If You Miss "What Not To Wear..."

...Then you should read this interview Stacy London did for Into the Gloss. She spills all the deets on the history of her famous "gray streak," how she went from Vogue to TLC and even shares her personal hair + makeup regimen. Also - the included pictures of her awesome home! (As Stacy herself would say, "SHUT UP!")

Lovely Maternity & Etc.

Image source

As the weeks fly by by and my waist expands, I've been thinking more and more about maternity style. I try to avoid thinking about it as long as possible, but at some point it becomes a necessity.

My personal philosophy on maternity style is to get by with as few traditional "maternity"pieces as possible, and to invest in pieces that will not only work for pregnancy but also in that awkward, nursing postpartum phase. Not an easy order, but do-able with some hunting and patience. I also believe that looking good and feeling confident about your appearance is good medicine for your stress levels, mood and energy, so I personally think it's worth it to purchase a few special things during pregnancy that make you feel pretty and put together. Pregnancy is tough enough, man, without feeling frumpy!

One of my biggest maternity style inspirations has been blogger and mother to two, Naomi Davis. I love the idea (and practice!) of wearing vintage during pregnancy. So feminine and pretty.

Another huge influence and inspiration: photographer Tim Coulson's wife, Kesh. Lots of maxi dresses, loose fits from American Apparel and menswear inspired outfits. She makes everything look effortless and fresh. 

Last of all, even though it's been years since this maternity series was done, I'm still in love with the photos Ryan Marshall did of his wife Cole. She wore a lot of basic, non-maternity American Apparel, and looked amazing through all 40 weeks. 

I think these tunic dresses from Vanilla and Lace are absolutely lovely, and perfect. 

Vanilla and Lace also makes beautiful baby clothes!

ASOS is a great maternity resource, with unique pieces at affordable prices.

Thief and Bandit sells pretty maxi dresses and leggings, (not maternity, but could easily work in pregnancy.) I love the fun patterns on their clothing, (and their kids selection is adorable!)

P.S: I have to also somewhat guiltily admit in a post like this, I'm a sucker for Forever 21 during pregnancy. (Alright, I'm always a sucker for the Forever 21.) You're sure to always find something stretchy, trendy and cute there (even if it falls apart three days later.)

All My Pear-Shaped Ladies!

I never ever ever ever thought I would ever ever ever have anything (everrr) nice to say about Wal-Mart. But guys. Wal-Mart has done something wonderfully right. And it's a bathing suit, of all things!

Since I live in a beach town now, and summer is (albeit slowly) approaching, bathing suits have been on my mind. I needed one that would simultaneously cover up my post-partum uglies and nicely accentuate the better parts of my pear-shaped body. (That was the most awkward sentence ever!) I knew I wanted a retro, Esther Williams style suit, but they are really expensive (exhibit A and exhibit B.) 

I don't know what I was thinking, but a few weeks ago I looked at Wal-Mart's online swim shop and found these suits! I mean, they look just like the ones from Mod Cloth, but at a fraction of the price. The suits had hundreds of good reviews online, that I read through thoroughly. I then took a deep breath and ordered the striped one.

It came in today and all I can say is, wow. Seriously. Best fitting bathing suit I've ever owned. Good quality fabric, pretty ruching, good coverage without being prudish. And it comes in a wide variety of super cute patterns and colors. (And I'm very sorely tempted to order a few more of them!)

If you're looking for a retro style swimsuit but don't want to spent $$$ for one, I'd recommend giving these a try! I mean, at $33, you can't go wrong, right? 

P.S. I found the swimsuit to be true to size. Make sure to peek at the sizing chart before ordering!

The Next Big Thing??

Urban Outfitters totally got me on this one. I laughed so hard once I (way too late) remembered it was April Fool's Day. (Hey, when your daughter has an April Fool's birthday, you kind of forget about that prank-fest side of April 1st.) Seriously, I almost wrote a blog post titled "WTH is the World Coming To?!?" or something of that sort. Can you imagine wearing something like this? Too funny.

Here's the accompanying interview. :)

Vintage Heaven

I took some time for myself this afternoon to check out a vintage shop I had heard of downtown near Hope College. Holland has a lot of thrift stores, and I've checked out several only to be disappointed. This vintage shop I went to today, though, ("College Vintage") only stocks truly vintage items (no 80s and 90s crap ha.)

It was an amazing experience. I had such a ball! From the moment I walked in the door, the sweet owner was there offering me a cup of coffee and showing me around the different sections of her cute shop. You could tell how much she adores her job (and vintage clothing!) Her stock is just gorgeous, and in amazing condition! And her prices were incredible! I feel like I just struck gold and am so excited to go back and shop there again later this spring!

I loved this yellow dress. Perfect for Easter.

I love vintage house dresses. Especially in the summertime! (I took this one home!)

I also took home this summery dress. I couldn't believe how affordable they were!

 This dress was a little too snug, but isn't it cute? 

(Those are elephants on the pockets!) 

and as a bonus post, some dressing room photos.

YAY I'M OUT BY MYSELF!
(I tried on a butt load of bathing suits!)
(But don't worry, I won't be showing you any.)
(I know you're relieved.)

I'm not wearing shoes here, because I wore my Ugg-style boots out, and they are hideous. 
(But in MI sometimes warmth and good traction take precedence over beauty.)
My sweater is from Target, skirt from TJ Maxx, and scarf knitted by me.

Peace, quiet and "skinny mirrors." These are a few of my favorite things. 

I have wanted a maxi skirt since last spring.
I really liked this one, but am going to wait until it is actually spring before buying one.

Short-girl maxi skirt stylin'.

And then, you guys, THIS skirt.

It is now mine. 

And I have big Valentine's day plans for it.

20

Wind chill today of -3*F. And some snow! Now that's more like it, MI! The cold windy weather here is starting to take some toll on my skin. Dry elbows, cracked lips... And my kids are always running off with my Blistex. Hmph.

This scarf is my new love in life. It's like wearing an afghan, it's so heavy and thick. It's making winter a little more fun (& cute.) 

Good coffee, pretty mugs, 1,000 piece puzzles and mysteries via Netflix (we've started "Wallander") also make cold winter days bearable. 

What I'm Loving: American Apparel

I know the owner of American Apparel is a sleaze bag, and their advertising is horrible. So I'll get that out of the way first off. I know of several people who boycott the brand because of these reasons and I respect their actions.

I'm not a fan of the company's founder's morals, but I am a huge fan of the products they produce. I love the fact that the clothing is made in the USA. I love the quality of the materials they use. And I love the versatility of the clothing.

Here are some of my favorite American Apparel products, and why they've become the work horses of my wardrobe. (This is not an endorsed post - I just enjoy writing reviews of products that I really love!)

The Unisex Circle Scarf. I bought my first circle scarf in 2010. It was my first ever AA purchase. I have worn and washed the heck out of it and it still looks brand new. For reals! What I love about it - it's ridiculously versatile. There are dozens of way to wear and style the scarf, from simple loops around your neck, to a hooded scarf style. It can even be worn as a skirt or strapless dress! The material is very high quality, thick jersey. It's so warm in the colder months and comes in just about any color you could want. It's one of the best things I've ever bought.

The Jersey Pocket Skirt. The best skirt ever. Seriously - if I could buy one for every woman I know I would. They look amazing on everyone, and are so so comfortable. I wish I could buy one in every color, but for now I just own the black one which goes with everything. This is another product that has held up amazingly well under lots of washes and wears. The jersey material is really top notch!

California Fleece Pullover Raglan Hoodie Dress. I bought two of these with a Groupon deal last year when I was pregnant with Silas and they are the best sweatshirts I have ever owned. I know, sweatshirts aren't very glamorous or anything, but  the cut and fit of these are very flattering. The quality of the material is SO good. I know I've said it about the other two products, but seriously, every American Apparel product I have purchased holds up extremely well under lots of washes and wears - which is very important to a Mom of very small children! They don't really work as dresses (at least not on me, I'm too curvy I think) but work well over skinny jeans or leggings. These would be great for taller girls who have trouble finding sweat shirts that are long enough in the waist.

The Interlock High-Waist Skirt. An awesome, very high-waist skirt that is made of thick, high quality jersey. It's a modest, longer length (mine hits right below the knee as I'm pretty short) but I always feel sexy and confident when I wear it. It just hugs and flares in all the right places! It's on sale right now too for just $10!

California Fleece Tulip Skirt. Another great, versatile skirt of amazing quality. This one's shorter, and works best for me over tights.

California Select Original Cut-Out School Girl Dress. I don't own one of these, but it's high up on my wish list! I tried one on in D.C. a couple of months ago and the fit is so, so good. The material doesn't feel as durable as their other products, but the dresses are made from recycled vintage fabrics. The fabric for these dresses are gorgeous, and each one is unique! 

Instas From MI

 Just some good old iPhone shots from our fun trip to west MI.

(I miss you, Holland.)

:(

Blue dress: vintage, from Shades of Monet

Plaid dress: vintage/thrifted