Rabbi and Mr. Alex!

Way, way back a million years ago, I wrote about my friends Alex and Alex, and their engagement party. Well, they finally got married. (ok, it was almost two months ago. I'm behind on life. It happens.) Hurrah!

The wedding was on July 3rd, so I decided to go red, white and blue. As it turned out, my whole family dressed in that color scheme as well, without even knowing it. We were all very adorable and color coordinated. Ordinarily, I would hesitate about wearing this dress to a wedding because some people are very intense about nobody wearing white (even if it covered with giant polka dots) to a wedding, but since there was no bride this time around, it seemed like a good choice. (It is actually pretty old, dating back to my graduation party four years ago, but I continue to love it and wear it when the opportunity arises.)

The cutest

 Guys, this wedding was the best. It was the perfect combo of moving and fun. It also had a little bit of a "last day of camp" feeling, since it was the last time that an awesome group of rabbis who just graduated in May were going to be together for a long time. So at the end of the night, there was a lot of crying. Guys, DON'T FORGET THAT SOME OF US AREN'T DONE WITH SCHOOL YET! PLEASE COME VISIT ME IN THE BEIT MIDRASH WHILE I TRY TO WRITE MY DISSERTATION! All of my friends are leaving me...

Abe tried to teach me to take selfies, but then I couldn't do it so he did it instead.

 Meanwhile, the happy grooms have moved to Ohio, where they seem to be settling in nicely, at least according to Facebook and occasional text messages. A special shout out to Mr. Alex, who is one of the blog's biggest fans, and who is featured up front looking very dapper in his wedding suit. Rabbi and Mr, we miss you in New York! Come see us!

Zach promised he would come visit me at school!

 Anyway. The wedding! It was chill and beautiful and just right for these two lovebirds and the many people who were so happy to celebrate with them. It had a nice pintrest-y feel, which you can see in the pictures below, without feeling precious. Everything felt thoughtful without being over the top-- not always an easy balance to strike.

The happy grooms.

 And of course, most importantly, love was overflowing. The love between the two Alexes, but also among everyone in the room to them and for them. A lot of crying, even more laughing, and dancing until they told us we really had to leave and go home.

truth.

So mazel tov, dear friends! May every coming day be as happy as that one was, for you and for all of us.

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

The Magic Skirt

Look at me, pretending I know how to have my picture taken while standing in front of the many piles of recycling I never quite manage to take out...

And yes, I realize the lighting is terrible. Nothing to be done about that, sadly, while living in this apartment. Hopefully you get the idea, especially because the main point here is the shape of the skirt.

Here is the story of this skirt. There's a boutique near my parents' apartment called Purdy Girl. Their stuff is really cute (and I've seen some Stitch Fix items there), but also basically always out of my budget. But they moved a few months ago and put their whole store on sale for 50% off, so I ended up buying two skirts, including this one.

Usually when I shop, I can tell what I like or don't like right away. However, I wasn't totally sold on this one. Instead, I did that annoying thing where I made people in the store tell me if they liked it or not. I was worried it made me look hippy, but they assured me that I should get it. And now I look at it and think, how is it possible that a skirt could make my waist look so small? We all have our moments of vanity; welcome to mine.

The skirt has a really pretty blue/ black pattern with touches of silver, so I kept everything else basic black and added the moonstone pendant I got in Nepal. I wore this to synagogue, where I was complimented many times and told more than once that I looked like I was going to a holiday party. Tis the season, right? What to do you wear when you want to feel pretty?

What I'm wearing: Moon skirt via Purdy Girl (similar here), Kosher Casual top, HUE tights, Aerosoles heels (similar here), necklace from Nepal (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

Adventures in Pattern Mixing

One of the fashion trends that most intrigues me but also scares me is pattern mixing. When done well, it looks so cool. And when done badly, you just look sort of like a three year old who insisted on dressing herself. (Not that that's not bad for said three year old. But three year olds can pull of things that 30 year olds cannot.)

Our super elegant, not at all dated or ugly hallway

One of my fashion resolutions for the new year was to be more adventurous in my clothing choices. So when I saw this dress at Fox's it seemed to fit the bill perfectly. It mixed patterns, but in a way that worked because it was made that way. It was a shape that I was comfortable with, to make up for the less comfortable pattern mixing. Plus, it had sleeves. And it fit perfectly. The only problem-- it was about three inches too short.

But wait! There was a large hem! So I bought the dress and took it straight to the tailor who told me no problem, he could definitely let it out. Hurrah! Never underestimate the power of getting things tailored. It can change the whole ball game.

I wore it to synagogue the first night of Rosh Hashanah, and then a couple of more times since. The fabric is a scuba-type stretch, so it's versatile enough to be worn with sandals or with boots. I love it when I don't have to put my dresses away for the winter.

Here's a close up of the patterns:

I get many compliments every time I wear it. And I love it more every time. Look for it to be back on the blog soon, styled for winter.

And now, back to my books. Enjoy the last of the weekend, everyone!

What I'm wearing: Taylor mixed print dress (here, but for a lot more than I paid for it), Dr. Scholls sandals (similar here)

On Gratitude, Part 1

Dear readers, I promise that I haven't forgotten you! I have so much to tell and show you, and I will try to catch up in the next couple of weeks. So here we go!

Almost exactly eight years ago, I opened a volume of Talmud for the first time and fell in love right away, even though I basically had no idea what was going on. At the end of that first week of learning, I called my parents and told them I wanted to quit my job to go study full time. I think they thought I was insane. But I am nothing if not stubborn and determined and sure enough, after one more year of teaching, I left my job to go back to learn Talmud, Halakha (Jewish law), and Tanakh (Bible) full-time.

The shoes!

Guys, the thing about Talmud is that it's HARD. It's written in a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, there are no vowels or punctuation, the Talmud often leaves out proper nouns, and it very much has its own method of reasoning, the likes of which I have never seen anywhere else. So despite my determination to study full time, it is totally possible that I could have been derailed and given up.

But instead, almost seven years after I started my journey of full-time learning, I am still going strong, more than halfway through the PhD process and also teaching text in a serious and rigorous way. In large part, it is thanks to the woman pictured below, Channa, who was my teacher in that first full-time year of study. Her amazing energy, patience, and skill as a teacher made sure that I not only continued studying, but I continued to feel excited about doing so every day. 

So when it was announced that Channa would be honored at my school/ work's annual dinner this year, I was so thrilled that she would finally get the recognition she deserved. As I told her, I was the one wearing the name tag saying faculty, but next to her, I'll always be the student and she will always be the teacher. Even though she moved to Israel after that first year, I continue to think about her every time I study and teach, and am so glad that she continues to be a role model and mentor for me. 

My amazing first teacher, who taught me
how to teach and how to learn. Mazal tov!

The range of what people wear to the annual dinner is pretty wide, but I was not going to miss my chance to wear my awesome Stitch Fix polka dot dress. This dress came in my first ever fix (pre-blog) and it was way over my budget, but I am so in love with it that I didn't even care. I added a red belt and red shoes for a little pop of color, and I got soooo many compliments that I know that it was worth it. I can't wait to find another occasion to wear my 1950s-style polka dots!

What I'm wearing: Donna Morgan dress via Stitch Fix (here on sale at ModCloth, but almost sold out), Boden cropped cardigan, DKNY peep toe heels (similar here and here), red patent leather belt (similar here, although at a much higher price point), pearl necklace (a gift from my parents when I graduated college)