ABD(inner)

Well, I am back on the train after a super fun trip to DC. More on that later. In the meantime, I am almost caught up on blogging (mostly because I have been a picture taking delinquent, but so it goes sometimes), and we are finally experiencing winter here in the Northeast. So, welcome to my winter wardrobe, such as it is.

If you have been reading along, you know that I passed my last comp in November, right before Thanksgiving, and have since been mostly procrastinating on working on my prospectus. However, when I passed, my parents generous asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate, and I told them I wanted to go to Basil for dinner.

Basil, located in Crown Heights, is a high end brick oven pizza restaurant. The vision was to create a place where the food was good and interesting enough that non-kosher keepers would want to eat there, but still be kosher. The blending of the different demographics in Crown Heights, you might say-- hipsters and hasids. I've wanted to go for a long time, but never made it, so we took this as an opportunity.

Here are some things to know:

1. They don't take reservations and it can get very crowded, especially on a Saturday night and especially if you go with a big group. Plan accordingly. (We got there before they opened, so we were seated right away.)

2. They make their own cheese. Everything we ate was awesome. And my soup came in a squash. It was both beautiful and incredibly tasty.

3. It is not cheap, to put it very mildly. Be sure to bring your armored car. (Or your parents. Thanks parents! It was delicious.)

The Skirt.

 4. There's kosher funnel cake. Enough said.

Because we left right after Shabbat, I was still in my Shabbat clothes. I love this skirt and its 1950s feel. I've also been sort of into yellow lately. It's not really my color, but it works great as a bottom because you don't see how bad it looks against my skin tone. Also, the skirt is warm, pleated and has pockets. Check! The only problem was that I sort of regretted its fitted high waist when I ate all that pizza. Next time, sweatpants for everyone! I mean, not really. But sort of. I wasn't sure about tucking in the sweater, but it was cold and I think it worked okay in the end. I added the pendant I got in Nepal to break up the black a bit. There you have it.

Coming attractions: a trip to the Nutcracker, and TWO trips to the White House. Yup, I am that cool. Or at least, my friend Cindy is.

What I'm wearing: GAP sweater (similar here), Eshakti skirt (sold out), HUE tights, Matisse boots (similar here), necklace and bracelet from Nepal

A Day at the Circus!

As I have mentioned previously, my family has many holiday traditions. I love them all, but my favorite one of all might be the Big Apple Circus. The circus travels around and comes to New York at Lincoln Center every year from late October until the middle of January (so if you haven't gone yet, you have another week! Don't miss your chance!) It's really a highlight of my year.

For many years, we went on Christmas day. They would always wish us a Merry Christmas, which I thought was funny because the audience was always filled with Jews. This year, we went on the Sunday after Thanksgiving due to people's busy schedules, capping off the weekend's many events.

There are probably other circuses that are more over the top and grand, but I can't imagine loving any one more than this one. The show changes every year. The clowns are neither obnoxious nor scary, and the tricks seem more and more extraordinary every year. (See a few examples towards the end of the post.) I've probably been 25 times, and I've only ever missed one year. Many years ago, we started going with our best family friends, and now we all sit together. A few years ago, we brought Simon for the first time, welcoming in the third generation, and this year Leo got to come too.

He was enthralled. And happy that we let him eat popcorn and cotton candy. And that my mom bought him a toy. What's not to like?

Toys and junk food. Happy children.

There's only one ring, which I like much better, because then it's easier to know where to look. There are cute puppies and horses, which I sometimes find sort of boring, but they are pretty. I always love the acrobats and aerialists, two examples of which you can see below. It's an amazing reminder of the strength of the human body, even though I would never be able to do what they're doing in a million years. In solidarity with their crazy feats, I wore a neon pink skirt. If you can't do it, might as well look the part, right?

After the circus, as is customary, we went back to my parents' house, made a fire, and ate lots of cheese and other delicious things. We also celebrated Maddie's birthday. She's only one now, but we can't wait for her to join in with us in just a few years!

What I'm wearing: Boden kilt (this year's model on sale here), GAP long sleeved shirt, GAP Factory cardigan (similar here), HUE tights, Born boots, scarf from Nepal

Coatless Caroling

Here, dear readers, is something you might not know about me. Despite the fact that, I think we can all agree, I am SUPER Jewish, I also have a great love of Christmas. The trees, the lights, the music, the way everything slows down and people are a little nicer than usual-- it may very well actually be the most wonderful time of the year.

One of the things I love is a good Christmas carol. I don't sing the ones with a lot of religious overtones because those feel a little uncomfortable to me (although I do enjoy listening to them since they are so beautiful), but enough of them are ecumenical that I get to sing along. So when I heard that Gramercy Park, one of the snottiest places in the city, opens its gates for an hour once a year for caroling, Sarah and I decided to go.

Here's what I have to say about Gramercy Park: not much. It's a park. It's not very interesting. Their trees was pretty, but I was less than impressed when the caroling ending and they basically told us to get out. Oh well.

Here's what I have to say about the caroling: It was fun! The spirit was good, the crowd mixed, and the band and choir pretty good. I liked that they gave us song sheets and encouraged us to sing along. Plus, as you can see, I was wearing no tights and no coat because even though it was Christmas Eve, it was in the 60s. So it was nice to be outside, if also disconcerting and vaguely terrifying if I thought too much about it. Instead, I focused on White Christmas, which is one of my favorites. Those Jews sure know how to write good carols.

I ended up walking home, which was a little insane because it's about five miles, but I wanted to see the store windows and it was a lovely evening. Here are some of the sights I saw along the way, including a red and green Empire State Building and windows from Macy's, Lord and Taylor, and Saks. The streets were full of tourists, Christmas spirit, and people eating ice cream. Because nothing says Christmas like ice cream, right?

That's it for the blog for 2015. Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2016 is everything you want it to be and more. See you back here next year!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (very old, similar here), Downeast Basics blouse (similar here), GAP Factory cardigan (similar here), Sperry for J. Crew boat shoes (similar here)

Thankful! Part 1

A very balmy December 24th to one and all. If I can, I'll take some blog pictures later, so you can see how I am not wearing tights despite the fact that it is supposedly winter. Weird stuff, man.

So let's have a Throwback Thursday to Thanksgiving week, when it was actually at least semi cold out. My family is many Thanksgiving traditions, beginning with the night before, and extending through Sunday. These pictures were taken at our annual pizza, ice cream and beer celebration. If you ask me, beer is gross. But I do love pizza and ice cream, so it's all good.

This tradition began many moons ago. My parents live right next to where they blow up the balloons for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which means that getting up and down their street is a giant nightmare. Because of this, leaving the house was always a challenge, so we would hole up at home and order in instead (a challenge in its own right.) This tradition no longer makes a tremendous amount of sense, as everyone but my parents now live in Manhattan but away from the parade, but we are very zealous in the protecting of our traditions, and so it lives on.

I liked this outfit because it had a lot of different elements going on (stripes, dots, zippers and buckles), but because were all in the same color scheme, they came together nicely. Also, this dress is one of my sweatpants dresses (looks like a dress, feels like sweatpants), which makes it perfect for eating lots of pizza and ice cream.

And here, just for fun, is a picture of Maddie in a turkey headband. Because she and her brothers are high on the list of things and people I am thankful for every day.

To all of my Christian readers, I hope you have a very merry Christmas. And everyone else, enjoy your movies and Chinese food.

What I'm wearing: Boden dress, GAP Factory cardigan (similar here), HUE tights, Born boots (similar here), Old Navy scarf (similar here)

Fall/ Winter Bucket List: A Day at the High Bridge

Ironically, these pictures are from October. Ironic because I look like I'm dressed for December, whereas I have not had to put a hat on since then, even though it's now actually December.

Anyway. Cold weather aside, one Sunday afternoon, Talia, Talya and I set out for the High Bridge. (They are not pictured because they never signed their release form. By which I mean I promised not to put them on the blog without their permission, which they never gave me.)

For those of you not familiar with what the High Bridge is-- it's the oldest standing bridge in New York City! Many years ago, the High Bridge was a main connector, allowing people to walk from the Bronx to Manhattan and back. Then, for many years, it was closed and left to decay. But after a renovation, it's now back and really beautiful. There's a park on the Manhattan side, including many outdoor sculptures. Hence the picture above.

 After spending a little bit of time exploring the park, we wandered over the bridge itself. It was described to me as a less crowded High Line. That wasn't completely accurate; it lacks the urban agricultural feel and flowers that you have at the High Line. However, it is also very beautiful, and definitely less crowded. It has been beautifully restored, and there are plaques on the ground which tell the history of the bridge, its surrounding area, and the different ways water has been transported into the city. I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

The view from the bridge.

 Let's talk a bit about my outfit, and then I will leave you some more pretty pictures. I wanted to dress in layers because of the freakishly cold weather. I went with my transitional seasons coat, which I believe I bought at Filene's Basement back when that was a thing, which tells you how old it is. It has held up very well. But because my coat and skirt were both black, I also wanted to add some color. The solution? Colored tights, a patterned scarf, and a sparkly hat. I am super into this hat. It's not itchy and warm but not too warm. It's sparkly, but not obnoxiously so. What else could a girl want?

What I'm wearing: Guess coat (similar here), NY and Company skirt, Hue tights, Born boots (similar here), GAP scarf (similar here), hat bought at a random stand in Israel (similar here)

Missing: My Work Ethic

The good news: I'm ABD!!! ABD= all but dissertation. This means different things in different programs, but in my program, once you pass your last comprehensive exam, you are considered ABD. I also know have a Masters of Philosophy in Rabbinic Literature. Doesn't that sound fancy?

The bad news: Since becoming a Master, I have completely misplaced my work ethic. It's probably partly burn-out (taking seven comps will do that to you), and also because I don't really know what to do now. How exactly does one begin researching a dissertation? I have no idea. Many kind people have given me tips, which are extremely helpful, except that sometimes they contradict each other. Hopefully soon I will get over this block and start on the prospectus. And in the meantime, procrastinators of the world unite!

In other news, I love this dress because it is basically a nightgown that is fancy enough to wear outside. Pockets, softness, and polka dots. What else could a girl want? I wore it with my booties, since it's not cold enough to need knee high boots yet. Even though it's December. Go figure. I added a scarf for extra warmth (if my neck is cold, then I am cold), but modeled it both ways for you because that's how I roll.

What I'm wearing: Reborn dress via Zulily (similar here), Hue tights, G by Guess booties via TJ Maxx (similar here), GAP scarf (similar here)

Summer Bucket List, DC Edition: Outside Movie!

As I mentioned earlier this week, I hit the road last weekend for a long weekend in DC. After a VERY delayed train ride (50% more time on the train!), I went straight from Union Station to meet my friend Elana in the park for an outdoor showing of Pitch Perfect.

If you are a loyal reader, you know that I looooove Pitch Perfect. So this was very exciting for me.

Also exciting for me: this shirt. The outfit didn't photograph so well. I feel like the pic isn't super flattering, but it actually looked very cute, especially before I ran through lots of heat to catch a train and then sat on said train in it for more than 5 hours. It's a really pretty dusty pink color, I love the pintuck detail, and I am very into popovers. I have found that a shirt like this is best worn with pants, and I like the navy and pink combo.

In the meantime, Elana said, "I'll wear a cute outfit in case I'm on the blog!" So here you are, Elana! Welcome to the blog.

Free popcorn! Hurrah!

The screen was inflatable, which is so cool.

It was a beautiful evening, other than a little rain, and always super fun to hang out with Elana. We realized we've actually been friends for 25 years (eek!) and have had many adventures together over the years. Here's to many more!

The Bellas win!

 In other news, my August Stitch Fix is apparently coming today, so a review is coming your way soon. Have a great weekend!

What I'm wearing: GAP Factory shirt (similar here), GAP khakis, Downeast Basics cami

Summer Bucket List: Take Me Out to the Ball Game #1

I am now officially halfway done with the bucket list! I am so successful at having fun, guys!

I'm behind on the blog a bit, so I haven't written about all 12 things yet, but consider this the next step. Two weeks ago, I went with a bunch of friends to see the Brooklyn Cyclones.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Cyclones, they are a class-A short season farm team for the Mets. So as far as baseball goes... well, they're not the best. In this particular instance, they had more errors than runs. And it wasn't because there was a shut-out.

However, there's something really fun about minor league baseball. First, the tickets are way cheap, and there aren't really any bad seats, so that's cool. Second, because the baseball isn't great, they do all sorts of ridiculous and kitschy things between innings which are just hilarious to keep people entertained. Third, the stadium is really nice in this case, with a view of the Coney Island amusement park and the beach. And finally, you don't really care who wins, so there's none of the stress that fans sometimes feel at Major League games.

When the Cyclones first started playing, all of their games would sell out, because it was the first professional baseball in Brooklyn since the Dodgers had left in the 1950s. (Hence the Jackie Robinson and PeeWee Reese statue behind me.) Now, the stadium is much emptier, but it means you can choose to go on an impulse. Other bright side: kosher food! Yes, it's not cheap, but it's not any more expensive than other stadium food, and I love it when I can feel like a normal person and eat at public events.

When going to a baseball game, it is important to be dressed for the occasion, and for the sun and heat. So baseball caps and comfortable shoes are a must. And meanwhile, I got to wear my super fun Parks and Rec t-shirt! If you don't get the reference, then you should stop reading and go learn about the wonder that is Leslie Knope immediately. No, but really.

This is where the mascot flirted with me and I got
sort of freaked out. Awks.

And coming soon: my trip to the Staten Island Yankees. So much minor league baseball, so little time.

Have you experienced the fun of minor league baseball? What do you do for summer fun on the weekend?

What I'm wearing: GAP khakis, Look Human Little Sebastian shirt, Chacos sandals, '47 Yankees hat

Summer Bucket List: Outside Music, AKA Philharmonic in the Park

When I was a kid, my mom used to take us to concerts at Lincoln Center on Saturday afternoons. They were called the Young People's Concerts (although my sister Sarah resolutely insisted on called them the Dumb People's Concerts) and they were meant to introduce kids to classical music at young age so that they would grow up with an appreciation for it.

Sorry you can't see the whole skirt, but it was a crazy mob scene and there was nowhere else for me to move in order to get a fuller picts. You get the idea-- it's a maxi skirt, the print goes down to the ground. 

It's hard to say whether the concerts did their job or not, but I certainly find that there are days when I prefer classical music, so I guess they were at least somewhat successful. In honor of my appreciation of such things, and in my desire to keep on keeping on with the summer bucket list, I joined my parents for Philharmonic in the park on Wednesday night.

See, crazy mob scene.

Philharmonic in the Park is an old New York tradition, and this year, in honor of its 50th anniversary, they're doing five concerts (one in each of the boroughs other than Staten Island, and two in Manhattan. Sorry Staten Island.) They tend to play old favorites that the crowd will recognize, and people bring picnics and it's great fun all around. Unfortunately, this year, it rained on and off, so they ended up cutting a lot of the set, including Gershwin, which is one of my favorites, and Appalachian Spring, which is my dad's all time favorite. So it was sort of a bust for the music, although the suite from West Side Story was great. And it's nice to just sit outside and listen to music. Even when you end up looking like this:

Yup, that's my dad. He finally appears on the blog!
In honor of Father's Day. 

And at the end-- fireworks!

 When dressing for something like Philharmonic in the Park, it's important to remember that it gets colder at night. It was already a little cool out on Wednesday, so I made sure to dress in layers, including a jacket and a scarf. I also went with a maxi skirt, which kept my legs covered and warm, and also is (in my opinion) more comfortable for things like ground sitting than jeans, because it's less constricting. Sorry there's not a better picture of the skirt, but you can see the whole thing here. The summer fun continues!

What I'm wearing: Papermoon maxi skirt via Stitch Fix (similar here), Tahari 3/4 sleeve shirt (similar here), GAP Factory jean jacket (similar here), Naot sandals