Oh, Bébé ! (Girl or Boy?!)

Since the moment we found out we were expecting, I had a gut feeling about the gender of our little bébé. Call it mother's intuition, or in my case, a semi-scientific guesstimate of the likelihood of male versus female sperm making it through, given that I knew almost the exact date of the act and conception (is my nerdiness showing yet?). 

But you don't really know until it's confirmed, right? Keep scrolling to find out if my guess was correct. 

I seemed to have guessed correctly because Bébé Back is a...



BOY!

And he's already got his Spartan gear ready to go. ;)

Sweet baby, we can't wait until you're here!

OUTFIT DETAILS >>

NECKLACE [Hello Gorgeous Boutique] // Exact here

BELT [Forever 21]  // Similar here & here // Super cute sparkly version 

DRESS [JCPenney] // Similar blue pleated maxi dresses here, here & here

BALLET FLATS [Target] // Exact here // The real Chloe pair // Great textured silver ones here

BÉBÉ BACK'S SNEAKERS [BuyBuy Baby] // Exact here

MY FAVE FLATS + 20% OFF COUPON CODE

If you've ever caught a sneak peak of my closet on my Instagram or other social media accounts you know that I LOVE shoes- especially stylish, unique flats. (Hence having an entire shoe shelf dedicated to ballet flats. I won't judge if you don't. ;) Now don't get me wrong, I still love a great pair of pumps, but flat shoes have become much more practical for my lifestyle. And if there's something that makes this blog different, it's that I post outfits that I actually wear every day. There's no pretending here... give me a pretty pair of functional flats and I'm yours.

That's where Ann Blanche flats come in. I've talked about my love for these gorgeous (and SUPER comfortable) flats many times before. But what I love even more is that they continue to come out with more unique styles, textures, and color combinations for me to add to my ever-growing collection. Well, please keep 'em coming, because this girl can't get enough. 

The black and white style that I'm wearing in the outfit below is their "YASI" style. (Thank you for the name love, AB!) They are so comfortable that the first time I put them on, I felt like I was walking in tennis shoes. The entire bottom is cushioned, as is the heel and the part that wraps around your ankles (A.K.A. no more blisters!). Your feet feel like they are enveloped in a snug cushioned hug. And the other great thing about these flats is that they are treaded for traction, without looking like they are meant for hiking. They look delicate and classy and come in two additional colors, The Lorrayne (pewter), and The Rachel (burgundy). As far as sizing, I usually wear a size 7 and I ordered a 7. So if you are in between sizes, I would recommend sizing up to be extra comfy.

At only $34.99 they are already a steal, but you can also GET AN ADDITIONAL 20% OFF by using coupon code YASI20 at checkout. Happy shopping, friends!

OUTFIT DETAILS below //

BALLET FLATS [c/o ANN BLANCHE] // Exact here

BLOUSE // Love these versions here, here, & here

RED ANKLE PANTS [The Limited] // Similar here, here, & here

BRACELETS/CUFFS [Hello Gorgeous Boutique] // Exact here & here

EARRINGS [Hello Gorgeous Boutique] // Exact here

SEQUINS & PLAID

HEY Y'ALL! It's been a minute. Since I'm moving to the South I can start saying "y'all" and "bless your heart", right? ;) So much has happened the last few weeks that I haven't had much time to write. But everything seems to be falling into place and we are so thankful.

First piece of big news, we sold our house!! It was such a relief to have the showings over with. Honestly, being on the other side of the house buying/selling situation, it really makes you appreciate everything the seller has to go through to keep the house looking tidy at the whim of buyers who need you to drop everything and leave the house.

Second piece of big news, we bought a house in Charlotte! Since our plans for renting fell through a few times, we decided to entertain the idea of buying instead. And while visiting Charlotte a couple of weeks ago, we found a house that we fell in love with. It's Charleston style, has a big red front door, and a porch with two gorgeous fans. Be still, my heart. We close in the middle of February and we couldn't be more excited. The house is pretty much ready to go, all we really have to do is install a fence for the dogs and move our furniture in.  I can't believe this is really happening!

OUTFIT DETAILS below //

NECKLACE [Hello Gorgeous Boutique] // Exact here

SEQUIN TOP // Similar here, here, here

PLAID BUTTON-UP [Old Navy] // Similar here, here, here, here, & here

RED ANKLE PANTS [The Limited] // Similar here, here, here, here, & here

NAVY BLAZER [UNIQLO] // Almost exact here & here / Similar here, here, & here

NAVY PUMPS [Target] // Similar here, here, & here / Love this ankle strap pair & this chunky heel pair

MAKEOVER

Hey guys! Notice anything...different? Does the blog look fresh? A little more polished?

That's because after five years of blogging on the same site that I painstakingly cobbled together on my own, I finally had my blog professionally redesigned. Hallelujah!! I actually began looking into a redesign about this time last year. We slowly picked things back up a few months ago, and voila!
I also thought that it would be the perfect time to switch over the blog URL from the uber long www.hello-gorgeous-blog.blogspot.com to a much simpler hellogorgblog.com. Although the old blog address will always get you to this site, this one might be easier to remember. :)

I hope that you like the blog makeover as much as I do and that it makes viewing my site more enjoyable. And last, but not least, I have to send out a big shout out to Aubrey Kinch for being so patient with my ever-present Type A tendencies as I figured out exactly what I wanted the final product to look like. Thanks so much, Aubrey. You are amazing!

THE OUTFIT //

Many of you asked about the details of this outfit when I posted it to Instagram a few days ago and were bummed to find out that I got both the jacket and the scarf in Italy. But never fear! I found almost identical versions of them for you, linked below.

LEATHER JACKET [From Italy] // Similar here, here, & here / More affordable version here
SWEATER [Forever21] // Almost exact here / Similar: with buttons, edgy, relaxed fit
SCARF [From Italy] // Similar here (in lilac) / Cute ones here & here
JEANS [Express] // Very similar here / Budget-friendly version here
NECKLACE // Exact here
BOOTIES [Clarks (exact)] // Love these pairs here & here



ESSENTIAL STRIPED BLAZER

Confession: I've been living in sweats at home and easy-to-style dresses at work since we got back from our trip last week.  I'm sure it's just a mixture of exhaustion, weather change, and some viral bug that I picked up somewhere along the way. But I'm ready to feel better already.

Since my outfits lately haven't been too blog-worthy, I thought I would share one from last month. I absolutely love this striped blazer that I bought from H&M a couple of years ago. It's turned out to be a staple in my work wardrobe. I can throw it on over any solid top and it instantly jazzes up the outfit. So if you don't have a striped blazer already, I highly recommend adding one to your closet.

I've linked a few of my favorites below! :)

TOP - Forever21 // Almost exact here , Love these styles: peplum, bow neck, ruffled, cowl neck
BLAZER - H&M // Great versions here, here, & here, Love these in petites and plus 
SKIRT - Forever21 // Similar here, here, and here 
PUMPS - Target // Similar here, here, here, & here
PEARLS // c/o Blossom Jewelry Design

SHOP STRIPED BLAZERS //

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TWEED + YELLOW

I've been dying to wear this tweed skirt from The Limited outlet store for some time.  It's been sitting in my closet since last winter and the in-between weather we've been having lately prompted me to pull it out. Paired with a white blouse and a mustard yellow cardi, it's a good transition look-- it allows for layering, while still being fall appropriate. Full outfit details below. :)

Ivory blouse- Forever 21 | Similar here and here | Love these tie blouses here and here

Tweed skirt- The Limited Outlet | Similar here and here | Super cute pink versions here and here

Yellow cardi- Target | Similar here | Other great versions here, here, here, & here

Black patent flats- Target | Similar here & here | Similar pointy versions here & here | Love these bow ones here & here

Layered necklaces | Similar here and here

THE MODERN PANTSUIT

You know you're a true child of the 80s when you love a good pantsuit. But we've come a long way since then. Pantsuits now come in all shapes and sizes and most of them don't have huge shoulder pads. Although, who am I kidding, I love a good shoulder pad, too. ;)

The best part is that today's pantsuits don't have to be purchased as a set. Just mix and match blazers and pants that you already have on hand and voila! Pantsuit. The trick is to make sure that the fabrics and colors go together. And, as always, the most important thing of all is proper fit. If you're wearing wide-leg pants, make sure your blazer is fitted and hits right below your hips. Conversely, a longer and less structured blazer is the way to go if you're wearing skinny pants. 

Floral shell- The Limited | Similar from Vince Camuto,  NYDJ, another cute NYDJ, Macy's, Dillard's
White blazer- H&M | Similar from Target, Kohl's, JCrew, ASOS
Navy pants- NY&Co | Similar wide leg versions: The Limited (flare), The Limited (bootcut), Banana Republic | Also love these ankle pants: My Fave Limited Ones, Another Great Pair
Skinny gold belt- Forever21 | Similar from Macy's, JCrew, Talbots
Navy pumps- Target | Almost Exact | Similar | Love these Mary Janes
Necklace- Exact here

Khaki + Blue.

We spend every Labor Day weekend at our friend's cottage on Lake Michigan-- hanging out with a group of our close friends, playing in the sun, and eating as much grilled food as we can handle. Needless to say, going back to work the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend is always a challenge, fashionably speaking.

I woke up this morning in a tizzy (having overslept my alarm by an hour) with horrible face bloat from all the salty chips and s'mores. You know what I'm talking about, the bloat where even your eyelids are puffy? Yup. That's the one. Sexy. So I threw on an easy dress and a cardigan and booked it out the door. No time for outfit pics. (Although I do have plans for a post on dressing well, even when you don't feel like it.)

I originally wore the light blue blouse and khaki skirt below two weeks ago. The blouse is from a Forever 21 shopping trip in February- I loved it so much that I bought it in a couple of different colors. They don't have the same one available anymore, but I linked to a few of my favorite look-a-like items below.

Blue Blouse- Forever21 | Similar with adorable neckline | Great V-Neck version | Love this high neck one
Khaki pencil skirt- H&M | Very similar from The Limited | In love with this midi pencil skirt
Silver and black bow flats- Nine West | Amazing black pair with rhinestone bow | Pretty silver/grey versions here and here
Watch- Tissot (Exact)
Necklace- Charlotte Russe | Love these black & white statement necklaces here & here

...
Just for funsies, here's a pic of the whole fam this weekend. The pups are totally smiling, right?!

So how was your Labor Day weekend?
Did you have to go back to work today? Did you have kiddos to get off to school?

Stripes + Florals.

Why do I keep adding more stripes to my closet when I have more than enough to go around?

Because there is no such thing as 'too many' stripes; especially when they come in the shape of a versatile cardi!

Stripes are great for adding pizzazz to a plain outfit, but they're also perfect for pattern-mixing. Just make sure that:

1. The colors in your other pattern 'go' with the colors of your stripes.

2. The sizes of your two patterns play well together. Thinner stripes look better with larger florals and vice versa. 

The striped cardi I'm wearing below is from the ever-fab Catch Bliss Boutique-- and you'll probably want to get your hands on it ASAP because the last lightweight cardi that I posted sold out immediately.

So if you're considering buying it, hurry! :)

Striped cardi c/o Catch Bliss Boutique (Exact here)
Floral top- The Limited | Green/blue versions here, here, here | Pink versions here, here, here, & here
White pencil skirt- The Limited (exact) | Similar here, here, here, & here
Black flats with gold chain- Target | Almost exact | Super chic pair with a bold knot and with gold hardware
Skinny black belt with gold accents | Love this unique knotted one here and this simple one here

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