A Rae of Style

34 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Another post for the maternity series.

Lovin the red and denim combo with some neutrals mixed in.

I've also been glued to this wall for the past few posts.

Hubbs has been busy with the whole 9-5 job thingy.

Denim shirt: H&M, knit sweater: Old Navy, pants: Ross (maternity), shoes: Nine West,
necklace: F21, watch: Guess, bracelets: target and thrifted.

Photos: Gina Lacanilao

Maintain.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted anything.
It's been quite hard to get any outfits on file mainly because

a) no time and b) being pregnant doesn't always make you feel like taking any pictures.

I pretty much have a rotation of all things comfy and what works with my belly in my closet at this time.

It has felt a little redundant to me over the past few weeks and even months.

But then, today, I decided I might as well show off these outfits, however few,

to display that although I've been preggers,

I have tried to maintain what style I could with my ever-changing bod.

It hasn't been easy but it's opened up my eyes to being creative with what I already have.

Because let's face it, maternity threads are so not the business. Yucky.

Anywho...

This whole pregger thing has progressed rapidly

and tomorrow, Peanut will officially have been cooking for 32 weeks!!

That's right. 8 whole months.

The home stretch.

Yaaaaah, baby!

Diy denim vest, lace top as worn before here in 2011 (as you can see, it is now a crop top on me. lol.), random tank, Joie boots, maternity skinny jeans from Ross (!), Guess watch, bracelets (l-r) H&M, F21, Target, necklace F21

Sheer and flared.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:36:00 +0000

The bump is getting HUGE.
Like .Icantbreathe. kinda huge.
And these days, dressing up is all about trying not to look like a tent. Or a whale. Or a house.
Even though I feel like one.
Snagged this shirt on clearance from Old Navy.
Suuuper excited not to pay full price for it.
Perfectly sheer and demure.
And these flares, also from ON, totally mimick saran wrap for my babygotback.
Completed the look with some red (of course!) BCBG pumps.
Don't you just love how pointy-toes are back??
So classic.

@always_ashleyrae

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 02:41:00 +0000

Life lately via Instagram.

Some pics of moi.

Outfits and armcandy.

Cali weather. Ranging from warm and sunny to cold and stormy.

Some good eats in the local area. Including garlic butter tilapia from Kitchen a la Ash.

And white chocolate covered strawberries made by the hubbs. Ohhh yeaaah.

Takin it back old school for ya.

The cutest flower girl of the Eighties.

The hubbs showing off his skills on the dance floor.

Young love circa 2003.

And if you're on Instagram, let's partay and divulge our private lives together!

It's sooo much fun.

@always_ashleyrae.

Repeat.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Striped dress and the color red.

I am not usually a stripe-y anything kinda girl but these casual dresses just fit my bump so well.

I can't help but want to show off my baby in such a body con way.

And with this Cali weather in the high 60's-low 70's, I am still able to bust out my favorite boots EVERRRR.

Over-the-knee WITH tassles.

Two seasons and counting. And worth every penny.

Thank you, ALDO.

On a more baby centered note, I've decided that I don't want to find out the sex of my little peanut here.

I want it to be like Christmas when I finally pop.

I had my doc write it in a notecard including an ultrasound of those precious privates, which is now sealed.

Buuuuut, trying to shop for neutral colored stuff is the most annoying thing.

I'm almost tempted to tear that envelope open just so I can shop.

Almost.

We'll see how long this will last. ;)

Casual day out.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Kept it super simple today with some red skinny jeans and black lacey tee.
Yes.
Red and skinny jean in the same sentence by a pregnant woman.
I had been mourning the semi-permanent, un-wearable status of all skinny jeans in my closet.
And I couldn't believe my luck when I found these. At wallet friendly Ross of all places!
Haven't yet put down $$$ for new clothes for my new figure because I'm still having a hard time letting go of my old figure.
And of course, I had to complete my outfit with some heels for a little bit of height.

I plan to keep wearing my beloved heels until I start to teeter over.

And even then, I may just switch to wedges. Ha!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

All sorts of reasons why

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I love this man.

-He's awesome at EVERYTHING he does. Seriously. I wish he'd let me in on the secret.

-He's got a better booty shake than Beyonce which he shows off to me nearly every morning, putting my skills to shame.

-Mr. Fix-It. I will NEVER have to hire anyone to fix my car or my house. I am truly blessed. So, is our bank account.

-He isn't into "regular" sports. So, I'm spared from having to endure baseball, basketball, football, soccer or hockey season. Yesssssss.
-He's got a perfect nook just for me when we cuddle. Eat your heart out, Carrie Bradshaw.
-He prays for me and our little family.
-He loves the Lord with all his heart.
-He does his own laundry. Yes. You read correctly.
-He's my baby's daddy.
-He makes me laugh. Like LOL-ROTFL-LMAO-kinda laugh.
-He CHOOSES to LOVE me even at my ultimate unlovable worst.
-He's my favorite friend. EVER.

-And of course, let me not forget to mention the obvious. Six-feet-three inches of S.E.X.Y.

HAPPY LOVE DAY, Monkey.
Thanks for loving me.

Leggy stripes.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:21:00 +0000

Showed off some leg today.
Channeling my inner sexiness.
Learning to embrace the evolution of mah new bod.
Who says you gotta be pregnant and frumpy???

Btw, anybody got any cool diy ideas for a Vday gift for the hubbs?

Snakeskin.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:34:00 +0000

I really, really, luuuurve animal prints.

You've all seen my leopard and now meet my snakes.

Fell in love with these snakeskin beauties from Nine West.

Super sexy and totally comfy for this Pregger.

Ran around town today with these glued to my feet and felt oh-so-glam.

Like Heidi "9-months-preggo" Klum kinda glam.

Ohhh yeeeeeahhh.

Feelin' floral.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:21:00 +0000

It's getting to be that time, folks when nothing I have in my closet fits the same way anymore.
And I'm holding on to what little figure I used to have.
Yet, I still find myself wandering around the part of a store that holds sizes 0-7.
Strategically, "missing" the maternity section.
And walking out of that said store with sizes that I could only fit 6 months ago.
And then realizing, when the heck was I planning to wear this?!
I've gotta get things together. A shift in thinking would help.
I mean, this baby is not gonna be a small one.
The husband was a twin and he weighed 7 pounds, while his twin bro weighed almost 9 pounds.
If that doesn't bring me back to reality,
then I'm sure the 60 extra pounds I'll gain by the end of this adventure definitely will.
Oh, the joys of pregnancy!

Anywhoo, the bump and I decided to wear something easy today.
A floral dress complete with cowboy boots and denim vest.
Ready to frolic in this California sunshine.

Leather, leopard and loafers.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:05:00 +0000

This whole pregnancy thing is a trip.
My body is going through all sorts of changes that I am amazed by.

The bump seems to be getting bigger by the ~~second~~. I mean ~~minute~~. Ok, maybe I'm being dramatic.
We'll stick with getting bigger by the day.
I can now feel little love pokes from peanut.
Movements so quick and subtle that only I can feel them.
Like a private conversation or joke just between the two of us.
And I know the hubbs is jealous. I mean who wouldn't be?!?
This baby's got those pokes down to a perfect science.
It's the best feeling EVERRRR.

@always_ashleyrae

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:54:00 +0000

So, the hubbs and I finally got our act together and joined a family plan.

A cell phone family plan.

He has an iPhone and I had a Droid.

There was no way on God's green earth that he was giving up his beloved iPhone so instead,

he surprised me with my very own!

And now I've got this budding romance with the phone of my dreams.

And of course, in order to become a "real" iPhoner, I had to get myself on Instagram.

I'm not sure how many bloggers out there use this amazing app, but I'm sure there are plenty.

Unfortunately, I haven't found you and you haven't found me. Yet! :)

(Note the username in the title.)

So, until that happens, here are some pics I'd like to share...

A couple outfit teasers for ya.

Full posts coming soon.

Totally in love with my new sparkly loafers!

And some arm swag and red lips to keep it glam.

Half of my jewelry collection.

Faves on display for easy access.

Some wall art of the hubbs and I.

True love is a beautiful thing.

And finally...

Introducing the little miracle from the Lord which came from the meshing of those two lucky people in the above picture.

Yes.

We're having a baby!

4 months and counting. Woo woo!

So, if I look like I've put on some pounds...

This tiny person is to blame.

And I wouldn't have done it for anyone else.

Mommy loves you.

Welcome, my little love bug to the world of blogging.

The new.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:58:00 +0000

Hairdo.

Chopped it.

Well, not completely.

But for me this is pretty short.

Some layers, and sort of this asymmetrical bob-ama-jiggy with just the last bit of ombre left in the front.

And of course, the bangs. Always the bangs.

Whether it be long and sideswept or blunt and straight.

This is the first of the few changes that are about to happen.

I've got some other things up my sleeves.

Including, ~~possibly~~, no scratch that, definitely changing my blog name.

And changing the content.

To include not only my style, but the story of my life as I live it.

Btw, let's do this whole Instragram thing. Find me: @always_ashleyrae.

It's sooooo much fun!

Last of the long.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:40:00 +0000

So, here we go with change.

This is the last outfit post with my long, flowing mane.

No more ombre and no more Kim K. curls.

Aaaaah!

I usually don't do very much with my hair. I like it long. And so does the husband.

But I'm definitely ready to try something different.

Can't wait to share soon!

Testing...testing...

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:25:00 +0000

123...

Hello? Anybody out there?

Wow! It's been quite sometime since I've blogged ANYTHING. Oh I have missed thee, blogger world!

I've been on hiatus for quite a few months. 7 to be exact. But who's counting?

Life has changed but definitely for the better.

2011 has passed and here we are in this wonderful new year.

Just thought I'd do a quick post to get my feet wet in 2012.

Wanted to practice my blogger poses a little. And let me tell you, I was a little wobbly getting back on the horse. Hence the ONE good picture today.

So bear with me as I do plan to practice tons more and re-perfect those skills.

But, I'm definitely back on the blogging scene and can't wait to catch up with all of you.

Not to mention how excited I am to implement some new changes to this little ol' blog of mine.

Including sharing more juuuicy personal stuff.

I hope you guys will join me on this new adventure!

Oh, and mucho thanks for not giving up on me and un-following yourself from my blog.

And one last thing...

anybody on Instagram?

I just joined the cool kids club with my new iPhone and I'm totally hooked on this app.

So, look me up if you totally fancy the idea and we can share even more pics.

Find me: @always_ashleyrae

Denim sheer.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:47:00 +0000

So, it was totally overcast, cloudy and kinda chilly when I got dressed today.

And then the sun came out.

While I was wearing tights and a button up (all the way to the top), other people were walking around in shorts and flip flops.

I decided that I'm not completely ready for summer and plan to wear fall/winter-like stuff until it becomes unbearably hot--even if that means enduring weird stares from other people.

All I can say is, to each his own. And I like my own. Style that is.

Changing it up.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:54:00 +0000

Striped shirt (with orange!) and cuffed military green cargos.
Straight hair and no bangs.

So not the usual.
A nice break from the daily.

Chillin'.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:58:00 +0000

Skinny jeans + easy breezy shirt + trusty fedora.

Perfect Ash combo.

Total chill mode today.

And in case you didn't know,

I love LA.

Grey matter.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Second to my beloved black, I love the neutral color of grey.

I love all shades of grey from the lightest to the darkest.

And I love mixing the different shades. Hence, my grey on grey today.

This dress is perfect for summer. Light, airy and oh so ruffly.

I've worn it in a more casual way sans belt with sandals.

But, per special request by the hubbs, I dressed it up a little more today.

Weekend merriment.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Sun, 22 May 2011 22:18:00 +0000

Yesterday, the hubbs and I hit the streets of Dtown LA to experience all the fun at the Red Bull Soapbox Race. It was a beautiful, sunny day to share with about 115,000 other SoCalifornians.

I had the amazing opportunity to see the race up close with the rest of the media people while the hubbs worked on covering the event.

We ended the afternoon with some photos of yours truly (Of course! What blogger wouldn't?!) and a couple of bacon wrapped hot dogs with everything. True LA steeez.

To see all the crazy pics of the Red Bull Soapbox Race, visit the hubbs here at KOUNTERKULTURED.COM and let him know I sent you! ;)

Gettin' my groove back.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:31:00 +0000

I thought I'd make the effort to do a post today. I was definitely feeling bloggerish for the first time in days.

Still don't have my groove back completely, but sometimes I need to just do it.

There's a storm over SoCal and I think that the weather was being empathetic to my funkiness.

Thank you, Mr. Rain.

I owe you one.

I promise not to complain about how wet and gloomy it is the next time you're around.

Lunchtime today was spent with the fam at a suuuuper yuuuumy all-you-can-eat Korean bbq place right in the heart of K-Town for a mere 10 buckaroos.

If you're ever in the area, make sure you hit up Sanya--nothing fancy, but I guarantee you a happy belly full of food!

And one last thing,

Happy birthday, Pops!

Love you always.

Tie dye for.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:33:00 +0000

Happy Friday to everyone!

I know I've been slacking on the posts and I apologize.

I'm in some kind of funk. Can't put my finger on it. I've been so uninspired lately. It's even caused me to stop shopping! Can you believe it?! Shocking, I know.

Yesterday, my fam and I went to see the Pasadena Showcase House. Every year, a mansion is chosen and different designers come to decorate each room to their liking. This year's house was built in the 1920's and was originally used as a second getaway home. It had 14 different rooms and huge grounds that included a cottage, pool with adjacent pool house (of course!), outside sitting rooms and at least two beautiful gardens complete with monarch butterflies. It was AMAZING!

Anyway, this was the outfit I wore. A tie dye dress. Flowy and fun. But I topped it off with the blazer for some structure. And since we weren't allowed to wear heels in the mansion, I opted for some jeweled sandals in a muted grey. And I chose some jewelry that felt a little more "mansion" appropriate.

The blazer was a good choice that night since we attended a private dinner party at the mansion after our tour and I was able to schmooze comfortably with some corporate folk.

As boho as it gets.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:18:00 +0000

This week has been extremely warm. I've been living in dresses. They are my favorite thing to wear in warm weather because they are so effortless. I just throw one on and go. Unfortunately, after "womaning out" as I mentioned in the last post, I am left with less than half of the dresses in my closet to wear that I've acquired through the years. They're either too tight or too short for my taste and hips. Boooooo. Guess it's time to shop for new ones!

This dress on the hanger looked extremely too boho for me. I don't usually make the best boho girl because I prefer a little more structure with more defined silhouettes and color palettes. I am a city girl in love with black and a touch of rocker edge. But, at times will choose to play up my feminine, classic side. I may mix in a dress or shirt that looks bohemian into my city style but I would never be able to pull off the "just rolled out of bed, threw this on and my hair looks perfect" look on a daily basis.

What is your personal style?

Long overdue.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:02:00 +0000

Amazing how just one post ago I was in a jacket and boots
and now I'm spending my days in skirts and dresses.
Loved this outfit. Especially the cropped-top lace. So easy breezy.
I am a creature of habit and this will definitely be on rotation in my closet.
And also with this post comes the realization of just how much I've "womaned out" these last couple of years. Long gone are the days of size 0/1 and I now welcome a world full of curves.
And I must admit, I kind of like it this way.
...
Now, on to more important things.
Throughout the time that I've had this blog, I have received some really great blogger awards. And I am so honored and thankful to receive each of them. I know I'm suuuper late in replying to them and I apologize. I'm actually the worst person to give these awards to because I don't ever follow through with all the rules that come with receiving them. But, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate them!
I'm just that lazy.
So, I'd like to properly say THANK YOU for noticing my lil' ol' blog. If I could, I'd give you all a BIG hug! But, unfortunately that isn't possible, so this will have to do. ;)
XxOo.

Weekend love.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Rae) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:29:00 +0000

Whew. This week flew right by me! Again.
Busy bee. That's me.
But, it's Friday.
And it's my weekend off.
And I've got a shopping day planned for Saturday.
Aaaaand I will also be getting a much needed massage.
But, the absolute BEST part about this weekend is Resurrection Sunday.
And my Lord lives!

By the way, if anybody has any great ideas on where I should spend my money buying pretty items for my closet anywhere in the LA area, lemme know!

And it was super funny that the hubbs wanted to shoot in a sort-of alley near dumpsters just because I wore this jacket. Lol.

Not my first choice, but I'm just happy he's more than willing to be creative with my blog and take my pictures.

Thanks, babe!

By the way, check out his blog: KounterKultured and spread the word. Especially to the man in your life! It's a very male oriented blog complete with cars and other such things. They'll love it.