O Joy!
Friday, January 15, 2010 at 3:42 PM 
Image by Tim Sloan / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O visited the Department of Labor today, stopping by the day care center to read "Green Eggs and Ham" to a group of children. We love the joy captured in the photo above as Mrs. O interacts with says goodbye the children (...wearing a patchwork skirt paired with a black turtleneck and a stack of bracelets, we might add).
On a more somber note, the first lady also addressed the disaster in Haiti today when speaking to Department of Labor employees during the same visit.
“The destruction and the suffering that we see, the images that are coming out of that country are just overwhelming,” she said, “It is important to the people of Haiti to know that we are keeping the victims of this tragedy and their loved ones in our thoughts and our prayers – and that also includes prayers going out to all of the Haitian Americans who have family and friends there and are worried about them back home.”
For further reading, the first lady's full remarks can be found here.
Reader Comments (96)
Loves IT!!!
When she was shaking hands, the upper portion of the skirt looked a lot like her Alaia pieces, but now that I see the patchwork fabric, not so much. Anyway, she looks wonderful!
Loves IT too, Nyon!!!!
I really really love HER hair cut too. I liked it when I first saw it the day of the funeral, but I love it now...it has completely grown on me. She looks younger. I think I'm going to see if that could work for me when I go to my hairdresser next week. I have a feeling there will be tons of black and white women asking their hairdressers to do the "Michelle Obama bob."
She looks adorable. Perfect clothes for visiting a classroom. Love the hair! Always fun to have a new do for the dead of winter.
I don't know how many times you guys can stand hearing this from me, BUT her hair is wonderful!,
Full shiny great cut.
Thanks Mrs. T, this is a great photo! It cheers me up just looking at it.
IVA, I bet you are right. It will be the "Dorothy Hamill" of the 2010s.
Not a fan at all of Mrs. O's new haircut. For someone so tall and with such a presence, the shorter hair is very old-fashioned and does not frame the rest of her features. The longer, sleeker hair was younger and more hip. Now she looks like a 60s caricature. She needs the bangs as well. Love Michelle's style, but this time, whoever cut her hair got it all wrong.
My goodness, Mrs...Obama looks so cute in this photo...Go Michelle...
THE FLOTUS LOOK GREAT. MS T ANY WORD ON THAT BAG YET? PS THE FLOTUS WILL BE DOING A PSA ON HAITI TODAY.
How many more times is she going to read Green Eggs and Ham. I am a Librarian and would like for her to be very diverse in her book selection.
Her hair looks great. I like it without bangs--and with them also. The change is nice. Cute, cute photo!
LOVE IT!!!!
I think she looks great in close fitting sweaters on top and full skirts. So much better than that messy cardigan look.
She looks so very happy to be there with the children, and they seem to be enjoying her too. There's an ease and grace when she's around children, I bet they re-energize her.They will have this memory for a lifetime, although it seems that FLOTUS visiting the schools seems to be rather routine. Such an encouragement to youngsters.
She looks really nice. I like the turtle neck (such an unforgiving garment) and the skirt. To me, peasant skirts are really tricky. You can come off looking like Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke or Ellie Mae Clampett if it's not right....THIS SKIRT IS RIGHT!
she look gorgeous. the skirt looks like a DVF to me.she still got the tan she catches in hawai.it becomes her very well.
Lovely! It's absolute perfection. :-)
What a sweet mama.
What a breath of fresh air our First Lady is in the midst of so much international turmoil and tragedy. God Bless America and please pray for the people of Haiti !
I AGREE WITH JESSICA RADLOFF ABOUT HER LONGER HAIR BEING MORE BECOMING AND MAKING HER LOOK YOUNGER. THIS HAIRCUT JUST MAKES HER LOOK BLAH, NOTHING INTERESTING ABOUT IT AND RATHER OLD. I SEE THAT THE SAME PEOPLE ALWAYS COMMENT POSITIVELY ABOUT EVERYTHING WHICH MAKES ONE WONDER IF THEY ARE REALLY BEING TRUTHFUL OR JUST DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT HER FASHIONS OR HER HAIR PROBABLY THINKING THEY WOULD SOUND LIKE THEY WERE TALKING NEGATIVELY ABOUT HER AS A PERSON. IT IS GETTING PRETTY BORING READING THE COMMENTS WHICH HAVE BECOME SO PREDICTABLE. SUCH A PITY THAT PEOPLE CAN'T REALIZE THE DIFFERENCE. THE COMMENT FROM CHARLENE IN DETROIT ABOUT THE CHILDREN SEEMING TO ENJOY HER IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I MEAN SINCE LOOKING AT THE PICTURE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CHILDREN AREN'T EVEN LOOKING AT MRS. O AND THEY AREN'T SMILING EITHER TO CONCLUDE THAT THEY WERE ENJOYING THEMSELVES WHICH GOES TO SHOW HOW PEOPLE JUST SAY ANYTHING AS LONG AS IS IT POSITIVE. ANYWAY THAT IS MY TAKE ON HOW I PERCEIVE THIS SECTION OF COMMENTS BUT I'M SURE NOT MANY WILL AGREE WITH ME!
She looks like she is having fun spending time with the kids. She looks great.
I cannot get enough of her hair cut. It makes her look really young, about six years younger. Mrs. T have you found the new PSA she shot today?
Mrs. O seems to be having soooo much fun with the children. I think it is because she is such a great mom and children brings out the best in her.
BTW that hair cut..........I'm so in love with it.
TROPICAL MAAM there are other photos on gettyimages where the children are paying attention to what Mrs. O is reading.
LOVE HER TURLE NECK LOVE HER SRIKT AND BOOTS SHE SAID ITS WAY BETTER THEN WEARRING STOCKING HER BOOTS KEEP HER WARM I BET SHE WEAR TIGHT WITH HER SKIRT AS ALWAYS SHE LOVES CHILDREN TO BAD SHE THEY DIDNT TRY FOR A BOY PUT THEY ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THERE GIRLS AND VERY PROUND OF THEM. LOVE HER NEW DO TO DONT WORRY SHE WILL BE WEARRING HER HAIR BACK IN A BUM AGIAN WHEN THE SUMMER COMES AROUND HER HAIR WILL BE LONG ENOUGH TO PUT IT IN A BUN.
Wooo, TropicalMaam, no need to shout!
I think her new haircut is fresh & fabulous.
Is it just me or does it seem foolish to hate on people because they are positive. If people like what they see, they say so. If people don't like what they see, they say so.
@Nyon
It IS foolish, everyone does not walk around negative, hating everything one does.
OH! What a lovely picture Mrs. T. She looks great in this. Such enthusiasm. I love black turtlenecks. They work with everything. She is doing exactly what ' First Ladies' are best at....love and comfort.
At first sight, I was on the fence about the haircut. Now, I am liking it more. She has lovely, healthy hair.
Just saw MO's PSA on CNN/Larry King
@ TROPICALMAAM--GET OVER YOURSELF!
To TropicalMaam - Thank you for having an original opinion. Very rare this days. The new hair style is not proper, way to old. It feels like a Mrs. Bush 43. Although this was originally intended as a fashion site, opinions are carefully screened, removed, edited before posting. Saying the hairstyle is the wrong choice is not attacking the person, but goes toward the hairdresser making a poor choice.
Yes, I believe that there should also be more diverse reading for the children to reflect the diverse world with more modern children's writers. Oprah could lend a hand with all her contacts for modern children reading more appropriate for children's complex minds and these complex times.
I would have to agree with Jessica Radloff..I'm not feeling the new haircut either. I like the longer length and the bangs. It doesn't look too bad in the People mag photo though..I think she just really needs a bang. The style reminds me of "Patty Duke". I hope she's still able to get the pretty up-dos with this length. I guess I have to get use to it...*sigh*
I think she looks adorable. Any chance of a link so we can see the entire skirt?
@ Joe and Tropical MAYBE if you watched the video live you would know at this point the kids were asking her questions and they turned to look at their fellow classmate. Sometimes you folks exaggerate too damn much. "Oprah could lend a hand with all her contacts for modern children reading more appropriate for children's complex minds and these complex times." ???? What does that mean. The book belongs to the children in the day care that is what is read to them and one of them went up to even point stuff out. ... Some of you need to chill out. The picture captured a moment and the next is to make such diagnosis please...
Good she cut her hair, its her hair and work it. She made her choice to go shorter and I don't think reading from her comments she cares for or wants to see be seen as anybodies fashion icon. This was a deliberate move to get folks to stop analyzing her too much. Its too much already, Laura never went through 1/3rd of this, people telling you what they want you to look like, say and do. Please.
The good news is ---she thankfully can grow it out. This one does not go with her. Who made the skirt, can we get close ups?
Another thing if you need to hate go to the other sites, there are thousands where you can spill your hate. The fact that people have a different view from you does not been they are wrong.
"she is getting boring" according to who? Is she there to please you and dress to make your life exciting? Please
Stop saying things you don't know.....
bout a dozen little kids (estimated) ages 3 - 5 sang songs while they waited for the FLOTUS -- tunes your pooler cannot get out of her head now some time later, including, "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider." But as the first lady said, it's important to maintain energy and optimism during these tough days. And so your pool is stoic.
The kids had loads of questions for the first lady, mostly about the girls and Bo. FLOTUS said the girls like to play on their computers and enjoyed the swing set in the snow -- but in answer to one query said no, the first family does not own horses.
Bo likes chew sticks, but not pizza, it was learned. "He has never had pizza," the first lady said. Asked about her birthday, she said it's this Sunday (then stopped and asked herself if it's really this Sunday) and said she's turning 46.
The first lady read "Green Eggs and Ham, then asked the kids to promise to try new things to eat, adding curiously, in answer to a question, "I have never had a crabby patty."
Wow, haters on a fashion websites. Now there are MEN on a FASHION website hating on the First Lady, which is TRULY odd!!!!
Anyone have a cop to the event today? I love her hair and outfit.
For those who hate their are plenty of sites for you.
I like the haircut and the outfit. I think Mrs.O would not want to look too fancy on this day of sorrow for the people in Haiti. To come out in a designer outfit would, to me, be out of place.
Her skirt and turtleneck are attractive and suited to this day.
While people are dying and suffering it is not the time to be thinking of clothes.
@TROPICALMAAM, I am sorry that I neglected to mention that I saw pictures other pictures on other sites such as Getty and Yahoo. I thought that's what most of us routinely do in order to get our full fix of FLOTUS.In as much as my predictability bothers you, I am puzzled as to why you'd even bother coming onto this site, yet alone reading the comments. This site is for those of us who have a fondness for our Michelle and her fashions. I don't know about your computer but mines don't have an automatic honing device that leads me here, I must manually navigate to get here. Pity that yours don't allow you that same courtesy....must be torture to be forced to endure such mundane, predictable comments. Get a life....and put something in it!
When the list of charitable donations made by the Os was made public last year, I vividly recall a charity specific to Haiti on the list. Hatian children to be more exact. Please know that her heartfelt words are real...
What a great-looking outfit! I love the way that Mrs. O. is getting so involved in the story.
I understand Tropicalmaams point, if we read the post as a whole and not focus on some bit you'll get the message.
About always wanting to sound positive, on a post during the xmas festivities, someone said something about Mrs O dressing to match the little elves.....i had such a good laugh...yeah right!!!
Tropical maam is not being hateful or negative only stating her opinion.....what on earth is wrong with that. People take things to literally/seriously on this site.
I can't really see the skirt to have an opinion about it one way or the other. So far as her hair - it's not a *new* style, just a layered bob, which happens to look nice on her...at least to me. The thing I like about Mrs O., is that if she read these negative comments - she wouldn't care and would probably laugh. I'll take a woman willing to experiment with her look over a woman who looks the same for UMPTEEN years - any day.
...and I do have to wonder about people bashing positivity. What is the purpose of that? you can not liking something without disparaging others for having a different opinion.
First Lady Michelle is certainly in her element entertaining children. How relaxed and happy she
looks. As is on most occasions, her sense of style is impeccable. I admire you Mrs. O!! Thank you Mrs.T for continuing to bring me such joy with the First Lady.
Mrs. O looks great. I love how enthusiastic she is when reading to kids.
After my initial reaction of, whoa, I want that skirt. Did anyone else immediately think Mary Tyler Moore? Might be the hair or maybe the different angle of her jaw in the shot.
I used to get really upset (and sometimes still do) when posters made negative comments that were not tempered with a little humility and thought to the words they use. Recently there have been a rash of posters who make no sense at all, or at least that's the conclusion to draw when one reads the post.
Then to go negative on the positive - that takes the cake!
These are sad and angry people. They make rash judgements. I doubt that they would take Briana's suggestion to watch the video, because they would be confronted with the truth, and that's just not interesting to them.
Oh Charlene In Detroit. That was a delightful post. I am cracking up. I also manually navigate to this site at lease twice a day.
I just ignore any post in all caps. I don't know if they're mostly positive, negative or what. I'm sorry, but when you see every other person in a comment thread typing using regular letters, and when it's been mentioned repeatedly that typing in all caps is AKIN TO SHOUTING and is also hard to read, and you still choose to type in all caps? You must not really care to be read. So I save myself the trouble.
As for what *Michelle* chooses to read: seeing as how people chose to yank their kids out of school rather than hear a completely innocuous address from her husband, THE PRESIDENT (and yes, I *am* shouting; see how that works?) I'm not surprised at all that she chooses very safe books to read. If she read any book that expressed any point of view, or if she got Oprah to help her pick books (Which, what? Oprah is a talk show host, not a librarian) these events would probably be seen as socialist Democratic indoctrination of youth, and some conservative commentator would be screaming about it.
However, Mrs. O's own reading list is nicely eclectic, as the recent People magazine article notes.
I don't really have much of an opinion on the outfit here, becuase I can't see it very well. But I love her expression. She seems to genuinely love being around kids.
OK, I have seen a better pic of the skirt here:
http://michelleostyle.blogspot.com/2010/01/michelle-o-reads-dr-seuss-to-school.html
I don't like it - **BUT** I noticed that she wears things like that when she visits children - those crazy "schizophrenic sweaters" come to mind. ROFL . My sister says its probably because she wears these "playful" items around kids - kids love them. My little niece LOVES the skirt, just like she LOVED those ugly sweaters, ROFL. My niece is seven and loves all things "Girl O", from the 1st lady to the Obama daughters - even the G'ma.
Anyhow ...this is in my "Oh Michelle ....Noooo" pile.LOL
Still love her new bob though. :P
I think that I may like it, based on that picture, but I'd have to see her standing up. It looks like she's wearing those over-the-knee boots that she had on the other day, though...stop wearing over-the-knee boots, Mrs. O! You're making me feel bad about my calves. :-)
I really love this look. Amazing skirt - keeping the rest of the outfit simple. Very well played. Very inspiring.
SO SAD TO SEE THAT AN HONEST OPINION IS TAKEN SO NEGATIVELY AND PERSONAL. TO ALL THOSE THAT LABEL ANYONE WHO HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION FROM THE MAYORITY HERE AS HATERS JUST LOOK INSIDE YOURSELVES AND YOU WILL SEE WHO THE HATERS REALLY ARE. SO SAD!!!! I GUESS MOST CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.