Virginia is for Lovers Post #2: JCREW Warehouse sale.

Mom saw a sign for a JCREW warehouse sale in Richmond. I did a little google searching and found out (a) it was happening. and (b) you can get amazing deals. Like a-maz-ing deals. So, we decided it was worth the 1-hour drive to Richmond to check it out.

Dad and Ryan had plans to play basketball. So, we had an easy out to say we had plans for the morning too :)

As we arrived in the parking lot a few minutes before the doors opened, I realized I was not prepared for this. A line of at least 100 women were outside the store with huge plastic garbage bags!! I sent mom back to the car to grab a few bags of our own. I envisioned elbow-throwing and fighting over certain coats and dresses...

Luckily, I can say that it wasn't violent in there at all. There was a limited number of women (and a few men) let into the store at a time, and everyone was super nice. Mom and I split and got lost in the piles of tops, bottoms, coats, dresses, accessories, etc etc. I have to admit, it was hard work. Digging through piles and piles of clothes to find those little golden gems was not easy. But in the end, I can say we had success!

To make a long story short -- I ended up with:

1 Long wool coat, in a cream color (valued at approx $300)
1 Mid-length wool coat, in black (valued at approx $200)
5 cotton tops (valued at approx $100)
1 sweater (valued at $80)
1 sweater dress (valued at $80)
1 wool dress (valued at $150)

For a grand total of ... $150.00 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Isn't that AMAZING? I still can't believe it. The best part is that I really needed a warm wool coat for the killer winters here in Chicago, and I got 2 for way less than the price of 1. SCORE! I will be going back to JCREW for more warehouse sales in Virginia!

With Love, Philladelphia XOXO

My dad lived for 2 years in Philadelphia, and loves this city. When he heard that Ryan had never been there, he instantly decided we would make it a part of our East Coast trip. So, Thursday night we picked up Ryan from the airport in DC, and then made the drive up to Philly. We were blessed with the most gorgeous fall weather, and we had a blast exploring this awesome city! I hadn't been back since I was 11, so it was fun for me to see so much culture and history as an adult, when I can appreciate it just a little bit more :)

Aren't my parents the cutest couple ever??

Liberty Bell.

Walking along the historic streets of Philadelphia.

Christ's Church.

Independence Hall had all kinds of scaffolding on it, so I thought a photo of Congress Hall would have to do the trick. 

See all the scaffolding? I was so disappointed.

Outside Independence Hall.

The Signer.

We went to lunch at a little dive called Ishkibibbles, for philly cheese steaks. Delicious!! It also gave me the chance to meet up with one of my dearest friends, Nicole, who has been living in Philadelphia for the last year and a half. It was so fun to see her!!

We went exploring beyond the typical historical sites and found the oldest neighborhood in the history of the US. I LOVED this alley and the gorgeous row houses that are still occupied today.

Another one of my favorite things on this trip was finding Reading Terminal. This was an awesome market full of fresh fruits, veggies, meats, and awesome restaurants. Since Dad already made plans for a cuban restaurant for dinner, we decided to have our dessert first and grab some ice cream before leaving. It was AMAZING. If you ever go to Philly, go to Reading and get some ice cream!

We took a stroll by gorgeous city hall, and of course took some photos in front of the LOVE sign. It did take a local guy to pressure Ryan into giving me a kiss in front of the sign! :)

We ended the day with the most amazing meal. Alma de Cuba was an incredible restaurant for design, and aesthetics as well as the food and flavors. I would go back in a heart beat!

Thanks Dad for showing us the best time ever in Philly!!

VA is for Lovers Post #1: Pumpkins

Mom and I found this great little General Store & pumpkin patch in Ruckersville (does that scream country, or what?). We went crazy for pumpkins and gords and anything that would look good on her front porch! Its times like these that make me miss have a house, and a front porch to decorate.

We had high hopes for carving pumpkins and making our own pumpkin pie filling... but sadly those things didn't get accomplished on this trip! I'll have to do them on my own at home. But look how great our pumpkins/gords/etc look in front of mom and dad's house!!

Virginia is for Lovers.

We are back from Virginia, and I have lots to share with you!! Mom and dad kept us SO BUSY while we were there-- they wiped us out a few times! It was so fun to explore Virginia and spend so much quality time with mom and dad. I've got a busy work-week ahead but look for some posts from me this week!!!

xoxo
Kiley

Home is where the Heart is.

I am in Charlottesville, VA this week visiting my parents new home. They recently relocated from Bakersfield, CA to Charlottesville earlier this year. My parents were born and raised and raised us in the Bakersfield area, so needless to say it is an adjustment to move to the other side of the country!! There are many challenges that you face in moving, and I admire my parents in how they have embraced this move and made the most of it.

It's kind of weird to be in their home and look out the window to see tall trees and dense leaves instead of roses and flowers and a pool! Its hard to realize this is now their home, but one thing I have learned is that the same sweet spirit is here.

Mom and I went for a morning run and it was so gorgeous. I loved watching the leaves fall from the trees, and looking out to see the beautiful blue ridge mountains.

Fall is here and I am loving it.

October = Fall. 

For weeks, everyone has been talking about fall. I guess I just don't consider September to be "fall" yet (that could be, because I was married in September and it was definitely 100 degrees!!)

At any rate, I've been watching for the signs of fall: aka: the trees in Chicago to change in color, and this week I finally got what I was looking for! The very first signs of fall, on October 1st. Well, at least in a few of the trees. They are taking their sweet time, but I am fully confident in a week or two, fall colors will be abundant in Chicago and I can't wait!

Here are some photos from my mid-day jog through the city out to the shoreline. What a gorgeous gorgeous day. It just doesn't get any better than this.