Poker Night

We don’t get out a ton now that Eleanor is here (obviously) but, as I mentioned in my last post, my amazing parents are incredibly helpful when it comes to offering to babysit so we can get some time out every so often. Recently that involved us heading to a friends place to play poker. I seriously had the best time! I had a lot less fun when we got home at 1 am and Eleanor was up and ready to go at 5:10 am, but I guess that’s the price one pays…totally worth it by the way. And of course it was super dark outside by the time we left so I unfortunately was only able to get photos in my dimly lit entry way.

dress: Contemporaine / boots: Steve Madden / jacket: Twik / bracelet: Stella and Dot / cuff: Simons

Movie Night!

We are very fortunate in the sense that, in addition to my awesome parents being up to watch Eleanor when the helpmeet and I feel like we’d like to get out for a while, we also have awesome friends who can be persuaded to head to our place for a movie night every once and a while (it actually works out really well because we have people over at around 8ish, Eleanor goes down at 8:30ish for the night, we start a movie and crack a bottle of wine at 9 pm, are in bed by 12 am, and Eleanor sleeps until 7 or 7:30 am).

Anyways, this was worn back in the fall for a movie night with friends. I got this dress when I was a month pregnant and this is actually the first time I’ve worn it. It’s sort of a play on a slip/the whole pajamas as clothes thing. Which I totally leaned into by pairing it with slippers, a decision about which I have no regrets.

dress: H&M / cardigan: Pins + Needles

All the Frills: I'm an Idiot

So, after temporarily taking leave of my senses and asking my helpmeet for this for Christmas, he actually got it for me. Sigh. I’m pretty sure I’m a high functioning idiot.

Weekend Reading

• The details of the Larry Nassar case are disturbing and indicative of a much larger problem.
• Tammy Duckworth is just full stop amazing.
• Great. Now I’m even more terrified of global warming.
• I need most of this stuff.
• What do you think of this year’s Oscar nominees?

Cape Obsessed

My love affair with this cape continues unabated. I feel like a Real Housewife of NYC in this (my beloved Luann, specifically - admittedly, she's had a rough year).

leggings: ASOS / cape: BB Dakota / boots: Aldo

Fall and Winter Uniform

I am all about oversized sweaters and tunics paired with leggings in the fall and winter (well, paired with boots in the winter). Even more so now post-pregnancy because they're just so damn easy to throw on and be comfortable in. Seriously, it’s my new uniform.

leggings: ASOS / top: Winners / shoes: Aldo

All the Frills: I Think I'm Ready To Stop Tinkering

After the holidays I did a major decluttering of Eleanor’s nursery in order to allow space for me to move all sorts of her stuff (toys, etc) out of the living room so that our space isn’t totally overrun with baby stuff – to that end we finally took apart the crib/playpen/changing table we had in the living room (it’s a collapsible travel unit so it’s in storage for now and we’ll get out the play pen component once she’s a bit older and we need it in the living room again).

Part of the process involved hanging pictures that I previously just had sitting on top of surfaces. You can get a sense of earlier iterations of the space here and here. I think I’m finally ready to stop tinkering for a bit! Well, at least for a couple of years but then I’m going to redo the space once again as a more toddler style bedroom and add lots of little silver and black accent pieces (overall a blue, white, black, and silver colour scheme).

Weekend Reading: 

• Work being done on the plague that devastated the Aztecs is yielding some fascinating results.
  
• I love how people are trashing Trump’s hotel.
  
• I had no idea that the Titanic cast and crew once consumed drug-laced chowder and got high.
  
• See, now this is my kind of party.
  
• Idiots use the internet to say disgusting things about a baby. How lovely.

Running Errands With Eleanor

I wore this to run errands with Eleanor and she was remarkably cool about the whole thing. Even though I do it pretty frequently, I still dread taking her out places with me (aside from kid friendly places, like when we go to programs at the local library). It’s a whole production to get us both ready to go and out the door and then I am always terrified she’ll have a fit in the middle of a store and I won’t be able to stop it. I’m still scared of it even though it has, of course, happened already multiple times and really isn’t so bad – you just do what you can to soothe her and then calmly and quickly finish up what you’re doing and get the hell out of dodge (it’s really actually not that bad). But on this particular trip (which amounted to about 3 hours total in the car, then Costco, and then the grocery store) she happily napped the whole time! I love it when that happens.

dress: ASOS / jacket: Joe Fresh / booties: Camper

Back To Work (Sort Of)

In early October I started going into work one or two days a week for a half day (sometimes a whole day) – I work in a small office, I’m the Executive Director, we didn’t temporarily hire anyone to fill in for me, and, quite frankly and at the risk of being labeled a bad mom (trust me, I have encountered people who seemed pretty judgmental about this), I was pretty sure I would come close to losing my mind if I stayed home full time for my entire eight month maternity leave.

And starting to go back into the office was every bit as magical as I thought it would be! I like my job, I love my co-workers, and I almost always feel challenged and engaged at the office – I’m so happy to have that time every week to step out of being a full-time caregiver and engage with adults again. Anyways, this is what I wore for my first official day back. I’m obsessed with the sleeves on this dress…

dress: Simons / jacket: Joe Fresh / booties: Camper / necklace: Stella and Dot

All the Frills: Progressive Books

I am so stoked about Eleanor’s awesome book collection (these photos are just a snippet - some of the titles are obviously geared for babies and toddlers, others will be for when she's a bit older - and I've got a ton more like this).

Weekend Reading:

• So this guy seems like a real winner. I’m glad he’s going to jail.
  
• This Oprah for President talk needs to stop.
  
• This article just makes me all kinds of sad and angry. Sangry!
  
• And I’m sangry all over again.
  
• Well, this is the most horrifying story I’ve read so far this year.

A New Favourite

Meet my new favourite top. And get ready to see a lot of it…

shirt: Simons / leggings: ASOS / boots: Target

Heels Almost Never

I don’t wear heels much (I’m just vastly more comfortable in flats) but I definitely have a soft spot for these ones. You can’t tell from these photos but in they’re a beautiful, rich navy colour and surprisingly comfy. It’ll snowy and icy here now so I guess I’ll have to wait a few months now before I can wear them out again – I’m glad I slipped in a wear!

jeans: Winners / shirt: Rag and Bone / heels: ModCloth

All the Frills: Velvet Crush

2018 is the year that I get more velvet things into my closet. I’m going to start with these little gems found on the ModCloth website. Do you have any style resolutions this year?

Weekend Reading:

• Never change, Florida. Never change.
  
• Winter sure can be dreamy sometimes.
  
• I adore the editor’s comments on this asshat’s book manuscript (yes, I refuse to actually use his name) are wonderful.
  
• At this point is anyone even surprised that a former Jersey Shore cast members understands climate change better than Trump?
  
• This woman had a rough night.

Stepping Into Florals

I’m so happy I decided to get this dress on a recent shopping foray. I was on the fence about it because I usually shy away from florals but I’m now convinced it’s basically the perfect fall dress and the florals are pretty in step with my aesthetic. All in all I think I made a good choice.

dress: Zara / jacket: Simons / boots: Aldo

Thank God It's Not -34 Anymore!

So it was below -30 degrees here for basically the past week. I barely left the house. But now that more moderate temperatures have returned, I'm venturing outside again and enjoying it being winter jacket season. I have a minor jacket addiction and love that I live in a climate that makes having multiple fall and winter jackets a practical imperative.

leggings: ASOS / boots: Target / jacket: New Look