Category Archives: bows

Ode to Books

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I am immersed in books. At work, I help students with reading comprehension, I facilitate discussions about literature, and then I help students write about the books they’ve read. At school, I read and research and write about literature. At home, I read to my children and listen to my six-year-old as he reads aloud. When I volunteer in his classroom, I am often asked to help his classmates as they struggle through phonics readers. In the playground, I bring picture books and read to the children who want a break from more active play.

And I love it, all of it. If someone had told me when I was a kid that this would be my life when I grew up, I would have been utterly content.

After all, I was the otherwise obedient child who read under my covers at night by the dim light of my nightlight and then swiftly pretended to be asleep when my mama would come to check on me. I was the child who preferred reading to playing, to watching television, to playing video games, to practically everything. I was the child for whom books was the ultimate pleasure, a world where I could see and experience all things and all places and all times.

I’m still quite romantic about books. I still believe in the transcendent power of stories.

I also just really, really love books. I love the smell of books – the crisp smell of new paper and the musty smell of old tomes. I love how a book feels in my hand, I love the texture of the paper as I turn a page. I love the experience of curling up with a book in a comfy place. It is probably unsurprising, therefore, that as much as I embrace and often prefer the digital versions of newspapers and even magazines, I don’t like e-readers. They aren’t bad per se, but my attachment to the experience of reading actual books and to books as objects in and of themselves makes reading e-books a comparatively cold experience.


(I’m actually not a huge fan of Gertrude Stein. I think her work is fascinating and important, but it doesn’t move me. Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels have been on my reading list for a long time, but I’m determined to read them this summer. Then again, my summer reading list seems to add a few titles every other day, and Gaskell’s novels have been on the list since last summer.)

(Mostly, I picked these books because they matched my outfit!)

Sweater: vintage Philippe Adec silk and cashmere red sweater (hand-me-down from my mama)
Jacket: Marc Jacobs (old)
Shirt: J.Crew
Shorts: Q40 glam leather shorts (also worn here and here)
Tights: J.Crew
Shoes: J.Crew
Accessories: Chanel sunglasses (hand-me-down from my mama), Forever 21 headband and teal earring (worn as brooch), Herkimer diamond earrings from Principessa (gift from Yubo)
Nail Polish: essie turqoise and caicos
Lipstick: NARS Jungle Red lip liner and Red Lizard lipstick
Books: teal giraffe notebook by Florence Balducci for Anthropologie (gift), Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein, The Cranford Chronicles by Elizabeth Gaskell

Blue Bow Belt

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I was up for a good chunk of last night with my youngest son who came down with stomach flu yesterday so I had a hard time waking up this morning. I finally dragged myself out of bed about 10 minutes before I usually leave the house for work so I had barely enough time to throw on some clothes and dash out the door. I did my makeup in the car (does it make it better if I tell you I save my eye makeup for red lights?) and, to my dismay, I got a parking ticket at school today because in the rush this morning I had forgotten to switch my pass from my husband’s car, which I drove yesterday, to my car.

So yes, wrong side of bed today and all that.

Still, I absolutely love my job; it’s hands-down the most rewarding and enjoyable job I’ve ever had so this morning wasn’t a complete wash in the least. I started one-on-one conferencing with my students on their papers this morning as well, and that’s one of my favorite parts of teaching writing. You can do so much with a student one-on-one that just isn’t possible in a large group.

Except for brief periods where I wanted to be a ballerina (tutus! need I say more?), a singer (I have had a longtime and ongoing infatuation with female singer-songwriters), and a lawyer (like my mama!), I’ve really always wanted to be a teacher. I adored nearly all my teachers growing up, and the idealist in me has always wanted to do something that made a difference in the world for good. In my last year of college I was actually applying to teaching credential/education MA programs with the goal of becoming a high school English teacher, but the birth of my first child sort of derailed those plans. In the past several years, I’ve tried a few other careers, but nothing seemed to fit. So it makes me really happy now to be doing something that I not only believe in, but I really, really enjoy.

Since I was in such a rush this morning, I wasn’t really thinking about anything in particular when I threw my outfit together this morning, but I like how it ended up. I nearly always try to buy clothes that I know I can mix and match with other items in my closet. You know those magazine articles that show how you can wear one shirt 5 different ways? That’s how I think when I shop. If I can’t imagine several ways an item can be worn then it really has no business in my closet to begin with.

I’ve never really worn belts before this year so I’m hesitant to buy them because I’m not always sure how or what to wear them with. This little blue bow belt was an impulse buy last year during one of Nordstom’s big annual sales, and I almost regretted buying it after it hung in my closet unworn for months afterward. Lately, though, I think I’m getting the hang of this whole belt thing.

I think belts and other accessories are great ways to incorporate trends without a big commitment. For instance, neon colors are really big right now, but no matter how much I love these uber-popular neon bags from The Cambridge Satchel Company, I can’t afford to spend that much on something that I’m not ready to commit to wearing for the next 10 years at least. But this neon yellow belt from J.Crew? I think I could splurge on that (maybe next month though?), and I know I could wear it a ton of different ways. And then the canvas bag I’m wearing from fieldguided is a nice little nod to neon without being totally overwhelming or breaking the bank.

I’ve talked about this before, I think, but that’s part of why I really like nail polish as well. Not only is nail polish just plain fun, but it’s an easy, low-commitment way of incorporating bright and silly colors. I don’t like manicures (I know, I’m weird) so I buy my own polish and paint my nails myself. It’s not always never super perfect, but I feel better about buying one new nail polish color a month than I would about getting a manicure every few weeks.

My mama, however, is always a little appalled by my nail color choices, I think. I admit that perhaps I take a little teeny bit of pleasure in her mildly disapproving “tsk tsks” though. Maybe in another ten years I’ll have completely grown out of this little bit of post-teenage rebellion.

And then on the opposite spectrum are my pearls, a wedding gift from my grandmother, that I know I’ll be wearing when my own grandchildren are getting married. My grandmother originally bought me a very, very long string of freshwater pearls, which she then had split into two lengths – the long one I’m wearing now with a pearl shortener clasp (also a gift from my grandmother) that makes it a few inches shorter than it would be otherwise – and a choker length necklace that I wore on my wedding day. As a set I can wear them so many different ways.

Shirt: Mikkat Market (also worn here)
Dress: laurie b. cashmere and tulle shift, worn as skirt (also worn here)
Tights: J.Crew
Shoes: J.Crew
Bag: fieldguided
Accessories: Nordstrom blue leather skinny bow belt (similar at Forever 21), Forever 21 bow hair clip (old), pearls (gift from grandmother) worn with pearl shortener clasp (similar here), Herkimer diamond earrings from Principessa (gift from Yubo)
Nail Polish: essie turqoise and caicos
Lipstick: NARS Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Slouchy Style

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Today was my first day back at work. It’s hard to describe my job because it’s really sort of an odd gig. I guess it’s kind of like the TA-led discussion sections I had for large lectures in undergrad. Regardless, it was nice to see my students again even if they didn’t appear quite as excited as I was about returning to class. Because of that, we played an ice breaker game to ease the transition and I gave them candy.

Candy makes everything better. Except, I guess, your teeth.

This outfit just feels very slouchy to me, like everything is just hanging off my body. But not in a bad way, I hope. The tie-front blouse from Mikkat Market I’m wearing is one of my favorite pieces. I wear it with nearly everything; it’s very versatile. And I love the color of the BCBG Max Azria scarf I’m wearing. It’s actually two-tone with a bright pink-orange coral and then a more pale and subtle pink.

(I’m on the phone! Yubo called me mid-shoot.)

For the past year and a half I’ve embraced my inner geek and used a roller briefcase at school to carry my laptop and books. I actually have scoliosis. I’m fortunate that I still look pretty symmetrical from the outside (though my x-rays tell a different story), but carrying a heavy bag on a regular basis isn’t a good idea. This semester, however, I’m trying to carry a lighter load and use a large purse or canvas bag instead of my roller bag. I used to take all my notes on my laptop, but this semester I’m going back to handwritten notes. I think I retain the information better that way anyway. I’ll still have to use the roller on days I need to lug a lot of books to and from campus, but not everyday.

This canvas bag is from Kimchi Mamas, the Korean American mothering blog that I co-founded several years ago. On the front is the image of a woman in a hanbok wagging her finger (the Kimchi Mamas logo designed by one of our contributors, halfmama) and on the back is our motto: “Burn your tongue.”

(Why, hello there, toes.)

Blouse: Mikkat Market
Shirt: J.Crew
Pants: Mikkat Market
Bag: Kimchi Mamas canvas tote bag
Shoes: Marc Jacobs (old)
Scarf: BCBG Max Azria two-tone scarf
Nail Polish: essie watermelon

Uniform Redux

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This is, more or less, my non-jeans uniform. I definitely love a good pair of jeans and a comfy tee, but sometimes that gets kind of, well, boring.

And leather shorts are nothing if not fun.

I’m both a student and a mom, and that places certain limitations on my wardrobe (4 inch heels? um, no). It also, on the other hand, allows me some freedom (i.e. no office appropriate dress necessary). Whether I’m taking my kids to the park, attending classes, or going on a date with Yubo, I want to feel both comfortable and stylish. I want to have fun and feel pretty, but I don’t want my clothes to get in the way of the things I do.

These shorts, then, are perfect. They’re really, really comfortable, and I’ve been able to wear them all through winter over a pair of thick tights. A blouse and a blazer on top and I’m good to go.

(I’m really not mad. I promise!)

Shorts: Q40 glam leather shorts
Shirt: J.Crew
Blazer: Madewell
Tights: J.Crew
Shoes: J.Crew black suede wedges
Bag: vintage (ebay)
Accessories: Forever 21 white and gold bow headband, Anthropologie earrings, Tiffany engagement and wedding band, oli + me whisper ring
Nail Polish: essie turquoise and caicos and deborah lippmann Shake Your Groove Thing

Black and Blush

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This Marni bag belongs to my mama. I borrowed it before the holidays and haven’t yet returned it. I’m hoping she’ll forget about her pretty little bag and it’ll remain in my possession indefinitely.

Actually, a lot of my favorite pieces are either hand-me-downs or borrowed items from my mama’s closet. My mama is wonderful and so generous and has the best taste, and I’m so lucky she likes to share.

I don’t wear a lot of prints, but I loved this swan print shirt from ASOS. The swans are sort of art deco-ish. And the color – I’m totally obsessed with everything blush right now.

I don’t wear this coat very often, probably because it’s rarely cold enough in LA to justify a long coat. I’ve had it for years though and it was my first real grown-up coat. You can’t really tell from the picture, but it’s a toggle coat that has an extra set of pockets cut higher on the coat so that when you put your hands in, it looks like you’re wearing hand muffs. They make me happy.

The pants are from my friend Katherine’s shop Mikkat Market. All the clothes in her shop are so chic, and these wide-leg pants are on sale right now.

that little ring was a gift from Yubo (my husband’s blog name) on Christmas the year after our first child was born. Like my wedding rings, I wear it always.

Yay!

Shirt: ASOS swan print shirt
Pants: Mikkat Market wide leg pants
Coat: United Colors of Benetton (old)
Shoes: J. Crew
Bag: Marni (borrowed)
Accessories: Forever 21 bracelets and necklace, Anthropologie earrings, oli + me whisper ring
Nail Polish: essie turquoise and caicos and deborah lippmann Shake Your Groove Thing