Buy it or Make it: Denim Jeans

I have been the luckiest girl lately. I am back to my pre-baby weight and size thanks to a change in my diet and making time to exercise! It means that I can fit my old jeans, but that doesn't mean I want to wear them. I'm a new girl after having a baby and my wardrobe should reflect the journey. As much I love denim, I don't like to shop for it. Isn't it a chore when it comes to finding new jeans? I also cringe at the cost of Paige Jeans, $298 for a basic pair, even though they are truly a remarkable feat of beautiful engineering. I'm a mom now and budget is the word.  Thanks to lady luck on my recent shopping spree! I went vintage shopping and scored three pairs of jeans that I am in love with! As I'm not Canadian, I wasn't familiar with these two Canadian denim manufactors, but holla! Every girl in North America should know these labels. First up, Silver Jeans Co. 

{Image from Jason in Hollywood-read this blog to keep current on billboards in LA}

The Silver Jean Co. was established twenty years ago by Michael Silver. He earned an degree in Fine Arts and went to work in the fashion industry for Western Glove Works. He learned the craft of denim and was inspired to launch his line of clothing for Men and Women. I respect that he mentions in an awesome interview on creating denim fashions that he is tireless about details such as thread, fabric, and dye.

Read more awesome interviews at Denim Blog

How to Make Your Own Cali Baby T-Shirt {Or Any State You Want}!

As a new mom, I need projects that are quick and easy. This project was burning on my mind when I woke up this morning. The great thing is it took under 30 minutes to complete. This Cali Baby T-Shirt is instant gratification when you have all the supplies on hand. So stock up on these basic items so when a brainwave comes your way, you can go for it.

The Simple Steps 

Directions on How to Applique Your Project

New Year Resolution: Shred the Weight

The New Year is going to be here this weekend. I've spent the last four months learning how to care for my beautiful baby girl. I thought that I was going to bounce back to my pre-preggers body, but I learned that when breastfeeding it wasn't in the best interest of my baby to drop the weight like celebrities do in six weeks. I read that it can negatively effect the infant when a woman does that. Okay! No problem. So as I approach the New Year and my baby is much stronger and getting ready for solids, I find that I might have listened to the advice a bit too well. I am so out of shape! Should I really be surprised?!

I'll be blogging about the process at Modern Girl Style because I plan on getting amped up and back into shape. I will be realistic. I wasn't just a week ago. I went in for a massage and I was told I was crazy to launch into P90X. I ran the NYC marathon just a few years back. Who was I now in this new post-baby body? Only time will tell.

Jillian Michaels and her K-Swiss

I'll be posting links to great workouts, products, and other bloggers that inspire my journey back to renewed health. Why wait for New Year's Day! The above video with Jillian Michaels looks on par with P90X. I will modify the workout for my body by doing less time. I'm also going to sign-up for the Self 2012 Challenge to track my progress online. I'm also a huge fan of Tone it Up. I hope that you join me in personally challenging yourself to break out the comfort zone and shake your booty!

I love these videos!!

Modern Mama Style: Bumbleride Baby Wheels & Preggers Update

My kind of lifestyle: Bumbleride Indie

My late afternoon walk brought an unexpected surprise...I think I saw the stroller I wanted. A young mom was pushing her baby down the street. I smiled adorning the baby and the stroller. As she walked by me, I turned around and asked what sort of stroller she was using. She said a Bumbleride Indie. Her stroller was in sea grass, as pictured above. She said she more than did her research and bought this from a boutique called Peek-a-Boo in downtown Toronto. She went on to gush about how much she loves it. She says it handles all sorts of terrain and it takes corners like its on rails. 

When I visited the website, I fell in love with the photography. Who couldn't? I'll have to get out and test drive one of these deals.

Modern Mama Preggers Update: Six Months

My first ultrasound....baby en route!

The truth is...being pregnant isn't easy. I actually thought because I've done yoga for over ten years, I ran the NYC marathon, and I've eaten organic home cooked foods for over a decade that this was going to be a cinch for me. HA!! Laugh now!

My second ultrasound. The baby was sleeping so all we could see was a little foot!

It has been an interesting ride, and perhaps the emotional side of being pregnant has been more of my challenge. I can attest that I haven't been placed on any sort of pedestal, which is fine, but it is more difficult when I feel that my husband acts as if nothing has changed at all. Yet, as my mind considers the physical hardship of the first semester and the emotional hardship of the second semester, I do want to tell the truth. I want my husband to be less alpha male and more supportive of my changes {ie: make dinner, do his own laundry, help clean up around the house, build baby furniture, buy groceries, and connect with me emotionally on a daily basis}. That said, I don't want to get into a bitch rant about how sucky things can get because at the end of the day nothing is sweeter than a kick inside my belly and thinking about holding my first child. I believe that life is a blessing. My life is a blessing, my husband's life is a blessing, and without a doubt my soon-to-be-born baby's life is a blessing. I'm grateful that the universe was supportive of me becoming a mother.  Therefore, I know that the universe will continue to support me in the journey to motherhood as well. I think I just need to catch a break, life, if you're listening. Maybe finding a woman walking by with the sweetest stroller was the start of a break. Sometimes you just have to appreciate the little things and watch it build to the big stuff. 

Super Special Announcement: We're Having a Baby!

My husband and I are super excited to announce that we're having a baby! We are delighted beyond words to share the news. I found out about the exciting news days before Christmas. 

Yet, before I took a preggers test I did have an idea that perhaps something was up. I kept having several dreams that I was pregnant. One of my dreams was hilarious. I was sitting in a beautiful English-like garden with a water fountain at the center. There were women everywhere pushing baby buggies in beautiful Victorian dresses. I was sitting next to a woman and I leaned over and told her that I really wanted to have a baby. Suddenly, all the women in the park were laughing. I was clueless. "What?" The woman sitting on the bench next to me leaned over and said, "They're laughing because you are going to have a baby!"

When I had that dream, it was time for me to take a test. I took the preggers test at home when I couldn't stand it anymore. I waited nervously for those two minutes to pass. I wondered if I should have waited for my husband to have been there, but I couldn't stop. It was all happening so fast. The double pink lines appeared! I was laughing, dancing, jumping up and down I was overwhelmed with joy. It felt like my dreams were literally coming true. My doggie and I were a ruckus until I realized I had to tell a very special someone-a daddy-to-be. I wanted to share the same sense of joy and excitement. I decided that a phone call just wouldn't do! Instead, I wrote a special children's story and illustrated it in watercolor. I gave it to him on Christmas Eve as a special gift! He read the book and wondered why I had a video camera on him...but by the end of the story it was all so clear! We're having a baby! He cried and laughed and hugged and danced, too! 

In the following months, things were less glitzy and picture perfect. My first trimester kicked me to the curb. I was exhausted and nauseated much of the time. I made it to March and to my second trimester and things shifted rapidly. I was filled with energy and excitement, and I still am today. I want to share more of my exciting journey with you along the way. I suppose I should mention now that we've decided to not know the sex until delivery because we love surprises!  

Thanks again to all of my loyal readers for hanging with me through all of life's adventures. This is one story I had to share!

XOXO

Kamela

Modern Girl Style

Thank You Town & Country Magazine for Sharing our Wedding Photos!

Isn't it odd that I never shared my wedding last year at Modern Girl Style? I thought it'd bore you to tears that my husband and I were married in Maui on June 7, 2008. Well...the truth was I was too busy to share! However, I did manage to send off photos to Town & Country magazine. Tick-tock...never heard back from them. Over a year later, I got an email from the Wedding editor that they wanted to include our wedding photos in the September 2009 issue! It seems that T&C has quite a backlog and they liked our photos. The rest is history and now my hubby & I have got our faces printed in the magazine and sold around the world. I have to also say that when I was in high school I read tons of magazine and it was always a dream of mine to get my wedding photo published in Town & Country. So some dreams do come true! Here is the picture from the magazine and a few more of my favorite wedding photos. It's funny! I have been so excited about this and I still posted about it late! LOL! Did I mention that I was late to my own wedding? Just as my grandmother always said...

 

I also have to mention that our wedding was green. We chose to host a website instead of printing invitations & programs. Our wedding was conducted on the beach with the rule of leaving the beach cleaner than it was. In all it was a beautiful and serene experience! We can't thank Aekai Beach Weddings enough. Our amazing photographer was Arien Sherman!