Erika S. outfits

Buttoned Up

4 years ago, I had a student named Aaron in my Anatomy/Physiology class that had mad swag.  His wardrobe didn’t change all that often, but man, that kid had (probably still has) some serious style.  He always looked mature, fly, and chic all at the same time.  It took me all year, but I finally put my finger on why he had such swag: He always buttoned his shirts up to the top button.  It looked great, in a slightly nerdy, chic kind of way.  After that year, I started doing the same.  I button it all the way up.  I borrowed some of his swag, and I still like the look, 4 years later.

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glasses: warby parker – top: h&m (super old) – jeans: f21 – belt – gap – shoes: swedish hasbeens

Erika S. outfits, trips

Mustard Mondays

I have new clothes to talk about!  Finally – I’ve been somewhat uninspired by the shops lately, so I haven’t been shopping much (for clothing anyway, I’ve been too spendy with the skincare and makeup).  This weekend though, the sales sucked me in.  I picked up these grey jeans (with a high waist that helps balance out my long torso/short legs combo) at Urban Outfitters to $15!!  I love a great deal.  The boots I got at H&M at the start of fall, and they’re really awesome.  Whether or not they will last past one winter, we’ll see.  The sweater is an oldie from my time in Brooklyn (last seen here and here).MustardMonday MustardMonday2 MustardMonday3 MustardMonday4

glasess: warby parker – infinity scarf: american apparel – sweater and jeans: urban outfitters – belt: jcrew – boots: h&m

As far as the whole having-a-life thing is going, we got a week off for Thanksgiving.  I flew out to DC to spend time with my family and I got to hang with my little niece in between naps and fits.  My mom and sister are speaking to her only in Mandarin, so I also got to brush up on my Chinese!  Practically no one in Denver speaks Chinese, so it’s gotten rusty from disuse.  My niece is just starting to talk, so she taught me that her favorite toy (which is a mother fox from IKEA) is called hu-li mama.  My mom speaks 4 different Chinese dialects, so at dinner times, my niece will say “good eats” in 3 of them – Cantonese, Mandarin and Fujian.  hou sic, hao chi, haw jia.

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Of course, we also had to take a pre TG dinner family portrait (minus my brother in law).

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Erika S. outfits

put a bird on it

I’ve been away for these past couple weeks.  There was camping, a college tour trip with my crew to upstate NY, and just plain ole’ lack of motivation.  It’s the end of a trying week, so this morning i figured I’d just put a bird on it and be done with it.

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cardigan and tights: h&m – dress: hi there by karen walker (old, from perth) – boots: steven – bag: freitag – necklace: unicorn crafts

Erika S. outfits

Made Well, or Well Made

I must shop at Madewell a lot.  This morning I got dressed (in the dark) and as I rode the train to school, I realized I was just about Madewell-ed out.  I shook my head at myself since Madewell is typically out of reach for a teacher on a budget.  Alas…they can have some great sales.  I never buy anything full price (except for shoes apparently), and I always wait for promotions like an extra 30% or 40% off sale prices.  This also means that many of the things I drool over sell out before they can be marked down.  But hey – you win some, you lose some.  Also, I’ve decided that I’m swearing off Madewell dresses.  Like my sister mentioned in the comments of this post, they really are way too short for my 6’0″ frame as I approach my mid-thirties.  By the way, I bought this sweater over the weekend at the Madewell in SF.  It was on super sale in store (around $30 or something), but it’s not online.

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jacket: old h&m – necklace: f21 – sweater and jeans: madewell – shoes: corso como via nordstrom rack

Erika S. fun stuffs, trips

The last hurrah Part 2: the road trip

On the way down and back from Savannah, Grace and I took our time on the ole I-95 and…

1) ate at Cracker Barrel 3 times.  That place is so yummy and cheap — we gorged on mac n’ cheese and their biscuits.  This is my excited face for good ‘ole country food.

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sunnies: knockaround – tank: f21 – shorts: uniqlo – shoes: saltwater sandals – bag: h&m

2) stopped at the Wormsloe Plantation on the outskirts of Savannah, mainly to check out the long oak lined driveway and for a quick history lesson from the park ranger.

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3) we went to Medieval Times!!   A SF friend of mine, Sunny, is from Myrtle Beach, SC.  So naturally I had to check it out on the way home.  I emailed her for recomendations and she hooked us up with her friend who is a beer wench at Medieval Times.  There was no way I could pass up an opportunity to be called m’lady.  I freaking loved it, but I don’t think Grace shared my dorky excitement for knights and jousting.  WE GOT CROWNS!!  Sadly, our blue night “died” near the end after a battle with the black and white night.  *tear*

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4) we stopped at so many gas stations I lost count.  The best one by far had a Dunkin Doughnuts and a lion statue outside.  Naturally, I just had to climb on it and strike a pose.  I ended up with a slight burn from the hot steel.  Oops!

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Erika S. outfits

Stay-cation

Sadly, my spring break is coming to an end.  It’s been a sweet week and a half.  I took a trip to visit Jojo, my good friend Aimee came out to visit, and B and I enjoyed a day-long stay-cation.  He took off work today and we went exploring in Manhattan.  We started at the very southern tip and wound our way north to Central Park, then headed back down south stopping at my favorite basics shop Uniqlo on the way.  I got B to buy some new pants in a snazzy preppy stripe.  He’ll probably never wear them unless I force him to – which will be often!  Today was all about warmth and comfort.  Spring has sprung, but it was still super windy and cold today.  Perfect for my new favorite sweatshirt from the men’s section of H&M- I’m all about men’s clothing lately.

I particularly loved all the memorials down in the south end, especially the Merchant Marines Memorial.  I also found a Schenck on the WWII memorial, an electrician from Kansas.
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sunnies: ray-ban – scarf: topshop – sweatshirt: h&m – jeans: f21 – socks: uo – sneaks: converse – bag: frietag

Erika S. basics, outfits

weekend

Is there a better day than today for some SF love?  I don’t normally watch/care about football.  But today I’m rooting for the team from my hometown, the San Francisco 49ers.  That is, until they become the Santa Clara 49ers.  Happy sunday, everyone.  Here’s hoping SF fan’s don’t burn down the city tonight.  SF love

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necklace: unicorn crafts – tshirt: h&m – jeans: bdg – boots: steve madden

Erika S. outfits

double down

It’s a double down week.  This is my typical clothing strategy…wear the same thing all week with a dress or two in between to break it up.  It cuts down on laundry, something I actually have to be conscious of here in NY, where I have to lug laundry out of the building.  This week is a perfect example of that strategy.  Monday: Forever 21 stretch jeans and a hoodie (staff PD day, no kids),  Tuesday: dress, Wednesday and Thursday: Forever 21 stretch jeans and a creamish/whiteish topper.  Also, we’ve been in the lab this week, working on a 4 day procedure aimed at demonstrating osmosis and diffusion with onion cells and dialysis tubing.  It’s been fun and I love lab days – but the heater has been stuck on “broil” in the lab room.  Oh hello, extreme temperature changes!

Exhibit A of double down: Wednesdaydouble down

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Exhibit B: Thursday

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Pardon the cheesy “hands on hips” pose.  I don’t know what I was thinking.

Wednesday ~ shirt: tobi – necklace and jeans: f21 – belt: h&m

Thursday ~ (old) glasses: salt – sweater: (old) anthropologie (last seen here)- jeans: f21 – belt: h&m – shoes: minetonka

Erika S. basics, outfits

Beans and the Met

B and I took a trip to the Met yesterday for the first time since we’ve moved here.  The place is huge.  After 2 hours, we saw maybe only a third.  The exhibits are pretty amazing and I love how there is a mix of both modern art and archeology.  Next week, we’re hitting up the MOMA.

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I broke in my Bean boots yesterday and they’re pretty awesome.    Also, check out this post by Kim France of the blog Girls of a Certain Age.  It pretty much describes my wardrobe mentality, a philosophy that I adopted a year ago and am getting more and more extreme with.  I wear the same stuff (or variations of the stuff) over and over.  Which begs the question, how can I write a fashion-oriented blog when there is no variety? I’m still thinking about that one.

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scarf: arrived in a care package from B’s mum in oz – coat: uniqlo – bag: h&m – t-shirt: threads for humanity – jeans: bdg – boots: ll bean – necklaces: f21, my mom – wrists: my popo (g-ma), j.crew, mainsai (holiday prez from B)

Erika S. outfits

empty days

It’s vacation and I should be grading lab reports. Instead, I’ve been lounging, cooking and eating. Lab reports can wait, I guess.  I got myself a new bag – a wannabe Alexander Wang bucket bag for a small fraction of the price.  Thanks to “fast fashion”, I can indulge in designer aesthetics without the designer price point.  Considering I’ll probably get sick of this bag within the year and just go back to my trusty Freitag tote anyway, I’m cool with the semi cheap-o construction and materials.   OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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beannie: topshop – glasses: warby parker – jacket and purse: h&m – puffer: marmot – jeans and sweater: uniqlo – booties: steve madden (my fast fashion version of the Isabel Marant Dicker boots)