Mom style

I feel like I am such a mom in this photo. I look happy, but tired. There are nugget clothes on the floor and a little nugget playing in the bath in the corner of the photo. Motherhood, man, it's the best.

I also feel like this is an awesome, accidental outfit. It's something I just threw together for mom-ing, but it's fabulous! Pattern mixing: A thing I love. Mom-ing: A thing I love even more!

New favorite

I wear a lot of dresses to work, and that's because I love dresses, but lately I've been gravitating to a very non-dress silhouette. I am loving the oversized shirt and cute, fitted pant. With clogs (duh). Loving it. 

Cute pattern alert! Pictured below: Me pointing at Thomas pointing at me as his daddy takes my picture. 

I feel like this look is so easy. So chill. So relaxed. So comfortable! (And, yet, somehow, also appropriately professional.) It's my new favorite for sure.

Calling it

 It's not officially fall, but whatever, I'm calling it: Fall is here!

Case in point: We went to a fair, hung out by its Halloween-esque haunted house, and the weather was NOT insanely hot! In fact, it was quite breezy and lovely. Hey there, fall! You're looking good!

Also looking good: These Dansko clogs. In my opinion. And maybe no one else's. I had a fellow teacher complain about her feet, and I suggested she try out this brand, and she was like "Those chunky nurse's shoes? No way!" And I was all like "They are amazing, and I love them." I guess we'll agree to disagree. This is America after all. 

My blue striped dress is so American. My foot-long, fair hot dog is so American. My wearing my hair in pigtails despite being in my 30s? So. American. 

We had a good time at the fair. The animals were the high point for sure. The prices were not! We didn't go on any rides, but maybe next time. I think Thomas would enjoy it a little more when he's a little older. This time around, he was happy to just stare at everything and point. He is all about staring and pointing these days. 

Here's a closing-of-the-post bonus picture. Please forgive this selfie's lighting and focus on Thomas's adorable "Soft Kitty" onesie. I have 100 percent sung him that song from "Big Bang Theory." It's so soothing! 

Welcoming back the '70s

 Look at that little nugget! You can tell by the expression on his face that he's about to take off!

And there he goes! Zoom!

When chasing after my nugget, I enjoy wearing '70s-style flare jeans and brown clogs. I could welcome back Kotter in this outfit. Three could be company in this outfit. In these jeans, I could move on up. 

The shirt is a second-hand gift from my best friend, and the purse is a Christmas gift from my sister-in law. It is seriously the perfect nugget-chasing purse. Regular purses like to try and fall off my shoulder when I'm bending over to grab him! (Also: polka dots. Yay.)

Gotcha!

Brunch? Not so much.

Here I am in a recently thrifted, striped dress that I enjoy. Thomas is wearing super cute thrifted overalls and being a full-on toddler in them. We wore these outfits to go have brunch with my friend. Brunch did not go swimmingly.

I mean, it was great to see my friend and eat an omelette, but Thomas was just not having it! He wasn't a nightmare, but he also wasn't the "restaurant baby" he used to be. For real. This kid used to sit in his high chair (and before that his car seat) and look at the world and eat with us and be totally, 100 percent chill. No more.

Thomas walks now. All he wants to do is chase his ball around. Or bother the dog. Or climb on things. He does not want to hang in his high chair while his mom has a fantastic conversation and drinks coffee. That Touch-and-Feel Elmo book that used to entertain him forever? It's not working anymore, mama!

What is working: My thrifted dress, Target sandals, pastel toes and fallen crape myrtle blossoms.

So, yes, Thomas and I wore these outfits to brunch. Perhaps the last brunch I will bring him to in a while. My friend, who has a 20-something-year-old daughter, said "I hate to tell you this, but it just gets worse." I guess we shall see!

Style Icon: Stella McCartney

I remember first reading about Stella McCartney in Vogue in the '90s. Why do I remember this? I'm not sure. I think I found her striking, and I dug her style. I was a little skeptical about her talent since she was Paul McCartney's daughter, and I wondered -- Is that why she's an up and coming designer?

Answer: Nope. She was an up and coming designer because she was very, very talented. Proof: Her current, tremendous career. I love her line, and I LOVE her personal style. She's just very laid back, yet put together and sexy, but like an "Oh, am I sexy?" kind of sexy, which is way better than the trying-really hard sexy.

Plus she's rock royalty, which is kind of cool. Rock royalty and a style icon, that's Stella McCartney. Her dad must be very proud.

Duy Huynh

I love the worlds Duy Huynh creates.