FIVE THINGS: PROFESSIONAL

Dress how you want to be treated, right?

Well, with my upcoming student teaching experience lurking right around the corner, 

I am doing everything I can to scrounge up every little professional piece I can.

The most important thing when I get dressed is how comfortable I feel.

Chasing 1st graders and an almost-four-year-old make comfort an absolute necessity, 

but it's still important that I look polished and put together.

In addition to comfort, my clothing needs to be basic enough to wear at least twenty different ways.

I'm the first to give leggings their much-deserved shout-out, 

but nothing shows that you care and that you respect other's time more than taking care of yourself 

and bringing your best self to work each day.

Here are a few pieces that I have recently bought, or want to soon, to polish up my closet 

(and all of them are currently on sale big time!):

❶ A good pair of skinny black ponte pants from Madewell.

❷ A pair of comfy/cute black/nude jeffrey campbell flats.

❸ It would be so easy to dress this market popover up or down.

❹ A simple dress like this one from hm.

❺ This fun gold planner.

Keep it classy, friends.

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FIVE THINGS: THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

❶ 

Halloween!

We had so much fun this year.

Ramona was in preschool all day, Cody and I had dentist appointments, and I worked with the preschooler I tutor in reading.

We met for a late lunch at lardo; we split a sandwich, a wedge salad, an order of garlic/rosemary fries, and a couple of beers.

We ran home to change into our costumes in about five minutes, 

and swooped Ramona from preschool where she quickly transformed from a dinosaur to a panda bear.

Then we walked down NE Alberta to begin the trick-or-treat marathon we didn't realize we were beginning.

Ramona was so tired and wouldn't even say anything at first,

 but half way through she was a seasoned trick-or-treater declaring, "I can go by myself, mama."

She even starting scouting houses, saying things like "that one over there with the flashing pumpkin light, that is a good one."

My utter joy and denial, pictured below.

^^Yep, that's my old panda costume. My mom made it about 25 years ago.
You can see little me in it, here.


 ❷ 
This man.
He is so good to me, and to Ramona.
Every time I come home I inevitably find the house a disaster;
a beautiful disaster with evidence of blanket forts that were built, dishes that Ramona did with him,
a pile of watercolor paintings that they created, or a delicious, creative dinner that he's made for me.
What I find is our happy, always-laughing girl and the way she is cosmically tangled with her father.
He is the man of our dreams.

^^pumpkin ale 'stache

❸ 
My job.
I spend a lot of time with bright, creative, hilarious minature people.
They are so refreshing, so themselves and honest.
Today, a little boy in my 4th grade class (I'm the student teacher) said to me,
"I can't wait until you're our teacher, Mrs. Mitchell. You are really good at making me understand things."
My heart.

❹
this.

❺
& this.
My favorite thing about this:
*this study did not include fake butts

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Happy weekend, folks!
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FIVE THINGS: CHILDREN'S BOOKS

As a mother and a teacher of little ones, I read a lot more children's books than I do anything else.
Here is a short list of five beautifully illustrated, unique, sweet stories
that I genuinely enjoy reading, over and over and over and over again.

❶ If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano.
Imaginative and lovely. A must.

❷ The Girl with the Bird's-nest Hair by Sarah Dyer.
I always tell Ramona she has bird's-nest hair, and Sarah Dyer is just awesome.

❸ A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip C. Stead.
This story is too sweet for words, teaching compassion and the value of friendship.
It's even sweeter knowing that it was written and illustrated by a husband and wife duo.

❹ One by Kathryn Otoshi
A simple and beautiful story that teaches children how to count,
while also teaching them to stand up and make a difference.

❺ Cats, Cats, Cats! by Leslea Newman.
This poetic book rolls off of your tongue so beautifully,
and oh my, the watercolors! It is just so good.

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What are some of your favorite children's books that you've recently discovered
or have gotten you through that bedtime dance time and time again?
I'm volunteering in a 1st and 2nd grade blend, so I'm trying to get my hands on every book or song
dealing with the theme of diversity and social justice.
Stay tuned for that compilation.

Here's to a great week ahead,
one full of warm bedtime snuggles and good books!

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FIVE THINGS: BACK TO SCHOOL.

Ramona and I are headed north tomorrow morning to visit Grandma, and three of my very best friends.

She is going to stay with my mom for two nights, while my friends and I indulge ourselves.
We rented a cabin on Hood Canal, on the edge of the woods, with a creek running past the porch.

We are taking it way back: face masks, wine, counting crows, scrabble tournaments,
and a whole lot of unnecessary laughter. 

I can't imagine a better send off to what was the most fantastic summer break.

I start school again on Tuesday, and Ramona goes back to her regular preschool schedule the following week.

Naturally, I'm dreaming of things to make me feel better about returning to the mundane (rewarding!) schedule that is 

work, school, work, school, eat Ramona's leftovers, laundry, dishes, work, school.

Five things I love, that get me excited about hitting the books:

❶ This chalkboard from Simplychi. 

I'd take one for my desk, or one for Ramona's room, or ten for my classroom for small-group work.

❷  This warm yellow Kanken Mini from Darling Celmentine, 

because I really love yellow on my Ramona June.

(I wouldn't mind getting one for myself!)

❸ This birch geography jigsaw from The Land of Nod.

Educational and pretty.

❹ The rain. It started raining tonight as I was writing this,
and absolutely the rain gets me the most excited about the impending season. 

The sound and the smell of a late summer, northwest rain shower fills me with nostalgia;
the unreasonable excitement of shopping for school supplies,
the compulsion of wearing that awful sweater your grandmother gifted you for your birthday.

❺ Oh so pretty! This gorgeous 2014 calendar from Anthropologie.

Although, I'm not sure I would mark any deadlines on this.

Happy weekend, friends.

Back to school we go!

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Five things.

Swim.

❺ Here are five beautiful swimsuits, in my opinion:

❶ A bright turquoise and pink one-piece from jcrew.

❷ A preppy, striped suit by coach.

❸ A simple silhouette, in a bold red by base range.

❹ This lovely lauren moffatt one-piece.

❺ A sexy cut-out two-piece by Lolli for Free People.

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Five Things.

I love love love a good picture book. 

Ramona and I are always on the hunt for the best that our public library has to offer. 

We go every Wednesday for story time, and while we're there we return our books and pick a dozen more. 

It's a ritual that we just love.

❺ picture books that we have recently enjoyed:

❶ Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser

This story encourages foreshadowing, the illustrations are raw and intricately detailed. 

The talent is unreal.

❷ This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

This one won the Caldecott Medal last year! Really cute.

❸Good Night, World by Willa Perlman

I love how it has "good night" translated into 16 different languages in the back!

❹Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers

I like everything this guy does.

❺McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss

This retro gem is classic Seuss: goofy and imaginative.

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