mom jeans + puff sleeves – est. 2008
i didn’t get proper outfit photos this weekend, but i did get a quick snap of one of my favorite pairs of shoes by marais usa. i really love the new direction that the brand has taken with all of their shoes now being made in la. and i want to own pretty much every new style coming out for spring! below are some photos i snagged from the marais instagram account, which are much more glamorous than my own!
i’ve got babies on my mind pretty much 24/7, so i hope you don’t mind me sharing some of my favorite collections! i first learned about oeuf nyc when adam was born. that season, they came out with all of these ridiculously adorable woodland animal-themed knits, and as much as i loved them i never did end up snagging one. but he did wear one of their iconic knit crowns on his first birthday! fast forward a few seasons, and i’m really excited to see their spring 2016 collection of gingham, florals, and nautical stripes! i’m definitely most interested in all of the teeny tiny baby clothes, but i like that they also make toddler and little kid sizes, especially since i probably won’t be able to resist dressing adam and his little sister in matching outfits! of the collection, they say:
the new collection, entitled “bug juice,” is an homage to nostalgic childhood summers, drawing inspiration from camping adventures, lake house trips, and the age of innocence. the collection includes whimsical pieces that are refined, yet understated with a retro feel. as always, oeuf wanted to create a playful and comfortable collection for kids to enjoy being kids. from terry cloth and jersey t-shirts and pants, to classic gingham swimwear and dresses, styles can endure summer adventures while keeping kids cool in the warm sun. illustrator marie assÁ©nat designed imaginative one-of-a-kind prints to pair with the effortless styles, perfect for the mischievous minds wearing them. the classic knit hoodies are offered with their signature playful ear accents in pink and white, along with knit jumpers, tops and shorts in iconic nautical stripes, reminiscent of new england summers.
besides having adorable designs, i love that everything by oeuf is eco-friendly and made with 100% organic certified pima cotton. it’s something i look for when shopping for my little ones and i really make it a priority to support businesses who champion sustainable use of environmental resources! you can see all of their offerings here.
it may not always seem like it as you scroll through the photos on my blog, but life with a toddler (and being 29 weeks pregnant!) is actually pretty hectic. after adam was born, i made a huge decision and quit my day job to stay at home full-time to be his primary caretaker. in addition to working full-time as a blogger and vintage seller! it was a major shift. i can still remember those early days when i was alone with him, tip-toeing to the bathroom and attempting to wash my face and put on a little bit of makeup before he woke up in the morning. and later, when he started crawling, i would have him “help” me get ready. only for him to wander just out of view so he could unravel an entire roll of toilet paper and tear it into tiny bits! these days, things are a bit more relaxed when it comes to the morning routine. he knows the drill, and often hangs out with me at my vanity while i get ready for the day. a big part of what makes it easier is to have a foolproof routine with as few steps as possible, while still reaping the benefits of smart ingredients like antioxidants and spf. taking care of my skin has meant that i can get away with wearing less makeup, which has made a huge difference in the amount of time it takes me to get ready every day. so when clinique asked me if i’d be interested in partnering-up to try the clinique smart system, i was definitely on board.
i’ve been a long time fan of clinique products, so i was excited to give their new 4-in-one system a try. the idea behind the product line is to visibly reduce wrinkles, even skin tone, firm, and brighten skin with formulations that will work for every different skin type. it’s a smart yet simple routine that makes getting ready stress-free. the less time you have to spend worrying about your skin, the more time you have to take care of everything else on your plate. speaking of which, i should probably get to work on the nursery!
if you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, i’ll be giving away a jar of the broad spectrum spf 15 custom-repair moisturizer and night custom-repair moisturizer on my instagram later today!
wearing:
vintage dress, hand-overdyed with natural indigo
brookes boswell panama hat
birkenstock arizona sandals
j.w. hulme legacy handbag
i’m sure you guys know by now that i’m a serious clog fanatic. so of course i was excited to see the new spring 2016 clogs by no. 6. i have to admit that i’ve never actually owned a pair, but i have drooled over them for years. maybe this season i will finally break down and get a pair!
these are only a few photos of the collection. you can see the rest here.
while it’s certainly been a lot easier getting dressed for this pregnancy, i gotta say, i feel like i may be losing steam now that i’m 29 weeks along. it’s the dreaded third trimester. my belly is growing, my clothes are getting more snug by the moment, and i’m just uncomfortable a lot of the time. i know it’s not like that for everyone, but pregnancy has never been particularly easy for me. this may be partially due to the fact that i make very large babies. when adam was born, everyone in the delivery gasped when they saw his size: 9lbs. 14oz. and 22.5″ long. no wonder i was so uncomfortable those last couple of months! anyway, it’s getting harder, but i’ve got my eye on the prize. i’ll be holding my baby in my hands in about 2 months, and that’s all that really matters.
and even though i’m starting to feel kinda crappy, i’m still making an effort to wear cute, comfortable clothes. i became obsessed with this rachel comey jumpsuit when it first came out a couple of seasons ago, and finally got my hands on it from a shop in the uk. turns out, the oversized fit is perfect to wear during pregnancy. and it will come in handy after the baby is born, too!
wearing:
rachel comey jumpsuit
maryam nassir zadeh roberta heels
clare vivier petit kenya bag
illesteva leonard sunglasses
things are moving along pretty swiftly over here! just last night, i found out that the baby will be born on april 26. i can’t believe that i’ll be holding my little girl in my arms in only two and a half months! it’s weird to know her exact birthday ahead of time, but i didn’t have the option to try for a vbac. even though it’s a little stressful knowing that i have to go through major surgery once again, i’m much more concerned about having a healthy baby. and on the bright side, at least we won’t have to deal with the stress of waking up the whole family in the middle of the night!
but for now, i’m focusing on these last several weeks, getting the house and nursery prepped, and dealing with this crazy southern california heat wave! just when i was getting used to cold weather clothes, things are heating up! but i still got a chance to wear these beautiful pieces by one of my favorite designers, elizabeth suzann. i’ve been following her since the very beginning and this dress is one of her classics that she’s had from the start. it’s a simple, versatile silk dress that is beautiful alone or layered up any number of different ways. on this particular day, i paired it with a cropped sweater from the fall collection. simple dresses and crop tops like this are such an easy formula these days. especially when they are thoughtfully handmade in the usa by such an awesome designer!
wearing:
elizabeth suzann arlo sweater
elizabeth suzann vera slip dress
vintage clogs
clyde wide brim pinch hat
market backpack from mur lifestyle
the new esby apparel spring 2016 collection, and i basically want to own all of it! over the summer, i picked up one of their bestsellers, the allison jumper, and wore it more times than i could count. so i was really excited to see that they’ve updated the fit this season with a cropped, wide leg! i didn’t even know it was possible to improve on it, but it is definitely on the top of my wishlist for spring. in addition to their beautiful, linen jumpsuits, they also have a really cool denim kimono top and plenty of wide leg, ava cropped pants in lots of different colors. summer uniform? check!
esby apparel was founded in 2014, by designer stephanie beard. all of her clothes are made with the idea that they’ll be worn often, so everything is well-made right in the united states using high quality fabrics. everything is designed in austin and constructed in new orleans and dallas before making it’s way to your doorstep.
even before we had adam (and before i was pregnant with a second), brendan and i have always kept our romantic endeavors pretty low key. as fun as it is to go out on the town, sometimes it’s nice to drop off the baby with a sitter and just relax at home. it’s always been really important for us to be able to just hang out and talk to one another. to catch up on what’s going on in life, to talk about politics or parenting, to hash out future plans, or to just goof off. even though it might sound ordinary, it’s really what’s kept us together these past 10 years, babies or not!
this year, i’ve been especially mushy and sentimental about valentine’s day… i’m gonna chalk it up to these crazy pregnancy hormones! but i wanted to make a point to have a romantic date night in with brendan. obviously, this is a no-frills endeavor, but it’s still fun to do a little bit of prep! setting out flowers, picking up a few sweet treats, and pampering myself just a little bit. fortunately for me, vaseline has just released their new lip therapy tins, so i’ve partnered with the brand to give them a try.
over the past couple of years, i’ve transitioned into wearing less makeup and focusing more on skincare, which includes making sure my lips are soft and moisturized. i tend to spend more time trying out scrubs and face masks over going all out with makeup. i usually wear a tinted moisturizer with a dab of blush and some mascara. if i’m feeling fancy, i’ll swipe on a flick of eyeliner. and i have lots and lots of lip balm. so of course i was excited to try the new vaseline lip tins. i love the minimal, almost vintage aesthetic of the packaging. and of course they are perfect for a date night in, or as part of my daily routine, especially during these dry winter months when my lips tend to get chapped.
a selection of the new vaseline lip therapy tins: original, cocoa butter, rosy lips, and aloe. the tins can also be found at target stores nationwide.
can you think of anything better than rosy lips on valentine’s day?
a cute little cake arrived in the mail with my new lips tins. perfect to try on our date night in!
this time around, i’m having a lot more fun getting dressed than when i was pregnant with adam. i think that having gone through the experience before, has given me a lot more confidence going forward. i’m generally less plagued with worries and fears, and i’m a lot less concerned about changing my style or losing my identity. the first time around, i really didn’t want to let go of my style, so i resisted making any changes. it wasn’t a huge deal, but in retrospect, i would have been a lot more comfortable if i had opted to wear pants or longer hemlines at least some of the time. in fact, i distinctly remember being horrified by the idea of wearing overalls, even though they are super cute to wear while pregnant! i picked these up at the rose bowl flea market a few weeks ago, and i love them. they won’t make it until the very end of my pregnancy, but i’ll definitely pull them out again post-partum. denim overalls are your best friend when you’ve got a baby and a toddler to look after. and they’re surprisingly resilient against baby puke and dirty toddler hands.
wearing:
three dots essential short sleeve crew tee
vintage overalls
apc trench coat
maryam nassir zadeh roberta heels
j.w. hulme legacy handbag
shinola runwell watch
with baby due in april, we’re pretty much in the home stretch over here. i’m in the dreaded third trimester, which means it will feel like an eternity, but the reality is that i have less than three months to get ready! the nursery is moving along well, but i also need to make sure i pack my hospital bag for the big day. as with a lot of births, my last experience did not go as expected. one thing that was surprisingly hard was to be stuck in a hospital bed wearing two threadbare hospital gowns as doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, and family members came in an out of the room at all hours of the day and night. nurses would pull open my shirt and poke my boobs to see if i was engorged, the doctor would lift up my gown to check on my healing cesarean scar, a very sweet woman came in with a warm squirt bottle and accompanied me to the bathroom to make sure that i peed…. it’s a tough experience to be in a hospital, so it’s really nice to be able to feel as normal as possible while it’s all happening.
perhaps because so much of my expression of self comes from the clothes i choose to wear, i feel best wearing something of my own. i begged them to let me wear my own nightgown, but they told me i couldn’t because they wouldn’t be able to juggle the iv or rush me to the icu if something were to go wrong. i totally get it. but this time, i’m so happy to know about james fox co. hospital gowns! they currently have a beautiful purple ikat or this minimalist crema gown in hand woven cotton. and one nice perk? a portion of the proceeds go towards providing maama kits to help women in uganda to deliver their babies safely.
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