Take Me Out to the Ballgame

ModCloth Skirt / Old Navy Fan T-Shirt / Urban Outfitters Sunglasses  

As a family of Yankee fans living in Northern California, once a year we head down to Oakland when our team's in town. I love of course love a  jersey or team t-shirt, but I also love mixing in other pieces to pull together a whole ensemble in team colors. I've been wearing a lot of high waisted printed skirts recently, and I decided to pair this polka dotted one with a logo T for the contrast of sporty and cutesy.

Converse Jack Purcell Sneakers

Rollin' on the River

Urban Outfitters Sunglasses / ASOS Midi Skirt / Forever 21 Top /
Paquetage Purse (from France)

ASOS Belt / ASOS Ballet Flats / Spanx Tights

Eloquii Cardigan

Obsession du Jour: Framed Art

Recently I've been working a lot on my bedroom decor. I just got two different art pieces, and they're my obsession du jour. Each feature one of my favorite things: France and Arrested Development.

Online:

 Urban Outfitters: Irene Suchocki

I love this print and the frame's color works perfectly with my color scheme. However, in order to get this particular framed print from Urban Outfitters, it took me three tries for one to arrive without broken glass or a chipped frame. As such, I can't recommend it 'cause I'm not confident that it'll get to you whole. That being said, they did send them each time quickly and without me having to send the broken one back. So I have 2 extra posters of this  print, I'm going to give one to Edwin and keep one for a future (French?) classroom. 

In my space:

Online:


This second piece is so amazing, it makes me smile every time I look at it. It arrived quickly from the UK, well packaged and with the class intact.

Etsy: Rather Unseemly

In my space:

Obsession du Jour: Hot Pink Accessories

Forever 21 Dress  / American Apparel T / ASOS Leggings / ModCloth Scarf / ASOS Belt / Urban Outfitters Bag

American Eagle Moto Boots

JCPenney Pearl Stud Earrings

I wore this outfit to go observe my old French teacher in preparation for my new French sub position. My outfit even matched the visitor's pass! 

Author Style: Annameekee Hesik

When I told my friend and new teacher mentor, Annameekee Hesik,  that she should do a post on her blog on all her cute outfits from her book tour, she invited me to do a guest post on the topic instead. So here we are. Once you're done with this post make sure to read our interview too!

Annameekee has just published her first YA novel, The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year. It is the first book of a planned four book series. She was inspired by how J.K. Rowling chronicled each of  Harry Potter's years at Hogwarts. Luckily for Annameekee's characters, non-magical high school doesn't take 7 years. Her book describes the adventures and coming out of the main character, Abbey. Annameekee's goal was to write a gay YA novel with relatable characters that mirrored the diversity of her upbringing in Tucson and her students in the Central Coast of California.

I loved the book and I know you will too! You can read more about it,  including my review (Julia) on Amazon.  For more information about Annameekee and her work, you can go to her website (including her blog) or  friend her on facebook: (Annameekee Hesik (YA Author). Her Twitter is currently recovering from an evil spammer (obviously a  jealous YA rival author, yes, I am starting that rumor here), so I won't send you there.

Back to the task at hand: fashion. Annameekee recently did her first bookstore readings.
While there's lots to love about this outfit above, one area I would like to focus on, particularly for you young adult readers, is the styling of the blazer. They don't call them wardrobe essentials for nothing.You're never too young to add a black blazer to your wardrobe. Not only will it serve you well at debate tournaments, you can use it to dress up any outfit, making an outfit at least 50% more sophisticated. In this case, the blazer screams "I am a published author. Hear my narrative voice!" Here are a few affordable  options:

1. Forever 21 2, Tinley Road on Piperlime (comes in a million colors!) 3. ASOS Curve (sizes 14-22) 

After the jump, lots more of Annameekee's outfits, look-alike items, my musings, her musings, and lots of shoes!

Très Chic

Thrifted Skirt  / ASOS Blazer / Forever 21 Scarf

Today I had a semi-interview meeting for a long-term sub position teaching French. Since I was going to be meeting with Administration and meeting the students for the first time, I wanted to look the part of a French teacher. I've always had chic French teachers, and decided I needed to up my game from history teacher. And since it wasn't really an interview I didn't want to wear a suit. Also it was super cold this morning (it was 30 last night) and today, so I needed to be warm. I settled on wearing this new skirt I found at a thrift store this week. It's by Liz Clairborne and part of a suit, but the jacket is a little big on me and both pieces together look a little too British and/or matronly. However, I am excited to wear the pieces separately. You can see me wearing the blue version of the blazer here, and waxing poetic about how much I love them.

Naturalizer Boots from Piperlime

American Apparel Shirt / Old Navy Necklace 

After the jump, more accessories detail...

All Dressed Up, With Nowhere To Go...

New Year's Eve is not my holiday. The fundamental problem is I don't particularly like staying up late. But there are secondary problems too.  My local friends are often out of town, and my friends in the city are at all night dance parties which sound exhausting.  My mother hates for me to be out driving. So as you would expect with this attitude, I rarely have somewhere to go. However, as you may have seen with my sequin post, I still use NYE as an excuse to buy something (s) sequined.  So just like last year, I depressingly dressed up my dress form to go to a mythical soirée.  I chose this amazing sequined skirt from Forever 21. I think it's really unique and detailed for $25 (and channels of all this '20s  deco glamour in the run-up to the Gatsby release) To focus the attention on the amazing detail of the skirt, a v-neck T in a neutral which matches the skirt perfectly. For accessories, I went with a delicate charm necklace in a matte metal finish and an chain mail crossbody bag with oversize bow (much more practical than a clutch--especially if you're a dress form with no arms!)

Old Navy T / F21+ Sequined Scalloped Skirt / ModCloth Bag / Urban Outfitters Necklace

On the upside, I have an outfit idea I really like at the ready for any evening occasion in 2013. Happy New Year!

Last Interview Outfit!

With the world's largest artificial artichoke

This is my interview outfit for the day. I'd say it was successful since I got an offer! I went with a Peter Pan Collar Apple Print Blouse from Forever 21+.  I thought it was a fun print for a teacher. I made the outfit professional with a tulip suit skirt from Eloquii, my new favorite work clothing destination.

F21+ Blouse, Urban Outfitters Wayfarers ,Eloquii Skirt (on sale), Old Navy Kitten Heels , ASOS Belt (on sale)

F21+ Cardigan

Trend Watch: Pre-Colombian Prints

Ruche Curvy

As an white American History major with a concentration in black history, I have also earned my official Liberal certification in political correctness.  This is why "ethnic" fashions make me slightly uncomfortable.  Obviously, it doesn't matter what your heritage is, you can wear what you like. It's more how the labels and terms are thrown around. What is an "ethnic" or "tribal" print?  I'm not really sure. It just seems quite vague, patronizing, and not quite right. On the other hand, since I'm starting on my path to becoming a Social Studies teacher, I also want to be wearing interesting prints representing the world's cultures.

With that disclaimer out of the way however, an interesting print is an interesting print. It doesn't matter whether it's on an authentic traditional garment or a tank top made in Forever 21's just-above a sweat shop. If it's cute, why not wear it? This season I'm really digging all the Aztec-inspired geometric patterns. I'm no expert on Pre-Colombian design, so I can't speak to their authenticity or the correctness of labels.

Enough of my white guilt, here are the pieces I'm talking about:

Forever 21

Ruche

After the jump, more geometric Aztec-inspired motifs on standard and plus-size styles, menswear, and accessories.

Ensemble: Going Out IV

Old Navy skirt, Kimchi & Blue tank (possibly from Urban Outfitters, but maybe a boutique)

My Mom somehow ended up at at a home sale jewelry party where she felt obligated to buy something, but even under pressure she made a good choice with these multi-colored  faux pearls.

The back detail is the best part. You guys know how I love showing of my ink with one shoulder or racerback tops.

Style Icon: Buster Bluth

Buster Bluth's style is all about the bold colors and preppy patterns: stripes, argyles, and plaids. And he's not afraid to make a statement by layering them together. You shouldn't be either.

Arrested Fashion: Made in the Shade Part II

We've already taken a look at the Bluth parents and their amazing shades. The Bluth kids (and their partners) carry on the tradition of stellar sunwear.

Sometimes you buy a car for the sunglasses.

Maui Jim

After the jump, a look at the sunglasses of George Michael, Michael's ladies, plus the many shades of Linsday Bluth Fünke.

Arrested Fashion: Made in the Shade

When you live in the OC ("Don't Call it that!"), sunglasses are essential. As a convertible driver in California, I feel the same way. In this post we'll look at the vintage sunglasses of the vintage Bluths: Lucille, George Senior and Oscar. Lucille's signature oversize gold frames are the most recognizable of the Bluth family sunglasses:

Another floral dress!

 Secondhand dress & bag

 Old Navy gold braided belt

Necklaces: ModCloth (whale), Urban Outfitters ('amour' pendant/arrow)