Sunday, May 26, 2013

Maternity Style

I know it has been far too long between posts, so I apologize. My plan is to do a lot more posts because I have so many projects underway for the nursery. We also have been completing projects for our home so as soon as I can I will start posting our progress. I also want to make this blog more of a lifestyle blog instead of just being so focused on style and interiors. Being pregnant, family and our little girl's arrival pretty much consume my thoughts so I would love to document it.

So on to this post. I wasn't quite sure what kind of things I would want to wear while being pregnant, I didn't know if all I would want to wear was maternity or if I could make some of my own pieces work. Well my answer has been a mix of those. My bump didn't really progress that much until around 25 weeks, then it all seemed to arrive at once! Well I have really been able to wear a lot of my regular clothes like loose blouses, maxi skirts and dresses, some sweaters, tanks and tees. I have been lucky. The hardest area has been pants, more specifically jeans. Luckily I had a few pairs that were a little big that I was able to wear until just a couple weeks ago, and probably could still wear with a hair band, but when I have tried that it has been pretty uncomfortable. Luckily I had one pair of jeans that are sort of bell bottomy that also stretch and at 30 weeks I can still button them and wear them comfortably. Everyone is so different when it comes to what works for them, and the shape that their bump takes on is also a big factor. But I wanted to compile a board that showed the outfits and pieces that I live in and can't get enough of! I'm hoping I will still be able to squeeze myself into these the next couple months!

Graphic tee and maxi skirt - Let's face it, maxi skirts are like pajamas. They are so unbelievably comfy and you can get them in so many colors. I probably have 5 but I wear them all the time. I have a blue one like above, a couple neutral colors and then a couple more brights. I love pairing them with stretchy graphic tees, or a plain white tee or tank and a fun scarf.
Maxi dress - Or a high low dress or any dress! Maxis are great because again they are comfortable, they let you breathe and they are versatile. I love throwing a cardigan or denim jacket over mine and I feel stylish and comfy. Sometimes I even put a colorful blouse over the top to simply make them look like skirts. You cannot go wrong with maxis and being pregnant. I have a lot of maxi dresses, my favorites to currently wear I purchased for next to nothing at places like Ross and TJ Maxx. I hate the thought of spending money on clothes I will only wear or a short time. I just bought a size up from what I normally wear, got them in mostly stretchy fabrics and bam, you have the best pregnancy staple besides food!
Denim jacket - I already had one in my closet that I wore the heck out of, and I still do. Like I said, put it on over a dress or with the skirt outfit and you're good to go. It is great to have for spring or summer evenings or when you're unsure of what the weather will do. Especially like me living in Oregon where the weather is always unpredictable! I have one in white as well that I have had since high school and I still rock it.
Loose fitting blouses - These are another thing I already had in my closet and so far they have been great. I feel like I can look stylish and keep my bump happy. Plus there are a million and one loose and adorable styles to choose from. Fashion trends right now are so perfect for the pregnant lady!
Jeans - Now like I said, I am lucky to have a pair I can still wiggle into, but if you need maternity jeans I say get a pair or two. I switch off between my skinny maternity jeans and my flare regulars, but for me my regulars are just more comfortable. Plus they look great paired with a blouse, kind of puts out that 70's look that I'm so fond of. The point is you need a pair of jeans that fit comfortably or else you will have a whole lot of tops that you have nothing to pair with.
Tunics and leggings - Another fave of mine is any tunic, or summer dress paired with leggings. So comfy, so instantly cute. You can wear the combo year round with boots, or sandals. I can still squeeze into most of my leggings and I have them in a lot of colors. I also have a ton of little dresses and I'm sure you do too to make this look work for you. Again, a super comfy outfit for you and baby, that can be dressed up or down.
Flats and Sandals - I had a pair of booties I somehow managed to go shopping in when I was around 24 weeks. It was the last time I will wear any sort of heel, let me tell you! My back ACHED. So from that day on I made the commitment to flat shoes. The farther along I get I notice how crazy hard it is to put on tennis shoes, so I recommend flats and sandals because in most cases you can slip them on. They are pretty comfy too. Although, we had some snow last week so I wore my uggs and realized how nice those winter pregnant Mammas have it!

Here is a picture of me in a black maxi and owl tee taken a couple weeks ago at 7 months pregnant. 





Saturday, March 16, 2013

Modern and Vintage Nursery Design

My husband Hunter and I are expecting a baby girl in August. We could not be more thrilled for our first little bundle of joy. We are also in the process of moving into a new space which means I have been extremely busy planning and designing. The space I have been most excited about is the nursery. I put together this nursery inspiration board before I knew the sex of the baby, but whether a boy or girl it did not matter to me because I knew I mostly wanted something gender neutral anyway. I just said if it's a girl I will add in violet and possibly fuscia. It has been a dream of mine to have children and design a special nursery and now that dream is finally coming true!

The theme I was going for was something modern, but also very hand crafted like a mix of homemade and new pieces. I wanted the palette to be fun and artsy since both Hunter and I love art. I have always loved primary colors and yellow is both my husband and I's favorite so we want that to be one of the main colors we use. We are going to do big sunny yellow stripes on the wall with wainscoting below. Another element I wanted to add was natural texture like baskets and wood blocks. I have an extremely large collection of children's books from my childhood bookworm days that I plan to display and also use as a pop of color and inspiration for the rest of the room.  I think the inspiration board will speak for itself, I will post our progress as we go but these have been my initial thoughts. I am trying to learn to crochet so I can make some blankets and textured baskets to go in the space. I also want to put little Pom Pom trim on the decorative pillows and other places where trim could be used adding to that homemade vintage feel. So here is our baby girls design concept for the nursery so far, adding in some violet and fuscia as well. Hope you enjoy!



Monday, July 23, 2012

Birthday Wish List

My birthday is coming up on Thursday! I thought it would be fun to put together a little wish list. I really don't plan on getting any of these things but my Mom did say we might go shopping so I figured doing a little shopping online would give me a good idea of some things I should look for. I have some recurring themes here I realized. One is that I am really into teal, red/orange, and neutrals like black and white. It was funny to me to see all these things together. Also I am already thinking about career wardrobes and fall. Fall is my favorite season, so it is hard not to get excited.

Anyway, throw some Nike + running shoes into this list (I couldn't decide on a pair to add), a hair dryer and other beauty supplies and this sums up the only things I could think of that I want. What I really want for my birthday is to spend some time with the people that I love, maybe get outdoors, play some games, get my hair done, grab a good coffee and have some good food and I will be one happy lady! So here it is! My Birthday wish list!! I love having a summer birthday and being a Leo is of course the coolest thing ever ;). Yay for birthdays!!



Numbers connect to links. Sizes: top - small, shoes - 8, bottoms - small or size 4.


 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Thursday, July 12, 2012

What to Wear to Weddings

Being in my twenties, it seems every year we get a handful of wedding invitations. I obviously love weddings, and I always have so much fun no matter whom the couple or the theme. It can be a daunting task figuring out what to wear just from a simple invite. If you are lucky the invite will indicate the attire that is appropriate, otherwise you might only get the simple cue of garden, beach or a hotel name. I like to dress for weddings according to some simple rules that are good to keep in mind. They are:

1. Keep it classy - This is a ceremony often religious and you don't want to come wearing the neon, midriff  bearing, cleavage showing, glitter dress you wore in Vegas to the bachelorette party!

2. Don't wear all white, cream or any shade resembling a wedding dress - It is the bride's big day, let her stand out in the color that is reserved for her or her bridesmaids just this once.

3. Dress for the weather - One VERY important rule I have learned about dressing that I would like to share with you is if it is windy, don't wear anything that can fly upwards in the wind. This is especially true for the Beach wedding category, anything flowy, and above the knees will be driving you crazy all night if there is wind. And that leads me to my next rule...

4. Dress comfortably - Weddings are a time to celebrate love and romance, but they are also a time to let loose, party with friends, eat some good food and have a couple of drinks. Wear something that you are comfortable dancing in, and having an extra piece of cake in. Also by dressing comfortably, wear something that is you, something that fits your personality because when you dress that way you are always more comfortable.

5. Better to overdress than under-dress - This rule is pretty self explanatory. If you are worried about overdressing, don't. You will be much more comfortable wearing something dressy than if you show up in something casual and everyone else looks dressier than you. But it is possible to overdress, unless it says black tie, don't show up wearing anything that resembles your prom dress or that is covered in rhinestones and sparkles. Just keep it simple.


Well I have put together a few of my favorite options to inspire your wardrobe for wedding season, and have broken it down into 3 categories of possible wedding types. Pair the following ensembles with the right shoes and accessories and you will surely be set. Which are your favorite looks?

Backyard/Garden Wedding

1. Forever 21  2. Skirt - Forever 21, Top - Lulus  3. Tobi  4. Lulus


Beach Wedding

1. Lulus  2. Tobi  3. Lulus  4. Lulus


Elegant (Museum, Church, Hotel) Wedding

1. BEBE  2. Tobi  3. Tobi  4. Lulus

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fall and Winter Bridesmaids

A while back I was helping a friend come up with design ideas for her winter wedding. Rustic weddings are so popular lately as is giving your bridesmaids individuality. Well I thought it would be so beautiful and adorable to put a little twist on the bridesmaids traditional attire for a fall or winter wedding. To keep it in the rustic category what if you had all of your best girls wear a cream lacy or girly type dress of their choosing. They could be long sleeved or sleeveless that way they are comfortable and the girls could show their own style, like this:

All dresses from Lulus

Or, like my original thought, have them wear matching, or mismatched sweater dresses in your winter wedding. Or lace, velvet or even sequined dresses! Wouldn't that be so cute?? They could even wear colored or dark tights and adding a metallic gold or silver skinny belt to a lot of these would top the outfit off perfectly. Here are a couple examples in mostly neutral colors to give you an idea, but you could do this in any color, any material, any embellishment. The idea is to really think out of the box for your bridesmaids especially if you want your wedding to be original. Also, this could save your ladies a lot of money as almost every single dress is well under $100 and if it isn't you could find a version of it for the price range I am sure, not to mention they would be totally comfortable. Can't you just imagine these beautiful and cozy dresses paired with some adorable heels, and a gorgeous bouquet?? Here are my picks:








Dresses - Victorias Secret



Monday, August 29, 2011

Trend - Brooch Bouquets

Ever since Miranda Lambert was married this spring I have noticed she started a trend of having your bridal bouquet made from antique brooches. It is an interesting take on something that has otherwise been pretty standard for years. I think it is great because it allows a way to add a lot of sentiment if you are able to use any family pieces in it. It will also last forever and can become a piece of art and a memento from your wedding. You could even pass it down to your children someday! Also, it allows you to add colors that you may not typically be able to achieve from traditional flowers. Though it is super 'blingy' and often very spendy to have made, I don't like that it misses the whole big fluffy bouquet thing that I personally love. But I do love love love the ones that are combined with silk flowers, fabric and feathers because it adds volume and texture but still has that something vintage, sentimental and sparkly vibe. What is your take on the brooch bouquets? Here are a few of my picks from Etsy, and below the girl that started it all Mrs. Blake Shelton.

I love that as I am looking at her photo her song just came on T.V.! =)
Image found here.
Has more fabric than bling but I love the combination.
Bouquet found here.
Monochromatic, DIY, very vintage version
Bouquet found here.
Bouquet found here.
Bouquet found here.
Bouquet found here.
FAVORITE
Bouquet found here.
Bouquet found here.
A different kind of color combination.
Bouquet found here.
LOVE the gold leaves.
Bouquet found here.

Another favorite, beautiful for a fall wedding.
Bouquet found here.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Peachy Keen

If I could plan any wedding right now, it would be a peachy, minted, rustic, vintage, romance filled, ultra feminine, shabby chic wedding in an airy palette like this: and it would be inspired by the images below. Who is helping to plan your big day?



































Images all retrieved from Pinterest.com