extremely big and incredibly tired

    top, Forever 21

DKNY Soho jeans and Seiko watch, Macy's

earrings, New Zealand

bad hair, c/o sleepless night

      Through dressing for myself, experimenting with my clothes, and observing and learning from the style of other bloggers, I've realized that style rules should really be called guidelines. What's more, personal style trumps just about every rule.

     Take this bag, for instance: a quick Google search of "petites and choosing a bag" says small women should choose, well, small bags that don't "overpower." This site gets surprisingly detailed, saying certain bag types will lengthen my short torso and that I should avoid big prints.
       I've already decided that big prints are my style (proof here). And I love this bag because: a) I made it, b) the mix of prints makes me happy, and c) it's a great laptop bag. The knotted handles that look like bows make me smile, too.

 Tassels!

       I used this bag to take my laptop to the first day of a four-day training. Things didn't go quite as expected. I dutifully got into bed a little before 10 on Sunday night so I could wake up early. The problem? I wasn't sleepy at all. At 11 p.m. I gave up trying to will myself to sleep and read for half an hour about effective instructional strategies (i.e., important stuff, but no page-turner that will keep me up for hours). After a few yawns, which raised my hopes that sleep was possible, I got back in bed at 11:30. I then proceeded to lie there for what felt like at least an hour. In the end I decided to keep my eyes shut and hope that I'd fall asleep.
      Of course, that meant that I ended up staying in bed a little past my alarm, which resulted in a  rushed breakfast to get out the door on time. Throw in the stresses of navigating my way to the training site, meeting for the first time 10 colleagues from my new school, shivering in the air-conditioning, and being overwhelmed with information on how to use new software, and you will understand why I treated myself to a cookie -- and a nap -- when I got home.

      There are some good things. My new colleagues seem pretty friendly, and I got to meet someone I'll be working with closely. The software seems promising for helping me track student progress and adjust instruction. And, since I was so cold on Monday, I'm looking forward to dressing in layers and giving my lightweight cardigans, sweaters and scarves some love this week. :)
      What's your favorite style rule to break?