Lunch in Oakland OOTD

I wore this to have lunch in Oakland with my parents and sister. My dad had an appointment that brought him into town, so we decided to make an afternoon of it. Chris works in Oakland which made it easy for us to all meet up at Porch and then enjoy the beautiful afternoon. Emilia was snuggly especially because she had a sleepover at their house the night prior. She wouldn't let me put her down which is often the case when we're reunited. After the overnight separation, I didn't want to put her down anyway!

Details:
Boden skirt
Old Navy blouse
Chloé flats

Printed Cities OOTD and a mid-semester check in

I wore my London print Millie skirt to campus the other day. And that night I fell down a "London print" wormhole, searching for other options. Apparently Cath Kidston has offered many London themed prints. I am unfamiliar with Cath Kidston so if anyone can speak to sizing, please let me know.

This semester has been intense due to my teaching two new courses at the same time. It's daunting to keep up with two syllabi worth of new readings, new lectures, new assignments, new exams, new evaluation rubrics, etc. I should have planned my rotation more carefully to avoid having two new classes run in the same term. I do love the subjects and think the materials are resonating with the students so it's not for nothing. And to quote Leslie Knope quoting Theodore Roosevelt in the Parks and Rec series finale, "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing." Whenever I feel bogged down by my job I try to remind myself of the good fortune in getting to do this work and have this kind of career. I really do love it even if I don't always like it. And that quote really helped remind me.

I am also trying to work on a journal article and revise my book. I'm continuing to advise Covey and occasionally blog for that. And on top of everything, we've been doing some home improvement projects (that Chris handles primarily but I take over childcare, pet care, and other household duties that we otherwise try to share). So there are many plates spinning but spring break is around the corner and then we'll blink and the semester will be over. 

This week it was Chris's 35th birthday so it has been fun to celebrate him. Emilia made pictures and bent wrapping paper scraps around her most treasured figurines "for daddy." I reflected with awe over how much work he has done on our home on top of working full time (in a demanding, stressful, high-pressure environment), cooking more than half of our meals, being a present and loving husband and father, and teaching a class. He's really amazing and I'm lucky to get to grow old with him. Happy Birthday, Chris!

Details:
Old Navy waffle knit shirt
Boden skirt
Spanx tights
Ferragamo My Joy flats

Boden's London-themed prints

When I was little, my favorite movies included Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland so recently I introduced Emilia to them. She was mesmerized and so we now spend a lot of time singing the songs and talking about the themes even when we aren't re-watching them. When we listen to the records (which I have on vinyl thanks to my own record collecting and nostalgia) she tells me she wants to go to London. I do too! Maybe some day? Because I love a theme, I've been excited about Boden's London-themed "Westminster" and toy soldier prints. Because they were released last fall, they are now on clearance! Sadly, the extra 20% off clearance promotion from last weekend has ended but hopefully they will run it again.

From digging further I discovered that the Westminster print has been offered by Boden in many seasons prior. I've been trying to track down the Easy Scoop Tunic in the Westminster print since I learned of its existence. In the meanwhile I did buy the Millie Skirt and Classic Shirt in the alternately named but similarly themed "City" and "London" prints. Initially I had hoped to Frankenstein together a shirt dress which sadly resulted in the above still-obvious separates. A previous catalog showed them together and it actually looked like a dress. But I don't have the ability to produce catalog-caliber styling so the tailoring just looks off. They will have to function separately as separates for me.

I also covet the Rainy Day Mac in this print but am going to hold out hope that maybe I'll score one at the next Boden Sample Sale (presumably in May, if they stick with their usual timing). If you are curious about sizing on these  Boden pieces, I am wearing an 8R in the skirt (which runs big) and a 10R in the shirt (which runs a bit small at the bust and hips). 

One of my other "city" printed garments, a Kate Spade Lilith "City Lights" skirt has always felt a bit too formal to wear on a regular day. I like that these Boden are a bit more casual. But I still need to figure out a plan for wearing the separates separately. Hopefully I will come up with something soon!