What I Wore | Something Blue

This post is sponsored by Zappos.

WhatIWore: Hello fancy lady! Don’t you look dressed up today? For most of the summer I spent my time at the park or library with my son and wore a lot of practical and low key outfits. Now that I’m back to a routine of working out of the house half days, I really like being able to get a little more dressed up (heels + glam bag, dress).

Speaking of getting dressed, when I recently cleaned out my closet I realized that almost evertyhing I have was either bought online, vintage or self made. When you live in a small town, shopping for special items can be super limited. This neck of the woods is pretty casual, so many of my investment pieces (handbags, boots, jeans, winter coats) are usually purchased online.

One of my latest online finds is my new purse from Coach - this one was a gift from the fine folks at Zappos (although it was up to me to pick it out!) If you’ve shopped with them before you probably love the quick (free!) shipping and easy (also free!!) returns, which is crucial when you’re shopping online. I hate getting nailed with a $10 return shipping fee when something doesn’t fit right or just isn’t what I expected. 

That said, this one is a keeper! I chose the Pebbled Leather Coach Swagger 27 in Navy. I love the dark inky blue hue (unlike anything anything else in my closet) and the color and quality of the hardware. Today I’m carrying it by the handles, but it also has a cross body strap which I use a lot when I’m with my son and need free hands. 

I’ve bought a lot of small Coach bags (like this black one or this brown one) over the years and get so much good out of them… and this lil guy will be equally wearable! I think it looks ladylike with this striped rib knit dress (non-maternity) and heels, but wouldn’t it be great with jeans, a striped tee and boots (maybe like this?) What would you pair it with?

When: September 14, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Lipstick: JAM from Bite Beauty
Dress: ModCloth
Charm Bracelet: Self Made (DIY here)
Handbag: Coach, gift from Zappos
Heels: gift from Rockport in 2015

Where: DONUTS! (and working on my laptop)

What I Wore | Last Minute

WhatIWore: Here’s what I wore today to my 24 week checkup at the doctor’s office. I like wearing shoes that can come off quickly (no bare feet on the scales) and I also plan to wear roughly the same thing each time to get an accurate track on weight gain. For me that’s been a tube skirt hiked up over the bump and a tee shirt. I wore the jacket to pull things together.

I didn’t plan it this way, but everything I’m wearing here I got at Old Navy at different times. I’ve been wearing the olive green jacket forever (years!!) and ditto for a basic black v-neck tee. The skirt is regular sizing, so it’s a good wear now, wear later type item (and in a soft knit - it’s very comfortable!) Also! Don’t forget their Kids and Baby sale starts today! 

This is the kind of outfit that’s pretty easy to re-create at all price points and to get similar pieces from a variety of stores. I’ll likely wear it again this spring or next fall (it would work well for nursing too!)

When: September 15, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Jacket: Old Navy (older style - similar here)
Tee: Old Navy
Skirt: Old Navy (and on sale for $14)
Booties: Rag and Bone ‘Newbury’

Where: Drs Office and Coffee Shop

What I Wore | Little Vintage Dress

WhatIWore: Overall, I can say with certainty that I’ve had a much better attitude in general about this pregnancy. Maybe it’s knowing what to expect, or having a two year old to chase or just maybe having an easier time with it physically. It’s probably a combination of all of those things which has led to me better self esteem and let me just enjoy the moment so much more than the first time around.

That and I’ve been smarter about what to wear this time around and it’s been a big confidence booster. For starters - I have four pairs of pants that fit. Last time I barely wore each pair of maternity jeans I bought twice (for reference, the full panel styles have been more comfortable/supportive for me). 

When: September 13, 2016

What:
Necklace: Madewell (on sale!)
Dress: Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Maternity Jeans: Jessica Simpson at Destination Maternity
Booties: Rag and Bone
Lipstick: Tom Ford ‘Black Dahila’

Where: Changing things up and working out of the Starbucks adjacent to campus

I’ve also been making use of my regular size pieces when I can. Take this little vintage dress for example. I threw it on this morning thinking it would look cute with my over the knee boots, but hello shorty!…with my big belly it hiked the hem up way too high. I would have never thought to pair it with jeans when not pregnant, but I really like the way it looks today! A little creativity + a little practicality = recipe for a cute outfit. 

What I Wore | Getting the Boot

WhatIWore: I am loving these cooler mornings and not ashamed at all to say I LOVE FALL and can’t wait until the highs are in the 60s and I can bundle up even more. I’ve strangely found myself really liking winter too, and this year, I have so much more to look forward to! 

So with this temperate weather, I thought, what the hell, I’m going to finally break out my new boots. They’re an over the knee style (just barely, Lady Long Legs!) that I bought during the Nordstrom Sale back in July. With so much of my body changing and my wardrobe being dramatically shrunken (quantity wise, sizes are going up!), it’s nice to have something that’s stylish and wearable now and later. 

You might remember this blouse from a few weeks ago. It’s going to be worn a lot in the coming months - and I think next time I’ll wear it with black jeans. It really goes with everything! 

When: Sept 12, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Blouse: A Pea in the Pod (currently 25% off)
Jeans: Jeans: AG ‘Stilt’, (non maternity here)
Boots: Halogen
Backpack: a gift from Vera Bradley from 2014

Where: Coffee Shop work session!

Also! On Friday I went to the salon to get a refresh on my highlights - I love the way I feel after a little update! I’m growing my hair out in anticipation of having a new baby and wanting to pile it on top of my head into a top knot. And there’s something else I’ve decided to do - I’m not covering up my gray pieces anymore. I skipped having my hair done at all during my first trimester and when I went in for a much needed visit at around three months, I still wanted to avoid having dye in direct contact with my scalp… which meant no coverage on those little silvery strands. Surprisingly… I kind of like it! I live in a very young town with all of the college students (the average age here is 23!), so it actually makes me feel a little older, wiser and more mature in a way. I still pluck the grays on my part (I know I know, 12 more will come to it’s funeral!) but as a whole, they don’t bother me enough to cover them. I might change my tune down the line, but for now, I’m really digging my current ‘do! (I’m also planning on making a how to video on styling it soon!)