Live Through This

My helpmeet recently gave me a Hole t-shirt as a surprise gift. Now, if only I could find my Hole barrettes from circa 1996 I’d have a real theme look going. Eh, maybe having misplaced the barrettes is a good thing.

 

pants: Urban Outfitters / shirt: my helpmeet / blazer: Zara / boots: ASOS

I Was Incapable of Stopping at the Boots

So, while I was picking up my new boots I also treated myself to a new purse. Seriously, gold studs … how could I say no?

  dress: Target / blazer: Forever 21 / leggings: Winners / boots: Aldo / watch: Kenneth Cole / bracelet: ASOS / necklace: Forever 21 / purse: Zara 

BTW, are we pals on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? If not, maybe we should be....

I Have a Tangled Relationship with Costco

For some bizarro reason I always feel compelled to wear a fun dress when I hit up Costco for some bulk toilet paper and nut buying. It’s so goddamned depressing in there that I just want to show up in a really happy sartorial mood, even though it often results in me looking like a total whack-a-doo when I roll into that place. Although I do think my facial expression in this photo accurately captures my feelings about Costco.

  dress: H&M / boots: Zara / belt: H&M / necklace: the Met

Jacket Weather

So Edmonton recently got hit with a last minute dump of snow and cold weather (actually another 20 cm over the weekend is now being predicted), which bummed a lot of people out. Not me though.

As you know, I adore winter, snow, and chilly weather so I was happy as a clam that spring was postponed for a few more days. The snow also, happily, coincided with the delivery of my new jacket from ASOS so I get to wear it a few times before warm weather hits and it has to be retired for the summer.

  jacket: ASOS / leggings: ASOS / boots: ASOS / purse: Urban Outfitters

Booty

Well, I can call off my cross-Edmonton search for a pair of new boots. Zara to the rescue!

Last week I also got my peer teaching evaluation report for my World History survey course and it was a really glowing report about my lecture and teaching style. I’m so happy that it went well and my performance was well-received by the history department. To top it off, some of my students approached me after class and asked what I would be teaching in the fall so they could enroll. So I was on a bit of a teaching high for the rest of the day.
 

As You Can Tell, I'm Very Impressed

I’m minutes away from heading out for an afternoon of shopping (yeah, I really overspent at Zara that afternoon) and a delicious sushi feast at a favourite local restaurant. Oddly my face conveys none of my inner excitement. I should work on that.

  dress: ASOS / boots: Steve Madden / leggings: ASOS / bracelets: Aldo 

Then I came home and changed and went out for some drinks with my helpmeet. And I still look very non-thrilled. Seriously, I need to work on facial expressions.
 

Artistry

The lobby of my apartment building has some really fancy art. I mean, it’s not Patrick Nagel fancy, but it’ll do.

   dress: H&M / cardigan: gift from my mother / boots: Aldo / tights: Winners

Absolutism Never Works

I wore this to teach last week – I love the little bit of edge that the faux leather cardigan adds to things. And you've got to bring a little edge to a lecture on constitutionalism and absolutism in post-Reformation Europe (absolutism never works was the ultimate lesson, thank you very much French Revolution). You’ve simply got to.

  dress: Gap / shoes: Target / cardigan: Zara / ring: House of Harlow via Shopbop

Bows! And Some Random Info About Me...

I recently rediscovered this adorable little hair bow from ModCloth. While it’s not really fitting for wear around my office, I think I need to make a mental note to pack it in my purse when I head out for dinner or drinks straight from work. It adds the perfect touch of fun (and I really, really need that after a day at work. Like a lot).

In other news, one of my Connecticut blogger pals recently tagged me in a “Five Things About Me” post…so here’s 5 slightly random things about me:

 My favourite place in the world is Scotland, hands down. I dream about being back there at least once a month. And as a historian of England you’d think I’d like spending time in England more but, nope, it’s Scotland all the way for this gal!

I love the fall and winter and absolutely hate summer and warm weather. I know, its super weird. But true.

I can read Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin. My speaking skills in each are much less proficient.

Before deciding to pursue history as a career field and getting my PhD from Yale I thought I would get a degree in education and work as a teacher.

My helpmeet and I recently celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary (and we’ve been together for 12 years). We got married because I got accepted to Yale and it was the only way we could get him a visa to come along. So, instead of a proposal, we sat down together and had a discussion about the benefits of getting hitched versus staying as common law (we’d been living together for three years at that point). Lots of people think that’s a depressing story but I love it – it pretty accurately sums up how we roll as a couple and, hey, it’s workin’ for us.