Why I Love St. Patrick's Day

Connemara- Photo by Me

Good evening Readers!

I love Ireland.  In college I took a mini-mester ("J-term") class on the Irish Renaissance Literature that took me on a 10 day adventure through Ireland visiting places where history happened, walking where famous authors once stepped, sleeping in a castle, climbing hills, eating potato and leek soup with brown soda break to my heart's content, and capturing snapshots of the country's beauty with my camera and journal.

Cliffs of Moher: The wind was so strong that you could lean against it!

Monk's Pub: One of my favorite restaurants in the world in Ballyvaughan

I revisited this romance 2 years later through another mini-mester class (2 weeks this time, as a "May term") in the form of an independent study of nonverbal communication in Ireland.  On this visit, my love for this island expanded even more with a visits to new places, like The Aran Islands.

Dun Aengus, Aran Islands

Kissing the Blarney Stone

 My third (but hopefully not last!) trip to Ireland was with two lovely friends (Kellie & Rachel) during our Spring Break in 2008.  We brought only our purses, backpacks, and 1 suitcase and traveled across the Republic, staying in mostly hostels- even though we managed to experience rain, snow, sleet, and extreme winds within a 30 minute span of time (Waterford)- this was one of my favorite vacations ever! No one in our trio was old enough to rent a car (without a major fee), so we trekked across the country with a Irish Rover pass in one of these buses:

 Ireland has a very special place in my heart, and it is because of this fondness that I LOVE to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  I don't drink Guinness, but I do my best to enjoy rich chocolate and wear green.  This year, I went a bit overboard with my green wardrobe. . . Here I am in verdant St. Patrick's Day splendor with a painting I made of a scene from Ballyvaughan:

 Retail Details:
Mint Green Cashmere Cardigan: Martin + Osa
Seafoam Green Ruffled Tank: Anthropologie
Green Tank: Target
Beaded Leather Belt: Anthropologie (this season)
Olive Green Cords: AG (Stevie) from Anthropologie
Olive Green Jeweled Flats: Via Spiga (Nordstrom Rack)

*All photos, except for the ones of me, were taken by me.

Fitting Room Dress Reviews: 03/15/2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day Readers!

It is a beautiful day in Peoria- the weather is fairly warm, the sun is shining, and it's almost Friday!  To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I am wearing green today- are you?  

On Tuesday, I had a very intense job interview in St. Louis that went well, but ended a lot sooner than I thought it would.  I was going to drive back to Peoria on Wednesday morning, but this extra time gave me the luxury of extra time in the day to drive home. . . and even a bit of time to shop at Anthropologie!

I took a bit of a break from Anthropologie for a short span of time (2 weeks, maybe 3), but after seeing the fresh cuts in the sale section of anthro's website, and after successfully making it through my interview. . . I decided that a visit to my favorite store was in order!

There were so many cute things in the sale cubby and throughout the store and I tried on such a wide selection of items that currently reside in my wish list.  Here is a review of a few of my favorite things: 

Tied Down Dress by Maeve ($98)- Size 6

I was fascinated by the color of this dress (a coral-red) and the ring of detail at its hem, and the price point made this dress worth trying on. To bring the waist in, I added a belt that also brought a bit of texture and sparkle to the dress (it also looks lovely without the belt- but I love wearing belts with dresses!) I would say that the dress runs a bit big, but I don't think it is meant to be very tight fitting.  If you are going to try this on, grab your size and the next size up.

 Irresistible Maxi Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese ($89.95)- Size Small

I've never been a very big fan of maxi dresses, mostly because none of the ones I've tried on have been long enough, but this dress was an exceptional exception to this dilemma- there was plenty of length!  The dress is stunning- the color is so rich and the draping is beautiful.  The fabric is a bit sheer (motivation to continue with my workout routine!), but since it is so lightweight it will wear well even into the summer months.  This dress IS Irresistible (thank you Tracy Reese!) and this was one of my purchases of the day.  I am singing in my cousin's wedding this summer, and I think I will wear this dress (we'll see. . . ).

In An Instant Dress: Maeve ($98)- Size 4

Charcoal is one of my favorite clothing colors- it is versatile, flattering, and a great alternative to black- and marigold yellow has been a recent fascination of mine, so I had to try this dress on. I was not impressed with the dress- the fabric seemed a bit cheap, like it wouldn't retain its shape after a few washings.  I might try this on again if it makes it to the sale section, but for now it's just not quite what I'm looking for.

Emerging Leaves Dress: Weston Wear ($69.95)- Size 4

The print on this dress reminds me of the Madeleine books from the bookshelf of my childhood, which I think is why I gave this dress a try.  Lately, I've been trying to be more bold in my clothing selections, so trying on this dress was an exercise in that pursuit.  The dress has a nice, but heavy, weight to its fabric and an unordinary, but vintage-inspired shape.  I really wanted to like this dress, and I did, but I'm not quite bold enough to invest in a piece like this (it would be quite a departure from my ocean-inspired wardrobe).  The dress made my waist look very small, but it was a bit tight in the chest.

Anonna Dress: Edme & Esylite ($79.95)- Size 4

I tried this dress on with a bit of hesitation because of some of the negative reviews I read on anthro's website regarding the straps, but the dress was so adorable in person that I disregarded the reviews.  The dress that I tried on did not have any problems with the straps- but I wish that the belt on the dress was made from the same ribbon as the straps (but that's an easy problem to fix with a strip of white grosgrain ribbon).  The fit was flattering, I loved the lacy textured fabric on the box/bow portions of the skirt, and the flare of the shirt- but I was so wowed by the Irresistible Maxi Dress that this one went back on the sale rack.

Sunny Soiree Dress: Girls from Savoy ($148)- Size 4

This dress reminds me a lot of something Emma Pillsbury would wear on Glee, and seemed very teacher-ly to me.  The color and print of the skirt were delightful, but the fit of the skirt wasn't as flattering as I hoped it would be. The blouse portion of the dress seemed well-intentioned, but a bit over the top in the ruffles department.  Very cute dress, but not quite what I was looking for.  The dress fits fairly true to size.

Wicklow Dress: by ??? ($79.95)- Size Small

I think this dress is by Deletta, but I can't remember (does anyone know?) This dress is beautiful, and I appreciate the draping, but the overall shape was a bit to va-va-va-voom for my liking.  Yes, it is fun to play up one's assets, but this dress did that a bit too well!  If you have a straight body-type, this dress will add curves- but if you already have curves- beware!

Enjoy the rest of your St. Patrick's Day Readers!!!