July 31, 2015

Home Make Over {Living & Dining Room}


Dining Room






____________________________________________________________

Living Room










When I set out to do a make over in our living and dining room area, I spend a lot of time on Pinterset, looking through countless images of homes. I wanted the space to feel light and airy, with a pop of color here and there, but I also had a very (very) small budget. I was so tired of the same blah walls and just lack of character in our home. The before pictures were snapped at night and do have an ugly light in them but that's practically how boring our home was. 
I love the new space. I DIYed the pillows, vases and painted everything from ceiling to the lamp base. Nothing says remodel like a fresh coat of spray paint. Our house is not fancy or glamorous but it's home. I love that we can lounge on the couches with the new cute pillows or have dinner at a large table that fits everyone.

New
Dining Room Table - $400 (Pier One Imports)
Curtains - $80 (TJMaxx)
Wall Sea Urchins - $35 (Target)
Pillow - $20 (IKEA)

 Thank you for stopping by and I hope you draw some inspiration for updating your own home!




July 29, 2015

Maternity Shoot + 40 Week Bumpdate








dress: Nordstrom (similar)
bracelet: TJMaxx (similar)
flower crown:DIY

How Far Along: 40 Weeks 1 day

Total Weight Gain: 27 lbs

Clothes:  running out of things to wear and currently living in one pair of shorts and oversized t-shirts. 

Sleep: I can barely get through 2 hours without having to move or go to the bathroom. I go between couch and bed all night long. 

Miss Anything: a glass of wine, fitting into normal clothes and not feeling like an elephant

Cravings: no craving but making lots of excuses for eating whatever I want right now. 

Symptoms: Lots of contractions, some are real that come for a few hours than stop. We are moving in the right direction just not as fast I would like. 

Belly Button/Body Changes:  Belly button popped and that's something new. My butt hasn't gained any weight as I can fit into my normal size 6 for the bottoms - yay me!   

Mood: Definitely moody and hungry. Bad combination and add to that pregnancy hormones. 

Best Moment This Week:  When the doctor told me we are making progress and possibly will have this baby sooner than later.

Looking Forward to:  holding our baby girl. I have everything set up, washed, packed and ready to go. Cannot wait to finally be done with the pregnancy!

Exercise: Walking at least a 1 mile every day. 

On My Mind: I have a very negative attitude right now and that's bad. I had almost no hope when going in for my last prenatal check up that things weren't moving along. But the doctor seemed to think I will be able to deliver on my own. I want to have a VBAC but being late is not something that goes with successful delivery. I have prayed today for God to help me be patient and for Him to have his hand over this delivery. I know that there is very little we can do about the timing and He has it all in his hands. It seems that 9 months fly by so fast but than the last few days come to a screeching halt and all you want to do is to get the baby out. I'm definitely tired of being pregnant but what's a few days with years ahead? A drop in a bucket! Here is to a safe and easy delivery!

P.S. I'm guest posting over at Elegance and Mommyhood today! Check it out!

July 27, 2015

Family Photos












If anything was keeping this babe from showing up, were our family photos. I've been a huge procrastinator this time around, waiting until I was 39+ weeks pregnant to do a belly family shoot. Honestly, I'm glad we finally got that done and she can come any minute. Please say a prayer for this mama who's more than ready to get the show on the road. Have a great Monday and the rest of your week!

July 22, 2015

Denim x Deniim







top: Tahari
vest: Gap
shorts: Pink Blush Maternity c/o
bag: Amazon
flats: TJMaxx (similar)
hat: TJMaxx  (similar here or here under $15)
watch: Kate Spade (also these are on huge sale )

Hello lovelies. Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I'm trying to stay busy and keep up on my projects around the house, making time fly by faster. Although the heat and constantly being on my feet isn't doing me any favors. Yesterday I shared my favorite (very useful) products for surviving the third trimester (check them out here). But by far the most important thing is to keep hydrated especially during summer. Hope all you pregnant ladies are doing well and all the none pregnant ladies, say a prayer for us.


July 21, 2015

3rd Trimester Survival Kit {Maternity)


1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Pregnancy may seem like a breeze for some people and living agony for others. I can't complain too much because I have relatively easy pregnancies. Besides lack of energy during my first trimester and backache the last few weeks, some swelling due to hot weather I feel good most of the time. But there are few things that make my pregnancy a little less pleasant, so here are my remedies.

1. ALMOND OIL I said it before and I will say it again - almond oil rocks! If you want to prevent stretch marks and keep your skin smooth and silky, slather this stuff all over yourself after every shower. You won't regret it (although you may feel like a pancake for a minute or two ha!)

2. RED RASPBERRY LEAVES I'm not sure if this is going to affect anything but a lot of midwives suggest taking Red Raspberry Leaves during 3rd trimester. It's a uterine tonic and helps to prepare the uterus for labor, possibly even contracting the belly more than usual before active labor begins. I have definitely experienced a lot more Braxton-Hicks contractions this time around.

3. TUMS  Ahhhh hello heartburn! I haven't had this problem until about week 34 which is great considering how early on other ladies suffer. On top of tums, I'm constantly drinking seltzer water. Instead of soda or even ginger ale, the bubbly drink helps my digestion without making me feel bad about my calorie intake.

4. FLORADIX  If you are anything like me, you might have low iron levels. So when the midwife suggested I double my iron intake (on top of eating meat, lentils and upping my vitamin C) my stomach could not take that. Then she suggested Floradix and ever since I started taking it, it's super easy on my stomach which is a blessings (ya know what I mean ladies?)

5. LAVENDER OIL  I don't diffuse a lot but when I do it's usually lavender. It's calming and very pleasantly smelling, which also helps with the odor in the house. My husband isn't a fan of it so I usually add couple drops of eucalyptus.

6. BREATHE RIGHT NASAL STRIPS I've suffered from congestion at the beginning of spring and now my sinus headache came back out of nowhere. The nasal strips help open up airways and breath clearer without any drugs (which is a plus during pregnancy). Even my husband likes using these, which helps his congestion during the night, as well as letting me sleep without his snoring.


Notable Sales

LOFT - EXTRA 70% OFF all sale styles (online today only)

Banana Republic - extra 40% off sale (code: BRSAVE)

Nordstrom - Anniversary sale

J.Crew - extra 40% OFF sale styles (code: SHOPSALE)

Ann Taylor - extra 70% OFF sale items (in stores and online!)

July 20, 2015

LBD Take Two









dress; Liz Lange Maternity (Target)
belt: Target
watch: Fossil (similar on sale only $80 here)
sunglasses: Tory Burch
clutch: Macy's
pumps: Payless (similar on sale)

There is nothing that makes me feel remotely sexy as an LBD, especially during this stage in the pregnancy. I'm at 39 weeks and hoping baby girl will show up any day now. There a lot of signs that the labor is near but no active labor yet. The heat isn't making things any better so I'm cooling off under A/C in the house. I had grands plans of going to the lake this weekend but it's about 150% humidity around these parts. Hopefully the baby girl will decide to come soon and we can all be happy about that.

SHOP MORE LBD OPTIONS


July 16, 2015

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites {Shopping}

My Favorite: Dresses

12 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

My Favorite: Shoes

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5


My Favorite: Bags & Wallets

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 


My Favorite: Accessories

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Hello lovelies! As promised, I've looked through the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and found some great picks for you. I think it's worth looking into shoes, bags and accessories if you are going to splurge on something extra nice. Shirts, tops and jeans you can get on sale later or somewhere less expensive (unless you are the ms. Money Bags of course). 
I love their selection of dresses and all the prints coming out for this fall. How stylish are the new designs from Kate Spade? All the bags, wallets and watches have a clean and simple cut, just the way I like it. Also, pretty bracelets from Kendra Scott and watches are on sale too. Right now is the time to pack some eye wear and accessories for your fall closet. Trust me, you won't be sorry because this sale is pretty good! 

Link Up: The Tiny Heart
Happy Shopping! 

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