Hey.

As promised I’ve continued to photograph my outfits for posterity. To be honest I actually don’t really know what that means. And, yet, here I am doing the posterity thing.

I actually loved this outfit. There are few things in life that I love more than a pair of wide leg pants. They make me feel as if I’m ready for some impromptu boating excursions or maybe some sort of art gallery thing. Both of which obviously happen to me constantly.

I paired it with a white tee, the cluster of bracelets that I’ve been favoring lately, some big earrings & my beloved brown Havaianas. Let me tell you about these shoes. Once upon s time 13 years ago I went to California and thought it was a good idea to walk around Manhattan Beach in big ass platform espadrilles. With bleeding feet, in desperation, I stopped in a little boutique and picked these up! Lifesavers! And they really stood the test of time.

This is my new bag from Wanderers Travel Co. Never will you feel softer leather… I was just tired of carrying the same Coach & MK bags as everyone else. I wanted a bag that looked as if I picked it up from some little artisan while on holiday in Spain.

Well, I’ve decided to try something new.

I took a browse through some of my old blogs and I realized that many of my photos were, well, crappy. But all of my LuLaroe experience has, at the very least, taught me how to photograph clothing layouts.

So, I started taking pics of my outfits flat. Because apparently I assume everyone wants to know all of the details of wardrobe. You’re welcome.

Outfit #1 – This is my new navy/white LuLaroe Jessie. It feels nautical and, thus, summery to me. Added some bracelets, flat Jessica Simpson sandals and this bag from Wanderers Travel Co, which I loveeeee.

Outfit #2 – This sleeveless white top came in my latest Stitch Fix – it’s a good, classic piece. I added a denim pencil skirt from Loft, navy blue cardigan from Jcrew Factory, and some old sandals from Kohl’s. The earrings here also came in the fix, but they were $28 which is a bit steep for me for costume jewelry.

Outfit #3 – I am actually wearing this right now. It is my lone pair of shorts (Lucky Brand) Jcrew tee, Jcrew flips and the same group of bracelets from outfit 1 – it’s an anchor bangle from Alex & Ani and two metaphysical crystal bracelets.

Feel free to ask me for links for any of the items pictured!! Stay tuned for more outfits!!!

In my pre-Jake days, you know, those days when money cascaded from the sky like abundant white little snowflakes and my belly was as flat as, hm, I don’t know, a wooden board or something… well, back in those days, I used to indulge in Stitch fix twice a month. I’ve become a bit more selective these days, since I have a belly full of jelly and a wallet full of pennies. But, the shopping gods smiled upon me… on a whim, about a month ago, I scheduled myself a fix due to arrive right around my birthday (pi day!) and as luck would have it, Tom surprised me with a $50 gift card for Stitch Fix!

So, if you are new to Stitch Fix, let me tell you a bit about it. You fill out an extensive style/fit profile, and then people magically send you stuff that you can buy. That’s pretty much it. Interested? Follow my link, b/c I can get some free cash toward a future fix or something… —> Go here!!! Heather’s SF link!!

Anyhow, here is what I received! I only kept ONE item this time, but it’s still fun to try on all of this stuff in my own home, with my own pants/shoes/etc. A note: The black pants you see here I actually received in a fix a couple of months ago and I LOVE them. They are not a style I typically prefer (I’m all about wide leg pants) but I took a chance and I wear them all the time. For reference, they are the “Fia Cuffed Straight Trouser” from Tribal, in case you want to request them in a fix of your own.

I apologize in advance, but I tossed out the “style cards” so I can’t recall the details for many of these items!! Sorry!!

Jeez, as I review these pics I realize maybe I should up my Iron dosage because I am P A L E! Someone recommend a good bronzer, please! And remind me that pigtails make me look like a jackass. Thanks.

First up is this billow sleeve top. Its aight. Feels a bit tent-y to me. And I now know that I absolutely HATE billow sleeves. So annoying. It went back. Also a terrible color on me!!

I do know this second top is from the brand Daniel Rainn because it’s a brand I’ve gotten from SF before. I liked it. I didn’t keep it because 1) it was a little baggy, and I’m in the middle of a weight loss thing 2) It was… SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS. Sorry. Nope. $68 for a top!?!? MAYBE for a stellar pair of jeans, or a timeless dress, but not for a little floral blouse that I could probably find (a similar one) at Marshalls for $16.99

So, they also sent me this navy blue cardigan because I specifically requested cardigans. It went back. It was way too big (as you can see in pic 2) but I actually prefer cardigans with buttons. I just feel like these drapey front sweaters are too hard to fold, and they end up pissing me off. But how nice are my pewter Tieks???

Next up is this knit dress. It was fine. I’d probably throw a sweater over it and call it a day, but it was a cotton knit, and I know that ultimately I’ll most definitely shrink this item in the wash. It went back.

But, Heather, you’re saying, it seems like you hate EVERYTHING. Well, I don’t HATE it, I’ve just decided to be really selective this year when choosing items to add to my wardrobe. But this last dress made it all worth it!! It is the “Arnett Faux Wrap Knit Dress” from Kaileigh (you can access your purchased items, so I’m able to give you the full info on this one!) and it was $54. I love the color, and I love that it is a FAUX wrap dress… because I am incapable of keeping an actual wrap dress closed. And I think this will fit even better when I lose a few pounds. PS – if you like my little sandal booties, they’re LC Lauren Conrad, from Kohls, and are surprisingly comfortable. As I mentioned in Five Truths, I generally cannot function in heels, but these are chunky and don’t cut at my toe.

So, thats it! Give it a go. I’ve already scheduled another for 3 weeks from now – hoping to score some pretty spring tops, some wide leg pants, and a white denim jacket! Happy shopping, friends!

xoxo – h

I really think I’m a minimalist at heart. Most of you know that I’m the ultimate purger. I just hate having extra stuff around. As I’ve shared before, I used to play a little psychopath game as a child… I’d be forced to choose only one toy keep forever, forsaking all others. Yeah, weird kid.

Let’s just say I get tired of clothes pretty quickly. With a few exceptions, I tend to wear an item 3-4 times and then into eBay it goes! So, for me, I first had to figure out what would even make me want to hang onto certain items long term, as the heart of a true capsule wardrobe is meant to consist of the classic “you” pieces that you’d reach for time and again, day after day, year after year.

Yay, a good soul search!

So I sat myself down and thought about what I really love to wear. And what I’ve worn but don’t particularly even like. Kind of like, if they were to make a Heather Barbie, what would she look like?

Here’s what I found out about myself…

I hate sleeves. I hate showing any part of my leg. I cannot do heels. Period end of story.

My daytime work wardrobe consists of the following formula: pants + sleeveless blouse + cardigan. My casual wardrobe consists of the following formula: maxi skirts/jeans/khakis + tank. When I stray from the formula I fidget, I pull at my clothes, and I’m just generally annoyed.

And so this is what I did: I got rid of nearly everything that didn’t fit into one of these categories. Extreme? A bit. But really, it was freeing. Of course I did hang onto a handful of long sleeve sweaters and a few Carly dresses, but other than that, I purged the hell out of my closet. Need numbers? Ok. I kept 5 pairs of dress pants, 6 pairs of casual pants/jeans, 4 skirts, 29 blouses and just the sweaters pictured below. The three jackets below, but one might be making an eBay appearance this week.Two purses, my Tieks, plus 4 pairs of boots and 4 sandals. Pjs, a few leggings/workout things and 1 pair of sneakers. Yes, I have more tops than you’d expect, but these are my only tops for allllll of the seasons. I don’t rotate my clothes in and out every season. What you see here is what you get. I also have a stack of pre-pregnancy pants, but thats a whole separate issue.

Anyhow, that’s where I am today with my closet, but I’m already looking to prune it a bit further…

I don’t know about all of y’alllll but I’ve spent many precious hours trying to be that gal that Ive assumed society wants me to be. You know, that twenty first century highly curated Facebook Instagram Pinterest Girl-power Feminist FTWM SAHM PTWM Snapchat I’m not a regular mom I’m a cool mom completely artificial archetypal Anthropologie woman. Well, its 11:12 on a Monday evening and I’m here to tell you this:

No more! I’m coming out, coming clean, throwing that window open like I’m damn Mrs. Mallard.

God I hope someone knows that reference. And FYI, I do love Anthropologie. Anyhow, here are my 5 confessions. 5 truths. 5 facades behind which I shall no longer hide! Read on. Be my judge, jury and executioner, friend.

1) I can’t walk in heels. I don’t mean 4 inch sky high stilettos… I mean that I will fall down dead with a broken ankle in 1.5 inch baby kitten heels. So, I make no apology about my Tieks habit. They’re saving my life every single day.

2) I hate smoothies. Guys, I tried, but if I’m gonna drink my calories it’s going to be in the form of either a milkshake or liquor. I guess I just like chewing. Add Açaí bowls and tea to this list.

3) I just don’t think The Office is funny. I wanted to love it, but it was painfully hack. Tried the British Office but I seriously couldn’t understand 75% of the dialogue.

4) I can’t hold my liquor. I’d say “anymore” or blame it on my age, but truth be told, I’ve always been a lightweight. Now I have to plan for a half day of vomiting if I intend on having more than one drink.

5) I will never feel ok with my body in a bathing suit. Ever. Even when I was a size 4 for 15 minutes in my twenties I wouldn’t gallivant around in a swimsuit… so, now being old as hell and having birthed a giant baby I’m considering what them there Mormons and fundamentalist Christians call a “modesty suit” – google it. You’ll piss yourself a little bit.

Oh, one more thing. Diet Dr Pepper is pretty fantastic. Carry on, friends.

H

Sometimes I talk to myself.

In fact, some of my best conversations have occurred completely inside of my own head. I fancy myself pretty entertaining, and usually I amuse myself. But too often I do something else. Something that I’d bet my bottom dollar that you also partake in. This is a serious statement because if you check my wallet at this present moment I think I’m literally down to my bottom dollar.

But that is neither here nor there.

What I’m talking about is self-criticism. I do it. You do it. Don’t even pretend you don’t. Even the most confident among us has a momentarily lapse of self-deprecation. It happens. But why does it happen? I’ve been thinking on this subject a lot lately, and I think I’ve had a semi-epiphany about it.

Like many of you, most of my self-criticism concerns my weight. I’ve often said that not a day has gone by in my adult life when I haven’t obsessed over money or calories. In fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when I was even consistently “ok” with my body, and believe me, I’ve been chunky, skinny and everything in between. I’ve always had a knack for feeling good for a second, and then immediately following up that feeling with, “oh but if only I was…” and fill in the blank. A little thinner. A little less thunder-thighed. A little less ham-like-armed. Blah blah blah. If you’re like me, and I sort of hope you’re not, you probably can’t even enjoy a fantastic meal at a restaurant without thinking either “well, I certainly can’t get on the scale tomorrow” or possibly “I guess if we’re going out to dinner I’ll eat sparingly throughout the day to compensate.” But I think you all are, because when I reached out on my Facebook and asked for photos that you all felt good about, I was met with so much self-loathing and self-criticism, and that made me so sad.

It has to stop. And so, friends, today I’ve decided to cut myself a break.

That’s right. Give me a break already, Heather. Size 4 size 14, I’ll probably never been 100% ok with the gal I see in the mirror, but you know what? I think I’m becoming comfortable with that idea. I’ve been obsessing for over two years trying to lose the last 18 baby pounds (ps – don’t gain 65+ pounds when you’re pregnant. All of those egg sandwich bagels SEEM like a great idea, but they will hang around long after your kid is begging you to crack raw eggs with a hammer on the floor of your living room) And I do think I’ll do it, eventually. I hope so.

But right now, I’m giving myself permission to accept, and dare I say even LIKE, my body during the process. Am I trying to kick my Taco Bell habit and eat healthier? Of course. Am I hoping to incorporate some exercise into my life? I guess, but I just hate it. I know that until I do these things my old jeans will sit in my closet and stare at me mockingly, but right now I’m ok with going at my own pace and telling those jeans to check their attitude at the door.

I grew a kid in my body, and they cut him out of my abdomen with a knife. I think. I don’t know, I was pretty incoherent for that whole thing. I work like 8908 jobs. I’m busy. I’m tired. I’m so many things all the time, all day long, all week-long, all month-long, and I’m so so so exhausted sometimes. And I know you are too. You’re moms, you’re step moms, you’re single, you’re married, you’re divorced, you’re pet moms, you’re hard workers, you’re doing all of the things that make the world go ’round. And you know what? Its ok if it’s taking us a little bit longer to get there. Size 2, size 22, size 42, you have to find some beauty when you look in the mirror. It’s there – I promise. Other people see it, so stop all of your “I’m so fat” “I’m so ugly” “look at my wrinkles” and cut yourself a break, for God’s sake.

Success isn’t about achieving a specific end result. It’s every step you take along the way the moment you decide you are going to be successful. It doesn’t matter if it takes you two months or two years. It’s a journey. Be a little kinder to yourself as you find your way down the path.

Here I am pre-Jake, 36 weeks pregnant, and two weeks ago. And I think I’m ok with it. I’m trying so hard to appreciate my body for what it can do, not for what I think it’s supposed to look like.

And how about all of my beautiful friends, who, either happily or reluctantly, shared these fantastic images of themselves? Beautiful, every single one of them – and I bet, if you turn down that little voice inside of your head that keeps putting you down, that you are too. xoxo – H

Well hello there. Yup. Its that time of year again. I’m forced to pay $18 to renew my domain name and I’m suddenly inspired to start writing again and get my money’s worth. I just purchased a desk for myself, so who knows. Perhaps The Lit Kitty will see a renaissance. You never know.

Its also another time of year again, for me. Its the hot ass awful long sweating mess yucko summertime. Yup, I hate it. And in the midst of this weather inferno is a special date. That date is July 4th. Do you know why its special?

Nope, its not because I have a special penchant for our founding fathers (side note – a coworker once told me that she thought Alexander Hamilton was the “hottest” of all the founding fathers based on the picture of him on our money. Not sure why I’m sharing this. It just always stayed with me)

And it sure isn’t because I love the beach and fireworks, because if you know me at all you know that I hate the sand and I find fireworks just irritating.

Its because July 4th marks the official switch from “summer fashion” to “back to school fashion.” I LOVE this change. After July 4th I can’t even begin to wrap my head around purchasing more summer clothes. Its bad enough I have to suffer through these thigh sweat months as it is. By July I’m already looking toward fall. I’m beyond ready.

I’ve mentioned before that I was always the girl fully decked out in “cold weather” clothes on the first day of school, even if the temps still topped 90 degrees. Now, while I’m a bit more reasonable these days, I like to choose my late summer purchases by thinking about how I can wear them now while its still Satan’s favorite season, but also how I’ll be able to wear them in the fall when it is gloriously cool.

GUESS WHAT GUYS!?? LULAROE IS PERFECT FOR THIS. Let me tell you all about it. I’ve made some sets below with stuff from my closet (sorry – it ain’t for sale!)

Are you sick of this pic yet? I’m not because my hair and make up are on point this day. You can see that I’m attempting to beat the heat by throwing a little blue tank top over this lovely maxi skirt. I look so damn fantastic that I may even forget about the heat. For a moment.

In the second pic I’m wearing the very same skirt, but I’ve styled it for fall with a denim jacket and booties, and I’ve stylishly situated myself in front of a random screen door with plants. Nothing says fall like a rustic porch & screen door.

Do you love Carly? I do, too. You know this. I wear her all summer long with little sandals and some big jewelry because it’s just so damn easy. In fact, I think I wore this exact outfit last week. Well, without the little purse. That’s actually a makeup case, but its adorable.

For cooler months I’ll take this exact Carly (its one of my favorites) and I’ll throw it over some leggings with boots & a denim jacket. Now I suddenly want to pick apples.

I pretty much live in tank tops all summer because my armpits need to roam free. Its for all of our benefit. Its a good bet that you’ll find me in an outfit like this on most days (in fact, I have on this very shirt at this very moment)

I wear my tank tops all year round because I just find it to be more comfortable beneath a cardigan. I’ll throw on this white tank with a denim blue Sarah, jeans and some fantastic Tieks on a cool fall day.

Green is one of my favorite colors for all of the seasons. I just grabbed this Perfect T for myself last week and I think the bright Kelly green color is so pretty for the summer with a denim pencil skirt, a chunky necklace and my tangerine Tieks for a day at the office.

And I’ll keep on wearing this top right through the fall with a pair of tweed pants, a neutral Sarah & booties. Side note  – I got these pants for $1 at a yardsale and they are one of my proudest purchases.

So, ladies… it may be unbearably hot outside, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t fondly think about the chilly days ahead and plan our purchases!