Kelly in the City

January 18, 2018 •

Kelly & the Camera

Cashmere Sweater (Also love the J.Crew version.) / Fur Vest (Nearly identical here and here. Similar here, here here and here. And adore this nubby fleece vest.)

For years, I’ve tossed around the idea of creating some sort of photography class or writing an e-guide. I’m far from an expert, and save for that one film photography class I took when I was 12, I’m not “trained” in the traditional sense. But I love it, and it’s a big part of why I started this blog in the first place!

I also miss teaching. I do. While I know I haven’t really delved into the subject since this somewhat heart-wrenching post many years ago, I truly miss the teaching part of teaching, if that makes sense.

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 17, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Emma’s Winter Wardrobe

Fair Isle Crewneck Sweater / Herringbone Leggings / Hunter Boots

Note: Emma wears a giant puffer coat when it’s cold! These photos were taken in under 1.5 minutes right outside our house after we’d been sitting in front of the fire for a little too long. ;)

In October, I shared Emma’s fall wardrobe, so I thought I’d share her winter clothing today! I know, I know. It’s January. I should have done this sooner. But here’s the thing, guys: In Chicago, the winter lasts a long time. It can be “sweater weather” well into May–sometimes even into June. And as you know, the Larkins took on #30daysofplaid this past holiday season, so I only recently ordered Emma non-plaid winter stuff. 😂

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 16, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Valentine’s Day Outfit

Heart Skirt (Also available here on sale! And how cute is this heart-printed nightgown?) / Topcoat (Also available here. Looking for a great camel coat? Try this one, this one or this one. Also really love this unique one!) / Chanel Bag c/o StockX (Read about it here! Similar bags here, here, here and here. And here, haha.) / Black Turtleneck / Hunter Boots and Boot Socks / Black Tights

My parents volunteered to watch Emma so Mitch and I can go out on Valentine’s Day together. While I usually don’t get too excited about February 14th, I’m pumped about this one. First, we’re in desperate need of date nights. Second, we’re going to be in Naples, Florida for it! I envision wearing ❤ the skirt you see in these photos (also here on sale)… with a black tank and sandals. Boots schmoots! Snow schmow! Coat schmoat!

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 15, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

How to be Productive on Mondays

Buffalo Plaid Flannel Shirt (So cozy, and only $29! I’m wearing a size small. Also love this one, this one and this flannel dress.) / Skinny Jeans (Just got ’em! So soft and cozy; they run TTS. I love these jeans, too, and they’re currently on major sale.) / Ralph Lauren Slippers (Adorable, right?! Also love these.)

I really struggle with productivity on Monday mornings. I typically feel so overwhelmed that I find myself just staring at the computer screen, unsure of where to even start. Recently, though, I’ve been taking a couple of minutes on Sunday night to decide on what “task” I’ll tackle first the following morning–and it’s been incredibly helpful! In reality, the to-do list is obviously much longer than that one task, but accomplishing something right away kind of empowers me. (This Monday morning, for example, I’m shooting a freelance project that’s been hanging over my head for a while now, and then I’ll make the bigger to-do list and tackle it.)

A few days ago, I asked how you manage to stay productive on Monday mornings, and I thought it would make for a great blog post. Thank you for weighing in! If you weren’t able to before, and would like to add to the list today, simply add your suggestion in the comment section below and I’ll add it to the list.

But without further ado, here we go:

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 14, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

60-Degree Snow Day

Striped Sweater (30 percent off today with code “STAYCOZY.” Also available here. And I obviously love the J.Crew version because I wear it constantly, haha!) / Jeans (On sale!) / Boots (Also available here and here. And here’s the navy version!) / Canada Goose Jacket (More options here!) / Barbour Hat / Emma’s Whale Sweater (50 percent off with code “WHALE50”) / Emma’s Hunter Boots (Also here.) / Emma’s Puffer / Emma’s Hat / Emma’s Jeans

Mitch here!

I’m a Chicago winter apologist. I prefer to think of this whole thing as a “cold spell” or a “rough go” or whatever. I mean, it’s cold today, but it wasn’t like this when I was a kid. I didn’t wear two coats when I was a kid. No way!

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 13, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Velvet Overalls

Madewell Velvet Overalls (Also available here.) / Striped Turtleneck (Also love this one, on sale with code “STAYCOZY.” This one is great, too.) / Leather Loafers (On sale with code “STAYCOZY.” Also available at Nordstrom. And this awesome pair is on sale with the same code.) / Red Coat (Here on sale.) / Goyard Tote

Work-free weekend, woo!

I’m so excited about today’s festivities. We’re celebrating Mitch’s grandmother’s 90th birthday, and I just adore her. I really wish that she and Grammie lived closer so they could be best friends. (Hi, Gram. Love you so much.) It’s going to be great time, and I truly hope that when I’m 90 years old, I can say I lived the kind of life that Gigi did. One filled with kindness, sincerity and love.

It goes without saying that I’m proud to have married into a family with a matriarch like her. ❤️

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Lincoln Park, Chicago, Outfits, Style, Winter

January 12, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Recent Finds, 1/12

Free People Sweater (Also love this one.) / Jeans (Also adore this pair.) / Tassel Mules (Also here, and super similar here. But this is my current favorite pair of loafers, and they’re on sale with code “STAYCOZY”!) Old Scarf (But love the newer version.) / Faux Leather Tote (Such a steal and so soft! And this my real leather one.) / College Quilt (Crazy!)

You know those weeks when everything is go-go-go? Nothing particularly big happened; it just seemed like we were occupied every moment of the day. (And I can’t even remember what we were occupied with as I type this, haha.) But we somehow managed to keep our heads above water, and today, I’m working hard to wrap up a couple of projects so I can have a true work-free weekend. If I learned anything from 2017, it’s that I need those, and I want to continue striving for balance in 2018.

Plans for the weekend:

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Lincoln Park, Chicago, Recent Finds

January 11, 2018 •

Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago

Four Funny Gym Stories

Lacoste Tennis Dress (Runs small. Wearing a 4 here but wish I’d gone with a 6!) / Navy New Balance Sneakers (Also love these.) / Emma’s Dress (And #omg. Just ordered her this.) / Emma’s Sneakers

Mitch here!

For any of you Mitch post newbies out there, I’d like to mention that I’m a gym rat who knows his way around the old dumbbell benchy thing. And for those of you who are familiar with Mitch posts… 😏

Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago

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Chicago, Family, Guides and Reviews, Health, Kelly in the City, Lifestyle, Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago, Mitch's Posts, Outfits, Style, The City, Winter

January 10, 2018 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

The Loafers You Need This Season

Loafers (Also available here. And here’s the penny loafer style, which is equally as comfy! Also check out Sperry’s version of the loafer, which I might say is even comfier.) / Herringbone Coat (Also available here.) / Tote Bag (I have this one as well, which is real leather.) / Bow-Backed Sweater (I’m wearing the navy version in a size small.) / Rag & Bone Jeans (Just got this pair, btw, and ADORE them. So super soft!)

From our home:

Throw Blanket (Also love this one!) / Couch / Coffee Table / Rug (Old, but this is our dining room rug and I wish so badly I’d gone with that for our living room!) / Mirror

The Madewell Frances Loafer

I put this up on Instagram last night, but this is a public service announcement: these loafers—also available here, and here in the penny loafer version–are the legitimately BEST loafers I’ve ever owned. And that’s saying a lot, considering how many pairs of loafers are in my closet!

Here’s why:

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Kelly in the City, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Outfits, Style, Winter

January 9, 2018 •

Downtown Chicago

25+ Kid-Friendly Indoor Activities for Chicago Winters

One of my biggest resolutions for 2018 was to value my free time and to find more kid-friendly (indoor) activities around Chicago this winter. Last winter, Emma was barely sitting up on her own. This time around, though, we need things to do. Especially considering the subzero temperatures we’ve been graced with since the holidays. There are only so many times you can play house, barista, dress up, and ball in your living room! The goal is to do one awesome activity during the work weeks, and one or two awesome activities during the weekends.

Downtown Chicago

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Baby, Chicago, Downtown Chicago, Family, Guides and Reviews, Kelly in the City, Outfits, Style, The City, Winter

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