Mardi Gras!

Yesterday, friends and I went and explored the French Quarter on the last day of Carnival. It was really crazy. People drinking on the streets. Lot of R-rates bits on display. I even wore a semi colorful dress (but didn't get a good picture). But look at those beads:
Fun fact: you do not have to show anyone your R-rated bits to get these. The folks sitting in balconies just like to throw them at the street level revelers. I got hit in the head a few times with beads, I feel like I deserved them. I don't know if I can take them back, though.

I also saw a parade before hitting Bourbon St. They had these great floats. On the back was a flatbed, some more decorations and, of course, people throwing beads in elaborate costumes.


More Bead Throwers:
Bead Catchers:


on me:
Coat: Tulle, $95
Dress: Brooklyn Industries, $30 (sale)
Beads: courtesy of the generous folks of New Orleans.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Cohabitating Closet is heading to New Orleans for a nerd-tastic professional conference in the wee hours of Fat Tuesday. (If I complain about my job, please remind me about the many perks, including the snow days and relative wardrobe flexibility). I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do like traditions and any conventions in which people act like crazies. I will try to take photos of the Bourbon St. fashions (as well as my "profesh" wear) while I am there. I am also deeply interested in getting crawfish. I went to Mississippi on one of the service spring breaks back in college and had a crawdad bender.

Last year, a coworker from Louisiana brought in a King Cake. I got the slice with the baby. Lucky me:

festiveness amidst rather unfortunate fake wood tables

The colors of Mardi Gras are Purple, Green, and Gold. As a self-professed color phobic (what, grey isn't a color?), I hope to get some inspiration while I am in the Big Easy. It's my first trip. Wish me luck!

another conundrum

Friends, I have so many clothes that I don't quite know how to wear.
For example, I bought this little number at Chicago at The Dressing Room, which is just adorable. A little pricey but the clothes are very current, well maid, and include some local designers. (Plus, budget or no, I like to support local businesses.) I love me a cute midwest women's boutique, like Cliche, which is way friendlier then a Park Slope fancy pants store.
I degress. My beautiful friend Ann (who may post her outfits soon!) encouraged me to leave my comfort zone of knit jersey dresses and shapeless sacks and go for something more tailored, like this adorable "marina" blue number from Tulle:
Yes, it's cute, it has pockets (adore!) but it hits at an awkward mid thigh length (maybe I'm too long waisted for it?) Perhaps I'm too big for the size small? Plus the material is a thick for winter (a nubble, medium weight, woven material, not quite a tweed but not much more substantial than your average woven cotton), and the bust area fits funny.
But I will wear this dress! I just need help.
I wore a purple long underwear shirt from Uniqlo to keep me warm, but I got really hot walking around today.


I tried a woven, button down earlier but the arm holes were just too small.

Next, I tried my pink scarf:
I don't know why that didn't quite work. I guess the unique neckline is what makes the dress interesting.

So I did what I usually do: throw a big sacky sweater coat over it:

This one is fine, but it looks like my usual snooze fest.
Or maybe these looks aren't too bad? Should I go with a black shirt underneath instead?

I hope that the public servants among us had a nice day off! (I went to work anyway, because the building was totally empty and I liked it like that).

Dress: Tulle, $45
Boots: Palladium, $150
Sweater Tights: Street vendor, $5
long underwear shirt: Uniqlo, $10
Scarf: JFK store, $10
Sweater coat: Brooklyn Industries, $50

Happy massive holiday weekend

I don't hate Valentine's Day actively, but I sort of step over it for the most part. I'm not a flowers and jewelry girl (at least not yet. I was told by a colleague that I could always become one), and my fella does really loving and nice things for me all the time. But I am taking a break today. I finished a paper that I should have finished a week ago this morning and sent it off. (My whole body is about a million times more relaxed). I plan to make some mulled cider, bake something delicious, play guitar, do some yoga, and watch a movie tonight (the whole thing). It's a holiday today though, for sure. Chinese New Year, the long President's Day Weekend. We are going to relax actively.
We're not going out, but I will dress up tonight during dinner and the movie, because I am taking seriously Sal's call to wear our "special" pieces more often.

note the 70s style shag rug. His tastes, not mine.

I like this dress, and the fella does too. It's a thrift store find, and it's one of those silhouettes you see frequently right now: billowy, flowy and short. I think it works best with slimmer and tailored bottom half (like tight skinny jeans). I dig the quasi-Alpine flavor of this dress' embroidery, but it's silk and quite delicate, so it makes me kind of nervous to wear it. (It came with some tears in some of the longer embroidered seams that I'm still in process of mending).
I know my readership is limited, but I am at loss on how to accessorize this dress. Scarf? If so what color? Jewelry? Earrings? It's such a simple dress, should I go with more color on bottom? A jacket? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Happy V-Day, Chinese New Year, 4 day weekend to all!

Dress: thrifted (Beacon's closet), $18
Tights: Target, $5
Shoe: Me Too (DSW), $50

Going for the Gold

I'm on my way out to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I'm not a huge sports fan, but one of my friends is, and I am trying to make an effort to not just be a lug this year. So off I go soon to a bar, even though I don't drink anymore for a host of reasons.
I am also not so sporty, but I think of the jersey dress with leggings is being kind of sporty, since it's the first kind of dress that I liked when I was more tomboyish in my style (I still think of myself as tomboyish though). I made the scarf into a circle scarf myself in about 15 minutes, handsewing a rough seam between two ends of a very very old jersey scarf. Loop 3 times and instant chic! (kind of).

the original (from some cheap store in Minneapols, circa 2003)


The improved (see rough hand sewn seam)

Still working on the lighting and pictures. It seems that my apartment is very very dark. I have a whole bunch of lamps but they cast funky shadows
I stood close to the camera with a light on me to show the details. This dress has a peasant/prairie aesthetic, which I adore. There is also a back tie. It's a bit loose, and the neckline was too low. I had to hand stitch it up with green thread (which hopefully isn't too obvious) and the triple looped scarf covers the rest of the décolletage. I am almost strictly a "legs" girl. I don't like showing off skin above the waist, but I am fine with above the knee (I think my mom taught me that chest stuff is tacky, legs are classy. I suppose we all have different preferences, except some of us like them both).

Dress: a few seasons ago Zara (from Beacon's closet) $15
Leggings: Target ($5.99)
Boots: Born (from ebay, $95)
Hat: gift from former roommate, purchased either in Spain or London
Circle Scarf: DIYed by me

closet encounter

I just couldn't figure out what to wear today. I feel that way when I don't make presentations at work, but we were bringing someone in for an interview. I wanted to be relaxed but still somewhat professional. This outfit too forever for me to assemble. I got this double-knit red A line polyester skirt (it's true, I do wear petroleum sometimes) a thrift store in Minneapolis years ago, and I love the buttons, but I have difficulty matching it.
I initially just wore the grey sweater (it's actually a sweater dress, but I don't wear it alone on cold days), but I thought I need to break up the colors more. I added this somewhat awkward obi (the color isn't quite black) and the eternity scarf and I felt more satisfied.
This is a picture of me at the end of the day.

Circle Scarf: American Apparel ($35?)
Shoes: Me Too ($50)
Tights: Target (footless), $5,
Skirt, Thifted, $7
Grey Sweater Dress: Uniqlo, $29
Obi belt: Etsy, $12

grain-tastic

(This is my idea of a good hairstyle)

I'd like to get better at these photos. I've been relying mostly on natural light because the lights in our apartment are crappy. I took about 25 pictures and this was the best. I wasn't thrilled with the quality of photos yesterday but today's were made more difficult, thanks to SNOWPOCALYPSE 2010 (I realize that not everyone is calling it that, but I prefer the apocalypse more than the Armageddon).
I didn't know if I had to go to work today, so I picked this out as a work appropriate outfit. But luckily, just before I was ready to go, my lovely colleague who was already there called and said not to bother. (My co-workers are awesome. That might make me one of the luckiest people in this city).


I need some a new photography strategy. My food pictures are a bit blurry too, but I usually can get details a bit better. I should also state upfront that I am a little scared of color, and I hope that this blog can help me be more brave (and to see how bland just neutrals can be).
I am wearing a scarf partly because of the great Academichic blog's designation of February as Scarf Month. I associate much this outfit with my new city, because I bought the pink scarf at the airport after my nerve wrecking job interview, the wellies at a local discount shop on a really rainy day in the city, and the skirt my second week on the job at Esprit (it's pricier than usual). That store is expensive but everything fits me like a glove, even length wise. Evidently, I'm built like a German girl.

But I did take good pictures of the storm:

(I can only stand in the middle of the street on snow days)

Summer weight cardigan: TJ Maxx, $10
Tights: HUE, $15
Scarf: that $10 accessories store in every airport with vaguely European sounding name (?)
Boots: Daffy's, $20
Skirt: Esprit, $50
Boatneck striped tee: Rodarte for Target, $12?