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.
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
Just completed a legit full week of work with outfits of the day to show for it. I am all about silk, silk-velvet, leather and embellishments, and have taken to wearing the bracelets I created over the summer.
Akemi + Kin for Anthropologie dress, Calvin Klein booties
Rebecca Taylor silk top, French Connection leather skirt, Marc Jacobs booties, Tashkovski bracelet
There are over five hundred bracelets in stock with more on the way. I’m obsessed with this new venture! I’m waiting for the arrival of tags and some other supplies. Will be launching the collection soon! <3
BCBGMaxAzria T-shirt, velvet leggings and sandals, Alice + Olivia silk velvet top
Trina Turk top and pants, C by Bloomingdales cashmere cardigan, BCBGeneration velvet booties, Tashkovski bracelet
BCBGMaxAzria sweater and dress. Ralph Lauren boots, Coach crossbody
Theory cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria romper, Joie sandals
Trina Turk jumpsuit, Joie sandals
Here are some of my Instagram photographs taken outside of the classroom. Summer rocks! So grateful for time off of work, for time to enjoy the sunshine. And for time to bask in the creation of art, and in the appreciation of it. #blessed <3
Alice + Olivia top and pants, Calvin Klein booties
Rebecca Taylor dress, BCBGeneration sandals, Marc Jacobs sunglasses
Rebecca Taylor dress, Calvin Klein booties, Coach bag
BCBGMaxAzria top, Rag & Bone skirt, Marc Jacobs bootiies and sunglasses, Coach crossbody
BCBGMaxAzria dress and sandals, Michelle DaRin jewelry bracelets
Halston Heritage dress, BCBGMaxAzria sandals
Trina Turk top and skirt, BCBGMaxAzria sandals, Coach crossbody, Marc Jacobs sunglasses
Theory cashmere cardigan, Banana Republic T-shirt and pants, Marc Jacobs booties
Theory cashmere sweater, Trina Turk skirt, BCBGeneration booties
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).
Theory cashmere sweater, Trina Turk skirt, Marc Jacobs boots
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!!!
Theory cashmere cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria top and pants, Marc Jacobs booties
Theory cashmere cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria sweater, Trina Turk top and skirt, BCBGMaxAzria sandals
Cinq a Sept top, Trina Turk pants, Calvin Klein booties
Trina Turk dress, Marc Jacobs booties
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).
Rebecca Taylor top and pants, Alice + Olivia top, Calvin Klein booties
Theory cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria dress, Calvin Klein booties
And a new cardigan pairs nicely with a four-year-old dress (above).
Theory cashmere cardigan, Rachel Zoe dress, Via Spiga tights, Calvin Klein booties
Trina Turk top and pants, Calvin Klein belt, BCBGMaxAzria sandals
C by Bloomingdales cardigan, Banana Republic leather top, Free People leather skirt, Nine West boots
Kobi Halperin top, BCBGMaxAzria jacket and pants, BCBGeneration sandals
BCBGMaxAzria dress, Marc Jacobs sandals
It is now spring. I have started to slowly reintroduce sandals. The weather in Syracuse/Chittenango will just have to catch up.
BCBGMaxAzria tops and pants, BCBGeneration booties
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).
Michelle DaRin jewelry ring, Coach crossbody bag, BCBGMaxAzria sweater and dress, Ralph Lauren boots
Honora necklace, Lord & Taylor cardigan, Trina Turk top and skirt, Marc Jacobs booties
Free People cardigan and dress, Marc Jacobs booties
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.
Free People cardigan, Ulla Johnson dress, Karl Lagerfeld Paris boots
Free People cardigan, Rebecca Taylor dress, Karl Lagerfeld Paris boots
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.
Theory cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria dress, Calvin Klein booties
Theory cardigan, Banana Republic dress, Sorel boots
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.
BCBGMaxAzria sweater, Akemi + Kim dress, Sorel boots
Free People cardigan, Akemi + Kim dress, Karl Lagerfeld boots
I <3 fashion!
Theory cardigan, Rebecca Taylor top, Alice + Olivia pants, Calvin Klein booties
Free People cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria T-shirt and leggings, Alice + Olivia top, Calvin Klein booties
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!
Aqua Cashmere cardigan, Trina Turk skirt, BCBGeneration booties
Rachel Zoe dress, Calvin Klein booties
BCBGMaxAzria dress, Karl Lagerfeld Paris boots
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!
Trina Turk dress, Marc Jacobs booties
C by Bloomindales cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria dress, Nine West boots
Milly top, BCBGMaxAzria pants, Marc Jacobs booties
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.
C by Bloomingdales cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria top and leggings, Ugg boots
I did not get any clothes for Christmas, lol. Or did I? Santa was good to me. I know him! (I really do!) <3
Rachel Zoe dress, Coach clutch
BCBGMaxAzria top, pants, and belt, Nine West boots
