Month: November 2020

Sartorial Saturday–Christmas Town

Every year, I think to myself, “I don’t need any more Christmas print skirts.” And every year, I come across another amazing Christmas print skirt to add to my wardrobe. Only this year, it wasn’t just a skirt, it was a skirt with a matching cardigan! The lovely wintry print on the skirt may be called “Christmas Town,” but I can see myself wearing it all winter, especially since the background of the skirt is a fairly neutral navy. And the embroidery on the cardigan isn’t specifically Christmas-y, either, although the red color certainly makes you think Christmas!

I accessorized with a basset hound brooch from Erstwilder, which fits right in with the embroidery on the cardigan, a bow belt which makes me think of Christmas presents, and a green doctor’s bag-style handbag from Collectif, plus a fun Christmas lights scarf (that looks more pink in pictures than it does in person).

This outfit, including the green and white striped top, is from Unique Vintage, although it’s not their store brand. The label says Royal Monk, and I think that’s somehow related to Banned Retro, which is a brand that has had Christmas prints in the past that I’ve regretted not adding to my wardrobe.

I love this festive look!

Have you added any new festive fashion to your wardrobe?

2020-21 School Year–Week Fourteen

Hymn of the Week–“Now Thank We All Our God” (Lutheran Service Book #895)

I always enjoy the week before Thanksgiving in school, because not only do we read all of our favorite Thanksgiving books, this is also usually the week we visit Cahokia Mounds, which we did on Wednesday. It was a beautiful, clear, chilly day, and we had most of the trail to ourselves, which made our masks pretty unnecessary. I’m extra thankful for the few traditions we can continue to do in this very strange year!

As for the rest of the week…Turkey and Bunny continued to work with derivatives in calculus…I guess that’s pretty much all they’ll be doing for the near future. They started reading A Tale of Two Cities…I think the themes of the book are going to very timely and appropriate. They read about Yankeedom and New Netherland in American Nations.

Ladybug multiplied binomials by trinomials in algebra. She finished the first section of Treasure Island. In science, she read about cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension. She and Chickadee learned about the Russo-Japanese War and the Treaty of Portsmouth in history.

Chickadee continued to practice division in math. She finished the chapter on birds’ nests in science. Instead of starting a new book right before Thanksgiving, we read some extra Thanksgiving stories together. She learned about conjunctions in grammar.

Next week will be a super short week of school because of Thanksgiving, so I’ll save my next wrap-up for two weeks from now…have a happy Thanksgiving!

Tasty Tuesday–Basic Fried Rice

I’m no expert on Chinese food, but I do know what kind of fried rice I like, and I’ve been trying to replicate my favorite fried rice for almost two decades now. I’m not claiming it’s authentic, but it is tasty, and it reminds me of the restaurant I used to like to eat at before it closed!

  • 3-4 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5 cloves minced garlic
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 5 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
  • 1/2 cup julienne carrots
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or to taste)

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Add the diced onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onion is fragrant Add the garlic, ginger, white part of green onions, and carrots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

Return the pan to the heat and add 1 Tbsp. of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Scramble eggs until almost set, then add to vegetables in bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Return the pan to the heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil, adding an additional Tbsp. of oil if necessary. Stop stirring, and then let the rice cook undisturbed until its gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the remaining green onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Transfer to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together with the rice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.

Quote of the Day

“We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams…” “Ode” by Arthur O’Shaughnessy via Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Sartorial Saturday–Miss Candyfloss

Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted a Miss Candyfloss dress?!? I have long admired their vintage cuts, but I have been reluctant to order, because the company is based in Sweden, and I was worried about how their clothes fit, and how much of a hassle a return would be if it didn’t.

Enter Unique Vintage, who recently had the Tamrika swing dress available in my size on their website. Ordering from a California-based store is way less intimidating than ordering from overseas, so I figured I didn’t have much to lose. In the end, I needn’t have worried, because it fit perfectly!

I decided to go with simple black, pink, and grey accessories, including a hat that I haven’t worn for a long time due to lack of coordinating outfits. Also, isn’t the collar of the dress cool?!?

I love the material the skirt is made out of…it’s a very soft flannel…perfect for winter!

I’m glad I was finally able to purchase a Miss Candyfloss dress, and now that I’m familiar with the fit, maybe someday, I’ll even order a style directly from the company!

2020-21 School Year–Week Thirteen

Hymn of the Week–“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” (Lutheran Service Book #892)

This has been A Week. It started out well enough, with a Sunday evening visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden for Garden Glow.

And Monday was nice, too, as it was Moose’s birthday (although we did still have school). Things kind of fell apart after that, however, as my mom was admitted to the ICU on Tuesday. So we did school this week, but I have to admit, I think we were all pretty distracted.

Turkey and Bunny did derivatives of trigonometric functions in calculus. In advanced biology, they learned the names and functions of a lot of muscles. Ryan commented that it learned like we were casting spells from Harry Potter one day! They learned about language development in psychology. They read about “El Norte,” “New France,” and “Tidewater” in American Nations.

Ladybug continued to work with systems of equations in algebra. She and Chickadee read about the Boxer Rebellion in history. In science she learned about valance electrons and how chemical reactions occur. We started reading Treasure Island.

Chickadee started some simple division in math…I was not ready for that! We finished reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins…she wanted it to last forever! In science, she learned about several different kinds of nests. She was relieved to have a review week in spelling…that means no test!

I don’t know what next week will look like, but hopefully it’s a little better than this week has been!