{Five} of Our Favorite Things

It's been a great week here in Chicago.  We've had absolutely perfect weather and spent one of those beautiful days celebrating the {His'} birthday with friends... celebrating in a very {His} way, I might add {you'll learn how below}.  We're looking forward to a brief escape from the city this weekend, as we head down to Ohio for my cousin's wedding.  Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!  We'll see you back here on Monday.  Until then, here's just {five} of our favorite things from this past week...

{ an amazing birthday celebration for the {His} organized by a few of our amazing friends ~ a Chicago Beer & Wing Crawl!! } 

 { a wing crawl complete with scorecards and all, so we could rank our favorite wing-a-ding-dings }

{ a new pair of Urban Explorers to feed the {His'} recent Dockers obsession }

{ a few fun knickknacks around our apartment ~ like this beautiful vintage camera... } 

{ ...and this adorable pumpkin ~ Boo!! }

Hers - Cat Suit

One trend I truly can't get enough of this season is leather {be it real or faux}.  I love the option of just incorporating a touch, like in an accessory or accent detail, or going all in by donning leather-effect T's, pants, or leggings.  So when I saw these knit and faux-leather ponte pants, I couldn't resist adding them to my fall wardrobe rotation.  They provide that perfect punch of trend at a fraction of the cost.  I stumble upon mine at Forever 21, but {these} are a near replica that I also adore.  I've been living in my leathered legs recently, so don't be surprised if they make frequent appearances this season. 

{ Hers }

Sunglasses: Kate Spade {similar style available here}

Sweater: H&M {similar style available here}

Layering Tee: Gap {available here}

Necklace: by The Glamourai's Kelly Framel 

Pants: Forever 21 {similar style available here}

Clutch: Marc by Marc Jacobs {also love this}

Rings: Catbird NYC {similar style available here}

Shoes: Sam Edelman {also love these}

His & Hers Picks - Cozy Knits

We quickly jumped from summer to fall this year, with not much of a temperature shift from hot to cool.  For that reason, we've found ourselves suddenly dreaming of cozy knits. It may seem a little early in the season, but they're a must these days in order to stay warm in the early morning and evening chill.  Here's a couple of our latest favorite cozy-looking knits that we'd love to wrap ourselves in these days... 

{ His }

Oliver Spencer Bloomsbury Cardigan, $330 {available here & here} 

{ Hers }

Vince Cowl Horizontal Rib Sweater, $320 {available here & here}

His - Wing Crawl Wear

The {His'} birthday was yesterday ~ Happy Birthday, honey!!  In celebration, a couple of our amazing friends planned a very unique {and very Eric} birthday extravaganza this past weekend ~ a Chicago Wing Crawl.  Yep, that's right... a Wing Crawl!!  Our dear friends thoughtfully researched and planned a list of the top Chicago wing joints for us to hit on an afternoon crawl, even creating score cards for us to rate each spot along the way.  Eric totally loved it!!  And I thought it was such a fun way to celebrate in a quirky way with friends.  I'll share some snaps I captured in Friday's {Five} Favorite Things.  In the meantime, here's what the {His} sported for this very special Chicago Wing Crawlin' b-day...

{ His }

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban {available here}

Jacket: Paul Smith {similar style available here}

Shirt: Gitman Bros. {similar style available here}

Jeans: Edwin {available here}

Boots: Hush Puppies {similar style available here}

Laces: J. Crew {available here}

His & Hers Inspiration - Kimiko Yoshida

I was recently introduced to the work of Kimiko Yoshida, a Japanese photographer famous for her haunting and extravagantly beautiful self-portraits.  Her work is so striking and visually inspiring.  I had to share a handful of my favorites.  Perhaps this will give you some early costume inspiration for the upcoming All Hallow's Eve.

{ images from across the interwebs }

{Five} of Our Favorite Things

As predicted, September is completely flying right before our eyes!!  With so much going on in our lives these days, in addition to several extra special celebrations this month {two weddings, family visits, our wedding anniversary, and the {His'} birthday}, it's no wonder September reached it's midpoint in the blink of an eye.  This is why I love capturing our {Five} Favorite Things each week.  In a way, it's my daily reminder of Ferris Bueller's infamous quote: "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."  In spite of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, don't forget to stop and look around once in awhile.  Take a moment to capture something little that made your day a little brighter.  Here's just {five} of those little moments for us from this past week...

{ Metra-ing out to the burbs last Saturday for a lovely wedding and weekend with my family }

{ photo-booth fun with my adorable parents at a friend's wedding last Saturday evening } 

{ a {His} fall fave ~ football + beer + pretzels & cheese } 

{ first pumpkin sighting of the season } 

{ a wonderful wedding anniversary celebration at the delicious Balena }

His & Hers - Book of Love

Today marks three years of marriage to my beloved {His}.  Three years... it's hard to believe how quickly the time continues to come and go.  On this special day, I could think of no better way to commemorate our happily ever after than by sharing a sweet song that's very dear to us.  Our wedding song... 

We adore Peter Gabriel's beautiful rendition of the "Book Of Love."  We stumbled upon it not long before our wedding day and instantly knew it had to be our first dance.  This song will forever hold a very special place in our hearts.  

{ a capture from above during our first dance the evening of 9.19.09 }

His & Hers Inspiration - A Tale of Times

I recently stumbled upon this collection of photographs entitled "A Tale of Times" by Peter Lindbergh for the understated Swedish clothing designer J. Lindeberg.  I loved the cinematic quality and beautiful simplicity of the overall approach.  The photos and clothing designs have a timeless feel, as though they could have been captured decades ago or just this month.  A classy approach for a classic line. 

{ Peter Lindbergh for J. Lindeberg Fall 2012 in Times Square via Fashion Gone Rogue }

{Five} of Our Favorite Things

Hello friends!!  Happy Saturday!!  We hope your weekend is off to a great start.  I'm super excited to be Metra-ing out to the burbs this morning to meet my family and attend a friend's wedding later this afternoon.  Weddings, of course, are always a joyous occasion, but I'm mostly excited to be spending the next couple days with loved ones.  The {His} has also fled the city for a quick weekend trip to his undergrad alma mater for their annual baseball alumni reunion.  He so looks forward to this every year ~ a chance to reunite and catch-up with old baseball buddies.  Lots of fun to be had this weekend!!  Here's to a great one and just {five} of our favorite little things from this past week...

{ first signs of fall ~ bits of turning leaves, rainy mornings, and boots } 

{ cocktails with friends on the lovely ivy covered patio at Rocks } 

{ the {His'} video chat study groups with buddies from his MBA program }

{ giving this pretty little lady a fresh cut and pop of pink at lip ~ hello gorgeous!! }

{ more signs of fall ~ 1 pump of Pumpkin Spice in my latte }

Hers - Getting By

Our poor camera had a bit of a mishap this week... as the {His} has been saying, it's recovering from an early season fumble... sooo, while our point-and-shoot's at the "doctor" and on the mend, we're improvising with our iPhones.  Unfortunately, the early evening dusk wasn't working in our favor with the iPhone captures below, but despite the graininess, I think you still get the point.  Black on black popped with interesting details ~ like layered necklaces, touches of leather, and lightweight jackets.  These are the types of outfits I live in these days. 

{ Hers }

Jacket: H&M {similar style available here}

Leather Trim Tee: Asos {similar style available here}

Necklaces: mix of vintage pieces

Pants: Blank NYC {available here}

Platform Wedges: Forever 21 {similar style available here}

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs {similar style available here}

Her Pick - Aubergine Dream

Intense, wine colored hues like aubergine, burgundy, and oxblood are a big trend for fall.  I love the deep, rich warmth of these colors, particularly for the fall/winter season, and the idea of seamlessly mixing them into your wardrobe through accessories, such as a great bag.  There's no easier way to add a punch of one of these trendy, wino hues to your everyday look.  I, of course, instantly fell for the gorgeous, aubergine Phillip Lim satchel pictured below when I saw it over on {this} pretty little lady's blog.  Truth be told, it's a little {or a lot} out of my price range at the moment.  But, one of the best things about trends is there's never a shortage of less expensive options!!  So, here's my aubergine dream in {splurge} and {steal} version...

{ Splurge }

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel, $895 {available here}

{ Steal }

Pour la Victoire "Prado" Tote, on sale for $197 {available here}

His - Docker Love

You may have noticed the {His} has been living in his Dockers Alpha Khakis recently {as seen here, here, and here}.  All it took was one wear for those pants to become a {His} favorite.  So when he recently came across Dockers slim fitting Scout Cargos, he just couldn't resist.  With an authentic feel, minus the bulk, these cargos are already proving to be a {His} fall staple.  I think you'll be seeing lots of these bad boys this season. 

{ His }

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban {available here}

Shirt: Gitman Vintage {similar style available here}

Watch: Bell & Ross {similar style available here}

Cargos: Dockers Scout Cargos {available here}

Boots: Timberland for Rag & Bone {similar style available here}