They grow UP so fast

My son at 20 months, he was a baby not so long ago... He grows up really fast. It's a pleasure to see him learn new things everyday. The best so far is seeing him dance and wipe reflux off his younger sister using the bib or baby wipe. I think he'll be a good big brother.

Pretty Pregnant - Neon Neon

Top & Pants - Pick n Pay, Shoes - "Random" Foot Health Shop, Ring - Ackermans, Earrings - Mr Price

Pretty Pregnant : Pink Blazer

Blazer - Mango, Pants - Pick n Pay, Top - Woolworths, Shoes  - Vintage

Being pregnant can be draining physically and emotionally. Finding creative ways to cover my bump was fun and provided some relaxation.

Over the past couple of weeks I have shared what I have learnt on how to be pretty while pregnant. The previous post was tip #10, I have decided to end it there.

I hope these tips will be useful to someone out there.

Ring - Mr Price, Sunglasses - Topshop

Who knows I myself might need them again sometime in the near future ;-)

Pretty Pregnant - Denim on Denim



Shirt - Edgars (belongs to my husband) , Denim - Truworths (gifted), Vest - Pick n Pay



There came a point in my late pregnancy where I became confused about what to wear and I really didn't feel like going out to buy a clothing item that I will wear only for a few months.

One morning, I decided to look to into my husbands closet and I found some cool shirts that got me through. This denim shirt belongs to him and it was my favourite because it was versatile. I could wear it everywhere with everything.

# Maternity Tip 10 : Take a look at your husbands closet and the mens' department at your clothing shop. You might find something that you really like.

The utility shirt below belongs to me. I bought at the men's department at Woolworths. I've had for both pregnancies. Its actually one of my favourite items in my wardrobe.

 

Shirt - Woolworths, Jeggings - Ackermans, Vest - Makro



For more Pretty Pregnant Tips, click here.

Pretty Pregnant - Nude Sheer Dress

Dress - CoCo @ Zoot, Shoes - Carvela



 I wore this dress throughout my pregnancy, it was and still is one of may favourite. I bought it as a wedding outfit, it also worked well at the office.

Pretty Pregnant - Vintage Dress

Dress - Hospice (thrifted), Jeans - Truworths (gifted)



I love vintage clothes with all my heart. Imagine my excitement when I saw this dress. Waiting to give birth so I could wear it was just not an option.

To wear it as a maternity dress, I decided to wear it as tunic, followed Maternity Tip #7 and paired it with my versatile wide legged jeans.

The result was this stylish outfit. It was fun to be able to wear vintage whilst pregnant.

#Maternity Tip 9 : Wear Vintage.

For more Pretty Pregnant tips, click here.

Pretty Pregnant - Peplum Skirt

Top - Meltz, Skirt - Makro, Shoes - Boot Sale, Sunnies - ELLE

When pregnant, contrary to popular belief, you actually don't lose your waist, you gain an extra one. You get one above the tummy and below the tummy, read on and I'll tell you how.

Peplum was big when I was pregnant, I liked it and wanted to give it a try. I was able to be a part of the trend because I experimented with my waistlines. The skirt that I'm wearing above is a "normal-sized" skirt in stretchy material, I was able to wear it because I placed it above my tummy.

Believe or not, this was the morning of the birth of my daughter, my stomach was really huge, however I was able to wear this skirt. The peplum and the fact that the skirt is black gave an illusion of slimmer tummy. I still have skirt, I'm hoping wear it on my normal waist, now that I've given birth.

#Maternity Tip 7 : Experiment with "both" your waistlines. Some garments work better or only if placed above the tummy and some if placed below.

#Maternity Tip 8 : Give a trend that you like a try. You don't have to miss out just because you are pregnant, find a way to make it your own.

For more Pretty Pregnant tips, click here



Ring by Mr Price

PS: I really like the texture of the skirt, just had to show it to ya'll.

Pretty Pregnant - Summer Shorts

Shorts by Woolworths, Shirt and Vest by Pick n Pay, Wegdes by Zoom

My first pregnancy was during winter, it was pleasant. I was warm in layers of clothing and the general increase in body heat when pregnant was an added bonus.

The height of my second pregnancy was in summer, I felt the heat, all 30+ degrees Celsius of it; the increase in body heat was not so helpful this time around. What was fun about it though, is that I got to play around with summer maternity wear.

When the temperatures shot up, I decided to get myself a few pairs of shorts to keep me cool.

In this outfit, I’m wearing a pair of shorts in a loose and comfortable material – and the print is awesome …love it! Even after the birth of my child, they still fit me like a charm; I should be able to rock them again next summer, can't wait.

#Maternity Tip 5 : When it’s hot, don’t be afraid to try on a pair of shorts, just find the right pair for you.

#Maternity Tip 6 : Buy yourself vests in every colour possible, they are great for mixing and matching.

For more Pretty Pregnant tips, click here.

Pretty Pregnant - Kaftan Top



Kaftan Top by Meltz, Wide Legged Jeans by Truworths (gifted by a friend)



When the heaviness of pregnancy took over, the blogging suffered. Before I took the break, I was doing a series of tips on how to be pretty while pregnant.

Looking back, dressing my bump this time around was lots of fun - so - even though I’ve given birth, I'd like continue where I had left off and share what I've learned about maternity wear.

#Maternity Tip 3: Get your recently pregnant friends to hand you down some of their clothes.

The maternity wide-legged jeans, which I'm wearing here, were handed down to me by a kind friend after her pregnancy. I kept them and wore them for both pregnancies. They are comfortable, versatile and also very stylish.

These jeans have now 3 babies on them, maybe I should pass them on and officially make them the travelling pants of babies :-)

 #Maternity Tip 4: Get yourself a sexy Kaftan Top

I wore the jeans with a kaftan top, another great maternity basic clothing item. I like it because it can be worn throughout the 9 months of pregnancy and also long after giving birth, with jeans or over your bikini at the beach as a cover-up.

I have worn mine a couple time since giving birth, mainly to hide my post-baby bump ;-)

Check out  #Maternity Tip 1 & #Maternity Tip 2

My Eternal Light

About a month ago, I welcomed my baby girl into the world. Being a mother is the most fulfilling experience I've ever had and now I'm a lucky mom to two healthy beautiful kids.

I had an easy pregnancy and an even easier delivery, maybe it really is easier the second time around. 

I feel truly blessed and am deeply thankful to the Most High.

Living House

I have always wondered what happens to living walls during winter? Do they follow the seasons and wilt the in winter or do they stay evergreen, do they need watering and fertilizer?

This is one of my favorite houses around my hood, its red brick walls are drenched with a carpet of greenery. I took these photos in the height of summer, I'll come back in winter to see if there are any changes.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

StreetFsn

Salvaged Materials - Window Frames

Generally South Africans put up a lot of walls and fences around their houses, even though these are beneficial in making us feel a little safe, sometimes they hide the beauty of one's house and be quite depressing.

These salvaged windows frames transformed what would have been a simple unattractive fence to one that has a little bit of character. 

Pretty Pregnant - Black Pencil Skirt



Top by Cotton On, Skirt by Jay Jays

A black pencil skirt is one of those clothing items that a woman must have in her wardrobe, pregnant or not. 

I've noticed that it's silhouette flatters most body types; it can be easily be dressed up for work - when teamed with a crisp white shirt and heels or dressed down for weekends - when paired with a tank top and sandals.

Black as a neutral colour can be worn with a lot of other colours; it is also slimming so I always feel sophisticated when I wear black.

Looking back, I've always had one in my wardrobe, so when I got pregnant I made sure that I got myself one - made of stretch material with an elasticized waist, for extra comfort and to allow for my growing bump.

I wore this outfit to work a few days ago, I paired my black pencil skirt with a cream white loose lace trimmed top, I felt comfortable, feminine and sexy yet appropriate for a day at work.

Maternity Tip #2: Black Pencil Skirt is a must have item

• A black pencil skirt in a comfortable material is a must, it can be dressed up or down and if you buy the right size and material, it can last for your whole pregnancy and those post baby-bump fat days.

For more tips, also read Maternity Tip #1

Girls Girls Girls - Run the World

I grew up wishing that I only get baby boys, 4 of them!!! Raising girls always intimidated me, because as a girl, I knew how complicated it was to be one; I always assumed it was easier to be a boy and thus raising a boy would be easier. I also thought it would be cool to be only lady of the house *wink*

When I became pregnant with my son, it was a dream come true, however, this time around, I somehow found myself wishing that I would have a baby girl. Maybe it’s because now that I’m older, I realize that life is what you make of it, whether you are boy or a girl.

Or maybe it’s because I often found myself plaiting his hair, wishing that I could play dress up with him.

I am delighted that this time around, I’ll be having a baby girl. I know that I will be the best mom I can to be to her, as I try to be to my son; however I am scared at how I will handle her tiny little soft hair. 

Black hair seems to be a controversial issue and often becomes a talking point; “natural vs weave vs relaxers” seems to be a popular debate among black ladies…and men. I have recently grown to love my hair, all its texture, limitations and capabilities, but it was not an easy journey so I pray that I will do her little scalp justice and make her grow to love her hair from an early age.

These are my friend's beautiful daughters. I love how she dresses them up, they are always in these organic but very stylish dresses, I also love how she has kept her girl's hair natural, she is truly an inspiration, one of the best mothers I know.

Pretty Pregnant - Stripes on Print

Pants by Fashion Express, Vest by Makro, Wedges by Europa Art, Bag (thrifted)

When I was pregnant with my son, my primary focus was my health and making sure that I gave birth to a healthy son, how I dressed my baby-bump became secondary and honestly, it was a bit of a challenge. 

The maternity clothes racks were not inspiring and my choice to buy normal clothes in a bigger size didn't work out. I would find that even though my belly was well covered, the arm holes were just too big; the proportions were off; not pretty at all.

This time around I am hoping to have fun with maternity wear, discover different ways of dressing my growing belly stylishly, without sacrificing comfort and avoid breaking the bank.

This outfit is all about comfort, I was planning to wear it to a braai (BBQ) with friends on New Years Day, to which I eventually didn't go because the rain decided to give us showers of blessings for 2013. 

I don’t have an ultimate guide to pregnancy fashion but I'm excited to explore and learn a few tricks and tips along the way, which I will share them as I go about on my adventure, and this is what I've learned so far.

Maternity Wear Tip #1: Comfort is Key

• I find that stretchy materials and drawstring pants are comfortable and give the allowance needed for belly growth.
• A short wedge heel shoe is a great alternative to flats; it gives comfort without sacrificing style.

To see who inspired this outfit, follow my Love Dilo page on Facebook. 

2013 - On To The Next One

This photo and the word, "content" are the perfect ways to describe my 2012. My year was wonderful, for the first time in my life... I did not lack, I was at a state of peace and happiness.  I'm not saying that I had it all or that all was perfect but, where things didn't go my way, I accepted the situation gracefully and just moved on.

My highlights, other than just being alive, were:

• Raising my son (pictured above), he turned one in September, I loved it all, the day to day stuff, I wouldn't have done it without my husband, daily breast milk pumping sessions at work included!
• Getting a new and exciting job, it was about time, I was stuck in a rut, it injected some needed motivation.
• Last but definitely not least, discovering that we have another bundle of joy coming our way.

The lows, like I said, there's nothing significant:

• I hated it when my son was hospitalised for chest infections in the winter... he was admitted 3 times... that sucked.
• Family and friends did not get to see much of me, though it was not intentional, I feel guilty about it.
• I regret staying away from the blog, but I don't feel guilty, motherhood and pregnancy can be demanding. My new job came with more money money, yay, but unfortunately it also came with more hours, nay.

Well, that was last year... now... on to the next one, 2013. I'm mostly looking forward to meeting our new family member...and indulging in all that she will bring. I'm still excited about my job, and I will make an effort to connect with friends and family a bit more. Ok ok ok, I promise to throw in a post or two here once in a while :-)

Happy New Year Everybody!