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19 June 2009 – Coffee Date, originlly uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

On S (all remixed but dress!):

• Dress – Ann Taylor, thrifted in San Fran recently!
• Yellow belt – J.Crew 
• Yellow bag – Garage Sale find 
• Black cardi – thrifted
• Sandals – Target 
• Bangle – Big Lots 

On Erika:

• Top – Anthropologie 
• Skirt – J. Crew 
• Sandals – Merrell 
• Pearl necklace – Gift from parents 
• Sand bracelet – Souvenir from South Korea 

Endnotes:

Today I got to have a coffee date with one of our lovely readers, Erika, who’s also a fellow PhD in the Humanities. Erika’s hometown happens to be the same city in which T. resides – and what a happy coincidence for me because I got to spend a wonderful afternoon with her at one of the local coffee shops. We had a great time chatting about everything from philosophy to skirt lengths to cycling in Paris and body dysmorphia in dogs. Unfortunately, Erika returns to the city of her current university and I’ll be forced  to once more spend my days reading and working, instead of pleasantly chit-chatting about the consequences of riding bikes the wrong way down a six-lane street in France or about the aesthetic appeal of Hamilton, Ontario (not much!). 

Then, Erika allowed me to exploit her wonderful sense of style for our site:

         

After a well spent couple of hours, I had to take off since T. and I had plans to attend a work-related function for him. Since today was spent meeting Erika and then T’s colleagues, I figured it was the right time to pull out the other item I thrifted at the Haight Street Goodwill in San Francisco on my recent trip there: this bright pink halter dress. For a summery color mix, I added a mustard yellow belt, my new favorite yellow bag and, of course, Nerp.  

Thanks, Erika, for a great coffee date! S. 

    

     

20 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue polo – Old Navy 
• Orange-red cardi – Zara, remixed endlessly 
• Fuschia cord skirt – Gap, remixed 
• Blue sandals – Birkenstock 
• Fuschia and black cord bag – Old Navy 
• Bike – “Nerp”

Endnotes:

Check this out! I am such a nerd and coffee fiend. I decided I wouldn’t spend money on decking out my bike until I spend the summer using it enough to justify the upgrades (like fenders, a chain guard, etc), but I just couldn’t help myself with this one and I got a “coffee cup holder” to attach to my handle bars. Now I can still get my coffee to go and enjoy it on my bike. T. made fun and said that I was “yuppie-fying” my bike, but I’ve come to terms with that and have no qualms with it while I’m sipping my delicious coffee on the go.

    

Blue Birkies, originally uploaded by academichic.

As for today’s flats – these little blue Birkies were a gift from a friend in Germany last summer. I would have never picked these out for myself, yet found myself loving them! If you’ve ever owned a pair of Birkenstocks, you know how comfortable and foot-friendly they are. Traditional Birkies were always rather plain, but nowadays the company makes such cool designs and has such fun colors, that comfortable is no longer synonymous with boring. 

On a somewhat related note, we’ve received several reader comments and emails from those of you in the Sciences, noting that while you may be in academia, our outfits do not always translate well to a lab setting. We would like to experiment (get it, experiment?) with this challenge next week and create a sampling of outfits that are both stylish and lab-friendly. So to prepare for that, we need your help! Since different labs have varying dress codes, we would like you to tell us what your dress restrictions are. We’re looking forward to your input! S. 

  

20 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Post Script: After T. took my picture this morning, he insisted that I wear my helmet since I was riding to a farther away coffee shop than my usual neighborhood one and this ride would involve some more high-traffic roads. So I did, for his sake. A. and I have had several bike helmet conversations lately since we both have tenuous relationships with our hair and I’ve been wondering how I feel about the whole helmet thing. But I think I will continue to wear mine as I did today, since a little hair damage is probably better than head damage. And really, I’m at the coffee shop now and it can’t look that bad because no one’s pointed and laughed yet. (Do all of you who bike commute wear helmets?)

28 March 2009 – My Rainy Saturday, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Flower Umbrella – Gap
• Rain Coat – Nine West
• Scarf- NY China Town
• Jeans – Gap Outlet
• Boots – BR, via ebay

Endnotes:

I should have spent my rainy Saturday at the library, like S., but instead I spent it running errands -  coffee shop, Target, and Lowes Garden Store – in that order!

It’s fun to have a bright rain jacket and umbrella on such grey days.  These were actually both birthday gifts from my mom.  Funny that both my mom and S’s mom chose to buy us rain gear for our birthdays – at least they both have great taste!

Check out the fun lining – pattern mixing even in the rain!

Fun Lining, originally uploaded by academichic.

18 March 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Striped Sweater – Gap
• Polka Dot Shirt – BR
• Teal Cami – BR Outlet
• Brown Corduroy Skirt – Faces
• Green Flats – BR

Endnotes:

I may make it to the library today but other than that my day will be spent in a coffee shop or my home office attacking the piles of work I have in front of me.  I put on more than a jeans and tee-shirt today because as both S. and E. have mentioned before, looking put together can help mask how not put together you feel!  I couldn’t resist the cozy wrap cardigan and actually do like how it works quite nicely with the polka dots.

Pattern Mashing, originally uploaded by academichic.

17 March 2009, originally uploaded by academichic

Sources:

• Dress – BR Outlet – Gift from little sister, L.
• Shoes – H & M
• Necklace – Gift
• Earrings – island souvenir

Endnotes:

I had a pattern mix idea for today but the weather is just too lovely for what I had planed. I got this dress for Christmas from my little sister and have been dying to wear it ever since! It is probably a bit too dressy for teaching, meetings, and an afternoon at the coffee shop but that’s never stopped me before.

Before Christmas I coveted this dress for its beautiful print but also for the way the pattern is broken up by the bands of green – and my favorite shade of green at that. While I never need an excuse to sport this color, I am Irish and it is our day!

 

Necklace detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

  

12 March 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue sweater cape – Forever 21, remixed 
• Blue-violet top – American Eagle 
• Purple chord skirt – American Eagle, remixed 
• Boots – Dillards, remixed Purple purse – TJMaxx

Endnotes:

I’ve spent the majority of this break working from home. So today I decided to shake things up a bit by working from a coffee shop for a few hours. I love working at coffee shops, so I really don’t need much convincing for this sort of plan. 

I also realized that I would likely be more productive at the local cafe than at my kitchen table, since I spent a lot of my time at home moderating wrestling matches between the cat and the dog, that inevitably end up taking place on the kitchen floor around me. I think I’ll just let them duke it out on their own today. S.

11 March 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black Sweater – Banana Republic
• Brown Belt – BR Outlet
• Jeans – Gap Outlet
• Boots – BR, via ebay
• Earrings – island souvenir

Endnotes:

Yesterday I spent the morning working from home. And while I agree with E. in theory, in practice, I often find some of my most productive days are those spent in my pajamas or lounge clothes. So I threw on a light sweatshirt and dragged my laptop, pile of books, and my coffee out to the deck (no post-worthy dressing involved). I did, however, finally throw on a pair of jeans and head out for my haircut!

Today is a whole other story. It is cold again and will be for as long as my weather widget can predict! So, I am back to bulky sweaters and boots and will spend much of today parked at a coffee shop with an endless flow of hot coffee. But at least I’m managing to venture out of the house!

Check out my new haircut:

New Hair, originally uploaded by academichic.

New Hair, originally uploaded by academichic.