BORROWED...

So last night I borrowed this little hoodie from my boyfriend for my slightly chillier trip home. I brought an extra sweater with me but I was convinced it was not enough. Mostly I just like to wear my boyf's stuff. I couldn't take off this sweatshirt, and I have a feeling I will not for a while. It deffo gives the classic black skirt and sheer tights a fun and different angle, increasing the comfort and snuggliness, especially as the temperature drops from our unseasonably warm days.

What is your favorite piece of clothing that is not yours but you always borrow?

xx

MAX Brenner...

Janeille and I had another lunch date! This time we ventured to Union Square to one of Janeille’s favorite restaurants, Max Brenner. This place is so pretty to look at, a chocolate store upon entry, a pastry/ coffee bar, and then a sweet little restaurant, open with high ceilings and brown detailing.

 

Was so excited to try the food that Janielle spoke so highly of. I ordered a chicken Panini with black olive pesto and goat cheese, while Janeille ordered in a turkey burger. Janielle was very  satisfied with her turkey burger, swimming in melted cheese, while I, on the other hand was not.

I was super amped to have something other than chicken tenders from Cluck U or a falafel, or even a burger. But unfortunately, my Panini lacked all the flavors I was hoping for. Imagining the warm toastiness of paninis of the past, and the flavorful chicken, moist with careful preparation, and the melty sophistication of goat cheese. It sure was toasty (read, dry and crunchy). The bread was just crunchy and pretty flavorless, not in the sense that it was serving as a nondescript base for the delicious insides, no it was just not great tasting. The chicken was also pretty nondescript, no seasoning, no flavor just resting. I could barely taste the goat cheese, which though at times can have a strong taste and residual flavor, but I got none of that. And forget the black olive pesto, I am pretty sure the person who prepared my sandwich forgot it too. The only thing that brought life to my sandwich was the tomato and my company. I can distinctly remember what the Panini looked like, with its colors and textures, but the taste hardly left any kind of mark in my memory.

Both lunch sandwiches were accompanied by Max Brenner’s famed waffle fries, dusted with coca powder and served with a chili aioli dealie. I am a sucker for waffle fries, and make them more exotic with special seasonings and recipes, it’s a wrap. The first fry was good, but as expected, as their temperature dropped, so did their quality. I almost wish they were more heavily dusted wit the coca powder, to add another dimension, bringing them further away from the frozen food section variety of waffle fry. The dipping sauce though, was amazing (I used it to try to resuscitate my panino).

Since the very beginning of our lunch, looking at the desert and beverage menu, my heart was set on this banana split waffle. I was trying to get my lunch date to share it with me, but she politely declined, and said that it would redeem my lunch. So I ordered the over priced desert. It was a waffle topped with flambayed bananas, roasted rice crispies, chocolate sauce and some chocolate covered crispies. This was delicious, but the chocolate was unnecessary to me. I loved the hot of the bananas and the waffle mixing with the cold of the ice cream, and the disparate textures that blended so nicely on the tongue. Loved the crunch of the roasted crispies, but not necessarily their taste, but the crunch countered the soft banana and the Belgian-esque waffle.

Overall the visual aesthetics of my lunch were much more nutritious and satisfying than the actual food. I would go again to try more desserts... maybe even fondue. 

GREATERlengths..

Surprise Surprise... Another long one. I have never been known for wearing long skirts, not even knee length skirts. But for some reason, in the last couple of weeks, I have been dying for length, a not so subtle way to change up my look and add a different dimension. I bought this sheer- ish black forever21 dress ages ago, and I have deffo worn it a couple times, but I was never satisfied with how it looked. It is a little hard for me, because it is pleated, I do not have the right shoes for it, and it also has that sheer top layer and shorter under layer. So yesterday, I added a nice little crop top and a belt to make my dress over into a maxi skirt. I think I am liking this better, but it also may be because I paired it with my new favorite Steve Maddens (v specific so I do not discriminate against my other favorite shoes... all of them).

I also may have just got another beautiful maxi length skirt... stay tuned to see what I will do with it...

xx

VARIation...

So I was supposed to wear this whole outfit, in its entirety, with a different pink skirt I got the same day as these shoes (more about this shopping adventure soon), but like a lameo, I didn't like it when I first tried it on at home. Especially when I am shopping at H&M (with their relaxing return policy compared to the fierce Forever21) I do not generally try clothing on in the store, depending on time and clothing constraints. Unfortunately. this was one of my shopping adventures that I did not try clothing on. I was super amped about the skirt...1. because it's pink. 2. because it's not typical "Randi" length. 3. because it's pink aaand pleated. But alas, I tried it on yesterday, pre-Thanksgiving feast, and did not like it. So I resorted to my current favorite pink skirt, that apparently I can't stop wearing or thinking about...Variation...

I guess I will try on the new pink skirt one more time to see if I like it... Do you try clothes on in the stores before purchasing them?

SHOUT OUT: Thanks to my mom and sister for taking photos of me, even when they were busy doing Thanksgiving stuff! xx

reBUILT...

My boyfriend gave me two really amazing gifts for my birthday, one I use practically everyday, and the other was a special date. He made reservations for us to go see the 9/11 Memorial at World Trade Center. It was really special to me, because the company he has been interning with is doing work on the Path Roof at WTC, and he has been talking about various projects and things he has been involved in, so I could finally see what he was talking about. It was such a thoughtful gift and I still appreciate the gesture and our time together that special Tuesday. We both felt pretty guilty about being excited to see the memorial because so many people lost relatives, friends, coworkers etc during the attacks and the site is designed and meant for celebrating and remembering the lives lost.

So not only did I study art history in undergrad, but I took several architectural history classes to feed the fire of my appreciation for architecture and the aesthetics of space. This trip to see the Memorial tickled my aesthetic fancies; the lines, colors, dynamics and materials blew me away, as well as the carefully orchestrated symbiosis of symbolism and practicality. The two reflecting pools filling the space left by the destroyed towers, were beautiful, unending and awe inspiring. We were lucky enough to see them in day light as well in the evening hours, so the lights turned on and all the names inscribed along the railing/ wall were illuminated and glowed with a haunting beauty, reminding us what was lost. The trees and green spaces gave off a sense of rejeuvanation and rebirth, which as was said on the Discovery Channel program, "Rebuilding Ground Zero," is essential to the city and the nation in remembering the past and moving forward.  The geometry of the surrounding skyline, and the growing buildings, was captivating, and the lights created a forceful reminder.

I got to see little marks that Joe made in various places when he was checking for leaks, and the fence and plywood fence, that he spent forever (patiently) explaining to me, all aspects, engineering, material, purchasing and executing. So amazing.

It was a really great experience and one of the best times I have had. Too bad our post memorial dinner was awful… 

NOTE: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

DOLLbaby...

Ok. So this is a really sweet dress. Lacey peter pan collar, large lace material, empire waist… any girlie girl’s dream. Too bad it is a size too small, but I think I made it work. Added the black belt with the buckles to give the doll baby dress some edge. To make it weather appropriate I added some good old American Apparel thigh high socks, and my favorite tan suede wedges. I am kinda in love with this dress, because it is so easy to wear, one piece of clothing and that is it. Sometimes in hectic life, limiting difficulty in getting dressed is essential. I also think it’s really super cute. A lady at work the other day said she was obsessed with my dress, so I let her in on the secret, that it is still at Forever21 and it is a size too small, aaand I got a little rip in the lace material my first day wearing it. That was just one of many comments I got on the dress. So super cute.

I'm looking forward to wearing this dress a variety of ways through the winter!