Day 7, Dress 97: My Blue Phase

I never realized it until folks kept making comments yesterday, but I don't wear that much blue. Perhaps I should rectify this because it turns out I like the way I look in blue.

I picked up this dress at Ross and I was super excited to find it because lately I've really been into chambray. Figuring out how to wear chambray without looking like an 80's castoff can be a bit tricky but the stitching under the bust of this dress took away any of my concerns. I've paired it with a light cotton sweater from Old Navy that is an absolute necessity in my icebox office, but not so much outside in the sunshine.

I'm wearing some accessories you've never seen before on the blog. The blue necklace I picked up in Iguazu Falls in Argentina, the long silver necklace I just discovered in my closet (I literally don't remember ever seeing it before) and the earrings I picked up in Mexico.

The shoes are on their virgin outing. They're Minnetonka moccasins and they are incredibly comfortable. It's also exciting to me because these were popular when I was a kid and I wanted them so badly. I never got them as an 8 year old, but I have them now!

But I came back from lunch with much more exciting shoe news. Look what was awaiting me in my office upon my return.

DUO BOOTS!!!!

Since last fall/winter I have been obsessing over getting another pair of Duo Boots (just about the only boots that fit my calves). I wanted an everyday, flat, black boot. I hemmed and I hawwed and I obsessed over price and the thought of having to return boots to London and finally I bullied my Dad into buying them for me as a birthday present for the last 2 years.

I picked the Oristano (stock image below).

And here they are on me. Front view.

Back view

I think I'm going to keep them. They fit, they're purty, there's room in the toes and they're wide enough that I should be able to wear them over jeans. My one concern is that the sole of the shoe is very hard but I'm hoping some inserts will be able to solve that problem. The boots aren't uncomfortable, but I'm not so sure that they're comfortable if that makes sense. I promise to give a much more thorough review when I've walked more than 25 feet in them.

Photographer of the day is Nicole.

Flowers and Freezing Cold Offices

This has been one of the worst summers in NYC. It has been H-O-T hot. Sticky, humid, 90+ degree, constant heat waves. It has been, in a word, disgusting.

The unrelenting heat outside, combined with the crazy air conditioning in my office and the 110 degree heat in the subway station while I'm waiting for the train makes dressing a complicated affair. I'm shvitzing up until I get to the office at which point I begin to freeze at which point I pull on the same, old Alaska hoodie I've kept at my desk for the past year which is in desperate need of a good washing.

But I digress, back to the outfit at hand. This was a good combination because my legs were covered. As you know I've been wearing a lot of short, summer dresses and since my office is perpetually 55 degrees I'm freezing once I've made it to the office. After I've thrown on my dirty hoodie to warm up my top half I take the other ugly layer I keep at my office - an old Delia's cable cardigan - and use it as a blanket on my bare legs. With this outfit I was able to be be sweater/blanket free (although not hoodie free).

Writing this post makes it abundantly clear that I really need to get it together and bring some nicer layers to keep at my desk.

My leggings are from Danskin and the top is from New Look, a British store that I don't shop at too frequently but that I do have a few great pieces from. I love this top because I can very comfortably wear it without a bra on the weekend and...

it has pockets! And I think I've already blogged plenty on my love of pockets.

The rest of my outfit consists of yellow sandals from Old Navy.

And these cute earrings that Karen got me one year for my birthday.

Striped Sundresses and Care Packages

I have passions outside of fatshion. Many in fact, but for this post we'll focus on just three of them. Baking, care packages and Jamie.

Jamie, like many of my beloved friends lives far away from Brooklyn in a land called Los Angeles. The distance is difficult, but we try and stay as close as if we lived down the street from one another. One of the ways is our baking tin. Basically Jamie and I bake and then pack it up in the same tin that we cover with stickers and then we ship it cross country. There's always little love notes and sometimes we pack in little presents and then, once in a blue moon I open my box to discover crazy surprises like this. Blondies, a dress and a gorgeous, metallic purple handbag - an early birthday present. Jamie (and Yoni and JuJu spoil me terribly). I do love them so.

As long time readers may remember, I have been the recipient of many wonderful Jamie hand-me-downs over the years, although this wasn't so much a hand-me-down. She said she bought it at Loehmann's, tried it on repeatedly and then finally decided that it really was just calling my name so off to New York she sent it.

I have to say I absolutely LOVE it! It's great and summery and it can stand alone without many accessories, however as you all know I have trouble saying no to accessories. Note the yellow sandals from Old Navy.

My office is so freezing that even though it's 100 degrees outside I always have to have a layer close by. My cute cropped cardi is from Banana Republic and it kills me that they haven't re-issued it as I have loved it to pieces.

My favorite part of the dress is the pockets! Dresses with pockets always make me smile.

And since I can't resist accessories, even though the dress doesn't need them, here you have a closeup of my headband from Dorothy Perkins and my necklace from Primark. Oh dear London (and your shops), I can't wait for my next trip, I've missed you so.

Jamie I hope the dress is just as you imagined it would be on me. I love you and miss you terribly.

It's Electric

Who doesn't just love the electric slide? But that's a discussion for another time.

This is my third outfit in a row featuring an item from my recent Dorothy Perkins order. Had I tried on this shirt in the store I wouldn't have ended up purchasing it because I don't love the fit, but it would have cost more to send back than it did to order so I just kept it and tried to see how I could make it work.

I didn't know what I was going to wear when I woke up the morning I put together this outfit, but I felt like a skirt so I grabbed a grey corduroy skirt from Old Navy that I've had for ages. Right next to it I saw this cropped jacket from Target that I got in a Friday fat sales that I never wear and thought "ooh now I've got an outfit idea."

The accessories really help make this outfit pop. The tights are also from Dorothy Perkins, which I have gleefully discovered a bit late in the tights wearing season, makes affordable tights that fit my hips and ass in a variety of colors. The earrings and necklace are from the Gabi D showroom in NYC, the shoes are from Nine West and the headband is from Primark.

Photo credit goes to Nicole, even though it was my co-worker Ateqah who inspired the color palette of the outfit.

I Cannot be Trusted at a Sample Sale

For realzy. I walk into a sample sale and it's as if I've forgotten how to say no to shopping. Well, I'm not so good at saying no when shopping in general, but I am really bad at sample sales. I think it's the combination of discounted designer goods, compounded by the frenzied feeling of "if you don't buy this right now you someone else will snatch it up and it will be lost forever" and the fat girl feeling of excitement when something fits.

What's that last one you ask? It's something I think we've all fallen victim to over the years - if it fits, we must buy it. We've all been there right? We go shopping with a friend and they drag us into a store where nothing even comes close to fitting us and then there's some stretchy dress or top which fits and you're so excited that it fits that you buy it. You like it because it fits, not really considering whether or not it's something you actually want. I can shop here too you think as the cashier rings up your purchase, I also belong. And then you go home and hang up the dress and it sits in your closet.

I've gotten over that "if it fits you must buy it" mentality. ..for the most part. Sometimes at sample sales I slip. Today's outfit is a perfect example of that.


I was walking in the West Village and saw a sample sign in the window and I unwittingly walked into the Rag & Bone sample sale, a line that I have only even heard of because my very fabulous co-worker dated someone who worked there. I walked in, did a brief loop around the store and picked up this gorgeous, cashmere capelet. Only $100, down from $595. And it fit. And it was gorgeous. And the material felt like heaven. And the buttons were burnished. But...it wasn't very practical. You can't wear a coat over it, meaning there's a very brief weather period where you can wear it. Not to mention it's hard to carry a bag while wearing it, all of which makes it not so useful in New York. But it's puuuurty.

So I bought it and in my closet it sat for months untill last week when we hit that perfect temperature where I could wear it without a coat, but wouldn't be too hot in it. I will say that once I finally wore it I got an awful lot of compliments and I think it's going to just live at the office so I don't have to worry about a coat...or carrying a bag. Isn't it gorgeous, if not at all practical?


I paired my capelet with some Z. Cavarichi jeans which you've seen before and a brown top that I got at Ross which you've also seen before. I kept the accessories simple, just some purple flats from Old Navy and gold, dangly earrings from Primark.


Photo credit goes to my co-worker Lena.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Although it pains me to admit this since I relish any occasion to dress in some sort of themed outfit, I forgot that today was St. Patrick's Day. Oops. It wasn't until I got off my subway station at work and was swarmed by Staten Island teenagers resplendent in green that I realized "shit it's St. Patty's Day and I'm not wearing green." Well I'm wearing this, so there's a bit of green but not enough to really count. I lived in Dublin and love the Irish (although not those that run the NYC St. Patty's Day Parade) so it's particularly disappointing.

I did however rock a green outfit last week so shh, lets all pretend I'm wearing this today.

I think everything I'm wearing has been featured before on my blog - no I take that back, I can't find the vest anywhere. The dress is from Old Navy, the vest and tights are from Target, the boots are Laila Rowe, the necklace is Betsy Johnson and the hair piece is from the Bust Craftacular.

It's all About the Scarf

Remember how I said I knew I was tempting fate by running head first into spring? Well it came back to bite me in the ass and it only took about 4 days of lovely weather to do so. But I'm going to pretend for a few minutes that it's still nice and I haven't spent the last 3 days walking around with big hair and rain boots and share with you a photo from earlier last week when the weather was lovely.

My skirt and blue fishnets are from Old Navy, my top is hand-me-down from my friend Jamie, the jean jacket is Svoboda via Re/Dress as is the button on the jacket, the earrings are from Topshop, my sneakers are keds and may actually be from high school and the bag is Botkier and trust me, I got it like all my fancy handbags at a sample sale.

What makes the outfit interesting and special is the scarf.

I've already told you that I'm not really a scarf person and I never really know if I'm wearing them correctly. However I recently bought this scarf in India and I am obsessed with it because the entire design is hand blocked. Yup, you heard me, it was all done by hand.

While in India I went to this village called Sanganer that is famous for its handmade paper and textiles. I visited factories that made both and I bought this scarf at the hand blocking factory I went to. It was one of the absolute highlights of my trip and I thought I'd share a few photos from my visit there.

First you choose what pattern you like from a variety of blocks

Then it is dipped in the ink that you see on the right in this photo

Then this exceedingly talented man showed me how you press down on the fabric, hitting the block with a hammer to get the right outline. He also explained to me that you must use the same block, dipping in different colors to get the full design.

This is what the finished products look like. Now do you understand why I'm so obsessed with my scarf? The entire design was done by hand. Absolutely amazing.

Publish Post

No I did not get this top in India

I wore this yesterday and all day long people at work kept asking me "did you get that in India?" To which I replied "no, I got it in Mexico."

Back around Thanksgiving 2008 I was in desperate need of a post-election vacation so my friend Tom and I went on a roadtrip in Mexico. We spent too much driving in the desert... and not enough time doing this...


But I digress, back to the shirt.

I got the top in Mexico, in some random town in Baja and like many articles of clothing that we (or maybe just me) tend to buy while abroad it has mostly sat in my drawer and rarely been worn. I don't seem to know how to wear it - I've tried belting it and wearing a cardigan but yesterday I just decided to let it flow and hope that paired with skinny jeans it didn't make me look pregnant. I'm fat, I don't care about looking bigger than I already am, but I really don't like looking pregnant. But it's such a pretty top and the embrodiery is so beautiful that I just went for it, pregnancy look be damned. Plus, the white highlights my Mumbai tan.


I've paired the top with some skinny grey jeans by Z. Cavaricci via Torrid (oh how I longed for a pair of Z. Cavaricci's back in 5th grade, these are much cuter than the ones I coveted). The shoes are from Old Navy, the earrings are hand-me-downs from my dear friend Ateqah and the headband is repurposed from a cardigan.


Photo credit goes to Deuel...I think. This was just taken yesterday, I'm not sure why I'm losing my head so much but I am. Oops. I blame it on jetlag.

Day 25, off to the zoo!

I took a bit of a staycation so I could spend some time with my sister and nephew who were in from Israel. I've been dreaming of taking a NY cooking staycation for quite some time where every day I'd travel to a different NY neighborhood and then cook these huge meals with all these specialty ingredients. Suffice it to say, that was not what my staycation with my sister and 4 year old nephew was.

On Friday when I was off from work we had a little Brooklyn adventure in the park and headed to the zoo for the very first time. The Prospect Park Zoo was way better than I expected it to be and I highly recommend it. I almost went there on a date and I have to say it'd be a pretty good date spot. We had a great day - the weather was perfect and there was more to see and the animals were in better housing conditions than we expected for a small zoo. The carousel is right next door to it so we ended our afternoon jaunt there, which was an added bonus. All in in all, 2 thumbs up from bloomie.

So for trekking around the park I wanted something casual that I could get dirty and pet animals in and not give a second thought to, so I grabbed this cotton Old Navy dress from my closet. It's a size xl and I wish I had thought to take a picture of the back because it ties in the "back." I use quotes because I've technically been wearing this dress backwards since the very first time I wore it. Originally the dress was supposed to be worn with the cowl neck collar in the back, but that seemed like a waste to me, so I've always worn it "backwards."

As for the rest of the outfit I'm wearing a pair of xl Danskin leggings, pink sunglasses that I got on the boardwalk in Brighton, flip-flops are Havianna's, earrings I got at a Brooklyn street fair and the headband I got...um I'm not quite sure.

I arrived home at 5:45 and had folks showing up for a dinner party at 6:30 so it was a bit manic (not quite how I imagined my staycation dinner parties in my mind). I wouldn't even have mentioned it except for the fact that I made this cake in honor of my sister and it was amazing and I want to show you a picture of its deliciousness. My father would say it's gilding the lily and it may have been, but it was also undeniably delicious. Yeah for special guests who allow you to bake things you wouldn't normally allow yourself to make.

Day 21, It's my birthday!

So after much obsession and hope against hope my 30th birthday would never actually arrive, it came around and it turns out that it wasn't that bad. In fact, due to my unbelievable friends it was actually a pretty amazing day.

I mean it started with a call from the messenger office at work telling me I had flowers waiting for me which led to a very excited commute to work wondering who in the world had sent me flowers (thanks Carrila in Israel!) and after picking up an unbelievable amazing bouquet of purple flowers I walked into my office to discover that it had been transformed into a purple fantasy land. Seriously. I am not making this up. Purple fucking fantasy land. There were balloons and streamers on the door with True Blood love notes and vote was written out on my desk with purple streamers and there was purple cauliflower in a vase on my desk. {sigh} my friends are the greatest.


And of course I had to dress for the day. Today is kind of what I imagine a 6 year old would wear to a party. I mean it is pink, has flowers, is short and it twirls. I love it! I originally bought it to wear to M&A's wedding in August but I threw it on and wore it to the office today. M said it best when she said "your office is like high school." Tee hee hee. So true and I'm so lucky.


Today's dress was purchased in London and is a size 20 from Evans. Evans is kind of like the British version of Lane Bryant, except cool enough to hire Beth Ditto to design for them and they have a shoe department with boots cut extra wide to fit my fat calves. The very first pair of boots I ever bought that fit my calves came from Evans, so they'll always have a special place in my heart due to that. As for the rest of the outfit the tights are from Old Navy and the shoes are Office. I bought these shoes thinking they'd be my go to black shoe but too often I feel like they don't work and are too witch-esque. I however got a ton of compliments on them so perhaps I have to re-think that. Hot pink sunnies I bought on the Brighton boardwalk and the earrings I bought from a street vendor in Brooklyn.


Like I said I ended up having a wonderful day. I rang in 30 with a pint of pumpkin beer in hand, was feted all day by my amazing friends, had not one but two cookie cakes, got thrown a surprise party and had drinks bought for me all night long. I'm really a lucky lady.

During an early morning freakout, I was having a conversation with my friend about turning 30 and he kept saying that it's a great opportunity to take a look at where you are in your life. You can see what you've accomplished, appreciate no longer living paycheck to paycheck and most of all take a look at the love you have in your life. What can I say, Wilma got it right.

I'm aiming for 30 and fine...or maybe 30 and dirty. I haven't quite decided just yet.