Marine Life

I thrifted this jacket a few weeks ago, and this is its first wearing. I've long admired Kasmira's turquoise velvet jacket and the ways she's styled it, so when I saw this similar one at the thrift store for 2 bucks, I scooped it up.

Where:
work, dinner

What:
Jacket: Worthington (thrifted)
Sheer Blouse: ?? (thrifted)
Green Cami: Body by Victoria
Skirt: Forever XXI
Belt: Forever XXI (came with today's skirt)
Shoes: from Payless
Earrings: 2028 from Macy's
Flower Brooch: vintage from my grandmother

Pink, Paisley, Stripes and Flowers

I won this bag a few weeks ago in a giveaway from Bianca at Deals for the Short and Curvy. I love it! It's the perfect size for carrying all my work stuff and my clothes for dance class. It's from Bridesmaid Gift Bags, and they personalized it with my initial on the front. I don't know how well you can see the initial in these photos, but it looks pretty in person.

My boyfriend looked at me today and asked if I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I am wearing a flowered wrap dress for the second day in a row, so kudos to him for noticing. (Plus, I'm pretty sure he was just kidding.)

Where:
work

What:
Jacket: Body by Victoria
Dress: ?? (thrifted)
Earrings: World Market
Flower Brooch: vintage from my grandmother
Key Necklace: gift from my parents
Shoes: You by Crocs
Bag: Bridesmaid Gift Bags, won in a giveaway on Deals for the Short and Curvy

Red Roses, Blue Dress

New dress, new earrings. This is one of the dresses I got last weekend when I was in NYC. The bracelet is also from New York.

Where:
work, dinner

What:
Dress: 3Free Designs (new!)
Shoes: Newport News
Earrings: World Market (new!)
Bracelet: from a vendor outside the Met

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)