September 2012 | Dearest Lou

Leopard Print on Leopard Print

Just stopping in to do a quick outfit post! I have been buying a couple of these short dresses and wearing them as maternity shirts as of late. They fit perfectly over the bump and I can tuck them into a cute flowy skirt after pregnancy.. it's a win win situation. I only paid $12.80 for this one which beats most maternity shirt prices!

I've been waiting for the past several weeks to do a diy spiked loafers tutorial and my spikes finally came in earlier this week. Overall, I'm super satisfied with the result and only paid a fraction of the price of what they're going for online. I'll be posting a diy early next week for those of you who may be interested in giving it a shot (;
Leggings: F21 (similar here)
Necklace: c/o Chicnova (buy it here)
Dress (worn as shirt): F21 (similar here
Shoes: DIY (tutorial here)

PS: Don't forget to enter the Chicnova Giveaway here!

Neon Green Baseball Tee and Cobalt Blue Bubble Necklace

I've been on the hunt for a cheap baseball tee for quite some time now and I happened to stumble upon this neon gem for only $5! I was thrilled when it fit over my big 31 week belly! I decided to go all out with the colors and wear my edgy red flats and this gorgeous cobalt blue bubble necklace Very Jane sent me earlier this week.

On another note.. I think my belly button might will actually pop out sometime in the next couple of weeks.. it's starting to look strange people! I will keep you all posted if it does.

I had my first doctors appointment with my new doctor yesterday and I absolutely love her! She's so supportive of my birth plan and she's totally on top of things. She measured my belly and checked babies heart beat and she says everything is coming along great except my iron is a little low. I should have expected to hear that since I rarely eat meat and dark green leafy veggies but I'm going to work on it (;
Also remember this post? Well Apricot Lane also gave me $50 to spend in their store while I was there! I fell in love with the purse and one of the bracelets I wore for the shoot so I went ahead and spent it on that. If you live in Utah I highly recommend shopping there you will not regret it!

Jeans: Gap
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Baseball Tee: Wet Seal (buy it here)
Cobalt Blue Bubble Necklace: c/o Very Jane

Friday Favorites

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Adelyn looks absolutely stunning in her most recent outfit post.

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Shannon is currently having a huge sale on her adorable etsy shop. All items are priced under $20!

I love the simplicity of this post and this adorable picture of Kaya.

Allie recently turned 24 and it looks and sounds like she had an amazing birthday. Be sure to check out the full post. 

Justine finally had her little boy earlier this month and he's so handsome! Look at that full head of hair (;

JUNIEBlake has recently released their fall clothing line and everything is available for pre-order! I'm absolutely loving these two dresses.

Provo Treasure Hunt


Hello friends,

Today I have some exciting news about an activity that would make a great date night or family activity if you live near Utah County. Have you heard about the Provo Treasure Hunt? On September 28th (tomorrow) a huge hunt will begin for $5,000 that's hidden somewhere in Utah County. The first clue will be released after the BYU vs Hawaii football game.


1) It's FREE to participate
2) In order to get clues you can do either or all of the following: friend PTH facebook, "like" PTH on twitter, or email DL@ProvoTreasureHunt.com to get emails straight to your inbox
3) You can do this for an advanced hint

Super easy right?

Each day afterwards a clue will be given each day until the treasure is found! There will also be other amazing prizes from local businesses that will be given separately from the $5,000 cash prize. I think it will be a lot of fun and if I win any small prizes or the grand prize itself I will be sure to tweet about it ;P

Unfortunately, Daryl works late this Friday night but it's something my little sister and I will be participating in.  I've heard that babies are pretty expensive so if I won the grand prize it would go towards his future college fund.

What would you spend the grand prize on?

PS: Guest Posting over here today.
PPS: Group Giveaway winners announced here.

Chicnova Giveaway (CLOSED)

This weeks amazing giveaway is brought to you by Chicnova! Chicnova aims to play its role as a fast online women fashion spreader and bring the latest fashion trends to fashion lovers around the globe. Chicnova has recently sent me some lovely jewelry pieces to try out but I'm a bit behind on outfit posts so stay tuned for those later! I'm super excited that one of you lucky readers will get a $30 voucher to spend at Chicnova as well (;

Here are my top picks under $30:


There are 3 mandatory requirements to keep in mind:
1)You must follow Dearest Lou via GFC or Bloglovin
2)You must follow Chicnova on Facebook, Pinterest, or Tumblr
3)You must register on their site and create a wishlist 
**If the email you used to register is different from the one you use to login to Rafflecopter; please leave a comment with your name, Rafflecopter email, and Chicnova email, so that I know you've completed that mandatory step!**

Contest is open worldwide. One lucky winner will be selected and notified via email on October 6th. Thanks friends and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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UPDATE 10/7:
Congratulations Lubka Kotmanikova, I already emailed your information to Chicnova over the weekend and you should have gotten an email with instructions on how to redeem your $30 credit. If you haven't heard from them yet feel free to send me an email at dearestlou@gmail.com! As for everyone else, thanks so much for entering and supporting my blog! 

Maternity Series >> 31 weeks

We were trying to get a decent picture of 
my belt but my sleeves were in the way.. 
so I started doing the chicken dance ;P
Belt: Rue 21
Earrings: Forever 21
Boots: Urban Outfitters
Dress: Down East Basics
Bracelet: c/o OASAP (buy it here)

PS: Today is the last day to enter the Group Giveaway!

Sponsor in October


October is one of my favorite months out of the year. It finally starts to cool down and I love seeing the leaves change from green to hues of red, orange, and yellow! Sponsoring is an excellent way to gain exposure for your blog or shop. Sponsoring on Dearest Lou gives ALL sponsors the opportunity to participate in the group sponsor giveaway towards the end month. 

The Solo Featured Spot is sold out for the remainder of the year, but if you are interested you can email me to reserve a spot for the new year. I still have two solo giveaway weeks available. Keep in mind that the minimum product value for a solo giveaway is $30. Contact me for more information with the subject line: SOLO GIVEAWAY INQUIRY.

For rates and details, visit my sponsor page here and shoot me an email at dearestlou@gmail.com and I'll hook you up.


Baby Boy Update

My favorite 3D picture of him. 
Look at those chubby cheeks (;

Better late than never right? On Thursday, September 13th, we had another ultrasound to see how baby boy was measuring up. Since Daryl couldn't make it to the appointment I got it on video for him (;

Mama updates: If we go based off of my pre-pregnancy weight I've gained 14 lbs so far. If we go based off of me losing 5lbs during the first trimester and slowly gaining I've gained 19 lbs so far. I still haven't gotten any stretch marks and I hope and pray that I don't.

Baby updates: They took baby's head, thigh, and belly measurements in order to see whether his due date moved up or down. His little belly measured a week behind, his thigh bone a week ahead, and his head measured out 2 weeks ahead! His approximate weight that day was 3lbs 3 oz which is about the size of 4 naval oranges. I honestly have a strong feeling that he will come before November 26th but I'm going to stick with my original due date so I don't get my hopes up (; Other than baby boy measuring out a bit bigger everything is completely normal.  I'm hoping that my delivery goes as smooth as my pregnancy so far!

Friday Favorites


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In this post, Adelyn mentions 5 simple things that make her week a little bit better.

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Erin's life lately consists of taking care of her newborn and watching TV.


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Tammy shares a recipe for a mouth watering apple cake!


BLOG || TWITTER || PINTEREST
Sarah looks absolutely stunning at 37.5 weeks in her most recent outfit post.

THE ENGLISH BREAKFAST: TRAVEL TUESDAYS-LONDON 
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Phoebe has never been to London but she lists a few things she would do if she ever had the chance to visit.

PS: Don't forget to enter the Group Giveaway!
PSS: Winner of Chalk White Arrow Giveaway announced here.

Splendid September Group Giveaway (CLOSED)

Hello Friends it’s time for this month’s group giveaway! This month there are 3 lovely prizes up for grabs and there will be 3 lucky winners. In order to qualify for each of the prizes you MUST follow the entry rules on rafflecopter and then you can do the additional entries if you want a higher chance of winning. You can enter 1 giveaway or all 3 it is completely up to you(; Group giveaway is open to all Dearest Lou readers thru September 25th. Winners will be announced September 26th. Good luck! 
Tammy from Lemons, Avacados, & The Bay is giving away a regular ad space on her blog, a $20 value. She's just shy of 1,000 gfc readers and it would be a great way to get your blog or small business out there.
Giveaway is open internationally! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Erin from Simply Just Lovely is giving away 2 months of large ad space and a pair of adorable earrings from H&M, a $25 value. Erin just gave birth to her adorable son and has a killer sense of fashion, go see for yourself!
Giveaway is open  to readers with a US mailing address only! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Phoebe from The English Breakfast is giving away $20 shop credit and free shipping to the lucky winner, a $20 value (+) free shipping. Phoebe is incredibly talented and has some very lovely work up for grabs over at her etsy shop.
Giveaway is open  to readers with a US or Canada mailing address only! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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UPDATE: 9/27
And the winners are:
Regular ad space from Lemons, Avacados, and the Bay: EVANGELINA
2 months of large ad space & earrings from Simply Just Lovely: BREANNA H.
$20 Shop credit and free shipping from The English Breakfast: RAB P.

I have sent you all emails, so check your inboxes!

Maternity Series >> 30 weeks

Vest: Wet Seal
Shirt: Papaya
Skirt: Thrifted
Headband: Forever 21
Sandals: I don't remember
Bangle Set: OASAP (buy it here)

One year ago today..

..we got engaged.
It's crazy to think about how much has changed since then and now.
I love you so much!

Parade of carnations skirt and books

Sugarlips Apparel sent me this super pretty skirt last week and I'm so happy it fit over the bump. I decided to dress it down with a striped button up shirt and my "Peter Pan" shoes. I pulled all my hair in a messy bun because sometimes I like to move my blunt fringe out of my face (especially when Daryl and I go on evening walks).

I can't believe that today I'm officially 30 weeks pregnant. Sometimes it feels like I've been pregnant forever, but when I really think about it time has flown by. My mom and I were sorting through all of the children's books from my childhood, that we've purchased, and that I've been gifted. I can easily say that he has at least 200 or so books so far. I think reading to your child is so important.. even this early on (;
Shirt: Old Navy
Shoes: Thrifted
Necklace: Gift from Daryl
Skirt: c/o Sugarlips (buy it here)

PS: Sunglasses Shop Giveaway winner announced here.