the dress and our big feet.

before trudy was born i made her this dress out of some vintage pillowcases. i cut out the silhouette (sleeveless with a scalloped edge on the bottom) and cut out what i wanted to be on the front. after sewing the dress, i handed it over to my mom and her out-of-this-world sewing machine and had her work her magic on the front of the dress. how awesome would it be to be a designer? i mean i would have no problem thinking up fun things in my head and then telling someone what to do. anyway yesterday, i held the dress up to another newborn dress that she has worn and they looked about the same size. sadly when we put it on her, it still drowned her... but i decided i had waited long enough and just wanted her to wear it. so she wore it to church. and even though it was falling off her all day... she looked pretty dang cute. it's just too bad she got my feet and couldn't wear a pair of gold ballet flats i found the other day. funny how she only fits in newborn size clothes but not newborn size shoes..... story of my life.

oh and i forgot to mention my inspiration for this dress. go here to see the cutest dress in the whole wide world. it's so adorable it hurts my heart when i look at it. i've also linked up trudy's dress to sugar bee crafts, creative itch, tip junkie.

i'm 22 weeks but this was me at 19 weeks and 6 days

so i feel like i've pretty much been showing since day one. i gained nearly 10 pounds right before pregnancy to make sure i was at a healthy weight. needless to say i outgrew all of my pants and skirts very fast once i was pregnant. i desperately needed maternity pants before i was out of my first trimester. i guess i could have tried the buy a bigger size thing but i think the stretchy part on maternity pants is AWESOME. i have hated any kind of pressure on my lower abdomen from the beginning. which is why i love pajamas. i have two pair of maternity pants. these black slacks up above are from target and then i have some skinnies that are from the heidi klum line at motherhood. something that i don't want to forget.... maternity pants with the stretchy pull over your belly thing are WAY better than the stretchy waist kind that have no pull up thing (just in my opinion). does that make sense? these are the ones i have from motherhood. the "under belly" kind. and they just really aren't my favorite. i think i'm gonna try some gap ones. anyone out there have anything you'd like to recommend as far as things that you've been happy with on your pregnant body? that was a really long question. everyone is pregnant right now so... i'm expecting some good advice.

oh i also have the bella band, it's okay. not something that i'm crazy in love with. 

oh and this has been the funnest things to have. i love it!

sparkle sparkle

the day that jenna lyons wore sparkly pants and a striped tee on oprah was a day i will not forget. i mean it practically changed my life. the whole idea of just wearing whatever you want opposed to following rules is so refreshing. like how stephanie nielsen let's her kids dress themselves. kinda makes me wanna just attack those styles that i'm slightly intimidated of. i mean i would really love to wear a fur coat all the way down to my ankles. is that so crazy? i think it would, in a very cool way, take some seriousness out of life. i'd also love to wear chukka boots with sequined pants just like hers too. who thinks of harem sequined pants? sequins in general make me feel like a princess. jenna lyons, i love your style and OH how i want your job. i'd love to be able to just spend a day with you!?

jenna describing her style "there is always something borrowed from the boys and something borrowed from grandma". 

gift time

here are some more etsy favorites. i figure it's getting close to gift giving time... here are some fun ideas. 

fun and unique notebooks.

metallic animal clutches. so cute. 

this pillow shop has so many beautiful patterns.

a few of my favorites

just thought i'd do a little spotlight on some of my favorite etsy shops. sometimes in the blogging world, one amazing purse/ring/style/picture will surface many blogs. and by the end of the week we have the inside of the jcrew bridal shop in new york memorized. ya know what i mean? and i don't blame everyone for posting beautiful and exciting things... however i hope to bring some unique and creative pieces/shops that you aren't very familiar with. eh?

1. mrmrs. they have the COOLEST shop. 

i absolutely love everything in it. they step out of the box.

which is nice.

2. roverdog. do i even need to say anything?

3. nadinoo. a london based shop with clothing that i lust after weekly. 

4. sundriesandplunder. cutest leather masks that will last a lifetime. 

LOVE this shop!

interested in seeing more? i have pages of favorite shops... i'm thinking of maybe doing a regular favorite feature around here. so much good stuff that i'm itching to share!

Fall Fashion 2010

there are lots of trends this fall that i can't wait to try. i love that animals and nature have had such an influence this year. on top of that i love equestrian style, it influenced one of my favorite purchases from two years ago... my distressed riding boots. and pulling them out of storage last week felt SOooo good. earth tones are everywhere, muted grays and camel are my picks. i love pencil pants and i'm still diggin the high waist. the best part (that we've all seen jcrew so elegantly portray) is the super masculine, rustic and distressed mixed with glitter and gold and sparkles and shimmer. i mean... it's just the perfect balance! i'm still trying to figure out if i'm daring enough to pull off some thick framed glasses and this whole over the top furrrr trend kinda makes me anxious to bust that out as well. anywho go HERE to find all these fancy & fabulous sellers (they SERIOUSLY have some good taste). i tell ya, that etsy world.... it's wild! 

(and addicting).

the bella life blog

the girls over at the bella life blog have featured our blog for their "celebrating blogs week". i was asked some questions about my personal style do's and don'ts and it was so much fun. their email asking to feature this blog was a great pick me up. they are just so sweet over there and have such a fun blog. Head on over to check them out.

shoes

i was thinking about shoes earlier this week. i remember the days when i thought i just couldn't possibly look good unless i was in heels. i used to walk all over campus in heels. i was obsessed with stilettos, dare i say... maybe even dependent on them? ha, makes me laugh now. the other day i had to run a quick errand, i threw some clothes on walked out the door in less than 10 minutes. then i was thinking about how comfortable i was in my clothes. i was definitely wearing flats and i went about my business not thinking twice about what i was wearing after that. which is great. that is when you know that you've not only figured out your own personal style, but you know what works for you too. nothing i was wearing was restrictive or uncomfortable and i was still expressing myself. i feel like i always talk about personal style. the reason why is because i just remember so clearly getting dressed (back in the day) and never knowing what to wear. just being so confused. wanting to look like her or her. but my adventure of paying attention to what i like and mainly just who i am, has lead me to where i am now. i can proudly say that deciding what to wear takes just a few minutes. (this is also because i've learned to only buy what i love) 

on another note, shoes are funny. they have stories (as well as other items of clothing or accessories). at least mine do. i can name where all my shoes are from (unfortunately some are still in storage... wishing they were all here), how much they were and even special places i've worn them. for example... my sperry's (3rd on 1st row) that i blogged about awhile back... those have been worn in the bahamas. my tommy shoes (2nd on 2nd row) were worn almost every time i went to the eastern market in d.c. mmmm i love that place. my sandals (5th on 2nd row) have been a great investment. i remember thinking $30 was too much for those. but then thinking about how much they've been through... so many florida rains storms, which means pools and pools of water. gosh i love those. my open toe, camel colored, perfect heel height shoes (1st on 2nd row) were $0.25! and i've worn them SO much, the cost per wear? practically free. my eco-friendly shoes (2nd on the 3rd row) i wore in haiti. they have walked on sacred ground. my tennis shoes. well those i've worn lots of places. but really i think of my dad when i put them on. to him there isn't a cuter outfit on me than tennis shoes and a baseball hat (dodgers). ha

spencer aaron and his style

my brother came home from church last sunday and was like "whoa, i need a picture of you". his clothes fit him perfectly, everything looked so tailored. he definitely has his own personal style and i love it. the next day when he came home from school he was in a shirt like this and then some white jeans that were rolled up like this. and then i think he had on a pair of loafers or something. i was just like "geez, who are you?". he wears whatever he wants with so much confidence, he just really owns his style. here are some shots i got of him in his sunday best. the picture in the middle is his beautiful dog, malaya. she has the prettiest blue eyes just like him. spencer has done a great job training her too (thanks to the dog whisperer... he is AMAZING by the way). 

it's just in our blood

so i decided to do a little showing off. unfortunately most of our favorites from thrift stores, yard sales and antique shops are locked in a storage unit miles away. we have lots of finds from home decor, clothes for both of us and even things for our future children. i only included stuff for me in this post, all things found in utah. it is funny how feminine these all are, i used to be very very feminine. floral prints everywhere and anything sparkly. there is a lot of that still inside me, however i feel my style has headed more into a classier and simple direction. when wearing or using any of these items, i try to balance the femininity with more masculine styles (darker colors, sharper angles and stiffer fabrics). mixing things up is the best part. 

austrian earrings from the 1940's. the woman i bought these from has a yard sale every summer in orem. she has an english accent and knows a lot about her things. she has a love for antique costume jewelry and has collected A LOT over the years. the minute these sparkled before my eyes... i had to have them. they are more gorgeous in real life and i'm excited to pass them down.

i just love vintage suitcases. i found the one on the left at a vintage shop in salt lake. it happens to be my temple bag. the one on the right is from deseret industries in provo, utah. i paid $2.00 for it. on our cruise in february i used it for all my bathroom products and i'm not gonna lie, i felt like the cutest thing carrying it everywhere.

i have never bought a clutch anywhere other than a thrift store. 

i love both of these so much. they also came from deseret industries and were .50 each.

don't remember the price on this. from "decades" in salt lake. i love the birds and the gold chain. 

it is in perfect condition. wish i could have known its previous owner, i'm sure we would have gotten along.

oh the butterfly dress. the best part about this dress is that it fits perfectly and i didn't have to get it tailored. 

i feel very happy when i wear it. don't remember where i bought it but i do remember that it was $17.

i love belts. i rarely pay full price for a belt. belts can be ridiculously expensive. i have a lot of belts in lots of colors (except for these three brown), i like to get different textures to add visual interest to my outfits. the second is real snake skin. gross but pretty.

no definitely definitely not from a yard sale or thrift store. not even from an antique store. my girlfriends gave this jewelry box to me for my birthday years ago. even though it isn't antique, there are a lot of things inside that are. i absolutely love everything about it. i think they got it in the mall somewhere in a store that is not there anymore (i wanna say "bombay"?).

its where i keep all my jewelry except for necklaces and some dangly earrings. you can take out this top part and basically have the whole box to put stuff in. i keep bracelets and extra buttons (that come with clothes) and some other stuff in there. this is the type of thing that reminds me of old movies. maybe a scene with a little girl watching and admiring her mom as she gets ready and pulls fabulous jewelry out of this box to accessorize with :). a lot of my jewelry is from antique malls and flea markets. i just love being a girl. 

one thing i know about treasure hunting is that you shouldn't buy unless you absolutely love it. and if you ever see something that just tugs at your heart, you better grab it. 

or you will be very sad and most likely never see it again. :(

aching for them

pretty much i have no idea when the last time was when i wanted something so bad. at least something materialistic. since i study jcrew like it's my part time job, i noticed these the second they hit the site. grant's sperry's are my favorite, but i am a sucker for guys in boat shoes. they are THE iconic deck shoe, such a true american original. and now someone AMAZING made them in a platinum gold??? oh my gosh i can't contain my excitement. and ya know what? i think that is such a happy feeling. to love something. whenever you find a song you love and listen to it over and over... one that you love turning up really loud in the car. or even a movie, it's so fun to have favorite movies with parts or scenes that make you laugh or cry every time. the journey of finding yourself and what makes up you is such a cool process (especially because we are always changing). and finding your own personal style fits right into that. this is another reason why i love love love my tumblr pages. posting pictures of what you love helps in finding yourself. i've saving my pennies and can't wait to put these on my feet. one day grant and i will go sailing wearing our sperry's.

must have of the season

so this weekend, i was out window shopping. which is better than shopping shopping, to me anyway.  i stopped in old navy to check on their sales and noticed some anoraks in their main face outs and displays. my heart jumped with excitement as i have been obsessed with anoraks for years. anoraks wore originally made for people in the arctic, for freezing temperatures and usually lined with fur. the jacket patterned after that became more of a wind breaker and more widely worn, thank goodness. i started obsessing over them when i was in junior high or something. it was the first jacket i had seen with a cinch waist (the best part)(but not all include a cinch waist). sometimes anoraks have a safari feel too and there is just something so sexy about that. anyway enough about my love affair, SO as i kept shopping there were anoraks in almost every window display! from old navy to ann taylor loft, gap, jcrew (also featured in jenna's picks online) etc. lucky for me i purchased my first anorak this past summer at my favorite store in the whole wide world for about 80% off (wearing it in the post below). but now seeing that they really are everywhere... i'm starting to feel like i need one in every color! okay not every color, geez. but maybe one more? anoraks are so versatile and you really can pair them with anything. from dresses and heels to jeans and boots. it really is a wardrobe necessity. plus they look great on men too.

p.s. i try to steer away from fashion posts on my personal blog. but then i have a feeling grant and his whole "adding manliness" to the blog is really going to scare me. oh and feed the turtles, they get hungry!

bragging britty poo

forgot to mention the coolest thing ever. i won a giveaway! isn't that so rad? i won it from one of my favorite blogs... stephmodo. stephanie is just lovely and her style and simplicity are both so refreshing. i feel like i won a pretty cool one too because it's $75 to koo de ker.... a store i love love love. (located next to one of my salt lake favorites hip & humble).  today i received my gift certificate in the mail and i just can't wait to go pick something out. still can't believe i won.... yay for giveaways!

a fun way to wear them

the party tonight was so fun, i loved just visiting with friends. i can't wait til tomorrow night's party. here is a fun way to wear them... since i don't have time for a photo shoot. oh and i'm taking custom orders... just tell me what you want! come see me and the fun selection.. we're just waiting for you!

oh olivia.

olivia palermo. maybe not the nicest person on the city but i don't really care. i get bored with whitney and i really only watch the show to see what olivia is wearing. stylist or not, she always looks perfectly put together. her elegant wear to her casual outfits are just SPOT on. i am so inspired by her. she frequently unites classic pieces with trendy... which i really love. she never fails to mix patterns, textures, embellishments and color. so creative. i wish i could have a variety of events to attend, that way i could dress up a bit more. utah is very casual and the holiday sparkle is really making me want to put some glamour into my outfits. we go on a company cruise each year and don't get me wrong, i look forward to seeing the sun, but mainly i just can't wait to dress up formally. anyway i love her.

p.s. check grant out here just being a man.

bi= beauty jo=women.

so i recently just starting up with this fun fashion blog, Bijo. sasha approached me with her idea of putting our brains together for a blog that inspires women to dress beautifully and expressively... all while staying within the budget. we've got some great ideas for the future and we're so excited. sasha has already got the ball rolling with a few awesome interviews and a recent giveaway (mrs. jenna vela just won). she has interviewed the owner of ruche, you can read that interview here. she also interviewed cute elaine over at clothed much. elaine is just adorable, i've always enjoyed her simplicity. isn't it so cool that so many big blogs come from utah? anyway there are more fun posts coming soon and some interviews coming up with a few bloglebrities, should be fun. i'll even be doing some of my own giveaways, so be sure to keep checking! i'm excited to be a part of it!

p.s. bijo is pronounced {bee-joe} in japanese.

help me out pretty please

so i'm teaching a clothing workshop next week for a ward in highland and i need some help deciding what to teach. i can go anywhere with it but i always want people to walk away knowing more than they did before, therefore i want to do a good job. i am just wanting to know what my blogging buddies struggle with, if there is anything. it will help to give me some direction. SO, what is your biggest frustration with your wardrobe?

is it just not knowing what to wear? do you struggle finding the right shapes for your body? really just want to know what colors look good on you? confused about what your style even is? wish your wardrobe was a little more fashion forward?

let me know!

p.s. if anyone responds with "all of the above", that won't really help me....

wardrobe styling services.

Figure Assessment- $45

Together we discover what body type you have and what your variations are. You learn about what clothing styles that flatter your pretty figure and which ones don't. By knowing what your body type is and being aware of your variations, you will know what styles to look for when shopping. This service is fundamental; the basis of all other services.

Wardrobe Evaluations- $90

Receive the wardrobe evaluations to determine what stays and what goes. I will evaluate your wardrobe to determine what styles fit and flatter you and which ones don't. I'll let you know what pieces you can alter or style differently to get more wear. I will organize and sort through your wardrobe to determine what's needed for all the roles in your life. I want you to be able to feel GOOD when you look in your closet, feeling refreshed because you know everything in it works great for you. There should be a harmony between the pretty person that you are and the clothes you see in your closet. You will receive a personal shopping list to help you budget and plan your wardrobe purchases. (Includes Figure Assessment)

Wardrobe Styling- $200

You'll receive a Figure Assessment, Wardrobe Evaluation & Personal Styling session. After we determine your body type, sort through your wardrobe for best styles and fit, we'll create fabulous outfits for you to wear and store them in your very own personal style portfolio for easy reference. This way you can use your style portfolio to refer to whenever you want. Whether it is for a big event, pack for a trip, if you are looking to start a new wardrobe or build an existing one, I will be able to help you look your prettiest every day!

Styling Lessons- $50/hr

A one on one session where you can learn how to re-create your best look and style with your own pretty wardrobe. Let's save some cash for you and make the most of what you have.

Girlfriend Group Night-

$30 each/ 6 pretty girls minimum

This service is perfect for those of you who even after hours of shopping, feel that you have nothing to wear. We have fun learning great styling tips, high-end looks at low-end budgets and we even talk about basics that every girl needs. This is a great price for a great value because you'll be learning tips that will help you save your money in the long run.

Personal Shopping- $50/hr

Using the personal shopping service will help you save your time and money for more important things. I will be able to select the right clothing colors, fabrics and styles to fit and flatter you body type and compliment your personal style. Or, if you prefer, we can go together so I can help you make smart purchase decisions. I will even pre-shop the stores to find the items you need to build a stylish and effective wardrobe, giving you a competitive image advantage. A two hour minimum is required.

Baltimore Fashion Week

Grant will have to fill out his tag later. As for me... I've got a lot to catch up on. This last week I had the opportunity to be a designer's assistant at Baltimore Fashion Week. It was located in downtown Baltimore in the War Memorial Building. This picture is an hour before the show... as you can still see empty seats. Through out the show, I was wishing I could have just sat up here and watched. :)

I had a blast. I worked with productions and backstage crew. High stress for sure... my record for dressing a model in a pair of heels, a dress and some earrings was less than one minute. But I like working under pressure. Basically a fashion show, is an opportunity for (in this case... local) designers to show off their collection; an opportunity for them to show the public and potential buyers their skills. And because of that you run into people who are VERY talented (and I just have to wonder.... where the heck have you been?)(I would love to buy your stuff!) and the not so talented (that also goes for the models). So at the beginning of the event I wasn't too excited to be a part of it only because I just wanted to be impressed with amazing talent. Hopefully that makes sense. But as the show went on.. I was loving everything! The last half of the show was CRazy to say the least. I had a lot of fun because I was so in love with the clothes that I was putting on the models. Here are some pics. They love having their picture taken.

 Some of my favorite pieces.

And I'm still trying to get the videos to work...