Outfit / Mondrian Irma

I am forever thankful for my casual office--it means I can get away with comfy casual cute on Mondays. This belted Mondrian-esque tunic (an Irma--more on my new LuLaRoe obsession later) was the perfect mix of office-appropriate and laid-back fun.   

Outfit / Day Without A Woman & International Women's Day

On January 20th, I participated in one of the Women's Marches. It was, in short, amazing and powerful, and I truly felt connected to a wider whole of every woman and feminist around the globe, even those unable to attend a march in person.
Today, a few months later, is International Women's Day. I have to admit I never paid this day much attention until this year, when the Women's March on Washington organizers declared it A Day Without a Woman.  

Outfit / Winter Coat & Lounging

Though we haven't had too much snow (which makes me a bit sad--outside of the lack of public transportation I loved last year's Snowpocalypse), it's been cold enough that I've gotten a fair amount of use out of my winter coat. It was a Christmas gift from my parents, very much needed (I lost all the buttons off of my moderately warm and very old wool coat last year), and very much my style. Knowing me, I would have bought a black coat if left to my own devices, so I very much appreciate the unexpected warm-tone grey.

And, very importantly for this and future winters--this coat is warm.

Sunday Brunch / 02.07.16

1.) Cedric listening to the birds through an open window on a crazy warm day. 2.) Beautiful Fieldcrest Jord watch. 3.) Snowy Boston. 4.) Snow makes everything interesting and beautiful. 5.) Amazing dinner at Giacomo's with Matt. 6.) Sunday morning.

Outfit / Velvet, Wood, & Valentine's Day

I'm a big fan of finding excuses to treat yourself (and yes, that is a link to a Parks and Recreation clip). We all do a lot. We go to work or school (or both), we spend time with family and friends, we volunteer, we do things we truly enjoy, and we somehow find time to sleep. I certainly need to remind myself to take a step back and enjoy the little things, like tea or walks, and to slow down.

Valentine's Day has always been a bit of an r 'n' r day for me. It's two days after my birthday and I've never had someone to celebrate it with (except for my Galentines, but of course Galentines Day is February 13th). It's a great excuse to get myself a birthday gift and a Valentine's gift. This year, I do have someone romantic to share the day with, but we both decided to do without anything fancy. Treating myself to something--whether it's a new accessory like this Jord Wood Watch, taking the entire day to read, or watching a movie with Matt--is just as important as chocolate, wine, and flowers. 

Book Review / Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum April 5, 2016 [expected] by Delacorte Press (Random House)  Goodreads || Amazon     First of all, a huge hooray and pat on my back for actually finishing an arc (advance reader's copy) before its publication date! I've got two more arcs, courtesy of Young to Publishing, sitting on my shelf, but I was excited about this one after hearing good things and just had to read it first.
I don't usually read contemporary YA (John Green the lone exception) and prefer to stick to the dystopian and historical variety. So I surprised myself when, after not reading any YA for some time, I picked up Tell Me Three Things. The cover alone drew me in, before I had even read the back copy, because of it's less traditional YA design (girls in dresses, anyone?). As you read, you realize the cover has a multi-layered meaning, which, let's be honest, are the best sorts of covers. Overall, this books was just short of amazing--I started it while on vacation and had it finished a week later (pretty good for someone working full time and reading mostly on commutes).

In Julie Buxbaum's first YA novel, sixteen-year-old Jessie moves from Chicago to California after her father remarries. She has no friends and is often bullied by the popular girls, all the while grieving for her mother, who died two years ago. Then a classmate messages her under the moniker "Somebody Nobody," and Jessie comes to rely on this stranger she has never met.

One of the main strengths of this book lies in the characters. Even in a first person narration, with a rather self-centered protagonist, Buxbaum brings all of the characters to life. With people from both Jessie's new and old life making appearances, this could be a tall order, but Buxbaum delivers. Despite having next to nothing in common with Jessie, I come to care for her and the people around her.

This is also a romance in the best sense. Jessie's budding relationship with SN takes place over text, and there is no physical romance until the final scene. It is a relationship that is all at once brutally honest and more confused, in both cases because these characters have never met in person. The story is truly driven by Jessie and her thoughts.

For me, the only detractions were minor. First, I don't love extremely modern pop culture references, because apps and celebrities and news change so fast, and this book has many. However, I know this doesn't bother most readers--it will just date the book. Second, I did guess who SN was kind of early on. But spoilers have never bothered me, and I still enjoyed the story. My concerns can't take away the fact that this book is smart and doesn't hold back. On top of everything else, Tell Me Three Things has cursing, blunt & truthful discussions of sex & grief & alcohol, and a Gertrude Stein motif ("Jessie is Jessie is Jessie"--"a rose is a rose is a rose").

Despite being a YA book, Tell Me Three Things felt very adult--a grown up YA book. And through it all, Jessie's strong narrative voice carries the reader along the ups and downs of all of her relationships.
  

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader's copy from the publisher because I am a member of Young to Publishing. I was not compensated in any way and all opinions are my own.

Sunday Brunch / 01.24.16

1.) Have a bad day, take selfies until you feel better. 2.) All of the books upcoming on my to-read list. 3.) Matt & I waiting in line for brunch on Saturday, with our usual coffees--black for me, cream & sugar for him. 4.) Successful brunch date. 5.) Beautiful, new snow. 6.) Cedric being Cedric.
Happy Sunday :) Today is a slow one for me, where I only want to read Cinder and drink tea and snuggle with my cat, and ignore the fact that I have chores to do and work tomorrow. I was immensely happy about the snow yesterday, but it's already melting. I'm ready for more, and if we don't get even half as much as we did last winter I'll be very disappointed. 
If you don't follow Style on Target yet, maybe this great whites-and-blues look will convince you. 
A favorite blogger of mine, Hoda of Joojoo Azad, has come out with a book all about streetstyle in Tehran, Iran. It's only $25, full of beautiful photography, and (if you preorder by February 1st) it comes with a matching tote bag.
Boston definitely needs these short-story vending machines.
Since it's both winter and Girl Scout cookie season, keep this list of wine and Girl Scout cookie pairings on hand for snow days.
The start of the year is a great time to daydream about future travels. Keep in mind that Canada will have free entry to all of its national parks in 2017.