outfit: cool water

looking at this outfit, i can definitely say that it’s one of those looks that has really become a signature of my style. but putting it on this weekend, i noticed that it didn’t quite feel like “me” anymore. i looked at myself in the mirror and thought something that i’ve never thought before: i think this dress is too short for me! before my pregnancy, i always wore ridiculously, dangerously short dresses and skirts with little bloomers and pettipants underneath. i mean, i’ve worn this particular pinafore a million times and never thought twice about it! but for the first time in my life, i’m much more interested in longer hemlines. part of that is just the cyclical nature of trends; you can only bring your hemline up so far before you get bored, and then back you go to longer lengths before starting the cycle all over again. but a bigger part of it just has to do with what’s practical nowadays.

i’ve talked a lot lately about how my style has been changing and i’ve been rethinking my wardrobe, and looking at this outfit really drives it home. it’s interesting how it’s basically something that i still love, but a simple alteration, maybe a midi length hem, would make me feel much more comfortable and more like myself.

wearing: vintage pinafore courtesy of skinny bitch apparel, lauren moffatt daylily pintuck top, swedish hasbeens braided high, coach classics shoulder bag

mama & baby style tips with swapdom (+ win free shipping!)

ever since relocating to los angeles and having a baby, i’ve been doing a lot of serious closet cleaning. the entire process has made me completely rethink my wardrobe, and as a result, i have a ridiculous amount of stuff that i’ve been parting with. i’ve been splitting things up into multiple piles: there’s the stuff i’ve been donating, there are the clothes i’m trading on swapdom, some nicer items that i will be continuing to sell in my online shop, and then finally, i’m left with what i’m actually wearing and keeping. this past week, i uploaded a bunch of my clothes on swapdom, and have already listed a handful of cute baby wares that adam has grown out of. if you’re interested in trading with me, you can sign up for swapdom here. it’s free to use and you can swap any of your clothes for the cost of shipping.

through the entire process, i’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons about how to control my spending and to get better mileage out of what i own. so swapdom asked if i’d like to share a few pointers on dressing myself as a new mom, and on dressing my little one in all his cute outfits. you can head over here to check it out.

swapdom would also like to offer three lucky winners free shipping on their next swap! simply leave a comment letting us know which swapdom item is your favorite! three winners will be randomly selected next monday, may 5.

adam: week 9

when adam was nine weeks old, my brother came to stay with us for the week to help me out while brendan worked long days. it was so nice to have someone helping out that i ended up taking photos every single day. isn’t it such a wonderful problem when you have too many pictures to sort through?

au lait

even though i’m no longer pregnant, i’ve still been having fun browsing the web on the hunt for good maternity clothes. they’re harder to come by than you would think, and there’s always someone in need of a few suggestions, so i’ve been collecting my favorites on pinterest. during one such browsing session late last night, i stumbled upon au lait, a new clothing line specifically designed for breastfeeding mothers. it obviously attracted my attention, since this is exactly the challenge i’ve been dressing for since adam was born, and it can be a lot harder than it seems. i mean, sure, it’s a no-brainer to wear tops and pants. but that’s not exacltly the most exciting option day after day. and pulling your shirt up or down (or unbuttoning your dress) to expose way more than you want can be pretty stressful when you’re out in public or with a large group of people around.

au lait has come up with an interesting solution, constructing tops and dresses with a double layer and internal vertical slit, and a few tops with princess seams that can be pulled to the side. it sounds like it could get tricky, but most of the designs are pretty cute and easily incorporated into any wardrobe. enough so that the whole thing has got me rather intrigued, and i really want to give them a try!

images courtesy of au lait.


outfit: who you gonna call?

i know that today’s outfit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. but after having so much fun in my family affairs coveralls, i decided i wanted to go for something even more literal and i found myself a pair of vintage fashion coveralls on etsy. and now i think i’m in love. yep, in love with a giant shapeless jumpsuit that you can buy in a plastic wrapper at home depot to wear while painting your house. or channeling dan aykroyd circa 1984 (the theme song has been stuck in my head all week). and when i pulled them on this weekend, my sister jokingly asked if she could call me flapjack (if you haven’t seen bottle rocket, then i highly recommend it!) silly references aside, i honestly feel super cool in these. no, they don’t “flatter” my figure, they don’t slim my waist or make me look taller, but that’s not the point. i really don’t think clothes always have to be for the sole purpose of making you look skinny or whatever.

so this is what i wore on easter sunday. there were no easter egg hunts, but it did get me excited for next year when adam will be old enough to prance around searching for hidden eggs. having him around has already made the holidays so much more fun. my grandparents bought him this ridiculous stuffed rabbit that sings and dances to a goofy easter song set to the tune of macarena. it was hideous and irritating, but his reaction was pretty much priceless. he furrowed his brow and stared at it with the most intensely quizzical look. and then later in the car on the long drive home, it was the only thing that stopped him from crying.

wearing: vintage coveralls from fair season, clare vivier messenger tote, peep toe high courtesy of swedish hasbeens, nars lipstick in heat wave
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want: vintage lawn dresses

i’m going to preface this saying that i know this is entirely impractical for my lifestyle, but i don’t think a spring or summer goes by where i don’t find myself wishing i could dress like a sister wife on summer vacation in some dainty vintage lawn dress made of white eyelet. i actually once found one at the alameda flea market for $80 in exactly my size. i was in super bargain-mode at the time, and for some reason decided this was an unreasonable price (it’s not), and i’ve kicked myself for not buying it ever since.

above: ali bosworth.


jeana sohn.


kinfolk.

outfit: spring scene

i wore this outfit on a casual saturday in redlands visiting my family for the easter weekend. this lightweight velvet dress paired with a crisp white t-shirt felt so perfectly springy as it swished around my knees on an afternoon stroll around town. after some deliberation about what shoes to wear, i opted for the casual comfort of my white birkenstocks (which i’ve been wearing almost every day lately). but i think a simple pair of black flats and a little swipe of lipstick would make this look perfectly appropriate for a date night as well. in fact, i’ll probably wear it just like that the next time i actually get a chance to go out!

wearing: ivory vevlvet ballet dress courtesy of datura, white t-shirt, obey leather jacket courtesy of lulu’s, birkenstock arizona sandals, coach classics shoulder bag




happy easter!

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had to stop in on a sunday to share some photos of these adorable japanese vintage blue velvet bunny slippers my mom found for adam. they couldn’t be more perfect for the occasion!

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adam: week 8

this is one of my favorite shots of adam, captured on a rare rainy day in los angeles  (which, of course, meant we took the opportunity to dress him up in his teeny tiny rain slicker). around 7-8 weeks is when he became much more expressive, with lots of social smiling and other silly faces. i just couldn’t get over that little wrinkled nose!

also, if you aren’t already following me on instagram, i post a ton of photos of adam that i don’t share anywhere else. i try to post his outfits once or twice a week. here’s a better look at this outfit, complete with baby old skool vans!

fair season vintage

i tend to go through phases. sometimes i can’t be bothered with vintage, sometimes all i wanna do is rummage through thrift stores on the hunt for hidden treasures, and sometimes i fall down the etsy rabbit hole. last week, i embarked on an etsy hunt for the perfect vintage coveralls and came across fair season vintage. it was love at first sight. for me, it’s the exact aesthetic that i’ve found myself so inexplicably drawn to since i moved to los angeles. unfussy basics with very minimal styling. in fact, i just bought the pair of cream coveralls down below!

what’s more, i discovered that the shop is based here in la, and that they set up shop at the silverlake farmer’s market every saturday. such a good idea! i still haven’t stopped by, but now i’m pretty excited to check them out while i’m picking up fresh fruits and veggies.

photos courtesy of fair season.