Fashionistas, hello!
I am back to school! And that means getting dressed up everyday. Well, not necessarily dressed UP but dressed for sure!
As you may remember, last week I was called to work as a substitute librarian in an elementary school not far from home. I was so happy to get that call. But got to school and learned the reason why the school’s librarian had retired unexpectedly. I felt just awful. Hate that something positive for me comes along as the result of a very difficult time in someone else’s life. I talked more about those feelings, here, last Sunday. Bittersweet.
In trying to decide what to wear this first week, I’ve been torn between wanting to dress up for that all important first impression and wearing something that is well suited to crawling around in a dusty library. Which might have you asking…
What Does a Substitute Librarian Do?
Of course, I can only speak to what THIS substitute librarian does. For the first weeks of the fall semester, I will be working on the collection. Going through the books, pretty much one by one, to weed out the books that aren’t FRESH.
[source]
Yesterday, I withdrew about 200 reference books from the shelves and the library database. Now I am combing through the nonfiction and picture book sections. I have found a book with a 1921 copyright date and there are many books with copyrights in the mid-1990’s. Which makes them 20 years old.
How appetizing does that Christopher Columbus book look to you? Now imagine you are 9 years old and researching C.C. Day. Is that a book you want to use? The Berenstein Bears book is from the 1980’s. Not sure how relevant these characters are today. And those piles are full of books just like the Columbus holiday book and the Berenstein Bears picture book.
I will be labeling books, moving collections of books around once I get the older books removed. Then I will add the children’s names to the circulation database and begin teaching classes.
I want to look professional but also need to wear practical clothing that lends itself to handling dusty, old books.
What Does That Look Like?
That’s the hundred dollar question.
Here’s what I have come up with this first week.
Thursday
Remember, I got the call late Wednesday afternoon to go to work on Thursday morning. The teachers were working in their rooms all that day so I would be in the library, and not in back to school meetings. But I wanted to dress up since it was my first impression day.
Dress Barn sleeveless jumper (similar, similar) Loft Outlet pale pink cardigan (not too $imilar, similar) StitchFix statement necklace (similar, super similar with earrings to match), Payless sandals (sorta).
Fri-YAY
On the last day of the work week, the faculty met for meetings all morning and then had time to work in their classrooms (library) in the afternoon. I had plans to get down-n-dirty with the dusty library books so I wore jeans, and a tee shirt and tennies. Was really counting on having made a positive first impression the day before!
Kohl’s white cardi (basic and affordable), Fri-YAY graphic tee (similar, similar) courtesy of my baby sister, Loft skinny jeans, white Converse.
Monday
This was the students first day back to school. I knew there would be lots of parents, too. I wanted to dress up even though I would be weeding all day.
Broke out my easy, peasy lemon squeezy skirt from Express (sorta similar, kinda similar. Pin-striped oxford shirt (ka-ching, similar) also from Express, peep-toe pumps (similar, super sassy) from DSW.
Tuesday
When I put together an outfit for the first time, I will hang it side-ways in my closet so that it is facing out where I can be reminded to WEAR IT! Today’s outfit had been hanging that way for about a month. Had procrastinated about wearing it thinking it might have been a real goulash of too many textures. But, feeling very brave on Tuesday, I wore this to school.
Something about this makes me happy. Probably the muted earth tones that I am most comfortable wearing. When I have on camo, I feel almost invisible. Which, at a new school, can be kind of nice when you are shy like me.
Was so sad when my comfy neutral Mix No. 6 flats (cute choice, similar) from DSW gave up the ghost = broke. Had to hobble to Walmart at lunch in the broken shoe to quick pick up something CHEAP to replace them. Found these little striped flats for $3.00. Marked down from $5.87.
Paid full price for a second pair in flannel-looking gray. My beloved camos (similar, pricey) are from Loft, my crocheted cardigan (precious option, real cute,) from Dress Barn, and that satin-y sleeveless shell (similar, ‘xpensive) was $10.00 from H&M. The shoes, you know. Oh, and the necklace from Kohl’s (similar, similar). Miche camo bag.
Wednesday
Today is Wednesday. And I finally buckled down last night long enough to iron a new top my PC bought me for back to school. I love it! And I was actually ironing it when I got the call about this job last Wednesday late afternoon. When I hung up the phone, I was so excited I forgot about the ironing! And so this top was still half-wrinkled until last night.
Guess I am having a tall day because I couldn’t get all of me to fit in my photos. Thank goodness, it is a tall day and not a wide day!
Wanted to be sure my cutie blue Payless shoes (nothing like them but cute!, similar) got their due. Old Navy embroidered tunic (really close, similar), raw hem denim (similar, similar) from Loft, faux pearls from Target.
My poor tootsies would probably appreciate a day out of heels so I think tomorrow will be another casual day. Once I start working with the children and having classes, I’ll dress up all the time.
Your Turn
If you are going back to school, what does your first week’s wardrobe look like? My sister is a librarian in Spring, Texas, near Houston. The teachers/librarians in my district dress more casually overall than they do where Valerie works. For example, we can wear jeans any day of the week as long as they are dark wash and in good condition. At Valerie’s school, they can only wear jeans on special occasions. How ’bout you? If you work out of the home, can you wear jeans? Do you think teachers should be permitted to wear jeans in the classroom?
Before we call it a post, there are two more pictures I’d like to share. When I set out my camo outfit for the flat lay photo, I opened the door from my fashion haus leading onto the balcony. The early morning sun came streaming in through the door, and my fashion haus was bathed in a golden glow. So rosy and pretty that I wanted to share it with you.
Beautiful way to begin the day.
Hope this week has been golden for you. Have enjoyed your visit. Hope you will stop over to say hi to the gals I am linking up with, Carrie at Curly, Crafty Mom and Jill at Doused in Pink for their “Thursday Fashion Files”, Jennie at Pocketful of Polka Dots for “Fabulous Friday” and Laura at I Do deClaire for “Confident Twosday”.
Thank you, sweet friends.
Hugs and kisses,
You look adorable! Such cute outfits to start the school year. Hope it is a good one for you! xoxo
Awww, thank you, sweet friend. So far, so good. Anxious for payday!! I sure enjoy the work I am doing and am thankful that new opportunities seem to find me.
I enjoy getting dressed up-ish for school. I don’t wear fancy stuff but like putting together outfits. Makes going to work more fun.
Hope you will come back by again soon Thank you for reading and commenting.
I love your camp outfit. My school district allowed us to wear jeans on Fridays. And why did we all love that? Because we could wear sneakers! This was 2 years ago, before wearing sneakers was a “thing”. I’m impressed you wear heels to school. Most of my colleagues wore flats to save our feet. And, you’re right about those books being out of date. I hope you have a good budget!
Ha! So it wasn’t wearing the jeans as much as it was wearing the tennies! I get it. But I do love wearing my heels, too. Have been taking a pair of flats to change into when my feet start screaming.
Are you retired from education? Tell me more! Do you blog?
Thank you for coming by and leaving a comment. Look forward to hearing from you again.
I retired 2 years ago. Moved from CT to FL. Spent a year in PT recovering from golf and tennis injuries, and have now started boxing 5 days a week.
I never got injured when I did muay thai in CT, so, it’s back to martial arts for me! I stopped coloring my hair and have it very short and spiked. No longer having to conform to anyone else’s standards has allowed me to define my own style.
I don’t know how to blog. One reason I was relieved to retire, was my lack of interest in learning all the new technology in education. I missed my binders!
Have a great year.
You cutie! I had a laugh at you missing your binders. I keep up with the technology pretty well but don’t trust it! So I have binders as back-up!
I am sure I would adore your short, spiked ‘do. I cut my hair off pretty short about a year ago. And then went shorter still. My hubs and daughters have been begging to let it grow out. And I have grown it out to chin length. But I don’t have a luxurious head of hair so it isn’t that pretty long. Just thin and droopy. I can tolerate this length but not much more.
Thanks for coming back by. Hope to hear from you again soon.
I love all your outfits! Those striped flats are a great find at a great price! You are such a cutie. BUT YOU CANNOT GET RID OF THE BERENSTAIN BEARS!!!! My son read all the books from the library when he was little. Our homeschool curriculum still carries The Big Book of Science and Nature. It’s still good stuff even if it’s older!
Most, most of the Berenstain Bears books survived the great weeding. But a few bit the dust. It is good stuff but these books are so well worn (loved) that we need replacements, maybe.
This library is just filled to the brim with old, old books. And the kids are just not interested in books from the 1960s. So sad for them.
I love that you wore camo, Leslie!! How modern and stylish!!
In fact, you looked fabulous every day!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I thought of your good posts on camo recently when I put my outfit together. So enjoy reading and following along with your adventures!
Love it, especially the Fri Yay tee and the statement necklace in the first picture. 👌
When I taught at Campbell (the largest high school here in the city) almost no one wore jeans. We always were dressed up (business type attire). Now that I am at Johnson a much smaller high school in comparison staff wear jeans all the time. It’s way more casual. Someone can always be found wearing a pair of jeans any given day of the week, any time of the year. At Campbell we would only wore jeans on a Friday or a staff meeting day when students were no in the building.
I will have to start taking pictures of what I wear to work. I go back on Monday. 😳
YES! Yes, please take pictures of your outfits. We could do a back-to-school link-up!! I think jeans are perfectly acceptable for school when they are worn with the right things. I have jeans I wouldn’t wear to school and tops I wouldn’t wear with jeans to school. Ha. But hanging out with kids lends itself to wearing jeans!!
I know it will be a difficult time of adjustment for you, returning to work after being home for a year. Maybe you can blog about that? Those feelings. I can relate after being retired, then returning to work.
Haven’t heard anything more about this blog collaboration stuff I asked you to join me for but when I do hear more, I will let you know. Thank you!
What a cool part-time gig as a librarian! Your fashion sense for the job is perfect! Enjoy your work! Back to the university classroom for me next week!
I love it!! Love my job. I love working and then love being off. So fickle. Hope you have a great first week back. Kind of fun to share back to school with the kids. Thank you for your sweet compliments on my b-t-s outfits.
Cute outfits for your first week! I like the information on what you do as a librarian, too! I always wondered what their day looked like.
Thank you! I loved being a librarian, and subbing in the libraries in the school district that I retired from, has kept me around some of the things I love most…kids and books. And gives me a reason to get dressed up-ish in the mornings! So glad you came by and left a comment, too. Thank you.
Congrats on your new temp job! Love all your work outfits, but the last one is my fav. That top is fabulous!
Thank you, sweets! I liked how comfortable and easy my new striped tunic was to wear. But I am an ironer and will have to iron it each time.
Happily working but looking forward to the three day weekend to get caught up on the housework!!
Congrats on your sub job! All of these looks are so pretty on you but my favorite is your camo outfit! I’m also loving your embroidered top with the white jeans! Have a wonderful weekend!
Jill
Doused in Pink
Yay!! I think I remember that you prefer earth tones, too. That camo outfit just feels comfy to me…fit, colors, fabrics. Thank you for stopping by.
You are one stylish librarian! I love your new blue striped top!
Thank you, sweets. I enjoy getting dressed up-ish for school.
So many cute looks for your first week! I am sure you made an amazing first impression. I am seriously Loving your lemon skirt look. I would wear it in a heartbeat. So cool to learn what you do as a substitute librarian, too. 🙂
Thanks for linking up with Fabulous Friday!
Jennie – A Pocketful of Polka Dots
Thank you for this sweet message. One week back and I am ready for a day at home again! So fickle. I bought my lemon skirt over a year ago and never wore it because I thought it was too tight. Imagine my surprise when it was actually loose!
Oh wow! My first visit to your blog and certainly won’t be my last! I love your dress style – trendy, stylish and modern.
I work as a school secretary and Friday is our first day back after the 6 week summer holidays. It’ll be a staff training day so definitely a ‘dress down’ day. But back to work in the office properly next Monday. I’m so fed up with my usual office clothes and want to find something new – how lucky to happen upon your blog at just the right time! Our Headteacher introduced a ‘jackets’ dress code a few years ago – we all have to wear jackets, teachers and support staff alike. This was a bit of a problem for me as I’m not really a jacket kind of gal. I’m only 5′ 1″ and have a generously size bust so jackets aren’t really my style, they cut me in two and draw attention to my boobs! I especially love that navy and white outfit at the beginning of your post – I need to empty out my wardrobe and see what I can find to try and copy it.
Thank you so much for coming by my blog and leaving such a sweet comment that I have carried in my heart all week. I think you started back to school today. Hope it was an easy first day back. And now you have the weekend before you!!
Wow, jackets!!! That seems pretty rigid. I have a generous bust, too, and prefer wearing fewer layers rather than more. I am much more comfy in my light cardis than a heavier weight jacket or blazer.
I am joining a style challenge for fall with fashion stylist Alison Lumbatis. Have enjoyed all of the challenges I have done with Alison and have learned a lot! I finally feel comfortable in my clothing and rather than not knowing what to wear each day, I feel like I have lots of options. I have to decide what NOT to wear. If you are interested in joining me, please use my affiliate link to register https://vm235.isrefer.com/go/GYPOFALL17/mommyhon333/ and I will send you a Starbucks card for joining me.
Hope to see you back again soon. Enjoy your weekend!
I really like all the suggestions. I like classic, feminine stylings. That’s why I often dress in wool sweaters at this time, and some pants or skirts. It has to be comfortable, pretty and feminine 🙂