Beautygirl24: Beautiful in Burgundy

Hey everyone! My name is Noelle and I write the blog Beautygirl24. Danielle is taking a wonderful vacation on my side of the coast, so I am guest blogging for her today. I hope you enjoy! My love for Fall fashion has always stemmed from the rich, vibrant jewel tones that are so popular each year. I love neutrals because you can pair them with anything in your wardrobe, but I love color even more. This Fall, the IT color is burgundy. Plum, maroon, dark wines, and oxblood are all going to be important. Flipping through the September editions of fashion magazines, I saw variations of this shade on all the models. I think some people may find it severe, but if you use it as the standout of your outfit, or you use it sparingly in an accessory, you will find that it looks beautiful on everyone.

Pinterest

Rebecca Minkoff

Me Too Flats

Glamour.com

My take - carrying a suede clutch from Asos

I hope you all find a way to incorporate this gorgeous color into your Fall wardrobes! Thanks to Danielle for letting me guest blog :) Thank YOU for reading!

♥ Noelle

Jamey & Jack's Mommy: Style on the Go

Hi my name is Jessica and I am from Jamey and Jack's Mommy. I am a stay at home mom of two boys, two very messy, energetic boys. My style is normally relaxed and…well…things I can run around outside in. I’m a big hat person because having two kids under 4 you never know what they can get into in less than five minutes, so sometimes showers aren’t an option. Hats cover up bad hair days, unwashed hair, or just wanting to add a little extra to a fall outfit.

Hat TJ Maxx/ Jeans American Eagle / Shoes also American Eagle and current just sold out online/ Belt Betsey Johnson TJ Maxx/ Shirt Gap/ Bag Fossil from last fall/ Jewelry earrings bracelet 1, bracelet 2.

I also love skinny jeans, great flats, and a leather over the shoulder bag. These things are essential to on the go moms, something I know Danielle will learn very soon. I’m so excited for her and the many wonderful stories ahead that come with kids. I know that feeling my two boys in my belly were some of the most special times and now they are running around telling me things I didn’t even know, for example who knew anemones split or that Popeyes has a $3 chicken, biscuit, and fry special…my kids are southern and love their chicken!

Everyday With a Redhead: Leopard & Berry

Hey everybody!  I'm Kristen and I blog over at Everyday With a Redhead.  I'm so excited to get the opportunity to guest post on Danielle's blog while she's on her "babymoon"!

jacket & scarf: local boutique - pants: Loft (recent) - shirt: WHBM - shoes: Cato - earrings: Lia Sophia (recent) 

It's that time of year when I never know what to wear because it's chilly in the mornings and warm in the afternoons.  The past few days have been rainy, so I was able to wear some of my new fall clothes!  I'm loving berry tones and leopard prints for fall!  They just look like they were made for each other!  What are you guys looking forward to wearing this fall?


xoxo, Kristen

Dainty & Decadent: Brilliant Blue

Hi, I'm Maria and I blog over at Dainty & Decadent.  I'm so excited to be guest posting here again!  Okay, I confess, there are those mornings...most mornings...where I lack creativity...I can't think of anything to wear. That's when the magical website, Pinterest, becomes my life saver.  That's right, I'm shameless and copy outfits on Pinterest!  I highly encourage this shameless behavior.  It has saved me many mornings of throwing 2 year old temper tantrums becauseI.can't.find.anything.to.wear.

I was inspired by this outfit on Pinterest.  There are differences between the inspiration and my outfit...for one, she remembered to iron her skirt, I did not.  Grrr, hate when that happens!  Will anyone else admit to Pinteresting outfits?  C'mon, admit it! :-) Thanks for having me and I hope you will stop by Dainty & Decadent and say hi!

Sweater: Banana Republic  /  Skirt: Banana Republic  /  Tank: Gap  /  Belt: Forever 21  /  Clutch: Coach  /  Sunglasses: Dior  /  Shoes: Me Too 'Patty'  /  Jewelry: Kate Spade 'Mrs' Necklace, J Crew, David Yurman

Ella Pretty: Pops of Pink

Hi! I'm Ella from Ella Pretty - where I blog about Beauty, Fashion and Style. I'm so excited to write a guest post for Schnelle while she's off enjoying her time in California.

My post is about the onset of a surprising addiction - a love of all things hot pink! It started with this  sparkly necklace from H&M - I thought I could satisfy my craving with a hint of hot pink.

  

But I fell in love with the complexion-brightening effect and had to get more - so I went back to H&M for this gingham shirt:

It quickly became a summer staple - but it was not enough! I was captivated by the glossiness of these hot pink jelly sandals from Aeropostale - perfect for the beach.

I realized that my love affair with hot pink was not going to end with the summer - so I returned to H&M for this J.Crew/Tippi look-a-like sweater - definitely going to brighten up my fall!

And my final hot pink purchase is one I highly recommend - this gorgeous Revlon lipstick:

This lipstick is meant to be a more moisturizing dupe for MAC's Girl About Town. It goes on bright and stays on a LONG time. When it does fade, it leaves a very pretty stain. For daytime I like to dab it on and top with a gold gloss - so bright and flattering , and in the evening I wear it straight from the tube - it's definitely bright but easier to pull off than a full-on red.

Do you love hot pink? Have you been drawn to any surprising colors this season?

BUMPdate: 22 Weeks

Size of the baby? 

The size of a spaghetti squash (8 inches, 1lb.)

Total Weight Gain/Loss? 

16 pounds.

Maternity Clothes? 

Still wearing leggings and my normal non-maternity clothes

Stretch marks? 

None so far and I hope it stays that way.

Best Moments? 

My husband felt our little girl kick the other night. It brought a tear to my eye and several tears to his eyes because he was laughing so hard- he expected a gentle tap but instead she seemed to be practicing her karate chop.

Movement?

Lots and lots of movement especially at night and early morning.

Food Cravings? 

Chocolate.

Anything making you queasy or sick? 

I know you're really not supposed to eat lunch meat because of the nitrates but my doctor said it was okay to eat in moderation and I really wanted a Spicy Italian from Subway, so I caved. I totally regret it because it gave me heartburn... all day long. No more Subway for me.

What I miss? 

Sleeping on my stomach.

Nausea/Vomiting?

None.

Symptoms? 

I'm feeling great these days. 

Labor signs? 

That's still a long ways away... or so I keep telling myself.

Gender?

Girl

Belly Button In or Out?

Still in.

Wedding rings On or Off? 

Still on!

Sleep?

Still hate waking up to go to the bathroom but aside from that, I'm sleeping great.

What I'm looking forward to? 

Leaving for our babymoon tonight! 

I'll be gone all week but I have some really great guest posts lined up for you all!

It's a...

As promised, here are all of the details from our Gender Reveal Party this weekend. I didn't get any photos but thankfully our moms did. We had about 30 people at our house on Saturday and it was such a busy day that flew by way too fast. You can check out this post to see more details and photos too.

The Voting Table
This was the chalkboard about half way through the party. As you can see the majority voted for boy. The sign on the table says "We (a picture of a mustache) you a question: Boy or Girl? Choose a mustache or a bow" There were adhesive mustaches and pink bow pins in the glass jars in front. The frame to the right has our most recent sonogram photos in it.

The Invitation
designed by my husband and I

The Cake
Vanilla Cake with Colored Buttercream Filling & Whipped Icing

HERsHEy's Bars
Complete with carefully colored in pink "her" and blue "he"

Under the Vine
We set up all of the plates, napkins, cups, and food under the grape vine and had  other tables set up outside of the vine as well.
What was on the menu? Tortellini Skewers with Pesto dipping sauce, Italian Pasta Salad, Bruschetta, lots of cookies, and Faux Champagne Punch

Handing the Knife Off 

Making the Much Anticipated Cut

...and it's PINK! 
It's a GIRL!

For those of you wondering yes, we wore pink on purpose because we both felt it was a girl. I promise we didn't peek either- We took the envelope straight from the appointment to the bakery.

We are so excited, beyond excited actually. I can't wait to start shopping for all things pink and girly. This little girl is in for some serious accessorizing because her momma is as girly as it gets. 

BUMPdate: 20 Weeks

Size of the baby?
the size of a banana (7 inches, 14 oz.) 

(I know, I realize now that I spelled banana wrong on my chalkboard)

Total Weight Gain/Loss?
15 pounds! I swear at least half of that weight has gone straight to my bum.

Maternity Clothes?
I got a pair of maternity jeans that I actually love. I'm wearing a Liz Lange maternity top here but aside from that, I'm living in leggings now.

Stretch marks?
None. I <3 cocoa butter!

Best Moments?
Our 20 week ultrasound yesterday. We got to see the baby moving all around, the little hands, feet, lips, and nose.

Movement?
Lots of movement this week. I'm feeling lots of little kicks and sometimes it feels like the baby is doing somersaults in there.

Food Cravings?
Still craving sweets. Nutella. That's probably to blame for my weight gain too.

Anything making you queasy or sick?
Not really. I'm eating everything I would normally eat.

What I miss?
Being able to fit in my skinny jeans. 

Nausea/Vomiting?

None. The 2nd trimester has been great for me so far.

Symptoms?
My stomach is a little itchy this week but I guess it's from the skin stretching.

Labor signs?
No way!

Gender?
The gender is sitting in an envelope right now in the bakery. We won't know until we cut the cake at our gender reveal party on Saturday. 

Belly Button In or Out?
Still have an innie.

Wedding rings On or Off?
Still on!

Sleep?
I'm sleeping like a baby.

What I'm looking forward to?
Finding out the gender this weekend and spending time with our nearest and dearest at the party.

First Fall OOTD & Guest Post Spots Open!

It. has. happened. The nights are getting colder, it's getting darker earlier, and the mornings have been frigid. While I'm not really ready to welcome fall with open arms just yet, I'm giving in and dressing for the season. After all, it gives me a reason to wear the new items that I picked up at the mall this weekend; so I'll take it.

Sweatshirt- Strawberry
Fleece-lined Leggings- Strawberry
Leopard Scarf- eBay
Black Flower Flats- Dr. Scholl's

This outfit is super comfortable and baby bump friendly and nowadays that's a big deal for me. I highly recommend fleece-lined leggings- because just when you thought leggings were the most comfortable thing on the planet, these came along and proved you all wrong. Speaking of comfort, these Dr. Scholl's flats have memory foam and they contour to your foot, it's probably the closest feeling you can get to walking on a cloud. I always thought of Dr. Scholl's as being "old lady" shoes so I was surprised to see the brand when I picked these up. Am I the only one who thought this way?

Also... Time to get em' while they're hot!

image via Pinterest

I'm leaving... again! Yes, we're leaving for California in less than 2 weeks for a babymoon of sorts and I thought it would be fun to have some guest posters while I'm away. Leave me a comment or email me if you're interested. I have a total of 9 spots available, first come first serve, so get em' while they're hot (or open). I will need your post no later than Wednesday, September 19th. 

UPDATE: ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT! (updated at 9:00 pm est)

Mustaches & Bows

I know, I took a little hiatus from blogging last week but I have a good reason- I've been working hard all week and when I wasn't working I was shopping and making things for the party that we are hosting this weekend. The mustache and bow party, that is. That's right, we're having a gender reveal! I have an appointment on Wednesday and that's when we will be finding out the gender of our little bambino/bambina! 

But... we are going to go through torture for a couple of days because we are having the doctor put the gender in an envelope and bringing it straight to the baker after the appointment so they can make us either a pink or a blue cake. I know, we're crazy but I think being able to share that moment with our nearest and dearest will be all the more special. 

I'm hoping that I'll have time to take photos of everything before everyone arrives (which of course I'll share with you) but until then, here are some of the details:

Bow pins and adhesive mustaches for our guest to wear.
Yes, I made these. The bows were much easier than the mustaches!

I found the most adorable plates and napkins at the most unexpected place... Walmart.

...and matching cups.

I had to have these tissue paper pom poms too.
The last time I made these was for the wedding and I totally forgot how much time they take.

In other news, I'll be posting a 20 week update next week. I plan on posting "BUMPdates" every 2 weeks from here on out since things are changing and my belly is growing- fast! 

What I've Been Reading: August 2012

The question of the month is about our engagement ring and proposal story. My husband and I moved in together after dating for only 4 months and it was pretty obvious from the beginning that we were inseparable. It wasn't until about 6 years later that my husband finally popped the question on February 7, 2010.
I had spent the weekend in Philly visiting my best friend and then drove home late Sunday afternoon. I knew something was strange when I spoke to him on the phone Saturday night, I could just tell. When I told my friend what I thought she immediately blurted out -"He's going to propose! I know it!" I didn't think anything of it really, I just thought she was crazy. As it turns out he went ring shopping while I was away for the weekend and my friend had no idea, she just has a 6th sense.
As soon as I walked in the door from the long car ride home, I started getting ready to go to his parent's Superbowl party. I was sitting at my vanity doing my makeup, he was sitting on the bed behind me and we were catching up on things when he said something along the lines of I can't wait any longer, I have to ask you... (you know the rest). I glanced up at him in the mirror with a look of total shock and saw the ring, turned around, proceeded to cry, and of course said "yes!" There's no significance whatsoever with it being Superbowl Sunday except for the fact that he just couldn't hold on to the ring for a day longer. I called my family and friends and we announced it to his family at the party. I couldn't have been more perfectly planned or um not planned.

• Beautygirl24 - Noelle revealed two pretty details to spice up her look.
• Ella Pretty -  Ella's been fall shopping - check out her haul from H&M, Old Navy & American Eagle
• Lilly's Style - Lilly is loving her new black lace skirt
• Lindsay J Everyday - Lindsay's been loving the peplum trend
• Saltwater Dreams - Andi is sharing some quick fashion bytes, check them out here
• Schnelle Couture - Danielle is loving her new Kate Spade flats
• Sequins and Stilettos - Skylette is playing around with a new bell skirt as opposed to a straight pencil skirt...baby steps...
• The Currently Obsessed - Mehreen loves mixing pastels!