Edgy and Classy?

Who needs an iron when you have a hair straightener? The hair straightener did the trick to smooth out wrinkles at the bottom of this top today, and I did not need to lug the ironing board out of the laundry room. Hooray.

Custodians came in after school to replace a bulb that blew above our desks. I remarked that it smells AWFUL when those things burn out. The cologne of the one custodian lingered in the room after he left, and I swore he smelled like my brother who's worn the same cologne for over 20 years. Naturally, I followed him into the next room and asked him if he wore Eternity. He said no, but it does smell like Eternity. As my intern and I walked out of the building, I complained that the trashcan reeked of fish. I'm both impressed by and disappointed in my nose these days.

This outfit, of course, impresses me.  Most impressive of all? I managed to pick it out this morning instead of last night.

The Look:

Jacket: via thredUP

Pants: Motherhood Maternity

Top: LOFT

Flats: Sole Society

Necklace: J.Crew Factory

Headband: Target

Dear Daughter (Food Edition)

Dear Vincenza,

Your momma is 21 weeks along right now. According to Parents magazine, you are the length of a carrot, which is interesting because your daddy loves carrots. Sometimes, I call him Bugs Bunny, a character we will teach you all about when you come out to meet us. He likes to nibble off part of the carrot and feed it to our crazy dogs, Roxy and Squirt. I like carrots only when I get to dip them in hummus or ranch dressing. They also taste quite delicious when they are steamed with some butter. You better like vegetables because your daddy and I love vegetables. I just sent him out for some kohlrabi because your grandpa said Wegman's has really delicious kohlrabi right now.

If you are anything like your momma, mom mom, and big cousin, Jules, then you will devour watermelon, and you will probably want it with some salt on it because that is how the women on the Wojcik side like their watermelon. You might also be a big tea drinker like momma and mom mom. Please remember that the only good tea is sweet tea, and your mom mom makes the best batches of it. Daddy and both of your grandpas love coffee, but your mom mom and I think it smells terrible, so terrible. Your great mom mom, however, drank hot coffee even when the thermometer read 100 degrees outside. When your daddy first met your great grandparents, he was sweet enough to drink some coffee with your great mom mom during the sweltering summer heat. He sweat the entire time, but he made me love him so much more because I realized, once again, what a wonderful man your daddy is.

We hope you like to eat meat because momma loooooves Chipotle barbacoa bowls, and one of your daddy's favorite meals is steak and potatoes. Your daddy likes to fish and cook what he catches, but I think the freshwater fish taste a little funny. I try to eat salmon or shrimp once a week so that I can get those omega-3's and grow that big brain of yours! Sorry I cannot eat gluten for your right now, but your Italian daddy will show you the wonders of bread when you are old enough to eat it. Hopefully, you do not inherit any of my food allergies because I want you to enjoy eating every food. Let's pray that you take after daddy in that department.

Love,
Momma


Dear, Readers,
Please enjoy the periodic installments of "Dear, Vincenza" that will include snippets from my life and my wishes for this little lady of mine. Also, if you came around these parts yesterday, you might have cast your vote for which Stitch Fix item I should keep. I ultimately decided on the top versus the necklace because the print makes me SO happy. Based on the plethora of compliments it elicited today, I think I made a good choice. I have zero regrets. It gives me an opportunity to wear one of my cutest pairs of flats, these little red numbers. What a perfect little pairing that turned out to be. I imagine it will look lovely with some white jeans/shorts as well. I could not wait to wear it, and this hurried outfit combination this morning came together way better than I anticipated. 

 

The Look:

Cardigan: Old Navy

Top: Stitch Fix

Pants: Indigo Blue via Motherhood Maternity

Flats: Sole Society

Belt: Francesca's

Making Real Life Friends out of Blogging Friends: DC Edition

Now, what you see here is not what I'm wearing today. I wore it some day of the week some week ago. What teacher during the summertime actually knows the day of the week? Not this one. Especially since this summer is the first one I haven't worked summer school or curriculum writing. Freedom feels so good...even if the corners of my mind feel paralyzed by the reminder that I have 41 letters of recommendation to write. 

Anyway, despite my running over a screw that lodged itself into my tire (thank you, Jeff, for fixing it) and waking up with some bizarre allergic reaction (thank you, Allegra for helping a sister out), I refuse to have a case of the Mondays today because Whitney from Whitney a la Mode (girl, I have no idea how to put an accent mark on that a) and I are meeting up in Georgetown for lunch and shopping! Guys, I'm finally turning one of my blogging buddies into one of my real-life friends! 

I do meet people in the weirdest of ways. I met my husband in a dance club. I met one of my good friends in sixth grade because I laughed as she exasperatingly exclaimed to another student, "D-O-G. DOG. How hard is that?!" My laughter made me an instant friend. Jeff and I met one of our very favorite couples to hang out with when we went on a trip to the Bahamas. (We went to their wedding in NY, and they're coming to visit next weekend!) I made a friend at the nail salon; we plan to attend a yoga class together. Meeting Whitney is sort of like finally coming face to face with your pen pal from elementary school; you have spent a lot of time getting to know each other through words and pictures before finally hanging out in real life. I sort of wish I met my elementary school pen pal. I wonder what ever happened to her? 

I'm sure you'll see Whitney and me instagramming our real-life meet up. Until then, enjoy my nautically-inspired, two-weeks-late, fourth-of-July outfit. Three cheers for me.

The Look:

Top: Old Navy

Shorts (they're blue and white pinstriped): New York & Co.

Flats: Sole Society 

What I learned from Neiman Marcus

If you want to know where I was last week, I explained the situation here. The short story is that my mom nominated me to be a part of Neiman Marcus' Faces of Beauty campaign that will launch this fall. They picked me and five other women out of what one of the stylists said was 80,000 entries. Quite honestly, the whole experience was surreal. Though the experience lasted only Monday and Tuesday, I was recovering from so little sleep the rest of the week. I think I'm getting old. My lack of sleep early in the week resulted in an end of the week that went as follows: I ran into a doorknob, almost fell down the stairs, and saw stars for half of the day. I wrote the bulk of this post in a fog of fatigue. Of course, I didn't get around to posting it until now.

Anyway, I figured I'd start telling you about the experience by providing you a list of some things I learned. The whole experience overloaded my brain with nuggets of wisdom. However, several of the nuggets slipped through the holes of my Swiss cheese brain.

1. You lightly tap lotion under your eyes using your ring finger because, out of all of your fingers, it creates the least amount of pressure. (News to me!)

2. The Beauty Department Manager, Claudio, who was paired up with me, used the following analogy to describe your skin. The skin on your neck is thicker, like cardboard. The skin on your chin, cheeks, and forehead is a little less thick like printer paper. The skin around your eyes is like tissue paper because it's only two layers of skin; whereas, the other skin on your face is three layers thick. This is why we have to be especially careful about putting on eye cream and removing eye make up.

3. If, like me, your face looks like it's melting by the end of the day, you need to apply a mattifying primer under your make up. One of the Beauty Department Managers, Alyson, recommended Laura Mercier's oil-free primer. (I'll try it out and let you know how it goes.)

4. One of the other winners who is a doctor said that I needed to see a medical doctor to do the following for my acne scarring: microdermabrasion first, glycol acid at 30% second, and finally liquid nitrogen. She said it does not peel the skin on your face. (Last time I got a face treatment, it made me look like a snake shedding its skin.)

5. You should not apply perfume to your wrists and then rub them together because that friction creates heat, which changes the chemical make up of the perfume, thereby altering its smell. You should apply perfume to your sternum and behind your knees/on your calf because those are the heat zones of your body. The heat will make the smell waft off of you. If you put it behind your legs, the smell will travel upward and create a forcefield of smell around you. Now that I've had sinus surgery and can smell teenage funk like a bloodhound, I think I might need to practice this perfume applying method.

Tomorrow, I plan to tell you more about my trip. Is there anything in particular that you'd like to know?

I feel like a total turd because I was supposed to post on Monday to let you all know about the birthday dress look I suggested for Ada's birthday celebration, and she so kindly posted it on her blog. I actually DID write a post on my phone, which I thought published. I later found out that the dang post never actually posted. In fact, it disappeared somewhere into cyberspace. Forgive me, Ada!

Today, I'll show you the look that I planned for Ada. I told her that this look is perfect for a festival downtown or a little bit more of a relaxed birthday. Of course, for night, I could ditch the chambray/hat/flats and add some fun heels!

The Look:

Dress: Casual Corner Annex (it's actually a petite even though I'm not usually "petite" because of my height)--I bought this thing SO many years ago and wore it to my students' high school graduation last year. Here's a similar one from Macy's, a really cute navy/white option from Nordstrom, and a dress with bigger polka dots from Ruche (this option is less than $50!)

Chambray: Old Navy (find it here--mine is the "light" chambray.)

Flats: Sole Society (it's still available and called the "Enji" flat--find it here)

Hat: It has no tag, but I'm pretty sure it's from Target a year or two ago. (I love this men's version from Target, and it's less than $20. Don't mind if you do.)

Mom loves this picture, so I'm posting it for her :)

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/

Goin' Fishin'

When I teach my students how to write essays, I always tell them they want a "hook" at the beginning of their introductions. They have to grab their readers and pull 'em right into that essay, no matter how poorly written, littered with "theres" instead of "theirs," it happens to be.

Today, I am taking my own advice. I lured you in with the promise of pretty pictures (the first outfit) in order to show you what I'm really wearing today. Haha! Look at me! I'm so tricky! What a good fisherwoman I make. The cherry on top? The vest I'm wearing in the "real" pictures is something much like what a fisherman would wear. Don't you just love happy coincidences? Me too.

Oh, and random thought (because I never have those...ahem): as I walked out of the x-ray place today, I walked past a man who had clearly just finished smoking thirteen packs of cigarettes, and he stunk to high heaven. Do you know I actually waited until I passed him before I coughed? When I realized what I had done, I mentally rebuked myself. Why on earth was I at all concerned about HIS feelings? Seriously, that turd bucket was polluting my airways (and his) with junk I am highly allergic to, and I was the one being cordial about not coughing so as not to offend him? Well, never again, my friends. Never again. Cherry on top? I was just exiting the building from a SINUS x-ray, which clearly shows how royally screwed up my face is. And here I am all worried about this joker's feelings. Stroke my narcissism and make me feel a little better here. Does anyone else do this? Avoid offending someone else who's actually in the wrong?

 

The Look:

Sweater: Gap Outlet (old)

Necklace: NO idea

Jeans: The Limited

Flats: Audrey Brooke via DSW 

Now, here is today's outfit wrapped up in terrible selfies. 

Forgive me.

 

The Look:

Jeans: Simply Vera via Kohl's

Shirt: Old Navy

Belt: New York & Co.

Vest: American Eagle

Boots: Steve Madden 

Necklaces: Target 

 

In all honesty, I really wanted you to see my elephant necklace.

I got it at Target just before Christmas.

The tree necklace came with it :)

Also, please admire my new shoes from Sole Society. 

I decided to head the UPS guy off at the pass,

and then we had a nice little chat about all of this stupid snow.

Linking up with

Favorite Fashion Fridays

and

Fab Friday

Gray Maxi, Printed Belt, & Red Flats

Ragweed, we meet again.

This time of year always arrives with a swift kick to the nasal cavities and eyeballs for me. Even though I take my Allegra and squirt drops in my eyes, the ragweed still wins. Since this allergy did not crop up later in life like many of my other allergies, time has allowed it to percolate in my system, making me more allergic every year it seems. My itchy eyes woke me up this morning to say, "helloooo, we're red, we hurt, and you need drops." Thankfully, I haven't had any of those fake sneezes. You know the ones I mean: they tickle your nose and make your eyes water, but they NEVER come out. Sneezes that refuse to exit the nose are the worst. I'm lucky. Also, so far, I've managed to dodge the "throat itches so badly that cough syrup with codeine is all that gets me through the night" bullet. I hope the perpetual drinking of water keeps me safe. I need my beauty rest. No one wants to see the troll under the bridge that I can become.

Though I am allergic to ragweed (and everything else that grows), I am far from allergic to maxi skirts, especially this one. I know I wrote about it several posts ago (here and the wine-colored version here), but like Icona Pop says, I don't care. I love it.

The Look:

T-shirt: Target 

Belt: Target (such a long time ago)

Maxi Skirt: American Eagle

Necklace: American Eagle

Red Flats: Urban Outfitters

I finally have a close-up picture of the necklace that receives more compliments than any other piece of jewelry that I wear. People love the bicycle. 

The Details:

Occasion: Work 

Comfort Rating: 9 

Comments: I say 9 only because my classroom was HOT, and sweaty legs + maxi skirts = no bueno. Okay, sweaty legs + anything = no bueno. Perhaps, I am being unfair to the skirt. In the right climate, the skirt is a 10. I'm so glad I bought it in two colors. I like covering up the elastic wasitband with a belt or a knotted shirt. 

Striped Peplum: Two Looks

When Jeff and I visited friends in New York, we ended up at the Loft in NYC. I wonder how that happened? Oops. Anyway, I saw this top, and we fell in deep, steamy like. 

I had a small case of buyer's remorse (though Jeff bought it as a Christmas gift) because I had no idea what the crap to pair with it. I didn't want to be terribly boring, but I considered it. 

Enter my a-ha moment, and it wasn't even inspired by another blog or Pinterest.

Holy cow, I can have independent sartorial thoughts. Gasp. 

I decided that my red blazer and new necklace would do the trick.

I considered wearing my red wedges, but I decided against my natural inclination to be supremely matchy matchy. 

One of my senior aides told me that my outfit was Pinterest worthy. Be still my vain, vain heart.

Ya know, I thought my hair was too big today. It's looking a little Marge Simpson-esque. 

I felt mildly self conscious until a previous student saw me and complimented my voluminous locks. 

The best part about our encounter? She wasn't sure of the adjectival form of volume. She looked at me and said, "volum...?" I said, "voluminous?" 

"Yes! That's the word.  I didn't want to say the wrong thing. I mean, come on, you're an English teacher." Ha.ha. 

Sometimes I think documenting my outfits is silly. There are so many bigger things happening right now. I then realized that, regardless of the vanity and triviality of fashion blogging, it might just provide a little bright spot for someone else. Maybe my narratives serve as amusement. And, hey, I try to include some educational links. Ultimately, this small corner of the world offers me positivity and sanity. I see so much misery and feel so much compassion for those who are in need that A Little Bit of WoWe serves as my reprieve from the pandemonium that we call life. 

I hope your visits here help you to escape whatever might be plaguing you. 

If not, there's always this.

Anyway, on with scheduled programming.

Please excuse that unsightly excrescence on the side of the house. I'm typically much better at cropping it out of the frame.

If I wore this shirt outside of the teaching realm, I might style it like so. Like WO. 

Bahaha, I slay me. 

 Welcome to my wardrobe, you fun, red flats. 

I'm not sure why I ended with the most awkward picture of the bunch, but I felt like you'd be disappointed by just one picture of this look. Of course, you might be disappointed anyway, but such is life. Please enjoy my larger than life hair. 

Outfit Deets:

Red Blazer: Old Navy (exact)

Peplum top: Loft (exact)

Nude Pumps: Naturalizer (I like these.)

Necklace & earrings: The Limited 

Military jacket: Forever21 (lots of choices here)

Red Flats: Urban Outfitters (these from Zappos have fun sparkles)