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Ahhh, I've finally made it to the second trimester. Can you believe it? I'm (approximately) 1/3 of the way through with this pregnancy. My belly looks HUGE in this photo. (Relatively, I mean.) I think it has to do with #1 just having had dinner, #2 the way I'm holding my hand, and possibly #3 my posture. Check out  this photo  I took literally one minute later. Big difference! But I liked my hair in the featured photo better, which is why I chose it. ;) That's a GVLX tee for any of you who are curious. I've been photographing the 3rd Greenville Lindy Exchange this weekend (which is why this post is going up so late). It's been a lot of fun, but I'm definitely not dancing as much as previous years. Just trying to take it easy, you know? I've been wavering between seriously excited and seriously worrisome. Despite being out of the really treacherous part (as far as miscarriages go), I still find myself struggling with worry that some

As I'm nearing the end of my first trimester, I thought I'd share a few things that have been very helpful to me these first few weeks of pregnancy. [ source ] Rubber bands or hair ties: Whether it was due to bloat or baby, I've enjoyed keeping my shorts unbuttoned for a few weeks. Despite my hopes of looking like Kate Middleton, I've been doing this trick longer than I care to admit. I can button up my pants if I have to, but why bother when this is so much more comfortable? Xhilaration® Juniors Cotton With Lace Bikini Lace-waist panties: I think it was in my 11th week that I realized I had been pretty much exclusively wearing only my underwear that had a thick lace waistband. Why? Because those were the ones that were not digging into my belly. I decided to supplement my meager stock of lace-waist undies and happily, found a whole bin of clearance lace-waist panties at my local Target. (Unfortunately, they're not on clearance online.) The stretc

Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great or Charles I, was the King of the Franks from 768, the King of Italy from 774, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and the first emperor in western Europe since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. Ages ago, I decided that, should Mike and I ever have babies, I'd give them some kind of "names have been changed" nickname for the blog. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. He had previously been a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. Baby #1 was Eisenhower. I actually LOVE the name Eisenhower. Also, my mom has an old photo of her uncle and Eisenhower. Apparently they were chummy when Ike was in the Philippines. Isn't that just the coolest? I think so! I had planned on using the same nickname for baby #2, but when the time came, I just

I am SO EXCITED to finally be sharing my news with you guys! Mike and I are happy to announce that we are expecting a baby! Charlemagne (the designated pre-birth nickname, don't judge) is due in early January. Our 8w3d ultrasound. It's a gummy bear! My little 12 week bump I am often getting asked, "How are you feeling?" I feel totally fine. The worst morning sickness I have gotten is just a wee bit of nausea at times. I don't have any food aversions or cravings. As far as symptoms go, my boobs have gotten bigger and I've been super sleepy. Around 9-10 weeks, I had to draaag myself out of bed around 10am. I find myself getting lightheaded a LOT. Sometimes, it feels like every time I stand up, everything starts to go dim and I have to hold on to something for a minute. I've also been having some pretty nasty pains in my tailbone and butt. It was really really bad a few days ago but hot showers, stretching, and hard pressure helped. I

This months theme: On the Wild Side I actually like the bag. It feels durable and I like the way it opens. Animal print isn't my favorite, but it's a nice pop of something different. :) NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Bronze Goddess ($6) Receive 15% off entire site or 40% off Tango with Bronzing Powder at nyxcosmetics.com. Enter code IPSY15 or IPSYCHEEKS at checkout. I was excited to see this, until I realized that it's a cream blush. Too bad, the color is so pretty! J. Cat Beauty Sparking Cream Palette in SCP106 Volta ($4.49). Receive 25% off any order at jcatbeauty.com. Enter code LOVEIPSY at checkout. This may be what I liked least out of the bag. A glitter palette? What am I, twelve?  Starlooks lip pencil in Bare ($12). Receive 35% off any order at starlooks.com. Enter code IPSY at checkout. This, I like. It's a pretty browny-mauvey color that I think will look nice on my lips. I haven't tried it out yet, though. Chella Ivory

We all know that I'm sucker for a beauty box. What about that has 5 samples for only $5? SOLD. It was about six weeks ago that I first heard about the new Beauty Box by Target which would include some drugstore brands and some high-end brands. I immediately ordered mine and then promptly forgot about it. Needless to say, I was super excited and surprised to see it in the mail today (with my Ipsy bag! Great mail day!) The box was chock full of goodies including a Target coupon. You know I'll be using that! Gillette Venus & Olay razor in sugarberry . Not sure what sugarberries smell like, but I guess I'll find out. It comes with one cartridge, one razor, and one shower hook. This is the kind that has the gel bars so you don't technically need shaving cream. These are actually what I'm currently using, and I really like them. I don't mind getting a new razor because mine is so old that I am more than happy to swap my old Venus razor for a fr

I've opted out on the last few Julep boxes, but I decided to get this one. I am sometimes a sucker for new stuff and I really wanted to try out the DD crème. Also, can I just say how much I love the Julep packaging? A little bit of stuffing and tissue paper goes a long way to make it seem so much nicer. DD Crème: Dynamic Do-all makeup. Hmmm... Jumping on the BB & CC cream bandwagon, I think. A new product for new hype. Hey, it worked for me... (sucker...) "This lightweight damage-diminished formula delivers dewy , buildable coverage to moisturize, prime, and perfect. Provides daily defense from UV rays and dramatically decreases the look of pores and fine lines. Nourishing hibiscus and olive extracts add a double dose of hydration. To use: Use a brush, sponge, or fingertips to apply in tin, even layers until you reach your desired coverage." Sounds like BB cream to me... The first thing I noticed is that packaging looked nice but felt so che

WSPA-TV You all know Peggy and Joan, but what you may not know is that they are fugitive chickies. Always on the run from the law man. See, shortly after we got our chickies, we found out that it was illegal to have them. What?? Yes, true. If you live in the City of Greenville, you can have chickens. If you, however, live in Greenville County and are zoned residential, you are not allowed to have them! We're trying to change that policy. Tuesday morning, a TV news reporter and cameraman showed up on our front porch (they couldn't have called first?) and interviewed Mike and took some great footage of Peggy and Joan. There is footage of other chickies, but when you see two girls without any fencing and a blue coop?  That's us.  Be on the lookout for Bella! She makes a teeny cameo. :) Click here to check out the story on the WSPA website .