Gap dress - 2011 - $27 on sale (available) / J. Crew belt - 2011 - $10 (similar) / Nine West peep-toe pumps via Ross - 2009 - $25 (similar) / Random necklaces: American Eagle, Kohl's, Premier Designs, Forever 21
Outfit analysis: An LBD with sleeves is perfect for even the most corporate of workplaces. The necklaces add a fun element, while the belt adds a little color. Colorful pumps would have been a nice addition (note to self--get some colorful pumps).
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Despite the nice spring weather, I've been increasingly drawn to black. You saw it with the black pencil skirts last week. And then this. Another black dress. But with sleeves! I resisted buying this dress because I didn't *need* another work dress. But I sure did want one. One with sleeves! And with my friends and family coupon last month, this one was just too good to resist. Bonus--it's machine washable and fully lined. Love.
A few weeks ago I mentioned transitions, with a promise to fill you in later. If you've been listening in on Twitter, you probably know this, but...we're moving to Miami this summer! K is graduating with his Ph.D. next month and will be starting an amazing new job there in August. Now we just have to find an apartment, get our stuff moved, ship a car, and generally pick up our entire lives and move it 3,000 miles away. There is still a lot that is unknown, but isn't that what makes life exciting? And what happens professionally? I'll let you know when I find out.
Are you drawn to certain colors in certain seasons? Or better, do you have any cross-country moving tips?
LOVE the layered necklaces! And, congrats on the move! This is awesome news!
ReplyDeleteWow congrats, how exciting!!! I love that dress, it's a very versatile LBD :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Angeline! I'm super excited for you guys! Out of curiosity, what was K studying?
ReplyDeleteSuch exciting news. Miami is great so I hope you guys enjoy it. Keep us all updated on the info as it comes up.
ReplyDeleteOh that dress is cute!
ReplyDeleteThe layered necklaces definitely adds something to the dress. I agree - some bright pumps would be so fun!
ReplyDeleteMiami sounds like an exciting move! I see lots of summery dresses in your future :)
That dress is perfection! Sleeves, lined and machine-washable?!?! Also, you did a great combination of necklaces. I love how they look.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the move! My advice for cross-country moves, pack light. Sell as much as you can. And if you are driving there (like my husband and I did), get books on tape.
North Meets South
I've never moved all my stuff across the country, but I went coast to coast constantly when I was in college. I had an apartment so I did move more than just my clothes to Boston, and learned really quickly what was important enough to pay big money shipping. Use your clothes and towels to pack around dishes/glass things and take a suitcase with you that has at least a week's worth of clothes so you aren't in a rush to do laundry/iron/fold when you first move in. Don't ship any furniture you aren't completely in love with, for the cost of shipping large (and heavy!) items you can buy new things. Same with books--I would easily spend well over $100 every year shipping just a box or two of my very favorite books because they are so heavy! Also ship boxes to arrive a few days before you do, planning for a few boxes to arrive late (if your building has someplace that can hold them until you can pick them up). Good luck with the move!
ReplyDeleteThis is so classy; I love it! Good luck on your move!
ReplyDeleteLove the dress!
ReplyDeleteWe moved from FL to NY in 2007. Loaded everything in a huge UHaul, put the car on a car trolley behind it and drove the entire way in 48 hours - with our pitbull in the floorboard between us. It was rough! The biggest lesson I learned was only take the furniture you love and really need. Our tiny 600 sf apt in NY didn't come close to holding everything from the 3b/2ba house we had in FL. We had to put so much nice furniture by the curb bc we had no where else to put it. Our move didn't work out for long and we made the same move in reverse! I hope your move works out much better for you & K. Good luck! Miami is a world unto itself.
I LOVE that outfit!
ReplyDeleteI've done a fair amount of moving... Michigan to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Tampa, and then Tampa back to Philadelphia... along with some small moves in college. My best advice (which echos what a couple other people said) is really just move what you NEED/love. Moving is a great excuse to go through your stuff (all sizes! clothes, books, furniture) and donate or sell things you don't use or don't love. If you're not attached to your furniture, sell it and buy new/used when you get to your destination... this sounds pricy, but you will save money not moving large items and you can get things that fit your new space.
After moving non-stop for the past 5 years, I'm down to the furniture I adore, clothes I wear and home type things that I use on a daily basis.
Good luck! Can't wait to follow your next steps! :)
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on moving to Miami!!!
CONGRATULATIONS on the move! And on his new job.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect outfit. Neckoine, sleeves, silhouette, belt, jewelry, all of it. Sure, it would look awesome with nude pumps too, but it's just classic and elegant and lovely.
Congrats on the big transition! I can't wait to read about what the future has in store for you guys, and to get to view all of your Miami inspired year-round summer looks! =)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry... i don't have any tips on moving cross country.
ReplyDeleteBut the whole idea sounds amazing... thinking of it, after you move. You can give us the tips !
Congrats!
Did you already resign ?
I really like the dress on you. My biggest tip isn't don't move the stuff you really don't want, and you can always rebuy something. I have moved a lot, and really paired down the things I own. It's surprising how you will move things, and never even unpack them. I hope you move goes great!
ReplyDeleteMy Heart Blogged
@ Basiccravings - Thanks! I got home and husband was like "Whoa! You have lots of stuff on your neck!" LOL
ReplyDelete@ Elaine - Isn't it? I'm so excited. I've never liked black so much in my life.
@ S - Thanks! He's a political scientist (although he's not going by Dr. once he's done. :)
@ Destrehan's Daughter - We've been to Miami twice, and it is beautiful! Definitely a primo place to end up in an uncertain academic job market.
@ Silvia - Thanks!
@ Eek - Oh yes...I'm trying not to buy too many clothes because I'm sure I'll have different tastes once I get to the new climate.
@ Erica - I know, right?!? Once I saw the care tag I was sold. We are planning on driving one car, but are getting the rest of the stuff and our second car professionally moved. We downsized considerably from our last apartment into this one, but I'd definitely like to get rid of more stuff before the move.
@ Keisha - good tips! I think books are going to be the hardest part, especially since my husband is an academic and has accumulated quite the library of books that he uses regularly for teaching, research, or reference. As far as furniture goes...we don't have much. :) That makes it easy.
@ Jo - Thanks!
@ Rachel - oh dear, yes I hope our move is a bit more on the permanent side (looks like we'll be there at least 6-7 years). We're planning on getting our stuff moved by movers and taking just one of our cars for a leisurely road trip. Really excited to see lots of Americana!
@ Katie - Wow, that is a lot of moving! We are getting rid of about half of our furniture (they were all hand-me-downs to begin with), but honestly, K's new employer is giving us a pretty generous moving allowance, so we're not being too precious. Plus, coming from California, we get more square footage from our money nearly anywhere we go! :)
@ Elaine - Thanks!
@ Bibliomomia - oo nude pumps would have been fun! But then I wouldn't get to show off my pretty toe nailpolish. :P
@ Lindsay - Thanks! I am definitely looking forward to good weather. :)
@ Lorena - Thanks! It is an exciting adventure to be on. I've never actually owned (or moved) furniture before, and it will be interesting to start over in a new state. I have already told my boss and our CEO (and a few other coworkers) and our CEO already alerted HR, but I haven't turned in my official resignation yet, and I won't be leaving my job until about a week before the move.
@ My Heart Blogged - Thank you! Seems like editing our possessions is the way to go. We already live in a pretty small space, and belongings aren't all that precious to us. It's hard to edit, though, when K's employer is paying for the move! (like I said--an amazing opportunity. :)
YAY!!! I am SO excited that you're going to be closer and we might actually get to meet!!! Yes, apparently everything is all about me. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously congratulations to him on finishing and the new job! Such fun changes!
I LOVE this dress. Love it. So much that I clicked on the link and it said it's no longer available and I almost cried. Such a perfect work dress, especially for my dress code!
You look wonderful!!!
Come take a look inside A Working Mom's Closet
I like the necklaces a lot in this one :-) And moving to Miami sounds like a lot of fun, congratulations! I hope you find a nice apartment! :-)
ReplyDeleteRelatable Style
i love the layering of the pearl necklaces and i agree that dresses with sleeves are perfect for a corporate environment. and how exciting that you'll be moving to Miami!! so excited for you guys!
ReplyDeletecute & little
Angeline, congrats to you guys, how exciting! When we made our move to Texas, we used UPack, which allows you to pack all your stuff and then THEY drive it across the country for you. So great for us, since we were doing long-distance at the time and wanted to wait until we found a place to have them bring our stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlso, LOVE that dress... I might just have to buy it. How's the sizing on it?
I wear black year round. In different textures, of course! Right now I'm wearing head-toe-toe black with gold accents...I love that for summer. And I really like this look on you too. The colored belt and peep-toes make this look very springy!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your move and new adventures in Miami! All I know is that it's HOT down there, and they wear a ton of color.
Congratulations on the move! I was inspired to comment because (1) I have the exact same dress - it was one of my best sale rack finds this spring and (2) I paired it with the same skinny jcrew belt - though mine is shiny lime green (and also $10 on the sale rack). I may well wear it with chunky necklaces next time around!
ReplyDeleteI think the Gap sizing is right on - for the reader above. But it's NOT stretch. You'll notice that especially in the sleeves. You may need to go up if you are between sizes.
As the wife of an academic, we've moved A LOT and had some pretty major cross-country moves in there. We've typically done the drive ourselves with help from my awesome dad. We have hired cheap movers (hello, undergrads!) to actually get the boxes in and out of the truck, easily the most exhausting part of moving. Several years ago, shipping a car from Burlington, VT to Mountain View, CA cost more than $1,000. We've always driven our cars (this was an exception because of the date of hire). We've liked having one car with us because it enables us to keep valuables with us - like sentimental things and China that's likely to break in a truck filled with TONS of heavy books.
If you rent a truck, Penske has newer / nicer / more comfortable trucks than Uhaul.
You might explore the tax-related benefits of moving for work related purchases (thus saving receipts along the way). It does help you recoup some of the small-fortune you'll lose moving across the country.
Welcome to Miami! Try to get here before the height of the rainy/hurricane season (August-September) or your stuff will get rained on a lot while getting it from the truck into the house (this happened to me, but the movers told me it's good luck if it rains on your first day in a new place).
ReplyDeleteWhen packing I have two tips. Don't make any one box too heavy or the movers will complain. For example, fill it half with books, half towels or something else light. Tip number 2 is use a big black Sharpie to number every box and keep a list of what's in each box by number. That way when you arrive you can easily find that one thing you need right now.
Good luck with the move this summer! See ya tomorrow ;)
ReplyDeleteNIkki
Love your dress!
ReplyDeleteStyle in the City
Congratulations, love your whole outfit too.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Congrats to K on his new job!!! Will you be looking for a new job now? (Sorry if you mentioned it on Twitter or here... been skimming tweets and posts while my own life is crazy!)
ReplyDelete@ Melissa - Yay for Florida friends! I am majorly bummed about the dress--maybe there's a better size selection in store? I don't know, though...they already took them off the racks at my local Gap.
ReplyDelete@ Lili - Thanks! I hope so, too. Most apartments don't know until 30 days before move-in if they'll have availability so just trying to be patient on this one for now.
@ Kileen - thanks!
@ Ashley - We got recs for U Pack from several of our friends, too. Sounds like a great company. :) The dress is as expected for most of Gap's clothes--it runs slightly large (this is a size 0, and I usually wear a size 2). Like Lisa said, the sleeves may be a little tight. I had to have K help me get out of the dress. But even so, the waist part is sort of loose. So probably better if you have thin limbs and a straighter figure?
@ V - I loooove your black looks...so chic. My knowledge of Miami is about as extensive as yours. :)
@ Lisa - We should have a Gap dress/J Crew belt day. :) Those are a ton of great moving tips! Thanks! We will be driving one car across the country and shipping our second (I hear we will both need cars in Miami). Luckily, K's employer is reimbursing us for the move (up to a set amount, but it's pretty generous), although the tax info is a great tip in case we do go over. :) Hopefully you'll stop by when I have more questions/updates!
@ Roberta - Thanks for the welcome! And the tip! We're planning on arriving August 1. And we're seriously considering having the movers pack our stuff for us...we have a LOT of books and they have smaller book boxes to balance out the weight.
@ Nikki - Thanks!
@ Carrie - Thank you!
@ Kristi - Thanks. :)
@ Nicole - :) Thanks! Job for me is still TBD. I have a few ideas, but nothing really set so far. Don't worry--I haven't dished much on Twitter and this is the first I've mentioned of it on here. :)
I really love this. The way you accessorized this is incredible! And Miami! That is quite a move! Congrats to the hubs, I can't wait to hear more.
ReplyDeleteI really love all those necklaces. Very awesome.
ReplyDeleteYou finally announced your move. Are you excited?
Did I tell you that I bought this dress at the Pittsburgh airport? I had loads of time to kill & found this dress for like $20 & couldn't pass it up. Until I tried it on at home. I think it runs a bit big. So, I tried to exchange it & the store did not have a smaller size. Sad, right?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it looks great on you!
@ Melissa - Yay for Florida friends! I am majorly bummed about the dress--maybe there's a better size selection in store? I don't know, though...they already took them off the racks at my local Gap.
ReplyDelete@ Lili - Thanks! I hope so, too. Most apartments don't know until 30 days before move-in if they'll have availability so just trying to be patient on this one for now.
@ Kileen - thanks!
@ Ashley - We got recs for U Pack from several of our friends, too. Sounds like a great company. :) The dress is as expected for most of Gap's clothes--it runs slightly large (this is a size 0, and I usually wear a size 2). The sleeves may be a little tight. I had to have K help me get out of the dress. But even so, the waist part is sort of loose. So probably better if you have thin limbs and a straighter figure?
@ Pixie in Pumps - Thanks!!
@ Colleen - Thanks! I am getting there...still so much up in the air, but it's a good kind of anxious.
@ Jeanna - no! That's awesome! I agree it runs a tad big (except for in the arms). I had to try on a few sizes in store to get the right one. Gap sizing is so weird.
love the dress!
ReplyDeletei'm drawn to black, navy and white, I've always loved classic dressing, though nowadays since it's summer here in the Philippines, i'm trying to re-invent my wardrobe and purchase printed outfits and other color combinations of tan, chocolate brown, gold and cream.
@ pinkmate - thanks! I love a navy and white palette. I'm sure my clothing tastes will have to change when I move, too. :)
ReplyDelete