Got holiday reader requests? Not seeing my Facebook posts?

Housekeeping announcement time...

If you have holiday-themed reader requests, please email them to me soon so that I can address everything in time for you to actually go shopping! I just realized that there are about 8 weeks until Christmas and had a little freakout.

How to get the most out of your request:
- Tell me about your style and/or the event you're attending. 
- If you have a body type that calls for special consideration, include that too (don't worry, I'm not going to go on about anyone's large thighs, but I'll quietly pick items that are more likely to fit you)
- If there are things you hate, such as skinny jeans or tall boots, tell me and I'll leave them out of some of the options.

Christmas in Jeans by cardiganjunkie featuring holiday decorations

Also, Facebook really wants me to pay for you to see my posts in your news feed.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that, so we'll have to use a workaround.  If you like seeing the link to my posts in your news feed, you're going to need to interact with one of them so that the algorithm will count Cardigan Junkie as a preferred page.  It's as simple as going to my page and clicking "Like" on some of the recent posts, or leaving a comment.  Right now, it looks like about 75% of you are not seeing the posts in your feed anymore.  Thanks a lot, Facebook!

That is all. 

Baby Cardigan is...

 cardigan onesie via Etsy

A BOY!!!

Sorry to interrupt this week's important fashion posts, but I'm pretty excited about welcoming a little guy to our family in March!  I'd be lying if I said that I always pictured myself as a boy mom, but now I couldn't be happier.  Baby Cardigan appears to be healthy, and for that I am beyond grateful.

It's such a relief to be able to make nursery plans, and my head is spinning with ideas.  I spent a good chunk of my Saturday night browsing for inspiration online, and will be starting to figure out what our vision is for the room.  (Tangent rant: Is nobody capable of designing a boy room without blue or gray chevron print?  I'm so sick of it!)

I also made a tiny little impulse purchase at Baby Gap once I discovered that you can find sale items for under $5.  This is going to be dangerous...

 it's maroon and white, and was under $5... whats else is an Aggie mother to do?

 

Now, who all has good advice for raising little gentlemen?  Any good blogs I should know about?  I'm loving Lay Bay Lay (as usual) and Honey & Fitz for nursery inspiration, but would like to check out others.

5 Things Friday

Happy Friday!  I have been waiting for today for months, since I finally get to have my 20 (and a half) week sonogram, and hopefully verify that Baby D is a healthy boy or girl.  Squeeeee!

Until then, here are five things worth sharing on the internet:

1. I love this mirror so very much, especially the gold accents.  Sadly, I have too many mirrors in my house already and even I can't think of a spot for her. 

2. This fall, my style plan (yes, I have one) involves fitted thin knit sweaters and statement necklaces.  I like the vintage, old lady feel of this one.

3. I just came across this recipe for Butterfinger cupcakes and I can't stop thinking about it.  It's not even difficult!  Check it out over at Honestlyyum.com

4. I love to get kids books for Christmas, and if you're buying for small people, I recommend this list of picture books featuring strong female characters.  In a world of sexy looking Disney princesses (even Merida!), I think it's important to provide other characters to be excited about.  

 image and list via No Time for Flash Cards

5. I am definitely not a nail polish expert, but I have performed some field tests recently (sample size of one, no control group) and have hereby determined that Essie nail polish stays on better than OPI.  I'm sure it has everything to do with user error during application, but I just thought I'd share.

mochachino  /  fishnet stockings 

Have a nice weekend, ladies!

Real Life: Is the Internet Making Us Mean?

 speak no evil print by jennifer avent

Even though I have built an online presence and enjoy social media, I am so glad that it did not exist when I was a teenager and struggling with confidence.  Not that the late nineties were a magical, innocent time, but there wasn't an equivalent avenue for people to flippantly make hurtful comments without the awkwardness that comes with doing it in person.

I recently deleted over 200 people from my Facebook account, mostly for privacy reasons, but in many cases because I just found them to be mean and I got tired of it.  It seems that women in particular seem desperate to reaffirm their own decisions and status by criticizing others and it is seriously making me sad lately.   "Helpful" comments are carefully phrased to subtly put someone down, and in matters of politics or parenting, opposing views are often mocked.  Has everyone always been this way, or did Facebook give us a platform to be bitches in public without consequences?

I know blog comments can be the wild west of the internet (if you want to find the meanest people with wifi, scroll to the bottom of a Yahoo news article), but I recently starting browsing a few parenting blogs and message boards and was really sad to see so much thinly veiled criticism from moms who felt the need to boast when a fellow mother was asking for help.  Statements like "I'd never run off to work and let some strangers raise my kids for me" are clearly not meant to be helpful to a mother seeking moral support and struggling with the reality that her family situation doesn't allow for a stay at home parent right now.  It's not as though anyone has opted out of raising their child, after all.

As a mother to be, I'm worried that this kind of behavior is becoming the new normal.  Never has it been so easy for someone to be shamed, or rejected, and we need to think as much before we type as before we speak.

Have the rest of you noticed this trend, or am I just having an introspective Carrie Bradshaw moment?  (Sorry, I couldn't work "I couldn't help but wonder..." into the post without it sounding completely trite)

Mad for Plaid, Not Lumberjacks

There's something about crisp fall air that makes everyone want to bust out the plaid flannel.  It's a look I personally love, but not when it involves visible legging-clad crotches and outfit combinations that evoke the bounty paper towel man. 

Here's how I avoid both of those situations:

fall flannel done right by cardiganjunkie featuring slim jeans

First, I cannot say enough good things about Liz Lange maternity tank tops from Target.  They're basically a long, butt-covering version of the great $12 cotton tanks that you usually get.  There is no ruching on the sides and the cut hasn't been changed otherwise, which makes them perfect for pulling off the leggings and boots look when you shirt or sweater isn't quite long enough to cover everything it should (because leggings are not pants!!)

Second, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that regular jeans don't go with flannel.  I wear it too, but the lighter the jean and the more casual the shoe makes the outfit start to feel rustic.  However, swapping your normal jeans for black denim and a ballet flat with some edge (or not) and a cute clutch makes the flannel feel more chic and on-trend.

Still need a flannel shirt?  Here are some affordable options:

What's your favorite way to wear flannel?

5 Things Friday

Happy Friday, ladies!  I hope y'all have had a great week.  I've been beyond busy at work, and I just want to nap and read books this weekend.  Sometimes I think 4-day weeks are worse than regular ones!

Before I run screaming from my office building, here are five things worth sharing on the internet:

1. Weird or cool?  Even though we don't find out if Baby Cardigan is a boy or girl (and healthy) until next Friday, I've been giving thought to the nursery decor and want to do something that my husband will appreciate as well.  I've been toying with the idea of incorporating screen printed concert posters into the room, since my husband has several of his own, and right now I'm loving this one from We Are 1976, one of my favorite shops in Dallas.

2. Even though I have lots of things I should be doing in the evenings, I keep finding myself playing around on Ancestry.com.  It's really addicting, and this week I got chills when I came across a photo of my great-great-great-grandparents, who I'd not known about minutes before.  I'm sharing this because of how easy it was to find - I only knew my great-grandparents' names and the area where they lived.  If you're curious about your family and don't have a cool aunt who has done all the work for you, I highly recommend checking it out and doing the free trial.

Everyone, meet Wylie and Elizabeth Ann.  I'm not sure if they'd be appalled or proud of their photo being shared around the world today:

3. I am watching the Project Runway finale while I type this post (no spoilers, don't worry, I don't even know who wins yet) and I would just like to say that Dom is one of my favorite contestants EVER.  Also, this promotional ad is just creepy.

image via tomandlorenzo.com

4. I am in love with how simple and easy this bedroom feels, even though there's lots of pattern and texture at play.  The image was shot by Nathan Schroder, but I'm not sure of the interior designer.

5. If someone told me "you should really consider a tweed biker jacket"last week, I would have laughed.  But on Monday, I came across this baby in the Girl On A Budget section of Piperlime (the only section I shop in, really) and somehow it works.  I want one, even if it won't look right on me for a while.

Have a nice weekend!

Game Changer: I found the best (cheap) red lipstick!

I've long admired ladies who can pull off red lipstick on an everyday basis.  Even though I'm old enough to have been her babysitter, I'll admit that Taylor Swift's makeup routine makes her one of my personal style inspirations.

it makes her white shirt and wayfarers look fancy, doesn't it?

Since becoming pregnant and gradually outgrowing my button downs and skinny jeans (Make it stop! I had enough of a chest to begin with!), I've started to rely on little tricks like a red lip to make me feel pretty on a morning where I'd otherwise just feel too big for my clothes.  However, it's hard to find a shade that works with pale skin and dark hair without feeling as though it says "Hey everybody - Haley got some lipstick!"  I also don't like spending lots of money on cosmetics because I am a cheapskate when I wanna be.

That's why I was pretty pumped to discover the Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude.  It's only $7.59 and goes on more like a lipliner than a sheer balm, which look lovely but don't stay put on me. You can get it at Target, and I highly recommend it!

Here I am wearing it at work, not looking quite like Taylor, but close enough.  It's a little brighter in person, but I am terrible at selfies and felt like a fool taking it in my cube:

And no, this is not a sponsored post.  I'm not going to get rich recommending this to you - I just get excited about important issues such as these.

P.S. You can't really see it, but I'm wearing this Live in Pink by Suzanna Dai necklace c/o LOFT and it's so chic and nicely made.  The proceeds benefit breast cancer research, and I highly suggest you check out the line.  It comes in a big fancy box, and with all of the usual discounts at LOFT, it would be a nice Christmas gift if you don't want to spend much but like to look as though you did. ;-)