date night hair

I'm in a little bit of fragile pregnant emotions mode right now. I had the most stressful day in a long line of stressful days with my three kiddos today. I had texted my husband to say how overwhelmed I was and he responded that he already had a babysitter lined up for the night and we were going out to dinner! Aside from the timing being dead on, my husband has never planned a date out A.)without me telling him to take me out, and B.)done any of the arrangements on his own. He is a really great man and wonderful husband, but planning dates just isn't his forte, so this news on this day was amazing.

I kept the kids busy for a bit before I started to work on my hair and I had literally just finished and was about to lay on a good shellac of hairspray when the phone rang. It was my sweet husband, calling to say that there was a situation at work and we weren't going to be able to go out tonight after all. Despite his reassurances that it's all good to go for tomorrow night instead, I couldn't help but sit on the edge of the tub and cry my little preggo eyes out. Never the less, my hair looks good and I want photographic evidence of it.

front:

back:

Those stinkin' french twists are tougher than they look! I'm sure it doesn't help that I haven't really had hair long enough to do one in YEARS so it's completely foreign to me.

My husband has no clue when he'll be able to get home. I'm going to guess it'll be after the kids go to bed, so I need to get some sort of dinner going now that it's 7pm.

FO: Vogue 1027

At last!!!! I am finally (mostly) finished with Vogue 1027, the DKNY knit dress. It took me so long just to get started on it because I was so overwhelming intimidated by sewing a knit, and on my run of the mill starter sewing machine at that. However, once I got going I discovered that it wasn't really that difficult at all! In fact it was rather easy and enjoyable! I finished it up just in time to wear for St. Patrick's Day since I didn't have anything else in my currently wearable wardrobe that was green.



(Excuse the blurriness and the odd camera angle. We were having technical difficulties.) The pattern calls for pockets in the side seams as well as the tie to be sewn on with the bow in front, but I prefer the bow in back if I wear the tie at all. I'd rather just get a cinch belt, but didn't have time to find a white one. I used a rayon/spandex knit and it's so light weight and comfortable that I hardly want to take it off because it feels like I'm wearing a night gown. The deep v-neck and stretchy fabric will also accommodate nursing after I give birth. Hooray for nursing friendly dresses!!

I'm at 29 weeks now; just 11 more to go. I have a feeling it will go by rather quickly.

daffodil- belleblossoms.com
glasses- vintageous.com
cami- Express
dress- Vogue 1027
shoes- Clark's

What I Wore Today

Just a quick snap I took this evening of my outfit for the day. I'm 25 weeks pregnant now, but this outfit could easily translate to someone not eating for two. I wore this all day long to make a quick run to the store and then to tackle the absolute filth that had taken over my bathroom. (I did end up taking off my cardigan while cleaning because it got a little warm.) Over all though, it's a very mom-friendly outfit since everything can be thrown in the washing machine and my hair was out of my face. Further proof that just because it's not the 50's anymore, it doesn't mean that you can get things done and look good doing them!

The leopard print rose was my blossom of the month this month from Belle Blossoms. It's not something I'd normally pick since I tend to choose more natural looking flowers, but it's so fun! Sometimes you just need something that packs a bit more punch, you know? My snood is also from Belle Blossoms. I'm totally stoked that she's carrying snoods now, since around the house I'm constantly bending over to pick things up or change a diaper and having my hair in my face drives me crazy, but I don't want to rock a pony tail all the time either. Today it was quite windy out for North Carolina, but typical of Oklahoma weather and the snood was great for looking cute without my hair flying all over the place. I have a feeling snoods and I are going to become fast friends when we move back to Oklahoma at the end of the year.

snood and leopard rose- Belle Blossoms
glasses- Vintageous
cardigan and maternity jeans- Kohl's
tank top- Target

let's talk coif

Every week, usually on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night, I wash my hair and set it in sponge rollers. I believe the ones I have are by Conair and came in a pack of 4 different sizes.

It looks something like this. I start with hair that is 97% dry. I like to let it air dry as much as possible, but usually end up hitting the back of my head with the blowdryer on low because I get impatient. My bangs/fringe are rolled on a jumbo roller. In this picture I have them rolled towards my face, but I usually opt to roll them away from my face so I can easily shape them into a victory roll or pomp later in the week if I feel like it. I have a deep side part and the top of the heavier side is rolled on the large size rollers going upwards, everything else is directed down. Once I get the top rolled up, I roll a row on the jumbo rollers, and then the bottom I roll with the large rollers. With each section, I separate the hair that I want to go into the roller, comb through it and then lightly spray it with dilluted Lottabody setting lotion. I don't want it too damp because then it won't dry, but I also don't want it too dry because then there won't be much of a curl. It took a bit of trial and error to figure out what level of dampness worked for me. I usually end up using 8 jumbo rollers and 6 large rollers total. Once it's completely rolled, I tie a bandanna around my head to keep the rollers from slipping out of place while I sleep.

Typically the rollers stay in my hair for around 12 hours give or take a few hours. I take them out in the morning and break up the curls with my fingers before brushing through them and then using some sort of product to help smooth the frizzies. It ends up looking like this:

Voila! Tight, bouncy curls that are playful and fun.

This is what my hair looks like on day 6 of my set. The curls have relaxed and it's much softer looking, but definitely still a stable curl. I've brushed it every day, and only used hairspray on day 2. I also don't wrap my hair under a scarf or anything to sleep on it after the initial set. I just let it do what it wants at night. (Excuse the repeat clothing. I don't have a huge wardrobe normally, but adding pregnancy has taken it down that much more.)

I have to admit that sleeping on the foam rollers is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I will gladly pay the price to have the luxury of not having to do anything more than brush my hair in the morning for an entire week and still have fab retro hair. Those ladies were onto something back in the day!!

recovering from the Holiday crazies.

Between gearing up for Christmas and trying to stay on top of the kids schooling, I have had zero time to sew my dress. Supposedly a friend of mine is going to lend me her serger, but maybe I shouldn't hold my breath on that one 'cause she's a busy gal. However, I did manage to break down and buy some ready-to-wear materntiy clothes before we headed to Georgia to spend Christmas at my husband's uncle's home.

I got this sweater (except in black, not pink):

this blouse (black and white AND gingham- doesn't get much more me than that)

and this plaid shirt dress-

All from Motherhood Maternity. I need to get some black tights or....gulp....leggings....to go under the dress while I'm waiting for spring to roll around.

Christmas was great, but I'll do a separate post about all of that. Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

second trimester! thank goodness!

Whew! That first trimester was a doozy! There's certainly many a preggo that has had a worse time, but I'm still extremely grateful for the nausea and exhaustion to have gone by the wayside. I just hit the 14 week point this past Monday and true to my previous pregnancies I have rounded out early and it is getting near painful to squeeze into my pants even with them completely unzipped and with the aid of a bella band, and the majority of my shirts are totally out of the question. I'd looked and looked and looked online at maternity clothes and none of them are "me." Not only are the all quite modern, but they all seem to be quite trendy. I've been hard pressed to even find things I would deem as "classic." However, the other night I scored two vintage maternity patterns from the early 1950's on good ol' ebay.

I've never made a shirt before so I must admit that is quite intimidating, but the skirts look incredibly easy (not to mention comfortable!) I just need to start looking for fabric! Since I'm due at the end of May, it'd be nice if I had something that could take me from winter to spring. Perhaps I'll just make the blouse a solid white...nothing like a crisp, white blouse. So easy to dress up or dress down. Any ideas on fabric for the skirt? I'm torn between some grey suiting and a more casual cotton.

off the style wagon

Oh my, oh my have I fallen off the style wagon in the last month or so, but with a good excuse! I am expecting again!!! Atomik offsping #4 will be making an appearance late spring/early summer of next year and between the hormones, the exhaustion, the morning sickness, expanding waistline and all the regular stuff of being a wife and homemaker and homeschooling mother to three little boys.....keeping the retro of it all has not be very high on my priority list. After all, in between the constant fear of tossing your cookies and my own mother-fears that I will fail at teaching my children to read and thus set them up for a lifetime of failure that I will be personally responsible for (are all homeschooling moms as neurotic as I am, or is this the hormones talking?), I just haven't had it in me to wear much outside of yoga pants and pony tails.

However, now I'm in the place of recognizing the frumpy depths to which I have fallen and am resolving to find SOMETHING that fits my already round belly and get back to setting my hair. Undoubtedly I will have to make some adjustments to the wardrobe I sport, but something that fits no matter what your size are accessories!! My favorite being hair flowers and Belle Blossoms is currently having a giveaway!!!! Included in the booty is everything from flowers to feather, bow to cherries. Get on over there before the 31st and enter!

all for a day's work

Several months ago, I heard a story of a husband and wife who were going through marriage counseling. The husband was saying that on the days that his wife stayed home and didn't go anywhere she was always wearing ratty sweat pants and over-sized t-shirts and had her hair in a messy pony tail, but when she knew she'd be leaving the house to go to a meeting or get together, she'd put on something nice and fix her hair and make-up and that he wished he could come home to the put together woman more often. The wife replied that she didn't see the point in doing it on the days she didn't go anywhere because no one was going to see her.

Who was her husband? Was he "no one"? That story has really stuck in my mind and resonated with me. My husband and I have been together for seven years now and have three children- all boys. He has watched me give birth to all of them, two of them completely drug-free births to 9 pounders. Needless to say we are comfortable with each other and he has seen me at my most unglamorous. I know that I am his standard of beauty, but I still want to be the best that I can be, so every morning I get up and go to the gym. When I get home, I make lunch for the kids and I, and after lunch is over I make a point to clean myself up. For me that usually means rolling my hair, putting on some make-up, and changing into a dress or blouse/skirt combo. Don't get me wrong, I don't always look like I'm on my way to a cocktail party, but I am a big believer that you should never stop dating your spouse, and during the brief time that my husband and I were dating, I made sure I looked good.

This is what I'm wearing today. I made this skirt the day before Easter Sunday and it's probably one of my favorite things in my closet. It's red denim with an awesome cross hatching all over in white. It's flattering, it's comfortable, and can be worn just about anywhere. The apron is there to protect my outfit from the hazards of house cleaning. I saw this fabric online YEARS ago and just had to have something, anything in my wardrobe made out of it. It's boomerang barkcloth for crying out loud! How could I NOT be completely in love with it? Finally a few months back I was browsing through Boojiboo because I wanted another apron in my rotation, and I pounced on this one.

Now, I'm not saying that every wife needs to have on a pencil skirt, heels, and red lipstick when her husband comes home. I'm not saying that at all. What getting "cleaned up" looks like for me, may not be the same for you. Maybe you are more of a laid back, jeans and t-shirt gal. That's fine! Be who you are! This isn't about being something that you aren't, but about making the most with what you've got. This also isn't something that my husband or anyone else has pressured me into doing. No one has ever told me that I need to look a certain way when my husband comes home. This is just something I do because I want to do it. I want to look nice for my husband. Men are visual after all, so why not try to look my best? I don't do it because I want my husband to love me, but because he already loves me, even at my worst. But just because he's seen me at my worst, doesn't mean he needs to see the worst of me every day.