Style Icon: Mr. Fox, the Fantastic

The world was shocked when George Clooney got engaged, but if you look at "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," you can tell that charming cad had a family-man inside of him all along. (Or maybe Clooney was just voicing a fictional part in an animated movie. I suppose you could make that argument as well.)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox had pretty fantastic style.

He was dapper and charming whether in suits or jammies.(I need to get Thomas some striped pajamas. Ohmygod how cute would that be?)

Not only was Mr. Fox voiced by George Clooney, the whole movie is the creation of Wes Anderson, a man who knows how to wear a suit. Of course, Mr. Fox was always looking fantastic! With that Anderson/Clooney combo it was really inevitable. (And a little shout out to you, Mrs. Fox! I see that fantastic print! I note the fox cameo!)

Pretty Ladies

Thomas's approach to life is "Let's cuddle all the time! And if you try to put me down, I am going to cry! We are supposed to be cuddling! What is wrong with you?" So, yes, we cuddle a lot. Something I have no problem doing while also holding a baby with one arm? Perusing some awesome blogs. Here are some of my favorite pretty ladies' posts from August:

1.Isabella from Adventures in Hel mixes two paisley prints and looks amazing (not to mention that hair!). 

2. Clueless Girl Kaelah, who had a baby mere weeks ago, wears real clothes (trust me, this is a feat). That baby-in-a-sling situation is really adorable. Me and Thomas need to work on making that happen. Right now, he's not so into slings or carriers, but we're going to persevere!

3. Glenda ties a scarf around her arm, says "So what to twenty?" and wears a great, bright maxi-dress. 

4. Jess of Animated Cardigan gets inspired by the painting "Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May."

5. Yen from My Edit has the most amazing thrifted/vintage wardrobe. Those pants! Those shoes! That graffiti background! It all wins!

Loving It

Lately I've been loving (as shown through the way-too-many Instagram photos I've been taking)...

1. My Birkenstock sandals. I'm going to wear them from now until they completely fall to pieces. I don't know why people refer to them as "ugly." They are beautiful! Comfort is beautiful!

2. These two fellows. Loving them.

3. Our first "date night" out. Thomas' aunt babysat, and Robert and I went to a friend's '80s party. It was totally tubular!

4. My friend who hosted the '80s party is married to a Catawba Valley potter, and he had his awesome work all over the house. We own three things by him -- all pretty small. I want to own 1,000 things by him especially the really giant, strange face jugs.

5. These are my new shoes, one size bigger than my feet used to be. Nude, ballet flats. Pretty cute!

6. Thomas as a surfer dude. Giving a little side-eye.

Abstract polka dots

I obviously had to buy this when I saw it on eBay. Abstract polka-dots? Yes please! It's so cute and fun, and I'm refusing to wear it around my baby because I know he'll spit up on it, precious boy that he is. So this weekend, I changed out of my spit-up-on maternity tank top (those suckers are comfortable) and into this new-to-me shirt and went out shopping for a couple hours.

On this shopping expedition, I came to terms with the fact my feet have gone from a size 9 to a size 10. To help with processing this life change, I bought a pair of size 10 shoes (not pictured here, but I'll probably post them some time). So, yes, I went out for a little adventure and left my boys at home. It's something I'm trying to make a habit of, although I think some people find that fact surprising. (Right now, we're keeping Thomas mostly out of public places because he's so young and not vaccinated yet. When that changes, Thomas and I get to go on adventures together. Very exciting!)

When I was at school last week, I had someone ask me if I was leaving my husband at home alone with our baby. (Yep.) Was it the first time?! (Nope.) A doctor was once shocked that it was Robert who changed Thomas' diaper instead of me during our visit. (Fun fact: Changing diapers is not gender specific. Both men and women can do it!) And Robert told me how he was annoyed when someone recently asked him if he was "babysitting" Thomas. Um, if it's your child, you're not babysitting. Truth.

Style Icon: Kate Bush

I love Kate Bush's atmospheric, dramatic, operatic music. It is so '80s and so is her leotard-heavy style, and that's what makes it so great.

I wore a lot of leotards in the '80s too. I loved, loved, loved me some leotards back in elementary school. Then in the '90s, leotards started being called "body suits," and I loved those too. Kate Bush obviously shared my inclination. She also really loved tall boots, and who can blame her?

Such great boots! This is my favorite Kate Bush style -- lots and lots of hair, jeans, boots and a casual white top. 

Kate Bush wasn't all '80s dancer/sex kitten. She was also mystical, woodland fairy. Hence the ivy head wear.

And the loose, flowy opposite-of-leotards dresses she liked.

The '80s were a time of heavy makeup, and I love Kate Bush' pouty red lips. I discovered her during my Tori-Amos obsessed phase in high school. "You like Tori Amos, well you'll like Kate Bush" I was told, and it was true. The two ladies, while definitely both originals, also had a lot in common -- fairy style, serious lipsticked lips, melodic piano-playing, dramatic lyrics, soaring voices.

Kate Bush just wore way more dance wear. As seen here:

Mommy Wars

When I was pregnant, I had the Mommy Wars going on inside my own head. I was utterly convinced I should stay at home with my child, and I was utterly convinced I needed to keep working if only for sanity's sake. I went back and forth about what to do and felt pretty terrible about all potential choices.

I really love my job. I also really love my son. So I ended up going for a bit of a compromise. I'm taking three months off from the school year and then returning to work. Yesterday was open house, and I went to see my students and let them know I wasn't going to be there at the start, but I'm coming back! We were supposed to wear school colors -- red, black and white -- so I wore this.

These are new Dansko heels I bought on eBay. So cute. A little Wicked Witch of the West in the best possible way.

While at school, I really wanted to be back at work. I love the start of the school year. I love my students. I love teaching. But now that I'm back at home, I'm glad I get to spend more time with my son. He will only be this little once. He's already huge compared to what he was three weeks ago! I love his little dolphin noises and his snuggles and the weight of him in my arms. I am glad I get three more months to enjoy him all day every day.

House loyalty

I don't normally wear shirts representing schools I didn't go to, but I'll make an exception for this thrifted Gryffindor shirt. Although, to be honest, I think the Sorting Hat would more likely put me in Ravenclaw. I bought this beauty during my second epic onesie thrift haul. For some reason, I have 1,000 adorable things for Thomas in the 3-6 month range and very little in the 0-3. Luckily, I'm a thrifting maven, and those little suckers are $1 to $2 a pop. No big deal! And it's true what they say (and "they" do say this to you a lot if you're a new mom): You can never have too many onesies. (Or thrifted Harry Potter T-shirts, although "they" don't say that one. That one, I say.)

Remix - Black and white maxi-skirt

I thrifted this skirt years ago. I wasn't sure about it at first. I think the pattern wasn't exactly my thing, but it was comfortable and long enough to touch my toes so I bought it, and then I wore it here and there and enjoyed it.

Then I got pregnant, and the skirt's stretch proved to be very appealing throughout the barely-there bump of the beginning second trimester to the Whoa Nelly! of the third trimester. 

My favorite thing to do with it now is to pair it with another black and white print. Check out those polka-dots! They're loving the pattern mixing! Me and my big ol' belly are loving the beach! Remixing joy all around!

Stretch and spit up

I enjoy clothes with stretch these days. Super comfortable clothes with a lot of stretch. Clothes that can handle a little (a lot) of spit up. That's what I enjoy these days.

Since having a baby, I find that I brush my hair and teeth with less regularity than before. I'm working on fixing that. I mean, I get to it eventually, but "morning" is kind of a relative term these days. Is it when I'm up at 3 a.m.? 4:30? My routine is so all over the place right now. In this photo, my hair is not brushed, but I think it's still looking pretty okay anyway. Way to go un-brushed hair!

This is my beloved, thirfted Mickey Mouse tee (and I'm holding my beloved, adorable baby). Mickey Mouse probably has spit up on him. Thomas is sporting a thrifted onesie. It also probably has spit up on it. We are looking good!

Loving It

Lately I've been loving...

1. Snuggling up with the little one. I've been making an effort to actually leave the house. It seems like something that might be good for my sanity. Thomas and I recently hung out in the living room of a friend. A big change from hanging out in our own living room!

2. Wearing pants because my rash is gone. This is the official last mention of the rash on my blog. I promise.

3. Visiting my parents one and a half hours away. Like I said -- we are experimenting with leaving the house. So far so good, but not nearly as easy as just hanging out in the living room!

4. Some of my shoes still fit me. Yay!

5. While I love just snuggling Thomas, Robert likes to "play," which includes poking the kidlet in the nose. I find the above picture hilarious. 

Style Icon: Helena Christensen

I grew up in the '90s, so when I was a kid/preteen, supermodels were it for America. We're talking Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington and Linda "I won't get out of bed for less than $10,000" Evangelista. My favorite supermodel? Helena Christensen because she seemed funky and cool. Plus, she later became a photographer, and I dug her dreamy images.

(Photo of Helena Christensen, by Helena Christensen)

For the love of clogs

My feet are bigger. It's cool. I am buying shoes on eBay because that's the plus-side of your feet getting bigger. What kind of shoes? Clearly clogs. Clearly.

So it goes

So... I still have a full-body rash resulting from the medication I took after being in that car accident, which means I am mostly wearing a tunic and no pants because pants make me itch. No outfit photos of this look! Instead, I will post another picture of my baby. His wardrobe is so so so superior to mine at the moment.

I realize most people who read this blog are not new moms, but in case you are or are interested in mom-dom or the "joys" of pregnancy, I'm accidentally following four blogs of new moms/pregnant ladies. These are all blogs I followed anyway, and then all of sudden everyone was pregnant! It clearly made me feel pretty connected to the writers! I want to especially suggest this post, which talks about the difficulty of the first days/weeks. (I struggled with breastfeeding so much I'm not even going to get into it. All I'll say is all my friends/doctors/family were nonjudgmental and supportive, and I beat myself up like crazy over it.) What I like about all four blogs is that no one's sugarcoating the experience. Yes it is wonderful and amazing and baby bumps are cute and actual babies are even cuter, but it's also an incredibly trying experience (with or without a full-body rash).

The blogs are:

Ramshackle Glam

The Clueless Girl

Healthy Tipping Point

These Are Modern Colors

I also want to link to a blog post that made me cry when we were trying to conceive. At the time, it felt like it was taking an eternity to get pregnant (actuality: 10 months), and I worried so much it would never happen. Jane from "Always with Yoo" wrote about infertility in such an eloquently heartbreaking way here.

Blogs are awesome because they provide connections. My two best friends are both mamas, but they also both live very far away from me (phone calls are your friend). My nearby friend circle is full of awesome women who are child-free mostly by choice. I am trying not be that lady who talks about her kid all the time (so far: not successful), but it's nice for me to be able to hop onto the Internet and read about women who are going through the same things I am. I didn't think I had unrealistic expectations going into motherhood, but I'm finding that it's different than I thought it would be, and I'm falling short in ways I didn't expect (coughbreastfeedingcough). Through my long-distance friends and these blogs, I'm learning that the experience is not full-on sunshine and rainbows for anyone, and that really keeps me from feeling alone and defeated. Instead, I can cherish all the perfect moments in this imperfect time. There is nothing better than singing to my son and seeing him smile. There is nothing better than snuggling up with his little hand holding my finger. There is really nothing better than this.

Style Icon: Gabi Fresh

I love, love, love Gabi Fresh's body-positive style blog. She shot to fame last year for sporting a "fatkini" and looking fabulous (pictured above). Now, she has her own line of swimsuits, which are selling like hotcakes! Hotcakes, I tell you!

Her style is fresh (Gabi Fresh to be specific) and young and never apologetic. If you aren't already tuned in to her blog, I suggest it! Also, I kind of want that swimsuit above. It's just so fun and, I don't know, geometric. Sadly, it is currently a sold-out hotcake.

Five weeks

My Thomas is five weeks old. What a five weeks it has been! If I never see the inside of another hospital room/doctor's office it will be too soon! Our sweet, precious boy was actually due just 12 days ago. Isn't that crazy? He was "on the cusp" of being premature. This led to some problems with feeding, sadly, and more mommy guilt than I care to admit. I'm trying to be the best mommy I can be, but sometimes I'm so aware of where I'm falling short!

Last week's car accident and subsequent whiplash and meds for me didn't make matters any better. Pictured above: Robert and Thomas hanging out in the parking lot while I was in the emergency room (well, I had actually just come out of the emergency room and was taking their picture, but you know what I mean). Aren't they cute? Whiplash/dealing with insurance companies/ being on meds with a newborn/ not being on meds when maybe you should be/ developing a full-body rash because of your meds are all decidedly not cute.

Aww... that face! We have such an adorable baby. He is so floppy and expressive.

Being a mommy is awesome and exhausting. My main goal right now is to try to let go of some of the guilt/worry/trying to be perfect. Happy moms make for happy babies, right? When I held him in the hospital on his first day, I wondered if I would now be worried for the rest of my life. He is such a wee, little thing, and I want his life to be wonderful! My new goal is to lighten up, take it down a notch and just do my very best. I mean, it's the very best I can do, right? Right.

Style Icon: Bjork

My sister was recently in Iceland for a month. That's right: Iceland. Who goes to Iceland? My sister. She was there when I had Thomas, and we skyped so she could see his cute baby face. During the conversation, she told me that she had seen Bjork while swimming in an Icelandic bath, and I was like "NO WAY" all loud and stuff and startled my baby like crazy. Thomas was like "Mom, take it down a notch," but I could not take it down a notch because my sister had seen Bjork -- the only celebrity who lives in Iceland (as far as I know) and a fantastic musician. High school had a pretty Bjork-heavy soundtrack for both myself and my sister. So yes, it was so exciting my sister saw her randomly in real life just going about her bathing business!

Most people probably know Bjork thanks to her Oscar swan dress, but she's so much more than that! She is swirly hair-dos and bright colors and, yes, a whole lot of strange.

Bjork is one of those people who always seems to march to the beat of her own drum. She didn't really seem to "play the game" if you know what I mean. (Case in point: the Oscar swan dress.) Instead, she just made her music and wore her clothes and was an odd, artistic genius -- the best kind of artistic genius there is!