shorter & shorter

The bigger my belly got, the shorter & shorter this dress became...(evidenced here). Let's discuss something else that got shorter while I was pregnant: my hair.

Back story: I had spent more than a decade growing out my hair (high school through college and after graduation) after a disastrous few hair cuts in 2005. So, my hair was long and fine and blonde-ish, but LONG.

However, in February of 2016, I chopped off several inches of my hair. And it was okay. But about a month before the baby was born, I got the great idea to cut my hair even shorter. I figured I would have time to figure out how to do it before the baby arrived. It was a cute, short, textured lob for the cool mom I hoped to be.

Can you guess where this is going?

I successfully styled it a few times before the baby was born, then spent my first few months as a new mom wishing I hadn't cut it off . So, I've been growing it out ever since.

My advice to all moms-to-be: DO NOT make a drastic change to your hair before the baby arrives! Don't do it after the baby arrives, either (wait at least six months)! Your baby doesn't care what your hair looks like, but knowing how to do it with a go-to styling routine will help you to feel put together in those first few days/weeks/months of being a new & sleep-deprived mom. Trust me on this one.

dress: c/o PinkBlush Maternity, however, all opinions are my own

sandals: Target

necklace: WalMart

bracelet: Kohl's

blushing

This pretty blush lace dress is from PinkBlush Maternity. In an effort to not procure a whole new maternity wardrobe, I’ve been trying make very wise shopping choices (I think the Mr. thought I was banking on a whole new wardrobe – not the case. I didn’t break down and buy maternity pants til I was 17-18 weeks).

Enter this dress. It’s perfect for a baby shower, church, parties, tea parties, weddings, fancy  brunches, etc. Almost anything I might encounter before our little one arrives this summer (several brunches & luncheons are on the agenda, and a few baby & bridal showers, too). One of my favorite parts about this dress is that it was flattering at 20 weeks, is flattering at 26 (!!!) weeks, and I’m hoping when I’m almost full term, due to the full and swingy skirt.

This color is also pretty flattering (although I could definitely use a spray tan - yikes), and would complement many skin tones. I’ve paired it here with magenta/hot pink accessories, but it would be easy to change them up to nude, brown,  or perhaps printed shoes. This dress is pretty enough to wear to anything, yet not noticeable enough to be concerned about wearing it over and over.

I've linked to some similar dress and pieces on PinkBlush's site:

Ivory Lace Belted Dress (same dress, but in ivory)

Blush Pink Lace Tank Top (similar lace print in a tank top)

Blush Pink Floral Lace Dress (same style dress, in a different lace print)

dress: c/o PinkBlush Maternity, however, all opinions are my own

magenta wedges: ALDO

very delayed

You thought my post a few weeks ago was a flash-in-the-pan for me and that I'd disappear again, huh? Not the case! I'll spare you the details, but I've made the switch from my beloved MacBook (*tear*) back to a PC, and switching everything over has taken some...finesse (and help from a computer engineer friend), aaaaand, every evening at about 7 pm, our internet goes bad (we're told it's a volume thing and the equipment/infrastructure needs updating. I know, #firstworldproblem, but, when you pay for uber-fast internet, you'd like to be able to use it when you're at your home...) BUT! technological issues aside, we're back in business!

If you're at all observant, you'll notice that these pictures don't appear to have been taken recently, since it's still winter and the bottom of our driveway is still a sheet of solid ice and I'm not wearing 18 layers and tights. And, you would be right. These pictures (and this pink & navy outfit) happened this fall...in September...ages ago! The Mr. and I headed to the mountains for a quick weekend to celebrate our dating anniversary (5 internet gold stars if you can guess what milestone we were celebrating) and he suggested I bring some backlogged outfits to take photos of, because, you know, FALL IN COLORADO. ALL OF THE LEAVES AND ALL OF THE BOO-TIFUL COLORS. 

And, he was right. So smart, that one. Lots of beautiful colors, still some green grass, and you know, some blonde girl wearing a lacy dress & heeled booties out in nature. And also, this is before I knew I was pregnant, as are the next few looks I'll share with you. However, this dress is something I did wear a few times in my first trimester before it got too snug (and subsequently, short); it's currently boxed up until we can be reunited.

So, again, apologies for the delay and my absence, but I'm back! And I've got some maternity-esque looks to share with you (I'm not in FULL maternity gear yet, just lots of stretchy pants) - stay tuned!

navy lace overlay dress: Banana Republic outfit

pink ombre scarf: gift

taupe ankle booties: Old Navy

gold clutch: thrifted

Oktoberfest and High Latitude Style

Hi friends! Good morning!

I'm co-hosting a linkup with Nicole of High Latitude Style. And I thought this layered fall look that I wore to Oktoberfest in the mountains would be perfect to share today.

I layered a dark chambray (knotted, of course - my jam lately), over a teal midi length dress. I added a teal & blue plaid infinity scarf and comfortable flats for traipsing all over Breckenridge. Wearing so many layers gave me the ability to shed my layers to keep cool in the sun while we enjoyed Bavarian pretzels and streusel, but it was nice to have the option to add back my chambray and scarf when the temperatures cooled down and the steins were empty.

The print of the lace on my dress, the plaid in the scarf and the print on my shoes allowed for subtle, yet cohesive print mixing. A must for looking put together while waiting in lines at a festival. And did I mention this dress is stretchy? That's really the whole reason I wore it - schnitzel, bratwursts, pretzels, streusel, and German beer - to camouflage a day of indulging.

Switching gears, this is Nicole, and I love reading her blog (based in Alaska) for cold weather outfit ideas - another blogger to glean inspiration from when the snow flies! This red on red look she's got going on is just perfect for fall. Without further ado, here's a bit more about Nicole and the link up:

Nicole Mölders is married, has one cat, no kids, and is a fashion, and science enthusiast from Fairbanks, Alaska. She is the blogger of High Latitude Style – an Alaska fashion blog with science bits for the stylish 40+ woman. She shares how to dress stylishly on trend over 40 without looking like a fashion victim.  

Now let's get the party going. Everyone of any age and gender is welcome to share their fashion and style posts.

1. Please follow your Host via wordpress, twitter, facebook, google+, bloglovin and your co-host via her blog, bloglovin, twitter, instagram
2. Linkup any of your fashion/style posts by simply adding your link below
3. Please stop by your linkup-fellows' blogs, introduce yourself to them, and make new friends
4. Please spread the word and invite your friends to this party Invite your friends on twitter

challenge accepted

Recently, a friend of mine was over while I was going through my closet for the umpteenth time this year. I was getting rid of some things, and starting to swap summer items for fall/winter items. I grabbed all of my white dresses in one handful and started to put them away with the summer clothes. And my friend said "Wait, that lace one. Keep it out. You can wear it in when it's colder."

And I said

"Are you challenging me to find a way to wear it this fall?"

And she deviously smiled and said

"YES."

So, here it is. Attempt number one. Not sure if she'll give me points for this, since we've had weather in the 80s and 90s, but I've got plans to try it again, don't you worry your pretty little head. I wore a light jacket and a scarf since I knew we'd be out and about in Denver this day - we ended up going in and out of museum exhibits (air conditioning & temperature controls, warm lobby, air conditioning & temperature controls, warm lobby, lots of warm bodies, even warmer lobby, you get the idea...). I was even a bit warm in this, but the layers did allow for more versatility than the dress by itself would have given me.

I chose the jacket because I feel like this jacket needs more wear, and because it adds a nice masculine/utilitarian element to this lacey & feminine dress. The scarf was an addition because it ALSO needs more wear, but the sequins and girlie print lend themselves to be worn with anything. And I think we all know the best to get me to wear anything is by adding lots of texture. And this outfit has several: lace, khaki/olive green cotton, ocean-inspired gauzy print, sequins, and plaid shoes. Let's not forget the braided headband.

Stay tuned for this dress's next appearance, most likely to be seen with tights, a sweater, and a scarf. Maybe a heavy jacket and snow pants. I really can't say...

dress: Kohl's

scarf: Lilly Pulitzer for Target

jacket: thrifted (Land's End)

shoes: COACH via DSW

linking up:

Sydney Fashion Hunter // Shopping My Closet // Cappuccino & Fashion

 The Pleated Poppy // Book of Leisure // Tucker Up

Home of Malones // East Coast Nat // A Liz Adventures

Two Thirty Five Designs // Lizzie in Lace // The Sits Girls

and again

Here it is again - another chambray over another dress (see the last time I did that here). I'm softly kicking myself for not having tried this sooner. But, better late than never, right? RIGHT??

This dress is a hand-me-down from my bestie, and I'm trying to come up with an occasion to wear it on its own, but so far, I got nothin'. And I had nothing on the books when she first gave it to me. So, I put on my thinking cap and decided to pair it with a chambray so I could wear it THAT much sooner and not have to wait (and wait. and wait. and wait) to wear my pretty new dress.

That's crinoline sticking out of the bottom, so the skirt is pretty full - meaning, I could fluff it out quite a bit, if I so chose. Obviously, I did not on this day ('twould be silly to wear a very poofy skirt to work), but the option is there, ready to be utilized.

Now that you've seen me try it a few times, have you knotted a chambray over a dress?? Or, any shirt for that matter? Oh, do tell.

dress: from a friend

chambray: thrifted

sandals: DSW

linking up:

I do DeClaire // Style Elixir

 Bless Her Heart, Y'all // Two Peas in a Blog

lace on white

I won't say "Something about all white screams summer to me," because, obviously, it does.

I WILL, however, say, "Pairing white with cream with tan + different size beads + some texture really makes for a sweet outfit" instead.

It's white-on-white, with a wee twist - cream on tan on lace on white on beads. This gives this look an "Oh, I just threw these things together and they look great" vibe, which is my favorite. Outfits that look great, but take minimal effort (really! the hardest part was not spilling red wine on my pants...) are the best.

For reals.

shirt: gift

pants: Old Navy

necklace: WalMart

sandals: Kohl;s

lace chambray

This chambray is a new favorite of mine. The lace detail is really what sold me on adding yet another chambray to my closet. It's subtle, yet makes a huge impact - those details can make or break any outfit.

I realize in these pictures that it's tough to distinguish between the light wash chambray and my white shorts, but there is a significant difference in color - trust. I wore my nude thin strap flip flops for two reasons: 1) I wore this to get a pedicure before our recent vacation, and 2: they're nude and simple, and this outfit lightly plays with monochrome and simplicity, so loud shoes weren't my best option.

Sometimes I'm really into wearing louder and more striking ensembles, but sometimes, something simple like shorts and a chambray are where it's at.

chambray: Aéropostale

shorts: Old Navy

sandals: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's