Day After Outfits and Houndstooth

This is what I wore the day after Thanksgiving, when no one wants anything feeling tight anywhere: my Dana Buchman jersey dress, leggings, a cotton cardigan, and Born boots. Aaaaaaaah.

I got my new Ann Taylor houndstooth skirt in the mail and wore it the very next day. This is a sign of true affection. The only minor drawback to this lovely item is that it does not have a kick pleat, and makes it hard for me to take my usual long strides. If I had know that . . . I would have bought it anyway, as it is precisely the length and print and fabric that I wanted. I think the skirt has rotated slightly in the above picture, which is why the pattern looks wonky on one side.

My little tripod gave up the ghost after a year of faithful service. Not bad for seven dollars. I never plan to make any more effort than pointing my phone at myself in the kitchen, so I don't want to invest in real equipment. Right now I'm looking at a flexible coil or feet with little grippy hands at one end, something like this:

Cyanics i-3 Flexible Portable Stand

But until that arrives, I'll post pictures of Ben and anything else that comes to mind.
 
 

Spots and Blooms

I trundled two large bags of clothes off to Goodwill on Sunday, and saw these along the way.

It was delicious outside; cool but brilliantly sunny, and Des Plaines looked its best. Many yards had been mown for the first time, all the fruit trees were blooming, and the air smelled fresh and sweet. As I was walking, a friend pulled alongside and called out "Happy Mother's Day!" Ben called me in the morning too, of course.



The next day found me back at work, and I wore my new Ann Taylor polka-dot jersey dress. Still cool enough then to wear tights and boots, but it is 80 degrees today.

The face and the empty dish say volumes.

This definitely needed a bright red necklace or a splash of non-matchy color, but I couldn't quite get there. Here is the dress on its own. It is very stretchy and flattering, but boy, I think I look pretty darn big in this picture. Hmmm.

Black, White and Velvet

Of course, I don't reach the top of the pyramid every day.

The top is Jones New York via eBay, and a little big, but so lovely and silky that I don't really care. I have the arms scrunched up for the picture. The pants got pulled out of the Goodwill bag this morning. They were there because they are a cat hair magnet and and also pinch my tummy. However, the color is great and they make my legs look longer, and that was essential with this long boxy top. Maybe I'll hang them back up in my closet. I wore my pointy black ankle boots, which you cannot see. I'm wearing two silver necklaces, virtually invisible against the print.

I will be in upstate New York all next week, so no blog updates. I'm not even sure how well my phone will work in Forever Wild, but I'll definitely take some pictures with it. See you soon!

Buffy gets nervous when I pack.

Raspberry and Black

I have great affection for this rayon blouse. It's at least twenty years old, chock full of pretty embroidered details and ruffles, purchased from J. Jill when the brand was much better quality, and for years it was my go-to outfit for parties. This and a pair of jeans and boots and I was all set:

Darren, Ben and me at D's 50th birthday.

It seems immortal, perhaps because I only wear it a few times a year. The skirt is a super-flattering Talbot's double-knit pencil skirt.

Here's an over-exposed detail of the sleeve. Pretty.

And I'm wearing my Lia Sophia cross.

Black and Blue and White

Obvious, easy and sharp. I get a lot of mileage out of this Talbot's cardigan, don't I? I'm wearing drapey black crepe pants, a white button-front shirt and the workhorse sweater, all from Talbot's, and heeled ankle boots from Anne Klein.

i tried to get a shot of my fluffy chiffon pin, but did so while I was wearing it (badly) and then didn't want to take the time taking it off, shooting it, and then putting it back on. It has a fussy clasp.

Try not to be blinded by my collar.

 Next time I'll wear a black and white scarf that I bought a while ago - polka dots!

Green and Black and Leopard

This skirt is one of my very favorite pieces of clothing because:

• It was a gift from a friend
• It does great things for my bottom half
• It's wildly comfortable
• It has never seen the inside of a Talbot's store

It's a black, stretchy, wool Moth skirt from Anthropologie!

Forced "I'm tired get this over with" smile.

I'm wearing it with a (sigh) Talbot's cardigan, Anne Klein boots, and the leopard chiffon top I made last year. The skirt has "inside out" seaming, which I hope you can see a little better here.

All the jewelry is from eBay: a Premier Designs sparkly shiny glittery bracelet, green amber earrings and a Fossil watch. 

Red, Black and Cream Homage to Sheila

Wednesday's outfit was inspired by this fabulous Ephemera outfit. I belive I bought the skirt I am wearing minutes after seeing Sheila's post. eBay, 10 bucks. It's lone (minor) drawback is that it is lined with cotton, which drags a bit on tights. So, sshhh, I'm not wearing any.

Talbot's bordeaux corduroy jacket,  Loft long sleeve tee, White House Black Market skirt via eBay, black Anne Klein boots. I have a fluffy chiffon polka dot brooch on.


I started with the Loft tee and noticed it was a perfect match for the jacket. I have the picture of Sheila up on my bedroom door (not that that's creepy or anything), so I pulled out the black and white skirt. I sorta wish my jacket had black frogs instead of boring old buttons.

Purple and Grey and . . . the Flash?

Yesterday was the memorial service for our dear friend. If it had not been such a sad occasion, I would have been happy to see so many former colleagues and work pals. I hope that in some small way, it was heartening for the family to see how much this person meant to all of us over the years. I wore the pearls that Nerissa gave me as a tiny symbol of these friendly work connections and mementos.

See that gray blur? It's Riley leaping up on to the counter. "Heavier than air flight IS possible!", said a friend today.