Casual Style

For the past week, I have been in a funk. I'm so stressed out. And worn out. I want to lounge in yoga pants. All Day. Err Day. Not an option though. Mama's got things to do.

I have settled for comfy clothes and hanging around the house. Okay, so hanging around the house is more of an obligation than an option at this time but the comfy...that's all me.

Here's an example outfits that I am wearing in order to be comfortable but still feel semi-put together.

Shirt: Nordstrom Rack

Jeans: G-Stage

Cami: H&M

TOMS: Boardwalk

Necklace: Sassy Lemonade

Also, putting a braid in your messy hair gives the illusion that said mess was on purpose. Go with it. And while you're going with that, ignore the lint in my hair...

Do you ever have days, weeks ...months like this? What do you wear? How do you feel put together and not hobo-ish. 'Cause I feel a bit of a mess.

Stitch Fix- Round Two

Alright everyone, it is Round Two of Stitch Fix here at Vessel, this time I need your help. Thanks to some referral credits, I am able to purchase 2 items. What, you want me to be able to purchase more next time? Sure, I'll take your the referral credit for ya, just schedule your first fix using this code HERE.

Man, that was shameless. Mama needs clothes though, yo! Anyhow, this time I can purchase two items. There are 3 items I love and two that are meh. I won't tell you which because I want honest votes...I may hint though.

I have to mail back the ones I don't want by tomorrow (Oct. 25th) at 5pm. So there's not much time. Comment here and vote on what I should keep.

One:
Lace Print Top
Initially thought it looked to old for me. On, didn't hate it. Dressed up a little I liked it a lot more.

Two:

Peplum Top

This was my first time ever trying on a Peplum top. I have big hips and was really afraid it would emphasize that. Not too bad. Don't hate the Peplum. (Ignore my overly slanted head, we were taking pictures at bed time and I was getting frustrated at how things were going haha)

Three:

Navy Striped Top

Every day wear and pops of color for date night or girls night or something. Love the versatility.

Four:
Tulle Orange Sweater.
Lightweight for our not so cool Fall Weather. Love the scalloping on this one.

Five:
Little Black Dress
Pulled this out of the box and thought the folks at Stitch Fix went crazy sending me a granny dress. Put it on and it's so not granny.

 So what do you think? What two items should I keep and what three should I send back?

Any guesses on what three I was debating before asking for help?

Oh and don't forget to schedule your own stitch fix. Not just so I get credit but because it's rad.

To see my first fix and read little more about what it is, go HERE.

Date Night Style

It's not often that my husband and I get to have a real date night. We get the occasional quick bite to eat thanks to having my mother in law and mama close by. But a full blown, get dolled up date night is rare.

Recently, we got a chance to have one. It is was so fun to do my hair and make-up and change out of my usual mom wear.

Even more fun is that hubby surprised me with a dress he knew I would love. When the package arrived, I was impressed to say the least. He sure does know me.

Because I didn't want to be to formal, I funk-ied (I make up my own words, don't hate) it up a bit with my jewelry. I absolutely loved the overall look. 

  

Dress- Nordstrom

Necklace- Stylefox

Bracelet- Relics by Tami

Shoes- Anchor Blue

What I Wore: Maternity Style

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the VIP Grand Opening of The Land of Nod at South Coast Plaza. As I have mentioned before, dressing the bump is tough. It is only getting harder.

Until...about a week ago when I was able to start wearing pre-pregnancy pants again, with a belly band of course. Ohhhh how life is making it easy on me. Thrilled. Like, on the real, I got giddy.

32 week baby bump

 Jeans: Target ::Not Maternity::
Hidden Belly Band: Motherhood Maternity
Tank: H&M
Cardigan: Target
Sandals: Big Surprise...Target again
Necklace you can't see: Premier Designs
 

Oh and for your viewing pleasure, this fab accessory is from The Land of Nod.

WIWW Maternity Style

Dressing the bump has proved to be quite the challenge this time around. With Rhiannon and Talon the baby doll style tops were really in. No need to buy maternity. A belly band and regular old clothes were all that I needed.

Oh how I wish that style would come back. Just until baby boy arrives. Let me tell you, the high-low and peplum tops just don't work when you have a bump the size of a basketball.

Don't even get me started on maternity clothes either. Finding stuff that doesn't look granny-esque but won't break the bank is tough work, yo. So, I have settled for looking a little bit frumpy. Long tanks from Old Navy and Target have become my B.F.F's. when I need to look half way decent I just throw on a cardigan or blazer and wa-la, I'm ready to go.

Sporting the 28 week bump

 This past weekend though, I needed to dress up for my cousin's wedding and it was way too hot for a blazer. After searching high and low for an affordable dress that didn't age me 20 years, I got desperate and went to the plus size section at Target. Everything was huge on me. But one dress fit the bump...still huge up top though. Luckily, my genius husband was tagging along. He told me to pinch the straps and see how it looked. Sure enough taking about an inch and a half in the arms made for great fit. Took it home, sewed it up and I was ready to go.

A few accessories and I felt confident to leave the house again. I think I may have found a new dress purchase fix. Altering fashionable plus sized dresses may be the way to go. I'll just cut off the XL tags to help my self esteem. :)

Dress:Target
Belt: Forever 21
Boots: Milano Shoes
Necklace: Premier Designs Jewelry
Earrings: Made with Pick Your Plum supplies

What We Wore and Small Biz Saturday

The last time we came to Oregon, I thought for sure that I would freeze to death. This year, thankfully, it was cooler in California. I was more prepped for the cold Oregon weather. Yesterday I was even able to leave the house in a thin long sleeved shirt. I felt like a real life Oregonian. I was proud.

My outfit:
Shirt: Old Navy

Tank: Anchor Blue

Jeans and flats: Target

Headband: Made by me

Rhiannon's Outfit:

EVERYTHING is Target. 

Oh yes, and don't let me forget the Small Business Saturday Sale:

WIWW- More than just an outfit post

In our day to day lives, we (women) wear two different types of... items, for lack of a better word.

::Top and vest- Old Navy.  Jean-Target.  Boots-Ross  Headband- Local boutique with Whippy Cake Clip::

There is our clothing. We wear it for practical reasons. You know, like staying warm and being modest. It is also worn to make us feel good about ourselves. We keep up with the latest fashions. We wear accessories to help out the cute factor. We wear our clothing as an expression of ourselves and our likes.

Then there's the second type of "item". The items that mean so much more. They serve a symbolic purpose.
It's our wedding band representing a commitment between ourself and our spouse. It is the heirloom piece handed down from one generation to the next. We hold these pieces near and dear to our hearts. They stand the test of the trendy times. We cling to them for a life time.

Today I received one of those items from a close friend.

If you know my story or have read my blog recently, you know of the loss of not one but two babies that we never got the chance to hold.

I have struggled so much lately to simply get by. My heart aches for the babies I am missing. My friend Tess was able to capture it all in one gift. To help this hurting mommy on a path of healing. All with this necklace.

::Necklace- Amy Cornwell::

A bar with mine and Stevens initials and our wedding date. Where it all began.
The heart charm. One heart for each one of our children. The two who are here with us and the two who are not.
And then two angel wings.

For the first time there is a visual of our family. Complete. Not just what meets the eye but what truly is.

Beyond that, this necklace represents the support and love of our friends. The prayers that they have poured out on us. The love they have for, not only us, but for our family. Our COMPLETE family. The extent of this gift cannot be expressed. The appreciation for this gift cannot be expressed. The joy that came from this gift cannot be expressed.

Because of what I'm wearing today, I feel a little more whole than I did yesterday.

What they Wore Wednesday

Today I am taking the kids to Disneyland and they are lookin' pretty cute, if I do say so myself. Since this week was a WIWW fail, I thought they could fill in for mommy.

First up is Rhi. She actually put her outfit together this morning. I'm not big on letting her pick out what she is going to wear when we go places but after this morning, she may just have free reigns!



Shirt and Capris- Old Navy
Sandals- Payless
Headband- Allora Handmade

Then Talon. He is the hardest to catch a shot of lately. He is on the go and not wanting to pose. So here you have it, Talon playing with sissy's princess' at the play table.

Shirt and Shorts- Childrens Place
Sandals-Payless
Crazy Bedhead- Being up from 1:30-4:00am!!!

What I Wore Wednesday - Mothers Day

This mothers day was extra special for me. Not only was it my first mothers day with two kids, my second born was also dedicated. The original plan was to dress nice for the baby dedication and then tone it down a little bit before our annual motherhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifday dinner. I was too busy in between to change anything. This is what I wore the entire day. Do not pay any mind to the fact that it is almost the exact outfit that I wore on Easter. Mama is on a budget!




Dress- Urban Outfitters
Boots- Ross
Headband- WhippyCake...the band itself is from a local boutique
Bracelet- Premiere Designs Jewelry
Necklace- Amy Cornwell . That's right I got the necklace that I dropped a few subtle hints for.

What WE Wore Wednesday

I'm linking up to ThePleatedPoppy's What I Wore Wednesday. You should too!
After a long weekend away at Creative Estates, there was lots of family time this week. Most of it was spent in our swimsuits and although I love you all, I just don't want to get that real with you. Ha! So here are the days we actually put some appropriate for the blog clothing on.

Tuesday Night was a long overdue date night. Dinner and a movie.

Shirt and Cardi- Target
Skinny Jeans- Old Navy
Boots- Ross
Purse- Local Boutique
Necklace and Bracelet- Premier Designs Jewelry
Hairclip- WhippyCake
Rhi wasn't quite ready to let mommy go so she jumped into the photoshoot...alond with her babies. Sorry you can't see her outfit too well, whenever I would squat, she would too.

T-shirt dress- Crazy8
Leggings-Target
Messy hair- park play

On Thursday, we went to Disneyland. Oh and the mess in their room? I can only crop so much. Remember I was gone all weekend at Creative Estates. Talk to my husband!

Tank-Target
Shirt- Forever 21
Jeans- Target
Shoes- Payless
Camera Strap- SheyB
Necklace- Swag from Creative Estates, generously given by The Vintage Pearl

WIWW- Creative Estates

This weekend I had every intention of taking pictures of all of my outfits and having the best WIWW ever. Um I failed. I was so distracted by all I was doing and all of the fun I was having. So, I have 2 out of 5 outfits for you to see.

Friday Morning-Afternoon.
Shirt- Old Navy
Skirt- Forever 21
Shoes- Target
Necklace- Bought years ago and refashioned by me.
Clutch- Olive Blue

Friday Night. At the end of the night, hence the messy hair.
Shirt- Forever 21
Jeans- Target
Boots- Ross
Headband- Rock-A-Bow

Thanks to Sandy A La Mode and all of her pictures she took of us this weekend, I have a shot where you can see one more outfit. Now this picture was take at the end of the day Saturday after we were running through the rain loading up our stuff, so I am a mess. Now that you have my disclaimer...

Shirt- Anthropologie
Super Skinny Jeans- Target

Aren't my friends super cute? That is Nicole (Olive Blue) and Lindsay (AisletoAloha)