Stocking Up for Fall

Helen has been growing so much lately. Pants that used to drag on the floor fit just right; shirts that used to fit don't cover her tummy. I realized that she won't have enough warm clothes this fall. I had some credit on thredUP, so of course I couldn't resist stocking up on some adorable pieces.

Here's what I got: Printed leggings. These are oh-so-cute - love them! A chunky red sweater. I love knits on kids. And a frilly little plaid skirt.

Here she is wear the sweater and skirt. The leggings don't fit her quite yet. The shoes were also a purchase from thredUP. I can't believe she fits them already!

I'm pretty sure I'll need to buy more warm clothes eventually - this is just a mini haul. I can't wait! I love shopping for Helen.

By the way, if you use any of my links in this post to sign up for thredUP, you'll receive a $20 credit to spend as you please, and I'll get a $10 credit. But hurry: this offer is only good until September 15. After then, you'll only get a $10 credit (which is still an awesome deal).

Have you started shopping for fall yet?

thredUP Haul!

As I'm sure ya'll know by now, I have a bit of a thredUP addiction. It's so much fun to able to find name brand clothing for a fraction of the original cost. 

One night I found a bunch of items that I fancied and asked Reuben which ones he liked. He approved of nearly all of them and told me to order them. Well, yes sir!

Here's everything that I got:

Top Row: Gap | Abercrombie & Fitch | H&M

Middle: Gap | Gap | Old Navy

Bottom: Anthropologie | Mossimo | Green Apple 

I really like the stripes on the flowers on the Abercrombie top.

I love the polka dots and hem details on the grey Gap skirt. 

Here are a few outfits I put together:

Flip-flops: Clarks | Similar

Necklace: Gift

I started out setting up a tripod and using a remote. It takes a while to get the shot you want when you're flying solo.

Pink peep toes: American Eagle | Similar

Earrings: Target | Similar, Similar

Fun fact: These are the earrings that I wore to my wedding.

Then Reuben came outside and offered to take over the camera. 

I'm on the fence about this skirt. I like the style, but I think it's meant to be worn high-wasted, so it's too short for my taste unless I unzip it and wear it lower on my waist, like here. And it's still a bit short. I might return this one.

Sandals: Rocketdog | Similar: Save | Spend 

Jeans: Banana Republic | Similar

I'm also not sure about this shirt. It's meant to be a crop top, but on my short self it certainly isn't. What do you guys think? Is it too floppy, or does it work?

Earrings: Etsy

And this is me being embarrassed by Reuben saying funny things to me as we tried to get a walking-towards-the-camera shot.

As always, if you guys want to receive $10 off your first order from thredUP, just sign up with my link HERE. I'll also receive a $10 credit if you do. :)

Have a lovely Monday!

Erica

Note: some links are affiliate

How to Easily Resize a Shirt or Jacket | Tutorial

Jacket and jeans: thredUP | Nursing top

In case you guys didn't know, I'm in love with thredUP. It's basically an online thrift store. I love scoring designer pieces for a fraction of the retail price.

One of the problems with buying anything online is the risk of getting the right fit. I'm sure this jacket was meant to fit a little looser, but I prefer a more snug fit since I'm on the shorter side (5'2") and I don't want to be swallowed by my clothing.

It's super easy to take in a knit jacket or shirt. Let me show you how!

Start by putting your shirt on inside out. Grab the excess fabric with your hands and place pins all along the sides of the shirt.

Carefully take off your shirt and lay it out on the floor or (if you're super cool) your work table.
Measure how much you need to take in at different points on the shirt and write it down (for example, at 3 inches from the armpit, how much do you need to take it in? How about at 5 inches, etc.?). I find it helpful to draw a diagram.

Remove the pins, make sure the shirt is laying flat and even, and replace the pins at the measurements that you wrote down. You can also draw a line along the pins to help you sew evenly.

Sew along the pins, removing as you go. Try on the shirt to make sure you like the fit. 

Don't worry if you make a mistake - your seam ripper is your friend! Simply pick out the stitches around the mistake, rearrange the fabric so it lays flat, and sew up the hole, making sure to sew back and forth a couple times and the beginning and end to makes sure it doesn't come undone.

If you're really particular you can iron your seam open, but I'm too lazy for that. I pull out my iron maybe once or twice a year.

If everything is good to go, sew another line close to the one you already sewed, this time on the outer edge. If you have a serger you don't need to do this, but I like to sew another line to keep the edges from fraying.

Cut the excess fabric close to the sewing line.

And there you have it: a nicely fitting jacket.

I also used this method to resize a nursing shirt.

Here's the before and after. Helen decided to photobomb my before picture.


And that's all!

Make sure to send me pictures if you use my method to resize your shirt.
And leave me a comment if you have any questions.

xoxo
Erica

Note: Links are affiliate.

Nursing Essentials: What Worked For Me

As a new mom, I was so confused about what I needed to nurse efficiently and discretely. I (stupidly) decided not to buy a lot of clothing before giving birth. After I had Helen, I had very little time to do much shopping. I wish I had known then what is useful and what doesn't work. Let me share my experience with you:

Empire Nursing Top | Nursing Tank | Hoodie | Nursing Cover | Boppy

Of course every mom will have different requirements for their nursing wardrobe. I personally TRY to stay modest as best I can (it's a LOT harder to do when you're nursing). And I prefer to keep my stretch-mark-riddled belly to myself, thankyouverymuch. 

Here are some items that I have found useful so far in my nursing experience.

0-3 Months

I basically lived in nursing tanks. They were so comfortable as my body adjusted to feeding another human being. Nursing tanks do NOT provide very much support, so I made sure to wear a thick hoodie on top. Otherwise I would leak through. How embarrassing. 

My favorite tanks were from Target and Bravado.

During these first few months, when Helen was feeding for an hour (or more!) at a time, I had to have my Boppy. I picked one up second-hand for a couple dollars. Now that Helen is older (and a faster nurser) I basically never use it, but it was a life saver at first. And I used it to make tummy-time a little more enjoyable for her (see this video).
I couldn't have lived without a nursing cover. My mom picked one up for me second-hand, but there are lots of cute styles online. Some moms can get by with just a blanket, but Helen is an active nurser and there have been many times I'm happy the cover is hooked over my neck.

Cami: Maurices | Shirt: American Eagle

3-6 Months

During this time I was still trying to figure out what worked for me. I tried the whole lift your shirt up from the bottom, pull down your cami thing and it drove me CRAZY. My shirt would stick to the cami and I got really frustrated as I tried to get ready for nursing and stay modest while holding a squirming, desperate baby. Not fun.

Then I discovered the cami + v-neck method. If you wear a camisole with stretchy straps you can easily pull is down and the v-neck aside for quick and easy access. 

However, this method is not the most discreet. You definitely need to wear a nursing cover if you're concerned about keeping covered.

6 Months - Present
Around this time I purchased my first actual nursing shirt. I fell in love and wore it all the time. If I could afford it, I would buy all nursing shirts. They are so easy to nurse in and are quite discreet. I haven't been brave enough to do it, but it would be possible to nurse without a cover with one of these shirts.
I really like THIS brand (I'm too embarrassed to say their name on my blog) and Milk Nursingwear.

Underpinnings
As far as undergarments go, I really like this kind from Target. I had heard that the underwire variety could make you get clogged milk ducts, so I bought several garments that were wire free. I hated all of them. They still had some sort of poky plastic for shaping and it always dug into me. Underwire is just more comfortable for me.

Other Things I Didn't Like
I bought a couple of nursing shirts from a company that is now out of business. They were cheap, but so not worth it. They were the "lift the hem" access type and they drove me batty.
I also tried the Undercover Mama tank. It sounds nice: turn any shirt into a nursing shirt! My problem was that it was too low for my modesty comfort and it's made from cotton which sticks to everything. When I tried to lift up my outer shirt, it just stuck to the fabric and the tank came up with it, exposing my postpartum (jiggly) belly.



So those are the things that have worked/not worked for me.

For all you veteran moms out there: What worked well for you?


Note: Some links are affiliate. All opinions are my own.

thredUP Haul!

First off, let me thank all of you who purchased items from thredUP through my referral link. Because of YOU, I have received $60 in store credit! With my credits I was able to purchase some seriously adorable items for Helen, and a few for myself as well! In case you’re wondering how it works, if you make a purchase from thredUP (an online used clothing store) by following my referral link, you’ll receive $10 off your first purchase, and I’ll receive a $10 credit. Cool, eh?

Anyway, let’s get on with the haul, shall we?

First up, we have this lovely little knit dress by Egg Baby. I definitely want to store it up for future babies when Helen grows out of it, but she’ll probably be able to wear it as a shirt next fall.

Isn’t this snow suit by Me Jane Baby presh? I love the little ruffle details. Helen will be staying warm in style this winter!

How cute is this little rain jacket by Gymboree? Reuben is all about being prepared for inclement weather, and what better way than in a green frog coat? Reuben is also pleased that it’s an androgynous color (in case we have any boys), but it DOES have bows on the pockets…

And of course I had to get something for myself. I really like the sleeves on this tunic (brand = Max Studio). It’s a bit long on my short frame, so I’ll have to do a bit of altering. I’ll also be wearing a cami underneath for modesty. :)

I also got a brown fleece pea coat for Helen and a zip-up knit sweater for myself (handy for nursing).

I’m quite pleased with everything I purchased.

Do you like to buy things used? Have you found any great deals lately?

1 Response to thredUP Haul!

1. Rachel 
   October 26th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
   I love Thred Up. I just received my first order a couple of weeks ago with the 20% off they offered and recently made my second. I love this site. It is like the online versio of the best consignment store (a chain): Clothes Mentor. My sister made an order too…and hid it from me because she didn’t want me to know she copied me…pity I could have had a referral :(

Adorable Baby Clothes for a Song!

I must admit that I have a weakness for adorable baby clothes. But I’m not a fan of paying $20 (or more!) for a single item of clothing. That’s why I love thrift shops – you can find gently used, quality pieces for a fraction of the original price.

Here are some of my recent finds:

I found this adorable dress at a second hand shop in town. The brand is “Liberty of London for Target.” I’m guessing that the original retail price was about $15-$20. It was half off at the thrift store, so I only paid $2.

Guys. I am seriously obsessed with thredUP. It’s an online shop for gently used clothing at a tremendous discount from the original retail price. I found a coupon code (now expired) that allowed me to get $10 off my first order. And shipping is only $2.99, so I got these two adorable pieces for only about $5. I’m sure I would have paid $30-$40 for them brand new.

AND if you use any of the links to thredUP in this post, you’ll receive $10 off your first order, and I’ll get $10 off my next order! Win-win. :)

Do you like to shop for deals?

3 Responses to Adorable Baby Clothes for a Song!

1. Rebecca Lately 
   July 3rd, 2013 at 9:06 am
   I am the same way about clothes. I love the style of the more expensive brands, but the prices are just not worth it to me. All three of our kids wear thrfited clothes that I resell when they’ve grown out of them!
2. Hannah 
   July 3rd, 2013 at 9:22 am
   aww! These are some lovely outfits! I adore the first one> it seems im in love with those colors this summer! <3 p="">
   

   Yes, prices are astronomical now days. I wont pay full price for anything now! Its either thrift shops, or clearance racks{and thats still pushing it} for me!

   whatsoever-is-lovely.blogspot.com
3. Sarah 
   July 6th, 2013 at 9:33 am
   I have been enjoying your blogs for a while now. Thanks so much for pointing us to thredUP! I immediately went to the site and bought some clothes. I am all about consignment, so this is my new favorite site!

Purdy Things

Photo by Daniel

Stylish:

This outfit. | This girl’s style. | “Femme Fatale” |Ruche | eShakti | “Mint Milkshake” on Modcloth | French Connections | “Vast Wrap” skirt on Anthro |

Hairstyles:

“Quinn Fabray” Tieback | Pincurls | Loose Waves | Lovely Braid | Waterfall Braid | Jennifer Lawrence | Fishtail Bun Tutorial | How to Curl Your Hair with a Flat Iron |

What sorts of pretty things have you been discovering lately?

xoxo

Erica

Longing for Spring…

These days, I find myself longing for spring. There is still so much snow on the ground. But patches of grass are beginning to show…

Here’s a bit of cheer: I just purchased this adorable dress from eShakti, my new favorite online clothing store.

What brings you cheer this time of year?

1 Response to Longing for Spring…

1. Kristy Life n Reflection 
   April 4th, 2011 at 8:09 pm Moderate
   I love your winter stems photos! I felt the same way last weekend!

Shoes!

Picked up these cute brown flats for $2. They make me happy. I think they’re adorable with a pair of jeans.

5 Responses to Shoes!

1. Ruth Ann 
   March 24th, 2011 at 4:43 pm Moderate
   These are adorable! I love them and the picture! :)
2. Rebecca Miller 
   March 25th, 2011 at 9:15 am Moderate
   I love this post and the shoes, too cute!
3. Kathryn Grace 
   March 25th, 2011 at 3:56 pm Moderate
   They are so cute! Where did you get them so cheap?!?
4. Erica Lea 
   March 25th, 2011 at 4:00 pm Moderate
   Kathryn: I picked them up at Goodwill! Our Target gives their unsold clearance merchandise to Goodwill. The original price was $3.99, but they were on sale for 50% off! :D
5. Paige 
   May 3rd, 2011 at 10:04 pm Moderate
   I have these and I love them!