Reviews are Back!

Good Sunday Morning, ladies! Remember when I used to go and try on stuff and take pics? YEAH, me neither. Anyway...I found the enthusiasm to find my way to Anthro after work last night and here are some reviews for you this morning. They didn't have anything I REALLY wanted to try on (*sniff* Tuileries Dress). I'll have to try again this week in the bigger store.

Draped Jungle Skirt $158 Eva Franco

Hey, look! It's the Aniseed Skirt, Jacquard Missive Skirt, but in a new pattern. Getting a little tired of this...every season now? I actually really liked the other two skirts...this one not so much. Because of the pattern, it's hard to see the cute shape and bow-folding effect of the skirt. The material is not as flowy as the other ones. The Jacquard Missive Skirt was cutey-cute...same price. This one, I don't think is worth the pricetag. It's not as flattering as the other two. FAIL. Eva Franco is not working well for me at all this year.

Picked Plaid Skirt $98 Odille

Wow, $98? Really? I actually like Odille as a brand, I like their subtly cute style. This looked totally cute on the hanger...but look at it! The material is a little bit like, um...tablecloth. Which is EXACTLY also what it looks like. I'm wearing a picnic tablecloth made into a skirt. Dowdy. Too long for a petite. Unflattering at the waistband. Awesome! PASS.

Night Moves Chemise $68 Jonsey

Confession...I hate wearing black. As a musician, this doesn't always work for me, since I am forced to wear "Concert Black" a lot when I'm part of an ensemble. So I have an arsenal of black concert clothes...none of which I like very much, so as an attempt to remedy this problem, I was hoping I could find some love in this chemise, but wear it as a dress. The bottom portion at least anyway. In real life it was a lot shorter and less elegant than it looked online. It's most definitely underwear and cannot masquerade as Concert Black. Disappointment in that respect, although I will say that it's comfortable and fits well. Pass. Well, this is going great, isn't it? It gets better.

 Powdered Pigment Dress $228 Tracy Reese

I love Tracy Reese Dresses, they usually fit very well. There was a little bit of sticker shock involved with this one. It's been out for a while, but here is a silk dress for $228. It's a lovely silk, patterned cowlneck dress, but I don't really find it to be anything special. It's well-fitted. I noticed the tag said "0" instead of "P". I find the numerical sizes to be less awesome of a fit than xs (p). I really have nothing bad to say about this cute little frock, but I don't think I'll be picking this up, although I'd wear it if someone gave it to me as a gift.

Fountain of Youth Dress $128 Maeve 

*sigh*. Ok, here we go. This is such an adorable design. This dress simply cannot be cuter and the green color is just delicious. This is a wrinkly mess. The fit on it is very nice, but I could not get past how wrinkled it was. It suffers from the same malady that the Circle the Globe Skirt does, but I don't mind it as much as I mind it on an entire dress. I wish it was a less stiff cotton material. The material on the CTG skirt is very soft, but this is a stiff cotton which turned me off when I first touched it. The price is way too high. $98? Yes. $128? No chance, Lance. Wait for the sale. I may re-consider at sale time in the stripe color.

Cloud Art Dress $158 Laffaire

The product shot on the website of this dress is so beautiful. Doesn't it look amazing! Hey look, there is only one left in the store! It's an xs! *Snatch* It must be amazing, I can't wait to try it on...

Wow, it sucks. Shapeless. The slip that is attached to the dress doesn't fit (hey everyone, look at my bra!). Too long. Terrible. Lacey potato sack. FAIL. Size up...an xs will probably fit you if you normally take a small, etc.  XS gals will be sized out.

Nostalgic Asterisks Dress $158 Girls From Savoy

Girls From Savoy to the rescue...ah...this is LOVE. First off, it's very red. My camera did not capture the beautiful red hue that this dress actually has, but it's lovely. It's a gorgeous fit and gives me the illusion of a little bit more loveliness in the bust, which is very much welcome for me. The little stars on it are adorable and I love the 50's shape of it. I may pay full price for this if it's still full price around my birthday in April. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Thank you, Girls from Savoy for saving an otherwise terribly unsuccessful Anthro dressing room experience.

It's SUNDAY, so you know I must plug our internet talk radio podcast; The Dereck and Kay Show. We are on at 4pm today (or 5pm...we actually haven't decided...please check our facebook page for updates!). Please, please, please check out the show live! We get a lot of downloads of archived shows, but we are trying to boost the amount of live listeners we get. So, I'm asking my blog-sphere ladies to give us a little love. It's a weekly talk show...we talk about non-serious topics, because there are enough shows about serious stuff. Check us out! You can listen to an old show ANYTIME on the website. You can also subscribe on iTunes so you can listen to us on the go! (It's not for the kiddies though...there were some un-censored bad words that made it on to the show last week. President Obama no less! LOL)

End Plug.

Okay, ya'll...I'll try to get down to the big Anthro this week to try on the things I love the most. Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Wightwick Manor

Confession: I have not actually tried on anything at Anthro the last few times I've been in. I've seen all the pretty new arrivals, but I've been unmotivated to actually spend some time in the dressing room. So, for that I apologize. I've been very wrapped up in the prep involved for a concert I'm preparing, along with a few other gigs, so there's been more music making and less Anthropologie, which is good for me, but bad for this blog! I have been very impressed by the new arrivals and I got a chance to look at some things in the store yesterday, so hopefully, I'll go to the dressing room soon!

Yesterday was an all music Wednesday, which was wonderful. I study with a wonderful tenor here in town and I see him about once a month for a voice lesson. He always has really insightful things to say and gives me a lot to think about until I see him again. Wednesday evenings, I have a choral rehearsal and it's a great mid-week relaxer. I have worn my wightwick manor dress at least 3 times, but this the first time I've been photographed in it.

Dress: Anthropologie Wightwick Manor Dress

Belt: Anthropologie High Prairie Belt

Boots: Anthropologie Bow-tied Beauty Boots

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with this dress. It's cute, but the print is almost not. It doesn't stop me from sporting it though and it's very comfy!

Wonderful Wednesday

Thanks to everyone who said nice things about my Valentine's Post yesterday :) Wednesday is so great it deserves two O'sOTD! Yesterday was the first day of my outreach job. I go out to area elementary schools and teach kids about music and over a 10 week period or so, have a couple of small groups of kids work on their own compositions (songs). They teach the song to their classmates and then they give a giant performance at the end of the year. Not that I'm the greatest composer on the Earth, but I can teach a 4th grader, the basics :)

When I was playing dress up in my closet on Tuesday night, I thought that the Pinochle Skirt and the Stretching Sprigs Cardi were great together! I was very colorful, but I thought this was a really fun outfit.

Cardi: Anthropologie Stretching Sprigs Cardigan

Skirt: Anthropologie Pinochle Skirt

Top: Anthropologie Scalinata Top

Boots: Bowtied-Beauty Boots

Belt: Anthropologie High Prairie Belt

Of course...after this was over, I got to go home and take a nap and putz around before rehearsal...so here's the second OOTD: I couldn't resist...

Dress: Anthropologie Color-Dipped Dress

Cardi: Anthropologie Cherry Cardi (don't know the name, thrifted!)

Shoes: Bare Traps

Tuesday morning after I got off from work, I basically RAN to Anthro and picked this up for the new 2nd cut price of $49.95. I was stalking this one like a hawk and when the price dropped, I pounced like a lioness on a gazelle. I'm so glad I was patient! This dress was sitting in my closet taunting me, so I decided to wear it to rehearsal. This dress is SOOOOOO fun to wear! There were a lot of negative reviews about the belt it comes with...but I actually think it's cute and works well with the dress. This dress is a dream...if you find one...buy it. It's DIRT cheap, EXTREMELY well-made and cutey McCuterson.

I cannot stop thinking about the Botany Book Dress, so I'm going to try it on tomorrow after work. I am looking forward to doing some great reviews for you!

High Tea.

I threw a low-grade diva fit at rehearsal over a period of 45 seconds tonight and I couldn't believe it was happening. As a singer, I don't usually find myself feeling cocky or entitled enough to have a diva-fit unless something absolutely nuts is happening. I think I have a right to stand up for myself when my vocal comfort is potentially compromised. But I'm not a diva...at least...I don't think I am.

Anyway...tonight was the first time I wore something other than my pj's or my work uniform during the day in a few days. It felt good.

Blouse: Anthropologie High Tea Blouse

Cardi: Anthropologie Slow and Steady Cardigan by Wendi Reed

Necklace: Anthropologie Gilded Impatiens Necklace

Jeans: Gap Kids

I don't think I've obsessed over two pieces more than the High Tea Blouse and the Slow and Steady Cardigan. The High Tea Blouse was one of the first items I really became in love with at Anthro last July. I love the feminine details on it and the hemline is to die for. The cardi is just so darn cute, I was so happy to snap it up on a popback!

I must confess, the necklace is the only piece of jewelery that I own from Anthropologie. Partly because I'm not really a necklace girl and I make a lot of my own earrings myself. I hardly ever wear this piece due to the sheer major-ness of it, but it was $10 and I made it work today.

It's almost Friday! Enjoy the rest of the week. Hasn't snowed more than an inch this week...I'll take it!

Check-in: Dreaming of Spring

Good morning, Ladies! Just wanted to let you know I was still alive! Over the past week I have found myself presented with a few wonderful professional opportunities. It turns out, in springtime, will be a concert bonanza! I am so excited to be getting back on track after having such a horrible time in Autumn. I am happy to be a working singer again and I'm motivated to pursue more opportunities in my work. Not that I don't love my day job, but I'd much rather sing for my supper, if you know what I mean :)

That said, I haven't been to Anthro very much...I did score a Laced with Grace Dress on Sunday after I couldn't stop thinking about it all week long. The gal that answered the phone at the Cambridge store was nice enough to track one down for me and on Sunday, I exchanged my Curry Comb Cardigan for it (plus, $30). The ladies at Anthro Cambridge have been so nice ever since the store opened! So, I thought I'd give them a shout-out.

It's also been a GRUELING winter here in New England. It's the worst I've seen in YEARS...possibly ever. It's not terribly motivating to get dressed all pretty when there are icy sidewalks, 9' snow piles and 4" deep puddles everywhere :P

I'll be back soon with reviews and outfits for you!

The Weather Outside is Frightful & a Copycat OOTD

Well...here I am in Boston stuck inside AGAIN. We have had 60" of snow this winter already and this morning...yet another snowstorm is pounding the city. Streets are a mess, but worse is there is NO place to put the snow anymore. So today, I am staying home from work and practicing and updating some professional materials. Singing Purcell and Dowland while sipping some earl grey isn't bad, I suppose.

For Sunday's OOTD, I decided to copy Peggy from She Hath Done What She Could and pair my Mary Shirtdress with the Red Delicious Blouse. I saw it and I thought this was a brilliant pairing!!! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?! Peggy, I hope you don't mind me stealing from your style file :)

Dress: Anthropologie Mary Shirtdress with Anthropologie Red Delicious Blouse

Boots: Payless Marley Boots

Belt: Ann Taylor (Pre-historic)

My first job out of graduate school was the conductor's assistant and music librarian for the city ballet company. Being a musician, part of my job was to coach and conduct a girl's choir in the Nutcracker Snow Scene at Christmas time. Boston Ballet was one of the few companies to have a live choir during this ballet and the girls that were in the choir were actually girls that were also dancing in the ballet. They were not excited about singing, but they were sweet and did the best they could. This was the best job I ever had and if it wasn't for budget cuts, I'd probably still be working there.

I probably went to 70+ Nutcracker Performances in two years. I had fond memories of arranging the little choir in the pit with the orchestra (it was crowded down there with all the girls and the players!), but everytime I see snow outside, I think about this scene.

Here's what it really looks like...minus the awesome Tchaikovsky soundtrack...

It's a Nor'Eastah!!!! Happy Tuesday everyone!