the problem with layers

Rebecca Taylor silk top, thrifted

Calvin Klein straight leg jeans, Ross

Coldwater Creek scarf, gift from Mom

     I wore the cardigan most of the day, but after reviewing the photos, I've decided that I prefer wearing this outfit without the cardigan. Two long and loose layers - albeit very lightweight - don't look as easy and effortless as I thought they'd look. I thought matching my cardigan to my jeans would do the trick, but it doesn't quite. The effect is not terrible, but I prefer the proportions of the first photo. Somehow, the rolled-up sleeves and bare forearms seem to balance out the scarf and loose top. Ah, to be just a few inches taller and better suited to carrying off those long, effortless flowy outfits that I gravitate towards ...

 Bobeau cardigan, Nordstrom Rack

 

   I haven't given up on these types of outfits, however ... this caught my eye lately. I'd like to recreate it, but maybe try it with my more fitted maxi skirt to preserve some shape.
   Are you like me, and sometimes drawn to looks that are problematic for your body type? Or is figure flattery your top priority?

SPRING BREAK PARTAY = reading

Rebecca Taylor top, thrifted

Calvin Klein jeans, Ross

scarf, Old Navy

   
       Spring Break has been glorious so far. Admittedly, I had a hard time waking up for early-morning aikido yesterday - I bolted out of bed at 5:24 a.m. when I should have woken up a good ten or twenty minutes earlier. Later in the day, my sweet cousin dropped by with a delicious Greek lunch. I don't usually like fries - but fries liberally coated with garlic and accompanied by a feta dip? Let's just say I ate my share. And then I devoured my gyro, too.
      So, that kind of sums up my spring break so far. Lots of reading and eating, and a little creating - I made a few stretch bracelets with my long-neglected seed bead collection. One unexpected quirk in the plan was that my computer charger decided to stop working. As much as I enjoy having an iPhone, it's not great for  obsessively searching artbeads.com for MOAR pretty sparkly beads browsing the Internet. Also, there's all that fourth-quarter lesson planning that I could be doing, and the third-quarter grading that really needs doing, but will likely be ignored for a few more days ...  In short, I prevailed on my husband to search the island for a charger, and he found one.  I think he's a keeper. ; )

        This color combination is one of my recent favorites. I like the mix of light and dark purples with the deep green/teal.
        Obligatory outfit talk: check. Now let's talk about books ...
         Books I've read: I finished "Marbury Lens" by Andrew Smith, and it was one of the more disturbing books I've read. (I have to note that I'm a wimp and don't read horror, so this may be kid stuff to lovers of that genre). As a book lover, I've realized that while some books are excellent and well-done, they're not books I'd want to read again. I enjoyed them, but they're not necessarily worlds I want to revisit. This is an apt description of "Marbury Lens." At the same time, I had a hard time putting the book down. The moving-between-two-worlds narrative is rather addictive, kind of like how the main character Jack feels an irresistible compulsion to put on the glasses that transport him to the brutal world of Marbury. It turns out that there's a second book called "Passenger," and I'm mulling whether I want to read that. 
        Books I'm working on: "Beginner's Mind, Zen Mind" by Suzuki and "The Underneath" by Appelt.
         Books I hope to get to before spring break ends: the graphic novel "Relish: My Life in the Kitchen" by Knisley; "Lexicon" by Barry; and "Saving Shiloh" by Naylor. (I plan to use "Shiloh" with some of my students, and I just had to reread the trilogy.)     
         Have you read anything interesting lately?

necessary illusions

Rebecca Taylor silk top, thrifted

Coldwater Creek scarf, gift

Beau jeggings, Ross

    

    Whenever I wear one of these long, loose-fitting tops paired with a slim bottom, I float through the day, feeling long, lean and elegant. Then I look at the photos and realize ... I still look like a five-foot-tall person wearing a looong shirt and loong scarf. But that's OK. I felt good wearing it, and that's what counts right? And on the first day back in the classroom with the students, feeling good matters.

    The little details of this shirt delight me, such as the ruffle-like tiered placket and pintucking at the shoulder. There are even tiny gold buttons at the cuffs!

     I am having an odd fascination with pastels lately, which is intriguing, as I've always believed that vivid, saturated shades work best with my coloring. But first I picked up this shirt at Goodwill (I have to admit that I bought it partly because the hue reminded me of Eeyore), and then I picked up an interestingly draped blush pink top at Saks Off Fifth on my annual pilgrimage to the outlet mall, and then I had a "oooh ... pretty!" moment when I spotted Aya wearing soft pink with her amazing navy coat. 

  

  Fossil key necklace, Nordstrom Rack

bubble necklace, InPink

     I've been wearing these necklaces a lot lately, as I've realized that they layer gorgeously together. Of course, I only realized this after owning (and passing over) these pieces for a good amount of time. 

   What colors are catching your eye lately?