We are two sisters who love cooking, DIYing, entertaining, traveling, a good glass of wine (or two or three), photography, and pretty much anything where we can use our creativity. Our main mission is to keep an online journal in hopes of inspiring ourselves daily. If we happen to inspire others along the way, it would be an added bonus.
I am a 25 year old recent newlywed to my husband, Brian. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 25 year old condo. Yes, my house and I are the same age (my house being the one needing redecorating and updating). I love trying out new recipes, DIYing works of art to decorate my home, working on my photography skills, and above all making time for my family and friends (particularly my big sister Cortney). During the week you can find me wearing kaki’s and cardigans, as I am a second grade teacher. My goal is to use the creativity I use in my classroom on a daily basis in other realms of my life.
I am a 29 year old Chi-Town city gal living in a cozy condo with my boyfriend, Jeff. Monday through Friday I go by Miss Schmitt, as my main gig is working as a speech-language pathologist at a school in the burbs. Beyond my day job, I adore decorating, finding treasures at flea markets, seeking new adventures in the city, laughing, indulging in anything sweet, and spending time with friends and family (especially my lovely sis, Kali). Read along as I share my hopes, dreams, and outcomes (the good and the bad!).I love most everything about fall. It offers amazing bold colors strewn all over the outdoors, and cool crisp air that makes for great sweater weather – without even needing a coat! Some people might think that living in the city would mean you don’t get to enjoy these things. Some might think that the city is just one big concrete jungle without many trees or leaves. Well friends, I don’t find that to be the case. There are plenty of pockets that offer all the comforts of fall with the added bonus of walkability. I often find myself wondering the streets, taking in my surroundings and thinking to myself “I love where I live, it’s just so gorgeous.” Feast your eyes on the beauty of Chicago in the fall.
Probably my absolute favorite thing to do in the fall is take a nice long walk and crunch a whole lotta leaves! Yes, I still like to run around seeking out a big pile to jump in or step on. I’m not kidding, I will go out of my way to step on a leaf that looks nice and crunchy. Something about the sound of a crunching leaf gets me every time!
And then there is the comfort food. I love a good pot of chili, a slice of fresh apple pie, or warm apple crisp. The other day I got into a baking mood and decided to whip up a batch of caramel apples. They were so simple and I swear they tasted even better because I made them myself. I got a block of caramel from a local orchard and melted it down in a deep bowl (not sure if it was meant for caramel apples or not), Stuck some sticks in the top of the apples and then dipped and twirled them in the caramel. I placed them on some parchment paper to dry and then drizzled a few with melted chocolate and walnuts. Aaaannnd voila! That’s it!
Come to think of it, there is only one thing I don’t love about fall: The fact that winter is coming. It’s pretty and I’m obsessed with Christmas, but the snow and all the traffic that comes with it makes me shudder.
