Maternity

Seraphine Maternity

I am now officially in the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy. Where has the time gone? Only 10 weeks left and so much to do!! I will write all about how pregnancy has been for me so far in an upcoming blog post. Today is all about Seraphine Maternity. Now that my belly is growing by the second, even my oversized shirts are starting to be fitted or even too small. Maternity clothing is becoming more of a necessity as the days pass.

I had recently come across Seraphine Maternity online and was so excited. To all the moms or pregnant readers, you know that finding good maternity clothing is not that easy. Prior to my pregnancy I could walk into a store and always find something I love….not a talent my husband appreciates. When it comes to dressing my bump it has definitely been more of a challenge. I think I try on 10 outfits a day before I find a look that makes me feel confident. Finding those staple maternity pieces have been my lifesaver. Some of the most fashionable celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani and Kate Middleton have been seen wearing Seraphine Maternity.

This season I have been all about the poncho or cape…so I couldn’t help but gravitate towards this beauty. I love the cut and grey trim detail. The front zipper and buckle make it versatile. Its that perfect piece to throw over any outfit, or wear it as the main attraction as I did here.

I paired the poncho with dainty jewelry, distressed denim and Valentino rockstuds. I’m always a firm believer that less is more.

Poncho: Seraphine Maternity currently on sale //

Jeans: Genetic denim //

Shoes: Valentino Rockstuds //

Barcelona for the day!!

This holiday season my husband and I decided to visit both of our families. I am quickly approaching the point where traveling is off limits so it was time to make the most of it and share our pregnancy with our loved ones. Family is so important and it really meant the world to us being able have them witness this little miracle growing inside. Our first stop was Barcelona. I love this city. The food, atmosphere, architecture and shopping are always on point. I may be slightly biased though since this magical city is where my husband and I got married over 2 years ago.

We only had 4 days and it was jam packed with family lunches and dinners. I wish we had more time, but I know we will be back soon enough.

I kept my look comfortable for our hectic day running around the city. As mentioned in a previous post…I am such a fan of the poncho. It’s an ideal layering piece and works perfectly during pregnancy. I love mixing maternity and non-maternity items.

I have noticed that when I go shopping I’m automatically drawn to items that are pregnancy friendly. I no longer stop to admire crop tops, skirts, jumpsuits etc… I tend to veer towards the flowing dress or oversized sweater. I guess I’m figuring out how to dress for my changing figure even on a subconscious level.

Don’t get me wrong….I can’t wait for the days when I can go back to endless fashion possibilities!! In the meantime, I’m exploring different ways to wear similar items while keeping my daily looks exciting!!

Poncho: Massimo Dutti (old) (Similar here, here and here) //

Shirt: Rosie pope (Non-Maternity here and here) //

Jeans: Genetic Denim – A pea in the pod (Non-maternity here and here)//

Boots: Yves Saint Laurent (More affordable here, here and here) //

A year in review: 2014

Happy New Years to you all!!

This is the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to new beginnings. This year has been such an exciting one for me. Of course there were ups and downs but thankfully we are ending on a high note. It has been a year since I discovered fashion blogs and started my fashion instagram account. I finally had the courage to start this blog a few months ago and it has been such a fun and rewarding experience. I am so thankful to all of you that are following along with my journey.

The biggest news this year for my family is that my husband and I are expecting our first child. We are so thrilled to welcome our little baby girl March 2015. Pregnancy has been a whirlwind of emotions for me. I am just starting my third trimester and can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. There will be many exciting changes for us in 2015

A Touch of Lace

One of my pregnancy staples is the sweater dress. I have always been a fan of them, especially with over the knee boots. There is something about that look that I find so sexy. The weather in LA has not been very conducive to wearing my OTK boots so I had to resort to my second favorite, the ankle boot.

As soon as I saw this dress I knew I had to have it. I love the translucency of the sweater and the lace slip that peeks through from the bottom hem. It is dainty and feminine which is in contrast to most sweater dresses.

I paired the dress with my Anine Bing ankle boots. I think the studs give the look a more edgy vibe!

Dress: Free People (Similar here and here) //

Glasses: Karen Walker //

Boots: Anine Bing (More affordable here) //

Bag: Celine //

The Poncho….this seasons staple!!

Christmas is quickly approaching….where did the time go!!!! I feel like this holiday season has just flown by. This is bitter sweet for me because its my favorite time of year but that also means I’m closer to meeting baby girl. After the holidays my husband and I have to kick it into high gear and start preparing for her arrival. So much to start figuring out!

I’m sure most have finished or at least almost conquered their holiday shopping. If you haven’t and need an idea, I propose a poncho!! They are that perfect throw to pull together any look. I love the one I’m wearing from Choices because it adds color to my usual neutral looks.

Poncho: Choices very similar (I also love these: here, here and here) //

Jeans: A pea in the Pod Maternity (Non-maternity here and here) //

Shoes: Converse (Also love the classic canvas) //

Bag: Louis Vuitton //

Its almost Christmas in LA and I’m wearing converse!! Definitely different than the freezing cold and snow that I will be encountering when I go home to Toronto for the Holidays. I must say I am looking forward to snuggling by the fireplace with a hot chocolate after a long day in the cold.

Heritwine Maternity Giftcard Giveaway

As soon as I got pregnant I started to worry about many things. One of my worries was, what am I going to wear as my baby bump gets larger? You barely see maternity clothing stores when you are out shopping….or at least prior to pregnancy I never took notice. I decided to do some research and found some department stores that had maternity sections. I was so excited to start looking for my “new wardrobe”, I already went shopping when I was only 8 weeks pregnant. To my dismay I was horrified.

The maternity section was stashed away in a corner, with items I would never be caught dead in. I’m talking about those horrid “mom” jeans, and floral shirts with empire waists etc. I can’t even remember anything else, I was so traumatized I must have blocked those memories. I was not going to let my fashion sense disappear just because I’m pregnant.

Thankfully I had come across other online maternity stores. One of those boutiques is Heritwine Maternity. I love when I can find affordable clothing that will make me look good. The Cardigan I am wearing is from this shop. We have teamed up to give one lucky reader a $25 gift card just by posting a comment below on why you would like to win. For an additional entry refer to my Instagram account (@withloveandrea) and follow the instructions there. With this gift card you have more than 60% off most items in the store. Many items can be worn for non-pregnant readers as well.

I love when Items are shipped with cute packaging!!

Cardigan: Heritwine Maternity on sale & an additional 60% off with the gift card //

Pants: A Pea in the Pod Maternity (non-maternity here) //

Boots: YSL Black Friday sale purchase (More affordable here, here and here) //

I have always worn a lot of black and neutrals. With my growing figure black always seems like a good idea. This Grey/gold cardigan is a perfect addition to add a little festive sparkle to my simple look. The best part about it is that I can wear it post pregnancy as well. I love when I find versatile maternity items.

Don’t forget to comment below for your entry. Contest closes Monday Dec 22nd 12pm PST.

With Love….

ANDREA

The Oversized Cardigan

I have always been a fan of the oversized cardigan and skinny jeans look. Its a way to dress comfortably without feeling overly frumpy. Keeping the colors dark and monotone gives an added slimming effect.

You can see the baby bump popping out in these two photos, but once you close the cardigan you can barely tell I’m 6 months pregnant.

I love the gold detail on these smoking slippers. I wore a gold necklace to complement the shoes and add some detail to the all black look.

Shirt: Equipment old (Similar here, here and here)

Cardigan: & Other Stories

Pants: J Brand Maternity (Non-maternity here)

Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti (Similar here and here)

Glasses: Karen Walker

With Love….

Andrea

A day at the Library

I can’t mention enough how my growing body is making me venture out of my usual classic style. I love button down shirts and large sweaters. As the weeks go by and I am approaching my 3rd trimester I am slowly not able to button up my shirts, and I’m also starting to feel huge in my oversized sweaters.

Looking in my closet, I’m trying to put together some of my looser fitting pieces so that I don’t have to invest too much money on new clothes. There are obviously some maternity items I need to purchase, and I am happy to do so.

I found this cute summer dress in the back of my closet, and since LA weather has been so warm, I was able to wear it in December while giving it a fall twist. I added an oversized cardigan with over the knee socks and my favorite black boots.

I felt cute and flirty in this look with the added bonus that it was very comfortable and flattering to my changing body.

Dress: Brandy Melville summer (Similar here, here and here) //

Sweater: Small shop in Italy (similar here, here and here) //

Socks: Free People //

Boots: Sergio Rossi old (Similar here and here) //

Sunglasses: Karen Walker

I suggest pregnant or not, take a look in the back of your closet and pull out that piece that’s been sitting there for a while and try to incorporate it into your next look. Its like getting a new item all over again.

With Love….

Andrea

The Bump Nest

I love to sleep. I am one of those people who needs to have their 8 hours of sleep every night. Even with my 8 hours, I still like to catch up on sleep on the weekends. I sometimes wonder how I managed to survive my dental school days during exam time when maybe 3 hours of sleep was all I got. I guess I will find out soon enough once baby girl arrives.

I heard that as your pregnancy progresses and your belly grows, sleep can become a challenge. When my sister-in-law told me about the pregnancy pillow and that it was a sleeping necessity I knew I had to look into it further. I did my research and came across The Bump Nest. “With support in all the right places, the Bump Nest^® Pregnancy Pillow relieves the aches and pains associated with a woman’s journey through pregnancy, including sciatica, restless leg syndrome, lower back pain, and symphysis pubis dysfunction.”

This little fella wouldn’t mind a bump nest of his own.

Pregnancy pillow: Bump nest (Similar here and here)

This was one of my first pregnancy purchases and I couldn’t be happier. My husband and puppy on the other hand are currently not huge fans of the pillow since it takes up cuddling space. I can’t wait to see how much it will help me during the third trimester. Do any of you have any pregnancy must haves that I should look into??

With love…..

Andrea

Denim daze

I have always been a pants and shirt kinda gal. Even as a little girl I never liked to wear skirts and dresses. My mom likes to remind me of this when I wear them occasionally now!!

With my pregnancy I have started to take more interest in dresses and you will see more of them in future blog posts. I love the way they can camouflage or accentuate your curves depending on the style desired. There is a level of comfort and freedom with a dress that makes it perfect to wear during pregnancy.

I love this Gap denim dress. I liked it so much that I bought it in two different colors and patterns. You can see how I styled the other dress here. I have seen denim and plaid button down dresses in multiple stores this season and I think they are a great casual piece for anyone especially pregnant women.

I paired it with brown boots and a blanket scarf. I have had these boots for 6 years and I love their worn and vintage feel.

Dress: Gap (Similar here, here and here) // Scarf: Zara last season (Similar here, here and here) // Boots: Steve Madden (Similar here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

With Love….

Andrea