Sew Cute

Hello everyone! I'm back with another edition of Sew Cute in Chicago. This week I'm talking about a few new restaurants I've tried. There have been a lot of occasions to go out to eat between my birthday, anniversary, and friends being in town! So, here are my reviews on the places I've tried recently.... 

Mindy's Hot Chocolate | For my boyfriend and I's 3 year anniversary we opted to try a local spot that had some great reviews. We found Mindy's Hot Chocolate and I have to say I am pretty happy with the choice! We both got the Mac n Cheese which is a signature item on their menu. It was very rich, but very tasty. Then we got the chocolate cake for dessert which was amazing. The restaurant's chef is known for being a pastry chef so a lot of people were coming in just for dessert. Which, I am so in favor of. They also have a wide selection of hot chocolates (go figure) with homemade marshmallows, that I am dying to try!

Chop Shop | My boyfriend's family came down for dinner in the city and we went to Chop Shop located in Wicker Park. Everything we had was so delicious! I loved my Steak & Frites dinner. I literally ate every last bite, which I never do. The fries came with a garlic aioli sauce, which as to die for. So good!! We got an Italian sausage appetizer which tasted so fresh and delicious. There is actually a deli and butcher shop below the restaurant that sells fresh meats. So, all of the meat was very good. Then for dessert we got a brownie skillet which was very good as well! We had a great meal and I would for sure go back in the future!   

Small Cheval | On a very hot Friday night my friend and I headed to Small Cheval for burgers, fries, and drinks. They literally have three things on the menu: hamburger, cheeseburger, and fries. YUM! My kind of place, let me tell ya. The burger was great complete with pickles and house sauce (I opted for no onions). Then I paired it with a hard cider. Dipping your fries in the garlic aioli sauce is also a must! That must be a thing in the city because I have never done that before, but I am all about obvi. 

Kanela Breakfast Club | Brunch is the best meal, right? I went to brunch with some friends at Kanela Breakfast Club and it was pretty tasty! I got a basic meal aka eggs with meat and potatoes, but it was good. You can't go wrong with peppercorn bacon. My boyfriend and I got monkey bread as an appetizer which was also very good. Next time maybe I'll opt for a more adventurous dish and report back.  

The Vig | Speaking of brunch I tried another brunch spot The Vig recently as well. The Vig goes from brunch spot to happening place to get drinks at night (apparently). Brunch was very tasty at the Vig! I ate a whole plate of bacon and some of my cinnamon roll #oops. Warning: this place is impossible to find parking during brunch hours. So, I recommend ubering if you live in the city. 

What Chicago places should I try next? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

If you know me you know that it is no secret that Monsters Inc. and Monsters University are my favorite Disney movies. I live for all of the characters and the story of these films. My all time favorite Disney character is probably Mike Wazowski. He's hilarious and sarcastic, which I like to think describes me as well. 

Naturally I had to create a kick-a$$ Monsters Inc. inspired outfit for my trip to Disney. If I do say so myself, I think I did just that! This look all started with this awesome Monsters jersey from The Lost Bros. It even says Mike on the back with my favorite number 19, coincidence I think not!

I found the most ADORABLE pin from Chaos & Couture with this Playbill inspired design. I am v depressed because it fell off my bag while at the park. To say I was upset was an understatement. But, at least I got a good picture of it to remember it by. RIP cute pin, RIP. 

I just love these jersey inspired tees from The Lost Bros! I have a bunch of designs of these from them and they make the cutest looks. No matter what your style is I think this shirt works for pretty much anyone. These are also great to match with your BFF, boyfriend, girlfriend, family, or whoever you are heading to Disney with! 

Let's talk about my crazy lady Mike Wazowski headband. I picked this up from the Instagram account Ballpensandetc. She is my go-to source for picking up merchandise from Tokyo or Tokyo Disney Resort! When I saw this headband in other people's pictures and vlogs from Tokyo Disney I had to get my hands on it. Luckily Carey was able to pick it up for me and I think it completes my Mike Wazowski fan club look quite well. Why does Tokyo Disney get all of the good merchandise??? 

Now we can't forget this amazing jersey from Walt's Wardrobe. I love this thing! It is such a unique piece that you can't find anywhere else. They have a bunch of other Pixar designs in addition to Monsters Inc. as well! I added a fun Monsters University pin onto the jersey for an extra Monsters Inc. touch. 

Also in this look I have a pair of my dream ears custom made by my bestie's sister Enchanted Ears by KT! Be sure to check out her Instagram and Etsy shop. Her ears are so comfy, plus are super affordable! She now does 3D printed designs and I just can't get over my little Mike and Boo ears. They are so darn cute! 

Although there is the brand spanking new purple galactic wall I still love the good old purple wall. The nice thing is you can take pictures with both! Gotta mix it up every once in a while. But, I will say the galactic side does add a ton more dimension then the original solid wall. Both are awesome photo spots for any Tomorrowland inspired look. 

Where it's from: 

Tee: Lost Bros Trading Co. 

Shorts: J. Crew 

Jersey: Walt's Wardrobe 

Shoes: Adidas 

Necklace: Baublebar

Ears: K.T. Enchanted Ears on Etsy 

Mike headband: Tokyo Disney via Ballpensandetc on Instagram

Pins: Chaos and Couture, Disney Parks 

 

Who is your favorite Monsters Inc. or Monsters University character? Let me know in the comments! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

Hello friends! Today on the blog I'm starting a new series called Sew Cute in Chicago. With this series I hope to share new Chicago eateries, dessert places, coffee shops, you name it that I try while I am living in the city. As a suburb girl, I never had the chance to fully explore neighborhoods and areas of Chicago outside of the loop or "true downtown". So, you better believe I am going to be eating all of the things while living downtown for the next year. I'm not sure if I'll be staying in the city another year after this lease, so I have to take advantage of my city living while I can! 

With that, I will be giving you guys reviews on things I try at places in Chicago as I try them! People are always looking for food recommendations and this way I can update you hopefully on a weekly or every other week basis on things I've tried! 

Summer House Santa Monica | First up is Summer House Santa Monica House. I ate here for the first time last summer and really enjoyed my prime rib sandwich. So, I wanted to go here for my 23rd birthday dinner to get the same meal. To my disbelief we show up at the restaurant and my sandwich was TAKEN OFF THE MENU!!! I was so upset. The main reason I went to dinner there for my birthday was because of that dish. Then I had to find something else to order off the somewhat small menu. I opted for the chimichurri flat iron steak, which was on the seasonal menu. I will say it was very tasty! I am not a fan of spice so I was concerned it would be too spicy, but it was seasoned well. Their fries are skinny and very tasty as well! I got the Ricky Bobby cocktail which had vodka, lime, and grapefruit. It was a bit tart (my boyfriend warned me of that...), but I still enjoyed it. Summer House Santa Monica is for sure a place you go for the atmosphere vs. the food. The food is good, but nothing crazy here. But, the interiors and environment is quite lovely. 

Parlor Pizza Bar Wicker Park | I've been to Parlor Pizza Bar's West Loop location and was very happy with my food! The Wicker Park location met the same expectations! Their pizza is nice and thin and the crust is very tasty. I will say the crust is very filling as it is pretty hefty. My mom and I were going to split a custom pizza, but they didn't do half and half toppings *sigh*. So we opted for a basic betch margherita pizza. It was still very good! I've gotten the french fry appetizer from there as well and that is sooooo good, lots of good unique dipping sauces to try. The atmosphere is nice, a lot of people were eating outside as it was a nice day. If you want to sit outside I recommend getting there a bit early on a weekend. There was a longer wait to sit outside then inside! 

Windy City BBQ | This BBQ place is super close to our apartment which makes it a great easy meal. Their pulled pork is very good, nice and tender and smokey. Add a side of fries and it's a great easy meal. And it's pretty affordable too! 

Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea | One of my favorite places in the Loop is the small Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea at the Chicago Athletic Club. The Wicker Park location is a large traditional coffee shop with lots of places to sit and relax. I brought my laptop to get work done during the day as I work from home and it was a great spot to get some work done. Of course until the loud kicking child came along... gotta love kids right? But, my food and drink were great! I opted for the acai bowl (the traditional not seasonal) and the Butterfly Pea Flower Arnold Palmer. This Arnold Palmer was SOOO GOOD! I would get one everyday if I could. It was so refreshing and light. I am more of a tea gal then coffee so this was the perfect summer beverage for me. This is on their seasonal menu, so I'm not sure how long it will last. It gave me major Disney Flower & Garden Violet Lemonade vibes. So tasty! 

Magnolia Bakery | Although I am not new to Magnolia Bakery, I have been stopping by their State Street location as a treat yo self moment recently. My go-to cupcake is the chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream. But their seasonal strawberry cupcake is very tasty as well! Magnolia Bakery is originally from New York so be sure to check out their other locations. 

Sweet Mandy B's | This Chicago local sweet shop serves up "old fashioned desserts". From cupcakes, brownies, cookies, you name it this place has it! It feels super quaint and cute with adorable purple booths and decor. I got the cookie monster cupcake which had a chocolate chip cookie cooked into the bottom. While my boyfriend got a mint chocolate brownie. Both treats were very tasty! With an extensive amount of choices you could go back time and time again to try them all. 

Stay tuned for more Sew Cute in Chicago posts! Let me know if you end up trying any of these places for yourself! 

XOXO 

Miranda 

"We're three birds of a feather"

Although there has been talk of getting rid of the Three Caballeros, GASP, you better believe I will be there boycotting if that ever happens. I remember watching this movie as a kid and just loving all of the music and colors. Most people have never seen the movie, but I assure you it is worth the rental fee because it is so great!!! 

For my Three Caballeros look I channeled my inner Donald Duck of course! With fun sailor inspired shorts I feel like Donald would approve. 

My other accessories are pretty simple. I love this glitter monogram necklace from Baublebar, it is so neutral and works great with Disney looks. When I pack for Disney I always try and bring a few neutral necklaces that can work with any look. 

 

Where it's from: 

Tee: Walt's Wardrobe 

Shorts: J. Crew

Ears: Aloha Ear Design 

Shoes: Adidas 

Necklace: Baublebar

What is your favorite ride at Epcot? You all know mine! Let me know in the comments below. 

XOXO 

Miranda