I am drawn to a bohemian vibe in fashion-- I do like to experiment with clothes and I have many fashion moods, but I always revert to hippie. I blame my childhood~* I don't mean the dreadlocked, ear-plugged version of bohemian, which is a relatively modern trend and seems to be the teen-twenty something rebellion du jour (no offense intended to those of you exploring your wild side). I am referring to the ageless style characterized by simple softness and casual romance. Gentleness, comfort, peace & love man.
Spent the entire day (The. Entire. Day.) waiting to get my eyes checked, getting my eyes checked, picking out frames then waiting for my glasses. Luckily the hubs was with me & we wasted wonderful amounts of time trolling the shopping center, drinking coffee, laughing at memedroid, checking out stuff at Lowes hardware & having fresh hummus & pitas down at Babylon~*
Good news is I can see. Bad news is I have to wear glasses to do it. Sigh. I wonder how long it will be before I lose them.
After that we picked up the Things at school (shout out to Thing 2-- he came in 6th @ the sectionals the other day, which does not qualify him to go to state, but as a high school freshman its purdy durned awesome) & we lounged & had a fruit & cheese dinner & life is generally good. And clear. Thanks to my pink wire framed glasses. Sigh...
I am still planning on getting my treasures up today, though there has been yet another obstacle. It is the end of the semester after all-- the time when everything that can go wrong, will~*
In today's episode of As The Semester Ends, the viewer finds the history professor without her lecture for tomorrow's morning class on the history of computers {cue Law & Order theme 'doink doink'}.
This is a bit of a problem & requires my immediate attention. Thank God we took pictures yesterday as I got home & immediately put on my thinking clothes aka sweats {does anyone else think better in sweats? I teach better in dresses...though to be fair I've never actually taught in sweats so maybe I'm even more brilliant then~*}.
Floral Dress / Thrifted Abercrombie & Fitch ; Beige Tank Dress / NY& Co ; Sweather/ Thrifted Gap
I am currently shirking my responsibilities for a bit to load this post. And that is why I adore my blog {and all of yours too}-- they are wonderful diversions~*
As is my wonderful husband who helped me put together my presentation for tomorrow. Can I take a minute to brag on my hubs? Because in all sincerity, he is the best human being ever imagined & I am very lucky. & I'm not even saying that because I want something~*
Okay, time to get back to it-- hopefully, if all goes well, I'll wrap up this presentation in just a few, then will be back here with my treasure list for the week~*
Today the pictures were not working...not Thing 3's problem of course, but I've got summer-itis big time & it shows...I have a hard time keeping still~*
Owl t-shirt / Sealmaiden ; Ruched navy tank & brown maxi skirt / Victoria's Secret ; Purse/ Target
Its too bad too, because I really like my outfit...I got the owl t-shirt from Sealmaiden on Etsy and I adore it. First off the graphic is awesome, secondly the color combo is to die for & thirdly {& most important) it is soooooooo soft! Oh, and it was very affordable {this is not some sort of paid endorsement & I am not affiliated with her, though I wish I was because the shirt is awesome & I would love more of her designs...did I mention it is really soft?}. Go there. Buy one. Trust me~*
I wore it with a ruched tank top & another maxi skirt from Victoria's Secret {via MJRsales which is another awesome site...I got a lot of VS Most-Loved Mixers there at great prices-- its a great line, most comfy & worth picking up at mjr or when they go on sale at VS...go there after you hit up Sealmaiden~*}. All together it was a soft, comfortable, there-are-only-3-weeks-left-in-the-semester type outfit.
Only 3 weeks left! Well, technically 3 weeks to teach & 1 week for finals....but I don't give final exams, just final papers, and they are fun to grade so its all good~*
All the classes are on track except HIST 2020, American History since 1877. I'm perennially behind in that class..sigh. There is just so much to cover! Which brings me to today's music. This song pretty much covers what I have left...which will give you an idea how my next 3 weeks will be~*
I have loved Billy Joel ever since I was a kid. I stole the album The Stranger from my parents, Cold Spring Harbor was the first tape I got to play on my Walkman knock-off, I took the bus into the city so I could pick up The Bridge the day it was released & my Senior Prom theme was "This is the Time." I've seen him in concert twice. I had a skinny red satin piano key necktie & red converse. I can sing all his songs including this one. You might say I am a fan. I know its not cool or indie of me, but I think he's awesome~*
So now I'm gonna chill & get ready for Tuesday...this week is already going faster than last one & it's gonna be summertime before I know it {woot!}
All my wishes came true today, & I didn't even get the chance to wish them!
After a foggy, misty & moist morning, the sun broke out just as I wrapped up my last class for today- Woot!
Maxi Skirt & Turquoise Tank / Victoria's Secret ; Floral Thermal / Target ; Belt/Thrifted ; Sandals / I'm barefooted because the strap on my sandal broke!
There are clouds on the horizon, but for now it is beautiful! If that weren't enough, the part came for our broken washing machine & the hubs has fixed it & it is up & running yay! It has only been a week & a half, but quite a bit of laundry has built up {sigh}.
Thing 3 took those stunning pics of a flowering vine we have {she was on a roll}. So pretty. I am hoping she will get more edited today so I can show you tomorrow!
Here's hoping all your wishes came true today! I'm gonna go wash some towels~*
Classes went well & I am very nearly caught up with HIST2020, which is generally a class that I am perpetually behind in...last semester I barely made it through the First Gulf War, which was very upsetting to me. I am fully aware that the vast majority of my students will never have another American history class after the required 2010 {US through the Civil War} and 2020 {Reconstruction to the Present day}. Our history has been so tortured by politicians that most students have no idea what our actual history is... is it the same done in other countries? I imagine it is fairly common political tactic or at any rate, it is a great way to manipulate people.
Pinstripe navy & white blazer / Thrifted, St. John's Bay ; Mustard Sundress / Thrifted, no label ; Tights/ Worthington ; Shoes/ Bamboo ; Belt / Forever21 ; Sunglasses / Gas station...cheapest I could find after breaking my last pair
My hubs had some awesome news-- he got 2 summer classes, both online! Woot! Online classes are rather wonderful. We create movies using window movie maker by making images of our powerpoints then recording our lecture as an audio file {we've done this separately as we've both had online classes in the past, though we've actually done a few classes interview style with both of us talking to each other}. The movies are then uploaded through the school web program, and students watch them according to the syllabi schedule. Each video ends with a question for discussion, then the students debate the subject on the class discussion board. Papers are done online and ...sorry, probably way more info than you care to have...just trust me, its cool. They are a lot of fun AND, best part, he'll get to be home while doing it. Yay!
He is hoping to pick up a traditional class too, but at least he'll be mostly home & there won't be much change in pay. I'm full time faculty, so I get paid the same every month year round, but he is an adjunct, so he gets paid per class during the semester. Usually our summers are lean because he goes from teaching 5 or 6 classes to teaching 1 or 2...but if he picks up a traditional class as well we'll be in the gravy as compared to past summers!
Mac likes to photo bomb...sigh.
The other bit of lovely news involves my beloved TT. He had a bit of an issue this weekend in as much as his left axle decided it no longer wished to cooperate with the rest of the car. That sounds terrible awful, but it wasn't that bad or expensive to fix. But after fixing the obvious bit, the mechanic called saying there was an error reading, and, to make a long story short, the brakes were about to explode or some such thing. And, even better, there was nothing he could do about it because they did not have the tools needed to work on the Audi {we love our mechanics, they are the best guys ever-- they are awesome}. Pandemonium ensued. There is no way we could afford a new ABS system. Hubs was tense. I was tense. The Things were tense. Poosh was okay, but then, he's Poosh.
Isn't he cute?
Anyway.
After spending a frantic Saturday trying to locate an Audi mechanic, surfing the web for more information on the problem, and talking to our regular mechanics {again, awesome guys}, we finally put a call in to Chill Joe "Muffin" McGee, Thing 1's boyfriend.
In addition to being an engineering major, good guy & general genius, Chill Joe is also the owner of an Audi TT that he works on as a hobby. One call from Thing 1, and he agreed to come over {from college...a few hours away...because he's just that Chill} to check it out.
Here he comes to save the day!
After looking under the hood, under the car & under the dash, then tentatively driving it around Chill Joe could detect nothing wrong. He gave us the number of his Audi guy {who is about 1/2 an hour away from us} and we tried not to panic as we waited to call on Monday. Which we did. Turns out, it is nothing. The error reading comes up if the system has been reset, which it was when the axle was replaced. We are good. Thank you Chill Joe "Muffin" McGee's mechanic, you are chill too~*
So to honor chillness, functioning brakes, summer classes & Mondays, today's musical selection is Sun is Shining, by Bob Marley-- a favorite of Chill Joe "Muffin" McGee, savior of all things Audi.
Click play, close your eyes, get chill, & enjoy what is left of your Monday~*
I was Stumbling and I came across a site that got me thinking...& now I am in the mood to dispense unasked for advice~*
No offense or anything to those who believe that there are dress codes for every decade of life, but I tend to wear what I like without really worrying about it...in case you haven't noticed.
The site I came across was one of those geared to 40something women. I love {sarcasm}websites that dictate what you are supposed to wear at what age-- giving all these completely arbitrary rules & regulations... This site in particular cracked me up {I will not name it because I think these sites, while amusing, are a large part of what is wrong with society & I don't want to encourage them lol}. So anyway, on this site women 40 and over send in pictures of themselves asking whether or not the outfit is age appropriate. Sigh.
Yeah, really. And women do this...
Nowhere did I see a picture of a woman wearing something that was age inappropriate...I did see several pics of women squeezing into too small a size, or wearing what can only be described as tramp gear, but it isn't inappropriate because of the woman's age-- one ought to realize that micro mini skirts, stretch pants, Lolita dresses & belly shirts look trashy on women of any age.
Seriously.
If one is a super model, one may be able to pull the above looks off in some sort of cutting edge editorial spread, but when that same outfit is worn in real life, well lets be honest, it is a bit embarrassing. Obviously people should wear whatever they like-- but the idea that the only reason the average woman shouldn't wear stretch pants with a belly shirt any place other than the gym is her age is just plain silly.
I am no expert, believe me, but I consider it a mark of achievement in today's world that I don't worry about what I want to wear beyond "does it fit," "is it cute," and "will it make me happy to wear it."
One of the most important tricks I've learned about personal fashion is that you need to know what you like. Are you a comfort over style sort of person? Do you like floral prints & romance or do you prefer clean & crisp? Maybe you are like me & are a mood at the moment dresser...
So how do you discover what it is you like? Do a little online window shopping-- use sites like Pinterest to save whatever you find appealing. Scour blogs, check out online mags, surf stores, meander. Periodically go back over what you save-- delete stuff that you saved on impulse because your friend, mom, sister, co worker et al. said it was cute. Get rid of items you think your significant other would think was "hot." {Dressing for the people you love is never, never, never a good idea...if all is well in your relationships they love you for who you are, not what they want to make you look like...but more on that in a later post}. Leave only what you like-- things that make you smile when you see them, things that you can imagine wearing while doing something you love.
Like making your daughter pose while you yell, "Now you are a lemming!" "Now an iguana!" "Now a ballet dancer with a leg cramp!"
Don't worry about whether or not the things you pin would look good on you-- the intent isn't to buy it. What you are looking for is the common elements. After you've saved a bunch, look over the whole board and look for common elements between the pieces. Do you have lots of ditsy floral? Is there a certain sort of sleeve that keeps appearing? Lots of dresses or do you pick pants? What colors keep appearing? Break the board down to common elements, and those elements represent your personal style~*
For example, I tend to have seriously eclectic taste, but there are common themes: I tend to prefer vintage {in both style and manufacture}, I lean toward the bohemian/nerdy, I prefer dresses & skirts instead of pants. I like little details-- the well placed bow, the hidden pocket, the pearl buttons. I'm not too in to pattern mixing {some people look cute in it, but it tends to grate on my nerve}, but I do like florals and plaids when mixed with solids. And I like telling a story with what I wear-- connecting everything together.
Oh, and while I like to be comfortable, I don't mind a little discomfort if I really like the way something looks~*
There is a link to my Pinterest site on the side bar if you want to check out what other pieces I've pinned. And while you are looking, set up your own account. Try it. Trust me. It works. And the real beauty of it is that you don't spend a cent while you are figuring out where your taste truly lies. Knowing what you are drawn to, what you like, is the first step to defining your own sense of style.
Thing 3 and I went to the store today after class~*
The always lovely Thing 3~*
And I got to use my new camera *giggle*
Texting the boyfriend, who shall here-to-for be known as Stretch
We were both taking pictures...the people at the fabric store must have thought we'd lost our minds LOL
I got some fabric & grosgrain ribbon for an upcoming dress repair...I have a wonderful shift dress with a blue toile type floral pattern which I adore, but it as a tad shorter than I can get away with at work & I am going to give it a mustard border to lengthen it...it looks wonderful in my mind~*
Dress/Vintage 1970's sweater dress; tights/Target; Shoes/Colin Stuart
Thing 3 is still a better photographer than me...sigh...
Ordinarily I would have wishes today...little dandelion wishes, not gazillion dollar ones.... But life is most sweet today! Wonderful classes, fun shopping with Thing 3, hubby made delicious potato soup for dinner, my classes are prepped & ready for tomorrow & there is one So Long and Thanks for All the Fish cake that the Things saved for me ...all & all things are smashing grand.
So this Wishful Wednesday, I will leave the wishing up to you~*
As of today, I am officially the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything~*
You have been warned.
Any Douglas Adams fans?
Fantastic day-- 80 degrees of gorgeousness {after all, in the face of the Ultimate Answer, what chance does a little thing like weather have?}. I brought cookies to my students {college kids need cookies too}.
Dress/Thrifted Mossimo from Target ; Brown tank top/ Old Navy ; Necklace & Earrings/Kohls, years ago
Hairstyle courtesy of the convertible. I had it all down in surfer girl waves during the day, but the weather was too gorgeous to keep the top up on the way home. Fortunately I was able to score a rubber band buried in the glove box or I would have had my usual post-convertible dreadlocks~*
I adore these shoes. They are vintage 1970's Candies. When I was a kid, all the glamorous teenagers had shoes like these {& those cool hand tooled leather purses that they "colored in" with paint...& a fondness for big buttons with smiley faces & whatnot that they would pin to the shoulder strap...but I digress}. In the late 90's I stumbled across this pair on ebay. I treasure them. They make me a cool kid~*
My husband is cooking me country fried steak. A succulent delicacy that I had never had {hailing, as I did, from Cali-forny way} until he cooked it for me for the first time numerous years ago. My God it is good. Too rich & calorie heavy for everyday, but delectable on a special occasion. Like my birthday.
Party tonight with Thing 1 made cake-y goodness & my parents coming over. Pictures will be posted of the festivities thanks to my very own camera that my lovely hubby got for me {yay!}. The house is clean. My work is done. Life is good~*
So for today's music Monday, let's get down with a song recorded the year & month I was born-- here is Free performing All Right Now {recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival after it was released}
Great first day back after Spring Break! Everything went smoothly & life is groovy~*
Spring may have sprung {fingers crossed}...the tree in the backyard certainly seems to think so , though the rain clouds aren't so sure. It hasn't started raining yet, but they are predicting thunderstorms today & tomorrow...sigh...
Dress/ Vintage Thrifted from Revamped Resale ; Necklace/Forever21
Tights/Hue from TJMaxx; Shoes/ Colin Stuart from mjrsales
Now I have to update the class D2L sites {Desire2Learn-- I use discussion boards on D2L to keep conversations going, which is a great encouragement to those students too shy to ask questions or join in class discussions}. Updating the sites were the one thing I forgot to do over Spring Break...oh well.
OH the Music part of Music Monday! I just found Emily & the Woods-- hope you enjoy!
Great gray Monday to you...at least, its gray & rainy up here.
No complaints about the day thus far...everything has gone swimmingly~* Thing 3 had bridge ideas for today's snaps, so we went down the road after I got home...
I think it was a good idea~*
A bus went by while she was shooting-- she got so excited {the bus was yellow, my tights were yellow, she went into fits of artistic bliss} & then there was a quest for more yellow {maybe the lack of sunshine made us seek a substitute}
And just when things were going well, it started to rain & we were tired & getting cold...so we decided to call today's photos a fait accompli
So now I am home, in my fleece & slippers, getting ready for Warcraft, which has become my Monday tradition {unwind by shooting things}
But I haven't forgotten the music in Music Monday & with Valentine's Day so near, this song has been taking a tour through my brain. So enjoy the Weepies video for Be My Honeypie & enjoy the pretty couples & dream about being in love~*
