Tiled Patterns

Patterns! I like ’em.

Patterns on patterns on tiles. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

I have a special fondness for tiles, too. And this building had some particularly lovely ones. Can you believe this is a public middle school?!?

Posing outside Everett Middle School. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

Pat and I were heading home from the Mission-Dolores area and happened across this beautiful building – Everett Middle School. Perhaps I risked pattern overload, with my geometric-print dress and black & white chevron shoes, but it seemed too good of a photo op to pass up. (Even if I only had a cell phone camera available – alas!)

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

Dress: Sugar Cubed Dress, Leota via ModCloth
Cardigan: The Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Black, Mak via ModCloth
Purse: Cole Haan
Shoes: High Hopes Wedge in Chevron, Seychelles via ModCloth

[Photos by Pat Zimmerman]

A Little Bit of Inspiration

Howdy!

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

I’m starting this post out with a photo of my favorite comfy coat. It’s made out of sweatshirt material – really, it’s like a flirty, dress-friendly hoodie. I love that I can wear it around the house, on a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge (just did that last weekend!), and over a cute dress. :)

But this blog post is really about the outfit I’m wearing under the coat. See, when I got up in the morning I was at a loss for what to wear. And then I perused ModCloth’s Style Gallery (one of my fave places for outfit inspiration), and was inspired by some great looks from fabulous gals like . . .

Jana G. (left) of Small Town, Big Smile! who added spice to a mint dress with a red belt and cardigan. And Ashley R. (right) of Not Your Average Ashley, who paired a red polka dot dress with a sweet mint cardigan.

And THEN I looked into my closet . . . and found a shocking dearth of mint. :(

But some of the other outfits that caught my eye incorporated lovely shades of aqua instead. Like the outfit posted by Amanda L. (left) of Modern June Cleaver. And the one posted by Katie M. (right), a.k.a. Amelia Jetson.

And I happened to have bought a charming aqua dress recently – it was sitting in my closet, just waiting for the inspiration to wear it!

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

Though I am thinking that I need to get some mint-colored pieces for the future. :)

P.S. You can see more of my favorite Style Gallery photos here!

Coat: Soaring Comets Coat, Effie’s Heart via ModCloth (out of stock, but still available directly from Effie’s Heart)
Dress: Front Perch Swing Dress, Retrolicious via ModCloth
Cardigan: The Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Black, Mak via ModCloth
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Tights: Nordstrom Rack
Shoes: DKNY

[Photos of me by Pat Zimmerman.]

Greetings from Kentucky!

Okay, it’s been awhile since I posted. A long while. Things were crazy busy at the beginning of the year, and then I got out of the blogging habit, and then I couldn’t figure out the right way to start a post again. Amazing how quickly 9 months can go by like that! :O

So, hello again! And now I’m just going to dive right into a new post. (I never did quite figure out the right way to get started again – please forgive the lame/nonexistent segue!)

Howdy! (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

This past weekend Pat and I headed to Kentucky for a friend’s wedding. And before the festivities started, we went bourbon tasting. The weather was absolutely perfect, and our visit to Four Roses Distillery provided the perfect backdrop for some outfit pics.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

This skirt is one of my recent faves – it’s got spaceships! And robots! What that has to do with bourbon, I don’t know – but the weather was nice and I just felt like wearing it.

Whiskey barrels make the perfect pedestals. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

And since we were at Four Roses, we were surrounded by (you guessed it) roses. Of course I had to stop and smell them (alas, these weren’t the particularly fragrant kind).

Yes, I do take time to stop & smell the roses! (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

After taking photos outside, we went on the grand distillery tour – then I snagged a shot of Pat behind the tasting bar. He was wearing a wooden bow tie. Because it’s awesome. And totally fits with the bourbon theme.

Enjoying Four Roses bourbon.

Cheers!

Soon I’ll post the outfit I wore to my friend’s wedding. And I promise it won’t take me months to get around to!

What I wore:
Top: Stick with Knit Cardigan, Mak via ModCloth
Skirt: Outta This World Skirt, Rock Steady via ModCloth
Shoes: Turning Point Heel, Seychelles via ModCloth
Purse: Longchamp

[Photos of me by Pat Zimmerman. Photo of Pat by me.]

Style Challenge: Ladylike

Every so often, Meghan of Voilà! posts a style challenge. This Friday, the challenge was “ladylike”. Clearly a stretch for me, since I never wear ladylike clothes! ;)

I’ve been itching to wear this Bettie Page dress ever since it arrived in the mail last week, and decided it would work for today’s challenge.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

The dress might look a little familiar, because it’s the same pattern as another Bettie Page dress I previously posted about. I just loved the silhouette so much that I couldn’t resist buying the new colorway!

Anyway, to play up the ladylike theme, I paired it with black pearls and a pashmina (layers are pretty much always necessary in San Francisco).

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

And I added black patent leather heels… then posed in front of a mural. Nothing says “ladylike” like street art! Don’t you think?

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Dress: Sense of Tasteful Dress by Bettie Page, via ModCloth
Shawl: pashmina via Nordstrom
Necklace: black pearls (a gift from my husband)
Bracelet: vintage art deco silver bracelet (a gift from my husband)
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via Rue La La
Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti via The Outnet

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Check out the rest of the style challenge crew this week, and join us or follow along on Twitter: #stylechallenge :)
Meghan of Voilà!
Kellen of And So It Goes
Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About

Style Challenge: Summer Hats

This week I participated in a style challenge! The theme was summer hats. My hat of choice? A fancy, Melbourne Cup / Kentucky Derby style hat in bold orange, with orange and crème colored feathers.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

I paired it with my newest Bettie Page dress – it’s aqua with orange accents, and printed with Eiffel Towers and fleur de lis. And I love the fun detail in the back!

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Alas, the weather in San Francisco in the past couple of days has been less-than-summery, so I had to add a cardigan. (The eternal story of SF “summer”!) But with the bright colors, I’m bringing in my own summer sun!

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Hat: Hats from Oz
Dress: If Eiffel in Love Dress, Bettie Page via ModCloth
Necklace: Kate Spade
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Cardigan: Grace via Ideeli
Shoes: Wishing and Taupe-ing Heels, Jessica Simpson via ModCloth

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Check out the rest of the style challenge crew this week, and join us or follow along on Twitter: #stylechallenge :)
Meghan of Voilà!
Kellen of And So It Goes
Rebecca of Thirty-Five Inch Inseam
Adiel of It’s Because I Think Too Much
Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About
Amanda of Fashionablee Me
Carlina of Allergic to Vanilla
Jade of Peachy Keen
Nicole of Manners & Moxie

Scarlet and Sky

One of my favorite color combos is vivid red and light blue. So in celebration of a gorgeous, warm San Francisco day, I threw together a fun outfit featuring that combo — but to be honest, I wasn’t planning on taking outfit photos.

Until I ended up with this fantastic hairpiece that just happened to match.

Outfit and hairpiece.

I won it at the ModCloth Post Holiday Party, in a silent auction benefitting the Milo Foundation. The hairpiece was made by Mini, the Design Manager at ModCloth and also the mastermind behind Design by Mini. I didn’t realize I’d be getting it the day I wore this outfit, but I guess some things are just meant to be. :)

Close-up of Mini’s hairpiece.

And then when Santina and I went out to take photos, we happened across an old-school, sky-blue Mercedes-Benz.

I need to start buying cars to match my outfit. ;)

Kinda awesome, isn’t it? (If it had a convertible roof, it’d be perfect!)

(Rocky, however, is less impressed.)

And blue seemed to be the color of the day, because we also found a cool aqua-hued bike chained to a bench.

Alas, bikes to match my outfits are *somewhat* more in my price-range.

So, it wasn’t my original plan to take outfit photos (since the main components of this outfit have been featured in other posts), but I was pretty happy that the fascinator convinced me otherwise. :)

Hairpiece: Handcrafted by Mini of Design by Mini
Shirt: TARDamask by Rosemary Travale, via Threadless
Skirt: Essential Elegance Skirt, Moon Collection via www.modcloth.com
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Shoes: Hot for Hemlock Heel in Crimson, Chelsea Crew via www.modcloth.com
Necklace: Big Wheels Necklace, Monserat de Lucca via www.modcloth.com
Bracelet: Chain Mail Bangle via www.modcloth.com
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via www.ruelala.com

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina

Retro Revamp

I had a rather fun morning – got to be a hair model for a DIY to be posted on the ModCloth blog. The only downside was that I had to let my hair set all day. But ModCloth has a stash of vintage scarves (used for other DIY posts), so I was able to grab a silk scarf and wrap up my ‘do.

Showing off my super-fashionable head wrap ;)

Okay, totally not my usual style, but it was kinda fun. And went pretty well with my outfit.

It seems I’ve had a thing for patterns recently – this dress is another Trashy Diva fave.

Retro Revamp Dress by Trashy Diva, via ModCloth

I wasn’t actually planning on taking pics while my hair was still up, but went out with Santina to snap a few photos of her because her outfit was adorbs.

Santina strikes a pose

And as you can see, I somehow managed to convince her to ham it up a little. I think it suits her, even if it’s not really her MO. Check out this sweet kawaii pose:

Santina’s Kawaii Pose

After work, Santina and I headed to the San Francisco Center for a party hosted by Madewell and Fabsugar. This was, of course, after my ‘do was finished: a tightly curled 1920’s hairstyle.

Santina and Kate @ the Madewell & Fabsugar Party

The party was all about shopping, meeting other bloggers, and talking fashion. Not a bad way to unwind after work. :)

Shopping and socializing @ the Madewell & Fabsugar Party

Lovely bloggers at Madewell.

One of the coolest parts of the party was the Fabsugar style contest: anyone who wanted to participate had to style & model an outfit using Madewell clothes. And I’m happy to take advantage of any excuse to play dress up!

Participants in the Fabsugar Style Contest

It was a little tricky, because most Madewell pieces are cut for thinner, straighter figures. Their skinny jeans? Not gonna work on someone like me. But I found this awesome green dress and managed to whip something up that’s totally my style: retro & colorful.

Kate à la Madewell – or Madewell à la Kate?

Two outfits in one day? Not bad!

Have you had an opportunity to play dress up recently?

Outfit #1:
Dress: Retro Revamp Dress, Trashy Diva via ModCloth
Cardigan: Button-Up Basics Cardigan in Brown via ModCloth
Shoes: Tippytoes Heels, Seychelles via ModCloth
Scarf: vintage
Belt: thrifted
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Tights: Hue
Purse: Un-Teal the End of Time bag, Magnes Sisters via ModCloth

Outfit #2:
Dress: Madewell
Tote bag: Madewell
Belt: Madewell
Necklace: Madewell
Shoes: Madewell
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Tights: Hue

My outfit photos taken by Santina of Style by Santina.

Year of the Dragon – The Outfit

For Chinese New Year’s Eve, my husband and I went to his parents’ place, where several of our friends joined us for a holiday feast. (Photos and recipes available here!)

Chinese tradition holds that red and gold bring good luck and wealth. So, of course, any proper Chinese New Year outfit must incorporate those colors. I figured my “Fireworks of Love” dress by Trashy Diva, along with some gold accents & accessories, fit the bill perfectly!

The Dress:

Fireworks of Love Dress by Trashy Diva, via ModCloth

The Accessories:

Un-Teal the End of Time Bag, Magnes Sisters via ModCloth

Vintage (1980s?) Gold-Tone Bracelet

Tippytoes Heels, Seychelles via ModCloth

Unsurprisingly, being January in the SF Bay area, it was raining. Luckily, I had a bit of blue sky with me. :)

Blue Skies Above Umbrella via ModCloth

And anyway, I’m not going to let a little rain get me down on a holiday! Especially a holiday that’s all about bright colors, good food, and being with friends and family. :)

So, do you celebrate the Lunar New Year? What are your fave New Year traditions?

Gung hay fat choy!

Gung hay fat choy!

Dress: Fireworks of Love Dress, Trashy Diva via ModCloth
Cardigan: For Orchestra Blazer, Lush via ModCloth
Shoes: Tippytoes Heels, Seychelles via ModCloth
Purse: Un-Teal the End of Time bag, Magnes Sisters via ModCloth
Bracelet: vintage
Umbrella: Blue Skies Above Umbrella via ModCloth

Photos by Pat Zimmerman

Geeky Chic

You might already know that I’m a data analyst. And I love what I do: working with numbers, problem solving, extracting insights from data reports and statistical analysis – it’s totally fun!

Yes, I’m a nerd.

One additional piece of evidence of my nerdiness: I adore Doctor Who. So much so that when I found a Doctor Who themed t-shirt on Threadless, I just had to have it!

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

The shirt is called “TARDamask” and features Doctor Who’s iconic blue police box in a damask pattern. Brilliant!

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

I paired it with this sweet black knit a-line skirt – made super fun ’cause it’s got a big satin bow! And because I love color, I wore magenta tights and bright yellow earrings and bracelet.

Le geek, c’est chic (Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

It was a clear, beautiful night in the city. The atmosphere seemed appropriate for Doctor Who, so I dragged my husband out to take photos. I kinda can’t believe how lucky we are to live in this gorgeous city, where it’s mild enough in the winter to get away with short sleeves at night (at least during a photoshoot!).

(Photo by Pat Zimmerman)

So there it is, a blatant display of nerdiness in a wonderful city that has become a mecca for nerds. Le geek, c’est chic!

Shirt: TARDamask by Rosemary Travale, via Threadless
Skirt: City Soirée Skirt, Gracia via ModCloth
Tights: Hue
Earrings: vintage
Bracelets: vintage (yellow) and gifted (silver)
Shoes: Ecco via Sierra Trading Post

Photos by Pat Zimmerman