Day Four

So it takes about 12 days to form a habit, right? Or is that 21?

Well, my goal is to form a habit of this and to look nice without spending a lot of time.

Practice makes perfect, and I need to practice quite a bit. 

I guess I am somewhat worried concerned that I might become a mom who forgets about herself and lets herself go. I don't want that. I want to be confident and skilled in that area so that it does not become something to drag me down or hinder me. 

I want it to be something that I don't need to put a lot of mental effort into because it is like second nature. 

We'll see how that works out...

Wardrobe Tips:

*Prepare Outfits*

Setting out your outfit the night before may sound like a childish thing to do, but it saves so much time in the morning. I prefer to do as little thinking as possible in the mornings, especially with the baby brain added in.

I also find myself much more confident in my outfit when it was prepared ahead of time. 

*Know What Works*

If you don't feel like getting an outfit together the night before (which was the case today), know what works for you. You may have to play dress up every now and then to play around with your clothes and figure out what works together. It is worth it thought when you are rushed and you remember a couple of items that worked together in the past, and you can go to those items as a default.

*Pair Staple Pieces*

This morning I grabbed a black maxi and a cropped jacket. Two very basic pieces that just work together. A couple fun accessories and you look pulled together with very little mental effort. In a lot of cases with classic staple pieces, you don't even necessarily need a lot of accessories to achieve a polished look. That much easier. 

Day Three

There has been a lot of grey and white lately. 

Grey sky, white ground.

That may have influenced this outfit today.

Very casual, and very grey and white.  

Also cozy and warm which is nice to have on these grey and white winter days.

I only have one Wardrobe Tip related to this outfit:

They say that wearing the same color 

tends to make you look thinner and longer. 

So I tried all grey under a long white cardigan. I don't know if anything can make me look thinner and longer right now though, 

considering every day it seems like I get rounder and shorter. 

But, regardless of the success of the illusion, I was comfortable and cozy, and that makes me happy.

Day Two

Day Two

I have had a thing for stripes lately. 

When I pulled this shirt from my closet last night I was giddy, because the sleeves are flattering for my arms AND it has stripes.

 The scrunchies help create a nice defined shoulder, which is really great as my arms are getting a little thick which makes my whole upper body look like it's turning into a big exercise ball. 

Not really the look I'm going for.

Please don't mind the lovely bandage on my arm. I had to go for a 3 hour glucose test today at the hospital so I had some battle scars. 

Thankfully, everything is in the clear! I do not have gestational diabetes and my numbers are all well within the normal range. The only reason I had to take this test again is because right before my initial one, 

I ate lunch at Applebee's and had a hot fudge sunday shooter for dessert. 

Duh! 

But, I will pull the 'baby-brain' card and say 

I didn't realize that wasn't a good idea for that particular day.  

Wardrobe Tips:

*Skinny Belts*

Really easy to define your waist still.

Big belts are good too, but they tend to cut in when you're sitting or bending down (ouch).

They appear more delicate and feminine.

It's also nice to look in the mirror and be reminded that there is a small part on my body still.

*Tunics*

Great length with skinny bottoms.

Hide growing bottom and legs.

They tend to fall right at the smallest part of your thigh, which makes your legs look smaller.

Super comfortable and cute.

Also good for hiding the fact that your pants aren't buttoned anymore. 

(I am getting away with my normal pants still. 

I own one pair of maternity pants, and those are for work.)

Hope these tips help someone out there! 

These are things I've learned really work for my pregnant self.

Starting to Care Again : Day One

I realized the other day that I had come to a place where I didn't like the way I looked. 

*frown*

I was so exited about being pregnant and having so much fun with a baby bump. And here I am, trying to hide it and waiting until I can run again. 

What made me realize this was that I barely had any pictures of my pregnant self. Sad because this is my first pregnancy, and I am all about pictures and remembering special times. 

I honestly don't like being any bigger than what I am used to. It's harder to move and I generally don't like to look in the mirror and see big. 

I am totally missing out though! 

So, I am going to embrace it and have fun with these last few months that I get to carry my baby girl around safe and warm without using my arms. This is the beginning of me starting to care again about how I look and what I wear. Up until now, I have only cared about being comfortable, warm, and covered as a pregnant lady. Time for a fresh look on things.

I was so desperate to find help with what to wear and still be cute while pregnant so I spent a lot of time searching. I got some great ideas and have developed some good basics, and I think I will share them with other new moms who are looking for ideas too.

My Wardrobe tips so far:

*Maxi Dresses and Maxi Skirts*

So comfortable because they don't pinch or bind.

Flexible so they allow you to move in any way you can manage, since your belly doesn't anymore.

They can be dressed down or up, easy peasy.

The length and style help hide any extra poundage in the leg area. (Thank You!)

Bonus: They are trendy right now. 

*Cardigans*

Great way to add extra warmth in the cold months.

They can go with anything!

You don't need to buy maternity sizes, because you can wear them open.

They are classic and will never go out of style, a wise investment. 

Many different styles to accomplish different looks. 

They can hide muffin tops or create structure.

*Scarves*

Keep your neck warm (awesome!)

Help stay modest with the extra growth in front. =)

Instantly add color, design, pattern, interest, and detail to any outfit. 

Very versatile.

Help you stay looking smaller because it can either flow and cover, or a chunky wear can dwarf your belly.

These are so basic and I thought I knew this before maternity, but I can't stress how important the basics are, and stocking up on these items for pregnancy is a win-win! Not only will they be comfortable and easy, two very important things, but they are all usable whatever size you may be. Any of these items can be worn in the summer, winter, spring or fall. Also, when you are postpartum, you can use these to hide the extra pounds you haven't lost yet, and you can use them to stay cute without putting much effort or time into yourself. 

I'm looking forward to feeling cute again and sharing anything I learn.

Vintage Button Necklace DIY

My little creative person has been screaming for some attention lately. 

So I decided to scope out my Crafts Board on Pintrest and look for anything 

that would satisfy my creative itch.

I found This Pin and decided to try it out.

If you want to try it out yourself, you may find the tutorial through the link.

However, I didn't follow that tutorial, I simply went from the picture.

So here's what I did:

1. I laid out the buttons I wanted in the arrangement I wanted. (as seen in the picture above)
2. I then transferred the design onto the background fabric, which for me was denim.
3. I fired up the hot glue gun and put each button into place. (My design changed slightly as I put them together permanently.)
4. I then cut out the buttons from the extra fabric.
5. Using needle and thread, I sewed the chain onto the background fabric of the necklace.

My necklace turned out like this, and it's kinda fun. I think I like it.

But I didn't stop there. 

I made this necklace from old earrings and extra chain.

Then I decided that three is a charm and I made another one.

Even though the second two were afterthoughts, I like the second necklace I made the most. I see myself wearing this one a lot.

All in all, it was a good night and my little creative person is satisfied, for now. 

Seven Months

I have been pregnant for 28 weeks. 

I am starting to realize that now is crunch time, and I need to get busy with the baby stuff.

In my head, I've thought that I have time to think about this or that later. 

Now is later. 

These next few months are going to fly by so fast and I won't know what happened to them.

I am exited, but I wish I could pause everything and get it all ready, and then hit play again.

God has been teaching me a lot about peace and trust this year. 

I am very thankful for that, because I am going to need to better understand those concepts soon!

As far as health and the pregnancy, everything is where it should be.

I am on track with growth, weight gain, heart beat, etc. etc.

Thank you, Jesus!

This is a very exiting time! I find myself enjoying the last little bits of married and no kids, but I can't help but look forward to taking care of this little person all day long and pouring all that I am into raising her and loving her. 

I can't wait to meet you, Baby C. But don't come too early. I'm not ready yet. 

Time to kick it into high-gear.

=)

Family Year Book

Happy New Year 2013!

A while back, in one of my many moments spent on Pintrest, 

I snagged a pin about making a Family Year Book. 

The thought really kicked in when I thought about how big this year was going to be for my family.

Having a baby, Daniel graduating from Tech, moving, best friend getting married, 

and so much more that I can't even imagine!

What better year to start a Family Year Book?

I decided to actually make it happen. 

This photo of hubby and I was officially the beginning.

I am very exited about this.

If I keep my pictures on my computer, I never see them, you never see them, so what's the point of taking them? Now, I will have a nice way to share pictures without direction-less photo albums or hours spent on scrapbooking. I will get the best of both worlds with this idea. 

So watch out family, because this Christmas you are going to get 

an awesome gift that will become a family tradition! 

Happy Birthday Kenney!

Happy Birthday, big brother, Kenney! 

I hope you have a fun day celebrating your life!

Love,

P.S. One of my favorite things about this picture is that Bella took it! She is a budding photographer!

Walking on the lake

Lake Fanny Hoe, Copper Harbor, MI

We decided to take advantage of this rare sunny day and go for a drive. We ended up here.

Daniel talked with the men ice fishing to get some tips. 

The ice was so smooth you could have ice skated. 

Walking on the lake.

The happy family =)

Lilly wanted to say hi to them so bad, and their smelly fish.