I'm wishing for Fall as much as the next girl but it is still WARM. For crying out loud, could we not just get like into the low 70's? I just wanna drink a hot drink without wanting to die, you know?
I wore this cute sleeveless textured pullover sweater the other night and loved the way it fell. I also tried it on with a black n white stripe turtleneck before I left just for funsies and I LOVED it. I added a sparkly statement necklace and loved it even more. These sleeveless sweaters are great for layering but can be worn now too! Win Win!
I wore my FAV jeans and theeeeeee most comfortable black heels. I also added this cute tassel choker from Dress Up. Their prices on jewelry are amazing!
My favorite thing about these jeans is that the holes in the knees make them so easy to move in! As a mom of two littles, I do a lot of up and down throughout the day so I need something that can move with me. Call me crazy, but I like to feel like I can take a breath in my pants. These are the best!
I'm so excited to be going out with some friends tonight to plan for an upcoming trip! You know after dinner will include a PSL. I gotta get a start on those September goals!
Hope you have a great Thursday! All outfit details listed below!
I cannot believe we are already talking about September!
Fall is hands down my absolute favorite time of the year so I'm giddy with excitement to be sharing my goals with you.
1. Drink a pumpkin spice latte - Starbucks introduces all the Fall flavored drinks September 1st! Even if you're not a fan of the PSL, you could still try the salted caramel mocha. It's life changing. Trust me. I might have already planned my outfit for my inaugural trip to get Fall beverage and it might include this shirt, these boots, and these jeans. Don't judge.
2. Wear a blanket scarf - Just ordered this one from Nordstrom but I'm going to need the weather's cooperation before I can realistically wear it outside. In the meantime, I'll crank down the air and wear it around the house.
3. Read a book - I really want to continue my August goal of reading a book a month (or was it two?) by actually reading a book this month. Thinking about "Uninvited" by Lysa TerKeurst or "Present Over Perfect". Would love to hear your recs if you have any! Here's hoping I'll actually get one (Both?!) of these read this month!
4. Buy Christmas gifts for family - I know. I'm a nut. But I really like getting all my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. I'm a huge fan of thoughtful gifts so it takes time to think and plan for my family. I have to get a head start! Plus, it gives me an excuse to bust out the Christmas tune. To be honest, I don't ever need an excuse to listen to Christmas music!
I'm trying really hard to remember my 5th goal but it's just not coming to me so four it is! I still plan to continue my monthly goals of eating clean 80% of the time and eating whatevs 20% and also exercising 5 times a week. The cooler weather should definitely help with the outdoors workout routine. Gracious this heat just kills me.
Hope your August was incredible and that your September is even better!! Here's to cozy sweaters, fires in the fireplace, hot soup, cider, and FOOTBALL. Go Dawgs!
My favorite shirt of all time is FINALLY back in stock! Run, don't walk to get this top! It's the only shirt I've ever owned that causes literal strangers to stop me and swoon. It might be back to regular price but it's worth every. penny.
I wear it with white denim, dark denim, distressed denim, olive pants, black pants. EVERYTHING.
This year more than any other I've gotten ridiculous amounts of inspiration for building my dream fall wardrobe. There's still time before the temps really begin to Fall (see what I did there?) so let's hop to it!
I've been spending a loooooot of time on Pinterest lately. I'm working with some clients on prepping their closets for the coveted cool and I've begun to notice that so many dreamy Fall looks have a few things in common.
First off, white denim! I know it's tempting to pack away the white pants after labor day, especially for you rule followers. But they add the perfect amount of pop to any outfit. So keep them. And if you don't have any yet, buy these because they're $20 and still available in most sizes.
I talk to a lot of moms about their wardrobe needs every day and one thing I hear often is how hard it is to put on "real clothes" when the yoga pants just feel so goooooood. The problem is that you're not buying the right jeans! Great jeans give you an awesome look AND an awesome feel. Here are my current favorites in dark denim and in a distress.
I can't say enough about getting a great pair of tan booties. They're neutral enough to go with everything and they're just necessary as a Fall wardrobe staple. A few of my favorites are linked here...
Cardigans are so wonderful to dress up an otherwise completely basic look. I love layering over peplum tops like this perfect basic from Target for less than $15!. Add a layered neckalce and you're in business.
Once the temps drop even further, you can pull out the moto jacket. This look works overtime for your figure, flattering your wasteline while adding a little edge to your look. I've linked a few here in a couple of different price points. I do think this is one thing worth the splurge because of how many different ways you can wear it. Over skirts, dresses, with skinny jeans, wide leg jeans. I could go on and on.
I just recently got this olive green military jacket in the mail and I am obsessed with it. The fit is perfect and it's just light weight enough that I'm super tempted to pull it out and wear it in the 90 degree heat. I love it with stripes or chambray.
Finally, I think every girl needs a great pair of riding boots. I found the perfect pair in an awesome price point. Picture these tromping through the freshly fallen leaves on a brisk October morn. Dreamy, I tell you.
I hope this helps you get a jump on some Fall wardrobe ideas! If you need any further inspiration, hop over to my Pinterest to see alllllll I'm pinning. Get comfy. It's a lot.
I got the funniest text from a friend the other day that went something like "Hey, needing a blog post on how to dress your post-pregnant self without buying a new wardrobe that won't fit in a few months and also not wearing maternity clothes anymore because I just can't.'
Oddly enough, that description didn't make a great blog post title so I'm simplifying it but still including all the necessary details on how to dress your "in between" body.
It's been two years since I last gave birth but it feels like yesterday. I'm fairly certain that all I wore for the first six weeks was my blessed maternity clothes. But then you hit that awkward phase of post-pregnancy when the maternity clothes don't fit right but your "normal" clothes don't fit either.
If you're living there right now, I feel you. It's tough to be in transition and that's where you are. Not only are you dead tired, emotionally drained, and dealing with nasty hormones, but you also are most likely dealing with the most limited supply of clothing options you've ever had.
Regardless of how long it's been since you had your last baby-- hey, maybe you're feeling four months along with a food baby. You can navigate this in between phase with grace. So let's get to it!
First of all, stop trying to buy clothes that used to looked good on you. This is not the "you" that you're accustomed to. Start thinking about clothes that look good on every body. Including the body you're rocking right now.
Start thinking about styles that are going to flow away from your body in certain areas, while staying close to your body in others. Enter: the swing dress.
Swing dresses are your new best friend. They have enough structure to be flattering without hugging the areas that you do not want to be hugged. Old Navy has some cute options right now that are so reasonably priced! Throw on a denim jacket and some converse and you're set. If you're a nursing momma, look for dresses that button down the front for easy access for baby.
As far as tops go, peplum fit will cover over a multitude of problem areas! Also, loose fit v neck tee shirts with a button down (left un-buttoned) is a way to enhance your waist line without necessarily having to feel constrained by the buttons. Keep those button downs around for when everything goes back to normal. You'll button again. Promise.
Your pants will probably be your biggest hurdle but this is where maternity jeans come in handy. No one is handing out medals for fitting into your normal jeans three hours after giving birth (though if you did that, just WOW!). So if you need to hang onto the maternity waste line for a bit longer, then DO IT.
Once you're out of that phase, get some pants that have a good amount of stretch to them. Target has greatjeggingsthat are super affordable so you don't feel like your wasting money on something you won't wear that long. Chances are, you might need a good pair of in between jeans at some other point in your life so hang onto them!
Also, please PRETTY PLEASE for the sake of all that is good in the world, take advantage of the fact that Athleisure is a thing and it is a good GOOD thing. Crop up those pants, throw on some cute nikes and a loose fitting tee and walk into motherhood like whoa.
Think about items like cardigans, jackets, cute shoes, and jewelry that will always fit no matter what! You can dress up the most basic outfit with accessories. Some of my favorites are a great pair of comfortable booties, a good cognac bag, amd a slimming leather jacket.
I think as women we beat ourselves into the ground over not being a specific size by a specific time but just cut yourself some slack. You're in transition and it's nuts-o right now. The last thing you need to be worrying about is your body image. Sometimes it seems like we punish our current selves for not being where we feel we should be by saying things like "I'm not wasting money on buying for my body type right now".
But guess what? This is where you are right now and even though it's not where you'll be forever, it is worth it to feel good about yourself no matter what stage of life your body is in. So don't be afraid to invest in some in between pieces. Rest assured you can find a TON of cuteness that will carry you from "post-baby" bump to "what baby bump?"
I'll leave you with a bit of perspective... It took me a solid year and a half to lose all my baby weight with Rowe. And I didn't even gain that much to begin with. But between nursing for sixteen months and just struggling with consistent eating and exercise, I was like a Yo-Yo of weight management.
I lamented over my body and if I could go back and say CHILL OUT, I would. You have so many years to be where you're really comfortable. These are baby growing years and baby growing is tough stuff. You're amazing and don't you forget it. Stick those maternity pants back on and own where you are while getting excited that you won't be there forever.
We had so much fun this weekend at the girl's birthday party! Everything came together just like I'd hoped it would and the party prep was actually not stressful in the least (last year was CRAY).
If you have any questions about anything we used for the party, please let me know! My sweet friend Megan took all the photos and she did such an amazing job! Plus, I didn't have to stop and think about getting pictures of everything and everyone!
Sweet as a Peach Party!
Our Menu included a few Peach inspired yummies like turkey sliders with peach chutney, pita chips with peach mango salsa, and peach cobbler cupcakes
I love the ability to have drinks match your color scheme. These Izzies were perfect for adding a bit of a pop of color on our drink station.
Sitting area for guests to eat. We also had picnic blankets spread throughout the yard for the kiddos to eat
Our dessert spread included vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting, macaroons, strawberry cake pops, peach trifle, and peach cobbler cupcakes.
My first attempt at a birthday cake!
You can't tell from the pictures, but over in the corner of the yard is a GIANT jump house, which was this girl's only request for her party.
The birthday girls enjoying their supper
Checking out some of her presents!
I found these vintage children's books at an antique store a few years ago and they are always so fun to incorporate into party decor. Our favors were rice krispie treats, you know just in case our friends and family hadn't had enough dessert already!
We are so grateful to have these beautiful babies to celebrate each year. Thank you for stopping by!!
Thanks for stopping by and thank you to ALL of you who came to help celebrate our sweet girls!
Love,
Laura
I've had so many people asking me recently about my experience with ordering my clothes online. I'm finding they're are especially curious/skeptical about ordering from China.
Let me start out with addressing online clothes shopping in general.
I almost always try something on before I buy it so I've been a very slow mover into the online shopping arena. My two and four year old girls are pretty stellar shoppers but when it comes to going into the dressing room, they lose their minds. It's like a switch goes off simultaneously in their heads and they look at each and decide "everyone in this store needs to see mommy naked. You in? Let's make it happen."
Needless to say, the process of finding the right fit in the store is not an enjoyable one. And shopping alone is such a rare occurrence that it's really not even worth talking about.
What I'm discovering about shopping online is that all the information I need to know about how it will fit me is included. A few extra clicks and I can read reviews from other shoppers, find out if it fits true to size, and even get the exact measurements of the items. That's WAY more information than what you get in a store!
There still are times when I'll get something in and I don't love the fit but that's why I really only buy from online stores that offer free returns. Nordstrom is my absolute favorite for that very reason. I don't even have to take an item back to the store if I don't love it. I just mail it back with the pre-paid return label they provide.
Speaking of Nordstrom, they have these GORG riding boots on sale for $149 right now. So in love.
I really only shop at places where I get free shipping. Just about every place I shop will provide this service even if it does require a minimum amount spent. Let's be honest, I'm already spending the minimum amount.
Places like Old Navy and Target give free shipping when you spend $50 or more, which is the perfect excuse to grab these amazing zip up booties that are less than $40. Add some cute navy tights for Fall into your cart and your shipping is FREE.
Ok, now that we've talked about online shopping, let's take it a step further and talk about online shopping from.... overseas. Specifically, China.
I was shocked when I first discovered some of these online stores that charge soooooo much less for the same items I was finding in boutiques. But it makes sense. The boutiques are more than likely getting their clothes from the Mart and the Mart is getting their clothes from China. Cut out two middle men and you've got yourself some gooooood deals on clothes!
I've shopped at pretty much all the major Chinese online stores like Choies and Zaful but the only one that I've had a great experience with has been She Inside. The quality of their clothing is great, the shipping is pretty fast (7-10 days), and they even have pretty good customer service. All the sizes I've ordered have been exactly as described, which is great because you do NOT want to try to make a return to one of these companies!
That's probably the only risk. Once you order it, you're stuck with it. But that being said, I still have never gotten anything that I didn't like. So to me it's totally worth the risk to get some amazing deals on clothes.
I'm always on the hunt for a good deal so as I find the good stuff in the great price range, you can be sure I'll keep you in the loop!
Here are a few of my recent favorites (can you tell I have a thing for blue?)
The blue and white stripe top is one size fits most and it's been one of my absolute favorites. Looks so cute paired with white denim. I wore it for the 4th of July and also on our beach trip as a bathing suit cover up.
The white peplum is a structured fit but has a sweet cutout detail around the edges that I love. It's kind of a high low feel, which was hard to see from the stock picture.
The peter pan collar ruffle hem top is my FAV. I ordered an XS which is perfect. It's just the right length to wear untucked with dark or white denim. It also had a really cute tie as the back collar, which I love!
The chambray peplum is so cute and SO flattering. I'm planning to wear it now and with jeans and a cranberry colored cable knit cardigan in the fall.
I'm about to order a few more sweaters from She Inside as well. I'm loving the oversized sweater look but they can be really pricey in stores. So these are fitting perfectly into my Fall clothing budget. I linked a few of these in my last post about Fall styles but they're worth another look!
If you ever see me link something and you have a question about it, please don't hesitate to ask! I love being able to help!
Thanks so much for stopping by and happy (online!) shopping!
I'm working with a client right now on styling her Fall wardrobe and I always like to start with the basics and build up from there.
This olive green military jacket is an absolute favorite of mine and it's currently 45% off making it less than $50.
In case you don't typically order from Nordstrom, they always do free shipping and free returns so there's literally no risk buying online. One of the things I purchased from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale didn't fit as well as I would have liked so I literally popped it back in the package, stuck the pre-paid return label on, and put it in the mail. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
I think a great pair of medium wash denim is also a fall staple and I absolutely LOVE these Citizens of Humanity boot cuts.
Y'all. I'm not a big spender when it comes to clothing. I have two other little ladies to dress around here! I'm a deal finder at my core but I will invest in a great pair of jeans because there's just nothing like loving the way your jeans fit and loving how you feel in them.
As far as what else I'm trying to incorporate into my client's closet, we are on the hunt for great oversized cable knit cardis like these
As well as some cute tees and tanks to wear underneath all the fun sweaters!
Found a few other really sweet sweaters
I also found this precious tassel scarf while I was out shopping with my girls today and I am in LOVE! Even cute in person and so super soft! You can't beat the price since The Loft is putting their entire store 40% off right now!!
Still hunting a few more things but I think this will put us on the right track.
Hope you're having an awesome day!
