Twee Blog

#TadicPartyofTwo

4 years ago sometimes feels like yesterday and other times feels like a century ago.  Maybe because we now have 2 kids!  I always wanted to write a blog post about our wedding because as you know I LOVE planning parties and this was obviously the biggest party I’ve ever planned.  So, better late than never!

It all took place on a super hot and sunny Fourth of July.  It was a Friday, and the City of Chicago was looking especially gorgeous.  We started out getting ready at the W Lakeshore(the girls) and Dusko’s Parents house(the guys).  We had our first look in the Garden at Millennium Park.

Our First Look

We drove the trolley around and took pictures in all kinds of different places.  Some of my favorites were on the lake by the Planetarium and on Lasalle Street.

I should also add that we each had 12 people stand up for us, I know, I know, crazy.  And we had 4 Flower Girls.  The more the merrier!

My Mom & MIL

Our Ceremony Started at 5pm, we had it inside of Salvage One.  It actually is set up to look like a church, with tons of chandeliers.

My Dad & I about to walk down the aisle.

All the Flower Girls.

The Kiss!

Yay, We did it!!!!

Cheers, Our First Drink as Husband & Wife!

Cocktail hour immediately followed on the main floor, with dinner upstairs.  If you have never been to or heard of Salvage One it is a truly unique place.  It was actually only the second venue we went to and we basically booked it on the spot.  It has such an eclectic feel but also vintage, farm-ish.  I don’t even know how to explain it.  It was definitely all I ever dreamed of and more.

And now introducing…..Mr. & Mrs.  Dusko Tadic!!!!

After Dinner & Speeches, we all danced the night away!

 

We also had a food truck come and sparklers…because = Fourth of July!  Salvage One has the cutest little courtyard out back where The Slide Ride pulled right up.

Venue:  Salvage One

Hotel:  W Chicago Lakeshore

Caterer:  Occasions Chicago

Florist:  Eva’s Floral Wonders

Cake:  Oak Mill Bakery

Food Truck:  The Slide Ride

Transportation:  Chicago Trolleys

Dress:  Paloma Blanca

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Two Birds

Photographer:  Stacy Vitallo

I hope you enjoyed reliving our day with us!

XOXO,

Lissa

Fourth of July Fun!

With Fourth of July only a couple days away, I have been trying to decide what I will make!  I thought I would share some of the fun & festive recipes/drinks I have found and plan to try!  I love a good side and or drink that tastes good and looks super cute/festive.

Last year I made this delicious Boozy Frosé Recipe!!!

It is the best one I have found.  Not only did it taste good, it just made the party more fun!  Especially with this heat we have been having, who doesn’t want an iced treat?!?!?!

This Watermelon FROSÉ looks absolutely delicious too!

And these Adult Capri Sun’s, OMG!!!  If I have time, I am TOTALLY making these.  So much fun in a little bag!

I think I will also make these side dishes because they look SO good!!!!

Blueberry Strawberry Salsa

Blueberry Caprese Salad

And maybe a sweet treat or two!!!

Red, White, & Blue Cheesecake Salad

4th of July Cake in A Jar

 

What will you be serving up on Independence Day?!?!?!?!  Would love to hear all about it in the comments!

XOXO,

Lissa

Down on Bended Knee

With our 4 year anniversary just a few days away and the 5 year anniversary of our engagement just passing I thought it would be fun to share our proposal story!  Who doesn’t love a good story?!?!?!
Let’s rewind to 2013, gosh that seems like eons ago! I had just returned from a trip to Peru and I was working as a store Manager in retail. So weekends off we’re hard to come by. My good friend Jenny invited me to go to a rooftop cubs game(on a Saturday for free). If you’ve never been to one you are definitely missing out. Whether you are a cubs fan or not! It’s baseball at its finest. So, I politely declined and Dusko was like what do you mean? It’s birthday month. Blah, blah, blah. This should have been a trigger to me as he is actually a White Sox fan(I know, hard to tell sometimes🤣). So all week Dusko & Jenny tried to convince me to go to this baseball game. All the while I was convinced I had to work! So I finally agreed to work a half day(because major fomo) and got to the rooftop right at game time.
So, I left work honestly not even looking super cute. Just rushing to get out to go join 3 people on a beautiful Saturday. Well, to my SURPRISE!!!!! There was a whole Birthday Party of family and friends waiting for me to get there! I truly was so surprised. If you have ever been thrown a surprise party it definitely “throws” you off! I was totally on surprise party high, even my brother, sil, and niece were in from out of town. So in my mind, that was The icing on the cake.
So, around the 3rd inning, I’d finally kind of calmed down from the BIG surprise to Dusko telling me to open my present. Now, I LOVE presents. Come on, like who doesn’t?? But, we were not the only people on this rooftop and I was like oh my gosh, I can wait. Let’s do it later. Well, he basically forced me to open it. This was Very overwhelming because it was a purse I had been wanting for awhile. The LV speedy in azul damier. So, I was super excited. Like in this moment, day fulfilled. In fact, year fulfilled (sounds so bad but before kids all I wanted was new handbags: still do, just can’t buy them anymore 😭🤣😭). If you are still with me, thanks because this is getting really long!!!
Then all of a sudden I turn around and he’s holding a ring(there was also a teddy bear and a card involved-dets are a little blurry at this point of my life).  I honestly am not even sure what he said because I started crying and was like, “what the **** is going on?” Not exactly how I thought I would respond but My mind, body, everything was on major overload in this moment. And then, this entire rooftop of people start clapping and congratulating us.  I mean to this day, I have never been so shocked or surprised.  I always said I would never want a public engagement and he knew this too.  To be honest though, it was super special that my family and close friends were there.  Plus, we got to have a big party to celebrate in the moment!
There is nothing better than surprises, I mean, I don’t care if they aren’t material.  It is just so fun to be caught off guard by something that just makes your day.  Enjoy the pics below, they have horrible filters from my instagram!!  lol.  Totally aging myself here.
I absolutely LOVE weddings, engagements, and all things to do with weddings.  How did you get engaged?!?!?!   Do tell……

XOXO,

Lissa

This is a recent pic of us leaving a Cubs game!

Round up of Swimsuits

The dog days of summer have only just begun, which means many more days of fun in the sun are ahead of us all.  Btw, if you aren’t 100% sure what the dog days of summer are, click here.  I didn’t know the “real” definition until right now.

Swimsuit shopping is probably one of the most dreaded events of a woman’s life.  I mean, how many times have you ordered a suit you knew wasn’t going to fit well but you liked it and hoped it was going to be “the one.”  Or that buying a new suit was going to solve ALL the problems?!?!?!  Well, have no fear, I have rounded up some of the cutest suits out there!!!  I either own these or have them on order, in which case I will update this post with my reviews once I get them.

 

This Jelly Bean Striped One Piece, I have literally been waiting for it to come back in stock.  This type of crossover neckline is very flattering on larger chests.  It also has adjustable straps which is very helpful.  The solid band at the waist makes this suit very flattering.  I picture it with a Black Straw Hat and black sandals.

UPDATE:  Ok, thought this suit would be my favorite.  I ordered it in a L and honestly probably needed an XL.  The waist has an extra band in it and its really tight.  Plus the stripes expanded.  lol.  It is going back!

 

This Blue Ruffle Suit literally screams my name.  It’s a shade of blue and has ruffles.  For you larger chested women like myself, you must know that ruffles like this in the front tend to make your chest look smaller.  One of the many reasons I love ruffles!  This suit also has a party in the back which makes it a 10 in my book.  I picture it with White Jean Shorts and a cute pair of Earrings.

UPDATE:  LOVE this suit!!  The party in the back is adorbs and it’s super comfy, even with the kids.  I ordered this in a M.

This black two piece is a MUST for everyone!  It’s pretty much your LBD.  Love me a good scallop and a high waist, plus the top looks uber supportive!  I picture wearing this suit a little more casual so some Fun Slides!

UPDATE:  Love this for a basic black suit.  The scallops make it more fun that is for sure.  The fabric feels cheap to me on this suit compared to the others.  I ordered a L.

 

This Red, White, & Blue suit is the absolute PERFECT suit for the Fourth of JULY!  I can basically see fireworks coming out of it.  These vertical stripes and waistband are sure to make you appear thinner.  I will probably wear this with White Jean Shorts too, and a fun pair of Red Earrings.  Ok, I confess, I ordered the red earring I just linked while I was linking them…They look like fireworks for real!!!

UPDATE:  I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure if this suit would end up fitting me the best.  Mostly because of the side ties.  Sometimes the chub can squeeze out of them. haha.  But I was very happy with this suit!  I ordered a L.  My Overalls are literally a summer staple.  You should snag a pair while you can, they are on SALE!!!

This Rust One Piece makes me drool.  Ha!  I am OBSESSED With this color lately.  Picture it with a pair of Jean Shorts and a Black Straw Hat.  Classic and Boho join in this look.

UPDATE:  Thought I would love this suit and……I do!!!  Ordered a L.

This Striped Suit is the perfect combo of stripes, ruffles, and great seams at the waist.  There were millions(ok thats an exaggeration) of great reviews about how flattering this suit is!  I feel like this suit needs a pop of color, like a teal, so definitely fun earrings, like these.  Especially since the one shoulder is bare.  Also, the earrings I just linked are on SALE for $10, from $38.  Treat Yourself!

UPDATE:  totes love this suit.  It’s cheap, from amazon, and it’s super comfy for a day at the pool with the kids!

This Palm Print Suit is so fun! Especially on a trip, I wore it to Mexico this past winter and it was great in the water too.  Here are my Sandals and Similar Sunnies.

 

Where is your favorite place to shop for swim???

Happy Summer Friends!

XOXO,

Lissa

To Grocery Pick Up or Not…

Grocery Pick Up….
tbh, I was never really interested in this before. When we lived in the city(Chicago), I used instacart once and had kind of a bad experience. If you’ve never heard of this it’s a grocery delivery service. Basically, the chips came crunched and the milk was leaking. So, we never utilized this service again. Fast forward 4 years and 2 kids later. Wal-Mart, One of the biggest companies in the world starts a grocery pick up service. There was a lot of buzz in my world of moms. I still wasn’t super interested at first. Maybe because it was Wal-Mart, maybe because of my experience with instacart, and maybe just because I like to shop. At any rate, one of my friends kept raving about how obsessed she had become with this awesome service. Alas, I had to try it.
Result:
Well, I’m kind of obsessed now too!  I totally get it.  It is hands down one of the best things since sliced bread.  Here is my list of pros and cons.
Pros:
*Super user friendly, there is even “an app for that!”
*You get a window of an hour to pick up, they text you when it’s ready and you check in on your way.  You basically don’t have to wait.  Super fast.
*I am way more organized and prepared with what I am buying.  You can add items and it saves them in your bag until you order.  You are basically writing your list in the shopping cart.  Takes the middle man out!  And if I forget something I can always do a new order the next day!  haha.
*You can place the order and have your husband pick it up!  He won’t be calling you every 5 mins asking about the item you text him to pick up!  lol.
*You can order other things besides groceries!  My first time I placed an order, I got tulips.  They were cheap and lasted a week.
*Now that I am working Part-Time, it is a HUGE time saver.  More time for playing at the park and snuggling with these two cuties!
Cons:
*They do substitutions for things….For example:  if I order yogurt pouches in a specific brand and they are out, they will substitute them with something else.  Even if that something else costs more.  Sounds like a pro, right?  Well, I’m sure 90% of the time it is but I had a time last week that I really needed frozen rice for a meal train I was doing that night.  They were out of the item and apparently had no substitute.  The problem here is I didn’t know this until I went to pick up all my groceries with 2 kids in a pinch.  So, that can be super annoying.  I would like to note, this has only happened to me once and I have used this service a number of times now.
*Your order has to be over $30, this is obviously easy to do but today I just needed a couple of things.  These things totaled $21, so I ended up spending over $30 so I could utilize the service.  Obviously I bought things I know I will need anyways so not the biggest deal.
*You can’t order alcohol.  I am sure they will eventually figure out a way to make that happen.
*Wal-Mart definitely doesn’t have everything I need.  But that’s ok!  I still shop at Trader Joes and Meijer.  This just gets me through the week!
Click HERE to receive $10 off your first Grocery Pickup of $50 or more!
Have you ever done Wal-Mart Grocery Pick up or any other service?  Would love to hear about your experiences in the comments.  Also, I hear Target is going to be offering a pick up service.  Would love to hear more about this!
Happy Weekend Y’all!

XOXO,

Lissa

***This post is not sponsored, just my own opinion:)***

My Birthday Gift 🎁

“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”  -Frank Lloyd Wright


Today is my birthday, my 37th Birthday. Gosh that sounds really, really, old to my 12 year old self. But to be honest, I don’t feel old at all!  I truly believe you are only as old as you make yourself. Sure, my life has changed SO much in a short time frame. But I love where my life has brought me and am feeling extra blessed this year.

I have a 1 and a 3 year old that are seemingly healthy, a husband that treats me like a queen(most of the time), an amazing family, and extra special friends. Some I have even known for my lifetime!  It’s so hard to put into words how grateful I am every day ❤. I know some people hate birthdays, they hate getting older. But I’m with Frank, Life definitely gets more beautiful all the time. I can’t wait to see where the next year takes me, and now where it takes my kids. 365 days of what can we do today?!?  The world is literally in our hands.

Over the past 365 days, I have been on the receiving end of many pay it forwards. Or maybe just sheer kindness.  Either way, today I want to pay it forward to all of you for following along, whether you have been here for awhile or only a couple days!  Treat yourself to my favorite TREAT!  #starbucks

Please only get one thing so the wealth can be shared!!  All you have to do is screenshot this barcode and show it to any barista!

One last thing, just for fun, drop me a comment below!

Cheers to many more years!

XOXO,
Lissa

Also, are you curious what was in that super cute burlap package?!?!?  I would be too!!!  One of the BEST balms I’ve ever tried!

Click here to see what it is!

Exciting News!

Hope everyone had an awesome MDW!  We spent most of it at my parents lake house so A LOT of fun and sun was had!  Right before the weekend began, I got some really exciting news in regards to my blog.  Before I share what it is, I thought I would start from the beginning.   I started this blog about 2 1/2 years ago.  I always knew I wanted to start a blog and what I truly wanted out of it but just like anything there were some delays, roadblocks, etc.  I love to shop, I love fashion, accessories, home decor, basically I love to SHOP so it doesn’t matter what or where I am at.  I WILL find something!  haha.  In fact, this weekend we hit up the Dollar General and you would have thought we were at Nordstrom!!!  I wish I was kidding, but you wouldn’t believe all the fun, random, junk they had there.

Some of the roadblocks I had with blogging were straight intimidation, fear of failure, truly that I wasn’t(or still am not)thin enough(which btw, I have gotten tons of feedback from people that they love that I am a real person-so thank you:).  When I originally started Twee Blog I had a vision but it just wasn’t coming together.  All of a sudden this past November, something clicked and I told myself I just had to go for it.  Put myself out there and who cares.  Twee Blog seriously is my passion project.  I am by no means saying I am the fashion queen.  haha!  I often seek advice or opinions from friends but I do know that I picture something in my head, put it on, and it usually is what I want or the look I am going for.

Onto what I knew I wanted out of this blog:

I knew I wanted to be an inspiration board, somewhere women(especially moms) can reference for looks they see me wearing.  I absolutely love to mix value with luxury.  I believe a nice handbag is ABSOLUTELY worth the money(and for the record, you can never have too many).

I knew I wanted to be as down to earth and real as possible.  I had a friend once tell me that what she loved about me was that I was always the first one to make fun of myself!  So no one else really had too.  (I am sure they still did and do) but I guess I always felt like that made me real or maybe just self aware but whatever works!

Last, I want to make money.  I mean, who doesn’t?  If you say you don’t you are lying.  If I can do what I am truly passionate about on my time and make some money, then score!  Monetizing a blog is not easy.  To actually make money with a blog, you need to be accepted by affiliate programs(most all of them) and you typically need to have a pretty large following to get brand partnerships.

So, I am sure you are like, what is your exciting news?!?!?!?!?  Dying, right?

I GOT ACCEPTED into an affiliate program!!!!!

YIPPEE!!!!

What does this mean?

This means that almost every link I share I have the opportunity to make up to 20% commission if anyone makes a purchase after they click on that specific link.  Most items are not 20% but I am still pretty geeked out about this!  Back in November when I made the decision to really “go for it”  I didn’t think it would take this long.  Truly it makes me that much more excited and proud of myself!

THANK YOU to all of you that have been supporting me so far on this little journey of mine!  I am loving it and it means the world!

Here is a fun summer look!  It doesn’t get more real than this photo shoot….Both kids were with me!!!  ha!

 

XOXO,

Lissa

Memorial Day Weekend

I absolutely love the holidays….I especially love the holidays where gifts aren’t a thing.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE buying gifts but there is something extra special about getting together with everyone you like the most and just eating/chatting!  Ok, and drinking!!!  Let’s be real.  That’s really the best part.  lol.

Now that I have kids it’s also especially fun to shop for cute outfits for each holiday!  Plus, with Memorial Day, they can also wear their outfits and or accessories for 4th of July and Labor Day!  So better bang for your buck!  If, of course it still fits them….or they don’t RUIN it!  haha.  My friend Kate and I were just discussing this morning how kids always ruin their clothes.  Even when Emme wears a bib, she ends up wearing the food all over her still…….somehow!

The funny thing about these super cute pics of my kids and I wearing our Star Spangled Gear is that my cousin Emma & I had a photo shoot scheduled(sans kids), if you have ever done any kind of photo shoot you can imagine why sans kids is A LOT easier!  But mother nature didn’t like that date we had and kept raining and raining!  So, we met this past tuesday morning WITH Max & Emme.  I am actually super happy it ended up this way.  The kids were great(even through 5 outfit changes) and I obviously planned to have our pics taken together when I realized they would be joining us.  You can shop all of our gear below!  My jeans are on sale for $52 from $88 and my tank is only $12.99!!!

We are headed out to my parents house this weekend for some boating fun, my grandmas 90Th birthday party, and my mother in laws birthday!  What are you up to this weekend?!?!?

Hope you all have a Fun & Safe Holiday weekend!

XOXO,

Lissa

***All photo cred: Emma Jo Photography***

Quick Try On Session

 

We headed out to Jamba Juice after dinner last night because it’s honestly Maxwell’s new favorite place(and Emme’s too because she wants to do everything her brother does)!  I have never been the hugest Jamba fan but we fell into a couple gift cards that totaled $80, so let’s just leave it at that!  lol.  Jamba Juice just happens to be at our local shopping center.  woot woot!  So we “fell” into the Gap.  I have not fallen into the Gap in quite awhile.  Not for any particular reason as I almost always find something to buy there!  If not for myself, one of the kids(or Dusko)!  At any rate, shopping with your husband and two kids under 3 is basically a ticking time bomb!!  So the fact that I even got to step into the fitting room and actually try something on, let alone take pictures is a gosh darn miracle.  Side note, everything on gap.com is 40% off with code: HAPPY!  Everything will be linked below for your shopping convenience.

Had to add this picture of my ticking time bomb…it did eventually go off incase you were wondering!  Also, a trip to JJ made for this impromptu try on session so I was NOT prepared.  I am wearing a black bra in these pics and I probably wouldn’t necessarily have worn these jeans.  Either way, they were good enough.  The lighting is also very yellow, this isn’t a filter just the lighting in the fitting room!

Starting with this cute gauzey top because it is my favorite(wearing a small)!  I love that it’s lightweight for summer but still has sleeves, I love that it’s baggy/wider fitting, and I love the pastels!  I think this is super cute with a pair of cut off jean shorts for a summer night or a spring day!  It would also be cute with white distressed jeans!

I guess I was in the flowy mood last night.  Top linked here.  I don’t always pick tops like this but I do almost always pick tops with puffy sleeves!  lol!  I need to add that I had a friend recently tell me she doesn’t like tops with puffy sleeves because they make her arms look fat.  I completely disagree and think that they distract from your arm, which is one of the reasons I love them!  I am wearing a small.

Another puffy sleeve top!  And if you have been following me, another striped top!  lololol.  Maybe there are just a lot of striped tops out right now.  I like that this top is also that gauzey, linen fabric, and that it laces up the chest.  Such a surprising neckline.  This top(wearing a small) would also be so cute paired with white jeans or shorts!

Also, if you are wondering about the jeans pictured…yea, they didn’t fit and I wasn’t about to leave the fitting room and risk the time bomb going off early!  lol.  They are however linked below(for size reference, I felt they were small and would suggest sizing up).

These were just the few items that really spoke to me!  The Gap had a ton of cute clothes and if I would have had more time, would have grabbed a ton more!  Note, I am wearing a small in all of the tops.  I am usually more of a medium but because of the flowy nature of all 3 tops, I feel like it was easy to size down.  Especially because I am short!

Do you shop with your husband?  Your kids?  Am I crazy?!?!

Happy Friday!

XOXO,

Lissa

 

Recent Athleta Purchases

Ahh, I love Athleta.  I know a lot of people are obsessed with Lulu, I had a minor phase but if you are looking for performance-Athleta wins hands down!  Click HERE to read an older post I did where I also share some Athleta shopping tips!  For Mother’s Day, Dusko and the kids treated me to a little shopping trip!  I had a bunch of stuff in my shopping cart online but once I got into the store that cart didn’t matter anymore as stuff was screaming at me!  lol.  Isn’t it crazy though how once you try something on, it is either the best thing for you or it’s just horrible?!?!

My 2 favorite items:

My pants, Salutation 7/8 tights, just try them already!!!  I am wearing a Medium, I have a Medium Petite in my black pair that I prefer but wanted to try the regular.  Also, don’t be afraid of stripes on workout tights.  I definitely don’t think these add anything, in fact, I LOVE them!  This tank is actually on clearance.  I knew I had to have it when I saw it.  For starters, I love me a good white tee(or tank)!  And the party in the back is alright too!  Plus, won’t it be so cute with shorts or jeans for a casual outfit(wearing a medium)?!?

Kinda like this other tank I bought!

This Tank: I love the color, the fabric is super duper soft, and as you can see I wore it with a pair of jean shorts to the zoo the other day!  I love when clothes are “athleisure” especially as a sahm!  It is also on clearance so you better snag it fast(I’m wearing a medium)!!!

These shorts are the SOFTEST!  I really didn’t want the stripes because I was already planning to buy the blue stripe salutations but they didn’t have a medium in the solids, so?!?!?  I obvi needed them right away!  Seriously though, they are high waisted comfies.  I mean it really doesn’t get much better.  Perfect park shorts.  Or simply lounging.

I am trying really hard to be more practical about my purchases.  For example, everything I purchased can be worn to workout or not!  So, as a sahm can basically be worn anytime and still feel fab!

I linked everything above but also right here along with some of my Athleta Wish List!

 

XOXO,

Lissa

Do you have a favorite Athleta item?  Have you never tried Athleta?  Would love to hear from you!

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