friends, girl talk, Life, Lifestyle, Party, Travel, women

Forget Boat Ownership – Why Boat Sharing is Perfect for Me!

September 6, 2017

I’m a Chicago gal….well mostly. Though I was born in Missouri, I’ve spent most of my life in the Chicagoland area. I moved to downtown when I started my undergraduate career at Depaul University in 2001. It wasn’t long before I realized the beauty of living in this not-so-hidden Midwestern gem of a city!

From quaint storefronts, to cute coffee shops, and culinary excellence; I knew what would make this glorious city even more amazing is having or renting a boat. Lake Michigan sits on the shorelines of, arguably, one of the most beautiful skylines in the US. After getting married and doing a brief stint in the suburbs, my husband, two children and I decided to move back to Chicago. Despite awkward questions and wonder of doing what most people don’t, it was one of the best decisions for our family.

One of the things we love the most about this city is all the green spaces, the family friendly events and the accessibility to Lake Michigan and it’s beautiful beaches. We couldn’t help but question the possibility of boat ownership. I feel like it rung in our ears every time we thought of it….the comments of the best days of boat ownership are the “day you buy” it and the “day you sell it.” That’s when we discovered boat shares.

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One thing was certain, we wanted to share our love for the city and Lake Michigan with our children. We chose to work with Pinnacle Yachts as our first boat share. Kudos to my husband who took all the coursework to get certified to get “behind the wheel” of the boat.

Personally speaking, some of the pros of boat sharing are:

-Lifelong memories

-Hosting

-Jumping in the Great Lake Michigan

-The Play Pen

-Being directly under the fireworks as they take off from Navy Pier

-Seeing the beauty of our city from the water day or night

-Cruising the Chicago river

-Tying up to a restaurant for some yummies to share on the boat

-Sleeping on the boat after a long day in the sun

-Joining the likes of others with shared interest of the great outdoors

-Having the option to hire a captain should the driver want to enjoy a cocktail or two with friends and family

-No Mortgage

-No Maintenance

Here are some of the cons:

-Opening and closing the boat

-Scrubbing it down

-Not having first pick on popular dates on the boat

Clearly the pros outweigh the cons and though it’s a luxury, it’s a one to look into for Summer 2018 indeed. The costs for boat sharing vary greatly based on the type of boat, days you would like to spend on the water and amenities you need when you are out there. If you have any more questions or would like to learn more about my experience, email me at [email protected]

See you on the water! Check out our Boat Party for Savvy Chick Vlog here.

Your Party Chick,

Sonia

Beauty, Fashion, girl talk, Lifestyle, Party, trending, women

What does it look like “Behind The Scenes”

August 23, 2017

Whenever I post images or “bts” images on my social media pages, I get flooded with text messages from “hey, how can I become one of your models” or “what really happens behind the scenes?” I thought for my next blog post it would be fun to share some of my experiences.

For the past four years I have worked with a client helping create the looks for their spring and fall bridal campaigns. When I think back to our first campaign together, I can’t help but be reminded just how far we have come as a team. I can’t emphasize the word “team” enough because it truly is a group effort.

There are so many preparations that go into executing a successful shoot. A lot of creative energy and communication goes into. One of our first steps is our creative team will send emails and photographs of inspiration. After several meetings and inputs from everyone, they will usually confirm the mood and the process of building our sets start to take place.

While our set is starting to slowly be brought to life, the photographer will usually send his/her inspiration for lighting. I can’t tell you how important lighting is. It’s everything. You can have the most beautiful model, on a perfect set, wearing a gorgeous gown. If the lighting is off then everything is off! No pressure, right?!

Once we have all agreed on a lighting that is appropriate for our inspiration, we start brainstorming hair, makeup and styling looks. This can be from choosing a model with the right hair color, down to the color of their natural lips. Does she have freckles? How will they photograph? Does she have a birth mark on her back? Can our team of editors get rid of it and will it be expensive to do so.

From there we start our search for the perfect models. This process can be a long and draining process. They not only have to fit the image the creative team desires but they need to be the exact height and measurements as the sample sizes as they will not alter them.

These are really just a few but most important steps in bringing a vision to life. As I mentioned it’s truly a team effort. I always look forward to these shoots because they allow me the opportunity to work with such creative people whose passion for art and excellence is contagious.

Love,

Deanna-Your Beauty Chick

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Off The Runway

August 17, 2017

The Chicks were invited to preview Nordstrom’s Off The Runway event and we were in fashion heaven! Maybe it was the delicious hors d’oeuvre’s, or the beautiful ambiance created by live jazz music and live models — that made this event so unique and fun. Our stylist had invited us to check out the latest trends that will be hitting the website in the fall, straight off the runway, and we wouldn’t have missed this chance! We definitely noticed a few things that may be trending this fall:

Pop Of Color is Still A Thing

Look at these rust hue pants — they are stunning and with the loose long fit, they are the most comfortable pants we tried on all night! Our model, lawyer, polo player and horse whisperer Pamela Flannigan went home with these stunning Victoria Beckham pants!

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Black Remains the Chicks Uniform of Choice

This Gucci dress is why we wear black ALL THE TIME, and how can you not? Our Party Chicks shows us how this fit made her feel like a million dollars.

Gucci Dress with details that are worthy of the season.

The Holidays are Around the Corner

I know, I know, its only August, but we could not help but feel like Christmas is coming with the beautiful emeralds and shimmer which were on so many pieces. So its not to soon to start thinking ahead to family get together’s and office parties.

Needless to say, we saw some stellar pieces. Now for the savvy part. I love unique designer pieces and accessories, however being savvy is what makes the whole experience much more exciting. Anyone that knows me understands my love for Nordstrom. It’s the many sides of the brand that I have loved for years. Listed below is how you can enjoy great finds and perks without the guilt and still look like a million bucks.

Get more out of your Nordstrom card; maximize your points by signing up for rewards even if you DO NOT have a Nordstrom CC (yep, you read that right, you don’t have to have the credit card to collect rewards).

By owning a CC, you collected rewards twice as fast and can take advantage of the many perks once you attain certain levels. Now that Trunk club, HauteLook and The Rack are under the Nordstrom umbrella, it’s easier than ever to reach higher levels with the card, thus making it closer to your perks in the form of what Nordstrom calls ‘notes’ which are $20, $50, $100 credits toward future purchases. For me it’s the complimentary alterations of my purchases via HauteLook. I have purchased some amazing dresses from boutique brands such as Oliviasous, TOV, and Tea&Cup; at amazing deals to have them altered to perfection is a huge benefit for when I attend balls, fundraiser, or events.

Being a busy mom of two, an entrepreneur, and running a household leaves me little time to go shopping for upcoming events. SO the idea of having a stylist, who not only knows my budget, and my style by having a glass of champagne or coffee and outfits awaiting me after a hectic afternoon without having to spend hours at the store. Trunk club is also another great option that makes me feel efficient. There are secrets that Nordstrom have that I wasn’t aware of — like the fact they sell Chanel and can overnight what you like and want (Chanel AND triple points, what’s not to love?!?) Even if it’s not out yet, chances are your beloved stylist will get it for you.

Lastly, the customer service I receive is priceless. As a mother of two very active minions, it’s nice to be looked at with a warm smile and “ready to help” attitude no matter how you look or feel at that moment. I’ve had awful experiences where top stores look at you up and down before deciding whether or not it’s worth helping you. (Let’s not judge based of appearances). Long story short my loyalty does go to Nordstrom for creating the best environment for everyone and anyone and whether or I have my swag on or sweatpants I know that customer service at Nordstrom makes me feel like a million bucks.

Your Savvy Chick,

Avani

For a free stylish sesh with us and our Trunk Club stylist (and free champagne!) email [email protected]

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How To Get #HairGoals

August 9, 2017

3 months postpartum and I was losing hair in ridiculous amounts. When I say ridiculous amounts I mean constant never-ending shedding all day long. 4 months postpartum and I could tell the thickness of my hair was not what it use to be – my ponytail was skinnier, I could see bits of receding in places around my hairline. I CRIED.

After doing some research, I found out that postpartum hair loss is completely normal, and happens to most women but in different severities. It has to do with all the crazy hormones trying to go back to normal in your body (Like we don’t go through enough, right?)

Even after reading that it was normal – I was devastated and seriously thought my hair would never be the same. Fast forward to 8 months after delivering – and I saw fly always all around my head. IT WAS GROWING!! (Insert happy dance!!)

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I started taking things into my own hands to help my hair grow faster and better. No chemicals, no expensive medications, just a few nourishing techniques I learned while obsessing over how to get my hair back.

Please hear me — this is just what I did to grow my hair quickly. Don’t feel pressured to have to try all these things all at once. It’s like a buffet — pick a few that work for you!

No-poo

Sigh. Yeah, you heard me. For years now I had heard about no-poo, and thought it was nuts. But I was desperate and tried it. Why not? Buy a little bit of high-quality baking soda, and use a little vinegar, add my favorite essential oil (lavender oil), clean all the buildup off my hair and scalp. RESULTS: LOVE! My hair had never looked as good, ever. I did the no-poo for about 4 months, before I went back to a natural shampoo.

The Inversion Method (Major game changer!)

What’s the Inversion Method? For one week per month, once a day, you wet your fingertips with some hair-appropriate oil (I did a mix of almond oil and castor oil), flip your head over and give your scalp a good 5-minute massage with your fingertips. Like, a really good massage. The massage paired with your head being upside down MAJORLY increases blood flow to the scalp and triggers an increase in hair growth. You should only do this once a week per month (one week on, three weeks off). Your scalp quickly gets accustomed to it if you do it too often. I’ve read that this method can grow hair 4 inches in one week – I’m not sure I saw that kind of growth but I DEFINITELY saw a difference.

Biotin

This one’s an easy one, peeps. I started taking Biotin. Pairing this with all the other crazy hair things I was doing makes it hard to for me to say how effective it is, but since taking it my nails have become rock hard. So I know it’s doing something!

Eat Healthy!

This is usually a no brainer, but there are certain foods that provide the exact vitamins that your body needs. I’m a vegetarian so I did the plant version of everything but I will list the beneficial non-vegetarian options as well

Fatty acids: Avocados, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts were my go-to. Non-vegetarian: Salmon

Antioxidant, beta-carotene, vitamin A: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Cantaloupe

Protein & Iron: Eggs for me! Non-Vegetarian: chicken, pork, and beef.

Vitamin C & Folate: Spinach, kale, broccoli, and leafy greens. I would make a smoothie!

Zinc & Biotin: Lentils, soybeans, kidney beans

Vitamin B5 & D: Greek Yogurt

Vitamin C: Blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi – Also added this to my smoothie!

Chlorine, UV, and Wind Protection: This ones pretty obvious — Throw on a hat if you can! If you’re in the pool a lot, wet your hair before going into the pool and if possible add a conditioner to help prevent it from stripping in the chlorine. Also check out my previous post on physical sunscreen to learn more about my recommendations on UV protection.

These are just somethings that really helped my hair! My hair if feeling the same as before and even a bit thicker than before having my baby girl. I just cut off 7-inches of my hair just to try something new so it is the perfect time for me to do a before and after in a few months to show you guys how much my hair has grown!

Think hair-growing thoughts! #hairgoals

Love,

Neema

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