Fall Favorites

Hello! Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I was lucky enough to have Friday-Tuesday off from work, so needless to say I had a good time. It's hard to be back at work, especially knowing that I'm only 11 days away from my due date! I'm not sure how fashionable my fall will be, with the arrival of Baby D, but that doesn't mean I can't share my favorite finds with you. Today, I'm featured over at 101 Things I Love, sharing my Fall Favs. Please go check it out here. And while you're there, check out Johanna's adorable new baby girl, Lola. She's so sweet! 

Since deciding on only five favorite things was pretty hard (nearly impossible), I wanted to share a few of my "runner ups"... 1. Denim Boyshirt, I'm still obsessing over chambray too 2. Sienna Fringe Boot, pricey but super cute 3. AEppelTreow Wine, yup this girl is ready to have a real drink and can't wait to go back to this Wisconsin winery in October 4. Gold Healing Crystal Necklace, not sure about its powers but cute nonetheless 5. Aden + Anais Swaddlers, so soft and sweet I might just wrap myself up in one if the Chicago weather ever turns cool! How about you? What are you excited about this fall? 

Surprise!

Today my coworkers got me good - with a surprise baby shower! I had no clue and was complaining all morning about the dreadful "meeting" that was scheduled! Instead, I was showered with lots of love, gifts and yummy sweets! I'm so overwhelmed and happy right now. Definitely makes you love where and with whom you work! Thanks everyone!! Baby D is going to be one spoiled little boy...

InstaSpring

Happy spring everyone! I hope you had a great Easter. Baby D received his/her first basket from the Easter Bunny this past weekend. Boy, do they start them early, huh! Lately, I've been obsessed with the Instagram app on my new iPhone. I don't know how I was living in a Blackberry world for so long? This past month has been really busy (and unfortunately we didn't win the MegaMillions lottery, so we're still working hard). My job always seems to pick up at this time of year, not to mention we're busy trying to sell our condo and prepare for Baby D's arrival in September. I can't wait to find out the sex in a few weeks! Until then, continue to follow me on Pinterest and look out for more 'wordless' blog entries including lots of Instagram photos. If only I'd come up with the app myself I'd be a billion dollars richer!

Photos ©2012 Keg Design

Thirty+

I'm very excited to announce some big news - I'm pregnant!

Due in September!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off my thirties! To announce the news at work today (and celebrate my birthday) I brought in pink & blue rice krispies treats. It was funny to see people's reactions and if they "got" the blue/pink nod before I told them. Also, if you know me, it's a huge deal that I "baked" anything from scratch. Ha! Luke thought his wife had been captivated by aliens last night as I slaved away in the kitchen. Maybe my "mommy" instincts are already setting in?

3 Perfect 10's!

Tomorrow I turn 30! Woah! Today's my last day as a twenty-something. I'm looking forward to a whole new decade of fun and adventure. I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday with friends on Saturday night and with family on Sunday. Both get-togethers entailed lots of pizza and cake (a girl can never get enough cake, right?). I loved the birthday message on the cake below...

Happy Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day! Every four years we get an extra day to balance out our calendars. I always wonder what it would feel like to have a leap year birthday? I don't think I'd like only getting to "officially" celebrate my birthday every four years. I heard on the radio that Justin Bieber is a leap day baby. Not sure if it's true, but that would make the poor guy like 5 years old. Ha ha! I hope everyone has a great day & seizes the opportunity to do something fun with their extra 24 hours!

image source

Blackberry Clean Up

There comes a time when you just need to clean out your phone (and upgrade to a new one). I've been squeaking the last bit of life out of my Blackberry these days, so I'm planning on upgrading to an iPhone. As I was going through all of my photos, I was shocked to see so many random captures. It's a nice reminder of funny moments or (in)significant events. I thought I'd share a few:

Puppy mess (poor Mr. Tiger)

Fish Bar in Lakeview (tiny, pricey, yummy)

Obsession with nail stickers (as mentioned here)

Chamberlain (boutique hotel in West Hollywood)

Photo shoot in Malibu (perks of work)

Mercury Cougar (classic model)

Wisconsin prairie (the Midwest can be pretty)

Ocktoberfest (husband ate this, not me)

Girt & The Goat (finally tried it out in November)

80's Ex'cla-ma'tion (now exclusively at Walgreens)

Abbey (who could say no to that face?)

Best and Worst Trends of 2011

I always love reading about the forecasted trends for the new year. Even more so, I love reading about the best and worst trends of the past year. People magazine just released a summary of 2011's hot trends. For the most part, I think 2011 was a good year for style. I always like to dabble in some new trends each year, even if they're a little silly or on the younger side. How about you? Did you drink coconut water in 2011? Get addicted to Buckyballs, Zumba or Words With Friends? How about those 70's hippy looks or Native American knits? Here are a few of my favorite trends of 2011:

1. Feather Hair Clips

Yup, I tried this one out. Back in August, I had my hairdresser put in a small, neutral colored feather behind my right ear. It was hardly noticeable. It was "permanently" affixed (like a hair extension) and lasted about a month. It was fun. I felt young and "cool." But I think I got that one out of my system!

2. Colored Denim

I love this trend. And I think it really began in 2010. Either way, I actually don't own a pair of my own. I'm a little surprised about this. I think it has something to do with my hatred for jeans shopping. They never fit right - too big, too short etc. I'd love to snag a pair of green or blue skinnies this year.

3. Animal Prints

I've been rocking animal prints for quite sometime. I love that they've become so popular. To date, I own an animal print jacket, shirt, pair of pants, multiple pairs of shoes and a drawer full of jewelry. It's one of those trends, that when styled, can look professional, classic or risque. I love it!

4. Cake Pops

I absolutely love the way these look. But I'm not a huge fan of how they taste. In general, I don't love cake, so I haven't met a cake pop that I really like. I think the consistency of the cake ball is a bit strange (wet & mushy). On the other hand, I love the chocolate covered oreo pops people are making! Check out my Bakerella post (the real master behind Cake Pops) from 2009.

5. Nail Stickers

I definitely fell prey to these pricey stickers in 2011. Not only are the designs just fun (especially for summer), but they're so easy and convenient to apply. The fact that I don't have to wait for them to dry makes the nearly $10 price tag worthwhile for me. I'm a fan of Sally Hansen designs.

6. Cheap 'n Chic Collections

2011 marked the year for Missoni at Target and Versace at H&M. Both collaborations sold out in record time. Fights literally broke out at Target stores, while the collection completely crashed their website. I didn't partake in either launch and don't own any items from either. I think the stuff was cool, but I refuse to wait in line or fight crowds. It's just not worth it to me.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Hello, 2012!

Wrapping Up 2011

Happy New Year's Eve, folks! Another year is almost behind us. I feel like 2011 was a good, but long year. It kinda dragged out near the end. For us, 2011 marked Luke passing the bar exam, getting a new puppy and spending our summer up at the lake. The later part included a horribly scary diagnosis for a loved one - which has been very hard to deal with. I hope 2012 brings new joys, healthy progressions and lots of luck. Here's how I "wrapped" up the 2011 holiday season...

Photos ©2011 Keg Design

AEppelTreow Winery

A few weeks back I was searching for wineries in Wisconsin (why do most of them seem to be in Michigan?) and stumbled across AEppelTreow Winery in Burlington, Wisconsin. They're located on the same property as Brightonwoods Orchard and call themselves an artisan cidery & distillery. Upon further research, I found that AEppelTreow uses local apple crops to make hard ciders, orchard table wines, sparkling champagnes, fruit dessert wines and unique spirits. We were in! We went on a Saturday and between Luke and I, got to try 10 different products (sample policy = 5 per person for free, $5 beyond that). They offered generous pours and the staff was super friendly. We ended up taking home a 4-pack of Bunting Berry-Apple Cider as well as a bottle of Pommeaux Apple Dessert Wine. Both did not disappoint! I think I went through the bottle of Pommeaux in less than a week (oops) - I want to go back for more! I would highly recommend AEppelTreow to anyone in the Chicago/Milwaukee area looking for an aunthentic winery experience. For more info and photos, check out their Facebook page.

Photos ©2011 Keg Design

Brightonwoods Orchard

We enjoyed some festive fall apple "picking" a few weekends ago at Brightonwoods Orchard in Burlington, Wisconsin. It's a beautiful 15 acre property in southeastern Wisconsin that's just over an hour from Chicago. They don't actually offer "pick your own", but the abundance of different apple varieties surely makes up for it. Brightonwoods grows over 200 kinds of apples... many old-fashioned and European varieties you can't find anywhere else. My favorite was the Calville Blanc d'Hiver - a French apple from the 1500's - it was sweet and tangy with an almost banana-like taste. Yum! The other reason we headed to Brightonwoods was for the on-site winery. More on that next...

Photos ©2011 Keg Design