SBL2.0: Outdoor Shakespeare and an Off-Message Top

Growing up, one of my all time favorite musicals was Kiss Me, Kate. This was partly because my babysitter was in a production of it at his high school so we watched it every Saturday night, but also because Cole Porter is a musical genius and I love almost everything he touches.

I am being Shakespearean.

Then, in high school, 10 Things I Hate About You came out. If you don't know, the connection between Kiss Me, Kate and 10 Things I Hate About You is that they are both based on The Taming of the Shrew. I am also pretty sure I have read the play before, but after watching it, I am less sure about that fact...

Because man, is The Taming of the Shrew disturbing. Apart from the overt misogyny, which is really nothing new in Shakespeare, you basically are watching a father sell his daughter into a terrible marriage, and then watching the man who bought her abuse her until she behaves "properly." And this we call a comedy?

I am sorry to say, this is the first time I remember not liking a Shakespeare in the Park production. It's partly that the play is so disturbing, but I found the decision to make it a trailer trash version to also be difficult, as it felt like there were uncomfortable comments on class being made as well. (I.e., only poor people would treat their wives this way. Which is clearly untrue.) Something about it also felt amateur-ish to me, but that might have been partly because it was only the second day of the show so they were still ironing out the kinks. I don't know, the New York Times loved it but a lot of the comments on the review agreed with my group, so do with that what you will.

The experience was still fun, as Shakespeare in the Park always is, and it certainly generated more conversation and food for thought than usual. When going to Shakespeare in the Park, it is important to cover up, as the theater is right next to a lake and so the mosquitos can get bad. I decided to wear a lightweight tunic, though, because it was hot, and then realized when I looked at the pictures that I basically look pregnant. (I'm not, just to be clear.) Oops. Will I wear it again? Probably, because the flowers are so pretty. Will I get offered a seat on the bus? Not impossible. Sometimes that's how things go.

The whole gang, before the play started and we all became extremely disturbed:

If you want to see Taming of the Shrew, you have one more week, so go get in line now! Otherwise, Troilus and Cressida is coming next month.

What I'm wearing: random tunic via Macy's (similar here), LOFT jeans, Downeast Basics cami, Bare Traps sandals (similar here)

Summer Bucket List: Walking in the Rain

The weather here this year has been crazy. We had a week of psycho heat and humidity, followed by a week where I should have been wearing tights, but instead chose to freeze because it was June and after a certain point, enough is enough.

Unlike some others, I actually don't mind being outside in the rain. In the movies, rain is usually used to either show that something sad is happening, or that there is a giant romantic gesture coming. However, remember how when we were kids, rain was just FUN? Jumping in puddles, getting super, wet, etc. It's time to bring that back.

Last Sunday, it was raining, so I decided to knock another item off the summer bucket list and go for a walk. If I'm wearing the right shoes (in this case, my Chacos) and I don't have my laptop, I find being in the rain pretty enjoyable. I should have worn a hat to protect my glasses, but getting wet isn't so bad if you know you're headed home after.

This time, Mother Nature said, Ok Rachel, challenge accepted. When I set out, it was raining lightly, but not hard enough for me to put up an umbrella. And then the skies opened up. It was not raining, so much as there was a giant showerhead in the sky dumping down buckets and buckets of water. I hung out under an underpass for a while, but then decided to set out anyway. And you know what? I was super wet, but it was sort of fun!

The best shoes for rain

I think the random gentlemen who took my picture thought I was sort of nuts, but it's all good. And in case you don't believe me that it was pouring, take a look at these shots:

Does this not look like some sort of ghost ship? Creepy!

Today is shaping up to be a beautiful day, so it's time to stop blogging and go outside. Have a great Sunday, friends!

What I'm wearing: Lucky Brand top, Downeast Basics cami, Old Navy cropped khakis, Chaco sandals, Goody head wrap, and one super hardcore umbrella.

Summer Bucket List: Outside Shakespeare!

Happy June, friends! June is a big month for my family. My older sister and her family are moving back to New York, my younger sister is moving into my building, and today marks the official first day of my mom's retirement. Yay for good things!

If I were more of a "normal" person, I would make to-do lists of things I didn't want to do but had to, and I would not have to remind myself to have fun. However, I somehow lost that lesson along the way, and so sometimes need to remind myself to work a little less and play a little more. The summer is an especially important time to do this, when the weather is (theoretically) good and free things to do abound. And so I present to you the first post in this series: the Summer Bucket List.

The list!

As you can see, my list really runs the gamut. The only thing all of the items on the list have in common is that they take place outside. As you can see, so far I have crossed two things off the list. So I am off to a good start!

One of my favorite New York summer traditions is Shakespeare in the Park. Every summer, the Public Theater puts on two productions, at least one of which is Shakespeare, in Central Park. The tickets are free, but you have to wait in line to get them, sometimes starting early in the morning. Then, at 12:30, everyone in line can have up to two tickets. I've waited many times, and it's a fun part of the experience, but this summer I'm teaching in the mornings, so I didn't think I would be able to see a play unless someone decided to share their tickets with me.

To be or not to be-- that is the question.

In a stroke of bad/ good luck, I had to go to the dentist on Thursday. I needed a crown, which was very painful both physically and financially. As I walked back home through the park in the 80-something percent humidity, I was busy feeling sorry for myself when I saw that Shakespeare in the Park had begun for the season, but the sold out sign wasn't up yet. Telling myself that there was no way there were still tickets, since it was already 3:30, I went up the box office and.... lucky Rachel! Hurrah! Another kind soul go me two more, so I got to see the Tempest with my sister Sarah and my friends Sarah and Avi. I have to say, the Tempest is super weird and also really racist, but the acting was great and the experience was so much fun that I didn't even care.

One thing to know about Shakespeare in the Park is that, because it starts as the sun goes down and is right next to a pond, there is a high mosquito risk. However, it was also very hot. So I wore cropped khakis and a super lightweight tunic to try to get coverage without melting to death. And it worked! I am still in my non-melted state, and bug bite free. Yay!

The stage, with Belvedere Castle in the background

Romeo and Juliet

What's on your summer bucket list?

What I'm wearing: GAP Factory tunic (similar here), Downeast Basics cami, GAP khakis, H&M head wrap, Bare Traps sandals (similar here)

In Which I Try to Be a Bella

Here are two things about me that I used to be embarrassed about, but have come to embrace. Number one: I love musicals. They're just super happy, and everyone dances, and then you get an earworm for days after. Number two: I love a cappella music. Maybe that's sort of nerdy, and a little college, but whatever. I think the ways that people can blend their voices together to make them sound like instruments is so cool, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I mention this not because it is true confessions day on the blog (although that might be funny, so maybe we should do that one day), but because the story of how I came to own this shirt is intimately connected to these two loves of mine.

Have you ever seen the movie Pitch Perfect? If not, stop reading and go watch it now. No, seriously.

Okay, you're back? Welcome. Isn't your life better now than it was before? You're welcome.

Anyhoo. In the dramatic, turning point, vomit scene towards the end of the movie, Chloe, who is played by Brittany Snow, wears a super cute loose tunic-type top that is longer in front than in the back, with a pair of fitted jeans. (I couldn't find a good picture, but if you're super committed to the cause, you can google Chloe Pitch Perfect red shirt and you'll see what I'm talking about.) Somehow, that outfit stuck in my mind, and when I saw this shirt on sale at Anthrolopologie last year, I couldn't resist the chance to recreate it.

Not to hate on Pitch Perfect, which i would clearly never do, I like my version better. I'm very into this emerald green color (better reflected in the detail pictures, and the sleeves and neckline both have the pretty flowered detail. Finally, where Chloe's top has pockets, mine has lace! And who doesn't love a little lace? This shirt is also a great example of why I tend to love things at Anthropologie, even though I can rarely afford them. The attention to detail takes what would otherwise be a really ordinary shirt, and turns it into something a little more special.

So those are my guilty pleasure admissions of the day. Less than two weeks until Pitch Perfect 2 comes out! What's your favorite guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasure?

What I'm wearing: Meadow Rue shirt via Anthropologie (similar here), Madewell jeans, Downeast Basics cami, Toms shoes (similar here)

Guys, I Found POCKETS!!

Hello from the train, everyone! Yes, that's right. Your favorite nearsighted, curly haired friend is on the go again! So what better way to pass the time then by updating the blog? (Internet permitting, of course.)

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been super into tunics lately. As was also true in my last post, this was sold as a dress, but was way shorter than anything I would consider even remotely reasonable to wear. (The saleslady was like, Oh, just wear it with dark tights! No thank you.)

I'm not sure the dark lighting in my apartment really does this dress/ tunic justice. It's super beautiful and very unique. I really love the contrasting patterns between the top and bottom of the skirt.  It's silk, with stretchy smocking on top, and of course, pockets! Which I just discovered, even though I've worn this before. (See, for example, my birthday post.)

This a reenaction of what had happened 45 minutes earlier,
when i discovered the dress had pockets.

Judging from people's reactions (So many compliments! Thanks friends!), and based on what I saw in the mirror, I think this works better over a skirt than over jeans. I'm not totally sure why? The line just seems smoother and more flattering. But you can be certain that I will continue to wear this as much as possible.

One more note, on the shoes, since apparently I am just spending today's post talking about my clothes. (No shame in that, right? This is a fashion blog after all.) If you can't tell, they're actually a bright magenta. When I bought them, I wasn't sure I would wear them enough to justify keeping them. My friend Sarit convinced me that I would find a way, and she was totally right. I actually wear them all the time, especially because I have a lot of black and navy in my wardrobe, and these are great for a pop of color. They're also super comfortable. Unlike most flats, which are, you know, flat, these have a small wedge hidden inside. It's much better for arch support, which means I can wear them all day without my feet hurting or getting blisters. I would say odds are good that another pair or two of these are in my future.

How do you like to add a splash of something unexpected into your quieter outfits? Let me know in the comments! I'm always looking for new ideas. And have a happy weekend!

What I'm wearing: Maeve dress as a tunic via Anthropologie (sorry, it's old, and my googling didn't provide anything similar), Banana Republic Sloan skirt, Audrey Brooke flats, Downeast Basics cami

Tunic Tuesday (or Thursday)

Has this ever happened to you? You're wearing an adorable dress. Everyone compliments your outfit. You're having a great hair day. And then... you get home at 9:00 and realize that you didn't take blog pictures. How sad. (And also shallow. But also sad.) No? Nobody else? That was just me, yesterday?

Anyway, that is just my way of admitting that I've been slacking a bit on the picture taking. It's partly because I sometimes feel awkward asking random people to take my picture, but it's also just that life got in the way a bit. I have my next comp on Monday, so I'm sort of distracted, but don't think that that means I don't love you! Because I do love you, loyal readers!

This looked better before I sat in it all day and it got all wrinkled.
But still cute, no?

This outfit is from last Tuesday-- hence it's name Tunic Tuesday. And today is Thursday. Get  it now? I've been very into tunics lately. I'm not totally sure why, but I'm having fun. This is actually meant to be a dress, but really, who on earth could wear this as a dress? I know people do, but I confess that I do not understand. Anyway, I wore it over pants and got lots of compliments. I had originally been wearing silver flats, but then they gave me crazy blisters, so I switched to my Toms. And man, it is nice to not wear boots every day.

Have you ever repurposed a clothing item to make it work for you?

That's all for now. I promise to be better about taking pictures and will be back soon!

What I'm wearing: Isabella Sinclair dress as a tunic, via Anthropologie (where the price, sadly, seems to have gone up), LOFT straight leg pants (similar here), Toms shoes (similar here)

Birthday Suit! (Or Tunic)

No, not my actual birthday suit. This isn't that kind of blog.

As you might have guessed from the title of my post, I just had a birthday! (Today.) I'm going to be honest-- getting older sort of freaks me out for a number of reasons I won't go into right now. Although, as my dad says, it sure beats the alternative. Add Passover to that mix and this had the potential to be sort of a downer of a birthday. However, instead, it was a really great day! Here's why:

Sorry the awkward mirror selfies are back. I was having so much fun, I forgot to take pictures!

I got to spend the afternoon and evening with my three favorite kids! They were already all going sort of bonkers when I arrived, but they got it together to eat cake and take birthday pictures in their pajamas. Lucky people.

My dad made an AMAZING kosher for Passover almond cake. I love almond and raspberry-- apparently that's something I get from my German great-grandmother-- and this cake was so good that I would have been delighted to have it even not on Passover. Well done, Dad!

My sister chose this card because she said the girls' fabulous outfits belonged on the blog.
So cute girls, here is your moment.

 We did karaoke! One of my sisters and three of my friends joined me for two hours of belting out ridiculous and awesome pop songs. I actually had never done karaoke before, which is sort of weird, but I enjoyed myself immensely, as you can see in the pictures. And now I'm hooked. Who doesn't like pretending to be Taylor Swift?

So sorry for the lack of interesting fashion pictures, but as you can see, there were many other things to do. I'll try to better next time!

What is your favorite birthday activity?

By the way, if you're interested, there was an interesting article in the NY Times about questions of modesty, style and religion at Christian fashion week, which I did not even know was a thing. If you want to see more, just click here.

What I'm wearing: Maeve dress (worn as a tunic) via Anthropolgie (similar here but at a crazy price), LOFT jeans, Downeast Basics camisole, Sperry for J.Crew shoes (similar here)