A wardrobe snippet.

My dear friend, Amy, sent me a big box of goodies for Christmas. So lovely of her.
In that big box was a million vintage dresses and things for Mollie, handmade bibs in vintage fabric, kids books, a Dear Colleen tote (I've got the skill to pay the bills!) annnnnd this beautiful dress.
It fits like a glove, is super dooper pretty and I pretty much love it. I plan to wear it on Christmas day.
Thanks twinny!

Dress - Gift from Amy
Cute baby - Allllll mine

(And it's too hot to wear much else!)

Wardrobe day.

I decided today was the day to brave a vintage dress.
I've been so disheartened with my post-partum frump that I've not really dared to frock it up. The one time I did wear a nana-style dress was the day someone stopped me in the supermarket and said 'Are you pregnant again? Oh wow! You are!'. Um, no. Dress back into the 'not yet pile'...

But today I feel a little closer to normal (a long way to go..) and, well, I'm so tired of skirt and tops and everything in black. There's not enough colour in my life!

So yes, I may or may not still look 5 months pregnant, but I feel a lot cheerier. And that is the most important thing, afterall.

Dress - Salvation Army $4.50
Belt - Salvation army $2
Tights - Glassons $12.50
Shoes - The Warehouse $9



Oh, and, just in case you're wondering (cause we know you are.. she's much cuter than I!)... this is what the other Larsen lady is wearing today :

Dress - Salvation army $1.50
Cardi - Gifted (bought from community handcraft shop)
Leggings - Gifted (UK brand Early days)
Shoes - Gifted (Mokpuna merino)

Frugal Fashion Friday - Forty weeks!

In celebration of my 'Due date', I took a few outfit photos yesterday.
I'm feeling quite pleased with myself, having gained quite a bit less weight than last time and still being able to fit some of my clothes. Hah. Still very much looking forward to having a bit more to choose from though.
My ability to 'savour' these final days/weeks of pregnancy is waning. The lack of sleep and the achy-bodyness of if all is starting to get me down a little, hence the quietness around these parts. I'm spending a lot of time just pottering around, distracting myself, rather than doing anything blog-worthy.

I do have a few things I'm hoping to fit in here before the babe arrives though, will see how that goes. For now, I'm off to bounce on my swiss ball and think baby thoughts!

Outfit deets:
Black cardi and singlet - Glassons $30 and $15
Brown skirt - at least 8 years old, op shopped somewhere. Probably around $2
Croutons brooch.
Bump - full term! Whoop!


(I'm feeling very stoked to have found a photo editing website to replace my beloved Picnik that closed this month. Hooray for Picmonkey, and for Stella for sending me their way!)

Barefoot and pregnant.

Today is the first day of true sunshine, after what has felt like a lifetime of wet and muggy days.
I thought I might celebrate the light by taking a few belated Wardrobe Wednesday photos.
On second thought I realised that, actually, maybe it wasn't the best idea - I'm having a home day (with a very cough-y and tired Aesop) with no need to dress up and, frankly, I'm sort of running out of clothes that fit! It's quite a strange feeling when you get down to your last half a dozen items of clothing that you can manage to stretch over your belly.. and even harder when half of those are in the wash due to all the rain!

But, because I'm feeling the urge to document these last few weeks of pregnancy, did anyway.
It is my last one, afterall! And, despite the aches and pains, there are definitely going to be days that I miss having a big ole wriggly bump. There's something ever-so-magical about growing a life inside you. Something completely incomparable to any other experience in life. And something so strange in knowing that it will be the very last time, too. I'm trying very hard to hold back on any complaining, and just treasure this last little stretch for all it is worth.

Brown wool blend skirt- thrifted many moons ago, before having Aesop.
Grey singlet and striped tee - Glassons $10 and $15
Necklace - made by me from old beads and homemade wool pompoms.
Baby bump - just over 37 weeks!

Frugal Fashion (and fringe!) Friday!

I was hoping to get this post done yesterday (which would of made it an actual Frugal Fashion Friday..) but I went round to a friends house for afternoon tea, ate way too much cake (the pregnant woman's wine..), and somehow ended not coming home until dark. Whoops!

Yesterday morning, I decided it was time to go back to black - hair, that is. I've had black hair on and off since I was 15. And every year I debate whether I'm getting too 'old' for such a harsh colour, and then decide I can probably do one more year. (I'm not sure quite why I have put an age limit on it, maybe because it reminds me so much of younger days?)
One thing I really do need to grow out of, is trimming my fringe. I'm not sure if you can really tell from the photos, but I'm terrible at it. It is always left full of steps and strays. Why oh why is it such an effort to get to the hairdressers for a (free?!) trim every few weeks?

Anywho:
Top: Farmers $29.99
Singlet: Kmart $8
Belt: The Warehouse: $19.99
Skirt: homemade from a vintage one (probably about $2)
Flats: The Warehouse $12



Thought it would be fun to take a photo of all three boys, too. Getting a good one is easier said than done though, those three are crazy. Hah.

Aesop:
Shirt: op shop $2
Shorts: Farmers $24

Otto:
Shirt: op shop (about $1)
Shorts: homemade from a pair of $1 jeans.

Abraham:
Hat: A website (maybe Giantpeach?) - More money than I would let him spend on a hat. Hah.
T-Shirt: Lower outlet store $30
Shorts: Asian clothing store- $20
Shoes: Salvation Army - $3

Frugal Fashion Friday - and an octopus.

Sunglasses- Le Spec $15 from glasses place at BayFair
Necklace - $15 from For Arts Sake in Ohope
Singlet - $10 Glassons
Skirt - $25 Kmart

Bump - 22 weeks worth of baby.
Octopus - disguising the phone charger, and my unsightly broken drawers.

I'm loving the long-skirt trend that seems to be happening this Summer. I've never really been a huge maxi wearing (dresses, or skirts..) but with the combination of bump and heat, they seem to work so well. I'm very thankful that they're about this season.
(It sort of makes up for the fact that fashion seems to have done a u-turn on the length of tops, and made everything cropped... just in time for me to need tunic lengths. Typical!)

We've had a busy week with ultrasounds, Santa parades, Christmas parties and spending time with my sister. Hopefully I'll be back with photos of them in the next few days.
December just seems to be flyyyying by.

A virtual fashion show.

The title of this post could quite easily also be ' Three million awkward pictures of Rhiannon'. Because, frankly, they all seem a little that way. But it's all about the dresses anyway, right?

This one is actually not thrifted, it's from Glassons. I know you can't hear my tone of voice in typing, but if you could there would be a hint of surprise in that sentence. It's been quite awhile since I bought more then singlets from Glassons, the fashion the past few seasons has been unsuited to my body shape as well as to my taste.
I love the way this dress comes up at the sides though, leaving enough fabric at both the front and the back for a bit of modesty. Hoping it should fit right up until the last month or so.

 

I love the idea of this dress. The print is awesome, the button up front will come in very handy, the length is good.. but those sleeves might need tweaking. It came with shoulder pads (ick!), so the shoulders are cut a little too wide, and I feel like that length of sleeve makes me look a little boxy. Might resew the shoulders and halve the length, methinks.
This one was from an op shop in Te Puke, for a whopping $7.

 

I feel like this one could do with a little altering, too. The print is very overwhelming so I'm thinking it might be a case of a few inches off the bottom, and slightly shorter sleeves. You reckon?
It'll be more of a post-babe dress anywho, the fabric is a lil heavy for Summer and it's also going to be too snug in the, erm, chest soon.
This one was another from the Te Puke op shop, $6.

Love this one. Dresses like this are pretty much the ideal round-home-and-to-the-supermarket day attire for me. I love the someone has put heavy duty domes with faux-buttons on top, to avoid accidental gapings ( sewing them shut, ala Dee, works great too. But not so much when it comes time for breastfeeding!).
Also from the Te Puke op shop, $6.50

 

Another non-thrift job. I've been looking for maxi dresses for awhile now, without much success. They all seem to be either a) too flouncy b) a horrendous print or c) too short. This one seems to mostly stay out of those categories, and has a drawstring waist, which will come in handy as the belly grows.
I got it (on special) at Postie, $44.95.

Did you make it through all of that?
If so, I also have a quick question for you. I need a wee bit of advice.
Can/should pregnant woman wear high-wisted skirts? I'm still trying to decide if it works, seeing as, obviously, I'm kind of without a waist at the moment.
They seem to look great from the front, but I wonder if they just look a little 'tenty' from the side?

(Cardi from Abraham's Nana, singlet from Glassons, Belt from The Warehouse, skirt from Abraham's great Aunty and shoes, only in the first picture hah, The Warehouse.)

Frugal Fashion Friday - four days late, or three early?

I don't often find gems on TradeMe, not clothing ones anyway. All of the vintage dresses that I like seem to be sought after by the rest of the country too.
This one, however, no one else bid on! (Whaaaat? Are they crazy?) I almost started to wonder if everyone else saw something different than I did. But then it arrived and it is perfect. It's original 50's vintage, perfect condition and even fits wonderfully too (with plenty of room for the ever-expanding front!). Safe to say, I am over-the-moon.

I've had a wee bit of luck lately with finding dresses at the op shops, too. Maybe I'll have to have a wee virtual fashion show when they're washed and ready to go?

Vintage dress - TradeMe $15
Sunnies - Le Spec (from glasses shop at Bayfair) - $20
Belt - Borrowed/stolen from a friend.
Flats - The Warehouse $12

Frugal Fashion Friday.

I found this dress yesterday, while flicking through the racks at the Sallies. It has been awhile since I've found anything really decent in terms of clothing, so I was well pleased when the price tag said only $5.50. I had the boys with me, no time for trying it on, so I was even more happy to find it fit really well.
It quickly dawned on me though, that fitting really well isn't such a bonus when you have an ever-expanding belly and boobs. I figure it'll fit for about another week or two. Best make the most of it, aye!

Dress - Thrifted at the Sallies  $5.50
Belt - Borrowed/stolen from a friend.
Tights - About 6 years old, from Farmers. About $12
Flats - The Warehouse $17

(I say it has been awhile, but I did find an ELECTRIC blue, shiny, 80's prom dress the other day. With huge puff sleeves and a puffy skirt. That, alas, I also didn't try on and it is at least one size too small in the bodice. Which is a shame 'cause, you know, I have so much need for one of those in my wardrobe...)

Frugal Fashion Friday (on a Saturday)

Cardigan - Belonged to Abraham's Nana
Dress- The jumbly op shop in Te Puke: $4
Brooch - Croutons
Pink flats - The Warehouse: $6

This is my favourite dress of all time, the one that I always know I will feel confident and happy in. I pretty much want to clone it in every colour and wear it alllll the time. (Don't you love clothes like that?)

We spent today doing housework, going for a wander, visiting family and generally weekend-ing.
Then we had my parents round for a lovely roast meal, and Abraham made apple and feijoa crumble.
Now I'm blobbing.
Pretty much the perfect Saturday.

See you next week!

FFF! #2

Edition number two of Frugal Fashion Friday is here! Not sure where the rest of this week has gone though, I could have sworn it was only Wednesday. Anywho..

I thought I would start with Otto, because he is the hardest to photograph. He doesn't like to stand still and does his darnedest to be without shoes at all times. So, you'll have to just imagine the shoes in. The top is made by me and the shorts were bought for Aesop, from Farmers, many, many moons ago. I love outfits like these, where the most expensive thing Otto wears is his (second hand or hand-me-down) nappy!

Aesop, as you saw last week, is riiiight into the posing. (He also keeps his shoes on!). It's hard to get him to just stand still and not pull silly faces or insist on hamming it up!

This is the outfit he wore to mufti day at school:
Shirt - a hand me down from a friend, with a robot applique by me.
Shorts - $19.99 at Farmers, bought last Summer.
Shoes - $12.99 at The Warehouse.
Tattoo- a gift from his friend Isaac. Aesop tells me it is a 'DN Alien'.

And then there's me. I love love the colour of this dress, but I don't wear it as often as I should. It's one of those colours that takes a bit of confidence to wear, because everyone sees you coming from a mile off. Luckily, it's also a dress that gets me a lot of compliments, so the confidence (bravery?) pays off!

Dress: about $3 at St Vinnies
Silver flats : $6 at The Warehouse
Badge: $8 Cloud of birds. A lovely lass who used to do Craft2.0 and made the most incredible badges, toys, and other bits and pieces. I see her blog hasn't bee updated in years, I would love to know what she is doing now!

We're off to Auckland for the weekend, to celebrate Aesop's birthday. I'm really looking forward to it, but Auckland does always have the knack of making me feel very much like a frumpy, boring, small town girl. I'll be pulling out some of my favourite outfits, in an attempt to feel better about myself , so I'll be sure to take lots of photos for next weeks post!

FFF!

(I know, it is Saturday. Just play along!)

I'm really, really loving Kristins new wee section on her blog at the moment ' Boy Style Friday'. It's all about stylish clothes for boys, that don't break the bank. It's perfect for me, with two boys and a very small-to-non-existent clothing budget. And Kristin is the perfect woman for the job, being such a stylish lass herself!

So, without stealing  any of her limelight, I'm going to to use this as the perfect way to get back on the blogging horse. If there's one thing that always seems to get me inspired to sign into blogger, it's photos of outfits.
I've decided that I'll include myself in the post too though, just for a bit of difference. I've found myself missing our little 'Wardrobe Wednesday' posts, and neglecting to take so much notice of what I'm wearing. So, hoping noone minds, I'm going to attempt to tie-in with Kristin and do a Frugal Fashion Friday.

This is my outfit today. A fairly standard outfit for me at the moment, it's too hot to wear much else!

Sunglasses - $10 on sale at Just Jeans
Singlet- $8 full price at Kmart
Skirt- $2 at the Sallies
Belt - $1 at the Sallies when I was in high school
Shoes - $6 at the Warehouse

And these are outfits the boys wore this week.
Aesop chose his own clothes, he's getting to be quite the individual when it comes to clothes, his outfits are certainly not always to my taste, but they're very 'Aesop'. His modelling moves are all his own too, I told him I wanted to take a photo and this is what I got! NZNTM as.

Hat- a gift from a friend, originally op-shopped.
Scarf - an op shopped piece of gingham.
Singlet - about $6 at Farmers
Shorts - $17 at Farmers, bought by Nana.

Beads - mine, $2 at St Vinnies
Hoodie - bought for Aesop for a dollar or two at St Vinnies in Nelson
Shorts - bought by Nana, for Aesop.
Shoes - hand me downs from a friend (that stayed on only long enough for one photo!)
He also had a plain grey singlet underneath that was Aesop's.

Sweet! Oh, and thanks to those of you who are still reading! Thanks for hanging around!