Thursday Mixer--Hot Pink Cardigan

I thrifted this cardigan last July before I was pregnant.  I haven't had as much opportunity to wear it as I like nor as I imagine I will in the future--summer heat, swollen everything while pregnant--but so far it's been fairly well utilized in my closet.

The bummer with this cardigan is that, like most thrifted things, it's missing a couple of buttons and thus can only be layered over something and left open.  The upside is that it's a cardigan and can pretty much go with anything.  So for the $4 it cost to buy, only four documented wears later, the current price per wear is $1.  And it lasted me prepregnancy (#1), postpartum (#2 and #4) and early pregnancy (#3).

Clockwise from Upper Left- 1, Now, 3, 4

I wore this a couple of weeks back to a wedding for Patrick's cousin.  It was a casual wedding, but I really wanted to get all dressed up.  It was a combination of a serious need to boost my confidence, an excuse to really dig into my currently neglected closet and a desire to make my whole family dress up.

I mean, I even made an effort to do my hair.  Like really doooo my hair.  That's kind of a big deal.  Usually I have three go-to styles--curly and down, straightened and down or wet and in a bun.  Four styles if you count when I put it in a quick ponytail.

And this is where I find clothing and style to be a lifesaver.  Despite my sincere efforts to be more positive about my body, it's still a hard concept to come to terms with.  But I felt pretty in this dress.  Like actually pretty.  And it helped a lot that Patrick's grandmother, who is a regular reader of my blog (hi Anjean!), gave me a special hug and told me that I'd always been beautiful after reading my post.  That meant a lot, especially since my grandmothers have both since passed.

It also helps lately that the trade off for being a bigger size comes with boobs.  I forgot that part and absent pregnancy/post-pregnancy, I don't have any chest at all.  Three cheers for boobs!

Floral Dress with Crinoline-gifted; Hot Pink Cardigan-thrifted; Nude Criss Cross Sandals-Marshall's; Sunnies-shop in mall; Pearl Necklace and Earrings-gifted by Patrick from Qatar

And the best part about dressing up for weddings?  FINALLY getting a family photo of all six of us all dolled up.  (Reilly is wearing a tux onesie, but it's hard to see.  But trust me, if you saw it, you would cry rainbow tears of adoration.)