Dress, J. Crew Collection (via consignment); blazer, Topshop (via eBay); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; necklace, J. Crew Factory; bag. Mulberry (via eBay)
Let’s ignore the blush atrocity happening here, and focus on my outfit, ok? It’s pretty cute, right? I was not 100% sold on this J. Crew Collection dress when I bought it, but got swayed by the deal ($40, new with tags at consignment). It may not be the most versatile thing I own, but I’m still glad I bought it. The colours and fabric weight are perfect for summer (at least in an air-conditioned office), and the cut is very office-friendly. The above-the-knee hemline is nicely balanced out by a high neck (perfect for statement necklaces), and there is enough coverage on the shoulders that I can wear it in my office without a topper.
bright ‘n summery
Speaking of which, this Topshop blazer is another new addition to my closet, and another great summer piece. I wasn’t able to find it in stores (sold out everywhere – sad face), but I did manage to grab it on eBay for about $40. I like the look of it a lot, but I don’t think the quality is worth more. I don’t have a lot of experience with Topshop, but if this blazer is a good indicator of their general quality, I think I may stick with J. Crew (outlet or consignment) in the future. If you’ve got thoughts/feedback on Topshop, hit me up in the comments!
May was a tough month. Between work and some personal issues, I haven’t had much time to spend on the blog (sorry!) or my outfits in general. I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep, but I’m cautiously optimistic that June will be a better month on both counts.
Oh, hey – I managed to put on clothes, ma! Ok, nothing to get super excited about here, but #2 and #11 were pretty cute, and there were no egregious failures either. I really liked the new pieces I added this month – the leaf print Cynthia Rowley top, and the blue J. Crew Factory blazer (sorry, no recap either!) – and they were a breeze to blend in with my existing wardrobe. Speaking of which, I re-discovered some old favourites, including the black Sweet Chemise dress (ancient), the tan Valentino skirt (ditto), and the eci dress from a couple of months ago. Maybe there’s something to be said about having a closet to rival Imelda’s.
I know. Crop tops are a dicey proposition after a certain age (quaere: which age would that be?), and they are certainly impractical in the extreme for a professional working mom of small kids. I cannot think of a single likely situation in my current life when a crop top outfit would be appropriate. I might be inclined to say “date night”, but that usually involves a meal of some sort; my opportunities for eating a nice dinner, NOT standing over the sink, and NOT in a rush, are few and far between and I like to savour them to the fullest. Crop tops don’t strike me as particularly food-baby friendly.
But they are darn cute, aren’t they?
Currently NOT Loving: My Midlife Crisis
I have been half-jokingly telling friends anyone who will listen that I’m going through something that I can only describe as a midlife crisis. I don’t know if it’s my impending (35!) birthday, or general summertime restlessness, or work stress, or kids stress, or what, but I’ve reached a point where every-damn-thing about my life bugs me. And everything is fine. My husband is convinced that my problem is that I’ve accomplished everything on my “Life – To Do Before 40” list, and now I’m floundering for lack of new goals. He may have a point. The last time I felt such unease was right after graduation, a decade ago (holy crap!). So, in lieu of a red Lambo, I guess I better start thinking about some new goals.
On the bright side, I have really supportive and understanding friends:
Same lady earlier sent me a link to a very NSFW pic of Sebastian Stan, so she’s a keeper.
Currently Reading: The Distant Hours
I’m still making my way through GRRM’s Dreamsongs, but I managed to sneak this book in as well, whilst procrastinating on writing my own book. [New life goal: finish my decade-in-the-making book by the end of the year. Ha. Hahahaha!] I … didn’t hate it. This is the second Kate Morton book I’ve read, and the second one that was fine, but underwhelming. This one, just like The House at Riverton, struck me as Atonement-lite. The premise had a lot of potential, and reminded me a little bit of Nemesis, one of Agatha Christie’s excellent Jane Marple novels, but I wish the author had gone full-on gothic with it, instead of half-assing it. When your premise is based on two elderly twin sisters guarding a crumbling castle with lots of secrets, well … realism is just a bore, you know? Anyway, I didn’t hate it, but I also wouldn’t call this one a must-read.
Currently Obsessing Over: White Walkers!
Photo credit: HBO, Game of Thrones
Hello, did anything else happen on GoT last week? I mean, OK, yes, Dany and Tyrion finally met (yay!), and Arya is a budding assassin (yay!), and Sansa found out that Theon didn’t kill Rickon and Bran (yay, I guess – why is Ramsay still alive? Priorities, Sansa!). But, really, last week was all about Hardhome. Apart from the stunning visuals and excitement of the ice zombie battle itself, there were the implications to ponder. We now know so much more about the White Walkers than the books have ever told us. And Jon killed one! With Longclaw, not dragonglass. And did you see the way the chief White Walker dude (the Night’s King?) looked at Jon? I’m probably just projecting my favourite fan theories, but I could have sworn the interest went beyond “hmm, dude has a nice way with a sword”. Are the White Walkers descended from the Starks, as some people are speculating? Did the Night’s King recognize his predestined nemesis? I really want to go back and re-read all of the prophesies and “old women’s tales” that are sprinkled throughout the books (including the visions that Dany has, and the stuff about R’hullor) because I feel like the show is doing a lot of the same foreshadowing from different angles. Jeez, listen to me. Who would have thought I’d turn into a conspiracy theorist? (But seriously, share your fave GoT speculations in the comments.)
