And where have you been?

dress: H&M (similar, similar)
sandals: BCBG Paris (via DSW)
bag: Ali Express (similar)

And so it is with a great pleasure I return to this glowing screen. Have I missed it? You bet your sweet behind I did. Did I enjoy my break? Very much. I wasn't even using my PC in the last two weeks and that was a breath of fresh air. Maybe that's why it crashed while I was re-designing the blog layout and unfortunately I wasn't able to go back and size my pictures properly. (Sorry you guys)
I'm coming back to the world wide web with a few changes. First, of course, is the new blog design (I hope you like it). I went with simple layout and mint - the perfect combination. Second, the focus of this blog is making a comeback - living a simple and happy life, while sharing it with you. More on that coming up later. And although you may see less of me, I want to bring better quality posts that are worth your time.

Thank you for sticking with me for this long, or welcome if you are a new reader!

Patriotic (Sort Of)

dress: TJMaxx (1, 2, 3)
bag: Old Navy (1, 2)
shoes: H&M (1, 2)
belt: H&M (similar)

Happy 4th everyone! I feel somewhat sacrilegious wearing the red, white and blue colors. After all, it's a flag of a nation and people gave their lives for it, not just a fashion statement. That's my personal opinion, and yet I still want to join other bloggers in celebrating this holiday. (Just a side note. Why don't we all look like a Christmas tree during holiday season?)

I hope everyone enjoys their three day weekend and gets some rest. I will be celebrating with family and taking the next week off from blogging. It's our anniversary and I'm doing a 5K run, so need to train and plan some festivities. It's been a long time since I took a break but I think I need it. I'm thinking about changing direction and re-branding, or even quitting all together. Not sure what the next step is and what God has for me at this point but I do know that there more important things out there than outfits. I love dressing well and showing ladies how to be modest and fashionable but maybe that's not my thing in life. As I take time to contemplate, pray and enjoy my family, I hope you have a great weekend. Thank you for reading!

Being a Baby Mama

 

My little boy and I are quite close. I mean it's just him and I day in and day out. We wake up together. We eat breakfast together. We read books together. We go outside together. We take naps together. We do life hand in hand every day. I never thought I would enjoy being a stay-at-home mama so much but everyday my heart is filled with joy watching my son grow.

I got asked what I do for a living and after answering that I only stay home, I've changed my answer. It may seem trivial or unnecessary, but my answer now is that I work a full time job without vacation, overtime pay and sick days. Full time raising a little human being. Life as a mother is non stop and there is always someone who needs me. There is always plenty of learning, playing, exploring and having fun together. 

Jonathan is such a chatter box right now with occasional moments of silence which usually means he's getting himself in trouble. He knows what he can and cannot do, and will turn on the charm if realizes he got caught in action. If I'm scolding him, he will come to me and lay his head on my shoulder while giving a sweet little peck right on the lips. It melts my heart.

Being a mother to a toddler every minute of the day without leaving the house for work outside is harder than one might think. Doing the same thing over and over again sometimes gets tedious and frustrating. But the moments when I see him discover a new toy, learn  a new word and open a new book are the brightest and happiest moments of my life. His giggles and little quirky things he does, that happy grin and fast little hands, the way he lays his head on my shoulder and says first words are the things that I cherish right now. 

Finding joy in the small things, having patience for the tough things, remembering the good things, never-minding the hurtful things, discovering the new things, keeping the old things dear to my heart every single day. That's what being a baby mama is all about. 

{Shopping} Patriotic

Clock, Espadrilles, Striped Tee, Flag Tee, White Sandals, Striped Crossbody, Bathing Suit, Red Bag, Dress 

I hope you are getting your red, white and blue on for this weekend! With the weather approaching very hot temperatures and the grill sizzling away, it's going to be a fun holiday. I don't have a patriotic outfit picked out yet (I always feel like a flag) but here is a selection of some items to make your outfit a little more holiday appropriate. Hope you are having a great week! 

Summer Bright

dress: Walmart
wedges, shades: Target
bag: Ali Express

Welcome back to another week! We are almost in July and I can't believe that entire month has gone by already because we barely saw any sun around these parts. Also, I can't believe I got this dress in Walmart. Yes, I shop at that wretched place once in a while. So imagine my excitement when I was walking through pasta isle and spotted this pretty neon dress across the entire store. Two minutes later the dress was in my car without a second thought. I know that Walmart is not your typical blogger shopping place but sometimes you can find a one of a kind piece that makes that crazy trip worth it. 

Hashtag Sale {Zara}

Zara Sale

It's Friday and what a better day to start with shopping. Zara USA is currently having a huge sale on everything, yes you read that right, everything! There is so many things to pick from and it's truly impossible to stay within a budget when shopping on their website. How about these red sandals? Love! And the black shopper? Swoon! Plus they have plenty of floral piece - everything from skirts to dresses and more. Also, don't forget they make some killer jeans which seem to have best reviews for quality and durability. Hope you have a great weekend and score some great deals. Anything on your radar from this amazing retailer? Do tell!

Summer Storm

dress: Old Navy (similar, similar)
blazer: Banana Republic
flats: J.Crew
bag: Ali Express (similar)

This year summer has been very slow in these parts. As we were shooting this outfit post, a huge stormy cloud was approaching us. My sister was behind the camera so I told her to hurry up and snap some pictures before we get rained on. Few minutes later I could hear the rain coming our way and yelled at her 'it's coming'. She wasn't sure what I was talking about and seconds later we were drenched in a perfectly warm summer rain. As we were running to the car, I was trying to hide the camera from the rain drops and in the process wasn't very careful with the door, which slammed me in the face. Ouch. 

Today, I'm sitting in front of my computer, listening to the rain fall on the roof of the house, and enjoying the quite. It's nap time. Although the rain prevented me letting Jonathan loose outside, I love listening to the sound of rain in a perfectly still house. Now on to get some work done. 

Have a great day! 

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 {DIY} Thursday Link Up

With the summer in full swing and romance in the air, it's very easy to get carried away with all the gorgeous weddings. I have planned and attended a few wedding in last number of years and loved every minute of it. There is just something so fresh and breathtaking about seeing a newly married couple, full of life, love and dreams. It always puts me in a fun, romantic mood and makes me want to whisk my hubby on a getaway. 

This year I have the privilege to plan and help decorate my cousin's wedding, who's getting married overseas. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend the wedding itself but I have been gathering supplies, spray painting everything in sight and stalking Pinterest for ideas. Everything is very expensive in the part of country my dearest cousin lives in, so even with shipping, it's cheaper to buy stuff here and send it over. Plus it's fun for me! 

The bride is one of the sweetest people in the world, and I'm so glad I get the opportunity to plan the funnest and prettiest wedding I can. She gave me the full freedom in creating a look that will be budget-friendly yet chic. The wedding itself is in the fall so the colors needed to be appropriate for the season and here is what we came up with. 

Today I'm sharing with you a tried and true method to create a desired look on a budget. A no-brainer DIY for people who are planning weddings, showers or any other celebrations. Part of the decor is gold accents and those can add up to a pretty penny. I went to the thrift store and found as many matching martini glasses as I could find, then spray painted them gold. 

You will need:Glassware

Spray paint

Gloves

Plenty of paper to cover the work surface

First I taped off the button half of the glass with tiny pieces of painter's tape.

Then I covered the rest of the glass with paper, exposing only the part that needs to be sprayed

Spray and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. I was doing this on a very hot day so they were dry in a matter of seconds.

I put them out on the sun once finished to dry. 

And there you go! Cheap and easy way to creative pretty decorations for any party! 

Dress Review {eShakti}

dress: eShakti c/o
heels: Zara (similar1, similar2)
clutch: DIY (similar1, similar2)
bracelet: J.Crew (similar)

I'm so very excited about this post! I've been working with eShakti for a few months to get this dress fit just right. According to most measurement charts, I have an irregular body shape, with a tiny waist and sometimes two sizes larger hips. Almost every dress I wear needs custom alterations to fit just right. 

When eShakti first approached me, I was super excited to work with them. First I ordered the dress based on their size chart but it was too big. So I send them my measurements and they customized another dress for me. Although, I think their sizing runs a tad large so if in doubt, size down. 

The customer service team was super patient and understanding and even after I mixed up the measurements twice, they didn't drop me. Honestly, I love the fact that I was able to add sleeves, because there is nothing more I love like a perfect pencil dress. The stripes give it a Kate Spade-ish feel and make me feel glamorous, while staying very comfortable. 

I have mentioned this online retailer before when I was doing post on modest clothes and so glad that I got a chance to wear one of their dresses.  

eShakti created a coupon code 'ANNES' exclusively for HAPPY MEDLEY readers to get 10% OFF your next purchase. PLUS you can register with them and receive another $25 off! 

Please note:

Code has to be entered in the ‘promotional code’ box.   It is not case-sensitive.  

Code can be used any number of times until the validity period. 

It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions.

This discount code is not applicable on clearance / sale, gift cards & overstock categories.

Not applicable on previous purchases. 

This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own.