30X30 Challenge: day 20, day 21

Hello, vests!

So I am officially done with this challenge! I have one more post after this with a final outfit and then I have all my thoughts to jot down. Day 20 was one of favorite outfits. I feel like I could have kept going with such a limited wardrobe if I could repeat outfits. Maybe I need to reassess all those clothes I still have, do I need them? Do I even like them? Another cleaning out is in the works.

We are a bit behind here because colds and flu and 6 month shots have been running through the house. Also we've been having a lot of fun with Halloween, fall break and a lot of candy munching. So far this has been a great fall!

30X30 Challenge: day 11, day 15

So obviously I am not going to finish posting my outfits during October as I am sitting here wearing my final. I also didn't photograph each one as I thought it would be kind of boring to see me in jeans and a t-shirt. I did keep track of each outfit though for a nerdy analysis and haven't repeated one outfit yet. 

I loved wearing this dress to the temple. It has buttons but also an elastic neckline which made it easy to feed Viv while on the go.

Fast forward a few days and I finally got to wear my dress with the mustard cardigan. It came together nicely. That colorful skirt is so versatile. I have to say that while I have had fun with this challenge, I am excited to have more cardigans again!

30X30 Challenge: Day 9, day 10

So here is that skirt again. Not loving it. But I do love my baseball tee and moto vest combo. And I have to admit that I only wore the vest for half the day as it got really hot and I wasn't about to strap Viv in the bjorn on top of an unnecessary layer.

This was another favorite outfit and I got a few compliments. If only people knew how easy it is to wear a knit pencil skirt and a chambray shirt. But I guess I looked all fancy. And this necklace is part of a push to refashion old favorites, I'll be posting more soon!

Oh and I just thought I would throw this out there but I am in no way a fashion blogger. I am not even trying to be one, I just wanted to see what I could do with this challenge. And it has been fun but after this is over, I won't be posting so many pictures of myself anymore. I'm just saying...

30X30 Challenge: day 7, day 8

So far this has been one of my favorite outfits. I love this style of skirt, full but made from a medium weight cotton. It has structure but also shape. And paired with a fun polka dot sweater and ankle boots, its kind of hard to beat.

Confession: I love hearing my heels click clack on the sidewalk or in stores when I walk. It makes me feel fancy.

I also really like this outfit with a looser coral lace top and skinny jeans. I saw this idea on new ways to wear skinny jeans with ankle boots, cuff 'em! I love it.

Here we have been laying low but still busy. We have a nice routine going with school and work and on any given day we're are pretty content. The days just seem to be flying by too. Better get serious about Halloween costume sewing!

And has anyone else's productivity taken a huge hit by the appearance of Gilmore Girls on Netflix? I've never seen it and all of a sudden I am lost in the wit and the fun. Ah, tv. My achilles heel.

30X30 Challenge: Day 5, Day 6

Over conference weekend, we didn't really go outside much. In fact, on Saturday I didn't leave the house except for three minutes to get the mail. But I still got dressed! Major accomplishment. I was excited to wear this white top because I bought it when I was newly pregnant and only got to wear it a couple of times last year. I love a crisp white shirt but haven't always been a button up girl. This tunic style is perfect and the black leather pocket detail and collar make it special.

On Sunday we actually did leave the house for a Bacon Party and a nature walk but mostly we just sat around eating... I put this top into the mix as a challenge. It has silver embellishments and its hard to wear as most of my jewelry is gold. I'm working on it. I can't wait to wear it with my grey pleated skirt.
Another perk I am realizing from all of this, it that its easier for me to put my clothes away at the end of the day. I have hangers readily available and shelf space open if items aren't dirty. Dirty stuff has to get in the hamper ASAP so I have as many clean options as possible.

30X30 Challenge: day 3, day 4

So I am still doing this but failed to get pictures a couple of days and then just never caught back up. Today is the day! It has been a lot hotter than I thought it would be, maybe October was not the right month to try this on. But I am having a great time and learning a lot about myself. Its been easy to see which items I reach for most often and which items I don't really love. 

This skirt for example I have worn a couple of times and I just don't love it on me. So I am going to rethink it, maybe make a shirt from it. Something flowy? I just love the fabric. 

This dress I made in my crusade to find nursing friendly dresses. Its actually one of Steve's old t shirts, turned inside out and then I added a front button placket. I can't wait for a cooler day so I can pair it with my mustard cardigan.

Hey, who loves TOMS? See how much I am learning about myself?

30X30: day 1, day 2

Okay so this picture is laughable! It was obviously the end of the day and I haven't gotten the hang of this whole "remember to take a picture of myself daily" thing. Let me just tell you a little bit about this shirt, I love this shirt. Its kind of silky (ie: polyester) and it has a slight shimmer. The stripes are brown but kind of gold but kind of olive green. I found it in a pile of free stuff outside the Restore Thrift Store. I felt silly digging through a free pile but hey, it paid off. And of course, the best accessory is a pajama-ed baby fresh from the tub.

This dress is also another thrift store score. A shirt dress is ideal for nursing. I went shopping a few weeks ago with my friends when Andrea came to visit--how fun is it to shop with your girls? I rarely see something and know I have to have it. But when I saw these boots at Old Navy, I knew I was going to buy them and love them and wear them all fall.

We have been enjoying fall weather earlier than usual in Georgia. A few days this week is was hot again and I was worried I shouldn't have put those two jackets in my 30. I secretly thought I should trade them out and wear shorts or sandals but I persevered! This is going to be harder than I thought.

This week has been a good week. We had a fun play date with our centering group ladies. Viv loves her play dates! We also celebrated fall by eating lots of pumpkin bread and tonight we're going to Henry's Fall Festival at school. I even made cookies to donate to the cake walk--such a mom thing! I also rescheduled Vivian's 6 month appointment so I can go on Henry's first field trip. Seriously, when did I become an adult?

Right now its raining. Raining hard! Hooray for fall.

30X30: My 30 Pieces

Here is my wardrobe for the next 30 days! As I was selecting items, I honestly felt like I was going to have no problem putting together all the looks. Now as I see it in such a small space, I am having doubts. Only teeny tiny ones :)

The rest of my clothes are tucked away in the back and covered in trash bags. No cheating for this girl! Okay lets take a look at what I'll be working with.

Tops:

1) Obviously this has been in storage and since been rewashed. Classic chambray button up. Target. 2) Coral lace top. Versona. 3) Striped silky top, free from trash pile at thrift store (no joke!) 4) Cream top embellished with silver. H&M. 5) Baseball tee. Express. 6) Black top with lace details. Ann Taylor, thrifted. 7) Polka dot sweater. Target. 8) Navy v neck tee. Old Navy. 9) White tunic with leather details. Entourage. 10) Sheer black blouse with birds. H&M.

Bottoms:
11) Dark skinny jeans. Banana Republic, gift. 12) Black knit pencil skirt. Target. 13) Bold floral skirt. Thrift and refashioned from dress. 14) Mustard skirt. Target. 15) Grey pleated skirt. Thrifted. 16) Red straight leg jeans. Walmart.

Dresses:
17) Green shift dress. Thrifted. 18) Printed shirtdress. Thrifted. 19) Peasant dress. Target. 20) Striped dress. Made by me.

Jackets and Vests:
21) Olive green utility vest. Old Navy. 22) Black Moto Vest. Target. 23) Tan cotton blazer. Banana Republic, thrifted. 24) Charcoal and White Striped Knit Blazer. Target. 25) Mustard Cardigan. Thrifted.

 Shoes:
26) Grey riding boots. Belk. 27) Taupe ankle boots. Old Navy. 28) Black thick strap sandals. Last Chance. 29) Leopard kitten heels. Thrifted. 30) Black TOMS. mistakenly purchased by Steve in wrong size that I inherited.

Obviously I can still wear underwear, socks and gym clothes and they don't count as my thirty items. I have also added four basic tanks/camisoles too. But I won't be wearing them alone, only as undershirts so they also don't count. I also have free reign of my accessories which I am excited about because maybe it will encourage me to actually wear some of my favorites that I haven't figured out how to wear yet.

Except for my bold dresses, I feel like most of the clothing I chose is pretty basic. Not boring but basic. Maybe I was playing it safe. Only time will tell. I plan on posting a couple of days of outfits at a time so stay tuned to watch my progress.

30X30: closet clean out

I'm really excited about a new project I am starting for the month of October. Years ago, I saw kendi everyday do a 30 for 30 challenge. You choose thirty items from your closet and that's all you can wear for thirty days. Kudos points for creating a different outfit every day. That includes shoes too! At first I thought it was crazy, how can you function with so little? Well, I have decided to take a stab at it. 

Steve asked me why I was doing this. What is the point? Well, here are the reasons I came up with. 1) I need a serious shot in the arm, style wise. Living all summer in ill fitting shorts and tees, I'm ready to recommit. 2) Post baby my closet has been a nightmare. I need to bring to the front the items that will work for me now. 3) I love a good challenge. 

Before starting, I needed a serious closet clean. I took everything out of my closet and all my fall/winter clothes out of storage. 

I took a long look at my current lifestyle. You wouldn't necessarily need to make paper signs but I did to help the sorting process. 

Here are the five categories for things to either be packed away or donated:

Donate: You know you have some things in your closet that you never wear (or don't fit and even if they did you wouldn't wear them) and you know it? Well into the donate pile they go. Even now sitting here typing, I can't tell you whats in there, which means I didn't need them and won't miss them.

blurry much?

Refashion & Fix: Since I can sew and am handy at refashioning things, I set aside anything with promise. I also saved items because of cute fabric, maybe I'll make Viv something out of them. But I have a time limit set on these items. You guessed it; 30 days. If I haven't done something with them by then, they are being donated. 

Maternity: I still had maternity clothing in the mix. Its been five months. Time to go. I packed all of it away, even the things I still wear. Its time to get real.

Non-Nursing Friendly: I am a dress person. I love and live in dresses. Dresses aren't the easiest to nurse in, poor access. Having them all hanging in my closet was sad and frustrating. I decided to just pack them away so I don't have to deal with them.

Postpartum Non-Fits: I was super diligent and tried on almost everything in my closet during the sorting. Everything that doesn't fit yet but I could nurse in, went into its own pile. To be honest, it was kind of depressing. And while I am overall happy with how I'm doing weight-wise--its a process, it still is a major blow to have lots of clothing that doesn't fit. Well now it is all folded and stacked away so I don't even have to worry about it.

All the keeps! I just threw them in a pile on my bed.

All the empty hangers! It feels so good.

Here are all the keeps, nicely hanging or folded in the closet. I hung them up without sorting them into types but I did do that before I did my final sort for the 30X30 challenge. Also see that empty shelf up top? I even had room to store all my non-nursing, non-fit items up there out of sight but still within reach. After my initial sort, I still had over eighty items. Stay tuned tomorrow for the big 30 piece reveal.

If you want to know more about the 30 day challenge, check out kendi. Also this girl is doing an amazing job at a capsule collection on un-fancy.

And you can totally do this with me!