Loving it

Lately I've been loving...

1. Thomas's super adorable "Where the Wild Things Are" sweatshirt. (I'll eat you up, I love you so!)

2. Sugar and cinnamon rim on pumpkin beer. I want to shake the hand of the person who came up with this!

3. Days at the park.

4. Orchids. 

5. Hitting the cidery. It's like a brewery, but everything tastes like apples! 

Stripes and stripes

 

If I claim polka dots always match polka dots, then should I also expect stripes to always go with stripes?

Sure. Why not. Stripes always go with stripes. Here's photo evidence. (Or not. Whatevs. This outfit is so comfy, I'm loving it no matter what. Soooooooo coooooomfortable.)

Fall list

 

It's here! It's fall! For real! My very favorite! I made a list. Because of the love I have for lists. (Pictured above: Thomas last fall looking chubby cheeked and fantastically chunky!)

I have actually done 100 percent of the things on this list before. I mean, should I mix it up and make a more challenging list? A list that's like "Run a half marathon" (and by that I mean "Walk/run/hobble a 5k) ? A list that requires me to climb every mountain, ford every stream? Nah. I'm tired, people. I have a 1-year-old. And I teach children. Oh the children. The children with all their energy. I'm just making a list to make sure I prioritize getting the good stuff in!

Fall list:

1. Walk in the woods
2. Go to a fall festival
3. Make stew
4. Visit the mountains
5. Go to a food truck rally
6. Dress Thomas up for Halloween
7. Visit a brewery, drink a seasonal (or several)
8. Carve a pumpkin
9. Drink a pumpkin spice latte (because I'm basic)
10. Take Thomas to a farm

Happy fall, y'all!

Animal Farm

You know that moment when you learn the book "Animal Farm" isn't just about animals, but is actually about the Russian Revolution? Yeah. I love that moment. You don't forget that moment. 

I did a book group last year with the highest of my high fifth-grade students, and, man, they dug in. They were so engaged in it, and they made really amazing connections. My big regret is I didn't have enough time at the end, so we sort of sped through it before summer vacation arrived. But: I'm totally going to teach it again! Literacy is the best, and I am the nerdy teacher who wears book shirts. (Proud of it, too!)

This pig? He is not to be trifled with. (Shirt bought on eBay, but originally from Out of Print.)

I combined my bookish tee with sneakers and a flippy skirt. I wore this to take Thomas to the Charlotte Nature Museum. In this outfit, we hung out with butterflies, pointed at an alligator, played with animal puppets and attempted (and failed) to listen to a read aloud. (Seriously. Thomas just stood up and walked out of the room all like "Nope. There are toys out there. I am going to the toys. I don't need to listen to this lady read about owls. Sorry not sorry.")

How cute is this happy nugget? Love those smiles! (Sidenote: I have decided not to get his hair cut yet. I just can't. Can't do it. Won't do it. Realize all the other boys in his class have had their hair cut. Don't care. Okay, do care, but not enough. Am fine with having a hippy child. We'll cut it some day. Not right not. Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it.)

Mom style

I feel like I am such a mom in this photo. I look happy, but tired. There are nugget clothes on the floor and a little nugget playing in the bath in the corner of the photo. Motherhood, man, it's the best.

I also feel like this is an awesome, accidental outfit. It's something I just threw together for mom-ing, but it's fabulous! Pattern mixing: A thing I love. Mom-ing: A thing I love even more!

New favorite

I wear a lot of dresses to work, and that's because I love dresses, but lately I've been gravitating to a very non-dress silhouette. I am loving the oversized shirt and cute, fitted pant. With clogs (duh). Loving it. 

Cute pattern alert! Pictured below: Me pointing at Thomas pointing at me as his daddy takes my picture. 

I feel like this look is so easy. So chill. So relaxed. So comfortable! (And, yet, somehow, also appropriately professional.) It's my new favorite for sure.

Calling it

 It's not officially fall, but whatever, I'm calling it: Fall is here!

Case in point: We went to a fair, hung out by its Halloween-esque haunted house, and the weather was NOT insanely hot! In fact, it was quite breezy and lovely. Hey there, fall! You're looking good!

Also looking good: These Dansko clogs. In my opinion. And maybe no one else's. I had a fellow teacher complain about her feet, and I suggested she try out this brand, and she was like "Those chunky nurse's shoes? No way!" And I was all like "They are amazing, and I love them." I guess we'll agree to disagree. This is America after all. 

My blue striped dress is so American. My foot-long, fair hot dog is so American. My wearing my hair in pigtails despite being in my 30s? So. American. 

We had a good time at the fair. The animals were the high point for sure. The prices were not! We didn't go on any rides, but maybe next time. I think Thomas would enjoy it a little more when he's a little older. This time around, he was happy to just stare at everything and point. He is all about staring and pointing these days. 

Here's a closing-of-the-post bonus picture. Please forgive this selfie's lighting and focus on Thomas's adorable "Soft Kitty" onesie. I have 100 percent sung him that song from "Big Bang Theory." It's so soothing! 

Welcoming back the '70s

 Look at that little nugget! You can tell by the expression on his face that he's about to take off!

And there he goes! Zoom!

When chasing after my nugget, I enjoy wearing '70s-style flare jeans and brown clogs. I could welcome back Kotter in this outfit. Three could be company in this outfit. In these jeans, I could move on up. 

The shirt is a second-hand gift from my best friend, and the purse is a Christmas gift from my sister-in law. It is seriously the perfect nugget-chasing purse. Regular purses like to try and fall off my shoulder when I'm bending over to grab him! (Also: polka dots. Yay.)

Gotcha!

Brunch? Not so much.

Here I am in a recently thrifted, striped dress that I enjoy. Thomas is wearing super cute thrifted overalls and being a full-on toddler in them. We wore these outfits to go have brunch with my friend. Brunch did not go swimmingly.

I mean, it was great to see my friend and eat an omelette, but Thomas was just not having it! He wasn't a nightmare, but he also wasn't the "restaurant baby" he used to be. For real. This kid used to sit in his high chair (and before that his car seat) and look at the world and eat with us and be totally, 100 percent chill. No more.

Thomas walks now. All he wants to do is chase his ball around. Or bother the dog. Or climb on things. He does not want to hang in his high chair while his mom has a fantastic conversation and drinks coffee. That Touch-and-Feel Elmo book that used to entertain him forever? It's not working anymore, mama!

What is working: My thrifted dress, Target sandals, pastel toes and fallen crape myrtle blossoms.

So, yes, Thomas and I wore these outfits to brunch. Perhaps the last brunch I will bring him to in a while. My friend, who has a 20-something-year-old daughter, said "I hate to tell you this, but it just gets worse." I guess we shall see!

Style Icon: Stella McCartney

I remember first reading about Stella McCartney in Vogue in the '90s. Why do I remember this? I'm not sure. I think I found her striking, and I dug her style. I was a little skeptical about her talent since she was Paul McCartney's daughter, and I wondered -- Is that why she's an up and coming designer?

Answer: Nope. She was an up and coming designer because she was very, very talented. Proof: Her current, tremendous career. I love her line, and I LOVE her personal style. She's just very laid back, yet put together and sexy, but like an "Oh, am I sexy?" kind of sexy, which is way better than the trying-really hard sexy.

Plus she's rock royalty, which is kind of cool. Rock royalty and a style icon, that's Stella McCartney. Her dad must be very proud.

Duy Huynh

I love the worlds Duy Huynh creates.