A Mad Hatter and a Rolls Royce.


Outfit Details:
ASOS Floral Bardot Maternity Dress, Pink Hat (borrowed from my Mom's hope chest, similar here and here), Charming Charlie Clutch (old, similar here and here), Banana Republic Wedges (sold out, similar here), Anthropologie Stud Earrings


It was all just so British.

The cobblestone streets, the rare London sunshine and the hat atop my head. Coming out of the whitewashed hotel we stumbled upon these flowers that freakishly matched my dress and then a Rolls Royce just appeared out of nowhere. Beckoning me to it, really. Not only is this is the stuff dream blog posts are made of, this is the stuff that dreams are made of! I can't say enough gushing things about this particular experience, because Stevie and I were literally so giddy, relishing the most British experience of our lives (except for maybe the time we did high tea at Fortnum & Mason). We even rode on that red bus you see in the background (up top!), across town to the loveliest of weddings. It was an experience friends, one that I will never ever forget.

I was a little bit wardrobe challenged when I received the invitation to the suite of celebratory events for this wedding. How in the world does one plan for so many maternity outfits? Well, ASOS Maternity ended up being a lifesaver, because the prices are so reasonable and the options are so stylish and sassy. The problem I've found with most maternity sites is that all the dresses look very classic and alike (and let's be honest - bland), which is sort of understandable, since women want to be able to wear their maternity clothing throughout several pregnancies. But that makes it really hard to find trendier, or even colorful options, especially when it comes to occasion-wear. That's what really sets ASOS Maternity apart - I found so many options that I loved, and actually ended up ordering about ten dresses, trying them on at home, and choosing between them. Obviously ASOS is known for it's non-maternity clothing, but if you're a pregnant lady in need of a nice dress, their maternity line is the go-to. And as for that hat, well, what can I say. My mom is my style icon, the original fashionista in my book. This thing was just laying around in her closet.

And there's my date. Oh, and there's Stevie, too. JUST KIDDING! As much as I loved that bus ride, I loved experiencing it with him even more. It was sightseeing and transporting and Kate Middleton stalking all at once. :)

P.S. - More from our London trip here - inhaling rose lattes around Notting Hill and wearing a sari on Queen's Gate Road.

Bohemian Pink Dress (+ a Giveaway with Pink Blush Maternity!)


Outfit Details:
Pink Blush Maternity Dress (c/o) (on sale now!), Lizard Thicket Booties (sold out, similar styles here, here and here), mix of bangles, head band (perhaps stolen from my sister's bathroom?)


I needed my go-to dress.

A dress that made me feel good, with colors that popped, with details that perhaps distracted from other details, like cellulite and bulge and the other joys associated with this pregnant body of mine.

This Pink Blush Maternity Tribal Embroidered dress nailed it.

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Yes, this dress is loud, it's got fringe, and it looks like something you might see if you peeked inside of a kaleidoscope. But that's kind of the fun of it. And even better, the fit is like butter. This material (a blend of polyester and spandex) skims over my body in just the right way, without clinging, and leaves me feeling confident and actually, really pretty. I guess pink has a way of doing that, but this material really has a way of doing that.

For all of you ladies, do you know about Pink Blush Maternity?? They have an enormous selection of styles (both pregnancy and non-pregnancy!), and I am especially addicted to their maternity dresses, which have me in the dangerous practice of filling my online shopping cart to the brim. Don't tell Stevie :)

I love the bell sleeves, the off-the-shoulder detail and the easy way this dress dances a bit as I walk. It's the kind that can be dressed up for a dinner date with heels and a clutch or dressed down with flats and a topknot. The possibilities are endless. Which is really necessary when I'm working from a small pool of maternity clothes in my closet!

I am overjoyed to be partnering with Pink Blush Maternity today to give one lucky Oy! reader a $75 gift card! Follow the prompts in the Rafflecopter below to enter - and good luck!

Also, I've linked below to a few of my favorite Pink Blush Maternity picks for fall - as the seasons change (and this bump continues to grow!), my wardrobe has to adapt, right?

Many thanks to Pink Blush Maternity for sponsoring this post and sending me the product. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Sari on Queen's Gate Road.

I can't believe it was only 10 days ago that we were in London, celebrating at our friend's lovely wedding. One of the events was the traditional Indian Mendhi & Pithi, where the bride's family welcomes the groom's family into their home. We were shuttled as a group out to the bride's family home in picturesque Surrey where we danced, ate and drank the night away. The mocktails were flowing my friends. It was my kind of party :)

Sometimes I feel so sheltered by not knowing enough about other cultures and religions. This was the most enriching experience, seeing the gorgeous Indian culture up close, in all its vibrancy and spice and tradition. The bride and groom were so elegant, draped in their crystal and white outfits and performing the traditions of this ceremony. It was amazing to watch. My dear friend Nabihah arranged a sari for me to wear (in the most stunning shade of fuchsia!), and made sure that I had help getting assembled and dressed by her husband's sweet aunt Laila. I would have been lost in the folds of this sari - I had no idea that it's just one continuous piece of fabric that has to be draped, looped and wrapped a zillion times.

If you look closely enough, you will see that the material is sheer. My pregnant belly was more exposed than I thought it would be! I was slightly self-conscious about this, but at the same time, I just wanted to immerse myself and embrace the experience. Pregnant sari and all :) Besides, most Indian saris show some belly and back, so I guess I was fitting in?

We took these photos in about 30 seconds (we were rushed, didn't want to be late to the first event!), but I wanted to share them with you because it's not everyday that an American girl gets to attend an Indian wedding in London. Documentation had to be made.


Outfit Details:
Fuchia Sari (gifted, I've linked a few similar styles below), Stella & Dot Alila Lace Chandeliers, Stella & Dot Alila Cuff, Steve Madden Heels, Sephora Lip Stain in Mulberry, Banana Republic Clutch (gifted, I've linked a a few similar styles below)


I'm so grateful that Stevie and I got to have this experience together. It was like going on a surprise date, where neither of us quite knew what was going to happen next, but what happened next was always fun and wonderful. We feasted on the most delicious of Indian foods (I'm addicted to naan now), learned to dance with dandiyas (well, sort of, Stevie broke his pair), savored the coconut ice cream and wandered through the family's rose garden after dark. If it sounds magical to you, then you're getting my drift, because it pretty much was.

And this was only the beginning of our trip!

Have you ever been to an Indian wedding? What was your favorite part? After this experience, I would love to hear about yours!

Those Summer Neutrals.

Summer, where have you gone? It's like I blinked twice, swam three times and suddenly August is here. Does anyone else feel this way? Our little family has kept busy in this Georgia heat, swimming and golf carting and playing at the park. I've been growing this little tummy of mine and have been busily preparing for our trip to London :) I guess it's no wonder the summer has flown by.

I assembled this airy outfit of denim, white and cream for our date night last week. I love this combination of neutral shades and textured accents - adding this Banana Republic small stud-suede zip pouch and Delise Woven-Strap D'Orsay Pumps were the perfect sassy "pop" for this otherwise simple look. The zip-pouch is great because it's not too fancy but it's really sleek with those studs. And it smells like that yummy Italian leather - you know that scent that makes you want to eat a bag or shoes? Yep, this has that going on. And of course, need I say anything about those shoes? I mean seriously. Banana, I wish you would make cuter clothes. #kidding #iwantmore #clothesnotcandy


Outfit Details:
Motherhood Maternity Top, Gap Maternity Jeggings, Knox Rose Cardigan (sold out but similar here and here), Banana Republic Clutch (c/o), Banana Republic Pumps (c/o), Michael Kors Watch


Is it lame to admit that even though I was feeling all fancy because I had just gotten my hair done that day (shout out to Susan at Shane Buffkin Salon!) and I was wearing my super fly shoes - we totally ditched our date night. I mean, we tried. We went to the restaurant, sat down to look at the menu, moved tables twice, and I just wasn't feeling it. The menu looked gross (its a great place, but I was just repulsed for some reason), and the air conditioning was too cold, and then they sat us at one of those tables where you're supposed to sit next to each other. I don't understand why those tables even exist. So yes, I guess I was having a temperamental, high-maintenance pregnant lady moment. We apologized to the hostess, grabbed our favorite Thai takeout, and went home to eat and watch reruns of The Office. I know - we are so cool. I'm really lucky that I found my soulmate early in life. I would suck at the single-and-dating game.

Even though we bailed on last week's date night, summer is seriously the perfect time to get out and about with the one you love. And wear reeeeeeally cute shoes while doing so :) What are some of your favorite summertime date ideas?

Many thanks to Banana Republic for sponsoring this post and sending me products. All opinions expressed are my own.

That Black Jumpsuit.

Last week, Stevie and I took a spontaneous trip to New York City for our anniversary! The 3 days were a blur of impromptu fun and delicious eats and seeing darling old friends. On our actual anniversary, we stopped by a blogger event downtown in Soho (where I met Amber Fillerup Clark of The Barefoot Blonde and almost died of glee. More on that next week though :) and then we went for dinner at my favorite NYC restaurant - Fig and Olive in the Meatpacking district. If you are planning a trip to NYC, looking for somewhere a little more upscale to celebrate an occasion, this is a MUST. The food is outstanding and the service is impeccable. When we sat down to our corner table, the waiter greeted us by name and then assured me that my non-alcoholic mocktail was already being prepared. They really read their Opentable reservation notes, you guys! This place is just the classiest. Go there.

Sporting an itty-bitty baby bump is always a bit awkward, like, um, did that girl eat too many tacos or is she actually pregnant? I've decided to embrace this weird stage and just wear what I want. I'm currently mixing a lot of maternity clothes with just a few non-maternity items. Things have gotten thicker much faster this time around (just in time for bathing suit season, hurray!), so the choice is to either whine about what what to wear every day or just wear it and proudly sport that beer-belly-looking-non-beer-belly.

I loved putting on this black Urban Outfitters jumpsuit, borrowed from my cool little sister's closet. I just felt so sassy and free, without the constriction of a waist band holding me back from ordering dessert :)  I paired it with an old pair of BCGC heels, Free People bralette, Kate Spade bag and Anthropologie earrings. Most of these items are a few seasons old, but I've linked to some similar styles below.

Tell me, would you every wear a jumpsuit? What's your favorite date night go-to look?