@31 WeeksΞ This summer has been outstanding so far. Sometimes you just have to wear bright colours to honour the sun! This great little dress has been a recent summer staple–great for slipping on post yoga or styling up for work. Its a super simple jersey tank dress with an elasticated waist and pockets–and can be yours for €6 at H&M. I’m impressed that well into the 3rd trimester, this dress from the normal section of H&M fit! So naturally, I also bought it in light grey and aqua.

I’ve worn it several different ways, but have neglected photographing it until now. You wouldn’t think such a bright colour would be versatile, but it’s summer so I think of it as my Little Orange Dress. On this occasion I paired it with my great vintage 1970s beads found at last month’s Dublin Flea for €4. I just love these avacado green, huge beads. Now, you may not be able to tell…but I am completely blissed out after getting a great maternity massage and mini pedi from The Buff Day Spa. If you’re looking for a fantastic spa in the heart of City Centre, Buff Day Spa on Stephen’s Green is the place for you. Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Lynn does a great job using the yummy Mama Mio products to help take all the stain and aches and pains from the 3rd trimester away.

It also helps if your hubby meets you post massage with a Malteesers and chocolate syrup milkshake from Dublin’s first milkshake bar, Shakes. I’m in awe of this place and would like to try a million combinations! Mine was delish, but his was outstanding–who knew Bourbon Creams made terrific milkshake fodder. At some point I might just be bold enough to try Wheatabix (and some sort of chocolate of course!) Shakes is open on Dame Street and is awesome.

@27WeeksΞThis was a day that I just couldn’t get dressed up for. I’m pushing the boundaries of ‘casual Friday’ in my office a little, but after some weeks I just need to wear sneakers in the office. I just love Converse and they are really helping my aching, pregnant feet. I’ve already owned grey Chucks before and know they go well with most outfits. My favourite part about neutral toned Converse is that (if clean) they can keep an outfit looking polished.

I found this cute necklace at the Crafty Market last month. My favourite part is the bow, so I wore it with the bow to the side. A little part of me thought that the striped silk was a lot like a tie, therefore this totally dressed up the outfit and made it work appropriate. Ha. I do think this necklace will help dress down my navy suit (when and if I ever fit in it again, or am forced to wear it for work again).

If you haven’t checked out the Crafty Market, make sure you stop by in the new and very fitting location at Shebeen Chic. Although it is a little crowded, I loved being able to shop while my husband enjoyed a pint of Guinness and live music. It’s a win-win situation.

@27Weeks Ξ On my husband’s annual shopping trip (Yes, he only shops once a year–heathen) I wanted to wear something comfortable but still cute. And I love how this outfit turned out. I felt like I was wearing my PJs, but (unlike some Dublin girls) was dressed and appropriate for hitting the shops and a great lunch out.

Now, my hubby hates shopping and is amazingly picky. To his credit, he always looks great but our yearly shop can be a bit of a drag. So I decided to add a bit of levity to the day with my Happy Sad Bag. I found this awesome little tote bag at TJ Maxx in Boston years ago. With one side a happy face and one side a growling sad face, it’s easy to wear your emotion on your sleeve (and gently remind your shopping partner that he’s being grumpy).

And check out the bump! It’s definitely there. To keep both my boys happy during the shopping trip, we headed to Cortinas in Dundrum. It’s really good and get’s my Texas Gal seal of approval. I am beyond excited to now count 4 decent Mexican restaurants in town. Can’t wait for next summer when I can sit outside at Cortinas sipping a margarita, eating chips and excellent mango salsa.

@26 WeeksΞ It is lashing rain out my window while I work on this post. Since my last post was all about my lack out outerwear, this one shall be about nothing but outerwear and my good ole trench coat. Yes, you’ve seen it before here, here, here, here and here. And if you ever see me on the street, I’ll probably be in it. But it is the perfect coat for spring and for Dublin. Ever gal, pregnant or not, should invest in a great little trench!

Rainy days require a good umbrella, but if you live in a blustery city like Dublin there’s no need to invest heavily in an umbrella that’s just going to break or get lost. This plain €6 number does the trick. Whatever you use please, please, stop taking those giant golf umbrellas out to walk along the narrow and crowded city centre sidewalks. You will stay dry with a normal sized one and you’re less likely to poke an eye out!

Rant over. This umbrella has provided loads of entertainment thanks to the self ejecting button that flings the thing open with unnecessary force. It’s pretty funny if you’re amused easily like me.

Back to the outfit. I didn’t want to wear a scarf, so I buttoned up the coat and popped up the collar. I don’t often do this, but I think it’s pretty cute. There’s great detailing in this Gap trench with big wooden buttons and a crescent shaped piece that connects the collar. PS: I saw a few non maternity version on the sale rack at the Dundrum Gap last week.

And the final touch to a rainy day outfit is the footwear. Good wellies are a must. It’s nearing festival season, so I’m sure there will be lots of welly-talk to come. The ongoing battle of fashion over function rages. In my opinion, it is worth investing in a good pair of proper boots by a trusted brand like Hunters or Joules. Cheap wellies split (especially if you use your foot to pull them off at the heel). Luckily the good brands come in a lot of cute patterns and colours if you need a little perking up on rainy days. I got these  Joules wellies 2 years ago as a gift from my MIL and they’ve lasted through some tough treks in the Wicklow Mountains and mean streets of Dublin.

The new season of wellies from Joules are super cute. Check them out

♥ Embroidered Mexican top: Market Square, San Antonio ♥ Black pencil skirt: Mothercare ♥ Yellow wrap: NYC street vendor ♥ Cropped black cardigan: Jacob ♥ Maternity tights: Berkshire ♥ Pumps: Rocketdog ♥ Red resin bangle: Funky Monkey, Grafton St ♥ Shades: Aldo ♥

@24WeeksΞ Ah spring. Such a lovely and difficult time to get dressed in the morning. On this particularly day, I boldly left home without my trusty trench–and quickly regretted it as the temperature dropped during the day. Thankfully I brought my bright yellow scarf to wrap up in. I get very confused by bright sunny days and expect they should be warm. One of these days I’ll get used to Dublin.

I’m once again wearing my favourite top from my hometown of San Antonio. I’m feeling a lot of nostalgia for home in my pregnancy and want to make sure this little guy connects to his Texas roots (and Irish and English too). I’ve always worn the top with jeans and suddenly realised I could make it work appropriate with my pencil skirt. I’m still amazed that this children’s size shirt still fits (though not for long)

I definitely gravitate towards colour during spring. With beautiful flowers popping up and a return of blue sky, it’s impossible to wear dark earthy tones or heavy knits–even it if is freezing outside! Lesson learned, always bring a coat or layers to make it through the Dublin day.

This is St Audoen’s Church, one of the many medieval churches around the Christchurch area. I was there to attend the Ye Lord Mayor’s Delight as part of the TCBT Handel’s Day celebrations. St. Audoen’s is open to tourists after some great renovations. You should definitely check it out!

♥ Navy Secretary Dress: Vintage, thrifted, hemmed from Wild Child Vintage ♥ Orange and navy striped belt: Goodwill San Francisco ♥ Boots: Jones ♥ Black maternity tights: Berkshire ♥ Starfish silver necklace: Gift from former colleagues ♥

@25WeeksΞ How adorable is this dress? I found it at Wild Child last year but never got around to hemming it until now. It was a decent price (3 dresses for €50 including this one and a cute green plaid dress that I may have to wait until next year to wear). It was really long, so I brought it up about 2.5 inches. I think I might bring it up more post-maternity, but didn’t want it to be scandalously short with the bump.

The original belt is missing so I added this orange and navy striped belt. It adds a punch of colour so that the dress isn’t too dark and accents what little waist I have left. I found it at Goodwill in the Haight, San Francisco for $2. That was a truly great thrift shop and I’m still lamenting things left behind…

What I love most about this dress is that it fits my narrow shoulders perfectly. This is a rare find for me! The rounded collar and pleating around the shoulders are a really nice touch making this dress a must have. I’ll keep playing around with the hem until it’s perfect. For now though, it’s fitting my bump nicely thanks to the elastic natural waist and box pleat skirt.

By the way, did you notice my eyebrows have finally been tamed? I finally found a cheap local place to get them shaped (without wax, I’m too sensitive) — Body Craft near Patrick’s Cathedral for €10

♥Electric blue sweatshirt dress: Mothercare ♥ Back tank: Old Navy ♥ Scarf: Vintage, from Mom’s college days ♥ Leggings: Gap ♥ Peep toe wedges: M&S ♥ Felt necklace: Handmade by me ♥

@24 WeeksΞ Moving to Ireland from the US should come with a vocabulary list. My poor kid is going to be confused when I say eggplant and dad says aubergine, I say BAY-sil and dad says bass-il. One of the terms I found funniest when I first moved over was jumper. That’s why I like this dress–it suits both definitions: 1) a sleeveless, collarless dress or pinafore; 2) a heavy sweater or shirt. It’s a jumper jumper!

This little dress was a great find at Mothercare (€15). Made out of heavy sweatshirt material, it is really very comfortable and fits easy over the bump without clingy stretching like some jersey. It’s short and bright and looks age appropriate for a gal in her 20s–something that I’ve found lacking in a lot of maternity lines.

Accessories include a great scarf that I stole from my Mom’s closet years ago and those new M&S wedges. Sadly, I decided to return the shoes after taking the photo. They are lovely, but a little to high for maternity shoes. The necklace I made out of little felt circles stitched together matches perfectly and fills the space from the scoop neckline.

@24 WeeksΞ On one of those rare sunny, warm Irish days we dropped all our plans and headed over to a friends for a BBQ. It was essential that I change from post-yoga sweats into something cool, comfy and bright. You never know when you can bust out a sleeveless dress in Dublin, so I take every chance I can to soak up that vitamin D!

These shots were quick as we headed out the door (after making a yummy salad full of fresh veg from the Ranelagh Village Market), but you get the idea. I got this dress during my San Francisco trip at Old Navy for $15. It’s perfect maternity style to give you room to grow your bump–elasticated empire waist, lots of gathering and jersey. I wish we had a shop like Old Navy here to supply good, cheap, basic maternity items. Prices at some Irish shops make me sad. So American mamas-to-be (or gals with US connections), be sure to check out your local ON for summer essentials.

@23 WeeksΞ Isn’t this cardigan amazing. I found it at Dublin Flea for only €11. Remember? I’m really feeling bright colours lately, maybe it’s wishful thinking for bright days outside. I really like how the all black outfit makes the coral pop. I also love how figure hugging this outfit is to really show off the bump.

I had a meeting on this day, so I wanted to wear my glasses to smarten me up. Just kidding, there was something about the silhouette that called for my hair slicked back with glasses. I’m also wearing one of my favourite necklaces given to me by my former colleagues in Boston. It’s a tiny reminder of a great place to work, I like to wear it when I’m about to embark on a particularly challenging day.

I should add that my lippy is my very most favourite (and matching) Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick in Ambrosia.

@21 Weeks Ξ This shirt dress was a steal at only €5 on sale at H&M. So far I’m not terribly thrilled with the selection of maternity wear at the Stephen’s Green location (but then, I’m not thrilled with the selection of affordable maternity clothes anywhere. I may be pregnant, but I’m in my 20s and can still follow trends). Anyway, I digress. This dress is an affordable exception. I’m mad about buffalo plaid and the super light cotton means it will be wearable for multiple seasons–a real plus when you’re trying to stretch your maternity wardrobe.

These pics aren’t the best, but I’m sure I’ll be wearing this outfit again soon with better snaps. It’s a nice alternative to last summer’s buffalo bargain I can’t get enough of tomato red and buffalo plaid.  I think this dress will last me in my non maternity days too–it’s slightly longer and has a higher waist than a regular tunic might, but that suits me because I’m long waisted)