Seeing Double - Posh'mina

If you have seen me out and about or have followed this blog for any length of time then you know that I love my Posh'mina scarves.  Since Saturday I have already rocked the "Sorbet" scarf twice...the week is young :)

It is just such a fun pop of color especially with black and/or white and jeans which just happens to be what I wore it with both times even though both outfits are very different. What do you think?

 This look was for a date night with my hubby on Saturday. We just went to a nice quiet dinner and then to Whole Foods to stock up for our week of juicing, etc.(how romantic, right?)!  It was actually a perfect evening and we both had way too much fun in the grocery store on a Saturday night than should ever be "normal" - LOL. 

 Above: Hudson Jeans / Eyeshadow Lace Tank (old) / Cami via Target (old) / Steve Madden Cage Sandals (old) / Posh'Mina Scarf in "Sorbet" / Steve Madden Leather Motorcycle Jacket (old)

And yesterday I had several places to be and decided this would be easy and fun :)

Above: Calvin Kline striped dress via Marshall's (old) / Old Navy Jean Jacket (old) / Tory Burch sandals (can't see them in this pic really) / Posh'Mina Scarf in "Sorbet"

Looks like we may have a little bit warmer week than what our Spring has been so far and I am really looking forward to it - even if there is a chance for rain nearly every day after tomorrow! 

Oh and one more thing.....we are MOVING!!  We just completed inspections on our new home and close next month! We moved into our current place 3 years ago and have just outgrown it (we added another baby since then and are waiting to be matched with our daughter from China so we are busting at the seams now!). 

We are actually pretty sad to leave it, but we know the new place will be a great home for us. It is even in our same neighborhood (we really really love where we live - ha!) so we won't have to get used to new surroundings at least. It is just 2 streets over and is actually a friend's home who is moving out f town. Crazy the way things work out sometimes. 

I wonder how many times we will drive "home" to the wrong house once we move down the road?! 

XO

Jessy 

Juice Fast & Stripes!

Hi all!  I feel like it has been forever since I have been on here - it has actually been a full week. This time last week I was getting prepared to run my first half marathon (which I did on Sunday, May 5th!). It has been a very busy week since then.  

My husband and I decided to do a juice fast/cleanse over the last 5 days (ended today!) and if you have never done that let me tell you that it kicked my butt. I was clearly addicted to caffeine and sugar!  My crash around day 2 was pretty hard. It was rather hard to be a mom of 4 and not feel like getting out of bed - I mean like head pounding feeling sick not wanting to get out of bed! Anyway, I knew that if I made it past that I would start to feel better and I did. By day 4 and 5 I really wasn't even that worried about eating anything other than the juice I freshly pressed each morning.  I even made dinner for my children every night and did just fine not being able to eat the solid food.  I did seriously miss chewing though!

We did it after re-watching Food Inc., Hungry for Change, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Forks over Knives. If you have not seen any of these incredible documentaries I highly suggest that you take a moment to watch them - with you kids if you have any.  Warning: you will be outraged and disgusted by how we get most of the animal products and even produce in this country :(  And it will make you want better for yourself and your family! We originally watched Food Inc. and Forks over Knives about a year and a half ago and even my kids don't want to eat fast food - ever!  I can't even tell you the last time we ate at a fast food burger joint. 

The good news is that there are things we can do to change how we eat even though we are bombarded with all of this type of food every day.  Even though I eat very little meat and have really focused my diet mostly on a whole food plant based diet there is much much room for improvement (I always need my morning caffeine to get started and I have a crazy sweet tooth!!). My husband and I have re-committed to not continuing to include those things in our daily diet and after our cleanse we feel prepared to take better care of our health and what we put into our bodies. Most importantly setting a good example for our children to follow!

Anyway, I have added a few outfits of the day below that I had kept up with this week - I never realized how many stripes I tend to wear - LOL!  So without further delay:

NY&Co. Pink Cardigan / WHBM Perfect Form Crop pants / Steve Madden bag (old)/ American Eagle peep toe wedges (old) / Lela Rose top via Nordstrom for Target / Pearl Necklace via Boutique

 Banana Republic Chevron ponte dress / Asos Wedge Sandals (sold out)/ Mossimo Cardigan (old) / Beaded necklace from Boutique 

 Old Navy Denim crops / Zara striped top / Kenneth Cole sandals via TJ Maxx / Kenneth Cole watch / Steve Madden bag

 (Also with Stella & Dot renegade necklace)

 Old Navy Maxi Skirt (old) / Old Navy Perfect Crew Neck striped tee / Old Navy Jean Jacket (old) / Bubble Necklace via Ebay / Kenneth Cole watch / Kenneth Cole sandals 

It's good to be back and I hope that you all have had an incredible week!  I am feeling great and look forward updating you all on my race in the next post (just waiting on a couple of race photos :)

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all you momma's out there!  Enjoy your day with your family!! 

XO

Jessy 

Flying Pig + Latisse UPDATE

Well, I picked up my marathon registration goodies from the Expo this morning so I am ready for tomorrow morning!  Race starts at 6:30am so I leaving the house at 5:15am.....yikes!  I think I need to go to bed NOW (it's 5pm here )....Okay well maybe I will wait until I eat my pasta dinner :)

  Items from my goodie bag and including my bib number & starting info (Corral "B") - they call the corrals for this race "pig pens" LOL :)

 "The Hero Lies in ALL of Us"!

 So I couldn't resist picking up a couple of extra shirts at the expo (the one provided is on the left)!

 I will be sure to post my race day pics as soon as I get them.  Very excited to see how I finish!

I also wanted to take a minute to update you on my experience with Latisse this first week. I took these pics on Wednesday which was 1 week from when I started using the product.  I have to tell you that the results are amazing already in the first week!  I have definitely seen thicker, darker and longer lashes already. 

Here was day one (my natural lashes before starting Latisse) below:

 And here (below) they are after only 1 week - you can see a difference in the length already!  

And below you can see what they look like now with mascara....I can't believe this is only 1 week. I didn't expect results so quickly, but I am super pleased so far. I have not had any ill side effects thus far.  I have noticed though that you really want to wait until you are going to sleep to do the application.  Perhaps it is because the solution transfers from the top lashes to the bottom and naturally some does get in the eye making it feel "tired" to me - kind of that feeling when your eyes are just really tired and you feel like you just want to close them, you know? It is 100% safe for the eyes as that is what it was originally designed for and it doesn't hurt or sting or anything but it is a bit annoying to me to feel that transfer over an hour or two before going to bed. I would just prefer not to have that feeling.

I would just suggest waiting until you are ready to close them for the night. Maybe it wouldn't bother anyone else (I can't even wear contacts because they bother my eyes so much), but that would be my suggestion.

 (Left eye above)

(Right eye above)

That is all for now!  I will check back in a few days with a race day update and hopefully some new OOTD pics....have a great weekend everyone!!

XO
Jessy 

New York & Company + OOTD

What a gorgeous week in Cincinnati!!  Unfortunately they are calling for rain this weekend - just in time for my half marathon :(

Oh well, in the meantime all this sunshine has got me wanting to shop for spring/summer clothes :)

I had my sports massage appointment Tuesday and had a few minutes to kill before hand and the spa just happens to be in the same outdoor mall as Loft, Black House White Market and New York & Co.....what to do?!

I had not been in NY&Co for a long time and decided I needed to check it out - does anyone else remember when this was Lerner's New York??  I used to be n there all the time as a teenager/college student! 

I found some really cute clothes and did come away with a few. I wanted to show you some of the ones I tried on (and many were purchases!) in case you may want to go check them out for yourself!

 I tried these shorts on with 2 different green tops (love green!). This one is a more casual cotton and the other is a rayon blend button down with a gathered hem (see below).  

I don't love my legs - especially in shorts, but these were too cute to pass up.  I am working on the legs so I will like them better, but I do know that they are very strong and will carry me over that finish line in the race this weekend (focus on the positive!! ;)

 I didn't end up with this dress, but I really though it was so cute. It also came in a couple of other fun spring colors (coral and yellow I think).  I tried on this white blazer, as well, that I really did NOT like - very boxy and way too big even in a small - just not a good cut I think. 

Loved these fun cotton capris. They also came in a ton of different colors and patterns - these are a khaki pattern. This same pattern came in black, as well that was really cute. 

 Loved this cotton shift dress too. Super comfy, easy to wear and I really liked the green although I ended up with it in coral (see below). Coral just really has a way of making your skin tone look so good in the summer! :)

 See the scarf I wore to the store in the bottom corner - that will look great with this dress (note to self)!! ;)

Okay, so here is what I actually wore to the store - and all my other errands that day. It started out chilly, but quickly warmed up and I was able to ditch the jacket pretty quickly. 

I.N.C. skirt via Macy's (old) / Ralph Lauren white v-neck tee (old) / Watercolor scarf via TJ Maxx / Old Navy jean jacket (old) / Tory Burch espadrille wedges /  Kenneth Cole watch / Coach sun glasses 

Are you all doing some spring/summer shopping now that the temps have begun to warm a bit?  I would love to hear where you are shopping and what great pieces you are finding! 

Have a great rest of the week :)

XO
Jessy 

Sunday Date Night + Adoption Journey = STUCK

Last night my husband and I attended a screening of the documentary "STUCK" at the Kenwood Theater in Cincinnati.  What an amazing experience!  First we had a nice quiet dinner at one of our favorite Jeff Ruby Steakhouses, Carlos & Johnny, before heading to the 7:00pm showing. It was a completely sold out event and we sat in the packed out stadium style theater with about 250 other people who were not sure what to expect from the provocative film about international adoption.

My Sunday "date night" outfit:

Hudson Jeans / Steve Madden bag / Zinga blazer (old) / Nine West zebra print pumps (old) / Black sleeveless button-up via TJ Maxx / Stella & Dot Renegade Necklace and bracelet, Rebel Pendant, Luna Wrap Bracelet & Soiree Stud Earrings

(look at the incredible weeping cherry tree - I wish that you could see the entire thing. It is the most beautiful and full of blooms tree that I have ever seen! :)

On the the important stuff!!

What we got with this compelling film was an incredible look into the plight of orphans around the world and families that are fighting to bring many of them home. This is something so near and dear to my heart as an advocate for families, women and unborn children in my career and also as an adoptive mother myself and one who is now on the waiting list for a child from China. 

While my family is not "stuck" in our adoption process at this time (we are waiting to be matched with a child) we are well over 2 years into the process and understand the incredible obstacles a family or individual must contend with in order to provide a loving home for a child who is without one. It can be maddening sometimes as you write check after check for each step of the way and fill out stacks of paperwork, undergo a litany of back ground checks, mental and physical health checks, financial screening and numerous other "hoops" before you can even be "approved" to adopt a child internationally - all of this while currently mom and dad to 4 healthy happy children in your home already!! "Crazy" is really not the correct word for how sad this system is and how unfair it is to the millions of children who are orphans and want nothing more than a family - a family who is probably wanting them just as badly but either can't or is trying to navigate through all of these obstacles to bring them home :(

I guess I will stop my rant and just conclude by saying that the organization who produced this film,  Both Ends Burning, is doing remarkable work to get the policies and laws changed that has caused international adoption in this country to decrease by 50% in the last five years - 50%! That means that the approximately 10 million orphans in this world have a very slim chance of ever having a family if something doesn't change - something has to change!  This film and this organization - with help of people just like you and me - is making a change.

Please take a moment to watch this trailer and this informational video (less than 10 minutes for both!) and then find out where you can see this film near you! It is life changing - you CAN make a difference ....we all can!! :)

On the event "red carpet" with attorney Kelly Ensslin , who has dedicated countless hours to this cause (what an incredible and inspirational woman!) & Executive Producer, Craig Juntunen.

 (I am crazy bright in this pic - mu husband says I make pictures "hot"...I thought he was being sweet and then I realized that it is actually a photography term for when the light reflects all crazy and bright off of a person or object like this - LOL!)

I hope that you will all take a moment to explore this film and the cause behind it. Please, if your life has been touched in any way by adoption I would love to hear about it!  It is my passion and I believe my calling in life to advocate for :)

Blessings!

XO

Jessy 

Please click here to link to my own personal adoption journey blog (tyeadoptionjourney) that I started documenting back in August 2011...many twists and turns along our way to bring our family to where we are today in this process....we are blessed and I hope that someone out there will be in reading about our journey!

Tory Burch + Latisse!

Okay, so the two really have nothing to do with each other except that I thought I could fit both into one post and I really want to tell you about both right now! :)

Let's talk about the new Tory Burch Espadrille Wedges - LOVE!  I am so happy with these and if you have seen how much I wear my black peep toe espadrilles wedges then you know that I will certainly get my use out of these, too.

I am really pretty tall already (5'10") so I don't like to wear too much heel - never mind the fact that I am typically chasing after my 4 children so high heels can literally be hazardous for me! - and these wedges are the perfect leg shaping lift without too much added height.

Shop Tory Burch now for 25% everything online during the F&F event thru Monday, 29th! 

Tory Burch Filipa Espadrille Wedges (LOVE them in this color, too!)

Okay, so on to Latisse.  Have you ladies all heard of this miracle lash growing product? (You can read more about it here).  I am a natural blonde and my lashes are naturally very light and thin. The thought of a product to thicken, lengthen and darken them is very appealing to me for sure! 

A couple of years ago I tried semi-permanent lash extensions and they looked amazing, but were really difficult to keep up with and expensive even after the initial several hundred dollar investment (touch ups every 2 weeks at $25+ each visit) and eventually they began pulling my natural lashes out and I was afraid they were causing irreparable damage.  

After I had the extensions removed my natural lashes were so beat up. They were so so short and sparse - I was afraid they would never grow back, but within a couple of weeks they were back to normal - whew!

 It was before I had even tried the extensions that I had been thinking about Latisse, but just hadn't done enough research on it yet and wasn't sure about the financial commitment (although after what I had gone through with the extensions I could have easily afforded Latisse - live and learn!!)  I just wasn't sure about any potential risks, etc. Well, after months and months of research I decided I wanted to try it, but waited for a "deal" which I knew the company ran every few months. This week I was at my medi-spa for a facial and they were running a promotion on Latisse - I decided to go for it!

Below I have posted a pic of my lashes "before" (no make-up) and I will follow up every couple of weeks to show you the "after" effects. They say it takes 6 weeks to get the full effect, but that some results are seen in the first 2 weeks. I will be your guinea pig so to speak so you can see first hand if and how it works (I wish I had seen a review like this from someone I "kinda" knew from the blogging world! ;).  

It's Friday everyone!  Hope you have some fun plans for the weekend :)

XO

 Jessy

Neutral, neutral, neutral

For today I am focusing on my bed (finally got the right one made a delivered!) and my neutral jacket/sweater combo that I wore earlier this week. It was oh so comfy and easy to wear - especially since we still need jackets and sweaters here - ugh! It's almost May people!!!

OOTD: 

Joe Fresh Sweater, a.n.a. Jeans, Forever 21 Moto Jacket, Stella & Dot Renegade necklace and bracelet, Roxy Ballet flats

I did a couple close up so you could try and see the detail on the jacket...love the zippered sleeves, gold accents and boucle texture of the jacket.

And saving the best for last - my bed with my gorgeous husband (who I tricked into being in my picture! ;) 

Bernhardt's Sophia Crested King bed done in a neutral tufted fabric and antique brass nail head on headboard. 

I am seriously in love with this bed!  Now to get some color on the walls in my bed room and we will be all set! 

Hope everyone's week is going great so far!

XO

Jessy