Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Seeing that kooky Blue Man Group. That was a bunch of the right kind of crazy!

2. Eating homemade margherita pizza. I'm spoiled. Thanks husband.

3. Finally used pregnant-lady parking! So exciting for me!

4. Egg English muffin breakfast sandwiches with a side of strawberries....

5. ... which I enjoyed looking at this lovely, lovely view.

April accessories

What are my super-cute, kind of twee accessories of the day? My polka-dotted sneakers and apple necklace! Mmmkay, I wear a lot of polka dots because they make everything cuter (and stripes too because they make everything more classic) and the apple necklace is half ode to Snow White, half teacher pride. And there you have it, end of April accessories explained.

Beachin' it

I spent the weekend being the pregnant lady on the beach bachelorette trip, and it was pretty fun! I was worried I would be a pregnant party pooper, but instead, all my friends were sweet and understanding, and I was able to go to bed at a reasonable hour -- right when they were ready to go out on the town! Plus, they started calling me "Preggers," which I must admit, I enjoy.

Style Icon: Lisa Loeb

When I was in high school, people sometimes said I looked like Lisa Loeb because we both had brown hair and glasses. I found the comparison incredibly simplistic, but I guess there are worse people to look like.

I had her album "Tails," and I really loved it. I could probably still sing along to every word. "Stay" is the song she's famous for, and rightly so -- what a great song. I love her outfit in the video -- glasses and brown hair (representing, Lisa Loeb!), short skirt, tights, clompy shoes, general '90s perfection.

I actually watched Lisa Loeb's reality show a few years ago where she was looking to get married and have a baby, and it wasn't happening. I must admit, I found the show very stressful (she had been in a previous relationship forever and the dude didn't want to get married and have babies so by time she got out of it the biological clock was ticking).

Luckily, I can stop worrying about her as she both got married and got knocked up just like she wanted. And then she wore a black dress, black tights and clompy shoes while pregnant. I admire your consistency, Lisa Loeb! I admire your consistency.

Style Icon: Mindy Kaling

The Mindy Kaling Project is a seriously funny television program, and on it Mindy Kaling is constantly wearing clothes I want to be wearing. Constantly.

She is so cute and so fun, and she embraces polka dots. You know who else embraces polka dots? Me! I do!

Polk-A-Dots. Looking fantabulous, lady. Yet professional. Put together and whimsical. Way to win it.

Hot pink dress. Lots of ring bling. And I can't quite see that purse, but I bet I like that too.

Again with the polka dots. You are killing me, polka dots. The love I feel for the polka dots is a dangerously large and intense love. I also love that coat. And her purse, which I can see here. And on an unrelated note, I find Seth Rogen occasionally charming, but I think Mindy can do better. (Don't even get me started on the recent Danny break up...)

So the clothes are all great, but I think I should also note that this is a woman of color who is healthy, but not skinny, who is playing a super-smart (she's a doctor for goodness sakes), super-fun woman. We need more of that on our tellies! Come on, broadcast people, bring it on! And throw some polka-dots on top while you're at it!

Birdies

My bestie Sherrie came to visit about a week ago and brought her gorgeous little baby and a big bag of maternity and baby clothes. This birdie dress was in it. I really like this birdie dress. I'm assuming it's thrifted as Sherrie is a big fan of thrifting just like me.

It has a lot of birds on it. Colored-in birds and outlined birds just hanging on some flowery branches. Birds, branches and flowers? Looks like spring! As for the cardigans and leggings, I think those accessories are going to be short-lived. Spring around these parts gets really warm, really quickly.

Sherrie and I are not at all the same size, but maternity clothes seem to be a great equalizer. Also pretty equal: Tiny babies. Sherrie's coming back to visit in May and asked if I wanted any of her baby's tiny, tiny clothing for my future tiny, tiny baby. Of course I said yes! The only thing better than thrifted finds is thrifted finds passed on by friends!

Spring break flowers and stripes

I knew this skirt was going to serve me well all the way through my third trimester (which starts this week).

These pictures were taken over spring break, which was rather cold and rainy and un-spring-break-y. I spent the week getting the nursery ready, generally nesting (which included giving even MORE things away, but our house is too filled with stuff!) and watching House marathons. I did not spend it doing school work for either my job or my education (two-year AIG certification cohort is over in one week!), but sometimes you need to take a break on spring break, right? And by "break" I mean "do all the dishes and organize the giant closet of clothes and shoes and such."

And now (spoiler alert), the funniest thing I've seen lately on the ol' television set: When Ben and Leslie find out they're having triplets on Parks and Recreation. Ben's reaction: "Doctor. What do we do? How... how... how? I mean, what do we do?" All legitimate questions. I hear ya Ben, and I'm only having one!

Style Icon: Judy Garland in Easter Parade

Easter Parade teaches us an important style lesson -- you will not be fabulous trying to imitate someone, you will only be fabulous being authentically yourself.

You see, Judy Garland's character starts out trying to replace/be just like Ann Miller's character, and it's not working out. That's not who Judy Garland is! She's earthier than that. She's spunkier!

Once her and Fred Astaire figure that out, they become dancing sensations. (And maybe, possibly get romantical.)



Happy Easter!

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Do they? Do they really prefer blondes?

Well, gentlemen or not, most fellows dig Marilyn Monroe, but in this movie, Jane Russell gives her a run for her money!

More polka dots

Just walking my dog and rocking some polka dots. That is all.

Stripes and Sabria

Yesterday, I got to meet my best friend's baby for the first time. Little Sabria was so adorable! She's three months old and very sweet and inquisitive. Sherrie lives in Virginia and is moving even farther away to Illinois soon. Luckily, her parents live close-ish to me so I know she'll be coming to visit relatively regularly, and I'll have to make it out to the Midwest too! I hate how so many of my favorite people live so far away. Ah well. She got an awesome new job and is living near Sabria's other grandparents so it's a good thing for their family.

Another good thing: This maxi dress. I went to Target to get maternity capri pants for work (didn't have them), and ended up with this really awesome striped maxi dress. It's not maternity, but like so many maxi dresses, it is bump friendly.

It's stretchy. It's comfortable. I love the uneven striped pattern, and it should still be awesome post-baby as well. (The little booger is kicking me so hard, my stomach moves on its own these days. That is so awesome to me!)

Danskos remain my go-to shoes. I bought Birkenstocks for my third trimester, but I'm working on breaking them in. I figure I need some roomy sandals for this summer.

Robert's been out of town on business, but he came back Saturday night, and Sunday morning he was able to feel the baby kick for the first time, and Sunday night I called him in to watch my belly move by itself. Exciting times, I tell you what!

Style Icon: Darlene Conner

Darlene was the smart-mouthed, smart-brained Conner kid on "Roseanne." She had long, messy hair and embraced '90s grunge full force.

Sometimes she was a little goth. Sometimes she was a little Kurt Cobain. Always, she was awesome.

The girl did denim-on-denim, and she did it well. Her jeans had holes. Her boots had stomp. 

And her boyfriend was a giant geek. (Hey Leonard! How's it going?) Have I mentioned her love of flannel? She really loved flannel. A lot of people loved flannel in the '90s. What happened to that? Let's bring that look back. Let's bring it back in the name of Darlene, style icon.

Pregnant lady pattern mixing

Well, hello there. 

I'm just walking around in my favorite maxi dress. This dress got so little play in my closet, and then I got knocked up, and now I'm wearing it all the time. 

I'm also pattern-mixing all the time, which didn't used to be my thing, but is now totally my thing.

Also my thing: Watermelon, flip flops, Cadbury Eggs and snuggling with my dog. Yes. Those things. Mine.

Chevron stripes and bad musicals

I wore this after a long day at work to go see a not-very-good musical. I was tired so I wanted to be crazy comfortable. I was also going out on the town so I wanted to look cute.

The top is thifted. I think it was only $2. It's not an official pregnant lady shirt, and it falls off my shoulders a lot, but I kind of like that. The pants were store-bought and they are my favorite pregnant-lady pants, but it's starting to get too hot for them (just when they were fitting perfectly!). The shoes are Isaac Mizrahi for Target, and I wore them on my wedding day. We had a very cost-efficient (and super fabulous) wedding.

So, yes, the musical was not great. "Ghost" should have stayed a movie in my opinion. We have season tickets, which is awesome, and it encourages us to go see shows we would not otherwise make it out to, but it also means sometimes we see shows that are not so good. Ah well, they can't all be winners! (Sidenote: Sunshine Dog is so adorable!)

Gray

So. Much. Gray.

Really, it's too much gray, but this outfit is also 100 percent second hand so that makes it awesome anyways. The pants were recently thrifted, and I was so stoked about it. Finding work-appropriate pregnant-lady pants at thrift stores has not been easy for me! The clogs I wore are from eBay. Oh clogs. Clogs, clogs, clogs. You are kind of ugly and very comfortable. These pants are kind of boring, but they fit my current body. The shirt? The shirt is what this outfit is about. All hail the shirt.

It is Anthropologie via eBay and has stripes and polka dots so obviously I had to buy it. It is not a pregnant-lady shirt, but it might as well be.

I discovered it still fit me in an early morning rampage of my closet. This rampage had an "I have nothing to wear!" theme. I had these mornings before I was pregnant too, so I can't really blame the new belly. These mornings end with me wearing whatever I have on at the last possible moment for me not to be late to work. Anyone else experience this phenomenon?

Cool

These pictures were taken when the weather was deliciously and a little unexpectedly cool.

Everyone's all about spring and blue skies and the countdown to summer. I enjoy these things too, but, honestly, I really love fall and winter the most. And cloudy days. I love, love, love cloudy days.

I like layering. I like jackets. I like rain. I like wearing necklaces without sweat beads forming under them. (Above necklace: eBay. Denim jacket: thrifted. Polka dot shirt/dress situation: I cannot remember. Thrifted I think.)

I like boots so much. Boots are the best! And leggings are super comfortable. (Combat boots: eBay)

I'm heading into my third trimester soon, and the world is going to start heating up. For now, I will enjoy the random days of cool weather. I will also try to embrace all the things I love about spring -- flip flops, farm fresh fruit, spring break!

And when summer officially comes, I'm just going to wear boring shorts and maternity tank tops and pray that my air conditioner doesn't break. That's my battle plan.