WIWW- What I Wore Wednesday #20

 

Another week of hiding my awkwardly sized baby bump. I’m 14-15 weeks pregnant in these pictures and still successfully covering it up :) I always like my clothes to be super fitted in the waist and if they weren’t then I would add a belt. Now I find myself turning to all those tops that weren’t quite fitted enough to my liking. Moving clothes around in my closet has become a weekly occurrence now. They move from the “maybe this still fits” side to the “this is not happening” side. I’m just taking it week by week now and it’s a triumph just getting dressed every morning lol!

Blazer- Thrifted: Kohl’s, skirt- Target, Cami- Kohl’s Shoes- Kohl’s, Necklace- Made by me 

I have never been in love with this fit of this blazer because I always felt like it could be a little more fitted in the middle. Honestly, I think this angle makes it look way more fabulous than it does when I look in the mirror. Paired with this skirt, it completely hid my stomach so it was a winner.

Cardigan- Target, Skirt- JC Penney, Shoes- Thrifted, bows made by me, Bracelets- Target

I really wanted to wear a colorful necklace with this outfit but none of my necklaces looked right with this neckline so I busted out my colorful bracelets. I usually only wear them in the summer because they don’t fit under a jacket sleeve very well but it felt like the right time to start wearing them.

Shirt- New York and Company via ebay, Pants- Thrifted: New York and Company, Necklace- gift

I actually wore this outfit at the beginning of the week but it was pretty uninspiring. It was only in the 50s so I was not about to put a skirt on. A belt would have made this shirt cuter but it also would have accentuated the belly I was trying to cover up :)

Late April/Early May Garden Blooms

 

We had the most beautiful weekend. It was in the upper 80s both days and it felt like Summer. On Saturday we went to Lowes with everyone else in the world and picked up a tomato and 2 pepper plants. With all the nausea that I was having at the appropriate time to be growing plants from seed I pretty much gave up on starting any veggies or herbs early. This didn’t stop me from plating right into the ground.  So in addition to the plants I bought, I planted seeds for bush beans, cucumbers, cilantro, parsley, basil and dill. I already have garlic, onions, peas and broccoli planted. Stay tuned for pics once everything has a chance to grow.

The garden is definitely a little scaled back this year. I don’t have the energy to dedicate to it now and I know come August when I’m very pregnant I won’t want to deal with the maintenance of an end of summer garden. I think I’m forgoing planting any annuals this year too. I don’t want to worry about having to water them and my herb garden will keep me plenty busy. You can check out last years pictures since it’s not worth photographing yet this year. It’s the same size except I accidently cut my garlic chive back too far this spring and killed it off. I was pretty devastated because it’s my favorite herb after basil but I had some volunteers up front that I dug up and repotted. I think I have some seed laying around too so I can resurrect it.

I had some catnip that died off last year because it outgrew the pot and I couldn’t keep up with watering it. What’s really interesting is it sprung up in the gravel and in my pot of mint. I dug up the one that was in the mint and repotted it and left the one in the gravel for the kitty to do what she pleases with. Mike and I were sitting on the patio and laughing about how more plants spring up in the gravel than seems logical.

On to my perennial garden. I’ve been saving up some of these pictures until I had enough to post so some are from the end of April. I’ve worked so hard on my garden to make it bloom from Early spring to late Fall and so far it’s off to a great start.

These tulips are consistent performers. I love how cheery the yellow is.

This was a good year for the magnolia. It’s super sensitive to frost so it doesn’t do well when we have an early spring and late frost but lucky for the magnolia that didn’t happen this year.

Mike is in love with the bleeding heart. He said we should have more of them throughout the garden. I didn’t take a full picture of it but this plant is massive. It’s super pretty in the spring but it dies out in the heat of the summer so I have black eyed susan planted in front to cover it up when the leaves turn yellow.

I love the color of this azalea. It’s a long lasting bloom that really lights up the garden.

 

Upcoming blooms you will see soon are columbine, allium, lilac and maybe my rose. It has tons of buds on it!

WIWW- What I Wore Wednesday #19

 

This week was all about hiding my newly acquired awkward baby bump (see My Big News in case you missed it.) I’m finding at the moment button downs flow away from my body better than most of my other shirts so expect to see lots of them (until they don’t work anymore!)

Skirt- Thrifted: Ann Taylor Loft, Cardigan- Lands End, Button Down- New York and Company, Shoes- Kohl’s, Necklace- Gift

I’ll admit I was not in love with this outfit but after trying on six different variations and almost making us late to work I just went with it. I feel like the top half would have looked better with a pair of pants but for the sake of my sanity I just wore it.

Cardigan- Target, Button Down- Thrifted: Express, Pants- Kohl’s, Shoes- Target, Necklace- Very Jane

I actually really like how this outfit came together. After my previous outfit fiasco I came home from work and loosely planned out the rest of the work outfits for the week. The final touch came when I was figuring out which necklace to wear and was really happy with this mint and blue combo. It felt good to have an outfit win:)

Dress- Target, Cardigan- Target, Necklace- Thrifted, Shoes- Kohl’s, Belt- Thrifted

This dress is extremely forgiving with an empire waist and flows from the body. I definitely see it as a staple for the upcoming weeks. Plus it pairs well with most of my cardigans.

Button Down- New York and Company, Pants- Thrifted, Necklace- Made by me, Shoes- Kohl’s

Friday and I was out of creativity. I wanted to wear a funkier necklace color combo but silver was the easiest choice so silver it was.

Cardigan- Thrifted and altered by me, Pants- Kohl’s, Belt- Kohl’s, Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory, Shoes- Target

My Mother’s Day outfit. We had both the mothers and my grandma, cousins and sister over for lunch at out house. My mom’s husband wanted to know where the baby bump was. I told him not to worry, it was there, but smartly covered up :)

I have to mention my new flats too. I read some good reviews from other bloggers so I bought these flats from Target when they were 20% off. Based on the reviews online I ordered two sizes since they were supposed to run tight but they actually fit true to size. I wore them around the house all day and they were nice and soft and didn't dig into my heels. They were a bit pricey for Target flats but I have been really happy with them so far and I am keeping my eye out for another sale because I would love a black pair, and maybe mint too.

 

Linking up to:

My Big News

 

We’re having a baby!

I’m fourteen weeks along now and finally ready to make it blog official. Mike and I are so excited to be having our first child. I have been wanting to talk about it on the blog but waiting until I was in the second trimester before putting such a big announcement out onto the internet. (We just shared on Facebook this past week.)

It has been pretty rough for me starting around week six. I had pretty bad nausea all day long, but only one day where I was throwing up. I was not feeling crafty or creative at all. It was just a miracle to get through the day and find something to eat that didn’t make me feel sick.

I finally started feeling better around week twelve and I’m feeling pretty good now. I still get tired really quickly and I have some food aversions but it’s definitely getting easier.

The baby is healthy and it was so exciting to see him or her on our ultrasounds. And yes, we will find out the sex. This is the number one question I get asked. I can’t wait until we do find out so the questions can finally stop :) That won’t be until around 20 weeks so we still have a ways to go.

I’m not sure how much I will share for bump updates since I don’t love to hear other people share all their aches and pains but I will be documenting my growing bump through pictures. Here’s the first one!

I haven’t felt like there was anything to really show off until now and looking at this picture it seems so small. I don’t feel that way since I have been having a lot of trouble getting dressed this past week. Some of my pants are starting to not fit and many of my shirts aren’t working because they show off my new belly in a way I don’t feel comfortable with. It’s not big enough to look like a baby bump, just like I’m gaining some weight. Expect to see my attempts to find ways to cover it up in upcoming What I Wore Wednesdays. Right now it mostly consists of wearing button downs since many of mine aren’t very form fitting.

There will be lots more baby planning coming up on the blog. Mike and I are already in full baby mode and have started planning out the nursery. There is so much stuff for babies it’s a bit overwhelming but we are working on sorting through it all. I’m due on November 7th so we still have lots of time to figure it out :)

WIWW- What I Wore Wednesday #18

 

Button down- New York and Company, Skirt- Target, Belt- Thrifted, Boots- Steve Madden Girl, Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory

I was not quite ready for completely bare legs this day but I am so over tights. I can’t stand the thought of wearing them again until it’s too cold to get away with it. I tried tucking this button down into my skirt but it just wasn’t working right. It was too puffy and wrinkly looking so untucked and belted had to do.

Jacket- Thrifted: Ann Taylor, Dress- Thrifted and Refashioned by me, Shoes- Kohl’s, Necklace- Gift

This sweater jacket/blazer is just a tad short to really wear with pants so I don’t wear it that often. It did make the perfect paring with this dress though. It’s also a strange piece to figure out what season it belongs in. It’s a heavier sweater material but three quarter length. Too cold for winter, too hot for summer, perfect for spring.

Cardigan- Thrifted: Old Navy, Tank- Old Navy, Skirt- JC Penney, Shoes- Kohl’s, Belt- Thrifted

Not sure how I made it out of the house this day. I had trouble getting up and trouble picking out an outfit which lead me to be super late. I like to take my pictures right before I leave in the morning so my clothes are less wrinkled, my hair has more volume, and my makeup is fresh. Well that didn’t happen so here is my after work picture. Slightly more wrinkly than I would like after sitting all day long but better late than never.

Cardigan- Lands End Canvas, Tank- Old Navy, Skirt- Thrifted: New York and Company, Belt- Thrifted, Necklace- Made by me

This outfit was a combination of items I don’t wear very often (with the exception of the belt. It’s probably the most worn item in my closest. I mean, I wore it three times this week.) I thrifted this skirt and it was brand new with tags, nice quality with a lining but it had a side slit. I realize you can’t really tell in the picture. I’ve only worn it once before and I just wore the slit in the back even though there was a seam up the front. I decided to pull it out again this week and I think I actually like it a lot more than I thought I did… and I wore it the right way this time :)

 

Linking up to:

Pansy Obsession

 

We had such a beautiful weekend! It definitely feels like spring and I love it. The weather is warm, the flowers are blooming, pollen is everywhere. Well maybe I don’t love that pollen is everywhere because my allergies are out of control. I love being outside right now but my itching nose has the windows shut and air on already in our house.

It really was a nice weekend though. I went garage saleing with my grandma on Saturday and I’ve never seen so many people out before. I think everyone else had the same idea. I picked up a couple of things I was looking for but I’m hoping next time we go there is the usual crowd of just a few people here and there.

We spent some time with Mike’s sister and nieces on Sunday and had a nice time with them. Then we made the mistake of going out to Mexican on Cinco De Mayo. Neither one of us realized it until we got to the restaurant and it was a zoo. Luckily we didn’t wait very long because Mike was ready to go somewhere else but I had Mexican on the brain and at that point so I wasn’t going anywhere :)

So technically I think these pictures might be violas but since all of these flowers are volunteers, I really can’t say for sure. I planted some pansies and violas in pots last spring and let them go to seed, hoping I would get some volunteers popping up. I saw a couple in the fall and this spring lots more came up. They are by far my favorite annual and I love how easily they self seed.

What’s really funny about these other pansies is that I never planted in this area. Last year a couple sprouted up in the gravel where I keep my herb garden. I let them stay because obviously I love them. This year they are everywhere! I could have taken a million pictures but I tamed it down. They look so pretty and I don’t mind at all that they are staging a takeover :)

WIWW- What I Wore Wednesday #17

 

 

Cardigan- Modcloth, Skirt- JC Penney, Necklace- Target, Tights- Hanes, Shoes- Thrifted

I decided to wear this cardigan and skirt together but my jewelry was undecided. I was putting away this necklace I wore last week and I was struck with inspiration. I love mustard and blue together so it was the perfect fit. If I had put my necklace away like I should have last week I probably wouldn’t have figured out this combo. Yay for laziness!

 

Sweater- Old Navy, Pants- Kohl’s, Necklace- Groopdealz, Shoes- Kohl’s, Button Down- New York and Company.

I really wanted to get another wear out of this sweater before it gets too warm. I have a feeling it will make it’s way out of the rotation once the weather actually stays nice consistently. It’s such a great piece I feel like it goes with every pair of pants I own.

 

Cardigan- Land’s End, Tank- Old Navy, Pants- Express via Ebay and altered by me, Necklace- New York and Company, Shoes- shoe store at the mall

I haven’t worn the navy, emerald combo in a while. This cardigan is still in good shape but I would love to upgrade to a slightly better fitting one since I feel like it is such a versatile color. This one is slightly boxy and a tad bit too short for my liking.

 

Cardigan- Thrifted: Old Navy, Pants- Thrifted: Daisy Fuentes, Necklace- Made by me, Belt- Target, Shoes- Thrifted

So I bragged about how I hadn’t worn the same outfit in 16 weeks last week. Friday, all I wanted to do was wear something soft and warm and this cardigan fit the bill. And it paired so nicely with black pants. Then I realized I wore the same combination already so I changed it up with a different belt and necklace than last time. Because wearing different accessories means it’s a different outfit right?

 

Linking up to:

Crochet Newborn Bear V Stitch Hat Pattern

 

 

Mike’s niece is having a baby boy in June. I shared with you the crochet chevron baby blanket I made for her already. I finished the blanket earlier than I thought so I had some extra time to make something else. She has mentioned they were going to get newborn pictures taken and buying props was super expensive so I decided to make a hat that the baby could wear in pictures.

Since she lives in Atlanta and it’s going to be June I wanted to make something a little more open than I would usually make so the baby won’t be roasting. It may or not last him until the weather cools off but at least he can look cute in his pictures :)

I originally wanted to make some baby booties to go with this hat but I got pretty frustrated with the patterns that were on Ravelry. I either didn’t have the right yarn or the right hook. If I found a pattern I thought could work then my gauge was way off or I hated the way the booties look. If you know any great patterns please share and maybe I’ll give booties another try.

Anyway on to the pattern. I never made a v stitch hat before so I’m not sure if I did my joins the “proper” way but it looked good to me.

 

Materials:

H hook

Worsted weight yarn (I used Caron One Pound)

Tapestry needle

 

Abbreviations:

Dc- double crochet

Ch- chain

Ss- slip stitch

Sc- single crochet

Hdc- half double crochet

V stitch- Double crochet, Chain 1, Double crochet all in same stitch

Note: I prefer to put my v stitch in the chain space from the row below instead of putting it into the chain. I did a lot of research (googling) on this stitch and either way is acceptable but my way is easier. Here’s a video tutorial if you haven’t used this stitch before.

Instructions:

Hat

Row 1: Ch 4. 9 Dc in 3rd Ch from hook. Join with slip stitch to top of first Dc. (9 Dc)

Row 2: Ch 3. 2 Dc in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of first Dc. (18 Dc)

Row 3: Ch 3. (1 Dc in first stitch, 2 Dc in next) repeat around. Join with slip stitch to top of first Dc. (27 Dc)

Row 4-7: Ch 3. (Skip 1 space, V stitch in next stitch, Skip 1 space, V stitch in next stitch) repeat around. Dc in the Ss. Ch1. Join to top of Ch 3.

Row 8: Ch 1. Sc in each stitch around. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Ears (make two)

Row 1: Ch 3. 6 Sc in 2nd chain from hook. Join with Ss to first Sc.

Row 2: Ch 1. 2 Hdc in each stitch around. Join with Ss to first Hdc. Fasten off. Leave a long tail for sewing.

Attach ears to the top of the hat using picture as a guide with a whip stitch. Depending on where you place them it will give the hat a different look. It can also look like a mouse if the ears are closer and more on the top of the hat or a monkey if the ears are further down the sides of the hat.

You may use any of the patterns I create for personal use. If you would like to make an item to sell with my patterns you must link back to the pattern on my blog. You can not sell my patterns as your own.

I may be linking up to these parties: