Tag Archives: Maternity Chic

Nesting: The Nursery Project

Nesting: The Nursery Project

Truth be told, I’ve probably been nesting for quite some time now – probably, some would argue, well before I even thought about getting pregnant. But once the hormones kicked in, I went into overdrive hitting up HomeGoods in an embarrassingly cliched way.

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The Garden Themed Baby Shower

Garden-Themed-Baby-Shower

Tony and I are recovering from Baby Shower #2, which involved the loud chatter of my very enthusiastic Cuban family (who have actually begun to rub off on his Peruvian side) and copious amounts of the very best homemade ethnic food any pregnant woman could want.

For this one, we went with a garden theme, since it was hosted in the beautiful backyard of my aunt & uncle’s home. We enjoyed one of those rare cool and clear Miami afternoons that I usually just pray and/or daydream about. Gotta say, we are both feeling very blessed indeed.

Here are some of our favorite details, including the Polaroid sign-in book, Milk Jar Mimosas, and everyone’s favorite Pomeranian, Romeo.

Mason--JarsMilk-Jar-with-Paper-StrawMilk-BottlesLollipopsPorcelain-BirdCenterpiecesCupcakesBelly-ShotAbuelo-with-CameraRomeo

Event Details:

Cupcakes: Not Just Cakes by Patty, Milk Jars with Straws: Beau-Coup.com, Dress: ASOS Maternity, Flowers: Berkeley Florist Supply arranged in Mason Jars, Favorite Red Lipstick: MAC Ruby Woo.

All photos taken by dad-to-be Tony Espinoza.

Maternity Chic: 4 Tips to Dressing the Belly

Header - Bubbles & Ink - Dressing the Belly Post

Week 32 is here and with it the slow waddle befitting one whose rotund nature is weighing heavily on their self esteem. In need of motivation, I started looking back through old pictures on my phone and came across a few shots of me dressing a belly that’s clearly got a plan of its own.

If you’re busy growing a small person of your own, I’m sure you can relate. It’s difficult to feel good about yourself when you barely recognize that person in the mirror. But take comfort in the fact that everyone else will tell you you’re glowing even if you’re sure that’s just a thin sheen of sweat breaking across your forehead from going up what used to be a short flight of stairs. Take heart. It’s only temporary. And your handbags will still fit, no matter what kinds of shenanigans your belly gets into.

Below, I give you four easy tips to dressing that belly that I discovered over the past months after making a serious effort to avoid the maternity shops. So far, mission accomplished. How’d I do? Any tips of your own you can share with us first-timers?

1) BELT THAT BUMP

Going through the first few months was tricky because all my regular clothes still fit but just made me look overweight, not pregnant. I quickly discovered that belting the baby bump would bring attention to my growing belly and clear up for everyone the fact that I was creating a person in there and not just really enjoying those Buffalo wings at Sports Grill (though I really DID enjoy all those Buffalo wings at Sports Grill…). To clear up any confusion and proudly show off your new curves, grab a skinny belt and wear it just above the belly. Something with embellishments adds a really nice touch and makes you look pulled together. Belted dresses or wrap dresses also grow with you.

Belted Shirt Dress from Kirna Zabete for TargetBelted Sweater & Layers

2) LOOK FOR LARGER SIZES

I was hesitant to dive into the maternity shops when I knew this would only be temporary. The truth is, you can easily fit into larger sizes and avoid the pregnancy tent phenomenon for quite a long while if you shop for larger sizes. Knowing I could find inexpensive pieces and still be on trend, I hit up shops like Forever 21 for loose-fitting items. I also shopped my own closet for comfortable stretch fabrics (maxi skirts, soft tees) that have worked for me even until today, at week 32. Maxi dresses with empire waists have also been an essential wardrobe stable that need not come from a maternity store.

Large Graphic Sweater - Forever 21

Outfit - Budding-Bump

3) THE POWER OF BLACK TIGHTS

When my jeans and pants stopped fitting against all better efforts, I discovered my new wardrobe staple: black tights. Sure, there are belly bands and such to make your existing pieces work. But the truth is that I didn’t want to bother with any of it. I wanted to pull something on and be done with it. So came the black tight uniform I’ve been shamelessly reinventing for several months now. Dress up or down by adding a basic tee or sweater, or even your husband’s favorite shirt. The very best part is that they’re fairly cheap and easy to replace if you outgrow them (I shopped Old Navy and Target).

Outfit - Sweater & Tights

4) ACCESSORIES ALWAYS FIT

When all else fails, the great thing is that no matter how big your baby bump gets, accessories will ALWAYS fit. Pile on your favorites or wear one standout piece. The choice is yours. But a little glitz always makes me feel much better when my clothing options begin to look like glorified tents. Remember it’s just temporary and you’ll be looking like yourself in a short while. I hear running after a little one just makes the pounds melt off.

Brighthouse Baubles BraceletEnvelope Clutch from ASOS

POST DETAILS: 

Pink ASOS Clutch, Pave Link Bracelet from Brighthouse Baubles, Lucite Bangles from H&M, Studded Black Clutch from Rebi’s Closet, Gold & Wood Bead Bracelet from Stephanie Lian’s Closet, Gold Link & Pave Link Bracelet from Gigglosophy, Graphic Print Sweater from Forever 21, Belted Shirt Dress from Target

Big City Moms Miami Recap

Sweet Dough

As if my recent waddling or growing belly weren’t already driving the point home, attending the Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower: Miami event made it overwhelmingly clear that I am, indeed, incredibly pregnant. I’m no longer in that in-between maybe-she’s-just-packed-on-a-few-extra-pounds stage. I am fully, recognizably preggo with the hormone surges to prove it. But so were all the other attendees at this event and it made me feel slightly normal for a short while.

But attending this event as a first-time mom-to-be was also incredibly educational. I thought I knew what my baby needed until I took a stroll through the seemingly endless rows of vendors and discovered there’s a whole world of new essentials our parents didn’t need but certainly could have used to make their initial parenting years a whole lot easier (Zippyz and Bibbitec, anyone?). Below, I give you some of my standout products (and maybe some gifting ideas for yours truly!). Have you tried any of these products? I’d love to hear what you think.

SOME FAVORITES:

1) Tutti Bambini: A one-stop shop for all things baby, including classes, baby planning, and maternity concierge services.

2) Sweet Dough: Custom cookies, pastries and sweets.

3) “O” Pops by Angie: Custom (and really delicious) cake pops.

4) Project Nursery: Inspiring style for baby’s first room and beyond.

5) Daddy Scrubs: Scrubs and gifts for the expectant dad.

6) Zippyz: Onesies that zip (instead of snap) from foot to belly, keeping your baby warm and comfy through diaper changes.

7) H.O.L.D. Couture: Maternity and post-maternity shapewear. (Not pictured)

8) Give Wink: Baby needs and customizable gifts.

Big City Moms Baby Shower Miami

Sweet Dough & Pops by AngieMaxi Cosi

Project Nursery

A Peek in the Pod

Daddy Scrubs

Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox

ZippyzTutti Bambini

Tutti Bambini

Give Wink

Mad-Men-Aly-Blog

P.S. I had to include my preggo Mad Men alter-ego image, created by none other than my baby-daddy. Totally irrelevant but still kinda cute; especially the way she’s still wearing full pumps when I clearly slid across the room last night in nothing more than a glorified kitten heel. Ah, the joys of pregnancy.

 

Maternity Chic: The Diaper Bag Dilemma

So, the diaper bag. That vinyl thing we’re all supposed to carry around with some sort of overzealous duck print just because we’ve recently bred a munchkin who’ll likely adore that sort of stuff. And that’s just fine for him/her. But why would a 32-year-old woman voluntarily tote one of those things around? I mean, if that’s your thing and you’ve been secretly dying to find an excuse to sport some nursery rhyme-type fashion, then go ahead and rock that duck unapologetically. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d be cringing for you just a little on the inside.

I’ve both been dreading and anticipating the hunt for a more fashion-forward solution to this diaper bag dilemma. Before getting pregnant, I wasn’t really the type of gal who’d linger around the kinds of shops that would impart this sort of information. But here I am and my search has led me to some admittedly chic options. Bags with nary a nursery print in sight.

Though I’ll admit that two of the six bags in this post are not officially diaper bags per se, my search did lead me to the “diaper bag insert” solution that can pretty much turn any good-sized  tote into a baby-suitable carry-all. Hence, the L.A.M.B. and See by Chloe are still perfectly legitimate choices (insert silly grin on mom-to-be here). The other four are by Timi and Leslie, my new mommy-friendly favorites.

But I’d love to hear from other chic moms out there. What did you wear as a diaper bag? Any designers I overlooked? Please share your wisdom with me! If you know me, you don’t even want to think about the perma-scowl I’d be rocking with a duck print bag.

Click on the pics to visit the retailer’s site.