Saturday mornings come with their own kind of beauty. If we are up and the weather is fine, we plan to visit the Portland Farmer’s Market. It is one of the greatest treats of our lovely city. A place full of the fresh scents of baked goods and fruit. The hum of local commerce being shared and enjoyed by the locals on the bustling Park Blocks is every so inviting.

It’s tough to get out sometimes. I don’t mean that because my schedule is packed full anymore. More so, that my son’s needs guide my day and if he seems like he needs to be home for extra naps and snuggles, then by-golly that is what we are going to do. On the weekends, Guy does a great job trying to get us out of the house. It is much needed for all of us. Even though J maybe fussy, it somehow still doesn’t seem as stressful when our whole little family is together. I suppose that is the beauty and purpose of family - to always love and support each other. To push us out of our comfort zone, even if that means we have a crying baby the entire car ride, and I have to breast feed (again) before we can get out of the car.

After having a baby I realized that my closet wasn’t really baby appropriate. I would try on my pants and I couldn’t breathe. I still have a couple of pounds of weight to lose to get back down to pre-baby weight. I felt so uncomfortable in all of the jeans that I had. I have just been wanting to wear more casual clothes that I can lounge in at home with baby J or run around town in.

Even though I love fashion and blogging, the excessive overconsumption and materialism of style blogging does not quite fit with my personal values. It is oh-so-conflicting with my native roots and desire to take care of our planet. However, we do have to wear clothes and why not spice it up a little from time to time by reusing items you already have.

The clock is ticking on my pregnancy time, but I want to be sure that I am getting full use of my maternity wear. One fantastic thing about some of the maternity clothes I have purchased is that it is made to be maternity or non-maternity. This blue striped dress from Pink Blush Maternity is one of those genius dresses. Due to the fact that it has a loose, but has a cinch-able waist, I can easily wear this one after I deliver our sweet little boy.

I think there is nothing more classy than a string of pearls, some stripes, and a nice blazer. This beautiful Brooks Brothers blazer was purchased thrifted for only $13.00. It has become a staple in my closet. The dress I am wearing is from J.Crew.

Baby shower games we actually played and loved! Baby Jeopardy, Name That Baby Song, Guess Who Said It: Mommy or Daddy.

Being a first time mom has brought on a plethora of new and exciting challenges, including improving my wardrobe to incorporate maternity clothes. I was a bit surprised when I first started looking for maternity clothes because I didn’t see much in stores. This led me to venture online to the abyss that is online maternity wear.

Since becoming pregnant, I have been weary about any product that touches my body. I know that the skin is another access of entry for harmful chemicals to my little bun in the oven.

One of my favorite closet staples is the pencil skirt. It is everything I want in a piece of clothing. Classy, modest, but also compliments curves. I found the most beautiful and comfortable pencil skirt from Eugene, Oregon local brand, Yala.

As someone that is very busy, I have found that getting around to whitening has been trouble in the past. I have tried many different methods from store-bought whitening strips to natural remedies like vinegar, baking soda, or coconut oil. With the traditional whitening strips, I found that it was always so hard for me to keep them on. I was constantly having to readjust them and I didn’t want to do much with them on. When using natural remedies, I didn’t find much success and quite frankly, my stomach didn’t agree with many of these ways either. 

I recently bought this beautiful Who What Wear shirt, but you can only wear a statement shirt every once in a while right? That is what I thought. Then I pondered--why don't I try wearing it a completely different way?

“I’ve never had a grad party before!” That was all I said and then poof! Guy and my Mother-in-law threw me a lovely party. When you grow up with little, you learn to expect little. Guy shows me every day that I deserve much more than that.

I recently graduated with my Master of Education from Portland State University. It was bittersweet as I said goodbye to my wonderful class of kindergarteners and my colleagues who I had been with nearly every weekday for the past year. It was always a goal of mine to get my Master’s degree, but something made it feel out-of-reach. I knew that I was capable of doing this academically, but there was something there about it that felt unattainable, until recently.

Why is it that when someone says something not very kind that it sticks with you? For me, it’s like that negativity is a piece of tape that won’t unstick from my finger. I am not so good at letting negative energy go, but Guy gracefully shrugs it off and moves on.

Buying out of season is one of my favorite ways to save on special items, especially when wanting to make a purchase on something I know will last a long time in my closet. This idea is certainly true with the purchase of this beautiful Topshop double breasted lavender coat.