The perfect summer work dress, on sale

The title says it all. I have this dress in two patterns (Blues Garden Flowers and Dark Turquoise Stamp Geo) and every single time I wear it I get kudos. So cute and flattering! So practical (pockets)! So easy (won't wrinkle)! So cool (breathable fabric)! So "did she or did she not have a baby eight months ago." (In my daydreams, at least.)

It's called the "Casual Weekend Dress," which is a misnomer. Perhaps in Boden-land, ladies are frolicking at the dog park in this number, but to me this is an office dress. Fair warning: I do have to be conscious of cleavage wearing it (no leaning over the conference table during meetings), but I think as long as you're average-sized and/or not lactating, you won't have that issue.

Anyway, it's on sale - and I actually bought my second with a (since expired) additional percentage off coupon, so google away! These dresses are all I'm packing for my upcoming work trip to hothothot Tucson (one week from today - gulp).

That concludes today's PSA. Although on second thought, I might need some solid colors, too...

Work closet faves

I haven't bought many new clothes since packing away my maternity stuff - rediscovering old favorites has been fun. You know, "I forgot about this!" and also transitioning from stuff not fitting to one day, look at that - it zipped. (Note to self - get back to working out post-vacay so that sentence doesn't haunt me.) Six months post-delivery, I can say that skirts and dresses are definitely more my friend than pants. These three items have been getting heavy rotation at the office, and also heavy compliments! Go get 'em while they're on sale.

Anthro Montagne Pencil Skirt

This graphic skirt looks fantastic with a simple black top and strappy sandals - gets a compliment literally every time I put it on.

Boden Modern Pencil Skirt

The "petal shower" floral works with white, navy, or chambray really well. It's springy without being overly sweet. Strappy nude sandals and you're done.

Anthro Teahouse Dress

I have the red (actually more of a coral), which I'd worn without mention a couple of times pre-vacation. Post-vacation with a tan, though, strangers stopped me at lunch to ask where I got it. Love the sleeve detail on this, and the cut is uber-flattering.

My black-tie guy

We only have one wedding this year. One! It was last weekend, and so much fun. Three words: Springsteen cover band.

Another big reason for the fun? My absolute favorite game: Ken doll! I love when T dresses up. There's a part of him that is a bit from another era, and nothing brings this out like formalwear. See also: inheriting his grandfather's collection of formalwear. (The same grandfather whose seersucker suit T wore on our wedding day.)

Exhibit A: Vintage mother-of-pearl studs:

Exhibit B: Dapper tuxedo shoes.

It can be hard for a gal to keep up with this guy. I try my best.

By the end of the night, though, I don't care what's around this guy's neck. To say my heart is full is a complete understatement.

[Final note: Staying in a fancy hotel in your own town just because? Highly recommended.]

New Orleans, aka My Happy Place

You know those getaways so full of love and fun that you realize even inside the moment that you're actively creating a memory that'll make you smile forever? That was our New Orleans anniversary weekend. And of course, I forgot my camera, so all I have are Instagram snippets from my phone. Somehow, though, I think the joy comes through anyway.

We flew through happy, bright blue skies.

We stayed at the Roosevelt, which was still shuttered from Katrina during our last visit. The restoration of the hotel and the building's history are both remarkable. (Pretend you're looking at pictures of gorgeous chandeliers here instead of just a napkin.)

The Roosevelt is also home to the Sazerac Bar, which makes, among other delights, a perfect sazerac. (Naturally.)

And bonus: fancy bath products!

We spent Thursday afternoon eating muffalettas at Central Grocery - YUM. We also meandered the French Quarter - I have a soft spot for the galleries along Rue Royal and all the street musicians.



Later that night we crossed town for an anniversary dinner at Gautreau's. I can't say enough about our meal... just spectacular, start to finish. Imagine decadent soup and salad, weep-worthy fish. Imagine a restaurant without even a sign out front, in a converted house, on a residential street. Imagine being the last diners there and having our meal in a completely empty, gorgeous dining room... just us, candlight, and music. Heaven. I also wore one of my favorite dresses, but this is the only image I have of it (awesome Roosevelt tile alert):

I haven't mentioned yet that we had a wedding to attend later in the weekend, so after dinner we met up with the bride-and-groom-to-be at a great dive bar on Magazine Street. Friday we hung out at the pool sipping drinks, reading books, eating catfish sandwiches, and being otherwise decadent. Such a life! That evening we had dinner plans at Cochon. Here I am on our walk from pre-dinner shrimp and cocktails at Luke and on our way to dinner:

This is actually the dress I wore to our rehearsal dinner three years ago - fitting since later that night we joined H&M's rehearsal party. But Cochon... oh my. Porky goodness and the best roasted oysters I've ever had and this fried alligator, which tastes a lot like Nobu's rock shrimp dish, if you've had that before. I adored this restaurant, which is entirely unsurprising.

Later that night in the French Quarter, we were toasting soon-to-be-newlyweds and toasting each other, too. So much fun.

On Saturday we decided that T should wear a bowtie to the wedding (When In New Orleans, right?), so we walked and shopped and walked and ate and drank and walked and relaxed.



And here's my favorite guy wearing not only the bowtie we acquired that day, but also his wedding day seersucker! He hadn't worn it since our wedding - and for those that don't remember, this suit was originally his grandfather's. I loved that tradition then and I still love it now. (I also love that he didn't shave for this wedding... I'm a sucker for scruff.)

Here's me and more of that great Roosevelt tile. These are some of my favorite shoes, by the way - seersucker Louboutins gifted by that handsome guy above a few years ago. He's pretty great.

H&M's wedding was at the Audubon Zoo... it was so much fun seeing the animals at the wedding and late into the night. Here were some of our favorite wedding participants (apologies to the gators for the fried item previously included in this post).

Oh hi. We match.



No seriously.

I love that T loves pattern as much as I do. That's his wedding pocket square, too!



This picture sums it up. Happy, happy, happy.



Oh, and... on Saturday afternoon a Cajun-accented psychic told me I need to be nicer to myself. T's been gloating ever since, because he always says the same thing. So here's a laaaaaate-night picture of me drinking a hot toddy due to my lack of a voice (I woke up Sunday with a lousy cold I'm still fighting). You see that squishy area that's not quite arm and not-quite side boob? That area is my nemesis. I hate it. But because I'm being nicer to myself these days, I'm posting this picture anyway. SEE, Cajun psychic and "Baby Spirit" that I've been instructed to talk to, SEE? I'm being nice.

Until next time, Nola.

Back in the saddle

When the habit of blogging is broken, it can be so hard to jump back into it. The pressure to compose something worthwhile is greater than the pressure to say anything at all. A reprehensible marriage amendment has to pass before I'm compelled to pick up the blogging pen. It's a bad cycle. So this is me trying to recapture the habit, with odds and ends from my corner of the world and without artful composition. You'll notice that I'm sharing some of this news woefully late... so it is:

• Black Wings Won! You'll remember the Austrian hockey team we fell for over the holidays, due in part to our relation to the goalie, but also, you know... because they rock? They won the Austrian League Championship! We couldn't be happier for Alex, who finally won a championship after 13 years as a pro, and for T's sister Avery, who's the most badass hockey wife ever. Linz ist Meister!!!! #32!!
  
  



• I'm going to be an aunt again! Shortly after their wedding in September, my brother and sister-in-law announced that they were expecting! My nephew will join big sister Taylor in late June, and we couldn't be more thrilled for them.
   
  



















• Prom. My cousins rocked the prom in their dresses we shopped for until our feet fell off. Rocked it.
  
  
  


















• We have roses. Lots of them. I didn't like these roses last year, but that's because they didn't grow like this. We just planted a slew of new stuff, too. Updates coming soon... really.






















• Wedding shoes, at long last. Nearly three years later, I finally had a chance to wear my wedding shoes again, at the wedding of one of my favorite DC couples. So many memories represented by that red satin... I really should've worn them years ago. (Rare awkward photo of T = cutting his head off on purpose)

Sparkles

I think I have a new writing project. This is good, because my life has been fairly absent of one for a while now. And this is also not-good, because said writing project clearly isn't filling this space right now. If my grand plan materializes, though, two shall become one (no, I will not improperly use numerals... AP Style or bust!).

At any rate, the biggest grin on my face this week came from my new friends, who just happen to be gold and sparkly.

These shoes have haunted me for ages. I couldn't justify the price when they were in stores, well over a year ago. And of course, as soon as they vanished they were all I thought about. I've searched outlets, I've stalked eBay, I've spent a lot of time thinking about these shoes. All for naught, until the perfect pair finally appeared on eBay, never worn and in my size. You can bet I showed off my new friends to unsuspecting FaceTime acquaintances. 

Sparkly shoes are always a good idea. But sometimes, some weeks, sparkly shoes are a really, really good idea.

Have a sparkly weekend, guys.

xoxo

Simple summer pleasures

I'm keeping things simple this week, breathing in summer. Here's what I'm loving:

Juicy nectarines...

 iced tea made with mint from the garden...

a blooming gardenia bush...

this light-as-air robe from Plum Pretty Sugar...

simple pesto spaghetti with a heap of golden cherry tomatoes...

...and the promise of even more from my basil plant out back.

What are you loving this August?

PS: Today on Oh So Beautiful Paper I'm highlighting gorgeous place-based art, which includes revealing what those weird little paper cut-out squares are all about.

There's got to be a better title than "Random"

So, ummm... this week flew by. Oops.

Work is busy. Life is busy. We are kicking tail around the house every night, but not in the barely-functioning stressful way we were before. Instead we're staying calm and making incremental progress. It's good. Next week I'll try to take photos. It's really feeling like a home around here, which for me is all about having things on the wall to smile down at me.

We're off to New York for a wedding tomorrow. I get to pit-stop in the city, then spend Friday night at my pal Amy's glass house in the woods of Westchester, then we head up to Poughkeepsie for the wedding Saturday. I've never been to Poughkeepsie. I would ask for tips on what to see and do, but we won't even be there 24 hours, so I'll focus instead on how to magically create a fantastic updo myself, in a hotel room, with minimal supplies, that will hold throughout the wedding and photograph wonderfully.

Here's are some odds and ends for ya. Not much, but it's all I've got:

File this under: Incredibly Annoying. I've been battling my achilles tendon for five weeks now. I tried nursing it for a while, but it became so painful that I had to stop working out for two weeks. I eased back in slowly, but it's still not ready for high impact activity - even with this sexy brace that T bought me. I've been limiting myself to weight-based workouts and floor moves, but the thing is so tender it'll flare up on me walking home from the Metro or over to the park. Not fun at all... and not exactly helping the beach-season cause. Has anyone ever dealt with achilles tendonitis? The pain is something fierce... just entirely different from any other sort of injury I've ever had.

Oops. I didn't mean to buy all this product. But you know, it happens. Much like having a wedding enabled me to justify all sorts of random not-exactly-wedding-related purchases, attending a wedding suddenly renders shimmery Black Jade eyeliner a life-or-death necessity. There is no logic, only consumer lust. The shadows (Lilium) are from Chanel's summer collection and are truly gorgeous, but a certain someone I know picked up the showstopper from the collection during our spree: the gorgeous yellow nail polish Mimosa, apparently this summer's "it" color, and also apparently life-changing. Nole will have to report back to us on that one.

I'm wearing these patent nude pumps to the wedding, and it occurs to me that we should pause for a moment to celebrate the nude pump. I swear they make legs look a mile longer. Magic shoes, they are. I'll need a little magic to distract from the wreckage of Sunday's mosquito massacre, so let's hope these do the trick. I'm wearing them with the emerald green dress from T's birthday dinner last year. I was going to wear this fun dress, but then discovered that the wedding is more formal than I originally thought. And really, I'm dying to wear emerald again. Paired with green-hued eyeliner, of course.

But to the important thing: this couple who's tying the knot in front of us all. I'm so thrilled for them and the way they make each other happy. I've known the groom through some big highs and lows for us both, and seeing him snag this incredibly amazing woman is probably going to make me cry. But in a ridiculously happy way. Better pack my waterproof mascara.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Hello yellow

I've always had an iffy relationship with the color yellow, shoes and flowers notwithstanding. I have a couple of friends who look brilliant in yellow (sunny blonde Kate, I salute you!), but I've never been quite sure it's my color. The closest I've ever come is a great gold ikat print cardigan, which I wear all the time, but usually offset with something from my jewel tone comfort zone, such as a green or turquoise tank. However, it appears that something's in the [proverbial] [yellow] water. Think those yellow Tubes might have started something? Consider these scenes from the weekend:

Pre-pic apology: I still can't find my camera charger (I packed it someplace "where I wouldn't lose it," of course), so take these phone pics for what they're worth.

This "must have" little bowl from West Elm:

This dress I obsessed over in March, acquired in May at 70% off, perfect for a wedding in June:

This lineup of paint samples downstairs (camera quality note: those dark colors are green, not gray!):

And finally, a sneak peek of our bathroom, where we're getting so close. Navy and yellow is a color combination I've been wanting to do forever, but I put a sophisticated spin on it with this sexy-smoky blue and a rich gold print on the towels:

Anyone else have a case of yellow fever lately?

Kenny and Jillian: Great hair, great shoes

You know those human embodiments of guilty pleasure, the crushes we have that are not only irrational, but downright embarrassing? C'mon, we all have them. That man for me is Kenny Powers. I know, I know.

No really, I know.

The man is offensive on every level, enjoys strippers and jet skis, lacks any sort of moral code, and has that hair. But everything that comes out of his mouth makes me weep with laughter. And then after I'm done cackling, I feel bad about the cackling. But by then Kenny is saying something else ridiculous so I'm cackling again. And on it goes.

Those of you who know Kenny know he is all about the celebrity endorsement. Here's his latest triumph: celebrity spokesman for K-Swiss Tubes.

Let's talk about another kind of crush now - perhaps less embarrassing, but definitely more of a cliche: Jillian Michaels. She and I have spent a lot of time together over the years, and she can whip me into shape faster than any other workout guru I've tried. She's certainly more effective than me doing my own thing at a gym for hours at a time with no results. Like Kenny, Jillian also endorses K-Swiss Tubes. Hmmmm.

Here's the thing: I've owned my sneakers for longer than I've known T, and after certain workouts (BFBM, I'm looking at you) my feet ache badly. It's not unreasonable to think it's time for a new pair of shoes. So I did a little shopping. And fell sort of hard for a really fun pair of yellow Tubes.

And then yesterday, while crying through Jillian's latest DVD Ripped in 30, I couldn't help but notice that in workout #2 she wears the exact same shoes I just bought. This should be motivation or something, right?

The truth of the matter is that I am actually more embarrassed to admit being swayed by a celebrity endorsement than I am confessing my baffling love for Kenny Powers. But with those shoes, comes that stomach, right? And I do really love the shoes.

(PSA: Those of you with a similar weakness and a need for new workout shoes: I had to size up with the Tubes.)