Dress #15

Yesterday (4/20) was Easter Sunday.  Joe and I had been invited over to his brother's house for an Easter get together.  There was a lot of people there (relatives and friends) and a lot of food.  It was very festive.  We had ham, sweet potato casserole and a yummy spinach, strawberry and almond salad.  I helped Joe's sister-in-law make sangria.  I actually wasn't sure what to put in it.  I chopped up an orange, an apple, some strawberries, and added cherry juice and peach schnapps to the red wine to sweeten it up.  It actually turned out pretty good and everyone seemed to like it.  We conversed with the relatives.  The kids decorated Easter eggs and played with a bubble blowing machine and water balloons.  It's kind of funny because some of the Easter egg decorating got pretty elaborate.

After the party Joe and I took one of his nieces horseback riding at the Griffith Park Equestrian Center (the other niece didn't want to go since she had other plans).  It was kind of a last minute decision by Joe but he had promised to take her on a trail ride a few weeks ago and decided to go after the party.  I invited one of my friends who brought one of her friends, so there was five of us total.  Obviously I had to change out of my dress to go horseback riding but it was really fun.  I had a dark horse (not really black) that was well behaved and easy to ride but he kept getting really close to other horses and shoving his head into them.  It was kind of odd.  I kept trying to steer him away but he kept getting right up close and personal with the other horses.  Trail rides are easy since the horses are trained to just stay together and walk in a line.  It was a beautiful day and the sun started setting during our ride.  The trail lead us over a bridge, through a tunnel and around a woodland area so it was very scenic and peaceful.  Afterward we went to a Mexican cantina to have a quick bite and a drink.  A fun Easter was had by all.

I didn't wear my Easter Sunday dress since I had worn it to the family brunch the week prior.  I did want to wear something floral and white for Easter so I decided on my white Hawaiian sundress with blue flowers on it.  I actually got it in Las Vegas in 2011.  There was an ABC store inside the Miracle Mile Shops that had everything you would find in the Hawaiian ones including sundresses.  Joe and I were actually going to Kona, Hawaii in a few months so I got two dresses for our upcoming trip.  It was two for $20 so I got the white and blue one and a brown one.  During our Hawaiian vacation, I wore the white and blue one to a Luau at our hotel.  It was supposed to be outdoors but it had rained earlier that day so they moved it indoors.  It had hula and fire dancers and a buffet of traditional Hawaiian tourism foods (Kalua Pig, Poi, Mai Tais, etc). We had a great time and Joe bought me a lei necklace.  Earlier that day we had gone to the beach so I was a little bit sun burned.  It was the perfect way to end the day in Hawaii and it was at our hotel so we drank as many Mai Tais as we wanted and then just walked back to our room.

I've worn this dress several times since I got it.  I really love my tube sundresses as they're so comfortable and perfect for many occasions.  The dress is made by Hibiscus Collection Hawaii.  100% rayon.  One size fits all.  Made in Thailand.  I wore it with my Italian Shoemakers white wedge sandals which I got at DSW for $39.95.  I bought them with a $50 giftcard that Joe got me for Christmas.  They're super comfortable and good for casual wear.  The style is called Shuffle.  Made in Italy.

Dress #14

Yesterday (4/18), Joe and I went to dinner at Miceli's at Universal City.  I had never been before but was always curious about it.  It's been around since 1949 and is apparently known for having singing waiters.  Italian food is my favorite so I'm always on the look out for a good Italian restaurant, particularly one that serves a homemade lasagna.  I had actually bought a Groupon to Miceli's two years ago and never used it.  The promotional value had obviously long since expired but they say the paid value never does so I would be able to use what I paid for it as a coupon.  I figured why not try, at the very least it would be a round of drinks.  They accepted it so it worked out.  The restaurant itself had a very charismatic feel to it and the singing waiters were interesting.  It actually reminded me of Vegas being over the top on theme.  The food however, was only mediocre.  Their pasta noodles are dried store bought.  I am on a quest to find an Italian restaurant that makes its own pasta.  It's super hard to come by but it really does make a difference.  I can make lasagna from dried noodles at home that would taste more or less the same.  I had a homemade lasagna in Las Vegas last year and it was incredible.  It wasn't even at an Italian restaurant and wasn't a speciality of the house.  Vegas just happens to know how to do gourmet food as an art form.  I'm glad I went to Miceli's, it was a good experience but I probably wouldn't end up coming back.  The food doesn't leave you craving it and wanting to return for more.  Plus, like everywhere in LA, there's no parking so it's kind of a hassle to go there.

I wore my black skirt with pink flowers on it and matching top.  They were sold as two pieces but together they look like a dress.  It's not too fancy but not too casual.  Just what I was going for.  I got it way back in 2005 as a birthday present for myself.  I wore it on my birthday and called it my birthday suit.  It was my first birthday in this city and I had literally just moved into my first LA apartment two months prior.  I came out here the first week of January to finish my last semester of school and stayed in a dormitory until May.  That was back before I even had a digital camera so I don't have an older photo of it.  So, yeah I guess this outfit is almost 10 years old.  It still fits fine.  I had contemplated donating it several times throughout the years since I hardly ever wear it, but I do like it.  I've decided it's definitely time for me to donate it but I was happy to wear it out to dinner.

I got both the top and skirt at Ross for about $8 each.  They're made by JKLA California.  92% polyester and 8% spandex.  The top is a size S and the skirt is a size M.  Made in USA.

Dress #13

Today (4/13), my friend took me shopping at the mall to find jewelry to wear for the wedding.  We just went to the one down the street from my apartment.  I wanted to get silver jewelry that had purple amethyst stones or accents.  Joe got me a heart amethyst necklace with diamond accents for Valentine's Day one year and I really wanted to wear it for the wedding but the chain's so tiny that it doesn't really show up in pictures and it just looks like there's a purple stone floating on my neck.  It's something I never really thought about but you need jewelry that's going to show up.  I'm not big on huge/exaggerated necklaces so it's tough to find something that's simple enough that I like but fancy enough for the wedding.  I decided I wanted to find a bigger chain that maybe had a few white stones in it and attach my purple heart charm to it.  For earrings I'm pretty picky too because my ears are pierced unevenly.  If I wear anything besides a stud or dangly earrings, one earring is noticeably lower than the other or hangs off my ear.  I found a perfect chain that was exactly what I wanted at Macy's.  It was a silver chain with white stones on it.  I also found a pair of silver amethyst studs.  There was another pair of earrings I liked that were white and amethyst stones in a leafy design but they were some kind of other metal so I wasn't sure about it.  I'm allergic to surgical steel.  If I wear earrings made from it, it itches and I get a red rash on my ear so I have to wear gold or silver.  I'm really happy with what we found though and the best part was that all sterling silver jewelry was 50% off.

I wore my casual jean skirt to the mall.  It's the first one of the three that my friend had given me as a hand me down.  I love it and wear it all the time.  I don't actually know the maker.  It just has a logo that's hard to make out.  It looks like it says Fzi.  It's 53% ramil, 20% cotton, 25% polyester and 2% spandex.  Size L.  Made in China.  It's so cute and comfortable.  It has pockets with buttons on the back.  I wore it with my white New York and Company ruched tank top.  I got the tank at one of their sales.  It's a size XS.  95% rayon and 5% spandex. Made in Indonesia.  But I can basically wear anything with this skirt.  I usually go with tank tops and my ballet flats.  The last time I remember wearing it was in October when I went to MOCA in downtown LA, but I'm sure I've worn it since then.  I probably just remember MOCA so well because I have a picture of it to remind me.

Dress #12

Today (4/12) Joe and I went to brunch with his brother's family at Castaway Restaurant.  His sister-in-law had mentioned that she wanted all of us to spend more time together so I decided that a family brunch would be a good opportunity to get together.  Originally I thought of it as maybe an Easter brunch but it was his niece's birthday on Wednesday so we decided to go out today instead to celebrate that.  We are having our wedding reception dinner at Castaway and I was interested in checking out their brunch buffet.  The restaurant is in the hills in Burbank so it overlooks the valley.  There's a really nice view while you eat.  The food selection was huge.  There was a breakfast section, meat section, seafood section, pasta made to order bar, and a dessert section with a chocolate fountain.  Bottomless mimosas were included.  I can't believe how much food I ate.  It was all really good and a great way to catch up with everyone.

I wore what I call my Easter Sunday dress.  It's a white tea length dress with pink flowers and a pink ribbon around the waist that you can tie in a bow.  It's perfect for tea time and feels very Easter.  I actually wear it every Easter just because it seems like the occasion this dress is meant for.  In 2008 I wore it to an afternoon tea bridal shower at a place in Montrose called The T Room.  The T Room is so quaint and nice I've re-visited it.  In 2012 I had a potluck luncheon at my place on Easter Sunday and I wore it for that as well.  It's the perfect dress for a spring time occasion.

I got it at Ross back in 2008 specifically for the bridal shower tea.  It was $15.  They also had one in the exact same style and design only with blue flowers instead of pink.  I debated getting the blue since I like that color better (never been much of a pink girl) but decided I needed some pink in my wardrobe, it really compliments the white and it seemed more wedding themed.  I love the flowyness and the fit.  It feels very petite and pretty.  The top has built in padding so I can wear it comfortably without a bra.  The straps are adjustable and have an elastic-like stretch to them for the perfect fit.  I always wear it with my pink pearl necklace.  I'm not really a pearl person but I think it really compliments this particular dress.  The necklace was given to me by my uncle and his wife as a present.  I think it was when I graduated high school.  I also wore my white M. Patrick Alexa shoes with it.  I'm not a high heel person so a low dress shoe is preferable.  The dress is made by Ruby Rox.  It's 100% cotton with a 100% polyester lining.  Size 11.  Made in China.

Dress #5 Part 3

I guess I'm getting quite a bit of wear out of my J Crew Bridesmaid's dress.  On Saturday (4/5), Joe and I went back to Lake Balboa Park to try and take engagement photos of ourselves again.  We got some some pretty good ones.  There were plenty of trees out but we realistically only needed to be near one vibrant one.  We chose the one that's near the table we always eat lunch at.  It's now referred to as 'our spot.'  Joe's really good at photography but it takes time to position ourselves and get the lighting just right and use the camera timer.  It didn't help that the flash wasn't working properly either.  We spent a few hours getting shots with the various lighting.  For the most part there weren't any people around our area so we didn't have to worry about anyone wandering into the background.  There was actually a wedding going on in the park that day too which was nice.

The only thing unpleasant that happened was a stupid father who shouldn't even have kids ran down a hill with his baby in a baby stroller to charge the geese that were right on the edge of the lake.  When the geese didn't run away he proceeded to ram them with the stroller, physically hitting them.  I'm actually surprised that the geese didn't attack him or the baby.  I can't believe someone that stupid has children.  So many horrible things could have happened.  He could have tripped running down the hill and the stroller could have gone into the lake drowning the baby (someone actually has drowned in the lake which is why they don't have paddle boats anymore, the water is shallow but the murky mud at the bottom can suck someone down).  The geese could have attacked.  Even though the animals are used to being around people, they are still wild animals and can attack if threatened and he was clearly provoking them.  I actually kind of wish the geese had attacked him (not the baby) since it would have served him right.  That poor child has such an idiot for a father.  People who are too stupid to know that provoking a wild animal with their child isn't a good idea should NOT have children.

We took pictures until the sunset when the parked closed.  Since we were all dressed up, Joe decided to take me out to a nice restaurant for dinner.  We went to the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant in Van Nuys.  It's a war themed restaurant right next to the airport.  The interior is designed to look like the 1940s.  We got a seat next to the window and watched planes take off throughout dinner.  Joe has been talking about this restaurant since I first met him.  His family once had a dinner there a long time ago and he always remembered loving the atmosphere and design of it.  We have once or twice driven around looking for it since it was kind of hidden and he couldn't remember where it was.  I'm glad we finally found it and went to dinner there.  The food is moderately priced.  It's not super expensive like Larson's, but pricey so it's good for a formal splurge.  It's owned by the same company that operates The Odyssey and The Castaway restaurants.  I got the chicken carbonara and Joe got the chicken scaloppine.  Joe's dish was so good it really blew me away.  I know what I'm ordering next time we go!