Maternity Silhouette with a Point and Shoot

So have you seen this gorgeous picture on Pinterest?


Well there are tons of pictures very similar as well. The other day I had my personal photographer (my very patient husband :) ) to snap a few pictures before I had the baby. I remembered this picture and played around with the settings on the camera. Eventually it was super easy to recreate.

Here are the steps that I took:

  1. Start with being back lit and diffused the light with sheers across the windows. These were taken around 2 PM in my bedroom
  2. Wore form fitting clothing that showed off my belly
  3. Stood on a step stool so my whole body was silhouetted. 
  4. Used Av mode (aperture priority) and turned the F# to the lowest number. 
I did some super light editing to soften the edges and adjusting the contrast. 

I'm not a professional photographer (obviously since I don't even have an SLR) but this is what worked for me! I would love to see what worked for you. The best pictures of the whole series I think would be the ones of my husband modeling for me while I adjusted the settings on the camera but I think he would be very embarrassed if he saw I posted them :)

The coolest part of my new house

The winner of the Mommy Magic Kit, drawn at random, is Kristen!
Kristen, please send us your mailing address (waywardgirlscrafts at gmail.com).
 
We mentioned back in June that I was moving to a new house. It's been four months and we're still getting settled, but I just have to share my favorite part of my new house.

Now, I have a lot of favorite parts, things I didn't have in my old house: the gas stove, the granite countertops, the office, the door to the master bath.

(No joke.)

But aesthetically, if I had to pick one thing I looooove most about my house, it would be this.

Okay, but first, the before

When we looked at the house, the main floor (the living room, semi-formal dining room & kitchen) was a nice, neutral beige. Lovely vaulted ceilings. Red accent wall.


That's not my house.

I saw a red wall and . . . well, I wasn't sure what I wanted at first. I don't like to do what everyone else does, and I've seen too many red walls (not that this doesn't look nice). But blue was the only other color that really spoke to me, and even that kind of left me cold.

(Get it? Because it's a cool color?)

Finally, I figured out exactly what I wanted to do. I checked around on Pinterest to make sure I wasn't totally insane--you know, just the fun kind of crazy--and then we took the plunge.

The after!

I saw a red wall and I wanted it . . .



PAINTED BLACK.

Yes, I have a massive wall in my house that is solid black. Sherwin + Williams Tricorn Black in satin sheen. (Coincidentally, a couple months after we had it painted, I stumbled across another blogger in Utah who has a S+W Tricorn Black wall in satin sheen in her dining room. What are the odds?!)

At first, you hear "black accent wall" and you think, "Goth." "Cavelike." "Ugh."

In case you can't tell from the pictures, let me tell ya: it's awesome. I have big (albeit indefinite) plans for that accent wall. I'm thinking it'd make a great backdrop for a gallery wall, with some giant photos of our family as well as smaller photos in frames painted to match our living room colors.

And when we change those living room colors? Black's neutral! I just have to repaint the frames!

You have to understand: I can do pretty much anything, but when it comes to home decor, I'm totally inept. I've spent probably years watching Trading Spaces and HGTV, and I know what looks good--but I couldn't put it together for the life of me. I have no discernible sense of style. I can't accessorize my way out of a HomeGoods store, were there one within 50 miles.

So, dude, a black wall? I feel so . . . avant garde. So chic. So freaking awesome!

What do you think? Have you ever taken a chance in your home design and LOVED it? Could you paint a wall black?

What I Wore: Maternity- Green, Maroon, and Gray



Remember how I mentioned here that I had bought a few pairs of pants in a couple sizes up to wear during pregnancy? This is one of the pairs that I bought. They were super stretchy and comfy. This infinity scarf is super soft and great for the fall. These flats are awesome. They have a fancy gold detail that I love to play up with other gold accessories and I love their funky color.



Skinny Corduroys: Old Navy they have some great colors for fall.
Ballet Flats: Elle (sold at Kohl's)
Scarf: Target similar
Shirt: Motherhood Maternity similar

I also wanted to wish Jasmine a very happy birthday!! 

What I Wore: Maternity- Pink and Black

Brooke's baby arrived Thursday night! We're so happy! Mother and baby are now doing well. Brooke thoughtfully scheduled all her posts for you, so let's celebrate!

In the South we have a strange transition period between summer and fall. It can be warm enough for short sleeves straight through October. Here is an outfit I wore for late summer/early fall to church.


Dress: Old Navy
Sweater: Target similar
Shoes: ShoeFab similar

During pregnancy I loved wearing a skinny belt to accentuate my waist (or where it used to be). It made my tummy not look quite so big :)

What I Wore: Maternity- Coral and Navy

Even though I've had the baby, I'm going to share with you a few outfits that I enjoyed while pregnant!

Navy and Coral are two colors I had never paired but I love seeing those outfits on Pinterest.
Like here
and here
and here
I got these cords at the beginning of the summer in a couple sizes up so I could wear them through the summer. I got them for $6! I paired them with a navy maternity shirt and some navy shoes.




This outfit would also be great paired with some gold jewelry or cheetah print like in the first example above.


Skinnies: Old Navy
Shirt: Motherhood similar
Shoes: Kmart

Look for the rest of the outfits coming up this week.

Are you looking for a costume to wear this year and you are pregnant? Look no further! On Jordan's personal blog she has a huge round up of maternity costumes. Go check them out!

The Mommy Magic Kit (+ Giveaway!)

Some moms have it all together. Seriously. I don't know how they do it--but I think I might be able to cheat to look like one of them now that I've put together a Mommy Magic Kit.


What's a Mommy Magic Kit?

It's like a First-Aid Kit, only instead of (well, in addition to) patching up bumps and bruises, this kit has you covered for most of the chaos that ensues on any given day in the life of a mom. Most importantly, it's small enough to toss in a purse or diaper bag, so you're always "armed."

What's in it?

The MMK is still a WIP (work in progress), but here's what I came up with as the foundation:


Shown here:
  • Wipes for messes
  • Stain removing pen for food messes
  • Hand sanitizer because . . . duh!
  • Sewing kit for wardrobe malfunctions
  • Nail clippers for hangnails and other grooming problems
  • Snacks such as dried fruit for low blood sugar grumpiness (from kids or Mom!)
  • Treats such as hard candy for incentives
  • Band-Aids for boo boos (okay, not so much shown as sitting right behind me! Agh!)
  • Comb or brush & backup hair ties for those rushed mornings
  • Carrying case to keep it all together, just like you will ;)

Other ideas not shown here:
  • Tissues for dry messes
  • Cash for emergency fast food without the guilt (well, at least the credit card kind)
  • Extra safety pins because they're awesome
  • Spare diapers
  • Plastic grocery bag for dirty diapers or clothes

Who doesn't want to be prepared for any situation? Well, guess what--you can be, because in honor of our relaunch, we're giving away a Mommy Magic Kit!

The prize package includes everything you see above (plus 20 Band-Aids), except I've only included the hard candy I could fit in the bag.

How to enter

1. Leave a comment on this post! You can tell us about a situation where an MMK would have saved you, or suggest something to go in your MMK

2. For extra entries, share this post on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or somewhere else on the Internet, and leave a link in another comment. ONE COMMENT PER ENTRY, and ONE ENTRY PER COMMENT. (So, if you comment, post on Facebook and Tweet about it, leave three separate comments to receive three separate entries. Trust us, it's a lot easier this way!)

3. All qualifying comments must be made by 11:59 PM MDT October 10, 2013.

4. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here on October 11, 2013. If you wish to be contacted via email should you win, please leave your email address in your comment or your Blogger profile.

Rules & Regulations

Winner must be a resident of the US. Void where prohibited. All standard rules and regulations apply. You know the drill. All entries must be received as comments, and as separate comments. One comment per entry and one entry per comment. Winner will be chosen at random using Random Number Generator, with each comment assigned a number. Check back here on October 11, and/or leave your email address in your comment or Blogger profile to see if you've won--and good luck!

General Conference Roundup!

This weekend marks the semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the time when we get to hear from our Prophet and Apostles and other general leadership of the church.

It's also a time when we get to wrestle through eight hours of church with small children. To that end, there are lots and lots of awesome resources for making conference more enjoyable for kids!

Here are some things we've covered in the past







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