Weekend Casual

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Maxi Dress: Forever 21 / Hat: P. Luca for Barami – similar on eBay / Shoes: ALDO / Scarf: Gifted – similar / Jacket: American Eagle – similar / Necklace: Vintage / Aviators: NY Street Vendor / Watch: Michael Kors (now on sale!) / Bracelet: J. Crew – also love this gold pave link bracelet / Earrings: Forever 21 / Lip: MAC Impassioned 

Along with spring cleaning, we also joined my grandmother and aunt for lunch over the weekend while they were in Brooklyn for the day.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’m excited to break out the dresses again.  A maxi dress lends itself to putting together a complete look quickly.  It allows you to stay comfortable, but also put together at the same time.  Nico is just starting to be a bit more mobile and with all the chasing I imagine on the horizon, I have a feeling maxi dresses are going to be a staple item again this summer.  The only difference (as I quickly learned Saturday) is that I am going to have to hem my maxis.  They tend to run a little long when I’m sans baby bump!

In case you missed my post yesterday, I’m hosting a little closet sale over on Pinterest if you are interested in checking it out!

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

Stripes, Polka Dots, and Sparkle

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I donned this get-up on a “business” lunch the other week with my boss and coworkers.  Nico was in tow, which is why the business is in quotes, and it was more of a catch up session on what’s been going on in the past few months as well as a chance for my office to meet my little guy.  I liked this stripe, polka dot, and sparkle mix so much I decided to sport it again while on our trip to Maryland over the holiday.  Pattern mixing can sometimes be tough, but I think it works well when you keep within the same color palette.  How do you all feel about pattern mixing?

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Striped Blazer: GAP – now on sale! / Polka Dot Button Up: J. Crew (old) – similar / Sparkly Loafers: Seychelles / Jeans: Motherhood / Watch: Coach (old) – similar / Lip: Lancome Groupie

The holidays are in full force!  We put up our tree last night and decorated the house.  It was so sweet to watch Nico’s eyes and smile grow wide when he saw us putting up all the lights.  He was kicking so hard with joy in his rock-and-play, I thought he might jump out and try to help!  We did get him a super cute sock monkey stocking and a brand new ornament which he helped to put on the tree.  It’s crazy to think how different this Christmas is from last year’s.  I even cried while dancing to Silent Night with my little family.  Ok, enough of the emo stuff.  Nico and I are off to his 3 month doctor’s appointment today.  Hope you all are enjoying the week and the holiday season!

XO,

Gina

Horsing Around

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Photos by: Melissa DiGiulian / Edited by: Myself

Horse Sweatshirt: J. Crew – also like this one / Lace Skirt: American Eagle (old) similar here and here / Flats: Go Jane (old) – similar / Sunnies: ModCloth / Watch: Betsey Johnson (old) – also like this one / Earrings, Necklace, and Bracelet: Gifted / Ring: Forever 21 / Lip: MAC Snob

These photos were taken last Friday after a little Mommy Hour sesh at Bar Chord in Ditmas Park with my fellow new moms in the neighborhood.  Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to take your baby to a bar in Brooklyn…so long as you go before the regular patrons get out of work for regular happy hour time.  Haha.  It was a beautiful day, and their back garden was open, so a group of us got together for some drinks, snacks, baby talk, and funny stories.  I’m very fortunate to have met these wonderful ladies and their adorable babies, and looking forward to more adventures to come as they grow.

Have a happy one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

Saturday Stroll

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The weather has been so gorgeous, and last weekend was perfect for a Saturday stroll with the whole family.  We headed over to Caton Park (near Prospect Park) to check out the kids playing soccer (boy, do I miss soccer!), and then headed out for a second family dinner at a local Thai restaurant.  Yes, I had dessert before dinner…oops!  But the coconut ice being sold at the fields was too yummy to turn down.  Nico is loving his stroller (thanks Mimi/Nano and Aunt Angie/Uncle Adam!)  We are pretty lucky to have received this gift as it’s basically the Mercedes Benz version of a stroller.  It even has shocks!  I have to say, it’s perfect for our bumpy neighborhood sidewalks, and it’s definitely getting a ton of use right now.

I’m feeling good and had a great post partum doc appointment this past week.  Nico also had his 1 month appointment.  He seriously disliked getting his shot (Mommy and Baby were both in tears.) However, he is hitting his milestones so far and is looking to be a healthy baby at this point, so I could not be happier!

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Top: GAP / Tank: J. Crew / Jeans: Motherhood / Sunglasses: Waveborn / Shoes: MIA – on sale! / Earrings: ALDO / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Gorjana, Stella and Sparkle, and Baublebar / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

Stroller: Uppababy Vista / Car Seat: Chicco Keyfit 30 / Chicco Car Seat Adapter for Uppababy: Amazon / Baby Blanket: Carter’s

Looking forward to the weekend and having Daddy home with us.  I’m picking up a dress for one of my best friend’s wedding’s next weekend.  I was super worried about how it was going to look having just had a baby, but luckily the material is forgiving and the color is black!  Also, breastfeeding and walking around the neighborhood have proven to be advantageous to starting me off on getting my old figure back.  I have to keep reminding myself that it took me 9 months to get the way I was, so getting back to normal is not going to happen overnight!

Also on our possible weekend agenda is taking Nico out for his first visit to the pumpkin patch!  Hoping photos will follow.

Happy Friday and a Happy Weekend to all!

XO,

Gina

Fashion for the Fourth

Fashion for the Fourth
1.  Nautical Knot Earrings: J. Crew / 2.  Red Stripe Sperry Top Siders: Nordstrom / 3.  American Flag Sunnies: PacSun / 4.  Tory Burch Kelsey Laser Cut Tote: Neiman Marcus / 5.  Religion Flag Tee: We Like Fashion / 6.  NARS Jungle Red Lipstick: Beauty.com / 7.  Gucci Envelope Clutch: Profile Fashion / 8.  American Flag Shorts: We Like Fashion / 9.  Red Retro Sunnies: Liberty / 10.  Nautical Stripe Bangle: Coach / 11.  Anthony Peto White Panama Hat: Modewalk / 12.  Red and White Stripe Button Dress: New Look / 13.  Red and White Stripe Tote: Modcloth / 14.  Americana Pillow: Calypso St. Barth / 15.  Dolce Vita Striped Sandals: Jildor / 16.  NARS China Blue Eyeshadow: Beauty.com / 17.  Vintage Style Polka Dot Bathing Suit: Unique Vintage / 18.  Red and White Sailor Dress: Attitude Holland / 19.  Navy and White Sweetheart Dress: Forever 21 / 20.  Navy and White Soludos: Shopbop / 21.  Marc Jacobs Red Jean Shorts: Stylebop / 22.  Fossil Watch: Piperlime / 23.  Z Designs Anchor Necklaces: MetroPark / 24. Essie Butler Please: Target
The 4th of July is right around the corner, and I decided to put together this little red, white, and blue inspiration board to put me in the mood!  We are getting extremely excited for our upcoming mini-vacation to the cutest lake-side cottage in Maine.  But first, we have a wedding to celebrate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore!  We are headed down there tonight to celebrate our friends Kurt and Tiffany tomorrow, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Happy Friday, and hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
XO,
Gina
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It’s Electric

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And it’s back to my uniform this summer…the maxi dress!  I scored this one at a discount price from a local spot near my office.  Again, it’s not maternity, which makes me happy because I know I will be able to wear it post-pregnancy.  I love the rainbow of colors on this dress, and it was perfect for a beautiful sunny Saturday family reunion with my Dad’s side of the fam.

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Maxi Dress: K&G Fashion Superstore – similar / Sunnies: Modcloth / Sandals: Dolce Vita (on sale!) / Necklace: Baublebar / Bracelets: J. Crew, Flair Accessories, ASOS, and c/o Guilty Jean / Watch: Michael Kors / Nails: Essie Turquoise and Caicos / Toes: Essie DJ Play That Song / Lip: MAC Snob

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Girl’s night went off with a hitch last night.  Mucho thanks to my girl Ailie for graciously painting my toes (I can no longer reach them).  I am not a big fan of feet, and not sure I would have jumped at this opportunity had the roles been reversed, so this task was very much appreciated!  We had a great night of nail painting, mud-masking, movie watching, and festival chicken.

This morning I rose early to meet my cousin Seamus for breakfast in the city.  He is in town from Cali to surprise his sister today as she is giving birth to another little baby tomorrow.  So sweet!  The last time I saw him was on his wedding day to my cousin Alex, so it was great to catch up!  So glad we were able to make a little get-together happen this morning.

Hope you are all enjoying the week so far!

XO,

Gina

Neon Highlights

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Photos by: Melissa DiGiulian / Edited by: Myself

Maxi Dress: K&G Fashion Superstore / Neon Sandals: Dolce Vita via Saks – on sale in black – similar neon yellow sandals here / Fringe Skull Bag: Shoedazzle – sold out – similar here and here / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Bracelet: J. Crew / Aviators: Street Vendor in NYC / Chevron Stack Rings: Baublebar – similar  / Necklace: c/o Guilty Jean / Nails: Essie Funky Limelight and DJ Play that Song accent and on toes / Lip: NARS Born this Way

I wore this outfit to my soccer team’s BBQ over the weekend.  So proud of them for winning the championship this past season!  This dress is super comfy, and I’m still thinking flowy dresses are going to be a staple throughout the rest of the summer and my pregnancy.  I scored these neon sandals on sale at Saks, and I love the pop of color they bring to this look.  It just so happens my nails also match!

Tonight, I am attending the AICP Next Awards for work, which honors marketing campaigns in categories such as integrated, viral/web film, website/microsite, product integration, social media, mobile, cause marketing, and experiential.  Looking forward to hearing some of the presentations from the winners.  Other than tonight, this should be a pretty laid back week.

Have a good one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

{8} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  Just finished Belong to Me by Marisa de Santos.  Now I’m reading Love Walked In by the same author.  Someone should have told me I should have reversed that reading order.  Oh well.

writing  Bills Bills Bills.  Yes, I still do most of mine by hand.  Call me old-fashioned.

listening  The Sound of Music station on Pandora.  Complete with musical ensembles from Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and many more Disney and show tune favorites.  So guilty, yet so not ashamed.

thinking  About my upcoming girl’s night tonight!  Yay for friends and Mexican food!

smelling  Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum

watching  My favorite restaurant in the Outer Banks, NC, Tortuga’s Lie was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives last night!  My cousin’s uncle (Richard Welch) is a chef and owner, and my cousin worked there for years.  It’s amazing, and Guy Fieri gave Tortuga’s rave reviews for their Jerk Chicken and Pork Antonio.  I’m so proud of them!

wishing  For warmer weather.  Snow be gone!  It’s time for Spring now.

hoping  For a good doctor’s report tomorrow.

wearing  This photo is from over the weekend pre-shopping trip, but today I am wearing…jeans, J. Crew navy and white polka dot button down, cream and navy striped GAP sweater w/ red bow over top, Steve Madden boots, and some fun baubles.

loving  The fact that my tax documents have already been organized and shipped out to my accountant, and I can let her take over from here.  Totally worth the money to not have to do them myself.

laughing  We watched a few documentaries over the weekend on Vice.com, and stumbled across this genre of music called Turbofolk in Serbia.  Serbian pop star, Goga Sekulic came out with this hit “Seksi Bizinesmen” (note the spelling) and we couldn’t not stop cracking up at how serious they were while performing this video.  Is that a fox on her shoulder?  The worst part is that after to listening to this song three times, I am starting to think it’s kinda catchy.

wanting  Warm weather.  Did I say that already???  Well let me just reiterate…spring cannot come soon enough.

needing  Before this weekend I was needing pants that fit!  I am now satisfied, and banning myself from shopping until spring is over since I went a bit crazy.  We’ll see how long that lasts.

feeling  A bit more energized, and a lot less nausea than the past few weeks.

craving  Family time.  I haven’t seen the fam since the holidays, so I am looking forward to my in-laws visiting this weekend, and also looking forward to seeing my side of the family on Easter weekend.  It’s been too long!

clicking  Through baby toys.  What does one get a 1 year old for their 1st birthday?  I’m new at this baby thing, folks!

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Tuesday!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

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Spring Fever

Spring Fever
1.  Yellow Trench Coat: Target / 2.  Butter London Spring 2013 Collection: Nordstrom / 3.  Wide Brim Straw Hat – Kate Spade / 4.  Fan Fringe Necklace – J. Crew / 5.  Rainboots – Charlotte Russe / 6. Rebecca Minkoff Striped Mini M.A.C. – SHOPBOP / 7. Polka Dot Short – Forever 21 / 8.  Floral Porchfield Dress – Jack Willis / 9.  Pink Blazer – Topshop / 10.  Blue Minnie Pant – J. Crew / 11.  Jeffrey Campbell Lace Ankle Bootie – Nelly / 12.  Anchor Studs: J. Crew
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I don’t know about you, but I am OVER this cold weather!  All the talk of snow and chill has me jonesin’ for spring.  I couldn’t help but scour the online shopping world for some of my favorite on-trend pieces that I cannot wait to get my hands on.  If only I could wear them right now!  Although I tend to wear a ton of black in the winter time, I am very excited to sport some color this spring!  This little collection above makes me happy, because it reminds me that spring is just around the corner.
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In other news, congratulations to “Befab4lyfe” for winning the Flair Accessories earring giveaway!!!  Please inbox me your shipping info to { gina dot notes26 at gmail dot com }.  Then, I will have these gorgeous iridescent studs on the way to your door as soon as possible!  Thanks to all who entered the giveaway.
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I am ticking off a bucket list item tonight, that I cannot wait to share with you next week!
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Happy Friday Everyone!
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XO,
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Gina
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Accessorize Me {Flair Accessories Series #1}

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Here is the first outfit post for my Flair Accessories series.  I started off with a simple business casual look — colored button down, black denim skinny jeans, black pumps.  Simple right?  What brings this look to the next level is the accessories.  A little leopard print belt and gloves take this look up a notch as well as the vintage sunglasses.  And lastly, the fabulous flair that was added to complete the look.  Take note of the purple pop to my ears and the chain bling around my neck.  I also added this fun cage style ring.  Without the accessories, the look would honestly be quite boring in my opinion.  Accessorizing is a key element to my getting ready process and can turn a look from “nice” to “amaze” in a matter of seconds.  Definitely check out Carly’s amazing store online.  I guarantee you will find a piece of flair you adore!

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Photos by: Zack Notes

Coat: ASOS / Button Down: StyleMint / Pants: ZARA / Belt: J. Crew – similar / Shoes: Cynthia Rowley / Sunglasses: Vintage / Gloves: Dorothy Perkins / Necklace, Earrings, Ring: Flair Accessories / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

It’s a busy week here with work conferences, clients in town, movie nights, meetings, photography class, photography homework, etc.  Hopefully I can find some time to fit some sleep in there.  Right now I’m just whirling on through.

I saw Argo over the weekend and Beasts of the Southern Wild last night, which are two more Oscar nominated films to check off my list.  Both were absolutely amazing.  Beasts was especially impressive coming from a first time director, and that little girl was such an amazing actress.  I would recommend both films though!

In other news, how was everyone’s Super Bowl?  I really didn’t have a team to rally behind (since my beloved Redskins did not make it), but being from Maryland, I must say I have a lot of happy friends this week!

Hope everyone has a Happy Hump Day!

XO,

Gina