dressing up chambray

New York and Company chambray shirt, thrifted

enamel necklace, eBay

petite trousers, Banana Republic Factory Store

        I wore this for a substitute-teaching assignment a few weeks ago. It's always interesting to sub during the last week of school ... the students are SO not interested in anything academic and have sent their brains on vacation! Thus, we did some simple stuff. After the kids worked on their end-of-year writing assignment and some math review work, I taught the first class I worked with how to draw a very simple bird. They got very creative in accessorizing their birds - they sprouted hats, speech bubbles, clothing, and more.

turquoise and gold bracelet, Urban Sand

yellow cardigan, Gap Outlet 

  
    

     I am still excited about having thrifted this chambray shirt. I've paired it with black bottoms so far, but I've realized that it will work great with my skimpy-on-top maxi dresses, my houndstooth skirt, white jeans, and on and on ...

blogging challenge, day 28: only pictures

Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. I am not a morning person, but it was worth waking up a little early on Sunday morning to grab brunch with a friend. Two pieces of French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage = a happy stomach.
2. I managed to go for two walks/runs during the long weekend. Yay for physical activity!
3. I finished "Why We Broke Up" by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) with illustrations by Maira Kalman. My Pinterest micro-review is here or you can read my Goodreads review here. I thoroughly enjoyed this, although I can see how it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

day 25: truth with love

Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget

 (good or bad).

      During my first full-time semester in library sciences, I took a storytelling class. One day we were assigned to tell an Aesop's fable. I am usually not animated at all in front of an audience -- my goal when speaking in front of adults is composure, not to be amusing -- but I made some small gesture during the telling of my story that the teacher, Nyla, noticed. Nyla said something like, "I can tell you are a really private person, but that gesture gave your listeners an idea of how you feel about the fable's characters." 

      This may not sound like anything special, but it was the way she said it. There was no hint of judgment or negativity - just acceptance and affection. If you are like me and usually very reserved, you've probably heard so many times, "You're so quiet!" or "You don't talk much, do you?" all said in

Published on

tones ranging from well-meaning puzzlement to outright dismissal. Our culture seems to value outspoken, outgoing people. Don't get me wrong - I love outgoing people, too (they tend to make fun friends for folks like me). But I've gotten tired of many people assuming that my private nature and quietness are character flaws that need overcoming vs. just something to accept, and maybe even appreciate. 
       This event stands out for me as a teacher, because it reminds me of the importance of truly accepting every student I work with while encouraging them to grow. It's a tough balance to strike, but Nyla showed it was possible.
 

she sells seashells ...

Mitra cotton top, thrifted

beach INC linen shorts, Macy's

Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings, HauteLook

bracelets, c/o third-graders

       One would think that taking photos against your bedroom wall would be a no-brainer. One would also think that someone *ahem* would know how to tinker with the exposure to compensate for extremely strong 4 p.m. light. Sorry that these photos are washed out!
      I'm pleased to have scored another gauzy cotton top for summer at Goodwill recently. I really like the maroon, white and orange print, and the seashell print ended up being perfect for my visit to the aquarium!

      Before heading to the aquarium, I visited Market Day at my friend's school. The kids were selling various items and services - everything from a chance to get a massage, play games like pin the tail on the donkey or ring toss, or items ranging from keychains, brownies (there were a lot of brownies!), spring rolls, bracelets, bookmarks, and more. I picked up my new bracelets with "teacher dollars." I wish that " teacher dollars" worked at real stores ... ;)

blogging challenge, day 24: at my worst

 Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits.

1. I am a procrastinator. I admire those people who get things before they are due, like the person in my social computing class who posted her final paper A WEEK EARLY while the rest of us were feverishly writing. I think the procrastination stems from avoidant tendencies - if I'm worried or anxious about doing something, I take my mind off it by diddling around Pinterest for an hour. This doesn't help me in the long run, as I lose valuable work time. I've realized lately that being a procrastinator means I have a hard time assessing just how much time I really need to complete a task. I think becoming a teacher has helped me become less avoidant - it's my job to address things that happen in my classroom that aren't helpful, safe or productive - but the procrastination is something I need to work on. Maybe tomorrow. (just kidding!)
2. I own a lot of stuff. And I am disorganized. Mentally, I am not disorganized. It's very easy for me to organize my thoughts to write a coherent essay. Thus, many people I know mistake me as an organized person. But when it comes to physical stuff ... I look at things and am at an utter loss. I own several books on organizing, but have never really gotten around to implementing their principles (see number 1). One of the biggest challenges for me in becoming a teacher was having to not only organize myself, but to organize a shared physical space for students to use as well as providing the tools and procedures to organize students' personal spaces (desks, cubbies, etc). Yikes. I made huge improvements in this from my first year of teaching to my second, both for me and for the students. But it's still something I struggle with in life in general. I keep wondering whether there is an actual condition called "disorganizia" that I am afflicted with that scientists will uncover sometime soon, and that they will then begin devoting millions of research  dollars to solving. I'd volunteer to participate in a trial. ;)
3.  I can be my own worst critic. I have high expectations of myself and can feel crummy when I don't meet those expectations. I've gotten a lot better at questioning any self-criticism that arises and trying to look at it from a different angle, but I still think I put a lot of pressure on myself. I don't think having high expectations is all bad -- I've achieved a lot and am very motivated to build on my strengths and learn from my mistakes due to this trait. One of the biggest things I've learned is that mistakes can be constructive, if approached the right way. But now that I'm 35, I'm realizing how important it is for me to stop getting in my own way and to practice complete self-acceptance.

     It was interesting to write this, because I didn't expect that all my worst traits would be intertwined, but they are. Yay for a little self-knowledge gained through the challenge! :)

blogging challenge, day 23: life's lessons

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

•  The beauty of failure. Failure sucks, but it can teach you and open new doors - if you let it. To benefit fully from your failures, however, you need to own them, and keep on owning them - even when you're successful.
• Find an avocation. Find something you truly love - something that challenges you, makes you happy, and keeps you excited. It's a great way to continue learning and growing and can be an excellent way to meet interesting people, too.
• There are mentors all around you. The older I get, the more amazed I am at how people, in various settings and at various times, have emerged as inspirations and mentors. Some mentors have only been in my life for a semester; others have been a presence for more than a decade. Some mentors I've gotten to know personally; others I've gotten to know purely by observing how they interact with others in the classroom or other settings. It's comforting to realize that there are so many people out there with knowledge and wisdom who are willing to share it and encourage you along your path.

will work for spaghetti

Merona buttondown, hand-me-down via E  

Grass linen capris, hand-me-down via R

Banana Republic necklace, gift

      It was one of those days when I put on my pants (multiple pairs, mind you!) and wondered why they felt so tight. Urgh. I'm betting/hoping it was just a post-lunchtime food baby ... 
      The neat thing about this outfit is that it's almost entirely comprised of hand-me-downs and gifts (except for the brown sandals I wore).
       I wore this to attend/help out at a showcase at a school I've worked at. (I'm a sucker for a free spaghetti dinner ...)  I wasn't sure exactly what I'd end up helping with -- ikebana? slinging spaghetti?-- and I didn't want to look too casual. I was shooting for a "teacher off-duty" look - practical, comfortable, but still a little put-together.
       After walking around and taking photos of the various activities, I ended up helping with the ikebana. Sadly, I wasn't the most helpful, given that I've only done ikebana once and wasn't even sure which branch is the subject and which one is the object, but the teacher was gracious and handled the crowd with aplomb and patience. At the end of the evening I ended up scrubbing spaghetti off the cafeteria tables before enjoying an ice-cold soda. 
     I was feeling a little down after my job interviews, so it was nice to attend and be warmly welcomed by one of the teachers I collaborated with when I was there. She even went so far as to mention a possible job opening, for which I'm grateful. It's nice to have a much more experienced teacher express faith in my abilities. :)
      Random story: These pants are not from R, but to be precise, R's aunt. R was at her aunt's house one day and with great amazement fished a brand-new bra - tags still on! - out of a rubbish can. R asked her aunt why the bra was in there, and her aunt replied that it didn't fit ... so rather than return it, she decided to toss it. Mind-boggling, huh?

Try-it-out Tuesday: Grecian

 

American City Wear maxi dress, Ross

brooches at shoulders, eBay

    I have a strange attraction to maxi dresses yet once I buy them, they end up hanging sad and lonely in my closet. I've resolved to wear them more this summer, regardless of what I'm doing (I think I feel that they're too dressy for everyday use.) Last week, I wore this to buy some crafting supplies. Using the brooches to gather the shoulders pushes this dress out of the casual zone, but I enjoyed wearing it anyhow. I felt comfortable and pretty, which is a great combination. :)

     The brooches aren't exactly the same, but I thought the fact that they were both gold-tone and had faux pearls made them similar enough.

     This is what happens when I try a different pose ... can you say awkward?!
      I think Try-it-out Tuesday is my favorite feature, but I've decided to make it an intermittent one so I can focus on featuring looks or styles that are really out of the norm for me. I'm also hoping to make my book-inspired "from the pages of" feature more than just a one-shot deal ...

inspiration Monday: A-line skirt fail

 The inspiration: Gwen Stefani

My take: 

 New York and Company chambray shirt, thrifted

Banana Republic A-line skirt, hand-me-down

earrings, gift from M

bracelets from third-grade Market Day

        On a whim I decided to stop at Goodwill during a weekday afternoon, and that's when I found this perfect chambray shirt. It fits well and the short sleeves mean I can wear it year-round. It was priced at $8.99, which is more than I'm usually willing to spend at Goodwill. However, I had tried on several chambray shirts from Old Navy and Ross and they didn't fit as well as this one (they were also all long-sleeved), so I decided to get it.

         I wanted this skirt to work on me, but my first foray into A-line skirts has left me unimpressed. The pocket placement is weird to me, and it keeps riding up and creasing across the hips. It could be that the skirt is just too small. I considered not posting the photo below, but I think it's a good reminder for me about what I don't want in a skirt.

 The ugly truth - yikes

    Anyhow, despite the bad fit of the skirt, I had fun wearing this. My friend treated me to breakfast - an omelet with the local requisite side dish, two scoops of rice liberally drizzled with shoyu. Then we topped things off with chocolate pudding crowned with dollops of whipped cream ... because it's really never too early for dessert. ;)

       Linking up with two birds' inspiration Monday! Click here to see the other participants' creative interpretations!

blogging challenge, day 20: struggling yet grateful

Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

       Something I'm struggling with right now is that while I just graduated with my master's in library science, there are no jobs and it's back to the classroom next year. There are many things that I enjoy about being a classroom teacher, but it's still frustrating for me to not have my dream job. I know in previous years every graduate who already had their teaching license landed a school library job after graduation, but I think the field has reached its saturation point. 

       During the 2008-2009 school year, I had the amazing opportunity of subbing for an elementary school librarian for almost the entire year, and I still consider that one of the happiest years of my life.  Connecting children with the wonders of books and information is my passion, and I believe it's something I could be skilled at one day, with enough experience. 

       It's also frustrating to me that the school I used to work at has chosen to have someone without a library sciences degree run the library. There are exponentially fewer library jobs than teaching jobs, and this situation makes clear to me that some administrators do not see the importance of having a trained librarian. Some schools have even eliminated the position. One school I know of has two part-time teachers (both with no library training) running the library. A librarian is more than a person who checks out and reshelves books and reads stories; a librarian is a teacher, collaborator, leader, and resource. Going through the library program helped me realize how important it is that librarians advocate for both the library and the unique skills and understandings librarians bring to a school.

          While I'm disappointed, I am focusing on my blessings. I'm thankful that I am a tenured teacher and have a job. I am laying the groundwork for improvement - I made a number of improvements from my first year of teaching to my second, and am excited about further working on my weak points. I know this experience, ultimately, will only make me a  better librarian. I know that many of the skills I learned in the library program can help me be a better classroom teacher, particularly one professor's emphasis on assessment. 

happy Monday

3 things that are making me happy lately ...
1. The only thing better than breakfast with a friend is breakfast with a friend who wants to order chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream to finish the meal. ; )
2. Played around with some fabric paint and a t-shirt this weekend - will be sharing my DIY soon.

Source: katherinecatmull.com via Carrie on Pinterest

3. I am captivated by this novel. Certain elements of it remind me of Hans Christian Andersen's work, which is an immensely good thing. :D I have a feeling that this will make my "best books I read in 2013" list. It's one of those books that I wish I wasn't reading so quickly, but I have trouble putting down.

What's making you happy today?  Please share! :)

seersucker skirt: keep or return?

 Anchor Blue tee: purchased in Vegas during 2009 vacation

     While purchasing the two Land's End Canvas tees I reviewed here, this seersucker skirt ($15) caught my eye. It looked cool and comfortable. Unfortunately, the smallest size I could get was a 4, which seems just a bit big on me - I think a 2 would have been just right.

    Pros: 

• I've been wanting to add some patterned skirts to my closet, and I thought the red stripes were fun for casual warm-weather outfits.
•   The fabric is lightweight, and the skirt is unlined, but it doesn't appear to be see-through (although I didn't go out into direct sunlight to check). I figure as long as you're not wearing crazily patterned undies, you're good to go (because who wants to wear a slip on a sweltering hot day?)
•    POCKETS. :)

Cons: I purchased a 4, but I think a size down would have fit me better. It looks a little big, particularly from the side and back. I think it may be possible to slim the sides just a bit.

pencil skirts: Worthington vs. Liz Claiborne

      Our bricks-and-mortar JcPenney's closed down quite a while ago, but I got curious about their pencil skirts - I've been wanting to add a few patterned skirts to my collection. A discount code knocked the sale price down even further (I paid about $20 for each skirt), so I decided to purchase a few and try them on.
      A gripe: sizing charts are just about useless. First off, it's a generic standard chart - but in reality, any department store stocks a multitude of brands, all with different fits.
      Here I'm wearing the Worthington belted sateen pencil skirt (size 4) in the thrive print:

   The fit is a bit straighter than my beloved Calvin Klein pencil skirt, but not intolerably so. The skirt also seems to be longer, but that's an easy thing to fix, particularly since it's unlined.

Best representation of the color

PROS

•  it's cotton!
•  I know, I know, I know ... petites are supposed to wear small prints. But I happen to love splashy almost-abstract prints like this one - are they hearts? flowers? 
•  Nice mix of colors - the print contains white, gray, black, teal, and a light green, which will make it versatile.

CONS

• I was surprised to see that it's not lined, but the fabric feels thick enough (and the print is busy enough) that I'm not really worried about show-through.   

     I purchased a Liz Claiborne cotton pencil skirt in the same size for comparison:

My best meh face

   
         I like my pencil skirts to hit me at my natural waist, but this is sitting on my hips.

Slightly happier now that I've pinched it in the back so it sits properly

      I was so unsure about the sizing that I actually ordered this beautiful skirt (also a Liz Claiborne) in a size 6 (even more pinching required!)

PROS: 

• it's cotton
• it's lined
• it comes in a great variety of colors and prints

CONS:

• they don't make one size down, which is the size that would fit me properly. 

VERDICT: My mom tried on the coral skirt and it fits her, so I'm giving that one to her and keeping the Worthington skirt for myself. I loved the print on the blue skirt so much that I considered for a moment keeping it and altering it, but ultimately decided to not add to my growing pile of clothing that needs fixing. Now I wish that I had ordered a petite pencil skirt or two to compare the fit (the Art Deco-ish print on this one caught my eye).

hip*

tee, Banana Republic Factory

skirt, made by me

necklaces, Forever 21 and Banana Republic

brooch, eBay

     I love wrap skirts, and I love being able to wear something I made. The one thing I don't like about wrap skirts is what happens when the wind comes along - I end up clutching at my skirt. I dislike having to worry about that kind of thing, so I haven't worn my wrap skirts as much as I'd like. But I think I've figured out a solution - a pretty brooch at the hip helps me stop worrying about my skirt flapping up, and doesn't need to be hidden like a safety pin, either. Now that I've found a solution, I'm looking forward to wearing my lightweight, cool and comfortable cotton wrap skirts all summer long. :)

 

sparkles and flowers

                                                                               Source: etsy.com via Carrie on Pinterest

      When I got fitted for contacts about a month ago, one of the first things I thought was: "YAY! I can buy some cute headbands and inexpensive non-prescription sunglasses!" (It's hard to wear a headband and glasses, at least for me, because the earpieces compete for the same head space.) I've enlisted the husband to help me search for the sunglasses, but the headband above caught my eye on etsy. Sarah of HanamiGallery makes the most gorgeous Japanese hair ornaments -- I bought a hair comb for me and hairpins for my sis for my wedding.

     Now comes the hard part: waiting excitedly for my new headband to arrive in the mail! :)

blogging challenge, day 14: 10 things

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy.

My list, in no particular order: 

1. Taking photos.

2. Being by myself. This isn't to say that I don't enjoy and need to spend time with family and friends, but I equally cherish those moments when I'm walking by myself through a botanical garden, with a camera slung around my neck. When I lived in California, on occasion I'd enjoy eating out for breakfast or lunch alone, with just my journal or a book for company. 

3. Aikido, and the fact that I've persisted in my studies for more than 10 years now.

4. Working with children.When I started working in a school, funnily enough, I didn't want to become a teacher.

5. Having just about the best family ever. This isn't to say they don't have quirks, but they're all-around good folks (although I may be biased?) ;)

6. Chocolate, desserts, sweets, ice cream ... I've got a major sweet tooth. Right now I'm crazy about the brownie brittle they sell at Sam's Club - it's dangerously good.

7. Cooking and baking. They're such beautiful ways to be creative everyday.

8. A cup of coffee in the morning. All's right with the world when I can start my morning with a hot cup of coffee with a liberal dose of almond milk and sugar.
9. Fresh flowers.
10. Books, and libraries.

blogging challenge, day 12: what I miss {link}

       A while back, I started a "serious" blog, which I have since then diligently neglected. To remedy that, I'm going to be posting some of the Blog Every Day in May challenge posts there. This one is just about the hardest thing I've ever written, but I'm glad I did. Check it out if you'd like.