I Dream of Purple

The past few summer wedding seasons have been pretty uneventful for us. I've taken the relative inactivity as a good sign - it means most everyone I know is already married! Hooray for everyone! Come to think of it, Bob and I are probably the last couple left in our circle of friends. We'll get around to it, I promise! I see a delightful elopement in our future...

Happily, however, we did have one lone summer wedding to attend - a close friend of Bob's from college. And it meant a trip to Boston! We saw his family and lots of mutual friends, and we even managed not to kill each other on our drive - yes, you read that right, drive - out there. In fact, I quite enjoyed the 17 hour trip (gratefully split up in Ohio with close friends). We had ideal driving weather, and the scenery in New York State is second to none. Even better, our I-Pass worked for all the tolls out east! (Call me dorky, but this really excited me.)

Julia Pleated Dress - c/o Kiyonna

Ah, but what to wear, what to wear. Between packing on the pounds this past year and leaving my job, finding something in my closet was not only my only option, but it was a daunting one. So I was thrilled when I decided to poke around Kiyonna's new arrivals and found their new Julia Pleated Dress. Even more thrilled, I was, to have Kiyonna send it to me! This dress is PERFECT. Perfect for my body, perfect for the occasion (a conservative Jewish afternoon wedding), perfect for all the things I want it a great cocktail dress. Elbow-length sleeves? Check. Knee-length or longer? Check. Flattering but not too revealing v-neck? Check. Slimming, concealing, and feminine design features at the waist? Check! PRETTY, VIBRANT PURPLE COLOR?!? CHECK CHECK CHECK!!! (It reads bluer in pictures - blurple? - but it really is a gorgeous shade of purple.) On top of all of that, it's made of an easy, comfortable material that drapes flawlessly and doesn't wrinkle. I did wear the dress with Spanx, but I could have easily gone without - it fit that well! Seriously, as soon as I received the dress, I emailed Kiyonna to tell them this was my new favorite dress and they need to make it even more colors, STAT.

Necklace - Banana Republic (old) / Ring - Banana Republic (old) / Earrings - anniversary gift
Nails - No More Film by Essie (via Ulta)

The wedding was indeed lovely, as was the rest of the trip. And we got home just in time for me to start freaking about the fact that I'M TEACHING MUSIC HISTORY AGAIN AFTER A 5 YEAR HIATUS! And maybe working at Sephora. One week down and already exhausted! It'll make for an interesting year, to be sure!

Shoes - Audrey Brooke (old, via DSW) / Clutch - gifted

Honestly? I'm just happy to have things to dress up for again. =)

High and Low

I'm pretty sure I wore this outfit over 5 times before I sent the top back to Gwynnie Bee - basically any time I wanted to leave the apartment and actually do something with myself. (My maxi dresses got a nice little break during those days.) I even contemplated purchasing the top with their new Try Then Buy program, but decided against it. If one top is able to single-handedly convince me to jump aboard the hi-lo bandwagon, however, this one did the trick.

Hi-Lo Top - Eloquii via Gwynnie Bee / Skinny jeans - Lane Bryant / Sandals - Nine West (n/a)

It's a delightfully colorful top, as you can see, and so darn comfortable (read: concealing) that I was reluctant to acknowledge its faults. For instance, I wish the neckline were more open or the sleeves a little longer, or that it didn't make me look like a gigantic tent from the side (not pictured, obvi). But it was the perfect complement for skinny jeans and my current favorite (and equally colorful) handbag pulled out one of its many hues. I was at least happy that a long pendant necklace helped break up the neckline and redefine the bust area. Uni-boob is no joke, my friends.

Necklace - Hive & Honey (via Piperlime) / Ring - Ruche (n/a) / Earrings - The Limited /
Nails - OPI Espresso Your Style (via Ulta)

The back of the top is undeniably fun, and its v-shaped (back) neckline is another one of my favorite features of the top. I can understand the complaint that many such hi-lo garments make a person look like one has a tail, but I say whatevs. Work it! It's a trend I've been extremely picky about, but it's one I don't mind participating in while it lasts. I definitely prefer hi-lo tops over dresses at the moment. It's rare that I find a dress with a "hi" hem that's long enough for me, but tops are mostly fool-proof, and they really are the perfect topper for skinnies.

In other life news, I had an interview this morning and I think it went reasonably well! I didn't knock it out of the park (I'm much less eloquent than I used to be), but I'm cautiously optimistic. I have another first-round interview Friday morning (followed by a much-need hair appointment...whew!), so it's just good to even get to that phase! Not all hope is lost for my future. =D I sure do hate writing cover letters, though...

Handbag - Steve Madden (via TJ Maxx)

P.S. The offer still stands to give Gwynnie Bee a try for free for one month! Read about my first experiences with the clothing service here!