A GIANT, REFLECTIVE SURFACE ON A HOT DAY

Happy Tuesday after Memorial Day, everyone!

Our weekend was pretty low-key; we spent lots of time with my family, had a few BBQ's, and set up the sprinklers and kiddie pool in the backyard (it's nice to see CoStar and her brother run through the grass in bare feet with abandon.  I have a strange phobia about bare feet and grass; here's hoping irrational foot rot fears aren't necessarily inheritable).  

On Memorial Day itself, Mr. Brass Knuckles and I took the kids to Millennium Park downtown to explore the Bean and Crown Fountain.  The Bean and Crown Fountain are these incredibly beautiful works of public sculpture, and they are normally surrounded by a million tourists:

Cloud Gate (aka The Bean), Anish Kapoor; Crown Fountain, Jaume Plensa 

Who would've thought bringing the kids to a giant reflective surface on a 97 degree day would actually be a good idea?  They loved it!

My outfit was nothing extraordinary:

Silk dress, F21; Vest, La Rok; Shoes, Asos.com; necklace, Francesca's Collections; Lolita-style sunglasses, bought at a kiosk in Times Square. On CoStar: sailor dress, H&M; sequin Mary Janes, Target; Dora the Explorer sunglasses

I bought the dress -- which is real silk, surprisingly -- sometime in the last two years from Forever 21.  I purchased the denim vest, which attaches to a blazer, at a LaRok sample sale years ago.  I just Googled LaRok to see if they're still around; sadly, doesn't look like it!  I used to wear the vest/blazer with a sleeveless yellow bubble dress, which I still have, when I was first pregnant with CoStar.

The shoes have silly googly eyes and eyebrows on them.  When they first came in the mail, CoStar was HORRIFIED.  She begged me not to wear them: "Everyone will make fun of you!" She has since learned to appreciate the absurd, which is a good thing since I loved the shoes so much I got them in two colors:

These shoes are the flimsiest things ever and manufacturing them definitely contributed to the downfall of the polar bear.  Also, they reek of plastic and glue, so much that they give you reverse foot stink: they actually give your feet BO.  I feel guilty wearing them, but they've got eyes and eyebrows, you guys!   

Anyhow, the Bean was a lot of fun but hot, and the Crown Fountain was the perfect complement:

And now it is Tuesday and now it is back to work.  Good night, little Knuckles!  Hope you are reading this with a tall glass of wine, cuz I'm drinking one as I write!

DIY SPIKES AND STUDS TRENCH COAT

I am not, quite frankly, a huge DIY person, but I was super inspired by this DIY idea at Studs and Pearls.  I've always been obsessed by Burberry's incredible trenches from Spring 2011, as modeled by the stylish Emma Watson: 

Anyhow, I had this old teal jacket that I bought in Hong Kong years ago, from one of the stores in Island Beverly.  Island Beverly is this incredible "youth" fashion mall in the heart of Hong Kong, and along with the flagship Topshop in Oxford Circus, is one of my favorite places to shop, EVER.

I never knew how to wear this jacket -- it always felt slightly frumpy and misshapen -- but after a little studding action:

I used two sizes, Standard English and Tall English, from StudsAndSpikes.com.  I bought the pliers over ten years ago during fashion school, when I was learning how to cobble shoes.

there is only one real word for this coat, and this word is BITCHIN'.

Cotton jacket from Island Beverly.  I have no idea what the make is, and I don't remember how much I paid.  But much of Island Beverly is not particularly expensive, so I can't imagine I paid more than $60.

I wore this jacket to pick up CoStar from day care and all of her classmates were mesmerized by the sleeves.  Everyone wanted to touch them, and kept asking why I had spikes on my jacket.  CoStar told them to back off and said "That's her fashion!"  Hilarballs.

Last night, both Mr. Brass Knuckles and I got out of work early so we drove to our old neighborhood for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants during our b-school days:

 Blouse, Tracey Reese; Watch, Casio; Necklace from Francesca's Collections

Finally, I wore this outfit with one of my favorite pair of sunglasses, as modeled by Elmo:

Sunglasses, YSL

This extraordinary pair of shades was a gift from my friend Ryan, a magician.  Years ago, he and his then-girlfriend found them lying in the grass in Central Park.  We all tried them on, and they generously thought they look best on me, and I love them (both the shades and Ryan) to this day.

Happy Memorial Day weekend, little Knuckles!  I hope, wherever you are, you get to wear your favorite sunglasses and spend the weekend with people you love.

UPPER ARM FAIL

On Sunday it was so warm we packed a picnic and took the kids to one of our favorite local parks.

After a lovely meal of sandwiches, raspberries, and salt-and-vinegar potato chips, the entire family checked out the jungle gym:

including a certain spaghetti-armed weakling:

Oh MAN!  It seriously took every bit of teeth-gritting effort to pathetically hurl myself across a few rungs.  Long ago were the days of jogging and pilates -- this body is no longer a temple, but an outhouse.  The whole experience bizarrely reminded me of this old Charles Atlas ad: 

Where did this ad come from and why does my subconscious know about it?  Did I see it in an Archie comic book from like 1812?  I actually had to Google it.  It reminds me of something Dan Clowes would draw.  Sadly I am Joe, he of the ill-fitting high-waisted red trunks in dire need of Dynamic Tension....

I rarely wear shorts, but it was so hot that it was a good time to pull out my Imitation of Christ short-alls.  I believe these were S/S 2006 and I bought them at Barneys Co-Op after seeing them in the catalog:

Short-alls, Imitation of Christ, $(I don't remember)

I wore these short-alls the day after my wedding, when Mr. Brass Knuckles and I drove from our beautiful wedding location in Longboat Key, Florida to our first honeymoon destination, Disney World.  That morning we shared a romantic first meal as a married couple on the balcony of our honeymoon suite.  I remember sitting on his lap, enjoying the view and the salty air, and we were talking about how happy we were when all the sudden a giant, mangy black crow swooped down onto the railing not two feet from where we were sitting, and we were like UHHHHH.....

 Our 2nd meal as a married couple was at a Boston Market in a strip mall somewhere between Sarasota and Orlando.  Say what you will, their fusilli mac and cheese is delicious.

On Sunday I wore the short-alls with my favorite pair of comfy, go-to summer sandals that came out last year as part of the Dolce Vita for Target line,

Sandals, Dolce Vita for Target, $39.99

and my Carrera Champion Aviator glasses:

Sunglasses, Carrera, $109

Mr. Brass Knuckles got me these sunglasses for my birthday a few years ago.  Lady Gaga's Bad Romance video had just come out, and I said he could buy me one of two things, her Benjamin Cho polar bear coat:

or the sunglasses: 

I was very happy with Mr. Brass Knuckles' choice -- I would've only worn that coat a few times, and I wear these sunglasses all the time!  Amirite?  Love tap!

Good night, little Knuckles!

BRING BACK THE WEENIE!

Two of Target's next boutiques featured in their "The Shops at Target" initiative are Kirna Zabete and Patch NYC.

I loved shopping at Kirna Zabete back in the day (or window-shopping at least).  They have one of the prettiest stores in Soho, and the best selection of accessories.

I'm also excited about the Patch NYC collection.  They used to have a store in Manhattan but they've since re-located to Boston.  One of my favorite clutches of all time is their Weenie Dog from years ago:


Weenie Dog Bag, Patch NYC, I think I paid $99 for it.

I carried this clutch to my future sister-in-law's wedding in gorgeous Newport, Rhode Island.  It was the first time I met Mr. Brass Knuckles' extended family, and I believe I won over a dog-loving aunt with this bag.

I'm glad to see that Patch NYC is still around and continuing to make pretty things, though more along the lines of home decor and jewelry.  Having just visited the aquarium and seen real ones, I appreciate these seahorse earrings:

 
Seahorse earrings, PatchNYC.com, $44

These pillows would look great on our playroom couch (though the bear might scare CoStar):

 

Bear and Peacock Pillow, $120

And who doesn't need a gold boot?

Gold boot, $99

GOLD BOOT y'alls!

Good night, little Knuckles!

AM I HIP ENOUGH...

For Warby Parker glasses?

I got my home try-on kit today:

Glasses, Warby Parker, $95

From top to bottom, and smallest to largest, I got a black Finn, Webbs in 2 colors, a Preston, and a Thatcher.  The ridiculously huge Thatchers are reminiscent of the red Sally Jesse Raphael-style glasses I wore in elementary school.

Being sunglasses, the Prestons are too hard to judge.  Unless they are completely ridiculous,

Pineapple sunglasses WTF?!, Asos.com, $20.87.

sunglasses generally look pretty cool.

The Finns and Webbs look okay, but really the question boils down to: am I cool enough to pull these off?

Gaah.  You are what you need to be, right?  My only lament is that these amazing Prada glasses were never made for popular consumption:

Prada, Fall/Winter 2010

A single pair was available on ebay exactly once, and sadly I was outbid.  Someone is wearing these glasses and staring sternly at this very minute.  These glasses = instant Jackee.

A friend texted me this photo of Jackee once.  I laughed so hard, milk shot out of my nose (not really, but you know).

Good night, little Knuckles!

RE-CREATION TUESDAYS: HELLO NEW YORK!

I used to follow the rule that if you haven’t worn something in a year, get rid of it.  However, I’ve begun to regret my bi-yearly Salvo purges.  I wish I’d kept certain items simply for their memories (or if anything, the laughs).

I’ve gotten rid of a ton of stuff over the years, but I still remember what I was wearing during some seminal life moments.  Mr. Brass Knuckles suggested I re-create these outfits.  What a fun exercise!  Hence... Re-Creation Tuesdays!

Today's re-creation approximates what I wore when I moved to New York, truly when I stepped off my flight from Chicago and into LaGuardia airport.  It was July 5^th, and I was wearing:

 a long black maxi skirt that I purchased at TJ Maxx, 

LNA Gypsy Maxi Skirt, Shopbop.com, $99

a white tank top, 

 Favorite tank, J. Crew, $18 

and some dorky white running sneakers.  

 Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 15, Nike, $100

I had just graduated from college, and had $700 that my father loaned me and an address in Queens where I could stay, rent-free (a good friend from high school allowed me to crash at her place while she was away for the summer).  No job yet, but I was full of optimism.  And thus, my life as a New Yorker began.

My boyfriend at the time (a native New Yorker) picked me up from the airport.  We took a cab to my friend’s apartment to drop off my stuff, and then he took me on my first subway ride into the East Village.  I remember walking up into the sunlight from the N train station on 8^th street – it was probably 90 degrees that day and the skirt stuck to my legs. 

Honestly, it was a magical moment.

To paraphrase Joan Didion, I planned on staying for 6 months, and stayed for 9 years.  And I’m happy to say that though the outfit isn’t in my life today, the old boyfriend – now just a friend, but a dear one – and the friend from high school still are. 

 Kisses, little Knuckles!

A VERY FLORAL MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day this year -- my fifth -- was super from start to finish.  Mr. Brass Knuckles let me sleep in, and when I woke up I came down to a giant flower that he and CoStar had made for me, complete with a happy, lipsticked bee!  I also got some jewelry, including a beautiful collection that CoStar picked out just for me from her favorite jewelry store, Forever 21:

I love this collection: Indian-inspired and colorful, a little Nicole Richie....  my 4-year-old definitely has great taste!  I especially love the big pink flower for my hair.

Since the weather was amazing, we took the kids downtown to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier.  In keeping with the flower theme, I wore a kimono-style dress from H&M's 2010 garden collection:

I originally bought this dress to wear to my bandmate's wedding weekend in Indiana.  That weekend was a breath of fresh air -- literally! -- compared to business school, which we were in at the time.  Her reception was in her Grandmother's yard, complete with paper lanterns and fireworks over the pond.  Our entire band was there, including our drummer, whose chartreuse mohawk matched her wedding colors perfectly.

I wore this dress the morning of her wedding, and it holds one particular memory that's too precious to share.    

And despite its over-grown sleeves that catch on EVERYTHING, it made for a fun spring outfit on Mother's Day:  

At Navy Pier we did some sliding, 

 

made Cyclops masks,

and enjoyed the city! 

Good night, little Knuckles!

MOVIE NIGHT

One of Mr. Brass Knuckle's and my favorite things to do is go to the movies.  On Friday, he really wanted to see the Avengers.

So for our movie date, I pulled out an old cowl-necked mesh top I got at Foley & Corinna on the Lower East Side, back when F&C was just a cool little boutique with color-blocked racks of gorgeous vintage clothes.

This top is basically see-through, and was one of my hardest working tops back in the day.  I used to pair it with boot-cut jeans from Express (!) and a pair of gold shoes that I bought at the Space Outlet in Ticino, Switzerland during my fashion days. I fear I shall never wear those shoes again, because sadly I think years of pounding the Manhattan sidewalk were not kind to them.

I wore this very outfit on one of the first -- and only -- times I ever hung out with a bunch of investment bankers.  We went to The Park when it first opened -- a ridiculous bar with a hot-tub on the roof.  No one was really impressed by anyone that night, if you know what I mean.

This top is too short to wear with jeans now (i.e., I'm too old for midriff!) so I paired it with high-waisted black trousers and an old pair of Prada shoes:

Mr. Brass Knuckles rarely calls me out when I'm being ridiculous, but I was wearing these shoes the first time he ever scolded me.  It was New Years Eve, 2008, and we celebrated at a Rubulad party where my band was playing.  Amidst the chaos of a) performing in costume, b) our sweaty, half-naked male dance troupe, and c) general mayhem, I lost one shoe.  I cried the entire way home (did I mention I had had a few cocktails?) until finally Mr. Brass Knuckles told me to let it go -- "IT'S JUST A SHOE!"  And then I realized how ridiculous I was being (though I still loved the shoes enough to buy another pair).

To this day, whenever I remind him of how low-maintenance I am he brings up this incident, ha ha!

The Avengers turned out to be great!  Especially since we smuggled in two 24 ounce Modelos  (notice the Binny's bag in the photo above). 

Afterwards we were supposed to head out for drinks but we decided to go home, watch Jimmy Fallon, and fall asleep instead.  That's Friday night in the suburbs, y'all!

Kisses, little Knuckles!

BELIEVE!

Last Tuesday we got invited, last-minute, to the Bulls playoff game against the Sixers.  It was one of those "Win or Go Home" situations, down 1-3 in the series.

I'm not a huge sports fan but I have been to a lot of live sporting events in the past... and I can honestly say that I had NEVER attended a game when the team I was rooting for won (I'm lucky like that).

But on Tuesday night, the Bulls won!  Maybe it was because I was wearing red (though the Sixers were also wearing red.  Way to confuse us non-sports fans, Sixers):

I bought this jacket about 9 years ago at one of those stores on Broadway near NYU that sells young urbanwear.  It was during the heydey of brands like Phat Farm, Rocawear, and Sean John.  Remember those, ha ha!

This jacket came out in the nanosecond when hip-hop girls were dressing like Sandy from Grease, and it was instant love as soon as I saw it.  It's silky, slightly padded, and has a giant embroidered "Baby Phat" on the back (buahaha!).

Lots of great memories are hidden in this jacket, including the Winter of 2004 when I went on a historical trek through New England -- with stops at Gettysburg and Mount Vernon -- with a nice young man I'd just started dating, and with whom I recently celebrated my 6 year wedding anniversary.

Back to the Bulls.  I dusted this off and paired it with my beloved mouse shoes.  I stalked these shoes online for half a year but couldn't stomach the price -- until Zappos put them on sale for 40% off!

Marc by Marc Jacobs has re-introduced these shoes this year, in jelly, studded, glittered, and elastic versions (check Shopbop.com and Netaporter.com).

It was a gorgeous night overall.  The weather was perfect,

the United Center was buzzing with a ton of fun, positive energy, we had delicious food and martinis, and best of all, the Bulls won!

Happy Friday, little Knuckles!

Kisses!