academichic

Sources:

• Striped tank: Target
• Belt: swapped with A.
• Skirt: thrifted as a dress and chopped
• Literal necklace: Tickette, gift from husband
• Wedges: Naturalizer, via DSW

End Notes:

There are a lot of things I love about this outfit — the colors and stripes, the red shoes, the silhouette — but there are also a lot of things I might regret shortly.

Like the fact that a tiny part of me is worried that I’ll look like a member of the Red Hat Society, sans hat, because I’m wearing red and purple together.

Or the fact that I — as an almost 30 year old mother — definitely wore pigtails for part of the day in order to get my hair off my neck in some unbearable heat. Am I too old for pigtails?

Or the fact that I’m maybe-kind-of-sort-of-half-heartedly trying to grow my hair out right now. My avuncular hair dresser, whom I adore and trust, encouraged me to aim for a longer hair length. And while I love the idea, in theory, of being able to throw my hair up into a ponytail, it’s been so long since I’ve had anything other than a bob that I’m a bit at sea right now.

And now you know all my secret fears. But tell me, what tips do you have for that awkward in-between stage of growing out your hair? Are there hair fastening devices I should know about at this point? If a ponytail is still stumpy are there other options — besides pigtails — for lifting hair off the neck? Tell me what I need to know!

I’ve been traveling a lot this semester, both alone and with my family. I wouldn’t claim to be an expert on family packing, but I have picked up a few tips worth sharing with anyone who’s taking charge of packing for more than just yourself.

Ultimately, packing is a really personal process, and so much is dependent on how you rank your priorities. Is it more important to you to avoid baggage check fees or to be able to get on and off a plane with as little as possible? Would you prefer to bring everything with you or buy some things when you get there? I think that the key to successful packing is being as honest with yourself as possible over what you need, what you’d prefer, and what you’re willing to sacrifice.

My process tends to go something like this…

Plan Ahead:

I’m an obsessive list-maker, so for trips like this one I make a list of different events (meeting with former professors, commencement ceremony, family celebration dinner, mother’s day brunch, etc.) and then figure out what level of fanciness is appropriate. For example, the previous list of events meant that I was going to be needing casual and could-be-dressed-up dresses plus a separates option or two.

Then, I apply my very sophisticated “throw all the clothes I’m drawn to right now on the bed and see what happens” technique (illustrated above). As the name suggests, I start pulling out clothes that fit those general parameters and that I find appealing or inspiring at that moment. Then, I try to create outfits from the pile, removing or adding items in order to create an overall color palette to give me as many on-the-road options as possible.

Now, packing for N. and little e. in addition adds another layer of planning. I still make a list of needed items and throw their clothes into the pile on my bed, but for a weekend like this one — where I know there will be a lot of family photo opportunities — I also try to create some coherency (but not matchy-matchy-ness) between all our outfits.

For example, one event we’ll be attending is a mother’s day brunch and birthday party for N.’s grandmother. There will be lots of family there, and many photos will inevitably be taken. One option would be for N. to wear a white and olive striped button down and brown pants, while little e. rocks his navy polo and gray chinos. I could pull together the blue and green with my graphic floral pattern dress.

Or…baby e. could wear his plaid button down and pattern mix with his dad’s blue and green patterned button down. Meanwhile, I could add some warmth with my salmon midi skirt and gray salmon top or with my bright red-orange dress.

Any of these items could mix with any of the others, and all could be appropriate for several of our weekend events. Packing this way satisfies my inner planning-nerd without sacrificing that creative moment of coming up with an outfit “the day of.” Gotta keep the magic alive.

Compartmentalize:

I’ve become a stronger believer in packing cubes recently. It helps to have all of little e.’s little clothes in one neat, zippered cube, otherwise they have a tendency to get lost in the maw of the bigger bag.

Meanwhile, keeping N.’s and my underwear, socks, and pajamas in another cube helps us find necessities and keep track of what’s clean and what’s dirty. Honestly, I don’t think that these packing cubes necessarily make for the most efficient use of space, but I appreciate them as sanity-savers.

Smart Supplies:

For this road trip I made little e. a “bucket of fun,” containing his mini magnetic doodle pad, some play planes and a helicopter, his baby owl puppet, and a few board books. I also packed a bag full of an array of healthy snacks for the road that could be easily accessible during the drive. Little e. did, indeed, appreciate these provisions.

Although it’s more “stuff” to bring along — and I wouldn’t have packed this volume for an airline flight — the revolving set of options was worth it for a road trip.

What packing tips for family travel do you have?

8 March 2011 – Is It Spring Yet?, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blazer: Banana Republic Factory
• Cardigan (underneath): Target
• Tank: Forever 21
• Maternity trousers: Loft, via eBay
• Pumps: Steve Madden

End Notes:

Is it spring yet? I woke up this morning wanting to wear stripes, breezy trousers, colored shoes, and lots of navy and white…all components that rank pretty highly in my conception of “spring clothing.” It’s still pretty brisk outdoors, and I had to throw on an overcoat when I went to campus, but something about this combination seemed delightfully fresh to me after lots of black and jewel tones. Do you have wardrobe harbingers of spring? I think I’m also about to pull out my lightweight scarf collection…

(An aside: The last time I was pregnant I was still afraid of stripes in my wardrobe. This time around, I’m kind of smitten with how they go all wonky across my burgeoning belly. I don’t know that I’ll feel like that in twenty more weeks, but for now it makes me smile.)

Finally, I’ve enjoyed reading all of your comments on S.’s post about pregnancy in academia. Like a few others in the comments, I recommend the book Mama, Ph.D., edited by Elrena Evans and Caroline Grant, for anyone interested in hearing even more voices on the subject of mothering in academia. The book includes incredibly poignant narratives from women who had children in grad school, pre-tenure, or post-tenure, women who chose not to have children, and women who left academia altogether after becoming mothers. I’ve raised a few eyebrows by announcing that I’m pregnant again in graduate school, but overall the response has been very supportive from my professors and colleagues (and institutionally I will get New Child Leave and have my clock “stop” for half a semester). I don’t like to think of myself as “having it all,” though, because I am very cognizant that what I consider to be “success” in my academic career is not how other women will want to define it. But that’s kind of the point. Thanks to the women who worked against tremendous odds in decades prior, these choices are now available to me. The cards may still be stacked against someone like me getting tenured at an R-1 or writing THE book that redefines my field, but if I can model a faithful scholarship-life balance to my students and my children while nurturing inquisitiveness, integrity, and creativity…I’ll count that as my success.

13 August 2009 – ThisClose, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue green nursing tank: Old Navy
• Cream cotton skirt: BR Outlet, remixed
• Green scarf: thrifted
• Silver slippers: some store in Queens

End Notes:

I think I am finding a new love for very tight analogous color combinations. One of my favorite winter outfits from this past year was a tight analogous pairing of yellow and yellow-orange, yet I seem to forget that these next door neighbor pairings work so well until reminded by our handy color wheel.

Today all it took was wrapping this thrifted, soft green scarf around my waist to add something a little extra to an otherwise plain tank-and-skirt combination. The scarf is long and narrow with a tiny beaded fringe, and I just tied a square knot in the back and let the ends hang.

13 August 2009 – ThisClose, originally uploaded by academichic.

It was the perfect, simple outfit for a walk with baby e.  in his stroller to run an errand. He’s not participating in our color review, but I think he looks quite fetching in this two-thirds combination of orange and green:

baby e, originally uploaded by academichic.

8 July 2009 – Welcome Baby e., originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Purple Top: F21
• Pinstriped bermudas: Gap Maternity
• Red Wedges: Naturalizer
• Necklace: gift from Husband N.

Endnotes:

This is what E. was planning to wear to meet me for coffee after her doctor’s appointment on Wednesday afternoon.  She packed a pair of flip-flops (or “slippers,” as she calls them) so as not to upset her doctor.  Not all women can sport high wedges at almost 9 months pregnant.  What her doctor doesn’t know, is that E. is not your average pregnant woman!

Back detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

But, as it turned out, E. never made it for our coffee date!  Her lovely son, beautiful baby e. was born early Thursday morning!  Little did E. know that this would be her “birthing-day outfit.”  Luckily, those “slippers” came in handy for waddling around the hospital and made a perfect pairing with her hospital gown!

E., N., and baby e. are all doing well and should be home from the hospital soon.  Here is a sneak peak at the gorgeous little guy!  (I promise to post some pictures from my baby e. visit.)

Welcome to the world baby e.!  We are thrilled you are here!  -A.

Welcome Baby e.!!, originally uploaded by academichic.