The gals behind Painfully Hip made a trip to Chicago recently and I had the pleasure to meet them. They organized a wonderful clothing swap at none other than the WOR loft on Milwaukee.

There were cute girls all around picking though eachothers discards. It worked out well for me. I got away with 5 dresses, a velor sweatshirt and a great purse.

It's amazing how one man's trash really is another man's treasure. Would any of you come if I organized a clothing swap for Chicagoland TMW readers???

If you're not from Chicago, you should probably know that everyone from (or around) the city is incredibly proud of being a native. I can probably name 5 people, off the top of my head, with Chicago flag tattoos and I think 3 of them are transplants.
On that note, speaking as a native Chicagoan, I went to the best art show EVER. At 'HELLO My Name Is CHICAGO: The Art Edition' the room was filled with amazing pieces that depicted Chicago culture. The place was packed and this time I don't think it was for the free booze( Grolsch...eek!)
Doesn't She kind of look like Kim Gordon?




One of the few times I will agree with rain boots.


A "killer" Chicago newspaper stand. AHHHH!

When I found out Malibu rum was having a free drink event I was totally there (because I'm a total whore for free alcohol). When I looked back at the flyer I realized that Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy Pete was hosting and thought, "Oh no, this is going to be interesting". Annnd, I was totally right. The event turned out to be a wannabe Stoli Hotel with hour long drink lines and bad music. To top it off, everyone there was dressed, um, pretty bad (to say the least). Even the host himself was wearing one of those Middle Eastern scarves that were popular like three seasons ago! For some reason I never seem to learn that nothing comes without a price tag (especially free booze).

It's been two weeks since the new year has begun and I am finally putting up pictures from the party I went to.(If I believed in resolutions, I would probably resolve to post in a more timely manner but I don't so you're kind of out of luck...) This year, like most others, I dodged the overpriced party scene and frugally rang in 2008 at People Projects, a local art/music space. I drank cheap champagne til' the wee hours and hung out with great friends, it was awesome. Here are some pictures from throughout the night...

Adorable, even with tape on her fames.

Oh, Michael!

You may remember the girl on the right for her role as Hitler's other half but I think, from this day forward, she'll be better known for being one of the NYE poncho twins.All jokes aside, ponchos are the shit! I have three, none of which are as elaborate as the above, but I wear them to death and I owe the inspiration for my obsession to a girl I spotted at the Eskell opening party with a really cute one on.

I love him for many reasons but the fact that he always coordinates his headband with his outfit is high on the list.

A housecoat with big, black boots makes me feel awkward.It looks like she's hiding something really sexy under her grandma's nightgown which is a little weird to me. Take away all the black and I think this would be a really cute dress...for spring (i mean, summer and belted).

Boys-about-town were spotted winterizing their ensembles with 'grandpa cardigans', ties and my favorite, the winter beard.

The fellow above is the perfect example of what you'll see a Chicago guy sporting in the winter months.

This girl got the fur trend right with the oversized, faux fur collar on her vintage jacket. (I opted for a faux fur cape this season)

You hippies can hate fur all you want but you can’t deny the demureness it gives the woman wearing it. Obviously, I'm not going to run off to Adriana Fur to feel the warmth and luxury but I will go to H & M or a thrift store for a budget/animal friendly option and you should too!

The best way to stand out from the crowd in the pitch white of winter is by wearing outerwear with a pop of color. I love, love, love red in the winter and by winter I mean, all year long!

Also, if you’re really cold this winter, you can take a cue from the gal above and 'double-scarf'. Hey, we can do that here; it's the Midwest a.k.a the land of excess. (Now that I think about it maybe I should hook her up with the guy from the Eskell party with the 'double-sweater').

See, this goes to show that a little snow shouldn't stop you from looking good on those cold, winter nights!