Coffee Bar Inspo + Valentine's Day Outfits for Teachers

Hi y'all! For those of you who don't know, I'm a first year middle school counselor in a small rural town in the middle of Kansas. I thought it would be fun to combine a couple of my favorite things that have to do with counseling. The first is my office & the second is Holiday apparel -- Valentine's Day is coming up!

Welcome to my absolute favorite part of my office! When I first started moving things in & decorating, this little nook in between my door & a built-in cabinet seemed like the most challenging area. The previous counselor had a small desk with an old computer stationed there in case she ever had a student come in that needed to use it, but she said that never happened so I could get rid of it if I wanted to. My vision for my office was that I wanted my students to be able to walk in & get a sense of who I am just based off of the vibe & the pieces I have in here. Then the idea of a coffee bar came to mind & I think it's absolutely perfect!

My Dad & brother actually built the coffee bar (& the small shelf against the wall) to fit perfectly in this space! I just sent them a DIY plan from Pinterest that I liked & they compared the measurements & made it work. They did SUCH a good job, didn't they?! I like my personal space (including my belongings) so I decided to get my own little mini fridge to go under the right side. I use the two woven baskets for storage purposes -- extra k cups, skinny popcorn, splenda, plastic silverware, etc. Almost all of the little decor pieces were marked way down due to a scratch or dent or whatever. I didn't really care too much about it & I still feel like you can't even tell. Plus, we're all a little damaged & life has banged some of us up more than others, but that doesn't mean we're not worthy. See, as a school counselor, you start to turn anything into a little life lesson lol. Linking as many things (plus some similar options) below as I can! Also, click here to check out a full office tour!

above picture details linked here: ‘coffee’ white wooden wall decor / mug coffee hustle grind wall decor dupe / black brackets / black keurig / black mini fridge / black speckled coffee mug dupe / woven baskets / succulent magnets / white picture frame / faux plant / mini faux succulent / black + white aztec canister dupe 1 / black + white aztec canister dupe 2

Some of you that follow along here are fellow educators, so I thought I would share some options of clothing that's cute to wear during the month of February! Dressing up for different themes / holidays has been one of my favorite parts of working in a school. I'm sharing a bunch of different options below... if you want to keep it simple & just wear solid Valentine's Day colors OR if you want to go all out & look like you're exploding hearts -- I've got ya covered either way! ;)

Shouting the message of this t-shirt from the rooftops!!! I'm wearing a large here & I typically wear small or medium. It's more of a women's cut, but I like how the large fits.

above picture details linked here:choose kindness pink t-shirt / lip color (shade is called "girl power") / purple nail polish (shade is "#3106") / white apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / dark wash jeans / favorite comfy padded bra / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!) / wooden jewelry wall hanging

I’ve said this before & I’ll say it again… my closet is mostly full of blacks & neutrals. I almost ordered this sweater in a mustard color, but then I thought to myself… I already have some mustard tops, let’s branch out! Y’all how fun is this magenta balloon sleeve sweater!?? It is so incredibly soft. I feel like I say that about everything, but it’s true! It comes in a few other colors but it looks like the only two options still in stock are bright red & this magenta color. It is $20 & I would say it fits slightly oversized — there’s quite a bit of extra fabric in the sleeves & it does cover my bottom.

above picture details linked here:magenta balloon sleeve sweater / dark wash jeans / soft purple shellac nail polish (shade is #3106) / tan suede Steve Madden mules / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

As I was looking for some Valentine's Day school shirts on Etsy, the majority of them where grade specific, for example: "first grade has my heart". As a school counselor, I don't have or teach a specific grade -- I work with all grades in the middle school. So when I found this one I was pumped! It's printed on a Bella Canvas t-shirt which is so incredibly soft + fits really well. You're able to choose what color of shirt + what color of writing you want & I thought this one was darling!

above picture details linked here:"my students stole my heart" t-shirt / black grandpa cardigan / dark wash jeans / dainty gold mini coin necklace / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / personalized beaded bracelets / blue fingernail polish (shade is called “prim & proper”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

Here is another one that's pretty generalized but still oh so cute! A whole bunch of hearts make up an apple, which is kind of like the mascot of all teachers lol. Again, it's printed on a Bella Canvas t-shirt & you can choose the color.

above picture details linked here:apple hearts t-shirt / cognac mules / black grandpa cardigan / dark wash jeans / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / dainty gold mini coin necklace / personalized beaded bracelets / blue fingernail polish (shade is called “prim & proper”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

Absolutely loving this super cute retro Valentine's t-shirt! Obviously this one isn't as geared towards teachers or school, but I still thought it was so cute & I had to share! Again, it's on a super soft Bella Canvas t-shirt & this is the "marble" color.

above picture details linked here:retro "be mine Valentine" t-shirt / light wash jeans / black grandpa cardigan / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / personalized beaded bracelets / blue fingernail polish (shade is called “prim & proper”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / tiered plant stand -- top plant, middle plant, bottom plant / black marble hair clip / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

I've actually seen this sweatshirt shared a lot of other times by other bloggers & influencers. It comes in a whole bunch of other prints including some Christmas options which I'll have to keep in mind for next year. The inside is super soft & fits true to size. I thought the little red heart patches on the elbows were SO cute!! I love that this is a pretty casual option.

above picture details linked here:grey + red hearts sweatshirt / Steve Madden black faux fur mules / dark wash jeans / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / tan leather apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / personalized beaded bracelets / blue fingernail polish (shade is called “prim & proper”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

This long sleeve is so hideous it's cute lol! I cracked up when I first put it on because it truly looked like Valentine's Day threw up on me! I'm wearing a small & would say it fits a little bit oversized? The sleeves & body are just a little bit flowy, but both the hem line & the sleeves cuff so it doesn't look huge. It's super soft & surprisingly not see through at all! I added my favorite black puffer vest just to tone it down a little & I love it!

above picture details linked here:assorted red hearts long sleeve / black puffer vest / Steve Madden black faux fur mules / dark wash jeans / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / tan leather apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / personalized beaded bracelets / blue fingernail polish (shade is called “prim & proper”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

Y'all when I say this sweater is soft, I mean it is S O F T ! I'm wearing a medium here because it looked almost cropped on the website, but I don't think that's really the case. The neck is pretty soft & not tight at all, even though it does lay right against your neck. This sweater is fairly thin so it's perfect for layering & will be great as we head into spring.

above picture details linked here:thin pink sweater / personalized beaded bracelets / tan leather apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / dark wash jeans / tan suede Steve Madden mules / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / makeup mirror / makeup organizer / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

It’s kind of hard to tell with this deep rust orange sweater, but it has little knitted hearts scattered around it. I thought the simple detailing was really sweet & different than the rest of the sweaters in my closet. It definitely fits oversized, mostly just in length. This will be super cute for Valentine’s season!

above picture details linked here:deep rust orange heart sweater / light wash jeans / Steve Madden tan suede mules / dainty gold mini coin necklace / gold bubble bracelets / cream + ivory + black bracelet set / tan leather apple watch band / favorite comfy padded bra / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / grey fingernail shellac polish (#3117) / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

Would you believe me if I told you that this sweater is actually a women's plus? It's a size 0X but I don't think it fits like one at all! Probably more like a large. It honestly feels like the exact same material as my barefoot dreams blanket so you know I want to live in this lol. Front-tucking it with jeans helps to dress it up a bit + takes care of the length.

above picture details linked here:thick pink leopard sweater / personalized beaded bracelets / Steve Madden black faux fur mules / tan leather apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / dark wash jeans / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / makeup mirror / makeup organizer / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

But it looks darling untucked & with leggings!

above picture details linked here:thick pink leopard sweater / personalized beaded bracelets / Steve Madden black faux fur mules / black seamless leggings / tan leather apple watch band / dainty gold mini coin necklace / lip color (shade is called “girl power”) / favorite comfy padded bra / wooden jewelry wall hanging / makeup mirror / makeup organizer / white marble loopy phone case (get 10% off using code smalltown10!)

I love how different & unique this top is! It's from the Pink Lily Boutique. I've heard lots of great things about that boutique so I wanted to try out a couple different pieces to see what my true thoughts were about it. I will say that it is on the more expensive side -- definitely not Walmart prices, which is kind of a bummer. BUT they are cute as all get out! This one was on major sale so I got a great deal on it. A lot of the pieces looked pretty oversized to me so I went with a small for this one & I'm glad I did. I would say that for the most part it fits true to size, but does have a bit of a boxier fit. The material is very thick & soft & you can tell it's good quality! I like this one for the Valentine's Day season because it has little pops of other color throughout & the criss cross pattern sets it apart from other sweaters.