the odds are ever in my favor

saturday i got dressed in something i hated and then i ran a bunch of errands. whilst at target i spied this pencil skirt and snatched(actually i paid for it) it up and put it on in the car. for some reason while i was putting on the skirt i also took my shirt off. just habit i guess. i sat in the car for a minute before i realized i didn't have a shirt on. i'm an idiot. free show! anywhoo, i wore it on sunday too. it's non-maternity but it fit just right under my stomach. 

friday night i saw the hunger games movie. i was quite apprehensive about seeing it because i LOVED the first 2 books in the series and disliked the 3rd book. and then i didn't really like any of the casting of the main 3 characters. i just didn't want my fragile young-adult-fiction-adaption-into-a-movie-heart-to-be-broken again. i'm looking at you twilight saga. i was a twilight fan until i had to sit through those insipid movies. i still go on opening night for each new twilight movie, but mostly because i love tradition. and i'm a glutton for punishment. 

but,

i thought the hunger games movie was fine. fine. not love. not loathe. just fine. i still didn't like any of the main characters and i wasn't that emotionally moved with the movie the way i was with the book. however, it wasn't inadvertently comedic because it was trying so hard to be an important film and it wasn't boring. the things i liked the most about it were the supporting characters. woody harrelson was not my first pick for haymitch(i was jonesing for gary oldman, sirius black, in the harry potter movies) but i thought he was the best part of the movie. and  lenny kravitz didn't embarrass himself the way other celebrities pretending to be actors(madonna, mariah carey, shaquille o'neal, john cena) have in other movies.  

biggest plus:

1. jennifer lawrence not looking like a typical, frail hollywood barbie doll. girlfriend looked like she had a healthy, athletic body and that she wasn't starving herself to fit an impossible ideal. ironically though, she may have looked more like the katniss of my mind's eye if she had been starving herself. 

biggest minuses:

1. seneca crane's wrinkly linen pants. they were ugly. they didn't fit well. they were too short. they were distracting in EVERY SINGLE SCENE. please tell me i am not the only one who was disturbed by this?

2. peeta- this toaster could have filled in for him. he was not that engaging, yet not as useful as a toaster, because at least a toaster can toast or you can check your reflection in the chrome.

3. gale- this shiny, dense rock is a perfect comparison. liam hemsworth was simply too pretty to be a rugged-hot-but-doesn't-know-he's-hot-coal miner. i was hoping for at least messy, shaggy hair a la tim riggins. 

what were your thoughts?

pepto

i've loathed pink for years. i will go out of my way to pick any different color if pink is an option on an item of clothing i want to purchase. but, i broke my own rules and i ordered the sleek sequin skirt in dusty cedar from downeast basics that i was lusting over(for $15, thank you for the head's up becca!). and i think pink may be making a comeback. 

jacket- target

maternity v neck- target

skirt- downeast basics

shoes- jessica simpson

belt-target

*for the record, i ended up ordering the small. i was planning on waiting to wear it until after the baby was born but i couldn't resist trying it on. call me a glutton for punishment. surprisingly, this little puppy stretches like a DREAM. i wore it today and i felt like myself. snarky and full of heartburn.

for funnsies:

back in the day circa 2001 when i loved pink. this particular event was halloween, but really i just wanted to wear a bunch of pink. i lent that wig to someone to wear a few years back when they were feeling down and i never got it back. whoever that person is(i can't recall), is dead to me.

i've been working on a few home improvement/decor projects of late and for my home office i've been referring to this picture. and no, i don't pinterest. yes, i know it's wonderful. but i have plenty of other ways to waste time so i've made the conscious decision to not pinterest my time away. 

i think i would paint my walls pale gray(surprise) instead of white.

pink wallpaper

and i'm eyeing this for curtains(this print has been one of my favorite for years. i have pillows in the green version of this):

waverly cross section raspberry

or this:

waverly lovely lattice jungle

and this rug:

rug

i dream of pencil skirts

some of my favorite dreams are about clothes. or flying and then diving in water and then pushing off the ocean floor and flying again. or a shopping spree. or a shopping spree where i am flying. i haven't been shopping at all lately though. i was at homegoods/marshall's looking for baby stuff today and i picked up several items for myself and then i realized, i'm pregnant! like somehow i'd forgotten over the last 31 weeks and all this heartburn and swelling is just for fun. wah wah. even if i am eventually the same size, it doesn't mean everything will be in the same place. it happens with each baby. clothes i once loved may not necessarily flatter postpartum. now this paragraph has transitioned from dreams to nightmares. *note to my sister who is due 3 weeks before me with her 1st baby- EVERYTHING WILL BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. you need to know this.*

recent mom style:

denim jacket- gap

cardigan- garnet hill

t shirt- target

pants- old navy

sandals- bakers

i do not like the boots with this outfit. no gracias. they look tight on my calves.

tank- tjmaxx

vest- marshalls

button up- JCP

skirt- destination maternity(it WAS painful. thanks for asking.)

boots- gianni bini

cardigan- kohls

blouse- thrifted

jeans-old navy

shoes- target

scarlett:

vest- target

dress- consignment

boots- old navy

band aid- hello kitty

there is no injury underneath that hello kitty band aid. this was purely fashion statement. this outfit received zero fashion direction from me.

i dreamed of a green pencil skirt a few nights ago. it was wonderful until i woke up and didn't own it. 

but here's some stuff i am lusting for in the worst way possible.

jcrew

jcrew

my fave. i want curtains and a couch and a rug and a house and a car in this print: 

jcrew

and i am already planning my baby blessing outfit. i want to pair this skirt with a simple white popped collar oxford shirt a la carolina hererra with turquoise jewelry and turquoise shoes. 

downeast basics

does anyone have any input on the sizing of this skirt? i want this color in size medium since it''s supposed to be stretchy but that's not an option. either large or small. small post baby sounds pretty much terrible and soull crushing but i don't want the skirt to sit on my hips and i worry that will happen with the large. hmmm. quelle dilemma! 

the end.

stuff i don't want for valentine's day

i went to lunch with my valentine today. i wore red shoes and ironed my shirt. definitely a holiday. 

this is me in front of thomas' home office:

blouse- thrifted by deb! from jcrew!

jacket- target

maternity pants- old navy

shoes- steve madden via tj maxx

this is me in front of my home office(the heartbeat and inner sanctum of my household):

i have big plans for this office. but it will require my staple gun and a shelving unit. i do already have the fabric to recover my cork boards. i would also like to find a nice colorful map of my hometown of kansas city, MSSOURI and frame it. start holding your breath.

and things i don't want for valentine's, in no particular order:

giant teddy bear. i do not like stuffed animals. they are lice and filth incubators.

http://www.giantstuffedanimals.com/
  the gift that says i hate you

pajama gram- i heard john boy and billy talking about them on the radio and that about did it for me. 

behold the hoodiefootie:

which i actually wouldn't mind owning, but i don't want it for valentine's day. maybe groundhog day.

matching pillowcases-

matching tattoos:

unless it is a giant cat. that seems perfectly reasonable and romantic.

plus, thomas would look simply darling with a nice cat tattoo on his forearm

what i really want for valentine's day is to put on my swimsuit coverup and a sweatshirt because everything else on earth is so uncomfortable and then sit on the couch and watch E! grammy awards fashion wrap and then battlestar galactica on netflix whilst battling my restless leg syndrome and drinking tons of water with copious amounts of crushed ice. sitting next to thomas=heaven.

i'm every woman

i've been pretty torn up about whitney houston. i haven't been crying like one of those weirdos who thinks that they really "know" a famous person and i won't be buying a commemorative t-shirt(you know they will be at wal*mart in just a few short weeks. i love capitalism.) but i was really really sad when i heard the tragic news last night. whitney was the best and i really wanted to see her overcome her personal struggles. her version of "do you hear what i hear" is the only version of that song i will tolerate. this morning while i was getting ready for the day i was singing all my favorite whitney tunes at the op of my lungs(everyone loved it! my talent has always been appreciated.) and i mentally cataloged(i googled that spelling, thank you very much) my personal whitney memories. 

1. dancing in my neighbor's garage to "i wanna dance with somebody" whilst wearing acid washed shorts and an artfully paint splattered t-shirt.

2. attending and performing in a piano recital in 1987 where there were no fewer than 4 simplified piano arrangements of "the greatest love of all". my mother made me stick to the classics. so boring.

3. having a crush on the guy with the locker above mine and thinking that "i want to run to you" would definitely be our song. if i could simply open my mouth and talk to him.

4. being SO JEALOUS that, andrea young, got the bodyguard soundtrack from her very serious 8th grade boyfriend, nick wallar, on valentine's day, 1993. that was true love.

5. listening to whitney houston- the greatest hits nearly non-stop during the summer of 2000. when i wasn't listening to that i was watching "she's all that" with my cousin jen. all we had was a VCR that summer, no cable or local programming. a VCR is an ancient recording device that used to play video cassettes. video cassettes are what the Bible was originally written on.  

6. about a month ago i was running errands all my by lonesome and "i will always love you" came on and i was singing like i was on stage and kevin costner was my thinning-haired, mouth-breathing boyfriend/bodyguard. i was so into it that by time i arrived at my destination, i had tears running down my face. in my defense i am pregnant and my kid's simply don't appreciate the volume of my vocalizations. 

it is a sad day when you are old enough that multiple of your childhood idols have passed on. michael jackson. whitney houston. corey haim. alf. who's next?

i love this picture. too bad it's blurry. like a cackling witch. or as my dear mother would say, "you laugh like a hardended woman."

the end.

mothers and daughters

since i am the mother of one girl and i'm about to have another, the topic of raising a daughter has been on my mind a lot lately. being a mother of a son has made me want to be a better person, being a mother of a daughter has made me want to be a better woman. if i were to compile a list of things i wanted to cover in raising a girl, near the top would be proper skin care and not picking at your face(this one took me a LONG time to master) and choosing your friends wisely. i've been blessed with some really incredible friends and then i've encountered my share of duds. scarlett is only 4 1/2 and we've already seen both sides of this equation with her little friends. i think the hardest thing is trying to explain to her why someone would be mean to her. unfortunately, not all people outgrow this and you have to encounter it for the rest of your life. in my own life i've developed the philosophy of:

you don't have to be everyone's friend, you just have to be polite

it's better to be alone than to deal with people who don't truly care for you.

what do you think is some of the most important advice you could give to your son or daughter? or what's the best advice your parent gave you?

learn to budget? study hard? shop with a grocery list? forgive? eat healthy and exercise? pray? definitely pray. 

you know what is really fun? watching scarlett put together her own outfits. she definitely has her faves and is not opposed to some unexpected layers and bright color combinations. and surprising poses!

you can see her fairy wings that she wore to church last week that were surprisingly not a distraction. at all. miracle of miracles. 

and i think my proportions on this outfit were off. but, i was super comfortable for church and that's nice. whatev. 26 weeks.

skirt- gap

sweater- tjmaxx

shoes- target

scarlett

sweater-target

skirt- gapkids

shoes-target

tact and filters and gray and arc training

GRAY! i love you so and i always will.

cardigan- old navy

tank- thrifted

skirt- thrifted

shoes- target

while i normally just say whatever comes out of my mouth and hope people aren't offended, i've come to realize that's probably not the best course of action. having a filter on my mouth might be a good thing. today someone expressed distaste to me about one of my opinions and i thought, "wow, that was rude!" and then i thought, "i do that all the time. I'M RUDE!(but usually right. hahahahaha!)". so, i shall do better. i will try to only say rude things in my head. or on this blog. and i will try and use some tact when my opinion is required. 

the point of concern was on my color choice for my new baby room. 

my baby room inspiration:

little green notebook

i love this. i love that you could take out the crib and the toys and it would look great with a couch or a table.  but apparently not everyone thinks gray is an appropriate baby room color. but i do. so there.

completely unrelated thought:
i've had to give up running in recent weeks. my pelvis and pregnancy just aren't friends right now. it's been like losing a trusted friend whom i love and loathe at the same time. unfortunately, my back pain has just been too much for me. sometimes i can run around fine and then other times i lose my legs from underneath me and i end up on the floor. i've had to resort to new measures. thus far i tolerate the arc trainer. it's almost like running but with almost no impact. and i can work up a better sweat than on an elliptical. 

my glutes currently look exactly like this. exactly like this.

and perhaps if i spend enough time at it i can enter an arc trainer marathon. sort of like a treadmill marathon, but less hard but probably equally boring.

tosh.0 hermosa beach treadmill marathon

the most important thing i wore today

the most important thing that i wore today was my "i voted" sticker i got after i voted in the south carolina presidential primary. it's a great feeling to exercise my right, my privilege, and my duty. 

 this week i actually broke down and bought a couple of things to stretch(literally) my wardrobe for the next 15 weeks. i know, that's all! we're getting close! and we still don't have a name, but we do have a paint color for baby X's room.

 t-shirt- from target. i like the weight and length of this shirt. it was $10 and i bought a size small. the only drawback i have that i feel the v neck stretches out by then end of the day. i'm not a big fan of layering t-shirts so i just added a scarf to keep everything important under wraps.

jeans- old navy maternity smooth-panel skinny jeans. i can't believe this, but i love these jeans. they are not mom jeans. the panel feels like swimsuit material and therefore doesn't cut into my gut and create an unflattering seam . bonus- i look like a regular person from behind. the pockets sit on my fanny instead of 5 inches above or below their rightful place, like i'm the one wearing a diaper. these jeans recognize that i'm not just a mom, i'm a woman. 

purse- timi and leslie diaper bag. thomas gave me this for christmas and it's a dream. it doesn't even look like a diaper bag. i am already carrying it and my baby is still on the inside of my body. no disney characters or silly gewgaws for me thank you very much. 

the real deal

a haiku to debra:

you sent me new clothes

when i was nearly without

i am now your slave

no joke. without debra of i dream of anthropologie, this would be a topless picture. while that would probably up my readership numbers through the stratosphere(not to toot my own horn but pregnancy has been my friend) but that's not the angle i'm going for on this blog. about a month ago the lovely debra sent me a package full of clothes that she had thrifted for me so that i could dress this pregnant belly. i've never met debra before in real life. she did this out of the blue and out of the goodness of her own heart. thank you deb for taking a chance on a kid like me. i am indebted to you.

blouse- thrifted via deb

sweater- old old old

belt- gap

pants- target

boots- ebay steve madden

this is how i laugh. i was watching a community rerun. that show cracks me up. they are on the brink of cancellation so they are doing whatever the heck they want. and my 13 year old boy brain loves it.

both these images are from the same episode:

final note-

i saw this at target today. scarlett is never allowed to play with a ken doll that looks like this.

 1. his is hair flat-ironed a la billy ray cyrus.

2. that is a woman's belt he is sporting. i'm not that progressive.

4. men in tank tops gross me out. and the fact that he is wearing a knit mugger cap with a tank top is especially disconcerting. his head is cold but his arms are not? really? pick a side ken! emo truck driver with an affinity for stealing young girls grosgrain belts just isn't working.

bellbottom girls, you make the rockin' world go round

i don't have as many resolutions this year. i feel like i'm just keeping my head above water lately. so improving myself is going to the wayside a little bit. i'll try to improve in a few ways, but with a new baby on the way, 2012 may be the year of just getting by.

1. no junk january. my favorite resolution every year. after the sugar deluge of the holidays, it's always nice to detox for a month. this chik-fil-a cookies n' cream shake was my final indulgence. plus, baby X isn't too keen   on too many junk food items, much to my dismay.  

2. be nice. i know i can do it. it will take work and effort. i have a very limited natural ability to be nice so i definitely need to learn to develop this skill over the next 12 months. 

3. run a half-marathon in october. i think about this one all the time. i can't wait for my hips to be my own again and to get back into training. 

4. vacuum my stairs more often. not just when people are coming over. stairs are a workout in themselves and i have two different staircases to manage. 

5. create follow a budget as if my life depends on it. for everything. especially menu planning. 

6. find a real lip color. chapstick is not a color.

cropped sweater- thrifted by my darling deb

blouse- michael kors

belt- fossil

jeans- old navy

shoes- steve madden

*pregnancy fashion tip- these jeans are not maternity jeans. i bought these high-waisted flares for $9 a couple of months ago. they are a size too big from my normal pre-pregnancy size, but they are perfect for months 4 and 5 of pregnancy when maternity pants my still not fit properly. i wear these pants all the time. i wish i had bought another pair. 

seize the booty

i love pirate's booty. i'm not embarrassed by this declaration. it makes me feel like i could be in a 17th century nautical gangsta rap video. i could eat it everyday. in fact, i do! i even cleared out wal*mart's shelves a couple of weeks ago. apparently they aren't going to carry it anymore and i got the rest of their stock for 38 cents a bag. i don't know where i will go for my fix in a few weeks.

blouse- JCP

dress- shabby apple cleopatra

boots- enzo angiolini

though the crunchy, puffed air and white cheddar are delicious, i think my favorite part is when reagan calls them pirate's sha-booty. and that's just adorable.

happy new year. resolutions to come. i like resolutions almost as much as pirate's booty.

the end