Outfit #113 - Wrapped in Stripes

Lots of stripes today.  Plus, the shirt is a wrap shirt, so there was no choice but this for the outfit name.  This top is yet another Melbourne-Jeannie item.  It's an interesting top, and for all the buttons (with buttonholes!), only 2 of them managed to stay buttoned after about 5 minutes.  And I'm not a huge fan of the sleeves yet.  I have a few more ideas for it though, so it's not going in The Pile just yet!

Shirt: Sisley (from Jeannie).  Pants: Portmans.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: from Oxfam.  Bracelets: made by me.

After being so cold yesterday, I packed a cardigan for today.  But we had sunshine!  Lovely, warm sunshine.

 I do apologise for the crooked pictures.  I was hungry, and more interested in getting a photo done and eating than anything else.

Outfit #101 - Sandal Tan

The evidence of holiday sun is still apparent on my feet.  Thankfully, it's past the point of being really obvious.

Skirt: Hot Options.  Top: Regatta.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Oxfam.  Bracelet: made by me.

This was my first time wearing this top.  An impulse buy, and a warning - shopping with this particular friend could be dangerous.  "You should totally try that on.  It's 40% off and will look great on you.  See?  You should buy it".  Um, okay...  I had a few doubts about its wearability, but it's a winner. 

This skirt though...  No longer such a fan.  I was considering putting it in my giveaway pile.  Right now it's allowed to stay, but its days could well be numbered.  It's being saved by its functionality.

Ah yes.  Sandal tan.  And a really unattractive photo.  Apologies.

Outfit #88 - Phew

Outfit details:
Top: Sportsgirl (op shop).  Belt: from a dress from Hot Options.  Pants: Portmans.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Oxfam.  Singlet: Jeanswest.

I was hoping on Monday to have sorted out an outfit for today.  I hadn't.  I didn't have any flashes of inspiration yesterday, until after I'd battled with logins for reports and cleaned my teeth.  Finally, I thought of this combination at about 11:30pm.  Phew.

More of a 'phew' though was the US presidential outcome.  Yay!

Outfit #49 - Hello Term 3

Outfit details:

Pants: Hot Options.  Top: Tokito.  Shoes: Pulp.  Earrings: Oxfam.  Jacket: Sportsgirl (from Jeannie).

Despite a fairly quiet holiday, I turned out to be quite refreshed and ready to go back to school.  Yippee!  Not so ready to start doing much with my hair, though...maybe tomorrow.

I know I've worn this jacket several times, but I don't think the buttons have ever had a photo.  I think it's time.

Boring shoes.  I predict they won't be around next year (they're wearing out).  Yes, I have psychic skills.

Today's photo:

The walk from the station to school is a wonderful view of the seasons (not readily available in this sub-tropical climate).  This large tree gives me a welcome dose of deciduous-ness.

Outfit #25 - Ironing Helps

I think I can class today's outfit as a win.  Last week felt rather uninspired, but on Sunday I did my ironing.  Straight away, I started getting outfit ideas again.  Woohoo!  Shoes need a revamp though.

Outfit details:


Skirt: Temt (op shop).  Top: Ambra.  Cardigan: Portmans (op shop).  Shoes: Pulp.  Bracelet: from Eumundi markets.  Earrings: Oxfam.








I'm liking this skirt more and more.  The only thing is though, I seem to spill liquids on it every time.  Last time I wore this skirt, I rested my lunch bag on my lap on the train to work - by the time  I got to Central, some condensation had made a mark on the skirt.  This morning, I remembered that experience and the lunch bag stayed to my side.  But I unscrewed the cap on my drink bottle and a big drop of water sploshed onto my skirt.  Hmph.  Then, with 2 separate hot drinks during the day, splashes adorned my front.  Sigh.  At least they dried quickly and disappeared.

Today's forecast was for 28C and quite humid.  I'm not sure I felt the 28, but it was definitely quite humid and warm.  I had been planning to wear stockings but decided to risk going without - they weren't missed.  The cardigan almost didn't make it either, but I thought that might be more necessary.  It stayed on all day. 

I wonder if anyone can pick the expression in the lead photo?

Outfit #19 - Face It, Summer's Over

 Getting dressed this morning, I couldn't face the world without leggings and a cardigan.  I wore flats to work and it took some effort to change into the green shoes, exposing my toes.  I'm facing it - summer is over.  But that's ok - I love this time of year. 

Outfit details:
Dress: Hot Options.  Singlet, Leggings: Ambra.  Cardigan: Jeanswest.  Shoes: Pinet.  Earrings: Oxfam.  Bracelet: Eumundi Markets.

Every time I photograph these earrings, they look a different colour.  They're mother-of-pearl (or something similar) and so they're more reflective than most of my jewelry. 




The bracelet is nearly 3 years old - I bought it just before Easter in 2009, on the way up to Fraser Island and a fabulous holiday.  It's perfect for me - it's green, and it's the style that wraps around and stays put, so it doesn't jangle around when I play.  Other bracelets tend to annoy me so much I remove them within about 10 minutes.



I was glad I changed shoes, eventually.  A few teachers now check out my shoes as soon as they see me - a big change from last year!  As I was vacuuming on Monday I was checking out the shoe collection, thinking for some I'd better wear them this week or it will be another few months - this was one of those pairs. 

 My first student after lunch looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked if I was wearing leggings.  Well, yes, I've been cold all day.  I don't think she really believed me, until I had to fix one of her hands - then she felt how cold my hands were.  She believed me then.

I must apologise for the slightly blurry photo here.  And for the less-than-enthusiastic expression on my face.  I didn't take that many, thought they were all fine, and this was the only one with my head and my shoes.  Great.  I blame it on the woeful lack of sleep recently.  Last night I had just over 5 hours and it felt like luxury. 

Outfit #14 - Stripes on Stripes

I have never worn 2 striped items at once.  Today was a debut.

Outfit details:

Shirt:  Lily White (op shop).  Pants: Portmans.  Shoes: Lipstick (op shop).  Belt: gift.  Earrings: Oxfam.


I quite like this shirt, and think I should incorporate it into more outfits.  The sleeves are actually puffy, which takes me back to childhood (yes, I wanted to be a princess, or at least living in a kingdom once upon a time).  It would be better if I can find more ways to wear it so the bottom edge isn't visible - it's not brilliantly finished, and my sewing skills are not up to altering that just yet.  However, wearing a tucked-in shirt is not a successful style option for violinists.  Sure, it looks great when you put it on, very neat and put-together.  But as soon as those arms are raised to hold a violin and make some sound, out comes the shirt.  Irritating.  That used to be the only thing I checked when trying on clothes - can I raise my arms without looking silly?  Now, I remember I need to be able to sit down or walk without flashing too much above the knee... I'm learning!

Stripe on stripe detail.  Very skinny stripes at the top.  Thicker (but still subtle) stripes on the bottom.  Pink mock-animal skin belt.  Piano and an attempt at sound-proofing in the background.













In 2 weeks there is a music festival at school.  One of my girls is super nervous about playing, so today I tried to get inside her brain, and give her some tips on performing.  It turns out one of the things that is worrying her is playing with an accompanist.  I'm not great on piano (really!), but I do what I can in the lessons to give the students an idea of what sort of sounds will be coming out when they have a professional on board.  It's really interesting to see which kids are totally unfazed by having another instrument play, and which ones just fall apart.  This particular child is fine, she's just letting her brain stress out a bit.  I reassured her that the accompanist for the strings for this festival is totally not scary.  Like a younger brother - for me, or an older brother for her.  He's the same age as my brother, they went to uni together, they're about the same height, and not scary. 
"Ummm.... how tall is that?"  Not that tall.  Not any taller than I am right now.  "Yeah, but you're wearing heels... Ooh, and they're platform as well".  So, definitely not any taller than me right now.

My coffee man was back today.  I only get coffee from there twice a week, and that only during school terms.  So when this coffee guy remembered my order (and that I play a stringed instrument) - from the middle of November - I was really impressed.  He has so much energy (yes, possibly chemically enhanced), tattoos, big discs in his earlobes, but he makes my coffee strong, he can make conversation before 7am, and there's always a nice parting remark.

Outfit #11 - A Bit of Snow White

Wearing this skirt, I felt a little bit like Snow White.  A modern, sub-tropical Snow White.  I definitely had a lot of little people around (although no grade 3 kids today, there was a whole-school assembly during the strings time - really, who does that?!).

Outfit: 
Skirt:  Capture (op shop). Top: Ambra.  Shoes: Pinet.  Earrings: Vietnamese (from Oxfam Shop).  Necklace: made by me.

This was a skirt I bought at the end of Summer School and have been waiting for an opportunity to wear it ever since.  It is quite firm around the waist, so I'd rather not wear it on super hot and humid days.  Today was quite, quite warm - got up to 31 - but not ridiculously humid.  And with all the running I've been doing lately it's not as firm anyway.

When it's on though, I feel a bit special.  It's lined (I love lined skirts) and a bit puffy.  Hence the Snow White feeling.  I must say though, I skimped on the puffy top and boring shoes. 

These shoes received so many compliments.  Not quite everyone I saw complimented me, but many did.  I wore them a couple of weeks ago with long pants so I guess having them exposed made a difference.  They do need to be chosen carefully...  Because there was no assembly, there was a rehearsal for tomorrow's staff concert and then coffee, of course.  Bit of a walk to get the coffee.  And I had 2 young ones I needed to collect and deliver, which is many many steps.  The nail polish is no longer pink, back to a reddish hue - OPI Quarter of a Cent-cherry.  Love it.

These earrings were such an impulse buy.  Last June I had amazing shopping mojo.  I walked into Oxfam looking for something practical (I forget now what that was), and saw these in the discount basket at the front.  Sold!  Every photo shows a different colour, they're like a dark mother-of-pearl.

The necklace I made in June last year, as I was getting tired of not being able to wear necklaces while playing.  I made this and another that have the beads starting low enough that nothing rattles under a shoulder rest or on my collarbones.

Yes.  I'm getting bored of boring poses.  So I imagine anyone reading this will be getting bored of my boring poses.  Besides, this is one of those skirts in which you just need to twirl.  I need to perfect the photo jump/twirl though.