A wanderlust dream of bohemian raptures became a reality for me last week with a little help from my friends and some pretty amazing brands. Rocco's boho-luxe baby shower held at Love is Blind in Coral Gables (http://www.loveisblindrestaurant.com/main.php), was the epitome of ethereal delight- from the fashion to the flower crowns- and it brought together all the special women in my life to celebrate my baby boy.
Whether I was expecting a boy or a girl, I knew I wanted a hippie yet elegant ambiance for this magical day. I envisioned what I wanted the flowers to look like, the kind of free-spirited mood I was hoping to capture, and most importantly, what I wanted to wear and feel on this festive occasion. Even Maya got into the boho spirit with her pink tutu and flower crown! My mini freshly squeezed fashionista picked out her own shoes ( pink cowboy boots of course) for the family photo shoot! I'm a proud mama!
You need a good photographer to bring this whimsical dream to life and I was so fortunate to have Ricky Iglesias from Simply Captivating (www.simplycaptivating.com), working diligently behind the scenes, capturing every detail, every baby breath, and every accessory of not only the shower, but of my hippie-at-heart look!
Before the shower, Ricky and I ventured a few blocks to the iconic and stylish, Biltmore Hotel, to photograph this beautiful lace number from A Pea in a Pod Maternity (www.apeainapod.com). In all my pregnancy style posts, I often talk about how you can use so many of the pieces already in your closet through your pregnancy; but, its also wise to purchase a few key maternity items that will take you through your three trimesters with comfort and chicness. Some of the maternity pieces I have come from several different brands, some of which I have learned about through the blog. But most of them come from Destination Maternity/A Pea in a Pod. When I was pregnant with Maya, I invested in some maternity essentials (which I am now using for this pregnancy) like bras, skinny jeans, two blouses, and two dresses to integrate with my wardrobe. The store carries everything from intimates to swimsuits to cocktail dresses. It's a maternity mecca for the fashionable pregnant set.
So when the opportunity to collaborate with the brand presented itself, I was literally smiling from ear to ear and doing a little happy dance. The Destination Maternity umbrella (www.destinationmaternity.com) is the largest retailer of brands for maternity fashion. Teaming up with them for this blog post is a huge honor.
We decided on this stunning and feminine lace maternity maxi dress (http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=154120547&MasterCategory_Id=MC46), which retails for $148, because it meshed organically with the bohemian 'all white' vibe of the shower. This dress is not only effortless and seriously comfortable, you can wear it through any stage of your pregnancy, through any season (hello leather jacket), and you can dress it down for during the day adventures and dress it up for some sexy nighttime escapades! You can throw a kimono over it, an embroidered jacket, and over sized sweater or cardigan, even a pair of stilettos There are endless fashion opportunities when you have such an easy and girlish piece like this one.
The beauty of this dress is that it is a blank canvas for accessorizing and personalization. I love flower crowns. I don't care if they're overdone, underdone, dead this season, alive and well the next. I find them youthful and enchanted- an accessory that embodies that bohemian soul that allows you transform and escape into another world or dream. I knew that I wanted to wear the most glorious and over sized flower crown that would put all other flower crowns to shame. I wanted that effervescent splendor of what it feels like to be pregnant, beautiful and glowing. I also knew exactly where I wanted to get my crown made- Sprout Miami- a flower and coffee boutique in the heart of Wynwood that specializes in creating unique flower and plant arrangements for its customers (www.sproutmiami.com). Walking into their shop, feels like a miniature oasis of lush greenery. It's such a zen-like hidden hem to kick back with a cup of tea, browse through their floral selection, and admire (and buy) some of the cutest decor I've seen when it comes to a flower shop! The owner, Bianca, has cool chick written all over her. She's engaging with her customers and she has a knowledgeable quiet presence that makes it real easy when trying to figure out what you want and you know nothing about flowers (she's great on email too)!
I gave her some feedback of what I wanted- a crown bursting with bright flowers mixed in with a little green. The end result was my initial vision multiplied by 1000! I was completely speechless when I went to pick it up. It was a broken record of 'OMG, this is absolutely beautiful. OMG.' It exceeded my expectations. The moment that crown touched my head, I felt like some divine fairy queen that spends her days frolicking in people's gardens. Bianca used a 'rockstar' rose, a mum, greenery, and limonium for the crown and it was perfection.
If you know me and you follow my blog, you know that I'm a die hard boot girl. The scruffier the better. I live in booties and I can care less about the weather! To me, they go with everything and are a reflection of my style and personality. I love these beat up once from Steve Madden. I like that they are slightly oval, I like their gold detailing, and I especially like how they pair with lace.
All my accessories were courtesy of Rocksbox (www.rocksbox.com) The black tribal ring is from House of Harlow, the gold geometric bracelet is from Urban Gem, and the pearlized necklace is Margaret Elizabeth. And can you spy my Chip and Chisel nameplate necklace that I can't live without?! It has both my babies' names on it. I kept the accessories simple and classic since the flower crown is the biggest and boldest accessory of them all.
I threw a Forever 21 lace cardigan over the dress in case I got cold inside the restaurant. It complimented the dress as well the bohemian vibe of the look!
I wanted to give a special shout out to makeup artist, Jessie, and hair stylist, Ana, from Makeup Artistry by Jessie, for being my go-to glam team (www.makeupartistrybyjessie.com)! My makeup was absolutely flawless and Jessie even matched my coral lipstick to the rose on my crown, and Ana did a fantastic job of creating exactly the low chignon I wanted to keep me cool, chic, and looking effortless!
It's hard to believe that my little family of three will soon be four in just a few months! We are all anticipating the arrival of Rocco Sebastian and just can't wait to meet the little boy that's already stolen our hearts! Even his fashionista big sister keeps asking when he's coming out of the belly! It was important for me to take a few snapshots of us three on this special occasion, so that one day, Maya and Rocco can look back at these memorable moments with love and joy.
These are the moments that make life SO worth living!
On Me:
Lace Dress- A Pea in a Pod Maternity
Booties- Steve Madden
Lace Cardigan- Forever 21
Flower Crown- Sprout Miami
Jewelry- Via Rocksbox and Chip and Chisel
Photography- Ricky Iglesias from Simply Captivating
Hair and Makeup- Makeup Artistry by Jessie
Locations: Love is Blind Restaurant and The Biltmore Hotel
In Style,
Kat
