An Update and a Throwback

I haven't blogged in a while. I suppose I could blame it on being busy, now a mom of three, but the truth is that once a little bit of time goes by without writing, it's easy to just let more and more time go by. The thought of playing "catch up" with my blog, and then once again explaining why I've been gone, and then committing to be "back at it" and the added guilt once I, once again, am not "back at it", all just makes it quite complicated. Truth is, I've just been thinking about other things lately! I've been focusing on my kids and my family. My pregnancy was a whirlwind and the subsequent 6 weeks since Mason was born seems like an even bigger whirlwind!

There are so many things I've been wanting to sit down and write about. There are products I've been using that I want to share with you (some I love, some I hate) and there are moments with my kids I've been wanting to immortalize in print. There are reviews I've been asked to do, products that have been sent to me that I've used and planned to report on, and of course, Mason's birth story that I'd love to share.

However for now, while I work on compiling the different projects I have in store for this blog moving forward, I thought I would scale it back just a second from the fashion and the makeup and the sarcasm and, in light of my oldest son's sixth birthday a few weeks back, and me becoming a new mother again just a few weeks before that, I'm going to paste in an excerpt from an old blog entry from a personal blog (a journal, really) from four years ago, on my son's second

birthday. Not only do I feel the same way about my son as I did then, but it's all multiplied by three. So here's a little throwback for you all! Enjoy!

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On this very day, two years ago, my body was housing a little miracle. I would have him on February 28, 2009 in the late morning. My whole world was going to change. From that second forward, I was no longer the same person. Something innate, divine and remarkable changed inside of me. A rough, brazen albeit sensitive soul had spent nine months being shaped and refined into a mold worthy of the name 'Mommy'. That day, I was entrusted with a gift. This gift was unlike any I had received before. I was given a soul. This soul was my responsibility to shape and feed with wisdom and knowledge-attributes that, ironically enough, this new little soul would be teaching me. Heaven sent me a gift.

Heaven sent me an angel. I named him Landon.

I wish that I had words in my vocabulary to even come close to describing what it is like to be a mother. I've never been one to lack eloquence, but my angel of a boy is the one thing in my life that has rendered me speechless.

I love him, not only because he is my child, but because of who he is. He is a good, good person. He recognizes when someone's feelings are hurt, and he is the first to hug them. He knows when I'm sad or not feeling good, and without asking him to, he'll bring me his teddy bear or his blanket. He kisses his Buzz Lightyear and Woody toys goodnight each night. He tells me about Jesus, and that we should be soft in His house. (Reverent at church.) He knows how to kneel down and fold his arms, and he knows that before he goes to bed, he is to say his prayers. He is polite, and says "Please" and "Thank You".

Aside from those and countless other beautiful attributes my sweet son has, one of my favorites is that he is an incredible judge of character, which is a testament to the people in his life that he loves. 

Can you believe, that despite all of the words scrawling from left to right across this page, I might still feel at a loss for words in regards to my feelings about my son?

Well, I do.

I am in awe of him. I am in awe of my Heavenly Father for the mere creation of such a being as my sweet son. My love for him, regardless of anything that I might have the creativity to type, has rendered me my own kind of speechless.

Mother/Son Photoshoot: Styling Madi and Maxwell

I had a blast styling my good friend Madi and her sweet baby Maxwell for a shoot a few weeks ago! It was great to dress these two, and great for Madi to have some phenomenal post-pregnancy pictures as well as pictures with her new baby, without worrying about any of the logistics. All the fun of a photoshoot without any of the anxiety or stress.

I could go on and on about their gorgeousness, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words! And though she wore several outfits, I kept the same lip color and hair for each. I was thrilled to be able to utilize one of my very favorite lip colors right now and show how it can be used in so many settings, with so many colors and during EVERY SEASON. And no, it's not a nude or neutral lip! Keep reading to see Madi and Max in all their glory and to see how Madi can pull off a dark purple lip color against so many outfit choices.

For baby Max, I put him in a studly little outfit and the photographer (Malae Talley) couldn't help but snap a few pics of baby with mom!

Khakis, White Button up and Woven Cardigan: The Children's Place

Next, I put Madi in a paisley Maxi dress and pulled the less promenant colors from the dress using her accessories, lip color and shoes. I purposely utilized a bold lip with very neutral makeup and pin straight hair. Her lip color pulls the purple from the dress and also ties together nicely with her shoes, pulling the whole look together, quite literally, from top to bottom. I'm all about contrast and with such a pastel/bright necklace so close to her face, a bold plum colored lip was the perfect contrast and also helps the necklace and dress pull the blue out of her eyes.

Dress: Alloy; Necklace: My Sister's Closet; Purple Pumps: Justfab; Makeup: Lipstick-Heroine by MAC cosmetics with Vision in Violet Lipgloss by Maybelline Elixir over the top.

For Madi's second look, I put her in a plaid/flannel shirt and black pants. I decided to make it more feminine with a pointed toe pump and scarf. The contrast of the prints in her scarf and top are one of my absolute favorite parts of this look. Without that, it wouldn't have been anything special but mixing patterns makes a boring or predictable look more interesting. It also just goes to show you that nothing in you (or your man's) closet is off limits! I kept the same lip color throughout her different looks but the reason I loved it here was because of the dark, vampy look it gives her as a contrast against such a masculine top. It's the same idea as the mixing of the patterns. We play up the "girlyness" in her look with her accessories and makeup (vampy lip, leopard print scarf, stiletto pumps) and then the skeleton of the look is very masculine and maybe even haphazard. Plus the purple and red combo are unexpected and yet...they work! This is my favorite look I put Madi in that day.

Top: Wal Mart (men's section); Leggings: Old Navy; Scarf: Nordstrom; Pumps: Charlotte Russe

Her last look was perfect for her. I put her in a very full skirt with a very fitted top. The look originally involved an oversized floral printed belt, but alas, it was left behind in the mass packing for the photoshoot. However, I think she pulled it off regardless. This is the same look she was wearing for the candid photos that were taken with her baby. The reason I stayed with this lip color for this look was because the contrast between the lip and her skin, and then her peach button up, was enough to make the look interesting without looking odd or out of place. Plus, the purple hue goes so well with the peach top, the same way that the navy skirt does. This is an outfit you'd typically see in the springtime or summer and it just goes to show you a bold lip is not taboo in the warmer months! And with such a full skirt, how could I NOT put her in t-strap pumps?!

Peach Button Up: Old Navy; Polka Dot A-Line Skirt: Cozy; T-Strap heels: Old (Store Unknown)

I had a blast dressing Madi and Maxwell! Don't they look great!?