Outfit #69 - Unexpected

Outfit details:

Dress: Jeanswest (op shop).  Leggings: ? Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: Mombasa. 

I was totally going to wear a different outfit today.  When I was about to get dressed, I just didn't feel like wearing that outfit.  A warm day was forecast, though, so this black shirt dress (delightfully cool) was my standby. 

I was also going to wear different earrings, then changed my mind at the last minute.  Glad I did, too - a couple of kids said, very quietly, that they liked my earrings.  And my shoes.  Also unexpected was the windy weather I encountered on the way to school - this is a slightly neater hairstyle than what I had by the time I got there.

Today's photo:

Afternoon sun.  Fluffy balls of red.  Fallen leaves, a falling down fence.  The anticipation of a run and no students until Saturday and some more gardening and - ooh, neighbour's puppy! 

Outfit #12 - Bonus! - Staff Concert

 Tonight was the school's annual Music Staff Concert.  I can humbly say, it was pretty spectacular (as it always is).  I can't really imagine wearing something other than black to perform, so the black dress came out again.  I love these shoes (I know I say that a lot, but still...).  They may look dainty and uncomfortable, but I've worn these for 14 hour days and still felt human.  Stiletto, but a mini platform, a strap to keep things in place, a cute little bow.  These photos were taken once I returned home, but I think it's the camera rather than the tiredness that's the cause of the red eyes.  Although, this was the least scary of the lot.

Outfit:
Dress: Hot Options.  Shoes: Pulp Noir.  Earrings: silver roses.  Hair clip: ???  Violin: made by Arthur John Parkes.  It's a long story, but he's now a bishop.

Obviously, the concert was not in my living room.  And I never actually play in this exact spot, ever, because there's a wall. 

I work with really talented people.  Not just great teachers, but really skilled performers.  We should be charging $50 a ticket minimum!  It's a bargain at gold coin donation.  I was part of 3 things, as well as the (unrehearsed) group staff thing at the end.  5 of us on strings accompanied our Head of Music and a singing teacher in 2 parts of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater.  3 of us performed the last movement of the Brahms trio for French horn, violin and piano (agh!  written in a key that's great for horn, not for violin).  And 2 of us performed the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia duo, on violin and viola.  This was the 2nd time I've performed that piece, and thankfully it went much, much better this time.  The last time, my E string slipped near the top of the last page, and I just could not foresee success for those ridiculous runs.  I had to stop, retune, and then start up again - it really ruined the mood.  This time, all strings stayed put, the music (mostly) stayed on the music stand, and after the first couple of bits my arms and brain calmed down.  And because I apparently have a smile fixed to my face whenever I'm performing, no-one could tell the nerves were there.  Success!

Outfit #3

 I love these shoes.  I had them several months (from a swap day) before  I actually wore them.  Once I'd tried them out I was smitten.  They're cotton so they breathe, not so precious that I can't wear them in the rain, a bit of height.  Plus they come in my favourite colour - black!  I was trying to last longer before wearing black, but when something is so good, why resist?

This dress is really nice to wear.  It's a fake wrap dress, jersey material, with a tie at the back.  The first outing was for a gig.  After that, I always wear a singlet underneath.  Every time I moved I had to hold onto the front to save it from revealing everything.  Maybe I need to move more when I'm trying on clothes.

Dress: Hot Options.  Singlet (only visible close up): Ambra (bamboo).  Shoes: no label, but made in Spain (swap). Earrings: made by me (no photo - but they're like striped licorice).