a tale of two dresses

It was the best of finds, it was the worst of finds ...
I may have spent my budget for March (and April, ahem) on these two dresses.
I went to Ross recently and could not believe the gorgeous dresses they had. I also tried on a Tahari purple dress and a Vivienne by Vivienne Tam black-and-white striped knit dress, but these two were the top contenders.

Laundry by Shelli Segal color-blocked silk dress

• I'm not sure whether the bright color-block print on this dress is really me, but do you know what's got me hooked on this dress? The silk and the way it feels when I'm wearing it. It just feels luxurious. The neckline and bare shoulders would likely require a camisole and a cardigan to be added if I wanted to wear this to work.
• SIZE & FIT: The dress seems to flare out at the bottom and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing.
• As much as I love the silk, this might be a return based on the fit. 

Calvin Klein double-zipper sheath

• I've wanted for a while to add a LBDD (little black dress with a difference) to my wardrobe, and this Calvin Klein sheath dress fits the bill. The zipper detail is fantastic (and I don't even really consider myself someone who likes zipper details).
• SIZE & FIT: I wish that Ross had a 0 because I suspect it may have fit better. While taking the photos, I decided to try it on with a belt. I'm not sure whether that choice is making you smack your forehead and shout, "No! No! Don't ruin the great line of the zippers!" I think taking up the hem just a bit would help with the overall look, too.

 Yeah, I'm not sure why I'm posing barefoot next to a pair of shoes, either.

Belted

• THINGS I LOVE: the zippers, and how you can adjust them to give the dress a different neckline. After looking at the photos, I realize I might need to apply a little strategic tape or a pin to keep the tucked-in fabric from shifting.
• This really appears to be a dress that could take me from work to happy hour with a change of shoes, accessories and neckline. (Alas, after work my first inclination is to change into a baggy old tee and shorts, then lounge on the couch with a bag of Cheetos and a soda, but let's pretend my life is a little more glamorous than that). 

So right now, I'm planning to return the Laundry dress and keep the black one ... what do you think? 

variations on a shirtdress: 2 looks

Have camera, will travel: An animal-print scarf reinvents a basic shirtdress. Add jewelry souvenirs from your travels and comfortable shoes with a hint of color.

Obligatory awkward pose

Samoa wooden earrings, gift from E.K.M.

I keep my crazy on the inside: Layer a fun top underneath the shirtdress and leave it partially unbuttoned. Add paillette-and-chain earrings because you can never have too many paillettes ...

Claire's earrings (gifted)

    I actually dreamed up a few other variations but didn't have time to photograph each one. I'm so glad that I didn't pitch this little dress in the donation bag ... I haven't had enough fun with it yet!!
 
Click here and here for some other ways to style a shirtdress!

a simple Saturday night

     As much as I love my couch time, it's nice to get out once in a while on a Saturday night.

    We drove around Waikiki for a bit in hopes of snagging free parking so we could check out some of the bars, but no luck. We ended up playing pool and darts elsewhere. We learned that we've been drinking too much "naturally flavored" boxed wine when we tasted the Newcastle beer and it seemed surprisingly bitter!

My Saturday night face :)

     I picked up my new glasses on Friday, and debuted them for the Mr. on Saturday.  I don't usually post photos of my face here, but, well ... it seemed really weird, if not impossible, to show off my new glasses without one.  :)
   At first, these glasses looked so different compared to my old ones, but the shape and color are growing on me. I also love the subtle pattern on the frame (which I didn't even notice when I picked them out. Now you know why I need glasses in the first place).

Nicole Miller "Abstract" in black cherry

     Glasses are a bit of a splurge on my budget, but since I wear them daily, I figured it's a worthwhile investment. :)

a happy ending

        Today was my big presentation for storytelling class. My topic was Hans Christian Andersen. He wrote "The Princess and the Pea," "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling", "The Snow Queen" and many other stories. While many of us are familiar with the basic outlines of his stories, it's surprising to read them in their original form! The language is beautiful, and his imagery is almost cinematic.
         It wasn't mandatory to dress up for the presentations, but most of us did in some way or another. Andersen often made paper cuttings while he told stories, so I thought this dress would be perfect. The print is reminiscent of his paper cuttings (a very elaborate creation of his is shown below).
    

       Looking at this photo makes me realize that these tights are definitely the wrong length for me.  I suspect they're supposed to be capri length on someone of average height. They were a necessity, however, for surviving the air-conditioning. I'll be looking for an affordable, longer pair sometime.
      It's a big relief to be done with my presentation! All I have left is an informal reflection that's due Sunday. I'm really happy to be done with my first full-time semester. It was intense and rigorous at times, but I'm glad that I did well and stayed focused. For next semester I'd like to think about having some kind of schedule to keep myself on track with readings and a way to organize my papers better.

Goodbye, ponytail! I'm excited about getting my hair cut tomorrow.

     For my next post, I'll be reviewing two pairs of boots. I'll be keeping one pair as a birthday present to myself, so I'll be trying both pairs on with different outfits to help me make a decision. I hope you can come back and help me decide! :)

Inspired by: Mae of thereafter-ish

   A big thank you to Mae of thereafter-ish, whose travel outfits inspired this one. I like that she puts her own stylish stamp on a comfortable, practical outfit through the mixing of patterns and the inclusion of playful accessories. Click here to see her latest outfit that mixes an interestingly cut top, animal print and stripes.
   I started with some old favorites: a loose-fitting linen buttondown and jeans.  Then I added a camisole and left the shirt partially open to highlight my drapey necklace. The finishing touch was an arm party to add some intricacy, color and sparkle.

  
     Long gone are the days of wearing one bracelet at a time! I am an official arm-party addict. Even my students noticed one day and admired the pile-up. :)

'Iolani Palace door hinge bracelet (rhodium plated)

     One of my favorite landmarks is 'Iolani Palace. I still remember our fourth-grade field trip -- we had to put covers on our shoes to protect the gorgeous wooden floors and our admission tickets looked like old-fashioned dance cards. Definitely a place to check out if you are ever in beautiful Honolulu! :)

it's in the bag

     Just a quick little post of what I wore for lunch on Thanksgiving. ...

     This is my first post ever that includes a bag! I'm one of those folks who drags the same purse around for months, but I love how the bag adds something special to the outfit. One day I'll get really ambitious and do shoes and a bag in the same photo ...

Jade beetle bracelet, previously loved by the generous C.L. :)

       When I bought this shirt, I thought the print was of feathers. Looking at it again, it reminds me of eyes. Not what  I expected, but the colors are awesome. 
     Happy Tuesday! Hoping to shoot some Try-it-out Tuesday photos later today ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: obi belt

    This is a simple, basic dress perfect for work, but I wanted to make it a little more fun. I decided to take the snake-print belt off my INC dress (seen here) and replace the black belt this dress came with.

    
      I tried letting the belt hang down, then tried tying a bow. Neither looked quite right. So I ended up tying it obi-belt style. It would have looked better if the dress fabric was softer.

     I like the way it looks, but it was a little hard to breathe. I need to find some longer sashes!
     This outfit was a bit fancy for working with the Magic Carpet Book Club's second-graders, but hey, why shouldn't I dress up for read-aloud? :)  Because our theme is stories from around the world, today's selection was Judy Sierra's "Tasty Baby Belly Buttons." If you are looking for a fun and spunky heroine to share with children, Uriko-hime is quite suitable (she makes a mean dumpling and has a way with a sword).
     Happy Tuesday!

 

Try-it-out Thursday: it's not easy being green (and red)

     I decided to continue my exploration of color, and since the holidays are coming up, I just had to take on red and green. I thought mint would be a fresh alternative to the forest green usually associated with Christmas.

          Can you tell I'm still giving this red cardi a lot of love? :)
          Today I met the group of first-graders I'll be working with for the next 5 weeks, and they're kind of adorable. :) Our Green Thumb Club will be growing lettuce and beans, and learning science along the way. I'll admit I've never grown anything from seed before, but I've got my fingers crossed that this will work out. :O (The kids actually applauded when I announced at the start of the class that we were going to grow plants).
         Next week I'm hoping that we can start our bean plants, so I'm trying to sprout some beans in a zip bag. I put the zip bag on a windowsill that gets some sun, and I can't help checking them multiple times a day. I know that's such a kid thing to do, but I'm excited about seeing that first itty-bitty sprout!
        An excerpt from today:
        Me: What plant can we see outside our classroom? (a large tree)
        First-grader: A pumpkin!
       Happy Thursday!

Try-it-out Tuesday: mixing brights

    The original plan was to participate in the red and pink fun happening in honor of Rule Breaking Mondays at Clothed Much. Alas, a quick scan of the closet told me that it wasn't going to happen. I hardly own anything pink, for starters.
    Plan B: figure out how to wear a scarf and play with some bright colors.
    The biggest problem with wearing a scarf was how to pull it off without looking irredeemably foolish, as the temperatures are well into the 80s right now. I decided a light chiffon scarf would be a good way to introduce scarves into my wardrobe.

   I wore this outfit to class, where I usually wear two jackets at a time to deal with the frigid, bottom-of-the-library-so-it's-on-full-blast AC.  I figured the scarf would be functional in this environment. I stowed the cardi and scarf in my bag during my walk to class so I didn't have to worry about heatstroke. (Yay for tropical-weather-friendly layering!)

You've got mail!

    I love the look of pins on a coat, cardi or jacket, but I never do it. For a smidgen of cute I added my Moomin pin at the last minute. (I'm not sure what a Moomin is, but I do know they have a TV show, star in books, and for a brief time had their own store here).

    Note to self: remember to comb your hair before shooting photos ...   :O