Summer Bucket List, DC Edition: Outside Movie!

As I mentioned earlier this week, I hit the road last weekend for a long weekend in DC. After a VERY delayed train ride (50% more time on the train!), I went straight from Union Station to meet my friend Elana in the park for an outdoor showing of Pitch Perfect.

If you are a loyal reader, you know that I looooove Pitch Perfect. So this was very exciting for me.

Also exciting for me: this shirt. The outfit didn't photograph so well. I feel like the pic isn't super flattering, but it actually looked very cute, especially before I ran through lots of heat to catch a train and then sat on said train in it for more than 5 hours. It's a really pretty dusty pink color, I love the pintuck detail, and I am very into popovers. I have found that a shirt like this is best worn with pants, and I like the navy and pink combo.

In the meantime, Elana said, "I'll wear a cute outfit in case I'm on the blog!" So here you are, Elana! Welcome to the blog.

Free popcorn! Hurrah!

The screen was inflatable, which is so cool.

It was a beautiful evening, other than a little rain, and always super fun to hang out with Elana. We realized we've actually been friends for 25 years (eek!) and have had many adventures together over the years. Here's to many more!

The Bellas win!

 In other news, my August Stitch Fix is apparently coming today, so a review is coming your way soon. Have a great weekend!

What I'm wearing: GAP Factory shirt (similar here), GAP khakis, Downeast Basics cami

I Carried a Watermelon.

Guys, today is a very exciting day. Our first ever fashion-recipe mash-up! (Not literally, though, as that would be messy.)

No one puts baby in the corner!

When I was a kid, we used to go to Connecticut for the summer. I called this the country, although in retrospect, it was clearly the suburbs. What did I know? I was from Manhattan.

Anyway. During said summer adventures, one of my strongest memories is making popsicles. We had molds that we filled with juice (or, during one ill-fated adventure, milk and mashed up Hydrox, which did NOT turn out to be cookies and cream) and then ate as popsicles. So when I realized I had a gift certificate to Zabars, I decided to relive my youth and make some popsicles!

Sarit and I have been having lots of fun with my popsicle molds and her Vitamix, which is crazy awesome and amazing. Last week, we made watermelon lime ginger popsicles and they are delicious.

Aren't they a beautiful color???

The original recipe is here. We didn't exactly measure anything and we left out the sugar and instead added just a little bit of honey. The spicy/ sweet/ sour combo is amazing and super refreshing. And healthy! Hurrah! We made waaaaay too much, so we made icees in plastic cups and then, when we had too many of those, brought some to Shaina and Avi next door. Watermelon for everyone!

And if you don't get the references to the movie cited above.... well.... you should spend more times watching 80s-tastic movies.

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (super old, similar here), Tahari v-neck shirt via TJ Maxx (similar here), Downeast Basics cami

A Night at the Theater

Hi guys! I know what you're thinking. Hey, that girl Rachel. Didn't she used to have a blog? And doesn't she keep promising that she'll actually update it, only to disappear again?

Well, dear readers, all of those things are true. Your favorite Curly Haired blogger hit the road this week, spending a lovely four and a half days in Washington, DC and leaving her laptop behind (at least in terms of use, as in terms of actually, it is my constant companion.)

Anyway. DC was great fun, thanks to my many friends who live there, and you can be sure that there will be blog posts about that coming your way soon. But in the meantime, I am trying to blog roughly in order, so here is last week's jaunt to the new Shakespeare in the Park play, Cymbeline.

The stage! You will notice that some lucky folks are
sitting right next to it. So cool!

I actually have never gone to both Shakespeare in the Park productions in a summer before, but I realized that since all I'm doing these days is sitting around and reading for comps, I could do that just as easily sitting in line in the park. So I did! And my friend Jess was kind enough to join me for the show.

I have to say, before I went, I had never heard of this play and knew nothing about it. It's one of Shakespeare's later plays, and apparently not put on very often. But I have to say, I liked it even better than the Tempest. It isn't as weird or racist, and it was a wonderful production. Rachel says: Two thumbs up! I recommend waiting for tickets if you can, or entering the online lottery. But do so sooner rather than later, as the play only gets more popular as the summer goes on.

The last time I went to Shakespeare in the Park, I wrote about the importance of covering up, so as not to be eaten alive by mosquitos. Unfortunately, I did not take my own advice. So while I do very much like the red striped shirt- button front skirt- turquoise sandals combo, I also came home with some very itchy and unwelcome companions. What do we learn from this? Do as I say and not as I do, apparently. Oh well.

What I'm wearing: Old Navy shirt (similar here), Eshakti button front skirt (here in a different color), Blowfish sandals, LOFT headband (similar here)

Summer Bucket List: Free Kayaking!

Lately, I've been finding myself longing for last summer, when I only turned on my air conditioner four times all summer. Since I have already used it that many times this week. And it's only Wednesday.

It has been a rough summer, weather-wise. With the temperature scheduled to hit 90 for yet another day, Sarah and I decided that it was the perfect day to hit the Hudson River. One would not want to swim in the Hudson, in my opinion, but kayaking is perfect!

Every weekend in the summer, the Downtown Boathouse hosts free kayaking in the Hudson off of Pier 1 at 70th street from 10-5. Although swimming gear is not required, I highly recommend it, as you do get quite wet. Plus, I got to wear my awesome rash guard! Hurrah! Modest and sunburn-free. Plus, adorable. Wins all around.

Also, the kayaking was super fun. We weren't great at steering because we have little upper body strength and even less coordination, but we had a delightful time and didn't get stuck in the middle of the river even once. Go team!

Sisters: two out of three.

If you have been reading all along, you might remember my post on modest swimwear. Here you can see it in action. Plus, since it's in July, a lot of places have their swim stuff on sale, so it might be the perfect time to make an investment. I heart my rash guards.

In vaguely self-serving news (because what's the point of having a blog if you can't be self-serving occasionally?), I just listed a bunch of stuff on eBay-- things that don't fit, that I never wear, etc. If you want to dress like me, here's the chance to do it at a discount! (Sorry, that was obnoxious.) Anyway, you can see the listings here.

What I'm wearing: Lands End rash guard (similar here), Target board shorts (similar here), Chaco sandals, '47 Yankees hat

Sarah Loves My Dress!

I know, I am the worst blogger. Thanks for sticking around, friends.

The good news for you/ sad news for me is that my summer teaching is over now. This is a HUGE bummer for me. I love July, and it's always a letdown when it's over. But it means that now I'm supposed to be studying full time, so the blog will benefit from my inevitable procrastination. I'm glad that this will have a bright side for someone.

I got this dress off of Zulily. It was a little big, but I decided to wear it anyway, partly because I couldn't return it anyway (the one bad part of Zulily), but also because it was as comfortable as a nightgown. And then I got a million compliments! So go figure. In fact, when I wore it again on Tisha B'Av, my friend Sarah liked it so much that she wanted to take pictures of it for the blog as soon as the fast was over. (I declined, as the combo of fasting and no showers is not so charming.) So Sarah, here are the pictures I promised!

These pictures were taken during an evening walk in the park with Shaina. We were hoping for a beautiful sunset, but it was only okay. I'll try again-- I want it to be great for the bucket list! In the meantime, here are some pictures from that evening. Not awful, just not good enough. I have high standards, after all. So the list marches on.

P.S. If you don't know about Zulily, it's worth checking out. It's a little hit or miss, but sometimes they have great stuff really cheap. (Just know that there are usually no returns and sometimes shipping takes a while, but each item will warn you about that in advance.) You know how I love me a good bargain and how one of my hobbies is owning too many dresses, so Zulily has helped me with both of those things without blowing the budget. You can sign up here.

What I'm wearing: Reborn dress via Zulily (similar here), Kosher Casual shell, Claire's headband, Toms shoes

Berry Picking, Babies, and White Polyester Pants

(This post is in memory of my grandmother, whose fifth yartzeit is today. May her memory be a blessing.)

Today's post is a little different than normal. No outfits to discuss or summer bucket list activities. Sorry, but this is my blog, so I get to do what I want :)

Instead, I want to tell you about one of the coolest ladies I ever had the opportunity to know, my grandmother, Lore.

Is this not the most beautiful couple you've ever seen?

I only had the opportunity to know one of my grandparents as an adult. My father's parents both died before I was born (his father, Ralph, is my namesake. Thankfully my parents just took the R instead of naming me Ralph.) My mother's father died when I was only 10, so my memories of him are mostly of eating ice cream together and me sticking plastic forks into his cheek. (It made sense that the time.) So for most of my life, my only grandparent was my mother's mother, AKA Grandma, or GG to her great-grandchildren. (She only met three of them, but she would now have nine, including Leo, who was named in her honor, and who has shown just as much enthusiasm for berries and birds.)

With her three great-grandchildren.

 My grandma was a tough lady. She was not the type of grandma who coddled us, or who thought that everything we touched automatically turned to gold. This is not to say that she did not love us. She very much did, but in a clear-eyed way, which meant that she was not afraid to challenge us when she did not agree with our choices. We had many intense conversations over religion in particular, as my grandmother sometimes felt that I was subscribing to a system that was both seeped in superstition and misogyny. These conversations were not always easy, and sometimes left me very frustrated. However, at the end of the day, I always knew that she loved and respected me, even when she strongly disagreed.

The ice cream represents my grandpa, for whom Simon was named.
Yup, that's Simon!

My grandmother moved to New York in 1937, leaving Berlin with her family in the face of the rising threat from the Nazis. Despite English being her second language, she became a beautiful writer, editing the Queens College newspaper as an undergrad and then going on to get a graduate degree at Brown. She was retired for most of my life, but retired did not mean lazy. Instead, she worked harder than most people I knew who had jobs. She volunteered on her retirement village's ambulance, wrote practically their whole newspaper, and traveled the world, first with my grandfather and later with friends. She was in a creative writing group, where she wrote poignant and funny stories. She was deeply involved in her community and a real social butterfly. At her funeral, it was amazing how many people said that she was their best friend.

On the face of it, my grandmother and I did not have a huge amount in common, other than some genes and a deep love of reading and writing. I love to cook and bake, and my grandmother felt that nothing should take longer to cook than to eat. I live my life according to Jewish law, while one of the last things my grandmother told my aunt while she was still with it was that our family seders might be done right, but they were "too long. Tooooooo long!" I have a fashion blog. When my grandmother died, we found more than 10 pairs of white polyester pants in her apartment. Enough said.

Mother and daughter.

 However, many of my fondest memories from my childhood are of time with my grandmother. I remember her taking me berry picking in the summer, and to the Quassy amusement park. Many an afternoon was spent trying to figure out if the new bird feeder in her back yard would finally be able to hold up to the squirrels, and then going out to tend the flowers in the garden. And every winter, my parents would go on vacation and my grandmother would come spend a week with us in the city. In fact, perhaps she was the one who first showed me what I have come to feel strongly-- the closest relationships can happen even with people who seem very different from you.

So Grandma, wherever you are, I am thinking about you today and every day. And I am writing about it on my Jewish modest fashion blog. If nothing else, you can probably appreciate the irony. Thanks for being the best-- your memory lives on just as strong through your many friends and your family.

The Perfect Maxi: Stitch Fix Review July 2015

Dear readers, it is Stitch Fix time again! It actually came last week, I am just sort of behind, as always.... (For a reminder of how Stitch Fix works, read my post on it here.)

As you might remember, my last fix was... well... basically a bust. Stitch Fix was kind enough to refund my styling fee and send me a new fix, which I really appreciated. In that fix, I ended up keeping one shirt, but I didn't bother blogging about it because it was sort of blah. However, the beauty of Stitch Fix is that each month we get to try again! And I am happy to report that Stitch Fix has me as a very happy customer again this July.

The view inside. Pretty colors!

 I had asked for more specific things this time than in past fixes, and also asked Alison to style me again. I am coming to have a great affection for Alison. I had asked for an everyday bag that wasn't too big in a bright color, a maxi dress (I'll explain why later), and the Leota Amandine dress, which I had fallen in love with when I saw it on another blog.

If I had kept everything it would have been
$259.00. Yikes!

My style card.

 This fix was a little pricey for me, and the wallop was made even worse by the fact that I finally ran out of credit, so after my last $20 of credit I had to start paying for my own fixes again. Bummer. (I guess free fixes 2-7 = can't complain...) However, I went into everything with an open mind, rationalizing that the spending freeze meant that I had a little extra money to spend. Luckily, I didn't want to keep everything. Shall we take a look?

Urban Expressions Caroline Hobo Bag in Light Green-- $68

Notice that I'm wearing my awesome dress from Fix #5!

 Here is what I liked about this bag: It was super high quality. If I had liked it, it would have been worth the money, I think.
Here is what I didn't like about this bag: Everything else. It was, again, way too big. I am not the tassel type of person. The color was not bright, but instead was simply asking to get dirty.

Don't I look thrilled? Umm... yay?

I was not sad to put this one back in the box.
Verdict: Returned

Leota Amandine Faux Wrap Dress in Black-- $138

Sorry about the giant hair. That's summer
in New York for you...

This is the dress I asked for. But I did now know about the price. Yikes! I loved it out of the box, but was a little disappointed in the fabric quality in the skirt for the price. It felt flimsy and pretty thin for a dress that cost almost $150. But it was so pretty!

 So then I put it on, and I didn't quite like it. It was a tiny bit too tight in the hips (not an uncommon problem for pear-shaped me) and a drop shorter than I would have liked. I confess that while I was sad that it didn't work, but also sort of relieved. Good bye, beautiful dress. I hope you make someone else very happy.

 Verdict: Returned

 Gilli Shay Maxi Dress in Light Grey-- $74
41Hawthorn Abrianna Long Sleeve Knit Cardigan in Navy-- $48

There's the happy face!

I have always wanted a good maxi dress, but I have found them surprisingly difficult to find. The problem is, since I need sleeves over or under, the dresses have a way of swallowing me. So I asked Alison to do what I couldn't do, which was find me a maxi dress that worked. And man did she succeed!

First of all, she sent this super soft navy cardigan to go over the dress. I wasn't going to keep it, but then I saw it in the pictured and loved how it looked with the dress. But then I remembered I have two navy grandpa cardigans already, and do not need to spend $48 on another one. Especially in the middle of the summer.

 However, there was no doubt that the dress was staying with me forever. I think the mixed media of the dress is what makes the layering work, because the pattern doesn't get too busy and consume me. It's also the perfect length and fit perfectly. Thanks Alison! A job well done to you!

New lighting for better reflection of the colors

 Verdict: Cardigan was returned, dress was kept!

Skies Are Blue Kavinski Button Down Blouse in Turquoise

 You'll notice that I'm not wearing this shirt. That is because of the sleeve length. Tooooo short. Also, I did try it on just because I was curious, but it was HUGE and also super boxy. The color is beautiful, but also very similar to a shirt that I kept from fix #2. I wasn't sad to see this one go. Good bye, immodest (for me) and unflattering shirt.

Verdict: Returned

So you might be wondering-- Rachel, you said you were so happy with your fix, but then you only kept one thing! What gives? And I would tell you, well, dear reader, that the one thing I kept, I LOVED. I also felt that this fix was super on target, and I would have kept three of the things if it hadn't been for fit and redundancy issues. So I am a happy camper. Don't you want to try a fix for yourself? You won't be sorry!