teacherly, summer edition

I'm always a bit hesitant to wear this jersey t-shirt dress teaching because it's so casual, so it hasn't been getting much love lately. Then I remember this outfit and decided to try a summery version.

Add a short-sleeved white button-down and ta-da! Teacherly! For summer!

I felt cute.

Have a great weekend, everyone!


Dress: Old Navy
Button-down: BR outlet
Belt: thrifted
Shoes: Payless

And I'm back

Whew! After a slight mix-up with the plane tickets, J. and I ended up in Wisconsin until late Monday night...which made preparing for my Tuesday morning class a huge scramble! I was relying on tried-and-true repeat outfits while I was trying to catch up from being gone.

Here's what I wore to the wedding:

Dress: Banana Republic outlet

Shoes: TJMaxx

Corsage: gift from the bride

Earrings: JCPenny's

Afterwards I swapped my heels for flats so J. and I could walk around downtown Madison - a fun place to spend a weekend, I must say.

It was beyond hot and humid (the Midwest in June, natch) so I was living in shorts and tank-tops. Humidity zaps the creativity right out of me.

Tank top: TJMaxx

Shorts: Columbia, ancient

Sandals: Nine West outlet

Hope everyone else had a good weekend/week!

copycat

This post from Tina totally inspired me to pull out my own green jersey dress.

This is a terrible picture because my usual picture-taking spot was filled with neighbors and I was way too self-conscious to take more than one. Oh well. The outfit was cuter in person, I promise!

Off to a wedding in the Midwest this weekend. The boyfriend and I will be attempting to fit all our clothes for three days into one little rolling suitcase, plus a garment bag for his suit. I am a terrible packer, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Bring it, little roll-y suitcase!

Dress: TJMaxx

Tank top: 2 pack from Costco

Cardigan: kersh essentials

Flats: Rocket Dogs

Scarf: ancient, TJMaxx

Monday monday

I've really been enjoying this group of students. Our theme this week is food, so today we talked about their expectations for American food and how American food is different from Asian food. Food is an awesome topic for an ESL class - it is so deeply intertwined with culture, and everyone has strong opinions about what they like to eat!

I love this floaty white dress. I love the shaping in the bodice. I also love the deep v of the neckline, but I do a lot of bending over when I'm teaching, so I put a tank under it for modesty.

Dress: street vendor in New York, shortened by my mom

Cardigan: hand-me-down from C

Tank top: GAP body

Belt: thrifted at Goodwill

Shoes: Payless

a little behind

So this is actually what I wore last Wednesday. I love this shirtdress because it basically is an outfit on its own, making getting dressed super easy.

I brightened up the dark color with my absolute favorite scarf, and threw on my new favorite wedges for height.

Fashion blogging got shoved to the side the rest of last week as I had some serious decisions to make. I am proud to announce that next year I will be living in part of the former Yugoslavia, teaching English as part of a U.S. governmental program. Though it will be hard to leave, I think this is a great opportunity and I am excited for new adventures!

Dress: Mossimo via Target
Scarf: hand-me-down
Shoes: Bandalino via TJMaxx
Earrings: ancient

summer teachin'

I'm really starting to like my summer session students - 4 guys from China and one from Korea. In my experience teaching ESL, men from East Asia are often the most reticent to participate in class. A lot to do with the Asian conception of education, I think. But these dudes are quite lively, even funny. Hooray for students who surprise you. :)

The weather finally came down out of the stratosphere today, so I took advantage of the opportunity to wear a long-sleeved button-down.

A dress with pockets - can't beat that! And I'm in love with this necklace my sister beqeathed to me.

Dress: j.crew outlet

Shirt: TJMaxx

Shoes: Payless

Necklace: hand-me-down
Earrings: thrifted

rainy and gray

A reworking of one of my favorite outfits from last fall for a rainy spring day.


Full draft due on Friday - think brilliant-writing thoughts for me!

Dress: TJMaxx, altered by me

Sweater: kersch essentials

Camisole: Costco

Belt: Hand-me-down
Boots: Steve Madden Girl

teacherly

One of my friends told me today that I looked "teacherly". Maybe it's the white button-down? Anyway, I like the adjective. And I was really hoping that this outfit would read a bit more grown-up than this previous version.

Taking pictures in the evening means a lot of experimenting with slightly different locations to see where the light is best. Options include:

In the dark corner by the stairs...

In the light on the side of the stairs...

And up on the rock, of course.

Which do you like best?

Dress: Old Navy

White button-down: TJMaxx

Leggings: TJMaxx

Boots: Steve Madden Girl

Earrings: Fred Meyer's

airplane and day 1

Can I just say how much I love wearing jersey dresses on the airplane? You guys. Here's what no one ever tells you: jersey dresses are basically nightgowns. They are awesome for traveling.

I felt so comfy (and so posh) all day. I am pretty much going to wear this outfit on every plane trip I take from here on out. Death to pinchy waistbands!


Jersey dress: Max Studio via Loehman's

Cardigan: Costco

Leggings: Target

Boots: Steve Madden Girl via DSW

For the first day of the conference, I wanted to be on the more casual side, since I wasn't presenting myself and wasn't sure how formal everyone else was going to be. I figured a shirt dress would be right in the middle.

Turns out, English teachers' conference wear runs a pretty wide range from jeans and t-shirts (ok, that was just the one guy) to a lot of business casual (dress pants and sweaters, button-downs, casual blazers), with presenters often wearing full suits.

Apologies for the poor hotel room lighting!

Shirtdress: Converse via Target

Belt: hand-me-down

Boots: Steve Madden Girl via DSW

Tights: ancient

shirt dress take 2

I wanted to remix my new denim shirt dress as a shirt by layering it under a skirt a la E. from Academichic. But when I had the dark denim and black on together, it felt altogether too dark, so I brightened up with some pops of bright pink!

I think this is one of the first ever outfits that won an unsolicited compliment from the boyfriend. Something about the proportions maybe?

Or perhaps the incontestable flirtiness of the flowy scarf around the waist...

Dress (as shirt): Converse via Target

Skirt: Merona, thrifted

Scarf: ancient, I think TJMaxx

Shoes: JCPenny's, gift from mom

Earrings: street vendor on Cape Cod

more spring colors

The Easter egg colors I wore Sunday (and Monday, let's be honest) made me so happy that I wanted more. So, I grabbed the only other thing in my closet that's a true pastel - this swirly skirt dress you may remember from No Fear week.

I swapped out the black cardigan for a white one and dark red shoes for mustard ones, and felt perfectly ladylike and spring-y all day.

I also snuck in another double-tights wearing. The days of double tights are rapidly coming to a close.

Dress: London Times via TJMaxx

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Tights: solid gray, Famous Footwear, lacey ones, ?

Tank top: Costco

shirt dress!

I have been looking for a shirt dress forever. I have probably tried on about a bazillion shirt dresses in every conceivable fabric. Mostly the problem is that if they fit my top half (i.e. none of that stupid gaping between the buttons) they're too baggy on the bottom. Does anyone else have that problem?

So I was awfully excited to find this denim-ish shirt dress on the sale rack at Target this weekend. It FITS! And is COMFY! If it had pockets it would be well-nigh unstoppable.

I was really impressed with the way E. from Academichic remixed her shirt dress three different ways, so I'll be trying all three of them over the next few weeks. I started with the most basic today: tights (doubled up for warmth), brown boots, and this awesome new brown belt I inherited from a friend who was cleaning out her closet.


I liked the way the different browns played off each other, and I can't wait to wear this dress again!

Dress: Converse via Target
Belt: hand-me-down
Tights: ancient
Boots: Steve Madden Girl via DSW
Watch: Target
Ring: Burlington

dark and light

We finally, finally got some snow on Tuesday. So, hooray everything is pretty and white! On the other hand, boo, I got stuck taking my pictures inside, which is unfortunate because I was rather pleased with my outfit.

I wanted to wear this pretty purple jersey dress again and this time show off the pretty gathered sleeves and the line of the skirt. So I layered a button-down shirt under it and emphasized the empire waist with a belt.

I felt adorable all day. Also I am kind of obsessed with gray, black, and purple right now.

Dress: Max Studio via Loehman's
Button-down shirt: TJMaxx
Belt: mommed
Tights: Calvin Klein via TJMaxx
Shoes: via TJMaxx


Happily, I got back outside for my pictures on Wednesday. The glorious sunshine reflecting off the new snow made me crave some lighter, brighter colors. A little orange, perhaps?

I had a presentation in class yesterday, so I used the button-down-and-belt combo to keep the skinnies-and-boots combo from looking too undergrad-y. And with a heavy pair of wool socks inside, these brown boots were surprisingly snow-worthy.

Button-down: ancient, I think TJMaxx

Sweater: Old Navy

Belt: thrifted

Jeans: Banana Republic

Boots: Steve Madden Girl via DSW

Bracelet: gift from sister

sleeeeeeepy

Ever had one of of those mornings where you have to be somewhere at 8:30 and you roll over and look at the clock and see that it's 7:45 and you overslept and you panic and run to take the world's fastest shower and throw on some clothes and then look at the clock again and realize you read it wrong and it's only 7? Yup.

Fortunately the day got better from there - I had a good meeting with my advisor and I actually got to help folks at the writing center today, which felt great.

Nothing too creative outfit-wise - just some cozy layers in my favorite color scheme. I wish I weren't so wrinkly, but otherwise I felt pretty and comfortable.

I ganked this awesome belt from my mom's belt drawer while I was home - it's from the 80's and is stretchy and suede-y.

Girls' movie night at my house tonight! It's part 2 of Pride and Prejudice, with tea and scones.

Dress: TJMaxx

Sweater: kersh essentials via Costco

Scarf: gift, H & M

Tights: Hue via Burlington

Belt: mommed

Boots: Burlington

Earrings: Aldo outlet

gray boot love

So, my mom has what my sister refers to as Google-fu. She is a professional investigator and she can find anything on the internet. I mean ANYTHING. My sister's work once got mentioned in a newspaper article in the Philippines, and my mom found it. Before anyone from her work did.

Fortunately for me, my mom trained her Google-fu on Ebay and found me these gray suede Steve Madden boots that I have been wanting for a while and utterly unable to find in my size in any store. And she got them for $20. How sweet is that?

Of course, I had to put them on right away with my new purple dress (more purple for you, Tina!). They are so WARM and COMFY and slouchy and COOL I am in love. Eeeee!


I brightened up this muted dress and cardigan combo with my red scarf, which I do believe makes me eligible not only for Scarf Month at Academichic but also for Kasmira's Red Hat Society experiments. Yay!

Hmm, looking at this pictures I believe I will wear this cardigan unbuttoned henceforth. It's interfering with the lines of the dress. But OMG the booooooooooooots!

Thank you Mom!

Dress: Max Studio via Loehman's

Gray tank: two pack at Costco

Cardigan: kersh essentials via Costco

Scarf: gift from Mom

Leggings: Target

Earrings: Alaska state fair

Road trip style

Hooray for the roommate of awesome, who got our internet connection working again! E., you rock. :)

I was a bad style blogger over the latter part of this trip (does anyone else find taking blog pictures harder when you're staying at someone else's house?), but I did take a few quick pictures of my road trip outfit. Jersey dress, sweater tights, and flowy cardigan with minimal jewelry = ultimate comfort when confined to a car, at least for me.

Please pardon the messy hair and goofy expressions - it was a loooong ride back from New York.

I know this photo is dark, but I love the gathering on the back of this sweater. Keeps the whole effect from being too baggy, I think.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Dress: Max Studio via Loehman's

Black tank: 3-pack from Costco

Cardigan: ebay'd by mom

Tights: Burlington

Boots: Burlington

Earrings: street vendor on Cape Cod

some kinds of help

Today I wanted to remix my Christmas dress for the office, so I added a button-down shirt and oxford-style heels.

I liked the button down with the ruffles, but I think the gray shoes with gray tights was a tad much gray. What do you all think?

As you may have noticed, I had a considerable amount of help with my photos tonight.

Thanks, cat.

Dress: Target

White button-down: TJMaxx

Tights: Burlington

Shoes: Aldo outlet

Earrings: borrowed from mom

Ring: Burlington