Day To Night

I really didn't want to become a frumpy dump mom who always went out in workout pants and oversized t-shirts. I didn't really think this would be too much of a problem, but I made a personal goal to remain stylish and to keep a part of "me" that didn't have to do with baby.

One way to accomplish this? Buy cute clothes. Once you have a child the word "budget" changes. Your child and your child's needs become number 1. Babies typically outgrow their clothes faster than their parents. So, Jack needs clothes more often than I do. But... every once in awhile you just need to spoil yourself. So, if you buy new cutesy clothes then you'll wear them so you didn't just waste money.

One day I had errands to run with Jack in the morning and a baby shower to attend in the evening. I chose a few versatile pieces and styled them differently.

The two pieces for the day/night look: Cream lace top and purple cardigan. Classic- which is more or less my wardrobe. I have a few trendy pieces, but mostly I go for classic (this is also why I have items from high school still!).

Daytime errands: casual scarf, purse large enough for all my necessities (which now include at least two baby toys and a burp cloth), dark skinny jeans, and flats. Comfy, yet put together. This look was perfect for fall. Fall in Michigan is an explosion of colors and my purple cardigan fit right in.

When it was time for the baby shower I switched out some pieces and made a more "grown up" look. By "grown up" I mean "oh-hey-I'm-going-out-without-the-baby". I put on a vibrant pencil skirt (again, it's still fall), a waist cinching belt and tucked in the lace top, added a vintage inspired necklace (it's backwards in the picture, but on the front is a beautiful rose), floral heels that are splashed with purple (including purple pom poms on the toe), and swapped out the roomy purse for a strapped clutch (just enough to hold chapstick, wallet, and phone). I quickly backcombed and pinned up half my hair and voila, an evening out look. Since this was a baby shower I went for a more "Sunday Best" look than a cocktails look.

The transition was quick, which is always good with an infant. While I did run the risk of baby spitting up (or something much less pleasant) all over my outfit during the day, he doesn't do that very often. I did have a backup ready to go, just in case. Also, my skirt was neat when I put it on... but I sat down/changed/hugged goodbye the baby and wrinkles happen. Sigh. So close to polished.

All of these pieces are very classic and I know I will use them often (and probably for many years). They did have a heftier price tag, but their quality will make up for that price. (plus I shop outlets, factory stores, consignment, and clearance stores!)

Outfit Breakdown:

Lace top: Gap Factory Store
Purple Cardigan: J. Crew Clearance Store (only in Lynchburg, VA)

Daytime:

Scarf: Gap
Skinny Jeans: Gap
Flats: J. Crew Clearance Store
Bag: Coach (Secondhand)

Evening:

Necklace: Gadzooks
Skirt: J. Crew Clearance Store
Belt: J. Crew Clearance Store
Heels: J. Crew Clearance Store
Clutch: Talbots (Secondhand)

Just Say No To Being a Frumpy-Dump Mommy

I was recently told by a friend, "[Insert name] and I were talking, and we decided that we want to do pregnancy and motherhood like you and not [insert second name]." She had been talking with one of our mutual friends and was comparing myself and another mutual friend. Both of us are new mothers. Throughout my pregnancy I was so thankful to be pregnant. I was so incredibly happy. I mainly bought regular clothes in a size up from my normal size so that I would still be stylish- but I was able to find some cute maternity clothes! Now, as a new mother, I still try to look put together, even if I'm just sitting around the house with the baby all day. There's just something about looking nice that helps you feel nice.

Example:

My outfit today.

This isn't the best picture. I no longer have a full length mirror since it is packed in storage. So the bathroom mirror will have to do. I recently got an iPhone 5 (woot woot) and I'm still getting used to it. 

The picture doesn't do my shirt justice. Here's  closer view of my shirt and belt. You still can't see the colors right or the detail.  

All of the items I am wearing are relatively new. The jeans are from my birthday in August, the belt is a couple weeks old, and the shirt and sweater are first time wears. When I shop I have begun to classify the clothes I look at. I am now too old to fit into the "college student" group. So those clothes are mostly out. There are also some clothes that are "too mommy-ish" for me. While I am very proud to be a Mommy, I still want to be a young person too. When I shop I try to find clothes that fit into the dressy casual grouping. Plus, this helps me look my age, since there are times when people still think I'm in my teens. 

I have been learning about accessorizing and have been finding and putting to good use belts and necklaces. Layering was always tricky for me and I am learning about that as well. 

Outfit breakdown:
Cardigan: Gap
Shirt: Banana Republic (from Goodwill)
Belt: J. Crew
Jeans: Gap

I am loving the weather in Michigan! I am able to wear long sleeves, which is my favorite. In Virginia I was still in tank tops many days. So glad we are having an actual fall and will have a harsher winter (compared to VA) to look forward to. 

Mousse, who knew?

While I was growing up my mom used mousse to style her hair. She always had relatively short hairstyles. She would generally put mousse in her still wet hair and let it air dry. I would notice how it would help her style keep it's shape and sometimes appeared slightly crunchy- like the hair spray effect.

I haven't had much personal experience with mousse. In college I would "scrunch" my hair... but since my hair has absolutely zero curl/wave, that would mean I would wash my hair before bed, put mousse in it, french braid it in two braids on either side of my head, undo the braids in the morning, add more mousse while bunching my hair, and then finish with hair spray. Besides that, no use for mousse with my super straight hair. 

Why didn't anyone ever tell me what an excellent stylist mousse is? Even for straight hair? Some would say especially for straight hair if you want a blow out! So I was reading in People Style Watch about Jennifer Aniston's style. Her stylish gave some tips on "getting her look". For her sleek, straight hair he advised mousse in damp hair, blow dry with round brush, straighten ends with flat iron, finish with spray. 

So I thought I'd try the first part of that. Since my hair is ridiculously straight, I don't use a flat iron. I own one... but it's at the very bottom of my "extras" bin... like a junk drawer. So I towel dried my hair, let it air dry while I did my makeup, added mousse, blow dried... and voila:

My locks were sleek. shiny, and had just the right amount of curl at the ends from my round brush. Yes, this is normally how my hair looks first thing in the morning. The difference? That slight curl at the end of my hair stayed put all day! Normally the ends straighten out and stick out awkwardly or curl the opposite way. This is the issue with super straight hair and layers. Problem solved: miracle mousse! I used Tresemme mousse, since that is the brand of shampoo and conditioner I use. 

Mousse is now a normal part of my morning routine. For the past five year or so I have generally let my hair air dry. It dries straight so why bother adding the heat, I figured. Now that I am older, a mom, and have a nice office job... I have decided it is time to bring back the blow dry. Older: I want to look my age and air dried hair makes me look like a lazy teenager. A mom: again, want to look the part. I don't want people thinking I'm a teen mom- styling my hair helps. Office job: it's not super professional to come into the office with wet hair. It is amazing the difference blow drying my hair makes to my general appearance. Matt also likes it a lot more, so it's well worth the extra 7 minutes or so it takes. 

Moral of the story: learn about different hair care products and make use of them!

J. Crew

I usually don't follow too many popular trends fashion-wise. Sometimes I like the fashion after it's hey-day has passed, but there are a lot ot things I'm just not into. Current example: colored jeans. I don't mind them on other people and even think they're cute, but I don't want a pair at all. That being said, I do enjoy a good browse through People Style Watch or some fashion blogs.

My favorite fashion blog is Sidewalk Ready. I like this blog because Kayley has amazing fashion sense, is beautiful and tasteful, always has amazing pictures (since she and her husband are professional photographers), and was a childhood friend of mine.

Through this blog I have made a fashion list of to-buys. Yesterday I was able to check off some of those items! The J.Crew Warehouse is in Lynchburg (of all places) and there are two clearance stores here. These differ from outlets slightly. Whenever my MIL or SIL are in town we make a trip. I need to go there more often before we mve away (hopefully next May) to take advantage of the great deals!

Yesterday we went and found some amazing items! I had wanted a white blazer due to an outfit I had worn the previous week. Kayley has mentioned time and again how convertible blazers are to a wardrobe. I have several blazers (probably too many) but not a white one. J. Crew had this amazing white eyelet blazer! Perfect for spring/summer. The only two sizes out were both too large for me. The salesclerk heard me talking to my MIL about it and offered to check the back. Voila! The only smallish size they had fit me perfectly! I had to have it!

Kayley also wears statement necklaces. I currently own two statement necklaces, but wanted one slightly edgy-chic. J. Crew had this large link necklace with studs in the alternating links. Excellent! Kayley often fashions necklaces similar to these with colored shirts. I cannot wait to try this look in the office! The necklace also looks great with Tees, bringing a little glam to an otherwise casual look.

One of Kayley's trademarks are belts. She wears skinny  belts to cinch tops, chunky belts to add a waist, and all sorts of belts to add to the overall look of her ensemble. I love belts that don't have the typical hook and loop clasp. I am a huge fan of the button hole belts and own a few. This black belt has a twist knob clasp which can be dressed up or down. Immediately when I saw it I knew it would be the next item to check off my list. I plan to layer this over sweaters, cardigans, and dresses this fall/winter.

The last item to check off my list inspired by Kayley, comfortable heels. Kayley wears heels often and most of the time they seem all-day ready. After my freshman year of college I began wearing heels only for special occasions. I embraced the flat. Now, I can barely walk from my car to my office in heels without needing to change into flats when I reach my desk! Sad. So, I was on a mission to find some comfortable heels. I wanted a black pair and a light brown pair to hopefully cover most of my work attire (plus, heels look pretty great with jeans too!). If found, I also wouldn't mind a nude pair as those are so workable with basically any other color scheme. J. Crew has a nude shoe with black accents. Perfection! I spotted them at once and tried them on without high hopes. Not only do they fit perfectly, but they are made of a soft leather that has some give so they are super comfy! Double score for color and fit! These shoes will be worn with black/khaki skirts, black/khaki pants, dresses, jeans. Love love love.

All of these great finds left me feeling very very light and happy. Nothing like a successful shopping trip to make a girl smile! Some other items on my list inspired by Sidewalk Ready: a brown leather jacket, black boots (as I've already found a pair of brown [cognac] boots), a maxi dress for traveling or just for lounging days, some varying length chains so I can make my necklace charms work for varying necklines.

I have a very classic look when it comes to fashion. My go-to's are jeans, a neutral tank, a cardigan, and neutral flats. My favorite stores are The Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor/LOFT, and J. Crew. Sometimes I wish I had a more bohemian sense of style, but I don't mind looking like a librarian most of the time. Now that I have this new label of "Fashion and Style" maybe I'll post some of the outfits I'm more proud of on this blog. Lots of inspiration to create and mimic!

For the remainder of this week and the next my go-to outfit will be jammies! Then I will return to the office and will be able to use some of my wardrobe that I don't want the baby to spit up on! Although, I did wear a cashmere sweater last night regardless of the fact that I would be holding my drooling baby. Sometimes you just need some cashmere!