Kingston's Closet: Ugly Christmas Sweater

Southeast high school (where Kingston goes to daycare) is having a winter spirit week this week and today is 'Ugly Christmas Sweater' day. Kingston doesn't have an ugly sweater so we had to come up with an alternative festive outfit. 

Thermal Bodysuit // Carters 

Pants // BabyGap (similar)

White Suspenders // Facebook group - Yoo Hooo Co-Op

Moccasins // King Hoo on Instagram

Bandana Bib // made by me

I don't think it gets any more festive than this! 

3rd Month Must Haves

(Sorry for the delay in this post. Im a tad bit behind schedule with Kingston being 3.5 months and all. Whoops! I'll do better next time. =)) 

As Kingston is getting older and I'm getting in more of a routine - there aren't as many 'new' things that are super must haves. We are still getting a lot of use out of many items from the previous months must haves but below are some of the newest things I'm loving! 

1. Mobile 

When Kingston wakes up in the morning and the random times he's in his crib throughout the day - he loves watching his mobile. This was one of the first projects I made for his room and I'm so glad I did. It is black and white with pops of metallic and it hangs from an air vent so it is constantly twirling. He will lay in his crib watching and talking to it which allows me a few more minutes to get things done. 
(I have one ready to ship on Etsy or I could help create the perfect one for you if you'd like. Email me!)


2. Sensory Crinkle Toys 
We have a black and white star that travels from his car seat to his exersaucer and back to his play mat and then an animals book (Walmart for cheap) - all that crinkle. He loves them and secretly so do I. Whether they are in his mouth or smashed between his hands - any movement makes sounds which keeps him entertained. 


3. Toy Links 
I was gifted some toy links and these are probably the most used toy Kingston has. Each link has a different textured pattern so they are fun to play with on their own or with other toys attached. We primarily use them to hook toys onto his carseat so it makes them reachable or on his exersaucer to add additional toys. If you were to get any toy - get these! Plus they are like 5 bucks. Multifunctional and cheap = awesome! 


4. Slouchy Hats
Kingston lives in these and we purchase our from SugarLime Lane. They fit from 3 months to 18 months, are super comfy and are only $12.50. Kingston has worn hats since birth so he doesn't mess with them at all. I'm so glad we started him when we did because now that it's gotten cold, he has one on all the time and doesn't mess with them at all.
Pardon my obsession! 

5. Tag Blanket
These are the perfect sized blanket to go anywhere with the baby. CT never wanted Kingston to have a 'lovey' but his tag blanket has kind of become the boy version of one. Kingston loves to sleep with something right by his face so this is what always ends up next to it. The soft minky and the interactive ribbon tabs are what make this blanket different than all the others. 

6. Carters Pants
These pants are a mix between leggings and long underwear. Some are thermal waffle looking and others are your basic knit cotton. They are super basic but just my type. I don't always want to mess around with the hassle of jeans so these are the perfect alternative. They are kind of expensive at $24 for 2 pairs - but you can always find them at places like Gordmans and TJMaxx for cheap! 


7. Carters Henley Thermal Onesies
If Kingston only had one piece of clothing in his entire wardrobe it would definitely be his Carters thermal onesies. They aren't 'babyish' and when Kingston wears them I think he looks like a little man. They are great piece to layer with and they wash/wear really well.  

If you haven't checked out my month 1 and month 2 baby must haves and my month 1 and month 2 mama must haves - do so and add them to your registry, your online shopping cart or pin them away for later! 

Weekend Recap

Okay, I'll be the first to admit . . . Halloween is a much better holiday when you have kiddos. I'm still not really a fan - but it was fun to get Kingston dressed up and eat all the candy he couldn't have. 

CT last minute decided on Kingston being "Chucky" over a spider.  So I ran to Goodwill, got some overalls and a stripped shirt and found a Guy Fieri wig that I spray painted orange. I then added a little paint to the overalls, makeup to his face and gave him a fake knife and we had our doll. 

We ran our errands during the day and then once CT got home from school we got Kingston dressed and went and visited some friends and family! 

Halloween day recap: 

Little man sure looked cute but he's to sweet to pull off evil Chucky. 

Nice try bub.

What I Wore: Maternity: Baby Shower #3

This weekend my friends threw Kingston and I our 3rd baby shower. We came away with lots of goodies, books, and advice and I am forever grateful.

 We definitely felt the love! 

This outfit was one I originally bought for our maternity photos. The only difference was - in our photos I wore a bandeau but I thought it would be a little more appropriate to wear a tank when seeing people. I know a lot of people like pregnant bellies but I doubt they'd like seeing my stuff all out on display like that!   

Tank // Liz Lange Maternity for Target (maternity)

Fringe Crochet Tank // Maurices - similar, similar and similar (not maternity)

Maxi Skirt // Rue21 (not maternity) 

Birkenstock Mulit-Striped Papillio Sandals // gift - similar, similar and similar

Watch // Michael Kors

Necklace // gift - similar, similar and similar

This was such a comfortable outfit and I received so many compliments on it. The skirt was a little form fitting around the rear but I'm glad the tank was long enough to cover it. This way it covered all my lumps and bumps! 

Stay tuned to see how our maternity photos turned out in this outfit! 

Linking up with Lindsey, Shea, and Tara.

What I Wore: Maternity: Baby Shower #2

Last weekend Kingston, CT and I were blessed to be able to have our second baby shower - this one with CT's family. May is such a busy time for everyone - so it ended up being a small group. Even though we didn't get to see everyone we would have liked to, we got to spend good quality time with CT's cousins and mom. 

Remember the heck of a time I had finding my outfit for my first shower last weekend?

 Well thankfully, I was able to find this dress during that same shopping trip at the same store and on the sale. It was so nice not having to rush around last minute trying to pull something together. 

Dress // Spence Shirt Dress (not maternity) - similar here and here

Shoes // Mudd wedge - similar here and here 

Bracelets // Random - Premier Jewelry and Alex&Ani 

This dress was so comfy and light weight = perfect for these hot summer months! I also love that I'll be able to wear this piece when the bump is gone! Even though I'm growing all over - I've found that I'm still able to fit my pre-pregnancy size - which has been a blessing to my closet. I couldn't imagine purchasing all these pretty pieces not knowing if I'd be able to wear them after.

Next up - planning/finding outfits for our maternity photos! 

Linking up with Lindsey and Shea. 

What I Wore: Maternity : Baby Shower #1

Last weekend Kingston and I had our first baby shower with my mom's side of the family. Throughout this pregnancy I've been pretty good about being able to wear stuff that was already in my closet - and thank goodness for that! I've had the worst case of indecisiveness when it comes to making any type of decision - especially when it comes to what to wear. 

We (because teamwork was involved) finally found a winner after:
 shopping three different days,
 taking back two different dresses,
and getting every opinion from 3 different friends and CT.

Tank// Liz Lange for Target (maternity)

Skirt // XOXO Lace Flared Maxi Skirt (not maternity)

Necklace // Versona Accessories - similar here

I loved this look and it was the first skirt that I found that was able to go above my bump and still be long enough! Plus it's not maternity, so hopefully I can wear this pretty piece after our little man comes. That's if I don't bust the zipper before then! 

Honestly, if it was socially acceptable - I would wear this skirt everyday for the rest of this pregnancy. That's how much I like it! 

Linking up with Lindsey , Tara and Shea today! 

The Cartwheel App - By Target

SO thankful for my friend Jenna who introduced me to the awesome app - Cartwheel by Target. 

Today I was able to score my very first maternity purchase, on sale with the app! 

Navy & White Liz Lange Maternity Short Sleeve Dress. 

$24. 99 on sale for 40% off with my cartwheel app = $14.99

If you are new to cartwheel . . . 

 Download the free app on your phone. 

Scroll through all of the deals. 

Select the ones that tickle your fancy - these will be added to your que.

10 coupons max stored on your que.

Check out and they will scan the barcode from your phone. 

Discount applied! 

I'm all about saving a buck! 

Plus it's super simple to use.

Get the app and head to target today.

The 40% maternity discount is good through 2/15/14. 

Happy shopping! 

Cheers!

Happy first day of the new year! 

If you've been following along, you know I took a well needed holiday break. Things got busy and I got overwhelmed. Anyways, I'm back and ready to bring you some super exciting content for 2014. 

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Did y'all check out the amazing new years day sale going on at Dillard's today? 

You better believe I did and I scored major! 

- 3 shirts for CT

- 1 work shirt for me 

- 2 pairs of flats (LOVING anything MK) 

- super cute Kate Landry over the shoulder bag 

Everything was an additional 50% off the clearance price... and my total ending up being only $83 bucks for all of this. I'd say I started 2014 off with a bang! Thankfully I wasn't one of those ladies that had to run and trample any and everyone to get some goods. 

Cheers to 2014! 

White Elephant Scarf Party

A few years ago I attended a girls night out full of food, fun, and a gifts. At this gathering we had a white elephant gift exchange of scarves. With 35+ girls, there was a huge variety of scarves and it was so much fun!  

Tomorrow I'm throwing a 'scarf party' for the ladies I work with. We are heading out after work to grabs some drinks and exchange gifts! 

Rules:

- Purchase, make, or take a scarf from your own closet. 

- Wrap it. 

- Choose your order: oldest to youngest, draw numbers, etc.

- The first person starts and opens a package. 

(Once you open a package you keep that scarf.)

- Next person can either steal a scarf or open another package. 

(A scarf can only be stolen twice and then it's out. If you get stolen from, you can steal someone else's scarf or draw another gift.) 

- Continue until everyone has gone and all the gifts are opened.

I highly recommend getting together with some girls to exchange scarves! It's a great way to kick off the holiday season, plus who doesn't love a new scarf? They are all the rave these days!

PS - of course, I purchased an infinity leopard print scarf for the occasion! 

What I Wore: Sparkles & a Scarf

Tis the season for scarves! 

I have been having a slight obsession with them, particularly cowls and infinity scarves. 

Look what has me drooling: 

all via pinterest


As much as I love cowls and infinity scarves, I only own one. Scratch that - two and that's only because I did a quick stitch with the sewing machine and turned a regular scarf into an infinity one. 

Because I have so many regular scarves hanging in the closet I needed to find a few new, cute ways to wear them. Of course, I immediately went to Pinterest to get ideas and I came away with a winner. 


Inspiration:

via


My Version:

Scarf // gifted
Sweater // Vanity (old)


I now know how to successfully tie a scarf two different ways! 


Linking up with the pleated poppy.

Outfits - WIWW

While I was back home this past weekend, my generous mama took my shopping for some new 'work' clothes. Upon my return home, I had to go to the store for additional hangers because I was completely out and then attempt to do some fall closet cleaning because I had no more room left in my closet! YIKES! 

With that being said, here are a few outfits I pulled together from my new clothes.

Dress // Kohls {on sale for $8 from $78 = score!}

Flats // Target

Bubble Neckalace // Groupdealz

Smaller necklace // gifted 

Bracelets // home shows 

 Don't mind how my skin, background, and dress all are the same color. I hadn't even noticed until it was to late to take the picture! 

Shirt // hand me down 

(I love when your co-workers lose weight and then give you their clothes)

Gold Sparkle Toms // PinkSaloon

Colored Denim // Target

Scarf // American Eagle 

I'm loving this casual look and this infinity scarf is now my favorite I own. It will be able to go with some many different outfits. 

Happy hump day!

Linking up with the pleated poppy and style elixir.

Football Fashion

TGIF! 

Well, for me I've had about a week of Fridays and I'm really enjoying this week off between jobs. It's super refreshing and nice to get caught up on everything. 

Anyways, today I am collaborating with Katie over at Studious Style over all things Fall Fashion related. She is doing a series on Fridays about all things fall fashion related. Check her out! She started blogging at the beginning of August and talks about all things fashion related, beauty related, and has the best sense of style! I wish I could raid that girls dresses. 

Since we here in the Trotter household are sports fanatics, I'm going to be talking about Football Fashion. Since tonight is the first SE Buffs football game {CT teaches at this school}, tomorrow is the first Friends University football game {CT coaches at this school}, and next week we are going to our first NFL game of the year {Cowboys vs Chiefs} I thought it was only appropriate to talk about football fashion. 

But first, let me start out by saying I am a simple girl.

 I like plain shirts that I can dress up with a scarf or a fun necklace, and in my closet you will find most things in black, white, or grey. With that being said, I have realized I need to spend a little less money at Hobby Lobby and a focus some of those dollars to help out my wardrobe!! 

In preparation for next weeks Cowboys game, I have already started thinking about what I am going to wear. It's a noon game in the middle of September, so unfortunately it's a no go on boots and jackets. 

Outfit choice #1:

Navy Sperry's // Nordstrom Rack 

Navy Shirt // Gordmans

Corduroy Shorts // American Eagle

Multi Colored Scarf // America Eagle

This look would be a little more comfy casual. 

Outfit Choice #2:

Gold Shirt // Gifted

Navy Shorts // American Eagle

 Gianni Bini Sandals // Dillard's 

This outfit is a little more fun and festive and will probably be the route I go. 

I can't forget the new NFL purse rule. 

Hopefully this one passes inspection! 

Just enough room for my phone, chapstick, id, and debit card. 

I also got my bi-weekly manicure to coordinate with the upcoming events. 

Navy + Glitter screams Cowboys & Fall

Linking up with Well Shut the Front Door, Venus Trapped, and Style Elixir.

If I Could Redo - [Attire]

 I always ask myself, self why wasn't pinterest around and popular prior to having my wedding? When planning my wedding I used a wedding site called The Wedding Bee, which was more like a chat forum site where you could share ideas that way. 

It was nothing like what Pinterest has become today. 

I figured since this weekend I'm helping coordinate one of my college roommates weddings and since I'm writing a guest post next week for the lovely Miss Jax, that this would be a good time to start a mini series of what I would do if I could redo my wedding with the help of Pinterest! 

Part 1: Attire

Real Life

Dress #1: Ceremony

Dress #2: Reception

Accessories:

Headband // borrowed

Necklace // LuLu Splendor (Etsy)

Shoes // Zappos




If I could Redo:

all via Pinterest



I have come across so many beautiful wedding day attire ideas on Pinterest, so this was really hard to pick what I would wear if I could redo. I love the dress because it's different and oh so lovely, and those Jimmy Choo's are to die for! Plus I've been obsessed lately with the mint and gold color combo together {can't you tell with the new blog design} so those earrings would be perfect. Another bonus is I could get a lot of wear from the earrings after the fact because they don't scream wedding. 



Are you married and still have a board to pin wedding images to, or am I the only crazy one that does that?