out and about

After having a baby, I like to stay in and recuperate from the physically traumatizing event that is giving birth. After approximately 3 weeks, I was finally ready for a change of scenery and routine. I got out of my pj's, primped, and groomed. And it felt so good to get back into the way I did things before. I love getting ready, and over the years, have created somewhat of a pampering ritual out of it. It's good to be back!

Also, I recently did a guest post on the fashion blog, Moiology. I would love it if you would check it out here. 

oh, baby!

Baby Lee Naomi was born a couple of days after her Halloween due date. She was a quick and natural delivery. I am smitten by this little bitty bundle of baby. She is a perfect fit to the family and I'm so happy to finally have her with us.

My outfits of choice, if you can even call them outfits, have been a constant rotation of loose tees and sweats. There have been no accessories and absolutely no make up. With all of the healing, leaky boobs, runny poop and pee diapers, and everything else that comes with a newborn there has been no point in getting ready this past week. And I'm ok with the little break. At least for now.

maternity style: 10 days to due date (part 2)

Day 5: Friends' Halloween get together. Long necklaces are my favourite accessory but have been looking a little off resting on a huge belly. So I've had to shorten some while others have been put away temporarily. I then discovered how nice a thin scarf can look tied into a loose bow. Because of the thinness of the material, it looks just fine sitting right on top of my very round and pointed belly.

Touque: Urban Outfitters (James') | Jacket: Forever XXI | Scarf: Thrifted | Tee: American Apparel (James') | Necklace: Expressions by The Bay | Leather Cuff: Taiwan.

Day 4: A day out with James and the kids. The faux fur collar is one of my go-to accessories for fall. I actually have 3 versions of these. This particular one came with the jacket from Forever XXI I wore the day before. Adding some fur (hats, collars, vests, mitts, etc.) can quickly add a bit of edge to any outfit.

Faux fur collar: Forever XXI | Poncho top: H & M | Leggings: Urban Planet | Boots: Montreal. 

Day 3: Church. The oversized sweater is perfect for the current weather and belly. Combined with the snood (another favourite fall accessory), I felt like I was being hugged by my clothes all day. So comfy.

Snood: Joe Fresh | Sweater: thrifted | Skirt: Forever XXI | Boots: Montreal.  

Day 2: Owning a bunch of different outerwear really pays off in this kind of weather. When going out, it doesn't matter what you wear underneath as long as you have a cool jacket to throw on top of it.

Jacket: thrifted | Sweater: thrfited Gap | Denim bag: thrifted.

Day 1 and Due Date: I'm being honest. I wore this outfit two days in a row. It worked once for the few hours I was out so I threw it on again the day after for some more little errands and a little Halloween get together we held at our house.

Cardigan: thrifted | Tank: Old Navy Maternity | Maxi skirt: Joe Fresh | Necklace: Expressions by The Bay.

nyx cosmetics at london drugs!

How excited was I to discover a brand new section for NYX Cosmetics at London Drugs located in St. Vital Centre! I've always heard and read raves over NYX but have never had the opportunity to check the brand out myself. I have been coveting their Soft Matte Lip Creams and Single Eye Shadows for ages and to be able to swatch these and many other products in person was total bliss! 

I must have spent an hour swatching colours, cleaning off my hand, and swatching some more. This brand is totally worth the hype. The texture of their eye shadows and lip products is amazing especially for drug store. Love. My only complaint is the price. Of course Canadian prices are quite a bit higher than the US. London Drugs did have some pretty good deals going on so I'll have to check back once in a while for sales on products I want. And when I can't wait any longer, there is always Cherry Culture with their amazing prices on NYX and reasonable shipping and handling charge. 

maternity style: 10 days to due date (part 1)

We are finally counting down to baby's arrival into our home. I thought since I'll soon have no bump to style, I'd get ready every day and photograph each outfit until the due date. I must admit that this will be the first time ever that I will miss being pregnant and dressing around a baby belly. Here are the results:

Day 10: Church. Remember when the "trapeze" dress came back? I still have mine and have worn it at least once in every one of my pregnancies.

Anorak: Jules & James | Dress: Old Navy | Belt: H &M.

Day 9: Lounged at home in a semi-comfy dress and batwing hoodie. The dress is fun as it has a couple of super deep pockets in the front. I love, love, love oversized pieces for pregnancy and this hoodie is no exception. It's a size s/m and I can still zip it all the way up if I wanted to. How amazing is that?   

Dress: Boutique Onze | Hoodie: Joe Fresh.

Day 8: Shopping with the kids and sister-in-law. The shirt is tight and shows a lot of seams but that's when a good oversized knitted snood comes in handy.

Snood: Joe Fresh | Two-toned shirt: Paramix | Jeans: Old Navy Maternity.

Day 7: Doctor's appointment. Something quick and easy. This is such a fun poncho but I sometimes feel self-conscious that it may look a little costume-y. No matter. I am loving it for pregnancy.

Sequins headband: Ardene | Poncho: thrifted | Leggings: Montreal.

Day 6: At home. I had to include my classic pregnancy uniform: husband's clothes. I love them. So forgiving and so comfortable. I have always wanted to pick up a cool pair of sweatpants of my own that I can proudly wear out as well as around the home but with all of the other lovely clothes out there, spending money on sweats just can't make its way high enough up my shopping priority list.

McGill University tee: American Apparel (James') | Pyjama pants: Joe Fresh (James'). 

a mini haul: outerwear

I did a bit of shopping on my own at Grant Park Shopping Centre after an appointment. It was nice to walk this baby belly around for some much needed low-impact exercise. I took my time and stayed out for a few hours while my mom spent some quality Lola (grandma in tagalog) time with the kids.

Being an only child in a working single parent household, I never imagined I'd one day miss the quiet and being by myself, but I've recently been wanting these two things in my life again. With two crazy little ones in the home, I've come to appreciate the rare times I get to contemplate and ponder the things that are happening in my life. Family members are amazing as they step in and offer to take our children off our hands so they can be with them, and so James and I can have the much needed break. A win-win situation I'm always happy to agree to.

1. an Anorak perfect for colder fall weather | 2. Boyfriend coat | 3. A lush faux fur collared coat | 4. Faux fur touque/scarf/pocket mitts.    

Onto the shopping. Grant Park is a little mall in the city that I normally never visit but I wanted to go this time for one hidden treasure, October Boutique. It's a beautifully set up store that carries brands like Soïa & Kyo, Covet, and GENTLEFAWN. I'm not one to get into brand names since I don't like spending too much on my clothes, but I'll splurge once in a while if I feel it's worth it. Plus, it's fun to try on some pieces for a bit of inspiration.

The owner of the store was so cool and fun, and being a mom herself, loved my baby bump. She told me that she has seen expectant women perform two types of nesting: cleaning or shopping. In this pregnancy, I'm definitely doing the latter. I haven't done much around the house to prepare for baby even though our due date is a week away. Newborn clothes have yet to make their way from storage to the kids' room, hospital bag hasn't been packed, and I'm not really sure where the baby's car seat is supposed to go in the van. I did, however, manage to take home with me pieces 1 & 3 (photographed above). Oh, well. There's always tomorrow to prep!

my take on baby style

I normally don't get too into what my kids are wearing. They're so young and carefree that I don't want to hold them back with "fashion". I'd much prefer for them to just be kids. Plus, our kids' clothes are mostly gifted by family members so I don't really feel like I'm the one who's dressing them, though I sometimes find some fun in styling their outfits to my tastes.

I almost never find the need to buy them clothes since they're pretty taken care of by their very loving grandparents but when I do, my go-to places are Joe Fresh (located inside Superstores in the city) and Value Village on Pembina. That's it. Very specific, I know, but these places are so affordable and very reliable that I often have no trouble finding what I want at prices I'm comfortable paying for children's clothing.

On The Boy:
Touque: Joe Fresh | Windbreaker: Vintage (belonged to James when he was little) | Shirt: Joe Fresh | Jeans: Joe Fresh.
On The Girl:
Slouchy touque: Joe Fresh | Jean dress: Calvin Klein | Jacket: Joe Fresh | Striped socks: Baby Gap.