Fall Outfit Showcase

This fall I've decided to join in with Anne and Jacqueline to clear out the clutter and focus on creating a wardrobe with for each season with items that I truly enjoy. Read all about that process here. Today I'm linking up to highlight what outfits I've created since the big clean out!

So far my fall outfits have included lots of layers like I expected, just not quite the type of layers highlighted in my fall inspiration looks (seen here).This unseasonably warm weather we've been having this month plus having my own personal heather hanging out in my belly has meant layers including lightweight scarves, cardigans, or blazers that can be shed when leaving the air conditioned office at the end of the day, and still plenty of bare legs. Not to mention I've only worn booties once! I'm hoping next months' highlights include some of these same favorites with just a few adjustments to account for what I hope is some cooler weather!

Making a Skirt Work

dress: Target

sweater: thrifted

shoes: Target

When I heard that Andi and Inge were co-hosting a skirt themed link-up I knew it'd be fun to join in but had an issue - I've had a pretty seriously skirt aversion during pregnancy. I've worn a maxi skirt a few times (not documented on the blog though) and had one skirt that earlier on I could just roll under my belly but that hasn't worked comfortably for awhile (and I don't think that was ever documented either!). 

Dresses have been my go-to though, so I decided to give the tried and true blogger gem of an idea to wear a dress as a skirt a try - and I loved it! The dress I just posted about was perfect for layering. The bonus is that it made me feel better about spending more money on another dress because I figured out a way to make it more versatile. The downside is that I'm pretty sure my days of any pull-over sweaters fitting over my belly are likely very limited. :) 

White Pants & Tunic

tunic: Meijer

tee: Target

pants: Target (maternity)

boots: Target

It's pretty clear I think that most of us in the blogging community pretty much disregard the whole no white after Labor Day rule. I'm especially ignoring that rule this year since these white maternity pants have been a heavy favorite of mine and there is no way I'm giving up any pair of pants that actually fits me before I have this baby!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might've seen that this tunic paired with leggings and Converse was a new weekend favorite. Once you find a favorite, you just don't let it go so this was how I switched the look to be a little more work appropriate (we have a pretty laid back office and some days all my appointments are phone appointments anyway, so that helps!). Breaking out the booties was a good way to begin the shift into fall, but keeping the white pants to slow down that transition just enough. :) 

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So and The Pleated Poppy...

An Unexpected Find

tee: Target

cardigan: Dollar General

pants: Loft (maternity)

shoes: Target

I've always been one to browse through the clothes section of any store I find myself in - dollar stores included, which is where I surprisingly found this knit cardigan I guess we'll call it. The night before my husband's big race he realized he forgot a towel to throw in his swim to bike transition area so while he prepped the rest of his stuff, I ran across the street from our hotel to Dollar General to buy a cheap towel for him.

A half hour and one phone call from my husband wondering why I was taking so long later, I had bought the towel he needed, some candy corn, and a really comfortable men's t-shirt (I'll profess my love that that probably later this week!). That t-shirt was so perfect that my search for more of them once we were back in Columbus led to the find I'm highlighting in this post. Of course the quality isn't great, but it's a print that's different than anything else I own and it's a nice light layer. I have a feeling it will get plenty of use! Have you ever found an item you really like in someplace really unexpected?

Fall Favorite

dress: Target (maternity)

scarf: World Market

shoes: Old Navy

This week kicked my ass you guys. I think I can officially say that I'm past that glorious stage of pregnancy with energy and feeling the need to organize everything and I'm onto feeling tired, uncomfortable, and even felt sick a few times this week. Fun stuff around here. But I'm trying to feel grateful that this has been a very healthy pregnancy and to remember that it will be over soon and then a whole new challenge will be here to exhaust both of us...caring for a newborn! :) 

One item in my closet that's comfortable (so much stretch!) and still makes me feel pretty is this dress, so when I saw that Bri's Third Thursday Threads this month was all about your fall favorite, this is the first item that came to mind. It's essentially the 3/4 sleeve version of my favorite dress from this summer (I wrote about my love for that one here for Bri's link-up last month!) so I'm by no means surprised I already love it so much!

Feeling Good

dress: Target (maternity)

blazer: Target

belt: thrifted

shoes: Target

This may truly be my favorite maternity outfit so far. While I've been really drawn to flowy, layered looks, I also think pregnancy is the perfect time to flaunt a belly by wearing more fitted clothing. When else is it good to draw attention to some extra cushion in your mid-section? :)

But truly - stripes and a belt? I was seriously highlighting this baby and loving every compliment I received because when you feel really big and completely lacking control of what your body looks like, it definitely puts a smile on your face to hear some kind words about your appearance. Kind people make the world a happy place! :)

One Last Time

top: Target (maternity)

sweater: Kohl's

pants: Loft (maternity)

shoes: Famous Footwear (Lifestride brand)

With the forecast that look like they're finally dropping and will likely stay that way, I figured I'd take these summery coral wedges out for one last spin before making the switch to fall options. I'm really looking forward to bringing back the booties (they're my favorite!), but just might might miss these wedges a bit. They're a bright color! They're striped! They were only $20 (but apparently now they're on sale for only $15), and they're even comfortable! It may be a long winter without them. :)

That Dress Again

dress: Target

jean jacket: Old Navy (super old!)

booties: Target

bracelet: souvenir from Jamaica

Are you guys sick of this dress yet? Thankfully I'm not! This outfit was perfect for a baby shower that I went to last weekend - even my sister-in-law and niece had the same idea and showed up in dresses and jean jackets too. Great minds think alike! After the shower I headed to the expo for the race my husband was competing in the next day (read all about that here if you haven't already) and all I had to do was switch the booties out for my black converse sneakers and I was good to go to walk around. I may love those sneakers even more than I love this dress!

Weekend Wrap Up

L to R top row: checking out the water temperature the day before / checking out the roller coasters on the drive through Cedar Point

L to R middle row: full triathlon group preparing for the race to start / my momma and I catching up while watching for my husband to bike back by us / biking by the 100 mile marker

L to R bottom row: my niece and I enjoying our virgin daiquiris while taking a spectator break  / my niece learned how to spell my name over the weekend and also drew me this beautiful portrait :) / crossing the finish line!

This weekend was race weekend for my husband. It was the big one that he had been training for since January! I think I've referenced it here but never said too much about it, but the race trained for was a full triathlon - a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, ending with a 26.2 mile run. He's crazy. And I totally love it! :) My husband is competitive, incredibly dedicated to the physical training involved and is probably the most mentally tough person I know. Characteristics I hope he passes on to our son because he sure as hell won't pick any of that up from me! 

The race started and finished at Cedar Point, which is close to where my husband grew up. That made the logistics of it much easier, not to mention that because we were close to home he had plenty of people showing up to cheer for him along the way. His parents, sister, and our 5 year old niece were there all day (our niece is a trooper for lasting that long just watching a race!), one of his aunts camped out along the run route, my mom made the hour drive over to watch the bike with us, and even my brother and his girlfriend made that same drive later in the day to watch some of the run. 

With a time of 11 hours, 40 minutes, and 15.296 seconds it was a long day but he did great! It took until pretty far into the run for us to be able to tell that he was really being tested, but he survived and he's already talking about possibly doing another one in a couple of years. I'm feeling pretty thankful to get to be there and see him experience that huge accomplishment, especially after seeing the hours of training he put in each week! Also thankful for the extra days added to our weekend (Friday and Monday off was definitely necessary!) to spend some additional time together. So now that it's Tuesday, I guess bring on the work week!

August

Loft

gray cropped chinos $32.50
tan skinny jeans $37.50
olive cargo pants $40.00

Target

white tee (not pictured) $8.48
blush booties $10.48
black converse $17.48
black maternity tee $22.99
gray tee (not pictured, but seen here) $9.98
purple maternity tee (not pictured) $11.88
olive tee $8.98

Sam's Club

green blazer $19.99

Walmart

track pants (not pictured) $13.88

Another month with more dollars spent than probably should've been, but I feel like most purchases made his month were necessary for actually having options that fit me in the home stretch of my pregnancy. I'm very thankful to have had a very normal pregnancy so far with no issues, but even so I think it's been hard getting bigger and bigger and still trying to dress with a sense of personal style. It was easier when I could regularly still use some tops or dresses from my closet that are non-maternity to supplement my options, but my belly has gotten to a size where those non-maternity options are beginning to dwindle. 

Because of this, I expect that the battle of finding the balance between buying too much and maintaining enough options that I still look forward to getting dressed each day to be even harder these last two months. My excuse for the non-maternity purchases made this month? Basics with a forgiving fit that I'm hopeful will serve me well as I settle back into whatever my post baby body may be later this year. And the shoes - come on...would you have passed up those bargains?! :)

Linking up for Budgeting Bloggers...

Currently

Writing

In my new journal, random thoughts and ideas for the blog. Here's hoping I actually keep using it...I'm kind of notorious for buying a pretty journal with big ambitions for it, then letting it sit unused somewhere either at home or at work.

Anticipating

The arrival of our little nugget this fall of course. So much to learn, but slowly starting to feel like we'll actually be capable of being good parents. I'm starting to focus on the more practical preparations, but it sure has been fun to see his nursery begin to come together!

Missing

I'm thankful to say nothing really comes to mind - I'm feeling pretty content these days!

Wearing

The pretty limited amount of my wardrobe that still fits! This black dress has been a constant favorite though - did you catch my post highlighting two of my favorite ways I've worn it?

Craving

No specific type of food lately, actually it's been quite the opposite and nothing particular ever sounds all that great. But fall weather - that's what I'm currently craving! College football starting this past weekend felt like the kick off to fall, but just waiting for the weather to catch up. (A photo from tailgating last year with my brother - football season it going to be a much different experience this year!)

Linking up with Anne again today (and Jenna!), but this time for the "Currently" series...

Fall "Capsule"

In case you missed it, yesterday I detailed my closet clean out project. I hope that it's a continued effort, but I at least feel like I'm off to a great start! Today I'm linking up with Anne and  Jacquelyn to look ahead and talk about what will be included in my fall options (what pieces are the focus for September, October, and November), but before that I want to first highlight what made it's way out of closet and what I still have left to tackle...

The stats:

Number of pieces donated/pitched (if it was too worn) = 68

Number of pieces currently in my closet for this fall = 105 (ish) not including shoes, workout/lounging clothes, and sports team tees. 
*this is why the title of this post is "capsule" - a far cry from the more minimal approach implied by the word capsule, but hey - progress!

Remaining to-do list:

- Go through the 3 under the bed tubs I have of clothes that are stowed away for after pregnancy. Many of these items are pants and skirt, and since I'm nervous about changes to my body post-baby, I'll save that task for when I feel back to a size that feels realistic and manageable.

- Go through my dresser. We're sports fans and I have plenty of cute t-shirts and sweatshirts to support all our favorites (the Buckeyes, the Browns, and the Cavs). I've started it, but these need to move to the new-found space in my closet to allow space other than the bedroom floor for my collection of comfortable t-shirts I live in at home. You know, the t-shirts from junior high and high school that are going nowhere. I'm not looking to downsize that much! :)

- Go through all my denim. Jeans may be the hardest thing for me to get rid of. I have a few non-maternity options that are currently back in my closet that will be the most likely to fit first post-pregnancy. Again, I'll go through these after I've recovered from baby.

- Go through my shoes. Just plain not ready for it - this will be a process, so I don't feel the need to complete it all in one weekend. 

Now...on to some of my favorite looks from Pinterest!

top row left to right: 1 / 2 / 3
bottom row left to right: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

I am all about the neutrals apparently, which is pretty clear if you take a look at what made the cut for fall in the picture below! (minus the 3 rows of sweatshirts + all my sports tees). For your viewing pleasure, I provided the top 2 photos as an overview, then the bottom 3 photos as close-ups of each section. My tops and sweaters are organized by color, then within that section they're organized by sleeve length. My closet is about the only thing I maintain that level of organization with!

I started to get a little nervous about the heavy reliance on black, gray, and tan especially when it came to sweaters to layer since that's the look I'm currently drawn to so in a moment of weakness, I stopped by Target on my way home from work and picked up a few things. On clearance I found a teal maternity t-shirt and this cardigan in almost a bright teal color. This cardigan came home with me too - the color was one that I didn't have in my closet and it will contrast really well with all of the maternity pants I have (gray, khaki, olive, black, and white). I also couldn't say no to this dress because it's essentially the fall version of my favorite maternity dress, which is the one piece of maternity clothing I may actually be sad to have to stop wearing at some point. That's still a lot of items to have included, but I feel good about where I am right now especially because I don't remember the last time my closet had extra space in it, so let's see how this goes! 

Downsizing

When I read about Anne's idea of downsizing her current wardrobe and creating a capsule wardrobe for each season, I was intrigued. I've read a little bit about the concept specifically from the blog Anne recommended, Unfancy, but just don't think I could narrow each capsule down to 37 pieces. Since I don't work from home and instead spend 40 hours a week in a professional (although somewhat casual) environment I knew I would need more to accommodate weekday and weekend looks. So even though I've decided not to limit myself to a specific number of items, I used this as an opportunity to take a good look at the excess in my closet and to at least start to downsize! 

  Step 1 - Pull out the obvious choices for donation/hitting the trash. 

I knew this would be a project to really dig into over the weekend, but was getting a little antsy so I started this step last week. I decided to let go of the cardigans that were at the point where they were looking a little worn and aren't really my style anymore anyway and the t-shirts that were necessary at my old job because of the lack of air conditioning but haven't been worn much since, if at all (and I've been at my current job for 2 years now!).

Step 2 - Take everything out of your closet. 

During this stage I took everything into one of the spare bedrooms. It was a pain to go back and forth, but I knew this would be a multiple day project and if I kept it in our bedroom, then all organized piles would be shoved to the side the second they were in my way. I liked Jacquelyn's idea of tackling this section by section instead of pulling everything out of my closet all at once. My closet has tops/most sweaters organized by color, so I pulled out a few sections at a time. As I did this, I kept a pile of clothes I'll wear this fall (September, October, November) then hung the other keepers in the closet of that spare bedroom in the following 4 sections:

- winter items (December, January, February)

- spring items (March, April, May)

- summer items (June, July, August)

- fall items that I won't be able to wear until fall 2015 because there's no way they'll come close to fitting my pregnant body (September, October, November)

 

Step 3 - Do a bunch of laundry.

I'm kind of the worst about doing laundry during the week and we've had a few busy weekends so it piled up a bit. Actually catching up on it meant getting a realistic picture of what I have that's currently working for me.

Step 4 - Start to put clothes back in my closet...

...and maybe freak out a bit about how much less there is. :) 

Step 5 - Get the donations out of the house.

The longer they're here the more likely I am to second guess my decisions! I have to admit, I already let one t-shirt sneak back in because I had second thoughts about it.

Check back in tomorrow when I'll be linking up with Anne and Jacquelyn to see just how much I've gotten rid of so far, my remaining to-do list as part of this project, and details of what items made the cut for this fall!