Style Icon: Mr. Toad

Mr. Toad is rich and troublesome in the book "The Wind in the Willows." If he were a real-life person instead of a fictional toad, he would totally have his own reality television show.

Seriously. All this guy likes to do is drive fast cars, wear fancy outfits, drink and spend his money. What is that if not an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"?

I would watch the show just for the fashion. Mr. Toad is one dapper dude. He's all checked suits and waistcoats and pocket watches. I am loving it, Mr. Toad. Loving it!

It's enough

“It's enough for me to be sure that you and I exist at this moment.” ― Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez. One-Hundred Years of Solitude

(That's nice.)

Style Icons: Valley of the Dolls

The summer I was a camp counselor, I read a thick, thrifted copy of the book "Valley of the Dolls." It was a perfect summer read! That book will forever remind me of my one-hour off a day that I would spend sweating in our air-conditioning-free cabin wearing cargo shorts and a sports bra, totally exhausted, but also really happy. It was a good summer. "Valley of the Dolls" is a ridiculous book.

The "dolls" in the title are not the three heroines trying to make it big and become famous. The dolls are the pills they take (uppers and downers) to survive in that dog-eat-dog world. I never saw the movie, but it looks deliciously camp (even more so than the book!). While the book was pretty silly, I will say it's scared me off of "dolls" for life. They're dangerous! (Sidenote: Um... that jumpsuit Sharon Tate is wearing is everything.)

Also dangerous? These hairdos! They're killing me! I love them so much. Super high and super straight with some serious flip action. Full of va-va-voom. If I was a less lazy person, I think I'd like to have hair like this. It is so fun and fabulous. Not fun and fabulous: the lives of these ladies! They may look glamorous, but, trust me, every one of them is a total mess!

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.)

Style Icon: John Updike

I bought/read/wrote about this book in grad school, and I thought John Updike was such a cutie (and, you know, a good writer too).

There is a part of me that wants to dress like John Updike. Like, I always want to be wearing a baggy sweater. For the rest of my life, just throw me in baggy sweaters, and I will be happy. (Unless I am in North Carolina in the summertime. No one is happy in a sweater in North Carolina in the summertime.)

Doesn't he just look so fabulous and bookish in his fabulous, bookish sweaters?

Yes, yes he does. And he actually is fabulous and bookish so the sweaters speak the truth. (Also I might need some blazers and tweed hats. Seriously. I think I could rock this look.)

Oh the wisdom of Dr. Seuss

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" -- Dr. Seuss

Loving It (A quick list)

This is my end-of-the-year list of my super favs in 2014:

Musician: Lorde

Song: "History Eraser" by Courtney Barnett



Book: "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman (Ostensibly a children's book, 100 percent the best any-kind book I've read in a long time.)



Movie: The Giant Mechanical Man (Not a 2014 movie, but I watched it New Year's Day totally nauseated, not because I was hungover, but because I was pregnant. It was awesome largely because it stars Danny of The Mindy Project.)

Poem: "Dinosaurs in the Hood" by Danez Smith

TV Show: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Happy almost New Year!

The World is a Stage

"They say the world is a stage. But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines." -- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Love, roses and lavender

“There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.” -- Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic 

(Advice for your Friday.)

House loyalty

I don't normally wear shirts representing schools I didn't go to, but I'll make an exception for this thrifted Gryffindor shirt. Although, to be honest, I think the Sorting Hat would more likely put me in Ravenclaw. I bought this beauty during my second epic onesie thrift haul. For some reason, I have 1,000 adorable things for Thomas in the 3-6 month range and very little in the 0-3. Luckily, I'm a thrifting maven, and those little suckers are $1 to $2 a pop. No big deal! And it's true what they say (and "they" do say this to you a lot if you're a new mom): You can never have too many onesies. (Or thrifted Harry Potter T-shirts, although "they" don't say that one. That one, I say.)

Excellent danger

"I will meet you in the dirtiest city you can dream of. We will drink cocktails so sweet they pucker our cheeks, as we perch on cracked leather bar stools. I will buy you plates of calcium and protein and we will run through the streets in excellent danger." -- Michelle Tea, The Chelsea Whistle 

(I love Michelle Tea.)

On being normal

“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage." -- Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic 

Style Icon: Claudia Kishi

Claudia tied with Maryanne for my favorite character in "The Babysitters Club" series. I read all the books pretty obsessively in fifth-grade as they were the best. Maryanne is awesome because she's sweet and bookish, and Claudia is awesome because she's artsy and a total style icon.

Claudia, who was vice president of the Babysitters Club, was an artist who struggled in school, and her outfits were always ridiculously wonderful. The writer of the series, Ann M. Martin, always made a point of describing her look. It was the '80s/early '90s so everything was big and colorful, and I loved the descriptions to bits.

Even without the description, it's clear Claudia is a style icon based on the book covers. Girl always had it going on.

Did you know there was a book out about where the Sweet Valley High characters are now? I would LOVE for Ann M. Martin to write about the Babysitters Club characters as adults. For now, I'll have to settle with this imagining by a creative fan.

Wish on everything

“Wish on everything. Pink cars are good, especially old ones. And stars of course, first stars and shooting stars. Planes will do if they are the first light in the sky and look like stars. Wish in tunnels, holding your breath and lifting your feet off the ground. Birthday candles. Baby teeth." -- Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat

(Love Francesca Lia Block. Love Weetzie bat.)

Style Icon: Zelda Fitzgerald

Zelda Fitzgerald is one of America's favorite tragic heroines. "Zelda: A Biography" by Nancy Milford really does a great job of explaining why. Zelda was charismatic and beautiful, full of her life. She and F. Scott Fitzgerald were the Jazz Age personified. Zelda was also mentally unbalanced, and she spent her whole life searching for her art and being in the shadow of her husband. 

Her style is undeniable -- a true-blue flapper with plenty of money to spend. Apparently, photos don't do her beauty justice, but she still looks lovely and alive and fun, doesn't she? An American style icon, for sure. 

Style Icon: Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman's look is pretty straight forward -- moptop of hair, black clothes (often including a coat) and a brooding, knowing expression. That's what makes a style icon: consistency and fabulousness and consistency in the fabulousness.

Intelligence is an excellent fashion accessory. As is an adorable dog. And some black sneakers. Everyone loves intelligence, dogs and black sneakers.

I was a fan of Neil Gaiman because of his Sandman comics, and then years later, I became a huge fan of Amanda Palmer because of her Amanda Palmer-ness, and then I found out they were married, and I was like "What the what?"! It was too much, my head almost exploded. Now I listen to "Theatre is Evil" and worry about their relationship. (I'm sure they're fine. None of my business anyway. Not that that stops anyone from having an opinion ever.)

Have you seen Neil Gaiman's commencement speech? It's the best thing ever:



Style icon. Brainy brain. Total inspiration. Married to a hot chick. Way to be awesome, Neil Gaiman.

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Dansko clogs. They are so comfortable. So comfortable.

2. Community. I thought this show was going to be too smug and cerebral for me, but it turns out smug and cerebral is sometimes just my style (and there's heart too -- which saves it).

3. "The City of Ember." I'm reading this as a read aloud to my older students, and they are loving it. (And I love it too. That's why I picked it as a read aloud.)

4. Books on Tape. Or, I guess, Books on Cell Phone. I've been listening to "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" while cleaning and working out. It makes time pass a little faster!

5. Dinner club. We meet every two months and bring food based on different themes. Last Saturday, our theme was "Ballpark Food," and it was delicious. I made caramel corn that was crazy addictive, and I've had too many leftovers! Too much caramel! Too much corn! But so yummy! Maybe our next theme will be something healthy like "Raw Vegetables and Kale Juices." What do you think?

Style Icon: Nancy Drew

As a kid, I started out reading the classic Nancy Drew books -- the ones that are very innocent and fun and have hidden staircases and mysterious old clocks.

I dug these books, but then I discovered Nancy Drew Files, which were way more exciting. There was sordid romance! There were perilous situations on every page! Nancy almost died on the regular! It was thrill ride after thrill ride, I tell you what. 

Whether it was prim Nancy Drew or sassy Nancy Drew, she always looked hella-fabulous on the book covers. And so I say: Nancy Drew is a style icon no matter what the era. 

Summertime fun

During the school year, it's very hard for me to go out of town to visit anyone. I love my job, I give it my all, and it wears me out. On the weekends, I need to go grocery shopping and do laundry. I need to recover from the last week and prepare for the next.

Maybe it will be different for my second year of teaching, but just in case it's not, I'm making sure I see all my favorites this summer. My "favorites" are my best friends -- my three bridesmaids, all of whom have lived with me and laughed with me (and cried with me and drank wine with me...) and all of whom live unfortunately far away from me. First up, was my sister. We lived it up California style for a super-packed week (we were all exhausted by the end). Second? My best friend Sherrie. She's a librarian in Virginia, and after a little break following California, I drove up to the mountains to visit her and her husband.

She's lived there (three hours from me) for five years, and I've never visited her. Her family lives about an hour or so from where I live so she pops by when visiting them. I finally decided to repay the favor (and sleep on another air mattress -- this one was surprisingly comfortable as was the one in my sister's apartment). We spent a couple of days thrifting like crazy, watching movies, eating some good food (her husband made me a "cheesie," which is toasted bread with avocado and tomato and lots of delicious melted cheese) and listening to live music.

I mostly thrifted books, and I might have gone a little overboard! I'm teaching all of TD literacy next year, and I want my kids to have a lot of options of what to read. These books were $1 at the most and 25 cents at the least (most were 50 cents), and it's hard to beat those prices! I've cut myself off though. No more book buying for me! (Allegedly. So I'm claiming.)

I'll visit my third bridesmaid/favorite later in the summer. First, we have weekends with family planned. It's a packed summer, but I'm trying to make sure I also have time to chill out and relax and watch too much "Murder She Wrote" (Oh how I love Jessica Fletcher). Last year, my free time scared the bejesus out of me and I overcompensated with over-scheduling. There's no way I'm letting that happen again!

On choice

"The philosopher Odo Marquard has noted a correlation in the German language between the word zwei, which means 'two,' and the word zweifel, which means 'doubt' -- suggesting that two of anything brings the automatic possibility of uncertainty to our lives. Now imagine a life in which every day a person is presented with not two or even three but dozens of choices, and you can begin to grasp why the modern world has become, even with all its advantages, a neurosis-generating machine of the highest order. In a world of such abundant possibility, many of us simply go limp from indecision. Or we derail our life's journey again and again, backing up to try the doors we neglected on the first round, desperate to get it right this time. Or we become compulsive comparers -- always measuring our lives against some other person's life, secretly wondering if we should have taken her path instead." -- Elizabeth Gilbert, "Committed"