Nine days left of the 2018-2019 school year – I wonder what I will wear?
The classroom will be messy until next Friday. We are still painting.
Final Countdown
Category Archives: fashion
Theory Week
I am currently obsessed with Theory cashmere sweaters. I have five and wore them every day this week. Love, love, LOVE!!! <3 . I guess I also love that it is still chilly enough to wear them to work, lol (it is May, after all).
Love how you get one new thing and all of a sudden everything in your closet feels new too.
One more week until the school fair. It is on Friday, May 10, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm at Chittenango High School. On Monday, I will make final edits on what I will be bringing this year. And after that, we will be on the tail end of the school year!
There is still a lot to do. My Art-8 students are all making papier-mache sculptures or reductive floral foam sculptures. Next week, 8th grade Studio in Art students are going to take a time-out from their still-life paintings to do a clay project and my Art-5 students are glazing clay sculptures. We are very busy/very messy right now. It is really fun! I love my life!!!
Retail as Art
Pam and I ventured into Camillus, New York territory tonight to attend a Michelle DaRin Jewelry trunk show at Synple (70 Main Street, Camillus, New York 13031). Michelle’s new pieces are vibrantly bold yet feminine talismans. Each piece is uniquely handmade. I loved everything!!!
This quaint village shoppe is the brainchild of fine artist, art therapist, stationery designer, mother and retailer Kelly Landau. The merchandising is picture perfect.
Synple is a comfortable nook in the heart of the village where you will find friendly people who are passionate about their merchandise – housewares, clothing (Free People is a mainstay), jewelry (including a selection of Michelle DaRin pieces), candles, soaps and all sorts of amazing gifts, treats and stationery.
The Made in the Deep South items are currently 50% off until they are gone. I want that beige cowhide bracelet with the crystal jewel!
Hours of operation are Wednesday – Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Kelly is currently working on updating the store’s website. For more information on merchandise and future events such as this one with Michelle, give their Facebook page a LIKE. Here is the link.Â
Next up for Michelle – a show at The Finger Lakes Academy of Decorative Arts this Friday and Saturday. Information is on their Facebook LIKE page here. <3
Marc Jacobs Boots
Here are my #ootd from Instagram for last week.
I am wearing Marc Jacobs boots in every one of these shots. They are perfection. Although we had a minor snowy-storm thing-a-ma-gig on Friday, we are mostly finished with snow in Syracuse. These shoes all have leather soles. They are not for wearing on salted driveways, parking lots and sidewalks.
We also survived the ELA testing, glazing clay projects, and the end of the marking period. Monday starts the final quarter of the school year!
Sandal weather soon!!! <3
Prints + Texture = Artsy
I have been playing with mixing patterns and textures in my #ootd. And layering. Putting sweaters under dresses and finding unexpected matches, like my amber necklace (I actually designed it myself!) is the same color as the Marc Jacobs patent leather booties in rust (pictured above).
And a new cardigan pairs nicely with a four-year-old dress (above).
It is now spring. I have started to slowly reintroduce sandals. The weather in Syracuse/Chittenango will just have to catch up.
In other news, students are glazing textured clay projects, finishing up patterned paintings and some fashion drawings. The quarter ends on April 5th, I believe. Then we will be gearing into the homestretch with sculptures, more paintings and artsy mayhem (the good kind – there is no fartsy in the art room).
Secret Chamber
I have always been drawn to the exquisite beauty of all that is Ancient Egypt. I took an Egyptology course at University College while teaching at Bryant & Stratton back in the ’80s to answer a student who questioned why and how Egyptian fashion was selected as the first chapter in the costume history textbook.
The answer lies in art, because all of our history to do with ancient cultures comes not from the written word, but from pictures – in this case hieroglyphics, tomb murals and, of course jewelry, as well as the remnants of clothing made of linen fiber.
I learned that Napoleon’s French army invaded Egypt in 1798. They rediscovered the antiquities and were the first archeologists to investigate the area. It wasn’t the painstaking attention to delicate detail that it is today or even remotely a respectful handling of human remains.
Many mummies were burned as fuel for steam engines, which is just so tragic. Later on, in the following century, Egypt became an exotic vacation spot for wealthy Americans who enjoyed purchasing the baubles, scarab beetle decor, and mummies!
They held mummy unveiling dinner parties back in the States, stuff like that.
Howard Carter uncovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. This significant find catapulted Egyptian archeology in terms of the level of importance, the regard for history and the sheer magic in attaining this priceless treasure.
Somewhere in the middle, during the Victorian age, Cazenovia Public Library benefactor Robert James Hubbard and his son accumulated a collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts including an intricately wrapped-in-linen mummy for the purpose of creating a museum.
And so, yes, there is a mummy in this library.
Yesterday, Janine and I visited Cazenovia, New York; first stop, Cazenovia Artisans, second, Common Grounds and next, to the library to see this exhibit. We ended up at Empire Farm Brewery for lunch. Janine had never been to any of these spots nor had she an idea this breathtaking collection even existed. So, my thought is that not many of you know about it. You’re welcome!
When I taught elementary art at Bridgeport Elementary School in our district, I decided to add a few lessons on Ancient Egypt culture to the third grade curriculum, because I had this knowledge I wanted to share. I created a cat mummy sculpture lesson. Naturally, no pets were harmed. Students’ sculptures were made of an armature of plastic bottles and styrofoam balls. They were void of remains, unlike the actual cat mummy at this museum.
At Chittenango, it is the sixth graders who study the ancient civilizations in Social Studies. They do take a field trip to Cazenovia Library, as the village is adjacent to our school district via Route 13. I highly recommend a visit. It is free and really quite extraordinary.
The library is located at 100 Albany Street, Cazenovia, New York 13035. It is open Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 – 5:00 pm. They are closed on Sundays. Call (315) 655-9322 for more information.
The museum space is also home to a gallery for rotating local artist/art organization exhibitions, as well as a wonderful exhibit of birds and plumage in fashion. They also have many interesting activities for children including puzzle clubs and such. Yesterday they had a hot chocolate and cookie station available. Set in a Victorian mansion, this is truly a quaint and lovely experience that really packs a secret chamber punch. So special! <3
Art Room Chic
Here are my looks for January and February 2019.  I started with new students so we are easing into the mess. Three students got paint on their clothes on Friday, lol, and one slapped her painting into her chin while attempting to place it on the drying rack. Another got paint on the back of his forearm. What is that about??? Of course, I made it through the week unscathed. I am a professional, as you know.
Disclaimer – I have a couple of repeats here. I tried to change it up, but you will notice that I have those over-the-knee Karl Lagerfeld boots in two colors and about four or five similar Free People cardigans. And – I just bought the Theory Malinka belted cashmere cardigan in three different colors! I still want the black one too, if I can find it.
I know what I like and when I find something that works, I want it any way I can get it. My new desires include the Joe’s Jeans leather cropped pants in all three colors, more Theory sweaters and I have my eye on a white BCBGMaxAzria gown (for no particular reason) and a couple more Rachel Zoe things. I also have 3.1 Phillip Lim on my radar and, of course, more silk Ulla Johnson dresses.
I <3 fashion!
#fashionintherealworld #fashioninreallife #fashionblogger #fashionista #fashioninrealtime #syracuseartist #arteacher #lovefashion
Photo cred: Katy C.
2018 Fashion Finale
Here are my #ootd pics from December 2018. A few new pieces are in the mix, like the lace tights and my first Milly top. OMG, I love stretch silk, which is a silk blend with a bit of spandex in it. You can tell that I am a huge fan of silk, cashmere and leather.
I wear two smocks while painting and using Mod Podge, which is my new go-to instead of using Plaster of Paris for sculpture. I’m doing a form of papier mache instead and it is amazing. Can’t wait to share my donut project!
The other big project is…Artist Books! My Studio in Art students are creating these very cool books using sports equipment, lunch boxes, ceramic bowls and musical instruments. They will be done by the end of the semester. Then we will start watercolor!
I will eventually clean off the back counter and prepare for new students in February. Art – 8 only meets every other day for one semester. I am able to do about three or four projects in that time – a drawing, a painting, a sculpture and a clay project or some combination of those things. Right now we are finishing up sculptures in the five classes and drawing in the other two.
I did not get any clothes for Christmas, lol. Or did I? Santa was good to me. I know him! (I really do!) <3
Best in Silk
Here are my #ootd pictures from November 2018. The black cropped leg BCBGMaxAzria pants go with everything! I ended up getting a second pair because they are so spectacular. Not sure why they were not made in other colors. I love silk as well, and silk velvet is soooo amazing! I’m sure my dry cleaner loves that I wear it too, lol.
I was able to incorporate my Wonder Woman boots (above) in this one! They are Sorel – I think I paid one third of the retail asking price for them, maybe less!
It is fun keeping track of fashion because I can see what combinations I have done with separates – what items go with what, and as a result, I can assess what one new thing I may bring into the mix that will serve me best. The morning I put this look together (above), I was, like, how do these two things match? – that is so cool! That Kobi Halperin top is embroidered cotton – very wonderful texture in person. There is a version of it in all white hiding somewhere in the universe for me to find.
Rebecca Taylor has a new concept right now where you can pay a monthly fee and rent up to four garments at a time to wear until you want to give them back and then get more. I have my eye on a few pieces from her holiday collection right now. Go to www.rebeccataylor.com for more information.
This top (above) is from 1999! It is my first Trina Turk, the reason I fell in love with her work! Mine is a size Medium, which is a bit large for me now but I still love it and wear it often.
This BCBGMaxAzria gown (above) was my outfit for my annual Friendsgiving dinner. About twenty-five of us dined together at Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse. It had been hanging in my closet for two years and so, I was very psyched to have an opportunity to wear it. I sewed bra cups into the lining because the bodice neckline made it difficult to find undergarments that worked. Easy-peasy!
Here I am wearing Rachel Zoe (above) at my friend Tracey’s pre-Thanksgiving house party. I have this top in black too.
I found this Alice + Olivia silk-velvet halter top on a final sale on saksoff5th.com. I think it was $40? Something like that! It is my new favorite thing. I paired it with those black cropped pants seen in every other pic, lol, for a trip to the movies last night.
What will I wear next? Stay tuned….
Halloween Dreams
This year I made a lot of dreams come true Halloween-wise. I have wanted this Wonder Woman outfit since I saw the movie last year. I scoured the Internet, specifically Amazon.com and found every piece of this costume except the boots. And they were on a ridiculous sale at saksoff5th.com – an additional 30% off the sale price. I love them!
My Calvin Klein patent leather booties made three appearances this Halloween, the BCBGMaxAzria cropped pants, two! And that split sleeve jacket worked its way into two costumes as well!
I chaperoned the Halloween dance at school, went to a party at Wildflowers Art Gallery, danced to the disco band Fondu at the Rocky Horror event at The Palace theater and sang karaoke at my friend Jimmy’s annual Halloween bash at his home.
But my favorite dream, even more amazing than being Wonder Woman for a day, was dressing as a Mousekateer at school. I used to watch re-runs of the original black and white TV show when I was a kid and I have always wanted my own Mickey Mouse hat complete with red satin bow on top. The leather skirt was the very last they had at Freepeople.com. It was a size 0 and miraculously fit perfectly. Thank you, Maria at SewMaria Boutique for giving me pointers on how to attach the letters to my sweater (dry iron – no steam). It was scary because the spare top I had is cashmere and that turtleneck is far too itchy! I was praying to not mess up, lol, and yes, it all worked out.
Lately, I’ve been living by the mantra “everything is always working out for me.” My mom even had three Mickey Mouse dolls to choose from, which would seem so random, but then again, she has everything. Like you could ask her to produce a yo-yo circa 1972 and it just magically appears inside the kitchen junk drawer. Nothing is really a coincidence. Life is truly a dream. Living a lucid dream.