Purple thrifted dress

This is a pretty purple dress I thrifted on Saturday afternoon and then wore to a bridal shower Saturday evening. Thrifting was fun. The bridal shower was fun. Life can be pretty fun sometimes. 

And other times, you're dizzy and nauseated and have major ligament pain cause, you know, pregnancy.

But you're also feeling the baby move and buying little onesies with monsters on the butts (monsters on the butts) and talking to your stomach (which totally confuses the dog).

And people don't let you carry things and cheesy toast is the best and you never worry about your stomach looking chubby because, once again, pregnancy. 

"Every time I see you, you get bigger and bigger!" the bride-to-be told me when I arrived at the bridal shower. "I guess that's how this game works!" I replied. Then I drank zero spiked punch and ate all the strawberry salad, and I had a grand time indeed.

Style Icon: Hayley Mills in "That Darn Cat"

Hayley Mills' hair in "That Darn Cat" is everything to me. She is so '60s fun, and so is her cat.

The hair is the best, but the pink pajamas are the second best, and then her pajamas get combined with some hipster glasses, and I just can't deal with how much I love it.

Hayley Mills -- cat lady, style icon. 

In this movie, she is so fun and daffy, just a smidgen manic pixie dream girl (or maybe manic pixie cat lady).

Her date looks cranky here, but he's fallen for her magic. And I've fallen for that cardigan/headband combo. Matchy-matchy at its best.

Also: pearls. Classic. Fantastic. What's the plot of this movie? Something about a cat getting away and them having to find it and there being many hijinks that ensue. It's pretty funny in a '60s madcap kind of way. One of the best cat-centered movies out there I would say. Definitely the best cat-centered movie featuring Hayley Mills and her hair.

Let's Make Love

If you want the most Marilyn Monroe-y Marilyn Monroe movie, you have to watch "Let's Make Love."

She plays a daffy, sexy performer (singing one song in a sweater and tights, flirting like crazy with the audience). I love old movies where people pretend to be someone they're not and hijinks ensue (is Yves Montand really just an actor... or is he actually a millionaire?!). I love old movies starring Marilyn Monroe.

Special occasion dress

My mother took me maternity shopping for my birthday, and I bought two dresses for upcoming weddings of two close friends. I thought about saving the dresses for the special days, but decided my wardrobe was becoming so limited, I should wear my fab new dresses.

So I wore my stripes with polka dots because those two should be best friends. 

I plan to wear this dress to one of two May weddings. Spring weddings are the best, aren't they? Spring is the perfect time to start something new and wonderful!

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. My niece and nephew (and giant cake pieces)
2. Jelly beans (but not the licorice ones)
3. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
4. Nectarines
5. Blog comments that tell me I will still fit in my shoes post pregnancy! (Yay! I love my shoes!)

Belly Watch 2014

First of all, I am clearly wearing my winter coat again. And there is snow/sleet/what-have-you in the forecast again. Even though it was 70 degrees on Saturday. Because that's just how it's been this winter (and now spring). 

Second of all, holy moly is my belly growing. I wore this same sweater three weeks ago, and you could barely tell I was pregnant. Three weeks! That's not that long! I guess that's how this situation works. Terribly interesting. For most of my pregnancy, you totally couldn't tell and then all of a sudden -- Hello belly!

And hello to you too, combat boots. A perk of rainy, cold weather -- boots. I love boots. (Um... am I not going to be able to fit into my shoes post pregnancy? Cause that's what I've been hearing. If that's the case, some size 9 lady is going to strike it big at the Goodwill sometime around August. "Take these away!" I'll say to Robert. "It pains me just to look at them!" But, you know, I'll have a baby so that makes it worth it. Plus then I'll buy a lot of new shoes. Inevitably.)

Maxi-dresses are a girl-with-a-belly's friend. I put this on and was like "Why is it so short? I remember it being longer!" And then I realized some of the fabric was now going around that belly. The belly is kind of a big deal.

Polka dots and cheesy toast

Spring has sprung, and I feel so many feelings. For example, my husband made me cheesy toast this morning, and I welled up with gratitude. I love cheesy toast so much. I feel so strongly about my love of cheesy toast (and of the maker of said cheesy toast).

This belly situation might have something to do with all the feelings. That's what I've heard.

As you can see, I've purchased a polka-dot mommy-to-be tank top because clearly, obviously and duh. My love of polka-dots is eclipsed only by my love of cheesy toast. (So cheesy. So crunchy. SO GOOD.)

Blue on blue and a belly

 My new approach to my wardrobe: What do I own that I can wear with this tummy? Answer: My blue maxi dress. Oh yes.

Also: Comfortable shoes. But I've always been into comfortable shoes. They are just so comfortable.

I've never worn the dress to work before because it's a little (lot) low on top and has spaghetti straps, but, hey, a second-hand cardigan covers up this second-hand dress quite nicely! I love the blue with the blue, and I think my baby bump (or belly, I think we're past bump at this point) really works with the shape. Maybe I'll be able to wear it for months to come! (Maybe not. I've never done this before. Who knows when stretchy maxi dresses get too small!)

Style Icon: Liza Minnelli in Cabaret

Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles -- it doesn't get better. She is big eyes. She is rouged lips. She is sassy, sinful, Berlin fun.

She wears her black Fosse outfits and sings about life being a cabaret and money making the world go round  all the while, Nazis are organizing in the city outside. It's light and dark, frivolity mixed with fascism.

It is also amazing eye makeup and one well-applied beauty mark. Look at Liza's face! Look at her nails! Look at her fingerless gloves! I wish I was wearing fingerless gloves right now.

Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles is all about deep-Vs and sparkles. She is all about reclining on a bed in a haze of cigarette smoke. (Even if they did know back then that cigarettes kill you, Sally Bowles didn't care.)

Here she is as a post-flapper, pre-World-War-II cabaret beauty singing her songs, mesmerizing the room with her charismatic personality, killer voice and ridiculous, sparkly style. 

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Mountain views
2. Seeing old friends
3. CHEESY TOAST, all caps
4. Sandals
5. Feeling baby boy move

Style Icon: Little Edie

Oh Little Edie, where do I begin? You are the best eccentric, the leggiest legend, the most fantastical cat lady who has ever fallen from grace.

"Grey Gardens," the documentary about both Little Edie and Big Edie (her mom there in the background) is a cult classic with good reason. These women, relatives of the glamorous Jackie Kennedy, still seem aristocratic even when tooling around their cat-filled, derelict house.

Little Edie is a style icon because she is so wonderful and so strange. She wears scarves and sweaters on her head, uses brooches with abandon and rocks a pantsless patriotic look like it's nobody's business.

(That's right. Little Edie loves America.) Documentaries were reality television before there was reality television. And here's another thing -- documentaries were actually real. These women were really as interesting as they appear on screen legitimately living their lives.

If you like strange documentaries and you haven't seen "Grey Gardens," then get thee to your TV. This one is not to be missed!

Winter coat

Is this the last time I'll wear my winter coat this year? I hope so! Although, probably not. But maybe!

 I do love it so (it's so reddish-orange and has a ruffle!), but I can't say I'm sorry to let it go. Bring on spring! Let's get this thing rolling!

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Blurry outtakes
2. Seaweed salad
3. Flip flops
4. Bump watch 2014
5. "Parks and Recreation" and really anything involving Amy Poehler

Style Icon: Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit

I know Frank Sinatra is known primarily for his singing and he's seen as an iconic singer, and I'm all about that, but, for me, Frank Sinatra is first and foremost a straight-up movie star. Specifically: Frank Sinatra is first and foremost Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. He's a no-good gambler, but he's sweet, and he loves Adelaide, and I love them together.

Guys and Dolls is one of my favorite movies. Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra both play gamblers, and they're both more or less redeemed by two wonderful women. In the stage play, the two women actually sing "Marry the man today and change his ways tomorrow." That's a really terrible message. Here's a better message: Marry someone you don't want to change! That's the whole point of modern day marriage -- you get to pick out someone you like just the way they are! If you're desperate to change someone, maybe you shouldn't marry them. Just a little advice from me to you.

So, okay, I love "Guys and Dolls," and also go on rants about "Guys and Dolls." I can't help it. But something I feel only positively about is Frank Sinatra's style in this movie as Nathan Detroit. Really, all the men are looking super. So many pinstripes! So many hats! There's a polka-dot bow tie! (I really wish I owned a polka-dot bow tie.)

When Frank Sinatra takes off his hat and croons to his woman "So sue, sue me, shoot bullets through me, I love you," you can kind of understand why she's forgiven him all these years. He's a looker in a dapper suit with killer charm. That sort of thing? It's hard to resist.

Losing an hour, wearing a tunic

I'm not a big fan of Daylight Saving Time. Falling back? I'm always grateful for an extra hour of sleep. Springing forward? Nope. Nope, nope, nope. No. Nope. Where did my hour go? Not a fan, nope.

I'm probably going to be tired all week. Although, my husband pointed out I've been tired since November. Pregnancy will do that to ya! Still, I need that hour! What were you thinking Benjamin Franklin? Why is Daylight Saving still a thing?

On to a more pleasant topic...Why is my tunic still a thing? A thing that I wear on the regular? Because it is awesome. And voluminous. That is why.

I like some volume these days. There's lots of room in there for baby boy!

Stripes, polka-dots, bubblegum pink purse

Stripes and polka dots -- Why not? Let's do it. My two favorite patterns together in one outfit.

I bought this necklace on eBay as that is my thing these days, and it's sharp little points dig into my skin. It's a little more than I bargained for, but at least it looks classic cute.

The polka-dot dress and striped sweater were both thrifted (and actually so were my ballet flats now that I think about it). The purse was eBay years and years ago. I actually think it was my very first eBay purchase.

Bubblegum pink, faux-snakeskin, it is my party purse. Or my theater purse. Or my hanging out on a sunny day by a fountain purse.

It was so sunny and lovely, I didn't wear leggings or boots, and I even took off my sweater. And to think just days earlier, there had been sleet... what a wackadoodle winter this has been! Maybe spring will be more sane.