I'm Baaaaaack! And a Baptism.

Oh hello there! Remember me?

I know, you thought I was never coming back. But here I am! By popular request. (No, really. Thanks to those of you who cared enough to ask me to resurrect the blog. This is for you.)

Anyway. It is not springtime, at least sort of, although May in New York has felt like more like March, and I'm currently in Israel where it was 106 degrees two days ago. So maybe more in theory than in practice.

The reason I mention this is to explain the pictures below, where I am wearing tights, despite the fact that it is May, thus going against everything I believe in.

On Mother's Day, my cousins Paul and Stephanie celebrated the baptism of their twin daughters, Alina and Malia (who have been on the blog before, as seen here.) The girls, who are identical twins, came home from the hospital exactly one year prior, so it was so nice to be able to celebrate that occasion. Also, my Uncle David and Aunt Champa (the babies' grandparents, of Nepal fame) are going back into the Peace Corp, this time to Moldova, so this was the last family gathering for a couple of years, sadly.

This was actually my first baptism (maybe not surprisingly), but the priest did a great job explaining each step of the way so us newbies could follow along. Yes, we are a very diverse family. Everyone got into it, including Leo, who I had to stop from crossing himself when the Priest explained how, and Maddie, who can be seen below reading her hymnal very carefully.

Here's the beautiful immediate family:

And our extended family. It's hard to get a picture where everyone looks good at once, so this wasn't Simon's best shot, but there we all were together.

I had gotten the perfect baptism-appropriate dress in my last Stitch Fix, but when I woke up that morning it was freezing and raining, and I didn't want to be cold all day. So instead I went with this dress I got from Boden a few months ago, which I like a lot despite the fact that wearing horizontal stripes can be controversial. What can I say, I live dangerously. I paired it with black tights and booties, and a black cropped cardigan, which maybe wasn't the most springy look, but was ridiculously weather appropriate even though it was May. The beautiful flowered dress will have to wait for better weather. Stay tuned.

What I'm wearing: Boden dress, Boden cardigan, Hue tights, Crown Vintage booties via DSW

Purple Polka Dot Explosion!

Dear readers, I'm a professor now! It is super fun. If my students are having half as much fun as me, then we are all in good shape.

Part of being a professor means dressing like a grown up. Mostly, this is fine. However, sometimes, you just want to wear your neon purple sweater that has silver polka dots. That's what Sundays are for!

I heart this sweater. I ordered it to hit a free shipping minimum (isn't that how it always happens?) and then this ended up being the only thing I kept. Serendipity, I say.

Shaina took these pictures. Baby Pickle was there too. Here I am discussing important things with him. As an aside, he liked my sweater too.

Purple, polka dots and sparkles. Making everything better since forever. Happy Sunday!

What I'm wearing: NY and Co. sweater, Style and Co skirt (sold out), HUE tights, Diba boots via DSW, GAP long sleeved shirt, scarf from Nepal

Thankful! Part 2

Your two favorite fashionistas are back! Rachel and Madline Rose, all dressed up for Thanksgiving.

I love Thanksgiving. It's the best holiday. It's like Yom Tov without all of the rules. The whole city quiets down, we spend time with the family, and there are mashed potatoes. What else could a person want?

Okay, that picture is not the most flattering. Even a little. But it's actually a great dress, so here it is at a weird angle, and another time I'll wear it again and we'll try again. It's a little big on me, so I took off the fabric belt and added a more structured one to make the top more blousy. It actually worked, this picture aside.

Maddie, meanwhile, was wearing her fancy dress that my mom bought her, and these fun striped tights. She looks like a pilgrim, but that was not intentional. And by the end of the night, it was covered in cranberry sauce. I think it's safe to say she's a fan of Thanksgiving now too.

I, meanwhile, am still feeling very thankful, even though Thanksgiving is long over. I am finished grading for the semester (yay!), have many fun things on the horizon, and (I think?) I might have a dissertation topic for real this time. Still to come, Rachel's holiday season adventures!

Also, in clothing related things to feel thankful for, Boden is having a MAJOR sale. So if you want to stock up on things up to 70% off, now's your moment.

What I'm wearing: Charter Club dress (similar here), HUE tights, Lucky Brand booties (similar here), GAP Factory cardigan (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)

Happy Birthday Maddie!

I have one more Nepal post to go, but I couldn't let this illustrious day pass unmentioned... You see, today, December 1st, is Madeline Rose's first birthday! Happy birthday Maddie! So in her honor, here are some (already pretty old pictures) taken with my favorite niece.

These pictures were taken at Shaina and Avi's baby's bris. Brises = ritual surgery, and therefore not the best. However, we were all happy that Pickle finally got a name that wasn't related to a vegetable, and luckily Maddie is a baby and so she had no idea what was happening.

She was very happy after, when there was melon. Sometimes in life, it's the little things. (I happen to be allergic to melon, but I'm glad that others can enjoy it.) Maddie looks annoyed in this picture because she was thinking, "Why are you taking my picture when I am trying to eat my cantaloupe in peace?" But she came around later on:

Some notes on my outfit: colored tights! Hurrah! A post on tights will be coming soon, per Rebecca's request. But in the meantime, when it's cold enough for tights but warm enough to not wear knee high boots, a pop of color with tights and a scarf can jazz up an otherwise not-super-interesting outfit. I wasn't sure how this one would turn out, but I was happy with it in the end.  Who doesn't like a little turquoise?

So back to our main point, happy birthday to Maddie! You have made us so happy for the last year that we can't wait for all of the many years to come. And we are very impressed with your ability to consume cake. Keep it up. We love you!

What I'm wearing: Ina skirt via Purdy Girl, Kosher Casual shirt, Hue tights, G by Guess booties via TJ Maxx (similar here), infinity scarf via DSW (similar here)

A Leopard Print Fanny Pack and a Shabbat Kallah

No, not my leopard print fanny pack. Don't you know me at all???

By now, you all know about Sarit, as I write about her all the time. The reason I write about her all the time is because she is the best. Well, luckily for everyone, her fiance Abe had the common sense to recognize her best-ness, and they are getting married on Sunday!

I'm not much for wedding-related events. I like weddings, but bachelorette parties are not my speed and showers are boring. However, the one tradition I really love is a Jewish one, called a Shabbat Kallah. The Shabbat Kallah takes place before the wedding-- sometimes right before, sometimes a few weeks before-- and is a chance for the bride's friends and family to gather to tell stories and offer blessings to the bride as she gets ready to embark on the next phase of her life. And eat a lot of cake, because really, why not.

I threw Sarit a Shabbat Kallah a few weeks ago. We don't have any pictures from the event itself, as we don't take pictures on Shabbat, but once Shabbat was over, we took a couple. And here they are!

The first time I ever met Sarit, she was very very ill and I was trying not to catch her germs. The second time, we were on our way to Mexico with American Jewish World Service, and she was wearing a leopard print fanny pack. Or should I say, rocking it. Because that's the thing about Sarit. She is fully who she is, and owns it all the time. Even when it involves fanny packs. So in honor of this great occasion, she broke it out again, as you can see below. (There was also a purple feathered crown, but that had sadly been taken off by this point.)

I always find the seasonal transition a little challenging in terms of what to wear. If it's too hot to wear boots but too cold to not wear tights, I sometimes have trouble figuring out which shoes would make sense. These are my first pair of booties. You can't see them so well in the picture, I now realize, but they look sort of like a low boot type of oxfords. A little funny looking, but I am very into them and you will definitely be seeing them again soon.

Obviously there will be a post about Sarit's wedding, if only because the dress I am wearing is awesome. But in the meantime, let me take this chance to say, here's to one of the best people I know, who is one of the best friends I have. Yay and mazel tov to Sarit and Abe!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (old, similar here), Charter Club cardigan, Kosher Casual shell, Lucky Brand booties (this season's version here), Hue tights