neutral pop

Tahari top and DKNY jeans, Macy's

dot necklace, Simple Addiction

     Polyester is usually not practical for Hawaii's climate or my workplace, but I couldn't resist buying this top. It has so many colors that it will be easy to accessorize, and for interviews or dressier occasions it will pair well with a skirt or pants. For its first wearing, I went casual - white jeans and a white necklace that popped against the dark background.

     My husband has been sick for the last few days, and yesterday I felt a sore throat creeping up on me. Rotten timing - I have parent-teacher conferences scheduled into the middle of next week. I'm dosing myself with chicken noodle soup, Vitamin C, and naps, and hoping I can shake it off. 

embroidered

tank, Gap

DKNY jeans, Macy's

          Some days, I just look at my closet and sigh ... I've already worn just about every one of my warm-weather dresses to work multiple times, and I'm getting tired of dressing for hot, sticky days.
         Luckily, Spirit Week at school starts today - just the thing I need to cure the sartorial blahs! Today is Wacky Tacky Day, Tuesday is Career Day, Wednesday is Disney Day, Thursday is Pajama Day, and Friday is Look Alike Day.
      We aren't allowed to dress up for Halloween, so Disney Day is the closest I will get to wearing a costume to school. Over the weekend I thrifted the perfect item - a snappy red-and-white vest -- for my outfit; turned a necktie into a bow, and made myself a pair of ears. I have one more prop to make out of cardboard, and then I'll be all set for Wednesday. Can you guess what Disney character I'm dressing up as?

 
      A little outfit talk: This top is just about perfect - one of the few tops I own that doesn't require a camisole underneath to deal with a gaping neckline and/or giant armholes. Being short-waisted, I often find that most shirts are awkwardly long on me, but this is a flattering length. The only thing that would have made this shirt better would be if it was made out of 100% cotton vs. poly cotton.  

just sitting

BCBG Max Azria silk top, thrifted

DKNY jeans, Macy's

necklace, Forever 21

       Another simple outfit to deal with the heat while looking somewhat put-together ...
      A month into the new school year, I'm feeling pretty settled into my routine, although as usual, I would like to work on getting to bed earlier. Waking up at 5 a.m. is always challenging when you're a night owl! My main motivation for getting to bed earlier is that I'd like a little more meditation time. I find that my thoughts slow down and I get really settled after about 8 minutes of sitting, and guess how long I can afford to sit in the morning? 8 minutes. You see the problem ...  
    After a great deal of thought, I decided to share my personal practice with my students. At first I was reading this book to get some ideas, but it made me feel overwhelmed and doubtful that I knew enough to even get started. So I returned the book to the library, added it to my Amazon wish list for future reading, and forged on with what (little) I know. 
     Most days we do "breathing exercise" after our morning meeting. I deliberately chose to not call it "meditation" because I worried that I would get complaints about my teaching religion. I found a singing bowl for a great price (unfortunately, the price was so good because the store is closing this month, but it was a lucky find for a teacher on a budget), and we ring it to start and end our breathing. The students expressed interest in ringing the bowl, so I've started choosing one person each day to do so. Most of my students do it with me, some don't, but I don't force anyone to participate. I was heartened, however, when I forgot to do it on Friday and one of my students reminded me! I truly hope that this is a life skill my students can take with them that will help them be more focused, resilient, and peaceful. 
      p.s.: My classroom's Donors Choose project is alive! If you feel inspired to help, your donation will be doubled ($100 limit) if you enter the code INSPIRE and donate by Sept. 14. I won't make a regular habit out of touting my classroom fund-raising projects in this space, but this is my first time using Donors Choose and I thought I'd put it out there just this once ...

one cuff away from Wonder Woman

chambray top, thrifted

DKNY jeans, Macy's

necklace, Haitian Beads

      These pants did not photograph well at all, and this is the best I could do with some tweaking in PicMonkey. Nothing really special about this outfit, except that I'm wearing the silk cuff I made a long time ago! I never wore it on the blog because I figured out the standard metal cuff blank is too big for my wrist - it kept falling off. However, I inadvertently squished the cuff opening smaller because it got stuck under something heavy. Um, yay for disorganization and not putting things away properly?!??

    This silk tie cuff was a pretty easy DIY and a fun way to repurpose a thrifted tie. I'm not quite satisfied with how I hand-stitched one end (the rest was machine-stitched). However, since I bought an entire set of cuff blanks I'm looking forward to perfecting my technique over the summer. I'm actually tempted to sew a matching pair of cuffs and wear them a la Wonder Woman - some days in the classroom call for dressing like a superhero.

strive time and doughnuts

New York and Company chambray shirt, thrifted

DKNY "Soho" jeans, Macy's

Cejon scarf, Ross

     I got a couple of nice compliments about the scarf - it was a fun alternative to a necklace and gave a casual Friday look a pop of color and pattern.
   

     I'm counting down the days until fall intersession! It feels like September flew by - I can't believe that I've been back in the classroom for almost two months. There are a lot of challenges and lofty goals being set, but when I get dispirited about what's required, I remind myself that all these challenges will help me grow as an educator.
     One thing I'm excited about is that for the first time ever, I enjoy teaching math. I haven't fully implemented all the components of math workshop yet, but I have been using "strive time." It's a short period of time when students are required to tackle the math on their own - they can't ask peers or the teacher for help. I was first introduced to this as "struggle time," but I decided "strive" sounded more positive, and it also tied in beautifully with this Hawaiian saying: "Kūlia i ka nu‘u" (strive to reach the summit.) I was thrilled the other day when I had the kids take an assessment, and one student pointed out that taking the assessment was just like working during strive time.
     I've also been focused on giving daily feedback to students on their math work, and it's thrilling to  see that the kids who benefit from this the most are those who are struggling or average. It takes me a good 30 to 45 minutes each night to go through their work on a word problem and thoughtfully respond, but I have seen definite growth. To celebrate, we had doughnut bites on Friday. Because at the top of every summit, there should be doughnuts ... ;)

    * I am really trying to not let this morph into a teacher blog, but at the same time, I find posting an easy way to document some of my thoughts about my (very engrossing) job. Also, I figure baked goods and pretty scarves have universal appeal.*

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? 

... and the livin' is easy

tunic, Ross

DKNY Soho jeans, Macy's

necklace, Seattle craft fair
bracelets - gifted, InPink, HauteLook

      This tunic is pretty, but its downfall is that it's a little itchy. It might end up in the donation pile for that flaw.

       Summer time is sewing time around here. I bought a light blue fabric with rows of elephants a few months ago, intending to make a sash to wrap around my wedding bouquet's stem. Never got around to sewing it, but I took it out yesterday to make myself a new sash. Since the fabric wasn't long enough to make the sash, I needed several pieces, and I wanted the elephants to line up exactly. I don't usually work with fabrics that have directional patterns, so that was an exercise in patience.
        Summer time is also reading time. I put "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking" on hold in January, if not earlier. Obviously, a lot of introverts use the library - because I just picked up the book this week! I'm looking forward to finally reading it. I'm also slowly working my way through Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and reading "The Memory-Keeper's Daughter" before I pass it on to a friend.

crinkled coral: preparing for warm weather

Old Navy cotton top, Goodwill, $4.99

DKNY Soho jeans and blue topaz ring, Macy's

Fossil key necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

       I usually try to focus on higher-quality items and steer clear of brands like Old Navy and Forever 21 when shopping at Goodwill, but this seemed like the perfect top for warm weather.  A bonus is that it's crinkle cotton - any fabric that doesn't need ironing is a winner to me. It's got a drawstring at the bottom (which I've tucked in), but this top is long enough to tuck into my denim pencil skirt, which will make it more versatile. Although now I'm seeing how well it might pair with a khaki, white or even light blue skirt. Too bad I don't own any skirts in these colors!

     I think I've gotten over my fear of dirtying these white pants. The day I wore this to work, I ended up sitting on the floor in two classrooms and I didn't sweat it. 
 

         Happy weekend, all! My big plans for the weekend are to get started on the wedding thank-you cards, do some furniture hunting, and work on my final project. The latter is particularly important because just about all I've done this week is download articles that I haven't read yet, watch some YouTube videos (my project focuses on YouTube, so that counted as work!) and think about what I need to be doing, but not do it. Erin, if you have any time management tips to share, pass 'em along, would you? ;)

luck of the (non)Irish

        

top, Forever 21 

Banana Republic cardigan, hand-me-down from Mom

DKNY Soho jeans, Macy's

pearl earrings from Philippines, gift

     As my blog photos attest, 99% of the time I wear blue jeans. But on a not-so-recent Thursday, I decided to mix it up and wear my white jeans. And wouldn't you know that for my last stop of the workday - a kindergarten classroom - I was asked to help the kids create lucky four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick's Day using their handprints and a lot of green tempera paint? After the first few kids randomly plopped their hand down on the paper, I figured out that I needed to guide them by holding their wrist and turning the paper so their handprints would create the clover shape. And then I had to supervise the hand-washing, as it seems kindergartners think it's fine to turn the faucet on full blast, while scrubbing their hands off to the side and admiring the green soap bubbles.
        Miraculously, I think I managed to keep my jeans paint-free, although my cardigan didn't do so well.
         

    I think that one day I'll try wearing the top backwards, as I like the geometric print on the back. I'll just need to use a seam ripper to remove the label first.

barefoot preppy

     Tommy Hilfiger top and DKNY jeans, Macy's

    
     My practicum librarian and I attended a meeting yesterday, and since we didn't have time to eat lunch, we hit the Wendy's drive-through on the way there. Little did we know that they were having a guest speaker about the wellness policies in the schools and the promotion of healthy eating. It was a little awkward munching on my highly processed chicken sandwich with one sad limp lettuce leaf while she talked about the importance of eating veggies.The librarian I work with didn't even eat the fries she had bought. I think she should have eaten them anyhow ... after all, the snack table was right behind us, brimming with cupcakes. ;)

    For the last few months I've been drawn to the Tommy Hilfiger brand. It's a little preppy, which is not my usual thing, but for some reason I'm liking it. Navy blue, a whimsical print, and breezy cotton fabric meant this top was meant to be mine. I think it will look cute tucked into a pencil skirt, too. It will also look great with a red or blue cardigan layered over it ... if it ever cools down.

Handmade hair flower, gift from student

Happy Friday and happy weekend! I'm a little in disbelief that this Saturday is my last official class meeting for my practicum ... where did the time go?? And why didn't I start working on that portfolio and procedures manual earlier? :O

askew & outgamed

  Buttondown, passed down by mom

necklace and DKNY Soho jeans, Macy's

     
      I saw a picture of Katherine Heigl wearing a Stella & Dot necklace askew in recent issue of In Style magazine. I thought about that photo when I put on this necklace and realized the pretty blue beads were lost behind the collar.

Source: justjared.com via Carrie on Pinterest

     This looked OK in the mirror, but when I looked at the pictures I realized that the necklace gets lost against the plaid. I will have to retry this look with a solid-colored buttondown.
     A day in the life of a grad student: I have always been a procrastinator. Not a make-up-the-book-report-the-night-before type, but a professional avoider of necessary but not exciting tasks and assignments.
     However, I got outgamed the other day. I have a partner presentation due next Monday, and I e-mailed my partner about quickly meeting before class. She agreed.
     I got there a few minutes before her, so I took out my laptop and pulled up the spreadsheet, screenshots, and documents I had worked hard on all weekend. She arrived and didn't take out any spreadsheet, notes -- nothing. It became clear to me that she hadn't even searched the databases when she asked me how to find the databases.
    Um, this is NOT an assignment to start working on the week before it's due. To be honest, I only got work done in earnest last weekend (so I can't preach much!). It's also true that I'm not working regularly this semester, and she has a job, so I have a lot more time. But for whatever reason, I now feel marvelously well-prepared. Which is strange, but good.

iffy

      Just sign me up for Layering Lovers Anonymous ...

 Sugarlips top, Ross, old

ruffle cami, Forever 21

     beach INC linen shorts, Macy's

     

     A few days ago, I really liked how Gracey layered to make a crop top work for her as well as accomplish some fun texture/pattern mixing, and I think that's where my inspiration came from. Thanks, Gracey! :)

     I tried this with shorts at first, but the proportions looked iffy so I swapped them out for cropped jeans. This didn't really photograph well, but I kind of liked it in person. But looking at the photos makes me wonder whether this makes me look even shorter since it cuts me into thirds?

DKNY Jeans petite Soho jeans, Macy's

Try-it-out Tuesday: {not a} twinset

  
     Why does this qualify for Try-it-out Tuesday? First, I've always wondered about what to wear this cardigan with. Turns out that its sartorial soulmate is this sparkly top. At first I thought smashing the paisley and sparkle together was too much, but I'm kind of liking it.
    In case you're wondering about the title, I'm playing off the title of a children's book called "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis that the kindergartners and first-graders loved. It's very simple book--the fun lies in the imaginative line drawings.

CK Jeans paillettes tee; Charter Club cardigan; Style & Co. DKNY "Soho" jeans, all from Macy's

sandals, Target

     I bought this shirt at almost full price (something I rarely do), I was so enamored of the paillettes. Then, I threw it in the closet and let it languish. But now I've figured that a little sparkle is more versatile than I thought. And yes, this outfit is an inadvertent walking advertisement for Macy's. ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: vanilla and raspberry

     My friend and I went out for happy hour on Saturday night. We got Kobe beef sliders, Jamaican jerk fries, and hot crab and artichoke dip. (Oh yeah, and I did get the obligatory drink -- but it should be obvious that I'm really there for the food!) I have never considered myself a French fry enthusiast, but the jerk fries were something else. I think the seasonings and the aioli-like dip were what drew me in.

 

Cinnamon Girl (local boutique) top

DKNY Soho white jeans, Macy's

pearl earrings, gift from Philippines

pearl bracelets, HauteLook

    Anywho,  I guess we should talk about what I wore now, right? This is the first time I've worn my white jeans at night. While I'm still nervous about wearing white and the possibility of spilling or dripping something on these pants, I do like how they accentuate the colors in the top.

    I also decided that Happy Hour was a good time to try out my new Revlon lip butter in Raspberry Pie. Somehow I find this color easier to wear, maybe because it's more pink-ish?

Pretty crochet details. :)

 Happy Tuesday!