Blue Ribbon

Day 4 of 5 of Nutcracker madness: rather than Christmas red or green, I went with Hanukkah blue!

Melrose Mesh Top - c/o Kiyonna / Pencil skirt - Charter Club (Macy's)

I saw a few other bloggers tuck in this top (the Melrose Mesh Top from Kiyonna), which would seem to negate the point of all that strategic ruching, but I wanted to try it anyway - maybe with a grey pencil and some funky pearl statement jewelry. But then I remembered how I rocked the polka dot version of the top with the coral version of the skirt and figured I should just apply the same formula here. When it ain't broke...

Necklace - LOFT / Ring - Ruche / Earrings - The Limited / Nails - Essie "Midnight Camii (via Ulta) 

Handbag - Furla

I just love pairing statement shoes with outfits, though. A seemingly simple outfit of solids makes a perfect backdrop for some stand-out, notice-me heels. Snake print with coral trim? Just the ticket.

Shoes - Guess

Velvet Crush

One of the best things about working multiple shows of The Nutcracker is the high number of darling little girls that come all dressed up in their holiday best for the occasion. Velvet, glitter, bows, and full skirts; red, green, winter white, black - everyone is a Christmas princess for the day. It's absolutely endearing. I'm happy to say that the boys set the bar high this year, too, donning bow ties, fancy shoes and little manly suits and vests. One little boy even wore a fedora. A FEDORA! He won, hands down - yes, even over all the little girls in tulle. Presh beyond words.

I wasn't inspired by much red or green in my own wardrobe, so I went for velvet in a rich, royal blue, sweet little sheer cap sleeves and princessy peplum. I totes fit in.

Velvet peplum top - Dorothy Perkins / Pencil skirt - Simply Be / Heels - BCBG (eBayed)

The sheer yoke sure does make bra choice difficult, though. Even a nude bra was visible, and that just wouldn't set a very good example for all those impressionable young girls! I refuse to wear a strapless bra if I can help it, but it many ways it was the only bra style I owned that didn't peek through the top sides. My girls need straps though, so thank goodness for the clear strap option!

Ring - TJ Maxx / Earrings - The Limited / Nails - Essie "Fair Game" (via Ulta)

I almost saved this outfit for a potential NYE ensemble (the jury's still out on exactly what that'll be), but I couldn't resist wearing it to work for these events. I'd like to think that, if I were 6 and headed to The Nutcracker with my grandmother (a wish I always had but one that never came true), I'd don a little (or a lot of) velvet too.

Triple Threat

A week late, but still on my mind (and my photostream): Fourth of July extravaganza in Chicago. Bob and I had the crazy idea to find a deal on a hotel downtown near Navy Pier, with the intention to walk to the lakefront to enjoy the fireworks. Mostly, however, we wanted to spend the week catching up on a downtown life we wish we had, and especially to make our foodie pilgrimage to Charlie Trotter's before it closes in August. Lots of fabulous food, our favorite works at the Art Institute, incredible exhibits at the Field Museum (Bob), shopping (me), more fabulous food... Did I mention we're foodies? ...And fireworks, right from the view of our hotel room. Thank you, hotel upgrade, for sparing us from having to walk in the 100 degree heat into an overheated crowd of other fireworks-goers, especially when we were too ill (thanks to some possibly bad fish at dinner) to venture out anyway. Best.Surprise.Ever.

Our view from the InterContinental Hotel (historic side)!

And what I actually wore for the holiday really did have red, white and blue. Belts, that is. Still minimal, but pitch perfect holiday wear for the crazy hot weather, walking all over town earlier in the day, and trying to look chic (and maybe a smidge sexy) all at the same time. I felt statuesque. I was the Statue of Liberty! Or something...

Dream Chaser Maxi Dress - Ruche

The dress, from Ruche, is itself the result of a hunt for a black maxi dress. I have no idea why I needed one (apart from wanting more maxis), but I did. I even hesitated on the one-shoulder bit, but I'm glad I went for it because it's easily my favorite part about the dress. The sleeve is actually supposed to sit on top of the shoulder, like a tank, but once I figured out I could wear it off-shoulder, and that it looked a kazillion times better, I was over the moon. It comes with a wide woven stretch belt in cream and brown, which I quite like, but it was the width of it that even gave me the idea to wear multiple belts in the first place. The fact that it had the effect of corset made it even better.

Ring - Ruche / Blue belt - Kohl's / Red belt - Lane Bryant / White belt & earrings - LOFT

The trip really tested my skills at dressing for hot weather and lots of walking, though. Such a thing usually stresses me out because 1) nothing but heels seems to be in my shoe vocabulary and 2) I've always felt too uncomfortable baring so much skin, preferring to cover up/layer and, well, hide... And then feeling more uncomfortable cuz I'm sweating buckets in all those clothes and my feet are killing me. But, in part because of curvy self-love realness (thanks in no small part to the plus-sized blogosphere), a whole slew of comfy AND flattering (who knew?!?) summer dresses, and some seriously cute sandals, I'm finally getting over all those usual summertime dressing obstacles. I'd say that's a win.

Clutch - The Limited / Sandals - Nine West

This is the only outfit I documented on the trip, but I can assure you it was the no-contest winner. =)

Alternative Holiday Style

Well that was some vacation! I had off since the Thursday before the holiday and I reveled in every minute of it. (Oddly enough, going back to work yesterday wasn't even all that difficult!) I didn't mean to take off from blogging, too, but it just sorta happened. You know, the way sleeping in until 1pm just sorta happens. Same idea. We did spend most of the holiday week in Chicago, though, celebrating by eating fabulous food and trying not to melt in the heat. I'll have these Chicago adventures in my next post, but I thought I'd start of my return by sharing an example of how I do Independence Day style: minimally.

Melrose Mesh Top - c/o Kiyonna / Ankle pants - Lane Bryant / Sandals - Bandolino

I'm really not one to go all red, white and blue - even on the one day of the year it's called for. I guess it just makes me feel ridiculous - kitchy, even - like the old lady tourist in the Walgreen's on Michigan Avenue asking the clerk for hats that had a big ol' American flag on them. (Seriously, please don't let me be her when I grow up.) So what I generally do is build an outfit around blue (the color I have the most of in my closet) and subtly throw in the other two colors with accessories. Besides, this vibrant cobalt blue top (Kiyonna's Melrose Mesh Top strikes again - I told you I needed to have this color) is all I needed to make a statement of patriotic pride anyway. I must confess that I was originally wearing a pair of white pedal pushers with the top, but after realizing how unflattering they looked on me, I quickly switched them out for these when-all-else-fails black ankle pants. Pretend they're the flag pole?

Ring - The Limited / Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Nails - Cute as a Button (Essie)

When I'm feeling particularly rebellious (or just at a loss for anything red), I'll swap out the red entirely for dark pinks, as I've done here. (Besides, these were only pre-holiday festivities I was attending.) I came upon this alternative last year, deciding that it was not only a good way to hint at the patriotic without being overtly so, but also an outfit I'd conceivably wear again!

Handbag - Gustto

Or, I just have an unnatural fear of wearing the colors of our nation's flag together...

Holiday Attire Sneak Peak

Oooooh weee! I'm so excited for all the festivities this month! Between my birthday next week, Christmas, and New Year's (also my anniversary with Bobby), I have so many occasions to get all dolled up. While this can often be more stressful than not (I distinctly remember having a helluva time getting dressed for New Year's last year), I'm ecstatic that I've not only found outfits for all of these events, but I look and feel fabulous in them! So here's a sneak peak.

Thanks to a thrilling new partnership with Kiyonna, I'll be decked out in the Betsey Ruched Dress (in teal) for my birthday next week! I really liked the bluish-grey patent platforms that the model is wearing, so I searched high and low for something similar. I think I found them! A shoe-loving girl can always count on Zappos or Endless, can't she? I snagged these earrings from Anthropologie with my 50% off sweater over the weekend. Ironically, the sweater is going back, but I think the earrings are absolutely beautiful and make a great match for the dress. Now if only I had her hair...

Betsey Ruched Dress - Kiyonna / Clara Chandelier Earrings - Anthropologie /
Grey patent Pumps - Type Z "Clara" (via Zappos)

For New Year's, a little sparkle is always a good thing, if not practically required. I bought this fabulous lurex stripe pencil skirt from ASOS on Black Friday (my first purchase from them, actually) and instantly knew it would be perfect for the holiday. But what to wear on top? I've been keeping my eye out for options as I've been Christmas shopping, and luck would have it that I stumbled upon this gorgeous stretch satin boatneck top from Banana Republic on Sunday. Plain though it may seem from the front, the back is the real show-stopper. I tried the whole ensemble as soon as I had returned home and it.is.PERFECT. I'll be wearing a wide black belt to marry the two pieces, sultry black suede heels, and possibly back-seamed tights to top it all off. Elegant, festive, divine!

Draped low-back top - Banana Republic / Pencil skirt in stripe lurex - ASOS CURVE

Seriously, I can't WAIT to get dressed for these events! And share them with you, of course. =)

And speaking of sparkle, check back later for my EBEW "Sequins & Sparkles" outfit!