Dress // Sneakers // Sunglasses // Bag

Maternity wear is a whole new world for me. As excited as I am to dress the bump and look good every day, I also don’t want to break the bank or purchase too much since this situation/body is temporary {hopefully! haha}. I see all kinds of adorable maternity dresses and jumpsuits but have limited myself to only purchasing a couple. I am a firm believer in investing in pieces I can wear long term, during and after pregnancy, so I decided to stick to the brands I normally purchase and go up a size. Madewell is one of my absolute favorite ones, so they were my starting point when my body started changing and I needed a couple dresses that would accommodate my chest and belly. Their selection did not disappoint.

Now, there are certain items I have bought that are in fact maternity, and I’ll be going over those in future posts. But for today in particular I want to share what I look for on a non-maternity piece:

• Flowy silhouette
• Elastic back {to accommodate an expanding chest}
• Comfortable straps/sleeves
• Longer length {shorter hems might become TOO short once the bump starts growing}
• Washable Fabrics {dry cleaning? Ain’t nobody got time for that!}
• Quality

Overall I am interested in a shape I’ll be able to wear AFTER the baby is born. This Madewell linen dress is the perfect example. It accommodates my upper body comfortably, has plenty of space for belly growth and I’ll be able to wear this for years to come since it’s a classic summer style. I did notice on their website the dress had low reviews due to it not being lined but I have to say I did not think it was an issue at all. I’ve worn it twice so far with nude underwear and it’s been fine. The skirt is so well constructed with plenty of fabric to create a beautiful ruffle flow around the dress. Personally, I love it without lining. I think it would have been way too hot for summer with extra fabric.

Paired here with sneakers is the perfect weekend outfit to head to brunch and errands. I can also see myself wearing it with sandals and a straw hat when I gets hotter and even wedges and a nice statement earring for date night.

I’m very excited to start these series on how to build a lean maternity wardrobe that you can wear for pregnancy and beyond. Looking forward to sharing more tips with you.

Until next time!
Nicole

*Thank you Madewell for partnering up with me for this post.

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Five Blue Pieces You Need For Spring

Dress {similar} // Shoes // Bag

Spring always puts me in the mood for pastels, I love pinks and yellows but lately I’ve been leaning towards blue a lot {maybe it’s a baby thing?}. This Kate Spade dress is from last summer but I did find a few blue pieces I just love! If I size up I know I can probably make them work for my bump. Check them out below.

Speaking of bump, time is flying incredibly quick! I felt like the beginning of the year was slow, so I was taking my time with the nursery but now that I’m only a couple weeks away from 6 months I feel like I need to hurry! I am working on a couple of mood boards, still can’t decide if I want to go colorful or neutral, but I need to make a decision ASAP, furniture needs to be ordered and some pieces take time to arrive. So much exciting pressure! {literally and figuratively haha}.

Until next time!
Nicole

Dress // Swimsuit // Top // Earrings

Skirt // Jumpsuit

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Spring Wishlist

Bag // Dress // Pants // Sunglasses

Lipstick // Earrings // Shoes

Spring has sprung and with it a lot of new products have hit my favorite stores. Lately I’ve been really into investing in high-quality items that can we worn every season for years to come. Here are a few of my favorite products I’m currently coveting:

Navy Blue Leather Bag 

This was my birthday gift to myself. I love the simple shape and deep color. Fits wallet, sunglasses, make up and phone comfortably. Can be hand held or worn cross body. I love it so much I am thinking about getting its sister bag in brown, so pretty! 

Floral Print Dress 

Love the comfortable fit {hello bump!} and mustard yellow print. This dress is perfect to accommodate my bump now and also to wear later when I am no longer pregnant. The fabric is just gorgeous! 

Wide Leg Pastel Pants 

Granted, I would not be able to fit in these right now but I am most certainly in the market for a pair of maternity culottes. I do own JCrew wide leg pants and they are so comfortable! A spring must-have! 

Meghan Markle’s Sunglasses 

I love British Royalty {nerd alert!} and MM is no exception. I was already eyeing these sunglasses but when I saw her step out her NYC hotel wearing them I knew I had to have them! They are priced so good and look beautiful in just about any face shape. 

Perfect Bright Lipstick 

I love a bright lip for Spring and Summer and this one is no exception. Love the orange tone, perfect for a minimal look with a maximum effect. Pair it with yellow gold jewelry and you’ll warm up your complexion nicely. 

Minimal Jewelry 

Sometimes simple does it. I am a huge fan of statement earrings myself but there is something about wearing the smallest most dainty jewelry that makes the outfit pop. I usually stock to simple styles like these for the office. 

Favorite Flat 

Another Meghan Markle find {don’t judge haha}. I have been eyeing these flats for months and finally pulled the trigger. I have been wearing them NON STOP. They go with everything in my closet and make me look instantly polished. They did take a couple wears to break-in but it is worth it. Super comfortable and high quality shoes. 

Get $50.00 off any pair of Natalie Flint shoes with code NICOLE50

Until next time!

Nicole 

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We're Having A Baby!

Dress // Sunglasses // Heels

Surprise Surprise! We are having a baby boy in August 2019! You might have noticed I disappeared after Thanksgiving and have slowly made my way back to the blogging world. It was around that time that we found out I was pregnant, almost immediately I started to get sick. As the weeks progressed it only got worst and I ended up heavily medicated {sleepy!} during the holidays. I was hoping things would improve right after but it wasn't actually until early March that I started feeling better and back to normal. And just like that between weeks 18 and 20 my bump came out of nowhere! I literally had to scramble one weekend to find maternity pants for the office because nothing fit me. We are getting more and more excited to meet this little nugget and welcoming him into our family.

The nursery decor plans have started, we booked out baby moon in May and my mom, sister and BFF are working on planning my baby showers. I couldn't have ask or a better group of people to be surrounded with during this time.

Cannot wait to share bits and pieces of this journey with you.

xx, Nicole {& Carlos...even though he rather not be in these pictures haha}

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