{ All Things Bright and Beautiful }

A Whole Lot of News...

2013-05-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

So this has been a WHOPPER of a week in our family...in fact, I'm not really sure we are going to have so much big news in so few days ever again (and boy am I totally glad about it! #stressedtothemax)

Last Friday night we got the much anticipated news about the Husband's BAR results:

And holy *BLEEP*, they make you wait, and WAIT, and *WAIT* for those fricken' results! But we are so relieved and now it's just on to finding a job. No problem right??? (bwahahahahahaha)

And then on Tuesday came big news #2:

Yup, Baby #3 has officially become Baby Girl...which was quite a shock for me because I was *certain* that she was going to be a boy...why? I have no idea, but I figured I had a fifty-fifty chance...turns out I'm terrible at gambling.

I'm totally overjoyed to be welcoming another little lady into our family and her big sister feels like she won a contest...apparently her prayers are stronger than her older brother's (c;

In other news (the not-so-big news), Mother's Day was a success and my vote is to have it every Sunday, what do you think??? I even got to dress up like an adult #majorscore

And since I just really can't pass up a chance to do a Friday's Fancies post (especially when it's about *stripes*!), I'll throw in this little diddy about what I want to be wearing:

Dress * Necklace * Flats

And whilst on the subject of stripes, these gorgeous kicks would make my day:

via Atlantic-Pacific

If you've made it to the end of this randomness, I salute you! And bid you a marvelous weekend...

Linkin' it up!

Friday's Fancies: Weekend Wear!

2013-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thank the powers that be, it's the weekend!!! This one has been a booty-kicker (aren't they all???).

I'm totally ready to kick it in some laid back duds...with a cold drink in my hand and nothing to do but sit pool side (c;

So reality check, *that* (see above daydream) is not happening, but kickin' it chillaxin' style is TOTALLY happening.

I saw these sandals and I'm just about as in love as in love can be...they are so cute, they're supposed to be UBER comfy, and *oh-em-gee* does it get any cuter than those little wing-shaped buckles???

And no weekend wear ensemble is complete without a parrot. They just scream "vacation", don't you think?

Sandals * Maxi * Necklace

And perhaps I'm just into red because I've been obsessing over these Red Velvet Brownies...*SO* happening for my Mother's Day treat.

Linkin' it up!

Lust List: Birthday Edition

2013-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I've got a thing for pastels lately.

And super girly and lady-like...what is going on with me???? (c;

I'm pretty sure I might die without these shoes, though...so it's a good thing birthdays are a free pass to ask for whatever you want, right?

Plus, shoes are one of the few things that you can wear no matter how large your midsection gets (c;

Dress * Necklace * Heels * Bag * Bracelet * Earrings

So sorry for the days off, but we spent the weekend partyin' it up with the cousins, so as you might imagine, that gets exhausting (for mommy)!

But darn it if they aren't cute:

Friday's Fancies: May Flowers!

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

April showers are alright, I guess...but MAY FLOWERS!?! My Fave.

Don't you think I could still fit a pregnant belly into this outfit??? Totes.

And I just can't get over the lovely floral of those shorts...especially in that lovely sunny shade of yellow (c:

May is pretty much my favorite month EVER...Mother's Day *and* my birthday...all wrapped up in a month that is usually fantastic weather and sometimes they even make my birthday a national holiday (yeah, I guess it's Memorial Day technically, but when it falls on my birthday...).

And to top it all off, this year we'll also be finding out if we're having a wee princess or wee prince joining our family.

WHEW!

Crazy month, right???

This calls for more fabulous floral inspiration:

1, 2, 3

Linkin' it up!

Gold Rush

2013-05-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or does Tory do gold *REALLY* freakin' well???

I was just ~~drooling lusting~~ perusing the shoe section on the Tory Burch site and I was suddenly a GOLD DIGGER.

You're going to buy me these shoes? I'm yours. (c;

And no, unfortunately for me, I'm in no way being compensated for this, I'm just got a bad case of the gimmies...

Give the lady what she wants

2013-05-01T07:57:00.001-07:00

Did Mother's Day sneak up on anyone else this year???

I mean, *HOLY CANOLI*, it's in a week and a half! I haven't even started dropping hints to the hubster about my wishlist!!! (c;

And hubby (even though I know you're not reading this), these will all do very nicely. Thanks in advance.

Art * Monogram * Macarons * Bracelets *

Anything earth-shattering that I missed???

I'm sure I'll think up more things later...

I'm not dead, don't worry...

2013-04-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

See?

I'm still alive! Yay!

But I was definitely under the weather last week and as you might have been able to tell, my motivation has been somewhat lacking as of late. )c:

So I'm seriously thinking about joining the land of the living this week and making a real go of blogging, too...I said I'm *thinking* about it, who knows if it will actually happen or not *wink wink*

So there are definitely some things that have been rolling around this preggers sicky brain of mine and some stuff going on:

I found this print that I'm snapping up immediately because it's adorable and oh-so-springtime-y:

I picked up this little nightstand that is just begging for an overhaul, that cute little shape and fun hardware was just too good to pass up for $10 (hey, it's about time the hubby had a proper nightstand, right?):

And it had been *FOREVER* since my last proper haircut (no really, like 2 years...), so I chopped about 6 inches off my ridiculously long hair...and you can barely tell. Oi vey.

I swear, it's a lot shorter...

And for those of you that are curious about ~~how fat I'm getting~~ the baby bump, here's real proof that I really am ~~knocked up~~ expecting:

And that's only at 15 weeks people...you can just imagine the size at full term. Again, OI VEY. (c;

The upside is that we get to find out what we're having in two weeks!!! And don't worry, I'm not very fond of my bump pictures, so there won't be a whole slew of them (c;

And with that I bid you good day and happy Monday!

Friday's Fancies: Nice + NEON!!!

2013-04-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

For us children of the '80's, there might still be some residual trauma from the first go 'round of the neon trend...

So just in case you still have these images in your head when you think of neon:

Let me try and persuade you that it's so much more radical this time around:

Heels * Jeans * Blouse * Bag * Necklace

But seriously, those *HEELS*...they are the most beautiful things I've ever laid my shoe-coveting little peepers on. DYING.

And there's plenty more where that neon love fest came from...can you tell I'm partial to day-glow yellow?

Granted, it's still probably not for everyone, but daaaaaang if some of these ladies aren't just killin' it:

Wendy's Lookbook

Atlantic-Pacific

And while we're on the subject of sunshine and rainbows, I can't tell you how much I've missed visiting you all! I know I've been a total bum and I really wish I had more hours in a day!

Here's hoping this is a laid back and relaxing weekend...*fingers crossed*

Happy Weekend!

Linkin' it up!

Friday's Fancies: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

2013-04-12T10:36:00.002-07:00

Isn't it always all about the shoes? Of course it is.

That is why I want my closet to look like this:

Heaven.

However, I could settle for adding a couple of these beauties to my ~~addiction~~ collection:

one * two * three * four * five

I definitely love some metallics, but I've been craving color this spring...and neon, no less (c:

Any pretty footwear you've been lusting over lately???

Happy Weekend, fellow footwear fanatics!

Linkin' it up!

Stella & Dot and Autism Awareness

2013-04-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

When Lauren asked if I wanted to partner up to promote Autism Awareness with Stella & Dot, you know I couldn't say no!

There are too many people that I hold dear affected by it and I'm thrilled that they are trying to spread the word and help these amazing kiddos.

Lauren asked me to host an online trunk show, so if you are interested in shopping for a cause, and if you're like me, you're looking for any reason to shop (c;...

Head on over and check it out!

all pieces from Stella & Dot's line to promote Autism Awareness

They are going to donate a *minimum* of $10,000 to this cause, I would love to see it be so much more!!!

Shopping is never a bad way to start off a Monday, is it? (c:

*I was not compensated for this post and am not associated with Stella & Dot in any way, just love their jewelry and a great cause (c: *

Friday's Fancies: Gone Dotty!

2013-04-05T07:38:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love Fridays?

I have to admit I loved them less before I had Friday's Fancies to get my creative juices flowing and my fashion lust growing (c;

News flash: Polka dots are *everywhere*.

I know, now that I've broken this major fashion secret to you, you've got all the answers to all the burning questions of the universe.

You're welcome.

Even better now that you can dress in head to toe dots, no?

Even though this *might*, just might not be breaking news to ya, I'm pretty sure this cute lil' pattern of whimsy is going to be around for quite a while.

I mean, Kate Spade is never wrong.

Happy Weekend, my dotties!

Linkin' it up!

The Bunny was here...

2013-04-02T08:47:00.002-07:00

Still recovering from your jelly bean and peeps hangover?

Yeah, us too.

It was a fun filled weekend for sure, but it seems like every time a holiday is over, we've had a fantastic day...but I'm okay with it being a whole year until it comes again (c:

This is what we were up to this weekend:

And probably best of all, we actually got a picture of *ALL* of us together. It's an Easter miracle, people.

The little man looks like he's in pain, but don't worry, he's just taking a picture...it's tantamount to torture for him.

How was your Easter? Any good ideas for next year??? (c;

Friday's Fancies: Pretty in Pastels!

2013-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Can we just pretend for a minute that the Easter Bunny is just like Santa???

Okay, maybe that needs a little bit of explanation...what I mean is that I want to be able to just ask the Easter Bunny for *whatever* I want and fully expect for it to end up in my Easter basket.

Not a bad idea, right? (c;

I'm 99.9% positive that the "Easter Bunny" (aka the hubster) isn't going to be down with that, but just in case he's feeling jelly bean-tastic, this whole shebang would make my Easter *very* happy:

Top * Skirt * Necklace * Cuff * Heels * Bag

How *BANANAS* is that top from Anthro??? I do believe that I could sufficiently hide a baby bump under that flounce for quite some time (c; And I just keep going back to those Steve Madden beauties...they will be mine, *oh yes*, they will be mine!

Commence diabolical scheming and then pathetic pleading with hubby.

Hope you all have a bunny-tastic Easter weekend filled with Starburst jelly beans, Peeps, and Cadbury eggs...

Linkin' it up!

Blossoming...

2013-03-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

With all the blooming that things are doing around here (sorry for you all still stuck with the snow!), I can't help but think of all the fabulous florals popping up.

Back when I was growing up, my mom was a floral *fanatic*...and daaaaaang, if you remember some of the '80's and '90's florals, then you share my pain (c;

Not awesome.

But now when I think of florals, I don't have to think of grandma's dowdy burgundy/forest green brocades...oh no no no...there are some fiiiiiine lookin' florals cropping up everywhere!

I'm thinking a pillow infusion is just the ticket:

one * two * three * four

And let me just say that I could've spent all day long perusing the Etsy selection of floral pillows...amazingness abounds...

Baby Brain

2013-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

So since I've had baby on the brain, I've also had nurseries...

...and wallpaper.

But mostly just this particular wallpaper:

This last image is my absolute favorite...thanks Irene for the proper introduction, I think it's a match made in heaven and we could be happy together for a *VERY* long time (c:

Friday's Fancies: Spring has Sprung!

2013-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

And aren't we just so glad that spring is finally here???

I'm not super excited about the fact that it seems to already be summer here (it's been in the 90's already...are you kidding me???) which I would probably be okay with except for one tiny little detail: being preggers.

Dang, come August I'm going to be DYING.

But we're going to focus on the fact that I'm still comfortable now and darn it if the spring stuff that's coming out isn't just killin' it!

SO OBSESSED with those J Crew heels...I promise I always set out to avoid J Crew entirely on my boards (don't want to be *too predictable*, right?)

but shoot, it always ends up on there in a big way. Apparently I'm no good at resisting their charms (c;

So put a spring in your step, it's SPRING!!!

Happy Weekend, y'all!

Linkin' it up!

A little of this, a little of that: Shopping Style

2013-03-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Color and pattern...COLOR and PATTERN...**COLOR AND PATTERN***!!!!

Are you seeing a trend here??? (c;

I'm still on board for sure and it looks like all my favorite shopping spots are, too (thank goodness for that...)!

Cardigan - Necklace

Flats - Jeans

Dress - Necklace

Necklace - Bracelet - Scarf

2013-03-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Happy super duper *bleepin'* Monday!

Oops, did I just put a "bleepin'" in there??? (c:

A quick check in to show you that I'm not dead nor abandoning my bloggy (entirely)...

So my sister is having a baby right now, so I'm going to be an auntie (again!)...there's just nothing quite like a brand new baby, is there? Speaking of, a huge congrats to Miss Christine from Bijou and Boheme because she just met her little love nugget for the first time this weekend and he is *DARLING*! All these cute little guys are the only things that keep me excited about my ever expanding belly (c;

Speaking of, I have found my new closet staple: this skirt from Target.

IT'S STRETCHY. 'Nuff said. And this is me in "Operation Camouflage Baby Bump":

And I spied this little number on Amanda's sweet little slice of the blogosphere, {re}cycled consign and design, and I was all like "Whaaaaaaa???? A dino swimsuit for girls? SIGN ME UP."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the little reptile lover approves.

And I'm not sure how we've *never* been to the lake that's 45 minutes from our house, but we tried it out this week since it was Spring Break and it got two thumbs up from the wee ones:

And I'm thinking about actually tackling a project today (get that look of shock/alarm off your face (c;)...I'm thinking this one from my gal Courtney over at A Thoughtful Place except with sparkle paper...because what's a holiday without *sparkle*???

And with that, I bid you adieu and hoping that you're rockin' your Monday a lot better than we are around here... (c:

Friday's Fancies: Lucky Ladies!

2013-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

So a combination of preggers/spring break/laziness really zapped the creativity this week, so sorry for the lack of posting...but I'm sure you don't just want me to post just to post, right???

At least that's what I keep telling myself...

But seeing as it's St. Patty's Day this weekend and I'm a big lover of the GREEN, I couldn't pass up a chance to throw something together in homage to one of my favorite hues (c:

Shirt * Shirt * Jeans * Bag * Necklace * Shoes

I'm totally going to lame it out on St. Patty's this year, but it made me feel better to look up ideas on how not to totally suck at it next year:

For the littles:

Darling treat display idea (because everyone knows leprechauns dig candy):

A little DIY for a kiddos hair bow:

I just wanted to show a picture of those nummy green macaroons:

And for if you're ~~insane~~ getting super fancy for this bless'd day:

All images via

I think I'm actually going to dress in green this year, even though it's on a Sunday...I've got two little leprechauns that would *LURVE* carte blanche to pinch....(c:

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

Linkin' it up!

Friday's Fancies and The Great and Powerful Oz Movie Review!

2013-03-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

Made it!

To the end of the week! It's cupcakes and high-fives all around because that one was a booty kicker!

You know what we need??? An excuse to dress up all fun and girly...and by excuse I mean like watching Walking Dead or The Following on the couch (gah, I just realized that my list of TV shows is seriously morbid...).

And pretty much nothing is girly-er than *lace* right? Except for maybe blush colored lace...or lilac *WINK*

Clearly I'm on board with the pastels trend this spring (I mean really, when aren't pastels in for spring???) and I also haven't gotten over neon.

And just to warn you, this is just about the girliest outfit I have ever personally concocted...you have been warned!

So if you're here for the fashion, I'm on to the movie (c;

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ!

So while I am on the subject of girly girl, I have to say that Michelle Williams is one of the most girl-tastic character I've seen in a while:

LOVED HER.

But on to the movie as a whole...I wanted to love this movie *SO BAD*!!!

I mean, it's a new Wizard of Oz! Wicked is my most favoritest musical ever! This should've been the cat's meow, right???

*Le Sigh*

I wasn't crazy about it. *Maj sad face*

The Scenery:
SPECTACULAR. Totally worth seeing just for the Land of Oz and the ridiculously fun costumes.

The Storyline:
Very cute and fun to see their take on how the Wizard came to be.

The Cast:
This is where they lost me. I really wanted this to be the movie where James Franco was super duper likable and fantastic. But not so much...and I thought Mila Kunis was a very bizarre choice for one of the witches especially when (**SPOILER ALERT**) she turns wicked and is in full make up. it was just straight up strange.

Zach Braff as Finley the (nice) flying monkey completely saved this movie in *MANY* parts for me, hands down the best character in there!

And big warning for those thinking of taking small kiddos to this movie because it's only rated PG...I wouldn't take my 6 year-old to this one...there are some *very* intense scary parts, especially with the flying monkeys. They made those dudes pretty freaky, not to mention the wicked witches. If your kiddo is sensitive at all to scary stuff I would leave this one to the eight and older crowd. I seriously jumped *BAD* in at least three parts in this movie (wow, I'm totally pathetic, right?).

It is definitely a fun movie and if you don't have a lot of high expectations for the acting in it, it definitely is entertaining and visual amazing.

Otherwise, it's a dollar movie for me.

Gosh, I feel so mean. Is this how Simon Cowell feels all the time???

Linkin' it up!

Announcement time...

2013-03-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

I have been a dismal blogger lately.

But I have a reason, I swear!

Well, not necessarily a *good* one, but hey we take what we can get around here, right???

So this weekend I ran my very first half marathon, yay! I didn't die! It was great! (insert picture of me moaning in pain after it was over...yeah, great.)

It probably wouldn't have been that bad, except for a couple weeks ago, we found out some exciting news:

WE'RE EXPECTING #3.

I somehow feel a little bit like Jim when announcing that it's number three...(btw, this whole thing is *hilarious*)

As you might imagine, I haven't been feeling quite like myself lately, so neither has the blog...

...unless myself is a sick and cranky super picky eater...

So if I'm frequently MIA over the next few weeks, it's not you, it's me.

P.S. I would like to lodge a complaint with the pregnancy department about my clothes already feeling uncomfortable. That's just not right...

Friday's Fancies: BLING!

2013-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for some spring-y bling?

Oh, we've got you covered.

Or at least I've got *me* covered. Whatev. (c;

one * two * three * four * five * six

Can you even believe that it's March already??? I would blame it on the short month, but I'm pretty positive it has nothing to do with that. I'm just crazy.

Happy Weekend BLINGIN'!!!

Linkin' it up!

Going Tribal

2013-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I grew up in New Mexico, so I've seen tribal prints around for a loooooong time. However, if you had ever told me I was going to actually be *partial* to any of them, I would've sent you right back to the nut house you came from.

Clearly, I'm feeling a wee bit different these days...

Am I the only one whose been crushing on tribal prints lately??? I think I desperately need a pair of tribal print leggings...and believe me, there is no shortage of this pattern out there!

Case and point:

Dress * Shoes * Clutch * Cardi * Maxi * Leggings

Nails? Go tribal. Shoes? Go tribal. Cardi? GO TRIBAL!!!

Fan-freakin'-tastic.

Busy, busy, busy...

2013-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

So since today is a pretty stressful day for the hubby (he takes the BAR *tomorrow*, no biggie, right???),

we are taking the day to relax...or at least try (c;

But I couldn't just not comment on how perfectly thrilled I was about the gorgeous dresses and winners at the AA's last night!

Seriously, you can't talk about it without talking about Adele, she was *DIVINE* and her cute little acceptance speech with "I love my man" thrown in it was just so darn charming:

I couldn't love Anne Hathaway's hair any more than I do, except when she is wearing blush pink...the back of that dress was absolutely lovely and I *adored* her in Le Mis...(and these pictures don't really do that sparkler around her neck justice...)

And the princess of the night, Miss Jennifer Lawrence...albeit a clumsy princess...but darn it if she didn't look grand tripping up those stairs (c;

(Like, best picture of the Oscars...)

What did you think about it all??? And spill on which dress was your absolute favorite. That's the best part, right?

Friday's Fancies: Red Carpet Ready!

2013-02-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

What I wouldn't give to actually have a place to where a glam gown...I mean running errands to the grocery store is glamorous and all, but I think people might look at me a little weird in this outfit...

I am always so drawn to red...and I loved the simple understated front (perfect for a big ol' statement necklace) and the fun and feminine details of the back. Reem Acra always has the most gorgeous stuff!

And of course we can't just leave it all girly...we need a little edge...enter chunky chained statement necklace, studded heels and a structured and *ridiculously* cool clutch...

Dress*Shoes*Necklace*Bracelet*Clutch (no real source to buy)

And clearly I'm not the only gal who loves a red dress:

And I would just like to add that I would *TOTALLY* look just like all these ladies in my red dress...

...don't even look at me like that, Jennifer! (c;

So here's hoping it's an amazefest weekend for all you red carpet lovin' fashion gals...and I'm going to try out that whole grocery store thing (hey, you never know unless you try, right?).

Linkin' it up!