Pinstripes

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was loads of fun, but I could use another day to relax and catch up on sleep.  In addition to hanging out with Rad, Fella and I went to a Super Bowl party with my friends last night.  Since the Bears weren't in it, I didn't really care about the game, though I did win $25 in our pool, and had all kinds of tasty eats.


There's 2 things I don't own very much of: button-down shirts, and pinstripes.  Yet this dress combines the two.  I'm actually not sure why I don't have more pinstripes.  They're a little more interesting than basic black, and vertical stripes must be slimming, right?  Button-down shirts, on the other hand, don't always fit me right, and when they do, I don't like the way they look.  For me, they feel too stuffy and professional-looking, though I'm envious of so many of you for being able to make a button-down look fun and relaxed.  Thankfully I don't have either of those issues with this button-down in dress form.


I'm sure you're all getting sick of snow pictures - trust me, I'm getting sick of the snow!  Fella and I were having a snowball fight last night when we got home.  We started out playing with Jude and the other dogs in our building, but they got bored with us.  Check out the mountain of snow behind me.  It goes almost all the way up to the roof of the one-story coach house (put another way, it's almost as tall as me, and I'm 5'9)!

Dress & Necklace: New York & Company
Cardigan & Tights: Target
Shoes: Tsubo

Coat: New York & Company
Scarf & Jeans: Gap
Boots: Sporto, via Piperlime

When Cohabitants Collide

This weekend, Rad and Blokey visited Chicago!  We got to spend a whole day with them before they headed out to the suburbs to visit family.


We cooked (Look at how stylish Rad is while making dough for challah bread)


We bowled (our bowling balls really add a pop of color to our outfits, don't you think?).


And we hosted a brunch for friends (although Jude would have happily eaten everything himself).

National Wear Red Day

Happy Friday!  In addition to wearing red today for Heart Disease Awareness, I'm wearing another closet orphan. I bought this top a few years ago and wore it all the time for a while before it disappeared to the back rod in my closet, only to be worn a couple times a year after that.  The neckline is pretty low, so if I don't wear a cami underneath, it's a bit scandalous.  I think that's a lot of the reason for not wearing it, because I really like it otherwise.  I have a limited amount of red clothing, so wearing red today helped me remember this neglected top.


Cardigan: Target
Red Tank & Cami: New York & Company
Jeans: Gap
Boots: Rampage
Red Necklace: Embellish

Day 2

Hello, Style Nation.  I hope everyone stayed warm despite the ice/wind/snow that slammed the midwest and parts of the northeast (although it was a balmy 30 something with not such bad ice around my neighborhood).  The only bummer was some stalled transit.
Today is my second day.  The real lessons start today.  I am itching to go back to more casual outfits, but I am making a point of being more classic and teachery for at least 4 weeks.  This red shirt, donated by a friend in grad school, fits with the great red themes that Anne and Terry have been wearing beautifully.  I like red a lot, but I am generally loath to buy non-neutrals.  Perhaps I will change my ways in a few months.
So far, Blokey and I are settling into the routine of the semester well.  I wish I had a bit more energy.  I think that my big deadline sapped more of my energy than I want to admit.
I hope everyone has a lovely Thursday! 

Shirt: Banana Republic (friend hand me down)
Skirt: Limited (gift from mom)
Tight: Target
Boots: Born

Blizzard Day

Hello Stylenation!  Today's regularly scheduled Anne outfit post has been cancelled due to the weather. Chicago was hit with 20 inches of snow last night!  The storm included tons of thunder and lightning, which was one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced.  On top of that, our power has been out since 10:45 last night, and we have no idea how soon it'll be restored.  A transformer in our back alley broke last night, leaving about 8 houses/apartment buildings without power. Unfortunately the alley has drifts of snow that are about 3-4 feet high, so the repair trucks can't get in.  And they're working to help the other 30,000 people without power.  We could deal with lack of power, but our heat was out too.  Fella's brother and Dad came to pick us up this afternoon, and we're at Fella's parents' house now, enjoying plenty of heat and electricity until our power comes back on.  In lieu of an outfit photo, here's some pictures from the blizzard.  If you've been hit by this storm too, I hope you're staying safe and warm!

Go Red for Women

It's hard to believe that it's already February, isn't it?  February is American Heart Month, and this Friday, February 4th is National Wear Red Day. Wear red this Friday to help increase awareness of heart disease in women, or go a step further and join Andie's campaign to wear red once a week during the month of February.

If you want help even more, the American Heart Association has a page full of ways to get involved, including Go Red Luncheons, donations and even a Go Red shop.

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New Routines

Today is the first teaching day of the semester for me.  Our university system has a January term which spoils the non-J term teaching professors rotten.  This is the first time I've ever taught a Tuesday/Thursday schedule.  Also, Blokey and I joined the gym,* and since my first class starts at 12:25, I thought I'd take my nervous energy to our local Y this morning.  Please excuse the wet hair and the post-exercise blotchiness (which I am rather proud of.)  During that time, I took a print out of my class rosters to the treadmill and studies the names, in hopes this will help me learn them easier.
Afterwards, I fretted a bit about what to wear, because I want to be authoritative, but not scary, as evidently, I can be scary at times (assigning hard things to read=scary to some students).**  I had on a blazer at one point, but Blokey said it was a "bit business-like" so I took it off.  I can't explain it rationally, and I can't explain it rationally, but I think there is a line between "business woman" and "professor" that I don't want to cross.  I don't know why I am reluctant to do so either.
Since it's storming across the country and soon to storm here, I am wearing my rain boots and changing into my officer shoes (boring 2 1/2 inch pumps with bows) when I get to school.  Because nothing says "first day of class" like pumps.
Oh, and I successfully completed my major deadline last Saturday afternoon, mailed it off, and took a complete mental break the for the rest of the evening.  It was pretty amazing.

Cardigan: Junior's section of Dillard's, years ago
Skirt: H&M
Shirt: Loft
Tights: Target
Belt: Local vintage shop
Shoes: Mee Too

*I'm not a huge gym person.  In fact, I actively dislike the gym, but the reduced daylight hours and questionable safety of running in a city with super impatient cars is making me readjust my preferences. 

**I met up with old grad school friends over break, which I wrote about earlier.  The dude, whose known me since day one of grad school, told me that I can be incredibly intimidating.  But how come some of my students still try to intimidate me?  Maybe it's just my cranky facial expressions.