Positively Super!

I recently purchased a lacey top from Forever21 to pair with dresses or tops that would otherwise not be suitable for school (ie. sleeveless). I wanted to get something other than a cardigan type piece. So how could I resist when I found this little number on sale? AND it's navy blue? My favorite color to wear? Wonderful!

-Anna-

dress: thrifted

shirt: Forever21

shoes: ebay

watch: gift

my example, awesome anna

I've also included projects my students from my after school class have done. I have fourteen 5th and 6th graders each week, seven on Mondays and seven on Wednesdays, for 80 minutes each. I am free to teach whatever I want, so I decided to teach lessons that incorporated some type of art project, being so fond of it myself. Kids here don't have art classes, which is a damn shame. Creativity isn't really nurtured here. I mean, it's not discouraged, it's just not really available unless they pursue it on their own, and no doubt, after their other school work has been completed. So here I am to help these kids harvest their creativity! Although, creating lessons to practice English while offering an engaging art project for 10-12 year olds is kind of a tough en devour. Sometimes they understand, and sometimes they just smile and nod, haha.

One of our projects was creating a superhero. So the kids decided if they wanted to be a superhero or a supervillian and then we discussed powers they could have. They picked out names and created a city to defend (or wreak havoc in). Then they designed their superhero/villian! I even let them use my nice Prisma Color markers.

the instant comfort pocket box

Another recent project was based on positivity. I taught them positive words and positive actions, as well as how to compliment others. We had to practice, of course, so I had each one give each other compliments ("You're good at soccer", "I think you're handsome", "I like your teeth" are some examples, haha, some better than others). Then we made these little boxes with encouraging words, an idea I got from artist, Kim Welling.

I'm really proud of the work they're doing! It's a struggle to find the right words to understand each other, but images are a universal language :)

Until next time,
Anna

Nautical Nonsense

Who lives in a hut close by the sea? AN-NA FLO-RES! Who drinks lots of beer and eats bacon and cheese? AN-NA FLO-RES! Her nautical nonsense is not something to miss. AN-NA FLO-RES! So jump on aboard, there's a new kitty to kiss! AN-NA FLO-RES AN-NA FLO-RES AN-NAAAAA FLO-REEEEES

Eh, it's not my best work... and much of the rhythm is a bit of a stretch, but I had to commit once I started! There are quite a few things I want to mention, so bear with me....
 

Firstly, this outfit is from school today. I usually opt for dresses, because they're just one piece. But then I remember that I have skirts I like to wear, so I make the effort to pair them with something. Also, white and navy horizontal stripes just screams nautical to me. Ahoy! 

It had been too long since a last post, so I took upon myself to update. Now, Bette just got back from her cruise this weekend (that's her excuse for the lack of posts), so I'm sure she'll be posting pictures of that soon enough. I'm sure there will be pictures that I will be so jealous of (Wizarding World of Harry Potter anyone?), but I want to see all that she saw. Make this happen, Bette.

 

 

-Anna-

shirt: thrifted

skirt: Forever21

shoes: ebay

necklace: garage sale

earrings: Icing (sale!)

belt: Toona (Korea)

watch: gift

 I had an open class this week. That means that faculty from our school come and sit in our class. It can be kind of nerve racking because their essentially critiquing your performance. I mean, the people who sat in on ours were not cynical people, so that helped. It also helped that the vice principal, who was supposed to show up, didn't.

Elly chose our topic, and she chose to teach about race. No, not the kind like the tortoise and the hare and winning and losing, but in that the tortoise is black and the hare is Asian and the hare is kind of racist (a whole other kind of loser). Anyway, a tough topic to teach children, especially if they don't understand much of the target language. But we had is planned carefully and the kids responded well to it (we taught them the "Don't Laugh at Me. Don't Call Me Names" song, Bette, hahaha!) and we got through it. Yaaay! Now to repeat for next week, different class with regional representatives, not just our school faculty.

 Also, bonus, on my walk around to find somewhere to take pictures/eat, I came across a lady with her birds. Kissy kissy, 'dawww their so cuuuute.

 Next! I went to the eastern island of Muuido for a friend's birthday. We stayed in these little huts on the beach, or it was so cool! The tide, though, was crazy, so when we arrived there (after walking a lot, a ferry, and a hot, sweaty bus), the tide was soooo far out. Like, maybe a half mile? I don't know, they were talking in kilometers and I just knew it was a long walk over wet sand and small crabs. It was wonderful when a few of us actually made it to the water. It got even better when they tide moved it's way in. It felt so good to frolic in the water. I've missed it. And I miss our pool back home...

But anyway, I digress, food, drinks, water, and birthday wishes and even a slackline (again) made for a fun, interesting weekend.

Aaaand.... we all had some stories to tell the next day. A personal favorite was the brief, beach romance between a friend of mine, and this chinstrap-clad guy named Amma Bear. Yeah. AMMA BEAR.  Say it out loud. Go ahead. Hahahaha!







And last but not least, I adopted a cat! Or more like took him off someone else's hands... He was going to be sent to a shelter otherwise...

He's a rambuncous, curious little guy who can be super cute and affectionate one moment, and a manic warrior the next. Also the curiosity is a little much.. he opens drawers, knocks shit over, climbs on EVERYTHING... but gosh, he is very darling... when he's calm, which he is at the moment of writing this post.

i mean, he watches psych with me, we have to be friends.

Until next time, my friends,
Anna

Ray of Sunshine

I recently went shopping in a neighborhood of Seoul called Myeongdong. It's a big shopping district and features a four story Forever 21. Woo! I hadn't really had a day of shopping since being here, so it was nice going somewhere familiar. Also, fitting rooms and recognizable sizes helped a lot too. Of course, I went straight for the dresses and picked up four! I wanted to get some dresses that I could wear at school that weren't too revealing on top (tits and spaghetti straps. they love leg here, which I totally appreciate).

Also, once again, I saw some of my students out while I was taking these pictures. Since I live so close to school, I live close to my students, so it's inevitable that I will see them around the neighborhood. A little weird, but whatever.

 -Anna-

dress, tights: Forever21

shoes: ebay

sunglasses: Old Navy

necklace: Etsy

watch: gift

i didn't focus this one right, so it's a little blurry. darn it!

All for now!

Anna

Oh yeah! I went to a dinner meeting with the school faculty on Friday and after we had steamed pork (kind of weird..) we went out for octopus and squid. LIVE octopus and squid (and I thought the steamed meat was iffy...). The tentacles are chopped up, but they continue to wriggle and squirm on the plate for awhile after, especially the octopus (pronounced san-nakji, meaning 'small live octopus'). both were strange a chewy; I'm not one for seafood, ESPECIALLY when it's still moving around in your mouth. But I'm glad I tried it. An interesting experience to say the least!

It is what it is..

Marybeth

Shirt: Forever 21

Skirt: Thrift

Earrings: Esty/gift

Necklace: Gift

These were taken on Wednesday which is trivia today!!! Every Wednesday night Elgin Public House hosts a trivia night! Our team is called It is what it is and there's an interesting back story to that but I won't get into it now. ;D haha Our team consists of Bill and Janine, Brooke and Sam, Brynn and her father, John, and Steve! Plus me and whoever anyone else decides to bring that night. Anna was way better than I am at trivia. I bet our team wishes I'd gone to Korea so she could have stayed and helped out more. But we do okay! The night these were taken we had won first place! YAY!

This skirt I got at Village Discount a while back but I haven't worn it at all because I never had the right shirt to wear with it. But the other day I found this cute cream shirt at Forever 21 and it has been the completing object of maaaany of my outfits lately. I can officially say I'm in love. :] The gauges I'm wearing are the ones I got on Etsy where you can attach dangly earrings too and I love this pair that Shelly gave me. I wear them allll the time now!

{Our host, Nick!}

{Sam's door prize!}

{Our insanely smart team!}

One of our prizes that night was this really cute watch, Dos Maderas. It needs a new battery though but that's okay because we also won a $25 gift certificate to Shockey's Jewelry in Elgin where I can go to get my new watch battery! Hip hip hooray! 


We're leaving for the cruise in 4 days! Try not to miss me too much and I hope Anna posts some cool things while I'm away!

Our parents are out of town this weekend so I've got the house, my mom's car, and the pool all to myself! I've been enjoying it to the fullest in between work shifts. :]  A girl could get used to this kind of life!


All for now!
Marybeth

Style Icon: Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks

I introduce to you the seductive, sultry, charming, misunderstood Audrey Horne of Twin Peaks fame. If you don't know what Twin Peaks is, go out and experience it. It's hard to put into words, but I'll try: after a high school student is found murdered in a small logging town in Washington, the whole city seems to unravel. Ahh! But there's so much more to it!! The complicated web of relationships and secrets in this town is ridiculous and hard to keep up with, but the beauty of the show is that mystery and the quirky characters and the campy way they're portrayed. The show is humorous but can also be very dark. David Lynch, the creator (Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead), was, and still is, known for being funny and thoughtful but also for being a little fucked up.

One of my favorite characters is Audrey Horne, the daughter of a hotel owner and classmate of Laura Palmer, the girl who was murdered. She smokes cigarettes, loves an older man (FBI Agent Dale Cooper meow...), and wears pleated skirts. How bad ass is she? Plus that little mole and her sex kitten soundtrack that plays whenever she saunters into frame? Ahh!! I love it...

Bette, I'm telling you, you should watch this show. Even if you don't like it, it's definitely something you need to experience.

Next week, Log Lady.

-Anna-

bonus!

these cool paper sculptures by Megan Brain