How I Wore It: UK Edition

First I have to get all mushy and wish a very happy birthday to my amazing sister-in-law. {Isn't she a knock-out?!} How did I live without you in my life? I am so beyond blessed to be able to call you family. I truly treasure our friendship, our phone chats, our walks that we will be starting regularly now that we are all traveled out ;), and your encouraging words for all that I do. Happy birthday sweet girl! Love you to bits.

So, as many of you know that keep up with this blog regularly, I was desperately missing London - as per usual - a few months ago. Unbeknownst to myself at the time, my darling Biz had already been planning a special surprise anniversary trip for me across the pond to see all of my dear friends from Scotland and England. Needless to say I was elated when he told me we would be going {my first time back since I moved home after school}. It surpassed all expectations and my heart is full for another...oh...6 months or so. Then I'll be looking at our AA miles again :D

Here are a few What I Wore shots from St. Andrews and London town......

This one doesn't really count. Just wanted to share where I went to school! On top of St. Rule's tower in the Cathedral Ruins. T-Shirt - J.Crew neon amazingness, Maternity Jeans - Paige Denim {BEST maternity jeans on the planet}

Walking on the pier. It is tall and high and scary and I am brave/stupid. Plain old t-shirts and leggings. Jacket is my fave of all time though - D&G, Hat - Etro, although it's actually a neck warmer.

After drinks with friends at the Blue Bar in our hotel. Shirt - Theory, Jacket - Jack Wills, Leggings - So Low Maternity, Heels - Louboutin, Scarf - Alexander McQueen

At my mecca, the Miu Miu store. Someday I'm making my front door to my house like that. Dress - Theory, Necklace - Prada men, Star on necklace is a keychain just hooked on, Sandals - Cole Haan

Dinner party at Giles's flat {shout out!} Shirt - DKNY from high school and I still love it!, Scarf - Etro. Shinyness. Love., Jeans and Heels - same as before, Earrings - Miu Miu. Bond Street purchase heartsies!

My favorite street! See I am happy. Jumping = happy.

This is the Blue Bar in our hotel, The Berkeley. So in love with the periwinkle and orange combo.

Flower arrangement in the hotel lobby. So simple and so outstanding! Had to share because it is such a piece of cake to do. Get a tall clear vase, a few hydrangeas, and a few long stemmed flowers. Stick long flowers out the top. Voila!

And lastly I had to include these because Biz doesn't like his picture taken a lot, so when I say hey stand against that light post and let me take your picture and he actually stops and does it, I take like 100. I think he should be a model :))) No one make fun of him for me saying that because it's probably embarrassing. But it is true!

Now I am back on this side of the world and missing London, but so happy to be home with my Squish and the animals. Happy Wednesday everyone...two days until the weekend! xoxo

Balance. Ha.

Really.

So I'm driving along today, and I wish I could say I was doing so in a calm, peaceful, and unstressed mindset, but frankly it was the complete opposite. I am truly driving around town like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything together for my magazine shoot on Thursday. It's a large spread for fall fashion so I have to have tons of items lined up. We just got back in town Sunday night, and I don't have a nanny of any sort, so the only time I can work is when my saint of a housekeeper is here MWF to help man the baby monitor while Big Squish takes his afternoon nap. Hence, I have a grand total of...drumroll please....10.5 hours/ week to work in peace (not including errand running during these precious moments of escape). That is not a lot, which means often I have to take Squish with me to run around town and pull clothes for the shoot. Which he totally loves, and shows that burning desire to be at all of the stores by yanking clothes off the racks and scaring the living daylights out of the owner's chihuahua with his piercing "I really love being here" screams. It's really nice. I get warm and fuzzy feelings from everyone in the shop. And it makes me look like a totally competent mom, too, which is an added bonus. Gold star.

How to solve this...Maybe he'd want a Larabar? Yes this behavior must be because he's hungry. Must be. The angel. I shall commit sin of all sins and give my child food in the car seat whilst we are driving. I know I know, he could choke and that is a very bad thing. Bad bad bad. I know he won't though for this reason: every time I look in the mirror he puts a piece of Larabar in his mouth, chews it a bit to make it slightly softer and more pliable, removes said piece from his mouth and proceeds to see how far he can stick it up his nose. Yes it's lovely. Another gold star for me on the Totally Competent Mom Chart. Awesome. Add one more star given the fact that I can't turn around and tell him to stop plugging his nostrils with coconut and dates because I'm on the phone with the modeling agency trying to get a booking done for the shoot and must sound put-together. So the coconut pieces go further and further up. This rocks.

Why can't I work at home when it's just me and the Squish, you ask? Well, I do, and in all honesty I try to get as much accomplished as I possibly can during nap times, but you also have to take into account the fact that I have to: eat, shower, answer the phone, write thank you notes, manage two enormous Tasmanian devil monsters {my adorable tornadoes of dogs, bless them}, and keep them from killing our two cats that are so fat they put Garfield to shame. Thankfully the cats are never ever ever obnoxious and never ever ever climb onto my desk or the keyboard or my laptop while I'm working, sending an email or trying to do anything remotely productive. So that's good at least.

Add to all of this the fact that samples for my clothing line are going into production this week, which means non-stop emailing back and forth across the ocean to my production manager, confirming materials for the look book items and shots, making final decisions on locations, hair, makeup, and letting go of all of the decisions I have made over the past four months fabric- and design-wise and praaaaaying it all turns out as planned. The 13 hour time difference also makes communicating easy and special. Oh and and AND, for some reason, I thought that having to go to the restroom 167 times every night during pregnancy stopped after the 1st trimester. Apparently I was dreaming as that is still in full effect. So I am most definitely not tired at all and feeling very rested during this completely non-chaotic time. Bonus. Thankfully the only casualty in all of this insanity has been the organ formerly known as my brain.

What have I learned? There is no such thing as balance. Z-E-R-O. I wish the word were never invented. Before I decided to start designing everyone said, "Oh it's all about balance! Mothers work from home all the time. You can do it! Just balance!" Balance, eh? Easy enough. Balance this and balance that and everything will fall into place. Riiiiiight. I shall be cooking a lovely dinner of filets every evening in diamonds and Louboutins whilst responding to emails on my iPhone and having a conference call to Bali and playing a very fun game called "trucks like crashing into the dishwasher" over and over and over with Big Squish. No problemo.

Ahem. And I thought writing a dissertation was hard. If anyone knows how to balance work and raising a child, please, do share. I am interested. Honestly. Maybe it's because I am only 13 months into this new adventure called motherhood and trying to keep up with a blog, be a fashion editor, start a company, keep my hair washed, remember to eat three meals a day, play zoo keeper, remind myself to check my shirt for drool and boogers before I leave the house, and manage to have enough energy to read books to Big Squish every night and get in some special rocking chair time with him {that I wouldn't trade for anything in the entire world by the way} without rocking myself to sleep as well but right now, I don't know what I am doing.

I just have to throw in a quick I really really love my husband because he has been a massive help during all of this. I'll take you along to my Vogue shoot one day baby. Promise.

It is 8pm. My new bedtime.

xoxo

Malibu Barbie Dream House

I don't feel like we are any closer to fall even though it's nearly August. Anyone in the same boat? If it were my choice {since I just got back from London so that's checked off the list}, I would be on the beach....in Malibu...in the real life Barbie Dream House. It is so over the top but very very fabulous! I love the little Barbie touches - the mirror made of classic Barbie figures, tulle skirts coming out of the chair backs, the hot pink poodles!!! This whole place just screams slumber party to me. With lots of girly talk. And s'mores.

Of course she only has pink shoes. I wouldn't expect anything less! Love ya Barbie!

Home Projects - shades + table

Two more little home fix-ups to share :) We have these beautiful light fixtures in our home...I adore them. They are quite bright at night though and a bit harsh, so I needed to do a little editing. I wanted things to be warmer...

Before...

After:

I think it made a subtle but really nice difference. Glowy glow.

Theeeeennnn, kitchen table situation. So not bueno. Our kitchen is beautiful but was not very functional. We had tried to squeeze a table in the center but walking around it was a pain, and fortunately there ended up being just enough space on the side to fit one in. It was a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law {she has so many goodies...I'm a lucky chick}, but it was worn, old, and the wrong color of brown. Nothing a quick coat of paint can't fix! This was started at 9pm which means past my bedtime and I was sleepy, so it was a lightning fast paint job that went like this...

Before:

To sand or not to sand? Hmmm... 9:02. Need beauty sleep. Not to sand.

Who needs a paint tray? Not me. Pouring paint on table could save time and tray cleaning...Yes. Good decision.

9:20...commence second coat at 9:24...paint dries in 4 minutes yes?

Dutch was a big help, but he got a bit close and actually looks quite lovely with spots of speckled blue fur. And my table looks nice and exotic with white fur scattered in it. It was a win-win really.

After:

Blue table picks up the pretty blue tones in the rug. Me likes!

Really pleased with how it turned out, especially because I did it with my eyes half shut. I want to eventually get fabric to cover it, but for now, this will do.

Love to you all... Happy weekend! Oh shoot it's not the weekend yet. Well I am going to pretend it is. xoxo

How I Wore It :: Edgartown + Home Project!

Get excited... I finally have some "home projects" to show! Actually, on second thought, don't get too excited. This first one is a tiny little fix up that took all of 10 minutes, but it just shows you what a quick coat of spray paint can do to transform an item. First I have one last What I Wore from the Cape...

Our last day up there was spent on Martha's Vineyard in Edgartown, which is one of my faaaavorite places to stroll around. The homes are out-of-this-world beautiful as if straight out of Veranda or House Beautiful, and there are the most picturesque hydrangeas you will ever lay your eyes on overflowing out of every white picket fence.

Dress - J.Crew, Arm Cuff {my new obsession} - from a random store on the street that day...can't remember the name for the life of me!, Shoes - Cole Haan, Necklace - standard gold bike, of course ;)

We went swimming later that day and Squish loved it <3

Now - Home Project! My mother-in-law had some great planters in a storage unit that weren't being used and I fell in love at first sight. They were pretty dusty and dirty, but nothing a little TLC couldn't solve! I ran down to Lowe's and picked up a can of glossy black spray paint. 10 minutes later I had some brand new looking planters! While they were drying Big Squish and I went to Calloway's {*love* that place} and chose a nice mixture of several pretty plants for each. Remember: If you undertake something like this, make sure to spray paint OUTSIDE, ideally with wind blowing.

Before:

After:

Piece of cake! Pretty good, right? I love them!

From dusty planters to rusty chairs to out-of-date lamps, spray paint is often a great and inexpensive fix for a myriad of items. The best thing: if you mess up or dislike the color, it could not be easier to have a quick re-do. Get inspired and experiment away! xoxo

How I Wore It :: Cape Cod Part II

The day after the wedding we went back over to the house for a great 4th of July get together. Big Squish discovered watermelon on the rind and inhaled 67 pieces :)

Shirt - Theory, Belt - Theory, Skirt {used to be a dress, but I didn't like the neckline} - Miu Miu

How beautiful is that sunset? Later that evening we all went out on the water to watch the fireworks.

And last but not least, this is our friend...I'll call him Chef because he's an amazing cook! We shared a house with him and his sweet family while we were there, and his wife let me in on a secret: sometimes he reads this blog before she does and comes home to update her on a new post. For that, he gets a little what I wore feature of his own! Loooved his red Carolina Herrera pants. Very 4th of July appropriate! A navy sweater to top it off was perfect. Bravo Chef, bravo! :D

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday! I finally uploaded pictures of a few home projects I have been working on...coming tomorrow... xoxo