Witch or sexy kitten?

(images via Samantha Hahn via Bust Magazine)

Obamarama...

4 more days and I'm nearing an anxiety attack. I received an e-mail from my school this morning announcing that all classes after 3 p.m. will be cancelled on Tuesday. My campus is located blocks from Grant Park where the big Obama shindig will be held. Apparently, my school is worried about safety, which is understandable, but ain't nothin' gonna keep me from that rally!

Chicago is infamous for political and social protests and riots as we all know. Whatever goes down, I want to be a part of history. I will bring my camera and hopefully have good images to share with you all. Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

(photos via Shakesville)

One of those days...

Do you ever have one of those days when the only thing that will cheer you up is a cheesy song? I've been having plenty of those days lately and this song has come to my rescue. Of course, when I looked up a video on youtube, I picked out the most obnoxious one I could find. Enjoy.

I just realized that...

I never shared with you pictures of my first trip to Seattle to visit my sister. Since she didn't have an apartment yet, we stayed downtown. I spared you guys the typical space needle pictures of course.

I just booked my Christmas trip out there so I'm stoked. This will be my first time traveling out of town during the holidays...EVER. So yes, while I am stoked, I'm also a little hesitant and not sure what to expect. This seems to be the year that will redefine traveling madness.

Either way, any stress in my getting there will be pushed aside when I get to wait for Santa in the beautiful pacific northwest rather than gray, blustery Chicago.

On the road...

There are many wonderful resources and features available at my school, but one of my favorites is the Museum of Contemporary Photography, which is right on campus. Right now, the MoCP has an excellent exhibit featuring one of my favorite photographers, Dorothea Lange. She is best known for her photographs taken during the Great Depression. The exhibit also ties in a celebration of Jack Kerouac's novel, On the Road. Can you believe it's been 50 years since the novel was published?

If you happen to be in the Chicagoland area, you should stop by the MoCP and check out this magnificent exhibit. It is definitely one of the most powerful and moving ones I've ever seen.

(Images via the MoCP)

Not suede but definitely blue...

Many bloggers have been singing Anthropologie's praises lately. Can you blame us? Anthropologie can do no wrong. So, in that spirit I've decided to show you my recession proof, highly coveted shoes. Why recession proof, you ask? I'm not really sure why except that if I owned these babies, I'd smile even if our economy is in the dumps. (Image via Anthropologie)

Hairy situation...

I really like this chick's hair. She pulls it off well.

I feel like I haven't posted or made my blog rounds for a while. There is a reason, I just had an extremely rough week and I've pretty much been going through the motions. I'll fill you in on it later. My mini hiatus made me realize how much this blog and the blogosphere really means to me. My little blog makes me happy and so do all of you, my cyber friends.

(photo via The Midwasteland)

Bittersweet lovin'...

Say hello to my new laptop. Isn't she purty? I love her. Unfortunately, I can't shake the feeling that in this moment in time when I should be cutting up all my credit cards and thanking my lucky stars that I'm still employed, I shouldn't have made such a splurge. Of course it's not technically a splurge when my old computer kept freezing up and took at least 12 tries to even boot up. That's justifiable right?

If only...

there had been a McDonald's behind the Bates Motel...

Cyber lovin'...

I think it was about 2 years ago that I began opting for online shopping rather than physical shopping. I got lazy and loved the idea that I could shop while in my underwear.

Once I began following all these wonderful blogs, online shopping became even sweeter. Now I am exposed to homemade, vintage and just plain awesome items. It gives me a warm feeling knowing that my money is going to people out there who are just trying to get by--much like myself. But the best part is the thoughtfulness and elaborate packaging that my purchases always come in or the little extras that are included. For example, I bought this adorable dress from Effie's amazing ebay shop. Isn't she gorgeous? Not only does the dress fit me like a glove but she included cute little treats like the above postcard.

Speaking of which, I've gotten some treasures from Etsy that I'd like to share with you soon.

(photo via the snail and the cyclops)

Dressing up...

Chicago transportation is not only good for people watching, it is also great for meeting fascinating people. A couple of days ago I met Allie at one of my regular bus stops and we made fun of a bus driver who tried to tell us that our regular bus had stopped running. He was wrong--so it was funny. I saw her again this morning and had a delightful but short conversation in which I found out that she is an illustrator.

I checked out her website and fell in love with her work. The beautiful dresses that you see above are her work and I just can't get over the colors and the whimsical shapes and patterns. Isn't she great? I can't wait to see her again and try to coax her into teaching me to draw.

P.S. Check out her blog.

(Images via Allie Tomkie)