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.
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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!
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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.
Sharing a closer look at the pattern & color scheme here!
above picture details linked here:Pink Lily criss cross sweater / cognac 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!)
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