basic

Banana Republic dress, Savers

       This is the first drawstring-waist dress I've found that passes muster. The ones I've tried on previously were made of jersey and the drawstring didn't fall anywhere near my waist, which meant a giant floppy fold of fabric up top - definitely not flattering! I think the cotton fabric makes it crisper and helps with the fit. It doesn't photograph particularly well, but it's work-appropriate and great for hot days.
       Savers was having a 40% off all dresses sale when I scooped this up (along with the green dress of my dreams). With the discount, I scored this for $10. One of my favorite things about thrift shopping is the opportunity to score a high-quality garment at a great price. Some of my favorite things about this dress include: the Oxford blue trim at the hem and inside the collar, the hidden placket, and the metal accents on the drawstring ends. All little touches that make a very simple dress shine.
      I'd like to style this dress with a statement necklace ... I own a good variety of necklaces, but none of them seem to work quite right with stripes. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a necklace that stand out against stripes.

       Yesterday, my students began working on mini-books titled "Top10 Reasons I Love My Mom." While we're nearing the end of our year together, this little project illuminated many previously unseen aspects of my students. My rather rough-and-tumble, athletic student's first reason? "I love you because you take me to church." His best friend's reasons included "I love you because you lie down with me before I go to sleep." Another student wrote that she loved her mom because she always gives her a "warm hug" before she heads to school. I talk to them so much about preparing for middle school, high school, and college, that sometimes I forget how young they really are. Looking over their lists reminded me of that, and it was a good reminder.
     Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!