Outfit #139 - Con Anima

A slightly ironic outfit name, here.  However, the continuing junior quartet (so, this year's grade 6 quartet) is named Con Anima - which means 'with spirit'.  They had their first performance for the year today, in middle schooling assembly.  I am feeling anything but spirited today.

Dress: Tengdahl (op shop). Stockings: Target. Boots: Sandler. Scarf: Alta Linea. Jacket (not pictured): Sportsgirl (from Jeannie).

Although I feel like a million dollars in this dress, when it needs several layers underneath to make it warm and work-appropriate it bulks up quite a bit.  More experimentation required.  I did feel my outfit matched the weather today - grey and rainy and cold, for us.

Outfit #57 - Special Occasions

Outfit details:

Skirt and Jacket: Portmans.  Top: Dotti.  Stockings: Target.  Earrings: from Eumundi Markets.  Shoes: Hot Options.  (Top photo by Jeannie, who called out 'happy birthday!' before every photo - hence the big grin.  She also said I looked like Coco Chanel, but I'm not sure Coco would have worn the Nordic knit print stockings).

Today my brother played a solo lunchtime concert in St John's, so a few of us went in to listen.  Unfortunately he began the concert by having everyone sing me happy birthday.  Fortunately that was the only rendition I had to hear today.  While he was warming up, Jeannie and I had coffee (at Reception), and I took a photo of the beautiful counter mentioned in Monday's post.

Because I went to the concert, I only had 3 students to teach at school plus the string group, so I didn't take my violin.  This meant I could wear longer-than-normal earrings - these are just a tiny bit too long to wear when playing, they knock against the violin as my head moves.

Photos today are obviously from outside the cathedral.  Just before I took the earring photo I could see someone across the street taking a photo of the cathedral.  Then another, and another - cue small tour group.  Yippee.

Well, not the shoes.  Still not a huge fan of these shoes.  I like the height, and the shape of the front, but the block heel... meh.

So many photos today!  I think the top pic would be this:

When I was a kid (and, admittedly, on many occasions since leaving home), birthdays meant croissants for breakfast.  This morning I made my special breakfast of porridge with dark chocolate and marmalade.  Grating the chocolate inevitably produces some excess, which then goes on top of the coffee.  And, because I could, I had breakfast in bed.

Outfit #46 - Folky

Outfit details:

Skirt: Sinerji (swap).  White top: Ambra bamboo.  Red top: Grab denim (from Jeannie).  Stockings: Target.  Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: handmade ceramic from the Salamanca Markets, Hobart.

I couldn't get the lighting right today, so we have a flash version and a non-flash version.  I think the colours are more accurate in the non-flash version, but the light has done some weird reflective thing for the top.  So you get both versions. 

This outfit was the result of several tries.  First I was going to wear plain stockings, but then I discovered a hole (they'd just come off the line so hadn't been sorted yet).  This outfit - maybe.  These stockings with a different skirt.  No.  Original stockings with pants - ugh.  Plus all my pants are too long right now and I didn't like the choice of dragging hems around or wearing heels.  So here we are: choice 2 for the second time.  Not quite as weird as I would have expected. 

The Salamanca Markets are fabulous.  I try to plan my Hobart trips so I have a full Saturday morning free to wander and, you know, support the local economy.  And that's why I really love them - they really are local and not a heap of imported stuff that you can buy in all the shopping centres.  Meeting the actual person who made the ceramics, or turned the wood, or wrote the book - it gives it something special.  Surprisingly, I think this is the first wearing of these earrings this year - they definitely had to be worn in such a folk sort of outfit.  They are slightly bathroom-tile-ish, but the first cello in the school ensemble leaned up to me and, with very big eyes, whispered she really likes them. 

Striped stockings weren't going to really cut it with this skirt - at least, not yet.  My last student saw them and actually came over and touched them, thinking at first they were boots, and then to check if they were actually knitted.  She's 10.

Today's photo:

I had an idea what today's photo might be, but I spotted this bright orange hedge on the way from the station to school and had to snap it.

Outfit #34 - Purple

Outfit details:

Dress: Spicysugar (from Jeannie).  Top: Ambra.  Stockings: Target.  Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: David Jones (I think).  Dog: Gracie.  She's mum and dad's dog (they're staying this week), and as they had just left, she was looking longingly from the top of the stairs, waiting for their return.  As soon as more students arrived though, she was busy licking faces and lying on her back for tummy rubs.

I didn't have grade 3s today (due to NAPLAN being on at the same time as their strings lessons), so this super short skirt was not overly impractical.  That said, when combined with the stockings, I felt my legs were being stared at all day. 

The 10-yr-old who thinks I have 5 husbands listened really quietly while I recorded her piece (rhythm...rhythm...rhythm...), then said "So, when you send me the recording, could I ask, could you send me a photo of your earrings as well?  We're doing nature shapes in art and I want to draw your earrings.  They're so pretty".  Then the next child also said how pretty my earrings were, then said she loved my stockings (incidentally, she had her best lesson in ages today).

Last week I worked out this outfit - but I didn't have the right shoes.  Well, I had wonderful shoes but I'm not going to wear them to school.  On Friday, I went shopping and found these shoes and stockings.  At first I loved these shoes, but having looked at them in my room all weekend, I'm not so sure.  I haven't bought thick-heeled shoes for a really long time, and these heels lost their appeal somewhat.  They don't necessarily make them more comfortable, and I'm not convinced they're retro-cool enough.  On the plus side, they do fit really well, and they are tall.  I love being tall.