Who's Your Fashion Guru?

Don't have one? Well get one! I am just now realizing who mine is.

 

 

Being a girl, a middle child, and brotherless I grew up surrounded by ladies. But who did I use as my fashion guide grwoing up? My father. Ask my sister and she'll gladly tell you of the giant T's and baseball caps I sported throughout my most awkward pre-teen years. Luckily I do not have access to any of those pictures to share with you. Use your imagination, it was bad.

 

In high school, after Kellie left for college my closet shrunk by half. Katie's, four years behind me, offered nothing more than you'd expect from a 12 year old girl. I was forced into suppling my own clothes. It didn't go well. Memories of too-long dresses, bad cable-knit sweaters and over-sized jeans (they were in style I swear!) come to mind. And one particular memory of walking up the junior wing and seeing a very familiar outfit on a teacher...ugh. Now I was that girl.

 

It wasn't until college, Finland and NYC did I really embrace clothing as more than body warmers and decency coverings. Looking through my wardrobe now it's coming to my attention that 1) I should've lived in the mid 1950's, 2) it consists of 85% skirts and dresses and 3) I think I dress like my Abuelita would have in her 20's.

 

Don't you love the Chihuaha accessories :)

 

I inherited some gorgeous pairs of shoes from her, and luckily we have

the same shoe size.

 

Love me some plaid, a $10 steal at my local consignment

 

Yes, my Abuelita had some giant grandma brooches and her fair share of costume jewlery, but I would say she was a woman of style. Evidence of her awesome style is in a frame at my parent's house. A beautiful picture of her on her quincenera wearing an amazing dress and staring off to the side. It's in black and white. The really cool thing is I know for a fact everyone in my family knows exactly which picture I'm referring to :) It's just one of those photos that get lodged in your brain.

 

Her lady-like style and her penchant for keeping her Ferragamos in their original boxes has taught me much of what I know about fashion.

Fill your closet with dresses and re-heel whenever needed.

 

 

 

 

 

A Love Affair with Lists

Have you ever stopped and thought, "just how far back has Laura been doing her List of Things to Do"? No? Well, I'm going to pretend that you have and now are desperately hoping that I will educate you on my love of listing. Take a tour of my yearly to-do lists starting in 2005...

As any good lister might confirm, there is something more enjoyable about picking up a pen and paper and taking the time to scratch off each individual triumph. That is why I have a pile of seven-year old papers stuffed in one of my yearly journals. 

The inaugural list, originally penned in Finland, inspired by my cousin.

2006's highlights included graduating from UofM, getting a full time job and moving to NYC

2007's included saving a whopping 6K for my impending marriage, watching my bffs get married and surviving Year 1 of teaching 

2008 was the year of my wedding, finishing my Masters, and completing 2 half marathons 

2009 was the year of moving back to MI, completing my Olympic triathlon, and paying off my student loan

2010 was the year of the BABY

And you know what? That's when I put down the pen and started blogging my List of Things. I like looking back on these, seeing the things I've been able to check off, seeing which I can never seem to accomplish (cycling a century and visiting the Empire State Building have yet to happen!). I'm averaging about 50% goal completion on a yearly basis. Which reminds me I better get moving on this years list....

  

Hello, Goodbye

Opposite events occurred these past two days that have left my mind in a twist. A very happy thing; a birth A very sad thing; a death. Both such pivotal moments for the friends and family for each. One with only happy thoughts, as well they should be. The other with a wealth of thoughts ranging from the happiest to the saddest.

Whenever a friend has a baby I seem to remember the very best parts of having a newborn. I mean, exclusively. You just don't think about all the hard adjusting that comes along with that cute bundle. And I guess that's probably how people end up having more than one. Of course, now that I'm in the full-swing of having a 2.3 year-old I'm wondering if we'll ever sign up for another...:)

That is the good side of the spectrum. Then comes the very opposite of birth. Saying goodbye. I don't have the right word to describe her connection to me. Co-worker is too removed, aquaintance too cold, close friends we never were, but I think she'd be comfortable with me naming her as friend and ally in the classroom.

I've only ever called her by her last name. She witnessed my inaugural year of teaching in NYC. She tried to help me as best she could. She threated her class with dire warnings whenever they came to me for Social Studies lessons, and she helped me feel like I wasn't the only one who had gotten emotionally trampled their first year. Although she had plenty of first-hand stories to share about her many unbelievable incidents, I still couldn't believe them. Because who would, or could ever disrespect a teacher personality such as hers? Whover did was a braver or crazier student than I have met.

I sat in on a couple of her ELA lessons in hopes of having some of her power rub off on me. I don't think it ever did, or could. It would be a hilarious sight to see me try to summon her ability to yell, or give off a world-class teacher stare down like she could. But what I did learn from watching her is that she knew the students were going to listen to her. You could hear it in her voice and see it in her body-language. While my stomach knotted when her kids rounded the corner, and lined up lazily in front of my door (for a double-period of hell on earth each Friday afternoon), my face would blanch an even whiter shade of pale and I would not know if I could hook them into listening, let alone sitting down in their assigned seats. I didn't have that power that teachers like her could summon. And the kids smelled it like a dog catching a fresh scent.

But time passed, and I fell into my way of teaching. And we came to share a wall my last year at IS 52, both teaching on the same floor. And because I am who I am I used some sick days occassionally for not-so-sick time off. And every time I would return she would come into my room the next morning and look at me and say "I could tell you were gone yesterday by the amount of times I heard yelling coming through that wall!" I loved hearing that :) I guess that means my kids where total monsters, but the point is they weren't for me :) I  give credit her for helping me get to be better, and survive my first year.

 

Death makes me remember the last time we spoke, or saw eachother or reminisced about those crazy moments. And happily my last time doing all of those things with Ms. Waldman was over a delicious brunch at Essex among friends, where I got to show off my little HP baby-bump and see her in a good health.

 

Whenever encountering what I feel is the craziest, or most disrespectful or simply uncontrolable child I think to myself, "no way will it ever be harder than Waldman's 7A5 in 2006". What doesn't kill us makes us stronger though, and Waldman definatly made me a stronger teacher. And I will miss her.

Necessary and Beautiful

I was chatting with my mom a few days ago in regards to house decor and I cited some article I'd read earlier that stated you should only put things in your home which are one of two things; necessary or beautiful. I don't know what you house looks like, but mine....I could do with some lightening up.

And that got me to thinking about the things we do every day. Why shouldn't the same be true? I should  only make a priority out of things that are either necessary (making the moo-lah to eat, clothe ourselves, and shelter us) and do things that help beautify the world or space around us.
I think it comes from working where I do, and among the population that I have, but its really easy to look around and see that I have it good.

So, in an effort to align my words into actions I've done the following:

1. coach soccer now, and will commit to coaching the girls in the spring- for as much grief, heartache. angry-girl noise that comes with coaching (or just interacting) with the pre-teen set, it is waaaaayyyy worse seeing those girls drop out, not participate, lose interest or get intimidated out of sports. We need girls in sports. We need healthy bodies and good female relationships. 
2. sign up for adult ESL again- although just a 2 hour a week commitment it can feel really looong. Maybe its because the learners don't actively try to leave, or heckle you or otherwise make you not want to teach them, but 2 hours of pure English learning is a lot in one sitting :) For me anyway. Last year I tried to set up play dates with some of the women who had children. I don't think I got my point across well enough, no calls. 
3. re-heel ALL of my boots and shoes that need it- it took awhile but I located a place to save me from having to buy new shoes and toss ones that still have life in them 
4. make my coffee at home- a little piece of my soul dies when I purchase a throw away cup...and pay $4 for it...

That's it for now...not earth-shattering no, but something to think about and add to over time. 

School's in Session

Since summer break has offivially ended for me 2 weeks ago now, I have been doing less and less of the fun and more and more of the necessary. Such is life.

School welcomed me back with an even bigger caseload of ESL students this year. I service the wee ones, from Young 5's to 2nd grade. Last year most of my time was spent in kindergarten, but with the population of the school being a very transient one, many of those kids have moved elsewhere, maybe to return? But in the meantime I have plenty to do. The very best thing about being a paraprofessional is that you can work hard during the day, do what needs doing and then leave it promptly at the door when (in my case) 3pm rolls around.

Although, not for much longer...

Soccer season starts again tomorrow. Didn't I just get done coaching??? Time flies, blar de blar.

Because in my heart of hearts I am still a teacher, I need an action plan for the fall. So here it is, in no particular order:

order and drink a pumpkin spice latte immediatly upon hearing they are back

do a nice long bike ride (dare I hope a century?)

win a soccer game...

pick apples at Robinette's

volunteer at adult ESL

learn to crochet

get a family portrait done

harvest my garden!

host my annual Art Prize brunch

run my 5ks with sister Katie

trip to Ann Arbor to soak up the football atmosphere, shop at Trader Joes and revel in the back to school spirit :)

Oh Fall....I'm running toward you with open arms!



Summer Series: The Recap

I bet you were wondering what happened to week 6 of 6? Well, it came and went in a blink of an eye, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't even remember the details anymore but there were playdates, sleepovers, tickle fights and visits to the far off land of Chicago. 

Let me tell you how much I love this city. It is my kind of city. It calls for me...Truly truly. NYC had an energy that didn't quit, Chicago has a great pulse but you can always find a nearby place to take a mental time out. And please, it has Lake Michigan. What's not to love.

I resurrected my New York walking legs and promptly wore them out with huge wrong turns and epic walks.

I bought a dress at Zara that was destined to be mine. Love it. I had to justify the purchase by saying that a) it was on sale and b) I could maybe wear it to work with a cardigan. We'll see if I actually do.

I had a delicious $5 brunch with a H.S. girlfriend now residing in this great city, and who I live vicariously through occasionally :)

I met up with my BFF and her fiance direct from taking (and passing, let's be honest :) ) the NY Bar. They let me crash in their hotel, and brought us all up to the great city of Grand Rapids. They got to experience little HP in all his glory, he even sent them to bed with a gentle hug for both of them.

Thanks for coming! It's my turn to visit next :)

So I have come to the end of my summer adventures 2012. I went back to school this past Monday. Planned some plans, scheduled some schedules, etc. etc. Looks like its shaping up to be another full year. Get ready for my next chapter of adventures, hopefully to include:

completing my first bicycle century

coaching boys soccer

getting back to Chicago with Jon

at least 2 more beach trips

and more 

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