Christmas in Clothes

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So, The Nutcracker? Yeah. Call me an uneducated ditzy fool, but ??? I guess I was completely oblivious to the fact that ballets have NO TALKING in them!!!

“Hi. I’m Jenni. I can’t sit through two hours of nobody talking.”

I am a three year old.

This is payback for all of those times my children would not stop talking and we would play the “silent game.”

Those ballerinas were all, “Silent game this!”

Only without actually saying that.

Okay. Okay. It wasn’t completely silent. There was a live orchestra which was fabulous. I love an orchestra. I took my son down to the pit to watch them set up. That was my favorite part. And his, too.

I have taken my children to musicals all of their lives. I guess I just was not prepared for the ballet. This is odd, because my mother has been dancing since she was a child. Pointe and everything. Heck, I even took consistent classes for eight years (don’t look so shocked). My mother has since moved on to hip hop, but ballet has always been a part of my life. Of course, I had not gone to see it since I was a little girl.

There were parts of it that were incredible. So gorgeous and pretty. Truly breathtaking. It is amazing what some talented people can do with their bodies.

But in the future I will know.

I am too immature to go.

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And yes, I am a total fraud in my ballerina dress (also worn here).

Silently sobbing.

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This was what I was going to wear to the ballet.

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I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that almost every single person was dressed up for the ballet. This is such a big difference from going to a play on Broadway, where only half of the people are in evening attire. This was my other favorite thing about the ballet. The ambience and the outfits.

Only I did not wear this to the ballet.

I wore this on Christmas Eve to host my family. Except, I was cooking all day, and I forgot to take my apron off until after dinner! So, apron + boots = disheveled crazy. Kind of like this post.

The skirt is my Emeline Skirt formerly worn here. And the top is my Peony Applique Pullover, previously worn here.

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Let’s sidestep chasse’ away from the hot topic of ballet and move into a topic I am much more comfortable with.

Gnomes.

And dressing like them.

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I do not know why, but this outfit does remind me a bit of the little fellows. Perhaps it is the cheerful colors. Perhaps it is because I am surrounded by gnomes. Perhaps it is because I had just seen The Nutcracker the night before and I was delirious.

I paired my Anthropologie Threaded Tides Dress (purchased for $10) with my red cardigan from many years ago. I remember I first bought this cardigan, because it was called Guinevere and that is one of my favorite names in the world. It is like “Jennifer” (derived from Guinevere) only more pleasant to say in a lilting way.

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The belt is a recent clearance purchase from Anthropologie called Layered Corset Belt. The boots are vintage from the flea market. The white sweater tights are from Nordstrom Rack. The earrings are from Modcloth.

What did you wear this week? Have you ever played the silent game? Are you “winning?”*

* Winning this game does not result from one being silent. Winning this game occurs the moment you convince someone else to actually play the game.

Tip: Don’t ever play against a ballerina.

* I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

More Anthropologie Fall Reviews

Here is where I break my own rules and do more reviews.

My kids were going camping last weekend. It was booked for months. Can you see where this is going? Oh, yes. The government shutdown strikes again. And the campground was closed. Thankfully, they could just go camping on my family’s land, but it still was a dent in the plans.

My father met me to pick up the kids at Anthropologie. ‘Cause he’s awesome. I had two returns to do. I will happily note I left Anthropologie with a negative balance. Did I buy something? Ugh. Yes. But I was proud of myself for leaving so many lovelies behind.

I decided to try on some things. Some of them, because I have had my eye on them. Others, because they are different than what I would normally wear and someone might like to see them on the average girl.

I probably will not get to another brick and mortar store until Christmastime. It was fun to try on some pretty pieces.

Movin’ along. Here are the reviews:

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That day, I wore my Free People Lace babydoll shirt from Nordstrom Rack. Of course, I did not take a picture of the outfit in the dressing room. Here is a “selfie” I took at home earlier in the day. By the time I got to Anthropologie, it was late in the day and my hair changed. Oh, and my make up kind of smeared. Bear with me. I paired it with my Free People skinny corduroy pants also from Nordstrom Rack ($19.99 last week. Run! Don’t walk!). I am wearing lace flats from H & M. The necklace was gifted to me from Simply Livly on Etsy (I wear it all of the time and love it!).

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I don’t know about you, but I have a system when I try things on. Because I hate trying things on. The quicker I can get it done, the better. If I all ready have pants on, I start with tops. So, first I tried on a top I had loved online. It is the Honore Buttondown. I was not in love with it once I tried it on. It is just okay. This is a size 6. It just wasn’t for me in real life. Or maybe it would be great tucked in?

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First, please ignore the weird expression on my face. What the heck? This black top ended up in my dressing room. I had not picked it out. It was my usual size medium and so I tried it on. I think it is the Smocked Sabine V-Neck. It is black. It is a blouse. It is a black blouse. Nothing much more to see here.

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This sweater was so pretty on the hanger. This is the Stitched Flora Cardigan. It swam on me when I tried it on. This is a medium. I could have used a size small. It is expensive. This just isn’t for me, but I am sure many lovely ladies will rock it.

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Hedgehogs! Oh my! I love this top. I have the bunny version in this new release Creature Feature Top with the buttons down the back. I purchased the bunny version in my usual medium, and immediately had regrets. This is a large. I think definitely size up in this shirt if you do not like things “showing.”

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On to the dresses! I tried on this Narva Swing Dress, on a whim. Please ignore my claw. Gosh! I am weird! This is a medium. If they would have had a small, I probably would have cradled it all the way home. As it is, I am glad they did not. This dress is one I will wait for sale on. It is a pretty blue swing dress. But I am looking for something with spunk. It did make me feel all small and girlish in it. As in, someone could throw me over their shoulder and then take me home and rock me. Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn’t drink wine and write reviews.

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This dress is a small (Spacedye Day Dress). It was the only size they had in stock. It is too small. Small. Small. Small. Moving along.

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I lusted after the Elodie Sweater Dress online. I loved the color. But once I tried it on, the love was lost. The color just is not good on me. I think someone with the right coloring is going to rock this dress. And I will be envious and glad for them all at once. I am wearing a medium. The fit is right. The stripes do not do my hips any favors. It also comes in a black color, but it is not for me.

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Okay. Maybe I am delusional. Scratch that. Yes, I am delusional. But maybe more so with this skirt. First, after poring over the reviews online about the Ponte Bell Skirt, I stubbornly tried on the XS/S version and refused to budge on the issue. Did my refusal to budge create a bulge? Hmmm. I don’t know. The bump on the side is not a hip baby, but the sensor from the shirt. I loved this skirt. It was so whimsical. So fun. And I felt itty bitty in it. When something makes you feel like that, it is a no brainer. This skirt came home with me.

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Oh gosh! I love this vest. It is the Corduroy Puffer Vest. Of course, my kids had to leave when I tried this on. Sorry! This is the only picture I have.

I love the vest, but I live in Southern California. I would probably wear it once a year. It is soft. It is my favorite mustard. It kind of made me teary to let it go. Well, not really, but it is adorable. If you live in a colder climate, this vest is wonderful. I sized down to a small, and that is what I would have bought had I lived in the climate that would support the wearing of this vest. Hmmmm. Do you think this would look good over a swimsuit?

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And this jacket is so not me. It is the Chevron Sweep Poncho. But I figured it might be someone. I don’t wear fur or fake fur. I don’t wear animal print (the actual animal printed on the item of clothing gives me heart palpitations, but a print of animal hide… Nah.). But I can see why some women like it. This jacket is huge. If you love this, size down. This is a medium. I definitely could have sized down at least one size. The colors are very striking. Again, not for me, but for someone fun.

So, have you spotted anything you love lately? Please tell!

P.S. Roxy of Effortless Anthropologie just posted some reviews! Check them out. They are always so helpful. : ).