Maternity Friendly Clothing with Ultimate Outlet

May 28, 2013 6 Comments

Throughout this pregnancy I have had the goal of using as much of my preexisting wardrobe as long as possible. I received a few maternity items such as bottoms (capris, shorts) and a few shirts from a friend. Since then I have purchased a few maternity items to get me through the rest of the summer. But now that I’m 8 months along (only 2 more months to go), I’ve discovered that I could use a few more items to broaden my outfit choices and help keep me comfortable through these hot Arizona months.

I decided I don’t want to purchase anymore strictly maternity clothes because, again, I’ve only got two more months to go, but instead I’d like to purchase a few items that lend themselves to a looser silhouette for the rest of my pregnancy and can then easily be transitioned into my postpartum wardrobe as well. Enter Ultimate Outlet, an online clothing store where you can find bargains on all kinds of lovely women’s apparel.

They have a Today’s Sales section where you can find even deeper discounts on items from their site. While perusing the $19 and under section I found several items that fit with my latest fashion goal; loose comfortable styles that can transition from pregnancy to after baby wear.

Take for example this Hanky Hem Tank. It comes in black, white and chartreuse colors, has a flowy, lose silhouette to fit over the baby bump and would be cool and comfortable for the hot summer. Bonus! Right now it’s on sale for only $14! Whoot!

Or there’s this pretty pink Shirred Pencil Skirt in a jersey fabric. Skirts like this are comfy, easy to wear underneath the baby belly and can be a fun way to change up the normal shorts and capris summer wardrobe! This one can be yours for just $19 right now, too! Another Whoot!!!

While you’re hanging out on the site be sure to browse their jewelry and accessories collection! Every girl needs a little summer bling, am I right!?! This fun Beaded Fabric Bracelet fits the bill perfectly!

I’m thinking these three items will make the perfect addition to my summer maternity wardrobe and will be items that I can wear long after this pregnancy is over! To find more great deals on ladies clothing options checkout Ultimate Outlet here.

Your turn: What were/are some of your favorite summer clothing must haves, either while pregnant or after?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ultimate Outlet. Opinions shared are always 100% my own.

Filed Under: Fashion, Sponsored

Fancy This Fridays 111 and Features

January 25, 2013 16 Comments

Happy Friday friends!!! I’m so excited it’s almost the weekend!!! Tomorrow Kayli, my sisters in law, and aunt and cousin are running in The Color Run in Tempe, AZ!

My questions to you are first, will any of you be there??? I would LOVE to meet you if you will be!!! And second, have you ever done a Color Run?? Any tips or tricks we should know before running tomorrow???

Now onto the features from last week’s Fancy This Fridays party!!!

First up, Julianne at Sew Fantastic made this fun Valentine Heart Art. I love that the hearts stick out from the canvas a little bit!

Next up, Khadija of Creative Khadija fancied up her eyeglasses with a little bling!!! What girl wouldn’t love the sparkle in these DIY Glittery Eyeglasses!?!

And to wrap up this week’s features, this Champagne Poached Pear No-Bake Cheesecake just sounds fancy!!! It would make a yummy and impressive dessert for this Valentine’s day, yes?! Thanks to Kira of My Sesame Seed Buns for sharing her yummy recipe!

Here’s a Featured on Truly Lovely button for you three mentioned above! Hope you’ll grab one and share it over at our own blogs! 😉
Don’t forget each of these features gets pinned to our !! Check it out for past features and some fun ideas!!

Now onto this week’s party!!!

Fancy This Fridays Rules:

1. Please link directly to the project post on your blog.

Not the blog itself.

2. Please link only your OWN posts.

We prefer to see what YOU have been up to… not someone random.

3. Please grab a button and display it somewhere on your blog. On your sidebar, on your posts, on your linky party page. We aren’t picky!

4. We would LOVE if you would comment on at least one other link.

Just pop over and say “Hello, coming by from Truly Lovely”, or something more clever… You know…

Thanks for linking with us lovelies!!!
Have a fun weekend!!!

Filed Under: Fancy This Fridays, Fashion

What I Wore Wednesday

June 20, 2012 23 Comments

Hello friends!
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!!

Let’s celebrate with a few random outfits, eh?!

So… the way I usually work this What I Wore Wednesdays is when I think about it and have the time I take a few pics of my outfits. That’s why these posts are so few and far between.
I get a lot of inspiration from the other ladies that share WIWW posts… So I think it’s fun to share mine to make me feel a little more accountable for trying. So here you go… I tried. haha.

Curled my hair! I don’t do it very often… hubs prefers it straight, and let’s be honest. It’s faster to straighten it. haha.
You’ve seen those capris here before… The pink ruffle top is from Stage.. couldn’t find the exact one, so here’s a link to all their ruffle tops. You’re welcome. haha.

So excuse the bags under my eyes or whatever was going on there… sheesh! haha. The point I’m trying to make with this outfit, is I just adore the earring and ring set I won from The Posh Daisy awhile back… and I am SO STOKED to say I will soon own a , since I won Cerrisse’s big birthday giveaway!
Can’t wait to show it to you dolls! WHOOT!

Rosette Crochet Headband c/o -> Still loving my headband!
My one and only headband I might add… So I’m rocking it like crazy! Thanks again Nadir!

If you follow me on Instagram, , , etc… I’ve shouted from the rooftops how excited I was for this beauty to show up in my mailbox!! She’s from … such a cute shop, via a BelleChic deal email…

Gotta love a pretty ruffle purse on Sale! Whoot! I’m thinking she needs a name? Any suggestions??

Have a lovely rest of your week dolls!
Oh, and have you entered our June Group Giveaway yet??

Linking to these fun parties by the way! Hope you’ll check them out!

Filed Under: Fashion, What I Wore Tagged With: Accessories

What I Wore

May 16, 2012 23 Comments

Hey lovelies! How’s your week so far?
Have you entered our May Sponsor Group Giveaway yet?? It IS open to Canadians by the way!

So it has been HOT here! Arizona is already on fire and it’s not even the peak wildfire season yet!!!
That said, cooler outfits are a must.

I decided to try the color blocking trend this week…. Does this even count??
Bright blue undershirt with bright green top has to be color blocking…. Right?

* Green top – Kohl’s * Blue Undershirt – * Jeans – Adiktd *

I look a little rumpled in these… Sitting in an office chair all day will do that to you I guess… Oops. haha.
You’ve seen the blue cover up thing before… Now that I look for it though, it was last July that I shared it!! I wear it way more than that…. haha. The capris were a STEAL at our Bealls Outlet… $9!!!! Everything else is from Old Navy!
Except for the shoes…. They’ve been around awhile… Um… Areopostale I think.

My inspiration for this outfit was loosely based on this SUPER cute look from . I haven’t found the colored capris for me yet (EVEN THOUGH I WANT THEM DESPERATELY!) so black it is…
Any suggestions on where I could get some???

* White top – Old Navy * Shoes – TOMS * Capris – Kohl’s * Grey Undershirt – *

I got my hair done too!! I actually got it done a couple weeks ago… but I took these pictures to show you guys and then just haven’t gotten around to posting them yet… SO here’s the before and after.

Sorry about the bad lighting on the left and the smudged mirror on the right… I am having hell with good photos!! Sheesh. Anyway, you can see my hair got a little bit darker with a few fun streaks… Kind of a purpley red almost…
By now it’s already faded.
(The top photos up there (the color blocking) were only a couple days ago, you can definitely tell.)

You know what they told me??? My hair is TOO HEALTHY to hold the color.
Awesome… The only really healthy thing I’ve got and it’s a negative…. bah! haha.

So… What trends have you been testing out lately???

Linking to these fun parties by the way! Hope you’ll check them out!

P.S. I made all of my collages with the PhotoGrid app for Android.

Filed Under: Fashion, What I Wore Tagged With: Shopping

Special Event Style – What I Wore

March 13, 2012 5 Comments

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the , but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/

So lovelies… How do you get ready for a special event??

My makeup and hair routine is pretty much the same for a big event as it is for everyday, just amped up a bit. I can honestly say all of the items I use cost less than $10 each (on the high end) and can be purchased at your local Walgreens or other drug store!

One of my newest makeup loves is the Falsies Mascara! This stuff seriously takes your lashes from blah to WOW!! The eye on the right is before the mascara, the eye on the left is after. And that’s just one quick coat! Love it!

For work I swipe a coat on each eye, and go with it.

For a big night out, a couple of coats makes my eyes look more dramatic.

Another beauty product I’m loving is Aussie Mega Hair Spray!

Unlike many other kinds, it smells nice and holds those curls, or straightened strands, without weighing down your locks.

For a night out on the town you definitely want all that hard work you did on your hairdo to last!

Right now Walgreens has a special March promotion going on!

Get that pretty red clutch for FREE when you spend $10 or more on any two Dove, Nexxus, Suave or TRESemme hair products! I actually use Dove Shampoo and Conditioner myself, so this is a great time to stock up!!

Visit for more details.

I think that lovely clutch would go perfect with my red, special event dress, don’t you!?! I also tend to think Kayli and I clean up nice! 😉

So, tell me, what are some of your favorite beauty products??

I’m always up for trying something new!

Happy shopping lovelies!!

Linking this to these FUN parties! Hope to see you there!!!

Filed Under: Fashion, What I Wore Tagged With: Fashion, Shopping

Bloggie Bestie Blog Swap with Brittany of Love Stitched

March 8, 2012 3 Comments

Hello dolls! We’d like you to meet the lovely

Brittany of Love Stitched!!!

She’s always been one of my fave bloggers, so it’s a pleasure to have her sharing here with us! I’ll be posting over at her place on Monday, hope to see you there!!!

Here’s Brittany…

Hello Truly Lovely readers! I’m Brittany and I blog over at Love Stitched!

I like to chat about my life, fashion, DIY ,tips and tricks, home decor and anything else my random brain thinks of 😉

Today I am sharing with you, 10 fashion tips. Enjoy!

10 fashion tips from Love Stitched

1.) Dress to fit YOUR body….There have been SO many times I almost grabbed that pair of high waisted jeans. They were calling my name and I had seen SO many people wearing them. The only thing is THEY DO NOT Look good on me! I have short legs hips, and no waist. that equals for one fashion mess! It is much better to pass on a trend than to wear it and have you look…well….not so good! case in point : Jessica Simpson {sorry girl}

2.) Don’t play the name game- it’s ok to buy OFF LABEL items…in fact it’s better! why buy that $100 pair of shoes from nordstrom when you can buy knock offs from target for 1/3 the price. Shop around for latest fashion trends before you buy the first one you see!

3.)Dress for you – you have to be comfortable in your own clothes. Don’t buy something if you are just going to feel awkward and uncomfortable the whole time. Trends are fun but only if you can rock them with confidence. If you SHINE your clothes will too…it’s good to go out of your comfort zone a little but don’t try to be someone your not!

4.) Classic, not trendy – Try to buy mostly all CLASSIC pieces and just throw in a few trendy items here and there. They will not last more than a season and why waist your money on something you are only going to wear once.

5.) One mans trash is another mans treasure – GO THRIFTING. Not only is it fun but you can find some great vintage pieces to spice up your wardrobe for next to nothing. How many times have you gotten rid of something will tags still on it just cause it didn’t fit you right, or it wasn’t “you” – exactly! Just cause it is THRIFTED doesn’t mean it is trashy….but there are a lot of stuff to weed through so be sure you find items that are really YOU or can be refashioned! Don’t bring home junk!

{my cousin Caitlin refashioned this thrift store dress and look how cute it turned out! you sould see the before…click here for the post}

6.) Dress to impress – As I was told once…dress for the job you WANT not the one you HAVE. Well maybe your not out looking for a job but why be labeled the frumpy housewife when you can be labeled the HOT housewife 😉 Dressing up will make you feel better about yourself – promise

{source}

7.) Color is your friend – don’t be afraid to add color to your wardrobe! Start small…working your way up. If your afraid of color be sure to pair it with basic and classic pieces for a more subtle look.

8.) Accessorize – shoes and purses can be your best friend or your worst enemy! A ratty old pair of shoes can ruin a whole outfit. By adding a statement necklace it can change the whole look of your outfit as well….be sure you finish off your outfit!

9.) Be the whole package – don’t stop at your clothes…do your hair and make up too. Be the whole package from head to toe…match your make up to your outfit…are you feeling flirty? try red lipstick…going more classic chic…add a pop with a smokey eye!

10.) Don’t be afraid to try new things – I normally would never buy a poncho or think to buy one but I actually LOVE this piece. I only spent $14 on it KNOWING it was a seasonal trendy item but had fun with it and made it mine, now I look forward to my more relaxed dressing days and can where my fun poncho!

Thank you SO much for having me Kassi and Kayli! I hope ya’ll enjoyed my fashion tips!

Be sure to stop by LOVE STITCHED and say hello!

THANKS to Brittany for being the Bloggie Bestie at Truly Lovely this week!

She definitely shared some tips that we could all use, right!?!

Be sure to leave her some bloggie love below!

Thanks again girl!

Happy Thursday lovelies!!!

Filed Under: Bloggie Bestie, Fashion Tagged With: Fashion

Bloggie Bestie Blog Swap with Jen of The Arizona Russums

March 1, 2012 5 Comments

Good morning lovelies!!

Today we’d like to introduce you to a fellow Arizonian…

Jen of The Arizona Russums!

I’m over at her place sharing a new post as well!

Hope you’ll pop over to say hello after leaving her some love here!

Take it away Jen….

Hi y’all! I am so honored to be the blog bestie on Truly Lovely this week! Since Kayli is about to become a teacher, these sweet sisters asked me to share a bit about my own personal teacher style.

I have been a teacher for seven years now. My first two years were spent at a Title I public school in Texas. I was a coach and I was literally allowed to wear warm-ups to class if I wanted to! Next, I taught at a private school in Seattle, where the dress code was more stringent and all the females {staff and students} had to wear a dress/skirt every Thursday for chapel, which was not very fun when it was particularly cold and rainy outside. Now I teach writing classes at Arizona State in the middle of the hot, hot desert. It’s usually over 100 degrees for the first two months of every school year and I trek across the campus of the nation’s largest university trying to stay cool anyway I can. Basically, when it comes to teacher style, I’ve encountered every climate and dress code possible!

My number one tip is this. Dress professionally. Follow the dress requirements at your work place and dress as well as you can for your job. I think this applies to everyone, not just teachers. I don’t think fashion is the most important thing in the world, but I do think we show respect to our profession by dressing well each day. Also, for teachers and others who work with children or teens on a daily basis, remember that the way you dress influences the young people you work with. I like to show my students, especially the girls in my classroom, that it is possible to dress modestly and still look cute.

So now for the fun part. My practical tips for dressing as a stylish but modest teacher…

Cardigans are your best friend… Get yourself a fun collection of cardigan sweaters. I recommend having a few print cardigans to wear over solids and a few solids to wear over prints. Make sure some of them are longer {it’s nice to be able to cover your bum sometimes, but cropped ones are perfect for other outfits. I like to have cardigans of varying sleeve lengths as well. Long sleeved cardigans were perfect in cold Washington and sometimes are still perfect for AZ classrooms with arctic air conditioning. Sometimes though, it’s nice to wear a short sleeved cardi here, because I like to cover up with an extra layer without feeling like I am going to burn up while walking in the sun.

Choose your layers wisely… One of my worst fears as a teacher is accidentally flashing an adolescent boy. Make sure your skirts or dresses are long enough. They should probably touch your knee cap to be safe. Tights are helpful for avoiding an unwanted flashing in the classroom {and are also a cute way to spice up an outfit}. Also, wear modest underwear to school if you are wearing a dress. I hope to never fall in front of my students or do the ol’ tuck the skirt into the underwear after going to the restroom, but if I do, the teenage boys in my class will see full granny panties in action. And that’s the way it should be. When it comes to shirts, wear a tank or camisole under anything that could possibly reveal cleavage. Sometimes shirts seem fine when you put them on in the morning, but when you move or bend over, little gaps are created that show off the ladies beneath. Not good. Figure out which shirts need an added layer beneath. A cute scarf is another fashionable way to keep things modest up top.

Find cute pants that fit you well… Although I like to wear skirts and dresses when it’s exceptionally hot in Arizona {built in air conditioning system!}, dress pants are a staple of my wardrobe. A pet peeve of mine is when teachers have only one or two pairs of dress pants and wear them until they are all shabby and raggedy looking. Remember, the goal is to teach students to dress well. Looking all frumpy in faded dress pants is not dressing well. Try to get enough pairs of dress pants to create a nice rotation so you never have to wear a pair more than once a week. I recommend a black pair, a dark brown pair, a light brown/khaki/tan pair, and a gray pair. Also consider buying a pair with a print on it, such as pinstripes or plaid. I love having a variety of pants in my closet because it makes getting dressed a little more exciting and encourages me to mix and match lots of different tops and accessories with my variety of work pants. Also {and I can’t stress this enough} please make sure your pants fit correctly. Don’t wear excessively tight pants to school – that ruins the whole modesty factor and/or looks completely unflattering. Also, don’t wear pants that are too big. The worst is when I see a female teacher wearing pants that gap along the waistline with no belt, and suddenly get a view of way too much thong in action. Nobody wants to see your thong {except for maybe some immature teenage boys}. Buy pants that fit and wear a belt if needed.

Thanks for hanging out with me today! If you want to see more of my teacher style posts go here, here or here! You can also visit me at the following places – I’d love to meet you!

Blog // // //

xoxo,

Jen

THANKS so much to Jen for sharing her insight on dressing like a teacher (and modesty in general!!) Great tips!!!

Kayli, our teacher in the making, has taken notes for sure!!!

Hope you lovelies will pop over and visit me at Jen’s place and check out her other awesome posts!

Filed Under: Bloggie Bestie, Fashion Tagged With: Fashion, Kayli

What I Wore

January 11, 2012 6 Comments

Hello lovelies!!

Real quick, did you know I’m the designated blog babysitter over at Ladybird Ln. this week while the lovely Carlee is island venturing with her hubby??

Check out my features from the Weekend Show Offs party here!

So… sometime in December I got rid of the blonde highlights and had my lovely hair lady, Miss Kelsey, cover them all in dark brown. Why?? It’s winter, ya’ll!

So, here’s me before… with the blonde.

Sporting my favorite fall boots.

And some holiday red nail polish of course!

And here’s me a little darker… Sporting my cream boots and still the red holiday polish. 😉

So what do you think?

Better brown? Better blonde highlights??

Speaking of nail polish… I’m in the market for some new colors… What’s your favorite brand and color of nail polish???

Oh… and GUESS WHAT??? I finally caved and ordered myself my first pair of Toms shoes!!

I got the Ash Gray from Nordstrom because they were out on the Toms website.

If you follow me on or like our you would already know that… *hint, hint*

You would also know that I panicked because they were uncomfortably tight, but was talked off the ledge by several lovelies who informed me that they will stretch and I will love them… *phew!!!*

Hope you’re having a lovely, fashionable week!

By the way, have you seen this post over at Somewhat Simple about fashion as a resolution…

Check it! It rocks. And goodness knows I need the advice. 😉

Linking this to these FUN parties!

Click the pics to check them out and link up your posts!

Filed Under: Fashion, Shopping, What I Wore

WIW – Shoes

November 16, 2011 10 Comments

The weather has turned from very warm to quite cold here in Arizona over the last two weeks.

With the drop in temperature my shoe preferences have changed as well…

I went from flip flops to warm boots in a matter of a few days!!

So obviously I need to clean my mirror and maybe iron my jeans… Geez…

Shoes = Flip Flops

Top – Old Navy, Jeans – 20X, Leaf Necklace – Sorella’s,

Left hand ring – purchased at a boutique in Dallas, TX

Zebra print flip flops – Birthday gift from my friend, Meghan Jo

Then it got a little colder….

Shoes = Dr. Marten slip on shoes

Blue Top – Stage, pink under tank – Kohls, Jeans – 20X,

Left hand ring – belonged to my Granny, bracelet – gift from the hubs

Dr. Martens – Gift from the hubs several years ago… like 4…

Then it got REAL cold…

Shoes = BRAND NEW Fall Boots!

Top – Old Navy, Jeans – Sorellas,

Boots – Gift from my mom for my birthday! Overstock.com

You guys… Those boots are a major fashion move for me! Would you believe they are the first pair I have ever owned like that! Ever!!

My boots don’t stray too far from square toed western boots… Like these, that I wore for my wedding. 😉

Really. I have those, a brown pair and a cream colored pair.

The new boots verdict… I LOVE them! I felt so comfortable.

I felt like I looked slightly fashionable. 😉

Win!!

Have you tried anything new in the fashion department lately?

Is there anything you really want to try but haven’t yet?

Do tell!

P.S. Do you like us on ??

We have ANOTHER One Year Blogiversary giveaway

coming your way…

The announcement of what it will be and a call for your help will be shared on Facebook here shortly…

Only for our Facebook fans… 😉

Linking this to these FUN parties! You should check them out too!

Filed Under: Fashion, What I Wore

Active by Old Navy

November 2, 2011 4 Comments

Hello lovelies!!

So… if you’ve been paying any attention to all of those FABULOUS recipe posts we’ve been sharing lately… haha… Like these yummy , or these tasty …

You’d know that there was a SERIOUS need for getting ACTIVE here at Truly Lovely.

That and the holidays are coming up… Which means TONS of delicious eats.

SO to stay looking our best, Kayli and I each chose an outfit from the NEW Active by Old Navy line!

We both chose one of the new compression tanks, mine the Black Floral Compression Tank Top and Kayli’s the Periwinkle Compression Tank Top.

My tank included a mesh panel with reflective detailing in the back, as you can see above. Kayli’s features a scoop neckline and racer back.

For the bottoms I chose the gray compression pants while Kayli chose the compression capris.

Together each makes up a nice looking workout outfit!!

We discovered that the compression material is meant to give you full support while wicking away the moisture as you workout. That means it’s form fitting and helps to keep all the jigglies tied up and tucked away!

Always a bonus with workout wear!

Both Kayli and I felt like our workout outfits were comfortable and supportive.

The hubs gave me a thumbs up on mine since it was a definite step up from the sweats and t-shirt I usually wear to work out in too. Win-win!

Somebody thought she needed in on the photo action, as you can see!

But that’s ok, since she’s one of my little running buddies.

The only cons with the new Active by Old Navy line is that our local store didn’t have a very good selection.

If there’s a specific outfit you have your eye on, you’re better off ordering online if your store is out of stock.

Oh and one other thing, with my compression pants, I feel they’re a little short for us long-legged girls, so a better choice for me might have been the capris.

Otherwise, we were both quite impressed with our choices!!!

Lookout holiday poundage! We’re ready for you! 😉

and

Want a chance to try out new Old Navy products?

Filed Under: Fashion

Maternity Friendly Clothing with Ultimate Outlet

Fancy This Fridays 111 and Features

Fancy This Fridays Rules:

What I Wore Wednesday

What I Wore

Special Event Style – What I Wore

Bloggie Bestie Blog Swap with Brittany of Love Stitched

10 fashion tips from Love Stitched

Bloggie Bestie Blog Swap with Jen of The Arizona Russums

What I Wore

WIW – Shoes

Active by Old Navy

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