baby shower goodies

I am lucky enough to be pregnant at the same time as some of my best friends!  They're all a little bit ahead of me, which is nice, so I can hear about their experiences before hitting that time myself.  I just co-hosted a baby shower for my bestie which turned out really cute.  I really love planning events but this happened to fall during my first trimester and frankly, I didn't have a ton of energy to be going all out.  So I took more of a back seat and a couple other girls did an amazing job planning a really nice shower!  

We decided to do goodie bags for the guests to take home.  At first I thought this was a little unnecessary and an added expense, but we all did our best to keep the cost down and they turned out super cute!  Today I thought I'd share what we did, in case anyone else was thinking of doing the same thing!  This would also be a cute idea for any kind of shower or a bachelorette party!

CSF all-white party

I'm a member of Circle Seven Five, which I shared the other day.  This is a really fun social/ networking group based in Dallas that throws the most fun parties and events!!  Last week I attended an all-white party at Archer London in the Dallas Design District.  There was yummy food, bubbly (which I got to watch everyone else enjoy while I sipped my Figi water) and lots of shopping.  This fun loft space is an adorable shop with tons of beautiful clothing!  CSF even provided cute boho headpieces for all of us, and there was a braid bar and tarot card reader!  They seriously throw the best events!!

If you're a 20-30something girl in DFW and you're interested in joining, comment below with your email address and I'll send you an invite!  Hope you enjoy checking out a few photos from the event!  Also, you may have seen my fun pants on Instagram... I'm in love with them!  I've linked them below and they're only $12!!!

white

Lately I've been having a love affair with all white.  I am usually a very colorful girl... bold, bright and lots of contrast.  I have always loved black and white with pops of very bold color, whether they are rich jewel tones or vivid fluorescents.  For some reason lately I've been drawn to a lot of white in everything... clothing, home decor, etc.  We recently moved into a new house and our kitchen cabinets are white.  It's a nice change from the darker wood I've had for the past 9 years in our condo.  Our new master bathroom as has a white cabinet and carrara marble counter, and a giant white clawfoot tub and I'm just obsessed with it!  Not to mention all of the crisp white trim and casings around our windows and doors. 

The new house has really put me in a neutrals mood with our gray walls, white everywhere and black and white granite.  I've found myself spreading my wings and adding more white in other aspects of my life... nail polish, flowers, clothing...

Today I'm just sharing a few snapshots of my favorite white things lately!  Sidenote: white towels in the bathroom is nothing new for me... for some reason I don't like colored towels.  I've always loved crisp, clean white towels because it's the only way I feel truly clean.  I guess that's probably my OCD talking ;)  Another note, I just attended an all-white party in Dallas last week and it was really fun!  If you don't already know about Circle Seven Five, you should check it out!  I've been a member since last year and they have the best events and perks if you're a 20-30something woman in the DFW area!  I loved seeing everyone's white outfits!  I'll be sharing my photos from the event in another post.  If you'd like an invite to join the group, comment below with your email and I'll send you one!!

but first, coffee

I have a slight obsession with coffee and coffee mugs.  I'm not going to lie, the whole one cup of coffee thing during pregnancy has not been easy.  I am normally a person that will savor 3-4 cups over a period of hours while watching my morning shows (usually Home and Family on Hallmark or I Love Lucy and the Golden Girls).  So lately my whole morning routine has been thrown off.  But since we're living at the house now and we still don't have the cable hooked up, my routine has changed to porch-sitting and sipping my one cup of joe... which is really nice actually... we're obsessed with our porch!

I knew I had a coffee mug hoarding problem but I don't think I realized until we started packing our dishes for the move just how many mugs I've accumulated!  We had a whole cabinet dedicated to them in the condo, and luckily we'll have more space for the collection in the new kitchen.  Which of course has me thinking about purchasing more cute mugs! Ahhh! ;)

I just received this Betsey Johnson as a prize at a baby shower and it's super cute!!  Unfortunately I can't find the exact one online and I'm not sure where it was purchased... obviously an older item... but I have my eye on some more cuties down below!  I've linked them all.

you're my boy, blue!

This outfit is casual, comfortable and all about my favorite color, blue!!

I was lucky and blessed to be celebrated on Mother's Day this year!  My husband surprised me with a very thoughtful gift because, as he said, I haven't bought anything for myself in awhile.  I was WOWed when I open a giant bag with a brand new Michael Kors bag :)  It's something I pointed out to him awhile ago and he was sweet enough to remember and go out shopping for me on his own!

I also received my very first maternity clothes from my in-laws.  My MIL has a knack for picking out cute clothing for me and she did so again.  My bump isn't that big yet, but let's just say I'm wearing yoga pants 24/7.  So she surprised me with some cute jeans, some leggings and a few tops.  I wore one of the tops the other day and it was so super comfortable and flattering!  

My parents were sweet enough to get me a really nice charm bracelet with a "mom" charm and another charm.  I'll be sharing those later after I reveal the gender of our baby ;)  As always, I'm linking my clothing and the bag below.  Be sure to check out the bag because I found it on major sale and it's definitely affordable!

I'm pregnant! The good, the bad and the ugly

Ok well there's been a huge break in my writing and it's because of a couple things actually.  I mentioned last time that there's been A LOT happening, and well, yeah, there has!  Chris and I have been busy moving.  We closed on our house at the end of March and we've been slowly moving out of our condo since.  It's nice being able to take our time, but also a little stressful at times since we know we don't have a particular deadline and we end up taking breaks.  But we're mostly moved into the house now (except large furniture because we're staging our condo for sale... 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom in downtown Fort Worth anyone??)  Unfortunately, since we're paying bills on both places, we haven't sprung for the cable and internet hookup yet at the house, so I'm left without internet.

On top of the move, if you follow me on Instagram, you've already heard that I am pregnant!!  This has been a huge adjustment and another reason I haven't written much lately.  When we found out I was pregnant, we had to move quickly on finding a house because our condo would not work at all to raise a child.  So it really put us in a time crunch and I had to drop everything else.  My blogging, my event-going and all my Mary Kay work have taken a major backseat these past few months.  It's been a very exciting time, but also a time period where I felt like my schedule was completely lost.  Not to mention, this is all on top of my husband working a night shift and sleeping during the day.  

Love and spring are in the air

Hey y'all!  There's been A LOT going on lately (more on that later)... 

But now that spring is here, our wardrobes are changing from layers upon layers to easy breezy.  And what's easier than a comfy tee and your favorite pair of jeans?!  Nothing, of course!  So I am super excited to introduce you to an awesome tshirt company that I connected with on Instagram!  And this Texas girl gets really excited when it's a Texas-based company! 

Be Free Tees is my newest go-to for literally the softest, most comfortable, cute t-shirts!  Their first design of tees is focusing on LOVE.  They are based in Austin, TX (my second home for years!) and they're working to spread love across the country while also giving back to some great organizations.  I'm LOVING their message and the fact that it's a small company started by two moms.  You can read all about their mission HERE.

I've basically been living in this tshirt since I received it!  It is the most comfortable thing I own right now.  Last week was my two year wedding anniversary, so in honor of our love, I wore it again during our day trip to the Butterfly Exhibit at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.   I love that the message is so clean and simple and it's the perfect tshirt to wear with your favorite jeans, or maybe even dress it up a little.  Everyone looks good in LOVE!  I've linked the exact tee below!  Check them out and get your own and start spreading the love! 

Coffee table decor

I talk about fashion so much now that some of you may have forgotten (or not even know) that my background is originally in interior design!  Today I'm partnering with Chairish to show you my coffee table essentials!

Now, I'd be lying if I said I am a person who has a perfectly arranged coffee table 100% of the time... I'm more the person that has a giant box of tissues (damn allergies) and a thousand to-do lists (#truth) but in a perfect world, my coffee table would consist of a few special items that I love to look at all the time.

I personally love very simple coffee tables and I especially love Danish Modern furniture so I've selected this table from the variety of vintage pieces that Chairish offers.  I love the clean lines and I love that it doesn't have extra shelves.  I know some people love having an extra shelf, or drawers in a coffee table... I personally don't because it's just more space that can be easily cluttered (if there's a place to put extra stuff, trust me, I'll find something to put there!)  I've listed my favorite coffee table items below, and as always you can click the thumbnails to shop!

• Coffee table books- Choose books that inspire you.  This could be fashion, travel, beautiful homes, nature... it really doesn't matter, but they should be pretty and something that you can look at for inspiration, and/or something that guests in your home would love to look at.  Yes, these are mostly for decor and will probably just be stacked, but make sure the subject matter is something important to you.  
• A fun decorative object- I love this spiky sphere (or whatever you want to call it). Stack your coffee table books and place a single object on top.  I love gold accents and think this sphere is just fun!
• Do you collect any objects?  Consider putting a piece of your collection on the table.  It can make a great conversation starter and guests will probably notice it and ask where you got it.  It's really great if it's an object you've picked up in travels because it will always remind you of your trip when you see it.  I personally collect elephants and each one has some sort of story behind it.  I like this glass elephant because it won't take up as much space visually since you can see through it.
• Glass vase with flowers- I LOVE having fresh flowers in my house.  Living plants give your home life!  Again, I love having a clear vase so it doesn't visually take up as much space, and it can work with any type of flowers and be used year-round.  I love this Kate Spade vase because it adds touches of gold.  Sometimes I suffer through my allergies just to look at pretty flowers, but if you're allergic like me and don't want to deal with the extra sneezing, consider an arrangement of succulents!  They are so easy to take care of, last much longer than flowers and won't irritate you.
• Candles- I go through candles like whoa!  I love having a candle burning anytime I'm home.  I usually go with affordable soy candles but if you only light a candle once in awhile (like when you have company), consider investing in a really pretty, fancy candle.  
• A decorative tray- Grouping items on a tray can make your whole table look much more put together.  It can also make it easier and faster if you need to remove the items... like if you need to use the entire table for food or cocktails because you're entertaining.  Group items in odd numbers because it is more appealing to the eye.  I love mirrored trays.

I love investing in quality furniture pieces and then mixing and matching the decor.  

It's fun to pick up home accessories as I travel and grouping those sentimental items with trendier accessories.  Be sure to check out Chairish for a huge selection of vintage pieces!!  They have everything from furniture to lighting to accessories and the best part is, you're getting unique items that not everyone has!

SHOP ALL COFFEE TABLES FROM CHAIRISH

Shop these items:

Happy Friday y'all!

spring 2016 trends

Shop the items:

Floral & blush

I am SO in love with this dress!!  It would be perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion this spring!  Make the dress really stand out by pairing it with soft neutrals and blush tones.  Shop the items below!  Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!

Shop these items: