Travel Packing for this Dummy

Am I the only one who has a moment of panic when packing for an upcoming trip? Suddenly everything in my closet is wrong. My shoes. My tops. My accessories. It is ridiculous. I don’t know why, but more times than not, before a trip I feel the need to go shopping. Which is completely backwards if you think about it – you’re going away to see people who you either don’t know at all or who rarely see you and therefore have no idea what is new versus your go-to tried-and-true outfits. It’s the people at home who realize you wear the exact same dress every Wednesday.

The husband and I are heading to Chicago tomorrow for four days and three nights of childfree adventure. I’m perhaps most looking forward to 3 nights of uninterrupted sleep. But I’m also excited about the fact that we’re going to one of my favorite cities. I LOVE Chicago. One day I hope we live in a condo in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. At this point it will have to wait until we’re empty nesters because this girl is not going back to city living anytime soon. But when we do, I picture us in Chicago. I love that it’s a real, walkable city. There is just something about the Windy City that sets this girls heart afloat. I don’t know if it’s because it’s my man’s hometown. Or the fact that I’ve never been to NYC so I can’t compare the two. But I adore Chicago. I love walking down Michigan Avenue. I love going down to Navy Pier and sightseeing on a boat tour or just taking in the sights. I love the shopping. I love the museums (we have the Art Institute on schedule for Friday, which I’ve never been to!). I even love riding the train. And who doesn’t love taking in a Cubs game?! Or grabbing a drink at the top of the Cock.

Admittedly, I don’t heart all these things in the winter quite as much, but one of my favorite trips was in December when my now-husband, then-boyfriend and I had only been dating a year.  We went up for his father’s retirement party and I was gifted tickets to Wicked by his parents as an early Christmas present. So after the retirement lunch at Bucket of Pepto, we strolled around the city with a stop in Marshall Fields for me to buy new shoes to replace the uncomfortable 4 inch wedges I thought were a good idea on the plane. We ate dinner at some diner, walked around an outdoor Christmas bonanza and then took in the show. It was a perfect day, even with the wind chill.

But that bad shoe choice has stuck with me. So now whenever we go to Chicago, I know we’re going to be walking much more than normal and I always feel my shoes are all wrong – I want them cute yet comfortable, which obviously I don’t own (for those that don’t’ know, I have a bit of a shoe obsession and have more shoes than is necessary). But you can’t buy a new pair of shoes a day before a trip and expect to not have blisters from wearing them all over the city. And the reality is that my current shoes are just fine. But my head gets all worried that I have the wrong stuff.  I think it’s the whole issue of only being able to bring a few things and then worrying I’ll hate what I brought and regret my choices.

I’m sounding more nuts as I continue, aren’t I?

Well, I went out and bought a bunch of new Spring tops this weekend. (Marshalls is my go-to store. I bought 6 tops and a pair of white jeans for under $160. So at least I’m a thrifty gal.  I did walk away from 2 killer Diane von Furstenberg dresses that I’m already regretting though.  Aren’t they cute? Yes I text my mom while in a dressing room. What of it?) So I have a bunch of new cutesy tops to wear this weekend, only problem is the high is about 52 each day we’ll be there.  So it’s my old, go-to sweaters to the rescue.

Moral of the story: Wear what you got girl. And don't look so angry in dressing room selfies.  Also, wear makeup and brush your hair.  Life lessons I'm clearly still learning.

The Mommy Clothes Battle

[Some of you may know that I am a contributor to the Parenting 360 blog associated with Primrose Schools - I usually have a monthly post on various topics about being a mom and raising a toddler.  In March I wrote about The Wardrobe Fight- The Toddler Clothes Battle - you can read that post here.  I wrote a follow-up to that post about mommy clothing battles but it's not being published on the blog due to a last-minute content change.  So rather than let it go to waste, I thought I'd share it with you all here!  The style is a bit different than what you usually see on TSAN, but I hope you enjoy!!]

I hope my post last month on the Toddler Clothes Battle and the tips to combat the fight were helpful to you! But in my house there is another wardrobe battle raging on: the Mommy “what to wear” Wardrobe Fight. As if keeping up with current trends and whether or not color blocking and chunky wedges are “in” this season, new mommies and moms-to-be struggle with what to wear for their ever changing figure.

Five years ago I was preparing for my upcoming wedding and woke up at 5am to attend a daily boot camp class before work. I lost a few pounds, toned up and enjoyed clothes and shopping! Then I got pregnant in early 2010 and suddenly my wardrobe options shrank. A sixty pound pregnancy weight gain only made matters worse. Flowy maternity dresses were my go-to option for those 9 months. Then my post-partum body was constantly changing and it took me a full year to lose all the “baby weight”. My closet held clothes in six different sizes and I never knew what would fit at any given moment. It wasn’t until my son was almost 18 months old that I figured out how to fit exercise into my working mom life and finally felt good about my body again. And then I went and got pregnant again and the cycle has started all over.

If I could wear yoga pants and tee-shirts every day, I probably would. But my office has a “business casual” dress code and something tells me yoga pants, even for a pregnant woman, don’t count, so I have to try to find an appropriate outfit 5 days a week. While maternity clothes have come a long way over the years (as my mother is happy to remind me), it is still difficult to maintain a positive self-image when I feel like I’m constantly on parade with my growing belly (especially when people decide that comments about your appearance are totally acceptable when you’re pregnant. “Wow, look at you!” isn’t a compliment to a 6 months pregnant woman).

But since mommies and mommies-to-be can’t hide under the covers all day (or only wear yoga pants), how can we best handle our changing bodies and even embrace them? I personally have really struggled with maintaining a positive self-image over the past few years, but have found a few things that help.

Remember WHY your body is changing/has changed! You’re growing another human being and are literally creating new life! This is an amazing thing and should not be forgotten when you look in the mirror or fail to button your pre-pregnancy pants.

Indulge in one outfit that makes you feel beautiful. During my first pregnancy I coveted one designer’s maternity clothes but opted for cheaper dresses and outfits since I’d only be wearing them for a short period of time. Big mistake. The second time around I purchased a wrap maternity dress from the designer and I LOVE it. I wear it at once a week and feel great about myself every time I put it on, even on mornings where I’m otherwise feeling less than pretty.

Accessorize! Shoes and chunky necklaces (particularly in fun, bright colors) don’t care what size your waist is and are a great way to liven up any outfit (especially when you’ve resolved to only wear black the last few weeks of pregnancy).

Be kind to yourself. Remember that no one else is as critical of your body or outfit as you are. And if someone compliments you, don’t dismiss them off hand. Say thank you and smile a little brighter. Your baby and older children don’t care how you look, all they see is mommy and they love you for who you are, so try to do the same for yourself!

How have you handled your changing figure during pregnancy and beyond?

Serious Stuff Aside

If my blog had any sort of theme then this post would make no sense.  But it's not that sort of blog.  So I'm going to not talk about depression or Lukas or being a laywer or my mom-life or anything of any sort of substance for a second.  Because I have some breaking news to share.  Seriously, it's big.

Do you want to guess?

Go ahead, I'll wait.

I bet you didn't guess.

No, I'm not knocked up.

No, I am not the Weakest Link.

Ok, are you ready?

Here it is:  I have not washed my hair the last two days.  Today is day 3 of unwashed hair.

And yes, this is news.

I'm a wash your hair every day sort of girl. It is painfully obvious if I skip a day.

Or it was.

Until I found Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo.  A.mazing.  Seriously.  Go buy it.  You'll love it.  You'll be able to get ready for work in half the time without having to blow dry your hair every day.  Which is huge if you're trying to get a toddler dressed and ready for school or handling a little problem like your A/C backing up and stealthily seeping water down your walls.

Oh yeah, that.  Our A/C had a little hiccup.  Our house now sounds like a wind tunnel and is housing 5 industrial sized fans, two dehumidifiers and is missing part of the laundry room floor and door frame.  Thank goodness for homeowners insurance.

And dry shampoo.

Some days it's the little things.

And let's be honest.  I was glad to have the antidepressant prescription today too.

Dry shampoo and zoloft.  A winning combination for life's curveballs.

Off Limit Questions

If you follow me on twitter (@nestingswan) then you already know about this.  But seeing as how none of my real life friends are on twitter then you probably don't know about my day yesterday.

This post sort of goes against my "don't write about work" policy, but I can't not write about this.  I need to write it in order to get over it.  Otherwise I might need therapy.  Never mind, I probably need therapy regardless of yesterday's event.  Ok, I definitely need therapy.  But that's beside the point.

And yes, this really happened.

The setting: my office break room.  I was minding my own business heating up a sweet potato for a snack.  In walks a female coworker and so begins the train wreck.

fc:  Hi, how are you?

me: GREAT, HOW ARE YOU?

fc: [Looks me up and down] and then proclaims, "Oh, you're pregnant, aren't you!?"

me: [PICKING JAW OFF FLOOR]  "NO, DEFINITELY NOT.  100% NOT."

FP: Oh, really? 

me: Nope.  Really. 

[STUNNED SILENCE FROM BOTH]

fc: [no sorry, no apology whatsoever for totally saying the one thing you are never supposed to say to a woman unless you are 125% sure she is in fact with child]  Well you only have one child, right?  Perhaps you're pregnant and don't even know it.

me:  NOPE.  DEFINITELY SURE I AM NOT PREGNANT.

fc: Hum.  Well.....trails off and never picks up on the fact that i am about to burst into tears...and then she says "Well, gee, I swear someone told me you were pregnant." 

End horrible scene.

So either (a) I'm looking fat and pregnant or (b) someone at my office has decided to spread rumors that I am pregnant.  Either option sucks.

Moral of the story, as if you did not already know this: never, ever, ask someone if they are pregnant unless they have just shown you an ultrasound picture and said "look at my baby!"  And even then, perhaps don't mention it, just to be safe.

My friends and husband have assured me that I do not look pregnant.  Regardless, I'm still burning the dress I wore yesterday.  I can't risk having another interaction like that.  It might push me to develop an eating disorder.  And I love food way too much for that.

TTT - Snap To It

Just about every week I put some piece of clothing on Lukas only to realize it's way too small and in the  bin for future babies it goes.  And then there are the other times, like last month, when I bought my 16 month old little guy a pair of 18 month shorts (figuring he is closer to 18 months than 12 months at this point), only to have them fall down to his ankles.  Talk about pants on the ground.

It seems that kids clothing sizes are all over the board and you never really know whether something is going to fit.  Perhaps some of y'all are more patient than I am and you actually try the clothes on your kid before you buy them.  But not this momma.  I have a secret weapon when it comes to making pants and shorts fit my bambino.

The Dapper Snapper.

It's a "belt" for kids.  And it is magical.  Check it out here.  I found them on Babysteals.com so you might be able to find them on sale, but I would buy them at full price in a heart beat!

My dapper dude

I'm Trying...

Ok, so after my recent post about my style ineptness, I decided that I would make a concerted effort to put some more thought into my outfit each day.  I'm going to avoid wearing ill-fitting clothes and try to at least match. 

Here I am this weekend at a wedding:

(Admittedly, its hard to screw up a dress.  Although, I did wear gold heels and gold earrings and in looking at this picture, I'm thinking silver might have been the better option.  Oh well.  Added bonus - Mr. Cob and I even compliment each other's outfits!  And doesn't Regan look cute - love that blue!)

And my workout fit on Tuesday:

 (The white Nannette Lepore shirt has been sitting in my closet for about 3ish years - it was a hand-me-down gift from my aunt.  I love it, but for some reason always shy away from wearing it.  The black and white skirt is a post-pregnancy-weight-loss shopping spree buy and the green cardigan is Talbots via Marshalls.  And the shoes (Franco Sarto - great inexpensive, comfortable brand) are 5ish years old, but I love them.  I find that I buy shoes, don't wear them, and then rediscover them 3ish years later and love them.  I have problems.)

I realized this morning that I need some work pants. And another black skirt.  I may or may not be wearing the same skirt I wore on Monday.  Don't judge.  I have realized lately that accessories are KEY in having style.  I'm really big into belts right now.  I could use some new necklaces though.

 I get to look at myself in the full length "mirror" in the elevator every morning...

I'm wearing the one pair of slacks that I own that kind of fit.  But I am wearing red shoes, which make me happy.  Try it, it works.

Do I at least get points for doing my hair today?

So I'm trying. 

At least my little monkey is stylin'!

Yes, Yes, There are Children in Africa...

Ok, so I know that there are many people less fortunate than myself in the world who would love to trade places with me and be dealing with my "non-problem problems". But I donate clothes to goodwill, so we'll pretend this is a serious problem for a minute. Great, thanks.


So my problem? I need a wardrobe intervention. I need What Not to Wear to come surprise me while I order yet another Dunkin Donuts coffee and fly my ass to New York with $5000 to go shopping. I'd withstand the humiliating 360 degree mirror, secret footage and national publication of my wardrobe ineptness. It would be worth it. I don't know what my problem is each morning when I have to pick out clothes, but I'm starting to suspect that either my taste is rapidly declining or I'm still half asleep when I get dressed.

Yesterday I managed to leave the house in dark jeans, a peach blousy top that one might wear when they're trying to hide a pregnancy (which I am not for those of you wondering), a Kelly green short sleeve cardigan and nude flats. I later traded the nude flats for olive green wedges, because, you know, that made sense. I looked at my reflection in the mirrored elevators on my ride up to work and just shook my head. I looked crazy. Not to mentioned that I had to wear this out to drinks last night.

Earlier this week I wore a black skirt, a blue top, different colored blue cardigan, brown belt and purple shoes. What? And today I have on jeans with a stripped sweater, a patterned top and animal print wedges - and nothing goes. I'm not even sure the colors match. At all. And no, I won't share a picture.

I used to pride myself on having decent style. I have no idea what has happened to me. I'm going to blame it on the whole being pregnant for 9 months thing and then the 9 months to lose the weight thing. That's 18 months that I wasn't wearing my normal size clothes. So most of my clothes are out of style. Or they just don't fit right because even though I've lost the baby weight, things have shifted, lifted, dropped and just changed on my body. So things that used to fit, now just look frumpy or a little off.
Sigh.  I think its time for a big time closet cleaning and then a trip to the mall.  Unless of course, anyone out there has a hook up with Stacy and Clinton.  Anyone?

Mind block

Yea, yea, I realize I haven't written in almost two weeks.  It's not intentional, I promise.  Its just that I don't feel like I have anything to say that anyone would want to read about.  I mean, do you really care about reading the full story for the following blog Titles?

1.  Date Night: Do I get points for staying out past midnight?!

2. Church Search Complete? Maybe, thanks to the internet informing me that the pastor is gay.

3.  "Bup, Bup" = Puppy?: Tales of interpreting the speech of an 8 month old

4.  Get down from that [insert piece of furniture here]!: Our child likes to climb (Alternative title: We are so f*cked)

5.  9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off

6.  Beware of Older Women: Lukas gets his First Kiss

So those would be the six blog posts I'd write if I were writing a post.  I doubt anyone will miss the actual stories, right?

The Downside

So the most positive thing to come out of my pregnancy was obviously Mr. Lukas.

(BTW, can you tell I'm a little obsessed with the Instagram App on my new iPhone?!?!)

But I'd be lying if I said there weren't any less-than-positives occurring due to the pregnancy (although every single one has been well worth it!) 

For instance, I still have 22ish pounds to lose and can't fit in any of my pre-pregnancy clothes at this time.

I have some stretch marks.  They're lovely.

I can't yet wear my wedding rings again.

But these are all small potatoes compared to the biggest downside of all...

My feet have grown half a size larger.

Meaning my shoes do not fit. 

 Have I mentioned that I love shoes. (Some might say I'm obsessed).  I counted this morning and I have over 50 pairs of shoes in my closet plus more in a box under my bed.  (Yes, yes this is more shoes than any one person needs.  I have a problem.)

But I can't fit in any of these shoes. They're all too small now!

I found this out last week when I went to put on my black patent Cole Hann mary janes.  My toes hit the front of the shoe.  I almost began to cry.  And then I tried on shoe after shoe and most did not fit. 

Tear.

But there is an upside.  I have an excuse to go shoe shopping now!  And I began with these beauties:

You can never go wrong with red heels.  They're like a ray of sunshine on your feet.  They're making me happy today!!! 

Over 35....whatever

My biggest stresser since having Lukas has been getting dressed every day.  Not in the sense of "I can't find time to shower and put on make up because this baby is so demanding," but rather in the "what the hell do I fit in today?!?" sense.  My size/shape seems to be continuously changing.  So those size 14 Levi jeans I bought only fit for a week and then (thankfully!) were too big.  I then found a pair of size 12 Lucky Brand jeans for $30 at TJMaxx (I'm all about the bargain shopping, especially for these transitional clothes).  They still "work" but they are very baggy in the booty (not that I'm complaining about a pair of pants actually being baggy... this is all good since it means my booty is decreasing in size...but baggy pants don't look good on anyone).  I don't want to keep dropping money on new pants, but at the same time, I have to put clothes on every day.

Well over the Christmas holiday, I found the perfect pair of jeans that make me feel great!  And they're a size 10!  Yay!  These are now my favorite jeans and are unbelievably comfortable.  What jeans are they?  They're the Not Your Daughter's Jeans in trouser style.  I LOVE THEM!  They have a higher waist than all the normal designer jeans and so there is no "muffin top" effect.  The secret is a criss-cross panel in the front that tucks in your stomach - they are like control top jeans!  And they shape your booty.  I read somewhere that they're meant for women over 35, but screw that - they're perfect for the post-baby body.  And actually, I love them so much that I'll probably keep wearing them once my body is back to its usual self.  But the best thing about the jeans I bought - the cost.  I found them at Nordstrom's Rack for $29.97!  They're typically over $100 in the department stores.

I may not love my body right now.  But it's true that a great pair of jeans can make you feel like a million bucks!  These jeans make me feel great.  And I have the best accessory to make them look even better...

The Truth

So here's the deal.  I gained over 60 pounds during my pregnancy.  You: Huge Gasp.  Me: I know.  "They" say that you should gain between 25-35 pounds during pregnancy.  Well, when have I ever done what I "should" do?  No, in all seriousness, I'm convinced that your body does what it wants to do.  Now I'm sure if I'd been a psychotic calorie counting fool during the 9 months I was carrying Lukas, I could've kept the weight gain down a bit.  But I ate when I was hungry and allowed myself to eat some things I normally don't eat (ice cream for example, or the occasional chicken biscuit for breakfast).  However, I was by no means eating fast food and junk food for every meal, or even every day or week.  I tried to eat lots of protein and fruits and veggies.  And for at least the first 4 or 5 months, I was still working out regularly and then towards the end I tried to fit in short walks whenever I was up to it.  So this is a long winded way of saying, I didn't just say to hell with it, let's get as fat as possible.  But in the end my body decided I needed to gain all this weight anyway (and by body, I really mean my booty and legs).  And my doctor never said one word about the amount of weight I was gaining (aside to assure me that it was fine when I asked her), so I decided not to worry if she wasn't.

Well fast forward to today.  Lukas was born exactly 4 weeks ago.  As of yesterday, I have lost 28 pounds.  For all you math majors, that means I have at least 32 pounds to go.  Big sigh.  And I can't start working out for at least another two weeks, nor can I "diet" since I'm breastfeeding.  Bigger sigh.  So what's a girl to do?  Well, for one, I'm trying not to worry about it or let it bother me.  I'm honestly amazed at how quickly my stomach has shrunk - I now just have this small pooch...definitely not my old flat stomach, but not a glaring "you just had a baby didn't you? stomach".  I know it took me 9 months to gain the weight, so it's not going to magically disappear overnight.

But here's the problem: clothes.  I have the hardest time getting dressed every day.  My maternity clothes are too big and look ridiculous on me.  But my regular clothes are still way too small.  Even my tee shirts are too tight given the new enlarged set of knockers I have due to breastfeeding. 

The first few weeks I was just wearing sweat pants and nursing tank tops.  But then my mom came over one day and asked if I was ever going to "get dressed" again.  She mentioned that I might feel better if I stopped dressing in sweats every day.  As usual, she was right.  So the next day I wore my maternity jeans and an old button down of Mr. Cob's that's way too small for him.  (Yes, this outfit was a step up from the sweats).  But now the maternity jeans just don't work.  I'm constantly hiking them up and feeling like they're going to drop to my ankles at any minute.  The song "Pants on the Ground" keeps ringing through my head.  Pants on the ground, pants on the ground.  Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. 

So this weekend I decided to go shopping.  I left Lukas with Mr. Cob and armed him with a bottle of pumped milk and told him to call if they needed me.  And I headed out to Ross.  I swallowed my pride (err, actually my ego) and tried on jeans in sizes I'd never seen before.  And I am now the proud owner of a pair of $15 size 14 Levis.  And as my BFF told me, at least they aren't a size 16.  Gotta love your girlfriends.  So that's where I stand people.  30+ pounds to lose and size 14 Levis.  But at least I now have a pair of jeans that aren't maternity jeans and that make me feel as good as possible in my new figure.  And I can't wait to burn these jeans and move on down to a size 12 baby. 

And on the bright side, my boobs are way bigger than ever before.  So there is a silver lining.  Oh yea, and the baby is super cute, so that helps!

I Was Warned...

I was told this would happen.  But I didn't listen.  I was convinced that I would be the one pregnant women who wasn't plagued with water retention and swollen ankles the last month of pregnancy.  What the hell was I thinking?!  I guess you could call it wishful thinking.

Sunday morning I woke up bloated.  I attributed it to the salty foods I'd eaten the night before at my friend's engagement party.  So I decided to just accept it and spent ten minutes pulling my wedding rings off my fingers, figuring I just needed some water and rest that day.  Monday would be a new day.

Monday was not a new day.  Monday was just a repeat of Sunday in the swelling arena.  So I left the rings off again.  Two days later, they are still off.  (Though I haven't tried to put them back on, so this means they could still fit, right?  Yes, that's it.  They fit, I'm just choosing not to wear them.)

Any lets not even talk about my ankles.  They must have been removed while I was sleeping and replaced with a large woman's ankles.  Because these ankles, they are NOT my ankles.  No.  They are CANKLES!  Sigh. 

But aside from the less than flattering look of said ankles, I now have a very serious problem.  I've always had very narrow feet and most of my shoes are narrows.  Well, cankles and "narrow" shoes do not a pretty pairing make.  I can't fit in most of my shoes.  And by most, I mean almost all.  I have some sandals I can wear, but Fall has suddenly decided to appear in Georgia and I feel ridiculous wearing sandals with my pants and sweaters.  So today, I figured I'd go with my roomy tall boots which have always had extra room in the foot area.  The extra room is no more.  So what do I do?  What do I wear for the next four weeks?  I may have to go buy a pair of Crocs.  Those are work appropriate, right?  What about Ugg boots?

Help - what's a pregnant, cankled girl to do?!

Shopping Success

I am now the proud new owner of four more maternity dresses, one maternity top and two "anytime" necklaces!

My first stop was Gap Maternity.  And for those who don't know, it is located in the back of the Baby Gap.  I think this was a brilliant marketing ploy to force expectant moms to walk through the adorable baby clothes and tempt us into purchasing the these little bits of clothing, when all we really need at this point is clothes for ourselves, not our unborn babies.  But, I resisted the urge and only shopped for myself.  I now own this (not exactly work appropriate, but I'm sure it will get plenty of wear...):

And I'm currently wearing this:

I did try on some maternity pants, but couldn't find a pair to fit.  After some discussion with the sales lady, it has become apparently that my body shape might be best suited for dresses and skirts for the remainder of the pregnancy.  In order to find pants that fit my booty and thighs, I have to get a size that is just way to big in the waist, which is odd considering they all have elastic waistbands.  Go figure.  I guess I should be thankful that my wasit/belly isn't gigantic at this point.  That fun is sure to come later. So rather than fight it with the pants, I just bought a bunch of dresses.

My next stop was Macy's which leases space to both A Pea In the Pod and Motherhood Maternity, where I found some more dresses.  While my goal was to buy work appropriate attire, I found this little number and I just couldn't resist. 

But then I also found these two dresses which I figure can be work appropriate with some creativity.

And this, which I admit looks a little questionable, but it was cute on - at least I thought so, but my definition of cute may have changed in the past few months..

So now I just need some new shoes and I should be set for at least another month or two.  Or until I have another emotional meltdown about how I look.

Frumptastic

I miss my regular wardrobe.  Especially my pre-maternity work attire.  I have some great skirts and dresses and work pants - plenty of mix and match staples that provided a plethora of cute work clothes.  But none of these clothes fit anymore since Baby Swan has taken up residence in my uterus.

And now, I just feel frumpy.  I have four dresses that are in rotation - a black dress, the same black dress but with white polka dots, a purple dress and a black and white non-maternity dress that I should probably stop wearing.  And then I have a pair of black pants and a pair of black capris.  Most of my shirts aren't work appropriate, but I can get away with some non-maternity blousy shirts.  And that's about it in the work clothes category.

I bought a handful of clothes from old navy maternity online, but they are by no means work appropriate.  Not sure what I was thinking there.  So I think its time to hit up the maternity stores for some work clothes in hopes of finding something moderately cute. 

I also think half of the problem is my shoes.  I'm trying to steer clear of my high heels, but I'm a high heels wearing kind of girl.  I love shoes.  Especially the high ones.  And these flat sandals I have on just add to the frump factor.  My boss kept commenting on my high heels and telling me I'd need to hang them up soon enough.  And my feet have started to grow a little, so some of my heels don't fit quite right.  So I bought this pair of black comfortable, yet kind of stylish flat sandals.  But they're just not me. 

I think the solution is a new pair of heels in a half size bigger than normal.  Now if only I could find a pair of comfortable, high heels for a cheap price...

Off to the mall I go. 

Feather Baby

This week I stumbled upon a new store that I have to share with you all. Wednesday after work I was out looking for baby shower gifts for two friends of mine. They both have registries, but I’m a rebel and would prefer to pick something out myself – just to make their lives difficult…I wouldn’t want to give them something I know they’ll like :). (And the reality of the situation is that there is no Babies R Us in-town and I was on a tight schedule, so I wanted to find a cute store close to my house).


After stopping at the one baby store I knew of in Decatur, which closes at 5pm (seriously? Who closes at 5pm? When are working women supposed to shop????), I tried a non-baby store that has some baby stuff. But most of their stuff is kitsch and not exactly shower appropriate. Though I did briefly consider these onesies:

But quickly decided they were inappropriate for a shower gift.

So feeling defeated (and hungry) I decided to just head home and tackle the shopping over the weekend. But as I was driving home, I stopped at a red light (like good drivers should do) and looked to my right only to see a BABY STORE! So I quickly pulled around the block, found a parking spot and ran in, hoping they were still open at 6:40pm. I was in luck!

The store is called Feather Baby and it just opened a last month. It is located at 431 W. Ponce De Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 – next to Fleet Feet and the scooter shop (not sure of the name). It’s in the same building as Decatur Hot Yoga and next door to Goat Feathers and across the street from The Marlay (formerly known as The Grange, f/k/a The Angel). And while we’re at it, the new Farm Burger (amazing) is just down the street.

The store is absolutely precious! The owner, Sude, and her family just moved to Atlanta from New York six weeks ago. Sude has 5 year old triplets and was as nice as can be. Along with being the owner, Sude is also the designer of the Feather Baby organic clothing line, which she of course carries in the store. The fabric patterns were adorable and some were very posh, but sweet at the same time. There honestly wasn’t one thing in the store that I wouldn’t want for my baby! And I found shower gifts for both of my friends – it was the perfect store for such an occasion.

 

So if you live in the area, I encourage you to check out Feather Baby the next time you’re in Decatur or in need of a baby gift or just some stylish cute clothes for a baby. And if you don’t live in the area, please visit her website – http://www.featherbaby.com/ – to see a list of locations in your area that carry the Feather Baby line, or to purchase the clothes directly from the website. She has her collections posted on the website (the two pieces above are from her line) and if you take a quick look, I know you’ll love them too!

Happy Shopping. I may just have to stop back in on Monday after I find out if Baby S is a boy or a girl and pick up a little treat…

My muses

I figured it was time for a change in the blog.  An updated page if you will.  I feel like this is more fitting with my personality.  What do you think?

So Mr. Cob and Wrigley have been willing subjects for my new hobby as an amateur photographer.  I think I have a long way to go, but this camera really helps.  Here's my favorite picture from tonight.  Something about it just makes me smile.  My favorite "people" and their feet.  So sweet.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Speaking of feet, rumor has it that pregnancy can make your feet grow.  I understand how they might swell up and become bloated along with the rest of the body, but supposedly they actually grow LONGER!  For some people, like my friend Katie, who has a size 5.5 foot, this wouldn't be so much of a problem.  In fact, she'd probably be happy with this change since size 5.5 cute shoes aren't easy to come by, especially when you're a shoe lover like she is.  But for me, my feet don't need to grow.  Let's just say that when I was a swimmer it was noted that I had my own permanent set of flippers.  And for my 5'4 height, my size 9 feet are somewhat disproportionate.  So I really hope my feet don't grow along with Baby Swan.  The only upside would be the ability to guilt-free shop for a whole new shoe wardrobe.  And these would be first in my cart...

Or these...

And these beauties...

They're all quite practical for a pregnant woman or new mother, don't you think?

Are you there sun? It's me, preggo

It's cold here in Atlanta.  As in, my car thermostat registered 48 degrees this morning.  This is a problem, for multiple reasons.

1.  I thought Spring had finally sprung.
2.  I am over cold weather. (And rain.)
3.  The dog chewed a huge hole in my favorite purple coat.
4.  I don't want all our newly planted flowers to die.
5.  My work pants do not fit.  At. all.

So I'm the inappropriately dressed one in a skirt and open toed shoes, with a cowneck sweater.  I look ridiculous.  This is not one of my better fashion days.  But its the best I could do.  I tried on three different things this morning before finding something that "fit".  And by fit, I mean button.  I think its time to go shopping.  It's also time for Mother Earth to turn on the heat!