basic

Banana Republic dress, Savers

       This is the first drawstring-waist dress I've found that passes muster. The ones I've tried on previously were made of jersey and the drawstring didn't fall anywhere near my waist, which meant a giant floppy fold of fabric up top - definitely not flattering! I think the cotton fabric makes it crisper and helps with the fit. It doesn't photograph particularly well, but it's work-appropriate and great for hot days.
       Savers was having a 40% off all dresses sale when I scooped this up (along with the green dress of my dreams). With the discount, I scored this for $10. One of my favorite things about thrift shopping is the opportunity to score a high-quality garment at a great price. Some of my favorite things about this dress include: the Oxford blue trim at the hem and inside the collar, the hidden placket, and the metal accents on the drawstring ends. All little touches that make a very simple dress shine.
      I'd like to style this dress with a statement necklace ... I own a good variety of necklaces, but none of them seem to work quite right with stripes. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a necklace that stand out against stripes.

       Yesterday, my students began working on mini-books titled "Top10 Reasons I Love My Mom." While we're nearing the end of our year together, this little project illuminated many previously unseen aspects of my students. My rather rough-and-tumble, athletic student's first reason? "I love you because you take me to church." His best friend's reasons included "I love you because you lie down with me before I go to sleep." Another student wrote that she loved her mom because she always gives her a "warm hug" before she heads to school. I talk to them so much about preparing for middle school, high school, and college, that sometimes I forget how young they really are. Looking over their lists reminded me of that, and it was a good reminder.
     Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

starting a collection

Soprano crochet-trim crop top, Nordstrom Rack

trouser jeans, Macys

Banana Republic cardigan, from Mom

necklace, Forever 21

     The crochet detail on this top is so pretty, but it doesn't stand out against denim. I'm looking forward to wearing this shirt with white jeans the next time so the trim really pops. 

     I wasn't sure whether I could make this top look professional enough for work, so I chose to wear it on a professional development day when the students were at home. I think adding a cardigan made it look a little less playful.  

     This week, my class will be getting wet and muddy on our field trip to a lo'i (taro patch). On Monday, I went over the guidelines. As a health precaution, students with cuts on their legs and feet will not be able to enter the lo'i. The pronouncement of this guideline led to everyone intently examining their feet and legs, and then questions such as - "If my cut is scabbed over, can I go in?" and even requests for me to examine said cuts. Ah, the glamorous life of a teacher ...

just sitting

BCBG Max Azria silk top, thrifted

DKNY jeans, Macy's

necklace, Forever 21

       Another simple outfit to deal with the heat while looking somewhat put-together ...
      A month into the new school year, I'm feeling pretty settled into my routine, although as usual, I would like to work on getting to bed earlier. Waking up at 5 a.m. is always challenging when you're a night owl! My main motivation for getting to bed earlier is that I'd like a little more meditation time. I find that my thoughts slow down and I get really settled after about 8 minutes of sitting, and guess how long I can afford to sit in the morning? 8 minutes. You see the problem ...  
    After a great deal of thought, I decided to share my personal practice with my students. At first I was reading this book to get some ideas, but it made me feel overwhelmed and doubtful that I knew enough to even get started. So I returned the book to the library, added it to my Amazon wish list for future reading, and forged on with what (little) I know. 
     Most days we do "breathing exercise" after our morning meeting. I deliberately chose to not call it "meditation" because I worried that I would get complaints about my teaching religion. I found a singing bowl for a great price (unfortunately, the price was so good because the store is closing this month, but it was a lucky find for a teacher on a budget), and we ring it to start and end our breathing. The students expressed interest in ringing the bowl, so I've started choosing one person each day to do so. Most of my students do it with me, some don't, but I don't force anyone to participate. I was heartened, however, when I forgot to do it on Friday and one of my students reminded me! I truly hope that this is a life skill my students can take with them that will help them be more focused, resilient, and peaceful. 
      p.s.: My classroom's Donors Choose project is alive! If you feel inspired to help, your donation will be doubled ($100 limit) if you enter the code INSPIRE and donate by Sept. 14. I won't make a regular habit out of touting my classroom fund-raising projects in this space, but this is my first time using Donors Choose and I thought I'd put it out there just this once ...

last week in photos {and some thoughts}

 Living Doll asymmetric hem tee ($4.20 from Nordstrom Rack's clearance section).

       My love for slouchy tees is growing to dangerous proportions. An added draw is that the print somehow reminds me of O'Keeffe's paintings. This photo doesn't do the top justice, so I guess I'll have to wear it again soon and take proper photos. :D

Calvin Klein Jeans ruffle top (CK Outlet) and short-sleeve cropped cardigan (Ross). 

Mornings have been cooler here, so I've been gleefully topping off my outfits with a light layer.

 Thrifted Banana Republic dress, Forever 21 cardigan and camisole, Ross belt. 

      After at least four years of regular wear, this camisole has given up its hold on life - I just took it out of the wash and noticed that the strap has fallen apart. I can't complain, though - I definitely got my money's worth out of this $2.80 underpinning. I liked that it was lightweight and shorter, which meant no awkward bunching and bulging for short-waisted folks like me.

     We had a local comedian visit our school on Friday. One of the things he talked about was how the choices we make today influence who we become. On Friday afternoon, I had the students respond to that idea and identify 3 choices they made this week that will affect their future. Here's my student's response:

   "My first choice was to eat better. I want to grow up strong and healthy to be a better person. My second choice was to stay fit. I don't want to be a old wimpy fat guy when I'm 20 years old. My third choice was to stay cheerful because if I'm grouchy I won't get a good wife."
    HA. I know LOL is so overused as to be meaningless, but seriously, this made me crack up. Who knew that 9-year-olds put so much thought into their future? 
    On a more serious note, I thought the idea that today's choices shape our future was a thought-provoking one. While I've been faithfully attending a weekly meditation class since the start of the year, I've realized that to really understand and experience the value of meditation, I need to get back to the practice of sitting every day. I've also realized recently that I need more of a work-life balance and that I want to start attending one weeknight aikido practice in addition to my Friday class. I'll have to think about how to use my time more wisely and streamline my prep time. The latter choice won't happen right away, but it will be my goal for 2014.
    What choices have you made recently that will affect your future?  

a leaf of grass

American Rag Cie top, Macy's

cardigan in bright cobalt, Gap Outlet

same ol' jeans, Ross

turquoise bead bracelet, InPink

        My co-worker raved about the colors and pattern of this top when I wore it for a recent professional development day. It can only be worn with a cardigan right now because the armholes needs slimming - the way it gapes is very unflattering and makes me look wider than I am when worn by itself. Hurry up, cooler weather! I have quite a few cute shirts that need to be worn with a light cardigan to make them work-appropriate. I suppose that means that I should stop buying those kinds of tops, but that would mean I'd be stuck wearing crew-neck tees everyday ...
      Yesterday I didn't have any parent-teacher conferences, so I decided to do a few laps around the field at recess. My school has started a running program to encourage fitness, and the kids were amazed and thrilled to see me out there with them. I managed to do almost two laps (a half-mile) before the bell rang. One of my students was sweet enough to keep me company, although I think she was holding herself back to do so - I've seen her chug along at a determined jog around the field for the whole 15 minutes.
     It was wonderful exercise, but the one problem is that I am really allergic to grass, and the grass on the field was quite high. By the time I left work, I was fighting back sniffles and tossed down two allergy pills shortly after I got home. While Whitman said, "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars," I'm guessing that he didn't have allergies ...