March 2017 | Dearest Lou

Cuddle Buddies

My sweet boys in their matching Rags to Raches rompers! 
The older Adrien gets the more these two bond.
 I love how much these two care for one another. 
There is definitely a special brotherly bond between them. 

New Hair and Hints of Green

I'm wearing: Sparkly Dress & Cardigan from Pink Blush

I changed my hair! It's lighter and more asymmetrical than before.. I LOVE IT! My friend Christy is amazing if you are in Utah and need a hair girl I can hook you up with her info (;

This outfit is from earlier this month.. St. Patricks Day inspired actually! I personally own a ton of green but as St. Patricks Day was approaching I realized my kids don't, lol.

Pink Blush sent me this dress earlier this year to wear to a blogger party and I figured I would style it again! It's not too often that I get to wear a more formal dress. The sequins kind of remind me of gold so I thought it would be a different spin on traditional St. Patricks Day wear (; I also love this lightweight cardigan, it's perfect for spring! This color currently isn't in stock but you can get it in aqua, peach, navy, or beige.

Microbladed Brows by Method Brow Co

Microbladed Brows by Ashley Lundgreen (Method Brow Co@method.brow.co)

I've been meaning to write this post for several months now and I'm finally getting around to it! Before I begin I want to give you the 411 on what microblading is! Microblading is is a form of semi-permanent makeup that provides a means to partially or fully camouflage missing eyebrow hair with the appearance of simulated hair using fine deposits of cosmetic pigments. It's a semi-permanent procedure since it doesn't penetrate the skin near as deep as a traditional tattoo. Microblading lasts on average 1-3 years depending on skin type and will gradually fade over time.

I first heard about Microblading back in January 2016. I was really interested in the procedure and ready to go for it! However, in February 2016 we found out I was pregnant and I knew I would need to wait a little over 8 months to get them done. Towards the end of my pregnancy Ashley (Method Brow Co@method.brow.cofound me and I instantly fell in love with her work and knew she would be my forever brow girl, lol!

I contacted Ashley shortly after Adrien was born so I could get on her schedule! For my first appointment I remember walking in and instantly feeling a connection with Ashley, she's the absolute sweetest. I showed Ashley how I normally filled in my brows and tried to explain what shape I was going for. From there, Ashley took over and "mapped" my brows. Once she perfected the shape and I approved we started the actual procedure.

Ashley used a numbing cream before which helped alleviate the pain. I have a pretty high pain tolerance so the actual procedure itself didn't hurt. If anything it was a little unpleasant and felt like little scratches. The first appointment took approximately 3 hours and I would lie if I say I wasn't shocked with how dark and bold my new brows were in comparison to my natural ones.  


SEE THAT FIRST PHOTO GUYS?! THOSE were my natural brows sans-makeup before Ashley worked her magic!!! Ashley is so talented at what she does and I can totally see a difference in her work versus other microblading technicians in the area (see her Instagram here). She is a perfectionist and has an incredible eye for shaping brows!

The following day we went to the park and I had Daryl snap some photos of my new brows, this is what they looked like after the first appointment and for the next 7 days (before they started peeling):
As far as post-procedure care goes Ashley advised me to not excessively sweat (no working out for me), get my brows wet, tan, or pick at them when they started to peel. I'm proud to say that I avoided excessive sweating, getting them wet, going out in the sun for long periods of time for the first 10 days! I also didn't pick at them once and I truly believe that post-procedure care makes a difference!

After they had completely peeled (took about two weeks) the color faded about 50% and we scheduled a follow-up appointment so they would be a bit darker. We also changed up the shape slightly (; The follow-up procedure post-care is the same as the first but the peeling process doesn't look near as bad as the first time around.

I highly recommend going with Method Brow Co if you're in Utah. Just a fair warning that Ashley is on the pricier end BUT I truly believe you get what you pay for. I don't understand the logic in people wanting cheap semi-permanent cosmetics. She's worth every penny guys and definitely knows what she's doing.

It's been 4 months since my second procedure and I'm still in love with my brows! I love that I don't feel the need to fill them in every morning. They really compliment my face and enhance my natural features. If I'm doing my makeup I normally just add a little bit of brow gel to keep my real hair in place (; Don't forget to check Method Brow Co on Facebook and follow along on Instagram!

Nursing Friendly Romper from Loyal Hana

I'm wearing: Celia Romper from Loyal Hana | Bravado Nursing Bra  
Adrien is wearing: Hoodie Romper from June &January

It's been a breath of fresh air not being scared to nurse in public throughout my breastfeeding journey with Adrien. I haven't pulled out a 'nursing cover' once and it's been nice having that extra space in my diaper bag! Breastfeeding will never become normalize if people don't see it happen. It's a bond between a mama + baby that's so special and natural.

 I introduced Loyal Hana on my blog earlier this month and am wearing another nursing friendly piece! I love this romper, it's so timeless, comfortable, and an easy outfit. It's on sale too so if you're thinking about getting it hurry on over before it's gone for good (;

Floral Frenzy with Wren and Ivory

I'm wearing: Mila Dress from Wren & Ivory | Hat (similar) | Tights, Forever 21 | Shoes, Old Navy

Adrien is wearing: Sugar Comb Moccs from Freshly Picked | Dino Top & Pants, Carters

The weather the past few days has been absolutely perfect! I sure hope the weather is sunny and in the 70's for more than a couple weeks this year. In celebration of the awesome weather I wore this gorgeous floral dress from Wren & Ivory to church this past Sunday! I love the navy color, floral print, and buttons! Buttons make for easy nursing sessions so any dress with buttons is a win in my book (;

Jamie Clark Art Custom Family Portrait + Giveaway

I'm a big fan of custom illustrations, especially ones that involved my family! Jamie surprised me earlier last year and again this year with custom illustrations of my crew. I normally have the large 8x10 in a frame on my desk but since my desk gets horrible lighting, I took it out of it's frame for some lifestyle shots with my kiddos (;

I've partnered with Jamie Clark Art to giveaway a custom family illustration to one lucky reader ($100 retail value). 

To enter, simply fill out the rafflecopter widget below so I can keep track of your entries. The more entries you complete the better chance you have of winning. Giveaway is open to ALL Dearest Lou readers thru March 9 at 11:59PM EST. If your twitter, facebook, or instagram profile is on P R I V A T E please set your settings to P U B L I C on March 10, 2017 since I will be verifying the random winners entries at that time, private profiles will not be eligible of winning. Winners will be announced here on or after March 10th and contacted via email shortly after.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nursing Made Simple with Loyal Hana

I'm wearing: Christy Top from Loyal Hana | Jeans  | Watch 
Adrien is wearing: Diaper Cover from Se Mari

I mentioned earlier this week on my Instagram about Loyal Hana and am now just realizing this post "drafted" instead of posting!
So without further adieu, here's my post that was suppose to go live Tuesday:

Finding breastfeeding friendly clothing can be challenging. I end up putting at least 40% of my tops and dresses away after pregnancy knowing that it will be near impossible to wear them for more than a couple hours. I love clothing that works for all the changes our bodies go through when having a baby.. before pregnancy, during, and postpartum (nursing friendly is a bonus). Loyal Hana provides stylish clothing that enables the modern woman to transition from the bump to the boob and beyond! 

Now before going on their site I know their clothing is on the more pricey end, especially if you are a bargain shopper like me. However, I truly believe in purchasing high quality staples and I'm slowly growing my collection of Loyal Hana clothing since it's so versatile for every stage in the human growing process (;

Loyal Hana is having a HUGE sale on their clearance items March 3-10! 
Use coupon code: OMGsale for an additional 35% off

I'm loving these jeans from Lettie Boutique! A nonscale victory I had late last month was finally fitting into them. You can receive a 10% off your first purchase by using my special link here. I have also teamed up with Daniel Wellington to give my readers 15% off any DW purchase with coupon code HARVARD15.