Being pregnant for nearly a year of your life is quite a commitment. It's a huge mind shift, but ultimately you are the same with some obvious perspective changes. Friends with kids can relate, friends without can only listen. It's a strange time. This art really spoke to me because it's how I have felt off and on throughout this pregnancy journey: distorted. As we near the end (9 days to go!) I cannot help but crave my pre-baby body and the ferocious need to meet this human I've been growing and then become my own person (totally changed and never really my own person in the same way as before, of course) once again. Here's a little about the artist:
Distortion is something that is very hard to make beautiful, but through her popular distorted gauche portraits, artist Henrietta Harris has managed to do just that. The artist and illustrator uses her paints and pencils to create imagery that is sometimes fun, yummy and colorful, while at other times managing to be dark, thought-invoking and inspirational. Read the article and her interview here.
With the upcoming debut of Baby Griffin and the changing of the seasons plus the promise of my "old" self (never really to come back again, of course) returning I cannot help but fantasize about fall fashions. So exciting to be able to wear clothes again! Although, I must say, the perks of an all cotton, all stretchy wardrobe cannot be downplayed here. This post is titled as such because, ahem, these are all accessories. I'm not sure how long my post baby body will take to shape up, but I am hopeful that it won't take too long. Eek, maybe by my 30th birthday? Perhaps not. We shall see. Here are a few of my favorite things for fall 2015.
So. Many. Things. We just bought and framed this limited edition poster from the photo project 'Caledonia Jane' by Emil Hartvig. Buy it here on Playtype. The size is great (70 x 100cm) plus the minimalist design and go get 'em attitude really resonates with me. Also, did I mention it's for the nursery? Yup, it's for Winnie's nursery. No pressure, lil lady. Here's a link to the nursery post for more details.
Writing from a construction zone. Any woman who has had a baby can tell you that nesting gets really expensive really fast. Suddenly everything you've wanted to do to your home, but have not because of money, time, etc. becomes TOP priority. Well, my friends, I am no different. We've just recently updated the backsplash (sorry about the crappy cell phone pic). We selected a modern, houndstooth style white marble by Allen+Roth from Lowes. For the price and the quality it cannot be beat. Buy it here.
Picture mid-construction zone, sorry. (pics of final product coming soon!) In this pic you can also see our paint color selections for the front room and kitchen/dining. I LOVE grays.
Next up we are painting those terrible cabinets a high gloss white to match the trim and the doors. Then we will work to select some hardware. We are leaning towards a darker selection to draw some of the black out of the pre-existing granite counter tops and tie it all together. Ideally, we would be updating the countertops too, but let's try to keep things realistic for one second. Did I mention that this is impossible because of the nesting? Yup, it's rough.
MyKnobs.com(sounds so dirty, right?) is where this bad boy came from. I really like that it is dark without being all black. Something like this will probably work, we are also looking at these cup pulls with a matching knob situation for the cabinets (these would be for the drawers). But I am thinking they are a bit too played out... Thoughts?
As I might have mentioned, I cannot travel or really leave the house for that matter thanks to the heat. Therefore, I am working as much as possible to pass the time. Know some that can use my A Brand Strategy Consulting services for their small or medium size business? I would love to meet them. Need help fixing a botched website you mistakenly outsourced to India? I can do that. Need some help making your social media actually mean and DO something? I can do that too. Want an affordable yet gorgeous and modern new website for your company or online store? Contact me and Become a Client today!
These two words are almost an oxymoron, but I can say that thanks to Asos.com it's not totally the case. I'm living in body con black or black and white striped tight, body con style dresses and white Birkenstocks. Yes, me wearing something with "body con" in the title. Pregnancy does weird things to you. I am also living in this Asos shirt dress and my new Beaded by W extra long tassel necklace.
All is well here in Babyland. About 7 weeks to go, give or take a few days if she decides to show up early. Things are hotter than hell here in Houston, Texas. I am mitigating it the best I can by joining my fellow septuagenarians at the YMCA downtown for water aerobics a few times a week. My swelling is at some sort of defcom defcon 5 level but at this point, who cares? It's a wash. We are just ready to meet this girl and get this party started!
Waiting this out without being able to be at my best friend's wedding in Santa Fe is rough, but I'll get through it. First of many sacrifices for this baby. The new normal! Bye for now.
I have been MIA for a while, I know, not the best blog management. What can I say? 2015 has been a hold-on-to-your-freaking-hat roller coaster ride. We are having a baby girl in September. My company, A Brand Strategy Consulting, turned 1 in May. One of our dogs keeps lunging through windows to get to squirrels. Not kidding.
Long story short my focus has been on me, Brad, our dogs, our cat, plus this growing life that appears to be taking up all of my internal square footage and then some. Oh, and my company - did I mention that? 30+ clients...
Wonder why I haven't blogged about Miss Winifred Louise Griffin? Honestly, I think it was based in superstition. Some close friends have lost babies and you always hear the worst stories, so, I wanted to keep this little nugget out of the spotlight as long as possible while I figured out how I felt about this entire thing. That sounds negative, but it is a huge mental shift to go from me to we within your own skin. I had a really rough first 14 weeks or so (seasick/hangover/barf-olympics anyone?) and then got real big real fast. Now I am 27 weeks along and about to cruise into the 3rd trimester (phew!). And by cruise I mean heavy friction slide my new big thighs into 3rd base. So sexy right now. After two consecutive weekend of amazing baby showers with friends and family I feel ready to blog a bit about my baby and nursery style - hah, that sounds crazy to me! - in the hopes of giving some of you insight into crazy pregoland.
SO MANY THINGS. Here are some things I went with for her registry and nursery. Many of these items were on a must have list that has been circulating amongst my new mom friends - let me know if you need it and I will send it your way, seriously sharing is caring. See Winnie's entire registry on Babylist here and some of her Pinterest boards here and here.
This is easier said than done, but having made the leap in the last year I am so grateful I did. Some days I feel guilty that I have so much free time and choice in what I can do that day. I am working through that guild in favor of acceptance and gratitude for this life of mine.
Uh oh, I hear echoes of my first 2015 New Year's resolution. And so it begins!
These shoes are the epitome of chic right now. I love the Valentino Rockstud designs and these booties are a billboard for why. Perfect proportions, just the right amount of punk rock, and the luxury of the materials used. Le sigh. Christmas present, please, anyone?
The 90s are back! I could take or leave this latest trend, but this semi-retro chic street style lady is a nice blend without going roll-your-eyes over the top. Interesting without being a fashion cliche.
There are two times a year that you will catch me clamoring through the slow-loading pages of fashion week street style shots. It's like sweating an addiction waiting for the next page to load. So many of what I see are inspirational and interesting in a way that my day-to-day choices are not. Of course these ladies are simply playing to their audience with their choices and not necessarily to real life limitations. That being said I'd like to kick off a new series I will lovingly call Street Style Review.
Similar to my previous posts including the WTF Trend of the moment (remember the backwards blazer? Oh 2010, you shouldn't have.) I'd like to take a second to review some of the best and worst looks from the latest fashion weeks all over the globe. Images include NYFW, London, Paris, and Milan. You may see some of my commentary and think - wow, what a hater - well, I am no hater, but I am person with an opinion and a strong love for fashion. I just want consumers to be wary that these trends do not translate to the streets of Houston, Texas.
PS. We are having a lovely time in London. The weather has been just dreamy and the city is even better than I imagined. There is so much to do and see that it is a bit overwhelming. Brad and I are also still getting our sea legs with the jet lag, but I am positive tomorrow will be better. Our hotel is right next to St. Paul's and the Millenium Bridge. We are staying at the Grange Hotel. I am running A Brand Strategy from here and so far, so good. More on London with pictures later this week. Promise! For now, please follow my Instagram @aftonbailygriffin for more.
Glamorous, understated layering at it's best. Gorgeous.
Ah, the 90s. This outfit represents the absolute worst of that decade's trends. Sry.
I love the monochromatic nature of this look. Understated chic without being boring.
This to me is a literal reminder of why couture clothes should stay on the runway. She's struggling to do the easiest task ever in those sleeves. No thanks.
She manages to hit every trend on the books and only feel a teeny bit like she's trying too hard. Overall she nailed it whilst (see what I did there? London!) looking super cool too.
There were a lot of gals that went full on underpants dance this year. Def NSFW.
I love the mix of the textures and the use of the blue pattern in two places. The culottes trend is flattering on no one anywhere, but this chick manages to make them look interesting.
These 3 ladies were seen a lot of places and their hats were part of the shtick, but overall a resounding NOPE.
Ok, ok, this one DOES toe the line, but where else in the world could one wear this and get this legit picture?
Answer: No where but here. Ps. Is that you Brooke Candy?
Is it just me or did she run out of the house and leave a few buttons undone?
This vato look is a resounding NO. Even with those abs.
Ok, it's not officially that day, but it is the first day it has felt that way in Houston so far. With mornings in the 50s what else could you want? To win the lottery? I'll give you that.
In keeping with my favorite shopping season of the year (F-A-L-L) here is my latest installment of Fall Must Haves. Check out my picks for fringe and gray wears here and here.
We are counting down the days to our European vacation, but in the meantime I have a list a half mile long of to-do's before we go. I do plan to have my cell phone on me and will work the first two weeks. Not sure how much work will be getting done, but there is something to be said about working remotely - even if it is in a super distracting place. Ah, just breath! Let it go!
Work is going great. Had a blast speaking to the University of Houston American Marketing Association folks last week. Other than that we enjoyed traveling to the Texas State Fair and the TX OU game, watching a ton of fall fresh TV (hello Homeland and How to Get Away with Murder!), and just spending time with friends (we will miss you, Maz!). Hopefully your fall is going great too!
Please enjoy this little ditty by George Ezra that I cannot get enough of...
Well, I promised you an update and here goes nothing! A Brand Strategy Consulting is having it's best quarter ever - not too hard considering we are just starting our 3rd quarter, but that being said I am still totally floored. Everything everyone says is true: JUST DO IT when it comes to your dreams. Of course, my business wouldn't be the same without lots of great clients with tremendous amounts of patience and vision. Especially excited and thankful for the Janet Gust Design Group's work. Their new website is the coolest site I have EVER built or seen: www.janetgust.com Please check it out. Also, pumped to welcome fashion blogger SheShe to the client roster. See her nearly completed blog remodel here: www.shesheshow.com. She's the coolest grandma I've ever met.
Now for the big reveal: Brad and I are counting down the hours for London! That's right, we are GOING FOR REALS. We are going to be there for 2 weeks and then splitting the 3rd week between Paris and Rome. Have any recommendations? Please leave them in the comments below! Cannot wait to get out of the country and have some one-on-one time with my red-headed-wonder. He and I also just celebrated our 1 year anniversary. Can you believe it has been 1 YEAR since THIS? Me neither. Marriage is great.
What else? Ah, I bobbed my hair real-real short. (ICYMI it's on Instagram here) Meant to go about 2-3 inches longer, but they got carried away and I just went with it. Here's to easy short hair in Europe and dealing with all of the gender stereotyping. I swear I am still cool and youthful. Damn it.
The clothes! I am loving all the clothes this fall. Fringe and gray are two of my favorite things. Happy shopping!
