#BCSummerRoadtrip {win 6 pairs of shoes oh my!}

Can you believe it's June already? Time is literally SOARING by and just like that we'll be waving goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015. But before you break out the campaign, how about me make the most of the now and enjoy the summer that is before us? I am jazzed that BC Footwear asked me to be the Chicago rep for the #BCSummerRoadtrip. They sent me these ADORABLE (vegan!) off the cuff flatforms that made me feel like a total betty somewhere between rockabilly and Rihanna. Either way I'm dancing to Rude Boy. To be honest I think I channeled both ideals with the black and white crop top and overalls. I wanted to be playful but still blarghful. That's a word now. Deal with it.


Oh and good news! With BC I am giving away 6 pairs of shoes to one lucky reader. Just a way of saying thanks for being so awesome and following this blog all these years. Plus 6 is my favorite number so it can't get much better than that!

But before we get to giveaways I wanted to chit chat about some favorite places in Chicago. For those of us in the Midwest, sometimes Cali can be too far and NYC can be too $$ why no hop in your cars and see the city that is really second to none! Versus getting stuck on the mag mile, try these things instead:

GO: Wicker Park.


If you're a cool kid you might have heard this neighborhood mentioned to you. but it is merely a 15 min train ride from the loop! There's lots to shop, lots to eat, plenty of dusen dusen to make any girl smile! Some people call it Brooklyn jr, I like to refer to it as the neighborhood High Fidelity took place.



EAT: Tacos. Yes TACOS
If you like the idea of eating outside while sharing a beer late into the wee hours of the morning then Big Star is your place. If you love vintage, are a foodie, and drinking margaritas with a paper straw is your jam then head over to Antique Taco. Just don't forget to top it off with a doughnut at one of Wicker Park's many fried bread establishments (Glazed & Infused, Stan's Donuts)

SHOP:
Wicker Park is a tumblr girls dream. From Vintage, to zines, to tchotchke deers from 1963. You reblogged it we got. For cutest stationary and vintage ninja turtle patches head over to Rudy's Roundup. Want zines and foreign magazines? Shake your groove thang over to Quimby's. Looking for vintage? A stroll down Milwaukee Ave will have you stopping every couple of feet, there's literally shop after shop of vintage wonders!

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Now for the fun part. GIVEAWAY TIMEZZZZ!!! I made it super simple, all you got to do is use your facebook to log on to this form below. It's that easy! You got a week to enter, and the BC will compile all the entries from all the other cool cats and pick one winner! US Residents Only. You can follow along on the BC Summer Roadtrip Blog. Remeber to check out BC on Twitter and Facebook! PLUS you can shop BC at Bazar in Chicago! And keep up with all my Avant Adventures on Tumblr and Instagram! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sometimes in the Fall

cowboy shirt: city song vintage
parka: thrifted/similar
skinny skinny ankle high risers: madewell
loafers: thrifted/similar
glasses: warby parker

Another lovely shoot c/o my man my moon. I love being home, I truly appreciate it more now that I live in New York. Maybe I'll come back...ha. Maybe.

The fall leaves are so romantic aren't they? I love discovering new places to shoot along the lake! Looking at the photos make me dread my hair cut, but in a few weeks I'm sure I'll love my hair again. Until then I will remain in hiding!! I got this shirt from my friend artist Danny Brito, who runs City Song Vintage. Bought it during my Johnny Cash obsession and haven't worn it until now. I always felt like I couldn't pull it off, but suddenly it felt like me! I always try to give clothing a chance before I'm like "this has got to go" you never know, sometimes you fall in love with a piece you didn't expect to...

I am a vampire

cozy coat: vintage (found in Michigan!) similar x & x
new yorker comic book face shirt: vintage, similar x & x
high waist mom jeans: my moms! similar x & x <- good for us hippy gals!
loafers: thrifted, similar similar x & x
space camp brooch: from that time when I went to space camp, but this one is pretty cool
glasses: c/o warby parker

Well it's official. I am a vampire. Okay, not really. But I certainly looked like one. These past couple of days I've spent back in Chicago falling in love and losing sleep with the city all over again. Although I consider myself a New Yorker, I think I realize I will always be a Midwest gal! Even if my vampy way of dressing garners a few stares. The onlooker stares used to make be self conscious, but these days I'm just like "yes I am weird, and I like being weird" in New York it's so easy to blend, almost nothing is special because everything is special, but I like feeling like a John Hughes outsider here. I've grown accustomed to my own angst.

Falling in love with Chicago again, comes with a few trips to the lakeshore. Even though I live on an ISLAND now, I hardly see the water like I did in Chicago. Why, it's nearly hard to escape. Plus with such  beautiful (mostly abandoned) architecture on the water, it's hard to resist taking photos by the lake breezes everyday. Oh Chicago, you sneaky bastard, I do love you.



xx let's be friends! instagram, twitter, pinterest, and tumblr xx

desperately seeking suuuz

hully-gully skirt: c/o shabby apple
dotted crop: AA
jersey leather style jacket: stolen from my mother (hahah!)
creepers: F21

Gonna be honest, I've never seen that move all the way through, but I do know that it definitely "iconosizes" that 80s cool girl look trademarked by the 80s power houses like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. I'm not sure what came over me when I was getting dressed this day, but I was definitely feeling a little 80s punk. Big hair, polka dots, but with a little bit of edge with the jacket and creepers.

What a better look to throw rocks down the alley, pop gum, and get into some trouble?

Parisian Chicago (AVNT BLRGH X ARTICLES OF SOCIETY)

jeans: c/o articles of society
blouse: vintage
shoes: bass
hat: c/o D&Y

Its funny how certain things trigger unrelated memories. I always ignored the parks in Chicago because they are usually pretty crowded with tourist or out of the way. But when a friend from out of town visited, she remarked on how the reminded her of Europe. And it's true, Chicago does remind me of Paris.

I spent half my summer searching for the Parisian world of Chicago, and now that I'm in NYC I'm looking for the NYC things that remind me of Chicago. Nothing like a wild goose chase.

So far the only thing that remind me of home is binge watching Fraiser on Netflix. I love Fraish! More than any other show on television the dynamic of that family will always remind me of my family. My nerdy brother, my annoying self, and my down to earth mother. We really are them, and whenever I watch I am reminded of them. Even though my brother now lives in Florida, my mom is still in Chicago, and I'm in NYC, I can watch Fraiser and be reminded of the silly things we used to fight about. See the strangest things remind of the sweetest memories.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, how sweet are these jeans? White silk blouse, and hat, and a red lip. Perfect early fall casual as I walked around the parks in Chicago. I really love these Articles of Society jeans. They fit like a dream and make me feel like a dreamboat haha! So these booty shakin' poses are just for you guys!