Monday Round Up: Independence Day + Chicago Vacay / My Monochromatic Life

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Happy Monday! I am back after a long vacation for the holiday. So sorry I didn't get any posts up last week. I really meant to write a few posts but I was having so much fun I didn't get to sit down. Honestly, I was with family too and any chance I had to be with them I took it. Sometimes some things have to wait, ya know? Hope you all had a fun holiday and got to be with family and friends in the hot July sun!

Every year we go to visit our family who lives in Indiana, but right outside of Chicago. We have been visiting them my whole life so the drive feels easy, not to mention I went to grad school there so it's like driving home. I was going down ahead of D and Reese. I drove alone on Saturday following my parents down there. It took forever to get there with traffic and construction, but we got in late on Saturday.

Sunday we went to see the Twins vs. Cubs game at Wrigley Field. I have been a couple of times, but it is always fun to be at one of America's iconic ballparks A bunch of us went so we got seats in the bleachers. It was also legit maybe 95 degrees and we were sweating our faces off. Initially, the Twins were getting their butts kicked by the Cubbies. The Twins came back but ultimately lost 11-10 with a little bit of rain. It was a bummer to lose, but spending time with my family is always a win.

Monday and Tuesday were relatively chill days. Monday we basically just relaxed. Tuesday we went to a town nearby called Crown Point that had a cute little square around an old Town Hall building. They had a few cute shops, some antiquing and a couple funky little bars. One was a Zombie/Tiki bar that reminded me of an old bar of D and I's that no longer exists. We hung out there a bit until I had to pick up D and Reese from the airport.

Wednesday was the big day, the 4th party. My family hosts a big party every year complete with massive fireworks. Typically we spend the afternoon in the backyard with some music and games and finale fireworks show. Unfortunately, it was another hot and humid days we spent most of it inside. We tried to play our bags tournament but got rained out. We did, however, eat until we felt like exploding and drank our fill. Some people did light off fireworks but with the rain, it was even more humid than normal and the bugs were fierce. I opted to stay inside. Overall, it was still a great day and look forward to next year!

Thursday we attempted to go into Chicago. One of my cousin's friends hadn't really been in the city before and D and I always like to hit up some old haunts. We went and walked around Grant and Millenium Park before it looked like it was going to rain again. We headed back to the car but got caught in the rain. Thankfully we found an overhang and stayed there until the boys could go get the cars. Thank goodness for Lyft! Afterward, we ran to a store based in Chicago I love, Alice + Wonder, then to Michael's on Broadway for the best pizza in Chicago. It is located in our old neighborhood and we were there so much they still recognize us when we go back. We ate our fill before heading home. That night we went back to my cousin's house to finish off some of the 4th of July beer and food. We also played one of the most epic games of cards against humanity I have ever played. Looking forward to seeing my family again soon!

For the Fourth of July, I had to dress the part. Some people in my family dress obnoxiously American and has kind of become their thing each year. Instead of competing with that I look for fashionable ways to celebrate our independence day. I was shopping the Zara sale the other week and came across this top. How cute is this? Absolutely perfect for this day. It is a bit of sweater material but the knitting is big so there are gaps so it's more breathable. Not breathable enough for a 95-degree day, but not much is. This exact top is gone now but I linked up some similar ones. I also love it because I can imagine how I can wear it to work without looking silly. I paired it with these old shorts from J.Crew that are a staple in my closet. They definitely dress up looks in the summer and was on the same level of dressiness for this top. I usually keep it a bit more casual at this party, but the top was too perfect it called for these shorts. The colors on this look scream "AMERICA" so I kept everything else simple. My go-to necklace and some gold accents with nude shoes. Best part is this can work for Labor Day weekend too, maybe toned down with a denim skirt instead.