My quick trip to visit Lauren was so nice.. A much needed girls’ day!

I rode the South Shore Line to Valpraiso, where Lauren picked me up. I have to say.. The train ride was not bad at all! I was really worried that I’d get lost or miss my stop. But, all the stops were announced and it was only an hour ride… Cheap, too. So that was a big ‘ol plus.

When I got into Valpo, Lauren and I drove into town and she gave me a tour of her new house.  She bought her 1885 farm house in December and has made so many amazing changes! I was in shock. She showed me before and after pictures… It was just unbelievable.  I’m so proud of her!!

After that we walked to downtown Valpo to grab a quick bite to eat. The downtown area has so many cute little cafes and shoppes… Right up my alley.

We had lunch at Blackbird Cafe. I got the  Turkey Avocado panini and Lauren got a Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper sandwich. Everything was so fresh and also organic. Double score.

After lunch, we strolled around the downtown area a little more. And then we found it. My heaven, that is. My cupcake heaven (sorry my stupid finger got in the way in the pic!).

The place was called Designer Desserts and it was really fun on the inside. And, let me tell you…. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many beautiful-looking cupcakes in one place before. They had so many different and unusual flavors. Like, Flying Monkey (chocolate chip and banana), Tiramisu and Peanut Butter and Jelly.  And regardless of the flavor, they all looked so pretty.

I really considered getting two cupcakes, because I couldn’t decide.  I was between Chocolate Hazelnut and Sea Salted Caramel.  But, they were gigantic (we’re talking like 8 helpings worth of cupcake)… so I made a choice.

I got the Chocolate Hazelnut cupcake. And, I have four words for you. Nutella. In. Cupcake. Form. It was so yummy!! It took all my will power, which is not a ton, to not eat it all in one sitting. Oh, and did I mention that although their cupcakes are humongous, they are extremely reasonably priced. We’re talking like $2.50 each. It was a thrifty-cupcake-loving girl’s dream come true.

Afterwards, we had a much needed rant and rave session on life’s “pleasantries”. I.e. bills and all the other fun things our young adult selves deal with.

Later on, we saw a little of this:

Shex-ay. I have always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks’ books and movies… but I really liked this one. It’s definitely a good movie for a girls’ night out. ;)

After the movie, we came back and went to the local watering hole, Pass Times.  It was really cute and quaint.  I had a bowl of their Chicken Enchilada soup (I can never really say no to soup.. maybe a post on that another time).  It was delish.  And then we polished off a couple beers.

It was a perfect day!! I’m only sad it couldn’t have lasted a little longer.  Since living in Chicago, I’ve found myself to be a lot more adventurous and willing to say ‘yes’ to new foods/activities more.  I’m so glad I got to visit a new place!

Today I’m going to visit my good friend from nursing school, Lauren. She lives in Northern Indiana, so I’m taking the South Shore Train. It’s my first time trying to navigate this line, so I’ll let you know how it goes!!

It was a tad bit rainy in Chicago today, but I’m getting really antsy for Spring/Summer weather to finally get here… And that’s why I decided to wear a dress. I’m to the point of extreme stubbornness, and I’m wearing what I want to wear. To hell with the weather.

I’ve got my daily dose of coral on, and I really like the fun texture it adds to the outfit. I’m usually pretty timid when it comes to mixing colors, so the yellow/coral/navy combo was a big deal for me!!

Along with coral, I’m starting to become obsessed with yellow. It’s just so happy and fun!!

I’m still on the cinched-in waist bandwagon, too. Gotta love a skinny-looking waist, right??

The breakdown:

-Striped Yellow Dress, Forever 21
-Coral Scarf, Francesca’s Collections
-Navy Woven Belt, Forever 21
-Rose Gold Stella Watch, Fossil
-Cork and Leather Wedges, DSW

One of the blogs I follow, Jones Design Company, has a “What I Wore” post on Wednesdays…  She posts pictures of all of the outfits she wore in the past week.

While I am definitely not yet at the level where I can come up with lots of creative outfits worthy of posting (for 7 straight days, no less. Give me a break, I wear scrubs 3 days out of the week!)… I kind of like the idea of showing you one at a time.   Plus, it makes me accountable.. and makes me want to try to put something cute together.

So, without further adieu (ignore the finger prints on the mirror – - oops!!)….

 I have really been into cinching in my waist with belts lately… And this top benefited from it, for sure.

I’ve noticed that coral (fave color at the moment) and orange have been everywhere this spring.  I’ve most definitely bought more than enough coral pieces for spring (scarf, top, bracelet)…. and can not wait to wear them!!

It’s kind of in an in-between right now in Chicago.. like in the 40s in the morning and in the 70s by 4 o’clock.  Weird, huh??  So I tried coming up with an outfit that would work throughout the day.

• Cap Sleeve Floral Top – Francesca’s Collections
• Cami – Aerie from American Eagle
• Leather Braided Belt – H&M
• Jeans – Charlotte Russe (kind of embarrassed to say, but so cheap and I wear skinny jeans pretty much every day.. so I go through them fast!)
• Flats – DSW
• Bracelet – Forever  21

Oh! Hands down, it would have to be a scarf.  I have about 20-25 scarves of all different fabrics and colors and lengths.  I absolutely love them, and I really think they can completely update or improve any outfit.

I officially started to shop for Spring today (heck – who cares if it still two months away).. and I already have a few scarves on my “must buy” list.

navy and ivory windowpane scarf from J. Crew – $59.50

blue and white pinstripe scarf from Forever 21 – $9.98

graphic stripe oblong scarf in canary yellow from Express – $34.90

lulu sheer fringe scarf from Nordstrom – $18.00

And because I am always looking for new ways to wear my scarves.. I thought I’d include this really cool video..

25 Ways to Tie a Scarf

How about you?? What’s your go-to accessory??