GiGi Bottega in Evanston

Dress: Threadsence, Necklace: Pree Brulee, Shoes: Shoemint (similar), Ring: Jewelmint, Bangles: T plus J Designs, Clutch: Shoedazzle

Myself and Kaitlyn went to a boutique party at GiGi Bottega last week and had such a wonderful time. The store is right in downtown Evanston (612 Davis Street Evanston, IL 60201) and carries a wide range of designers including BB Dakota and Blu Pepper. The boutique has just recently opened and I think the set up is beautiful (she even found gorgeous hardwood floors under what was once carpeted! Score!!). Here are some photos I took while walking around the store. We got there first so we were able to get some great shots! ;) The first photo is of me and the store owner Gina (how adorable is she!?).

Yes, fellow CBN blogger Mariposa of the Clever Clipper was there too! 

I tried on about 8 items and ended up leaving with the 2 I loved the most. Darn you budget (shakes fist in air)!! I am kicking myself for not snagging that amazing neon BB Dakota dress, but I can always go back. ;)

If you are in the Evanston area, Gigi Bottega is for sure a place to check out. Besides having great inventory (clothes, jewelry, bags, scarfs, etc) the boutique is beautiful and the owner is beyond sweet! You can check out her website here or email questions to shop@gigibottega.com. (Open Mon-Sat. 10-7 and Sun. 12-5)

There was also a pop-up trunk show for Stella & Dot at the boutique that night. Here are some photos of their classic designs and a bit of their amazing spring line. The necklace in the first photo is called the Zahara Bib Necklace....SWOON!

You can check out their full jewelry line here. If you are wanting to throw a Stella & Dot party or order any items you can contact Suzette Lipker at suzettelipker@gmail.com (or www.stelladot.com/suzettelipker). She is so sweet and said she would drive to many different towns to have parties. (I live 50 mins from Evanston and my house was not too far for her to travel!)

Happy Shopping ladies (and gents)!

Lara Miller Lookbook Photo Shoot

Here are the official photos from the lookbook photo shoot.

Photos taken by Bret Grafton (website, FB, Twitter) and clothes by Lara Miller (website, FB, TWitter). Also wearing Kristin Hassan bracelets and Erin Gallagher Jewelry Earrings.

Here are the rest of the photos of Chicago Bloggers, CBN staff, and Lara Miller Staff. I really hope I didn't leave anyone out! If I missed your photo let me know and I'll get it up!!

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Recipe: Gluten Free Meat Loaf

I love meatloaf and so do my kids, so I had to tweak my grandma's recipe to meet our dietary needs. It turned out darn good if I do say so myself! ;)

Ingredients:

-1 pound Organic ground beef

-1/2 cup Gluten free bread crumbs

-Almond milk

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon parsley

-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

-garlic powder

-3-4 splashes Worcestershire

Directions:

-Mix together beef, egg, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire

-In a separate bowl mix bread crumbs and almond milk until a paste forms. Mix with the rest of the ingredients.

-Form and place in glass pan

-Top with garlic powder

-Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until 160 degrees)

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos (gluten free)

One of my fellow blogger moms The Clever Clipper posted this recipe a couple weeks ago and I had to try it! I tweaked it a bit to fit our tastes and diet needs, and this is what I ended up with!

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken

1 jar of salsa

1 can of black beans

1/2 cup frozen corn (optional)

Instructions

Put all ingredients into slow cooker.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken.

Enjoy with rice, in taco form or any way you like!

I put ours on corn tortillas and added some cheese and sour cream. It was super easy and super de-lish!
Here's a Sears coupon if you don't have a slow cooker.

Lara Miller CBN Event

This event was beyond amazing! Here is the outfit that I wore:

Dress: Victoria's Secret, Shoes: C/O Sole Society, Clutch: Threadsence, Cuffs: H&M, Earrings: Erin Gallagher Jewelry, Chain Ring: Tiffany & CO, Black Ring: Lia Sophia

I was invited to Lara Miller's Studio for a photo shoot and party. Our task was to use her clothing and style a look, have our hair and makeup done by Anthony Balthazar & Laura Pederson, be photographed in the outfit, and then just mingle with fellow bloggers, eat, drink, shop, and have fun! Yeah, for sure an ideal opportunity! ;) Here are a few pictures of what clothes and accessories we had to choose from. There were 2 rooms of clothes so these pictures do not do it justice!

Here I am getting all dolled up for the shoot. What do you think of the outfit I choose? I went with Lara Miller's sweater dress, cream sweater slip, and cowl neck infinity scarf.

I also (OF COURSE) wore all Chicago designer's jewelry. Kristin Hassan bracelets and Erin Gallagher Jewelry earrings.

After the shoot I got to catch up with some of my favorite blogger ladies.

And lastly, a shot of me and Lara:

I want to thank the Chicago Blogger Network and Lara Miller for putting on such a great night! Also big thanks to Kind Snacks, Smart Water, Finch Beer, Pop Chips, and Homage Street Food!

I can NOT wait to see all the photos, who will make the 2012 fall lookbook, and who won the 3 prizes (1st prize is $500 worth of Lara Miller clothes!) I will post my photos from the actual shoot as soon as I get them and keep you posted if I won any amazing Lara Miller clothing. And if I didn't win I need to buy that sweater slip I wore ASAP. It goes with EVERYTHING and just clings so perfectly to your body. Kinda think everyone in the world needs this piece. Just saying... ;)