Date night OOTD

By Malene Birger dress, Burberry bag, C-Label ankle strap wedges

I wore this old favorite By Malene Birger dress on a date with Chris. We went to Superior Motors which is Kevin Sousa's newest restaurant in Braddock. The food was really amazing and the space was very cool. I'm glad we checked it out. We went in celebration of my birthday, though we had gone to the Whitfield the night prior and Choolah on my birthday day (the night before that). So much going out! Anyway, I decided to wear this dress because it is incredibly delicate and I worry it won't last much longer. The silk chiffon is beautiful but not necessarily durable. And since it is another on that is about 10 years old, now seems like the time to enjoy it.

I don't know if that designer still releases lines but I always loved their aesthetic when I paid better attention to such things. I believe I bought this from Net-a-Porter or perhaps the Outnet. It was on a good sale, as usual. The Outnet may not have existed yet so it was probably Net-a-Porter. It has an open back so I usually pair it with a black cardigan because I am not about to go braless (even pre-motherhood). It's incredibly sheer and the slip it came with is still extremely revealing so I always pair it with one of my own slips. I'm sure it is outdated but I did get a few compliments from others in the restaurant.

Date Night Outfit

Last weekend was Chris's birthday so we spent a lot of time celebrating. And thanks to my parents who babysat, we went out to dinner alone for the first time since Emilia was born. It was kind of great to wear something that didn't need to be breastfeeding-friendly! I contemplated wearing an old favorite but immediately became overwhelmed by indecision. Which of my dresses was the most deserving? I couldn't pick. I know that sounds a little nuts but ... that's where I am right now. haha

I opted for the above new-to-me number instead. I bought this MBMJ dress off ebay, thinking that the button panel would offer nursing access. Sadly, it doesn't go down low enough. But I like the dress anyway!

We went to Salt of the Earth which is one of our favorite spots in town. We had gone to brunch at Meat and Potatoes and Kaya the night before so it was a very decadent weekend.

Outfit details:
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress
Spanx tights
Marc by Marc Jacobs mouse flats
Marc Jacobs Mercer East West Tote
Kate Spade bangle; Michael Kors watch

A Valentine's Symphony of Spinning Lace

 
Valentine's weekend marked the conclusion of the Tchaikovsky festival in Pittsburgh. One of Chris's favorite pieces was on the Pittsburgh Symphony's agenda so we asked some friends if they wanted to go on a double date. We had drinks at Six Penn Kitchen, went to Heinz Hall for the performance, and then to Kaya for a late dinner. It was a lovely evening! And it took the pressure off of February 14th. Although we had plans to see a film after Chris cooked a delicious Valentine's Day dinner, I asked if we could stay in, instead. I had a long day and was pretty tired. And we just had such a nice date that it seemed silly to force myself out on a Monday night, right before we head to the Bay area. Chris was kind enough to oblige so we stayed home and I baked cookies for dessert. Here are the date night detail shots:

Chris wore a Shipley and Halmos suit, vintage tie, Theory shirt, Fiorentini and Baker shoes, and a Paul Smith topcoat (shown at the top). I wore the Spinning Lace dress by Tracy Reese, my full skirted windowpane coat from alice+olivia, some velvet ruffle pumps by BCBG, and opaque tights. When Chris saw me playing dress up when I first bought the dress he said immediately that we needed to go somewhere fancy. I admit we were a little overdressed for the symphony but I was glad to have an occasion in which to flounce around anyway. I hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

See my posts on the Spinning Lace dress here and here. See more of the coat here. 

First/Last Date Night Outfit

Chris is off doing his dissertation field work/research for a bit. But before he left for South America we planned a lovely date to visit and enjoy the tasting menu with wine pairings at our favorite new restaurant, Salt of the Earth. It was our first Pittsburgh date since the wedding and our last date in the northern hemisphere. The tasting menu option is quite an experience. We were glad to sit with a view of the kitchen so we could watch the chef, Kevin Sousa run the kitchen and prepare our meal. The food and drinks were incredible and the atmosphere was romantic and fun. I wish we had taken photographs but we were so distracted by the scene that we didn't remember to do so.

If you live in the Pittsburgh area, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you visit this incredible restaurant. I have gone a few times now, with friends from out of town, and with friends from in town. Every visit had flawless service and delicious, exciting food and drinks. Their menu and preparations are unlike anything the Pittsburgh food scene has seen before. And the prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality and care they put into their food. Vegetarians also have an array of incredible, delicious options that are thoughtful and deliberate, rather than the typical veggie option afterthought most places offer. Don't skip the cocktails! I recommend the rye or the gin. They change their offerings regularly but the level of care and intellect that go into developing balanced and delicious drinks is consistent.

I wore a dress I thought I was going to forgo, even on sale: the Sugar and Cream teacup print dress. I almost let this one pass me by but after trying it on for a third time, I decided it would make a good date dress. I love the muted purple-ish gray color of the background and the ridiculous teacup motif.

BTW, HUGE sale day at Anthropologie! Check out the comprehensive list on Roxy's blog. Anyone grab anything yet? I think I got my hands on a Babergh Dress. When I returned to my local store to buy it, it was gone and sold out on the website. But with a 50% markdown it seemed worth a hunt.

Valentine Date Inspiration

valentine bows - by jesspgh on Polyvore.com*

While playing around in polyvore, I decided to make a set involving my dream Valentine's day look. Chris and I will be flying to NYC that day so that he can present at a conference. I am going to have to pack pretty light (and plan to write more on that later). This means we probably won't have much opportunity to get all dolled up or cook a fantastic meal together, like we usually do. If I was going somewhere for a Valentine's date, I would construct an outfit around the theme of bows.

Bows can be tricky. It can be hard for them not to seem too twee or too juvenile. The bows embellishing the items above straddle sophistication with cute and vaguely romantic whimsy, preventing them from being cutesy. Granted, for a regular day, this would be a bit over the top. But for special occasions, and worn with the right attitude, this would make for a dreamy date ensemble!

*Although I am not typically a big pink person, there seems to be a lot of bow-and-pink overlap. Happy Valentine's Week!