tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054509691648619572024-03-20T03:14:29.547-07:00Ms. Taylor Goes to WashingtonMs. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-4605440594128217272017-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:002017-12-29T19:44:09.256-08:00A New WebsiteHi all! Over winter break, I took the time to make this blog a bit more formal. I've started posting on www.mstaylorgoestowashington.com<br />
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I'm hoping this new location will make it easier to find me and will offer me a few more options for how I post. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-2291667960352870392017-12-16T20:59:00.002-08:002017-12-16T20:59:40.483-08:00And Then I Embraced Ankle Boots...Hi! I hope most of you are enjoying the start of a much-deserved break. I'm still a few days away from the sweet sound of...well...I guess it's the lack of a sound...the lack of an alarm.<br />
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The outfit I'm discussing today is proof, that while I am not really an early adapter to some trends, I do, eventually, give in. I was this way with capris, skinny jeans, and now we can add wearing ankle boots with skirts to the list.<br />
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I do feel the need to brag and say that I was quick to embrace booties. It's just the casual ankle boots with skirts that I'm just now coming around to. But I have, evidently, fully embraced the trend because I wore this combination twice in the same week.<br />
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I love this because it gets me out of heels for a day and keeps my feet so nice and warm. Flats are really, really not a good look for me, especially with skirts and if you add in tights, I totally look like a little girl going to get her school pictures taken. I know several taller women who look very Mary-Tyler-Moore-like in their flats, but that's just not me. I assume it has something to do with my height. So--while it's important to sort out what cuts of pants work for you, etc. It also is important to know what shoes work for your body type and the way you spend your day. I somehow handle heels pretty well most days as long as I've been picky in selecting well-made heels. And on cold days when I'm worried about warmth or black ice, I'm a big fan of riding boots, and now ankle boots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtotLQcVivVsv-wn4owIAFBpvwrEttMAajNAisQ5ByyoUyYcx5OkNloUfBYdqhcXFLOFV21Virr6hdsU3AYEU6ImoT_d6tToKHKMJonWRDz7o1RDXzha2IjKxZvqiRFLsqrdwuDr0V4dmO/s1600/IMG_3522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtotLQcVivVsv-wn4owIAFBpvwrEttMAajNAisQ5ByyoUyYcx5OkNloUfBYdqhcXFLOFV21Virr6hdsU3AYEU6ImoT_d6tToKHKMJonWRDz7o1RDXzha2IjKxZvqiRFLsqrdwuDr0V4dmO/s400/IMG_3522.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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For this outfit, you can also see that my love of chambray makes me a logical denim jacket fan. I really, really love having a denim jacket. I wear it in the winter with outfits like this, but it's also the perfect jacket to get you through spring and fall as well. I will carry this with me anywhere I go in warmer weather when I'm worried that the AC will be too much for my fragile little arms. It's also perfect for chilly nights at the end of summer or the start of spring. Basically this is my friend any time I'm not wearing jeans.<br />
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The one I own is from J. Crew, and they don't have theirs for sale right now. I'm sure it'll come back in the spring. But this is <a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pcid=5058&vid=1&pid=415738012" target="_blank">The Gap's</a> version, and I had one of theirs for a decade before I finally bought a replacement.<br />
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/697/623/cn13697623.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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I actually bought this skirt last winter, but I never wore it then, so it made its debut a few weeks ago. The sweater is a short sleeve sweater that I plan to wear over some long sleeve shirts and plan to wear with skirts in the spring. I couldn't find the exact skirt, so I've linked a few cute tweed skirts.<br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/zip-pocket-tweed-skirt/447650?skuId=24111485&defaultColor=5022&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000017" target="_blank">Here's a similar one from The Loft.</a><br />
<img alt="Color Swatch 5022Zip Pocket Tweed Skirt" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=447650&amp;swatchID=5022&amp;viewID=B1&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/fringe-tweed-pocket-shift-skirt/463781" target="_blank">And here's another option from The Loft.</a><br />
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<img alt="Color Swatch 2222Fringe Tweed Pocket Shift Skirt" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=463781&amp;swatchID=2222&amp;viewID=B1&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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And, understandable, the short sleeve shirt isn't readily available at this point in the year.<br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/crewnecks_boatnecks/shortsleeve-sweater/E9264?sale=true&color_name=hthr-dusk&isFromSale=true" target="_blank">There's only one size left, but this is the sweater. </a><br />
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<img alt="Short-sleeve sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/E9264_GY6762?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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I feel sure they will bring these back around in the spring.<br />
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As I mentioned earlier, this was my first time to pair my ankle boots with my skirt. One of my awesome co-workers (And <a href="http://mstaylorgoestowashington.blogspot.com/2017/05/on-teacher-archetypes-track-meets-and.html" target="_blank">she makes an appearance in this post.</a>) inspired me to give it a try because she always looks so cute in her skirt/ankle boots combo. I found myself super-comfy all day because my feet were so happy because they were warm and not in heels.<br />
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I bought my boots last fall, so I couldn't find the exact pair, but here are some similar options.<br />
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<img alt="Breck Bootie" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/398861_001_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/lucky-brand-breck-bootie/398861?activeColor=060" target="_blank">Lucky Brand is my go-to these days. </a><br />
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<img alt="Brett Bootie" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/395006_001_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/lucky-brand-brett-bootie/395006?activeColor=001" target="_blank">These look pretty cute too!</a><br />
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There are a few other cute options from Lucky Brand, but I'll stop with these two.<br />
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Okay--I'm off. Hope this helps you think about another option for winter pairings.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-3928605952544088372017-12-12T17:16:00.002-08:002017-12-12T17:16:29.794-08:00It's So Hard to Say Goodbye......to yesterday!<br />
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This blog post is dedicated to all of those clothes that we love, but don't love wearing anymore.<br />
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Here is the short tale of my Sunday night to Monday morning:<br />
1. Teacher sets out dress to wear.<br />
2. Decides she hates wearing that dress.<br />
3. Sets out a pair of pants that fit weird.<br />
4. Tells herself that she'll give these pants one more shot.<br />
5. Wakes up the next morning and puts on predetermined outfit.<br />
6. Realizes that the cardigan she selected looks terrible with the outfit. Changes cardigan.<br />
7. Realizes that these pants are a really weird fit and she'll spend the whole day uncomfortable.<br />
8. Decides that life is too short to wear awful pants while other things hang in the closet.<br />
9. Changes pants.<br />
10. Leaves for school, hoping for the best.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sAlp6hGG2TzmgY9xMLJ9-opRMtUmC9QUdgNT7M7ofm-7sNxTNyU0R7fDbvxCXGbdQeRrm05LCoSm-pSsXZmnWAoQQnFdCZt8IBfU-zHHaXIgVqvzLpMHg-9-nsU6qVduS1WNBC9QCMqo/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sAlp6hGG2TzmgY9xMLJ9-opRMtUmC9QUdgNT7M7ofm-7sNxTNyU0R7fDbvxCXGbdQeRrm05LCoSm-pSsXZmnWAoQQnFdCZt8IBfU-zHHaXIgVqvzLpMHg-9-nsU6qVduS1WNBC9QCMqo/s320/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="107" /></a></div>
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Maybe I'm the only one this happens to, but I tend to keep things in my closet because I feel guilty getting rid of perfectly good clothes. But the truth is, when your height is solidified, and you don't have a job in which your clothes get worn out, there just comes a point when you've been wearing the same things for years, and you just get tired of them. Or you buy something, and a year into it being absorbed in your closet you realize that it isn't something that really works for your body type. Whatever it is, it feels like a betrayal to get rid of it.<br />
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BUT--a few years ago, I read a book that brought up a good point. If you have clothes in your closet that aren't being worn, you're keeping someone else from being able to wear them. Thinking about how many women have a hard time building up a wardrobe because they are starting to work or have escaped from a abusive relationship or are just on a tight budget made me realize that hoarding clothes that I don't need wasn't responsible. I realized that it would make more sense for me to pass along things I no longer wear and simply put the things I love in higher rotation. Even from a selfish viewpoint, every day I wear something I hate is a day I'm not wearing an outfit that I love. I've tried to be better about giving things away that I don't actually enjoy wearing, only buying things that I really love, and just wearing fewer items more often (and mixing and matching to make new outfits).<br />
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Quick note: Don't think you always have to take your retired clothes to Goodwill. There are plenty of non-profits that work with people in need of professional clothes--internship programs, job training programs, etc. I actually donate my dress clothes to my co-workers who work with students in internships.<br />
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So I know that not everyone has the luxury of only wearing things they love. Sometimes you just have to wear what you have. I get it. But I would say to just think about how you feel all day in your wardrobe, and, when you can, taking things out of rotation that don't set you up for a good day. And then pay close attention to what things in your closet really make you feel confident, comfortable, and, dare I say it, stylish. And try to take those observations with you when you go shopping.<br />
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If you like my outfit I finally settled on, here are some helpful links. (Funny enough, this cardigan is 11 years old, the shirt is 3 or so years old, the shoes and belt are from at least a few seasons ago, and the pants are the <a href="http://mstaylorgoestowashington.blogspot.com/2017/05/monday-tuesday-thursdayokayjust-monday.html" target="_blank">birthday pants I talked about in the spring.</a>) So things don't have to be super trendy or new to make you feel confident. They just have to be a good fit for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iOJOsPWp89Qg3ENAwtJ5S1z8jrQQDzND1ChXZ0hBuWMuHbzNJxOCk286cKGP0Lzn0XPdAzLn63MdTYZwliWL57ny4QfWUCh3ELIVPqatRWrDaIbcIgxCF1RsytPE6dhKOL-G0r9c806X/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="548" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iOJOsPWp89Qg3ENAwtJ5S1z8jrQQDzND1ChXZ0hBuWMuHbzNJxOCk286cKGP0Lzn0XPdAzLn63MdTYZwliWL57ny4QfWUCh3ELIVPqatRWrDaIbcIgxCF1RsytPE6dhKOL-G0r9c806X/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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Okay--<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/washed_shirts/pocket-chambray-shirt/F6140?color_name=naples-wash" target="_blank">Here's a newer version of my chambray shirt.</a><br />
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<img alt="Pocket chambray shirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F6140_DM1849?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/cotton-caryn-cardigan-sweater/E5957?color_name=hthr-natural" target="_blank">And here's a comparable sweater.</a><br />
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<img alt="Cotton Caryn cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/E5957_NA6340?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=878175042" target="_blank">And here's a lighter version. </a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/142/cn14257142.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1050786&pcid=67595&vid=1&pid=381106002" target="_blank">And here are the birthday pants.</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/505/822/cn12505822.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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Okay--in closing, here are my tips of the day:<br />
1. If you have enough items in your closet, get rid of clothes that make you feel awful, don't fit or just hang there.<br />
2. Learn from shopping mistakes. Be picky even if it means wearing fewer things more often.<br />
3. There are plenty of great causes in any community. There's always somewhere to take the clothes you don't wear so that someone else will benefit from them.<br />
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<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-76109931543407216812017-11-24T17:43:00.000-08:002017-11-24T17:43:13.945-08:00The Joys of Spirit WeeksIt's Thanksgiving break! This is my favorite break of the year. The first 3 months of school are the most stressful for me. Between setting up your classroom, getting your students settled into your routines and expectations, and surviving Back-to-School night and parent conferences, there's just a lot crammed into those first months of school. And if you think about it, there really is always another day off or break in sight after Thanksgiving break.<br />
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I thought I would take a second to write about one of my favorite fall weeks: spirit week! I typically use spirit week as an excuse to wear jeans for 5 days in a row, but, unfortunately, this year's theme was Hollywood (or something like that), so it required me to dress up for a few of the days.<br />
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Before I give you a rundown of the week's outfits, I thought I would give you a brief soapbox speech about spirit week. I guess it's really brief, because it's basically this: do what you want! If going all in and putting together awesome outfits makes you happy, do it. If the thought of having to put together really cute themed outfits makes you want to run away from home because it's one more thing to manage, don't do it. While I think there are plenty of non-negotiable issues when it comes to teaching, spirit week isn't one of them. Teachers have plenty of situations that force them to fight the temptation to feel guilty or inadequate. Spirit week shouldn't be one of them, Pinterest be damned. Okay--with that speech finished, I'll show you how most of the week went for me.<br />
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At our school, Mondays are always pajama day. They tried to mix it up one year, and the people (I'm betting mostly the teachers) rebelled. So, now they don't mess with tradition! I was even more excited about this day because I flew back in from my mom's birthday on Sunday and didn't have to get ready on Monday morning. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv1Z5tA3ykcYgwMyGthM7z0TnhtxJ21PZ1VSn9Vis5rIf8ko3CFIoRcGHxfi-kV5XSs0TRwrcCmUKXQZinml5lHdrD1FQYX7IQndQhhhUS9mnAWQ59lyA_RTtawdGZZk88XtMNaqn4jB-/s1600/pj.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv1Z5tA3ykcYgwMyGthM7z0TnhtxJ21PZ1VSn9Vis5rIf8ko3CFIoRcGHxfi-kV5XSs0TRwrcCmUKXQZinml5lHdrD1FQYX7IQndQhhhUS9mnAWQ59lyA_RTtawdGZZk88XtMNaqn4jB-/s320/pj.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is what it looks like when you have to walk to school on pajama day because you forgot that you had called the Uber from school to take you to the airport...I have a few pairs of what I like to call old man pajamas that I usually wear on these days, but it was too warn for flannel PJ's. </div>
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Here are a few options for PJ day. </div>
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<a href="https://www.target.com/p/women-s-dragon-union-suit-xhilaration-153/-/A-52610050#lnk=sametab&preselect=52337660" target="_blank">I may have to up my game with one of these.</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/52337660?wid=1560&hei=1560&fmt=pjpeg" width="199" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.target.com/p/women-s-wondershop-winter-house-scene-pajama-set/-/A-52699980#lnk=sametab&preselect=52629536" target="_blank">But this is the style I normally wear.</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/52629536?wid=1560&hei=1560&fmt=pjpeg" width="199" /></div>
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I have two or three pairs of these PJ's. I love them because they're perfect for PJ day, and they're also really great for wearing in an older apartment on cold nights...or when your roomie's sister is visiting and you want to look presentable while walking around avoiding getting ready in the morning...or so I hear. </div>
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Tuesday was TV/Movie character day. I was discussing this day with my family over the weekend, and I mentioned that I thought I should be a teacher from a TV show. My niece and nephew both insisted that I should be Ms. Frizzle. </div>
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I took a look online, and found that I needed to look like this:<br />
<img alt="Image result for ms frizzle planet dress" src="http://rampages.us/micaharin/wp-content/uploads/sites/10198/2015/12/tumblr_l5ohehj5dP1qziwld.gif" /><br />
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So...I remembered a blue dress I had that I thought would work. I printed out some pictures of planets and stars, parted my hair in the middle, and here you have it. My best Ms. Frizzle:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pLWVGwiSIMXes0vaUkSEOqoy2xQARx7LOHAaG10uqz_s25TNzYMc3_x0iGJXFsd5Tik8ag6iQJOIDsjZMZycp7jpSyy1dsWNgeWBYEHLTgIzTfpFKWs5b7IMMaYC_Txu0D3siwnwahdq/s1600/Ms.+Frizzle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pLWVGwiSIMXes0vaUkSEOqoy2xQARx7LOHAaG10uqz_s25TNzYMc3_x0iGJXFsd5Tik8ag6iQJOIDsjZMZycp7jpSyy1dsWNgeWBYEHLTgIzTfpFKWs5b7IMMaYC_Txu0D3siwnwahdq/s320/Ms.+Frizzle.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was kind of funny to watch kids realize who I was.<br />
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I only have pictures from one other day--Red Carpet Day (or something similar). I decided that I didn't really want to wear my little black dress and heels all day, so I decided to go for the assistant to the important person on the red carpet. Something like this:<br />
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<img alt="Image result for assistants on the red carpet" height="200" src="http://www.media1.hw-static.com/media/2016/10/wenn_blakelively_baftas_assistant_101316_1200x1800.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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So I put on my black pants, black jacket, and heels. And then I found every sparkly thing I owned. It turned out like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47HiuYTslAOvcWTzkksb3NagClwaeo_AX9UubpunpCHimohTWWTm-XSAuRoM9mDnLlDM6tkV6v1CUqa-s7U6YDS2FSWrGkrYaG3qUTyBntIsHT5XyoKDWD7o5k4T7V0sXLDpmUWPVDn4C/s1600/fancy+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47HiuYTslAOvcWTzkksb3NagClwaeo_AX9UubpunpCHimohTWWTm-XSAuRoM9mDnLlDM6tkV6v1CUqa-s7U6YDS2FSWrGkrYaG3qUTyBntIsHT5XyoKDWD7o5k4T7V0sXLDpmUWPVDn4C/s400/fancy+day.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I actually was just discussing the wonder of these pants with a new friend at Thanksgiving yesterday. I own them in multiple colors, and she mentioned that she had them in three colors. The jacket is actually a suit jacket from 10 years ago. The pants that go with the jacket went out of style a while ago, but I kept the jacket for a reason I couldn't explain.<br />
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/353/961/cn14353961.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1009305&pcid=67595&vid=1&pid=183602012" target="_blank">And here are the magic pants.</a><br />
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I can't explain how comfortable these are! And they hold their shape well.<br />
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I'm wearing my <a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-frankie-wedge-pump/365214?activeColor=402" target="_blank">Dak Prescott</a> shoes, and I'm going to link a few sparkly pieces here that are similar to the ones I wore.<br />
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/343/987/cn14343987.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1030676&pcid=33412&vid=1&pid=167916002" target="_blank">This one is crazy expensive, but when it goes on sale, it might be fun for holiday dresses.</a><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/necklaces/brassplated-crystal-necklace/95923?color_name=crystal&N=ONE%20SIZE" target="_blank">Here's another cute option.</a><br />
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<img alt="Brass-plated crystal necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/95923_EC8333_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1030676&pcid=33412&vid=1&pid=169042002" target="_blank">Here's another cute option.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/248/112/cn14248112.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1032754&pcid=1032752&vid=1&pid=506243002" target="_blank">Here are a few options for bracelets.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0009/528/419/cn9528419.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<span id="goog_505342628"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_505342629"></span><img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/060/545/cn14060545.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1032754&pcid=1032752&vid=1&pid=166689002" target="_blank">Here's another option.</a><br />
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I love jewelry from Banana and J. Crew because it seems to hold up a bit better than the stuff I purchase elsewhere. I am way too cheap to buy it at full price, so I always just wait for a sale and stock up then.<br />
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Okay--I'm off to tackle more of my Thanksgiving break to-do list. Wish me luck...because I might just end up watching another cheesy movie about a woman who finds true love in a small town at Christmas time.<br />
<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-21160969086417075922017-11-18T15:16:00.002-08:002017-11-18T15:16:26.031-08:00And Then I Wore All of the Skirts...I have this weird rule that I don't do the summer/winter switch until Thanksgiving break. I always have those last few outfits I want to wear one more time before sending them to the attic for the winter. But I woke up one Saturday a few weeks ago and declared that I was tired of being cold...it was time to get the sweaters out.<br />
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I waited another week or so before really giving into fall. And by that I mean, I waited another week before busting out the tights. I guess I started this blog in the spring, so my absolute love of tights never really came out before now. But now you know. I could wear tights every day and be perfectly happy. The pictures below seem to back up this claim.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdx6-07pHnIjwMeHXSLxT3hddBsPb66XkTuSdjvqqK8aWwDkpSkgy1c4MfNXGT369IqOS-ktAtE3yjXPde7X_nmDA3-cKm5CUEhKrPYxUfWoTBo72asKdtbEHbVvFOM5Avn-bitLz4knM/s1600/color+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdx6-07pHnIjwMeHXSLxT3hddBsPb66XkTuSdjvqqK8aWwDkpSkgy1c4MfNXGT369IqOS-ktAtE3yjXPde7X_nmDA3-cKm5CUEhKrPYxUfWoTBo72asKdtbEHbVvFOM5Avn-bitLz4knM/s320/color+block.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQSFU04I2xcH3Yt0tTCfe8N4NYxRBrbYW1TjagzmmXm1XO_2vR79x7EKnQrYkGWhW2XTgsI2yJMbgy6Z2V6skk-tTz7Yjcs4NFt-TmN6oZgGQEKCQB0txTyHzrjCOOYH_4m2iBYGE57d9/s1600/plaid+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQSFU04I2xcH3Yt0tTCfe8N4NYxRBrbYW1TjagzmmXm1XO_2vR79x7EKnQrYkGWhW2XTgsI2yJMbgy6Z2V6skk-tTz7Yjcs4NFt-TmN6oZgGQEKCQB0txTyHzrjCOOYH_4m2iBYGE57d9/s320/plaid+full.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
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I love a good winter wool skirt, and both of these are from J. Crew Factory. The one on the left is a few years old, and the one on the right is from last season. Much like my spring/summer skirts from J. Crew Factory, these are cuts that seem to come up each season in different colors. I'm kind of a fan because, as I was talking about with a co-worker, it's so nice to know how something is going to fit and be able to just order online. I do have a bit of a problem with buying too many colorful/pattern skirts, and then I have trouble avoiding the temptation to wear a white or chambray shirt too often. See above for proof.<br />
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I also have become a bit of a groupie for heather grey tights. I have this pair from J. Crew (Quick side note: These are super affordable and, so far, have been pretty durable.) Outfits like this work so well for cold days. The boots/tights keep me warm, the cut of the dress is comfortable, and the button down nature of the shirt means I never worry about my extra winter pounds being on display.<br />
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Here are a few similar options:<br />
<img alt="Wool sidewalk skirt in plaid" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/06308_MG1850?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/mini/wool-sidewalk-skirt-in-plaid/06308?color_name=brunswick-blue" target="_blank">Look at all the cute colors it comes in!</a><br />
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<img alt="Wool mini skirt in harvest plaid" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/H1113_MG2988_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/mini/wool-mini-skirt-in-harvest-plaid/H1113?color_name=red-black-buffalo" target="_blank">Here's another cute option.</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/983/963/cn12983963.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pcid=5001&vid=1&pid=671807002" target="_blank">I think this is the exact shirt I'm wearing with the plaid skirt.</a><br />
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<img alt="Pocket chambray shirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F6140_DM1627?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/washed_shirts/pocket-chambray-shirt/F6140?sale=true&color_name=dakota-wash" target="_blank">And I actually own two of these shirts because I wear them so much. Feel free to judge.</a><br />
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I couldn't find the boots of mine, but I found a few options from the same brand. Since my research on riding boots turned up the idea that ankle boots are the way to go, I'm including an option that follows the fashion trends.<br />
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<img alt="Breck Bootie" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/398861_240_ss_01?$colpg$" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/lucky-brand-breck-bootie/398861?activeColor=240" target="_blank">Ankle boots option</a><br />
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<img alt="Eadon Boot" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/400687_201_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/lucky-brand-eadon-boot/400687?activeColor=201" target="_blank">I'm not sure about these, but they might be adorable...</a><br />
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Okay--well, I'm off to finish off day one of "do what I want."<br />
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<img alt="Image result for i do what I want" height="300" src="http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/40/40cc4b372a626d6582687ae6975f94d77b63fbee7f26ec813c12e8b4f27b3f03.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-28930196908755560072017-11-18T11:47:00.002-08:002017-11-18T11:47:51.089-08:00When It's Too Warm for Winter but Too Cold for Summer...<br />
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In this part of the country, it seems that there are normally a few glorious weeks that actually feel like this mystical season we call fall. When I first started teaching, I was broke, and trying to build a wardrobe large enough to survive the year. I didn't have the flexibility to actually have "fall" clothes. It's been a nice perk to be able to buy a few pieces here and there that really only work for this short season. It keeps me from freezing or melting while waiting for the next season to kick in.<br />
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Riding boots are my go-to this time of year. I even did a Google search to make sure I'm fashionably allowed to wear them. The verdict is that they're still okay, but ankle boots are slowly taking over their place. So, I guess I'll be looking for ankle boots for next season, but for now, I'm riding (pun unintended, but I'll take it) out the last wave of this trend because it keeps my legs warm. This pair is five years old, and every season I look for, and never find, a suitable replacement. So...I just try to polish them and make them happy. They are a reddish-brown and have a polished look that I love.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XcYuZExpMPojeRZkQI2WFdayQ3VLowTLNA7wCsjKFUiFty_TxO6eyAmyyKUtUTmAD8WKC3D_G9QTsGmy1jlCBqdwaOwUKVduoVpJNWeDLgzm54WIbNj-KaebZVgOcbudvE2BF3fBG0zR/s1600/squid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="657" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XcYuZExpMPojeRZkQI2WFdayQ3VLowTLNA7wCsjKFUiFty_TxO6eyAmyyKUtUTmAD8WKC3D_G9QTsGmy1jlCBqdwaOwUKVduoVpJNWeDLgzm54WIbNj-KaebZVgOcbudvE2BF3fBG0zR/s320/squid.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_HvLZWT0hpm7fSJ5uHpeoSUEOWUZH3B3aX6klQJUYm4_cPktuRWm7ZC5AB3qCBkoHmvHjswZV_x7L7iYVLyH2Kv90iQDhW41gsKPsdAcq8tWY6eqzZ4QQRbL4CKV8_7dG5VEt7bot_vA/s1600/octopus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="711" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_HvLZWT0hpm7fSJ5uHpeoSUEOWUZH3B3aX6klQJUYm4_cPktuRWm7ZC5AB3qCBkoHmvHjswZV_x7L7iYVLyH2Kv90iQDhW41gsKPsdAcq8tWY6eqzZ4QQRbL4CKV8_7dG5VEt7bot_vA/s320/octopus.jpg" width="142" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMo_DvK0t7F5B7b4IG0uKYy4oic2PeWqAEe0WWt64_ZDH-rzFQG1lP0KW8T1a6UovKlseA79b5THxM9-BuXWmXUWBfmqHaKfkrwFl-dRzYqxs3kM0vbvHYSx4XrBqAqT9EuTVuEPInd2c/s1600/octopi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="802" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMo_DvK0t7F5B7b4IG0uKYy4oic2PeWqAEe0WWt64_ZDH-rzFQG1lP0KW8T1a6UovKlseA79b5THxM9-BuXWmXUWBfmqHaKfkrwFl-dRzYqxs3kM0vbvHYSx4XrBqAqT9EuTVuEPInd2c/s320/octopi.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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Here's one of the looks from my warm-weather-fall days. I decided to play a little with this outfit; I paired my graphic print tee with a little fancier cardigan. I thought it was a fun deviation from my normal cardigan/silk shirt/skirt style. And this skirt is a little piece of heaven. It's an older skirt from J. Crew, and I love it so much that I baby it to try to keep it from getting faded. It's a dark wash denim, is cut like a pencil skirt, and is stretchy. Even though I have a new BR denim skirt I love, I'm still attached to this one.<br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/920/960/cn13920960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="product photo" border="0" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/920/960/cn13920960.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/117/cn14257117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/117/cn14257117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/117/cn14257117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/117/cn14257117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="product photo" border="0" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/257/117/cn14257117.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=876063032" target="_blank">This cardigan might work.</a><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=878175012" target="_blank">And here's another option.</a><br />
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<a href="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/H1664_MG3468_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Penguin collector T-shirt" border="0" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/H1664_MG3468_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/collector_tees/penguin-collector-tshirt/H1664?color_name=ivory-penguin" target="_blank">And here are a few options for graphic tees.</a><br />
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<img alt="Tartan elephant collector T-shirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/H1651_MG3363_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/collector_tees/tartan-elephant-collector-tshirt/H1651?color_name=ivory" target="_blank">Aren't they adorable? </a><br />
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<a href="https://www.zappos.com/p/sam-edelman-portman-whiskey-bally-leather/product/8942758/color/711286" target="_blank">Here is a similar riding boot.</a><br />
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<img alt="PAIR" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/714mredB3hL._SX480_.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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And for another fall outfit option, I present my fall uniform:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lN7hvP_7pOEUgN_HPqbpFeCIAqlWjLwatAqSdeBzGPZ9jOexIJQ5tkUqpL75RX-wdbJho2bNvo064ZmML_oU1tanyQLML_c_8qIQndOFGv9Pparqwsuf5jvloTL5H0isArMV0GeFhZD5/s1600/riding+boots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lN7hvP_7pOEUgN_HPqbpFeCIAqlWjLwatAqSdeBzGPZ9jOexIJQ5tkUqpL75RX-wdbJho2bNvo064ZmML_oU1tanyQLML_c_8qIQndOFGv9Pparqwsuf5jvloTL5H0isArMV0GeFhZD5/s320/riding+boots.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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The second example of my fall uniform is something I wore about a week later, when it was a bit chillier. This sweater is meant to be a fall/spring sweater. Its loose construction keeps it from being really warm, but it is perfect for a chilly fall day. As is to be expected, I put a chambray shirt underneath. I wore one of my pencil skirts from Banana and, of course, my riding boots. I actually have this pencil skirt in four other colors. I think I've written a love letter to it in the past, but I'll put the link back up on here. It's so versatile and comfortable. <br />
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The boots in this picture are actually a different pair. I got them super cheap off season in the hopes that they could replace the ones shown above, but, alas, they don't really fulfill the same role. They're leather because I have a general rule that I would rather have fewer pairs of shoes but have them made out of more durable material. So I don't buy boots made of man made material if avoidable.<br />
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I couldn't find a similar sweater--so sorry, but I do have a chambray shirt skirt for you. Here ya go!<br />
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<img alt="Pocket chambray shirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F6140_DM1849?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/washed_shirts/pocket-chambray-shirt/F6140?color_name=naples-wash" target="_blank">Here's a shirt for ya!</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/684/701/cn13684701.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=35288&pcid=5022&vid=1&pid=873833002" target="_blank">I think this is my skirt.</a><br />
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<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for you can have whatever you like" border="0" 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" 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Okay--I'm off to continue my day of whatever I want!<br />
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<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-62208548749018120112017-11-18T08:29:00.000-08:002017-11-18T08:29:22.454-08:00All the Pictures...in the next post...Hi! Good news--I'm not dead. Bad news--I've actually had to become a fairly productive person, and I have to think a little bit to formulate words sometimes due to the sleep deprivation. But the sleep deprivation is only partly due to being a "busy and important person." Part of it might be because of Royal Pains and the weird dreams one has after watching people have strange medical conditions for multiple hours at a time. But I digress.<br />
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I decided to take one weekend and do whatever I want. Even just knowing this weekend was coming helped me work a bit harder to get through some school/grad school stuff and made me less overwhelmed. And it's interesting what you discover about yourself when you ask the question, "If given 2 days to do whatever, what would you do?" The answer for me, it appears is:<br />
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1. Sleep<br />
2. Eat donuts<br />
3. Read/write<br />
4. Watch terribly cheesy movies<br />
5. Wear athleisure clothing as much as possible and 90's grunge sweaters and jeggings when real clothes are required.<br />
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Oh--and 6. Drink chai lattes.<br />
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I think this confirms that I am, indeed, a basic white girl. But as I discussed with a few of my students this week, there's a good reason these trends are popular. Chai lattes are delicious, yoga pants are comfortable, and cheesy movies are a break for the brain. There's a perfectly good reason these things are consumed/worn en masse. And I am not going to feel bad about enjoying things that are enjoyable just because they're attached to stereotypes about people like me. So there. Excuse me while I go put my hair up in a messy bun...<br />
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Okay--so, all that to say that I have about a month's worth of outfits to show off. I didn't take pictures every day, but I did do what I could when I actually wore something that seemed like a somewhat good idea. The following posts are groupings of similar outfits that transitioned me from warm-fall to full-fledged cold fall. We're not quite at winter yet since I have been able to hold out and NOT wear my winter coat. I am, for no real reason, adamantly opposed to wearing my winter coat before Thanksgiving. Maybe I take those "everything has its season" thoughts a bit too seriously. <br />
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Okay--so clearly I've missed writing over the last month...hence my long post. The ones ahead should be mostly pictures and links with a few tips on things like spirit week and parent conferences...and the need for friends.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-82021838144673366882017-10-12T17:19:00.002-07:002017-10-12T17:19:24.911-07:00When Fall is Not so Fall-ish<br />
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<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/37/34/d6/3734d639cb1eaa165cb9a0f7e33d3130--granny-glasses-seinfeld-episodes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for horrible glasses" border="0" height="200" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/37/34/d6/3734d639cb1eaa165cb9a0f7e33d3130--granny-glasses-seinfeld-episodes.jpg" width="200" /></a>I can't believe another week has already flown by. This week was more than a bit unusual. On Monday, we had professional development which I missed for an eye doctor's appointment. They dilated my eyes, and I didn't think to ask to pick out my new glasses before I lost my ability to properly see...so I think I like my new glasses...they looked nice from a distance. It'll be a bit of a fun surprise when I see them without pupils the size of saucers. But I may end up looking like this.<br />
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We'll see...pun unintended, but I'm taking the credit for it.<br />
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Tuesday was a really muggy October day, and I wasn't so worried about it until I realized that the inside of my school was like the rain forest exhibit at the aquarium. Evidently a part of the AC broke and was being fixed. There's nothing quite like sweating in front of your students and knowing there's nothing you can do to stop it. You just try to keep your distance and pray for the best. Luckily, I wore this dark colored, short sleeve dress, so there weren't obvious signs (other than the look of distress on my face) that I was melting. But I knew, and it was gross. Luckily it was fixed pretty quickly and the next day things were chilly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWrT-k6e4iPNHrFz4ZeALJrDMAzTDnkCuOM1bMH2Gplzot4hyq5M_DjkxNciUKnavjThSZBdUNYkGCn9dKJPdsISwgl7FG-I2Ij6fNh3sZhB79eOi8eUf3G1EkyrPXVe5GDMzJFKDGK-e/s1600/denim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWrT-k6e4iPNHrFz4ZeALJrDMAzTDnkCuOM1bMH2Gplzot4hyq5M_DjkxNciUKnavjThSZBdUNYkGCn9dKJPdsISwgl7FG-I2Ij6fNh3sZhB79eOi8eUf3G1EkyrPXVe5GDMzJFKDGK-e/s320/denim.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I bought this dress in June, but as we've established before, I don't really get dressed up in the last month of school, so this made its debut on Tuesday. I was a bit afraid that I would look like a Smurf when I went to change at the gym due to the dark wash jean material, and somehow I did not. Happy day! Also--this sucker is so stretchy and awesome that it somehow both conceals unfortunate features and feels like they made a dress out of yoga pants. The best of all worlds! I might have messaged my roomie to tell her that I would wear this dress every day if that was socially acceptable and I wasn't such a lazy laundress. And, it will not surprise you to know that this is denim. Later in the day I was thinking about my life and realized that I've probably own some form of a denim dress at all stages of my life. It's really only the shade and cut that change. </div>
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I took another picture so you could see the shoes too. Unfortunately you can also tell that I am so pasty that my shoes and the wall are the same color as my legs. It's clearly time for tights, leggings, jeans and anything else that covers up my legs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsp35f-aEEpazLCUVbHEshlPtnPymno2V2NCwp-2Rz-ZcflY5-soo6wxfalk_amOmsg2m2Ux7iu204pPs1ywIHTXlT3WwjHwYFMcPDWcTj11F8dEenaKbKqc8rQWEaLueuO4RzkymIqVJ/s1600/full+length.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsp35f-aEEpazLCUVbHEshlPtnPymno2V2NCwp-2Rz-ZcflY5-soo6wxfalk_amOmsg2m2Ux7iu204pPs1ywIHTXlT3WwjHwYFMcPDWcTj11F8dEenaKbKqc8rQWEaLueuO4RzkymIqVJ/s320/full+length.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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I found a few options that I think might have similar benefits. This one has the word stretch in the description and looks super cute in the video. I will note that it has a slit in the back and one thing I love about my dress is that it does not. </div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/190/419/cn14190419.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1081397&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=797704002" target="_blank">Watch the girl twirl. The dress looks cute.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0014/190/911/cn14190911.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1010447&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=797422002" target="_blank">I think this one might also have amazing stretch to it...</a></div>
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<img alt="Denim Ruffle-Front Dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-madewell.com/is/image/madewell/G8741_DM1817_m?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/DRESSES/denimdresses/PRDOVR~G8741/G8741.jsp" target="_blank">And here's a really cute one that I might stalk until it goes on sale. </a></div>
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On Wednesday we had an SAT testing day, and I must say that it went REALLY well. The woman in charge did an amazing job organizing it and her team of retired teachers that come in to organize things made it incredibly easy to proctor the test. There were post-it notes in the manual to tell me where to read, and they even highlighted the boxes we need to read. It was a thing of beauty. I feel like proctoring is like roulette. You might get a group of really sweet and awesome students or you might get kiddos that REALLY don't want to be there. We had some really nice kiddos, and my fellow proctors were awesome, so it was a great day. I think the smartest thing our school district did was declare it a half day. It's pretty miserable to try to teach kids who just took a 3 hour test. So it was nice to be able to send them home after lunch and have the afternoon to do things like write recommendation letters.<br />
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I'm currently sitting in an airport waiting to board my flight home for my mom's birthday!<br />
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I have lots of thoughts about being out, substitutes, and telling your students you're going to be out. I thought since I didn't really have many outfits worth talking about, I'd give some thoughts on being gone. </div>
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When I was a new teacher, I was convinced that the world would fall apart if I was gone. And, I'll be honest, those first few years were pretty rough, and being gone was often more trouble than it was worth. It stunk to know I was going to come back and have to punish my students for being terrible while I was gone. But I also had a bit of a self-importance problem. </div>
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As I've gotten older and more settled in my classroom, it's become easier, most of the time, to be gone. And I've also become aware that my students can indeed survive without me for a day or two. </div>
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And I've also become more and more fearful of becoming Mr. Holland from <i>Mr. Holland's Opus</i>. </div>
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Just today in the work room we were discussing what a terrible message that movie sends. Here's a guy who neglects his family and his own dreams to be a teacher and we're led to believe that it's okay that he gave up these MAJOR things because he helped his students. Don't get me wrong--I love my students and I love my job, but I don't believe teachers should be expected to give up their own families and dreams in order to teach. </div>
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So--I've gotten better about taking a personal day here and there to go home for my mom's birthday or for a friend's Friday night wedding. I just realized that I wanted to be a good teacher AND a caring daughter and friend. And as teachers, it's easy to think you are doing the noble thing by never being gone, but let that pressure go. As long as you leave good sub plans and make sure the class period isn't wasted, it's okay to leave the children for a day in order to take care of yourself or others in your life. </div>
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There is also the question about telling the kids. I would say that you have to decide what will work for you. I am super lucky and have really, really sweet kids this year, so I told them I was going to be out because I wanted to give them a heads up about what they would be doing. And while I keep much of my personal life to myself, I did tell them that it was my mom's birthday. They were adorable and kept telling me to have a good time and to tell my mom they said, "Happy Birthday!" For me, these little things are ways I can share my life with my students without oversharing. It builds a bit of community. I think you have to know your students though. There have been years when I kept my distance and really just stuck to the subject. I still took an interest in their lives and cared deeply about them, but I didn't share much of my life because any deviation from the lesson threw them off and made it hard for them to focus. </div>
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So, to wrap up, here are my best sub tips:</div>
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1. Get to know the subs in your building and have a list of your favorites so you can request someone you feel comfortable leaving in charge of your class.</div>
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2. Leave a detailed note for the sub with a period-by-period break down of what each class will be doing. </div>
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3. Post-it note all of the copies. Label which class the copies are for and whether the students need to hand them in or keep them.</div>
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4. Write a note for the students that tells them step-by-step what they need to do and what they can do if they finish early. I've found this to be a lifesaver because you never really know how well the substitute will explain your instructions to your students. (Sometimes you have class lingo that the students understand but doesn't really translate to someone who has never met you...). If the substitute passes out your letter, then you can hold the students accountable for the work even if the substitute was confused. </div>
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5. Be free! Remind yourself that your students will be fine without you for a day. I hate to say it, but they might be excited about having a day to just put in their headphones and do their work. </div>
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Okay--I'm off to go find a snack before my late night flight on a tiny plane. </div>
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Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-69998529185747933032017-10-09T19:50:00.002-07:002017-10-09T19:50:41.363-07:00A Few More Fall Ideas and Hamlet the PigAs I keep waiting for full-on fall to hit, and keep remembering that I live in the DMV, so that's not a thing, I keep trying to balance comfort with seasonally appropriate outfits. I've also been working to balance my work life, personal life, and course work. I've come to discover that I'm not sure you can balance them. It might be more of enjoying each and catching up on the others later. A few weeks ago, my favorite night of the year happened--Opera in the Outfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1KH2hEBOfNL3teOldkcAIGVkyV45TSFGMEPopRJ-w_jFdHEW-o77Z7OtMtMpitHzWDzVLVDIIoBkR9cjdfFXjmZzfmI2oPD4z15hv5Uf8TnHtL2nKiOyNDg3-VeN1mvAwJUoZinkVDW5/s1600/opera.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1KH2hEBOfNL3teOldkcAIGVkyV45TSFGMEPopRJ-w_jFdHEW-o77Z7OtMtMpitHzWDzVLVDIIoBkR9cjdfFXjmZzfmI2oPD4z15hv5Uf8TnHtL2nKiOyNDg3-VeN1mvAwJUoZinkVDW5/s320/opera.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It combines all the lovely things about DC:</div>
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1. Free things</div>
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2. Professional sports</div>
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3. Amazing artists</div>
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4. Interesting people</div>
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Basically, the Nats let people come sit on their field and watch the opera for free. Oh--and Mars sponsors it so they also give you free candy. It's like Halloween for adults. And it really is like Halloween because now they even let you try on costumes and take pictures:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorJifCnRqsgz21ULp-T1-FXpyAjsKhRLIFMy9WJpkAmIiKkNUzJPH6JYIOrD4b08wuHxsPjPWv_94LnWqebiLPVJNhyphenhyphenQRAvI_616Cd_-byEFIFJzY2Dd-rv6q4XxbYAErbZQSilRB0dIs/s1600/costume.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorJifCnRqsgz21ULp-T1-FXpyAjsKhRLIFMy9WJpkAmIiKkNUzJPH6JYIOrD4b08wuHxsPjPWv_94LnWqebiLPVJNhyphenhyphenQRAvI_616Cd_-byEFIFJzY2Dd-rv6q4XxbYAErbZQSilRB0dIs/s320/costume.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ud0jeEHoKZo/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for michael a taylor nationals" border="0" height="112" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ud0jeEHoKZo/maxresdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a>I mean, what's not to love? The only thing I really dislike about the idea of going to the opera is having to stay in my seat and be quiet for so long. This solves that problem, includes tater tots, and gives me a chance to run around in the same place where Michael A. Taylor stands before he robs people of home runs.</div>
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But on to what I've been wearing to work. As I mentioned in the last post, I've been rather committed to the sleeveless dress/cardigan look. And I realized last Friday that I've worn the same thing, basically, every Friday since school started. Here are a few of my favorite looks from the weeks:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQFJ8ffRaIwi9RgLm_0LaXwZfX-q3nJfzgI5o7Gxce7XvvcZwvfwS7XBsZ4IisvTEqczKyvxwhyK1-3-1RYWWE98sBME1My5uMv6Zczn2_0xz6INyJABWsbzCRiL15TnHN_MgEMprygl8/s1600/navy+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQFJ8ffRaIwi9RgLm_0LaXwZfX-q3nJfzgI5o7Gxce7XvvcZwvfwS7XBsZ4IisvTEqczKyvxwhyK1-3-1RYWWE98sBME1My5uMv6Zczn2_0xz6INyJABWsbzCRiL15TnHN_MgEMprygl8/s320/navy+dress.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9G-gd4lYYgHA0rQ6x_vdhasfDCau0ywGxpicoBsSJXdYYsu3JILHP27sm_C7j-4O018nikHA5YifcEhbHm_MYd7LowgK8lz527PpVjuifI34QwddJfFTkgxPD5ZaBPGLGL4MxKl7yqtb/s1600/blue+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9G-gd4lYYgHA0rQ6x_vdhasfDCau0ywGxpicoBsSJXdYYsu3JILHP27sm_C7j-4O018nikHA5YifcEhbHm_MYd7LowgK8lz527PpVjuifI34QwddJfFTkgxPD5ZaBPGLGL4MxKl7yqtb/s320/blue+dress.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I loved both of these because they let me mix neutrals and color. And I liked throwing a belt on with the second dress to break things up. </div>
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/pocket-sheath-dress/445998?skuId=23682665&defaultColor=0422&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">Here's a cute option.</a></div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Pocket Sheath Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=445998&amp;swatchID=0422&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077831&vid=1&pid=793212011" target="_blank">And here's another option.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/webcontent/0013/891/950/cn13891950.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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And if you're lazy like me and simply stock up on colored cardigans so you can just grab things in your closet and go to work, this is a great time of year. Here are a few cute cardigan options:</div>
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<img alt="Merino wool Caryn cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F8457_GR5728?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/merino-wool-caryn-cardigan-sweater/F8457?color_name=hthr-olive" target="_blank">This one seems like a great fall option.</a></div>
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<img alt="Cotton Caryn cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/E5957_GR7431?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/cotton-caryn-cardigan-sweater/E5957?color_name=dark-peony" target="_blank">And this seems like an awesome color for fall.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/739/307/cn13739307.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=797567042" target="_blank">And this seems to be the same color as mine.</a></div>
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Since it's been SOOO long since I posted, I have about a million pictures, so here are a few more dress options for fall. The first one I wore in the spring with Birks, but I think it worked better with these shoes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiFKmTOk0ms2temXDuVcUkAMHPYKyjSgNZ6SS7vsCSVkELCDbzNy02pzlP_rGSeOOo9z631yACQn6jXWHh_Bdd-kcqKD2XMzB9cce77XsxtlGHop8-rj87dIcUc2w0fojeQysWys5YVYD/s1600/denim+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiFKmTOk0ms2temXDuVcUkAMHPYKyjSgNZ6SS7vsCSVkELCDbzNy02pzlP_rGSeOOo9z631yACQn6jXWHh_Bdd-kcqKD2XMzB9cce77XsxtlGHop8-rj87dIcUc2w0fojeQysWys5YVYD/s320/denim+dress.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/casualdresses/relaxed-pocket-dress/G9701?color_name=black" target="_blank">This one seems similar...and there's a patterned option too.</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G9701_BK0001_m?$pdp_enlarge$" width="200" /></div>
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The other dress is one I got SUPER on sale and with a gift card from J Crew in the spring. I can't find anything similar, and it was probably too spring-y to be worn in the fall, but whatever. </div>
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And I end this incredibly long post with a boring picture that confirms that I do indeed wear the same uniform each Friday: flow-y shirt, cardigan and jeans. Okay--I'll try not to get so far behind and to be full of more wit and humor on the next post, but I'm signing off for the night. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmRmZ53Rd2RRPwATe5BAC9CjJJX29o9-IQ5q8ULZ65VaXjByfE73Yl1OjmAoQS-3KpDe3Uy2yqdK-elrfIq4PO6JJHtdXKFA3MEJPbS19odigEHgCXL_XKPioktW3vWV6ZVYWmze1NA0i/s1600/friday+uniform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="817" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmRmZ53Rd2RRPwATe5BAC9CjJJX29o9-IQ5q8ULZ65VaXjByfE73Yl1OjmAoQS-3KpDe3Uy2yqdK-elrfIq4PO6JJHtdXKFA3MEJPbS19odigEHgCXL_XKPioktW3vWV6ZVYWmze1NA0i/s320/friday+uniform.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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I'll leave you with one of my favorite videos:</div>
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Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-36960483606588814702017-10-09T17:48:00.000-07:002017-10-09T17:49:26.009-07:00A Quick Catch Up and Some Dresses I LoveHello! I started off the year feeling so organized and proud. I was somehow managing teaching, planning, grading, grad school, the gym, and Nats tickets. And then a few weeks ago, I felt like this:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3adA4CGg4t4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3adA4CGg4t4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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I'm still trying to find a balance, but it's getting better...I think...</div>
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Anyway, the last few weeks have been full of all kinds of fun things--Nats games, Opera in the Outfield, learning how to make infographics and videos and visiting local librarians. But as for outfits, there's definitely been a common theme:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIgBeMeixQgfvgzG6yzeeIkRlE6vhdPaDwnNuh7kfsJjlu_ZGkY0zHdOTBWOaHdgjprHLrIC6yEyT1yfrjMC6WZNt9k5vsdViKy2JS6gBWiBEKfPiA2Qm6rOLfH4B8mRBTljdzkaHBYf7/s1600/leopard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIgBeMeixQgfvgzG6yzeeIkRlE6vhdPaDwnNuh7kfsJjlu_ZGkY0zHdOTBWOaHdgjprHLrIC6yEyT1yfrjMC6WZNt9k5vsdViKy2JS6gBWiBEKfPiA2Qm6rOLfH4B8mRBTljdzkaHBYf7/s200/leopard.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVfftOyjeFTBB65bv47X3izlg-e4zNuGSuGH0A-Q5Bru6BkTWWqLSKgBmnf0bJAk3jJiomw_gvEba38dt5FbswCc68eJpyP7eHaiqoTvaro2Ld2VPfbRGqc1nhSsE23hSX5VhXFsJHOON/s1600/dress+and+cardigan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVfftOyjeFTBB65bv47X3izlg-e4zNuGSuGH0A-Q5Bru6BkTWWqLSKgBmnf0bJAk3jJiomw_gvEba38dt5FbswCc68eJpyP7eHaiqoTvaro2Ld2VPfbRGqc1nhSsE23hSX5VhXFsJHOON/s320/dress+and+cardigan.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz-sGtXn8p7_RnXXmwink4Q-wrj4QVvtRqdFMakskcohKv1iqDNg_-9pP2xu5VM9AV1K9vxni1nRY8dJgIa4oYxx7beSovYkViR4ra6lgXdS2OjtUyo2bul9WjgyghVFNyDAb7r4j60kn/s1600/grey+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz-sGtXn8p7_RnXXmwink4Q-wrj4QVvtRqdFMakskcohKv1iqDNg_-9pP2xu5VM9AV1K9vxni1nRY8dJgIa4oYxx7beSovYkViR4ra6lgXdS2OjtUyo2bul9WjgyghVFNyDAb7r4j60kn/s200/grey+dress.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSiLzwLWBFeY3CIpz3iQJGhCBGgTb61WEYwcqWbJKSgWoJMDuEW-5C764itrTNb5fo3M18dxj6IsHkV2byz5Inw3l7VC1HKa1_wmLizVUtRoARsCpJFhmPt-HBrGIzAnykPSqQbAmx7xn/s1600/black+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSiLzwLWBFeY3CIpz3iQJGhCBGgTb61WEYwcqWbJKSgWoJMDuEW-5C764itrTNb5fo3M18dxj6IsHkV2byz5Inw3l7VC1HKa1_wmLizVUtRoARsCpJFhmPt-HBrGIzAnykPSqQbAmx7xn/s200/black+dress.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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Yep--all the dresses--all the time. And yes, all of them are from J. Crew Factory. And I think two of them are the same cut, just a different fabric. </div>
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This time of year, I live in the sleeveless dress with a cardigan look. I've mentioned approximately 20 times on this blog that the AC in our building is unreliable, so being able to switch from sleeveless to cardigan is a life saver. I also like the cardigan/dress option because I can put a bit of color or pattern with a solid colored dress to add a bit of variety without being locked into the same combination every time. </div>
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I also love these types of dresses because they are fitted enough to look flattering, but not so fitted that I can't function. </div>
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Here are a few similar options: </div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/casualdresses/shortsleeve-flounce-ponte-dress/G9357?color_name=black" target="_blank">Not sleeveless, but still a great option</a></div>
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<img alt="Short-sleeve flounce ponte dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G9357_BK0001_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/wear_to_workdresses/pleated-shift-dress-in-wool-flannel/02667?color_name=hthr-pewter" target="_blank">I think this is the same cut as the black dress I'm wearing.</a></div>
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<img alt="Pleated shift dress in wool flannel" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/02667_GY6545_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/wear_to_workdresses/wool-dress/G7055?color_name=black" target="_blank">And I love this green!</a><br />
<img alt="Wool dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7055_GR7263?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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I also think I wore my t-strap shoes with every one of these. I feel like t-straps work well this time of year because they aren't open-toe shoes, but they also aren't full-on winter heels.<br />
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So what was I wearing the last three weeks when I wasn't a walking billboard for J. Crew's dress selection? Strangely enough--lots of pants. I never really thought I would go back to wearing dress pants, but I've been won over by the trick pants I went on and on about <a href="http://mstaylorgoestowashington.blogspot.com/2017/09/back-to-school-back-to-school.html" target="_blank">in my Back to School Night post.</a> I am now somewhat in love with dress pants. Here are a few of the outfits I've put together with my new best friends:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7ZAUx_xXQByEBXspph0Sv-RFCJ4dORSko35wrgOsFeTD-3xZuad2GvU_EoKl24l9xUhkJsSy_Xc4QojRpl4siZZei9O7vNpsq65VsfpOlkBKVjbuju7OLfGBkWBU2YqxTFl8z12gX-fA/s1600/navy+pants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7ZAUx_xXQByEBXspph0Sv-RFCJ4dORSko35wrgOsFeTD-3xZuad2GvU_EoKl24l9xUhkJsSy_Xc4QojRpl4siZZei9O7vNpsq65VsfpOlkBKVjbuju7OLfGBkWBU2YqxTFl8z12gX-fA/s320/navy+pants.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlS9zevnMruEE-NGG7m9wi_UWVhHVlum0wL8fTlKxmb78o7Vz5abRyOXUaAMaXEqKAEskcFKJ5MNpUHREU6orcdlNTreKmuZDcYphvJiqXcqcFu-61KKlrBe5YLzoxeJ445nlXlchkV8H/s1600/dressy+jeans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlS9zevnMruEE-NGG7m9wi_UWVhHVlum0wL8fTlKxmb78o7Vz5abRyOXUaAMaXEqKAEskcFKJ5MNpUHREU6orcdlNTreKmuZDcYphvJiqXcqcFu-61KKlrBe5YLzoxeJ445nlXlchkV8H/s320/dressy+jeans.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The first outfit is built around <a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1009305&pcid=67595&vid=1&pid=183602042" target="_blank">these pants</a>. I paired the pants with two pieces that are always hanging out in my closet--an off-white flow-y shirt and an off-white cardigan.<br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/patch-pocket-cardigan/431357?skuId=24009898&defaultColor=0700&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000012" target="_blank">An option for the cardigan</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Patch Pocket Cardigan" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=431357&amp;swatchID=7143&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/3/4-sleeve-signature-cotton-cardigan/431364?prodId=431364&defaultColor=4899&colorExplode=false&skuId=23224056&skuId=23224056&defaultColor=7366&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000012" target="_blank">Another option</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of 3/4 Sleeve Signature Cotton Cardigan" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=431364&amp;swatchID=4899&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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I'm also wearing the <a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-frankie-wedge-pump/365214?activeColor=003" target="_blank">Dak Prescott shoes.</a><br />
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The second outfit is actually a pair of older pants that I love. They're cut like dress pants but made of denim. I adore them.<br />
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<span id="goog_1654815500"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1654815501"></span> <img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/webcontent/0012/923/143/cn12923143.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?cid=1063397&vid=1&pid=547945001" target="_blank">These might be similar.</a><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/printed-rufflefront-tank/G7709?color_name=ivory" target="_blank">An option for the shirt</a><br />
<img alt="Printed ruffle-front tank" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7709_WD9675_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/floral-clean-tee/450892?skuId=23874848&defaultColor=8761&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000011" target="_blank">An adorable option</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Floral Clean Tee" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=450892&amp;swatchID=8761&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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I know this is a bit of a photo/link dump, but I wanted to post some options for fall outfits. It's always hard to dress this time of year, but here are my big tips:<br />
1. Have a couple pairs of shoes that work well without tights but are not open toe. The Dak Prescott wedges and the T-Straps serve that purpose for me. And both styles are generic enough that I'll be able to get multiple years out of them.<br />
2. Dress in layers and be ready for temperature changes. Sleeveless shirts and dresses work really well.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-29575534856846058512017-09-17T16:59:00.000-07:002017-09-20T20:34:55.573-07:00Wednesday, Thursday, and My Mid-Week ChoicesThis post is going to be about as basic as a girl wearing yoga pants, drinking a PSL and Snapchatting, but I wanted to post these outfits since they are generically useful ideas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-dB5z9NDZjGKYFaf0xRpK8aQz7Zk7wKeSLpPOABo3dItIdNke06hKcpfKUFDrLwWSkOWrtN8wqUkTe2Of89H3ksdQupbXOdxFULh5h6qdx00SaYFGAwp8qfwbVfp0ahZyJ9jpMMtq6W8/s1600/necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="763" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-dB5z9NDZjGKYFaf0xRpK8aQz7Zk7wKeSLpPOABo3dItIdNke06hKcpfKUFDrLwWSkOWrtN8wqUkTe2Of89H3ksdQupbXOdxFULh5h6qdx00SaYFGAwp8qfwbVfp0ahZyJ9jpMMtq6W8/s320/necklace.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Somehow I made it a week and a half before wearing chambray (possibly a new record for me), but Wednesday was the day that streak ended. I bought this skirt in the spring, and even though it looks a bit like a blanket you would use for a picnic, I love it.<br />
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The shirt is one I've worn before. It works with black jeans on a Friday and is a good option to wear with all those cute patterned shorts in the summer. I like it because it lets me wear a fun necklace and it's a neutral that isn't white or off-white or black. I paired this outfit with my favorite sandals and some fun jewelry. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJVR-ChCVuD3MIOBw1Z3A4ypzuKPIXXNt6z40EXGWFNFKNqaDyRkbh8SqvyPssgQsYrBkl9Cg75w7tiXPhqZ-nX8dZSd0cHKw5rwqyEdxVzy3z63ktYXUegY0VL7eEPyAZt2pjHwBOp7S/s1600/slurpie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1009" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJVR-ChCVuD3MIOBw1Z3A4ypzuKPIXXNt6z40EXGWFNFKNqaDyRkbh8SqvyPssgQsYrBkl9Cg75w7tiXPhqZ-nX8dZSd0cHKw5rwqyEdxVzy3z63ktYXUegY0VL7eEPyAZt2pjHwBOp7S/s320/slurpie.jpg" width="201" /></a>For some reason, probably because it was the day after Back to School Night, I decided that an after school Slurpee was in order. And it was a good decision. It typically is.<br />
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Here are a few options if you're looking for a similar look. (Side note--I love this skirt also because the material is something that can span the seasons a bit. I have a yellow sweater I wore with it in the Spring, and I'm thinking I'll pair it with a few other lightweight sweaters and some boots before fall ends.)<br />
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As a random note, I only buy my pencil skirts from J Crew Factory and Banana. I'm sure plenty of other companies make lovely skirts, but pencil skirts are just a tricky purchase (They're supposed to be fitted, so I want to REALLY trust that the skirt is well constructed...ya don't want to have a fashion crisis in the middle of class...AWKWARD!). So I'm not saying these are the only options, but as I've said so many times before, once I find a store/style I trust, I tend to stick with it.<br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/pencil/pencil-skirt-in-doubleserge-cotton/37415?sale=true&isFromSale=true&color_name=warm-seaside&N=217+17+10137&Nloc=en&Ntrm=&Npge=1&Nrpp=60&Nsrt=3&hasSplitResults=false" target="_blank">Here's the basic style in the summer material. </a><br />
<img alt="Pencil skirt in double-serge cotton" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/37415_BL8264?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/pencil/pencil-skirt-in-doubleserge-wool/46575?color_name=dahlia" target="_blank">And here's the winter version.</a><br />
<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/46575_PK6051?$pdp_enlarge$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/pencil/printed-pencil-skirt-in-sateen-dot/37532?color_name=vivid-ink-wine" target="_blank">And then there are these cute patterned versions.</a><br />
<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/37532_MG0702?$pdp_enlarge$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=35288&pcid=5022&vid=1&pid=873833002" target="_blank">I'm 99% this is the skirt I have, but if not, I still trust their skirts.</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/760/711/cn13760711.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
As for jewelry, most of this has been posted before, but here are some options for the necklace. (They no longer have this exact one.) I think it's the only new thing.<br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/necklaces/brassplated-crystal-necklace/95923?color_name=crystal" target="_blank">I feel like you could wear this basically every day.</a><br />
<img alt="Brass-plated crystal necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/95923_EC8333_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/necklaces/multicolor-gemstone-blossom-necklace/H0626?color_name=dahlia" target="_blank">And a bit more colorful option</a><br />
<img alt="Multi-color gemstone blossom necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/H0626_PK6051?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM0TMT1UgrBkB7V9nmi7rtDxke04dUWCG-sSDl9KZmlwwnFH9xRWUXkZbTIEB2gUpd8MlNNITQ6sJ2GwT_67FlOxDRKSrtls81NS6N-shY6gNU5Fm8XLtzCrLDWF-ua54mJYNe12aQUat/s1600/thursday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM0TMT1UgrBkB7V9nmi7rtDxke04dUWCG-sSDl9KZmlwwnFH9xRWUXkZbTIEB2gUpd8MlNNITQ6sJ2GwT_67FlOxDRKSrtls81NS6N-shY6gNU5Fm8XLtzCrLDWF-ua54mJYNe12aQUat/s400/thursday1.jpg" width="135" /></a><br />
On Thursday, I knew it was going to be warm, and I was starting to feel tired from the week's activities and grad school homework, etc. As I put this outfit on, I knew it was too summer-y, but I just didn't care. When a co-worker commented that I looked so summer-y, I replied, "I know. It's the wrong season."<br />
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Either way, when I remembered that we had a fire drill, I was glad to be in a comfortable skirt and sandals. Actually, this was the reaction I had when I realized I had worn "sensible" shoes on fire drill day:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgPjxpof9mv4UiVFzyIdlKM55P_lr8hzHv4j7h8EX-bEDZLgCj1aV0RmCg7-oVkCM-kdKTIGZykHr323DW7FRrPlOGZYaVKHCnX9c9Z_1A-ALLEY0JnqN8ufnRK1WtJMUqMbAbWDc465/s1600/happy+thursday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgPjxpof9mv4UiVFzyIdlKM55P_lr8hzHv4j7h8EX-bEDZLgCj1aV0RmCg7-oVkCM-kdKTIGZykHr323DW7FRrPlOGZYaVKHCnX9c9Z_1A-ALLEY0JnqN8ufnRK1WtJMUqMbAbWDc465/s320/happy+thursday.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After these pieces go through the laundry, they'll be tucked away until the spring, but I didn't mind the level of comfort for a Thursday. And if you're looking for an outfit for the spring, here are some similar pieces:<br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/ruffleneck-tank-top/G6803?color_name=white" target="_blank">This would be adorable for spring.</a><br />
<img alt="Ruffle-neck tank top" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G6803_WT0002?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=873985012" target="_blank">I think the stripes might be a cool way to mix patterns...but I'm not sure.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/658/138/cn13658138.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/mini/ikat-sidewalk-skirt/f1884?sale=true&isFromSale=true&color_name=natural-black-ikat&N=217+17+10137&Nloc=en&Ntrm=&Npge=1&Nrpp=60&Nsrt=3&hasSplitResults=false" target="_blank">Here's the summer/spring version of the skirt.</a><br />
This and the pencil skirt from above are two of the styles that J Crew Factory seems to constantly stock. They just seem to switch fabric for the seasons.<br />
<img alt="Ikat sidewalk skirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F1884_MF6802?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/skirts/mini/wool-sidewalk-skirt/95435?color_name=woodland-green" target="_blank">Here's the fall/winter version of the skirt. </a><br />
<img alt="Wool sidewalk skirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/95435_GR6202?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/steve-madden-sweeti-flat-sandal/334505?activeColor=580" target="_blank">As for the sandals, here's a cute, similar option.</a><br />
<img alt="Sweeti Flat Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/334505_580_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/steve-madden-raeleen-sandal/355556?activeColor=203" target="_blank">And here's an option that's a little more dressed-up.</a><br />
<img alt="Raeleen Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/355556_203_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
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Okay--well, I'm off to switch my laundry and do the other 1,000 tasks one does on a Sunday evening.<br />
<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-60209148895281700032017-09-16T21:37:00.000-07:002017-09-16T21:37:01.948-07:00Back to School, Back to School...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uMtkiS1SU_c/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uMtkiS1SU_c?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Tuesday brought with it a busy, but good, night. Back to School Night (or BTSN if you will) always makes you feel a bit nutty since you only have 10 minutes with each class period's parents and you say the same thing multiple times. By the last period, you can't really remember if you told this class that already or if you just said it to a different class ten minutes ago. As I type this I realize that it's really not that different than every other day as a teacher...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz4UKp7SChRCjzNb0nuRAtIvFO_qjQ3nV_Qwh3A0m0tPTxhzWW0bSw8AfdH39ZkRsCMHDJZF4iwGCDrFKO-Z9iT0r-vh70C0qI1OgBCZCeJErOhVC7UQPtdSY_0D9_T26gSHnEBgSWRtg/s1600/tuesday+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYz4UKp7SChRCjzNb0nuRAtIvFO_qjQ3nV_Qwh3A0m0tPTxhzWW0bSw8AfdH39ZkRsCMHDJZF4iwGCDrFKO-Z9iT0r-vh70C0qI1OgBCZCeJErOhVC7UQPtdSY_0D9_T26gSHnEBgSWRtg/s400/tuesday+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Anyway, it's always good to bring your teacher A game to BTSN, and this year I broke out my birthday pants. My parents sent me two pairs of pants I had asked for last May for my birthday. I tried them both on, decided they looked better online, and took them back to exchange them for other pants. And then I never wore them since it was the last month of school and putting an outfit together that requires multiple pieces was just not something I was up for that late in the year.</div>
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So they hung in my closet for months. Poor pants. I imagine this is how they've felt on all those lonely summer days:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Mn_GHPETaU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Mn_GHPETaU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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But alas, their moment to shine arrived on Tuesday. I decided that these would be a good choice for the day since I was planning on staying at school from the start of the day until the night was over. And while I have made plenty of bad fashion decisions in the past (and my mom insists on leaving those pictures hanging up on the wall), this was a good decision. These pants are the stuff that teacher dreams are made of. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mrIBDUz5glUddPsShZlYB0Kz8nWz3D19bAVOjHqBbWWDDjQ9wX4lfV-cEv9CpCfVWRz6MZu6qWhm08VR2zVjM4TeOUk3QS9526x8f_trqm-ouV3b0W3MAOukYTmwJSS9nqdmL9hhxK-B/s1600/tuesday+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mrIBDUz5glUddPsShZlYB0Kz8nWz3D19bAVOjHqBbWWDDjQ9wX4lfV-cEv9CpCfVWRz6MZu6qWhm08VR2zVjM4TeOUk3QS9526x8f_trqm-ouV3b0W3MAOukYTmwJSS9nqdmL9hhxK-B/s200/tuesday+1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I'm a bit in love with these pants since they look like real pants and feel like yoga pants. I might have said, "Check this out" and then demonstrated their awesomeness to a couple of colleagues. They're the best! I paired these with a black shirt I love (It has a bow on it. Reason enough to love it.) and a blue cardigan. So--I'm pretty sure no one who knows me is surprised that I picked neutrals with a pop of color. And the Dak Prescott shoes (in a different color) also got their moment as well. I threw on some silver bracelets and earrings to finish it off. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwMRMKLLNipHbHbzyJK2P1vSoNJIb9IDIrwFAw4FO0P6T9sFtNIq-VsLfkuErL8YU7reWoJjSjT8DgfbneHFEKe0iHdaVHxZODUW-FMkiKQLYTw75SofVEG2wxc_1hYvSVayT8hg_ILve/s1600/Tuesday+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwMRMKLLNipHbHbzyJK2P1vSoNJIb9IDIrwFAw4FO0P6T9sFtNIq-VsLfkuErL8YU7reWoJjSjT8DgfbneHFEKe0iHdaVHxZODUW-FMkiKQLYTw75SofVEG2wxc_1hYvSVayT8hg_ILve/s200/Tuesday+2.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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As for the actual evening, I've found a few things helpful for me:</div>
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As parents walk in, I give them an index card and ask them to tell me anything about their student that they think I should know but the student might not tell me. I also ask for their email so I can add them to a Google folder that I use throughout the year to house assignment sheets, etc. </div>
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I find that index cards work better than a sign-in because all parents can complete the task at once and there isn't a back-up while they wait to sign-in or a concern about the clipboard getting to everyone. </div>
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I keep the spiel pretty basic and try to focus on the big picture of what I want the kids to get out of their time in the class.</div>
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I make sure to tell them the dates for the quarterly Writers' Nights so they can mark their calendars now, and I end by mentioning that if they have an extra box of Kleenex hanging around the house, I will happily take it off their hands. </div>
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And before you know it, the night is over. </div>
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As for outfit help, here are some options for a BTSN ensemble: </div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1009305&pcid=67595&vid=1&pid=783611012" target="_blank">These are the exact pants! Go buy them now! </a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/102/520/cn13102520.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=873984002" target="_blank">Here's a similar shirt.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/651/186/cn13651186.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.anntaylor.com/tie-front-shell/426261?skuId=23312029&defaultColor=1246&colorExplode=false&catid=cata000010" target="_blank">This might also work.</a></div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Tie Front Shell" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=52000652&amp;itemID=426261&amp;swatchID=1246&amp;recipeName=pdlg488x601" width="162" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/clare-cardigan-sweater/14041" target="_blank">And here's my go-to cardigan.</a></div>
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<img alt="Clare cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/14041_BL7079?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-frankie-wedge-pump/365214?activeColor=020" target="_blank">And the shoes that I love.</a></div>
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<img alt="Frankie Wedge Pump" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/365214_003_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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Okay--well, I hope that helps! </div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-8471168792413748262017-09-16T18:08:00.000-07:002017-09-17T14:00:44.136-07:00Back to School Night, Baseball, and Other Things That Keep Me Up Past My BedtimeSometimes as a teacher, you have weeks when you actually get to have both a life and a job. This was one of those weeks. But I'll be honest; in order to have both, I needed plans that were made before I realized that I'd be tired and would be tempted to just be a little old lady staying at home.<br />
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This week contained the following:</div>
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1. The reinstatement of my Bible study group </div>
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2. Back to School Night</div>
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3. A Wednesday night in which I skipped both yoga and a baseball game in order to sit at home and do nothing</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9mIefcvPd1KBmYzTLYd7JnvqR_5mrFrMYKDxfvrfCtz-qMGu-O-ww84ckOuhyphenhyphenJygqDA-V9RLxfHKI9miaAx8LDVBCGlE4Xm1sKdGud27auPwGXb8uKnqPfdSUBzL3yKNO-6wrBH9yhGH/s1600/baseball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9mIefcvPd1KBmYzTLYd7JnvqR_5mrFrMYKDxfvrfCtz-qMGu-O-ww84ckOuhyphenhyphenJygqDA-V9RLxfHKI9miaAx8LDVBCGlE4Xm1sKdGud27auPwGXb8uKnqPfdSUBzL3yKNO-6wrBH9yhGH/s320/baseball.JPG" width="240" /></a>4. Two baseball games</div>
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I would normally say it's a terrible idea to cram this much into one week, but it actually was a great week. And I was so glad to see people I love and get to spend some time at one of my favorite places--Nats Stadium. </div>
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But I'll be honest. As a teacher, it's super easy to talk yourself out of seeing friends or going to something in the middle of the week by telling yourself that you should be doing something for work. Truth--sometimes that's the reality of the job. If grades are due that week, it's probably not the best time for an impromptu night out. But if you know 2 weeks in advance that one of your best friends is going to be in town, then it's probably reasonable to make plans with her. And as much as sleep is important, every now and then it's worth a little bit of lost sleep to remind yourself that you are, indeed, a human and that you are allowed to live a life that doesn't revolve around everyone else. I'm thoroughly convinced that taking time to be a human will keep you from being one of the teacher burnouts that people love to reference. And I'm also convinced that I begin to resent my students if I give up everything I am for them. Balance is key. </div>
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I will now step off my soapbox and into my outfit rundown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5ONEHsslVf5BzkE9XMDAJg2lmUKwI-bJrNhQ00OcjVz0_MIrdGbZeu_Avp12e0oltS0PVndEUSBq101_Tg5NayPPQRm7V4C5ORSWD7Ej27kWNBufiCPPQnjP_0X6fhZ8J46TyCTZDUIg/s1600/monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5ONEHsslVf5BzkE9XMDAJg2lmUKwI-bJrNhQ00OcjVz0_MIrdGbZeu_Avp12e0oltS0PVndEUSBq101_Tg5NayPPQRm7V4C5ORSWD7Ej27kWNBufiCPPQnjP_0X6fhZ8J46TyCTZDUIg/s400/monday.jpg" width="300" /></a>Monday's outfit is one of my favorite trick outfits. Any time I wear this dress and someone compliments me, in my head I'm thinking, "This is basically one of those old man sleeping shirts with a belt. It's like wearing pajamas to school." </div>
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I might have said this to one of my male colleagues when he complimented me. This might explain why I'm not very good at being a girl. I think I was supposed to just say, "Thanks." and walk away. </div>
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<a href="http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/BrooksBrothers/152B_BLUE?$bbproductimages$" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for men's pajama gown" border="0" src="http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/BrooksBrothers/152B_BLUE?$bbproductimages$" height="200" width="164" /></a></div>
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As for the details of this one, this is a moment of honesty, which I think is important. I bought this dress and 3-4 others at the beginning of the last school year. I had gained enough weight that most of my clothes were uncomfortable, unflattering, and just generally made me feel terrible all day. I decided that I didn't want to meet my new students while wearing clothes that made me feel so insecure. So I went out and purchased just enough new things to get through fall. And I tried to buy things that would still work even if I, as I was hoping would happen, got back in shape and could fit back into my "old clothes". That shopping trip was a life saver. Once I had clothes that fit and I liked, I felt so much better. And now that I'm in a better routine when it comes to exercising, these dresses still work even as I've been able to get back into some of my old stuff. When I used to watch "What Not to Wear" religiously, I remember them always telling women to not wait until they had perfect bodies before they dressed in clothes they liked. This is some of the best advice I've heard or could give. So I tell you my chubby story to say, if your clothes don't fit and you can afford it, go buy some that do. Don't torture yourself. </div>
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This dress is from Ann Taylor's outlet store, but here are some other options:</div>
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<a href="https://www.anntaylor.com/poplin-ruffle-neck-belted-shirtdress/448366?skuId=23757905&defaultColor=2158&colorExplode=true&catid=cata000012" target="_blank">This one has adorable details.</a></div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Poplin Ruffle Neck Belted Shirtdress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=52000652&amp;itemID=448366&amp;swatchID=2158&amp;recipeName=pdlg488x601" width="162" /></div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Belted Short Sleeve Shirtdress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=52000652&amp;itemID=434799&amp;swatchID=5214&amp;recipeName=pdlg488x601" width="162" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.anntaylor.com/belted-short-sleeve-shirtdress/434799?skuId=23363526&defaultColor=5214&colorExplode=true&catid=cata000012" target="_blank">And this one is a great color!</a></div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Fall Mosaic Shirtdress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=438783&amp;swatchID=0473&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/fall-mosaic-shirtdress/438783?skuId=23679993&defaultColor=0473&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">And here's a fall option.</a></div>
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<img alt="Harlet Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/362398_200_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-harlet-sandal/362398?activeColor=200" target="_blank">And my favorite shoes, of course.</a></div>
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I went with basic gold jewelry for this outfit, so here are some options similar to mine:</div>
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<img alt="Gold link bracelet" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7070_EC7246?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/bracelets/gold-link-bracelet/G7070?color_name=gold" target="_blank">One option</a></div>
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<img alt="Golden cuff bracelet" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/C8313_EC7376?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/bracelets/golden-cuff-bracelet/C8313?color_name=antique-gold" target="_blank">Another bracelet</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/669/675/cn13669675.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1032754&pcid=1032752&vid=1&pid=877378002" target="_blank">And I'm in love with this bracelet.</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://ii.francescas.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/francescascollections//source/Jewelry_Accessories/16535_gold-cl.tif&wid=2000&cvt=jpeg" width="133" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.francescas.com/product/caitlyn-teardrop-hoops.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=100254" target="_blank">An earring option</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.francescas.com/product/triangle-open-hoop-earring.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&page=2&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=100254" target="_blank">Another option</a></div>
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<img alt="Triangle Open Hoop Earring" height="200" src="https://ii.francescas.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/francescascollections//source/Jewelry_Accessories/516-01E_gold-cl.tif&wid=920&cvt=jpeg" width="133" /></div>
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I'm going to post another entry with my Back to School Night outfit and advice and some other outfits from the week. </div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-84467037739806572232017-09-11T21:52:00.000-07:002017-09-17T14:01:41.729-07:00Flowers, Fridays, and Other Things That Make Me HappyThe end of the first week of school is always a good reminder that you spent the summer being anti-social and are not used to being around other people all day. As a somewhat introverted person, by the end of the first week back, I'm normally uniquely tired even as I'm excited to get back in the rhythm of the school year.<br />
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I feel like if you talk to any teacher about their plans for the first weekend of the year, it's something low key and possibly involving tons of sleep.<br />
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As for clothing, since Thursday was only the second day I'd seen half of my students, I kept the dress rather professional. I try to make sure I have my classroom procedures all set and routines in place before I start to mix in some more casual outfits. This Thursday was kind of crazy, so I didn't get a picture of my outfit until I got to the gym, so this is a terrible picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFPi4_gIXenxsDU50yM-ztWqHMI1XRxMUxuIgnnoo6UgyWt8tex6S1y7MMDbvVQz8JShOyw05RYiBp7WmAOmQOw-jIpnQBzt-91MQWO8nAHVaiL_ub_Xys3PED-TJkGR1sUZ26Z37OV_Y/s1600/dress+thurs+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFPi4_gIXenxsDU50yM-ztWqHMI1XRxMUxuIgnnoo6UgyWt8tex6S1y7MMDbvVQz8JShOyw05RYiBp7WmAOmQOw-jIpnQBzt-91MQWO8nAHVaiL_ub_Xys3PED-TJkGR1sUZ26Z37OV_Y/s320/dress+thurs+2.jpg" width="270" /></a>But this is another Banana dress that came from a sale. This is a petite dress. I think it took me a while to figure out how my height worked with petites and shorts and regular lengths. Not that anyone would want to know this much about my weird frame, but I've found that I am not really a petite because it's not my entire frame that needs a special size. I just have short legs. But, I have found that for some dresses, it works better for me to buy a petite since it keeps it from being too long. So basically, petite tops never work, petite dresses often work, and pants in short instead of petite are best. As you can tell, that's a bit of complicated order. I only bring this up to say that finding what sizes work can be complicated, but I think it's worth taking the time to try on all options and figure out what works. Obviously this isn't a problem for tall people...just us travel-sized people. I'm not complaining though. I actually don't mind my height even if my classroom clock has been wrong since daylight savings time because I can't reach it.<br />
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Anyway--I give that whole spiel to say know what fits you, even if it's a weird combination. Being short doesn't mean you are a petite, and just because you have short legs doesn't mean that you have the torso of a petite person. Take the time to shop around and figure out your body size. And in this case, the petite dress fit me better than the "regular" dress. Either way, I was still in "dress for success" mode on Thursday, and I opted for another one of the dresses that I have slowly acquired since finding that Banana dresses and I are friends. </div>
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As for some options for similar dresses, here are a few dresses:</div>
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<img alt="Primary Image of Draped Ponte Sheath Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=52000652&amp;itemID=436198&amp;swatchID=8115&amp;recipeName=pdlg488x601" width="162" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.anntaylor.com/draped-ponte-sheath-dress/436198?skuId=23711129&defaultColor=8115&colorExplode=true&catid=cata000012" target="_blank">This one seems like a great option for any number of reasons.</a></div>
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<img alt="Short-sleeve printed dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F5386_MG2923?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/wear_to_workdresses/shortsleeve-printed-dress/F5386?color_name=dark-wine" target="_blank">And here's a great patterned option.</a></div>
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<img src="http://www4.assets-gap.com/webcontent/0013/829/020/cn13829020.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1010447&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=874452002" target="_blank">And I've been secretly waiting for an excuse to link to this one.</a></div>
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I give you these three options to say that there are some really fun dresses out there, and I love wearing something a bit dressier for the first week of school.</div>
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I'm also rockin' the T-Straps in this outfit because I wanted heels, but my feet were looking a bit like a ballerina's after the first few days. I evidently really lived in my Chacos and Birks, and my feet were not quite ready to be confined to real shoes, so I needed something kind to my feet. These definitely fit that description. </div>
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<img alt="Naturalizer Megan" src="http://a2.zassets.com/images/z/3/8/3/1/5/5/3831555-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.zappos.com/p/naturalizer-megan-black-leather/product/8821373/color/72" target="_blank">I think these are the new versions of mine.</a></div>
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I know they are a bit pricey, and I'm betting I got mine on sale since I'm pretty cheap, but I will say that I've had mine for 3 years, and they've held up pretty well. They're my go-to shoes anytime I know it's going to be a long day but I want to wear heels. </div>
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So, here are my lessons from my last "dressy" outfit of the first week:</div>
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1. If you can build up a wardrobe of dresses you love, buying one or two a year, you'll eventually have an arsenal of first-week outfits that fit you well and make you feel like the boss lady you are. </div>
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2. Take the time to try on different cuts--if a store has 3 or 4 styles of pants, try them all. If they offer petites and you aren't particularly tall, try them out. Learn what fits you well.</div>
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3. Find a pair of heels that will be your security blanket. Find a shoe company that works for your feet. </div>
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On Thursday night, my principal sent an email encouraging us to wear our school t-shirts. If you read this little blog last year (not assuming you did), you know <a href="http://mstaylorgoestowashington.blogspot.com/2017/04/and-then-it-was-friday.html" target="_blank">how I feel about wearing school spirit shirts on Fridays.</a> So, when I got this email, I thought about all of the things I would be willing to do for this new principal that I love so much, but I found myself singing: <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uRQ12qjiDBQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRQ12qjiDBQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="http://mstaylorgoestowashington.blogspot.com/2017/04/and-then-it-was-friday.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
I went for a bit of a different look. Here's what I chose instead:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNwiG_649rX9zabWdoGbItrEL2uC1eJumQP433kJWCOfj_ib3-kOxXomgiWinJhQ4diNgcW2rCIUOc-jxSmXGkUrmcn93Dj8Il48U-EZUlVcJrUea8IdeXBkowKn840yGlkPG9hr2yum5/s1600/fri+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNwiG_649rX9zabWdoGbItrEL2uC1eJumQP433kJWCOfj_ib3-kOxXomgiWinJhQ4diNgcW2rCIUOc-jxSmXGkUrmcn93Dj8Il48U-EZUlVcJrUea8IdeXBkowKn840yGlkPG9hr2yum5/s320/fri+2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I've had this cardigan for years, but I love it because it's that weird material that is thin but warm. As per the Ms. Taylor wardrobe, I kept the rest neutral. The long, flowy shirt was super comfortable but since it's a silk material, I think it gives it a bit dressier look than it feels like. I actually ended up having to go home to change anyway since I had a baseball game to get to and I knew it was going to get a bit chilly, but I wanted to start off the year with a Friday look that was fun for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLUTX6CZSN36NM_q6-hkAWxvdcxTJKPady07qWrELUCvo2WTU48NPNLO-zZOz3b4KnSvp5_Bz8k6hL57G7POLJXhDW3YE1yNlLOEtMiZjSAzqYKrQoL9tk199igTG2h7m3yZr3tQR3dGu/s1600/grand+slam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLUTX6CZSN36NM_q6-hkAWxvdcxTJKPady07qWrELUCvo2WTU48NPNLO-zZOz3b4KnSvp5_Bz8k6hL57G7POLJXhDW3YE1yNlLOEtMiZjSAzqYKrQoL9tk199igTG2h7m3yZr3tQR3dGu/s320/grand+slam.JPG" width="240" /></a>Last year, I think I talked a few times about the Friday night struggle to not just melt into your couch. Getting back out of the house on the first Friday of the year was a bit of a challenge, bu it was totally worth the struggle of getting myself out of the house again since it was a great night to be outside, I had fun company and my fave--Michael A Taylor-- hit an in-park grand slam. I didn't even know that was an option until Friday night. But that's not even my favorite recent Taylor accomplishment. The night before he robbed a guy of a home run, straightened his cap and got back to work. He's kinda the best...<br />
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Anyway--for Friday outfits, I'm a big fan of using Friday as a chance to get to wear my weird kinda-casual/kinda-work-ish outfits. And, as I've said before, these in between outfits keep me from going home to change after work and never actually leaving the apartment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWZE-sSDcDK6ElmH5JIpIbnDrc6-8-fbUxy21xtNIxwnhZvxdGEFE1T0UDeFL6SCYoffg9pBYyrUENEfPor0vF5da04V7eqmUz-C9buoF15cpW2CzMujxj9EwR-_jDuJ5mFTaFbkmle4R/s1600/fri1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWZE-sSDcDK6ElmH5JIpIbnDrc6-8-fbUxy21xtNIxwnhZvxdGEFE1T0UDeFL6SCYoffg9pBYyrUENEfPor0vF5da04V7eqmUz-C9buoF15cpW2CzMujxj9EwR-_jDuJ5mFTaFbkmle4R/s320/fri1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
This one is a bit of a uniform for me--a silk shirt, a cardigan, skinny jeans, booties, and some jewelry.<br />
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I guess this would fit the schoolmarm label my co-worker gave me, but I don't think I care.<br />
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Here are some options for this season since all of these pieces are crazy old:<br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=797678002" target="_blank">Here's a long cardigan option.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/577/568/cn13577568.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/vneck-cardigan-sweater/F4721?color_name=faded-blossom" target="_blank">And here's a cute option.</a><br />
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<img alt="V-neck cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F4721_PK6180?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=86856&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=876063032" target="_blank">And this one has cute buttons on the sleeves. </a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/920/960/cn13920960.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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As for shirt options, there are some really cute ones out there. Here's <a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/rufflefront-tank/G7571?color_name=ivory" target="_blank">one option that I kind of love:</a><br />
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<img alt="Ruffle-front tank" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7571_NA6434?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=873985012" target="_blank">I think these stripes might look cute with a cardigan.</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/658/138/cn13658138.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=796728002" target="_blank">And, for some reason, I kinda love the big bow on this one.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/730/945/cn13730945.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=797842012" target="_blank">And here's a pretty basic option.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/631/370/cn13631370.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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And, lately I've been a bit obsessed with the return of '90s fashion--maybe because I was a little grudge-ish kid in the '90s and I want a chance to wear all the girly stuff I missed while living in baby tees and second hand Levis. Either way, <a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=798024012" target="_blank">I kinda love this shirt.</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/624/476/cn13624476.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-harlet-sandal/362398?activeColor=200" target="_blank">The shoes are the same ones I've been rockin' for a while. </a><br />
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As for jewelry, I'm all about the big gold earrings, and here are a few options:<br />
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<img alt="Breckin Interlocking Circle Drop Earring" height="200" src="https://ii.francescas.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/francescascollections//source/Jewelry_Accessories/155198_gold-cl.tif&wid=920&cvt=jpeg" width="133" /><br />
<a href="https://www.francescas.com/product/breckin-interlocking-circle-drop-earring.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=100254" target="_blank">Basic gold earrings</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.francescas.com/product/julia-filigree-bottom-hoop-earring.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=100254" target="_blank">Something a bit fancier</a><br />
<img height="200" src="https://ii.francescas.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/francescascollections//source/Jewelry_Accessories/EA54230-A_gold-cl.tif&wid=2000&cvt=jpeg" width="133" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.francescas.com/product/dariela-chain-tassel-drop-earring.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&refType=&from=fn" target="_blank">And one final option</a><br />
<img height="200" src="https://ii.francescas.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/francescascollections//source/Jewelry_Accessories/Q47E1600-G_gold-cl.tif&wid=2000&cvt=jpeg" width="133" /><br />
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Okay--so, here are my Friday fashion tips before I head to bed:<br />
1. Find a Friday fashion that not only works for your classroom, but works for your post-work life.<br />
2. Follow all of the school rules and dress codes. Do the things that are asked of you, but if you have a good reason to not want to join in on something optional, that's okay.<br />
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<br />Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-67936724363898363072017-09-06T21:50:00.002-07:002017-09-06T21:55:44.527-07:00Day Two...I mean Day One, Pt. 2Today I met the rest of my students. Three years ago I started making a priority of calling home on all of my students one night during teacher work week. I know--it's a big time commitment, and since I don't start calling until 5:00 (in the hopes of getting in touch with more people when they are home from work), it makes for a long night. But I'm not exaggerating when I say that this choice has transformed the start of the year. If there is anything I could say to new teachers it would be to block off some time and make this part of your start to the year. I'm not one of those teachers who thinks the way she does things is the only way to do things, and I still have plenty of things that I struggle with, but this is one thing that I really, really think is worth the time. I get plenty of disconnected phones and I leave a TON of voicemails, but this habit does a few things for me:<br />
1. Even if I only get to leave a voicemail, I've let the parents/guardians know that I am invested in their student's education.<br />
2. As I pull up each student's information, I get to see a picture of them (unless they are new to school), and I get a chance to see if there are any flags on their page that let me know about allergies, family concerns, etc.<br />
3. For the parents/guardians that I get in touch with, I get great information about the student before I even meet them. It's really heartwarming to hear a parent gush about how hard working the student is, and for some students, I get a better sense of their struggles. And the funniest phone calls are when the parent hands the phone to the student, and I get to greet them.<br />
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I don't want to sound like one of those really annoying movies about teachers where the teacher changes one thing and everything is suddenly perfect. It's not like that at all. But my first days are better and more fun after I've called home. And I've noticed that parents are really willing to work with me if there is a concern later in the year if I started out our relationship on a positive, friendly note.<br />
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Okay--so that's my soapbox speech about calling home. Do it. You'll thank me later...probably not when you are at school at 8:00 finishing calls, but a few weeks later, you'll thank me. On to my outfit for today.<br />
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We have block scheduling, so we have two first days. For today's second first day, I chose another dress. And it's another dark neutral. Shocking, I know. Just like yesterday, I wanted something I could easily move in and would be forgiving if I was clumsy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS_V2zTgk12-MK1YS-RddKSjp1BiMdxxfBd69-zBxg8zBOIFGcwJKH3lz4_t1L18GsIkyLs3shyphenhyphenD9da7S3zM4eQUAWsQ73rujWmXUXt1IO5rBu_SUHFGRwBy0qsrsPk0geC0aTZ_tIZ0m/s1600/2nd+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS_V2zTgk12-MK1YS-RddKSjp1BiMdxxfBd69-zBxg8zBOIFGcwJKH3lz4_t1L18GsIkyLs3shyphenhyphenD9da7S3zM4eQUAWsQ73rujWmXUXt1IO5rBu_SUHFGRwBy0qsrsPk0geC0aTZ_tIZ0m/s400/2nd+day.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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If you are a true follower of this blog, you might recognize this dress as the first one I wrote about on the first day I posted. But this time I styled it a little differently. I'm more in love with this dress each time I wear it. It's so easy to wear and since it's black, I can mix it up in a ton of ways. I can thrown on some flats and make it a little less fancy or pair it with heels to bring more of my professional side. I can also mix any number of cardigans with it too. Exciting, I know. But it's the little things sometimes. Don't judge me for my excitement over cardigan options. </div>
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In a totally dorky moment, I'll admit that when I put this cardigan with it, it reminded me of my parents' high school colors, and I was happy. I paired it with a pair of shoes that I bought few years ago but always pass on wearing in favor of something more sensible or neutral. I told myself that this school year I would be better about wearing the things I own, so I sucked it up and put these in my gym bag last night. But being a bit of Nervous Nellie, I packed an extra pair of comfy heels in case I couldn't make it all day in these. The truth is, these shoes are surprisingly comfortable, so I think they'll end up in my gym bag more often. I will admit that I took them off during my planning period and wore the flip flops I keep under my desk. I see no need to wear heels when I'm just running around the building or sitting in the library grading papers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZwTVvrvdB-V00SRRS7HnehTrg42Z_0UWxKfb7kMtGJj2wLLr7D_nsKPw6ExIYS_-pJ4ZEvbiOKZXdfJ8f3tyMY38xnrH69Sw5R4lVwI7xUZzzX45CRQ2y9kSQ7AlEmrdF4H8Jo979drW/s1600/dresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZwTVvrvdB-V00SRRS7HnehTrg42Z_0UWxKfb7kMtGJj2wLLr7D_nsKPw6ExIYS_-pJ4ZEvbiOKZXdfJ8f3tyMY38xnrH69Sw5R4lVwI7xUZzzX45CRQ2y9kSQ7AlEmrdF4H8Jo979drW/s320/dresser.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="130" /></a>And before I give you my rules and links, I just have to make a random observation. I am always aware that I'm short, but I looked over at my dresser today and was reminded that I never feel as short as I do when I realize how little fabric it takes to fully dress me. Anyone else have these moments? </div>
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So now that I'm through both first days, here are my big takeaways for styling your first days:</div>
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1. When in doubt, go for the more professional option. </div>
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2. But wear forgiving clothes--both in color and cut.</div>
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3. And have layers ready for a broken or overly-determined AC.</div>
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4. And wear shoes that give you confidence but won't make you wince all day. </div>
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Okay--for this outfit, here are some options:</div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/dolce-by-mojo-moxy-brooklyn-pump/382190?activeColor=001" target="_blank">These are a bit more intense than mine.</a></div>
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<img alt="Brooklyn Pump" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/382190_001_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.offbroadwayshoes.com/145199/GENETT.prod" target="_blank">And now for something completely different...</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/9086/10h/origin-g3.scene7.com/is/image/deichmann/US_02_145199_00?$rrs_medpdp$&defaultImage=default_obs" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/cardigans/cotton-caryn-cardigan-sweater/E5957?color_name=dark-peony" target="_blank">And here's the basic cardigan from J Crew. </a></div>
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<img alt="Cotton Caryn cardigan sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/E5957_PK5695_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/casualdresses/shortsleeve-flounce-ponte-dress/G9357" target="_blank">Here's a simple black dress.</a></div>
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<img alt="Short-sleeve flounce ponte dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G9357_BK0001_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1010447&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=783764012" target="_blank">Another basic option</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/169/191/cn13169191.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/ruffled-herringbone-sheath-dress/444828?skuId=23682887&defaultColor=2222&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">And this one has ruffles!</a><br />
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<img alt="Primary Image of Ruffled Herringbone Sheath Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=444828&amp;swatchID=2222&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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Okay--well I hope that gives some good ideas for start of the year wardrobe choices.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-17904630707300388122017-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:002017-09-05T18:21:01.601-07:00Sounding Like a Bullfrog on the First Day of School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's here! The first day of school. New notebooks, kids wearing outfits they carefully planned to look like they didn't carefully plan them, and teachers wearing their fanciest work clothes. It's always exciting, and a bit unnerving, to watch students walk in your door on the first day.<br />
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My student teacher from last year is teaching at my school this year, and she's in my classroom after I am. As her students trickled in, I felt like going up to them and saying, "If you mess with her, you'll have to deal with me!" and then glaring at them. I resisted the urge. As I was reminded several times last week when I felt the need to watch out for her, I must let my baby bird fly on her own. But I still might have been sizing her students up...</div>
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Anyway--my students seem like a fun mix of personalities, and I'm really excited to get their first writing assignments to see what they think is the first thing I should know about them.<br />
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As for wardrobe choices for the first day, I'm sure I'm not the only one who brings his/her game face for the first day. I found out today that one of my co-workers refers to my work clothes as my "schoolmarm uniform." #reasonswhyImsingle I think this might have offended me at some point in life, but I'm fine with it now. As a teacher, my job is to teach, and if I'm dressed like a schoolmarm, I assume my students will assume I know what I'm doing. I think, as a teacher, fashion is really tricky. You can't say that what you wear doesn't matter because plenty of students will assess your relevance to their lives based on your appearance (fair or not), but many fashion trends aren't really school appropriate or don't allow for the type of movement needed in a classroom. So it's a bit of a balancing act. </div>
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As for first day outfits, I have a basic format I follow. Here's what I have:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XJ9pzQbuMqQGydbkYX88Ll74D9Z2mqWlsq1kegl_kFPACWT-caHfiwMrdlESq08PgAk2fZa7ohpjuX8M5J5EJBHACKZ0C_us8ZFlqZeB1e1ZVH8EcTxElZAgL-yaSUMjy9DV3IxAq7Bb/s1600/full+pic+serious.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XJ9pzQbuMqQGydbkYX88Ll74D9Z2mqWlsq1kegl_kFPACWT-caHfiwMrdlESq08PgAk2fZa7ohpjuX8M5J5EJBHACKZ0C_us8ZFlqZeB1e1ZVH8EcTxElZAgL-yaSUMjy9DV3IxAq7Bb/s400/full+pic+serious.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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1. Almost always a dress. It looks put together and doesn't require making sure a shirt stays tucked. It generally reduces the amount of fidgeting I do during the day. </div>
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2. If at all possible, a sleeveless dress. In all places I've taught, it is really likely to be REALLY hot when school starts, and the AC is unreliable, so I always want to be in the best position to not melt. Also, if you're sweating, even if it's a sauna in your room, students might interpret this as nerves, so I like to limit the possibility of looking freaked out on the first day. </div>
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3. There is always a cardigan involved for when the AC finally kicks on and it becomes an icebox. </div>
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This year I went super basic--I bought this shift dress in the spring when Banana was having a great sale, but I didn't wear it to school until today. I liked this particular dress as a first day dress for a few reasons:</div>
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1. The dark color would forgive me if I dropped my lunch on it.</div>
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2. The shape made it really comfortable and made it easy for me to maneuver through the room.</div>
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3. The length meant I didn't have to worry about tugging on it throughout the day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1dD-UuiAp19oLuuy5kEg2ZfdEnZXcWIXU7ygvj3qxVEvZdYV-e13kiv0QQo1xsxGcWm7eCSqY03MKwA44S_3WoOkBmSvUafyrQMfaKuP49su5dGLXrNzvrMGHh1aOgig0A65ZRz6caTe/s1600/cardigan+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1dD-UuiAp19oLuuy5kEg2ZfdEnZXcWIXU7ygvj3qxVEvZdYV-e13kiv0QQo1xsxGcWm7eCSqY03MKwA44S_3WoOkBmSvUafyrQMfaKuP49su5dGLXrNzvrMGHh1aOgig0A65ZRz6caTe/s320/cardigan+close.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I then paired the rather boring dress with my favorite necklace. I think I'm sometimes drawn to basic dresses like this one because it gives me a chance to play with shoes, cardigans and jewelry. I'm not enough of a risk taker to make those choices with patterned dresses. </div>
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Like I said, this dress is so last season, but here are a few similar options:</div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1010447&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=796862012" target="_blank">This is a bit more detailed, but still a neutral.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/920/554/cn13920554.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/wear_to_workdresses/capsleeve-sheath-dress/G8254" target="_blank">This one is a bit less forgiving, but I have it as well and find it flattering.</a></div>
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<img alt="Cap-sleeve sheath dress" height="320" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G8254_RD5614?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" target="_blank">And here's a bit of a fancier option.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/834/679/cn13834679.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></div>
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The necklace I wore is CRAZY old. It's funny because when I bought it I was sure it wouldn't make it more than a few years, but I'm still wearing it. I'm not sure if that means I'm out of style or I made a good investment, but either way, here are some newer options:</div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1030676&pcid=33412&vid=1&pid=678527002" target="_blank">Here's a simple option.</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/924/140/cn12924140.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/jewelry/necklaces/asymmetrical-clusters-necklace/F3223?color_name=neon-flamingo" target="_blank">Here's a more colorful option.</a></div>
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<img alt="Asymmetrical clusters necklace" height="320" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F3223_PK5538?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="320" /></div>
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The shoes are my Dak Prescott shoes from last season--my back-ups that became my starters. They made it through the day without killing my feet. </div>
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<img alt="Frankie Wedge Pump" height="240" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/365214_252_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-frankie-wedge-pump/365214?activeColor=252" target="_blank">I love these shoes. </a></div>
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Okay--on that note, I'm going to wrap this up and get to sleep in hopes that if I sleep enough, this bullfrog voice I'm rocking will go away...although having a deep voice on the first day of school isn't the worst thing I guess. </div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-70327629255635037152017-08-27T21:24:00.000-07:002017-08-27T21:24:27.559-07:00I'm Back!Hi all! The school year is quickly approaching, so I thought I would get back into some kind of blogging routine. Can I just say, SUMMERS ARE AS AWESOME AS ONE MIGHT THINK! I sometimes see these articles/tweets/posts that indicate that people should not be jealous of teachers because summers are full of work. I'm here to say, that at least for me, you shouldn't feel anything but jealous. I sometimes wake up on a summer day and think, "This is amazing! I can do whatever I want today!" Now, I should clarify--summers are essential for teachers. The hours teachers work during the school year and the emotional requirements of caring for so many students for so many months requires a real, sustained break in order for teachers to continue to do the important work they do. I know that other people work really hard and don't get big chunks of time off. All I can say is, "I'm sorry!" and "I'll never trade places with you." I know teachers who teach summer school or have family obligations over the summer, but I'm one of those lucky teachers who really is "off" for the summer.<br />
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But now we are back in school mode. Last week we had two days that are set aside for teachers to set up their classrooms. This means you take this:<br />
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And somehow start to make it look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAECjRm63QwYQ7oLS0jIDGAmzG-2j4PgmnPNBSWw0s1CTo_nHFIeOIrdPhTbyMp6cms2sRWsj1TgcusauTrcCayJ7LGS63y4JS0DK7pCa41fuHc2bmFwq7oBA2l7YiLx-ycQf7j8tDK6e8/s1600/IMG_3118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAECjRm63QwYQ7oLS0jIDGAmzG-2j4PgmnPNBSWw0s1CTo_nHFIeOIrdPhTbyMp6cms2sRWsj1TgcusauTrcCayJ7LGS63y4JS0DK7pCa41fuHc2bmFwq7oBA2l7YiLx-ycQf7j8tDK6e8/s320/IMG_3118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is when you know that I'm a dork. I actually LOVE doing this every year...well...maybe not the moving furniture around...but the bulletin boards and fresh school supplies and first day outfits and a newly-copied syllabus...I love all of it. </div>
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The other thing that makes teacher work days awesome is the chance to catch up with all of your favorite co-workers. This is how excited I get about lunch with my teacher friends:</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOXCQQd7dHVSBUvnDn0xPmX7ZF8tI8mGVCcMeJBal_MGKn5WYY5vG_HYZ8UyQaY0WVBUEc-59zZDf20Y2dD05RlYvGXC-8f_L8A_t1Qy6L4Fxej5tq6rGlUva0BZ3dKKNBKD4KKfVHQP8/s1600/IMG_3119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOXCQQd7dHVSBUvnDn0xPmX7ZF8tI8mGVCcMeJBal_MGKn5WYY5vG_HYZ8UyQaY0WVBUEc-59zZDf20Y2dD05RlYvGXC-8f_L8A_t1Qy6L4Fxej5tq6rGlUva0BZ3dKKNBKD4KKfVHQP8/s320/IMG_3119.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And I'm also this excited because my school district rocks! It gives us two whole days that are nothing but time for teachers to work on their rooms/anything else they need to do. I can't tell you how rare of a commodity time is to a teacher coming back from the summer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdbxH6M1tAwgT6WXEcchZMsY5R1vOkaL0lZU9YJ64KdG269MMXbomHmId6j1OvnMncRx6xAmKhlwYd28UKWV_kfBM8PGM__i7BGp9dKNWCuOIOwpyUMF0-9Tw0FRH4rK1qcuOYhQj3HrF/s1600/IMG_3120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdbxH6M1tAwgT6WXEcchZMsY5R1vOkaL0lZU9YJ64KdG269MMXbomHmId6j1OvnMncRx6xAmKhlwYd28UKWV_kfBM8PGM__i7BGp9dKNWCuOIOwpyUMF0-9Tw0FRH4rK1qcuOYhQj3HrF/s320/IMG_3120.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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But I've always wanted this blog to be helpful for new teachers who are navigating the wardrobe questions involved in starting a teacher career (and, let's be honest--I'm motherly enough that I'm going to throw in other advice as well). I remember trying to figure out what to wear for teacher work week at my first school. I wore a skirt every day. A snarky teacher told me that I was overdressed. I decided not to take fashion advice from her because she seemed mean. </div>
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So, what do I wear now for teacher work days? Well, this is my outfit from Friday. I think there are a few ways to approach your fashion choices for days when you aren't around students. And the choice is yours. Here are your options:</div>
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1. Enjoy the day of not having to dress up. Wear your gym shorts and put your hair up. </div>
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2. Enjoy a day of getting to wear your cute non-work clothes. </div>
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I would say to consider a few things:</div>
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1. Your work days may include quite a bit of cleaning, lifting and running around. Make sure you aren't wearing clothes that won't let you do those things or clothes you are worried about ruining.</div>
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2. These are your days. While you have meetings and professional development, ultimately, these days are there to help you get off to a great start. If wearing something cute gets you more in the mindset of being back at work, wear that. If wearing comfortable clothes to ease you into the school year helps with the sting of the summer ending, wear that. </div>
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The only warning I would give is that there are often students in the building volunteering to help teachers, making schedule changes, going to fall sports practices, etc. So don't wear anything that would be inappropriate for a student to see you in. </div>
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Okay--so back to my approach to teacher work days. The last few years, I've used this week to get one more wear out of some of my favorite summer clothes. I do what my roommate calls my "back to school nesting" the last real week of summer, so I typically have organized my closet and am super aware of all of the things I meant to wear more often over the summer. I wear those things this week. I'm also super committed to the after Labor Day no-no list (yeah--I know--it's not really a thing anymore...blah...blah...blah...I'm following the rules anyway), so I'm always trying to get my linen pants and summer dresses in to the rotation one more time before they head to the attic. </div>
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So, before I head to bed and try to convince my body that yes, we are indeed getting up in the morning, let me tell you where to find something similar to what I'm wearing here. Here's what I have for you:</div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/pants/chino_cotton/linencotton-drawstring-pant/c1223?sale=true&isFromSale=true&color_name=old-red&N=217+17+10138&Nloc=en&Ntrm=&Npge=1&Nrpp=60&Nsrt=3&hasSplitResults=false" target="_blank">These are this year's edition.</a></div>
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<img height="320" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/C1223_RD5695?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=1200&hei=1200" width="320" /></div>
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They have them in a few different colors. I'm a big fan. They feel like pajama pants but are linen, so they look like you're wearing real pants. Best of both worlds. I wish they still had the chambray pair I'm wearing because we know how I feel about chambray, and they are basically sweat pants that look like jeans. </div>
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These go with all kinds of things though. You can pull off a graphic tee like the one I'm wearing. Here are a few options:</div>
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<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7281_KL6647?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=1200&hei=1200" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/collector_tees/crane-collector-tshirt/G7281?color_name=ivory" target="_blank">So cute!</a></div>
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<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7275_MG2107_m?$pdp_enlarge$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/collector_tees/dachshund-collector-tshirt/G7275?color_name=creamy-peach" target="_blank">I'm a sucker for shirts with animals.</a></div>
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But I do think you could do some other things with these. I think a silk shirt tucked in also looks cute. Here are some options for that: </div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/745/750/cn13745750.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=876017002" target="_blank">A girly option</a></div>
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<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/658/138/cn13658138.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056191&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=873985012" target="_blank">And I think this one might work...</a></div>
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And, as always, I'm sticking with neutrals and a bit of color. This time it's my sandals. I've had these forever, and I keep waiting for them to fall apart. Here are a few options: </div>
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<img alt="Bevelyn Flat Sandal" height="240" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/369098_162_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/zigi-soho-bevelyn-flat-sandal/369098?activeColor=162" target="_blank">One cute option...</a></div>
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<img alt="Halana Flat Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/378081_710_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/vince-camuto-halana-flat-sandal/378081?activeColor=710" target="_blank">Another cute option</a></div>
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Okay--so that's my welcome back entry. I'll try to spend the next week or so sharing what I've figured out about stocking your closet and picking first day outfits. </div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-38943902813378480662017-06-11T07:19:00.000-07:002017-06-11T07:19:38.560-07:00Adulting at Prom and Surviving the End of the Year Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHWNIcfIGILHJBrtwOqG47KxRAmNGQLisV6f-BIJQhMweYR6qyBrM7c6Niabdj7zLoo6T1x-yMwDFAH_NZA9zRFiV0EQSlr6ZESQfm1qAUZFUEI4ISJAN4cRPAhDFoeHMNK4C0bd7AWW0/s1600/full+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1054" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHWNIcfIGILHJBrtwOqG47KxRAmNGQLisV6f-BIJQhMweYR6qyBrM7c6Niabdj7zLoo6T1x-yMwDFAH_NZA9zRFiV0EQSlr6ZESQfm1qAUZFUEI4ISJAN4cRPAhDFoeHMNK4C0bd7AWW0/s400/full+mirror.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
Being a high school teacher has plenty of funny moments. One of them is attending your 7th prom. The perks of being a high school teacher often come from being able to enjoy high school events without the angst you felt as a teenager.<br />
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These are the things I love about going to prom as an adult:<br />
1. It takes me about 20 minutes to get ready.<br />
2. I get to spend the whole night telling students how lovely their dresses are/how dapper their suits are.<br />
3. I am typically back in the comfort of my own apartment before 11:00.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0Juzp-LkXDOrQKncibNUKjKsPC0j-dGLV2GrxCvUnhRFCL2PchxD8oDNf0H0PS0nJnFF0dsGqwYKav5TSSa1_IflFg8sM7C9hFSTvemKITE8y1mT0j5ObJUHVYfTAeUQtp-Z5_gCrAlZ/s1600/rooftop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0Juzp-LkXDOrQKncibNUKjKsPC0j-dGLV2GrxCvUnhRFCL2PchxD8oDNf0H0PS0nJnFF0dsGqwYKav5TSSa1_IflFg8sM7C9hFSTvemKITE8y1mT0j5ObJUHVYfTAeUQtp-Z5_gCrAlZ/s320/rooftop.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm lucky to have a fun group of "prom friends." We typically go to dinner and then get to prom on the early side. We stay for an hour or two and then head out. I love being able to see my students looking so grown-up, and I love being able to share their special night with them.<br />
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I always overhear conversations about dresses and hairstyles and dinner plans all throughout the second semester, so it's really fun to see the final product of all of their planning. I even have a prom "soapbox" speech that I give some time mid-second semester. These are the things I tell them:<br />
1. Go to prom. Anything in life that you only get to do once (graduations, proms, final tours by your favorite bands), go. Don't tell yourself you don't care so you won't go. What's one Friday night of your life? What will you be doing instead that is a once-in-a-lifetime thing? If you get there and it's terrible, take some pictures, laugh about it, and leave. Go to IHOP, and eat some pancakes. Whatever. Just don't miss things you can't do again later. <br />
2. Make good choices that night. You have spent countless hours and no telling how much money to make that night special. Don't ruin it by consuming things that will make you unable to remember the night, get you in trouble/kicked out of prom, or leave you with the contents of your dinner revisited on your dress.<br />
3. Don't overplan. Every year some friend group has a complete meltdown over paying for the limo or dinner reservations. You'll see EVERYONE at prom. Just keep the group you go to dinner with small and keep the transportation plans simple--heck--get an Uber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHF_u4ed_lZKtzn0rC4n2exZg2OWBQiHkVJrRn7a0eM-uT7NVtn3jVbXp46ZtXII5G0oVYPgHliIvrBDzOiqKCKNdG5A41yAyEchgapC5Y4msvUXsEBXrbH_Nz7V7J0Y5WZBB9Ey0gfef/s1600/matt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHF_u4ed_lZKtzn0rC4n2exZg2OWBQiHkVJrRn7a0eM-uT7NVtn3jVbXp46ZtXII5G0oVYPgHliIvrBDzOiqKCKNdG5A41yAyEchgapC5Y4msvUXsEBXrbH_Nz7V7J0Y5WZBB9Ey0gfef/s320/matt.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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When I first started going to prom, I had a hard time figuring out what to wear, but as I've built up a collection (and by collection I mean 3 or 4) of wedding dresses (Not in the <i>Runaway Bride</i> sense. In the "I've gone to so many weddings that I grab every little black dress that Banana puts on sale" kind of sense.), I now have some options for what I wear. This year I went with a silk dress I bought over 5 years ago. The other ladies in our group were rocking some pretty amazing dresses, so I felt like I had awesome prom dates. :)<br />
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Break for a random prom story:<br />
On the walk over to prom (we don't need to discuss what "5 blocks" means to some people...not that I'm holding a grudge...just sayin'), we hit several stop lights. Some in our group decided to jaywalk, but since I was wearing heels and couldn't make a run for it very easily, I stayed behind. At one point, I saw a car coming, and stayed on the sidewalk. I yelled, "I'm a law abiding citizen. I'm staying here until I'm told to walk." The guy in the oncoming car rolled down his window and said, "I would marry you." This might have made my night.<br />
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I say might because we also found the prom king and queen gear and definitely made sure they were ready. My only regret from the evening is that we didn't reenact a classic teen movie scene when we tried on the crown/tiara.<br />
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I have a few tips for prom dressing before I give a bit of a soapbox speech about surviving the end of the year.<br />
1. If you're like me, and you don't attend that many fancy events, use prom as a night to be fancy. Wear that dress you love but never get a chance to wear, go eat somewhere tasty, and then enjoy seeing your students in a setting that isn't about grades, late assignments or tardy bells. I know that if you are chaperoning you have some obligations, and I know that students sometimes make bad choices on prom night, so you don't always get to be completely free of adult responsibilities, but as much as possible, enjoy the experience.<br />
2. Try your dress on a few days ahead of time. Once again, if you're like me, those dresses hang in the back of your closet until prom--or some friends recommend a fancy night out--so make sure it still works well for you.<br />
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Okay--now on to my second soapbox of this post.<br />
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A very kind friend, a few years ago, told me that she was praying for people to come along and take over some of the things I was, at the time, in charge of. At the time, I just kind of said, "Thanks!" and went along my way. But as the year went on, and I noticed how tired and impatient I became, I thought, "Maybe my friend is right. Maybe I have too much on my plate. Maybe I could do fewer things with more grace." I looked at my calendar and made a "must", "would like to", and "just can't" chart. I put things like my summer time in Arkansas on the "must" list and put things like going to school plays in the "like to" column. After looking over my chart, I decided that the only way I could survive a somewhat busy schedule was to faithfully do the "must" list things and allow the "like to" things to be decided on a case-by-case basis with no judgment if I opted not to attend/participate in them. If, the week of the school play I thought it would be fun to go, I'd go. But I wouldn't make myself go, and I never promised my students I would go. If they asked me if I was going, I would be honest with them. I would tell them that things were pretty busy at the time, so I would probably need the weekend to recover. They understood, most of the time. And if they didn't, that was okay. They are teenagers. While most are really compassionate and understand that their teachers have a lot on their plates, the ones who don't understand can't be the ones I answer to. Making them happy isn't my job--teaching them is.<br />
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Some time over the summer, I'll write all my thoughts about teacher guilt and how movies like <i>Freedom Writers </i>give students, parents, community members and teachers a false hope for what a teacher can/should do for his/her students, but for now, just know that prom is on my "would like to" list, and, luckily, most years I make it. But, the key to enjoying prom (for me) is it being something optional that I choose to attend, not something I feel forced to attend. When I grab dinner with my friends, stop by prom for an hour or so, and then go home, I leave with fond memories, and I can genuinely tell my students how nice it is to see them and how fabulous their dresses/suits are. It has to be from a place of joy, not a place of guilt.<br />
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Okay--I hope this post might inspire you to feel free to say "No!", even to good things, if they leave you with an out of control schedule, and I hope it might make you decide to put on your fancy dress and go enjoy yourself for a night.<br />
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Quick <i>Arrested Development </i>reference: When we were walking to the staff lounge, we came across this never nude. I had to document it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuulJM0DIe2Mszw4jXV8eMxADovvLn9TLGbstlBhujpFp0TA-7j1PIIl9S1uGD5NkZFyuF35lPgZpXI0mQ-UbgcQ6Aw0P0fFRRl4QkzwpxBfWZBI8zfO8VZ9aoouFV4bxEagY-hmanbIn/s1600/never+nude.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuulJM0DIe2Mszw4jXV8eMxADovvLn9TLGbstlBhujpFp0TA-7j1PIIl9S1uGD5NkZFyuF35lPgZpXI0mQ-UbgcQ6Aw0P0fFRRl4QkzwpxBfWZBI8zfO8VZ9aoouFV4bxEagY-hmanbIn/s320/never+nude.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-68776908815173000942017-06-02T11:35:00.000-07:002017-06-02T11:35:52.470-07:00Another Week Closer to Summer Break<br />
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<a href="https://media2.giphy.com/media/7QohcoBbIndg4/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for miranda such fun" border="0" height="112" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/7QohcoBbIndg4/200_s.gif" width="200" /></a>Since we were testing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I kept my outfits pretty comfort-focused, and I avoided wearing anything other than sandals or flats so I wouldn't be super noisy as I actively proctored. Such fun! </div>
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I didn't take a picture of my outfit for Tuesday because it wasn't "of note", shall we say. I helped out with a debate tournament over the weekend, and my flight back on Monday was a bit late, so Tuesday I was in survival mode. </div>
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On Wednesday, I based my outfit on wanting pants that wouldn't be confining and any shirt that matched. I do have a bit of a lesson about online shopping and sleeves. </div>
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I love the way this shirt looks--it looks really cute with a pencil skirt and also works well with jeans, but it's a funky fit. The arm holes are weird. I'm not sure I've ever typed that sentence before in my life, but it's true. They are tight around my arms (let's say that's because I've been lifting weights and am now SUPER STRONG...yeah...let's go with that) and they attach to the shirt so low that it's hard to really use your arms for any dramatic movements. If you know me, you know that dramatic movements are some of my favorite movements, so I feel restricted in this shirt. Here are a few, very random, tips about shirts:</div>
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1. I'm coming to find that I tend to stick with sleeveless shirts or shirts made of pretty forgiving fabric because I hate to have my arms feel like they are stuck in a paper towel roll all day. </div>
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2. As a result of my hatred for feeling confined, when I try a shirt on, I try to make sure I can go about my usual routines in it. </div>
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3. And take a lesson from me, don't tell yourself it won't bother you simply because the shirt is cute. Much like with dating, something/one can start off seeming really cute, but if it/they annoy you all day long, by the end of the day, the cute factor is gone. </div>
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On another note, you might ask how I came to buy a shirt that isn't that comfortable. The first reason is stated above--I thought it was really cute, so I thought I wouldn't mind if it wasn't super teaching-friendly. It's such a loose style, that it never occurred to me that I needed to make sure I could successfully put my hair in a ponytail or wave dramatically to get someone's attention down the hall. Turns out, I do those things more than I would have thought. </div>
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I also kept this shirt because I bought it online, and I'm a lazy online shopper. I'm getting better, but there are more than a few pieces in my closet that, if I'm totally honest, I probably just kept because they were an okay fit and returning them would require packaging them and dropping them off somewhere. So, here is my mini-lesson about online shopping, as a recovered over-keeper:</div>
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A few years ago, my former roommate and I were both StitchFix regulars. I love Stitch Fix, and I only stopped getting a regular shipment because my closet was pretty full at the time. We both loved that we got rather unique pieces and that we often got things that challenged us to break up our routines. But my roommate and I both noted how tempted we were to keep things that didn't fit perfectly or were pretty similar to things we already had simply because, "Hey! They're already in my house." So, here were the questions I had to answer before I kept something I ordered online or got from StitchFix:</div>
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1. Would I have purchased this if I had found it in a store?</div>
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2. Would I have spent this much on this piece if I had to actually pay for it in cash? (Was it unique enough to justify the cost?) </div>
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3. Does this work well with my body type or am I just keeping it because it looks cute on the hanger or because it's what everyone else is wearing?</div>
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I think these rules saved me from filling my closet with things that were almost right, but not quite. </div>
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I've also had to start being less lazy about returning things that aren't working for me when I hit up a J Crew Factory online sale, etc. I no longer tell myself that I'll lose a few pounds and the skirt will fit perfectly, and I no longer tell myself that something is stylish enough to make up for how unflattering it is on me. If I wouldn't take it to the counter and swipe my card to purchase it in a store, it goes back to its home at the warehouse so that someone whose body is built differently can enjoy it. And my bank account thanks me. </div>
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Here's the truth about buying clothes that are almost right--it costs you twice. You pay the price of the item that doesn't fit right and then you EITHER pay the metaphorical price of feeling crummy every time you wear that item and know it isn't the right fit OR you actually end up buying another item to replace the poorly-fitting thing you just couldn't send back. </div>
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I also feel the need to note here that there is no such thing as something being cheap enough to justify buying it if it isn't right for you. If you wouldn't buy it at full price, don't buy it just because it's on sale. I often think of this scene from <i>Pride and Prejudice.</i></div>
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Either way, here's the outfit from Wednesday. These jeans are probably my least frustrating blue jeans, but I still wouldn't really recommend them. They have stretch in them though, so they do make the day more comfortable. </div>
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The necklace is a J Crew Factory purchase that has come in handy plenty of times. It's nice to have a statement necklace that is a neutral so I can throw it on with any rather average outfit to fancy it up. <a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/jewelry/necklaces/PRDOVR~G7756/G7756.jsp?color_name=crystal" target="_blank">Here's an option:</a>:</div>
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<img alt="Crystal ovals necklace" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7756_EC8333?$ary_tn250$" /></div>
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I am also a big fan of these flats. They are super basic, but that's what I love about them. As often as I need a basic brown flat, it's nice to have a pair that I know will be comfortable and go with whatever I'm wearing. Lucky Brand is quickly becoming a brand that I search out any time I go to DSW's or Off Broadway's website. Their shoes are normally just a little bit different than the average ones and have been pretty durable so far. They don't seem to have this pair, <a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/lucky-brand-eaviee-ballet-flat/370621?activeColor=230" target="_blank">but these are an even cuter option.</a></div>
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<img alt="Eaviee Ballet Flat" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/370621_230_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVU4mvaLnZQIWe-Q-yfv-PUWDumkBWTOMpG74A63blMoxXXi_LnUS0xvHLJGVnpSkzROn6eFMBmgd_eP1UUXF63HitorSsYxViMnnV8qHD9XCt4uJEqer90x5MPHU-yfjoo7FHe97vg_gt/s1600/jean+jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVU4mvaLnZQIWe-Q-yfv-PUWDumkBWTOMpG74A63blMoxXXi_LnUS0xvHLJGVnpSkzROn6eFMBmgd_eP1UUXF63HitorSsYxViMnnV8qHD9XCt4uJEqer90x5MPHU-yfjoo7FHe97vg_gt/s400/jean+jacket.JPG" width="300" /></a>On Thursday I went a totally different route in my effort to find comfort. I went to the dry cleaners on Tuesday night to pick up my winter clothes (I'll explain in a minute.) and found that I had a few spring items in there as well. The thought of wearing a dress that was stretchy and not restrictive was, of course, appealing, and not having to iron it was a huge plus. I actually didn't realize this dress was dry clean only until AFTER I bought it and wore it. As I was about to throw it in the washing machine, I looked at the label and realized that I had been deceived by its appearance. It looked like the other cotton dresses I owned, but it was being sneaky. So now I have a casual summer dress that must be taken to the dry cleaners. This annoys me, but I'm slowly getting over it...these things just take time...</div>
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In case someone wants to know, here is my approach to dry cleaning:</div>
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At the end of every season, I take all of my dry clean only items (from that season) to be cleaned. Yes--this costs a fortune, but wait. I'll explain how I justify it. </div>
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I then put everything away clean, so at the start of each season, I know everything from the dry cleaners is ready to go.</div>
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I then wear my dry clean only things, following Real Simple's guide for how many times you can wear something before taking it to the dry cleaners. <a href="https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing-care/laundry-guidelines-winter-clothes" target="_blank">Here's the winter guide.</a></div>
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As things hit their final pre-dry cleaning wear, I put them in a bag I keep in my room. Maybe this is a sad comment on how infrequently I wear my dry clean only clothes, or maybe it's a comment on how overly stuffed my closet is, but I can typically make it the whole season without being completely without work clothes. I do, occasionally, have a favorite skirt that I take on its own to get cleaned or take a specific dress for a specific occasion, but I've found that by waiting until the end of the season, I force myself to wear everything in my closet before returning to my old favorites. Think about it. If you can wear a skirt five times before needing to have it cleaned, and you have 4 or 5 dry clean only skirts, even if you were ONLY wearing those, you'd go a whole month before you'd run out of skirts. And that's assuming you have no 4-day weeks and you don't wear jeans on Friday and that your favorite dresses aren't ones you can throw in the washing machine. And if you really think about it, you're only in winter (at least in this part of the country) for four months. And, that time includes a winter break, possible snow days, etc. What I'm saying is, I totally get by with this because I'm not wearing a dry clean only suit to work every day, so I can mix in my dry clean only skirts/dresses with other things and stretch out my trips to the dry cleaner. </div>
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All that to say, even though this dress makes me sad with its fancy ways, I love it, but you won't see it in heavy rotation. </div>
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As for why I wore this on a testing day, aside from not needing to be ironed, and being super comfortable...well...that was about it. I did pair it with significantly less fancy shoes than might have worn on a normal day. I would normally wear this with some sandals with a bit of a heel, but since I knew I would be walking up and down aisles of desks during the test, I didn't want to run the risk of disturbing testers or losing feeling in my toes when I took the 1,000th student to the bathroom. </div>
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I'm not sure I would pair these shoes with this dress again, but at least for today, it was a fairly practical choice. </div>
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I bought this dress in the fall, but here are a few similar options:</div>
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<img height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&recipeName=pdlg436x502&itemID=427095&swatchID=5064" width="173" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/spacedye-shift-dress/427095?skuId=23017856&defaultColor=5064&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">This one might be a bit short.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/striped-cap-sleeve-sheath-dress/445952?skuId=23550780&defaultColor=2222&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank"><img alt="This one looks pretty comfy!" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=445952&amp;swatchID=2222&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/striped-cap-sleeve-sheath-dress/445952?skuId=23550780&defaultColor=2222&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">This one looks pretty cute.</a></div>
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<img alt="Main style image" height="200" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/184/137/cn13184137.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077120&vid=1&pid=788333012" target="_blank">A bit of a more casual option...</a></div>
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Okay--I'm off for a weekend of grading and berry picking. Obviously not at the same time.</div>
Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-40422402111095794442017-05-30T07:25:00.002-07:002017-05-30T15:04:39.616-07:00A Quick Catch UpIt's Memorial Day! According to social media, EVERYONE else is on summer break...I know...that's not true. I just keep seeing so many happy kiddos and parents. If you're one of those "already on summer break" types, congrats on making it to the end of the year.<br />
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As I mentioned before, we're in the middle of testing, which is a sign that the end of the year is near.<br />
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I wanted to give a quick rundown of some of my outfits from this week and then I'm off on my own Memorial Day adventure. I'm going to visit a farm for retired thoroughbred horses. I'm kind of excited and completely unsure of what to expect.<br />
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I gave you my testing day basics last time, but let me back up and give you Wednesday's outfit and then move forward to Friday/Sunday.<br />
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This week I looked super teacher-y all week. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, it's just that some times I'm a bit more of a stereotype than other days. Any week that involves a comfy dress, a cardigan and chinos is a super teacher-y week.<br />
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The weather was weird here all week, so I wanted to spend Wednesday in layers that would work no matter what happened to our classroom temperature. I've talked more than once about my love of dresses, but all of those have been a bit more on the dressy side of the spectrum. Wednesday's dress is part of my end of the year collection. These dresses are awesome because they are summer dresses that are fit for work. I wear these dresses when I go out for dinner on a summer night or I wear them with a jean jacket to work during the last few weeks of school--when I am more likely to need to haul books back to the book room or find myself in a rather warm room because the AC can't quite get it together. At the end of the year, it's really hard to motivate myself to put on confining clothes, and these dresses are a good middle ground between my start-of-the-year grown-up outfits and my last week of school "whatever's clean" outfits. I know that some people could wear these all year long and look put together. I'm just short, and I have a rather high-pitched voice, so I do all I can to separate myself from the student population early on in the year, so I save these for later on in the year.<br />
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I bought this specific dress from LOFT a few years ago when they had about a million really cute summer dresses. I loaded up, and I'll tell the truth. I wore those 3-4 dresses on repeat for the last month of school. They also have some pretty cute ones this year. Here are a few:<br />
<a href="https://www.loft.com/embroidered-split-neck-dress/440442?skuId=23276161&defaultColor=2222&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">I would wear this one all the time.</a><br />
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<img alt="Primary Image of Embroidered Split Neck Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=440442&amp;swatchID=2222&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/floral-drawstring-henley-dress/437392?skuId=23025530&defaultColor=6666&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">This one also seems fun.</a><br />
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<img alt="Primary Image of Floral Drawstring Henley Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=437392&amp;swatchID=6666&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/crochet-sleeveless-maxi-dress/427731?skuId=22958518&defaultColor=5940&colorExplode=true&catid=catl000013" target="_blank">This one even comes in petite for us short folks.</a><br />
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<img alt="Primary Image of Crochet Sleeveless Maxi Dress" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=427731&amp;swatchID=5940&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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I paired it with my jean jacket. No joke--I bought a jean jacket when I was in college and just bought its replacement last year. Yay for things that stay in style forever. Here are a few options:<br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/blazers_outerwear/coats/PRDOVR~F0711/F0711.jsp?color_name=monaco-wash" target="_blank">A good basic jacket</a><br />
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<img alt="Denim jacket" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F0711_DM1407?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077589&vid=1&pid=528553002" target="_blank">The classic</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0012/725/092/cn12725092.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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And I'm wearing the shoes I've talked about a few times. <a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-harlet-sandal/362398?activeColor=200" target="_blank">Here's the link, again.</a><br />
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I am also wearing a long necklace that I'm a fan of. Here are a few options:<br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/layered-lariat-necklace%C2%A0/402442?skuId=22991973&defaultColor=6090&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000023" target="_blank">Love this layering...</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Layered Lariat Necklace" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=402442&amp;swatchID=6090&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/mixed-metallic-drop-pendant-necklace/427562?skuId=23023628&defaultColor=6090&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000023" target="_blank">Another option</a><br />
<img alt="Thumbnail Image of Color Swatch 6090 Image of Mixed Metallic Drop Pendant Necklace" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=427562&amp;swatchID=6090&amp;viewID=B1&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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As I said, I was pretty teacher-y this week. The summer dress on Wednesday, the cardigan on Thursday, and then I went for the chinos and chambray shirt on Friday. I feel like all of these are the things you think of teachers wearing. And I'm okay with that. There's a reason teachers wear these--because they work well with what teachers do all day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZNtviySOU3w7nLbvaVGeeIH3gocCNNw9wMKf8XY9chFEjOut6DZgXd5-f_FeGr61KAiB84CnvwbK5NDPOErJqNMfpEkr7CpTvnFme5L0ASf_V9PRMVH67o0WHI3HMnVd5ferj20cHpvp/s1600/mirror+friday+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZNtviySOU3w7nLbvaVGeeIH3gocCNNw9wMKf8XY9chFEjOut6DZgXd5-f_FeGr61KAiB84CnvwbK5NDPOErJqNMfpEkr7CpTvnFme5L0ASf_V9PRMVH67o0WHI3HMnVd5ferj20cHpvp/s320/mirror+friday+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9489HN7PWciMgMqKwGqHObN9M7Z8lTZRA8vSbwyFwHZfnH8TE6puMtcsGGuxJv0aJ6Yq-uxZKHZsmcsmD5ChIMFBNatI3dpdZiDhnH_t-7KAm3Hhw1ajsXKOnGkymFxDRnNWOlzFU8K3G/s1600/cropped+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9489HN7PWciMgMqKwGqHObN9M7Z8lTZRA8vSbwyFwHZfnH8TE6puMtcsGGuxJv0aJ6Yq-uxZKHZsmcsmD5ChIMFBNatI3dpdZiDhnH_t-7KAm3Hhw1ajsXKOnGkymFxDRnNWOlzFU8K3G/s320/cropped+pic.jpg" width="124" /></a>On Friday, I found myself wearing chambray again. I got a new pair of chinos from Gap and wanted to give them a try. I love them. I am not really a camo person, so this is as close to camo as I get. I had worn this shirt before with pants that were less fitted, and I thought it looked less-than-flattering, so I though the more fitted pair of pants would work better.<br />
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Here's the top.<br />
<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1004905&vid=1&pid=717179002" target="_blank">But it's not my favorite anymore...</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/061/767/cn13061767.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1004905&vid=1&pid=717331002" target="_blank">I actually like this one better.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/503/506/cn13503506.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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The pants are a hit though. I like them a lot, and they come in so many colors. <a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077009&vid=1&pid=637944012" target="_blank">They don't have this pair online anymore, but these are close.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/062/545/cn13062545.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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On a final note, I wore these pants again on Sunday (feel free to judge me). I went a different route (but it still involved chambray, of course). Please note that I look terrible, but that's what happens when a late flight couples with two REALLY early mornings. I just thought I would share another option for patterned pants. You know I care about you, dear reader, if I'm willing to post a picture of my haggard self to show you another outfit option. Feel loved.<br />
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Here is the short-sleeved sweater, and you could pair it with any sleeveless collared shirt.<br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/blouses/striped-shortsleeve-popover-shirt/F1039" target="_blank">This one has sleeves, but it still might work.</a><br />
<img height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F1039_WC7780?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=408&hei=408" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/sweaters/crewnecks_boatnecks/shortsleeve-sweater/G6597?color_name=hthr-grey" target="_blank">And I think this is the same sweater.</a><br />
<img alt="Short-sleeve sweater" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G6597_GY6469?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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Okay--I think that's a quick wrap-up. Have a great start to the week.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-62215572437008070792017-05-26T16:12:00.001-07:002017-05-26T16:12:13.990-07:00Sometimes I Really Look Like a Teacher.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeAVxMXjUZ6GfwP8LVFwjYkYYd6X8a39TItbtsqagmjkb26bc5drAxwI0LX4gpuG7jVfWne-mJ76AX7tLl87pXHQjp0EC002FyV8NiJf6zmDueaJdeszwZ-hWvNg1cSSbMZ5wScWZ_tYO/s1600/thurs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeAVxMXjUZ6GfwP8LVFwjYkYYd6X8a39TItbtsqagmjkb26bc5drAxwI0LX4gpuG7jVfWne-mJ76AX7tLl87pXHQjp0EC002FyV8NiJf6zmDueaJdeszwZ-hWvNg1cSSbMZ5wScWZ_tYO/s400/thurs+1.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
This week is the start of end-of-the-year testing. Yesterday I was a proctor, so my day included the following (Note: These are rough estimates.):<br />
1.5 million trips to the bathroom with students who, to be totally honest, probably just needed a chance to walk around during the 3 hour testing window<br />
500,000 stairs climbed to go to and from the testing office to ask questions/get students all in the right place<br />
82,000 "No" responses to a students' post-test questions ("No--you can't have your cell phone yet." "No--they haven't released us yet." "No--you can't go sit by your friend even though you are done with your test.")<br />
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But even with the stairs climbed and the trips to the bathroom, proctoring isn't terrible. It's just a long day. Because I knew this would be the case, I made myself a survival kit--okay--it was really just a stop at Peet's before school. Caffeine and pastries are what keep me going on a long testing day. And, for some reason, I decided last Thursday was the right time to kick my diet soda habit, so I needed a replacement for my usual caffeine source.<br />
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When I was picking out what to wear the night before, I knew that I wanted to be comfortable. So I went for my grey jeans that I would live in if that were socially acceptable. I would be like Tobias from Arrested Development, but instead of jean shorts, I would just wear these jeans.<br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077452&pcid=5030&vid=1&pid=381075002" target="_blank">These might be my pants--I can't promise!</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/721/514/cn12721514.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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Anyway. I've also been trying for weeks to make an outfit work with this cardigan, but every time I tried to build around it, it just didn't work. I bought this one a bit big thinking that I would want to wear a long-sleeve shirt under it, but that means that it's a bit big for things like throwing it over a dress. I decided that on testing day I didn't really care that much about everything fitting perfectly and that I was more concerned about being warm and comfortable. This cardigan was perfect for that. It's really soft, light and stretchy. (That's probably not the right term, but I can't think of a better one.)<br />
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It's also been raining most of the week, so the bright color was nice for a rainy day.<br />
I can't find the exact same one I have, but <a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=781752052" target="_blank">I think I like this one better.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/426/449/cn13426449.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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I went for my super-comfy sandals to make sure I wouldn't be too noisy and to make sure that I could survive the walking I knew the day would require. <a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/steve-madden-sweeti-flat-sandal/334505?activeColor=580" target="_blank">Here's a link! </a><br />
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We're heading into about another week and a half of testing, so you'll probably see plenty more of these types of outfits over the next few weeks. Let me give a brief overview of my approach to wardrobe choices during testing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sZsgqNJfRCzo4351RREBiRTT8jYzO6Mzy8mdtpLW78MNJfRVxvzSxlXJWn57v6VWNrfgJnH9bCYqXt9ngWLTA3ViCs4m8cB6bvxDivbL7r2S1819GVRyMPhqRIS82NDlycWOFGKaHXk-/s1600/thurs+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sZsgqNJfRCzo4351RREBiRTT8jYzO6Mzy8mdtpLW78MNJfRVxvzSxlXJWn57v6VWNrfgJnH9bCYqXt9ngWLTA3ViCs4m8cB6bvxDivbL7r2S1819GVRyMPhqRIS82NDlycWOFGKaHXk-/s400/thurs+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
1. Bring layers--even if you are testing in your room, there's always a chance that the AC will work too well or not enough. If you're going to be in the same place for hours, you want some control over how comfortable you are.<br />
2. Don't wear noisy or uncomfortable shoes. Between kids needing to use the restroom and active monitoring <span style="background-color: yellow;">protocol</span> you'll get your steps in for the day. You don't want to have to worry about distracting a kid every time you do a lap or not being able to make it all the way down the hall when you take the 32nd kid to the bathroom.<br />
3. I highly recommend pants with stretch in them. Especially if you aren't going to be in your own classroom, you don't really know if you're going to end up sitting in a student desk, perching on a stool or standing around. It's nice to have on something that adapts to anything.<br />
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And here are the things I've learned about proctoring in general:<br />
1. Try to work out a schedule with the other proctors in your room so everyone gets a break during the test and no one feels bad for asking for a break.<br />
2. Bring sustenance if allowed. I'm sure some school districts have different expectations, but if the students are allowed to eat and drink during the test, I'm a firm believer that you can too. Not having a grumbling tummy will make the time go by much faster.<br />
3. Ask ahead of time what the expectations are for proctors AND ask about how many adults will be in the room/how many need to be actively proctoring at all times. It may be that there are 3 assigned to a room, but only one needs to be walking the floor/staring at kids at any given time. Knowing this keeps you from spending the whole time wondering if you are doing too much or not enough. <br />
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Okay--well that's my testing post. I'll have another with Wednesday's outfit and today's installment of "How Many Chambray Shirts Can One Person Have?"Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-41009528388983857612017-05-23T22:15:00.000-07:002017-05-23T22:15:12.865-07:00Monday, Tuesday, Thursday...okay...Just Monday and Tuesday...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a fun-filled weekend, I'm back to my normal life this week.<br />
On Monday, two of my debaters were giving a showcase debate at a local organization. They were brilliant and amazing, and it was the kind of moment when you remember that you really are working with future leaders. I think extra-curricular activities get a bad rap for being time suckers for teachers, but in my experience, working with students in these settings is what keeps me going. I get to work with motivated, thoughtful and kind students, and I love knowing that I'm enabling them to participate in something that is good for them. Obviously, it's important to have boundaries so that all of your time isn't consumed with school, but when chances come to give students opportunities to shine, take them.<br />
I'll get off of my soapbox now and move on to my clothing choices for the day.<br />
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Because we had this showcase, I knew I would be going from school to this event, so I wanted to wear something that would transition well and would still be comfortable by the end of the day. As a teacher, at least a few times a year I need to go straight from school to a school-related event. Monday was one of those days. I used to live about half an hour away from school, so it used to be even more important that my outfits transition well since I really didn't want to have to go all the way home just because I had worn an uncomfortable skirt or pair of shoes.<br />
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This outfit is a pretty standard one for me on days like this. The skirt is like the floral one I was unsatisfied with during the first week of blogging, but it's a size smaller, and I think that makes it look much better. I love these J. Crew Factory skirts because they have a stretchy waistband and come in different colors each season. In the spring, they come in a linen-ish fabric, and they are wool in the fall. These skirts are my go-to when I want to be ridiculously comfortable but not look like a mess.<br />
Here are a few from this season:<br />
<img alt="Printed linen-cotton sidewalk mini skirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/42251_MF9894?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /><br />
<img alt="Printed linen-cotton sidewalk mini skirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/42251_MG0266?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /><br />
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<img alt="Printed linen-cotton sidewalk mini skirt" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/42251_MF9872?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /><br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/skirts/mini/PRDOVR~42251/42251.jsp?color_name=bright-blue-multi" target="_blank">Here's the link that has all three colors. They come in solids as well.</a><br />
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I'm, of course, wearing a chambray shirt because it's me, and that's what I do. I also hold firmly to my belief that neutrals with a little bit of color make for a happy day.<br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/washed_shirts/PRDOVR~91506/91506.jsp?color_name=afternoon-sky" target="_blank">The exact shirt. I may own two of these...</a><br />
<img alt="Classic chambray shirt in perfect fit" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/91506_DM0274?$pdp_fs418$" width="200" /><br />
As for the shoes, these sandals are forever old. I actually think, every year, that I'm going to have to replace them, yet they just keep holding on. They're like the dog I had in high school who lived to be about a million years old in dog years but just kept going. I used to be rather opposed to non-neutral shoes, but I've since been convinced that purchasing a few bright-colored sandals/flats gives you some fun options for making a basic outfit more unique.<br />
Here are a few bright options:<br />
<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/nine-west-gannon-flat-sandal/394907?activeColor=440" target="_blank">Lovely blue...</a><br />
<img alt="Gannon Flat Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/394907_440_ss_01?$colpg$" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/indigo-rd.-camrie-flat-sandal/388562?activeColor=287" target="_blank">A Fun Pattern</a><br />
<img alt="Camrie Flat Sandal" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/388562_287_ss_01?$colpg$" width="200" /><br />
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Here are my tips from Monday's outfit:<br />
1. Skirts with stretch will make any day, especially a Monday, much better.<br />
2. Chambray goes with everything. Much like Wednesday's white shirt, it really helps to have something to fall back on. It's great to have a shirt that will go with almost anything in your closet so you can pick a skirt and be ready to go.<br />
3. I used to think I should only own shoes in neutral colors, but I've since decided that it's really great to have a pair or two that are fun colors.<br />
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I'm going to go ahead and tack on today's outfit just to wrap up my week of being behind on posts. I actually really liked my outfit today. The pants are my birthday pants--not to be confused with a birthday suit. I asked my parents for pants for my birthday (a sign I am officially old). After wearing these today, I'm in love with them. I think I not-so-secretly wish to be Diane Keaton from Baby Boom, at least fashion wise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn9a-Mq7eNKCevxdJ8Gi3RjL5-EyYKgQoze2MktRcytihzHsTWEfH1ybnlV3ldWN2hres4n8F1TzIhoq8rnKY_T55kE8sVZqAwsbVM4uqpFiRnrK2VHpPishGXkj9MgpGQL2JkCbCN3mF/s1600/tuesday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn9a-Mq7eNKCevxdJ8Gi3RjL5-EyYKgQoze2MktRcytihzHsTWEfH1ybnlV3ldWN2hres4n8F1TzIhoq8rnKY_T55kE8sVZqAwsbVM4uqpFiRnrK2VHpPishGXkj9MgpGQL2JkCbCN3mF/s320/tuesday.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I probably have this desire because so many of the movies I saw as a child had a woman in 80s business attire. So today, I got to live the dream...at least as much as I can since it's not actually 1988. Anyway--I love these pants. They survived a ruckus in my hallway and a fire drill. I don't really feel bad about admitting there was a ruckus at school today since you'd be hard pressed to find a high school that never has such an occurrence. Hello--it's a building full of hormonal teenagers; of course there are altercations. I think this might have even been a near miss. I'm not sure. I heard some noise in the hallway, asked one of my students who had just walked in the door if I needed to go in the hallway, and she took so long deciding that the event was over and everything was fine that I declared her to be the worst reporter ever, especially since when I went in the hall, there was still a bit of ruckus going on. Anyway--soon after that, we had a fire drill. Good thing my birthday pants were up for quite a bit of activity.<br />
Here is the exact pair. I love the fit. I like that they make my legs look less stumpy than they are, and I like that they held up well throughout the day. I'd say you should go buy these immediately. I think I'm also probably a fan of these because they come in "short" lengths. I'm not truly a petite because the rest of my frame is average--it's just my legs that are petite, so short pants are perfect for me.<br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1050786&pcid=67595&vid=1&pid=381106002" target="_blank">My new favorite pants</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/505/822/cn12505822.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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The shirt is from the fall, I believe. When I bought it, I thought I would wear it all of the time. I don't wear it that often, but I do love it. I feel like it has a pretty feminine look, but can be paired with a blazer and jeans or a pencil skirt.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=%22http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/378/693/cn13378693.jpg%22%20alt=%22product%20photo%22/%3E" target="_blank">This could serve a similar purpose.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/378/693/cn13378693.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1056194&pcid=5037&vid=1&pid=784213012" target="_blank">I'm now in love with this one...</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" height="200" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0013/349/728/cn13349728.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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Much like Monday, I kept it pretty basic and just added a bit of color. Here I went for a necklace. Orange is probably more of a fall color, so next time I might go for a pastel. Here are a few options for that:<br />
<img alt="Crystal petal party necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G6808_MF3992?$ary_tn250$" width="200" /><br />
<img alt="Triple opaque gemstone necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G7150_OR6062?$ary_tn250$" width="200" /><br />
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<img alt="Bubble stone necklace" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/F3924_PK5791?$ary_tn250$" width="200" /><br />
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All of these can be found <a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/jewelry.jsp" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
The shoes are indeed the Dak Prescotts of my closet. I'm officially more fond of these than the shoes that I thought would be my basic brown shoes. They made it through all the chaos of the day, and my feet were perfectly happy. Here's the link to them again:<br />
<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/franco-sarto-frankie-wedge-pump/365214?activeColor=252" target="_blank">My new best friends</a><br />
<img alt="Frankie Wedge Pump" height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/365214_252_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /><br />
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Okay--sorry to be so brief--but here are the tips for today:<br />
1. A good pair of pants will make any day better. Since pants styles don't change that dramatically that often, it's safe to spend a bit more on them. Also--since you can (and probably will) wear them more often, it also makes sense to invest a bit more.<br />
2. Know what makes you happy to wear, and go for it. One of the things that makes the end of the year work better is knowing you like what you are wearing. I know that sounds silly and trivial, but for me, it's true.<br />
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Hope this helps!Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-69881485974613271142017-05-23T21:09:00.002-07:002017-05-23T22:23:13.443-07:00And Then the Weekend Happened...I don't typically write about my weekend clothing choices, but Mom and I were a little fancy over the weekend, so I thought I'd include these outfits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqy-xSxoD-jhBgyu4-3tGEzfyfQ1uBGT8C7GAUJ8dDpnsY0fBzQBYc7RVkrwc-qkUeGkrHIdccuBY2p1cESC3_lq705kGiOh2v7LLh13olFeHWwegEEMLg1N_UPzYAnICklO6DQ-r6rXx2/s1600/beverly.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqy-xSxoD-jhBgyu4-3tGEzfyfQ1uBGT8C7GAUJ8dDpnsY0fBzQBYc7RVkrwc-qkUeGkrHIdccuBY2p1cESC3_lq705kGiOh2v7LLh13olFeHWwegEEMLg1N_UPzYAnICklO6DQ-r6rXx2/s320/beverly.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
On Friday, Mom and I had, probably, my favorite day of the trip. We did my absolute favorite thing to do when she's in town: we went to school. I often tell stories about my family or pass on my mom's advice during the course of the school year, so it's always fun to let her meet my students and let them ask her questions. My students were so fun and kind, and my mom was really happy to meet them. It worked out really well that my former intern and my former co-teacher were both in my room at one point, so my mom got to meet two people that have been encouragements to me during my time at TC. I took her around to some of my other favorite places in the building, and then we took off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUUI11jdjyqQdNc6OQDh8UyD_gtJKk52GrkRFGcUIm2mM07OCzwNqXvqop22CqzyprmqVC3JGBh6hEPHdPV39vRZ_yEkbLwd5T9UlpQAOopbcn7n60co7Jea3EnRRY7uMKjq9fNAC0Bke/s1600/full+friday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUUI11jdjyqQdNc6OQDh8UyD_gtJKk52GrkRFGcUIm2mM07OCzwNqXvqop22CqzyprmqVC3JGBh6hEPHdPV39vRZ_yEkbLwd5T9UlpQAOopbcn7n60co7Jea3EnRRY7uMKjq9fNAC0Bke/s200/full+friday.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4dtH3CXWwWmvc5bXyKcI6c7h61NxOzMdBo-updQfYxDqbqE0_x4yQxAhmyGK57uLZr5iUb4a2BHjnc-CUZeeTeazPs583WmxBjILEQ5YeFiL8l5E4n1RuBb6iLDmuj1VALv3U57db21n/s1600/half+friday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4dtH3CXWwWmvc5bXyKcI6c7h61NxOzMdBo-updQfYxDqbqE0_x4yQxAhmyGK57uLZr5iUb4a2BHjnc-CUZeeTeazPs583WmxBjILEQ5YeFiL8l5E4n1RuBb6iLDmuj1VALv3U57db21n/s200/half+friday.JPG" width="150" /></a>Since I wasn't technically at work on Friday, I went for a more casual look. I threw on (okay...I did have to iron the shirt the night before...darn you cotton fabrics!) a navy shirt I bought a summer or two ago and paired it with some jeans (no--I don't like these either...I'm still hunting) and a green cardigan. As always--I had mostly neutrals with a colorful item. It's my signature I guess...is that sad?<br />
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Here are some similar options for the shirt:<br />
<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/embroidered-linencotton-tank-top/G5320?color_name=navy" target="_blank">This one is much cuter than mine...</a><br />
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<img alt="Embroidered linen-cotton tank top" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G5320_BL8133_m?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/eyelet-tank-top/G5638?color_name=navy" target="_blank">Another option</a><br />
<img alt="Eyelet tank top" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G5638_BL8133?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/shirts_tops/sleeveless/embroidered-placket-tank-top/G5197?color_name=bright-celery-seaside" target="_blank">One final option</a><br />
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<img alt="Embroidered placket tank top" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G5197_MG1454?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /><br />
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Here are a few long cardigan options:<br />
<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=8993&vid=1&pid=715973052" target="_blank">A summer color</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/191/676/cn13191676.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=51420&pcid=5032&vid=1&pid=582511012" target="_blank">The one I wore on Wednesday</a><br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/737/772/cn12737772.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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The Birks made another appearance mostly because my feet chant "Birks! Birks! Birks!" every time I start to pick out my shoes. My mom and I were also planning to hit up the mall, so I wanted some comfy shoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1GEi53tVa50tPVjnYfPURhBZ9y3Hg_-bAuqwBBCpSv4e40tO8EIUCJC27KBu4Fsp13bEV69R4k6c4qOYTjkidjeX9vKqIFPHcECafNws9208-HVJVJsJ5IaDyN4K7r0kHwsULo0He_is/s1600/dessert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1GEi53tVa50tPVjnYfPURhBZ9y3Hg_-bAuqwBBCpSv4e40tO8EIUCJC27KBu4Fsp13bEV69R4k6c4qOYTjkidjeX9vKqIFPHcECafNws9208-HVJVJsJ5IaDyN4K7r0kHwsULo0He_is/s200/dessert.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF-3QRayWlrktYuchojszOHswK3zMo609F38wtL3eh_zQwxmoyjzoul57F5WYioegms0yTQRDduDomuWLh7PVZ3JLWuo6Mn9kvKTXYauUUImeV9yzm7Z_dsqyKThlckC6iSbAv2Dl1gK_/s1600/cucumber.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF-3QRayWlrktYuchojszOHswK3zMo609F38wtL3eh_zQwxmoyjzoul57F5WYioegms0yTQRDduDomuWLh7PVZ3JLWuo6Mn9kvKTXYauUUImeV9yzm7Z_dsqyKThlckC6iSbAv2Dl1gK_/s320/cucumber.jpeg" width="240" /></a>The highlight of the day was tea at the Ritz. It was ridiculously good and SO fun. Since we don't normally go to tea, especially at a nice hotel, we took full advantage of the opportunity to be girly...and we documented every moment. I'm sure the other patrons mocked us, but we don't know them, so I'm not that concerned.<br />
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Given my love of <i>The Importance of Being Earnest</i>, I felt required to document my eating of a cucumber sandwich.<br />
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Saturday we hit up DC. We went to my mom's favorite restaurant and took advantage of rush tickets to <i>Macbeth</i>. One of the things you figure out quickly as a teacher is that you aren't poor, but you also have a tight budget. If you live in/near a great city, it can be disappointing to know that there are all kinds of cool cultural things to do, but you don't have the money to do them...probably because you spent it on glue sticks and Crayons at the beginning of the year. Here are some of the ways I do things even though I'm a teacher:<br />
1. Know who has teacher discounts. J. Crew, Loft, and plenty of other stores offer a teacher discount; it's not much, but every bit helps. And the money you save there can help you pay for other things--like concert tickets or speeding tickets acquired from a trip to the orchard...just sayin'.<br />
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2. Know who offers free or discounted experiences. In DC:<br />
--The Shakespeare Theatre Company has discounted tickets for people under 35. And, for old people like me, they have $25 rush tickets 2 hours before the show.<br />
--Some of the museums have a free day once a month or have a yearly pass that is discounted for teachers. The Phillips Collection offers a $50 pass for the entire year--basically the cost of visiting 4 times, and it comes with free entry to all kinds of special events and some guest passes.<br />
--The Kennedy Center has a free concert every night of the year (although some are more interesting than others).<br />
I'm sure there are others--these are just the ones I know.<br />
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3. Know where the cheap tickets are. Gold Star (www.goldstar.com) has discounted tickets for all kinds of events. I'm sure there are other discounted ticket companies. I think I got my Clippers/Wizards tickets on Stub Hub for a pretty good price.<br />
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4. Know the parks, community centers and other places in your town that offer fun things to do. When I was home last summer, my parents and aunt went with me to learn to shoot a bow and arrow at the nature center. I was completely amused...but maybe I'm easily amused. There's a park in DC that has a group of African Drummers that just get together and drum every Sunday. Dupont Circle is full of fun people watching, and there is a Krispy Kreme near by. Sometimes on a mellow weekend, I'll pack a book, buy a donut and sit in the park.<br />
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5. Be willing to sacrifice "good seats" for fun company. While you might not be able to afford the best tickets to the baseball game, cheap tickets can make for a fun night with the right people. It's still a night at the ballgame...and there are fireworks on Fridays.<br />
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Anyway--as for clothing choices. I took the opportunity of going to the theatre to break out my new denim dress. I'm kind of hoping that the 90s comeback means I can wear dresses like this all the time. It's so comfortable, and I'm convinced it kept me warm during the play. That might not be backed by science. I had a 50% coupon for Gap, so I picked this dress up on super sale.<br />
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This picture is in front of my favorite president (John Quincy Adams). We stopped by the Portrait Gallery after the play.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1082293&vid=1&pid=723216002" target="_blank">Here's the link.</a>:<br />
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<img alt="product photo" src="http://www.gap.com/webcontent/0013/347/921/cn13347921.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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Okay--So, that's the highlight reel of dressing for the weekend. Just thought I'd share my wisdom about being cheap in the city and show you a dress that survived an entire day in the city.<br />
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Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-20152009044004042212017-05-23T10:13:00.000-07:002017-05-23T10:13:40.707-07:00All the Fun Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sfDJwbctWnerjE6wTV60Z-GDAYo2Vd7-kSMz-pxiVx308PdE7VW0bC6SeQ_xJ9UKKuAek4OIseWwTxMTP7sndXMDF1F_U2lXHOif5Gdn0RT4mzOisPmus_1QPQrcDL63xsMIh1rjclU/s1600/mom+at+tc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sfDJwbctWnerjE6wTV60Z-GDAYo2Vd7-kSMz-pxiVx308PdE7VW0bC6SeQ_xJ9UKKuAek4OIseWwTxMTP7sndXMDF1F_U2lXHOif5Gdn0RT4mzOisPmus_1QPQrcDL63xsMIh1rjclU/s320/mom+at+tc.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm back...again! My mom came to town this weekend, and it was the perfect way to spend a birthday weekend. I know that many people have complicated relationships with family, but for me, having my mom around is really refreshing, and it's really fun to show her my life. My parents live pretty far away, and so many things that I talk about are just vague pictures in their heads. It's really nice to put faces with names and locations with stories.<br />
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I am more than a bit behind on blogging, but I figure that's okay. Here's a quick recap of outfits as of late:<br />
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Thursday was basically a replay of Tuesday. Wednesday night, just like Monday night, I looked in my closet to see if I had any dresses that I hadn't worn in a while. I then looked for one that didn't require ironing. And, good news for me:<br />
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<img height="200" src="https://render.bitstrips.com/v2/cpanel/10117671-180304898_13-s1-v1.png?transparent=1&palette=1" width="199" /></div>
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When I found one, I decided my outfit was complete. I paired this one with some new sandals I bought with a coupon I had from DSW. </div>
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I knew I had a long day of walking, so I avoided heels. I also have this rule I stick to that I tend to reserve heels for longer skirts/dresses and pair flats with skirts/dresses that hit a bit above the knee. It's a weird rule, especially since my legs are so short that nothing is ever that short on me, but I stick to it most of the time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharQPP1pD-gYws_xv-yBB4zpsIFEVnoI7n5c9Pr6oZ-7uZGcxL-6BUHuQlbwHF6g8Nd5hRRFFrDkGMnIQ2xd3SzPnX7SPkui6FAnVfFd8roE6RNBMzlWMAlMyJoTZB3l0avA05slaqjv7a/s1600/thursday+mirror.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharQPP1pD-gYws_xv-yBB4zpsIFEVnoI7n5c9Pr6oZ-7uZGcxL-6BUHuQlbwHF6g8Nd5hRRFFrDkGMnIQ2xd3SzPnX7SPkui6FAnVfFd8roE6RNBMzlWMAlMyJoTZB3l0avA05slaqjv7a/s320/thursday+mirror.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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As for the sandals, these aren't quite as comfortable as the black ones I wore a few Fridays ago, but they still made it easier to survive the day. </div>
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<a href="https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/steve-madden-donddi-flat-sandal/375036?activeColor=279" target="_blank">Here is the exact pair</a>: </div>
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<img height="150" src="https://dsw.scene7.com/is/image/DSWShoes/375036_279_ss_01?$pdp-image$" width="200" /></div>
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This dress is from last year, but here are a few options:</div>
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<a href="https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/dresses/partydresses/printed-pleated-shift-dress/G2657" target="_blank">Same cut, different color</a></div>
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<img alt="Printed pleated shift dress" height="200" src="https://i.s-jcrewfactory.com/is/image/jcrew/G2657_MF9894?fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=.1,0,0,0&wid=636&hei=636" width="200" /></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1005911&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=783658012" target="_blank">This one is on sale.</a></div>
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<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1028809&pcid=69883&vid=1&pid=783581012" target="_blank">A final option</a></div>
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As for tips for the day, I only have a few:</div>
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1. When selecting an outfit and shoes, be realistic about what you are doing at work that day and what you have going on after work. No matter how cute your shoes are, if they kill your feet, you won't look so cute by the end of the day. And if a dress doesn't work for what you have planned for the day, you'll resent it (I know--it doesn't have intent--it's inanimate) for making you uncomfortable.</div>
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2. Know what's in your closet, and if possible, have levels of effort/comfort. While you'll always need something for a job interview or a parent-teacher conference, you'll also need something for emergencies--oversleeping, spilling something on your original outfit while getting ready, etc. And you probably want some outfits for days when you're not feelin' it but you don't want your students to know that. If everything you have is super-fitted, you don't really have something to wear on the day when you are planning on hitting up the soccer game right after school. If everything in your closet is on the more casual side, it's hard to attend a school board meeting after school. </div>
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Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2705450969164861957.post-63606147896253521282017-05-20T07:01:00.000-07:002017-05-20T19:29:38.804-07:00Three Days for the Price of One...I completely disappeared this week, but I like to think I had a good reason. My birthday was this week, and then my mom came to town! We decided to do every girly thing we could think of since my dad didn't come along this time. Today was the pinnacle when we went for tea at the Ritz. Evidently we were dining with somebody important since, as we left, we saw three Secret Service officers and a dog. Welcome to DC, Mom.<br />
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I'll get to all three days at some point, but here's the first day I'm missing.<br />
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Wednesday was my birthday. I had written over the weekend about the tricky parts of this birthday, but the actual day was amazing. Amazing friends brought flowers to my classroom, brought cake and donuts and cards with kind words. My students sang "Happy Birthday" to me and some of them even brought me a cake. It was an amazing day. I got kind text messages and Facebook posts. I got to talk to some of my favorite people. I spent the whole day feeling loved. Some birthdays seem to go by without much fanfare, but this one was spectacular. I don't know that I've ever had such a birthday full of love and reminders of the way God has graciously brought dear friends into my path and created a community for me at work and beyond.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPsK_4v0K5psMmkfe_KLaR95xJttl8OrQxKMA2AUBmWzRGlddPuW384mEvtoeapRSFJNNw6RVPNmTAJ7UDkoV67eM2Emdw71-gaxNrUbtVCvv_vmYiF5bDfEDlziW4FFrGdPHh8Tgpcsg/s1600/cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPsK_4v0K5psMmkfe_KLaR95xJttl8OrQxKMA2AUBmWzRGlddPuW384mEvtoeapRSFJNNw6RVPNmTAJ7UDkoV67eM2Emdw71-gaxNrUbtVCvv_vmYiF5bDfEDlziW4FFrGdPHh8Tgpcsg/s320/cake.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrV_KJqgY6qwKTeKr7pK10ty3aLfCFtIsiNhzq2xdqfYN3V2_IFYuudeBC_lGYjk0V3yZaTdpbo0XRHqZftYGi54aDhoyCDP6IMhAviYwrqxJEN_gGmWPMBpP7A5oMeTOJ0Zceb93izNMX/s1600/donuts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrV_KJqgY6qwKTeKr7pK10ty3aLfCFtIsiNhzq2xdqfYN3V2_IFYuudeBC_lGYjk0V3yZaTdpbo0XRHqZftYGi54aDhoyCDP6IMhAviYwrqxJEN_gGmWPMBpP7A5oMeTOJ0Zceb93izNMX/s320/donuts.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I think this birthday also reminded me of why we need community. I took my mom by my school yesterday to meet my students and some of my co-workers. As we left, she noted that they were all just nice and interesting people. We talked about how fortunate I am to have a place like that to go every day for work. I agree. I think, over a decade into teaching, the people I've worked with at various schools have shown me how much the people around me make it possible for me to love my job. When I get to spend time with people who are thoughtful about what they do, who have a deep desire to positively impact students' lives, and who genuinely care about the people they work with, it makes the frustrating parts of my job manageable. I know I'm saying that from a place that is much different than many teachers. The frustrating parts of my job are not comparable to the unbearable frustrations of some teachers. So I don't say that to say every teacher could handle their situations if they just focused on the positive. But on days like today, I am reminded of how much I rely on the generous support system I am fortunate to have.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKKViiwv8e_c5j6yvA_Gz0A8Jfxm1FAg9Y53X6cYrVcGd56R6gmoqF4bhbqkdsvzd-n3GOe5ImOow9QRkLLrw7SLbGGoMnEd2rsxbm9S-ryDxcgK2No4CDD6tWZ-Iej563uQ2Qu-j0egN/s1600/yoga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKKViiwv8e_c5j6yvA_Gz0A8Jfxm1FAg9Y53X6cYrVcGd56R6gmoqF4bhbqkdsvzd-n3GOe5ImOow9QRkLLrw7SLbGGoMnEd2rsxbm9S-ryDxcgK2No4CDD6tWZ-Iej563uQ2Qu-j0egN/s320/yoga.JPG" width="240" /></a>I ended my birthday with two other delightful things: My favorite yoga class and a homemade cherry pie made by two fantastic friends. Having two friends with five kids between them take time to bake me a pie after a full day of parenting/working overwhelmed me. It was great to have the time to be around them, and the pie was a delicious treat. I'll have to talk about how I fell in love with yoga some other day, but it was great to exercise and then eat pie!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeg3MeRbg0zLjZua9eLP0G1wVnBcnVUYEcDyzfnf27_2acCoAaFVUBZyKaCaioI-gYJa8eg-q-Vwj_Bi0O3y8J6GS8gHmvBR1bN3baAuCyBw4yIUFl36ee9CgC8UDDN64lbjTWs0R6dkN/s1600/pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeg3MeRbg0zLjZua9eLP0G1wVnBcnVUYEcDyzfnf27_2acCoAaFVUBZyKaCaioI-gYJa8eg-q-Vwj_Bi0O3y8J6GS8gHmvBR1bN3baAuCyBw4yIUFl36ee9CgC8UDDN64lbjTWs0R6dkN/s320/pie.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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As for what one wear's on a 36th birthday, here's the answer:<br />
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I decided that it was my birthday, and I could dress how I wanted to. These "girlfriend pants" are really comfortable, and Gap sells them in about a million colors. They remind me that the 90s are coming back strong, but I actually like this part of that time period. <a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1077009&vid=1&pid=129977292" target="_blank">Here's the link.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSrlFkxspme-Ciw2CqUFRikaA9rredPVcXjRx4IOdg1IcOXLt-AxnPx5Tp_rWMxQvEeFCVq1STZf1cUicFiDOKkz8FWHXthdf9LwLxLG3bKGytnicSswyu2LmGrlQc5qi3dbWYccgk8WF/s1600/selfie+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSrlFkxspme-Ciw2CqUFRikaA9rredPVcXjRx4IOdg1IcOXLt-AxnPx5Tp_rWMxQvEeFCVq1STZf1cUicFiDOKkz8FWHXthdf9LwLxLG3bKGytnicSswyu2LmGrlQc5qi3dbWYccgk8WF/s320/selfie+2.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNo5XGSOgvmW0khZMdEnnsoqpVEPeYJhfr2kIYsnnBqz-YWjsFH6XCOkKUt-R9PpOiH1hI0BJlqh4OV_OKET03M519Mk9O0tHvdfLKvROFPV26dzwUNApYqKNgk-qjnNh3WN4slxJRLji/s1600/friend+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNo5XGSOgvmW0khZMdEnnsoqpVEPeYJhfr2kIYsnnBqz-YWjsFH6XCOkKUt-R9PpOiH1hI0BJlqh4OV_OKET03M519Mk9O0tHvdfLKvROFPV26dzwUNApYqKNgk-qjnNh3WN4slxJRLji/s320/friend+pic.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjNmurvebRha_bo8YTE4mvJxyCka8tTyiPMdoP8L5uqpLkkErYdiK4B7f7wWo07ut5J7lR1PmU3kwqwO4XA2t5hVT7F2WrM8BUESfC1ra7UMAmwKDOV5j8IyubQ3hNmm3MHEdV28mygeR/s1600/birthday+selfie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjNmurvebRha_bo8YTE4mvJxyCka8tTyiPMdoP8L5uqpLkkErYdiK4B7f7wWo07ut5J7lR1PmU3kwqwO4XA2t5hVT7F2WrM8BUESfC1ra7UMAmwKDOV5j8IyubQ3hNmm3MHEdV28mygeR/s200/birthday+selfie.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
The shirt is from J Crew Factory, last season. I probably own more white and off-white sleeveless shirts than what is needed, but it is nice to have options, and it means I can rather quickly throw an outfit together if I don't feel particularly creative or if I have a colorful item that I want to wear (like bright pink pants).<br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/crochet-trim-top/435111?skuId=23133631&defaultColor=9000&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000011" target="_blank">Here's a similar option.</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Crochet Trim Top" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=435111&amp;swatchID=9000&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/vintage-soft-racerback-tank/427120?skuId=23011687&defaultColor=9000&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000011" target="_blank">And another possibility...</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Vintage Soft Racerback Tank" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=427120&amp;swatchID=9000&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.loft.com/lacy-fringe-shell/433994?skuId=23132771&defaultColor=9000&colorExplode=false&catid=catl000011" target="_blank">A fancy option</a><br />
<img alt="Primary Image of Lacy Fringe Shell" height="200" src="https://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12017974&amp;itemID=433994&amp;swatchID=9000&amp;recipeName=pdlg643x740" width="173" /><br />
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The cardigan is something I'm still figuring out. Banana Republic has some really light weight "boyfriend cardigans" this year, and I like the weight of them, but I'm still figuring out how to wear them. I'm thinking this one might actually look cuter with some skinny jeans and heels, but I'll let you know. I normally have a "one baggy item per outfit" unofficial rule. If my pants are a bit of a looser fit, then I tend to go for a more fitted shirt, and if I'm in a pencil skirt, I tend to pick a silk blouse or something similar to balance out the fitted skirt. I'm not sure where I picked up this rule, but I think it might have been from <i>What Not to Wear</i>. I think the mixing of fits helps in some way. Maybe that's just in my head.<br />
<a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=3&pid=570307002" target="_blank">Here's the specific cardigan.</a><br />
<img alt="product photo" src="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/webcontent/0012/922/458/cn12922458.jpg" height="200" width="150" /><br />
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The shoes are Birks, and I'll say again that I love them more than I thought I could love a pair of shoes. There's something in the lining that makes them super soft, and since they're Birks, they do that cool conform to you feet thing that makes wearing them all day delightful. As much as I typically buy cheaper shoes, I am pretty sure these were a good investment. The last pair I had, I wore for years (and even had them re-soled at one point). As much as I walk around during the average school day or the average day in the city, I think these are going to pay off.<br />
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As for tips for today--both unsolicited life advice and clothing tips:<br />
1. If your birthday is on a week day, and students find out, it will often be a delightful day full of nice comments.<br />
2. I was reminded that I need to be better about making other people's birthdays special because it meant SO much to me.<br />
3. As for clothes, it's always a good idea to have a pair or two of chinos that you can wear on days when you don't feel like being super fancy. This is definitely a perk of the teacher wardrobe. Even if you decide that you want your teacher wardrobe to fall on the dressy side of the spectrum, know that there will be days when you aren't feeling well, or you're having the kids watch a documentary so you won't be in front of the class much, or you are just tired of wearing dresses. It's good to have something to fall back on.<br />
4. While I always hope that all of my shoes are really comfortable, I do like having one pair that I KNOW will make my feet happy.<br />
5. I'll say again that I'm obsessed with balancing loose fitting and fitted. With the exception of dresses (but even then I like it if the bottom half of the dress is less fitted than the top half), I try to make sure the top half of my outfit and the bottom half are different fits.Ms. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854449984485262014noreply@blogger.com0