Work Outfit Series: Under My White Coat #5 (Maternity Edition, 31 Weeks)

 

It's hard enough finding comfy yet non-frumpy clothes for work.  Throw in a full-on baby bump and you have got your work cut out for you!  At 31 weeks pregnant, there was NO hiding this bump, even beneath an oversized white coat.  Prior to being pregnant, I can't remember the last time I bought anything ruched.  Turns out, it's more flattering for the bump, and it allows you to keep wearing clothes even as your bump grows.  Another fact about maternity clothing: horizontal stripes are also flattering! 

I bought a couple of these simple striped knee-length dresses (with side ruching!) from Old Navy early in my second trimester.  They're perfect for dressing up with heels (back during my second trimester) or with leggings and boots (during chillier weather) or on their own with some flats.    

 

Striped side-shirred jersey dress: Old Navy (spring short-sleeved version here).  Leopard flats: Madewell.  Necklace: Anthropologie (old).  Black handbag: Longchamp Le Pliage Cuir in Medium.

Thanks, elle.com!

As avid fans of the show, The Mindy Project, we were excited to be included in a story by elle.com comparing Mindy's awesomely colorful wardrobe on the show and the fashions of real-life doctors (that's us!).  Mindy's character is witty, quirky, and totes around an enviable collection of Chanel bags.  We love her wardrobe, but perhaps a few of her fashion choices are a bit impractical (i.e. wearing 4 inch heels in clinic).  And while the shenanigans she pulls are often outright outrageous, we can't help but watch weekly!

Safari Baby Shower

I have some ah-maaazing friends who threw me the sweetest royal safari themed baby shower two weekends ago.  They are all so ridiculously creative and talented!  I was floored by all the beautiful details.  I was obsessed with that pinwheel wall!  Hopefully I can incorporate it into my nursery decor.  I felt so blessed to have such great friends and family.  My mom, mother-in-law, and aunts had all never been to a baby shower before.  They LOVED all the games and had a blast, as did I!  Check out some of the details below!

We decorated cute onesies using animal stencils!  Of course, I picked out the bear and Carolyn picked out the monkey.

 I <3 carrot cake!  And they are 1000x better when when they are in cupcake form with cute animals on top!

 Delicious roasted beet, citrus, fennel salad made by the most talented person I know, my dear friend Jen.

She even made these rooibos panna cotta with roasted pineapple and honey caramel crispies.

And she ALSO made these elephant ear palmiers as favors.  Is she not crazy?!?

More cute onesies!

Gorgeous florals by my friend Tina.

Fun, colorful tassels on these geronimo balloons, all hand-cut by my friend Melissa.

 I spy some gold dipped animals on the safari!

  A million thanks to my friends Jen, Tina, Melissa, Wendy, and Carolyn for throwing me the best shower ever!

Springtime Splurge

Spring is here!  It's hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way through 2014.  The past few months have been pretty busy with Mr. J and I out of town or working every weekend.  Fortunately, things are slowing down a bit and we're looking forward to having some leisure time at home.

Almost three years ago, my best friends from college generously gifted me my gorgeous Mulberry Alexa as a graduation/birthday present.  I carried it nearly every day and it has suffered quite a beating.  About a year ago, I started searching for a replacement bag.  I felt like Goldilocks - I wanted something not too big but also not too small.  I was looking for a neutral color and the hands-free option of wearing it cross body.  There were some near purchases but I always hesitated to pull the trigger.  I had been admiring the Fendi 2Jours but wasn't sure if the larger size would stop me from grabbing for it on a daily basis.  When I heard that it came in a petite version, originally targeted for the Asian markets, I was intrigued, and when I saw that it came with a cross body strap, I was sold!  It may have taken years but to avoid buyer's remorse on bigger purchases, I definitely recommend holding out until you find something you absolutely love.  

Contrast stripe top: Zara. High waist skinny jeans: Current/Elliott. 

Nude patent wedges: Pour La Victoire 'Milla' (last seen here). Bracelet: J.Crew (old). 

Sunglasses: Fendi (old). Handbag: Fendi 'Petit 2Jours'.

Chocolate Sable Cookies

I made these cookies for Sarah's baby shower last weekend.  And these were truly a labor of love.  Knowing that the week would be busy, I made a test batch the weekend before and I'm so glad that I did!  First off, the recipe calls for grated/shaved chocolate.  I thought I could cheat by chopping up the chocolate and throwing into the food processor.  Also, for the first batch, I followed the Miette recipe but the dough was very dry and hard to roll out without cracking.  The final cookie was a crumbly buttery cookie with melted pockets of chocolate in it instead of the uniform chocolatey goodness that was intended.  So batch two (after doing some research online) involved hand grating and modifying the recipe by adding an egg yolk to help bind the cookie dough together.  Thanks Smitten Kitchen...I should have listened to you the first time around!  I must ask for forgiveness for the quality of these pictures too.  Halfway through batch 2, my dSLR went on the fritz and I had to snap the remaining shots with my iPhone.

Since Sarah's shower was Safari themed (those of you who are friends with me on Facebook already got a sneak peek...we'll be sharing a post soon once we compile the best pictures together from both of our cameras!), I decorated the cookies with a vanilla buttercream frosting and Duff's Cheetah Print and Zebra Stripe cupcake tattoos (similar here).  I had to bake the cookies during the work week (batch 3), transport them to LA, and decorate the cookies the night before the shower so they wouldn't get smushed.  Unfortunately, the shower weekend was pretty hectic, so I didn't get any good pics of the finished product.

 

Chocolate Sable Cookies

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients

3.5 ounces 70% cacao chocolate, grated

1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup of Confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together into a medium bowl.

Cream butter, sugar, salt, egg yolk, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add dry ingredients and grated chocolate together and mix until just combined.  

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  On a floured surface, roll dough gently until 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutter, spacing an inch apart on baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Gently transfer to cooling rack.  Enjoy with a cup of coffee or with ice cream!

Weekend Lunch at 25 weeks

At 25 weeks pregnant, I was still trying to stretch out wear from my old, non-maternity clothing as much as possible.  Most of my clothes still fit, except sadly I could no longer tuck shirts into pants.  Long sweaters quickly became my good friends as they covered either the ugly stretchy elastic band at the top of maternity pants or, as in this case, my half unzipped non-maternity pants (thank goodness for my Bella Band!).  Outerwear was much trickier, as trying to button up jackets became increasingly difficult as the belly grew.  Lucky for me, our winter in LA has been incredibly mild and I've managed with sweaters and jackets/coats that are open in the front.  For my less lucky friends in colder climates, a maternity coat may be a necessary investment.

I wore this outfit out for a weekend lunch with friends at ROC.  Their pork soup dumplings are pretty good, but will never hold a candle to my favorite ones at Din Tai Fung.  We often end up at ROC though, since it saves us the extra 45 minute drive out to the San Gabriel Valley! 

Cashmere sweater: Vince (old).  Maternity tank: Gap Support Cami.  White jeans: Joe's Jeans The Skinny (last seen here).  Coat: Zara (old).  Clutch: Anthropologie (old).  Gold wedge sandals: Rachel Comey (last seen here).