first of fall: frocktober!

Autumn is...

birthday month pumpkin spice hay rides kettle corn weekend trips sweater weather burnt orange scarves plaid changing leaves crisp mornings harvest festivals the state fair thanksgiving fireside evenings pumpkin patches pumpkin everything s'mores camping apple cider harry potter butterbeer halloween movie nights scented candles couch cuddles tights & boots spices hot drinks cozy socks caramel golden days

And... it's Frocktober. 

Happy first day of Fall, friendlies! 

This season is starting off quite well. I am 26 weeks along today, and my baby and I are sharing a pumpkin spice latte to celebrate. Of course, he has no choice in the matter...but I've got to start him early on the finer things of life.

And, of course, Frocktober -- which will be in full swing starting next week! The collage above is a little recap of last year's Frocktober dresses. It was probably my favorite year so far. I was able to remix a lot of my favorite dresses into completely new outfits. Last year was such a year of growth in all areas - career, marriage, family, life goals. Looking back on last October brings a lot of those things to mind, and I can't believe we're nearly a year past it!

For those of you who don't know, Frocktober is my month of dress-wearing. An entire month of dresses! Read more about it here. As I said, the collage above is my Frocktober 2014 challenge. You can also check out 2013 and 2012. This will be my fourth year embarking on this personal style adventure - and, admittedly, the most challenging yet! October will be weeks 28-31 of my pregnancy, so utilizing my existing wardrobe is going to be a pretty tight fit. My main motivation for participating in Frocktober has always been to challenge myself to find new purpose and appreciation for what I already have - avoiding shopping for the month and bringing new creative life to my dresses and other accessories. I'm going to do my best to stick to it.

If you'd like to join me, I would be more than happy to induct you into the lovely Frocktober Sisterhood. My challenge to you for the month of October is to not only be creative and innovative with your existing closet, but to also try to avoid purchasing new clothes. Think outside the box. Have a clothes swap with friends, or go thrifting, or consider using your clothes budget to purchase from a company that gives back - like Krochet Kids intl. or another cause that really speaks to you. Take the month to be intentional with what you wear and how you wear it. 

Follow along with me starting October 1st! And definitely let me know if you're joining me in the challenge.

#frocktobersisterhood

the vintage slip

Vintage has been a cherished theme and idea for pretty much my entire teenage years/adulthood.

Vintage weddings, parties, clothes, dishes, decor. Antiques. 

Perhaps it stems from that long-time love of all things Jane Austen, and the generation that fell in love with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is finally growing up and getting married and decorating things. 

It could also just be the inevitable infatuation with nostalgia, which every generation seems to have in common. (I will always love you, 90's.)

Some bloggers out there are experts at thrifting and shopping vintage clothing and accessories.

I must confess that I have little to no experience in this area, mostly because I have trouble not knowing the history of an item -- in some cases it can be romantic, like a chipped china teacup or a bit of lace trim. 

But with clothes, I'm always nervous and my most germophobic self comes out in all its irrational glory. 

I have no idea where that item has been...I seem to recall some incident where I tried on an old hat once, and someone yelled at me that it could have lice in it, for all I knew. Maybe I was traumatized?

Whatever the cause for my aversion to vintage clothing, I finally had a must-have moment in an antique store. For a slip, of all things.

I've seen this trend, where a particularly fancy lace-trimmed slip is used to achieve a lengthened skirt, or to simply add some flair. Ruche has a nice collection of slips to choose from, and their winter lookbook Once Upon a Time even featured an outfit with one.

When I saw the vintage slip for a mere $9, I couldn't help myself. I had to get it!
It was something I had been wanting to try, but couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of money on.
I was surprised by how much I loved the way it turned out.
What do you think? Would you wear a vintage slip?