Weekend madness...

And just like that it is Monday again... the weekends seem to fly by these days as they are jam packed with so many things and so little time.

We had a busy one this weekend which we kicked off with a little dinner party at our house for a few friends. It was the first time we had hosted in months so I was super excited to plan & prep! We got a vote from the group- it was unanimously decided Southern BBQ. An old favorite for us so we were happy to oblige. I snapped a couple shots of the decor and food below with links to find most of it!

Oliver made these amazing rolls with a cinnamon sugar butter for an appetizer, they were pretty incredible! 

For the decor I went with sunflowers in the absence of wild flower availability & my favorite Anthropologie napkins. As for the cocktails- I skipped my usual themed boozy drinks for non- alcoholic as all of our female guests are pregnant. I opted for Sweet Tea & Lemonade in these awesome glass bottles from Crate & Barrel- they have a subtle nod to a Southern theme! The boys had lots of local brews & ciders to keep them hydrated all evening.

Saturday was a day of cleaning and recovering. However we did make a trip to West Elm to check out a glider I've had my eye on for the nursery. I ended up skipping the West Elm piece  which felt a little modern for me and went for my original favorite Potter Barn rocker, and found a rug as well!  It was definitely a splurge but one I feel really good about!

 I posted a photo of the chair, but you'll have to wait to see the fabric choice when the room is complete :)  

After a little afternoon nap we headed out to the Zac Brown Band concert at Fenway! We ended up heading in a little early to meet up with friends before the show. It was so great to catch up and have a real night out! These days bed by 9 pm is our routine so this was definitely a treat!

Sunday was a day for cleaning, organizing and getting ready for the week. We also starting working on cleaning out the closet in the nursery. We had been using it for odds and ends, and special occasion attire. However I have been purchasing just a "few" pieces for our little one so we need more space for her ever growing wardrobe!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Post- Vacation Monday's...

If there is one thing I can say about Monday's is they are terrible... especially when you are coming back after a few days of sun, relaxation and fun!

I got home last night from a little girls getaway and was instantly in a funk. I would love to be back sitting by the pool in the beautiful Florida sunshine, but for now I am going to have to get over it!

In the spirit of looking on he positive side here are three things that made coming home better:

1. Seeing Oliver & Clo! I sure did miss these boys while I was gone. I can't imagine how much harder being away will get once our little one arrives!

2. I was SO happy to come home to see that Oliver had moved all of the furniture out of our once spare room, into what will be the new spare room & got a jump start on the nursery! ( I may have subtly mentioned this would be a good idea while I was away- holy type A!) 

I am loving the wall color & the way the furniture looks in there, way more spacious than I envisioned! I will be on the hunt for the smaller pieces now like a rug, wall art & bedding. Here's a sneak peek of the color palette we are using to get an idea of what her room will be like- I am substituting the brass for a gold tone of course!

3. Lastly, getting my Warby Parker home try on kit in the mail.  I was hoping it would come before I left so I could style it up in FL, especially these Jennings Beach Glass shades. Stay tuned for how I #SeeSummerBetter with some new specs from WP! 

How was your weekend? What do you do to recover from the Monday Blues?

#SeeSummerBetter

Let me tell you a little bit about Warby Parker in case you're not familiar.

Warby Parker is an eye wear company founded on the simple principal that style and quality does not have to come at lofty cost and should be available for all. They really do mean ALL, for every pair of glasses purchased they give away a pair to someone in need, read more about their Buy a pair, Give a pair campaign here.

A company that can combine style, reasonable prices and philanthropy is a company I am willing to attach my name to!

So here are a few frames that I am waiting to get in the mail with WP's Home Try-On program! You can choose five pairs totally FREE and try them out for five days, keep what you like, send the rest back! Stay tuned to see how I style these frames & check things off my Summer Bucket List!

I loved these Crossfield sunnies in "polished gold" I think these are perfect for an afternoon BBQ. I would pair these with a more causal look. Think: jean shorts, loose tank & strappy sandals!

 "Jet Black" color for these Raglan frames are super chic and classic. I would wear these with a black dress, red lip & heels for outdoor patio drinks (mocktails for me!) turned into dinner somewhere fabulous in the city!  I'm channeling my DC days with these babies!

 

I love the beachy vibe I get from the Jennings very appropriately named "beach glass". If you haven't already guessed, these are my beach or pool day frames. Cute suit and lots of SPF! 

 

There are few things I love more than a vintage inspired piece, and these Piper frames speak to me! I think these would be perfect for an afternoon wedding (if you've been following along you know we have no shortage of these!) They are glamerous enough for a wedding and would be dressed perfectly with a colored lip, lots of volume for my hair & some pearls! 

 

Then there are the Reilly in Marzipan Tortoise these caught my eye from the second I landed on Warby Parker. I love a good tortoise shell- these pretties look like they belong to me. I think I am going to have a hard time not adding these to my collection, and wearing them daily! 

 

Head on over to Warby Parker to #SeeSummerBetter in some fabulous new frames!

Our Fertility Story

Before I start on our story I first want to say that unfortunately we did have trouble conceiving. It was difficult and trying, but I also know we were lucky because we were able to get pregnant in the end. I know people have had a much harder time trying to conceive and I want to be sensitive to the fact that this is a tough topic for many people. Everyone's journey is different and I am here merely to tell my own experience. 

We found out very early because we were being seen by a Reproductive Endocrinologist (aka infertility doctor). There were many mornings of blood work and ultrasounds, followed by medications and luckily only one injection, before I get ahead of myself here is how it went...

The months that led up to our good news were long, scary and filled with uncertainty. I had just started a new job, which actually turned out to be the best thing for us in this process. I was no longer working a day/ night rotating schedule and I had more flexibility in my hours. 

From the moment we met with our Doctor I knew we made the right decision. After spending over an hour with him he ultimately told us these words which were my saving grace during the process, "It is not a matter of if it is a matter of when". I could of  did hug him and thanked him profusely.

When we started our first round of treatment I did my best not to micromanage the situation, (very hard for a type A personality!!) I tried to sit back and let it all happen the way it was supposed to. I was mostly successful in this, but I won't lie there were times where it was all consuming. They told us we would know the results if it worked or not, on April 11th. When the words came out of the nurses mouth I knew it was a sign, silly of course, but I felt it in my bones it would work. 

April 11th, 2014 was the day Oliver passed his dissertation defense, essentially solidifying his work was worthy of the PhD he had worked so hard for. While we were out celebrating that night we got a call from the breeder that our boy Clovis was born and we would be taking him home in June. We had been on a wait list for months, and even when we knew there was a litter coming we were not sure we would get a puppy.

So April 11th, 2015 had to be just as lucky right? In my mind there was no doubt. Until I did the dumbest thing any woman who is undergoing fertility treatments could do, I took a home pregnancy test and it was negative. Deep down I knew it wouldn't be accurate but I cried for days upon days anyway. 

On Saturday April 11th at 7:30 am when the office opened I went for blood work.We rushed back home to set up for Clovis' first birthday brunch, yes I know he is a dog, but everyone deserves a birthday party! In the middle of brunch the office called, I could barely breathe. The nurse said "Congratulations, you are pregnant" I almost fell over. There are no words to express my happiness, gratitude and panic!

We waited several weeks, which felt like a lifetime to see our little bean on the big screen. It was our first ultrasound and at 7 weeks and 2 days there was a perfect little unrecognizable blob with the strongest heart beat I've heard. (PS I'm a cardiac nurse so that probably isn't true, but it felt that way!)

This ultrasound is from 8 weeks, I must have tucked the first one away somewhere reallyy safe because I couldn't find it while writing this post! #pregnancybrain

Just like that we jumped head first into the next phase of our life! 

Happy Monday..a day late

The driving factor that got me out of bed this (and yesterday) morning was the fact that it was a short week! I am plugging along until Thursday at 5 pm when I leave work and get to enjoy a long weekend! :)

This past weekend was jam-packed but super fun! I headed out for a little shopping date with my cousin on Friday night. We had a family wedding this weekend in NY and of course we "needed" a few last minute things! 

I ended up getting a bra fitting at Nordstrom which has been a game changer! I had been complaining for weeks about things not fitting right, but I finally did something about it and boy was I happy I did!

Saturday morning we got up really early and road tripped to New York for the wedding with my siblings. It was certainly an eventful ride, many bathroom breaks and comical conversations.  Once we arrived the comedy continued, our room wasn't ready, none of us had showered, and the church started at 2:30. Luckily my parents stayed the night before so we took over their room to get ready.

We had a fabulous time celebrating a very sweet couple! They had a blast and were so happy which always makes being a guest all the more enjoyable! I only snapped these two pics, I seriously need to get better about that! I loved my BCBG Maxazria (which is now sold out everywhere) BUT I found it on Amazon! I paired it with these amazing Aldo pumps, J Crew crystal earrings, and a suede snakeskin clutch!

I plan on rewearing this dress again for an August wedding where I am sure there will be a much bigger baby bump under there! :)



























Two very dear friends of ours watched Clovis while we were out of town and sent us this cute photo. I missed him very much, but I knew he was in good hands and having a blast with his girlfriend Daisy (our friends St. Berdoodle!)

We headed back home early Sunday and enjoyed lots of snuggles with our sweet boy!

Hope you all had a great weekend! :)

First Trimester Recap

I swear I will try NOT to turn this into a mommy blog! I swear I will try NOT to turn this into a mommy blog! I swear I will try NOT turn this into a mommy blog! 

That was to convince you as much as it was to remind myself! I do want to share this journey with you all but I promise to maintain all of the style, home decor, and entertaining posts that the blog was founded on!

In the mean time here are some updates about my first trimester now that I am smooth sailing into the second!

The ultrasound on the left is from our 9 week scan, the one on the right is at 12w. It was amazing to see how much had changed in such a short period of time. That little hand, seriously?! The cutest! :)

Symptoms: Tired beyond belief, the kind of tired where it hurts to think about getting out of bed in the morning. I was so fortunate to not get morning sickness, not even once! (I know every woman wants to slap me for admitting to this....) My Mother and Grandmother never did either so it must be in the family? Just a side note my Grandmother had twelve children so I don't exactly consider her the "typical" woman but she coasted through all ten pregnancies (she had twins, TWICE!) 

Cravings: I ate my normal foods throughout the first trimester, other than the restricted ones. I still wanted coffee, I know many women who were totally averse while pregnant, but I was not one of those. I did however switch to half caff, cut out all soda and minimized chocolate so I could safely enjoy my one cup a day. I will say with the warmer weather and my DC visit I really wanted a cold glass of Rose'... However, that will have to wait till December (although not exactly Rose' season!) 

Sleep: I think this goes without saying but I slept ALL the time given how tired I was, and with the lack of my afternoon cup of Java! I napped when I got home from work, then showered and went to bed by 9pm every.single.night. I did however wake up nightly from week 7 onward to pee, what a pain in the A$$ that was, and will likely continue to be. 

Best moment: Seeing our little one on the ultrasound screen and hearing her little heartbeat! 

Worst moment: I can't think of anything... except maybe having to keep it a secret?- Not my forte - ask anyone who knows me!

Starting to show?: Just looking bloated. To the point where people will stare but never say anything, talk about uncomfortable! The picture below is at 12w 3 days, I was off to a bridal shower and was hoping no one would notice, luckily they didn't! Don't mind the dog crate in the background, if I wasn't so tired all the time I'd probably have moved it ;)

Gender prediction: According to the Chinese gender chart and Ramzi's we were having a little boy. I then was convinced it was a boy.  Clearly from my previous post you now know we are having a baby GIRL according to our genetics testing.

Speaking of nursery planning, do I have ideas! I will make sure to share that with you all after I have posted about a few parties with fun cocktails (for the guests of course) and my summer style inspiration and anything non- mommy related! 

THANK YOU FOR READING!! XOXO

Three year Anniversary!

It is hard to believe it has been three years since we stood in this cute little Chapel and said "I do". SO much has happened since that day, so humor me while I take a little trip down memory lane! 

We were married on June 24th 2012, it was a beautiful summer day! We had the most amazing time celebrating with our loved ones who literally traveled from around the world to be there with us. Even as I write this I am overwhelmed with the love we felt that day, not only for each other, but for everyone in our lives!

 

Three days after our wedding we headed to our brand new apartment in DC which was also our first home together. It was one hell of a ride, I remember waking up after the first night and being so overwhelmed with happiness and utter fear. I had never lived that far from home, I knew absolutely no one besides Oliver and I was not working for two months. It turned out to be the best two years! We made friends and memories we will have for a lifetime. We made lots of mistakes, and learned big lessons. Most importantly it solidified the foundation of our marriage. I can honestly say we walked away from that experience better people and partners to one another.

Oliver graduated from his PhD, which was easily one of my proudest moments! In true Rick fashion after any big life event we packed up our stuff and moved. Back to Boston we went. We both started new jobs, and then started new jobs again. We got Clovis, our sweet pup who I can't imagine life without. Then things just settled down for a while which was quite refreshing for us!


























 And then came our biggest adventure yet...after lots of trials, tribulations and tears we are ecstatic to be adding to our family! We will be having our first child in December! I am still overwhelmed with emotions about it all (and I am not sure I can totally blame it on the hormones!). It was not the easiest road to get here, so I count my blessings and consider myself blessed to join the club of Motherhood to a sweet baby...

GIRL! :)

Thank you for reading and following along on our journey! 

XO