February Freeze, vol. 2: stalking pays off

     I love silk, especially silk with colorful pretty prints, but I love a bargain more.

  Trina Turk top (Nordstrom Rack)

      Red cardigan (JJ Basics, previously loved)

      Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings (HauteLook)

      6-strand red lucite bead necklace (eBay)

      Tweed jacket, FCUK for Sears (gifted)

Cheesy dating/flirting books (gifted - thanks, Sis!)

     Therefore, I stalked this shirt at Nordstrom Rack, waiting patiently for the price to drop and keeping my fingers crossed that no one would snap it up in my size. At last, the price tag sprouted a 65% off sticker, and I ended up paying a grand total of $17.
     (Cue upbeat romantic music, as Carrie and her silk shirt dance out of the store).
     One of my favorite kinds of love stories. :)

     I love silk, but at the same time I don't wear my silk shirts enough. I think they're a little too fancy, but then it's heartbreaking that they just hang in the closet while the T-shirts get to have all the fun.
     From the topic of stalking, it's a short hop to thoughts of Valentine's Day (or is that just me?) -- which is what inspired me to add a red cardigan for some pink and red fun.

    

    

coffee, my dear friend

   I have never been a morning person. It still amazes me that for several years I dragged myself out of bed before 6 a.m. to make the 45-minute drive to the school where I taught. I overslept a time or two, and got stuck in traffic jams a few other times, but overall I was prompt.

Classiques Entier silk blouse (Nordstrom Rack)

BR Factory petite trousers

       The funny thing is, now that I'm away from the classroom for a year, I've committed myself to waking up at 5 a.m. twice a week to get to the university for 6 a.m. aikido class. I was studying there once a week last year, and not consistently, but I want to make sure I'm prepared for my February test. However, saying goodbye to my pillow on Thursday morning was harder than it was on Tuesday.
      An hour of practice is a great way to start the day. I feel a glow of accomplishment at 7 a.m. as I'm driving home to shower, enjoy a cup of coffee and eat breakfast. That glow of accomplishment slowly morphs into ... exhaustion. I found my eyes sliding shut at about noon as I read my textbook about teaching kids to solve information problems.

Friends necklace: gift from CN

Pearl necklace: previously loved by Mom

     To finish off Thursdays, I have a class from 5 to 7:40 p.m. I'm hoping the mandatory discussion component will keep me awake (and hopefully, learning) on those days that I'm ready for a nap.
     Yesterday's weather was delightful -- sunny with bright blue skies, yet not blazing hot --  what I call long-sleeve weather! To celebrate I wore my long-sleeve silk blouse that just doesn't get enough outfit love. I figured that I could at least look put-together while I dozed --  er, I mean participated -- in yesterday's class.

   

Silver bangles: Amrita Singh via HauteLook

Gray pearl and circle bracelet: gift from TM

tan bead bracelet: old, gifted

rhodium filigree bracelet

impromptu

     I've been remiss on Try-it-out Tuesdays, but I have no excuse now that classes are over!
     I found this shirt at Goodwill, and there were so many things I liked about it. The lavender color, the print, and that it's silk. The deal-maker? It's crinkled silk (I love things that don't need ironing).
    The one thing I was iffy about was the length. It is a petite shirt, but it rides pretty high even on short-waisted me. The proportion looks wrong with pants.

Rafaella top, thrifted; CK pencil skirt

    I didn't want to wear jeans to work today (which rarely happens), so I seized the opportunity to experiment. I threw this together and really liked it. :)

cravings: silk top

Went browsing at Macy's today, and since I'm not buying clothes anyhow, I decided it would be fun to try on anything that caught my eye, regardless of the price tag. I wasn't sure about the sleeves on this, but this silk top was surprisingly cute. I could see wearing it for work, weekends, nights out ... This product image doesn't really do the top justice, but both of my cameras are temporarily out of order so I couldn't snap a dressing-room photo. Once my shopping ban is over, I will definitely be browsing eBay or keeping an eye out for a similar sophisticated and simple blouse.