It's another lovely day here, so I thought I would share another spring teacher outfit. This is one that I love because it's made up of basics that are just combined to make a new outfit. Especially during the first years of teaching, this is the way to go. While it's so fun to look for cute, unique pieces, having a mix of basics will give you way more options on any given morning. Basics are also awesome because they all go together, so there isn't much planning required.   

All of the pieces in this outfit are older, and I wear all of them with several other things. I've talked about this skirt before. It's the J. Crew elastic waist skirt that I love. I have this one in several colors and in both linen and wool, so I can wear some version of this skirt all year long! 

I've linked this season's options at the bottom of this post. The options for this season have a cute scalloped look that is really fun. This one is even machine washable and is super easy to throw on for a quick outfit at the end of the year. 
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"It's finally spring!" she says while cringing, hoping she didn't jinx it! I've been wearing more and more spring dresses these days, so I thought I would share one of my favorite spring teacher outfits from the last few weeks. In the picture above, I have not gone into witness protection. I was having a bad face day, but I really loved wearing this dress, so Instagram stickers to the rescue. 

We've had a few weeks of weird weather, but it's beginning to feel like the warmer days are here to stay. It's been an interesting few weeks in my world. The semester for grad school ended on the same day that third quarter grades were due, so I found myself exhausted, stressed, and, on one occasion, crying in my car during my planning period. It wasn't anything in particular that led to this moment, and it wasn't any kind of complete breakdown. I was just really tired, and I knew that I still had 3 assignments to complete that night and another one that was due within the week. I wasn't just tired; I was tired and knew I couldn't rest yet.

I'm writing this because I think more of us need to be honest about life. It's so easy to smile and say, "Great" when someone asks how you are, but I do wonder if portraying ourselves as those who have it all together and who never miss a beat leaves others to believe that they are weirdos if they can't manage it all. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I'm thinking more and more about the importance of letting people know that it's normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes, and it's normal to question if you can balance all you have your plate (and it's healthy to choose to take things off of your plate sometimes too!). I've told more than a few people about my car-crying incident. Not because I wanted sympathy or even enjoyed telling the story. I told it so that they might know that all of us have moments when we just need to let our emotions have a moment. We just need to feel what we feel. So--as we head into the last part of the school year and the deadlines roll in and the exhaustion starts to set in, remember that you aren't a weirdo if you need a moment to process all the emails and student questions and meetings and whatever else goes with wrapping up a year. It doesn't mean you are weak or have chosen the wrong career or are doing something wrong if you just need to admit that sometimes it's too much. So, go ahead and take a minute to cry, then wipe the mascara, take a breath, and go back to being awesome. And maybe tell someone--so they can encourage you, check in on you tomorrow, and might be encouraged to know they aren't the only ones. 

​Okay--now on to the fun stuff. This is one of my new favorite dresses. The thing I love most about it is that the back is an elastic waist, but the front has a more tailored look. This means I can breathe easily while looking pot together. I also love that it is eyelet, but it has a great shell underneath, so I don't have to worry about having a second layer. I'm becoming an old lady. I know this because I now have three rules for dresses I buy to wear to work:
1. Machine Washable
2. Long enough to not require much attention 
3. Made of comfortable material/cut (I'm too old to feel crammed into my clothes all day.) 

I paired this dress with a green cardigan to add some color and threw on some wedges that are just the right height--tall enough to make me feel a bit dressed up, but low enough to make my feet happy. (I think I'll try belting it next time. I'm sure you'll be anxiously waiting to find out the outcome. :))

I'm really liking this pair of shoes. I got them at the start of the season to replace a pair I had completely worn out over the last few years. Their made by Franco Sarto--the same brand as the 2 of the other pairs that I've obsessed about on here. I think I like them because their shoes tend to be leather, made with heels that are manageable heights, and still girly. I've linked them at the bottom along with this dress and cardigan.  

Okay--well-there's one outfit idea. I'll try to post a few more if, like me, you still have a bit of the school year left or are looking for some outfits that might work during the first few weeks of school when it's still rather warm. Just remember to be nice to yourself and check in on the teachers around you. Carrying the burdens of students all year and handling the challenges of your own life can get heavy towards the end of a school year, even if you see the finish line of summer break up ahead. 
Click on the images below to check out the items from this outfit.