Post-Pregnancy Wardrobe

Can we take a moment to acknowledge how taxing pregnancy can be on a woman's body? Having finally gone through it myself, I can speak from experience when I say that it's totally unfair to go through months of morning sickness, swollen hands and feet (hello, cankles!), indigestion, and general discomfort only to come out on the other side with a completely different body shape. 

Although I only have about 10 pounds to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I have curves in places where curves probably shouldn't be. Some lovely lady lumps, if you will. So how the heck do I dress this new body of mine? Fellow moms, you've no doubt wondered the same thing after your pregnancies. I'm open to your advice and suggestions!

In the meantime, all I can say is thank God for Pinterest, stretchy pants, scarves, and fall boots. Easy pairings like the ideas below that flatter new mom figures, I think. 

A Few of My Favorite Scarves

It could be a billion degrees outside and I'd probably still be cold. That's why I love scarves so much. I hear they're pretty stylish these days, but I love them because I can better regulate my body heat without having to put on a parka. Now, which of these do I choose for sprucing up my spring wardrobe...

Spice Market Scarf - Anthropologie

Adorned Scarf - Nordstrom

Neck Mate Scarf - Lulu's

Bird Scarf - Gap

Indio Scarf - Francesca's

T-Shirt Necklace

I love this idea from A Pretty Penny for turning an old t-shirt into a beautiful necklace or scarf, depending on how you craft it. If you had multiple t-shirts available, you could mix and match the colors as well for a more variegated look. Another bonus: this also a no-sew project so it's doubly awesome for crafters like me who wouldn't be able to work a sewing machine to save their life!

Geek Alert! Social Media Attire

Geekologie has an interesting sartorial-inspired post honoring all the colors of the social media rainbow. What does that look like? It's kind of cool, actually. I never realized how Where's Waldo-esque Pinterest colors were. As Geekologie points out, an outfit like that could double as a Halloween costume so that's a bonus.

Do It Yourself Vintage Tote

My Two Butterflies has this great idea for adding vintage flair to an ordinary tote. Put a doily on it!  If you feel like going the extra mile, you could probably even sew on pearls or beads for added flair. 

Jumping on the Neon Bandwagon

Afraid you can't pull off the neon color trend that's popping up everywhere this spring? Me either.  BUT, I think I could easily add it to something small, like a scarf or a piece of jewelry and not feel weird about it. That's why I like this DIY neon necklace project from My Two Butterflies.

If you have a chunky, fake gold or silver chain necklace sitting around, simply weave some neon thread or yarn through it and viola! If you don't have an old necklace available, I'm pretty sure these things go for $5.00 at a Claire's or Target store and the thread is available for $1-$2.00 at any craft store. It's cheaper than buying something pre-made from a high-end retailer AND you can customize it to your liking.

DIY Jewelry Boards

It's spring cleaning time and I'm feeling motivated to finally do something with our closet space... or spaces, since our new house will have plenty of closets! I love the idea of creating jewelry mood boards and hanging them up in there. What a fun way to spruce up the closet and keep my accessories organized.

I'm not quite sure what I'll end up creating, but here are some of my favorite boards so far:

This one uses vintage knobs to secure flirty accessories.

I love the modern, rocker vibe with contrasting colors.

Bohemian-inspired, with A TON of beaded jewelry. 

These repurposed wooden boxes would look great in a shabby chic room.

I'll be sure to post pictures of the boards I end up going with!

Nashelle.com - Beautiful, Handcrafted Jewelry

A friend of mine tipped me off to Nashelle.com. Have you heard of it?

It's a jewelry website full of beautiful, handmade pieces that look very similar to what you'd find at Anthropolgie or Shabby Apple, but at half the price and with greater flexibility -- you can choose to create your own pieces in brass, silver or 14k gold.

The signature Tirana Necklace

   

Arvana Earrings

Marquis Earrings

Fun Frog Shoes

I realize this isn't exactly exciting, blog-worthy news, but I'm just so happy about these shoes, I had to show them to you readers. Aren't they great?  They're Dansko and I'm absolutely in love with their frog pattern.

As you know from my previous posts about Pacific Northwest culture, everyone here seems very into the comfortable shoe thing. Hooray for me for jumping on the bandwagon!

Flip-Flop Fun

Wobisobi has this great idea for taking ordinary, bland flip-flops and turning them into something much more fashionable.  You will need:

• Scissors
• Sheer fabric
• 1 pair of ordinary flip-flops

Essentially, you cut the fabric into strips and tie them around the strap of the flip-flop for a bunched-up, fluffy flower look.  The end result is so cute!

Necktie Necklace

Running With Glitter has this great how-to up for turning and old, ugly tie into something spectacular and unexpected - a statement necklace!   I'd never think to wear a tie in quite this way, but I think it would look great with a plain white t-shirt and slacks or jeans.  Feeling inspired to go rummage through my husband's tie collection...

The Measure of a Heel

I think you'd need to have a background in fashion or just A LOT of confidence to pull off these shoes, but I can appreciate the creative talent that went into making them.  Though I don't keep up on shoe designers, from what I understand these are made by Christian Louboutin and run close to $800!

LEGO Love

I know shoes like these are more of a piece of artwork than anything else (it's not exactly practical to be strolling urban streets in towering heels with tiny bits of plastic glued to them), but if designers started making something like this and selling it in stores, I'd be one of the first to jump on them.  Until then, I guess I'll have to wait and see if the trend develops... where is a style icon like Lady Gaga when you need her?  She seems like somebody who would definitely wear LEGO heels.

As a side note - I've always had a soft spot for these tiny toy bricks.  Come to think of it, my whole family has always had a thing for them.  They're the go-to, time-killer for my five year-old nephew, Jack, and when my sister Michele got married over the summer, they doubled as a unique wedding cake topper (bride and groom LEGOs pictured below).   They're just so much fun!

Customizing Clutches

Julia over at Room For Dessert has this brilliant idea for a gift.  I love the thought of taking something so ordinary and turning it into something deeply personal and meaningful.

This week you can take 30% off clutches (like the one pictured above) at Bagatelles & Co's Etsy store - check it out!

Warm Woolen Mittens

With all the crazy cold weather hitting the East Coast right now, fun mittens like these seem like a great way to make light of a tough situation.  Although mittens are not practical in southern California,  I'd still love to have some!