The Muse: Maxed Out

 So I have been MIA for a bit. I took a jaunt down to Savannah for four days and forgot to take my camera cord with me, so these photos which were meant for Marion's Trend of the Month Linkup almost two weeks ago, never got there. Then I got back and got caught up in end of the year school madness, then my mother surprised me by landing herself in the hospital with a kidney stone (sadly this usually happens about once a year). Madness everywhere. But now school is (finally) out, and she's home and healthy so I can get back in the swing of things. Onto the fashion bit. Marion's trend was maxis, both dresses and skirts. I confess I think I'm a little short for them, however when I went in my closet I actually have six or seven maxis. About evenly distributed, between the skirts and dresses, more than I thought, and I actually bought another at Goodwill on Broughton Street in Savannah that I wore almost immediately the next day. Of all of them however, I think this is definitely the wildest, and probably my favorite. See some of the other ways I've styles maxis here: 1, 2, 3, 4.

 This dress actually has a story. I saw it the first time I ever shopped at the Salvation Army Family store in Swansea, MA (a wonderful place where I've found some great things). I was ready to buy it and several other things but the line was too long and I had to abandon them to make another engagement on time. I then dreamed about this dress for a week before I could get back there to buy it (though in my memory it had a handkerchief bottom lined with black fringe, which thank God is not the reality). Luckily the fashion gods were on my side and it was still there looking like it escaped from an Austin Powers movie. Its kitschy  I know, but there is something about the garish paisley print that is irresistible and I get stopped a lot about it when I wear this dress. Marion cautioned in her post about maxis that one must be careful not to look like an escapee from Little House on the Prairie when wearing maxis, I shudder to think what she would have to say about this.  It is undoubtedly the most maxed out of all maxis.

 Dress: vintage, no label, thrifted via Salvation Army Family Store
Belt (off another dress): Karen Millen
Purse: via DSW
Shoes: Capelli via T.J. Maxx
Sunglasses: J. Marcel

The Muse: Mesa Verde

 I have never been a fan of the Southwest, I'm a New England girl and I like my seasons. I also like rain, snow, and lots of lush green trees. I have often heard people talk about the "stark beauty", but even when I've gone there I really don't see it. Santa Fe was a nice town, lots of history and a great vibrant artistic culture, but I couldn't help but find all the red and brown hills and stucco buildings hopelessly ugly. Yet people flock there, some of the fastest growing urban areas are there. Its just not for me.

 I will admit that there is something about the pattern on this skirt, which definitely has echoes of Southwester style to it. I tried to bring out the olive green in the skirt rather than the reddish-orange, still like by greenery. Even though attractions like the Grand Canyon held not interest for me...like, ever. I confess I wouldn't mind seeing the Anasazi ruins at Mesa Verde. Its a UNESCO world heritage site and has some of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the world. As an anthropologist, the Anasazi are fascinating, being marvels in both their engineering and civilization long before any other culture of their kind had even come close. There are also one of history's great mysteries, because it seems like they literally dried up in the desert sun and blew away. No one knows if tribal warfare, famine, disease, or some other cataclysmic event lead to their abandonment of their cliff dwellings. Either way it seems like a place definitely worth a look, and the name, which literally means "green table" gives my poor New England heart hope. That and Mulder and Scully spent a lot of time there on the X-Files, which really was all I needed to sell me.

 Top(cut from a dress): vintage, Chetta B, thrifted via Goodwill
Skirt (shortened): vintage, Sante, thrifted via The Bargain Box
Belt: Francesca's Collection
Necklace: vintage, Monet, via Wrentham Antiques Market (now closed)
Bracelet: Anthropologie
Hair clip: Damascene workshop, Toledo, Spain
Purse: vintage, Whiting and Davis, via Whiting and Davis Factory Store
Shoes: Naughty Monkey via Nordstrom

The Muse: Commencement

I saved these photos, which admittedly are not of the best quality, from last week. On June 7th we held our graduation in the middle of what was left of Tropical Storm Andrea, a veritable deluge. Check out our volunteer parking attendants in their orange slickers (there were hats too but they didn't make the photo)

 It sounded like there was machine gun fire the rain was so loud on the roof of the gymnasium. It was terrible for hair, and shoes, and just about any other thing of value that wasn't strapped down. But despite all that crazy weather, the show did go on, and it was a lovely show. This class is a very special one for me, I had a lot of these kids through the years (they would have been in 5th grade when I started as a sub) and became especially close to a great number over the past two years. I will miss them  a lot. All kids are special in their own way, but some classes just have a truly great mix of kids. They are creative and bright, unexpected and zany, and above all they represent the kind of people you would like to see more of in the world. For me the class of 2013, was definitely that.

Dress: vintage, no label, Better Than New Consignment
Shrug: Moyna via Anthropologie
Shoes: Prabal Gurung for Target
Bracelet: vintage, my great-grandmother's
Earrings: vintage, via...? I honestly can't remember

I honestly hope I didn't have as much eyeshadow on as it looks like I'm wearing. You would think at least some rubbed off in the rain. Otherwise when everyone saw my marching in on TV they must have been wondering who the hooker was teaching their kids.

My co-workers Andrew, Kate, and Missy. Kate is one of those people who is so beautiful you want to hate her, but she's so sweet and wonderful you just can't. Missy I will endlessly admire because she gave me a recipe for chocolate chip Nutella cookies and once battled off a swam of birds that invaded her classroom Hitchcock style. Andrew is a smart-ass but we still love him.

Because we processed in just like the students, the teachers had to line up in a particular order, and we had a harder time than you'd imagine, especially for a group with as many college degrees as we have. I felt slighted to see I was almost dead last on the list, then I realized those on the ends had the best seats because we filed in backwards. As a result I was almost dead center stage in the first row. Regardless we had a good time just lining up from left to right my coworkers; Sean, becky, Helene, Deirdre (who was actually me homeroom teacher at my high school when I was a freshman), Molly, and Corey.

Caroline, Tony, and Tom waiting patiently in line ready to start

The L-Z half of the class 

The A-K crowd

Kate, one of the class advisors sitting with Brianna, who wrote the class ode and is attending Emerson in the fall to become a writer professionally.

Derek the other class advisor and one of our football coaches sitting with the class officers

The "A" group all lined up to get their diplomas, I think its an especially good photo of Joe (in the dark suit and red tie) our vice-principal who is retiring this year.

Our superintendent Dr. Cullen delivering her speech, based on the life and works of Dr. Maya Angelou

Moving their tassels over to signify that they are officially graduated!

Jackie is a super girl, and I have known her mother for years. When I first started substitute teaching Laura (her mom) was always willing to help me out, and when I first met Jackie I was so excited because she was Laura's daughter. Turns out, she's just as sweet as her mom is. Jackie is going on to do great things at Stonehill next year.

Jess was in my last period Algebra II class last year, which was really the most delightful class imaginable. It was he best way to end my day. Jess in herself is a delight, mainly because you never know what she'll do next. A true free spirit who dances to the beat of her own drummer Jess has in the time I've known her; become a ski patroller, taken up oil painting, sent me to a costume shop to buy clothes, made her own prom dress, directed a steampunk film, and just two weeks ago hiked up Mount Washington and skied Tukerman's Ravine, just to name a few. Next year she's taking a gap year to go to Malaysia.

If I had to play favorites Tony (right) might be it. Another one of my Algebra II students he had the brightest, sunniest, most friendly disposition of any of my students. He was unfailingly helpful and courteous. He's a history nut, and gets the answer to my "This Day In History" question everyday. He's also a newsbag, and more gossipy than the worst girl. When we put up a college map to show what schools people were attending he filled in 3/4 of it. I was there through Tony's who college admission's process, he he will be attending my alma Mater, The University of Rhode Island next year.

Ed (short for Edmund, left) may be Jess' (see above) male equivalent. Also outgoing and a definite individual, he was the first person I saw after getting my job and ran across the parking lot to give me a high five. Though short in stature he's big on laughs and full of. Ed's the joker, never without a quip or a pack of cards for a trick. You can't see his pants but they are  fire engine red, and he has them in just about every color. A few months ago he went to New Orleans and brought me back a post card with a picture and the recipe for Hurricanes on it, I didn't even call him out on how inappropriate it was.   Ed plays the trumpet and works at a bowling alley, and he definitely laissez les bon temps rouler, as they say in the Big Easy. He will be continuing his education at Worchester State next year.

Thanks for bearing with me if you read all they way through. I know looking at a stranger's graduation is sort of like looking at someone else's wedding photos. But its something really big happening in my world, and I definitely wanted to feature it.

The Muse: Buccanear

 Pirates are one of those things that are far too romanticized. In reality we know there is absolutely nothing sexy about pirates. They are a bunch of barbaric men with poor hygiene sailing around raping and pillaging together. In fact Captain Hook from Peter Pan is probably on the sweet and cuddly, not to mention hunky end of the spectrum. As for Johnny Depp, all the eyeliner in the world will not cut down on the pirate stench. That being said, who doesn't love pirates? they may not be nice, or clean, or have all their teeth, but there is something exciting about their life of adventure on the salty seas. I actually enjoy pirates so much, that I have a pair of pirate pants. There are frothy waves, the bounding main, a craggy coastline, and of course a bevy of ships ready to do battle and plunder a merchant or two. As you know, I am not really a pants person, however, pants that are associated with pirates, make me want to wear pants.

hen on Monday I stopped by J. Marcel on Hope Street (you know, just because it was on the way home from my doctor's appointment) and found this fantastic necklace for 50% off. The woman said that everyone who tried it on compared it to oysters, and I can definitely see it. Golden oysters, what could be more pirate than that? Oysters both come from the sea and are an aphrodisiac, and anyone who's ever read a bodice ripper knows how randy those pirates are. Yes I not only have pirate pants, but I also read trashy romance novels, deal with it.

Sweater: Forever 21, thrifted via Salvation Army Family Store
Dress (worn as a top):Pins and Needles via Urban Outfitters
Pants: Lilka via Anthropologie
Necklace: J. Marcel
Ring: vintage, my grandmother's
Purse: Anthropologie
Shoes: Monsoon (UK)

Linking up with Tara at Mix & Match Fashion