My Life In Pictures

Selfie with my munchkin!

Last week was pretty much all about me staying active and keeping my sanity. I'm not complaining, every day I feel blessed to be in a position to be able to be a SAHM {and I'm truly grateful to my hubby for working as hard as he does so that this is possible for our family}, but being with the girls 24/7 may be getting to me a bit. Let's just say, I'm looking forward to school in the fall when it will be down to a 1:1 ratio during the day.

A New Beginning: My Journey to a Better Me

I've seriously debated over whether or not to share all of this here, and even once I decided I would document my journey on the blog, it's been hard figuring out how and when to start. I don't know how much to share and what sorts of things will be of interest and helpful to someone {anyone} out there reading this. But I guess it's time to stop agonizing over it and just get to it...

One of my senior portraits; HELLO collar bone!

My Week on Instagram (1/28-2/3)

I'm a winner! No, literally. I was super excited when I received an email from Who What Wear informing that I had won a giveaway they hosted (especially considering that by the time they notified me, I had totally forgotten that I'd even entered a giveaway AND what it was for). I was even more intrigued when they required that I submit a notarized affidavit to receive my prize, but since my bank does it for free, I was all in. And for my trouble I received this gorgeous bottle of folle de joie eau de parfum from California clothing brand Joie. Yeah for winning!

My Week on Instagram (Kinda)! (1-26-13)

I've been struck down (try saying that without hearing Michael Jackson in your head) by the dreaded Sydney Norovirus this week, so my life has been pretty uneventful (and verging on downright miserable) for the past week or so. It started out nice enough; the hubby, the girls, and I all trekked down to my brother's house for a barbecue. We had a really good time with him and some friends and my parents, and The Lil Bits (aka Kenzie and Lo) got to meet and play with a little puppy for the first time. It was love at first site (which we had to quickly tamper down, 'cause I they are so not ready for a pet)...

All the girls were in love with the little baby puppy (and I have to admit, I was a bit smitten too). It was quite funny watching Kenzie interact with the little bitty thing-she's very...aggressive. But no puppies were harmed!

I Just Can't...

I won't be posting today. Maybe not even Saturday or Sunday. I will be holding my girls and savoring every precious moment with my babies. "Time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all." Please take the time to love. Let go of anger and hate. I don't know what else to say...


XxO,

Q

A Stroll in the Park! AKA: An OOTD Post

We took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and headed down to the park for a couples' photo shoot. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we discovered so much in the park that we never noticed before. The hubby got incredible shots of the city and the girls, and attempted to get some good shots of me-and I've come to the conclusion that I need to drop a few more LBs before I'm comfortable in front of the camera (though I am making good progress on the weight loss front since I weaned the baby and am no longer constantly ravenous). Anyway, here are the shots of me (and the lil bits) that I did not veto...

My Week In Rewind...

(I'm not going to call this a new feature; it's just going to be what it's going to be!)

Sometimes, when I look at my day to day life as a whole, it can seem a bit mundane. But it occurred to me this morning (while luxuriating in the most wonderful bath of pink colored, jasmine and ylang ylang scented water, courtesy of LUSH's Sex Bomb), that if I dissected small facts and occurrences of the week, my life is actually quite eventful, and possibly a good source of entertainment for others (namely, you lovelies). So here goes...

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb from LUSH Cosmetics

A Day In the Life: Batman Edition!

Originally, the hubby had a client scheduled for Saturday morning, so I thought I'd spend the morning at home with the lil bits, cleaning, scheduling and planning for the upcoming week, and catching up on some TV. Well, late Friday evening, said client called to reschedule, freeing up our Saturday to have some family fun. The forecast said that it was going to be 92 degrees out, so going back to Piedmont Park was definitely not an option. While we were contemplating what to do, the hubby got a call from a friend, and you'll never believe what we got the chance to do...

Um... yes. That is the actual, factual Batmobile (the one from the Chris Nolan movies, obvi)

A Day in the Life: Piedmont Park (Again)

We headed back down to Piedmont Park with the lil bits. We didn't quite make it for the Farmer's Market (sigh), but it was a gorgeous day nonetheless and we enjoyed a delicious picnic of fried chicken, cole slaw, and potato salad (it was my cheat day, and I only had a spoonful each of salad and slaw, and I NEVER eat the skin on my chicken and ALWAYS only have one breast piece). We didn't walk around the park as planned, but we enjoyed watching the girls run around (and around and around) with each other...

A Day in the Life: Red Bull Soapbox Race

Yesterday we returned to Piedmont Park (which is swiftly becoming one of my favorite places) for the Red Bull Soapbox Races. It was really kind of spectacular! There were SO many people there, but I didn't see an ounce of trouble or drama. Red Bull and beer were flowing copiously and there was such a wide variety of food trucks; I was slightly disappointed that we had brought our own provisions for a picnic lunch. C'est la vie!

There were so many fun and funny characters and inventive cars, and just the sheer amount of people made it difficult to focus and take pictures (especially since I was pushing a stroller and navigating through a massive crowd), so I didn't get as many good ones as I wanted to truly depict how much fun we had. But here's what I did get...

A Day in the Life (June 2, 2012)...

The view of the city from Piedmont Park (Atlanta, GA)

We spent the day in the park yesterday and it was so nice. We found the best parking spot ever right in front of the park, walked to Trader Joe's (ohmigoodness, Trader Joe's is beyond awesome!), then walked back to park and had a picnic with my parents and one of my brothers and his wife. A wonderful day was had by all and I thought I'd share some of the pictures with you lovelies! (And by that, I mean pictures of the lil bits because they are the only one's always camera ready)...

A Day in the Life (A Little Something Different)...

I thought I'd share a little bit of my life with you all. Nothing major; my hubby took the day off yesterday and we took the lil bits (London and Kensington) to the mall (The Mall of Georgia, to be exact) just to walk around and play in the big fountain they have out front. I got some really cute pictures and a video of them playing around so I thought I'd share. I keep trying to get my oldest (Peyton) in some of these shots, but she's at that age where she's uber camera shy, so that's a bit of a work in progress. 

Kenzie is almost the polar opposite of London. Where London was a total ham from very early on, Kenzie blatantly avoids eye contact with the camera. She will literally run away and duck behind something when she sees a camera!

London posing for the hubby (Kenzie running away from me and my camera)

London debating over whether or not to touch the water

We live within walking distance of the Mall of Georgia

London posing again

My hubby and my girls are the BEST parts of my life. I write about things that aid in improving superficial beauty, but my family helps me to remember what REAL beauty is: giving and receiving LOVE...

Until next time...

Ciao, XxO

Q

I WON!

These are my awesome winnings from a Twitter contest ModCloth and I Can Has Cheezburger had about a month ago. I had just joined Twitter so this was a really good way to get me hooked (and now I'm officially addicted to Twitter!)...

LS giggles every time you turn the page in this adorable picture book that feature cute little kitties saying very silly things.

 

This tote bag has been used from the moment I took it out of it's package. It actually caused a little tension between the girls and I; PS and LS want to claim it as their own! 

Thanks so much to ModCloth and I Can Has Cheezburger! The contest was way fun and the prizes wonderful (especially considering how many you had to shell out; it's very generous of you!). Okay, enough gushing from me. But while I'm here...are you a winner too? What kind of contests have you entered and won? What cool swag have you been able to score? Let me know. And don't forget-there are only a few more days remaining in my butter LONDON give away, don't miss out! 'Til next time...

Fashion Forever...

Quinn

xoxo

PS- Use promo code "mama" at Anique Michelle online boutique through October 31 for a 15% discount! 

Quickie

I wrote a post the other day about the hubby entering LS in the Gap Casting Call... Well voting is now open! Click the link to vote for my little munchkin girl...http://bit.ly/3lP0Tu
'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn


And don't forget the give away and the Anique Michelle discount. Back to slumberland go I!

Closing (in on) the Gap

My youngest daughter is the hubby's firstborn and spitting image. It would be the understatement of the century to say that he is utterly infatuated with her and has been since birth (as well he should be). So it was not a huge surprise when I realized that today is the one year anniversary of the first time we took her to have studio pictures done; in fact we have averaged at least one session a month since that first photo shoot.


Equipped with that knowledge, as well as the fact that we have been snapping pictures of her constantly (with both of our Blackberry's and the family digital camera) since her introduction to the world, it should also not be a shock to me that at this most recent photo shoot, my 16 month old daughter actually posed. And I don't mean the normal hamming it up for the camera that she's been doing for months now (though she really went to town this time; the hubby was playing her favorite MJ jams and she had an audience to perform for), but full on hand on her cocked hip, over the shoulder looking, head tilted to the side posing. Not to mention the precocious smile and animated dancing. Suffice it to say, it was a fruitful session, so much so the hubby wants to submit her photo for the Gap Casting Call.


Now of course I think she's a winner (we definitely have the makings of a little model here; not to mention her big sister, her photo session is next week) and obviously so does the hubby (he's ready to go out and get her a manager/agent). But I'll admit, we may be just a little bit biased. So I'll ask you, what do you think? Is she Gap material? Should we consider a career in child modeling? Let me know. 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...

Quinn


BTW-All the clothes she's wearing in the pictures (including the headband and those adorable sunnies) are from GAPkids (we think that may improve our odds). Her jewelry (bangle in the first picture and earrings throughout) are courtesy of one of my lovely sponsors Bebe Bling. You'll be hearing more about them soon. Also, stay tuned...I'm starting my first giveaway tomorrow and it's HUGE!


PS-FYI: Though we really are entering our girls in the Gap modeling contest dealie, I'm so not a stage mom it's not funny. I'm my girls' biggest cheerleader in everything they do, but something about the baby/child modeling world totally skeeves me out. So take this post with a grain of salt; it was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek. Just don't want you guys to think I'm some creepy pusher. I'm just the proud, yummy mummy of two intelligent, precocious, thoughtful, beautiful girls! Okay... enough gushing. xoxo

Lusitania or Titanic: You Be the Judge

When I made the decision to blog, I also made the decision to devote time to educating myself (to the best of my ability) on my chosen subject matter. To that affect, I immediately ordered subscriptions to several publications: Vogue, W, Elle, Marie Claire, etc. I anxiously began to check the mail everyday (who am I kidding, most times I sent PS out to the mailbox), in anticipation of receiving these harbingers of style, my connection to the world of fashion at large.

See, up to this point, my day, my life, my world has revolved around being a wife and mother. I live and breath for my family. Every month I got no less than four parenting magazines and Women's Health (in an effort to motivate me and give me direction as far as losing the baby fat). But my subscriptions to In Style and Glamour...I let those lapse. And somewhere along the line, I let myself lapse too.

Life is about balance. Recognizing all the things that you are (to yourself and others) and endeavoring to give them equal play in your life is a challenge we all face. I struggled in that race for equilibrium for a while. But doing this has helped to restore some of my balance.

Imagine my delight when PS came back from the mailbox with the first Vogue from my subscription (prior to that, I had purchased the September issue sometime in August and the October issue in September) and then my sudden dismay at discovering that, though it was October (and my subscription had been placed in late August), I had received...the September issue. Though slightly annoyed, I calmly called customer service and explained the situation and the nice lady on the phone was very sympathetic and understanding and resolved the issue to the best of her ability. All in all, I was appeased (though still slightly annoyed) and decided to give one of the copies to my budding fashion designer. Problem solved, right?




Not so much. A few days later, I am once again overjoyed when PS returns from the mailbox with a publication I immediately recognize because of it's distinctive size, W. While I had at a point in my life been a regular reader of Vogue, this was my first experience with W and I was beyond ecstatic to familiarize myself with it's sophisticated style. So you can bet I was crestfallen when I discovered that it is not the November (or even October) issue that one would expect at this time, but the September issue...




So I hop on the phone with customer service, once again, and come to a similar resolution, once again. Then I come to a realization-both periodicals are owned by Conde Nast. And the mothership is having issues, n’est-ce pas ? Six of their major publications have been discontinued in the last two months or so (Domino, Cookie, Gourmet, Conde Nast Portfolio and two of their wedding titles) and layoffs abound. So maybe I should just be happy that I received my magazines at all; they seriously have bigger things to deal with right now.

But now I'm worried. Are these beloved bastions of style and taste and fashion and pretty in danger? Will we wake up one morning to discover (probably on Twitter if you're anything like me) that the fashion Bible that is Vogue is no longer to be printed (though if they wanted to drop the guillotine on French Vogue it could be forgiven. I mean really, black face as an artistic statement, COME ON!)? Oh fashion gods, let that black day never come!

Well darlings, mommyhood is calling me, so I must be off. Do you have any suggestions as far as additional magazines I may be interested in? What are your must read monthlies? Let me know. 'Til next time...


(And don't forget, through the month of October, you can get 15% off at Anique Michelle boutique by using the promo code "mama" at check out!)

(Oh and the covers pictured here are both October issues and obtained from Conde Nast)

Fashion Forever...


Quinn

All Good Things Must Come to an End?

Long, long weekend. Up with the girls at 5am Saturday and Sunday. Got to dress us all up (my girls are pretty pretty princesses!), and see some folks I haven't seen in a long while. I am astounded by the love and kindness of some very special people in my family's life. All in all, a good time was had by all, and now I'm beyond exhausted but feel obligated to write (in a good way), so here I am.






On the fashion/style/beauty front, I made a few acquisitions this weekend (in an effort to bolster my resolve to start posting pictures) that are directly related to previous blog posts (here and here), so now I'm actually excited to take pictures to show you guys!

I also got my first tube of Kiehl's Lip Balm (in Mango, so yummy!).


It's so good you guys! So now I'm totally tempted to splurge and get the six pack special anniversary set...


It includes Original, Vanilla, Mango, Coconut, Mint, and Cranberry scents. It's $32 which breaks down to about $5.34 per tube and they're normally around $8.50, so it's a decent deal. Plus they're fabulous!

So I'm thinking... To buy or not to buy, that is the question. I'd love to get some feedback. Are there any Kiehl's users out there that can let me know if I really need 6 tubes of lip balm all at once? What's the average life span of a tube for a pretty regular user? And, since I already have a tube of the Mango, it's possible that I may work this in to a GIVEAWAY (instead of just passing the tube on to PS like I usually do)! This is all contingent on response though, so let me know: is Kiehl's the best? Or is my balm buck better spent elsewhere? Inquiring minds want to know. And who knows, maybe you'll receive a balm for your thoughts... 'Til next time...


Oh, and stay tuned... The Go-Girl promotion might be over (thank you to everyone who participated; it'd be cool if you let me know what you purchased!), but stay tuned tomorrow-Mama has something else in the works for you!


(And as usual, you can click on the pictures and it will link you to the page where you can purchase the sited products if you are so inclined. The pictures were obtained from www.kiehls.com)


Fashion Forever...


Quinn

In the Great Green Room...

So sleepy, but I must write. It's been a very long day fueled by very little sleep. But this morning I was fortunate enough to have the wonderful Jennine (of The Coveted and IFB fame) actually respond to my email! I was beyond flattered and I am so grateful to her for having started the IFB; it's an invaluable resource and I'm very honored to be a part of it. She suggested that as a fashion blog, I really need to have more pictures on my site. And I have really taken her feedback to heart.

I disclosed my trepidations about putting pictures of myself up on the blog in a previous post, and it's obvi that I have not been able to get past them (yet). But a new day is coming. I'm picking the perfect outfit from top to bottom. I don't want to give off the appearance of trying to hard, but I want my debut to resonate from a place of insight and meaning. So look out world, 'cause here I come! But not tonight, because there is a quiet old lady whispering "hush..." 'Til next time...


(And don't forget-you have until Sunday to get 15% off at www.shopgogirl.com. Use Promo code "GOGIRL." Hurry!)


Fashion Forever...

Quinn


FYI- The post title and the bit about the old lady at the end are from the classic children's book GOOD NIGHT MOON , written by Margaret Wise Brown with pictures by Clement Hurd. If you grew up in an alternative/parallel universe and did not have the distinct pleasure of having it read to you as a child or conversely reading it to your own little ones, please seriously consider purchasing it (if you click on the book title, it'll take you to Amazon). Your welcome : )

"Some people are just born with tragedy in their blood..."

I would say that I am at a loss for words, but obviously I am not, otherwise I would not be writing this. I just saw my first professional fashion show in its entirety (albeit on my computer). Alexander McQueen S/S 10. OMG. See for yourself...http://bit.ly/19kiwE. Don't worry, I'll give you a second...

You back? Have the goosebumps faded back into your flesh? Did you pick your jaw up off the floor? Do you need to go change your undergarments? All perfectly reasonable reactions to the SPECTACLE that was that show. The shiny floor, the two robotic cameras running parallel down the runway, the erotic backdrop. And the styling! The Donnie Darko hair (well technically, it's Frank's ears), the prosthetics placed around the eyes, and those pale, shimmery alien faces. And the stars of the show: the shoes and clothes. OMG! The shoes (especially those worn at the onset of the show) were something out of a sado-masochist shoe fetishist's dream. What that man did with cut and patterns and colors was beyond amazing. It was OOC ("out of control"). While I totally appreciate the vision, talent, and imagination that went into the creation of all of the pieces, it really got good for me at around the 9:30 mark. You know, when the shoes changed to the ridunkulous shiny, lacquered, platform pumps? And the clothes were feminine and ruffly and they moved so good it made me want to melt.

It was so uber fantastic. It gave me chills. It was breath taking. But let's be real. The majority of those pieces are just not practical for women like me. And that's okay, because a lot of fashion is truly art; and just as every one can not have a Picasso or Monet hanging on their wall, every piece of haute couture or avant garde fashion is not meant to be physically accessible en masse. And that is okay. Even though I may never fiscally be able to even purchase an outfit straight of a Paris runway (nor am I sure if the beauty of something that high end would even translate in my world), I did acquire something very valuable just from viewing that show.

I can be fearless and bold when making everyday choices, particularly stylistically. I have always prided myself on being an individual. I embrace my uniqueness. When people say I'm weird, I say "thank you." That being said, there is a difference in being comfortable with yourself and taking that extra step to actually stand out. Mr. McQueen has encouraged me to shout without saying a word. Though I know he will never read these words, I want to take this opportunity to say to him, "Thank you, sir."

That being said, I feel the need to segue to a different, yet peculiarly related topic. As I said, I am an unique individual. And I seriously and deeply respect other people that are different from myself. Even when I don't understand where a person is coming from (and though this truly applies to all aspects of my life, for the purpose of this post, the focus is on style), and don't necessarily appreciate the aesthetics of or reasoning behind certain choices, as long as it is genuine and comes from a place of personal insight and respect, I can dig it. To each his own. But really-TO EACH, HIS OWN.

In other words, let me be me, and you BE YOU. While "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," at what point does imitation become infringement upon someone else's intellectual property? We all derive inspiration from numerous sources, but when we derive inspiration from individuals, at what point does imitation turn into disrespect?

It's been a long day, filled with many lovely things and a little bit of ugliness. But I take solace in the fact that tomorrow is another day. What is your take on inspiration/imitation? Where do you draw the line between being flattered and being offended when someone is quite obviously mimic-ing you? My inquiring mind wants to know. Post a comment and we'll further this tantalizing stream of consciousness. 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn



BTW: Believe it or not, I actually put a lot of thought in to the titles of my blog posts. This one is a quote from the movie Donnie Darko. And in case you've never seen it, and thus do not get the reference between it and the Alexander McQueen show... here are some pictures of Frank (courtesy of www.depooter.org and www.listal.com)

Land of the Lost

So... I'll try to keep this brief. It's a beautiful, clear blue sky, sun shiny Saturday. I should be out and about, enjoying this lovely, lovely day with the hubby and LS. We even discussed taking baby girl to the playground and taking advantage of one of the spectacular parks that our tax dollars pay for. But here I am, on the computer, my entire afternoon lost in cyberspace.

Don't get me wrong. It's been a very productive and enjoyable day. I just fell like Alice down a hole, where link after link has led me further into the land of fashion/beauty/style on the net. It's truly a wondrous world and I hope to soon be a full fledged citizen of it (as of right now, I still feel like an alien resident on the outskirts).

Anyway, I really think it's worth the time to devote an hour or so (set an alarm or something, because otherwise you too will find yourself looking up at the clock trying desperately to figure out where all the time went) to exploring what is out there in the "blogosphere." When you see something you like, click on some of the sites that they like, and so on and so forth. Expose yourself to something new and creative and beautiful. Open your eyes to appreciate styles that may be far removed from your own, but are fierce and fearless in their unique individuality. Be inspired. And then try to inspire others. Pay it forward.

If you need a way to get started, there are some lovely suggestions on the sidebar. If you have any suggestions for new lovelies for me to discover, feel free to post a comment below. Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn