Getting Ready for Baby!
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Finding what works for you...
/Maternity wear is tricky... finding what works for your body and comfort level is crucial. Once I find a style that works, I stick with it. And I'll wear it over and over. The dresses that are ruched tend to work well with my growing belly (here is one I own - pictured with Ali Fedotowsky at her shower if you scroll down below---you'll wear over and over...plus I love all the color choices! And, I add maternity spanx. It's fun looking back wearing the same dress, watching the belly grow as the weeks go by. Also, textured dresses that camouflage a few areas have been great, like the one I wore (again, scroll down below) to the Milk and Bookies event recently. What I've noticed is that these don't just work for me, but my other pregnant girlfriends are loving them, too. Take the picture directly below, for instance. Lacey (how darling and gorgeous is she here!!) and I are wearing the same ruched Ellis tank dress... she is doing the whole black and white theme! I've been drawn to more color recently (Ali and I both own this dress in blue, as well), but loved the black on Lacey so much, I went and got that one, too. I must say, the fabric on the these thicker dresses is phenomenal. You may pay a bit more, but it's worth it. I like the "supported" feeling the fabric gives the bump. ps- Yes, that's adorable Amy Davidson that recently gave birth! She has been wearing the ruched dresses postpartum. I love knowing these cute tank dresses will work all summer as non-maternity, too.
I've tried so many, here is a round up of some of my favorites below.
SALES!! get fun summer pieces before they sell out!
/SOME OF FAVORITE PIECES I'VE POSTED RECENTLY ARE NOW ON SALE!
I was 6 months pregnant here in this photo wearing this cheerful deco print combo- NOT maternity (30% of the SALE price now HERE). It's harder to tell from the front, but from the side, there was a baby bump! TODAY there's 30% everything storewide- check it out.
This was taken on our baby moon. I was 7 months here. But, so glad I have this NON MATERNITY halter to wear once the baby arrives. And now, it's under $50. It will sell out quickly, so check it out.
Ok- this dress has limited quantities left as of now. Although it's not on sale, it's only $52. I love the comfort, the pockets, the ease of this dress. And I'm wearing it with flip-flops, but how cute with strappy wedges for a nighttime summer party. Before I tried it on and loved the fit, I was sold on the color. I'm a purple person. Again it's not maternity, I just went up a size. Below is just a iPhone shot in the mirror.
shop the post below!
Note: some prices are not reflected until you click link/picture. You'll see the sale price on the merchant's website! Note: not all items are on sale, but I linked the items that go with the post. Happy shopping.
Pinking Ahead! (and obsessed with this dress)
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Okay, kitschy title, but seriously am obsessed with this dress. And brightening up my wardrobe. I wear a lot of black and neutrals running errands and working out, and at this stage in the pregnancy marathon, I'm not exactly having a SundayFunday at the beach getting tan. My skin is fairly pale (ok- pastey Elmer's glue white). It's nice to wear color that pops and makes me feel pretty.
If you're reading other blog posts, I don't think it's a big secret that I've been wearing spanx occasionally. But, yesterday, I went down a red carpet feeling perfectly fine NOT wearing any because of this dress material (comes in different colors, too- if you try the white, lemme know!). The textured stretchy dress works well with keeping certain things discreet. I played with my stepson (who insisted on being in the picture above!) at the MILK+BOOKIES event (like had a serious dance party, sat at a kids' table coloring, sat on a bean bag, etc.) and the dress remained comfortable. I think I'll buy it another color. oh and Ps- I am wearing the xs. It was a bit snug, but stayed in place. This may be a good dress to read reviews, but at this price and free shipping, I'm telling you it's worth a try. Plus, I read plenty of women are wearing them during "transitioning" from prenatal to postpartum and beyond. The fabric is such that it would work way after pregnancy, so I'm pinking ahead. Ha! Again, lemme know if you give it a try!
pps- tried out a few makeup tricks I learned from the video I did with Celebrity Makeup Artist Jamie Greenberg: TUTORIAL HERE. The products are below. The Makeup Fix is so affordable and kept my makeup totally in place for hours. I loved Kate's nude lipstick; I layered it with a pink gloss that kept it natural and complimented the dress.
AFFORDABLE BIRTHING MAKEUP VIDEO TUTORIAL with Celebrity Makeup Artist Jamie Greenberg
/Watch Celebrity Makeup Artist Jamie Greenberg give me a tutorial on "how to look good while giving birth." It sounds like a joke (and we definitely laughed a lot), but it's for real. I highly doubt any of us will be concerned with our makeup while we're in the hospital, but this tactic applies to any big event in life where you could break a sweat and need a lasting makeup look (could've used some of these products for my shower!). And we used ONLY drugstore, affordable makeup. I found some new favorites (LookBook below!). Watch and let us know your thoughts! And subscribe to her channel!
shop my favorites from the tutorial below!
SATURDAY SURPRISE GIVEAWAY!
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Today on INSTAGRAM, we are giving away a medley of surprises to pamper yourself or pass on to a deserving mother (or mom-to-be) for Mother's Day. Here are the details to enter:
* Follow @AshleyAubra on instagram and like the post
* For an extra added entries, tag a deserving friend or mom and/or subscribe to our newsletter here on the site on the sidebar to the right. (We do not inundate with emails!)
* Products Included are all full size: Philosophy Large Size Purity Facial Cleaner All in One, Colour Pop Creme Gel, Colour Pop Super Shock Cheek, Usana Sense Energizing shower gel, Basq Fresh Resilient body oil, Green EnveeBrazilian Orange and Litsea Body Lotion, Len Journo Hydra-Riche Hair Conditioner, Naked Princess No.1 Lip Treatment, Naked Princess Body Souflee, Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer and Highlighter.
Giveaway Fineprint and Disclaimer required by law:
* Winner will be randomly selected and announced after the deadline of April 18th, 2016 (midnight Pacific time) and will be DM'd for mailing address/contact information, which will not be distributed or sold whatsoever, within 1 business day. Winner will have 3 days to respond, or entry will then be forfeited and an alternate winner will be chosen. If you choose to send us a picture or comment associated with being the winner of the giveaway, we reserve the right to feature it on our site with no payment attached. We reserve the right to use your instagram handle to announce if you are the winner.
* Products are selected by our website team with no affiliation to to the companies. By entering the giveaway, you release Ashley Jones and AshleyAJones.com from any liability whatsoever and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind associated with the giveaway or delivery or acceptance and satisfaction of the products associated in the giveaway (including, but not limited to claims, costs, injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, and negligence).
Because you asked! Blue Dress for Baby.
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Even though I touched on the dress in another post, so many of you have asked about it via social media, I'm posting about it again.
When the time came to pick a dress for the shower, I went through several options. In the final hour- and I mean, truly last minute, I wanted to go with blue for the obvious reason. This dress by Seraphine fit the bill. I learned how to (attempt to) camouflage the bump at work, but for my shower, I wanted to almost enhance it. I was 8 months after all! The cool thing about these ruched dresses (besides all the color options) is how they will stretch while the belly grows, and shrink when the belly shrinks. So, I'll be wearing them postpartum, too. I have never seen them on sale at this price! Get one while they last.
Here are some other options you'll be seeing on instagram in the weeks to come. And some you've already seen.
Please see the LookBook below that also includes the maternity spanx that make me confident enough to wear form fitting dresses by smoothing out the extra bumps (not baby) that come with pregnancy. Okay, let's be honest here... I wear regular spanx even when I'm not pregnant!
xo AAJ
Showered with LOVE!
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ClaudiaCraig.com Photographer
It seems so surreal that this is my life. You know the saying 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride'... well, I felt like I was always the 'auntie,' never the mom. But, here we are... and a very special thank you to the hostesses Kaley Cuoco and Marisa Coughlan. More details to come, but in the meantime, read a bit about the weekend here!
BABIES, BABIES, BABIES!! A weekend of #babybump #babylove
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If I ever worried starting a family later in life would be lonely, last weekend took those thoughts away completely. On Saturday, my sweet girlfriends, Kaley Cuoco and Marisa Coughlan, hosted a safari- themed high tea baby shower for me. (It was a wonderland!) I'll be writing and posting later about not only what an emotionally charged, memorable day it was, but also how this past weekend transformed me.
Then, on Sunday, we celebrated Ali Fedotowsky's little BabyManno in an ethereal, mid-spring day's floral setting. As you can tell in the picture we had fun--and I'm really embracing the bump now in this dress (it comes in many colors, too and is on the lowest sale I have ever seen!) Read more about the baby boom surrounding me HERE.
FEELING SPRING-Y... what to wear, how to feel it.
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I have basically been waking up every night around 3am for a while now. If you follow me on twitter (HERE), you may have seen me tweet during these times. Is this my body preparing me for night feedings once the baby arrives? I also get these crazy leg cramps. I know it's normal, but it doesn't seem normal in the middle of the night when the pain wakes you up. It's like a charlie horse on crack. I'm keeping active during the day and trying to remember to stretch, but they still sneak up on me! Needless to say, the lack of sleep and leg pain can leave you feeling sluggish the next day. Unmotivated. Slightly depressed. It's nice to have something easy and bright to wear like this WRAP DRESS HERE. I am obsessed with wrap dresses in general (thanks to DVF), and this one shows a little leg with a slightly higher cut in the front and lower in the back. It elongates the silhouette nicely. And it's under $75. It's not maternity, so I can wear it throughout the summer. If you click on the picture OR HERE and see the model wearing the dress, it looks so effortlessly chic on her. Seriously thinking of wearing this to my shower Saturday and calling it a day. I'll pair it with these heels HERE on sale that I'm wearing in the picture below (and bring THIS pair of flats that have been my go-to so far).
And I feel girlie and alive and ready to face the day. What are your tips for feeling and looking fresh? I hear this only gets harder, not easier, with kids. Especially newborns. Do you have your own tricks to share? I know it's always good to remember gratitude. Grateful people are joyful people.
xo
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SHOWER DRESS! OH WHAT TO DRESS THE BUMP?? And look at this photo of the hostesses!
/MY SHOWER IS THIS WEEKEND!! EEK.
I'm so grateful to my sweet friends hosting (Kaley Cuoco and Marisa Coughlan). Look at this picture I found of us from years ago! What a different life! Marisa is pregnant with her fourth!! We're actually due the same day, can you believe? And I think this is pre- Big Bang Theory for Kaley...
Marisa, me and Kaley! How long ago do you think this picture was taken?
I'm 8 months pregnant today! I'll never forget the day I took the test and saw the pink lines. And now I'm dressing the bump. I was talking to another preggers girlfriend yesterday about maternity clothes. I'm looking for something so specific- a fitted maxi dress. She brought up that it almost doesn't exist. I found this one that I love, it's non-maternity, so it doesn't "grow" with you. However, it is so affordable ($52!!) and darling and so comfortable, I'll be wearing it till I can't fit in it, then post pregnancy! I love the pockets and the v-cut back. I'm out looking today for more shower finds, so may be asking for opinions later!
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EMBRACING CHANGE: body, life, work!
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Dressing room shot after work March 8th- at 29 weeks
I haven’t openly talked about this yet. By “this,” I mean the growing baby inside me. I knew it would be the biggest change my body has ever gone through, but what’s surprising me is the inner journey I am experiencing. There is so much change. (Grant it, I am going through a lot of external change in life in general!) But, I’m being forced to learn some big life lessons quickly.
For instance, acceptance. I’m having to learn to relinquish so much control. The obvious loss of control: my body changing. The less obvious: the unknown. Right now, so much of life is up in the air. And the only thing I know for sure is — for sure more change is coming.
Some days, most days, I feel good and inspired and grateful for this experience. I like the days I get to work (update HERE). The day I took this "dressing room selfie," I had just wrapped scenes with the talented Lexi Ainsworth for General Hospital. Some fun, shocking material. Lexi's character, Kristina, is going through some big life changes trying to find, or possibly redefine herself. Although my personal stage of life couldn't be more different, they are not entirely dissimilar. We are both attempting to embrace change.
And a special thanks to the wardrobe department for making me feel so comfortable in my "condition" of 7 months pregnant. I believe the words Shawn Reeves, head wardrobe designer, used were: "Embrace your bump!" I loved the jacket I wore that helped me hide....er...embrace it! And I've worn the same pair of jeans for every episode! I love that Paige Denim designs for this stage of life.
I'm realizing how important it is staying focused and feeling productive. The days I tend to have more going on, the better I feel. But, I have to remember balance. My energy levels are completely different than normal. And they are harder to predict. I have to be ok with some downtime and not categorize downtime as “laziness.” The more I push myself, the more I pay for it later. (I literally fainted at a coffeeshop my first trimester! Eek!) Type A, anyone? If you’re reading this and pregnant, I’m probably preaching to the choir. Any advise? Thoughts? Please share! And stay tuned...
BODY CHANGERS
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I’m grateful for all of you who have gone before me and can share your pregnancy secrets. Nothing really prepares you for the journey of pregnancy (then motherhood), but there are a few sure fire tips that have been helpful. I’m just shy of 8 months and so far, so good on the stretch mark front. I haven’t been as disciplined as I’d like, but I try to slather on the creams almost everyday (some people suggest twice a day). This stuff isn’t cheap, so I combined efforts. I'm using a higher potency stretch mark cream or THIS new product Mama Belly Oil I am also loving! And a couple of times a week, I add a drop or two of Sunday Riley’s face oil for extra hydration. (It’s expensive, so I use it sparingly, but it is worth the investment and an amazing product to wear under makeup for that special “glow.” I also love the HydroCool Serum from IS Clinical mixed with my foundation for this same purpose, btw!).
What other “body game-changers” can you share? Please, I’d love to know!
SHOP THE POST BELOW:
And by the way, I have LIVED in prism sport workout wear (shown in picture) during this entire pregnancy. I love how the "hold my tummy" in a bit when I hike or walk or lounge, etc.
FAMILY OUTING WITH SNOOPY...
/In 2010, the Peanuts Comic Strip had their 60th Anniversary. I had the pleasure of participating in the campaign and raising money for the Boys and Girls Club.** Last weekend, the latest edition to the Peanuts franchise premiered- THE PEANUTS MOVIE. The Schulz family was kind enough to include me, my fiancé, Joel, and his son in all the festivities.
First of all, according to the three-year-old, the coolest part was meeting Snoopy.
Huck, joel and I meeting snoopy.
The whole street was blocked for kid-friendly activities: food trucks, games and crafts and photos booths. Guests arrived through a huge blow up Snoopy house to set the mood of walking into PEANUTS on set. Snoopy greeted us before we walked the red carpet in front of the Peanuts characters. Next, we went on to play football (just like the characters in the movie), ski-ball, walk through real snow in a winter wonderland, make our own cookies, visit the candy bar, pick out McDonald's toys with the characters from the movie (Lucy's toy actually talks!), meet some of the people involved with the film (Meghan Trainor sings the theme song of the film and arrived decked out in a custom Peanuts themed dress) all before we retired to the theatre to take our seats- more snacks in hand. Huck hollered and laughed through the whole movie, despite the fact it seemed a little long for children in my opinion, he certainly didn't think so. Thank you to everyone involved that made it such a success.
Naturally, after a fun-filled day like this, Huck is even more in love with Charlie, Snoopy and friends (and I might be a bit, too). Hey, Charlie is just like the rest of us- we all want to succeed and be liked for who we really are inside... and Chuck does a pretty good job of showing us what hard work and practice can get you, as well as just being your authentic self. #goodmessage
** info on 60th anniversary *MODERNDOG.COM *DOGTIPPER.COM
SHOP MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY SNOOPY/ CHARLIE BROWN IDEAS
NOTE: THE AMAZON SHIRT IS HALF OFF THE PRINTED PRICE. AND I AM OBSESSED WITH THE JEANS I WORE TO THE PREMIERE THAT ARE SHOWN BELOW. THESE HUDSONS ARE MY GO-TO, ADD A BIT OF EDGE, STRETCHY PERFECT JEAN. ALMOST LIKE LEATHER, BUT NOT. #INVESTMENTPIECE
2015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR HIM!
/As I mentioned in another post about holiday presents, I am working hard this year to get my gifts a little earlier than usual (like the week before... okay, even days before). Few things make me more excited than finding the perfect gift for someone I love. I gathered some high/low options for anything from stocking stuffers to fun memorable items! Lemme know your thoughts. xo Ashley
Totally SHEER and totally ELEGANT!
/LACE HAS REINVENTED HERSELF. NO OLD LADY CONNOTATIONS HERE. NO COUNTRY, HILLBILLY VIBES. JUST ON TREND ELEGANCE WITH A SIDE OF SEXY. THE KEY IS TO LEAVE MORE TO THE IMAGINATION THAN YOU THINK YOU SHOULD.
“...lace is formed from the absence of substance; it is imagined in the spaces between the threads. Lace is a thing like hope. It lived, it survived, and it was desired for what it was not. If faith, as the nuns said, was the substance of things hoped for, then lace was the outline - the suggestion - of things not seen.”
― Iris Anthony, The Ruins of Lace
I keep seeing these fantastic tops on the streets, on celebrities, on friends, even on B&B. So, I had to located a few for y'all (or...errr....for myself!). How elegant does Cate Blanchett look in the sheer black top with the leather peaking over her shoulders for an added edge? Also loving wearing top like THIS ONE with distressed denim on bottom (see pictures below).
Steffy Forrester on B&B sporting the trend.
I found some of my favorite similar items below... send me any pictures via the contact page if you are finding yourself enjoying this trend! xo
WINTER WHITE?
/I've always been a fan of white in winter. Living in LA, I have to make myself feel like there's a winter (today it's below 80, we're excited!). So, snow white colors read clean, fresh and wintery to me. This particular layering blouse comes in three colors, all of which I would wear. And scroll down to see pictures below--- this top covers my tush! Which can be nice sometimes!!
NOT SHOWN IN PICTURE, THE SIDE SLEEVES ALSO HAVE LACE CUT-OUTS DOWN THEM. I LOVE THE ELEGANT TOUCH.
GIFT GIVING SEASON.... a few of my favorites.
/I wish I could say I never procrastinate. Unfortunately, I do. This year, however, I'd like to get a leg up on the holidays. I'm pretty excited about my first round up of inspiration! Stocking stuffers or small packages with big impact--- for your sister, extended family, best friend, co-worker, mom, boss... okay, you get the picture. Starting at $9!!!! Many are free shipping both ways. Go bananas!!
My new nameplate necklace with my future husband's last name!
SEEING RED.... layering pieces for holiday season!
/As the holidays approach, it's fun to add pops of color. Obviously, red is one of my favorites. Are you into red as much as I am this season? I am layering red with stripes, plaids and fuchsia.
