friday link love

I think we all felt this way at some point this week!  As I was driving to Mt. Vernon for work Tuesday, I realized my car thermometer read 1 degree and I thought to myself "the world should really shut down for this kind of weather."  I think this is undoubtedly one of the coldest winters I can remember.  Fortunately, there are things like space heaters, Netflix, and hot yoga to make it all better!  

Here are my favorite links from this week: 

This little girl's reaction to the gender of her sibling to be is hilarious.  

Darrell's really been chiding me to make healthier food, so I'm thinking these fish tacos might be added to the list.

My favorite kind of dancing.

In my effort to make more homemade, natural foods I'm jumping on the "Weekly Bread" train that James @ Bleubird Vintage has started.  Her simple, no knead bread was insanely delicious, and I even ordered a sourdough starter to try that next!

Darrell found this hilarious "anti-parenting" blog this week, and I've been reading back through almost all of his posts.  SO funny.

I realize it's totally frivolous to spend so much on an outfit a child can wear for so little time, but how amazing are the dresses from Tutu Du Monde?

Tina Fey's hilarious prayer for her daughter.

*image via gemma correll

maternity style 08

wearing: coat - jcrew (on sale for $100!), sweater - pink blush, sold out but they have it in pink, jeans - j brand via ebay, shoes - tory burch also via ebay, scarf - target, sold out but i also really want it in navy

Since we're headed into that part of winter where everyone is officially SICK of winter, I've been really drawn to wearing bright colors, pretty much non-stop.  This coat has been on constant rotation, and it's also thankfully one of the coats I have left that will button over the bump.  I just keep thinking, if I can make it until March with at least one coat that will close in the front, I'll be set.  

Pink Blush Maternity continues to be my favorite place ever to buy tops that are no only long enough but really cute, and my search for the perfect maternity jeans has completely ended with these J. Brands.  I was skeptical - I actually did a post a while back about how I didn't think they could possibly be better than the Gap jeans......but I was wrong.  They are crazy expensive, but there are always a few pairs on eBay and if there is one time to buy your clothes on eBay, I think it's while you're pregnant.  They run true to size - Shopbop has some wonky sizing system listed, but thanks to some guidance from Grace I ordered my usual 28 and I love them oh so much.  Note: the denim dye totally bleeds.  Wash them in hot water, then cold, no detergent before you wear them!  My hands were so blue by Saturday night our waiter asked me if I was a painter.  

what i want wednesday + a maternity style tip

I have this scarf in white & silver already (sold out), and it's in fairly constant rotation in my closet.  Scarves are a pretty major staple of my pregnancy wardrobe.  For one thing, they make an outfit something new, which is great when you're wearing the same dress for the 100th time (I'm not buying an entire wardrobe of maternity clothes, and baby girl clothes & nursery decorations are WAY more fun to buy). Also, sometimes when you're pregnant you have these days where you're kind of horrified by how huge your chest looks.  I realize that aspect is many a woman's favorite part of pregnancy, but I was already fine with what I had.  Now at times it seems a little excessive!  Scarves provide a little bit of modesty camouflage.  

This one is great because it's simultaneously a little bit warm, but also super light because it's made of a linen-esque cotton, so I'll be wearing it into late spring.  The dots really do sparkle and shine, and you can wear it on the other side for a more subtle look.  You can get it at Target for only $16.99, right here!  

*No affiliate links!  I just really loved this.  

awkward and awesome tuesday

Awkward: 

Touring daycare/preschools for your unborn child.  There's no way to make the "date of birth" question on the application not weird.  

The stage of pregnancy where no one wants to actively comment on the fact that you look pregnant.  I know they say you're not supposed to say anything, but at this point it would be nice if strangers would just start with that, rather than making me assume I just look like the kind of person who accumulates all extra fat in my stomach.  

We rearranged our entire apartment last week, and now our bedroom is in our former dining room.  We love it, but with our bed centered in the room now instead of pushed up against the wall I keep falling off the bed!  Ridiculous, I know, but apparently I had just become really accustomed to laying on my pregnancy pillow against the wall.  

The food I ate Sunday: Donut for breakfast, french fries & M&Ms for a snack, a lunch of basically casserole at a late family Christmas celebration, and tacos for dinner.  Sooooo sorry baby girl.  In my defense, it was mostly circumstantial and not cravings related...

Awesome: 

Putting together the baby's crib with ZERO drama.  My mom bought us this beautiful Pottery Barn crib, and it literally came in only 5 pieces: ends, sides, and the mattress base.  That was an experience I thought involved squabbling over assembly instructions for sure, but it ended up being so easy and fun to put together with Darrell.  

Speaking of Pottery Barn, we got the rug we wanted for baby's room 20% off this weekend, and they basically NEVER have sales.  Hooray for saving $80!  In the world of way cheaper rugs, we bought this Target beauty for our bedroom, and it is basically my favorite thing in our apartment.  It's so soft sometimes I just squish my toes in a little while I'm putting on my makeup in the morning.  

Baby girl decided to stop attacking my skin with hormones - it's finally back to its usual, drama free state!! I've always been lucky to have easy skin - my entire routine is usually washing my face when I shower with Clean & Clear Morning Burst...and that's it.  But thanks to pregnancy I had bad teenager skin for a few weeks there and was basically clueless as to what to do, so thank goodness it was a temporary flux.  

It was 50 degrees on Sunday, and even though we're in Polar Vortex #2 this week, it was nice to actually get outside and walk the dog.  Only 51 days until spring!  

Lastly, my favorite awesome this week is knowing Baby Hayes is a girl.  It makes such a difference in my ability to connect with her, now that I can really picture her as a little person.  We love calling her by name....which we'll be sharing soon!  

my nursery inspiration

It's nursery decorating time!  And I know what you're thinking..."isn't it a little early for that?"  I am only 20 weeks, but tasks like building furniture & painting aren't for the exhausted and super-pregnant, so we're working on getting most of it completed in the next few months.  I thought it would be fun to share my inspiration for the room.  I've had a very clear vision for what I wanted from the start - something feminine and whimsical, but definitively unique.  Rather than buy a pre-made room from a store like Pottery Barn (although their baby rooms are stellar, and we're using a lot of their furniture & decor) I decided to come up with my own theme.  

Her room will be centered around the concept of "World Traveler: NY ==> Paris."  The colors will be pale mint, white, grey and pale pink, with lots of silver & gold sparkle!  All the furniture is a mix of dark espresso, vintage white/cream, and gold/brass.  

I took a lot of inspiration from Taylor Sterling's nursery for her daughter Elodie, which you can see here!  

Lastly, here's my little inspiration board of additional pieces & art I'd like to incorporate:  

bonne nuit print, grey rug, sequin pillows, bunny ears clock, turquoise cart, cloud mobile, gold side table, pom pom mobile, shakespeare decal, the world is your oyster, c'est la vie print

We painted the room this weekend, assembled the crib, and hung curtain rods & curtains, but I can't wait to share the whole room once it's finished!  

friday link love

I am so excited for this weekend!  We've got painting the nursery and dinner with a friend on the agenda, as well as a very belated Christmas celebration with Darrell's family.  It's been a crazy and stressful week - the above phrase has been my mantra through the process of losing an apartment we wanted, deciding to stay in our current place, and then moving on to rearranging and cleaning out our small space to make room for the baby.  At this point, I'm feeling really good that things have calmed down and we're back into a routine.  If the rest of winter is quiet and totally boring, I'll be thrilled!  

Here are my favorite links from this week: 

Apparently Kate Middleton is just like the rest of us!

Kids that are hilariously bad at hide and seek.  Also, why children think they're invisible when they play peek-a-boo (so darling.)

Hilarious parenting quotes from Tina Fey & Amy Poehler.

I adore Aerie's new approach to selling their lingerie. No photoshop, and a different model for every size they sell.  See for yourself here!

The prettiest casual hairdo.

I feel personally victimized by this amazing recipe post, since I can't have smoked salmon while I'm pregnant.

baby hayes is a....

GIRL!  And no one was more shocked than we were!  For some reason, we were just so sure that she was a he (in fact, we made the ultrasound technician double check, because we're ridiculous.)  

We are so so excited she's a girl though, and we've already started buying some clothes (which is insanely fun) and brainstorming ideas for the nursery.  I can't wait to share all our plans and projects with you.   

what's it gonna be?

By the time this post goes up, we'll know whether or not Baby Hayes is a boy or a girl!  

Above are some pictures of Darrell & I as babies - I couldn't believe how blonde Darrell was, and I'm always amazed at how he was literally born with that mischievous crooked smile.  

I'll be sharing our news on Wednesday, but I thought it would be a fun game to see what everyone's predictions are, so let's hear your guesses!  

What do you think - is Baby Hayes a boy or a girl?  

*Also, my apologies but there won't be an Awkward & Awesome this week!  We found out at my doctor's appointment that I was one week early on my count, thanks to the "What to Expect" app.  I'm actually not 20 weeks until this coming Saturday, so we'll pick up there next week!  

friday link love

Happy Friday!  My mind is spinning a little bit today, so I'm glad to see the end of the week in sight.  We found out whether Baby Hayes is a boy or girl yesterday afternoon, and I'll be sharing that news on Wednesday next week.  Our sweet friends threw a surprise gender reveal party for us last night after the appointment, so there's been lots of celebrating already!  To say it's been an emotional few days would be an understatement, but we are SO happy.  

I hope you have wonderful & relaxing plans for this weekend!  I have yoga training for the entire weekend (about 20 hours of it) which is probably a good thing, because otherwise I would spend both days shopping for baby clothes!  

Here are this week's favorite links: 

The polar vortex was pretty awful, but it sure did create some beautiful things.  Here, some frozen lighthouses in Michigan, and some frozen bubbles that turned into little "ice glass" spheres.  

This week, a stunning apartment was unlocked in Paris that had been abandoned since it was fled in World War II.  Because of the nature of its owner's departure, almost everything was left in place.  It's sort of unbelievable - there's even a taxidermy ostrich!  

18 things women shouldn't have to justify.  

More evidence to support the idea that "busy" no longer means "successful."  

Made me laugh.  

I've really been enjoying this book!  Has anyone else read it?  

maternity style 07

wearing: sweater & dress - f21, boots - hunter, belt - j.crew factory, fur scarf - express (similar)

The snow finally started to melt this week, which means the only viable footwear choice I have is my trusty Hunter boots.  Snow slush has to be the worst thing in the world, right?  You're just walking along, and you're 99% sure that what you're stepping into is just blackened sidewalk, and then you're 5 inches deep in dirty mush.  I'm trying not to complain because really, I'm just grateful we can all drive our cars again, but I think this has been my least favorite January weather of all time.  I'm sure I say that every year.  We can all agree that January and February are the worst months of the year, right?  

In fact, I think this pretty much sums it up: 

making me smile

1.  Our dog, caught in the act.  He's not supposed to be on the bed, but tell me you could look at that face and make him get down.  

2.  A sparkly manicure on a very grey day.  Boom Boom Pow has been dubbed "literally the best sparkle polish ever" by my friend, the nail polish authority.  She's 100% right.  

3.  Chocolate chip cookies are sometimes all it takes to turn a stuck at home kind of day into a snow day.  Hey Natalie Jean has the best recipe of all time, and I have the "OMG THESE COOKIES" reviews to prove it.  Don't be a shortening snob!  

4.  Target has the cutest purses ever right now - it's so hard to choose!  I ended up taking the turquoise one home because I would normally always buy the red, but it was hard not to just get both.  

5.  Gold moccasins for the baby to be (and at about half the price of Freshly Picked, you can find them here.)  

awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: sweater & jeans - gap maternity, wedges - tory burch via ebay

Awkward: 

Having to pee all.  the.  time.  I'm starting to feel like if I'm going to drink something, I may as well just drink it in the bathroom.   

Having a really, really terrible poker face while apartment hunting. I cannot contain my "I love its!"  when we're in a place we really like and I am sure this works against me but come on: could you contain your excitement if you found your dream home and it happened to have a fireplace in every room!?  

The sad & inadvertently rude alternative to my un-hideable excited face when apartment hunting is my equally obvious expression of "um, the pictures on the website lied and also this neighborhood is terrifying."  

Pregnancy nightmares.  This is more awful than awkward, but I wake up twice or so a night in a complete panic over the most realistic and terrible dreams ever.  I've basically quit reading all fiction, watching anything depressing or scary, and it's only gotten worse in the past week or so.  I'm sure it's stress related so that's a whole thing I need to work on, but does anybody have a secret remedy for this?  Any TV shows that instill happy thought or a vitamin/essential oil combo that worked for you?  I already do yoga & meditate regularly, so I'm looking for some new ideas. 

Awesome: 

Cowboy Bark at Trader Joe's.  If you see it at your store, buy like 5 bags.  Okay, maybe no one else will be quite as obsessed with it as me, but seriously this stuff is amazing.  Chocolate, topped with toffee bits, almonds, pretzels, Joe Joe's cookies, sea salt, and peanuts.  SO GOOD.  

We find out the gender of the baby on Thursday, and I could not be more excited or anxious.  It feels more real by the second.  

My cousin's daughter took her very first steps this weekend at our belated "Christmas" celebration this past weekend with the ENTIRE family there.  It was truly special - how many people can say that their child took her first steps with all their loved ones proudly watching?  The look on her face when everyone clapped and cheered was truly priceless.  

The snow finally melted, and it's 55 degrees here right now!  I think it's short lived, but I still plan to enjoy it while it lasts.  

GIRLS premiere parties where literally everyone shows up with a different kind of cheese or chocolate.  I'm sure my friend didn't specifically have me in mind when she devised this get together, but now I think it should be repeated every week.  Basically the pregnant girl's ideal way to socialize.  

sunday morning oatmeal

I know what you're thinking.  

"Oatmeal...on Sunday morning?  Nope, oatmeal is for Monday, when I feel bad about all the food I ate during the weekend.  Sunday is for pancakes."  

I would've agreed with you, before I tried my oatmeal this way.  But this oatmeal is worthy of a Sunday morning.  This oatmeal is like toasty cobbler topping, without all the guilt.  It takes a little more effort than microwaving the oats and water in a bowl, but it's still incredibly easy and you even get a 10 minute break to savor your coffee and finish up your makeup.  

The Best Oatmeal Ever (serves one)

What You'll Need:

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup whole oats (not the instant kind)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp cinnamon

optional (these are just the toppings I like, but use whatever you want!)

1/2 sliced banana

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp granola

splash of milk

Instructions:

1.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.  

2.  Toss in the oats, and toast them until they're nice and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Stir them every minute or so.  

3.  Dump the oats into your bowl, and then remove the pan from heat to cool it a bit.  Cool it enough so that when you drop in a bit of your milk, it doesn't immediately burn off.  

4.  Set the pan back on the burner and pour in your milk, water, sea salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Bring this to a low simmer.  

5.  Pour the oats back in and stir.  Put a lid on the pan and remove it from the heat.  Let the oatmeal steam for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.  

6.  Go finish your makeup, or since it's Sunday just sit and read the paper for a bit.  

7.  Dump the oats into your serving bowl and arrange your toppings.  Enjoy!  

friday link love

The 20 minute way to make every morning better.  (I should really do this more often!)

Lou Dillon's rules of style.

Some people are just amazingly creative, even just day to day.  

Made me laugh, and so cute.

Definitely planning to make this DIY necklace.

Food designed by a pregnant woman, for pregnant women.  No surprise there once you see what it is!    

My friend Elise has started the most adorable Instagram, featuring daily musings in her artistic handwriting.  If you'd like, you can follow along here!

maternity style 06

wearing: asos maternity top (sadly out of stock), gap jeans, old navy coat (old), jcrew wedges that are WAY on sale and awesomely comfy, and jcrew factory necklace

After an amazing brunch at West End Grill & Pub, we headed to the park to take some pictures in the freezing cold - or what we thought was the freezing cold.  Monday it was a high of ONE, and the entire city got drowned in snow.  Basically I was asking for it by complaining on this day.    

Boring weather talk aside, I think stripes are just about my favorite thing on a pregnant belly.  They make a bump stand out, always look classic, and pretty much match anything.  Also, I would've worn this outfit from head to toe before I was pregnant, and that's something I'm doing my best to keep up until baby arrives.  

what i want wednesday/duck boots

photos from pink peonies, classy girls wear pearls

So this morning when I was literally shoveling my car out from being stuck in the middle of my road for the second time (good job city of St. Louis.....good job) I realized that I am severely lacking in the area of winter footwear.  My husband would laugh at that sentence on its own, because I have more shoes than it seems any person could ever need, but hear me out!  

I have UGGs, which are crazy warm and comfortable, but NOT at all waterproof.  We've got about 6 inches of show still on the ground, so they don't help much when you're trying to dislodge your car from a snowdrift.  

I also have Hunter boots, which keep your feet drier than dry, but they are pretty much the opposite of warm even when you wear them with thick socks.  The rubber just gets colder the longer you're outside, which makes them better for spring and autumn rain than for winter snow.  

That brings me to the conclusion that if I'm going to make it out of this supposedly/expectedly cold & wet winter I'm going to need a pair of duck boots, stat.  I've got my eyes on a few pairs on eBay, including this amazing coral pair from J. Crew, and of course some classic LL Bean boots.  If your store still has them in stock, Target always makes a few really cute options as well, like this adorable plaid pair!  I love the pop they give to an otherwise basic winter outfit.  

alive bride

When we got engaged in August 2011, I will admit that I was really excited about the idea of planning a wedding.  I knew that with all the amazing resources St. Louis had to offer, I could find the perfect dress, venue, florist, baker, photographer, and calligrapher right at home.  (And yes, you need a lot of people to put together a wedding).  

The trouble was where to find them.  The internet and Pinterest are both wonderful resources for ideas, but when you consider the amount of time you'll spend with the people arranging your flowers, it becomes apparent that you will need to meet them in person before signing the paperwork.  Wedding showcases are the perfect place to see everyone you need.  

The good wedding showcases are held in beautiful event spaces, where attending feels like you're going to a party.  I still love wedding details - I hope to help some of my friends plan the perfect wedding in the coming years.  Even though I'm already married, I'm going to Alive Bride on January 16th.  The event will showcase all of the best wedding vendors in the city of St. Louis, and even if you don't plan to get married in the area you should still come check it out!  We got married in Mt. Vernon, IL, our hometown 90 miles outside of STL, and all my lovely vendors were willing to travel that far - some would go as far as 3 hours away.  

To help convince you, I've teamed up with Alive Magazine to get readers of Light Sleeper, Heavy Dreamer the chance to win two free VIP tickets to the event.  VIPs will receive specialty cocktail sampling and appetizers, as well as an amazing gift bag.  You can enter to win the tickets below!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't win, you can still use the code DREAMER50 to get half off a VIP ticket - making it the same price as general admission.  

awkward & awesome tuesday

Awkward: 

My husband decided to go on a hardcore paleo type of diet this week, and told me I'd have to either go along with it when making dinner, or he'd cook his own food.  Um hi, I'm your pregnant wife, have we met?  

Staying up WAY too late to DD some friends on New Year's Eve, then feeling worse than everyone who was actually hungover.  Me and 2 am won't be meeting again until this baby is here to wake me up.  Midnight is my LIMIT.  

Doing laundry, and not finishing it until the new pile is big enough that I need to do laundry again...oops.  

Spilling the absolutely worst thing ever: an entire jar of honey.  ALL over the kitchen floor, which may never be un-sticky again.  

Awesome: 

The midwest snow storm that got teacher training canceled on Sunday.  Sure, we have to make it up, but is there anything better than sleeping in and watching movies all day on an unexpected snow day?  

Baby kicks.  Nothing like it, and they are just the best.  Can't wait until they start happening more frequently.  

My house is (well, was before the honey incident) SO clean.  From now on, Homejoy once ever 6 weeks or so is a must.  I think I'd give up my brunch habit for this.  

Discovering the magic that is J.Crew Factory.  Maternity ensembles tend toward the basic side, and a little extra sparkle is always welcome.  The jewelry looks identical to the amazing and crazy expensive pieces you see on jcrew.com, and for less than half the price.  

on real joy

I've spent a fair amount of time since getting pregnant reading books, blogs, and articles about pregnancy.  In my opinion, too many of them are downright depressing.  There are so few resources that really tell you anything good about being pregnant - for some reason most writers prefer to commiserate instead of congratulate.  I get it, misery loves company (and maybe sells books?), but contrary to what most people think about pregnancy & pregnant women I haven't focused much on how fat I'm getting or how sick I've felt.  I also haven't been all that bothered that I have to pee all the time, or that I can't have a glass of wine.  Of course, I list these types of annoyances in the weekly awkward and awesome posts because a) they're funny & true, and b) I don't want to come off as a permanent ray of sunshine.  Nobody's perfect.    

With that said, I do want to highlight that the most prominent "symptom" of my pregnancy so far has just been joy.  The kind of joy I haven't felt since I was teenager.  Riding in the car with the windows down, summertime holding your boyfriend's hand ecstatic joy that makes your heart soar.  Most often it just hits me for no particular reason at all.  

Before I got pregnant, I had been in sort of a yearlong emotional funk.  Darrell and I had just figured out our lives in a way that felt sort of secure.  We had good jobs, a big group of friends, and an apartment that we really loved.  Everything was good.....but just good.  I felt stagnant, maybe a little "off."  I don't want to sound ungrateful or unaware of other people's real problems, I know how lucky I am.  I'm just sharing my experience.  To explain it better: I would be in a moment where most people would feel that everything was as best it could be - moments where I should feel as wonderful as someone could ever feel, like a wild night out in New Orleans or a summer day during a weekend in Manhattan.  But it would feel sort of....average.  I wasn't sad, not at all upset, not even anxious, really.  Just not as happy as I had remembered feeling before.  I tried to reclaim that level of happiness - I used champagne or bought pretty new dresses to try and get it back, but alcohol and shopping induced happiness isn't usually authentic and I knew it.  Then I started to wonder if that type of emotional high was just a feeling you lost after youth, and maybe adult happiness was more like contentment.  In fact, a lot of articles say that it is, and I'm sure that's partially true for a lot of people.  I'd also like to point out that this is just me I'm talking about here - I am in no way saying that you can't be blissfully happy and childless, or really sad while you're expecting.  I think either is totally normal, and getting pregnant wasn't a solution I used to fix my feelings of imbalance, it was just a wonderful coincidence.    

When I did get pregnant, all of those average feelings became a thing of the past.  Yes, pregnancy has manifested in icky ways - last Monday I had a pretty crappy day, just because I felt hormonal and restless.  My empathy is in hyperdrive, and it's nearly impossible for me to hear a sad or happy story without really feeling it from the protagonist's point of view - even if it's the protagonist of a 30 second commercial.  But most of the time I feel the kind of joy I only thought possible during moments like when my husband first said I love you, when we were seventeen - only better.  The kind of high on life I previously only felt at a music festival at dusk with my best friends, watching the stars slowly start to come out, knowing that the night ahead was one I'd never forget - only even better.  I now feel that kind of unbridled joy just driving in the car, when a song that reminds me of Darrell comes on the radio.  A warm, buzzing happiness that makes me feel grateful and exceptionally alive, and I can feel it just from sitting next to him on the couch watching Netflix.  That is what being pregnant has really felt like - the best I've ever felt in my entire life, and when I see or hear yet another reminder that having a child will completely change your life, I know that it already has.  

So if you can, try to ignore the negative books (Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, cough) and if you're in the market for some more positive and uplifting materials about having a baby or being a family, this is a list of my favorite books and blogs that cover those topics.  These are the women and writers who I felt related to how I wanted to approach being a mama-to-be.  

Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy by Rosie Pope

Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother

The Glow

Romy & the Bunnies

Love Taza

Bleubird Vintage

Hey Natalie Jean

Hither & Thither

*A little note - this post isn't sponsored or affiliated with any of these blogs or books, I just really enjoyed them and thought they were much better than many of the more popular resources out there.  

friday link love

Whoa, it's Friday!  Doesn't it feel like we were just here?  I have to say, a two day work week was a lovely way to ease back into reality.  I was surprisingly ready for a return to routine - idling for too long stresses me out a little bit.  We've been doing lots of eating out and shopping the past few days, but this weekend I have yoga teacher training and I don't think I've ever looked forward to it more.  Three days of stretching it out, being a student, and finding my calm to start this year off right sounds awfully perfect.  I hope you have wonderful and relaxing plans as well, because I think it's important to start the year off with a clear mind and a full heart.  

This recipe looks delicious, and I think it would fit well into any New Year's Resolution.  

Of course, I'd honestly rather just eat these for dinner.  

Such a lovely and true thing to say of most women.  

A really great looking tote for only $50.  I'm in the market for a new handbag, and I think I might be too picky.  

This really made me laugh.

Because of my recent dog related exploits, I'm really hoping this never happens.  

Last but not least, have you heart of Homejoy yet?  It's a new nationwide cleaning service, and I hired someone to clean our apartment for the first time today, at only $15/hour!  If you're in the market for a cleaning team, or just need a one time scrub down I would definitely give them a try. Mention the name "Mary Hayes" at checkout to get $10 off your cleaning!  

maternity style 05

wearing: leggings - isabella oliver, tunic - pink blush maternity, boots - frye (similar), scarf & jacket - nordstrom, old

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a night that was everything you wanted, complete with the most perfect "When Harry Met Sally" type of kiss.  I was just lucky to make it until midnight awake, but I had so much fun celebrating - especially since we perhaps have more to celebrate than ever.  

I promise to bring the bump back next week (although as is obvious from Tuesday's post, it hasn't gone anywhere) but lately I've kind of been digging these hide-it outfits.  This is a constant equation: lettings + boots + tunic + scarf = and easy outfit for the frigid temps we've had lately in STL.  I wore it to lunch at Blueberry Hill, a St. Louis institution where Chuck Berry still plays regularly and the decor is as hodgepodge as it gets, hence the monkey!  I'm terrible at darts, but it's always hard to resist playing a game or two.