The Girl in the Glasses

I've worn glasses since the second grade. So, more than 30 years. I never really had the urge to wear contacts. 15 years ago, I briefly worked for an optician and was able to try a pair for free. I lasted one night! Nope! Not for me! Glasses are a part of who I am and I feel weird without them.

However, glasses are expensive! I've been through periods where they were not covered by insurance and because I have a fairly intense prescription I would end up covering the entire $300-$500 cost out of pocket! Thankfully vision insurance now makes our out of pocket cost minimal but what's a girl to do when she wants a variety of cute frames to suit her mood but the insurance company will only spring for one pair per year?! Buy them online, of course! A few years ago I took the plunge and ordered my first pair online and I haven't looked back-no pun intended! 

Last week during one sleepless night, I got into my head that I needed new glasses. Not just any pair of new frames, but pink ones! I headed to Zenni where I've purchased four of my last five pairs to see what they had. My requirements are always the same- plastic, slightly oversized and square. It took me five minutes to find I pair I loved! It took me another minute to find the same frames in another color that I wanted too! In less than 10 minutes I purchased two complete pairs of prescription eyeglasses for under $20($17.46) and that was with shipping! They were in my mailbox 7 days later. I love them both! The ones on the left are little greener than I thought they would be but because the frames have the appearance of frosted glass they are more of a sea glass color-very soft and pretty. The pink are just fun!  Now that I've satisfied my need for pink glasses, I have to go back and buy the pair of heart shaped sunglasses I've been eyeing;) 

    

Blue Jean Baby {worn}

We've reached that point in summer when it is H O T and H U M I D. There's no way around it. So I choose to ignore it! There's no way around being hot so you might as well wear what  you want!  The top is 100% silk so it breathes! It was a thrift store score which means I'm not too afraid to wear it when I'm on mom duty. The jeans are my favorite high rise super stretch jeggings from American Eagle which means they're thinner than regular denim. The heels didn't last the whole day but I remained cool and relatively pulled together in this look. 

Can I talk for a minute about this Coach backpack? It's at least 15 years old, maybe closer to 20. It's so old I can't remember when I got it but look at how amazing it still looks! If you would have told me when I bought to haul around the crap of my young kids 15 or 20 years later it would be serving the exact same purpose I would have thought it was a joke. But, here we are. The more things change, the more they remain the same.   

Easy like Sunday morning {worn}

My anxiety seems to be in overdrive lately and part of taking care of myself is knowing my limitations and being realistic with my expectations. So, easy is my word for the summer! If it's not easy, it's not happening. Catch me in September for everything else!

 

And so, a favorite dress, a pair of sandals and big hair that doesn't require me to plug in my flat iron or curling wand all summer! It's taken me a bit to get used to it. I love big, beautiful natural hair but I'm still unsure of how I feel about it on me! On one hand, I like straight hair because my face is round and full and I've always thought it helped thin it out a little. But, on the other, I want to enjoy my summer without spending so much time straightening my hair into submission. 30 minutes start to finish and we were out the door on our way to Sunday brunch! 

Posh Frock {worn}

For the first time in a long time, I bought a dress! I didn't buy for a specific event. I didn't buy it after carefully considering its practicality or whether or not it was toddler-friendly. I bought because I loved it! And, when I put it on it made me happy! 

The dress is part of the Victoria Beckham line at Target. When she made the switch from Posh Spice to fashion designer there were lots of eyerolls. But even the naysayers have to admit, she came, she saw, she slayed! I had high hopes for her Target collab and she nailed it! Everything is solidly constructed and the fabrics she used are high quality, particularly for the price point. It's the first time in a long time that I've wanted to buy everything from a Target designer collab! And, if you have a baby or toddler girl...OMG...there are so many adorable things to buy!   

Simple {worn}

The weather has been all of over the place and I'm a little hesitant to declare spring weather is here to stay but, I think it may be here to stay! 

If my winter uniform was leggings and oversized sweaters then my warm weather go-to is an easy dress. Last week we enjoyed some summer-like temps and I took the opportunity to reacquaint myself with some of my favorite dresses. 

I'm guilty of falling into the same pattern as lots of other moms. When you spend your days at home with young kids worrying about getting dressed in something other than what is easy and comfortable is not something high on my to do list. It was nice to throw on a dress and remind myself that I'm more than Rowan's mom, soother of tears, meltdown manager, tiny shit hauler!

This outfit may have reminded of my pre toddler mom life but I quickly remembered why all of my favorite heels have been moved to the back of the closet! These lasted for approximately 15 minutes before they were swapped out for flat sandals!

 

Real talk...this is what 75% of the photos look like when you're trying to take blog pics and you have a curious 3 year-old! "mama, mama...this?" "smile, mama"

   

worn {day date}

I know I'm not alone when I say that along with sleep, a mess free house and the ability to shower without an audience another casualty of parenting little ones is being able to spend quality time with your partner. The quiet afternoons sipping coffee and doing crosswords or snuggling on the couch to binge watch a favorite show are few and far between. And, date nights are, at this point, nonexistent. Which is why I was thrilled when my hubby suggested we go to the ballet! We couldn't pull together arrangements to make the Friday evening performance so we made a day of it on Saturday! 

It finally felt like fall this weekend but I wasn't going to pass up the chance to get fancy!

 

 

We saw The Cincinnati Ballet production of Coppélia. It was adorable and lighthearted. And of course, the sets and the dancing were amazing!

 

Also, if you ever have the chance to have your picture taken with a ballerina or two, go for it! 

worn{07.13.16}

early(ish) 40s is an odd age. it's very similar to those sometimes awkward tween years. i don't feel as old as the calendar likes to remind i am. i would rather spend a friday with a glass of wine and keith morrison (i'm a true crime addict!) than going out because no pants are the best pants! however, i'm blessedly old enough that i give zero damns about the judgement of strangers. 

women's bodies have always been heavily policed but once i hit 40 i noticed in spades. magazines and websites are constantly blasting us with what is appropriate- hair color, swimsuits, lipsticks, skirt lengths. i'm certain that these shorts would most likely put me on someone's worst dressed list. to some, they are probably scandalously short! but i love them! seriously, navy lace! what's not to love? and, most importantly, i felt good in this outfit! i'm excited to dress them up and wear them for a night out with my husband!

details: shorts-forever21 // top-anthropologie(old)similar here // sandals-similar here

worn{3.8.16}

ditsy floral, ankle boots, distressed denim and a pop of neon- this outfit feels a little early 90s in the best way! also, shifts are my new favorite. they are forgiving and easy to wear. i need more of these in my life. i added some blue to my hair. i may be going thru some kind of mid-life crisis but i'm in love with it!