Look of the Week: 130709 {In Full Swing}

Just when I thought that life can’t possibly get any busier, my four-week practicum teaching started over a week ago. And yes, it is full on.

Right now, I get an early morning start to get myself and the rest of my troop ready for the day. Then, I’m off to school as a student teacher from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. Some days, I have to stay back for staff meetings. Some days, I add on another couple of hours or so of work, as I report to my other job in a non-profit organisation.

Then, of course, by the time I get home, there are chores to do, dinners to make, kids to play with and to take care of. Not to mention, lesson plans to write and resources to prepare for my classes.

And yeah, some days, we even get the added load of a sick little one.

To top it all off, I’m still trying to find whatever time I can find to push some of my projects along *and* to maintain my blogs.

So yeah, I’m in a constant state of exhaustion lately.

But, I’m happy. Really, seriously happy. About home, work, studies, and life in general.

Not only did I get top marks for the courses I took at Uni during the first semester (two High Distinctions and a Distinction!) – I’m getting some really, really positive feedback from my mentor teacher at the moment. I’m learning heaps. I’m developing my confidence in teaching (I’ve even been singing to my students — and, if you know what my singing voice is like, you’ll understand why this is such a big feat! ).

Family life’s crazy busy, as always. But, in spite the fact that my li’l girl’s been getting sick on and off the last few weeks, she’s growing well and amazingly joyful. At two, she’s beginning to speak in sentences, almost counting to twenty, and doing all sorts of wonderful stuff. The boy’s back for a third term at school and has been training in his favourite sports (soccer and tennis). He’s also loving his science shows and project creations. Hubby’s also busy at work, working on getting papers published, attending conferences, and working on his PhD.

It’s definitely a full, full house.

And, regardless of the challenges and all the icky stuff that come with it, I can still say that life’s good. Real good.

Style Notes:

• Diamante ribbon on wire headband – From the cheap souvenir shop in Adelaide CBD (AU$3!)
• Big pearl earrings – From the Philippines. Purchased about a decade ago. They were one of my wedding earrings!
• Black long-sleeved cotton top – From Essentials
• Layered floral print dress – No label. Not sure where this is from. It’s another hand-me-down from my darling sis.
• Black leggings – From Valley Girl. I like shopping at VG for some casual items like shirts and shrugs, as they carry my size.
• Purple blazer/jacket – From Portmans. This is probably one of my favourite shops for workwear items like jackets, skirts, and pants. Again, partly because they carry my size on a regular basis. I also love their simple, classic look. Sometimes, with a touch of special details. Like in this jacket, for instance. It’s a simple, classic jacket, but there’s some detailing near the pocket area that I really love.
• Purple faux suede stiletto boots – From Wittner. Between stilettos and chunky heels, I’d choose chunky most of the time. I’m not really big on the pointy-footed look, you see. But, as you can see here, there are moments when I do come across pointy shoes that also capture my fancy.

Where To: Off to work at my part-time job

Photography Notes:

• Camera: Nikon D40x
• Lens: Sigma 30mm f1.4
• Venue: Our back garden; Background is just the fencing;
• Lighting: Natural lighting – Again, this was towards the end of the day. It was also raining on and off that day, so I was pretty lucky to get a few minutes of semi-sun to do this shoot.
• Self Portrait Technique Used: Remote! Yes, my remote’s finally in operation again. Makes life so much easier!
• Other photo gadgets used: Gorillapod + tall bar chair to act as my tripod.
• Post Processing: Very basic tweaks via iPhoto. Mostly sharpening or changes in saturation. In some cases, some cropping too.
• Collage: Created via Picasa for Mac.

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Tagged as: kids, look of the week, photography notes, practicum, self-portraits, style, style notes