Weekend Recap and OOTD (the porcelain paisley alternative)

Good morning, I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. As I mentionned in my previous post we stayed in the city this weekend (my husband travelled too much for work in the last few weeks and needed to relax a bit) and we took advantage of my MIL being here to go to the movies and eat out worry-free.
Saturday night we went with a couple of friends to the Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem to celebrate my husband's birthday (it was his idea to go there, since when he was younger he lived for 6 months in Syracuse, NY, home of the original Dinosaur BBQ and he has always been a bit nostalgic about it). It was quite the expedition (our taxi got lost) but it was a fun and different way to spend an evening in town (we missed the live music that started too late). I didn't take a pic of my outfit because it was very casual (headache tee and cargo pants).

On Sunday we went to the movies to see "A separation", the movie from Iran that won an Oscar for Best Foreign Picture. Well, in case you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to go, it is a beautifully told story. I am glad that we didn't wait for it to come in DVD because it is one of those movies that can loose a bit of their power if you watch it half-sleeping on a couch (it starts very slowly, you have to make an effort to pay attention but then it becomes gripping). After the movie we found ourselves strolling in the West Village where I hadn't been in ages (we are talking years, I hadn't even seen all the new boutiques on Bleeker street) and we had dinner at one of the most romantic terraces on one of the most romantic blocks in NYC (4th and 10th St.) I regretted not wearing something more appropriate for a date night but it wasn't my fault: I had initially chosen my Seaport maxidress (because it is long-sleeved so perfect for the AC in the theater) but my husband hated it and asked me to wear pants instead so I went with my typical "movie night" outfit (typically after a movie my husband wants to eat something fast, like a slice of pizza, so no need to dress up. Well, last night was an exception. Not that I really care but it is a missed opportunity to wear something more special):

The jackie cardigan in this case wasn't only a weapon against the AC. I really love the "Petites Victoires" tee but (as I have already said) I find people staring at my boobs when I wear it, trying to read what the tee says. It only happens when I wear this tee, my other graphic tees don't have this secondary effect (BTW, I told my husband and it made him jalous). Anyway I like to wear the scout gingham chinos and this tee to the movies, the outfit has a little retro-geek feeling to it but I can certainly find something better to wear to a romantic dinner in the West Village. Next time, I guess!

Yesterday we packed a picnic and went on a family outing to Governor's Island. Governor's Island is a little car-free island between the seaport and Staten Island and there is a 10 minutes ferry ride to get there. My daughter was excited to take the boat but to be honest the watertaxi to the Brooklyn Ikea is a better ride. The line was long, there isn't much of a deck and all in all you are only 10 minutes on the water. It was HOT (it topped 90 degrees in the afternoon) and I wore my Vintage cotton stripe tank in navy/red stripes with a pair of old Gap shorts (very nautical, as you can see):

This tank is very low-cut as you can see, size down for sure (I am wearing a XXS and I am usually a XS). I love the primary colors, I think that navy/red is my favorite stripe combo in general.

And now the outfit that I am wearing today. There is a lot of love in the blogosphere for the JCrew porcelain paisley pencil skirt and I certainly appreciate the print and design. It is a beautiful pencil skirt but a bit too much for my lifestyle, especially my summer lifestyle. Instead of this skirt I bought a white linen pencil at the Loft that is more relaxed and could be an alternative for those of you who want a white pencil skirt but think that the porcelain paisley print is too out there. Unfortunately it appears to be sold-out online but it might pop back and I can give you the style number if you are interested (it retailed for $69.50 and I could swear that the name was "crochet" something).
It is a very summery and easy pencil skirt with a very nice crocheted hem and appliques, the only downside is that it is lined in poly. I thought about removing the lining but it is already a bit sheer with the lining, so I will maybe have it replaced with a cotton one if it really bothers me. Size-wise I went with a 0 because it was the only size available but a 00 would have been better. I am wearing it today with the Marrakesh top from a few years ago, that has a crochet detail on the shoulders:

I love it with my Nolita jacket and a tank (the tank is also by the Loft, from a couple of years ago):

What do you think of the Loft pencil skirt as an alternative to the porcelain paisley? Anybody else owns this skirt? What did you do this Memorial Day weekend?
Anybody saw "A separation"?