Baby Room Inspiration

Happy Friday! I'm officially six months pregnant today, and that means it's definitely time to start working on my baby room starting this weekend! This was definitely not one of my 2012 Home Decor Goals, but hopefully, that won't stop me from doing some other home improvements too.

So, of course, fashion is always influencing me, and I've decided to follow the summer color trends by designing her room in coral and a minty teal with metallic accents. Thanks to the fabulous technology of Polyvore.com, I can show you an inspiration board. I think I would be lost without this step for any creative project.

We have already found our crib, a mid-century credenza for a changing table, a rocking chair that is being reupholstered, curtains and picked out paint. Now, it's just down to putting it all together.

Wish me luck! Can't wait to show you pics when it's done! And, feel free to follow my nursery finds on Pinterest! I couldn't resist creating a baby board. http://pinterest.com/alexandraevjen/baby-time/

Beach Style

Not too long ago I visited beautiful La Jolla, California, and fell in love with all of the little clothing boutiques close to the beach. Granted, most of the clothes in the shops were pretty pricey, but the well curated "beachy" looks were enticing enough for me to want to never leave the beach or at the minimum implement more of that style this summer as I stick close to my pool. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about...You may never want to take your swimsuit off!

1. One piece bathing suit with a maxi-skirt accessorized with sunnies and a hat. EASY A! (Source)

2. Preppy cable-knit sweater over a bikini with a fabulous bag. (Source)

3. Bikini top with a flirty skirt. (Source)

4. Crochet and lace tops over your swimsuit with cut-offs. (Source 1, source 2)

Featured in La Petite Magazine

One thing that I had yet to do this year was style kids' clothing. I'm excited to say that I've already gotten a chance to do it twice, and it's a whole different game when your models are five.

La Petite Magazine is a children's magazine that features artistic photography and clothing, and I was happy to meet the creator of the magazine, Rachelle a super stylish mom, at the Altitude Summit this past January. I told her I wanted to try my hand at styling kiddos, and from there I asked my friend Kym Ventola (who also shot that Savers shoot I posted the other day) if she would be interested. She too is one fashionable mom, and I knew it was in the shoot's best interest to work with people that know kids.

Of course, in my world, the most important part of a fashion shoot is the clothing, so Esp. No. 1 was kind enough to lend all of the clothes for the shoot. This California clothing line is pretty awesome because everything they sell is androgynous. Their colored denim is fabulous. It comes in every color you can think of!

We photographed Caden and Camryn, two adorable five year-olds, in the desert of Arizona. We depicted them as best friends having a little adventure together. Since the magazine tends to publish things that are a bit more avant-garde and the clothing company is androgynous, I wanted to make their outfits a bit more fashion forward than commercial. And yet, I also made sure the kids liked them and wanted to play in them.

The hair was done by Matty G from The Spot Salon in Phoenix and the makeup was done by Linda Wagner. With this wonderful team of people the shoot went smoothly and was a blast! Definitely check out the latest issue of La Petite, and if you would like the photographer's perspective of the shoot, click here to read her blog post.

Featured on Grey Likes Baby

I've always loved the blog Grey Likes Weddings. Stylist, Summer Watkins, just has an amazing eye and curates that blog to perfection. Now that I'm having a baby, I've come to love Grey Likes Baby too!

I'm happy to share that our baby gender reveal shoot has been featured on Grey Likes Baby today! Check it out, click here.

Thanks again to our friends, Jason and Jessica of Session Nine Photography, for capturing this fun announcement!

Savers Maternity Style

I'm almost six months pregnant, and it's safe to say that dressing fashionable when pregnant is challenging for ANY woman for the following reasons: 1. Your three B's are CONSTANTLY changing - Boobs. Butt. Belly.

2. You don't feel the most confident and attractive.

3. Lace, elastic waistbands and pretty much anything skin tight feels uncomfortable.

And I'll be honest and say that I definitely feel added pressure to always look on point since I'm a fashion stylist, especially when meeting with clients for the first time. So, when Savers gave me the opportunity to shop their store and showcase outfits that I thought would be great for an expectant mom I was SUPER eager AND nervous all in one.

Any time you go shopping you never know if you're going to strike gold or strike out. Lately, I had been striking out in the maternity department, but I'm SOOO happy to say that I hit it rich at Savers. Not only was everything very affordable, but I found all sorts of styles to fit my different fashion moods.

Of course, there's no better way to document fashion finds than a photo shoot, so my friend, Kym Ventola - a fellow lover of Savers and a brilliant photographer, agreed to help me. And, since I'm not the best at doing my hair, my dear friend Kim Cornwell styled my locks to perfection.

Check out my finds!...

Look #1 - Floral is very hot right now (view past floral post), so I was psyched to find this super cute floral tunic. Plus, v-neck is essential when you're a bit busty like me. I paired it with my GAP maternity skinny jeans to give my body balance, and topped it off with gold ballet flats and a pink J.Crew belt.

Look #2 - Similar to the first look, I finished off my skinny jeans and ballet flats with a cute, silk empire waist tank top I found at Savers. It's nice and cool for the summer, and with my leather braided belt from Target and gold necklace, I'm set to enjoy the weekend.

Look #3 - This outfit satisfies the wannabe bohemian inside of me. I found this awesome gauzy, floral printed skirt with hints of summer's hottest color - coral. Then I scored a super soft, pink racer-back tank top which was a great balance with the skirt. Since gold is the metallic of choice this year, I put my gold sequined belt over the waistband to bring everything together, and topped it off with comfy ballet flats.

Look #4 - There's nothing easier than wearing a dress. You just put it on and you're set. This cotton, blue and green find is comfortable, stylish and perfect for the beach. In fact, I already wore it on my recent vacation. With simple flip-flops, I'm set.

Look #5 - I found yet another great summer top that gives me room to grow and a print to show off. So many maternity clothes are plain solid colors, and when you're growing in size prints can be your best friend. With shorts or jeans, this top exemplifies easy, summer style.

Look #6 - My hubby has great taste and bought me this beautiful dress for Mother's Day. I paired it with a reversible polka dot and striped, sleeveless button-down blouse I found. I love mixing and matching patterns, and this was a perfect pairing. I can't wait to wear this blouse even when I'm not pregnant.

Thank you Savers for giving me the chance to find some awesome maternity clothes!

Next time you're having a hard time finding clothes, give Savers a shot. It's like a treasure hunt - the reward is GREAT!