Mustard Yellow Pants Four Ways

 

I don't know about you but when the weather starts to grow colder and the days get shorter, I gravitate towards dark colors such as gray, black, white & black, brown, burgundy, etc.  Here in Saskatchewan the cold days come faster and stronger than most other places and I have to make two conscious decisions:

#1 To keep moving/exercising even though it's dark when I get up

#2 To keep color in my wardrobe

 

Today I am going to share how I am wearing these bright, mustard yellow pants that I recently purchased at Banana Republic.  I love the color but I am not crazy about how tight they are.  The girl at the store assured me that these would stretch a full size and not to go with the size larger but that hasn't happened and I often feel self conscious in them.  I just might go back this week to see if they still have some and pick them up in a larger size, because you know winter weight is coming my way and I'd like to been comfortable in them. 

 

#1 Cozy Style:  This is my favorite outfit because it's totally mommy/playground functional, as well as work appropriate without the puffer vest.  I've had this vest for probably close to 10 years now.  I LOVE it in the fall while the evenings are still warm enough to layer it over a long sleeved shirt.  Give me a cup of coffee and off we go to the park!

#2 Work Attire:  Business casual is the way to go around the office most days.  A simple white tea with a navy blazer was a perfect balance to these bring pants in the office.  To add just a little more spunk to the outfit, I pulled out my leopard print booties; it's been way too long!

#3 Polka dots and riding boots.  This was the first way I styled the pants while out doing errands in the city in early September.  Looking back, it just might be a bit too much color for me. 

 

#4 Simply Everyday:  I would wear this for work, errands, coffee with friends or going to the park with the kids.  What makes this outfit is the beautiful beading on the sweater and the simple, neutral flats.  This sweater is an oldie but a goodie.  The day I wore it I just wasn't feel my best self and I needed something a little less fitted was the way to go. 

 

Shop this post: 

Mustard Yellow Pants (Similar- PrettyLittleThing)

Puffer Vest (Similar- Michael Kors )

Leopard Print Booties (Similar- ModCloth)

 

Any suggestions of what else I can pair with these bright, bold pants?

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Girls Weekend: To Be 20 Again

FUN!  LUAGHS!  BEAUTY!  #IFEEL20AGAIN. 

 

That pretty much sums up our girls weekend getaway.  There was five of us girls that drove up to Waskesiu Lake for the Outter Limits Fun Run.  The ladies I went with are all incredible women and some I've known for a long time, since University, and other friendships  have been formed thoughout my years of teaching.  We are all intelligent, confident, strong women that  are at various points in our lives.  The beauty of having such a diverse group is that we can all learn from each other and grow with each other.

 

I don't get to do girls weekends often, or EVER, but I am finally at a point where I can leave the girls and feel good about it and finicially we can offered that kind of get away.  Our time together was short but sweet.  We drove up for the run on Saturday morning before the run, so we were up early, and were home by mid-afternoon on Sunday.   Running through the bush trail, surrounded by the fall color palette is breathtaking.  Honestly it moves me like nothing else.  With every step, hill, turn, it seemed to get more and more beautiful.  Being a fun run, there was no timer and no pressure for a personal best.  I ran and ran and ran.  Every step filled my soul more than the previous.  I ran because I loved it.  I ran because I wanted to.  I ran because I felt passionate about it.  My love for running has returned.  (Sidenote: Since my half marathon race, I have had a hard time running just for the pure enjoyment and so this was an amazing  feeling). 

This was my trail.  Breathtaking. 

We ended up staying in a two bedroom cabin and boy did we laugh.  The kind of laughs that make you keel over, hold your pee and laugh with your whole body.  We sang all the best songs (Red, Red Wine, Bye, Bye, Bye, etc.) and we drank some red, red, wine.  There was a dance and we stayed out on the dance floor until the very last melody had it's turn; Lindsay and I were out there as if we were still 20 and had not a single worry in the world.  It was an absolute blast! 

 

Lindsay and I have been friends since the first day of University, when I tried to cheat off of her in our English class.  :) 

Shot, shot, shot.

 



We also took in the nature and marvelled at the fall colors that surrounded us.  We hiked 9km the following morning through the trails and held on to the peacefulness that only being in nature can provide you with.  I love being out in nature.  I also love watching the waves beat against the shoreline and the sun rays reach  the water making it sparkle and shine.  As we drove away from our weekend, we all took in the beauty surrounding us and we were all thankful to have created new friendships and strengthen old ones.  We vowed to return next year and make this an annual event. 

For me, I was ready to come home.  To see my girls.  To take on the business that is my life, but with a  fresh and renewed sense of self.  I wish these girls weekends happened more frequently but I am also thankful that I have a chance to have them at all.

 

Happy hump day all!



A Refreshed New Look

Ahhhh.  I just wrapped up my first big professional development presentation of the year and I am exhausted.  I am enjoyed the 20 minutes of piece and quite in my house while my husband is out with the girls.  Though I feel tired, I also find the whole process exhilarating and meeting all the new K-Gr. 3 teachers that I will be working with this year is the best part.  The team I work with is funny, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and invigorating. 

With the start of a new year comes a fresh new look so I treated my self to a new hair color/highlight combo.  You know when you are a mom and this is just the most pampering you get so you are excited for days?!?  Well I was and then........My color was awful!!!!  :(  I wanted to cry.  I came home and my 9 year old asked why I had "gray" hair pieces.  (not the best time to hear this honesty) What do you do in these situations?  I usually just want to pay again and have it fixed by someone else but being as we are really watching our spending at the moment, I texted the lady who did it and I was just honest with her that this was not at all what I had hoped for.  She was WONDERFUL and had me come in the next day, she put a toner on it and though it's not what I indented, I feel that I can live with it and feel good about it. 

Old hair color. Bye, bye, summer.

Strange, ash color that I didn't like.
 

                                             

New Fall Color!

 

What do you do to spruce up your look or to pamper yourself?

DIY: Musical Wall

This is such an easy DIY project friends. If I can do it, anyone can.  I am not usually that crafty but as I am getting older I am becoming willing to step out of my comfort zone more often.   This spring I was looking for some new pictures for PWIM (Picture Word Inductive Model that our school division uses for language arts and a beginning place for inquiry in K-Gr.3) I came across an outdoor symphony photograph, that we got permission to use for educational purposes, and  I loved that these children are exploring music in an non-traditional classroom and in a non-traditional way (a mix of real and created instruments).  Right away I knew I wanted to bring that idea of music, the outdoors and non-traditional instruments to our youngest learners to explore and hopefully be inspired to learn and create new ways of creating music.   

Materials:

 

-palette                                          -xylophone                                                   -cheese grater

-screws                                          -wooden spoons                                           -egg beater

-nails                                             -plastic container                                           -metal bowl

-hammer                                       -cheese grater                                                -metal colander

-power drill                                   -pot                                                               -soup cans   

-utility hooks     

-twine                         

 -an item that I found at Value Village but don't know what it is, but it makes a great sound!

 

 ****Anything you can find that would make a unique sound is a good buy.  I was really hoping to find a wooden wind chime but no luck.

The set-up, assembly and clean-up took maybe an hour, so you don't need a lot of time.  

 

First step:   I took off the xylophone pieces from the instrument and string them on twine.  Be sure to think about the length of the twine so that they all hang at the same length once you place them on the palette.  I used nails to hang the xylophone pieces off of.  

Second step: I lined everything up on the palette to see what arrangement would work best.  I had to rearrange it a few times.

Third step:  Start working!  I used a power drill for the very first time in my life and it made me feel STRONG, EMPOWERED, and HANDY.  

 

Fourth step:  Clean up.

 

Fifth step:  HAVE FUN!!!!  My girls were thrilled with the wall and they created musical patterns, concerts, incorporated dance, etc.  Let's just say it's a new favorite toy and who cares that it makes a ton of noise, it's outside.

This musical wall I am taking to work to give away as a prize for new teachers but I have promised the girls that we can go shopping and purchase new items so that we can make another one to keep in our backyard.  Total cost was approximately $40. If you are a teacher you could easily give parents a list of possible items that you might need and I  bet everyone would be happy to bring at least one item.    I am actually considering making one for our nephew as a birthday present, something different and unconventional. 

Weekend Wear

Around here the weather has been changing on a daily basis which means I am tappin' into both my summer and fall wardrobe.  I always post my work related outfits, so this week I am switching gears and showcasing two very casual, mommy outfits. Realistically when I get home from work, or on the weekends, I wear very comfy, casual clothing.   My first outfit is all about the embracing the change in the season, while the second one is about hanging on to summer for just a little bit longer. 

 

Look #1 The comfy and sporty look.  Honestly I should probably share more of these because they are truly what I mostly live in.  I am a fairly active person who enjoys running, boot camp, walking,  biking, and exploring the outdoors. Lately we have been getting outside and exploring various hiking trails right here in our city.  It started with Logan and I taking the dog for daily walks by our river in the city while our girls were away in B.C. with my parents.  Since the girls have returned we have been sharing these new found places with them and  have enjoyed getting outdoors as a family.  Being outside fills "my bucket" (if you are a parent or a teacher you are familiar with this story, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?). 

 

Most of my "off time" is spent wearing lululemon athletic wear  all year long.  The thing about lululemon gear is that you really don't need to have a lot of it.  I have a couple of long pants, couple of capris, couple of pairs of shorts, 4 tank tops and 3 long sleeved tops.  I have had these items for YEARS and I just keep washing and wearing them; and I wear them all the time for both running and leisure activities.

Look #2   I just love this crop top!  I was somewhat hesitant to purchase a crop top at my age, but I am so glad that I did.  :)   I paired it up with my skinny jeans and flats for a casual look for a family gathering. It was a warm weekend and we spent a lot of time just hanging out in a hall. 

I have also paired this top with my culotte pants (here) for work.  I am going to keep this top in my rotation through the fall season and pair it up with my navy blazer and also my jean jacket. 

 

Crop Top: Top Shop

Jessica Simpson Kiss Me Skinny Jeans: The Bay

Guess flats (similar)

 



 For more fashion inspiration head on over to the Blended Blog and Thread for Thomas.

 

Transitioning into Fall with a LWD & LBB

Two nights ago Logan and my enjoyed our last evening without kids. We headed downtown to watch the fireworks festival before going to pick up the girls and my parents up from the airport.  We had a week long vacation from parenting while my mom and dad had the kids in Victoria, B.C. visiting my sister. 

I decided that I wasn't ready to let go of this little white dress that I purchased at the onset of summer ( see how I wore it HERE), so  I paired it up with these adorable little black booties (LBB) that I just purchased from The Bay.  LBB are a staple in my wardrobe and finally this past summer I said goodbye to my favorite pair, that I held on to for six seasons!!! I figured if I threw them out then I would be forced to purchase new ones, and  I am glad I did because these LBB are perfect.  I love the gold buckle detailing, the rounded toe, stacked heel and the comfort.  I am thinking I am might snag a pair in grey as well.  I also threw on my jean jacket and some gold accessories to spruce up the outfit.  If I had a black motto jacket I think that would pair up really well as well.

 

 

Shop This Look:

Guess Dress (on sale 60% off)

Little Black Booties

Jean Jacket

 

 I would love to hear how other people our transitioning their favorite summer pieces to fall.



Potter's Clay Culottes & Crop Top

The other day was my first day of school/work for the 2016-17 school year.   Here are my educator stats to date:

 

🍎 Starting year #9

🍎 3 Schools: Buena Vista, Queen Elizabeth, Lakeview, and now I work in a variety of schools supporting teachers in Prek-Gr. 8

🍎 1 School Divisions
🍎 Grades taught: PreK-Gr.4
🍎 Most experience in: Early Years (K-Gr.2)
🍎 Students taught: ~250 +
🍎 Principals: 4
🍎 Provinces taught in: Saskatchewan, Canada

 

 

Many teachers prepare their first day of school outfits in the same fashion as students :)    For me it wasn't so much the first day but the second, when all the teachers in our school division get together for a beginning of a new school year celebration.  I knew that I wanted to wear these  culotte pants that I snagged while doing a little bit of shopping in London this past summer.  You could say it was love at first sight with the cut/style and even more so with the color;  I was super pumped to see the potter's clay color in the pantone fall 2016 color palette.  The other color I am super excited to wear this fall is the spicy mustard!

 

 

I paired these sweet pants up with my new crop top from Top Shop, which I will wear all winter long under a blazer, and it pairs nicely with my circle skirt that I wore last week and heels.  And this year I was able to snag my very own back to school backpack from Zara.  

 Shop the Look: 

Culottes (similar) option 1; option 2

Backpack (similar): Simons

Crop top: Top Shop

Happy back to school everyone!!!