Vintage AF

Okay, so here I am exhausted AF and being honest. Last week was rough. As a family we had the type of September and October that should be locked in a closet and never let out again. I’m sure you can relate. You know those months where EVERYTHING goes wrong all at the same time? It makes for stressful times. Between my writing schedule, the kids school schedules, co-parenting with an ex, and about fifty wrenches thrown in our way; I went to bed and didn’t get out of it for two days. I couldn’t. I was emotionally drained and psychologically exhausted (lack of self care), and I didn’t want to speak (didn’t want to do anything actually). And so I didn’t. I cried a lot if that counts as something. Avett stayed in bed with me and man that baby gives me joy where I can’t find any. My bed was littered with baby toys and bottles and he was the only person I was okay being with. Sounds dramatic, I know. But, man, I don’t know how to rest. It’s a sickness. People who go non-stop and put everyone else’s needs before their own are susceptible to cracking sometimes. You need someone in your corner to tell you that you’ve been going too hard for too long, and that you desperately need to rest and breathe. I don’t know if you have someone like that in your corner, so I’m going to tell you. You need a YOU break. Okay? Please. Your mental health, your mind, your nurturing of your family hinges largely on your mental health and happiness. No matter what anyone tells you you are entitled to your own space, and you have a right to fight for your own happiness. Being a mother doesn’t mean you cease to exist as an individual. You’re still there, buried under the saggy tits and dry shampoo.  Your dreams, and visions, and hobbies still matter even after you expanded your life for a partner and small humans. It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom, if your family is judgmental, if you “should” feel soooooo lucky about your wonderful life. You are a human who sometimes runs out of juice. Your cup dries up because you pour, pour, pour. Refill without guilt, my friends. Carve out some space for the girl who used to have time to wash her hair, and have perky tits. Create, sleep, cry, rest, go to a movie, take a bath, read a book, lock yourself in the bathroom (I do this). I love you and you’re still you.

 

My sweater (that you asked about) wasn’t supposed to be on the blog. I’ve mentioned before that I shop in the men’s department often, and that’s where I found it. Josh liked it so much he went and bought one for himself (we won’t be wearing them at the same time). But, I linked it for you. I’m seventeen pounds down and I’ve stuffed myself into two pairs of my larger jeans! I’m wearing a men’s small in the photo and it fits perfectly. I normally wear a woman’s Medium.

What I’m Reading

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Cool Mom

“I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom.”

HOLLA!!!

Okay, I’ve been eyeing the shredded mom jeans for a long time. But I am a mom, so can I wear mom jeans? Do mom jeans make moms even mommier? The answer is….

I don’t know.

They’re very high waisted, so that’s a plus. They contain mom stomach, eliminating the muffin top. I felt sexy wearing them.

So I have travelled all over Europe and found that the most fashionable women reside in Italy. Last time I was there I noticed that women were wearing sneakers with everything. Everything. I was in awe. How do you make sneakers look glamorous? They do. So I came back and started buying sneakers, which is unusual for me. I’ve always associated sneakers with fashion laziness or athletics. Now, while I won’t confess to how many pairs of shoes I own I will say that I spent a year collecting sneakers. And out of all the sneakers gathering dust in my closet these Adidas are by far my favorite. They are comfortable AF, and they slip on easily. They also look good with everything from dresses, to shorts, to jeans. If you want a bomb ass pair of sneakers buy the Adidas. So worth it. I throw mine in the washing machine when they get dirty and they come out looking brand new.

 

What I’m reading! I loved this one. If you’re a psychological thriller girl, read this! I couldn’t put it down.

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Ripped Summer

Hi,

So it was warm this weekend. I was cheerful AF. Josh was very confused. But guess what? It was a nice break and it’s not hot enough to be oppressive yet. Holla to all my Florida and Texas friends! I had dinner at my friend, Simone’s house last night (you may know her as @simoneinthekitchen on Instagram) and now I’m obsessed with miniature cucumbers. Damn, that girl can cook. Anyway, find mini cucumbers and dip them in hummus. Yum.

This post includes plus size. And for those of you who ask about my ripped jeans, well when I buy my ripped jeans they often aren’t shredded enough for me so I actually go in with a razor and rip them further. If you see more intense rips in any of my jean pictures this is why. Birkenstocks, the perfect shoe. They actually mold to the shape of your foot after a few wears and provide back support (this is something I need) They last hellavu long too. It’s difficult to make them look worn. Worth every penny in my opinion. Links below!

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New Romance

Ahh, the softness of this sweatshirt. New Romance reminded me of a literary quest many of us writers made four years ago. Indie publishing was on the rise and a handful of writing pioneers set out to publish a new kind of romance. We were tired of rejection letters, tired of being told that what we were writing wasn’t publishable. It seems kind of silly now that publishers rejected books about college aged kids, as if their stories weren’t relevant. Most of the big things in my life happened during the four years I spent getting a college degree. Nevertheless we persisted. We published our rejected books on our own (thanks to the help of Amazon)  and they did so well that publishers couldn’t ignore us anymore.  They coined the genre New Adult and it thrived. Today New Adult books are widely accepted and quite favored among readers. The readers spoke! Sometimes the artists know better than the gatekeepers, eh? Anyway, love this slouchy, soft sweatshirt. And I have so many things in my wardrobe this color you’d think I’d lost my edge. I’m just embracing the romantic dusty pinks.

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Feeble Attempt

You have to make a blog post, you have to make a blog post…

That’s been my mantra for weeks…months?

Jolene, she’s my cousin, was visiting from South Africa. And then I had a work trip to Brazil during which I was more often drunk on caipirinha’s than not. Last year during my visit to the Philippines I was faithful to blog each outfit, this year I wouldn’t have even been able to find the space bar on my computer. Seriously, Brazil, I’m still hungover.

Also, I hate summer clothes. Have I told you that? Now that fall is upon us (I’ve already decorated the outside of my house) I feel comfortable going to the mall again. I’ll be better. Anyway, today is my first day wearing scrubby clothes, no makeup and my hair is hellavu dirty. I’m sitting in front of the fire getting ready to write while the kids are at school. So, here is my feeble blog post. Hope your weekend is great.

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Heavy Metal

In my heart I’m a little girl with a bedazzle gun. I want spikes, studs, chains and metal on everything. Maybe I should get braces again.

Oy! These pull on skinnies with the split ankle! I am so in love. I was skeptical with the pull on factor. But they are fantastic, and the best part is the detail on the ankle. I included a more affordable pair in the links below, so check those out too. And I have to give props to my friend, Karina Halle. You may know her as author Karina Halle, writer of fabulous books. I texted her awhile back about edgy flats and she pointed me to ASH. Karina knows shoes, what can I say? I landed up buying several more pairs in Italy because I was such a fan of their design. So, thanks Karina. I like your cheekbones.

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Tulip Town

Sup, y’all! All the pretty colors. We took a day trip down to Tulip Town with my mom, step dad and kids. It was perfect…except my puppy…and my son…and….

Ryder was grouchy. Sometimes he wakes up in the morning and you just know it’s going to be one of those days. He accused people of not caring about him, made awful grunting noises, whined about everything, punched his sister, demanded new toys, and told us over and over that he was having the worst day of his life. Not even the tulips could cheer him up. The rest of us had a really great day. It’s a pretty magical things to see an ocean of flowers. Outfit details below.

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