Woooo boy, I am quickly getting to the point of pregnancy where things are not fitting well, if at all. Which means this will probably be my last “week of outfits” post until further notice.
How to sew a nap dress dupe
Have you wanted to sew a Hill House nap dress dupe? Here is the perfect tutorial to make your own! I know I’m a little behind on the nap dress trend but it still seems to be going strong three years later.
I am officially halfway through my third and final pregnancy, which feels very surreal. I have a lot of mixed emotions about it. I’m happy to be nearly done with the procreation phase of life — my pregnancies have all been pretty tough — but also feeling really sad that this is my last baby and my last pregnancy. It’s been my life for the past six-ish years!
As luck would have it, my third (and final!) pregnancy falls mostly in the hot summer and fall months — while my other two barely touched the summer months. And while I am overjoyed for this pregnancy and baby, I have been somewhat dismayed by how to get dressed.
Now that the world knows I’m pregnant, I can finally share all the pregnancy/maternity content that’s been percolating in my head. First off: what I wore in the first trimester!
I’m sure I say this every season but I am so excited for my upcoming sewing projects. I feel like I’m in a realistic headspace about what I can accomplish, and my projects are not only fun and things I’ve been wanting to sew for a long time but also things that will, for the most part, be very functional.
Every spring, we face the same issue: How do you dress for days — or weeks! — that have 20-40-degree temperature swings without having to change your entire outfit? (Because who has the time or energy for that!)
It dawned on me the other day that I should do a week of outfits where I intentionally “transition” from cooler temperatures to warmer ones. So, while I did wear these in real time, I also made sure they were easily transformed by either swapping out an item or removing an item to make them warmer-weather appropriate.
So let’s dive into how to dress for the spring weather transition!
A week of outfits for Texas spring
Outfit #1:
Madewell dress via Poshmark | jean jacket, old | white sandals | woven bag, old
Warm-weather fix: remove jacket
Styling notes: I pinned this exact dress a long time ago and was so bummed when I clicked through to the Nordstrom site to see that it was sold out. I recently found it on Poshmark and when the seller offered me a deal, I scooped it right up. I wore it with some new white sandals to church on Alba’s birthday. I wore the jacket in the morning and tossed it off by lunch time. This dress would also look cute with some white sneakers and a chunky cropped cardigan.
Outfit #2:
Black tee | jeans | cardigan, secondhand | sneakers, old (newer version)
Warm-weather fix: swap jeans for shorts, remove cardigan
Styling notes: This is a great example of how you can really make well-fitting basics work for you. I recently bought this crewneck T-shirt from Marshalls after I realized I really don’t like v-neck shirts (which my former black tee is). I also remedied my ill-fitting jean shorts situation and purchased this high-waisted pair from Everlane before our cruise. It makes a world of difference in getting dressed, believe me. I think this outfit would also look cute with Birkenstock clogs in cooler temperatures and Birkenstock sandals in warmer temperatures but alas, I’m still waiting for said clogs to be delivered after months of backorder.
Outfit #3:
Olive striped tee, secondhand | jeans, old (newer version) | cardigan, old | sandals, old
Warm-weather fix: swap jeans for linen shorts, remove cardigan
Styling notes: I recently wore this outfit on a day that wasn’t too chilly in the morning (already in the mid 60s) so my feet weren’t cold in sandals and the light cardigan was enough to keep me warm. By afternoon, I tossed on these workhorse black linen shorts that I made two summers ago.
Outfit #4:
Jumpsuit, secondhand | cardigan, secondhand | sneakers | bag
Warm-weather fix: remove cardigan, add sandals
Styling notes: I’ve been searching for a more casual jumpsuit (or maybe a pattern to sew one?) and have been coming up empty. Luckily, my sister-in-law has similar taste so when I saw this at her garage sale last weekend, I scooped it up and have worn it at least three times already. It could easily be paired with a jean jacket (I opted for a lightweight cardigan, also from her) and black platform sandals (as seen above).
Outfit #5:
Sweater, old | T-shirt, secondhand | linen shorts, me made | sneakers
Warm-weather fix: remove sweater, add sandals
Styling notes: I wore this outfit on a gray but sort of muggy day where jeans would’ve felt sticky. I love a good summer sweater with shorts (apparently a coastal grandma vibe?), which I credit to my coastal upbringing. I wore this in the morning to run errands and by time we were outside riding bikes, I had removed the sweater.
For most of my time as a parent, I’ve been conflicted about gift giving, particularly for holidays where we hope to instill a deeper understanding of faith. I love to give gifts but I worry about creating an expectation of things — or an overabundance of things — and the subsequent mess and waste that comes with it.
A quick scan through my blog and Instagram would reveal that evidently I am here for the 90s trends. Enter Exhibit B: The body suit.
I’ve contemplated a bodysuit for several years now (I know. That’s a long time to mull over a $40 purchase but alas, that is me). Then when I started sewing, I thought, I could make one!
And then I had to wait for the perfect pattern to appear.