Purple leather bag ootd

It is cool enough during the day to wear this to campus in June. But this photo isn't recent (and the bare trees make it obvious). There's a lot going on around here. Chris and I are house hunting and trying to prep our own home to sell eventually. We are working on writing projects, research projects, grants, work trips, fun trips, etc. We are wrapping up Emilia's music and swim classes. And we are enjoying the nice weather, spending lots of time outside. Life is full right now but that's a good thing.

Although I did wear this today, I forgot my camera. Since I never shared the above (not great) photo, I may as well now.

Details:
Boden dress
Parameter cardigan
Orla Kiely bag
Tory Burch flats
Spanx tights

Some seriously belated (mostly) repeat OOTDs

You can tell by the foliage in the first two photos that these are fairly old ootds. Things have been crazy with Emilia's first birthday, her party, Chris's dissertation defense, Thanksgiving, and the end of semester crunch at work. I am so happy to report that Chris's dissertation defense was a great success. I'll update with a bit more on it soon. Same with Emilia's party!

But I have been busy because of all of the above, not to mention holiday planning, shopping, and decorating... So I have fallen behind on blogging. As much as I continue to love documenting my consumer wants, thoughts, and buys (as well as outfits), out of necessity blogging becomes a lower priority than my real life obligations. I didn't even get to write my gratitude post for Thanksgiving 2013, which is one of my favorite opportunities to reflect on and consider my blessings. Although Thanksgiving has come and gone, I still plan to put together these thoughts. They will just be late. And for those of you who continue to read this less-frequently-updated, unglamorous (especailly compared to the slick professional bloggers!), somewhat haphazard space, I want to say that I am truly, deeply grateful!

Details on outfit 1-- wore to campus for a day of meetings:
Old Navy striped terry dress, Spanx tights, MBMJ metallic mouse flats

Details on outfit 2-- wore for teaching (which upon further inspection might have been a little too casual)
Orly Kiely for Uniqlo dress, Orla Kiely bag, Spanx tights, MBMJ flats

Details on outfit 3-- Was dying to wear one of my favorite dresses again. Fits a bit more snugly but I'll take it! Wore for teaching and meetings
See by Chloé dress, Spanx tights, Ferragamo My Joy flats

Details on outfit 4-- Ditto outfit 3 as this is another favorite dress that fits a bit differently. Wore for teaching
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, Spanx tights, MBMJ flats

Some of my working mom readers might notice that none of the above are especially breastfeeding/pumping-friendly. Now that Emilia is 1 and eating more solids, I haven't needed to pump at work unless I am there for an especially long day, in which case I keep a slip and cardigan to throw on for pumping. Even though my office door locks, I am not the only key holder and I am paranoid...haha. But we are continuing to breastfeed at least for now and I pump before I leave and as soon as I return home on those days when I manage to avoid it at work.

Lunchtime Carousel OOTD

Last week on one of my work-from-home days Chris suggested I bring the baby and meet him for lunch in Oakland. I hadn't yet tried the new Cuban food at Conflict Kitchen and the weather was beautiful so it seemed like the perfect plan. We met in Schenley Plaza and ate outside. While there, he took Emilia on the carousel. I skipped the ride to take photos and video for our families.

Since Emilia's birth I've been documenting a photo and a video (almost) each (and every) day and sending them via email to our parents and siblings. I call it "The Daily Baby" and liken it to a visual newsletter to keep our nearest and dearest abreast of her happenings, both mundane and milestone. Some of our extended relatives also receive forwarded copies of especially exciting or adorable installments (if our parents decide to send them along or if our extended family request updates). The Daily Baby has proved to be an amazing way to give Emilia's larger family a stronger sense of attachment to her and by extension to us.

It is easiest just to upload video to my private youtube and send everything from my phone so I wind up favoring a camera that is not my best. But I still think it will be nice to have all of the footage and photos for myself one day. I know too well already why so many seasoned parents have warned me that time moves too fast. I can't believe she is already nine months old! And yet when I think about my semester's start this time last year, it's also hard to fathom. It feels so long ago, almost from another lifetime.

Anyway, I decided to wear something colorful and comfortable. It wasn't breastfeeding friendly but our visit was only for lunch, Emilia is eating some solids (so I can gave her some of my lunch to try plus she goes longer in between nursing these days), and I also knew that in a pinch we could hide out to nurse in Chris's private office (with a door that locks).

Details:
Orla Kiely + Uniqlo dress
Spanx tights
MBMJ mouse flats
Marc Jacobs Mercer bag

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo Review

In honor of the recently launched online shopping options for Uniqlo, I couldn't resist trying some of the Orla Kiely pieces. I am an avid fan of the vibrant and sometimes borderline twee prints of this British designer but not so crazy about her regular prices. Orla Kiely dresses that are unattached to other retailers often cost over $400! So this "massclusive" partnership with Uniqlo winds up seeming like an even better bargain. I was hopeful that a few of the pieces could work for a pregnant and (eventually) postpartum body and I was right! They are also of course great for non-pregnant folks.

First up is the Peter Pan Collared dresses in various prints. I picked three of these dresses and was pleased with the softness and give of the fabric in each case. Although they stretch, they are thick enough to not be sheer or require additional coverage from a slip. I liked that the fabric was stretchy without being clingy. The colors were saturated and vibrant. I ordered size large and found it to fit amply over my 34 weeks pregnant belly and full bust. The length was also excellent and probably even better for taller gals when there isn't a full torso winnie-the-poohing up the garments. The shape is tent-like which is fine with me but I also tried it with a belt and found the effect to be quite flattering. I do wonder if a lower belting strategy would work as nicely as this empire one but at the moment I lack the waistline required to attempt it. The above print and the tiny floral one (maroon with navy trim) fit similarly and slightly smaller than the following option.

The deep fall colors of this circles print really grabbed me but I do think that this runs noticeably larger than the other two, even though I got them in the same sizes. I guess the trade off with massclusive lines is quality control. Although my belly means that the medium would have likely been too snug, I do think that without the variable of pregnancy, these dresses fit noticeably on the large side of true, regardless of print option. For the price ($29) they are a good value. And they absolutely work for maternity needs. Although I'm not sure if I will keep them all, I am going to at least keep the first one because the colors are so fun and with tights I think I can wear it to campus.

Lastly, I grabbed a long sleeved stem print tee ($19). I already have two Orla Kiely for Uniqlo tees from the previous collection that I have been wearing throughout pregnancy and I grabbed this in a large. It is less stretchy than the short sleeved tees and a little less soft but the structure is fine. I think these run slightly more snug than some of the other pieces in the collection but the length is ample and covers the stretchy band at the top of my pants without any issues.

As an aside, holy wow does Uniqlo ship quickly with their free shipping option!! I know some websites (GAP Brands, I'm looking at you) downgrade your order's processing time when you get to their free ship threshold. With Uniqlo, I ordered on Tuesday and my package came via FedEx on Thursday! Returns are a flat $7 (which mirrors the cost to ship orders that don't meet the threshold) so I did order more to avoid paying that $7 twice (if I needed to return). Now I'm stuck deciding what to keep and what to send back because I do like everything! Have you ordered from Uniqlo's online store?

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!)

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)

Orla Kiely Haul

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo stem print tee

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo stem print scarf

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo sailboat tee

I am lucky that my friend Cam shares so many of my tastes and interests. She and I both were anticipating the second release of Orla Kiely for Uniqlo. She also enjoys the benefits of living in New York City, where she has access to Uniqlo stores. She proxy shopped the collection for me, picking up the three above pieces that I wanted very much. I already wore the stem top and plan to wear the sailboat top to a BBQ today. Thankfully I asked her to pick up one size above what I normally take and there will be room for a growing midsection.

Orla Kiely Oval Stem Baby

Relatedly, I also purchased the above Orla Kiely stem print bag (on sale at Piperlime). I had an extra 20% off coupon and decided to make the leap. Although I won't be needing the full function of this particular style until December (hint hint), I am excited to have such a fun print to assist in welcoming what is sure to be the happiest new addition to my life in some time. More on that in the coming weeks!

p.s. There are many new listings on Shop Jesspgh. Check it out!

Sale Roundup: Opening Ceremony, Orla Kiely, Built By Wendy

There are plenty of sales happening currently as retailers and designers try to clear out their stock from fall 2009 to make room for Spring 2010. And although I am currently following through with my 2010 shopping resolution to "Want less, so that I buy less," that doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of deals!

If I was in the market for outerwear, now would be the perfect time to grab this incredible Tulip Coat from Opening Ceremony.

This uniqueness of this piece would cause strangers to stop you in the street! I love the draping of the layered petal hemline. And the fall colors of the wool.

On Orla Kiely's website all fall 2009 clothing, housewares, bags, and accessories are on sale.

I've always wanted one of the signature car print wheelie bags for travel! This one is still pricey but marked down from retail by about 40%.

On Built By Wendy the fall 2009 stuff is also marked down by about 50% on average.

This dress might be a bit twee for some, but I could easily imagine wearing it while channeling Zooey Deschanel.

I love the nautical whimsy of this knit dress though it is still out of my personal price range even at 50% off. 

Are there any sales you've been unable to skip because of the great selection or prices? I've heard Old Navy took an additional half off their clearance prices. And my local J Crew took an additional 30% off their sale section. My friend and fellow Pittsburgh blogger, Erin keeps tabs on the local shopping scene and alerted me that Pittsburgh Jeans Company's had a sale that began on Saturday.  It could be worth visiting! Happy sale hunting!

Recent purchase: wins and fails!

Whenever I acquire new things online or in stores, I like to take or save stock pictures of the items. I immortalized them on digital film for a number of reasons. I have a flickr that I like to keep updated (though I usually set privacy restrictions to those particular photos). I like to keep them archived in my fashion folders on my hard drive. And I think having pictures of things helps me decide whether or not I should keep them around, return, sell or donate them.

I am willing to bet that in the recesses of my subconscious I do this because of the closet scene and archive program in Clueless. But it might also be because I am so accustomed to picturing stuff (both mine and things that aren't mine) in ad copy, magazine editorial, and online boutiques.

Accordingly, here are some pictures of things I bought recently.

Orla Kiely bag on sale from Anthro:
When hunting for stock photos of the bag, after ordering I discovered that the inside of the sling strap was bright green. I hated it for that and returned it in store.

Fredflare had a 25% off coupon so I made an order for this Orla Kiely folding grocery tote:
And I bought a few other items for xmas gifts (but I can't post because I don't want to spoil the surprise). I love to buy silly items from Fredflare that I know I would want to receive but can never justify purchasing for myself. I am still waiting for the items to arrive so I don't know if they are keepers. We'll see.

I already own this cashmere boyfriend cardigan by Cece in a zillion colors. I bought them last year from Bluefly. But this year they had it in eggplant purple!
It is a keep because I got a good deal by using click-through coupons stacked with additional $ off coupons.

I bought and re-bought this Callixta sweater dress with vintage-looking buttons to wear as an extra layer of dress and as just a regular sweater dress. It was sale at bluefly but I hadn't worn it by the time it was marked down further, so I returned the first one after purchasing it again. It saved me around $40!
Sephora sent me a $20 off $50 coupon so I bought Nars blush in Orgasm (as I was almost out), O.P.I for Sephora nail polish in Caffeine fix and Metro chic, and lip stain. No pics of that, though. All were keepers!

I had to go downtown to renew my parking permit so I stopped by Saks to check out sale racks. If the reports were to be believed, luxury retailers, hurting to maintain reasonable margins after an especially difficult quarter in an already difficult year, were supposedly slashing and burning prices to enable the overturn of stock. My Pittsburgh Saks was having a private sale that offered 40% off the lowest labeled prices. And I was able to buy two Tibi dresses I coveted desperately for the price of one on the sale pages of bloomingdales.com. I didn't even realize my store carried these particular styles! So I had the added bonus of trying them on prior to purchase which means they were both for keeps!



I wore them both to teach and to wedding events for Michael and China when I was in the Bay area last week! The second photo is in the dressing room, hence the boots and tights that are all wrong with the dress.