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.

dressed down

relaxed-fit tank, Old Navy

Indigo Rein jeans, Macy's

yellow glass pendant, gifted

       I wore this to work the other day because I knew my class was scheduled to work on our hands-on science unit. There are no desks in the science room, so I knew that I was going to spend a lot of time squatting, sitting or kneeling on the floor. Pants seemed like the only practical choice. 

       A colleague made a comment to me in the morning that I was dressed very casually.  I realized that people notice when I deviate from my usual style, which I would describe as "relaxed, practical and professional with consideration taken of the job requirements and weather." Judging from the comment, this is not my typical work outfit!  Which is kind of funny, because as much as I love my dresses, skirts and pretty clothes, this is still what I feel most comfortable in - a tank/tee, jeans, and a single accessory. I deliberately choose most of the time to not wear this type of outfit to work, because being dressed professionally has, I think, a positive effect on how I teach and interact with students.
     Happy Friday! The big thing happening this weekend is that my husband comes home - he's been away for about a month. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with him ... taking a nap at  the same time is considered quality time, right? 

clearance rack gem

dress, Old Navy

necklace, gift

     This is just about the perfect work dress ... one of the few I own that doesn't have a too low neck and/or gaping armholes. And, the rayon fabric means I can wear slip shorts underneath (the shorts don't work under cotton dresses, sadly), which I find much more comfortable than a slip in very hot weather.
    It was too hot to think about accessorizing with anything other than a necklace, but in cooler weather this dress will look great with scarves and cardigans.
    Friday is finally here! I'm looking forward to tackling some of my work to-do list, taking a nap, and doing a little reading and drawing this weekend.

SIA: The Hundred Dresses

tank, Old Navy

necklace, gift

 cardigan, Macy's

Calvin Klein jeans, Ross

         Whoo! I am so excited about participating for the first time in Style Imitating Art. (Click here to learn more about this linkup and see previous posts and art selections). This week's pick by Jen of Librarian for Life and Style was "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes and illustrator Louis Slobodkin.
        I had two days of math training last week, and wore this on the first day. Dressing for a training can be tricky: there's always the chance that the room will be overly air-conditioned and I'll freeze, and I need to be comfortable for a day of mostly sitting. I considered wearing my green silk dress, but decided to go for a look inspired by the colors of the book. The cardigan's design looks like scribbles, and picks up the primary colors in the artwork. The charcoal tank reminded me of the pencil shading that sets off the bursts of brightness.

   
         I'm sure that I read this book as a child, but I don't have any recollection of doing so. I picked it up from the library and enjoyed it - it's a slim novel with a wonderful message. Wanda is different; she wears the same dress every day, has a strange last name, lives in undesirable part of town, and read slowly when asked to read out loud.  Her female classmates, led by Peggy, enjoy "having fun" with her by asking her about the hundred dresses Wanda claims to have at home. A drawing contest and Wanda's departure shows her fellow students a side of her that they never got to see ... and they get to take a good look within themselves, too.
      As a teacher, I appreciated the teacher's short statement to the class after receiving a letter from Wanda's dad that mentions the bullying his daughter endured. The teacher gives the students the benefit of the doubt in terms of what motivated the teasing. Saying that it was motivated by thoughtlessness conveys her belief that her students have good intentions and hearts. At the same time, she exhorts them to think carefully about what they did.
       Estes also does a great job of portraying Maddie's feelings: she moves from rationalizing her actions as OK (based on her shaky status in the girls' pecking order, which is mitigated by her being friends with ultra-popular Peggy) to thinking long and hard about how to make amends to Wanda. It's really a great, sensitive portrayal of a child dealing with a moral issue on her own.

    I still wish that I could have worn a dress for this challenge, but overall I'm pleased with this outfit. It was fun to put together an outfit that captured the spirit of the book's illustrations.

sweet spot

BCBG Max Azria silk top, thrifted

trousers, Banana Republic

pendant, gift

earrings, from sis

    A few weeks ago, I went on two interviews. For the first, I wore my black and white polka dot dress and no jewelry. For the second, I wore this. Is it coincidence that I felt more comfortable and confident in this outfit than I did in the first? I'm still figuring out my interview-outfit formula, and this is the closest I've come so far. Since my jewelry tends to be inexpensive and fun, I usually hesitate to add it to an interview outfit. However, I liked the splash of yellow with the blue silk and the earrings added a little subtle interest.

triumph and citrus

  Splendid top, Nordstrom Rack (old)

Calvin Klein straight-leg jeans, Ross

yellow glass pendant, gift

           I've owned this top for years, but have never worn it much because it just doesn't work with a regular bra. A strapless bra would have worked, but was not a comfortable option -- I try to avoid wearing strapless bras at all costs.
          It was with great excitement that I realized that this bra would layer perfectly under the top. I'm looking forward to wearing this top more often, not that I've finally figured out the undergarment issue.

   
        Yellow has been one of the colors I've been drawn to the most this year. Like this top, this pendant has been largely neglected, but I've been making up for it lately. I tend to wear accessories in streaks -- which makes purging my closet tricky, because who knows when that pretty thing I never wear will become my go-to accessory?
       I just flipped through the calendar and counted the remaining days of the school year: 35. It seems like too much and too little all at once: too much time before summer vacation, and too little to accomplish everything that needs to be done. 

happy colors and no way back

Threads 4 Thought dress, Off Fifth

 yellow glass pendant, gift

      I intended to wear this dress with a belt, but changed my mind because I thought it clashed with the pendant. As much as I enjoy the waist definition from a belt, nothing feels breezier than wearing an easy-fitting dress.

     I finished listening to an audiobook of C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle" the other day, and my first reaction upon turning it off was: "bleh." I can't remember whether I ever read the entire series as a kid -- I'm pretty sure I did, but none of the plot sounded familiar. I did find some of the ideas he raised interesting, but didn't like his handling of certain characters. I'd like to do a little reading on the religious aspects of the Narnia books - I think it might soothe some of my dissatisfactions with the series, or at least cast them in a different light. I also realized that Lewis' world-building skills can't compare with other authors such as Neil Gaiman or Tolkien. Then again, Lewis may not have focused most of his energies on creating a captivating world, but rather on explicating his religious ideas.

        It's always interesting to revisit something I read and enjoyed in childhood. I had many fond memories of reading Elizabeth Enright's books as a child, and eagerly borrowed one of them in adulthood. Two pages in, I was stopped short by a racist comment about the Japanese. The book went straight back to the library. On the other hand, one book that has held up wonderfully is Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising." It draws on some great mythology - one of my childhood obsessions - and poignantly captures how a boy grows up when he learns the extraordinary role he must play in the battle against the Dark.

rainbow

top, Forever 21

cardigan, Gap Outlet

trouser jeans, Macy's

glass pendant, gift

      I wore this to a weekend dinner recently and liked it so much I decided to repeat it for work.  This yellow cardigan has been the MVP of the first three months of 2015! It's perfect for adding a little pep to a work outfit.

    A while back, I saw this top on Forever 21's web site, and liked it so much that I went to the store to hunt it down. I can't resist a little fast fashion now and then ... although I abhor that their free shipping never includes my state.

iris

   silk top, Goodwill

glass pendant, gift from EKM

     Dressing like one of my favorite flowers is kind of fun. One of my goals is to try purple and green, and purple and yellow is a step toward that.

     This is the trying time of the semester when I'm absolutely smashed with work - drafts to write, older drafts that need rewriting and revision, portfolios to assemble, and so on. One bright spot is listening to the audiobook version of Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising." This is seriously the best audiobook to listen to if you want to get into a Christmas mood. Listening to this book has let me vicariously enjoy tramping through a snowy night to sing carols to neighbors, watch snow falling, and lounge cozily on the hearth rug, watching the Yule log burn down. Now all I need is for the weather to cool down enough so that I can enjoy a cup of hot cocoa crammed with marshmallows ...
     Happy weekend, all! :)