You might not remember, but I saw this purse on Caitlin's blog last summer and became obsessed.
Then, while searching desperately for it on eBay, I accidentally ordered this one, for some reason thinking it was the right one. {Should have looked back at the first pic before I purchased...filing that one in the dumbass-mistakes-I've-made folder.}
Although it wasn't the same one, I did like it and just kept it. I did eventually find the right one, but didn't have the funds justified to make the purchase. So summer ended and I put it in the back of my mind.
Now, since spring is rapidly approaching, many of my favorite fashion bloggers are posting pictures of themselves in spring outfits...and Caitlin had this outfit featuring the bag on her blog yesterday...
...with a link to the purse for sale on eBay. Out of sheer curiosity {and aforementioned obsession and desperation}, I hopped over there to check out what was available. To my surprise, it was $20 less than when I had last searched for it on there...so I took a deep breath and finalized the purchase.
In just a couple of days, it will arrive at my doorstep and at last this precious bag and I will be united!
And...I officially need a shopping freeze...starting now.
I've really had my mind on maxi dresses this week, as you know. After my post on Tuesday, I found this little gem that I thought absolutely should have been in that round up...
I am 28 weeks pregnant as of today. That means 12 weeks {or less} left. I've never gone over, so I'm hoping my body will 3-peat and have a quick and easy labor no later than the due date. Twelve weeks still seems like a lot to me...after all, that's just shy of three months.
I've hit another exhausted phase...this whole week I've had trouble getting up and out of bed in the mornings and I'm dog-tired when I get home from work in the evenings. It's been hard to stay on top of the household duties, spend quality time with my boys and much less, get dinner on the table {Jake has helped me out a couple times this week with that one}. Yesterday was the first really nice and warm day we've had here in a while, so even though I was literally falling asleep all afternoon at work, I made sure to take Sugar on a walk and take Breckin out to ride his tricycle {poor guy has been riding indoors when it's too cold because he's just such an active little one and he's always begging for us to take him for a ride down the block.}
And just look how happy it made him. I just love seeing his smile.
That one was a little blurry, sorry. {Can't wait to finally upgrade my iPhone next month! I've been rockin' the 3GS a little too long...LOL.}
What about Tanner, you ask? Well, that boy, as much as we encourage outdoor play, he is just happy as pie playing with his Legos. Completely different people, those two...but both wonderful in their own special ways.
Anyway, I'm hoping to be out of this tired funk soon. I think winter just needs to go away. That would help! I've been seeing some cute bump updates around the blogosphere, so I thought I would do one:
How far along: 28 Weeks
Baby Size: Large Egglplant, approx 2.25 lbs
Weight gain: I'll go ahead and be honest...30 lbs, yikes. But it's been that for a few weeks, so I'm finally maintaining instead of gaining. Getting back into working out after the holidays really made a difference.
Maternity clothes: Yep, I wear them. I have a few non-maternity things I can throw into the mix.
Stretch marks: Nope. Still only just the slight couple I got from Tanner and Breckin. They are just actually visible now. They weren't visible when I was back in shape, so I hope it will be the same after this one.
Sleep: I can never get enough! Go to bed most nights around 9:30-10, trying to read a little bit beforehand because that always helps tire my eyes. I wake up at 5:30 to go to the gym, or 6:15 if I've decided to be lazy that day.
Gender: Finally a baby girl for me!
Movement: She's my little dancer - pirouettes, leaps and turns all day long.
Best moment this week: Will be tomorrow when I get to meet my friends Corey and Chrissy for lunch - it's been a while since I've seen their pretty faces {in person}!
Looking forward to: Spring and my due date.
Food cravings: Lately I've been really good...loving fresh fruit to fix my sweet cravings.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I don't really get sick during pregnancy {please don't hate me, it only makes me gain more weight if it makes you feel better!}
Labor Signs: No
What I miss: I'll be honest, alcohol. I've had a glass of red wine here and there, but have decided to go without for the remainder of the pregnancy. Also, I miss Diet Rockstars.
Symptoms: Very sore back and hips. Heartburn sometimes.
Nursery: It's finished for now. We are putting the house up for sale, so felt it was pointless to do much more to it. So it's bare walls for now. I will share the new nursery when we eventually move. Here again is the current:
Belly Button in or out? I guess sort of out, but not too bad.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I am usually not plagued by swelling in pregnancy.
Mood: Excited, Exhausted, Apprehensive {mostly about the moving process going on in the midst of all this}.
Workouts: Still doing my best to get to the gym in the mornings before work. Sticking to cardio and strength-training, haven't been taking any classes lately.
We're in for warmer weather this week and it's got me all revved up for spring. I just can't wait to live the rest of this pregnancy in maxi skirts, tank tops and flip flops...comfort is a must!
Laid my eyes upon this gorgeous maxi dress this weekend...ugh, just so gorgeous.
And let's be real, I'm going to live in maxi dresses all summer as I work to get rid of my post-baby belly and get back into my jeans in time for fall. I am so sad this one is out of stock...I'm going to watch it like a hawk and pray it comes back in stock. {Totally didn't mean to rhyme there...but I guess I've got a gift.}
Call me a hippie, but I'm slightly in love with all things tie-dye and this Billabong maxi is no exception. It might be a little "loud" for some, but for me, bright colors is what spring and summer is all about!
And I totally ordered it. It was on sale for $39.99 with free next day shipping, and it's 100% viscose, a quality fabric I love...so well worth it. I will pair it with a white or black tank top.
This next little number is a slightly different style than I'm used to in a maxi, but I think I love it.
We finally had a beautiful weekend in Charleston! No rain, and low 60s...ah, I can just see Spring now. I definitely had the sunroof open.
I love that you can see Breckin's sweet face in the rearview mirror - just noticed that!
On Saturday, Jake and I ran a few loads of things to our new storage unit. We are putting the house on the market very soon and wanted to clear some space {plus it gives us a head start on the whole moving process, right?} Basically we just moved most things that took up too much space for home showings that we could also live without for the next 6 months or so if we need to.
Jake and I then got a date night thanks to the in-laws and we went to a new restaurant in town called Sol. I had the Margarita Shrimp Tacos and they definitely hit the spot. Jake had the Green Chile Bison Burger. The bar area looks so great - can't wait until I can actually enjoy it.
On Sunday, we took advantage of the nice weather and ventured out to Palmetto County Park to play.
Looks like this week is full of warmer weather for Charleston...hoping it stays that way, though I'm sure we'll have a few more cold spikes before winter is truly over.
Hope y'all had a great weekend! And maybe a lucky few of you are still enjoying the weekend due to President's Day today...not me...boo.
Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week! This week was full of winter craziness again here in the South...pretty much a repeat of a couple weeks ago with school being closed on Wednesday and Thursday - which means I had a couple days "off" this week. I say "off" because well, is it really a no work day when you have to entertain an 8yo and a 3yo? I did at least get to sneak in a nap each day...so nice when you're pregnant. If only I had a naptime at work too. Anyway, I'm linking up again with A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness and The Good Life Blog for 5 on Friday. Also Backin' Dat Azz Up with Whitney at I Wore Yoga Pants.
{one}
I had a little prezzy {that I bought myself} show up at my door this week.
Love my new Ray Ban Aviators...and thanks to Rue La La, I caught them on sale.
{two}
Made cupcakes this past weekend with my boys - to get them in the Valentine's Day spirit:
{three}
I probably shouldn't, but I keep seeing cute little things for baby girl and I can't resist snatching them up. The winter stuff is all on clearance at Target right now and I just had to have this fuzzy warm outfit {that says "I Love Mommy"} for her. I got it in 9 months size because that should be about right for her this time next year.
Oh, I can already picture my sweet baby girl in it...but preferably not laid out on the coffee table unassisted.
{four}
Jake and I are not doing anything for Valentine's Day, but we did get an offer from his parents to babysit tomorrow night. We plan on going to a nice dinner and hopefully seeing a movie. I really want to see Labor Day...hope it's good! {That's IF I can get Jake to agree to take me...}
{five}
Turned 27 weeks preggers this week and had a routine appt. Everything sounds good and measures well with baby girl and I'm officially in the 3rd trimester! I really need this next 2-3 months to fly by...and for spring to finally show up so I can throw out the jeans and just live in maxi skirts and tank tops for the rest of this uncomfortableness. For fun, here are some images that totally encompass my mood...
Ugh, sorry it's been a few days since I've been on the blog! Just a bit going on 'round these parts and I've been a scattered pregnancy brain about sitting down and writing. I've been getting so many wonderful comments this week on my recent posts from new visitors, thanks to the SITS Girl Comment Love Tribe Series. I really appreciate y'all stopping by and I hope you have liked what you've seen and will be back!
I wanted to share some products I've picked up recently that I think you might enjoy...
Right now, with the winter weather, my skin is dull, pale as it can be and of course pregnancy always makes for unevenness in skin tone. I've been applying this all over every day for the last week after showering and I am pretty pleased with the results. My skin is more hydrated and I do think it's made a difference in its overall appearance. I picked up the one for light skin tones.
When applied nightly after showering from tips to mid-hair shaft, this serum claims to remove 6 months of damage. I love that its weightless and not sticky, so it won't ruin your bedding. I definitely notice my hair is softer and shinier in the AM.
I think I've mentioned this one before...I picked it up at Bloomingdales in NYC in December and have used it daily ever since. I'm going to be honest when I say I think this stuff is pretty amazing. I had a couple small broken capillaries on my cheek and they are GONE. I also feel like my facial skin appears more even-toned and I do believe it is combating wrinkles. I turned 30 last year, so I got serious about preventative and restorative skincare. It's pricy, but worth it in my opinion.
I haven't even tried this for the entire 5 days yet and I love it. I've been using their regular 3D White for some time now, so I thought I'd give this a go to see if there was any difference. And literally, it's only DAYS before you see a difference.
*All products above, except for the Clarins Double Serum, were purchased at my local CVS Pharmacy.
My boys have been out of school today AGAIN due to ice. Yes...ICE. Charleston sucks sometimes. And we just got notice they will be out tomorrow too. So...another crummy paycheck for me next week...but it does give me some much-needed time to get things done around the house. Putting it on the market in the next few weeks!
{one}
I had my gestational diabetes test this week and I passed! I've passed every pregnancy...surprisingly enough because my already very sweet tooth always kicks it up a notch during pregnancy. Maybe my body is so used to sugar it just handles it well. I think if I took the sugar away, that might be when I go into a diabetic coma.
{two}
The weather was much nicer this week than last...no frozen bridges, no "snow" days...nice to feel back to normal and earn a full paycheck. It was actually 70 over the weekend, and then mostly high 50s this week, but I'll take that over anything under 30s and under any day. I am so eager for spring though...just need to get through this month and then hopefully we'll be cleared for warmer weather.
{three}
I am officially in the double-digits for my due date countdown! As of today, it's 97 to go. I've never gone over my due date...Tanner was spot on and Breckin was six days early...so I'm hoping it's a bit less than 97 to go actually...I'll be ready to go once I hit full-term officially at 37 weeks! I wouldn't mind an April baby...after all, I'm an April baby too. I am now just over 26 weeks along.
(25w6d}
{four}
Jake and I have finally agreed on a name for this baby girl. We think it's the perfect fit to go with her siblings' names. BUT, we are doing things a little different this time - we are not announcing it until she's born. I have my reasons for that...I feel like I've noticed a lot more unsolicited criticism and negative opinions this time around {maybe it's worse when it's a girl? I don't know} whenever I mentioned my list of favorite names and I honestly just don't want to hear it anymore. We have the name, we love it and it's our little girl...so it's our choice and I don't want to be bombarded or fooled into changing something we really like based on others' opinions of it. Sheesh, why does baby-naming have to be so hard? Anyone else ever feel like this when they named their child? Did you end up just keeping it a secret?
{Just kidding, I don't hate anyone for their opinion :-) Though I think this card is more aimed at how many names you hate based on people you know with that name...lol.}
{five}
This weekend I am helping my son make his Valentine's box for school. {Do you remember those? I loved when it was time to get creative and make one.} I'm thinking we'll do something Lego- or Nintendo DS-related since those are his favorite things right now. Then he will address all of his Valentines so we can make sure it's out of the way before Monday...I hate having to worry about things like that during the week.
When I was out and about shopping in NYC last month, I found that I had come unprepared with a bag that could hold gloves, a scarf and an umbrella while we were inside stores and restaurants. I went on the hunt to purchase a larger bag while there, something that wasn't TOO big and could be carried comfortably all day long since we were walking everywhere. At ALDO, I came across this:
A perfectly cute mini backpack. It was perfect for what I needed. My mom even justified the purchase saying it would come in handy when I had the new baby...she's probably right.
I see these things are making quite the comeback. I remember the denim, suede and plaid-clad ones of the mid-90s when I was in 6th and 7th grade.
Since we had a couple of days off due to the crazy winter storm that hit the Southeast {being totally sarcastic by the way...it was hardly emergency conditions}, we had a little time to take care of some projects around the house. One main one in particular was repainting our master bedroom wainscoting. You see, when we moved into this house almost six years ago, we were all about the blue and brown decor phase and thought it would possibly look cool if we painted our wainscot squares brown with white trim surrounding. At first, we really liked it. But over time, I realized it made the room look a little darker than I liked and of course, my penchant for blue and brown decor faded over time as well. Here is what the room looked like before:
It wasn't terrible of course, but we have such poor lighting with only having the one small window, and the room is oblong, so the window certainly doesn't cover all of it. Here is the vast improvement we made:
I am already asking myself why we didn't do this in the first place, or at least sooner than now. What a difference! It feels so much brighter in there. Of course, the blue and brown decor stays for now...but I do plan to do an all white bedspread soon, as well as go with a gray wall, but that will have to wait until our next house. We plan on selling this place soon, so it doesn't make much sense to do many more updates to it. We did want to get this wainscot out of the way though because it will make it look a lot better for showing. What do you think? Major improvement?
