power outfit, round 2

Belle + Sky scuba skater dress and fleece-lined tights, JcPenney

Born boots, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

cardigan, Banana Republic

     I wore this recently for the second round of parent-teacher conferences this school year, and it seems black + boots is what makes me feel confident. It was a bit chilly to wear tights, but I couldn't pass up the chance of wearing a dress with boots.

power outfit

Alfani tunic and Born "Michel" boots, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

leggings, Walmart

        What I wore for Day 2 of conferences: A lot of my colleagues went traditional, with nice dresses and heels. I went for a little more edgy - my idea of a "power outfit."
     Wearing my new boots! The first time I wore them, they rubbed raw spots on both ankle bones, but today was better, perhaps because I wasn't on my feet as much.

{not a} suit, part II

tee by Lim Heng Swee, Gap

skirt, Calvin Klein Outlet

White House Black Market blazer, Goodwill

belt, J. Crew Factory 

    Some Mondays call for an obnoxiously pink belt - and a tee that mixes typewriters and chemistry. I haven't worn my pencil skirt for a while, so it was a refreshing change from jeans. I thought the graphic tee and pink belt added a playful touch.
    As of today, there are exactly 34 more days of school ... not that anyone around here is counting. ;) While I'm still focused on what I can do for my students as they near the end of fourth grade, I confess that my thoughts have turned to next year - I've found myself reflecting a lot on successes and, on the flip side, the routines, procedures, and instructional approaches that need rethinking and revising. It will be a mad rush from about now until the end of May - we've got May Day practices, state testing, a social studies project, and much more to accomplish.

   I know it's hard to tell, but {not a} is a *very* intermittent series, where I play around with conventional outfits, such as suits and twinsets. (It's named after the imaginative children's book "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis.) Find my other {not a} suit here and my super-sparkly twinset here.

inspiration Monday: bubbly

The inspiration: Elizabeth Olsen

My take:  

 Lily petite dress, thrifted

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

leggings, Macy's

necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

bracelets, InPink and Macy's

Dr. Scholls Allycats booties, HauteLook

     This dress has been hanging on the "possibly donate" side of my closet, but I think it will be getting off death row. I just like the colors too much.
 

     Linking up with two birds inspiration Monday! Check out the other participants' creative intepretations here! :)

February Freeze: peacock feathers, cloud 9

Matthew Williamson for H&M top (2009)

Michael Michael Kors zipper detail sweater, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

necklace, Forever 21

Sarah Coventry ring, random little kiosk

Beau jeggings, Ross

     This is what I wore to drop off the payment for the wedding officiant. The office does lunchtime weddings on site, and as I paid for the officiant, a wedding was going on behind the wooden partition. As  I listened to the judge lead a couple through the ceremony, I realized that I'm going to be doing the same thing in just about a month. It was an amazing moment for me - while I've been planning the wedding for a bit, it didn't seem real until right then. 

    This top is a February Freeze item, but I do like the colors (yes, I probably have said this about every February Freeze item so far). The ring is also another February Freeze item - the stone (it might be a watermelon rhinestone) is gorgeous, but the ring is so heavy duty that it's not quite adjustable, and tends to slide around on my finger. I used to refer to it as my cocktail ring, but I just don't get out for cocktails much, so I've decided to wear it anytime I feel like it.
    I think I'll be adding to my wardrobe wish list a pair of black skinny or straight leg jeans. Looking at the photos, I realized that a black pair of skinnies would have really pulled this look together. Honestly can't remember the last time I owned a pair of black jeans ... 

     

     Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend! :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: houndstooth and lace

"Pacific" lace tee, Hollister

Halogen skirt, Nordstrom Rack, gift

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

leggings, Macy's

belt, Old Navy

Dr. Scholls Allycats booties, HauteLook  

        Pattern mixing is still a mystery to me, but I find that sticking to black and white helps me look more cool vs. circus escapee. (Speaking of pattern mixing, Cori of La Vie Petite gave some great tips here.) It was pouring and chilly the day I put this together, so I started with the leggings and boots since that's not something I can wear year-round.

      

       I wore this lace top for last week's Try-it-out Tuesday, and I'll be doing a lot more remixing for February and March, as I've signed up for a two-month shopping ban with Tanvi. I am excited about maximizing what I already own, getting creative, and saving some $$ in the process.

Try-it-out Tuesday: rockstar librarian

Alfani petite tunic and petite leggings, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

pearl bracelets & Dr. Scholls Allycats boots, HauteLook

Guess watch, gift from the Mr.

     I love color, but this black-and-white outfit is one of my recent favorites. Do you ever put on something that makes you feel so great that you walk differently and hold your head higher? That doesn't happen consistently for me, but this outfit does the trick. All I did was go to the bank and pick up something at the mall, but I felt great the whole time. The only thing that would have made it more awesome was to have a rock star's bank account ... ;)

 
     The Mr. picked out this tunic for me years ago when I enlisted him to help me buy some work clothes. Being all polyester, it's impractical for our climate and doesn't get worn much. The day I wore this it was a little overcast and windy - and anytime it's not blazing hot here, I get excited about wearing "winter" clothing. 
      In fact, I get CWA, or cool weather anxiety. When it's cool enough to think about wearing my long-sleeved tops, leggings and sweaters, my mind starts to boggle - what should I wear? There might be only a few precious days when I can actually do some light layering and wear things that are too warm normally - I don't want to cop out with a corduroy buttondown and jeans! Problems of life in paradise, right? ; ) To be honest, I'll probably end up making a list of cool-weather outfits so I'm prepared for cooler days. I love a good list.

    Those boots are cute, but sadly, they make my feet hurt after a while. The insole is emblazoned with some claim of super comfort, but if there's a memory foam footbed in there, I can't feel it at all. However, no other shoe would have been right with this outfit (see above for proof). I'll just have to start saving my pennies to get a comfortable pair for next fall.     

    I believe that some of my recent Try-it-out Tuesday outfits haven't really been anything new or different, but this qualifies for three reasons. First, I'm wearing all black and white. Second, I'm sporting a watch. I've seen so many folks wearing a watch and bracelets to great effect, so I thought I'd try it out. Third, this is a very different silhouette for me. When I put this together, I wasn't sure whether I'd like it, but I'm pleasantly surprised.