A day off.

Tonight is a beer night. A beer and chili night, in fact. The weather is changing (YES. FINALLY!) and today was rainy enough to have recess indoors. Subsequently, the kids were nuts after lunch. Nuts. Thank the heavens tomorrow is a day off.

Hence, the beer.

Just keep my slightly tipsy ass away from these:

(from Oliveshoes.com)
Hooray. With black opaque tights, the reason I love fall. That and pumpkins, the smell of leaves, the lighting, scarves...

Art.

I went to the Art Institute today. I had never seen

either of these paintings; the abstract piece, A Resonable Facsimile,by Arthur Dove, the landscape, The Artisit Looks at Nature by Charles Sheeler (both photos courtesy of the Art Institute's website).

I'm excited to see the new wing open in 2009, but in the meantime, the massive collection of the AIC is on a subtle rotation. For sure, you can still see the 'famous stuff' (Wood's American Gothic, Hopper's Nighthawks) but some pieces are making their way into the light, so to speak.

Love it.

I also saw some great clothing on the street. A girl wearing a fabulous printed wrap (or was it faux-wrap?) dress in orange and cream belted with a thin denim strip. Very inspiring.

Wow.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Listed on thefrock.com. Dior. Organdy. Amazing.

I have never, ever been a girly girl. Even when wearing skirts I tend to somehow make them more fun that flirty (odd colored tights with giant pink Orla Kiely rain boots? Check!). I have also never been one of those girls who thought much about getting married, ie. where my wedding would be, the 'colors', the 'favors', not even what I'd wear.

Then I saw this dress.

Holy moly. Seriously, it's Dior and, um, too small for me (le sigh) and really? If I ever spent $3800 on something it might be a car. MAYBE.

It got me thinking, though. Audrey is pretty practical and she was 'Captain Sparkle Boobs' for her wedding. I guess there has to be a wedding to dress for, first, and that takes too much planning. I'll just stare and wipe the tear from the corner of my eye.

So. Beautiful.

Latest web obsession (for when I have time)...

I love getting caught up in surfing the web. Reading my favorite blogs, and reading their favorite blogs. I've been so busy lately; staying at work far later than I should, making posters, organizing the lunch spray bottles, creating lesson plans. This website could take up the rest of my life, however. My friend told me about it, and was surprised (considering my interest in all things Scandinavian) that I hadn't seen it before.

I love the couple- what guts. It seems that in Europe (at least what I know of) that it's less about going with 'the herd' and more about going with how you feel. In that vein, the first thing I would do away with in American fashion is slogan t-shirts (adios, Abercrombie & Fitch! Ciao, most of Urban Outfitters!).

Oh, and if I had the time in the morning, I would do my hair like this every. single. day.