Randi with an i

DIY floral grapevine wreath for spring

May 25, 2017 Randi

An interesting fact about my little Chicago apartment: it’s only my second ever apartment to offer a front door closed off to the general public. You need two keys to get to it: a building key, and a unit key.

All but one of my college apartments and houses had outdoor-accessible doors. This meant that anything you left by the front door — doormats, shoes, shovels, ~~half-finished bottles of pomegranate Burnett’s~~, seasonal decor, mail — would end up stolen.

So, one of the things I love about #aptwithani is the hallway-facing front door, because it means I can decorate it for each season with a beautiful wreath, without having to worry quite so much about it disappearing.

Interior design tips for small spaces + a sneak peek of my Chicago apartment

May 17, 2017 Randi

Yesterday marked my two-year anniversary in Chicago. Where has the time gone? It doesn’t feel like it’s been two years since I packed my boxes into a U-Haul and moved into my little apartment.

Oh, my little apartment.

There are so many things I love about the city, but real estate is not one of them.

You know what I’m talking about — the impossibly tiny closet-sized units that come with all the perks of big city living.

Seriously. Sitcoms are filled with totally unrealistic expectations of big-city apartment living.

I’m looking at you, Carrie Bradshaw.

To my little sister on her graduation day

May 12, 2017 Randi

Excuse me while I take a second to gush over here. My baby sister is a college graduate! Kelly picked up her bachelor’s degree in human biology from Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science this past weekend, and I’m so excited for her. She’s one of the smartest and most caring people I know, and I can’t wait to see how she changes the biomedical field for the better.

I wanted to take a minute to heap tons of praise on her because she’s brilliant and amazing, and even though the two of us are as different as night and day, I couldn’t possibly love her any more than I do.

Breaking my foot and being forced to slow down

May 7, 2017 Randi2 comments

So guys, I broke my foot.

Mezcal vs. tequila: Cinco de Mayo cocktails

May 2, 2017 Randi1 comment

Happy early Cinco de Mayo, all!

I’ve almost always had a reason to celebrate on May 5 — but never really for the actual Mexican holiday. First, May 5 is my college friend Danielle’s birthday, so of course, we just had to celebrate it all throughout undergrad.

Second? my bachelor’s degree commencement ceremony was held on May 5, so I capped off my college career with a non-Cinco-themed party (there was a bounce house involved, though) for the occasion.

Then, work and grad school happened, and who really has time for themed parties and get togethers when you’re trying to be a functioning adult? OK, maybe those of you who have your sh!t together, but certainly not me for the last several years.

So, when Jennie invited me to make Cinco de Mayo cocktails with Katie, Jess, Maya and Sarah to celebrate the date at her apartment, I was super excited to join in and actually celebrate the holiday for the first time since high school.

I took Spanish classes all the way from middle school through college, and while I sadly can’t remember much of the language, I do remember a lot of the lessons about Mexico’s history, culture and celebrations. I know there’s always a fine line between appropriating and honoring another culture, and I think cuisine and cocktails are a great way to keep things tasteful — both figuratively and literally.

Life lately

April 30, 2017 Randi

I’m so. glad. spring weather is kinda sorta almost here on some days but also absent on others.

Regardless, writing my bi-monthly life overview is like pulling teeth during the winter. I’ll sit here and rack my brain trying to think of something — literally, anything — notable that I’ve done over the past few month, and the only two things that come to mind are “Netflix binge” and “comfy fleece pants.”

So, thank God that spring has arrived and I miraculously have the desire to leave my couch again, thus sparing you from an excruciatingly boring life update comprised entirely of soup recipes and legging reviews.

Summer blouses WITHOUT exposed shoulders and ruffles

April 23, 2017 Randi1 comment

I’m just going to go ahead and say it. I absolutely loathe the everything-off-the-shoulder-and-covered-in-ruffles trend that seems to be going on for this spring and summer season. I hate it. Despise it. Want it doused in fire and scourged from the earth.

OK, so I’m being a little dramatic. But, every time I check any of my favorite stores, it seems like everything is either completely off-the-shoulder, one-shouldered or cold-shouldered. Or, it’s covered in ruffles. Or, it’s a combination of both trends.

I have a day job. It has a dress code. I like to be taken seriously. I like to wear my comfy bra, which has thick, sturdy straps. I already look half a decade younger than I actually am, and the frilly tiered bell sleeves and ruffled layers across the chest are just not gonna fly in my wardrobe.

Am I alone in this hatred? Maybe I’m just getting old. I’m definitely getting old.

Anyway, I’m trying to do some quick shopping to update my wardrobe a bit for the spring and summer, and finding work-appropriate blouses (with sleeves and minimal ruffling) is proving to be quite the challenge.

I figured I’d take a quick second to share a few of my finds. Yunno, just in case you’re in the same boat.

Or maybe you’re loving exposed shoulders and ruffles and you think I’m a total fun sucker. Either way.

Pst, affiliate links.

I (finally) upgraded to Spotify Premium!

April 3, 2017 Randi

You guys, I took a biiiig plunge this year: I finally subscribed to Spotify Premium!

That means no more commercials, which means you all can stop judging me when you hand me the aux cord or ask me to DJ the pregame.

When I was in high school, I was really big into music. I spent hours listening to the best up-and-coming artists on Purevolume, changed the song on my MySpace out on a weekly basis and carried my totally hip fifth generation iPod Video everywhere. That thing was stocked with 32 gigs worth of pure Fueled by Ramen goodness.

But then, as high school ended and the interest in MySpace faded, things kind of changed. The local band bowling alley concerts were replaced with DJ-fueled nightclubs and music festivals stacked with headliners. I still enjoyed listening to music, but I wasn’t really passionate about discovering new artists or attending indie shows. I focused on attending classes over concerts, and on growing my career over my playlists.

It wasn’t until I moved to Chicago that I started listening to music a little bit more: While cleaning my apartment, while commuting on the L, etc. And, after being moved to a new desk in a foot-traffic-heavy part of the newsroom next to a noisy TV, I finally decided to go for the Spotify Premium subscription. As it turns out, a great playlist and a giant pair of closed-backs are a great way of deterring chatty coworkers who stroll past your desk when you’re in the middle of your workflow.

Weird weather + a gray thrifted sweater

March 21, 2017 Randi

I know this is the 16th time I’ve said it and the 300th time you’ve heard it, but how freaking weird has this winter been here in Chicago?

We had a full blanket of snow for Christmas, a clear ground on Dec. 26, rain through January, sunny skies and 70-degree temperatures for February and now, midway through March, we’re down to 20- to 30-degree temperatures and inches of snowfall.

I was ready to ditch my parka and break out the sundresses last week, but then we ended up with two full-out blizzards and 20-degree temperatures.

Luckily, we’ll be back to 60-degree weather this weekend? I honestly don’t know how to dress most days. Thanks, Chicago.

But, anyway. I digress. Let’s stop talking about things that make us miserable (winter weather in the Midwest) and start talking about things that make us happy (successful resale store shopping trips).