{Back to School}

{kate spade via brown eyed belle}

Most of you think fondly of 'back to school': the smell of fresh school supplies--paper, pencils, little booklets (with lines on only half the page, the rest left blank to draw a pretty picture), wooden rulers, snazzy new lunch boxes. For those parents out there, you're looking forward to getting back into routine and not hearing 'I'm bored' from your summer-holiday-children. For us professors, it means the mayhem begins all over again. Don't get me wrong--I love teaching & I love the start of the semester, but somehow the year seems to fly by and there is never enough time in the day to get everything done--lectures prepped, powerpoints composed, essays marked, exams made & marked etc.. etc.. oh & research? It gets put on a back burner until the editor of the journal you're submitting to gives you a deadline for a quick turn around of an article and you're forced to find some more time in the day. Weekends? well, they usually consist of work, work, & more work.

But there's nothing like back to school shopping and the excitement of books to buy and new outfits to choose.

{erasers anyone? from one charming party}

{bright back to school from you broke the mold}

{boarding school chic from d*s. Ask my Dad who went to boarding school in India--I don't think it was quite as glamorous as this!}

{perfect outfit for perusing books. via coco+kelley}

I've fallen in love with these images from Reverie blog:

{apples for professor clark? the above images all from reverie}

{some necessities via goinghometoroost}

How about these?

{Perhaps I should get myself some 'boys reins!' via kitchen retro}

{not so fond of the comment. who says librarians/smarty people can't be gorgeous? look smart & beautiful in librarian glasses  from RunwayDaily}

{chalkboard chic from ruche via makeupbykc}

{j crew teaching chic via cashmerefog}

{casual Friday look from H&M}

{Art History sojourn to France? jcrew via living the clever life}

{prep school chic via hemingwayandhepburn.tumblr.}

I love these funky school supplies from dotcomgiftshop (one of my favourite online shops from the UK):

{I'm not sure if this would be allowed in North America}

{lovely rose notebook}

One of the most exciting things about back to school? & in particular, universities & colleges? Libraries:

{via we heart it}

{via hither and thither}

Lucky for me, my office is in the library!
Happy Back to School!
Here's some advice for those just starting from Dr. Seuss:

{via Whispered Reflections, Etsy}

{Irene}

It's been pouring rain here today, and there are flash flood warnings, but things are relatively calm.
Last night the sky looked like this:

 Today the sky is dark & the rain is non-stop:

 The perfect antidote? Plenty of cups of tea:

Advice? Take cover:

{via wide open spaces}

and if you must leave the house, find a handsome man to carry your umbrella...

{via mollymcgon}

{Happy Weekend}

For many of us professors in the US this is the last weekend before school starts.
Happy Weekend! Make sure to try to enjoy the last few days of summer (although it may feel more like winter with Hurricane Irene).

{via ruche blog}

{Quotable Thursdays}

I have a little quote book I read every night before bed (given to me by my darling sister, Christina). This was the quote for Tues, Aug 23:

“Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort.”

--Sir Humphrey Davy, Victorian scientist (1778-1829)

{Remember to smile & laugh. (vogue italia via lou boos and shoes)}

{from the thinking tank}

{& remember to stop & smell the flowers. photo frida-vl}

& the people who make me smile & laugh the most? my family. My nieces & nephews who remind me what are the most important things in life (the simple things) & my sisters, who always make me 'howl'. in the words of one brother-in-law (craigeroy): "You know when something's funny in the clark household--it's the only time the house is absolutely quiet. The girls are laughing so hard."

{my four sisters & me in 2000}

{my niece & nephew a few years ago in the Okanagan laughing their heads off}

{the 5 sisters at the 'girls night out' before Christina's wedding (middle)}

{& here's me laughing my heart out}

Stay happy!
xo
L

{book celebration in TO}

This past weekend I spent in Toronto to attend a party celebrating the publication of my sister's new book, Recounting Migration: Political Narratives of Congolese Young People in Uganda. An amazing contribution to scholarship, the book refutes assumptions and stereotypical representations "by presenting young Congolese refugees' nuanced understanding of the complex power relations that affect their everyday lives." In the words of Lieutenant-General the Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire "Clark-Kazak captures the humanity of Congolese young people through their stories, moving beyond the identities that have been cast upon them by the outside world. This book is a must read for anyone working on refugee and migration issues to better understand the complexities of the topic."
 My sister, always amazing at everything she does--Oxford PhD, Cambridge MA, loving sister, wonderful mother, etc.. etc.. seems to make things look easy when they're not. and anyone who knows her knows she's down-to-earth and the last person to blow their own horn. So I'm doing it for her! Congrats to a huge accomplishment. While I do archival research for my work, she has to spend months in refugee camps and put her life at risk. There's dedication for you!
Well, I was a bad sister and didn't take many photos at her party. (& no, that's not because I had too many Pimms!) So here are just a few photos from my trip to TO.
Congrats again!

{my little hand made card of congratulations --also a bad sister, I haven't got her a gift yet}

{Christina in her home--they've just done huge renovations on their gorgeous old toronto house}

{some of my family were present through their contribution of these beautiful flowers}

{Sam, her husband, made some fantastic tandoori chicken}

{a very gorgeous gift of flowers from guests at the party--yes, she's expecting #2!!!}

{at brunch the morning after the party-my darling niece & my sis}

{Quotable Thursdays}

To start my quotable Thursdays off, I chose this one from Emerson. I thought it particularly appropriate for August...nearing the end of Summer & back-to-school anxiety/hype.

{via birch+bird}

(& yes, the time on this is correct--I'm up very early to catch a coach to see my darling middle sis--more on that upon my return)

{Happy 1 Year Tiddley-Bits!}

{via we heart it}

It is officially 1 year since I made my first post. Thank you to all of you who read my blog, comment, like, follow, etc... It's an enjoyable activity for me, so I hope that you still stay tuned. Any particular things you'd like to see added? I think this year I'll start to do Quotable Thursdays--I'll try to put up one of my favourite quotes every Thursday. We'll see how it goes!

{I'd like to think I looked this stylish as I write my blog--but the reality is...I'm not. via brown eyed belle}

If I could, I'd throw a 1 year anniversary party & decorate like this:

{from good things wedding favors}

We'd have champagne, and cake of course...& cupcakes...& all things pink!

{pink delectables from lemon+lavender}

{from one charming party}

{aren't these gorgeous? this one & the cupcake above from daisy pink cupcake}

{via tig-fashion}

{via prettystuff}

{via being brazen}

we'd know we were having a good time when it was...

{via erin ever after}

{via paulozelinsky}

{via boingboing}

Thanks to all of you for reading! Perhaps one day we'll have a real party, but cheers to our virtual celebration:

{from fineartichoke}

{via ffffound}