Oh, deer!

Source

Source

I've always loved the animals print sweaters that Lea Michele's character Rachel Berry wears on Glee, and I'm constantly on the lookout for similar pieces.  However, because I teach high school, I never want to look exactly like Rachel, since she is, after all, a high school student.  I've been on the lookout for an animal print piece that is whimsical, yet still professional enough to wear to school, and I found it at H&M for $24.99.

Isn't that print just darling?  My outdoorsman father is so proud right now.

Blouse: H&M, size 6

Shorts: Merona for Target, size 4

Bracelets: NY &Co. from a few seasons ago

Booties: Payless, size 7.5

I first wore this blouse to a bachelorette party for one of my friends a few weeks ago.  We went to a country bar, complete with a mechanical bull, and I thought this blouse fit the bill.  It's extremely comfortable and easy to wear, so I had no problems line-dancing the night away.  The blouse even made it through a go on the bull! 

As far as sizing goes, when I tried on the blouse, the 4 fit, but because the front is cropped, it was pretty short.  I thought in order to wear the blouse to school and in order to be able to tuck it into a skirt, I should probably size up to a 6. 

Sorry for the blurry quality of the next pic.  I included it to show you the longer back of the blouse.  I love the line it creates!

Blouse: H&M, size 6

Tank: Mossimo for Target, size small

Capris: NY&Co., size 4

Bracelet: Banned Books bracelet, Kards Unlimited

Earrings: NY&Co.

Booties: Payless

I loved wearing this outfit to school.  I felt very Audrey Hepburn meets my grandma meets Rachel Berry.  I think the next time I wear this blouse, I might switch out the capris for a skirt, add some tights, and wear pumps instead of booties.  I'm loving how versatile this blouse is turning out to be! 

I couldn't find this exact blouse on the H&M website, but there are plenty of other whimsical deer prints out there that still maintain an air of professionalism.  And since you shouldn't wait for Christmas to start donning Donner and Dasher, here are some of my favorites:

ModCloth Do Re Mi Fawn Dress, $47.99

Modcloth What Time Is It Deer Watch Necklace, $24.99

Forever21 Deer Pendant Necklace, $2.80

Yumi Deer print pussy-bow blouse, $46.00

Marc by Marc Jacobs Running Deer Woolen Scarf, $226.00

And for those of you who would prefer a less literal take and don't mind the mega-splurge:

Emma Cook Shirt Pleated Midi Dress in Deer Spot Print, $850.72

Do you have any favorites?  Have you seen any other animal-printed pieces that strike your fancy? 

OOTD: Monochromatic, not quite at its finest

This week is Spirit Week at my school, culminating with the homecoming football game and dance this weekend.  Each day during spirit week is themed; students (and some spirited teachers) dress to fit the theme.  Monday was Color Day, so I took the opportunity to wear my J.Crew Liquid Silk Skirt.

Sweater:  J.Crew Tippi in bright dahlia, size small

Skirt: J.Crew Liquid Silk Skirt in bright dahlia, size 2 (reviewed here)

Shoes:  Cole Haan Nike Air Peep Toe Pumps, size 7.5

-I'm going to try to be better about posting sizes when I post OOTDs.-

This is not one of my prouder outfit moments; I felt very sloppy.  I kept accessories to a minimum, because I didn't want to clutter up the simplicity of the look, but I still felt unkempt.  I tried tucking in the sweater, and that just looked lumpy, so I scratched that idea. 

Finally, after homeroom, I had had it with the shapeless grape of an outfit, and I added a black belt around my waist.  That made me feel a bit better, but I still don't know that I'd ever wear these pieces together again for anything other than "Color Day."  However, if the colors weren't so bright (One of my girls told me she got a headache looking at me.  Thanks, child.), this outfit might just work.  I think the navy liquid silk skirt would look great with a navy or camel tippi.  It would probably even look great with the bold peri or bright dahlia colors.

I will say that the skirt felt amazing all day.  The fabric is so luxurious, flowy, and feminine.  I can't wait to wear it again with a normal outfit!

Anyone else give the monochromatic look a try lately?  How'd it work out for you?  If not, would you ever try it?  I'm not sure I'd be brave enough if it weren't for Color Day!

His and Hers Missoni for Target in Action

I swear, this is the birthday that never ends.  I have one more post where I'll mention the word "birthday" (my fiance gifted me with tickets to Wicked for this Friday, and I can't wait to show you all the dress I found to wear), but then I'm done.  At least for this year.  Promise.

This past weekend, I went out for sushi with the fiance and some friends for my birthday, and I decided to give my new sweater dress a whirl. 

Dress: Missoni for Target

Cardigan: H&M

Wristlet: Ollin

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Sunnies: Gap

Wearing the dress with no tights was as crazy as it gets for this girl on a Saturday night; I generally wear my hemlines longer.  However, I was pretty comfortable all night.  I only had a few minor wardrobe malfunctions at our spontaneous dance party we held later on at a friend's house.  And no, I'm not even kidding. 

Seriously though, if you have this dress, watch that the lining doesn't creep up on you.  There were only a few times throughout the night that I found myself tugging, but it was enough to be a little annoying.  I think tights would probably rectify that problem.

I also wasn't sure about wearing the dress with no belt - I love to define my waistline and feel like the outfit is unfinished if I don't.  However, once I saw the look together, I realized that breaking up the vertical stripes would actually make me look shorter and stouter.  All I'd need is a handle and spout, and I'd be a Missoni teapot. 

When we were on our way out of the restaurant, I had an "Oh, no she DIDN'T" moment when a girl was coming in wearing the same dress.  That type of thing never bothers me, though.  I congratulated her on scoring an item and told her I loved how she styled the dress.  She wore hers with tall riding boots, and it was really cute!  I actually really like seeing how others style items that I have.  As my stylist-hero Rachel Zoe would say, you can never have too many options! 

I had gone shopping earlier that day at a consignment store that I hadn't yet visited.  I scored a Nanette Lepore dress, a Milly skirt, and those Stuart Weitzman shoes - which had NEVER BEEN WORN - for a song.  I was on a fashion high.

Since I promised a his and hers post, here's another Missoni for Target piece in action on a dude:

This is the tie I bought for my fiance.  I forced him into a picture at 7:05AM one day last week, and he is NOT a morning person.  The only words he said were, "No face on the blog today."  Hehe.  I obliged. 

When I first bought him this shirt a few years ago, he told me he felt like a bottle of Pepto Bismol, but he said he trusted my taste.  Now it's one of his favorites - he gets so many compliments on it, from coworkers and students alike.  The Missoni tie matches it perfectly, and even though he didn't act like it, I just knew he was just super pumped to wear it. ;)  If only you could see the excitement on his face.  Maybe next time. 

When I'm having a bad day at work...

...I'll come back to this post and read it over and over again.  I'm in charge of the television studio at my school.  In that studio, I have twelve awesome kids who are responsible for our morning announcements show.  Those kids never cease to amaze me with their creativity and dedication, but most of all with their thoughtfulness.  Here's a little taste of what I saw when I walked into my TV studio at the end of last week:

My chair, desk, and half of the studio, all decked out

The white board on our "set," right behind the anchors' chairs

My surprise birthday breakfast spread, all provided by the kiddos.  Bagels, donuts, brownies, cookies, and even a crumb cake.  These kids know how to throw a fête.

In the future, whenever I find myself down about the direction education has taken, I am going to find it pretty darn easy to remind myself why I do what I do; I just have to revisit this post and these pictures.  My students brought tears to my eyes!  There were even a few gifts involved.  They are really just too sweet for words! 

Another reason I love my kids?  They all appreciated my dress.  ;)  What else would an English teacher wear on her birthday but the J.Crew Library print dress from 2007?  I was lucky enough to find this dress on ebay a couple of years ago, and every time I wear it, I feel like a million bucks.

Dress: J.Crew Fall 2007

Cardigan: Merona for Target

Tank: J.Crew Perfect tank

Shoes: Dr. Scholl's

I'm not the only aficionada to don this frock, so I don't want to leave the other lovelies out.  The spectacular Alexis from J.Crew Aficionada features this dress here and here.  You can also see this dress on the lovely Dina from My Superfluities looking adorable here. 

Because the cut of this dress isn't really meant for women bigger than a B or so up top, I layer a perfect tank under it when I wear it.  It doesn't really look that great without the cardigan, but I'm always chilly, so a cardi is essential anyway.  Those shoes are my first experience with Dr. Scholl's, and I must say, when I first bought them, I was pleasantly surprised.  The color is a deep pewtery bronze (is there such a hue?), so they are a go-to neutral.  And my gawwwwd, are they ever comfy!  I believe they were only $34.99 full price, too.  I highly recommend Dr. Scholl's shoes if you're on your feet all day.

I'm off to go write up a quick lesson plan.  I'm getting observed by my principal this afternoon, so wish me luck!  If there is such a thing as a wonderful Monday, I hope you all have one!

I'm a poser

...and I'm officially old.  Not only is today my 26th birthday, but it's also the one-week anniversary of the day that I realized I'm no longer cool.  Last week, I went to a Blink-182 concert.  I've been a fan of the band since I was in junior high, and this was the second concert of theirs I've attended.  Taking my cue from some of my punk-ier students, I decided I'd wear plaid, Chucks, and a cool knit hat.  The result was more Punky Brewster than Punk Rocker:

Button-down: J.Crew Perfect Shirt in candy plaid

Cardigan: J.Crew Camp Pocket Cardigan

Jeans: J.Crew Matchstick

Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top in pink
Hat: Target

I stuck out like a sore thumb.  Here I was, trying to be all cute:

Meanwhile, I was surrounded by teenagers who all looked relatively similar to this kid:



Fail.  Plus, it was about 35 degrees all night.  That, my friends, would be what the children refer to as an EPIC fail.  I ended up buying a Blink-182 sweatshirt, so that gave me a little bit of street cred with the rascals who surrounded me.  But hey, I knew every word of the songs Blink played from their debut album from 1994, and those spike-cuffed, mohawked teens just stared at me in adoration.  Booyah.

I'll leave you with a pretty picture of the pretty lights from the show:



A familiar-looking sweater dress: OOTD Sept. 20th

When I first saw the above sweater dress amongst the 400-piece Missoni for Target line this past August, I had to do a double-take.  Then, a few days later, I saw it styled like this:

I was pretty pumped, because I bought a very similar sweater dress at a Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago about five or so years ago.  I style it eerily similarly to how Missoni for Target styled theirs:

Sweater dress: Sweater Project

Long-sleeved shirt: Ralph Lauren

Leggings: White House Black Market

Necklace: Tiffany & Co.

Shoes: Cole Haan Nike Air Lyric flats

Don't mind the crooked strap of the dress; it had already been a hectic day, and this was only 7:10 AM.  The picture is not very indicative of the pattern on the sweater dress, but the black and white zig zag motif is very similar to the Missoni for Target dress. 

Sometimes I like to belt this dress with a wide black belt; I've also worn it with red heels or a red or pink belt.  It's such a versatile, comfortable piece, so if any of you were lucky enough to grab the Missoni for Target dress pictured above, I assure you, you will not regret it. 

I'm off to figure out what I'm going to wear for my birthday dinner tomorrow night, so I shall catch all of you lovelies later! 

My CTO: Comfy Teaching Outfit

So, I just found this draft in my archives, and I thought I had scheduled it to publish last week on Thursday (9/15/11), but apparently not.  I'm going to be honest; I'm too lazy to fix it to make it more timely, so I'm publishing it as-is. 

Do you ever have a day where you just want to be comfy?  It's starting to get chilly here, and that initial autumnal drop in temperature makes me want to curl up in a ball.  Plus, I'm going to a Blink-182 concert (yes, sometimes I have the musical tastes of a 15 year old boy), and today at school, I just wanted to be comfortable.  This outfit tends to be my go-to early fall/spring Comfy Teaching Outfit.

Glasses: Prada

Sweater: Ralph Lauren (from the outlet about 5 years ago)

Dress: Converse for Target

Cami: N.Y. & Company

Shoes: Converse All-Star Chuck Taylors

When I first wear this outfit every year, the kiddos go crazy for a couple of reasons.  "Miss T.!  You got glasses?" is always the first thing I hear.  Nope, children, I'm blind as a bat and wear contacts, because my glasses are Cokebottle-thick.

Don't mind the rat's nest on top of my head.  Rainy days tend to make me look like I've stuck my fingers in a toaster.  I included this picture for two reasons: 1.  You get a better glimpse of the glasses, and 2.  You can totally see the contrast between my classroom (above) and my fiance's classroom (in all of my OOTD pictures, including the first one in this post). 

Okay, so anyway, the second thing I hear when I wear this outfit is, "Miss T.!  YOU WEAR CHUCKS?!"  I love telling my kids that I wore my Chucks to my high school graduation with my cap and gown.  I was class president, so I was the first person in line to march onto the stage, and my Chucks were on display for everyone to see.  This story normally gets me some street cred with the ninth and tenth graders.  And really, that's all I can hope for in my life, right?  ;)

The Chucks are not only an instant conversation piece, but MAN, are they ever comfortable.  If my feet need a day of rest, I slip these puppies on with this dress, khakis, or cafe capris and I'm instantly calmer and ready to tackle the day. 

What's your CTO?  Those of you that aren't teachers, what do you wear on days that make you want to curl up and go to sleep?

OOTD and a Cold from the Cold

Hi, you guys!  I'm not feeling too well tonight, so this is going to be pretty short.  The weather is getting cooler, and I spent most of the evening Thursday at an outdoor concert in chilly, chilly temperatures.  Of course, I was underdressed as far as weather was concerned (more on that later this week), and ever since then, I've had a sore throat and the sniffles.  I know it's an old wives' tale, but I swear, every time I spend time outside in cold weather, I get a cold.  I will confess, though, that my cold didn't keep me from going to the Steelers game today (Go black and gold!), but I think that just wore me out even more.

Since this is primarily a fashion blog, here's an OOTD from this past Monday at school:

Cardigan: Express from several years ago

Tshirt: Loft

Skirt: J.Crew No. 2 double-serge wool pencil in jazzy purple

Belt: Merona for Target

Necklace: Vintage

Shoes: Cole Haan Nike Air Peep Toe Pumps

On Sept. 12th, I was one of the M.C.s for a September 11th assembly that our school held for our students.  I really didn't have to do or say much; the other teacher and I just explained the logistics of a semi-new anti-bullying program and then introduced a video on September 11th, but I still felt like I needed to look professional and put-together to be in front of our entire student body and staff.  Pencil skirts always make me feel professional and put-together, so I went with this one.  It was so comfortable; I can't wait to wear it again.

I do plan on getting this skirt hemmed at least 2 inches so that it hits just above my knees.  Thank you to all of you that suggested trying petite sizes.  I checked the J.Crew website, but this color was sold out in both petite and regular sizes awhile ago.  I'll definitely remember that for future J.Crew pencil skirt purchases, though!

I hope you all have a wonderful evening!  

Hello, Kitty

I have two furbabies, and neither of them have made an appearance on the blog yet.  I think it's time to change that.  Meet Pufferton, or Puff, for short:

Glasses: Prada

No, I'm not one of those people that dresses their animals up.  At least not most of the time.  ;)  But he was just lying in my arms so nicely, so I decided to see how he looked in my glasses. 

Happy Wednesday!  Enjoy your day!

My Missoni for Target haul and reviews

I spent the better part of my downtime today trying to access the Missoni for Target website.  It was down ALL. DAY.  At least it had the cute Target dog with a message that told hopefuls that the site was jammed.  Finally, by 1:45ish, I managed to get in, and I scarfed up the first three things on my list.  I was afraid the site would go down again as I was ordering.  After school, I went to the store and tried on two of the items I bought, and I ended up sizing down in both.  The Missoni for Target line's sizing is pretty much the same as Target's clothing, so if you're still shopping (the site is still jammed as of 6:30 this evening), I recommend sizing down.  Here's what I ended up buying:

Black Suede Pumps: $39.99.  sz. 7.5  Full review to come
These are the only items I ordered that I didn't buy in the store.  My store had them in my size, though, so I tried them on.  Pretty comfy, and TTS, from what I could tell by wearing them for 30 seconds.

Floral Blouse: $34.99, size XS
Not sure if I'm going to keep this or not.  I do love the print, but I'm kind of underwhelmed with the blouse itself.  It's really loud, so I'm going to have to style it with a few things and see what I think of it paired with some neutrals.  It does match J.Crew's No.2 pencil skirt in jazzy purple, so maybe I'll try it with that.  The blouse is polyester, and I feel like that might be another strike against it.  The jury is still out.  I ordered it in a small and ended up trying on and buying the extra small at my local Target.  I recommend sizing down on this one.

Sleeveless Zigzag Sweaterdress: $54.99, size XS (no link for this one until I'm sure I link to the right dress, since Target's site is still down)
LOVE this dress!  It's a little shorter than I'm used to, but I think if I pair it with the zigzag tights (see below), it'll be appropriate for work.  It hits me about an inch and a half above my knees.  This is another piece that I ordered in a small and tried on in an extra small and decided it worked for me.  I love this dress so much that I bought it in the matching girls' size for my little seven-year-old cousin!  This dress is lined and has a ton of colors, so it'll be wearable from now until the end of winter!

Brown Zig Zag Tights: $16.99, sz. sm/md
I have no real review for these yet, other than the material seems pretty thick and sturdy.  I plan on wearing these with the above dress and pumps.  So excited to try them all on together!

Men's ZigZag Tie: $24.99 (no link for this one yet, either)
I couldn't leave the fiance out of the fun; I love when he wears snazzy ties.  Since he took me to Target after school and waited around while I ran around the store like toddler on Easter morning hunting for all of the Missoni stuff, I let him pick out a tie.  Okayyyy, I begged him to pick out a tie.  He thought $24.99 was a ridiculous price to pay.  Silly boy (I buy his shirts and ties for him, so he's pretty clueless.).  He decided on this pink and black zigzagged tie to match a few of his shirts that he already has.  I'm pretty excited to see it on him tomorrow!

What do you think of the line?  Did you try to shop it today?  Did you have any success? 

OOTD 9/9/11: Simplicity

Blouse:  NY & Company

Jeans: Joe's Jeans, Anthropologie

Shoes: Cole Haan Nike Air Peeptoe Pumps

Belt: Loft

Necklace: Target

A closeup of the belt:

A better shot of the necklace:

I love how this necklace sits with this blouse.  I wore the two together in an August OOTD with shorts.  Sometimes, when I find a pairing that I like, I wear it over and over again.  Do any of you guys do that, too?

I wore this outfit for our first jeans day at school.  Most Fridays, we can pay $5 for a specified charity, and we get to wear jeans.  The jeans were a welcomed break, as I'm just getting used to dressing up every day again. 

I got so many compliments on this outfit, and I'm pretty surprised, because it's relatively simple.  At the end of the day, the French teacher, Valerie, came up to me in the hallway.  (Side note: I absolutely love this woman; she's a complete sweetheart.  She was born and raised in France, and her style reflects it.  Her outfits are always well put-together, but she keeps them simple.)  When she approached me, Valerie said, "I just love zees outfeet.  Zees eez a very Valerie outfeet!"  Let me tell you, I could not have been happier!  There is such a je ne sais quoi about the way French women style themselves.  There have been countless books on the subject, but none of them seem to exactly pinpoint what it is that French women do that we American women can't quite grasp.  The fact that I achieved it, even if it was for only one day and one outfit, made me feel awesome!  Just thought I'd share my little style victory with you all!  :)

What do you think it is about French women that keep them looking so fabulous?

Missoni for Target: My Picks

Instead of sitting at home lamenting the fact that I'm not attending NYC's Fashion's Night Out tonight, I'm sitting at home blogging about it.  Well, sort of.  One of tonight's FNO events was a three-day temporary opening for the new Missoni for Target collection.  I've never been super-crazy over Missoni's woven zigzag patterns, but now that the designer is making an accessible line for us regular folk, I figured I'd give the long-adored designer a chance. 

The line is available beginning September 13th (this Tuesday!), but I took a gander at the lookbook to decide exactly what I want to snag, because word on the street is that this line will sell out fast.

Here are my faves:

I can't get enough of that scarf on the left.  Love the colors, love the pattern, just love it all.  I have a feeling it would go really well with J.Crew's liquid silk skirt in bright dahlia or tippi sweater in bold peri, vibrant flame, or even warm mustard.



These rainboots are only $34.99, and they are just adorable.  They would look darling with jeans and a trench.  I love that the colors are neutral enough that these can be worn with any number of colors.  They'd look adorable with a sweaterdress and tights, too!



How great are these stacked heels?  They look like they'd be comfortable, and I love that the Missoni zigzags are pretty subtle.  I am also a huge fan of the black and brown together.  The color combination makes this shoe extremely wearable.  If I get nothing else from the collection, I am going to try to make sure this shoe is in my shopping cart.



I love this outfit, but I would never be able to pull off wearing both pieces together.  I'm also not sure that I'd be able to pull off the shorts at all.  My hips are the widest part of my body, and a horizonal zigzag stripe doesn't exactly seem like it'd be flattering, but I'd try them on, nonetheless.  I think the sweater would be extremely wearable if it were paired with a pair of capri pants, cords, or a black pencil skirt, or trousers.


I adore the pattern of the dress on this little girl, and if I had a little one of my own, you best believe she'd be rocking this frock.  I can only hope that this is only the first of several lookbooks, and Target carries this pattern over to a dress in my size!



The fiance looks so good in blue AND purple, so I'm definitely going to be purchasing one of these ties for him.  The toughest part is going to be deciding which one he gets!





Okay, so this might not be a very practical item, but how sweet would it be to ride around the neighborhood on this?  It's almost like a work of art!  I actually might not mind exercising if I could do it while rolling over the hills on this bike in my matching rainboots.

Have you seen the Missoni for Target lookbook?  What do you think?  Are there any items you are planning to purchase?

OOTD 9/6: New Stripes, an Antique Pendant, and Vintage Pleats

Shirt: J.Crew Painter Tee, sz. small

Skirt: Vintage '50s linen pleated skirt

Shoes: A purchase from a trip to Italy in 2008; red patent leather

Necklace: Vintage pendant

Earrings: Gold filigree hoops

Yesterday's OOTD was centered around/inspired by the vintage '50s navy linen pleated skirt I picked up last week at Yesterday's News in Pittsburgh for $15.  If you're ever in the Pittsburgh area and are a fan of vintage clothes, I highly recommend stopping at Yesterday's News!  Here are a couple of better pictures of the skirt (front and back):

There's just something about the silhouette of a high-waisted A-line skirt and tucked-in shirt that I can't resist.  Maybe it's because it makes me feel like the glamorous Hollywood version of a 1950s housewife.  I even tried to paint on some red lipstick this morning.  Unfortunately, the closest thing I could find was a maroon lip gloss, and it made me look like I belonged with the Ringling Bros. instead of in the kitchen in my heels, patiently waiting for my adoring, hard-working husband to burst through the door, Leave It To Beaver style.  Because I don't do well with clowns OR cooking, I decided to leave the red for the pros. 

I also wore a pendant that my mom found at an antique store a few years ago.  She's worn it twice since she bought it; I've worn it twice since Saturday.  When she told me she thought I would get more wear out of it, she was right.

I love the delicate details of the necklace, and it's a very of-the-moment length.  

If the blog is quiet for the rest of the week, it's because one of my best friends' weddings is this Saturday, and the rest of the week is filled with bridesmaid dress fittings, a rehearsal dinner, and other pre-wedding and wedding festivities.  I'll try to get another post in before the end of the week, but I'm not making any promises.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!