inspired

Merona tee, Target

Coldwater Creek silk scarf, gift from Mom

trouser jeans, Macy's

    I went to a librarian conference the other weekend, and the speaker was wearing a simple black dress, a fuchsia scarf, and a cobalt cardigan. Such a pretty combination! I wanted to wear my fuchsia chiffon scarf, but this silk scarf felt more snuggly for a chilly morning.
    So far Spring Break has been blissfully relaxing. I ran some errands, slept in, and did lots of reading on the couch. I'm going to be doing a little spring cleaning in my classroom today, and piles of papers that need grading await, but the last few days have been a much-needed breather.

universal

Kensie top, Ross

trouser jeans, Macys

necklace, craft fair

earrings, gift

 

    This is a very simple outfit, but I decided to blog it because it was a triumph in terms of finding a patterned shirt to wear with this pendant. The delicate design of the pendant gets lost against other patterns, but I thought it went well with the irregular stripes and colors of this shirt.

    I bought this pendant at a craft fair, and the woman running the booth said that the design is symbolic of the universe - a geometric shape with a free form shape within. The contrast really appealed to me.

    I usually wear either a necklace or a pair of larger earrings, but not both. However, I rather liked the double dose of sparkle here. 

    Despite being sick last week, I managed to get off island for my aikido seminar. Lots of good practice, and I really enjoyed it! I had a little less pep on Sunday due to a sore back and sore quads from Saturday's classes, but I managed to practice for a full three classes. The best thing about Sunday, though, was coming home at about 10 at night, taking a long shower, then heading out for a steaming bowl of pho with the husband. 

a little sunshine and books

 Collective Concepts top, hand-me-down from cousin

cardigan, Gap Outlet

trouser jeans, Macy's

earrings, gift from sis

     The day before I wore this outfit, it was gray and gloomy all day. With that in mind, I picked an outfit in sunny hues for the next day. Turns out, the next day was bright and lovely! But who doesn't mind a little extra sunshine?

    I don't wear this top much, but every time I do, I appreciate anew the little patterns in the stripes.

    I just read a great children's book called "Crunch" by Leslie Connor. The author posits a world very much like ours, except there is a nationwide fuel shortage. This strands the main character's parents far away, and he and his siblings - ages 6 to 18 - must stick together until their parents return. I think it would be a great book to spark conversation about the future of our planet. It's also just plain fun to read - lots of very warm family relationships and a mystery to solve, as well.

Try-it-out Tuesday: putting cute in its place

   Recently Carol of In Pursuit of Pretty Things wore an outfit that included a Jedidiah tee, accompanied by the question: is there an age cutoff for cute graphic tees?
    My closet does include a handful of Threadless, Yoshitomo Nara, and Jedidiah tees, and I wondered whether they definitively need to be relegated to weekend grocery-store runs, or can venture out on occasion.
     I first channeled my inner 12-year-old mallrat (do people use that word anymore?) and paired the tee with skinny jeans.

"That night we talked about our dreams" design by Lim Heng Swee

     I decided to attempt to weight the scale toward sophisticated instead of cute by swapping out the skinnies for trouser jeans. I then added a turquoise jacket purchased a while back but never worn yet (say hello to closet orphan #3).

     Disclaimer: I know that fuchsia does NOT match everything. :) Plus I realize that a skinny belt does look silly sliding around a trouser jean's substantial waistband.
     The last touch was adding a heeled shoe because these trouser jeans, despite their petite fit, are still a little long on me. (I know you really can't see the shoes, but I ran out of time.)

     Verdict: I just don't think this works. I don't like the tucked-in shirt, although the tee's slouchy fit and jacket's cropped length made it necessary. I think the pair-it-with-a-jacket strategy might work, though, and I plan to see how my other tees and jackets look together.
      If you've got some constructive criticism, please leave me a comment! I'd love to hear your honest opinion about this outfit and whether I need to put the rabbits on house arrest. ...

camera blues

     Good news: my camera tripod came in this week! No more balancing acts involving the laundry hamper and a box!

     Bad news: something's amiss with the camera battery and/or charger, so I don't have enough juice to take photos. 

     Bad news #2: the point-and-shoot is having the same problems.

     Sigh.  

     So, these photos are even blurrier than usual. My apologies.

    Anyhow, on to the outfit ... 

    I am shaped like a Snickers bar (translation: not much of a waist) and short-waisted as well, so I was excited to find Kelly's guide to successful tucking-in for short-waisted petites.

   

   

     I didn't have a belt to match my top, so I chose one that went with my necklace. The ruffled top + the long sparkly necklace is a little out of my comfort zone. In my pre-style-blog-reading days, it would have seemed like way too much. But after I got used to it I kind of liked it. 

    I wore this to class with the cardigan open. However, after reviewing Kelly's directions I decided to belt over the cardigan. This cardigan is too slouchy to produce the coveted X-shape via buttoning.

    

      I think this would look better with a different cardigan and belt, but it's not bad for a first try! I'm looking forward to experimenting more with this idea.