11 May 2009 – Vélo Chic, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Pink gingham button down – American Eagle 
• Dark wash jeans – ON Flirt, remixed 
• Green loafers – Anne Klein, remixed 
• Bike – Mongoose 
• Backpack – Timbuk2, borrowed from fiance

Endnotes:

I’m joining the Vélocouture movement this summer and attempting to travel by bike as much as possible. I’ve been inspired by the bike-happy pictures of fellow remixer Mamichan, who bikes to work and still looks stylish and beautiful while doing so; case in point here, here, and here (and these are just a few of my favorites).

I’ve started out small by biking to a nearby coffee shop for my daily work session out of the house. I borrowed my fiance’s backpack, found my old bike lock, and set off through back roads and on sidewalks just last week. (I know you’re not supposed to ride on sidewalks, but I think it’s best I provisionally do so for everyone’s sake who’s on the road with me!) 

I’m not a skilled cyclist but I love biking and love the concept behind vélocouture.  And if you need any more convincing that you can still look stylish and wear just about anything while commuting by bike, just check out this girl’s Flickr set or this young mom’s Flickr manifesto.  Do you bike to work or around town? Or is cycling something you reserve for trails and weekend outings? Do you own a bike at all?

On a related note, the lovely Kaylyn of Dawley Style asked on a recent post for advice on how to work-out during your lunch hour and clean back up for work afterwards. A crafty reader replied suggesting baby wipes, and incidentally, while obsessively perusing bike-chic blogs over the weekend, I came across this highly endorsed product by a bike commuter who swears by them: Actionwipes! In the company’s own words: “Your face is not a baby’s butt, don’t wipe it like one”. Check out these “full body wet wipes for rinse free bathing” and let me know how you like them!  Plus, check out the comments section here, the owners of Actionwipes are offering a 15% discount with the special promo code: SKIRT.  Happy wiping! S. 

 

11 May 2009 – Me and my Bike, originally uploaded by academichic.

     

6 May 2009 – Balancing Act, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Green gingham button down – J.Crew, remixed
• Black cuffed jeans – DKNY, thrifted, remixed 
• Green loafers – Anne Klein, remixed 
• Scrabble piece pendant – Its All about the Print on Etsy, remixed (and see detail shot here)
• Book – Manifeste und Dokumente zur deutschen Literatur, 1890-1910

Endnotes:

These days I’m having a somewhat difficult time striking a balance. I went from having every moment of my day perfectly scheduled and color coded in my iCal to facing a completely blank calendar page with a big fat comprehensive exam deadline staring at me mid May. And you should know, my iCal pages are never blank!  I currently have thirteen color coded categories on the left of it, ranging from the more enjoyable  ”Running” and “Visitors” to the less enticing but not-to-be-forgotten “Meetings” and “Deadlines”. 

So it’s not surprising that it’s somewhat of a struggle adjusting to big blocks of time that I’m supposed to use for big chunks of work. I got used to little blocks of time, all back-to-back, all lasting all day long, with me running around like the little energizer bunny. Now I’m supposed to take my battery out, plug myself into a stationary location, and work on one thing all day long. I’m only fretting about it because this schedule is indicative of my schedule to come once I start my dissertation this summer, so I better get used to it. For now, I’m trying to still strike a balance by working a bit in the morning, going for a run pre-lunch, working some more in the afternoon, and enjoying dinner and some evening activities with T. 

How do you strike a balance in your life? What do you do to motivate yourself to tackle tasks that seem daunting? How do you balance work and play? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! S.

   

6 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

   

Green Loafers, originally uploaded by academichic.