Spring outfit check in

A family photo from Easter 2021. I am wearing Boden from Spring 2020 and a TWG cardigan that is over 10 years old. The girls are wearing jumpsuits from Carters I think and Boden sweaters. 

I feel so out of the habit of dressing to see people who are not my inner circle. The idea of everything returning to some relative normal is of course appealing but also a little rattling. My pandemic body is softer from having stayed home so much and I am trying to be kind to myself about it. I know many were able to pick up routines for fitness but with full time work and full time remote school, the pace of my pandemic life never seemed to have the space. 

What a weird, hard year this has been and in spite of it there have been some bright spots... my family has been lucky to be insulated from the most devastating aspects of the pandemic and I am so grateful for that and for how this year has yielded so much more time with my kids and spouse than we would have otherwise had. 

Fall Clothes are my favorite

 

It's pandemic fall and I'm barely leaving my house as the case counts in the US break records. But we did get out a few times and thus, wore some clothes. I am swamped with work and the kids' school but I desire to catalog these moments. Above was on Halloween when we went to an outdoor gathering for the girls' virtual dance classes with the Hope Academy. 

Above, I am wearing a child's cloak (size L) from the Boden x Harry Potter line. Rosie is too (size S)! She didn't want to wear a costume but the prospect of matching helped. Emilia has one of these cloaks too! When we got the catalog she immediately fell in love. Then she read the books soon after. While they were not inexpensive for such a fanciful piece, I know from the Roald Dahl line that they will retain value on the resale market and the girls can age through them. I also rationalized it because I like them way better than the ones they sell at Universal Studios (where we will eventually go post-pandemic). They sold out so quickly that I didn't have a lot of time to think about it but I had a big account credit to spend, thanks to a Boden focus group I did. So... long story short, we have capes! `

The marital entity of Chris and I turned 10 about a month ago. We watched our wedding video as a family! It was so fun to revisit it and share with the girls. Here, I'm wearing a Boden dress I bought during the last sample sale I worked (December 2019). 

Had we made it to a pumpkin farm, the girls would have worn these fall themed looks I think. Dress available still from Nordstrom here. 

And finally, a Zoom look from last Friday for my digital media literacy class. I taught to black boxes so I couldn't even see if they grinned at my witchiness. I hope you and yours are well! 

Getting Fancy with Voodoo Vixen

The holiday season may be coming to a close but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of reasons in 2016 to get dressed up fancy. I was excited to wear Voodoo Vixen's Paula dress for my own holiday celebrations. The dress hit all the right notes for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and even my work holiday party. The fabric is substantial with just a hint of stretch and shimmer. The shade of blue looks festive but the black velvety print adds texture. And the belt makes sure one's figure is hugged in the most flattering spot. As my own figure shifted due to the effects of pregnancy and holiday eating, this dress still seemed to fit me through the season. I thought it looked quite nice paired with my daughter's fancy Christmas frock.

The Paula dress (now on sale and available in regular and plus sizes!) yielded many many compliments and although I considered hemming it to be closer to knee length, the slightly longer look made it feel unique and formal. On the right is another lovely dress I considered called the Blair Flare. I am glad I kept my Paula Dress as is and I really appreciate that it has sleeves. But Blair Flare would make a lovely Valentine's Day dress!

Regarding fit: I ordered an XL which was the right choice for me. It gave me plenty of room and I could cinch the waist without feeling constricted. I think this dress will continue to fit me as my midsection grows into my second trimester when I will need something for a winter wedding and it will also work postpartum. I am so grateful to Voodoo Vixen for sending me such a beautiful dress and solving my "what do I wear this holiday season" dilemma that was only exacerbated by my changing pregnant body. Thank you!

Voodoo Vixen is also offering readers of Consume or Consumed an exclusive discount, now through January 31st! Use code CC20 to deduct 20% from your order! Follow @VoodooVixenLDN on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to learn about other discounts and styles they offer. On the website, many dresses are on sale and they carry a range of pieces that suit many occasions and sizes that suit many body types. Thanks again, Voodoo Vixen!

Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Birthday Emilia!

This year, Emilia turns 3 on Thanksgiving. It seems fitting incredibly for my first child to have arrived during a time when I'm prone to reflect happily and with gratitude on the many blessings in my life. I feel truly lucky to watch her bubbly, precocious, delightful personality develop. She is full of enthusiasm and curiosity. She is a fierce negotiator with sound reasoning skills. She can be strong willed and stubborn but she has a very keen sense of empathy and is quite kind. I am biased but I think she's wonderful. Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Although this holiday feels a bit less full without Chris's stepfather and without Speck the dog, I am still glad to spend it with many of our extended family members. I reap the very tangible benefits of geographic proximity constantly and am so lucky to live near my parents and siblings and Chris's parents and siblings. I am glad we can be here for Chris's mom during a very difficult time. I am glad to see how close Emilia has bonded with everyone.

I am grateful for my husband, who is a true partner to me and who's intellect and humor and affection continue to captivate me after 12 years of togetherness (5 years of marriage). Our family benefits materially and logistically from his strong work ethic, his handiness, his ambition, and his skills in the kitchen. I feel closer to him than ever as we have shared in so many happy celebrations and milestones but also experienced great loss.

I am grateful for my job and even more so that my job feels like a career. I am really lucky to get to meet optimistic, driven young people full of promise and resilience. I try to help them reach their potential and progress toward their goals. I also try to remember what it was like when I was in their shoes. I hope to honor the fact that every one of them is held dear by someone so I should treat them accordingly. I am grateful also for my colleagues who have been supportive and encouraging as I've progressed toward tenure. The mentoring I've received has been beneficial tremendously and it is a pleasure working with so many intelligent and enjoyable people.

I am grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded and how they have helped shape and refine me as well as my view of the world. I am grateful to have lived a life of tremendous stability and security. It is something that can be easy to take for granted but something I need to remember, particularly in the context of what is happening in the world.

I am grateful that the world is full of so many helpers and good people who maintain optimism in the face of very frightening and upsetting conditions. I am grateful for those who fight for fairness and humanity in the face of corruption, injustice, and terror. With the tragedies and atrocities that unfolded over the last year, it can be tempting to take a cynical view or to let fear overtake one's sense of humanity. It is disappointing particularly to witness the political tone and tenor during this election cycle, as it has quite clearly opened up safer spaces for some people to be bigoted and hateful toward anyone they deem "other." It is actually beyond disappointing. It is outright scary. But I still think that reason and decency and kindness and civility will always prevail. I hope that those public figures who are capitalizing on a fearful time to fan the flames of racism will learn that fear mongering and hatred are not effective or sustainable tools for governance in a democracy.

I hope that generosity, kindness, and goodwill will define the coming weeks of the holiday season and I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love a theme. And it's fun to start new traditions with Emilia, especially now that she is old enough to participate! Hope you are enjoying it!

Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Santa, the conclusion of the calendar year, or just a day you (hopefully) have off from work/are paid double for your time, I want to wish you and yours a very happy holiday and a lovely 2015! Thank you for continuing to follow my (sporadically updated) blog! It means a lot to me.

On Gratitude in 2014

(Sightseeing in the Twin Cities during conference travels)

There are many reasons to feel overwhelm and upset over the political landscape in the United States at the moment. And the Thanksgiving celebration itself is not exempt from enduring and legitimate reasons to feel anger over the power structures that perpetuate inequality, violence, and marginalization in this country. But for the sake of optimism and for the sake of setting an example to my now two-year-old daughter (!!!), I also want to take a moment to reflect and feel grateful.

Over the last year, I watched my child set foot in the ocean for the first time. I traveled a lot with her and Chris for work and for fun. I took a leap of faith with some friends and started a company. I was asked to submit and I submitted my book proposal (cross your fingers! I am still waiting to hear word about an advanced contract). I saw my mom retire from her lengthy and fulfilling career as a public educator (to help take care of Emilia for us while we work). I got to witness Chris's delight upon going to Pirates' Spring Training for the first time. I saw four couples (friends and family) get married. I got Speck the dog to stop a hunger strike by home-cooking elaborate (for a dog) meals to suit her increasingly persnickety 17 year old palate. I continued to grow closer with extended family members as they demonstrated their depth of love for my daughter (as well as Chris and me). And I continued to feel more in love than ever with Chris.

It wasn't always sunshine and roses. At times I felt spread more thin than ever before in my life. I lost my temper. I lost my keys. I lost track of my perpetually unfinished to-do lists. I barely made time to do things I should do like go to the gym, read fiction, or prioritize other forms of self care. I wasn't supermom or super wife. I wasn't super professor or super friend. I wasn't super daughter or super co-founder. When you wear too many hats you wear them all a little less well than you could under more ideal circumstances. But I am grateful for the experiences I gained from trying.

Emilia turns two today (drafting the day before Thanksgiving) and she is the light of my (and Chris's and her extended family's) life. She is so funny, silly, and smart. She's so courageous, empathetic, and kind. She has big strong feelings that come on fast because she's realizing the scale of the world in relation to herself. She teaches me so much about myself. I am grateful for those lessons. I am grateful for this light.

We have conversations now. Me and her... just us two gals talking about life and cookies and Speck the dog and daddy and Minnie Mouse. It's pretty great. I am really lucky.

It's not lost on me that there's a lot to feel upset about in the world this week. There are a lot of people who feel bogged down and disappointed (myself included). But there's also a lot for which to be grateful. When the news confirms that there's much work to do to make this a more equitable, humane, just, and good world, that gratitude I feel becomes a motivating force. It makes me want to try harder to increase the good in the world for all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday in St. Croix

When you manage to finish two doctoral degrees during the first year of being a parent, there's plenty of reason to celebrate. So Chris and I pooled our frequent flier miles, took advantage of the "anyone under 2 years old flies free" rule, and headed to the Caribbean as soon as the fall term ended.

After much debate we decided to go to St. Croix because it was still technically in the US, meaning we'd have one less hoop to jump through since Emilia wouldn't need a passport. It was beautiful! We rented a very reasonably priced villa on the eastern part of the island that had incredible views and a private pool.

We liked the ease of traveling to St. Croix. Unlike St. Lucia, the airport was relatively close to where we were staying so we didn't have a long commute by car after a long day of travels. And unlike St. Barths, St. Croix doesn't require any elaborate additional flight on a terrifyingly tiny plane or a ferry trip to get there. It's a lot cheaper than St. Barths because everything is priced in USD and although you find some inflated island pricing, things were mostly akin to prices you find in a major metropolitan area.

Traveling with Emilia obviously changes our ability to just explore aimlessly, without constraints. We wanted to follow her cues and ensure she could have some semblance of normalcy in schedule. Our villa had a high chair and crib so that helped (though we mostly co-slept). It was surprisingly baby-proofed actually, save for the pool.

Renting a car was necessary for us. But renting a car has been something we've done on every similar trip. With baby in tow, we found ourselves looking for beach spots with more amenities rather than seclusion. Our favorite was the resort beach of the Buccaneer, where we met a lovely family from Italy on vacation. The mom was also still nursing her baby and balancing a career with her role as a mother. It was nice to find so many commonalities with her. It was also great to see Emilia with her little beach friend.

As far as food goes, if you ever find yourself on the eastern part of St. Croix, be sure to check out the La Reine Chicken Shack. It was amazing. I wish we had ordered twice as many johnny cakes as we did. The chicken was incredible too. We also loved the Blue Water Café for both take out options and sit down dinners. They had decent coffee and were fairly close to our villa so we stopped by a few times. We had an amazing meal of local seafood at Duggan's Reef. They put lobster in everything but it still manages to be priced quite fairly. We also had delicious island roti from Singh's Fast Food Restaurant in downtown Christiansted. We didn't get to do any shopping while we traveled but that was just as well. I don't recall shopping much on our last island trip to St. Lucia and have no regrets. We ate and slept very well.

We were all super happy to get away and spend some uninterrupted time together. It was a fortunate thing to get to do and we didn't spend a ton of money to do it thanks to the nearly free flights. Finishing our degrees and surviving our first year of parenting were big deals and it was fun to really commemorate them! I hope we are as lucky in 2014!!

Happy New Year!! Happy (Belated) Holidays!

Today I go back to work and I have a big (pretenure) review portfolio due this week. So things have been very hectic around these parts. I hope you had a lovely holiday and very happy new year!! To the students and those who work in higher ed, have a fantastic winter/spring term! Thanks for continuing to read Consume or Consumed!

Happy Holidays!

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, my greetings are belated. But I've spent the last week or so being occupied by the exciting task of introducing extended family and friends to the little one. I hope you have/had a wonderful holiday and wish you a very happy New Year. I will be back this week with my favorite outfits of 2012, a few more reviews, and recent outfits.

So many reasons to give thanks

On this Thanksgiving Day in 2012, I feel not only very pregnant with an active and (from all indications) healthy fetus, but I am pregnant with much good fortune. Although my life is far from perfect, I know that it suits me and my so-called problems are manageable, particularly when I think about them in juxtaposition with the legitimate hardship and challenges facing so many others in America and around the world. The opportunity to give thanks should not only be about counting one's blessings but also about thinking creatively and with generosity through the myriad of ways to pay forward one's good fortune. Whether it be through volunteering, through monetary or material donation, through kindness, or through key moments of empathetic exchange with others, there are very many avenues through which to do just that.

I love this holiday for a bunch of reasons that I've counted in previous posts. But to reiterate, I love that Thanksgiving is a secular national holiday. If we discount Black Friday's growing encroachment, it's not at all about material acquisition (more on that tomorrow). Thanksgiving also involves an inordinate amount of food, side dishes, and desserts. But most of all, it encourages people to linger in the space of gratitude for longer than they would otherwise. And for a lot of us, that practice of giving thanks gets ritualized and shared around the table with loved ones. Since I was a child my family has been in the habit of going around the room and talking about the aspects of life for which we're grateful.

This year I am so thankful for my loved ones who have been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of this new family-friendly venture that my partner and I have decided to pursue. I am thankful to be adequately insured and have access to capable medical care. I am thankful for my job and for understanding coworkers (who treat me and my impending maternity leave as something to celebrate rather than be burdened from). I am thankful for my students who not only motivate me to want to learn more, try harder, be better, etc., but who have been very sweet and caring in response to my "delicate' condition. I am thankful for my partner who is as kind, generous, supportive, and loving as he is hilarious, whip-smart, and hardworking. I am thankful for our parents who will give our child a grandparenting experience 6-persons strong! As someone who grew up knowing only one of her grandparents, it is not lost on my how unique and lucky she'll be. I am thankful for so much more than I can articulate in such a confined writerly space. 

Most of the time I believe that the world could use more gratitude and more hefty helpings of empathy. But on this particular holiday it feels as if we collectively come a bit closer to reaching our "thankful" and reflective potential. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!

Here are some organizations that do a lot of good locally:

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh
Family House
Women and Girls Foundation
Blackburn Center Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Pittsburgh Promise
The Pittsburgh Foundation

Halloween and my very pregnant (potentially borderline) costume

As much as I love it because of candy and fall and all things spooky, Halloween can be challenging due to the pressure to concoct a creative and/or clever costume. And when you're 34 weeks pregnant, the costume options narrow considerably. Although I am not a person who practices a particular faith, I was raised Catholic, most of my family is Catholic, and I continue to feel a strong affinity for its history as well as its iconography.

With some trepidation (after all, despite my lack of practicing religious affiliation, I do believe in being sensitive to others' articles of faith), I decided that my very pregnant costume would be the Blessed Virgin Mary. I consulted with numerous practicing Catholic loved ones to ensure this choice wouldn't be inadvertently hurtful and found a "one size fits all" costume online that I hoped would fit a pregnant body. It was... snug. But it was also stretchy and all I had. So I wore it Saturday evening to a party and it seemed to be a big hit.

Chris was having costume block so I suggested he consider being Steven Tyler. Lots of scarves. Layers. A mic stand. Scatting. Big lips. Etc. He loved the idea! I did my best to help him execute it and it turned out way better than my own costume. Homemade costumes usually do...

Finally, I wanted to send my thoughts to those along the eastern seaboard who have been effected by Hurricane Sandy. It is hard to fathom the losses but I hope for a speedy and efficient recovery. You can contribute help for those in need through the Red Cross website.

Happy Halloween!

Quick snaps from my locavore Valentine's Day

Pretty flowers and cookies from Enrico Biscotti thanks to my valentine

Although I don't have an outfit photo uploaded yet, trust that as a schoolteacher's daughter I wore something festive. I'll show you as soon as I can. In the meanwhile, I wanted to share some other Valentine cheer. Chris and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. But he still had some flowers and sweets for me this morning. My favorite cookies in the city are the chocolate covered macaroons at Enrico's in the Strip District. One is plenty so four is ridiculous. But they'll find a good home I'm sure.  The flowers weren't local but a friend who does arranging at Whole Foods always makes the prettiest bouquets full of purple flowers (my favorite color).

I also wanted to share my most recent purchase. I bought this beautiful bib necklace directly from Amy, the designer and artist behind Redraven Studios (who's pieces are sold at Anthropologie as well as Pavement and other boutiques around the country). We met up at the Bloomfield Crazy Mocha so that we could talk about her work for an interview. I didn't realize we had already met through a mutual friend until she arrived. It was a good reminder that Pittsburgh can be such a small town in the best way! I was excited to buy a piece of jewelry directly from her. It was my self-present in honor of Galentine's Day.

Redraven Studios Candy Apple bib necklace

I am also eager to share what I learned from the interview once it is ready. In the meanwhile, I hope you had great Galentine's and Valentine's Days!

Scenes from my December holiday

Last year Chris and I were lucky enough to be reunited in Brazil, where summer had just begun. This year we left together for St. Lucia to enjoy a little sunshine and relaxation at the semester's end. And it was as beautiful and inspiring as every other voyage we've taken.

Our villa had incredible views and on clear days, we could even see Martinique! It was named aptly the "Windsong," nestled at the northern most part of the island in an area called Cap Estates. Although it was somewhat remote, we loved how quiet and secluded we were from the bustle. The trade winds were so strong that they whistled at night. The property had a hot tub, which proved clutch on windier and therefore chilly evenings.

The famous pitons from a vista on our day trip, driving south. 

 At the Botanical Gardens where we soaked in the hot mineral baths (hence Chris's bathing suit trunks).

The "drive in" volcano and bubbling sulfur springs in Soufriere

Jalousie Plantation (now a resort) nestled between the Pitons

The property owner greeted us with this beautiful tropical flower arrangement on the evening of our arrival. On the right I'm resting during our hike up Pigeon Point.

The view at Pigeon Point. You can see one of the three Sandals resorts on the island.

We were so fortunate to get to take such a trip. I doubt we'll be traveling next December so we relished every moment of this particular pre-winter escape. Everyone we met was so friendly. And everything we ate was delicious. We can only hope to return to St. Lucia someday!


St. Lucian favorites:
The neighborhood of Gros Islet where we ate many meals and went to the Friday night Jump Up
Agnes's Bar near Pigeon Point where we met locals who gave us great recommendations
Flavours of the Grill which had our favorite rum punches and delicious meats!
Sea View's blue marlin plates (so cheap and delicious... only on Sat. and Wed. nights)
Prudee's House of Roti (delicious pockets of curried meats and veggies but go early cause she sells out!)
Le Sport beach (public beach with staff that allow visitors to use the chairs and umbrellas without charge)
Razmatazz (expensive but delicious... plus the chef kindly helped us change our flat tire in the parking lot!)
Drive-a-matic who rented us the adorable Suzuki Jimny that we drove while there
Shopping at Rodney Bay for ladies sandals and other things
The roaming livestock and dogs
The many beautiful views