#17 Villa Vizcaya

This week was my first week back at school with students. I work at a charter school with extended school hours, so that means I'm up at the butt crack of dawn and leaving work around 6-7pm. Don't get me wrong though-- it's such an amazing place and I'm so happy to be a part of it. It feels so good to get back to teaching, which is what I love to do. I feel like I'm really fulfilling my life's purpose when I'm teaching and interacting with kids... but as you can imagine, it doesn't leave me a lot of time to do outfit posts!

I've been looking through old photos and feeling nostalgic tonight. Two summers ago, I went on a pretty epic road trip with my boyfriend down South. We drove from Cleveland all the way to Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, Palm Beach, Miami, Key West, and then back up to Atlanta. It was one of the best times of my life! I was thinking about this beautiful villa we saw in Miami, called Villa Vizcaya. It was a house built in the early 20th century for businessman James Deering. It's highly influenced by architecture from the Italian Renaissance and is bursting with gardens and fountains. This beautiful place even has an old outdoor swimming pool and a "harbor," so to speak, with steps going down from the house, descending right into the water. It's a magical place, to say the least.

It was a cloudy, rainy, humid day and I was eaten alive by mosquitos, but it remains in my memory as one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and it felt so wonderful to share those moments with someone so special to me. I remember my outfit specifically from that day...

Downtown Miami at night.

The outdoor fountains and the front of Villa Vizcaya.

Inside the Villa.

The outdoor pool area.

Here I am, standing by the harbor. The house is just a few feet next to this beautiful port!

DRESS Striped Mock Two-Piece, Nordstrom BP | SANDALS Black Gladiators, Urban Outfitters | GLASSES Prescription Tortoiseshell, Ray Ban | PURSE Gold metallic shoulder bag, H&M

Now that I think about it, I really love the nautical feel of my outfit-- it goes so well with the harbor/water theme! Wasn't planned at all, but I love the way it worked out. I'm still so pleased with these photos, especially the vivid colors. This was after I bought my first "real" camera (a Nikon D4o) and I remember being so amazed by the quality of the photographs. I hope you enjoyed my blast from the past and I hope that you too can visit this beautiful place someday! It really is a treasure. I can't wait to continue traveling and be able to post more of my experiences in new places.

#16 Pin Up Girls Give Away!

To celebrate 40 followers, I will be giving away a brand new "Joanie Dress" from Pin Up Couture (via Pin Up Girl Clothing). See below for what it looks like!

It's a really cool vintage reproduction. I thought I got it in a size 2XL, but I think it's more like an XL, fitting sizes 12-14 (and maybe a 16 if you like it tight!). I originally bought it for work, but it's a little too form fitting for that purpose. However, I'd like to pass it on to someone who'll appreciate it! Here's the website's description:

"Pinup Couture's 2010 Collection takes its inspiration from classic shapes worn by screen icons of the 50s, but always with a modern, sexy woman in mind.

The Joanie Dress is our answer to two big requests from PUG fans: vintage-inspired styles that are workplace appropriate, and sleeves! The rayon blend fabric drapes beautifully, creating a 1960s silhouette with threequarter sleeves, a removable matching belt, and a wide rolled collar. Back zipper and walking slit."

If you would like to be considered for this giveaway, please:

1. Make sure you are a follower of Ze Zaftig! (Click the Follow button to the right)
2. In the comments section, please write a way for me to contact you if you win.
3. In the comments section, tell me what you like about vintage clothing and what your favorite era of fashion is!

Anyone from any country can enter. To determine the winner, I will assign all entries a number, and then use a random number generator. The giveaway will end next Friday, August 19. Good luck!

#15 A Formal Affair

I love getting dressed up for formal galas and gatherings, though I rarely have the opportunity to do so. I always really look forward to putting on fancy dresses and gowns and the educator's gala I went to on Thursday evening was no exception. I love the vintage feel of my dress and was really trying to evoke Christina Hendricks in Mad Men. Did I succeed? :)

DRESS Green Ava Dress, Pin Up Girl Clothing | SHOES Black Patent Peep-Toe Pumps, Nine West | NECKLACE Garnet Heart & Gold, Vintage Jewelry | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs (not pictured)

I'm a bit frustrated that I forgot my Nikon D40, which takes much better quality photos than my regular point and shoot. The only problem is, a huge Nikon does not fit in a cute Marc Jacobs clutch. I'm not a huge fan of name brands or designers, although thanks to fashion blogs and to Gilt, I'm getting more and more interested in designer clothing. This Marc Jacobs bag was a gift from my dad's girlfriend and it's absolutely perfect. I love the gold and silver metallic combination, which means you can wear it with any jewelry. The studs add a rocker/bad girl flair that resembles my personality and it's the perfect size, not too big or small. It's one of my favorite accessories and I use it all the time.

I must admit that after a long week of professional development, I was pretty pooped and wasn't interested in grooming myself for several hours. I got ready for this event in about 30 minutes. Side pony tail, a few bobby pins for my bangs, slip on the dress, some quick makeup, slide my shoes on, and I was ready to go. I wish I would have hit the dress with an iron for a little bit after it was in my suitcase, but I'm still pretty pleased with how it turned out. If you like the dress or vintage/vintage reproductions as much as I do, I highly recommend you check out Pin Up Girl Clothing, with sizes up to 3x. However, buyer beware: prices can be high and quality of their garments is inconsistent.

#14 Blog Feature

Long time, no see. It's barely been 7 days, but somehow it feels like forever since I've posted. It's been a crazy last few weeks. I sadly left NYC at the end of July, spent a two days at home, and then went to Nashville for a week of educator professional development. I'm really enjoying myself but I've been all over the place in the past month. I have a few pics of my outfit from a formal educator's gala I went to on Thursday that I can't wait to show you tomorrow, as well as some incredible shots of the hotel I stayed at while in Nashville.

I just went on to check my stats, some messages, and return some comments, when lo and behold! I was so amazed and excited to see I was featured on Natalie's blog, "Extra Large As Life." Super cool. I am blushing hard and feeling so flattered to be one of the featured blogs. AND, I'm even more stoked to see all the new followers of Ze Zaftig! Thanks, new followers! Welcome!

Please visit Natalie's blog. It's really fantastic and full of a lot of inspirational, fashionable photos as well as gorgeous photos of her fierce Australian self.