I know I only recently wrote a post on sign and using sign languages for babies, but it has been getting better and better.

Lexi’s verbal development has taken back seat to her physical development ever since she started walking, so while she keeps adding words to her vocabulary little by little, her  use of signs has exploded.

The other day I decided that we needed to get out more on the weekends, rather than try to cram as much housework as we can, along with blog work, along with family time. I said “Pfftt! Housework! Who needs a clean and organized house anyways!?” (that’s my philosophy lol) “Let’s go to the lamest freaking bbq show in the worst part of town!”

Ok, I didn’t know it was going to be lame! Or that it’s in THAT part of town. Or that the “petting zoo for kids” meant a lizard and a tired panther in a cage.

COUNTRY GIRLS!

These outfits make me want to find a pasture and sit back in the sun with a straw in my mouth and a dandelion in my hair while the cows are loudly chewing on grass around me.

We wore this to a La Leche group meeting a friend invited us to a few months back.

This has got to be my favorite onesie that I bought for Lexi. It’s by Sophie Catalou, bought through MyHabit. I barely even shop for myself there anymore, but some of the children’s brands they feature are so amazing.

This was the 2nd time she wore shoes and was kind of still freaked by having something on her feet. Luckily, that passed and now she is a proud wearer of 6 pairs of PediPeds. And you should see her running around with her one arm trusted out and holding onto our hands with the other arms. It’s the cutest thing ever. (video in due time)

What we wore

I’ll start with the latest outfit photo from a few days ago.

As you can see, I cut my hair. I do a short haircut every 2 years and then grow my hair out again. This time my hairdresser girlfriend, who was visiting from Switzerland, practically forced me to cut it because I was damaging it badly by wearing it in a bun ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I wasn’t planning on going THIS short and was a bit shocked when I touched my hair and realized how short it was. She said it was necessary to cut off all the damaged ends… Oh well…

After about 2 days of going back and forth on whether I like it or not, I was starting to really dig it. The biggest complaint I had before is that my only option for a hair style was a bun or a ponytail. Now I am having fun wearing it down, having fun with styles and the way it was cut it is SOOOO easy to style it. I’ve never had my hair cut this particular way. I wake up and my hair is ready to go. I also had her cut bangs so that when I do wear it up, it looks more styled.

It looks awesome lightly blow dried and looks great air dried, too ( my hair has a strong wave to it when not blow dried). I am not planning on keeping it short, I’ll be growing it out, but a change is always fun. By the time it grows out again in year, I’ll be ready to cut it short again a year later.

One tip she gave me for bun wearers is to give scalp massages daily, because it promotes the growth and keeps roots healthy.

;

Elena

Hair flower: Hopscotch Boutique on Etsy

Studded Tank top: MyHabit

Skirt: Victoria’s Secret

Sandals: Boutique 9 from MyHabit

Alexis

Hairband: Ruffles and Fringe on Etsy

Onesie dress: Zulily

;

Formula

I have a can of elemental formula (powder), Neocate that we bought as a backup back in the first few weeks of breastfeeding when we were concerned about supply. I also have a 6 pack of Similac Alimentum.
For those who don’t know what elemental formula is: it doesn’t contain milk or soy proteins, it’s basically broken down to amino acids, so it’s impossible to have allergic reactions, or gas or reflux using this kind of formula.

Because I am a big believer in eliminating milk proteins out of infants diets (whether through breastmilk or formula), I would like to mail it to anyone who is currently feeding their baby standard milk based formula and their baby is experiences any gas, reflux or colic symptoms regularly.

Both will expire by the end of the year and I would hate to waste it, so if anyone is interested in it, let me know in the comments.

{formula is claimed, thanks for your emails}

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t journal my life in NYC as a model. (There isn’t much else I regret) What an awesome blog would that have made!

I just don’t know why I didn’t, but the thought didn’t even cross my mind, even though I had a blog back then, that I put on hold while modeling.

Not only did I not write about it, but I failed to take any pictures that weren’t with my cell. I guess when your job is to be photographed, the last thing you want is more photography. So I would snap quick pics with my cell when I was bored and that was that. But how much fun would it have been to write a blog about the fabulous underbelly of modeling?

But instead I have hundreds of low quality iPhone shots from castings, shows, shoots and life  ( well plus a bunch of unrealistic shots from my portfolio that would say nothing about what being a model is like).

I guess it would have been strange walking into castings with a professional camera or dragging this heavy bohemeth with me to shoots, dinners, award shows and clubs.

I still, to this day, have certain designers or casting directors call me (via assistants, of course) to be in a show or promoters texting about a club opening or some event they are inviting me to. I haven’t been in the business since 2009 and have let them know I’m no longer in NYC. But I guess connections are everything, aren’t they? I remember I always thought it was strange how some casting directors thought you were THE SHIT and others thought you were “Meh!” How opinions differ. And how much luck is involved in making it as a model or not. I would have really liked to have stuck with it long enough to see but I started way too late and soon it was time for us to think about kids. Right before I left NYC for good (at that time I didn’t know I was not going to come back. I was only going home for the holidays, but ended up deciding to stay), I was sent to a casting for American Eagle’s new line Aerie. See, the way things work is you go to anywhere from 1 to 10 castings a day and if you’re good, you might get one or two that day (depending on the size of the job). If these are big castings (like campaigns), then you can go for months without getting any big ones (because the competition is fierce). But it’s all about making sure you have steady work and if you’re new to the scene, like I was, it’s also about making connections and building your book.

JOBS:

1. fashion show prep

2. bridal shoot in Miami

3. same bridal shoot. I just LOVED that dress

4. After a show in our model’s apartment

5. a bridal show

6.another fashion show (after hair/make up)

7. showroom

8. some shoot

9. going home after a shoot (people on the subway probably thought I was crazy with that make up, but i had no time to remove it since i was already running late to a casting)

So the Aerie campaign casting went well but I didn’t even give it second thought, because chances were that someone else with a kick-ass book would get the job. That was until I got a callback and then after that a hold (a callback is when they want to see you again after having narrowed down their choice to fewer girls and a hold is an actual hold put on a certain day making sure the model is available for them for the day of the shoot while they are trying to decide between 2-3 girls). This was huge -to be put on hold by American Eagle. It was between me and another girl. I had to delay my flight home but didn’t end up getting the campaign. They picked the other girl because I was “just too European looking for AMERICAN Eagle”. Totally understandable. And damn my Russian genes! (ok not really)

Just random in mirror shots of outfits I wore.

1. Getting ready for Halloween
2. Going to a party (BCBG dress)
3. not sure what that photo was lol
4. dressing room
5. this is how skinny i was. and that’s how skinny you HAD to be to model seriously (in NYC). I was not the skinniest girl by far. Yet strangely enough I was healthy, ate healthy, excersised. A bit of an akward pose too.
6. Trying on a gown for some award show I was going that evening
7. at the gym (boo, I want my abs back)
8. going to a party. I think this was for Britney Spear’s birthday at Tenjune and she never showed to her own bday party, but there were stilt walkers (it was during the circus album)
9. going to a casting
10. going to a casting
11. going to a casting
12. going somewhere (apparently)
13. this one is funny to me, because I look soooooo tired. I rememeber clearly it was the morning after some really late party night
14. going to a party
15. going to a casting
16. My christmas dress

I did have fun though. Oh how much fun I had! Would I let my daughter model? There’s nothing I won’t support Alexis in doing but, like hell, she will go there alone until she’s 18, only if I can travel there with her. That’s even if that is something she wants to do.

I’d love to do a regular Flashback Friday post, but I gotta be realistic. I have almost no time and a million more relevant posts that I want to write, so this type of post will have to be a spur of the moment kind of thing, like this time.

Welcome to Week 8 of Pregnant with Style feature, a weekly low down on the cutest and little known maternity brands.

{Discover other weeks and maternity brands here}

ISABELLA OLIVER MATERNITY

is today’s brand.

Some of you might have heard of Isabella Oliver or seen ads on the Internet. It is a British company started in 2003 when the creators saw the need for beautiful stylish and comfortable maternity wear. They’ve even been awarded the Queen’s Award (How cool is that?)

I can’t think of another company that makes such elegant feminine maternity clothes. Most of their styles are form fitting which is perfect during pregnancy when you want to show off your bump ( because let’s admit it- that’s the only way to look pregnant and not fat).

Here’s some of my favorite items from Isabella Oliver:

1. Ruched Breton Button Top  2. Midi Ruched Skirt  3. The Everyday Blazer  4. Tuck Detail Tunic  5. Ruched T Shirt Dress 

It was very hard for me to pick 1 item to go with, and after a lot of deliberation I choose the Ruched Tank Dress in red.

Remember my obsession with red dresses? Well, it’s alive and kicking.  To date, this is my favorite dress to wear out. I feel like the red color dresses it up a lot, so if that’s not for you, this dress comes in a shade of black that is perfect for everyday wear.

What I love about this particular dress:

• I love what it  does to my bump – in this dress I don’t feel thick or wide or big- it accentuates the bump in a way that makes the rest of me look thin (-ner).
• Because of the stretchy material and the ruched style you can wear it any time during your life, whether you’re pregnant, postpartum or just like to look amazing.
• The simple neckline that goes low enough to show off my cleavage {the only time in my life that I get to have one}, but not too low to feel overly exposed.

I just can imagine myself wearing this dress going on stroller walks with Alexis and  hubby around town and looking fabulous. Oh and did I forget to mention that Angelina Jolie wore the same dress in black when she was pregnant?

Right now Isabella Oliver is running a 25% off maternity dresses promotion with a code THANKS. Also they carry a non-maternity line that is equally amazing! And you can win this dress by entering below {you don’t have to be pregnant to wear it, btw}

And it just so happens that Isabella Oliver is on Zulily right now at 70% off. FUN!

Oh and can we please give a round of applause to my friend’s adorable baby who is the best model ever!?

Here’s how to win this dress in a color of your choice: