Well, yesterday was the day. The beginning of the return to normal; our first inservice day of the year followed by Open House in the evening…
THE STORY
…Perhaps I am somewhat of an anomaly. I like going back to school and I love my job. Truly, I do. I’m not one of those people who view the world through rose colored glasses; far from it. I know of what I speak through experience. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was miserable each morning when I had to go to work. I was doing something that I didn’t enjoy and was in an environment that just wasn’t my thing.
And let’s not confuse the fact that while it’s true that I love what I do, it is still work. And of course there are aspects of it that I do not enjoy. Take paperwork for example. All teachers can attest to the fact there is a crap-ton of it, but special education comes with it’s own additional giant pile of it. I will procrastinate until the cows come home when it comes to any type of paperwork. I also do not enjoy getting out of bed at 5 in the morning to get things done and get ready for the day; I’d be far happier if school started at say 10:00 instead of 7:30. But give me a roomful of twelve to fourteen year old kids with special needs working on a project about local history or some such thing and I am all over it.
You often hear or have heard that advice that goes something like, “follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life”, right? That sounds fabulous, but it isn’t necessarily realistic. Why? First of all, sometimes our passions just do not make realistic career goals if you have a home and family to support. Would I love to stay home and run a daycare exclusively for really cute puppies? Uh, ya. Who wouldn’t? Will I be able to make a mortgage payment with the money I make playing with really cute puppies all day? I’m going to have to go with “no”. Do I have an innate passion and love for working with kids with special needs? Absolutely. Does that mean what I do all day isn’t work? No, no it doesn’t. It is work, and it’s hard work. And like I said, there are parts of it that I do not enjoy in any way.
But here’s the important part, the primary responsibility of my job, helping the kids to learn and grow and develop skills they need for life…that is what I truly love. The sense of accomplishment at the end of a good day with them can’t be beat. Sometimes they make me angry, sometimes they break my heart and oftentimes I’m exhausted to the bone by the time I get home. Am I following my passion? Absolutely. But is it work? Damn straight it is. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
THE OUTFIT
Here it is, Day Two of the white non-iron high/low hem tunic I received c/o Foxcroft. On Wednesday, I styled it in an edgier more casual way and today I went full-on professional with a pencil skirt and kitten heel sandals. Okay, maybe a neon pink clutch isn’t professional in the traditional sense, but in my world, it is. I have to say, the versatility and styling potential of this white high/low hem tunic is pretty much only limited by your imagination. I thought it added a really cool spin to the leopard cami and denim shorts I wore it with Wednesday and yet today it’s very much grown-up and ready to go to work. This is one of those pieces that can happily live in both sections of your closet; work and play.
The proportion of the tunic worked really well with the narrower pencil skirt and really balanced the proportions. The floral print sandals added a fun print mix with the stripes (floral and stripes are probably the easiest print mix to pull off btw…) and the neon clutch added a hit of fun to the whole look.
THE TIP
Try mixing up the scenarios in which you style certain pieces in your closet. Take a “strictly for work” piece and try it out with an off-duty outfit. Be bold, try styling a piece from your off-duty section in a more professional way that would be appropriate for work. You’d be surprised at how many options this opens up for you in regard to getting dressed.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Tunic: c/o Foxcroft; Skirt: Forever 21 (Similar); Sandals: JCPenney; Clutch: Walmart (Similar)
**Tunic provided c/o Foxcroft, but as always, all opinions are my own.
