What the Art Teacher Wore #4

I-Forgot-It-Was-January-And-Wore-Sandals Monday: Not like it matters, we've had one of the warmest winters on record. And I couldn't resist...these John Fluevog's I picked up in San Fran were demanding to be worn. sweater: gift from mother-in-law; dress: Four Seasons Cottage Vintage in Knoxville; belt: made by me; fishnets and tights: dunno, Target?; shoes: Fluevog

Hiya, all! I'm sharing with you this week what I chose to wear. Which, as you can tell, involves closing my eyes, plunging my hand into my closet and just throwing on whatever mildly matches. You think I'm kidding? Check out Thursday's number. Plaids and stripes? That only happens when the light's out in your closet and you pick your clothes in the dark. Trust me.

I'm so excited that my incredible student teacher has allowed me to feature her daily outfits as well! Isn't she a doll? I do have a photo of her lovely Monday look but blogger was being a booger and refused to post the photo right side up. So you'll just have to take my word that she looked just as cute as she does in the following photos. I do hope you enjoy what's left of your weekend. I plan to change that bulb in my closet...but don't expect any change in my look next week.

Totally Tuesday: So last week I was told by one of my second graders that I needed to invest in some Red Hot Lipstick...and I did! I was so excited to show her. However, she was not the least bit impressed. "That's not Red Hot enough for you!" Man, kids these days. So hard to please. red shirt and mustard tights: Target; dress: thrifted, altered by me; collar and belt: made by me, I chatted about it here: http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-dress-like-kindergartener.html; shoes: Clarks

This is the look she gives the naughty kindergarteners. Ha! Just kidding. We NEVER have any ill-behaved children. On Lauren: floral top: thrifted; sweater and shoes: Target; pants: Express; belt: For Love

It's a Perry the Platypus Belt Buckle kind of Wednesday: sweater: BCBG , thrifted; dress: vintage, thrifted; blue fishnets: dunno, Marshall's?; shoes: Dolls by Nina; Perry the Platypus belt: created for a custom order then was never purchased. So now I get to wear it!

Look how adorable she is! dress and shoes: Target; tights: Express; shirt: H&M

Trust me, I find this photo as annoying as you do. Thursday: sweater: thrifted; skirt: gift from a friend; shirt and tights: Target; shoes: originally black thrifted shoes but I painted them into pencil shoes. The kids always ask if the eraser works...but never if they pencil does.

The Calm After the Storm: Here's Lauren after she and I did bubble printing with four kindergarten classes back to back. She's still smiling! dress: I think she told me Banana Republic; sweater: Philanthorpie; shoes: Toms

Friday, you don't know how happy you make me: sweater: thrifted; dress: Cactus Flower in Bloomington, IN; apron and flower brooch: gift from mother-in-law; fishnets: Marshall's; shoes: Indigo by Clarks

Sorry, we were so involved in our lessons for the day that I forgot to ask for outfit details. I do love how Lauren layers her sweaters. I am so stealing that idea!

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DIY: How to Dress Like a Kindergartener

Warning: This blog post is full of the World's Most Annoying Photos. But I have excuses! I have a head cold; it's really early in the morning; I'm all jacked-up on herbal tea and sudafed. AND I was born this annoying. So, what can you do?

Hey! Look! It's a thirty-something dressed like an over-grown 6 year old! Listen, folks, I'm just trying to keep it real for the under 10 set, 'kay? Thankfully, I teach the littles. Can you imagine what middle school kids would have to say about my look? I shudder to think.

 Okay, I know I look like I've been put in the corner (which if my parents had done more often, I'd probably be a much better person), but I'm just trying to give you a view of the heart in my dress. And my giant slinky-esque hair.

The idea for this dress came to me on my recent visit to San Francisco. I found this most incredible creme-colored dress with a heart cut out of the back. Despite the despicable number 4 size, I was determined to try it on. And. Get. It. Zipppppped! After which I couldn't breath nor feel my fingertips. Right before I passed out from lack of oxygen, I managed to break free of the dress and return the ugly ole rag to it's rusty wire hanger. I didn't really like it that much anyway. 

But who am I kidding? It was one of those dresses that haunts you. It comes to you in your sleep and whispers in your ear, "celery and water for the next thirty days and we could be together!" Hmmm...

"A grapefruit and a couple of prunes a day for a couple of weeks and I'll be all yours!" Well...that doesn't sound too bad...

"Give up chocolate for a week and that zipper will glide over your ---"

Wait, what?

Did that dress just say "give up chocolate"?! Ho, no. That ain't even in my realm of possibilities. Sorry, dress. But that's where I draw the line.

Sorry for the grainy photo...just trying to give you a closer look. I told you my hair looks like a slinky! Wiggles like one too.

So I decided to make my own version. With this sad little plaid jumper I'd picked up a Goodwill ages ago and worn just once. I had always liked it for it's vintage-y Catholic-school-girl jumper look but it was really long. Like, down to my mid-calf long. It made me feel as though I'd been swallowed up by some giant kilt. It seemed the perfect blank canvas for my dress-terpiece.

I was seriously nervous about cutting the heart out of the back but it turned out to be the easiest part. I used a paper template, cut around it, notched the heart, tucked and ironed it under, sewed around the heart and I was done. Seriously. That simple.

Another grainy number. Sorry.

And I had thought the pocket would be the easy part. Ha! Silly me. I tried to create the pocket the same way I had the opening in the back. Cut out a too-big heart, cut notches, tuck notches under and sew.  But the velvet proved to be too flimsy and my heart looked lumpy and weird.

Plan B proved to work much better. I cut out the heart in velvet, mustard yellow linen and some slightly stiff backing. I sandwiched the backing in between the two fabrics and did a tight zigzag stitch around it. Which, by the way, all sewing machines have. My ole Kenmore had this same function. From there, I sewed the pocket onto the dress.

Could I be anymore annoyingly excited? I warned you.

I also took up that hem several inches. I used the excess plaid fabric as a bow for my hair. Kinda hard to see as it blends in with my 'do. I also made the belt. I'm rather matchy-match like that.

My Peter Pan collar which was referred to thrice as a bib. Yeah...not exactly what I had in mind but whatever.

I created the Peter Pan collar after seeing a similar idea here: http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com. The tutorial there used leather for the collar but I decided to use my mustard colored linen again. Just like the pocket, I sandwiched a piece of backing in between two pieces of mustard fabric and zigzag stitched around the edges. I stitched very small button holes at the top and bottom of the collar to feed the ribbon through. Once I had the ribbon at the right length, I cut it and waved a lighter under it to seal the ribbon and keep it from fraying.

My finished kindergarten look. The best part about this dress? The always-forgiving elastic waist band. Which means I can eat as much chocolate as I like. Take that, Size 4.

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