Whoa, there I am.

Brief recap: I talked about participating in the Neiman Marcus beauty campaign (too many times, I do believe) here (making friends), here (the itinerary), and here (some things I learned). Anyway, my point of contact e-mailed me a few days ago to let me know that Neiman Marcus announced the campaign and the winners on Facebook and their blog, so I thought you might want to know more about the other winners and go read their brief bios.

Note: they say I'm from the D.C. area, but I do not actually live in D.C. I hail from Maryland, but D.C. is less than an hour from me. It might be the capitol of our nation and all, but it's pretty much a part of Maryland, right? Haha. (I'm better at geography than that; I can assure you. Sort of.) My face might be plastered all over this little corner of the internet, but it is still bizarre to see my face elsewhere in cyberspace.

Moving on, I kind of changed my system for getting pictures for the blog. I used to pick out my outfits on the weekend to prepare for the next week, but our weather (and my classroom) has been so unpredictable that I ended up changing outfits in real life. I want this blog to reflect what I actually wear, so I now have Mom take photos of most outfits after I wear them instead of before. Sure, they might be a tad wrinklier that way, but I also know before I have the pictures taken whether or not the outfit was practical for a full day of teaching/doing whatever I was doing when I wore it.

This outfit was really comfortable, and I just love the color combination. I also wore lime and cobalt last summer. I think that dress inspired my love of lime and cobalt together. Of course, we already know I love cobalt with pretty much anything. Can I now draw your attention to the cut of these pants? They're not skinny pants. Would you like to know how old they are? I will tell you: sixteen years old. My pants are as old as the students I teach. WHEN DID I GET HERE?

At least they haven't disintegrated like one of my dad's shirts. Honest to goodness, my Dad put on a shirt from high school, and half of the sleeve disappeared in a plume of smoke when he tried to put his arm in the armhole. The craziest magic trick I ever did see. If my dad is in his 60s and can still fit into clothes from high school, then I don't see why I can't be almost 30 and still fit into clothes from 8th grade. Combat boots and scrunchy socks aside, some of my adolescent style was classic. (Hey overalls, leggings, and crop tops made a comeback, and those were my wardrobe staples in the days of yore. I was so ahead of the times.)

I smirk at you.

The Look:

Shirt: Target

Cardigan: Target 

Belt: Target (whaaaat? I didn't even realize how Target-themed I was!)

Pants: Express via Gabriel Brothers (my favorite place to shop when I visited my grandparents' in Cumberland, MD)

Shoes: Sylvia wedges via J.Crew Factory (seriously, they are so comfortable.)

Earrings: local boutique

I wanted to show you my little earrings. They're so cute and tiny.

More tees, please.

Do you ever go on a hunt for more short-sleeved shirts and wonder what's up with the lack of prints? Despite my innate love for polka dots, stripes, and floral, I want some "different" prints. Can you give me a Jackson-Pollock-inspired top (like an "abstract" polka dot shirt)? What about a tee with chevron sleeves while the rest of it is solid colored? What about a pretty pink and white tee with ballerina shoes on it? A light yellow tee with little gray and white polka dotted bows? 

Now, blouses and button ups in a zillion prints seem to abound (even ones adorned with fruit exist!), but I find that those aren't as easy to tuck in as a fitted tee is. And, if you've spent any amount of time here, you know I typically prefer to tuck my shirts (this look excluded). Plus, long-sleeved button ups and blouses are impractical for warm weather. 

Which brings me to my next request: can someone make me short sleeved button ups? (None of this pullover nonsense; I don't enjoy getting stuck inside of my shirts.) Everything for spring can't possibly be sleeveless or long-sleeved. Sleeveless tops mean those of us in professions where we don't want to show our shoulders are forced to pair a cardigan with every top we wear. Sometimes, it's too blazing hot in our classroom or office to wear a cardigan. Just give me short sleeves, please. 

I know I say all of this while donning a polka dot shirt and a leather jacket. In my defense, it was still cool enough to wear another layer. 

I'm probably alone in my request, which is why no one is selling more of what I want. Ho hum. 

The Look:

Top: Express

Leather Jacket: Wilson's Leather (got it for like $35 on Black Friday)

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Me Too via DSW (a few years old)

Making Friends at Neiman Marcus

Color is awesome and all, but I do love a sharp black and white look, too. Now, this dress is a smidge   too short for work, but it's a hot little number for dinner, which is where I wore it. On our first night for the Neiman Marcus event, we ate dinner in the hotel's pretty restaurant. I donned this dress and threw my leather jacket over top because I never know when I'll get cold. 

I have to admit that I worried about this event a lot beforehand. Images of pretentious, too-good-to-be-around-me women danced above my head. Seriously, I'm a high school English teacher who thinks prairie dogs are the best animals at the zoo and talks about poop far too often. Fortunately, everyone involved proved my fears wrong. On the car ride from the airport to the hotel, I met one of the Beauty Department Managers, Pat. Hailing from Florida, she is kind and a good listener. She also appreciates my sense of humor, which is a key factor in my deciding someone's worth. 

When I arrived at the hotel, I met coordinators, Caroline, who was quiet with a nice smile and gams I wish I had, and Dru, a petite fellow gluten-free lady. They were the women behind the scenes of the whole operation. The first winner I met was Jessica, who just graduated law school in South Carolina. We immediately hit it off and both found great comfort in the fact that we considered each other "normal" (not all uptight and persnickety).  I met Ashley, a writer and essential genius from Hawaii. (I'll be honest: she can wear J.Crew like no one I've ever met, and she can rock a pixie cut like a boss.) I loved talking to Gale, a doctor from California. She is the head doctor for Paul Walker's non-profit organization, ROWW (reaching out worldwide). I might just have to visit her in CA. I enjoyed meeting all of the girls, but my Beauty Department Manager, Claudio, takes the cake. That guy knows his way around the beauty department (he'd make a good teacher!) and he truly understood my sense of humor. Possibly to his dismay, I'd be his BFF if we didn't live 8+ hours apart. 

Quite honestly, the free clothes and gifts were awesome, but meeting new people was the best part for me. (Plus, I loved getting my mom on a plane for the first time in 40 years.) Actually, the best part about life is the relationships that we build. Am I right? And our relationship with ourselves counts, for the record. Now, that is the beauty of life, folks. 

The Look:

Dress: Banana Republic via thredUP

Shoes: BCBG via Boscov's 

Necklace: The Limited

The attack of the bumblebees isn't just a song. It's real life. My life. I decided to amuse you with my antics. 

Mom said, "Well, taking pictures of your clothes is most important. I'm trying to get a picture of your necklace. Smile." And I gave her this...

Sweet neck muscles, eh?

Splurge vs. Save with Sandy from Grease

I have worn the heck out of this jacket since I found it for a mere $25 on thredUP, but it's made it to the blog only one other time. It took months to find this jacket because every other option I found cost more than I wanted to spend. I scored the jacket on a Monday because thredUP offers 10% off on Mondays and free return shipping any time if you order through a mobile app. (I fill the cart on my computer and complete the transaction on my iPad or phone.)

Let's talk about some of the pricey options I've found that look almost identical to mine:

• This $505 looks almost identical to my find, but I'd never spend that much on a coat with my measly teacher's salary.
• This $895 option on Shopbop was never going to happen.
• If that one wasn't going to work, then this $3800 Gucci jacket is out of the question

As you can see from this jacket and its lookalikes, I wanted a jacket with a collar that didn't make me feel claustrophobic, some embellishments, and not so cropped that I felt awkward wearing it over a cardigan. (I needed the coat to keep me warm outside and the cardigan to keep me warm when the jacket had to come off at work.) I wasn't sold on the jacket's buckle until I saw some genius tie a knot in the strap to keep it from flopping around awkwardly. Crisis averted.

Okay, maybe you're wondering why I would think to show you so many pretty options without showing you something similar to mine for a lower price point. Fret not. I found some comparable jackets for less than $50.

Let's see some similar options under $50:

• This Topshop jacket is on sale for $40.
• This Nasty Gal jacket is on sale for $44. 
• This option at Kohl's is $36 (down from $120!)

When I went to Dallas for the Faces of Beauty campaign, this jacket was my all star piece. It was perfect for the cold airport, restaurants, and Neiman Marcus. It transitions quite smoothly from day to night. And it makes spring outfits feel a little edgy. In this look from last week, I decided to go monochromatic, something I don't typically do.

My students told me that I looked like Sandy from Grease. Actually, one of my colleagues came toward me snapping like the greasers in the movie. I didn't have the heart to admit that I don't like the movie Grease. I realize that my opinion is in the minority.

The Look:

Jacket: Buffalo by David Bitton (via thredup)

Tank: White House Black Market (OLD)

Pants: Exact Stretch ankle pants from The Limited (exact)

Sandals: Sole Society (I bought them during a 40% off promo. Find them here.)

Belt: The Limited (exact)

(This is my snapping picture.)

For the record, Erin, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Credit Card Insider, asked me to be part of a campaign about savvy spending (my way of phrasing it) by posting about an item on which I could have splurged but instead found it cheaper. I immediately thought of this jacket. I received no compensation; I just agree with what this campaign is trying to promote!

What I Did with Neiman Marcus

Should I call this post Hanging out with Neiman Marcus in Dallas, part two? Today, let's talk about the itinerary.

Day 1:
* Wake up at 3:45 in the morning, stumble around the apartment in a sleepy delirium, feel thankful that husband makes delicious breakfast every day, and leave the apartment by 5a.m.

* Arrive at airport, feel thankful husband is a veteran at flying and happily prints out boarding passes for Mom and me, stand in security long enough to realize that bottle of water is creeping up on my bladder and glare at Mom for managing to get through the "quick" line, fight with buckles on shoes and curse myself for wearing said shoes, and make it onto flight.

* Give Mom oil to put behind her ears in an attempt to prevent motion sickness, find out Mom is allergic to eucalyptus which is in said oil, furiously wipe behind Mom's ear with a wet one in order to remove eucalyptus oil, and make it to Dallas. (Mom white knuckled the arm rests for the entire flight.)

* Wait for baggage at baggage claim, watch as an old woman in a wheelchair tossed her cat in a glorified duffle bag onto the floor and lint rolled the cat while it was in the bag, wait around for the driver who finally got a hold of me, make it to the hotel.

* After exiting the car, photographers and videographers filmed me as I entered the hotel, the Joule. I wondered why they'd want proof of how haggard I looked after waking up early and sleeping on a plane. Thankfully, I had the foresight to put on lipstick before exiting the car. I entered and exited the building several times so that they could get multiple shots.

* After I met the coordinators and checked in, I face timed two of my colleagues so that I could show them our sweet hotel room.

* I met another one of the winners, and we hit it off immediately. We had a chance to check out the Neiman Marcus store a few blocks down from the hotel. They asked us to enter and exit the store several times (I was beginning to feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day) as they videotaped and photographed. At one point, a grody guy leaned out of the passenger side of a Honda Civic and yelled, "How much, ladies?" Right away, I felt a little slice of Baltimore was right there in the heart of Dallas.

* At the store, two of us had our fitting. (The first girl I met.) SO MANY pretty and expensive clothes. I ended up picking a navy Kate Spade sweater dress and a white Theory blazer. Another blazer to add to my collection? I don't mind if I do. I got to keep the outfit! The stylist had awesome, curly, gray hair and glasses like Edna from The Incredibles.

* After our fittings, we decided to get something to eat because we were hangry. My friend who now lives in Texas and my cousin met up with Mom, my new friend, and me. We ate at a nice little restaurant on the corner of St. Paul and Main Street called Wild Salsa.

* We had a little more down time and then met up with everyone for dinner at the hotel. The chicken was the most delicious chicken I have ever tasted. I know it's weird to rave about chicken, but the chicken was scrumptious.

Note: Every winner was paired up with a Beauty Department Manager, who was our point of contact before the event and during the event. Mine was Claudio, and I don't think they could've paired me up with a better person!

* My new friend, Mom, and I all sat at the bar after dinner and chatted before bed.

* Bed time.

Day 2:

* Wake up at buttcrack of dawn. Play in coolest shower ever for 45 minutes. Spend 15 of those minutes trying not to scald the crap out of myself.

* The same girl they paired me up with for the fitting was the same girl I went in for make up and hair with. Make up and hair at 7 a.m. with the funniest make-up artist whom I told to do whatever it took to prevent me from looking haggard.

* At this point, things get a little hazy for awhile because things were so jam packed that it took me three hours to finish my breakfast of a muffin and fruit. It consisted of four things:
      -- Video interview of just me on camera
      -- Photoshoot with Claudio, the manager paired up with me (they wanted to pictures of the
        manager showing us how to do something)
      -- Group shot of all the managers and winners
      -- Video shoot with Claudio (same as the photoshoot but moving pictures)

* After all of the pictures and videos, I had to return to reality.

The campaign launches in August because it's for the fall. (I realize a white blazer doesn't scream fall, but their wardrobe choices weren't really very fall-like. Of course, I didn't have much of a problem with that. I think navy and white work all year round, no?)

In the future, I'll be telling you more about some of the products I received. (I am SO excited to try Neulash!)

Since I wanted to look more "fall" like, I wore this outfit with booties instead of these shoes. However, I really like this look. 

The Look:

Shirt: LOFT (new--exact in light lobster)

Skirt: Francesca's (also worn here and here)

Shoes: Me Too via DSW (also worn here)

Belt: Target

Seriously, who knew this $15 skirt would get so much mileage? 

What an all star. 

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 :)

Essays aren't the only things in need of revisions.

When Mom and I took pictures of this outfit, I hadn't considered the blustery, rainy, cold front that would pass through on the day I planned to wear it. When I actually wore it, I pulled a typical me and tucked in the shirt, belted the pants, and threw on a white blazer. (If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw this look on Tuesday!) Anyway, I felt much better in the revised version because it felt more "me." I know blogland is all "HALF TUCK THE SHIRT," but I typically prefer a full tuck for work outfits. I feel more polished. When you deal with teenage funk all day, anything that makes you feel more put together prevents that "I think I smell like teen spirit now" feeling. 

Anyway, I can't believe I once considered ousting this top from my closet. Its sunny yellow disposition rubs off on me, and it worked perfectly for this week's Trendy Tuesday theme, bows. The ladies wore bows in their hair, shirts tied in bows, shirts in bow print, and headbands with bows. The gents took the opportunity to wear bow ties. (Check me out on Instagram if you want to see how I revised the look for a frigid classroom.) I also switched from these shoes to a lower heel that also sported bows on the front. How appropriate. 

The Look:

Shirt: New York & Co.

Pants: Express (the Columnist in slim cut)

Shoes: via DSW

I also wore the shirt this way:

(crappy picture but the blazer is navy)

I also wore the heels this way:

(I had to donate the shirt because it shrunk and same with the cardigan.)

And the pants this way:

Linking up with

* What I Wore to Work (http://www.mixmatchfashion.com/)

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