Sunday, September 30, 2012

Black & White & GREAT all over...CHICAGO!!

OR....how I spent a long weekend in Chicago for $70.  "Not possible!" you say. Well keep reading...


I spent 3 years teaching music in the suburbs of Chicago. Thanks to my Southwest air miles, I was able to cash in and take a long weekend getaway to visit former coworkers and students. It was a cheap trip since most of the meals were provided at my friends' homes and Saturday lunch was a potluck at my former church. Nothing like some great home-cooked food with friends!

Now for the FASHION.  Chicago is an interesting place fashion-wise. People wear lots of solid colors, particularly neutrals. (Hence, the title of today's post.) People are also, for the most part, very put together even when dressed casually. I suppose these elements are both often the case in major cities however having spent much time in Washington D.C. I can say that their residents wear a lot more color (which is the case the further south you go) and lots of prints with global influences. 

It was hard to pack in a carry-on for the weekend but I actually pulled it off thanks to a mostly neutral wardrobe. Here I am, soon after landing in Chicago, at the local Whole Foods, Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand. Tank top: Old Navy, Jeans: GLO from Kohls, Purse: Etienne Aigner from Belk, Scarf: Ross, Sandals: H&M (gift)

My friend and former coworker Tabby picked me up from the airport and we walked around downtown Hinsdale enjoying the cool fall weather. Tabby always looks classy in black (her favorite store is White House Black Market) and she looked great in a black dress, wedge sandals, and a black hat.  We enjoyed lunch at Cosi's right by the train tracks. It was chilly inside so I threw my scarf around me like a shawl to keep warm. After lunch we walked through up the street to Toni's, a local bakery that always has a lovely window display. That's Toni herself working on an autumn arrangement.



On Saturday, my friend (and former teaching colleague) Andrea and I donned our dresses and did a small photo shoot on her apartment balcony. On me: Dress: JC Penney, Blazer: Belk, Pin: Vintage, Shoes: Prada. On Andrea: Dress: Macy's, Shoes: Payless. I'm loving this dress on Andrea and how she can use it in whatever weather for whatever occasion with only a few accessory changes. The off-centered neck line creates a point of interest and updates this classic style.



This is another former colleague, Olga. She always has fabulous shoes and knows just how to pair them with the right dress. I love this dress on her and the yellow contrasts nicely.

  When I first arrived at my old school, Andrea was wearing this great outfit and I loved it so much I made her put it back on and pose! Thankfully this red car got the memo about our photo shoot.
Dress & Belt: Target, Shoes: Payless

Saturday night was a fabulous night on the town with fabulous friends. In a nutshell (from left to right): the gorgeous drive into the city, Greek Islands Restaurant in Greek Town complete with gyro salad, a quick walk around Buckingham Fountain, and dessert at Molly's Cupcakes in Lincoln Park.


Sunday morning before I flew back to DC, I had brunch with friends at Egg Harbor Cafe in Hinsdale. Their spinach, tomato, and turkey bacon scrambler and blueberry pancakes are to die for! I basically wore the same outfit as when I flew in, but this time with this white shirt I happened to find at Wal-Mart , of all places. Love the lacing in the back.


Thanks for the great memories, Chicago....my kind of town! Looking forward to the next visit!




Thursday, September 20, 2012

Labor Day on the Bay



This past Labor Day weekend two of my friends tied the knot (or as they like to say "tied the sailing knot") in a lovely ceremony on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. I was fortunate enough to contribute to the music by playing in a double string quartet consisting of the couple's friends and relatives. Typically us musicians wear black but given the rather hot weekend and the festive outdoor venue, we were granted permission by the groom to wear whatever we wanted. Woohoo! I have been dying to debut this dress that I purchased last summer at Ross for $30. I saw a similar dress at Macy's for 3 times as much so I was pretty excited with my find. All I needed was the perfect occasion.

I felt very comfortable in this dress and it is long enough to still cover my knee when sitting down. If I had been in the audience this wouldn't have mattered to me but since I was up front in the string group I wanted to up the modest factor a bit. I love this quote by designer Edith Head which sums up this dress.  "Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady."  (Preach it, Edith!)

Dress: Ross, Shoes: David's Bridal (from my friend's wedding a year ago), Purse: Thrift Store, Ring: Beachside market in Rio, Brazil, Watch: Timex.

For the ceremony my hair was down with a festive headband (pictured below) but by the end of the wedding the humidity had poofed my hair out into something entirely different. So I used the fancy elastic (also pictured below) to pull my hair back. A quick change that was easy to prepare for.


Check out the detail in this lovely vintage purse that I bought for fifty cents at a thrift store. 


One final outfit...this was what I wore to the music rehearsal for the wedding. I LOVE shirt dresses because they make me feel instantly sophisticated and polished. Not to mention that it can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I've had this dress for a while (from Target) and these "new" H&M shoes (compliments of my friend, Heyni) were the perfect touch. I'm not gonna' lie....I felt like I should be toting a passport and introducing myself as Annie Walker in this outfit. If you missed the reference, catch up on episodes of Covert Affairs. :-)




Thursday, September 6, 2012

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

So...it's been a while! Between summer school, starting a new job while keeping a previous job, and being told I have to start my thesis now while taking two other time consuming grad classes....it's going to be an interesting school year. The plus side is that I'll be done with my masters sooner than expected and actually get to have a summer. Woohoo!  In other news, people apparently actually read my blog and I've been told I must update so here it goes! :-)

Something Old: white tank top from Gap, Timex watch from Target
Something New: hand-me-over Calvin Klein skirt and Prada shoes from a friend
Something Borrowed: my parent's backyard complete with cat
Something Blue: cardigan from Gap

This look was inspired by the recent color-blocking trend and was also my attempt to find a dressy outfit that does not involve black. As a musician I wear dressy black all the time so it's nice to have a change of scenery.