This weeks "I want what she has!"

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Karen Javens (my mom)! These sandals are great for the summer and give a pop of color to any outfit! You also can wear them with them with lots of summer looks as a matched look or just to set off the color pallet a bit. Love that about them!

Shoes: $49.95 DSW

I knew I got my love of shoes from someone! Great find mom!

Kitchen Demo: Part 2

Well, everything is gone! The old closet, the cabinets, the counter tops, the appliances, the bad tile on the wall, and even the floor! Demo day stunk! My dad and brothers forgot to hang tarps during the first hour which resulted in my entire home filling up with a plaster smoke. I'm talking the entire house! My room, my sons room, the living room, EVERY room!!! As soon as I realized what had happened I made them stop and hang a tarp and I quickly ran all around the house trying to open all the windows! In doing this I put the palm of my hand through a window! Yes people, I apparently have super human strength. Along with the broken window, some drapes got cracked. At this point I had to drive my little man over to grandma's house and race home to clean so we could continue to live in my house during the remodel. In an effort to vent, I called Lindsay and she actually offered to come over and clean with me!! Who does that?! So me and Lindsay wore awesome face masks and washed floors, wiped down couches, dusted tables, and cleaned off toys. I am so thankful I did not have to do that alone!!
My dad came back the day after and built the frame for the new closet next to the front door.
Next step, new electric ran and dry wall hung. To be continued....

A day with my boys...

Dress: Target
Shoes: Shoe Dazzle
Sunglasses: Creatively Yours (purse party)

I loved this dress so much I got it in two colors! I think it actually came in 4 different prints, but I settled on this one and a black one. And at $15.99 why not stock up right?!
This dress was perfect for another very hot day! I didn't wear any jewelry (or make up for that matter) because we were outside a lot and I was trying to get some color. My husband was proud to court me around on errands and the look was breezy enough to stay cozy doing so. Sometimes you don't need to sacrifice style for comfort, you can have both! And don't we deserve it all??!!!

Latest obsession: The braided bun

This is a great way to not only avoid the heat, but also avoid the frizzy hair that ultimately 90 degree weather brings. It's also a great hair style to wear on those pool days so you don't get your hair full of chlorine. It's super easy to do! Just follow these easy steps:
1.) Put your hair in a ponytail. (Can be super high on your head or at the nape of your neck.....you decide!)
2.) Braid the hair and hold the bottom so the braid doesn't fall out
3.) Wrap the braid around it's self (still holding the bottom so the braid doesn't come out)
4.) Using 4-6 bobby pins secure the end first and then follow in a circle placing the pins at the base of your braid.

That's it! It's a great summer look that will help you beat the heat!

Hello Summer weather...I have missed you!

Dress: Old Navy
Shoes: DSW
Sunglasses: Creatively Yours purse party
Purse: Creatively Yours purse party

The sun is back and it is hot! What better way to spend a 90 degree day then in a strapless dress and some sandals. To avoid the frizzy mess that would have been my hair, I decided to go with a braided pigtail. I then pinned my bangs back to complete the look. Alright people, what do you think? At 31 am I too old for braided pigtails? Wait...don't tell me. I really don't care! I'll be rocking that hairstyle for many years to come! ;)

Kitchen Demo: Part 1

The demolition on my kitchen has become all consuming and since I'm going through it, you are too! For starters, I'd like to show you how the kitchen has looked since we have lived here. I'm sure a few things stand out right from the start. We have no dishwasher, there is a closet protruding into the center of the kitchen, the cabinets are 50 years old, there is no pantry, the oven is CRAZY small and the stove is nowhere near the oven. Weird right?
We made it work for as long as we could! I was fine washing dishes everyday, but with a new baby on the way (which means lots of bottle washing) it's time for a change. The closet needs to go for sure! If it wasn't there it would really open the kitchen up! As far as the cabinets go, there are maddening! They all open on their own and some mornings I come downstairs and they will all be open. Yes, this could be helpful if I was looking for something, but mostly it's annoying and I bump into them a lot. They need to go!
The pantry missing was it's own problem. We used the lazy susan cabinet for our cans and put a book shelf against the closet wall for extra pantry storage. This helped, but looked awful!
Last but not least, the oven. We actually had to buy small pans for it a few years ago because all of the standard cooking pans would not fit. Needless to say I've never cooked a turkey here!

So it's time for it all to go! I mean everything!
Let's see how fashionable I can be while there is debris all around my house....

This weeks "I want what she has!"

Shirt: $19 Macys
Shoes: $15 Kohls

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Michelle Kuhlemeier. She came to my son's 2nd birthday wearing this super cute look. I love the detail in the shirt! I also love that it can be worn over leggings for an afternoon look or you can pull on a black skirt and tuck it in to dress it up for a night look! Love clothes that you can dress up or down!
I am also really enjoying her Vera Wang sandals. The ruffle detail is so fun!
Great finds Michelle! When I get back down to my normal weight we may have to do a closet swap!

Channeling My Inner Greek Goddess

Dress: Pea in the Pod
Cardigan: Old Navy
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: White House/Black Market

After me and my hubby had a spa day on Monday, we decided to bring our stuff and get ready there so we could head strait out for our dinner date. I have been waiting for an occasion to wear my new Grecian inspired dress and now was as good of a time as any. With the side strap and the fact that I had very little time to shower and come up with cute hair, I decided to do a side bun. This is a very easy look that can be done when your hair is still wet by twisting and securing it with 5-7 bobby pins.
I paired the dress with chandelier earrings that I got back in 2004 and some gladiator flats. Since it was a bit cooler that night and I needed a cardigan, I decided a pop of color would do me some good. Sometime a pop of color is all you need!

Play date at the zoo

Romper: Express
Cardigan: Express
Earrings: H&M
Shoes: DSW

This was the last day I wore my hot pink romper. Sadly, the belly sits above the pull string and looked a little forced so I have retired it until next summer when my baby is out! ;) There was a cool breeze this day so I threw on a white cardigan with sleeves that end above the elbow. To give some color contrast I decided to pair it with my aqua colored earrings and a metallic shoe. This outfit was great for hanging out with my fellow mommy Ali and walking around the zoo in style!

What's happening in my world....

My life is nuts right now! Today is my son's 2nd birthday and we just had his family party over the weekend. (It was Mickey Mouse themed and so fun!) I am on top of things and thank you cards already went out! Yes, I am that kind of mom. The annoying one that has thank you cards out the next day and Christmas cards sent out right after Thanksgiving! That's me! I have accepted it, now it's time for you to as well! :)

On top of that we recently had him tested because he doesn't talk much. He has qualified for speech therapy and developmental therapy which each meet once a week for an hour. Both therapists actually come to my house so it works out nicely. So far it's been lots of paper work and lots of evaluations. Both therapists start this week so we are happy to get the ball rolling on things finally! Have any of my fellow moms used the state funded programs? Our experience so far has been a good one, I just can't wait to see some results!

Did I mention I am beginning my kitchen demo in 3 days! This is my own personal nightmare! I've pulled in the family favors on this one and have both brothers, my hubby, my father, and my father-in-law helping out this weekend. I also have electricians, plumbers, dry wall guys, painters, floor layers, and cabinet installers coming and going over the next 5 weeks! Ahhhhh!
I finally picked out my granite, which let me tell you was it's own little ordeal. I knew what I wanted so it took longer to find and essentially cost more then we wanted to spend, but in the end we are happy.

If all of that wasn't enough, we recently ran into a snag with the floor so now we are pulling up the current one and I need to go find it's replacement. Okay, rolling with it, not a problem. I wanted a darker one anyway!
So now I have 3 days left to pack up all my cabinets, move my refrigerator, microwave, kitchen table, and pantry items all into my living room.

Lots of deep breaths. Lot of reminding myself how wonderful this will all be in the end. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it!

Out for dinner

Tank Top: Target
Leggings: Motherhood Maternity
Blazer: Urban Outfitters
Headband: Express
Shoes: Colin Stuart

We were headed out for a Mother's Day dinner with my in-laws this night so I decided to celebrate being a mommy of both my babies. Nothing shows your belly more then a snug tank and leggings! I threw on a blazer and heels and decided to spruce the look up with a sparkle headband. I love this headband! You can wear it so many different ways (definitely worth the $16.50 I paid for it!). The outfit also left lots of breathing room so I was able to share a chocolate shake with my love! After all, that's what is most important!

This weeks "I want what she has!"

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Ali Shoe. This purse is great!

Purse: $60, A local boutique in South Haven, MI

I am always on the look out for neutral colored bags that can be worn year round. This is a great example of just that! I've never been to South Haven, MI, but with shops that carry bags like this I might need to make the trip! Great find Ali!

Cute gift idea

How cute is this?! It's a milk chocolate high heel from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This was one of the many gifts we gave my mom for Mother's Day this year. This heel was $24.00, but there was a more expensive one if you wanted truffles with it too. My sister (Kristen) found it at her work. Yes, she works at a chocolate store and brings me some on occasion! That's not all, I can do one better, my aunt owns the store! Yes, I have a chocolate store owner in my family and yes there is a family discount! Be jealous! haa

Layering up over leggings

Jacket: Forever 21
Cardigan: Express
Tank: Victoria's Secret
Leggings: Victoria's Secret
Shoes: Colin Stuart
Bracelets: H&M
Necklace: Self Made (Charm from Bead Heaven)

I love layering tops over leggings. It's as comfortable as wearing pj's with way more style! I decided to pair this peachy colored top with gold and turquoise jewelry. I love that color contrast! Throw on some killer heals and a faux leather jacket and you're ready to go! Sometimes my favorite outfits are just thrown together in less then 5 minutes. This is one of those outfits!

Baby Shower Luncheon

Dress: Target
Shoes: Shoedazzle
Locket Necklace: Gift

I attended a baby shower for my friend Kristin Hassan last weekend and this is what I ended up wearing. The dress tied right about my belly so it was a perfect fit! I love when I don't have to wear maternity clothes to dressy events! I paired it with my February shoe selection from Shoe Dazzle. I actually haven't worn these shoes before this so I was very excited to get some use out of them! I decided to go minimal on the jewelry and put on a locket that I was given for Mother's Day last year. Since it was a day celebrating a new baby I felt it would be cute if I wore my babies picture around my neck!

13 Weeks

The belly has begun! At 13 weeks I have gained 4 pounds and am very uncomfortable in all my clothes. This is a morning shot, but the end of the day I swear this thing doubles in size! ;)
The first trimester stunk! I was sick a lot! I don't think I gained any weight in the first 10 weeks because of the amount of time I spent over the toilet. For the past 3 weeks, I've had less sickness and more hunger. (That's where those 4 pounds came into play!) I'm still ridiculously tired most days and tend to take naps on the days my toddler does, but I have way more energy in the mornings and less headaches. Woo hoo! I'll take what relief I can get!
7 weeks left until we find out if it's a boy or a girl! I love to speculate on which sex it will be! In the beginning I thought it was a girl due to a girl dream I had, but lately I'm only having boy dreams. The beats per minute last doctors visit was 150 and the baby was high up in my waist. (My doctor had a hard time locating the heart beat because she was looking too low down). Okay, what do you guys think? Boy? Girl? Come on fellow mommies, lets speculate!

This weeks "I want what she has!"

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Blaire Dalton. These sandals are not only very cute, but they are beyond a great deal!

Sandals: $5 Discovery Clothing

With a price like that I think each of us should go out and buy 2 pair immediately! ;) Okay, maybe we don't all need to run out and shop, but it is a great reminder that if you have time to sift through Discovery, there are some really great deals there!!! Great find Blaire!

Blogs and Websites I LOVE!

Every morning I wake up, get my little man dressed, then head downstairs to feed him while I blog on my computer. My computer routine is pretty set after that. I don't know about you but I have sites that I look at daily, every few days, and my once a week sites. (I hope my blog has found a place in your rotation!)
Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favorite blogs and fashion sites with you. Some are updated daily, some weekly. I hope you enjoy!!!

Who What Where

What I Wore by Jessica Schroeder

The Not-So Desperate Housewife by Kristin Hassan

Fashion Ammo by Tiffany McKibben

Chictopia

A day of shopping errands...

Dress: Target
Tank: Old Navy
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Necklace: Erin Gallagher Jewelry
Sunglasses: HOB Las Vegas

I'm really enjoying wearing dresses almost everyday of the week. They are so much more comfortable then jeans or shorts! (At least when you have an ever expanding belly they are!) I found this dress in the juniors department at Target and knew right then I had to have it! I threw on a tank to make it a little less summery and paired it with a cute pair of teal flats. The tank and the flats also came in handy because my son like to pull on my tops when I'm carrying him and the flats for chasing him around! There are just so many perks to being a mommy, but there are always ways around wearing sweats everyday! ;)

Spring is in the air...

Dress: Target (maternity)
Necklace: Marie Marie Jewelry

This is one of my favorite new dresses. The fabric is so soft and flows with every step, I'd wear it everyday if hygiene didn't matter! ;) I paired it with my fringe necklace and some brown sandals (not shown). It was the perfect outfit to go have dinner outside in the 75 degree weather!

This weeks "I want what she has!"

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Kristen Javens. Over the past two weeks I have seen her wearing a few things that I wanted right away! I figured I would lump them all into this weeks blog post.

Top Look:
Shirt: $12 Kohls
Large Ring: $10 Target

Bottom Look:
Shoes: $35 Charlotte Russe

Lets be honest, both complete looks are super cute! I fell in love with the yellow top and found out it comes in black too. I must make a Kohls run soon!
Kristen is a sucker for a big ring. She actually has a big ring collection! I'm talking lots! This is one of my favorites!

Okay, now the hot pink shoes. SUPER CUTE! She actually got three pairs that day because they were buy one pair get the second for $10. In my mind she not only has good taste in shoes, but also good taste in sales! ;)