fall is here: frocktober recap

Autumn is...

birthday month pumpkin spice cutesie baby pajamas decorating 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 baby's first halloween movie nights scented candles couch cuddles 

tights & boots spices hot drinks cozy socks caramel golden days

And... it's Frocktober. 

Oh, how I love this season. I am so excited to introduce William to all of the wonderful things about Fall. I know he won't remember his first Fall in the world, but I sure will. We're planning his first Halloween costume, we've decorated the house in Fall leaves and pumpkins, and we've had Autumnal candles burning for weeks now. I took him to his first pumpkin patch and I bought as many Octoberesque things I could find during Old Navy's baby sale. I just love this month. 

Of course, over the past few years this blog has been all about Frocktober. The collage above is a little recap of last year's Frocktober dresses. It was by far my favorite year to date. I had so much fun going through my closet to find things that could work as maternity wear, and being pregnant in the Fall and Winter is the best. Sweaters and leggings galore! 

I haven't officially posted anything about it here on the blog (I've obviously been a bit lax on here since Will was born), but I've decided not to do Frocktober this year. I still love it. But as it came closer, I realized that the thought of it was causing more stress than excitement. I am enjoying being a mom so very much, and my daily uniform is random and messy and wonderful. I want to focus this October on the many Fall firsts of my little boy. I know I will eventually get back to my creative style, but for now my heart is elsewhere.

For those of you who don't know about my Frocktober, you can read more about it here. As I said, the collage above is my Frocktober 2015 challenge. You can also check out 2014, 2013 and 2012. 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. It has been so much fun having other ladies join me in the challenge - the Frocktober Sisterhood is my favorite. If you'd ever like to join (it's not too late!) my challenge to you for the rest 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. It's such a great challenge and I have always had a blast doing it. 

I am hoping to still do a few special style posts this month in honor of Frocktober, perhaps on some great nursing mom dress options. I hope you all have a superb October, and enjoy all of the best things about this season!

#frocktobersisterhood

find the fall {frocktober, days 29-30}

Remixes:

Outfit 1: Dress here and here

Outfit 2: Dress / Cardigan

The last few days of Frocktober were by far my favorite. Not because of the dresses or the outfit combinations, but because we were able to take off on a little vacation to find the Fall. We had long been planning to visit our friends Colin and Victoria in North Carolina, and a few months ago we finally took the plunge and bought the tickets. It's something we've been looking forward to ever since.

After our red eye flight from Arizona, they came and picked us up at the airport in Atlanta and we began the long drive to the mountains of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Even though we were functioning on about four hours of sleep, the crispness in the air was enough to rejuvenate us. (Although I won't deny a few car naps on the way). When we finally got to the mountains the evening of the 30th, pulling into the driveway right at sunset, it was as if the mountains themselves were sighing along with us. This is the life.

then and now {frocktober, day 26}

Cat Dress: LOFT (old)
Remixed here, here, and here

Gosh, I love this cat dress. It's definitely one of my go-to dresses for work. I've worn it a lot, though I've only featured it on the blog a few times. It's incredibly comfortable and can be worn as-is. That may not seem like a big deal, but it is. I have to confess, I have far too many dresses that don't function that easily. Strapless, spaghetti-strap, open-backed. Those are fun to remix and layer, but I only have a few fantastic dresses that need no tampering with - they're perfect and outfit ready on their own. This is one of them.

I posted a great before/after photo on my Instagram of me wearing this dress earlier in my pregnancy (18 weeks) and then wearing it again yesterday, at 30 (almost 31) weeks. I think I'll retire this dress now until post-pregnancy. Those cats are looking pretty stretched. ;)

Instagram: 18 weeks // 30 weeks

take a class {frocktober, days 22-24}

I can't believe we're already heading in to the last week of October/Frocktober. This challenge has been pretty fun and comfortable for me to accomplish, since wearing dresses tend to be the easiest and most flattering choice for me anyway. I've tried to still push my creative boundaries and come up with outfits that are interesting. A very special shout out to maternity leggings, which have made my life so very swell. Even so, I'm really looking forward to donning my maternity denim and some of the cute tops I've been waiting to wear. 

For day 22, I wore this black confetti-print dress with a stretchy high-low skirt belted on top of it. On day 23 I wore probably my most-worn dress ever. I think I say that a lot. I definitely have my favorites. I got it for $5 years ago on Zulily, and I couldn't help trying to sneak it over my baby bump. It was a tight fit, but it worked. I found the crochet cardigan at Forever 21 last month for our maternity photoshoot. Day 24 was classic Saturday comfort - stretchy bodycon dress, leggings, oversized sweater. 

Remixes:
Outfit 1: Dress / Cardigan
Outfit 2: Dress 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / Cardigan
Outfit 3: Sweater 1, 2

We had our all-day birthing class on Saturday, which was incredibly enlightening. I could make a lot of jokes about it but I'm actually really, really glad we went. If you're on the fence about whether to take a class or not, I'd really encourage you to. It was a great overview of what to expect, and I think it gave my husband some really great information on what his role will be and what kinds of things I'll be going through, step by step. I think our approach before was kind of like, we'll figure it out - let's just not think about it until we have to. But being informed is definitely the way to go. It dispels fear and helps equip you with the tools you need to have that mind over matter perspective. It was a great day spent together learning and looking forward to the arrival of our baby boy! It's coming up so soon.

sleepy says {frocktober, days 17-20}

I think both my husband and I have come to realize that we're completely at the mercy of fatigue these days. We've spent every weekend working tirelessly on getting our house ready to move in, and as a result, we feel drained at the start of every week. The week days go by in a heavy blur. I've gone back to my coffee addiction, surprise surprise! Starbucks detours have been frequent. Every evening after work, we're torn between our desire to be productive and our even weightier desire to try to catch up on the rest we've been missing out on each weekend. The sleepiness usually wins out. We're pajama-clad before dinner and in bed as soon as we can manage it.

Thus, my lack of daily blogging. Every night I make a mental note to take and edit photos so I can post them the next morning - but this week they've piled up on me once again. I can't believe it's already Friday again. I honestly feel like I didn't even live through this week. It was all a dream. Someone else went to work for me and I stayed back home inside my own head, content to exist in a haze. 

In 1 week we'll be heading to North Carolina for our Fall getaway to see our besties from law school, and having that to look forward is so delightful. I hope you all have had a much mightier week, full of energy and inspiration. Enjoy this past week of Frocktober outfits below (remix info is at the end of the post). 

Remixes:

Outfit 1: Dress | Outfit 2: Green Cardigan

Outfit 3: Purple Cardigan

Outfit 4: Dress 1, 2, 3 // Denim 1, 2

dresses as skirts

Row 1: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Row 2: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
Row 3: 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

One of my favorite tricks of utilizing my closet in the most efficient way is to use dresses as skirts. Especially when a dress is strapless or spaghetti strap, it helps to have another option other than just wearing it with a cardigan. Instead I'll employ a lace blouse, a button-up, or a sweater to layer over the top of the dress, sometimes belting it to add some definition. It doubles my opportunities to wear my favorite dress patterns in varied ways, keeping things fresh and fun.

remix: horse print

Original posts left to right: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

This silky horse print top was my first purchase from Modcloth. It was on sale for like $8, and I decided to take the plunge and buy it (along with this necklace and this dress). It was one of my first online purchases, before I became quite addicted to online shopping while living in Virginia.

I'm actually surprised how much I ended up liking this shirt. It's very silky, so I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first. I almost always end up wearing it tucked in to a skirt or underneath a dress. It layers really nicely. I think it's the print itself that I like the most. I'm such a sucker for animal prints, but this one is neutral enough to wear it often without too much repetition.

(See all of my remix posts).

remix: the basic shift

past posts: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

I am incredibly fond of dresses. While my favorite, most flattering style of dress is probably the fit and flare, if I was forced to choose one single dress to wear it'd have to be the basic shift. It's the dress I would recommend to everyone as a must-have. It's endlessly versatile and easily remixed. I have wide hips, which I think discourages most people (myself included) to buy shift or sheath dresses... because honestly, who wants a dress that's super tight around the hips, and loose everywhere else?

My advice would be to buy a size up, for a comfortable fit, and fall in love with the many ways to style this wonderfully basic dress. Belt it for the fit and flare that you love, or tuck it into a skirt. Wear it plain with a loose cardigan for a super cozy feel, or throw a sweater over it because it's so easy. 

I've been self-conscious in the past because of how much I wear this dress. But it never gets old (to me - I haven't polled my family and friends). God bless the shift dress.

remixing {frocktober, day 7+8}

Dress: Ruche (similar 1, 2, 3, 4), Star Cardigan: Gifted (similar 1, 2, 3), Button-Up: J. Crew

I decided to wear the same dress two days in a row this week for a chance to do some Frocktober remixing.

This amazing aztec-print dress has been remixed on this blog and beyond many times (see here, here, here, here in italy, and here in italy again). I've actually worn it even more than I realized! I've had it for almost exactly a year. I got it for my birthday last year and have been loving on it ever since. 

I don't normally purchase shift/sheath dresses online (or honestly at all) because I'm pretty self-conscious about a straight fit. I prefer the fit and flare. And especially buying online without trying it on, there's the risk that it'll be too tight - but I totally lucked out on this one! It's the perfect fit. It's comfortable by itself and I can always belt it for that added definition. It's the perfect skirt beneath a cozy sweater and works really well for all seasons of layering. 

When I was in Italy in March I wore it belted with tights and boots, with a thin turtle neck underneath it and a green army jacket over it. I don't think it'll ever get that cold here in AZ but there are always fun options for wearing cute dresses when traveling in colder weather!

  

On a total side note, I really wish I could share this star cardigan with you. I'm a tad obsessed. It was a gift from my friend (the shopaholic, although this time she bought it specifically for me!) from Nordstrom's last chance store up in Phoenix and I'm fairly confident there's no way to find it ever again. Which I kind of love because it's incredibly unique. But I also feel sad for you. So, if you're ever in town and need a fantastic knit cardigan for a night out, stop by and I'll share the wealth.
But you have to promise to give it back.
:)

remix: bright tights

 original posts:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Now that it's officially Fall, I thought a nice little cool-weather remix was in order. (Despite the 90-degree days we're still living in here in AZ).
Last year I had so much fun during the Fall and Winter months swapping out my tights. The brighter, the better. I haven't really employed any patterned tights at this point, since most of my clothing is pretty pattern-heavy, but I do love playing around with colorful tights!
Tights are my key to making my dresses last all year round. I don't quarantine my skirts or dresses or any particular colors to only one season - I think there are ways to remix and utilize my favorites no matter what the weather is!
At this point I would have to say my favorites are orange and purple. I'm excited to pull them out and start remixing them again - even if I have to wait until Thanksgiving for cooler temps!