Good morning, Style Nation! It's kind of a weird day today. I have a million things to do before tomorrow, when I leave for a six-day trip to Philadelphia. I haven't been to Philly since May of 2008, when we left the city for good - every day I miss it and I wish I lived there still. So on top of the packing/backing up my computer/buying gifts for my hostess/trimming my bangs (what?)/gathering together dictionaries and bibliographies, I'm also quietly wondering what my own emotional reaction will be to returning to one of my favorite cities ever, where I lived for nine years. Okay. Deep breath.
Anyway, it's also a weird day because yesterday was one of the worst days in recent memory. I don't want to get into it right now, but there's a huge bureaucratic problem with my standing in my university in Germany, one of which I wasn't made aware for over a year, and something that my advisor was told but just never bothered to inform me. On top of that, I've written, like, three desperate e-mails to him (he's in India at the moment, but I know he has internet access because I'm Facebooking with another friend who's in the same town) this week alone and have gotten no response. Which, sad to say, is pretty normal from his end. Good thing he's so damn smart.
Anyway... okay, so I did get into it a little. Dammit. So, yeah, yesterday was a tough day for me. However, I had to put on a brave face, get dressed, go out into the street (which was brutalized by a morning blizzard), and tutor my girls in French. And then go to a dinner party. So I obviously wanted to look, y'know, good. But at the same time I also walked over three miles to get to my tutoring location, so... I'm telling you. Weird day.
(On top of it all, about ten minutes after leaving my house, a truck sped by the sidewalk on which I was walking, and sprayed me with slush and water. I literally burst into tears on the spot. HAPPY FRIDAY!)
So I went with something so basic and satisfying that I don't know why I'm not wearing this every day:
Anyway, it's also a weird day because yesterday was one of the worst days in recent memory. I don't want to get into it right now, but there's a huge bureaucratic problem with my standing in my university in Germany, one of which I wasn't made aware for over a year, and something that my advisor was told but just never bothered to inform me. On top of that, I've written, like, three desperate e-mails to him (he's in India at the moment, but I know he has internet access because I'm Facebooking with another friend who's in the same town) this week alone and have gotten no response. Which, sad to say, is pretty normal from his end. Good thing he's so damn smart.
Anyway... okay, so I did get into it a little. Dammit. So, yeah, yesterday was a tough day for me. However, I had to put on a brave face, get dressed, go out into the street (which was brutalized by a morning blizzard), and tutor my girls in French. And then go to a dinner party. So I obviously wanted to look, y'know, good. But at the same time I also walked over three miles to get to my tutoring location, so... I'm telling you. Weird day.
(On top of it all, about ten minutes after leaving my house, a truck sped by the sidewalk on which I was walking, and sprayed me with slush and water. I literally burst into tears on the spot. HAPPY FRIDAY!)
So I went with something so basic and satisfying that I don't know why I'm not wearing this every day:
I knew I wanted to wear my red boots (poor babies - they're in my second bathroom being treated for salt/snow stains: trial by fire) and then I decided that I'd be basic, wear all black, and shamelessly match my cardigan to my boots.
Guys, I cannot tell you how great I felt in this outfit. Despite my effusive love of grey, I think my inner New Yorker gets even happier when I'm wearing all black. I don't know what it is - I just feel so good in monochromatic black. Especially when it has one accent color, such as crimson/burgundy in this case. I don't know, I just feel as if something clicked when I put all of the elements of the outfit together. I felt great. Until getting soaked by a passing truck. Bastard...
I also decided to be even more obvious and match my jewelry to my boots and cardigan:
People, I freaking love garnets with a passion, although I don't wear the stone nearly as often as I used to. This earrings were brought home by my mom after a trip to Buenos Aires and they're from the same store as my rosa del inca jewelry. Pretty, huh?
So, yeah. That's what went down. Although my tutoring wasn't really on after the morning I'd had, the dinner party was a lot of fun and a welcome distraction. Lots of white wine and raclette didn't hurt, either.
Mmmm, cheese.
Crimson cardigan: gift from mom, via Lord and Taylor (New York), remixed
Black tunic: American Apparel, remixed
Black leggings: HUE, via Lord and Taylor (Boston), remixed
Crimson boots: Frye Shirley OTKs, gift from husband, via endless.com, remixed
PS - I have a phone interview today with a Spanish teacher from the school that I like! I guess he looked beyond my shameful comma use... Wish me luck!
The outfit looks great....shameless matching works for you.
ReplyDeleteDamn trucker, I HATE when that happens. It makes you want to throw a crowbar at them, but maybe that's just me. I really hope everything works out with your 'situation'; it doesn't sounds like any fun at all. Have fun remembering your city. I've lived in so many places but I know how you feel, it's bitter sweet going back. Oddly enough mine is Edmonton, AB but I've only been there once.
Sorry to hear about what sounds like a truly awful day. Hopefully things get worked out soon! I know what you mean about returning to a city that you used to live in and the bittersweetness of that moment.
ReplyDeleteThe outfit looks great!
Also, Miss B, crazy that yours is Edmonton, AB -- I grew up just outside of Edmonton and went to undergrad there!
Sending so many good vibes your way!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your no good very bad day :( A similar sounding bureaucratic problem happened where I work, and I lost my job. It's worked out-ish for the moment, but it sucks when people who are supposed to do things don't, doesn't it?
Be happy when you go back to Philly. Yes, it's full of bittersweetness, but you were happy there and you're happy now (I hope) where you are. So enjoy the memories.
And to Miss B. and E-Jo - I just turned down a job offer in Edmonton not too long ago! Being a Guelph and Toronto girl, I don't know if I could live in the middle ;)
Thanks for the good vibes, guys! We'll see how it goes!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the sympathy. I'm on damage control mode, so hopefully all will be worked out, but...grrrrr! I'm planning on stalking my advisor now.
Yay for Style Nation rallying 'round!
I do a lot of shameless matching. And when I wear monochromatic black and matching accents with intention (as I did on Tues.) I feel pretty good. You look great. No shame!
ReplyDeleteI am giving your academic advisor the faculty peer stink-eye for not dealing with your academic stuff properly. People like that give us all a bad name.
That doesn't sound like a good day at all. Ugh. You look great though, and wine and cheese a pretty good way to deal with bad days.
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip to Philly - I feel a little sad whenever I visit Halifax. I lived there for 7 years and really didn't want to leave :)
Thank you, Cynthia, for your nice comments! And also thank you for the faculty stink-eye to my advisor. He's very much the old-fashioned absent-minded professor and I've defended him for years but, like... it's not cute anymore, y'know?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Allison! Wine and cheese certainly helped the situation. I'm excited for Philly, but - like you - I didn't want to leave it at all (especially since I'm not the biggest New England fan I know), so I'm worried about my own emotional reaction...
I'm sorry you had such a rough day. :-(
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, you look fantastic in these rich, dark, royal tones. :)
Thank you! I was cheered a little each time I looked at my feet. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're looking good in spite of all your troubles yesterday. Have a safe trip.
ReplyDeleteA friend was having trouble with the speed of her dissertation committee and contacted the graduate school office at her college. Et voila. Keep that in mind if he continues to ignore your queries.
Bummer about the crappy day. We have to deal with administrative nonsense with Blokey because he's away from his grad institution, too, and it's a challenge. Sometimes I think the PhD is only 1/2 about scholarship, and 1/2 about being able to jump through hoops. Hang in there. You're almost done. And think of all the wine and cheese that can be consumed then, soon to be Doctor Chalkdust. Cheese...
ReplyDeleteAnd I also throw in my admiration fro the beautiful colors here. You may have had a tough day but you look great.
Thanks, Terri! I'm looking forward to blogging "from the road," if I can get my act together...
ReplyDeleteRad, I've had so many setbacks with my dissertation (not to mention several breaks because of working full-time) that yesterday I asked my husband, "Does God not want me to get my Ph.D.?" To which he responded without missing a beat, "Yes." ARRGH! Calm thoughts. I love my boots and I'm goin' to Philly!
You look fab! It's amazing how a good outfit can make you feel better even on the worst of days. Hang in there and have fun in Philly - Camberville is currently in a deep freeze, so enjoy your time out of town!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Red! I woke up to 7 degrees in Philly, but I'm sure that New England is worse. I told my husband to wear everything he owns when he leaves the house...
ReplyDelete