CHICAGO CUTIES

Always such a fun time in the Windy City! This trip was extra special because we got to meet up with some bloggers I have admired since the beginning of my blogging journey. My dear friend Michelle, whom I met on Instagram, and I started our trip off with amazing wine and cocktails, yummy bread and olive oil and one of the best things we’ve ever tasted in our lives: Brussels Sprouts Bruschetta at Nico Osteria. After some fun Try-on‘s and purchases at Urban Outfitters and Lululemon, it was time to get ready for dinner.  

BRUSSELS SPROUTS BRUSCHETTA

Funny story here at the Drake, a male concierge walked up to us and said, “there’s a problem and you ladies are in trouble.” We gasped and said, “What did we do?” and he proceeds to say, “Well, there’s a problem when you look this pretty and don’t let me take your picture by the flowers.” Aww!


 We were SO excited to meet up for a wonderful dinner with Jill from Doused in Pink, Laura from I do deClaire and Caroline from The The Petite Fashionista. These are ladies that not only have the sweetest style, but have hearts of gold! So refreshing! In this crazy, competitive blog world with so much untruths on social media, to meet up with ladies who have the same feelings, aspirations and commonalities is comforting and precious! Each of these ladies bring such light to the world. I am so grateful to them and blessed to have an opportunity to meet IRL and cannot wait until our next meeting! If you don't already know them, check out their amazing blogs for true and sweet inspiration!

Precious Jill and I toasting! The cocktails were not only pretty but Yummy!

Look How Sweet These two GEMS are!

You’ve read about my delight in meeting other bloggers, with my trip to Toronto with The Blended Blog, meeting precious Rachel from A Blonde's Moment in Washington DC and of course the bond created with my dearest friends and fabulous bloggers at our NASH BASH last October. These 5 gems are my tribe and I talk almost daily. I honestly don’t know what I did before their friendship. These ladies and I will be meeting again this fall in Austin Texas and I’m so excited!

Something I love so much about all these ladies and the ones we met in Chicago, is that they were exactly like they are on their blogs and in the sweet comments they give and interactions. These ladies are all the type that would not hesitate to help you, support you and lift you up when needed. They just get it and they have so much to offer.
I LOVE THIS Picture!

We had a wonderful meal at RPM Italian and shared all kinds of appetizers and entrées, not to mention some yummy cocktails. The dinner was capped off with miniature sorbet cones that hit the spot after the Italian meal.

The before dinner and after dinner treats were probably my favorite...peppers stuffed with mozzarella, bacon jam biscuits and mini cones.

Aren't they just the cutest little after dinner treats...yummy

Like we've been friends forever!

Despite the rain, all of us except for sweet Jill who had an hour and 20-minute train ride home, headed down the Gilt Bar that Caroline had recommended! 

Isn't Laura just the cutest!

It was such a fun place with a nice dimly lit ambience, and we shared some more laughs and yummy cocktails! Michelle‘s friend since college days, Bri joined us, who also used to be a blogger and she has the most amazing fashion sense! She lives in the Lincoln Park area so it was fun to meet up with her, especially because her and I went to the same high school although you might want to throw in almost 2 decades between us, LOL! 


After Laura and Caroline left, the three of us took a quick set in the bar photo booth and then walked to Portillo‘s for some late night French fries. 

Morning walk and coffee

Michelle (who's birthday happens to be tomorrow) and I had high hopes of getting several outfit pictures but due to the rain only got one set after morning coffee. The rain didn’t damper our fun though and after a little Garrett’s popcorn and Father’s Day shopping, we were ready to head home to our families. So blessed to be able to do things like this and so blessed to spend time with sweet ladies who started out as just a face and script on the Internet but quickly became precious friends! 

Many of you asked for dress details from the dress I wore to dinner. I opted for the red because it looked cuter with a jean jacket over it since it was chilly and rainy.
DRESS HERE & HERE// SHOES HERE // EARRINGS HERE // LEOPARD CUFF HERE

HAVE THE BEST DAY SWEET LOVES!!!


xoxo


45 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! Such a sweet post and meet-up. I would love to join you ladies...here I am inviting myself to see you in Austin. I was going to ask when you coming to Texas anyway. Have a great day, love!

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  2. What a fun night with the ladies! I love Chicago and would love to go back some day. You all are precious and it's so nice when we get to meet our friends IRL! I hope you'll be trying to recreate some of the yummy appetizers you had - if anyone can do it I know it's YOU!!!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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  3. What fun!! It is amazing how close you can feel to people you only know through a screen, I love that you have had the chance to meet so many in person and they are as you would expect! Once Little Dude is a little older, I am totally joining you on one of these trips!

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  4. Oh what a wonderful time you had! Blogging friends are so awesome :-). So glad to call you one of mine

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  5. This outing looks so fun Andrea. The food looks delicious and I can just imagine the giggles, smiles and kind words being tossed around. You are a gem my dear!

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  6. It was such a fun night! The company, the food, everything was wonderful! You are even more sweet in person and I'm so glad we finally got to meet IRL! I'm still bummed I couldn't make it to Gilt but there's always next time!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

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  7. Looks like it was such a great time! That Brussels Sprout Bruschetta looks incredible. This is such a wonderful community that brings women together. I love it! Happy Monday, Andrea!

    xo, Rachel
    A Blonde's Moment

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  8. SO much FUN! I love that you are meeting so many bloggers in real life!

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  9. So fun! Chicago is on my bucket list :) Love that red dress on you and everything looks delish especially that brussel sprout bruschetta!

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  10. That is so fun! Glad you got to meet up!
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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  11. This looks SO fun!! What an amazing time and opportunity to meet some fabulous blog ladies in real life. Isn't it the best when people are exactly the same i person as they seem online? I am not at all surprised to hear that about these women!

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  12. Looks like such a FUN trip! Chicago is one of the cities I'd most love to travel to -- I've never been! Have a great Monday. xo

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  13. Oh my gosh - Caroline was there as well!! How fun!! What a great group of ladies! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  14. What a fun weekend! I'm not familiar with any of these other bloggers so I'll be clicking over to check them out!

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  15. What an amazing time to meet up with everyone like this!! You are special as special comes, Andrea.
    XOXO
    Jodie

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  16. Aww this looks like such a blast. I'm glad you've found so many nice bloggy friends IRL too! You are all gorgeous and that trip looked like so much fun! LOVE that dress on you! RPM sounds amazing, it's on my list!

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  17. What a wonderful trip- so much fun to meet other bloggers! RPM always looks and sounds so amazing, totally need to go there next time we head to Chicago. I just started following Caroline on IG a few weeks ago, she always has the cutest looks- like YOU! Love that you got to do this, xoxo. have a great week!

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  18. So much fun!!! What a great group of ladies! I love Laura and how cool you all got to hang out. Even with the weather being iffy it sounds like you all made the best of it and had a great time. That was so nice that guy offered to take a picture of you in front of those flowers. I probably would have thought I did something wrong, too.

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  19. Your trip looked like so much fun. And all the yummy food!!!!

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  20. Looks like you girls had a fantastic time.

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

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  21. I love how you just take the time to meet up with friends & enjoy the good things in life with one another :)

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  22. What a fun little trip for a meet up! It is so nice to meet up in person with blogger friends! All the food, especially the brussels sprouts bruschetta sounds amazing!

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  23. Oh, what a fun trip!!! It is so wonderful when paths cross and you get to meet some blogger friends you've been following for awhile. I met Jill in 2017 when I ran the Chicago marathon and I would love to meet Laura. I don't know the other two, but will stop by their blogs. All of that food looks AH-mazing!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  24. I'm so glad that you had a wonderful time in the Windy City with those fabulous girls! Memories in the making! Great pictures and great food, too!

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  25. So sorry we weren't in the Windy City at the same time. That sure would have been neat. But, looks like you and your new friends had a wonderful time. One can never have too many friends. They double our joy and divide our grief. Have a good one Andrea!

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  26. That sounds like such a fun time!!

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  27. I love chicago and how fun that you all met up and shared such great memories!

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  28. I'm so very happy I got you meet you in person! It was such a fun night! The food was amazing, but meeting you all was even better! You are even sweeter face to face! Thank you so much for organizing it all and inviting me!

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  29. I could not love this more!! So fun seeing Jill and Laura in there too! It's always such a treat to make real and lasting friendships with other Bloggers. I love following all of these ladies too, so I bet the trip was just so much fun! Now you and I just have to be in the same city together one day too! :)

    Shauna

    www.lipglossandlace.net

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  30. It's always so fun to meet other bloggers. Looks like you had such a fun time with these sweet ladies!

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  31. Oh fantastic! I can be really jealouse of bloggers who meet other bloggers! It s such fun!

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  32. I think it's so wonderful that you got to meet some of your blogging soulmates, Andrea! It certainly sounds like you had the most wonderful time together. I'm off now to have a look at their lovely blogs.
    Huge hugs
    Suzy xx

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  33. I LOVE y'alls picture from dinner. What a fun group of ladies! I'm not sure which I am drooling over more...the bruschetta or your sassy red dress. Can't wait for Austin!!!

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  34. What a FUN trip! Everything you guys did sounds so much fun, and you can totally tell in the pictures how sweet and nice everyone is!

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  35. How fun. Beautiful girls building a beautiful friendship. Lots of cuteness going on here.
    Lisa

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  36. You ladies are so cute! I bet y'all had the best time! Every time you go to Chicago it makes me want to go so bad! I've never been!

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  37. You ladies are all so precious! I've only met a few bloggers in real life, but goodness, it's the best thing ever, isn't it?!

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  38. I loved following along on this trip on your IG! Such a fun girls' trip!!
    Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts

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  39. What a fun trip and a gorgeous group of ladies to share it with! Love the dress you wore and the concierge gentleman played a nice trick on you but became your photographer without having to ask a stranger! lol

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  40. How precious you gals are! I have yet to meet a single blogger in real life. No one blogs near far west Texas!! A bit jealous over here.

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  41. What an incredibly fun time you girls had. I would have loved to meet these girls too. XOXO

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  42. This looks so much fun dear!
    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  43. Looks like you had a wonderful girls trip. I love the look you picked for your trip.

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  44. So cute to see you all together. Lovely outfits and those sandals are perfect! Thanks for adding to the #chicandstylish #linkup Jacqui Mummabstylish

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