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CHICAGO TRAVEL GUIDE

August 27, 2019

WHERE TO EAT

Lou Malnati’s: Apparently the two most popular places for deep dish pizza in Chicago are Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s, so we ate here Thursday night and it was delicious! We ordered the small pepperoni deep dish and split the Malnati salad (which was my favorite)! Read about our Giordano’s experience further down 😉

The Hampton Social: The #1 place I wanted to eat was The Hampton Social after seeing people post the hot spot for years! I’m happy to say the food is as great as the vibe. I took my photo in front of the Rosè All Day sign and devoured my lobster roll! It was my first time eating one, and I can’t imagine there are any much better than that!

Portillo’s: I had high hopes for making fancy dinner reservations, but we were so tired at the end of the day and just wanted something good and quick! My Uber driver insisted we try Portillo’s since Chicago is known for their hot dogs AND pizza. I loved it! My favorite thing was the chocolate cake, though. It’s a must if you’re going!

LondonHouse: LondonHouse is on my list twice because it’s great for brunch or just grabbing a drink during the day! I ordered the french toast, and it was very rich. I wish I would have stuck with the avocado toast!

Stan’s Donuts: Another place that was highly recommended, and I’m glad we stumbled upon it Saturday afternoon! I got the red velvet donut with Oreo cookie crumble on it. SO YUM!

Giordano’s: Again, we were tired on Saturday night and decided to try Giordano’s since it was another popular pizza place. I personally liked the deep dish here better than Lou Malnati’s. And don’t get me started on the buffalo wings! They were incredible. Top 3 best wings I’ve ever had! Haha

Fisk & Co: This restaurant was in the Kimpton Monaco where we stayed, and we got a late-night snack here! I ordered the truffle fries with garlic aioli, and they were devine! I was sad I wasn’t more hungry to try their cheeseburger because the ones I saw looked bomb!

WHERE TO PLAY

Shopping on Michigan Avenue: This is pretty self explanatory, but shopping on Michigan Avenue is amazing! I took full advantage of the Zara and Nordstrom since I live nowhere near the two! Lol

Sky Deck at Willis Tower: Another thing my Uber driver told me was to not go to the Sky Deck at Willis Tower when it was cloudy, but the sun was so bright that the photos we took in our allotted 90 second window SUCKED! Hahaha. I recommend the morning or late afternoon.. NOT 2 pm!

LondonHouse (Drinks): I wish we would have went back to LondonHouse for a drink and watched the sunset, but I am happy we made it there at least once! 🙂

Architectural Boat Tour: I saved the best for last in this section because the architectural boat tour is a MUST! No doubt about it. You learn some much about the history of Chicago and all the gorgeous skyscrapers!

WHERE TO STAY

Kimpton Monaco: Kimpton Monaco was the BEST place to stay! It’s a boutique hotel, so it was never crowded. The decor was gorgeous, and there are window seats in most rooms with a gorgeous view of the Chicago skyline! My favorite part was the location, though. It was walking distance to basically everything- boat tour, Michigan Avenue, LondonHouse, etc!

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHERS

Beatnix (Brunch)

Flo (Brunch)

Untitled Supper Club

Cindy’s Rooftop (Drinks)

Gold Coast

Navy Pier

Millennial Park: The Bean

Chicago Theatre

Lincoln Park Zoo

Paradise Park

RPM Italian

XOXO

Kels

Outfit Recap From Nashville Weekend Trip

August 7, 2019

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Cardigan (Size Small) Shorts (Size Small) Cami (Size Small) Sneakers (Size 6.5)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Dress (Size Small) Booties (Size 7)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Romper (Size Small) Belt (Size 75)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Bodysuit (Size Small) Skirt (Size XS)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Tunic (Size XS) Shorts (Size 25) Booties (Size 7) Hat (Size Small) Belt (Size 75)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Top (Size Small)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Graphic Tee (Size Small) Skirt (Size Small) Sneakers (Size 6.5) Hat (Size Small)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Dress (Size Small) Heels (Size 7)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Top (Size Small) Skirt (Size 25) Booties (Size 7)

SHOP MY OUTFIT: Dress (Size Small) Heels (Size 7) Earrings

A few weekends ago, I went on such a fun girls trip to Nashville, Tennessee! It’s one of my absolute favorite places to visit, and I’m so excited to already have another trip on the books there this month! 🙂 Even though I’ve been many times, I still love going to all the tourist places! If you want to find out my Nashville hot spots, there’s a travel guide HERE that I created a few months ago. All the recommendations are still accurate, especially Bartaco! It’s SO yum. As far as outfits go, I rounded up the details + sizing information above. Let me know if yall have any questions! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

PALM SPRINGS RECAP

June 25, 2019

SHOP MY OUTFIT

SHOP MY ROMPER (Use KELSIE20 for 20% off)

SHOP MY DRESS (Use KELSIE15 for 15% off)

SHOP MY OUTFIT

Somehow I managed to visit Palm Springs twice in 3 months, so I’m recapping my second trip today! (My first PS trip is HERE) I definitely recommend going in the Spring vs Summer because the desert heat is no joke if you’re not used to it. We would wake up early to shoot before it was too hot, but we still managed to catch the 110 degree temps! Karli, Kelsey, and I flew into LAX and drove over on Thursday. Looking back, I’d probably spend the extra money to fly directly into Palm Spring’s airport! LA traffic is the worst, so an hour and a half trip to the desert can quickly turn into 3 hours+ as we found out. Lol!

We collaborated with Acme House Company, which I highly suggest using if you’re heading to Palm Springs! Half the group stayed in The Kirk Douglas House and the other half stayed in the For The Record House. Both were beautifully designed and had that classic Palm Springs touch! Acme House Company was amazing to partner with, and they always went above and beyond for us. I’ll link their website HERE so you can find out all the details about them! And if you’re a pink fan like me, their Pretty In Pink House is a MUST 🙂

My favorite part of the trip was a last minute idea that actually came into fruition! The girls who flew into LA decided to leave Palm Springs early Monday morning, so we could have lunch at The Beverly Hills Hotel before our flights. We made reservations the day before and had such a perfect lunch with overpriced, yet delicious avocado toast! This is a hot spot you have to visit for the memories. Plus it’s super Instagrammable as you can see above! I’m going to leave my favorite places we ate at and favorite photo spots below!

PLACES TO EAT: The Broken Yolk, Eight4Nine, Azucar, Norma’s, The Pink Cabana, Cheeky’s, Smokin’ Burgers

PLACES FOR PHOTOS: The Parker Hotel, The Saguaro Hotel, Neighborhoods, Hotel California

XOXO

Kels

TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS

June 19, 2019

Brunch at Ruby Slipper Cafe

Jackson Square

Balcony at Stay Alfred

Lunch with Hemline at Meaux Bar

Dinner at Jack Rose with Karli and Lil Wayne 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

June is my crazy travel month, so I know my blog posts have been pretty short and sweet lately! Sorry about that. The first weekend was my friend’s bachelorette trip, then I headed to Palm Springs (travel guide coming soon) and New Orleans! Believe it or not, I’m off again to Orange Beach with Pink Possum Boutique tomorrow! Although traveling can be exhausting, I absolutely love it. As soon as I slow down, I get restless and wonder where I’m going next! Lol.

Today’s blog post has been a long time coming because I visit New Orleans very frequently! I only live an hour and a half away, so it’s the perfect location for even taking quick day trips. Below are all the places I have visited that I personally love or have heard rave reviews from friends. New Orleans is such a fun place with lots of history and culture!

WHERE TO EAT

Ruby Slipper Cafe: I couldn’t decide between the cinnamon swirl pancakes or the scrambled egg bowl, so I got both! Go figure. The Ruby Slipper mimosa was also great!

Jack Rose: I have been wanting to go for months, and we finally snagged a reservation! Bruno Mars was there the night before us! My favorite thing is the pimento cheese appetizer from the bar, but they can bring it to your table. Lol!

Josephine Estelle: Yummy Italian food! We ate it the last night.

Willa Jean’s: I haven’t eaten here yet, but my friend Karli says the brunch is amazing!

Meaux Bar: We ate here for lunch on Saturday with Hemline! The deviled egg appetizers were BOMB

Cafe du Monde: This is a MUST if you’re going to NOLA! Beignets and frozen coffee for the win!

Brennan’s: Such an Instagrammable restaurant and the food is awesome too!

Red Fish Grill: Red Fish is located on Bourbon Street, so it’s a nice place to grab dinner then head out. Ironically, my favorite dish is the redfish! Lol.

Johnny Sanchez: If you’re tired of cajun food, Johnny Sanchez is an amazing, upscale Mexican restaurant! I loved the Mexican street corn and the tacos. Can’t go wrong with a Margarita either! 🙂

Commander’s Palace: I’ve never been here but always wanted to go! I hear the brunch is great too.

WHERE TO PLAY

Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone: Such a cool spot to grab drinks before dinner!

Bourbon Street: Truly a rite of passage to visit Bourbon Street when in NOLA! I like it best during the day!

Jackson Square

Magazine Street

Saenger Theatre

Audubon Zoo

Canal Place Shopping

Harrah’s Casino

Go to a New Orleans Saints or New Orleans Pelicans game

WHERE TO STAY

Stay Alfred: We stayed here last weekend and loved it! It’s walking distance to all the popular spots, and there’s way more room than a regular hotel. Stay Alfred definitely has Airbnb vibes!

Hotel Monteleone: I stayed here when we went to the Taylor Swift concert last Fall, and it was great. This is where the carousel bar is located!

The Roosevelt: If you want to splurge, stay at The Roosevelt. It’s especially wonderful during Christmas with the pretty decorations!

Royal Sonesta

Ritz-Carlton

Hilton (French Quarter)

I hope you guys enjoy my New Orleans travel guide! Let me know if you try any of these places on my list! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Girls Weekend in Charleston :)

May 16, 2019

SHOP MY OUTFIT (Wearing XS)

SHOP MY OUTFIT (Wearing SM)

SHOP MY OUTFIT (Wearing SM top, 25 shorts)

Yall know I always provide my travel recaps a couple of weeks after the trips, so today’s post is all about my birthday weekend in Charleston! I actually have a Charleston recap from last year HERE, which is also like a travel guide. Anywho, on Thursday Maxie and I flew into Charlotte, and we stayed with Andrea that night. It was SO much fun! I was literally drinking Prosecco from a red Solo cup before my spray tan and the night only got better from there! Hahaha.

On Friday morning, we road tripped to Charleston to meet up with Tanner! Our first stop before the Instagrammable spots (lol) was Clean Juice for acai bowls. And they were GOOD! I didn’t realize this place was a chain, but there definitely aren’t any in Mississippi, so it was still a treat! We then Ubered to 80 Tradd Street for photos in front of the cutest pink door! Everywhere in Charleston is great for pictures, though. We ended the night eating at Darling Oyster Bar! I had never tried oysters before, so I decided this was as good a time as any to just do it. (Like Nike hahaha) Needless to say, I won’t be ordering them again… I did love the shrimp & grits from there, though!

We started the day early on Saturday at Charleston City Hall. Most people don’t realize this is where the pretty marble staircase is that so many take photos at! I recommend going in the morning before the sun hits directly. We had brunch at Toast afterward, which was phenomenal! Per usual, I ordered the french toast as I do at every brunch spot! Lol. Rainbow Row and sightseeing around downtown came next on the agenda! A sweet follower also recommended we go to Skinny Dip for Frosè. AMAZING! They have the cutest flower wall to take photos in front of too! (pictured above) We shopped a little on King Street before heading to dinner at Lewis BBQ! This was probably the best BBQ I have ever had. It’s a really fun atmosphere with outside seating and live music!

Sunday was sad because we had to leave, but Maxie and I booked late flights so we wouldn’t be rushed! We ate brunch at 82 Queen, and I switched it up with the biscuits and gravy (pictured above). It’s a MUST if you go! Truthfully, I would have been happy eating brunch for every meal if it was an option. Haha! We made it back to Charlotte that afternoon and headed to the airport! It was such a fabulous weekend thanks to my blogger friends who have become my real life besties 🙂

PS: I’m linking all outfit details under each photo with sizing!

XOXO

Kels