Happy Harvest

blouse: Merona/Traget, cardigan: Loft, skirt: J.Crew, necklace: J.Crew (via Ebay),
shoes: Aldo, bag: Kate Spade NY

We were celebrating Harvest Sunday at the church and the weather could not have been any more perfect. I'm so thankful that we live in the land of plenty and being able to have what we want, not only what we need. 

Honestly, too many times, we as Americans, complain about thing that aren't even necessities. Most of the world population struggles to make ends meet and I have family oversees that go through that on daily basis. They have tiny little apartments (think tiny and scale it down by like 10), get around on public transportation and eat fruit only during summer months when it's cheap. 

We need to appreciate things that we have, the plentiful, great harvest and the prosperity in this land. 

Size of Rutabaga

Here we are starting our third trimester. The pregnancy  is going well and honestly it's the most incredible feeling in the world. Baby is constantly kicking and letting me know he's there, like he can't wait to get out. I'm enjoying the feeling of impending motherhood which sometimes scares me, but gives the most wonderful butterflies. 

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain: 11 pounds

Maternity clothes? jeans and two dresses

Size of the baby: 17 oz (size of Rutabaga)

Morning sickness? Nope, none.

Sleep? It's a hit and miss. If I'm really tired, I sleep like a baby. Then there are nights when I can't seem to fall asleep at all. I keep waking up and wide awake, with growling stomach. So I get up and go get some food/snack.  

Best moment this week? Seeing my stomach move when the baby kicked. He's so strong and I can't wait to kiss those little toes of his. 

Miss Anything? Being able to fit into my non-maternity clothes. Everything seems to bunch up and never sit right anymore. 

Movement? He kicks very hard

Food cravings? Scallops 

Anything making you queasy? Not really

Symptoms? Hormones are going crazy. There are just too many emotions going through 

Wedding rings on or off? always on

Happy or Moody most of the time? It's up and down all the time. I feel good about myself and then out of nowhere, there is this cranky mood comes out of nowhere.

Looking forward to? Getting the nursery all set up and preparing for his arrival. I can't wait to meet our little boy

Is It Over Yet?

jeans: Liz Lange for Target Maternity, shirt: thrifted, t-shirt: Loft,
 blazer: Banana Republic, bag: Old Navy, shoes: BCBG

So let's talk comfy again. I can't get outta these jeans and that's all I'm going to say for myself. 

Today is technically the end of my week because I don't work on Fridays. But it's also the beginning of much packing as we move into our new home. Being pregnant, having a job and moving into a new house is a lot. 

Add to that holiday season and getting ready for a baby means I'm going to be buried in everything from boxes to Christmas tree ornaments. 

One box a day. One day a time.

Starting tomorrow that is. Why start something today, if can be put off until tomorrow? 

I say, no reason.

Enjoy your weekend!

Casual Wednesday

jeans: Liz Lange Maternity for Target, blouse: Gap, blazer: H&M, shoes: Guess,  bag: Kate Spade NY

Is there such thing as casual Wednesday? Well, there should be. Honestly, I am ready for this week to be over and it's only half way through. I am breaking out the maternity jeans and probably not going to take them off until February 7th (a.k.a. my due date).

The only thing that's wrong with them is that I'm not quiet big enough ready for them yet (I did get the smallest size). Every time I sit down, bend over or walk, they slide a little and I'm constantly pulling them up. It's truly a wonderful picture - pulling on my maternity jeans. When they slide, they create a small kangaroo-like pouch that probably can fit a tiny kangaroo baby. Then it just looks weird.
Add to that, me trying to keep them on and you get one big weirdo over here.

I know, complaining about maternity jeans, seriously? Well, now-a-days that's my life goal - try to fit into something. So thank you for listening (that is if you ever got to the end of this sad, what's-wrong-with-these-jeans post). Please enjoy your regular, non-maternity, without-a-kangaroo-pouch jeans and while you at it, say' Hi' to them for me. Tell them, I missed them, but I'm coming back. One day.

Pregnant Style

dress: Talbots, shoes: Payless, belt: J.Crew, bracelet, necklace: Macy's 

By no means am I an expert on this. This is my first pregnancy and trust me, I get a lot of skeptical looks and comments. "Ohhh it's your first? Just you wait, that baby will show you who runs the show" or " enjoy it now, because you won't have any life later" Of course, no matter how 'encouraging' that sounds, I am enjoying my pregnancy and take every comment and remark with a grain of salt.

One of the most important things for me right now is staying comfy. Between teaching for two hours a week and church services, I am always in front of people. Putting on make up, doing my hair and having nice outfit on makes me feel more like myself but comfort is a priority. 

Here are a couple of tips to staying comfortable without sacrificing style while pregnant. 

- Invest in a good pair of maternity jeans - you will wear them a lot. Especially the last trimester.
- Buy different colored cardigans and mix and match with all your shirts, t-shirts and tanks. You can also wear them on top of dress for a whole new look
- Accessories are your best friends - they can make any simple outfit look put-together in a heartbeat
- Wedges are comfortable but look stylish with anything from jeans to a dress
- Knits will serve you well, especially in skirts. They stretch when the belly grows and still look formal enough for work.
- During winter months it's important to stay warm. A few good cashmere/wool sweaters will keep you warm and look great, instead of ten thin ones for the same amount of money.
- Having make-up and hair done is half the outfit.
- Getting enough rest, drinking plenty of water  and eating well will make the face look better, which in return will make you feel better about yourself. No amount of money can buy you that.

All Gone

sweater: Loft, skirt: TJMaxx, shoes: Guess, clutch: H&M

Whew! That hurricane sure did scare the heck out of everyone, but thankfully nothing major came up our way.We has some major wind gusts and that was pretty much about it.

Although, there were some blessings in disguise.

While the winds raged and we were snuggled up on out couch, the hurricane blew all the fallen leaves off our property. We were supposed to rake them last weekend but had lots going on. So thank you Sandy for doing us a favor. It was mighty nice of ya.

Have a great day! 

Little Man's Nursery

I'm currently working on the "Project Nursery" and honestly, feel a little lost in the sea of Pinterest pins and Google images. My idea of boy's nursery is somewhere between manly, cute, practical, and stylish. I want it to be a relaxing space but at the same time I don't want any frills or soft blues. The room should be boyish enough to transform into toddler room but at the same time, baby enough to make your heart drop into your knees every time we walk in to pick up our little man.
Here are my top picks and design ideas for the Little Man's Nursery

Contemplations On Impending Motherhood

I honestly have to say that I am scared of the future role as a mother. It is an enormous, gigantic and such an amazing responsibility for someone else's life. So in a way, I have been fighting it. 

I wanted to hold on to the old me where what I did only impacted myself and not this other 

tiny person inside of me.

I honestly am terrified of the thought of this great change and great responsibility, the birth process, the first bad word out of his mouth, the first tantrum and the thought of me forgetting my baby somewhere in the store. (It's the pregnancy hormones giving me weird dreams)

Also I have been mad at my body for doing what it's supposed to - growing my healthy boy inside me and I feel terrible for it. 

I just don't want my little guy to feel unloved. 

I think it took me a while to recognize the change that's happening and the fact that I didn't want to 

accept it - in everything from my body to our home dynamic. 

But there will be three of us and it's a wonderful thing.

I have to say, I am grateful that God entrusted me with this awesome responsibility and that I was worthy 

of His great blessing.

 I am happy to carry this little life. Every time I think of this little man inside me, my eyes tear up and I get a huge something stuck in my throat. I can't breath from the thought of it.

This is only going to happen once. I will be pregnant with our first child only once and it will be forever different, because life is amazing. No matter what God holds for us down the road.

P.S. Check out the Fall Remix Challenge  from lovely Jessica @ What I Wore. This is going to be funnnn! 

Embracing the Moment

top: Target, cardigan: Gap, skirt: Express, shoes: Nine West, necklace, bracelet: Charlotte Russe

Once upon a time, I vowed not to live life ungrateful  I didn't want to work all my life for that dream job, just to get there and realize I didn't want it after all. I didn't want to wait to live. I didn't want to think along the lines of "just let me finish college then..." or "when we buy a house of our own, then..." or " it's when we have kids of our own then..." 

But lately all I catch myself thinking is exactly that.

I have to admit, I haven't been embracing each and every moment.

I keep thinking forward to the end of my pregnancy and what I'm going to do then. How I'm going to exercise more, take my kid to the park and do other fun things.

I keep thinking that when we finally move into our new home, I will have all my cupboards organised and shelves without any dust. Ever.

That's what happens, when we forget to just live in the moment. Do the best we can to enjoy life right now.

Even if that means organizing all my cupboards right before we move.

But you don't wake up one day thinking, that from now on you will enjoy life and embrace the beauty of it.

It's a process. It's enjoying one day at a time.

This year has been the hardest of my entire life but it's also have been the most blessed. I am learning to live to the fullest because I don't know what tomorrow will bring and how it's going to change me forever.
Here is to enjoying the life right now.

Have a great day! 

For the Peoples

blazer: H&M, skirt: Banana Republic, shoes, tights: TJMaxx, scarf: old

Sometimes people disappoint. 

Sometime, people hurt.

Other times, it's great to just share with some people.

And sometimes you find people (if you at least find one, you are blessed) without whom your life would just be endlessly empty and cold. 

So I guess, there are many different people in out lives, and they are there for a very specific reason.

Some teach us hard, valuable lessons. Others just support and encourage us. 

When you put all those people together- it's called life.

So to learn some things, to get better at other things, to challenge us, to support us, to guide us and sometimes just to simply make us mad, we have been blessed with people in our lives with whom this life is infinitely full and satisfying.

Thank you everyone for being part of this blog and journey I'm on.
Each and everyone of you is greatly appreciated!

Something Special

My Outfit: sweater, jeans: Gap, blazer, heels: H&M 

  With the pregnancy progressing and having my bump at that perfect time when it's showing just enough but I don't look like a whale yet, we wanted to record this precious time. 

So I did a little shopping, packed a couple of outfits, made a cute baby banner, provided huge amount of inspiration by Pinterest, and headed downtown for some picture time.

 The weather was great but as we got there, then the wind picked up and I instantly turned into an icicle. 

But three outfits later and whole bunch of walking around in high heels, we had what we came for. 

Here is a sneak peek at the lovely couple with a bump...

P.S. All the pictures were taken by Eli from Elimaging Photography.

Still in Heels

skirt: TJMaxx, sweater: H&M, scarf: Gap, shoes: Kenneth Cole, clutch: NY&Co

I was standing in line to sign into the hospital security system which is a pain after 9pm, (my hubby works at a local hospital, where his on-call shifts last anywhere between two to eight hours and he can't leave the patient) bringing my beloved some food. 

The couple standing right in front of me was obviously headed to the ER. The guy had sniffles and was dressed in his pajamas, while the lady was holding his cold medicine, constantly looking back at me. 

Those sort of things just creep me out.

 I was getting inpatient, and really wanted the whole process to be over as soon as possible. Well, as I was wondering what's their problem and why they are staring at me, I finally realized - I have a baby bump sticking out AND I'm wearing one of my nicer outfit (not the one in the picture). 

I see many pregnant women just trotting around in their PJs or pair of jeans and a hoodie. People are shockingly asking me how can I still be wearing heels, and most certainly complement me on my choice of clothes. 

I'm not saying that I don't like my most wonderful, soft and plush fleece PJs, but dressing well makes me feel like a woman. Not just a pregnant mother-to-be. It sort of lets me keep my identity as a person and not just someone who will be something in about three more months. 

I know that people have complications and most uncomfortable pregnancies ever, but I have been blessed with smooth sailing. And maybe in four weeks I will give up my heels too. 

But until then, it's stylish all the way.

Parenting in Overzealous World

top: TJMaxx, cardigan: Gap, pants: Loft, shoes: Aldo, bag: Kate Spade NY
I'm obviously in love with my polka dot burgundy pants (while they still fit:-) 

Preparing for arrival of our little man, my hubby and I got very responsible. Not that we aren't responsible college educated adults with jobs, but knowing that we are going to be responsible for another life... I mean, that's a whole another ball game. 

I have been reading parenting books and must say, nothing makes you feel like an inadequate adult than reading one of them. There are millions of different perspectives on whether to have a feeding schedule or just go with on-demand feedings. Different authors swear by their methods of getting an infant to sleep through the night by three months old. Then there are the gender differences between raising boys and girls. 

My head is spinning already. 

I love getting educated and being an expert on subject matter but the truth is, you cannot fully prepare for parenthood until it happens. You can read all the books in the world but until you hold that precious little baby in your hands, you don't know how you are going to feel, react and discipline that child. 

With that being said, I'm not against books - just think that sometimes, going with your gut and common sense is more important than what Dr. Whatever-His-Name said.

Here is what I'm reading now... 

Bringing Up a Bebe - one the of the best, funny and interesting books I've read. It's not a book of methods or how-tos, just a summary of life abroad. 

Strong Willed Child - Dr. Dobson is my favorite writer on family and children, I respect him immensely, so this book was a no-brainer

Parent Babble - have we had too much psychology and 'expert' advice? It seems that our grandparents did a fine job bringing up the most successful generation of adults in history of our country, why not do what they did? Just started it and love it already

Heads Up for J.Crew Sale offering extra 30% off... time to stock up on those sweaters...

Think Again

We enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and gorgeous view while out for a walk.
Isn't this absolutely magnificent? 

People just don't know that being pregnant makes you that much more sensitive to the remarks they make.

First of all, yes, I know I'm showing. You do not need to reiterate that with "Wow! you are getting big". Seriously, you don't think I know that my narrow waist is gone and I can do nothing about it? You don't think I check myself in the mirror? Well, think again.

Next, do not predict the size of my child by looking at me. Do not tell me that I'm going to get huge with the way things are going. Again, think.

Do not tell me that my stomach is squishy and soft, if I let you touch it. Thanks a lot. I know that I'm a big blob of gushy mess. Just don't say it.

Lastly, the only thing you can say to a pregnant woman is that she is glowing. 

Tell her that she is carrying very well and that her child is going to be so lucky to have her as a mom.

So next time you want to say something less than absolutely one hundred percent positive and reassuring to  to a pregnant woman, think again.

It's Only the Beginning

Hair Tutorial Inspiration

top: Banana Republic similar, sweater: J.Crew similar, pants: Loft similar, heels: Tahari

I know I have been talking a lot about this whole pregnancy thing. Well, this whole experience is very new to me. I am happy to be bringing a child into this world, into our loving home but what I'm not happy about is what that precious child is doing to my body.

First of all, super dry skin. I am slathering ridiculous amounts of almond oil all over myself every morning.

Then the vitamins and the very needed Calcium that's giving me a little bit of the unmentionable.

After that it's the food. Technically, I don't have any crazy cravings but a lot of times I don't know what I want to eat. I know that I need to have nutritious meals, I must have breakfast but a lot of times I just don't want to eat at all. Guilty pleasure of this week - fried chicken sandwich. A quest for the perfect crispy chicken through different places, ended up exceeding my quota for bad food for the entire month.

Lastly, the weight gain. As of last Friday I have gained eight pounds and the baby is weighing 15.5 oz. This is a pretty good number according to my physician but I don't feel that way. 

The thing is, this is only the beginning. Two more weeks and I will start my last trimester which means all of the above multiplied by like ten. So bare with me as I try to navigate through this confusing but most exciting time. And tell you all about it if you are willing to listen.

Fall Colors

top: Ann Taylor, skirt: Loft, blazer: Talbots, shoes: Aldo, necklace: Calvin Klein

I love the fall colors. The gorgeous tree colors and the warm sun. 

So why not take those colors into my closet? I have couple orange and bordeaux pieces that are going to regulars here... I love that I can layer pieces and come with so many different outfits, even being preggo having half of my closet not fit me anymore. 

One amazing thing about carrying the baby is constantly feeling that little one inside you. I guess being a dad is awesome too but I feel like women get to be a mom so much earlier. It's amazing how active this little boy is. And although I haven't met him yet, I love him so very much. It's wonderful feeling of connection. 

My hubby calls him 'our son' which makes him so real and present all the time. Now if we could just agree on a name, everything would be just perfect.

New Best Friend

top: TJMaxx, pants: J.Crew, shoes: Aldo, bag: Kate Spade NY, shades: Old Navy

So I cannot wear any of my winter clothes. Well, maybe like four sweaters that were meant to be oversized last season and  fit perfectly this time. I have given away lots of the clothes that don't fit to my sister.  My closet was crying with me.

Also, it seems like half the stuff in the stores, even sizing up,  is so short that with my pooch bulging out some things barely cover my belly button.
Soooo thrift store is my new best friend.
I picked up these brand new pants with tag still on at thrift store. Although they are a bit loose, ohhh heavenly corduroy they are so comfy.
Thank God for comfy pants. And mid-day naps.

It's a ....

top: thrifed, skirt: NY& Co, shoes: Aldo, necklace, belt: Calvin Klein

This weekend was very joyous. We found out that it's A BOY! 

A little man is on the way and this mama has a lot to prepare for. You see, I have been surrounded by girls all my life. I have one sister, all the cousins that we grew up with are girls, I have three aunts that I am fairly close with. It was kind of closed girl society growing up - we shared everything, from clothes to first boy stories. 

And now, I have a boy on the way.

I am a very girly girl, so having a boy around here will be different. But I knew it was going to be a boy so it's not a surprise for me. 

Hubby and I are very happy that he is healthy and everything is going great. 

Let the planning begin.

The Day

top: Banana Republic, cardigan: Gap, pants: Loft, shoes: BCBG,

So today is the day. The day we find out who w are having. I can't wait! 

We are planning a little get together with our families to reveal who we are having. Everyone will have to chose a cupcake with topper you think the baby is going to be (boy or girl) and then bite into it to see the color. It's going to be so much fun! 

So what's your guess?
You are going to have to wait to find out...

P.S. We are up to 10,000 views and counting... Thank you all for reading sharing! 

Motherhood of Traveling Pants

pants: Gap, shirt: thrifted, blazer: Banana Republic, necklace, heels: Sharlotte Russe,  

Remember that movie "Sisterhood of Traveling Pants"? I think it was a great idea, from financial stand point. Someone needs to come up with store or online shopping site where pregnant women can exchange, sell and buy clothes. I mean, I want to look good and stylish yet I don't want to spend a lot of money on my maternity clothes.
There are other women who feel the same way, and this short period of time still deserves some attention. It would be great to have a place where you can borrow or even buy stylish maternity clothes of all sizes and then return them or sell back.
Maybe that's my calling in life? Or do they already have that? But for now I'm just going to have to go on a hunt for some cute maternity wear or start buying bigger clothes.
And this time I actually need them.