Hi Friends! It's been a while, what with the holidays, traveling, back to school, cold and snow weather. I hadn't planned a post today, but a Facebook memory popped up from way back in January 2016 and got me thinking... (warning I do mention mental health struggles and weight loss after both rounds of pics)
Look at her, at 35, about 8 weeks from having her first baby, on a January day freezing to get these outfit pics. Trying to hide how exhausted and out of touch with her body she was feeling. I'm wearing a wrap dress from Banana Republic and a velvet blazer from an Ines de la Fressange collab with Uniqlo. She does not look happy here, and in heels in the grass to boot! What an odd time it was for me that first maternity leave. We had moved a month before Charlotte was born, so new house, new neighborhood, new baby, parents and in-laws over every weekend to be around new baby. I struggled with breastfeeding and while the weekends had lost of visitors, during the weekdays I was home alone during a very dreary winter. It was a rough period.
About 4 years later....
Look at her! Same dress, coatigan from J.Jill, from buzzed blonde to bobbed red, and in loafers. I think you can see from the different stances in these pictures I was feeling MUCH more myself, alive, thriving, than the 2016 pictures. I did sign up for Noom after having my second baby. I was exercising and letting go of a lot of emotional bullshit, I'm actually still in the process of letting things go and focusing on mindfulness and finding fulfillment and patience.
I wouldn't prescribe weight loss as a means to mental health, but for me, at that period in my life, with my body having gone through it with two pregnancies in three years getting on a plan to reduce calories kick started taking better care of myself in a multitude of ways. Ways I still practice today, eating more vegetables, walking, getting enough sleep etc.
My 2024 horoscope predicts a very productive and creative year for me here and I'm hoping to set myself up with the space and the time for that prediction to come to fruition. This memory lane post, is a small step in the direction of creative productivity. Thanks for reading.
The dresses featured at the Banana Republic link you provided in look beautiful
ReplyDeleteThe appearance of the black on white diagonal grid print wrap dress from Banana Republic is extremely attractive and quite eye-catching!
I love how you styled the pretty black on white grid print dress with the black hosiery, black gloves, and black blazer from Ines de la Fressange for Uniqlo!
You looked fabulous wearing that OOTD in 2016 and look fabulous showcasing it in this post as well!
Best wishes for year 2024 and beyond!
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