Styling My Bump W/ Non-Maternity

Well, hello there Wednesday!!

I am loving this week.

It's been a busy one...
Today I'm focusing on Maternity Fashion.
Something I've been slacking on.
It's harder than I thought to not feel frumpy.
I love my growing belly,
I just need to spend a little more time dressing it better!

Yesterday I started my morning off running to Target and buying hubs the latest

Madden 2013

He doesn't ask for a lot, so when there's something he enjoys I love it!
If you bought the chips with the game, you get a $10 gift card towards your next Target purchase.
He posted that picture on Facebook and exclaimed he had the best wife ever.
Not gonna lie, I felt pretty bad ass.
I love him.
So of course after I made sure to get a copy of the game,
I was left to peruse the aisles of Tar-jay to
day-dream,
and
drool,
over the cute new fall coats and looks, that this big ol' bump ain't gonn' fit.
That's OK.
 There will be plenty more Falls in the future,
but I am struggling with my wardrobe!
And as much as I loathe spending money on maternity clothes,
I am not fitting into things I really thought I could make work.
Dresses are riding too high in the front,
regular leggings are too tight around the tummy,
and my tops & bottoms just don't fit.
Oh, and if you've taken note of my husband,
he's built very European.
Tall.
Thin.
#Iweighwaymorethanhimnow
and I would stretch out his stuff as badly as I would stretch out my own.
I don't consider myself a "fashionista"
however, I love fashion.
I adore trends mixed in with classics.
I will admit when I got pregnant,
I was beyond excited to buy the scrunchy sided shirts & panel bottoms.
Yeah, well I'm over them.
Sorry.
I am mostly over the cost of them!!
I went over to the teeny tiny maternity section,
and was less than impressed with the gaudy floral prints
and over-priced t-shirts.
So I went back through the regular section and thought about what I really needed
vs. what I really wanted.
I ended up with a few new tank tops;
I just bought XXL & XL.
They're long enough
& my curves are kickin', as Sir-Mix-A-Lot would say.
I got over my fear.
I've been a small or medium since forever, but now is not the time to worry about size.
I'm most concerned with comfort then style.
Maternity Tanks = $12.99
Regular Tanks = $8.99 {more of a selection too!}
I looked through the clearance section, and found a pair of XL capris leggings.
Maternity leggings = $24.99 {not capris w/ panel}
Clearance leggings = $5.00

I wore this yesterday.
I threw on a skinny belt
{thanks to AP over at ILYMTC & her bump styling tips}
and I had cute strappy jeweled sandals too.
I felt great!
I loved the sparkles in the shirt, which are hard to see through my pic.
Funny how a few little added pieces can re-boot your wardrobe!
I looked at yoga pants.
Maternity yoga pants = $24.99
Regular yoga pants = $12.99 {so I bought two XL}
I figured since they're big on me right now, great!
I'm gonna get bigger & hopefully get use out of them post baby, right?
I don't think you can have too many pairs of black yoga pants.
I also picked up:
A trendy orange polka dot cardi.
I just got a large and it seems fine.
I don't need to button it, for it to work!

$22.99

I thought this little addition to my wardrobe will help accent the bump.
I can pair this with a white tank & skinnies with above cardi and voila.
Adorable!

$12.99

And I have been so hesitant to purchase shoes,
as I have heard so many women's feet grow during pregnancy.
It's due to the hormone relaxin, and my mother's feet grew
a half a size each kid.
Well, I always try on shoes at Target, but for some reason they never quite work.
Nor are they comfy whatsoever.
These however?
I felt like Cinderella and the glass slipper.
I put them on and felt like a new woman!!

$29.99

{Images are all from Target}
I can totally see myself rocking these on a date with hubs,
and even in my maternity photo shoot, whenever I chose to do that.
So what did I buy that was "Maternity"??
Not a damn thing.
I've decided it's a lot like the wedding industry,
and somethings are essential, while others are a waste of money.
Luckily I've been racking up those Target Gift Cards with certain purchases,
so that helped.
As for tips to not feel frumpy with your bump, but rather fantastic?

• Makeup--it works miracles!
• Jewelry--more is more!!
• Hair--style it!
• Dress up for no reason--makes you feel better, even if you feel lousy.
• Embrace that bump. 

It's only with me for another 18ish weeks, so I really try not to get down on myself. 

 It is crazy to think about how hard I was on my body before I got pregnant, now I look back and laugh.

I would slap my former self, if I could.

 I am so blessed to be pregnant with our little girl 

and while it may be a little challenging to feel like a hot mama, 

I view this challenge as a good thing. 

I'll get back to my old clothes...eventually, but for now I'll rock what I can.

Today I'm overly excited it won't hit 80 degrees, so I can rock a 3/4 length shirt
as I have lunch with some fab ladies & go register for this lil bean!!!
Feel free to share your Bump Fashion tips, I am all ears!