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

... And the WEST WING!!!

Back to our DC adventures. At this point, if you've been reading along, you know that I am a nerd (and proud of it!) My nerd-dom takes a few different forms, but politics and history are high on the list. I also happen to be an Obama lover, so when Cindy told me she could take me on a West Wing tour during my DC trip, it took much self control my part to avoid bowling her over.

Not surprisingly, you're not allowed to take pictures in the West Wing (and also not surprisingly, visitors are only allowed in when the President isn't in the Oval Office, which means nights and weekends.) So you'll have to take my word for it that I got to stick my head into the Oval, and I saw Sunny and Bo out for a stroll in the Rose Garden. Winning!

The one place you are allowed to take pictures is the Press Room. Which was super fun due to my love of CJ Cregg. There I am in front of the podium with my friend Jess (who was also visiting for the weekend) and Cindy. They were very patient while I geeked out for a while.

Cindy works in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is right next to the White House, and is actually much grander in many ways. Cindy gave us a tour there too, including some offices where major meetings have taken place throughout history, and the Vice President's meeting rooms.

Even though it was a Sunday, I felt strongly that I should wear business-y Shabbat clothes. Respect for the office and all of that. But because I am still me, when wearing all black, there should still be polka dots. Old Boden for the win.

And then, as a souvenir, White House Hershey kisses! One of the great days in the history of Rachel. And something else crossed off the life bucket list. Next time, to the bowling alley! And to meet the President :) Nice to have something to keep working for.

The East Wing...

Dear readers, as you might remember, a few weeks ago I took a mini vacation and went down to DC to visit my many friends who live there. It was a great trip filled with awesome people, fun activities, and new explorations. But by far the coolest part was my trip(s!) to the White House.

A White House tour of the East Wing is actually not super hard to come by. Anyone can sign up for one through their congressional representative; you just have to make sure you do it far enough in advance. However, I had an in. My super cool friend Cindy works for the White House and being the kind and generous person that she is, she set up not one but TWO tours for me while I was there.

Hi Cindy!

The first tour happened Thursday, which was the East Wing tour. It's self guided, so you can wander around for as long as you want. I knew the names of a lot of the rooms from reading the paper and watching way too much West Wing (as if such a thing were possible), but the main thing I was struck by was how much smaller everything was than when you see it on TV. For example, the spot where Cindy and I are standing above is in front of the hallway that President Obama walked down to announce that they had killed Bin Laden. It's actually a fairly short hallway. Cindy says that they use wide angle lenses to make everything look bigger. The secret's out!

After majorly geeking out for a long time, I finally said my good byes and went on my way-- mostly because I knew that I would be back on Sunday! Then I made some friends outside of the building and we all took a million pictures of each other.

The other highlight of the day was the Renwick Gallery, which recently reopened after a long renovation. There's currently a 9 installation exhibit on wonder, and I have to say that it was one of the best exhibits I have seen in a long time. Here are some highlights:

These were piles made entirely out of
notecards, styrofoam, tape, and toothpicks.

The inside of a perfect cast of a tree, made
entirely out of wooden blocks.

 Because I knew I was going to be running around all day, I wanted to be comfortable, but because I was going to the White House, I wanted to dress in a manner that showed respect for the office. So I ended up putting an easy cardigan over a shell with a wrap skirt and my super comfy boots. The scarf was added for warmth and a little bit of sparkle. And speaking of color and sparkle:

BOOM. If that's not wondrous, I don't know what is. Have a great weekend, everyone!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt, Kosher Casual shell, LOFT cardigan, HUE tights, Diba boots via DSW, Betsy Johnson infinity scarf via DSW

A Day at the Ballet

I love the ballet. The music, the amazing gracefulness, the ability to tell long and complicated stories without saying a single word. (As a total klutz, the fact that they can do all those things without falling down was particularly amazing.) And while it is not the most sophisticated or beautiful of ballets, I will always have a soft spot for the first one I ever saw-- The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for many families, and ours is no exception, Judaism aside. When I was a little girl, we would go every year. (I am sure I've seen it at least 20 times.) I would get dressed up in my fanciest outfit and go to Lincoln Center, where the hall seemed hugely grand and beautiful. And then we would watch the ballet.

When I was in college, we took some years off, as my parents said that if they had to watch it one more time, they might gouge their eyes out. However, as I have seen many times over, once Simon expressed interest in going, off we went again. (Never underestimate the power of grandchildren.) So now we are back in the game. And you know what? Even after all of these years, all of those times watching the snowflakes dance across the stage, all of the times Clara's slipper did or did not hit the mouse king, the magic is still there. And I still wear my fancy dress.

Welcome, third generation!

What I'm wearing: Boden dress, HUE tights, Matisse boots (similar here), necklace via a very generous student

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

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)