Don't worry guys... I don't imagine myself to be some super fashionista that wants to become a style blogger by any means whatsoever. Which is why I'm only doing this twice a month. But sometimes I wear something, or I put something on Myles that I am just darn proud of. So that is what this space will be about. A skinny mom with her own body issues, post-baby-post-breastfeeding, that is sharing moments when she feels honestly "pretty". And sometimes it won't be about me at all, it will be the cute outfit I pieced together on my mini-man from thrift shop finds and random gifts.
This dress was a post-Christmas sale find. I have wanted to have a comfortable dress with sleeves for a while. I think this Old Navy one fits the bill. I got it while it was 40% off so paid about $21 for it the Saturday after Christmas, but I just noticed it is currently only $18 online (maybe in-store too?)!
"Hillary?" You ask. "Why does the photo say "What-not-to-do edition"?"
Because when you are a mommy-blogger of a toddler, you shouldn't try to be more complicated than you originally plan on being. Just do what you originally planned on doing, and share the exact way you wore the outfit when you felt pretty wearing it. Don't try to show how you can wear it dressed-up and dressed down, never wearing the shoes you originally wore with it. And definitely don't do this without someone to give you a thumbs up on your choices-because you can't really see it all put together because you still don't have that floor length mirror you want. And really, really don't do this all during the aforementioned toddler's possible only nap time- the same nap time that you are also feeding yourself much needed calories and showering during.
Because you will have things go wrong (the tripod is trying to break which would have sent the camera falling to its death on concrete from 5 feet in the air). And you won't realize that you don't like your outfit in the photos, because of the shoes you have never been able to see with the dress, until the toddler is toddling around in his crib wanting you to pick him up. And since he is a toddler, you are not guaranteed a 2nd nap, the day before you want to post, to get all fixed up and redo the whole self-timered photo shoot in your damp carport while the elderly neighbor tries to figure out what in the world you are doing.
But thanks to talking to a friend, instead of letting the world melt down around you while your toddler cries, because he really needs that 2nd nap but is trying to be a big boy and power through without it, you are convinced to, instead, share the imperfect outfit photos that you have. Because that is real life. That is not-Pinterest worthiness at its finest, with a big lesson thrown in the middle. And instead of ever showing the fully put together outfit that you should have photographed in the first place, you use your time wisely and rush out to the carport while the toddler is blissfully snoring in that much needed 2nd nap and snap a quick picture of the shoes that you didn't spend 30 extra seconds hunting down underneath your bed in the beginning.
And use that picture, of those shoes, as your title photograph.
Your commentary here cracked me up - these things with self-photo shoots have pretty much all happened to me (except the full-length mirror issue - get yourself to Target, girl!). This is a great dress on you - and even if you don't wear it with those accessories usually, it clearly is versatile for if you do get a date night :) Love it with the scarf pattern mixing.
ReplyDeleteAlso: your intro paragraph exactly the motivation that I think is great for sharing outfit photos. I felt really awkward when I first started doing it, but it was at the point I had just started working from home and felt bummed when I actually got dressed in something cute and there was nowhere to wear it. It's nice to feel good about yourself and put it out there!