OK, so these pics are a wee dated and I’m looking at that sad little bump and thinking – wowza, I do not remember you being that little. Pregnancy is funny; every little change in your body feels monumental until two weeks later when you meet a whole new set of monumental changes. (My hip is pulsating as I type this – I’m assuming that’s normal, right?)

Anyway, have I talked about the knitted pencil skirt yet? I don’t think so. I have been living in the knitted pencil skirt (this one’s from Target; similar to this style) for the past few weeks. Because it stretches. And stretch right now is the secret ingredient to my comfort and sanity. Plus? It’s double knitted, so it sort of hugs you, making you feel like you’re wearing a chic little sweat pants number. Or something of the sort.

I’m still in crazy color-loving mode, so the bright coral and teal shoes brighten my day like no other. And because my center of gravity is ridiculously off, wedges are a lifesaver for when I want height and fun, but also want to not fall and squish the baby. Double bonus.

p.s. I do not want to discuss my hair in these photos. It’s in a funny little stage, so I’m going to just pretend I’m not noticing the almost-mullet happening.
p.p.s. All photos courtesy of Betsy King! 

Oh, dip dye… how quickly you transformed my $5 stool into a work of art. Want to get the look? I’ve got a tutorial over on HGTV.com today (along with a few of my favorite dip dye inspiration) – enjoy!

My husband is a film editor by trade, yes, but I always joke that I married a filmmaker and got a bonus carpenter along the way (a very handy combo!). So when I asked him to build us a custom closet in our master suite, he jumped at the chance and we filmed the whole process for HGTV.com. Enjoy!

I’m back with another pregnancy outfit that I’ve been love, love, loving lately. Here’s the thing: Betsy took this photo at 20 weeks, when I was smack dab in the middle of my pregnancy. And for me, week 20 was when my belly couldn’t decide if it wanted to be big or small. So a tent dress it was:

On days my belly looked big, I belted the dress so people would open doors for the pregnant girl.  And on days my belly looked teeny, I kept the dress flowy as if I’d just eaten 4 bowls of guacamole.

Also of note? Color. My gosh, I can’t get enough of color these days. It’s like shouting to the world, “There’s a baby behind this smashing shade of pumpkin orange!” I like that.

By the way – your comments on this post were so, so wonderful – thank you for making my pregnancy brain feel much more at ease!

PHOTO CREDIT: BETSY KING

Since we’re on the subject of DIY (gracious, how awesome are Laura’s polka dotted tights?!), I thought I’d pop in and show you our laundry room makeover! We’ve been working away for two years on our home and are SO thrilled to finally see some serious progress.

Photos and details (including a seriously horrid before that you MUST see) on HGTV.com!

I took a long, long break from showcasing my daily outfits when I found out I was pregnant. And there were a lot of reasons why, but mainly? I never got dressed. I can’t think of one ensemble that I took the time to put together, partly because nothing looks great when you feel miserable, but also? I think that part of my brain completely shut down.

I’d heard of pregnancy brain before, but to be honest (and yes, moms, you can judge me for saying this), I thought it was a myth (it’s not!). I thought for sure that it was connected to a tired, overworked mind and that if I could just “sleep it off”, I’d be fine. But the truth is? My memory flew right out the window during those first three months – and along with it? My creativity.

Ken jokes that it was nearly impossible to carry on a conversation with me because I would blank out on words, phrases and even names. But the kicker? I was totally surprised when I completely forgot how to put together an outfit that reflected me. It was bizarre, really. I chalked it up to not feeling confident with the extra dough around my belly, but to be honest, I think it was part of my brain that was being used to, I don’t know, make a baby. Maybe I’m crazy.

Anyway, I mentioned before that I relied on skinny jeans, long tunics and quirky flats because that seemed to be the easiest alternative (and most nap-friendly!). Yet now that I’m in my second trimester, I’ve got a big boost of energy – and my desire to wear out my closet is back with a vengeance. After all, gotta wear those non-breast-feeding-friendly tops and dresses while I can, right?

So, over the next few months I’ll be sharing what I’ve been wearing as this baby bump grows. It’s semi-hidden today, but believe me – it’s gaining steam and I happen to think it’s the cutest thing in the world (as well as its contents, of course!).

Now – onward with photos, which were snapped by my sweet friend (and oh-so-talented photographer) Betsy King in her studio!:

Here’s what’s perfectly second trimester friendly about this outfit: the dress is form-fitting, so when you want to showcase that tiny bump, it’s good to go. But if your bump isn’t feeling especially curvy that day (and it still just looks like you ate a large cheeseburger – or three!), you can cover up with a knitted vest that hides virtually everything.

Throw in some leggings for comfort (because chances are, you’ve far surpassed the ability to fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans), knee socks for style and flat boots for function and you’ve got a recipe for second trimester style success!

And yep, there’s that bump photo. I’ll give you a peek of the side shot next week – it’s a cutie. ;)

PHOTO CREDIT: BETSY KING

EDIT: Reader Jen sent a link to this article re: pregnancy brain, and OMG! Genius. If you’re feeling down about pregnancy brain, mommy brain or the like, please read. It’s a goodie. (Thanks, Jen!)

Our dining room is one of my favorite rooms we’ve renovated (the before and after is insane!), but it still needed… something. There are a lot more somethings it needs (a Swedish trunk to house party games, for one!), but this past weekend, Ken and I tackled a big to-do off the list: our monochromatic gallery wall.

And yes, my entire house is pretty monochromatic. I can’t help it. Anyway, here’s a quick shot (the how-to video will be live on our HGTV.com column next week) of how it turned out, along with a source list for all of that lovely art!:

Clockwise, from top left: Gelato by RibbonSquirrel, Little Fox by Little Studio, Arrow by Twig Creative, Egg by John Gusky, Debbie Carlos calendar cutout, Balance Sheet by Tsilli Pines, Oh, Darling by Fifi du Vie, Vogue – Nov 1960 by Leombruno-Bodi (Conde Nast store), Man with Rabbit Mask by Andy Warhol (Art.com), Sarah McNeil (old print), If You Want to Be / B by ConiLab.

Happy shopping!

GIRL!

We’re so so excited to welcome a little sunbeam to our family in July! We found out a bit early – she was upside down and waving her buns for all the world to see (it was fairly obvious that there was a serious lack of boy appendages happening!). We love her already and can’t wait for you to meet her this summer!

Until then, I’m sure I’ll be sharing baby bump progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (it’s getting bigger!). If you want more baby news here, I’m happy to oblige. Just let me know in the comment section! ;)

Now that I’m out of my first trimester (which consisted of the most epic naps ever), I’m looking forward to being awake long enough to get in a proper shower and outfit. Sure, dressing in this stage is pretty tricky (I’m just starting to look pregnant, rather than look like I downed three cheeseburgers for lunch), but I’ve found that embracing what’s comfortable has been key for me. Enter shoes.

I’ve been relying on skinny jeans or leggings, striped tunics and flats for the bulk of my pregnancy because it’s just so, so easy. But after months of the same outfit combination, I started to itch for some excitement, and around the same time, ShoeMint came into my life. ShoeMint.com (much like StyleMint!) is a shoe collection designed by Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez where every design is $79.98. New styles arrive each month catered to your specific style and taste, just like a subscription to your favorite mag!

Want to give ShoeMint a go? Get 20% off your first purchase with code MYKIND (good through Feb 29th, 2012!). Happy shopping!

SPONSORED POST

… plus, how to survive your next conference, wherever that may be.

Alt Summit felt very different for me this year, possibly because it’s grown leaps and bounds since I first attended (with my sweet roomies Vic and Jaime) in 2010. The sheer number of inspiring creatives was nothing short of overwhelming, and I found that I participated in more 10 second, frenetic conversations this year – and much less 10 hour, life-changing conversations. And as you can probably tell, I’d pick the 10 hour convos any day.

BUT – it was still a treat to attend, to present an alarmingly brilliant sponsorship panel (pictured above) with Sarah, Danielle and Meg, throw another kickin’ resource party and teach a videoblogging class (with my sweet husband!) for HGTV. And because I’ve been pretty exhausted lately (when does that amazing second trimester energy kick in, friends?!), I slipped away for the bulk of the conference to nap, have quiet lunches and many, many meetings. And I left feeling like yes, I missed out on keynotes, panels and parties, but I took care of myself and furthered my business on the spot, rather than talking about furthering my business. You know?

In short, I feel like this was the first conference where I strategized instead of socialized. I stood up, rather than sat down. And I forged, rather than followed.

Sure, I felt really, really left out when I look back and see the photo booths, streamers and confetti, but I think that next week, when the sparkles fade, I’ll be proud of the relationships I formed and business smarts I gained. I hired an agent, negotiated a contract and committed to a new sponsorship deal – all in the span of three days. And here’s where I state my new conference rules:

1. Come with a plan. Peruse the speaker list and follow the Twitter buzz. Pick out a few choice attendees or business contacts that you’d love to connect with on a deeper level, and invite them to breakfast ahead of time. Conference schedules can be packed, so don’t rely on impromptu meetings; they rarely happen.

2. Save room for others. While I would have loved to plan every second of every day, it’s important to support others and give back to your community. This is why I love throwing impromptu resource parties (pictured below) – you get to hear about some really inspiring goals for the year, help further those goals, and make real connections that will (hopefully!) last beyond the Grand America hotel.

3. Be present. I have a hard time with this one, because I get super overwhelmed when I’m around a bajillion people that I love and want to connect with. But when having a conversation, it’s important to be present in that conversation. If you’re not good at this, arrange a conversation in a quiet place where you’re less likely to be interrupted – or less likely to people watch around the room. My best convos this year took place over a secluded breakfast spot, on a brisk walk around the block, a secluded sofa corner of the hotel and yes, the restroom.

4. Follow up. This is what’s happening now. I have a list of a few friends and colleagues that I didn’t get near enough time to chat with, so this week? This week I’m going to email them and see how they enjoyed the conference and what’s to come in their lives for 2012. Maybe even throw in a phone chat or debriefing session along the way. Because even if we didn’t get to toast champagne or break dance in a ballroom, I love them dearly.

In other words, if I missed you at the conference, let’s get in touch this week. I’d love to hear how you plan to take over the world in 2012 and beyond. Plus, chances are, I loved your shoes.

p.s. I didn’t take any photos at the conference (See! I was being present! #3!), so thanks to the AltSummit2012 Flickr group and the amazing photogs for the above shots.
p.p.s. An incredible thank you to Gabby and her Stanley family clanley. They make things happen for the benefit of all.