Fashion that Fits Me (and the baby)

Baby Shower Dress from More Me

So after my little rant on the awful maxi dress, I did a little searching. Putting in Retro Maternity I found a few really great dresses. I was sent at a webpage I love when I'm not sporting a basketball belly. If you haven't been to it yet ModCloth does vintage/retro clothing. I have gotten a dress(not prego) from them before and loved it. Every time I visit their site I fall in love with a (or 50) new dress (or shirt, or skirt, or shoes, or.....). I typed in maternity and low and behold they have a bunch of dresses a bit more reasonably priced than A Pea in the Pod   which has some adorable dresses but as I have said before I can't stand spending that kind of money on a dress I may wear once to a moderately special occasion (I think I spent $20 on a cocktail dress for my husband's company Christmas Party that I have worn numerous times). What is really sad is that if this was a pair of shoes I think I would have no problem putting down $150 even if I wore them one night.  

I really loved The Baby Shower Dress from More of Me Maternity. Which comes in Blue and Pink depending on the gender of the baby. Super cute! The style is really great too. Not to mention the cut and length suits me well. On the down side on sale it is $99, not bad but regular priced $198. What is to guarantee I have a boy/girl ever again. However looking at it I think I could make it work pregnant or not. Still I think my husband might go catatonic if I spent his performance chip money for our diesel on a single dress. 

On Modcloth I found dress on their From Here to Maternity line. (also the Belles and Whistles Dress is fabulous)

Something Blue

Perfectly Curated Dress

My hesitancy with these is they don't look like they would actually fit especially during the later weeks of my pregnancy though definitely afterward so that's a plus but I also wouldn't be spending terribly much for a dress that might have to wait till baby is out. The last page I found that I loved was Shabby Apple's mama apple. Exactly what I was looking for. Still in the upper range for some of them but not over my $100 limit for the wedding. Some of them would also definitely work for wearing after baby. So now I have options to mull over.

As a side note apologies to those of you who can wear those maxi dresses, though you probably are people who wish your counter tops were higher (I don't, I need them lower). 

Maxed out on Maternity Shopping

I am having the hardest time shopping for clothes being pregnant. For some reason when I was younger that all the Pregnancy clothes were super cute. I couldn't wait to be pregnant so I could wear girly cut clothes. However upon entering my second trimester I have had the worst time buying clothing. It wouldn't matter so much if I could stay home in my yoga pants and tank top. Unfortunately this is not possible. I have a wedding to go to where my husband is a groomsman so I kinda have to wear something presentable. Also going on a road trip to see extended family that will make their judgements; plus I am making Kyle take me to Seattle and I don't want to look frumpy at dinner at the Space Needle.

My biggest peeve of all of the maternity clothes is the ridiculous Maxi-dress. What person invented this tent! They must be stoned and ridiculed in the streets. Seriously people, I am 5'2". I cannot wear one of these even in my third trimester without tripping over 6-10" of fabric. I don't know who these Amazonian women are who can wear these horrid things but why can't they wear normal sized dresses and have them a little shorter. With the Maxi dress length any woman that could fit into one length wise would have a knee high dress with one that went to my ankles.

In my frustration I ranted to my husband. He is also baffled by these dresses. News flash, men HATE Maxi-dresses too.  If you aren't pregnant you will look pregnant sporting on of these. If you are pregnant you look fat (truth hurts). Trust me I recently have seen both.

I'm begging you fashion industry please make cute clothes for women! Other people can wear your other junk you have now but I'm a woman and I would like to look like one not a dude, not a hooker, not a spring break Mardi Gras girl, not a polyester grandma, not a frumpy high school girl self conscience about her body. A real woman. Remember fashion icon Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn?

On a less bitter note, I did find an adorable
dress at Ross for $7. Cotton T-shirt material
 super cute that doesn't show every lump and bump
(problem in my 2nd trimester, I look like I'm
developing a beer gut rather than a baby belly still.
Partially because I don't have an actual belly button
but a long scar, due to a birth defect.) High waist-ed
with an A-line skirt. While I don't typically
wear stripes this dress really worked. Horizontal
stripes up-top to emphasizing my two best pregnancy
attributes with vertical stripes on the skirt to elongate the rest of me. Of course mine doesn't have sleeves. I actually got several dresses/skirts in the regular dress racks at Ross. Basically if your looking for casual maternity clothes look no further than clearance racks or discount stores (honestly why pay full price on something I may not wear again). However I am still trying to find formal dresses that I don't need to spend over $100 for (I won't pay that much for dress I may wear once unless I'm in a wedding) or look like blob. Oh well, the search still continues.       

Craziness at the O'Neill House

So in April my husband and I found out we were having a baby. Not that I don't need another thing on my plate. We also adopted another dog (actually he adopted us found him on our door step) that makes three dogs. But none the less I'm still going to school and working on my house.

We started a huge remodel because we found mold in our bathroom a few months after we moved in.
(I fell through the shower wall) So all my decorations went into my craft room and I open that door and I look like a hoarder.  My plans for decoration consist of:

• Living room ~ Orange and green in various shades. Bright and cheery with super white walls. I also happen to have a large window that has an alcove so I was considering painting various pots and putting them there so my dog will stop making "window art" with her wet nose.
• Library ~ Black square shelves complimented by some paintings I got while in Zambia. Room will be "world traveler" themed. Kyle and I have a collection of things from the places we have been over the years that will fit nicely. I got the largest painting for $20 at a market its about 3x2 feet. I haven't gotten a picture of it in its new frame. I am going to use the darker burnt orange with beige for that room.
• My dining room and kitchen has been stripped of all masculinity and has been grace by Audrey Hepburn. (Its okay I'll make up for it, my poor husband)
  
  
  • The bedroom is decorated in all my old wedding stuff. Blue and champagne, Parisian. Worked out really well because I bought drape fabric for the table clothes at my wedding for the purpose of making them drapes for my bedroom.  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Kyle's office is hunting lodge. Not sure how I want that to look.
    • Guest bathroom is in John Wayne (told you I would make up for the dining room) old west theme. My poster from my meet and greet with Josh Turner will be going in there (have I mentioned huge Josh Turner fan). 
    • Master bath extends the blue theme from the bedroom. However it is dark blue and masculine. I'm looking to put very square modern fixtures in. Got my tile all picked out too. Also putting faux wood that extends into the bedroom. 
    • Baby's room. Here is the one I'm super excited about! If its a boy it will be Doctor Who themed, yes Doctor Who. If its a girl I'm going with Degas Ballerinas. I am going to have way too much fun!
     I have to go help Kyle now. In his boredom he has decided to make his own vanilla coffee syrup. It is not going as planned. Oh well.