the Good Ship Stripey

   The navy blue, stripes, and vaguely flag-shaped enamel pendants made me feel just a bit nautical in this outfit.

     I've been wearing this necklace with pretty simple outfits, just because I think the turquoise, mustard and purple are pretty on their own. However, I'm going to eventually challenge myself to mix it with something other than a neutral to see whether I like the look.

Try-it-out Tuesday: tassels and midis and stripes, oh my!

     Sunday is the most-anticipated day in our house -- it's the day when Mom and I head out to run errands (and do a little shopping as well). I tried out an armload of stuff at Nordstrom Rack, but nothing looked good. I met up with Mom in the clearance section and while idly flipping through the rack, came across this lovely midi skirt -- heavily marked down to $5.40!!

     That night, I checked out Clothed Much's Rule Breaking Monday midi skirt challenge for some styling tips and ideas. I learned that: 1) heels are a must for short people like me, and 2) a belt was a nice complement to the fullness of the skirt. I've always admired how Dotty of dash dot dotty sets her belt so artfully askew, so that's who I'm copying inspired by in regards to the off-center belt.
     On Monday, my first eBay purchase came in the mail. I just had to try on all of my new stuff together, although now I'm wondering whether the necklace and the stripes are a little too much?

     On Monday afternoon, I put together this outfit and reached for the camera, only to find that the battery was completely dead. Somebody needs to check her battery before getting dressed for a photo shoot.
    Anyhow, I soldiered on with the MacBook Photo Booth, and had fun with it. There's something about this skirt that makes me want to do goofy things, like spin around and watch how it flares out, or pretend I'm meeting the queen and doing my very best curtsy, or take silly self-portraits. I suppose a good outfit sets your imagination free ...

    

Hello, blog world! See, I do have a face ...

    

Try-it-out Tuesday: stripes + boots + tights

    Forever 21 was offering free shipping last week, so I caved in and bought the striped skirt I had been eyeing all throughout my shopping ban, a pair of black tights, and a navy and green colorblocked belt. It amuses me that the tights cost just a bit more than the skirt.

F21 bodycon skirt with foldover waist, $6.50

    I got this skirt in a large, hoping that would make it less clingy in the back. However, while the waist is a little big, it's still much too snug in the rear for work. I will need to wear  a flowy, longer top or a longer jacket/cardigan to make it work-appropriate.
   I tried the tights on with my new boots, in the hopes that the all-black look might neutralize the boots' stump-ifying powers. Wishful thinking, anyone?

F21 textured striped tights, $6.80

     I'm excited about owning my first pair of tights! It will allow me to wear dresses and skirts to class and not freeze to death.

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!

DIY: dyeing project?

Longsleeve Tops by Madewell

I saw this tee here (click to see some fun pattern mixing!), and thought it was such a great take on one of my big loves: STRIPES.
However, I'm not loving the hefty price tag. I wonder whether this could be a DIY? I've never dyed anything before -- any dye experts out there with some advice on whether this is doable, and tips on how to do it?
P.S.: Found a tutorial here that looks promising.
Another tutorial from Rit here

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!

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. ...

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.

confidence boost

J. Crew striped T (XS); Calvin Klein pencil skirt (size 2); gold belt (old), Unlisted shoes. 

       I’ve been on the low-rise wagon for a while, but I’ve fallen hard for this pencil skirt. I wore this outfit to get some papers notarized and get fingerprinted for my new job on Wednesday, and I felt GOOD. I felt the goodness even spilled over to the people I interacted with – they seemed to respond to me with a lot of positivity. Or, maybe I just felt more confident and more comfortable. 
      These shoes are glorious, but I didn't wear them on Wednesday. I just didn't have my sensible black sandals on hand when I cajoled the Mr. to snap a few photos.
      I am enamored with stripes, and I picked up this T for less than $8 when they were offering 40% off sale items AND free shipping. (Side note: I filled out a J. Crew survey about my purchase, and mentioned my appreciation of the free shipping. I was thrilled to receive an e-mail reply, thanking me for my comments.) This T is a little too sloppy and shapeless on its own (maybe the next time I can size down to XXS?) but it tucks nicely into the skirt.