The Time I Accidentally Walked to Brooklyn (and Back)

Guys, thanks for all of your kind responses on my last post. It's nice to have all of you on my team! Sarah and I are running the Bronx 10 Miler on Sunday morning, so please cheer from us from your beds, which is where normal people (without children) are on Sunday mornings.

One of the new things that happened this summer is that I kept finding myself in Brooklyn. What's that about? Honestly, I am usually one of those obnoxious Manhattanites who complains about how far away Brooklyn is from everything. But that's mostly because usually I would go on the weekend, when subways are all wonky and it takes forever. But in the summer, when I have more time, I discovered that Brooklyn is not actually so far away! (I know, I know. No need to say anything. At least I admit to my obnoxiousness.)

And I discovered all of this partly when, purely by accident, I ended up walking from my apartment on the Upper West Side to Brooklyn one Sunday.

What??? You say. That's crazy! And yes, it was a little, mostly because I wasn't wearing sneakers, which meant my feet really hurt at the end of the day. My Naot are comfortable, but not that comfortable. But I did it!

Here is what happened. I made plans with my friend Samantha to walk across the Manhattan Bridge. However, I had a few other plans over the course of the day, each of which found me walking progressively further south, rather than getting on the subway, because I am cheap and don't have an unlimited ride Metrocard, which means that I sometimes do crazy things like walk to Brooklyn. By the time I reached the west 20s, it became clear that the easiest way to meet Samantha was to just keep walking. So I did. And then we walked across the bridge, and then decided to walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge. (Don't worry, then we went straight to the subway.) I didn't smell great by the end, honestly. But man, those bridges are gorgeous.

See?

And now, time to go back to work. The prospectus might be sort of almost ready to go to my committee! And also, today is a VERY big day. But I'm not telling why yet. Want to know more? Come back next time!

Introducing... SBL2.0!

I learned a lesson from the last blog post. If you say "Big News!" in the title, you will get a lot of traffic. Hyperbole= good, apparently. Lesson learned.

So... big news! It's Bucket List time! My fall/ winter bucket list, similar to my winter blogging, was not super successful. But now it's summer and so it's time for fun. We are calling this SBL2.0, which is not to be confused with the Society for Biblical Literature, which has the same acronym. If you look, you will see some favorites from last summer, as well as a host of new activities.

I kicked off this year's list with Shaina (and Noam!) by waiting in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets, to see Taming of the Shrew. I'll write more about the show when I show you my outfit from that, but in the meantime, this is one of my favorite quintessentially New York experiences. We went the second day, which meant that we got there at 10 and still were very close to the front. When it comes to Shakespeare in the Park, the earlier in the run you go, the later you can get in line. Important lessons from Real New Yorkers.

We didn't plan so well so ended up chairless and towel-less. However, I had been smart enough to wear one of my favorite dresses, which looks like a dress but feels like a nightgown. Pajamas on the inside, proper outside clothing on the outside is the best.

The Line.

 It turned out fine in the end, when we improvised with one of Noam's baby blankets. Thanks Noam! He had a great time waiting, which he mostly spent playing with a package of wipes. Babies are weird. But he was a good sport, even though he didn't get tickets. (They used to give babies tickets, but now you have to be at least five. Bummer.)

As the line started moving, we were serenaded by this doo-wop group, which was actually really good. I would have even given them money if I hadn't forgotten my wallet at home. Oops! Good thing tickets were free.

I'm feeling good about this bucket list. It's only June 9th and I've already done 3 things, with two more (so far) scheduled for the next 10 days. Want to know which ones? Come back and keep reading! And let me know-- what's on your summer bucket list???

What I'm wearing: Downeast Basics dress (similar here), Downeast Basics camisole, b.o.c. sandals (similar here)

Big News!!

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend, wet as it was here in New York.

Work started last week for the summer, so I am teaching and happy as a clam. (I'm not sure what makes clams happy, but okay.) Unfortunately, this has meant that I have lost all motivation to work on my prospectus, which now just sits open on my computer staring at me forlornly as I desperately do anything else and try to pretend I don't see it.

Right after I got back from Israel, NY had a crazy heat wave. Not quite the 106 degrees I had there, but here we have humidity, which is basically the devil. These pics were taken the day I got back, before it got bad, so you can see both my sunburn and the fact that I did not sweat through my clothing at all! Good for me. Shaina and I went for a walk, so we snapped some pics in front of this garden on Riverside Drive. As you can see, this is not the most interesting thing I've ever worn, but I liked the contrast of the different patterns and blues with the dress and shoes.

And look at my cute new bag! Purchased after much dithering at DSW. So far it is giving me much joy. Hurrah for a brightly patterned purse.

As the title says, I have big news! Yesterday, I signed up for a half marathon. Eek! It's the Staten Island half, on October 9th. The end is at home plate in the stadium where the Staten Island Yankees play, which sounded fun to me. Now, you might have followed my various sisterly forays into 5ks (which I apparently have not blogged about) and 10ks, but this a whole other beast. The 10k has been a distance I can run most days now, so I decided it was time for a new challenge, but I'm sort of scared because running 13.1 miles is, objectively speaking, totally bonkers.

The plan as of right now, in order to keep me blogging and training, is to write periodically about the process. I imagine those posts will also include some of my thoughts about body image, my various iterations of getting my body healthier, and also what it means to think about modesty when you don't always feel amazing about your body. But don't worry, the cute outfits will keep coming too.

I'm hoping you all will cheer for me along the way. Also, I'm writing about this so you can keep me accountable. Plus, if you live nearby and want to help me train, I'm always looking for running buddies! Also looking for your favorite songs to get you amped up and ready to go. Please leave suggestions in the comments!

Current countdown: 4 months and 3 days to go. (Yes, that is a long time. Yes, I know I don't need to train yet. But I've always been an overachiever, so why should this be different?)

What I'm wearing: Charter Club dress via Macys (similar here), Kosher Casual shell, Toms shoes (similar here), Fossil bag via DSW

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

February 2016 Stitch Fix Review: I'm in Love...

Friends, thank you for waiting so patiently for my latest Stitch Fix review. I know I skipped January-- it came right before I went to DC and I didn't have time to take pics before I sent it back. It's sad, as it was a really good one, even though I ultimately only kept one thing. (Which I have since worn three times a week.) But we must chug along, so be it.

The good news is... this Fix was awesome! Alison has really been killing it lately, and this box just raised the bar even higher. Thanks Alison! (For a review of how Stitch Fix works, see my earlier post here.) I had a fashion show during the Super Bowl with my friends Jenn and Doron, because there's only so long that you can watch people give each other brain damage before you need a new activity.

My styling card: look at all the colors!!

 I loved the whole box and had to exercise some self control to not keep everything. (How that happened will come later.) Luckily, the combo of a gift certificate and referral credit meant that I had $125 to work with, so there was some flexibility. Because of that, the whole box would have cost $115 after the discount, credits, and styling fee. Let's get to it, shall we?

Colorblock Verbena Sequin Detail Blouse in red-- $68

According to Alison, I pinned this blouse. I don't remember, but that seems like something I would do. I loved the sequined detail, and how it is not overpowering but so pretty. I also really liked the color, which was an orange-y red, which is not something I have a lot of in my wardrobe. It seemed classy but also sparkly, which is a good combo. I was sure I was going to keep it when I tried it on the first time, but when I modeled it for my friend Jenn, we both agreed that it was good but not great. It was a little short in the torso and I couldn't quite figure out when I would wear it. For the price, since I wasn't keeping everything, it needed to leave me. Good bye, beautiful blouse. May you find a good home with a shorter torso'ed friend.
Status: Returned

Ezra Cuballa Embroidery Knit Top in navy-- $58

This I did pin. That's because I am in love with it. First of all, I love that the back fabric is different than the front. Second, it's SUPER soft. Third, I love the embroidery detail very much. The only weird thing about it is that it's short on the sides, but my friend Rachel theorized that it's supposed to be that way. So I will wear a tank top underneath and feel happy forever.

Status: Kept!

Gilli Jodie Textured Skirt in navy (although I swear it's black)-- $58

This was my favorite. I have been searching for basically this exact skirt for MONTHS. Thin stripes, knee length, pleats, textured cotton. Happy Rachel! (This was also Jenn and Doron's favorite.)

Status: Kept!

London Times Nancee Dress in green-- $98
Mak Jaclynn 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Cardigan in cobalt-- $38

I thought two things when I saw this dress.  #1: LOVE. #2: I think I already have this? Indeed, I already own a dress in the same color and almost the same fabric and shape. As much as I love kelly green, even I have my limits, especially for $100.

Alison, knowing of my modest ways, sent this cardigan to go with the dress as well. It was very soft and I loved the color. It was also the least expensive thing in the box. I would have been happy to add it to my closet, except that I have a million cardigans, so I exercised some self control and decided not to keep it.

Do I regret it now? A little. But life goes on. It's only clothing, friends.
Status: dress and sweater both returned

So that's February. Home run. If I hadn't already had an almost identical dress, it's likely that all five things would now be in my closet. But I am very excited about my new shirt and skirt. Just have to wait for March to see what comes next!

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for your own fix here!

I'm So Fancy! And So Is My Drink.

Hello from our nation's capital, friends! There is much to report from here, including my first (but not last!) trip to the White House, three museums in one day, and fun time with wonderful friends. However, in my effort to blog at least somewhat in order (some days I am more determined than others), I'm going to flash back a bit to a super fun sister bonding bucket list activity-- fancy drinks for fancy folks.

Most of the time, I am glad that I live in the year 2016. Feminism, modern technology, and the fact that I am not expected to wear a corset are all things that make my life much better. However, there's something to be said for the old days, just because everyone was so freaking classy all the time. I love being classy, at least when I'm in the mood, so sometimes I try to bring it back.

Therefore, I put fancy drinks on my fall/ winter bucket list. But the rule was, it wasn't only the drinks that had to be fancy, we had to be fancy as well. Obviously my sisters jumped right on board with that. We decided that the way to go would be the bar at a fancy hotel, so we ended up at Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side.

Dear readers, it was SO fun. First of all, my drink was both beautiful and delicious. Second, I am obsessed with this dress and was so excited to wear it. (The top is sheer, so I put on a nude tank top underneath for a little extra coverage and as you can't see, you couldn't even tell.) I even put on a little make up! Not very well, as I have no idea what I'm doing since I never wear make up, but I get points for trying. There's something really appealing about being transported back to a different era for a few hours, when people wore fancy clothes to go out for a drink. Especially when you get to go back to 2016 afterwards. Cheers!

What I'm wearing: Boden dress, HUE tights, CL by Laundry heels

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)

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)

Best Wedding, Best Dress

If you read my last post, you know it's been a bit of a rough week, as I have a stomach virus that won't go away. Luckily, I also have wonderful friends and neighbors who take extra good care of me, including one who showed up at my door last night with a giant plate of rice that she made me so that I wouldn't have to eat Tradition Soup and then die of MSG poisoning.

So in Sarit's honor, and because she and Abe got married a month and a half ago, and because Throwback Thursday is apparently a thing... I (finally) bring you Sarit and Abe's wedding!

First of all: the wedding was beautiful, and more importantly, super fun and energetic and everything you would have expected from Sarit and Abe. Every detail was thought out, including one of the most rocking tisches I've ever been to. (That link is not especially progressive, and therefore only talks about the groom's tisch, but many of the weddings I go to, including this one, have a bride's tisch as well.)

Secondly, the dress I wore is amazing and if it were appropriate, I would probably wear it every day. I bought it on major clearance from the Boden holiday line last year, but haven't had a chance to wear it because this is most definitely a special occasion dress. It's jacquard, which is sort of like a brocade-type fabric. It has an amazing vintage-y feel to it, which I love. It came with sleeves, which saved me all of the "what layers can be worn with this and still look normal" troubles. And it's super unusual, which I enjoy in what is often a sea of black dresses. (Yes, Jews wear blacks to weddings.)

The happy bride and groom.

Accessories for this outfit were a bit of a challenge. The shoes really needed to be navy, but I didn't want to buy new shoes for a dress I hardly ever get to wear. But then I saw these at DSW on crazy clearance for $12, and then they were the most comfortable heels I've ever put on. So here we go.

Also, there are few things stupider than a clutch. This is when it's hard to be a girl. What's the point of a purse where, if you put anything in it, it gets lumpy and looks bad? Sigh. Luckily I had a giant suitcase with me, and luckily we live in the age of flat phones, so it all worked out ok. But nonetheless, let my objection be noted.

Ahh this is so exciting!

Now look below. This is my friend Ariella. It's hard to see in the picture, but she was wearing a super awesome necklace. She's smart and fun and interesting, and she is VERY excited to make her blog debut. (Actually. Like, as soon as we took this picture, she said, I get to be on the blog!)

Sadly, I missed most of the reception because I (happily) had to go to Nepal. The first round of dancing was epic enough, though, to ensure that I smelled very terrible by the time I got to Nepal. Sorry, everyone who had to sit next to me on the airplane.

However, everyone knows that a true fashionista has an outfit change in the middle of a major event, so here was mine:

Mazel tov Sarit and Abe! Enjoy your honeymoon! Thanks for being such good friends and neighbors! And for all of the rice.

What I'm wearing (in outfit #1): Boden dress (never seen anything else like it, but similar genres and fabrics here and here), Kelly and Katie heels via DSW, clutch via Amazon

A for Effort: Stitch Fix Review December 2015

Ok, true confession time. I did not blog about my November Stitch Fix. (Gasp!)

Here's the thing. It wasn't terrible or anything. It was just nothing special. I ended up sending everything back because there was nothing that screamed out to me, "Keep me in your wardrobe!" and I am trying to be selective these days. Combine that with the fact that it arrived on the day of my last comp, when I was double slammed with jet lag and a horrible cold, and it just didn't happen. Hopefully you all will forgive me.

However, lucky for all of you/ unluckily for me, I have yet another stomach virus (I know, how can that even be possible), so there is nothing to do but lie in bed and update my blog. So now, we move on to fix #13, my December Fix.

For a review of how Stitch Fix works, click here.

As you can see, I named this post "A for Effort." Everything Alison sent me was theoretically spot on, but I only ended up keeping one thing, much to my sadness. Let's see what happened.

Nice combo of colors = a good start 

For this fix, I had asked for a few things. First, for it to be a bit more budget conscious. (My last fix contained a $98 sweater, which was just never going to happen.) Second, for some dresses, especially the gold one Sarit got. And finally, things with special details or a little bit of sparkle.

Look, two dresses!

I had a little bit of credit, which is always nice. If I had kept everything, it would have been $227 total, which doesn't feel crazy for two dresses, two sweaters, and a blouse. However, I did not keep everything. Let's see what happened.

(Apologies for the mirror selfies. I just didn't get around to having someone take my picture, which ended up being for the best, since I was very very ill only a few hours after these were taken. But you get the idea.)

Collective Concepts Helma Dress in Black-- $78

This was the dress Sarit got, that I loved. Obviously Sarit is much shorter than me, but she had gotten it in petite, so I was hoping that it would be long enough in regular. As it turns out, not so much.

You might be thinking, Hey Rachel, we can't see the bottom of the dress! To which I would say, Yes, because this is a modest fashion blog, and here was nothing modest about the length of this dress on me. Also, as you can see, it's a little tight on bottom, but also too loose on top. I must remember in the future, shift dresses are not my friend.

Nothing like something that makes you look lumpy and shapeless at the same time. Don't I look thrilled?
Status: Returned

Collective Concepts Katelynn Polka Dot Dress in Black-- $88

Again, you can feel the ecstasy. This is one of those pull over dresses that has no real shape other than the elastic waist. I have never found one of these dresses that looks good on my body, as it always swallows my top half. Add to the fact that the fabric was a super lightweight and cheap feeling polyester, and there was no way I was keeping it for $88 even if I had liked the shape. I do love me some polka dots, but that's the extent of positive feedback I have for this.

Also, when did dresses that are longer in front and back and shorter on the sides become a thing? So many mysteries, so little time... to put this dress back in the box and return it.
Status: Returned

Papermoon Alvar Bead Detail Top in Olive-- $54

Here's the thing, guys. Olive is just not my color. Shirts that are see through are not my style. And beads that are gold versions of the little silver balls I used to use to decorate my cupcakes are not something I need in my wardrobe.

Alison sent this because I asked for sparkle. I had had something more shimmery/ sequin-y in mind, but that's on me for not being more specific. It actually mostly fit me very nicely, but that's sort of the only positive thing I could say about it. Again, good concept. failed execution.

Status: Returned

41Hawthorn Lizzy Colorblock Striped Sweater in Grey-- $68

The fact that they called this grey was confusing to me, as it is clearly actually navy. This was the item I was most on the fence about. It was SO soft. I love stripes and I love color blocking. It fit me very nicely, in my humble opinion.

However, I did ultimately send it back. There were two strikes against it. First, the navy-- I own a ton of navy already. Also, I don't like wearing navy with dark jeans, and I don't wear it with black, which makes knowing what I should wear it with confusing. Second, it was the sort of fabric I could imagine starting to pill right away. Don't get me wrong, I have my fair share of pilly sweaters and I wear them all the time. But that, combined with the color and the price, forced me to exercise my self-control and return it. I might still ask for it in another color, though. We shall see.
Status: Returned

Mak Coffman Button Up Cardigan in Red-- $48

Fear not my friends! The final item was something I loved! As you all know, if you have been reading along, I love a good cardigan and wear them multiple times a week. Also, at first glance, yes, just a plain red cardigan. As it turns out, though, I have almost no red in my wardrobe. And then, when you look closer...

It has this very pretty crochet detail on the arms and the neckline that make it a little more interesting. It's pretty lightweight, so I would say I don't expect to wear it much before spring, but it's like 60 degrees every day here now, so maybe when I finally take off my pajamas, it will have its debut. As you can see in that awkward selfie above, I am pleased. Yay! Also, with my $25 of credit, it was $23. Happy Rachel.
Status: Kept!

So thus ends my December Stitch Fix. Even though I only kept one thing, I continue to have lots of fun, and also to feel like Alison gets what I like, even when I don't keep everything. Coming up in he January fix: clothes for work, as I'm going to be a professor! (True story!)

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for your first fix here. And wait, if you use the code HOLIDAYTREAT, you can get your first fix without any styling fee-- risk free!