round up: summer style for mamas.

now that I'm down about 20lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, I'm having a lot of fun shopping for summer clothes. I actually bought a pair of actual shorts (aka not bermuda shorts) for the first time a few weeks ago. it's fun to shop for clothes now that I like the way I look... for the most part. I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm feeling more confident than I have in a long time. 

I'm adding a lot of small patterns and stripes to my closet (nothing new there), along with some fun colors of the season: coral, mint, navy, yellow (of the neon and mustard variety), aqua, and orange. since I will be chasing around a mobile baby and dealing with Maryland humidity, I'm all about simplicity - printed tanks, colored shorts/jeans and comfortable dresses. 

dresses: one | two | three | four | five | six

swimwear: one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight

tops: one | two | three

bottoms: four | five | six


what summer trends are you loving this year?

round up: Mother's Day gift ideas.

although I was told "Happy Mother's Day" a few times last year when I was pregnant with Ronin, I'm pretty excited to really celebrate this year. being the awesome husband that he is, Sean already bought me a gift (something from Etsy, apparently, so it should be good!) this year.  

I was inspired by Jessica at Little Baby Garvin to put together some gift ideas for those still looking for the perfect gift. unlike her themed gift guide, I went the route I normally travel - the practical gift. I'll be honest - I don't want flowers for Mother's Day. I want something that I can wear, drink, or use to relax. I'd be ecstatic to receive any of the items on this list for Mother's Day. oh, and as a bonus, they're all under $40!

1. for the technology lover: cell phone case ($39.00).

2. for the sentimental: unique greeting card ($4.25).

3. for everyone: NAKED basics palette ($27.00).

4. for the wine lover: wine of the month membership ($34.00/month for classic series).

5. for the beauty product fanatic: birchbox subscription ($10/month).

6. for the jewelry lover: personalized initial necklace ($36.00).

7. for the busy mom who needs a break (aka everyone): LUSH bath bomb ($6.35).

8. for the fashionable: mint hobo bag ($32.99).

our long weekend (in photos).

we had such a great weekend! Sean took off work on Thursday and Friday to get some things done around the house since the weather was supposed to be perfect. 

on Thursday, we spent most of the day outside - he cut the grass and dug out my garden bed while I hung out with Ronin on the patio and built our raised bed for fruits and veggies. we've had this thing in our garage since the fall of 2011. I wanted to plant vegetables last year, but since I was pregnant, I knew that I wouldn't have the energy to tend to the garden, so we put it off until this year. I was pretty proud of myself for putting it together solo... even if it did take me a few hours since I was working with an 8 month old's schedule. ;)

raised garden bed

outdoor rug

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Friday was spent cleaning around the house and finishing some indoor projects. we did get out of the house to go to lunch with Sean's dad and run to Target for a few things. we had lunch at Gordon Biersch, so a beer was necessary. I mean, when is it not?

__________________________________________________

I co-hosted a baby shower on Saturday for one of my friends and it was SO much fun. we've been planning for months and I've been busy with DIYing a lot of the decor for the past few weeks. it was a wonderful day, and baby Tucker is surrounded by love already. 

also? it felt amazing to get all dolled up for once. and to be baby free for an entire afternoon, ha!

striped dress
nude heels

__________________________________________________

today was a productive day around the house. Sean finished painting the trim and touch ups in the nursery (yes, the nursery. the room where Ronin is supposed to be sleeping. he is 8 months old and we're finally finishing it) in the morning, and then he took over baby duty while I got the fruits & vegetables planted. I had to run out for more soil, but once I had enough, it only took me maybe 2 hours to get everything planted. I chose veggies based on what we would actually eat and what seems to do well in our area (according to recommendations from friends & family). I planted cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, string beans, bell peppers (yellow, orange, and red), tomatoes, strawberries, and cantaloupe. can't wait to see how they do! 

oh, and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo by drinking beer while gardening. naturally. 

__________________________________________________

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I'll be back this week with a post detailing the DIY baby shower decor (hopefully) and a Mother's Day wishlist. 

Friday loves

a PSA regarding citronella oil & kids. - A MUST-READ for all parents of young children. 

a cute child fashion blog. psst. they have a shop too.

Aubrey Plaza on Ellen. - I want to be friends with her. she's so awkward and hilarious.

the dresses at Old Navy right now are amazing. I want one of each. seriously.

something hilarious: the reviews of this banana slicer.

a link to a link to all of IROCKSOWHAT's free downloads. 

(confession? there are 3 of these in Ronin's nursery.)

two words: bandanna bibs. 

HAPPY WEEKEND, friends! 

we have a busy one coming up. I finally built our raised garden bed today, so 

I'll be planting an abundance of fruits and veggies tomorrow. 

I'm co-hosting a baby shower on Saturday (cannot wait to share the details!) 

for my friend Jen, and Sunday will be spent doing stuff around the house. 

I hope you all enjoy your weekend! 

round up: birthday wishlist!

there are only 9 days until my birthday! I usually start the count down a few months before now, but then life happened and I forgot I even had a birthday. kids, I tell ya.

I'm a pretty big fan of making wish lists, and the celebration of my birth is no exception. these are just a few things I'm lusting over lately. maybe I'll get lucky and see something on this list in my house in a little over a week.

1. stella & dot necklace. 

2. timi & leslie diaper bag. 

see also: I am two outings away from throwing my POS Skip Hop Versa out the window. 

3. target lampshade. 

4. maxi dress (also target).

5. fine one one cheek color by benefit. 

6. nate berkus wooden box. 

I'm big on hiding crap in boxes. it's better if they're cute. 

7. "you are loved" print. 

this is actually for Ronin's room. 

confession? I actually had a LOT more to add to this list, but then I realized that it was all shit for Ronin - cloth diapers, a diaper sprayer, an activity center, etc. 

welcome to my life as a mom.  

Friday loves

a smartphone wallet. 

aka the perfect little clutch for carrying minimal stuff.

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the top 100 best children's books.

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how to: create a home management binder.

dude. I love this. I NEED to be more organized at home, and this is one step I can take to accomplish that. I think once my nesting really kicks in, this will be one of my projects to take on.

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free: birth plan tool.

and another.

both of these were extremely helpful in creating a personalized birth plan for us. 

while I know a lot of people laugh at birth plans, there are a few things that I want to remember to do/to avoid during labor, and I know that having it written down will prevent me from forgetting to mention it.

I basically filled in the info in the second one and copied the results into a Word document. 

and then, when I found the tool in the first link, I just took some of the information from that and added to the document I had already created, since it contained some more options that I hadn't yet considered.

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John & Sherry's new DIY headboard. 

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how to tell if your eggs are still fresh:

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this ridiculously cute & creative love story.

holy crap, I can't imagine how much time it took to make that!

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this rug from Urban Outfitters. 

I need this for my entryway. right now.

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5 best places for party supplies.

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my baby shower is tomorrow, so I'll hopefully have a recap of that next week! 

I'm so excited to celebrate baby Ronin with my friends and family. 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my feet don't swell up TOO bad. 

from what I hear, the menu is full of delicious goods, so you can't beat that! ;)

OH, and thank you all for your suggestions on my shower attire! the navy dress was a slam dunk among voters, and so that's what I'll be wearing.

Happy Friday, folks!

10 things that make me happy lately

1. the weather in Maryland has been fantastic. 

it's 75 degrees outside, but you can still feel that crisp chill of fall on the horizon. 

2. Dexter. 

this season is going to be amazing. I think Colin Hanks is a great addition to the cast, and I can't wait to see how he stirs things up. 

3. my hair is growing SO fast. 

I've been growing it out for a long time, and it's finally starting to get some length and I'm absolutely LOVING it. it's to the point now where I can pull it back without strays everywhere and it doesn't take TOO long to style. 

4. My Dear Watson Scentsy. 

mmmmm. smells like a well dressed man... I ended up buying TWO bars of it at the last party I attended because I knew I'd be burning it all the time. 

5. friends. 

we have a lot going on in the next few weekends and thankfully, they are all friend-related events. I've been feeling sooooo burned out with school and work, and spending time with good friends is such an outstanding break from the hustle and bustle. 

6. HOCKEY SEASON IS HERE. 

and yes, the caps are totally necessary.

[taken at the Caps home opener against the Hurricanes this past weekend]

7. these jeans from Old Navy that I talked about buying a few weeks ago. 

I have seriously been wearing them out! they are so comfortable and look great with everything - tee shirt & flip flops, sweater & boots, or a dressy blouse and heels. 

8. the countdown to Christmas. 

I know the holidays often stress people out but I love it. I'm the type of person who strives to give the perfect gifts, and this year will be no exception... only I'm taking the homemade gift route this season. I already have some ideas and supplies together, so I'll be sure to share that journey once I get started. 

9. listening to old CDs. 

and yes, I still listen to CDs. 

Kaley made me a bunch of mixed CDs to listen to on our way to Baltimore in the limo for my bachelorette party, and I've been reminiscing by giving them some time in the CD player in my car. let me just say... there have been entirely way too many solo dance parties in my car lately. 

10. Bvlgari Man. 

I got this in a sample size with my last Sephora order. I decided to choose it because Sean never really wears cologne, but I want him to, haha. it smells SO FUCKING AMAZING that I want him to bathe in it. and then I want to rape him. mmmmm yum, husband rape. 

Happy Monday! 

what I've been pinning lately...

since not everyone is on Pinterest (although, really... what are you waiting for? you should be there), I decided to share what I've been pinning lately here on the ol' blog. I've been feeling particularly inspired lately... probably has something to do with the change in weather, which further feeds my need to reinvent. 

I'll be decorating for fall this weekend, so be on the lookout for that next week! I'm hoping to gather some supplies for a few cheap DIY home decor projects (and will document the process, if my pending homework allows) at Michael's... so fingers crossed those ideas work out. 

anyhoodle. here's a look at what's caught my eye recently... 

gorgeous black & grey nature sleeve
[originally from here]

printable gift tags
[originally from here]
and on a similar note, I'm totally DIYing Christmas gifts this year.
details to come in a later post. 

these boots are fucking hot (and reasonably priced)
[originally from here] 

I heart this drawing and I think it would look rad in my bedroom
[originally from here]

I truly believe I would be a happier person with this bag
[originally from here]

the Gibson tuck... haven't tried it yet, but it looks SO easy and fancy
[originally from here]

I'd never want to live in a studio apt, but if I had to, I'd want it to look like this
[originally from here]

Emerald Gorge, in Oregon
[originally from here]

what have you been pinning lately? 

anyone else taking the homemade route for gifts this year?

Happy Wednesday!

Missoni for Target

it's here, it's here! 

the extremely pumped up Missoni for Target collection has finally hit stores as of yesterday.

I haven't had the chance to hit the store yet, but I'm loving what they've got online. 

here's a quick run down of what I've got on my wishlist that I'd love to check out in person 

(most of which are sold out online)... 

FOR ME: 

ZigZag Print Swimsuit

Floral Silk Scarf - Yellow

Pleated Maxi Skirt

Two-Tone Tights in Rose

FOR THE BEDROOM:

Aqua Pentagonal Pouf

Jar Candle

FOR THE BATHROOM:

Small Ceramic Vase

Famiglia Wavy Bath Rug

Famiglia Wavy Hand Towel

FOR THE LIVING ROOM:

Framed Tile - Passione

Throw - Passione

AH! so many awesome things! 

apparently the demand for the Missoni collection was 

so high that the Target website crashed, and the stores looked like Black Friday. 

I've talked to friends who say that all our local stores are completely 

SOLD OUT. 

how insane is that?

so have you been coveting the much awaited Missoni line as well, or is it not your cup of tea? (you people are crazy)

Happy Wednesday!

disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this blog post are purely my own. I was not perked or reimbursed for raving about the new collection at Target. I did not receive free merchandise or store credit or anything of the sort. although, that would be awesome sauce. 

fall fashion [shopping goodies]

fact: I own three pairs of jeans that fit me at the moment. two of those three have holes in them. in the crotch/thigh area. needless to say, with fall approaching, it was time to invest in a few more pairs. 

with my fall fashion inspiration post from two weeks ago in mind, I headed over to Old Navy (I haven't shopped there in a while, save a few basic tops here and there, but I know they have reasonably priced denim, so I decided to give their jeans a try) in Annapolis and started the hunt. 

remember this outfit? ... 

I had a couple things in my mind labeled as necessity items as I browsed the store: 

one or two pairs of straight leg/skinny jeans, 

one pair of wide flare leg jeans, 

button up cardigans, 

and colorful printed scarves. 

on the "maybe" list were: 

lace camisoles (depending on the colors), 

flats (if they had some in mustard), 

some striped items (bonus if they are navy, deep plum, and/or mustard), 

and a brown leather handbag. 

it was a VERY successful trip, as I picked up everything I needed and much more! 

I was thankful to find jeans that fit me perfectly. I've realized that I can no longer fit into junior sizes, and that low-rise jeans are just not flattering to my body anymore. I'm okay with it, and was relieved to find some mid-rise pieces that fit my body perfectly. 

The Rock Star Jeggings in Grey

Flare Diva Jeans in Watercress

Skinny Mini-Flare Jeans in Cotton Wood

The Sweetheart Skinny Jeans in Rinse

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I wasn't really shopping for tops, but I couldn't keep my hands off of these. not pictured: two lace camis in olive green and tan. 

Printed Zip-Front Cardigan in Navy Stripe

Breezy Blouse in Grey

Camp Shirt in Purple Plaid

Sequined Henley Tank in Green Stripe

Dolman-Sleeve Cardigan in Pasture Present

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and a couple miscellaneous things that I picked up on a whim (and am SO glad I did)... 

Pleated Maxi Skirt in Heather Charcoal 

Faux-Suede Cap-Toe Flats in Mustard

Floral-Print Gauze Scarf in Cool

I'm excited for the weather to cool down a little more so I can wear my long sleeve shirts and cardigans. until then, I'm enjoying my new jeans and breaking them in! I haven't had a clothes shopping trip in a while, so I think this little haul, while a little more extravagant than I planned, was much needed and will motivate me to rid my closet of things that I haven't worn in a very long time. thankfully, ON had some pretty decent sales going on over the holiday weekend, so I'm pretty sure that most of these items were discounted. 

did you do any shopping over the long weekend and score any deals?

Happy Tuesday!