Pregnancy Style: Week 31

At this late in the game, it gets harder and harder to feel even a little bit like wearing real people clothes.  PJ's are my friends.  But I admit, as usual, putting together a nice outfit always makes me feel better and more confident.  It also greatly improves the odds that I will leave the house for the day.  

So, sick of giant sack dresses (comfy as they may be), I went for this cute little black top and leggings combo this week, with my new black flats (they have sparkly bees on them!).  But the highlight of the outfit was this awesome hand-made turban headband my friend Rachel made for me.  Hint: I need more of these please!!!!  I also really love my long peacock neacklace that my sister Rachel gave me.  It added a little needed sparkle to an otherwise pretty blank canvas.  

I like this outfit a lot, and will wear all of this even after the baby is born.  Sometimes simple is best, although I don't always remember that (or really care.  I still like flashy too!).  

Headband: Hand made by Rachel Browne.  Top: Hand-me-down from Jessica Record.  Necklace: gift from Rachel Haskett.  Leggings: Etsy.  Shoes: Modcloth.

Tea for Three

This is my darling friend Jenn and her awesome man friend Kaleb.  They came over for a tea party at my house a few weeks ago and Jenn just happened to be wearing a dress I made!  Yay!!!  Yes I have random tea parties at my house.  Don't you?

I made this dress for myself a few years ago but it quickly became way too small, so it needed a new home but I liked it so much, it was hard for me to let go of!

I really love the print of this cotton dress, and really, I should have always known how perfect the colors would have been next to Jenn's beautiful red hair.  I am so happy this dress found a loving home, because I really really like it, and there was no way it was ever ever going to fit on me again! It was living a sad unworn life inside of my closet for too long.

My friends often shop-my-closet, and I love it.  I love sharing clothes, as long as people will really wear them.  I don't have a lot of friends who are my size anymore (pre-pregnancy of course) so I don't get to share as much as I used to, but once in a while it works out.  I would much rather share than sell things that don't fit, and I don't keep things around that don't work on my body.

Don't forget, clothes are meant to fit YOU, not the other way around.  I don't believe in hanging onto "inspirational" pieces that make you wish you were small enough to wear them, although doing just that used to be a bad habit of mine many years ago.  It can be very tempting to hang onto something you once loved thinking that your body should be a different size and if you could only get there you could wear your treasured item again, but that is a nasty trap.  If you let yourself think that way, over time your closet becomes a coffin of clothes that make you feel like you aren't quite good enough.  It can also make your wardrobe so full and scattered with pieces that don't fit that you can have hundreds of things and feel as if you have nothing to wear!  The clothes that make you feel good and fit you perfectly simply get buried in the mass of items that make you feel sad and bad about yourself.  Celebrate the body you have and figure out what makes it look beautiful and you will live a much happier, fulfilling life. This is actually a very important part of my style philosophy.

Anyway, back to lovely Jenn.  Isn't she cute?  Thanks for the lovely modeling Jenn and Kaleb, and please come to tea again soon!

Pregnancy and Beyond

I am having a lot of fun creating new looks to wear now that I pretty big and aproaching my 24th week of pregnancy, but I hate to think that I am spending time and money on projects that I will have to scrap after the bump is gone.

That is why I have been trying to make a lot of shift dresses that will transition nicely, as well as other flowy items that I can wear before and after little Nora is here.  I think my style will evolve naturally to a more ethereal look for the day-to-day once I am a mom, just based on what I am buying and making now, and also what will be most comfortable and flattering as I get used to my new body-after-baby.  And oh boy is my body changing and the baby weight coming on now that I am in my second trimester!!!  I can't believe how hungry I am, and how big the bump has gotten.  I'm all about loving my body at every size, and honestly I think I look pretty cute, but it is a change!  I promise pics soon.  :)

But while shifts are fun and easy to make, they can get a little tiresome.  Enter this funky little dress that I made out of linen in only a few hours (no closures! Unlined!).  I made it out of a variation of the Laurel pattern by Colette.  Seriously, if you only buy one pattern ever, buy this one.  It is extremely easy to make, versatile, and perfect for almost any fabric choice.  Anyway...I added the funky little drop skirt for a little different look.  I also added pockets!

But I admit, this dress is a bit wide for me to wear once I have a waist again.  The fix?  I plan on adding darts to both the front and back, and adding a side zipper, once I don't need the extra room any more.  Smart, right?  I am trying to think of little of way I can slightly alter pregnancy clothes to be a bit more flattering post bump.  For most items, a simple belt should do the trick, but I love my darts idea for this one.  I hope it works!!!



Just for fun, some Laurel's from the past.  I will make so many more in the future!!!

Silk (I still need to properly blog about this dress, and the fabulous necklace that goes with it!)

Brocade (this one was more Laurel- inspired than actual Laurel pattern) 

Simple cotton

 And my favorite vintage drop-waist dress!  I hope mine comes out half so well.

Vintage Treasures

My husband and I had the great pleasure of meeting our friend Bev a few years ago through Jer's mom.  She is in her early 90's and she has lived an amazing life.  

Recently, she decided to move into a smaller place that will be more manageable for her, although she is still living on her own with her dog Anya, and needed to get rid of a bunch of stuff.  Guess who she gave her beautiful hand made clothes from the 50's and 60's to???  It was ME!!!

She made these items herself from patterns from Paris when she was living in Germany.  The first one is a beautiful fitted coat dress made of grey wool.  Unfortunately, I had to make some changes to this one because of large moth holes.  I needed to cut the sleeves (although it nearly killed me because they were so pretty!) because of some very large holes, and I added some flowers to the collar to cover more holes.  Even though I loved the dress as-is, I really like the slightly more modern update.  I can just see myself wearing this around Santa Fe on Christmas Eve some year, drinking cider and taking in the sights.  I am not sure if I will wear this as a dress or as a coat over something more fitted, but either way, I can't wait (although I will have to for at least a few years, since I will be prego this Christmas, if not giving birth)!  

I know these photos do not do these pieces justice, but they are very fitted, and there is no way I could get them over the bump to model them right now.  Hopefully next year I will be able to properly show them off!

This little cocktail dress was actually made in the 1960's.  It has a gorgeous built in silk slip inside.

This fantastic wool cocoon coat is actually something I have been looking for for a while now and I will be able to wear it this winter over the bump!  Bev also gave me a pencil skirt out of this same wool.  She told me that she got the wool from "the wool man" who used to go door-to-door selling beautiful wool for home sewests. Such a different time it was!

I am so honored to have these hand made pieces in my wardrobe.  I am really starting to love vintage items more and more, especially gems like these that have stood the test of time so beautifully.  

Flower Child

For someone who loves clothes as much as I do, you would think I would have learned to accessorize by my early 30's.  And for someone who loves a new haircut as much as I do, you would think I would have somewhere learned along the way how to actually style my own hair.  You would be wrong on both counts.  Bonus!  I also don't really know how to do makeup- although that one bothers me less since I like a more natural look (for myself) anyway.  I do love to see how others do their makeup when it is interesting or vintage though!  I'm looking at you Tatianna and Tiffani.  :)

However, accessorizing is a a skill I would really like to learn.  Part of the problem is that my clothes tend to be so loud, and most often with a pattern on the fabric, that it is hard for me to know where to go from there.  I like a statement piece as much as the next fashion fiend, but for the most part I am too lazy to bother to actually find the right moments to use mine.

But all hope is not lost!  I have purchased or have been gifted some pretty amazing statement pieces lately that are just begging to be worn.  Starting with a beautiful flower headband from LOVELYMUGGLE .  It is so me, and yet, I have never been bold enough to wear anything like it. Sure, I had no problem sticking a huge bow on my head when my hair was short, but styling long hair frightens me.  It feels like such a commitment to do anything other than wearing it down long!

For the last year at least I have been focused on growing my hair out in the most boring way possible.  This was completely by design since I knew I was going to try to get pregnant and I didn't want the fuss of trying to look stylish in a hospital gown or worrying about my hair with a new baby in the house.  Sure, there were some minor trims and some color changes along the way, but ultimately I kept growing it out and went back to my natural brown.  No fuss, but also no fun.

Until recently when I decided I couldn't take it any more and cut my bangs, not once, but four times, four different ways, until I finally got it right and ended up with these cute super short retro bangs that I actually love!  But a new haircut requires a new hairstyle once in a while too- and this headband is the perfect way to step out of my comfort zone.  Isn't it cute?  I have another like it to model soon too!!!





I styled my new headband with this cute little dress I made some time ago.  On it's own, I like this dress, but it can read a little 90's or even matronly so I haven't been overly excited to wear it.  I think this headband gives it a little bit different vibe that makes it a bit more earth mother and less 90's teen.  Also, this dress works well with the baby bump, so added bonus!

Stay tuned because I have some beautiful necklaces to share soon, also from Etsy.  Thanks Tiffani for helping me find a new look!  I have a feeling that my style is going through a bit of an evolution right now, and will continue to evolve after I know what my post-baby-body will be like.  I'm excited for the possibilities.

Gold Crepe

Colette patterns Crepe wrap dress was one of the fist dresses I ever made.  I originally chose it for the same reason that I think many people choose a wrap dress- it is an easy started piece with no closure to sew that does not need a lining. However, I have found that this particular wrap dress is so much more than an easy first project, es specially when the right fabric is involved.

A lot of people use cotton when making this pattern, which is a fine choice.  Cotton is a safe fabric to work with when you are getting started, and has a nice drape for a skirt like this one.  However, I find that a stiffer fabric works best for this particular wrap dress for a few reasons.  One, it completely changes the silhouette of the dress making it a bit more interesting, two, it allows for a more fitted bodice as this dress wraps in the back for a more vintage feel, and three, the puffed sleeve detail stands up so much more nicely with a heavy fabric than a floppy cotton.  Using a substantial fabric choice takes this dress from beginner sewest to expert seamstress without too much more effort. Of course, if you do bother to use an expensive fabric like this one, you sure as hell better take your time and use as many details as you can on both the inside and the outside to make your dress as close to perfection as possible.

The fabric I used was a gold brocade, and believe it or not, I only had two yards to work with!  I chose this pattern specifically to use with this fabric because I needed something that I knew would make a great finished product since this fabric was supper-duper expensive (like $25 a yard!!!) and high quality.  I try to always use tried-and-true simple patterns when working with very expensive fabric because I like a simple shape to show off the material, and also there is less chance of butchering it.

Front

Back

Sleeve detail

I love how this dress turned out!  I used bias tape on the inside and really took my time to make this dress one that would last in my wardrobe for years to come.  I think it looks gorgeous (yes, I am as modest as ever)!  The only changes I made to the pattern were to shorten the waist so the dress would fit me while I am prego as well as after, to shorten the dress itself to help it to keep a less draped and more stiff shape, and to shorten the belt out of necessity (again- only two yards used!).  Even though I was sort of forced to shorten the belt, I actually really like how it ties in the front, giving the dress an even more Asian feel.

I have so many dresses that I have made and never posted and I am going to do my best to post them this year while I am prego and not feeling overly inspired to sew.  Hopefully with this dress I am getting my mojo back though because I have a lot of ideas-if not the ambition to put them together.

Pregnancy Style- Teal Appeal

I feel the need to start off this post with a confession.  90 percent of the time since I have been pregnant, I have been in PJ's or sitting around with my pants undone watching Project Runway reruns.  As much as I love love love being pregnant, it is exhausting and I haven't been feeling great.  Newsflash: Crohns still sucks! 

However, I still have my good days when I feel like my old self and manage to pull off a cute look.  Bonus points for actually putting on makeup (even if it is mostly just lip gloss and moisturizer)!  This little teal dress is another old fave, but I always thought in the back of my head that it would work wonderfully with a bump and I was right!  

This look is easy breezy, but still really shows my style and makes me feel cute without too much effort.  I am really fond of effortless fashion these days, even when I am feeling tip-top.   I'm going to be going through my wardrobe soon after this pregnancy is over and trying my best to stream-line, and this dress is absolutely staying in rotation.  As much as I hate to get rid of beautiful clothes, if they aren't getting worn they are going to have to go.  My closet space is being cut in half with the baby coming after all!

This dress was a hand-me-up from my little sister some years ago from Modcloth.  It is my Wendy dress, since it looks a lot like Wendy Darlings nightgown in Peter Pan.  I even wore it as a Wendy costume one year for Halloween!  It is also a good travel dress because it is so comfy.  I wore it to work a few weeks ago, and that is when I took these photos.  I probably wouldn't wear this dress to work if I wasn't pregnant since it is a little nightgown-ish, but pregnant ladies can do whatever they want!

Pregnancy Style- The Belly and the Bow

Here I am closer to the beginning of my pregnancy, right when the bump was just starting to show.  

I have had this top for years and have blogged it before.  In fact, it may have been my very first Modcloth purchase ever!  I love it, and it still looks brand new.  I always knew it would also make a super cute pregnancy top, and I was right!  The shoes were also Modcloth; they were a Stylish Surprise actually!  The leggings are Etsy (blogged in my last post).

Pregnancy Style- Pre-Bump Fashion

Okay, so I should have blogged this as my first pregnancy style post.  Here are a few of my early pregnancy outfits.  In the first few weeks, I needed stuff that wasn't too tight on my tummy or chest, but I didn't really have a real bump yet.  This was before my morning sickness started, and I was just getting used to the idea that this whole thing was real.  

For this first outfit, I figured, I might as well be a little sexy while my boobs are this huge and my middle is still pretty small.  Haha! I've had this Urban Outfitters Dress for years-in fact, I'm pretty sure it was close to one of my first blog posts.  

And for a more casual work look, I went with Anthropologie cords and a Modcloth top.

Lastly, this Emily and Fin dress that I have had for years still works great since it has the high waist.  Don't I look so happy? :)  More posts soon!  Hopefully I will stay on this posting roll for a while so that when the baby is here and I am not getting out of my PJ's day after day I'll be able to look back and remember what real clothes can look like when you bother to wear them.

Pregnancy Style- Gardening Glamour!

Here is my first installment of Pregnancy Style!  These posts won't be in any great order for a while since I need to catch up to posting photos that I have randomly captured here and there.  In fact, these are the latest fashion photos I have taken, and these were from just a few weeks ago, when I was about 13 weeks along (or so).  This was a nice day with my husband.  We were in my step-mom's garden fixing her sprinklers (well, Jer was fixing them), and the light was just right for an impromptu fashion show!

The top is from Modcloth, and can be found here.  Modcloth does not do Maternity, but I just sized up, and it works great for covering the bump!  The leggings are from Etsy and can be found here.  They are AWESOME!  I would for sure buy from this seller again.  I bought three pairs in different colors and fabrics, and I wish I could afford more!  The headband is Forever 21, and the shoes are from Urban Outfitters, both  I have had for years.  

I am actually a bit less pregnant looking today than I was in these photos since I have continued to lose weight throughout my pregnancy.  For those of you who know how sick I have been during this pregnancy, I am feeling a bit more like a person today, and hopefully that is the trend!  I'd like to stop loosing and add a bit of padding for this little guy or gal.  My next check up is next week, so I can make sure I am on a good track then.

GAP Girl

Before I start posting my fabulous array of pregnancy style, I found these photos from a long while ago that I must have forgotten to ever post.  Not very Summer friendly, but hey, this outfit was too cute not to post!  

The burgundy velvet pants are clearly the highlight of the outfit.  I was obsessed with finding some velvet pants this year, and finally found the perfect ones at GAP.  I stocked these pants for months before they finally went on sale for, get this, $12 bucks a pair!  Of course, I ordered three pairs and waited patiently by the mailbox to find that they fit perfectly!!!  Of course, I can't fit into them right now (four months prego over here!) but hopefully they will fit again, maybe in the fall of 2016!  

Both the top and the pants were GAP.  The top I have had for years and years.  

Hopefully I'll be posting some cute bump fashion shots soon.  I've got a lot stored up when I have the time and energy to post them. Thanks for sticking with me while this blog has been a bit dormant.   :)

Pregnant!

Sorry I've been neglecting this blog, but I found out I was pregnant (YAY!!!!) a few months back, and while it has been exciting, it has also been exhausting!  BUT I am in the second trimester now and having a lot less morning sickness which is helping me to get back into my routine.

Not only am I back at the sewing machine, I have been trying to remember to document my best pregnancy fashion, and I'd love to showcase both right here in the coming months.

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far!  Stay stylish in all of this heat!

Beautiful Stevie

Yay Stevie!  

Once again, this is my lovely friend Stevie in a dress that I made for her.  It is the same pattern that I used for her last dress, which you can see here.  I'm sure you recognize the fabric since I use it again and again.  It is just the pretties cotton in the world, and looked so nice with Stevie's coloring.  

Stevie was kind enough to take these photos for the blog, and she provided me with lots of poses so that you could all see the dress from different angles.  Doesn't she look great?  She always does, of course.  

Here are some shots of the front and side: 

 And from the back: The back of the dress features bias tape around the zipper.  The same detailing is around the sleeves.

 You can see the small key-hole feature here:

 Thanks Stevie for your support, and for these lovely photos!  You make an excellent model!  I can't wait to sew something for you again.  :)