Try-it-out Tuesday: white jeans & February Freeze, vol. 4

     I've been in the style doldrums lately, so I decided to wear these jeans as simply as possible. Red, navy and white are a classic color combination. I actually bought this cardigan to wear with the red tank, but this is the first time I've paired them together! Three of these items don't get worn much (jeans, tank, gold sandals), so it was nice to put them together. February Freeze trifecta! :)

DKNY red tank with navy chiffon and gold chain trim, Off 5th

navy cardigan, F21

DKNY white jeans, Macy's

gold sandals, Target

     

The Mr. grumbles that I always walk around with my hands in my pockets (SO not true). ; )

     Obviously, 12 seconds is not enough time for me to cross the room, put my shoes on, and be ready for the camera ...
     Happy Hearts Day! <3

February Freeze, vol. 3: girly in green

     Green is a color I always avoided. That is, until the Mr. introduced me to this color. He dragged me to Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister -- I have trouble telling them apart, as they both reek of cologne/perfume and require me to elbow aside the 8- and 12-year-olds also shopping  in the sale section. He picked out a long-sleeve henley top in a sprightly shade of green. The henley eventually developed a hole (proving my point that their stuff is massively overpriced and poor quality), but my affection for this color continues.

     This dress is previously loved by my cousin K, but it's been hanging in my closet for the past few years. I took my cue for accessories from the gold buttons at the waist and decided to go with girly. I found the deer charm jumbled up with some jewelry I had as a kid.
     I would normally pair this dress up with a neutral blazer/cardigan, but I decided to throw in some colors. The cardigan's print always reminds me of exuberant crayon scribbles.

Banana Republic dress, previously loved by K

Joseph A. cardigan (Macy's)

gold and "fancy stone" earrings, India

gold deer charm, old

        I tried to find a way to make this outfit suitable for Try-it-out Tuesday, but I didn't think I did anything new with this outfit. So come back later this week for a belated Try-it-out Tuesday post!

Banana Republic dress, previously loved by K

Joseph A. cardigan (Macy's)

gold and "fancy stone" earrings, India

gold deer charm, old

variations on a shirtdress: 2 looks

Have camera, will travel: An animal-print scarf reinvents a basic shirtdress. Add jewelry souvenirs from your travels and comfortable shoes with a hint of color.

Obligatory awkward pose

Samoa wooden earrings, gift from E.K.M.

I keep my crazy on the inside: Layer a fun top underneath the shirtdress and leave it partially unbuttoned. Add paillette-and-chain earrings because you can never have too many paillettes ...

Claire's earrings (gifted)

    I actually dreamed up a few other variations but didn't have time to photograph each one. I'm so glad that I didn't pitch this little dress in the donation bag ... I haven't had enough fun with it yet!!
 
Click here and here for some other ways to style a shirtdress!

glam Asian lumberjack

       I put together this outfit on Monday, and this phrase immediately popped into my head: glam Asian lumberjack. I wonder whether that's a bad sign when you're getting dressed that the outfit is too way-out and quirky ... but here it is.
       I started with this shirt, which pre-blog me would have meekly paired with a black jacket/cardigan.

      However, purple is one of my favorite colors, so I decided to increase the purple love in this outfit by adding a plaid shirt. Purple plaid is the new neutral, right? ; )

      I deliberately scrunched the sleeves up a bit so the gray could peek out. I love when layers peek out! And it's not something I get to do often, given our tropical weather.
     The finishing touch was my new tassel necklace and silver bangles. I understand that, in theory, this necklace does not match everything in my closet. However, I'm planning to pretend that it does for at least a few more days ...

Inspired by: Mae of thereafter-ish

   A big thank you to Mae of thereafter-ish, whose travel outfits inspired this one. I like that she puts her own stylish stamp on a comfortable, practical outfit through the mixing of patterns and the inclusion of playful accessories. Click here to see her latest outfit that mixes an interestingly cut top, animal print and stripes.
   I started with some old favorites: a loose-fitting linen buttondown and jeans.  Then I added a camisole and left the shirt partially open to highlight my drapey necklace. The finishing touch was an arm party to add some intricacy, color and sparkle.

  
     Long gone are the days of wearing one bracelet at a time! I am an official arm-party addict. Even my students noticed one day and admired the pile-up. :)

'Iolani Palace door hinge bracelet (rhodium plated)

     One of my favorite landmarks is 'Iolani Palace. I still remember our fourth-grade field trip -- we had to put covers on our shoes to protect the gorgeous wooden floors and our admission tickets looked like old-fashioned dance cards. Definitely a place to check out if you are ever in beautiful Honolulu! :)

it's in the bag

     Just a quick little post of what I wore for lunch on Thanksgiving. ...

     This is my first post ever that includes a bag! I'm one of those folks who drags the same purse around for months, but I love how the bag adds something special to the outfit. One day I'll get really ambitious and do shoes and a bag in the same photo ...

Jade beetle bracelet, previously loved by the generous C.L. :)

       When I bought this shirt, I thought the print was of feathers. Looking at it again, it reminds me of eyes. Not what  I expected, but the colors are awesome. 
     Happy Tuesday! Hoping to shoot some Try-it-out Tuesday photos later today ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: obi belt

    This is a simple, basic dress perfect for work, but I wanted to make it a little more fun. I decided to take the snake-print belt off my INC dress (seen here) and replace the black belt this dress came with.

    
      I tried letting the belt hang down, then tried tying a bow. Neither looked quite right. So I ended up tying it obi-belt style. It would have looked better if the dress fabric was softer.

     I like the way it looks, but it was a little hard to breathe. I need to find some longer sashes!
     This outfit was a bit fancy for working with the Magic Carpet Book Club's second-graders, but hey, why shouldn't I dress up for read-aloud? :)  Because our theme is stories from around the world, today's selection was Judy Sierra's "Tasty Baby Belly Buttons." If you are looking for a fun and spunky heroine to share with children, Uriko-hime is quite suitable (she makes a mean dumpling and has a way with a sword).
     Happy Tuesday!

 

a little knowledge ...

really is a dangerous thing. I looked at my camera settings quickly today, but I need to sit down with the manual and figure out how to change the settings back. So these photos are brought to you today by the magic of Picnik.

    I decided to tame my snake-print dress with a buttondown knotted at the waist. The dress has a shirt collar as well, but I tucked it inside the dress. I'd like to redo the sleeves eventually - the cuffs make it hard to layer something over the dress.
    I feel a little like Goldilocks in regard to dresses this week. The one I wore earlier was a little tight on top, while this one is a little loose. I've learned to be more careful about assessing the fit before I buy.

    Love the full skirt on this, but I ended up clutching it as I walked to class -- I wasn't expecting it to be so windy! Note to self: check the weather report before wearing this dress. Also, this outfit needs "winterizing." I know that sounds silly when I live in Hawaii, but my legs were freezing in my air-conditioned classroom. I've seen a lot of folks in the blogging world rocking their dresses with tights, but all I own right now is a pair of leggings that ends slightly above the ankle. And then I have no idea what shoe to wear with the tights/leggings ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: Pinterest-inspired

     During the summer, Pinterest and I were likethis. I was enthralled with the possibilities - no more ripping things out of magazines and losing them or having no neat way to collect them! Everything in one place! I can write little captions to remind me of why I ripped it out in the first place!
     I pinned recipes, possible DIY projects, 2 million cupcake recipes ... anything that caught my eye. And then to balance out the cupcakes I dutifully started a board for other foods (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner).
     Alas, Pinterest and I have cooled down to a long-distance relationship. I stop by once a week, and only for a minute or two at that. We're still fond of each other but it's not the same. This blog has become my new time-suck project, and Pinterest knows it.

Source: weardrobe.com via Carrie on Pinterest

     I seem to excel at pinning outfits that prominently feature things I DON'T own (i.e. colorful things). But I've seen so many bloggers wearing cool outfits inspired by pins that I decided to browse my board one more time for Try-it-out Tuesday. And the one shown above looked perfect.

     According to the tag, the dress print is "Fresh Zebra." Looks like I was on an animal-print kick when I was shopping a few months ago.
     Things I like about this dress: the fuller skirt, the colors, and that it's lined.
     Things I wish I had noticed before: the dreaded chest-button gap. Very odd, as I'm not busty and the dress fits well everywhere else. Now I know to try a size up in this brand.
     Luckily, I'm not teaching this year, so I don't need to go into my "power stance" (hands on the hips) on a daily basis and risk giving someone an accidental eyeful. I first heard of the power stance from a teacher in my education program. He said he used it regularly when teaching middle school and that it was helpful for projecting physical presence when you're on the short side. When I first saw the power stance, I thought, "Nah, I can't see myself doing that." Fast-forward a year or two to my stint as a classroom teacher and I found myself using it ... everyday.

Fossil "Mystic" necklace

      I played around with buttoning the top button and adding a necklace, but it seemed like a little too much.
       Happy Tuesday!

blue & yellow

    I was very excited to find a new way to wear both this cardi and necklace (see necklace in full here). 

Leopard cardi and necklace, Macy's; gray camisole, Forever 21

     Tucking in the necklace puts the focus on the blue and how well it plays off the yellow. Here's hoping that the necklace stays tucked! I'm headed off to class now, so we'll see how well it stays in place.
     

show what you (don't) know

   Do you ever have one of those weeks? You know, those weeks in which you realize several days after the due date that you needed to post your assignment online; in which you feverishly prep for an in-class exercise, only to figure out that it's really scheduled for next week and you have a little more time. And let's not forget this morning ... I showed up a bit late to aikido class and it turned out I had to take the instructor's place. Which is interesting to do when it's 6 a.m., I haven't had my coffee, went to sleep later than I should have the night before, and didn't sleep well in the first place.
     I wish I could say that midterms are eating my brain, but I haven't really had my midterms yet.
     I picked out this outfit thinking I needed to be in front of the class today. Wearing some jewelry always gives me confidence, so I added a colorful necklace and a pared-down arm party.

I broke the pearl bracelet during class, while I was putting on my blazer. :( More proof that this blazer is a size too small for me!

Fossil "Mystic" necklace (Macy's)

    Hope you are having a more organized week than I am!

Try-it-out Tuesday: mixing brights

    The original plan was to participate in the red and pink fun happening in honor of Rule Breaking Mondays at Clothed Much. Alas, a quick scan of the closet told me that it wasn't going to happen. I hardly own anything pink, for starters.
    Plan B: figure out how to wear a scarf and play with some bright colors.
    The biggest problem with wearing a scarf was how to pull it off without looking irredeemably foolish, as the temperatures are well into the 80s right now. I decided a light chiffon scarf would be a good way to introduce scarves into my wardrobe.

   I wore this outfit to class, where I usually wear two jackets at a time to deal with the frigid, bottom-of-the-library-so-it's-on-full-blast AC.  I figured the scarf would be functional in this environment. I stowed the cardi and scarf in my bag during my walk to class so I didn't have to worry about heatstroke. (Yay for tropical-weather-friendly layering!)

You've got mail!

    I love the look of pins on a coat, cardi or jacket, but I never do it. For a smidgen of cute I added my Moomin pin at the last minute. (I'm not sure what a Moomin is, but I do know they have a TV show, star in books, and for a brief time had their own store here).

    Note to self: remember to comb your hair before shooting photos ...   :O

Try-it-out Tuesday: starting points

     Pre-blog days, my clothing choices were often dictated by two key criteria: 1) is it ironed? 2) Does it match something that is also ironed?
      This Tuesday, I decided to challenge myself. These shoes and necklace are recent purchases, and I wanted to experiment with building an outfit based on these key pieces.

     I loved the colors and drape of this necklace when I spotted it while browsing the Macy's clearance section. It's very different from my other necklaces, which tend to be on the dainty, understated side. Since I'm still searching for my style, I'm not sure whether this necklace is really "me." But it looked fun and different.

     I couldn't really figure out what colors/style of top to wear with this necklace, so I wimped out with a basic black T and pencil skirt.
    On a whim I added the fuschia belt, another recent purchase. No, I don't believe in wearing all of my new purchases at once, but I wanted to see how it looked with the other colors.

    I'm excited about finding these shoes! I literally own one black pair of comfortable sandals for work, so these will be a great alternative. I think the pewter color is just a little different and pretty.

  

     I kind of like the light in this last photo, and this is the best sitting-on-the-ground photo I've taken yet. Just don't ask what I'm doing with my hands, or whose mess that is in the background ...

size it up: Year of the Snake

One of my goals with this blog is to focus on how clothes fit. Cameras don't lie, so I'm going to use photos to help me decide whether to keep or return this item. I couldn't find this in a petite to compare the fit, and I don't think there were any size 0s, either. Can you tell I like to prowl the bargain racks?

I really like the color and print of this item. Being born in the Year of the Snake, I have an affinity for things that remind me of my Chinese zodiac year. I find it interesting that while the zodiac is officially Chinese, just about everyone in Hawaii could easily tell you their year.
However, there are some things I don't like about this dress. The bodice looks a bit baggy, and the sleeves are puffy and look too big. I will have to try it on again, review the photos, and make a decision.

I got these bangles on my trip to India a few years ago, and I regularly wish I had picked up heaps more in different colors. Hard to resist when they come in different sizes and in a dazzling array of colors and designs.
One of the things I like about this dress is the full skirt. Couldn't resist taking a twirl and doing my best supermodel impression. Hope you don't laugh too hard!

Dress: INC from Macy's; bangles: India; flower ring: Forever 21.