Shopping with a newborn

Last month, Chris and I ventured out of SWPA for the first time in a long time. We didn't go far and we didn't stay long but it felt wonderful to get out of town. I was eager to hit the stores that Pittsburgh doesn't have: Saks, Nordstrom Rack, Bloomingdales, Loehmann's, Barney's Coop. With giftcards burning holes in my pocket I couldn't wait to hit the sales. But shopping while traveling with a newborn for the first time was way more difficult than I ever imagined.

en route to Friendship Heights

Between taking turns holding her, changing her, feeding her, and keeping her happy there was little time left for browsing. When strapped for time, I'm usually a "head directly to the sale rack, do not linger around new arrivals as they are out of your price range," sort of shopper. But sale racks are often disorganized and crowded. And for the first time in my life that disorganization overwhelmed rather than enticed me. So I wound up nursing the baby in an out-of-the-way chair while Chris looked around. BTW, thank goodness for Nordstrom. Their "Women's Lounge" was an oasis of calm for my harried, frustrated, and otherwise disappointed self. I really couldn't focus even when Chris had the baby because I spent those minutes worrying about whether she was ok, if she wanted to eat, did she need to be changed, was she on the cusp of a meltdown, etc. At the end of the weekend, I returned home empty handed.

I am sure I will get the hang of this eventually, right? Until then, thank goodness for online shopping.

Fall themed Chloé OOTN

I bought this many seasons old Chloé dress on ebay a while back, anticipating that I'd wear it for the rehearsal dinner. A fall wedding deserved a fall themed dress as I saw it. But I ended up finding something a little more glam (which you can see here). So this dress hung in my closet, neglected. Although I packed for DC in a rush, I managed to remember to grab this one. And I ended up wearing it on our fancy honeymoon (part 1) date to Jaleo.  I paired it with some tights and jeweled flats by Miu Miu.

Capitol Outfits

On Sunday, the day after the wedding, we had our nearest and dearest over to our house for a brunch. I didn't have a lot of time between checking out of the Renaissance Hotel, unpacking all my things, having a bunch of people over, and throwing together an overnight bag for DC. I packed pretty quickly on Sunday afternoon, after our relatives left. And I realized once I got there that I forgot basic plain pieces to mix and match with the printed pieces I grabbed. Instead I had to mix my prints. So the above is one concoction. The cardigan is Marc by Marc Jacobs, the dress is a nightgown from Anthropologie. The shoes are Miu Miu. And the bag is a new-to-me map print drawstring sling bag from ebay.

After we left the Brazilian consulate we decided to go for a bit of a walk. We ended up passing the headquarters of the American Association of University Women. I really regret not visiting them last year when I was officially one of their fellows. But it was fun to get my photo in front after the fact.

And here is another outfit hodge-podge with cords from Old Navy and an American Apparel top.  Speck and I are posing by my former abode in Georgetown (where I got to pretend to be a far fancier gal than my economic reality allows thanks to a very generous friend and his family).

I feel like I've been hitting the weather jackpot lately. And DC was no exception! Though it has cooled down significantly since then.

Wheeling away down the road of life

Chris and I didn't ride any bicycles built for two during our brief honeymoon (part 1) but I did wear this Two Wheeler bike print dress a lot. I tried not to make much of a fuss about honeymooning because it was kind of last minute and brief from necessity. I had to get back to work. I don't really have the time for a big trip until December so that is when we're going somewhere. But we decided to visit DC to eat, drink, do some visa paperwork for honeymoon part 2, and be merry/married. Speck came along because the Hotel Madera (along with all Kimpton Hotels) allows pets with no restrictions. I've come to really adore their hotels for the warm service and quirky decor. Because they caught wind of our wedding, they put us on the top floor in a suite with a balcony. And they greeted us with a bottle of wine and a cheese plate.

While in DC, we ate at Jaleo which was amazing. Our server was the sweetest man who was so enthusiastic about the insane amount of food we ordered. My favorite part of the meal was the squid ink black rice paella with cuttlefish and shrimp. Although we were stuffed (and had to take most of the paella home) we managed to eat the delicious dessert he gave to us in celebration of our matrimony. We also visited the Tacklebox and Two Amy's Pizza. Here's Chris walking Speck around Georgetown and enjoying the delicious Tacklebox spices.

I found myself walking around in a dreamy daze, so soon after the wedding. Everything felt very special and exciting, but I was also perpetually on the verge of emotional overcome. I don't know if I was feeling sad, but I was a little somber. Somber in the sense that nostalgia can feel melancholic. I couldn't (and still can't) stop dreaming about the wedding. It didn't escape my immediate frame of mind at all during the trip. I guess that is to be expected? I don't mean to sound like a Debbie Downer.

In so many ways I am glad the wedding happened. It was wonderful and I am glad it is behind me. But I also felt for it such immense excitement and anticipation. With it behind me, there is a slight void. I never thought I would be among the "post-wedding blues" contingent, and I would never ever describe what I feel as blue. Instead it feels surreal. I already have so much nostalgia for it. And with those pangs of nostalgic longing come the inevitable melancholia. I am happy it is over but I wish I could rewind myself to relive parts that are blurry already in my memory. I can't wait for the video and although I was reluctant to have video, I am grateful that my mom insisted.

Part of me was sad to leave Pittsburgh at all (where some friends were still in town after the wedding, including Robina and her beautiful family). Part of me was sad to spend such little time in DC. I couldn't catch up with DC friends or meet the new members of a few of their families because our time was so limited. We checked in late, were there for about 36 hours, and had to return to the 'burgh. I guess this is one of those times when I can just accept that I have too many feelings (tm Robina). Regardless, this DC trip was a nice memory and a wonderful way to kick off married life.

Back in Pittsburgh!

I am back in Pittsburgh and starting to feel settled again, after a few long but fun weeks of hectic travels, lengthy research, unreliable internet connections, and bleary mornings during which I'd regularly forget my location. Although I am happy to be back, since there truly is no place like home, I will miss DC for its restaurants, museums, comprehensive public transportation, great friends (shout out specifically to my Fashionism gal pals), and shopping.

Before I left I managed to hit up some of my favorite neighborhood haunts, to scope sales and try on some clothes. A few items might eventually become objects of estalking but nothing struck me as a "must buy." At least not for just 30-40% off retail.

In light of the Susie Bubble dressing room photo scandal I am a little wary about posting my own dressing room picks, but I sincerely doubt anyone from Cusp, Anthropologie, or Barney's Coop will ever stumble upon my humble blog. So here they are:
Anthropologie:

Leifsdottir dress, Anna Sui skirt, Odille skirt

Cusp (where I tried on every See by Chloe dress in the store):

Barney's Coop:

3.1 Phillip Lim skirt and dress

A.P.C. dress and jacket

I will be getting back into the rhythm of blogging now that I am home again and have many topics ready for discussion! Thanks for bearing with me during my DC hiatus!!

Sound of Silence: Going Back to DC

I left for DC on Saturday and am living in the beautiful, historical, and boutique-heavy neighborhood of Georgetown for all of May.

(photo from http://www.thedctraveler.com)

I already bought some small items at the souvenir shop of the museum in which I am a Smithsonian predoctoral research fellow: the newly-renovated National Museum of American History.

Being in DC for a month is good for my brick and mortar shopping habits, as the options are much more vast. But it is bad for online shopping, since I won't really be able to do it while here. I don't have regular access to the internet so my posts will be sporadic until I return to Pittsburgh in June.

Thank you for reading and bearing with me!