Old Faithful in Monochrome

The dress¹ that I wore today to campus is the first thing that I ever wore on this blog.  In that first (sort of) outfit post, I touted the versatility of this dress as a dual-season piece for summer and fall.  In the end, this dress has been even more versatile than I anticipated and has made several appearances on the blog.

For example, this is how I wore it in December of last year:

and February:

and April:

Since I teach an 8am class on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester, I am more or less on auto-pilot those mornings.  Perhaps, not surprisingly, I have found myself going for dress and cardi or dress and blazer combos.  I've been riding my bike to campus most days, so my attire needs a bit of stretch to it.  My office is colder than a meat locker, so an extra layer is pretty much required (although I do have an "office blazer" to reach for if need be).  Today was no exception, and I went with a monochromatic look with my faithful red dress and a red cardigan.

1. Dress - Nine West (Filene's Basement and remixed), Cardi - Target, Belt - From another dress (remixed), Shoes - r2 (DSW and remixed), Necklace - Thrifted, Ring - Boutique in Salamanca (remixed)

I received two compliments on my shoes from students today and two on my dress from colleagues, so I deem this outfit a success even thought I got dressed in a dark closet at 6:30am.  

How do you feel about monochromatic looks?  How do you feel about 8am classes?

D&G - Get That Look!!

Here is a little present for all our BaniCeleb fans, one of the D&G collection simplified! Get the look for an affordable price, the boots, skirt, sunglasses, belt, jacket and a scarf. All can be bought for a gorgeous amount of 150$. Simply check out Topshop and New Look for more details!!





Sarah's look can be converted!


We All know Sarah's look has insired all the Sex and the City viewers over the past few years. What is more exciting is that all her high street and expensive clothes can be converted into cheaper clothes found around almost any shop. Take a look at the example on the right.
A simple creamy dress, topped with a floral clip and black leather shoes make the look almost irresistible to look at. The top may not be the same but you get the whole idea:)

Marc Jacobs F/W 2010/11

This year Marc Jacobs stuns us with a "back to the 70's" collection. And no, no Hippie style was seen on his runways, but more classic and elegant, of course. While Louis Vuitton's winter collection is based on 50's and 60's style, Marc Jacobs inspires us with trompe l'oeil bows, sequin-front/knit-back sweaters, sheer lingerie layers, clear plastic trenches, panne velvet dresses, a Prince of Wales check three-piece suit, echoes of his Japanese idols, sumptuous Mongolian lamb-collared shear-lings and vaguely seventies-ish knit dresses.It sounds and looks good. The seventies looks are slightly "upgraded" with gorgeous handbags and leather dolly shoes.

If you are looking forward to Fall/ Winter but can't afford the Marc Jacobs collection- don't worry, dresses like these can be found in almost every shop and dolly shoes , too. Add a fake fur around your neck and you are all set for the winter!!

FLEA MARKET THIS SUNDAY

Come visit me @ BIRKELUNDEN FLEA MARKET, GRUNERLØKKA, this SUNDAY from 12-17. Will sell vintage-treasures, old boots, jeans, tees, dresses, bags and jackets.
Har ryddet i klesskapet, og søndag står jeg på Birkelunden med venninner for å selge vintageskatter fra inn-og utland, boots, bukser, t-skjorter, kjoler, vesker og jakker.Kom Kom!

Martian Landscape

Inappropriate Orchard Outift Revealed

I now can't bring myself to wear this outfit in Vermont without going apple and peach picking, so thought would share a picture of it with my last surviving peach.
While maybe not ideal for an orchard, I do love this outfit for just about everything else, even though I feel like the zip down the top's back makes it a little edgy for the classroom (though even with the zip down you wouldn't hit even a hint of undergarment. Maybe am just creating edgy out of zip). Interestingly, other women in my field have observed that it's more or less acceptable to wear eyebrow-raising outfits when giving a keynote, but not in the classroom. Is that true for your fields as well?

Blouse: Target
Skirt: Thirfted
Peach: Shelburne Orchards

Congrats to Ultima Winners

Sad but true update, friends: Ultima is only able to ship to domestic addresses (within the U.S.)! So sorry I didn't announce/ know this earlier. So an updated list of winners:

Cassi

Miss Fit Bliss

Catherine of Back to the Mat

Lz of 101 Days of Solid Concrete Lamp Posts!

Christian of Scrap of Paper

Catherine, LZ and Christian, please email me with your mailing addresses. I sure hope you're all stateside ha!

A Happy Yogi, Keren and Lala: big apologies. I really wish I could send you some samples :( I encourage you to use the coupon code online and make an order, though. And/ or whenever you are in the Chicagoland area, let's meet up for a homemade smoothie with added hydration!

Please email your mailing address to me at koontz.rachel@gmail.com and I'll get your sample pack sent along!

Apologies that I couldn't share some sugar-free hydration goodness with ALL of you, but I do encourage you to check out their site. They do free shipping on orders over $30. And as Annie Law posted in my comments section, there's also a limited time coupon that'll give you $7 off your order AND free shipping. Just go to their online store and use the coupon code "yogayoga" for the deal. Thanks Annie, and Ultima, for contributing to this great contest!

Please keep an eye out for upcoming giveaways, and follow the Twitter feed for play-by-play updates on Alive in the Fire as well. Tweet at me and let me know what you're up to, too...or what awesome Ultima concoctions you're mixin' up!

Celebrity Couple with Big Height Difference