Eat Cake for Breakfast

I haven't been shopping much these days (hacking away at my debt is top priority), but I couldn't resist this top from Kate Spade.

What I really need is a shirt that says "Eat Leftover Chinese Takeout for Breakfast." Admittedly, I'm doing that exact thing right now.  Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Outfit of the Day: Rachel Zoe Ali Cape

Thank goodness fall is here. I don't think I would be able to simultaneously handle the heat from work and the heat outside. Enough already.

Bring on the fall clothes (capes! faux furs!) and the liquid courage/motivation/will to live, people.

I can't get enough of this Rachel Zoe cape. I'll be rocking it all through the colder months.

Cape: Rachel Zoe Ali Cape

Jeans: AG Jeggings

Shoes: Coach

Outfit of the Weekend: Sparkly Stilettos and a Rendez-vous

As I continue to drink from the fire hose and simultaneously juggle seven flaming torches at work, I'm doing my best to keep a positive attitude. One way to do so? Think about the fantastic rendez-vous: new england mixer this past weekend. I'll post more pictures and details as other attendees post pictures I can steal :)

Another way? Whip out the fierce shoes and wear them again. There's just something about wearing sparkly heels...

Dress: TART

Shoes: Miu Miu (better pictures of them here)

Mantra for the week? Deep breaths and happy thoughts.

Have a good one.

My Two Cents: The Perfect Black Ballet Flat

When it comes to classic black ballet flats, I play the field. There’s a lot of love ‘em and leave ‘em going on but, in true player defense, that’ll happen when you haven’t found “the one” (or when you’re sketchy and have commitment issues).

I’ve gone through a lot of black flats. Like clockwork, the moment my current pair finally gives out from being worn into the ground I’m off to find something better. I keep trying because I believe that the elusive perfect classic black ballet flat exists, kind of like the Pegasus, 100% flattering swimwear and the answer(s) to world peace.

It’s brain dump time.

Here are the ones I’ve loved (or disliked) in my quest for a pair that really works. Keep in mind that I avoid extremely pricey flats.

Banana Republic Black Flats

I dig Banana’s ballet flats. They look great against fall foliage, dontcha think? I haven’t owned a pair in about two years because my size always seems to be out of stock, but the ones I’ve long since tossed were well made and lasted a long time. Be careful with sizing. I never had any issues with my shoes (always purchased TTS), but I’ve heard that sizing is inconsistent these days.

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J Crew Ballet Flats

At over $100 a pop, these were not worth the money. The break in period seemed to last forever, and the support just isn’t there. If you like a dainty ballet flat, these could work. Just don’t do too much walking in them or you’ll have back pains. On a positive note, they’re attractive on your feet.

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Cole Haan Maria Sharapova Ballet Flat

If I hadn’t been the Village Idiot who purchased these a half size too small, we could have a winner. They’re an attractive shoe for one thing (the corset detailing on the back is different in a good way), and the supportive cushioned sole is super comfortable. I might give in and buy another pair in the correct size. These seem like they’d hold up for a more than a year even with continuous wear.

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Bp. Frankie Flat (Nordstrom)

Ah, the economical flat. If you’re on a budget, this is a good pair to consider. I wore mine through the bitter months of unemployment (see picture above). They last forever (forever = one year in ballet flat time), and they’re sturdy. Eh, possibly too sturdy. The stiffness takes some time to get used to and they never really mold to your feet. At around $50, you can afford wear them into the ground without taking great care.

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Tory Burch Reva

I love the cut of the Reva—the shoe simply looks attractive on the foot. I find mine to be comfortable, though I’ve heard less favorable opinions about how the shoes fit and feel. As I slowly evolve and shed bits of logo-whoredness, I’m not too keen on the Revas. They’re kind of like sunglasses with flashy designer logos…not really my thing. They hold up, for sure, but so do flats at half the cost. 

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Frye Carlson Flat

I. Love. This. Shoe.
I may have found “the one.” They’re real leather, and the quality of craftsmanship shows. I broke into these quickly, and they’re comfortable for extensive walking. I’ll probably continue replacing these shoes for the next couple of years. I'll post a real life photo of them soon.


What flats are you wearing these days? Any other recommendations?

Outfit of the Day: Rockin' the Zara Blazer

There are certain unfortunate situations we should just come to expect in life: breaking an all day healthy eating streak when (surprise!) someone brings in brownies, coming down with a cold right before vacation, and being held up in an impromptu end-of-the-day meeting when there's somewhere you need to be the minute the clock strikes five.

Today it was the impromptu meeting. I was scheduled to preview ASOS's Fall and Holiday 2011 collections in downtown Boston right after work, but life had other plans. I ended up getting caught in a meeting and missed my appointment. I feel like a turd for missing it, but it is what it is. I just hate being unreliable.

Anyway. this is what I wore today. I'm loving the Zara blazer. It's my souvenir from Spain :)

Dress: Tinley Road (from Piperlime)

Blazer: Zara

Shoes: DV by Dolce Vita

Barcelona Part 3: What I Wore

I'm actually going to cut Part 4 and just place the last couple of scenic shots in the bottom of this post. The trip was great and all, but I'm tired of talking about it and you're probably tired of hearing about it!

Whenever I travel I keep it simple and pack things that can be worn more than once (i.e. a simple cardigan worn at dinner will be worn while sight-seeing the next day, etc). I prefer to take a carry-on size suitcase if at all possible. Obviously, this is easier to do when traveling in the summer than in the colder months. Boots and sweaters take up a lot of space.

But enough chatter. Here's what I wore.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm no fashion plait. I do know what works for my body and lifestyle, though, and stick with dresses, cardigans and simple walkable flats (and the occasional sassy shoe) 90% of the time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Outfit #1
Dress: Juicy Couture
Cardigan: BCBG (pretty sure I had a death wish wearing a cardigan given the temperature)
Sandals: DV by DolceVita
Hat: Madewell

Outfit #2
Dress: Banana Republic (bought it from a blog sale!)
Sandals: DV by Dolce Vita
Hat: Madewell

Outfit #3
Dress: Va Va by Joy Han
Cardigan: Splendid
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Outfit #4
Dress: Target (yeah, so I wore it last week. I'm a real people)
Shoes: DV by Dolce Vita
Cardigan: Splendid
Bag: Longchamp


And for grins and giggles, here are a few more scenic shots that I have not yet shared:

Okay, so not scenic, but the delicious calamari ravioli I had on my last night (nom nom x 10):

So who wants to start planning a blogger meet up in Barcelona? :)

One Dress, Two Ways

My birthday was earlier this month, but I didn't post about it. I figure it's enough to publish photos of myself--no need to go doing anything crazy like announcing my date of birth, work affiliations or political views. Then you might actually be able to find me.

So in the spirit of 30 for 30 remixing which, sadly, I am going to have to duck out of doing, I tried taking this simple Taylor dress and wearing it two different ways:

Yeah, nothing spectacular, but I like making the innocent pink dress look a little less sweet. I could have used different shoes, though.

FYI: I didn't end up wearing either look.

Now I'm off to Chicago.

Happy Monday, if those even exist...

Outfits of the Weekend: Celebrate Good Times (and the Coolest Cake Ever)

There was all kinds of celebrating going on this weekend: The American Craft Beer Fest was in town on Friday (I didn't actually go since I'm not a fan of beer, but I met up with all of my inebriated friends afterward), MIT had a 150th celebration party last night, and today is SO's birthday.

Even though it's been unusually cold in Boston this week, I went ahead and put on a summery dress that I've been dying to wear on Friday night:

Dress: Va-Va (from Hautelook)

Shoes: Tory Burch

Last night was, in a word, AWESOME. MIT hosted "Toast to Tech," a 150-year anniversary celebration which also coincided with graduation weekend. Complimentary cupcakes, champagne and fireworks show? Yes, please.

A not-so great shot of the Prudential Center--so much cooler in person!

Mascot ice sculpture

Me with the mascot ice sculpture 'cause I liked it so much

Okay, now get ready for pictures of one of the most interesting and detailed recreation cakes I've ever seen. Seriously...

Neat, right? 

Unfortunately we didn't get a cupcake or a slice of cake because there were way too many people crowding around the tent as they were serving. You would have thought they were handing out fifty dollar bills or something judging by the crowd. The way I see it, though, I can eat a cupcake any old day. At least I walked away with pictures of it!

Oh, and here's what I wore (it was super-chilly last night):

Dress: Rachel Pally

Vest: Splendid
Tights: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Cole Haan

Necklace: Cartouche

Outfit of the Day: All of the Cool Kids are Color Blocking

The time has come for me to stop posting crappy photographs on my blog. Actually, I should rephrase that. They may turn out be crappy, but I'm going to make an effort and attempt to take better photographs instead of half-assing it and posting crappy ones.

I've been half-assing it for so long because I thought I had to purchase a fancy-schmancy SLR camera in order to turn out anything worth sharing, and it turns out I'm a schmuck. I can take quasi-decent photographs with my humble little Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS--all it takes is a little patience, practice and reading of the camera manual. In case you're wondering, I went to a state school. That's supposed to be a joke.

With today's weather being miserable and gray and November-like, I figured it was a good time to hole up inside and practice taking OOTD photos in a less tragic point-and-shoot-auto-mode-in-the-dirty-mirror-hanging-on-my-closet-door fashion. Given the depressing weather, it was also a good day to bust out the cheery brights and make myself feel a little less like jumping off of the John Hancock Tower.

Seriously, who else is digging the crazy color blocking trend going on right now? The bright separates out there right now are amazing. The best part of the trend is that it doesn't require tossing everything out when things die down--mix a bright top with a neutral next season and you're as good as new.

But on to the photos. I have the tendency to ramble.

Pink Top: Zara

Skirt: Tibi

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

So I'm really not a narcissist. I'm just practicing with my camera. I included the crappy mirror image simply because I'm still trying to find the best place to capture my complete ensemble when I'm standing up. Finding an area with a clean background and good lighting for photographs in our small one-bedroom apartment is a challenge. 

And just for the heck of it, here's one of the first images I took to play around with the natural lighting outside:

Not the best picture by any means, but these are MUCH better than what I'd been taking/posting before (minus the mirror shot).

Photography gurus, any tips you have are appreciated. 

Oh, and if you're looking to color block, run to Zara, like, now.

Outfit of the Day: I Should Have Gone to MIT...

...for the day.

It's the the campus-wide open house. My significant other is busy giving tours of his department and I'm just hanging around the apartment like a bum who's never taken a physics course. I'd be much more apt to cross the river and go check everything out if he--and his enthusiasm toward science--were there to check things out with me. But, yes, I am capable of doing things on my own--just not science-y things.

I'm hoping we go and grab drinks or something, otherwise I got dressed for nothing (it takes an enormous effort on my part to pry off the gym pants and hoodies on Saturdays).

Dress: Three Dots

Cardigan: Splendid

Bag: Kate Spade

Shoes: J Crew

Earrings: Leslie Danzis

Outfit of the (Yester)Day: Ring Shopping!

Yep, that's right. We went engagement ring shopping yesterday and found a ring we both really liked. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he goes back and purchases it while I'm Berlin this week--time to take this 8.5 year relationship to the next level (FINALLY).

Anyway, this is what I wore on a casual Saturday:

 

Top: Splendid

Sweater: Vince

Leggings: Zella

Flats: J Crew

Bag: Kate Spade Bow Regard MaryAnne

Mirror: DIRTY...

I purchased the Bow Regard bag almost six months ago after I started working full time. Yesterday was my first time carrying it. I need to break that habit. The bag is especially gorgeous in person. However, I won't be taking it to Berlin. I have this fear of carrying nice stuff with me when I travel. Lost/stolen/dirty/damaged--anything could happen.

 

Now I'm off. Wishing you all a lovely remainder of the weekend!

Outfit of the Day: OMG! I'm Wearing Jeans

I wasn't planning on doing any OOTD posts until May or so, when I envision myself being closer to my fitness goals, but then I painted my nails hooker pink and felt my spirits lifted and decided to post my sweet sweet "going to the grocery store solo because my lover is out of town" outfit. Niiiicccceee. I lead an exciting existence.

Jacket: BCBG

Jeans: Seven for All Mankind Classic NYD Bootcut

Top: Diane von Furstenberg 

Boots: Cole Haan

You know, I was over-the-moon about these boots in the fall when I purchased them but this is only the second time I've worn them. I keep forgetting how much I like heels. They're just not very conducive to my lifestyle anymore. 

Because the weather is warming up, I figured it's time to make the switch to less vamp-y nail polish colors (which probably pains me more than giving up warm weather clothes). Here's my hooker pink polish:

Tomorrow's goal: Don't oversleep.

Happy Spring Forward :)