Los Angeles Engineers Banquet

Last night I attended and volunteered at the Los Angeles Engineers banquet, hosted by the Los Angeles Engineers Council.  I recently joined the council as the SWE representative.  To volunteer, I arrived early to arrange the awards (there were a ton) and after dinner during the awards portion of the event, I handed the awards from the table to the presenters.  This meant I spent most of the night on my feet.  Thankfully I was able to stand behind a table with a floor length table cloth, so I ended up taking off my heels.  So here's the lovely outfit I wore, along with one of my good friends in SWE who helped me join the Engineers Council.

Dress: White House Black Market

Shawl: Cost Plus World Market

Shoes (black peep toe pumps): Target

 

Headband: Forever 21

Bracelet, ring & earrings: Target

It's been a while.

I wore this outfit quite a while ago.  It was what I wore for a SWE EC meeting.  We met at Starbucks for coffee and business and then got pedicures!  Thus the flip flops, I wore pumps beforehand.

Top: H&M

Skirt: American Apparel

Sweater: Victoria's Secret

Necklace: from my dad

Headband: Forever 21

I apologize for being an absent blogger.  In all honesty, I haven't been taking outfit photos.  I have been gaining weight and it's very frustrating.  I haven't had any lifestyle changes, yet my clothes are getting uncomfortable.  I hate the fact that I can't even suck in my stomach for a photos anymore.  It's a horrible feeling.  Thankfully I got an answer today.  I had my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, the standard test for thyroid function and medication dosage) tested yesterday.  Today I got the results.  My TSH is up, which means my thyroid levels are low.  My doctor increased my synthyroid dosage, so hopefully this helps.  The most frustrating part of this weight gain is that I don't even have the energy to work out more than normal when my thyroid levels are low.  I eat less, move less, sleep more.  No matter how little I eat, I gain weight.  It's frustrating, but there's a light at the tunnel...I think.  I'm really hoping that the change in meds and change in scenery will lead to a more active life and better fitting clothes.  In the mean time, I'll search my outfit archives for things to post.

Foodie (aka the post in which I use a lot of parenthesis)

So it's no secret on this blog, despite that it's supposed to be about fashion from a rocket scientist's perspective, that this rocket science fashion fan is also a foodie.  Now, I use that term loosely.  No, I do not cook myself gourmet meals for dinner every night (or even weekly really).  No, I do not travel far distances and spend vast amounts of money on celebrity chef dinners out (LA traffic and a budget tightly stretched between rent and clothes prevent it).  However I appreciate good food.  I really do.  I also appreciate quick food, convenient food, healthy food, nostalgic food, etc.  Basically, this girl loves to eat, cook, and bake, but I'm realistic with how they fit into my life.  So it's no surprise to anyone that I love reading food blogs.  In addition to Joy the Baker (the most delightful LA baking blog ever!), I read Serious Eats daily.  Thankfully, last month Serious Eats decided to have an international meetup day.  Meetups in cities all over for the fans of the website.  Food fans getting together over a good meal to talk about food!  I was excited but couldn't go the day it was scheduled.  To my luck, the LA group had so much fun that they decided to make it a monthly event!  I met up with the group last night for dinner at Malo.  I was unfortunately, due to poor planning on my part, an hour late, but the group was still welcoming, and the restaurant served my friend Jen (that I dragged along for moral support in case the group was weird or I couldn't find them) and me extremely quick.  The food and company were both fantastic.  I'm very excited to more monthly meetups, even if I have to miss March because of my work trip (btw please read and comment on my other post today!!!).  I won't even drag along Jen, unless of course she wants to go.  Now what was the point of this post, other than to confess my love of food and reading about food?  To tell you about the great new sites I learned of from the people I met at the meetup of course!

First up, a new food blog to follow.  Vegetarian Foodie is written by Kelly, the organizer of the LA Serious Eats meetup group.  I may be an omnivore, but I still appreciate meatless meals.  I added this one to my blogroll, and I look forward to her posts.

Second, back onto the main topic of this blog, fashion.  I sat next to Tina at dinner and found out that she designs accessories.  Her line, Della, is made in Ghana, supporting the community that inspired the line.  The clutch she had at dinner was really nice!  You have to check Della out!

Image from shop.dellala.com

I need packing advice!

No seriously, this isn't just for any trip.  I am going to be working at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for a whole month.  Most likely I'll live in a suburb of New Orleans.  So I need to figure out what to pack for a month.  I'll need clothes that work for both work and play.  Since I'll be so close to New Orleans, I want to enjoy the city as much as I can.  However, I need to have plenty of work appropriate clothes for my time at the NASA facility.  Since I don't know if I'll be in an office or at a test stand, I'll need to dress appropriately for working outside or in a shop-type facility if needed, which means long pants & closed-toe shoes.  And thankfully the weather should be nice, averages for the month of March are about high 70/low 50.  For washing clothes, I'll be limited to laundromats probably.  So, based on what you've seen from my pervious posts, are there any items of clothing you'd recommend I pack?  Or for anyone that has done a 30 for 30 challenge before, do you have any advice?  Thanks!

Spring Inspiration

I know that 1970's fashion is the trend for spring, but personally I love Free People's take on spring in their February catalog.  It's just beautiful and the layering is inspiring!  I can't wait to try out some these ideas this spring.

 

Check it out!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had a great day!  I guess it started yesterday.  I bought myself a dress from Anthropologie.  (My grandma sent me a gift card, so it's from her too.  Thanks Grandma!)  I cannot believe I found this dress hiding in the sale room in my size!  I also finally bought my formal dress for the Los Angeles Engineers Council banquet.  I tried on this dress months ago, but it was $228 at full price.  I bought the last one in my store for only $91!  Last night while I watched the Grammy awards, I treated my cat to her Valentine's gift - a whole pile of cat-nip!  I poured it onto the base of her scratching post.  As you'll see, she loved it!  Today I arrived at work to find my rabbit (with big pointy teeth!) toy biting down onto a little box of chocolates on my chair.  There was no note.  As the day went on, it became clear that about 7 other girls at work also received mystery chocolate.  It was a fun day talking with the other girls trying to figure out who the gifts are from!  Tonight I treated myself to a fantastic dinner at Morton's steakhouse.  I ate at the bar for happy hour.  They offer a prime burger with fries for $17 and cosmos for $7.  One of my friends, Marinelle, met me at the bar for dinner too.

Yesterday's outfit:

Dress, shoes & belt: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Heart necklace: gift

Hair bow (not seen): Forever 21

Dresses I bought:

Anthropologie De Chelly Dress

White House Black Market Crystal Circles Gown

My mystery chocolate (and my Monty Python rabbit).

And as promised, photos of my cat high on cat-nip.

My valentine!

Blues Fusion

Last night I went to a party that a friend invited me too.  It was her friend's apartment warming party, but instead of having it in her actual apartment, she rented out her building's community room.  Since it had a great dance floor and she dances as a hobby, the host's friends took over and hosted a blues fusion dance party, complete with three different DJ's.  The party guests really knew what they were doing!  It was intimidating at first, but after a while (and a few rum & cokes) I really started to enjoy the dancing.  I had trouble at first with "following", a concept that is a lot harder to do than it sounds.  I actually want to take lessons now!

Since I didn't know that it would be an actual dancing event, I just wore party clothes.  I did somehow manage to dance in these heels, but I wouldn't wear them again for dancing.

Tank: Target

Jeans: Paige

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Bakers

Purse: H&M

Messy side ponytail inspired by these two posts: Asian Cajuns & A Cup of Jo

Hair bow: Forever 21

A heart ring for Valentine's Day from Victoria's Secret PINK

And since you're probably thinking "what in the world is blues fusion dancing?", here's two youtube videos I found of it online.

There's no such thing as a real sick day.

At least not when I have a work laptop.  I took 3/4 of a real sick day.  Whatever cold/allergies thing I have finally caught up with me.  I slept until 1:45 this afternoon, went out for lunch, then worked 2 hours from my couch.  For food, I didn't have the energy to cook, so I walked to a newer restaurant next door to my apartment complex.  I live near great choices for being sick.  First there's an Americanized sit down Mexican restaurant - I'm sure they make a good chicken tortilla soup and there's always margaritas (alcohol to kill germs and maybe a little vitamin C in the lime juice).  Next up there's a small plaza with a Quizno's - soup and subs are a classic combo, although a bit overpriced at this particular location.  In the end of that plaza there used to be a chicken place that I really liked that unfortunately went out of business.  In it's place is a sushi spot.  I hadn't been yet, but they had a sign out front advertising lunch specials.  I decided today was a perfect day to try it out.  If nothing else, hot green tea and miso soup sounded wonderful.  Turns out that the star of this place was the panko fried whitefish!  So crispy, not at all oily, and overall just wonderful.  The prices were pretty good too.  In total, $11 for 8 pieces of California roll, fried fish, tomato & orange wedges, scoop of potato salad, miso soup, hot tea, and a bowl of brown rice I didn't even eat because I was too full from everything else.  (Yes, I realize this seems like an odd combo of food, but it's what comes in the bento lunch meal.)  Overall the place looked good, and I can't wait to go back to try more sushi.  Somehow raw fish just didn't seem super appealing while congested.

Also, I'd like to point out that I consider these my man-repelling leggings.  They remind me of color guard uniforms from high school.  For this reason, I've never worn them before.  I love the idea of velvet leggings, but these were on sale online at Target and I didn't realize it was shiny crushed velvet when I placed the order.  Somehow, I think this is a pretty good outfit considering it's a sick day.

Tunic: Forever 21

Tank: Express

Cardigan: Division

Leggings & shoes: Target

Cute new pedicure from last night's SWE EC meeting at Bellacures

Zadie spent a lot of time with me today.  While I worked, she laid on my feet.

Ice Skating!

Today I went ice skating outdoors in 75°F sunshine next to palm trees.  Only in Southern California!

Tunic & tank: Forever 21

Leggings: American Apparel

Necklace: Old Navy

DineLA Restaurant Week

I love DineLA restaurant week.  It happens a few times each year, and I never get to as many restaurants as I would like.  This time I managed to get to two.  On Thursday I met up with SWE-LA members for a San Fernando valley social.  We ate at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks.  It wasn't the best food, but the corkage fee was only $2 and the menu included two courses of lobster.  Last night I went out with 2 girl friends and the most articulate 5 year old ever (one friend's daughter) to Katsuya Hollywood.  I loved Katsuya.  It was exactly the kind of LA restaurant I love to take out of town guests to for a nice dinner out.  Plus the food was great, the drinks were fun, and the service rocked.  I also heard that it's a great celebrity spotting place on week nights, so I'll have to go back again.  And here's what I wore to both.

 

Thursday - 

Dress: Anthropologie

Sweater: American Eagle

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Friday - 

Dress & shoes: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Scarf: Cost Plus World Market

Headband: Forever 21

Purse: bargain store in Vegas

Dinner Shortcut

Tonight I tried a grocery store item I hadn't tried before - refrigerated mushroom ravioli.  It was amazing!  Plus I topped it with a very good quick tomato sauce.  You should try this product if you like mushrooms.

Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti