How to Accessorize Your Fingers this Summer with Lulus.com

Out of the 3 outfits I've styled, this one is my personal favorite. I'm a sucker for all things comfy and this outfit takes the cake. I decided to style it with these funky leopard print leggings which were on sale for only $5. I've been searching for some thick leopard print leggings for quite some time now and when I found these for such a steal I instantly fell in love. Unfortunately I couldn't find these exact leggings on their site but I'm sure if you hit up your local Rue 21 there might be a few still in stock.

I wanted to discuss accessorizing your fingers this summer. Out of all jewelry pieces, rings are most convenient and my favorite to wear. I've been on the hunt for some pretty knuckle rings for quite some time now and finally got my hands on some. This set of 3 gold knuckle rings go with everything in my wardrobe and were exactly what I was looking for. I think everyone needs a basic set of knuckle rings to add to their ring collection. I personally love the look of stacked rings and this rhinestone ring set and it turns out to be only $2.13 per ring if you use the 15% off discount code! Since getting these rings I've worn them every single day and have mixed and matched them with different rings.

Lulu*s is generously offering all US and Canadian readers 15% off your total order with coupon code: DEAREST from now until August 1st. Happy shopping!!

What I wore: Dress, Backpack, Rings (Set of 3 Gold Knuckle Rings, Diamond Knuckle Ring, Rhinestone Ring Set, Gold Statement Ring sold out, similar here); c/o Lulu*s// Hat, Forever 21 (similar here)// Cardigan, Gift from sister (similar here)// Leggings, Rue 21 (similar here)// Salt Water Sandals, Nordstrom

PS: Modest Fashionistas is holding a Style Lately giveaway, you can check it out here and also while you are there I would appreciate your vote for my looks (located on the left hand side of their blog)

How to Turn a Dress into a Skirt with Lulus.com

While I was pregnant, turning a dress into a skirt and just knotting a simple tee was one of my favorite looks. It's a little bit tricky for a nursing mama to find a dress AND top that are functional for a quick nursing session. This adorable black and white striped top is a perfect layering piece and is also light and breezy for summer. I'm a big fan of black and white prints and this pin striped shirt is a must-have. I fell in love with the gold stud buttons and immediately knew that pairing this blouse with my gold studded brooch would add a perfect touch.

Normally I wouldn't advice wearing tights if it's over 85 degrees outside but I wore this outfit out on a mini date with my boys in the evening. I also spend a majority of my day indoors in a very cool environment so I'm able to layer up a bit more than last summer when we were living in an un-airconditioned apartment.

Lulu*s is generously offering all US and Canadian readers 15% off your total order with coupon code: DEAREST from now until August 1st. Happy shopping!!

What I wore: Top, Dress, Shoes (sold out, similar in sea foam green); c/o Lulu*s// Tights (similar here & here), Forever 21// Brooch, AliExpress

Light Gray is a Summer Must Have Color with Lulus.com

I'm so excited to do another mini series with my wonderful sponsor Lulu*s. For this series I'm going to show you how to style this lovely dress 3 different ways. I know everyone has heard of the term "little black dress" but I personally think that everyone should own a "little white dress" for summer. This dress is beyond comfortable and is super flattering. It is also very versatile and it can be dressed up or down. For this look I decided to dress it up and wear bright red lipstick and heels to spice things up.

I think light gray is a must have summer color because it's so light, breezy, and works with all different skin tones. Dark colors reflect heat and I prefer to stay away from darker colors when I know I'm going to be outside for longer periods of time. I already have dark hair that I have to deal with, wearing lighter colors or a hat really helps keep the sun away.

Lulu*s recently sent me a few items one of which was this O'Neil Coco Washed Black backpack! I love using back packs as diaper bags because they are much easier to tote around and fit the necessities into. They are also so much cheaper and can be used as regular bags after I'm done having babies. If I have a little girl one day, I'm sure she would be more than happy to sport around this back pack to middle school, at that time it will be "mom's cool vintage back pack" (;

I also was sent this lovely moondust skinny belt. I think it really completed my look and kept everything in balance. I usually prefer to thrift my belts but this light gray vegan leather is top quality and will go with so many of my other dresses, tops, and bottoms. Speaking of dresses, I am in love with this tilt-a-whirl sleeveless ivory dress. Like I mentioned earlier, I think everyone should own a little white dress. I personally love this one because it's an a-line dress which is most flattering on my figure and it has a zipper in the front. The zipper makes nursing one hundred times easier than having to unbutton several buttons.

Lulu*s is generously offering all US and Canadian readers 15% off your total order with coupon code: DEAREST from now until August 1st. Happy shopping!!

What I wore: Top, Stockings, Heels, Earrings; Forever 21// Dress, Belt, Backpack; c/o Lulu*s

Modern Day Little Bo Peep

For some reason this outfit reminds me of Little Bo Peep. Maybe it's the cute pink bow and the scenery.. all I'm missing is the shepherd's crook. Chicnova recently sent me an item to review, I originally picked a different shirt but was mistakenly sent this. I emailed them to let them know and was pleased with how quickly they responded. They apologized for the mix up and said that they would send me the correct item. I thought that was very kind of them and it's good to know that they have excellent customer service.  To be completely honest this shirt is extremely tight around my bust and luckily this handy dandy bow covered that up. I love the vintage-y feel of the blouse and I'm happy that I was able to squeeze into it for a few outfit pictures (;

I've been slacking big time on the outfit posts that I could have sworn that I had already posted a look with my new favorite boots but turns out I haven't.

The cheapskate in me would rather go thrifting for a similar pair of leather boots but thrifting is time consuming. It's even more time consuming when you have a demanding little munchkin and ends up taking twice as long. Thrifting also is a hit or miss, sometimes you walk out with treasures and other times you just wasted your time and walk out with nothing. I had a gift card from Christmas that I hadn't completely used up, so I decided to go ahead and take this opportunity and splurged on these Steve Madden boots.

I always wondered what all the Steve Madden hype was about but now I feel like I have a pretty good idea. Not only are these boots pretty, they are SO comfortable. I have a feeling I will be wearing these a ton this Autumn/Winter.

What I wore: Top, c/o Chicnova// Skirt, thrifted// Steve Madden Boots, Nordstrom

Polka Dots and Salt Water Sandals

Polka dots are easily one of my favorite prints to wear. I'm personally a fan of little white polka dots as you can see in my fedora and blouse. I completely forgot I had this top until I was shifting through my closet looking for all my polka dotted pieces. I wanted to wear something breezy, simple, and that I could wear throughout the day. I bought this dress on Lovenell shortly after Zaden was born but have always worn it as a top. There's no way in heck that I could pull this off as a dress.. have you seen these mama curves?  This top was perfect since it is adorable, functional for nursing purposes, and matches perfectly with my new Salt Water Sandals.

I had been wanting a pair of Salt Waters since Spring but I didn't want to pay over $30 for a pair of sandals. However, I regret not buying these sooner because they are so comfortable and I've worn them almost everyday since I got them. If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen that I also got a matching pair for Zaden next year.. yes, I'm THAT mom. There are some wardrobe pieces that I think are worth paying regular price for and a durable versatile pair of sandals is definitely in that category.

I have been searching everywhere for a pair of snug fitting bermuda shorts but hadn't found a pair that fit me perfectly. My younger sister Tiana came up with a clever idea earlier this summer to search all the sale racks for jeans and turning them into shorts. All of the jeans I've found have been around $5-$10 for a new pair of shorts! I felt so clever going into Gap and walking right past their expensive shorts and heading towards the back of the store and walking out with 2 pairs of pants that would ultimately become perfect length and snug fitting shorts. These pictures were taken before I cut them a  bit shorter and hemmed them just in case you noticed they are a little crooked ;P

Outfit details: Shirt, Lovenell// Shorts + Necklace, gifts from sister// Hat, Charlotte Russe// Salt Water Sandals, Nordstrom

PS: I love my boys.

29/52

"A portrait of Zaden, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Throwing your little hands up in the air

Pastels and SHY Boutique Discount Code

I'm not one to wear heels often, but was challenged over on Modest Fashionistas to dress up a casual look. This pastel shirt is one of my most treasured thrift finds and is light and perfect for a hot summer day. In the past I've dressed this shirt up with pencil skirts, so I wanted to switch it up and bit and wear some pastel skinny jeans. I completed the look with my favorite mint bag and this darling J. Crew inspired fan fringe necklace.

If you've been reading for a while now, you probably remember me mentioning SHY Boutique. I'm all for supporting local companies and one of my all time favorite skirts is also from there. Recently, Justine contacted me about re-opening SHY Boutique and wanting me to style one of their new necklaces. Of course I was more than happy to help spread the word and style a little something. In my opinion, a statement necklace can make a simple casual outfit stand out. I personally think J. Crew is overpriced and even if I was super wealthy, I couldn't ever see myself spending $148 on a piece of jewelry I wouldn't wear on a daily basis (;

SHY Boutique has a variety of adorable statement necklaces available from $24.95-$37.95. SHY Boutique is offering all Dearest Lou readers 30% off everything (that's right even clearance (; ) + FREE SHIPPING! You just need to enter the discount code DEARLOU30 at the checkout. If you head on over and "like" SHY Boutique on Facebook or follow them on Pinterest you can get an additional 5% off your entire purchase. Just leave a comment on either SHY Boutique's Facebook or Pinterest saying Dearest Lou sent you and that you would like to redeem the coupon for the additional 5% off and she will message you the code. Happy shopping!!

Outfit details: Shirt, thrifted// Jeans, ASOS// Heels, Ross// Necklace, c/o SHY Boutique// Bag, Lulu's (similar here)

PS: The winner of the Lemons and Lace Giveaway is announced here!

On a Lovely Spring Afternoon

Pictures taken June 14, 2013

Pictures 4, 7, 8, 12, & 15 taken & edited by Kandice

Z at 7 months

Once again I'm behind on Zaden's monthly update. This last month went by way too fast, my big boy turned 7 months old on the 23rd of June.

Z finally started solid foods at the end of last month. He has tried peas, carrots, pears, watermelon, and mangos. He doesn't really care for peas or pears but he LOVES carrots and mangos. Ever since I started feeding him solids I swear he's gone through another growth spurt and is even more chubby. His little feet are finally starting to grow out of 0-3 month shoes and starting to fit into 3-6 month shoes.

Zaden has finally mastered sitting up all by himself. He can also roll over from back to belly and slowly scoot towards anything his heart desires. He has also become a pro at bouncing in his little car bouncer and walking around mischievously trying to pull the table cloth off the table or open all the cabinets he can get his little hands on. I have a feeling we're going to need to start baby proofing the place before we leave to Washington at the end of this month.

Z still likes reaching out for whatever mama or dada is doing. He immediately loses interest in whatever toy we give him and decides our cell phones or computer is ten times more interesting. This little boy loves to talk all day everyday.. especially at night when dada is trying to sleep (he's a night owl like mama (; ). I'm positive that he knows me as mama and Daryl as dada. He also knows how to wave goodbye which is absolutely adorable!

My favorite thing about Z at this age is his sense of humor. He loves to grab my nose or hair first thing in the morning and hear me say, "Ouch Sweetie!" I then turn over and see this little chunk grinning and giggling from ear to ear. I like how he has mastered his fake laugh and does it whenever he thinks we are trying to make him laugh. This little man is a character I tell ya.

Zaden's outfit: Top, Nordstrom// Shorts, Oshkosh// Sandals, Old Navy// Hat, Carters