Wild Card OOTD

My family is comprised of some pretty serious baseball fans. We're season ticket holders and we have been taking Emilia to games since she was very small. So we were all really disappointed to see the Pirates eliminated in the NL Wild Card game.

This was the third year in a row that the Pirates were unable to win their division but qualified to play in the Wild Card game and each year I have had to be on campus. I still enjoy showing my support for the team and expressing my fandom so I wore this on Wednesday. It's a bummer to be out and frustrating to have only one game be the determining factor, in a sport where series' are better determinants of team performance. But I'm trying to keep perspective. Although they lost, I never could have imagined five years ago that the Pirates would have a 2015 season where they won 98 games. Just five years ago, I was beginning my job and marrying Chris and the Pirates only had 57 wins. It's a huge turnaround and plenty to feel proud over.

Details:
Old Navy dress worn as skirt
Pirate t-shirt from TJ Maxx
Calson cardigan from Nordstrom
Spanx tights
Sam Edelman boots
Kate Spade bag

Lunch in Oakland OOTD

I wore this to have lunch in Oakland with my parents and sister. My dad had an appointment that brought him into town, so we decided to make an afternoon of it. Chris works in Oakland which made it easy for us to all meet up at Porch and then enjoy the beautiful afternoon. Emilia was snuggly especially because she had a sleepover at their house the night prior. She wouldn't let me put her down which is often the case when we're reunited. After the overnight separation, I didn't want to put her down anyway!

Details:
Boden skirt
Old Navy blouse
Chloé flats

Multitasking OOTD

I wore this outfit to campus near the end of the semester on a non-teaching day to evaluate student presentations. I can get away with being more casual if I am not scheduled to be at the front of the room.

During this week in particular, Chris was back in Ghana for work so I was relying heavily on childcare help from my parents. As I was taking my self-timed OOTD pic, my mom called to coordinate with me on whether Emilia would stay over there or come back home, hence the phone in the photo.

I was going to retake it but a flurry of cars and passers by came through and I got too self conscious. I commend the people brave enough to take their outfit photos in public AND in front of a public! Even after years of blogging I still feel too awkward for that.

Details:
Boden essential scoop shirt (I love this shirt and got mine on sale. The fabric is thick but not too thick and the quality is great!)
J. Crew Factory Linen Cotton Skirt
Spanx tights (on sale!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs "punk mouse" flats (half off!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Turnlock Teri in Elderberry (old ebay find)

Printed Cities OOTD and a mid-semester check in

I wore my London print Millie skirt to campus the other day. And that night I fell down a "London print" wormhole, searching for other options. Apparently Cath Kidston has offered many London themed prints. I am unfamiliar with Cath Kidston so if anyone can speak to sizing, please let me know.

This semester has been intense due to my teaching two new courses at the same time. It's daunting to keep up with two syllabi worth of new readings, new lectures, new assignments, new exams, new evaluation rubrics, etc. I should have planned my rotation more carefully to avoid having two new classes run in the same term. I do love the subjects and think the materials are resonating with the students so it's not for nothing. And to quote Leslie Knope quoting Theodore Roosevelt in the Parks and Rec series finale, "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing." Whenever I feel bogged down by my job I try to remind myself of the good fortune in getting to do this work and have this kind of career. I really do love it even if I don't always like it. And that quote really helped remind me.

I am also trying to work on a journal article and revise my book. I'm continuing to advise Covey and occasionally blog for that. And on top of everything, we've been doing some home improvement projects (that Chris handles primarily but I take over childcare, pet care, and other household duties that we otherwise try to share). So there are many plates spinning but spring break is around the corner and then we'll blink and the semester will be over. 

This week it was Chris's 35th birthday so it has been fun to celebrate him. Emilia made pictures and bent wrapping paper scraps around her most treasured figurines "for daddy." I reflected with awe over how much work he has done on our home on top of working full time (in a demanding, stressful, high-pressure environment), cooking more than half of our meals, being a present and loving husband and father, and teaching a class. He's really amazing and I'm lucky to get to grow old with him. Happy Birthday, Chris!

Details:
Old Navy waffle knit shirt
Boden skirt
Spanx tights
Ferragamo My Joy flats

Boden's London-themed prints

When I was little, my favorite movies included Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland so recently I introduced Emilia to them. She was mesmerized and so we now spend a lot of time singing the songs and talking about the themes even when we aren't re-watching them. When we listen to the records (which I have on vinyl thanks to my own record collecting and nostalgia) she tells me she wants to go to London. I do too! Maybe some day? Because I love a theme, I've been excited about Boden's London-themed "Westminster" and toy soldier prints. Because they were released last fall, they are now on clearance! Sadly, the extra 20% off clearance promotion from last weekend has ended but hopefully they will run it again.

From digging further I discovered that the Westminster print has been offered by Boden in many seasons prior. I've been trying to track down the Easy Scoop Tunic in the Westminster print since I learned of its existence. In the meanwhile I did buy the Millie Skirt and Classic Shirt in the alternately named but similarly themed "City" and "London" prints. Initially I had hoped to Frankenstein together a shirt dress which sadly resulted in the above still-obvious separates. A previous catalog showed them together and it actually looked like a dress. But I don't have the ability to produce catalog-caliber styling so the tailoring just looks off. They will have to function separately as separates for me.

I also covet the Rainy Day Mac in this print but am going to hold out hope that maybe I'll score one at the next Boden Sample Sale (presumably in May, if they stick with their usual timing). If you are curious about sizing on these  Boden pieces, I am wearing an 8R in the skirt (which runs big) and a 10R in the shirt (which runs a bit small at the bust and hips). 

One of my other "city" printed garments, a Kate Spade Lilith "City Lights" skirt has always felt a bit too formal to wear on a regular day. I like that these Boden are a bit more casual. But I still need to figure out a plan for wearing the separates separately. Hopefully I will come up with something soon!

Untucked OOTD

For a long time I felt like I was "supposed to" tuck in my top if I was wearing a skirt. The reasoning tied to a notion that I should try most often to emphasize my waist. Perhaps this was the influence of watching too many episodes of What Not to Wear? At any rate, my postpartum waist understandably is thicker than before. And with those changes come the opportunity to play with different shapes and styles. I have long been suspect toward the idea that flattering is defined narrowly as "that which makes you look smallest." I feel like I am flattered also by the comfort that comes from settling into a motherhood style that is more relaxed, more self-assured, and more willing to acknowledge the necessity of machine-wash-ability.

Details:
Target sweater
Off Fifth house brand skirt
Spanx tights
Delman Wonder flats

Pirates Themed Teaching OOTD

With the Pittsburgh Pirates' ending their multi-decade losing season streak and making their first postseason appearance in the lifetimes of many of my undergraduate students, I figured it would be acceptable to express my fandom on campus. Although they were already eliminated, it was such a great year to be a Pirates fan. Hopefully it didn't seem too unprofessorial to sport my classic logoman t-shirt.

Details:
J. Crew Factory Cardigan
Pirates t-shirt
Off Fifth house brand skirt
Spanx tights
Tory Burch Revas
Kors watch; David Yurman circle necklace

Pregnancy Outfit Repeats, Postpartum

During the first half of my pregnancy I found myself wearing a lot of stretchy things from Anthropologie, Gap, and Old Navy to try to cope with the summer heat and my changing figure. Now that I am 7 months postpartum, I am doing the same. Although my body is different from before, I see glimpses of its former self now and then. In a "body after baby"-obsessed culture, it can be difficult to maintain self-kindness and realistic expectations. I'm also sure if I prioritized gym trips I would see better "progress." But with little free time to spare, I am busy writing, cleaning, grading, and running as many errands as I can. The gym can wait.

This outfit is a repeat from two Mays ago, after the end of my first trimester. I wore it to teach my summer class and to a few other functions recently. Including a kid-friendly outdoor summer concert series, called Weather Permitting (at Shadyside Nursery for those of you who are in Pittsburgh).

Details:
Anthropologie top and skirt
Etro sunglasses
Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Flats

Emilia is wearing Tea Collection

BTW, I drew the winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway. Congratulations to commenter, Flaneuse who won by liking Consume or Consumed on Facebook! Thank you to Shabby Apple and everyone who entered!! I will be launching a new giveaway soon so stay turned.

Slanted and bumpy stripes OOTD

When I saw the Slanted Layers top in Anthropologie stores, it was after it already made it to a temporary sale. I liked the length and hoped that the pattern could trick the eye enough to flatter an increasingly visible pregnant belly. I tried it on (in large) and it seemed great as a maternity top. Very stretchy, long enough to not require constant fussing, and more attractive than the majority of legit maternity tops I had tried recently. I bought one for the discounted price and have been very pleased with the purchase. I wear it a lot and although it doesn't hide my bump (which would be hard to do at this point) it emphasizes it in what I hope is an inoffensive manner.

I wore this to go shopping with my mom and sister. They hadn't seen me for a few weeks so it was fun to debut a bigger belly. To follow the progress of my belly, you can browse the week by week section of my pregnancy blog.

Details:
Anthropologie Slanted Layers top
Gap "always skinny" cropped maternity jeans (not so cropped on me, somehow; btw, that name... ugh)
Coach flats
Kate Spade Daycation Bon Shopper in NYC street map print
Kors watch; MBMJ bracelet

Cooling off ootd

Lately, I've been able to swear pants without melting. My heat sensitivity is heightened due to my "delicate" condition so that is really saying something! I wore this ensemble to run some errands that were long overdue. Maybe it is the horizontal stripes but I feel like I really look the nearly 6 months pregnant that I am here!

 

Details:
Oasap top (c/o)
Gap maternity jeans
Michelle Franz bag (old) (similar)
Chloé flats (similar)
YSL sunglasses, Linea Pelle bracelet (similar), Redraven Studios necklace, Betsy Johnson watch (similar)

Elastic OOTD

Over the last few months of pregnancy, I have amassed a small but useful collection of elastic waisted skirts. Each of them has served me well in many contexts, from formal occasions to casual ones. The above (called the "Fresh Cut Skirt") was an Anthro sale buy. I grabbed a 10 but it runs big so even while pregnant, an 8 would have been fine too. I appreciate its slightly asymmetrical hemline and the rich greens of the print. It has pockets and is fully lined. I imagine you might be able to still track one down in store but it is sold out online. I am learning that with my thickening middle, I probably shouldn't rely on the same outfit shapes that I used to but, old habits die hard. To peep more detailed belly photos, you can check my pregnancy blog here.

Details:
Marc by Marc Jacobs top
Anthropologie Fresh Cut Skirt
Tory Burch Revas in pink (current season version)

Outfit miss

I'm not very good at print mixing. This is something I have learned the hard way. In a fit of "nothing fits!" I decided that because my horizontally stripe top and my vertically striped skirt had a matching color and were both stripes, they *might* go together. So I wore them. And I apparently looked pretty silly on my errand trip. But that's ok! It's really an inevitable outcome of being print-addicted and feeling like "print mixing" is a thing that people do so I can just haphazardly throw together matching prints and pretend it doesn't look like a toddler picked out my clothes. Throw the stem print bag into the mix and it really ups the ridiculous factor threefold. But no one said dressing a transitioning body would be easy and I'm ok with making mistakes.

Details (cause on their own, the pieces are nice enough!):
J. Crew button-back top (similar stripey top)
Anthropologie elastic waist skirt (current season elastic waist offerings here, here, and here)
Miu Miu cabachon flats (similar; similar for less)
Orla Kiely baby bag (on sale!)

What I Wore to a Picnic Wedding plus my Kate Spade haul

On Saturday Chris and I headed north of Pittsburgh to a family farm that provided the backdrop for a wedding. A friend of Chris's from high school (and perhaps even earlier) was getting married and we were excited to attend. If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this. But I figured I would share it because it showcases one of the elastic waist skirts I am so grateful to have purchased from Anthropologie. I've worn this skirt a ton in the last few (very hot) weeks. It is light enough to keep me comfortable and cool but interesting enough that I still feel pulled together. I paired it with a Kate Spade rosette top, purchased last summer.

Speaking of Kate Spade, the extra 25% off promo from the other week was relaunched in honor of the Fourth of July so be sure to check that out! Above is the pretty tissue that covered my own sale purchase. I decided that because my Bon Shopper totes are among the most useful and complimented bags I carry, I should snag the very cool map print one that was steeply discounted on the website.

Kate Spade Streets of New York Bon Shopper

Here's another included in the sale

Today I'm trying to resist buying the matching accessories (also on sale with an extra 25% off) here, here, and here. You can see my other favorites from the sale (most of which are still in stock!) by reading this post. This combined with Anthro's additional 25% off sale clothes (see the full list and details at Effortless Anthropologie) makes for a very wallet-unfriendly 3rd of July!

Recent Dressing Room OOTD

Believe it or not, and despite the recent heat wave, no so long ago it was cool enough to wear this ensemble in the evening to my local Anthropologie. I'm already getting to the point where the largest and loosest of my regular pants are tight and uncomfy. I guess I will not be one of those pregnant ladies who is all and only belly?

Details:
Anthropologie top (from many years ago so I have no idea what the name is)
Splendid lightweight drapey cardi (similar here and here)
J. Crew matchstick cords (thank god for the rubber band/hair tie trick with the buttons!)
Chloé flats (this season's version; cute and budget similar)
Kate Spade Bon Shopper in the "Journal" newspaper print (clever travel mag edition on sale here)

Weekend Wear OOTD

I'm still trying to eschew maternity clothes and plan to do so for as long as possible. This weekend I wore this ensemble to shop for Father's Day things and run other errands. Earlier in the week I also wore this to a midwife appointment.

Details:
Orla Kiely for Uniqlo sailboat tee (not Orla but another cute sailboat print tee can be procured here) (I also love this sailboat blouse that is on super sale from Old Navy)
Drawing Parallels skirt from Anthro (very similar and for around what I paid on sale-- thinking of grabbing it in some of the other available colors like purple!)
Tory Burch Revas in pink patent (pink leather here)

Recent Outfit of a Chilly Night

I wore this the other night to go out with some friends. It is useful that I can offer to be our regular designated driver when we go to restaurants or even bars but so much is already in my neighborhood that I do a lot of walking anyway. I'm all about comfort right now so flats are reigning supreme even more so than usual. Flats and stretchy clothes!

Outfit details:
Bailey 44 top from Nordstrom Rack (summery tank on sale here; sleeveless similar; ls similar here)
Off Fifth house brand skirt (used to be too loose in the waist and is no longer) (similar)
Spanx tights
MBMJ captoe flats (similar here and here)
Vintage Alviero Martini bag (current version here; budget map-themed bag here)

Separates Outfit

Cartonnier blazer (anthro) (similar)

Nanette Lepore top (ebay) (similar here, here, and here)

Juicy Couture skirt

Hue tights

Rosegold Liz booties

Misc. jewelry

I've been wearing this Nanette Lepore blouse frequently, with pants, with skirts, and because it has been so cold (and the blouse is pretty sheer) with layers. So far I've only taken the time to photograph the above. This was for dinner with friends downtown.

Resin and enamel bangles (most of which were gifts from family and friends) 

from MBMJ, Kenneth Jay Lane, Target, and Hiptique 

Betsy Johnson watch (similar here)

You can see the print and the jewelry a bit better in the closeup. I have a few camisoles and pretty short sleeved blouses from J. Crew but my long sleeved tops are still few and far between. I was glad to add this one to the repertoire when I found it on ebay. 

Quick weekend shopping OOTD

Fair Isle sweater by Aqua (on super sale!)

J. Crew draped neck silk blouse

J. Crew Matchstick cords

Tory Burch Revas

Michael Kors Calista hobo

Misc. bracelets (gift, KJL, Target)

I wore this to the mall with a girlfriend where I got my new watch band fitted to my wrist and grabbed some pretty table linens from Williams Sonoma who was having a huge clearance sale. It's nice to go to the mall in January cause it is so much more peaceful than it is in the lead up to Christmas.

How was your weekend?

End of the day OOTD

J. Crew top

Anthro skirt

Spanx tights

Rosegold Liz booties

It is often the case that I don't have time to snap quick photos of my outfit when I arrive to work. But the reality is that it's far more honest to show you how disheveled and wrinkled things get by the end of my longer days of teaching. After seeing this linen blend skirt in the above photos, I seriously considered bringing my portable steamer to keep in the office. Although, generally I do not recommend steaming clothes while you are wearing them, as doing so has led to more than one painful moment in the midst of my own rushed laziness. Still I liked this outfit for its subtle fall-appropriate neutrals, and in spite of the wrinkles.

Wearing the pants

J Crew matchstick cords

J Crew cocoon merino cardigan

Anthro top

Missoni wool scarf (scored from DSW for $20 years back!)

Reva flats
Misc bracelets and necklaces

Lately as the temperatures have cooled, I've gravitated toward layers and pants. I don't think I wore pants to campus much last year (if at all). That will not hold true for this coming year.