"People Dress Up"

A few weeks ago I had to go to Las Vegas for work. Las Vegas is a terrible, terrible, terrible place that I hope none of you ever have to visit (unless of course you like it and then by all means have fun). The upside of Vegas was my proximity to the West Coast. Taking only a few days off of work I was able to sneak in a far too brief visit to some of my favorite people in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, including this one.

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That's me with my best friend Karen. Adorable right? Today is her 31st birthday and I think we have now reached the tipping point where we've been best friends half of our lives. I love her beyond words even if every single thing I wear brings mockery and derision on her part.

While I was out in the Bay Area my friends Tom & Billy suggested a visit to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. It's this amazing antique market with hundreds of vendors on an old air force landing strip in the middle of the Bay. What is there not to leave about this activity, I was so down. To make it even more enticing Tom told me that "people dress up" for the antique market so if I wanted to I should wear something fun. I had a packed a few crazy dresses that I never got to wear in Las Vegas so Alameda was sounding even better by the minute.

I may have been a bit more dressed up than other folks.

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I was wearing a new dress from Forever 21 with luvees peeking out from underneath. I thought I kind of dressed down the purple lame with some Minnetonka moccasins. Let me just say, they did not dress down the outfit nearly enough.

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I borrowed a necklace from Karen and am wearing Betsey Johnson sunglasses. My frizzy hair is thanks to the wind.

I was beyond overdressed for the market, but it was all good fun because I got to take photos like this.

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Finally here's a group photo of my the 3 lovely hosts who wined me and dined me and successfully made me not hate the Bay Area. Note how they are dressed, including the two men who passed on the advice that "people dress up."

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All photos are courtesy of my beloved, brilliant, beautiful, brainy, birthday bestie Karen. I am a lucky lady indeed.

Sundresses and Snowstorms

This is what it looks like outside of my apartment today. We've had 20 inches of snow fall and it's insanity outside.

But I want to take you to a different place, where you don't have to wear ugly shoes and trudge through waist high snow. After London I headed over to Israel for a few days to visit my sister. The temperature rose by 50 degrees and I spent my days either playing with my niece and nephews or lying in the sun, reading trashy magazines. Good times.

It also meant that I got to wear a new dress that I had picked up on the Evans sales rack the week before in London.

Can we have a moment of silence where we appreciate how little clothing I am wearing and how sunny it is. Ok, thank you.

The best part of the dress is the crocheted back. I love details like this and yes, next time I'll wear a black bra.

I have little on, but as for details my dress is from Evans, my flip-flops are Havianna's, my bag is Botkier and I picked up these sunglasses at a market in Turkey.

My hair piece was purchased at the Bust craftacular a few years ago and I think I got these earrings at a NYC street fair. My wonderful sister was both my tour guide and photographer for the day.

And just because I am a woman obsessed, here's a photo of my sister's "baby." It's official, my nephew is cuter than yours.

Layering at London Markets

My first full day in London I headed to East London to hit up some markets and do a bit of shopping. I attempted to dress like an East London hipster but I'm afraid that my smile and hair bow gave me away as a fake.

Because I was packing for an over 50 degree temperature variance on my trip my theory was to layer, layer, layer. I've got on a tank top dress from Brooklyn Industries which you've seen before here, a button down from Debs that I got in Fatshionista sales swap, a cashmere cardigan from Bloomingdales, tights from Target, my new Duo boots that I am beyond obsessed with and a Botkier bag.

I'm also sporting a hair bow from H&M, gloves from Uniqlo and a necklace from the Bust Craftacular.

A hallmark of London is its markets. London is absolutely filled with them and they all have a different feel to them. Some sell antiques, some food, some handmade crafts and while I was visiting last month I tried to hit up as many markets as I could in my limited time.

The first market I visited was Spitalfields on a Sunday (vendors and size of markets vary by the day) where it was in full swing for the holiday season. Spitalfields has a ton of handmade clothes, jewelry and accessories so I was in heaven. Also unlike many markets it is covered, which in the weather we were having is a blessing.

I quickly got sucked into a table which had beautiful, fluffy and feathery winter accessories. I think I tried on every single hat they had on their table.

But it was worth it because in the end I walked away with this beauty. I'm kind of obsessed with it even if I do look creepily like my mother.

Some of the other things that caught my eye at the market were these gorgeous necklaces. I ended up getting a headphone necklace from them. I also purchased a necklace that had a mini set of utensils on it that I've already worn about a dozen times. I'll be sure and show off the both of them to you sometime soon.

I was also taken with this vintage suitcase filled with bits and baubles for only 2 pounds a piece. Sometimes I get a bit taken away with things like that.

I also picked up some scarves for a pound a pop and some of the tastiest tea I've had in ages. While there was a ton of adorable clothes at the market none of it came in my size which was a bit aggravating but also good for my wallet.

Photo credit goes to my friend Elsa.

Portland Here I Come

This Thursday night I am off for a 4 day get-away to Portland, Oregon. And even though my apartment is still in total disarray and I should be unpacking, I am in desperate need for a little vacation so off to Portland I go. I went to Portland once years ago for Fat Girl Speaks and because I was considering moving there, but it has been almost 7 years since my visit, so my memories are hazy.

I know there's a lot to do and see and that there are a lot of rad fatties there and I was hoping some of you might have some suggestions for me. Obviously I plan to hit up Fat Fancy, but other than that I'm a bit of an open book.

So if you have any suggestions for me of the food, eating, drinking, shopping, sightseeing, coffee drinking, rad fatties, cute heterosexual bear watching variety please let me know what they are so I can put them on my list.

Also I'm having a bit of a packing conundrum. It's going to be a high of 59 while I'm there. It hasn't been that cold yet in NY, so I'm not sure what that means clothing wise. Would a jean jacket suffice? Is it a cashmere cardi weather? I've forgotten what 59 feels like. If it's that cold where you are please let me know how you've been dressing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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.

Things I did in India

I know, I've been promising photos from India for ages. Well now I'm finally sharing some of them. These photos are just a brief snippet of what I did and saw. I was in India for 15 days and traveled to 5 cities via 4 trains and 5 planes. It was exhausting, but fascinating as well.

I visited Old Delhi. The traffic, sights, sounds and smells were overwhelming.

I rode in a bike rickshaw. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. I wish I could travel to work via bike rickshaw everyday.

I went to the Taj Mahal. That's the money shot.

Then I played on a see-saw and rode down a slide with the Taj Mahal in the background. How many people can say they've done that?

I also took some cheesy, touristy photos.

Oh and I saw a cow inside a store. Yeah, no big deal.

Then I went to Varanasi, home of the Ganga River where many people travel to cremate the dead and then scatter their ashes in the Ganga River. This is the view of the ghats (aka steps) that lead down to the water. There are nighttime ceremonies conducted by Brahmin priests which is what this is a photo of. This is also where my tour guide insulted me.

We took an early morning ride of the Ganga to see a very different side of river life.

People bathing in the Ganga. I was freezing sitting on my boat so I can't imagine how cold these individuals must have been.

People also wash clothing in the river. This is a photo of sari's drying along the waters edge. It was one of my favorite sights of my trip.

Goats, heading home from the market. They're awfully calm considering they're likely on their way to be slaughtered.

I visited a Hindu Temple. It was the first time I'd seen a swastika used as it was originally intended for. It was pretty cool.

The decoration at the City Palace was unbelievable

With a guard at the City Palace in Jaipur. The big vessel in the background is the largest silver vessel in the world and was built to carry water from the Ganga to England for a king to bathe in while he was on holiday.

This was in Jaipur and it's where the maharajah's ladies would sit and look out on city life through the windows. On my desk at work I have a things to see before you die page-a-day calendar and this was one of the sights listed while I was away. Kinda amazing right?

I went to a gorgeous fort. And wore tevas. Please, you can't judge me any more than I judge myself.

I went to a monkey temple which was fascinating and scary all at once. Wild monkeys are scary.

I met some cute school children who asked me to take their photo.

This is an Iraqi synagogue in Mumbai that has been there for over a 100 years. It was beautiful, I'd never seen a shul like it before in my life.

I splurged my last few days in Mumbai and booked myself at a nice hotel. I spent a lot of time at the pool. It was lush.

The next set of India photos will be things I didn't do in India. To be continued....