The question I get asked the most on Instagram is for recommendations on places to go and eat in Chicago. And it makes sense given how much I talk about my love of Chicago. So it’s high time I actually put up, or shut up! lol. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Chicago in the summer, you’re in for a lifechanging experience. This city is magical in the summer. But don’t worry, if you’re here braving the winter there’s still plenty of fun to get into. Here is my list of things to do in Chicago. It includes some of my favorite activities and restaurants as well as things I haven’t tried yet b ..read more

After almost 2 years of debating what I wanted to do with my outdated stairs, last week I finally decided to knock out my staircase makeover. Honestly, it was one of the easier projects I’ve done so far. I was able to complete the makeover in 4 days. 1 day to apply 3 coats of primer and then one day for each coat of black enamel paint. Before This is what the staircase—and downstairs area—looked like on closing day (Feb ’22). All of the walls were a shade of tan, brown, orange or red and the stairs were quite outdated in tone. I’ve gone back and forth trying to figure out what approach I want ..read more

Are you someone who struggles to get and stay organized? Feel like it doesn’t come naturally to you? That’s ok! It’s absolutely something you can learn and eventually master. Believe it or not, I haven’t always been as tidy as I am not. Growing up, I kept everything! I didn’t have much and just the act of keeping what I did have felt hugely important to me. But over time I learned that keeping things just for the sake of keeping them wasn’t adding anything besides anxiety to my life. Eliminating the clutter helps to eliminate the stress. So, here are some of my go-to tips for keeping down the ..read more

2023 was a year of firsts for me. My first time traveling to Australia, my first Essence Fest experience (recap coming soon), and my first time going to New York Fashion Week. I’ve been a blogger and eventual content creator for the last 14(ish) years. When I first started blogging it was all about my transition from college to “real life” and just how little of a clue I had about what I wanted to do with my life next. Part of my “real life” at the time was me sharing items I bought from the thrift store and customized on a budget. It was from there that I became a “fashion blogger.” But trut ..read more

The world is open again. Time to dust off those passports! When it comes to traveling, figuring out where to go and what to do can sometimes be the biggest hurdle. Well, last summer I had a chance to travel to Sydney, Australia with Vivid Sydney and Visit New South Wales for the 10-day trip of a lifetime. I’d never traveled down under and was really excited when they reached out with the opportunity. So I grabbed my best friend, packed my bags and headed down under! I’m paying it forward by sharing our itinerary so you get a better idea of all the amazing things to do in Sydney. Bondi Beach O ..read more

Big bought Carrie the closet of her dreams. Inspired Closets Chicago built mine! The original closet in my primary bedroom left a lot to be desired and I knew I would need a bigger space that allowed for optimal organization. As a content creator, fashion is a big part of my job and over the years I’ve been able to create a growing collection of items I love and want to get more wear out of. But even with me constantly purging and donating, there were still so many items in boxes or storage that I never got to wear. So I made a plan to turn the smaller bedroom next my bedroom into the custom ..read more

Raise your hand if you felt personally victimized by 2023? I actually have both hands up. Because when I tell you 2023 beat me tf up…I mean it! It’s Friday so I’ll spare you the details. But I know without a doubt that I don’t ever want a repeat of last year. In fact, if we could never mention the numbers 2-0-2-3, in that order, ever again that would be great. But in an effort to ensure I have a much better year, I really had to do some reflecting on what that means for me and how best to go about achieving that. My top priority on that list is learning to better manage my anxiety. TW; anxie ..read more

When I bought this house almost 2 years ago (wow…time is flying!) I had dreams of it being the ultimate place to entertain. Think the Playboy Mansion, but no polyamorous relationships, sketchy grottoes, or reality tv crews. More like, super tame game nights with my girls, romcom movies in my home theater, and literally no celebrities. So basically…not the Playboy Mansion. lol. But you get my drift. And since that’s my goal, it would make sense that I would plan a guest room makeover before I’ve even bought a single new pillow for my own bedroom. Priorities = together. BEFORE So, let’s get int ..read more

I like to think I have a bit of a green thumb. My plants always seem to do really well… until I set them out on my rooftop. They die within days. Every time. I got tired of spending money to replace them so I brought all of them inside and opted for these faux plants I found on Amazon. They came in a really affordable bundle and look SUPER real in person. I was actually surprised at how realistic they are. I bought a few extra supplies to zhuzh it up a bit and now I’ve got some much needed greenery in the space that I won’t have to keep replacing or maintaining. WIN WIN! #SBmanor Check out ..read more

I promised you guys a post on my rooftop makeover so here it is! When I first viewed my house over a year ago, it was the dead of Chicago winter and the ground was covered in snow. I blame the snow for my perhaps poor decision making at the time. Because if I had seen the true extent of the damage and wood rot of the deck, I might have run screaming for the hills. Because looking back at these pictures makes me wonder if I was temporarily out of my mind! Take a look for yourself. The pictures are bad, but honestly they don’t show you just how bad things were. Because even once the snow wa ..read more