mama style - 3.1 phillip lim for target

i wanted to start doing some "mama style" posts- posts that will show you that becoming a mom doesn't mean you get to just wear yoga pants and a tshirt forever.  i won't front- i do wear yoga pants and a tshirt- at home.  moms- get cute, and get out of yo house! 

so, like most people in the world- i love designer collaborations.  the chance to own designer goods for a minimal amount of money is something that i think anyone can get behind.  i believe target started it all with their go international collection- which i owned a few pieces from long ago, but now they're everywhere it seems.

everyone on the interwebs seemed to be freaking out over the 3.1 phillip lim collection- me, not being able to pass up a good bargain went down to check it out.  let's say i no longer share that enthusiasm.  maybe it's because i just had a baby, and i've still got a little bit of baby weight.  maybe it's because i'm short- and i can't afford to carry extra weight.  i don't know- but i'm beginning to think these collections are made for skinny people only.  this one was certainly a punch in the proverbial crotch of my self-esteem.  i don't know what it is, but the sizing is ALL OVER THE PLACE for these collections- at least on me.  i tried on nearly everything my store had - my thoughts follow!

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Sweater...

Price: 39.99

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Silky Skirt -Animal Print

Price: 29.99

thoughts:  the sweater was super-thick and would be perfect for winters up here, but i felt like it just hung on me and made me look dumpy.  plus, you can tell the sleeves have extra length on my arms, but i wish the sweater itself had more length.  maybe the sleeves are supposed to be scrunched up though?  this sweater was a medium and i felt fit me just fine.  the skirt- i really liked, although i don't wear a lot of skirts b\c i never know how to style them and i don't like how they sit on my waist- i would go back and buy this skirt on clearance.  i needed a 14 in this skirt (yes) which is 2-3 sizes bigger than the jeans i am currently wearing.  i like the skirt though, so i wouldn't let the number sway my decision.  i really wanted to try on the leopard print dress- but they didn't have it in the store on opening day- however, they did have it when i went to target yesterday, but i didn't get the chance to try it!

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Tank -Grey

Price: 24.99

 thoughts:  this tank was probably my favorite thing that i tried on, but i'm not paying $25 for one.  i'd definitely pick this up on clearance though! a medium worked for me in this style

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sparkle Dress - Blue

Price: 49.99

 thoughts:  this dress obviously didn't work for me.  on the left is a large, which hung on me like a potato sack.  on the right a medium- which was snug all over.  oh well.  a definite no.

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sweater Dress

Price: 44.99

thoughts:  this is the worst picture of me of all time to go on the interwebs.  the dress on me screamed "hey everyone, i just had a baby..."  ugh.  this was a medium.

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Pullover -Navy/Emerald

Price: 34.99

thoughts:  i really liked this top, but i tried on a medium and a large and couldn't lift my arms up.  if anyone knows what that means- tell me, b\c even in my pre-baby days when i was much smaller i had the same issue with tops/jackets.  target had an xl when i was there yesterday, i might try that b\c this was my favorite thing from the look book. 

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Silky Skirt -Navy

Price: 29.99

thoughts:  this fit well.  was the same as the animal print skirt. 

thoughts:  cute floral shirt dress, but i tried a large AND an xl and couldn't lift my arms up over my head- seriously.  wtf.  i don't have broad shoulders... what is up?

so overall, this collection was unfortunately a bust for me.  did you give it a try?  buy anything?  maybe i'll have better luck next time- and by next time i mean- today!  catherine malandrino for kohls!

dressember week 3: (december 18-24)

week 3..

day 12- december 18

dress: forever 21

cardigan: loft

tights & belt- target

flats- old navy

day 13-  december 20

 blazer and flats: loft

dress:  rodarte for target

belt, tights and tee: target

day 14-  december 22

dress: tucker for target

belt and tights: target

oxfords: swapped

day 15- december 24

dress & shoes: old navy

tights: target

one week to go...

sos- thanksgiving edition

i decided to dress it up this year for thanksgiving since i feel like i have a closet full of dresses that i never get to wear.  i don't think i've worn this dress since easter, and i was excited to put it back on and give it a little kick- with some colorful tights of course.  my father in law decided to wear zubaz pants and a tunic that we brought him back from our honeymoon (quite a sight to see, really), so as he said, it was up to us to bring color into thanksgivng.  gee, i'm flattered.  yellow is not my color by any stretch of the imagination, but put it on my legs, and it's not so bad.  this was before i gained at least 2 delicious pounds...

 my hair:  needs to be cut

dress:  tucker for target

tights: target

heels- old navy

ian has been pretty sneaky lately when it's come to picture taking.  of course, he learned to say "cheese" last week, so now he's all about it... here he is caught in the act of eating a crayon...

shirt: chaps

speaking of pretty dresses i never wear- i'm participating in dressember hosted by blythe hill.  for someone who doesn't get dressed every day, this might be easy.  or at least a reason to get dressed.  so i'll try this every day, except at work, where it's pants and tops only.  boo.  but it looks like that's not even going to be an issue...  i'll do these posts weekly too, to spare you the daily torture.  ;)

wish list friday: winter coats

i'm starting something new here called wish list friday in hopes that i will reinvigorate my blogging and blog reading.  and because i want a lot of things, and we're broke so i get no things.  it's like a collection of dreams.


first up, in honor of it SNOWING today.  grrrrrr brrrrr.... winter coats!

1.  candy cane cutie coat in frost by jack/bbdakota- modcloth (could replace my old white coat)

2.  duffle coat- delias (i love toggles)

3.  philanthropy chair charmer jacket by tulle- modcloth (cute short jacket)

4.  the icing on the coat in red velvet by knitted dove- modcloth (mmm, red velvet)

5.  calvin klein double breasted stand-up collar coat - lord & taylor (could use a new black coat)

6.  the perfect piccadilly coat by tulle- modcloth (cute retro plaid)

7.  ojai coat- jack by bbdakota (unique + love my current jack coat)

8.  polka dot margie coat by tulle- fred flare (sweet.  plus the dots are stitched, not printed)

9.  regimentary my dear coat by tulle- modcloth (love the zipper!)

10.  double cloth metro coat- jcrew (love the cobalt blue)

11.  very vermont jacket by jack/bbdakota- modcloth (looks warm!)

12.  candy apple chic coat- modcloth (belted & ruffled)

i doubt i'll be getting a new coat this year, but these are just so pretty to look at!

my biggest wish-  a safe & happy veterans day.  thankful for all those who served & who continue to serve- esp my family & friends.  praying for a safe return to the states this holiday season for my cousin carla's husband, austin. 

outfit transition- sunset glory dress

ever since i participated in the 30 for 30, er, 30 for 29 challenge, i've been looking for more creative ways to dress from my closet.  i have pulled 10 bags of clothes out of my closet to donate or attempt to sell in the last year (which is really sad, right?  but what's more sad- that i'm getting rid of 10 bags of clothes, or that i had 10 bags worth of clothes)...  clothes that will never again fit the body of one who had a baby, and clothes that fit the body of someone who just had a baby.  i am left with the in between.  i am resolving for the next month (or however long it takes) to wear the things in my closet that i haven't worn in a while.  try them out and see if they are worth keeping.  yesterday, i wore a cute purple plaid tunic & leggings.  i bought the tunic & wore it while i was pregnant.  the tunic is super cute, but one of the buttons kept gaping out- guess what melissa?  it doesn't fit, so you don't need it.  of course, if it was gaping open now, how did it look when i was pregnant... yikes!

i also want to put together more creative ways to make clothes last for more than one season.  so here is my first attempt at taking a look from spring/summer into autumn/winter!

starring:  modcloth's sunset glory dress

 spring/summer:

dress: modcloth

jacket: loft

bag: vera bradley

shoes: seychelles

and.....

 autumn/winter:

dress: modcloth

cardigan: target

tights: target

booties: forever 21

i was able to cozy up my outfit just a bit by adding a 3/4-length cardigan and toasty tights in a gorgeous navy shade!  on my feet are the most painful shoes i've ever worn in my life- adorable booties from forever 21.  it was my first time wearing them... i really hope that's why they're so painful. 

so this was fun... can't wait to try it again soon once it gets cold.. again. 

steppin' out last saturday

last week i took photos for my very first sos, but... they didn't make it to my blog.  not to fear- i didn't forget this week.  however, after we went out and ran errands (and got berated in the kohl's parking lot in a case of mistaken car-dentity), i came home, worked out, and slipped back into my pj's for the remainder of the day... no steppin' out.  so let's pretend that i went out last night...

mama:  top & skirt- loft.  sandals: old navy.

baby: top & shorts- osh kosh, belt- ralph lauren chaps, sandals- old navy

i haven't worn this outfit in a while.  it hasn't... fit.  look at me now...  also, ian has little to no interest in steppin' out on saturday, or holding an adult's hand while walking outside of the house... 

almost!

top: loft

skirt: loft

shoes: urban outfitters

polish:  mint candy apple by essie

i don't know why i didn't think of this pairing sooner because it's so obvious.  i love this silk skirt.  i probably mentioned in the last post that i got this skirt on final sale last summer for $4.88 or $9.88 or something absolutely wonderfully ridiculous like that.  while most of loft's final sale rack is full of things i don't care for or clothes sized 00P that i probably could've worn many moons ago- i do get a pretty sweet deal every once in a while.  one more day to go in this 30 for 30 journey.  i'm pretty excited.  so are the rest of the clothes in my closet.  you know who else is excited?

this guy.

oops

necklace: loft

tshirt: loft

shorts: loft

sandals: urban outfitters

remember how this is called a 30 for 30.  well, i discovered this weekend that i was having a 29 for 30.  hence the aforementioned oops.  i immediately added these shoes b\c my feet have cried over the fact that they haven't been on my feet for over a month.  i got these shoes 5 years ago in my only uo purchase ever, and i can't imagine life w\o them.  sadly, they are falling apart.  i had them fixed once, but i think soon they will either need to be totally resoled or tossed.  so welcome to the party white sandals!  better late than never! 

double duty

scarf- shop in curacao

dress- old navy maternity

belt- target

shoes- toms

i wore this outfit on friday & saturday and for some reason thought it would be best to take the picture on friday.  friday after riding my bike and not washing my hair, grocery shopping and making dinner @ 10 pm.  instead of saturday w\ washed hair, make up and a delightful day of lounging around.  i look slightly crazed here, and i was.  in fact, the best photo in this series was one of me giving my husband the bird, but that is not very nice or classy.  although i know some of you are fans of my "tiny middle finger."  if you ask nicely, i will send you that picture, and it will be just like college all over again.  yes, i'm talking to you peg sutter.*  also, i totally ripped this look off....  i bet you thought i was going to say that i'm totally ripped...  that too.

*names have been changed to protect the "innocent"

self-portrait

top: loft

shorts: old navy

shoes: toms

this is how you take a self portrait.  which is easy if you live in a house of mirrors like dave & i do.  in our bedroom alone there are 8 mirrors.  it's not what you think.  7 of them actually were in the room when we moved in.  it's just weird.  there are mirrors everywhere in this house.  so it helps to have a closet made of 4 giant mirrored doors.  that's really all you need for the perfect self portrait.  today's outfit was wrinkly, the bed is only halfway made and i had to take my own picture.  i'm starting to run out of ideas for what to wear.  4 ensembles to go!  i actually have 2 outfits to go, and i plan on finishing on saturday!  woo hoo!

blurry

cropped jacket: forever 21

dress: modcloth

sandals: havaianas

wow, it doesn't get much sadder that this was the best of all the photos dave took.  our camera stinks!  i dropped my camera when i was pregnant about a month before ian was born.  we bought a cheap camera on a whim- it's a decent camera except that it takes a million tries to get a picture that's not blurry.  dave was holding ian when taking these pictures, which could explain why it's so blurry and why my head is chopped off... wanna buy me a new camera?  

5 days to go... i'm running out of fresh ideas...  yikes

i have a problem

earrings: forever 21

jacket: loft

top: loft

pants: loft

shoes: havaianas

seriously, i get that i have a major problem w\ this 30x30.  everything i own is from the freaking loft.  this used to not be a problem.  but there are several major contributing factors:  1.  they have a petites section.  2.  they always have a sale going on, or i always have a coupon.  3.  they are convenient to my home.  4.  their clothes consistently fit me.  there are plenty of other places that i like or would like to shop at but... target- not a great size selection for/don't like a lot of what they have/can't find what i want.  forever 21- closed the one closest to our house, the next one is at woodfield, and i hate going there.  h&m- same- also @ woodfield.  so i will accept any & all ideas to get me out of my "rut."  i seriously am thinking about just shopping @ goodwill b\c i can probably afford it + more variety... but i'll accept any ideas (or donations)...  

today i did this with my hair and it was super easy & pretty... only problem, it was hard to keep pins in w\ nothing to really pin it to, but i will try this again.  you get to see how this hair style looked after 6 hours and 2 pina coladas...  mmm.  by the time we snapped the photo, it was looking a little mullet-esque

last minute

jumper: old navy

sweater: loft

shoes: seychelles

baby: adorable

this outfit wasn't supposed to be this outfit.   meaning, i was wearing something else when i got something all over myself and had to change.  not cool.  i only say not cool b\c i had to scramble for 15 minutes trying to work another outfit together.  this works though b\c i get to wear this jumper again and it is totes comfortable.  

hair:  today i tried this.  please don't be shocked when you see that my hair looks nothing like that.  i feel like my hair is just as long as hers, but i couldn't pull off the loose french braid- mine are always tight..  plus, by the time we took this photo, i had been running errands for 2+ hours... at least.  and i swear, i'm getting clear hair bands one day... it just looks weird w\o them

jump(er) around

we're all caught up!

jumper: old navy

sandals: havaianas

i just might wear this jumper every day for the rest of the summer.  srsly.  i own this beauty thanks to maegan (who looks quite sexy in it, if i might add).  when i saw it, i had to have one for myself.  she told me it was a steal from old navy.  so of course, i headed that way.  i found one- and it was an xxl, and was quite saddened.  but i took about 3 trips around the store and came back and not only were there more sizes, but more colors.  so it was between grey & black.  the price tag said $35, which i was not going to pay, but i got up to the register and it was only $8!  what what!  now, i wish i had gotten the black one too (and i might).  this thing is so comfortable.  i think i'll wear it again today... 

oh, my hair...  here's today's look for the summer of hair..  via pinterest.  it turned out really well except for the obnoxious pink ponytail holder that i chose.  i must not have braided as far down on this side, b\c i was able to tuck the other side into the bun.  i really need some clear hair bands!  i thought it turned out pretty cute though, and i even got a few (okay, one) complements!  

this is why we take multiple pictures

you're going to love this one...

top: loft

shorts: loft

shoes: seychelles

everything about this picture is laughable.  first, i had to crop dave's foot out of the bottom b\c he insists on laying on the ground instead of squatting to take a picture.  second, i look like an amazon.  third, this picture is awful b\c it's the only picture we took.  that's right, the camera died as soon as dave snapped this picture, so i was forced to work with what came out.  yikes.  i just don't think i like this top.  i think it might go very soon.  i can't decide.  there's just something about tops from loft with ruffles that just don't seem to work for me.  also, these shorts- falling down!  i bought these when i was pregnant, and they fit me very well then- now, not so much.  so, do i hold on to them for the next time around, or do i get rid of them too?  i guess i could always just wear a belt...

i'll think of a title later

tank- target

necklace- forever 21

scarf- swapped

belt- target

skirt- loft

wedges- target

i wanted to use this $2 tank again, but wasn't sure how.  then i remembered this fabulous idea from another blog i love.  it looks waaaaaaay cuter on her, but i think it work for me.  i still can't seem to pull it off quite like she does!  i got this skirt last summer & i love it- i'm pretty sure it was $4 final sale.  it's 100% silk and it's fabulous.  it also has to be dry cleaned.  boo.  i have yet to take it to the cleaners.  is that gross?  don't answer that.  also, an up close shot of this fabulous necklace.  the feathers have started to separate the longer i've had it, but i still love it.  it's so fancy.  

breezy

dress: modcloth

shoes: seychelles

this is what i decided to wear after the triathlon.   it was the best option.  pants were not an option.  basically i wanted the thing i owned that would spend the least time touching my skin.  this won.  i only had 27 items picked so far and wasn't sure if i would add this in or not.  guess what?  i did.  i also look severely pregnant and/or fat in this dress- i'm not.  pregnant that is.  i think i'm just really bloated.  i had already eaten 1300 calories and drank nearly a gallon of liquids by this point.  and most of those calories had been from some kind of energy gel.  gross.  at least my dress is pretty.

mix & match

sweater: loft

skirt: loft

shoes: toms

it's not in my element to mix patterns like this- unfortunately, my head doesn't think that way.  that's why i have so much trouble putting together a good outfit- b\c i can't think outside of the box enough to put something together.  this is why i read blogs and participate in blog challenges... b\c i need help.  so while i would never think to mix a stripe with a floral this girl would mix 2 florals, and the results, well, it's brilliant.  so i thought i can do that myself.  i love how this turned out.  i felt so casual and so comfortable, although i was dressed up... and boy did i need the comfortable.  i stuffed almost 2000 calories and 185 carbs in this outfit.  it's really embarrassing to say that, but listen people, i needed the fuel.  they don't call it carbo-loading for nothing.