I've been gone for a while now...

So my baby is nearly eight months old. Isn't that wild? I had a baby. And she's growing up so fast.

Most days, I stay very busy juggling work and my regular home life plus the additional baby. But at least once a week, I think, Man, I hit it out of the park this week with my outfit. I should really just take a quick pic and throw it on the ol' blog. I haven't yet. Because it's hard to take the quick pic and even harder to take the time to blog.

I will admit that I miss this blog. Even if nobody really read it except a couple of nice friends and family members. It was a good reason to put in that little extra effort to pull together a look. It made me think outside the box, especially, yeesh, when I was trying to connect an outfit with a book review.

It's also just nice to have a little space to put your voice out there.

I might get back here. At the very least, I need to finish my 30 for 30 pregnancy edition. (I have the pictures all together, they just need to be posted and explained.) Maybe I'll even start doing this regularly again. For now, I'm enjoying my lovely baby. I'm grumbling that I can't wear certain clothes still (my hips? Or my thighs? Something has grown. Plus, I need clothes that allow for easier breastfeeding.). I'm a little sad that I can't accessorize as I'd like (I'm afraid to wear heels with her in case I trip. Necklaces, bracelets, etc., are just things for her to grab. What happened to my purse? It's morphed into a diaperbag). And my hair was never my strong point (I noticed in flipping through past posts how it was half the time just a big ball of frizz), but dang, I miss just wearing it down (the baby won't stop pulling on it. Even when it is up. It's ridiculous.).

So long for now, Blog that was all about Me. Right now I'm living a life that's all about somebody else. And that's okay. For now :)

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 17

I originally got this shirt to go with a pair of summery white shorts (which ended up being returned).

Shirt - Old Navy Maternity, Dress - ASOS Maternity, Watch - Michele Watches, Flip-flops - Rainbows

But what else could I wear it with besides my white skirt? I realized the orangey-pinky flowers on the shirt would go well with my pink maternity dress.

So I already starting planning on wearing this with my chevron dress too! Soon to come.

I didn't super plan out this 30 for 30 like I did the first time I did it, so I felt pleased to think up two more outfits for this shirt on the fly.

Think  you can't do a 30 for 30? Don't give up! You're more creative than you think!

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 16

Chevron has been everywhere the last few months, right?

Yellow cardigan - Gap Outlet, Bracelets - Nordstrom and Uniquities, White watch - Michele Watches, Chevron dress - Old Navy Maternity

It isn't surprising that it's infiltrated the maternity world as well, which really pleases me because I've been low on patterns in my maternity clothes.

And using a fun orange-y color too!

Old Navy had this dress available in white and navy too, which was tempting to get, but I love orange.

Am I the only one that thinks it's completely underrated as a color?

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 15

This particular Monday was a fun one for me, Husband, and Baby.

Purple tank (underneath) - Pea in the Pod, Patterned blouse - Destination Maternity, Purse - Uniquities, Black shorts - Destination Maternity, Flip-flops - Rainbows

We went to see The Wall Live with Roger Waters. It was one of the most amazing concerts I've ever been to, and maybe the last one I'll attend for a long time. Baby grooved to the music all night, and perked up a lot when we played the CD a couple of days later. I couldn't believe how much she moved!

Rock seems to be her favorite music.

What have I been doing?

It's been over two weeks again since I've posted! What's been happening? A wonderful baby shower, preparing Baby's room, finishing up projects at work, cleaning my house so it'll be clean for as long as possible after Baby's arrival, and cooking and freezing as much as possible. So I'm kind of tired! But really prepared for Baby!

Filling out Thank You cards...

Having some easy meals from Whole Foods...

Baking and enjoying chocolate chip banana bread...

In between all of that, I'm trying to get some relaxing time in and spend time with family, especially Husband. My due date is in a a few days, which isn't to say that Baby will actually arrive, but if I disappear again for weeks, then her arrival is the reason!

Fave of the Week: June 30-July 6

My fave outfit of the week was from Thursday.

What do I like about it? Color blocking! I was asking a fashionable coworker just a couple of days ago, "Why wasn't color blocking a thing before?" It's easy to do, colorful, and fun. With this outfit, I played with two shades of green and my favorite shade of blue (a flattering shade on anyone!), a necklace using the same colors pulling it all together.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 14

How do you like to accessorize neutral-color outfits?

Necklace and bracelets - Fair trade store in UK, Beige and black shirt - Destination Maternity, Black shorts - Destination Maternity

I like going for a pop of bold color, like red and/or orange.

And a little bit can go a long way.

Accessories like necklaces always make me feel a little extra pulled together.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 13

I've been so pleased with my green shorts.

Green cardigan - Gap Outlet, Blue tank - Destination Maternity, Necklace - Arden B., Green shorts - Destination Maternity

They're great for color-blocking!

And are a lot of fun for summer.

Have you invested in colorful or patterned shorts?

There are a lot of fun options, apparently even some for us pregnant ladies!

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 12 + Review and Wear Wednesday

We're not taking a break from the 30 for 30 because I managed to put together an outfit from my choices that tied in my book and the 4th of July holiday all in one.

Star scarf - Primark, Dress - ASOS Maternity

Okay, yes, it's a pretty simple outfit, but still, yay--stars, stripes, blue and white all rolled into one.

Maybe you think I'm missing something?

Some red maybe? Well, I have red lips, one, and two:

Don't forget the red in my patriotic nails!

And what about my patriotic book? I gave The Summer of 1787 by David O. Stewart 2 out of 5 stars.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 11

Pink and green is one of my favorite color combos.

Scarf - Primark, Pink shirt - American Eagle, White watch - Michele Watches, Green shorts - Destination Maternity

Fresh, fun, a hint of preppiness. 

And floral! Like the flowers on my scarf.

Sometimes the best way to get inspired is taking a look right outside--what are the natural color combos you're seeing in the world?

Me? I see pink rosebushes outside.

Manicure Monday: Patriotism

So you've seen me do Pac-Man and pink and red color-blocking, but what about when you have another patriotic holiday rolling around like 4th of July (I know it's now end of July, but this is coming to you a little bit late!)?

• Prep your nails--remove old nail polish, push and cut cuticles, cut and file nails if you need to, etc.
• Put on your trusty clear base coat.
• Go with your lightest color first, in this case, white. Put on as many coats as you need to make it look good, in this case, three before the white looked strong enough. 
• Allow plenty of time to dry! I went for about 30 minutes.
• Cut strips of Scotch tape. Place across nails, leaving some hanging off the sides. In this case, I put the tape in the middle to preserve the white, then I was able to paint on either side. 
• Put on a coat of red at the bottom, blue at the top.
• Again, allow plenty of time to dry. I went for another 30 minutes. 
• Peel off the tape. This should be easy if you left tape on the sides to pull from. 
• Put on your trusty clear top coat.
• Wave your flags and your nails in celebration!

Fave of the Week: June 23-June 29

I have a serious love for scarves, pushing this outfit from Saturday into fave of the week territory.

Very simple, easy outfit, but a scarf gives it just a splash of color. And they can be worn year-round, in a variety of ways--in your hair, wrapped different ways around your neck. Also, during the beginning of my pregnancy, when Baby Girl was still a secret, they were a great way to hide my growing bump! I can't hide it anymore, but it worked for a while!

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 10

A third of the way through the 30 for 30 challenge!

Top - Old Navy Maternity, White skirt - Charlotte Russe

I got this top to go along with some white maternity shorts I bought online. The shorts didn't work out, but I still loved the top!

I considered not keeping it, but I've managed to remix it a couple of times already...more to come.

The shorts were super easy to return--ASOS is my favorite way to online shop at the moment. Shipping and returning are both free and simple. I read the return instructions from Old Navy for this shirt and decided, Eh, I'll just keep it and figure it out.

Who's your favorite online retailer?

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 9

So I thought my beloved maxi dress would be worn lots during my pregnancy--it's so roomy!

Lies! There's a side zipper that refused to budge and I had to give up on it. And so I bought a new one!

Maxi dress - Old Navy Maternity, Crocheted top - Nordstrom

Ahhh, now this is roomy.

Maxi dress, indeed.

I love how feminine I feel in maxi dresses. So being pregnant and wearing a maxi dress is pretty much the height of femininity. 

Throw in red lips and wavy hair to boot.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 8

I've fallen behind again in posting! No real excuse for it--just staying busy as a pregnant lady! And without further ado, Outfit #8 in the 30 for 30 Pregnancy Challenge.

Scarf - Club Monaco via Shopbop (Present from Sister), White shirt - Pea in the Pod, White watch - Michele Watches, Shorts - Pea in the Pod

The blue gray in this scarf went perfectly with my shorts.

And thank goodness for the new shorts!

I've been so comfortable wearing all of my new shorts that I've been wearing them to work too. This was a weekend look, but I think it would have worked at the office too. The scarf classes it up, right? (Also my office is pretty casual. And forgiving of my sartorial choices lately.)

See that gray blur in the bottom corner?

There's a happy doggy rushing at me in this last pic. She doesn't understand, "Nooo! Mommy's taking pictures!"

Fave of the Week: June 16-June 22

My fave of the week was from Tuesday, the day of my baby shower at work.

Okay, it helps that I just felt extra-special that day because of the surprise party, but also, you guys--Breton stripes in dress form. What's not to love about that? Are you a lover of blue and white stripes? Because you should be! It's clean, it's classic.

Review and Wear Wednesday: Ready Player One

I'm taking a break from 30 for 30 to bring you Review and Wear Wednesday. I recently read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and even though my wardrobe doesn't feature too many 80s nostalgia pieces, I knew I had to do something for this book.

Pink tunic - Bebe, Leopard belt - dEliA*s, Black leggings - Old Navy Maternity

Yes, it is very similar to the outfit I wore when I wrote up a review for Divergent, but...um...the sleeves are rolled up! And that's a different belt.

Sigh. Fashion blogging while pregnant is tough, guys.

Anyhoodle, I went as neon as I could with my top, regretted not having acid-washed maternity jeans, considered crimping my hair but just kept the waves from my no-heat curls a few days back, but man, I sure did something special with my nails.

That's right--Pac-Man and Inky (isn't that what the blue one is called?)

I promised to unveil these special nails last Manicure Monday, and here they are! They were pretty simple to do! Base coat; couple of coats of black; paint a couple of coats of Scotch tape yellow and blue; cut them into the shapes you need once dry; apply; add some eyeballs to Inky with white and black dots; top coat.

Why Pac-Man? Because Ready Player One is all about the 80s and specifically about video games.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 7

June 19th was a pretty special day for me and Baby--it was Baby's first ever party!

Complete with Diaper Catepillar! How cute is this? Made from two receiving blankets, a sensory ball, a pacifier, and loads of little baby socks and newborn diapers.

It was a surprise baby shower, thrown by the fabulous and sweet people that I work with, and believe me, I was super surprised. I completely blame my Baby Brain because usually I am the first person to smell out a conspiracy.

Instead I was surprised, embarrassed, then showered with tiny socks, among many other cute things!

My coworkers thought I was on to them for many reasons, but also because they thought I looked extra cute the day of the party.

Dress - Asos Maternity, Yellow cardigan - Gap Outlet

I just felt like wearing my new dress!

And bright lipstick, which I happened to reapply right before the party!

All in all, it was a very fun and special day. I kept rubbing Baby afterward, squealing to her that she had her first ever party, all about her.

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 6

Now that I'm super preggers and even more short on time, no heat curls more than ever is a favorite way to get my hair done.

Shirt - A Pea in the Pod, Black shorts - Destination Maternity

It really is one of the easiest hair tricks, and I love wearing my hair all wrapped around a hairband, so even while I'm curling, I'm looking cute. 

And the best part?

Because I went no 'poo (that's no shampoo, y'all) more than a year ago, I can go one or even two weeks without washing out the curls and eventually the loose waves.

Why am I going on and on about my hair?

I'm trying to distract you from the fact that my outfit is pretty boring today, but hey, that happens. Also, it is Monday, and would have been Manicure Monday, but I'm keeping that a secret until Wednesday. Make sure to check back later!

30 for 30 Pregnancy Edition: Outfit 5

What do you think?

Striped tank - A Pea in the Pod, Purple shorts - A Pea in the Pod

Do I have a thing for multi-colored, striped tanks?

Actually, I only have two for this 30 for 30.

Let's see if I'll be able to remix them as we keep going with the 30 for 30 challenge. 

We're dealing with some challenging colors! But that's all part of the 30 for 30....