To be honest, the thought of spending money on maternity clothes makes me shudder. You only have a need for them for a few months and they cost an arm and a leg! Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your style, or your wallet. My goal this pregnancy has been to find outfits I can not only sport during pregnancy but long after, while also leaving plenty of money in the budget for baby. That said, wether you're a stay at home mama who needs an easy outfit to slip on before running errands, or a boss lady in corporate America, this is a look you'll want to copy. After all, we are creating a human and deserve to feel and look like the absolute warriors we are - gone are the days of mumus!
This Amazon skirt has been hands down one of my favorite purchases this year to date. Wether you're looking for maternity street style outfit ideas, or just a versatile midi skirt you can style on any body type - this one is sure to deliver. With the change of seasons quickly approaching, I wanted to style this look multiple ways to show you how you can transition your look from day to night, warm to cool days, or work to weekends. I am wearing a size small and am 19 weeks pregnant in these photos. Because the skirt is flowy and has an elastic waistband, I didn't feel the need to size up for a maternity fit. I stuck with my pre-pregnancy sizing and still have room to grow.
The puff sleeve top (also from Amazon) styled for a more evening based look is under $20 and very warm! I would recommend wearing this top in the fall, I tried to wear it to dinner in July and sweat enough for two people, lol! It runs TTS and I'm wearing a medium, however, a large would've suited me well for growth (size up for pregnancy). I also purchased it in white as it's a great closet staple at an inexpensive price.
By now, most of you know Shane and I purchased a new home at the beginning of
this pandemic in March. With warm and sunny days approaching quickly, we knew
the patio would be one of our main focuses to complete first. A well designed
space can not only enhance your living area, but entice you to spend more time
outside. For me personally, this area is my favorite part of our home, so I
knew I wanted it done correctly. The inside of our house is made up of floor
to ceiling windows all the way around, so even though the patio was outside, I
knew it needed to feel connected to the rest of our space. I wanted something
stylish yet comfortable and conducive of entertaining a larger group, but
wasn't exactly sure how to make this come to life.
Insert New South Home. Melissa (owner of this design firm) and I had been
following each other on Instagram for a year or two prior to connecting on
this project. I had always wanted to work with her, but knew our old home
wasn't our forever home, and didn't want to pour money into something that I
wasn't 100% sure would transfer to a new place. Once we moved, I knew this was
the perfect opportunity to establish a relationship and have her help me pull
together this space to be a dreamy outdoor oasis. You guys, I cannot rave
about this experience enough. From the moment I reached out to New South Home
to completion of our patio install, I was blown away by not only the talent
within their company, but the level of communication, timeliness, and
execution. I felt like a priority despite being a much smaller project and the
entire process was seamless. I knew exactly what to expect, and our furniture
was even delivered a week earlier than the set install date (which was a
really nice surprise).
The Process
If you're wondering how the design process with New South Home works, check
out their services
here.
They offer a few different options depending on your needs, but for this
project we chose "room design and complete furnishings". As I previously
mentioned, I reached out to Melissa with our needs, and from there step 1
began with a Zoom call (this is typically an in-home consultation but they are
safely social distancing due to COVID19) of our space. We discussed my ideas,
I showed them the space, we measured and took photos, and from there the team
created a custom design plan. This included the layout of our space on a mood
board, which included furnishings, colors, fabrics etc. that was actually set
into a rendering of our exact space so it was super easy to visualize what the
final product would look like. Once every item had been decided upon, I
received a statement with the total cost of the project (line item by line
item) and approved ordering. Melissa set an install date based off what the
furniture manufacturers shipping time was, and installation actually began a
week earlier! The install is obviously the best part as New South Home came
in, set everything up, and revealed the final look to us once everything was
in its place. I was in complete awe! From the furniture selections, to the
smaller decorations this space turned out to be everything I wanted and more.
Below you'll see the rendering provided during the selection process
(identical to the final product)!
(Potential Phase 2 for the deck)
Overall
If you're looking for a design firm to work with in the southeast, I can't
recommend New South Home enough. Melissa is so passionate about her work, and
such a joy to work with! Not only is she talented, but she truly has the
process streamlined for the client so that every step of the way is stress
free. I knew exactly what to expect from the very beginning, and she delivered
on those expectations (on time) every time (even in the middle of a pandemic).
We couldn't be happier with the space, and the quality of the furniture. On
that note, I'm also extremely happy with Bernhardt's new exterior line and
their delivery of timeless yet modern and well built furniture. These are
items we plan to keep and use for years to come, so it was important to us
that it could withstand outdoor elements. I can't even begin to describe how
comfortable the couch is, and the functionality and roominess of the swivel
chairs are exactly what we wanted (men fit in these chairs really well).
Quality over quantity!
Shane and I are so excited to share that we will be welcoming a baby BOY in December 2020. We were completely shocked and surprised by this as both of us thought it was a girl up until Sunday! Regardless, we are overjoyed with excitement and can't wait to welcome little man to the family. As you can see, Shane is so excited he actually looks like he just won the Masters, ha! I have to say, this was hands down one of the most special days of both of our lives and we are so happy we chose to keep it a true surprise & host a reveal with our closest friends and family. Shane described this day as pure "euphoria", and for me - there are no words to describe the feeling I felt in this moment other than pure joy. Our doctor called us 10 days prior to this moment with the results of our blood test and I quickly handed the phone to a girlfriend of mine who kept this secret lock and key!
You don't think he was team boy, do you? Haha! I had lots of questions about party decor, vendors we used and who coordinated everything so I thought I'd give the links to everything a permanent place to live here in case you're considering a similar event of your own.
As for coordination: I did it myself. Parties are so fun, but let me tell you - they are a TON of work. Meryl and John, and my friend Andrea, extended a helping hand to set up and run a few errands which I felt really grateful for but outside of that I planned and coordinated everything on my own. I would recommend getting started with the planning process about a month in advance as certain items take awhile to ship and that way you aren't stressing out last minute about items that didn't make it in time.
We are beyond thankful for all the well wishes, sweet comments, and love this baby boy has already been showered with. December can't come soon enough! Thank you for letting me share these special moments with you, our hearts are so full.
You can view our reveal video here (Shanes reaction in real time is worth the view, ha!).
*Something worth noting - due to the current state of our country, we opted to purchase an infrared thermometer and scanned each persons temperature prior to letting them out back at the advice of our doctor. The entire event was held outdoors, and hand sanitizer was given to everyone throughout the party.
