Pregnancy Style: Weeks 28 - 31

Chambray shirt, Loft (similar)  //  Maternity Tee, Target  //  Maternity Jeans, 7 For All Mankind  //  Sandals, JCrew Outlet (similar)

I ordered over a dozen pairs of maternity jeans from various retailers (Old Navy, Loft, Target) knowing it was going to be a staple in my maternity wardrobe for the next several months and every order was returned. I found this 7 For All Mankind pair on the clearance rack for $100 at Motherhood Maternity when they were having a Buy One Get One for $1.00 sale.

Nursery Inspiration: Grey, White, & Mint

glider  //  fur pouf  //  crib //  baby mobile  //  mirror  //  mercury lamp  //  floral lamp

I waited until we found out the gender of our baby at our 20 week ultrasound before I even allowed myself to start thinking about the nursery. Once we found out we are having a baby girl (YAY!), I unleashed the fury on Pinterest searching for everything white, light, and feminine. The guest room which we are transforming into the nursery has a medium-dark wood floors, exposed brick, and a taupe/gray walls (we rent a rowhome in the city for now but plan to move within the next year-ish, so we aren't planning to paint) so I knew I wanted to lighten up the space with the furniture and linens. I used these images as my inspiration as I went shopping. I can't wait to reveal pictures from our nursery in a follow-on post. 

More inspiration: Design by Laughlin Wilson Design, my Pinterest board

What's your favorite themes/color schemes for a baby nursery?  Do you have a recommendation on where you've snagged some great finds? 

XoXo

Pregnancy Style: Weeks 24 - 27

Striped T, Halogen  //  Maxi skirt, Nordstrom Rack (similar)  //  Black sandals, Franco Sarto

This is least favorite outfit of the bunch. I remember feeling rather frumpy that day, and I surely looked it too.  I like them both separately, but regret wearing them together (neither the skirt or the t-shirt are maternity). Oh well! You win some, you lose some! STYLE TIP:  If you are wearing one flowy piece, be sure to balance it out by wearing a more form-fitting piece.

Pregnancy Style: Weeks 20 - 23

I'm back!  Minus the disappointment when I have to retire more and more pieces from my wardrobe to the bottom-hopefully-I-can-wear-next-year section in my closet, I am becoming much more comfortable dressing this belly.

Maternity Rushed tshirt, Target  //  Full-panel Maternity Shorts, Target

I have Target has the best basic cotton Ts and tanks. I pick 1 or 2 up every time there is a 20% off maternity clothes discount that pops up on my Target Cartwheel app.

Pregnancy Style: Weeks 16 - 19

I'm back with another Pregnancy Style post for weeks 16 -19.

Black & White Striped Dress, Loft (similar)  //  Leather sandals, JCrew Outlet (similar)

Pregnancy Style: Weeks 12 - 15

Initially, I began snapping weekly pictures of my pregnant self to document my growing belly and keep a little 'digital closet' for myself to reference when I was feeling uninspired with my clothing options. (I've always had this dream I would take a picture of every clothing item I own so I could style my outfits from the comfort of my bed, essentially have my own real life Clueless Closet - this is the closest I've gotten.)  Now, it's become a weekly update I send to long-distance family and friends so they can get a quick update on our progress. A friend suggested I share them on my blog to maybe give other pregnant mama's some inspiration... or even just encouragement to capture your pregnancy style journey.

I definitely wouldn't consider myself stylish, but I do enjoy pulling inspiration from Pinterest and trying to recreate the looks with items I might already have in my closet, mixing non-maternity items with maternity finds.

V-neck Red Wings Tee (similar)  //  Full Panel Maternity Jean Shorts, Target 

Fresh in Fifteen Challenge

Inspired by Kate from The Small Things blog's recent Fresh in Fifteen post, I challenged myself to try to do my hair and makeup in 15 minutes. I certainly don't have that roll-out-of-bed-smear-some-moisturizer-on-coat-my-lashes-in-mascara-and-leave-the-house kind of face. It's not that I get glammed up every day, but it normally takes me an hour to get ready because I just really enjoy the "getting ready" process and taking my time (that does include a shower & puppy snuggle breaks... not at the same time... that would be weird).

Style Dupe: Booties

Like many others, I have been shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Since last fall, I have been wanting to find a pair of suede ankle booties that could be worn with shorts, maxi dresses, jeans. I was so excited when I found a goregous pair from Vince Camuto for $104 - a $54 discount from it's normal price! I was very happy with these when I got them in the mail. However... when I was at Target today, I found a very similar pair for only $36!!! The only visual difference between the Mossimo Sawyer Booties (right) and the Vince Camuto Maves Booties (left) is the slightly darker shade and the bottom sole extends millimeters beyond the suede toe on the cheaper version. The roundness of the toe, relaxed ankle, and stack of the heel are the same. Can you tell the difference?

I don't know about you, but I'd rather put that $70 back in my pocket... by back in my pocket, I mean pick up a few other things that are in my Nordstrom wishlist. :)

XoXo

Something New to Blog About

I know, I know! I haven't posted in 4 months! Let's just say my mind and creativity has been directed elsewhere... :)

On the morning of my birthday, I took a pregnancy test with the thought "if it comes back positive, then it will be the BEST birthday present ever... and if it came up negative, then we'll still be able to go out to dinner and enjoy a nice bottle(s) of wine".  Let's just say, I wasn't celebrating with a glass of booze that night!!!

My Simple Everyday Face

I've been looking to scale back the amount of makeup I wear daily... meanwhile you are reading this thinking, that's still crap-ton of product Lindsay! Well, it takes me a lot to look relatively decent when leaving the house. :) Anyways, I love all of these products - they are simple, dependable, and give the most naturally beautiful look.

Post Wedding Chop

Lauren Conrad  //  Jennifer Aniston  //  Elizabeth Olsen  //  Kate Mara  //  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley // Gwyneth Paltrow  

Battle of the BBs

...and CC creams, DD creams, EE creams... whatever other fancy names they want to re-brand the classic tinted moisturizer. :)

Origins... Here to Save the Day!

 Drink It Up Overnight Mask  //  Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask  //  Active Charcoal Mask

Origins is a great skin care brand that I have tried a few products from and love! In December, I picked up this Mini Mask Marvels value set but threw it into my drawer of face cleansers/masks. I fished this trio out a few weeks ago and am kicking myself for not busting this out right away!!! The set includes 3 - 1 oz face masks, one for helping very dehydrated skin, one for helping clear up breakouts, and another to help remove everyday impurities. There is definitely enough product in here to get at least 6-8 uses! 

Monthly Beauty Boxes... Are they worth it?

It seems like a new monthly subscription box is popping up everywhere you turn... makeup, skincare, DIY/handmade bits, health & fitness diddies. After reading about Kate from The Small Things Blog talk about Choix, I decided to give it a try. I really like the idea about actually being able to pick out the exact samples rather than possibly getting stuck with a makeup product in a shade that's not right for me!

Our Wedding:The Big Decisions

Before Nick and I began our wedding planning, I had us go through a little exercise to pick a few adjectives to describe what we wanted out of our wedding day so we could get on the same page. We both said very similar things but ended up narrowing it down to fun, relaxed, & simple-chic. While it seemed silly at the time, it became something we frequently referred back as it is VERY easy to get caught up in all the planning and lose grasp of your core wishes.  

I'm going to begin this mini-series with the decisions we made in the months leading up to our actual wedding day.

Josie Maran's Liquid Metal

These Watercolor eyeshadows from Josie Maran are gorgeous, hands down... but are they worth the splurge?  Absolutely, but it's not an I-must-have-every-shade product. They are very pigmented and long-lasting. You have to work very fast because they do set quickly - I definitely recommend doing one eye at a time. I also suggest using a primer like UD Primer Potion or NARS Eyeshadow Base (my favorites) to avoid  possible creasing.

Simple, Semi-Homemade Wedding Favors

One of my friends had a basket of flip-flops at her wedding several years ago, an amazing idea which I locked it away in my memory for when it was my turn to walk down the aisle - given at that time I had just met the man I was going to later call my husband days before. :)

I knew I didn't want trinkets people felt obligated to take but would immediately through out at their next gas station stop. I didn't want to repackage candies. (No offense to anyone who has done this, because I have definitely enjoyed noshing on wedding favors before leaving for the night!) I wanted the favors to be affordable and functional; if they were able to be used time-and-time again afterwards and occasionally cause them to think "damn! that was a fun wedding", then it's a homerun! I love the idea of offering guests an alternative to those uncomfortable-but-are-so-cute-you-have-to-wear-them heels, it's a win-win for everyone - the women stay up on the dance floor longer and the men don't have to hear the complaints!

I picked up 65 pairs of flip-flops from Old Navy, enough for every female guest and a few extras in navy blue and silver (our wedding colors). I got a range of sizes from size 5 to size 11, with the most being 7's, 8's, and 9's. Yes, the inner math nerd in me had calculated a distribution table... and the penny-pincher me even waited until I could get an additional 20% off of that normal $2.50 "sale" price! Even though we had some left over, it was an equal distribution across all sizes so I would definitely recommend this distribution of sizes that I went with. I was even able to return all of the unused pairs!

I removed the ugly store tags and added on some homemade tags; all you need is some colored paper, a printer, and some circle punches (I used a 1" and a 1 1/4" from Stampin Up!), and ribbon. I used two large baskets to hold them and made a simple sign to let people know to grab a pair.

We didn't completely neglect the men and children. We had custom matchbooks and cigars near the outside bar. I designed a little sign (see below) to ask our guest to abide by our venue's request to have smoking away from the building; I couldn't resist sneaking the Baltimore Orioles bird into our reception. And we set up a 'kid's room' (since our wedding was in a historic manor, there were various smaller rooms off the ballroom), that we had a TV and Wii set up for them to play in between dancing.

I really enjoyed adding a bit of DIY element to our wedding and think it helped tie it all together. And in all honesty, I found crafting to be somewhat cathartic - a way to distract myself from stressing about other things. Just remember, don't over commit yourself to DIY projects. While yes, you could probably do it all yourself... it's important to know when to ask for help, pay for a professional, or take a little help from the store. The little touches really help personalize the event, but no one would know those things are missing except you if you don't end up getting to it. Happy crafting!

XoXo

Top Bronzers

1.  Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - I tried this based on rave reviews from Essie Button (one of my favorite beauty bloggers); it is a very light, smooth powder with no-fail application; the downside is that there aren't many shades and I use 03 (the darkest is 04), so anyone with skin much darker than mine probably won't find a match.
2.  Bronzed and Poreless - I'm not so sure about the "poreless" part, it's so finely-milled that it just applies beautifully and helps camouflage imperfections; is cooler toned so I like using this as an all-over bronzer and then build it up .
3.  Filmstar Bronze & Glow - This definitely isn't a MUST HAVE but it sure is the epitome of luxury! I like wearing this with Tarte blush in Exposed for a very natural look for the cheeks whenever I where a bold lip.
4.  CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer - the size of this compact doesn't make it very travel-friendly, but this is a more affordable luminating bronzer; I find this one to be the most red-toned out of these 4, so I the sheen is more subtle than the Bronze & Glow.