Fail.  Across the board.  I've worn active wear 70% of the time these past 2 weeks and haven't put much effort into hair or makeup. 

BUT! I have excuses.  (Excuses are a pet peeve of mine, so I apologize for giving them.)  1) I took on a big project that helps my husband, but takes up my free time and, frankly, my excess motivation, and 2) I am currently 2 months pregnant (yay!) so morning queasiness and depleted energy levels are zapping any "oomph" left in me to put effort into my daily appearance. 

The pregnancy has helped me wear more dresses, though!  Since this is my second pregnancy, my belly just popped right out immediately and wearing anything around my waist just irritates me.  So dresses feel wonderful and I prefer to wear them over sweat pants most days.

However, the past few weeks haven't been a complete failure.  Here are some Pin Up Pluses I've managed to eek out:

+ Pin Up Plus: I found a jersey-material dress at the local thrift store for $5, and it is heaven to wear!  It is more comfortable than jeans and a t-shirt!  It made me want to buy 8 more jersey dresses to stock in my wardrobe for everyday Stay-At-Home-Mom wear, so I scoured Pin Up Girl's site for the cute jersey Luscious dresses, and I particularly love the Octavio Octopus one (dark color and kid-friendly picture are pluses!): But, alas, they don't have it in my size (yet?).  I would love to stock my everyday wardrobe with more dresses like this. 

+Pin Up Plus: My tax refund finally came and I purchased the Dee Dee Dress in Blue:

Hopefully it will fit around my growing belly!  It should arrive in the mail sometime this week.

+Pin Up Plus:  I've been able to scour more blogs of gals who are travelling (or have travelled) down the same path I am on right now, and I found a blog that I truly resonate with:  The Glamorous Housewife.  She combines vintage style with modern clothing, and I think that is where I'm going with my style.  She can blend easily with modern society and not look "costumey."  (Although, ironically, she was a costume designer for movies prior to being a stay-at-home-mom!) 

Through this blog, I found a book that I think all you ladies would absolutely love, "Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 stylish secrets I learned while living...."  There are tons of great stories and advice on living life more passionately, like the Parisians, but one thing I thought you'd all love is the idea of a "capsule wardrobe."  The author says that not many chic, stylish French people have more than 10 core-outfits in their closets, and it is not uncommon to see someone wear the same thing more than twice per week.  Since they value quality, timeless clothing in France, they are able to wear these 10 items in high fashioned ways so that you don't even notice that it's a repeat outfit from 2 days ago.  This is what I'm after!  I'm a minimalist at heart and I want high quality clothing that will outlast my financial investment in it AND be the most flattering thing I can put on my body. (I know it is weird for me to type this only a few paragraphs after I typed how I love jersey dresses, but I think a well-made jersey dress would fit this bill too.) 

So, I knew from the beginning that this journey from Frump-to-Pin Up would be long and difficult, and it certainly has been just that!  It is still in the beginning phases, but this is a necessary journey for me to go on.  Reading that book has validated this for me, because it uncovered the laziness of the American female culture with which I have grown up, and deep down I knew that "something just isn't right," and now I am starting to see the seams that have unraveled in our once-proud-and-beautiful culture.  (Just look at candid photographs from the 1940s and 1950s of typical American women -- they looked sharp all of the time! And they had less conveniences than we have, so what is our excuse?)    

I don't have any financial/etc. incentives attached to any of the products/websites I've listed, I just wanted to share some awesome discoveries from the past few weeks.  I really, really enjoyed that book most of all, and can't recommend it enough for every female American to read. (I bought the Kindle version; it was cheaper.)  I felt like it shouted at me the whole time I was reading it: "Try harder!"  So that is what I vow to do from here on out: Try harder! 

 

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Comment by Shy Anne on April 29, 2013 at 1:15pm

I do the same thing, I went through my closet and threw out everything that doesn´t flatter my body. I have one pair of sweat pants and one pair of pallazzo pants for workouts, yoga, and lazy days, and then everything else is either pug or purchased to be comfortable and flattering.  also, its a lot of work to look fabulous everyday, I figure so long as everything fits me and doesn´t make me look like I don´t care then I´m good if I don´t have the energy or time , cute dresses you bought and want 

Comment by cela hyatt on April 29, 2013 at 1:29pm

Congratulations on your pregnancy!  I love my luscous dress, I have the Mira Mermaid (MInt) its so comfortable and flattering.  However the little mermaid is a bit of a trollop ;)  Im considering getting a couple of the other ones, there are some new ones coming out in a couple weeks I think.  I love the DeeDee too, I have the same one.  I didn't think about it being white until after I bought it and realized how easily it could get stained oops.  Then the first time I wore it, I got lipstick on it. 

The initial work of getting a great wardrobe is worth the freedom that it will bring later.  It takes a lot of work and money now, but it will last a long time and you will be able to just grab something out of the closet and go, knowing you look and feel great, instead of spending a bunch of time every morning going through a bunch of stuff you don't like/doesn't look or feel good, etc.  Keep it up! You're doing great :)

Comment by Tahitia Belle Fille on April 30, 2013 at 7:51am

Congratulations Lee Anne! I'm so happy for you. My husband and I were just talking the other day about how beautiful pregnant pinup girls are. I'm sure you'll rock that Dee Dee baby bump and all :)

I'll definitely have to read more of that Glamourous Housewife blog, and I love that advice on living like a passionate Parisian woman, the core-outfit idea really is great :) I couldn't agree more about how things have changed from our once-proud-and-beautiful culture, I'm so glad to be a part of a community like this one that's trying so hard to bring it back one pinup girl at a time.

You've done a great job Lee Anne, especially in sharing your journey. Keep it all up, and I guess you'll be "pinup'ing" for two now :)

P.S. If you want to talk about some more pasionate Parisian fashion ideas, I should really tell you about Panty By Post some time. I think they're just what you'd love.

Comment by Jennifer McKeever on May 2, 2013 at 8:58am

Congratulations!!! I hear you on the wardrobe "lazy days", here in Colorado it is so frikin cold and gray right now I really cant wear dresses without freezing my butt off! The thrift shop has become my best friend for finding comfy dresses and skirts to wear around the house and when its gets nicer outside. I will look at that blog and that book too, thanks for the advice!

Comment by Kristin on May 22, 2013 at 8:55pm

I hear you on the minimalist fashionista! I read something awhile back about curating one's wardrobe. Art galleries don't jam all kinds of cheap crap into every nook and cranny, they have a select number of outstanding pieces. The idea of that really appeals to me. I don't want to be a total clothes horse, I just want a select number of quality items that make me feel fabulous. I'm a mother too (of five!) and I feel like I deserve to feel fantastic about my appearance as much as any other woman. I have learned that it doesn't have to take a ton of energy and effort to look put together, you just need to find your sort of "uniform" and from the sound of it, jersey dresses are the thing for you!

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