size it up: DKNY petite skinny jeans

     I picked up this deep purpleish/wine-colored pair of jeans at Macy's a few weeks ago to compare with the green Love Fire pants I reviewed here.
    I'm still amazed by how crucial a camera is to reviewing the fit of a pair of pants.

Not-so-bad front view

    The tag notes that these are mid rise, with a skinny fit and skinny leg. I think the mid rise accounts for the creasing in the crotch area, which Kelly of Alterations Needed dubbed "jeanis." I am also stymied by the creasing at the knees, and beginning to wonder if this is unavoidable when buying skinnies.

Not-so-bad side view

     One good thing about these pants is the petite length - no excess to cuff or turn under at the hems.

     While the front and side views of these jeans aren't so bad, the back view is outright disappointing. The pockets look too low and large, and the creases below the pockets and at the knees are unsightly and distracting. I feel the green pants' pockets were more flattering in size and placement.

   The DKNY skinnies, even with a sale discount and a coupon, were significantly more expensive than the Love Fire pair and are headed back to Macy's. I'll hold onto the Love Fire pair for now while I continue the quest for a well-fitting colored pant. ...

lovely links: petite jeans giveaway

If you are like me, you are still on the hunt for a proper-fitting pair of jeans. Thu of just tututiny is running a giveaway for Allison Izu jeans! Izu is a Hawaii-based designer who designs for women 5'6" or shorter - ladies whom she refers to on her web site as "vertically challenged, fashionably advantaged." :)
Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian followers of just tututiny. Good luck!

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 Thursday: it's not easy being green (and red)

     I decided to continue my exploration of color, and since the holidays are coming up, I just had to take on red and green. I thought mint would be a fresh alternative to the forest green usually associated with Christmas.

          Can you tell I'm still giving this red cardi a lot of love? :)
          Today I met the group of first-graders I'll be working with for the next 5 weeks, and they're kind of adorable. :) Our Green Thumb Club will be growing lettuce and beans, and learning science along the way. I'll admit I've never grown anything from seed before, but I've got my fingers crossed that this will work out. :O (The kids actually applauded when I announced at the start of the class that we were going to grow plants).
         Next week I'm hoping that we can start our bean plants, so I'm trying to sprout some beans in a zip bag. I put the zip bag on a windowsill that gets some sun, and I can't help checking them multiple times a day. I know that's such a kid thing to do, but I'm excited about seeing that first itty-bitty sprout!
        An excerpt from today:
        Me: What plant can we see outside our classroom? (a large tree)
        First-grader: A pumpkin!
       Happy Thursday!

no-frills dinner

    Tonight I took my friend K. out for a belated birthday dinner. She called this afternoon to warn me that she woke up feeling grumpy, and asked if we could change our dinner plans. We were originally going to check out a new Vietnamese restaurant, but I agreed that we could go to the local chain diner for something simple.

    K. just turned 69, and is my book buddy. This time, I loaned her Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna" and a collection of folktales from the Marshall Islands I just bought but am too busy to delve into right away. I always enjoy listening to her stories -- she's worked in the Peace Corps in Somalia, traveled, and worked as a school counselor.  

    I thought this bracelet would be fun to wear with this top because the circles and color match. I taught fourth grade last year, and T.M. was one of my students. I loved teaching fourth grade -- the kids were so easy to connect with, and still "little kid" enough to want a hug on the way out the door every afternoon. :)

The top has two patterns - floral stripes and circles.

    Happy weekend! Tomorrow I'm off to a wedding. I'm looking forward to dressing up and getting a few good photos to share. :)

closet orphans, part #2

    Since I had so much fun wearing yesterday's underloved but beautiful top, I decided to show another closet orphan a little love to celebrate Friday.

Banana Republic blouse; Loft blazer 

     Check out the wonderful beading using different colors, sizes and shapes of beads, plus the embroidery.
     There is also a ribbon tie in back, but there were two problems. One: it's hard to tie a neat bow with your hands behind your head. Two: taking a decent photo of the bow is beyond my camera skills right now. I suppose this means I will need to wear this top again. :)

        
     Problem 3: I think it's so cute to wear a blazer with sleeves cuffed, but this blazer is so snug on me that rolling the cuffs up a bit makes it difficult to move my arms! So I had to roll the sleeves down. Oh, the things I do for the love of stripes. ...

the elusive white T

     It's so hard to find that perfect white T. I've been looking for one for a while. Many of them are so thin I'd need to layer it over a camisole. Given the perpetually warm weather, that didn't sound very appealing. Another issue is the fit; I want something that isn't too clingy or too baggy and shapeless.
     This is not the perfect white T, but I did get it for $5.99. The perfect price if you're like me and worry about dripping gravy/spaghetti sauce/other delicious things on your white shirts. I have to admit that it came from the girl's department at Target, because I'm not in love with most of the longer-cut women's Ts out there (I could literally stretch some of them to my knees). After wearing it, I wish I had sized down and bought a large vs. an extra-large. I might just have to set it up on a hot date with my dryer this weekend and see what happens fit-wise.

     To spice up my white tee, I layered two necklaces -- a first for me. The white one is carved of bone and depicts a manaia. In Maori culture, the manaia is often depicted as a bird-headed man, and is a messenger between the earthly and spirit worlds. When depicted as the figure-eight-like shape seen here, it is an amulet against evil. (Information courtesy of Wikipedia). Incidentally, the Mr. dislikes these necklaces -- I think he finds the leather cord too masculine. But I still like them.
     I picked up the Volcom jacket a few months back, but it's been too hot to even consider wearing it. I like that it has a drawstring to define the waist, a zipper and snaps, and can be worn as a shirt or jacket. Oh, and it's a linen-cotton blend, which means linen-like look and feel with less ironing. (Sorry, no detail photos because I'm still waiting for my new camera battery charger). :(

         I realize that this jacket would look so much better if I had bothered to roll the sleeves up before taking this photo ...
        Happy weekend!

simple as it should be

    It's a little strange to be a full-time student again! It's also a little disconcerting how much work is involved -- reading, note-taking, re-reading, research. I couldn't even tell you how much time I've spent fumbling my way through various databases, looking for the answers to infernal assignments.
     Monday was showtime for one of my database classes. We needed to present our group project. This outfit is a little ho-hum, but I felt comfortable and that's always important when you're on the hot seat!

DKNY Jeans top (XS); same old jeans

Shell earrings (New Zealand)

     While working on my teaching degree, I was very fortunate to be able to visit New Zealand to attend an indigenous education conference. I like these shell earrings, but I wish I had gotten some of the more expensive, higher-quality, intricately carved ones I longed for but didn't buy. (Note to self: when traveling -- if you love it, just get it!)

 

     What is something awesome that you've picked up on your travels? :)
     P.S.: This post is named for Tristan Prettyman's song, which is one of my absolute favorites. Check out YouTube to hear it ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: big prints

     Both cameras are out of commission, but I wasn't going to let it stop Try-it-out Tuesday. MacBook Photo Booth to the rescue! :)
     Today's challenge: break the no-big-prints rule for petites. I get the logic, but I LOVE certain big prints.
      I understand why I don't want to wear daisies as big as my head, but I figured this particular print could squeak by because it's more abstract and graphic -- lines and swirls vs. daisies. So instead of people thinking, "WOW! Those daisies are as big as her head!" they're going to wonder, "Is that big red swirly as big as her head?"   
     I picked up this top at Saver's a few years ago for a mere 99 cents. It appears handmade, and the Asian-inspired big print reminded me of the splashily printed dresses and men's shirts popular in 1970s Hawaii.  When I started this blog, I dug this out of my fabric pile: I wanted to figure out a way to wear it. Beside the big print, there were some other challenges. The top is boxy, on the short side, and has side notches.

         Some tucking-in was definitely required.

     I just managed to tuck it into a pair of jeans. I couldn't resist adding my fuchsia belt because I figured fuschia falls right between dark blue and red.
     It tucked much better into my higher-waisted pencil skirt. I think it works better with the pencil skirt because less of the top is showing; the big print is restricted to a smaller area of my body.

Thrifted top; CK pencil skirt; Old Navy fuchsia belt.

 

 

I think the red swirly might be BIGGER than my head.

    Because I love this top, I'm planning on rocking it. But I'm interested in hearing your honest opinion -- is the big print overwhelming? Is it OK with jeans, or should I stick to the pencil skirt? Or should I just walk away the next time a similar top calls out to me from the thrift store racks?

lazy-woman chic

I'm figuring out that a great necklace is the lazy woman's chic accessory. Can I confess that I even threw one on this weekend to hide an itty-bitty stain on my black T? I figured the gleam of the pearls and glitter of the chains would cover things up nicely. (Does that sound really really slobby? Are you now going to be scrutinizing every outfit photo for covered-up stains?) I think I wore this outfit 3 times this weekend: plain black T/tank, jeans, Forever 21 pearl and chain necklace.

Petite Jeans by Calvin Klein Jeans

I wanted to snap a photo, but it turns out a balky battery charger is behind my camera troubles. I have to think about whether I want to even attempt to take Try-it-out Tuesday outfit photos with my MacBook's Photo Booth.

make your mark

     Just a quick post today -- papers and assignments keep piling up. Just when I'm sighing with relief about finishing one project, I've got two more needing urgent attention.
     While it's tropically toasty outside, it's frosty cold in the bowels of the library (where all my classes are held). Halfway into class I actually put on a second jacket because the cardigan wasn't warm enough.

     It's interesting that I haven't worn this cardigan more. However, I clearly remember the first time I wore it. It was the first day of my first year as a classroom teacher. It was also the first day I had taught in a classroom for a whole day. I was woefully unprepared, and that year ... it's hard to find enough words to describe that year. I felt overwhelmed, unappreciated, and incompetent. It was frustrating to try so hard and work so hard and still fail. That year taught me that failure is hard work. (A good thing to keep in mind with those students seen as unreachable or uncaring).
    I finished that first year emotionally exhausted. Despite some trepidation, I devoted much of the summer to reflecting on what I wanted my next classroom to look like. I took copious notes on the procedures and routines that happen everyday --  things that may sound trivial, such as how students should move from their desks to the floor for story time. I was scared, but determined. I jokingly call msyelf an expert on how not to run a classroom, and I used my expertise to figure out a different way.
     That second year in the classroom was AMAZING. Yes, I had my share of kinks to work out and failures. I still have so much to learn about building a safe, positive classroom for all learners, about differentiating lessons so everyone can learn, and thousands of other things. But the improvements I saw were undeniable. I believed that all that attention to detail made the students feel safe and that I was looking out for them. This allowed both me and the students to focus on learning and teaching and building relationships.
     It was hard to choose to leave the classroom to focus on attaining my library sciences degree. I wondered whether I was cutting myself off from more deep learning. I had never wanted to be a classroom teacher, but the second year showed me why so many teachers return, year after year. But being an elementary school librarian is my dream job, and it was time to commit and go full-time.
    And you thought this was just a quickie outfit post ...

   Do you have clothing/accessories/jewelry that evokes memories or stories? I'd love to hear your story, either as a comment or as a post on your own blog!

Try-it-out Tuesday: pattern mixing

This American Eagle Outfitters ruffled camisole has up until now been relegated to weekend wear. On Friday, however, I wanted to experiment with ways to make it work-friendly.

With a pair of jeans and my new striped blazer, it was ready to work! This blazer was my first purchase from Loft online, and it’s a little snug across the back. If I buy a similarly cut blazer from them again, I will definitely consider a 6P.

This floral top has a surprising blend of colors, from red to navy to yellow. I'm looking forward to pairing it with other items (maybe a colored pencil skirt?), or even just adding jewelry and accessories to play up certain hues.

outfit tweak: adding purple and sparkle

I wore this outfit last week, except I put a gray T underneath.

I know I need some new poses, but this isn't it. While I liked last week's outfit, I thought it would be fun to add some unexpected color. Enter these really cute Bandolino flats, which I love but haven't worn much.

The color purple completely baffles my camera, so I've done some heavy-handed tweaking via Picnik to better represent the color. I thought the yellow and purple would play well together. And then, I found my favorite long necklace, so I decided to throw that into the mix as well. (Rumors of me being supremely organized are untrue. For months I've believed this necklace to be lost, only to find it hanging off the knob on the back of my bedroom door.)

I think this outfit tweak was a success, and I can't wait to wear it. It was also lots of fun ... can't you tell by my smile?