@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.

♥ 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.

@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)

♥ Maternity jersey knit pencil skirt: Mothercare ♥ White embroidered shirt: Penneys ♥ Green boyfriend cardigan: Penneys ♥ White tank: Gap ♥ Black maternity tights: Mom’s the Word, Palo Alto ♥ Black boots: Jones ♥ Tulip necklace: Perk Up Vintage ♥

@22 WeeksΞAs you might have noticed, I’m not posting outfits in order now. I just want to keep you on your toes. Anyway. I actually wore a version of this outfit today (at 26 weeks). I really love this top from Penneys that I got last summer. It has held up remarkably well and has really transitioned into a maternity top. My lovely tulip necklace is Cloisonne from Perk Up Vintage.

I’m finding that I can still wear a lot of non maternity tops, especially with so many longer tunic-y type tops on the high street these days. It helps that I was smaller in the chest to begin with. The key to managing my maternity wardrobe has been mixing and matching what I already have and updating with new things only when necessary.

The pencil skirt was necessary. Absolutely. This little skirt is a great piece from Mothercare. I got it on sale for €15 and have already gotten more than my money’s worth. It’s thick jersey and cut to go around my bump (with pleating paneling of the skirt, rather than an elastic band) so it’s very comfortable. Funnily, I never liked the look of pencil skirts on me until now. Glad to finally try it out!

@22 WeeksΞ Remember a few weeks ago when we woke up to snow–in April! Well, I had quite the sartorial decision ahead of me. I did NOT want to wear black or heavy clothes and I didn’t have that many snow-appropriate clothes that fit me. So, what’s a girl to do (My first thought–just stay home and sulk–wasn’t really an option) Solution: winter boots + cute dress with a dash of colour.

This outfit started from top to bottom. Boots: over 5 years old, but great in wet and slippery conditions. We have a love hate relationship–I love that they keep me from falling down, but hate the wide square toe. After 5 years (including 2 intense Boston winters) they have really held up. I decided thick tights and a layered-up dress combo was the only way to keep it springy. I love orange and brown and the big deco-ish pattern on this dress. It’s also 4 or 5 years old and usually a go-to dress for lazy summer days. And once again, this outfit is 90% non-maternity despite a pretty significant bump.

]]> http://stylebynumbers.info/2010/04/wtwwye-2nd-trimester-spring-snow/feed/ 0 http://stylebynumbers.info/2010/04/wtwwye-2nd-trimester-vintage-cardigan/ http://stylebynumbers.info/2010/04/wtwwye-2nd-trimester-vintage-cardigan/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:47:52 +0000 laurendare http://stylebynumbers.info/?p=1454

♥ Beaded vintage cardigan: Antique shop in Corpus Christi, TX (over 10 years ago) ♥ Grey v-neck tee: Old Navy Maternity ♥ Jeans: Gap Maternity ♥Raspberry Chucks: Converse, Urban Outfitters Harvard Sq Bargain Basement ♥ Teacup necklace: Courtesy of Accessorize ♥

@22 WeeksΞ In jeans yet again (blame it on a cold, rainy day). I’m again trying to keep the focus on my top half with a cropped cardigan, left open to let the belly peak through.  This is one of my favourite pieces–a vintage beaded cardigan found in an antique store in Corpus Christi, TX over 10 years ago (for a pretty steep $40). Shockingly, this is the first time I’ve EVER worn the sweater!

This sweater is so pretty and has amazing beading details. All the beads are actually pearly white, but the string gives the design some colour. I know its a shame I’ve waited so long to bust it out, but I never had the right top to go under it. I really liked the soft grey t-shirt with this (and the jeans and Chucks combo keep it from being prissy). Sadly, this might be the only time I wear it…

I have a terrible wool allergy and this cardi actually caused scratches on my poor suffering arms. I don’t think I could part with it though, not after all these years. I have dreams of a pretty little sewing room some day with this hanging up in the corner or draped over a dress stand.