Playing Dress-Up: My Veganniversary Picnic

August 10th, 2010 - filed under: The Fashion » Playing Dress-Up

IMG_1151


August 1st marked my 2-year Veganniversary, and we celebrated with a lovely picnic brunch. It was pretty much the perfect summer day, warm but breezy, clear and bright and the air in the park was oh-so-fresh. Just the kind of day that makes me love Oregon!

My style is in transition right now, changing to suit this post-pregnancy body. I am awed and amazed at how the female frame adapts and alters in order to bear a child. How our skin stretches and then shrinks back, that our entire internal anatomy rearranges itself, how our very bones are spread apart. It’s all so impressive, so beautiful.

I’ve lost the majority of my baby weight, but my body’s been left a completely different shape. Which means I’m re-learning how to dress myself. I curve in ways I never curved before, and it’s an exciting challenge figuring out how to flatter this whole new form!


IMG_1153


I wore :

  • ”40 Watt Club” T-Shirt: DIY, and if anyone catches the reference you are the shiznit
  • Floral Skirt: secondhand, by f21
  • Black Cropped Leggings: secondhand, by AA
  • Black Vegan Ballet Flats: secondhand
  • Yellow Canvas and Wood Purse: secondhand
  • Charm Bracelet and Faux Pearls (worn around my ankle): both gifts



IMG_1173


Waits wore :

  • ”I’m Vegan and I <3 You" T-Shirt: by Herbivore
  • Cargo Shorts (which crack me up – because infants NEED pockets, right?): secondhand
  • Explorer Hat: secondhand



IMG_1156
sign-off

  • http://vegansmartypants.wordpress.com/ The Vegan Smartypants

    Aww, you like nice. Are you still dyeing your hair, or have you found that you just don’t have the time anymore?

  • http://www.heathers-perspective.blogspot.com Heather

    tee hee! TOTALLY get the 40 Watt Club reference ;)
    Congrats on your veganniversary :) Quite an accomplishment!
    I remember getting back to pre-preg weight pretty quick, but like you said, the shape is a whole different story.
    It took a while, but I did get back to the pre-preg shape, much better shape actually…got into weights.
    anyway, looks like a lovely picnic and Waits HAS to be one of the cutest babies I’ve EVER seen. No lie.
    Good job ;)

  • Neko

    Sayward, you seriously have one of the cutest babies I’ve seen (I have two of my own who I think are absolutely adorable, and while I pretty much love all babies, it’s rare that someone ELSE’S baby strikes me as so adorable too!).

    Also I think it’s awesome that you love your post-baby body. After the birth of my son, I had a ton of stretch marks and I felt flabby and awful. I really secretly loathed myself for a long time. I’ve since had a daughter, and I have really started to come to terms with the fact that this is who I am now, and I need to celebrate it (hey, my body grew AND birthed two people!) instead of letting society’s standard of beauty keep me down!

    Thanks for being so inspiring.

  • Sarah

    Stretch marks=battle scars=tiger stripes *growl* (my husband calls them tiger stripes, mostly :P)

    I got mostly back to my pre-pregnancy shape about the month before I got pregnant again :) It must be the get-pregnant-body!

    Clothes are really hard for me-I hate shopping (which is good, money-wise), and since my first son was born, my body became a totally different shape. Even before pregnancy, I seriously shopped for clothes maybe once a year or less. I was already hard to size, and after pregnancy, it was really really difficult! Plus, there really aren’t many places here to do much clothes shopping unless you count places like Target or Kohl’s or the mall… I don’t. I’d love to see you talk more about figuring out how to change your style to suit your new self!

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    You look incredible! and that kid of your’s is super cute.

    Seriously… does he ever stop smiling?

  • kate in sb

    cute cute cute! love the skirt, the whole outfit, the baby. everything.

    xoxoxo

  • Saundra

    Love the whole outfit! Waits is sooo cute too! Really love the skirt and the shoes! It is crazy what our bodies go through my biggest fashion prob post babies finding shirts that cover the ladies and the belly at the same time. Be warned it’s not easy but it’s so worth it!

  • Minna

    Yay yay yay, dress-up! My favourite is the purse, I love yellow!

    I need to start making shirts like that… I suck at sewing in general, but I guess I could manage writing on a t-shirt :) Haha. I mean, you can write whatever message you want, guaranteed that no one else has a shirt like that. Plus, it looks so cool. Have you ever tried designing your own t-shirt with special shirt dyes?

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ The Vegan Smartypants – Aw, thank you! And yup, I’m still dying my hair. I haven’t bleached it in over a year which is why the color doesn’t pop super bright, but I’m definitely still dying! Due for a touch-up, actually . . .

    @ Heather – YAY! So glad someone got it. You must be old like me, haha. And yeah, I’m definitely getting back ‘in shape’, but I’m not sure my actual shape will ever return. I used to have these incredibly narrow ‘little boy’ hips, and now I’ve got a lovely maternal curve going on. I love it so I sure hope it doesn’t change!

    @ Neko – Aw thank you, and I have to agree that Mr Waits is the cuteness! =D

    About body image stuff, man all I can say is you are not alone. I dont know a single woman who doesn’t have some hang-up, myself included of course. And I know for some women pregnancy can really exacerbate that. But I’m so glad to hear that you’ve come back to a place of loving your body. That’s so important, and you deserve it!

    @ Sarah – Tiger Stripes! LOVE IT! And I’m definitely thinking about how to turn this adventure into an article. Hopefully coming soon!

    @ erosan – Thanks! =) And yeah, he is a super smiley guy. We are so lucky.

    @ kate in sb – Ahhhh, miss you!

    @ Saundra – Thanks, and I hear ya girl. My top half has become quite an endeavor to outfit. My ‘bosom-to-body’ ratio is just not made for standard clothing! =D

    @ Minna – I love this purse so much! Yellow is my favorite color for accessories. You should start writing on your shirts! Its easy and I so love the look. I’ve done a bit of solid dying (jeans and slips and such) but never specifically with t-shirt dyes. Do you mean like tie-dye?

  • http://www.thorathinks.com/ Nathalie

    Your baby is painfully adorable.

    p.s. Hope you receive your books soon! :)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Nathalie – Just emailed you! ;-)

  • Kelly H.

    You have such a healthy perspective on all things. Excellent work!

    And I agree…all the pics I’ve seen of your little guy make me think he IS one of the cutest babies ever… And I’m not a baby person!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Kelly H. – Aww, thank you. I have to agree. =)