7.15.2011

6th birthday party: worn.

tank: banana republic outlet
cardigan: target
black ponte pants: gap
sandals: charlotte russe
earrings: gift from mil




oh, hi. it's been 4+ months. i had a baby. three weeks ago today. here's something i wore and felt good in during my "4th trimester," aka "how-to-hide-the-post-baby-belly." i wore this to a friend's son's birthday party tonight. i felt pretty good in it.

welcome back, self, to your style blog. keep it up. it's inspiration to shower and dress. because sometimes three kids sucks the will to shower and dress right out of you.

3.07.2011

twenty-six through thirty.


::click images to enlarge::

30 for 30 winter :: no. 30.

gray sleeveless maternity top: hand-me-down
black knit blazer: old navy
jeans: gap maternity
belt: thrifted
earrings: target
booties: f21





wooohooo!!! i made it! thirty whole outfits! the last few days were a bit precarious, but i made it. i have a wrap-up post coming, but i'll say now that this was definitely challenging as a growing pregnant lady. several things that fit great at the beginning of the remix are not fitting so great at the end. i had quite a few pieces that aren't maternity, and most of those have been lovingly placed in the to-wear-after-baby-comes box. not to mention, the temperatures ranged from 12 degrees to 90 degrees in the span of 30 outfits. though i didn't always feel like a million bucks at the time in these outfits, there are only maybe one or two that i look back at in pictures and really dislike.

i'm proud!

now, the question is whether i'll start slacking in the clothes department (and style blog department) for the rest of this pregnancy since i'm off the remix hook. we shall see.

3.06.2011

30 for 30 winter :: no. 29.

maternity top: hand-me-down
brown jacket: ross
jeans: gap maternity
clogs: sam & libby via ross
belt: thrifted
earrings: charming charlie
ring: charming charlie
bracelets: charming charlie & ?





this is officially the last time i will be wearing this SIZE SMALL maternity shirt. hello, stuffed sausage.

3.05.2011

30 for 30 winter :: no. 28.

olive ruffle neck top: liz lange maternity for target
striped shirt: gap maternity
pants: liz lange maternity for target
earrings: ?
shoes: toms via whole foods




comfy and wonderful. too bad it's actually too hot to wear two long-sleeved shirts at once. come on, winter remix! let's get this thing done!

3.04.2011

30 for 30 winter :: no. 27.

dress: a.n.a maternity via jcpenny
pashmina: gifted
belt: gifted
earrings: charming charlie
booties: f21




this pashmina rocks. this dress needs to be lots shorter to look good with these booties. that is all.

3.03.2011

30 for 30 winter :: no. 26.

white shirt: gap maternity
black cardigan: old navy
ruffle skirt: target
necklace: hand-me-down from mom
earrings: vintage
shoes (not pictured): toms, via whole foods





i feel as though i am quickly entering "round pregnant lady" territory. when i'm pregnant, i don't gain weight much at all in the first half of my pregnancy. as a matter of fact, i typically lose anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. but by the time week 19 or 20 hits, i am rockin' and rollin' with the weight gain. i'm 23.5 weeks right now. this also makes dressing cute more and more difficult. but i will persevere! because even though sweatpants seem appealing while getting dressed, i feel lots better throughout the day when i make more of an effort.

3.01.2011

twenty-one through twenty-five.


::click images to enlarge::

30 for 30 winter :: no. 25.

blue sparkly cowl neck shirt: liz lange maternity for target
brown jacket: ross
denim leggings: target
scarf: liberty of london for target
clogs: sam & libby via ross
earrings: vintage
bracelet: target





the accessories make this outfit. LOVE this scarf. i haven't worn it much until lately, but it's awesomeness. i LOVE this bracelet as well. and the earrings are pretty great too. see? accessories in this look = awesome.

p.s. yes, this is a 23w1d baby belly. i already waddle. alll of march. alll of april. alll of may. nearly alll of june still to go. help me.

30 for 30 winter :: no. 24.

aaaaand...we're back.

with really, really clear photos. like...photos that show the dark circles under my eyes and the wrinkles in my shirt. the phone is gone. i'm waiting on a new one. i can upload from my good camera, though, so you're gonna see outfits 24-30 in a lot more detail than you're used to.

without further ado...

pink maternity shirt: hand-me-down
pencil skirt: jcpenny
gold sparkly cinch belt: gift from a friend
boots: target
earrings: nine west via dillard's



(real weird face here..)

sparkles!

if you're out there, thanks for hanging in with me.

2.27.2011

i'm 28, and this is the first summer i'll wear shorts with confidence.

it is 91 degrees in west texas today. NINETY-ONE, people. it's february 27.

it is also windy as all get out. a sign, as my mother-in-law reminded me, that spring is coming. "march is in like a lion, out like a lamb, remember? the wind's got to blow to bend the trees. that brings the sap and gets them to bud," she said.

my mother-in-law is so smart. i just wanted to whine about the wind.

so although most everything is still brown and dead for the time being, the warm temperatures have this pregnant lady breaking out the shorts. as i walked in the door a couple hours ago, i stripped off my church clothes and immediately threw on shorts and a tee shirt. (winter remix or no winter remix, i'm gonna have to clean the house and lounge in shorts. that's just all there is to it.)

i wore shorts yesterday too, as a matter of fact. to a birthday party. and i felt cute.

that there, people, is a noteworthy little sentence. i felt cute.

i can't remember the last time i felt cute in shorts. really.

i weigh (give or take) 30 pounds more than i did in high school (and will add to that significantly this summer with baby 3 in utero), and i never wore shorts in high school. i wore skimpy little tops (ahem) and jeans all summer long. JEANS. i specifically remember being ridiculously hot. but no matter, i thought my legs were ugly in shorts.

oh, high school self. you silly, silly girl.

the point i'm trying to make is that it has probably been a good 15+ years since i have felt cute in shorts. and it's not thanks to some great diet and exercise plan that's left me with supermodel legs (impossible). nope, these legs aren't nearly as pretty as they were a decade and a half ago.

it's because of a perspective change.

becoming a mom and a wife and, more specifically and most especially, an avid follower of Jesus over the past five years or so has given me a new perspective.

glossy magazine images of new things and perfect bodies are art, i admit. but they are not real life. they are tiny snapshots of perfectly styled moments which people wielding photoshop are being paid to produce. they are beautiful, no doubt, and i love looking at them. but they are not real.

real beauty is my husband's affectionate glance even when i haven't showered all day. real beauty is bruises and scrapes earned from climbing trees in the summer sun. real beauty is the marred farm table i ate at as a child that i type from now.

real beauty is wearing shorts when it's hot because my focus is not on whether my legs look perfect, but what is most appropriate to wear to be comfortable enough to make memories with my family.

real beauty is not longing for what is not, but realizing the blessings that surround me at every turn, given graciously by the One who knows every inch of my legs intimately because He created them.


i am not against taking care of your body or promoting accepting unhealthy habits (goodness knows i have many) as unchangeable. but i am against being in bondage to negative thoughts about the body i have, the body that was made for me.

so i'll wear shorts all summer. sure i'll feel moody and large when baby 3 is close to making her appearance. but i refuse to repeatedly beat myself up because i don't look like i stepped from the cover of vogue.

i have far too many better things on which to spend time and energy. and it's way too hot.

a brief interruption.

due to the mysterious disappearance of my cell phone, the photo documentation of the remix has been interrupted. i am hopeful i will find it soon. (please, oh, please.) i would take photos with my regular camera (novel idea..), but that cord is in my husband's suburban. he is currently on his way back from dallas. i WILL finish this 30 for 30! even if i have to get my 4-year-old to sketch the ensembles and scan them in! (that might be kind of cool, actually...)

2.25.2011

30 for 30 winter :: no. 23.

polo: old navy
cardigan: f21
denim leggings: target
earrings: handmade gift from a friend
gray leather wrap bracelet/glass bead: gift from landon, pandora
shoes (not shown): toms, via whole foods





i am very interested in the item count i plan on doing at the end of this remix. reason: i want to see how many days i managed to work this striped cardigan in. honestly, what did i wear before this cardigan?!

About Me

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Mother of four and married to Landon, a lead pastor in San Angelo, Texas. I have been a journalist and an English teacher, love York peppermint patties and am addicted to Instagram. Someday, I hope to finally get organized.