Yellow, Green & Brown

While I was perusing my google reader over coffee this morning, I saw Corporette's post about favorite t-shirts to wear under suits. My favorites are Target tees. In posting my reponse on the Corporette site, I was suddenly moved to wear my favorite green Target tee today. I pulled out this skirt and necklace, assuming I'd throw a neutral jacket or sweater overtop, but nothing I tried on looked good. Standing in front of my closet, it occurred to me that one of the things I like about mazagine editorials is how different items look great together, items that I'd never think to wear together myself. So I asked myself what jacket or sweater do I have that would compliment what I'm wearing but wouldn't be something I would normally think to put with this. This yellow jacket was the first item that caught my eye. I tried it on with minimal expectations, and was very pleased with the result. So that's how today's outfit came about.

Where:
Target, errands, work, performance of The Joffrey Ballet

What:
Yellow Silk Jacket: Dana Buchman (thrifted)
Green Tee: from Target
Skirt: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Shoes: from Payless
Necklace: vintage from my grandmother
Earrings: vintage from my mother
Ring: gift from my parents

Do I look just a little bit like a demon here?

Thursday

Polka dots and summery neutrals.


Where:
Target, errands, work

What:
Jacket: Old Navy
White Buttondown: Banana Republic (thrifted)
Polkadot Dress: The Limited (thrifted)
Grey Socks: from Target
Shoes: You by Crocs
Gold Hoop Earrings: gift from my parents
Gold Dangly Cube Earrings: gift from Granny R. (not as part of this year's goody bag though; I've had these earrings for a long time)
Gold Locket: vintage from Granny S.

New York City: Saturday and Sunday (and Monday, too)

Saturday morning, we went to Kitchen Arts & Letters, a well-known (or so I'm told) cookbook store on the Upper East Side. My boyfriend spent almost an hour browsing, and purchased several books. I lasted almost 10 minutes in the shop, then went for a walk and picked up coffee & a pastry. We met up with some friends for a stroll through central park to Harlem. We shopped at a market (I got art) and had a late lunch at Sylvia's. Then we saw Fela, the new(-ish) Broadway musical based on the life and music of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Great show. Great, great show. My boyfriend was already a fan of the musician, I love Broadway musicals and enjoyed the music and dancing and acting and staging and theatre design and etc. and etc. Our friends had heard rave reviews and also enjoyed the show. Then we did some bar hopping for dinner and drinks from Midtown to the Lower East Side (or the East Village, I'm not sure; where is 11th St and 2nd Ave?) meeting up with our friends, and their friends.

Sunday, my boyfriend cooked a tasty breakfast for our hosts while one of them bartended, making Bloody Mary's and mimosas; my Bloody Mary was good, but I should have asked for virgin after all the wine the night before. After breakfast, my boyfriend and I went to the Brooklyn Flea Market, where I purchased a ring and two wrap dresses made by a local designer, 3Free. My boyfriend resisted the urge to purchase anything. Before we arrived at the flea market, he made me promise not to let him purchase furniture, since we wouldn't be able to take it on the plane. I promised, and of course, I was the one who found a red card catalog that I wanted to get for my jewelry. I had to remind myself of the no-furniture-on-the-plane rule that he and I had instituted.

After the flea market, we headed out to the airport, only to discover that all flights from the New York area back to Chicago had been cancelled due to weather conditions. We stayed in a hotel in Newark (not the funnest part of the weekend) and finally made it home early Monday afternoon. All in all, a great trip. We had a great time with our friends. We did things that I had been wanting to do like visiting Harlem and Brooklyn. We saw a Broadway show, which I like to do at least once every time I'm in New York. We shopped, we saw jazz, and we went to more than one museum. I could probably go to the Met everytime I go to New York. I can't wait till the next time I get back to New York City! (maybe I'll get a wedding invitation, summoning me there this fall . . .)


Where:
around New York City

What (Saturday, above):
Dress: from Filene's Basement
White Tee: from Target
Denim Jacket: bdg (thrifted)
Grey Tights: from Filene's Basement
Boots: Nine West
Grey Scarf: handmade by my mother
Peace Sign Earrings: World Market
Cuff: from MoJo Jewelry in Wicker Park
Fork Bracelet: from a street vendor outside the Met
Arm Candy: my wonderful boyfriend

What (Sunday, below):
Sweater: ?? (thrifted)
White Tee: from Target
Dress: Topshop (new!)
Jeans: 21 (thrifted)
Boots: Nine West
Peace Sign Earrings: World Market
Cuff: from MoJo Jewelry in Wicker Park
Fork Bracelet: from a street vendor outside the Met
Ring: newly thrifted

Thanks to Deepa for the lovely photos of my boyfriend and me in Central Park. Thanks to my boyfriend for the photo of me in the subway in Brooklyn.

New York City: Friday

Went to the MoMA on Friday. Spent some time wandering through the exhibits and the sculpture garden. I wanted to take my pictures in front of the Andy Warhol soup cans, but my boyfriend was on a different floor and we ran out of time to back track, so I snapped my picture in the full-length highly polished stainless steel art piece by Michelangelo Pistoletto.

After the MoMA, we went to Soho. I got a dress at Topshop, but resisted the call of all the other lovely goods in the shops and from street vendors. Then we met up with some friends for drinks at the Rocking Horse, cigars at Hudson Bar & Books, and a show at the Village Vanguard. We saw the Geri Allen quartet with Ravi Coltrane, John's son. Great show!

Where:
around New York City

What:
Sweater: ?? (thrifted)
Faux Wrap Dress: ?? (thrifted)
Black Sweater Tights: from Filene's Basement
Boots: Nine West
Bag: Marc Jacobs (thrifted)

New York City: Thursday

I went to New York City this past weekend with my boyfriend. It was a great trip. We flew in Thursday morning, spent the day at the Met and Central Park, with dinner at a Cuban Chinese Restaurant on the Upper West Side. Thursday involved a lot of walking. We stayed at an itty-bitty little hotel in Murray Hill Thursday night, our "date night" in the city, before meeting up with friends for the rest of the weekend.

Where:
airport, flight, around New York City

What:
Sweater: ?? (thrifted)
Twiggy T-shirt: doe (thrifted)
Jeans: Forever XXI (thrifted)
Bag: Marc Jacobs (thrifted)
Boots: Nine West
Peace Sign Earrings: World Market
Cuff: from MoJo Jewelry in Wicker Park

Thanks to my boyfriend for the Gossip Girl-esq pictures on the Met Steps!

Tourist Swag

Notwithstanding the title of the post, I did not get this t-shirt in New York City this past weekend. I picked it up at a thrift store in Chicago before my trip. I just got home yesterday and I decided to wear my tourist-y looking garb first day back. I was supposed to get home Sunday, but flights were delayed. Posts and pics from my trip coming soon.

Where:
work

What:
Jacket: vintage
NY T-shirt: thrifted
Red Pants: H&M
Black Belt: ??
Boots: Nine West
Black Hoop Earrings: Aldo
Hair Clip: ??

Chicago Blogger Meet-Up (I'm the caboose of posters)

Tabitha:


Jess:


Sabrina:


Elena:


Emily:


Clare:


Candles (and also, the only picture I got of Tieka and Andrea):

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our Chicago Blogger Meet-up earlier this month. Attending were:

Andrea - Blonde Bedhead
Tieka - Selective Potential
Clare - Between Laundry Days
Sabrina - Defying My Closet
Tabitha - Fashion Therapist
Emily - sartoriography
Elena - Caffeinerd
Jess - Makeunder My Life
Gina (me) - clothes, inter alia

We had dinner at Quartino restaurant, then went to Blue Frog for karaoke. It was wonderful meeting up with so many other bloggers from the Chicago area. If you haven't already seen them, check out the posts about our meet up from Andrea, Tieka, Clare, Sabrina, Tabitha, Elena and Emily, who were all much more timely than me in posting a recap.

I didn't actually take proper outfit photos the day of the blogger meet-up, but I'll list what I was wearing anyway. :-)

Where:
errands around my neighborhood, Chicago Blogger Meet-Up

What:
Jacket: thrifted
Twiggy Tee: doe (thrifted)
Jeans: 21 (thrifted)
Shoes: You by Crocs
Flower Brooch: vintage from my grandmother
Earrings: Aldo (??)

Sabrina, Elena & me:


Emily & Clare:


How could it be a blogger meet-up without cameras?


Thanks for Sabrina for this photo:


Thanks to Andrea for this photo:


Sabrina being goofy (and the stranger in the background copying her):


Tabitha Singing:


Thanks to Sabrina for this photo:

A Lawyer with Red-Hosed Legs, Dear

This is really a bargain outfit today. The most expensive part is probably the skirt from Old Navy, which was purchased as part of a suit. See the whole suit here and here. I didn't even know Old Navy made suits. Most of the rest of the outfit is thrifted. Or, items I've had for 10-20 years or more.

Where:
work

What:
White Button-Down: Banana Republic (thrifted, $2)
Skirt: Old Navy
Brown Wrap Top: Limited (thrifted, $1.50)
Red Tights: ??
Earrings: mine from the 1990's
Wooden Bracelet: vintage from my mother
Brown Hair Ribbon: vintage, mine from the 1980's
Braided Leather Belt: thrifted ($.50)
Italian Leather Oxford Shoes: Joan & David (thrifted, $2)
Bag: thrifted ($3?)

New York State of Mind

Back to work. Chilly day.

Where:
househunting, work (including bar association meeting)

What:
Blouse: Victoria's Secret
Skirt: Target (thrifted)
Black Sweater Tights: from Filene's Basement
Shoes: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Earrings: mine from the 1990's
Belt: ??
Beads: Anne Klein
Bag: thrifted
Cats: Amaretto and Drusilla

Tie-Dye Sunday

A favorite weekend outfit. I also wore a variation on this as my costume for the Bar Association show in December. I played a big law lawyer who was getting paid not to work, loafing around reading Twilight instead.

Where:
brunch, coffee, shopping, hanging at home

What:
Sweater: from Ragstock
Tie-Dye Tee: thrifted, altered
White Ribbed Tank: Tommy Hilfiger
Jeans: Forever 21 (thrifted)
Purple Boots: Wet Seal
Key Necklace: diy, with my grandmother's old backdoor key
Peace Sign Earrings: World Market

Suit Week: Day 4

One of my newer suits. Unusual style of skirt for a suit. I like it. My boyfriend kept telling me I look like the Hulk.

Where:
work, drinks

What:
Suit Jacket & Skirt: Express
Sheer Blouse: thrifted
Nude Cami: Wet Seal
Green Tights: ??
Josephine Baker Pin: Weener Ware
Shoes: You by Crocs
Earrings: gift
Purse: H&M