boo!

     So, I am not going to win any pumpkin-carving contests, but I think I did OK following the design the library club members created. :)
     Happy Halloween, all! I've got class tonight, but I'll be celebrating all day by eating gobs of candy ... wait, don't I do that everyday? (*ahem*)  Anyhow, have a safe and fun holiday with more treats than tricks! :)

pretty little things: dainty necklaces

Not that I need more jewelry, but these are lovely ... and affordable!

A little cloud to remind you to look for the silver (er, golden) lining in all situations ...

Source: etsy.com via Carrie on Pinterest

And the ultimate whimsy: an itty-bitty elephant ... they're lucky charms when they have upturned trunks.

Source: etsy.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Try-it-out Tuesday: polka dots & pups

     Smiling at other side of messy room = blogger talent

     Relatives gave me this necklace years ago for Christmas, and I never wore it. The dog reminded me of Spuds MacKenzie, and it seemed a bit too little-girly for me. For some reason I never got around to tossing it in my donations bag. Then, I decided last week that I wanted to try out wearing a scarf and necklace, and none of my other necklaces seemed right. Until I put on this necklace on a whim and it looked perfect.

 polka dot scarf, $4.99 on Groopdealz

pup necklace, gift

Ann Taylor top, passed down from E.I.

Doggy bone cutouts & a bowtie? Too cute ...

    I was lured into getting this scarf on Groopdealz due to the low price and free shipping. I do like that it's lightweight and crinkly, but I don't like that it was advertised as cotton, but seems to be more like rayon. I'm not a textiles expert, but judging from the loose weave, this isn't cotton at all. And, being the klutz that I am, I've already put a little snag in it. :( There's a reason that I don't buy scarves that cost more than $5 or $10 ...

my life in letters

Here's my take on Jimmy Fallon's thank you notes, with some mini-rants thrown in ... 

 via

Dear lady hogging the gym room counter on Friday evening,
     It amazes me that one person can spread her stuff out over a good 6 feet of space. Even more amazing? That my friend and I squeezed our gym bags into the remaining space and you made no effort to even pretend to consolidate your stuff.

Dear case study chapter 3,
     You are going to be an exercise in creativity, as I need to turn you in by Wednesday evening. I have some notes and observations but you definitely will be a work in progress.

Dear alarmingly low driver-side front tire,
    Thank you for hanging in there while I raced around Monday afternoon. I had a field trip to a library, and class right afterwards. I didn't notice you until I was in the library's parking lot, on my way to class. I'm so glad that you held what little air you had until I dropped my classmate off and I got myself to campus. I filled you up on the way home and will be keeping an eye on you.

Dear professor,
     I felt like a wrung-out dishtowel after our midterm presentation, but I am really really thankful that I was able to correctly answer your question about why SpringerLink had  approximately twice as many records as ScienceDirect. You ask great questions and make excellent points, it's just a little nerve-wracking to be front-and-center and have to think on my feet ...

Dear Instagrammers of the world,
     A pic of your bare chest (guys) or your cleavage (girls) does not qualify for the hashtag #ootd. 

Dear scratchy throat,
     The tradewinds have returned to sweep away all that irritating vog, so why are you still here? Please make up your mind about whether you're going to make me sick or not.

happy Monday, vol. 29

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. I'm thankful that the earthquake off British Columbia did not generate a tsunami on Saturday night. We are just outside of the inundation zone,  however, so we decided to play it safe and move to higher ground. Which meant a few fun hours sitting in the car in the dark. ...
2. Getting out for a run on both Saturday and Sunday.
3. Wearing my pink shoes (see 'em here) on Friday. They start squeezing my toes after a day of being on my feet, but they are so cute, and I think the leather will stretch out a bit.

librarian PJs and eagle eyes

   

Gap dress, $20 after rewards and sale discount

necklace, Macy's

Maybelline Rum Riche ColorSensational lipstick

      Let me say this first: Hey, I'm wearing lipstick! And I even reapplied it post-lunch! And, I got complimented on the color. :)
      We now resume our regularly scheduled post: I am looking forward to wearing this dress belted, too, but for a tired Tuesday I went with the straight shift look (a.k.a. librarian pajamas). I've heard people refer to dresses like this as "pajama dresses," and this dress worn without a belt certainly qualifies. Most knitty things are way too unseemly-looking (read: clingy) in the back for me to wear them to work, but this is a nice substantial knit - so no worries there.
    I went into two fourth-grade classrooms on Tuesday morning to kick off their healthy eating project. I was a little worried that my lesson would be too basic, but I learned otherwise when I gave them a pre-test. Only 1 student from each class could name 5 food groups! We looked at choosemyplate.gov and they completed an "information hunt" worksheet to familiarize themselves with the benefits, nutrients, and recommended serving sizes for each food group.
    While I was circulating to help the students, one student asked me, "Is this site made for kids?" I told him yes, and asked him what he had seen that made him wonder. He pointed out that he had seen a three-letter word that started with "s" on the web page (see the page here). I told him that sometimes that word could be used to talk about whether you're a boy or girl, not other things. It kind of amazes me that of all the words on the web site, he noticed that one. I'm glad he asked, though!
     Every time I teach a lesson, it turns out to be a learning experience for me, as well. For instance, I realized after I worked with both classes that I should have modeled using the web site better and walked them through some of the questions. What looks easy to use to an adult is something else for a student. Not all students are reading on grade level, so I think they had some difficulty reading - which tells me it might be more fruitful to pull easy-reading books that have the same info. More work for me, but a better learning experience for the kids.

    

'cuz the world needs MORE food pics ...

     I've just joined Instagram -- if you're using it, leave me your username below and I'll add you! (My username is indigoblu3).  I have a lot of possibly creepy followers (i.e. people who have no photos posted, just a web address - what's up with that?), so I'd love for you to join now and lower my PC (possible creep) ratio! :)
    That scrumptious dish up above is loaded baked potato dip I made for class last night using this recipe. It was quite the hit - but then again, it's hard to go wrong with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions.
    

lovely links: personal alchemy

     Something that amazes me about artists is their ability to turn dross into gold - to take crushing pain and tribulation and turn it into something beautiful, whether it be a song, story, or image.
    Frida Kahlo, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath were all such alchemists. Their modern sisters? Perhaps Francesca Lia Block. And recently I've decided that Tristan Prettyman may belong to their ranks as well. I've always thought of her as a "feel-good" singer/songwriter ...  but these stripped-down songs are powerful, honest and beautiful.
     

askew & outgamed

  Buttondown, passed down by mom

necklace and DKNY Soho jeans, Macy's

     
      I saw a picture of Katherine Heigl wearing a Stella & Dot necklace askew in recent issue of In Style magazine. I thought about that photo when I put on this necklace and realized the pretty blue beads were lost behind the collar.

Source: justjared.com via Carrie on Pinterest

     This looked OK in the mirror, but when I looked at the pictures I realized that the necklace gets lost against the plaid. I will have to retry this look with a solid-colored buttondown.
     A day in the life of a grad student: I have always been a procrastinator. Not a make-up-the-book-report-the-night-before type, but a professional avoider of necessary but not exciting tasks and assignments.
     However, I got outgamed the other day. I have a partner presentation due next Monday, and I e-mailed my partner about quickly meeting before class. She agreed.
     I got there a few minutes before her, so I took out my laptop and pulled up the spreadsheet, screenshots, and documents I had worked hard on all weekend. She arrived and didn't take out any spreadsheet, notes -- nothing. It became clear to me that she hadn't even searched the databases when she asked me how to find the databases.
    Um, this is NOT an assignment to start working on the week before it's due. To be honest, I only got work done in earnest last weekend (so I can't preach much!). It's also true that I'm not working regularly this semester, and she has a job, so I have a lot more time. But for whatever reason, I now feel marvelously well-prepared. Which is strange, but good.

Try-it-out Tuesday: statement necklace & bag

Merona buttondown, passed down by E.I.

skirt, Old Navy, old

necklace, eBay

Tignanello bag, Goodwill, $4.99 (retail: $85)

Dansko Calliope sandals, $36, 6pm.com

     I wear this skirt all the time, but this is it's first star turn on the blog. Why? I usually wear it very casually - to run to the store, weekend errands, etc. But recently it got a little dressed up for a weekday lunch with a friend. And it liked it!

    This gorgeously patterned bag is my first thrifted bag. I had much better luck from the start finding great clothing at the thrift store, but all of my previous visits to the bag section yielded worn-out, torn, stained, or just blah purses. This will comfortably hold several books (I just tossed in a paperback copy of Graham Salisbury's "Eyes of the Emperor" and a hardback of "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai) and probably even a composition notebook. It will even make a great informal camera bag. Mom likes this bag so much, I think we'll take turns using it. 
    Mustard is still a color I'm hesitant about, but I do like how the necklace picks up the mustard in the bag pattern.

happy Monday, vol. 28: books & Bruno

3 things that are making me happy lately ...


1. Bruno Mars (again).


2. A film adaptation of "Great Expectations" is coming out Nov. 30! At that time I'll probably be wading through piles of end-of-semester work, but I might just have to MAKE the time to see this. I just started reading Dickens a year or two ago - would you believe that the Mr. is a nonreader, yet he had a battered copy of "David Copperfield" lying around his house, thanks to a former roomie? One day I picked it up on a whim (it looked more interesting than the animal husbandry tomes) and really enjoyed it.
    The only reason I found out about this film is that I read this, which also mentions a recent version of "Wuthering Heights" that I'd be interested in seeing. While I had a deep attachment to Charlotte Bronte's "Villette" for much of my 20s,  I'm not as familiar with the Brontes' other works. Which means I have to reread "Wuthering Heights" before I see the film, right?

via

3. I just finished John Green's "Paper Towns," after hearing it booktalked wonderfully during this summer's YA lit class and also lauded by the teacher, who is a diehard John Green fan and considers "The Fault in Our Stars" her current favorite.. It took me a while to finish it due to schoolwork, not lack of interest (dratted schoolwork!). I love how it's an extended examination of how we see people and how our own wishes and desires can blind us to who they really are. This novel reminded me of the work of Chris Crutcher (another YA author I discovered this year), primarily because both writers do such a wonderful job of creating well-written, thought-provoking books.

*new* feature: from the pages of ...

Today I'm excited to roll out my newest feature, from the pages of ...  
The purpose of this intermittent feature is:

• to draw style inspiration from the world of words. I'll be taking a favorite book and using it to create an outfit.
• to create wearable outfits (not costumes!), with things I already own.

BOOK(S): "Witch Baby" and "Missing Angel Juan" by Francesca Lia Block.
WHO: Witch Baby, a.k.a. Lily or Nina Bruja.
WHY? To me, Witch Baby represents the relentless search to grow into our true selves. In some ways, she reminds me of the Coyote/trickster figure found in so many cultures' folkore -- sometimes things need to be broken before we can approach the fragments with fresh eyes and build something new.
HER LOOK/STYLE: She has tilty purple eyes, tangly hair, and curling toes like cashew nuts. She simultaneously wants to burrow into the earth and ascend on wings. She carries a bat-shaped backpack (a nod to one of her family names, Bat). In "Witch Baby," one of her prized possessions is a shirt embroidered by Angel Juan's mother. In "Missing Angel Juan," Weetzie gifts her with a skeleton charm bracelet before she heads to New York.

QUOTES: 

"My mother says that pain is hidden in everyone you see. She says try to imagine it like big bunches of flowers that everyone is carrying around with them. Think of your pain like a big bunch of red roses, a beautiful thorn necklace. Everyone has one." - Angel Juan

"I remembered the way I'd seen the world when I was young. I'd seen the smoke and the pain in the streets, heard the roaring under the earth, felt the rage beneath the surface of everything, most people pretending it wasn't there. Only those who are so shaken or so brave can wear it in their eyes. The way you wear it in your eyes."  

"Dear Angel Juan,

      You used to guard my sleep like a panther biting back my pain with the edge of your teeth. You carried me into the dark dream jungle, loping past the hungry vines, crossing the shiny fish-scale river. We left my tears behind in a chiming silver pool. We left my sorrow in the muddy hollows. When I woke up you were next to me, damp and matted, your eyes hazy, trying to remember the way I clung to you, how far down we went."

WHAT I WORE:

• purple plaid, purple to represent Witch Baby's beautiful eyes. I thought plaid shirts might be Witch Baby's style, too ... I definitely don't picture her dressing in a stereotypically feminine way. After all, she likes slithering through mud and playing the drums, and I doubt she does these things in a frou-frou dress. (Not that either activity can't be enjoyed in a frou-frou dress, mind you.)
• tee with an angel. It represents both Angel Juan and Witch Baby's own pair of wings (mentioned in "Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys.") 
• tiny rose earrings. Roses, as the classic symbol of love and as a key fairytale element, are woven throughout Block's work. 

Planet Gold buttondown, Macy's

Jedidiah tee, Ross

Any book you'd like to see me take on? 

*pop*

 From just OK ...

... to pulled together!

Kahala silk-linen top and petite trouser jeans, Macy's
JJ Basics cardigan, passed down from E.I.
bracelets: Iolani Palace door hinge; DIY

      Did you ever notice how many good things have names that start with pop? Popcorn, Pop-Tarts, Pop Rocks ... and pop of color. (OK, I just thought of one that isn't so fun - pop quiz - but you get my drift.)
     It was so much fun to take an old favorite (this top) and add a transformative pop of color. I don't know why it never occurred to me to wear it with a red cardigan, but it takes this look from blah to fantastic. The blue and red together make me happy; this hardly-any-ironed-clothes situation is resulting in some great outfits. 
   The idea of limitations being freeing reminds me of "A Wrinkle in Time," and the discussion at the end of how life is like a sonnet -- within a strictly bound form, freedom blooms. I just finished the audiotape, and loved revisiting a childhood favorite. Returning to it so many years later made me realize that the book is a beautiful reflection on growing up and the duty and pleasures of responsibility. I've just started listening to Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising." This was another book that I read and reread as a child, and it's hard to believe, but Cooper's prose is even more gorgeous when read aloud.  

     P.S. - These pictures really don't do this outfit justice - guess I'll just have to wear this outfit again sometime soon, right? :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: animal and patchwork

D&Y scarf and Salt Works jeans, Ross

Ann Taylor tie-neck top, passed down by E.I.

Fossil "Kenya patchwork" belt, Goodwill, $2.99 (retail: $46)

     I continue my pattern-mixing experiments by seeing whether my belt and scarf will play nicely with each other. I think this looked better in my head - while I like the contrast from the belt, I also wonder whether it cuts me in half to have something light in the middle. 

     It's amusing to think that just about a year ago, I was just starting to understand the wonder that is a belt. A year ago, I also didn't own any scarves, much less one with several different animal prints. Katie of Hems for Her owns the same scarf, and I was inspired to take it out for a spin after seeing her style it here. (Thanks, Katie!) I'd also like to try styling this scarf with a necklace, as she did, but I decided to try out the scarf and belt business first.

happy Monday, vol. 27

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. The Halloween candy sales are in full swing, and I couldn't resist picking up a bag of Reese's Fast Break fun-size bars. They're dangerously good, and I'm trying to make the bag stretch out as long as possible ... because I could really eat the entire bag in a few days without restraint.
2. My Saturday class took a field trip to an awesome library. It was so much fun to talk to and learn from an innovative, passionate librarian who is using all of his skill sets to help the school and its students.
3. Family time on Saturday, and fancy desserts - red velvet cheesecake!

Happy Monday! What's making you smile lately? :)

serendipity

   Belt, thrifted

UK Style by French Connection cotton-modal tee, Sears

bracelets: DIY and gift from student

    Sometimes wonderful things happen outfit-wise when I haven't ironed in ages and have to pick whatever's left in the drawer. This is one of those throwaway belts that comes with pairs of shorts from the junior's department (I know because I saw it at Macy's the day I thrifted it!). However, I like the pattern so much, I'm considering hot-gluing a ribbon over the exposed threads on the back of the belt so I can enjoy it longer. Now I just need to locate my long-lost glue gun and glue refills ...
   All this week has been hazy from volcanic emissions and hot hot hot. Can't wait for the tradewinds to return! Also, I can't even think about ironing until the winds come back.

   Happy Friday! I've got a busy weekend ahead, but also some family time to look forward to on Saturday evening.What's in your plans?

dinosaurs & directors

 scarf and jeans, Ross

tee, Banana Republic Factory Store

      The print and colors of this scarf make me think of dinosaurs; I'm not sure quite why.
      I wore this last Friday for the readers theater performance. Directors always wear black, right? ; )
We had a decent turnout of parents and family members and the kids did well, although I didn't anticipate that due to nervousness they would lean on the library shelves behind them vs. standing up straight, and that they were going to speak really softly for the same reason. 
       I've been content to dress very simply lately, although I haven't abandoned stacks of accessories.  This is probably not "blog-worthy," but it is what I've been wearing. I'm just happy that it's been cool enough now and then to add a very light scarf to an outfit and not overheat.

        Opal is never a stone I really was drawn to, but after my friend K passed along her opal studs and these opal drop earrings, I've started to appreciate their slightly eerie luster. The milky white stone gleams with errant strands of pink and green, depending on the light.

 bracelets, from left: Macy's, very old; Cutey; jade beetles - gift from CL; gift from student

Try-it-out Tuesday: cocktail dress {why?}

 

Maggy London dress, Macy's     

     This is probably one of the most impractical items of clothing that I own ... although  I still kick myself for not getting a lavender silk Oscar de la Renta ball gown skirt on deep discount at Off Fifth years and years ago. So, yes, of all the impractical things I could own, this really isn't too bad.
    What sucked me into getting this was the fit, print, and little details (back cutout and tulip hem). And it's cut to accommodate a regular bra, so I don't need to suffer in a strapless one. And, I scored it for an amazing price off the Macy's clearance rack. And, I might just try pulling it off for work with a camisole underneath and a light cardigan on top .... so you can see why I had to get it. ; )
     I wore this on Saturday for a belated celebration of my friend K's birthday. After we tore through two baskets of bread, followed by salad, and a hearty portion of fish alla piccata, this dress was quite a bit tighter than it started out. A good reminder that I should always take pictures before, not after, eating ...  

happy Monday, vol. 26

3 things that are making me happy lately ...


 1. "Girls like you are a little off/To keep the rising costs of being normal down ..."
Jason Mraz, you know just what to say.

2. Scoring a pair of Dansko shoes for $36 on 6pm.com. I seem to have the feet of an old lady (flats leave me in excruciating pain, and I suffer from leg and foot cramps regularly), so I'm always trying to find a shoe that will allow me to stand up all day in comfort.

 Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Conditioner

3. I tried out this Suave conditioner, and was amazed at how soft and silky it made my thick, usually frizzy and flyaway hair. And the effects last beyond one shampoo!

Happy Monday! :)

two favorites & showtime

top, Banana Republic Factory Store

Joseph A. cardigan and petite trouser jeans, Macy's 

     This green tee got a lot of wear when I was in the classroom. Why? It's a fun color, has a work-appropriate neckline, has embellishment for a little something special, and is comfy. Definitely one of the best things I've ever purchased on my annual pilgrimage to the factory store. :)
      Pairing it with another favorite - this exuberantly patterned cardigan - made it perfect for work. I always read and hear that petites are supposed to go with small and shy prints, but I really yearn for the big splashy ones. ; )
      Today the students I've been working with this week will present their Aesop's fables readers theater. Having never taught readers theater in my classroom, I really appreciated the chance to experiment and add something valuable to my teacher's toolbox. The fables and scripts are very short, and at first I wondered, how am I going to stretch this into a week's worth of hour-long lessons? It turns out that it was very easy to find activities.  
     Some things I liked about readers theater: it is a great way to engage students of all abilities.  The performance aspect really helped student get excited. Students really built their comprehension of the story by repeated readings and examination of the text. In the classroom, sometimes I feel rushed to move on to the next thing, but I saw how valuable it was for students to use a familiar text. Also, it was gratifying to see the English-language learners grow comfortable reading aloud and experience reading with expression.
   P.S. The above photo makes these pants look crazily bell-bottomed, but I think that in real life they look more like this ... amazing what an angle can do. :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: red & turquoise

 Calvin Klein top, Macy's

bracelets, InPink and oia jules

earrings, InPink

     These earrings are cute, but goodness, they are poorly designed. This is the wrong kind of hook for an earring of this size/weight -- every time I leaned over, the left one fell out. They were also a little uncomfortable because they felt unbalanced hanging in my ears. While they looked so pretty with the red, I ended up taking them off halfway through the day and putting them in my pocket. :(

      I'm sure it would be a fairly easy task to swap out the hooks for different ones, but I don't have any jewelry crafting know-how. Maybe I can get someone with the proper tools to make the change for me. While I really like my InPink necklace and bracelet, I will think twice about buying their earrings based on my experience with these.

happy Monday, vol. 25

3 things that are making me happy lately ...

 

1.  Right now, I'm reading "Princess Academy" by Shannon Hale because I will be booktalking it for students. While I have already read and subsequently booktalked some books that  I didn't personally love, but I knew would appeal to our students, I am truly enjoying this one. Hale evokes the unique community the Princess Academy students come from, and masterfully depicts the relationships between the students as well as their family relationships.

2. I baked banana bourbon muffins using this recipe last week, which assuaged my guilt about having let an entire bunch of bananas get overripe.

3. Taking my love of stripes to a new level with Gap's nautical shift. While I attempted to buy a similar Gap dress a while back, that order was never fulfilled because they ran out of stock. Look for it in an outfit post soon. :)