Sundance and Back

     What a great jumpstart to 2010.  As if a New Year's hut trip with goofy friends getting a little giddy in the backcountry (and the addition of a more than friend maybe didn't hurt either) weren't enough to feel as though the Black Eyed Peas' annoying anthem about a good night might just fit for this entire year, follow it up immediately with a last-minute trip to Chicago to surprise your best friend, and then close out the month with 5 days of movie mayhem at Sundance (and the addition of a more than friend maybe didn't hurt here either) and its darn well solidified that its gonna be a good good year.  
     While the annual party at Chez Nitka to kickoff the Sundance Film Festival is my most anticipated weekend of the year, I feel satisfied that we did it up so well this year that I was actually ready to leave come Tuesday night!  8 movies (Doc Shorts, Shorts I, 7 Days, Hesher, Howl, Winter's Bone, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Holy Rollers), 4 group dinners, 2 shvitzes, and one helluva dance party were enough to sideline me until 2011.  I don't usually add pics that aren't from work, but its hard to pass up the opportunity to show off the sassy little number from the Sundance party that I found for 50% off at Barney's Co-op in Chicago.  Love to shop those post New Year's sale racks!

Black silk Alexander Wang--wish I had a pic where you can see the amazing draped open back.  Turquoise necklace courtesy of my Mom's closet!

Jules and I had matching shoes and we didn't even plan it.  I guess its cause red is for dancing and thems just the facts:

In even better predictors of the months to come, going back to work after such an epic month of travel and fun hasn't cracked me!  Perhaps I needed to live it up a bit to be ready to settle back into the routine.  It was a wonderfully mundane weekend at home--late sleeps, long runs, lovely yoga.  Here's what class has been looking like:
Tuesday before leaving for the film fest

Wednesday

Thursday I flew, so I don't think I took a picture.  I was wearing brown boots, gray Zara blazer, multi colored pastel diamond pattern scarf, bluish-purple skinny Blanks, Robert Lee Morris belt with abstract gold buckle and white shirt.

Friday- Tuesday were days off!  No pics, see party pics above!

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Alright, what does this week have in store?  First full week of work in a long time, I hope I don't crack and end up in elastic waist track pants with a matching pastel jacket by Friday!  Fingers crossed folks.

MLK Doesn't Care About My Outfits, But Here I Go Anyway...

After all that time away, you'd think I'd have enlightening new insights or grand discoveries, but I feel like getting back into the turning cogs of day to day life is far to easy.  I will say this--I'm not happy about it.  I'm not happy about cogging along.  A long stay-cation had the impact of connecting me with many a thing that I have loved and seemingly lost (albeit temporarily) over the course of my teaching time.  For example, running.  When I first moved to Boulder, I ran incessantly.  I knew no one, so this was partly out of loneliness, but my desperation to get out of the house was how I learned this town so well.  There was never a route, I would just run until I got lost and/or tired and then I'd turn around and try to wind my way back to my house.  Everyday was a mini adventure--a new street, a new overlook, a new trail.  Simple, but satisfying.  I suppose one would say I found my stride again over break.  Long runs to pass the days.  Late sleeps to feel refreshed. Lots of coffee because I wasn't the one making it.  I don't know what this means exactly--perhaps the metaphor is that I want to take a break from the route again.  I like the feeling of each day being pathless.  Not purposeless, just pathless.... more to come on that when I know what the fuck I'm talking about.

In the meantime--here's last week:

Monday

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday: (this picture is terrible--its a black Theory collared shirt dress with grey blazer and my beautiful Missoni multi colored silk scarf)

Hurrah Stay-cation!!!

So, the upside to devastating budget cuts in our district is that we are privy to an extra long winter break this year.  This, of course, means that I don't have much to blog about until twenty ten because I don't have work to get dressed for!  My new effort for break is to spend an equal ratio of time in elastic waist garments as those involving buttons and/or zippers.  I know what you're thinking, how does one do this without rocking heinous tapered sweatpants or appearing to be en route to or from rehab or yoga class?  Well, lucky for us ladies we've got tights and leggings and dresses and even skorts if you're bold!  Considering that I have no plans for Xmas (I already enjoyed my holiday latkes with the fam) and will be spending NYE on a mountainside, there isn't much to be planning radical new outfits for.  I was hoping to break out some heels this celebratory winter season, but that'll have to wait until Sundance festivities i suppose!!
Thursday of the last full week of classes!

Friday that I headed to LA for Bro's 30th:

Monday--two day countdown to break:

Tuesday--last day of school!

I wear al ot of dark colors... perhaps I should resolve to wear more bright colors in the new year.

Cold Front

Here's the thing.  I said I remembered what I wore last Thursday, but I don't think I do!  I wrote it feeling confident that this essential information would come to me, but it hasn't yet...oy.  On the bright side, I do recall that on Friday I pulled out the turquoise Orla Kiely sweater that I got on sale at Tangerine in Chicago when I was in high school.  Yes, I remember where I bought a sweater almost ten years ago, but I can't remember what I wore to work less than a week back.  Bygones.  The sweater was over my red and white striped T (H&M t-shirts are essential), with jeans and cream Chuck Taylors.  Administrators were out of the building all day, so I violated the rules a touch.  However, I DID have fieldwork that day, so by this logic it was acceptable to wear jeans.

The theme of this week's clothing choices is "holy-cuss-it-is-so-cold-even-my-chonch-is-shivering".  It can be challenging to make excessive layering look cute when your morning thought is actually, "what can I wear so that I don't get frostbite in the 10 minutes that I am outside walking the dog?" and not "does this look cute?" In my opinion, tights is always the answer.  I mean, Bessie Dogg has not confirmed or denied that she approves of my clothing choices, but she does sit real cute and wag her tail when I finally exit the closet to let her out.  That may have less to do with my clothing choices and more to do with the fact that I am letting her out.

Monday

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Ta-da!  The rest of the week still to come...

Half of Last Week

There are holes in my week.  I can recall that on Friday I did not have the opportunity to take a photo of my clothes because I took students to Denver for First Friday on Santa Fe and then went straight to meet up with friends to recover from the fact that I had just spent 10 straight hours with teenagers.  By recover I mean drinking and visiting strip clubs and dancing. I should probably find more productive recovery habits. It is coming up on "winter of yoga" in which I have pledged to use my three weeks of winter vacation to recommit to my Yoga practice via using and abusing every cheap and/or introductory offer for studios in and around the Boulder area.  I also have aspirations of nordic skiing, but I don't want to set myself up for failure here...

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

I will recreate Thursday and Friday at some point for integrity's sake.  I recall what I wore AND what I did on both these days.  That's always good sign that my desctructive recreational habits have not made any lasting impacts on my memory...yet.  In other news, its getting time to start the Sundance countdown!!!  Who's ready for back to back days of movie watching and rock banding???  I know I am.  Best week of my year is less than two months away. 

Missing Link...

A few pics I forgot to post... let's be clear that there are no repeats.  Don't want to cheat.  

Frye Boots, how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

One would think that after being at this for sometime now, that I would be able to melt away into a dreamy sleep after a week of restful turkey (and bacon) consumption.  However, it never seems to fail that the night at the end of a vacation leaves me wide-eyed and twitchy into the wee hours.  I preemptively planned this time around by attending a late showing (9 pm on a school night!) or Fantastic Mr. Fox.  That was some hilarious cussing comedy in that film.  Oh, Wes Anderson, always so delightful.  Despite my late movie move, I am still up with a nervous mind that seems to be telling my belly to do all sorts of anxious flips and a few flops.  Alas, still awake.  Perfect time for a delinquent blogger to get some shit up to date.

There are two things you may note here:

1. On Thursday and Friday I wore jeans.  "Shenannigans!"  I hear you thinking it, but don't you worry about my teacherly integrity about following dress code--they were field trip days!!!

2.  My sweet as black boots that made their debut on Wednesday!  Yeaaaaaah, new Frye harness boots in distressed black.  Tough enough to shut a kid up with jab to the shin (or groin), but light enough for me to still make my escape with a swiftness.  They are leather and sex and magic.  Does the fact that I can pick up and take home and sustain a relationship with a perfect pair of flat-soled black leather boots make up for the fact that I can't do any of those things with a male?....I didn't really think so, but I figured there's no harm in asking.

In other news, I have been slacking on my blogging because the non-profit biz-nass side of my life is actually becoming rather labor intensive.  In a most excellent and exceptionally fulfilling way!  Who knew I could find such joy in overloading my schedule with even more shit that leaves me no time to acknowledge my complete failure at dating and meaningful personal connections!!!  I think I am reminded of this now and the bitter is squeaking out after spending a lovely week at home with my Mother who wants nothing more than for me to wind up impregnated at my earliest convenience.  Actually, I don't even know that she minds if its inconvenient.  Oh well, I'm just going to keep towing the line with my do-gooding and hope that the universe or G-d or Shiva or someone will look kindly upon me one of these days very soon.  In the meantime, you can expect me to wear the shit out of those black boots with continued devotion to seriously stunner outfits on a daily basis!