Celebrating Jill

On Saturday, nine of us headed to Nostos, a Greek restaurant in Tyson's Corner for dinner and drinks to celebrate our friend Jill's birthday!  It was the first time any of us had dined there and everything was delicious from start to finish!  I am considering taking my family there when they come to visit in July.  I drove Jill, as she lives near me, so we had a few drinks at the bar before the other girls arrived.  Once we were seated, we tried a variety of appetizers and entrees and had a lot of laughs over wine. Here are a few pictures:

With the birthday girl!

A birthday cheese!  A treat from the bartender

All the ladies

Dress: Banana Republic Petite, circa 2008
Shoes: Aldo

Cream of the Crop

I bought this dress in February from Banana Republic's Mad Men collection. I wore it in March to my friend Courtney's baby shower and decided it was high time to wear it again!  I had a presentation for work so I decided to dust it off and wear it around my colleagues.  I received a lot of compliments on the dress, so I guess it is a keeper!  In keeping with the cream theme, I wore a thin wool open cardi over top. 

Dress and Cardi: Banana Republic Petite
Shoes: Nine West

Another Bundle Of Joy

My dear friend, Courtney, is expecting a baby girl this spring.  A few weeks ago, her sister threw a delightful tea to shower her with new baby gifts.   I figured this was the perfect time to debut my new Joan Sheath dress from Banana Republic's Madmen collection for spring 2012.  I thought this was the perfect color and style for a baby shower tea. Here are a few pictures, including the darling zebra-inspired cupcakes Courtney had made as shower favors!

St. Patrick's Day Shower

As I mentioned before, my friend Hyun June is getting married in April.  This past Saturday we held her shower at her mother's house. The wedding colors are purple so we had lots of purple around!  My friend Courtney ordered purple napkins and engagement ring napkin holders.  She also found cute Godiva Wedding Cakes as party favors.  I made ice cubes in the shape of engagement rings and had cupcakes dyed to match the exact color of our bridesmaid dresses.  Hyun June's mom is a florist, she she arranged some flowers to be centerpieces around the kitchen.  It was a warm sunshiny afternoon- a perfect day to celebrate upcoming nuptials! 

The bridal party- Hyun June, the bride is in the center surrounded by her bridesmaids

The dessert!  The icing is the color of our bridesmaid dresses

Personalized napkins

Party favors: Godiva Chocolate Cakes

With the bride-to-be!

OOTD: I did not plan to wear this, but the skirt I wanted to wear wasn't working.  Luckily, this one arrived the day of the shower so I decided to give it a-go. I LOVE it!
Hairclip: Anthropologie
Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft
Cardigan: Banana Republic
Skirt: Embroidered Paperwhites Skirt, Anthropologie 2012
Shoes: J. Crew

I'll Have to Find Another Tower Somewhere and Keep Away From the Windows

Another day of training means another messy pony tail.  This skirt is one I haven't worn in awhile.  It's ancient- I bought it years ago at the Limited. Usually I wear a brown top with it but decided to pair it with this Anthro tee by Pilcro and my green banana republic cardi.  The bold colors definitely spiced up this skirt!

I was able to catch up with some long lost pals over the weekend.  On Saturday I went to a friend's housewarming party then on Sunday, my former co-worker had a bunch of former colleagues over for snacks/dinner/desserts and lots of conversation.  it was fun chatting and reminiscing!  How did you spend your weekend?

Shirt: Anthro, Fall 2011
Cardi: Banana Republic Petite, Spring 2011
Skirt: Limited circa 2004
Boots: Nine West
Necklace: Notice

Denim Days Continue

Well, here's yet another post where I am sporting denim... I promise this will be the last one for a little while!  I wore this outfit a week and half ago when I went out for dinner and drinks with my friends, Courtney and Jason and for some reason never got around to posting it. It was a rainy, windy night so jeans were definitely in order.  I did, however, wear shoes when I went out!  Not quite sure why I snapped these pictures before putting them on.

Top, necklace, and belt: Anthropologie
Cardigan: American Eagle Outlet
Jeans: Banana Republic Petite
Feather hair clip: Lou Lou Boutiques

Speaking of shoes, I am having the worst time finding shoes to were in my friend Hyun June's wedding.  She wants us to wear black strappy heels. You would think that would be an easy find... it isn't!  It's not even that I can't find shoes that I like, it's that I can't find any at all.  I've tried Nine West, Steve Madden, Zappos, DSW, Piperlime, etc.  Every place I can think of.  No one has a black strappy heel (at least not one that they sell in my shoe size) all they have a regular old pumps.  I still have about 2 months to locate a shoe before the big day, but as more and more time ticks by I am growing nervous about finding something!  Suggestions on where to look?

Sky Blue

Last week I mentioned that I've been wearing various shades of the same light blue/green color.  This post is no exception!  Last week I wore this sky blue tank and top from Banana Republic spring 2010 collection.  I love this set because it makes my eyes look very blue, it's extremely comfortable, and I can usually dress it up or down.  Here is a dressed down example as I paired it with a denim skirt, also from Banana Republic petite. In these pictures, it kind of looks like you can see my belly through the top shirt, but I assure you, it is the skirt!  The top layer is sheer, and I tucked the tank top layer into the skirt underneath.

Top and Skirt: Banana Republic Petite
Tights: J Crew
Jewelry: Premier Designs
Shoes: Anthropologie

I've been itchy to buy some new spring clothes, but lately haven't found too many things that have caught my eye.  I'm working on putting together a March Wishlist post- hopefully I'll find enough items to make it worthwhile!

Walking On A Wire

Happy Friday!  I realized this morning that I basically wore the same color all week in different formats. You'll see more of this week's outfits next week, but here is another sampling. As we are moving into March, I brought out the sagebrush skirt from Anthropologie's spring line last year.  I adore this skirt, and I am sad to report that it is getting a bit tight, so I need to tone up if I am still going to be able to wear it this spring season!

Skirt: Sage Brush, Anthropologie spring 2011
Shirt: Gap, too long ago to recall
Cardi: Banana Republic, Fall 2011
Boots: Nine West
Necklace: Banana republic Outlet, summer 2011

Wednesday night I made it to Banana Republic's unveiling of the Mad Men Collection.  I'm glad I did, because shortly after the line launched, many items were sold out in multiple sizes, both in petite and regular stores.  I was able to snag the Joan Sheath, which I am happy to report is offered in petite.  I tried on both the 0 and the 2... the 0 looked better on (it is a dress meant to hug curves) but it felt too tight so I went with the 2 to be more comfortable even though it is noticeably looser.  Nothing else from the line worked for me, although I do have my eye on a few pieces of jewelry.  This is the dress I bought:

Did you purchase anything from the 60s-inspired line?

New(ish)

I've been feeling blah about my wardrobe lately, and I'm trying extra hard NOT to shop so much!  I needed to mix some things up to feel like I have new clothes to wear as we transition into spring.  This outfit was a nice hodge-podge of newish items.  The seafoam colored cardi is the melodious cardigan from Anthropologie.  I bought it at the opening of the Anthro in Old Town that I attended in January.  I thought about returning it because it is rather pricey, but I ended up keeping it because I love the color and fit.  I received many compliments on it, so I think others agree!
I purchased this navy skirt on super sale from J. Crew.  I've been seeking a navy skirt that isn't lacy, textured, or patterned.  This skirt fit the bill!  I bought it over President's Day weekend when J. Crew was having 20% off online orders. If you love it, you may want to purchase it now.  J Crew is offering 30% off all sale items.  View it here.
Finally, this leaves the cream lace shirt and tights. I bought both of these items in August, yes, August and just wore them for the first time this week!  The top is from Banana Republic petite.  They have a similar top coming out in the Mad Men line which is debuting today.  The tights are J. Crew and they have a flower pattern on them.  So, this entire outfit was new to me today, but many of the items I've had for some time.
I paired the outfit with my Satin Swoop Heels because they definitely do not get as much love or wear as they deserve!

We Are Bad Men and For the Money

Saturday morning, I woke up early.  For the past 2 weeks I've had plans every evening so I figured it was the perfect time to catch up on some things I had DVR'd.  (I am currently addicted to Person of Interest and Alcatraz.)  When I turned the TV on, however, there was no volume.  There was when a DVD played, but not the cable so I knew it was not a fault of the television but the cable connection.  I tried everything I could think of- checked the mute button on all 3 remotes, un-wired and rewired everything from the TV and cable box, switched the audio cables in case the wires themselves were faulty- nothing worked.  Eventually I called for assistance and the woman at the cable company told me to unplug it for 15 minutes then plug it back in.  Really?  That's the fix?  I explained to her everything I had tried- unplugging everything, etc, and she insisted this was the solution.  With great scepticism, I tried it.  Low and behold, it worked.  15 minutes later and I was happily watching Jim Caviezel.  Why am I blogging about this? No idea.  I just think it is to ridiculous NOT to report.

Here's a dress I rarely wear. It's from Banana Republic Petite, circa 2007.  I debuted my Hunger Games necklace with this dress.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get a clear picture of it.  As we are closing in on one month until the Hunger Games premiere, I will definitely get a picture posted at some point!

Bad Girls and Consequences

The title of this post was inspired by a late 90s TV episode I was watching the other night with some friends.  The moral of the story is that bad girls will have consequences.  Be mindful of that. :)

This dress is one that is rarely worn; it is very wintery in the sense that it is thick and lined, yet the colors make it more spring-like.  I find that I generally only wear it on warm March days and some cooler April days.  Since it's been spring-like in winter this week, it was the perfect time to wear it!  It definitely doesn't fit as well as it used to since I put on a few pounds, but hopefully before spring is in full bloom I can lose some of the extra weight and be ready to wear this dress again!

Dress: Banana Republic Petite
Boots: Nine West

Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!  By the time you are reading this you'll know if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and whether or not we are in store for 6 more weeks of weather. I am writing this the eve before, so I am unsure what the result will be.  I would actually be happy for 6 more weeks of winter.  I don't feel like winter has arrived yet!  I've only worn my thick winter coat 4 times this winter.  And, this week has been in the 60s and 70s- it definitely feels more like April than February. If the mild weather continues, my heart will begin to think summer is approaching; a little winter might help put my body back in perspective! Also, I need to get some more wear out of my winter threads before bringing out the spring wardrobe.  Are you leaning towards more weeks of winter or spring?

Earlier this week I wore Banana Republic's lace dress from their summer Mad Men collection. I wore a wool cardigan over it, but it was so warm I ended up taking the cardi off at work and staying in the short sleeved dress all day.

Dress: Banana Republic, 2011
Shoes: Jenna snakeskin pumps, Banana Republic 2011
Cardigan: Express circa 2005

Forever You're My Favorite... Forever I'm Yours

As I mentioned, I am very far behind on posting due to a few busy weeks in a row!  This week, my plan is to catch up on posting all the outfits and events from the past week or so.

On January 20th, some friends and I met in Georgetown for happy hour, followed by shopping and then dinner at Serendipity 3.  In April, my beautiful friend Hyun June is getting married and she decided she wanted all of her bridesmaids and matron of honor to wear different dresses of the same fabric from J. Crew.  She picked a pretty deep purple color- spiced wine.  Because the J. Crew in Georgetown has a bridal department, we headed there to try on some dresses.

I wore Anthropologie's Walk With Me dress for the occasion because I thought it would be easiest for trying-on purposes.  As it is strapless, I wouldn't have to worry about bra straps showing or a dress constantly going on and off over my head.  This time I paired it with a tan colored shrug from Banana Republic's holiday collection.

Walk With Me Dress and Belt, Anthropologie 2010
Shrug, Banana Republic
Boots, Nine West
Necklace, Premier Designs

When we arrived at J. Crew, they crammed the five of us into a teeny tiny dressing room that they called the "bridal suite".  Hyun June decided she wanted us in silk chiffon, so we looked through the style book and asked to see 3 dresses we liked.  When they dresses came, they were cute and classy!  Unfortunately for me, the 3 other girls each picked one of the dresses we preferred, so there wasn't an option for me to wear (the bride didn't want any repeated dresses).  We asked to see the remaining dresses, so I could pick a dress.  None of them were ideal (1 was very matronly-looking and the other 2 seemed like something easy high schoolers would wear to a homecoming dance) so I had the girls choose the dress they liked best. 

One nice thing about ordering from J. Crew is that packages arrive right away (J. Crew ships from Virginia).  Once, I ordered something early in the morning and by the end of the day, it was already on my door step! By last Tuesday the dresses arrived.  The sales girl insisted that I order the dress 2 sizes too large, and, as predicted, the dress (which is strapless), fell to the floor when I tried it on.  Also, the cut and style were extremely unflattering on my body type.  This past weekend I returned the dress (another bonus of ordering bridesmaid dresses from J. Crew- they can be returned!) and am now weighing my options... I guess I will order the other 2 styles (in the correct size!) and see which of the two dresses will look the least atrocious on me.  Keep your fingers crossed that one will be acceptable both in size and style. While it's not my wedding and I will wear whatever dress the bride prefers, it is painful to me to spend $250 on a dress I dislike (especially when there are so many dresses I love at a lower price point). Luckily the dresses arrive quickly which gives me a little wiggle room to figure out a manageable plan. The good news is, despite how I look, the other 3 girls will for sure be gorgeous in purple, and I can always stand behind them in pictures if needed!

After dress shopping we went to Serendipity 3 for dinner.  I have never been before, and it was delicious!  The menu was huge and of course, we ordered desserts.  Below is a picture of my frozen hot chocolate which was large (it came with 3 straws!) and tasty.  I didn't eat too much of it because I was stuffed but I would definitely order it again as it was fabulous and unique.  Have you ever been?  What desserts have you tried?

Burning the Candle at Both Ends

This week has been madness, I tell you, madness.  In addition to very long work days due to some planning meetings that are occurring all week, I've had double and triple plans every evening.  Don't get me wrong- it's been very fun!  I am just becoming more and more exhausted as the week goes on!  I've been heading into work an hour earlier than usual, working late, and then getting home well after 11 every night.  There have been movies, dinners, multiple happy hours, a concert, and tonight, after happy hour with a dear friend, I will be here:

That's right.  The grand opening of Anthropologie in Old Towne, Alexandria.  Any other Northern Virginians going?

I'll fill you in on outfits and adventures from earlier in the week as soon as I have a chance.  Too, I will post about tonight's event in the near future!  For now, here is an Outfit of the Day.  Not today, but another day this week. My shoes here are actually a deep red crocodile print, though it is hard to tell from the picture.

Dress: Banana Republic Petite circa 2008
Necklace: Serendipity, Abingdon, VA
Shoes: Nine West (red croc print)

This awesome owl necklace was a gift from my cousin, Emily

Warm Winter Weekend Wear

Not to talk endlessly about the weather, but seriously what is up with this October weather in January?  The weekend was gorgeous and I spent a lot of time outside. It seems like it has been unnaturally warm across the country, not just here on the east coast!  I hope this is not a sign that when winter kicks it in will stay for an extra long time.  I am definitely ready to break out some of my spring threads come March.  Then, yesterday it snowed all afternoon and today it is supposed to be 50 degrees again. GAH!  Is it fall or winter?!?

Since it felt like fall, I decided to dress like fall.  For Christmas, I received the Slouched Stripe Pullover from Anthropologie. I love this cute short sleeved shirt!  It is still available and on sale, so check it out here.  I paired it with a brown corduroy jacket that I've had for a few years from Ann Taylor loft.  Too, I wore my new fork, knife, and spoon necklace. This is another gift I received from Santa. It is from Sora Designs on Etsy.  This necklace is actually quite long, but I wrapped it around before hooking it to make it shorter.

Shirt: Slouched Stripe Pullover, Anthropologie 2011
Jacket: Ann Taylor Loft circa 2008
Jeans: Banana Republic Petite 2009
Boots: Nine West
Necklace: Sora Designs, 2011

The frying pan spun around-backwards but you get the idea!

What have you been wearing during this mini heat wave?

Festivus for the Rest of Us

For years, I celebrated Festivus during the holiday season.  I even have an official Festivus pole living in my parents' garage.  While Festivus is generally celebrated anytime during the holiday season, its "unofficial" date is TODAY, December 23.  The fake holiday stems from a 1997 Seinfeld episode.  If you are unfamiliar with Festivus traditions, I strongly encourage you to check it out here. Happy Festivus, everyone!

The other day I went to a Christmas dinner.  Not a Festivus dinner, but I referenced Festivus quite a few times, which inspired my Festivus rant above.  This particular Christmas dinner had a bit more of a British feel to it.  We sipped hot apple cider and opened these crackers both from William Sonoma.

Inside each cracker was a toy, some jokes, and of course, a tissue crown. Very lovely.

The dinner was potluck and we had an overwhelming amount of appetizers, side dishes, and fancy desserts.

I wore a snowflake sweater for the occasion.  Not this snowflake sweater, though (who knew I had so many snowflake sweaters?) but a red one.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of that ensemble, so this one will have to do as a substitute.  I did wear this sweater and skirt combo to work the day after the holiday dinner. 

Sweater: Talbots, circa 2006
Skirt: Banana Republic Petite, Fall 2011
Shoes: Ann Taylor Loft, 2010

 Enjoy the holiday weekend!  Stay tuned for my Christmas card over the weekend...