Style Icon: Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle

Sure Natasha was a bad guy, but she had amazing eyebrows. Like, the most powerful eyebrows in cartoon history. Her eyebrows rival Marlene Dietrich and Amanda Palmer's.

Plus the rest of the look is so va-va-voom. Great hair, slinky dress, classic heels. Get it, Natasha. Get it. 

Dressing up for a dog walk

I put on this outfit at the end of the day to go walk the dog. It's kind of a fancy walking the dog outfit, but I'm not getting out of the house much these days, and I decided dog walking was as good of a reason as any to throw on a dress and a pair of red platform shoes.

Thomas could care less. He's a little, tiny baby. He's not big on style. I call this his "old man face." I love it. (Sidenote: Do they put enough warnings on baby items! Yes, yes they do. And they make a paranoid new mom even more paranoid.)

These thrifted shoes have always been a little too big so I knew they would still fit me. Did my feet grow with pregnancy? I think so, but I haven't actually tried on any shoes other than these and flip flops. Why not? For one, I've been busy. I have an adorable newborn baby and spend most of my time barefoot dealing with diapers and feedings and discussing how cute my son is. Another major reason? Fear. Fear none of my shoes fit me anymore. Obviously, having a baby is totally worth losing a shoe collection. Clearly. And yet I can't quite bring myself to face the music yet... not quite read to face the potentially shoe-less music...

Style Icon: Mr. Rogers

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was my very favorite show as a little kid. I loved him. I loved the Neighborhood of Make Believe. I loved the time they went to the crayon factory. I loved, loved, loved the opera episodes.

Mr. Rogers was so accepting and loving. I actually look to him as an adult too because he had such smart things to say about kids and about kindness. Mr. Rogers was all about us all being special in our own special way. It's so true! We all are! He was also all about learning, and the summer before I became a teacher I listened to this over and over:




It was my teaching mission statement. It still is! "There are so many things to learn about in this world and so many people who can help us learn."

Plus he had great style. He was a very consistent guy. Came home, put on his cardigan and his Keds and talked to his neighbors. Mr. Rogers, he just makes me happy.

Excellent danger

"I will meet you in the dirtiest city you can dream of. We will drink cocktails so sweet they pucker our cheeks, as we perch on cracked leather bar stools. I will buy you plates of calcium and protein and we will run through the streets in excellent danger." -- Michelle Tea, The Chelsea Whistle 

(I love Michelle Tea.)

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Baby snuggles
2. Crape myrtle trees
3. Lullabies
4. Top Chef marathons
5. Baby yawns

Remix - Maroon cardigan

Who doesn't remix clothes? I sure do! It's called having a wardrobe and getting dressed in the morning, and I've been taking pictures of my outfits for long enough that I think some remix posts are in order. First up: The humble maroon cardigan, pictured above in my favorite remix with a thrifted maxi dress and some railroad tracks. 

I bought the cardigan new when I became a student teacher. I was trying to figure out my schoolmarm style, and I knew cardigans were going to be a part of it. (Three years later -- confirmed. This schoolmarm still wears a lot of cardigans.)

I wear it mostly with dresses to work, but it also looks adorable with pants or non-work-appropriate combat boots. Really, it works with almost everything.

I wore it most recently on the blog when I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, rocking out a bird dress and some leggings for an Easter Sunday brunch. Oh the humble, maroon cardigan. It is not a showstopper, but it is so versatile and constantly wearable. I think it will be in my closet for many years to come.

Splatter

This mom and her baby like the rain because it makes for cooler weather! I broke out my new-to-me splatter shirt for a visit from my family and later a walk in the neighborhood. I bought the shirt (Anthropologie via eBay) thinking I could wear it while pregnant, but then I got a little too pregnant for the shirt. It's cool. It fits my two-week postpartum body just fine.

My mom pointed out my shirt matches the elephant painting in Thomas' nursery. They're both full of artistic splatters!

Such pretty splatters! Joyful splatters! Splatters of beauty!

The painting is the first thing we bought for the nursery. The nursery itself is still a bit disorganized. Our baby came early! I was so convinced I was going to end up two weeks late and miserable! Instead, he shows up four weeks early, and I get to spend a whole extra month with him before I'm scheduled to return to work. I'll take it, Thomas. I'll take it.

It's no big deal the nursery isn't perfect yet. We have time. Right now, we hang out in our bedroom and the living room. I've been watching Anthony Bourdain travel shows and googling the cost of trips to Japan. It makes sense that I have a little wanderlust since I'm going to be planted securely inside for most of this summer with my precious baby boy. So we're making plans. Want to go to Japan in five years Thomas? How does that sound? Sounds good to me!

Style Icon: Lisa Bonet in High Fidelity

Lisa Bonet has style, doesn't she? She could really wear anything and make it look awesome.

All former '80s sitcom stars should surround themselves with candles and then start singing Peter Frampton's "Oh Baby I Love the Way." Here she is in "High Fidelity" showing those music-snob boys what's what.

And these music snob boys are all like "You are so awesome." And she's like "I know. Look at the print on my shirt. I'm like a walking painting. Look at my cool hair. I am just really amazing."

And the cherry on top of the awesome cake? Her cute blue hat, which is partially pictured here. Oh Lisa Bonet, I love your way.

Oh Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe is just so Marilyn Monroe in this wardrobe test shot for "Let's Make Love." I say we all start striking this pose anytime anyone breaks out a camera!

Morning walk

I put on actual clothes this morning (as opposed to the leggings/men's button-down shirt look I've been sporting since we brought Thomas home), and we took Thomas to the park near our house. The weather was unexpectedly delicious -- cloudy sky, cool breeze, below 80 degrees! That's what I'm talking about.

A trip down (belly-related) memory lane

I thought it would be fun to post pictures of my growing pregnancy belly -- month by month. 

Month One

Month Two

Month Three

Month Four

Month Five

Month Six

Month Seven

Month Eight

Month Nine

Thomas arrives!

Two loves

I love these two together! My little doggie and my baby boy are interacting more! I also love this shirt. It was great during pregnancy, and it's great for my postpartum days too.

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Snuggling with my sweet baby boy. Skin to skin is the best thing ever!
2. Swaddling is the second best thing ever!
3. We had some worries partly because he was born early, but he is a healthy boy! I never thought I'd be so excited to see dirty diapers!

4. My handsome husband who is an amazing father. He is very, very hands on. All the nurses at the hospital were impressed. Also he puts together things like strollers and bassinets, which I enjoy.
5. Coffee. Hello to you. Let us get reacquainted.
6. Sunshine Dog seems absolutely neutral about Thomas. She gave him a couple of sniffs, but otherwise pays him no mind. Works for me!

Sweet baby face and stripes

The day before I met this precious face...

I wore this stripes-heavy outfit. If anyone told me I was "about to pop" while I was wearing this outfit, it would have been okay as it would have been entirely accurate. No arguments here!

In the middle of the night, eight hours after these pictures were taken, I woke up Robert and was like "SOMETHING IS UP." Now I'm a proud mama!

Baby boy is here!

He arrived a little bit early, but he is perfect! His name is Thomas, and he has such a sweet face.

Daddy is proud and in love!

Mommy is proud and in love! We are a happy, sleep-deprived family!

Style Icon: Pregnant MIA

Girrrrrl, that's some brave pregnancy style!

Style Icon: Pregnant Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani has been on my mind lately largely because that chick who sings on Iggy Azalea's song "Fancy" sounds so much like her. Seriously: Gwen Stefani copy-cat clone. That song is on the radio all the time (and I'm always singing "I'm so pregnant" when the chorus comes around) so I've been thinking about Gwen Stefani more than usual. 

I'm a Gwen Stefani fan. Back in the '90s, she was just a girl, and she was so great. Then she got pink hair and was still great. Then she went solo and I went to her concert and she, you know, continued to be great. Gwen Stefani the Great. 

Back in March, she had her third baby boy. So she's rocked awesome pregnancy fashion three times. Her pregnancy fashion is very different from mine. Gwen wears high-heeled red boots and leopard print. I wear jean shorts and Birkenstocks. 

But we both enjoy a good maxi dress! Hers is just a little more fabulous and fancy than my standard fare. Maxi dresses for the win: Always.