Happy Friday! This green cardi sure gets around... Lands End Canvas Cardigan Review

Happy Friday everyone! I'm taking off for a good friend's wedding in Chicago this weekend, but I wanted to play a little catch up on some outfit posts.

I've found that this past year I've really focused on expanding my cardigan collection. As much as I like sweaters, cardigans are perfect for me since I feel like I'm constantly temperature regulating between warm buses, chilly outdoor weather, and warm or cold office temperatures. A cardigan gives me the flexibility of buttoning all the way up if I'm cold, opening up if I'm slightly warm, or easily slipping off the outer layer when I'm warm (and easily slipping it on when I get a sudden chill). I've been slowly whittling down my collection of non-cardi sweaters because I find them less versatile.

What I've found as I've grown my cardigan collection. 1) I really like cardigans from Anthropologie for very whimsical and different looks. 2) I love J.Crew and Lands End Canvas cardigans for basic good quality cardigans in wonderful colors. I seem to be collecting cardis in a multitude of colors.

When we moved into Spring and Summer, I really wanted a lighter green cardigan. So I tried out the Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan. I found the cotton wonderfully soft and the fit is wonderful. It is a semi-fine knit that seems like it will hold up well. It's slim through the body and arms keeping me from looking like a bag.

I got this cardigan in an XXS but I got other cardigans in XS to try out sizing. I found that both sizes had a great slim fit, but the XXS pulls a bit more at the buttons when I button-up. So I'd think I'd be more likely size up to an XS in their cardigans (For reference, I typically take XS in J.Crew cardigans too).

This is the Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan size XXS in Dew Green. You can find the cardi on sale here in various colors ranging from $21.99 (sale colors) to $39.50

OOTD 1 specs:
Anthropologie Seabound Skirt by We Love Vera sz 0 ($30)
Anthropologie Winding Road tank by Little Yellow Button sz XS ($20)
Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan in Dew Green sz XS ($25)
Preview white sandals ($15)

OOTD 2 specs:
Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan in Dew Green sz XS ($25)
Anthropologie Bright Bolts Sash sz S/M ($20)
Anthropologie Caulerpa necklace ($10)
Gap ethnic print dress sz XS (thrifted $7)

[edited to add a few close-ups of the cardigan construction. I only just remembered I took these when I first got the cardi!]

EBEW - LACE!

It's that time of the month again... (no not that time, lol) Everybody Everywhere! This month the theme is lace. It gave me the chance to wear my lace cardigan again.

This time, I thought it'd be fun to pair it with something a bit more low-key, chambray shorts! I topped it with a blazer for work.

I think I like it better the way I wore it the first time (see below), with a high waisted skirt. But it was fun to play with it in another outfit :)

How I wore this lace cardigan before (pretty much the same, just changed bottoms and accessories!!)


EBEW Lace outfit specs
Xhilaration lace cardigan sz M ($10)
black Kirkland tank sz S ($6?)
DKNY Jeans Chambray shorts sz 2 ($7 sale)
Preview white sandals ($15)
Samlin grey blazer (thrifted $7)

"Galileo why are you so suprised?"

As promised, here are pics from the weekend of me in a poofy hat (apparently called a tam - different from the typical undergraduate mortarboard because it is eight-sided and poofy).

These robes do wonders for the figure. Really.

Thank you for all the congratulations. The hooding ceremony was pretty nice. We all gave speeches. I cried. I made other people cry. There were 19827392792392 photos taken.

Here's one with my advisor and my BFF (also in poofy hat garb).

About a third of us going through this year's hooding still have to defend. That's me too. It will likely happen in end of Summer, early Fall for me.

Beneath the purple-y robes was of course Anthro!

My husband couldn't quite get over how much he thought I looked like Galileo (although we can't find a pic of Galileo in this type of hat). So whenever I made a face like this at him:

He'd say "Galileo, why are you so surprised?"

Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend!

Trippin' to the Maxi

Some little birds have been telling me that they need more to read here...or an update or something.

Y'all who know me know I'm not a strapless dress kinda gal. Nor am I truly a maxi dress convert. I think they look great on other people. But I'm clumsy. I trip over the hems walking up stairs. And Seattle rains often enough that I worry about tripping around with soggy hems.

But here I am. I couldn't resist these large tropical print flowers.

To keep myself from constantly tugging up the top, I added some loops to the inside and threw on some removable bra straps. I then threw a blazer on to hide the straps. A belt reigned in the 'pregnancy' look. And a bright red pop of a necklace added some extra visual pop! I even managed to keep from tripping...too much. :P

So ok birdies, how were those crumbs :)?

Ev's parents and my fam are in town for my departmental hooding ceremony (for doctoral students). I get to wear large purple robes and a funny looking puffy purple hat. Perhaps a photo of the outfit will make the blog. I'm all about embarrassing silly photos. Why not one with a puffy hat?

Till next time birdies!

Trippin' to the Maxi OOTD Specs
Xhilration chase boho ruffle strapless dress - blue floral maxi sz S (thrifted $5)
Curio Nine tan ruched-sleeved blazer sz S (thrifted $5)
H&M brown belt ($10)
chunky red necklace (thrifted $6)

Reviews: Anthropologie Magellan Dress, Dotty Shorts

So I heard it was in the 90s on the East Coast of the US this past Memorial Day weekend.... Seattle on the other hand struggled to hit 60F. It was dang COLD! But I still used the weekend to do some planting and prep my yard for spending warm days out there working. I'm an optimist at heart.

I'm sure everyone has heard, but Anthro brought back free shipping until July 15th if you have an Anthro card. WOOHOO!!! Get your orders in now lovelies!

On to some belated reviews:
Magellan Dress by Maeve (Sale $80 sold out online, check in-store)

Tried on size 0
This dress hit sale last week! I grabbed it on the way to the dressing room. The size 0 was waaaaaay too small. I couldn't zip the bodice up over my huge rib cage :) My guess is that I'd need a 4 for this to fit well. I loved the beautiful print mixes in this piece (3 prints for the price of 1 LOL - or four prints if you count the pretty rope belt). The navy colors are a soothing take on the ethnic print dresses that we've been seeing. The material was surprisingly weighty in a wonderful rich kind of way.

I didn't realize until I looked this bugger up on the website that it is actually billed as a strapless dress. I love that the removable straps are not an after thought here. They're beautiful thick straps (great for hiding bra straps) in a matching patterned fabric. The straps are held on by buttons on the inside of the dress. The dress I brought into the dressing room with me was missing a button in back so I'm actually holding the strap up just for y'all. And BTW y'all, there's pockets!!!! SQUEEEEE!

Dotty Shorts by Plenty by Tracy Reese ($88)
Tried on a size 2

why do i look like I think someone is about to mug me?


ha. now that's embarrassing. I'm showing you my rear. All in the name of full disclosure, but like to know how pants fit me in back. These aren't hugely flattering in back (much cuter and shapely in front).

The size 2 fit perfectly here. While pleats in shorts aren't the first thing that come to mind for good fit (I usually think of pleated shorts as kind of ballooning out around the thigh area), these pleats (or perhaps darts is more accurate) help the front lay wonderfully flat and elegantly.

The fit is also helped by the fact that the closure isn't in front. You fasten the shorts on the side with five round metal buttons whose shape is reminiscent of the dot pattern covering the rest of the shorts.

The silk felt wonderfully light and airy on. But both the silky material and bold print make these an unlikely purchase for me. I rarely wear shorts unless I'm slumming it laying out on the deck reading for my dissertation. I wouldn't rub silk up against the rough wood of my deck. The bold color and pattern is great for a dress, but I'm not sure I would wear it as often when it's on a pair of shorts. Still, it's a beautiful pair of shorts that will look great on many folks.

xoxo,
Lori

Gearing up for summer and your local farmer's market

My neighborhood farmer's market started up again last week. Hooray!! Hubby and I were happy to see our favorite butcher/farmer, our favorite pasta guy (omg his wild boar plin is TDF), bakers, fruit and veggie peeps.

With farmer's market seasons starting up again (or perhaps yours never stopped, in which case I'm totally jealous), I thought I'd put together a few outfits perfect for strolling your way past the stalls of vendors and farmers. If you don't have a farmer's market near by, no worries. These outfits would be lovely for many a summer outing - picnics at the beach, reading in the sun.

Market Outfitting #1

Ok, I couldn't resist putting the caranday up here again. (There's a red one in size 4 on ebay here right now). But a floaty cotton dress meant for summer seems so picture perfect for the farmer's market. As you pick out your fruit and veggies, don't forget your sun hat!

Market Outfitting #2

How about going casual with a lovely floaty top and shorts? Keep it relaxed with your canvas slip-ons (kept interesting by the stripes). Don't forget your reusable tote to bring your farm-raised goodies home.

Market Outfitting #3

The last outfit captures some bohemian elegance by hopping aboard the maxi dress trend with a fab hippie vibe. Finish it off with a natural rope belt and some colorful earrings and shoes. If cooking isn't your thing, you can still hit up your farmer's market for goodies like local honey, artisan made soaps and jams, plants for your garden, or a wonderful crusty baguette and cheese to bring home for a light snack :)

Finally, with the advent of farmer's market adventures, I thought I'd leave y'all with some recipes we enjoyed this past weekend after visiting the farmer's market. I find the goodies at the farmer's markets always prompt me to try out new produce or meat varieties and new recipes. Steamed clams are a perennial favorite of ours, but the standout of the meal was the asparagus, avocado, pea vine and tomato salad my hubby whipped up. Hope you enjoy!

Steamed Clams
Adapted from Allrecipes Clams Italiano Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece diced bacon
2 cups dry white wine (we use Trader Joe's Charles Shaw chardonnay)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, vary according to taste)
salt and pepper
36 clams in shell, scrubbed (we just bought a big bag... maybe 3-4 lbs?)
1/2 lemon

Directions
1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook with diced bacon for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook briefly.
3. Stir in wine, and season with oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
4. Place clams in the wine mixture. Cover, and steam until all the clams have opened: discard any that do not open.
5. Serve family style in a big bowl. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the top for brightness.
6. Serve with slices of crusty baguette for dipping into the tasty broth! Or serve over linguine

Asparagus, Pea Vine, Tomato, & Avocado Salad
Recipe courtesy of my hubby - he's guessing on the amounts since he winged it

Ingredients
6 large spears of Asparagus, blanched and cut into small rounds
1 Avocado cut into cubes
3 cups Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 C parsley chopped
1 C chervil chopped
1/2 C pea vines chopped

Dressing ingredients
1 T Lemon juice
2-3 T red wine vinegar
1(ish) tsp mustard
black pepper to taste
3 T olive oil

Directions
1. Toss tomatoes with salt & some sugar to juice em out. let sit for a bit.
2. Toss in asparagus, pea vines, parsley, chervil, and dressing. Let sit for a bit.
3. Mix in avocado. Check salt, pepper to taste. Serve!

Care-free day Caranday!

Ok, so not so much a care-free day. I'm still (always) working in overdrive mode. But, Seattle is getting some sun, and man it makes me feel good.

This dress also made me really happy to wear. I think it was the poofy skirt, the light airy cotton, and beautiful color tones. It was wonderful skipping home in the sun in this dress. Didn't even let the drive by cat calls get to me this time :/ (normally they make me anxious and shy. Do other people get this way?)


This is that wonderful Corey Lynn Calter Caranday dress I picked up from Smashion. Shout out to FrontPageFashion as an amazing seller. She shipped quickly, provided me tracking, and even packed the most beautiful crocheted butterfly doily in with my order.

What I never realized from photos of this dress was the amazing color tone pairings. I LOVE that the belt is grey, not black. I love that the light stripes are cream, not white. It all gives a very vintage and relaxed air to the dress.

And here's my *wink*. I love adding some extra sillyness/playfulness to an outfit. I think especially when dressing up in a town where 'dressing up' means nice jeans rather than light jeans, adding a touch of whimsy keeps a dress from feeling too stuffy. Here, the surprise is the off-beat zebra glasses necklace. I'm really such a goofball.


OOTD Specs
Anthropologie Caranday dress by Corey Lynn Calter sz 4 ($45)
Forever 21 eyeglasses necklace ($3.50)
Merona Madalena Suede Ballet Flats ($7.50)

Hope you had a lovely Tuesday!

PSA: Anthro goodies on Smashion and a Corey Lynn Calter Caranday dress

So I've been meaning to tell y'all that I can now fully say that I love Smashion. After signing up for an account, I found the coveted Corey Lynn Calter Caranday dress in my size, and I picked it up for $45 on Smashion. No bidding wars. And, I love the dress!

Other Anthro goodies I spotted on Smashion:
this cute Sleeping on Snow shrug sz M ($25)


Some beautiful old school Anthro in the Calico Hills Sweater (from 2007) sz XS ($35)



But, on Ebay right now, I just spotted another Corey Lynn Calter Caranday Dress in green size 4 (currently at $29!). FYI since I know a lot of ladies are looking for this gem.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month ... got a few minutes?

I mentioned previously that May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. In honor of this month, Nordstrom is helping raise awareness about Hepatitis B.

One in ten Asian Americans is infected with hepatitis B—the leading cause of liver cancer.

For every person who completes a hepatitis B awareness quiz during the month of May, Nordstrom will donate $35 (up to $75,000) towards national Hep B Free efforts to end hepatitis B and liver cancer—including public awareness, clinician education, screening, vaccination and linkage to care. If you have a few minutes, take the quiz for a good cause.

Take Nordstrom's Hepatitis B Awareness Quiz

Budz says, "Learn about Hep B for a good cause!"


no doggles were injured in the course of this public announcement. However, there may have been some excessive drooling over my breakfast (by Buddie, not me... well ok, maybe me too. Duck eggs can do that to a girl)

Anthropologie Skirt Reviews Part 1: Goldfish Bowl Skirt, Sugar Work Skirt, Hamatreya Skirt

Since I hadn't been into Anthro in awhile, I grabbed skirts that are both old and new to try on (all were new to me!). Hopefully, even if you've seen a couple of these before, they can help y'all with decisions thoughts for the Tag Sale Anthro's now having.

Sugar Work Skirt ($118 now on sale for $60) by Girls from Savoy
tried size 2 (sold out online, call CS or check stores; web style #20025045; retail sku #20025052)

I love the bright yellow of this skirt, and it poofs just the right amount. I'll fess up. I used to be against elastic waistbands. I was worried it was a sign of being old - that I needed the extra room for my belly to expand. But heck who am I kidding? Now I appreciate that I'm too lazy to bother with a zipper, and I have no fear of an after lunch "food baby." I still don't love the look of elastic bands, but I've got so many belts, I got it covered (so to speak, hehe :D)

I love that this has pockets, and I could see this color pairing well with other summer brights for summer (whites, pinks, oranges, blues) or make it a bit more modern with a pretty grey tank. <3! The size 2 was too large on my 27" waist, but a size 0 would have worked well. Tried this on with the A-Bit-Unruly top ($48) by Deletta in green and the silk Annabel Lee Tank by Left of Center ($88) in the blue motif



Goldfish Bowl Skirt ($98) by We Love Vera
Size 2

Silk? check. Cute waterpainted fishies? check. Bright color perfect for summer? check. This skirt had all the makings of a skirt I'd love, but somehow... I didn't? I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps the colors didn't work super well with my skin tone or I just didn't like it paired with the A-Bit-Unruly top. I'd give it another go later on another visit. I love that it has pockets and the coral banded detail at the hem gives the watercolor print some more definition. Although, now that I look at the band, I think it's that color pink in particular that isn't working with my leg skin tone. hm...

I found that this fit a bit snug relative to other We Love Vera skirts, so if you're between sizes, I would size up.



Hamatreya Skirt ($88) by Nathalie Lete
Tried on a size 0

Another elastic band skirt! But, what I loved about this skirt was that the elastic ruching is only in the back on the band. So I could wear this skirt without a belt if I wanted :D

The size 0 fit my waist perfectly. I was slightly worried this skirt might have been a bit to poofy. But, who am I kidding? I love a good poofy skirt. The colors and bright striking pattern worked for me. Plus, it has pockets for my to stow my hands in. I'm 5'5", and this skirt hit nicely about 1-2" above the knee. I'd think it's still work appropriate because somehow its fullness detracts from the shorter length (or at least that's what I would tell myself, lol). I would totes buy this on sale.

I tried this on with last year's navy Yoana Baraschi Akira Tank (which I happened to wear to Anthro for the trip).

Stay tuned for part 2 later this week :)

...


and on a completely random note... spurred by an email I just got, um... "flatform sandals"? These are just platforms! Why do we have to invent new words like jeggings and shacketts?

loving friendship bracelet trend

Maybe you've heard, but friendship bracelets are on the rise as a trend this year. I'm totes on board.

Traditionally, friendship bracelets are given from one person to another as a sign of the bond between the two individuals. Typically, this gift is especially meaningful because the giver has spent a lot of his/her time into crafting said bracelet.

Well, now you can just buy your friends bracelets. And they come in all sorts of fun mixed-media flavors.

1. Woven Bracelets ($3.80) at Forever 21
2. Ariel Gordon Silk Friendship Bracelets
3. Juicy Couture Embellished Friendship Bracelet Bracelet - Blue
4. Banana Republic Leather friendship chain bracelet
5. Dannijo Friendship Bracelets
6. Honestly WTF's DIY instructions on how to make your own chain friendship bracelet

I bought my four friendship bracelets at Forever 21 for $3.80. I don't see mine on the website, but you can find them in stores.

These remind me of the ones we made each other back in 3rd grade. They don't have all the fancy mixed media elements that are currently hot right now, so I mix them into my wardrobe with other arm candy: watches, rhinestone bracelets, gold bangles, leather wrap bracelets. I love the eclectic feel of it.

Friendship bracelets feel so wonderfully low key that pairing them with über lux items is a fun game of contrasts. Plus, the bracelets themselves add a wonderful punch of color that will be perfect for summer days (or for pretending it's summer already).

Here are some other ways I've worn these:





What about you? What do you think of the friendship bracelet trend? Would you wear them? How would you style them?

xoxo,
Lori