Patches and Threading

Happy MLK Day!

     My goal for this weekend was to get my eyebrows threaded.  After spending an hour searching the web and calling local salons, I realized that, just like Pole Dancing classes, Eyebrow Threading has yet to become a popular phenomenon here in the Humble/Atascocita/Kingwood area.  There's a huge "kiosk" in Deerbrook Mall where this procedure is exclusively done, but I was looking for more of a salon experience.  So, other than the one woman who sometimes goes into a local salon but who tried to urge me to come to her house instead, I had no other choice but to head to the mall...dangerous territory.  Apparently, I wasn't the only one aware of the perils of the mall because husbandM made sure that he and P were going along, too! 
     "Not dressed up" was the name of the game today.  Flat boots are my alternative to summer flip-flops, and jeans were replacing my latest fetish with leggings.  Unfortunately, all of my jeans have had a weeklong appointment with the washing machine, and this was the "only" pair of jeans I had.  I got them on sale at the Gap over the summer.  I was skeptical of the patches on the legs...but I absolutely could not walk away from the $10 sale price. 
     So far, I've designated them as my contribution to the wacky tacky spirit days at school, but given the few options that I had today, I decided to reconsider.  The problem that I've had with these jeans is that I've found it a challenge to make them "stylish".  Today, I tried my best with the neutral long-sleeved tee.  I added a pop of color with the scarf.  And just on a whim, I decided to try on these earrings that were a Christmas gift.  When all was put together, I kind of liked it, but I was still unsure.  Knowing that I could spend hours trying to revamp...I went ahead with it.
    About the threading:  when it comes to the battle of wax vs. thread: I've always preferred the latter.  It seems more precise to me.  Once I arrived at the mall, I realized the S.H.A.P.E.S Brow Bar moved to a new location and now was set up like an actual salon.  That was a plus.  Before going "under the thread", I told the "Threader"? that I wanted to keep the thickness of my brows.  I tend to have control freak tendencies, and they came out as I stood in front of the professional "Threader" detailing for her how I wanted my brows done, as well as what I did not want. 

And what I did not want was just what I got. 

It's time to reconsider the waxing.

the pieces (and the eyebrows):

                    

 

     (not the greatest pic...my eyes look a little scary!)

• Earrings - Christmas gift
• Red Scarf - Target (Fall/Winter '10)
• Tee - Gap (Fall '10)
• Jeans - Gap (Summer '10)
• Boots - Lucky Brand "Angel" (Winter '09)
• Belt - Forever 21 (old)

Not Just Chips

Winding down the week in ruffles...

Frilly and girly, fun and flirty! I LOVE RUFFLES!  They automatically make me feel excited, so that's how I started off my morning.  I really wished, though, that I had more time to tweak the outfit.  I would have liked to try mixing and matching other patterns and/or colors with the floral print, but I unfortunately didn't have the time.  My last resort: another pair of Gap fingerless gloves!  They actually came in handy (pun intended) because the sleeves on my jacket were 3/4 length...and it was pre-tty darn cold outside that day.

    

(I need to add a better pic of the blouse...stay tuned.)

• Cropped jacket - Old Navy ('07?)
• Blouse - Dillard's?
• Pants - Express
• Boots - oldies
• Fingerless Gloves/"Arm Warmers" - Gap

Happy-Birthday-Dressed

You can't have a Happy Birthday without the Happy.

But of all days to wake up feeling like a sack of rocks...it had to be today.  I was so warm and cozy curled (in the fetal position, no less) under my extremely warm comforter, that even as the incessant alarm kept nagging me to get out from under the covers, I had no intentions of budging.  I wonder if, thirty-two years ago today, it was just as difficult for me to come out of the womb as it was for me to get out of bed this morning?  Interesting thought.

Anyway, it's sad to say that even after having husbandM. make breakfast for me (eggs, turkey bacon!, and toast) and having my son give me a dollar (that he got out of my purse) and a Chuck E. Cheese token as birthday gifts, the signals from my brain to my eyelids just kept malfunctioning.  Instead of Happy, I was just Tired.  Even after I got dressed.

Yep. I was "smartly" dressed (the first time) this morning.  Slacks.  Blouse. New French Connection sweater that I had been craving for months.  Belt to accentuate the new French Connection sweater that I had been craving for months. Shoes. Keys in hand. Purse on shoulder.  Ready to walk out the door. 

But no Happy.

Yes, I was tired, but I did not want to be "smartly" dressed.  I wanted to be Happy-Birthday-dressed. For work and for after-work dinner.  The knee-length black Tahari dress that I had had in mind was still folded in a bag with other items ready to go to the cleaners (ahem, sincethissummer)...so that wasn't going to happen.  Looking through my dresses for an alternative, I landed upon this one.  Up until that point, even though I was "smartly" dressed, my eyelids were still partly pressed (shut, that is).  But after pulling this number out, there was a little surge of energy that ran through me....Could it be?  Happy???  

In less than five minutes, I was re-dressed and feelin' it.  I was so feelin' it that I decided to toss on a grey scarf for some added contrast...buuuut after deciding that it was probably too much, I went with the necklace that has been dubbed the "Black Olive Necklace" by my students. Still feelin' it, though. Navy blue tights. Boots. Coat.  Keys. Purse. Off to work. Still tired, but

Happy.

some of the pieces:

London Times dress from
TJ Maxx Late Summer/Early Fall '10

Necklace from Macy's (from at least a year ago)

Bandolino Boots from TJMaxx
Winter '0

Oh! By the way, after I returned home from dinner that evening, I took the opportunity to take pics of this dress with the grey scarf and purple tights.  What's your verdict?



Grey fashion scarf,
recent sale purchase from NY&Co ($8!)



Purple Hue tights
purchased from TJMaxx

Be Style. 

Hobo Chic

Waking up after 7am on a weekday morning is not a good thing for me. 

*navy/grey Gap double layer open cardi (Winter '10) *The Limited Infinity scarf (Fall/Winter '09) *Gap Super soft long sleeve tee *Express Correspondent shorts (really old!) *Hue tights (from TJMaxx) *some kind of Italian leather boots (that are older than some of the students I teach) *necklace from Express (Fall/Winter '09?) *Gap fingerless long gloves

Luckily, the husby was home today, so I didn't have to deal with getting our four year old ready...or else late would have turned into very extremely late.   With only forty minutes to get cleaned up, dressed, (redressed), and make my lunch, my mind was moving frantically, but my body was slow to catch up.  I decided on my "mood" (see first post) and began with my inspiration item:  a pair of fingerless gloves from the Gap (what made them even more attractive was that I got them for about  $5!!!).

Fast forward to 7:38...still not fully dressed, but fully laden with issues.  I had all the pieces from the pic on, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go matchy-matchy with the scarf and gloves...I wanted to add a leopard print belt w/red buckle, but didn't have the time to really contemplate it...I really wanted to wear slim black pants with flat black boots, but...er...I...don't have any flat black boots....and I didn't want to forget to make my lunch.

Fast forward to 8:05.  I was a little late, but not by much.  I still had enough time to get ready before first period (that plan fell apart less than ten minutes later while standing in front of the copy-machine-that-jams-in-five-places-if-you-just-breath-on-it).  My final outfit was a little on the monochromatic side, but I accessorized with confidence, dubbed the look "Hobo Chic", and decided to make the best of it.  Even though I had still forgotten my lunch. 


some of the details:

Gap Double-Layer Open Cardi  see it here!

Express Necklace

Gap Fingerless Gloves/Arm Warmers?
Recently purchased for about $5!

The Limited Infinity Scarf
(Fall '09) for about $10!

Be Style.

Black, Brown, and the Cowardly Lion

Mondays bring a casual vibe of school-"spiritedness".  Today, I attempted to "jazz up" the whole t-shirt-and-jeans-look:

*black Limited sweater *TMS Avid t-shirt *Gap low-rise straight leg jeans *Lucky Brand Angel boots *red polka-dot sash taken from another blouse *Forever21? wood bangle * silver Jessica Simpson bracelets from Macy's

I wasn't really sure if the red polka-dot sash was a hit-or-miss with the t-shirt, sweater, and boots, but I felt okay enough to leave the house.  And then fourth period.  One of my female students in my Pre-AP English class raised her hand and politely stated, "Mrs. Channette, you're one of the most fashionable teachers I've had....but I'm sorry!  Black and brown and red do NOT go together!"

(Sigh)

I love wearing black and brown together.  In fact, I've realized lately that I have been wearing a lot of black and brown...and grey and brown...and grey and black and brown all together.  I like how the combination of these colors can create a look that's cool, casual, and even sophisticated. 

But back to the story:
I had to "school" my young student on the matters of neutrals (grey, black, brown, navy, khaki), complementary colors, and the variety that one may achieve when coordinating virtually any color with a neutral...even other neutrals!   (Hmm...Could I consider that a "teachable moment"?)  After our one-minute lesson was over, another female student volunteered the following:  "Mrs. Channette, my mom tells me all the time that I don't match.  Yeah, she tells me that, but I don't care."  I responded to this shy, young girl by affirming for her that her attitude was admirable and that regardless of the color combination, patterns, or labels...confidence is the best accessory to any outfit and also the main ingredient to one's personal style (in my opinion).  Even the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz, who is infamously known for his lack of courage, had the confidence to don a red bow at some point in the movie.  So here's to mixing black with brown...and red/white polka dots! 


Here's my badge of courage:

And just in case I ever need to go out after school for, let's say, a...er...Book Club Meeting...here's a quick remix:

Be Style.

A New Day

      Every morning for me begins with two questions.  First, How do I feel or want to feel today?  Not all the time does an answer come easily to that question, so I take a few moments to stand in the middle of the bathroom and decide what my "mood" is/will be:  preppy? ...relaxed?... confident? ...sexy? (non-weekdays only!) ...unique? ...serious? ....colorful? ... and so on until I arrive at an adjective that seems befitting of what I was subconciously looking for.  So after wiping the yuck out of my eyes and then putting my contacts in, I go into my closet and advance to the second question: How am I going to dress today? This is the crucial  point, as what ensues will consist of 10-40 minutes of creating an outfit that will be an expression of what I want to project to the world that day. A new day and outfit means a new version of me.  A new outlook.  A new attitude.  Possibly even a new beginning.

     So...ENTER STAGE LEFT: Me, Myself, & Style.  Through this blog, I would like to share a chronicle of (hopefully) daily outfits created with items from my closet that I remix in order to serve all aspects of "me"...the daily me (teacher), as well as the evening and weekend "me" (mom, wife, avid deal-hunter/shopper, entertainment-seeker, etc.)...all with a little bit of style.  So, here goes: a review of some recent outfits for my first day of blogging....

Worn on Tuesday, Jan. 4th

This was the first day back to school after the holiday break.  I wasn't ready to go back as of the day before, but on this morning, I had a new attitude!

the pieces

           

                                      

• Vest - The Limited
• Pants - Gap "The Trouser"
• Belt - TJ Maxx
• Shoes - Gianni Bini (Dillard's)                

  

 

Worn on Wednesday, Jan. 5th




         

Day 2 of the Second Semester and I was still trying to keep my sunny attitude.  Thus, a nice bright sweater.  I enjoyed mixing the orange/navy/grey/brown, and I actually wanted to wear a blue/yellow plaid scarf with this outfit, but it turned out not to be that cold.  Maybe next time...


 the pieces

     

    

• Sweater - Gap (Summer '10)
• Skirt - Gap (Summer '10)
• Tights - Gap (Winter '10)
• Boots - Bandolino (TJ Maxx, Winter '09)
• Mixed Chain Necklace - TJ Maxx
• Stretch Belt - French Connection (oldie but goodie)

Worn on Thursday, Jan. 5th

I thought that mixing bright yellow with purple would be fun on this day.  The original outfit consisted of the cute new ankle booties that I stumbled upon on clearance at Target...however, after the pair of shoes that I wore on Tuesday, I was dealing with serious rebellion from my little toe on my right foot.  Hmm. No heels today.

the pieces



• Cardigan - Ralph Lauren (Macy's, Winter '09)
• Camisole - Old Navy ('04?)
• Pants - Express
• Shoes - Target Mossimo "Kameisha" ankle bootie
• Necklace - The Limited (Summer '10)

Be Style!