My Stylish Week

I'm a day late getting this post up, but we were on the road this weekend and got home much later than we hoped.  And when you get home from a trip, you have to get the kids to bed, start the laundry, pack the next day's lunches, etc.  And then if you're like me you leave on Monday morning without your lunch...oy.

Here's what my week looked like!

This week our oldest had an ice cream social at his preschool.  It was our first chance to talk with his teacher since school started.  She let us know that he is a very smart boy and that his recovery times on his meltdowns are getting shorter (whew!).  That's exactly what we wanted to hear!

 

He was so excited about seeing his friends and eating his ice cream that he couldn't take time to look at the camera.

Little brother was obsessed with the class hamster!

This week was Homecoming Week at our school, which means fun dress-up days!

Here was Holiday Day:

 

 And school color day:  Can you tell I recently watched the Cinderella movie?

 

We had a super-fun pep session at the end of the day on Friday where our principal about gave us a heart attack when he swung from the ceiling and almost hit a basketball goal.  Yikes!

Have you seen this gold flatware at Target?  Umm, I want!

One of my students met author Ransom Riggs last week and got me an autograph!  Soooo excited as I love Ransom's Miss Peregrine... series.

Luke's cousin got married this weekend (congratulations, Grant and Morgan!) so we got to see a lot of his family.  And the boys danced and ran their hearts out at the reception!

 I love this H&M dress--so classy!

The happy couple!

So what made your week stylish?

October TBR!

Check out the TEN books that I want to read in October! 

What's on your reading list?

September Wrap-Up

Hey everyone!

I gave myself a big goal in September--to read 10 books--and I finished 7 and have almost finished 2 more!  I'm pretty proud of that!  Here's a video to get you all caught up.  Enjoy!

Shadow and Bone-Inspired Look

Last week I reviewed Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and gave it 5 stars--I loved it that much!  I loved the characters--Mal and Alina, the Grisha, the Darkling.  They were all fantastic!

One unique feature about the Grisha in the series (other than their special powers) is that they wear special jackets to distinguish them from normal people.  So I wanted to design an outfit that featured an awesome blazer.  Blazers are a great wardrobe staple because they can dress up an outfit, even if that outfit is pretty casual. 

Here's the outfit I designed:

Don't you love the green with the black and white?  Here's the rundown of the look:

• The rich green blazer is gorgeous!  It's slim-fitting, too, which takes away the bulkiness of some blazers.  This blazer definitely takes the outfit up a notch.
• I didn't want any colors to compete with the deep green, so I kept the rest of the outfit on a black/white/gold scheme.  The striped sweater and shorts are classy but casual.
• The accessories are chic but don't take away from the blazer.  And even though the necklace is large, it just keeps the outfit at a dressier level.  And I think the Grisha would like to look dressy.

So what do you think?  Would you wear this outfit?

To find the actual pieces of the outfit, click here.

My Stylish Week

This week brought the new Fall season and we are embracing it!  We checked a few items off our Fall Bucket list, and I have to admit that I'm just not ready for a new week to begin since this one was just so great!

I broke out the plaid this week!  That's one of my favorite Fall trends!

Luke has become quite the expert steak maker!  We've had this meal two weeks in a row and it is de-lish!

I started something new at work this week called "Coffee Break with Julia."  It's basically a chance for me to meet with teachers, enjoy coffee, and discuss ways we can collaborate on projects.  My friend Maggie, a science teacher, was my first "guest."  We've already starting planning a genetics murder mystery project involving the library!

This little guy earned a new toy by getting 10 stickers on his good behavior chart!  He was so excited about it!  It's the character Crusher from "Blaze and the Monster Machines."  Little brother got a matching one because...well, that should go without saying.

I surprised Luke with an outdoor movie at our house Friday night.  "Hoosiers" is a favorite for sure.

We took the boys camping this weekend at one of my favorite state parks--Spring Mill.  Here's our little buddy helping Daddy set up the tent.

Spring Mill has a lovely Pioneer Village with a working mill...it was so fun to walk around the village, sit around the campfire, play Chutes and Ladders, and just rest together.

Happy Autumn!  I hope you are enjoying it, too!

Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

This tag was so fun, because sometimes it feels good to just say "I didn't like this one!"  Enjoy!

REVIEW--Shadow and Bone

My friend Emily (from The Gnoming Librarian) has told me over and over to read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.  I'm not sure what was stopping me--too many books on my TBR list, maybe?--but now I regret waiting so long!  What a fun read!  Let's jump into the review!

• Fantasy
• Book One in The Grisha series

The Gist:
Mal and Alina are orphans.  And they're normal, which means they serve in various roles in the military while the powerful Grisha use their magical skills to serve the King and the Darkling. 
As they try to cross the Fold, a dark and very dangerous area roaming with human-eating Volcra, Mal is hurt and Alina shockingly saves him.  She saves him with a power that only Grisha have.  Which means Alina is a Grisha after all.  And everyone wants to use her power for their good.

What I Loved:

• This book was so unique.  I loved the characters, the plot, the mystery.  The bad guys and good guys are all so good in their parts.  I was totally invested.
• Who can be trusted is unknown and often changes.  I loved not knowing what to expect.
• Mal and Alina's relationship is believable and beautiful.  Love them both.
• There were big, intense moments that I couldn't predict.  So exciting!

What I Didn't Love:

• I didn't really understand the function of the priest/spiritual adviser--whether he could be trusted or not was unclear.
• How exactly Alina worked her powers was a little confusing.

My favorite line:
"There's nothing wrong with being a mapmaker."
"Of course not.  And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either.  Unless you were born to be a hawk."

I loved this book!  Quick, exciting, and just plain fun!  I can't wait to see where the series leads.

An outfit fit for the Grisha tomorrow--see you then!