Welcome Home

On Friday, my parents, their two Yorkies, and I left for a trip in the RV. As my parents sat in the parking lot of my apartment complex waiting for me, a stray neighbor walked up to my non-smoker of a dad and tried bumming cigarettes off of him. Last night, my parents and I returned from our trip. Mom hadn't seen the new house (in real life) yet, so they stopped by there before swinging by the apartment where all of our stuff resides until the new house gets cleaned (ducts, carpets, chimney, and general cleaning done by someone other than me because I'm not cleaning someone else's filth). While we stood outside, one of my neighbors (who happens to be an original owner of his house built in the early 70s!) came by to introduce himself and tell me that Sundays, we put out "recycles" and Tuesdays, we put out trash. I do believe we will enjoy this change in scenery and people.

I stood in every room and tried to conjure up a vision for each one. The kitchen, my friends, perplexed me. The counters are a dark green with flecks of black and bits of white. The cabinets are some tan/brown/cognac color. And the walls are a terrible manila. The only manila I like comes in folder form. Anyway, the four of us stood there contemplating what color to paint the walls of this kitchen. We decided most colors that look good with dark green--navy, maroon, coral, yellow--would not be suitable for walls of a kitchen. When we returned to the apartment, I consulted my Pinterest clothing boards. I thought, "I wear a bunch of hunter green. What colors usually complement it?" I settled on gray. To test out my theory, I wore an outfit today comprised of hunter green, gray, black, and white (the color we think we'll paint the cabinets). It sold me on the color scheme. Is this method crazy or brilliant? I cannot determine which.

Let's begin with the outfit:

The Look:

Top: LOFT Outlet (got it this weekend during our trip)

Pants: Exact Stretch pants from The Limited (best pants ever)

Heels: J.Crew Factory (most comfortable heels ever)

The kitchen is...enormous. The previous owners converted the garage space into kitchen space, leaving us with a gargantuan kitchen.

(Ugh. The wall color disgusts me.)

This is the view of the kitchen from the breakfast nook area.

We think the cabinets will really pop if we paint them white (not sure what shade yet) with black pulls on them. 

Yes, there's a full desk in the kitchen/breakfast nook area. I don't understand it either, but I'll use it as office space until we determine what exactly we want to do with the main level.  (It's attached to the wall and floor, so it won't be an easy removal.)

The ceilings are vaulted.

There's even a mural of pastoral Ireland. How quaint. 

It won't be staying. Sorry, Ireland lovers.

This is the dining/living(?) area. The windows overlook the backyard.

Big, pretty windows. I am at a loss for decorating this area. Reading area? Sitting area? Office-like area? What goes here?!

This ENTIRE master bedroom is blue. The baseboards, the closet doors, the INSIDES of the closets, and even the ceiling. I imagine someone spun a Smurf in a million circles, smacked it on the back, and watched it puke all over the place. The bedroom is enormous. I couldn't figure out how to photograph it. 

Master bath has a window above the sink, not a mirror. Don't worry. I've got some ideas. 

So, the floor is tan/white, the shower is gray/white, and the countertop is black/white/tan. I do not understand the colors, but I don't plan to re-tile everything, so we have to get creative about how we make it all work together. We'll paint the cabinet white to pull in the color of the beadboard on the wall/white flecks in the counter/white in the gray and tan tiles. The beadboard as well as the rope-like tile between the beadboard/tiling gives the bathroom a bit of a nautical feel, so we're going to pull that theme together in the master bath and master bedroom. It's all about working with what we've got and just creating cohesiveness as best we can. 

This is one of the other two bathrooms. This whole thing will need to be redone. Clearly, it's original to the house. Or, they went as hog wild with the blue in here as they did in the master bedroom. I love blue, but even I have my limitations. 

I couldn't take any other pictures because it was dark, and we don't have lights in every room. I did the best I could. 

Bye, Hair.

I didn't chicken out! I actually got my hairs cut. Do you ever feel like, month after month, despite regular trims, your hair refuses to cooperate? Well, my hair has been uncooperative for like six months, so I decided chopping it all off would be a great way to push the restart button. Plus, the house is finally OURS, so new house, new 'do. One enormous fresh start. (Note: our apartment lease expires at the end of October, so we are taking our time moving in since we have the time. Why stress if we don't have to?)

I should have taken a better before and after of my hair, but I think you get the point.

Yeah, my iPhone 4s took the first picture, and Jeff's Galaxy S5 took the last three. Okay, Jeff, your phone wins; in fact, it crushes my phone. Be ashamed of yourself, iPhone. Very ashamed.

The Look:

Cardigan: Target, Mossimo brand (recent but the website is currently down, so I can't link it for you--I got it for $12 thanks to a sale and Cartwheel coupon!)

Pants: Old Navy (as far as I'm concerned, these are the same pants.)

Boots: via Macy's

Belt: Express

Scarf: via DSW

See? I found a new make-up, and it's glorious. No crazy face peeling (yet)! After I've used it for another week or so, I'll write up a review of it in case you're at all curious. 

Thanks to this haircut, I now know how long my neck is. Giraffe. 

Itchy gitchi yaya dada

I went to the allergist today. In order to get tested for allergies, you have to stop all anti-histamines for five days prior. I entered a fresh Hell last night as a result of going off my Allegra. Dizziness, nausea, tripping up stairs, itchiness, fatigue, all of that lovely jazz. When my allergies flare up, so does my Sjogrens. Yeah, so, I had to take off work today on account of a full system shut down.

Anyway, after staring at itchy spots I couldn't scratch, I think I received good news. Currently, I no longer have all-year-'round allergies, just seasonal ones! However, as the allergist said, I came "at the worst possible time" because my worst allergy of all, ragweed, is raging outside right now. (That's why going off of Allegra caused so much harm.)  In fact, we even have to wipe down the dogs when we bring them inside because they carry the allergy in on their coats. October 20th, he tests me for contact allergies like gold, nickel, fragrance, and titanium dioxide, which means I should know for sure what caused a poison-ivy-like rash all over my face. Sure, I still have food allergies, but I think those are much more manageable.

Can I just tell you how nice it feels to hear answers instead of more questions? I think knowing is half the battle, really. After 15 years of tirelessly hunting down doctors who wouldn't tell me "it's all in your head," I have more answers than questions. It's nice to know that my doggedness is paying off.  

I missed Trendy Tuesday at work, but I dressed for it anyway and wore my Love Conquers Hate shirt in order to "Support Someone Else."

Oh, tomorrow, I will share some pictures of the new house with you! And my new hair style. And a joke that the seller told us at the settlement table :)

The Look:

Shirt: My colleagues and I gave money to a staff member who got the shirts for us, but you can buy them online.

Jeans: American Eagle, high-rise

Shoes: Gift from my sister-in-law 

It's on the blog.

After school today, a student said, "Ms. Wo, love your cardigan. Where did you get it?" I said, "Old Navy, online." A student from last year chimed in, "It's on the blog" in a tone that seemed to suggest, "Duh, don't you know anything?" Yes, my students know about this place; no place is safe, of course. They must see my face and hear my voice on a daily basis, so if there were a joke, it'd be on them for reading what I write on here in addition to putting up with my real-life antics. If they did anything other than silently stalk me on here, I am sure they would tell you I sound exactly the same in real life as I do on the blog. (Whitney met me; she surely agrees.)

Currently, everyone has some gross cold. I doubled up on vitamin C and garlic to combat the germs. You sick people need to keep your distance, and if you come too close, I might wipe you down with a Clorox wipe. Do not feel offended. You catch this mini plague for two days, and I contract it for two weeks. Plus, I cannot miss my appointment with the allergist tomorrow for a battery of tests, which will surely result in my feeling as if someone dropped napalm on me. (These tests do not affect people who are allergic to nothing or very few somethings. If, like me, however, you are allergic to the world, these tests set your skin on fire and not in the Katy Perry or Katniss kind of way.)

Jeff took my pictures today with his new phone, a Galaxy S5, which clearly dominates the iPhone 4s in picture quality. He didn't even mind taking the pictures and sending them to me. He probably wants to convince me that my next phone should be a Galaxy S5, not an updated iPhone. Maybe those shameless mirror selfies won't look so...shameful.

The Look:

Cardigan: Old Navy (exact--I'm wearing an XS)

Belt: Francesca's

Dress: Target (similar) 

Boots: Ralph Lauren via DSW (similar)

Crazy doctors and taking risks

These days, I straight up steal the pictures from Instagram and use them on the blog; however, I know quite a few people do not look to Instagram for photographic proof that I do, indeed, dress myself every morning. As a result, I feel confident in reusing those pictures here. Self-plagiarism at its finest, folks. (Yes, in case you were wondering, self-plagiarism is a thing. No, you cannot take an essay from two semesters ago, revise it, and use it for a different class this semester. You are, in fact, plagiarizing yourself. While your need for efficiency smiles at the idea, the academic community and your grade frown upon it.)

What is different about these pictures is that you see my face. Doesn't that make your trip here worth it? It should. Plus, I have to fit my witty, one-sided banter into a tiny forum on Instagram. I can go blog wild here in Blogland. Side note: I imagine Blogland to be much like TV Land. Which blogger would be Jeanie from I Dream of Jeanie? What about Lucy? And Mary Tyler Moore? Or crazy Jim Ignatowski from Taxi? (Fun fact: my pediatrician's name was John Ignatowski, and my older brother freaked out when my mom told him I would see Dr. Ignatowski. He said, "No! He can't be her doctor!" He thought she was sending me to crazy Jim Ignatowski from Taxi. In case you don't remember which character he was, Christopher Lloyd, the dude from Back to the Future, plays the character.)
 

 

The Look:

Cardigan: Target

Tank: Gap

Pants: Exact Stretch from The Limited

Flats: J.Crew Factory

Belt: The Limited

Scarf (a.k.a. Crumb Catcher): crocheted by my Momma

Also, my hair stylist and I have been chatting via Facebook because I sent her these pictures:
1  / 2 / 3

I might not be that brave yet, so I could go for one of these:
1 / 2 / 3

I even created a whole board full of styles: here

I tried to pick women who had hair color and texture similar to mine so that I wouldn't be way off base. I have no tolerance for long hair anymore. I need to simplify SOME aspect of my life, and my hair seems like a good place to start. Feel free to tell me which styles you like best!

Opinions?

I'm on a mission to fill my closet with clothes I love and not crap I bought just because it was on sale. As a result, I've made quiiiiite a bit of money on thredUP. This money pays for the clothes I love that replace the ones I don't even like all that much.

You saw my thredUp order on Wednesday. I kept only two things from it, a scarf and a dress. First, let's take a look at my Old Navy order. I think I will keep only two things, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. (In truth, I only bought what I did in order to get free shipping! Don't we all?)

I'll start with what I plan to return unless you convince me otherwise.

(P.S. Old Navy is having a 30% off sale right now in case you want any of these items for yourself.)

The Sweater

I know it looks cute, but, good gosh, I do NOT need another striped anything, especially black and white stripes. Plus, it ended up being $20, and that's just too much for something I don't need. It fits really well and looks cute with these pants. However, instead of keeping it, I will just use this picture as inspiration for another outfit with my black and white striped top.

You can find it here. (It looks gray in the picture, but it's definitely black.)

The Dress

It's a very cute dress, and it's not hoochie short. It wasn't a steep price, but I need another black dress like I need a hole in the head. In case you're wondering, I'm 5'6" with a booty, so it's still long enough despite those factors. It's soft and remixable. I just don't need it. Find it here.

By the way, I just bought the burgundy wedges from Aerosoles, and they are so comfortable. I wore them all day to teach and even to a doctor's appointment. And Ulta. And my feet didn't hurt! They give a 15% discount to teachers. (No, I didn't realize Aerosoles made cute shoes and not just old lady shoes.) Want 'em? Get 'em here.

The Leopard Cardigan

Don't even try to dissuade me from keeping this cardigan. First of all, I've been looking for a printed cardigan because most of mine are solid-colored. I also wanted a leopard cardigan; I just didn't want it to be cheesy looking. Maybe you hate it, but I love it. No way is it going back. Just look at the next outfit.

I even created another look for you; it comes to you with a dog butt, too. The cardigan isn't in stores as far as I know, but it's here online. 

The Pink Cardigan

At first, I thought it was too long, and then I remembered my favorite black, thick cardigan and how much I wear that thing. I realized I actually love the length, and I can't stop wearing blush. I might have a problem, quite honestly. Once I styled it a few ways, it sold me. Am I wearing rose-colored glasses, and I should return it? 

Here's another look with it. I think I'll wear it for casual Friday tomorrow. 

Want one for yourself? Find it here.

What I kept and what I returned

I always love seeing posts like these from other ladies, so I decided to grace your presence with one of my own. I received a box from thredUP (cost me nothing because I have a lot of credit from sending in several bags).

I kept only two of the items, but thought I'd share everything with you. Do you mind?

Michael Kors dress in XS. 

If I were a few inches shorter, this dress would be perfect. However, I have a 'donk, so this dress rides up too high for my liking. It makes me sad because the material is so thick, and I love the pockets. 

21Hawthorn Dress & Gap Scarf.

I absolutely kept both. I want to wear them every day.

J.Crew Cardigan

It fit a little funny on the sides, so I sent it back. However, I love the colors and print.

J.Crew Dress 

Apparently, I need big armpits because this dress hangs too low. Or I need a chest.

Whichever. Yeah, I returned it. Plus, it's too much a summer color.

LOFT Skirt

I didn't really know what to do with the mottled gray color. It perplexed me. Plus, it sat high on my waist. And it allows my thighs to wave at you. Yep, sent it back. 

That is all.

Oh, I see the dermatologist tomorrow, but I think I figured out the problem.

I'm allergic to the make-up I was using. I changed make-ups three days ago, and my face no longer looks as if poison ivy set up camp on it. 

Nailed it.

Do you ever start off on your trip down Pinterest lane and think, "I shall wear that"? However, when the time actually arrives to wear that, you botch it something terrible and hope the original pinner never sees the monstrosity that you have created in their name? Or, conversely, you take a pin and nail that sucker to the wall and say, "haha! In Style would say I totally wore it better"? Yesterday, I think I created the latter of the two outfits (the masterpiece, not the monstrosity).

I began with this pin. (I wish I was not allergic to wool so that I could own this beautifully colored blazer that Jessica has on, but I must settle for the cotton cardigan version instead.) I thought I would wear my striped skirt (not dress) with my camel-colored cardigan (not blazer) and brown boots. However, I somehow landed on this new burgundy-colored cardigan from Target (thanks to one of those alluring Cartwheel coupons--curse you, Cartwheel). Based on how many students and teachers complimented today's outfit, I decided to pat myself on the back and say, "job well done, self."

I considered calling myself a narcissist just now, but you know what? No. I told one of my former students who needed a pep talk to repeat the following self-affirmation every day while looking in the mirror: "I am beautiful, and I write well." Perhaps, I should take my own advice and remind myself, "I do not always botch my pinspirations. In fact, I am beautiful, and I dress well." Ladies, affirm yourselves today. (I considered deleting that last sentence because of its seemingly perverted undertones. Instead, I decided to point out its weirdness and leave it be.)

If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw the outfit, but it kind of deserves a blog post. (Here I am, tooting my horn.) And something other than a shameless mirror selfie. However, I can only do so much.

The Look:

Cardigan: Target (exact on sale for $15!)

Top: Target

Belt and Skirt: NY & Co. (skirt: 1 / 2 / 3)

Boots: Ralph Lauren via DSW (brown and cognac option for $70)

I also wore the skirt these ways:

What you see is what you get.

Brynn completed the questions in video format, but my face currently looks as if poison ivy set up camp on it. I decided to spare you, but I hope my verbal wit conveyed itself in writing. If not, know that I made a valiant effort.

1.   How tall are you?  5’6”

2. Do you have a hidden talent?  If so, what? If I told you, it wouldn’t be hidden any longer and what fun is that? However, I can scratch my nose with my nose and do the Elvis lip. Do these freakish physical feats count?

3. What's your biggest blog-related pet peeve? I have to agree with Brynn on this one. People who leave comments in hopes you will comment on their blogs. Also, if I sprinkle my heart into the post talking about something other than poop, which is my typical banter, and all you say is “cute shoes!” then I’m feeling rather slighted. Maybe I spend an inordinate amount of time deliberating over what I’ll post in a comment, but I feel some thought should go into a comment even if it’s one that makes the blogger laugh.

4. What's your biggest non-blog-related pet peeve? Of what variety exactly? Fashion related? Absolutely that tall sock trend that’s all the rage among teenagers. You know the trend we made fun of our granddads for because they wore the socks to prevent shin sunburns? Oh, and leggings being worn as pants. They’re called leggings, which means I should see only your legs. When they make something called assings, feel free to let that body part hang out. No, on second thought, don’t. Just don’t.

5. What's your favorite song? Do people even have favorite songs anymore? That’s a thing? Seriously? There is so much music out there, and you expect me to pick ONE song? I can pick one man to love for the rest of my life, but a song? Nope.

6. What's your favorite Etsy shop that isn't yours? I don’t Etsy. Is that a verb? Can I make it a verb even though I don’t do it? Everyone is so talented on there, and I think my mom should sell her scarves on there.

7. What's your favorite way to spend your free time when you're alone? I like looking at blogs, shopping alone, and generally being alone, which Jeff rarely lets me do. I make him go fishing so that I can have “me” time (which usually results in grading time). Otherwise, he will make as much noise as humanly possible, and he will get in my face as frequently as he can.

8. What's your favorite junk food? I’m not sure how much you know about me, but I have the world’s most cantankerous digestive system. Junk food does not exist in my home nor my vocabulary. Back when I could consume anything, I loved oatmeal cream pies and Lucky Charms. Now, I drink kale smoothies, brown rice cakes with almond butter, and cucumbers smothered in olive oil and Old Bay. Try not to be too jealous of me.

9. Do you have a pet or pets?  If so, what kind and what are their names? Oh, if you follow me on Instagram, you’d know the answer is yes. I could not live life without dogs. We have two Shiba Inu, Squirt and Roxy, also known as Squirtle and Roxy Doodles. Or peanut and brazil nut. Or princess and dumpy butt.

10. What are your number one favorite nonfiction and fiction books? I can actually answer this question unlike the song one. The Alchemist is my favorite fiction book of all time; it speaks to my soul. We even used an excerpt of it for one of the readings at our wedding. As for nonfiction, I loved The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. It made me feel all the feelings. At one point, I actually threw the book across the room; I can’t believe what an enormous bastard her father is/was.

11. What's your favorite beauty product? Currently, this subject is a sensitive one because I happen to be allergic to something I put on my face. What exactly, I won’t know for several more days until I see the doctor. However, First Aid Beauty’s lotion has been a life and skin saver. When I find something that does not make my skin rage something hellish, I shall inform the masses by singing from the rooftops. And possibly doing a jig.

12. When were you last embarrassed?  What happened? If you met my dad and brother, you would understand that embarrassment does not exist in my family. Dad spent too many years conditioning us against it. However, that time I completely took a dive outside of Target might qualify as embarrassing. Actually, painful is a better adjective. Purely excruciating. I called my Dad after it happened to say that I followed his and Mom’s “always break your fall with your hands, not your face” advice and he said, “What? Did the sidewalk jump out at you?” A brutal war wound showed up approximately three minutes later.

13. If you could only drink on beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be? Those kale smoothies I made fun of earlier are actually delicious, but my tastebuds are distorted. If I told you what really goes into it, you might stop visiting me here.

14. What's your favorite movie? Under the Tuscan Sun makes me so happy; Jeff and I quote it weekly. Brynn is my long lost best friend because I love crude movies, too, especially Pitch Perfect. And goofy movies. Like Tommyboy. And Liar Liar. And Mrs. Doubtfire. And Easy A.

15. What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep? None of the above. Can I call myself a floater without your thinking of me as a turd in the toilet? No? Well, that’s the best way I can describe it. For the record, I’m way cooler as a teacher than I ever was as a student.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Wherever my family is I could happily call home. And food my stomach can safely consume. Anywhere that’s not this apartment.

17. PC or Mac? One of my colleagues says he doesn’t know how Jeff and I are married because I am absolutely Mac and he is staunchly PC. We make it work.

18. Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse? As you may or may not know, we are moving at the end of the month and I have a lot of allergies. (My brother has referred to me as bubble girl on more than one occasion.) So, Jeff has scheduled duct cleanings, a maid service, and carpet cleaning before I move into the house. I find that wildly romantic because he genuinely cares about my well-being. He even went to the natural market today to get me make-up that would (hopefully) not make my face look like it was covered in Poison Ivy. Also, he makes me breakfast every single morning. He’s just so thoughtful. (I know I complained about his harassing me earlier, but at least I can follow that up with a lot of positives.)

19. Favorite celebrity? Emma Stone, HANDS DOWN. Girlfriend looks hot in every hair color. Her wit is enviable. And I love every single one of her movies.

20. What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with? So many. Kate, Brynn, already met Whitney!, Andi, Fran, Ginny, and Lauren just to name a few. If you actually understand my humor and appreciate it, let’s be friends online and in real life. 

I would tag people, but I think everyone I would have tagged is already tagged. SO, do it if you haven't already!

Wear Your Aware(ness)

Almost a year ago today, I gave you a "tutorial" on how I skinnify my pants. Instead of donating these pants because the bottoms looked right with one pair of shoes, I decided to skinnify them so that they looked good with any pair of shoes.

When I left the house this morning, I questioned whether or not to bring a spare pair of pants should I encounter a wardrobe mishap that involved unraveling seams. I visited my dangerous side and brought no back-up pants. Luckily, I wore these bad boys all day without a malfunction in sight.

Of course, I think I need to skinnify the right leg a smidge more, but I'm not sure a) it's noticeable enough and b) I care enough.  If the picture turned out a little less grainy, you might be able to tell that this shirt is navy, so use that imagination of yours.

Oh, would you like to join my colleagues and me for Trendy Tuesday next week? The theme is "Wear Your Aware(ness)." What this style challenge encourages you to do is wear the color associated with awareness about a cause close to your heart. Though I don't own much purple, I think I will choose it because it represents not only my own disease, Sjogren's Syndrome, but it also represents anti-domestic violence and Alzheimer's (my beloved Mom Mom suffered from dementia before her death). If you want a pretty comprehensive list of the awareness ribbon colors, go here.

Feel free to write a post on Tuesday of next week about the cause close to your heart and share your outfit in support of it. I think this theme deserves a repeat.

The Look:

Cardigan: Old Navy

Top: J.Crew via thredUP

Pants: Express (so.dang.old)

Wedges: J.Crew Factory (they are SO comfortable, best shoe investment ever.)

Necklace: J.Crew Factory

Eventually

The other day, I posted about everything current in life. I thought, today, I could chat with you about some eventuallys, which I realize does not qualify as a word, but I'm making it one anyway.





Eventually,

at work: I will screencast lessons and post them to my class website. (Essentially, screencasting is creating a video of whatever you're doing on your screen.) I was hoping to screencast some reading passages, maybe even entire chapters, and how to annotate more effectively.

at home: I will have a home. We settle in TEN days and move in the following weekend. When we have a home, I will actually hang things on the walls (which I can finally paint a color that doesn't look like it belongs in a mental institution), have a washer that doesn't eat clothes, use a dryer that doesn't take two hours to dry clothes, and cook in a kitchen that does not have a shoebox-sized countertop.

on the road: I will take a mini RV trip with Mom and Dad. My friend's baby shower is three hours away (where she lives), and my mom and I were invited. Since Mom and Dad bought an RV this summer, we're taking advantage of it and spending the weekend at the beach (close to where my friend lives). Jeff will stay around town to set up the house; in other words, he will clean it so that new allergens do not plague me. What a nice guy he is.

on the blog: I will once again grace your presence with good quality pictures, not these sorry excuses of late.

I thought about doing more, but eventually I need to get to bed tonight.

 

The Look:

Cardigan: The Limited (similar)

Skirt: Old Navy (exact -- mine is size XS)

Scarf: Gap (similar)

Shoes: Sole Society (similar / similar)

Worst pain yet?

When the doctor removed my gall bladder, I thought, "no pain can exceed this one." When the doctor removed my appendix, I thought, "oh, the gall bladder was worse. That had four incisions; this one is only three. Good." When the doctor unpacked two feet of gauze and crowbar-sized tubes out of my nostrils after sinus surgery, I thought, "surely, this is giving birth through the nose." Nothing can top it. The past week, my body dumped me in the freshest of hells.

My face is angry. Have you ever had lips so chapped that you tried puckering your lips to stop the burning sensation that applying chapstick slapped on your kisser? Has the sun ever burned you so badly that sheets of skin started falling off of your back? Every time you took a shower, little skin monsters kept tumbling off just by patting yourself (ever so slightly) dry with a towel? Well, my face has entered this eighth circle of hell. That saying "oh, your face hurts? Well, it's killing me?" My face hurts, and I think it's killing me. It burns, it itches, it cracks, and it peels. And I have zero idea what's causing it.  Please, face, let there be an end in sight.

The kind employee at Sephora stocked me with samples that will hopefully usher in some semblance of relief. I am using the First Aid Beauty lotion, and it's helped more than anything else thus far, so let's keep it positive here, folks. I can't go around like Mr. Goldmember from Austin Powers forever.

Thankfully, I have a stallion-sized sense of humor. If that breaks, it looks like I'm pretty much screwed.

Anyway, I haven't felt much like getting Mom to take pictures of me because my face hurts, and all I want to do is roll around in a vat of aloe. I don't think Blogland wants that actual visual, so I'm sparing you all. However, I don't mind snapping some grainy iPhone shots for your viewing pleasure. (Trust me. You don't really want to see what I'm working with over here. A spoon full of blurriness makes the medicine go down.)

If my face is making me uncomfortable, I might as well wear comfortable things. Like the frock I wore to friends' renovation housewarming. I jazzed it up a bit with my new necklace that I ordered online to reach the free shipping minimum; I had every intention of returning it and then I tried it on. Game over. I also intended on returning this shirt (ordered it for the same reason as the necklace), but its softness had me at its cozy hello. I returned all of the items I expected to keep and kept all of the items I expected to return. What a crazy (re)turn of events.

 

The Look:

Shirt: Gap (exact for $22.95--I'm thinking of getting other colors.)

Necklace: J.Crew Factory (exact in three colors)

Skirt: Elle via Kohl's (similar for $9.95)

 

(In these pictures, make-up disguises the wounds quite nicely. It's not covering it so well anymore. Oh, bother.) 

Currently on the bandwagon

Okay, okay, all of you ladies (most recently, I'm looking at you, Heidi) and your "currently" posts enticed me to write one of my own. Plus, if you want full disclosure, then I must admit I have nothing better for you unless you want to hear about how the fan in my classroom almost exposed my unmentionables to my fifth period. Thankfully, the front row did not become the flash zone (not so fun like Sea World's splash zone). Oh, the things for which education classes never prepared me.

Anyway, here I am currently...

wearing: as many skirts as possible in order to combat the heat wave hovering over my classroom.

writing: lesson plans, HTML code for graduate class, Edmodo posts, and to-do lists (just for the purpose of crossing things off of it). In case your mind has wandered to the question, "why is she writing HTML code for her graduate class?" allow me to inform you that my graduate program is Technology Education. Thank you, blogging, I felt ahead of the game when the professor showed us how to code.

anticipating: settlement on our house! Two weddings in the next month! My niece's second birthday party! My friend's baby to arrive! Back to School Night (tonight)! September is full of fun stuff. Life, you rock. Thanks for that.

missing: yoga. Excuse me while I attempt to navigate school, graduate work, and exciting life events. Yoga, I have not forgotten about you and neither have my hamstrings. I think they miss you more than I do.

craving: anything edible because those pop chips have not successfully sustained me before dinner time. Husband, get to cookin'. I'm hangry.

watching: Finding Carter, The Lottery, and Flipping the Block. I do not want any of these shows to end. Can't.stop.watching. Should I fill my day with more productive fodder? Yes, yes, I should.

One day, I will return to the beautiful pictures of yore. Until then, proceed with pathetic mirror pictures. I hope you come here for my personality.

 The Look:

Top: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

Cardigan: New York & Co.

Skirt: Francesca's

Shoes: J.Crew Factory

Black and Tan

The air "broke" in all of our schools yesterday. You know a building is hot when you feel as if you're getting a facial, for the entire work day, just for breathing, just for existing. Lucky me, my grad class meets in another one of the high schools for four hours every Tuesday. Not only did I suffer through eight hours of inner thigh sweat at my school, but I also experienced four additional hours of dewy disgustingness.

Today, I prepared for the heat wave. Of course, if a freak chill sweeps the building, I have a denim jacket to save me from the cold. Does anyone else feel like the first of September should automatically mean cooler temperatures? For reasons unbeknownst to me, my brain thinks September signals a drop in temperature, but clearly Mother Nature disagrees.

Oh, and it appears we will close on our house sooner than expected. The new closing date is September 19th, and we can begin moving in by September 23rd. Since another cockroach crawled up out of the sink at me two days ago, I cannot express my excitement over leaving behind the 800 who surely plan to follow the little bugger. Did you know that a cockroach allergy is an actual thing? I read about it on the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology site. Yep, it's a thing.

The Look:

Top: White House Black Market (SO OLD)

Belt: Came with a dress

Skirt: Old Navy

Flats: Steve Madden via DSW

Earrings: Francesca's

Trendy Tuesday: Something someone gave to you

Welcome to a new school year and a new set of Trendy Tuesday themes. If you didn't already know, I work in a school where a lot of us, even the fashionistos, get dressed based on a different theme each week. Today, I decided on my elephant jewelry from Momma dukes, a polka dot cardigan from my sister-in-law, and a dress and a pair of sandals that I bought with money from Momma, which technically means those are from her, right?

Please forgive my mirror pictures these days. Juggling an intense grad program, moving, class sponsorship, grading, planning, and life has become a bit more challenging than I anticipated. I'll figure it out soon enough. Finally moving out of this apartment by next month will surely help. I hope.

Fun fact of the day: these sandals didn't fit perfectly until I used my new leather punch from Michael's to punch another hole in the strap. I've already punched holes in some belts that needed tightening, and Jeff plans to use it on one of his belts, too. What an awesome $10 investment that was. I highly recommend it! I bought this one and also used my teacher discount at the register, so it was less than $10. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy today's outfit. Catch me on Instagram, too (@likewo).

 

The Look:

Dress: Apt. 9 via Kohl's

Sandals: Apt. 9 via Kohl's

Cardigan: Target (gift from sister-in-law)

Belt: New York & Co.

Necklace & Earrings: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

 

(I thought you might want to see the dress by itself. So, here it is. By itself.)

Perfect for dressing rooms

Today, I think I figured out the perfect clothing to wear as I'm shopping: a tank, a swingy skirt, easy-to-remove sandals, and non-dangly jewelry. Typically, I find myself fighting with a top I have to keep pulling over my head, which results in a look akin to unsexy bedhead, so this tank worked perfectly to avoid such a situation. One, I can pull it off like a pair of pants. (Why pull a shirt over your head when you can avoid the whole "my hair now has tentacles" debacle?) Two, when I'm trying on sheer tops, I can wear it under them. Three, when it's sweltering outside, my top does not make me even warmer.

I texted Mom dressing room pictures, and she said, "that belt sure has made its rounds, hasn't it?" Yes, Mom, it has. Thanks for reminding me that I have no idea what I'll do the day this belt dies. And, thanks, Mom, for telling me we'll go on a "mad hunt" for a new one the day that this belt needs replacing. You're the best.

Trendy Tuesday has started up again this school year, so every week, all of the fashionistas and fashionistos in my school will be dressing based on a different theme each week. We'd love for you to join us! We Instagram our cuteness with the hashtag #trendytuesday. Tomorrow's theme is "Something someone gave to you." I plan to wear my elephant necklace and earrings from Momma because elephants make me happy and so does my Momma. (Yes, I realize how awesome my school is for participating in such awesomeness.)

The Look:

Vest: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

Tank: Target

Skirt: LOFT 

Belt: New York & Co.

Sandals: Pink & Pepper via Marshall's

(I did not wearing this outfit to teach; we were off for Labor Day, so I wore it to shop. Of course.)

I sent this dressing room picture to Mom. We decided that this dress should come home with me. However, I realized I would get a better deal by buying it online through Ebates, so I came home and ordered it.  I feel like dresses with sleeves are hard to come by. Am I right?