Style Icon: John Lennon

It should be no big surprise to anyone who knows me well that I decided to write a post about John Lennon.  It was only a matter of time, right? Like I said, if you know me, you know that I am a huge fan. I love his music, I love his legacy. In my opinion, he was a wonderful human being and it is truly awful that he is no longer with us. His art has been such a source of inspiration for me, and has helped me get through extremely difficult times in my life. I always appreciated his honesty and his vulnerability. I appreciated how he showed us he was human and not just a celebrity.

A few nights ago I finally got a chance to view "LennonNYC", a documentary about John's years in New York City. It was a wonderful film and I really enjoyed it. Of course they talked of his music, his life, and his struggles. I took it all in, and loved every moment. As a teenager, I longed for the opportunity to learn more about an artist I found interesting, and listen the music that I couldn't get enough of. But as I've gotten older, my views on my icons have changed and evolved into knew perceptions. It wasn't until this year that I stepped back and noticed not only was John a talented artist,  but that he had a great sense of style! I mean, seriously! The man knew how to dress. Instead of going into why I love John, why he is, and will always be, my favorite Beatle, I wanted to, instead, talk about his amazing style. 

So here are my top 5 reasons why I believe John Lennon is a style icon:

5. His Glasses:

So when most people think of John Lennon, they think of his iconic glasses. I'm pretty sure anytime anyone sees circular lenses they think of a specific Beatle. The thing is, these glasses seemed to pop up out of nowhere around the time Sgt. Pepper was released, and stuck around ever since. Although the glasses seemed sudden, his poor eye sight was a problem he had been dealing with for quite some time. John had terrible vision, and if you look into it, you can find quite a few photos of him behind the scenes in 1964ish wearing his thick framed "nerd" glasses. (funny that those are quite popular today). It has been said that he hated wearing glasses and we can all understand this to a certain degree. It's no mystery that wearing glasses is a big indicator of being a nerd. So what did he do? Be blind. If you watch any of The Beatles concert videos from 1963 until around '66 you are witnessing a very visually impaired musician on stage. Well I guess when he discovered his round specs, the wariness of nerdom faded away and I for one am glad it did! These glasses are unique and framed his face just right. What's more, as he embraced glasses he found ways to make them a part of his personal style. Many of his glasses had tinted lenses, or slightly different shaped frames. Glasses can be fun and rock n' roll, and I think John taught us that. He made prescription glasses stylish! So thanks for that.

4. His Hair:

The Beatles band members seemed to be the leaders in the 60's hair movement. Buzz cuts were out and growing  your hair long was in! Not that we would consider the "Beatle cut" to be very long these days, but back then it set them apart from the rest and gave the kids a style they could emulate. Even looking at photos of my dad at age 11, he had the Beatle bowl on strong. That "long hair"!  Years before The Beatles got big, actually long before The Beatles even existed, John was a "punk" kid in art school and his hair reflected his attitude. He wore a very greaser style hairdo and it looked pretty amazing. I think John always had fantastic hair. It was always changing, and it always looked good. I think it's safe to say that we all get a little bored of the same old same old, even if it was considered different or unique at some point. I mean it is honestly hard for me to find a hair-style that truly surprises me these days. From shaved heads to colorful mohawks, it's happened. And although certain hair styles may be shocking to some, having a hair-do be a part of your style is nothing new.

Slicked back, Beatle bowl, past his shoulders, shaved off or shaggy, it always looked good. I really love how much Johns hair did change, and how each style was so different and yet so "him". I've had my fair share of interesting hair styles. Different lengths, different colors, but I can't say that I always looked good. Thumbs up to you, Mr. Lennon.

3. He knew how to wear a hat

Is it just me, or do guys just not wear hats anymore? And I'm not talking about baseball caps and knitted beanies. I'm talking HATS people! Stylish hats. If there is one thing I did not expect to take away from the NYC documentary, it was that John wore some beautiful hats. I absolutely love the floppy brimmed hat top left. I mean I wish I wore more hats like that. So I don't have much else to say except John Lennon and hats...the end.

2. His personality:

There was something about John that got peoples attention (and honestly still does). He spoke from his heart, his personality came across as 'delightfully in your face'. His body language was calm and yet very powerful. He had an attitude about him, whether he decided it to be positive or not. A strong persona is definitely stylish, and John Lennon had that, not doubt about it. I think this kinda blends into how your personal style should suit you as an individual. They say not to judge a book by it's cover, and I think that is very true. But at the same time, the way you present yourself to the world is a kind of a personal advertisement. You want people to know how you plan on be perceived. What you love. What you represent. John Lennon was described as being "anti-establishment" and I think his style reflected that. He wasn't going to settle for normal. That's something I love the most, proof that you can go against the grain and still have style. I love looking through his photographs and seeing how he took beautiful pieces and put them together in a hodgepodge of brilliant outfits. 

1. His style evolved with him


And finally, let's talk about how John allowed his style to evolve with him. Obviously the outfit on the left side isn't his normal attire, but he still looks pretty good in my opinion. haha! But seriously, I think these two photos side by side are a good representation on how John's style changed, and yet aspects never really got taken out of the equation. (notice the polka dot tie on the right?). For some Beatles fans it was difficult to see their beloved band rid themselves of the suits and signature hair cut, and then start growing beards and moustaches, wearing bellbottom jeans and fur vests. They were entering a time of change and they themselves were changing as musicians. They were tired of being looked at and wanted to be heard again. But sometimes being heard and being seen go hand in hand. New styles were popping up around 1966, where you weren't seeing as much matching suits or whatever, and I think that was the beginning of the end of the "Beatles" look.

This was a good thing too because it allowed John to be his own person again, or maybe a version of himself he had been building up to. He wasn't one to be contained and things definitely started getting weird around this time. The mid to late 60's were a time of outrageous and wonderful style trends. It was all about being out there and different. Having a voice and making people feel and think differently.  John embraced this and this was the era when he started to build his signature look. Clothing and accessories that would become iconic symbols of this great artist. I can recall my grandmother buying me some "John Lennon Sunglasses" (they even had his signature on them). I didn't think that looked that great on me but how I wish I had them today! In an earlier post I wrote about allowing your style to evolve with you. To be who you are, and allow your style to be a reflection of that. I will never really know how John Lennon felt about his style or how his style impacted or influenced his fans.

 I actually feel a little silly writing a post about his clothes and not his music. But the thing is, he wasn't just a musician, he was so much more. One thing I want to give him credit for is being himself. I read that he loved clothes, and I think he loved a lot of things, but clothing can be such a personal thing. Our appearance is extremely personal. Showing our comfort levels and how we want to been seen by others, taking risks, or even just showing how we feel about ourselves. John never took on the role as a washed up has been. He moved forward, he was true to himself, and he had great style along the way. So thank you, John. For so many things.

And here is a clip from his last interview before he was killed. I know he's not really talking about style, but I felt it went along with this post. Thanks for reading! Who are some of your style icons? "I'm not gonna come back in and try and create a persona who would not be myself"

Parenthood: Living in the lack of luxury

This is me a few weeks ago and I am taking a selfie in my car. Why? Because I'm stuck. No, not because I'm safely buckled in while parked in my driveway…I'm stuck because my 18 month old son fell asleep in his carseat. You see, Liam (like most children his age from what I gather) likes to wait  until we get 2 minutes from home to fall asleep. As parents we know that Rule #1 is to never never never wake a sleeping baby. Nine times out of ten I definitely do not wake him up.

I feel like the phrase "what have I gotten myself into!?" runs through my mind at least once a day, if not 37 times a day. Somehow knowing that bringing a small human into the world would give rise to obvious work and care taking…but somewhere along this path to parenthood I failed to realize just how little I would be taking care of myself.

You see me in this photo? You see the bags under my eyes? You see me clutching my coffee mug? You see the dry shampoo!? No..that would be difficult to see. Anyway, it's bad. At least I have makeup on! You see, I've come the the conclusion that being a stay at home mother allows you to view the little things in life as luxuries. You know what I'm sayin', stay at home parents! It's the little things that really make your day special…and by little things, I mean normal everyday activities that suddenly you have no time for. After all, didn't we learn early on sacrifices need to be made? We simply cannot do it all.

So here are my top 5 Luxuries I'd like to share with you today. Please understand that this is my personal list and I am not saying that every SAHM feels or does things the same way as I do. But I'm quite sure that on some level you will relate to what I'm saying.

1. SHOWERS: Oh my goodness let me tell you…I do not shower as often as you'd like to think I do. When I take a shower I'm like "oh man…alone time…while getting clean..BONUS!" It has gotten better though. I remember a time when I'd take a shower and find myself questioning just when was the last time I took a shower?! It was madness, and can still be for sure, but it makes the shower feel like a sacred place of prayer. Please…let me get through (X amount of time) before I have the opportunity to take another blessed shower.
2. BRUSHING YOUR TEETH: Oh I'm sorry…are you grossed out yet? HA-HA well guess what?…I don't have time to brush my teeth when it's either brush my teeth or make & drink coffee. Coffee breath isn't that bad, right? Oh who am I kidding…I'm too tired and stinky to know if I'm making sense. Oh and P.S….I guarantee you'd rather be talking to my stinky self instead of my tired and cranky self. I'MJUSTSAYIN'
3. COSMETICS AND PRETTINESS: Putting on make up is like a marked holiday on the calendar…you are like "oh today is that day!? awesome!" but then the celebration is over and next thing you know it's 11:15 p.m. and now you're all "ooohh man…now I need to wash this stuff off but I'm so tiiiiiirrreddddd (from staying up way too late watching New Girl)". It was nice when I had the time to make myself presentable to the world…it was so nice.
4. GETTING DRESSED: At almost 2 years after the birth of Liam I am finally starting to get a grip on this whole "putting on an outfit" ritual I used to know how to do so very well. (ok not that well). Now it's like…."Oh I'll put on real pants and a shirt…wait…can I breastfeed in this shirt? (are my boobs easily accessible…weird thing to think and not at all in the sexy way) yes? no? crap…better put on this v-neck and or tank top!" So yeah…tank top and jeans / stretchy pants…wow wee I'm a fashionista. Not. *cries*
5. SLEEPING (BONUS IF IT'S ALONE): I think it's no great mystery that the thing you lose the fastest (2nd being your dignity) is sleep. In fact, David came over while I was typing this section and said, "I remember when sleeping in meant sleeping past 7:30 a.m.".  It's true, sleep really becomes something one can only dream about doing…except you can't dream, because you're never really asleep. I know there are some of you who have the amazing child that sleeps 9 hours at 3 months and it never really got "bad". (oh I'm sure they make up for this in some other category and P.S., I'm not trying to sound snarky, I genuinely envy you and wish you all of the high fives and ♥) But for most of us, this part of parenthood is a struggle.   **Although I will say that last night Liam slept from 9:30p.m.-5:00a.m. and it was amazing!! It was like Field of Dreams…if you build it, they will come! Except all I did was write (and hope) and for some reason he slept…I have no idea why.

The thing is, you just gotta go with it. Parenthood is a journey you really can't control, you can't "do it all" and the truth is, being a parent really has opened my eyes to just how wonderful the little things are.   When you don't have time to do all of the things you took for granted before, you feel totally awesome when you can successfully accomplish three of the listed items above. 

And maybe Liam sleeping for 8 hours last night was a friendly reminder that this too shall pass. Nothing stays the same. Even if you want to pull your hair out because your babe will only sleep stacked on top of you…one day he won't be so small, and you'll have all the time in the world to dream about the wonderful (sometimes restless) times you shared.

What are some of your parenthood luxuries? Happy Wednesday! 

Style: Growing up VS. Evolving

Today I want to share my thoughts on personal style, growing up, and just being happy.

When I was around 24 years old I was compared to Anne Hathaway's character in The Devil Wears Prada. "You  know you could look like her if you tried" was what was said to me. I remember thinking 'why would I want to look like that?'. And let me be clear that I'm not talking about the "True to myself" Anne, I'm talking about the "Oh I'm wearing $600 shoes to be respected at the workplace" Anne. And don't get me wrong, this isn't a post to blast Anne Hathaway's character in the film or the actress herself. I think she is wonderful and gorgeous and awesome. And I also think that movie was just fine. I mean, in the end she does find her true self right? So speaking of true self and basically getting back to the whole point of this post... I have been trying to get back to MY true self. It all started when I was midway through my pregnancy with Liam.  I began to wonder if I needed to change.  Could I still wear the clothes I wanted? Did I have to grow up? What would it take, and how did I need to change in order to fit into this so called "Mommy mold" I had created in my own head? What I found out was I can't change, and there is no such thing as a mommy mold.

This is my dream style, the style I seek to fulfill , what I would consider my signature look.  And let me tell you, it's far from what I had imagined I'd look like as a mother.

Not my photos! Images found on Pinterest // HERE

As a young girl I looked up to music icons like Joan Jett and Billy Idol. Many of my weekends were spent at motorcycle shows, listening to classic rock, and hanging out with a lot of tattooed people who rode Harleys. So naturally I love rock n' roll. I love tight jeans and tattoos. My hair has been dyed too many times to count, and hair cuts have ranged from chopped up to shaved off.  I adore the alternative. But I have been fighting this attraction for the past year. I thought it was time to let it go. To move on. To grow up.

What was I thinking!? How can I be anything but myself?  Why am I comparing myself to countless other people? When I found my old septum retainer and found that I could still slide the jewelry through my nose I found myself looking at myself in the mirror and seeing someone I used to know looking back at me.  Was this just nostalgia or something more?

And so I ask this question:  When it comes to style, why do we choose to grow up instead of evolve?  I found that the more I tried to fit into the grown up mold (the mommy mold), the less confident, pretty, or even stylish I felt.  On the other hand, when I put on my skinny jeans and my leather jacket...I feel great.  I feel like myself!  Last night this topic came up while chatting with David. He simply said "Christine, you are cool, you are rock n' roll! And it doesn't matter if you are 30 or 50 wearing what you love...it's going to look good because that's who you are!"  And he's absolutely right (although I'm not sure I consider myself to be rock n' roll haha). Then I starting thinking about this guy I used to see walking around the neighborhood we used to live in.  He has to be at least 50.  His hair has greyed and his body has aged.  Never the less, there he was walking his dog down the sidewalk wearing slim blue jeans, vintage vans, and a band t-shirt.  The best part was it wasn't some tragedy, it looked authentic.  He didn't look like he was wearing a costume, he just looked like himself.  A retired punk kid who decided to let his style evolve with him.  I admire him and his refusal to change who he was, and in all honesty, wouldn't that be the real tragedy?

I'm not saying you have to keep shopping at the same stores you found yourself wandering around in when you were 16. But if you like something there is no reason to toss it just because it's not "what someone your age would wear".  If it looks good on you, and it makes you feel like a million bucks, then it's the right outfit.  People have a pretty good sense about what looks okay and what looks plain ridiculous.  And the people who don't are often found at Walmart. (just kidding...but really...people of walmart!? good grief!)

Sometimes my favorite thing to do is hop on Polyvore.com and create little outfits.  Here are some examples of what I love to wear.  I think this is perfectly age appropriate and shows how my style has evolved as I have gotten older.

What are some of your favorite things to wear? How do you feel your style has changed or stayed the same as you've gotten older.  Are you growing up or are you evolving?

Let's talk about letting our babies cry

The other day I let my 18 month old scream and cry (safely strapped into his baby chair) while I took a shower...he had books, he had his choo-choo train, he had his sesame street cell phone, all of which he really couldn't care less about having at the time. He was just pissed to be in that dumb, now slightly too small, chair. Meanwhile I just ignored it...I washed my hair making sure to peek out just to make sure he wasn't strangling himself or something awful and over dramatic like that. I did not rush, I did not worry...I knew he was perfectly fine. For me, letting him scream and holler was fine in this particular situation. He is getting to the age where tantrums are gonna happen and I have to learn that he's gonna get super pissy and that's all there is to it. If I could I would have let him stay in the living room to play, but lately he's been climbing on top of the coffee table and...no, just no. Anyway, as soon as I got out he stopped crying. As soon as I un-buckled him from his chair of doom he started babbling to me about his choo-choo (that I can only assume he forgot about  totally tossing across the bathroom during his breakdown). He was fine, and he walked off as if nothing had happened.

From the moment they are born babies know how to cry. I remember thinking about 5 days into parenting, "why don't they laugh instead of cry?? Why does it have to be crying?!"...I guess it would be really creepy if every time my son was upset he just laughed about it. Yeah, crying makes sense. Our parental instinct tells us that a crying baby is a baby in distress and that means that baby needs help. This can be a very stressful time and as much as you might have read about how to be the best most excellent parent in the world, not to mention with the happiest most almost never cryiest baby ever, the truth is...books weren't written about your baby. You get the awesome task of figuring it out on your own, and it's not easy, and a lot of things you thought would work just don't. Many books, and other parents (with the best intentions) for that matter, really try their best to explain the best ways to deal with these stress filled cry fests that happen about every 20 minutes. A dirty diaper, hunger, gas, sleepy but won't sleep, or just plain pissed off because they aren't in the womb anymore can all be viable reasons for baby fussy pants syndrome. The fact is, crying is how they communicate.  But how should we respond to what they are trying to tell us?

Personally I don't fully agree with the CIO method.  I am more on the side of an attachment parent and I believe that when you hear the cry of "I need you, Mommy"...you answer their cry.  That being said, I also believe that their personal cry changes as they grow from teeny babies to toddlers.  I can tell the difference between Liam's "help, I need you!" cry and his "boo- I'm grumpy pants"cry he usually makes when he can no longer stack his blocks.  When Liam bumps his head, I don't immediately swoop him up.  When he doesn't get the toy he wants, I don't try to reason with him, I just explain that we aren't playing with it right now and move on.  Our method for parenting Liam is constantly evolving to fit his needs and what he can handle.  I think Liam is an incredibly resilient child and is able to cope with many undesirable situations. I also know he is fully capable of having a complete meltdown when the moment calls for one.  Let me be clear when I say I don't think there is anything wrong with the way people decide to parent their children.  Like I said, we as parents are able to decipher the differences in their cries and know when they really need us, and when they just want whatever it is they want.  There are days and nights where I am very hands off, I want Liam to experience what is happening, but I also want him to know that I am there and he is not alone.

Do I think I scarred him for letting him scream in the bathroom? No.  Does that mean I would let him scream and cry from his crib for 1 hour in hopes he will eventually just give up and go to bed? No. (Although we have officially started our serious sleep training which I will talk about in another post!) Does this mean I think you should do what I am doing? Absolutely not. I have my own boundaries, and I have given Liam boundaries.  I know Liam trusts me and I know he understands that I will be there for him.  It's okay for me to say no.  I don't do these things to be mean.  Everything I do for him is because I love him.  I think the best thing I can do for my son is go with my gut instincts. It won't be the easiest path but it will feel right.

growing up in Photo Booth

A few weeks ago it came to my attention that if you wanna find a sweet photo of me and Liam all you'd need to do is get on my computer and open up Photo Booth.  Without me even realizing it I was documenting our days together with a click of the mouse.  I thought it would be fun to go through them and share some of the good ones from birth to 18 months.  It's always so fun to go back through the old photos and see just how much Liam has grown.  It's also nice to see me transform from new mom into functioning human being again haha!

Going from 7 lbs to 22.5.  From bald to brush-able.  Early mornings.  Meltdowns.  Pointing out noses, heads, and ears and not to mention 3 moves!  I can't believe we've made it this far and our journey has been a great one.  Being a stay at home mom has been an emotional roller coaster.  I think it's safe to say that things haven't been all that easy for Liam either.  Growing up, experiencing the world, teething, solid foods, sitting up, crawling, walking, falling down and everything in between.  The first photo below was taken a few days after he was born and the last was last night before bed.  I almost including one of me breastfeeding but decided not to at the last minute...it's pretty boobacious.  But instead take note of the ponytail hair-dos and tank tops / v-neck tees ^___^

I'd love to know how you guys have been documenting your adventures in parenthood?  Computer? Phone? An actual camera!? Comment below!

Liam Likes / V.2

Let's see...what are some of the things Liam really likes these days?  Well here are few I can think of off of the top of my head

• Liam likes pushing around his fisher price vacuum thing. It's adorable because I think he's trying to copy me :)
• Liam likes tortellini pasta and heirloom tomatoes....a lot!
• Liam likes collecting shoes when you mention the word 'shoes' haha
• Liam likes to show you his bellybutton and nose!
• Liam likes helping me feed Panda and the cats.  He also likes pouring out their water onto the floor...I do not share this like.

What do your kiddos like? 

why I loved being pregnant

18 weeks 

Today I want to talk about my feelings on being pregnant, what I loved about it, and what I really kinda super miss about it.

I want to start off by saying that the way people are looking at pregnancy and child birth has really started to change over the past few years, and I am so glad that I was living in pregnancy town during that time!  Before I ever thought about having babies (weird thing to say) I was one of those girls who viewed being pregnant as a means to an end.  You get big, spend the entire time uncomfortable, and are in constant panic over the upcoming birth that will surely scar you for life.  I always thought women just grin and bear pregnancy because it'll be "worth it" in the end.  Well my views sure did change when I was going through pregnancy and I have to say that being pregnant was one of the best times of my life.  I felt really in tune with my body,  I became super educated about what was happening and how to prepare myself for birth, and I just felt GOOD!  Let me tell you why I think I felt this way…

My environment.  Look…things started to change when I met the right people.  Starting with my good friend, Megan.  She took me under her wing and taught me all about the importance of women really educating themselves when it comes to their bodies and their pregnancies.  She had dealt with a lot of drama when her first son was born, and decided to learn about natural childbirth for her second.  Because of her  I would have never even considered how crazy messed up prenatal care is here in the U.S.  All of the medical procedures that have their place and are totally necessary in the right situation that are being used for all the wrong reasons.  Women are so scared about giving birth because society only shows how scary, dangerous, and painful it is.  When did women forget that their bodies are designed to have children!?  SRSLY.

Back to what I was saying about environment.  Megan suggested that I watch The Business of Being Born documentary which really empowered me and changed the way I looked at child birth.  I felt like I was given the opportunity to take control of my journey into motherhood.  I was given the freedom to think for myself and not just be bound by stereotypical assumptions on pregnant women, pregnancy, labor, and birth.

Then we up and moved to Madison, WI.  Thank goodness for that because the resources for natural parenting are endless up here.  Midwives, birth centers, doulas and more! So awesome. :D  We even have fantastic hospitals with doctors and nurses who are open to natural birth. I made the decision to be seen by a midwife at a birthing center.  I also got on board with having a doula!  I didn't stop there…I enrolled in a yoga class for pregnancy and attended monthly interactive meetings were women shared their birth stories.  I was surrounded by all the right people and that made me feel great.  That's not to say that there weren't some definite downsides to pregnancy that I had to deal with.  I was hormonally unstable at times, and near the end the feet swelling just freaked me out.  But some of notable ups about being large and in charge were:

• 1. I got super creative with what I had to wear. (I only owned a belly band and luckily didn't have to buy any maternity clothing)
• 2. Pregnancy gave me the gift of being able to eat all the ice cream, all of the time, erry day.
• 3. I slept all of the time and it didn't bother anyone.
• 4. People were suddenly super friendly to me….like…all of the time. 

But really I loved being pregnant because it gave me the chance to slow down and learn a little bit about myself.  I was able to contemplate my feelings on how we were going to raise our child.  It really made us crack down on our religious beliefs.  Whether or not we would choose to circumcise or not.  How we were going to financially support our child.  What really mattered to us as individuals and as parents!  Pregnancy brought me closer to my husband.  It was an eye opening experience and a transformation of sorts.  We were lucky to be immersed in such a beautiful community and I feel that is has really benefited my well being as a mother.  And of course…the thing I loved most about being pregnant was growing my baby.  Feeling Liam kick and finding that my love for him would continue to grow through all of the unknowns.  We had each other. That was the most special time of all.

Did you enjoy being pregnant? Pregnant right now and want to talk about it? Comment below! :D