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)

One of the last things that still fits... (sort of) OOTD

My summery clothes that don't have elastic waists have been sorely neglected all season. Every time I try to make something work, I'm left with stuck zippers, snug bodices, and belly-shortened lengths. So when I had to go to campus for an orientation event, I was really nervous. Most of my colleagues still do not know that I'm pregnant. It isn't at all a secret but the semester's end happened to correspond with a time when I wasn't showing at all. Picking something somewhat professional from my remaining regular clothes was really tough. I went with this black Theory dress which fit (sort of). Honestly, until I saw these photos I didn't realize how bust-emphasizing this dress had become in my current physical state.

In retrospect, I'm glad that the overly air conditioned buildings necessitated a cardigan for my meetings.

I'm not even a huge fan of summer clothing and I find myself sad to see my regular wardrobe options dwindle. Fall, which is my favorite clothing season, is going to be even more difficult.

Outfit details:
Theory dress (similar here)
Kate Spade Daycation totebag (current season here; similar here)
Miu Miu jeweled flats (current season here; similar here)
Redraven Studios Bib Necklace
Michael Kors watch (buy it here)
Misc. bamboo enamel bracelets

p.s. Thank you for all the kind words generated from my previous post. I'm so excited to raise a strong, smart, stylish child!

A transitional OOTD

Building a transitional wardrobe to get me through these weeks of pregnant in-between hasn't been easy. On the best days, an influx of stretchy clothing has made me less sad about neglecting my usual waist-emphasizing summer staples. And I acknowledge that an excess of hormones is to blame partly for the worst days (complete with an occasional dressing room meltdown).

Surprisingly, the most challenging part of this process has not been confronting some newly resurfaced body image demons. The hardest thing instead has been determining logistically what to buy, what will last me through this painfully hot summer, and whether or not to begin preparing for larger, definitively pregnant-looking times.

In the meanwhile I've been offered guidance and support from various moms in my life. And most recently my mother-in-law generously took me shopping for a few key pieces to help get me through. The dress is just one of the items we picked.

Details:
Ann Taylor Loft tiered tie waist tank dress
Nordstrom cardigan
Stuart Weitzman flats (similar here)
Kate Spade tote (adorable current season version here)
Redraven Studios necklace (FYI, some of my favorite pieces are on sale right now!)


We also selected some breezy tunics (here and here), another dress in plain black, some cute tank tops in a few colors, and a pretty scarf.

BTW, I apologize for the delay in my giveaway launch. It will be up asap!

Home stretch

At this point I'm plodding sluggishly through the rest of the term and looking forward to conquering my ever-growing piles of grading. They just keep getting bigger and of course I am now battling a nagging cough and cold to boot. I am usually so resistant to illness but the changing climates and time zones and multiple airplanes left my immune system in less than stellar shape. My cold also means I have been avoiding contacts lately. I am in the home stretch and I have only three teaching days left for the term (counting today... which is my long day so until it is over it counts).

 

I wore this vintage dress to campus and dressed in a rush. I haven't worn this billowy frock in years and almost forgot it existed but I was looking through my old contributions to the Wardrobe Remix flickr group (from back in 2007 or so) and spotted it among the fray. I was worried that maybe I donated it along with many other vintage items I edited years ago. The dress was found hanging in the back of my closet, being neglected. It is very sheer and short waisted so I tend to wear it layered for coverage.

Anyone else in the home stretch for the term? I know my institution ends things a bit earlier than most because we have a truncated holiday break between fall and spring. 

Outfit info:
Vintage dress
Marc by Marc Jacobs cashmere cardigan (current season version here)
Spanx tights
Chloé lock flats (similar here)
Redraven Studios necklace

Nothing can change the shape of things...

I wore this dress to campus on my long day. By the end of the long day I feel so spent and can barely put together coherent sentences. Although it made sense to schedule myself in a condensed manner when I was planning for spring I look forward to having my Thursdays back in a few weeks.

Although it is again cold enough for tights, there were a few days prior to my trip to San Diego when I went bare legged. I sort of wish I had worn nude pantyhose now that I look at these shots. Speaking of, I still need to give away some Hanes sheers to readers. I did not forget. I am just behind. Because of how busy things are as the semester wraps up, I plan to bundle them into a bigger five year blogiversary giveaway (for the end of April). I thought I'd only been blogging for four years but then I checked my archives and in fact it has been five. Wow!

Outfit notes:
Kate Spade Violetta Dress (similar stripey KS shirtdress here; budget similar with stripes here)
Anthropologie belt (similar here) and Two Paths trench coat (similar here and here)
Marc by Marc Jacobs pumps (similar here and here)
Kate Spade make up bag clutch (current season version here)
Target bracelet, Betsey Johnson watch, and Redraven studios necklace (which is tucked behind my collar in these shots, sadly)

Roadrunner, Roadrunner

I've been listening to a lot of albums that I typically reserve for summer and wondering when the cold will come back. In the meanwhile, The Kink Kontroversy, The Velvet Underground Loaded, Modern Lovers (S/T), and Sleater Kinney's Call the Doctor provide my life's current soundtracks. Do you choose the music you listen to based on the time of year/seasons?

I could have titled this post, "this is what it looks like when worlds collide." You see, I wore this to guest lecture for a campus writing course on blogging. It was fun to pay such a visit and share my enthusiasm for blogging with undergraduates. I also pointed out that I'm by no means an expert but I did the best I could to share what I've learned. I hope they enjoyed it because I know I did!

Outfit specs:
Anthropologie rosette dress (called Bold Boutonniere) (Similar here and here)
Anthropologie Cartography Cardigan (Can't find similar options but I love this beautiful but pricey map print scarf)
Miu Miu flats (similar here, here, and here)
MBMJ Softy Max Satchel
Misc. Jewelry from Redraven Studios, Carolee (c/o), Linea Pelle, KJL, Target

Redraven Giveaway Winner!

There were 81 eligible entries for the Redraven Studios Giveaway. Congratulations to Shana H who authored comment number 15, which was drawn to win the $25 gift certificate! Shana, please email me at jesspgh at gmail dot com to claim your prize!

Thank you to Amy of Redraven Studios for generously providing the gift card for this giveaway and to all the contestants for entering! I will be hosting another giveaway soon so stay tuned.

Redraven Studios Giveaway!

As a Pittsburgher and a lover of Anthropologie, I was so excited to meet up with Amy of Redraven Studios the other week to buy a bib necklace and speak with her about her inspirations. Her jewelry is carried by many boutiques around the country, including Pittsburgh's own Pavement as well as Anthropologie. The process of creating ceramic jewelry is kind of fascinating. And each piece is made right here in Pittsburgh! You can read my interview with Amy on Effortless Anthropologie by going here.

Amy offered a generous opportunity to readers of Consume or Consumed and I am happy to host it.  
Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to spend on the piece of handmade porcelain jewelry of your choice! 


Entering is easy! 

1. Visit Redravenshop to browse.
2. Leave a comment (with your first name/nickname and initial) on Consume or Consumed stating which piece you would like to own.

That's it! Nice and simple.

For additional entries leave a comment indicating that you:
Like Redraven Studios on Facebook
Like Consume or Consumed on Facebook
Subscribe to Consume or Consumed (via GFC, Google Reader, Bloglovin, RSS)
Tweeted the giveaway (please include @jesspgh so I can see your entry)
Blogged the giveaway (please leave a link to your blog entry in the comments)

The contest runs until March 8th, 2012 at 11:59pm, EST). I will announce the winner on my blog on Friday, March 9th, 2012. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me claiming their prize, after which I will redraw.

Red all over

Tibi dress

Redraven Bib Necklace

Spanx tights

Ferragamo Varinas

Bracelets from Target, Gabes, Kate Spade

An argument for taking my nice camera to campus can be found above. The blur is ridiculous. And it is part of why I've slowed down my rate of outfit posts. Of course the real reason I haven't been able to post as much is because of my work responsibilities at the moment. But the outfit photos and the deteriorated quality connects with that. This outfit is from Valentine's Day. I am that far behind on blog stuff. 

At work I have less "down" time than ever before so I take two quick photos that I barely review and call it a day... Perhaps taking my nice camera to campus would ensure that those two photos had a stronger chance of being decent? I am still getting the hang of the camera, its settings, and its accessories. But that might be a good goal to set for the not so distant future?

You can't see it but I am wearing the pretty bib necklace I bought from Redraven Studios. It sort of matched the print perfectly. But it also didn't allow the necklace to be showcased. After I wore this I paired the necklace with plainer dresses so the necklace could be the focal point.