I’m excited to introduce my ongoing travel series (with authors much more well-traveled than me coming up, I promise!) with the first post on my hometown of Chicago. I’m really proud of this city, and I love showing it off. And eating and drinking are two of my absolute favorite things to do here! I thought this was a great way to start the series off, because so many people equate Chicago with pizza and hot dogs. But trust me, if that’s what you go for when you visit Chicago, you’re missing out on a lot!

My number one tip when it comes to eating here is to get away from the Gold Coast/Mag Mile area. Sure, there are some good places there but it’s made of of many chains and sub-par restaurants. You can get a much more interesting experience if you venture elsewhere (and don’t buy for a second that Taste of Chicago is really… well, a taste of Chicago.)

Small, unsuspecting places can be amazing. Take 90 Miles, a cute little Cuban cafe. There are a few locations, but my favorite is the Logan Square one.

90 Miles has a year-round, all-weather patio, and an open-air one for summer. It’s BYOB, but they also have sangria and mojito makings. And the food… so worth it. The wait staff is made up of laid-back, friendly people who go above and beyond. Try the empanadas, seriously. Now.

And if that’s not enough drink, nearby Wicker Park is home to my favorite bar in the city, Violet Hour. It’s not exactly a secret, even if the front is unmarked in good-old speakeasy fashion (there may be a dim hallway and heavy curtains involved, too.) And yeah, you can probably expect a wait on weekends. But the atmosphere and the drinks are well worth it. I have yet to order something I disliked here, and it’s an experience that is well worth it. Probably too intimate for a first date, but just right for a romantic evening.

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I’ll admit, the third place on my list in somewhere I have yet to go. But Alinea (in Lincoln Park) has a reputation that precedes it, and proves that Chicago truly does have fine dining. I’ve read so many accounts of customized vegan experiences here that Alinea is on my must list for sure.

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Other places that I consider great choices – Karyn’s on Green in the West Loop, which is all vegan and has an amazing brunch. Avec, a wonderful wine bar and restaurant, Longman and Eagle in Logan Square which doubles as a small hotel, Big Star which is fun for a night of margaritas and tacos, Tepatulco – a Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Park with a heavenly patio out back, and the Roof at the Wit, which is more worth it for the view than the drinks themselves.

Ross and I go out as often as possible, but we still feel like we’re discovering our city. There is so much to see and do here, and if you’re visiting for a short time I highly recommend you leave the traditionally “touristy” places and try out the local cuisine in nearby neighborhoods. The places I’ve mentioned are all easily accessible by our train lines (blue line for 90 Miles, Violet Hour, Big Star, Karyn’s, and Longman and Eagle, and red, purple, or brown for almost anywhere else I mentioned) or a cab.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite coffee, Intelligentsia, which was founded here in Chicago and has definitively ruined Starbucks and the like for me. Stop in to my personal favorite location, the original on Broadway in Lakeview.

My Chicago posts will be interspersed with other posts from guest writers, as well as my posts about our upcoming trip to New York – speaking of which, session still available! Let me know if you know anyone who’s interested. Right now I plan to write more about where to stay and what to do here, but let me know if there’s anything you’re interested in hearing about!

I could really subtitle this post How to find a wedding style (when your tastes are all over the place) or (when you just know it when you see it) or even (–is “wedding” a theme?) but that’s a little on the long side, I think. Side note — I love subtitles. Anytime I have to write something, it has a subtitle, even if it’s too absurd to actually publish. I think I make subtitles for email subjects in my head.

Anyway, the thing about super long engagements is that you get excited and you make a lot of inspiration boards. And then, after a couple of months of that you get tired, and it’s a relief to realize you don’t have to think about the wedding at all, except for the fact that you’ll be married when it’s over and that’s awesome. Which is grounding and wonderful, but it’s also wonderful when you realize that you get to throw a party for your friends and family, who will probably never be in one room together again, and you get to share a bit of yourselves as a partnership – your lives – with them. And that’s when it got exciting for me again, now that we’ve locked away the DJ and – barring some twist of bad luck – we have a caterer. Because now the little things don’t feel stressful, they just feel complementary. As in, if they all get forgotten that day, I’ll still come out of it with my best friend and a plane ticket to Paris waiting for us. But details can be awesome, too.

Which brings me to the aforementioned inspiration boards. Pinterest has really been my saving grace with wedding planning. It’s so much easier than a folder on the computer, and that handy little button on my Safari bookmark bar means that if I’m on a photography blog or other random site and something inspires me, I can do a quick little click and file it away.

What became apparent after saving a lot of photos is that my taste doesn’t fit into any one category. It’s a little rustic, but not full-on pastels and pies. It’s a little modern, but more chic than sleek. It’s somewhat French, and stripe-y, but I could turn around and admit that I kind of want to throw a Mexican fiesta. That all sounds pretty terrible if you blend it into a super monster of a wedding, but I think it will work out.

Take this table setup:

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I love the minimalism that comes with smaller flower arrangements, although the burlap’s not really my thing. But the burst of dramatic red is much more my style than muted tones. And I love that the vases are all different heights and styles. I think this is modern, rustic, dramatic and un-fussy all at the same time.

And lights! These are a must for me. I don’t know what it is, but nothing is more romantic to me than twinkling lights. Especially outside on a patio. So simple, yet so transformative.

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I’m excited to see how everything comes together. And I’m truly excited to see how everyone comes together – how all these people who are a part of our lives mesh together for one night. It’s funny, but now that we’re a little less than a year out, this switch has just flipped for me. There’s absolutely no worry – I’m sure there will be time for that later – just thankfulness.

Last week, a longtime reader contacted me about an organization she’s involved with that helps Chicago residents in need, called the Emergency Fund. They help those most in need, and they’re an amazing asset to our community. So when Weiling told me that they’ve been having an especially hard time with funding lately due to the recession, I knew that all of you would appreciate hearing her story about working with the program:

This summer, like most people, my roommates and I have the luxury of keeping cool. During last week’s sudden heat wave, we went to see a movie until sunset, made lots and lots of rainbow shaved ice, and lingered a little longer by the cool produce aisle at the grocery store. We thought we had it rough, being broke students who lived on the top floor of an old building without AC. However, we didn’t realize just how dangerous the heat could be.

Last Wednesday, I was routinely making phone calls to clients of the Emergency Fund to follow up on their service. The reviews were generally glowing, but one woman stuck out in particular, enthusiastic to tell her story. As a single mom, she worked many odd jobs in order to try and take care of her small family. They were a little behind on their rent, but the landlord was gracious enough to let them delay payment by a month. However, during the sudden heat wave, she had no choice but to purchase and run the AC.  Her youngest daughter, who is disabled, was suffering from the heat greatly. This caused a huge spike in her electric bill, costing almost as much as her low income rent! She had no choice but to default on her payments, again, and this time the landlord threatened eviction.

On the verge of homelessness, she had no time to file tons of paperwork or wait for most forms of government assistance, which can take months for approval. However, the Emergency Fund was able to respond right away, giving her the additional rent assistance she needed to keep her apartment. In the same month, she was able to keep her family off the streets and her daughter away from the hospital. She says that she is not only grateful for the speed at which the assistance was provided, but she was also pleasantly surprised with the great respect and understanding her case manager showed her.

The Emergency Fund regularly combats homelessness throughout Chicagoland. Recently, we were even awarded a phenomenal 32 million dollar grant from the government to help pay for housing. However, these large funds are tied up with red tape and come with tons of restrictions, so that people like the woman I spoke with would never have received aid in time. On the other hand, campaigns such as the Symbol of Hope go toward our flexible funds, which can be used immediately without restrictions. These flexible funds are truly the heart and soul of this organization.

In order to help raise immediate funds, a local Chicago-area jeweler is offering up a lovely little necklace whose proceeds go entirely towards the Emergency Fund. You can check it out here as well as the Emergency Fund’s official website here. Thank you, Weiling, for letting me know about this fantastic organization!

This was one of those perfect summer weekends, complete with a concert in the park, long walks, a good movie, and lots of wine.

When I started toying with the idea of A Room with a View, I was mostly focused on the future – on the possibility of travel and living new places. But Chicago is somewhere very dear to my heart, and its a big part of why I feel like the city we live in has to be more than just a sum of things like rent prices and convenience. There are the sentimental reasons behind my love – I moved here at eighteen, just out of my parents’ house, it’s where Ross proposed and where we first moved in together. But I also love Chicago itself.

I love how many public parks, beaches, and trails we have. There’s absolute magic in having a picnic in the middle of a huge, grassy park while skyscrapers are still all around you. I love the sheer size of Chicago, how many people live in my neighborhood and come out in droves when the weather is nice. I love flying home and seeing the beautiful skyline that feels like home.

I love the culture – the Art Institute, the plays, the architecture. Sometimes, I even love taking the train. Mostly only the brown line, because the way it winds through the Loop still gives me a sense of awe, even after years of taking it.

I love the patios and the rooftop decks, the brunches and the late night drinks and dancing.

I love that we have local designers worth wearing, and a whole slew of artists and writers. I love the feeling of stumbling on a Banksy piece or some other piece of street art that makes the streets feel like a living, breathing museum. I love my street, the farmer’s markets, the people I know – hell, I even love to hate Cubs fans.

I look forward to leaving for some time. I can’t wait to explore new places, but I think Chicago will always be home.

Maybe it’s just the editing-intensive week I’ve had, but I’m dying for a desk and workspace right now. My back is complaining and I’m getting all sorts of upset about this couch editing. The couch is for relaxing, guys! When I start doing all my work there, I get really grumpy fast. And the cats make it a goal to lay on me every which way. And sometimes the dog jumps on the computer. Don’t get me started on how much that slows things down (and gives me a minor heart attack!)

So right now I’m pining over these gorgeous set-ups:

Cynthia Warren (she designed my tattoo and my gorgeous header!)

Simple and sweet, via Studio Sweet Studio.

Gorgeous color, via Urban Tastemakers.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend, whether you celebrate or not! Mine was certainly hectic, and everyday life is a bit of a relief. I think today’s a wonderful day for a brain dump post!

1) I am currently enamored with the idea of an unfussy but still gorgeous fresh poppy bouquet for the wedding. This bride went to a farmer’s market the morning of and made her own! Ambitious.

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2) I want to know how this girl manages to look cute and stylish in wellies. I love my black ones, but they always look and feel clunky somehow. And they’re the exact ones she’s wearing, but in black. If I was to attempt pairing them with a dress, it would look ridiculous. Height issue, maybe? Also, at the rate we’re going with rain on days when I have shoots planned, I feel like I’m in reschedule and stay glued to weather.com limbo. No fun!

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3) Does anyone else read Dear Prudie as obsessively as I do? I adore her. I also wonder, time and again, why in the world I don’t subscribe to Slate considering one of my very favorite authors writes a column for them, and Dear Prudie writes for them. Alas, Vogue is my only current subscription. As my bank likes to inform me time and time again, I’m flat broke.

4) We got the official lease sent over, and I’m so excited to renew! It’s nice to have some stability for the next two years, and to allow myself to fully settle in without that looming “will I have to pack up everything I own for the seventhy zillionth year in a row?” feeling.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about names. Blog names, specifically.

When I started this blog, it was mainly as a way to keep up with some friends, gather inspiration, and vent. I had no idea that I’d be heading in a more creative direction, launching a little photography venture, and (honestly) keeping people interested in what I had to say.

So I just kind of named this site off the cuff, with something I thought sounded cute. But I’ve always been a little… eh… about Lincoln Park on a Lark. Also, we live one street over, so we’re technically in Lakeview, which doesn’t have the same ring to it. Regardless, while we’ll be here at least two more years, I feel like maybe attaching a neighborhood moniker to my blog is a commitment I’m just not ready to make… or keep.

How did you decide on your blog name? Any thoughts on a big rename?

A few weeks ago, I showed you our gorgeous apartment. I neglected to include our bedroom in any of those photos, though. Why?

Mostly because we had a decorating budget when we moved in, and it went towards things like our first dining room table (yay!), a new couch (our old one wouldn’t fit up the stairs) and a bookshelf. Because really, hundreds of books stacked against a wall might look creative, but when you have a dog who runs the cat around for fun, they wouldn’t be stacked for long.

Since summer is coming up and we’re fairly certain we’ll be allowed to stay for only an extra $25-$35/month we’ve decided to tackle the bedroom and make it a better place to live once and for all. My issues with it are as follows:

1) It’s about 10×10, with a teeny closet and only one window.

2) Said window looks out onto a brick wall.

3) The paint color we chose to cover the dark brown (!) that was there when we moved in looked like a blush peach under the incandescent tester box at Lowe’s, but in our really, really, REALLY dimly lit room, it looks very pink.

Don’t believe me?

That photo was taken just before noon, when the sun is best in here, with all the lightbulbs on, adjusted white balance, an almost wide-open aperture, and a low shutter speed.

When we moved in, we were coming from a cushy 13×15 room with a normal-sized closet and room to walk around the bed. Being, well, us, we got all excited about the prospect of a new bed, and fell in love with this chunky wood bedframe from West Elm:

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It looked gorgeous in the wide-open store, but it’s not so gorgeous when you stub your toe on that corner every single morning because you’re severely near-sighted and can’t clear the itty bitty corner where there’s maybe a foot of space between the radiator and the edge of the bed. Not that I know this from experience, or anything.

So what are we going to do about this?

Well, first and foremost: daylight bulbs. I know it’s not the same as sunlight, and I actually used to hate them. But I really hate how yellow incandescents are in there. I think the yellow tint is fine when you have real daylight to balance it out, but it just doesn’t work in an almost completely dark room.

And then, we’re putting a little money in it. If we’re going to live here for at least two more years, I think it’s worth it!

Chunky bed, goodbye. Hello canopy:

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Plain white duvet that we’re too lazy to dress up when the room looks kind of crappy? You’ve been replaced. I don’t have a picture of the actual quilt, because I found it forgotten in the clearance corner of the store from who knows how many months (and markdowns, score!) ago. But my inspiration was this sheet set from Anthropologie:

Also, it needs to be said that we are not DIY people. Never has this been more obvious than when we tried to stain those $20 raw wood Ikea nightstands. We basically gave up on them, and have been using these pathetic excuses for nightstands for almost a year. They’re also really small, with sorry excuses for drawers. So, we’re looking forward to replacing them with a nightstand from Urban Outfitters and a dresser from Ikea:

and to top it off, we’re painting. This is going to be the toughest, because we don’t want a repeat of the shade looking good on the swatch, but not on the walls. We’ll paint little samples, of course, but would love any tips on finding the right shade off the bat. I’m also really terrible with finding inspiration colors and then not being able to match them to swatches well. So here is what we’re going for:

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Side note: how freaking cute is that dog? Sunday would look just as cute in that room.

So, this transformation will take awhile to save up for and complete, but I’m looking forward to the process! I would love any tips from you renovation and design goddesses (I’m talking to you, Kelsey, Amanda, Kristin, and Nicole!)