8.09.2013

Confessional Friday: {Link Up}


*So sorry for the delay! InLinkz is NOT my friend lately and today was no exception. 

Bad dates. Dates from hell. The worst three hours of our lives.

However you want to refer to these valuable life lessons, it's true; we've all been on a bad date or two in our time. I always say that I wouldn't take any amount of money in the world to have to get back into the dating game...the very thought makes me shudder. 

Here's one of the not-so-winning dates I've ever been on:

One that rises to the top when the subject of "bad dates" comes up would be the time a guy and his buddy took my cousin and me (it was a double date) to Dixie Cafe for our prom dinner. I was a sophomore in high school and was so excited to be going. Tara (my cousin) and I had spent all day getting ready and perfecting our prom looks. The time rolled around for us to be picked up and the guys were an hour late. (One of them also smelled like a distillery. Thankfully, he was NOT the one driving the car. This very cautious girl would have bailed right then and there.)

When they finally showed, they informed us we'd be going to a different restaurant for dinner. Apparently, we originally had reservations at a nice Italian restaurant in Little Rock (about an hour away from our town), but he and his skeezy friend had a change of heart and decided that a $5 hamburger would be a better choice. So, to Dixie Cafe, we went. (No offense to DC...they have alright food, just not what I would have chosen for a prom dinner.)

Now, I understand if someone is on a tight budget, especially in high school when we all had about $5 to our names. But this guy came from a family with moolah. A family that spoiled him rotten. A family that would have happily paid the bill for a nice evening out for he, his friend and their prom dates.

He was just a gigantic tool.

The rest of the evening was just as lovely. He refused to dance and kept complaining that the DJ wouldn't play any Hank Williams, Jr...you know, because every romantic evening needs some Hank??

He and his friend were supposed to accompany us to the after-prom party, held right there at the high school. However, they dropped my cousin and me off at the door and left to "go party" with some rednecks in the woods somewhere.

Now granted, my judgement in men in high school was poor, at best. But he came from a lovely family and he was popular, and two years older than me. I had high hopes for the evening, but in retrospect, I'd have been better off having pizza at home on the couch. 










8.08.2013

Bumpdate: {30 Weeks!}

I put an exclamation point in this post title because WE'VE MADE IT TO THE THIRTIES! I always thought 30 weeks was this nebulous, far away point in a pregnancy, and I couldn't imagine reaching it. Now that it's actually here, it's surreal.



Weight Loss/Gain?  No change from last week. 

Cravings:  Sweet stuff: orange juice, fresh peaches, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and sweet tea. Savory stuff: steak, spare ribs, green beans and Arkansas tomatoes with sea salt and cracked pepper. 

How I'm Feeling: AMAZING! This has definitely been my favorite point in the pregnancy. I still have quite a bit of energy and have been really lucky to have not experienced a ton of swelling (yet). I've carried her pretty low throughout the pregnancy, so I haven't had to deal with much shortness of breath.

Movement: Oh yeah, buddy. This girl is constantly all over the place.She's completely breech, (and has been throughout the entire pregnancy), so the kicks and jabs aren't in my ribs, but rather, ahem, down low. I won't lie, they hurt a bit sometimes, ha! 

Favorite Moment this Week:  I PASSED MY GLUCOSE SCREENING. NO 3-HOUR TEST. HALLELUJAH!

Sleeping: I think I've just reached that point where sleep doesn't happen. Again though, it honestly doesn't bother me a bit. I still have a lot of energy and kind of enjoy those quiet hours of sitting and feeling my sweet girl kick and move. 

Clothes: The maternity pants from ASOS were a huge flop - womp, womp. So, I went to Destination Maternity (sister store to Pea in the Pod) and found the BEST pair of skinnies last weekend. 

All of my tops and dresses are non-maternity and I think I'll be able to get away with them until Miss Priss arrives. 

Most looking forward to: Going to Catfish Hole with two of my girlfriends tomorrow night. Bring on the hushpuppies!  

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Also, if you're a mom that works outside the home, you should check out some posts from Sarah and Melissa

As I gear up to take on this role myself soon, it's encouraging to read tips and advice from veteran working moms on how to make everything run smoothly. Check 'em out:

Melissa's here
Sarah's here

Gameday Ready: {Outfit Pics feat. Riffraff}

It’s late summer and I'm well into my third trimester, so that means dresses like this Loose Knit Piko Tank dress are reigning supreme in my wardrobe rotation right now.

This black tank Piko dress (yep, they come in dresses) c/o Riffraff is the perfect way for this mama-to-be to feel stylish and comfy for early tailgates this fall when it's still plenty warm. If you aren't familiar with the Piko line, you MUST get that way. It's the softest material ever!


I styled mine with my favorite ASOS pumps, a cheetah print belt from Old Navy (last year), and tons of bracelets. Oh, and a little face decoration, too : )



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So many fun things going on at Riffraff right now, including their new Game Day Collection! And, Riffraff is the official outfit sponsor of Jen Bielema, wife of AR football coach Bret Bielema, for the 2013 season. Big things happening for this much-loved local store, indeed!





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P.S. - Speaking of shopping locally, remember a while ago when I told you girls about American Native Goods, the handmade line of leather goods made by my friend Bobby and his brother Clayton? Well, the fantastic team at Arkansas Life is featuring them in this month's issue! Take a look at this beautiful spread about their company and the exciting things in store for this inspiring duo. 

Photos via Arkansas Life

8.07.2013

Sugar is Still My Friend

I had grand plans to post my Riffraff outfit pics for y'all today, but then I had my 9:30 glucose screening, followed by an 11:30 appointment with another doc...that we didn't get out of until nearly 1:30 - goo!

30-week baby bump...not so patiently waiting on the doctor : )

Anywhoodle, a few things, because I know you were holding your breath for this info.

-I passed the one-hour glucose test! So yay - no need to endure that 3 hour mess!
-The RhoGam shot hurt like a son-of-a-gun. My backside may be sore for days.
-That drink was some kind of nasty, but I didn't puke. #smallvictories

All in all, it wasn't terrible. And, we're done with needles until it's time to deliver Miss Caroline.

Annnnnd...my sweet friends Emily and Christi left this beautiful May Designs baby book on my desk as a surprise today! Isn't it adorable? I've been coveting one of these forever and it just made my day seeing Cee's little name on the cover. I really am blessed with the sweetest friends and co-workers!


Now, I really WILL be back tomorrow with pics of a fabulous frock c/o Riffraff. For real, this time.

And finally, here are some free printables for the 3rd trimester mamas that I made for my Whitney English planner. I only did weeks 30-38, since we'll likely be doing the C-section around the 38-week mark. Feel free to use them for yourselves, though!


8.06.2013

5 Reasons to Get Excited for Fall (Plus, Outfit Week)

It's no secret that summer really isn't my season of choice. Humidity? No thank you. Scorching heat? I'll pass.

I'll take the season of crunchy leaves, apple cider and SEC football any day. (This obsession for fall also may or may not be the reason I wanted to get pregnant in early winter...I've always wanted a fall baby!)

Here are some reasons you should be excited for the upcoming autumnal months:

1. H&M
In case you live under a rock, I wanted to let you know that you can NOW SHOP ONLINE at H&M! After years and years of waiting for H&M to launch an online version of their mega-store, they finally have. And the fall merchandise couldn't be any more precious. I've already placed an order for a few post-baby bump items ; )


2. Bath & Body Works' Fall Scents
I ducked into B&BW yesterday after a doctor's appointment and picked up some of their fall handsoaps and candles. Let me tell you girls, these scents are so yummy! My early favorites are the Blackberry Spice, Scarlett Pumpkin and Honeycrisp Apple. To die for, I tell you.
3. The Annual Fall/Winter Scentsy Catalog
Word on the street is, Scentsy has some beautiful new warmers in store for us this fall. I saw a sneak peek of the new lampshade warmers via the Scentsy site's blog and was floored. They're so pretty! I'm excited for next month when the new catalog and items launch.


4. Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Does this really need an explanation? I think not. Yum. That is all.


5. Baby Caroline
Okay, okay...the excitement over this one really just pertains to Stephen and me, but we're pretty darn pumped to welcome Baby Girl in a couple months.

What are you most looking forward to this fall?

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Sidenote: The rest of this week is filled with outfit photos. Here are some fun ones that you might want to tune in to:

Wednesday: Two punchy little frocks for late summer from Riffraff

Thursday: A very special Bumpdate post, featuring a hot little citron number from Maude Boutique

Friday (in addition to Confessional Fri.): The CUTEST pair of Razorback shorts from denim powerhouse, OCJ Apparel...stay tuned, college football fans!