Friend Friday: Holidays

Dress: Kohl's
Tights: Simply Vera
Socks: Target
Belt: Thrifted
Boots: Nine West
Scarf: Target
Earrings Turkey

Friend Friday! I feel like I haven't participated in one of these in a looong time! But, as long as I'm taking advantage of the library's free wi-fi, I figure I can squeeze this into my schedule. So, this time around, we're doing one of those old school questionnaires that I never could resist.



No holiday party is complete without: a little bling.
My favorite Christmas song/album: Bomba en Navidad by Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Clearly, I come from a different Christmas tradition. As far as songs that are more recognizable in the US, I like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" by The Barenaked Ladies
My favorite seasonal recipe: Pernil. It's the best thing that can happen to a pig.
The perfect New Year's Eve outfit includes: some hot shoes.
At the parties, I'll be drinking: water, as usual.
Eggnog, good or bad? I've never had it. I do love coquito, though.
Did you ever take pictures on Santa's lap at the mall? Yep.
Gingerbread Latte or Peppermint Mocha: Neither.


Worst gift I ever got: has never arrived.
Best gift I ever received: a wedding. (B & I got married in Puerto Rico on 27 December 2009)
My family has this weird tradition: We love watching Banco Popular videos at this time of year and remembering Puerto Rico.
My best bargain find for a gift this year: I'm making all my gifts this year, so probably the 69 cent beeswax at the natural grocer.
If I could only buy all my gifts from one place, I'd shop at: Potomac Mills.
Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman: Rudolph. I hate snow.
My favorite holiday memory: going back to PR for Christmas and seeing all the decorations. That or waking up on January 6th to see that the Three Kings had been by leaving gifts.
My favorite Christmas movie: A Christmas Story.


The best part about holiday decorations is: the fun lights.
Rip off the wrapping paper or neatly pull off the tape: I neatly pull off the tape and refold the paper.
Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life: I've never watched "It's a Wonderful Life"....
It doesn't feel like the holiday season until: I'm with my family.
All I want for Christmas is: lots of good family time.

Not quite awesome

Tee: Target
Dress (worn as skirt): some random store in Turkey
Boots: Steve Madden
Belt: Target
Scarf: Target
Socks: gift from sister-in-law
Earrings: Turkey

I want to like this outfit more than I do. I'm not totally sure what I don't like, I just know it's not my favorite. But my students loved it. They told me - and I quote - "You look AWESOME!" I think it's the boots.


I'm not totally sold, though. What do y'all think?

Dress Your Best Week - Day 1: Waist not

Skirt: I made it
Tee: Target
Cami: ?
Cardigan: J Crew
Belt: Target
Socks: gift from my sister-in-law
Boots: Nine West
Earrings: Turkey

I'm participating in Dress Your Best week again this year, though I'm not sure how consistently the posts will be going up this week with our spotty internet. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, I'm hoping that most of what I'll be showing off this week will be different from last year's choices. For one, my body has changed in the past year; for two, I've been embracing my body in new ways lately. So for this first installment, let's talk about my waist.


True story: I discovered my waist through blogging and a fitting for my wedding dress. See, my mom and my sister are super curvy. They're pear shaped and I always envied their tiny little upper bodies and wide hips. I was convinced that I was a rectangle. And then the tailor at my fitting gave me three different numbers for my measurements and I was like, "Oh, I've got a waist!"


And then I forgot about that and started thinking I was a rectangle again until my readers and commenters told me I was crazy and I was actually pretty hourglassy. So I started looking at my pictures and looking at my body, and yes. There it was: the waist.


Maybe that's kind of ridiculous, but I know I'm alone in the slightly warped (or a seriously distorted) sense of body. And it's taken a lot for me to start to see myself in a more realistic way, and I wouldn't say I'm totally there yet, but I do feel like I'm making progress. So, yeah, this recently discovered waist is one of the things I'm celebrating this week.


Has anyone else discovered something positive about their body through blogging?

And just to keep this light, a picture of my adorable kittens:

Elefante on the left, Pirata on the right. Aren't they cute?

Not my favorite

Shirt: Gap
Dress (worn as skirt): Ann Taylor
Socks: Target
Boots: Nine West
Belt: Target
Earrings: Target

You win some, you lose some. I wanted to like this outfit more; maybe it's the hair that's throwing it off. Either that, or the fit of this shirt.


So, I'm ambivalent. But, it's done, it's worn, and it's on the Internet. Let's not do this again, Frances, okay? Okay.


The end.

Rainy day dress

All remixed except cardigan and socks
Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Dress: Ross
Belt: Target
Socks: gift from sister-in-law
Boots: Nine West
Scarf: J Crew
Earrings: Turkey

This is an outfit from one of our early days here in Costa Rica, before the sun came out and it was raining all day. That's why they call it the rainforest, I guess. After days of wearing jeans, I just wasn't feeling like myself and I wanted to wear a dress. Of course, it was still cold and rainy, so a sweater dress it was.


And for the first time EVER I got my quintessential "fashion blogger in an empty field" picture. I was pretty pumped. B thought I was weird, but I know y'all will appreciate it. I feel like I've graduated, like someone should give me a ribbon for mastering this important pose.


I've also mastered crazy face and awkward legs, in case there are ribbons for that.