for mom.

mother's day quickly approaching and i have been on the look out for something sweet for my mom. etsy is always my first stop and i am always delighted when i stop by colette paperie. the shop is full of all things paper and ink- cards, tea towels, and napkins. here are a few of my favorites::

address box and cards $42.50, antique rosette recipe cards $14, monogrammed rosette stationary $16.50, monogrammed rosette stationary greeting cards $16.50, 


BONUS:: shop colette paperie may 1- may 7th and enter the code CORNFLAKE for 25% off your purchase. 


xoxo, 
jillian

love is sweet.

today i am linking up with breakfast at toast's wedding blog crawl... and i have my mind on sweet things::

hoosier mama pies, ice cream cookie pops, the cake poppery

biscuit bar, voodoo donuts (we had these in portland and LOVED them!), cupcakes

i have a major sweet tooth so i would love to have quite a bit of variety at my wedding for the desserts. what sort of sweets do you dream of on your wedding day? anything different? 

xoxo, 

jillian

ps: we're getting excited about the honeymoon too!

{royal} friday's fancies #15.

cherrio mates! today i am linking up once again with {av} over at long distance loving for her Friday's Fancies! this week is all about the royal wedding and my friday's fancies is what i would wear if extended an invitation. (in reality i'll most likely be wearing my not so smancy pj's to watch the wedding)!

fancy pants:: dress $550, earrings $398, crinkle swirl fascinator $480, clutch $1,995 

i'm excited to see the fashion (esp kate's dress!) and the ceremony... but i'll admit i hope the news coverage doesn't last forever.
are you excited about the royal wedding? or already over it?

xoxo,

jillian


ps curious about my "day job"?! hope over to a cat in gloves to read all about when good music goes bad in our office. 

prepping to party.

 color banners

hola! next thursday is cinco de mayo!! it's one of my favorite holidays, second only to thanksgiving! to celebrate i want to invite other bloggers to post their favorite fiesta inspired ideas and link up right here on may 5! so gather up all of your favorite mexican food and drink recipes, fashion, travel and decor ideas and let's fiesta!

besos! 

jillian


ps if you want to link up feel free to grab the fiesta little button (left) to put on your post! link ups start next thursday, may 5 at 7am CST. email me with any questions!

{guest post} - andrea reh.

Bonjour tout le monde, Andrea from Andrea Reh here. Being somewhat of a hotel fiend (okay, a complete hotel fiend), I was super excited when Jillian suggested that for our first blog swap, we share our ultimate staycation and our ultimate vacation. I knew immediately that it could only be Mollies for my staycation - a boutique hotel set in the heart of Auckland, New Zealand, I have wanted to stay here for as long as I can remember. Auckland's ultimate "boho-bolthole", the airy dining room is the setting of frequent daily operatic recitals for uber-stylish guests (a la Jay Z and Beyonce on their recent trip down under).

For my dream vacation (or holiday, as we call it here in New Zealand), it could only be Paris - the City of Light and my eternal obsession. Few hotels epitomise Paris more than Le Petite Moulin - a century-old bakery reconcieved by the renown Christian Lacroix. With each room inspired by a different aspect of the Bastille, Lacroix meant the the hotel to "remind us of doll houses, or of the cut-through views of buildings found in 20th century encyclopaedias, where the atmospheres were very different from one floor to another." Exquisite.
 

thank you to andrea for stopping by! officially adding new zealand to my travel wishlist! and be sure to hop over to andrea reh to see my dream staycation and vacation plans.

 

xoxo,

jillian

isn't she lovely.

i have such a serious style crush on zooey deschanel. but who doesn't... 

i think it started with almost famous and i was won over by (500) days of summer. if i could switch wardrobes with any modern celebrity it would be miss deschanel. o and it would be pretty amazing to be able to sing like her too. ah well.. let's gawk. 

who is your modern celeb crush? who would you want to switch closets with?! 

xoxo, 

jillian


ps check out chicago's royal couple :)

here comes the sun.

it won't stop raining...so naturally i have been dreaming about summer and sunshine. it seems like it will never arrive in chicago, but when it does i want to be ready. i have added a straw fedora or cloche to my wishlist :) here are a few of my favorites::

colorblock braided straw fedora $29, brixton zoey hat $40, linen fedora $24, braided straw bow cloche $29

do you wear hats in the summer? 

xoxo, 

jillian

wedding venue review.

good morning chickadees! i hope everyone had a lovely weekend! i have some fantastic news---after seeing almost ten venues in the past month, h and i finally found the perfect place to get married!!! during our visit to the metropolis ballrooms on saturday i was overwhelmed with excitement and relief because i knew this was the one. it had everything we wanted:: 

-a room large enough to hold our large guest list for dinner and dancing with high ceilings, huge windows, wood floors, and a built-in bar

-a large patio right off the dinner/space

-a large separate space to go for cocktails (with exposed brick and another built in bar)

-comfy and large bridal suite

-in-house catering (=fresher food)

-free parking garage next door 

-a park across the street where we could hold the ceremony (weather permitting)

-the owner is a wedding coordinator who really knows his stuff and seems like he'll be fun to work with

-nearby (affordable) hotels for out of town guests 

-lots of bathrooms (who knew that would be so hard to find?!)

here's a venue recap of all of the places we checked out:: 

morton arboretum, chicago park district columbus park refectory, prairie production

loft on lake, room 1520, skylight studios

ravenswood event center, hyatt lodge, metropolis ballroom

every place we visited had it's pros and cons but we loved with metropolis ballroom (the photos don't begin to show the space)! you'll just have to wait and see how we transform the space ;)


do tell-  married friends:: was it a challenge for you to find your perfect wedding venue? single ladies:: do you already have a place in mind? 


xoxo, 
jillian

happy easter.

anyone else remember wearing those pink curlers?!, cadbury egg brownie recipe, cadbury cupcake recipe 

i hope all of your Cadbury egg dreams come true :) 

h and i are off to my aunts house today for easter dinner. i am making my family favorite's casserole: broccoli, cheese and rice-- and i am going to add in some fresh zucchini. (hopefully they like it!) i am excited to spend time with my family and see all of my little cousins. 

do you celebrate easter? if so, do you have any special traditions? 

xoxo, 
jillian

it's easy being green.

happy earth day! in lieu of link love i wanted to share with you a few simple green tips that h and i swear by::

reuse glass jars for storage. we wash out our spaghetti sauce jars and store pasta, oats, and other dry goods. it makes things v accessible in our cabinets and a little prettier than typical packaging.

composting. i know, i was scared at first too... but it's super easy and you won't have to take the garbage out as much! h and i separate all of our vegetable and fruit scraps and he puts in into our compost bin (mixed with leaves and dirt, we don't do worms) and stirs it up. in a few weeks the scraps disappear and you have great dirt for your garden (he is going to donate our dirt to his brother who has a proper back yard).

reusable napkins and tea towels. instead of spending a ton of money on paper towels and napkins buy some pretty napkins and tea towels and reuse/wash as necessary.

reusable bags. take them everywhere you shop, not just the grocery store. plastic shopping bags drive me insane.

turn down the heat/ac when you're not home.. this ones a no-brainer but it really saves on energy consumption and costs. 

go paperless. sign up for electronic bill pay and cancel your catalogue subscriptions (less magazines to recycle and less shopping temptation!)

water collection and reuse. another seemingly drastic step but it's SO easy to put a bucket in the shower to collect all that water before you get in. h uses his shower water to take care of our plants :)

shop local. visit your local farmers market to get fresh and local produce and avoid buying produce at the grocery store from far away countries (it takes a lot of oil to have them shipped to the US).

reduce your online shopping. packaging and shipping eat up a lot of oil too! double that when you return an item.

do you have any more easy green-living tips?

have a fantastic weekend!!

xoxo,

jillian

friday's fancies #14.

this sunday is easter. hello, cadbury eggs and jelly beans i have missed you. this sunday h and i are going to my aunt's for dinner.. i am super excited to see my family and hang out with my cousins. 

tonight h and i are having a little date and i am thinking about surprising him by wearing my new shabby apple dress. i actually won it in a giveaway (blogLOVE!) and i am absolutely smitten! it is one of the most comfortable things i have ever tried on and the length and fit is perfect. loveee it.. and it will absolutely be making an appearance in spain this fall :)

shabby apple dress $86, emersonmade necklace $68, wedges $118
link up your friday's fancies over at {long distance loving}! 

are you going to dress up for easter sunday? or are you going to wear something more relaxed and comfy? 

xoxo, 

jillian


ps hop over to la chapstick fanatique for my latest frenchie crush :)

style crush - {running on happiness}.

meet katie from running on happiness::

i admire katie's sense of style and happy attitude so she was an obvious choice for my april blogger style crush :: she takes time to be thankful, she likes donuts, and she shares great tips with other bloggers... not to mention all the fantastic beauty and fashion stuff :)

Get the Look: Shirt: Jcrew $98, Jeans: Gap $69.50, Shoes: "Zander" LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's $45, Purse $48, Necklace $18 

now for a little Q&A time :)
what trends do you love right now:: I am really loving chambray tops. They look great with anything; even denim (as long as there is a contrast. I don't think I'll ever get into that monochromatic denim on denim look. What is that called anyways, a cowboy tuxedo?). Other spring trends I am loving are platform sandals with the wooden soles, lace, bright colors and floral prints!
 
who is your favorite designer:: Tough question! There are so many fantastic ones to chose from! But if I had to pick one, it would be Rachel Roy. I love the bold use of color and prints in her designs. They are always playful yet sophisticated.

where do you like to shop::I like to shop at the Impulse section at Macys, H&M, Muse Apparel, BCBG, Target, Old Navy, FreePeople and Francesca's Collection.

what is favorite piece of clothing or accessory:: I'd have to say my JBrand "Kiki" high-waisted wide leg jeans are my favorite piece of clothing right now. They are just so chic and I feel like I am channeling my inner hippie when I wear them.

what do you feel most comfortable wearing:: I feel most comfortable in jeans or jean shorts, a well fitted crisp white tee, and a cute pair of flats or sandals. My style is pretty low key.

what is on your shopping wishlist:: Rag and Bone flared jeans. A Michelle or Michael Kors watch, and a brightly colored Tory Burch or Marc Jacobs leather bag for spring/summer.

who is the most stylish person in hollywood (past or present):: Currently I love the style of Rachel Bilson, Olivia Wilde and Olivia Palmero.

what do you like most about blogging?:: Blogging has been one of the best things I could have done for myself. It has opened up a world of opportunity that I never knew could have existed. It has allowed me to meet so many interesting, inspiring and amazing people! Working as a paralegal, I often feel very stifled. That void has been filled through my blog because it allows me to be as creative as I want to be, and I am always thinking, "What's next." Having a blog is an extension of yourself and you want it to represent you as truthfully as possible. Since my blog is titled, "Running on Happiness" I have literally become that.The focus in my life more now than ever, has been all about being happy. I just can't say enough positive things about blogging. Besides, I get to be one of Jillian's blogger crushes for a moment in time! Not too shabby!

a huge thank you to katie for participating! i hope all of you hop over to running on happiness for a daily dose of fashion inspiration :)

xoxo, 

jillian

trend-fail.

i finally bought an oversized gold watch online the other week... it has been on my wishlist for months.

i was super excited about my gold monster watch but that excitement went away after about a day. it felt like it was eating my arm-- i literally couldn't bend my wrist because the watch was so big. fail. once i finally admitted the oversized gold watch goodness wasn't right for me i opted for a smaller rose gold watch which fits perfectly (and compliments my ring!)

have you ever had a trend-fails?

what trends are you loving right now?

xoxo, 

jillian

we heart WE.

this weekend h and i visited a few stores to get a feel for what would be the best place to register at next year. we stopped by the apple store (swoon..dreaming of a desktop), the container store, world market, west elm and pottery barn. it was fun to window shop and i am happy to report h and i have v similar tastes :) we fell in love with just about everything at west elm:: 

1. moroccan plates  2. recycled-glass bowls  3. sunshine tea towel 4.enamel metal dipping bowls 5. mediterrian print napkins 6. recycled-glass vase 7. mediterrian trays 8. terracotta cylinder planters 


it's a big bummer that west elm do not offer wedding gift registries! ah well... we'll figure something out. perhaps we'll create a wishlist and send it to tech-savy friend and register at another place for everyone else.


what is your favorite home decor store? 
what's on your house (or apt.) wishlist?


xoxo, 
jillian

bubble tea.

every sunday h and i go out to dinner with his dad, brother and his fiance. it's something i look forward to all week and they are able to get me out of my comfort zone in the food department. over the past two years i have had the pleasure of expanding my foodie horizons with indian (a favorite), tapas, persian (LOVE), greek, ethiopian, thai and cuban.


i have been a fan of chinese food for years but i have been reluctant to try bubble tea. i don't like tea and i am slightly lactose intolerant so it seemed like a no-go.  

h convinced me i could order one that would taste like a smoothie. so i did and at first i really liked my pineapple, strawberry, banana drink...then i slurped up what felt like a slimy blueberry. i knew the tea had tapioca balls in it but i wasn't expecting the little sucker to pass through my giant straw so fast (okay, again duh). i literally yelped and jumped from surprise. this made everyone else laugh for far too long... :) in the end i am glad i conquered my foodie fears and i'll order another bubble tea smoothie (w/out the tapioca balls!)

what do you think of bubble tea? and those little tapioca balls? 

what new food (or drink) have you tried recently?

xoxo, 

jillian

friday link love.

hello lovelies-- here are a few of my favorites this week::

a no-bake cake recipe-- perfect for those hot summer days!

one of my favorite things to do when the weather is fine
facebook fail.
finally food trucks in chicago!!!
record player wedding invites. too cute.
a peek into the top 5 gym creep-o's via my lovely co-worker.
h sent me an email this morning with this link. (now that's love).


and in case you missed:
the one thing every girl needs- confidence
keep up with the decorate this space blog crawl! {schedule and link up} 


cheers! 
xoxo,
jillian

friday's fancies #13.

happy friday lovelies! i am super excited the weekend is almost here :) on saturday we are going to see two more potential wedding venues (that brings the grand total up to 8) -so fingers crossed one of these works. on sunday, h and i are hitting up the shops in wicker park to track down a few records he is dying to add to his collection (i'm hoping we'll sneak in a lunch date too!)  i am dreaming of springy weather but there is chilly rain in the weekend forecast. bleh. if the weather does turn around this is what i would love to wear...  

tee $55, skirt $55, necklace $89, earrings $64, tote bag $30 sunglasses $225, flats $68

how do you like to listen to your music?
do you have a record player? or do you prefer mp3's?
lately i cant stop listening to angus and julia stone.... whats on your playlist?

xoxo,
jillian

ps check out aspiring kennedy's dream interior space!

wardrobe staple.

i recently added the striped cotton-modal boatneck top ($24.50) from land's end canvas to my closet and i am in love. the shirt is crazy versitle and is my new favorite staple in my closet. i have dreamt up a few fun outfits that will be easy to transition from spring into summer.

look 1: boyfit shorts $30, cardigan $54, toms classic shoes $44, watch $60

look 2: black cropped gap jeggings (my faveee) $50 and tan minnetonka moccasins $42, bangle $58, earrings $24, cole haan bag $268

look 3: chambray full skirt $30, DV wedges $83, jcrew knotted necklace $75, rope belt $24, fossil bag $108

what is your favorite staple this season?

xoxo, 

jillian

ps it's day four of the decorate this space blog crawl -- hop over to ten scenic drive! and don't forget you can link up too!

the roaring twenties.

i have a bit of a soft-spot for the 1920s (i blame it on mr. fitzgerald). i adore the clothes, the hair, and those dance moves... simply gorgeous. 

images via

so lovelies, what is your favorite decade?

xoxo, 

jillian

ps keeping up with the decorate this space blog crawl?! hop over to a {little} dash of ash!

i wish and i'm thankful.

i am linking up with running on happiness for a little wish/thank you time.

i wish i could send all of my readers thank you's for their supportive comments and link love.

i'm thankful for the sweet shout-out from the one and only college prepster carly in her weekly prep talk!

i wish i could resist sweets.

i am thankful my bff left a few extra peanut butter m&m cookies at my apt this weekend.

i wish it was warm and sunny in chicago year round. 
i am thankful i get so excited and happy when it is actually warm outside! 


i wish i could find a wedding venue that pleases everyone.
i am thankful i get to marry my best friend next year and celebrate with my friends and family.


i wish i was a good dancer.
i am thankful i have a man who likes to randomly bust his moves with me and doesn't care that i can't keep a beat.


what about you chickadees? what are you wishing and thankful for today? 


xoxo, 
jillian


ps it's day two of the blog crawl hop over to ramblings of a small town girl and don't forget you can link up too! 

giveaway winner!

a HUGE thank you to every one who entered my six month anniversary giveaway. and THANK YOU for all of the sweet comments. your support and kind words modivate me to step it up and create inspired and orginal daily posts.

be sure to check out kayla's blog too--  ramblings of a small town girl :)

xoxo,

jillian

decorate my space!

i had a request from a co-worker, ashley from a cat in gloves, to help her dream up some ideas for her new condo! i decided to tackle the guest bedroom. here is the current room (decorated by the previous owner):: 

ashley wanted me to consider these spaces for inspiration. she wants to change the wall color and add some bold pieces of furniture. the only furniture she has for the room is a full bed and white dresser.

i picked out a few affordable pieces of furniture that have classic lines and can be used for years (arm chair, desk). i was tempted to add a bright chair but i went with more affordable throw pillows instead and still got an easy punch of color. i would also suggest that ashley paints one wall (whatever wall she has the bed on) to serve as an anchor and headboard. the stripe duvet cover makes a statement without being overwhelming, and the gender neutral color palate creates an inviting room for any guest.

ikea besta burs desk $249, cb2 grigio table lamp $59, karlstad chair $179, west elm stripe duvet cover $69, cb2 blur pillow $50, west elm pebble rug $89, ork posters! chicago print $35, chicago wrigley building 8x12 print $30, west elm poppy seed pillow cover $29, washed linen pillow cover $19

the chicago prints are my favorite pieces, ashley's favorite building is the wrigley building so the black and white print was an easy (and affordable!) pick. i also love the chicago neighborhood print for an additional punch of color.

xoxo, 

jillian

up next tomorrow: kayla from ramblings of a small town girl

blog crawl - decorate this space.

images via

featured bloggers:: 

monday, april 11 - my before/inspiration/after guest room!

tuesday, april 12 - kayla of ramblings of a small town girl

wednesday, april 13 - ashley from a {little} dash of ash

thursday, april 14 - kristin of ten scenic drive

friday, april 15 - aspiring kennedy

saturday, april 16 - rail of styles 'n cream

sunday, april 17 - alexandra of things that sparkle


now it's your turn- link up and decorate your dream space! DIY, Before/After, Color Boards and Inspiration Photos are welcome all week :) add your blog below and connect it with an interior design post. (feel free to grab a blog crawl button above!)


xoxo, 
jillian

to paris with love.

le, sigh. i've seen a lot of paris posts lately... and it makes me think of the glorious month i spent there while i was in college. during my study abroad i took a language class and a cultural class, where we visited every major museum, chapel, and monument. the group took a weekend trip to normandy and we saw the infamous d-day beaches and the epic mount saint-michelle. we also visited versailles.. this was my favorite day of the entire trip. i was enamored with the palace and the gardens (blame that on a cheesy romance novel i read in high school french class). versailles and paris was perfection. 


i would love to visit the city again, this time with h. and i will be sure bring a camera (silly college student me thought i would just get copies of other peoples photos. le fail.) cameras or not it is the perfect place to make memories with someone you love. my bloggy bff, little miss {av} knows something about that-- she and her husband are celebrating their one wedding year anniversary today!! and they went to paris for their honeymoon- swoon. 

photos via

okay ready, set, let's go now :) 

have you ever visited paris? what were your favorite things to see or do? 

married ladies-where did you go on your honeymoon? single ladies-what are your travel dreams?

bisou bisou, 

jillian

friday link love.

monday, April 11 kicks off the Decorate this Space Blog Crawl! get ready for some inspired interior design ideas from a few of my favorite bloggers :) and LINK UP! that's right, all next week you can link your dream room to the Crawl!

i will be dreaming up a REAL space and furniture for my co-worker who just bought her first condo! and started her own (hilarious) blog--check it out!

and finally some link love:

author crush! i need a complete set...

another addition to my wishlist (yet another example of how blogs are deadly to my wallet)
now 'were you raised in a barn?!' might not be such an awful question
keeping it simple- a city hall wedding.
pizza dip?! why didnt i hear about this before?

and in case you missed: guest posts galore- blue color crush on summer year round, our little love story on peace of cake, girls around the world on flossy blossom
only a few days left to enter the laura lombardi jewelry giveaway! i'll announce a winner on monday.

have a fantastic weekend!
xoxo,
jillian