Screw YOU, Screws! 2 Outfits too!

Good evening, Ladies! So, we had some decent Anthro markdowns on Tuesday, didn't we? And AT LAST, the Nostalgic Asterisks Dress got marked down to $80. The much-coveted Magellan Dress did also and I picked them both up on Tuesday morning along with the Tepore Cardigan. On the website it looks totally drab, but in person it's GORGEOUS. It's soft and delicate and perfect for spring and summer and looks fab with a belt. I am looking forward to sporting the Nostalgic Asterisks Dress for a party on memorial day.

Being the impatient Anthro girl that I am, I popped into my brand new dress for running errands yesterday morning!

Dress: Anthropologie Magellan Dress (sold out online)

The weather was SO BEAUTIFUL yesterday after it has been miserable and rainy for the past 10 or 11 days or so. I enjoyed wearing this and having my shoulders and arms free after months and months of cardigans. I was so glad I was able to find this dress in my size on the sale rack and I've been stalking it. This is a 0 and it's a great fit for me.

In the meanwhile, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been having some pain in my ankle due to the fact that it has 4 screws in it from a bad break (er...breaks) I had four years ago. I went to see my orthopedic surgeon this morning and he said he can definitely take them out! So, in a week, I'll be screw-less and hopefully a lot more comfortable. Here's a link to the photo of the x-ray if you want to see it. I know some people are squeamish, so I will give peeps a choice whether or not to look at it, but I think it looks COOL!!! My surgeon says they look like a cyclone!! Anyway, that ginormous sucker on the bottom is starting to back out a tad and interfere with a tendon there and giving me an awful zinger. So, we're going to take them ALL out next week! Apparently, this will cramp my style for a couple of weeks and I'll need a cane. How do you work a cane with an Anthro Dress? Am I supposed to whimsy it up a bit?

Anyway, I wanted to look not-so-pathetic at my appointment today because the last time I saw my very-handsome doctor, I was a hot mess. That's what 10 weeks on crutches will do to you. I haven't worn my Seabound Skirt in nearly a million years. This was actually the first piece I purchased from a B&M Anthropologie after I found the guts to go in. It's whimsical, well-made and colorful. Today was a gorgeous day, so I thought it was appropriate outfit...for...the...doctor's office. (?)

Blouse: Anthropologie: Picture Frame Blouse (2010), Skirt: Anthropologie Seabound Skirt (2010), Belt: Anthropologie High Prairie Belt, Shoes: Jessica Simpson

I'm a little nervous about going under the knife again. The operation on my ankle is the only operation I've ever had aside from getting my wisdom teeth out. Frankly, who enjoys being cut open? I'm also slightly worried about being intubated due to the fact that they have to shove a plastic tube down my trachea and I have a very important gig in 4 weeks. The last time I talked to the anesthesiologist and they gave me the smallest tube possible and I had no negative vocal effects that I remember. I'll have to trust again that I can make the same requests. Don't mess up the money maker!!

It's almost Friday! How is everyone preparing for the Holiday Weekend!?

OOTD: Botanical Limp

Good evening, ladies! Well, if you're reading this, you obviously didn't get taken up by the Rapture today. So, I thought I'd celebrate being left behind by wearing my beloved Botanical Stroll Dress...except I was not exactly strolling today. I've got 4 stainless steel screws in my ankle (tibia, not fibula) and for the last 3 weeks, they have really been giving me trouble. Pain. Well...today, I woke up and was barely able to walk. I've been limping all day and in extraordinary pain like I was after surgery. I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the screws has started to come loose and it kills with every step. There was so way I could stand at work today, so I sadly had to stay home and nurse it. It's the weekend and the doctor I talked to advised me there was nothing I could do until Monday, short of going to the ER. Not doing THAT.

So, I'm looking at the prospect of going under the knife again, this time to get un-screwed. I had a horseback riding accident in 2007 during which I broke my ankle. I'm hoping that once the hardware is dealt with, I can get back to life, but we'll see what the surgeon says first.

Anyway, I still had to attend a rehearsal (got to sit!) and it was actually sunny today for a while!

Dress: Anthropologie Botanical Stroll Dress, Cardigan: Banana Republic

Ankle Ouchies!

Hey, Paddington! Your picture is on this dress!

This dress is really sweet. It's too light to wear during a cooler season but it's perfect for a warm spring day. I think it's the only Floreat Dress I own and it fits like a glove! I love it!!! And the cardi goes with it perfectly...totally a coincidence.

Reviews for a 100th Post!

Good Evening, Ladies. What a bummer of a Tag Sale, huh? I hope that next week we see the sale action we wanted to this week! Some extra % off or free shipping wouldn't hurt either! Anyway, needless to say, nothing I was interested in went on sale (even though I think the Sing Sweetly is really cute, I just don't love it. NO STRAPS!), BUT the Garden of the Spectrum Mini got a second cut! I had a feeling it would, so when I visited Anthro on Monday afternoon and tried it on, I put it on hold and I scooped it up at the $49.95 price. I can't justify $100 for a skirt, but $50, I can do. It's a cute bubble skirt! It's getting a lot of bad reviews for being too puffy, but it's a bubble skirt! It's supposed to puff! I think it will be mega cute with some heels and a sexy tank!

So, this is my one-hundredth post and I have nothing momentous to offer aside from some reviews:

Oblique Blooms Dress $258 Zehavale

This dress is pretty, isn't it? I spied this pretty and I had to try it on! It fits very well and TTS. It also comes with optional straps which I did not try on. I think it's really cute, but found the hemline to be unflattering for its shape. I would have preferred it to be a maxi dress or a mini dress, but I'm not loving the in-between. The lace details (especially in the bodice) are gorgeous and the quality is top-notch. Sadly, this isn't for me. 

Bottom Line: Cute little dress that is a funny color (wash out?). Good quality dress and fits TTS, hemline is not flattering to a thin petite. $258 is a high price point. Wait for the sale.

Lattice Ring Dress $348 Plenty by Tracy Reese

Miss Reese never fails me and this little beauty is fantastic. I was quite surprised when I touched it...I didn't realize it wasn't cotton. Rayon and Spandex! It's QUITE heavy when you pick it up. This is a MAJOR dress. It fits TTS for Tracy Reese to slightly small. The XS was actually very snug, so you may want to size up. The small fit me nicely with the straps on, but I would not be able to wear it without them. It's very high quality typical of Tracy Reese.

Bottom Line: Pretty dress with a cute tribal print. Fits slightly small and is MUCH HEAVIER than it looks. $348 is a ridiculous price point (sorry) for a dress that's Rayon and Spandex. I love Tracy Reese, but until this dress is less than $200, I won't be picking this up. Also, shorter girls may want to have this hemmed.

* Another colorway of this dress is available directly from the Tracy Reese Website. A blue! Very cute!

Summer Souffle Dress $198 Moulinette Soeurs

Sorry I didn't add a picture of the back. I could NOT for the life of me get the picture to upload. Blogger photo uploader is being really annoying. This is a long dress, but truth be told, I'm a little in love with it. I love that it's white, fluffy, puffy and looks like whipped cream with flowers on it. It looked really cute with a belt and it was tea length on me. I immediately thought concert dress!!!

Bottom Line: This is a cute dress that is TTS for me, but probably on the running small side in reality. The bodice is VERY tight being that it has removable straps to make it strapless. It's comfy! Frankly, $198 is a little expensive for a summer dress, but I really like it and I may go back for it! You could probably grab it on sale.

 And here was my OOTD. It's friggin May and I was forced to wear corduroy and legwarmers. It has been raining and cold for weeks here in Boston. I honestly don't remember the last sunny day. I'm totally bummed. BUT, I totally found the perfect matte red lipstick at Sephora and I'm sporting it here! You know how the whole red lipstick thing is so hard! This is NARS "Fire Down Below" and it totally rocks!

Cardigan: Anthropologie Chopsticks Cardigan, Top: Anthropologie Picture Frame Blouse, Skirt: Anthropologie Field Skirt worm with High Prairie Belt

So...that's 100 posts here at Anthro Flux! Thanks for reading thus far! Here's to 100 more!

Busted!

I was stone-cold BUSTED breaking my month-long shopping ban last week. I ran into a reader at Anthro and I was standing in the checkout line with my arm full of skirts! LOL, I had an Anthro Shopping Relapse!

So...I guess I'm a weak soul and didn't last very long. And there's ZIPPY CHANCE I'm missing any opportunities from the big Tag Sale that will start tomorrow. So...May Shopping Ban? FAIL.

It's okay though, there was actually a month earlier in the year that I didn't shop, so maybe I still win? (Excuses, excuses). Anyway, I might as well share what I picked up (all different blue themes it appears):

• A Navy Field Skirt (marked down to $19.95!)

• A Fantastic Field Skirt

...and an Inkwell Skirt...which happens to be one of my new faves. I LOVE the poofiness of it! It's so adorable!

Cardigan: Anthropologie Blooming Lattice Cardigan, Blouse: Anthropologie Scalinata Top, Skirt: Anthropologie Inkwell Skirt, Shoes: Bare Traps

Feeling goofy after the Radio Show Broadcast. The Inkwell Skirt was an excuse to dust off the ole' Blooming Lattice Cardi, which I sometimes find a little too "cute" to wear for real. The navy accents in the skirt went perfectly with the cardi. I certainly felt dressed up, but totally comfortable. I didn't want to wear tights because it's MAY, alas...Boston is really cold and gloomy right now and the forecast doesn't look good either. I guess I will keep the faith, until the sun comes out again.

Tag Sale starts tomorrow...OH, the anticipation!!!!!

Mushroom Bourguignon & the Peggy Sue Dress

It's Mother's Day! Have you called your mommy yet?

As well as loving to wear pretty dresses and sing pretty music, I also adore to putz around in the kitchen. I adore French food, but don't do that much French cooking in reality. It's involved and there's lots of butter and cream going on. I love beef bourguignon and have made it from time to time. It's delicious, but quite heavy. So, last night, I decided to try a recipe for the mushroom version I saw on Smitten Kitchen. 

Start with lucious, portobello mushroom caps...

Slice.

Simmer with wine, onion, garlic, stock and other yummy stuff...

Serve over creamy egg noodles...swoon!

 This is a great little recipe if you are vegetarian or prefer to eat less meat. I certainly love good beef, but in reality, I only eat meat maybe twice a week. I'm not gonna lie, it's a tad labor intensive (I like low maintenance food) but it's worth it.

I got asked to sing at a recital of a composition major at the Walnut Hill School this afternoon. Walnut Hill is a high school for the arts and I remember wanting to go there so bad when I was in high school. I was asked to learn the song cycle pretty short notice since the soprano on hire had backed out. I have been working very hard for the last 6 days on this piece, but it's brilliant writing and lots of fun to perform! I thought it was a great chance to wear my Peggy Sue Dress. It's a hard little frock to dress down, but the navy worked great with the Remaining Lilies Cardigan.

Dress: Anthropologie Peggy Sue Dress, Cardigan: Anthropologie Remaining Lilies Cardigan, Shoes: Seychelles Kiss at Midnight Pump

 I was feeling so pumped after my performance, I thought I might as well leap! My ankle is feeling much better so I think I'll be heading to the gym tomorrow before work!

It's Sunday and that means it's time for another Dereck and Kay Show today at 7:00. Please listen in and call in if you feel so inclined! We'd love to hear from you!

Pah-ty on the Hah-bah!

Last night, I went to the Party on the Harbor at the Institute of Contemporary Art. I don't regularly go to fancy cocktail, fundraisers at art museums, but I've got a hook up, so we were able to get a discounted ticket. It was great! There were fabulous fashions everywhere, cocktails, fun appetizers, amazing music, a great photo booth and fun exhibits all around. The record/vinyl exhibit was pretty interesting, although we didn't really "get" all of it. I am a teeny bit old-fashioned and I much prefer to look at Monets at the MFA, and listen to Bach instead of John Cage, but I have a place in my heart for ALL art, no matter the form. It was so fun to take in all the neat ideas and concepts with old vinyl records. The Taiyo Kimura pieces were my favorite. I love a good sense of humor in art and he's totally wacky. Maybe that's why we stood there for 10 minutes watching the videos and looking at his sketches.

The ladies at the party were looking FABULOUS! We stood at the door waiting for my best friend and his girlfriend because they had our tickets, but it was like a red carpet show! All I needed was Joan Rivers and I had myself a show! There were plenty of high heels and sexy little dresses...3 Anthro Dresses total (and I had a good look). I saw one lady sporting the Traced Twirls Dress (original, B&W colorway, sans halter strap) and I saw the photog sporting the Study of Shapes Dress. Me? I jumped on the Mompos Train after waiting for it to hit my local store FOR.EVER. It really is a fab dress...it fits like a glove and it's impeccable quality. I normally do not buy dresses for the non-sale price and especially at a pricepoint above $200, but I made an exception for this dress. I missed out on the Spinning Lace Dress and I didn't want that to happen to me again. The fit is similar to the Spinning Lace dress, if not a little more roomy in the bodice. It fits a little better if you fill out the chest a little more than when I tried it on. If you are small on top, you may want to wear a padded undergarment to fill it out a bit more.

Dress: Anthropologie Mompos Dress (Tracy Reese), Shoes: Seychelles Kiss at Midnight Pump

This is a total Quinn Fabray look, isn't it? I totally had that "I'm on Glee" feeling. I actually had not watched ONE Glee episode since the pilot aired a few years ago until a week ago. I saw that it was available streaming on Netflix and I was hooked! I am still in the first season, but I'm totally obsessed!

I'm also obsessed with Seychelles. I can wear these comfortably without feeling like I'm going to topple over. Frankly, I was worried about these because of my ankle trouble lately, but I'm not feeling too sore this morning and I may try to make it to the gym later.

There aren't many cool spring nights left, so any chance I have to work the Karelia Coat, I take!

Coat: Anthropologie Karelia Coat (winter 2010)

I'm contemporary art?

So...in other news, I joined Kim's Shopping Ban. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to hold out, but I DO need to make some investments in some recording equipment. It's the 7th, so we'll see how well I do. Anyone else ALREADY struggling?!

Dressing for Auditions: OOTD

As a professional singer, dressing for auditions and performances is a major part of my life and consumes a great deal of my consideration. There have been numerous articles written on the subject in publications such as Classical Singer Magazine and on message boards. High hems, low hems, show cleavage, don't show cleavage...blah, blah, blah...

I think I may be breaking the mold by wearing a quirky print AND wearing yellow. Whenever I am waiting in the audition hall amongst my colleagues, I see a ton of black and jewel tones and I figure I will stand out in something a little more interesting like a dress from Anthro. So, here's what I wore yesterday:

 

Dress: Anthropologie Marine Mural Dress (2010), Cardigan: JCrew Jackie Cardigan (2010), Shoes: Anthropologie Seychelles Glad Rags T-Straps (2010)

You never know what's going to happen when you walk into the room and sing for people. This time, they actually took my photograph before I began, which was kind of fun. Not that I enjoy having my photograph taken that much, but it was kind of fun. I actually really adore this dress and I try not to wear it too much. This is actually only the second time I've had it on and I love it! It's so comfy and it's got a GREAT pattern.

Truth be told, I don't know if I can wear these shoes anymore. I really, really love them. But, I had badly fractured my ankle 4 years ago and I had to have emergency surgery on it. I still have 4 screws in my ankle and after I wear super high heels, I have pain the next day like nobody's business. I may have to have them removed if I want to sport my Seychelles :( I have the most amazing scar there and it's always a really fun story to tell how I fell from my horse and all...but this is really starting to become a pain. Literally.

Anyone else headed to Anthro to take advantage of the sale today!? I might have to cave on the Heroine's Homecoming Top...