going baroque

I love dressing for summer. As much as I love layering, there's something so appealing about putting on one single piece and being done with it. Unfortunately, this attitude doesn't lend itself so well to fashion blogging: I might love my dresses, but my outfits are kind of boring. This one isn't really any more interesting than anything else I've worn lately, but I just received this dress in the mail from Target and couldn't wait to show it off. Since I'm really trying not to leave the apartment unless I have to ("outings" almost always mean shopping trips - there is nothing else to do in this town - and I'm without a paycheck at the moment. Kindly ignore the fact that I just referenced buying this dress online recently... :P), that meant posting here! This dress, by the way, is poised to become one of my favorites this summer - in addition to the fun bold print, I love the cut and the lightness of the fabric!

I've also been making progress on a conference proposal I'm currently writing. The conference is on Memory and Trauma in Irish culture, and will be held in Dublin this September (thank heavens for an extended proposal deadline!). Of course, I'm still waiting to see if I will actually be working on my PhD next fall or not, but as the proposal deadline is so soon, I just have to continue with my work in blind optimism for the next few days.

dress: Target - currently on clearance, available in XS - L! / earrings: gift

work-appropriate pleather?

Possibly as a throwback to my weirder teenage years, I love slightly "edgy" pieces, but my favorite way to wear them now is to pair them with something incongruously "sweet." For one thing, it's visually interesting, but I also feel that it captures disparate sides of myself that are otherwise hard to express. 

I was thrilled to find this skirt at Target last fall because, at least in my limited experience, faux-leather skirts that are work-appropriate? Rare. Not that it matters at the moment: not only am I not working (grades submitted = summer!), but I'm not leaving the apartment today after I injured myself running yesterday... just a sore foot, but walking to the mailbox was enough activity for today. :P

cardigan: Kohl's / floral cami: Target / faux leather skirt: Kirna Zabête for Target, old / earrings: Kohl's / necklace: Kohl's / belt: old

get on your bike

I'm still in the midst of grading my students' final projects, but I took the time to go running this morning anyway, and I am so glad I did! I've read enough about the myriad benefits of exercise to know these things, but I'm still surprised every time I come back from running with more energy and a better mood. One day I'll internalize this knowledge and make my work-out schedule a little more regular... but for now, I'll post about it here to create some type of accountability for myself.

As far as the outfit goes, I love the dramatic statement of a red dress, especially with my pale skin and dark hair. I used to hate being pale (I'm one of those people who cannot get a tan, and it seems like my skin has only gotten more sensitive to sunlight!), but now I find myself deliberately choosing colors that accentuate my skin color. It's unique, and I've finally embraced that.

red bicycle print dress: Target / necklace: c/o sammydress (giveaway) / earrings: Target

I really do buy all of my clothes at Target, don't I?

another floral print

I wouldn't be surprised if a solid third of my wardrobe consisted of floral prints. I have no idea when this fascination began, but lately I can't seem to resist a pretty dress with flowers on it. The tights, however, were a happy accident. When tights go on clearance at Target or Kohl's, I buy basically every pair in my size. This pair had a strange color in the package, so I was a bit uncertain, but decided that for a little over $2, it was worth the risk. They turned out to be a nice complement for the pinks in this dress!

dress: Deb, clearance for $7.50 / cardigan: Kohl's, clearance for $9 / tights: Target, clearance for $2.30

Inspiration: The Clothes Horse

As I mentioned, yesterday was my last day of teaching. My students showcased their digital projects (websites and videos they've created) and I brought them chocolate chip cookies (I baked about 85 and, between my 2 classes, there were no leftovers!). I was so impressed with their work, and they were so sweet. Teaching is stressful work, especially with social anxiety, but days like yesterday remind me why it's worth it.

With so much grading looming over me now, I hadn't had any time to think about what I might wear today, so I decided to back through one of my favorite fashion blogs, The Clothes Horse, for some inspiration. Here's the outfit I chose:

Rebecca's looks are always so adorable, and it's actually because of seeing cute skirts like this on her blog that I bought this one. I'm typically uncomfortable in anything this short, but I just LOVE them on her, so I thought I'd give it a go. Plus, tights make short skirts a little easier to wear, in my opinion.

blouse: thrifted, New York & Co., $2.50 / skirt & belt: Kohl's, $8 / tights: Target, $3 / pearl necklace: gift

mint dress and a mustache

I'd have preferred something a little more spring-y for my last day of class, but the 45°F temperatures outside necessitated some layers (I'm also wearing sweater tights). I felt like the black tights and cardigan were metaphorically weighing down this cute mint dress - until I remembered this mustache necklace I won in a giveaway! It's so fun and light-hearted; I'm glad I finally had an opportunity to wear it!

dress: Target, $7 / cardigan: thrifted / necklace: c/o Sammydress (giveaway) / belt: Kohl's (with another dress)

.i'm giving up on looking back.

As a student, even one who enjoyed school, I counted down the days until the end of the semester. As a teacher, it's totally crept up on me! This is my last week of classes - not just of the semester, but at my job teaching freshman composition at the University of Kentucky. I'm in the unfortunate position of not knowing what I'll be doing next - I turned down a renewal of my contract since the husband and I are hoping to move to Dublin this summer, but as we have no concrete details yet, it's a big step into the unknown... terrifying to a control freak like myself. But it's Ireland, so I'm a little more open to making myself uncomfortable in the meantime.

Since I'm feeling sentimental about my last week of teaching, I put a little extra thought and effort into my outfit. The dress is nothing special - a cheap, simple black dress I got at Kohl's over a year ago - but the cardigan is a recent acquisition I'm quite excited about. I found it at Goodwill this weekend on a shopping trip with my mom and my cousin (so much fun!), and I loved the pastel floral print so much that I bought it even though it was a size XL! Luckily I'm not totally inept at using a sewing machine, so I was able to alter it to fit me. I know this is a pretty simple outfit, but it feels so me - I wear a lot of black, and a lot of floral prints. Combined with my silver leaf earrings and a Celtic knot necklace that you can't even see in the first photo, I feel completely at home.

dress: Kohl's, old / cardigan: thrifted, $3 / earrings: Sammydress, $2 / belt, bracelet: ? / necklace: gift / shoes: Target, old

.it may be elaborate fantasy, but it's the perfect place to start.

Having toyed with the idea of starting a blog for some months now (time gets away from me), I've finally decided to give it a go, largely because my part time employment has almost come to an end, and I am staring down an entire summer of free time. While that kind of freedom might be appealing to many, I become anxious when I don't have projects to work on, so here's to keeping my sanity in check.

A brief look at what's to come: outfit posts, book reviews, recipes, travel (my husband and I are going to Ireland this summer, as well as several gaming conventions!), and probably some pictures of my cat. ^.^ For today, though, I'll give you a look at this outfit I put together with zero plans to leave the apartment. It's probably an inauspicious start, posting such terrible quality pictures, but I just found the battery charger for my camera not 10 minutes after taking these beauties with my webcam, so let's all be optimistic, shall we?

dress and necklace: Kohl's, $6 each / earrings: Target, $5 for 2 pairs / belt: thrifted, $1.50