teaching, wearing, and living. a blog for a teacher who tries to do all three.
Last week I finally lost my patience with a class, and had a rough day at school. The week ended with a weekend filled with a new project at home: a complete overhaul and redesign of our front yard.
I don’t have much to say this week, so I’ll leave you all with a silly, one minute haiku:
winter is coming
leaves fall continuously
time to start a new
tank: madewell – cardigan: uniqlo – pants: urban outfitters – shoes: banana republic
This school year has been pretty awesome so far. The honeymoon period is definitely over, and these kids are still just absolutely amazing. This year I’m teaching Biology, Honors Biology, and AP Biology. With three classes to prep for I’m definitely not short on work, but it feels doable still. AP Bio is a new class for me, and it hasn’t been taught at my school for a long time (if ever? who knows with the level of teacher turnover at my school). That means I’m basically getting the course off the ground from scratch. Thankfully it’s a tiny class (14 brave kiddos!) and there are great resources to pull from online (Bozeman Science, I love you!). So there’s that.
I have awesome kids this year. Seriously I feel like Im in an alternate universe sometimes. I have kids who actually thank me daily for a good lesson. Today we examined case studies of homeostasis gone wrong (disease), and my students had to diagnose patients and design a treatment plan to get homeostasis back on track. One kid hung back and told me, “thanks, miss! That was really fun today, I think I want to be a doctor because that was so interesting!” Seriously. Like, Srsly.
B was out of town this past weekend, so I went shopping as usual. I found this sweater/tank/turtleneck/side-boob top at Nordstrom Rack and decided it was a good lazy morning top. It was a big hit. Teachers and students complemented me on it all day, and some people even asked to touch it. You know it’s got cool texture when people want to touch it. I’m pretty happy with this purchase. Also, I’ve been obsessed with this woman named Sophia Chang on Instagram lately, and I’m trying to steal some of her style points.
sweater: free people – tank and shoes: target – jeans: current elliot – lips: glossier in fig
B and I hiked another two 14ers last weekend. After our first one, we got the itch, so we squeezed a double whammy in before the weather turns for Fall. Gray’s Peak and Torrey’s Peak are right next to each other and are usually climbed as a two-for deal. I’m not going to lie though, this one was tough. It was only a little more mileage and elevation climb than Mt. Bierstadt, but for some reason this one felt harder. I started to feel pretty loopy in the head (lack of oxygen) about 3/4 of the way up the first peak, Gray’s. I pushed through though, and boy, was it worth it. The view at the top was breathtaking, literally and figuratively. It feels amazing to be on top of the Rocky Mountains. The second peak on the other hand, became a trudge-fest. I made it though, and felt pretty darn proud of myself. I’m not the fittest person ever, but darn it I can climb a mountain!
I started this week with a new top from Anthropologie. I think I have a pretty good pirate costume piece here, all I will have to do is engineer myself a peg-leg and find an eyepatch! It’s a darn comfy and cute top, but I paid a relatively hefty price for it, even on sale. I just have to remind myself “cost-per-wear”.
glasses: warby parker – top: anthropologie – jeans: mother denim – shoes: mia
Last Wednesday was back to school night. While I’m a firm believer in wearing “wear what ever you want” as a teacher, I broke out my most professional and conservative dress for Back to School night. I ended up meeting about 10 parents that night, and managed (for once) not to stick my foot in my mouth this year. Success!
I first saw this dress on my sister Kris, last spring. I went to visit her at work at the Pentagon where she gave me a tour of the place – pregnant with twins and wearing this dress with heels. It looked smashing on her, so I promptly ordered the same thing for my not-pregnant-nor wearing-heels self, in the same size. J.Crew Dresses that are fitted like this usually don’t work with my long-torso-short-legs shape. The butt area on the dress usually just ends up bagging up around my lower back. Kris shared with me a secret though – the “tall” sized dresses are a bit longer in the torso, and therefore work for us without being too short, too tight in the hips, and too baggy in the low back. Huzzah! 
cardigan: american apparel – dress: j.crew – shoes: banana republic – goggles: picked up while tidying up the lab
The classic end of summer weekend has come and gone. By now everyone is back in school and anticipating the weather change. Today I overheard a couple girls talking about the imminent return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Apparently that means winter is coming. Good thing I managed to check off my last 2 summer time goals this past 3 day weekend. B and I climbed a 14er, and I went fly-fishing!
A 14er is essentially a mountain that is over 14,000 ft, and there are 96 of them in the US. 53 of these 14ers are in Colorado, so summiting them is a bit of a thing here. It seems that just about every Colorado resident has “bagged” at least one 14er. So we climbed the easiest one, Mt. Bierstadt (14,065 ft) this past weekend. Man, breathing is no joke at 12,000 ft and above. I survived though with heaps of breaks on the way up. I think I’ve got the 14er bug, so now I’m chomping at the bit to scale a few more of these peaks. Gray’s and Torrey’s Peak will be next!
I managed to squeeze in a little shopping trip yesterday before I met up with a friend to go fly-fishing. Picked up this dress from Forever 21, which of course, on me it’s a shirt. I really like these “dresses” because it guarantees that I’ll never have to worry about bending over or squatting down to pick up a pencil in the classroom. I have a super long torso, so even with high-waisted jeans, the danger of an accidental butt crack slip is always a concern. Please ignore the wrinkles, I’m not an iron or steam type of person. Even with wrinkles, this top is neutral, comfortable, and professional looking enough for the classroom. Winning. Also, these jeans (and a black pair) are the only pants I’ve been wearing lately, because they’re the only ones that fit me right now. Thanks, summer!
glasses: warby parker – top: f21 – jacket: h&m – jeans: mother denim – shoes: mia
It’s pouring down rain here in Denver as I type. I’m still in my dress from earlier when it was 85˚. Today I wore a dress to school with palm trees and swingy shape that makes me think of Hawaii. I’ve been to Hawaii once, when I was 12, on spring break vacation with my family. It was the first time I ever experienced a sunburn, and it. was. so. bad. I never really knew what peeling skin meant till then. At the end of the week, I had freckles for the first and only time in my life. Now I just get “sun spots” and “sun damage” even though I wear sunblock religiously. Curses.
This dress is a recent back-to-school purchase from H&M. It’s works well for the classroom because it’s long enough, breezy, and unfussy. On the H&M website, the dress is almost a maxi. On me, it just reaches the top of my shin. =) I’m debating buying the same dress in the other pattern while its still on sale. It’s not the greatest material (not very breathable polyester), but it’s so easy to grab this and have a no brainer outfit in the morning.
dress: h&m – shoes: h&m x swedish hasbeens
The first week of school is done! It was a rough week trying to get my body to physically adjust back to being in the classroom with students. I wasn’t hungry when I actually had time to eat, and I was starving during 5th period when I don’t have any breathing time till around 2:30. My restroom break schedule still needs tweaking around my teaching schedule. To help that, I’ve been forgetting to drink any “not coffee” type liquids. By the time next Friday rolls around, I will have whipped my body back into teaching shape with the bladder made of iron.
This year I’ve decided to document my entire “first week back” wardrobe. This is a fashion blog, after all, and there is no more important sartorial week in a teachers year than the first week back. Am I right? This week’s wardrobe is pretty typical for me – I start off with a few nice (read: dress or skirt) and casual it up for the rest of the days, ending with a bang of super dress-down on Fridays.
Monday: 9th grade only (I do not have classes, as I teach 10th and 12th graders this year). I forgot to take photos that day in the classroom, so B helped me snap a couple on my phone when I got home. Giant forehead alert!
glasses: warby parker – cardigan: american apparel – dress: j.crew – shoes: saltwater sandals
Tuesday: My actual first day of school. I don’t know what I was thinking putting this outfit together the night before, because I hated it all day at school. I think the shoes have got to go to a friend who has a desk job, because they were not comfortable at all for making laps in the hallways. The skirt was too tight in the waist (summer pleasures brought on a fall squeeze) and kept climbing upwards when I walked. It’s a old skirt, and I used to love it, but I think it’s passed it’s peak. The shirt on the other hand, I love.
glasses: warby parker – top: j.crew – skirt: dkny jeans – shoes: h&m
Wednesday: the short day. We have block schedule at my school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This means I have prep periods all morning, teach only one 1.5 hr class, and then we have early release for grade team and all staff meetings. I love Wednesdays, obvi
shirt: anthropologie – belt: banana republic – jeans: 3×1 – shoes: mia
Thursday: OMG save me type of a day. Thursdays is the opposite of Wednesdays this year. I teach straight through for 5.5 hrs before I get a real break. By the end of Thursday I could barely remember my own name.
glasses: warby parker – shirt: target – skirt: banana republic – shoes: mia
Friday: Thank god the weekend is here, I survived! This Friday, I busted out a slam dunk of a first week of school t-shirt, a real gem for this science teacher. B’s mum sent over a super stuffed birthday package for me this year, full of gummy candies, gorgeous smelling soaps, gardening gloves, and an awesome science shirt! It is seriously the best, and the kids definitely liked it. The shirt is from a small Perth based Etsy shop called ScienceStitch. I think mum found the shirt in Perth, so I’m sorry if you’re looking for the same shirt online.
t-shirt: science stitch – belt: gap – jeans: 3×1 – shoes: nike (omg, like walking on clouds!)
My classroom is back! This week has been teacher report week at my school, which is our time to gear up for the upcoming school year. We have a bunch of new staff again this year, so it’s been fun meeting everyone and catching up with the old folks. This first few days where many of us are juggling physical work on our classrooms while jumping in and out of meetings can make getting dressed in the morning interesting. I’ve been taking the easy way out by essentially wearing the same thing all week and just rotating out the t-shirts.
These jeans and clogs are stylish enough to keep me from looking like I’m still on vacation, and the t-shirt is casual enough to do dirty work like science supply room reorganizing. A bonus is that the t-shirt is covered in tiny little skulls – the Cheap Monday logo. Normally I’m not into brand logos, but I’ve made an exception for this one since the skulls are just the right amount of cute and bad-ass. I picked this one up in Sydney on the way out to Bondi.
t-shirt: cheap monday – belt: banana republic – jeans: mother denim – clogs: mia, via nordstrom rack – necklace: from my mom and grandmother
I have a new pair of “classroom shoes”. These are the shoes that I keep under my desk at all times just in case my feet need a rest over the course of the day, or I just feel like a change it up mid-day. I used to keep a pair of ballet flats under there, but they have been nearing the end for a while. Luckily, Oofos emailed me and asked if I’d be interested in trying out a pair of their clogs. Yup, of course I do! I got them in the mail, immediately stuck them on, and didn’t want to take them off all evening. Clouds. Really. Comfortable. Clouds. They’re not the most exciting pair of shoes ever, but they are ridiculously light weight, squishy, and supportive. My friend Mallory has a pair of their sandals, and she wears them all summer, and also when she comes home and doesn’t want to go barefoot. These will be good for those days when I’m breaking in new shoes or just want to treat my feet at the end of the day. Hurray new classroom shoes!
Part One – Melbourne, Part Two – Queensland, Part Three – Perth
I’ve been back in the states for a bit over a month, and part 4 of my Aussie trip is finally up! The last stop on our great Aussie Adventure was Sydney. B’s brother lives in Sydney, and we had planned to spend a few days with the new Mr and Mrs. Lebens on the way back to the States. Timing got in the way though, and ironically the whole time we were in Sydney, they were in the States off on their honeymoon to Los Angeles and New York. All was well though, Kai and Jill graciously opened up their Chippendale (centrally located!) apartment for us to crash in while they were gone.
Sydney was a nice round up to our Aussie trip. Sydney is the big metropolitan city, while Melbourne is the cultural center. Sydney is to Melbourne as New York is to San Francisco, and Perth is Denver (minus the strict social rules). I did some of my shopping here, making stops at Aesop (cheaper with the exchange rate), COS (only store in the US is in NY), Priceline (more Lucas’s Paw Paw), and a shop called MDRanking, that sells Korean and Japanese skincare brands.
The food in Melbourne and Sydney were amazing AF. Name any kind of Asian cuisine you want and you can find it done well in Sydney. The best ever was a small alley called Spice Alley, were there is a long strip of individual stalls that sell Asian street food. Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean, and Thai styles are represented with their own stall. This alley was so good, we tried them all over three separate visits – I insisted.
Sydney is absolutely beautiful, and each suburb (neighborhood) has a different vibe. We spent time in Glebe (my favorite), Chippendale, Bondi, Manly, and the CBD area. We could have done and seen more, but we were nearing the end of our trip, so we dragged our feet a bit in the mornings and wasted a lot of time just hanging about.
Day two, B and I took the train (fantastic public transit system!) out to Bondi Junction, did a bit of shopping (hello Cheap Monday store!), then walked down to Bondi Beach. It felt like were were in a totally different city the moment we got off the train. The Bondi suburb seemed more like a sleepy beach/surf town far away from the hustle and bustle of a city. Granted, we were there in the middle of winter, so I bet it gets a bit crazy during the peak months. The homes on the cliffs reminded me of San Francisco, and the street art was pretty cool (Melbourne takes the cake though). I love the smell of the ocean, so hanging out in Bondi really hit the spot and made me miss SF so much.
Our last full day in Australia, B and I took the train all the way out to the Blue Mountains National Park. This place is absolutely breath taking. The Blue Mountains isn’t actually a bunch of mountains – it actually a large vast canyon, kind of like the Grand Canyon in the States. The canyon is deep and lush with hiking trails that snake all along the edge. B and I booked tickets on an Explorer Bus to shuttle us to the various lookout points, but we ended up just hiking the whole way. By the end of the day, we hiked a total of 11 miles and saw 5 ridiculously beautiful waterfalls. By the end of the day we were practically sprinting through the bush to catch the last bus to take us back to the train station.
Now that our big Aussie Adventure is over, I’m setting my sights on moving to Australia eventually. Right now it would not be very reasonable, since B travels so much for work within the US. In addition, Bambi would not enjoy a 6 month quarantine period, so we’d have to wait till she “moves on”. Lastly, moving to a different continent would be a huge undertaking with acquiring a working visa (B is a dual citizen, so at least he’s got is easy), selling all our things and our house, and juggling Stateside/Australian assets and taxes (headache!). When I think about it logically, it doesn’t make any sense for us to move to Aus. But I still really want to one day just chuck it all and go live on a boat somewhere in Australia. Seriously.
My friends Sara and Pedro got married recently, and I was so excited to be there to celebrate with them. I know Sara from Brooklyn, as she’s one of the Leaders High School super stars. B and I clicked with S & P almost instantly, and we are very lucky to have them in our lives, even though we are now separated by a few thousand miles. I managed to capture a few moments from their lovely wedding on a farm in Minnesota. I ended up wearing a dress from ASOS, and it was perfectly comfortable and swishy enough for all the bachata dancing that came later. Sadly, I ended up with just one photo of the dress from the event, since I was the one behind the lens the whole time!
Teachers Have Lives Too! 