How I wore it: second day at school

Yay for Friday! I will admit to having been at an emotional/psychological low point over the weekend, but this week really picked up: I got my hands on some books that I've been wanting for YEARS (I spent way too much money on them, but they're MINE. As soon as they ship from England.); I've been reading some really delightful Sanskrit; my draft for the talk I'm giving next month is going well (I think); I discovered a band that I didn't know (The Devil Makes Three) and I'm loving listening to them. Life...is pretty rad.

Today promised to be the last nice-ish day before it gets snowy and deadly cold again. So I decided that I'd wear my new Fluevogs again, but this time with a more unusual pant silhouette:

How good is Baby Boots' mustard sweater?!

Despite my having turned on every light in the house, you still can't tell that I'm actually wearing my new Fluevogs, but I promise you I am. I liked wearing my short new boots with my forest green ankle pants - I think it added some much needed balance to these particular pants. I love them, but they're definitely not the most flattering article of clothing I own. In the mirror, I think they look great, but when I see photos of myself, it's...not great. Especially, as usual, my generous thighs. I think the boots balanced out the whole shebang. 

The striped top with the charcoal cardigan was just a bit of fun and nonsense. 

While we're on the subject, my Fluevogs continue to get more and more comfortable, although they by no means are the shoe I'd choose to take a long hike in. Today I had a "normal" winter day: I walked a couple of miles from home to the train station, then (after a full day of work) from the school bus stop to daycare, then from daycare back home. I was definitely ready to get the boots off my feet by the end of the day, but there was no pain at all. The leather, I hope, will mold around my foot and be like buttah soon. 

Funny story: I have a couple of colleagues who are big Fluevog fans. I showed one of them my new boots today and she fell in love - she's planning to copy me and try to get a pair over the weekend...

All right, mes amis. I'm off to lounge in bed, as I have to be up early tomorrow... Happy Friday!

Charcoal sweater: Gap, remixed

Striped top: Old Navy (online), remixed

Green pants: Old Navy (online), remixed

Boots: Fluevog, remixed

How I wore it: school début

Hi, all! Woof, what a week. I feel as if I'm doing a thousand things at once, between preparing for next month's guest lecture, working on an independent study (badly) with a student, doing my job, and maintaining some sanity. It's ... not working.

After the past couple of weeks' bad weather (bitter cold and/or gross precipitation), I decided that this week I would début my new Fluevogs to work. I had a couple of reasons: a) I wanted to show them off and b) I wanted to ensure that they were comfortable enough to wear on a typical work day.

So today was the day! I wore a very warm and textured outfit that called for a neutral boot with a pop of color:

As usual, my color's all skewed. Dammit, poor camera-->computer skills! At least y'all can see the outline of the boots and the fact that I'm wearing a textured, nubby skirt along with a wooly sweater. 

As much as I love this sweater, its short length is awkward for me. The modesty top I wore underneath (a brownish tube top, in fact) can sometimes create a weird juxtaposition with the length of the sweater, so it makes me look pot-bellied. The other issue is, of course, since the sweater is so thick, it's not the streamlined shape I tend to prefer. Oh, well. I did enjoy the outfit, though.

The boots held up pretty well. The instep is still an issue and, while I wouldn't say that the shoes are small on me, they definitely...press on my foot. I think a couple more wears will make them perfect, although I feel a little foolish, as one of my cardinal rules (especially with Fluevogs, as I've been burned before) is to not leave the store without the shoes being absolutely perfect. But they did hold up well after a long walk to the train station and they were fine throughout the day. They have a bit of a tendency to eat my socks, but we'll see how they hold up...

Here's a more flattering look at the whole look, despite the weird angle and glasses-reflection:

I...think my fatigue is coming across in these pictures. I'm sorry that the boots look like amorphous dark lumps at the bottom of my legs. I swear that in real life and in my iPhoto they looked really good. 

Oh, well.

Pink sweater: Old Navy, remixed

Olive tube top: Express, remixed

Skirt: H&M, remixed

Grey thigh-high socks (yes, that's what I'm wearing): American Apparel, remixed

Booties (I promise): Fluevog, remixed

How I wore it: busy!

I was excited today to have clear skies and a chance to wear boots that were not my huge-ass Sorels. Granted, it was very chilly all day, but hey - I'm getting *sigh* used to it. My big motivation today was wearing the gifts that my husband brought home from Greece on Saturday. At the same time. Let's see how I did, shall we?

I really liked this look when I thought about it, but in execution it was a bit ... much:

I mean, bright sweater, vest, novelty scarf, leg warmers, and what else?! Granted, it was under 20 degrees Fahrenheit all day, so I definitely needed all those clothes, but when I was hoping for "layered," I think I emerged as "boxy." 

Anyway, that nice bright sweater was a gift from my husband/mother-in-law. They went shopping for it on the last day of my husband's trip. Naturally, the computer isn't translating the color well, but it's a pure hibiscus: not red, not orange, but rather a tropical shade in between. I actually have a lipstick that color! 

My other gift was from my aunt-in-law/godmother. She sent my husband home with a big, honking watch, which I love:

Professional office shot!

Drool, am I right? It's huge and I love me a huge watch. I've been on an unofficial big watch hunt for some years now and I think it might be time to finish the search. I mean, at this moment, I have four watches on rotation when - until a few years ago - I only used to have one. I don't know if it's progress or not, but I think it's time to stop...

Speaking of things stopping (see what I did there? I'm a master of segue!), I think it's time for me to hop in the shower and start the long process of getting to bed, as I have a lot to do tonight. Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Vest: Desigual, by way of zulily.com, remixed

Scarf: gift from my best friend, remixed

Hibiscus sweater: Benetton (Athens), gift from my mother-in-law

Black dress: Old Navy (online), remixed

Black leggings: HUE, by way of Lord and Taylor (Boston), remixed

Leg warmers: TJ Maxx, remixed

Boots: Frye, by way of countryoutfitter.com, remixed

Watch: Ferendi, gift from my aunt-in-law

How I wore it: sophisticated yeti?

Today was above freezing! For most of the day! It was pretty magical. You wanna know what else was magical? Having a normal schedule again. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to have my husband home because I like him, but the fact that I am sleeping in my bedroom again, showering in my bathroom, and just living my usual life (I was bunking with my daughter while my parents were in town helping out while my husband was out of town) has felt pretty awesome today. I look forward to more amazing revelations about having access to one's own beauty products at any time...

Although today's temps were above freezing, it was still rainy/snowy/wintry mix...y. So I knew I had to pull on my yeti Sorels. However, I also wanted to pair them with a sleeker outline than usual, so I did...this:

The pose is stiff as hell, but it was the best photo of the lot. I've tended to wear my big Sorels with pants or thicker leggings and a tunic of some sort, but I have to admit that I kind of loved them with the ladylike silhouette of pencil skirt and fitted sweater. Again, not really sure why I liked this so much, but I really did. I tend to feel very self-conscious in this stretchy pencil skirt, but something about balancing it out with my clodhopper boots made feel like a conquering hero. Also, I liked that it made my usually-muscular legs look delicate and girly! 

On a related note, I'm freaking out about the Quebec trip I'll be chaperoning next month. Last week the temperature dipped to -26 degrees! Fahrenheit! I...will probably not be documenting my outfits while I'm there. Snow pants, anyone?

In other news, I'm very happy today. I've just confirmed with the head of the Asian Studies department at a local university that I'll be giving a guest lecture on Indian love poetry later next month! I randomly contacted a few department chairs to ask to be put on South Asian-related mailing lists and this one guy took a look at my CV and invited me to give a talk! As you can imagine, I'll be cultivating these contacts most assiduously. Sigh. It would be so magical to work at this one particular college. It's also close to where my husband works and not, you know, in a suburb 12 miles away from home...

Anyway. You wanna know something funny about my navy top I'm wearing? I've worn it before, here (and apparently before, too?). It was my dad's. If I remember family lore correctly, my mom got it for him in the 70s and he thought it was too tight (by which he thought it was too effeminate), so he never wore it. I think I inherited it in high school, when I was wearing a lot of my parents' stuff from that decade. It's very stretchy and fitted, true, and it's pure wool, so I wear it sparingly. It's not too itchy, but some days are better than others. You can't tell from the picture, but the lapels are something else. They almost reach my shoulders. It was pretty bothersome with my hair length, let me tell you...

Happy Monday, y'all! I look forward to showing you my presents from Greece in the near future!

Navy top: my dad's, Saks Fifth Avenue label, remixed

Green pencil skirt: Old Navy (online), remixed

Blue tights: Gap (online), remixed

Boots: Sorel Joan of Arctic, by way of zappos.com, remixed

How I'm wearing it: 26 dollars in my hand

Hello, all! As I type this, I'm waiting for my husband to get home from Greece. He's been gone since the first and he has been very missed by the ladies of the household (myself, Baby Boots, and Amalía the cat). My parents left today after six days of helping me take care of the little one and myself, as I got sick - as I do the first week of classes of every new year - and lost my voice, resulting in missing work yesterday.

I'm slowly getting back to normal - I can talk with only minimal effort - and after a day spent in my PJs yesterday, I was looking forward to throwing something together (and wearing make-up!) in order to welcome my husband home. I decided to go with the unexpected and new:

Okay, so although the original photo itself was clear, it doesn't export clearly. Boo. Anyway, the new aspect is, of course, the new Fluevogs and the thermal shirt (which I've worn a bit - you just haven't seen). The unexpected, of course (I think), are the formal shorts! I haven't worn these since before I got pregnant, I don't think, so that would be early 2011? All right-y then. 

It's weird: since I tend to wear such softer pieces now, I feel a little odd in this get-up, but I also love it. I tend to like that sort of modern Dickensian orphan look (a lot of the arty boys at school dress like this) and I think I pull it off better than I used to because of my own confidence and love for all the pieces I'm wearing. It's a little colorless - maybe a pop of color in the tights (and the lips!) wouldn't come amiss I don't know how my husband will react to this when he sees me. We'll find out, I guess! 

I figured out that my Fluevogs' instep issue isn't too bad. It's hard to get them on, but once I wear them for a while, I forget that they ever felt tight and I feel fine. I'm glad for that, as I can't wait to wear them to work when the weather gets nicer (or at least, the temperature gets out of the teens in the morning). 

As for the hair, while I privately think I could've gone way shorter and less shaggy, I'm so happy that I can still put it up. That's really my default and I think Cheryl, my stylist, could tell. 

And that's all, folks! Hope you're having a nice, WARM, weekend and wish me luck in welcoming my husband home!

Thermal grey shirt: Threads 4 Thought, bought at Whole Foods

Grey tank (underneath): Old Navy (online), remixed

Shorts: Gap, remixed

Grey sweater tights: Gap, remixed

Boots: Fluevog Keatons, remixed

How I wore it: blargh

Hiiiiii, all.

So today I had to go back to school after a lovely winter break. My husband is still in Greece and my parents arrived yesterday to help with Baby Boots, so - as I bunked with the little one - I had a tough night of sleep, due to being nervous about her waking up in the night and being tense about school starting again.

It wasn't freezing when I left the house, but the wind picked up soon after and made it brutal the rest of the day. I was pretty layered, but it was wonderful to get back home after a long day back at work.

Today I wore a pretty similar outfit to this one, but I changed around some elements and added some stuff I got for Christmas, namely a navy sweater and a Sherlock Holmes-themed infinity scarf (gift from my best friend!).

Please enjoy this awful bathroom mirror selfie:

Magical.

You can't tell, but I'm wearing dark blue sweater-y tights and my grey thigh-high socks (just a little over the knee). My new cardigan is a navy Ralph Lauren piece that my mother gave me for Christmas. It's long-ish, which I like, with big gold buttons. I was glad to have it with my short little Old Navy blue dress. 

Oh, here's a close-up of the awesome scarf from my best friend. It has some lines from The Hound of the Baskervilles (does it shock y'all that I was a huge Sherlock Holmes fan as a kid?). I took this selfie in the morning and texted it to my friend, as it was my first wearing of it. I. Love. It. I didn't take it off all day:

Even more magical.

Isn't it amazing? I'm pretty sure it's from Etsy, but I don't know which store (I'm pretty sure I've seen it somewhere and wanted to buy it). 

Anyway, that was my first day back. Despite the fact that my mom barely noticed that I had chopped off a bunch o'inches from my hair, every single person at work commented on it, teachers and students. So there you go...

Happy Monday!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle scarf: Gift from best friend

Navy blue cardigan: Ralph Lauren, gift from mom

Blue dress: Old Navy (online), remixed

Sweater tights: Gap, remixed

Grey thigh-high socks: American Apparel, remixed

Boots: Frye, by way of Country Outfitter, remixed

How I wore it: starry night

First outfit post of 2015! Woo!

So life is a little lonely here at the Boots household because my husband left yesterday for a nine-day trip to Greece to visit his family. My parents are coming on Sunday to help me out with the little one when I go back to work, but during these next couple of days, I've been trying to plan a lot of activities.

Today I went to visit a friend of mine from high school who happens to live in the next town over. She has two little ones, a five-year-old and a three-year-old, so they're perfect playmates for my newly turned three-year-old. I had a fun outfit planned that I had worn practically identically last weekend and I planned to wear it with cowboy boots, but in the last minute, I went with my new 'vogs. How could I resist, as the colors went perfectly?

... I know, right? Their shape is dreamy. You'll get a close-up in a sec. I got this tunic at the same hipster store where I bought one from the same company (FluffyCo) some years ago. Now that I'm so into leggings, I find myself gravitating towards tunics once more. Yay? Anyway, I liked the galactic print on this one. I wore this whole outfit with a new sweater (Christmas present from my mom), but you'll be seeing it soon, I promise. 

So now let me show you what you're really here to see:

I know, right? Even thought I firmly believed myself to be done with buying new boots as of my holy grail of Fryes, I gravitated toward these on the site back in the fall. They had other colors then, a gorgeous olive and a swoony purple, but now these are the ones left. They are a dark brown leather, with that more distressed spats-like bit, and then the denim under the zipper. They're called the Keatons. And we are very much in love. They're technically a men's boot, but I don't care. They're a tad bit tight on the instep, but I can already feel that getting better. Mmmm. I love them so much. I also got rid of two pairs of boots that were past their prime in my closet, so now I have more space! Why, it's almost justifiable to spend $300 on new boots that I don't need! Mmm, I don't care. These are awesome-sauce. I love how non-clunky they are, so they create a nice line with the rest of the leg. 

And the baby likes them, too, so who am I to argue?

Star tunic: FluffyCo, by way of a store in Somerville (Magpie)

Grey leggings: Calvin Klein, by way of TJMaxx, remixed

Boots: Fluevog Keaton