Seeing Spots

Typically, Jeff remains cautious about commenting on something that I'm wearing (smart man), so if he actually says something, then I know he's being honest. After Mom took pictures of this outfit, Jeff declared, "I really like those pants." Any man who encourages crazy prints and bright colors as much as I do is clearly meant to be married to me. 

When Sarah promoted the April Challenge, I immediately thought of these pants for both the cropped and geometrics themes. THEN, when Marissa and Heidi posted their Pantone Challenge, I realized these shoes would be the perfect pop of dazzling blue color for this outfit. Ah, I love it when things just fall into place. 

Thank you to all of you who have sent me get well wishes. I am so glad I chose to get surgery over my spring break because it gives me ample time to recover. However, one can watch only so much TV before wanting to run around furiously in circles. I am going STIR CRAZY. I am about to make friends with the spiders or actually begin conversing with Ellie, my elephant-shaped humidifier. Luckily, two of my colleagues are coming to visit me today. 

Talking to humans is preferable. 

The Look:

Top: LOFT (gift from Momma)

Pants: New York & Co. 

Necklace: Poshmark shop

Shoes: via Kohl's (I really do love these shoes.)

Cute little Rudy (a.k.a. Rooster)

After looking at the front of his head, can you see why we nicknamed him Rooster? So much fluff on the top of his head. 

I also wore the top this way...

original post

The pants this way...

original post

And the shoes this way...

original post

Also linking up with 

* Shanna (http://becauseshannasaidso.blogspot.com) 

* Pleated Poppy (www.thepleatedpoppy.com/blog) 

Show Stoppers

I decided that if a stranger walks up to me, compliments something I'm wearing, and asks where I bought it, then whatever I'm wearing is a winner. Today's winner is these shoes. Jeff and I went to the market this past weekend, and a lady stopped me in the aisle to ogle my shoes. When we were walking the streets of downtown, a lady said nothing but stared so hard at my shoes that I feared for her forehead because she was a few steps from Mr. Magooing a tree. These flats are show stoppers. They're comfortable. They add a nice pop of color to otherwise neutral outfits. And I love them. I think you need a pair. I wear a 8.5, and they're true to size for me.

Oh, and my juniors' interviews went pretty well yesterday. One student said, "I was expecting it to be a waste of time, but it really wasn't." In teenager speak, that's the highest of compliments. If you can prove their expectations wrong, then you have won the war on apathy. 

So, yesterday you saw that I found my perfect leopard print top. For quite some time, I've been hunting high and low for a floral top (silk, with or without sleeves, smaller flowers, enough colors to match a lot of things, looks good tucked or untucked), and I keep coming up with nothing. I'm not spending $80 on a floral shirt. That's just highway robbery I will not condone. I looked at H&M, LOFT, Banana Republic, The Limited, Francesca's, and most of my regular haunts. Any suggestions?

The Look:

Top: Old Navy (got this bad boy last month for $6! exact)

Jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's ($10 woot woot--similar)

Vest: American Eagle (here is a green one at Nordstrom)

Red flats: Sole Society (exact--feel free to use my referral link)

(You're welcome.)

Linking up with

* All Things Thursday at http://www.glitzandgold.com

* Look What I Got (for cheap) at http://pennilesssocialite.blogspot.com/

* Three-fer Thursdays at http://www.everydayfashionandfinance.com

* Tres-Chic Fashion Thursday at http://vodkainfusedlemonade.com/

Trendy Tuesday...One Day Late

I am a day behind on my posts because I thought Monday would be a great day to post a Thanksgiving outfit. As a result, you're seeing every outfit a day late. Always late but worth the late. That bumper sticker my friend bought for me in high school has so much meaning.

Anyway, twice now, my co-teacher has instituted a fashion challenge to a group of us at work. Can you see why I love her so much? A woman after my own heart. Today (for me, it's today. For you, it's tomorrow), another teacher and I decided to pick a specific day and name it for these challenges. After much deliberation, we settled on Trendy Tuesday. Obviously, the name had to be alliterative, and Fashion Friday wouldn't work because we value our casual days. No one wants photographic evidence of casual Fridays.

Today's theme? Beige (I considered it ivory/off-white) and Denim.

The new intern opted for colored denim paired with an ivory sweater. Why didn't I think of colored denim?! And I LOVE her scarf. Another teacher rocked the chambray shirt with a beige/ivory scarf, a look I was thisclose to wearing. My co-teacher opted for a denim skirt with an ivory sweater. Originally, I was going to wear a looser sweater with my polka dot skinny pants, but I really wanted to wear this necklace, which looked funny with the sweater. This blazer hasn't seen some love in awhile, so I brought it out for the occasion. I considered gray booties, but I thought the sparkly flats befriended the necklace better. Plus, I didn't want to figure out that whole "to roll the pants or not to roll the pants" situation.  Over the phone, my mom commented, "you didn't wear a crumb catcher!" Hahahaha, I love that woman. (First time readers, I refer to scarves as crumb catchers because that's their primary purpose...in my world.)

Alright, here is where you come in, dear reader! What theme do you think we should choose for next Tuesday? Also, if you would like to join us for Trendy Tuesday, we'd love your cyber participation. :)

The Outfit:

Blazer: New York and Company (I'm trying to determine if the shoulders are "too much." Thoughts?)

Shirt: Vintage t-shirt from Old Navy

Pants: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's (bought 'em at a $10 steal!)

Flats: Nine West via Marshall's 

Necklace: New York and Company

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy. 

Emerald and Floral

After I buy new clothes, I make it a point to try on each item as a part of three, as-different-as-possible outfits. I thought I'd share two of today's shirts. (I also picked up two others, but my bedroom was wayyyy too hot to continue taking off and putting on clothes. I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe.)

I used gift cards for these two shirts.

The floral one is Lauren Conrad's via Kohl's and the emerald green one is Apt.9 also from Kohl's.

Floral Top

Outfit 1

This skirt has pockets, so I love it. I have yet to wear it (stupid!). Now that I have the perfect shirt for it, I think I'll wear it for Back to School Night on Tuesday. Genius.

This outfit might seem too "spring," but I think some brown boots and a solid color scarf will take it right into cooler weather. It's still in the 80s and 90s, so it's fine or now. 

 Outfit 2

Good grief, this outfit is warm. It's perfect for cooler weather. The blazer dresses it up for work. A pair of olive dress pants (in place of these pants) would make it even more work appropriate. However, skinny pants are acceptable at my school. I need a longer, gold pendant necklace to complete the ensemble.

Outfit 3

Perfect for a casual Friday at work. 

I think this top would work well with white jeans, maybe with an olive green button up thrown over it. 

Any other suggestions?

Emerald Blouse

Outfit 1

Probably my favorite of the three outfits. I just love emerald, black, and white together. Almost as much as I love cobalt, black, and white together. Almost. I'm so wearing this outfit to work when it's not a billion degrees in my classroom.

(I also wore these pants this way.)

 Outfit 2

I've worn this paisley skirt before (here), and I like it with emerald. I could've tucked the shirt, but I decided to create tucked and tied looks with this shirt. 

I like this necklace that a friend bought for me, so I decided to wear it a bit like a "bow" tie with this top. Look at me being all clever. Yeah, I went with emerald, black, and white/silver again. What of it?

Feel free to throw some more ideas my way! 

Go on and make these shirts worthy of staying in my closet. 

Oh, and is anyone else as obsessed with Lauren Conrad's clothing line as I am?

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.)

Polka Dot Jeans

I really have no idea why these pictures turned out so grainy. 

Maybe it's meant to disguise how horrifically ragged I look today.

My co-teacher laughed at my satellite hairs just floating on my head.

I stated that it was either sleep or hair this morning. Sleep won. Why wouldn't it?

 I thought these pants would be really easy to style because they're blue and gray. 

I was wrong...

Until I found a fashion blog (can't remember which one) that inspired me to wear coral with my polka dot jeans. Oh, how I love you brilliant fashion bloggers. 

Pants: Marshalls--here are some from Old Navy

Shoes: Marshalls (Nine West)--try these

Top: The Limited--I like this peplum coral top

Cardigan: Target--try this one from Target

Necklace: Stella & Dot

linking up with The Pleated Poppy :)

"Why do you look all bling-y?"

Yep, that's what one of my male students asked me today. You see, we need to work with him on appropriate ways to ask girls questions; otherwise, he will forever be alone. Or, his girlfriend will be a robot like those women in Stepford Wives. Or, she will abuse him for his stupidity. Whichever comes first. Also, he wears mismatched athletic shorts and t-shirts every day, not exactly a fashion maven that one. Oh, and some of my most fashionably savvy girls told me how much they loved my outfit. Eat that, blingmeister flex.

Anyway, today was a long one because I had grad class until 7:00 (got out twenty minutes early, what what?!) after having woken up at 5 whatever o'clock this morning. Why am I telling you this? Because I need you to know why I look so haggard. My outfit is cute, if I do say so myself, but my face has seen better days.