Pardon my absence...we've been quite busy over here!

Yes, we have had our hands full...Vivienne Rose arrived 2 weeks early!

I went into labor on Friday the 13th. At around 11:00PM ( 8 cm dilated and ready to push), my Dr. broke my water only to find out that this little lady was breach. So, I was rushed to the O.R. to have a C-section. Definitely not what we had planned, but we just wanted to get her out safely. And also, much to my pleasure she was born on the 14th at 12:30 AM, instead of Friday the 13th.

She was a peanut, weighing in at 6 lbs, 11 oz. and 19.5" long. We adore her...especially her big brother who can't give her enough snuggles and kisses.

Because she was breach, they had some concerns about her hips. She is wearing this brace as preventative measures so that she doesn't develop hip dysplasia. It's definitely a nuisance...not fun when you have to change about 30 diapers a day. It doesn't seem to bother her, but we will be happy to get it off of her in another 3-4 weeks.

She is constantly sleeping, but occasionally we get some bright eyed, curious moments like these...

So, if my posts are few and far between the next few weeks, you will know why. I am spending every moment I can with this sweet girl...

Where she sleeps...

The nursery is finally completed! I am excited to share it with you all, as it has been a big project of mine ever since we found out we were having a girl. I wanted to do something unique, not so "baby" (like I did in my sons room) and I knew I definitely wanted to include some things that I made to complete the room. Thanks to Pinterest I got some great ideas and was able to organize all of my design ideas.

I am sure most of you have seen this light fixture on one blog or another. It is from Ikea and the moment I spotted it, I knew I had to have it. I was on a tight budget for this room, so the $50 price tag worked just great for me. It was a pain in the ass to assemble, but worth every minute!

I used the old curtains from my son's room (cheapies from Target!) and added hot pink pom trim (Hobby Lobby) with a hot glue gun. I LOVE the way they turned out. I am kind of obsessed with pom pom trim right now...

The hot pink mirror was one I found at Vintage Market ($35!) in Kansas City and my mom and I used acrylic paint to make it hot pink.

I desperately wanted to do a sheepskin rug in the room, but I didn't want to eat up my budget with a $300-$400 rug.The $74 Chevron option from Urban Outfitters will do the job and I liked the idea of using a bolder print on the floor.

The majority of my budget went into the wallpaper. I knew I wanted to do this on the crib wall, it was just a matter of finding the perfect print. I decided to go with this dainty metallic silver leaf print from Thibault. It is very feminine and I think a print that we will not tire of.

I re-purposed an old pillow with this fun pink and ivory floral print and the white pillow with pom trim as well as the JellyCat Giraffe is from Lauren Alexandra Bebe Boutique in Kansas City.

The diaper caddy is from HomeGoods

Shelf is an old purchase from Pottery Barn (we painted the insides hot pink)

My mom and I made the artwork on the shelf

The tiny boudoir chair was my Granny's that I had recovered with fabric from Calico Corners. The whole chair was $180 to re-purpose. I love it and hope our little girl will too!

This print from Etsy inspired a lot of the colors we used in the room. By The Wheatfield

I am obsessed with these Grey Baby Bloch shoes that were given to me at my baby shower!

Dress by Toni Tierney at Lauren Alexandra Baby Boutique

Amy Butler Lark Print pillow by Pillow Mio

Turqoise and white Flower Pillow from Hobby Lobby

Little Giraffe Hot Pink Blanket

For more details on the nursery and all of my resources visit: Projectnursery.com

Barefoot and Pregnant

This baby is coming any day now! I am almost at my 38th week and the days are flying by. Surprisingly, I am still feeling pretty comfortable. Outside of the expected tiredness in the evenings and occasional back pain...

 I am just so over my clothes right now. I am pretty much living in leggings and long tops which seem to be the most comfortable option!

Top: Isabella Oliver

Leggings: Hue Wide Waistband (still wearing these...after 8 months!)

Scarf: My new favorite pom trim scarf from Old Navy (on sale for $9)

barefoot...because my shoes feel terrible right now!! ugh! 

Give me Chie!

On my never-ending lust list is a pair of shoes by Chie Mihara. They are the type of shoe that has just enough detail to catch your eye, but they aren't overly trendy. With a closer look, you can tell they are made extremely well. Chie Mihara herself designs her line of shoes for women with comfort AND style in mind. HURRAY for that! I am so tired of pretty shoes that you want to tear off your feet after an hour!

This season's collection is inspired by the late 70's and mid 80's...I kind of love them all. I just wish I had it in my budget to own a pair.

If you live in Kansas City, you can find a great selection of them at Habitat Shoes or habitatshoes.com

Happy Easter Weekend!

We can't wait to celebrate Easter tomorrow! We have been dyeing eggs, I have been trying to stay away from the candy and tonight my husband and I will hide eggs outside for our little guy to find tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family!

Spring trends (and some great budget finds!)

I did two news segments the past few weeks featuring Spring trends...with fun items like pleated maxi skirts, cropped tops and sweaters, white lace, pattern, and of course COLOR, COLOR, COLOR!

Rainy Day Fashion Segment
featuring items from The Legends Outlets Kansas City and One Nineteen

on Tracy:

All items from Standard Style Boutique in One Nineteen Shops

Diane Von Furstenberg Blouse $ 265

Mother Jeans $185

Rebecca Taylor Trench $ 428

Elizabeth & James Shoes $350

on Susan:

From Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

Paige White Denim $119.99

Sperry Boots

Threads Top $59.99

Indigo Denim trench from Banana Republic Factory Store

on Lannette:

From Flirt Boutique in One Nineteen Shops

Tank $30

Skirt $45

Accessories from Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

Marc Jacobs Bag $314

Lucky Brand Sandals $59.99

Bangles and Necklace also from Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

Spring Trends Segment

On Barbara

All clothing and accessories are from Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

Top $59.99

Vigoss Jeans $54.99

Cole Haan Bag $284

all jewelry and accessories also from Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

on Jackie

All clothing and accessories are from the Banana Republic Factory Store

Dress $119.99

Belt $39.99

on Ashlen

All clothing and accessories are from Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth

Pleated Maxi Skirt $79.99

Cropped Sweater $49.99

If you are interested in my styling or personal shopping services, visit stylespies.com for more information.



Cuckoo for Coconut Oil?

My mom reads...a lot. I have to hand it to her, she definitely does her research! Her most recent obsession (after reading all the benefits of it) is Coconut Oil. Who knew this almost buttery like substance had so many beneficial attributes! According to organicfacts.net "The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc"

This is a bit of an over-share, but recently I have been dealing with a skin infection on my foot...most likely caused from a pedicure (gross, I know!!!). Even with the help of an antibiotic cream, this has been irriating me for weeks. So, my mom suggested I get coconut oil because it is said to cure skin infections because of its antifungal and antibacterial properties.

After visiting 2 local GNC's (which were sold out) I finally was able to get my hands on some today. It was buy one half off at GNC, so I got one tub to cook with and one to use for skin remedies. I can't wait to see if it's worth all the hype. My mom swears it works, and she has been using it for the past year.

Anyone else Coconut Oil users? If so, let me know your favorite way to use it!

Almost Per-fekt.

I happened to inherit some not-so attractive leg veins. As I get older, they just get worse and I am sure that someday I will have to get some "work" done on them. But until then, I just have to figure out ways to camouflage them, especially when wearing shorts or dresses.

I was thrilled to discover Perfekt's body perfection gel, which really seems to do the trick! It is a lightweight gel-mousse that smooths over body to cover up all the unsightly blemishes that we want to hide. It gives you just enough coverage, and it dries really smooth without the streaking of a self-tanner.

A little goes a long way, so you can get plenty of applications from one 3 oz tube. $48 on beautybrands.com

And if you are like me and want to stock up on beauty products, right now Beauty Brands is having their huge hairspray sale! $7.98 with a plethora of brands to choose from. I personally love the Big Sexy Hair brand!

A little bit Juicy

A friend recently gave me one of Lancome's Juicy Tubes and now I am hooked! I love their slight hint of color, the fruity smell and the consistency is great. Not too sticky with the perfect amount of shine.

I have Pink Horizon, and I love it for daytime, because it isn't too pigmented and doesn't make you look like you have a very made up lip. It also looks wonderful layered over your favorite lipstick, because the color is so sheer. The pic doesn't do it justice, it has more flecks of gold in the tube.

It's also the perfect gloss for if you want just a touch of shine when you are poolside or at the beach! $18 at Sephora.com