not falling for it

shirt, TeeFury

Halogen skirt, Nordstrom Rack

scarf, Groopdealz

      Blogs and Instagram have been awash recently with chatter about pumpkin-flavored-sweater-wearing-boot-donning everything. It's been hot, steamy, and a bit stormy around here, so it's not something I can relate to.
      Something about October that I can relate to is that Halloween is around the corner. I've decided on a Halloween costume, but it will entail sewing an aviator cap and thrifting a pair of overalls. I suppose I could take the easy way out and buy an aviator cap, but I don't like the idea of spending money on something that wouldn't be used later. (Although you could turn that around and say I'd be wasting valuable time sewing something for one-time use.) I'll probably make the cap out of cotton vs. pleather -- breathable fabrics are a must in this climate! 
      Last week was Spirit Week at work, so I wore my best PJs to work on Monday and this loud outfit on Tuesday. It was Mix and Match Day, and some kids went all out - wearing two different shoes, having a pigtail on one side of their heads and a bun on the other, etc. I'm a little shy about pattern mixing at work, but I did get a compliment that this was "chic." I ditched the scarf on my desk about an hour into the day, because it was just too humid and warm.
  

  
     Today kicks off my first official day of a long-awaited fall break! I plan on going in to work a day or two, because my room is in dire need of reorganizing and I'm meeting with colleagues. The weekend was pretty blissful - it was so freeing to enjoy Saturday and Sunday without having to prep for Monday. For this week I hope to do some reading, finish up a few crafts projects, catch an early-morning aikido class, do some work stuff and run errands, and get my Halloween costume ready.

3-ring circus, or, fashion fail?

   I think I got overambitious with this outfit. Fun graphic tee + stripes! Layering! Tights + sneakers!  And make the sneakers not an unobtrusive neutral, but bright pink!

 Rebecca Beeson long-sleeve tee (Costco, old)

   "The Day the Fire Brigade Went on Strike" tee (Threadless)

   striped skirt and tights (F21)

   Puma sneakers

    After examining my tights + sneakers pins more closely, I realized that I COMPLETELY missed how simplicity made the look work. Solid tops and bottoms and a restrained color palette, by and large, kept things simple and fresh. My favorite is the third: I think the drapey pink dress is so cute!

                                                                                          Source: chictopia.com via Carrie on Pinterest

  

  

  

                                                                                       Source: teenvogue.com via Carrie on Pinterest

                                                                                           Source: chictopia.com via Carrie on Pinterest

I did marginally better reproducing this cute, cozy and simple look from What Would a Nerd Wear.

                                                                                         Source: bloglovin.com via Carrie on Pinterest

  

   

DKNY cable sweater hoodie (Macy's, old)

    I think this outfit would have worked better with a plain black shirt -- it would have made the outfit less busy and accented the pink sneakers. In the meantime, I'm adding a pair of simple black sneakers to my wish list ...

from the heart

     On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to attend the wedding of a teacher friend. The Mr. asked a few days ago, "If she's only your work friend and you don't hang out, why are you going?" I had to explain to him that teacher friends are a little different. Teacher friends are the folks who will listen to you vent, write an emergency sub plan for you when you get into a car accident on the way to school, share their classroom management strategies, and have a desk available in their classrooms for that kid who needs a few minutes away from your class.

     The wedding colors were fall-themed: the bridesmaids wore a milk chocolate brown, and the decor included white, gold and orange. I was originally thinking of wearing jewel tones, but then I remembered this dress.

    I've owned this dress for a while, so I don't quite remember where I bought it. I probably picked it up at Off 5th Saks Avenue. I couldn't resist the classic wrap dress, the three-quarter sleeves, and black and white print. It's silk jersey, and the tag says dry clean only, but it seems to have done OK the one time it accidentally took a spin in the washer. (Not going to do that again ...)
    This is a size 8, which is a little big in the shoulders for me, but I don't think it's too noticeable.

     I decided my Amrita Singh earrings would be the perfect touch of fall's jewel tones.

"Marion" earrings

   I really should wear this dress more ... I feel so sophisticated in it! 99% of the time I leave Off 5th empty-handed, but this was a spectacular find. It is a little on the warm side because of the sleeves, but my goal is to wear it a couple times when cooler weather arrives.