The Call of the Wild

Dress, Cardigan

Academia: Today, there was a squirrel in our teacher resource room, which our admissions coordinator caught and released into the wild. But today refused to top out weirdness-wise with the squirrel, because then there was nearly pornographic photo shoot in front of our building, which was a whole different kind of "the wild."

I didn't see it, but apparently there were bikini-clad teenage girls posing seductively and smoking cigarettes for a photo spread called "Smokin' Hot on Campus." In attendance at this photo shoot were the girls, the photographers, my boss (only for the 30 seconds it took her to rip them to shreds and throw them off our non-smoking campus), and almost every male student we have, at least half of whom are from conservative Muslim countries and often aren't really even used to seeing women's upper arms in public. Among the many issues I have with this, here are the most salient:

1. Our campus is non-smoking, and we have been reprimanded repeatedly because our students won't stop smoking on campus. So thanks for the good example, "Smokin' Hot" ladies.
2. A university isn't church or anything, but it is where people go to learn and better themselves. Seriously, a little respect for the educational process.
3. Does anyone really still think smoking is cool?
4. The name of the talent agency representing these ladies was a play on words that referred to losing one's virginity. So, yeah. Gross.

Sartorial: I felt positively puritanical in this outfit compared to the bikini girls. But unlike them, I was appropriately dressed to be on a college campus. Or, you know, anywhere not called "the beach." I've already worn this dress and cardigan together in my 30x30, but I like the combination so much and I tried to change up the accessories so it didn't look the same. And hey, I was clothed and I wasn't smoking. Win-win. (Win.)

A No Nagging Day

Brian's Etsy Shop 

Academia: The Semester That Wouldn't End drags on. Today was pretty good though. Probably because I didn't have to remind anyone for the eight millionth time that US immigration really does care if you have a student visa and never go to class. Tomorrow is another day, though. I spent most of the day on the phone trying to find housing and volunteer placements for some special programs that we have coming up, and had a fair amount of success, which reminded me that I really do love my job and it's not all nagging people who think it's unfair that they have to go to class.

Sartorial: I never would have thought to wear a blouse over this dress before the 30x30, but this is the third time I've done it now. I love it. No tucking in, no readjusting a skirt, but I still get to look polished. I've had this dress since high school, and it's a little gray with age, but I'm so glad I never got rid of it. It's truly been one of the MVPs of this 30x30.

Finite Incantatem

Jeans, TOMS, Brian's Etsy Shop

Academia: Work, classes, blah blah. The real news today is that Cary and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

My love for Harry Potter is pretty serious. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "What's a muggle?" and 10 being "I made my own Sorting Hat and it put me in Gryffindor," I'd put myself at a solid 8.5. I haven't made my own Sorting Hat. Yet. But I did take the Facebook Sorting Hat quiz. Ravenclaw, if you're wondering. So it was with great eagerness that I went to the movie theater tonight, and I was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried, I clutched Cary's arm, I cried some more. I even applauded. Although I really wanted to clap way more than the rest of the audience seemed to. Seriously, an ass-kicking Neville Longbottom? Even if you read the book and knew it was coming, how do you not burst into applause? So yeah, two thumbs up.

Sartorial: I didn't set out this morning to look like I was about to board the Hogwarts Express, but when I looked at myself in the mirror just before heading to the movie, I realized that I kind of did. Long, floaty black top? Long, floaty dark pants? Just slap a scarf in my house colors on me and I'm ready for Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

P.S. I put a bunch of links to Wikipedia articles about Harry Potter in this post, in case you haven't read the books and have no idea what I'm talking about. Although if you haven't read the books, I'm not sure how helpful these will really be. Sorry.

Hogwarts, here I come!

Listening Ears

TOMS

Academia: As student life coordinator in my program, I'm the person the students come to with personal problems. Usually, these are problems like, "I got a parking ticket," or "I have a sore throat," and they're pretty easy to deal with and move on from. Today, however, was a day of BIG personal problems, or problems that were small but extremely personal - not problems that I could always help with either.

Did your teacher ever tell you to put on your listening ears when you were a kid? I'm a teacher, and I told myself that today. Sometimes I get in a hurry when I'm helping students because I know there's a line outside my door and everyone wants to see me in the 15 minutes they have between classes, but today I had to remind myself to really slow down and listen to people. I think I need to do that more often anyway; today was a good start.

Sartorial: This is the second time in this 30x30 that I've worn this dress under a shirt, and I really like it. It's comfortable but still put-together-looking. I love how the 30x30 is helping me find new ways to wear things. This is my 15th outfit, so I'm halfway there. I may not be singing the same tune 15 outfits from now, but for now, I'm happy.

P.S. The glasses are because I didn't sleep well and couldn't stand the idea of putting contacts into my sleepy eyes. But I think they make me look serious and guidance counselor-y, which is exactly how I needed to be at work today. Maybe I should wear them more often?

Fancy Fourth

Brian's Etsy Shop 

Academia: Happy Independence Day to my American readers! And if you're not American, happy Monday! I've got to be honest with y'all. I didn't really wear this today. Cary and I spent most of the day painting our bedroom (part of our five-iversary gift to ourselves) with Brian's help, and now we're watching a movie, and in a little while, we're going to a cookout at Suzanne and Mike's. We had our big Independence Day celebration yesterday, a fish fry with Cary's family in his hometown, so it was nice to spend today getting things done around the house and spending time with friends.

Sartorial: Like I said, I didn't actually wear this today. I realized that all my 30x30 clothes are work clothes, and I didn't want to be quite that dressy to paint and eat barbecue. Mostly I wore a paint-spattered t-shirt and basketball shorts, and then for the cookout I'm going to wear this same blouse with a pair of shorts. But if I had been going somewhere dressy, I think this would have been perfect. At any rate, I had fun playing dress-up for the blog today.

It's Like a Heatwave Burning in My Heart (and My Skin, and Basically Everywhere)

Cardigan

Academia: A fairly normal day. Business meeting. Seminars for new students. Calls to the infirmary for old students. Hikes across campus. But all in the hottest, most humid weather ever. It was 90 degrees and 100% humid, and it would rain for 10 minutes at a time, which only served to make things more humid. It was like walking around in a sauna. It's like this every summer, but after a week in California, it seems particularly awful. I promise I won't gripe about the weather every day. It was just gross today, and I'm mad I'm not still in Monterey.

Sartorial: I had to look business-like today for all my activities, and I swear I tried to get up the will to wear the only pair of heels I put in my 30x30, but I just couldn't. With all the walking and sweating I knew I was going to do, I put the sandals on and figured people could just deal. And they did, as far as I can tell. Probably they were too busy trying to keep their own sweat under control.

Aaaaaand that's about as much time as I want to spend thinking about other people's sweat. And probably about as much time as you want to hear about it. So let me just go lie under a ceiling fan, and I'll see y'all tomorrow.

Headband First

T-shirt, Brian's Etsy Shop

Academia: Nothing like diving headfirst into an orientation week to shake off that last little bit of vacation lethargy and jet lag! Today started our half semester, so there was no time to ease back into work. I ran around like a crazy person from 8:00-5:00, and lucked out that no students wanted to look at apartments this evening, or I'd still be doing that right now. It was a good day, and it's good to be back at work and in a routine. It was just kind of like diving headfirst into a very cold swimming pool - a shock at first, but then gradually more and more comfortable.

Sartorial: I'm back to (albeit waaaay behind on) the 30x30. This is my fourth outfit. I didn't ban myself from shopping during this challenge, but I don't really see the point since I can't wear anything new until this is over, and I'm not one to buy something and not wear it right away. So when I felt in a shoppy mood yesterday, I bought this headband and designed my outfit around it. I really liked the way it turned out, and I probably wouldn't have thought to put any of this together before, so yay for the 30x30! I'm happy to be back in this sartorial routine as well.

P.S. These earrings are no longer for sale because my lovely mother-in-law bought them for me for my birthday! Thanks, Sheryl (and happy birthday to you today)!

Extra-Curricular: Church Lady

Hey y'all. For the next 10 days, I'm on vacation in sunny California. But never fear - Academia Sartorial will carry on! I have a series called "Extra-Curricular" lined up, which will feature what I wear when I'm not in the world of academia, as well as a few guest posts from some awesome bloggers I know you'll love. So without further ado...

Academia: One thing I do other than work at a university is go to church. Cary and I go to an Anglican church not far from our house, and we love it. Our priest is a great guy, the teaching is right on, and we have good friends there, including both of our siblings and their families. We go to the contemporary (read: guitar music) service at 11:00, and we usually get lunch afterwards with friends.

Sartorial: This outfit is pretty typical of what I wear to church every week. Our church is pretty informal, and people wear everything from ties to sneakers. There aren't any restrictions about ladies covering their shoulders or heads, so this outfit was fine for a Sunday service. However, it's normally at subzero temperatures in the sanctuary. I guess, "Thou shalt freeze thy brethren to death, thus necessitating the use of a jacket even when it's 95 degrees outside," is a commandment my Sunday school forgot to teach me.

I asked God for a breeze to make me look windblown and model-y.

T-Minus 12 Hours

Earrings

Academia: Here it is: my last day before vacation. I really want today to feel like the last day of school, or at least a Friday, but it feels more like the day before a final exam. A bunch of stuff that I'm normally responsible for has to happen without me next week, and putting the mechanisms in place for it to run itself, knowing that I won't be here to fix anything, is a bit stressful. It's not that I don't trust the people who are filling in for me; I do. I just want everything to be super easy for them since they're already doing me a huge favor by helping out, and I want my boss to be impressed by my organizational skills since I'm new to this job.

Luckily, I know myself well enough to look forward to the moment the plane takes off and I forget I ever had any responsibilities at all. The further I am from work, the less responsible I feel. And since California is 3000 miles away, I'm anticipating a pretty carefree vacation.

One reason I'm going to be carefree is that I have some great guest bloggers lined up, as well as a series on what I wear in the non-academia part of my life. So don't you go on vacation too - Academia Sartorial will be up and running the whole time I'm gone!

Sartorial: I'm really loving the 30x30. Today I wanted to wear something I'm not bringing to California, which restricted my choices even more severely than the normal restraints of the 30x30 do, so I tried something new to me and layered a shirt over a dress. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, and I got compliments, so I think the general public was pleased too.

Follow-Up: Yesterday I made some predictions about how my day would go. Let's see how many came true!

1. Student medical services will call because they can't understand our students. They didn't, although I did interact with them in other ways yesterday.
2. At least one student will have a weird problem I couldn't have anticipated. A student had her bike stolen, which was unusual, but I kind of anticipated it because I wrote a blurb for our student newsletter this week about bike theft prevention. My boss asked me to write it, so I guess she really anticipated this one, not me.
3. I will discuss Monday's storm with another faculty member. I discussed it with my mom, not a faculty member. I was busy yesterday and didn't have a lot of chatting time.
4. At least one student will stop by to say hello and will make me laugh. Lots of students said hey as they passed my office, but no one hung around to amuse me. I guess they had to go to "class" or whatever. Jeez, students.

So clearly my predicting skills aren't 100%. Good thing I didn't pursue my other dream of being a psychic.

I'm a Travelin' (wo)Man

Earrings

Stripes on stripes!

I'm going to bypass the Academia/Sartorial section today because I have a lot to say about the Friend Friday questions. All you need to know about my outfit today is that I forgot to safety-pin my belt to my skirt to keep it from riding up, so after an hour of constantly adjusting it at work, I stapled it. The staples didn't show because the belt is metallic, and I was saved a lot of aggravation. Office supplies FTW.

Now, on to the Friend Friday questions! They're about packing for travel, and I love to travel. I've traveled a bit around the US, including Puerto Rico, and since 2002 I've visited Europe four times, each time for at least three weeks. Packing for long trips like that is a challenge and I definitely get tired of the clothes I bring with me, but I love spending enough time in a place to get to know it a bit, so I keep doing it. So far, I've been to the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales), Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Turkey. This summer, Cary and I are staying stateside and going to California for 10 days. We're leaving June 16, and I can't wait!

When it comes to packing for vacation, what's your mantra? After a grueling seven weeks of hauling a 70-pound suitcase around Spain and Switzerland in college, my mantra is "lighter is better." Mainly because Cary resigned as my bag-carrier after he had to carry that suitcase through Zurich, a city made entirely of stairs. So I try to pick pieces with a lot of versatility, or that can be worn over and over again (hello, jeans), and I bring a lot of accessories to jazz them up. Accessories don't weigh much.

Ronda, Spain, 2005. I wore this shirt and these shorts alllll summer.

What are your must packs? Comfortable shoes are number one. I'm pretty unconcerned about being my most fashionable when I'm going on a trip that requires a lot of walking, and most of our trips do. I've found that nothing will make me hate beautiful palace, museum, or cathedral more than having sore feet and a sore back. Besides that, a cardigan or jacket for layering is a must. I get cold easily, and freezing on a plane or at night in a new climate is the worst. And of course, I always bring the camera (although Cary takes all the pictures).

El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico, 2009. My Keens sandals aren't pretty, but they kept me from falling on my booty while hiking in the rainforest.

What are you happy to leave behind? I will be happy to leave my laptop behind on our upcoming trip to California - it's heavy! Cary has an iPad, so we can check email or update our travel blog easily from that. In the summer, I'm always happy to leave the heat and humidity of my home state behind as well. Almost anywhere else has better weather right now.

Any packing secrets to get everything into one suitcase? First, don't pack too much. Really think about what you need and if the pieces you chose can be worn more than one way. If you're going to be gone for more than about 10 days, plan to do laundry while you're there. Once you've narrowed it down to the bare essentials, rolling your clothes saves space. So does bringing travel-sized containers of shampoo, sunscreen, etc. (and if you're carrying your bags on a plane, rather than checking them, security requires you to do that anyway). Finally, you might consider getting a suitcase that can expand to accommodate more stuff if necessary. I have this bag from Rick Steves' website, and I love it. It's size-adjustable, can be worn as a backpack, and is carry-on sized. I find that this bag, completely full, is about as much as I can reasonably carry anyway.

Kings Cross Station, London, England, 2008. Heading to Hogwarts with all my luggage.

Beach reading... what are you taking with you to read in the sand? I'm not going to the sand this year (I live in a coastal state), but I've been reading Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon this summer, and it's great beach reading - historical fiction/sci-fi/romance/action thriller. Last year in Austria and Germany, I read the entire series of Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde on my iPod (thank you, Kindle app), and loved them. And when I was in England three years ago, I read a crime thriller set in Yorkshire, the name of which I can't remember. It's always fun to read novels that are set in the place you're visiting. Maybe I'll try to find a book set in California this year, although it will not be The Grapes of Wrath. That book is definitely not vacation reading.

Not a Father's Day

Earrings 

Academia: Nothing unusual to report, except that I turned in my online driving school certificate at the courthouse. Why is it that government offices are always slower than molasses in January? Is the work that complicated, or that uninspiring? All I wanted to do was hand my certificate to a live person, and it took me half an hour. *End gripe*

Sartorial: How do y'all like my necktie-belt? Cary got it for me over the weekend. He and Brian were out buying stuff (I think for my birthday) and they saw this belt in a $1 bin. Brian thought it was a tie and wanted to buy it, but then they realized it was an awesome $1 belt and bought it for me. It's kind of funny - my birthday is on Father's Day this year, and they got me a pseudo-tie. Well, I think it's funny. Y'all don't have to. Anyway, I really like it. It's like a combination of an obi and a necktie. Since the colors are pretty loud, I tried to tone down the rest of the outfit, and I'm pleased with how it all turned out. Happy Not a Father's Day to me, indeed.

I Want to Hold Your Hand

Dress, Cardigan 

Academia: I've been an advisor in my program for almost a year now, and over that time, I've learned a lot. I've learned that Google Translate is my BFF. I've learned that you can giggle just as easily with a woman who speaks two words of your language as you can with a girlfriend, because the things we giggle about - like men - don't change from culture to culture. And I've learned that while some students never need my help, some students always need my help. This is true every day, but I saw a few "always need help" students today, so I've been turning it over in my mind this afternoon.

I think it's that moving to a new country affects different people in different ways. Some people hit the ground running and are perfectly happy figuring things out on their own. Others reach for the nearest outstretched hand (mine) and grab on tight. I'm happy working with both kinds of students, but I get to know the hand-holders a lot better because I see them all the time. I know when I see them in the hall that they are going to have a question, even if they hadn't thought of it until the moment they saw me. Living abroad is scary, you know? If I can make it less scary, even if I have to do the same things over and over for the same students, I think it's worthwhile.

Sartorial: Holding people's hands is easier in comfortable clothes, and this outfit is supremely comfortable. I didn't change when I got home because it's so comfortable. I had something different planned, but overslept and didn't have time to iron. And while this is yet another black dress belted with this cardigan, I felt happy in it, so I declare that it worked. I like declaring things. I also declare that "supposably" is not a word, that the beach at Pawleys Island, SC, is the best in the world, and that everyone should watch and love Doctor Who.

Answered Prayer = Busy Day

Cardigan, Brian's Etsy shop 

Academia: It was a busy, busy day. I started at 8:00 with the first meeting of my work prayer group. I've started getting together with two other Christian faculty members once a week to pray for our students and each other. It was such a great way to start the week, and it quickly became clear that God was definitely listening when I prayed to be given lots of opportunities to help the students this week. I ended up needing to walk to the infirmary (20 minutes from my office) to help a beginning-level student get immunized because he had no idea what any of the nurses were saying to him, as well as write an insurance appeal letter for another student, two things I've never done before. It was great to help in new ways, but between all of that and getting ready for Cary's birthday tomorrow and a meeting at church this evening, I'm wiped out!

Also, I was checking blogs in a slow minute this morning and saw that I got a shout-out from Shea at Bon Chic Bon Gastronomique today. It was a great surprise. Thanks, Shea!

Sartorial: I've been searching for the perfect cardigan for this dress forever, and I think I've finally found it. I felt polished and stayed cool, except for my 40-minute round trip to the infirmary, because it's really impossible to stay cool for 40 minutes in 95-degree heat. But I loved the nude shade with the bright turquoise of the dress, and got an, "Oooh, teacher!" from a student. A high compliment indeed.

Going to the Chapel

Academia: Cary and I went to a wedding yesterday, in the neighboring town to the town where we got married almost five years ago. It was a morning wedding, starting at 11:30, and the ceremony was a traditional Episcopal service. The reception began with a cocktail hour, followed by a buffet lunch. It was a beautiful day - a lovely ceremony and a great party. I love weddings.

Also, we got to hang out with one of my very dearest friends, Debra. I met Debra the same week I met Cary, working at camp the summer after my freshman year of college. So yeah, that was a pretty good week for me. Because the wedding was early in the day and about three hours away from our town and Debra's, we all spent Friday night in the hotel where we had our wedding reception. It was great to revisit a place that holds such happy memories for us, and to spend time with Debra.

Yep, we're classy ladies.

Sartorial: To me, morning weddings, especially in the South in the summer, call for breezy skirts and blouses or brightly colored sundresses for women, and ties (but not necessarily jackets) for men. I thought this skirt and blouse fit the bill. Most of the people at the wedding were dressed similarly, but a few seemed not to have gotten the memo. A couple were in satin and sequined mini-dresses, which I think would be borderline even for an evening wedding, or untucked polo shirts. Not even for a beach wedding, y'all.

I may be a bit too judgy. I should probably work on that. But really, sequined mini-dresses to a church wedding? Really?

Debra and I getting dressed the morning of my wedding. I'm trying to pin her in place, not punch her in the shoulder.

The Fountainheadband

Cardigan, Brian's Etsy shop 

Academia: Same old, same old. Told students I couldn't make their teachers move them up to a higher level class, sent students who are still living in hotels to apartment complexes, celebrated that one of my closest friends at work also got hired full-time. Hooray!

Thanks, awesome husband!

Sartorial: I had two sources of inspiration today. One was this adorable headband that Cary bought me in Washington DC. Yay for gifts, especially ones that don't say, "My husband went to our nation's capital and all I got was this t-shirt." The other was Academichic's Book Cover Challenge. E. posted an outfit on Friday that was inspired by the cover of Making Face, Making Soul by Gloria Anzaldúa, and invited readers to do the same with other book covers. I thought and thought about it last night and couldn't come up with anything.

Objectivism, anyone?

Then I got dressed today and realized I matched the cover of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, which, I have to be honest, I didn't finish because I read it right after Atlas Shrugged and was suffering from Ayn Rand Overexposure. But the neutrals with coralish red were there in my outfit, as well as the geometric patterns in both the book cover and the headband. And I felt a little 1940s, which is when The Fountainhead was written. I'm bummed that I didn't think to take a picture with the book, but mine and The Fountainhead's matchiness hadn't dawned on me yet when I was taking pictures this morning. Oh well, win some, lose some. Unless you're a character in one of Ayn Rand's books, in which case you win everything or are outed as the giant loser that you are.

Clash Day

Mixing patterns makes me a little silly.

T-shirt and cardigan: Target
Skirt: Anthropologie from consignment shop
Belt: Vintage from consignment shop
Sandals: Tiny shoe store in Melk, Austria
Necklace: Brian Moody

If you're wondering if I plan to wear this belt every day this week, the answer is yes. Yes, I do. I realize I have worn this belt every day since Saturday, but it's just so versatile. I also realize that I wore a belted cardigan yesterday, but I don't care because this outfit is fun and it needed a belt. It needed this belt. This is officially my new favorite accessory.

Now let's talk about my other clothes, because although a belt-only outfit would be a real fashion statement, it would definitely not be work-appropriate. I got inspired to mix some patterns today by BiblioMOMia, who mixed stripes and florals yesterday. I'm normally a little skittish about mixing patterns (the little Southern belle in my head keeps saying, "Tacky! Tacky!"), but with someone to copy, I feel much more comfortable. So I pulled out my stripes and checks and flowers, and I think this works. The patterns are in the same color palette and the effect of the stripes is diminished a little because of the cardigan, so I feel like it looks quirky and cute, rather than Clash Day during Homecoming Week.

Not that I ever participated in Clash Day. I dressed up for Homecoming Week once in eighth grade, for Oldies Day. I wore a poodle skirt and everyone else wore their normal clothes. I made myself hold my head up and bebop through the whole day in my poodle skirt, but threw it in the back of my closet as soon as I got home and never dressed up for Homecoming Week again. Which is a shame, because poodle skirts are about the most fun skirts can have.