Planning a New Year’s Eve outfit is usually a daunting task, having to take into account how you will be celebrating, what the weather will be like, and ensuring you’d be comfortable for what is typically a long night. I remember in my 20s, spending hours freezing while waiting for cabs to pick up my girlfriends and I, while wearing somewhat inappropriate outfits for winter in Canada. Times have most definitely changed.

This year, at 37 weeks pregnant, my night will be a bit different than years previous. Trevor and I will be keeping the evening plans simple and quiet, while visiting with some friends at their house. Now that we are in a new stage, with #babyNegin on-the-way, ensuring comfort will be the single most important thing for me when getting dressed for the evening out.

Like, I’ve said throughout my pregnancy, knits have been my go-to choice of fabric, (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) as they are so easy and stretch well allowing for my bump to stay cozy. I quickly fell in love with this simple black midi dress from Tobi (which is on sale now), and it will likely be my NYE outfit paired with sparkly necklace or statement earrings. I am also obsessed with the fact that these stretchy knits will fit well postpartum, as I work to get my pre-baby body back.

Dress: C/O Tobi, Hat: Helene Berman (old), Frames: RayBan C/O Clearly, Boots: Dr. Martens, Tights: H&M Mama

Now that we are into December and the holidays are right around the corner, I find myself drawn to comfortable and chunky sweaters. Probably the only real reason I like when the temperatures drop is that we are able to layer up and stay cozy in fabulous knits.

Being pregnant while in winter, sweaters have become my go-to, as their stretch allows for the bump to shine. When I came across the super trendy site, Tobi, I was drawn to their amazing selection of sweater dresses, and quickly picked up a few. This rose coloured one (now on sale!) has been my go-to, for it’s oversized nature and slight bell sleeves. Because Tobi, is not a maternity site, I did go up a size to allow for the growing bump and to ensure this chunky knit dress will still be cozy throughout the season.

Also wanted to remind you of Daniel Wellington’s Holiday Bundle, which makes an amazing gift for the upcoming holidays. With the purchase of any watch and cuff, you’ll get 10% off your order and get an additional 15% using my BARBARAANN promo code!

Sweater Dress: C/O Tobi, Boots: Zara (old), Glasses: C/O Main + Central from Clearly.ca, Watch: C/O Daniel Wellington, Socks: American Apparel

As #babyNegin continues to grow (I was 31 weeks when these photos were taken), I’m finding myself gravitating back to dresses, for ease and comfort. Pre-pregnancy, I’ve always been more drawn to wearing dresses and lately it’s been the same decision.

Dresses paired with tights, when needed, allow me to stay comfortable without feeling like I’m stuffed into a pair of pants, and at times during this pregnancy it seems like the most logical thing for me. When I found this mock neck swing dress (now on sale!) from Pink Blush and I fell in love with how soft and effortless it was to wear. The cut makes it easy to dress up or down with a simple switch of the shoes and accessories.

Dress: C/O Pink Blush, Moto jacket: Danier, Frames: C/O Clearly.ca, Heels: Opening Ceremony

When I began my hunt for maternity clothing I became obsessed with finding a pair of overalls. Something easy and comfortable that I can add layers to keep warm as the temperatures continue to drop.  It felt like everywhere I shopped, I could find denim overalls, but as soon as I searched for the pregnancy equivalent, there were none.

That was until, I finally hit up one of the few H&M stores that carried their adorable Mama lines (Eaton Centre, Hillcrest and Vaughan Mills) and there they were. My dream pregnancy pant. Skinny through leg but with enough room for my (giant) bump and easily styled with sneakers or heels.

Overalls: H&M, Turtle neck: Uniqlo, Coat: Zara, Frames: C/O Clearly.ca, Heels: Christopher Kane, Leash: HBC Collection, Taco’s Jacket: Home Sense

Being a style blogger for the past 5+ years, I’ve become very accustom to photographing my outfits and documenting my life. But for most people there are few occasions when they are photographed professionally. Typically their engagements, weddings, and during their pregnancies are the usual times they invest in portraits to remember these special milestones in their lives.

Because pregnancy is such a funny time in your fashion life, where nothing really fits the same, and clothing can at times feel like the enemy, over the next couple weeks I wanted to share a few of my favourite outfits that I’ve found would work perfectly for a maternity shoot.

The Wrap Dress: I found an amazing selection of stunning wrap dress on Pink Blush‘s Instagram and loved how stunning they looked on a growing bump. Once on their website, I found a bunch of different cuts,  hi-low, short, and the maxi cut that I’m wearing, and a wide selection of the most stunning floral prints. Being a huge fan of the contrast of my hair and the colour blue – it was a simple decision for me when I spotted this one, and I began planning a location close to the waterfront to compliment the print.

I think that this dress is perfect for any upcoming occasion you may have during your pregnancy, a wedding (they also have the wrap dress in lace) baby shower or maternity shoot, as it’s effortless and comfortable.

Dress: C/O Pink Blush, Frames: C/O Clearly.ca

When building out your maternity wardrobe, it’s almost like building a capsule collection of essentials that can take you from baby-bump to post-baby. I felt it was most important to invest in pieces that could take you anywhere, from a business meeting, to a night out with the ladies with switching up your accessories and shoes.

It became clear during the planning stages of my wardrobe, that a “little black dress” would be a must-have, for the first time in my life. My closet is pretty full, so when most women would turn to a LBD for an easy fix for a wardrobe solution, I have always embraced colours and prints. But for my limited pregnancy collection, it was important to be practical with my purchases, ensuring that I would have the right pieces regardless of occasion.

Enter this stunning Isabella Oliver a-line dress from Carry Maternity. The fit flowed perfectly over my growing bump making it easy to wear throughout my pregnancy. I loved the subtle features, like slightly flared bell sleeves and perfect neckline. This effortless dress can be worn dressed up or paired with sneakers to take you anywhere.

Dress: Isabella Oliver C/O Carry Maternity,  Hat: BCBG, Frames: Ray Ban C/O Clearly.ca, Heels: 10 Crosby Derek Lam, Necklaces: Catbird, Jewlr

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.

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

Being a curvy woman, horizontal stripes have always been a touchy subject. Some people think that they highlight the wrong places on your body and can make you look larger. I’ve found that with picking the right stripe along with a great fitting garment can be super flattering for any body shape. Some of my favourite outfits that I’ve worn that feature horizontal stripes are 1, 2 and 3.

When I was shopping in my latest go-to boutique, Carry Maternity located in Yorkville, I stumbled upon this long sleeve maxi dress and completely fell in love with the cool tones. Once trying it on, I loved how stretchy and warm it was perfect for my growing bump and will work for post-baby too.

I’ve paired it with white boots and a wide brim hat, but plan to layer a long cozy cardigan or structured blazer on top and ankle boots for when the weather gets a bit cooler.

And Taco agrees, stripe are totally in.

Dress: GeBe Maternity C/O Carry Maternity; Hat: Lack of Color,  Boots: Zara, Glasses: Ray Ban C/O Clearly.ca

I feel like so many of us will be holding onto every last ounce of beautiful weather we get before the cold fall and what is expecting to be a brutal winter come charging into the city. With how our summer went (if you didn’t hear about it), Trevor and I are trying to make up for lost time by enjoying these beautiful early fall days filled with beautiful temperatures and the sun beaming down on us.

Last week, when we had some beautiful and unseasonably warm temperatures we ventured to Andrew’s Scenic Acres to pick some of their breathtaking dahlias, fresh corn and some delicious blueberries (which we later baked into a peach and blueberry pie). Upon driving up to the farm, located North-West of Toronto, in Milton I was initially excited for the fresh fruit but once I witnessed their flower fields I could not contain my excitement. I ran towards the gardens and was in complete awe. I spent close to 45 minutes just frolicking in the beautiful field, surrounded by thousands of these blooms, as I picked a beautiful bunch to bring home.

As we approach the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, Toronto is expecting another burst of warm weather. Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

Dress: Mendocino, Glasses: C/O Clearly.ca, Bracelet: C/O Swarovski 

So growing a human inside you may be considered one of the most beautiful and natural things that you can do as a women (if you so choose), but it definitely comes with a fair bit of discomfort. And I have gotten a decent mix of the common and not-so-common problems. From the obvious first trimester nausea and daily vomiting, to the unheard of pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome, that has developed this week out of nowhere. Let me tell you, it’s been a fun few months.

When your body feels like it’s out of control, it’s hard to feel like yourself. You spend so much time trying to “feel better” that you no longer are doing things that feel natural for you. I found myself living in sweats and barely leaving the house, and if I did, I rarely bothered to do my hair or makeup. Definitely a different version of Barbara.

But on the days that I did decided do my typical routine, I felt better and more normal, and it dawned on me that even though I feel discomfort, I can still try to pull myself together. I’ve always had the mentality that on the darkest days to wear the brightest colours, in order to cheer myself (and others) up and I had stopped doing the common sense things that have brought me joy for all these years.

So here I am, 22 weeks pregnant, in 6 inch platforms, cute glasses and a crop top, and finally feeling like myself.

Top: A.L.C, Skirt: Topshop Canada, Frames: Joseph Marc C/O Clearly.ca, Shoes: Charlotte Olympia
See more of my style the bump posts here: 1, 2, and 3