IHeart: Chicago!!

Sorry for the late post today... I was having major technical difficulties trying to pull pictures off of my phone to share here... Things that should be easy....

This past weekend the hubs and I took a MUCH needed weekend getaway to Chicago.  This is something we have been talking about doing for awhile now, and finally hit a breaking point of just needing to get away.

We used the power of the internet to find a smokin' great deal on a hotel in the heart of the city, packed up our bags and headed out Friday morning!

All I can say is WOW, love that city.  Never had been before, wish we had longer to stay.  It's so pretty and clean and everyone was so wonderful and friendly.  Here was the view directly out of our hotel:

We did a lot of walking and some sight seeing, took in a romantic dinner and some drinks overlooking the city at night:

But of course I couldn't neglect the fact that there are some GREAT shopping opportunities there.  Ones that we don't necessarily have near our abode...

So I Googled around and found that the best location to check out some home decor shops was on North Clark Street.

I would have to agree.  I did a LOT of window shopping here.  Well, actually, I will call it inspiration shopping.  I didn't spend more than $14 on this street on some little decorative letters and a map of the city I plan to frame, but I did take in a lot of great ideas.

That sunburst mirror had a price tag of over $600 smackaroos.  It was beautiful, but I know I could DIY something similar for far less.  Glad it gave me a new idea on a sunburst I hadn't seen prior.

How gorgeous is this lantern?  It would be SO pretty over a dining table...

My favorite store was The White Attic.  By a long shot.  I didn't want to leave.  It was basically a shop filled with the most beautiful painted vintage furniture and trendiest lighting around...

Their craftsmanship and attention to detail was incredible.  I tried to stay in there for hours, the hubs had to drag me out.  How great is this two toned dresser?

And I was so excited to see the yellow and aqua combo everywhere.

There were two other shops at the top of my must see list, since again, we don't have access to them near home.  The first was the Jonathan Adler store.  I was left speechless.  I wanted to move in.  I sat on the couch and took every last detail in {like the dork we all have come to know that I am}.  All  of the colors are so exactly my personality and style.  The prices, not so much, but I was left feeling more inspired than ever.  I used my cell to capture a couple of shots... Love.

More aqua and yellow!  Beyond words pretty!

How great are those lamps and that mirror?  The dresser was pretty divine as well!

Loved the greek key pattern on all of the dishware and the bright colors on all of the acrylic trays.  Totally swooning.

Next we popped into a Land of Nod to peek at goodies and inspiration for the kidlets.  Again, never had been.  Pretty adorable little happy place!

Since we are in the middle of working on the basement, which includes our playroom, I took note of their artwork.  Loved the bright and colorful alphabet artwork.

The little stools at this play table would be beyond perfect by our new Lego build table...
 

More artwork, loved how they displayed flashcards along a piece of molding.  Too cute!

Of course, no shopping trip or big city visit would ever be complete without a trip to the Container Store.  What caught my eye this time around?  All things color of course!

These office supply boxes are great for documents, media, photos, magazines, art projects, anything really!

The colorful open faced stacking baskets would be easy peasy toy storage for kids in a playroom, or great for recycling in the garage!

You know how much I adore lining drawers with pretty paper!  The Container Store has the prettiest drawer liner around!

And for the pantry or bathroom or even an office, these stackable storage containers are fantastic and COLORFUL!  Oh why didn't they exist when we did our pantry?!

We really didn't have enough time to explore the entire city or hit up all of the shops I had been dreaming of, I think it warrants a return visit!

Anyone else jet off to a last minute vacation lately?  What's your favorite city to get your shopping on?  Anyone have any other recommendations for me for my next trip to Chicago?