On a Jet Plane

Stripes. Fedora. Sunglasses. Red lips and shoes.

I think I might be a blogger. Uh oh.

*striped slouch sweater-- Romeo + Juliet Couture* harem pants-- F21 * red flats-- gift from former coworker * silver cuff--Lohemann's * floral bag-- Anne Klein * sunnies-- H&M * parrot fedora--Eugenia Kim for Target *

I wore this outfit on the flight to Charleston two weeks ago. After traveling for years while wearing skirts, I am amazed at how much more comfortable airports and planes are in pants. No more freezing legs/contorting myself while lounging on airport chairs to keep from showing other travelers more than they need to see. In what may be a super no-no, I mixed the baggiest pants I own with the baggiest sweater, creating a melange of potential frump. Enter the accessories, which hopefully made that less apparent. And if not, as my mother loves to say, "Life is not a fashion show."

Giveaway: Shabby Apple Dress

As you know, I love a good dress. There is nothing like the ability to slip on a single garment and feel stylish and comfortable for the entire day. If you feel the same way, keep reading... Shabby Apple, an e-tailer that offers a wonderful variety of women's dresses, is offering one lucky reader the Spanish Steps dress. This vintage-inspired look is a real stunner (totally wishing I could enter my name into the pot) and is sure to be a winner for summer. And as a special bonus, Shabby Apple is offering a 10% discount to alltumbledown readers! Simply enter "alltumbledown10off" at checkout.

The giveaway will close on June 13th. Sorry, my international friends: this is open to US residents only.

Purple People Eater

Last week was my mother's birthday, so my NY sisters and I cooked up a delicious dinner to fete her. With the temperatures rising, I reached for my newest addition to the arsenal of jersey, this hot lilac number. It is clearly now flecked with salad dressing (whoops.)

* lilac jersey dress--Marshall's * cream cardigan-- Spring + Mercer * white tank-- Target * nude flats--Steve Madden * lace earrings-- gift from hubs * sunnies-- H&M * straw hat-- Gap *

I'm off in search of the perfect flat sandal before heading out to hubs' family for a BBQ. Hope you all enjoy the beautiful weather and the long weekend!

Friend Friday: Hair

This week on Friend Friday, we're talking hair. Thanks to Katy for the questions!

1. How often do you get your hair cut?

 Not too frequently- I think my last cut was in October. I tend to grow my hair out for months, chop it off to chin length and start the process again (See picture on right for my sophomore year chop.) Thankfully, I have the easiest hair ever: no split ends, no need to wash too frequently, looks fine without processing/blowdrying/product, so I am pretty lackadaisical with it.

2. Do you go to the same stylist each time, try someone new, go to the cheap hair cutting chains or live it up in a salon?
In high school I had a regular stylist in a salon. In college, I went to the local Aveda, which had a rocking student discount. Since getting married and covering my hair, I go for the cheapest cut I can find (I believe my last was around $15.)

3. Do you color your hair? How often? What’s your natural color?
I colored my hair a total of one time at the end of my freshman year in college. Riding around my hometown with a few friends late at night, we somehow decided that dyeing my hair was a great idea, and found the only 24-hour drugstore in a 30 mile radius to pick a color. Since my hair is so dark, the red dye was only visible in a camera's flash (see left.) Other than that blip, I'm au naturale.


4. The one thing you always do to keep your hair looking great is:
I follow the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. I brush my hair only after a shower, don't put any harsh chemicals or dyes in it, and pretty much let it do whatever it wants. On wash days it turns out straight with a bit of body, and after usually a bit more bodylicious as I tend to keep it up in a bun at home.

5. What hair trend do you love and wish you could rock?
I love short hair, and have a not-so-secret desire to chop it all off and go with a pixie cut. As I mentioned on Formspring, I've been thinking of reevaluating hair-covering after 3 years of near-constant headaches from the various scarves, hats and wigs I wear when going out. If I do decide to uncover, I'd love to go super short. I actually have this picture from the season finale of ANTM saved on my desktop for inspiration if I do go pixie:

And finally, my faux-hair (well, it was somebody's hair... just not mine.) Here are a lineup of the pieces I wear:

Straight topper wig (my hair bump on top and as bottom layer underneath)

Wavy 3/4 wig (my hair pulled out at top)

Straight full wig (none of mine showing)

Open the Gates

... to the blog, that is. I've been locked out for a few days, but just discovered that I can get in through Safari. Mac products ftw!

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a few days in coastal South Carolina with my best (female) buds from college (I'm married to my best college friend.) They are a group of intelligent women with diverse perspectives, and I relish these small getaways that keep our friendship strong. Nothing like crawling through pluff mud to cement a bond (crawling through mud sounds gross, I know, but it is totally a trip highlight. The feeling of pulling up on a creekbank and sinking into the rich mud is like nothing else I've experienced.)

I didn't wear anything of note this trip other than hub's cargo shorts, which to my extreme surprise/slight dismay fit me near-perfectly. They were just the thing for our longish bike rides around the island. Rather than spending time getting gussied up, I read a few good books (and an awful one), grilled up some beautiful London broil and reveled in the beauty of the lowcountry. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Shopping cart filled entirely with vegetables. The clerk asked: "Y'all vegetarians?" Nope, just some New Yorkers with steaks defrosting at home. Strawberries picked in Lexington, SC are divine, as is the local corn. Sadly, our favorite roadside farmstand lost their lease, but the grocery carried delicious regional produce.

View from the hottub after a long day at the beach.

Sunset from the front porch.

Cloudy morning sky at the beach. Taken while riding a bike on the hard-packed sand (with the wind. I am way too out of shape to ride against it.)

At the beach with a very tan Ayelet.

Flip flops. Lawn chair. Great expanses of grass leading onto a calm ocean.

Remnants of a beautiful meal with Yael. Note: Coke in a bottle, yum!

Now I'm back home in New York, and summer has begun here. Bring on the jersey dresses, sunscreen and sandals: I am so ready.

Paradise Island

I realize that I never told y'all about my mini vacation (outside of twitter, that is.) I'm currently on Kiawah Island, South Carolina with my girls from college. We've been biking, hot tubbing, swimming in the mildest ocean known to man, kayaking with sharks and dolphins and grilling up a storm. Life here is good.

Arrr...Pirate Headscarf Tutorial

Pirate Headscarf Tutorial from Nina on Vimeo.

Raindrops

Things I learned today: 

-Getting a 100 on your permit exam for the second time is not something to be proud of. A license is. Need to get on that, stat.

- Raspberry cheesecake froyo with mango on top = heaven.

- Malls in Chinatown (Queens, not Manhattan) are like nothing I've experienced before. I now imagine that all large Chinese cities are full of tiny little stores selling cellphone trinkets.

- It is possible to cook unsoaked dry beans in 90 minutes. We tried garbanzos with olive oil, thyme and garlic. We ate them with sauteed kale, baby heirloom tomatoes and turkey breast on a whole wheat wrap. Mmmm.

-My iphone takes not-too-shabby blog photos.

* black and white striped sweater-- Romeo & Juliet Couture * black pencil skirt-- American Apparel * black flats-- Kensi Girl * anorak-- Kenneth Cole * beaded necklaces-- H&M * embellished black knit hat-- random tchotchke store * floral bag-- Anne Klein *

I usually steer clear of all-black, but was in the mood to be moody today. As best I can, that is (white stripes, floral bag, beads on shoes, necklace and hat. Whoops.) I was also in the mood to repeat yesterday's outfit in a different color, apparently.

Glitz

A grey, drizzly day? Bring on the sparkle. Add a glammed out hat. And a silver utility belt.

Ah, much better.

* silver stripe tunic-- H&M * jean pencil skirt-- Zara * navy pointy flats-- Steve Madden * silver utility belt-- H&M * grey sparkle hat-- random tchotchke store *

Add this tunic to the list of things worn infrequently but still loved. Not everyday calls for a mid-thigh length shirt (especially when you don't wear leggings as bottoms), but I heard its siren song this morning and decided to give it a try. Since it is pretty fitted, the button/zipper area of the skirt popped a bit. I slapped on another blue-moon piece, this slightly wacky silver belt, to smooth things out. I wear it maybe twice a year, but somehow always find cash stashed inside the pockets. Totally worth it.

Standpipe

What is black, white and red all over?

An exploding zebra.

* white embellished tank-- BCBG * denim blazer-- Calvin Klein Jeans * leopard skirt-- c/o Kosher Casual * red flats-- gift from former coworker * silver cuff-- Lohemann's * turquoise flower earrings-- F21 * black knit embellished hat-- random trinket store *

What can I say? I've got a thing for loose, unstructured tops. Even when I get stared down by the old women on the corner wondering what to name my future baby (maybe I should make a card that says: "No bun in this here oven.  But thanks for checking.") The smocking detail at the top makes my heart go pitter-patter, and the pockets seal the deal. Because seriously, women's clothing has way too few pockets for this gal. Where else am I supposed to store my treasures?

In the Sun

Taking photos in broad daylight is a no-no. But so is taking photos in front of my kitchen cabinets every single day, so I figure it balances out somehow cosmically. As you can tell, I am excellent at equations and all things math.

* nudey pink tee-- H&M * patterned white skirt-- Cynthia Steffe * yellow sneaks-- OTBT * white belt-- UO * turquoise flower earrings-- F21 *

Spring things I am grateful for:

Medium decaf iced lattes. Skim milk, 2 splendas.

Sunless tanning moisturizer.

Bare legs (see above.)

BBQs with loved ones (see below.)

What are you grateful for?

Everybody Wears... Floral

For the first time, I actually remembered to wear my Everybody, Everywear outfit a day in advance so as not to miss posting in time. And not only did I incorporate florals into my outfit, I also wore a maxi (which, if you remember, was last month's EBEW challenge.) How is that for double duty? I feel so accomplished.

* floral maxi-- F21 * pink cardi-- Target * leggings-- Gap * black and white flats-- Payless * cameo necklace-- gift from Mom * turquoise fedora-- Eugenia Kim for Target *

I may be pushing the season a bit with this light-as-a-feather maxi, but in my book there is probably nothing more perfect for a day spent reading about economic life in the early modern period in the park. As you can see, the wind picked up a bit in the late afternoon, creating amazingly billowy shapes from the skirt. Thankfully, the leggings I layered underneath kept things from getting too risque.

Country Club

For my birthday, we did a relaxed family dinner at a local restaurant. And all ordered the exact same soup. The waitress may have laughed a bit.

* blue Button down-- Ralph Lauren * maroon sweater-- Banana Republic via Goodwill * cream and red pencil skirt-- Corey Lynn Calter * nude flats-- Steve Madden * blue statement necklace-- Loehmanns *

I haven't gone preppy in a while, so throwing on this button down, pencil skirt and flats before heading out felt a bit like coming home. Not terribly exciting, but I do love the contrast between the blue, maroon and red as well as the large and in charge necklace.

Wishing all my mother-readers a very happy Mother's Day!

A Leopard Never Changes Her Stripes

When I received this skirt as a gift from Kosher Casual last week, I immediately realized it filled a huge gap in my wardrobe: stretchy animal print bottom. Phew, glad I can tic that one off the list!  I wish I was kidding, but as you may well know (judging by the frequency with which they appear here) I love my stretchy American Apparel pencil skirts. When I saw that Kosher Casual offered a similar style in a slightly longer length and leopard print, I pounced. Like any good giant feline would. And it is love, love, love.

* black and white striped sweater-- Romeo and Juliet Couture * leopard print skirt-- Kosher Casual * nude flats-- Steve Madden * turquoise floral earrings-- F21 * black straw fedora-- Eugenia Kim for Target *

This is my idea of comfortable-but-pulled-together, a staple in my book. Not only because I enjoy hyphens immensely, but because my new lifestyle is more lunch with Grandma (yep, happened yesterday) than super-serious business meeting. Though I've pretty much relegated the heels to Shabbat-only, I've found myself reaching for bright lipsticks to bring a bit of color and sophistication to my newly casual look. Here is my red: L'oreal in Target Red (guess where it was purchased. Yup, my one-and-only. Other than hubs, that is.)

Pleated

I don't tend to wear mid-calf skirts, but after seeing this outfit (and pinning it promptly) I was inspired to pull this lovely pleated skirt out to play. I forgot how dainty a longer length can make an outfit feel, and loved the way the skirt moved in the wind.

* green sweater-- Banana Republic via Goodwill * pleated black skirt-- Club Monaco * cognac strappy wedges-- Lucky Brand * green flower pin-- Gap * turquoise flower earrings-- F21 * parrot fedora-- Eugenia Kim for Target *

Oh happy day, it is finally warm enough to wear straw hats. Goodbye, wool berets. Hello, my favorite parrot fedora that I wore basically every day last summer. I look forward to many more sartorial adventures with you.

In other news, tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be turning 25. When did that happen?