What I Wore: Cynthia Rowley Spring 2011 trunk show

{ chair detail at Cynthia Rowley }

Cynthia Rowley had a fabulous trunk show last night at the Damen Ave boutique. The Spring 2011 collection is filled with the yummiest of frocks (literally, some had tiny cupcake prints!) made of raw-edge silk, sequin embellishments, and ostrich-feathered minis. All in delicious shades from bubblegum pink to goldenrod yellow to cerulean! Cynthia Rowley always offers classic shapes flattering to any woman (think sheath dresses) with little bits of sexiness. The Spring collection show lots of triangular cutouts: around the midsection, back, or even the elbows on long-sleeved lace dresses!

It was the perfect way to spend quality time with my girlfriend: oohing and aahing over eye candy, catching up on the latest, nibbling on Vosges Haut Chocolat and sipping Prosecco. LOVE! (p dot s, Who is that angry-looking girl on the phone in the background?)

I really hope I win the raffle for this Cynthia Rowley gift bag! I wanna know what's inside!!

Absolutely dying over this sample dress that is NOT part of the Spring collection... and even if it was it would have to remain a dream...

Dress, Michael Kors; Tights, Target; Boots, Nine West; Lipstick, NARS Red Lizard

I won free dinner at Old Town Social Club!

I'm a big fan of winning contests. I like entering all sorts of giveaways, sweepstakes, competitions––you name it, I'm in it (remember my big Wow Bao win?). Lately, the social media contest craze seems to be sweeping Facebook and Twitter. My friend even won a $300 gift card from Neiman Marcus, all by wasting time on Twitter and playing some sort of Fashion Scrabble! Now more and more fancy restaurants and hotels are slowly catching on and joining in on the conversation and giving away things like "Social Media Dinners."

Which I won one yesterday night! There I was, wasting time (again) on Facebook, and one of my favorite sorta-in-the-neighborhood swanky bar/charcuterie, Old Town Social Club, was hosting a contest on Facebook––simply tell them in 15 words or less what your Oscar speech would be (creativity/humor welcomed). I don't know which of my entries––"This ain't Twitter, why do I only get 15 words max for my Oscar speech?" or "I have 15 secs up here, thanks for sticking by me. Peace out, bitches!"––won me and The Fella a free dinner and sides for two, but it did, so let the gluttony begin!

{ The Fella, eagerly awaiting the most uh-MAZ-ing Mac & Cheese ever! }

{ wall detail }

{ Old Town Social Club bottles their own hot sauce, really yum––it's that glowing green bottle! }

{ Duck Tortelloni in Broth... heavenly! }

{ Fella's hearty "Man" meal... Pozole and Housemade Sausage, really yum! }

{ Did I mention how uh-MAZ-ing the Mac & Cheese is here? }

OOTD: Ass-kicking

Vest, French Connection circa 2009; Turtleneck, XOXO circa 2005; Leggings, Modcloth.com;
Boots, Nine West circa 2007; Leather sash, Sfera in Spain

My colleague said to me yesterday when I wore this outfit: "WOW, that is one ass-kicking outfit!"

Frankly, I think it's mostly the Gaga boots. You know how sometimes you build an outfit around a pair of shoes? No? Well, I found myself doing that yesterday morning because I knew I wanted to wear these platform boots, which happen to make my legs look really long when paired with black leggings. And in keeping with my recent subconscious almost-all-black wardrobe phase, I threw on a winter white vest to break it up. I've never worn a belt over this vest before, but lately I've been experimenting with the belt over cardigan/jacket/blazer/dress look. LIKE! (Sometimes I find myself talking in Facebook terms in the real world. Do you, too?)

OOTD: Is it hump day yet?

I didn't post OOTD pix on Monday because I wore this again. Tuesday rolled around and I was a little more inspired. I created a new outfit consisting of all old pieces never before worn together: a sheer 100 percent silk blouse covered in a blaze of rich blue, brown and gold flowers with a black blazer, sleeves rolled up. 

I feel like I've been wearing a lot of black the last couple weeks, so I think this peep of color helps brighten up my wardrobe choices of late. And a ruffly collar, bowtie, and blousy sleeves, to boot! 

#12 See a movie by myself – CHECK!

Of late, I've been busy checking things off my 30 for 30 list. That's why, when I was offered two free tickets to Saturday night's "Heddatron" performance at the Steppenwolf Theatre, I ultimately decided to go solo and check off #12. (Of course, I did first try really hard to find someone to join me since The Fella was working, even offering to give away the pair of tickets. It was nothing short of impossible to break people from their coupledom bliss at last minute's notice.)

Why is #12 even on my list? I'm hoping that by starting to do more things on my own, I'll feel more natural in my own skin and networking with others. It sounds stupid, I admit, but I find it incredibly uncomfortable to attend events (organized or not) on my own. Even something as simple as going to dinner––or seeing a movie––by myself instills the bejesus in me! Even when I was single, I didn't go to things on my own. Last year, I went to one fashion event by myself, and that was just okay. While I didn't feel wildly out of place from the cliques of two people or more, I just didn't have such a fun time (Celine Dion's All By Myself kept running through my head, and you all know how obnoxious that is).

I decided to do up my Saturday night right. Dressed to the nines in all-black, Gagaesque boots, and my new NARS Red Lizard lippy, I proudly proclaimed my single status en route to the theatre. It was overall an enjoyable night out by myself, except for the part when I presented to the usher the tickets that I had just picked up from Will-Call. She was genuinely perplexed as to why I have two tickets, is my guest going to come later, and why not? The horror! Is this what singles experience every day??? It was also a bit weird to walk into a sold-out, small theatre, and to seek out one single seat.

Nevertheless, in "Heddatron" a depressed, suicidal Michigan housewife gets abducted by a clan of renegade robots, all the while interwoven into another story line involving a 19th century Norwegian playwright who is also in an unhappy marriage––what's not to love (although, granted, probably not the best play to be seen seeing alone!)? The subtext was about marital problems, but I'm just not sure I'm artsy enough to understand how the robots fit in. Luckily for the stranger seated next to me, they got to hear an earful of my comments all night.

#28 Babysit for a full day – CHECK!

I put #28 Babysit for a full day on my 30 for 30 list namely because I wanted to see if I'd feel more keen on having my own children some day. Also, I welcomed the challenge since I haven't taken care of a child entirely on my own since I was a highly-overpaid* weekend sitter during my high school years. Although the basic care fundamentals haven't changed, I sure hope that 29-year old me would know more about life and how to respond to situational emergencies than me at 16! 

Luckily for me I have a good girlfriend who was willing to loan her 9-month old baby Jack for a night to help with my little experiment. (Although I'm sure if she's reading this, she probably won't like the sounds of "experiment.") Don't worry, Annie, it all worked out just fine!

I don't have any pix to prove this momentous event (too busy watching the kid, and all), but here are a few things I learned from this updated life experience:

1. Babies are not quite like pet dogs. At the beginning, I found myself trying to play with Jack the way I do with FurFur. "Go get the ball!" didn't go very far with him (or with FurFur, sometimes).
2. Babies don't judge.
3. Peek-a-boo never gets old.
4. Babies relate to you best if you get down to their level. I was on the floor 98% of the time, and mostly crawling around on all fours chasing him around. Jack thought it was really funny when I zoomed in at him at eye-level.
5. Lots of silly noises and sing-song voices keep them happy. I know zilch kid songs, so I sang what I knew: Christmas songs and old-school Britney. Poor Jack.     
6. How do you manage to EAT as a mother to a (non-sleeping) young baby??? (I didn't really figure out how to master this successfully, so any tips would be welcomed!)
7. Pacifiers can actually help prevent SIDS. Yea, I googled** this.

Besides a crying spell while I changed him (I don't blame him, it wasn't a very smooth ride since he writhed around so much like a snake), the night was pretty good.

*In case you're wondering, way back then I was paid at least $10 an hour for one young kid, and then $12 after they had a second. Which is a whole lot more than minimum wage today. Come to think of it, maybe I'm in the wrong industry entirely.

**When Jack awoke crying during his sleep and I couldn't get him to calm down, I had to resort to using a pacifier. I thought I was so clever until 20 minutes later, when it occurred to me that maybe it's unsafe for babies to sleep with pacifiers? I actually googled "Is it alright for babies to sleep with pacifier?" Fortunately, some sources say pacifiers can actually help reduce the risk of SIDS, and even more fortunately, the parents came home shortly thereafter :) Whew.

OOTD: All-black & Red Lizard lips

Jacket, vintage from my mom's closet; Lace top, Forever 21 circa 2003;
Leggings, Modcloth.com; Boots, Nine West; Clutch, found; Lipstick, NARS Red Lizard

Over the Christmas holiday, my mom insisted I have her old black wool jacket (and this Colombian cape, too). The jacket has a flouncy silk organza collar and oversized matching flower that SJP would die for, a petticoat waist, and a "strong shoulder." By that I mean not the slight shoulder pads that are "in" these days, but the really thick pads of the 80s.

I had brought the jacket back to Chicago, seeing the styling potential in this well-tailored vintage piece, but haven't had a chance to take it in for alterations until two weeks ago when I stopped into De Louice, a custom tailor in Wicker Park. I thought all I wanted was to have the shoulder pads taken out, but as expert tailor Adrian advised, I should instead keep the "power shoulder" look intact, however, take in the overly baggy sleeves and taper the waist. Turns out this creates a very fashion-forward, structured silhouette with dramatically contrasting proportions!

Even cooler, I just discovered the story behind the jacket: it was gifted to my mom when my dad's second cousin visited them in the States over 30 years ago. Apparently his cousin owns and operates designer clothing operations in Hong Kong and China, and this was a sample piece! (Um, why have we never met before???)

OOTD: Cozy & comfy

I basically woke up Friday morning and couldn't think of anything to wear. So I raided The Fella's closet. Problem solved! What's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine. Isn't that what they say about marriage? No? Oh.

Outfit of the Day:

Coat, Zara in Spain

Hat, The Fella's closet

Sweater, The Fella's closet

Leggings, Modcloth.com

Turtle boleo necklace, Maui

Boots, Aldo circa 2008

Admiring...

Lots of work to be done, but far too busy dreamily gazing at these roses in bloom...

OOTD: FurFur & the fur vest

Fur vest, Sfera in Spain; Turtleneck, my mom's; Skirt, Forever 21 circa 2003;
Belt, ASOS; Tights, We Love Colors; Heels, Anne Klein

Happy Thursday! It's starting to warm up here over the next couple of days. Today was a high of nearly 50 degrees, and tomorrow will be 60! (I do realize I talk way too much about weather, it's just that this is HUGE news for Chicagoans!) 

I walked into my staff meeting this morning, and my outfit elicited quite the reactions, ranging from "Whoah, Jamie sure wore her color today!" (which is funny because my tights are the only bright spot in an otherwise monochromatic outfit) to "Jamie knew she wanted to buy that coat, and so she did!" (some weird analogy my boss was trying to make comparing my fashion choices to brand management).

Oh, also, I tried to get my dog to make an appearance in the pix, but I'm pretty sure she was boycotting my fur vest.

OOTD: Snow White & the Evil Queen

Coat, BB Dakota via Modcloth.com; Fleece gloves, c/o Nike circa 2002; Boots, Hunter Wellies

On the one hand, I feel like the illegitimate love child of Snow White and the Evil Queen (hey! It's a fairytale––who says this can't happen?) when I look at pictures of my outfit today. It could be the bangs and black hair. Or the high collar and accents of blood red. On the other, well, nothing so clever inspired my outerwear today, except that I thought I'd be a bad ass by ditching the puffy down coat in favor of this thinner, stylish navy blue one, sans scarf and boot warmers. Stupid, stupid! Just because it's 39 degrees today, doesn't mean it feels like it! The whipping winds unfortunately make it feel like 30 degrees, hence my turned up collar.  

Vest, Michael Kors; Top, Uniqlo; Pants, some boutique in Miami;
Heels, Style & Co., Headband, Anthropologie, gifted

Underneath it all, I'm sticking with a peep of bright red in my shoes, worn with an otherwise conservative color palette: my favorite gray Michael Kors tweed vest and black pants. I'm also thinking of trying out the hot new hue of lipstick this season, seen all over the runways at NYFW: Power Red. Any suggestions on tried-and-true bright red lipsticks?

OOTD: A perfect Monday (& Valentine's Day)

{ surprise flowers }

We don't typically place too much emphasis on holidays. The Fella and I are not that big on celebratory "traditions" like gift-giving, fancy occasion dinners, or themed holiday decorating. (I realize this would make several of my girlfriends aghast.) But every once in awhile, when an unexpected gesture on an expected occasion comes your way, you're reminded just how nice those little details are––like a surprise bouquet of Valentine's Day flowers delivered to your office that just so happen to exactly match your outfit of the day!

We also tried to attend a fancy chocolate tasting event after work (see my PinkMemo blog post about it here!) at the experiential Purple House by Vosges Haut-Chocolat. It looks like we arrived too late––nothing remained but for three lonely Pink Champagne truffles made with Piper Heidsieck and a rose bud-flecked coating. (We cleaned those right up.) And if there was any remaining sparkling wine to be had, chocolatier Katrina recommends that you drop a truffle into a glass of bubbly; sip until you get to the bottom, and then take a bite to taste the champagne soaked into the dried rose petals!

{ how to experience Vosges )

{ Japanese wishing tree + my fave wish, "Travel the world" }

{ absinthe + Purple House boutique shop front }

Hungry, we stopped off for some pizza at Five Burroughs, conveniently located right across our train stop headed home. It's probably the best New York pizza I've found yet in this city that prefers Chicago deep dish (big sigh!).

All in all, a perfect Monday!

#15 Ride a Segway – CHECK!

Back in December, the Groupon gods must have been reading my mind (or my blog) because a Segway Experience Tour landed in my inbox. (Riding a Segway happens to be #15 on my 30 for 30 list.) Of course, I hopped on––no pun intended––this incredible deal, buying two for me and The Fella. For half off of $70, this was a steal! (Never mind that we would have three very cold months in which to use it before it expired.) For any Chicagoans reading this, you are reading between the lines and thinking: are you effin' crazy to think about zipping around on a scooter in the dead of winter???

The answer is yes. And yes. This weekend we took advantage of a miraculous heat wave of 40 degrees; we nixed our original plans to check out a Windy City Roller Derby home match (#20 on my list) in favor of doing a two-hour Segway tour. If you've never done it, DO IT! 

It was the most liberating feeling* I've had in a long time, maybe even ever! I can't ride a bike, but it turns out I sure can ride a Segway! Once you get the hang of standing on a self-balancing piece of motorized equipment on wheels and loosen those hips, you experience a feeling of pure giddiness as you zip around town. It's the equivalent of being a little kid riding a roller coaster, arms flung wide up and out as you scream of pure thrill and joy. (At least that's what I imagine it's like for most people; personally, I'm terrified of coasters and take no pleasure in this.) Gliding around on a Segway is overall pretty easy and smooth (except for the part when you're about to exceed the pre-set 8mph limitation mode and then the machine violently rocks back and forth and you have to consciously fight the urge to lean with it and instead shift in the opposite direction to come to a stop!) Yea, except for that, it's pretty cool and you get to see major landmarks around town.

Here we are starting out on Michigan Ave., just learning how to balance ourselves on a Segway...

And here I am now! Look, ma, no hands!

We're old pros by now, zipping away past Grant Park, down the lake front, and over to Museum Campus Row, passing by the Shedd Aquarium and The Field Museum and Sue!

Weaving our way over to Soldier Field now! We've never been to a game here and didn't even know you could just walk (or zip, as in our case) in on a regular day. Was a real treat to roam the innards of our very own Neo-Classical spaceship-shaped stadium!

Gliding now past the frozen marina where boats are usually docked...

And around the bend and over to the Adler Planetarium and a STUNNING view of the Chicago lakefront skyline!

And finally, this is the part where we take a little break from all our fun to hop off, bend our knees, shake things out a bit. Our expert tour guide, Damian, gives us a little surprise (even though it's against policy, shhhh): Do we want to try out "Turbo Mode" now? 

Do I ever?? So off we went, racing each other at 13mph and doing zippy 360 turns all the way down Michigan Ave. back to the shop! And the whole way, I kept going "Wheeeeeeee" like the little piggy in those GEICO tv commercials. Sweet ride!

*I plan to do this again once every year!

The weekend, succinctly

A heat wave came over Chicago just in time for our weekend of domestic coupledom. It was a high of 36 degrees on Saturday, and 41 on Sunday. Perrrfect for date night at a new Parisian-inspired bar in the West Loop called Maude's Liquor Bar, and also for an adventure date that involved wheels, helmets and neon vests! More on these later...

{ keepin' it real at the bus stop }

{ my Fella }

{ we're on a bus! }

{ view of the expressway from the West Loop }

{ baked scallops with pancetta, green beans, and mashed potatoes, made by The Fella }