My Favorite Things: Birthday Edition

My birthday this year was what you might call eclectic, to say the least.  Being preggers, it's hard to get really excited about clothes, since my normal sizes don't fit, maternity clothes are - let's face it - not the cutest in the world (but they're getting better), I'm only going to be pregnant for a few more months so I don't want something that'll get shelved and I may never get to wear again, and I honestly don't want something for the baby since he/she is bound to get plenty of gifts in the very near future!  

Yes, I'm greedy.  I want something for me!  And...it's my birthday dammit, so I should get something for me!  Except that I couldn't really think of anything I wanted.  With my dad gone, and getting older anyway, and having a pretty good living...well, family celebrations just feel like something's missing, birthdays aren't that much fun, and if I want something I usually just go and buy it without needing an excuse.  Yep, spoiled, greedy, and hormonal.  That's preggo me in a nutshell!  Oh well...come June I'll have to stop focusing on myself, so I might as well do it now while I still can, right?!  You can laugh now...although I'm being somewhat serious, I'm also being incredibly tongue and cheek, and I'd like to think I'm not totally self-centered...

So anyway, the whole family has been asking what I want for my birthday...  Something for the baby?  Nope; see above.  A robe and slippers to take to the hospital?  That'd be great, but I honestly couldn't find anything cute that wasn't too Victoria's Secret.  A diaper bag?  Yeah, I need one, but I want to go try some out to make sure I'm getting something that I like (needs to look like a purse) and useful (lots of pockets, easy to clean, BIG).  It was hard.  I'm usually never hard to shop for, but this time even I was struggling!

So I found some super cute Valentine's Day plates and napkin rings at my mom's shop.  The plates were heart-shaped and red/white...and the exact price range my MIL told me she'd like to spend...on a robe and slippers.  So I bought them, emailed my MIL, and told her these would be awesome if that was ok with her.  She loved the idea and sent me a check, telling me to make sure I saved a couple to use for Valentine's Dinner (I did) and wrap the rest to open on my birthday (did that too!).

Heart-shaped salad plates by TAG

Then my grandmother invited my mom and me to a fashion show her independent living community is hosting.  She lives in a building that is very la-ti-da so jeans just won't cut it, and my maternity wardrobe is quite casual and revolves around the two pairs of Gap maternity jeans I splurged on.  So, to the mall I went!  First stop, Old Navy.  They had some maternity clothes, but they were a bit picked-over, so not a lot in my size, and nothing that really screamed fashion show and luncheon.  But I bought some cute tops and a sundress that I will get a ton of use out of this spring!  Next stop: Banana Republic, on the off-chance that they have some sort of billowy maxi dress that I can wear as maternity now, but that I'll still get use out of (and can therefore justify the expense) later.  I found two maxi dresses, one jersey material mini-dress, and another just cute dress with an empire waist.  One maxi was cute but clung to me in even my non-preggo problem areas, so that was out.  The other maxi dress was super cute but my boobs were absolutely popping right out and they didn't have the next size up (I may order it online since I loved it that much!).  The mini-dress was just not flattering.  But the other dress with the empire waist?  Absolutely perfect.  Blushy, dusty rose, just enough cleavage (with another V in the back), perfect length, light material, easy to zip up (I hate side zippers, but realize they're necessary), and a dress I can wear to Nana's luncheon, an upcoming baby shower, my dad's inurnment in April (there's enough give that this dress should still fit me and Mom and I decided we're not wearing black to that), and even to a wedding we're invited to later this Spring.  Oh yeah, and they had an amazing flower bloom belt to accessorize the whole thing!  So I called my mom, told her what I spent (I scored a 30% off my entire purchase coupon when I went in the store!), and she said she'd like to give me that for my birthday dress!  Double score!

Knotted strap dress, Banana Republic
(I opted for a more sophisticated, legging-free look)

Elastic flower belt, Banana Rebuplic

Except that while my shoe collection is extensive, I didn't have something just right for this dress.  Well, it just so happened that I parked near Dillard's.  And it just so happens that I am in love with Dillards' shoe department.  Not only that, but my mom was shoe shopping the day I was born, much to my grandmother's dismay, so every year, I get a new pair of shoes for my birthday.  So I high-tailed it to my favorite Gianni Bini display and found these lovelies, in my size, and the exact amount my grandmother sent me in the form of a birthday check:

Lavish pumps in Feather Rose,
Gianni Bini, Dillard's

So now, I'm all set!  I took my goodies to Mom's house, where she wrapped them (because she insisted I have gifts to upwrap, and she insisted that I not wrap my own gifts) before she made me a fabulous birthday dinner!

Hubs hooked me up with this beauty as well, so now I can vacuum and sanitize our kitchen and bathroom floors in my fabulous new heels!  Add to the collection a gift certificate for a mani/pedi from Big Brother, another gift certificate to my hair/waxing salon from my neighbors, and some other kitchen goodies from Little Brother, and I had a pretty great loot!!

Steam & Sweep, Bissell