Style[ish]

I don't usually talk about fashion because, well, I don't really have any. I tend to lag behind the trends and you'll never catch me in an outfit that could be described as anything more complimentary than "safe." No matter how well I think I match each morning, I am always blown away by the style icon that is my boss, who looks like she's just stepped out of a magazine but also like looking so good is the most effortless thing she will do all day. I have made many a purchase with her impeccable taste in mind, and I hope that she hasn't caught on to the fact that her unique but adorable nail polish choice this week will usually be mine next week (I'm shameless).
Though I have no style sense of my own, I am certainly not deterred from passing judgement on others. It would be a shame to let the hours I spent yawning through the Oscars last night go to waste, and since I haven't seen enough of the movies to formulate an informed opinion, I thought I'd share my (similarly uninformed) opinions on the other big story of the night: the dresses. I'll hand you your grain of salt now, and then we can get started...

The Best

Ms. Octavia Spencer has a stunning personality and wore a dress to match. I love the draped shoulders and the classic color on her. Her nominee presentation was equally adorable, and I definitely chided the audience from my couch when they failed to laugh at her joke. Such a class act!

Despite some of the criticism floating around, I thought Amanda Seyfried looked incredible. The cut of that dress is made for her (enviable) figure, and while it might have been impressive in a bolder color, I thought this was beautifully understated and elegant. It certainly doesn't help that she is a pretty fantastic singer in the sea of mediocre Les Mis musical talent, either (I'm looking at you, Mr. Crowe).

 I have no clue who Lara Spencer is (ok I'm lying, Google tells me that she's an anchor on Good Morning, America, which explains why I've never heard of her), but boy did she do well with this little number. Apparently I have a thing for off-white, and the sparkle on this one hits just the right balance between boring and kid's crazy art project.

If you know me even a little bit, this doesn't surprise you at all... Jennifer Aniston could have worn a trash bag and still made my best list. Despite my bias, this dress is fantastic and she is probably the only person who could have kept me completely focused on the person standing next to Channing Tatum (I'm kidding, sweetheart!)

 

The Best Couples

 (I'm making my own rules here)

A couple who isn't a couple, but still an adorable picture of Zero Dark Thirty stars Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke.

 Again, NOT a couple. I'm a sucker for anyone who brings their daughter to the awards, though, and Jamie Foxx's daughter Corinne Bishop was adorable and super poised on the red carpet.

 Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden looking cute and not-at-all-strung-out-on-drugs... a little less Walt, a little more Hal.

And of course Bennifer, included mostly for the sweet shot of Jennifer tearing up in the audience when Ben announced to the world that their marriage was "work, but... the best kind of work." Amen to that.

The Worst

Swing and a miss for the usually gorgeous Halle Berry, who looks like she might have ridden in on the Enterprise with Mr. Shatner.

Amy Adams is adorable, no doubt about it, but the decision to wear 300 pounds of gray tulle was definitely not one of her best. I missed her on the red carpet but kept catching glimpses of her beast of a dress in the front row, and by the time I realized that it was her under all those layers, I was so sure that the dress was a ploy to get an awesome seat that I just couldn't forgive it. Try again next year, Amy.

The fact that this was the only picture of Anne Hathaway's dress PG-enough for this blog says it all. Did she look in a mirror before she left home?

There are really no words for the spectacular disaster that is Kristin Stewart. My favorite tweet of the night (retweeted via a friend): "Has anyone told Kristen Stewart that she's totally allowed to not be a movie star if she wants out?" Poor Harry Potter...

  

The Questionable

I'm honestly torn here. I love Sally Fields, but I hated her in Lincoln. I adore the top half of her dress, but the ruffles at the bottom make me ill. 

I get it: if I had once been Bridget Jones, I would want to show off a newly-discovered teeny tiny waistline whenever possible, too. This dress flatters a little too much for my taste -- I'm not particularly interested in all the curves that it outlines so well. The color is great, but the spandex illusion isn't.

I loved the movie Ted, terribly offensive jokes and all. There's just something about a talking teddy bear that gets me every time, no matter how awful the words coming out of his mouth might be. I'm not going to get into the specifics of his appearance last night, but I do think that it might not have been the best venue for our little fuzzy friend to let fly. Mark Wahlberg's face in this picture really says it all. I can't lie, though: I'm absolutely dying for the sequel.

But the biggest question of the night: where in the world was Emma Stone? She helped Seth MacFarlane announce the nominees back in January, but she was nowhere to be seen on the big night itself. Did her limo get lost? Did Ryan Gosling say "Hey girl, lets spend a quiet night at home?" There's got to be a good explanation...

Happy Oscars, all!

Love,

Meg

Dressy

New Year's Eve is typically a pretty quiet affair around these parts. When I was young, my family sometimes headed out to our local First Night for a few performances and some fireworks, but more often than not we stayed at  home. In the years since Dan and I started to date, we've never gone to big parties or dressed up for a last night out on the town for the year. Generally, we can be found sporting sweats on our couch, watching dear old Dick Clark with sleepy eyes and rousing ourselves for a quick peck at midnight before falling into bed. Not exactly ringing the new year in style... until this year.

Thanks to a welcome infusion of some young blood (ie Dan's youngest brother and his lovely girlfriend), our plans this year include dressing up (gasp) for a nice dinner and then coming back to the apartment for drinks and celebrations. One of Dan's best friends/former roommates will be joining us, and our brand new fondue pot (a Christmas present!) will make its debut. I am determined not to doze off before midnight and to take lots of pictures, because at the rate we are going, the next exciting recurrence of this holiday will be when we are 30-something.

While the rather loud sucking sound I hear each time I check my bank account has assured me that I will not be purchasing a new party dress for the occasion, that hasn't stopped me from looking. Here are some of my favorites:

Classically sparkly, but not over the top. If only my legs were that long and thin...

Simple but easily dressed up with a long necklace and cute heels.

Love this color and cut (although I could do without the bird's nest on the top of her head)

I am definitely a black and white girl: 90% of the dresses I own are one or both. I love the pattern and simple cut of the dress on the far left, and think the sequins and ruffles of the center left dress are really fun. I am absolutely in love with the white dress though -- the full bottom and sash are just adorable. Luckily for my wallet, it was a pinterest find with no way to trace the website... besides, there's no way I could wear it for more than an hour without staining it.

This is a fantastic color and I like that it's a bit longer. Not exactly New Year's Eve specific, but still incredibly pretty. I think I'd need to purchase a skinnier waist to go with it though...

I think this one has to be my favorite -- it's just the right amount of glitz for NYE, but still super classy with a great silhouette. So perfect with a pair of red heels, too.

Unfortunately, I will be shopping through my own closet for Saturday, which sadly houses not one of these great finds. Hopefully I can pull off something that looks dressy enough without freezing all night, although I make no bets on how long I will last before putting on a pair of yoga pants once we get back home to continue the party. Midnight champagne must taste the same in a cozy hoody as a party dress, right?

Now if only I could get our apartment to look like this for the night, we'd be in business:

   Love,

    Meg

When You Wish Upon a Blog

Ahhh yes, it's one of those Tuesdays. The weekend seems impossibly far away (even though I have Thursday and Friday "off" this week), my coworkers are dancing all over my very last shred of patience, and I'm pretty sure that my brain is starting to flood with all the rain. My evening is calling out to me with a big glass of wine, a warm blanket, a funny movie, and a pint of Phish Food fro-yo... I just have to get there first. Until then, here are a few items from my wish list that have been frequenting my daydreams of late:

The fact that none of the furniture in our apartment matches is starting to get to me. I don't dislike any of the pieces on their own, but hate the fact that our living room looks like a four-year-old threw together a bunch of magazine clippings. More than anything, I am so ready for a real bed with a headboard and matching bedding to replace our dinosaur box springs. That's right, there are dinosaurs on our box springs. Thankfully they are covered with a sham, but I still know they are under there. I am so in love with the bed, couch, and chair above (all from heaven-on-earth-aka-Pottery Barn) I could just crawl right into the pictures.

My closet is positively crying out for both of these lovely creations (from the amazing Kate Spade). One for fun, one for business. Flirty vs. professional. Both equally adorable. Why choose?

I have been lusting after one of these babies for quite a while now. I was working on convincing myself that it's a practical purchase and will save me money in the long run, but when I discovered this weekend that they brew iced coffee and iced tea, I knew I was a goner. Any bets on how long I can hold out? I'm guessing it will be only as long as it takes for Dunkin' Donuts to start selling K-cups, which should be later this year.

I have been struck by a serious craving for unhealthy food lately. I'm pretty sure that my body is rebelling against all the healthy stuff I've been force-feeding it lately, because I have been positively dying for a greasy, fattening, calorie-dense feast. Preferably one that includes some (or all) of the above dishes. If you need me, you can find me at the gym for the rest of the month: either in a desperate effort to avoid this kind of meal, or recovering once I eventually give in.

At the very top of my wish list though (as always) is this guy. I'd gladly forfeit the bed, the shoes, the coffee, and the calories if it meant my handsome husband could come home to stay. I am so excited to see him on Thursday and have him home for several days, even though I know it will be bittersweet. Luckily, he proves to me over and over again that he still knows just the right way to make me smile, even from miles and miles away.

What are you wishing for on this dreary Tuesday?

   Love,

    Meg