Spring Awakening | LOFT Maternity Dress

"Spring is the Meryl Streep of seasons: You never know from day to day exactly what it's going to look like, act like or sound like. But Spring is at its best when it's performing in its traditional role of "rebirth." (source)

 Isn't that the truth? Here in the Midwest, it feels like we have been waiting for a reemergence of sunshine and flowers for so long and this weekend provided us with a wonderful taste. The whole weekend was outdoor-worthy and we didn't waste a second of it. We took the pup for a Saturday morning stroll in our downtown and EVERYBODY was out...I mean, everyone and you could almost feel the collective sighs of relief among those we passed on the street. Perhaps the weather Gods heard my complaints and decided it was time for a break...(Thank you!)

I also attended a fun baby shower for one of my favorite ladies who is due just a few weeks before me, giving me the perfect chance to break out a floral dress I've been saving. This was one of the first moments I put on a maternity dress and felt REALLY pregnant. The high elastic waist definitely emphasizes the baby bump but it's also super feminine and very comfortable, making it a nice transition into the season for a soon-to-be Mom. 

Even though I'm already 6 months along and growing at a great pace, I'm still getting used to this new body and the adjustments that come along with it. Its a very weird feeling to have no control over what's happening to you but on the other hand, it amazes me that my body has this incredible ability. One thing's for sure, I look forward to being able to spend more time in dresses instead of jeans over the next few months...baby boy and I decided we like the freedom, not being confined by a belly band. I'm thinking tank dresses & my favorite jean jacket will be a staple uniform in the coming weeks...

SHOP THE LOOK:

Happy Spring to you!
Wearing:
Dress: LOFT Maternity (on sale!) Jacket: J. Crew Bag: Target Sunnies: Old Navy Shoes: Dolce Vita via Target  Lips: Glo Minerals - Crimson Earrings: c/o Park Lane Jewelry - similar

Winter Florals

Oh the weather outside is...well, it's all over the place actually! I can't really complain, I was outside in December with no coat on for pete's sake. ;) The trees have shed their leaves, but that doesn't mean we can't bring some flowers back into the mix. Floral prints in your clothing that is.

This dress is everything! As soon as I saw it on the Shopbop site, I knew it needed to be mine. Love at first sight? Yes it was.



The entire top have of the dress is sheer, so I picked up a sweetheart neck bandeau to go under. This piece can obviously be mixed and matched tons in my current wardrobe so I was very excited to find it. To keep my outfit perfect for this night int he city, I added olive boots, a brown bag, and lots of gold jewelry. Bare legs in December never felt so good.

Dress: c/o Shopbop // Shoes // Bandeau Top // Bag // Cuff: Coach // Watch // Teal Ring & Earrings: House of Harlow 1960
What do you think of my winter floral look? How would you style this dress?

New Hair = Lots of New Styles to Try

You may know from our Instagram account that I went and chopped off 7 inches of my hair last month. I love long hair, and I have generally gone between this length and extensions over the past 9 years. Having said that, I've never had this length hair with no bangs so this time when I went for the big chop, I decided to continue to grow my bangs out and have lots of layers added too. Not your everyday lob, folks! ;)

With a new do comes so many new styling options. My hair stylist told me to use a root lifting product (I am loving this one) and a round brush to get a great deep side part look. So, this was my first attempt at that. It's a bit tricky, as I usually air dry and then curl my hair later in the day, but I love how it turned out! I can't wait to see what else I can come up with style wise...



As far as my outfit goes, this is very typical everyday wear. I need to wear outfits that can easily get from day to night and everything in-between (dance class, room mom party prep, playing and cooking, then off to Kaitlyn's for party prep!). I guess you would call this my sweats alternative as I can sit on the floor and play as well as be out in public and feel put together in it.

Top: Target // Jeans: 7 for all Mankind // Boots: Dolce Vita // Bag: Rachel Zoe // Cuff: Lili Claspe // Bracelet: Lokai // Watch: Fitbit // Blue Ring: House of Harlow 1960 // Love Necklace: XO Veronika // Midi Ring: Shop Lately // Gold Rings: Urban Outfitters 

What do you think of my new hair? Any suggestions of styles I should try out next?

Guest Post: Jess & Jill

Hello, Sisters Marie readers, we're Jess & Jill - just two girls and a blog! In the spirit of BISTM, we decided to do what these ladies are known for... Rocked it and swapped it!

While we're not the same size in clothing, it doesn't mean we can't raid each other's closets for accessories! Sporting the same Burberry scarf, GUESS cuff bracelet, House of Harlow 1960 'Robyn' sunglasses, and DV by Dolce Vita 'Tarry' wedges, we created two very different looks.

For Jess's preppy look, she wore a Gap knee-length printed dress with additional jewelry from Kate Spade and Love and Pieces.

For Jill's boho look, she wore a Lucca Couture chambray romper with additional jewelry from Gap.

If you want to see more of us, you can always follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

 

Jess & Jill

Because We Went to Holiday Magic

Our annual trip to Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic was perfect this year thanks to 60 degree temperatures and a friendly tip to get there before the sun sets. We were in and out before the massive crowds started rolling in and managed to see most of our favorite furry friends and the festive laser light show. Cap the night off with a hot chocolate and we can call it a success! 

Here's what we wore:

Jacket: Target, Top: LOFT(similar), Scarf: JC Penney (swap w/Lisa)(similar), Jeans: LOFT, Boots & Bag: Just Fab

Sweater and Sunnies: Loft, Jeans: Express, Bag: C/O Just Fab, Boots: Dolce Vita, Ring: Jewelmint, Scarf: Purse Party

Have you ever attended Holiday Magic? 

We hope to make it to the Lincoln Park Zoo lights this year too! 

#SistersMarie

Rocked it & Swapped it

Kaitlyn owns this beautiful dress with a sheer top and wore it to an outdoor party this summer...I love everything about this look, so I decided to change it up for fall.

Dress:Forever21, Shoes: Forever21, Bracelet: LOFT, Earrings: Francesca's, Sunnies: Target

When I wore the dress in late September, I layered a tee over the dress to give it a completely different look:

Dress: Forever21, Top: C/O chicnova, Shoes: Dolce Vita (similar), Bag: C/O Just Fab (similar), Necklace: oh, Poppy!, Chain Bracelet: T plus J designs, Bracelet and ring: Baublebar, Sunnies: MNG by mango

This is a perfect dress for wearing year round...It would look great with gray tights (currently for sale in my closet!), brown booties, and a colorful cardigan, right? 

#Lisa

Because We Went Bridesmaid Dress Shopping!

This weekend, 5 of my bridesmaids and I went to look at some dresses I had been eyeing at J. Crew online. While I was looking forward to it, I had questionable expectations because 5 girls trying on dresses downtown on the busiest shopping weekend of the year had a potential for disaster. Luckily, it was the total opposite: 1 hour in, each lady had purchased the beautiful dress of their choice (on sale BTW!) and we were on our way to a delicious lunch at Frankie's Scallopine. 

It was so nice to have Lisa with me...here is what we wore:

Blazer, Tank, & Jeans: LOFT, Boots: C/O Just Fab, Bracelet: House of Gemmes, Watch: Nordstrom

Blouse: Liz Claiborne via JC Penny, Jeans: Old Navy, Booties: Dolce Vita (similar), Purse: C/O Just Fab

 FYI Brides: J. Crew is definitely the way to go - The staff is extremely helpful, the selection is unique and the dresses make you feel good about saying, "I will wear this again."

#Kaitlyn