Ladylike CosmoPrep

So my maternity inspiration on the forum Golden Pig/Natalie is a master at finding and pairing matching patterns and wearing them together. I thought of her when I paired my zebra printed jacket with my zebra printed kitten heels.

I was lamenting to Beth Ann on my post yesterday that some maternity tops are ridiculously DRAB. This one would be a prime example. In my defense, I bought this top online and had no clue that the blue had more gray undertones so it was not going to be the sharp vivid cobalt I wanted. I mentioned to Adelfa in her post earlier this week that "fake cobalt" looks great with black and white patterns. There's something about the high contrast of black and white that sharpens this shade of blue and makes it pop in the way you intended.

Also this top is made to grow with you but the sizing is HUGE. So even at 35 weeks this top has way too much room around the belly area for me. I thought the jacket and the white belt would give some structure and shape to this top. I think I succeeded.

I'm wearing mostly maternity today, but I would definitely remix this outfit and wear it again as a non-pregnant lady. How did I do?

• Old Navy maternity top in "fake cobalt"
• white belt
• Zebra print jacket 
• Loft maternity boot cut jeans 
• Ellen Tracey zebra print kitten heels 
• Coach white patent handbag

I wore this to run errands yesterday. I also realized that I will never love pastels more than I love my vivid colors especially when paired with navy. This look may not be on trend but it's definitely representative of my personal style.
The only thing that's maternity in this outfit is the navy tee.
I'm wearing:

• ON green boyfriend sweater 
• ON navy maternity tee 
• White skort (scored 2 weeks ago! ) 
• Aqua Crocs 
• Yellow LC tote 
• Yellow skinny belt 

Happy Thursday!

Thursdays are marathons for me and yesterday was no different. I have standing a doctor's appointment early in the morning and birthing classes in the evening with DH. Our usual routine is I pick him up from work and we'll squeeze in a light dinner before class. Mid-days are used to run errands since I'm already dressed. To top off all that activity I also try to squeeze in a nap during the afternoon so that I'm alert for the evening's class. Whew!

So this outfit was inspired when I scrolled though my favorites from the forum (thank you ladies!). I settled on Adelfa's business casual look from last week and decided to keep the yellow bag in play based on Rae's outfit from several months ago. I thought Adelfa's outfit was so polished and classic in addition to being easy for me to copy since cropped BF jeans are one of my 2 maternity bottoms. The inspiration to continue carrying my yellow bag was deliberate. It was from an outfit Rae wore earlier this year also from my favorites. Rae sported a similar color palette then added a bright yellow bag. So essentially yesterday's outfit was cobbled together with the "help of my friends" on the forum. I'm wearing:

• Old Navy Bateau tee in cream and black 
• Apt 9 cropped peplum black jacket 
• Old Navy Maternity BF cropped jeans 
• Puma ballet flats in gray and teal
• LC yellow tote

Happy Friday!

Nothing I wore today came from the maternity department. My skirt is hitched up pretty far and it seems that my teal tee is acting to give me a dropped waist. I rather like the effect. Additionally I love butterflies and they are featured in the print on my skirt. I thought my yellow tote was a nice counterpoint to my teal tee. I felt like I was participating in fashion today and not sitting in maternity exile.
I'm wearing:

• Apt. 9  tee in Teal
• H&M print skirt 
• Liz Claiborne yellow tote 
• tan lace ballet flats 

I've included a bonus pic of another teal and yellow outfit I wore last weekend. 

So with only 7 more weeks to go before the big day and the weather turning quickly from spring to summer my maternity BFs and boot cut jeans make me sweat just thinking about putting them on. Where I live summer temps mean humid, sticky, stuck-to-the-couch kind of weather. So at least 1 or 2 pairs of maternity shorts are a must as my collection of dresses is small and does not provide a lot of variety.

Two weeks ago I went on an all out search for reasonably priced (cheap! - I admit it) shorts that would accommodate my belly (notice I did not say maternity).  Like most other things once you label an article of clothing as having some sort of specialty short-term function the price automatically increases by 100%. (Example: "wedding dress" and "maternity" anything) I searched high and low and ended up in the places I would normally shop, which I thought was hilarious since it goes completely against conventional wisdom. When shopping my normal haunts I simply looked for stretchy, comfy, no-fail, knit-jersey pieces in a much larger size. I also went with makers I knew provide generously cut sizes.

I was successfully rewarded with a combo I was NOT looking for or expecting -- A SKORT.  It's been so long since my last pair I barely remember them, nor was I aware that they still made them ;-) Anyway I found a pair in extra large white knit jersey with a draw string (perfect for a slightly smaller post-partum belly to finish out the summer).  What a perfect solution! So even if my shorts bunch in unflattering ways as I walk (as they did today) all anyone will see is a cute white skirt YAY!

I was also rewarded with a real skirt in black size XXL. Here are 2 quick pics of my finds. You'll probably see these a lot in the coming weeks.

Happy Monday!

I wore these python printed pieces (blouse and shoes) to a recent doctor's appointment. I thought this outfit worked out rather well. It's rather neutral but I thought the print saved it from being utterly boring. Only the pants are maternity. Given the small universe of maternity pieces I have I marvel at the idea that any of my regular clothes look appropriate and fit well at 32 weeks. This blouse has a twin in gray because I could not decide which one I liked better. I can actually button the front over my belly but not my bust line which I find hilarious.
I'm wearing:

• ON scoop neck tee in beige (not the soul-sucking kind, well maybe it is but the python saves it I think)
• ON python print chiffon blouse in beige
• LOFT maternity jeans
• Vera Wang python print ballet flats

In other topics today June 7, is my fifth wedding anniversary. We are spending the day together doing tourist-y things in our fair city. I thought I would share with the forum a few of my favorite memories from my wedding day.

Happy Saturday and thanks for walking down memory lane with me :-)