Adventures in Shopping: To Maternity or Not to Maternity

I have a lot of mixed feelings on maternity wear. Not because there aren’t a ton of cool brands out there – see Fashion Mamas founder Natalie’s crowdsourced list in LAmag (I may or may not have contributed to the H&M & TopShop picks). I just have a hard time spending money on clothes that will be worn for maybe six months and then disappear in a box somewhere in the back of your closet/no-woman’s land. But on the other hand, shopping for your new-found bump is one of the short-lived perks to being pregnant. So, I made a compromise with myself: I will allow myself to shop for maternity clothes, if and only if they are affordable and fit in a way that makes me feel great about myself (cuz let’s face it – come 32 weeks in, we all need a little pick me up). Plus, there’s nothing like your best friend from college getting married to kick you into hyper-shopping mode.

Luckily I know some pretty awesome Houston mommy bloggers (see Uptown with Elly Brown, who happens to be due only a few days apart from me), and have snagged a ton of maternity style inspiration from them. One brand that I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’ve never shopped before (shame) is ASOS. So I took the plunge and found this super-classy floral printed dress from their maternity line and paired it with a nude blazer and heels (link to all below). Besides, what says spring wedding in the hill country more than head-to-toe floral? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing.

photo cred: Marlo Carroll Photography

Shop the Look:

Romwe (non-maternity), Apricot Roll Tab Sleeve Waterfall Collar Duster Coat

ASOS, Bluebelle Maternity Floral Printed Bodycon Dress (Sold out but similar here, here and here)

BCBGeneration from Nordstrom Rack, Nude Pumps (you can also find them here and here)

BCBG MAX AZRIA, Tan Leather Clutch (old no longer available, similar here and here)

Links à la Mode, April 6th

• Aesthetic Distance: Social Media Makes Us Better Feminists
• April Was Here: Bowknot Blouse and Ruffled Sleeves
• Beyond Her Curls: The Perfect Spring Jacket
• Cammeo Head to Toe: Adventures in Shopping: To Maternity or Not To Maternity
• Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: April Crush List
• Elements of Ellis: Embroidered Moto Jacket
• Fashionista Momma: Blush Jumpsuit
• Five Foot Nothing Shopping: Translate Runway to Everyday Fashion!
• Happy Pretty Sweet: How to Update Your Beauty Routine for Spring
• I’m a Norbyah: The Right Stripes
• It’s True Blog: How To Create New Content When You Don’t Have Any Inspiration
• Lil Miss JB Style: Loft Decor
• Middle of Somewhere: Flatform Sandals & The Weekly Style Edit Linkup
• Tales of Two: 7 Tips for Visiting Pearl Harbor
• The Outfit Repeater: Behind the Scenes: The Making of an Outfit Post

SPONSOR: Amazon’s Shopbop SUNDRY, Free People Activewear, MONROW Sweatpants, Liana Clothing, ALALA, Champion Premium Reverse Weave, Straw Bags, Fringe Slides, Statement Jewelry, Men’s EA7 by Emporio Armani

Adventures in Shopping: Old Town Tomball

Let’s just set the record straight. I’m a sucker for anything old. Vintage cameos, antique decor, old towns – you name it, I covet it. It started with weekends spent strolling the quaint streets of Old Town Spring with my parents growing up, where the shops and restaurants make you feel like you’re living in an old west town rather than in the middle of the booming city of Houston. We’d spend hours at our favorite lunch spot, the British Trading Post & Tea Room, where my father bonded with a fellow Brit, Maureen, who ran the place with her daughters and quickly became like family. After moving away, I would plea for Grant to take me back any time we visited home, just to get a glimpse of my childhood memories.

Now as we work to set down roots in Houston, I found myself yearning to explore the city once again for a little character and nostalgia. After hearing my sister-in-law, who’s lived and worked in Tomball for nearly 20 years, talk so much about all the antique stores and charming tea room – I finally talked the hubs into spending the day exploring Old Town Tomball. We started on Main Street where the sidewalks are lined with boutiques, restaurants, and the coolest custom boot shop where you can literally watch boots being made by the original shop owner’s grandson.

We also stumbled upon Kid’s Anthem, the cutest children’s clothing and toy store, while waiting out Garrett’s first day of preschool (aka, longest day of my life). The shop owner Sharon is a doll and chatted with us for quite a while, which was a welcome and pleasant distraction. Now if you’re looking for true, authentic antiques – you’ll have to wander one block over to Market Street, a little enclave of vintage goodness. My favorite shop was The Whispering Willow & Co., with its variety of antique home decor that had me daydreaming about shopping alongside my unknowing BFF Joanna Gaines. Not to mention, the lovely ladies working there reminded me how much I’d been missing that sweet southern hospitality. Speaking of, if you do find yourself in the area – don’t forget to stop by O’Suzannas and tell Linda (my best friend’s mom) “Hi” for me!

Since I had become so smitten with its charm, I knew it would be the perfect backdrop to share my favorite new bomber that you can score now on sale! Crazy story about this dress though – can you believe I paid a whopping $0 for it?? Gotta love the buy-one, get-one free clearance section at Forever 21. I just love how lightweight it is considering the warmer fall climates we all seem to be experiencing, and the sheer paneling at the bottom just adds a cool touch of design. Now if only I could save all my pennies to buy that vintage Dumas coat I found…

Shop the Look:

Target, Floral Bomber Jacket (love this Who What Wear one at Target too, and these are all super cute – Urban Outfitters, Bloomingdale’s, and Aqua)

Forever 21, Asymmetrical Hem Shift Dress (similar here and here)

All Saints, Ankle Boots no longer available (similar here, here and here)

Links à la Mode, October 13th

• Al-Balsam Life: Balsam Style Pics: The Ultimate Guide on What to Wear this Season
• Attire Club: Fashion and Technology: Making it in the Mainstream?
• Cammeo Head to Toe: Adventures in Shopping: Old Town Tomball
• Distinguished Diva: Favourite Fall Lipsticks with Mac Cosmetics, Kiko Milano and Seventeen
• Everyday Starlet: The Best Lip Plumpers for Fuller Lips
• Fancier’s World: Transitional Layering for Fall with Colorblock Asymmetrical Dress
• Finite1: A Fall Fashion Look on a Budget
• Five Foot Nothing Shopping: 6 Rainy Fall Day Outfit Tips
• Joyfully Styled: How to Wear a Sweater Dress with Boots
• Layer of Chic: The Ultimate Velvet Boots Shopping Guide at Every Price Point
• Life in the Fash Lane: Minimal Fall Wardrobe Ideas
• Love. Laugh. Explore.: What We Can Learn from Kim Kardashian’s Robbery
• Modavracha: African Luxury Fashion: Handmade Accessories
• Mon-Chic Style: How to Style a Summer Romper for Fall
• Pudding Monster: Enjoy Your Flight
• Sweet Tea Salvage: TokyoMilk/Dark Eau de Parfum Review
• The Curious Portafoglio: Faces at Afropunk
• The Fashion Panache: Semi Formal Look – Alexa Chung Victorian Blouse
• The Wanderbliss: Transition
• We Are Ready Made: Rene Gurskov

Adventures in Shopping: Tour de Couture LA

It seems like everyday I’m reminded what a small world we live in. Case in point, I was first introduced to Tour de Couture through a colleague of mine at Los Angeles magazine. Not a week goes by, and I get an email from a fellow stylist friend Laurie Brucker of Laurie B Style telling me how I have to meet her friend Ali Kahn (who’s also a personal/celebrity stylist), and hear about her new company.

So Ali and I meet over coffee (who am I kidding, it was mostly us wolfing down desserts and taking two sips of coffee – which led to one of many instant connections). We immediately realize how we are both from Houston and that she went to my husband’s alma mater Texas Tech (this Longhorn agreed to set aside our football rivalry, for now). As if I needed any more reason to like her, she took me through her idea around creating Tour de Couture and I literally said out loud “Man, I wish I’d thought of that!”. Her premise for the tour comes from realizing that so many people (both locals and tourists) are inundated with busy schedules and an overwhelming list of options when trying to navigate the LA shopping scene. Enter TdC – where you can craft your own L.A. shopping experience, from the type of style (vintage, designer, modern, boutique, etc.) to the level of luxury treatment you’re seeking. So naturally it got me thinking – how fun would it be to plan a killer shopping trip the next time all my besties are in town, or finally something unique and fun to do for a bachelorette weekend. She currently offers three types of tours for who she’s calling her “couturists”: Pret-A-Party, Haute Pursuit, and Bespoke.

I was lucky enough to be invited on a VIP tour she designed for me and 5 other editors/bloggers. And let me tell you, it was hands down one of the coolest things I’ve done in LA. We all met up at The Grove where we were greeted with champagne and swag bags in a super swanky Mercedes-Benz sprinter van. Once we hit the road, we were filmed for our intros on a video she plans to use for her site – to which I gave fair warning that when I drink “my country comes out” (so Ali – you have full reign to edit me out 😉 ). The minute I stepped foot in the first boutique, I knew it was gonna be a “camera-happy” kinda day – but hey, that’s what I’m here for right? Check out the whole tour below to see some of my favorites at each stop, with a few shameless selfies thrown in – but hey, it wouldn’t be a blogger event without ’em amirite??

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Mural Support: Adam Lippes x Target

On Sunday, I coerced the hubs into a City Target run so that I could check out the new Adam Lippes for Target collection. Naturally I’d done my research and already had my eye out for a few key pieces. I halfway expected the store to be ransacked (see Lilly Pulitzer debacle), but apparently plaid doesn’t give off the same drug-induced psychosis as floral-prints-on-crack do. Lucky for me, there was still a healthy selection and I managed to snag the last size mediums in the two garments I wanted most. Lucky for you, there’s also quite a bit still available online – unless of course you’re feeling up to a dumpster dive (as my loving husband so calls it). See my favorite look styled below for some shopping inspo – understanding husband and two year old not included…

Adventures in Shopping: Vince Sample Sale

Well, October came and went in a flurry – my son turned 1, I turned another year young, and our Star Wars themed Halloween costumes went off without a hitch (seriously, I pinned that DIY ewok costume before Garrett was even born – cuz that’s the kinda mom I am). Which is why I’ve been slightly MIA, sorry guys and gals!

Last week, I jumped right back in the saddle and snuck in some much needed retail therapy/girl-time with a fellow stylist friend, Laurie Brucker of LaurieBstyle. She and I met at a charity luncheon last spring, and bonded over a good cause (along with a mutual love for Trina Turk). So when she was tipped off about a sample sale for one of my favorite brands, Vince, we decided to brave the line wrapped around Wilshire just to score a few of their laid-back Cali garments.

Adventures in Shopping: Hunt for the Great White

A week ago I set out on the perilous, and at times tedious, hunt for the great white…t-shirt that is. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about shopping – it’s always when you’re looking for a certain piece of clothing, that it’s nowhere to be found (amirite?). Luckily I’ve perfected the art of the “power shop”, with the arrival of my son Garrett, and set out like a woman on a mission.

My mission was simple (and I chose to accept) – locate a single destination where you can hit up at least 4 stores (3 is too little and 5 is overwhelming). Fortunately, living on the Westside of LA has its perks where you can choose from Beverly Center/Beverly Connection, Westfield Century City, The Grove, and Santa Monica Place/3rd Street Promenade. On this particular day, I chose to power up for my shopping trip by lounging on the beach before hitting up the stretch of stores along the Promenade.

Adventures in Shopping: Summer Wedding Edition

Spring has definitely sprung. For me, the first sign is when the purple flowers start to bloom on the Jacaranda trees lining our street. For many others however, it’s the onslaught of wedding invitations that flood their mailbox signaling the inevitable (and sometimes dreaded) dress shopping.

Fortunately, I revel in the challenge of helping my friends find the perfect outfit for any occasion. So I’ve dedicated this edition of “Adventures in Shopping” to help one such friend channel her inner Kate Hudson (circa How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) for an upcoming summer wedding. My style formula is simple for weddings –