Oscar Dresses

I don't usually watch award shows.  Look up dresses the next day definitely but sitting through hours and hours of awards never really appealed to me.  Last night however I thought I'd find out why so many of my friends look forward to this night and was pleasantly surprised to find the show extremely entertaining and absolutely worth sitting through.  Oscar party hosting next year maybe?

Despite all of the moving speeches and awesome performances, the red carpet fashion was still the highlight for me.  As much as I love a princess gown (and Jennifer Lawrence's Dior stole the show on that count), I just adored all of the column dresses and clean sleek lines that most of my favorites wore. 

In no particular order:

Naomi Watts, Armani Prive 

Halle Berry (aka Bond Girl), Versace

Jessica Chastain, Armani Prive

Charlize Theron, Dior Haute Couture

Jennifer Lawrence, Dior Haute Couture

Ann Hathaway, Prada

Amanda Seyfried, Alexander McQueen

Black and Yellow Black and Yellow

1. barcelona chair 2. Jonathan Adler bench 3. Jonathan Adler screen 4. West Elm parsons desk 5. Silk Damask wallpaper 6. Jonathan Adler desk lamp (West Elm also has a very similar one)

Surprisingly, my office is the only room in our house that hasn't had anything done to it.  Still in its pale pink former baby room bliss, the color wasn't bad enough to instantly require covering and I've had so many ideas for the eventual makeover that I've had trouble selecting just one.  Hence an office with no decor except a shelf and credenza for storage.

As much as my girly side wants to do a pink/gray/gold/white color scheme, this room may eventually just be a guest room or an office that I share with my fiancé so I've finally decided that something gender neutral is a better idea.  I've wanted to wallpaper the main wall as an accent  since we moved in and this past weekend I finally found an amazing print at Home Depot (can't beat $35/roll!) that is now serving as my jumping off point.  It looks a little blah in the photo but it is actually a beautiful pale shimmery silver background with a darker damask print on top.

I've always loved Jenna Lyons's black and yellow living room so now that I have a color neutral paper, I think bright yellow accents and white walls are the way I'm headed.

What do you think? Black, white, yellow, silver - too cold or grownup and crisp?

Jenna Lyons's living room

Greasy Spoon

A week ago I finally made it to Greasy Spoon in the plateau.  I'd been meaning to try this well known eatery for a while and when they popped up on Living Social, it was a sign.

The menu was even better than expected and it took me a good 15 minutes to decide on a starter and main course.  Since fresh seafood in winter always feels like such a treat (and I love tartar) I went with the asian inspired salmon tartar to start and lobster rolls as a main course - they did not disappoint!  Both were light, well seasoned, delicious, and oh so fresh.

One of the things I enjoyed most however was how well balanced this place was - just the right mix of amazingly delicious food, beautiful presentation, and decent sized portions.  Nothing is worse than spending $17 on an appetizer and only enjoying it for 2 bites.  As proof of portion size, my 6'3'' 200 lb fiancé (who never fills up at restaurants) was comfortably full by the end of the 3 course meal.

I will say the dessert selection could have been better. I think there were 3 options and they were out of one (apparently it is a signature chocolate chip cookie).  We both managed to squeeze in lemon meringue pie-in-a-jar (part of our table d'hote) and although it was pretty tasty, when compared with the greatness of the first two courses, I think this is an area for improvement.  I'd rather find dessert down the street after a digestive stroll.

Overall, a great meal and cozy ambiance.  I will definitely be back. As far as price, some people think it's a little much but this is not overpriced bar food.  It is acceptably priced well prepared cuisine in a relaxed ambiance.

p.s. Be ready to make a reservation a few days in advance.

Mexico breakdown - evening looks

There were 3 main evening events while on my company's annual kickoff in Mexico: cocktail party, beach party, and a semi-formal evening.  The beach party threw a wrench in I think every girl's plan though because actually-on-a-beach = no heels.

This year the little girl in me helped with most outfit decisions because I ended up with all maxi-length options.  There is just something so romantic about a dress blowing around your legs in a breeze.  Plus they're effortless and comfortable.  I've been using that c word a lot to describe this trip but the best thing for being on your feet 17 hours a day for 4 days is having chic = comfort.

Outfit #6: Cocktail party

LA Made dress, Zara blazer, Forever 21 necklace, DVF clutch, Pour la Victoire pumps

For the first cocktail party I stuck with a beach-y theme and wore a new dress bought from a sample sale. Since the top of this dress is a little bare, I wore my blazer which had the added benefit of keeping me warm in the air conditioning.

p.s. I am now completely obsessed with this clutch! I love when an if-y purchase turns into your new favorite thing!

Outfit #7: beach party

Walter Baker dress, Coach clutch, Club Monaco bracelet, BCBG sandals

Since beach party meant flats, it was the perfect opportunity to wear this light airy dress which I find almost a little too short for some of my heels as it just grazes the floor in sandals.  

Outfit #8: Semi-formal evening

Halstron Heritage dress, DVF clutch, Pour la Victoire pumps

My Mexico dress!!  I bought this dress last year in preparation for a Mexico vacation that unfortunately never came to fruition because of our hectic schedules. I loved it so much though that I wore it several times last summer.  Because of the vibrant colours and the fact that it reminded me of the dresses all the Sex and the City girls wore to Carry Bradshaw's honeymoon in Mexico, it got nicknamed the Mexico Dress and has now finally realized it's namesake.  It was also the reason I ended up buying the clutch.

When you talk about turning skirts, this is also the big mama.  You can swoosh down the halls with giant waves of silk billowing behind you... and as you can see, this dress really inspires a twirl.

Mexico breakdown - daytime looks

As I was going through all of my stored summer clothing in preparation for my trips south last month, I realized that I'm not color averse per se, I just wear no colors in winter.  My summer clothing was a refreshing wash of pink, blues, lilac, mint, and yellows on my white bedspread and I even left a few things hanging on my curtain rod as a reminder that spring will one day return.

Unfortunately it was a bit much to turn all of my clothes into curtains so they're now all packed away again in my closet and under my bed.  While I wait for warmer weather, I thought now would be the perfect time to show what I wore during the day in Mexico so as to not forget the colorful temperatures too quickly.

I was also really proud of myself on this last trip.  Since I needed everything from work attire to beach wear to evening gowns, I was worried I'd over pack but instead, I carefully laid out the following outfits and fit everything inside my one 22 inch carry on suitcase.  Including bulky sneakers and workout clothes!

I always lay out my clothes before putting them in my suitcase.  It helps me see what goes with what and organize the packing process.  One tip I've learned is that rolling rather than folding dresses saves them from wrinkles and makes them easier to squeeze in the suitcase!

Outfit #1: Plane

Zara blazer, BCBG top and bag, Forever 21 necklace, J.Crew jeans, Topshop wedge sneakers

I like wearing comfy blazers on planes - as warm as a sweater and you still look put together when you land and instantly have to meet colleagues.

Outfit #2: Day 1

Club Monaco dress, Pour la Victoire pumps, BCBG necklace and bracelet, Coach clutch, Michael Kors watch

I often feel a little claustrophobic in sheath dresses and more often opt for looser attire but when I found this one on sale during the holidays, it was too good a deal to pass up.  I have since found it to be the most comfortable work outfit I've ever worn. It has just the right amount of stretch to be form fitting yet not overly confining.

Outfit #3 and #4: Early cocktail hour and daytime meetings

Line & Dot blouse, Forever 21 necklace, Club Monaco bracelet, Robert Rodriguez high waisted trousers, BCBG bag, (although you can't see them) Nine West wedges

Our first event in Mexico was what my company described as a late afternoon "Scandinavian dressed down chic" cocktail hour before 5 hours of meetings.  When you work for a European company, especially a Norwegian company, everyone dresses up so this was actually a helpful description.  

Rather than join the parade of skinny jeans and blazers though, I decided to go with a more Mexico/resort/70s ensemble.  This top actually has 2 cutouts on the side but I sewed one up to be a little more conservative for work.

J. Crew blouse, DVF clutch, Club Monaco bracelet

Although you can't see them (they're in the second packing picture though), the wedges I'm wearing are ridiculously comfortable.  They have a giant platform which makes them perfect for these pants (my legs are actually 5 inches shorter) and a lower heel height which saved my feet during the many hours of standing and networking.

Outfit #5: Day 2

J.Crew wool dress, Forever 21 necklace, DVF clutch, BCBG sandals

Normally these meetings are swarming with 5 inch heels.  Maybe it was the relaxed resort atmosphere or maybe it was everyone being a few years older and unwilling to put up with the pain but day 2 had most girls in flat sandals.  There are always late night parties in heels so I think it was mainly a practical decision to not destroy our feet at the beginning of the trip.

On a side note, I had been eyeing this clutch FOREVER but couldn't decide if the neon green and pale purple would be too hard to match.  As it turns out, this clutch goes with everything, adds the perfect zip of color, and the roomy size is great for fitting a notebook, pen, and wallet.