Trendy Tuesday: Un-Anything

Today, I divided my sophomores into two teams to play Jeopardy. I named one team "the window" and the other "the wall." Yes, every time a question bounced to the other side, I said, "from the windooooow to the waaaall." I think Lil John would be proud of how I used his lyrics in my classroom, don't you?

My juniors are preparing for their mock interviews this week. I gave them a pep talk today. Here are some of my pearls of wisdom:
* Do not tickle the palm of your interviewer's hand when you shake it.
* Maintain eye contact, but remember what Mom says: it's not polite to stare. In fact, it's creepy.
* Ladies, do not wear bodycon skirts. They make you look like someone wrapped a hot dog in Saran wrap. It's not a good look.
* If you suffer from clammy hand syndrome, slyly wipe your hands on your back/hip/leg before shaking hands.

My wit keeps them coming back, ladies and gentlemen.

And so do my outfits.

Today's Trendy Tuesday theme is "un-anything: unzipped, unbuttoned, untucked. Just not undressed." 

Might be my favorite theme yet because it's so creative! See what happens when you let guys choose themes? Surprisingly wonderful.

The Look:

Shirt (untucked): LOFT (I got it for $5! I AM AMAZING. Another striped, without sparkles, one from Forever 21)

Jacket (unbuttoned): Old Navy (exact)

Pants (fear not, they're not unzipped): Express via thredUP 

Flats: Steve Madden via DSW 

Earrings: Target (similar on Etsy)

I really didn't need another striped shirt, but this one was FIVE dollars, and it has sparkles. Can you judge me for saying yes instead of no? 

Linking up with

* Style Sessions (http://stylelixir.com)

Anchors Away, it's Trendy Tuesday: Nautical or Knot

Welcome to this week's installment of Trendy Tuesday: Nautical or Knot, Stripes will Suffice.

If you visited these parts yesterday, you saw my pink blazer paired with a green skirt, which I planned to wear with today's outfit. This cardigan was slated for yesterday's look. At the last moment, I realized I wanted to make a switch.

I am listening to iTunes radio for the first time. I've been missing out! Move over, Pandora. 

Stacks of essays call my name, so I leave you with these few words.

The Look:

Cardigan: New York and Co. (old--similar from Target)

Scarf: Francesca's (similar from Old Navy)

Shirt: Express (old--similar from LL Bean for $25)

Belt: Men's section of Target (similar from American Eagle)

Jeans: Gap Outlet (same shade from Eddie Bauer for $20)

Boots: Ralph Lauren via DSW (similar by Franco Sarto)

Pardon my tag. Also, my hand feels naked when I forget my rings. Jeffery scolds me for it all of the time. It's just that they annoyingly swing around on my finger when it's cold outside.

Let's call this picture "demonic spirit hands" or "COME HUG ME, BLOGLAND," which is actually what I was screaming. Are you running away yet?

 

I have worn these jeans a lot, but here they are on the blog:

 

 

This shirt is part of one of my favorite looks EVER.

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Linking up with

Green Week 

Trend Spin Linkup 

and

Style Sessions 

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Lily Pad(dy)'s Day

Indulge me and tell me how witty I am for thinking of such a brilliant title for this post. For those of you who do not know, I live in Maryland. If you don't know anything about Annapolis, the capital of our lovely state, then let me tell you how much Lily Pulitzer everyone who's "so Annapolis" wears. A lot. One of their favorite color combinations? Pink and green, a combination I wore on the blog just last week. (Of course, I chose blush and olive versus the bright pink and kelly green of this week's look, but the idea is the same.)

In January, Kimmie wore this outfit, and it inspired me to wear my green skirt with pink. Of course, I envisioned my green skirt that's the same shade as hers, but I realized I wanted this brighter color pairing because it makes me happy when snow and cold weather make me sad. I originally planned for a navy cardigan, but I wanted more warmth, which required a blazer.

One of my friends hosts a pretty popular podcast about Lost Girl. (If you've never watched the series, you are missing out!) Today, he asked me if I wanted to partake in what he calls "Take Fives," which he refers to as "mini rants to fill in the gaps" when he hasn't recorded in awhile. He wants me to discuss the fashion of Lost Girl in five minute segments. Now, THAT is my kind of contribution! How fun, right? 

In fact, I think that would be a fun little installment here on the blog. We can call it, "Let's talk about ______" and fill in the blank with an actress or character, like Daenerys from Game of Thrones (that platinum blonde hair and those braids could make anything hot. And dragons? Hello? Double hotness.) Or Claire Dunphy from Modern Family (shout out to flannels and well-fitting jeans). Or Bernadette from Big Bang Theory (love her signature look, cardigan + dress + tights).  Maybe I can even sport outfits inspired by the character/actress of the hour. What do we think? About whom should we speak? Any favorite characters or actresses?

Also, tomorrow's Trendy Tuesday theme is NAUTICAL OR KNOT. (The cleverness is all my colleague's, not mine.) The tagline, however, is mine: stripes will suffice.

 

The Look:

Shirt: Forever 21 (OLD) (similar)

Belt: Dude's section at Target! (similar)

Skirt: J.Crew Factory (exact)

Blazer: LOFT via thredUP (similar)

Boots: Ralph Lauren via DSW (similar)

Elephant necklace (my favorite animal!): Lauren Conrad but Momma got it for me :)

Sunglasses: gift from Momma (she got 'em at LOFT)

 

I decided to include two outtakes for your viewing pleasure.

The first features me looking as if the F word will escape my lips at any moment.

 

My lips are so pretty.

And so are my hands.

And so are my awkwardly positioned feet.

 (I might look like a goon, but no one will be pinching me today!)

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Linking up with

Molly

The Style Record

Mix It Mondays

Green Week 

and

Style Swap

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Pinspiration & Organization

 I wanted this skirt so desperately, and after Mom (I mean...Santa) bought it for me, I was at a loss. How would I style it? It seemed too dressy to style it exactly like my other black maxi skirt. It's a bit too cold to wear just a t-shirt with it. What to do? What to do?

Well, first came a brain fart, and then came styler's block, and then came Sydney in a Pinterest carriage. I am not sure any of us remember how we dressed ourselves before Pinterest.

However, I am happy to report that I need Pinterest less often than I did in the past, but it sure has helped me make more sense of my closet. (Too bad it does not help my husband make more sense of my side of the closet. Is there an app for that?)

When the weather warms up, I think I will try a graphic tee with this skirt.

Feel free to send your ideas my way.

 The Look:

Shirt: Old Navy

Cardigan: The Limited (it's old, and it had a tie, but I cut it off.)

Skirt: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's 

Flats: Steve Madden via DSW

Necklace: Okay, it's either Francesca's or The Limited. 

 I wanted you to see the fun backs of these flats.

Speaking of Pinterest, I wanted to discuss how I organize my style boards. I used to have one big style board, but that thing was such a disorganized dump that the frustration it caused me prevented any kind of pinspiration from taking place. And then I got organized. If you do not mind indulging me, I thought we could discuss how I cleaned up shop.

Look! I made a fun graphic!

2014 Closet Resolutions -- Pictures of outfits that I can recreate with items I want to make sure I'm wearing but don't wear enough. I delete pins once I've worn the outfit and just add a picture of how I wore it on my outfits board.

Warm Weather Fashion -- (for spring and summer) some of the pins, I put a tag in the description "with tights and boots" so that I can find it when I search my boards for winter looks with tights

Cool Weather Fashion -- (for fall and winter)

Color Combinations -- This board is my favorite. It's full of color combinations I want to try (ex: coral/blush and cobalt blue). If I've tried the combination, I might move the pin to another board like "Warm Weather Fashion" because I like the silhouette.

My Outfits -- all the looks from my blog

DIY Fashion -- Tutorials AND pictures of things I want to learn to make. For example, I really liked a checked dress that I want to figure out how to make one day.

Fashion Tips & Helpful Websites -- I include pictures of one item many ways in this category. I'm thinking about making a new board for those pins.

Closet Holes & Wants -- I pin items I'd like to add to my closet. I delete them once I've added them to my closet.

Geez, that's a lot of boards, but I've found that one big board for all of the stuff is not as easy to navigate. 

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Linking up with

* Molly 

* The Style Record
* Mix it Mondays 

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Reverse 30x30: Navy Sweater & Casual Day

We try round two of the root canal today since six shots of novocaine proved useless last time. Wish me luck that he does not drill into my nerve and I still feel it this time around. 

I went to the ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor yesterday and came bearing CT films as a gift. 

You know you have super sinuses when the specialist's response to your x-rays is "WHOA. No wonder you've been in so much pain." You know me, I'm always here to impress.

Apparently, I have pan sinusitis. My teaching English to the common teenager informed me that pan means all, so I predicted that "pan" sinusitis fell into the not-so-fun category. Two of my sinus cavities are completely blocked, but ALL (where "pan" comes into play) of my sinuses are impacted in some way. Supposedly, he should have seen a wall in there. Nope, no wall. Just lots of gray. Speaking of gray, I like these gray pants. Thanks for designing them, J.Lo. 

The Look:

Sweater (reversed item): Apt 9 via Kohl's (it was surprisingly difficult to style! Very similar one from Old Navy)

Button up: Old Navy (it's surprisingly versatile. Similar gingham one from Forever 21)

Pants: J.Lo via Kohl's (similar from Old Navy)

Flats: via DSW (very similar from Zappos)

Necklace: New York & Co.  (similar from Stella & Dot) 

(Sometimes, my eyes disappear when I smile.)

Linking up with

Style Sessions

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Reversed 30x30 Update:

(Original Post in case you want pictures and a run down of this challenge)
Click on the link after each item to view the post that features it. 

1. coral and khaki skirt (look forward to this one this week!)

2. gray and yellow skirt 

3. white pencil skirt (officially waiting for spring--too cold for the outfits I have planned for it)

4. teal velvet pants (officially reversed)

5. polka dot tights (you'll see them tomorrow.)

6. khaki pants (officially returned)

7. brown boots (officially reversed)

8. black wedge booties (officially reversed)

9. red heels

10. tri-color wedges (officially reversed)

11. aztec scarf 

12. teal necklace

13. striped dress (officially reversed)

14. tan dress (officially rejected)

15. navy dress (probationally reversed)

16. polka dot shirt (officially reversed)

17. polka dot cardi (you'll see it this week.)

18. polka dot blouse (officially reversed) 

19. printed blazer (on probation, might be leaving the closet, LEAVING the closet)

20. chambray (officially reversed)

21. paisley blouse (officially rejected)

22. gray shirt (officially rejected)  

23. paisley blouse 2 (officially reversed)

24. emerald sleeveless sweater (too cold for it just yet)

25. navy sweater (officially reversed)

26. blush sweater with silver polka dots (next week)

27. silver sweater (officially rejected)

28. black sweater (next week...if I don't expatriate it)

29. white lace sweater (officially reversed)

30. orange sweater (officially reversed)

31. long-sleeve purple shirt (next week)

32. gray skinnies (these have REALLY been reversed)

33. light khakis (you'll see them later this week)

34. gold blazer (officially reversed) 

I'm almost finished! I've really started to wear some of these items (especially the brown boots and gray pants) a LOT. I'm quite glad I thought up and took on this challenge :) Anyone planning on trying it out sometime?

Teacher Wardrobe Staples: Part 3 [The Outfits]

So, Mom brought over her real camera and her real skills to take this part of the series' photographs. HOLY AWESOMENESS. 

Happy Birthday to me.

I know I said I couldn't write this post today, but the birthday fairies granted me two hours of extra time to work it in :) 

In case you're new, I've started a Teacher Wardrobe Series.

Part 1: The Stores

Part 2: The Basics 

Today is Part 3: The Outfits. 

(Tomorrow is Part 4: The Inspiration, which features readers. You could be a part of it! See more information about it at the end of this post.)

First, I did not pull all of the items from Part 2 to create these looks.

(I'll also need to write a post that includes some considerations after having created outfits with the items. I'm realizing the holes I have in my closet!) 

I'm sorry, but that is a lot of picture taking, and what will I show you for the next month!?

Now, here are the staples I pulled together for this post:

Gingham shirt, blue oxford, striped shirt, yellow (and feminine) blouse,

cobalt blue blazer, khaki blazer, and black blazer

White cardigan, gray cardigan, khaki skirt, black skirt, 

black pants, khaki/brown pants, cobalt skirt, polka dot skirt

black dress, striped dress, cap toe flats, nude kitten heels, black heels, cobalt blue wedges

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: I did NOT create all of the outfits that I could have created because I started to get sweaty and tired. I think what I've provided here is plenty of inspiration, especially since I have some other lovely ladies' outfits to show you tomorrow! 

IMPORTANT NOTE #2: Except for belts, I did not accessorize. If you want to see the series to continue with a post on accessorizing, feel free to let me know. I like you, so I can make it happen.

So, here goes:

The striped dress is great with a blazer, a cardigan, heels, flats, belted, or not belted.

A look I did not include but would be cute is the blue oxford tied over top and knotted in the front.

 (Or a black blazer instead of a white cardigan)

I'm seeing so many more possibilities now that I'm reviewing the pictures.

A black dress works well with a button up, a blazer, or a cardigan. 

OR ANYTHING.

Mom did NOT take the last three pictures. They were in the archive. 

I wanted to include them because one look shows a printed skirt, another shows a printed dress, and the last shows a more casual Friday kind of look.

Your colored blazer does not have to be cobalt blue, but I bet you want one now! 

Who would've thought a little yellow blouse could cover so much sartorial ground?

I prefer it tucked in, but it looks great loose. 

I love the two skirt looks. 

LOOK! My husband came home during the photo shoot and matched one of my outfits. I made him pose with me. As you can see, he's excited. 

Obviously, I could include a bajillion outfits with the striped shirt, but I've already written a post on striped shirt inspiration. (Excuse some of the dead pictures. I need to figure out how to fix those! I didn't know some of them died until just now.)

In all of these looks, both shirts are interchangeable, which is why I included them on a collage together.

I think the khaki skirt look is my favorite. I'm excited to wear it to work! 

After writing this post, I am so game for a 30x30 challenge. Right here, I have 14 looks, and I could easily double them. And I only have 21 items here instead of 30. I might have inspired myself. 

What a cheeseball. And a narcissist. 

If you would like to see me write more posts like this one, I'd love to have your feedback. 

Don't forget to e-mail me a picture of you wearing your favorite teacher outfit. 

(You do NOT have to be a teacher; it can be a teacher-inspired ensemble.)

(You do NOT have to be a blogger either!)

If you ARE a blogger and the picture comes from a post on your blog, provide me with the link to the original content, please! If you're not a blogger, tell me how you'd prefer I credit you :) 

E-mail me at

teamwebchick@gmail.com

Lawnmower and Heels

I didn't catch any "real" pictures of yesterday's outfit, but here's a craptastic one for your viewing pleasure. (I'm a little sad about not having a photo shoot to showcase this outfit because I love the color combination inspired by my Target scarf.)

(Craptastic quality makes the skirt look black, but it's navy.) 

Jeff agreed to take pictures today under one condition: "You need action shots. None of this just standing there and posing." Sure, honey. What did you have in mind? 

Well, he instructed me on how to pose with the lawnmower. I feel so industrial. 

FYI: My shirt has light colored stripes that match my pants. 

Jeff said, "act like you're starting it up." So, I'm starting it up. 

"Act like you're pushing it." (Because people typically push lawn mowers from the side.)

"Act like you're putting gas in it." 

O.K.

I call this my "I'm Captain Morgan. Look at my cute heels" pose. He let me choose my own.

Anyway, I love today's outfit mainly because I'm wearing my favorite summer heels and a bright color. 

Excitement just bubbled over when I realized that I could break out these bad boys. 

Yesterday, I made the mistake of wearing boots to work. It was 80 something degrees.

Calf sweat is not lovely. Blech.

Outfit Deets:

Pants: American Eagle

Shirt: I feel like a real fashion blogger because I'm telling you ONE that it's from J.Crew and TWO that I thrifted it. Look at me go. 

Shoes: Me Too via Marshall's or DSW (not sure which)

Necklace: Target

Linking up tomorrow with WIWW and Because Shanna Said So. 

Backstreet's Back, Alright.

I bet you missed me, right? 

As you should because I'M.SO.FUN.

and humble.

(And even better in real life.)

So, my best friend got married. 

I wore this:

IT HAD POCKETS. WHAAAAAAT?! 

One of which held a tissue covered in both the bride's and groom's snot.

If that's not love, then I don't know what is.

(I'll tell you more about it all another day...preferably one that involves more pictures!)

I also finished my monster paper for grad class. Whew, what a relief. 

I can officially reenter society.

Since a lot of people complimented today's outfit, I thought I'd share it with ya.

One of my students asked me what was with my hair lately.

I responded, "This is my I-value-sleep-more-than-hair look." 

Anyone else have those 'dos? This one has withstood the test of time.

It was my trusty 'do in high school, too. 

Gosh, I'm cool.

Aaaaand, you're welcome.

Outfit Details:

Shirt: Express (similar)

Cardigan: NY & Co. (similar)

Pants: NY & Co. (similar)

Shoes: Aerosoles via Marshall's (similar)

Belt: Target

Linkin' this piece up with WIWW and Shanna.

Tile Store

Good afternoon, folks.

I'm making this one a quick one because we're back to work on putting in new flooring in the kitchen and dining room. We've hit quite a few hiccups, so things are progressing slower than we anticipated. However, that's pretty normal with this family.

Anyway, we went to the tile store this morning to pick up more thinset and grout. I decided to look presentable for the first time in five days. You're welcome.

It's a converse kind of day.

And now for the full-body shots (not that kind of body shot, perverts.) 

We need a new welcome mat.

Wish us luck on today's tiling adventure. (Actually, we have yet to tile. Like I said, lots of hiccups. More like a belch.)

Fun fact: right after Jeff took these pictures, I dropped my sunglasses and popped out one of the lenses. Luckily, the lenses pop in as easily as they pop out. Awesome. 

Outfit Deets:

Sweatshirt: Target clearance

Striped shirt: Target

Jeans: American Eagle

Converse: DSW

Sunglasses: NY & Co. 

Scarf: Made by Momma :)

Check ya later, home skillets!