I know that Birkenstocks are a thing right now, but I just can't hang with this trend.
Am I the only one??
I've even tried to talk myself into it, because I've seen other gals pulling off the look....but I can't.
Can't do it.
It may have something to do with the fact that it reminds me of my awkward middle school years when I used to wear these.
They are also just a bit too comfortable looking for me.

I mean, I can definitely appreciate a comfortable pair of shoes, especially being on my feet most of the day with the kids, but when I have to sacrifice pretty for comfy...I usually just go with uncomfortable feet.
Beauty is pain, right? Ha ;).

Sooo when I came across Yellowbox Shoes I had to check their sandals out.
I wanted to see if they are actually as comfy as they look, because they pass both my *budget-friendly and style test with flying colors.

The results are in.
They are indeed comfortable! Very. You know how sandals sometimes have a "breaking in period" where they rub on your heals in a weird way and sometimes even leave you with red marks by the end of the day? These sandals don't do that. I have worn them a few times already, all day, and I didn't feel like taking them of...at all.

Yellowbox has some other styles that I am diggin', so I'm sharing those with you as well...

Carey | Eira | Jeriel | Kinsey | Mimosa | Taissa 

...aaaaand Mad's let me hold Applejack?! *gasp* If you know Moo at all you know this is a big deal. This pony is never out of her sight or arms. Everrrrrrr.

my outfit: Yellowbox Devona Sandal - c/o | Marshalls top | J. Crew Factory shorts, similar
moo's outfit: Target dress | Target sandals 


*budget friendly- I think it's important for me to clarify what I find to be "budget-friendly". You're probably thinking, "these sandals are $50+. What's terribly affordable about that? I'll go with Target, thank you very much". Well, when it comes to a staple pair of shoes, I am willing to spend a bit more to get a bit more, if you know what I mean. You get what you pay for. I love Target and their prices, but sometimes it's just worth the money to save and invest in a good pair of sandals for the Summer...ones that will last for at least a few Summers. Ya feel me?

Trendy Postpartum Swimsuits - under $100

 find them here: LOFT | Target | VS | LOFT | Modcloth | jcpenny | J. Crew | DKNY | Wallis

Apparently your body doesn't bounce right back and become all bikini ready after having a baby.
Weird.
Ooph. I am feeling less than ready to jump back into a swimsuit at 4 months postpartum.
Managing to get the laundry put away these days is a big deal, so working on my fitness is way down on my 'to-do' list....waaaaaaay down. At this point I consider walking up and down the stairs with my chubby wubby babe a totally sufficient amount of exercise.
hehhh. So yeh.

That said, I've been looking for flattering bathing suits that don't sacrifice style for comfort...or make me want to cry.
I am loving the one-piece options, the supportive tops and the high-waists out there right now!
Let me get a woop woop.

::woop woop::

If you too have been living in fear of the day you'll need to break-out in a swimsuit, I hope this helped.

ps. totally diggin' LOFT's selection right now

Styling Old Navy's Ponte Fit & Flare Dress - Up, Down, All Around -

Dressed up

The flirty flare of this dress is perfect for a date night.

Date night? What's that? Ha.

It's easy to style too...which is always a win for me.

I kind of stress over accessories- which actually work for what, etc.

The neckline on this dress means you can skip the necklace and just pop on some statement earrings.

I also threw on some simple bangles and grabbed a clutch.

A clutch? What's that? Haaa.

Can you tell it's been quite a while since I've been out with my husband? :-D

dress | earrings | bangles | clutch | sandal pumps

Dressed down

Grocery store, park, play date or weekend outfit - this dress works for all.

It has an amazing way of hiding that pooch too...

which I very much still have.

(I just started T25, but that's another story for another day. My body hurts ::hehh::)

The dress flares out riiiiight at the perfect spot. 

Grab a hat, huuuuge bag (to tote all that your toddler insists on stuffing in it) and you're good to go. 

dress | denim jacket | hat | handbag | sandals

Dressed for all around

So I threw this little ensemble on at the last minute and...my gosh.
I love it.
Mixing the feminine with the comfy and you've got a winning combo.
Am I right, mamas?
I'm ready to run around and get things done with babe on hip and toddler in tow.
BAM.

dress | shoes | canvas tote

Now, I wouldn't expect this dress to last for more than one or two seasons.
It's $15 and from Old Navy.
However, it's trendy and if you're looking to spend little...
this is the dress for you.

$100. thredUP. 8 Spring outfits.

outfit #1: gap tee / j.crew shorts / steve madden sandals
outfit #2: nine west button-up / j.crew shorts / ann taylor cardigan / steve madden sandals
outfit #3: banana republic short-sleeve jacket / j.crew shorts / nine west wedges
outfit #4: ann taylor cardi / nine west button-up / ann taylor loft skirt / steve madden sandals
outfit #5: nine west button-up / ann taylor loft skirt / nine west wedges
outfit #6: ann taylor cardi / ann taylor loft skirt / steve madden sandals 
*all c/o thredUP

Yep, I did wear a cardigan backwards in that last outfit - fun and simple way to make an otherwise ordinary outfit more exciting and noticeable.

outfit #1: gymboree cardigan / old navy tee / tractor jean shorts
outfit #2: gymboree cardigan / old navy tee / gap khakis (brand new) 
*all c/o thredUP

The only way I could get Mads to stand relatively still for this was by bribing her with a ring pop - haha.
Hey, do what ya have to.
................

Yeh. So.

$100. Eight outfits for Spring.

6 for me and 2 for the tot. 

Incredible, right?

I could have employed my best sale shopping skills to score this much elsewhere, but...

I probably would have failed. 

Miserably. 

Take it from me. ThredUP is where it's at. 

They have flawless used clothing from top notch brands, all at a great price.  

Yes, you could scour your local thrift shops for Spring outfits, 

but I am telling you...

you won't find the quality and selection that you'll find at thredUP. 

Plus- you can shop on your bum, with coffee in hand.

I mean, win win. 

*click on over here to get $10 to spend*

You can see the last used clothing challenge I did with thredUP here. 

& I can't not include little buddy...I heart him so...

mom cool.

One simple way to look cooler than you are...

wear a vest. 

Denim cut-offs and heart shaped sunnies help too.
I almost returned the sunglasses, because...well...
I'm a mom and not a teeny bopper.
::hehh::

Then I had a revelation...I need these in my life.
I push around a stroller, tote an (almost) three year old on my hip, nurse all day (erryday), get spit up on 100x/day, wrestle with the laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning...

I need a frikkin' ridiculous pair of heart shaped sunnies.
The end. :)

sunnies / v neck / vest / shorts / sandals

ps. This is my new office/blog/playroom - I'm excited that I now have the space  to shoot my day-to-day outfits and share them more often with you! 

Isabella Oliver - pregnancy, postpartum & beyond

I used to say I'd never wear maternity clothes after pregnancy...
but that was before I met this dress.

Amazing.
I was surprised with how beautiful, flattering and not to mention comfortable it is on me
...even with it being maternity.
I already knew Isabella Oliver could make me feel like a gazillion bucks while pregnant...
but postpartum too?

That's a yes, apparently.
I slipped on this maxi dress from their new Spring '14 line over the weekend and...gosh.
I felt better in it than anything else I've worn since giving birth!
I even nursed while wearing it...score.
All of you mamas know how frustrating getting dressed can be...during pregnancy and after.
It's important to have at least one clothing item that you feel AMAZING in...even if nothing else in your closet fits- hehhh. :)

My poochy post-baby body thanks you, Isabella Oliver.
You have won me over (yet again).

Of course, not all of Isabella Oliver's maternity pieces can really be worn unless you are actually pregnant, but I do think quite a few can definitely work postpartum and beyond. My picks are below...

More Isabella Oliver...

my outfit: Isabella Oliver Vienna Print maxi dress // *Onecklace Carrie Name necklace + Dogeared ribbon bow necklace // Wallis biker jacket // Nine West Heavy Hitter Shopper // JCP ballet flats (similar)

*Onecklace is offering LiM readers 10% off w/ code- lifeinmod

Transitional Trends | Leather Biker Jacket (now)

Burgers. burgersss. BURGERS. It's what I've been craving, dreaming of...living for recently. I wake up in the morning with juicy little burgers floating around in my mind. It's a leetle ridic. Well, on Friday Mads & I met up with da-da after work at Red Robin to make my preggo food dreams come true. It was sooo good and while I'd like to say it quenched my burger thirst, it did not. I'm actually thinking of burgers right now.

...but let's move on, shall we? This jacket. It has been on my "to get" list every time Fall rolls around for years now. It hasn't happened...until now, peeps. Until now. When I received it in the mail from lovely Wallis I may have hugged and kissed it (and danced around with it too?). I am a big fan of versatile and transitional clothing staples- ones that go the distance, my friends. This jacket does just that.

So! Listen up. I entered Wallis' NYFW contest. You may have seen me share it on Facebook? I could be sent to NYFW to represent Wallis which would be...awesome. I have been trying to get there for years now, so it would be a dream come true. After this baby boy comes around, I doubt I'll be able to get there for quite some time...this is the year! You can help me make it happen too.

Wallis asked me to share how I'd style their biker jacket two ways- now & later. This is how I'm wearing it now. I love a simple, classic outfit...one that works for running around after a toddler, but still looks rockin'. I also really just love my chucks and will find any excuse to wear them. ;) Stay tuned to see how I'm planning on wearing it later, when the chill and the pumpkin spice lattes arrive...

You can vote for me here (every day, every hr). Let's get Life in Mod to Fashion Week this year! :)

THE LOOK:
Biker Jacket | c/o Wallis
v-neck tee | Marshalls
Madewell denim shorts | c/o thredUP
belt | Walmart
converse chuck taylors | e-bay 

this dress.

THE LOOK:

Embroidery pleated chiffon dress | c/o sheInside

denim jacket | c/o sheInside - similar

braided sandals | Target 

arm candy | Target

I...love this dress. At first I was a tad worried that I would look over-dressed doing normal, real life mom things in it, but once I slipped it on I thought, "oh, heck. It's just so awesome". The denim jacket was perf for it as well- toned it down a bit...honestly, I realized it didn't need it anyways. I do appreciate that jacket though! Fall staple, yo. 

I wore it to my weekend job, Summerbird, this past Saturday (the coolest consignment boutique in the CLT area, btw)- if you follow me on IG you saw me wearing it in my typical boutique mirror selfie. Ha-ha. That mirror and I are becoming old friends. Anywaays, the dress got several compliments...which, of course, made me feel more and more awesome in it. ;) Score one for the bump team.  

I'm actually wondering how long I can get away with wearing it into the Fall without looking a bit too summery...? Considering that it stays borderline hot here until about mid Oct, I think I should be allowed to sport it for a couple more months. Plus- it's a great dress for the bump. Yeh, I'll be wearing it for a while longer. So there. 

Sand in my shoes...

Beach trips go by far too quickly...

& that's all I have to say about that. 

THE LOOK

Target ribbed tank

Madewell cut-off denim | c/o thredUP - similar 

VS striped swimsuit

DIY raw-edge straw hat