eyes. It makes anything feel possible and I’m so grateful we went.

Lastly, we walked over to The Goddess and the Grocer where I had a yummy little Italian Sandwich that was super tasty. If you need a quick bite, this is a great little stop on State St.

While this was only a slice of the fun I had in Chicago, I highly recommend checking these places out! The best part was that I honestly didn’t really spend that much money either. What are some of your favorite spots in Chicago? I am always adding to my list for future visits. Comment below and let me know!

Have a wonderful day,

Andrea