Long, Lean, and Green

Speaking of post-partum wearing of maternity dresses: kindly refer to Exhibit C. My husband's Bromance sent a package before Violet was born, including a teething bead bracelet, hilarious pacifiers (reading "Pull to Sound Alarm" and "Mute Button"), a sketch book for me, a pillowcase with his own face on it because he knew we were going into withdrawl, and this magical, magical dress. Ladies, this thoughtful man is single. How? I'm still not sure.

Anyway, I've been wearing this nonstop all summer long. It skims the lumpy post-C-section bits, has a perfect amount of stretch for boob access, cinches nicely in at the natural waist, avoiding the maternity mumu empire waist and the too-low that-would-never-fit-a-pregnant-belly waist line. Magic.

Grab a scarf of your choice for nursing cover duty and rock and roll.

Nice spit-up stain on the thigh, Violet. 

Grateful

Oh, look what I found in drafts... from weeks ago. One of my final work outfits from a surprise sunny day amidst the springtime rains (so I, naturally, went against the Chinese norm of covering every bit of leg and skin and overdressing despite whatever the weather is and wore no tights). I loved how absurdly tiny this cardigan looks against my kiddo curves; it was fun to wear a kicky bit of print.

I really thought I would miss work a little once I stepped away. I've been motivated and diligent for years, investing more of myself and my time in working and earning our wages than I should have. I always felt so responsible to the success of my little family; making sure my income, as paltry as it always was in the midst of the economic downturn and as hard as I had to work to earn it, was enough to get us through not only bills, but provide enough extra to make sure Rob could take part in as many "extras" as possible while going through school. Conferences, festivals, paying musicians out of our own pockets to play his pieces. It costs a lot to succeed in music composition. But, we powered through, hopeful that one day, not too many years from graduation, he would find a really great job that made him happy and was substantial enough for us to start a family. I hoped, with fingers and toes crossed, that it would be someplace with an interesting arts scene. I hoped that it would be a position that would allow me to spend at least a little time away from work while we raised kids, that we wouldn't be perpetually broke anymore and I could enjoy fulfilling my dream of becoming a mommy a couple times over. Never did I assume I would get to detach from working completely, knowing that Rob is enjoying the challenge (and parts of it are definitely that) of working at a School of Music as a professor, knowing that our finances are modest, but comfortable for the first time in our marriage, and we'd get to do it all while experiencing the madness of living outside of the USA. It's not all sunshine and bubbles, since I know I'll spend a lot of my "free time" hunting for reliable information about where to get safe vaccines and buy non-toxic Legos abroad, things that are taken oh-so-for-granted when you live someplace with regulated markets, but I know how damn lucky we are. Well, it's not entirely luck- we both worked our asses off to catch this really amazing break.

Thanks for sticking with me as I've been blogging about this wild life adventure of living in China. I know it may have turned off some readers who view it as gloating or novelty. But it's life as I know it right now. No better, no worse, no more exotic or fabulous than living in Houston or Boston or Los Angeles. It's just my new normal, whatever that means. Like I said, thanks for sticking around. It helps to have some of you online girlfriends to feel a little less like an outsider all the time.

Standing Out on St. Patty's

I was so hopeful these jeans would fit still. I bought them on clearance in a size above my normal and dryer shrunk the crap out of them the last few years pre-pregnancy. Now that my hips got all wide and funky, they're a little too tight, but I couldn't not wear them- this springy color combination was begging for white jeans. And the most fun part is this weird little scarf in my hair has been my St. Patrick's Day go-to little bit of green(it has green cherries and little fuchsia vines on it) for years and years now and I just decided to go for the loud and bright complimentary look. And all my adorably reserved office mates thought it was the most awesome thing ever.

So, moral of the story is this: in the last week of work, wear whatever you want to and all your colleagues and every other Chinese person on campus will stare unabashedly at you and your pregnant belly. No disguising being one of the only white girls working at the University and dressing up anyway, let alone sporting a huge baby bump, so give 'em all something spring-like to stare at.

Cruise Outfit and Packing Strategy

For your viewing pleasure: a few looks from dinners, a few from post-dinner hanging out with our table mates, a few from playing around in port during the days.

I will mention, though, that taking clothing was a royal waste of space in my suitcase. I packed over 9 tee and top options and only wore 5. I had two pairs of shorts and only wore one (mostly because all of our time on deck and on shore during the days were spent in a swimsuit and coverup. Why would I bother getting dressed to go to a beach if I can just drape and cover to go to a beach?).

MVP's for the week:
- Ankle/skinny white jeans- wore them almost every evening to hang out with a simple t-shirt and necklace or t-shirt and scarf combo.
- That floral scarf. I only took one with lots of color and was able to match it with a citron tee, a grey tee, my blue flowy dress, my tailored cream sheath dress, coral tank, etc, etc, etc. Incredibly versatile.
- Coral anything. It was the accidental theme color of vacation.
- Peeptoe neutral pumps, which looked rockin' with every dinner outfit, even if I opted for the cognac sandals instead (some choppy water during a few evenings).
- The absurdly bright batik'ed green and orange sarong coverup. I wore this draped across my back with two corners criss-crossed around my neck to make a modest dress. I felt perfectly tropical and a little bit foxy without showing my boobs to everyone.
- One darling vintage clutch, which gave a nice chic vibe to my formal dinner looks, and a kicky bit of personality to my white skinnies and a tee ensembles at night.
- SPF. No burns, only tans to show for our week away.

Big wastes of space:
- Tennis Shoes. Working out was a pain in the butt with so many suburban moms around and all my walking and hiking was done in my moulded rubber footbed Chacos.
- 2nd pair of shorts, too many extra tops, jacket.
- Too many jewelry options. I knew I'd choose simple or choose a scarf, so why did I bother?

 

Wrapping Up

Skirt: Target...Tee: J Crew Factory...Scarf: TJ Maxx...Belt: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

It's been so. darn. cold in our office the last month. AC is my nemesis. My fingers are literally freezing after having them exposed and elevated to work on the computer. Solution? Dress like it's early spring: lighter, happy colors, worn in pretty extreme layers (there's totally two long sleeved shirts going on up there), along with an oversized scarf. Oh, yeah, and then die of heat stroke once you step out into Houston's 96 F, 80% humidity afternoon weather.


Guys, it's my very last day at work today. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, and I'm definitely glad to be trotting off to China soon.

I won't say I'm not a little sad. This job has had its challenges- grants writing (but mostly grants reporting on Education and programs which I know nothing about) is hard. And diving into it with no prior experience and being given very little training made it tougher. But, I was surrounded by really good people, extraordinary work being accomplished, and, if nothing else, I was part of a shift in the the energy of the office after a few years of tricky office dynamics and leadership. If nothing else, I contributed to creating a cheerful and positive culture and working relationships. Was the position itself my best fit? Probably not. The Gala, streamlined branding and templates, and positive energy are things I'm proud to put my name on, though.

But, as of today at 5:00, I'm unemployed. Rather, I'm officially on vacation. Rob and I are going on a cruise to Belize, Isla Roatan, and Cozumel. And then we get one final week to soak up friend time and finish painting and cleaning this apartment that's been home for four years.

And then three weeks stuffed full of family time! I just saw my family during my brother's HS graduation a few short weeks ago, but I'm beyond excited for this.

And then we're getting onto a plane to move halfway across the world.

Move. Across the world.



Whoa.

Brights

Skirt, Cardigan, Belt, Scarf: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Ever have one of those looks where you think it's a cheerful flurry of color and then you realize it's really just a matter of wearing skittles? Or jelly beans. Yup, that happened. The candy-colored rainbow barfed all over me and I wore it to work. I suppose that's what I get when I have all my favorite neutrals packed away into a duffel bag and I'm left with the collection of "I don't reeeeally know if I want to keep it for the move" bits and pieces of bright.

I would apologize for going MIA so often, but I really haven't been feeling like blogging lately. Because it's too soon to really talk about our upcoming move to Suzhou, China (I could only tell you about adventures in banking and making arrangements for a Penske truck rental to get our crap back to Ohio. And I can't really talk about life because it's been a series of busy weeks and a funny cycle of doing the same things with the same friends overandoverandover because we want to pack in as much time with them as we can. And I can't really talk about work because... well, it's just work. I'm writing a lot of grant reports.

Okay, well, I guess you guys are all caught up! Thanks for stickin' around in this really weird phase of life.

Stolen from the Boys

Jeans: Gap Always Skinny...Button down: Target dude's...Trench: Target...Shoes: Steve Madden

I remember it distinctly... Christmas eve, my family did a cross-country and international webchat to exchange gifts and my darling sister had swiped the perfect buffalo plaid shirt from her boyfriend to wear as festive Hong Kong Christmas morning coffee attire. And, well, since I can't EVER steal anything from Rob (a 6'4" frame doesn't lend itself to shared wardrobe items with a 5'4" shrimp), I knew I was in for a hunt for a clearance dude flannel of my very own. I liked the small cobalt and black check, but ultimately decided it looked like a bruise. So, here we are, in a weekend errand outfit with perfectly oversized man-shirt in girly-colored plaid (no wonder so many made it to clearance) and nearing-death jeans. Total honesty? The trench and real shoes were only a fraction of the day... the majority was spent in Chacos and with one sleeve flapping and unfurled.

Holiday Look Link Up

Skirt: Target...Turtleneck: J Crew Factory...Blazer: J Crew via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target...Shoes: Steve Madden...Bag: Longchamp knockoff

Festive, bright, but not blatant? Huzzah! This blazer may be more versatile than I was expecting it to be.

We had an awesome night with neighbors last evening! We were supposed to do a potluck outside in the courtyard, but the temps are dropping (overnight low of 33!! last night) and we didn't want to freeze our buns, so we aaaalmost cancelled. And that would have been a bummer, so 10 of us and 3 dogs packed into our place, gathered a bunch of tasty food, sipped wine, chatted, and enjoyed each others' company for the evening. What an awesome jumpstart on the holiday weekend! (P.S.- I'm glad the Mayans were wrong.)

So, what have you been wearing or plotting for Holiday Festive Wear? Link it up and meet some new friends! The link's going aaaaaall the way through next week- hook up your day of Christmas look, Saturday party looks, whatever you want.

Here's the rules for the Holiday Look Link Up:
Follow The Perpetual Student's Wife (via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin')
Link the URL to a specific recent-ish post showing off your favorite holiday themed or holiday party look.
Link back to The Perpetual Student's Wife so your new friends can navigate easily.
Ummm.... that's it! Can't wait to see what you all are rockin' for Holiday Festivities.

Urban Oasis

Skirt: Beijing tailor...Shirt: H&M...Belt: Target...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Necklace: thrifted...Lips: L'Oreal Vagabond Mauve and NYC Sheer Red

Last day before Boss Lady arrives back in town for the fall season! As much as I enjoyed cranking out projects with no interruption, I've missed some of the madness of having her here. Monday- it all gets nutty again Monday.

I don't think I ever took a photo of our adorable apartment courtyard for you all. The building is a big U shape with a set of doors off either side in the back corners. We re-sodded, added pavers on which to set the picnic table, moved the potted plants around, trimmed the tree, moved some smaller flowering plants. We're all in love with the outdoor space and spend a lot of neighbor hang out time together out there. Speaking of neighbor time, we've been invited to my photog neighbor friend's place for pasta tonight- her husband is the "wine guy" (as in he's so good that he's just saving up enough money to do the certification courses to be a sommelier, but it won't be a huge challenge) at one of the ritzy Whole Foods stores in town.  Um, noodles and well-selected wine? Yes, we'll be there.

Wheeeee, I'm scattered this morning. Have an awesome Friday and I'll see you later!

Thrifted Skirt Refashion

Skirt: thrifted and refashioned...Tank: Old Navy...Belt: thrifted...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Necklace: who knows?

Thrifted and refashioned skirt?! Ohmygosh, I can't believe I sewed a straight line. Not only that, but I sewed TWO straight lines. You can't see it, but I folded the top down about 1 1/2" and then folded that in half again, sewing along the bottom edge to create the space where the elastic is slipped in. After the elastic was threaded through and sewn to the correct waist circumference, I stretched the elastic and fabric out and sewed another seam along the top edge of the elastic to keep it from flipping and bunching (it's about 1/4" seam around the top, seen above the belt) and to keep the top edge upright. I'm still a little shocked that I didn't need to enlist help or seam-rip out too many poor attempts. Am I getting better at machine sewing? 

Not likely.

By the way, here's how long, flowy, fluttery and 80/90's-tastic it started:

I'm spreading the magic and joy of my handiwork around the internets today: Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday and Rolled Up Pretty's Whatever Whenever Wednesday!

Polka Dots and Crazed Colors

Skirt & Belt: H&M...Tee: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shades: Coach via TJ Maxx...Pearls: Beijing vendor

Audrey, J's Fashion and Marion have, over the last month or so, each posted an outfit with a polka dot skirt that made me reeeeeally crave wearing my new acquisition (there is an H&M in Houston now, but the selection sucked, so I was able to find this goodie in Toledo when I went home at the end of July), but my timing was extremely poor. I bashed my knee up during my bike fall so soon after I got back, I've only just started wearing skirts again. Well, my appetite for this skirt has been whet and I'm preeeetty sure I'll have to slap my own hand away from it over the next week or so to avoid wearing it for days on end. I forgot it fit so well and is so comfortable. Best/worst discovery of the week.

I grabbed this citron yellow shirt as a first impulse and asked my Guy, "Is this too 'bumblebee'?" No response. Grabbed a fuchsia belt and asked, "Too much?" No response. Swapped fucsia for mint and added a cheerful periwinkle cardigan and asked, "Too crazy?" This finally got a reaction- "Dude, all your color combinations have been super crazy, I don't know. Just wear it. I gotta go." Well, alrighty-Rooney. My mostly neutral color preferences make way for way-weird color combinations, I guess. Overcompensation. I'm cool with that.

A Good Use of Time

Skirt: Target...Tank: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: Target...Belt: thrifted...Bag: D&B via Buffalo Exchange...Shoes: J Jill via Buffalo Exchange

Oh, Target, you've dunnit again. This skirt is awesome. I even ordered two fall color online-only options (online shopping is my nemesis since so much fits so strangely, but ordering a duplicate... can do.) Who's pumped for stretchy skirt autumn dressing? (But, for now, let's enjoy the fact that I've worn a skirt for the first time in ages and managed to hide my hideous knee from view. Win-Win)

Also, guess who has a new (old) TV series to keep her company while her husband is studying like a madman? That would be me and it is a Bewitched Marathon over at the McClure house. It. Is. Awesome. I whet my appetite for 60's SitComs a few weeks ago, I found season two of Bewitched on Hulu and a link to some Gilligan's Island episodes (both of which, by the way, my Grandpa would record on VHS tapes for me and my sisters... even though he and Grandma lived out it the middle of the country in Southern Ohio and we lived in big-town Toledo, their satellite dish reception provided far more awesome television reruns than our bunny ears and basic TV). YouTube hooked me up with season after season of goodies, which mostly means I don't care nearly as much that my Guy has gone MIA.

Hope your Wednesday is lovely (and you had better be linking up with Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday, too!)

Unwelcome Excitement

Four points of unwelcome excitement happened yesterday:

I tapped my hot french press carafe on the corner of this sink and a chunk cracked out of the bottom edge. Boo hoo, no perfectly brewed-to-my-taste strong bold coffee for me tomorrow.
I was beyond busted taking pictures again. Who would have thought that the SAME neighbor with his pack of doggies would be coming out (still in PJ's) at 9 am?
A crated sculpture arrived unexpectedly at boss lady's house (we were told there would be a Friday arrival) and the first one of this sculpture's kind came from overseas broken into pieces. I wanted her here to inspect and be witness to the method of packing so she could hoot and holler at the shipper herself if something happened to it, but she'd been moral support at the hospital since 6 am for her grandson's leg surgery. So I hesitantly took on the task of uncrating this precious cargo.
It got hotter and hotter as the day went on and, upon getting the sculpture safely out of the crate and into the house (um, HEAVY.), went back out to help the gardener tidy up our disaster zone. I squatted down to pick up the dozens of screws and when I stood back up my vision went fuzzy then dark, I gripped the stepladder for dear life, hands shaking, body wavering. But I didn't fall. Thank goodness. I swiped a banana and glass of OJ and felt much better.

And I can't handle any more zany for a few days. Here's to a weekend filled with reading and remaining stationary.

Pants: Theory via Buffalo Exchange...Blouse: Gap...Cardigan: Target...Belt: Target...Shoes: Naturalizer

Late Night

I started grabbing, literally grabbing, at things to wear this morning and I have a few things to say:
1. My hair is a wreck, no judgement, please.
2. This citron tee got little drips of green dye on it a long time ago and it got relegated to weekend wear, which I forgot.
3. Good thing the drips are covered by this awesomely lightweight (slip definitely needed) high-waisted skirt I had made out of crazy fabric market fabric clippings in Beijing.
4. I thought bright on bright with the tee and belt would be fun.
5. It's surprisingly toned down with the maroon cardi.
6. For our late-to-get-up-and-go day, this was a shocking outfit win.

We each had an inadvertantly late night yesterday, My Guy spent late into the night chatting with our neighbors outside at the picnic table in the courtyard, I got sucked into the Spotify game- you know, type in a musician you like, click around on other related artists. Next thing you know, you've wasted  2 1/2 hours adding over 100 songs you've never heard to a playlist. Good use of my time over a good night's sleep.

Skirt: made in Beijing...Tee: J Crew Outlet...Cardigan: thrifted...Shoes: Nine West via Buffalo Exchange...Belt: Target...Shades: Coach via TJ Maxx...Necklace: Target