This year's birthday was spent quietly with my longtime Chicago friends. We rented the most idyllic cottage on Lake Michigan and did what people who have loved each other for a decade+ do.
I got in a few days early. I, of course, handpicked the cottage because it was gorgeous, all with unbelievable wood paneling and authentic MCM design. I had set up a photo shoot for it months ago and wanted to knock it out before the noise arrived. I had a very specific aesthetic in mind for the images so I began slowly collecting the wardrobe a while back. Now that I've seen the proofs, I can confidently say, its one of my best curated editorials. It looks in reality exactly how I saw it in my head! I can't wait to show you the final edits...









When the time came, we took an insanely pricey Uber over state lines back to the city. (If you are new here, a common theme of this blog is me promising to learn how to drive and never following through. This installment will be no different.) Chicago will always be one of the greatest loves of my life. I caught the buzz of my favorite city as I slinked across a few of my regular haunts in South Loop with some familiar dates. We picked up right where we left off. Distance doesn't matter, its just like that when you connect with someone.
Easily my favorite part of the trip was the night that two of my closest girlfriends coordinated an elaborate itinerary to dress up and go out to celebrate my big day. At the last second, we opted to ignore said plans as well as our phones (other than a few birthday Luxylist notifications, thank you ♥️). We sank deep into a giant cloud couch in our yoga pants and had delivered the most BBQ you've ever seen three girls consume. They sang me Happy Birthday with sauce-covered fingers over my piece of cornbread with a little pink candle stuck in it.
I am very loved. What more could a girl ask for?