PINK!

It's time for me to buy some pink stuff because we're having a GIRL! Looks like I'll get to have a future Anthro-fan and shopping buddy. :-)

OOTD: Neutrals

Happy Friday! I'm extra excited to see the end of this week because it means I only have to wait a few more days until I get to have a sonogram to find out if we're having a boy or girl. Can't wait!! :-)

Here's my outfit today, which is a mix of different neutrals: beige, cream, grey, and a little pink. I'm also wearing some new shoes! Even though it's a bit warm outside, I couldn't resist wearing my Tria skirt (especially after seeing Kathryn's and Sara's cute outfits with the skirt recently).

Roaming Frills Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Pink Sleeveless Sweater (LOFT)
Initial Necklace (Urban Outfitters)
Gift Bow Belt (Anthropologie)
Tria Sweater Skirt (Anthropologie)
Beige Sandals (Target)

I blogged about these shoes last month at the end of this post and bought them a few days later but I'm just now getting around to wearing them. I've only had them on for a few hours but they are pretty comfortable (I might add a cushiony insole though). They seem fairly true to size. My heel is really narrow though so I always have trouble with shoes slipping up and down when I walk and these slipped a bit when I was walking down a flight of stairs. The color I'm wearing is light beige, almost nude color but for some reason they look yellowish in the picture below. They also come in black. These look very similar to the Seychelles "Cream of the Crop" sandals and at just 17.99, they're a great deal!

OOTD x 2: Crazy Weather

The weather has been going back and forth between warm and cool lately. So, just when I thought it was officially sandal time, I had to switch gears yesterday and pull out some tights again. Today it's back to warm. Go figure!

Yesterday's outfit:

Grey Dress (Old Navy)
White Tank (Belk)
Grey Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Purple Belt (Anthropologie)
Purple Tights (Old Navy)
Grey Wedges (Target)
Green Necklace (really old, from Express, I think)

One of my warmer weather outfits:

White Cardigan (Bealls)
Navy Sundress (Bealls, recent gift from mom)
Kiwi Bird Necklace (gift from MIL)
Silver Sandals (Target)

OOTD x 2 & Weekend in Tampa

It was a warm weekend here in Florida so I packed sandals and light dresses. Here's what I wore to the Rays Fan Fest event.

Jacqueline Dress (Anthropologie)
Turquoise Cardigan (Target)
White Belt (Bealls)
Silver Sandals (Target)

On Sunday we stopped at Anthropologie before heading home (see my reviews in yesterday's post).

Black Dress (Ann Taylor Outlet)
Coral Belt (Anthropologie)
Black Sandals (Target)

Here are some pictures from the Fan Fest on Saturday. There was a big sale with jerseys, hats, and all sorts of memorabilia. This is my husband with his loot:


There were tons of people there! It was fun getting to walk around on the field.


On Saturday night we drove around downtown and stopped at the beautiful campus of the University of Tampa, which is right on the river. It's tough to get good pictures at night, but this gives you an idea of how pretty the building is with the silver minarets all lit up. The building was originally the Tampa Bay Hotel in the 1890's. This place is really special to us because it's where my husband proposed to me seven years ago. We'll be celebrating our anniversary next month.



This is a cool park on the grounds between the river (with the skyscrapers in the background) and the building.

Tampa Anthro Reviews (Dresses & Skirts) + Some Old Navy Deals

While we were in Tampa this weekend for the Rays (baseball) Fan Fest, I got to stop by Anthropologie. I'll post the rest of our pictures from the weekend tomorrow but tonight I have some reviews! :-)

I didn't even notice these Tabitha skirts online but they caught my eye in the store. I liked the color and fit of the navy Shaded Glory Skirt a lot, although I would probably hem it just a smidge. The Eastpointe Garden Top looked pretty with the skirt, although I don't think the color really works on me. Tucked in, it almost looks like a dress, doesn't it?



I also randomly grabbed the Wind Smocked Henley to try on with the skirt and it actually made a cute combo. I really love this shirt, especially in the purple! I will probably pick it up on sale in this color and the blue (and maybe the grey too!). I'm wearing the small here which fit well but I'd probably go up a size to accommodate the growing baby bump. :-)


I love the purple color of the Runny Yoke Skirt but the pleats on this one just didn't work for me. It looked a bit strange around the hips too. This skirt seemed a little shorter than the Shaded Glory Skirt above and was a little tighter.



The Miss Swiss Corset Dress looks awful on me but it really is an adorable dress and I'm sure it will look good on others. I sized up and it was still pretty snug so I'd say this one might run a bit small. The stripes were not flattering on me at all but the ruffles at the hem are super cute.



The Sunny Soiree Dress looked lovely on the hanger but I didn't like it once I got it on. The neckline is too high for me and I felt like it was strangling me. The top white part was very see-through so I guess you'd have to wear a slip or cami underneath. The pattern on the skirt was really cute though.



I was also hoping to find these three dresses to try on but they were nowhere to be seen. :-(

Pezza Dress: I can't wait until this arrives at my store because the color is beautiful and it looks stretchy & comfortable. It reminds me of the Vagabond dress but more summery. Check out Jacquelyn's review here -- she didn't like it but I think it looks great on her!


In An Instant Dress:


Windsor Knot Dress -- Has anyone seen this in stores yet??


I didn't buy anything at Anthro but I did pick up a few things at Old Navy that were on sale. I found this cute ruffled tank for 11.99 (it's more online for some reason but still on sale). It reminds me a bit of Anthro's Insouciant Tank from last year. I got it in this nice grey-blue color but it also comes in white, pink, and purple.


I also got a cute pair of grey tights for 4.99 and a purple maternity t-shirt for 10.00. FYI: The cool purple tights I wore here are also on sale for 4.99 but I don't see them online so check your stores.

Did anyone else do any shopping this weekend? Find any good deals?

OOTD: Cabaret

My mom and I had a great time at the musical Cabaret last night. It was a really fantastic performance! Here's what I wore:

Grey Dress (Belk)
Purple Cardigan (LOFT)
Initial Necklace (Urban Outfitters)
Purple Ribbon Belt (from another dress)
Purple Tights (Old Navy)
Hallowed Halls Oxfords (Anthropologie)

I love these new purple tights from Old Navy and I'm glad I wore them yesterday because today it is MUCH warmer and I had no desire to pull out any tights or long sleeve sweaters.



Is anyone else doing something fun this weekend and planning to enjoy the warmer weather??

OOTD: Experimental

This was yesterday's outfit and it was a bit of an experiment beyond my usual color pairings. At first I thought the red and maroon clashed but then decided I kind of liked it. I've been wearing these shoes a lot more lately and can't get over how comfortable they are. In fact, I think I'm going to wear them again today with purple tights. :-)

It's already getting significantly warmer here in north Florida so I'm trying to enjoy my tights while I still can. Pretty soon it will be time to break out the sandals again. If you're a tights fan, check out the recent "Tights Week" posts at Academichic to get some good ideas about layering tights and fun ways to incorporate patterned and colored tights into your wardrobe. Those girls definitely know how to rock the tights!

Red Shirt (LOFT)
Long-sleeve Grey Shirt (Target)
Maroon Cardigan (Ann Taylor)
Black Belt (J Crew)
3 Heart Necklace (Red Envelope)
Black Skirt (Lands End)
Maroon Tights (Hue)
Hallowed Halls Oxfords (Anthropologie)

I can't wait until tonight because I'm going to see the musical Cabaret at the local community theater! It's going to be a late but fun night! :-)

OOTN: Valentines Dinner

This was the outfit I wore out to dinner on Valentines. I love the ruffles on the top of this LOFT dress and of course it's one of my favorite shades of purple. The dress has an empire waist and is made of stretchy jersey so I should be able to keep wearing it even as the bump gets bigger. We ended up going to Chilis for dinner since we didn't feel like waiting in a long line at the more typical Valentines destinations. As a special treat, we shared the Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert. Yum!

Purple Dress (LOFT)
Roaming Frills Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Purple Ribbon belt (from another dress)
Pessinus Garden Necklace (Anthropologie)
Grey tights (Target)
Hallowed Halls Oxfords (Anthropologie)

OOTD: Casual Weekend Wear & Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! Is anyone doing anything fun or did you already celebrate during the weekend?

I wore my red sweater yesterday and it didn't even occur to me until the end of the day that I should have saved it for my Valentines outfit. Oops! ;-) So, today I'm wearing pink but will probably change into a purple dress for dinner tonight.

Here's my Sunday outfit. Somehow my belly seems to have "popped" even more since Friday!

Red Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Grey long-sleeve t-shirt (Target)
Kiwi Bird Necklace (gift from MIL)
Black Maternity Pants (Old Navy)
Striped socks (Target)
Red Shoes (Kohls)

This was Saturday's outfit when we went over to my parents' house for a little bit.

Yellow Cardigan (Bealls)
Button-down shirt (Old Navy)
Maternity Jeans (Old Navy)
Brown Shoes (Clarks)

And a belly shot:


Have a great Valentines Day! I hope everyone gets to celebrate with someone that they love. :-)

OOTD: Baby Bump!

Showing off the growing bump today! ;-) I just got my new maternity jeans back from being hemmed so I'm wearing them for the first time today. They sure are comfortable, especially after having a big lunch at our favorite BBQ place this afternoon!

Blooming Lattice Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Green Shirt (Kohls)
Maternity Jeans (Old Navy)
Blue Suede Shoes (Naturalizer)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Guest Post at Effortless Anthropologie

I was thrilled to be asked by Roxy to participate in her "Things You Love" Week! Please check out my guest post today.

OOTD: Winter Blues

Today I decided to "winterize" my blue bicycle dress since it's a bit chilly outside. I remember seeing some other bloggers add a long-sleeve t-shirt under short-sleeve shirtdresses like this one and I think it's a cute look. Add some warm brown tights, a belt, and some comfy shoes, and it's an outfit perfect for work and running errands.

Two-Wheeler Dress (Anthropologie)
Grey long-sleeve t-shirt (Gap)
Brown belt (Anthropologie)
Brown ribbed tights (Walmart)
Blue Suede Shoes (Naturalizer)
Daisy Necklace (Maurices)

Here's a look back at how I wore this dress during the summer to a baseball game. I love that this dress is versatile enough to wear during multiple seasons and its fun print always brings a smile to my face!



What's your favorite way to winterize a piece of clothing that you previously associated with another season? Isn't it a great way to stretch your wardrobe further?! :-)

My First Maternity Clothes, Wishlist, & An Anthro Review

I mentioned in my last post that I got to do some shopping this weekend for my first maternity clothes! Luckily I lost some weight before I got pregnant so I've been able to hold out on buying any new clothes for quite awhile. I think my days of belting are numbered though! ;-) In preparation, my mom got me a few things from the maternity section at Old Navy to get my maternity wardrobe started.

I got this pretty purple polka dot shirt which will be nice and light this summer:



A cute pair of maternity jeans was a must-have for me. I opted for the low-rise style for now but might try the full panel kind later when I'm bigger.



I think these yoga pants are soon going to become my new best friend! ;-) They are so comfy!



Here are some other things on my "Maternity wardrobe" wishlist:

Pretty, flowy shirts like this new one I just spotted online at Old Navy:



Stretchy jersey and wrap style dresses like this cute one from the Gap:



A denim pencil skirt is another must-have item:



Since I live in Florida and will be pregnant during the summer, I'm going to need a cute bathing suit. I like the style of this one from A Pea in the Pod but wish it came in navy or red with polka dots. This grey might be too dull on my pale skin.



While I'm excited about the new styles I'll be exploring as my baby bump grows bigger, I still plan to incorporate as much as I can from my regular wardrobe too, especially my favorite Anthro pieces. My mom and I popped into Anthro at the end of our shopping trip and I tried on the Sing Sweetly Party Dress. Surprisingly, it still fit and there was room for an expanding belly. If it's still around at sale time I might just have to pick it up!



I really like the top part of the dress and even though I don't normally go for strapless styles, this one worked for me. The print is adorable and it looked really cute with this sweater that was hanging with it on display. Even though the colors of the dress are navy and green, the pale yellow of the sweater was a nice color pairing. This dress has gotten rave reviews from tons of other bloggers, so you probably don't need me to tell you, but I highly recommend this dress! :-)

Weekend OOTD

This was my outfit from Friday and I even managed to snap a few pictures outside at the park near the grocery store. :-)

Maroon Sweater (Ann Taylor)
Shine-Through Blouse (Anthropologie)
Anselle Necklace (Anthropologie)
Tiered Skirt (Ruche)
Looping Lanes Belt (Anthropologie)
Brown Herringbone Tights (Kohls)
Red Shoes (Naturalizer via Kohls)

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! It was overcast and a little rainy but we did some fun things outside at a couple of parks and nature trails both days. I also got to do a little shopping with my mom on Saturday morning for my first maternity clothes! I'll post about that tomorrow. Back to work for me now! :-)

Shifting Feathers OOTD & Reading Recommendations

First, here's an outfit from a few days ago. I love this dress and I've found so many ways to wear it. I built this outfit around the shoes because it was rainy and these patent leather flats are best on a day like that. I've worn this dress before with black shoes and a black sweater but decided to keep black as just an accent this time by adding the skinny black belt. I like how it turned out and I was super comfy! ;-)

Shifting Feathers Dress (Anthropologie)
Roaming Frills Cardigan (Anthropologie)
Skinny Belt (J Crew)
Pessinus Garden Necklace (Anthropologie)
Nude Fishnet Tights (JC Pennys)
Black Shoes (Steinmart)

And now for my fellow bookworms:

I've been doing a lot of reading lately (beyond my usual research work and baby book readings) and wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I finished this last weekend and was going to do a mini-review but I'm having a hard time thinking of what to say about it without giving too much away. I do highly recommend it if you like long books that take you on an epic journey through mysterious and fascinating places and back in time. I love the way this book brings together the stories of different characters, spanning several different time periods. If you're interested in history then you will enjoy this book. The author cleverly ties the story of Dracula to the real-life Vlad the Impaler. If you're expecting Twilight vampires though you'll be disappointed. Dracula isn't actually in the novel very much. If you like this book, I also recommend Kostova's other novel, The Swan Thieves, which is equally as intriguing.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Right now I'm in the middle of this amazing book! I seriously love Morton's writing style and I've gushed over her other novels The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton before. These books remind me of the things I loved about classics like The Secret Garden and Little Women but they're more grown up and a little darker at times. I'll do a review of this one when I'm done.

Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor
Although I read mostly fiction, I also love a good piece of non-fiction occasionally, especially when it involves travel. I'm listening to this book on CD while doing errands and during my Wednesday night commutes. I've only heard the first two CD's but I can already tell you that this is a beautifully written book about a mother and daughter and their trip together through Greece, Turkey, and France. It alternates back and forth between the mother's voice and the daughter's, creating a well-balanced mix. I see a lot of myself in both the daughter and the mother. I also bought this book for my own mother for Christmas and I really hope she reads it and enjoys it as much as I do.

Anyone else have any good books to add to the recommendation list?

Have a happy Friday! :-)

An OOTD & Shoe Lust

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately! I haven't managed to get pictures of very many outfits recently but here's one from last week that I liked. This one was inspired by an outfit that Sara from You, Me & Anthropologie wore here. This navy skirt is actually a little too big and I had been thinking about getting it altered but now that I'm pregnant I'm glad that I didn't! I'll get to wear it longer! ;-)

Shirt (Old Navy)
Navy Skirt (Anthropologie)
Grey Snakebite Belt (Anthropologie)
Grey Tights (Target)
Red Shoes (Kohls)

If you love shoes as much as me, check out yesterday's post on the blog Wardrobe Review -- here. I'm drooling over all the pretty Chie Mihara shoes for the Spring/Summer line. Aren't the polka dot heels in the first picture so adorable?! My favorite pair is the "Lara" style. Too bad this brand of shoes is so expensive. :-( I can dream though, right?

And search Ebay. ;-) I continue to look for this pair of Chies from last year, hoping to snag them for a reasonable price someday.....