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12.15.2015

Back in Blue

Coat:  c/o Veronica Virta, Top:  J.Crew (old, loving this mock-neck version), Jeans:  Frame Denim, Shoes:  Valentino, Bag:  French Connection (old, similar), Hat:  Forever 21


I'm baaaack! 

I know, I know, it's been a LONG time since my last post, and so much has happened since. 

Over the past two months we moved, I went back to work and my baby girl celebrated her SIX MONTH BIRTHDAY. Everyone tells you it goes by fast, but that's a complete understatement.

But now I'm back ~ just in time for the holidays.


After being pregnant and not shopping too much over the past year, I had two main focuses on my wardrobe this season:

1. New jeans

2. A fabulous new coat

I checked denim off my list with my new obsession, Frame Denim. I find most of their styles fit me perfectly and picked up several pairs over the past few months.

As far as coats go, I have one black belted puffy coat that I wear almost every day and it's perfect for my new mom life (so easy to wipe down). But I wanted something a little nicer that I could wear to work and for holiday parties.

This beautiful blue number from Veronica Virta totally fit the bill. I love a classic tweed coat, and the bright hue gives it a contemporary twist.

I was so excited to hear they now have a NJ location at the Bridgewater Commons Mall (2nd floor, Bloomingdales wing) in addition to their online boutique ~ www.veronicavirta.com.



They have so many pretty pieces that are perfect to dress up or down.



Not too late, ladies, to give that last minute *hint* *hint* to the bf or hubby!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

10.12.2015

Lime & Vine

Sweater:  H&M (very old, similar here, here, here), Pants:  c/o Lime & Vine, Bag:  Mansur Gavriel, Sneakers:  Converse

Pretty much my daily uniform lately.

Easy to slip on, comfortable, and stuff I don't mind getting covered in spit up. 
{Sooooooooooo much spit up!}

I recently discovered Lime & Vine and so happy I did. Their entire line is chic, super soft basics. I've been wearing these pants almost every day with sneakers and flip flops, but fully intend on wearing them with heels when I go back to work.

Happy Monday everyone!

9.14.2015

Le Flare

Top:  ASOS (old, great alternative here, loving this long-sleeved version for fall), Jeans:  Frame, Hat:  Anthropologie ~ on sale!, Bag:  Mar Y Sol, Shoes:  Anthropologie (old, similar here under $30!)

Since it's still technically summer, I thought this white + denim look was perfect for the transition to fall.


This is my first pair of Frame jeans and I think I'm in love. Seriously. 

I was worried about how my post-baby body would look in jeans, but these fit like a glove, giving me a much-needed confidence boost!

Happy Monday everyone!

9.09.2015

Labor Day Macrame

Dress:  Forever 21 (sold out, other options here), Sandals:  Loeffler Randall, Bag:  Unknown (similar option here for under $30!), Earrings:  c/o Amelia Rose

This dress is so perfect for late summer {and for my work-in-progress post-baby bod}. It's easy throw-on-and-go, it's a dark color {formula spit up leaves a nasty orangish stain on anything light}, and it was under $30 {in line with my new baby-friendly budget}.


On another note, I had a reader recently ask me if I was going to continue to update my blog ~ a completely legitimate question. My answer is yes, I plan on continuing to update, but I can't make any promises about regularity.

Those of you who have been with me since the beginning know that my posting began to decline in frequency about a year ago {right around the time I found out I was pregnant}. I kept the secret from almost everyone until I was about 16 weeks. That combined with fatigue and nausea was my first reason for posting less frequently. 

As the months went on, and I got bigger and bigger, the challenge was looking good while not spending too much on a pregnancy wardrobe. I just didn't have the desire {or the budget} to do so.

Once the baby arrived I thought I would be back to my normal blogging frequency, and planned to incorporate my tiny fashionista into my posts. As you can see this didn't happen either. Reality is that most days I stay in PJ's all day. If I do get dressed, I wear one of five easy dresses that I don't mind using as a burp cloth, paired with minimal makeup and unwashed hair. 

My priorities completely shifted when I became a mother. To me, time spent prepping to look my best means less time playing with/enjoying my number one gal.

I go back to work in November, so my posting will hopefully become more regular then {I'll be forced look presentable every day}. I hope you'll stick with me in the meantime.

Happy hump day everyone!

8.10.2015

Papaya + Jade

Dress:  Topshop (on SALE for $30!!!), Shoes:  Forever 21 (sold out, identical here), Bag:  Forever 21 (old, similar here), Earrings:  c/o Amelia Rose Design, Sunnies:  Ray-Ban

As you may know if you've followed me for some time, I'm a big fan of wearing bright colors. This year I've definitely been playing it a bit safer as I have not been getting dressed up as often {most days I don't even change out of PJs}.

But when I saw this comfortable crochet number on sale for just $30, I couldn't resist {always a sucker for a good bargain}. These beautiful Amelia Rose Design earrings in jade just happen to pair perfectly with the perky papaya color of this dress.

Happy Monday everyone!

7.21.2015

Chambray Off-The-Shoulder


I know y'all are probably tired of seeing this dress by now. I've seen it all over Pinterest and social media ~ seems that everyone out there has a similar version.

Truth be told, in addition to buying Ella's 4th of July outfit, I picked up this comfy casual frock the day I went into labor. 

Funny story actually ~ I walked into Express {with my literally about to burst prego belly} and spotted this dress. The sales associate in store asked me what size I was looking for and I said, "Extra small." She replied, "Are you sure you don't want to try the size small also?" Bless her teenage heart for not being sensitive to a hormonal pregnant woman. No offense taken here, but I did try the extra small, belly and all, and was sure to come out and show her that it fit me even WITH my ginormous belly.


I have worn this dress twice since having Ella and it's just the most comfortable dress out there. Also, perfect for when I was breastfeeding because I could easily pull down the top and latch her right on!


Please ignore my unruly hair as I have not had a cut or color in more than four months. I'm going next week and am sure I'll feel like a new woman.


Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

7.14.2015

My Fertility Story

Outfit 1 ~ Top:  c/o LuLaRoe, Leggings:  c/o LuLaRoe ~ softest, comfiest leggings I have ever owned, Shoes:  Topshop, Bag:  Mansur Gavriel ~ great as a (fancy) diaper bag with this insert, Stroller:  Uppababy ~ LOVE my stroller here with bassinet attachment
Outfit 2 ~ Top:  Old Navy, Leggings:  c/o LuLaRoe, Shoes:  H&M (old, similar style here), Bag:  C.Wonder (old, similar here)

Happy Tuesday readers! This post took longer than expected to put together, but I've been spending all of my time with my adorable daughter and still adjusting to my new role as a mother.

As promised I wanted to share with you my pregnancy and delivery stories as I feel like they may be comforting to others out there. Whether you have/are experiencing the same things yourself, or know someone who is, I feel that there is comfort in knowing that you are not alone.


My husband and I began trying to have children more than four years ago. After about six months of trying I found out that I was pregnant. We were overjoyed and immediately started planning our future with our little one. Everything seemed to be going great. 

I went to my OB for a checkup at 11.5 weeks and they listened for a heartbeat on the doppler, but heard nothing. This was common they told me, and no cause for alarm because it's not easily detectable until after 13 weeks or so. Just for peace of mind they sent me for an ultrasound. At that ultrasound appointment we found out that the baby's heart was no longer beating, and that I had had a miscarriage. We were devastated. It truly felt like someone had ripped my heart right out of my chest. At this point I was young and naive, and not aware of how common first trimester miscarriages were. I became depressed for a very long time ~ not a lock yourself in your house and stop going to work depression ~ I was able to go about my daily activities, but there was an undeniable emptiness inside of me. My husband was SUPER supportive through this hard time, and we began trying to have children again right away.


Months passed and nothing was happening. I was becoming frustrated, but my OB didn't see any cause for alarm since it had been relatively easy for me to conceive the first time. Months became a year and still nothing. At this point many of my girlfriends were becoming pregnant, and while I was happy for them, it was bittersweet because it made me even more sad for myself. I felt guilty that I couldn't be happier of them during their most special time.

Eventually, my doctor sent me to a fertility specialist. We started going through extensive testing. After many tests for both my husband and myself, they determined my infertility to be unexplained because everything seemed to be in working order. This almost made things more frustrating because there was no 'easy fix' to help me get pregnant. Since I was still young and healthy, my fertility doctor suggested we start at the beginning with fertility treatments that were not very aggressive. We started with clomid pills. When that did not work, moved to clomid + IUI (artificial insemination). After a few unsuccessful rounds of that we moved to injections + IUI ~ during this time we had one positive test, but they determined it to be a chemical pregnancy since my HCG levels were low did not continue to climb after a few days. 


After exhausting all other treatments, we decided to move forward with IVF. This was extremely nerve-wracking to me. As much as I tried to stay positive, there was a little nagging thought in the back of my mind that if this didn't work it was our last option for having our baby. I was also concerned about all of the shots and injections that I would be putting into my body, and the effects that these substances would have on me in the future. But the thought of a positive outcome obviously overcame all of our concerns, and in September of last year we started our first round of IVF. I remember being a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding, and my husband and I having to sneak into the bridal suite during the reception so that he could give me my injections in my belly ~ not fun, but a necessary part of the process.

On October 1, 2014, we went in for our pregnancy test and we got a positive result. We were (cautiously) overjoyed. My HCG levels were much higher than when I had the chemical pregnancy which was a good sign, but at this point I was only four weeks pregnant and by no means out of the water. 

The first twelve weeks of my pregnancy were both joyous and stressful because we knew that a first trimester miscarriage was always a possibility. At thirteen weeks we went for our nuchal ultrasound, and our baby looked great and was growing perfectly on schedule. I cried my eyes out at the sight of her (who we did not know was a 'her' at this point). Just seeing my healthy baby and hearing the heartbeat was such an overwhelmingly happy feeling.

We did not start telling people we were pregnant until around Christmastime ~ I was about 16 weeks at this point ~ and I didn't tell my co-workers (other than my immediate work team who knew from the beginning) until I could no longer hide it (more than halfway through my pregnancy). 

There was not a day of my pregnancy that went by that I didn't worry about my little one's well being, but I guess that just comes along with being a mother. From my experience thus far I've realized the worry never stops, you just find new things to worry about.

Overall I had a wonderful and easy pregnancy. I gained about 25 lbs total, had minimal nausea during the first 12 weeks, and was able to work right up until giving birth. I never 'waddled' when I walked or thought that I just wanted to 'get the baby out already'.

My hope in documenting my pregnancy journey is that it will give hope to someone who is having a similar experience.

I know it's hard to stay positive and I am so lucky to have my husband who is BEYOND supportive, and always has a positive outlook on life. He truly appreciates everything I went through, and was with me every single step of the way. Although this was stressful on him too he was able to put aside his emotions to be there to support me.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

7.06.2015

The 4th: Family Edition

On me ~ Dress:  Old Navy, Sneakers:  Converse, Sunnies:  Ray-Ban

On Sean ~ Shirt:  Old Navy, Shorts:  Nautica (old, similar here)

On Ella ~ Romper:  Baby Gap, Headband:  Baby Bling



Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend and a happy Independence Day.

I had picked up this 4th of July inspired outfit for Ella the day I went into labor. Actually I was still at the mall when I started feeling a little 'funny'. 

I wanted to be prepared because I figured it would be a while before I got out to the mall again. Guess that was good thinking on my part.

It feels really good to finally complete a blog post, and while I'm definitely not back to my normal blogging schedule {or my normal physique for that matter} I promise to post as frequently as possible for the next couple of weeks.

Happy Monday everyone!

6.15.2015

Ella Finch


06.07.2015 / 7lb 4oz ~ welcome to the world little miss Ella.


The best things in life are worth the wait.


I intend to do a post shortly with details on my pregnancy and delivery, however, for now I'm just enjoying my little bundle of joy.


Stay tuned and have a wonderful week everyone!

6.01.2015

Dressing the Bump

Top:  Old Navy ~ the best pregnancy tanks, Skirt:  Jen's Pirate Booty ~ on sale!, Shoes:  J.Crew (also here ~ on sale!), Bag:  Mar Y Sol (also here, here,) Bracelets:  Tory Burch (old, similar here) and c/o Gold & Gray, Sunnies:  Ray-Ban

Sharing what could possibly be my last maternity look today as I am a mere NINE DAYS from my due date and our baby girl could make her appearance any time now.

As much as I will miss being pregnant, dressing for pregnancy is definitely not as easy as it may appear. With my body changing shape on what seemed to be a weekly basis, coming up with outfits to wear to the office each and every day definitely presented a challenge for me.


As I mentioned a few months ago, I entered into this with the attitude that 'I'll never wear maternity clothes'. That thought quickly disappeared as I realized that many of my regular clothes no longer fit ~ not like slightly too tight, more like not a prayer of pulling them off with my growing belly.


Once I realized that investing in some maternity-wear was absolutely necessary, I knew that I wanted to make my pregnancy pieces go a long way. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on clothes that I would only need once {maybe twice ~ wink} again in my life.


I decided maternity basics were the way to go, and rather than shopping at your typical maternity stores {which in my opinion are a bit pricy}, I shopped mainly at H&M and Old Navy.

On top of that, I purchased some non-maternity pieces that I could wear during pregnancy and afterward, such as this dress, and this one.

Once it started to get warm I was able to don my non-maternity maxi dresses ~ by far my favorite thing to wear during my third trimester.

Hope this post is helpful to all mommies-to-be out there ~ wishing everyone a wonderful week!

5.18.2015

Big Red


I've been living in maxi dresses lately. Definitely the most comfortable garment for me to be wearing on these 80+ degree days.


This red number might be my all time favorite. It's so light and flowy and definitely provides ample room for my still growing bump.

Less than four weeks to go...

Happy Monday everyone!

5.11.2015

Striped Maxi Dress

Dress:  Forever 21 (identical for only $12!), Bag:  Unknown ~ thinking of adding some DIY pompoms! (LOVE this similar option, also here), Sandals:  H&M (similar here), Fedora:  Urban Outfitters (old, but similar option here), Sunnies:  Forever 21 (lusting over these)

Just a simple striped maxi that I wore yesterday for a beautiful Mother's Day celebration. Yes, I realize that the horizontal stripes may not have been the most slimming choice, but these days I'm all about comfort (can you detect how swollen my feet/ankles are?!?)

Despite the swelling I feel great! My due date is now just one month away, and I'm more excited than ever to meet my baby girl.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

5.04.2015

Got Chucks On...

 
Dress:  Leith {not a maternity dress}, Jacket:  Madewell, Sneakers:  Converse, Bag:  Mansur Gavriel (also here), Sunnies:  Ray-Ban
 

...with no Saint Laurent (sorry Bruno!)


Before my pregnancy, you would probably catch me in sneakers maybe once a year. 


Now that I'm well into my third trimester, sneakers are my best friend. 


These classic Cons do the trick ~ comfortable and they add the perfect pop of color.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

4.28.2015

My Baby Shower











Sharing some pictures today from my baby shower which was this past Saturday. I can't thank my mother, mother-in-law, sister-in-laws, and nieces enough for throwing the most beautiful shower I've ever seen. 

It was the perfect day, and I feel so blessed that my closest family and friends were there to shower my baby girl {who officially has a better wardrobe and shoe game than I do}.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!