Air Adventures!

Baby and I flew home to visit family today. I wore my jersey pencil skirt and moby wrap over a tank...I didn't want to have to schlepp a stroller alone through an airport. Also, TSA let me wear it through security, and I left it on for the plane ride so I didn't have to keep re-wrapping it. I wore Baby rather than worrying about my travel system getting ruined by the baggage handlers. 

Nursing on a plane is super-awkward turtle. I sat between a very unfriendly lady and a guy in his 20's who was rather horrified/traumatized when I whipped out the boobs to comfort Baby in the middle of the flight. Sorry dude. Hope you're not scarred for life.

Day 11

Today I'm wearing my one and only maxi dress. This one is on the verge of clinging to my leftover baby pooch, but I think I can get away with it. If I was going anywhere special, I'd wear a shaper. 

It is so hard to find a maxi that fits my short-waisted, long legged self that doesn't expose too much on top or is too short and looks awkward. This one came from TJ Maxx...another place I (mostly) avoid since the temptation to buy on impulse is so strong. I can resist anything but temptation...

Day 10

Thrifting is a relatively new hobby/obsession for me. I started learning how to do it after T and I got married. I used to turn up my nose at 'those people' who shopped at Goodwill.  I have since repented.

This adorable Loft dress called my name hanging on the rack at Goodwill yesterday. And I love it. It's a cool linen fabric and I love the stripes and yellow accents. I think it would be better with my skinny brown leather belt, but alas, has disappeared somewhere while moving.

I have found that one has to be careful thrifting, or else go broke saving money. The items I consider have to fit in at least one of these categories:

1. Fit/wear right now. 

2. Supply a 'need' in my closet...even if it's a designer button down, for example, I don't need another one if there are 3 hanging in my closet, unworn. I don't need a cocktail dress, even if it's only $20, because I don't have any cocktail dress-worthy events.

3. Need minimal tailoring, and can be done while Baby naps. 

I have purchased items at Goodwill with the intent of repurposing or tailoring...but they are currently sitting in a box, waiting and lonely...and I will probably never finish them. I was nicknamed the Queen of Unfinished Projects as a teenager for a reason!

Day 9...ish

Over the weekend I slacked off a bit, and I forgot to post my outfit on Monday. Oops. Today I'm wearing my favorite white linen shorts and Everlane tee in Atmosphere. I love this color, and it looks nice and crisp with white. 

Summer Accessories!

I've learned that accessories can totally revamp your look. I love how a hat or shoes can totally remake an outfit without much money. For this summer, here are my picks:

Spring Accessories! by kirsten-mcclendon featuring wedge heels

Pierre Dumas wedge heels
piperlime.gap.com

I wear these everywhere, and all the time! They are comfy and go with everything, but I find the buckle straps a little cumbersome to deal with when getting ready to go somewhere in a hurry.

Ray Ban tortoise shell wayfarer
saksfifthavenue.com


Nope, can't afford the real thing. But I like the look--they make me feel Grace Kellyish, especially with a bright lipstick. Also, brown tortoiseshell works better--less heavy--with my skin and hair coloring.  

Fedora hat
amazon.com

I actually bought mine from Charming Charlie's, but this one is cute too.

 Since I'm so new at this and have no clue what I'm doing, I couldn't get the widget to show the 3 tees and canvas tote I ordered from Everlane.  The tees are $15 and tote was $35.

Day 6

Today I'm wearing my cobalt maxi with a black tank. I saw the idea on pinterest the other day and decided to try it! I  find black is the only color tank that doesn't scream streetwalker with my (DD) nursing cup size. Now what to wear for accessories? It's too hot for a scarf.

Maybe I'll try my fedora, since Baby and I will be out and about.

Day 5

Happy Friday! Gonna put on some lipstick and heels later after Baby goes to bed (love having in laws around for date night!) and go on an ice cream date with my honey.

impulse shopping + lack of money= bad news

My honey thinks my obsession with fashion is amusing, at the very least. I'm a chronic online-shopping cart abandon-er, endlessly perusing fashion blogs, scrolling and pinning through Pinterest and devouring glossy mags. It's my favorite mode of self-expression, my creative outlet. I guess it's mostly my little dreamworld, since in my real world I don't own designer anything.

Most of the things in my closet I own are 3+ years old, and beat to a pulp. T and I got married 3 months before he started law school and we've lived on a shoestring budget all 3 years. Temptation in the form of shopping is getting strong, and I can resist anything but temptation!

Yesterday I took Baby to the mall just to get out of the house; I hadn't planned on buying anything and ended up walking out with $40 worth of Victoria's Secret loungewear. I swore I would never buy anything on impulse again.

Apparently, I have (mostly) given up impulse purchasing. Methinks I'll return the pants I bought at VS.

After college and before we married (when my time and money was my own), I spent it on on silly things like random scarves, Target tee shirts and excessive Starbucks lattes. But guess what? We moved to a small, small town where jobs were extremely scarce, and the jobs that did exist didn't pay well. As I figured out later, that money would have been much better spent saving for hubby's law textbooks, tuition and boring old rent. Snoozeville, I know, but life. I wished so many times I would have been more careful!

Needless to say, in the absence of money, I've become much pickier when I do buy something. I don't bring anything home unless I have a place to wear it, and can wear it with multiple items and on different occasions. For example, I have a Banana Republic leather biker jacket I love that I've worn and worn and worn. My mom bought it for me almost 4 years ago and it's almost the only jacket I wear in the fall and winter. Same with a pair of distressed (now extra-distressed, bordering on trashy) Gap skinnies I've had for 4+ years. And white linen shorts in the summer. And a faded denim pencil skirt. I'm becoming a big fan of quality over quantity..and I've discovered the importance of thinking before buying. It's just like thinking before speaking, only involving money instead of words. :)

Day 4

I'm not showing my face today...my usually clear skin is troubled with some hormonal acne. Aunt  Flo has returned, and returned with a vengeance. Despite the fact that Little Man is only 3 months old and I am still nursing exclusively. Sigh. I was enjoying a break. 

Sorry, TMI. I know.

On a brighter note, see my pink nails? A few nights ago my honey was away playing a late-night double header softball game. The little one had gone to dreamland, so I watched Pride and Prejudice, ate chocolate, and painted my nails. I love hot pink for summer, especially OPI's Strawberry Margarita that I accidentally stole from my mom. Oopsie.

Day 3

Today I'm wearing my favorite mommy outfit: knit pencil skirt and tee. I picked up the skirt at H&M a couple years ago and I just LOVE it. I wore it pre-baby, all the way through my pregnancy and chubby postpartum period. It's so soft and stretchy, and I can dress it up for date night or down for rolling around on the floor with baby.

 I've seen jersey knit skirts everywhere this season, so I'm on the lookout for a stripe version.

I recently purchased the tee I'm wearing from Everlane. So far I really like the soft, drapey texture...I wash and dry it often and the shape holds up really well. They are really reasonably priced--$15. I bought a Medium--I  normally wear smalls, but I wanted to disguise my very-much-larger chest. It's on the long side, though, so I almost always do the half-tuck trick.

I tried wearing a bracelet as my accessory, but I didn't actually keep it on.   Baby wanted to eat it. Yum.

Still working on the hair and makeup part. 

Day 2

Here's what I'm wearing today. I even put on mascara and a teensy bit of BBCream. Gasp! 

My cold is on the mend...but I'm having to make my own sunshine with this yellow sweater and glittery gold sandals since it's still gloomy outside. Again, sorry for the bad lighting...I'll get this figured out eventually.

My outfits lately have sadly lacked accessories. It's too hot for scarves (I'm wearing the sweater because of the AC blasting Arctic air), and the little one is just entering the 'grab and put everything in mouth' stage, so long earrings and necklaces are out. I need to find a solution...

Day One

Meh. That pretty much sums up my current mood. The hubs gave me his really nasty cold (thanks babe), and it's raining.

So...here goes. Please excuse the wet hair, crabby ihabacold face, 

bad lighting and dirty laundry on the floor. It's a really gray, yucky day and I thought this cobalt blue maxi skirt would cheer me up. But you can't really tell its cobalt blue...it looks navyish in the pic. I've also recently learned this awesome trick called the half-tuck. It's amazing for hiding residual baby pooch...

a challenge to myself

I've always loved dressing up. I guess you could say I was a girl's girl. Good thing I grew up with brothers or I'd be an unbearable diva.

My 20 year old self would have recoiled in disgust at my (currently) 3 months postpartum self. I'd always made fun of women who went out in public in pajamas, unwashed hair and no makeup. There's no way I'll ever be like that, I told myself.  I never, ever left the house without taking the time to look cute. I wouldn't even go to Walmart in a sweatshirt.

And then...the pregnancy test was positive. And the first couple months, I felt so yucky that I hardly cared to brush my hair, let alone wear makeup. When I could finally wear maternity clothes, and felt a little better, I got so sick of wearing the same thing every. single. day. After baby arrived, my chubby, stretch marked, leaky-boobed self just wanted to crawl into bed and eat chocolate covered Oreos all day long while nursing my baby. My poor honey. He missed the cute version of me...and definitely got sick of me complaining how I was ugly...and fat...and yeah. Visions of this hot, sexy mommy-self who wore lipstick and fit into skinny jeans one week postpartum quickly vanished along with my 8-hour nights of sleep.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

I am reduced to wearing athletic shorts and hubby's ancient Frat tee shirts from college days while home with baby. How sick is that. I'm better now, minus the stretch marks, but at least I can fit into most of my clothes. Sadly, it's all hanging in my closet, unworn and unloved...but the problem is, you can't wear silk blouses and white jeans and pencil skirts while the forecast of spit-up on clothing is about 100%. I can dress up for few and far between date nights, but it's sadder than sad, people, that I need an occasion to make myself look at least decent, comb my hair and wear some mascara.

So, here's the challenge to myself. I will make an effort, even if it's less than five minutes, to put on a cute, spit-up friendly outfit (a.k.a, washable) and do something to my hair. My self worth would appreciate it and my husband deserves to come home to a wife not covered in spit up!

Every day I will post a quick picture of what I happen to be wearing, whether it's jeans and a button-up, or my regular frat tee and stained athletic shorts mommy uniform. I'm hoping this will force myself to create a good habit of looking nice for the people around me.