Rate My Look- Howdy, New Glasses

Today I worked from noon to 5:00 and the sun was still shining when I left work. Isn't daylight savings so great? Just when you're ready to lose your mind from the short, dreary, winter days, the middle of March rolls around and all of a sudden, the days are longer again. It's awesome.

As for my outfit, I was able to snap a photo on my drive home, when the light was absolutely perfect. My pictures over the winter have been dull, with poor light- it was too cold to take pictures outside and the inside liht was rarely very good, at least at home. Needless to say, I'm happy for the better light for my photos and for my mood!

Top: Marshalls

Skirt: Old Navy

Belt: Super old, I don't even remember where I got it

Ring: Target

Cowboy boots: Consignment Shop

Necklace: Garment District

Glasses: FYSH UK

The skirt is re-mixed from this outfit, and the shirt is pretty basic, so I have never really talked about it. It's good to have basics in your wardrobe, but I'm often guilty of having too many quirky things with too few basics to pair them with. Speaking of quirky things, would you like a close-up view of my new glasses? No one seemed to want to venture a guess on my post yesterday, but I think if you know me well, the answer was obvious: 

Yup, I got the super funky flower-y ones! Are they fabulous or what? I've actually ENJOYED wearing them these last few days! The color looks great against my eye color. Normally, I don't like wearing glasses because they tend to cover up what I consider to be one of my best features. These glasses seem to do just the opposite. I'm sure I'll be back to contact lenses before long, especially with spring and summer fast approaching- sunglasses will be more appropriate soon. 

So what do you think of my outfit? Is it a little too cowgirl for you (especially with the "Howdy" necklace)? Or do you just think it's fun? I like it- and it was remarkably comfortable to wear at work. Those boots are magical- they are the only pair of heels I can not only survive in for several hours at work, but my feet don't even need "recovery time." They are magically comfortable, despite the three-inch heels. I can't explain it, but I'm not going to complain. Magical cowboy boots are fine with me. Fabulous glasses and cute necklaces? Also fine. 

Rate My Look- Opposites Attract

You know how I'm often saying you should pair edgy with soft, dark with light, shiny with matte, menswear with feminine? Well, I wore an outfit to work the other day that was relatively new and one of my coworkers said, "I love how you matched military-inspired with sparkly and fun. Smart girl- she's on to me:

Top: Ann Taylor Loft, $19.99 (on sale)

Skirt: The Garment District, $9 (second hand)

Boots: Marshalls, $34 (on sale)

Ring: Salmagundi, $40

The whole outfit is one big bargain, if you ask me. Well, maybe not the ring, but everything else, for sure. The top I found while out shopping with Beth- we popped into an Ann Taylor Loft in downtown Boston so she could find a dress to wear to a friend's wedding (which she did). While she was in the fitting room, I found the sequin top on the 50% off sale rack and just HAD to try it on. Earlier that day, I'd been at The Garment District in Cambridge trying to spend my $40 gift card from Groupon. Do you guys know about Groupon? More on it later for those of you who don't. Anyway, the skirt was in their second-hand/vintage section, but I loved the way the pockets were sewn on and the fuller silhouette. I have been mildly obsessed with slimmer skirt silhouettes lately, but I still love me a nice gathered skirt. The boots I found while out shopping with Beth's mom a day or two before. She's a shopping pro, too. The boots are suede, from Born, which is not a cheap shoe maker, so to score these real suede boots for only $34 felt like a real accomplishment. 

It's funny how pieces in your wardrobe find their way to each other. The boots were so well made and classic, I knew they would be a good investment. The skirt was too cute to pass up at that price and then when I saw the top, I realized that I was on the verge of a really fun outfit. Shopping your closet can be much the same, actually. Pull out pieces you don't always wear and you might surprise yourself with the outfit ideas that come to mind. And if to pieces seem so completely opposite that they can't possibly go together, try it anyway. There's a reason they say opposites attract. 

Faux Leopard, but not Faux Label

You all know how I love the experience of shopping for a faux-designer handbag, right? Well, on my recent trip to New York, that was a total bust, but you know what worked out great? A "Pop-Up" Betsey Johnson sample sale a few doors down from one of my favorite fabric stores in the garment district. I scored this hot little bag for only $35 and the Betsey Johnson label on it is far from faux:

I love the bow on the front. The fabric is soft and the lining is a grey-scale version of the colored leopard print. I love it! The best part about it? The price: $35! 

I Heart NY

What better way to use my 600th post (yes 600!!!) than to recap my brief but fabulous trip to New York City with my friend Melanie. As someone who had never been to New York, I wanted Melanie to experience as much as possible in a very short amount of time.

We hit the road in NH at about 6:00 AM, didn't hit any traffic, only stopped once at Starbucks for breakfast and once at a rest stop for a quick potty break and managed to be in midtown Manhattan by 10:30 AM. The hotel actually let us check in early, so we had a few minutes to drop our bags off and freshen up before hitting the town for the day. We stayed at The New Yorker Hotel which I definitely recommend- it's a decent price for what you get. I've stayed there in the past and you really can't beat the location. The rooms are standard size for NYC, which means they are tiny. This one had a particularly small bathroom, but included a small desk and a seating area. Honestly, I would have gladly given up the seating area in exchange for a bit more counter space in the bathroom. One perk of the hotel choice was our view:

Yes, that's the Empire State Building. 

After quickly freshening up, we grabbed a quick lunch at the Tick Tock Diner, adjacent to our hotel. Not the best or the worst dining experience you'll have in the city. Yes, it's more expensive than it ought to be, but it's also smack in the middle of mid-town, so you can't expect reasonable prices even if you're grabbing a bite from a hot dog cart on the corner. We each got a salad, and while they were pricey at about $12 each, they were also ENORMOUS and fresh. Not bad for the middle of winter. 

Next, we hopped on the subway and zipped on down to Canal Street. I wanted Melanie to experience the whole faux-handbag shopping experience. Even if we didn't plan to purchase one, it is still an interesting "underground" experience. Unfortunately, we must have looked like narcs, because it was darn near impossible to even come within 50 feet of a knock-off. We even got so bold as to ask some shop keepers for  specific labels only to be told, "Oh, no, no, no- we don't do that. No, no one does that." When we finally managed to convince someone to show us a faux-Burberry, it turned out to be the poorest quality plastic bag I've ever encountered. So, not only is it extremely difficult to find them, they are not very convincing. It seemed like a total bust to me, but Melanie seemed to at least enjoy the unique experience. Neither of us bought a bag, knock-off or otherwise, but we still had fun shopping and looking at everything in Chinatown. 

Melanie: smiling, but unimpressed with the handbag selection- faux or otherwise. 

After that, we did some more shopping in SoHo. I got a new winter coat and an amazing pencil skirt, both from Daffy's, one of my favorite NYC stores. Great prices, great selection. Melanie seemed a bit overwhelmed by it, but after realizing it's sort of like TJ Maxx or Marshalls, she seemed to settle into it. I also got a cheap pair of sunglasses in Chinatown as well as a cool capelet that is pretty much exactly like the one I admired in this post (second item listed) except it's a pretty teal instead of grey. By about 3:00, we were pretty shopped out, so we decided to go back to the hotel and freshen up again before having dinner with Melanie's family. 

We walked up to Times Square and were both pretty amazed by all the LED billboards. I love how crazy it is in Times Square- there is so much to see, it's like sensory overload. 

I didn't do a great job taking this photo- I meant to get more billboards in the background. Sorry, Mel. 

Next, we checked out what was playing on the Great White Way in case we decided to catch a show later on. My vote was for Spiderman, simply because it's such a monstrosity. It's been all over the news for the major injuries its actors have suffered- a concussion, two broken wrists and- the day before we arrived in the city- a major fall that landed a Spidey stuntman in the hospital and shut the show down for several performances. The posters look cool, but I'm shocked it hasn't been shut down completely: 

It was starting to get pretty cold, so we went early to the restaurant where we planned to meet some of Melanie's family- her aunt, uncle and two cousins. We met at Carmine's, a fun, casual, family-style Italian restaurant in the heart of the theatre district. If you've ever checked out the other blogs I read, you'll have seen that I subscribe to a blog called "Chunk: A Story of Loss." This blog is written by Melanie's cousin Emily Leonard. Her two sisters and her parents are the people we met for dinner at Carmine's. After finishing an incredible, (and incredibly HUGE) meal with her family, I've come to a better understanding of her weight-loss struggle. Here's the run-down: we started with a house salad, which is easily big enough for 8 people (there were 6 of us), followed by the biggest dish of fried calamari I've ever encountered. Next was an enormous stuffed artichoke. I was pretty full at that point. Fortunately, by the time we finished our appetizers, we hadn't even placed the order for the entrees, so we had a bit of time to rest between courses. When the chicken scallopini and pasta pomodoro arrived, I was still feeling pretty full, but it would have been rude not to have some, right? When those plates were clean, I thought we were done. That is, until Melanie's Aunt Jen ordered "The Titanic." 

The Titanic: Flourless chocolate brownie, topped with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, real whipped cream, hot fudge, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, nuts and some kind of wafer cookie. 

After we finished dinner, we all took a walk to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. We also saw a proposal on the ice skating rink and some very entertaining skaters. 

Someone once told me the tree at Rockefeller Center is actually about 50 trees nailed together. They were lying. The trunk on this tree is about 3 feet wide. It measures 74 feet tall and I can't even begin to guess how many lights are on it. It's truly a sight to see. 

My hair looked pretty awful by this point in the evening and both Mel and I were pretty exhausted. We walked her family back to Penn Station which is right across the street from our hotel. We saw some sights along the way including the Macy's windows. Despite the fact that it was barely 10:00 PM, we both climbed into our beds and fell asleep almost immediately after our heads hit our pillows. 

NYC: Day 2

The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast after checking out of the hotel. We had checked our bags, so we were free of them for some more gallivanting around the city before heading back to NH. I had a small shopping list to attend to in the garment district. After a visit to Mood and a couple other stores, my list was done, but we were not done shopping. We happened upon a Betsey Johnson "pop-up" sample shop where I got a fabulous leopard print handbag and Melanie scored the most adorable dress I've seen in a long time: 

Her dress was $40 and my bag $35- total bargains! After that, we stopped by Bryant Park where there was an art show in full swing. My favorite part of that experience was when a jewelry seller told me that if you wear large accessories, "you must be really insecure." I didn't happen to be wearing anything super large at the time, but both Mel and I cracked up at her remark. If only she knew how insulting she'd been! 

By the time we finished at Bryant Park, both Mel and I were exhausted. We didn't even have it in us to try to see a matinee. Back to the hotel, we called for the car and hit the road. Other than some traffic in Connecticut, the drive went well. I promise to take photos of all my shopping booty so you can see the breakdown of my bargains. Until then, enjoy the rest of this year- I can't believe it's almost 2011! 

Sneak Peek

Remember this post from earlier this week all about the fabrics I bought in the city last weekend? And remember how I said if I put it out there that I'm buying these fabrics and notions to make certain things, then I might actually get up off my butt and do it? Well, I did it. I made ONE of the many things I have planned to make, but that's not bad- it's not like these things only take five minutes- they take time, y'all! Until I use this specific piece in an outfit, I'm not going to show you the whole thing. Instead, here are a few "sneak peeks" of the finished product.

I am completely in LOVE with this color combination- I just adore how the bright sunshine yellow sateen peeks through the sophisticated grey eyelet. I cannot wait to wear this!

I tend to be a pretty sloppy seamstress, particularly where the inside of my garments are concerned, but this one came out so great- inside AND outside, that I had to share both!

At $25 per yard, the eyelet was quite expensive- more than double what I typically pay for fabric. What can I say, I'm a cheapskate! Anyway, since it cost so much I forced myself to work with just one yard of it. The yellow fabric was an additional $8, but once again, I only used a single yard of it. I think when you see the final product, you'll never have guessed it was just a single yard of fabric. I got a lot of "bang" for my 32 bucks.

Hopefully the weather will improve quickly and you'll get to see me in this soon. If not, I promise I'll take a picture of it just so you can see what it is and how it looks. I think you'll like it. I'm thrilled with it. I'm always amazed when what's in my head translates EXACTLY in real life. I used to not be so good at that, but lately I've gotten a lot better. The red dress I made a few months ago is another example of a great translation from my head to my body. We'll see how the rest of my fabrics turn into wearable things in the near future, I hope! Check back soon to see!

Shoesday Tuesday UPDATE

I know you are all waiting on the edge of your seats to find out how my shoes are holding up and let me tell you that they rock! I walked pretty much from 11:00 AM to 5 PM yesterday in them- was on my feet shopping and carrying heavy bags the entire time and not once did I ever feel any kind of discomfort. I absolutely know that would not have been the case without the arch supporting insoles and the rub relief, but I'm going to try them again today and we'll see how it goes!

As for the New York agenda, yesterday we visited Daffy's (my absolute favorite discount superstore) and found SO much fabulous stuff. After that it was on to the garment district and shopping for fabrics & trims. We didn't find everything we were looking for, but we also barely scratched the surface of the shops available. It's back there again today and then perhaps a trip down to Canal street for a handbag purchase. I'll try to take some pictures and post them when I get back. This hotel internet is costing me 25 cents a minute, so I'm typing fast and logging out. Have a great day!

NYC Garment District- A Beginners Guide

Next week I'll be in NYC for work related fabric and costume shopping. I'll spend 2 1/2 days in and around the garment district looking for all sorts of fabrics, trims, clothing and accessories. I'm currently designing the Christmas Show at AMT and this trips purpose is to find everything necessary to execute the designs. It's a lot to accomplish in only a couple of days. Fortunately, I'll have help- another member of the AMT wardrobe team is accompanying me on the trip, so between the two of us we should be able to find pretty much everything we're looking for. On the list this year are fabrics for cirque-style elf costumes, fabric & appliques for a "Riverdance" style costume, and perhaps the tallest order, fabric & trims for full Victorian attire for the entire cast. For that number we'll visit not only the standard fabric & trim stores, but also millinery supply houses, hat shops and all sorts of specialty fabric stores carrying materials that include faux fur, silk flowers, beaded fringe and all sorts of other special things. You're probably thinking that we'll never get it done in 2 1/2 days, but that's where you're mistaken. A couple of years ago before I was familiar with the garment district, it might have been nearly impossible, but having visited these stores so many times in the past, it's less of a guessing game than it used to be. You don't have to be building an entire Christmas show to take advantage of the shops in the garment district, and so I offer to you, the Beginner's Guide to NYC's Garment District.

MOOD:
225 W. 37th St.
Due to the popularity of Project Runway, Mood has become the iconic "garment district" fabric store, but you really have to see it to appreciate how difficult it must be for the designers to find what they're looking for in the short amount of time the producers allot. The store is overwhelming at first, simply due to the sheer amount of fabric stacked to the ceiling. But once you look around, you realize everything is clearly organized and labeled and every bolt has swatches hanging from its end. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and there are cutting tables stationed around the store making it simple and easy to get your fabric cut to your specs. What's really cool about Mood is that they have a lot of designer fabrics- I once walked in and there was a big bin of Pucci prints at 40% off. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

B&J FABRICS:
525 7th Avenue
Walking into B&J is like walking into a fabric museum, the lighting is bright, there are floor to ceiling windows that wrap around half the floor space and the fabrics are all neatly arranged and easy to sort through. Most fabrics on the floor are only in sample form which makes it very easy to get a good look at everything. Rather than pull bolts of fabric out from a shelf, you merely have to slide the samples along a rack, just like you would clothing at Marshalls. The prices are high because the fabrics are luxurious. Go to B&J if you are planning to make something really special.

SPANDEX HOUSE, SPANDEX WORLD, STRETCH HOUSE:
I'm lumping all the stretch fabric stores together because they're all pretty much the same. There are similarities in stock from one store to the next, although if you're looking for something very specific, you might have to try a couple to get exactly what you're looking for. People laugh when they see that I shop at these stores, but when it comes to dancewear, stretch fabric is the only way to go. And at AMT, we do a lot of dancewear. Honestly, no matter what your dance costume needs, you will find it at one of these- everything from stretch velvets and knits to sequins and glitter, polka-dots and plaids and everything in between.

B&Q BRIDAL:
210 W. 38th St.
B&Q Bridal is such a fun store. It's pretty tiny and it feels a bit claustrophobic, but they have such cool embellishments- everything from bridal appliques to Swarovski rhinestones to silk flowers to feather trims and everything else you can imagine. They even carry costume jewelry and tiaras. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Check it out next time you're down that way.

AYAZMOON FABRICS:
235 W. 40th St.
It's not often that I need Chinese brocades or Indian saris, but when I do, this is my shop. The selection is good and they're willing to haggle a bit with prices. If you're purchasing a large quantity or taking the remainder of a bolt, ask for a good deal. The worst they'll say is "no," but in my experience, they've always said "yes" and taken a percentage off my bill.

LEATHER IMPACT:
256 W. 38th St.
Remember Stella from Season 5 of Project Runway? I always think of her when I go to this store. After being buzzed in, just stand for a moment and inhale. The scent of leather really is intoxicating and this store is chock full of it. I couldn't possibly do justice to the pieces they have with mere words on a blog. You have to visit it to truly appreciate the artistry of the pieces they sell.

These few stores I've mentioned merely scratch the surface of the garment district. I recommend to anyone who is interested in sewing and/or crafts to take a couple of days and just wander through the districts stores. It won't take long to learn to navigate the streets and stores and before you know it, you'll be giving ME advice on where to shop!