Fashion Friday

With around a month left until Hadley's due date, I broke out my old maternity clothes to take stock of what I already had. However, since my boys were spring and summer babies, most of the clothes weren't going to work well for late October and November. Up until this point, I've been able to wear my regular clothes, but I knew that would be changing soon with how quickly our little girl was growing! So, I decided a little shopping was in order, and thankfully, I had birthday money to spend!

My goal was to purchase a few key items that would get me through this last month and possibly still work even after Hadley's birth.

1. Comfy layering tank from Walmart

This tank top is super comfy, stretchy, and hits high enough in the front for me. It's also $3! So, I purchased the black stripe and a solid black, gray, and nude. They have been wonderful!

2. Skinny boyfriend jeans

I found these maternity jeans at the Navy Exchange for $15! They are very comfortable and I love that they have the comfort waistband instead of the full belly panel.

3. Striped t-shirt dress

This dress is $25 from the Liz Lange Maternity line at Target. It is so incredibly comfortable! When I got home, I played around with a few different ways to style it, and as you can see, it's extremely versatile!

For around $50, I have everything I should need for a maternity wardrobe for fall! I can't wait to meet our little girl, but until then, I'm having fun dressing the bump!

Top Ten Things Never to Say

...to a Pregnant Woman :) 

"There's something about seeing a pregnant belly that makes even the most civilized people forget their manners."  I saw this statement from http://www.womansday.com/ and wanted to shout, "AMEN!"  It is so true!  And all these lovely comments come when women are already self-conscious about their ever-changing body.  Not to mention emotional, hormonal, etc. :)  What kills me the most, though, are comments from women who've had children of their own.  I mean, come on!  Think before you speak, people! ;)  So, as a helpful reminder, here's a list of things never to say to a pregnant woman! 

10. "You're obviously due any day now!" (Meaning: You look huge.)

9. "Boy, you look tired." (Meaning: You look awful.)

8. "Was it planned?" (Meaning: Are you crazy?)

7. "BEEP! BEEP!" ("Jokingly" said by my husband as I was backing up. *Ahem*)

6. "Mind if I grope your belly?" (Just kidding! Most people don't ask for permission before they grope you.)

5. "Are you sure you aren't having twins?" (Meaning: You look really huge.)

4. "Oh, wow! You've really gotten big!" (Really, I mean, really?!?!)

3. "Enjoy your last few months of freedom/sleep/what-have-you. Because once the baby's here it's ALL OVER!" (No scary stories, please!)

2. "Anything yet? It seems like you've been pregnant FOREVER." (Meaning: You've looked rough for a long time now.)

1. "You really shouldn't…drink caffeine/exercise/sit in a hot bath/etc." Because you find once you become pregnant, everyone is an expert! (even if they haven't had kids themselves)

(Source:  http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/life-in-the-pregnancy-zone/top-10-things-never-to-say-to-a-pregnant-woman_205441.)

Note:  This is not an all-inclusive list.  Please exhibit common sense and courtesy when speaking with a woman who is with child. ;)  And if you aren't 100% sure that she is expecting, don't say anything at all! :)

Maternity Photography

So, it's almost that time again!  I'll be 34 weeks next week, and my wonderful sister Chelsey will be doing maternity pictures for us! :)  Check out her page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/CapturedPhotographycpChelseyParker.  I always like to have some ideas in mind going into a photo session, so I hit Pinterest and Google for some inspiration.  Apparently, fully-clothed maternity sessions are not very popular these days. ;)  Despite that fact, I managed to find some adorable ideas!

All images via http://pinterest.com/search/?q=maternity+photography.

To Buy or Not to Buy

I don't know about you, but my favorite stores started bringing out their spring collections right after Christmas, or so it seemed. ;)  I've been itching to get my hands on some cute spring outfits but wasn't sure what size I'd be. :)   I'm still wearing my "normal" clothes at the moment, but I know I'll be needing a few maternity items soon, so I decided to check out Motherhood Maternity.  They didn't have a great sale selection in the store, but they did online...and they were buy one get one free!  So, I ordered four cute tops and anxiously awaited their arrival. :)  They came in yesterday, and I was so excited to try them on!  And guess what?  None of them fit!  They were all way too long, and I don't usually have that problem since I'm 5'7".  Not only that, but even though they were all the same size, two were way too big.  Maybe it's just me, but actual maternity clothes are not very flattering.  They always look so cute in the pictures, though!  I swear it's because they have size 0 models with fake bellies.  They are not real pregnant women! ;)  Anyway, Blake and I went out to return my disappointing purchases and I decided to run in Old Navy since we were right there. :)  And, lo and behold, in the regular misses section I found a ton of pieces that were adorable and flattering!  Hallelujah! :)

And here's Blake having fun in the dressing room :)

I also found a few nice things for Josh while we there.  They have a great selection of adorable clothing for little girls too, but not so much for the poor little boys.  Shocker! ;)  And for any of you who are also expecting, Old Navy at Lynnhaven has a maternity section.  I haven't checked it out yet, but I will definitely be doing so in the near future! :)

Spring Fashion

Tomorrow is the first day of spring! :)  There are so many great styles out for this spring, but, as always, there are considerably less choices for the mama-to-be.  And by considerably less I mean next to nothing. ;)  However, I have found some cute items recently, so I thought I'd share some of my recent purchases and a few extras as well!  HAPPY SPRING!

1.)  $19.99, http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=912989002&MasterCategory_Id=9996

2.)  $34.99, http://www.target.com/p/Liz-Lange-for-Target-Maternity-Sleeveless-Maxi-Dress-Black-Camel-Cream/-/A-13933261#?lnk=sc_qi_detailimage

3.)  $49.99, http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?product_Id=116949007&MasterCategory_Id=9996

4.)  $39.95, http://www.dsw.com/shoe/kelly+.and.+katie+tupelo+patent+sandal?prodId=dsw12prod3760148

5.)  $79.95, http://www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Collections-Theory-Diaper/dp/B002VJYEAK

6.)  $11, http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/x6.aspx?deptid=70737&catid=83560&grptyp=PRD&itemid=1e0506f

You Paid How Much?

Isn't this a lovely black diaper bag?  It's nice and large and looks more like a purse. :)

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/search.jsp?No=0&Ntt=diaper+bag&_requestid=89899&N=0&va=t

It's also $1395!  No, that's not a typo!  It's really almost fourteen hundred dollars!  Yikes!  Guess I'm going to have to pass on that one! ;) 

On a positive note, look at this little black beauty that I found today!  Do I need another diaper bag?  Not really.  Could I pass up a $99 bag for $19.99?  Nope. :)  Gotta love T.J. Maxx!

Mommy Bling

My necklace came in today, and I love it! :)  This picture was taken with my phone, so it's not the best, but it is gorgeous in person!

Here are some great places to find custom hand-stamped jewelry:

http://www.thevintagepearl.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OakHillDesigns?ref=seller_info

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Something-Charming-Custom-Hand-Stamped-Jewelry/270405276311441

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/Necklaces-C32.aspx

A Stylish Diaper Bag?

No, it's not an oxymoron, and yes, they really do exist!  If you're like me and prefer diaper bags that are both practical and stylish, I'll save you the trouble of going through what I went through to find one.  Yes, I actually googled "diaper bags that look like purses" and went from there. ;)  Here are three chic diaper bags that look more like purses, and I've even selected prices that range from high to low to prove that you really can find a cute diaper bag at almost any price point these days. :)

HIGH

Timi and Leslie Annette Diaper Bag in Pewter, $150

http://www.buybuybaby.com/Product.asp?SKU=129237

MEDIUM

Super Star Diaper Bag in Gray and Yellow, $90

http://www.laylagrayce.com/Products/Super-Star-Diaper-Bag-Gray-Yellow__BTDB05GY.aspx

LOW

Carter's Metallic Hobo Diaper Bag, $40

http://www.diapers.com/p/carters-metalic-hobo-diaper-bag-bronze-240964?site=CI&utm_source=cse&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_term=WB-051&utm_campaign=google&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=WB-051



Gaga for Gownies!

Call me crazy (my husband already has), but I will be ordering one of these for my next trip to the hospital.  And while I love this picture of me holding Blake right after he was delivered, I definitely do not love that hospital gown.  Not only was it terribly ugly, but it kept slipping off of my shoulders.

Luckily, I found some wonderful websites that sell pretty delivery gowns (yes, they do exist!)  Now the hard part will be deciding which one to order!  These are my two favorites:

http://www.gownies.com/index.php/delivery-gowns/gownie-test-1-26.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57704499/maternity-hospital-gown-pretty-in-pink