Budget Rewind - May 2013

May 2013 was a pretty good shopping month!  Here's the rundown:  

Good

• Gap pink/white Dress: $14 - can I even explain how much I have loved this dress?  It's currently in the pile to either chop into a skirt or donate to Goodwill, because it was starting to feel too short on me.  Not sure if it shrank, or if I'm just getting more modest in my old age.  I think it would work pretty well as a skirt, but I just haven't had time to modify it.   
• Old Navy boyfriend cardigan cobalt: $8 - I bought this as a replacement for my old cobalt cardigan that was starting to look a bit shabby.  Now 2 years later, this one is starting to look a bit shabby, so maybe time to get a new one?  
• Old Navy Blue/White stripe Dress: $7 - striped dresses are good for me.  My only complaint about this one is that it does require ironing, which kind of defeats the purpose of such an easy knit dress.  But I still like it and wear it quite a bit.  
• F21 Scarf:  $8 - orange and purple are 2 colors that I like, but didn't wear a whole lot of.  This scarf was my gateway into getting more of these colors in my closet, and I am glad! 
• Gap Blazer: $16 - another item that I really loved and wore a lot.  I regret getting rid of it during a major closet purge in the fall.  I sent it to ThredUp, thinking it would sell for a decent amount, but they didn't even accept it.  What??  So I should have kept it.  
• Gap confetti tee: $10 - yep, another much-loved item.  It's just so fun and makes me smile when I wear it.  Plus, lots of colors, so it goes with everything!  

Medium

• Old Navy boyfriend cardigan coral:  $8 - a coral cardigan seemed like a brilliant choice, but something about this one just wasn't quite right.  I think the color was a bit different than my coral preference, and it showed wrinkles really bad.  I just don't love most of the ways I wore it.  And I don't remember getting rid of it, but I can't find it anywhere, so I must have thrown it in the donate pile at some point!  
• Target Scarf: $3 - I had this on my Christmas list, but then it was missing from all stores, so I was happy when I found it several months later for $3.  But I already had this scarf, which is kind of similar, so I probably wear them both about half as much as I would otherwise.  So, I probably should have skipped the Target scarf.  But it was $3, and I've worn it more than that, so it is at least a medium.  

Bad

• NY&Co belt: $5 - another seemingly good idea, but the color just isn't quite right.  It's somewhere between navy and cobalt, which means it kind of doesn't look right with anything.  I still have it, and think it's cute, but I rarely reach for it.  Since it was only $5, I won't put it in the "ugly" category.  But I probably wouldn't miss it if I had left it behind.  

 

As I do these rewind posts, I'm really surprised at what things end up in the Good category.  For example, I would have guessed that the confetti tee would be a favorite, because I really loved it when I bought it.  But that F21 scarf - I actually bought as a gift for someone, before realizing that I had never seen this person wear purple, orange, or scarves, and decided to buy them something else, and then realized F21's return policy was store credit only, and decided to keep it for myself.  And then I've really loved it.  And I would have absolutely expected the coral cardigan to be a favorite, but it wasn't.  So I don't necessarily know how to make great decisions at the time of purchase!  But I still think it's fun to look back.  

Budget Rewind - May 2014

May 2014 was a light shopping month, except for the stupid suit that I bought.  I could have told you it was stupid when I bought it, but I felt like I needed it for an important last minute work trip.  And I wish I had just made something else work, because it probably wouldn't have been a big deal.  Otherwise, it was a pretty good month:

Good
Sperrys: $60 :  I'd been wanting these forever, and finally took the plunge.  My only regret is not buying them sooner.  
Merona Shorts: $10  - Love these, and I wore them a bunch last summer.  Hoping they will fit again soon!  
NY&Co Silver bow belt: $2 
Steve Madden 2-pack skinny belts black and brown: $10 
H&M Skirt: $7 (originally $17) - I wore this a lot last summer on days when I didn't take pictures, so I think I've probably worn it 7 times, at least.  And as a black/white printed knit pencil skirt, I think it will continue to be something I reach for.  

Medium
H&M Workout Tanks (I got pink and leopard):  $5 each - the first time I wore the pink one, I realized it was actually quite see-through.  Oops.  So, I have to wear a black tank underneath it, which means it isn't great for working out.  I've worn it a few times just as a casual tank.  The leopard one is great, though.  

Bad
Le Suit Blazer: $54 (originally $79) - Hey, I've at least worn this twice!  I do think I will be able to wear this with jeans or other skirts/dresses as a layering piece.  And I think it's pretty classic, so maybe it will be a long-term good, but based on the last year, it's not been a great purchase.  

Ugly
Le Suit Skirt: $25 (originally $50):  worn just once, and not sure how useful it's going to be in the future.  

So let's just pretend I didn't buy the suit, okay?

Maternity Style - Third Trimester

If second trimester is when things started to feel real, then the third trimester is when things started to feel terrifying!  Just knowing people who have had babies really early, I was so nervous that this kid could show up at any time.  And we were not ready for him yet!  And then I was very ready for him, and became impatient.   Pretty typical, I suspect.

A few notable things:

• Week 29-34: weekly baby class at the hospital, which simultaneously made me feel more and less prepared to be a mother.
• Weeks 33, 35, 36:  Baby showers!
• Week 35-40:  Weekly doctor's appointments.
• Week 37:  I am relieved to make it past the "early" stage, so now I'm ready for baby to show up whenever.  Of course, he doesn't.  
• Week 40:  Due date comes and goes, but baby isn't going anywhere.  

So now I'm sitting on the couch, typing one-handed as I snuggle my sweet 2.5 week old baby, and pregnancy seems like a very distant memory.  Good thing I have pictures to remind me!

Maternity Finale

Well, this is my last maternity outfit!  John and I went out for dinner the night before baby arrived and this is what I wore.

These pictures seem like they are from a million years ago.  I don't even remember my belly being so huge!  So much has happened since May 8th!  My world has been turned upside down in the best possible way.

We are slowly but surely figuring out how to take care of our little guy.  I think we are doing alright.  And he is just awesome.  Seriously, there are not words to describe how much I love him.  It's ridiculous.  

And since I happen to be wearing a skirt in these pictures, I get to link up with Bri for Third Thursday Threads - bare legs!  

Shirt: Loft maternity

Cardigan: Old Navy
Belt: Madden

Skirt: Loft

Shoes: Target

Maternity Style - Second Trimester

Maternity Recap continues with the second trimester.  This is when it starts to get real, folks.  Around this time, we started telling everyone the news, which was really fun.  Plus we had the holidays where we got to see lots of family in person!  Here are a few fun moments:

• Week 15: We found out baby is a boy, but we didn't tell anyone that we knew yet.  
• Week 17:  Spent Thanksgiving with my family and surprised everyone with the news that baby is a boy.
• Week 18:  Back in Nebraska, we told John's parents they were getting a grandson.
• Week 20:  Had the halfway point ultrasound, and got to see baby looking like a baby.  This is also the week I confessed my news on the blog.
• Week 21:  Christmas with John's extended family - shared the boy news in person.  (flying/driving long distances while pregnant isn't the most fun, FYI)
• Week 23:  I finally started feeling kicks!  

At this point, I was still able to wear most of my regular shirts, and several skirts and dresses. I bought a few pairs of maternity jeans, and a couple maternity dresses.  In hindsight, knowing that I didn't get as big as I thought I might, I wouldn't have bought as many dresses.  Oh, I also started taking a few sideways pictures.  And wore cardigans almost every day, apparently.  Because no matter how big your waist gets, you can always fit into an unbuttoned cardigan.    

Maternity Style - First Trimester

In order to avoid complete silence while I figure out this new mom thing, I've scheduled a few posts.  I figured it would be fun to recap my pregnancy with one outfit from each week.  Especially since I was posting a lot of stuff out of order in the fall.

I'm starting with when I actually knew I was pregnant, which is technically the 4th week.  (By the way, pregnancy months/weeks are completely counter-intuitive).

A few fun milestones from these weeks:

• Week 9: had first doctor's appointment and got to see the baby on the ultrasound, and see the heart fluttering.  
• Week 10:  John's birthday was this week.  We told his parents after birthday dinner, and then FaceTimed with my parents to share the exciting news.  Needless to say, they were all pretty thrilled!
• Week 12:  I turned 30!  
• Week 13:  Had another doctor's appointment, got to hear the heartbeat again, which was my favorite thing before I started feeling kicks.  

Anyway, I spent the first trimester trying not to look pregnant, and wearing things that I would soon outgrow.  I'm relying on belly bands in several of these outfits.  I was also really loving my knit pencil skirts!  

Brand New

  

As you might guess, I finally had a baby!  Or if you follow on Instagram, you've already seen a couple pictures.  Anyway, this guy joined our family on Saturday evening and life has just been a whole new adventure ever since.  We are all doing well!

Obviously, blogging is on the back burner    for an unknown amount of time.  I think I have a few random posts scheduled in the next few weeks.  I suspect I will be checking in periodically, but no promises.

Waiting and Waiting

This outfit is from a couple weeks ago, but I guess I never posted it.  I don't have anything interesting to say today.  It's been a long week, as I not-so-patiently wait for baby to arrive.  Every day, I think "this would be a great day to have a birthday!" but he doesn't agree.  

Anyway, happy Friday and happy weekend!  Be extra nice to your moms on Sunday, especially if you were born after your due date!  

Jacket: JCF

Scarf: H&M

Tee: Old Navy Maternity

Skirt: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

One Thousand

This is my 1000th post!  I was kind of hoping it would line up with a baby announcement, but I guess not.  And I'm not quite crazy enough to stop posting and save the 1000th post for that.  I'm still just impatiently waiting for him to arrive.  And happy that I bought a few pairs of maternity shorts, because we are having warmer weather right now.  I wore this outfit last week to meet some friends for lunch, and check off important items from my pre-baby to-do list, like getting a manicure and pedicure.  That's why I'm wearing flip flips - otherwise, I probably would have worn these sandals.  

I feel like I should have some profound reflections on blogging for the 1000th post.  I kind of can't believe I've been at it this long.  When I started the blog in 2011, I wasn't really sure what I was doing, or what my focus would be (I'm not sure I know what I am doing even now).  I'm sure I had visions of more sewing and DIY type posts, but who has time for that?  I had no idea I would end up with some really awesome internet friends and even meet some of them!  I've never really had a goal for blogging; it's just something fun to do.  Of course, if anyone wants to start paying me or sending me free stuff, have your people call my people.  Oh wait, I don't have people.  Just email me or something.

As for the future, I really have no idea what to expect.  I don't intend to become a mommy blogger, but I don't know how interesting my outfits will be as a "leave the house whenever I want to mom."  I'm just going to see how things go, and maybe I'll post once a week instead of every day.  Either way, it will probably be pretty quiet around here whenever the baby actually shows up.  Because I've heard rumors that newborns kind of turn your whole world upside-down.

Top: Target Maternity
Shorts: Loft Maternity
Sandals: Havaianas

Black Polka Dot Maternity Dress Remix

Here's what I wore for dinner on my half birthday.  The subtle dots on this dress were just begging to be paired with the more obvious polka dots on the cardigan.  And then of course, I had to add some color.  

This dress has been another one of my favorite maternity items.  It's not exactly rocket science, but here are 7 ways I've worn it throughout pregnancy.  

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

I'm sure I could wear it many different ways - at the very least with more different colors of cardigans!  Or maybe even some non-black shoes!  So here's some free advice for anyone (pregnant or not):  a basic black dress is going to be very versatile!  I know, I'm pretty brilliant.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Dress: Old Navy Maternity (top 10 remix item)
Shoes: Target

Twofer Tuesday - Gray Cardigan

Here are 2 recent outfits I wore featuring my gray cardigan.  Super exciting, I know!  But this is what happens when you are 9 months pregnant.  Comfortable skirts and tops are just about the only thing I want to wear.

I wore outfit #1 to meet a friend for lunch, and I wore outfit #2 over to a friend's house.  Have I mentioned how much I love past me for buying skirts with stretchy waistbands??  Seriously, smart move, 2014 Andi!


Outfit #1
Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy maternity (top 10 remix item)
Skirt: Gap
Shoes: Target

Outfit #2
Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Target Maternity
Skirt: Gap
Shoes: Sperry (top 10 remix item)

Due Dates and Squirrels

Well, today is my due date.  Not that that means anything to my baby.  He's just chilling and doesn't seem to pay any attention to the schedule.  Babies are notoriously inconsiderate of timelines.  There are a bunch of old wives' tales about how to get labor started.  I'm just making up my own, like eat a giant bowl of ice cream every day.  I'm 100% sure it will work eventually, and I will be like "See, I ate a giant bowl of ice cream, and within 24 hours, I went into labor!"  (unless I have to get induced, and then the my theory will be unproven)

Other than being roughly the size of a whale (baby is the size of a watermelon or pumpkin, allegedly), I had a pretty good weekend.  John and I mostly just tried to make the most of our time as a family of 2.  So, we went out to eat, watched a movie, took a long (sloooow) walk around the neighborhood, had dinner and played cards with his parents.  And I tried to sleep a lot.  The goal is to be well rested at all times.  

On Sunday after church, we took these pictures.  So this is what I actually look like at 40 weeks pregnant.  We saw a squirrel in the tree, and of course, my photographer was distracted by it.  I was doing my normal poses, and noticed that the camera was pointed much higher than usual, and I was like "Are you taking pictures of the squirrel??" and John was like "what?!" but the evidence doesn't lie:  

Anyway, here's hoping I have a baby this week!   

Necklace: F21

Cardigan: Old Navy

Dress: Loft Maternity

Belt: Madden

Sandals: Target

Elephants

Well, apparently I'm really into animal prints right now (I may have ordered this tee shirt from Loft, too).  Here's my elephant scarf.  I unfortunately don't have a picture of myself feeding elephants to share (mostly because I don't think I have ever fed elephants).  So it will just be a boring post of outfit pictures.

It's May!  That's crazy!  I'm supposed to have a baby in May!

It also means the April Top 10 Remix is over, but since I'm always about a week behind on posts, I'll continue to share the outfits that I wore in April with the remix items.  But Sarah is recapping and doing a link up today, so I wanted to mention it.  This challenge was super easy, but I think helped me get dressed in April when I was feeling sort of blah about my options.  And since I didn't really do the real challenge, I'm tempted to try it for real in a few months.  We shall see.

Anyway, happy Friday and happy weekend!

Scarf: gift
Jacket: JCF (top 10 remix item)
Tee: Target Maternity
Pants: Old Navy Maternity
Shoes: Target