After a two week hiatus - I'm back to spreading the #locallove and on Valentine's Day? How fitting. This week's Connect Right is going to be a little different, given the traveling I just did. I thought it would be a great way to share some, shall we call it "long distance love" to the cities that welcomed and inspired me in many ways. I don't particularly like plans when traveling and would rather stumble upon places and explore which is what happened the majority of my trip, but thought I would share a few places that stood out to me. I was drawn to shops, and just about anywhere that I could do this crazy thing called "work" while also trying to get a feel for the cities.
Hope this triggers your wanderlust and excites you to explore somewhere new!
CONNECT RIGHT: EDITION #4
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO IF YOU WANT TO BE COZY, FULL, AND SNAP A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE IN CHICAGO....
My beautiful hosts (hi, Carolina & Victoria) know me well and knew that a centrally located place where I could work, eat, grab a juice, and capture some decor envy would be just the place for me. From the vintage styled serving ware to the couches, bookshelves and beautiful lighting, this place was the definition of cozy. Which makes sense, seeing as their hashtag is #GetCozy. Not only was the space gorgeous, the food was incredible, and they had great options for those with dietary restrictions. Right in the heart of the West Loop, we were able to bop out and wander around to explore more of the neighborhood with no disappointment at all! Wish we had longer to stay and would have come back for a drink because the bar was stunnnnning.
Those plates though....
Check out their insta for more drool-worthy / interior envy shots!
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO TO PICK UP AMAZING SOY CANDLES + GET SOME SERIOUS INTERIOR INSPO WHEN IN DENVER...
Denver had a ton of amazing vintage shops and pop-ups. Obviously, we did more than bop to these shops, but I always love to see how cities differentiate when it comes to their boutiques, style and how they celebrate their makers. After stopping at C Squared Ciders, which was so good by the way (check it out!), we wandered around and ran into this magnificent place. It reminded me a bit of Salt & Sundry with more emphasis on home goods.
I was drawn to the LaLovely Vintage pop-up where I picked up vintage post cards for my gallery wall and an amaaaazing soy candle hand poured in Denver with a tobacco caramel scent. These shops had both locally made items and outsourced retail items. Every interior detail you could think of was covered, which made it hard to leave.
Naturally, I wanted to move in.
See more pictures from their feed here.
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO TO TRY AN ACTIVATED CHARCOAL SPRITZER WHEN WANDERING THROUGH SAN FRANCISCO ...
Again a place where my friends are just really understanding of me and the need to try the same thing in a new city / the reality of me having a very boring diet #juice #carbs #avo (bless you, Erin Stegman!!). I stayed in the Marina District and Google mapped the distance from my Airbnb to the restaurant. Ambitious me thought that two miles was obviously nothing. Hello, San Francisco hills. Side note: this really put into perspective why everyone there has amazing legs in this city.
Anyyyways - 35 minutes, incredible morning sunrise views of the Bay, and a few deep breaths later I met my friend at the breakfast spot. Their menu included everything from Beet Lattes to Shrub spritzers. We tried the Activated Charcoal and Ginger and Lime spritzers, Turmeric and Matcha lattes and the GF Avocado Toast and Smoked Salmon plates. Everything was amazing, fresh, and the space was perfect to sit and push out some work! Sadly I don't have more pictures because we were focused on trying out all of these beverages and catching up in conversation without our phones (surprising, right?). Also in such a great location! I wandered around the surrounding neighborhoods and was in awe of the city.
Another friends took me to Leo's Oyster Bar which was in the Financial District. Less hills, more Ubers.
I felt as though as I had walked into Justina Blakeney's kitchen. Beautiful jungalow style with a hint of tiki bar / luau. What more could you want for a 2 PM work lunch? The space was beautiful, and again, the food was fresh and delish!
I have a ton of more recommendations for these cities that don't necessarily include toast or coffee. Happy to share more if you just message me! Thank you for following along. See ya next week!