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!

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!

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

Some Random Musings

Please excuse the crazy hair. Curly hair problems.

I made a special trip up to Sarah's apartment to take blog pictures for this outfit because I liked it so much. Preppy all the way. You're welcome.

I'm currently on a train to DC to visit the many delightful people who live there. Included on the agenda is meeting a (not so new anymore) baby, TWO White House tours, some museums, and time with great friends. In the meantime, I don't have much to say, but here are some of the random thoughts floating around my head right now. Just in case you ever wanted to know what it was like in there.

1. I've been finding lately that all I want to eat for breakfast is a combo of saltines, pistachios and dried mango. Some days I even do it.

2. It is surprisingly difficult to get work done in the library if you're there all alone, like I was last week. Also, it is surprisingly easy to go the entire day without speaking to anyone other than saying good morning to the security guard, which is pretty depressing.

3. I secretly hope that when I get to go the West Wing on Sunday (thanks Cindy!!!!), Jed Bartlet is there waiting for me. If you don't know who that is, I judge you. Sorry.

4. I think that the quiet car on Amtrak is one of the world's great inventions. When people don't respect it, I get irrationally angry and want to yell at them. But that wouldn't be quiet.

5. I've been neglecting the fall/ winter bucket list a bit and feeling bad about it. Let me know if you want to go ice skating, to a basketball game, or to the ballet.

I think that those are all of my thoughts for now, or at least all of the ones I want to put on the internet. Happy Wednesday to one and all!

What I'm wearing: A bunch of things that are really old. Boden jean skirt, GAP button down, GAP Factory cardigan, Born boots, HUE tights, 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)

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)

The Blog Hits Nepal: How to Become an International Celebrity

Back to Pokhara! Pokhara is a popular destination for trekkers because it's near the foothills of the Himalayas. Therefore, we decided to get up early to watch the sun rise, hopefully with a view of the mountains.

Well... we got the beautiful sunrise! The mountains, not so much-- they didn't come out until later. In the meantime, I did some early morning stretching:

The sun was amazing that morning. A bright pink/ red, over the blue mountains and green trees. It's hard to capture the full experience, but here is a small taste:

Later that day, we went to the International Mountaineering Museum, dedicated to the story of the Himalayas and the people who have climbed them. The museum was really interesting, reflecting on the tribes of Nepal, the geology that led to the formation of the mountains, the role of climate change, and the history of the great mountaineers. And then, while we were waiting to leave, all of the sudden...

Everyone wanted to take a picture with us! It was weird. (This happened many other places also.) Apparently in Nepal, pasty skin and curly hair is exotic. All I had to do was go across the world! It only seemed fair that I should be a tourist attraction, seeing as I was a major tourist for two full weeks. But the whole picture taking thing never stopped being hilarious.

And just to reassure you, we did see the Himalayas later that day. And yes, they were even more spectacular than promised.

What I'm wearing: Boden hoodie (out of stock), Look Human t-shirt, Madewell jeans (out of stock, similar here), Nike sneakers via DSW, Goody headwrap (similar here)

The Blog Hits Nepal: A Night Out on the Town (Sort Of)

I can't believe I forgot to write about our night out in Chitwan! What was I thinking?

Anyway. After our elephant ride, we all went back and showered (because we smelled like elephant) and then we got ready for a big night-- Tharu stick dancing! The claim was that this is an old practice, done at important and celebratory occasions. My uncle said-- more likely for tourists. But either way, very festive.

For the occasion, I broke out the perfect maxi from Stitch Fix. I actually have worn it a million times since I got it, but somehow never got around to taking blog pictures. So here it is! I paired it with my royal blue cardigan and red polka dot Toms-- a color explosion! And a super comfortable one! 

The dancing happened in the garden area of the hotel. Very convenient. And they gave us free popcorn! I didn't eat it, but Sarah was sooooo happy. As you can see.

Traditional or touristy, the dancing was super cool, as you can see below:

So much twirling!

Dancing with fire!

Then they invited the audience to join in. I declined, but most of my family joined in, talented dancers that they are. You know that they say-- going to Nepal leads to mixed dancing! Haha! (If you don't get it, don't worry about it. And if you do, you gotta love a good mixed dancing joke.) Anyway.

And as a bonus: there are rolling blackouts in Nepal. Always keep your headlamp on hand in case of sudden pitch darkness. Important life lessons, people.

Modest travel tip: Bring layers! Not only are they good for changing weather and keeping you modest, they also allow you to make multiple outfits out of fewer items of clothing. Cardigans like this are idea.

What I'm wearing: Gilli maxi dress via Stitch Fix, Gap Factory cardigan (similar here), Downeast Basics cami, Toms polka dot shoes (similar here)

Good Bye Bucket List. Hello, Bucket List!

There is a traditional Aramaic prayer said at the end of learning any significant body of text called the Hadran. The word Hadran, which means "we will return," states our desire to return to the text we have learned, and that the text will return to us as well.

Now, you might wonder, Rachel, why are you writing about Aramaic prayers when this is supposed to be a modest fashion blog??? (A better question might be, Rachel, why are you updating your blog when you are supposed to be reading the Cambridge Companion to Rabbinic Literature? But I have no good answer for that.) Here is why: because as soon as I finished this bucket list, I started a new one!

As I said, I did, in fact, finish every single thing on the bucket list shortly before Labor Day. The last two things-- walking a bridge and going to Brooklyn Bridge Park-- were done together, with my favorite nephews and niece (and their parents.)

Simon is super into engineering these days, so he was very into how the bridge worked. And we all agreed that Brooklyn Bridge park was both fun and beautiful, if SUPER hipster Brooklyn. (For example, artisanal lemonade. You can't make this stuff up.) We made it across the Brooklyn Bridge, took Maddie on her first carousel, ate ice cream, and went to a playground where everything was about moving water around.

My favorite part was probably the Please Touch art installation/ splash pad. As you can see in the pictures below, it was a grid of four boxes with water that flowed up on the grid lines. The water would stop and start on a cycle, so it was actually possible to go inside of the grid without getting wet. But it was very hot out, so I decided to take a different route:

Was I soaked all day? Yup. But totally worth it. It was actually as fun as it looked in that picture.

I've decided to do another bucket list for fall/ winter. I understand that most people do not need to make lists of fun things to get them to leave the house, but I am not most people. I found it really helpful to have a written account of all of the things I wanted to do because you know what-- then I actually did them! I tried a lot of new things this summer, was much more social than I might have been inclined to be otherwise, never felt like I had nothing to do, and never had a day that I regretted doing things on the bucket list. In fact, I think I would do them all again. So maybe I will next summer. But for now, the seasons have switched (although not in St. Louis, where I am right now, where it is currently 83 degrees) and so will my activities. New list coming soon!

And finally, here is a picture of Maddie enjoying the sprinklers after we had to take off all of her clothes because she tried to eat ice cream with her hands. Third children, man, I'm telling you.

What I'm wearing: Eshakti dress (old, similar here), Kosher Casual shell, Rebecca's hat that I borrowed because it was too sunny and I am very pale

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram! @curlyhairglasses