It’s poolside time! I don’t yet enjoy taking T1 to the pool because of the ratio of effort to smiles on his face, but eventually that will change and I know he will just love it. I have a tankini from Nautica that I bought at TJMaxx which I love (you can see it a little bit in this post) but I wanted to compile a short list of resources for those who might be looking for poolside wear that gives a bit more coverage.

The first three are sites popular among Mormons.

Shabby Apple

Divinita Sole

and Downeast Outfitters

I’ve also spent some time browsing:

Modbe

Lands End

Title 9

What are some of your favorite place to browse for swimwear that, you know, actually allows you to swim while wearing it?

I thought you might like to see some of the things I picked up on Wednesday. I’d love to show you more, but a lot of the items I bought were pre-sale stuff so they aren’t listed on the website yet. I’ve been saving my money for months, and I actually walked away with a nice little stash without going over my max amount allowable. This budgeting thing really works now that I’ve got the hang of it.

Born Bitsy

I’m 99% sure this is what I bought, though mine are a more neutral gray-ish color so I can wear them with both cool and warm outfits. If you are a big calf girl I would recommend giving these a try. My calves are enormous (I seriously tried on like 15 pairs of boots) and though I am going to have them stretched so I can tuck my pants into them, these were the only pair that actually zipped up all the way.

Converse Chuck Taylor Low Tops

For T1, obviously.

Halogen Ribbon Belt Seer Sucker Jacket

Not Your Daughter’s Jeans Skinny Leg Jeans

My first pair of skinny leg jeans! They are going to look great with my boots :), and yes, if you’re wondering, I did try to buy a size down. I plan to start wearing these in the fall, and I can do an exchange if they don’t fit by then.

I guess they are discontinuing these, which is really sad because they are the perfect little cover-up for summer sleveless/strapless dresses! I bought one in white and one in a nice tan color.

I had everything shipped to Chicago so it will be awhile before you see any of this popping up in any Fashionably Modest posts. For those who are also shopping the sale, have fun and good luck!

My mom and I are celebrating her birthday by visiting Seattle for some shopping at the Nordstrom Half-yearly Sale! We have an appointment with one of the personal shoppers and we get to go to the pre-sale (special for members only) and everything. I’m very excited.

Sadly, I’m not at my goal weight of 150lbs (my 101 in 1001 goal is/was to not buy any new clothes until I hit that number on the scale). Shopping like this is something I don’t get to do very often though, so I’m going to buy some new stuff even though I’m not where I wanted to be weight-wise. Most of my money is going to go toward buying new shoes, and any clothes I purchase will be a bit too small in the hope that I will shrink into them. What do you think, do I have to count this as a goal I didn’t reach? Or if I buy things that will fit when I’m at 150 lbs, am I good to go?

On the left is a collection of clothing items that have caught my eye (no black, big deal for me), and I’ve left out accessories because other than purses I feel like those are things I can pick up at a thrift store or on Etsy. I need a nice pair of boots, I’m still hunting for the perfect pair of heels to shoot weddings in, and I need a pair of flats for cool-toned outfits and a pair of flats for warm-toned outfits. Most of my money will be spent on shoes today. In the bottom right are a few things I want to get for TH, and T1 desperately needs a new pair of shoes. Maybe grandma can help me out with that one?

This is a bit of a variation on this Sunday best arrangement, as seen here. The necklace is a gift from my in-laws, the earrings a gift from my mom, and the shirt, belt, and skirt are all thrifted. As I’ve said before, the pretty yellow heels are the shoes I wore under my wedding dress.

I had it in rapid-fire mode and TH wanted to do a jumping shot because he likes taking lots of pictures in a row.

Can you guys believe it? An outfit with no black elements. This is a big deal for me! My mom loves black and wears a lot of it, and she passed that love on to her daughters. Black is your friend when you are thin and when you are heavy, and can always help you feel polished and put together. At the urging of friends like Caitlin though, I’m trying to branch out a little bit and explore the world of color. The outfit below is one of my attempts to put together some of the pieces I already have in my closet (most of it is black so this is a surprisingly difficult task!) As you can see, I struggled with the color of the teal shirt a little bit. Is it just impossible to wear these two pieces together because of the different necklines?

Yellow jacket (thrifted) – $5
Teal button down (thrifted)– $5
Brown pants (thrifted, Gap, new-with-tags)-$8 + $16 to have them hemmed (yes I realize I should learn to do this myself since I own a sewing machine)
Pink flats, Payless (Bogo)- $10

Total Cost: $40

T1 wanted to have his own fashionably modest feature as well!

Orange onesie, Carter’s (Costco) – $4
Pants, Zara– $20
Shoes, Pediped - $40

Total Cost: $64

How ridiculous is it that his outfit costs more than mine?!?!?

I have another post going up later this afternoon. I’m participating in a little contest and I need to get my entry up before the end of the day!