What do you do when temperatures swing wildly in your classroom over the course of the day? Dress in layers, obviously. My classroom is on the third floor, on a south eastern corner. This means I have an incredible view, and the morning the sun shines directly though the large windows straight at my smartboard and heats up the room to sweating temperature. Then in the afternoon, the sun shines directly into the lab portion of my room, turning that half into a hotbox and ensuring all photosynthesis experiments go really, really well. The key here is that the lab room is separated from the classroom by a almost a full wall, meaning my classroom mellows out into a really comfortable temperature near the end of the day. Anyways, here is an outfit from hella days ago. I wasn’t planning on taking photos, until my friend Melissa said, “That’s a cute outfit. Are you taking photos?” Well gosh, I guess so then!
Almost everything here is old. The coat and boots are from the Brooklyn years, which by now is more than 5.5 years ago. They have both held up well though, in terms of durability and style. The one new to the blog item here is the eyelet top I bought last month on super sale (extra 40% off!) at Anthropologie. It’s comfortable, but really short in the body which I fixed by wearing a tan colored tank underneath. I really like white frilly tops for school, as they make jeans look just a bit more dressed up. Happy almost Thanksgiving break everyone!
Another day, another attempt at copying an outfit from Pinterest. It was nice to be able to peel off layers during class, only to pile them back on during prep periods. Still super digging my reversible bomber jacket. In hindsight, I should have fully tucked in my shirt – it looks sloppy. But hey-ho, anything goes sometimes!
It’s been snowing here in Denver, but it’s only October! It seems like fall came and went in a blink of an eye. An early snow storm ran through Colorado just at the start of the changing leaf colors, which made all the trees drop their leaves while still green. Tomorrow is Halloween, and we have about a foot of snow outside, and a SNOW DAY today. The storm started on Monday, and we got an early release yesterday from school. I snapped these pictures during lunch, right when we got the email that we could go home at noon. I was pretty excited at the prospect of a snow day brewery trip with co-workers and snapped these in a hurry so they’re a bit fuzzy!
I really liked this day’s outfit. I had pinned this picture long ago on Pinterest and finally got around to recreating it. I’ve had these items in my closet for a while now, so the new star of the show is a Uniqlo reversible bomber jacket. I saw it on a mannequin while in the shop this past weekend and spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find it on the women’s floor. Turns out, it was a men’s item. I wear men’s clothes all the time, so I tried on the XS (I normally wear a small or medium at Uniqlo depending on the item), and into the shopping bag it went. I need another jacket like I need a hole in my head, but that day I bought two more because I’m a sucker without any self control. The jacket is reversible, y’all. It’s like a two for one! There is currently a women’s version as a puffer, but I preferred the colors and the bomber style of the men’s. I instantly felt like a super cool sailor man when I paired it with a beanie (later at the brewery) and stripes.
Normally I only post positive kid quotes, but today I’m getting real honest. “Don’t even give me attitude. I didn’t come to school for your attitude” was what a kid told me when I told him to get off Snapchat while in class. Yup. srsly.
jacket and sweater: uniqlo – shirt: cos – jeans: bgd – boots: ll bean
I read a NYT article recently that made me feel like a total sheep, but with fashion. This actually happens pretty often. I’m not exactly ground breaking in my fashion choices, and obviously, fashion is just a hobby for me. I would say that I pay low attention to the trends of fashion in terms of runways, medium/high attention to the trends of fashion in terms of Pinterest/blogs, and very high attention to what I see in real life. My recent boot purchase was directly influenced and fueled by this blog, Girls Of a Certain Age. Kim France was the longtime editor of Sassy Mag and then Lucky Mag back in their heydays of the 90’s and the 00’s (aka my fashion formative years). I’ve always liked her style, though to be honest, always annoyed by her writing. She uses words like “slouchy” and “natch” so often it’s predictable and dated. As I typed that last sentence, I instantly started wondering which words I overuse to describe fashion in this blog…
I’ve been following Kim’s (and Andrea Linett’s) fashion choices for so long I’ve heard them wax poetic about clogs, specifically No.6 clogs, for years. That brand is a bit on the $$ side though, so in my clog wearing years (my first pair was back when H&M did their colab with Swedish Hasbeens), I’ve found more reasonable alternative brands, and I’ve amassed quite the collection of clogs. One of these brands is Sven Clogs based out of the state of the “hot-dish” (a term I learned from my Minnesota native friend Sara), Minnesota. Granted, this brand can also be a bit pricey, but they run specials all the time and they have a pretty nice closeout section. In addition, they often do “deals of the day” where a staple style of theirs goes on discount for the day. The last 2 years, I’ve waited for their Black Friday sale where they usually do 20% off all clogs.
One of the most famous No.6 styles is the clog boot, two words that don’t seem like they should ever go together. I’ve been eyeing this pair for ages, and have almost purchased them a number of times, always pulling back at the checkout page, gagging at the final price. It’s just still too much to pay for shoes with my teacher’s salary. The most expensive pair of shoes I own right now are my recently purchased Red Wing Boots, which rang in at almost $300 after taxes (I’m convinced I’m going to wear them forever).
While I’ve been eyeing the leather boots, the shearling version had wiggled its way into my fashion brain. It’s snowing here in Denver as I type, and that’s how I’m justifying these Ugg-boots-cum-clogs that may seem revolting at first but then you realize how genius they are. B the Australian really, really, dislikes them, but I blame that on his distain for the Ugg boot trend and how Americans wear them outdoor (apparently they are supposed to be indoor slippers). Sven has an exact copy of the same boot (admittedly for the same price), but they have a closeout section, and I since I subscribe to their newsletter, I caught wind of a special they were running – $175 for all shearling boots in the close outs – and they had them in my size in black. Even though it was the middle of summer at the time I jumped at the sale, and how that it’s Winter, I’m very glad that I did. These boots are THE BEST. I’ve been wearing them without socks (as suggested), and I’ve walked quite a bit in them. My feet stay so warm, I’ve yet to get even a hint of a blister, and they are so easy to pull on and off. I imagine I’m going to wearing them for winter walks to dinner or to the brewery. I have yet to see these boots on anyone else here in Denver, but I’ve already been asked a few times in hushed tones “are those No. 6 boots?” #winning
This post is coming a week late, but it’s a perfect example of my Friday mantra: comfortable and casual. Last Friday I wore my comfiest pair of black pants from Forever 21. You could do yoga and bike to work in these babies even though they are high waisted and marketed as jeans. My new thing this school year are clothes that trend towards the “athleisure” look. I hate that word, and it reminds me of 20 somethings in makeup wearing Lululemon and spotless Nikes while they shop at Whole Foods for prepared meals (I’m so judge-y, I’m sorry, not sorry). But here we are – I am one of them now. I shop at Athleta, I’m technically wearing a workout shirt here, and I now own more than a few pairs of Nikes. I draw the line at Lululemon though….for now.
Every time I see these jeans in my pants drawer, I think about trying to recreate this image with what I have. It just looks so relaxed but chic with the clogs, and white linen-but-ruffly top. When I see an outfit like this, I picture some ridiculously cool 30 something mom with a chubby little baby and a cool minimalist but impeccably designed and decorated Spanish villa style house in LA somewhere. Definitely not me in any way. I think I ended up looking more like the adult-kiddie version with my new favorite hair accessory, the snap hair clips in pastels. Also, a kid said to me, “Miss, I like your pockets!” #winning
It was bound to happen one day. Most days I am inadvertently matching with a fellow teacher. Today, I went to the door to let in my AP Bio class, and there was my outfit, on another person, a student. Obviously I had to ask her for a quick photo, and her permission to post this online. I really don’t mind matching with her though because she is so darn cool looking 😉
shirt: uniqlo (on both) – jeans: levis (unknown on her) – shoes: birkenstocks and vans
School is officially in session! The first week is coming to a close and I’m just now getting around to posting about the first days of school. It’s always hard to break back into the teaching routine every fall. I’m exhausted by the end of the teaching day and my body feels like it’s been run over by a truck by the time I get home (after a HIIT or spin class after school as well). I’m sure I look like a zombie walking out of the building every afternoon, it’s so hard to be “on” as an introvert after such a relaxing summer of being “off”.
It’s been a great week so far though. I have a fantastic group of kids this year, for real. I know I say this every year, but these kids are so freaking awesome this year in both Physics and AP Bio. I’m very excited, as cliche as it sounds. We did labs these past 2 days and I was blown away by the thinking these kids were doing. So much creativity and insight, I’m really going to have to ramp things up this year! I’m also super thankful to be able to teach the same subjects for a second year in a row. It’s big, because it means I can actually improve my lessons from year to year instead of constantly running just to keep up. Now I will finally have the luxury to think about how to make lessons more exciting, how to build independence in learning, and how to really work at developing critical thinking and analytical thinking skills in science.
Anyways, this is what I picked for the first days. The first day is 9th grade only, so I did not have classes ’til the second day when my 11th and 12th graders showed up. My tank is not new here at all (I’ve had it for over 6 years!), but pretty much everything else is. My pants are the Everlane Straight Leg Crops and they’re really good for everyday use even though I got them in a size too small. A woman at the SF store told me they stretch out a lot, but I should have known not to go that small as I generally prefer looser pants now a days. I normally wear a size 8 and these are a size 4! But still considering I went 2 sizes down, they’re really stretchy and still super comfortable even sitting down.
The shoes are my new favorite sandals, the Mohinders Woven Slides. These sandals were my best shoes of summer by far – super comfortable, versatile, and ethically made, which is something I’m trying to learn towards more and more. I’m eyeballing getting a pair of their woven flats, but I can’t justify another pair of shoes just yet. These were a gift from B via Huckberry last December, so hint hint on the shoes!
These earrings though…a co-worker stopped me in the morning and said I was really upping the earring game this year. I secretly pumped my fist Napoleon Dynamite style when she was out of sight. I have my good friend Sara to thank for them, as she made them herself! They’ve inspired me to start a ceramics class this November!
earrings: a sara boeck original – tank: madewell – pants: everlane – shoes: mohinders – watch: fitbit
That second day, the air conditioning was not functioning very well, and I sweat through my dress every period with the nervous type of sweat. I’m sure you can all relate. The dress (and sandals) you have all seen before. It’s such a great spring/summer work dress that I have one in Navy also. Good to know it can handle sweaty pits without showing the sweat stains too badly!
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.
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
Teachers Have Lives Too! 
