SLEEVELESS IN CHICAGO

It was almost too good to be true!  Sleeveless in Chicago became the theme this past Saturday as temperatures soared past the 60s and into the 70s.  The city was alive and people were out and about soaking up some much needed sun and fun.  I was no exception.  I was all too happy to get out of the house and stroll around Oak Street.  And who better to roam the streets with than my second fave photog (first is the hubs duh), Chris Kim (aka Tum Tum)  We had ourselves quite a fun morning.  I am undertaking in a fun project with him and the glam squad Izha and Ann, which involved me pulling some amazing gowns from Ultimate Bride.  I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Tulle, ruffles, satin, lace, sparkles, beading... oh my.  I am so excited for this shoot because I get to play stylist a little bit and drape some exquisite dresses on gorgeous models.  Not going to lie, I'm probably going to sneak into this Jenny Packham gown that makes me swoon every time I see it.  I wish I had some sort of fancy ball to go to so I can wear it.  I can't wait to show you guys the images from the shoot!  Definitely going to blog it so be excited!

I had so much fun shooting outside with Tum Tum this day.  It worked out so well because I really wanted to show you guys this outfit.  I am obsessed with sleeveless trenches right now.  It's so rare that it makes sense here in Chicago but Saturday was perfect!  Nothing feels cooler than having a sleeveless trench on you on a slightly windy day and feeling the panels flap around as you walk.  And by walk, I mean STRUT, because trust me, it makes you want to STRUT YO STUFF!  It's so easy to throw on and can completely dress up a simple tank and track pant style denim outfit.  Which, by the way, is the other thing I am obsessed with.  These pants which have a jean feel and look, but the material is so light weight and soft.  I could wear these every day!  I love how comfortable they are and the elastic on the bottom keeps the hem in place so you can move it up or down as you please.  They can be dressed down with sneakers or dressed up with pumps.  I am so obsessed with them that I bought a second pair in a different color.  Hehehe.  I love pieces that require very little thought but are still stylish and can go with lots of different looks.  I hope you guys enjoy the look and the photos!  Thanks again to Tums for the shots.  It was fun actually having some direction and feedback during these blog shoots.  Let's do it again soon!  Hehehe...

//  top - vince  //  jacket - h&m  //  jeans - rag & bone  //  bag - chloe marcie large  //  shoes - christian louboutin so kate  //  sunnies - prada  //  bracelets - edith hart  //   necklaces - maya brenner, the JASA necklace  //

//  photography by Chris Kim Photography  //

xoxo,

DOS

FUZZY WUZZY

Hey there you pretty popsicles!  First of all Happy Chinese New Year!  I'm half Chinese so it half matters and I'll use any excuse to celebrate anything.  I have a feeling the Year of the Horse will be a good one.  This feeling comes purely from my weird love of horses.  Actually not accurate, I love horse MOVIES.  Don't really know how I feel about them in real life.  But I have this odd fascination with horse movies.  I friggin' looooooooove them.  War Horse, Black Beauty, Secretariat, Sea Biscuit, all the feels.  Even the cartoon ones!  So yea, really good feeling about this year.  Although this freezing weather is trying to cramp my style and the year is off to a cold start, I still have hope.  It seems like Chicago is saying "Oh I gave it to you mild for the past couple years so this year I'm going to freeze you to death."   This post is my first photoset that was actually taken in 2014.  Hahaha.  Yes I've been cheating and trying to post old photos from warmer days.  I gotta say, I admire anyone trying to look fabulous in this weather.  Shit ain't easy!  Even these photos are a damn lie.  I wanted to die the whole time.  Freezing negative winds slapping me all the which ways and trying to maintain a smile while knowing my ears are about to pop off my head and I'm tearing like a mofo behind my shades.  Also nose drippage that cannot be controlled and the fact that it is just painful to try to breathe outside.  Though this coat is definitely warm, there is only one thing to say, it sure as FRACK does not cover my entire body.  Mucho props to my fellow Chi-town blogger betches who can hold that smile and look oober cute and fashionable in this cold.  For me, this was my first attempt and I don't know if I can pull it off again.  So if you see me trolling the streets, I will be wrapped in the frumpiest coat, with my scarf wrapped around my head, my crazy fluffy earmuffs, my hood up and tied over my mouth and possibly my snowboarding goggles.  But know this, what I'm wearing underneath is CUTE AS SHIT!

As you can see, it was cold for the hubster as well.  He's such a trooper for even attempting to take these photos that day.  I'm sure he was shivering the whole time thus causing primarily blurry shots.  LOL.  Thanks baby!  I should probably also talk about what I'm wearing tho.  I absolutely love this coat.  I got it on sale last winter (woohoo!) and I had to get it taken in since I was swimming in all the fabric.  I looked like one furry box shaped idiot.  Just goes to show what perfect tailoring does.  The coat grabs a lot of attention and I had a lot of gals asking me about it that day.  The sunnies are also one of my faves and sadly enough they are not mine.  The hubster bought them when we were in Miami and I have been semi stealing them here and there.  One other must have item that I'm wearing, besides my Bleutigona baby DUH, is the Vince tank that you can't even really see.  I am obsessypoo over these tanks!  I went to the Vince outlet store at Fashion Outlets of Chicago (winning!) and snagged every color available in my size.  They are incredibly soft and as the day goes on, the fabric starts to stretch out but in a way that I like.  It starts to slouch and hang a little which works amazing with a pair of boyfriend jeans.  So it's really like two tanks in one.  Then once you wash it and dry it, it bounces back to the original size.  Did that at all make any sense?  Definitely recommend this tank!  MK Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Coat - BSABLE  |  Jeans - J Brand Love Story  |  Bag - Givenchy Antigona  |  Sweater - Vince  |  Tank - Vince  |  Sunnies - Ray Ban

xoxo,

DOS

A SLICE OF HEAVEN AT BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY

And sooooo.... After a successful hearty brunch at Dotties and a less successful dump (=x) we all hopped in the car for the short hour or so car ride into Sonoma.  The road trip was like traveling into another world as the landscape after the Golden Gate Bridge started to unfold.  We started to see miles of open space, some roaming cattle, smaller country roads, majestic hawks soaring the sky, and then finally, rows and rows of grape vines and rolling hills. It took my breath away as I thought that this must be a small slice of heaven. 

We checked into the house I had rented for a week and quickly settled our things and got ready to head out to our very first wine tour at Benziger Family Winery.   The minute we turned into the small uphill road which marked the entrance to the gigantic estate, our minds got blown away.  The road was lined with trees which seemed to hide a beautiful secret because it opened up into acres and acres of vines and nature that renders you speechless.  We ran a little late due to some crazy construction so we had to scramble to meet up our tour group.

At Benziger, there are two tour options.  We opted for the semi private Partners Tour, which I recommend to anyone who has never done a wine tour before.  Not only did they drive us around the grounds of the winery, but we also got to explore the caves that house what seemed like never ending lines of barrels.  Our tour guide taught us a ton about the barrels and the importance of the different woods and "roasts" of the wood and how it can result in various tastes within the wine.  We walked further into the caves and next came the best part. The DRAAAANKS!   Hashtag nommanomnomnomma.

Inside this quaint room, the table is set up with wine glasses and various wine bottles. The room is so adorable that you forget that you are deep within a mountain and beyond the glass doors it's about a 10 minute walk to get out and at any moment there could be a small quake and the walls could cave in and you would be trapped. But hey, you gots tons o' wine so you'd probably be the happiest trapped person evz!  Our guide took us through a variety of their wine offerings, the best being the Pinot Noir.  He took us through the various taste profiles and how to do that swirl and sniff thing and to pay attention to where the flavors hit on the different areas on your tongue.  Basically telling me that I've never been truly tasting my wines.  He also let us taste the difference between wine after its been bottled and one straight from the barrel.  After getting good and toasted, we left the caves and were driven to the public tasting rooms where we had even more wine!  Score!!  At this point you can choose to join their wine club and/or purchase bottles of wine.  If you plan to bring it back home in your checked luggage, I suggest you get the bubble wrap wine bag they offer (because Southwest will make you buy one anyway at the airport).  Apparently my 6 layers of sweaters and plastic bags and scarves around my one bottle was not good enough. 

After the tour and after acquiring a hefty buzz, we decided to stick around and explore on our own. We tried to invite ourselves to a wedding rehearsal dinner that we stumbled on at a different cave entrance. We failed. We explored their little information area that talks about their organic and closed system for the winery. They even have their own livestock that provides the poo-age for their fertilizers. They apparently have their own water source and to ensure that Benziger controls pretty much every natural aspect that goes into their grapes that they can.  I find that very cool.  Overall, it was a fantastic way to start our Sonoma visit.  Benziger also has a fig balsamic vinaigrette that will rock your socks!  I suggest you take a bottle home for the best damn caprese salad EVER!

Vow renewal location for us?  Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

We may or may not have hopped a small little fence to get this close.  Thanks for your poo big guy.  It makes good wine.

Beanie - H&M  |  Kimono - Aritzia  |  Shorts - (Old)  |  Tank - Vince  |  Sunnies - Givenchy  |  Shoes - Converse  |  Accessories - Stella and Dot, Vita Fede, Hermes, Nasty Gal

xoxo,
DOS

OUT AND ABOUT

So, I've kind of been fluttering around Chicago lately.  Going out on weekdays and paying the price at work the next morning.  But it's been totes worth it.  Here are some photos from my random adventures lately.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you have probably seen most of these.  Hehehe.  The first set is from Cheeky Chicago's 4th Birthay Bash at the Four Seasons.  This was such a fun party.  The champagne was flowing which Sue definitely got excited about.  She loves her some champagne.  The ballroom at the Four Seasons was amazing and was transformed into four seasons of awesomeness.  Each corner of the ballroom was themed after a season.  My favorite was obvi Fall because Edith Hart was stationed there.  Hehehe.  Complete with props for a photo shoot, LC, Sue and I decked ourselves out with some C/Fan fur.  I cannot wait to wear this hat out during boarding season.  It's so perfectly warm and soft.  I am the biggest baby when I'm cold so any thing to combat that, I am all over it.

With the lovely Morgan, owner of Edith Hart.  Here she is forcing me to get this Helena Quinn coat.  And by forcing me, I mean she just held it out for me to try on.  As soon as it slipped over my shoulders, I was in love.

Here's my full outfit for that night.  Top - NastyGal  |  Pants - NastyGal  |  Shoes - Miu Miu  |  Bag - BCBG

This night was to celebrate Edith Hart's One Year Birthday!  But before I headed out the door, I had to take a snap of my new favorite shoes.  I love this mens inspired metal cap toe shoe.  They are so friggin' comfortable!  Get yours now!  (Here!)

Since I wasn't able to purchase the coat at the Cheeky party, I snagged it at the Edith Hart store.  Obsessed!  Thanks to Glossed and Found for the photo op.

Coat - Helena Quinn  |  Top - Vince  |  Jeans - Paige Denim  |  Shoes - Burberry  |  Bag (below) - Givenchy  |  Jacket (below) - Rick Owens (similar)

I especially had fun seeing my darling Youna.  She is rocking some fancy new bling on a very special finger.  Congrats love!  So happy for you guys!

This past Saturday night, the hubster and I went out for a very special occasion.  Our friends C + E were celebrating their 5 year anniversary.  =)  Shout out to one fab couple!

My bathroom is a hot mess every time I get ready.  Probably because I jam out to some wicked tunes whilst downing some good ol' vino and just leave my 'get glam' gear sprawled out everywhere.  Hehehe  =)

Me with my sexy photog at Union Sushi.  Rawr!

Dress - ASOS  |  Shoes - Miu Miu

xoxo,

DOS