A Madison State of Mind

Visiting Madison in the summer time is awesome. Bringing two friends who have never been to Madison (ever…not just summer) is even better. I was such a proud hostess this weekend and a bit of a dairy pusher. Cheese curds with every meal is OK…sure…yes. I’ve been a little tightly wound and as soon as I saw that Capitol dome I felt the tension loosen. Madison has that effect on me. The carefree (a.k.a. give absolutely zero f*ks) vibes people give off are like therapy. Plus, it was a really great excuse to wear my Birkenstocks all weekend—they never stopped happening there. I’m hoping to ride out this post-Madison state of mind for as long as I can starting with a fresh set of inspired pretty picks.

Milkhaus Weekender Bag – The creator of Milkhaus Design is based in Madison and says her original designs are inspired by the details she notices going about her day. I love her aesthetic and this tote. // Free People Mercury Sunglasses – I picked these up on an impulse last month in LA and am so glad I did. Paying a lot for sunglasses is something I’ll never do since I always break them. These were such a good deal but look much splurgier. // Life NK Daily Fix Body Lotion  – This was part of one of Space NK’s recent gift with purchases and I tossed it in my travel bag for the first time. It’s a total goodie — moisturizing and fragrance-free. // Urban Decay Easy Baked – I wear less makeup in Madison and wore this soft gold nonstop with just a little bit of liquid liner. Also, could there be a more Madison appropriate shadow name? I mean… // Catchkid – We stumbled onto this band playing at a street festival near the Square (the Capitol area) and ended up watching them for an hour. The lead singer reminded me of Chris Martin in every way and the guitarist had a real John Mayer thing going on. Consider me a major fan.  // TOMS Ankle Strap Sandal – Lindsay wore these all weekend and I’m probably going to copy her. We seem to have a lot of similar items in our wardrobes and are in a constant state of “bitch stole my look.”