WhatIWore: Does it sound like I’m a broken record around here when I say how much I like repeating outfits? Yesterday I was doing some closet cleaning and found this skirt - which I’ve been looking for forever!! It’s nothing super special - just a jersey knit tube skirt, but it’s comfy and chic and goes with so much!
Sure - I could have remixed it with something new, but I was thinking back to this outfit and decided, what the hell, let’s copy it from head to toe. Granted, the main difference is that I wore it while 6 months pregnant! I bought my normal size and it fit me then and now.
Where: Stroller Walk + Errands (I changed to sandals around 11:30)
All of these pieces are my go-to basics, and I do wear them lots of other ways. Coincidently, they’re all from the same store, but I didn’t buy any of them to wear together… it just happened that way!
WhatIWore: Gooooood morning! After days and days (and days!) of heavy rain, we had a brief window of sunshine this morning. I skipped downstairs and told Adam - I’m drinking this coffee and then I’m getting dressed and we’re doing outfit photos! Trust me, I’ve been lacking that level of motivation for the past six plus months.
I played around with a lot of different pieces and in the end settled with this. I’ll be real, it’s not my favorite outfit of all time, but i feel like I gave it a good go. All day long I thought maybe the shirt was too small in the sleeves when I realized - derp! - I still had the tags on and they got caught in the armhole. I do really like how these booties look with the cropped denim and I think I’ll probably wear this combo a lot in the next week or so as the temps stay cool. Not sure this jacket works with my blonde hair (I had it on top of my ‘sell’ pile and grabbed it on the way out), but it was a good breather from my normal olive utility style.
Oh! Oh yea! My neckerchief is new! It’s one of the pieces I bought at Keystone (AKA, snobbiest mall ever)… the Madewell store was fine tho…
When: May 1, 2017
What: Shades: Karen Walker ‘Super Duper’ Neck Scarf: Madewell Button Up: Target Khaki Field Jacket: Old Navy (last year but similar here) Jeans: Pointe Sur for J.Crew (leas year) Booties: Clarks (gift of Zappos from last year)
Where: Errands with the Kiddos
Ok, so this might sound so weird, but I feel like the less I strive for conventional attractiveness (whatever that is), the more confident I feel in myself. I think it’s because with age I’m associating more of my worth with the woman I am on the inside and less and less with my appearance (or strangers’ acceptance of it). Deep. I know. I used to be so terrified of posting a less than perfect picture online and now… well, now I celebrate my real life. The hair out of place, the outfit that I love and isn’t as figure flattering as it could be, the meh hair day or the wrong shoes with that top. Cause baby, it’s not worth the headache to live up to someone else’s version of perfect. And if your own bar is set so high that you shudder at the thought of falling short, it’s time for a little grace.
In the past week, two of my friends have given birth to new babies and I have three more girlfriends with little ones due this summer! Having a newborn of my own, I’ve been asked what kinds of baby gear is absolutely necessary and what you can probably do without. So this morning I put together a list of our top (only?) five things we use daily (plus the book that inspired these items)!
We bought this book before Felix was born and it has been, hands down, the best advice we’ve read. In fact, many of our favorite things all relate back to his principals (that babies need to be eased from their womb home to newborn life through swaying, shushing, swaddling, sucking and side lying).
ONE | Baby Wearing Wrap (or carrier)
I live wearing my soft baby wraps. They’re awesome for getting Bea to nap (sometimes in under a minute) and they allow me to be handsfree for playing with my toddler, doing chores or running errands. Babies are used to being in tight quarters in utero, so they like being all wrapped up! I use my Happy and Solly baby wraps back and forth or depending on which matches the rest of my outfit better. I love both of them. (Adam also wears Bea with the Ergo 360 carrier, which he loves)
For sleeping, we also swaddle Bea up. Using a swaddle when she’s not being tightly held in the wrap keeps her calm and helps her sleep longer (babies can startle themselves awake and swaddling can help that!) I like the Miracle Blanket because of interior flaps that keep her arms at her sides. Some babies don’t like swaddles, some love them. Both of my kids fall into the later camp.
Back when Felix was a newborn and I had no idea what I was doing, I remember texting Adam in all caps GO TO TARGET AND BUY A SWING! NOW!!! Ever since, both of our babies have napped in the swing or happily lay in it while I’m doing things like cooking something hot or just needing some time to not be holding a child. Often it lulls Beatrix to sleep!
Great for baby to lay on when you need free hands but don’t have a) your baby wrap on or b) in a room with the swing. Basically - everywhere else in the house. We use on the floor or on the couch (only if we are seated next to her).
I was really hesitant to use a pacifier with Felix because I was afraid of nipple confusion. He didn’t take one much, but Bea loves hers and uses it a lot. She also nurses well, so getting boobie and paci mixed up wasn’t a problem for us. If you’re not sure - please check with your lactation consultant or pediatrician first. If you do want to use a paci, I recommend the Soothie newborn style. And buy in bulk! You’ll want to have some clean ones in your purse, pockets, diaper bag, coffee table at all times. They disappear quickly and when they hit the ground they roll, so who knows how many you’ll find under your couch months later!
In addition to carseat/stroller, onesies, diapers and wipes (pro tip: always buy in bulk!) - that’s really all the gear we’ve used (and needed!) since Bea was born and all of it was left over from our son Felix, so it gets the two baby stamp of approval!
It should go without saying, but babies are fragile little creatures, so always follow manufacturers recommendations and use products as intended. When in doubt, check with your doctor!
WhatIWore: Here’s what I wore over the weekend. It was beautiful on Sunday morning so we decided to take the kids on a walk downtown and grab some breakfast. On the way back, we walked down Kirkwood to the Sample Gates to admire the beautiful red and white tulips and snap some photos. Adam had Bea in the Ergo and Felix got to run around and photobomb. In fact - I took photos from my own college graduation here 12 years ago! I’ll pull some up for Instagram later today!
I had good intentions of getting on the ball and posting these Monday, but whoopsie daisy I couldn’t find my camera battery charger. It finally arrived last night just in time for days of rain the in forecast. No matter - these past few days of perfect weather have been awesome with the kids - stroller naps, grocery runs and hours at the playground.
Studio Quirk
Hello! I’m Jessica Quirk!
Voted most likely to say “I could make that!”
Sewing & knitting obsessed, loves baking, making and spending time with my family.
I love shopping secondhand first and upcycling fabric into new creations. Check out all of my sewing projects here.
