Friday, September 25, 2009

What Not To Wear

There is a bond between moms with young children. Many things tie us together. When you are in line and the supermarket and there is a mom with a couple kids hanging on her cart are fighting and screaming and pulling gum from the shelves you give them a knowing supportive look and maybe say something like "ah kids!" But you do not judge you do not suck your teeth and roll your eyes because you know, you have been there and you may be there tomorrow. You support each other.
Another thing that strongly binds together moms of small children is the awful experience of searching through your closet for something to wear. A typical scenario may be an evening out with your special fella. You are thrilled to bits to be getting a sitter, getting out of the house and going somewhere where no one will throw food at you, you don't have to cut anyone's meat, you don't have to eat your supper on an angle to the table while holding a baby in your lap to keep them from grabbing food off your plate! You have worked all day to tidy the house so the sitter doesn't call social services because of the back up of dishes in the sink and the fungus growing beside the toilet. You made some fantastic supper for the kids that was quick and easy and something they would love and you are glad you aren't eating like chicken nuggets and fries and kd, pizza pops and rice crispie cake! Your husband has just breezed in the door and your realize that is your que to leave the sitter with the kids and run upstairs to throw yourself together!
At this point you are still excited. The clock is running and you have approximately a three hour window until your cel phone starts ringing with the news that your three year old has locked himself in the bathroom the middle two are fighting and they can't find the baby's soother and then your night is over so time is of the essence. You are not surprised when you come home to find out the sitter has torn the page out of the phone book that has her number. You have a two second shower to wash of marker, glue, pablum or whatever remnants of the day are hanging on. You put on a robe and do your hair (kind of well at least it isn't a pony tail) and makeup ( even if the makeup is expired and a little crusty and you use your seven year old daughter's lip gloss). Hey this isn't that bad you are looking good!
Next comes the part that leads to many mother's post partum depression. You try to find something to wear and by this time your hubby is thinking you are about five minutes away from departure so he has gone to kiss the kids and grab the keys and head to the van. Then he sits and sits and sits and then finally comes back in to find you in the bedroom with every drawer in your dresser open. A stack of clothes on the bed all in a heap and turned inside out and you are sitting there in your maternity tights and nursing bra (cuz those are the only ones your have) at the brink of tears. Everything is too tight, uncomfortable or doesn't have a top to match or makes you look like a the Michelin tire man showing every left over baby lump and bump and if one person tonight asks when you are due (because your baby is five months old and you are not pregnant!) you may never leave the house again. You can put the "fit" in out fit and you have a mini mental breakdown. Your husband pats your hand and says you look beautiful just put that first thing you had on.
The same is true for going back to work and I am so excited to share that I rented a space for my studio and kids accessories that I will be moving into next week. I thought it is time to go through my closet and see what I can use for my return to the work force as "Corporate Corla" working mom. Fashion and function ready to conquer the world!!
I need your help to decide which look to go with.





I would like to thank Carson my guest photographer for my "back to work" fashion shoot.



This past September long weekend we went camping at the landing and I asked my husband to throw a few things in a bag for me to wear. Keep in mind we were boating, roasting hotdogs and hanging out with a hundred kids getting dirty. He packed me a white skirt I wear to weddings and this skirt that I believe I wore on one of our first dates and then never again. I am not sure how this fit into his camping fantasy but it wasn't part of my camping plans. My Dad used to call these "duck skirts" and inch bellow the "quack".

This look may be too formal but if I have a gala to go to then awesome. The fuzzy cape I love even though it looks like something a care bear coughed up.

I know this will be my friend Kari's personal favorite. It is all pink a lot of lace and satin. I bought this three years ago on our family vacation to West Edmonton Mall. The tags are still on it as I think I may have been suffering sleep deprivation when I purchased it. The only thing it needs to complete the look is a french braid.


This is definitely in the running. I like the silhouette. The only downfalls are that the pants are not only camel colored..... They ride up a bit and I think you could show a movie on my bum or as Sam would say my "blankle" ( when your bum goes all the way down to your ankle.)


Alison has told me in the past that "my pants are too short". What?I thought the camo "Dawgs" would be an excellent accessory they fit in with the color scheme. My hair, skin, clothes and shoes all seem to be the exact same tone. I felt a throw back "banana clip was in order. I look like I could work for UPS.


Maybe we just all need a personal shopper. My mom bought me these pants in Arizona. I have to say they are pretty close and actually work with a long sweater. I do find they are a bit high in the rise. Do you agree? I find the extra muffin top seems to make everything a little more snug and pants and skirts seem to ride up to just under your boobs. The shirt is from a store I would prefer to not name but lets just say I bought it from the same place I can buy rat traps, diapers, and school supplies all under one roof. I have only worn this top once since I went to a Credit Union function and someone who was pregnant was there and wearing the same top. And for my hair I borrowed my daughter's headband.

Pink is my signature color and I paired this skirt I can barely do up and have never worn with an undershirt my kids took to the park this summer and tie dyed.

Throw on a sweater and let your hair down for a whole new look!

Maybe I will just stick with what works....


Have a great weekend.