Kelly in the City, Author at Kelly in the City

January 25, 2022 •

How I Decorate Our Traditional Shelves

Built-Ins Design: Kira David Design (Chicago/Boston/Rhode Island/Remote Clients) / Spool Chairs / Curtains / Wallpaper in “Cream” / Framed Horse Canvases / Brass Frame / Framed Sailboat Canvas / Faux Trailing Plant / Faux Coral / Brass Dachshund / Brass Crab / Brass Pulls / Picture Frame Light / Frame Television (Read Mitch’s review here.) / Frame TV Art / Built-Ins Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Ivory White #925 (Though I prefer Benjamin Moore Dove Wing for white paint, and White Dove for trim!)

I’ve been really working on our shelf decor. For the longest time, I just threw stuff up there and would hope that it’d work, but things were starting to feel very cluttered. I took everything down after the holidays and thought about which pieces brought me the most joy, and then either found homes elsewhere around the house or donated. The shelves aren’t perfect—for starters, I obviously need to move the mini brass frame on the middle shelf and space out the others 🙈—but I love my little work in progress!

Here’s my approach to decorating shelves:

(Feel free to chime in, though!)

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Home, Kelly in the City, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Little Home in the City

January 25, 2022

New Arrivals This Week

We’re almost a month into the year, deep into the wintery weather, and usually right about now, it can start to feel like you’re losing the motivation to wear anything other than loungewear. Especially if it’s snowing and the temperatures are in the single-digits or negatives. Tomorrow the low in Chicago is supposed to be -6° F which means I will surely be staying inside, haha. But, sometimes, all it takes is a new piece you’re excited about wearing to reinspire you to switch it up from your winter uniform of cozy pullovers and leggings. And it just so happens that there are a few adorable new arrivals this week from J.Crew, Madewell, Tuckernuck, and Nordstrom, so I thought I’d share a couple of my favorites in case you’re looking for a bit of inspiration!

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Kelly in the City, Outfits, Style, Winter

January 24, 2022 •

Downtown Chicago

10+ Things, 1/24

A recent trip to the aquarium! The girls are wearing Fatface dresses and Uggs.

A new week. ☀️ Here are the first 10+ things that come to mind:

Downtown Chicago

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Downtown Chicago, Kelly in the City, Thoughts

January 22, 2022

3 Winter Vacation Outfit Ideas

I know a lot of you are either planning or starting to pack for a winter vacation. Whether you’re getting out of town for a weekend and heading to the mountains or taking a week-long ski trip, I wanted to share a roundup of three winter vacation outfit ideas for every occasion. There is a comfortable and cozy outfit to wear all day, a versatile outfit you can wear on and off the slopes, and a dressier cold weather look for the evening.

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Kelly in the City, Outfits, Style, Winter

January 21, 2022 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Recent Finds, 1/21

Valentine’s Day Pajamas

Aaaand we’re back! I had a work day this week, so I was able to put together some blog posts. Save for two days, we were without school for a solid month, and sitting down at my desk again actually felt really nice. :) A bit of a transition as I’ve essentially been a stay-at-home mom for the last month, but ahhhh. A little alone time. And it was quiet. 😉

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Kelly in the City, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Recent Finds

January 20, 2022

Sales of the Week

Grey Coat / Brown Toggle Coat / Ugg Slipper / Plaid Scarf / Red Crossbody Bag / Cream Turtleneck Sweater / Fleece Hoodie Sweatshirt / Mock Neck Grey Sweater / Perfect Vintage Jean / High-Rise Skinny Jeans / Grey Half Zip Sweater / Stripe Turtleneck / Cream Sweater

Here are the best sales of the week. I’ve gathered some of my favorite finds from my most loved retailers. There’s everything from winter coats, to sweaters, to jeans for $75. If you’re shopping for your kids, J.Crew has a great sale on kids’ clothing so check out this post for some of my favorite winter clothing finds for girls.

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Kelly in the City, Outfits, Sales, Style

January 19, 2022 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Butterfly Museum

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Butterfly Haven

Sorel Boots (Available direct from Sorel, too. Go a half size up. I also ADORE these from Sorel!) / Super Warm Leggings (The BEST.) / Honeycomb Cashmere Sweater (Also love this one and this one.) / Mitch’s Bean Boots, Shirt and Jeans (He also loves this pair.) / Lucy’s Cords (Similar), UGG Boots and Bunny Sweatshirt

It’s that time of year when we’re desperately trying to come up with engaging kids’ activities—both during the weekends and now during school shut-downs. We recently took two-year-old Lucy to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park, and she loved it! While the museum has lots of exhibits, her favorite was the “Butterfly Haven,” where 40 species of exotic butterflies cruise around a 2,700-square-foot greenhouse. If you enjoy visiting Chicago’s conservatories, this is a nice alternative!

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Baby, Chicago, Family, Kelly in the City, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Motherhood, Winter

January 18, 2022 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Ice Skating with Little Kids in Chicago

My Puffer Jacket (If it’s sold out, try the Amazon version! It gets killer reviews!), Jeans, Boots (Available direct from Sorel, too. Go a half size up. I also ADORE these from Sorel!), Hat and Similar Ski Mittens (I pair them with these rechargeable hand warmers, which I couldn’t live without.) / Emma’s Puffer, Snow Pants, Hat, Mittens and Skates / Lucy’s Puffer, Snow Pants, Boots (Also here and here) and Mittens / Mitch’s Bean Boots, Jacket and Jeans (He also loves this pair.)

Our best buds, Peter and Bradley, have an ice skating rink in their housing community’s square here in Lincoln Park. It’s amazing. It’s this little winter wonderland surrounded by city buildings, and it’s truly magical. An escape, if you will!

We’ve had a tough start to 2022 with school shutdowns for both Emma and Lucy as well as the typical freezing temperatures of Chicago Januarys. But we got ourselves over to the rink this past weekend, and some outdoor fun with friends lifted our spirits immediately. (Thank you, Peter and Bradley!)

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Baby, Chicago, Family, Kelly in the City, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Motherhood, Winter

January 18, 2022

Girls’ Winter Clothes

Puffer Jacket / Floral Print Turtleneck Dress / Navy Ribbed Turtleneck Dress / Pink Fleece Sweatshirt Dress / Sherpa Half-Snap Pullover / Knit Mittens / Double Pom Pom Beanie / Pull-On Jeans / Cozy Everyday Leggings / White Ruffle-Neck Longsleeve T-Shirt / Soft Crewneck Sweatshirt / Navy Striped Sweater / Grey Sparkle Sweater

I am very passionate about little girls’ clothing, and Lucy and Emma are equally as into it as I am. It’s just so cute and fun, haha. And since this cold wintery weather isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, I’m sharing some of my favorite girls’ winter clothes we’ve owned and loved and others I have my eye on!

As I’m writing this, J.Crew is having some major sales on kids’ clothing, so I thought I’d mention that if your kids have outgrown their old clothes and you’re in the process of cleaning out their closets and looking to stock up on some great basics.

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Style, Winter

January 14, 2022 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago