Maternity

If you read my life blog, then you probably know the news: I am having a baby. 🙂

I had all of these great intentions that while I was pregnant I would be posting here about my maternity style rather frequently. Well, this pregnancy has been a rough one, and my great intentions have not gotten me anywhere. I am now in my third trimester and you still haven’t heard from me. 😦

I decided to pop in today for a quick post with a couple of the outfits that have made me feel my best in this pregnancy.

The above photo is from when I was 20 weeks pregnant, and we were going to a friend’s birthday party. The dress from Mexicali Blues, and is one of my wardrobe favorites. It is not a maternity dress, as you can see here, but because of the empire waist cut, it fits me very nicely even with my pregnant belly. With a pair of leggings this is one of the most comfortable outfits that I currently wear frequently, changing up the shoes, and sometimes throwing a sweater over in cooler temperatures.

And this photo is from our recent family vacation at Rangeley Lake, Maine when I was 28 weeks pregnant. The three of us had walked to spend some time at the little beach near our cabin, but it was too chilly for much swimming, so I kept my dress on over my swimsuit and just relaxed on the sand. The green dress is again, from Mexicali Blues, and is made of Jersey, so it has lots of stretch and comfort factor.

When I was pregnant with Simon, I carried him from the early Fall until the Spring. This time around, being due at the end of Summer, things are very different. I find myself gravitating much more toward dresses and skirts. They are so much more comfy for me than trying to squeeze into anything with a waistband, even an elastic one. In fact, as I type this, I am wearing maternity pants that have grown too snug (I bought them in my first trimester), and I cannot wait to get home so I can change.

I hope to document a few more maternity looks over the rest of this trimester for you. Once the baby is born, I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time in sweatpants for a while. 🙂

 

Winter Wish List

Weather reports this week included slight chances of snow, which means–for us New Englanders, anyway–that Winter is going to arrive anytime. This reality has got me thinking about what items are on my Wish List for Winter:

1-Brown Infinity Scarf: Infinity scarves are great for keeping necks toasty warm and blocking the draft at the top of your coat. I have been on the hunt for a solid colored, brown scarf for a while now, because I tend to wear more brown tones in my wardrobe than black, and therefore, it would go with almost everything. This one from Target is exactly what I have been looking for, and is affordable too.

2-More Leggings: Leggings are my favorite way to wear dresses and skirts in cooler weather, and the Xhilaration ones are not too clingy to layer over long-johns on the coldest Winter days. I have two pairs in black already and I really like them. This polka-dotted pair is just fun, and grey always looks cozy.

3-New Gloves: Last year I wore a pair of really cheap gloves with a loose knit that allowed the cold right in. I would love to find a new pair that won’t let in the draft, and that looks good too. I love the tiny beaded flower details on this pair from Modcloth.

4-Cozy Cardigan: An item I could never have too many of in my wardrobe. I would happily wear a different sweater every day of the week, and cardigans make layering easy. I adore this one from Modcloth. Pockets are always a bonus, and green is my favorite color. Plus, working at a Library, I think this cardigan has a very literary look about it.

5-New Winter Boots: I have owned the same pair of snow boots for years and years and years, and they finally have holes in them. Quality boots can be expensive, but will also last a long time. This pair from LL Bean meets all of my needs. I want slip-on, brown, waterproof, a warm lining, and good traction.

6-A Good, Red, Lip Color: Ok, this is not so much something just for the Winter, however, I have been searching for the right red lip color for a while now. I also think that red lips look terrific in the Winter time framed by a scarf and a knit hat. I’d like to try layering this elf matte color under just a bit of gloss.

What is on your Wish List for this season?

Cozy Stripes

Outfit Notes: Sweatshirt-Target // Leggings-Kohls // Necklace-Target clearance // Boots-old

Recently, Simon got some new fall/winter clothes. When I dress him on chilly mornings, I find myself jealous of his selection of baggy, cozy sweatshirts. I kept wishing they were in my size so I could borrow them. Is it wrong to borrow clothes from your child? I think it is supposed to go the other way around. (In middle school I lived in my Dad’s big, baggy flannels, which I wore with my intentionally ripped up jeans.) Thank goodness Simon wears a 3T, so I don;t have to wrestle with that temptation.

Anyway, when I was at Target the other day I spotted this cozy striped top, and I intentionally bought it in a too-big size. I have been living in it ever since. It is so comforting to be completely enveloped in a warm, loose sweatshirt. I am addicted and may be reverting back to my middle-school baggy clothes ways.

Navy and Wavy

Outfit Notes: Cardigan-old // Dress-thrifted for $4 // Tights-Target // boots-old // naked vintage  lady necklace-old, found in a craft shop

Ever since I had Simon, my hair has changed. It is thicker, and naturally a bit wavy if I allow it to air dry. Because I spent the first 28 years of my life with stick-straight fine hair, I have had no idea how to deal with this, and usually just round brush or flat-iron it out. Recently though, after letting my hair air-dry, I decided to leave it alone and see how it felt for a day to have waves in my hair. I ended up liking it and getting a lot of compliments. So when I went in for a much-needed bang-trim the other day, I asked my stylist if she could teach me how to style my waves, and cut some layers back in to encourage them more.

She showed me how to scrunch my hair up after washing it, and use my diffuser to really make the waves come out. She showed me a couple of products that would help the hairs curl and hold them, and then she told me to avoid drying my hair all the way, so that the air drying could help my hair do its thing.

I absolutely loved the result, and the waves lasted even the next day after I ran a brush through them in the morning. I will definitely be “wavin’ it up” on the days when i have more time to get ready in the morning.

Autumn Casual

Sweater: TJ Maxx

I love my skinny jeans, but once in a while it is nice to take a break from them. I recently dusted off this old pair, which is so old that the brand has long worn off of the waistband inside, so I can’t even tell you where they came from. They are well-broken in and comfortable though.

I recently bought this fun sweater at TJ Maxx. The price was right, and I love the mix of polka dots with stripes, navy with yellow. It seems that I have been drawn to yellow lately, since my last two top purchases have both featured the color. I think it is the influence of Fall Trees and their bright leaves.

I am loving the Autumn weather so far. It is cool in the morning, but most days the sun has been out, making it warm enough to go without a jacket. I know this won’t last long so I am soaking it up while I can.

Linked up at:

Mother and Son Style: Fall Plaid

Plaid on me
Plaid on Simon

Long time no post! If you also follow my life blog, you know that we bought a house and moved. Life has been crazy for a little while, but I hope to be here again more frequently.

Fall is in full swing now, and this weekend, Jeramy and I are going away for the weekend to Oktoberfest. Since New England Autumns are fairly unpredictable weather-wise, layering is going to be absolutely necessary. I bought this yellow plaid flannel shirt this week specifically planning to pack it for my trip into the New Hampshire mountains.

Simon acquired his plaid shirt as a gift from his Nana, and we just happened to be both wearing them on the same day when this photo was taken. With his reds and my yellow, we were definitely Autumn appropriate.

It is too bad I didn’t save all of my oversize, plaid, flannel tops from the 90’s!

Sequins with Jeans

(Outfit Notes: Sequin top-2$ on clearance at JC Penney // Black long-sleeved tee-clearance, old // Jeans-$8 Kohl’s clearance // Shoes-Target, old)

It has been a rainy, rainy Spring/early Summer around here, and I therefore haven’t been photographing my outfits as much. I just don’t like taking the pics indoors. pPlus, when it is so cloudy out I take less care getting dressed, and tend to throw in jeans and a tee or sweatshirt and stick my hair in a messy bun.

Here is what I wore on a date night recently though. Jeramy and I dropped Simon off for a sleepover and went out for fancy pizza, beer/wine, and gelato for dessert. We did a lot of walking, so I dressed for comfort, but this sequin top made me feel extra festive.

Thrifted Finds

I have been cooped up in the house for the last several days, taking care of my sick little one. Yesterday, I needed a break so I went thrift shopping while Daddy and Simon stayed home, and I found a few new items:

~The tank top was only two dollars plus change, and is a silky fabric with a pretty print and a very flattering fit. It will be great, paired with a pencil skirt for summer days that call for something a little bit dressier, or with a cardigan over it the rest of the year.

The skirt is something I have actually been looking to find for a while now, and I found this one for five dollars. I have been trying to find a casual skirt that will be great to toss over a swimsuit at the beach, or to wear to picnics, barbecues, and other casual summer activities. This one is made of a cotton blend that stretches, and it feels as comfortable as wearing sweatpants.

Finally, I have wanted a leopard print belt for a long time, but belts are very expensive, and as you might have figured out by now, I very rarely pay full price for anything. So when I spotted this one for two dollars, I did a little mental happy dance.

I am looking forward to mixing and matching these new finds with my wardrobe.

Have you done any thrifting lately?

Double Plaid

I recently wore my thrifted plaid tunic in two different casual ensembles:

Outfit Notes: Cardigan Sweater-Gift // Plaid Tunic-Thrifted // Necklace-Gift // Jeans-Old Navy // Shoes-Monnetonka, at TJ Maxx // Bag-Mexicali Blues

Outfit Notes: Plaid tunic-Thrifted // Denim Skirt-Target, old // Leggings-Target // Shoes-Minnetonka, from TJ Maxx // Bag-Mexicali Blues

The first outfit was for a weekend day, and the second one was actually worn to work at the library. I love this tunic because it is super comfortable. I sometimes worry that it looks a bit like a maternity shirt, because it is so loose and flowy in the waist, but that same “flowy-ness” is also why I like it.

Even though the tunic is plaid, it is black and white so it acts like a neutral to my outfits. I like to add a pop of color with it, as I did with the shoes and necklace here.

See other ways I have remixed this tunic here and here.

(Linked up at The Pleated Poppy)

Playground Chic

Outfit Notes: Top-Forever 21 // Cargos-old, from target // Bracelet-a gift // Sandals-Target

Being a mostly stay-at-home Mom means my casual clothes usually get more wear than my dressier stuff. I find myself always looking for fun and still stylish ways to remix my wardrobe, even when I am going to the playground. I saw this outfit on Anthroplogie’s website and decided to re-create it:

Now, my cargos are not skinnies, so there was a lot more bunching when I rolled them, and I wore a sequined top instead of one more bohemian. however, I liked the mix of utilitarian and pretty here. I also forgot to add a bold necklace for a pop of contrast on top, but since I was climbing monkey bars and going down slides it might have just gotten in the way anyway.