Back to School September

September is here! Fall is coming! Commence happiness. Fall has me thinking of things like bouquets of newly sharpened pencils and other wonderful things. (For real though. I think a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils is probably more romantic than flowers. That Tom Hanks is a smart guy.)

Every year the combination of a new school year starting, my birthday on the horizon (with my delicious birthday treats to share), and crisp weather for soccer and volleyball seasons made for a giddiness that I still feel now.

I'm really excited to be in the city in the fall. Since I'm kind of pinching the budget as I transition into adulthood, I can't ACTUALLY go on a back-to-school shopping session. So I'm making a little wishlist for myself now, hoping to save up for one or two of these beauties in the future. Behold, my wishlist for my imaginary BTS spree :) If you can afford them, feel free to poach ideas! If you can afford them AND are a humanitarian, I'll pass on my address and you can ship them right on over.

This is what I'd love to be donning as I crunch leaves and sip hot apple cider after school.

Chambray shirt from the Gap

Fossil bag in cognac

Anthropologie watch (desperately need one of these for class!)

Mint Vans

Khaki trench. I'd also take Alexa Chung's general vibe and style along with it.

Great little Anthro skirt.

Some chocolate brown Sperry's. My tan ones have seen better days. 

Chi City

On Monday I was a lucky girl. I got to spend the day downtown Chicago with 3 great friends. They're all blonde bombshells, so I feel pretty cool being the brunette sheep of the bunch, if you will.

I never get sick of going downtown Chicago. Maybe it's that touristy small-town Wisconsinite within me that won't ever get used to a city that big. I just love going to walk around random shops and places in the city. And I don't ever get sick of The Bean at Millenium Park, either. It will always be a magical giant kidney bean that beckons me to take pictures of myself in its reflective surface. On this particular outing we didn't get to The Bean, but let me tell you, there'd be self pics in existence if we did. 

April and Susan

Shopping!

Karyn and myself

Amazing Popcorn

Giordano's Chicago Style Pizza. It really doesn't get better. 

After I got home from this blissful excursion, I started to feel kinda gross. And then the next morning I woke up feeling like I swallowed a rusty fork. And then I barfed. And then I found out I had strep throat and the flu simultaneously for three days. And now I'm sick of saltine crackers and ginger ale. You might say I'm down with the sickness. The couch and I have never had so much quality time together and I can't wait to put some distance between us again. 

Florida, anyone? We leave Saturday for our family vacation and on a scale of pretty to very excited, you might say I'm VERY excited.