Monday, November 25, 2013

Outfit Post: Frightened Rabbit at Webster Hall

There's something very rock n' roll about black clothes and boots. So when V and I went to see Frightened Rabbit at Webster Hall I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to wear black top from Zara.

Here's the outfit breakdown:

Round Neck Blouse: Zara - I've never been a huge fan of low-cut tops, but I do like to compensate for a lack of skin by wearing sheer fabrics. V picked this top out on a shopping trip where I decided to "introduce" him to Zara (he's such a good sport, plus, he's got great taste). At $70 I thought it was a bit over-priced, but it's definitely the kind of item I'll wind up wearing all the time.
Necklace: Old Navy - Old Navy is one of my favorite stores to stop in for a little #treatyoself purchase. At around $6-$16 (total guess-timate based on my previous purchases) their jewelry selection is such a guilt-free indulgence.

Jeans: American Eagle - As a petite person who wears a lot of denim, AE is a dream come true. They currently offer a dozen different styles and a variety of washes and they're reasonably priced (the selection tops out at $69.95 for Premium Denim). They also run tons of promotions for those of you looking for a deeper discount. I'm wearing the "skinny" here.

Boots: Trouve - Just as I predicted when I bought them back in October of 2010, I wear these combat boots all the time. Clearly they've held up well. I still kick myself for not getting them in natural when I had the chance.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Saturday Soul

V and I, post-class.
A few Saturdays ago V and I went to SoulCycle. Let me be clear, I drank that Kool-Aid a long time ago, so I am totally biased. V, on the other hand, was not so easily swayed.

Here's a recap of our #SoulExperience:

Seeing as how it's been an eternity since I took spin, let alone a SoulCycle class, I went with the 2lb weights. V was far more ambitious and opted for the 5's (even the girl setting him up on his bike wished him luck with them).

As Katy Perry's new single, "Unconditionally," wound down our instructor, Sal, started class. Sal, an L.A. Transplant, was very high energy without being intimidating (a balance I look for in my Soul instructors). On the Soul-ful scale (a newly made-up scale on which I measure the warm fuzziness of the instructors) of 1 to 10, I'd put him at a 6; he threw in some positive imagery and motivation here and there, but he didn't beat you over the head with it. V prefers for his fitness instructors to load on the tough love, so it was more than he'd like.

Class was pretty standard - dance music blaring, Sal instructing us to ride to beat, add resistance, tap it back, etc. I tried to sneak a few peaks at V early on, but I didn't want him to lose focus (truth: I have limited coordination to begin with and didn't want to fall off the bike) so I zoned out and rode as part of the pack. He did make it through the upper body segment with the 5lb weights, but I don't think it was quite as easy as he thought it would be, not that he would admit that (men, *sigh*).

The last part of class is always a breeze. I put the weights back in their holsters and as the endorphins from the first half hit it's like the rest of the ride is downhill. I finished strong, feeling psyched. Lots of riders stayed after class to introduce themselves to Sal since we he was a new instructor to the Rosyln location, but we headed out to the waiting area.

After recouping and refilling our water bottles, I rewarded myself for recruiting V by purchasing my first piece of Soul gear, this cute little cropped tank (what can I say? I firmly believe in positive re-enforcement and I love stars). While it may not be his favorite way to workout, V did agree that it's a good option and we will be back. Next time - theme ride!