8 tips to keep you from going broke on maternity clothes.

im going to be completely real here, i HATE maternity clothes. a strong, powerful, oddly disproportionate hate like the hate i have for morissey and wil wheaton and things that are orange-flavored. i hate having to buy special, single purpose garments for a very specific, very temporary transitional period in life that lasts approximately five months. when you add the fact that the majority of traditional maternity clothes are expensive, unflattering, uncomfortable, and inexplicably geared to the over-40 set style-wise, well, there are a whole lot of layers to that hate-cake. 

but being pregnant doesnt have to mean dropping hundreds of dollars on clothes that you hate. i mean, theres not a whole lot you can do to change whats already out there in the world of maternity clothes, it turns out there are actually quite a few things you can do to make things easier in the money department. 

and now that i have (almost) two whole pregnancies under my (currently very large) belt, i herby present to you my top eight tips for saving money on maternity clothes: 

1. re-evaluate your "normal" clothes. so the idea that youre going to need an ENTIRE new wardrobe as soon as you find out youre pregnant is a total lie, because 1. its probably going to be a while before you actually need different clothes (especially if its your first pregnancy) and 2. you probably have a LOT of regular clothes that will serve you well through pregnancy. things like: long/loose tops, sweaters, jackets, empire waist/fit and flare dresses, stretchy skirts, leggings, etc.. so before you rush out and buy anything, move all of THAT stuff to the front of your closet and see how far you can go. 

2. splurge on a belly band. these range anywhere from $15 to upwards of $60, which is an absolutely stupid price for whats basically just a circle of stretchy fabric that really isnt all that comfortable (personally i find it very itchy and constricting). but, it does have two key benefits (especially for the first half of pregnancy/postpartum): 1. it lets you wear your normal pants unbuttoned without them falling down/everyone being able to see your open pants, and 2. it fills in the gap when your shirts start getting too short (but not necessarily too small). 

3. dont get ahead of yourself. i know the idea of a single, big maternity shopping spree to outfit yourself for your entire pregnancy might sound super fun and efficient. but honestly thats a surefire way to end up wasting a TON of money on clothes that wont get worn. why? because, like most things involving babies, you really CAN NOT anticipate what youre going to need until you actually need it (or dont need it). there is literally NO way to predict how big you are going to get at what stage, how youre going to carry, or what kind of clothes you are going to want to wear/feel comfortable in once you get bigger. so when you run out of pants or shirts or underwear or whatever that fit, go get that one thing you KNOW you need, and hold off on everything else. 

4. look for non-maternity alternatives. heres the thing with anything labeled "maternity": much like anything labeled "wedding", whatever it is is going to cost about three-four times as much as its normal counterpart. but the thing is (just like with weddings) sometimes there is literally no difference. take extra-long tank tops for layering: theyre a good $20 + in the maternity section (even at cheap places like h&m), but you can get them at forever 21 for like $4. another great trick (especially for skirts and dresses) is to find a flattering cut thats loose around the belly area, and buying it in a larger than normal size. in addition to saving you tons of money, it will not have the belly-accentuating gathers and panels that maternity clothes tend to have, so you can continue to wear them postpartum without still looking pregnant (trust me on this, you do NOT want to be wearing belly-emphasizing maternity clothes after the baby is born). 

5. invest in versatile basics. as with clothing in general, youll get a LOT more mileage out of your maternity budget if you stick to higher quality, mix and match pieces in neutral colors. one really great dress or pair or pants can be dressed up or down in a variety of combinations and no one will really notice, but loud, trendy tops will only last you a few wears. also, great basics are less likely to go out of style, and a LOT more likely to be useful to save for your next pregnancy/hand down to another expecting mom. 

6. always look check the clearance sales. there is one plus side to the fact that maternity clothes tend to be horribly dated: the stuff on clearance is exactly the same as the stuff thats regular price. wherever youre shopping, whether its an an actual maternity store like motherhood or somewhere less expected like h&m or amazon, check the clearance, because there is probably something fantastic/necessary for a fraction of the price. actual real-life clearance scores so far: $6 and $12 nursing bras, a $12 bathing suit, $5 tshirts, and a very, very versatile black and white striped dress (because we all know how i love those) for $25. all because i checked the clearance. 

7. thrift/consignment stores, thredup, and your other mom friends. so far ive only talked about buying new maternity clothes. but, of course, theres also the option of not buying new maternity clothes. since theyre typically worn for such a short time, most used pieces are still in fabulous condition, and if you have the patience/free time for it (but if you dont, thredup is a wonderful online substitute) you can find deals way better than the clearance racks. also, hand me downs. if you have other friends that are new moms, pregnancy is not a time to be too proud for hand me downs. 

8. consider your postpartum needs when youre shopping. i really, really hate to break it to you, but you are probably not going straight back to your pre-pregnancy shape immediately after giving birth. youll need transitional clothes. also, if youre planning on nursing, youll need tops and dresses that will work for that too. BUT, if you carefully select your maternity purchases so that theyre also useful postpartum, then you can really stretch your clothing budget. 

so yeah, long story short, maternity clothes kind of suck. but at least they dont have to eat all your money. 

how to fake your way to being a "cute mom". (sponsored by yogaoutlet.com)

outfit details: 

dress: c/o yogaoutlet.com

cardigan: target

 moccasins: minnetonka (purchased used)

glasses: zenni optical

every so often someone will make a comment about how im such a "cute mom". now, i try my best to take this as a compliment, but if were being honest here, this is usually said in a condescending tone, as if to say "oh victoria, thats so cute that you have all that extra time and money to invest in looking nice all the time, you must have such an easy life to have everything together like that", to which i say: BAHAHAHAHAAAAA. 

no. 

i do not have an easy life. i do not have ANYTHING even remotely together. i do not have time for shopping. i do not have money for shopping. and unless it is a very, very special occasion, i do not have the energy to spend more than three minutes a day caring about what i look like. 

im just really good at faking like im a cute mom. and today im going to share a few tips on how you can do it too. (also, im sorry for laughing at you, that probably wasnt very nice of me). 

1. find some comfy dresses. dresses are for SO MUCH MORE than just dressing up. most of the time, if im home doing chores/out running a billion errands, im wearing a dress. why? because the right dress (like this super soft organic cotton shift from yogaoutlet.com) feels like pajamas, but looks like you tried. all with the added bonus of being a whole outfit in one and not having to wear pants. 

2. cardigans and moccasins. cardigans are basically the same thing as sweatshirts. moccasins are basically the same thing as slippers. however, in both cases, one option says "why yes, i am handling things today" and the other says "i have lost all control over my life". and i dont know about you, but for me clothing has a profound psychological effect, and dressing like the former even when i feel like the latter actually helps.

3. less is more. you know all those clothes in your closet that dont fit/dont match anything/make you feel unattractive that (dont lie) are totally in your closet? just get rid of them. you cant ever look frumpy if you dont let yourself have the option of looking frumpy. thats logic. 

4. limit your color palette. generally speaking, i can pull any top and any bottom out of my closet and they will at least sort of coordinate. why? because if you were to look inside my closet, you'd see that (almost) everything is black, white, or grey, with the occasional pop of pink, red, and orange. sure this may sound boring, but do you have any idea how fast i can get dressed in the morning?

5. perfect the two-minute makeup routine. yes, most days i leave the house i wear makeup. no, this does not take any time at all. i wear my makeup the exact same way every day (blush, eyeshadow, winged liner, and mascara) and can get it done in about a minute and a half. i also have a teeny tiny makeup bag with just those things in my bathroom separate from the rest of my makeup so that i never have to waste time looking for things. i promise that if you can boil your makeup routine down to just the essentials, youll be able to go from sleepy to done up before anyone realizes you closed the bathroom door. 

6. memorize some lightning fast hairstyles. some women are blessed with hair that just naturally looks great all the time. i am not one of those women. thankfully, the internet has a LOT of resources for almost zero-effort hairstyles. i mean, we all know about topknots and ponytails, but what about a messy fishtail, rope braid, or scarf roll? honestly, until a few months ago, i had no idea there were so many easy thinks you can do with your hair to look like you tried. (my new favorite thing is this thing where i dont wash or brush my hair and pin up the front part and pretend like im fancy). 

7. most importantly, just own it. look, even if i did have the time/energy for beachy waves and cuffed white jeans or perfectly coordinating a necklace and hat with my top, that would look ridiculous. because thats not me and i cant pull that off. the #1 secret to being a "cute mom"? confidence. whatever your "look" is, as long as you own it, nobody will know that you cant do the normal "cute mom" things. 

so now that ive spilled all my secrets, steal them and go be cute. nobody has to know that youre not actually a "cute mom" cute mom...

(disclaimer: this post was sponsored by yogaoutlet.com and they provided the dress free for review. all other content and opinions are my own. p.s. be sure to check out their holiday gift guide for gift ideas for the yoga-inclined on your list)

accidental high-low dressing. an outfit post.

outfit details: 

jacket: free people

necklace: gift (similar)

dress: hand-me-down (handmade by a friend)

shoes: shoemint (old)

glasses: zenni optical

youre familiar with the term "high-low" dressing, right? its that thing where you pair really expensive things with really cheap things to make a unique outfit, like, an h&m top tucked into a chanel skirt or whatever. its like, a really popular thing to do. it can be fun, but with my wardrobe being in the sad, sorry state of needing new everything in recent years, my closet really didnt have much "high" to it. it was more like "low, lower, and lowest". 

but things have changed. ive gotten older and wiser and a prolonged lack of shopping money forced me to really examine my feelings about clothes. and through all of this, i learned a few things: 

1. my style really doesnt change much over time. lots of my old favorites, are still my favorites. and most of the more recent purchases i bought during my new mom identity crisis, i really really hate. 

2. i prefer a more minimal wardrobe. generally speaking, i dont typically wear that many different kind of outfits, and id rather only have things that mix and match with each other. both to save time getting ready in the morning and also to maximize my options for looking put together without always wearing the same thing. 

3. im the quality-over-quantity type. dont get me wrong, i do LOVE a bargain. but at the same time, theres a HUGE difference between something thats a great value, and something thats just cheap. and i dont know if its because of what ive learned through sewing, or if im just a snob, but i can definitely tell the difference. and maybe its just me, but id rather have one high quality shirt that will last for years than three cheap, disposable shirts. 

4. im just not that into shopping. despite the fact that i really love clothes and the visual stimulation and inspiration that comes from shopping (or sewing, or reading blogs, or people watching, or really anything for that matter), going to the mall (or thrift store, or target) to go buy clothes tends to do one of two things: either i get super stressed out and overwhelmed and cant make up my mind, or i end up impulsively buying things that really arent me because im out shopping and feel like i need to buy something. 

so even though now, thanks to jamberry and james working full-time again, i have disposable income for the first time in my entire adult life and i totally could go clothes shopping, just for fun. i havent. 

ive actually been working really hard to clean out my closet, this battle has been going on for several months and my "to get rid of" pile now reaches the ceiling. and since i (obviously, given the pile-to-the-ceiling) had WAY too many clothes to begin with, i really dont need anything. and the rare times i do shop, im looking for specific, high-quality pieces that can replace several of my old, worn out, or ill-fitting things. i usually know exactly what it is im looking for, and am just trying to find the right piece at the right price, rather than browsing to see what strikes my fancy. its not the most exciting place to be in wardrobe-wise, but its fun. 

and sometimes outfits like this one happen and its really really funny. see, every single piece of this outfit was free, except for the jacket. the dress was an old, old hand-me-down from my sister (handmade by one of our friends), the shoes i won in a blog giveaway, the pearls were a wedding present. 

but then theres the jacket. james took me out shopping for my birthday and we went to free people and he pointed out this jacket and i just HAD to have it: it was totally me, fit like a dream, was the right balance of warm-but-not-too-restrictive, and owning it would mean getting rid of like six old jackets and hoodies that i wasnt a huge fan of. but it was expensive. like, i want to barf expensive. but james insisted because it was my birthday and it was his treat. 

put the two parts together, and boom. high-low dressing. i guess this is a thing i do now. 

finding my real life grown up adult style (an eshakti review + an outfit post)

outfit details: 

dress: c/o eshakti 

shoes: target (old, thrifted)

necklace: gift (originally from macys

glasses: zenni opical

its been a long time since ive done a proper outfit post. and judging by the quality of these photos and how long it took me to edit them, james and i have gotten a little rusty when it comes to outfit post procedures. 

but were just going to ignore that and move on because thats not what were here today to talk about. 

see, i didnt want you guys to think that just because ive been gone all summer and ive had a big fat case of the lazies, that i havent been dressing cute and have just been flopping around in yoga pants and a stained sweatshirt all summer. oh heck no. (actually, i threw away all my old stained sweatshirts so they wouldnt even be an option, but thats a discussion for an entirely different day). 

in fact, id like to think that ive been dressing (and by extension, feeling) nicer and more attractive than ever before. because.... drumroll please.... SOMETHING CLICKED AND I FINALLY FOUND MY REAL LIFE GROWN UP ADULT STYLE AND ITS THE MOST AWESOME THING THATS EVER HAPPENED. 

ok maybe im exaggerating. but if youre going to hang around with me, you better get used to hyperbole. if you cant, we cant be friends. im sorry. 

but seriously, ive come a long, long way from where i was when i first wrote about my style struggles, and my early outfit posts just make me want to barf. but after purging my closet no less than THREE (!) times over the last couple years (and not really buying much to replace what i took out), and taking a step back to look at my wardrobe choices objectively and pragmatically, rather than potentially or theoretically, i can confidently say, ive figured out this whole "personal style" thing:

black, white, stripes, nipped waists, flared skirts, plain tops, skinny pants, bold pops of color and dainty, feminine accessories are here to stay, while novelty tshirts, empire waists, florals, sneakers, drapey knits and anything beachy/bohemian are definitely out. 

i wont say im 100% there yet with my wardrobe, seeing as i still frequently pull things out to get rid of, but im to the point where it takes me no time at all to get dressed in the morning, and nine times out of ten i feel really good about my outfit. which, coming from where i was not even a year and a half ago is a freaking miracle. 

especially considering what happened a few weeks ago, when eshakti offered to send me a dress to review. if this had happened back when i wrote those other posts, theres a pretty good chance i would have picked something awful because "i liked the idea of it" or "maybe this will work", just like every freaking time i went shopping for like two years. BUT NOT THIS TIME. 

i knew EXACTLY what i was looking for. 

and when the AMAZING airplane print dress that i wanted had a neckline i wasnt thrilled with, it wasnt a problem at all because eshakti lets you customize the necklines, hemlines, and sleeve treatments of whatever dress you pick. (unfortunately since this whole exchange happened while james was out of town i didnt have anyone to measure me so i could take advantage of the custom tailoring, but since everythings buy one get one free right now, maybe ill try it sometime soon and get a dress thats NOT super tight in the shoulders). 

ordering from eshakti was totally easy (and i love how you can browse the site by style!), shipping was exceptionally fast, and overall im really pleased with the quality (both fabric and construction) of the dress. definitely on the nicer side of what youd expect for the (retail) price point (im used to buying my higher end stuff used/on sale though so the price seemed high to me, but you really get what you pay for). 

the only thing i didnt like was the red fabric belt that came with it, but as you can clearly see, its plenty cute without it. 

so yeah, eshakti is a pretty great place to get dresses. especially right now. because, buy one get one free. 

*disclaimer, eshakti DID provide the dress sample for me to review, however i did not receive any additional compensation and all photos, views, and opinions are my own*

the time we went to a wedding (an outfit post + my new business venture + weekly wishes).

we had a busy weekend over here. friday night we had the privilege of attending the wedding of my dear friend shannon to her new husband jacob, saturday we went to the zoo, and then yesterday there was potluck lunch after church. needless to say, im really surprised that i did anything today, let alone all the chores + errands + shoe shopping (which ended up turning into an extended visit to the mall) PLUS getting a bomb diggity dinner on the table at a somewhat decent hour (seriously guys, this pizza will make you never want to eat a different pizza ever again. i just wish i could have a chance to try it on real bread). 

its been a pretty exciting and productive day, to say the least. although my work work, like writing blog posts and sewing the pile of the soon-to-be-announced new product for the shop... well, lets just say alice just went to bed and im just now getting started. but, better late than never, right? i hope so. 

anyway, heres what i wore to shannons wedding:

outfit details:

dress: vintage

shoes: aldo (thrifted, originally purchased for my wedding)

necklace: macys

glasses: zenni optical

purse: voz collective (from back in the old days when jackie made purses)

nails: jamberry in diamond dust sparkle and cup of tea

first off, i just want to clarify that even though this dress totally looks like a bridesmaids dress (and just so happens to be the exact color of the wedding theme) i was not in the wedding. 

the bride did pick my dress though. 

for real. a few weeks ago shannon texted me saying "hey i got you this green silk saks fifth avenue dress from the last chance goodwill. it needs some repair on the zipper but it looks like your size and its just too nice to get shipped to africa and its only $2". so obviously i was like "heck yes". 

and then i actually saw the dress and i was like "HOLY MOLY ARE YOU KIDDING ME THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DRESS IVE EVER LAID EYES ON WHY ARE YOU GIVING IT TO ME FOR FREE AND NOT SELLING IT ON ETSY FOR THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS" and then i was like "i know its probably too fancy and the exact color of your wedding but can i still wear it to the wedding anyway", and being the absolute doll that she is, she said "of course"

but seriously. its the most beautiful dress ive ever seen, from the shimmery, swishy silk fabric to the impeccable construction (the fashion nerd in me just about DIED when i saw that the lining was HAND SEWN into the bodice so the stitching wouldnt show, you just dont see that in dresses these days). oh, and did i mention it actually fits? vintage dresses NEVER fit me right. ive got broad shoulders and a deceptively large ribcage and no matter how hard i try, vintage dresses just will not zip for me. but this one did. perfectly. 

obviously with such an amazing dress i didnt want any accessories to distract from it, so i just paired it with some plainish pumps and pearls and a simple hairdo. oh and this really awesome clutch that i got at a craft fair back when i used to do lots of cool craft fairs that i thought was lost for like two years but then i found it in a suitcase while i was cleaning a couple weeks ago and it was the best day ever. 

now, if youre really observant, you probably noticed that i included my nails in the outfit details, which ive never, ever done before. this is going to become a regular thing. and theres a reason for this. its because i just started on a new business adventure (i just decided right now that i like that word better) as a consultant for jamberry nails! obviously im going to tell you more about this later (spoiler alert: theres going to be a giveaway involved in my launch party thats happening next week), but for now ill just say that these are BY FAR the BEST nail wrap product that has EVER existed and you need to check them out RIGHT NOW (and also take this enthusiasm seriously because im literally never this excited about a product ever). you can learn more about them here (and obviously stay tuned for my launch party next week!)

oh! and remember how theres nothing new in the shop right now because i was too busy making bow ties and pocket squares for a wedding? well this was the wedding. i thought i should have something to show for this prolonged absence, so heres the adorable groom sporting his poverty luxe accouterments:

and as for weekly wishes? well i definitely made good on last weeks wishes: i filled out and turned in my financial aid appeal form (now im anxiously awaiting the verdict...) PLUS i updated my name change AND checked out the book lists for my classes. also, today i tried on running shoes (i havent made a decision yet though, these were lightweight and comfortable, but these were even better, though i dont know if they were fifty dollars better). also also, i got a big pot of cream of asparagus soup in the freezer AND we took alice to the zoo (and those werent even on the list for this week!), so marchs monthly wishes just may be completed after all!

this weeks goals are to get one more batch of beans in the freezer, decide on and order/buy my running shoes, and go get my student id (i couldnt do it last week because the name change takes a few days to process). should be a fun week. 

what are your goals for this week?

new skirts! (shop preview + weekly wishes)

happy monday everyone! i was hoping to have something fun to share from the weekend, since we were basically busy non-stop, but saturday night we went out to dinner and i ended up being sick all day yesterday (and still a little bit today). but the good news is that i did some research and I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to msg, and as long as i don't eat at restaurants this probably won't happen again! (sarcasm)

anyway, for the most part, were back to monday as usual (or at least, as usual as possible with a lingering migraine), and while i don't have pictures of the super adorable bake sale my mom put on for the upcoming mission trips at church, i do have pictures of all the new skirts that I've been working on (and should be up in the shop sometime tomorrow)!

i was going to wait until they were actually listed before sharing them with you guys, but you know what? I'm WAY to excited about this bunch to not show them off.

first, there were a couple new toddler skirts:

then i have a few longer, plain (pocketless) skirts:

these two are actually plus size (they're pinned to fit me, but I've had a few requests for more plus-size skirts):

of course, most of the batch was pocket skirts, since i think those are really my bread and butter. theres one in the jungle print to match the toddler version (perfect for mother-daughter matching!):

then not one, not two, but THREE power puff girls skirts!

but thats not the best part, i also managed to find this FANTASTIC rambo fabric:

actually, i lied. thats not the best part either. this is the best part, i have TWO of the most absolutely positively amazing BATTLESTAR GALACTICA skirts that are quite possible the very best thing I've ever made (I'm allowed to say that about myself, right?):

 like i said, these lovelies aren't in the shop yet, but they will be very soon. however! if there is something that you NEED to get RIGHT NOW, let me know in the comments and we can make special arrangements. 

now how about my progress on this months goals? so far were doing pretty good! i filed our taxes on tuesday (all by myself, too!), so next up i want to do some research on what types of papers are important to keep (and for how long) so that i can gut the file box. 

also, I'm basically done cleaning out my clothes. theres about three trash bags or so, that need to go, just from my side of the closet. which is totally weird because i know i did not buy three trash bags of clothes since last time i cleaned out my closet (about a year ago), but i guess i did get a lot of hand me downs. now i need to sort out what might be sellable and what just needs to go to goodwill, and also go to ikea for some skirt hangers because I'm way short on those. 

and! as an added bonus, james was in a furniture-moving mood today (not really my favorite mood of his, but oh well), so now the living room is squeaky clean! oh, and i have a super awesome new workspace, but mostly everythings super clean!

the other stuff, like alices things, the kitchen, the computer things, and my crafts, i haven't gotten to those yet, but those should be easy compared to the closets/living room clutter. 

so, what do you think of the new skirts? which ones your favorite? what kinds of fabrics would you like to see in the next batch?

monthly wishes.

so, remember how so far this year, all my weekly wishes/monthly wishes posts have been combined with a "regular" post and its been pretty awesome and a lot less boring? well, today, i don't have a "normal" post for you and your stuck with just monthly wishes. 

because all three meyerss spent the latter half of last week with a nasty, nasty flu and basically nothing productive happened between wednesday afternoon and yesterday evening. the good news though is that so far today everything is back to normal! (well, except alice is still kind of tired and cranky and i really, REALLY hope she shapes up in time to go to ballet this afternoon). so while i don't have an outfit or an outing or some other, more interesting post to get us started today, i do have my monthly wishes post ready for you guys!

so without any further ado, i present, februarys monthly theme:

now, funny story: februarys theme was supposed to be "purge". but after what was most definitely the worst stomach flu that this family has ever seen, i decided that that wasn't such a nice word to use. 

but the intention and motivation for this months goals remains the same:

basically our entire house (not that theres much house to begin with) is pretty much overflowing with messes and crap that really get in the way of getting any serious deep-cleaning done and, well, the apartment as a whole is starting to look pretty gross. 

so id like to clean out (and maybe even organize) as much of it as possible so that (hopefully) by the end of the month we can get alice out of the house for the day and REALLY get some deep cleaning done. 

here are just a handful of areas id like to get cleaned up this month, and hopefully we can at least get to most of them:

1. the file box. actually this one should be easy since I'm doing our taxes this week and i can pull everything that needs shredded out at the same time.

2. our closets. I'm kind of midway through this myself, but i need to get it finished so there won't be a giant pile of unwanted clothes monopolizing jamess dresser anymore. 

3. alices clothes and toys. last time i did her laundry i noticed that there weren't any 18 month clothes in it (yeah, she's freakishly tiny, i know), which means two things: 1. she's obviously growing, and 2. its time to get all the tiny 18 month clothes out from taking up all the space in her changing table/dresser. also, while she by no means has a lot of toys, i think its time we go through and sift out whats broken/missing pieces/no longer age appropriate. 

4. files/pictures on the computer. this is mainly so that we can finally back them up in an orderly fashion, but i HATE dealing with computery things so this is going to be difficult. I'm thinking i MAY just have to set a timer and force myself to spend 15-30 minutes a day doing only this until its done. 

5. the kitchen. two things: 1. its been MONTHS since alice has used a sippy cup or any such contraption and those all need to go. 2. the pantry is a total wreck and i can't find anything when i need it and I'm pretty sure theres some stuff in there that were never going to eat. 

6. my craft supplies. so, the good news with finding a solid vision of where i want to go with poverty luxe is that i know exactly what kinds of craft supplies i need to keep in stock. the bad news is i have lots and LOTS of craft supplies that are not those things. 

ok, now that i typed everything out and went back and read it all... um.... this is a pretty huge list. will we be able to do all of it? i don't know. but stay tuned! because I'm sure ill find some time to update you guys on our progress. 

oh, and last weeks wish to prep for doing our taxes? totally done!

happy monday, and hope you have a great week!

the best time to wear a striped sweater is all the time (an outfit post + weekly wishes)

(pause for dramatic effect to allow my oh so mature spongebob reference sink in)

did everyone have a nice weekend? ours was kind of intense. it basically went like this: work, more work, dinner at my moms, church (james was playing guitar so he left early and i had to get alice and i dressed and fed by myself), and finally, a birthday party for my cousin. i barely had five minutes to myself the whole time. 

so, im really, REALLY happy that weve made it back around to monday. the weekend craziness is over, the house is put back together, the laundry is done (thanks mom!), AND ive got a fresh new weekly to-do list up on the fridge (especially exciting because last week i completed my first all-crossed-off weekly list!). its a good feeling. 

ok, so ive been talking and talking about the shift in content that youll be seeing on poverty luxe in 2014 for a while now and i think ive mentioned that theres going to be a bigger focus on outfit posts. why? well, because ive come a long way in figuring out my personal style over the past year, and im finally starting to feel more confident both in the outfits im putting together as well as letting myself be photographed. 

also, last year i put a lot of work into finding my new, adult personal style, shopping and re-building my wardrobe to find the missing pieces i needed to make it work. now this year im focusing on weeding out the unnecessary pieces and making as many looks as possible with the clothes i already have. im not saying that i wont be buying any new clothes this year, but i am really happy with whats in my closet now and id like to make as few clothing purchases as possible this year (a new bathing suit is definitely in order...). 

so without any further ado, heres what i wore to church yesterday:

outfit details:

sweater: hand-me-down from my sister (originally old navy)

skirt: vintage (purchased at the silverlake art craft and vintage market for $3!)

tights: target

shoes: vintage 

necklace: target

bracelet: christmas gift from jamess mom

glasses: zenni optical

i feel like this outfit really summarizes my personal style of late. over the past year ive learned that im really into the following things: skirts, sweaters, tights, horizontal stripes, and vintage dancing shoes. 

basically this outfit right here. 

the sweater was a recent hand-me-down from my sister. and it quickly became one of my favorites, though i had a hard time finding a skirt to pair with it since it is clearly cream and not white. but the polka dots on this skirt are also cream, and i REALLY like how the two went together. obviously i didnt want the outfit to be too neutral so i added my red vintage dancing shoes (which are, by the way, THE most comfortable shoes ive ever worn) and some dainty jewelry. 

i know mixing prints is supposed to be a no-no, but it definitely felt like a good look. what do you think?

funny story: my sister is almost 5 years younger than me and is much, much taller than me. for quite a bit of our childhood she was very much in danger of passing me up clothing wise (thankfully it didnt happen till she was maybe 11 and i was 15) and as a kid i SWORE id never wear her hand-me-downs because hand-me-downs from a younger sibling were the most horrible thing i could imagine. oh how the times have changed. 

now, its monday, so that means its time for weekly wishes, right? well, im going to be making some changes to how weekly wishes are handled around here. i feel like i had been putting too much emphasis on my weekly wishes post and it was taking away from the effort i was able to put into developing other content. also, since ive cut my blog schedule down to four posts a week (monday, tuesday, thursday, and saturday, with fridays open for guest posts if anyones interested), i felt like having 1/4th of my content devoted exclusively to weekly wishes was maybe a bit excessive. 

but this doesnt mean that im quitting weekly wishes, because ive LOVED participating (and met SO many awesome bloggers through linking up), it just means that mondays will consist of a normal post (like todays outfit), followed by a couple wishes for the following week. so here we go:

1. clean out my car. seriously, i dont even remember the last time i cleaned out my car and its SO full of trash and junk its embarrassing. 

2. finish my guest post for the art of balance. im SO excited to do this guest post, but ive kind of been procrastinating on it. 

and

3. finish up januarys editorial calendar and get started on februarys. i havent been very on top of my upcoming blog posts lately and its making it hard to focus on the work that needs to be done this whole month. so this week i want to organize the content that i want to do so that february will run a bit smoother. 

so those are my goals for the week, what are yours?