In need of a holiday dress?

a a pea in the pod is having a sale on dresses.  they are offering 30% off until 12/11.  I bought this dress for full price (unfortunately) for a wedding in november.

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i received a lot of complements when i wore the dress and it was extremely comfortable.  since it was pricey ($170), i decided to wear it for our christmas card photo as well, even though i just wanted to wear pants.  it's on sale for $90.99!  if you are pregnant and in need of a holiday or wedding dress this winter, i would recommend this dress.  i paired it with black, opaque tights and black pumps.  and here is another photo of me in the dress with my sister-in-law and john's cousins.

and here is a photo of husband and i <3

and since i have my baby shower coming up in january, i thought i would take advantage of the sale and buy a dress that i've been eyeing for awhile.  i bought this dress:

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i've always loved paisley prints.  and i love the color purple with hints of yellow.  i'll probably add a skinny belt and wear it with boots.  the best part of the dress is the price.  with 30% off, it came out to only $41.99...score!  happy shopping!

Favorite maternity clothes.

since i am a nurse, i'm lucky to not have to buy corporate style clothes.  if you have to dress up for your job, this post may not be for you.

i have always been a tank top, jeans, and cardigan type gal.  so i had a ton of sweaters that i still use to this day.  adding a long sweater/cardigan has a slimming effect ;-)  oh so important when you're feeling large.  shall we start?

H & M
i bought several of these tanks in different colors for only $5.95 in a size large since
these aren't maternity tanks.

target
like the tank tops, i bought 3 of these long sleeve maternity tops in different colors
  for only $14.99.
since they are maternity tops, i bought a size medium.  i wear these to work,
to run errands, and to work out.  definitely a staple in my wardrobe.

old navy
love, love, love these yoga pants.  i bought 3 of these pants.
yes, i wear yoga pants that much.  these pants are comfortable and very flattering.
i bought a size small and the  length was perfect for me.  i'm 5'6''.
in my opinion, full panel is the only way to go.
and for $24.94, it's a must buy.  i think i even got it for 30% online.  

motherhood maternity
i posted about skinny jeans here.
but i especially love the black, skinny, ponte, full panel pants.
these pants are very flattering and they are not skin tight like leggings.
plus the fabric is thick which hides unsightly lumps and bumps.
fyi, unfortunately the prices have gone up on these pants and the skinny
jeans i bought.  they used to be only $29.99 =(

if you follow my blog, then you know that i'm all about my blanqi and compression stockings, so i don't have to go into detail about those items.

there you have it, my maternity wardrobe.  i don't plan on buying anything else for the remainder of this pregnancy.  what were your maternity wardrobe staples?

The diaper/undiaper bag conundrum.

i registered for the diaper dude messenger bag for john and i.  i figured it would be better to get a "masculine" bag for both of us rather than a cute, feminine one that he'd feel uncomfortable carrying around.  plus it got pretty good reviews on amazon and from the various blogs i read.  here is a pic of it...

however, i really wanted to register for the skip hop versa diaper bag too.  again, the great reviews and appealing looks of the bag drew me to it.  you can see for yourself here...

but then i got to thinking about what makes a bag a diaper bag.  2 overarching characteristics that i have come up with are that diaper bags are bags that are (A) large and (B) have a lot of pockets or sections.  can i add that diaper bags aren't cheap.  the diaper dude bag is $59.99 at babies r us.  and the skip hop versa diaper bag is $69.99.  i know, crazy right?!  the bags aren't even leather.  as any human being  would be, i was  on pinterest gathering ideas and inspirations for my life in general and came across this...

kf baby diaper bag organizer
it is only $14.88 on amazon.

but then i stumbled upon this "pin".

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bingo!  i kinda had an "aha" moment...i mean, not really...but you get how excited i was.  i have been wanting another longchamp le pilage large shoulder bag for awhile now since bubba, chewed up my black one and broke the zipper.  can i say how sturdy this bag is?  i still use it everyday for work.  and when i went back to school i used it then too.  this bag carried my laptop, books, papers, and food.  i have spilled a ton of drinks and food in it as well, and all i have to do is wipe it clean.  it still looks good after all the wear and tear.  and considering how bubba can tear things up if he thinks there is food in something, the zipper was only minusculy broken.  after my experience with this bag, don't you think it would make an excellent diaper bag?  the only thing is, is that it lacks pockets.  but, if i buy cheap, clear pouches or even the kf diaper organizer, i think i can make it work.  can i introduce you to my 

diaper bag of choice?  ta-da!

in bilberry since i already have the black one.
it is the perfect shade of dark purple, almost black.

i just received it in the mail.  thanks to 2 bloomingdale's gift cards, a 20% friends and family sale, and free shipping and handeling, i got this new bag for less than $30.  what a steal wouldn't you say?

you know i'm going to ask...what kind of diaper bag did you end up using?

Shopaholics anonymous & HAPPY WEEKEND

this is a total splurge and grossly expensive. but i really, really want it.

introducing the nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II nikkor telephoto zoom lens 

this is a bad-ass lens.  for a whoppin' $849.00 on amazon, this seems like an unattainable purchase for me.  even if i start saving my pennies for this lens, could i really convince myself to actually buy it???  i don't think so!  but, i can still put it out there in the blogosphere as a wish list item...right...why not?

luckily for me, my in laws and sister and brother in law bought me this lens ;-)

nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens

have a great weekend dear friends!

Shopoholics anonymous::electronic version

i think john and i are finally gung-ho about a DSLR. any suggestions?? we definately don't need a top of the line camera, just something that we can play around with. i'm not sure if you know this, but his latest obsession has been instagram! he finally joined a social network ; ) i think this helped solidify his decision on getting a camera.

BTW, if you're interested in following me on instagram, i'm at little_ol_me_ .

besides a DSLR, here are some other things that i've been itching to buy, but haven't plunked down the $$$ to purchase them.

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iphone 4S please.

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MacBook Pro

Shopoholics annonymous.

can a girl ever stop wanting to shop? nope. didn't think so. here's a few items i've been oogling over on the world wide web.

Gee Wawa
have you heard of flatforms? i like how these look a little funky,
a litte clunky, but still comfortable.
i think it would go perfect with a pair of skinny jeans.

ban.do
when i cross over to iphone territory i plan on getting this case.
i just love the red heart graphic.

jcrew
every girls gotta have a statement necklace, right?
i personally want a green one.

nike free
i need a pair of new running shoes. while i'm partial
to asics, i've been hearing good things about these nikes.

jcrew
what is it with these darn stripes that keep calling my name?

since we're on the topic of shopping, which do you prefer: ordering your stuff from the internet or shopping the old fashion way?

Recommendation: saltwater sandals, a must.

i wore my tan saltwater sandals today for perusing the aisles of west elm and chillaxin' with the fairfield fam bam for Tatay's birthday. i highly recommend them! super comfortable and really cute. i could literally walk for miles in them. wanna see?!

p.s.
Happy birthday Tatay! We love you very much.

Shopaholics anonymous.

hello all you shop-till-you-drop guys and gals...probably mostly gals...or maybe guys? hmmm, come to think about it, it's up in the air in my marriage, who the bigger shopper is. i'm sure he can attest to that.

here are some items i've been eyeing online:

finds.hellobee.com
saltwater sandals are practically sold out everywhere! i think i'm going to buy the black
and tan ones. if i had a little girl OR boy, i would buy her OR him a pair too.

jcrew
simply the coolest backpack around.
what color would you get?

michael kors gold watch
i know, it's trendy. it's been over a year that i've been fighting the urge,
and i still want it. if that doesn't say "buy it", i don't
know what does.

and there you have it, a few items that i've been obsessing over. i'll keep you posted if i buy any of them. have you been crushin' on any shoes, watches, or bags lately? i'd love to hear about it!