Day 30: DONE!!! Yay!!

I am sooooo glad to be done with this! Wearing the same thirty items for the past month has really been wearing on me (no pun intended). It's been over a week since I wore my last outfit and I find myself gravitating back to these pieces even though I'm dying to wear ANYTHING else!


I think one of the biggest problems I have is that most of my items were "work" clothes so that I could get dressed quickly in the mornings. So after a month of wearing "work" clothes, all I want to wear are jeans, t-shirts, leggings, and mini-skirts. However, this poses a problem when I actually need to go to work. 


Speaking of work...I have a job again! Yayness! I'm teaching eighth grade Algebra and Science. The position is for the rest of the year (for sure). It's actually a bit of a bummer because the teacher I'm taking over for is really great. He's got a lot of the same teaching style that I do. I'm glad to have a job, but it would be great to pick his brain and collaborate on lesson planning since he's been teaching for five years.


Back to complaining.


I want to apologize for my radio silence. I've been at my new job for two weeks and they have been a crazy two weeks in deed. Week one was spent just trying to get the class going. The second week (this week) has been minimum days all week. Folks, I HATE minimum days. They are a nightmare for teaching because they throw off my whole rhythm and schedule. Not to mention that the kids are all antsy because they know that they're getting out early. Also, I'm helping to coach the eighth grade pentathlon team. Last year I coached seventh grade pentathlon. I don't know why I keep volunteering to do this. I feel like I'm completely lost and a terrible coach.  But the kids are having fun, and that's the most important part. Right? Or maybe I'm just a glutton for pain. Yep. That might be it too.

So, I don't think I'll be taking on the 30 For 30 again. The only time I might consider it is if I get 30 brand new pieces of clothing that can be remixed into several outfits. Then I might do it again so I can break in all those new clothes!


I am proud of myself for sticking it out though, even if I did hit a few bumps along the way.

Day 29: Sisterly Fun

 

The day after my new hair color and very long night of video games and hanging with the little sis. Mitsy's the dark haired one on the right, and she's totally awesome! Definitely the best sister ever! Unless you ask our brother, and then I'M the best sister ever! I kid, I kid. He's annoyed by us equally. ;) Mitsy and I should have more days like this.  Oh! And you should all congratulate her because she just got her driving permit! Yay! Can't wait until I can recruit her as a designated driver! Don't worry, Mom...it won't be anytime soon.

Day 28: Time for Change

Hubby didn't like the blond, so I decided to make it a girl day! I wanted (and Hubby wanted) to keep some of the blond highlights, so I needed a couple of extra hands to pull off this precision dye job.


I had my mom (left) and my sister (photographer) help me out with some temporary hair color and foils. 


On the under layers, we applied the temporary light brown color. I went with a temporary because I was worried about what kind of reaction my recently bleached locks would have to the dye.


On the top layers, we used a blond toning kit. I found it at Big Lots (I know; should've been a red flag...) and it's supposed to add darker blond tones to all over hair color.


The result is kind of a light brown with a few highlights. I miss my blond, but I'm also happy with this in-between color. I'll call this one: Mission Accomplished. The best was the quality time I got to spend with my mom and my sister. 


Lil Sis (Mitsy) ended up spending the night, and we had a ton of fun! We played Dance Central on the Kinect and got some hysterical video! I'd post it, but I'll get a lot more fun out of it if I wait until she has a boyfriend I can embarrass her in front of, ;)

Day 27: TARDIS necklace complete!

It's day 27 of 30 For 30. I'm itching to be done. I'm already fantasizing about all of the different outfits I'm going to wear! 


So until I can wear new outfits, I'll have to settle for new jewelery.


See? I finished it! It's not quite how I envisioned it, but what craft ever is?

It's a little bulky, but that's "in" right now, isn't it?

The image of the TARDIS is a little milky, and the hard glaze I put over it gave it a bubbly look instead of a glassy one.

On the up side, this means that if anyone actually recognizes it as the TARDIS, then they're a hard core Dr. Who fan. And that means we can be friends. :)

Here's the image and the pendant base after I cut the image out of its paper.


See the bubbliness I'm talking about?



A little bit of glue and a few hours later and...viola!!

My very own TARDIS jewelry. I think it'll go quite nicely with my time turner and Jedi pocket watch.

BRB

Hey there! Sorry I've been MIA for a VERY long time! I finally finished 30 for 30!! Yay! I'll post the pics and my reflections of my final three outfits this weekend. I feel terrible that I haven't kept up with my blog. Not that I think I have a bunch of readers that hang on my every word, but I don't want this blog to be just another abandoned idea. I want to keep it up long enough to call it an actual hobby.
     So...the reason I've been so out of it is that...I got a job! Los Alisos had a position open up that will last until the end of the year. It's an 8th grade math and science gig, and I've had a great first week. Yes, the kids are frustrating at times, but that's part of the joy and excitement of teaching. It's so relieving to know I'll have a steady paycheck for the next few months.
     This week has been crazy! Having to hit the ground running is tough when you're teaching, and it's even tougher if the kids are already at a good pace and have Spring Break in their sights. On top of that, I had a huge project due for my class at CSULB...ok, it wasn't that huge, but it felt pretty overwhelming in light of the fact that I had a brand new class, and it meant that I couldn't devote 100% to my class...which makes me sad and feel like a failure. But, I must press on or I can kiss my chances of having a job in the fall buh-bye!

TARDIS Necklace

These are the materials I plan to use for my newest addition to my Geeky jewelry collection {Which I need since I no longer have my Rebellion Insignia piece}. 

I have a broken cameo pendant/brooch {it's actually both!} from my mother, which will be my base. 

Then, I'm going to adhere this elliptical metal frame to the face (to cover up where the old cameo was attached).

I'll be using this jewelry and metal glue to do so.

I'll insert the photo of the TARDIS by printing out a scaled image of my choice (I beleive this one is fromt he opening sequence) and gluing the frame around it.

Once the glue has dried, I'll fill in the frame with a thick layer of glossy sealant to protect the image and give it a "gem like" appearance.

I know that the image looks a little cloudy now, but I think that's because the Mod Podge hasn't finished drying yet. It's a pretty thick layer. I'm a little concerned that the Mod Podge may have made the ink run a little, since it's water based. But I was too impatient to go out and buy an epoxy or Diamond Glaze (my personal favorite), so I decided to give this a shot. It probably needs at least 24 hours to fully dry. Buuuuut....I kind of like the cloudy look. It gives it a more mysterious look that if it was a super sharp image. I'll call it "TARDIS in Water Color".

COMING UP...

- Cutting out the "gem".

- Affixing the "gem" to the pendant base.

Day 26: 42

Only 4 more days left of wearing these same clothes! I can almost taste the freedom!! Don't lie; I know you think this is boring, too. It's especially boring considering that this is a fashion CHALLENGE!! ::LeSigh::

  I actually thought that I was going for some kind of look here. You see, I've been on this Dr. Who bender of sorts. I'm trying {desperately} to catch up so that I can join in with Season...7, is it? I just hope it's all still going by the time I'm finally up to speed. I must say I'm already curious to see what kind of Doctor this Matt Smith is. I'll probably start out resenting him and wishing David Tennant was back, the way I hated David and wanted my first Doctor back, and then the new Doctor will be my favorite Doctor because the truth of the natter is that the Doctor is really always the same. And now I'm spewing run-on non-sense like a proper Douglas Adams character. ::Bliss::

     Which brings me to the following:

 

There are several things that I want to say about this number. First of all: I am entirely satisfied with its existence as the Ultimate Answer. Further more, I believe that Bob Dylan found the Ultimate Question to this answer and wrote it into a song while enduring powerful gusts of wind at coincidental speeds. Second: I just finished watching the Season 3 Dr. Who episode of this title. I am extremely UNSATISFIED that this episode had absolutely NO* Hitchhikers references! How does a writer, who writes for a show that was created by Douglas Adams, title an episode 42 and NOT throw is at least ONE decent reference???? I mean...REALLY? It would have been PERFECT!! Third: This is now my second favorite number. My favorite {and lucky} number is six. I acquired this lucky number from an astrology kit that my mom bought for me at Costco {I think it was still called Price Club then} when I was in elementary school. Since then, I have been convinced that my lucky number is six because all of the major event of my life (including my birth date) have either been sixes, factors of six, or multiples of six. Yes, yes, I know that that's a HUMUNGO range of number and that anyone could pick any number and acquire the same pattern with the same results. But I take comfort in my delusion and refuse to give it up. =P This leads me to my logic in 42 being my second favorite number. 42 is an adorable reference to a book that I adore {even if it is a relatively new adoration} and the sum of the digits is 6. It's Kismet, I tell you. <3

 Oh! The look I was going for: The Doctor's companions always seem to be wearing some sort of a simple, yet fashionable outfit at the time of their meeting. So, for a lark, I decided that if I dressed like the Doctor's companion I could somehow channel all that awesomeness and be just as awesome...or increase my chances of accidentally bumping into a large blue phone box. Time travel my phone booth is still only my second favorite mode of time travel; DeLorean is still my fave.

*I suppose you could squeeze out a tiny Hitchhikers reference from "42" in that the TARDIS effectively hitched a ride on the space ship much in the same way that a Sub-Ether-Sens-o-Matic hitches a ride on similar passing space craft.

Day 25: Almost Done!

Shirt: WalMart; Pants: Target: Belt: Thrifted from Grandpa; Necklaces: vintage from mom; Bracelets: random collection

     Only five days left, and I'm sad to say that my creativity is SHOT. I've already planned out my last five outfits and they're pretty much rehashing of this outfit: slacks and a t-shirt. It's times like these when I realize the importance of accessorizing and feel like thanking my mom for letting me rifle through her jewelery boxes and permanently borrow my favorite items. Thank you, mommy; my outfits seem so much less blah because of you. <3
     Can I geek out on you for a moment? Thanks! I'm sooooooo in love with Dr. Who! The show...although I'm fairly certain I would enjoy any books, radio broadcasts, or comic books about my favorite Time Lord as well. Just when I think that the show is going to lose speed and I won't like it anymore, BAM! It's fantastic and exciting again! It's actually a perfect show for me because so much of it changes on a fairly regular basis. I'm already anticipating the next Doctor and what he will look like. I've also managed to convince myself that I would be a rather good assistant, given that I'm open minded and not likely to panic in the face of intergalactic catastrophe. But since travel by TARDIS is most likely not in my future, I'll have to find another way to make a personal connection. My plan is to make a necklace. I've got this lovely broken cameo brooch and it would be just adorable if I could etch a little TARDIS or sonic screw driver into it. I'll have to work out the details on it...I'll get back to you when I figure it out.
     Oh, and can somebody please tell me what's going on with Primeval! The last episode I saw, Danny came back and went chasing after his brother and I haven't seen another episode since! Was THAT the season finale??? I hope not, because I can't wait a whole year to get my Primeval fix! :( I want my dinosaur show back!
     Ok, done ranting about geekness. Happy Wednesday.

Day 24: Gettin' Close!

     Folks, I am so ready for this challenge to be over!! I want to wear my other clothes and not feel guilty about it! Not to mention that I am seriously beginning to worry about the well being of some of my thirty...I think my jeans are finally getting worn in...and then they won't be my "nice" jeans anymore! How do I like this outfit? Eh. It's ok. It feels boring, even though the sweater on its own is a lovely piece. The kids said I looked pretty...but what does a fourth grader know about fashion and style?
     Work was great, class was long, blah blah, same old Tuesday.
     For those of you who think I made a hideous mistake bleaching my hair {and I know you are out thee and were just too wimpy--I mean, nice--too nice to say so}, the blond won't be sticking around much longer. Reason number one: husband doesn't like my it. Reason number two {and there are only two reasons}: I absolutely do NOT have the time, money, or patience to be a full time blond. I just don't. I can already see my roots growing out {which is pretty cool because I can actually monitor my hair growth! Well, I think this is a neat, albeit tacky, side effect} and I know that the look is just going to go down hill from here. So, in a short amount of time {I'm not going to commit to an actual date yet, because I'm still having a bit of fun with my new hair color} I will be going back to a warm light brown. Don't worry, you'll get to see the results...even if they're terrible because I'm going to attempt to do this at home.

Day 23: Yuck

     I don't like the way this looks at all. Particularly the extra rosiness of my skin. Blech. Ok. No more red tops for me until I go back to brunette.
     What else did I do today? Not much. I worked with a lovely 4/5 combo class (that's fourth and fifth graders in the same room for those who don't know) and had a teaching first! It's been a while since I had a teaching first, so this was a welcome surprise. There was a boy in the class with my name! I've never taught a class with another Regina or Reggie, but today there was a boy named Reginald and he quickly requested that I call him Reggie. Folks, the strangest thing in the world is having to call somebody else by your name or to see your name, in your handwriting, marking the place of another person. But it was also pretty cool. I told him that I was also a Reggie and the class had a good little laugh and side bar conversation. I think it may have won them over. Luckily, the kid was a nice kid so I didn't have to spend all day yelling my name. :)
     In short: I look yucky, but I feel swell. Happy Monday, all!

Day 22: Titles Are Stupid

 

I'm still struggling with getting home in enough time to take adequate pictures. Particularly ones where you don't have to bear witness to my disaster of a desk or put up with my nasty lighting. Of course, I might have been able to squeeze in some outdoor pics this afternoon had I not decided to take a nap instead. =D

It wasn't a rough day or a long day, but I actually did work. I got the call at 5 this morning {that's the life of a sub, guys} and thought I would be subbing for my friend who teaches 7th grade social studies. He's freakin' amazing teacher! I mean, he doesn't just teach medieval history, he LIVES it! I could sit in his room for hours and just stare at all his stuff. He builds his own medieval armor! But his teaching skills are also amazing. I really need to find another excuse to get him to teach me his system because everything in his room runs better than clockwork. So, I was pretty excited to sub for him today. He currently has a student teacher, but only for the last few periods of the day, so I would still get to teach.

This is also the school where my friends Megan teaches. Earlier this week, she told me how she would be out today and Monday and that it would be nice if I could sub for her. She has a TON of my old sixth graders. But, alas, our district no longer allows teachers to request specific subs {has to do with lay offs and seniority...blah blah}, and I wasn't able to take her class...until her scheduled sub canceled this morning and left Megan's class without a teacher. The secretary saw this as a perfect opportunity since I know most of Megan's class and know Megan's teaching style. So she switched me. And for the third day, I got to hang out with my kids. Since they actually had work to get done, though, I spent each period running around the room making sure everyone was on task and working correctly. Result: I'm pooped! I can't believe I even wrote this much! 

I'm not going to go back to watching Disney movies with Hubby {we're having a marathon of sorts that was inspired by our recent purchase of Bambi on BlueRay}. Happy Friday!

Days 20 and 21: Work and Play

      I don't know if I'm crazy about this outfit. Sometimes I think it works and other times I feel ridiculous. I was feeling adventurous by mixing the two prints. What do you think? Is it workable?

     I worked at my middle school again today. If you've ever played an instrument in school, you know what subject I "taught" today. I love music; I mean I LOVE it. I've had a few friends ask me why I don't teach it. And here's the truth: I have a great appreciation for music, but hardly any knowledge. I absolutely suck at music theory and can't direct to save my life. I'd love to teach choir and wouldn't mind taking the theory courses, but that won't change the fact that I can't play the piano. Friends, if you're going to lead a choir, you need to have some piano skills to your name. Trying to lead a warm-up without proper accompaniment is like trying to swim in a dry pool. I've tried to learn the piano many times in my life and it's just not in the cards for me {fingers are too short}. So subbing for the middle school band teacher was fun {got to hear lots of music} and frustrating {can't help the kids worth a lick!}. The best part? You guessed it! Got to see my kiddos again! The best was drum circle {yes, the school actually has a drum circle class! Isn't that awesome?}. One of my old students, who was always out of his seat, always talking, always goofing around, was asked to be the leader of the drum circle. Folks, I nearly cried when I saw that kid direct. He had focus and composure and leadership. I was so proud to see how he's grown! And that's what makes my job worth every second.

     Later that night, Marty and I went out to a dinner party.

 

I'm calling this Day 21 because...well, I'm wearing thin on these thirty items. I practically rip them off when I get home from work just so I can wear something different. The pictures are the most difficult though. These were taken after I got home. In the room with sucky lighting. Not even Zaphod can save me from the bane of indoor lighting...but he tries.

I'm really glad that I put this dress in my thirty. I've loved it since I found it on the rack last year and have used just about any excuse to wear it. I love the stripes on it and the ruffly skirt and the POCKETS!! My only regret is that I didn't also buy the dress with the blue skirt! Seriously, guys, this dress is amazing; just throw it on and it looks fabulous. I was a little worried about how it would look with my new hair, but I have to say I'm likin' the Courtney Love vibe I get from it. =D

Day 19: Feeling Flighty

     Maybe it's the monochromatic scheme or the flowy scarf that makes me feel like a flight attendant. Or maybe it's the blond hair and the cutesy smile. I think the blue sweater with the purple dress was a bad idea. The purple is too grape and just makes me look like a big ol' bruise...with blond hair.

     The kids thought I looked pretty today, though. Saw some more of my old students at my first middle school. I think their Snyder-Sense is coming back to them; some kids actually came to see me before school even started. It's adorable having students hunt me down. I did shock some of them though, and I told them it was payback for shocking me with all of their crazy hair changes and getting taller and older and wot not.
     I used to think that I was a high-heel hero. I am definitely NOT feeling that way because of this challenge! I picked four pairs of heels that are quite high and I'm starting to feel the pain in my feet and my back. I have never had this kind of dull pain in these areas and it's got to be from wearing the same heels for 19 days in a row and not giving myself a break with flats. I'm also starting to worry about the well-being of my shoes. These black ones, for instance, were starting to feel a little wobbly in the heel as I was flitting across campus. That would just suck if they broke. I've only had one pair of heels break on me, and they were my absolute favorite pair. They were my first pair of knee high boots. Black, with rubber heels and soles, and with just enough shine; I wore them almost every day and even under pants. But, alas, I had this bad habit of rocking back on my heels when I was bored, and one day, during my freshman year of college, *SNAP* and "Wha-wha-whoa!" *tumble and tears*. Lesson learned: Don't rock back on your heels if you value your shoes!

     GOOD NEWS!

   I got a response from Enrollment Services this afternoon! I'm officially enrolled and settled up at CSULB! Yay! I'm so glad that I went through all of that for this tiny peace of mind {I'm still not sure if that's the right "peace"}. I'm also extremely impressed at the speed of their decision since I was told last night that it would be two weeks. Thank You, Enrollment Services, for expediting my case; I truly appreciate it. Please ignore the massive amount of profanity directed at the university from me somewhere around mid-terms and finals. KThxBye! <3

Day 18: Certifiable

        So....I got my hair done this week. It's only a subtle change.

       Okay, so it's a little more than subtle. Right now, I'm really excited about it and think it's really cool. But, I might just be thinking that because this is the most dramatic thing I have EVER done do my hair. I can't tell if I really like it or not due to the sheer shock of it. Also, the color isn't the same in every light. Like in these photos, it looks more yellow-y and brassy. But in the photo I took when I got home from the salon, it looks softer. I don't know. I've gotten lots of compliments so far, but those people might also be in shock. I went to my old middle school and spoke at college day today. The best part was having one of my own students politely escort me on campus:

Student: "Hello, Miss. Are you a speaker for today's event? Let me show you to the waiting area."

Me: "Why! Thank you!"

Student: "Hey, wait minute! Aren't you Mrs. Snyder?"

Nearby Students, in hushed and awe struck voices: "That's Mrs. Snyder???" 

        If nothing else, this was a fun experiment in human reactions. Husband isn't so sure about it yet. He told me that I looked great with my dark hair {isn't he sweet?}, and that this was "different". I'm pretty sure that he, too, is in shock. I'll give it a week or so to grow on me {get it, grow on me! Ha ha!} before I chicken out. The nice thing about going lighter is that I can just cover it up and don't have to try and suck the color back out {like when I botched my home job and ended up with hair the color of eggplant!}. Worst case scenario: I spend $10 on a box of Nice n' Easy to cover it up.

Sweater: Gifted; Button Up: New York and Company; Pants: Kohl's; Shoes: Guess; Belt: Charlotte Russe; Hair: Carlton Hair Intl.