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!

Some Quickie Reviews and an unexpected Exchange

After trying on my Easy Keeper Skirt for a third time, I decided the waistband was way too big and that it just didn't work...as much as I actually liked it. I just didn't like it enough to put the investment into having alterations done. I also had to convince myself that the Delancey Boots were actually too tall. Everytime I tried them on with a skirt, they made me look stubby since most of my skirts and dresses hit me at the knee. I tearfully packed both of these items up and took them back to Anthro after work. I also tried on a few new arrivals for your amusement :)

D'Armee Dress (new colorways) $138 Parameter

This is my second time trying on this dress (previous review here). I actually really like it...it's VERY comfortable and well-made. The material is very soft and the zipper front is superb. I love the military look and the new colors are awesome! I cannot convince myself fully that I should ever own this dress, however. I already own a Mary Shirtdress and even though I like the navy, it reminds me too much of the Refined Cord that I also already own. We'll see how reasonable I am come sale time. I recommend the dress, highly!

Garden Party Dress $168 Isabella Sinclair

Hm.*** Okay. This is not something I would normally be drawn to, but it is cute. The silk is very soft and the pattern is all kinds of gorgeous. I can't see myself personally ever wearing this as it takes away any hint of shape I may have. Being such a little gal, it doesn't help if I look like I'm wearing a potato sack - even it's a super gorgeous, soft, flowy potato sack. It's very pretty, just not for me. Pass.

Emerging Leaves Dress $138 Weston Wear

I feel like Weston Wear has been hitting it out of the park lately. This dress called to me on the hanger and it's just adorable on! If you are a small-chested girl, you will love this dress. It is, however, very snug on the top. The girls were very pressed in and I'm a 34B. How cute it is, overrides how I feel about the bodice. You may want to also line this with a tank or a chemise, because not only is the bodice tight, it's VERY low cut.  My husband would enjoy this feature, but maybe not so much for the office. Having said all that, I really like this dress. I can see myself wearing it to death in summertime and with a cardi and boots in fall. It's not the kind of dress I *need* (which is a dumb thing to say, b/c I don't really *need* ANY more dresses), but I would pick it up if I had extra funds on me come sale time. Wishlisted, hard!

So...I also ended up trying on a few more sale items, but I took home one very special item with most of my merchandise credit...wait for it...

SCORE. Most impractical, non-warm, stunning coat ever. I can't figure out for the life of me, WHY this coat is not warm at all. I mean, would it be a stretch to line it with some down or something? Especially at this price point...but it's so stunning, I took it home anyway. I won't be able to wear it anytime soon (I'm thinking there's a 40º minimum on this baby), but the Karelia "Coat" is in the house!!

I have about $60 left on my credit, which I am saving toward the sale price of the Laced With Grace Dress when it goes on sale. I am OBSESSED with owning this pretty...come on, sale!!!!

Happy Saturday, Ladies! I'm off to work!

Skirt Reviews & The Mary Shirtdress

I've been a bad blogger...but I'm back. I have been holding on to some reviews for a while, but here they are! Skirts for your anthrophilic enjoyment!

Collecting Starlight Skirt $188 Gryphon

First of all, the photos (both mine and the ones available on the website) do NOT do this skirt justice. I walked by it in the store and it stopped me in my tracks. It's all kinds of gorgeous and sparkly. it's a mini-skirt length, but on me, it fits the way a normal skirt should, which is okay with me.  This is the xs and it's very well-fitting and comfortable. I really cannot say enough good things about this little skirt, which is definitely a showstopper. This, however is an almost $200 skirt, so it's a splurge for sure, but is perfect for that fancy holiday party you might be attending. If you have no occasion to wear this little number, wait for the sale. At that price point, I can't imagine there would be none left at sale time.

Jacquard Missive Skirt $158 Eva Franco

It's the Aniseed Skirt's fancy pants cousin. This skirt isn't something I'd normally gravitate to, but since I missed trying the Aniseed Skirt, I thought I'd see how it fit. I thought it was all kinds of cute. With some heels and a cute top, this could easily be your next holiday party outfit staple. It's a shiny, silky polyester (I know...really?), but it feels high quality. I think it's worth the splurge as it has massive cuteness going for it.

Wooded Hideaway Skirt $148 Corey Lynn Calter

I loved the little cute woodland pattern on this skirt and the silk is very soft and flows nicely. I just can't figure out if it's supposed to be a mini or not. I would prefer that the length be a little shorter, but I still like it. At $148, it's a little pricey for me, but I would pick it up on sale if it got a second cut perhaps.

And here was Tuesday's OOTD the Mary Shirtdress which they must have ten million of or no one else likes but me, because it's still available in nearly every size and colorway (including petites). I happen to really like this little dress though! Maybe it'll get a second cut and I'll get a PA? A girl can dream..

That's it, ladies! I'll be heading to Anthro tomorrow so I look forward to trying some more new arrivals for you. Any requests?

Happy Thursday everyone!

Surprise Sale & Dress Reviews!

Good afternoon, Ladies! Wow, Anthro threw us for a loop today with their sale, didn't they? I was quite tickled to discover that the Mary Shirtdress, which I think has been out for 5 minutes got marked down today. I was heartbroken with the D'armee Dress which didn't fit me, but when the Mary Shirtdress showed up online, I was smitten. I was planning on just reviewing it today, but I took it home as well! I'll review it in this set.

I headed over to the Boston Anthropologie this morning and had a fantastic time. The lovely and fabulous Jeanne Mooney who is their resident personal shopper is always a pleasure to work with and has a great sense of style. I grabbed a BILLION things to try on...so I'll be dividing my reviews into sets. I'm going to start with my favorite things...DRESSES!!

Sewing Circle Dress: $168 Floreat

I have liked this dress since it appeared online and I was glad to see it in the store today. I happen to find it just darling and well-fitting, even though reviews online seem lukewarm. All of the dresses in store had the straps already on, but I think it's super cute as a strapless dress and it's tight enough in the bodice that I am not worried about it slipping down. It's very poufy in the skirt, but that is something I actually really like. The blue embroidery on green is really sweet. Worth the $168 to me, but I think you would definitely be able to pick it up on sale. I find it to be a really sweet little dress, Well done, Floreat.

Peggy Sue Dress $168 Girls from Savoy

Oh MY. It was everything I could do NOT to walk out of the store with this beauty. The Spinning Lace Dress is sold out in my size online, but...HELLO, LOVER! I heart this in a major way! The navy color was scrumptious and the length was just right. There was just the right amount of pouf in the skirt and the bodice fit nice and snugly. The chiffon straps were a touch long, but I did not care because they did not move. I need this dress, but I have nowhere to go in it as it seems dressy. If you are in Boston, can you invite me to a fancy party or a wedding? I'm there and I'm there in this dress. AMAZING. Worth full price.

The Florist's Arrangement Sweaterdress was  $168 now $79.95 Moth

 

This is such a sweet little sweater dress. It was soft all over and the knitted floral details on the shoulder are darling. I wanted to love this dress on me, but I think I am a little too petite for it. It's 40" long, which for me is about 4 inches too long. It's not bad, but it's not great either. Plus, if I were to spill something on it, I would be devastated. The one I tried on was in perfect condition, but there has been some buzz online about the quality and some have found it was prone to snag and unraveling. I still think it's a sweet dress and would look great on the right person. It's on sale now, but something tells me to tell ladies to wait for a second cut if you like it.

Mystery Maple Dress (forgot to look at the tag for price point, sorry!)

I've got two words for this dress: HOT MESS. I apologize for ripping into this dress, but first off...there is no zipper on it. It's a wrap dress held on by like ten thousand hook and eye closures. The skirt seems to be okay, but the bodice is a disaster. This was the 0, but it feels like a 4. The dress also probably weighs about 2lbs for some reason. It was a lovely material and felt a very high quality, but I'm not sure what else to say. It makes me question whether or not it IS in fact, a dress. The polka dots are cute. Pass. Not even on sale. See it on Roxy.

Silver Cloud Dress (was $188 now $89.95)  Mise En Scene by Ruffian

Aw. This could have been amazing if it was like 7" shorter. It's a shift dress, but it's truly not flattering, especially if you are are not curvy like me. It could have been a really fun party dress, but unfortunately, I think it's flawed in its fit. Maybe if this gets a second cut, it may be worth it to get it hemmed to a better length or something...if you have somewhere to go in it. At $90 now, I think if you really like this, wait it out for a second cut.

Mary Shirtdress (was $128 now $59.95) Maeve

After my disappointment in the D'armee Dress, I had some hope that this dress would work well for me. It was even sweeter that it hit sale much sooner than I expected! I love the military inspired look of this dress. The photos do not do it justice. The 3/4 sleeves are nice and the pockets are adorable. There is a petite length available, but I saw nothing wrong with the regular 0 here. I actually LOVE the back of the dress more than I do the front. It's a perfect fit and I plan to wear it ASAP. At $60, why NOT?

There you have it! I have lots more in the pipeline for some posts later in the week. Including my review of the much-coveted Solistice Festival Cardigan!

Did anyone score anything awesome from the sale today? Seems to be undercover so there's lots left in stock! Happy Hump Day everyone!