Happy Summer! It is here! It's finally here! Time to get geared up in all things patriotic! Kick Summer off with one part starred, another part striped! I've found all the best below:
{5.} 27 things you need to read. P.S. If you are a local Nashvillian, you could join me at the Opry Mills Blogger Reception next week (June 26th)! I can't wait to share in the Summer fun with 1 lucky reader! Enter below:
Ok, so maybe I say this every time, & it probably because I have the loveliest ladies stepping into my blogger spotlight, but today's blogger is one that I truly call a friend. She is just the sweetest & cutest, not to mention, she is super stylish, & even at 30 weeks pregnant I want to steal all her outfit ideas!
Lauren is the blogger behind Fizz & Frosting. I enjoy that she is a bit sassy, super creative with her wardrobe (remix queen!) & a newlywed mama to be (2 years wed is still a newlywed to me!). You might recognize her from when she stepped in for me while I was away on the honeymoon, with some great tips for any pregnant readers with lots of weddings to attend this Summer. Or you might have just seen her face on Pinterest, because her attainable yet stylish everyday fashion is the stuff great pins are made of!
A little more about Lauren (+ a giveaway… worth the scroll!) HAPPY FRIDAY!
I love her Mix it Monday series so much I had to include another one! How fabulous is this striped dress? I have to agree with Lauren, a totally mixable staple!
Now that we are all aquatinted & destined to be besties Lauren is also giving away a $25 gift card to J.Crew today! Hello Summer shopping! The giveaway is open to any readers living in places that J.Crew ships. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget, a random winner will be selected next Saturday.
Time for a life update! As many of you know, I transitioned out of a Ph.D. track graduate program in January. I cashed in my 4 years of graduate studies for a Masters in Biomedical Research to pursue my dream of teaching at the Middle School - High School level. I am now in an intensive teacher training program where over the course of this Summer, I will be teaching Summer school and working towards my teaching certificate. What this looks like on a daily basis is this: I teach 3rd grade Math for 5 hours, & then go to teacher school for 7 hours, to learn the skills that are going to make me an effective teacher starting on day 1 this Fall. I look forward to teaching 7th grade Science during the next school year and working towards closing the achievement gap in Nashville. Seeing the lightbulbs shine over my scholars' heads when they realize that the content IS within their grasp is magical, and what keeps me going during this grueling schedule.
This is not easy. I am changing my entire life to make this new career choice a reality. I work long, hard days. Often dealing with crying children, implementing new skills in the moment, taking aggressive feedback, & creating ALL of the materials that I need for my classroom this Summer.
After 12 hours of teaching/learning, I come home to practice my skills, & write lesson plans based on what I learned each day. Tyler & I have had to take up new roles in our relationship. Transitioning from working together in grad school and sharing similar hours, to me now coming home hours later than him, tired to the bone. He has been such a huge support for me (I get emotional just typing this because I am so thankful) - he is on pug duty morning and night, he cooks & then forces me to eat when I am too busy to even glance up from my computer, he lets me vent about teacher stuff that I'm sure he doesn't much care about, and is just generally my biggest cheerleader.
I am dedicated to making this blog space happen, but I might be more absent from commenting on your blogs, hanging out on social media, & possibly even posting everyday like I currently do. I thank you for your support & continued blog visits as I figure out this new life of mine. I am excited about sharing more of my "teacher style" and bringing you along on the journey as I figure that out!
First up on my "teacher style" journey: taking my graduate student wardrobe to a teacher worthy closet, without breaking the bank. In all my infinite free time (teacher jokes), I enjoy finding new boutiques that offer stylish but professional options. One that I think is doing a superb job of this, is Of Mercer. I am in love with their beautiful basics - sheath dresses, high quality accessories & blazers - and totally enamored with the special details they craft into every garment. This dress is my first acquisition from them, but I'm sure it won't be my last!
It's back to school for me… in more ways than one.
I just adore the leather paneled top, and fit & flare silhouette. Because I don't feel as professional baring my shoulders to my 3rd graders, I layered a button down under the dress. I love this polka dot number that makes the whole look appropriate yet fun. In the Fall, I am excited to play with layering this dress, including bringing some blazers & sweaters to the mix!
Has the function of your wardrobe shifted recently?
What pieces would make your closet more functional for your life from work to play?
If you are looking to build a foundation of professional attire, be sure to check out these picks from Of Mercer:
I of course have tons more to over share in regards to our wedding, way more than would fit into "Wedding Week", so from now until I get it all out, I hereby decree Wedding Wednesday.
This week is all about the guys. I have to hand it to Tyler, I mostly let the guys just do their thing, plan their outfits, & show up on the day… & they totally rocked it! It certainly doesn't hurt that Ty has the most amazing group of guy friends, wonderful people that kept me laughing all day long, kind souls that helped my parents clean up at the end of the night, & ran tons of errands for us the next day while we were jet setting to the beach.
When I started out the planning process about a year ago, I was surprised that this collage I made of my "boho groomsmen" vision got pinned so many times on Pinterest! I guess other people are just as clueless as I was about what the menfolk should be wearing!
It was actually Tyler's idea to have the guys wear mix-matched but similar pants. I was trying to explain what the ladies were doing (see their fabulousness here), & Tyler thought that the guys were getting to pick out their outfits too… after I heard the record screech to a halt noise in my head, I had to agree, it wasn't a bad idea (he does in fact have a few of those from time to time)…. off topic, but why is attempting to explain Pinterest to a man harder than communicating with a giraffe?
The groomsmen outfit directive was: bring your own pair of charcoal grey pants, a white button down, & navy suspenders. Tyler supplied the matching ties & navy Converse sneakers. Seriously, most of the guys already owned the pants + shirts and only ended up purchasing a $5 set of suspenders from Amazon. Budget friendly indeed! And they went home with a classic pair of Converse and versatile tie from J.Crew… happy friends!
The other men's attire decision we had to make was vests, jackets, vests & jackets, jackets no vests, or none of the above. We went with no vests + no jackets for the groomsmen, and Tyler went with no vest + jacket for the ceremony, but then removed the jacket for the reception (you did see his sweet dance moves in the wedding video, riiiiight… he of course can't be encumbered by a jacket when he is busting out the stanky leg on the dance floor!)
