Monday, October 20, 2014

Balancing Out the Drama of a Pencil Skirt

Happy Monday!

Here are some photos of an outfit I wore to brunch and run errands with a friend.  I am LOVING this patterned pencil skirt from American Apparel.  It is super flattering and versatile.  Dress it up or down.  Here I balanced out the drama of a high waist pencil skirt on a curvy body, with an untucked sweater, and styled it playfully with knee highs and wedge sneakers.


I haven't bought any new shoes in a while, though I do have my eye on those silver-grey sneakers I mentioned in my back to school post a while back.  I am practicing reaching into my closet and styling old favorites in new ways.


My classic side-profile.  I've been doing 100 body-weight squats most mornings and I see results!



I've had this bag for what feels like forever, about eight plus years, and it's still go-to.  A bag that goes with everything, that is also interesting in pattern and design.   


Fresh-faced with just a touch of gloss, and rocking some serious arm candy here.  My bracelets are a mix of finds from Congo, market-buys from Soho and a Maasai bracelet from my time in Kenya.

Until next time,
<3
M

Monday, October 13, 2014

Learning to Transition, Personally

Happy Monday!

Lately, something I've been reflecting on deeply lately is transition, making a change and being courageous enough to do so.  While initially I thought of writing this post simply through the lens of transitioning between jobs or careers even, I acknowledge a greater connection for me is making a more personal transition.  Paulo Coelho, the author of Alchemist,  said something that really resonated with me during an interview on Supersoul Sunday.  He said: "Courage is the first spiritual quality that you need to have" and went on to say "If you don't fear the unknown, the unknown will be kind to you."  Now of course this is easier said than done, but I think trusting, having faith, being an optimist, all of those things contribute to good things coming your way.

The last two years have been extreme growth years for me.  I have learned so much about myself, the world, myself in the world, and identified things to actively work on.  One of which is facing confrontations, having hard conversations and doing so with integrity.  This is something I have actively practiced in work situations-- with colleagues, including my former boss-- as well as in my relationships with my former partner, as well as friends and family.  Sometimes it's a serious struggle to form the words to say whatever it is, but I always feel better for it.  Another thing I am practicing is, recognizing when it is time to move on from a situation, and then actively taking steps to do so.  By that I mean, at times I would prefer for new opportunities to just happen, but usually decisions have to be made and acted upon in order for change to manifest.

This post is a little all over the place, but this is a new venture for Learning Style, so I'm accepting that and going with it.  With that said, I am grateful to be blessed with amazing friends, some whom I met in otherwise largely toxic situations, such as my last job.  That just goes to show that truly during each storm there exists the makings of a rainbow.  That I know for sure.  In terms of my nearly five-year relationship that recently ended, I learned a lot about myself and others.  In a way, I came of age during it.  There comes a time when a person has to know, learn, claim their worth and purse it.  The part of me that held on way too long grieves for celebrates the learning opportunities of that time, and over all, all of me feels... right, whole.  Nothing is truly one-sided, even with the "bad," there are good things to learn and take from.  I truly believe that.

The same applies to my career move.  I took a chance by leaving yet another school, and doing so during a time when I am working towards eventually transitioning out of the classroom, and it worked out.  I think the most important thing is to know and trust that there are good things out there.  After that, all that's left is to take action on that trust.

With that said, I recognize that fear can be very powerful, whether it be fear of the unknown or fear if failure.  Regardless, whether pertaining to relationships or career moves, do your best to do your work and get your learning in.  That way, when you do strike out, you'll have learned what you needed to learn in that situation and be all the better for it.  This I'm learning.

Until next time,
<3
M



Friday, October 10, 2014

All in the Details

Happy Friday!  

This week has been one of much reflection, as I've been spending chunks of my subway commute journaling, as well as thinking through everything from hopes and dreams (seriously reviving my dream diary in a new form, in the notebook app on my iPhone) to day-to-day interactions.  While I miss riding my bike to and from work, I am also enjoying the daily subway rides, as time to read for work, read for pleasure and lately, reflect in writing. More about that soon.

Here are some photos of an outfit I wore recently: 
Makeup: MAC "Fever" blush and Sephora lipgloss in "Tangy Bite"

The softness and simplicity of this color scheme made me happy! 

J.Crew Factory skirt, J.Crew sleeveless blouse with collar, Old Navy black sweater with ankle sleeves, Gap wool blazer, black opaque tights by Hue, Fyre boots, Madewell rucksack

I thoroughly enjoyed this look.  I am loving my Fyre Regina boots!  As I break them in, the boots are becoming more and more comfortable.  I will likely be living in them soon.  The hint of peach peeking out of my black sweater and otherwise neutral outfit inspired me.  


This detail shot!  Giraffe bracelet is my favorite, from Baublebar, and the pave-link bracelet is J.Crew.  The bow ring is Guess and I bought it at Burlington Coat Factory, which always seems to have amazing accessories for great prices!

Happy Weekend to all!
<3
M

Monday, October 6, 2014

Finally, a Leather Backpack!

Happy Monday to all!

What a productive morning.  After an fun, eventual, and somewhat sleep-deprived weekend, I decided to go to bed early so that I can wake up an hour earlier today to tackle some things on my graduate school/internship list.  And I did!  I continue to learn to manage "the list" while celebrating small accomplishments and balancing a stress-free (hey, I'm claiming it!) life.  That, and I'm going through yet another transition.  Perhaps I'll talk about that another time.

Here's an outfit I wore recently:  


The main focus of this outfit for me is my new leather backpack from Madewell that I love love!  It
took me a while to decided to purchase it, after having my eye on it for a long time, but I decided to take the plunge and am very happy I did.  The only thing I regret is not getting it monogrammed.  I think that small, personalized touch would add so much to this already dynamic backpack.


I'm wearing my faux leather dress from Express as a Jumper, with my Gap denim shirt underneath, black tights, light pink suede flats from J.Crew.  My blazer is the one I've been living in lately, from Target, and my neon-accented necklace is from H&M.


I've had conversations with some of my teacher-friends about this, but I am truly practicing being myself at work!  I've always worked in diverse schools with diverse teaching staff, but my current school is not that.  So while I have discovered some like-minds and am making connections, I am also checking in with myself and making sure that I'm still doing me, even if that makes others uncomfortable or take notice in new ways.


Back to the backpack.  Here's a link to the Madewell site. Educators and students, make sure to get your discount!



Lastly, I love to play around with and mix different textures.  Here I have faux leather, denim and tweed!



And another backpack shot:)

Until next time,
Have a great week!
<3
M

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Socks and Pumps

Good morning all!

This week is flying by, but I don't mind.  As the weather transitions from summer to cool fall, I've been wearing socks with pumps instead of jumping solely into wearing tights.  Here's an impromptu outfit I came up with and really enjoyed.  I seriously built this outfit from the bottom up.




I started with these navy floral socks from J.Crew that I wanted to wear with my go-to brown leather pumps by Fyre.  I then tried several skirts before deciding that a sturdy skirt, such as these pink tweed pencil skirt from J.Crew, worked best.  I then paired the look with a white button down shirt from Old Navy; buttoned it all the way to the top; and added a simple, but blingy necklace from J.Crew Factory.




I layered my necklace over my name plate, one of my favorite things to do with neck jewelry right now.  It's hard to see clearly due to the position of the sun when I took these photos.  Ah well...

I kept my jewelry simple, with a midi ring set from Bauble Bar, Guess gold watch and J.Crew Factory gold link bracelet.  My final acessory, my Warby Parker frames of course.



I layered on the blush as well, "Fever" by M.A.C., and kept the rest neutral with a nude gloss from Sephora called "Perfectly Nude."

Until next time,
Love.
Miss M