Third Trimester Maternity Style

striped_dress_blog

28 weeks has arrived and so has 114 degree weather. Oh my gosh it's so flippin' hot here! I wish I didn't even have to get dressed right now because the struggle is REAL my friends. Forget wearing jeans in this heat with a giant elastic band that goes over your stomach...No, thank you! I'll stick to light-weight, soft, cotton maxi dresses thank you very much.

This white and black striped dress from ZARA is perfect for the summer. It's machine washable, and  the low back is just low enough to add some style, but not too low that I can't wear a bra. You do have to wear a nude slip with it, but other than that it's easy, breezy. It's not maternity either, so I love that I will be able to wear this dress post baby, and not look crazy.

dresses10blog

I paired it with my boho bag from Anthropologie and some reflective shades from Lulu*s.

dress_maxi_blog

Side note, I have realized that there are some fairly uncomfortable things about third trimester that every woman should know:

1. You will develop a waddle. Forget being able to walk with one foot in front of the other.

2. Your belly can touch your legs when you sit down.

3. Your boobs can touch your stomach depending on their size.

4. You breathe heavier.

So much has to get done before this little guy is here, but man, I'm starting to feel ready to get back to my normal body. I just need to focus on the really cool thing about this trimester, which is that I can really feel him move more than ever.

Photos by Gina Meola.

Trapeze Pleated Maxi Dress

dresses17brighterweb

Sometimes the best maternity dresses are not maternity. In fact, that's usually the case. I recently found this incredibly beautiful blush, pleated maxi dress with a trapeze silhouette from Target for only $29.99, and it has quickly become the most comfortable and fashionable piece of clothing I own. Even if I wasn't pregnant I would wear this dress.

pleated_dress_web

You can switch out the string belt to add a leather one if you would like, or you can opt to not wear a belt at all. I especially love that this dress is lined. Lately, it seems that all of these maxi dresses I try on in stores are totally see-through. WTF?! The last thing I want to do is wear a slip in this terrible heat.

pleated_dress_clutch

I like to embrace the Greecian vibe of the dress by sporting my wrap metallic sandals from Lulu*s, and my white leather clutch from T. Madison.

bonjour_clutch_pinweb

If you wanted to dress up this dress for an evening event like I did recently for Alt Summit, I would wear long, shoulder duster earrings, bangles, rings and a pink pouty lipstick.

Photos by Gina Meola

HP Sprout Review & Recipe Card DIY

This post is sponsored by HP.

As a content creator and influencer I'm always working with images, and as I mentioned in a previous post, working on a laptop isn't always the easiest. Sometimes it really is helpful to see things on a large screen, and with the Sprout by HP I not only have a large screen, but I have an easy way to capture and edit photos and objects. It's a creative's dream computer.

HP21web

With their touchable screen and mat, I can create inspiration with a click of a button. Simply lay your objects on their mat, click scan, and voila! You can see them on your computer. You can easily add text to your photo too.

bloom

Check out this cute little screensaver background I made in UNDER two minutes. Yes, it's that fast and easy!

HP02web

It comes with a wireless keyboard which is so nice, but I actually didn't really need to use the keyboard much at all. You can quickly eliminate clutter and maximize space by using their touch screen or the keyboard on the mat. It's nice to have the option though if you're writing a lot (like I am right now).

HP10web

The Sprout also comes preloaded with fun artwork and games for children. My two year old loves drawing and playing with the Sprout, and it's MESS free!!!

There are endless ideas of how you can use the Sprout for work, but I thought it would be fun to show you an easy DIY for anyone looking for a new home PC.

HP27 copyweb

RECIPE CARD DIY:

1| Pick your favorite recipe to share. I chose banana bread.

HP28web

2| Choose ingredients from your recipe as art work. I chose bananas, of course, but you could use coffee beans, sliced carrots, or even sprinkles of sugar or pepper.

3| Lay your objects on the outer sides of the mat so you have enough room to write, and click "take picture."

4| Save the photo and remove the objects from the pad.

HP33web

5| Add your recipe title and save the photo.

HP32web

6| Print a 3x5 or a 4x6 photo onto regular paper and write in your recipe (It looks more personal that way).

It's that easy! Want to know more about Sprout by HP? Visit their website, www.sprout.com.

Photos by Gina Meola

Setting Up a Creative Space

HP18web

Sponsored by HP.

AVE Styles was launched from a laptop sitting on my couch. I've never had a creative space to call home for my business. I'm a nomad - traveling from my couch to my kitchen island to Starbucks to my bed...That's the nice thing about laptops, I guess, but after awhile you start to want a desk to put all of your papers on and place to leave your job at the end of the day. By not having a desk I often find myself taking my work "home" with me. I spend entire evenings working from the couch instead of engaging in a game with my family. So, I created a creative space with the help of some friends from Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. Granted, the space came just as we decided to put our house on the market, but for at least for a short season I have been able to experience what it is like to have a place for my business to call home.

officebeforeafter

Check out the before and after! Crazy, right?!

HP01web

It sure feels good! It feels great to open the door and know my work is waiting for me, and at the same time, to shut it and leave it for another day. I also like that I can't see the laundry basket of clothes waiting to be folded or anything else that reminds me of chores I need to do outside of AVE Styles. I also love that I'm surrounded by objects that make me "feel" more creative. A gold pair of scissors, fresh flowers, old books, a vintage calendar...They all bring about a thought or a feeling when you stare at them, which could be a source of inspiration for my next project.

HP24web

As part of setting up the perfect creative space, I said good-bye to the laptop and hello to a desktop computer. Not just any desktop PC though. It's the Sprout, which is pretty much made for visual creatives like me that work with images incessantly. It has built in 3D scanning technology, as well as a full creative suite that let's you edit and draw with ease. Tomorrow I'll show you what it can do, but for now, you'll find my list of creative office must-haves:

Top 5 Must-Haves for a Creative Space:

1. Fresh flowers - they just make me smile, especially when they're peonies.

2. Comfortable desk - if you're going to be sitting there for hours you better like your desk.

3. A journal - all of my best ideas are written down with pen and paper in a journal.

4. Natural light - you can't necessarily buy natural light, but it's so important to my creative process.

5. The HP Sprout - obviously, I've become a fan of using a desktop computer.

Photos by Gina Meola.

Watermelon

Lindt08web

Lindt12web

Elle is obsessed with watermelon. It's her favorite food, and we always have it in the house lately. It has become our dessert along with a Lindt Lindor citrus truffle. So good!

Maybe it's all the watermelon we have been eating or maybe it's simply the time of year, but this vibrant, strapless maxi dress from Alixandra Collections has become one of my favorite summer dresses. It has a double slit, which makes it easy to move in and cooler for summer. Talk about easy style, just throw it on with a pair of sandals and some shades and you're good to go. You could easily dress this outfit up with a statement necklace, heels, a clutch and a summer shawl.

Lindt16web

Get the look: Dress from Alixandra Collections Round sunglasses from Target (similar one here). Gold sequin belt from Anthropologie (similar one here).

This post is sponsored by Lindt. Photography by Gina Meola.