Monthly Purchases: May

Despite buying a few things in April, I managed to buy quite a bit in May. I focused mainly on accessories as clothes shopping so soon after birth is tricky - it's difficult enough guessing what in your own wardrobe will fit, never mind trying to pick the right size from a store!

Lots of impulse buys but everything that is sure to work in my wardrobe over winter. It still feels strange to think that winter is just a few days away, with autumn being so warm. The weather is cooling though, already we have caught our first cold of the season. So no full video this month, I've lost my voice! I did take a reveal of my Yoox sale purchases before I got sick, so you get to see some of the things I bought in action but not all.

What I bought in May

• Jeanswest Alice longline Australian wool cardigan
• Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole
• Marc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf
• Alexander McQueen Azure wool skull scarf
• Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC
• Target embroidered khaki tank
• Silhoupette gold plated Shih Tzu necklace
• Yondale Designs custom coordinates cuff bracelet

How I wore my purchases:

• Jeanswest Alice longline Australian wool cardigan (worn five times)
• Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole (worn once)
• Marc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf (worn once)
• Alexander McQueen Azure wool skull scarf (worn once)
• Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (worn six times)
• Target embroidered khaki tank (worn twice)
• Yondale Designs custom coordinates cuff bracelet (never removed from my wrist since I got it)

I have a goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them. It means that when I buy something I've thought of two different ways to wear it, and that I can wear it right away. By doing this I'm hoping to add things to my wardrobe that will actually be useful and worn frequently.


Just like last month, I bought a necklace I haven't worn yet as I'm avoiding necklaces in the early days of breastfeeding. I know I'll wear it a lot in future though, I wear the silver version often, and it's nice to have a gold one of Cooper to match with the gold initial necklaces I have for the boys.

While I found it easy to wear the cardi and the top, I found the scarves trickier. As it's been a mild autumn I've been wanting to maximise the wearing of my kimonos before it gets too cold. I can't wrap my head around a kimono and scarf outfit, so the scarves haven't been worn much yet. I know I'll be wearing the scarves a lot more over winter though.

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Easy Postpartum Style: Trying to Hide a Lack of Sleep And Memorial Day Sales

Looking after a newborn involves some level of sleep deprivation. When you have two under 2 and a toddler to take care of in the day time, there isn't a lot of opportunity to catch up on missed sleep.

Some days you need to get out of the house no matter how little sleep you've had, so I thought I'd share two outfits I wore on some very sleep deprived days. I tried to use accessories to disguise the lack of sleep without my trusty BB cream - which I ran out of shortly after baby arrived. If you want some tips on makeup for tired mums, check out Anne's post!

What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers

Kimono: New Look Petite print kimono (on sale, 70% off!)
Singlet: Jeanswest maternity nursing cami
Jeans: Sass and Bide  'neon nights' jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red

Why I wore it:

Despite wanting to stay in bed after a very disturbed night, I had to take toddler T out so I grabbed a combination I knew would work from my heavy repetition of it over my pregnancy; denim, singlet and kimono.

I like kimonos as they are a great accessory to make it look like you put a little more effort into your outfit, and the colour and print helps to distract away from a tired face after a broken 3 hours of sleep. Hiding behind sunnies works too!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, printed kimono, breastfeeding singlet, Sass & Bide skinny jeans, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: navy kimono with a green top, breastfeeding singlet and a maxi skirt, Sass & Bide skinny jeans and tall boots, black ballet flats and a maxi dress, red saddle bag and a black outfit.

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers
Scarf: Love Quotes knotted tassel linen scarf in sunshine yellow
Tee: Atmos&Here navy stripe v-neck tee
Jeans: Sass and Bide  'neon nights' jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red

Why I wore it:

I wore this on another failed trip to replace my BB cream. Ended up buying a different brand to give it a try as my usual was still out of stock.

More hiding behind my sunglasses and the same denim jeans as in the outfit above - because hunting out a new pair of clean and ironed ones is a lot of work when you're just too tired. If they are still clean, they get worn again!

This time I added a bright scarf to my outfit as it was a little cooler in the morning and I hoped the cheerful yellow would reflect on my bare face and make it look a little brighter and more awake. At the very least the bright accessories would draw the focus away from the giant bags under my eyes ;)



In the end, while you do stare into those gorgeous little wide-awake-and-refusing-to-sleep newborn eyes at 2am and a part of you wonders why they just won't sleep....you can't help but smile and coo back at this beautiful little miracle staring up at you, excited and ready to play because he hasn't figured out the difference between night and day yet. Not every moment of life with baby is perfect, but every moment is fleeting. It's both a reason to treasure the good moments and something to remember to get you through the tough, sleepless moments!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer (above), Love Quotes scarf, striped tee, Sass & Bide skinny jeans (above), gold mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag (above).

Other ways to wear: yellow scarf and a navy dress, striped tee and a baby bump, Sass & Bide skinny jeans and Converse, gold mouse flats and a wrap dress, Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag and flares.

It's Memorial Day weekend in the US so there are a bunch of sales going on!

• Asos - get an extra 20% off with code 'HISUMMER'
• Bloomingdales - get an extra 20% off sale with code 'BROWNBAG'
• Bluefly - get an extra 20% off with code 'MDW20'
• Farfetch up to 50% off sale - no code needed
• Jeanswest have 40% off everything - no code needed
• Nordstrom up to 40% off sale - no code needed
• Shopbop has new items added to sale - no code needed

Happy shopping!




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Postpartum Outfits: Striped Maxi Skirts, Rebecca Minkoff Cross Body Saddle Bag

Keeping things easy in the first few weeks post-baby by getting a little repetitive with my outfits. While I wore these striped maxi skirt outfits a few days apart, I thought I'd post them together on the blog. 2 different ways to wear very similar skirts.

What I wore:

Top: Atmos & Here Arlene wrap top in navy

Skirt: AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red

Why I wore it:

I really liked this outfit! Had plans to catch up with a friend and give her the maternity clothes I wouldn't be needing any more. Managed to get myself, toddler T and the baby all ready to go - then found out she was unwell and couldn't make it. Still, counting it as a win as we were all set to go on time for once!

I purchased this top in the third trimester, a size larger than I usually would so that it had space for the growing bump as well as working with a leftover baby belly in the early forth trimester. Seeing the photos though I wish I'd ordered my usual size, looks a little large here without the baby bump.


Last worn: wrap top, striped maxi skirt, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff cherry red saddle bag.

Other ways to wear: wrap top and denim shorts, striped maxi skirt and a graphic tee, black ballet flats with a black and grey outfit, Rebecca Minkoff cherry red saddle bag and jeans.

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Great striped maxi skirts under $50:

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What I wore: 

Sunnies: Ray-Ban new Wayfarers

Tee: Zalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt
Skirt: Target black and white striped maxi skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff unlined saddle bag in cherry red

Why I wore it:

Wasn't as sure of this outfit as I was about the one above. We had to pop out and run errands and get groceries, and I hadn't thought about what to wear. I saw this red top that hadn't been worn in a while in my wardrobe and knew it would work with the striped maxi skirt, nice easy outfit. It wasn't until I grabbed my bag on the way out the door that I realised I was wearing red and maroon together, and wasn't sure if it worked. Didn't have time to change.

Not a combination I would have tried on my own, but I think it looks okay in the photos. Feel better about it after seeing the photos than I did wearing it!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, maroon tee, striped maxi skirt, black ballet flats (above), Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag (above).

Other ways to wear: maroon tee and skinny jeans, striped maxi skirt and a baby bump, black ballet flats and a printed skirt, red bag with a monochrome black outfit.

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