What We Wore Easter Sunday

On me- dress and cardigan: Target; shoes: Nine West via Marshall's;
necklace: Etsy; husband: New Orleans via New Jersey

For more Easter outfits, visit Fine Linen and Purple!

Happy Easter! I don't know about you, but I am a happy Triduum/candy coma. It's been a long full weekend of beautiful liturgy and spending time with friends. Last night we were out until 2am attending the Easter Vigil Mass at the Southern Baron's old parish, and then going out to a diner for a milkshake-laden afterparty. This morning we groggily went for round two at our neighborhood parish, where I was a lector at the 11am Mass. Afterwards we went into the city for lunch and lots of Catholic nerd conversation at a friend's apartment.

Even though it's a little chilly here, it was so refreshing to break out the light spring clothes. It was also a fun reminder of our wedding, since my necklace and his jacket are both from that day. The blingy string of pearls is a little too fancy for most days, but I wore it on Christmas Eve too, so I might just bust it out for all future solemnities. The dress is also a relic of my wedding planning. Back then I went through a period of silly historian angst that I didn't pick a vintage-y romantic wedding dress, so I figured a sundress would get white lace out of my system. Since then it's been a great warm weather standby.

To close things out here's one of my favorites from last night's Vigil - an Easter hymn by a colonial American composer, be still my historian heart.

What I Wore Palm Sunday

Dress: Old Navy; necklace and belt: Coldwater Creek; flats: Naturalizer

We finally have some spring weather up here. Today I didn't even need a jacket! This dress is a brand new $10  find from Old Navy and the perfect weight for spring. It's so soft and comfortable I'm tempted to wear it constantly until summer. Usually sheath style dresses are tricky on my pear-shaped figure, but all the online reviews said it ran big in the hips. Score! 

This Sunday afternoon our parish YA group went on a mini pilgrimage to the Dominican Monastery of the Most Holy Rosary in Summit. Extern Sister Mary Cecilia gave us a mini tour and told us how daily monastery life works. The nuns of Summit are mildly internet famous for their soap making business, although she was quick to tell us that's just a side gig to pay the bills. Their real work is at the heart of the Church, praying for everyone else. 

Their chapel doors are hand-me-downs from the Waldorf Astoria, how cool is that?

I had a general idea of cloisters, but it was fascinating to meet this cheery extrovert in habit and hear some specifics. She mentioned how constant intercessory prayer requires lots of faith, since you don't often see the results of your prayers. Thanks to their full prayer board of intentions, the nuns aren't hiding from the world's problems in the least. We heard how the nuns joke with each other a lot, sometimes get on each other's nerves, and spoil their golden retriever. Each monastery has its own customs, like how nuns get their religious names. They consider Dominican priests their brothers, and are excited when one comes to visit on retreat. 

Sister did reference their friendly rivalry with the Franciscans, and hinted at how Domincian cloister rules tend to be more practical than dramatic. "Oh no, we don't do the big hair chop like the Poor Clares. We just wear it however is comfortable under our veils."

At one time there were several Dominican monasteries in New Jersey, but now the Summit location is the only one. The original plan was for a square cloister walk plus a 15 altar shrine (!!), but the Great Depression made them scale back the building plans. It's still a beautiful place near a cute town, and their perpetual adoration chapel is open all day. I definitely plan to return and hear the sisters sing the Divine Office sometime.

What I Wore Sunday, Entry 12

Top, skirt, and cardi: Anne Taylor outlet and clearance; flats: Aldo; purse: thrift store

This Sunday's picture was taken in New Orleans' Audubon Park. Our quick weekend trip was bittersweet, since we were in town for the funeral of my husband's Grandma Marie. We're all sad to see her go, but she had a long and blessed 92 year life. She passed peacefully in her sleep the night of the feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of a happy death. Seeing so many family gather for her funeral was an amazing testament to her legacy - in fact, her thirteenth great-grandchild was born just this week! The Good Shepherd was favorite devotion, which perfectly suits what a caring woman she was. There were references to that title of Jesus all through Sunday Mass. We were even sitting near a Good Shepherd stained glass window. 

I'm grateful that I was able to know Grandma Marie's kind, joyful spirit and that her generosity helped our married life get started. Her diamonds are in my engagement ring and some of her furniture helped furnish our living room. We flew home today with one of her bayou oil paintings, an heirloom we're excited to hang in our home. 

Sunday we were all emotionally and physically drained, so the Southern Baron and I spent a relaxing day with his parents. After Mass we walked around the park enjoying the sunshine and went out to their favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. Driving around we noticed that the Southern Baron's high school was having their annual bazaar! So we hit up the craft booth for some Jesuit memorabilia and marveled at how young all the students running around in blue and white shirts looked. It was the perfect way to round out a weekend full of reminiscing and celebrating family history.

For more Sunday outfits, visit Fine Linen and Purple!

Look at those azaleas! Why do we live in the frozen north again?

What I Wore Sunday, Entry 11

Check out Fine Linen and Purple for more Sunday church outfits! This week is hosted by the awesome Mandi of Messy Wife. 

Dress: Calvin Klein, sweater: Ann Taylor, wedges: Dolce Vita via TJ Maxx,
necklace: Forever 21, purse: Relic (thrifted)

This dress represents my effort to participate in this fall's black/white/colorblocking trend. When I bought it the Southern Baron's reaction was "Cruella de Vil?" And so I had to give him a little seminar on women's fashion. He educates me about menswear, though, so it's a two way street.

I do really like the dress' swingy skirt and flattering shape. I was very excited to discover an outlet store called Annie Sez near our apartment, and even more excited when I spied this dress on the clearance rack. It's the first big item I've bought in north Jersey, so I'll probably always associate it with our newlywed months here. Now that I think about it, I'm wearing representations of many different phases of my life: the purse was a thrifting find near my Brooklyn office, the shoes are from a TJ Maxx expedition in Manhattan, I got the sweater in Delaware on a grad school study break, and the necklace hearkens back to my VSC days in St. Louis. Material culture nerd that I am, all this historical context pleases me.

Christmas decorations are up in all the public spaces, but the weather this weekend is ironically warm. Southern Baron has been hunkered down grading, so after church I puttered around makin' groceries and embarking on a epic chicken pot pie project. In case you were wondering, making pie crust in a Cuisinart is gloriously easy. We're also tidying up the apartment because my brother-in-law is stopping tomorrow on his way home from a business trip!

What I Wore Sunday, Entry 10

Linking up with the lovely ladies at Fine Linen and Purple for another WIWS!

Do you other working ladies ever get dressy outfit fatigue? Don't get me wrong, I love me some dresses. After a week of thinking up daily professional outfits, though, I'm so excited finally to wear jeans. By the time Sunday morning rolls around, I usually end up staring at my closet thinking "Unnnh, I guess I should wear a skirt?" How you do make Sunday look special but not feel like a re-run of the work week? 

Jacket: Target (thrifted), skirt: Dress Barn, tank: Anne Taylor Loft,

pumps: Bandolino (hand-me-down from auntie), earrings: gift from another auntie

Because of the jacket, this week's outfit ended up more corporate-looking than I planned. You can't see it, but I also wearing a black cardigan underneath. I've started to feel like this skirt is too cutesy/summery for work, so it is in my workday rotation less. Maybe I'm just bored with it - I bought it for my godson's baptism, and he's now in the 3rd grade! 

The Southern Baron and I aim to get involved in our new parish or die trying. Today was our third time getting asked to bring up the gifts, so that's a good sign! I also put a ministry sign-up sheet in the collection basket. I hope to start being a lector again, and I'm curious about the Habitat for Humanity and St. Vincent de Paul ministries. 

After Mass we spent another afternoon enjoying the brisk weather and fall colors. I'd been envying people's gorgeous shots of Central Park on Instagram, but then I realized our neighborhood is just as pretty. 

See, isn't New Jersey gorgeous?

If you don't think so I'll punch ya in tha face.

What I Wore Sunday, Vol. 9

It's good to be back blogging! The past few months of wedding planning and moving and big work projects and Major Life Changes were busy to say the least. Now I finally feel settled in with my new husband and new last name. (Hint: it starts with a D.) On here I've called him "The Beau" and then "The Bethtrothed," but he needs a new nickname. For now he'll be "The Southern Baron," which he calls himself on the interwebs sometimes.

We're getting to know our little village in New Jersey and have joined a new parish. Sometimes it's lonely being far away from my friend base in the DC area and the Sunday brunch group at his former NJ church. But the gorgeous Gothic building down the street from us houses a busy congregation where the priests are very friendly and welcoming. A new young adult group is starting up there, so we are eagerly attending planning meetings and watching the other people our age come out of the woodwork. Already I've met one other person schlepping into the city for work like me, so that's encouraging. 

Today at the end of Mass the pastor called up all the new parishioners to formally greet them and give everybody a welcome gift. We always feel a little awkward about audience participation segments like this, so after a whispered conference we decided to stay in our pew. "Do you think Monsignor will be mad at us? Nahh, he won't see us back here." Yeah, well he did. He and our deacon friend gave us a good-natured hard time about it, and then gave us a plaque anyway. That's what we get for volunteering for things, haha.  

Sweater: JCPenney, skirt: Old Navy, shoes: Aldo, earrings: Brooklyn Museum gift shop,
family monogram: handmade by by my brother-in-law

This has been our first real week of fall weather, so I finally broke down and unpacked all my lightweight sweaters. My William Morris pattern earrings were a hasty addition as we ran out the door, but they got compliments from the sample girl at the grocery store. She was wearing a knit hat and a necklace that was practically a geode, perfect for hawking a quinoa smoothie beverage. (Would you ever drink that? I am a fan of kombucha and all sorts of earthy/crunchy drinks, but this seemed too sugary to do you much good. Also the banana flavor tasted like baby food.) 

The flats are a new purchase. I'd been eyeing them for a while since I am a sucker for wing tip styling. Finally they went on sale! If I can break them in they should come in handy for being on my feet all night at my museum's gala fundraiser this week. 

After church we strolled around the nearby Montrose Historic District, a neighborhood with lots of pretty early 20th century houses. The town's website has a guide to all the buildings, so we geeked out reading the details of each house on the Southern Baron's phone. Married nerd life is good. 

For some reason this part of NJ is obsessed with Tudor Revival architecture. 

For more Sunday outfits, visit Fine Linen and Purple!

What I Wore Sunday - Lessons and Carols

Sweater: Kohl's

Dress: H and M

Belt and boots: Target

Necklace: Mortar and pestle pendant, a gift from my internship at a colonial apothecary shop

I'm back in New Jersey again, this time for the annual Lessons and Carols concert at The Betrothed's parish. He sings bass in the choir, and I am always impressed by how great they sound. I was very proud listening to him intone the first notes of Alma Redemptoris Mater. While he was in rehearsal, I snapped this picture in the newly renovated Catholic Student Center next door, a former convent. My campus ministry center in undergrad was a basement room called "The Catacombs," so I hope these kids know realize how good they have it.

Lessons and Carols is a lovely Advent tradition that I only discovered in the past few years. It combines hymns with scripture readings (the lessons), focusing on prophetic readings about the Messiah. I love how it gives me time to reflect on how long-awaited Jesus' coming really was. 

I also appreciate that The Betrothed's choir director picks lots of great Advent hymns that pack some theological heft. Celebrating the Incarnation should not reduce Christians to Ricky Bobby, cooing over "sweet little 8 pound 5 ounce baby Jesus in your crib with your Baby Einstein videos" and his pretty mommy.  As our priests were so good at explaining yesterday, Christ's arrival for a suffering world means so much more than that. 

For more outfits, visit Fine Linen and Purple!

What I Wore Sunday: Vol. 6, Christ the King

This week I am visiting my fiance up in New Jersey, so I have someone to take my picture! We always go out to brunch at a diner with several of his church friends after Mass. At this point the staff know us and just say "How many this week?" Once he and I ate there on a weekday and a waiter asked "Why are you here today?" You gotta love any dining establishment run by a Greek family. You also know you are in New Jersey when a flyer in the lobby advertises a pro-wrestling "Jingle Brawl" ... hosted at a Knights of Columbus Hall. 

Sweater: Kohl's?

"Pearls": Kohl's 

Scarf: Gift from parents

Sweater tights: T.J. Maxx

Wedges: Aerosoles outlet

Skirt: Anne Klein, thifted. (I bought this for $6 new with tags on four years ago. 

Thanks to Weight Watchers I can finally fit in it. Victory!)

I am big fan of this week's feast of Christ the King. Or as it is called now, "Lord Jesus, King of the UNIVERSE." Did everyone else hear He-Man, Masters of the Universe references at Mass today? Just me? I prefer to think of today as the feast of Jesus' awesomeness + the New Year's Eve of the liturgical year + making autumn more important. Why should December get all the attention?

The cornerstone of Christ the King Parish in St. Louis. I used to live next door. 

 For more church outfits, check out the link-up at Fine Linen and Purple!

What I Wore Sunday, Vol. 5

Sweater - Target, white tee - Kohl's, skirt - Anne Taylor outlet, tights - Target, shoes - Aerosoles

Back in 1991, I performed in a riveting first grade play entitled "The Gumby Shop." We kids dressed as the various nonsensical things you could buy at the shop. My line was "Some eggs, some eggs, with purple legs!" My Mom shouted that line when she saw my church outfit. Maybe I am subconsciously getting excited for advent? 

I wore this outfit to meet a friend for Mass and then get lunch at Panera. Neither of us had been to this parish before, but it was a midpoint between where we live. Mass was really lovely, especially with a violin accompanying the choir. I have to give this parish props for combining reverence with open and bright modern design. Their recent renovation is really nice. It's true, I can't help geeking out about church architecture wherever I go. 

For more Sunday outfits, check out Fine Linen and Purple! 

What I Wore Sunday

Thanks to some unseasonably warm weather, I didn't have to bundle up too much this weekend. The Betrothed was in town and we competed in the semi-annual tournament of my weekly pub quiz. My college friends and I once won under the team name "John the Baptist Re-enactors." We didn't expect to put up a good showing, but we tied for 4th place! Props to my man for knowing that Bosco was a popular chocolate syrup produced in New Jersey since the 1920s. 

I love this dress, but it once gave me a hair-raising church experience like Rae's recent one. I was thrilled to find a petite size on clearance at an outlet, and bought it in a hurry even though it was a little short. When I put it on for the first time, I realized it was far too short. Adding black tights didn't help much. Of course I made this brilliant wardrobe choice for the Easter Vigil, the one Mass of the year with the most standing and kneeling. It was an awkward two and half hours. 

So I added some black fabric to the bottom to make it appropriate for my brother's rehearsal dinner. The tulip hem made the sewing project extra tricky, and it quickly became a late-night saga. The Bethrothed valiantly offered moral support while I watched Downton Abbey, measured, and swore. The next day I finally created something wearable. Hooray fore creative modesty!

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet

Cardigan: Ann Taylor

Tank: Ross

Flats: Naturalizer

Belt: Finale, a totally Jerseylicious store where you can also buy earrings as big as your head. 

For more Sunday looks, check out the link-up at Fine Linen and Purple!

What I Wore Sunday

Once again I am linking up with the lovely ladies at Fine Linen and Purple to share my Sunday church outfit. Thanks for hosting, Emily and Kendra! 

This week I am making faces at myself in the mirror while wearing:

Worthington sweater and skirt from J.C. Penney

gold Naturalizer flats

Coldwater Creek hoop earrings

The pashmina was a bridesmaid gift from my friend Stella four years ago. It kicked off a scarf-wearing addiction that grad school only made worse. In the art history world, a scarf is a necessary badge that signals "I like colorful things. I Get It." It is also a defense against frigid library stacks.

Tonight I unpacked some winter clothes and realized that, holy cow, maybe I should lay off the pashminas for this year's Christmas list. My handy-dandy Ikea scarf hanger is almost full. But if you offered me an infinity scarf in a color I don't have....

What I Wore Sunday

True confession: I used to have ambitions of being a fashion blogger. Once I even submitted an outfit to the sadly defunct blog Academichic. Taking occasional photos of my daily outfits really helped me learn how to dress myself after college and use my closet creatively. Eventually I quit because I was busy with other things, and honestly, my clothes are not that fascinating.

So I was excited when my #Cathsorority friends at Fine Linen and Purple started the "What I Wore Sunday" linkup! It's fun to see what other people wear to church.

This week's church outfit: Kohl's dress, Target cardigan and tights, Ross lace tank, Me Too black flats. 

The necklace is from a jewelry store in NYC where everything is $3.99! It's a souvenir of the first day I took NJ Transit and the subway "all by myself."

My parents always emphasized dressing up for Mass on Sunday, and I like continuing that custom. It makes Sunday a little extra special. Especially now that I wear a uniform for work 5 days a week, I'm glad to have a chance to use the rest of my closet! 

Dresses have totally become my favorite standby in the past few years. It's easy to throw one on in the morning even if you're tired or in a hurry, and they are very forgiving if you lose or gain a few pounds. No one will ever make a reality show called "Say Yes to the Jeans" - shopping for pants is just painful.

This outfit now feels like it was years ago. Since Sunday I've been living in sweatpants as we deal with Hurricane Sandy and a soggy basement. Stay safe everyone!