a good tradition.

grandma june, me, and grandma lois on graduation day.

my grandma lois loved to take her grandkids back to school shopping. it was a ritual that i looked forward to every year and i know she did, too. being the wonderful grandmother that she was, she always wanted to make sure that my brothers and i were decked out in the latest fall fashions. grandma's fashion source: the lifestyle section of the holland sentinel. don't get me wrong, i love my holland sentinel, but it's not exactly french vogue (have i ever picked up a copy of french vogue? as if). grandma would read the lifestyle section and report back to us that vests were 'very in.' and pockets. one year it was zippers. this time of year always reminds me of my grandma and the life skill that she passed down to me: sprucing up my wardrobe when it's time to go back to school.

some of this year's back to school duds include:

j.crew

i went a little crazy with stripes this fall.

j.crew

j.crew has my favorite tissue tees. perfect for layering purposes.

j.crew

navy striped leggings. still working up the guts to sport these bad boys.

j.crew

i am so in love with this little enamel hippo.

aldo

i have been on the hunt for the perfect leather flats for a while now. this pair from aldo fits the bill quite nicely. i have a feeling they'll only get better with age.

aldo

in fact, i like them so much i bought the cognac pair, too. but not a tiny version. i don't understand the internet.

gap

okay, this isn't the exact cardigan i bought (mine is obvi way cuter). replace the tan color with the cognac color of the aldo flats. really looking forward to pairing it with the flats, black skinnies and a black tank.

gap

is this gap body? yes. am i going to try to pull it off as work-appropriate attire? definitely.

DSW (big buddah)

more shoes? okay! third pair's a charm.

francesca's collection

i bought the turquoise version of these stacking rings. man, i love francesca's jewelry. i also picked up a couple pairs of earrings for dirt cheap.

sunglass hut (ray ban foldable wayfarer)

i'm still trying to convince myself that sunglasses serve some sort of back to school purpose. oh wait! i've got it: these will cover my eyes to prevent third degree burns when i shoot laser beams at students using my teacher look. they're practically safety goggles.

and look at how tiny they get when they're folded up! sign, sealed, delivered--i'm yours.

and i got some other stuff. but the internet doesn't have pictures of those things. aw shucks.

back to school shopping is a lot different now. it's faster. i know what i like now. and i don't care what people say--clothes are just cuter now. i mean, come ON:

i win.