So Fresh So Floral: Rent The Runway Free Dress Rental

Hello Readers!

Last Friday, I received something very exciting in the mail. But before I tell you what that was, I should tell you a bit more of the story.

Last spring (March 2011) I needed to find a dress to wear to my cousin's (Joe) wedding. I had dresses in my wardrobe, but nothing to wear (so to say). All of the dresses I owned were dresses I had already worn to previous events, but I wanted something new. After a random Google search, I found a website named Rent The Runway, where customers could rent designer gowns (way beyond my price range) to wear to events like weddings for a fraction of the dress' actual cost. A perfect solution for my dilemma.

Since then, I've told friends and family members about Rent The Runway (RTR), but I haven't used their services (although I do check their website on a weekly basis to see what's new). A month or so ago I completed a survey about RTR with the incentive of receiving a FREE surprise dress rental on a weekend TBA. I chose 2 possible weekends and 5 dresses for each weekend, and waited for the email to inform me that my dress (a surprise until I opened the box) was in the mail.

My surprise dress was AMAZING! The RTR stylists did a tremendous job choosing a dress that I loved wearing and a dress that was long enough for long legs! Ready to find out which dress it was?

The So Fresh So Floral Maxi by Shoshanna (Rental, $100; Retail $615)
There really is so much to love about this dress, but the colors are probably my favorite. Shoshanna makes dresses with impeccable patterns and oh-so-alluring colors, patterns and colors I've only admired from afar until this free surprise dress rental from RTR (thank you, stylists!)

I would have loved to wear this dress to a wedding, but since I had no weddings that weekend (or other "special" events) I decided to make a special event of the dress by wearing it to church on Sunday as well as Sunday dinner at my grandparents' house. And I LOVED wearing it! At church I paired it with a cardigan from Zara and a sparkly belt from Anthropologie. My experience with this dress (thanks to RTR) was thoroughly splendid. In the midst of an arduous search for a job, this lovely blue and purple dress showed up on my doorstep to lift my spirits and boost my confidence.

Here are a few pictures of me in this lovely dress! Enjoy!

I love this dress!

The church-appropriate version of the dress (with cardigan)

So Fresh!

The weather was (finally) perfect for a breezy maxi dress!

I look like I'm swimming the butterfly! Subconscious tribute to the Summer Olympics? 

I couldn't stop smiling! 

"The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind. . . "

Thank you, Leslie, for taking these pictures!

Retail Details:
Blue and Purple So Fresh So Floral Maxi Dress: Shoshanna (free surprise dress rental)
Grey and Rhinestone Belt: Anthropologie
Dark Silver 'Chirp' Pumps: Seychelles via Nordstrom Rack

Back in Black: First Week of School

Hello Readers!

Yet another semester of life is upon us at my college. Classes began on Monday and they went quite well! I still wake up around 6:30 am, but my first class isn't until 11:30 am. Last semester my first class began at 8:30 am and I found that many of my students were mostly asleep during the first 5 minutes or so of class... so I am looking forward to teaching students who are hungry instead of students who are sleepy. (Well, I hope they won't be sleepy!)

Yesterday, after my dear roomie took my outfit of the day photo, I realized that most of what I've worn over the past few days has been black or grey with the exception of a purple sweater on Tuesday. I hope my students don't think I'm gloomy or glum! It's just an easy color to match, I guess.

On Monday, I did add a punch of color with a pair of burgundy Calvin Klein pumps that I purchased from Bergner's last week at 75% off. The only mistake I found in wearing these shoes was that I wore them too much. Note to self: don't wear a new pair of heels on a day when you plan to walk a lot.

Retail Details:
Black V-Neck Cardigan: Zara
Black Elizabeth Dot Tie-Neck Blouse: Banana Republic (14 dollars!)
Black Skinny Belt: Banana Republic
Black Minnie Cropped Pants: J. Crew
Silvertone Locketwatch Necklace: American Eagle Outfitters
Bow and Glass Crystal Earrings: Juicy Couture (via Nordstrom Rack)

Do I look tired? That is because I am! First weeks are exhausting!

On Tuesday, I really wanted to wear tights. Before returning from break I came across a skirt I purchased back in November 2009 hiding in my pile of sports/activity t-shirts in my closet and since uncovering that gem I've been determined to find a way to bring it back into the light of day. And that is why I wanted to wear tights, so I could wear this skirt. Since it is black, grey, white, and gold; black tights were an easy choice. Here is the ensemble:

Retail Details:
Silver Heart Necklace: A gift from my cousin, Liz, for singing at her wedding
Black Cowl-Neck Long-Sleeve Top: Banana Republic
Black Tweed Skirt: J. Crew (Fall 2009)
Black Tights: J.Crew (also Fall 2009! Woah!)
Black Leather Boots: Anne Klein
Hair Elastic: Walgreens

My biggest regret of this outfit, besides not wearing any blush or bronzer while dressed in black, was that the skirt was a bit shorter than I remembered it being. Not inappropriate-short, but maybe a bit too short for a college professor- even an adjunct! The worst part of this skirt was that it rode up when I walked across campus and I had to pull it down every 5 steps (or so it seemed). Who knows... maybe someone will think I was dancing. Maybe soon you will see a dance move (the skirt tug) sweeping across campus. And you'll know that this girl made it up!

Demonstrating the "skirt tug": I think I'll save this skirt AND dance moves for Saturday nights.

Thanks for reading!

PS- Bergner's/Bon-Ton/Boston Store/Carson's/Younkers/etc. is still having their sale! The best deals can be found in the Yellow Dot Clearance (click "Yellow Dot Clearance" to go there. I'm not being paid/asked to say this, I just love sharing good sales with friends! Check it out! 

What I wore on the Monday before Finals...

Hello Readers!!!

This is a marathon week. The week before finals wherein teachers receive a flurry of emails with requests like "can I do any extra credit?," "how much should I study for the exam?," and "when is our final again?"

I knew that I would need to start the week off with a more serious tone than usual. Because, Readers, finals are serious business. I think that's why I chose this outfit:

Grey and black. Nothing says serious like these two colors. Maybe this outfit is one of the reasons I received so many emails from stressed out students. What's funny about this outfit is that two of my coworkers were also wearing black on Monday. We mean business!

Finals start tomorrow! I wish the very best to all of my students and all of my fellow educators!

Retail Details:
Black V-Neck Cardigan: Zara
Grey Wool Zipped Ruffle Dress: Classiques Entier (Nordstrom Rack)
Black Leather Belt: J. Crew
Sheer Polka Dot Tights: Nordstrom Rack
Black Leather Studded Flats: J. Crew

Outfit of The Day: Red Belt- Transitioning from Intention to Action

Hello Readers,

In the process of moving, unpacking, and then moving and unpacking again, I thought that I lost my camera's USB cable, but today I was reunited with the cable and finally I could upload one of my outfits from last week.  The picture is a bit dark, and the mess in the background is rather telling of the mess that was in my apartment.

Last week, I wore a dress every day that I was in the classroom, and Wednesday's outfit is the one I am most proud of- because I tried something different. I wore a RED belt. What?

Yes, I wore a red. Not only red- a red belt. This red suede belt was a gift from my mom, and I believe she wore it in the early 90s or late 80s? It's an item in my wardrobe that I intend to wear more than I actually do- but last Wednesday I turned intention into action and combined it with my Mompos Dress, a black cardigan from Zara, black opaque tights, and black leather heels from Banana Republic (not pictured above).

I think I may try to work this belt into my outfits more often in the future. . .

Retail Details:
Black Flowery Headband: J. Crew
Black Leather Bracelet: AG Jeans (a gift from the manager of the St. Louis store after my store review)
Blue and White Mompos Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese from Anthropologie
Black Cardigan: Zara
Black Opaque Tights: Hue
Red Suede Belt: My Mom's Closet

Wearing the Colors of the Wind

Hello Readers!

Yesterday I made a bold move.  Usually, when picking out an outfit I will stick to neutrals with maybe one pop of color in the outfit, but yesterday I wore more than one non-neutral color, I wore 3.  Mint green, turquoise, and copper.  The color combination made me think of the song Colors of the Wind from the movie Pocahontas. . . Anyways, here is the outfit:

Outside of my lovely office

This sudden burst of color was inspired by one of my friend's suggestions that I incorporate more color into my wardrobe (thanks Jasmine!) The result of this change?  Well, in addition to feeling bright and cheery on a Wednesday, I received compliments from several of my students and friends at school.  Also, when I went to the mall to pick up a few things for my mom I received a few compliments from employees at a few stores!

Just for fun, here are a few more photos of my colorful outfit:

Apparently I still have problems locking my office door. . . 

There we go!

I will miss this office after graduation!

Thank you for your advice Jasmine!

Retail Details:
Mint Green Scarf: A kiosk in Chinatown (NYC)
Turquoise 3/4 Cardigan: Zara (purchased in Madrid in spring 2008)
Enchanted Eyes Beaded Leather Belt: Anthropologie
Brownish-Grey Lace Skirt: 1960s Vintage, purchased online from a seller in Scotland
Copper Scallop-Patterned Tights: Anthropologie
Beige and Off-White Spectators: Seychelles
Patterned Wallet: Vera Bradley