We’ve danced at her outrageous Madonna parties. Ogled her wardrobe. Bonded over an affinity for kale. And watched her jewelry business go from cool to hot and back again. Cities in Dust designer Meghan Lorenz is a force to be reckoned with.

We snagged a few minutes with the down-to-earth designer to hear about her year ahead, shopping haunts, and more.

Name: Meghan Lorenz

Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village

Occupation: Jewelry designer/cocktail waitress

Favorite places in your hood?
Bite day or night, Briciola for Italian, Black Dog for sweets, Sprout Home for plants and gifts, Monique Meloche Gallery for fine art viewing.

What’s your perfect day in Chicago?
A day off with no agenda: I love the diversity Chicago neighborhoods offer and I love exploring. Walking around outside is such a treat. I also really enjoy being by the lake.

You moonlight at High Dive. What’s your go-to watering hole on nights off?
Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar, Matchbox, Rodan, and Scofflaw. Because I do work a few nights a week, lately on my nights off, I prefer to be at home.

We’ve been jealous of your wardrobe pretty much since the day we met you. Where do you score vintage in/around the city?
Thanks! I shop a lot at Kokorokoko and Very Best Vintage.

If you were to collaborate with anyone on a jewelry line, dead or alive, who would it be?
One of my favorite older designers is Jorgen Jensen. His pieces are amazing. They are more clean and symmetrical than what I’m used to working with, but I would love to join forces with that type of aesthetic.

Who/what are your inspirations when designing?
I’m really inspired by people’s personal style. Also architecture — the way windows, doors, and frames align.

What’s the best way to break out of designer’s block?
Walk away! Eat a quick snack. Go to my happy place, Pinterest. Go for a quick walk. Check Facebook. Basically take a fifteen- to twenty-minute break doing something completely unrelated to work.

What’s on your nightstand?
A stack of half-read books. A small saucer of jewelry. A really lovely marble clock from my grandma. My iPad. A bronze and ceramic lamp from my mom.

What’s in your Netflix queue?
My boyfriend and I recently got an amazing movie, World on a Wire. It’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing films I’ve seen in a long time.

Guilty pleasure?
I really don’t care for reality TV, but I somehow got sucked into Celebrity Rehab. Potato chips are another big one. Any flavor and almost any brand.

Name one resolution you’ve stuck to in 2013.
Do better, do more. This year is all about challenging myself.

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Photo: Courtesy of Meghan Lorenz