Ellie-Style (Maternity Black-Tie Wedding)

Back when I was only about 3 months pregnant I started thinking about my dear friends' black-tie wedding that would be taking place when I should be about 30-weeks pregnant. It was a daunting thing to think about because 1.) I wasn't showing yet, 2.) It was so far off, and 3.) I was still feeling like crap and couldn't imagine dressing up for a formal wedding. No matter, I was determined to tackle the issue before it became a last minute scramble before the wedding.

Luckily, my advanced planning paid off! In the early months of my pregnancy I was all about buying maternity clothes on sale from the last season. In the winter, everything from last summer was on super sale, so I got some really good deals and now I have a closet full of maternity summer dresses that I can wear without having ever broken the bank. Once place that I found to have great dress sales was ASOS.com. That is where I found this awesome dress.

The dress was originally $100 something, but I bought it on sale for about $30. (Go me!) When it arrived I tried it on and it did not fit. At only 3-months pregnant I didn't have the belly or boobs to fill it out yet. I kept the dress anyway on the gamble that it would fit by 30-weeks. I tried the dress on one week before the wedding and it fit perfectly! Now I don't know if that is just good luck, or actually amazing planning and foresight.

The wedding was a blast and I received far more complements than I could have ever imagined! (Gay guy friend: "I think you know you look good. Can I just say, your boobs look incredible!") My body has never been this curvaceous, so while it is taking some getting used to, I definitely appreciate the complements. (People know how to make a pregnant lady feel good.) Really though, all the credit goes to this amazing dress that brought out my curves so perfectly.

{Dress is from asos.com, shoes are vera wang from Kohl's, clutch was thrifted, necklace was a gift}

Ellie-Style (Maternity)

Dressing for pregnancy has been hard to say the least. Not only do I feel fat and uncomfortable, but nothing seems to look right or fit properly. Getting dressed has been a challenge and usually consists of tights and a sweater (Every.Day.) Hopefully posting outfits here will help me to step it up a bit. Also, I want picture proof of this pregnancy. I want to be able to look back at this crazy journey and see my bump! Here I am at 28-weeks.

Sandals and dress are Target (non-maternity), sweater is TJ Max.

Purse is from a thrift store.

Ellie-Style: Rooftop Polka Dots

This is my last Ellie-Style post from California! In honor of it being the last Ellie-Style from CA we decided to head up to the roof where you can see Oakland in all of its glory. Thinking about moving back to Virginia is getting me excited about wearing dresses again! Unfortunately the cooler weather here has made jeans and sweaters the more comfortable option. With the heat and humidity (which I miss dearly!) in Virginia, I will welcome dresses back into my wardrobe.

{Like I've said before, I don't claim to know anything about fashion. I just enjoy wearing pretty clothes and taking pictures. :) }

(free sunglasses from our apartment, Target sweater (old), vintage dress with bottom part sewed by me, Target sandals (old))

Ellie Style - Ocean Beach

Andy and I have been meaning to check out Ocean Beach for a while now. It is directly on the other side of San Francisco (from Oakland) and is a large stretch of beach, almost the length of San Francisco. I always thought it would be a chilly beach since it is directly exposed to the Pacific with no bay or inlet protecting it from wind and fog. We were surprised when we picnicked there though. With the sun shining it was actually hot and Andy even took his shirt off, oh boy! :) A dress and sweater was perfect for the day. I quickly lost the sweater and exposed my white shoulders to a bit of sun. It was lovely! (I am especially a fan of navy stripes on the beach!)

Lands End dress (last year) and sweater, Target sunglasses and sandals

Ellie-Style, Coastal

Living in the Bay Area, Andy and I spend a lot of our weekends on the coast. I can't get enough of the salty air and beautiful views. Usually our destination is somewhere along Highway One. Back on the East Coast if I were heading to a beach town or even the beach, I would most likely be dressed in my bathing suit. Beaches on the East Coast mean a few things to me: hot, sunbathing, and wave frolicking. Here, the beaches are none of those things. Beautiful yes, but there are usually cold winds blowing and the water is FAR too cold for swimming. Sometimes when the wind stops blowing and the sun shines brightly though, it warms up. Thus my coastal outfit having the potential for warm and cool while still having a fun beach vibe.

Target hat, sunglasses and shoes, NY & Company button up, thrifted black dress

Ellie Style: At the Pier

A few weeks ago Andy and I checked out the Santa Cruz Pier. It was a warm day, but on the pier it was cool and windy. I am loving this mint color for spring, especially in jeans! Growing up, I was a huge fan of colored pants when just plain bluejeans were in style. I am glad to see colors coming back into pants! I think you have to be careful what color you chose depending on the size of your hips though. Some colors can make you look a lot larger than you are. This mint color is borderline, but I love it! Mint jeans and polka dots and long pier walks, oh my!

 Lands End sweater, target blouse, American Eagle jeans, h&m shoes

Ellie-Style: Sky Blue

Spring, wonderful spring! On this particular day I seem to have dressed to match the color of the sky. Pretty shades of blue. I love it when we are out and I find a fun background to take pictures with. A fun background is not normally something I look hard for, so when it pops out I am overjoyed. This corrugated wall was next to some of the most beautiful blossoming trees. Unfortunately the trees were in a parking lot, so I opted for the corrugated wall for my pictures. The wall definitely added some fun drama and texture, not to mention it was the outside wall to REI, a place full of adventure.

Target fedora hat, The Sak purse, Forever 21 blouse, Gap jeans, Target sandals, street vendor sunglasses

Ellie-Style: Plaid for San Francisco

We live in Oakland, so we tend to get a lot more warmth and sunshine than San Francisco. When heading into San Francisco though, one must be mindful of the weather. A city's weather has never been so interesting to me. One neighborhood could have warm sunshine, while another is cold and drenched in fog...so interesting! Never have I encountered that anywhere else in my whole life. Also, as a whole, San Francisco tends to be about 10 degrees colder than Oakland. (From my observations.) So each time we head into the city I am sure to read up on the weather beforehand. I have come to realize that San Francisco is a sweater and boot kind of city. These staples will fly just about any day of the year, awesome! It is also a city for layering. When we moved here, a friend told us his rule of thumb is 2-layers for day, 3-layers for night. We have been pretty safe sticking to that rule.

Target sweater (old), American Eagle plaid button up (from a friend), Gap skirt (similar), Korean boots, The Sak purse