Fall Wish List!

As with last summer, I will waste no time in preparing myself mentally and wardrobally for autumn. (I made that word up. Blogger doesn't like it.) Mostly, I just can't wait for this awful heat to break so that life will be less sweaty. Here are a few things I've got my eye on for the cooler weather.

TOMS Scottish Houndstooth Classics

American Eagle's Straight fit jeans

Stella & Dot's Colette necklace

Express (Minus The) Leather Quilted Moto Jacket

Steve Madden's BDAINTY bag

PSL, obviously!

Express Leopard Infinity Scarf (lovelove leopard print!)

And of course...

Target's Mossimo Supply Co. Pocket tee

What's on your autumn shopping list?

Muses

Lately I've been really into SIMPLE outfits - solid colors, easy, basic pieces, clutches & envelopes, contrast - and tumblr has been a great help to my imagination.

Princess Kate? Oh yes. I. Did. I miiiiiiight be a secret Anglophile.
What's been influencing you lately? Style, food, ideas, anything!

Lacking

I need more leopard print in my life.

Autumn Dreaming

I am a well documented autumn enthusiast. So much so that it is barely summer and I'm already planning my fall wardrobe. I can't help it! Autumn has SO MUCH going for it! For example:

• many tasty flavors, such as apple & pumpkin
• the BEST weather - so cozy!

To me, autumn - September especially - always feels like a new beginning. New school year, new clothes, new chances.. I love it! And, despite it being barely July, I am 100% obsessed with this outfit. Maybe I'll land a job in an over-air-conditioned building with a Casual Friday tradition and be able to make this dream a reality before November. Fingers crossed!

autumn 2011 by ellahungerford featuring tote handbags

Teacher Shoes - Update

Man, I had SO. MUCH. TROUBLE. trying to get my paws on these flats!

I wish I could tell you that they were worth my trouble, but sadly, they weren't.
First, Crocs doesn't seem to be very good at keeping these shoes in stock, so I did a significant amount of hunting around on the Internet to find the size and color combination I needed. I first ordered them through shoebuy.com (the cheapest price I could find!).  Every review I'd read said that they ran big, so I ordered a size down. After waiting (im)patiently for them to arrive, I was disappointed to discover that the size 7 flats were still too big. So back they went.

I tried again through shoes.com on Amazon.  I ordered the size 6 this time (two sizes smaller, oy!) and ended up with a shoebox marked size 6 and shoes marked size 8.  Returned AGAIN.

I finally managed to find them in a size 6 on Piperlime, but they were backordered, so I didn't receive them until early last week.  I wore them on Friday because the weather was beautiful and it was my last day of student teaching. By 10am it was obvious that these shoes weren't working - they pinched my toes and rubbed my heels.. my feet are still mad at me, two days later. :(

Luckily, I decided to buy myself a pair of Puma Speed Cat sneakers for my birthday, which I've been wearing almost daily.  They're comfortable, supportive, and not too sneaker-y.

Next on my list is a pair of these preppy cuties...

Productive Procrastination

I am completely in love with this Coach tunic, but $200 for a cotton shirt is highway robbery.

a girl can dream by missellajane featuring white gold earrings

Time for iced coffee (spring is almost here!) and objectives. Womp womp.

Teacher Shoes

So much for those pictures I said I was going to take.. Monday is a new week. I'll be better.

The hardest part of student teaching so far is the standing-all-day bit.  I wore flats on my first day without taking into account that they didn't have ANY support.  I died.  And then I wore sneakers for the rest of the week.  But sneakers aren't that cute, so I finally gave in to the fact that I'll need Teacher Shoes.  Not tryna be rude, but real Teacher Shoes are fug.  Think clunky Mary Janes and Danskos...

Sorry but no. I'm sure they're comfy as hale, but that sh!t is just not me. Plus I am committed to the idea of being a hot teacher. So I appealed to the Internet for help finding cute shoes with support, please! And like magic: Crocs. Don't get ahead of me - Crocs make plenty of cute shoes and here is the proof:

I bought these - they look like regular flats, yes?
The reviews say they feel like slippers. Sign me up.

Ruffles? I'll take them.

Preppy AND cute!

I love boots! These are next on my list.

Should my Crocs not work out, I got plenty of other great suggestions - Dr. Scholl's (duh), Cole Haan, Clarks, Toms (not so sure about the support in Toms..), Børn, Tory Burch (who knew!). Unfortunately, NONE of these are cheap shoes.. my Crocs were pretty inexpensive so I've got my fingers crossed.

What kind of shoes do you wear to work?

And So It Begins..

I have been SO busy writing lesson plans and thinking up projects and making worksheets that I've been neglecting the Internet (or at least my blog).  My first week of student teaching begins next Monday, so I probably won't be blogging much for the next few months, but I promise that I'll do what I can.

In the meantime, my empty bank account has been fueling wild Polyvore set creations and huuuge additions to my Amazon wishlist.  My birthday isn't until March but don't worry - I'm ready for it.

birthday11 by missellajane featuring a hinged bangle

..... Oh.  The vitamins?  I SAID I was broke.

Vera, Vera on the Wall..

All right, I admit it.  I own MULTIPLE Vera Bradley bags.  And I'm not ashamed!  I know a lot of people dislike Vera Bradley, but I'm a sucker for good prints and some of these are just so lovely.

Yellow Bird

Make Me Blush

Java Blue

Raspberry Fizz

Peacock

Baroque

They also have a line of great solid microfiber and nylon bags.  I use a big VB bag for school - it has a ton of pockets to keep my sh!t organized, long shoulder straps, and enough room for a laptop, binders, and miscellaneous items.

What's your go-to school/work bag?  How do you feel about VB?

Watch Me!

I have a bit of an odd love for watches, considering that I rarely wear them.  (Confession: even when I wear a watch, I still have no idea what time it is!  I have mini panic attacks when someone asks me :oops:).  This obviously does not stop me from buying watches, shopping for watches, adding watches to my wishlist, or blogging about watches.

Over the summer I bought this white silicone watch from Overstock

I'd been wanting a white watch for AGES (literally; since Dior's Christal watches were introduced, I've been a little obsessed) and my sister already had Fossil's Stella watch, which is a great alternative to more expensive ceramic watches.

I really like my Overstock watch, EXCEPT for: 1) it ticks very loudly, and 2) the strap is silicone, so it sticks to my wrist, especially in warm weather.  So the search continues.  I also bought a watch similar to this one from Target for ~$20

I have no complaints about this watch, but lately I've been feeling like I should have a more grown-up watch.. or at least one that cost more than $25.
... Like this beautiful rose gold Michael Kors chronograph watch

Or the equally gorgeous Michael Kors tortoise Jet Set watch

I think I'm partial to the tortoise, but really, I'd accept either ;)

Do you wear a watch?  Show us pictures!

TiLT #14, Christmas Edition

♥ Reading about weird sh!t ♥ Family time ♥ Holiday parties ♥ Headbands ♥ Knowing who will always be there ♥ Onion bagels ♥ Leopard print ♥ 7am gym routines ♥ Google Reader ♥ The Real Housewives series (especially Atlanta.. ohh dear) ♥ Sequins ♥ Trouser jeans ♥ How to Train Your Dragon ♥ Patricia Field's rhinestone brass knuckles (for decoration ONLY, guys) ♥ MC's "All I Want for Christmas is You" on repeat ♥ B&N coffee dates ♥ My sweet, sweet GPA ♥ Running into old friends ♥ Salted caramel hot chocolate (always 'n' forever) ♥ Making new outfit combinations ♥ Plaid ♥ Pink leather 2011 planners (yes, I caved) ♥ Knitting! ♥ Being challenged ♥ Workin' on my fitness - even if it means limping around the next day ♥ Firefox 4.0 beta ♥ Seasonal flavors ♥ PeaceKeeper "Cause-Metics" (I found this fresh nail polish at Wegmans - it's vegan?!) ♥ Not having to fold my own laundry ♥ Waking up to new snow ♥ All the bangin' recipes that Stacy has been posting ♥ The 2nd Annual Snowman Building Contest ♥ Champagne ♥ Gift anticipation ♥ Glow in the dark ♥

A little short this week, but I'm sure next week I'll have plenty of NEW things to love :wink: Keep your eyes peeled for the follow-up to my resolution post! Have a safe & happy holiday!

Cyber Monday

I tried so hard to resist Cyber Monday, friends...
Welllllllll, to be honest, I made my first Cyber Monday purchase while laying in bed with a headache this morning.  But I had very good intentions!  I think I was downright restrained.. ;)

Ann Taylor Loft Long & Lean Cardigan

Ann Taylor Loft Scuba Jacket with Ruffle Hem (in black!)

Steve Madden Bruffler (I really love ruffles??)

And everything was on super sweet sale! How could I have resisted? Did you get any sweet deals today?  I love show & tell!
(And just btw, can we please appreciate Loft for NOT airbrushing out dumb things, like wrinkles in jeans?   Homegirl in the cardigan picture looks straight up SLOPPY by some catalog standards.)