Selfless Ambition

When I was pregnant, I ate like a 250 pound grown man. I rarely told myself no. I gave into most all of my cravings. And I craved the worst things...fried chicken tenders from Raising Canes, cupcakes, gum balls, popsicles, just to name a few. Frankly, I went nuts. I remember looking in the mirror in my 9-month and thinking to myself, "what in the world have you done to yourself, girl?"  By the end of my pregnancy, I had packed on nearly 50 pounds. The funny thing is I wasn&… Read more

Before Ryann was born, I was told by lots of moms that 6 months is one of the most fun baby stages. And it's so true. Her little personality is so funny. She's very aware of what's going on around her. She's sitting up by herself now and it's so, so cute watching her play with her little toys. She really is a happy, smiling little nugget.  16.14 pounds 26.5 inches Wearing 6 month clothing & size 3 diapers Killing 6oz of either breast milk or formula every 3 ho… Read more

skirt: JC Penney, old |  similar graphic tee: Old Navy, old |  similar cardigan: Express, old |  similar on sale booties:  DSW necklace: Forever 21, old |  similar sunglasses:  Rayban bag: so old...don't remember | similar Remember my ridiculous rant about houndstooth ? Well, turns out I'm a fan of this print. I'm totally guilty of defaulting to head-to-toe black and white with a pop of (various shades of) pink. It's easy and it works every.single.time. So mixing black and white tog… Read more

I traveled to California this week for work. I've always packed pretty light, but I try to pack even lighter these days since I have extra equipment to carry (breast pump). So other than the Chucks I wore on the flight there, I only packed 1 pair of heeled boots. I realized the other day as I repacked my bag to fly from Orange County to San Francisco for the second half of my trip, that there was no way I was going to try to trek through the airport with my boots on, so I slipped … Read more

When I was pregnant, I stood in my closet many mornings admiring all of the clothes that I couldn't fit at the moment...vowing to not buy a single article of clothing after I lost the baby weight...but actually wear the clothes I already owned.  I knew that in order to stick to my vow self-imposed shopping ban, I would have to get a little more creative with my wardrobe and kick up my remixing skills. The only problem is I kinda suck at remixing my wardrobe. I tend to buy pieces … Read more

My sweet girl has definitely started teething. She's drooling a ton and chewing on EVERYTHING. She's also constantly grabbing at everything in arm's reach - including my hair and jewelry.  I received this adorable teething necklace from the ladies at The Vintage Honey Shop . Initially, when I'd wear it and she would grab at it, my first reaction was to try to save it from being yanked off my neck. But after wearing it a couple times, I realized the necklace is made for… Read more

The past month introduced a few new milestones and adventures. I took my first work trip since being back from maternity leave. Ryann stayed with my parents for the 3 days I was gone so mommy AND daddy got a little break. I missed her every single second I was gone but it was nice to have a few days of uninterrupted rest.  I'm still nursing so I was a little nervous about the extra equipment I was going to have to haul with me...and getting the "liquid gold" through se… Read more

Let's talk about my home for a second. It is my job to make my home a sanctuary. A peaceful place. An environment where my husband feels respected. A home where my children thrive. Where the neighborhood kids love to hang out. Where friends and family feel comfortable and at home. A clean home. Where grace is extended and God's love is apparent.  But here's the million dollar question...HOW do I create this kind of sanctuary on top of working, trying to be a good wife and… Read more

Annnddd I'm back with my first style post, post-baby ! Yay me! Let's just say that showering and getting decently dressed every day with a new baby is one thing...attempting to capture blog worthy pics on top of that seems nearly impossible these days. But with the help of my photog friend, Kim , I'm hoping to work a style-related post in at least once a week. *fingers crossed* So with Valentine's Day coming up, I took to my closet to see what I could pull together for … Read more

We moved in our home in May. I was 6 months pregnant at the time but that didn't stop me (although it should have) from attempting to decorate almost every room in the house before baby girl made her debut. I worked tirelessly  to pull the house together from the day we moved in until literally weeks before she was born. Since she arrived in September, I obviously haven't had the time or energy to think about decorating...but now that I'm back at work and we've settle… Read more

Ryann started daycare on January 2 nd . Having her stay at home with my mom for a couple weeks after I went back to work really helped soften the separation anxiety blow for me. It helped me get used to being away from her for 8-10 hours a day. I had a peace knowing she was getting lots of love and care from Grandma.  She started  daycare  on a Thursday so I decided to take that day and the following day off. She did half days both days. A friend suggested I ease into it that way to get bo… Read more

My word of the year is RELAX. I already knew I was a bit neurotic, controlling, and always worried about everything. Having a baby has magnified that. I'm worried sometimes to the point of exhaustion.  It sucks the life out of you when you try to be in control, yet you are COMPLETELY out of control. My worry often translates to nagging my hubby. While getting ready to take baby girl to the pedi last week, hubby sat her car seat on the kitchen counter...and I nearly had a heart at… Read more