What I Wore | Casual Friday

WhatIWore: First things first, this is what I wore on Thursday, not Friday. Casual Thursday just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it? I have a good reason though! Last night (Wednesday) Adam and I went to a murder mystery party! It was so much fun. Each person is assigned a character and is on a team which has a series of clues to share and investigate. There’s a murderer and a thief and the teams get points by either misdirecting the other teams or guessing correctly. But you can’t outright lie to another player. Adam and I played a magic act with a death defying trick and were being blackmailed by the dead guy to expose our secrets! Also - it was set in 1949, so everyone was dressed up to the period (a little challenge while pregnant, but I think I pulled it off!) Our team guessed wrong, but we did have the thief in our mix and successfully confused two other teams. Anyways, it was awesome and if you ever have the chance to play one of these games, do it! 

When: September 22, 2016

What:
Hat: imogene + willie
Shades: Karen Walker
Tee: freebie from a conference years ago, printed on American Apparel deep V (my FAVORITE for layering while nursing)
Denim Jacket: Anthropologie (similar)
Olive skinnies: A Pea in the Pod (similar regular sizing)
Sneakers: New Balance 402s (similar style)

Where: Work sesh

So last night I did my hair up and put on red lipstick and didn’t get home until 10, which is so late for an old fart like me. Usually I’m asleep by 9:30! I knew in advance I would just throw on a hat and a casual outfit today, but I really do like how this all looks together. Cute, casual mom on the go! Yeah? 

Have a great weekend!!

What I Wore | Better than Basic

WhatIWore: You’ve heard people calling women basic, right? Like women that enjoy the onset of fall or pumpkin spiced lattes or watching The Bachelor? By those terms, I am soooo basic, but you know what? I’m fine with that! I’ve got my act together, I get out the door each day looking like a functioning human, I don’t pretend to do or have it all, but I have plenty and I’m happy with my life! 

I bring this up because the components of this outfit are absolutely basic (or part of a core closet) - an olive green jacket, a long sleeved off white tee and a pair of jeans. We all have those in our closets, right? To take these basics from good to better, I’ve opted for my over the knee boots, a long geometric necklace, fun bag plus silk scarf tied on the handle. Speaking of scarves, they’re a lovely way to add a splash of color or pattern to an outfit, and done correctly, look great tied around the neck or wrist. I’m not sure I’ve mastered that yet, but tying one onto the handle of a handbag is a no brainer. It’s a cute way to update a purse you’ve been carrying for a while and a good vehicle for fall colors (if it’s still too hot to break out the boots where you live!)

My favorites are all vintage numbers and if you have a second hand or thrift store nearby, should be easy to find. Here are a couple of ways I’ve worn this kind of silk scarf in the past (on the wrist, as a neck scarf)

When: September 20, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Tee: Target (non maternity)
Jacket: Old Navy (older style - similar here)
Necklace: Madewell
Maternity Jeans: Jessica Simpson at Destination Maternity
Over the Knee Boots: Halogen at Nordstrom
Bag: Coach, gift of Zappos
Scarf: Vintage, thrifted

Where: Coffee Shop, Errands with Felix

An American Girl

As a little girl, I went through what I can best describe as my “pioneer” phase. I was absolutely, completely obsessed with the nineteenth century. I wore bonnets and bloomers (to school!) and relied on the American Girl and Little House on the Prairie books for guidance into my “old fashioned” life. 

It all started when I received an American Girl catalogue in the mail. My best guess was that it came in the mid-90s and it was pretty much the only way I spent my allowance for a good five years.  My neighborhood friends had their own American Girl dolls and I wanted one so badly, but my parents thought they were too expensive for an all out gift, so compromised with me. If I saved for half of the price, they’d match it and order the doll. I can’t remember how long it took me to save, but on a chilly day in October, I went into my parents bedroom and told my mom I was ready to order my Kirsten. She had me count out the dollars and coins to make sure I had the right amount.  She picked up the receiver of the telephone, paused, and hung it up. Then she reached under the bed and pulled out the burgundy box with Kirsten inside. Just recounting this memory makes me want to cry! It’s hard to put into words what that doll meant to me and how her story shaped my childhood. That October afternoon was easily one of the best memories of my young life! 

It wasn’t just the doll, but the history that went with her. For birthdays and Christmas my mom would sew me and Kirsten matching dresses. Sometimes they would be new designs and color patterns, but mostly the dresses sewn for me were made to match something from Kirsten’s series. Underneath I wore petticoats and pantaloons, thick black tights and lace up boots. Around that time my grandma gave me a box full of handmade undergarments that her neighbors had brought over from Germany in the late 1800s. Even though they were made for adult women, they were tiny and fit my tween size perfectly. I now see how learning about the fashions of the 1850s influenced my love for costume history! 

In addition to the clothing, a lot of my childhood pastimes directly corresponded with the era. At this age I took up hand sewing and quilting - mainly pillows but I also made a full sized quilt when I was ten! I wish I had photos of those pieces here, but they’re all safely stored at my parents house - I’ll grab some snaps next time I’m visiting!

I didn’t stop with quilting - I also dyed my own fabric using locally (hyper local - mulberry trees from our backyard) berries. I crushed them into muslin fabric to create a pinkish tone and from that, I cut out and appliquéd a little heart onto a pillow - the perfect size for my pint sized doll.

In the kitchen, my dad helped me make apple raisin porridge out of the Kirsten cookbook and I churned my own butter (using a pint of cream, a marble, a Ball jar and tons of shaking!) 

I loved going to antique stores and visiting historical sites and especially my aunt and uncle’s 1885 farm house (we took our wedding photos there!) We even took a family trip to Colonial Williamsburg when I was in fifth grade. I still have dreams of working on a historical farm, even if it’s only for a week or a month. Adam and I have been very into a BBC collection of shows based on that concept - Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, Tudor Monastery Farm… we love them all! 

In researching for this post, I did some googling of Kirsten books and images and the nostalgia that crept in was so heartwarming. Opening the window into this world of history has such a special place in my heart. I really really loved that doll and her story and pretending that I was a little girl in pioneer times. I loved getting dressed up in historical costumes and doing old timey things. 

Now I see how much my parents encouraged me and supported my interests - reading, sewing and cooking alongside me! I hope I can do the same for my own kids someday… maybe my little girl will play with my Kirsten doll too. 

What I Wore | Red Red Wine

WhatIWore: The only red wine in my life lately has been in the form of one of my favorite colors this season - a deep, dark burgundy hue. I wouldn’t call it a trend - the color name might change year to year (remember the Oxblood insanity a few years ago?) but it’s all a slight variation of a rich wine tone. See more of my burgundy infused outfits here.

When: September 19, 2016

What:
Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’
Lipstick: Bite Beauty in ‘Jam’
Tee Shirt (regular sizing): ModCloth
Denim Jacket: DIY project
Jeans: AG legging (one size down), gift of A Pea in the Pod
Booties: gift of Rockport from last fall

Where: Coffee Shop and errands

This outfit is the kind of thing that works for daytime or evening, depending on where you’re headed. I wore this top out for a casual anniversary dinner a few weekends ago and i like how it works with both denim and black. Speaking of black, I’m wearing another style of maternity jeans today. This pair was a gift from A Pea in the Pod and as an experiment, I decided to drop one more size down (after advice from the sales staff and your recommendations). Reason being - maternity jeans have a nice amount of stretch woven into the fabric for a comfort factor, but that also means there’s a greater likelihood of them stretching out more. I’m really surprised that I like the legging style so much -  they’re incredibly comfortable and a lot more polished than a gym legging.

As a finishing touch, I threw on my embroidered denim jacket, which is proving to be much more versatile than I’d imagined, probably because I left the front view plain. I love the little surprise when I spill around! See how I wore it last time, here!)