baublebar Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Americana

Dress: Borrowed from Tommy Hilfiger / Clutch: Jonathan Adler via Navette (consignment) / Shoes: Sole Society / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Earrings: Stella & Dot (similar) / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

Nothing says July and summertime like a red, white, and blue Tommy Hilfiger maxi dress. Perfectly patriotic, this Americana cocktail dress was perfect for the July wedding we attended a couple weeks back. While it is not from the maternity section, the stretch of elastic around the middle of the empire waist allowed me to pull off this look at about 33 weeks pregnant. It can be tough to find wedding attire when you are in your third trimester, so thank goodness for good friends who work in fashion for allowing me a night to borrow this beauty!

I paired the dress with blue suede pumps that I received for my birthday a couple years back and this unique Jonathan Adler clutch I scored at the consignment shop, Navette, on a trip to Annapolis last fall.

We had a lovely evening at the outdoor ceremony and enjoyed dinner and dancing with friends while celebrating a beautiful couple at a stunning country club in Long Island. With a toddler at home and another babe on the way, we definitely do not take these nights out for granted, and we have come to appreciate them very much!

This past weekend, I celebrated my 31st Birthday with my boys getting in two awesome beach days, two yummy dinners, a movie, some shopping, and a little quality family relaxing time. Today I hit the 35th week of my pregnancy. Can’t believe how fast things are flying. Baby will be here before we know it!

Hope you all have a great week!

XO,

Gina

Seneca Summer

Dress: Target / Sandals: Dolce Vita (sold out, but similar here) / Earrings: Stella & Dot (similar here) / Sunglasses: Vintage / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: Revlon Hydrangea

As I mentioned yesterday, we spent the Fourth of July Weekend up at Seneca Lake with some close friends. I have more photos of our adventures to share later, but first I wanted to share the outfit I wore on our nice dinner out to Hazelnut Kitchen. It was about a 30 minute drive from our house, but totally worth it as it was completely delicious farm to table freshness and goodness. I would definitely recommend it if you are ever in the Ithaca area.

Today I am heading to the beach/aquarium with my little guy today. Trying to soak up as much one on one time as humanly possible with this little fellow before our family grows at the end of the summer and I’m trying to balance being a mama of two.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

XO,

Gina

Out in the Country

This look totally said “I’m going out to the country” this past weekend. Casual, comfortable with layers for a chilly morning and warm afternoon. Planning outfit shoots with a toddler in tow these days, is almost near impossible. He has no tolerance or patience for sitting still and wants to run, run, run! We often resort to pulling over on the side of the road when the little one falls asleep for a nap. Whatever works! Haha. We found this adorable green church out in the countryside of Beacon and thought it would be a perfect place to stop and shoot since we had to wait for the little guy to wake up before exploring anyway. I’m still thinking fondly of our mini get-a-away last weekend, and can’t wait for the next one.

Top: Motherhood / Jeans: Motherhood (old) / Trench: H&M (similar on sale) / Boots: Target / Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Necklace: Love, Lori Michelle / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar), Stella & Sparkle, Baublebar / Watch: Michael Kors

What a gorgeous day outside! Can’t wait to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Make it a good one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

You Wouldn’t Believe It If I Told You

“What are you wearing to Alex’s baby shower?” my sister asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” was my response.

Yes, I am a pregnant lady, who decided to wear a crop top two piece dress to a baby shower.

“But I promise it’s classy!” I exclaimed.

I can’t even describe to you what my sister imagined me wearing to this shower. Haha. I think I really threw her for a loop. I purchased this dress at the end of last summer season, and didn’t find the right opportunity to wear it then. Fast forward to this year, and the tags were still on. My tummy is ever growing, and this shower was pretty much my last opportunity of the year to get any wear out of this dress before I blow up like a balloon haha. Lucky for me, this bad boy has a high waisted skirt and fans out over the bump, so people could barely notice the bump, and somehow I think I actually managed to make that slight skim of midriff stay classy, even with a baby growing inside me. (I think. I hope.) Who knew?

Photos by: Mary Ann Guaragna / Edited by: Myself

Top & Skirt: Necessary Clothing (last season, but loving their selection of dresses right now) / Shoes: Sole Society (similar) / Sunnies: ModCloth / Watch: Michael Kors (now on sale!) / Bracelet: Baublebar / Earrings: Stella & Dot (similar) / Hair Curled with Sapphire 8-in-1 Curling Wand c/o: Irresistible Me (now on sale!)

I don’t know about you, but I am still waiting for the spring weather to arrive and STAY put. I’m tired of this back and forth fake out with one nice day and then back to freezing cold again. Come on SPRING! Just get here already and don’t go away! I’m sure mid-July when I am hugely pregnant, sweating, and waddling, I will regret these sentiments, but right now I am just craving that warm weather.

The father-in-law is coming up to visit tomorrow night and he is taking Zack and I to the Brooklyn Nets v. Washington Wizards basketball game. Not only am I excited to have a night out, but I have been dying to get to a Nets game, and who better to play them than my old team, the Wizards! Did you know I used to intern for them? One of the best internships I ever had. It will be awesome to see them play again from a new perspective.

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Southwest Chic

Dress: ModCloth (now on sale!) / Shoes: Sole Society (similar) / Sunnies: ModCloth / Earrings: Gifted / Clutch: Old (can’t remember!) / Bracelets: Gifted and Baublebar / Lip: MAC Rebel mixed Up the Amp / Eyes: Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner in Radium, Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Limited Edition Palette (I cannot find this anymore, but you can buy the matte and the shimmer separately, which is basically the same thing!)

I had been dying for an opportunity to wear this fancy dress, and I figured a wedding in sunny Arizona was the perfect place! Oh how I am missing that warmth right now. We are freezing over here in New York. Tucson is just such a beautiful place, and this backdrop was so gorgeous, we had to stop along the side of the road for some snaps before the wedding. The wedding photos are gorgeous as well, and I’m excited to share those at a later date. Although it was a quick trip, we had an amazing time eating delicious authentic Mexican tacos, celebrating a wonderful couple, and soaking in the sunshine.

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Autumn Yellow

Blouse: H&M – similar / Denim: AG Jeans / Leopard Pumps: Liz Claiborne (clearance!) / Necklace: Coup de Coeur/ Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Tory Burch, Baublebar / Nails: Essie Sexy Divide (amazing price!) / Lip: Lancome All Done Up

It’s definitely feeling like fall over here, which means it’s time for me to break out the darker hues and longer sleeves. Jewel tones are my favorite for fall, and I love this topaz/mustard color yellow for the season. It reminds of the leaves changing colors around me.

What are some of your favorite colors to wear during the autumn season?

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

XO,

Gina

Strawberry Sunshine

On me – Dress: ModCloth / Shoes (1): ALDO / Shoes (2): Carrini via Hautelook / Sunnies: Amazon / Bracelet: Baublebar / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

On Nico – Shirt: Carter’s / Shorts: Quad Seven

I scored this dress on sale from ModCloth at the beginning of August, and I love that it can work both for summer and fall. I dig the retro/vintage feel of the dress in terms of the silhouette as well as the strawberry floral print. It instantly puts me in a good mood! I wore this a couple weeks ago for a family day in the neighborhood, and then changed my shoes for a long walk to the Prospect Park carousel and zoo. As you can tell, Nico was a big fan of the carousel!

I am feeling SO MUCH better this week. Thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes from my last post. It definitely helped! Looking forward to a busy week of catch up, and I’m planning to get outside as much as humanly possible!

XO,

Gina

All About Hair

As most of you know, I recently got my hair cut by the amazing, Tim Dueñas, at Arrojo Studio. Having recently celebrated my 30th Birthday, I decided to treat myself to a fancy hair cut, and I am so glad I did. Tim asked about my lifestyle and my daily routine, and without even needing me to show him a photo, he knew exactly what I needed in a hair cut. Long enough to still put up in a pony and go (mom life doesn’t give me much time for styling), but plenty of layers and shape if I do find a moment to wear it down. I am incredibly happy with how it turned out.

That being said…Irresistible Me sent over their fantastic extensions, and I couldn’t wait to try them on! Now, let me be straight with you. I know ladies have been rocking extensions for awhile now, but I never jumped on board. To be honest, as much as I wanted to try them out, it was extremely intimidating to me. I am not the best stylist when it comes to hair, and even when I received the box, I took one look, and e-mailed my contact there freaking out about how I was supposed to apply these things! She sent me a video tutorial, and I have to say, I am completely surprised at how easy it was to clip them in. While, I love my fresh new cut, it’s exciting to know that if I am craving a longer, fuller look for a date night or event, I can now achieve that without spending a fortune at the salon.

I have posted Before and After shots, and you can really see how natural they turned out. A lot of other extensions I have seen have the potential to appear mullet-like, showing a clear separation between the real hair and the “fake” hair. These flowed beautifully with my natural hair. Speaking of natural…Irresistible Me boasts 100% natural hair in all their clips.

So what do you all think of extensions? Have you tried them before? Which look do you like better?

Before:

After:

*** I apologize for the blurriness in some of these photos. We are trying out a new lens, and my husband was also taking these with a baby strapped to him, so there was some shake-age. Haha.***

Hair Extensions: c/o Irresistible Me / Top: Necessary Clothing / Scalloped Shorts: Necessary Clothing / Shoes: ALDO (similar) / Bag: Rebecca Minkoff / Shades: Vintage / Earrings: c/o Stella & Dot (now on sale!) / Bracelets: Henri Bendel, Baublebar, Stella & Sparkle / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: MAC Impassioned

And can you believe my outfit is actually a top and shorts set? I wore them together, but apart, I think they would be just as cute styled in a different way. I went on a sets kick this past shopping trip. I don’t know what it was, but I was alone for once and excited, and I kept seeing adorable sets, so there you go. The one I’m wearing is sold out online, but if you live in NYC, you may still be able to catch it in-store. I also purchased this adorable two-piece top and skirt set, and I hope I can find the perfect occasion to break it out.

We spent the weekend in Brooklyn with our nieces, celebrated Nico’s 1st Birthday with a slice of rainbow cake (the big celebration is coming up this Saturday), and reminisced back to last year’s Labor Day Weekend when I was actually in labor. My how much has changed since then.

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend as well!

XO,

Gina

Porch Swing

On me: Top: J. Crew / Tank: J. Crew (available in other colors) – also similar here / Shorts: J. Crew (available in other colors here and here) / Sandals: Sam Edelman (sold out, but many color choices here) / Sunnies: Francesca’s (similar) / Necklace: Baublebar (similar) / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Henri Bendel, Baublebar, Stella & Sparkle / Earrings: ALDO / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

On Nico: Bathing Suit Top & Trunks Set: Carter’s

Feeling nostalgic today from our vacation to the Outer Banks. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already noticed I’m protesting my post-vacation blues. The photos above show some of my most favorite times in the OBX. Doing. Absolutely. Nothing. Relaxation in it’s purest form. There’s just something about a porch swing at sunset that immediately resets my zen. After a long day in the hot sun, taking walks and building sandcastles, it feels great to come back to the cottage, have a nice shower, and climb into the porch swing and just sway. Feeling the breeze as the sun drops down below the horizon brings an immediate feeling of calm and a sense of peacefulness that I haven’t been able to really recreate anywhere else but here. Sometimes I will even bring a book into the swing and get lost into some other dream world. This year, I brought Nico onto the swing with me, and for a kid who otherwise at this age is squirmy and adventurous, I was mildly surprised with his ability to just snuggle and relax with me on the swing for awhile. It was as if he was silently saying, “Oh hey Mom, yeah I could get the hang of this relax in the porch swing thing.” I’m lucky that my little one still does love to snuggle with me often…usually at night before bedtime. But as he approaches his first birthday and becomes more independent, I start to see him squiggle away from me more and more as he explores the world around him. It makes me sad, but at the same time I know he has to grow. Part of me wants to cling and keep him small forever though and that part of me is going to soak up every moment I can while he is still little enough to be wrapped in my arms cuddling on the porch swing.

XO,

Gina

Flower Child

Flowing Floral Pants: Forever 21 / Top: Target / Jean Jacket: American Eagle – similar / Flower Crown Headband: Urban Outfitters – similar / Shoes: Nine West – similar / Earrings: Baublebar – similar / Medallion: old / Sunglasses: Vintage / Bag: Rebecca Minkoff – also like it in silver / Chevron Rings: Baublebar (sold out, but like these sets as well) / Bracelet: cara New York – similar / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: MAC Snob

I’m not usually one for a wide leg pant, but I could not resist this vibrant floral pair from Forever 21. If you are looking for a pair of pants as comfortable as pajamas but acceptable to wear outside of the house, then these are definitely the pants for you! I wore these last weekend on a long walk to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and they were both flowy and light. I was clearly excited that spring had arrived as you can see from the multitude of florals in my attire. We had a great time exploring and seeing the new buds coming up showing the first signs of the season. I am definitely planning on going back here again toward the end of the month when things are in full bloom. I took a few more photos of our trip to the botanical gardens, so stay tuned next week!

Happy Friday!

XO,

Gina