power outfit, round 2

Belle + Sky scuba skater dress and fleece-lined tights, JcPenney

Born boots, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

cardigan, Banana Republic

     I wore this recently for the second round of parent-teacher conferences this school year, and it seems black + boots is what makes me feel confident. It was a bit chilly to wear tights, but I couldn't pass up the chance of wearing a dress with boots.

guiding words

Tahari shell, Alfani pants and Born boots, Macy's

cardigan, Gap Outlet

    First post of 2017! (About time ....) 

   It seems that January started so slowly, with the inevitable readjustment to early wake-up calls and busy days after the languor of winter break. I'm still a bit in disbelief that January is just about gone! I usually give myself a month to figure out my goals for the year, and my deadline is fast approaching. I did work partway through Susannah Conway's Find Your Word  series, but the words I'm trying to live by came to me before I started reflecting:

   Intentional: I want to be more intentional - with my time, money, resources, etc. For the first time ever, I started planning out what's for dinner. It gives me satisfaction to know what goes into my food, save money, and eat a home-cooked meal. It's also been a fun way to try out new recipes. I'm also striving to be more intentional with my time by putting my phone away and reading, instead. I've gotten through three books this month and have several more that are in progress. 

   Flow: While I often enjoy training in a new style of aikido, it can be very challenging at times. I'm working in my discomfort zone most of the time! Physically, I'm trying things that scare me a little, such as learning to break fall or how to load someone - or be loaded - for a hip throw. Mentally, I have to deal with the frustrations that come with learning a new style of weapons. The word "flow" reminds me to be pliable in all ways, to readjust, and that sometimes I need to take a step back before moving forward.      

    Whew, so that's my plan for 2017 in a nutshell ... now let's talk clothes! My sister and I went outlet shopping when we were in Hawaii over winter break, and I was excited to find a red cardigan. I had one before that was very versatile, but the fit was a bit off, so I donated it. It was a bit too cold to wear this sleeveless shell with a cardigan (even with a tank underneath and my smaller black cardigan hiding out underneath this red one), but it was a nice change of pace - I get tired of my uniform of long-sleeve shirt + sweater + vest.

mixing it up

Hourglass Lilly tunic and White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

leggings, Walmart

gray cardigan, Old Navy

D&Y scarf, Ross

Born boots, Macy's

      A little pattern-mixing today ... really more out of necessity than style - it was cold! However, I did get a compliment from a co-worker who thought this was chic. Wearing these boots for the third time and they're breaking in well, although they're still rubbing my ankle bones a bit.

shades of green

sweater, Tommy Hilfiger outlet

Black Rivet leather jacket, Wilsons

scarf, Zulily

Jolt pants, Macy's

      I'm so glad that I settled on getting this sweater in green instead of a neutral - it's nice to have a little color on a cold day. 

     Had a great Thanksgiving weekend - drove down to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving, and came back in time to bake a pan of oatmeal, accomplish the usual chores, start reading M.T. Anderson's "Feed," and enjoy two hours of aikido practice.
     It was a little rough waking on Monday, but it helped that my students had double specials - an extra hour to run copies and putter around the classroom helped me to ease back into the grind.
    Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it's time to think about Christmas decorations. I'd like to get a small artificial Christmas tree ... one of my favorite things about December is eating breakfast by the light of a Christmas tree! It makes those workday mornings a little more fun.
   

Hsi Lai temple, Los Angeles

fighting the cold

Banana Republic merino wool sweater, thrifted 

vest, Old Navy

Jolt pants, Macy's

J. Crew necklace, eBay

       Well, this is a first on this blog - an attempt at cold-weather dressing. My first time wearing wool - while I think this is the softest wool ever gets, I still found it a bit scratchy, particularly around the neck.  I do like this sweater, though; I found it in the men's section, and the fit is surprisingly nice. It's a decent length in the torso, the V neck is not inappropriate (hard to find when you're petite!) and the longer ribbed cuffs are cozy. I'm going to have start combing through the men's sweater section at the thrift store on a regular basis.  

      I'm still learning how to style these vests - I feel like from the waist up, this might read as more elegant than from the waist down (I wore sneakers, and the pants have cargo details). So not an overall successful outfit, but it was fun to put together.

secret weapon

top, cardigan, pants, and socks -  Old Navy

necklace, eBay

Born "Arletta" oxfords, Nordstrom Rack

      My secret weapon to beat the Monday-after-a-long-weekend blues?  Quirkily patterned socks. The ones I'm wearing are maroon with hedgehogs. I know that you can't see the pattern, but I kind of like that - it's enough for me to know that they're there.
      It was a great long weekend - I lounged about the house on Friday, then did 2 hours of aikido on Saturday. Practice was followed up by lunch at a new ramen spot; I've never had Brussels sprouts in ramen, but it was surprisingly tasty. I walked off lunch at Target, then went for green tea Kit Kat gelato at a place that's been on my must-try list for a while. On Saturday evening I cooked a chicken tortilla soup that got rave reviews from my husband. I got some grading done, cleaned out my burgeoning work bags, tackled the usual weekend chores, and started reading John Green's "An Abundance of Katherines" and continued with Cheryl Strayed's "Tiny Beautiful Things."
     I firmly believe in refraining from Christmas decor and apparel until post-Thanksgiving, but that didn't stop me from buying a pair of reindeer-print socks and a mini string of snowman holiday lights from the Target Dollar Spot. I'm considering whether I should put the lights up at home or string them along the front of my desk at work.

power outfit

Alfani tunic and Born "Michel" boots, Macy's

White House Black Market blazer, thrifted

leggings, Walmart

        What I wore for Day 2 of conferences: A lot of my colleagues went traditional, with nice dresses and heels. I went for a little more edgy - my idea of a "power outfit."
     Wearing my new boots! The first time I wore them, they rubbed raw spots on both ankle bones, but today was better, perhaps because I wasn't on my feet as much.

a little dressy

Tahari shell and Alfani pants, Macy's

glass pendant, gift

     One-eyed selfies - going to totally make it a trend. ;)
    First day of parent-teacher conferences called for something a little dressier than the norm. Threw on a thrifted blazer to fend off the A/C and felt pretty good all day.
    Today I have 10 conferences, then it's off to enjoy a long weekend. (November, I love all of your days off). What I'm not loving is how quickly it gets dark nowadays! It's odd to be sitting in my classroom in the afternoon, glance out the window, and see that at 4:45 it's decidedly dusky.

White Rabbit, part II

shirt, vest, blazer, "pocketwatch" - thrifted

bow tie - made by me

Pixie chino pants, Old Navy

    This year's Halloween costume was a reprise of a Spirit Week costume from last year (my former school didn't allow students and staff to dress up for Halloween). I splurged and got myself a pair of rabbit ears from the Halloween store, then thrifted the rest. It was a fun way to put a costume together - there's something satisfying about searching and bringing different pieces together to create a whole.

Born Arletta

    I accessorized with my new pair of shoes - a lucky find at Nordstrom Rack over the weekend. It's cooling down, and I've come to the sad conclusion that I need to put my sandals aside and wear covered shoes. These are the oxfords I've been seeking for so long! I've admired the menswear-ish vibe of an oxford, but never actually liked the way they looked on my feet - they seemed clunky and heavy whenever I tried them on. These have a taper to the toe that make them look feminine, not clunky. They're from the Born brand, which so far I have found comfortable and supportive - essential for a work shoe! 

    Halloween on a weekday is always trying for teachers, but there were some small victories. I had my students practice reading aloud partner poems from the book "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You" last week, and today they got to share their readings with a few other grade levels. It was delightful to listen to their expressive takes on the poems and see how they added their own creative touches to the performance with gestures. Second small victory of the day - steering clear of the plethora of grocery-store baked goods - cupcakes, cookies, and more -  that popped up in our room for the Halloween party ... 

September purchases

Vintage Monet necklace, $6, eBay

Bold and chunky - not my usual style, but should be lots of fun to wear. 

J. Crew station necklace, $12, eBay

An upgraded version of my cheap Forever 21 necklace with gold chain and clear crystals. The crystals are super sparkly in the sunlight! I've already worn it three times.

relaxed peplum top, Old Navy clearance, $4.50

Lauren Ralph Lauren black silk blouse, $14.99, Goodwill
  Still had the TJMaxx tags attached ... I'm planning to wear this open over a tank or shirt as a light layer.

chambray blouse, $2.99, Goodwill

Belle + Sky sleeveless pleated skater dress, $25.99, JcPenney
A dark floral for winter. The pleated skirt is flattering and the print has bits of yellow, which means I can add my trusty yellow cardigan.

a little kawaii, a little conversation

top, thrifted

cardigan, Gap Outlet

pants, Old Navy

  I scooped up this top on a recent trip to Goodwill. Yay for simple, cute tops that don't have gigantic armholes or necklines!
  Just returned from a very short but satisfying trip to Hawaii. I learned two things from wearing my very first vintage dress:

• Check all seams carefully. I noticed after picking it up from the dry cleaners that a back seam was unraveling and had to do some emergency stitching the night before the wedding.
• Reinforce all buttons! I lost a button during the wedding. Thankfully, it was at the end of the line of buttons vs. in the middle of the dress, but a bit of preventive stitching would have helped. 

     I had a great weekend - I got to do some serious eating with some of my favorite people, and am already looking forward to my next trip home in December. I also got to read quite a bit on the plane ride there and back - I'm almost finished with "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.

    I accessorized the above outfit with my candy corn earrings, and they were a big hit. Most of the kids I encountered while on morning drop-off duty commented on my earrings! Being shy, I enjoy wearing accessories that garner comments - it makes interacting with people just a bit easier.
    I've already browsed etsy for fun earrings for upcoming holidays. Granted, the choices for Thanksgiving are limited - pumpkin pie, perhaps? - but there are so many cute options for Christmas ... gingerbread people, Christmas trees, Christmas lights ...

fancy that

Ann Taylor silk top, thrifted

Alfani trousers, Macy's

J. Crew necklace, eBay

     I let a 50% off color tag sway me into getting this shirt, although to be honest it is probably a size too big. The side zipper makes tucking a tricky proposition, but it looked OK with a cardigan to hide how the zipper puffs out on the side.
    Important visitors were expected at work that day, so I dressed up a little and even put on some lipstick. Most of the staff had labored mightily the day before to put up bulletin boards with a step-by-step explanation of a lesson and to speed-clean classrooms. All that work, and no important visitors stopped by my room! Oh well, it was good to have the kids clean their desks and it was good for me to straighten up a bit, too.

pumpkin everything

BCBG silk top, thrifted

Harper trousers, Old Navy

cardigan, Gap Outlet

necklace, gift

     Double dose of yellow! It's getting a little cooler here, which means staffing the carpool line after school is a little more pleasant. The arrival of fall also means pumpkin everything has been unleashed at Trader Joe's. I did pick up a jar of pumpkin butter - one of my favorite mix-ins for Greek yogurt - but managed to resist the pumpkin joe-joe cookies, the pumpkin cereal bars, and pumpkin bagels. 

brain gym

relaxed peplum top and pants, Old Navy

J. Crew necklace, eBay

cardigan, Gap Outlet

     I'm not quite sold on the peplum yet - and according to reddit's femalefashionadvice forum they are "out" - but it's nice to have a plain white top. I have owned a number of white tops, from tees to buttondowns, and they always end up languishing in the closet, unloved and unworn. I know they're supposed to be a classic, but I always end up wearing something else because they seem so ... plain. My hope is that the peplum adds enough interest that I will get some use out of this shirt!    
      I read a book on the growth mindset last year, and am trying to take small steps to incorporate the growth mindset into my classroom. Once a week I post a "Brain Gym" math problem, which is supposed to be a challenge and encourage students to persevere and stretch themselves academically. Wednesday was not a Brain Gym day, but one of my students noted that while the problem wasn't as challenging as a Brain Gym problem, he felt as if his brain had "taken a jog around the neighborhood." Ha! So far I am liking this bunch. 

brights

blouse and Harper trousers, Old Navy

cardigan, Gap Outlet

       Bright pink and cobalt aren't colors I would usually wear together, but the print pulls it together, I think.  

       I'm headed back to Hawaii in early October for a short and sweet trip - going to attend a wedding and spend time with family. The wedding dress code is "aloha attire," and I don't own anything in aloha print. Thus, I've been browsing etsy and eBay for something fun and pretty. Here are a few of the pretty things I found ... can you guess which one is my favorite? It's the most expensive item on my eBay watch list, alas!

    

lemonade

shirt, Old Navy

cardigan, Gap Outlet

pants, Macy's

    The other day, I taught a lesson that used lemons to teach scientific observation. After students made their observations, I had them turn the lemon in - the next step was to mix them up and have students find their lemon using their notes. 

    I half-jokingly instructed the kids to bid a "fond farewell" to their lemons as I came around with the plastic bag. I had to smile to myself as every kid held up their lemon in front of their face and told it goodbye. 

   I'm still reveling in working in a temperature-controlled environment - I always keep my black cardigan at work and wear it regularly. It is cooling down just a bit, and I find myself tempted to expand my cardigan collection. The three I own now, however, work well with my wardrobe so I will try to wait a bit. 

cows and composition books

Tommy Hilfiger dress, Ross

Haitian Beads earrings

       Friday was Picture Day at school. I have to admit that I totally forgot - I would have worn lipstick (vs. tinted lip balm) and worn my hair down otherwise! I might have also switched out my gigantic earrings for more restrained ones. Just one more dorky school photo to add to my collection, I suppose.

      I will henceforth call this dress my "composition book dress," since one of my students commented that I looked like a composition book. I didn't think about it when I bought it, but I can see how the small floral print resembles the spotted cover of a notebook. Another student chimed in that I also looked like a cow, but I'll overlook that one ... ;) 

     I know you can't tell with the headless photos, but I've been wearing makeup to work for the last three weeks, which I think is the longest amount of time that I've worn makeup consistently. The makeup, admittedly, is minimal - foundation, mascara on curled lashes, and tinted lip balm. I'm happy with this amount for now - after 3 weeks, I can slap this on by rote, but I was thinking that I'd eventually like to branch out a bit. My makeup goals: 

•  find a good primer. I had an ELF one that made me look smooth and glowy, but also left my skin red. Right now I just use Aveeno moisturizer then apply organic sunscreen. 
•     find a lipstick that doesn't dry my lips out. I don't mind the color (singular, ha!) I have, but I have trouble wearing it for a full week - after a day or two, I have to switch back to lip balms.
•      amp up the eye makeup a bit. I'm still confused on how to best apply makeup for my kind of eye, and liquid eyeliner terrifies me. I also need an eyeshadow primer to combat creasing. 

August purchases

    So ... new job with dress code means some major shopping happened in August.

Alfani curvy-fit petite trousers, Macy's, $40; Stylus twill crop pants, JcPenney (also purchased in navy, $30 for both); Plus Court tapered crop pants, Old Navy, $15.

swing mesh sweater, Old Navy $8; hi-lo top, Old Navy, purchased with rewards; August Silk shell in hyper blue, Macy's, $15

Clockwise: Moulinette Soeurs silk dress, Savers; $13; Tommy Hilfiger black and white print dress, Ross, $17; Ann Taylor blue silk top, Savers, $3; Willi Smith heather green V-neck tee, TJMaxx, $10; Elie Tahari black and white print silk top, Opportunity Village thrift, $4; BJewel top, Savers, $6

Stylus sleeveless swing dress, JcPenney, $11 on clearance; Clarks Crewso Reading pump in nude, Amazon, $50; Clarks Preslet Stone, Amazon, $50

The haul: 

4 pairs of pants: 2 black, 1 khaki, 1 navy

3 dresses: 1 solid, 2 printed

7 tops: 4 solid, 3 printed

2 pairs of shoes

Total spent: $272

   Admittedly, this was a lot of money to spend in one month, but the majority of the money went toward items I truly needed, such as work pants ($85) and shoes ($100).  

the good things

Stylus sleeveless dress, JcPenney, $10.79

Haitian Beads necklace

   Perfect dress for a Monday ... easy-fitting and lightweight. Definitely casual, but it looks better fancied up with a bright necklace and cardigan. It has a cute lace/crochet detail on the straps, too: 

     Life is good right now. I have books to read (working on Cheryl Strayed's "Wild"), fourth-graders to love and teach (and a ton of new curriculum to figure out - *sigh), and a container of Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups in the fridge. And, quite a few pretty new things in the closet ... stay tuned for a massive August budget update!

taking stock: my current closet

    As part of the process of moving, I purged pretty ruthlessly. I thought it would be interesting to take stock of exactly what's left. I admit, it's much less time-consuming to just look in my closets and drawers (haha!), but at the same time, it's kind of nice to have it laid out this way. Disclaimer: I did leave a number of things at my mom's house, for instance, a few long-sleeve tops and items I could wear on a visit home, but this represents what I have with me in Vegas at the moment.

TOPS (includes cardigans and kimonos)

L-R top: American Eagle Outfitters tank, Forever 21 top, Old Navy top
L-R bottom: Style & Co. top, Express top (thrifted), BCBG silk top (thrifted)

L-R top: Old Navy tee, American Eagle Outfitters mesh tank, Home tee
L-R middle: Old Navy charcoal gray tank and kimono made by me; Old Navy blue tank; H&M tank
L-R bottom: yellow Gap Outlet cardigan, pink print kimono, cobalt Gap Outlet cardigan

L-R: Angie kimono, Old Navy graphic tee, Tommy Hilfiger teacup print sleeveless top

L-R: Old Navy gray embroidered top, Gap striped tee, Banana Republic tank

Not shown: wine-colored loose sweater top (worn here) and black Banana Republic cardigan.

The breakdown:
18 shirts
3 cardigans (black, cobalt, yellow)
3 kimono tops

Possible future needs: It doesn't get terribly cold here in Vegas during the winter, but it'd be nice to get a sweater or two. Depending on what kind of job I end up with, I may need to get a few tops, perhaps solid-colored. I'd also like to get a red cardigan (gave away the one pictured due to fit) because it goes so well with all of the blues in my closet.

Shorts

L-R, top to bottom: Old Navy 5-inch inseam shorts, Tommy Hilfiger chambray shorts, i Jeans by Buffalo Bermuda shorts (I have a second pair in denim), pink pineapple print Old navy shorts
    I actually wear my distressed Old Navy denim skirt 95% of the time when I leave the house on the weekend or to run errands, so I don't think I need any more pairs.

Pants

L-R: Indigo Rein cuffed jeans, Jolt cargo pants, Calvin Klein petite straight leg jeans (I also have a pair in regular sizing), Old Navy Harper trousers.
  Pants *sigh.* Why is it so hard to find a decent-fitting pair? I got away with wearing my cuffed jeans and straight leg jeans to work due to a very casual dress code, but I don't think I can get away with it here.
   I've moved away from skirts in the last few years (kind of funny, as my first post featured a pencil skirt!), but I'm reconsidering - it seems easier to find a decent-fitting skirt that's work-appropriate.
Possible future purchases: One or two pairs of work pants and maybe a skirt or two. I also miss my pair of white jeans - I gave them away because they didn't fit anymore. I also miss my black-and-white patterned drapey pants, which I gave away because they were a bit too short. I didn't wear them too often, since the majority of my tops are patterned, but they were lightweight, comfortable, a different silhouette, and the only patterned pants I owned.

Dresses

L-R: Hourglass Lilly swing dress (thrifted, and always worn with leggings); Tommy Hilfiger knit dress; Alfani shirtdress (thrifted)

L-R: Jones New York knit dress (have a second one - same cut, different print); Chaudry maxi; Maison Jules embroidered dress

L-R: BCBG silk dress (thrifted); Old Navy fit and flare jersey dress; Threads 4 Thought hi-lo hem dress
Dresses: 10
  I've come to really appreciate a good dress - it's such a quick way to get dressed and look put-together. I'm always on the hunt for a good cotton dress - nothing beats cotton for comfort.

Shoes

Possible future purchases: I'd like to get a couple of pairs of slightly dressy but comfortable sandals for work wear, and maybe a boot and/or oxford for cooler weather.