Right before New Year

Being fed up with our good weather, we went up state looking for cold and chill and snow! Crazy, I know; but living in a constantly moderate weather gets old really fast, I tell ya!

That little road trip helped me discover the perfect Car Ride outfit: Jeggings, boots, tunic, long thin cardigan with a coat, hat and scarf ready at hand on the backseat for those freezing chills when you stop for coffee.

Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle bell rock

…

…

What a bright time, it’s the right time,

To rock the night away…

Have I told you how much I love Christmas? I love the decorations, the lights, the colors, the presents, the happy people, and the holiday spirit. I love the snowy landscape (in pictures and movies!), the Santa’s workshops and houses in the malls and I love the cheesy holiday music. Love the holiday movies, the food and the sweets, the lazy atmosphere and the relaxed smiles.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Yalda

For Iranians everywhere, Winter Solstice Celebration on the longest night of the year is the time for families to gather and await the birth of light, the breaking of dawn and the return of sun.

Although these days we look at our Yuletide celebration as an excuse to eat as much watermelon and pomegranate and nuts as we can!

Happy Yalda, my dears!

Leave of absence

It’s been raining cats and dogs for the last four days and still more is in store. I’ve staying home shivering under a blanket and wishing for the rain to stop. On those rare occasions that I had to go out, my fluffy boots have been a blessing, keeping my feet warm and dry. You all know how I hate getting wet!

That train trip, cold weather and junk food eating wrecked havoc with my health and I am a little under the weather. In addition I have to plan and pack for our trip next week. I also have lots of stuff to prepare for next quarter and school work.

So I won’t be able to have any new post for the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy your holidays and see you guys next year!

A train ride

I finally did it, taking a train to Santa Barbara with a friend. Yes, it was enlightening, amusing and slightly alarming! Aside from airplanes, my other use of public transports in the last ten years had been a five hours bus trip five years ago, a half hour metro ride two years ago (both in Iran) and a two hour trip from South Bend to Chicago last year. So you can understand the significance of an eight hour total of a round trip by train, surely!

I just wish I had dressed warmer!

Tomato soup

I’ve been wanting a nice hot bowl of tomato soup for sometime now. Unfortunately the cafes we frequent don’t have it on the menu. Well, until tonight apparently. So I was filled with joy upon seeing it written on the board and ordered it. As luck has it, we were late and they’d run out of tomato soup!

Finally “Tangled”

Yeah, finally! Totally worth it too! It is one of those movies that you leave the theater smiling, wishing they would make a sequel.

Orange leopard

The first party of the season and I didn’t know what to wear. What do you wear to a small informal dinner party where the hostess and other ladies are super stylish?

I went with my tried and true combination from Thanks Giving dinner: Leopard print and orange. Moving the pieces around a little and I got a whole new look.

Note: those shoes look more orange in real life than in the picture.

What I love these days:

Fluffy boots. Water proof, warm and cozy, the ultimate in self indulgence. Now I understand why Ugg boots are so popular. However, I prefer these chic alternatives to chunky shapeless Uggs.

My new phone. Giving me the ability to check my email ten thousand times per day, oh joy! …and it is Red, a happy orangey red!

My “Bath and Body Works” lotion in Black Amethyst. Two years using it and I still love it. It is restful and lightly fragrant. Although I liked the old packaging better.

Aside from these, my nose is to the grindstone and the pile of text books is growing beside my bed!

The Herbs

Just a quick post to say:

Does anyone remember “The Herbs”? Do you remember Dill the dog who was always chasing his tail? That’s how I’m feeling these days. Chasing my tail while nothing gets done.

That’s it people, … and I’m still alive!

What I loved this week:

Turkey dinner doesn’t count, does it? OK, in that case,

Berets. I don’t really care if some people think of them as passé, pose-y or downright ridiculous. I love these hats. I am assembling a little collection and already own four different colors. They are the best accessory for cold nights. I like the constructed wool ones by the way, not the knits.

My high heeled black boots. These make you instantly dressed up even if you are wearing dark leggings and tunics. Put your coat on and you are ready to go!

My Maybelline lip stains. I’ve been looking around for a good lip stain for years now and had become disappointed by Cover Girl and Tarte versions. Maybelline’s is so far the best I found on the market. I own two shades: Cranberry Crush 65 and Cherry Pop 75. They provide a smooth base for a top coat of lipstick or a shiny gloss.

Chocolate pecan pie

Sometimes the whole point of dinner is the dessert at the end, although I usually am too full at that point! I wish I was reckless enough to order dessert first or have just dessert instead of the actual meal. Sometimes I hate my goody-two-shoes personality!

Being Thankful

This year I am thankful for:

-my health

-my tolerant and patient husband

-my wonderful and supportive family and the chance to visit them this year

-my friends who always host Thanks Giving dinners and haven’t let me roast a turkey in all these years!

-U.C.C. and Dr. Jeannie

-my wonderfully supportive advisor

-Shopping Gods for some unique finds

-Blockbuster and Netflix for providing much needed distraction at the click of a mouse

-Dark chocolate, macaroons, cream puffs, cupcakes, white chocolate cookies and Walker’s shortbread butter cookies for helping me deal with stress!

-my cats for being wonderfully hug-able

-….

-…

…

Yes, yes, thank you all! Without you this year would have been very hard to get through!

-Ooh, and a wonderful outfit for letting me eat as much turkey as I could!

“Tangled”

I read that “Tangled” (based on Rapunzel) is going to be the last Disney fairytale for some time (here and here) which will be sad. In the age of Japanese anime-inspired cartoons, Disney’s well-made happy ending low violence fairytales are a refuge from all the hustle and bustle and disappointments of real life (especially for adult viewers!). So it is with mixed feelings that I go out to see “Tangled”.

Editor’s note: (11/24/10) We ended up going to Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows part 1 instead of Tangled. My statement, however; remains true. As wonderful as cartoons like Monster’s Inc, Up and Ice Age have been, they are no match for Dumbo and Bambi! Also I have to watch Tangled before the New Year!

Brrr, it’s cold!

It is so cold you can see your breath freezes (not really, no!) and it is also wet and rainy. Outfit transition from day to evening goes something like this:

Those days…

You know, one of those days when you keep saying to yourself “gosh, I have to start doing some actual work” and “gosh, I have so much to do” and then you keep promising to do more and accept more and more responsibility and then you kinda collapse under the sheer weight of all the things you have to do? And then nothing gets done? Yeah, one of those days…

p.s. and yeah, I have a thing for matchy matchy. Like you didn’t know!

What I loved this week:

My family! Thank you for the great gifts! I love every single thing but most specially the striped top, gloves and the leopard print trench coat.

Aviator sunglasses. They are classic, light and look good on everyone.

Rain, rain rain! Watching the beautiful gray skies, dark green hills and foggy landscape.

Gingerbread latte

I gave up on trying new flavors (or even seasonal flavors) in my coffee. First because I am not a coffee-drinker, secondly; they all taste the same. Well except for Salty Caramel which is just salty. Salt in your coffee or hot chocolate? Ugh!

Hello Blue Jay

Why do I associate Blue Jays with winter? There is this picture in my mind of a little Blue Jay sitting on a branch in the middle of snow. The perfect color combination!

We don’t get snows (or blue Jays for that matter) down here in southern CA but I can dream, can’t I?

Cranberry

…and ash…or dove?

Whatever you want to call it, I love the liveliness cranberry brings to gray.

Cranberry

…and cream

I love this color and right now so close to thanksgiving I have cranberry sauce on the brain. Despite the fact that I had to add a brown cardigan to the outfit, I liked this color combination.

Come back tomorrow to see another cranberry outfit!

Sick days

Dragging yourself to do errands when you are not feeling great requires the most comfortable outfits. Just what the doctor ordered!

What I loved this week:

The brand “Free People”. They offer gorgeous clothing and accessories if a little on the pricey side.

A nice headband. I am thinking something in more muted colors and embellished with bows or flowers.

A large nice cup of hot chocolate. What can be cozier than drinking hot chocolate and watching the fall foliage in a chilly afternoon? I specially love the Mayan (or spicy) hot chocolate.

All Fires Extinguished

Does this outfit look suitable for Fire-extinguisher training? Well, the more important question is how am I supposed to lift a heavy extinguisher by myself? And that whooshing noise is scary, don’t you say?

I guess the critical question is why I need Fire Safety Training at all. It is all due to the little thing called Working in a Laboratory. Yuck!

Overdoing it!

Remember I was pretty excited about this leopard print trend? I spent a lot of time (starting from midsummer) collecting my favorite pieces in this print…and now? I don’t want to wear any of them. Everyone and their great aunt are wearing leopard print! It is like the only fall trend that OC has adopted this season. It looks as if everyone owns at least a cheap polyester top or a pilling cardigan, some in the most garish colors like yellow and mustard with sickly green dots… ugh!

I am so heartbroken over not being able to wear my obsessively selected accessories.

Just sad

You are in a bad state of affairs when even the prospect of going shopping doesn’t make you happy. Ah, the joys of academic life! That’s why I’ve gone minimalist, no time for froufrou. Sad, really!

One Black Tank

I took the day off to rest and regroup. I was feeling tired and drained. It’s all the worrying without doing anything practical! Anyhow, simple, comfortable and chic is the order of the day.

Oh, hello, my plaid and ladybug-ed bag! I’d forgotten how much I love you!

What I loved this week:

A simple black tank top. I had forgotten how it would go with every jacket and cardigan, with jeans and skirts or low neckline dresses… I rediscovered a favorite. Well, ok; probably I hadn’t worn black tops much in the past couple of years because of keeping my hair color black… just too much black to look good! But now that my hair is a little lighter, I can enjoy my black tank top again. Oh, joy!

Looking for a new black turtleneck. My old one is at the end of her long (7 years) life and is misshaped and pilling and has absorbed too much lint. I am saddened by the prospect of throwing her away. She has been a faithful and loyal friend, dressing me up instantly, working well with formal pants and informal jeans and all color of skirts, adding an extra layer under dresses… I’ll be missing you, my dear friend.

Finally finding the perfect leopard print scarf. I’ve been looking for a thin scarf with a nice realistic pattern and sophisticated colors for months now. So happy that hunt is over.

Ummm… this was a rather dull post, wasn’t it?

TGIF

What can I do except dig into my retired-for-the-season warm weather favorites?

Too many things to do, to little time. And let me tell you, sometimes missing seminars is not such a great idea, especially when your advisor is the one presenting.

I am so ready for the weekend!

The tried and true

…are the tried and true for a reason. They work! They stand the test of time! They keep you cool in 90 degree weather in November!!! So today, it was back to my summer uniform. Really people, it is too hot to do anything constructive like plan an outfit or daydream about autumn-y breezy days and coats and faux fur!

Et Viola!

OK now, remember yesterday? Even hotter (96°), but I think I nailed the outfit today, thanks to Anthropologie’s recent Look book.

A hot autumn

SO very unusual, after enjoying a little rain a couple of weeks ago, now we are back to hot summery weather. What to wear, that’s one question I can not find right answers for!

What a long day

It is still 12:30 (noon!) and I feel drained. Something is seriously wrong with me!

Gardeners are working with power tools outside my window, making a racket; and I can barely keep my eyes open! I have to go home and nap.

Happy Halloween

Which vampire goes Fang-shopping two hours before going out for the night? This one of course! At least, I remembered they are necessary!

Truth be told, a vampire costume was my last resort. I was hoping to be able to dress as Alice but as much as I tried, I couldn’t convince Dear Hubby to become the Mad Hatter. And the White Rabbit was so out of the question!

Well then, I was the vampire and Dear Hubby came as my dinner, no costume needed!

p.s. yeah, I know! I have to work on my scary poses!

What I loved this week:

My amazing friend who spend three whole hours working on my camel coat and making adjustments and alterations. Thanks to you, dear friend, this winter I won’t freeze to death! Thank you, thank you!

The three sweaters I bought from Anthropologie for the price of one, thanks to them being unexpectedly “on Sale”, my birthday discount and a gift card. How I love thee, my sweets!

Halloween and the dressing up for it. Chocolate, candy and pumpkin cookies! I still have not finalized my costume but what do you think of going as a vampire? Too cliché? I have mostly been a witch and a fortune teller in previous years, so vampire is a step up for me! Maybe I should go as fairy queen? Help me choose, please; I don’t have much time!

Thank the Shopping Gods

After attending a class, I went to enjoy and indulge in my twice yearly shopping spree at my favorite store. The day was sunny, the weather warm with the occasional breeze to keep it interesting and my intended items were unexpectedly “On Sale”. Thank you Shopping Gods, thank you!

I totally forgot..

..the keys to my office! That was what I yelled when I finally find a parking spot and started running to our weekly meeting. Well, all I can say is that thank goodness for my officemate being present in the meeting! Yeah, this story had a happy ending!

Rinse and repeat

I should ask forgiveness from Sartorial Gods for repeating outfits (with minor adjustments) but I’m sure they know it: These days I’m sleep deprived. Too tired to think and plan.

p.s. World, meet my new bag. I’ve been crushing on her for 6 months now. I kept visiting her in different stores. Now finally, she is mine, mine, all mine! Yoohaaa haa haa!

And she is a big girl! She measures 12” by 14” and can easy hold my notes-binder, my text book, pencil case, my lunch and the bag liner/pouch I keep my makeup bag and wallet and cell in.

Exhaustion

Some days you just want to get home, take a nap and indulge in herbal tea and chocolate cake. You don’t even want to write witty posts for your weblog. Going around the campus twice in a day does that to a person!

A day for play?

No, not really! Although in the afternoon I’m going to revisit a handbag for the tenth time. …and no, it’s not that gorgeous snakeskin! Just a regular one.

What I loved this week:

Merchandise presented by a couple of vendors in our little campus fair. One is from the weblog “oh, hello friend.” I bought a couple of little floral pins and brooches, a pair of earrings and a cute bow necklace from her and I love every each one. She has an Etsy shop too, although while she is on vacation her shop is closed.
A certain Snake skin handbag. I start salivating over it, first seeing it featured in “In Style” magazine, November issue. Then I met the bag in person … err…(in the flesh? Oh, OK)… in real life and fell head over heels in love. World, may I present you to the object of my desire, Beirn’s Jenna chain-stitched tote (number 2).
…and the third one… Oh, well; between my birthday loot, lots of window shopping (colorful pashmina scarves, cute shoes, gorgeous handbags, lots of fur coats) and a couple of good books; it is hard to pick just one. Here, you choose for number 3:

Busy day

Due to some computer problems I am a few days behind in posting.

Friday turned out to be a really busy day. I attended my class and then enjoyed a little time browsing the booths of some clothing and accessory vendors in campus. (Yes, this little fair comes to our campus twice a year.) Then joining my husband for lunch, going to mall for 4hours of walking and window shopping, home trying to fight my virus infected computer, dinner and coffee shop afterward. What a long day!

I should admit, this outfit held up well for the whole day.