Optical Illusion

I love wearing crazy pants. 

I don't know if my crazy pants are conducive to a placid learning environment, but they serve as a suitable conversation piece. 

Best compliment? 

Colleague: That is the prettiest blouse I've ever seen. Seriously.

Me: Thank you.

Colleague: You're always so cute. In fact, just yesterday I was telling someone that none of us would know how to dress if you didn't work here. 

Day made. 

And I hope these pants make yours.

P.S. These are the pants I split up the crotch by bending down the day after I bought them. It appears my seamstress skills exceeded my expectations. No wardrobe malfunctions today, and you wouldn't know that I sewed up the crotch had I not confessed.

Outfit Deets:

Blazer: Vince Camuto via Nordstrom (thanks to a gift card from a former student)--this one might be the same one

Crazy Pants: New York & Co. (they sold out pretty quickly.)--these might satisfy you

Shoes: BCBG via Boscov's (I know, right?)

Blouse: The Limited (last year)

Necklace: Target clearance

Linking up with Marionberry because she's featuring yellow, a color I happen to love and wear (often.)

Note to Self

I find that I post my cleverest thoughts on Facebook, but I rarely chronicle them here. Now, be warned. These posts are truly notes to myself, but you're welcome to take a peek into my brain (as frightening as that might be). And, hey, maybe my notes to self will help your self.

Note to self...

If you find yourself in a group setting during which time everyone should be listening to a speaker but many people are talking disruptively, say something. It is simply not fair to you or the speaker when other people behave rudely while you're trying to learn.

If you find yourself haha-ing over a Facebook friend's updates, picture captions, and wall posts, make an attempt to see that person outside of Facebook. Life becomes far too impersonal if the best interactions happen on the interwebs rather than face-to-face.

Enjoy your curly hair. Many women pay lots of money to achieve the same look that Curls Rock and good genes help you achieve.

Spend as much time with your mom as possible. She is absolutely one of the raddest people you know. She also possesses an uncanny ability to coordinate the perfect jewelry for any outfit,  pick out the best-tasting watermelon, and help every sinew in your body relax. 

Pay attention to the fragments of time that remind you why you married your husband. Today, he hit himself in the face with Babybel Cheese while you simultaneously smashed your heel into the fridge (all a result of your terrible throw and all hysterically coincidental), helped you dry the dishes, sent you an "I love you text" just because, adorably ate Oreo cookies like a little boy, and helped you carry in the groceries. Always remember how wonderful he is. 

I cannot say that any of these notes are especially clever, but they seem important to me today. 

Any notes to self that you would like to add? 

They call me mellow YELLOOOOOWWW...

I am so weird in this video. Do not judge me.

No blisters!? No way.

 Every time we have an "outfit of the day" photoshoot, Roxy wants to be a part of it. She's licking my hand here.

So, Mother Nature backhanded me today. I was so puffy that these were the only pants I could find that fit. Wow. These jeans have a bedazzled butt, and they're from NY & Co.

Mom bought me the purple leather jacket from Kohl's :) It's Elle brand.

Oh, I love my curl cream. It's sold at Target. It's called Curls Rock. It's a cream with lotion-like consistency. I've used A LOT of curling products. This one is by far the best. 

 Look at my cute girls :)

Shirt is from NY & Co. (last spring), light blue tank is from Express, and belt is from Pac Sun. 

(Please excuse our messy living room.)

These heels aren't a problem because they're only about an inch or so. They're Candie's brand from Kohl's. Since they're patent leather, I would recommend getting Band-Aid Friction Block to prevent blisters. I rub this stuff on anytime I wear shoes that rub, and I don't end up with blisters (seriously). Buy a few and put them in your purse/work bag. You'll be glad you did it!



Here's what it looks like. You can find it at Wal Mart or Target :)

Clipless Curling Iron

So, I love to experiment with my hair. Many people have complimented certain styles that I wear, so let me show you two videos that helped me.

I figured out the clipless curling iron on my own, but here's a great video that helps you achieve the look you want.

Okay, when I have no time to do my hair in the morning, and I'm not feeling the curly style, this is my go-to 'do. Everyone always loves it. My co-teacher calls it my YouTube hair because I always tell people, "I learned how to do it on YouTube."

Remember that YouTube is not just a site to visit for music videos. You can learn how to do all sorts of things from instructional videos on this site. Thanks to YouTube, my husband learned how to tie a double windsor knot (for his tie), tie a bow tie, and a ridiculous number of other things. I typically use it for hair tutorials.

Oh, I have no pictures of me sporting my YouTube hair, but I do have a picture of my hair after I used the clipless curling iron on it.

(P.S. That awesome quilt behind me was made by one of my talented friends, Carol.)

I bought my clipless iron at Target for $24.99. Here is the link to it on Target's site:

Clipless Curling Iron at Target 

(NOTE: It comes with a glove, and you NEED it; otherwise, you'll burn the dickens out of your hand. Trust me.)