Try-it-out Tuesday: layering with a dress

dress, Gap

buttondown, from Mom

Cutie bracelet, won in giveaway

Amrita Singh earrings, HauteLook

suede belt, Old Navy

     I decided to kick off last week's four-day work week and my triumphant, healthy return to work with a little pattern mixing. This buttondown was in my donations pile for a bit, mostly because it is short, boxy, and the buttons start so low down that I need to wear a camisole. All of which are non-problems when using it as a layering piece! At first I wasn't sure about layering with a boatneck dress but after looking at the pictures it doesn't bother me so much. My climate means the opportunities for layering are limited, so I'm pleased that I found a new way to wear this knit dress.

       The belt was a fortuitous, $5.99 find at Old Navy when I popped in to make a return over the weekend. It was an impulse purchase, I admit, but I do like that it is a nice deep red as well as genuine suede. I also picked up this dress for a very reasonable $12.94. I took home both the cream and navy, but am planning to only keep one. The cream one is particularly nice because it is fully lined (with cotton!) and I think that makes it a great value. I also don't own any light-colored dresses, so it would really add some versatility to my wardrobe.

   My one gripe with most women's buttondowns: this shirt fits me overall, but the sleeves are so fitted that it is a tight squeeze to roll them up. I don't think that my arms are disproportionate to my size, but I'm tired of feeling like the Hulk when I just want to breezily cuff my sleeves!

Try-it-out Tuesday: take one, pass it on: day 2

Lucky Brand linen buttondown, Macy's, old

striped dress, Gap

belt in neon azalea, J. Crew Factory, $6.99

       
       My "pass it on" item is this dress, which I wore yesterday with a scarf.

      One of the great lessons I've learned from blogging so far is to look at my clothes from a playful and experimental viewpoint. I would have never bought a bright pink belt before (in fact, I hated belts in general!) and I would have never considered that a buttondown could be worn any other way than as is. Knotting the ends makes it look like a cropped jacket, which is exciting because I feel like I've added to my closet without buying anything new. 
     So far, we've learned that J. Crew Factory's neon coral translates to "traffic cone orange," and neon azalea translates to "Pepto-Bismol pink." These are colors I definitely wouldn't have chosen in the first place, but I think they will add some diversity to my closet, which is always welcome.

      Random news: something's in the air ... and while, based on the calendar, it would be fitting for me to say it's love, it's sadly an irritant of the plant-based variety.  All Monday I suffered from a perpetually itchy nose, slightly achy ear and throat, and propulsive sneezes. Fuuuun. I've been coddling my allergy with cups of chai tea with almond milk and sugar, extra doses of brownie double deckers, and dress-up time.  (Can I say that I'm already excited about next week's Try-it-out Tuesday's post? It may be completely age-inappropriate, but I enjoyed it anyhow.)

take one, pass it on: day 1

     This is my second year doing February Freeze, and I was thinking about ways to mix it up. Then Sarah of Sarah's Real Life shared her Take One, Pass it On challenge, and bingo! New approach, no effort on my part. ;) So this week I'll be posting 5 outfits that carry on one item from the previous outfit.

striped dress, Gap

scarf, Ross

Dansko "Calliope" sandals, 6pm.com

     I keep meaning to belt this shift, but it's so comfortable as is. I did decide to add a bow, though! Both the scarf and sandals qualify as February Freeze items. 
     

procrastinator through and through

striped knit shift, Gap

petite leggings with zipper detail, Macy's

D&Y scarf, Ross

Dr. Scholls Allycats boots, HauteLook

     Are Hawaii bloggers allowed to talk about the weather? Or do bloggers dealing with freezing temps and snow right now throw virtual rocks at them when they do? Well, here goes ... the weather for the last few days has been odd. At times, it's sunny with a friendly breeze, blue skies, and cotton-puff clouds. Five minutes later, the wind is whipping rain at you under a gray sky. When I was getting ready to leave the house, it was whipping rain, so I dressed accordingly.

      Buckles and zippers make me feel just a little like a rockstar ...

     
     Random news: Obviously, my subconscious is on a time delay, because for two nights straight this week I had very unpleasant dreams about frantically trying to finish final projects for school and missing the deadline. Either that, or my subconscious is a procrastinator like me ...
    One last reminder: my giveaway for a Haitian Beads necklace or bracelet ends tomorrow! As of Wednesday night, I've got four entries and three prizes ... so chances are pretty good that you'll win something pretty! Please check out the post and enter if you like what you see. :)
     

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.