“Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own home. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor . . . Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.”
-Mother Teresa (Life motto:))
On the occasion that a date around February 14th does offer an opportunity to get out to a fancy schmancy place, this will be the dress. Especially if you happen upon a very french looking cafe….might as well dress the part!
And just like that we are one week away from Christmas.
My eyes are crossed and my shirt is backwards from the mayhem of the month, but I am getting the Christmas snow flutters nonetheless.
As some of you have seen, I have been featuring some favorite shops throughout the month over on instagram and facebook that are small businesses favorites. Sharing the round up today with some surprise discount codes as well!
“Surviving on Grace & Coffee” tumblers from Transforming Beauty. Pretty much my life motto. (Their shop is closed until after Christmas, but get on their waiting list!)
Ruby Pear Drop Earrings I wore to the nutcracker from Margaret Elizabeth. Free shipping on all orders till Christmas! (Dress is from ASOS (sold out but similar here), purse via Madewell – also 25% off)
Mother-daughter fitness sets from Albion Fit. 15% off your purchase with code inhonorxalbion15 until Jan. 5th.
Triple layer initials necklace by Barberry + Lace. I put my children’s first name initials on this one. 10% off your oder with code IHODXBL through the end of the year.
Furry boot cuffs from Royal Scout and Co. you can insert in shoes or the end of your coat sleeves! 15% off your order with code “royalinhonorofdesign”
Waterproof lined makeup bags by Prezzemolo. (And dry shampoo for dark hair by Elizabeth and James!) Take 30% off through the 19th with code IHOD30.
Super soft sheets and cableknit throw from Boll and Branch. $35 off $150 with code HONORDESIGN.
Teething necklaces from Little Teethease. Rocco’s current fix for sore gums! Use code Merry20 for 20%off your purchase.
These chocolates are not only fun to play with, but are all the flavors and combos I dream about! From Maggie Louise Confections. (You can order till the 21st for Christmas delivery!)
Hope you can take advantage of these steals and support these small businesses. Enjoy the weekend and if you are stepping outside your home, good luck out there! It’s a zoo! 😉
This week’s #BuildableWardrobe update includes two of my favorite denim pieces that I chose to keep in the mix when cleaning out my closet. I wear these in multiple ways in various seasons. Here is the breakdown:
Denim Button Down – This one I got a few years ago, but here is a similar one. I layer it in the winter, and wear solo with shorts in the summer. Here’s a few similar ones: High and Low.
Denim Flares – The fashion scene is trying to make flare denim a thing this year, but you know what guys? They never were quite out of the scene! I’v always had a pair in my jean stash. I snagged this pair last year on Shopbop. (c/o) (More flare styles here.)
Wedge Ankle Booties – The kind that are low enough to pull off in warmer months and comfortable enough to wear for hours on end. I have walked the miles in these! Similar pair here, and a variety of wedge ankle boots here.
Wooden Watch – Simple and neutral and somewhat indestructable! (c/o)
Sunburst Necklace – I don’t wear much jewelry anymore, so I look for one or two good necklaces when putting a look together with a good pair of stud earrings. This necklace by Noonday Collection is my current fix (and also supports an worthy cause).
Structured Crossbody – via The Common Knowledge. Love this deep Aubergine color to work into upcoming autumn looks.
If you are trying to minimize your wardrobe, any tips you want to share?
In case you missed, the reason I am trying to be a conscious consumer, and live more minimally.
As soon as these cooler temps hit, I want to buy all of the boots and jackets! But I am trying so hard this season to buy only what I really need, items that fit well, are made to last, and that I will love having in my closet for months to come. I am sharing this process through this series (which I will start to refer to as the #buildablewardrobe). I would love to have you join me in this effort to eliminate excess, and encourage slow fashion. I am also trying to support more small businesses and artisans like Moorea Seal and Noonday Collection.
These looks include pieces I have added to the closet or have had for a while that work well for taking your dresses from day to evening. I use navy as a neutral in my wardrobe and it is a color that never goes out of style. (A bunch of other navy dress options here.) I am looking forward to sharing more ideas with you all. I really believe in the art of getting dressed, since as women, it can drastically affect our demeanor for the day and the way we reach others. I need this reminder myself on a morning where sport shorts looked more appealing than anything;)
Cheers!
P.S. I have added a shop section to the blog above in the nav bar, where I will be adding all of the pieces I am working with in my own closet this season!
In my true spastic spur of the moment decision making form, I committed to a trip to Chicago before I had little Rocco. I knew he would only be a few weeks old, and in my experience, they are much easier to travel with when they sleep all the time;) He is already three weeks old, and really it took until now to feel back to normal energy wise (at least as much as you can with a new baby). I look forward to sharing about his first few weeks of life soon!
I was asked to mentor at the Create + Cultivate conference for bloggers and business owners. Gabe was actually the one who encouraged me to go, and he offered to hold the fort down while I was away. Since I have a weak spot for helping entrepreneurs, I jumped at the chance.
My wonderful mother in law is from Milwaukee so she met me there to help with little man. The conference was one of the best I have ever attended. Incredibly organized down to the detail, a perfect location, and a knowledgeable line up of speakers. They spoiled both the speakers and mentors, and the attendees with hair and beauty stations, swag, and drink and food stations on hand. Rocco and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! It is always fun to connect with long time blog friends as well like Amber, Kate, Shalice, and Liz (check em outttt). If you are a blogger or creative business owner, I highly recommend you sign up for the next C+C conference since it offers some really thorough content and opportunities to learn.
We got to spend some time by the navy pier as well as brunch with old friends before taking off back to Atlanta. (Fun fact: Gabe and I met at the Navy Pier except I was clueless he would end up being my husband. We were only 18!)
SIDE NOTES ON INFANT TRAVEL:
Traveling with Rocco was actually pretty smooth sailing. My faith in humanity was restored by the end of our flights, as almost everyone was willing to lend an extra hand when needed. The flight staff loaded my luggage for me on the plane as I held Rocco, and even tried to get me an extra empty seat. You can check your carseat and stroller at the gate which was LIFE SAVING. I will say the security check was the only stressful part because as you know, it is already set up to make you have a minor panic attack before you make it through the body scanner. Thankfully in the ATL airport there is a line for strollers and babies and I teamed up with another mama traveling solo as we helped each other get all our gear through the line. Rocco slept the whole flight and pacifiers came in handy when I needed to hold him off till I could feed him. The Quinny Buzz Xtra and carseat was extremely easy to use and got us in and around the city with ease. Other than managed to book an international flight leg back to Atlanta and being lost on the wrong side of the airport, we didn’t run into to many hiccups.
Packing for two in one carry on and one tote bag was a puzzle I managed only by sitting on top of my suitcase (literally). I only packed what I absolutely needed for me, and left the rest of the space for little man’s items. Outfit details:Top (nursing friendly), Pants (50% off!), Sandals, Diaper Bag/Tote c/o, EarringsAlso wore this nursing friendly dress to the speaker dinner. (So helpful to travel with comfortable and versatile pieces!)
Have you traveled with a baby before? Any helpful tips you want to leave for fellow readers, please do!
I always love white in the summer months, but secretly dread it when I am pregnant. Especially hitting the third trimester. This time around, something changed about my perspective on the process of pregnancy and I really just decided to wear whatever is comfortable and fun to style. I am more patient with this time in maternity style, and am trying to just enjoy it….maternity pants and all! 😉
I was a little daring with the white on white, but if you break it up with a blush or nude tone, you can come up with a less daunting, more versatile look. Wore this out for a date with Gabe. It is always nice to have a jacket option to throw on when the evenings get cooler! So here is the breakdown of styling white during pregnancy… VIEW FULL POST
Arrived at 21 weeks today. I think the fourth time around has allowed me comfort in my own skin. I expect the changes, and am more than okay with the extra weight. I am celebrating, because every day I have a life inside of me is something miraculous to rejoice over. As my closet choices grow thin, and my belly continues to expand, it is much easier to succumb to leggings over anything else. So, I’ll be starting a pregnancy lookbook series next week with Jessica in hopes it will help my dwindling motivation to get dressed, and maybe help a few other mothers to be in the process. There really are some great options available now for every phase of pregnancy. So here we go, this bump style break down:
Long and stretchy stiped tee – I probably should avoid stripes when I am pregnant, but I have an undying love for them…especially black and white stripes. This is a maternity tee I used from my last pregnancy that I just fit into again last week. Here are a few non-maternity striped tees here and here that could also work for your first and second trimester by going up a size or two.
Black Slouchy pants – Make way leggings make way. You have been replaced by the slouch pants from Lou & Grey. These are not maternity but the stretchy waist and ankle give plenty of room for comfort. Love how you can dress these up or down. They are still available in stores, and online they just released a pair that is almost the same.
Cognac Ankle boots – Low cut ankle boots are handmade by Poppy Barley. They make the shoes to custom fit the width of your foot which I welcome with open arms. They also have these cushions on the insoles that allow you to wear them for hours without pain. I bow down. (Also #consciousclosets approved!)
Black Leather Tote – I love large totes because I need to be able to fit the world inside. This is a reversible brown/black leather tote that works with just about everything I wear.
Gold accents – I love supporting ethically made jewelry and clothing companies as you know, and really loved the mission behind Trading Hope. Their pieces are also really unique. I paired their Elin necklace, Trellis cuff bracelet, and stud earrings for some gold accents to complete the look.
Check back next week for my next outfit breakdown. Cheers to the new week, expandable pants, and better yet, husbands who go on ice cream runs for the pregnant wives;)
x, Anna
Bon Bon hat from 
Dress: 
