CASUAL IN GREY

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Dress: c/o Seraphine Maternity | Jacket: Anthropologie | Shoes: Adidas | Necklace: Madewell |

Watch: Guess | Sunnies: Le Spec

I love a good casual look that still has loads of style, and with my newly founded love of sneakers, anything I can wear with my Adidas or Nikes is a #win. That's just one of the reasons I love this grey nursing maxi from Seraphine Maternity! It looks amazing with my white tennies. And did you catch that it's a NURSING maxi?! Even bigger win!

I'm always a sucker for anything black, but in the spring I try to go a *little* lighter and fresher. This charcoal grey strikes a perfect balance, and is a color I know will work well during the summer and fall months too.

I went with some simple, fresh silver accessories to add more brightness to the look, including this knot necklace from Madewell (still available! G bought it for me the day I told him we were pregnant back in August and it's been on constant rotation ever since!), my favorite Guess watch, and my newest addition to the sunnies collection: this silver mirrored pair from Le Spec. The frame is just slightly peach and see-through, which really helps the lenses stand out!

The dress and shoes run TTS, and I grabbed the jacket in an XS, which is great for going over dresses, but would be a bit snug over a sweater in the fall.

In other news, I'm working on some fun post-pregnancy posts for May, including the new under eye serum that is keeping this mama looking fresh, what I packed in my hospital bag, Evie's nursery reveal, and some of the baby products I'm finding we can't live without! There will also be a post sharing what you can expect from S&C now that I'm adding "Mom" to my official list of titles ;-) So I hope you enjoy the last few maternity posts this month, and stick around for May!

#Pregnancy

HOSPITAL BAG MUST-HAVES

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If you search Pinterest, you'll find TONS of hospital bag inspiration. I had no fewer than 25 pins, with what I would need for me, dad, and baby all laid out. Weeks before Evie was born, I sat down at the table with G and we went through each and every pin (yes, my husband is a trooper and has the support thing down!) and created lists for mom, dad, and baby, along with a list for what we wanted to take to share with the nurses, what we wanted in the delivery room vs the longer stay room, and a check list of last minute items to pack! Yes, this Type-A lady had the whole thing down to a streamlined science.

But we still managed to overpack, and forget items. So today I'm sharing what we packed, what we used, what we were missing, and the one item you probably aren't thinking of that will make all the difference to your stay!

WHAT WE PACKED:

For myself, we packed toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, hair ties, chapstick, lotion, face wash & moisturizer, body wash, and shampoo), casual makeup (my no-makeup face includes this mascara, tinted moisturizer, brow pencil, and bronzer. Having my face on when we left made me feel human!), some comfy clothes (a nursing tank, sweat shorts, and a beautiful robe from PinkBlush made me feel so much better than just wearing the hospital gown once the IV was removed), and entertainment (for me, that was my laptop and my nook fully loaded with all the Harry Potter books).

For G, we packed several sets of loungewear, sneakers, flip flips, toiletries, and lots of tech (iPad, bluetooth speaker, macbook, movies).

For Evie, we had a going home outfit, the baby book and her fully loaded diaper bag!

I also had an extra (empty) bag for Hospital SWAG, my pump (so I could learn to use it!), and a cooler full of snacks for us and the nurses.

WHAT WE WERE MISSING:

I forgot my razor, and my pumping bra! I also wished I had thought to bring . And G? Well, let's just say he got creative with ways to re-wear a single set of boxers! I also wish I had packed more newborn onesies for Evie, especially the drawstring bottom sleepers. The hospital stuff just wasn't warm enough for her, resulting in a double-blanket swaddle.

WHAT WE DIDN'T NEED:

Honestly, the nurse snacks and multiple outfits for me were the two biggest unnecessary space occupiers. I also didn't really need a fully loaded diaper bag for Evie. I could have left that whole thing at home and just brought a few onsies in my bag. I brought the baby book to do footprints, but honestly they gave me a paper with them at the hospital, and I can do my own prints at home if I still want to, so I would leave the baby book at home.

THE "ONE ITEM" YOU STILL NEED:

Pick something not necessary that makes you happy, and bring it! For my girl friend Alice of Lonestar Looking Glass, it was a string of christmas lights! For me, it was a deck of cards. For G, it was the bluetooth speaker. Something that you don't need but just want for fun makes the whole experience feel a little more lux, which is always a good thing when you've got a few days in a hospital room!

#Pregnancy #Motherhood

FLORALS FOR SPRING

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Every time I see a spring floral, I can't help but think of the quote from The Devil Wears Prada and finish the thought with "Ground-breaking". But in all seriousness, while they are the standard spring print, I do love a good floral for spring. They speak of freshness, of newness, and of beginnings, all things which make spring so refreshing.

Dress: c/o PinkBlush | Shoes: Steve Madden | Sunnies: Le Spec | Bag: Coach | Watch: c/o Klasse14

When I had the opportunity to pick several items from Pinkblush, I knew that I wanted this dress instantly. I love that the color scheme was right in line with my favorites for Spring 2017 - olive and blush - and the 3/4 length sleeves were perfect for the slight breeze that still comes on many Houston evenings.

I paired the dress with several of my favorite accessories, including my Coach Saddlebag (a staple in my closet for just about a year now, and still looking fabulous even with the white leather!), my newest pair of sunnies from Le Spec (love the mirrored finish! And at less than $60, they're a steal!), and the Steve Madden wedges I can't get enough of!

On a side note, I love seeing pics like this from right before Evie was born! I hated (seriously, hated) being pregnant, but somehow it's fun posting pics of that time now that it's finally over and my little girl is here with me. Was it all "worth it"? I don't know... I still don't resonate with that term/idea at all, but if what you mean is "are you glad she's here?" then a thousand times yes! I am head over heels in love with my little, and being her mama is one of the most fulfilling parts of my life (sorry for the cheese, but it's so true!).

I have one more maternity look for you this week, then it's on to post-partum fashion!! I can't wait to slip back into regular shirts! Woohoo!

#Pregnancy