Today I’m excited to bring you a twofer post! What? A twofer post? Yep! I’m going to be talking about a new-ish brewery in the Chicagoland area, Alter Brewing Company, followed by an incredibly easy, season-transitioning outfit.
I’m going to start with the brewery portion for all the people who came here for the beer. Then they can check out prior to the outfit details.
Alter Brewing Company opened up mid-December 2015 in Downers Grove, IL which is a western suburb of Chicago. The owners have kind of a cool backstory. They used to be traders at the Chicago Board of Trade, decided they were done with that and wanted to “alter” their career path which lead them to start Alter Brewing Company. Once my husband and I heard about it, we knew we had to check it out. This is by far one of the coolest brewery spaces we’ve been to yet (my husband added it up per his untappd app the other day, we’ve been to like 20 breweries – meep!) Of course, it mixes the usual industrial metal and reclaimed wood vibe, but I’ve never seen it executed so well. There are more pics as you scroll through the post.
Now on to the beer – it was really good! There was definitely something for everyone on the menu. The Mandarina is an easy sip-able American Pale Ale light on the ABV’s. I liked that one if I were going to have several. I also feel like it’ll be great for casual summer drinking. The Alto Porto, an Imperial Porter, was perfect for the colder months of January & February. I will definitely be picking that up again come this fall. My husband, the real beer expert, really seemed to enjoy the ones he had too. Finally, my sister, who has never been to a brewery before, had a great time and stuck with the hoppy West Coast IPA on tap.
Overall, we really loved this brewery. Every time we go, we have a great time there, enjoying delicious beer, the great atmosphere and good company! We will definitely be back. There info is as follows:
Website: alterbrewing.com
Instagram: @alterbeer
Twitter: @alterbeer
Fashion time! With the changing seasons, it’s so hard to figure out something to wear. In Chicago, you leave your house in the morning and it’s 36°, by the end of the day it’s 60° (we hope). But there is really no telling what the weather is going to do nowadays, and it’s not like we can trust the weather apps or people. We aren’t QUITE there to be busting out the sundresses and shorts – don’t worry…those posts will be coming soon though! Today, I’m going to stick with a simple look, topped off with a gorgeous handcrafted, electroformed obsidian arrowhead necklace by Jennyffer Morales of Amaru Wild. Keeping the outfit simple, I wanted the necklace to be the real standout moment of the look. The rest of the pieces, an easy cream pullover sweater, amazing stretch skinny jeans and great leather booties, can take you from winter to spring in a breeze (not to mention back to fall and winter post-summer). Now, lets break down the outfit:
Because I’m always on a tight budget, my pieces need to transition from season to season so I can get the most bang for my buck out of them. Nothing is more transitional than a cream pullover sweater. This classic piece can be used in all FOUR seasons – yep, even summer on those cooler nights over your sundress or shorts and tank! The sweater I have on is from H&M and no longer available online anymore (it is in stores still), but never fear, I have more options for you!
Factory Teddie sweater • J.Crew Factory • $35.50
Side slit pointelle pullover sweater • Gap • $49.95
Cotton essential V-neck sweater • Gap • $29.99–39.95
H&M – Double-knit Sweater – White – Ladies • H&M • $49.99
Topshop Pointelle Ribbed Crewneck Sweater • Topshop • $70
Madewell Sophia Ribbed Cotton-Blend Sweater • Madewell • $100
Banana Republic – Pointelle Cable-Knit Pullover • $88
Banana has a coupon code right now for 40% off: BRSPRING
GAP has a 40% off NO EXCLUSION code: HAPPY
My jeans are DL1961’S Emma Power Legging Jeans in Walton from Nordstrom. I am legit OBSESSED with these because they have so much stretch to them! It’s like your wearing leggings, but they look exactly like jeans. They are my new go-to with basically any outfit. Also I’ve had them for a few months now, and they have yet to stretch out. They’ve stretched just the perfect amount. LOVE THEM! Here are a few other options in varying price ranges:
AG Ankle Super Skinny Jeans (Coal Blue) • AG Jeans • $168
AG ‘The Legging’ Ankle Jeans (11 Year Swap Meet) • AG Jeans • $225
Blank Denim Skinny Jeans • Blank • $88
Lucky Brand ‘Hayden’ Stretch Skinny Jeans • Lucky Brand • $109
rag & bone/JEAN Skinny Stretch Jeans (Bedford) • Rag and Bone • $198
KUT from the Kloth ‘Diana’ Stretch Skinny Jeans (Valid) • KUT from the Kloth • $89
Mavi Jeans ‘Serena’ Low Rise Stretch Skinny Jeans (Dark Super) • Mavi Jeans • $98
DL1961 ‘Emma’ Power Legging Jeans (Heath) • DL1961 • $178
Next, according to Nordstrom, I have the very last pair in the country of these black Vince Camuto booties. I’m sorry, I know you are crying over this right now…They had to ship me these beauties all the way from Hawaii! Meep!! You know me though, I wouldn’t leave you hanging – here are some links to other booties, just like these!
Vince Camuto ‘Franell’ Western Bootie (Women) • Vince Camuto • $158.95
Vince Camuto ‘Conley Buckle’ Open Toe Bootie (Women) • Vince Camuto • $148.95
Vince Faye Open Toe Booties • Vince • $395
Splendid Rebekah Suede Booties • Splendid • $89
Jeffrey Campbell Hanger Leather Booties • Jeffrey Campbell • $165
My cami is not anything special – it’s just this J. Crew Factory – Racerback Cami. Honestly, one of my best purchases ever. I wear it all the time, all year round. It’s an excellent layering investment piece, especially for $25!
Last but certainly not least, my GORGEOUS necklace was handmade by Jennyffer Morales of Amaru Wild. Jennyffer creates high quality pieces made with ethically sourced natural stones. Since the designs are all one of a kind and the stones are shaped by her personally, she makes small batches of jewelry at a time and takes custom orders. Her jewelry is something extremely special and unique, making a great for someone or to yourself!
Website: amaruwild.com
Instagram: @amaruwild & @jennyfferm
There we have it! The perfect outfit to get you through this variable weather along with a great place to visit for some tasty craft beers!
All photographs are by my sister, Jessica, and belong to her and me!
Peace out,
Wet Hair, Don’t Care
Finally made my way to your blog space and I love it! Your smile is AHmazing girl! The outfit was simple with a bit of edge in those fabulous booties! I too had a pair of shoes shipped form Hawaii via Nordstrom and it was worth the short wait! Awesome post and can’t wait to come back and visit! MEME
Author
Haha that’s awesome about the shoes! You have to love Nordstrom’s customer service! It’s unparalleled. Thank you so much for this amazing comment. I will head over and check your space out right away!