Teachers Have Lives Too!

08/10/2019 Erika S. outfits, over analysis

And Then It’s Over

Summer has come and gone, seemingly in a heart beat. This year B and I did not do any international travel, so I theoretically I had plenty of time to just lounge around. Never seems to work out that way though right? What I did do was work in the garden, camped three times, traveled to SF twice, spent some time in DC with the family, and took a quick trip to NYC! Phew! I am forever grateful to have 2 months off every year to decompress from the school year. I don’t think I would ever last if we didn’t.

Yesterday was our first day back to school for a week (and a day – we started on a FRIDAY) of meetings, planning, and set up time. Students show up right after. This means I’m going to get good use out of my closet again. I’ve essentially been living in my Nike shorts and a tank all summer! There have been a few new additions to my closet for this coming school year – first of which is a new school bag. I end up changing up my school bag pretty often. In BK I used my Freitag tote for 2 years, then started switching every year here in Denver. I guess I’m just always on the search for the perfect school bag. I need something that can protect my laptop from drippy coffee thermoses, water bottles, and can haul my lunch without crushing it, all while being cute and gentle on my back. I don’t have far to walk ever (car to classroom), but as I’ve gotten older my back is more sensitive to weirdly balanced weights. The truth is though, I’m just a sucker for cute bags.

This year’s bag is an Osprey one I picked up at the Summer Outdoor Retailer Conference in Denver back in June. B and I worked for our friend’s coffee company Bivouac pouring cups at the event. This means of course that I got to go and check out all the new stuff coming out soon by all the Outdoor brands. Not many booths were selling things, but Osprey were on the first day. This bag is set to come out in Spring 2020 (I think), and it’s called the Arcane Totepack. I jumped on the chance to buy one as soon as I saw it (they sold a second style too, which of course I also bought because I couldn’t choose). Currently, they have something similar, but definitely not as cool. This one is a roll top style with an internal laptop sleeve which means I can just open and dump stuff in without fumbling around with a zipper that accidentally unzips as I load. There are padded backpack straps that can be disconnected and tucked into the bag, as well as tote style handles that also can be tucked in out of sight. The fabric is a soft brushed matte material that doesn’t seems to collect hair, but does collect dust a bit. The tote handles are a seat-belt material that is soft on the hands. So far this bag has been on a 11 day trip with me from SF to DC to NYC, and I’ve used it one day for school. I really like it! The pink bunny charm is an extra cute thing I added for fun.

hair clips: goody – top: uniqlo – pants: urban outfitters – shoes: mohinders – bag: osprey – bag plushie charm: bt21

05/30/201905/30/2019 Erika S. outfits

It’s here! It’s finally here!

Ahhhh, summer vacation. It’s finally here! Well, kinda. I have graduation tonight and then one more day tomorrow, which will be a celebration meeting and check out. It’s here!!!

This summer B and I will be sticking around Denver for most of the time. I’m really looking forward to getting in a lot of gardening time combined with some mountain biking near town, and of course loads of just chill time. We have a couple out of town weddings, our annual canoe/camp trip, and then we will try to take a road trip about Colorado. Every summer I have to remind myself that B doesn’t get a summer vacation like I do (sucks), so he will probably spend more time at the co-working space than usual.

Finals ended last week, so this week I’ve been cleaning up my room and packing stuff up. I’ve been in weekend dressing mode ever since then, and it’s been glorious. Getting ready in the morning has been so fast! Jeans (the same ones everyday practically), a t-shirt, a sweatshirt type cover, and all set. And who needs makeup on these days? (Just kidding, I do. At least a tiny bit!)

These are the same Banana Republic jeans from before, and I’ve been living in them. The ~~Patagucci~~ Patagonia sweater thing is from a sale they had back in February. I really like the old school label, it’s mostly made of recycled wool (Patagonia is so good at sustainable fashion) and it’s fleecy on the inside so therefore not itchy at all. It is still available on their site! This almost never happens since I only buy things on sale and by the time I get around to posting about them, it’s all sold out. I’m not generally a Patagonia fan, as their clothes always seem like they are made for more petite women. Tops (on me at least) tend to appear too short and boxy in the body and with too short sleeves. But I love their environmental stance, and I like a lot of what they make. Soon I’ll be packing away these fleecy things though because the weather is warming up here! Happy summer everyone!

pullover: patagonia – tshirt: sf giants mlb ? – jeans: banana republic – shoes: adidas

05/20/2019 Erika S. outfits, over analysis

Over Analysis: REI Trailsmith pants

Welcome to the Over Analysis. In this series, I go over an item in great detail – positives and negatives. Sometimes I spend way too much time going over small ridiculous details about clothes, skincare, makeup, anything else most people consider shallow. This series can be about as deep as a puddle, so enjoy!

This past winter I became increasingly interested in functional, durable work apparel. I was diving deep into the hipster horticulturalist/potter/shop girl look and was quickly getting obsessed. So for Christmas, I asked B to get me a pair of Carhartt overalls. He laughed at me and said “For what? What kind of work do you think you do?” I wanted them for working in the garden, but to be honest I really wanted them for the aesthetics. B and I are always out working in the garden, especially in summer. We grow heaps of vegetables, maintain a few fruit trees, and we just like to keep our garden neat and clean with beautiful perennials and annuals. I wanted something rugged I could wear everyday and not worry about scraping up my knees kneeling in the mulch. Most importantly though, I wanted something that would keep my butt crack in check when I’m bending over weeding – overalls!

Ever since I got my overalls, I started noticing how cute work pants were for everyday. I did a bunch of browsing through Carhartt’s website, but wanted something a bit more everyday and less cowboy. I picked up a pair of Topo Design’s Chore pants when I found them sale at a local shop, but they fit terribly on my curvy body. Then I spied these pants at REI when they first released their spring items in March. The Trailsmith pants were exactly what I was looking for so I snatched them up the moment they had a $20 off for members coupon come through. I’ve been wearing these pants regularly since then and I can honestly say I have no regrets. If they made them in other colors, I’d get a second pair.

From the REI site: “Like your favorite work jeans but better, the women’s REI Co-op Trailsmith pants have added stretch, durability and mobility so you can build a deck, boulder or shoot pool in comfort.“

I really like the look of these pants. The brown color is reminiscent of Carhartt brown, sticking with the work pants vibe. The thighs are double layered to below the knees, again giving them the work pants/duck pants look. The fabric is thick, warm, and rugged without being too scratchy and stiff. The front pockets are deep enough to fit my whole hand ensuring my lip balm will have a hard time falling out. The back packets are large enough to fit my phone in them without worry that the phone will hook on something. The length is long enough so the can be worn as pants, but can be cuffed to flash some ankle while still looking proportional. The waist is fairly high which I absolutely love to help balance out my long torso. I wanted something specifically with a high waist, helping bridge the aesthetic gap between real work pants and everyday fashion-y pants.

The downsides: the fabric doesn’t really stretch even though REI claims you can boulder in them. They also shrunk a bit in the dryer – or maybe I’ve gained a few pounds since purchasing them – but they have softened up a bit. The fabric is durable, but after only about 10 wears and 3 washes, there are faded (patina?) areas at the zipper fly and along the seams.

All in all, I love these pants and it seems like many others do too according to the reviews on REI’s site (though there are mixed feelings about the high waist). I chuckled a bit reading through the reviews and what people wear them for…”I’m a petite archeologist!” and “I work outdoors in swamps and mud”. I’m busy wearing them to work inside a classroom, and to the brewery!

sweater: uniqlo – shirt: mont bell – pants: rei – shoes: vans

05/18/201905/18/2019 Erika S. outfits, teaching

Controversial/Appropriate or Nah

Controversial/Appropriate for school or Nah?

I know there are plenty of teachers (people) out there who might look at my classroom fashion choices, and think “that’s not appropriate for a teacher to wear in front of kids/teenagers”. I have heard that I shouldn’t wear skinny jeans to work because they’re not professional. I have also heard that I shouldn’t show my shoulders at work because it’s too much skin. Frankly, I don’t really care what other people think is appropriate or not because I have already set my own boundaries in terms of what not to wear to school. I won’t wear anything short (one or two inches above the knee is where I draw the line), I won’t wear spaghetti strap tops, and I won’t wear leggings on a teaching day (non-student contact days though, I might). There are very vague guidelines for a dress code of sorts in our district. I can’t even find anything that states an official dress code other than “Attire must not disrupt the school’s learning environment.”

I find that the later in the school year it is, the more lax I get with my attire. In September, I’ll wear a lot of dresses, and nicer clothes. In May, I’m in jeans almost everyday and the arms come out. This past week I wore what many other teachers might consider too “risky” or inappropriate. There were holes in my jeans. My top was sleeveless, though I wouldn’t personally call it a tank top. The top has an open back where a tiny bit of skin peeks out. I think if I worked in a private school, this outfit would have been a no-go. If I worked in a more conservative district/area/state, my outfit on this day maybe would have been outright scandalous. But thankfully I work where I do and no one says a thing to me about what I’m wearing other than, “miss, you look cute today!” Also, I think these jeans make my butt look good. I bought them last weekend at Banana Republic and they are so very comfortable. I’ve worn them 4 times this past week and I have them on today (Saturday) too. Highly recommend you check them out! They are a bit mom jeans-ish and many sizes are sold out online. They are cheaper in store anyway, so I’d recommend you try and find them in person.

So here is a question for everyone reading: do you think these items are appropriate for a teacher or not?

jeans
skinny jeans
white jeans
jeans with holes/distressed denim
bare arms
tops with open backs
tattoos
shorts
skirts/dresses that are above the knee

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top: j.crew – jeans: banana republic – shoes: sven clogs

05/15/201905/15/2019 Erika S. outfits

Easy-Like

I am turning into one of those people who chooses outfits based on comfort and ease. I used to always “suffer for the fashion”, and occasionally I still do. When the weather starts heating up though, tight restrictive clothes get left in the drawers. This dress, for example, is a tent. It lets plenty of air in to circulate around, is made of a quick dry material, and there are no tight spots anywhere. I bought it in Japan (Uniqlo, obviously) last summer, and if any of you have been to Asia in the dead of summer, you know what it’s like to steep in your own sweat for hours on end. Japanese brands have breezy clothes figured out – linen or quick dry roomy pants or dresses is where it’s at for work. So dress tents (with pockets!) are in for the next 2.5 weeks! Summer vacation is so close, I can just taste the freedom.

Speaking of comfort though, I love wood clogs – most of the time they are actually very comfortable (counter intuitive, I know). These oldies though, I’m just going to have pass on to someone else with narrower feet. I bought them while we were living in Brooklyn, but my feet must have spread more since then. Swedish Hasbeens run on the narrow end, and my feet are just getting wider and wider with age. Clogs really do last forever though, and I will keep buying them.

*Side note, you should all check out Insecure on HBO by Issa Rae. She is a favorite of mine, and the entire third season’s episodes were titled “__-like”*

dress: uniqlo – shoes: swedish hasbeens

05/06/201905/07/2019 Erika S. outfits

Where the Heart Is

Last weekend, B and I went back home to San Francisco for a friend’s wedding (it was super fun!). Whenever I go back to SF, I stay at my mom’s house which is in the Glen Park neighborhood in the city. It’s my childhood home and where I lived up until B and I moved to Brooklyn together in 2012.

I have very fond memories of the neighborhood, and have watched it change slowly over the last 38 years. Whenever I walk through the streets of Glen Park, I’m always reminded of something from when I was a kid – my elementary school has been running since 1938, the same coffee shop is on the corner, the trees are all still the same, and I still see many of the same faces around. This last trip coincided with the annual Glen Park Festival, which meant live music and a number of vendors were out selling things like jewelry and t-shirts. The moment I spied a Glen Park-Giants shirt, I had to snap one up even though the only size left was a men’s large! I’m heading to the Giants vs. Rockies game tomorrow, so I’m representing starting today! I smarted up the t-shirt for work with a stretchy ath-leisure style blazer and hoop earrings. All together a really easy outfit to throw together for a work day.

blazer: oliver bonas – earrings and t-shirt: unknown street vendors – belt: gap – jeans: f21 – shoes: adidas – watch: fitbit

05/04/2019 Erika S. favorites

April Favorites

A kid once said to me, “miss, you have cool stuff”. Why yes kid, I’m a materialistic girl that tries not to be. But yeah, I have stuff that I like a lot. Here is a short list of the cool stuff I’ve liked so far this past month.

Favorite things: A couple months ago B and I splurged during a moment of weakness at Costco and picked up the Sonos Soundbar to replace our old speaker system that B bought who knows how long ago. We have a pretty tech-y house, and had been playing music off of our Amazon Echo which doesn’t have very good sound quality. I also prefer to buy my music so I have a pretty massive collection tied to my desktop at home which I wanted to be more accessible through out the rest of the house. Costco has a pretty good deal on Sonos speakers, so we jumped in and got the big one. A few weeks later, I loved the sound so much, I got us two more – the smaller Sonos Play 1 speakers. I wanted to have one in the kitchen for when I cook and one in the bathroom so that I can sing and dance in the shower. Now we can play the same music upstairs and downstairs simultaneously and control it all through the app or through the Echo, and I can airplay from my desktop through the Apple TV to all the speakers. B will never escape BTS and other k-pop now!

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Speaking of BTS, I recently caved and bought myself a set of AirPods. I already regret the purchase, as they are really uncomfortable in my ears. If I wear them for more than 30 minutes, my ears start aching and hurting. It’s especially acute in my left ear, where I have a small hoop through my tragus. The AirPods are not a favorite, but the case I bought for the case is. I know – a case for the case seems like a dumb purchase, especially since it’s a purely aesthetic purchase. I wouldn’t categorize myself as a person that is super into kawaii stuff, but I have my moments. The case is one of those moments, and is a testament to how K-pop and BTS in particular are so savvy at spreading their brand. The case is from Line Friends, which has collaborated with BTS to create a line of characters called BT21 (think Hello Kitty crossed with Ugly Dolls), one for each band member. Obviously I had to get Cooky, the one created by my favorite member, Jungkook. It matches the phone ring I already have on my phone 😉

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I swear I’m not normally a super kawaii type person, but this next favorite is exactly that. Gudetama. If you’ve never heard of Gudetama, watch these short clips featuring my favorite Sanrio character, the lazy egg with a butt crack. When B and I went to Japan last summer I went a little crazy at the Sanrio store stocking up on all things Gudetama. I now have a coffee thermos, a shirt, some pens, chopsticks, stickers, and a onigiri maker. My favorite of them all though, is a squishy stress thing that is actually B’s! I stole it from him after our friends gave him two of them for his birthday at the end of March. It has the most satisfying squish, and it has that distinct Sanrio smell that lands somewhere between bubble gum, fake strawberry, and teenage girl perfume. When you squish it, the scent lingers on your hands. I brought the squishy to school, and it now lives on my desk. The kids like to grab it occasionally, and I like to tease them by telling them to smell its butt when they ask, “miss…what is this?” Inevitably, they all smell the butt crack and it’s so fun to the surprise on their faces when they take that first whiff.

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Activity Favorite: Just to prove that I’m not a totally materialistic person, I have an activity favorite – it’s baseball season! I was never super into baseball, and I’m still just a fair weather fan. I have more than a handful of Giants stuff, and even a Rockies shirt, but the thing I like about baseball is going to the games. Often times I have no idea what is going on or what the names of the player are. I do know that each player picks their own “walk up song”, and what a strike vs ball means. Mostly I just like the hang out time I get out in the sunshine with friends in the cheap seats with giant ball park beers. This season my friend Melissa and I got a 10 pack of tickets to the Rockies. We’ve already been to 2 games and I’m looking forward to the rest this summer.

Student favorites: AP Bio. This year’s cohort of AP Bio kids have been killing it. The questions they ask, the discussions they have, the level of critical thinking they do in class blows me away every class. We have talked about things like the evolution of monogamy in humans, whether or not athletes like Caster Semnya should be allowed to compete as a woman, and if we are shaping technology or is technology shaping us a a species. These kids make my soul happy and give me hope that the future just might not turn into a worse version of Wall-E.

Beauty Favorite: I’m pretty into skincare stuff, and a few years ago I started in on using essences daily and haven’t gone without since. Essences have been around for ages, SKII being the most famous of them. With the surge in popularity of Japanese and Korean beauty, we now have a lot more to choose from. My favorite of all is the Maycoop Raw Sauce Essence – lightly hydrates, viscous without being sticky, affordable, and most of all smells amazing. The scent reminds me of a drugstore perfume I used to have when I was 10, one that I don’t remember the name of and have been searching for ever since. Double cleansing and using an essence is key in my skin care routine, so it’s nice to have found an affordable (and better) alternative to the classic SKII essence.

Hope you all are enjoying these new posts! I’m trying to get into a routine with regular posting and new series like monthly favorites. Wish me luck!

05/01/2019 Erika S. outfits

A Gradual Move Away From Leg Prisons

My friend Morgan aptly calls leggings “leg prisons”. I’ve been a skinny jeans person since 2007 when I bought my first pair of skinny black jeans (Paige denim from Nordstrom Rack) and in the past couple of years, I’ve been moving away from the leg prisons and towards more straight leg cuts. Wide leg cuts just make me feel like a squat triangle, so the kinda loose, kinda fitted look is where I’ve landed lately.

These pants are anything but leg prisons. They have a paperbag waist, which means I don’t even have to undo the button or zipper fly for “bio breaks”. The drawstring lets me adjust for food babies easily, and the loose leg is just so darn free feeling on my legs. They are reminicent of pyjama pants, but the material and cuff at the bottom make them more daytime appropriate. With a frilly top and clogs, these pants could be dressed up (guess what I’m wearing tomorrow!), but I wore this last friday with a plain t shirt and sneakers for my version of “casual friday” (read: very, very, casual).

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t-shirt: uniqlo – pants: urban outfitters – shoes: nike

I was inpired to find pants like these when I saw a guy walking in front of me with cuffed linen looking pants, thick socks, and Blundstone boots. That weekend, I came across these in the sale rack at Urban Outfitters and they fit that image in my head perfectly. Fashion inspiration can come from anywhere! Here are a few images of baggy pants that I’ve been thinking about lately.

cc62ecd7dc3441e9b07fe26a1cf8e7e4 — Unknown source (found on pinterest)

tumblr_ppavpemqe81r9e7cw_500 — Image Source: Death by Elocution

11911savitri_1798web — Image Source: The Sartorialist

04/26/2019 Erika S. outfits, over analysis

Over Analysis: Levi’s Ribcage Jeans

Welcome to a new series on this blog: the Over Analysis. I spend way too much time going over small ridiculous details about clothes, skincare, makeup, anything else most people consider shallow. This series is about as deep as a puddle.

I love high wasted jeans. They help balance out my long torso-short legs proportions. So when Levis came out with their new Ribcage Jeans, I immediately had high hopes. I have a few of their wedgie fit jeans already, so I figured these would just be just as good, if not better. Well, they are, and they aren’t.

First of all, they don’t stretch, at all. I like that a lot about these old school Levis styles and that is one of the reasons why I buy them. The thickness of the denim really holds everything in and creates a very streamlined look that I love (just check it out on the model). The problem is that I’ve put on a few extra pounds (kilos) this past winter, and they’re really, really, tight now. If the denim had a bit of stretch, it would be no big deal. These on the other hand with a 12″ rise are very unforgiving and will jam into your waistline like no other after a large meal. No food babies allowed, and no seconds at dinner especially when sidelined from anything active due to a shoulder injury. The only thing that keeps me from feeling like a stuffed sausage is the wide leg, which brings us to the next thing.

The legs are a bit too wide for my liking, and they make me feel like I’m veering into Jnco Jeans territory. I know I’m totally exaggerating here, but I’m really used to my skinny jeans, and straight leg cuts are as wide as I feel comfortable. These I feel like go a bit too straight/wide, making me look a bit stumpy (admittedly, I’m 5’11” so it must be all in my head).

Now on to the good stuff, things I love about these jeans and why I decided to keep them and wear them.

They don’t stretch. I know, I know, I just complained about that in a lengthy rant above. But the fact that they’re 100% cotton means you can wear them over and over and they will never bag in the butt or the knees. Saving water FTW! They will never pull/stretch out of shape or get premature holes in the back pockets if you’re a back pocket key stasher like I am.

I love the color and the lack of distressing or whiskers. I’ve been wanting a pair of plain classic blue jeans for a while now, and these fit the bill perfectly. I’m a bit over the distressed look and really over the whiskering in the crotch area. They’re like runways pointing straight at the reproductive bits and I just don’t want that kind of attention while I’m teaching physics. These jeans are tight AF right now though so they’re pulling at the hips weirdly and making whisker like folds, so…at this very moment I’m reconsidering wearing these again till I can properly get back to my usual F = ma. Anyways, I get a bit of a 50’s vibe from these jeans, which I love.

Lastly, these jeans are made of selvedge denim. I’m not sure what that means, but I think it has something to do with the edging of the fabric. Other than the white piping on the inside seam, I honestly can’t tell the difference between selvedge denim and regular denim. I guess they’ll never unravel!

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cardigan and shirt: madewell – jeans: levis – shoes: sven – watch: fitbit

04/19/2019 Erika S. outfits

Where on the Internets Have I Been?

Where have I been on the internets this past year if not here?

Pinterest – I meticulously keep track of what I wear, what I want to buy, what I do, and what I like to cook.

Instagram – I like stories the most because it means I can post anything I want ie garbage, and none of it stays for very long.

Youtube – I don’t do videos at all, but I like watching content from ttsandra, matilda, Dasha Kim, LabMuffin, and chrissstttiiine.

Tumblr – I find a lot of visual inspiration from one tumbler page in particular: Death by Elocution. When I come across an image that I particularly like, I’ll pin it to reference later.

Aesthetics I’m really into right now: Japanese minimalism (the style not the lifestyle), men’s skate/snowboard style (specifically brands like Bape, Stussy, and X-Large), Korean makeup, natural fabrics with a neutral palette, and the hipster horticulturalist/potter/shop girl look (I know that sounds very esoteric and specific, but you’ll recognize it when you see it, and it has roots in the new old look that is basically summed up here in GQ of all places).

Anyways, I’ve been kind of all over the place. So here are a couple long forgotten photos I found when loading up my memory card. I think they are from winter 2018 when I hosted a learning lab in my classroom for science teachers from Aspen HS. The dress is from H&M, and fills my just-a-little-quirky sartorial itch that I get from time to time. I love the print, the high neck, and the ruffles. Note everyone’s cup of tea, I get it, but I like it.