Happy happy Friday, friends! Is the sun shining where you are? Vitamin D was my saving grace this week!I hope you don’t mind if we keep things a little lighter on the link side of things and infuse a little more life into today’s weekly rounds. I feel like a proper catch up (or brain dump, rather) is in order and I didn’t spend much time online this week/have a ton of things bookmarked to peruse over the weekend!

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for the better part of this month and I’ve had a hard time pulling myself out of it. Worse yet, I can’t pinpoint what exactly has me so tripped up. Of course, it’s more than likely a combination of things laced with a hefty amount of stress, but I’m slowly starting to feel more like myself.

Last weekend my family was in town and I loved every minute with my sweet niece. I may or may not have bawled uncontrollably as soon as the cab door shut and they drove away.

On Monday I had the opportunity to visit iFLY (an indoor skydiving experience) and it far surpassed my expectations! I’m not usually into things like that and I’m so glad I gave it a go. It inspired me to get a jump start on my summer bucket list and I can’t wait to share it with you next month!

Bloggers: A Drink with James over at Fohr Card continues to be the one thing I listen to each week and the last episode proved to the most motivational for me yet. James said something that resonated with me (read: lit a fire under my ass) and I wanted to share it with you here. I’ve even gone so far as to write it down in a few different places for easy reference when I need a boost!

Song of the week: Yellow Claw – Last Paradise (ft. Sody). Turn it up and listen as you browse this week’s links 🙂

AROUND THE WEB/WORLD:

• Can you believe Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner? Time is flying. I’m excited to be co-hosting the See Sparks Fly cruise next Saturday and I’d love for you to join me! You can get 25% off your ticket with code FIREWORKS25 here. I can’t think of a better way to kick off summer than sipping on a glass of bubbly while fireworks light up the Chicago skyline! And if you’re not sure what to wear, Rent the Runway has you covered. Pick up a look for the evening and get 20% off with code ECCXRTR17.
• Alice & Wonder opened up their new storefront (located at 956 W. Webster) last weekend and guys, it’s adorable. If you’re in Chicago, stop by! And if not you can see all their pretty fun things on Instagram and then shop their online store. Ali has great taste and everything is affordably priced. Maya, Lauren, Kira, and I all walked away with something and I took my new hat for a spin last weekend!
• I love the Goop-In Guide over on Nordstrom’s website! Lots of quick tips and takeaways (and it helps that it’s aesthetically pleasing).
• My new favorite weekly horoscope.
• My panama hat didn’t survive my suitcase on my last trip (even though I packed it just like Pinterest told me to) and I’m using it as an excuse to pick up a few new ones for the upcoming pool season. Splurge on this summer hat, scoop this straw boater hat for a steal, or go for this straw hat that lands somewhere in between.
• I love how these photos of Jess turned out!
• You know that meme that says, “half my friends are getting married and having babies and the other half are too drunk to find their phones?” Ya, about that. I loved this article on The Everygirl on how to maintain friendships at different life stages.
• On the blog: pushing past plateaus

I’m looking forward to a relatively low key weekend. Lots of reading, a few sweat sessions, a little work, and catching up on sleep – if that’s even a thing. I’m heading to a yoga/mediation event with Katie tonight, my favorite workout class tomorrow morning, and I’m hoping to head out for a long run by the lake on Sunday – weather permitting!

Wherever the weekend takes you, I hope it’s great! I’ll be sharing in real-time over on Instagram and Twitter. See you back here next week, friends!

Top photo courtesy of Odyssey and bottom two photos by Iron and Honey