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Radiant Orchid

DETAILS.
Lulu's Dress (under $50) / Heels [old similar here] / Sunglasses / Prada Bag

A couple weeks ago my family was in town helping me set up the nursery. My dad surprised us with tickets to the ballet [Sleeping Beauty]. I've never been in Utah before, so it was fun having an excuse to get a little dressed up and try something new :)

This Lulu's dress is another one of those non-maternity items I just ordered a couple sizes up so it would fit "the bump". I'm loving the purple hues that are so popular after Pantone named radiant orchid the color of the year. I just ordered this basic boyfriend tee (under $20) that will be a good basic through Spring and Summer.  


Don't forget Sunday night is the last day to take advantage of the ASOS Sale. They are running 20% off new Spring pieces on top of the Spend and Save.  The dress I wore in this post is now available in pink and part of the Spring sale. Below are the codes for the promo :)

Hope you all have a great weekend! 
XOX, 
Christine

SPRING ESSENTIALS

ESSENTIALS.
5. Distressed Denim (my favorite jeans! Loving these cropped one's too)
6. Bright Stripe Tank (on sale) 

Above are my Spring essentials I'm currently craving. I love mixing brights with soft neutrals. I'm so in love with these shoes. They will match everything this Spring. 

Don't forget Shopbop sale ends Thursday at midnight. 
Enter code: BIGEVENT14 at checkout :)


ASOS is running their sale too. 
$15 off $100 [code: BAG15]
$30 off $150 [code: BAG30]
$50 off $200 [code: BAG50]


Happy Shopping!
XOX, 
Christine 


Neons & Pastels

DETAILS.
Top. Milk & Honey Boutique / Skirt. ASOS  (also loving this) / Bag. Old similar here & here [20% off code: BIGEVENT14] / Neon Heels. Old similar here & here

Yesterday was our dogs birthday! I never thought I would be the person who dressed up their dog or made them cakes on their birthday, but it's happened. I'm the crazy dog lady, and I shamelessly admit we are totally having a birthday party with his dog friends this weekend.

Today's look is a mix of all my favorite Spring colors. I love mixing pastels and neons. I recently fell in love with this neon stripe number from Milk and Honey Boutique. I don't know what my kick with stripes has been lately, but there my favorite. Below are a few more of my Spring picks:


Can't wait to shop Shopbop's big Spend More Save More Event today. It's one of my favorite sales because it's not exclusive to certain designers [save up to 30% - more details here]. Can't pass up a sale :)

Thanks for reading!
XOX,
Christine


Maternity Essentials

It's so crazy to me how fast pregnancy has gone by. I feel like yesterday I found out I was pregnant. Being this was my first time around, I remember being so excited yet SO nervous. With my two step babies I had experience being a mom, but being pregnant was a whole new adventure. A lot of you have asked about my maternity essentials and pregnancy routine so I wanted to share a little more today.  

1. Long Tee & Tank - One of my biggest frustrations being pregnant was finding shirts that covered my belly. The two I found to be the best basic layering tops (both under $15) were: 
 * Mossimo Crew Neck Tees - I bought the long sleeve version because it was cold most of my pregnancy but here is a link to the short sleeve version for you Spring/Summer pregnant mamas (size up to get the length). 
 * My other go to was these $1.80 Forever 21 tanks. You can't go wrong for $2. I bought a large and wore one almost everyday I was pregnant. They are so great for layering I have like 2 in every color. 

2. Tiek's Flats - If you are a frequent reader of my blog you know I rarely wear flats unless it's sneakers or converse. It's been such an adjustment the last couple months of pregnancy wanting to still be a little dressy but not wear heels. I am completely in love with Tieks. I tried them for the first time this year and they are worth the price. I think the reason I hadn't worn flats much before is I couldn't find a pair that was comfortable. I wear these all day and my feet don't cramp or feel squished. I'm converted! (this is the neutral pair I got to match the most/ also love these)

3. Maternity Jeans - Let's just say I didn't really know what these were until I was pregnant. I pictured old grandma jeans in my head and didn't even look into them until I was over 20 weeks pregnant. I used hair elastics to squeeze into my jeans as long as I could. It got to the point even those didn't work and I would just wear super long shirts and leave my pants all the way unzipped because I didn't have any jeans to wear. That ended pretty quick and one of my friends told me designer brands made maternity jeans. LIFE SAVER. I wish I would have invested in these way earlier. They are a maternity must. My favorite maternity jean brands were AG Jeans and Paige. For me I liked the over the belly band ones from AG, if you follow me on Instagram you know I lived in this pair through my pregnancy. For the side bands ones,  Paige was my favorite (I have this pair). Destination maternity has a great selection of designer brands.  

4. Mustela Stretch Mark Cream - Face it our bodies morph and do crazy things for our babies, and sometimes our skin can suffer. My mom instilled in me to take care of my skin, so I have been really paranoid about stretch marks. I read a lot of reviews and Mustela was the the best. It is kind of expensive but two bottles lasted me my whole pregnancy. No stretch marks to date :) (knock on wood!)

5. Maternity Bra - Another thing I waited forever to buy that I wish I would have purchased earlier in my pregnancy. Some people say sports bras work for them but they squished my boobs down too much when I was wearing non work out shirts. I tried a couple different brands and these Cake Bras were my favorite. They also have little buckles in the front, so they can be used post baby for nursing. 

6. Body Pillow - It gets to the stage where it gets super uncomfortable to sleep, sit on the couch, all the basic things you take for granted. My best friend Jen found this company Bump Nest and I am obsessed with their pillows. I use my maternity pillow almost daily. I can't sleep with it every night because I am huge cuddler and I hate having space between Cody and I, but whenever I am watching TV, lounging, or working on my computer in bed, I'm always using it. It's great for your posture and they have the cutest pillow cases (I got the stone chevron). I also just found out they have an acid reflex pillow which is next on my purchase list because I have been getting the worst heart burn the last couple weeks.

7. Fetal Dopler - My cousin gave me this and it was a God - send. If you are a worrier like me the first 16 weeks of pregnancy can seem like the slowest time of your life. The baby isn't big enough to feel it kick and your constantly wondering if he/she is ok. This little device is basically an at home heart monitor. So anytime your paranoid something is wrong you can listen to your babies heart beat. I did this almost every other day the first couple weeks I was pregnant because I was so paranoid something might be wrong. Mine was gifted but you can find them on Amazon or just google "baby heart monitor" they are like $40-$70 but so worth the peace of mind. 
**Also a little tip: you don't have to buy the ultrasound gel, KY Jelly or Aloe Vera works the same and it's a lot cheaper. 

A couple other maternity basics:
I haven't bought a ton of maternity clothes really other than jeans and a few dresses. Almost everything I wore I just ordered 1-2 sizes up so I could wear it after I have the baby. Some other favorites:
 - Black Leggings - Love Hue
 - Cute maternity dresses - more of me & ASOS
 - Oversized Sweats
- Best Designer Maternity Clothes selection - here

Happy Pregnancy!
XOX, 
Christine

Springing into Dresses

DETAILS.
Eliza J Dress / Harlowe and Graham Stripe Jacket / Tory Burch Purse (obsessed!) / Zara Heels (old similar here, open toe version here) / ILY Bracelet / Tortoise Sunglasses

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, navy is one of the big colors this season. I was immediately drawn to this stripe dress because of the lace detailing on the sleeve and contrast red zipper. The details make it so much more than just a basic navy stripe dress, but it's versatile enough I know it will get a lot of wear. 

We have finally had a couple gorgeous Spring days here in Utah. Nothing puts me in a better mood than waking up to a warm sunny morning. Of course with the season change means wardrobe change. I have been so anxious to start wearing Spring dresses, I have kind of been on a dress buying binge. A couple weeks ago I ordered this ombre maxi from Nordstrom, I love that it has pockets. I'm thinking it will be cute paired with a denim jacket until it gets warm enough I can wear it on it's own with like a floppy hat or chunky statement necklace. Then last week I found myself browsing the new arrivals again and ordered this floral and stripe bodycon dress. The more pregnant I get the more I find myself in dresses over jeans. Now I just need the weather to keep staying nice so I can wear these new beauties :)

Here are a few more of my favorites for Spring:





* This post is brought to you by Nordstrom all thoughts and opinions are my own.

XOX, 
Christine

Utility Neautrals

DETAILS.
Utility Jacket / AG Jeans (maternity non maternity here) / Rag and Bone Boots (similar here) / ILY Necklace / ILY Rings / Prada Bag (budget friendly here)

Hey everyone! Hope you had a fun weekend and are enjoying the day off for President's Day. Today's look is laid back. I found these great utility jackets at F21 a couple weeks ago for $30 and got the one in today's post and a black one. They are great basic layering pieces. 

Yesterday I did a little sale shopping. Nordstrom is running their shoe clearance sale (up to 40% off). I'm loving these mint heels and these Spring Nike's

XOX, 
Christine

Spring Pattern Play

DETAILS.

Navy and shades of blue are one of the big colors we are seeing this Spring. I love how easy it is to pair with bright colors or pastels. Don't be afraid to mix patterns and textures. They all play well off each other. 


Hope you all are having a great week!
XOX, 
Christine






Black

DETAILS.
ASOS Dress c/o (also available in pink!) / Valentino Heels / ILY Earrings

As I get closer to my due date I feel the need to savor the last couple weeks. With only a couple more weeks to go, I never thought I'd say this but I might actually miss the bump [or maybe that's the crazy pregnancy hormones talking] Either way it's fun to feel a little glam once in awhile :)


XOX, 
Christine  

Everyday

DETAILS.
Vince Top (similar here)  / Black Blazer (old similar budget friendly here / love this one)
AG Jeans (maternity/ same non maternity here) / Tieks Snakeskin Flats c/o

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! My family came to visit and we started setting up the nursery and getting ready for our new little guy :) I have slowly been adjusting to appreciating flats. From a girl who is used to living in heels pregnancy has forced me to reevaluate. These neutral print flats have become my new go to for everyday wear.

For you pregnant ladies out there I have found pairing a fitted piece (ie a blazer) over a flowy top helps keep your form but still gives you that loose comfortable feeling of an oversized top.



XOX,
Christine


How to Highlight for a Natural Glow + an Airbrush Tutorial

Recently I had the opportunity to try out TEMPTU's airbrush system and I am completely obsessed. It gives such a natural even coverage to create that flawless photo finish look. Today I am excited to share with you guys a make up tutorial using highlights to create a "natural glow". I was inspired by Phillip Lim's iridescent texture at this S/S Runway show where he created the perfect translucent glow.
Today I am going to try and recreate some of my favorite elements from the look using an iridescent highlighter. To start you will want to pick a highlighter that is 1-2 shades lighter than your natural color. I choose TEMPTU's AIRpod Highlighter in Champagne. It is pretty light but I love the soft shimmer in the hue. 

STEP 1: Lower Power
After you have applied your foundation and blush drop the power on the TEMPTU system to 2 or 3 o'clock. You will be applying the highlighter about 1 to 2 inches from your face, so you want the lower pressure so it doesn't get blotchy

Step 2: Highlight
You will be highlighting five areas on your face to create definition and glow:
* Brows: Highlight below the brow bone along the hairs of your brow
* Corner of your Eye: Apply a small centimeter circle in the inner corners of your eye to attract light to your eyes
* Bridge of your Nose: Depending on the shape of your nose, will determine the width of the highlight. If you have a wider nose apply a thin straight line down the center of your bridge to slim the width. If you have a slim nose apply a wider highlight to exaggerate the width. 
* Cheeks: Cheeks can be a 3 step process. After you have applied blush to the rose of your cheek, highlight above your blush from the rose to the outer corner of your eye almost creating a semi circle. If you want to accentuate the bone more and create depth apply a bronzer below the blush in the shadow of your cheek bone. 
* Lips: We all love the look of a soft plump lip! Highlight around the outer rim on your lips before you apply liner and this will create light and volume. You can also apply a splash of highlight to the center of your bottom lip to create additional plumpness. 

Step 3: Tada you are done! 
The highlights will emphasize your features for a natural glow. 
Do you TEMPTU? The TEMPTU airbrush system really makes highlighting so much easier and more professional looking. Right now you can click here to get a special discount on the starter kit.  

Below is a basic breakdown on where to highlight:
For a more thorough tutorial on using the TEMPTU Airbrush System to create highlights see my how to video below:
[Video: Thanks to Tribe Federation]

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I'm happy to answer :)

Be sure to vote for my look on Fashion Indie for a chance to win an all expense paid trip to NYC for the ultimate beauty make-over. 

Thanks for your support! 

XOX, 
Christine

Pink Leopard

DETAILS.
Pink Leopard Jacket  (on sale) / Black Tee (great for maternity they are long) / AG Jeans (maternity - non maternity here) / Alexander Wang Boots (similar here) / Sunglasses / Celine Luggage Tote (budget friendly here) / Michael Kors Watch

Happy Monday everyone! Thank you for all the birthday wishes! We had such a great weekend celebrating. It's crazy the older you get the faster time goes. I can't believe its February all ready.

Who else watched the Superbowl this weekend? I was raised about an hour and half outside of Seattle so I grew up going to Seahawk games with my Dad. It was pretty exciting watching them get their first Super Bowl win, but my favorite part is always the commercials. Budweiser's commercial with the puppy and horse was hands down the best. What were your favorites?

Below are a few more leopard and black favorites:


XOX,
Christine






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