Maternity Shoot

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Maternity shoots are a right of passage that I feel that all pregnant women should spend the time and money on.  After everything your body does during these 9 months it’s important to embrace and celebrate all the changes by documenting it. Picking an outfit that makes you feel glamorous and comfortable is key to having a successful shoot.

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This gown was created by the amazing team at Sew Trendy Accessories, a brand that specializes in handmade maternity gowns, formal gowns, boudoir clothing, gown accessories and newborn outfits ideal for photo shoots. I picked the timeless Krysten gown in white, because I loved the long sleeves and elegance of the cut.

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When you order your gown and send in your measurement there are some options you can choose from to customize the dress. I chose the boat neck, rather than a droop back, to ensure I could wear a bra and picked to have a simple train instead of the exaggerated ones. If you are looking for maternity shoot inspiration, check out their Instagram account, as it served as a daily source of the most magical and beautiful images.

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We shot this at 35 weeks pregnant on a freezing cold day at the Scarborough Bluffs. Other outfits that I’ve shot that could have worked for a maternity shoot are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and one of my favourites 6.

Dress & Headpiece: C/O Sew Trendy Accessories, Jewellery: Vintage

Living the dream

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As the second part of my home reveal (part one: the kitchen), I thought I’d share the room that I’ve been living in since I discovered I was pregnant. From the early stages of the first trimester, I felt quite sick, so I basically spent most of my time sleeping on the couch, and now as we are in the final countdown (two more months) I get so tired after any simple task that I’m back to napping on the couch.

With all this napping, it makes me happy that I invested in such a comfortable couch. We scored an amazing deal from on the Maxwell leather sectional from Restoration Hardware’s Outlet located in Toronto Premium Outlet. By signing up for their emails, I found out that their outlet had an additional 50% off on their already reduced prices during last year’s holiday sales (I think I got it on New Year’s Day – so stay tuned for their upcoming sales!).

We also did our research and chose to invest in quality window coverings that would allow lots of light in (I wanted to ensure our corner unit remained bright), while shading the mid-day sun we get. We picked Vision Shades from Mera Window Fashions, which would help keep our home warm in the winter and cooler in the summer, while keeping UV rays out of our home.

Trevor and I were fortunate enough to have inherited a vintage swing chair that was my grandparents. I fell in love with an ink spotted fabric from Ikea (they have amazing fabrics for great prices) and hired the talented Charlene Gilmour from The Big Stuff, who reupholstered our chair. She also created matching throw pillows which ties the room together perfectly.

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The rest of our accessories and furniture we collected over time or have taken from our parents, who are always downsizing. We wanted our home to feel comfortable (lots of textiles and blankets) and have an eclectic vibe showcasing beautiful and whimsical decor.

Oh and Taco had just gotten neutered when we decided to shoot this room. His cone is basically an inflated pillow and we highly recommend it to any pet owner.

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Couch: Restoration Hardware, Rug: Ikea,  Coffee table: CDI from Hudson’s Bay, Media unit: Restoration Hardware, Taco’s (dog) bed: Ikea, Blanket ladder: Ikea (old), Picture frames: Ikea, Gold shelves: Vintage, Lighting: Target, Window coverings: Mera Window Fashions, Decor & accessories: Georg Jenson, Nambe, vintage, Saje and Kosta Boda 

Barbara is wearing: Top: Ripe Maternity from Carry Maternity, Bottoms: Zara

Baby Blue

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One of the unexpected fashion struggles I’ve recently been faced with, while growing this little nugget in my stomach, was planning for a formal event. Typically I shop early and plan ahead when attending a wedding, gala or something that requires a new gown. But when you are unsure of how big you’ll be at the time of the event, it creates an extra level of difficulty and stress.

For my cousin’s wedding a few weeks back, I began my search online, looking for local stores that would carry something formal and fun and that would fit a me at 25 weeks. I kept finding myself on ASOS browsing their huge selection of dresses. Having only shopped on their site once before, and not too pleased with the sizes (or duties) of the items I had purchased,  I found myself hesitant to order, but I finally came around a few days later when I felt that there weren’t other affordable options that would really work. I picked out a handful of dresses with two in mind for this event. Two would provide me choice, given the inability to try it on, or knowledge of how big my bump would be at the time of the event. When the order arrived, this off-the-shoulder blue dress was the clear winner, as the other option could fit a bump double the size and a bust half the size.

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I do love this dress and it had caught my eye on their site super early during my pregnancy, when I was researching flattering silhouettes. The body-con shape leaves nothing to the imagination and shows the world your beautiful growing bump.

The struggle is definitely real shopping online, especially on sites that you don’t often shop on. But the task is even harder when your body is going through daily changes. I still hope I can find an occasion to wear the other dress as it’s stunning, or at least fit into it to properly to share with you on the blog.

Dress: ASOS Maternity, Shoes: 424 Fifth, Bracelet: Swarovski, Necklace & Earrings: Vintage