Outfit #136 - Zipper Traps

I don't like zips.  I avoid them when I'm looking for running gear.  I avoid them when I'm buying dresses.  Yet, this blue dress has one up the side.  This morning was the first time I had a problem with it, of course, when I was getting dressed in about 7 minutes.  5 1/2 minutes was spent trying to extricate the delicate fabric of the blouse from the zip, while still breathing.  Makeup was rather sparse, and mascara non-existent.  But I still made the train.

Dress: Hot Options. Blouse: Witchery. Shoes: Pulp. Earrings: made by me. Scarf: Atmosphere (gift).

It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but these shoes need some serious attention.  The sides are falling apart, so I'm trying to decide whether to give up on them, or to see if I can get them fixed.  Or even do something myself.  Any thoughts? 

As you can probably tell, today's theme was blue.

Outfit #121 - The Bob

I had a haircut.  Most people have been complimentary.  The day after, though, my nearly-5-yr-old nephew told me I needed a haircut.  Admittedly, it was slightly the worse for wear that day: after the haircut, I'd had a PT session, then a few other things, quartet rehearsal, mariachi gig, very little sleep...  Today was the first day (that is, since about 10:30am Friday), that I felt the hair was doing what I hoped it might.

Dress: Kinki Gerlinki.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Kinki Gerlinki (from Jeannie).  Bracelet: made by me.  Sunglasses (below): Kinki Gerlinki.

It was a Kinki Gerlinki kinda day.  I was originally going to wear a shirt over the dress, but not having tried it on first, I discovered it would look weird.  Which was a blessing, really, as it's been rather warm and humid all day.

I really had to work it to get the earrings to be visible. 

Not normally one to show the sunglasses, but as they're Kinki Gerlinki too, I thought I might as well!  I'm not sure I'll ever have a totally Kinki Gerlinki outfit (shoes - expensive) but I'm working on it.

Outfit #119 - Opinions

Several people commented on how I looked today.  All with a different opinion.

Dress: Caroline Morgan.  Tank (probably not too visible, but it's a layer): Ambra.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: The Silver Shop (I think).  Bracelets: made by me.  Necklace: from Jeannie, I think.

When I got to school, I still had my hair out.  One teacher complimented me and asked to take photos as she's wanting something different for her own hair.  I got to grade 3, and one kid asked as I was tuning his violin, "Why is your hair so messy?".  I tied it back. 

Later in grade 3, one piped up with "I love your necklace".  "I love her bracelet".  "No, I love the pink one." "My favourite is the green one, it's so pretty!".   Feeling the love.

I am pleased to report I did another before-work gym session this morning.  That, combined with the rather windy conditions of today, resulted in the windswept/messy situation.  I get to go back to school this evening for a music festival, and I'm foreseeing an extra layer of long sleeves - it's getting chilly out there.

Outfit #114 - Attic Brain

Sherlock Holmes' theory of the brain as an attic is not one to which I subscribe.  However, I felt today he may have a point.  My brain was working out scarf and cardigan and kid surprises and neglected the essentials of hat and sunglasses.  Quite a few other ditz moments today but I won't give evidence against myself.

Skirt: Jeanswest.  Top: Sportsgirl (op shop).  Singlet: Ice.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Cose Belle.  Necklace and bracelet: made by me.

This was my first stripes and florals pattern mix.  Yes, it's quite a subtle stripe... The top with this singlet was rather annoying, it kept drifting down my shoulders.  I'm not sure I'm ready for bold stripes with a floral, but you never know!

It seems my earrings these days are a little camera-shy.  If you have an urgent need to see this pair, you can here.  My last student at school said she like my earrings, and then screwed up her face.  "Is that necklace... Well, are they meant to look like crushed lady bugs?"  Lovely.

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 #108 - Warm and Cool

Previously, I have always paired this top (a very cool blue) with black/white/grey lower halves (also cool).  Today was the first time I paired it with black and coffee-ish.  Mmm, coffee...  I mean, warm.  Plus, weather (hello, more floods) causing me to appreciate the warmth factor of my raincoat.  Weird.

Top: David Lawrence.  Skirt: Katies.  Singlet and leggings: Ambra.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Sportsgirl, I think.  Necklace: made by me.

My coffee and milk didn't play nicely on the weekend, causing rather an aversion to coffee.  I'm gradually getting over it, thank goodness.  Meanwhile, we're stuck with the super-tired face.  Getting only 4 hours sleep thanks to a late-running gig last night didn't help either.  I'm really looking forward to a mini sleep-in tomorrow. 

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 #100 - Need More Coffee

Last night, I went to trivia at the Pig and Whistle for the first time.  Loads of fun.  We came last.

Skirt: Sunny Girl (op shop).  Top: Hot Options.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: David Jones I think.  Necklace: made by me.

A late night plus an early start - although, not as early as it should have been (you know the "I'm totally getting up soon...really" sleep-in) - resulted in not enough time for coffee (agh!) and a very sleepy Anna.  The coffee I finally had at home was fabulous.

I think of this necklace as my flood necklace.  It took such a long time to make, but all was done while watching coverage of the extreme weather last weekend.  Happily, I can wear it while playing.  Surprisingly, I had a grade 3 boy (yes, new group of grade 3s had their first string experience today) tell me he really liked it.  Ooh, and my hair started off like this - 2 minutes later, I remembered why I normally wear it back.  It gets caught in the chin rest.  Ouch.

Outfit #99 - Holiday Brain

Today I had a serious case of holiday brain.  So did many of my students.  Thankfully, they all remembered to put the violin on the left shoulder and hold the bow in their right hand.

Dress: no label (from Jeannie, from an op shop).  Tank: Jeanswest.  Shoes: Target.  Pendant: gift.  Earrings and bracelet: made by me.

Things I left at home today included lip gloss or even lip balm; ear phones; and an umbrella.  I got lucky with the umbrella situation - it rained about 3 minutes after I took the last outdoor photo.

Yes - I like these shoes far more than I expected.  Yes - this is now on my list of favourite bracelets.  And yes - you miss out on a head shot today.  Again.  It's for the best.

Slightly more disconcerting than looming rain clouds was the cat next door watching me as I took photos.  I'm not sure if I prefer a feline or human checking out my activities.

Outfit #98 - Happy New School Year

Today we had our start-of-school-year meeting.  Weather is still sticky and threatening rain, so I dressed moderately casually, in clothes (and shoes) that deal well with humidity and rain.  Unfortunately, this type of outfit is not terribly flattering.

Dress: Caroline Morgan.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: can't remember (small silver roses - sorry no close-up today.  Trust me, this is a good thing).  Necklace: Mombasa.  Bracelets: made by me.

As it turned out, it didn't rain.  Well, not on me anyway, but I was glad I wore these sandals. 

It was humid enough though that, even though I was not doing any violin playing until this afternoon, I had to take the beads off as soon as I got home.  I'm tempted to put them in my pile to give away.

I'm totally back into wearing bracelets.  When I returned from Melbourne, I put one on to go to dinner, and I have rarely been without one since.  These are both thanks to Sunday - the blue one I mended, then I was inspired to make the pink one.

Outfit #91 - Summery Apron

Outfit details:
Dress: Caroline Morgan.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: made by me.

I haven't worn this dress to school very often.  In fact, I think this was the second time.  The first time I wore it (about a year ago), a girl in grade 3 or 4 asked if it was an apron - it's not (it has a double layer so it's a bit deceptive), but I think of it now as my apron dress.  Today I was told I looked very summery, but really it was just uninspired.

And my hair started the day not pulled back, but it started to look ... umm... weird (like a haystack) so back it went.

Today's photo:

Recently I was introduced to coffee bags.  I forgot to buy any last week, but I made sure they were on my list yesterday, and today was my first at school.  Win.

Outfit #84 - Apologies to Crispin

Outfit details:

Skirt and singlet: Hot Options.  Shoes and belt: Target.  Shirt: Miss Shop (from Jeannie).  Earrings: made by me.

Today is the feast of Crispin and Crispinian, patron saint of shoemakers.  With all the fabulous shoes in my shoe cupboard, I should have had a fabulous pair of shoes on my feet today, right?  Well, no...  I only found out about this feast day over breakfast.  I did have a bit of a look in the clothes and shoes cupboards, but couldn't piece together an outfit in time.  So, boring shoes today on this feast of shoes.  Oh how sad!  My apologies.

(Dorky smile means I was just really hungry by photo time.)

Today's photo:

Yes, I've missed a few days.  This week is intense.  Next week I'm having my studio concert, and my little grade 2 was really worried about what to play.  We decided to do a piece with the 'sun' harmonic in it.  She really wanted me to play a duet, and so I was going to take a photo of the piece and then write one over the weekend.  But then she suggested we play a canon, and she pointed to where she wanted me to begin (this kid is so great to teach!).  After one go, we decided to move the place where I began, so all our ti-tis align.   

Outfit #72 - Super Dooper

Outfit details:

Dress and shoes: Hot Options.  Cardigan: Portmans (op shop).  Earrings: made by me.

Today, I had a super dooper day.  A little sleep-in, a wealth of student quotes (have you checked out my other blog yet?), great teaching, gardening, mariachi rehearsal (our next gig is this Sunday, at the Spanish Centre in Acacia Ridge)... Plus happy music on my iPod.  Of course, wearing my favourite colours (black and white and green) helped too.

I even had a bear hug from a 10-yr-old. 

Outfit #67 - Minjor Miracles

Outfit details:

Skirt: Sunny Girl (op shop).  Blouse: Witchery.  Top: Avocado (from Jeannie).  Stockings: Ambra.  Shoes: Pulp.  Earrings: made by me.

I actually took photos of this outfit without the top.  I didn't expect it to last.  It is, after all, September in Brisbane.  However, it was a minor miracle that it stayed on all day, and I only felt mildly warm when collecting students in the middle of the day.  Previous wearings of this top have resulted in non-ideal temperature (too hot or too cold), but today was just right.  Win.

A more major miracle (hence - minjor) was the fact that I woke up at my normal time; I watered my plants before breakfast; I had an outfit change; and I had time for outfit photos all before leaving for work.  I hope you're all impressed.  I was rather surprised, myself.

This was an outfit I had merely thought, not tested.  Once I'd put on the skirt, I knew I would be pulling at my clothes all day.  Not a good way to spend a day.  I mused for a bit, and nearly pulled on a dress, then remembered this skirt.  Bingo. 

I have no idea what's with the lines on these stockings.  At first I thought they might just wash out, but that's proving to be wrong.  Any ideas?

Today's photo:

Another school rose garden photo - they are so beautiful right now. 

Outfit #66 - Catch Ups and Old Folks

Outfit details:

Dress: Hot Options.  Cardigan: Jeanswest.  Shoes: Target (from Jeannie).  Earrings: made by me.

I'm really glad I don't work at school 4 days a week.  Not so much for the work factor, but this blog would be rather boring.  I feel like I'm copping out by doing 4 posts in a row of What I Wore.  However, this afternoon my quartet from school (along with other string groups from school) performed at the retirement village around the corner.  I chose today, then, to do some of the catch up lessons from when I was away sick. 

The earrings are really tiny, so you get one photo to see the draping of the dress at the front....

...and a close up of the actual earrings.

Jeannie passed these shoes on to me in January (or maybe December), I wore them to Summer School once, and .... and that was it.  I have trouble finding outfits that suit, mostly I think because they're cream and I have so much white.  But black and cream goes with black, no worries.  They are a little hot to wear though.

Today's photo:

The timing was just right today.  Coming home, I could see the sunset making the clouds all golden while on the train.  Once I was walking up my street, the clouds had turned to pink, and turning around I was met with this sight.