Surprise! We're Expecting!

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Finally sharing this much over do post of our pregnancy! As I’m writing this at the end of my 2nd trimester I’m in awe of how fast time is flying by and in a few short months we’ll be bringing home our sweet baby! I’m over the moon excited to be experiencing a healthy pregnancy and couldn’t wait to share the news back in the fall with our closest family and friends. It was so hard keeping it a secret, we didn’t share with our families until I was 16 weeks and could make the trip upstate to share in person.

Shortly before our summer vacation to Bermuda we found out we were expecting! It brought a whole new meaning to our trip together. And in all honesty, it was an emotional relief. We had been trying to conceive for about a year and were becoming concerned that something may be off. I may have been naive but I really thought being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle wouldn’t create any issues with conceiving. We didn’t have to start further further fertility testing, but that was our next step after meeting with our doctor to discuss our options. Conceiving definitely took longer than we both first thought. There were a plethora of steps we started to take to prepare both our bodies for pregnancy the moment we knew it was taking longer than expected. I had already been taking pre natal vitamins, exercising, eating healthy all around so we started doing our research into some other life style habits for both of us. There’s more to share in this area (in a future blog post on our journey toward pregnancy)

I know everyone’s situation is different, and everyone’s body is different but I wanted to normalize how common it is to face challenges with fertility and it’s not something everyone talks about enough throughout their experience.

Rewinding back to the earliest moments before actually becoming pregnant Kevin and I knew we always wanted to be parents. We’ve been together for 10 years and close to that time we started getting more serious about our family planning. Our last biggest change was taking the risk of leaving our hometown of Buffalo, NY and chasing our dreams in New York City. The past 8 years in New York have been some of the best experiences for both of us both personally and professionally, where we’ve grown so much as individuals and in a partnership together.

We’ve had phenomenal experiences traveling allover the world together before and during our married time and knew we wanted these experiences before starting a family.

Choosing a career devoting myself to the lives of children I have always been passionate in that area and knew early on and always dreamed of a family of my own. My earliest days in college and beyond I had baby sat and nannied, loving every aspect of working with children. I cannot wait to see Kevin in his new role as a father. Growing up as the oldest brother of 4 boys he’s always demonstrated an incredible amount of patience and support to his entire family.

One of my biggest fears aside from the typical early pregnancy concerns and paranoia (thanks crazy hormones) where I knew my identity would change and I’d miss our old lifestyle and relationship as just the two of us. We knew that becoming a family of three would change most parts of our lives, and we knew we wanted that change for the better. We can’t wait to welcome baby Siskar this April 2020! It will be the greatest surprise yet for us as we’re waiting until delivery to find out the sex.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who have already been so supportive throughout our journey thus far, from both near and far! Can’t wait to keep you all updated on some motherhood posts soon to come.

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Huge shout out and thank you to @CailtynReilly for our gorgeous winter bump pics! If you’re in the Buffalo area I highly recommend booking an appointment with her for a special family or couples shoot. She is so talented and so down to earth to work with!


Outfit Details

Dress/ Rachel Parcell Shoes/ Linked here and here Sweater / H&M (sold out) similar here Denim/ Joe’s Booties/ Dolce Vita

The day we surprised our family with the news at a pumpkin patch in october!

The day we surprised our family with the news at a pumpkin patch in october!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Guide 2019: My Top Picks

The Nordstrom Anniversary is now open for public access for all level of shoppers through August 4th. I’ve also shared some of my favorite items that were restocked for the 2019 sale in this blog post: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Top Selling Items Restocked for 2019

Overall, I set a budget to stick to then ordered pieces that I knew I would wear through fall and winter. Many of the items sell out quick, so I highly recommend getting the Nordstrom card if you’re a responsible shopper for next season. It’s the only way to snag items before they sell out if that matters to you. Sale items will go back to regular price after the sale ends so if there’s any items you’ve wanted to to add to your wardrobe now is the time. I usually end up ordering whatever is on my list and sometimes in more than one size. Nordstrom offers free shipping and free returns so it’s easy to buy now and return later if necessary. Highly recommend this!

During early access a lot of pieces sold out but there’s still a lot of great staple items left that may be worth purchasing depending what you’re in the market for. Everything in the widgets below are still available to shop!


Shoes



Sweaters

Athleisure and Loungewear


What I Bought from the #NSale: My Try On Guide

I’m also sharing my try on haul for most of these styles over on my instagram account in my stories. I get a lot of questions regarding fit and quality so hope that is helpful to you as well. Just for reference I’m 5’10” and have shared sizing of everything I styled.

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Long Sleeve Thermal Henley (wearing size small)

BlankNYC Faux Leather Snakeskin Skirt (wearing size 26) sold out but this one is similar and denim fabric. This is my favorite purchase!

Stuart Weitzman Darla Over the Knee Boot (wearing size 9, runs true to size to little big)

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B.P. Longline Leopard Cardigan (sold out) found a similar one here for under $30! Also loving this Something Navy mock neck sweatshirt from the sale.

Zella High Waisted Leggings (wearing size small) These are my favorite and best quality leggings that I wear year round for the gym/errands/with tunics. They’re so good and the last, no pilling or runs!

Also have and wear these Cropped High Waist version.

Gibson Lace Trim Camisole (wearing size extra small)

Stuart Weitzman Darla Over the Knee Boot (wearing size 9)

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Top Shop Patch Cable Crew Neck Sweater (sold out) (wearing size small, runs big)

I do love this slouchy version and this option that would work with denim and skirts.

BlankNYC Suede Mini Skirt (wearing size 26 fits true to size)

Leopard Booties (unavailable) loving this style for skirts & denim and this block heel bootie.

BlankNYC Faux Suede Jacket (wearing size small in Bankroll color) I have gotten so much use out of this jacket I purchased it from last year’s sale and love that it was brought back for 2019.

Top Shop Patch Cable Crew Neck Sweater (sold out) (wearing size small, runs big)

BlankNYC Suede Mini Skirt (wearing size 26 fits true to size) still in stock!

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Free People Knit Tunic (wearing size xs, runs big order one size down) this is the red color. So I this Caslon High/Low Tunic in two colors, it’s lighter in weight but I actually prefer how soft it is and for the price and great length I highly recommend. Great option because the Free People one is a splurge.

Zella High Waisted Leggings (wearing size small) though I would actually style this outfit another way with denim and perhaps these booties as an option. Love any Sam Edelman boots they fit true to size and they’re always beyond comfortable!

Stuart Weitzman Darla Over the Knee Boot (wearing size 9)

Tory Burch Everly Flap Saddle Bag (in light umber) blue & black are still available. This is my one splurge for fall and I was surprised how much space and compartments are on the inside of this purse!

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Barefoot Dreams Cozy Sheek Light Island Cardigan (wearing size small/medium) OMG this cardigan is a cozy dream that is just as soft and warm as my blankets. I will definitely be wearing this to lounge in and layer for fall. I’m tall (5’10” so it does run long) It was more than I usually spend on sweaters but I’m obsessed it’s SO good!

Socialite Leopard Print Tee (wearing size small)

Articles of Society Denim (size 26) These have great stretch and a good fit.

Marc Fisher Yakira Over the Knee Boot (wearing my regular size 9)

Tory Burch Everly Flap Saddle Bag

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Leith Wide Strap Sleeveless Sweater Midi Dress (wearing xs) if you like a looser fit I recommend sizing up. This is a little tighter on me than I’d like without spanx, but it’s a great color for fall. I like it paired with the suede moto jacket below.

Tory Burch Everly Flap Saddle Bag

Leopard Print Headband

Steve Madden Reece Sock Bootie runs true to size

BlankNYC Faux Suede Jacket (wearing size small in Bankroll color)

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I also plan to throw together a beauty post this week as well since there’s some good value in some full size products or packages that are exclusive to the sale for hair/makeup/body and haven’t sold out. Happy sale shopping everyone, now it’s time to return to what feels like 100 degree NYC heat for the remainder of the weekend!

I’d love to hear any questions/comments you may have regarding the #nsale or any items you found were to be a great value or quality you would recommend.

Holiday Card Photos 2018

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December is finally here and I cannot believe how fast it arrived ! We’ve been decking just about every corner of our new little space for the holiday season and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It’s fun decorating a new space and we wanted it to feel extra cozy. So I’ll be sharing the finishing touches on here soon. 

Over the weekend Kevin and I had our wonderful friend stop by to help us with our idea for our holiday card. We’ve been sending one out every year since we moved to NYC and look forward to receiving all the mail this month from family & friends. I usually designate a little spot to hang the cards now that most are photos cards ! This year we knew we wanted to not just incorporate a holiday theme but also as a life update. At first I was going to do this right away, but then held off.  

Kevin thinks we’re probably the last people on earth mailing holiday or new year cards, but I disagree! I look forward to coming up with what we’ll do each year. This year was a little more close to home, but in the past we’ve found some great spots around the city for our photos. This is ours from last year as we celebrated our first married Christmas!

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This year the front of our card will be more traditional and the back is playful as our “we moved” announcement.

We created our photos through Shutterfly and I’ve been pleased with them in years passed and their shipping is free and arrives fast. They always have a great special going on and if you need a promo code, use this one for 50% off or a free 8x8” photo book! CODE: X4DU-A7Y8-R28G-KMCJGX. Minted is also another great spot for cards!

I’ve shared mine and Kevin’s outfit details in the widget below.

Hope everyone’s December is off to a great start!  

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