Pink Valentine's Day Look

skirt: J.Crew (similar on sale!!!)
blouse: J.Crew (similar)
shoes: similar
bag: ALDO (similar)
watch: Kate Spade

Very seldom do I wear pink but when I do, I go all out (obviously). As much as red is Valentine's day color, I love playing with pink. Red is a classic but pink looks so chic and girly, I think. What are you doing for Valentine's Day? We always made it a point to avoid crowds and stay in on the 14th but then we would go out the following week. Let's face it, crowds are obnoxious, service is horrible and prices are outrageous (for all those specials). This time we are going out earlier to celebrate and just be together. Then this mama has to hustle to get everything ready for my son's birthday party. It's a busy week. 

P.S. 16 week pooch has showed up on the scene and I can't say I like this stage. I don't really have a bump and just look like I over ate. Haha. But bear with me, since I can't exactly suck it in;)

MORE IDEAS FOR PINK VALENTINE'S DAY

hair clip // bralette // midi skirt // bracelet // bow blouse 
TOMS // floral skirt // pumps

Thank you for stopping by!

xo, Anna

Must Have Bags

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Girls like their bags! I'm not sure which comes first - shoes or bags. Ideas? If I had my way, I would have one in each color, texture and size. I'm feeling under he weather these days so the only thing I'm capable of doing (besides still cooking dinner, laundry and million other chores) is online shopping. The BEST thing about these bags is that they are all under $100 and that's a score in my book! 

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! 

Hot Pink

dress: H&M (similar)
heels: BCBG (similar)
bag: Aldo (similar)
glasses: DKNY
watch: Target (similar)

This last weekend hubby and I attended a beautiful wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the flowers were pretty and the bridesmaids were glowing. Every detail was tended to and we enjoyed ourselves. Although, I'm a huge fan of all things pretty and beautiful, especially at such memorable event, the best part was the food. I mean, we as a Slavic culture have the best food and certainly know how to eat. Ha. These photos were taken after the wedding which was probably a mistake because my gut was so much more visible. But I'm back to the super early wake up call and the two mile run again so that should fix it. And I probably should lay off the cookies. Yep, that should do it.

Hope you have a great day and thank you for stopping by

Currently Loving {Dressed Up} Thursday Link Up

top: J.Crew (thrifted) (similar)
skirt: J.Crew (similar)
wedges: Aldo (similar)
clutch: DIY (similar)

As I mentioned last week, I lost the camera charger (and hubby almost killed me). So it took a few days to order a new one and have it shipped. Now we are back up with regular scheduled posts and I have to say, I missed it. Blogging is such a fun thing and I love doing it. Although, having a break from outfit pictures was something I needed. Here is the love of all things cute and dressy - my yellow blouse with fun print skirt. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Shopping [Spring Bags Under $50] + $100 GIVEAWAY

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If now isn't a time to shop for a new spring bag, I don't know when it is. I've been looking for a perfect winged tote that wouldn't break my bank. Every time I search for something specific, I head to Polyvore. It is such a great tool for shopping-crazy bloggers, who are looking for a great deal. I have yet to find a better search engine for shopaholics.

I love different kinds of bags and if I had the money, I would buy all of these. (I did get one of these bags in my recent online shopping adventure) Everything from totes to clutches is here and most of these are on sale too! So don't waste your time looking elsewhere - I got you the perfect selection of bags on a budget. And that's just the way we roll.

GIVEAWAY

Today I'm hosting my very first giveaway with two lovely ladies! Kathleen (Kat's Fashion Fix), Amy (The Real Arnolds) and I have teamed up for this cool giveaway. I'm so very excited about this and can't wait to share it with you all. I know that for Mother's Day we are all looking for something special to give our mothers. So if you found that something but lacking in funds, this is for you. We are giving away two $50 gift cards to the store of your choice (OR) PayPal cash. You choose! Talk about a win/win, huh? Enter with the rafflecopter below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Medallion

skirt: J.Crew
blouse: Joie (similar)
heels: Aldo (similar)
clutch: old (similar)
sunnies: DKNY
necklace: Target 

If it every weekend could last as long as the week itself, wouldn't that be awesome? I feel like days fly by me and sometimes I forget what day it is. I'm not terribly busy or have million things going, still life isn't slowing down. The only things that isn't coming fast enough around these parts is spring. We still have some chilling temperatures and the rain just won't stop. 

Now let's talk about a shopping phenomenon I wasn't aware of until recently. Most stores have different prices in store vs. online. Ha! How am the only one who didn't know this? I snatched this skirt on a serious sale (under $25) while online it is listed for ninety dollars. Talk about a steal! Now that I know this, I will make sure to check out the store before buying certain items. Shopping online is a great tool but nothing can replace going to the mall, trying things on, buying in person and enjoying yourself among the pretty 

things. 

Also, it pays to thrift designer clothes, like this Joie blouse. I know, I know it's such a rare find but this is exactly why I love thrifting. 

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day! 

Funny Story

blouse: H&M, jacket: Loft, skirt: thrifted, bag: Kate Spade, shoes: ALDO

The other day, hubby and I were doing some organizing in our pantry which is downstairs in the garage. We both went down there and talked about doing some spring cleaning very soon and how we should attack it. Well, as we were finished and tried to open the door to go into the house, we realized that we were locked inside our own garage. Jonathan was asleep in his room (thank God) and stove wasn't on but still, it was kind of freaky. So there we were standing in front out own door unable to open it. Low and behold, my smart hubby picked the lock and were able to escape without any further difficulties. Thankfully we were locked in our own garage which has all his handy man tools, although it seemed funny and ironic at the same time. Good thing that funny story didn't turn into anything dramatic.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day! 

In The Fields

dress: TJmaxx
shoes: Aldo
belt: thrifted

We finally managed to have some family photos done. We did couple shots when Jonathan was 3 months old but now that the summer is almost over, I wanted to capture some memories. With a country feel and a relaxed atmosphere, summer nights are perfectly warm and the sunsets are glorious for a nice shot.

 It's really difficult to get a good picture with an infant. When hubby and I are smiling and look into the camera, Jonathan is having a time of his life and playing around. 

Out of a hundred shots, only about five are good to be framed. My sister took the pictures and I still have to go through them and edit them - the price of free family portrait. 

I can't wait to make some canvas prints and hang them in my living room because those bare walls still need some major decor adjustment.

How are you doing with recent family photos? Two years behind or snapping pictures of every poop your kid makes? I'm somewhere in between.
Time flies so fast and with babies you really have to be sure to capture special moments before they are all grown up. It really is a bitter sweet time - loving the new and exiting memories we make but sad to see these moments go.

P.S. Pictures coming soon. Still have to do a lot of editing. 

Unplug

dress: Lord & Taylor
shoes: Aldo
clutch: H&M

I'm about to simplify my life.

Lately it has been (very) busy.Yes, I know you hear that all the time but it's true.

 Saturday morning hubby was home and we were all sleeping in (trying to at least). When Mr. Baby woke up we took him with us to bed and he was rolling and cooing all over. But both hubby and I kept reaching for the phone and checking whatever it is we are constantly checking. Then it hit me - this is ridiculous! We can't even play with our child without checking the phone all the time. 

This has got to stop!

We live in information overload age. If you not sure of something, all you have to do is Google it and bam, here is your answer. Constantly having multiple apps, email and blogs available on the phone is making this life a lot more stressful and complicated.

Comparing your life with someone else' Instagram account is driving us crazy because we are never satisfied with ours, constantly on the run and always distracted from 'real' life. 

I decided to change that.

From now on I will only be checking Facebook, email, Instagram and my blog once a day! To keep my sanity in tact, make sure I spend enough time with my family and focus on the important things in life (like having everyday devotionals), I  am going to set a time once a day where I check all the media outlets and pay all the online bills (if necessary). That way I don' have to feel  guilty about time spent online knowing that everything else taken care, that I'm not being idle wasting my time. 

I'm sure it's going to be hard at first because it's a habit and I do need to turn off all the notifications and stop constantly checking for comments on the blog. 

Enough said.

Let's make life simple again.

Have a great day!

It's a Heart Issue

top: Joe Fresh (sold out)
skirt: NY&Co (similar)
shoes: ALDO 
clutch: old

As a Christian woman, mother and a wife right kind of clothing is very important to me. How others see me, how I portray Christianity and how I feel about what I wear, are all parts of one issue - modesty. 

Growing up, I was forced by my parents to dress conservative and mom would never buy us anything she thought we should not wear (i.e. mini skirts, halter tops).

Then I went all the way off balance and wore only skirts and dresses for couple of years, thinking that I will win 'points' from God by doing so. (That's a blog post in itself)

When I got married, I rebelled a little, because my parents couldn't tell me what to wear. Not that I looked sleazy or anything, but some cuts were lower and hems were higher. I definitely wanted to show some skin.

Now I'm finally starting to find the delicate balance, while being comfortable with who I am as a woman and a Christian.

You see, I grew up with this preconceived ultra conservative notion that Christian people put a bag over their heads and read Bible all day long. Although, no one around ever did that, it was still wrong to put on make up, color your hair or wear jewelry (not even wedding band). 

Having a heart for God and looking good was impossible, because apparently all Godly people were ugly. Wrong.

There are many accounts in the Bible of women dressed in beautiful clothing, Godly men exchanging gold jewelry and God describing His Bride as a beautiful lady. Also, check out the book Songs of Solomon - that woman is smoking hot. Somehow they've missed that.

The most important thing in any Christian person's life is his/her heart. God doesn't care if we do something out of duty or because we were told we are supposed to. 

He wants us do it from the heart or rather not do it at all.

If I'm putting on a maxi skirt and a long sleeve turtle neck and hating it, God knows what's going on inside and really doesn't care for the outfit. But that does not mean I can put on a mini skirt and a halter top and claim that I'm a spiritual person either. 

There has to be a balance to life. Balance between looking groomed and attractive, and becoming vain and abscessed with labels and latest trend. 

Balance is hard to come by because that is a heart issue.

P.S. Happy birthday to my wonderful hubby! Love you! Muah.

Linking up with Molly for Monday Fun Day

Rest and Relaxation

tee: Target
shorts: Banana Republic (thriftred)
shoes: Aldo
tote: thriftd

I'm ready for some rest and relaxation.

This weekend has been crazy busy. Is that even possible? I guess it is because it was super busy and at times a little crazy. 

Between the holiday and our church having Vacation Bible School, I've been on the go since Thursday morning.

This week is going to be especially nice since hubby has vacation time and we are going to celebrate our five(!) year anniversary. 

First thought: where did the time go? 

Second thought: what am I going to wear to the celebratory dinner?

As I try to decide what to wear and try on about dozen outfits, complaining that I have nothing to wear, you lovelies, enjoy your day! 

Thank you for stopping by.

Rule Breaker

 

top: boutique in Phoenix (similar)
pants: Target (similar)
shoes: ALDO (similar)
clutch: H&M (similar)
necklace: Forever21 (similar)

There used to be a few rules in fashion. For example, you are not supposed to wear white before Memorial Day, never mix prints or wear pink and red together, and definitely never double up on one print. 

The new rule is to break all the rules. 

Wear camo and animal print together.

Again stripes and floral.

Get super matchy.

Wear the weird daring color combo.

Double up on same print. 

Boyfriend jeans with pink heels. 

White before Memorial Day.

Ballerina skirts for everyday wear. 

Shorts with boots.

Neon shoes. Again.   

And much more.

So, I'm wearing one of my favorite prints twice in one outfit (inspire by this look) and loving it. 

Forget all the fashion rules your aunt has ever taught you and brave the new trends.

Have a great day!