I know – I have a lot of sweaters. I keep them in two cedar chests. Pullovers in one, cardigans in the other. I am in love with Theory right now. The cashmere is luxurious!
This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for on-line shopping. And of course, for all the wonderful people in my life including you. I feel incredibly blessed – thank you, thank you, thank you! <3
Last week there was a day I forgot to bring a mask. I had to wear a standard issue one from the stash the school gave me. Ugh! It is crazy how different school is these days with the masks and the social distancing – the integration of the on-line technology and all the paperwork/organization/mayhem. But it hasn’t put a damper on the fun.
My students are happy to be back in school. I only actually have classes twice a week and students are there one day and at home the other day. My colleague and instagram photographer, Katy, and I, have been working together to recreate our art courses to align with the new safety protocols and to allow students to access the courses on-line. No clay, paint or collage work this year – the focus is more on formal principals of art, illustration and design.
We purchased sketchbooks for everyone, as well as dry media including markers and colored pencils. We are still working with the local Lions Club (awesome!) to create peace posters for their international contest. Some of my students may become professional artists by the end of the month.
I know I haven’t blogged much since the onset of these “Covid-19 months”. I plan to improve my on-line store on this site – I’ve upgraded the website to the bells and whistles one, but I haven’t really gotten around to uploading more than a few bracelets for sale. I have a new email address – artist@karentash.com. And I did go to a museum today. I’ll be writing a couple of blog posts about that soon.
I’m happy to be back to school too. I love fashion sooo much – love getting dressed to go someplace. I’m having fun incorporating the mask into the mix – the ones from Kes are phenomenal because I can wear them around the neck during mask breaks. My other favorite ones are by Jonathan Simkhai and, yes, my own, available on www.redbubble.com.
Oh, and, of course, I am a blonde now so I look a lot different than I did in March.
#kesnyc mask #wilsonsleather jacket #bcbgmaxazria dress and sandals #michelledarin bracelets
#kesnyc mask #rachelzoe dress #joie boots
School looks a bit different this year. Masks are a mainstay. I am in love with these masks from KES (www.kesnyc.com). I bought them in every color. LOVE!!!
#kesnyc mask #freepeople dress #marcjacobs sandals#kesnyc mask #rachelzoe top #allsaints skirt #bcbgeneration sandals#kesnyc mask #bcbgmaxazria blazer and sandals #joesjeans pants #daydreamerforfreepeople top#kesnyc mask #trinaturk top #frenchconnection skirt #ninewest slides #tashkovski bracelet#kesnyc mask #theory cardigan #rebeccataylor top and pants #calvinklein boots#kesnyc mask #remainbirgerchristensen dress #joie sandals#kesnyc mask #akemi+kin dress #bcbgmaxazria top #ninewest slides#kesnyc mask #girldangerousforfreepeople top #bcbgmaxarzria top #joesjeans pants #bcbgeneration sandals #tashkovski bracelet#kesnyc mask #equipment dress #bcbgeneration sandals #kesnyc mask #rebeccataylor top #vince skirt #joie sandals #tashkovski bracelet#kesnyc mask #wilsonsleather jacket #bcbgmaxazria dress and sandals #michelledarin bracelets
I seem to get more work done if I am dressed – that is, out of pajamas and into real clothes, as though I am actually going somewhere. Today after an amazing hike at Green Lakes and some sunbathing on my deck (what a beautiful day!), I bathed and donned my Equipment leather dress then set out to organize paperwork for my Schoology platform.
I also scheduled some Zoom meetings and emailed students about them and about other stuff. It wasn’t technically supposed to be a workday, but I like to have things ready – email on Sunday nights so that students can work on their artwork on Wednesdays and Fridays.
It is a weird new normal.
Saks Fifth Avenue cashmere beanie, Theory cashmere sweater, Free People leather skirt, Joie boots
I had the foresight to purchase new pajamas – I didn’t know then that I would be spending the majority of my time in them. But, hey, it is fun! I love being home, love spending time with my cat, love time to figure out this remote teaching thing. Turns out we are spending more time teaching remotely than we did actually teaching face-to-face. Lots of individual emails with students and parents, lots of information added to my Schoology platform, lots of learning how to use technology – I am no longer a Zoom virgin, lol.
Vicherub long underwear, Ugg boots
Ugg flannel pajamas
We were supposed to go back on April 15th but they are targeting April 29, 2020 now. I added names to all the canvases and papers I planned for students to use in class – so, I am just going to trust that they will eventually be able to create those projects. I sent them home with an art packet on the day before our government-mandated mass exodus from school.
ThermaJane long underwear
Ugg flannel pajamas
The Social Studies teacher told me that many of my students were working on that art homework during her Zoom meeting. Yeah! I love that. <3
Here are my outfits of the day for the month of March 2020. No more school for a while. I just discovered a show on ABC called Schooled to help with my school withdrawal. It is almost as funny as the silly things kids say at real school. It’s set in the ’90s, which is when I started working at my job. Back then I think my fashion look was sort of Monica from Friends.
Rebecca Taylor jacket, Milly top, Joe’s Jeans leather jeans, Calvin Klein booties
Free People dress, Sorel boots
Joie leather dress, Marc Jacobs boots, Tashkovski bracelet
BCBGMaxAzria sweater, dress, and pants, Rag & Bone booties
Free People cardigan, Theory sweater, BCBGMaxAzria leggings, Rag & Bone booties
Free People cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria top, Rebecca Taylor pants, Calvin Klein booties
Welcome to my world. Here are my 2020 #ootd school pictures thus far. My Studio in Art students have been painting with acrylics – these paintings are going to blow your mind. They are sooooo good!!!!! I think they only need a couple more weeks to complete them. I have been wearing stuff that wouldn’t freak me out if it got paint on it. I guess I am saying that fashion is taking a backseat at the moment. I’m a control freak about the brushes – I tell them to use however many they want and need, and I will wash them, so, I spend about twenty minutes washing brushes on my lunch period every day.
Today was the first day of the 2nd semester, believe it or not, which means we are already half-way through the year. I am giving pre-tests and prepping lessons – lots of cool things to come: oil pastels, collage, more paintings and clay!!! I’ll be switching up the artwork on the cabinets soon, as well as eventually organizing the excessive amount of white paint on that back counter, lol, for those of you who scoff at the mess. (It is an art room, after all – that’s what makes it fun and funny). Special thanks to Katy C., my colleague and photographer, who laughs with me every day. <3
Theory sweater, Rag & Bone skirt, Marc Jacobs booties
BCBGMaxAzria dress, Marc Jacobs booties
Theory cashmere cardigan, Syracuse Yoga T-shirt, Banana Republic skirt, Marc Jacobs booties
My recent outfits of the day are heavy on the Theory cashmere sweaters and leather skirts, and jeans by French Connection, Free People and Joe’s Jeans. My newest acquisition, the Rag & Bone wine-colored patent booties, will be in heaviest rotation in 2020 until I get them in multiple colors (no doubt). They are fashion perfection in a decorative sense and also function – they’re spot on for walking around in Syracuse, New York in winter.
Tashkovski bracelets, Theory cashmere cardigan and sweater, Rebecca Taylor silk velvet pants, Marc Jacobs booties
Lord & Taylor cashmere cardigan, Joe’s Jeans leather jeans, Marc Jacobs booties
Tashkovski bracelet, Trina Turk stretch silk top, French Connection leather skirt, Marc Jacobs booties
In about eight hours, I will be getting up early for the last time this year. After tomorrow, we will be on a two-week hiatus from school. I will spend time assessing my bracelet project. Sales went well at the Sip & Sparkle at The Chop House. Another event is planned for late January. I’m contemplating on-line sales too. Not sure what to do quite yet – I’m waiting for inspiration to guide me.
Theory cashmere cardigan and sweater, BCBGMaxAzria pants, Calvin Klein booties
Tashkovski bracelet, Theory cashmere cardigan, 7 For All Mankind jeans, Nine West booties
Theory cashmere cardigan, Bailey 44 silk top, Joe’s Jeans leather jeans, Nine West booties
I’ve had so many wonderful things happen to me this year despite it also being one of the most tragic years of my life with the loss of my dad. It is like a jumble of confusion and clarity. The last few days have been sort of massively cloudy, kind of like when you ask the Magic Eight Ball a question and you get the murky liquid instead of words spelled out on a triangle.
Honora jewelry, C by Bloomingdales cashmere cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria leather skirt, Nine West boots
BCBGMaxAzria sweater, Free People leather skirt, Nine West boots
I don’t know what’s next, but If 2020 isn’t the year of clarity then that will be the biggest joke of life. It kind of has to be, right?
Thank you for your support this year and always – of me, my art career and the bracelet thing, and for being one of many international readers of this blog. I renewed the website. I am actually on my way to making my first $100 with the monetization of the site – it is very exciting, so, thank you for that too.
BCBGMaxAzria sweater, dress and pants, Rag & Bone booties
Free People cardigan, Theory cashmere sweater, BCBGMaxAzria velvet leggings, Rag & Bone booties
I am grateful for you. <3
Rebecca Taylor top, Joe’s Jeans leather jeans, Rag & Bone booties
Theory sweater, Trina Turk skirt, Karl Lagerfeld boots
Tashkovski bracelet, Rebecca Taylor silk velvet dress, Sorel booties
