tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-406572112816499352024-03-13T10:16:49.982-07:00Thoroughly Modern EmilyWelcome to Thoroughly Modern Emily: retro and pinup-inspired style, with a hefty dose of adventuring, exclamation points, and food.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-84314222702775122122018-11-10T09:10:00.000-08:002018-11-10T09:10:20.023-08:00Working Mama: One Year In<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<strike>Four months ago</strike> (!!! Edit: more like six at this point), I <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-not-to-make-frittata.html">promised an entry</a> on working full-time as a new mom. Well, the baby turns one next month and I’ve just gotten around to updating the blog again, so that should tell you what my life’s been like. In a word: chaos. In two words: loving chaos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pX3BssSPsoHVb17OE76CiPWWym13UEL8awYdfIQlSy0Sf8rmFIJpqCaeB9Akd8XohZyUilV6Kh9d-NhR3K-BgcmNPY0EnWiRjPojmoqEPR8frS6uQZ-n-P7tAY-aOJmIsXhtW6FP-vc/s1600/IMG_7037.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pX3BssSPsoHVb17OE76CiPWWym13UEL8awYdfIQlSy0Sf8rmFIJpqCaeB9Akd8XohZyUilV6Kh9d-NhR3K-BgcmNPY0EnWiRjPojmoqEPR8frS6uQZ-n-P7tAY-aOJmIsXhtW6FP-vc/s640/IMG_7037.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html"></a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">Baby P</a> is the supermassive black hole at the center of my own personal universe, in the best possible sense. She is <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2018/09/on-raising-future-woman.html">always, <i>always</i> present</a> in some corner of my mind, no matter what I’m working on or who I’m talking to, and by the time I get home from work, the only thing I want to do is be with her. Now that she’s teetering on the cusp of walking, though, this mostly involves following her around while she explores new and different things to bang against other things.<br />
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It’s <i>hard</i> to leave her each morning, even though she enjoys being at daycare and (when she’s home with her dad) barely clocks my departure. Once at work, I look at photos and videos of her constantly: while I’m eating lunch, or walking through the halls, or waiting for the slow-as-molasses freight elevator. And when I do have time at home with her, it’s hard to spend that time doing any of those mundane household tasks that nobody really likes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHUEzPJh50NLqzNOKflaQgp3fZHhKslD_WI_irTCMbqsgVafeyBd3p5skOFOPLum-5gaOiy6eWyH7sVJfTaywOawb0yIqVYEnquIFAXx2m2tw68lACX8-o3Kr1MPG-rqzf6qvkREykCE/s1600/IMG_7066.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Lillian Madison Lady and the Tramp brooch" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHUEzPJh50NLqzNOKflaQgp3fZHhKslD_WI_irTCMbqsgVafeyBd3p5skOFOPLum-5gaOiy6eWyH7sVJfTaywOawb0yIqVYEnquIFAXx2m2tw68lACX8-o3Kr1MPG-rqzf6qvkREykCE/s640/IMG_7066.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Brooch: <a href="https://lillianmadison.com/">Lillian Madison Designs</a> (discontinued, sorry!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWmz_KlvUaerDnrQgnKIPTcV-VlQ-52Rd21Vpno5s6lldmuqTvzJr8rCigz_4Lhnm6XRwn69QTxVqiYTwW3N3U1_pp5fCGJPeO5aT_Jk-_9DKmONt3CXn80dkIx8ylT9mEB7pxOxnn-I/s1600/IMG_7061.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Trashy Diva Warm Watercolors Americana" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWmz_KlvUaerDnrQgnKIPTcV-VlQ-52Rd21Vpno5s6lldmuqTvzJr8rCigz_4Lhnm6XRwn69QTxVqiYTwW3N3U1_pp5fCGJPeO5aT_Jk-_9DKmONt3CXn80dkIx8ylT9mEB7pxOxnn-I/s640/IMG_7061.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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One side effect of this that I hadn’t quite expected has been its effect on my free time (such as it is). I knew I’d have far less time for myself <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/12/so-long-2017.html">once P was born</a>, but what’s really surprised me is how much my use of that time has changed. (Exhibit A: no blog updates for over for months. Exhibit B: <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-not-to-make-frittata.html">cooking has become a purely utilitarian activity</a>, when ‘utilitarian’ is redefined as ‘the greatest food for the least effort.’) Rather than coming home from work and running out to snap blog photos, or settling down to write a post and scroll through my social-media feeds once dinner is done and dusted, I’ve gravitated toward activities that are (dare I say it?) a bit more selfish.<br />
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And when I take a step back to think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Before P was born, I felt like I was the master of my own destiny, more or less. That’s changed rather dramatically, to put it lightly, and I’ve found myself looking for ways to regain a little of that old self-directed feeling. I bought a sewing machine a few months ago and have spent most of my spare moments learning to make my own dresses, which might be the perfect hobby for <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/06/wedding-planning-for-introverts.html">an introvert</a> with a clothing habit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvtFEa7zl-LU2Q1XYihEkUDJx1SM7IPopUIB71yN3hEJWJKi5t3fblHl8cNGtk7PuXzEWOL-FpF8WJsjlB5_yPf6zSY4m5noYKuaaM33Z9yeDf1fNe_HYDENE15UXGWqlKaAGcwdw-U0/s1600/IMG_7053.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvtFEa7zl-LU2Q1XYihEkUDJx1SM7IPopUIB71yN3hEJWJKi5t3fblHl8cNGtk7PuXzEWOL-FpF8WJsjlB5_yPf6zSY4m5noYKuaaM33Z9yeDf1fNe_HYDENE15UXGWqlKaAGcwdw-U0/s640/IMG_7053.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Since I started drafting this post a month ago, I’ve accumulated a small backlog of me-made dresses to blog about, P has turned one and learned to walk (!!!!!), and I’ve come to love my little girl even more. Dropping her off at daycare has gotten the tiniest bit easier as she’s adjusted to her new room and new teachers. But I still spend the entire day thinking of her and looking forward to the moment I can kiss those super-squish cheeks again. I’ve already photographed a couple of my me-made dresses, so keep your eyes peeled for sewing-related posts! In the meantime, you can find me sitting on my living room floor, stealing lightning-fast cuddles from little Miss Independent and stacking blocks.<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-34759979875438731142018-09-28T08:23:00.002-07:002018-11-10T09:10:47.532-08:00On Raising a Future Woman<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parenthood, and to a somewhat lesser extent, getting older, has been one long exercise in recognizing the universality (and un-special-ness) of my most important experiences. Put another way: the older I get and the more time I spend as a mom, the more I realize that the things I go through are things just about everybody else in my position also experiences.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rD1HgeLqfHsIbohyphenhyphenpZr3Rf-Opjf-3dl4DzToGN1Y-rlbsHTzg4h7bGn8lBKP7lWazH8t-HsCEECxXB2XR5KbdyJw72Ov7OC5ETgY3thViV2AzowSPQTo5gjTZ8d2gtjcG9FIh7ACUrQ/s1600/IMG_5249.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="retrospec'd gigi floral" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rD1HgeLqfHsIbohyphenhyphenpZr3Rf-Opjf-3dl4DzToGN1Y-rlbsHTzg4h7bGn8lBKP7lWazH8t-HsCEECxXB2XR5KbdyJw72Ov7OC5ETgY3thViV2AzowSPQTo5gjTZ8d2gtjcG9FIh7ACUrQ/s640/IMG_5249.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here I should note that this is definitely not the post I meant to write after almost 5 months away from the blog. In fact, I have 15/16s of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2018/11/working-mama-one-year-in.html">a post about being a working mom</a> drafted and ready to go. But as has happened before, I’ve become completely consumed by some seriously messed up current events.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I’m talking, of course, about the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and sexual-assault allegations. Over and over, I've found myself thinking a phrase I wasn't sure I'd ever think. The phrase? "As the mother of a daughter..."<br />
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Rationally, of course I knew raising a baby girl in a deeply and structurally sexist world would present different challenges and fears than raising a boy. But it's one thing to recognize ugly realities with your head, and quite another to feel them in your heart. I feel like figuring out how to protect her is impossible; instead, all I can do is try to mitigate the inevitable. And this is <i>painful</i>.<br />
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Watching Dr. Blasey Ford testify with my infant daughter playing happily next to where I was working was profoundly upsetting. The juxtaposition between my daughter's joy and laughter every time she popped out to play peekaboo, and the palpable, heartbreaking pain and trauma playing out in front of the entire country was (to put it mildly) jarring. I found myself thinking things that I've found rather banal and inadequate in the past: thinking about how Dr. Blasey Ford was once a carefree baby herself, with parents who loved and wanted to protect her. Questioning how the chair of the Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, could forge ahead with such callous disregard to the living, breathing human being recounting her trauma. Questioning how so many people in this country could disregard women's voices. It looks like he’ll be confirmed and I really shouldn’t be surprised.<br />
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I realize now that these thoughts aren't banal: they are, sadly, almost universal.<br />
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I was looking through #WhyIDidntReport on Twitter this week, and one tweet seared itself into my mind. A woman tweeted something to the effect of "[I didn't report] because my mother said she would kill anyone that hurt me, and at nine years old I believed her and didn't want her to go to jail." I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Our children are so fragile and our responsibility to them so daunting. As parents, we have to figure out how to show our support to our children without burdening them with concerns about how we'll react to their traumas. It is painfully clear from watching the Kavanaugh allegations unfold that our public institutions won't support our children.</div>
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Tied into that tweet is a story I read on <a href="http://valeria2067.tumblr.com/post/163756858557/take-your-gatekeeping-and-shove-it">Tumblr</a>. A woman took her preteen daughter to a comic con, where a middle-aged man <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/fandom-gatekeeping-male-geeks/">aggressively approached her</a> to perform the same tired gatekeeping every geek girl has seen. I ended up screenshotting the post and saving it to my favorite photos because I've realized that I need a script for teaching my daughter that her body is her own and her agency is real. This line stood out to me as something I need to be prepared to tell P over and over:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCh5UnmBzZ4XYjZ927JnWa_hnd7xpRj-KlCPa0URjjIDUIHZ_9mPJEaWzuNtRKiDFJjkL7irjhhyphenhyphengYK59Y9imO0fVJ3EhL9XeYLPqYjf4wJLrMJfERo_BGDWFvq9RykqFu_yEAn3wqhcM/s1600/the+part+I+need+to+remember.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCh5UnmBzZ4XYjZ927JnWa_hnd7xpRj-KlCPa0URjjIDUIHZ_9mPJEaWzuNtRKiDFJjkL7irjhhyphenhyphengYK59Y9imO0fVJ3EhL9XeYLPqYjf4wJLrMJfERo_BGDWFvq9RykqFu_yEAn3wqhcM/s640/the+part+I+need+to+remember.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before I can do this for her, though, I need to do it for myself, so that when the time comes, I'm fearless and don't hesitate. And it disappoints and saddens me that I still have so far to go. I think about how thoroughly I've internalized all the socialization to get along, to smooth things over, to smile and be pleasant when I'd rather fly a one-fingered flag at patronizing assholes, to apologize for taking up space in the world. I think about how depressingly common it is to see women share their #MeToo stories and end with some variant on 'I'm lucky it wasn't worse,' <i>even when the story they've told was awful</i>. And then I think: it's no wonder that so few survivors report their trauma to the appropriate authorities. The truly perplexing thing is how so many people still insist on doubting and retraumatizing them.<br />
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My impulse, now, is to apologize for how scattered this post is. But I won't do that, and I will do my damndest to raise P in a way that keeps her from feeling the same impulse to apologize when no apology is necessary. I will try to teach her that she is allowed to require respectful treatment from everyone she meets. And I will work on steeling myself for the moments when the world pushes back on all we try to give her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2pWcGnksDaxs0xnxutjBQdiyWl4StDVyiUnCwpY_c-hBtZbAirfjxrz9UYH1BY0F30xu8S044MyHO7hWOsTOGDefr_vv8Sde5J4Deus90P87xd7LMtjtObkh9n3dR0aUDSr46I4UPMk/s1600/IMG_5261.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2pWcGnksDaxs0xnxutjBQdiyWl4StDVyiUnCwpY_c-hBtZbAirfjxrz9UYH1BY0F30xu8S044MyHO7hWOsTOGDefr_vv8Sde5J4Deus90P87xd7LMtjtObkh9n3dR0aUDSr46I4UPMk/s640/IMG_5261.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We need a better world. And at last: I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this any more.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-35089783546346252042018-05-04T07:31:00.000-07:002018-11-10T09:11:06.328-08:00How NOT to make a frittata<div style="text-align: justify;">
Disclaimer: I do realize this is my first post in over four months. I just don't have time at this particular moment to explain and apologize, and I'm feeling inspired by events that transpired in my kitchen approximately five minutes ago. Suffice it to say that <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2018/11/working-mama-one-year-in.html">working full-time with a new baby</a> is as hard as everyone says, and this blog is <i>not</i> abandoned.<br />
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This is not my usual type of <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/Restorative%20Recipes">recipe</a>. This, dear reader, is a brief recipe for confusion, slight embarrassment, and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Read on for my guide to making dinner when you're living in the point where laziness, tiredness, and incompetence intersect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2d4wBtI7ySGvv9IIFlRA1Wzv0jgPEJbncn7PI-T2gM6J3chbSag7aV1olk8ndi1rqHV8wEhbPZbQ1R0pU_lWUDuPQmMCHwUPSnyn7HRzSkP3auQcHI9MQGhD5tYMd-aowN5GvyEZjH4/s1600/IMG_8714.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2d4wBtI7ySGvv9IIFlRA1Wzv0jgPEJbncn7PI-T2gM6J3chbSag7aV1olk8ndi1rqHV8wEhbPZbQ1R0pU_lWUDuPQmMCHwUPSnyn7HRzSkP3auQcHI9MQGhD5tYMd-aowN5GvyEZjH4/s640/IMG_8714.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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How <u>not</u> to make a frittata:</h4>
<a name='more'></a><b>Step 1</b>: take out your largest dishwasher-able bowl, to cut down on the number of things you have to clean.<br />
<b>Step 2</b>: attempt to crack eggs on the side of the bowl instead of the counter, so that you don't have to clean the counter; make lots of noise while the baby is falling asleep.<br />
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<b>Step 3</b>: reevaluate your life choices/approach to eggs; realize you can mix them RIGHT IN THE SKILLET. (One less thing to wash!)<br />
<b>Step 4</b>: crack one egg. Realize you need to turn on the oven once there is egg on your hands.<br />
<b>Step 5</b>: summon husband to turn on the oven. When he asks what temperature, look confused before eventually responding with "375?"<br />
<b>Step 6</b>: finish cracking eggs and mix with fork.<br />
<b>Step 7</b>: realize dishwasher has clean dishes in it. Remove clean dishes and stick fork in dishwasher. Throw bowl from Step 1 in, just in case there are germs on it from the eggs you unsuccessfully banged against it.<br />
<b>Step 8</b>: Dump cooked veggies into skillet in a heap. Realize you just put a fork into the dishwasher that you could've used to spread out the veggies, and just use the edge of the container the veggies were in.<br />
<b>Step 9</b>: Shove skillet in the oven and set timer for 15 minutes.<br />
<b>Step 10</b>: write blog post; eat!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmWFFdHCwVyJk0GeLHHgiIPcIBgBHyCGKDjmxnoXazFpjSjLVy7h0WZT8iqjUGKxY67hRH5PYqGLX8vCcWpz5DmURlfPfHAVTjVnBK-wXdJrD5N9Igv-HVzqnmyIeDjSwd-k12dP8pdE/s1600/IMG_8710.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva mardi gras annette" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmWFFdHCwVyJk0GeLHHgiIPcIBgBHyCGKDjmxnoXazFpjSjLVy7h0WZT8iqjUGKxY67hRH5PYqGLX8vCcWpz5DmURlfPfHAVTjVnBK-wXdJrD5N9Igv-HVzqnmyIeDjSwd-k12dP8pdE/s640/IMG_8710.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dress: Trashy Diva</div>
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Sweater: Vivien of Holloway</div>
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Belt: Amazon</div>
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Boots: Bogs</div>
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So there you have it, folks: my first blog post since <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/12/so-long-2017.html">New Year's Eve</a>. The photos may have nothing to do with the story I'm telling, and I *might* have disabused you of any notion that I approach cooking with anything resembling a <i>plan</i>, but c'est la vie. Keep an eye on this space for some actual life-y updates, <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/outfit">outfits</a>, and the like! For now, I gotta run: dinner's ready!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1nfKQ0VDSA1YBQbeuSKSNH8srDIAsA5jkoUY8hqfrmpRvao3eFAxkt48IlUJuRXRNTWSZBF0GamMzBDQ-U0LmSZLz6Pqah06uIinotG8etY_Yddmi8_p-yoWYFiuMj_kDCMEmhyphenhyphenHNZ0/s1600/IMG_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1nfKQ0VDSA1YBQbeuSKSNH8srDIAsA5jkoUY8hqfrmpRvao3eFAxkt48IlUJuRXRNTWSZBF0GamMzBDQ-U0LmSZLz6Pqah06uIinotG8etY_Yddmi8_p-yoWYFiuMj_kDCMEmhyphenhyphenHNZ0/s640/IMG_0930.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-1000181059238317172017-12-31T08:16:00.000-08:002017-12-31T08:16:09.057-08:00So Long, 2017, and Thanks for Exactly One Thing<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's become almost <i>de rigueur</i> to hate on 2017, and as much as I hate following fads, I can't deny that this year was <i><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/im-back.html">rough</a></i>. The never-ending parade of celebrity deaths that everyone bemoaned in 2016 gave way to a cascade of sexual-assault revelations that showed the world just how ugly male privilege can be, and Tr*mp's <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/our-long-national-wtf.html">incompetence as President</a> has overshot even my most pessimistic 2016 expectations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqUJfS6UfkP004-a9oGnXgEG6yrNt674pMqIUlWe5qkQqykRIndYR-JPVD42wB_CygS2WOa4cDrvJ8NnTxzZYqX1_1-Z1L5ARjXy1qNoU5FFqKbpRuIiey85JxQXU_bh_M_TyWKEY-mg/s1600/IMG_7609.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Bernie Dexter Drive In dress new years eve print" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqUJfS6UfkP004-a9oGnXgEG6yrNt674pMqIUlWe5qkQqykRIndYR-JPVD42wB_CygS2WOa4cDrvJ8NnTxzZYqX1_1-Z1L5ARjXy1qNoU5FFqKbpRuIiey85JxQXU_bh_M_TyWKEY-mg/s640/IMG_7609.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Things in Hallockland weren't all rainbows and unicorns either. Typing that, I can almost hear the narrator from the <i>Wonder Years</i> extolling some wisdom about having realized that after the salad days of youth end, even the things you want are often <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memento-mori.html">tinged by sadness</a> and/or difficulty. (I haven't rewatched <i>Inside Out</i> since everything with <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memories-painful-and-comforting.html">Ronnie</a> began, but I'm sure it would be an even bigger laser-guided missile to the Feels than Pixar movies typically are. On the other hand, Pixar provides such nice tidy shorthand references for my feelings and experiences, and it's good to have a repertoire for referencing the anxieties of growing up that goes beyond "I learned something that day..." in my best Daniel Stern voice. Once I get a new Blu-Ray player, I'll give <i>Inside Out </i>a go.)<br />
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BUT! In the midst of all this anxiety, sadness, and loss, the actual best thing ever happened: my sweet <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">baby girl</a>. One of these days, I hope I'm able to express how I feel about our little Penny Pie. At this juncture, though, I'm still stuck in the 'feelings of love so intense I can't find words' stage, even when she's screaming directly into my ear, apparently unaware that I'd still be able to hear her at like 5% volume.<br />
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When I look into that grinning toothless face of hers, I can't help but feel that 2017 has been very kind to me, indeed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDP02561vEfG-Q2V3kdK7iDQlc9K40NBbkUGpCXVSPBjy8pUNHntpSoMtpAXGV5SHBmgkN2eJSbd1y_DaPeO74Eq9hW5oGYeoJbDMxEd_NJEvt6vG03J6XHLvKym4pVvvBfYgU5z2lTk/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDP02561vEfG-Q2V3kdK7iDQlc9K40NBbkUGpCXVSPBjy8pUNHntpSoMtpAXGV5SHBmgkN2eJSbd1y_DaPeO74Eq9hW5oGYeoJbDMxEd_NJEvt6vG03J6XHLvKym4pVvvBfYgU5z2lTk/s640/giphy.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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...hmmm. I'm being told that this is actually a style blog. Go figure! Lately I've taken to posting photos of outfits I liked, accompanied by text that has very little to do with the clothes. But this outfit -- my New Year's Eve outfit -- is different: it's the first time I've ever worn a coat in a blog post! (Trust me, if you were taking photos in the snow when it's like 5 degrees out and so cold that your phone <i>turned itself off</i> midway through your shoot, you'd keep your coat on, too!) I've had this Pearl coat from Collectif since last year, and it's a marvelous thing to put on a long, swingy wool number when it's positively arctic outside!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw64h84VnjsUm63AeOJS3Qr0jGGNW2PTN8da-whuVm1vRKPbA-VKzXvKeLSeud-RVa_eICT3q5m8Kj1Z3y7jgQarC8ZoYK1MWXcWWBaYwS5ZUIO23vAcm-1Y8elLmAJhCPn4rCUU3lBk/s1600/IMG_7599.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Collectif Pearl Coat in green" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw64h84VnjsUm63AeOJS3Qr0jGGNW2PTN8da-whuVm1vRKPbA-VKzXvKeLSeud-RVa_eICT3q5m8Kj1Z3y7jgQarC8ZoYK1MWXcWWBaYwS5ZUIO23vAcm-1Y8elLmAJhCPn4rCUU3lBk/s640/IMG_7599.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY6Qm40XFQznoiAB8_UicLbsDKLquDrUnB_GExhqEW7afHRL7tVBdGb0J0g7qPMYSo1bXDSPnAh1RAup2oTEqCo8nwQkPtZ1Tx0EZO92zVF5zvhnE9Wrz23naiV5Q6DR5JlA7NPhC3J8/s1600/IMG_7589.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY6Qm40XFQznoiAB8_UicLbsDKLquDrUnB_GExhqEW7afHRL7tVBdGb0J0g7qPMYSo1bXDSPnAh1RAup2oTEqCo8nwQkPtZ1Tx0EZO92zVF5zvhnE9Wrz23naiV5Q6DR5JlA7NPhC3J8/s640/IMG_7589.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUpgpk6lwbM/?taken-by=emily.hallock"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUpgpk6lwbM/?taken-by=emily.hallock">I already have this print in a </a>mod little shift dress, but when Bernie Dexter released a zip-front Drive-In <a href="https://berniedexter.com/collections/dress/products/bernie-dexter-drive-dress-in-new-years-eve-print?variant=4455364100125">shirtdress version</a> <i>and</i> an amazing sale happened, I couldn't resist! It coordinates perfectly with 1) this Betsey Johnson purse and 2) our New Year's Eve drinks, so obviously I had to wear it. The leggings were thrown on because they're warmer than anything else that's clean at the moment. (Style bloggers: they're just like us!)<br />
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This Drive-In dress is similar to my beloved <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/03/hot-and-fresh-out-kitchen.html">Kelly dress</a>, but with more fitted, longer sleeves and a tighter fit in the bodice. I took my usual large and while it's a bit of a squeeze to zip up those final few inches, this is true of all my dresses at the moment. I'm absolutely in love with the Drive-In and think it shows off the print even better than the shift version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6IoJagfsc6zidMkrjsoJLOgmrA2f4TrVBdFGnh8HYhDvMU3mHwCKt84wvABf_Dl0jt-db_8wfXpp0inh0SEJ5Ziz4p07NDkcvJ-jL8aSVoEiUp0VYZaLvEaRsgwjrhYXHLoqQX-p9M8/s1600/IMG_7619.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6IoJagfsc6zidMkrjsoJLOgmrA2f4TrVBdFGnh8HYhDvMU3mHwCKt84wvABf_Dl0jt-db_8wfXpp0inh0SEJ5Ziz4p07NDkcvJ-jL8aSVoEiUp0VYZaLvEaRsgwjrhYXHLoqQX-p9M8/s640/IMG_7619.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So there you have it: 2017, we survived you, and when it comes to the most important thing that's ever happened in my life, all is well. Bring it on, 2018.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-78485926533122520392017-12-24T14:10:00.000-08:002017-12-24T14:10:06.121-08:00Christmas Eve<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's hard to believe that Christmas is just a few short hours away! The past three months or so have completely flown by. It's as if we've been living in our own personal Groundhog Day since the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">baby was born</a>, and yet it simultaneously feels like she's always been a part of our little family. She's already the gravitational center of my entire universe and a part of my brain is always thinking of her. Is this what parenting is?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz-wVU9L9mC4vwxy4GSptCFFHVO9tm96u0SqU5OtAzGcvun4uMSVZbE3hmn4m841svkr5I8C1P_PRSMIOOp-tpqd4ikgNfQAmROKIBoPYuELX_rPkLxqyi9wZCp4zR5KNe3Wdx9y4SmI/s1600/IMG_6977.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz-wVU9L9mC4vwxy4GSptCFFHVO9tm96u0SqU5OtAzGcvun4uMSVZbE3hmn4m841svkr5I8C1P_PRSMIOOp-tpqd4ikgNfQAmROKIBoPYuELX_rPkLxqyi9wZCp4zR5KNe3Wdx9y4SmI/s640/IMG_6977.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Anyway, I'm currently sitting in front of a window and watching the snow fall, but I'm looking forward to watching the finest Christmas movie of all time in a couple of hours, and then somehow making Christmas dinner tomorrow! (In case you were unsure, <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i> is the movie in question. I can't believe how lucky I am to have my parents here for Christmas, and be able to watch <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-ive-learned-from-my-parents.html">my dad's</a> all-time favorite movie with him. We hadn't expected to be together this year and it's a much merrier Christmas this way! That being said, I may have teared up in the grocery store when I thought about how Ronnie wasn't here to bake cookies with me.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgQbH3chLOGtEfYPqd3pbJDEGhmd7rgv3JJ8w_5btrY7nwETHAnkYwuPF8aGcKEKJGy3RZ8kqhf4Kkt-RGeJhQsxN1dXq5uAJd20dcGvuy0e_n0wYIFu9yBIelG2sMfLv5Kiu9ppFxgQ/s1600/IMG_6970.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgQbH3chLOGtEfYPqd3pbJDEGhmd7rgv3JJ8w_5btrY7nwETHAnkYwuPF8aGcKEKJGy3RZ8kqhf4Kkt-RGeJhQsxN1dXq5uAJd20dcGvuy0e_n0wYIFu9yBIelG2sMfLv5Kiu9ppFxgQ/s640/IMG_6970.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also feel incredibly lucky to get the opportunity to make Christmas dinner for my parents as well as Jeff this year. <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/cooking-for-a-crowd.html">Cooking for my entire family</a> is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and even with this infernal brace on my wrist, I'm going to conquer a standing rib roast and give everyone the holiday meal they deserve. Thank goodness I'm not left-handed!<br />
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This outfit was the sort of over-the-top festive look that most people only bust out at the holidays, but I know from last year that the green tights will get a lot of mileage this winter. <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-trashy-diva-wildflowers-streetcar.html">Trashy Diva's Wildflowers</a> <a href="http://www.trashydiva.com/content.cfm?n=products&cat=857">collection</a> just might be my favorite thing they've released all year, so I <i>had</i> to find a way to winterize this skirt! I wore this outfit to a holiday luncheon at work and took these photos after I found out that my parents would be able to visit, which explains the massive grin on my face!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO_KQz0UoLMAAqKhl7VJAMUJqyFrYDMQZrU4f6ZhO31LwNdbeiuTWADIGMHUuDNyFb6pdste1R_EsRdt5DNoulEXsrKDna4Fn9-yyt9rHrq9FDY7lzTX6PJgdntebooW1VOFjktfFJZk/s1600/IMG_6989.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva wildflowers gathered mini skirt" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO_KQz0UoLMAAqKhl7VJAMUJqyFrYDMQZrU4f6ZhO31LwNdbeiuTWADIGMHUuDNyFb6pdste1R_EsRdt5DNoulEXsrKDna4Fn9-yyt9rHrq9FDY7lzTX6PJgdntebooW1VOFjktfFJZk/s640/IMG_6989.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Top: Steady Clothing</div>
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Cardigan: Modcloth</div>
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Skirt: Trashy Diva</div>
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Boots: Seychelles</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWNMvMWetqwgxJqTGO9WpMD6JGguTT09p2akuSJpK1HAgImshD79DGFx00_JsEmTWUjdsMue-Anftv8BWjMaCqKf-l9dITrHYRjG0EZUqPzQI91aQzAqwd7mxNeIs6Bl08iqQ4uPktSU/s1600/IMG_7001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWNMvMWetqwgxJqTGO9WpMD6JGguTT09p2akuSJpK1HAgImshD79DGFx00_JsEmTWUjdsMue-Anftv8BWjMaCqKf-l9dITrHYRjG0EZUqPzQI91aQzAqwd7mxNeIs6Bl08iqQ4uPktSU/s640/IMG_7001.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I can hear activity from the general vicinity of the baby, so it's time to end this post and get back to the business of feeding her and/or stuffing cookies in my face. Here's wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-3252562794634109422017-12-17T05:46:00.000-08:002017-12-17T05:49:51.222-08:00Deerly Beloved<div style="text-align: justify;">
PEOPLE. I am <i>so</i> excited right now! As I type this, my parents are up in the air, on their way to Chicago for an indefinite period of time. By the time you read this, they'll be here! And Jeff and I couldn't be happier! It was such a blessing to have them with us when we <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">brought the baby home</a> from the hospital, and since they left, she's grown and changed so dramatically that she hardly seems like the same person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QBcdINAr4z7F_yzBwllOK_zf5OLCOoQi04YKPWg9SYys10fXbMKhfM4FS3T-sFwyXchh0LqXybHjMSy0VWtN30IQOraJ_bhyQ1m3D0r9BifvxmgVFhHLi4owxUm8hwGeA98YR4ET2hU/s1600/IMG_7138.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="banned green peter pan collar cardigan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QBcdINAr4z7F_yzBwllOK_zf5OLCOoQi04YKPWg9SYys10fXbMKhfM4FS3T-sFwyXchh0LqXybHjMSy0VWtN30IQOraJ_bhyQ1m3D0r9BifvxmgVFhHLi4owxUm8hwGeA98YR4ET2hU/s640/IMG_7138.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Jeff and I are really looking forward to sneaking out for a few non-baby-friendly festive activities. With Grandma and Grandpa around, we'll be able to go to the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/chicago-christkindlmarket.html">Christkindlmarket</a> again (!!!), and most importantly, see the new Star Wars movie! (I told a few of my coworkers that <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/star-wars-turns-40.html">Star Wars</a> is the true love of my life, and I was maybe 65% joking.)<br />
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I'm also so happy that with my parents here, I'll be able to watch <i><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/11/just-in-cases.html">Love Actually</a></i> with other people without enduring mocking commentary the entire time. (Jeff has Strong Opinions about movies. It's something I love about him, but I've just had to accept that we'd never see eye to eye on <i>Love Actually</i> or anything Pixar.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmQUz-Ucm8HJhQTwlqmPaCo3v2BdNgQaeZeSzxWsihjN26L-CtUNpRXeQbeOGPW8HclNispBNWYkiwDvv4rFwEQFIV_CA_LBE5OyA5H_SBz2Hto_NU3YJkgEGLnuJsL7_7v8-ucqpqtc/s1600/IMG_7074.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Bernie Dexter holiday reindeer dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmQUz-Ucm8HJhQTwlqmPaCo3v2BdNgQaeZeSzxWsihjN26L-CtUNpRXeQbeOGPW8HclNispBNWYkiwDvv4rFwEQFIV_CA_LBE5OyA5H_SBz2Hto_NU3YJkgEGLnuJsL7_7v8-ucqpqtc/s640/IMG_7074.jpg" title="" width="478" /></a></div>
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I'll admit that I haven't really been able to get too excited about the holidays this year, but that changed as soon as my parents said they could visit. I'm used to spending the holidays in New York with my family, <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/cooking-for-a-crowd.html">cooking Christmas</a> dinner and losing my dad's money during family poker on New Year's Eve, so I was feeling pretty sad that we wouldn't be heading east. Penny really is too young to take on a plane, particularly during flu season, but it was still a wrench to decide to stay in Chicago for Christmas.<br />
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Now that they're coming, I'm feeling much more like myself: excited to cook something special on Christmas Day, eager to listen to the Muppet Christmas album, and motivated to get a teeny-tiny tree for our apartment. While I know this Christmas will differ from <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/01/christmas-in-nyc-recap.html">last year</a> in some pretty hard-to-take ways, it'll be much easier to cope with those changes if I can see my parents in person rather than through an iPhone screen. I'm particularly excited to see the baby's reaction when she realizes the faces she sees on Facetime every day belong to actual people!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-80j3p0dUfRw_0GIyYtEESbQcIyLibOoB0a_-AbQngs2paSb9R7Hn_X4W5CEBJX75p7Aes4fOwSMsD3pofkF61mOUkYVy0yoWdrTUmwJaa4erxrUEyDUrn7ILU6OvA00-7I04fXZDoZ4/s1600/IMG_7093.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-80j3p0dUfRw_0GIyYtEESbQcIyLibOoB0a_-AbQngs2paSb9R7Hn_X4W5CEBJX75p7Aes4fOwSMsD3pofkF61mOUkYVy0yoWdrTUmwJaa4erxrUEyDUrn7ILU6OvA00-7I04fXZDoZ4/s640/IMG_7093.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dress: Bernie Dexter</div>
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Belt: Vixen by Micheline Pitt</div>
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Cardigan: Banned (via Modcloth)</div>
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Shoes: Zulily</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjMM-zjPmQ1iQK-X_uTa3M6AY7HyQtjhIkKBUgip2nyRTSiLXZkpouULCIeCQ43mTJ-W9z7Nrj3kcxYGQJtAejmcedlqjfJRBTurWHqr8zeZG2oGhr4BejqQK1vBboA1kEPcXdhRVc3I/s1600/IMG_7057.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjMM-zjPmQ1iQK-X_uTa3M6AY7HyQtjhIkKBUgip2nyRTSiLXZkpouULCIeCQ43mTJ-W9z7Nrj3kcxYGQJtAejmcedlqjfJRBTurWHqr8zeZG2oGhr4BejqQK1vBboA1kEPcXdhRVc3I/s640/IMG_7057.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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What are you doing for Christmas this year?<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-68201612027369278882017-12-05T04:23:00.000-08:002017-12-05T04:23:17.756-08:00Festive Tiki<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today, I'm delighted to answer the age-old question nobody's been asking: <i>Emily, how do I Christmas-ify a <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/Tiki%20Tuesday">tiki print</a>?</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CRAwTvo4m3lemGXOdsFyE2Ahf9DlA8K_YFNu8HzgxUXyfCCOH5e_Mm6wr1M-GEc38BpDpHe66i0jQXZn75sqqCNcXvtzyBVSWy1x6zakNBH1UzKEA8RpZvghhWZksxX8jtTl9lnlG9c/s1600/IMG_6290.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Disney Enchanted Tiki Room dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CRAwTvo4m3lemGXOdsFyE2Ahf9DlA8K_YFNu8HzgxUXyfCCOH5e_Mm6wr1M-GEc38BpDpHe66i0jQXZn75sqqCNcXvtzyBVSWy1x6zakNBH1UzKEA8RpZvghhWZksxX8jtTl9lnlG9c/s640/IMG_6290.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></i></div>
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<a name='more'></a>When this <a href="https://www.shopdisney.com/enchanted-tiki-room-sundress-women-1453734">Disney Dress Shop frock</a> started popping up all over my social media feeds, I instantly fell in love. It's green and the print is super colorful, so how could I <i>not</i> love it? But now that I live in the Midwest, I resigned myself to loving it from afar. Life is full of adversity, after all.<br />
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BUT! A friend of mine happened to be at Disneyland right after the Dress Shop restocked this style, and she grabbed one and mailed it to me! There was immense rejoicing and several attempts to zip it up even though I was almost <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/maternity-style-hacks.html">nine months pregnant</a> at the time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbkf93ifGBKjMPgMpLxNLKXlcq4qQyn8DBCGHa4pV1NoYqGeAU7MEpQgJ5KEITW9U8r6dvjf9oQt_i2RzvSdwz_vUP43fauaFwU86NNibaD-kESgKfR2C-T0McyXUl0QmUZhJVCMx4L8/s1600/IMG_6300.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbkf93ifGBKjMPgMpLxNLKXlcq4qQyn8DBCGHa4pV1NoYqGeAU7MEpQgJ5KEITW9U8r6dvjf9oQt_i2RzvSdwz_vUP43fauaFwU86NNibaD-kESgKfR2C-T0McyXUl0QmUZhJVCMx4L8/s640/IMG_6300.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGj2S-eI5Upx1WP0ZipFk22VOm9bi_GAbAQbOquUP6YaJH5HZBgzPXjchoSGVFugMt0xMsEy-nskD5oIHgYs_MUycSF1M4Yj88Zx6v6jq_0hiE_rzOVJcTorbc4Xm83KSTcluwDoWRbU/s1600/IMG_6350.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Disney Enchanted Tiki Room dress review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGj2S-eI5Upx1WP0ZipFk22VOm9bi_GAbAQbOquUP6YaJH5HZBgzPXjchoSGVFugMt0xMsEy-nskD5oIHgYs_MUycSF1M4Yj88Zx6v6jq_0hiE_rzOVJcTorbc4Xm83KSTcluwDoWRbU/s640/IMG_6350.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now that I'm more or less back to my usual size, I'm happy to report that this dress is everything I'd hoped it would be. It's comfy, extremely well made, and just as bright and lovely in person as it was in everybody's photographs. Bonus: the neckline is high enough that I'll be able to wear it to work!<br />
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Since it's almost December in Chicago, I'll be wearing it with cardigans and tights or leggings for the next five months or so. And since 'almost December' is not-so-secret code for 'bust out all the holiday outfits ever,' I couldn't resist wearing my lovely green dress with a red sweater, neutral cream leggings, and boots. Since it's a tiki-room-themed print with a bit of red in it, it <i>almost</i> looks like I'm simply wearing a cardigan that pulls out an accent color from the dress, rather than intentionally and unabashedly dressing like an escapee from Santa's workshop! (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91L67OXnDfCoZeHPNDKlkBsnSPxODhnZYOBu5eLdGi1Sn5MHQ9uH6kCCic4Q4IEXjM3ToLC2LPbH40h2ny5v_6X72dVbrsRikofGcaiDg-iLR-bUjnot33CGL_XNcp6bdhVQ_R7tuZ7s/s1600/IMG_6337.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Disney Enchanted Tiki Room dress shop" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91L67OXnDfCoZeHPNDKlkBsnSPxODhnZYOBu5eLdGi1Sn5MHQ9uH6kCCic4Q4IEXjM3ToLC2LPbH40h2ny5v_6X72dVbrsRikofGcaiDg-iLR-bUjnot33CGL_XNcp6bdhVQ_R7tuZ7s/s640/IMG_6337.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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In addition to this festive Tiki Room ensemble, I'm looking forward to busting out my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/goodbye-fall.html">favorite tartan skirt</a>, putting subtle Christmassy twists on my solid red dresses by adding a green belt, and wearing <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/leopard-annette-trashy-diva.html">red belts with absolutely everything else</a>! Do you dress in festive gear during December? What's your go-to look?</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-66259041860463717672017-11-30T05:20:00.000-08:002017-11-30T05:20:06.262-08:00Grace Under Pressure<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s hard to believe that I’m already on the home stretch of my maternity leave, but somehow, in the whirlwind that my life has become, almost eight weeks have gone by since the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">baby was born</a>. I’ll be going back to work on a very part-time basis this month, transitioning back to full-time starting in January, and I’m having a <i>lot</i> of feelings about it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYef3L9L9qTQaDWGvUjiPQUsPvWrth3NN27ltkvLeRSCUcJ48D39Ru3HAgsrxrdD71F_cNTGkP4WSkL5hBShEIHOtV1QdmmKK563mw1vSiuGhxRuQuwEwgDEdtbv2suDnPhVMEnPo2JDY/s1600/IMG_6514.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Hearts and Found Grace dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYef3L9L9qTQaDWGvUjiPQUsPvWrth3NN27ltkvLeRSCUcJ48D39Ru3HAgsrxrdD71F_cNTGkP4WSkL5hBShEIHOtV1QdmmKK563mw1vSiuGhxRuQuwEwgDEdtbv2suDnPhVMEnPo2JDY/s640/IMG_6514.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>On one hand, I absolutely <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/04/ch-ch-changes.html">love where I work</a>. When I took the baby out of our neighborhood for the first time since her birth and drove past my workplace, I got legitimately excited to see it again. I’d happily <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/09/one-year-in-chicago.html">stay in Chicago</a> and work there for the rest of my life. While I was out on leave, I got a bit of a promotion, and I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and returning to my regular schedule of Getting Stuff Done.<br />
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Part of me also feels that it's my duty to model egalitarian marriage for my daughter by keeping a job that means a lot to me, and allows me to share the burden of providing for our family. And on a happier, less fraught note, I'm excited to bring her in to meet all the amazing women with whom I work, so she can see how many possibilities are open to her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqfkDFgJgx79CwRt8E-yp3HFdM9Ok5YGTHX3uVUi1-8iCPjYWesPP7b87wdRmGqq3ZxLqHBIe7NF-2YCGUuHqBWui-bVRwCXGoIKqsOcqAkM3knjPBgEOJIAzyTYfqxT9NXGINgtwHA8/s1600/IMG_6541.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqfkDFgJgx79CwRt8E-yp3HFdM9Ok5YGTHX3uVUi1-8iCPjYWesPP7b87wdRmGqq3ZxLqHBIe7NF-2YCGUuHqBWui-bVRwCXGoIKqsOcqAkM3knjPBgEOJIAzyTYfqxT9NXGINgtwHA8/s640/IMG_6541.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC1hKgSHvBQFoQuIvo1hWK_marex0Q7hemLCSEgWsp-aeKJbZETR1Pe8dycyD8_63jDvTWMIWTAa7omh5MjmWbD_OpNsG7Ysmy75IU_9DostgzMl49pjgabArB4j15JmkwvFhXWVDvbA/s1600/IMG_6578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC1hKgSHvBQFoQuIvo1hWK_marex0Q7hemLCSEgWsp-aeKJbZETR1Pe8dycyD8_63jDvTWMIWTAa7omh5MjmWbD_OpNsG7Ysmy75IU_9DostgzMl49pjgabArB4j15JmkwvFhXWVDvbA/s640/IMG_6578.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But on the other hand, going back to work means putting my baby in daycare, something that nobody in my mother’s family has ever done with their children. It’s one thing to know on an intellectual level that balancing children and a career is difficult, but confronting that reality? It’s a tough pill to swallow.<br />
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I already feel piles of senseless guilt over all the time I’ll spend working instead of raising the baby, even though everyone in our family is better off if I have a fulfilling, stable job. I’m worried about all the things I’ll miss, terrified to have people I don't know look after my fussy, perfect little girl, and almost derelict in my duties to give her the best possible start in life by teaching her about the world myself.</div>
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Because I tend to think in quotes, song lyrics, and the occasional cliche, I keep going back to a line from the end of <i>Lord of the Rings</i>, one that's resonated with me since my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-bus-is-back.html">Los Angeles days</a>. Frodo tells Sam "You cannot always be torn in two. You will have to be one and whole for many years. You have so much to enjoy, and to be, and to do." After a few <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/purple-and-gold.html">years in LA</a>, I knew I'd never again have all the important people and parts of my life in one place. And while I'd gotten used to it, the baby has changed the game yet again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq5fXXVpfyajDd3axoXqcQEIWQypnFQZqnP3yh3gjQoGsY6NMzOh_U79kRLKdgyVtqA4-1g3psRbEnskyw_b_urptBH9V4pRCkq5ALEQXljFZOx1vtAAwhaUgyuXBnGNhcl2MmFqYRLI/s1600/IMG_6502.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq5fXXVpfyajDd3axoXqcQEIWQypnFQZqnP3yh3gjQoGsY6NMzOh_U79kRLKdgyVtqA4-1g3psRbEnskyw_b_urptBH9V4pRCkq5ALEQXljFZOx1vtAAwhaUgyuXBnGNhcl2MmFqYRLI/s640/IMG_6502.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But just as Sam does, I too have so much to enjoy, and such a beautiful road ahead of me. So let the balancing act begin. Here's hoping I can borrow from the name of this vibrant <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartsandFound">Hearts and Found</a> dress, and do it with grace.<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-73903003860972732052017-11-22T06:17:00.000-08:002017-11-22T06:40:01.447-08:00Review: Midnight in Paris Streetcar<div style="text-align: justify;">
By now, I bet most of you know that I <i>might</i> be a Trashy Diva fanatic. I've fallen wildly in love with just about everything they've put out in the past two years, particularly the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-trashy-diva-wildflowers-streetcar.html">Wildflowers collection</a> and my very favorite, Venice Nights. Given how much I <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/09/review-trashy-diva-venice-nights-day.html">absolutely loved Venice Nights</a>, and how often I've worn it since it came out last year, I had high hopes for this year's travel print. And my goodness, Midnight in Paris did <i>not </i>disappoint!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XPJolb-ovIpAr7mtNBRWio8KA0rUOTUI6B2aB47JVRJGrsl8NQt6l0lnjxFCKOuB6wfeMYutyVJwUGZl7GbGiPF-7Vhx3JrCF6CbxXaJP6US2B-9RX6X9no4i5gLk0MbZuFZUPD5vCQ/s1600/IMG_6210.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva midnight in paris streetcar review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XPJolb-ovIpAr7mtNBRWio8KA0rUOTUI6B2aB47JVRJGrsl8NQt6l0lnjxFCKOuB6wfeMYutyVJwUGZl7GbGiPF-7Vhx3JrCF6CbxXaJP6US2B-9RX6X9no4i5gLk0MbZuFZUPD5vCQ/s640/IMG_6210.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Now, at this point, you might be thinking 'but Emily, you <i>never</i> wear navy, and in fact, you sort of hate it!' And under normal circumstances, you'd be right. I didn't own a single navy item until this dress arrived. But the reality-bending powers of Trashy Diva are such that I'm hopelessly in love with this dress!<br />
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I realize that TD has already released a newer collection, the long-awaited Magenta Floral rerelease, but as I'm patiently waiting for my Magenta Floral exchange to arrive, I figured I'd take the opportunity to write a review of this print.<br />
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Choosing a piece from this collection was a total no-brainer for me: I had to go with the Streetcar dress. As much as I love my Wildflowers Streetcar, this one might be even better. It's <i>stretch rayon</i>, people. And I know I've <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/berry-chantilly-hopscotch.html">said this before</a>, but it bears repeating: TD's stretch rayon is <i>magic</i>! (Maybe it's the leftover pregnancy hormones, but I have extra strong feelings about this dress, which is why there are so many italicized words in this post.) I went with a size 10, and thanks to the stretch, it's a great fit on my postpartum 40ish-31"self.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zwZ0FRt-lNHINpU_xgHRoToOpolSaRok2QBNoL37jhORXTD15cNCDtqpVoKXAyyj4mJxscuE6S4P_wuwj2-wgxOmWXvp9k87SRlJoozQvLEa02oqrYie2WrIfPyM3Ul0TJlhGwpeStI/s1600/IMG_6226.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva midnight in paris streetcar" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zwZ0FRt-lNHINpU_xgHRoToOpolSaRok2QBNoL37jhORXTD15cNCDtqpVoKXAyyj4mJxscuE6S4P_wuwj2-wgxOmWXvp9k87SRlJoozQvLEa02oqrYie2WrIfPyM3Ul0TJlhGwpeStI/s640/IMG_6226.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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I knew I'd accessorize this dress with red, because that's my go-to accent hue, but after seeing how my friend Kelley styled hers (a mustard Emmy Designs cardigan with red belt over the waist), I went for the primary-color trifecta. This Vivien of Holloway Jenny cardigan merits its own review post, as it's the perfect cropped cardigan to wear to work over scandalous necklines, but for now, I'll just say that it gave me exactly the look I was going for and I'll leave it at that.<br />
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Taking these photos was almost as exciting as the dress itself. After six weeks of round-the-clock catering to the needs of my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/11/life-update-shes-here.html">tiny, precious tyrant</a>, I find myself appreciating those times when I get to do normal things more than I ever could've dreamed. (Case in point: I went to the store and the gym yesterday and it was the highlight of my week! Even showering has become exciting.) The baby is starting to settle into a slightly more predictable routine, though, so I expect it'll only get easier to carve out some time here and there for errands and even (gasp!) non-baby fun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpwsMR8aXR0CnFjOVYCt_5v_QE-Hj0Oh-fRbDjJt49YZ-IHtq5CKt8XWNE1lRr_R0P3mIqeYIcJWzGF50DLb6EXZgv2Qwq5IqiztKkIIh_BE2bEvgu-G8bG833a64tV-Hdmg-cPg3FUk/s1600/IMG_6200.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva midnight in paris streetcar dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpwsMR8aXR0CnFjOVYCt_5v_QE-Hj0Oh-fRbDjJt49YZ-IHtq5CKt8XWNE1lRr_R0P3mIqeYIcJWzGF50DLb6EXZgv2Qwq5IqiztKkIIh_BE2bEvgu-G8bG833a64tV-Hdmg-cPg3FUk/s640/IMG_6200.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13a3d4PdXBO-1nj0jUGFen6JP6AEtWHTRD0R9Tr3FZaAPXaTyXmlic0k1Qn2m-m8Na6XBn7OtGYqy3ohDTD5jNtc0eGtpO2PKEDxOd8jbDOqCAPtUSuTUaEH92Fhz7YtIjEjBJLjOEPY/s1600/IMG_6233.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="trashy diva midnight in paris streetcar dress review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13a3d4PdXBO-1nj0jUGFen6JP6AEtWHTRD0R9Tr3FZaAPXaTyXmlic0k1Qn2m-m8Na6XBn7OtGYqy3ohDTD5jNtc0eGtpO2PKEDxOd8jbDOqCAPtUSuTUaEH92Fhz7YtIjEjBJLjOEPY/s640/IMG_6233.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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While this isn't the most nursing-friendly style Trashy Diva offers, I'm glad I chose this one. Here's hoping they'll release more stretch-rayon Streetcars in future collections! In the meantime, I'm eyeing the Midnight in Paris Helena and trying to convince myself that it's ok to double up on this print as long as I order it during TD's Black Friday sale ;). What's on your Black Friday radar?<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-11377506091037435642017-11-08T07:26:00.003-08:002017-11-08T07:26:59.419-08:00Life Update: She's Here!<div style="text-align: justify;">
For those of you who've seen any of my recent <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emily.hallock/">Insta posts</a>, this post will be old news. But in case anyone was wondering what happened to my lovely, predictable three-times-per-week update schedule, here's your answer: it's gone the way of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-day-in-my-life.html">every other schedule</a> and routine in my life, because our <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/bye-bye-buy-buy-baby.html">baby</a> is here!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kEpmV05Vl4zikZuhsKlyLzhV_HmxWkBVQtR5zixkXD_z5gfX6ZLhADsR7gqq_kv6mcdrsETjDMusWnr6xlC5PWjTx64vJIWq_0zi7u3v2KCdjLZoVS7JbU2Vt_XpyaFy2YP8QpVZvic/s1600/IMG_5990.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kEpmV05Vl4zikZuhsKlyLzhV_HmxWkBVQtR5zixkXD_z5gfX6ZLhADsR7gqq_kv6mcdrsETjDMusWnr6xlC5PWjTx64vJIWq_0zi7u3v2KCdjLZoVS7JbU2Vt_XpyaFy2YP8QpVZvic/s640/IMG_5990.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My first postpartum blog shoot took three minutes flat.</div>
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<a name='more'></a>I won't bore you with the details of her birth or belabor (yes, I chose that word deliberately) the details of adjusting to life with a newborn, but you can expect a loooong post sooner or later with my reflections on motherhood.<br />
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Right now, the short version is this: we are exhausted, I barely ever bother to put on proper clothes, and I love her more than I could possibly express in words. It's a real eye-opener to have a child. About a week after the baby was born, I turned to my mother and asked "did you love me as much as I love her?" The answer, unsurprisingly, was yes, but I never could have imagined how she felt until our little girl arrived. (During my lower moments, this realization makes me extra sad about everything my parents have been going through regarding my sister. Yay for extra emotions?)<br />
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We were so lucky that <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-ive-learned-from-my-parents.html">my parents</a> were able to come stay with us during those oh-so-difficult first few weeks. I think my dad must've spent a good three hours each morning just holding the baby so we could get a little bit of sleep, and it made me unspeakably happy to see how much he loved my fussy, noisy little baby at first sight. (Also, if my mom hadn't been here, Jeff and I would've starved long ago and the baby still wouldn't have had a bath in a tub.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK-KTVBe41YKEZY5D_Jxum270KtAXp9E1mOVhOIrXJv8xuHmx4gsGyJum-urCxGfvaEUiC3-h6P6QwC7lmQE4pK60eNlbnnIGesED2cR5zu7GeHB6D6letRXd5gTVGMhOeqjSJxkfoPk/s1600/IMG_5722.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK-KTVBe41YKEZY5D_Jxum270KtAXp9E1mOVhOIrXJv8xuHmx4gsGyJum-urCxGfvaEUiC3-h6P6QwC7lmQE4pK60eNlbnnIGesED2cR5zu7GeHB6D6letRXd5gTVGMhOeqjSJxkfoPk/s640/IMG_5722.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Jeff and I have been in survival mode since my mom went back to New York a week ago, but I think we're finally starting to get a handle on caring for a tiny being that needs to be fed every three hours and just wants to be cuddled. My cousin and his partner came over today and made us the loveliest brunch, and I must've spent half their visit just repeating how happy I was to see them and to be eating actual food.<br />
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Also: it's been 24 hours since I wrote the above, because Penny is the Michigan J. Frog of babies and seemed to sense that Jeff and I were starting to feel like we were settling into a routine. It's like she takes such statements as a challenge and responds by showing us just how much upheaval she's able to cause! But at the moment, she's sleeping, the breast-pump equipment is freshly washed, and I'm watching my first episode of Law and Order: SVU in approximately four years and digesting a salad and coffee that Jeff went and grabbed. (In other words, life is good!)<br />
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I feel so lucky and grateful for all the love with which my family and friends have welcomed our baby. Whenever I start to fall down a rabbit hole of negativity and anxiety, it helps so much to think about the circle of love that she'll grow up in, and the deep sense of worthiness and security she'll gain from that love.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWcQ8FiqV05-1A7lNVsaOaDQDk-xxBl9mHQNnaHA0qxFmpbH_pi8CD8L6bAJXSv9kC0tbOLGc-n7Tpv3P-U6QkQehIiuqrAMvA17uft5l0Oirpoeu7gqmWKGyUoQF-GYMqp9BqcyZeZQ/s1600/IMG_5592.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWcQ8FiqV05-1A7lNVsaOaDQDk-xxBl9mHQNnaHA0qxFmpbH_pi8CD8L6bAJXSv9kC0tbOLGc-n7Tpv3P-U6QkQehIiuqrAMvA17uft5l0Oirpoeu7gqmWKGyUoQF-GYMqp9BqcyZeZQ/s640/IMG_5592.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My promise to keep photos of Jeff off the blog has been extended to Penny's face, but this photo that shows how tiny she was one day after she was born? It's fair game!</div>
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One last thing: for the foreseeable future, blog updates will be a bit thin on the ground and irregular as we adjust to the chaos of raising a newborn, but they <i>will</i> happen!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-547200950564313062017-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:002017-10-26T07:39:11.201-07:00Doing the Batty Bat<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last weekend, I made what was either a massive tactical error or an accidental genius move: I went to Target to buy two specific things. Needless to say, I left with a trunkful of stuff, including <i>all the baby things ever </i>and some key components of my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-capsule-wardrobe.html">Halloween capsule wardrobe</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypavJfAKcyRA16w8-wltDrKE_WPu8_0BicH-q-mweDTh_8cLshOVHZ2bI1xWlzg5jHz4CFnId_JIOU80laW9YezSmdQx_rpXkHxpQVGzyUEoeqLlkdwBz81jpWBw00Zg0jYr0KJJ6TIw/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="target women's halloween dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypavJfAKcyRA16w8-wltDrKE_WPu8_0BicH-q-mweDTh_8cLshOVHZ2bI1xWlzg5jHz4CFnId_JIOU80laW9YezSmdQx_rpXkHxpQVGzyUEoeqLlkdwBz81jpWBw00Zg0jYr0KJJ6TIw/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Seriously, if anyone out there knows the secret to <i>not buying the entire store</i> every time you venture into Target, please enlighten me! I'd love to know your secret.<br />
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This <a href="https://www.target.com/p/women-s-halloween-printed-dress-xhilaration-153-juniors/-/A-52767349">mod little number</a> is a departure from my usual 1950s-inspired dresses and separates, but I just had to have it. The print is an irresistible mix if you like a side of all things <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/babymoon-adler-planetarium.html">outer space</a> with your spooky, and it's the perfect shade of pumpkin.<br />
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But above all, it's <i>velvet</i>! Is there anything more soothing than absentmindedly touching your sleeve and remembering that you're wearing velvet? (This is usually followed, for me, by the awkwardly belated recollection that you can't very well sit in public petting your own arm.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosoSL6WgWsO7Px-tq1TiOdd_RKl9m-DUYWJV5QQdmL0AVXaj4GhiQrIcVVixA8SiDZ7qYq2o1QRwN34oWHaFEN3VzyJgkwWeiE3uMJGOVS6SGa87nudsrb8uYXpKtx7IFsUuSvXkHdYc/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosoSL6WgWsO7Px-tq1TiOdd_RKl9m-DUYWJV5QQdmL0AVXaj4GhiQrIcVVixA8SiDZ7qYq2o1QRwN34oWHaFEN3VzyJgkwWeiE3uMJGOVS6SGa87nudsrb8uYXpKtx7IFsUuSvXkHdYc/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But rubbing your baby bump in public is <i>totally</i> socially-acceptable, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuUnWmHc75NyqdYMy4FoASh5AIHCA7pmDLFl5F6ajpwrOg6zoD3z5rh3lcM-ff3ecl1jSMwUwScSPXntRv3R1kzjlkl6abM8k5SQa0zX0Ssj6GdcAP_V7TKXtL-sbMMV6MIx9stXHBio/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuUnWmHc75NyqdYMy4FoASh5AIHCA7pmDLFl5F6ajpwrOg6zoD3z5rh3lcM-ff3ecl1jSMwUwScSPXntRv3R1kzjlkl6abM8k5SQa0zX0Ssj6GdcAP_V7TKXtL-sbMMV6MIx9stXHBio/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Also, for $24.99, I couldn't afford <i>not</i> to get it!<br />
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And let me tell you, this dress is supremely soft and comfortable as can be! Since I've recently discovered exactly how uncomfortable the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">last days of pregnancy</a> are, this is a must at the moment. I can barely bend over to pick something up off the floor, much less manage anything that's tight around my middle, so soft and stretchy dresses are a lifesaver.<br />
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I'm a huge fan of the higher mock turtleneck, since it makes for a work-friendly neckline if you work at the sort of place that permits festive prints. (I'm genuinely not sure how I'd cope if I had to wear monochromatic business casual every day. If you do it, you're my hero!)<br />
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Since I bought this when I was 39 weeks pregnant, I'm looking forward to seeing how it fits after the baby arrives. I think that without <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-bumpin.html">my bump</a> to hold up the hem, it'll be a cute, swingy above-the-knee shift rather than a minidress, and I'm good with that! But for now, I think it looks cute with my giant belly. I feel sort of like an ocean liner (since my belly enters the room well before the rest of me), but in the best, most on-theme way possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnDzLIidMWfF7VrAng2Fo52hNxtrZUajXi-MK7yq_98ws6o6iqwEK5mBHfmIT1Cpjk7_8CHdRr4ldtkJF6r8XID57sdyCg1Eaqq7CuP7Zjh6696OWdIkXbK1qSwlKOoQQ3n5cou08Cdo/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="velvet Halloween dress maternity" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnDzLIidMWfF7VrAng2Fo52hNxtrZUajXi-MK7yq_98ws6o6iqwEK5mBHfmIT1Cpjk7_8CHdRr4ldtkJF6r8XID57sdyCg1Eaqq7CuP7Zjh6696OWdIkXbK1qSwlKOoQQ3n5cou08Cdo/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncndTMjyslxMxOtpPATwTAdGi7nOi-i3z1L8IDkGwgM_f6w5aZOJDxf4WA1-VD_1wchXlHxRVZB3q4WOu2ugLoL29eQmx4bphVltuCzU63lrr6kKm16VeEVKOqcEOxCEgXL7xSFf0PQ0/s1600/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Target velvet halloween dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncndTMjyslxMxOtpPATwTAdGi7nOi-i3z1L8IDkGwgM_f6w5aZOJDxf4WA1-VD_1wchXlHxRVZB3q4WOu2ugLoL29eQmx4bphVltuCzU63lrr6kKm16VeEVKOqcEOxCEgXL7xSFf0PQ0/s640/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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A dress this bright and boldly printed deserves to be the centerpiece of the outfit, so I've kept the styling quite simple: my favorite Daisy Jean hair flower, some spiderweb Atomic Lucite earrings, simple flats, and I'm good to go. I've also got big plans to wear this dress as a top layered under a full skirt, to stretch my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-capsule-wardrobe.html">Halloween capsule pieces</a> a bit further. And once the weather turns cooler, I'll add black opaque tights, a black jacket, and boots (if any of mine ever fit again).<br />
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I'm so pleased with this dress! It'll be a Halloween staple for years for come, just like the Halloween top I snagged at Target last year. So be honest with me: is it too early to start thinking about my Christmas wardrobe?</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-24797970025255610952017-10-14T04:59:00.000-07:002017-10-14T04:59:07.490-07:00Baby, You're a Star<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, after a couple of rather <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memento-mori.html">heavy</a> and/or <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/bye-bye-buy-buy-baby.html">ranty</a> posts lately, I'd say that we're all due for something a bit more uplifting, eh? So today, I wanted to share something that I've been thinking about quite a lot over the past few months, and talk a little bit about kindness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyAEU8z7JulVZ7o9wzRbOqLKWksFwwVOq9wkz8Gjg8z8faMuPZzjBYL8kj1cFdyYnHU2FN97zj4g1n_YBG7shuUEp8JyINgGuSbbReQ6M03vlTSbHo-MXv80nQfoVdvkMMZpUIs12t5I/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Collectif atomic star bolero" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyAEU8z7JulVZ7o9wzRbOqLKWksFwwVOq9wkz8Gjg8z8faMuPZzjBYL8kj1cFdyYnHU2FN97zj4g1n_YBG7shuUEp8JyINgGuSbbReQ6M03vlTSbHo-MXv80nQfoVdvkMMZpUIs12t5I/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>First of all: look at this bolero! It's covered in golden stars, goes perfectly over a swing dress, and fit me perfectly, particularly before my bump colonized my entire torso. Can you think of anything that would be more perfect for a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/babymoon-adler-planetarium.html">space-</a> and vintage-style-obsessed gal? I'm still a bit baffled that I didn't pick it up directly from <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/review-collectif-dolores-bloom-dress.html">Collectif</a>, but I suspect the issue involved my clothing budget.<br />
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But like many of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/05/one-skirt-three-ways-tiki-jenny-skirt.html">my favorite garments</a>, this bolero has a story attached to it that makes it <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/04/bernie-dexter-tomato-dress.html">extra-special</a> to me. You see, this bolero was a surprise. Grab a snack and/or a cup of tea, because it's storytime!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nbZQOB7xcaDzt9G3pepGMDtelqoH14DxtXcZiXdSBa78WLZoVwe_qDdUdwxUuis_GTLbJhbg3Lr8ZR8KuYkttCGWdv5e3-x-xJeSvtGqmHKjTlBGRLcP54qUASvfG5wD1ZWZukeuCY0/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nbZQOB7xcaDzt9G3pepGMDtelqoH14DxtXcZiXdSBa78WLZoVwe_qDdUdwxUuis_GTLbJhbg3Lr8ZR8KuYkttCGWdv5e3-x-xJeSvtGqmHKjTlBGRLcP54qUASvfG5wD1ZWZukeuCY0/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm a big fan of the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/09/saturday-night-fever.html">Saturday Night</a> style from Bernie Dexter, as well as the red poppy print she's offered in a few different styles. So when I saw that one of my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sew_pinup/">Insta friends</a> was selling her Saturday Night in red poppies, a long-discontinued dress, I snapped it up, and settled in to wait while it made its way from Australia to the American Midwest.<br />
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Buying that dress was one of the few bits of retail therapy I indulged in while <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/im-back.html">everything was going wrong</a> earlier this year. I'd spent close to two months in a withdrawn state. Apart from my initial, frenzied use of Facebook and Instagram to coordinate the search for my sister when she went missing in February, I spent very little time online. In retrospect, I'm not really sure how I spent that time, apart from my frequent trips home for one reason or another.<br />
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In short, this spring was the most difficult, emotionally draining, trying period of my life, and my family and I are still <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memories-painful-and-comforting.html">coming to terms with</a> how it's changed things for us.<br />
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Anyway, dresses make me happy, so I bought one I'd been wishing for, and one day it showed up. And when I opened the package, out popped the dress, an assortment of delightful candies, this bolero, and a note that I'll treasure forever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD_o4A33H60EoDzYysTMl_fNPlsBwHUwYHtQ8UZLqooxE7Pd0s4PBKa-rm2ACwSpJp44zU3cyHPdwVBHKh5IKSRyfWZvL8xBHNCXop9GgGzzsbIRM3t_1J6b79e_zT7t6vRCr8ScOSuM/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD_o4A33H60EoDzYysTMl_fNPlsBwHUwYHtQ8UZLqooxE7Pd0s4PBKa-rm2ACwSpJp44zU3cyHPdwVBHKh5IKSRyfWZvL8xBHNCXop9GgGzzsbIRM3t_1J6b79e_zT7t6vRCr8ScOSuM/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My friend's note reminded me that I wasn't alone: that even though I felt like I'd fallen into a bottomless pit of despair and wasn't sure if one of the main people in my life would ever find her way back to herself, I was still connected to so many lovely, kind, caring people. I was in <i>floods</i>, but for the first time in quite a while, they weren't sad tears. My eyes just couldn't contain my feelings, that was all.<br />
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And whenever I look at this bolero or pop it over my sundresses at work, I'm reminded of feeling so cared for in such an unexpected moment, and I remember that I don't have to push through on my own, because I'm not alone.<br />
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In sharing this, I'm hoping to remind myself, and all of you, that each one of us has tremendous potential to affect the people in our lives. And what you might feel is a relatively ordinary act of kindness to you might, to its recipient, become a source of strength and light beyond your imagining. All of that is another way of saying 'be kind to each other.' <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-kindness-of-strangers.html">Kindness has more power</a> than we know. Thank you, Ellyza.<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-31727480952907563992017-10-05T05:54:00.000-07:002017-10-05T05:54:05.690-07:00My Halloween Capsule Wardrobe<div style="text-align: justify;">
Have capsule wardrobes fallen from favor? I feel like I see far fewer blog posts about capsule wardrobes than I did a year ago. But this just makes me think that it's about time for me to write a capsule wardrobe post of my own, since I'm the <i>opposite</i> of an early adopter. And since it's October, you probably could've guessed that my very first capsule wardrobe would be Halloween-themed!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmhV007G2vLigRV9VNHxqQFuYqWUiCw4y0BSrczr-xB1xM_a-ZCNM_bF1FT1AZ3UaNnoocOh0mdZn90_PGlzlUhV9wkudgTHqfeuBNQwwS1ZUtKP1BbaW8ztNitxmm5rukb3pp0O1T4o/s1600/IMG_5478.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmhV007G2vLigRV9VNHxqQFuYqWUiCw4y0BSrczr-xB1xM_a-ZCNM_bF1FT1AZ3UaNnoocOh0mdZn90_PGlzlUhV9wkudgTHqfeuBNQwwS1ZUtKP1BbaW8ztNitxmm5rukb3pp0O1T4o/s640/IMG_5478.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>A few of my friends are hosting Halloween outfit challenges all month, and as someone who loves a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/fleece-navidad.html">festive outfit</a> <i>and</i> a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/11/deadly-dames-courtesan-wiggle.html">fun challenge</a>, I was determined to play along. However, since I knew I'd be as pregnant as a human can possibly be for up to 2/3 of October (and postpartum for the rest), most of the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/10/PUG-pumpkin-border-skirt.html">Halloween pieces</a> I have won't really work. I also wasn't keen to pick up too many new pieces when I'm not sure exactly what size I'll be six months down the road.<br />
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Basically, I knew I had to come up with a variety of outfits from a much more limited set of options than I'm used to working with, all without blowing my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/bye-bye-buy-buy-baby.html">baby-stuff</a> budget on Halloween gear for me.<br />
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Enter the capsule wardrobe!<br />
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If you've never heard of a capsule wardrobe before, here's a quick definition. A capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few "essential pieces" (tops, bottoms, dresses if you're me, shoes) that coordinate, so you can mix and match them to make a large number of different outfits.<br />
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Since there are only a few pairs of shoes that fit my swollen feet at the moment, I knew that narrowing down my shoe choices wouldn't be a problem, but narrowing down my wardrobe? <i>That</i> is a worthy challenge!<br />
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One of the nicest things about putting together a capsule wardrobe around a holiday like Halloween is that you get very clear guidance from the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/10/orange-you-happy.html">traditional colors</a>, images, and themes of the holiday. To put together my Halloween capsule, I went back to the classics. No matter what time of year it is, orange and black scream "Halloween" (and occasionally, "tiger"), and all manner of spooky things instantly send even a basic black or monochrome outfit directly to Festivetown. (Or should I say Halloweentown?)<br />
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Since I'm about to become a mom for the first time, I also wanted to keep my Halloween capsule wardrobe simple. So I limited myself to fourteen articles of clothing: five tops, four skirts, three dresses, and two cardigans. Unsurprisingly, spiderwebs, Jack-o-lanterns, and ghosties abound, along with a few more subtle pieces that coordinate with the bolder novelty prints.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip23-lDWJPPjxplC6HKRWs_XUgcKCVdXoCInVTVAN_xbULTEkV43wsMGVUqIDzMWKZvWHI5DqLuZUREIhcrLKcg7BFh2dYcu4jsA0webddGx7dkhDywLkjgbiggUnGrcr2q-7NWsfiQyg/s1600/IMG_5477.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip23-lDWJPPjxplC6HKRWs_XUgcKCVdXoCInVTVAN_xbULTEkV43wsMGVUqIDzMWKZvWHI5DqLuZUREIhcrLKcg7BFh2dYcu4jsA0webddGx7dkhDywLkjgbiggUnGrcr2q-7NWsfiQyg/s640/IMG_5477.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's take a closer look at what I've chosen, shall we?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tops</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT8jXfpzrtAyJkq0h65fPi1jliTVqwMbj0AeD_3t3FhpH12f1F0ItKyDd-_23cNX1e2HH0xyARLIPDUqZWznMo4RAWHjO13vpAwilGb_Q-mQjLhjetA63l-XUQGr8Ba5eJPBM5a-hXdE/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT8jXfpzrtAyJkq0h65fPi1jliTVqwMbj0AeD_3t3FhpH12f1F0ItKyDd-_23cNX1e2HH0xyARLIPDUqZWznMo4RAWHjO13vpAwilGb_Q-mQjLhjetA63l-XUQGr8Ba5eJPBM5a-hXdE/s640/IMG_5473.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the first category of my capsule wardrobe, I went with a mix of old and new pieces. This 'if you got it, haunt it' top from Target was last year's Halloween must-have, and I've been waiting to bust it out since November 1, 2016! (Cue the Mayor from <i>Nightmare Before Christmas</i>: "There's only 365 days till <i>next</i> Halloween!")<br />
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The striped top and nursing tank also came from my dresser. Both are versatile enough to match a variety of prints, and practical for autumn in Chicago.<br />
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I picked up the two jack-o-lantern tops on a recent Target run, because when you go into Target to grab a package of diapers and wipes, you inevitably leave with two new tops and a Halloween print dress (see below!)<br />
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Since tops need to be washed more frequently than skirts, I figured it would be a good idea to allot the most space in my capsule wardrobe to shirts, and grab some long-sleeved options along with layering tanks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sweaters</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Qa9S8vbSAx9jsQM-prAwWg29tPsOphVpDvUh7kISB67a85DKKelKTZCWqWtJxPPH0OHqoAK4nvsE8DFblTnWMYcGo4WDYN9gX5rRtTDCBvAMcd6xIbOTj-uT73GGv2WP69I4tvjXjp8/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Qa9S8vbSAx9jsQM-prAwWg29tPsOphVpDvUh7kISB67a85DKKelKTZCWqWtJxPPH0OHqoAK4nvsE8DFblTnWMYcGo4WDYN9gX5rRtTDCBvAMcd6xIbOTj-uT73GGv2WP69I4tvjXjp8/s640/IMG_5474.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're reading this blog, you might have noticed that I live in Chicago. Thus, sweaters are a necessity! Both of these came right out of my sweater drawer. The black Voodoo Vixen cardigan on the left somehow never made it onto my blog even though it was a favorite last winter, so it seemed like a good choice to tick the basic-black box. And because I think I'll really miss color by the end of October, I also chose my mustard <a href="https://www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/tops-c12/jenny-cardigan-piccalilly-p2871">Vivien of Holloway Jenny cardigan</a>. I love how orange, yellow, and red look together, so I'm pretty sure some of my outfits will feature a Halloween-tinged Charmander vibe.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Skirts</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFLCcq14v0JENuuROFMHTHkw0H3UM7uXjHTUcJsznnMXFgEfo_Z2izYtuy9kKLWVUDQkB5tznCqo_i6NirYxUMCWz0qAyrrP72whwEkVgiDz6182pDictY1iSkWfeQ2PiMgSiSVtPsuY/s1600/IMG_5476.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFLCcq14v0JENuuROFMHTHkw0H3UM7uXjHTUcJsznnMXFgEfo_Z2izYtuy9kKLWVUDQkB5tznCqo_i6NirYxUMCWz0qAyrrP72whwEkVgiDz6182pDictY1iSkWfeQ2PiMgSiSVtPsuY/s640/IMG_5476.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a tough category, because I'm too pregnant for a number of my Halloween-friendly skirts, including the Halloween Harlequin corset skirt I wore all of last October. If I'm honest, until (if?) my belly shrinks post-baby, I'll need to MacGuyver the harlequin skirt by folding the waistband under and using a safety pin to secure the zipper.<br />
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To choose the other three skirts, I narrowed the field by first eliminating everything I couldn't wear <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-bumpin.html">up above my bump</a>, whether because they'd be too small or too short. The pumpkin-border skirt was one of my favorites last Halloween, because it's surprisingly versatile and easy to pair with a range of different colors on top. I have a feeling that I'll be reworking some of the looks from my "<a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/10/PUG-pumpkin-border-skirt.html">One Piece, Three Ways</a>" post featuring that skirt!<br />
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I've had a tulle skirt from Anthropologie since 2003 or so, and since I used to wear it on my hips, it's perfect for me right now! Going with tulle felt like a more exciting way to add a basic black bottom piece into the mix. And finally, I realize tiki florals aren't <i>quite</i> Halloween, but this <a href="https://www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/skirts-c13/circle-skirt-garland-orange-p2834">Vivien of Holloway skirt</a> is super orange, so it counts.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dresses</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXNmE5lkRS2-B8tCuEeA1vQcasOoLw4nyq3dHeJhWT0iDxYURe6IUOpl_EFhPIqYSo8cLQ2OJepJv9m0apq01fNn1-YRBYyuGQqD7zgWHAK5u72AuggsXE0bx3aw42aUriB4USSSyX8Q/s1600/IMG_5475.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXNmE5lkRS2-B8tCuEeA1vQcasOoLw4nyq3dHeJhWT0iDxYURe6IUOpl_EFhPIqYSo8cLQ2OJepJv9m0apq01fNn1-YRBYyuGQqD7zgWHAK5u72AuggsXE0bx3aw42aUriB4USSSyX8Q/s640/IMG_5475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The final category was actually the most challenging for me, because I absolutely love dresses and had a hard time limiting myself to just three for the next month. I knew my spiderweb dress would have to be one of my choices, because <i>duh</i>. I'm thinking it'll work with either of the cardigans, as well as layered over the striped long-sleeved shirt I've chosen, and if need be, I can also wear it as a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-trashy-diva-wildflowers-streetcar.html">skirt (instructions here!)</a>.<br />
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And after coming across this orange velvet mini in Target last weekend, I knew it was perfect for the last dregs of pregnancy and those tender postpartum days. I thought long and hard about the last dress, but ended up choosing a basic black maternity wiggle from Old Navy.</div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's On!</span></h3>
In total, I've spent about $50 on new pieces for my maternity/postpartum Halloween capsule wardrobe. Hopefully, this capsule wardrobe challenge will help me cut down on my spending this month, since I hear diapers are <i>expensive</i>. I'm excited to keep y'all posted on how it goes! Are you planning to wear a lot of theme outfits this month?<br />
<br /></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-80368148606142703322017-10-03T05:40:00.000-07:002017-10-03T05:40:02.543-07:00Lake and Columbus (I was cutting off all my hair)<div style="text-align: justify;">
After the last time I donated my hair, I wasn't sure I'd ever do it again. It was what you might call a slightly traumatic experience, for those of us whose problems mainly fall into the 'first-world' category. It was about three years ago now, but I still remember the particular indignity of sitting in my car sobbing in the garage at LMU before dragging myself to teach my afternoon classes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnD97jWfCQiuXMhyphenhypheny5hXVQMvGyBqwXqDxTg4_JSzr3A1K6-eq0u7HjWMxLSOSmcVpc0Hawi0K7P0jYoSv-z03t96HvrKTrWShihFLhlexi34hJK4x1uiqwjMtIRKoqWAvpWkE8Qh5Myo/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnD97jWfCQiuXMhyphenhypheny5hXVQMvGyBqwXqDxTg4_JSzr3A1K6-eq0u7HjWMxLSOSmcVpc0Hawi0K7P0jYoSv-z03t96HvrKTrWShihFLhlexi34hJK4x1uiqwjMtIRKoqWAvpWkE8Qh5Myo/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Look, it's <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/04/red-by-jenny.html">Jenny</a>!</div>
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<a name='more'></a>It's safe to say that I'm <i>not</i> a fan of getting my hair cut, so much so that it's been about ten months since <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/12/review-twisted-scissors-chicago.html">my last trim</a>.<br />
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But that said, I also tend to make large decisions impulsively. (Example: when trying to decide where to go to grad school, I told my undergrad advisor about my campus visits to my top three choices. When I finished recounting my trip, he was quiet for a moment and then said "looks like you're going to UCLA." I thought it over for about 30 seconds, said "yeah, I guess," and emailed them later that day to accept their offer of admission.)<br />
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You can probably see where I'm heading with this story. (Hint: it involves semi-impulsively deciding to do something I spent three years thinking I wouldn't do. What can I say? Changing <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/03/review-heart-of-haute-sweetie-dress.html">a long-held view</a> is sort of a habit of mine!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaLBMnM5whDiNuLfzp1yZGuJJ3c6AE-JJ1PDatdYyDj4YEuQxMQ_cacF3cTl89YNG06QbbExD0nVEIITqSpWxCtQUDpAaM8uoZJL_KOwzC3_bOylwXz3lSVZy7Jr3bVkQ-8UpfX93RwA/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaLBMnM5whDiNuLfzp1yZGuJJ3c6AE-JJ1PDatdYyDj4YEuQxMQ_cacF3cTl89YNG06QbbExD0nVEIITqSpWxCtQUDpAaM8uoZJL_KOwzC3_bOylwXz3lSVZy7Jr3bVkQ-8UpfX93RwA/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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You see, I had A Decision to make. Since I waited a ridiculous amount of time between haircuts, my hair got ridiculously long, so I knew I'd be cutting off at least five inches. I also knew that if I cut off just a little bit more than what I envisioned, I'd be able to donate it. What's more, I'd be able to donate a massive amount of hair, since (like most women) I haven't been losing <i>any</i> hair for the duration of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/something-noisy-this-way-comes.html">this pregnancy</a>!<br />
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I spent more time than usual thinking this over, and debating the various pros and cons of chopping off a significant amount of my hair. Much as I don't like how I look with short hair, I'll admit that the idea of caring for shorter hair whilst adjusting to motherhood was appealing. And given how much I hate to clean, it seemed like a good idea to cut my hair before it starts falling out postpartum. 50% less hair means 50% fewer hair-tumbleweeds underfoot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pq_nrzHTz4ejLKSBfnBrXnKOo3bXtMSLDa2AIh8qmlHTD4o2-ACqhlaxJEcZDJJVDH09-NAz78O_Dez0uFs1OZYZPFoJ4SXcMHu0wZEq1TfO4x1mGz35aZfU7FD2qpa1WPMmPB5tf5M/s1600/IMG_5195.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pq_nrzHTz4ejLKSBfnBrXnKOo3bXtMSLDa2AIh8qmlHTD4o2-ACqhlaxJEcZDJJVDH09-NAz78O_Dez0uFs1OZYZPFoJ4SXcMHu0wZEq1TfO4x1mGz35aZfU7FD2qpa1WPMmPB5tf5M/s640/IMG_5195.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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"It looks like a makeup brush!" - Jenny</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhce4nnZuaQNr86hxhFT3KNst7puMGxaQP1_M7DjH0hh7wXArNK4BmxKmPbYtxObb40X6CJ42CTK0E6itt7t37O_k4jGBxWoev1R4KaqsLVSsPt_uKLyxhwg1TE_y8buHwwU6VJJrcdksg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhce4nnZuaQNr86hxhFT3KNst7puMGxaQP1_M7DjH0hh7wXArNK4BmxKmPbYtxObb40X6CJ42CTK0E6itt7t37O_k4jGBxWoev1R4KaqsLVSsPt_uKLyxhwg1TE_y8buHwwU6VJJrcdksg/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
But still, I wasn't sure what I'd do until the night before my appointment. After asking Jeff what he thought I should do over and over, I actually got a tape measure and made him show me how much hair I'd still have if I cut off eight and a half inches (e.g. slightly more than the minimum required by <a href="https://pantene.com/en-us/brandexperience/make-the-cut">Pantene Beautiful Lengths</a>).<br />
<br />
Here's what it boiled down to: I had to decide whether to donate five inches of hair to the trash and get the style I really wanted, or to cut off about nine inches, donate it to an organization that makes wigs for people with hair loss, and impatiently wait for my hair to grow back to a point I'm happy with.<br />
<br />
Well, when I put it that way, I'm not sure why it was such a hard decision after all.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPtw8CN-CmZ7xMm-x_tRo9PL3_8_3sQHfUGwYx4PCoBIH9RRG3F5wo4i9MgESHZ6wHuFaBmOybtcrPks9_WyfmUxnpmtE4djvSQA_XieGXjl9E4CmbyOywsypVt8l2Oqgp2XM2Dx5aSQ/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPtw8CN-CmZ7xMm-x_tRo9PL3_8_3sQHfUGwYx4PCoBIH9RRG3F5wo4i9MgESHZ6wHuFaBmOybtcrPks9_WyfmUxnpmtE4djvSQA_XieGXjl9E4CmbyOywsypVt8l2Oqgp2XM2Dx5aSQ/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Z7p1Y0ARPLyRvrfpRkRP3wlG2Xnv8bJvSWDZUC9Hj9n7ofu7PiYmBZntTSklv3UlGMMQvcWc8W0TFDHRe9zF1_0VrurxEIgb3dT_xBzxh0mC_x7POs_JJ4LgNUOdSvwkYBhnvJdbh5E/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Z7p1Y0ARPLyRvrfpRkRP3wlG2Xnv8bJvSWDZUC9Hj9n7ofu7PiYmBZntTSklv3UlGMMQvcWc8W0TFDHRe9zF1_0VrurxEIgb3dT_xBzxh0mC_x7POs_JJ4LgNUOdSvwkYBhnvJdbh5E/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Would you ever consider donating your hair?<br />
<br /></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-21768475070711747872017-09-30T07:56:00.000-07:002017-09-30T07:56:08.744-07:00Bye Bye, Buy Buy Baby<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lately it seems like every other post I write is <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-kindness-of-strangers.html">baby-related</a>, but I suppose that comes with the eight-months-and-three-weeks-pregnant territory. I've been spending most of my free time preparing for <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/something-noisy-this-way-comes.html">the baby</a>, shopping for her, and taking classes over at the hospital, not to mention trying frantically to thin my dress hoard. And since this blog is where I talk about all the things on my mind, I suppose it makes sense that right now it's riding the 7:30 express train to Babysville.<br />
<br />
Well, that and most of my dresses <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-bumpin.html">no longer fit</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwv8gYSYc0A1PQLu4EUcyFRBnzvRHw0IWb6YOGOFj1gmkIhFqs9jhkYSr_dDTcH0G8tGnQW0bWzHrsD_4Jk5qjG834nXO1SMNbsQ4N1FyrE8M1jz5y5vdOmWY2UTDGSvBgIGqysezNC4/s1600/baby+bump.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="eight months pregnant" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwv8gYSYc0A1PQLu4EUcyFRBnzvRHw0IWb6YOGOFj1gmkIhFqs9jhkYSr_dDTcH0G8tGnQW0bWzHrsD_4Jk5qjG834nXO1SMNbsQ4N1FyrE8M1jz5y5vdOmWY2UTDGSvBgIGqysezNC4/s640/baby+bump.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In any case, even though I've slowed down on my dress shopping, I've still been burning the midnight oil (well, plastic) accumulating all the <i>stuff</i> it turns out you need for a baby. My <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">mom came to visit</a> and help me set up for the baby over Labor Day weekend, and let me tell you, I haven't spent that much time in Target since I moved to LA and needed to furnish an entire apartment from the ground up!<br />
<br />
In the past three weeks, I've assembled a bassinet (with help from Mom!), purged a few pairs of shoes, and tidied up the baby's room. I've also picked up a <i>zillion</i> things: a changing pad, baby towels, washcloths, the world's softest blanket, 10 pairs of baby socks, the world's most adorable snowsuit, a Halloween outfit, a fleece dinosaur outfit, crib sheets and mattress pads, a car seat, a baby bathtub, the electric nail file thing I got for my godchildren, and finally, a crib and a dresser (both still in their boxes, awaiting my dad because I'm <i>wayyyyyy</i> too pregnant to assemble it.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun9CUOb_sEyQybcXkWB8Fd97dJSxPVwe63aBv9QdSTVVnTi7f6jVRa1dKMwHWdk-0RfffLF9UJ1Z_qcCGX6R6XcAZa-OCYNVVh50mSQz467D6gz8EWdXUQJtXzIm9n-FwKHHkc8CZ-HQ/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun9CUOb_sEyQybcXkWB8Fd97dJSxPVwe63aBv9QdSTVVnTi7f6jVRa1dKMwHWdk-0RfffLF9UJ1Z_qcCGX6R6XcAZa-OCYNVVh50mSQz467D6gz8EWdXUQJtXzIm9n-FwKHHkc8CZ-HQ/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ta-da!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodoKSczEMMiqQpGKrQnjD9VlJ5RvFIru_BocROcs_qO36UPle-XHYdMyChbyXX5l7GGNpPcLEelUkqO83mBsZ298o8jLNN7WSH2rWYtBFWlSDpX534Z2dtPbh_QNT8SO8QuHHi7wGVR0/s1600/IMG_4395.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodoKSczEMMiqQpGKrQnjD9VlJ5RvFIru_BocROcs_qO36UPle-XHYdMyChbyXX5l7GGNpPcLEelUkqO83mBsZ298o8jLNN7WSH2rWYtBFWlSDpX534Z2dtPbh_QNT8SO8QuHHi7wGVR0/s640/IMG_4395.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Post-bassinet-assembly Starbucks of Triumph, feat. Mom</div>
<br />
Did you notice what's not on that list? Yep, that's right: we have yet to buy a stroller. This is not for lack of trying, either. My mom and I went to look at four different stores and I left every store just a little more frustrated than the last.<br />
<br />
What's the problem, you ask? Well, for those of you who haven't had the joy of shopping for baby gear, let me enlighten you. My quest for a nice lightweight stroller that'll last from infancy to toddlerhood has been marred by two things:<br />
<br />
1) the hegemonic ascendance of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/why-im-not-buying-travel-system.html">the travel system</a>, and<br />
2) emotionally manipulative sales techniques.<br />
<br />
If you saw my recent <strike>rant</strike> <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/why-im-not-buying-travel-system.html">post about travel systems</a>, you already know that I'm not buying one. This has made stroller shopping exponentially more difficult, since it seems like 90% of the ones I've seen in the stores have been travel systems. (Also, at the first Target we tried, the strollers were tethered to a high shelf, so it was impossible to try them out. But that's neither here nor there.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOjLVF3w09690CC5OUjgyHhL1EuE57Ws11S2YmsPaL2WPVrOOq367VHDJqH2M0AVDOg5K9vQcdhgH6G0n-8PKY0SPUWxQAn2kd373dcrZQ3YfY5hu1je6zvYiQF9O6lKvMsvuhJf7T18/s1600/IMG_4331.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOjLVF3w09690CC5OUjgyHhL1EuE57Ws11S2YmsPaL2WPVrOOq367VHDJqH2M0AVDOg5K9vQcdhgH6G0n-8PKY0SPUWxQAn2kd373dcrZQ3YfY5hu1je6zvYiQF9O6lKvMsvuhJf7T18/s640/IMG_4331.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
So after striking out in Target's stroller aisle, my mom and I ventured up to Buy Buy Baby, which involved a) braving Chicago traffic to go to a neighborhood I'd never been to, and b) a truly impressive parallel parking job on my part, <i>thankyouverymuch</i>. Both of us figured that a store that's entirely about baby stuff would have a better selection and more knowledgeable staff to help us out.<br />
<br />
We got to the stroller department, which immediately overwhelmed me because 1) there were so freaking many different kinds! and 2) they're not all intuitive to fold up. (Bear in mind that I'd been out and about for <i>hours</i> at this point, and my belly was aching all around my bump.) So we found a sales associate and asked for help.<br />
<br />
What followed went something like this. Note: italicized text represents my internal monologue.<br />
<br />
<b>Emily</b>: *clutching bottom of belly* "Hi! I'm looking for a lightweight stroller that'll work from birth through toddlerhood, and I absolutely don't want a travel system. Can you please show me what you have like that?"<br />
<b>Sales Associate</b>: "you know, a lot of people say they don't want a travel system, but then come in six months later to buy one because they've changed their mind."<br />
<b>Emily</b>: <i>well maybe, but I don't want one; why would I come back and buy one once the baby's gotten bigger, heavier, and able to hold up her neck on her own</i>? "I'm just interested in a non-travel system stroller that works for newborns as well as toddlers."<br />
<b>SA</b>: "alright, well we have this one. It's the floor model but it also comes in other colors."<br />
<b>Emily/Mom</b>: *looks at stroller, lifts it up, asks how it folds and reclines*<br />
<b>SA</b>: *while showing us how to recline the seat* "We have another one by the same brand that's much better because it has better wheels and a removable bassinet and --"<br />
<b>Mom</b>: "What's wrong with these wheels?"<br />
<b>Emily</b>: <i>where the hell am I supposed to stash a stroller bassinet in my apartment once she's old enough to ride in the normal part?</i><br />
<b>SA</b>: "Those wheels are not as big as on this one" *lifts stroller that costs $250 more off the shelf*<br />
<b>Mom</b>: *lines strollers up side by side, wheels them around, glances at the expression on my face, which is a combination of annoyance that he's trying to upsell up and pain because my belly is massive and I've been on my feel all day* "There's like a 5% difference in size here and it doesn't seem to make much difference"<br />
<b>Emily</b>: *grimacing* "Yeah. So do you have others like the first stroller?"<br />
<b>SA</b>: *sees it's time to switch tactics* "What a lot of people prefer about this [more expensive] stroller is that you can have the baby facing you as well as facing out. People like to have the baby facing them so you can keep an eye on them and share stories with them..."<br />
<b>Emily</b>: <i>share stories with your baby? What hack marketing guide did that phrase come from</i>?<br />
<b>SA</b>: "...So when you take the baby to the store and you're showing them 'that's a green apple, that's a red tomato, that's a yellow pepper,' you can actually show them and know that they see what you're looking at."<br />
<b>Emily</b>: <i>this is the clumsiest appeal in human history to a new mom's fear of not giving her child the enrichment she needs to eventually get into college. And my belly hurts </i><u style="font-style: italic;">so much</u>. "Ok. So do you have other ones like the first stroller that we could see?"<br />
<b>SA</b>: "Yeah, we have a lot like that" *makes no move to show us any other strollers that fit what I'm asking for*<br />
<b>Emily/Mom</b>: *exchanging A Look*<br />
<b>Emily</b>: "Great, thank you for your time."<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones or something, but this interaction really, really irked me. I felt like I'd driven all that way to the store and stood around for absolutely nothing. I felt vaguely insulted that I was being treated like I wasn't capable of deciding what kind of stroller I wanted to buy. I felt more insulted by the fact that this store apparently thinks new moms are stupid and gullible enough to fall for these sales tactics, and trained their sales staff accordingly. I felt frustrated because I really, really wanted to cross the stroller off of my to-buy list.<br />
<br />
So we left, and I'll be picking up a stroller on Amazon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-1647751741848861642017-09-28T05:41:00.000-07:002017-12-30T11:16:58.875-08:00Memento Mori<div style="text-align: justify;">
Being pregnant in 2017 feels a little like I'm having a child in the last third of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(novel)">On the Beach</a>. Even though I've literally never been more excited about anything else in my entire life, I can see the inexorable doom approaching.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uNeGK3zNzRCdDu8jGzAeZm7gZYyfQz7KErnn9LlB391FJCuGYh2AAfSYaIqISCbHgeEDU94FvWvPzRBH-Rj-IAdA9jc1gGH2G4tV7G1-IsCIW0WME4Gv-JS30PVeWSsJAPszyICF07o/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uNeGK3zNzRCdDu8jGzAeZm7gZYyfQz7KErnn9LlB391FJCuGYh2AAfSYaIqISCbHgeEDU94FvWvPzRBH-Rj-IAdA9jc1gGH2G4tV7G1-IsCIW0WME4Gv-JS30PVeWSsJAPszyICF07o/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>In case that first paragraph didn't clue you in, today's post falls into the category of 'heavy downer ruminations' rather than 'fun dress reviews.'<br />
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Surprisingly (if you don't know me well) or unsurprisingly (if you do, and know <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/something-noisy-this-way-comes.html">how I feel about babies</a>), my sense of impending disaster has very little to do with becoming responsible for another living thing's entire well-being. It's much more about the steady stream of bad news that assails me literally every time I catch a glimpse of the TV or my Twitter feed.<br />
<br />
World-ending nuclear holocaust has been <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/01/on-managing-anxiety.html">one of my top-three fears</a> ever since I was a little kid, so it's understandable that all this North Korea saber-rattling would also rattle my composure. Climate change is a more recent concern, but one that almost feels worse when you're in the middle of growing a human that's gonna have to deal with it. And it's not helping that this stupid Obamacare repeal that a majority of Americans (but a minority of Republican megadonors, apparently) opposes keeps rising from the dead like an unholy zombie Lazarus, either.<br />
<br />
I'm not usually one to avoid things that make me nervous, uncomfortable, or frightened, but this year, I've had to <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/01/on-managing-anxiety.html">change my habits a bit</a>. (Extreme anxiety can't be good for the baby, right? It's definitely not great for me!) And while it's a bit harder for me to c<a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/11/on-odd-coping-habits.html">ope by hauling out all my clothes</a> and trying them on, Jeff knows now to change the channel when the subject of North Korea comes up, for example, and that's helped me a lot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MfSLVCyYSLlTo27vc4JZMPxI-pk-sD3BiM-1D1Pe4n-tvOAUIPsyBbhwnybTOG3tI_CJyn-yBH8OpaFLFlgu2uby2-BQIwiXYIiLUG7MAWJLwCFYVyXmWK38tu8JKDDJu0pslSvRwDk/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MfSLVCyYSLlTo27vc4JZMPxI-pk-sD3BiM-1D1Pe4n-tvOAUIPsyBbhwnybTOG3tI_CJyn-yBH8OpaFLFlgu2uby2-BQIwiXYIiLUG7MAWJLwCFYVyXmWK38tu8JKDDJu0pslSvRwDk/s640/IMG_5115.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Sometimes, though, I think about all these extinction-level threats to humanity and it just makes me sad. This is the world my child will inherit. And it doesn't appear that she'll be able to expect a better world than the one I was born into. It makes me wonder where we collectively lost our way.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The other thing that I've been hyper conscious of since this pregnancy began is the circle of life. Maybe it's just because I ended up telling my family about the baby on the day my <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/remembrance-of-things-past.html">grandma passed away</a>, but I can't stop thinking about how someday this baby will be all that's left of my family. And I'm not quite sure how to get my mind off of that dreadful thought and refocus my attention on living in the moment.<br />
<br />
I suppose the advice I'd likely get here is to make the most of the time we all have together, since that's basically the only possible constructive response. And I fully intend to do this! I'm hoping it'll be a little easier to silence that consciousness of mortality once I'm too wrapped up in caring for a newborn to overthink everything. In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/things-im-thankful-for.html">things I'm grateful for</a>, spend some time looking through old photos and my collection of cards and letters from the people I love, and maybe make a few more lists about the things that make life sweet.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEnoQPhP_QDBWGTg0BEURJWvW0eHS-D99mNOL3rHGcKDcG40o5bFMQrqz_xC4IjKP29brsUehFNO8vi1zD6yuAUIBQ4E4nryWfzo5tr-m78MfsIwT2Wr-qW3wN8rVOxqiAV8l853TMBQ/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEnoQPhP_QDBWGTg0BEURJWvW0eHS-D99mNOL3rHGcKDcG40o5bFMQrqz_xC4IjKP29brsUehFNO8vi1zD6yuAUIBQ4E4nryWfzo5tr-m78MfsIwT2Wr-qW3wN8rVOxqiAV8l853TMBQ/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
How do you deal with thoughts like these? Any constructive coping suggestions would be greatly appreciated!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-60024553314799283752017-09-26T05:54:00.000-07:002017-09-26T05:54:04.687-07:00And the Livin' is Easy<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's finally fall, even though it's been ludicrously hot in Chicago for almost a week now. This summer was been <i>super</i> eventful, and it was such a nice change of pace from the first several months of the year! First, my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/shes-gone-to-plaid.html">mom came to visit</a>, and after spending one of the nicest weekends I've had all year with her, I had two days of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/members-only.html">Trashy Diva meetups</a> the very next weekend. I went to <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/vintage-garage-chicago.html">Vintage Garage Chicago</a> for the first time and scored some sweet new dresses and an epic suitcase, and Jeff and I had a lovely <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/babymoon">babymoon</a> around Chicago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_mZjNcMzNTIcsarGHPLG03AstZwRDYH3cZeYfK5HjiQtvU45PjWE8_VCVIZq-Ml4Kkc-equnVPFWlmkGmd0MhE6jnO71LFVHgsHeIWyE0afcSZ0hvqX29nosH6igA7awLBaEMyh_ofE/s1600/purple+deadly+dames+hawaiian+hideaway.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="purple deadly dames hawaiian hideaway dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_mZjNcMzNTIcsarGHPLG03AstZwRDYH3cZeYfK5HjiQtvU45PjWE8_VCVIZq-Ml4Kkc-equnVPFWlmkGmd0MhE6jnO71LFVHgsHeIWyE0afcSZ0hvqX29nosH6igA7awLBaEMyh_ofE/s640/purple+deadly+dames+hawaiian+hideaway.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Oh, and after almost two years without it, I got my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-bus-is-back.html">beloved car</a> back, along with a bonus visit from <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-ive-learned-from-my-parents.html">my dad</a>!<br />
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While the pace has slowed a bit as I've entered the final countdown to baby, Jeff and I have still managed to get out for some fun here and there. One of my favorite things to do once the late-summer heat (temporarily) cooled to liveable levels was strolling around the parks in our neighborhood. A few weeks ago, we finally visited a park we'd driven past for <i>two years</i>: Washington Park, on Chicago's South Side. I thought it would be a nice place to look around and take a few photos, but it turned out to be one of the loveliest places we've gone in ages!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIhRIXQBYm8w2Y371DHrsgrfxhflt-ZqDTtquLVqjG9hxzXepNyfpiZTmxTy76M1gNdKGBN2xx8iWHLNMln-AX9aGuGK98Qk8Tc7EIKMfrAeZNpwyLCpXGcf-Eump-USQz9EyqDNxZR8/s1600/purple+deadly+dames+hawaiian+hideaway+on+a+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="purple deadly dames hawaiian hideaway" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIhRIXQBYm8w2Y371DHrsgrfxhflt-ZqDTtquLVqjG9hxzXepNyfpiZTmxTy76M1gNdKGBN2xx8iWHLNMln-AX9aGuGK98Qk8Tc7EIKMfrAeZNpwyLCpXGcf-Eump-USQz9EyqDNxZR8/s640/purple+deadly+dames+hawaiian+hideaway+on+a+bridge.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z29VnE660r2_926wz_Ji7RN0x7cAlX-riFDxaaY0oYhj9QWdDWuDDNaQOZG2YmLQXpxqnqGT0-_MCcSMEfNhRS5a_XgaXFNdcK8lMpMZvvKgYASpc8C_kCJ5L3_9ix2jm9O-SYh1nkI/s1600/so+many+trees%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Z29VnE660r2_926wz_Ji7RN0x7cAlX-riFDxaaY0oYhj9QWdDWuDDNaQOZG2YmLQXpxqnqGT0-_MCcSMEfNhRS5a_XgaXFNdcK8lMpMZvvKgYASpc8C_kCJ5L3_9ix2jm9O-SYh1nkI/s640/so+many+trees%2521.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've said it <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/babymoon-walk-in-park.html">before</a>, but <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/lincoln-park-zoo.html">Chicago's green spaces</a> never cease to amaze me. New York gets a ton of credit for Central Park (which is gorgeous, of course), but for the sheer park-to-neighborhood ratio, I think Chicago gives my favorite city in the world a run for its money! The parks here are beautiful and so well-maintained that they look like the pictures in a book, and I'm constantly amazed by how much effort and thought clearly went to creating public spaces here.<br />
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I'm also impressed by Chicago parks when I think back on life in LA. The parks in LA were fewer and further between, but it also seemed as though they never attracted as many people as the green spaces in Chicago do. At first this was perplexing, since LA is the land of year-round perfect weather. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made to me that folks here would want to take advantage of the brief 5-6 months of decent weather we get here each year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEjWBYL48KvbzZTS_VV5zMmiMG4L6r3Efwr_JMSM705Z-Qyr7pYBOb3YTjYaNk43PgyVtewzpcJcQ0sbD90burbWMkSkuGB_KoNez_qap6WNYXpnaRTZXK-8QMwOf5Ng8ZnXpD5nud0k/s1600/take+me+to+the+river.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEjWBYL48KvbzZTS_VV5zMmiMG4L6r3Efwr_JMSM705Z-Qyr7pYBOb3YTjYaNk43PgyVtewzpcJcQ0sbD90burbWMkSkuGB_KoNez_qap6WNYXpnaRTZXK-8QMwOf5Ng8ZnXpD5nud0k/s640/take+me+to+the+river.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Let's pretend I was thinking Deep Thoughts when this was taken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdeBn9gDWwLl_UYF3MP8QoORYHH1dpp7gsg8k_KDdmfY1KRLknCHM-VPhSPt97UGfct780L_GHBNQFOI1n-OXzFbUUXcPSUamOQ6y-7DP8RD5QJRVi9qx-phtg6_WGFoCaKDzSeTylYo/s1600/verdant+AF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdeBn9gDWwLl_UYF3MP8QoORYHH1dpp7gsg8k_KDdmfY1KRLknCHM-VPhSPt97UGfct780L_GHBNQFOI1n-OXzFbUUXcPSUamOQ6y-7DP8RD5QJRVi9qx-phtg6_WGFoCaKDzSeTylYo/s640/verdant+AF.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Since Jeff and I wanted to get over to the park while the weather was still comfortable, I decided to <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/barefaced-and-fancy-free.html">forgo makeup</a>. I've been wearing it less and less, even to work, and honestly, it's nice to feel like it's really my choice when I decide to get all dolled up!<br />
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Even though this wasn't a particularly tropical setting, I couldn't resist wearing my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/on-milestones-my-200th-post.html">Hawaiian Hideaway</a> dress to ramble around the park. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have all three colors of this dress, because it's one of the best-made sundresses I've ever put on my body. I adore the print, the massive phone-hiding pockets, and the full circle skirt, though I kept a lid on the twirling for once as I've gotten a little too pregnant to safely spin in circles!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39RD7OGfJ6TSF6A42cIlrMXBXugaDx3gbvZaZ-3vZB2ld5Ibk2LhIWOfBKZ8DjiBYtFSCoXJDJLxuVdnIgFlEnIKoNX-CopbovsZOpqhC2uwiTUffzaMirJQ8IwaJpZbSYmpdoTMAvi4/s1600/purple+hawaiian+hideaway.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39RD7OGfJ6TSF6A42cIlrMXBXugaDx3gbvZaZ-3vZB2ld5Ibk2LhIWOfBKZ8DjiBYtFSCoXJDJLxuVdnIgFlEnIKoNX-CopbovsZOpqhC2uwiTUffzaMirJQ8IwaJpZbSYmpdoTMAvi4/s640/purple+hawaiian+hideaway.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsNc-WFJMjW5A0uYjXJXmQ2O-RQDpsQsy2PXn2BMZjniVcI6s-BkAgfjyMqrwdh9_tBl0uvv2pguuQ409Og1y95Nsne7rQUr9u6_RDwxINV8_BTU-HiWzJhCSolS76AZFdpRxfPhyphenhyphenvAo/s1600/full+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsNc-WFJMjW5A0uYjXJXmQ2O-RQDpsQsy2PXn2BMZjniVcI6s-BkAgfjyMqrwdh9_tBl0uvv2pguuQ409Og1y95Nsne7rQUr9u6_RDwxINV8_BTU-HiWzJhCSolS76AZFdpRxfPhyphenhyphenvAo/s640/full+sun.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Although I'm feeling a bit too tired to venture out for one last pre-baby jaunt around the park, I'm looking forward to exploring the park next to the <a href="http://www.msichicago.org/">Museum of Science and Industry</a> after she's born. It was part of the grounds for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and apparently there are still little relics of the Exposition scattered throughout the park. Stay tuned, though: I know I'll drag Jeff over there soon, and <i>there will be pictures</i>!<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-58201862549735139622017-09-23T07:49:00.000-07:002017-09-29T19:52:25.886-07:00Maternity Style Hacks<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I got pregnant, I had three main goals with respect to my maternity wardrobe. First, I wanted to avoid wearing boring, generic maternity wear as much as I possibly could. Second, I wanted to <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-bumpin.html">wear my prepregnancy wardrobe</a> for as long as I could, because I really like my current clothes. Finally, as much as humanly possible, I wanted to buy things that would <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/hot-mama.html">work as well after my pregnancy</a> as they did during. At eight months and change into this pregnancy thing, I'm pretty happy with how I'd done so far, so today I'm sharing some of the top maternity style hacks that have gotten me this far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliE3sJF4lS1VQZJFm6xVTKCXLoH4-4Zgub9rUVjJvyLUPZ8jsldbAd-VRMqJL8gRMekcXcX6ihghI8uFZclT-R67psEJlR9YqLKl780ED26eNyGsqniqldC1YP42A4vyTsuBL1secEKk/s1600/World%2527s+biggest+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliE3sJF4lS1VQZJFm6xVTKCXLoH4-4Zgub9rUVjJvyLUPZ8jsldbAd-VRMqJL8gRMekcXcX6ihghI8uFZclT-R67psEJlR9YqLKl780ED26eNyGsqniqldC1YP42A4vyTsuBL1secEKk/s640/World%2527s+biggest+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
<b><a name='more'></a>1-4 Months</b></h3>
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I'll be honest with you: I spent the first trimester either <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/im-back.html">sick with worry</a> or sick with the literal flu, so I actually ended up losing weight in the second and third months. (As you can guess, this freaked me out, because I'm a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/01/on-managing-anxiety.html">known worrywart</a>.)<br />
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However, I did experience one of the more common symptoms of early pregnancy: extremely sore breasts. So when I wasn't lying in bed trying to get over the various bugs I caught in the first few months and actually had to get dressed, comfort was my first concern. And because my bust measurements changed well before I had a legitimate baby bump, many of my tighter dresses stopped zipping over the bust altogether toward the end of the first trimester.<br />
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It was also the dead of winter, so I needed to stay warm. Challenge accepted!<br />
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I had three main solutions in the first trimester and early second trimester. First, I wore the everloving heck out of my comfy, stretchier woven swing dresses, like my Collectif Dolores wiggle, my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/02/collectif-delphine-review.html">Collectif Delphine</a> swing, and my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/03/hell-bunny-sonia-review.html">Hell Bunny Sonia</a> dress. These were comfortable, allowed me to layer petticoat(s) underneath as needed to combat the freezing cold, and easy to style when I was overwhelmed by the effort of getting out of bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gdtWoYvE9vsXH7In7KVBs0vgVs-iuurZllzCkx58kwT9GOuzjmWIWHaE3_bYcSW39RSmXVVUiOquq1VBLKatsBDt0UBhxPoOzn-KBmsBibQZhDn14ExqcvzrA2C1qZUqMlp7PbXiCFc/s1600/Swing+Dresses+Months+1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Collectif dolores bloom delphine swing Hell Bunny Sonia" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gdtWoYvE9vsXH7In7KVBs0vgVs-iuurZllzCkx58kwT9GOuzjmWIWHaE3_bYcSW39RSmXVVUiOquq1VBLKatsBDt0UBhxPoOzn-KBmsBibQZhDn14ExqcvzrA2C1qZUqMlp7PbXiCFc/s640/Swing+Dresses+Months+1-4.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Second, I wore plenty of jersey dresses, including some of my favorite wiggle dresses and <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/hot-mama.html">Effie's Heart</a> numbers. As counterintuitive as it may sound to wear something as clingy as a wiggle when you're pregnant and haven't told anyone, a stretchy wiggle is one of the most comfy things you can wear (no waistband, no problem!), and it's easy to layer a long cardigan over it if you need extra warmth or coverage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirSfrb4pCSBagNgxgOVDxA_VyKU97JVsem8FQiCVNwXGHAKITq3RxSpYOfpKS2XOz3UC_HF2fEm8TnW308iGGhpk4AAhyphenhyphennp38i-i3u3yAvQ50G5L4qVbhTRofcDpSKcpAVya9rrh92hE/s1600/Jersey+Dresses+Months+1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirSfrb4pCSBagNgxgOVDxA_VyKU97JVsem8FQiCVNwXGHAKITq3RxSpYOfpKS2XOz3UC_HF2fEm8TnW308iGGhpk4AAhyphenhyphennp38i-i3u3yAvQ50G5L4qVbhTRofcDpSKcpAVya9rrh92hE/s640/Jersey+Dresses+Months+1-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, I started wearing separates a lot more than I ever did before, because you can wear a stretchy top with a cute novelty-print skirt and feel like your normal self without engaging in accidental chest-binding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7aZ51hROFnIVdNnmWv-kYMPBoGqTQ_XepSwxmneS4-j6vRqKlV_i3j4Z5P0getJe2mt2eYJXGWRIWSb6J0fFtWqvng788mOlCMCNntmGjOeAkbTFtXXe_ZZl1H1J4CTk05pgaQ4B15g/s1600/Separates+Months+1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="pregnancy style hacks" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7aZ51hROFnIVdNnmWv-kYMPBoGqTQ_XepSwxmneS4-j6vRqKlV_i3j4Z5P0getJe2mt2eYJXGWRIWSb6J0fFtWqvng788mOlCMCNntmGjOeAkbTFtXXe_ZZl1H1J4CTk05pgaQ4B15g/s640/Separates+Months+1-4.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
4-6 Months</h3>
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Once the second trimester began, I had two goals: stay comfortable, and keep my pregnancy under wraps at work until my boss returned from his travels and I had an opportunity to give him the news in person. I started getting a baby bump around eighteen weeks or so, which meant that swing skirts were my best friend. Thankfully, it stays cold in Chicago until mid-May, which meant I could use my petticoats for extra bump camouflage up until my boss came back when I was 20 weeks pregnant!<br />
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While I was <i>super</i> excited to finally have a baby bump, it meant that a few of the dresses I'd relied on were no longer a viable option, since the waistband was too tight. I had two solutions for this: first, I ended up wearing even more separates. Rather than wearing my skirts at my natural waist, I simply <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-bumpin.html">hiked them up above the bump</a>, to the smallest part of my rapidly-disappearing waist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoa0a3ODJYP1wt7ZmIFEsouKfNdEo654N2EQegVuxIX9ySySMN_RGXa1xA1QWmLYnQC7knAAaY8HHNpfOLJoEmH6ZBnZnc-muYtLCsjg0u7UCmqswWBl32Jc7zxs09kHyicfv14D4mxQ/s1600/Separates+Months+4-6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoa0a3ODJYP1wt7ZmIFEsouKfNdEo654N2EQegVuxIX9ySySMN_RGXa1xA1QWmLYnQC7knAAaY8HHNpfOLJoEmH6ZBnZnc-muYtLCsjg0u7UCmqswWBl32Jc7zxs09kHyicfv14D4mxQ/s640/Separates+Months+4-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My second lifehack, without which I would not have survived this far, is quite simple: <i>elastic panels</i>! I did not sufficiently recognize the glory that is the stretchy back panel until I hit 20 weeks and realized that I couldn't comfortably zip most of my non-stretch dresses past my waist any longer.<br />
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Fortunately, it's easy to find stylish pinup/vintage-style dresses <i>and</i> skirts with elastic shirring panels in the back, and at a range of prices to boot! My beloved Modcloth gingham skirt was in heavy rotation from 20-34ish weeks, as were both of my Pinup Girl circle skirts. And once I realized that elastic shirring in a dress will ensure that you can wear it as your bust <i>and</i> waist measurements change, I basically stopped buying dresses that didn't have it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp90zskNVtjzVwQMIpmglIhCjajcPprd1304-z8uSVfAB6nw8LihyG4Ti9DMvViqnA4ckNnTgwdAiiSP8LEjyu0rRhXTrZzz7hrPgS5dILOEd3Qd1hIno-FyUURFKyRr-fJeGt7X34vY/s1600/Collectif+stretchy+back+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="collectif fairy doll tiki sundress" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp90zskNVtjzVwQMIpmglIhCjajcPprd1304-z8uSVfAB6nw8LihyG4Ti9DMvViqnA4ckNnTgwdAiiSP8LEjyu0rRhXTrZzz7hrPgS5dILOEd3Qd1hIno-FyUURFKyRr-fJeGt7X34vY/s640/Collectif+stretchy+back+dress.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wore this Collectif dress <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/shelter-island-hallockfest.html">so much this summer</a> that it deserves a photo all by itself.</div>
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Here are a few of my favorite elastic-panel dress styles:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/pirate-treasure.html">Trashy Diva Trixie</a> (especially in <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-lilac-atomic-age.html">stretch cotton</a> or <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-trashy-diva-trixie-in-ruffled.html">stretch rayon</a>!)</li>
<li><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-bus-is-back.html">Trashy Diva Lena</a></li>
<li><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/dogwood-lamour.html">Trashy Diva L'amour</a></li>
<li>Collectif Fairy Doll <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/lincoln-park-zoo.html">sundress</a></li>
<li>the <a href="https://www.lebombshop.net/collections/clothing-shoes-accessories-womens-clothing-dresses-1/products/eleanor-paige-pinup-halter-sun-dress-aqua-garden">Eleanor Paige sundress</a> from Le Bomb Shop (cute <i>and</i> budget friendly!)</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudYJ_qs4C7Yyv-FGrDD7L2RDDO6iZhVjacmdAPt7CNXMgGBzZtdvALmFI4bePu30lXcliIrujE0GwdWqSnd7f3Mc-FIPkGZKg6PksiBoQt3gr-kow3ds9FPkSBmQyhLPnOVLqII9e-d4/s1600/TD+stretch+Months+4-6+alt.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudYJ_qs4C7Yyv-FGrDD7L2RDDO6iZhVjacmdAPt7CNXMgGBzZtdvALmFI4bePu30lXcliIrujE0GwdWqSnd7f3Mc-FIPkGZKg6PksiBoQt3gr-kow3ds9FPkSBmQyhLPnOVLqII9e-d4/s640/TD+stretch+Months+4-6+alt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Left to right: Trashy Diva Lena, Trixie, and L'amour.</div>
<br />
<h3>
6-7 Months</h3>
<br />
To get through the end of the second trimester and the start of the third, when your waist threatens to disappear entirely and belts start to disappear into the shrinking space between your bust and your bump, I've got two words for you: <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-trashy-diva-wildflowers-streetcar.html">dresses as skirts</a>!<br />
<br />
This handy little trick let me wear my Bernie Dexter dresses again, even though they haven't fit as dresses since the end of the first trimester!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcZRNH91gYl-TkfIo-bYo04lCmXFMVwaDOJaEVxHBU9ujc5Q4DNOawUEelQkMQjnPyYbngrkyZykmbYBu1VIpeIGw_z1K671hfHImDGkJMxKGDp7YGVhbPOmZx8MbbfQV3nHauk4DgX8/s1600/Dresses+as+Skirts+Months+6-7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcZRNH91gYl-TkfIo-bYo04lCmXFMVwaDOJaEVxHBU9ujc5Q4DNOawUEelQkMQjnPyYbngrkyZykmbYBu1VIpeIGw_z1K671hfHImDGkJMxKGDp7YGVhbPOmZx8MbbfQV3nHauk4DgX8/s640/Dresses+as+Skirts+Months+6-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And since this stage of my pregnancy coincided with the dead of summer, I found myself digging out my favorite Effie's Heart sundresses. Bonus: the high-low hem effect created by my baby bump made me more on-trend than usual!<br />
<br />
Finally, in the sixth month, I picked up a few secondhand dresses a size larger than my usual, and then wore them with the waistband hiked up above my bump. After all, it's a bit much to expect that I'd go the full nine months without <i>any</i> new pretties, isn't it? I especially liked getting these secondhand because you can typically request actual flat garment measurements when buying clothes through an online swap group, so you can be sure they'll fit. (Also, secondhand dresses cost less, which means more money for all the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/bye-bye-buy-buy-baby.html">stuff you'll need for baby</a>!)<br />
<br />
I also recommend <a href="https://www.lindybop.co.uk/">Lindy Bop</a> if you're looking to scratch that new-dress itch with something you can wear during pregnancy without breaking the bank. I've found that their swing dresses often have a less extreme waist-to-bust ratio than many other retro-repro brands, which is quite useful when your waist has all but vanished. In addition, their Corinna dress is super cute <i>and</i> has elastic smocking at the back, and they periodically offer amazing sales that let you scoop up a few dresses that you won't feel bad about reselling or donating after pregnancy.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsLLgRRnLyts61oKlzQzMyt_Hi78kiAYuLKGe2r8jOI9NS7R8bFaJRtnVacuxdaWPYuV1XDoN_0i7xr69OKII1d864knEHxzYu2mPTUG9jeNrabKAo4SBkoiakCA9BdoGv0dO9JY_6RA/s1600/One+size+up+Months+6-7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsLLgRRnLyts61oKlzQzMyt_Hi78kiAYuLKGe2r8jOI9NS7R8bFaJRtnVacuxdaWPYuV1XDoN_0i7xr69OKII1d864knEHxzYu2mPTUG9jeNrabKAo4SBkoiakCA9BdoGv0dO9JY_6RA/s640/One+size+up+Months+6-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Left to right: <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/babymoon-walk-in-park.html">secondhand</a>, <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">new</a> <a href="https://emilyandfin.co.uk/">Emily and Fin</a>, <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/on-haters-again.html">secondhand</a></div>
<br />
<h3>
7-8 Months</h3>
<br />
Sometime around 33 weeks into this pregnancy, I realized that waistbands and I needed to part ways for a few months. Fortunately, I got my hands on an <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/vintage-handy-woman.html">amazing vintage dress</a> right around that tipping point. It's the perfect combination for late pregnancy: a full-ish skirt joined to a princess-seamed bodice with a smocked back.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhpQcCNKxqOmv5AFiRlfUNw2-WGEPzMZ-V4esKcgvvLr6iB_8n2kisxbZpCVqiYUxMfcUKZUVQ1GL5zaMMRWFIYKhDz4B9YY5Dx2erdBmKAtPokWSaZT9IebVXAyg3x2YyqKnW5QzoBw/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhpQcCNKxqOmv5AFiRlfUNw2-WGEPzMZ-V4esKcgvvLr6iB_8n2kisxbZpCVqiYUxMfcUKZUVQ1GL5zaMMRWFIYKhDz4B9YY5Dx2erdBmKAtPokWSaZT9IebVXAyg3x2YyqKnW5QzoBw/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Around this point, I also surrendered to the inevitable and started throwing some bona fide maternity clothes into the mix. Given how uncomfortable late pregnancy is, and how much your belly grows near the end, it's just not worth it to suffer through an eight-hour day at your desk just so you can look cute.<br />
<br />
But to combat boredom, I mixed it up on the weekends, wearing my larger, stretchier dresses or converting dresses that no longer zipped to skirts and wearing them over maternity tops or wiggles. And in keeping with my preferred aesthetic, I've stayed away from trapeze- or maxi-style maternity dresses in favor of bodycon/wiggle dresses and one or two shift dresses.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagNXVI8EyrXnW-HVK7QtgKqKsa3poF2OmGyp6hyUO0_OecxCEqKVZxmZdQW0wQw0oIZNv2JyXiq2SCRu00Q2UZHhIsyei7BT0cieT8tqeSTgeTyw31EFKKHd960ffCTEhRXnVygdEe08/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagNXVI8EyrXnW-HVK7QtgKqKsa3poF2OmGyp6hyUO0_OecxCEqKVZxmZdQW0wQw0oIZNv2JyXiq2SCRu00Q2UZHhIsyei7BT0cieT8tqeSTgeTyw31EFKKHd960ffCTEhRXnVygdEe08/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This dress is the only thing I've bought at Macy's in at least five years.</div>
<br />
Oddly, my maternity dresses are the closest thing to business casual that I've worn in <i>years</i>. The prints are more subdued and I'm not quite sure what to make of them. For the most part, I've solved this problem by sticking to my usual glittery brooches, novelty purses, and the odd hair flower here and there.<br />
<br />
<h3>
8+ Months</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
This has been a brave new world for me. As of the beginning of Week 37, I've shifted to wearing my maternity wardrobe to work nearly exclusively, saving my other style hacks (dresses as skirts, dresses in the next size up, and super-stretchy jersey swing dresses) for the weekends. It's become enough of a struggle to reach my feet that I've also given in and started wearing flip flops or my new ugly slides to work.<br />
<br />
Believe it or not, my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-leopard-vixen-wiggle-dress.html">Vixen wiggle dress</a> somehow still fits, and thankfully, it's gotten cooler here just in time for me to comfortably wear it to work!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_2FpeWai7Mq1mla4YKENIBGBbAT2OhvrIFtS8mWQlFMiFzenNbvoooHZ0bGBfkDc_YHOm0OYjJxXtECxkf77RB8dtEFawqPs7VNmrUrm6WS29xjuilVS1_T8eeNJINoktWNjyMNaSbo/s1600/Vixen+then+and+now.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_2FpeWai7Mq1mla4YKENIBGBbAT2OhvrIFtS8mWQlFMiFzenNbvoooHZ0bGBfkDc_YHOm0OYjJxXtECxkf77RB8dtEFawqPs7VNmrUrm6WS29xjuilVS1_T8eeNJINoktWNjyMNaSbo/s640/Vixen+then+and+now.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My Vixen wiggle in November 2016 and September 2017. MAGIC.</div>
<br />
All told, I have seven actual maternity dresses, all of which are jersey or stretchy knits. I've bought more than seven dresses over the course of this pregnancy, but when buying non-maternity wear, I've tried to pick things that will work during pregnancy <i>and</i> be nursing-friendly, so I can get more use of them after the baby is born.<br />
<br />
When shopping for maternity wear, comfort and price have been my top priorities. I got four dresses from Old Navy, two from ASOS, and one from Macy's, and didn't spend very much on any of them. I've also picked up some maternity and nursing tank tops from Old Navy, and have really made the most of those Super Cash offers they periodically do to get a bunch of stuff on the cheap.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb6tQTzVuEpEhRUPnMgdjvvRT-6siDm57t54qsrxIY4bfDOP7sV8u4rw2G3_TPKpUl_fJpzkMbEI7OeDmwGcjdyWVth2xdg8vN3G6HBjBdAEtSYXA6vpcCRsLayDEnSyukCdRnqtc-kk/s1600/Actual+Maternity+Dresses+8%252B.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb6tQTzVuEpEhRUPnMgdjvvRT-6siDm57t54qsrxIY4bfDOP7sV8u4rw2G3_TPKpUl_fJpzkMbEI7OeDmwGcjdyWVth2xdg8vN3G6HBjBdAEtSYXA6vpcCRsLayDEnSyukCdRnqtc-kk/s640/Actual+Maternity+Dresses+8%252B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Actual maternity wear, feat. <i>pants</i>. (Sort of).</div>
<br />
Finally, I nabbed a few pairs of leggings, sweaters, and long-sleeved tees from Destination Maternity way back in March, when all of their fall and winter stuff was on clearance. If, like me, you aren't a huge fan of casual separates, I think shopping for late pregnancy half a year ahead is a good way to minimize spending on stuff you need but don't really want. Just be aware: if you typically wear exclusively retro-reproduction and true vintage, it's a good idea to run to a maternity store to try things on and get a sense of your size in contemporary clothing. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
So there you have it: my top tips to making it (almost) all the way through your pregnancy without giving up your favorite vintage-style threads! If you have tips of your own for navigating maternity style without too much maternity-wear, I'd love to hear about them, so drop me a line in the comments and let me know how you coped!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-8144185164764288902017-09-21T05:52:00.000-07:002017-09-21T05:52:07.346-07:00A Body Positivity Setback<div style="text-align: justify;">
About two weeks ago, I encountered the biggest stumbling block on my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/body%20acceptance%20journey">body-positivity journey</a>, and unsurprisingly, it's pregnancy-related: stretch marks.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdysGzikBEEB2gFraifllIpKkByd-TWjjD4VQwzmjNF9UEsrT0wmjlVtxctb8JLB_J_RrMuADM_Ch-Lvs8Zs4UNW9VLeak-mMMK1_OBkXuaGeN0rfje3krZl_RZlAq8g3GhLKGdBEg6-o/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdysGzikBEEB2gFraifllIpKkByd-TWjjD4VQwzmjNF9UEsrT0wmjlVtxctb8JLB_J_RrMuADM_Ch-Lvs8Zs4UNW9VLeak-mMMK1_OBkXuaGeN0rfje3krZl_RZlAq8g3GhLKGdBEg6-o/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I must say, it really took me by surprise. Scars aren't something that's ever bothered me much in the past: I have an inch-long scar on the point of my chin from a mishap on the first day of first grade, and I've never given it a moment's thought. Same goes for the assorted cuts that have faded to dull scars over the years.<br />
<br />
But for some reason, these stretch marks really got me down. After a few months of having no idea what my belly looked like below what I've started referring to as the equator of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">my bump</a> (i.e. the widest part), I was feeling super itchy, so I leaned <i>wayyyy</i> back and took a look in the mirror to see if something was wrong. And GASP! Radiating out from either side of my bump were purple spiderwebby stretch marks.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HXX60efvKV2LkD-L1fYDVUX6shCdN_QjgwvgmJpslGI_S_Ipn9847Sk7uJlu9j27HMfddV6zocqWQ7PPqH8Dt9H-18zy8Pcco4Uc7RnWu0ENFPmDCwnFAoMv6R0B5wrd_erhxROGblk/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HXX60efvKV2LkD-L1fYDVUX6shCdN_QjgwvgmJpslGI_S_Ipn9847Sk7uJlu9j27HMfddV6zocqWQ7PPqH8Dt9H-18zy8Pcco4Uc7RnWu0ENFPmDCwnFAoMv6R0B5wrd_erhxROGblk/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
A noisy reaction ensued ("I think I have stretch marks?!? <i>Jeff, there are stretch marks ahhhh</i>"), followed quickly by tears. Many, many tears, and more noisy lamentations.<br />
<br />
At this point, I'm honestly not quite sure why it upset me so much. I knew going into this whole <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/something-noisy-this-way-comes.html">pregnancy thing</a> that it would change my body, and that some of those changes would be irrevocable. And apart from worrying that some of my favorite unicorn dresses might not fit anymore after the baby, I was not especially worried about those changes.<br />
<br />
But the stretch marks really knocked me for a loop. I found myself worrying about how they'd look when I wore a bathing suit, even though 1) I go swimming <i>maybe</i> once a year and 2) I don't usually think about how I look at the beach, because I am there to have fun and I don't much care how other people think I look. I found myself worrying about what Jeff would think, even though I've no reason to feel insecure in our relationship.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBVUvNv37W7gwehdo-qnlGbF8N1m5mVaY1IRvSQMfIA4HuXasZ-vsN9LkV3_WxBz6yJK8MNohsDaaBi-DnvtxLiUz380zxosNl8YM1t1FqoaYR_V6blufcHrI6ymr9mmIUuctIyJUja0/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBVUvNv37W7gwehdo-qnlGbF8N1m5mVaY1IRvSQMfIA4HuXasZ-vsN9LkV3_WxBz6yJK8MNohsDaaBi-DnvtxLiUz380zxosNl8YM1t1FqoaYR_V6blufcHrI6ymr9mmIUuctIyJUja0/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Mostly, I just felt sad and afraid.<br />
<br />
And realizing that actually helped me to sort out why these silly, inconsequential stretch marks bothered me so much -- once I'd calmed down and gotten a chance to reflect, that is.<br />
<br />
I've made jokes on here about what a <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-day-in-my-life.html">creature of habit</a> I am, but honestly, I'm really not great with major life changes. No matter how much I want them, or how excited about them I am, they absolutely terrify me. Exhibit A: I spent the summer before leaving for my <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/09/big-in-japan.html">semester in Japan</a> being a miserable, grumpy piece of work and sleeping poorly out of nerves. Exhibit B: I did the same thing two summers later, right before my move to Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
And giving birth <i>terrifies</i> me. I find myself laying awake worrying about it, cursing the people who post articles on Facebook about childbirth complications and thinking of all the horror stories I've heard. I worry about gaining too much weight with this pregnancy not because I particularly care how much weight I gain or whether it takes a long time to lose it afterward, but because I don't want the baby to grow so much that I need a cesarean. (And why am I so worried about the cesarean? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the scar, and everything to do with the recovery time and my fear of surgery.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijJqZ8X4bddgu6nrunV4FLxy4qAdWSIi3cpm5DQHFPf8-3gKgb0KHp1PH6A5cyC9ztQfa7hGS2LQEADCGsygA2k2QAO6tkLxhNuxxJXnj9LRt_f_jAzWAGgCi5M7naLTwekCYxZX28EI/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijJqZ8X4bddgu6nrunV4FLxy4qAdWSIi3cpm5DQHFPf8-3gKgb0KHp1PH6A5cyC9ztQfa7hGS2LQEADCGsygA2k2QAO6tkLxhNuxxJXnj9LRt_f_jAzWAGgCi5M7naLTwekCYxZX28EI/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
I find myself dwelling on the post-delivery health problems I've read about, and worrying not that my body won't <i>look</i> the same, but that it <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-body-positive-manifesto.html">won't <i>work</i> the same</a>. That it won't work as well.<br />
<br />
And so even though stretch marks are purely a matter of appearance, for some reason, this completely normal and common pregnancy side effect has me worrying about all the other indelible and less benign physical changes I might experience after having this baby.<br />
<br />
I guess it's time to finish reading that book about mindfulness and birthing that my friend sent me.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrn5xpBLsl4kBM-C-jY3pCWibyaakn4KPq0n15l2yMXLbzdKRpx6dslP0g72RsJPIUAbOOqaRcqLgDb3pumUggWCZe7x7dc3M9Py-nrlVDiqGopxIxs4xOYA8xVAHpye62TS1-wLK1qg/s1600/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrn5xpBLsl4kBM-C-jY3pCWibyaakn4KPq0n15l2yMXLbzdKRpx6dslP0g72RsJPIUAbOOqaRcqLgDb3pumUggWCZe7x7dc3M9Py-nrlVDiqGopxIxs4xOYA8xVAHpye62TS1-wLK1qg/s640/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And in the meantime, I'll do my best to focus on the here and now, and not borrow trouble that might not even come to pass. These stretch marks, in and of themselves, aren't bad. They're basically a tattoo that I didn't design or choose on a part of my body that I rarely have occasion to see (ah, the life of a style blogger who doesn't own a full-length mirror...) As for what they signify, or more accurately, what I <i>fear</i> they <i>might</i> signify: I'll cross any and all of those bridges when I must, and not before.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-188197016073361632017-09-19T05:39:00.000-07:002017-09-19T05:39:07.555-07:00Lindy Bop Sale Haul<div style="text-align: justify;">
If I'm honest with you, it's been years since I thought about ordering from Lindy Bop. When I first started wearing retro-reproduction, I snagged several Lindy Bop frocks from Amazon (because free shipping > <a href="http://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/08/review-retrospecd-hawaiian-dream.html">paying for international shipping</a>). Two of them were massively successful, but I ended up selling the other two because the skirts just weren't full enough for my taste and the shelf-bust styles they offer looked a bit awkward on me. But over Labor Day weekend, I found myself unable to resist the siren song of incredibly cheap dresses in adorable prints.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9Z9caQ6upCDwNz5rJNuy1j92l4jftQpXclArVq4nAGUUQo4FnME4c0e9IqrD-0C_EKGt7CgyvM51fHkqf0hKoR2jyeys08H9Bb7A1mk8CLExrMaU0CEBod_nBlbKgWyVvcGceY2qe3g/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9Z9caQ6upCDwNz5rJNuy1j92l4jftQpXclArVq4nAGUUQo4FnME4c0e9IqrD-0C_EKGt7CgyvM51fHkqf0hKoR2jyeys08H9Bb7A1mk8CLExrMaU0CEBod_nBlbKgWyVvcGceY2qe3g/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Turns out that this complete failure to exercise impulse control was actually a wonderful thing!<br />
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I'd been eyeing both of these prints on some of my Insta-pals for agessss, so I was absolutely delighted that both were still available in my size in my preferred style: the <a href="https://www.lindybop.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=marlene">Marlene dress</a>. $55 and one week later, I had both of these dresses in my hands, plus a T-shirt with dachshunds on it (!!!) and some winter-wonderland novelty print tights!<br />
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Sadly, the T-shirt was confusingly enormous relative to the size chart, but by some magic, both of the dresses fit over my pregnant belly just perfectly! I went with a UK14 in both, even though the size chart made me a bit nervous that they'd be too small in the bust. But in the past, I usually took a medium/<a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/03/moms-birthday-bash.html">UK12 in Lindy Bop</a> when I was a bit smaller overall in addition to not being pregnant, so I crossed my fingers and went with one size up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIzY9ejRltc1o0ydekZa_y0Puc3jJ1-uykPaykG1zoojheJfVotIFQBybp0PZAEOy4uwIY_O8Buc7VMGKJwVxuWxKuVFi-gvpHlOKxJTEB22def7gpCuYz_3P1U1vHmRRxvn3fI530ww/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Lindy Bop Marlene Pink Safari Swing Dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIzY9ejRltc1o0ydekZa_y0Puc3jJ1-uykPaykG1zoojheJfVotIFQBybp0PZAEOy4uwIY_O8Buc7VMGKJwVxuWxKuVFi-gvpHlOKxJTEB22def7gpCuYz_3P1U1vHmRRxvn3fI530ww/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe02JhJYP1Cg1rLW2Mv-hAFh-dCCbHaZJXg2f33LzSkjsQ-oQ3YMmtZs3b5jz7BqAzDxyEjKlKdMvIxZZHgGvWJ1NXJDa4sp8PiumF1Zx1EQSh4OOk43znE9zSzr1BUkxbv2dC-lhOEg4/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe02JhJYP1Cg1rLW2Mv-hAFh-dCCbHaZJXg2f33LzSkjsQ-oQ3YMmtZs3b5jz7BqAzDxyEjKlKdMvIxZZHgGvWJ1NXJDa4sp8PiumF1Zx1EQSh4OOk43znE9zSzr1BUkxbv2dC-lhOEg4/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OSuH_DYvwdnN5yOQYdwCAcbOlkwgtvwHNL5oxWyA2w-yxahauMx8DZCfvXrffaDQ66hBQLFYL9EFbAC-oQ9h-uvcvG9sDa-Tx1ZRlQljo-ITEvODC2hVQV1VOAotAGOi9e_NjaP83LI/s1600/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Lindy Bop Marlene Pink Safari Swing Dress review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OSuH_DYvwdnN5yOQYdwCAcbOlkwgtvwHNL5oxWyA2w-yxahauMx8DZCfvXrffaDQ66hBQLFYL9EFbAC-oQ9h-uvcvG9sDa-Tx1ZRlQljo-ITEvODC2hVQV1VOAotAGOi9e_NjaP83LI/s640/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've found that <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/02/7shadesofred-and-valentines-day-recap.html">Lindy Bop</a> often (but not always!) runs a bit large relative to the size chart, and that's definitely the case in the Marlene style I'm wearing here. They measured 19.5" from armpit to armpit and 16.5" at the waist, making them perfect for hiking up over <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-word-from-bird.html">my baby bump</a> and quite a bit bigger than the 37" bust and 32.3" waist measurements given in the size chart. Both also have a good deal of give to the fabric, which means they fit me well at a 40/41" bust and a 34" measurement in that tiny space between my bust and the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">top of my bump</a>.<br />
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I really love the stretch cotton fabric both of these dresses are made from. It's soft but drapes well in the gathering of the skirt, and doesn't wrinkly easily. Owing to the give in the fabric and the higher neckline, these dresses are super comfy and perfect for a day at the office or a trek around the park, as I'm demonstrating in these photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYozB_Gdu64XcNppJHLU1UX1r-p7vY_YwRqLTJpiyG94EOGyY3oNBplRwklvTBqQzeq0CGQeUW0KAc0bmAgXSDVtaHU6oCdvg7AmPE3utX3OWuMYZQ3TbYRiD4MStsNjWR2ZqMJCg49YM/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Lindy Bop Marlene hot Pink yacht Swing Dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYozB_Gdu64XcNppJHLU1UX1r-p7vY_YwRqLTJpiyG94EOGyY3oNBplRwklvTBqQzeq0CGQeUW0KAc0bmAgXSDVtaHU6oCdvg7AmPE3utX3OWuMYZQ3TbYRiD4MStsNjWR2ZqMJCg49YM/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AYu7Au5nITxJW6p7F7nGDJ4kB7lJN_QrY1JUf_F9awqfMzxciI_XaytM3Zyy34XS7UKN3MHVA3NUz4ED3F7hneHvXzn1hfiqKp7o9jO1euAChhvgFK7X0XGxKyn0FtpkJ_8AWIOThVw/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AYu7Au5nITxJW6p7F7nGDJ4kB7lJN_QrY1JUf_F9awqfMzxciI_XaytM3Zyy34XS7UKN3MHVA3NUz4ED3F7hneHvXzn1hfiqKp7o9jO1euAChhvgFK7X0XGxKyn0FtpkJ_8AWIOThVw/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Bonus: adjustable straps and <i>pockets</i>!<br />
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As you can probably tell from the goofily-pleased look on my face in these photos, I couldn't be happier with these dresses. I'm in love with the bright colors, the prints, and the classic sundress shape, and love how easy they are to throw on and go. At eight and a half months <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/something-noisy-this-way-comes.html">pregnant</a>, a fun, easy look that makes me feel cute is rarer than hen's teeth!<br />
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The fact that they cost under $20 apiece is an incredible bonus. In the past few months, I've heard a lot of my pinup pals comment that Lindy Bop has really stepped it up, and I definitely agree! They're offering adorable prints in cute, wearable styles at one of the lowest price points I've seen for vintage reproduction, and the quality is excellent for the price as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpatO4i2dx6kgRnCrH9BmdZfNTltayappSjtTXLrRHti5H58jfnaZbU8oYhyphenhyphenXDvcAFR0Y0ZAJ4Q7klV9zNOHo53e9FJTPYdOblCC8Dlr0wFc2IQ8EG_68nDSyNgrwRmZthV0Mri6DwfhQ/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpatO4i2dx6kgRnCrH9BmdZfNTltayappSjtTXLrRHti5H58jfnaZbU8oYhyphenhyphenXDvcAFR0Y0ZAJ4Q7klV9zNOHo53e9FJTPYdOblCC8Dlr0wFc2IQ8EG_68nDSyNgrwRmZthV0Mri6DwfhQ/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just add a cardigan and presto: work-appropriate AF!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDwlE-owTvJ4UZ1kgfUj-sEV6F3QKZTHAy9rHwdmog5Ab84aZsty7L-t7UnP-N74-k5V2VRMQ_GEsQeNQGaj2-2YsHCEUGt5llazPwrVTPZa-QCM7VczMFlK43E6MRgjkGfBGA_SO0qo/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDwlE-owTvJ4UZ1kgfUj-sEV6F3QKZTHAy9rHwdmog5Ab84aZsty7L-t7UnP-N74-k5V2VRMQ_GEsQeNQGaj2-2YsHCEUGt5llazPwrVTPZa-QCM7VczMFlK43E6MRgjkGfBGA_SO0qo/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Given that I've got a baby on the way any day now and <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/why-im-not-buying-travel-system.html">babies are ridiculously expensive</a>, I'll certainly be ordering more from Lindy Bop in the days to come!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-75351043943267060762017-09-16T07:36:00.000-07:002017-09-16T07:36:08.372-07:00Why I'm Not Buying a Travel System<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's Unpopular Opinion: <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/pregnancy">Baby Edition</a> time on Thoroughly Modern Emily! Today's topic: travel systems/infant car seats, also known as the bane of my baby-shopping existence, and why I'm not getting one. Before I get into this, though, to anyone who loves their infant car seat, please accept my apologies for what I'm about to write. But I'm 37 weeks pregnant and had <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memories-painful-and-comforting.html">all the feelings</a> even <i>before</i> pregnancy hormones got involved, so I've got <i>a lot</i> to get off my chest here!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRabX7l9LTP9iG-QnR5qhczaR2dRBs7M8xK1Um-0wuHdxKc5qnjur_uPInLrSjuhhSA_qGi5YN7gP8kEHy7bXKf-X-WxEH0w_IkUq9fQVCSZpoagFe6Neoxld40ghkOYlLn57DxFL708/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Pinup Girl Clothing leopard Scrumptious dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRabX7l9LTP9iG-QnR5qhczaR2dRBs7M8xK1Um-0wuHdxKc5qnjur_uPInLrSjuhhSA_qGi5YN7gP8kEHy7bXKf-X-WxEH0w_IkUq9fQVCSZpoagFe6Neoxld40ghkOYlLn57DxFL708/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>The travel system, as near as I can tell, was a brilliant marketing scheme invented to push people into buying two carseats: an infant seat that unsnaps from the car seat base you put in your car and attaches to a stroller, and a regular car seat that you buy once your baby outgrows the infant seat. Car seats aren't cheap, people, particularly if you have more than one car!<br />
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The main advantage of a travel system seems to be that you don't have to unstrap your baby if she falls asleep in the car. Instead, you carry her into your house/wherever you're going still strapped into her car seat.<br />
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This is all very well and good. And while it's nice not to have to faff around with car seat straps when it's freezing cold outside, there's a pretty big downside to the infant car seat, as far as I can tell: babies are heavy enough on their own without adding a car seat to the mix of things you have to carry around! I assume I'll get stronger from carrying the baby around, but still: has anyone ever held a baby in their arms for any length of time? Even newborns make your arms ache after a while!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs31pnNRbRzW1yrUTTEB4uMN4sYCgS32M8VzdkHEPFblwmJflp6aPuJRYWwF7xMPj8F9ERCv1alalGukEFK6AjzUQn8-SiPw7u1K_GQaKAFSOV4DgJXvPePxsQV6hf1Ji_Uw2cjNy4MoE/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Pinup Girl Clothing leopard Scrumptious dress pregnancy" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs31pnNRbRzW1yrUTTEB4uMN4sYCgS32M8VzdkHEPFblwmJflp6aPuJRYWwF7xMPj8F9ERCv1alalGukEFK6AjzUQn8-SiPw7u1K_GQaKAFSOV4DgJXvPePxsQV6hf1Ji_Uw2cjNy4MoE/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Not to mention how much they make your belly ache from carrying them around for nine months!</div>
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While we're on the subject of weight, public transit is a big part of my day-to-day life, and I'm not keen on lifting a needlessly heavy stroller onto a bus, either.<br />
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And quite apart from the additional weight of carrying the baby <i>in</i> her car seat, and the expense of buying two car seats, where on earth are we supposed to stash the infant seat after she outgrows it? I've got a feeling that it's especially nice to have a garage after you have kids, but I <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/search/label/Chicago">live in a city</a> and a garage just ain't in the cards for us.<br />
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But fundamentally, what aggravates me about the ascendance of the travel system is a pretty simple thing: <i>I don't want needless stuff</i>. Babies already require far more stuff than you'd expect something so small would need. Why buy one more fairly big-ticket item that's just going to languish in a corner after six months to a year, replaced by the thing you were always going to need (a normal car seat) and could've bought from the get-go?!?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW4B523lsD9Oy_R4LhzyxnuR7tpaM1oxyXmdcfishoNvPX5moXAODRyHQ49RP9sD7U_CN63PagIqv0RwBaMjkiiDEGiP6lHcFswIhvSukJzlIWKcUo9GdTntywxtc4UKLEWTZjRlef-I/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW4B523lsD9Oy_R4LhzyxnuR7tpaM1oxyXmdcfishoNvPX5moXAODRyHQ49RP9sD7U_CN63PagIqv0RwBaMjkiiDEGiP6lHcFswIhvSukJzlIWKcUo9GdTntywxtc4UKLEWTZjRlef-I/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQ4lQBxL2nRxGjq-VTBLnqhqOuW0HSrnHnlxnfrQVHoo_bBIlOW026U3bYSrZ29fbBR67cmKrO0seR6YI5edK9azO7a80aaMJBPFVHAxMfhRV1S0XzEwGSHslKRFGnnBnBHxh6673jrs/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="maternity Pinup Girl Clothing leopard Scrumptious dress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQ4lQBxL2nRxGjq-VTBLnqhqOuW0HSrnHnlxnfrQVHoo_bBIlOW026U3bYSrZ29fbBR67cmKrO0seR6YI5edK9azO7a80aaMJBPFVHAxMfhRV1S0XzEwGSHslKRFGnnBnBHxh6673jrs/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing Scrumptious dress, discontinued</div>
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Shoes: Zulily</div>
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Bag: Forever 21</div>
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Watermelon Brooch: a wonderful surprise from my friend <a href="http://quirkandfolly.com/">Caz</a>!</div>
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Thankfully, it's still possible to get car seats that work from birth through booster-seat age (and some that even convert <i>into</i> a booster seat), so that's what we've decided to go with. I ended up ordering the <a href="https://us.britax.com/boulevard-clicktight-convertible-car-seats/">Britax Boulevard</a> during the Labor Day sales. It's actually still sitting in the box right next to where I'm writing this post, because opening the box involves bending over and currently I have <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/life-update-very-pregnant.html">a lot of baby bump</a> getting in the way of that, but I'll keep you posted on how it works out!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-86024510312611433502017-09-14T05:51:00.000-07:002017-09-14T05:51:07.338-07:00Purple and Gold<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Maybe it's because I lived in LA for eight years and married an avid Lakers fan, but I'm a huge fan of a purple and gold outfit. Mustard <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-lady-v-london-jasmine-dress.html">yellow and purple</a> just seem like they belong together, so when I got my hands on this new-to-me floral Modcloth skirt, I knew exactly how I'd style it for its maiden voyage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP35AieJR-iN-QPYUG_SwMsc2yiG00gOGY_bC8kH8VetnuAoAgCWPuTSaFwXDpUDLIf-LcvZnjgi4Ol9qoYKIIXfV5GKMK_B5h3UyY4SoA021sxAnKNN2_WHrgsrzjUXE7s179Xp1TJuw/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="modcloth ikebana for all skirt" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP35AieJR-iN-QPYUG_SwMsc2yiG00gOGY_bC8kH8VetnuAoAgCWPuTSaFwXDpUDLIf-LcvZnjgi4Ol9qoYKIIXfV5GKMK_B5h3UyY4SoA021sxAnKNN2_WHrgsrzjUXE7s179Xp1TJuw/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>I go through phases with colors and color combinations. A year and a half ago, I couldn't get enough of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/03/one-skirt-three-ways-aqua-circle-skirt.html">aqua with red accents</a>, and then for a while I was totally enamored of <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/10/one-top-three-ways-lavender-vamp-top.html">lavender and mint</a>. But right now, it's all about the purple and gold. Who knows? Maybe I'm homesick for LA!<br />
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Regardless of the reason, mustard yellow is one of those colors I fall in love with periodically. It's the perfect three-season hue, working well from summer through late winter, and it tends to be a flattering yellow on my sallow skin. I like how it looks with black and white, dark green, red (for a lovely Gryffindor/hot-dog look, depending on the shade of red), and <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/06/one-skirt-three-ways-pinup-girl.html">light blue</a>, but I think it really pops when paired with purple. (*mumbles something about color theory*)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iAT9W5bbIUBgHXoyf5dk4I3ugkOMv_okRwOvBUnagZm6ReOEF6jadn_I9w8qlHibrjxRZQiNCsieW-HI0H4ipqRDgnhgkXScSOsjrxS3PiitrUPqhUDhiqKwoGdzQefDerRH1yar6Rg/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iAT9W5bbIUBgHXoyf5dk4I3ugkOMv_okRwOvBUnagZm6ReOEF6jadn_I9w8qlHibrjxRZQiNCsieW-HI0H4ipqRDgnhgkXScSOsjrxS3PiitrUPqhUDhiqKwoGdzQefDerRH1yar6Rg/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now that I've gone from 'yeah, she might be pregnant' to 'random strangers congratulating me because I'm unmistakably pregnant,' I can really only wear my non-maternity shirts tucked into a skirt. (Which has been pulled up as high as it can possibly go, so as to fit over my bump.) I must say, 25 pounds and 36 weeks of pregnancy have made a <i>huge</i> difference in how this tank top fits since the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-taste-of-chicago.html">last time I blogged about it</a>. But at this late stage, I'm just thankful it fits at all, because it's the perfect color to complement out the hints of purple in this skirt, and I'm nothing if not a fan of coordinating!<br />
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Since this skirt is comfortable and has pockets, I expect I'll be wearing it quite a bit after the baby is born, and I'm especially looking forward to styling it with a petticoat. I've taken a temporary hiatus from wearing them, as the waistbands on mine are a bit too tight for all-day wear at the moment! I think I'll pair this skirt with a striped top, to put my 'stripes are a neutral' theory to the test.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mjbICj_sOB2aII9q3yauKSEd7JjvnBzwQXU-imGjg2_LPqnTHv7JYf874RoxMdmzYECEyJF43jd5r3-Lh6dd-PNPNt4qT2tg_LGao5Downt_H5fP9n1FGpcNr2t6pciEh7ouDt_PmrI/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mjbICj_sOB2aII9q3yauKSEd7JjvnBzwQXU-imGjg2_LPqnTHv7JYf874RoxMdmzYECEyJF43jd5r3-Lh6dd-PNPNt4qT2tg_LGao5Downt_H5fP9n1FGpcNr2t6pciEh7ouDt_PmrI/s640/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8PEfw66SvsJPovuVfRYmoapeJrgbRcKgHG2jTsJ5Dt883Dx8Wgx-_3IdZwOM_rCZsqFL0Iq6LZQGzwu0K92oxgX6sFtUurQMBZmlvS9I5QMpjoI3Z3bOzfVh1Jrocjm8W3dzG1dNQ0M/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8PEfw66SvsJPovuVfRYmoapeJrgbRcKgHG2jTsJ5Dt883Dx8Wgx-_3IdZwOM_rCZsqFL0Iq6LZQGzwu0K92oxgX6sFtUurQMBZmlvS9I5QMpjoI3Z3bOzfVh1Jrocjm8W3dzG1dNQ0M/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Top: Target, last year</div>
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Skirt: Modcloth, old</div>
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Brooch: <a href="http://facebook.com/atomiclucite">Atomic Lucite</a></div>
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Shoes: Primark (!!!)</div>
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What's your favorite color combination at the moment?</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-62459038565090632202017-09-12T06:47:00.000-07:002017-09-12T06:47:49.505-07:0025 Signs You're a Real Adult<div style="text-align: justify;">
Alright, who else thought they'd be welcomed to adulthood in a dramatic, unmistakable moment? That there would be a clear event that you could point to, after which you'd always feel like a 'real' adult? <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-ive-learned-from-my-parents.html">My dad</a> often says that he used to think becoming an adult happened like this, but that he's come to realize that no matter how old he gets, he never quite feels like he's finished becoming a real grownup. And the older I get, the more I understand what he was talking about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHoKNctZu4vTLeZgSINZK6MwKpQsPB_9KsuKc4zthPQ-mqIQkv_iBjEYxg3H3ubi_JMhEoyA42EYXeVkNXTDB-T5QfWxsz7Az4dbKUMY0R1MTU_fZmRHQSGCWJ0VbUHvln3iDOmth-mE/s1600/Trashy+Diva+Irish+Polka+L%2527amour+pregnant.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Trashy Diva Irish Polka L'amour pregnant" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHoKNctZu4vTLeZgSINZK6MwKpQsPB_9KsuKc4zthPQ-mqIQkv_iBjEYxg3H3ubi_JMhEoyA42EYXeVkNXTDB-T5QfWxsz7Az4dbKUMY0R1MTU_fZmRHQSGCWJ0VbUHvln3iDOmth-mE/s640/Trashy+Diva+Irish+Polka+L%2527amour+pregnant.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Since I don't think we ever truly get that watershed 'omfg I've arrived in adulthood forever!' moment, I've decided to list all the little things that make me feel like I deserve a gold star for adulting. So without further ado, here are my top 25 'holy crap, I'm being a grownup!' activities:<br />
<ol>
<li>Flossing.</li>
<li>Actually doing <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/vintage-handy-woman.html">minor repairs on your clothing</a> in a timely fashion, instead of tossing torn dresses (etc) on a nebulous to-be-mended pile and never wearing them again.</li>
<li>Eating cookies for lunch.</li>
<li><i>Not</i> eating cookies for lunch.</li>
<li>Filling up <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-bus-is-back.html">your car</a> <i>before</i> the emergency gas light comes on.</li>
<li>Showering on your day off (is this just me? I hate washing my hair <i>so much</i>.)</li>
<li>Watching your language when you notice small children nearby.</li>
<li>Eating salad for lunch instead of grilled cheese when you've got plans to go to a grilled-cheese restaurant for dinner. </li>
<li>Not having coffee after 2pm so you can <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-day-in-my-life.html">fall asleep by 11pm-ish</a>.</li>
<li>Using a vacation auto responder on your email account when you're away. </li>
<li>Going to the dentist twice a year, even if your teeth don't hurt.</li>
<li>Wiping down the stove every time you cook, instead of frantically cleaning before guests visit. (Note: I have yet to master this one.)</li>
<li>Eating breakfast. Bonus points for eating before leaving the house for work, instead of buying food on the way. </li>
<li>Not spending all your discretionary income in the first three days after you get paid. (I'm working on it!)</li>
<li>Calling your insurance company instead of hoping your question/problem will magically disappear.</li>
<li>Getting eight hours of sleep at night!</li>
<li>Driving in the general vicinity of the actual speed limit (because <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-bus-is-back.html">your car is precious</a> and your life is more so!)</li>
<li>Washing the dishes as soon as you've finished using them.</li>
<li><a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/01/hello-2017.html">Not buying every single dress</a> that catches your fancy, since you're a) out of closet space and b) trying to save money for things like a kid's college fund and sundry other unforeseen expenses.</li>
<li>Being able to get stains out of your clothes on your own (an especially useful skill when one is about to have a baby!)</li>
<li>Wearing sunscreen or foundation with SPF every day.</li>
<li>Writing thank-you notes even though no one is standing over you and forcing you to do it.</li>
<li>Knowing when <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/leopard-annette-trashy-diva.html">a leopard print dress</a> is and is not appropriate for the occasion.</li>
<li>Having an actual schedule for cleaning the bathroom and sticking to it, instead of frantically cleaning up right before guests come over. (I admit that Jeff is the only person in my household to achieve this level of adulting.)</li>
<li>Feeling self-assured enough to compliment strangers!</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUg0jc20rQsqw_GkpHWHMuyDHCMO_aLX-0DTqEjAMYyugu3X8nqEVh2E0zaUJnS0f2VTP2lf7L05amjRZJs9up8wCiicyLQD6nU7HJkQg4TUpBy23q4NsTQh0vNlwNhdg33ksi71uQU0/s1600/Trashy+Diva+Irish+Polka+L%2527amour.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Trashy Diva Irish Polka L'amour size 14" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUg0jc20rQsqw_GkpHWHMuyDHCMO_aLX-0DTqEjAMYyugu3X8nqEVh2E0zaUJnS0f2VTP2lf7L05amjRZJs9up8wCiicyLQD6nU7HJkQg4TUpBy23q4NsTQh0vNlwNhdg33ksi71uQU0/s640/Trashy+Diva+Irish+Polka+L%2527amour.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dress: Trashy Diva Irish Polka L'amour</div>
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Shoes: Sam Edelman</div>
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What signals adulthood to you? What are the things you do that make you stand a little straighter and go 'yeah, I adulted like a <i>serious</i> boss today?'<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-27022415420953768282017-09-09T05:26:00.000-07:002017-09-09T05:26:04.315-07:00The Kindness of Strangers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Recently, it seems like I've been writing a gazillion posts about <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memories-painful-and-comforting.html">super-heavy</a> and/or <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/we-who-fight-monsters.html">difficult</a> things. And while I'm a huge proponent of letting yourself <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-ok-to-not-be-ok.html">experience your emotions</a>, and have been consciously trying not to shy away from emotionally challenging topics, there's been plenty of sunshine in my life, too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIbMAC2SS1Qa-nuco4DZluVY9rE0y25T2ct5K8M8ZpDhHsU5qIiImNCevAD-OFmSSWHqYnb3FCNExYsXdYq5WtWKvy4f0sjtBq4BxWkymJx9uMe0a_zXSFvx-dHQkDZSbHisYCnx1iqc/s1600/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIbMAC2SS1Qa-nuco4DZluVY9rE0y25T2ct5K8M8ZpDhHsU5qIiImNCevAD-OFmSSWHqYnb3FCNExYsXdYq5WtWKvy4f0sjtBq4BxWkymJx9uMe0a_zXSFvx-dHQkDZSbHisYCnx1iqc/s640/FullSizeRender_3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Baby Girl is basically the bright center of the universe right now, with Jeff a close second. While the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/hot-mama.html">third trimester</a> of <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">pregnancy</a> is not without its challenges (e.g. getting up from a sitting position, sitting back down again, zipping my dresses on my own, walking more than a few minutes without ligament pain under my giant belly, false contractions, and so on), I can't help but grin like a fool whenever I think about our growing family.<br />
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Since I started <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/maternity-photo-shoot.html">visibly showing</a>, I've noticed something really lovely: people get <i>super excited </i>about babies! It feels like everywhere I go, people are wishing me well, or asking about the baby, or congratulating me. I think my personal favorite interaction was when Jeff and I went to the liquor store to buy a celebratory bottle of wine for him, and as I was carrying it out, one of the guys working there congratulated me on the baby. It was the classiest moment of my whole life. But I digress, slightly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5QYp6Ex0qH03NcUMGjdpgAjOzfBvgGiRoFSCQqMlY5SdAjzak3cUyPQw2CzjYWy1X7mc_j5IYweO8KQUl5dmWTGzcyiayRehLkdt6GBWM7BIaR2VOZDjP10rJlsc-YjNrK_hyEiJojg/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5QYp6Ex0qH03NcUMGjdpgAjOzfBvgGiRoFSCQqMlY5SdAjzak3cUyPQw2CzjYWy1X7mc_j5IYweO8KQUl5dmWTGzcyiayRehLkdt6GBWM7BIaR2VOZDjP10rJlsc-YjNrK_hyEiJojg/s640/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFjlU71cLlshr1GBZJjkyTAzKDbC9R2L9uB0WObxO8JSE6pl6geWigkhb_sNyNML0JTb2L_jfta6LujVNXFeEhTU0mNwAZZhxXwoZl4dp73RCbjs-crCfRikuoQbqRTKQo77TVBp40pI/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFjlU71cLlshr1GBZJjkyTAzKDbC9R2L9uB0WObxO8JSE6pl6geWigkhb_sNyNML0JTb2L_jfta6LujVNXFeEhTU0mNwAZZhxXwoZl4dp73RCbjs-crCfRikuoQbqRTKQo77TVBp40pI/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I realize that I've been lucky in my pregnancy-related interactions with others. I haven't had random strangers grabbing my belly, nor have I received much unsolicited parenting advice or childbirth horror stories. And only a few people have commented on how big the baby is going to be. This is good because those comments can feel a bit like a dig at how much weight I've gained, even if they're not intended that way at all.<br />
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It touches my heart so much to see all the kindness with which people react to my pregnancy. And I think this is because it reminds me of how much people have in common, and of the general goodwill that most people are capable of carrying for one another. Most people, I believe, can appreciate the untrammeled potential and hope that a baby represents; most people are gladdened by seeing someone else's joy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MigFCh7sXgg2pQGLsHa9XAj7nMb8oYKeiaQdH5Mm7bxTvf_xY4k8FwUNAYT-Mn6DFXVNyA7hFhijqqpHQ9cW-hDwLfYYDMr7mW2nK6fMXq8BtIrm2XHOepGn7mjU5eEhCR1esx2p_sU/s1600/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MigFCh7sXgg2pQGLsHa9XAj7nMb8oYKeiaQdH5Mm7bxTvf_xY4k8FwUNAYT-Mn6DFXVNyA7hFhijqqpHQ9cW-hDwLfYYDMr7mW2nK6fMXq8BtIrm2XHOepGn7mjU5eEhCR1esx2p_sU/s640/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkBgV1XFxJ0amCvsDilKq2qQiz7JJCscAJYgnKwV_K198aQ8w8fKy4ME0vKTRw_MIQkwqwD6tQsa12lXAY9H29krAyz8PPH44pi09sqiTDlRXtALl0l0JyduEvcweviAf9HCjbRzXc_k/s1600/woo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkBgV1XFxJ0amCvsDilKq2qQiz7JJCscAJYgnKwV_K198aQ8w8fKy4ME0vKTRw_MIQkwqwD6tQsa12lXAY9H29krAyz8PPH44pi09sqiTDlRXtALl0l0JyduEvcweviAf9HCjbRzXc_k/s640/woo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Dress: vintage</div>
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Shoes: Gap</div>
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Belt: Doll Me Up</div>
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Bangles: <a href="http://splendette.com/">Splendette</a></div>
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Earrings: <a href="http://facebook.com/atomiclucite">Atomic Lucite</a></div>
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Hair flower: <a href="https://daisyjeanfloraldesigns.com/">Daisy Jean Floral Designs</a></div>
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So while I've been thinking a lot about the <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/we-who-fight-monsters.html">worst tendencies</a> that <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/on-haters-again.html">unhappiness brings out</a> in some people, I need to keep reminding myself that most people aren't out to tear others to shreds. It's hard not to get hung up on unkind actions that go beyond the pale of acceptability, but those are the exception, not the norm, in my life. As <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-ive-learned-from-my-parents.html">my dad would say</a>, I have to keep the upsetting, infuriating, and objectionable things that happen in perspective. And as I'm entering the home stretch of an uneventful pregnancy <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/09/memories-painful-and-comforting.html">(at least in terms of <i>our</i> health)</a>, I've got to remember that I have many more blessings to count than I do afflictions, and (hopefully!) many more ahead.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657211281649935.post-88635957656092264282017-09-07T05:41:00.000-07:002017-09-07T05:41:01.132-07:00Memories, Painful and Comforting<div style="text-align: justify;">
Early in my first year of college, I came across two things that have stuck in my mind ever since. The first came up in the course of reading Homer's <i>Iliad</i>, during discussion of Achilles; the second, I believe, in a digressive discussion of language in a novel.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Disclaimer: I promise all of the nerdiness in this post is completely necessary to the actual point I'm planning to make.<br />
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Alright, back to Homer. A key motivator in the Homeric ethos was the desire for a particular kind of glory: the glory won through great deeds that would ensure your name was remembered long after your death. In this way, doers of great deeds -- the Achilles and Hectors of the classical world -- would gain a measure of immortality.</div>
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Relatedly, over the years I've often recalled reading that there's a society somewhere in the world with a rather unique way of speaking about the dearly departed. This society, it seems, has different words for referring to those that have passed away: one word for those who have died very recently, another for those who died further in the past but are still survived by those who <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/05/oreos-and-ginger-ale.html">knew and remember them</a>, and a third for those who died so long ago that no one currently living knew them.<br />
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I suppose it's not especially surprising that in a year filled with <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/04/im-back.html">losses of one kind or another</a>, I've found myself dwelling on these two ideas of what it means to remember someone. After all, I spend a lot of time <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/05/remembrance-of-things-past.html">remembering the past</a> even under <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2016/05/love-and-poppies.html">ideal circumstances</a>. Usually, my ability to remember important things in great detail brings me happiness, as does my tendency to leap, at the drop of a hat, from things that are happening in the present to associated memories.<br />
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This year, though, I've <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/06/its-ok-to-not-be-ok.html">struggled a bit with the feelings</a> my memories dredge up. Every time I think of a meme or a video-game reference that I learned from my sister, it's taken a lot of effort to maintain my equilibrium/to not cry at work. Looking at old photos, long one of my absolute favorite things to do, became fraught with emotional danger. I literally cried after seeing a story on the news about Applebee's closing a bunch of branches, because that was always Ronnie's top-choice place to go out for a special meal, and I don't know when or if she'll ever want to do that again. The possibility that she'll never want to go with us again is almost too horrible to think, let alone type.<br />
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And yet, I keep remembering. I see things and think 'Ronnie would say _____,' or 'Ronnie would understand _____.'<br />
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And sometimes I can't stop myself from telling stories about her, or talking about those memories. In effect, these moments are sort of like playing Russian Roulette with my feelings: sometimes I'm able to think of happy memories without falling into despair, and other times I cry in the supermarket. Potato, potahto.<br />
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But recently, I've realized that I <i>need</i> to bring those happier times to the forefront of my mind in order to cope with the present. And here's where I come back, at last, to those two paradigms of memory I encountered in college. It's almost confusing to figure out what I've been feeling -- is it grief when the person you're mourning is still alive? It certainly feels like loss, but with a tiny hope of someday getting her back.<br />
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So now, it almost feels like I <i>need</i> to remember the times before everything went wrong, so that they're still living and present in the world. It almost feels like those stories from before February of this year keep <a href="https://emilyhallock.blogspot.com/2017/08/review-vintage-inspired-by-jackie.html">a piece of the old Ronnie around</a> in the world, just like telling the tale of Achilles grants him some small form of immortality. If I remember her as she was for the first 24 years of her life, <i>then she isn't really gone forever</i>.<br />
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And when I think about it that way, even painful reminiscence becomes a comfort. </div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317728664231218677noreply@blogger.com15