What I Wore To Church - Blue Dress and Oxfords

Dress: Old Navy (last season)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Magenta
Shoes: JustFab Hall

It's no mystery that I love stripes, and since I bought this dress last year from Old Navy, it has been one of my faves because it's crazy comfortable (I've never met a jersey dress I didn't like). Usually I save it for 4th of July weekend and pair it with a red belt and red shoes, but I have something else in mind for next week. So, I decided to wear it this weekend and change it up with this awesome magenta cardigan from ModCloth. The look still feels mildly patriotic without being outright red, white, and blue.

Pink and blue is not something that I usually pair together but I thought it worked well. I'm going to let you in on my secret of how I decide what colors look good together. Sometimes I know there's a color combination that's hot so I'll try and figure out what I have in my closet in those colors. Most of the time though, I decide on what dress, or skirt, or shirt I have that seems fun, and then I hold it up against the cardigan section of my closet until I find a cardigan in a color that I think works.  I have the luxury of a very extensive cardigan collection (most of them Charter School Cardigans) but it's really helped me put some color combinations together that have become my favorite (navy and mustard, pink and orchid, sage and yellow, etc.). I know there are all kinds of charts out there that tell you what color families compliment each other, but really I just keep trying until I find a combo I like.

I tried something new with the shoes today too. I love these crocheted oxfords from JustFab, and I kept trying to wear them with skirts and dresses, but I just never felt like they were quite the right look. Today, I took the leap and went with it. Not only were the flats super comfortable and I wasn't worried about tripping with the baby, but I thought they looked pretty cute. My husband isn't a fan of them. He thinks they look like something you'd find in a grandma's attic. I however, love the vintage feel of them. So he can deal.

If you’re interested in trying JustFab, use my link here and get your first pair for $20. They are also doing a site wide BOGO right now so it’s worth a look-see. Standard warning applies that it is a shoe club membership so be sure to read the terms and conditions.

Also Old Navy is doing 30% off online right now. Never hurts to look. You might find your next favorite dress.

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Chambray Skirt with Mint-ish

Shirt: LOFT (last season)
Skirt: eShakti Pintuck PleatChambray Skirt
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Jade
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Byrdie

Happy Summertime! Is that a thing people say? I'm saying it anyway. In honor of summertime, I decided to get a little matchy matchy and wear this awesome shade of minty green. It's not quite mint, but it's not a typical green. I'm sure someone will correct me on the actual shade according to the Pantone color wheel.

I don't normally wear the same color all over for 2 reasons. First, I have a hard time matching shades, and it's easier to wear complimentary colors rather than trying to match colors. Second, I think the styling of it is almost too easy (if you can get the colors right), and I usually like to get a little more creative. Obviously today I broke that rule.

I finally pulled out my non-maternity clothes in the closet and found this awesome linen shirt that I got last year from LOFT. I completely forgot I had it and immediately fell in love with it all over again. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to style my outfit around it.

The skirt was one I bought in the overstock section at eShakti last year with intentions to wear it as a maternity skirt (it has elastic smocking in the back), but by the time I decided to wear it, I was a bit too round to pull it off. But yay for it fitting now (and the elastic is still awesome). Also, POCKETS! I used to LOVE wearing denim skirts as a teenager because of the comfort factor, but they have since fallen out of style. The chambray trend has brought them back in a fun, new way. It's a lot lighter than denim so it flows better but it has the same neutral styling potential and is still really comfy!

I recently took advantage of a 30% off sale at ModCloth and picked up my favorite cardigan in a few more colors. When I bought this one, I was hoping it was going to be a good replacement for my Tilly's mint cardigan that has a hole in it, but unfortunately it's a bit darker. Still a great color though, and I was super pleased when I noticed how well it matched my stripes.

The shoes are another buy from a couple months ago that I could never find anything I was happy matching with them, but again I was thrilled with how well they worked.

Seriously, this outfit was the perfect storm of things I could never find the right styling for, but they fit together so perfectly. I have a feeling I'm going to be pleased with all of the possibilities that will emerge as I'm reorganizing my closet. I will have to get creative with a lot of it to style it on my new shape, but I bet I can come up with some fun stuff in the upcoming months. Stay tuned!

Happy Shopping!

BIRCHBOX Review - June 2014

Whoo hoo! It's been a good month. I'm actually getting both my BIRCHBOX and ipsy reviews up within a few days of receiving them instead of weeks later (this month's ipsy review can be found here). That's harder than it sounds especially with my goal to actually try ALL the products before posting my review, but let's get down to business (to defeat the huns).

As is protocol around here, we'll start with the good:

Benefit They're Real! Mascara (sample size)

As I mentioned in my ipsy review, I'm very particular about my mascara. This mascara was quite impressive. It went on smooth without looking clumpy, it added quite a bit of volume, and it lasted all day without flaking.  It didn't come off as easily as my go-to mascara but it wasn't a lot of scrubbing. This would actually be worth using my BB points on in the future, especially since it's $1 cheaper than my usual mascara.

Perlier Body Cream (sample size)

I have a tendancy to get super dry hands, and they have been rough the last couple of weeks because of the excessive hand washing I've been doing. This cream smoothed them out in a hurry without being too heavy, oily, or overwhelming in the scent department.

Onto the bad:

Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum (teeny tiny sample size)

My biggest complaint about this was the sample size. I understand having a small sample since the full size bottle is only 1-ounce, but this sample literally had 3 drops of product in it and I had to squeeze from the top like a toothpaste tube just to get those 3 drops to come out. I thought it was empty. I put those 3 drops on before my moisturizer as instructed and saw zero difference. Granted, the benefits of an "anti-wrinkle defense" product likely are shown in the lack of wrinkles that show up, but who's to say that those wrinkles were going to show up anyway? I certainly wouldn't pay $62 for a 1-ounce bottle of stuff that made no discernable difference.

Davines Love Smoothing Shampoo, Conditioner, and OI/All in One Milk (sample size)

Again I had issue with sample size. I was impressed with the large sample on the shampoo, and then quickly disappointed with the small foil packet of conditioner (the cream colored sample packet pictured above). This may not be the best for my hair, but I always condition when I shampoo, and I get a little anxious when I don't have the same amount of each. I'm one of those people that likes to finish their shampoo bottle as close to the same time as their conditioner as possible (but seriously, are there people who don't?). So this drove me a little crazy. There's probably enough shampoo for 2 weeks worth of shampooing. There's really only enough conditioner for 2 conditionings. If you can get past the sample issue, the products themselves are fine. However, I used them in conjunction with the OI/All in One Milk that is supposed to "support hair growth and protect it from harmful UV radiation" while "conditioning strands and keeping them soft and supple during heat styling while preventing unwanted frizz". While I'll admit that my hair looked super smooth and shiny after styling, it most definitely wasn't soft or supple. It felt weighted down and oily, and the borderline overwhelming "clean" smell stuck around ALL DAY. I couldn't wait to wash my hair again with a different shampoo. The experience definitely wouldn't be worth the money to buy all 3 products.

Now onto the meh:

Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris (sample size)

I think there's only been one perfume that I've ever received from BIRCHBOX that hasn't been in the meh category (and that would be the Harvey Prince Flirt, now known as Temptress), but it's because I'm never super excited about getting perfume. The scent is always a bit too strong for me and I have to really like it to want to assault someone else's nose with it all day. This one had a very crisp smell to it. It wasn't bad, but it was really strong. It might be good for a nice event, but I don't go to many of those so I can't justify paying over $100 for a bottle.

Overall for the month, it wasn't bad. I got a few things I loved, and a few things I'd never use again. I still think it was worth the $10.

If you'd like to sign up for BIRCHBOX, use my link here.

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - June 2014

Happy June! I know I was pretty hard on ipsy last month, but they certainly redeemed themselves this month. We'll get right to it.

The good:

NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair (full size)

I was probably most excited about this product, and it didn't disappoint. It goes on smooth, and the light pink color compliments my skin tone nicely. The only downside (and it's not really a downside) is that it doesn't "taste as sweet as a sugar cookie" as advertised. It tastes like lip gloss. Color me disappointed. Also, a friend with a more tan complexion was not a fan of the light pink as it washed her out. So, while it's a good color for me, it's not for everybody.

Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (full size)

This product boasts "Japanese calligraphy precision" while applying. I've been using Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner which is quite easy to apply and precise. I was impressed to see that the tip on the Jesse's Girl liner was actually thinner and thus more precise. While I'm no Japanese calligrapher, I was impressed with how smooth it went on. I can't speak to its waterproof quality as I haven't tested it in the rain. However, it came off really easily when I washed my face so I don't know if I'd trust it while swimming. That's fine with me, because I actually appreciate when makeup comes off easy, instead of having to scrub my eyes out.

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara (full size)

I'm very particular about my mascara. I need it to go on smoothly, and come off easily. This did both. While it didn't add a super amount of volume, it's perfect for every day wear when you don't need to look like an eye model.

There's no bad in the bag this month (yay!) so on to the Meh:

OLEHENRIKSEN Truth to Go Wipes (sample packet of 10 wipes)

I used these to remove my makeup last night. It removed about half of it (meaning when I actually washed my face after, there was still some make up to come off, not that it only took the makeup off half my face in the style of Mulan). It also dried my face out a little bit. Both of these reasons are why they are in the meh category. Also I wasn't a big fan of the smell. It wasn't terrible, but their "signature citrus vanilla" scent wasn't as good as it sounds. So I guess that's 3 reasons why they are in the meh category. They would be good in a pinch while traveling though.

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray (sample size)

I'm never a big fan of these "beach sprays" because my hair at the beach is not attractive, so why would I want that in a bottle? However, in the name of science I decided to try this one. As expected, my hair did not turn out with what I expect stylish beach hair to look like. To be fair, I have quite a bit of hair so it's probably too heavy to achieve that look, but I'll let you decide: Beachy waves or frizzy mess?

I'm leaning towards the latter. I even went out in public with this hair FOR SCIENCE, PEOPLE! I got a couple of looks and I may be paranoid, but I saw judgement in their eyes. Yes, I am capable of styling my hair without it looking like I don't own a hair brush. So maybe this should be in the bad category. I guess I decided that it was my hair that was the problem and no product can give me beachy waves, so why fault them? Or maybe I was just so impressed with the rest of the bag that I went easy on them. Either way, I won't be using it again.

So overall, it was a good month. ipsy redeemed themselves after last month's disaster. I was wooed by their full size products and good quality make up. Moral of the story, stick to make up, ipsy. It's where you excel.

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy use my link here. If you use a referral link you're supposed to get off the waitlist faster. I don't know if that's true, but it's worth a try!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Animal Print Skirt

Shirt: Old Navy
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Orchid
Skirt: LOFT via ThredUp
Shoes: JustFab Cecily

For church today I decided it was time to go back to my signature style of a blouse and pencil skirt. Thanks again to ThredUp, I was able to get this awesome pencil skirt from LOFT for $15. I took a gamble on the size since I wasn't sure where I'm sitting post-baby. Turns out I guessed right and it fit perfectly. The print is a stylish animal print (although you've got me on what animal, maybe a snake of some sort?), without being tacky. Also, SURPRISE! It has pockets! Seriously the perfect skirt.

I wasn't going to wear the cardigan, but I felt like the outfit needed just a bit of color and what better color than orchid? If you've read more than 2 of my posts, you know how much I love my Charter School cardigans. Right now ModCloth has 2 deals going on. They have a one time use 20% off your order deal, and a Charter School cardigan specific code. The 20% off can be found as a side banner on the site. Click it to take the 20% off your order. The cardigan code is CARDI and it takes $10 off your order if you buy 2 or more Charter School Cardigans. I'm assuming they can't be used together.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd been stocking up on lower heels and wedges. These shoes were part of that. I was so happy when JustFab released these because they are quite unlike their usual 6" platform heels. They were quite comfortable, and I didn't feel like I was going to trip and drop my baby.

It was nice to get back into a pencil skirt (that wasn't maternity), and the price I paid for it made it even better. I'm telling you, ThredUp is addicting!

If you’re interested in trying ThredUp, use my link here and get $10 off your first order.
If you’re interested in trying JustFab, use my link here and get your first pair for $20. They are also doing a site wide BOGO right now so it’s worth a look-see. Standard warning applies that it is a shoe club membership so be sure to read the terms and conditions.

Happy Shopping!

Hello Fresh

One thing new parents need is easy meals, and our super sweet friends that live in Atlanta wanted to provide. Since they were far away, they decided to give us that in the form of a gift card to Hello Fresh. It was a brilliant idea and much appreciated.

Hello Fresh is a subscription service that sends you everything you need to make 3 healthy meals per week. Each meal feeds 2 people. They give you a couple options, you choose 3, and they send you all the ingredients including meats and fresh produce, as well as a recipe card. It comes in a box with a cooler inside, lined with ice packs to keep it cool. The meal options change weekly so you won't get bored of the food.

This is an example of just one of the 3 meals that came in the box. It's everything needed for Apricot Glazed Chicken with Couscous and Lemony Green Beans:



A closer look at the ingredients bag:



The cruelty-free, farm raised chicken breasts:

The easy to follow recipe cards:

And the finished product provided by my personal chef (my husband):



Each meal takes about 30 min to make and the directions are very specific. They even tell you how to cut and prepare the meat and vegetables for those that aren't super kitchen savvy. The food itself is pretty good, and Kyle is already thinking up ways to make these meals again, but make them more to our liking (substituting different vegetables, adding chicken stock to the couscous for more flavor, etc.).

Overall it's a great service, perfect as a gift for new parents (as long as they remember to cancel the subscription after the first week if they don't want to continue), or for couples that don't want to fuss with grocery shopping and meal ideas. The only downside I really see is the price. It's $69 for 3 meals which is about the equivalent of 2 people eating out 3 times. It won't save money, just time. You can also pay for 4 meals at $129. Additionally they have vegetarian options that are $10 cheaper. It was definitely fun to try out and it seriously was a fantastic idea to send to as a gift. It's taken a ton of stress out of choosing our meals for the last week!

Trying Out ThredUp

Top: LOFT via ThredUp
Cardigan: Tilly's Essential Elbow Sleeve Cardigan
Jeans: H&M MAMA Skinny Jeans
Shoes: JustFab Tory

I decided to actually get dressed today instead of my usual yoga pants and v-neck because I tried a new website and couldn't wait to wear my purchases. My friend convinced me (it didn't take a lot) to try the site ThredUp, and I was immediately hooked. It's an online consignment store. People send in their gently used or new clothes and get a cut of the profit. Customers get to purchase those gently used clothes at a fraction of the price. I just ordered my first bag to send them a bunch of my used clothes. I plan on getting the money in store credit so I can continue the cycle of good deals.

You all know my love for all things LOFT so I was excited to find this super summery blouse for $10. I love the flowiness of it because it hides the tummy, and the colors were so pretty. Plus, I'm a sucker for all things floral. I added the cardigan because while flowy is good at disguising, it can make you seem wider if you don't wear something to bring in your waist. A belt would've worked too, but I'm still at the point where adding a belt can make me look like I'm still pregnant.

The wedges were part of JustFab's wedge sale, so I picked them up for $15. I was unsure if the yellow with the coral was going to be too much color, but I liked the way it turned out.

If you're interested in trying ThredUp, use my link here and get $10 off your first order.
If you're interested in trying JustFab, use my link here and get your first pair for $20. They are also doing a site wide BOGO right now so it's worth a look-see. Standard warning applies that it is a shoe club membership so be sure to read the terms and conditions.

Date Night - Graphic Tee and Vans

Tee: LOFT Misty Floral Print Tee
Jeans: H&M MAMA Skinny Jeans
Shoes: Vans Canvas Authentic

Guise! I'm wearing a graphic tee. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it's a big deal to me. My junior year of high school I called a guy out for staring at my boobs while wearing a graphic tee, and he told me that I was basically begging for guys to stare at my boobs because they had words on them (victim blaming is awesome, amirite?). Well it screwed up my fragile teenage self-esteem and I haven't worn a graphic tee since. I always wanted to wear them, but never felt comfortable in them again.

I decided when I saw this one on LOFT's website that I wouldn't let that guy from over 10 years ago control what I wear anymore, and I was going to buy a dang graphic tee! I liked this one because it was a cute print, but still subtle, and because the print extended down, it helped disguise the tummy. I went easy on the accessories so they didn't overwhelm the tee, and I chose the Vans because they are comfy, and they are my favorite type of sneakers EVER.

If you're asking yourself why I dressed so casual for a date night, it's because the weather was looking sketchy, and since our usual plan is to go to restaurants with outdoor seating so the baby can fuss without disturbing people, we didn't want to chance it. We decided to order in Thai food and spend the night watching "Orange is the New Black" instead.  Totally still a date.

What I Wore To Church - Navy Stripes

Dress: eShakti
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Honey
Shoes: Zulily

Thank you so much for the warm response to my post yesterday. I appreciate your kind words, and it helped me feel more comfortable posting more post-baby looks. Since we were able to get a bit of sleep last night, we were able to get to church today and I was even able to take a picture or two before the baby started fussing.

I was a little sad when I thought I wasn't going to be able to wear dresses while I was nursing, but I was super excited when I remembered I bought this dress from the overstock section of eShakti (are you surprised?) a few months ago. Because of the neckline, I can wear it and still feed the baby! It's super comfortable because it's knit and the stripes do a pretty good job of disguising the tummy. It's a win all around. Since I got it in the overstock section, I'm pretty sure I got it for a steal too.

I nabbed the shoes on Zulily a couple weeks ago. I've realized that carrying an infant around means that I'm less comfortable in heels. I don't want to risk tripping and dropping her. So, I've been on the hunt for a few good pairs of flats and wedges. These weren't too tall, and featured the cut-out trend which I'm loving. I had to resist the urge to not get them in the other colors too. If they show up on the site again, I may not be able to let the pink pair slip away again.

If you're not signed up with Zulily, I highly recommend signing up (you can use my link here). There's no obligation to buy and they have a ton of women's clothes, maternity, kids clothes, and home goods at great prices with new stuff added daily.

Happy Shopping!