Work OOTDs

This week has been so great! Last Thursday I moved all of mine and Ellie's stuff to our home where we are finally living full time! It's been amazing to wake up and go to sleep every night here and see Matt everyday. Ellie sleeps so much better too and is so happy. Our night routine is better, the last few nights at bedtime I ask her if she's ready to go to bed and she says "ya" and then we get her dolly, her paci, give kisses and she goes right down. It's so cute! She's also learned where her bellybutton is and points to it when asked. We are trying to teach her where her ears are now, but she keeps pointing to her bellybutton, ha ha! Sometimes she'll get it and point to each one individually when asked, but we're still working on it.

On Monday, I started my new position closer to home and I've really enjoyed it. It's a lot of training and I can't wait to be done and dive in fully. I'm still with the same company, but my new position is a whole new ballgame and a completely different environment than my previous one. It's a lot of fun and I look forward to the new role.

DRESS: Old Navy (Similar here) CARDIGAN: Old Navy HEELS: Nine West Flax Pumps
NECKLACE: Nordstrom (super old, similar here)

TOP: Old Navy SKIRT: Forever 21 (old, similar here) SHOES: Nordstrom Rack (I hate this color, it's very yellow, I plan on getting the Nine West Flax Pumps I'm wearing above in the nude)

I've really enjoyed dressing up this week for work, it's been a nice switch these last few days. I still need to build up my wardrobe with business clothes, I'll just add things over time. I have a lot of blouses, but I need to get more heels, skirts, and dress pants. I definitely want to still wear a lot of color and not just black/gray all the time. It keeps life fun.

Hope you guys are having a great week!

White Plum Giveaway!

Happy hump day everyone! Today's post is brought to you by White Plum and includes an amazing giveaway! See below for your chance to win $50 store credit! They are also offering all Love, Lipstick, and Pearls readers 20% off using LIPSTICK20 for 20% off entire purchase until 7/18.

White Plum was started by Hilary Zwahlen as a creative outlet as she took on roles of wife and mother. Before those roles, she worked as a professional dancer and actor (Ryan Gosling has even said "hi" to her on set of Gangster Squad! Squeal!) and has always had a passion for creativity. She created White Plum as an accessible lifestyle brand. It's an online boutique that offers the latest trends in both fashion and home. When reviewing their company, this section of their About Me really stuck out and I love what they stand for: At White Plum, we've found that the way to succeed as a business is to help our customers succeed; we believe the best deal for you is the best deal for us.

Last summer I bought a pair of floral leggings (you may remember from this post) that were from White Plum and practically lived in them. They were the softest most comfortable pair of leggings in the world. Ugh, I wanna go put them on now just thinking about how great they are. So for the review I wanted to try another printed bottom and give palazzo pants a whirl. I've seen them all over Instagram and thought they'd be perfect for relaxing this summer.

I paired them with a basic tank and a fun necklace this past weekend for a BBQ and some errands. My brother-in-law said they reminded him of Saved by the Bell and he loved them. They were so soft and extra long so they would be perfect to wear with wedges. The fabric is really lightweight and breathable so even though the heat was scorching this weekend in CA, I was still as cool as possible.

The giveaway ends next Friday at midnight and the winners will be announced the following week. Don't forget to enter LIPSTICK20 for 20% off entire purchase until then as well! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can you (h)ear me now?

If you look at my jewelry collection, I have plenty of statement necklaces and stud earrings. Statement earrings though? Not so much. I wear earrings everyday, but always tend to stick with some basic studs. I love the look of statement earrings, but hate the feeling of dangling ones. Solution? Statement studs! After seeing these gorgeous beauties on Kate Mara, I went on a hunt to find some equally gorgeous studs.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Aren't these beautiful? I think they would be easy to wear as well. Not ready yet for something so loud? #3 are the perfect way to to dip your toes into the trend. They are sitting in my shopping cart ready to checkout now!

Let's Catch Up! + Younique Winner Announced!

I’m still going back and forth between homes so my blogging has kind of slowed. When I look at my draft log I have several semi-written drafts that I need to finish. I have them written, but just need to edit or attach the links and photos. Hopefully, I can get completely caught up in the next month because I finally got my job transfer!! (insert yell and dance here)

My new position starts next week and I’m very excited. It’s close to our home and where Ellie will be attending daycare. It’s going to be so nice to not have a long drive (it will only be about 10 minutes versus the 45 I drive now!) and I will be able to sleep in an extra hour or so! Plus, I’ll actually be able to live in our house as a family. It’s been so hard not seeing Matt everyday or having our own space and routine. We've been going back and forth between our house and my in-laws since April. I’m so thankful that they have been sweet enough to let us stay, it really has been a great time there and a huge blessing that we were able to do that.

At my new position (I’m still with the same company), there is a business dress code so I've had to get some new items to add to my closet. At my current position, we went to a casual dress code in 2012 and I wear dresses/skirts for church so I haven’t had a use for any dress pants (or really heels for that matter). I’m excited to dress up a bit for work now and hope to share some pictures of my outfits. It will be a huge shift in my closet, that's for sure!

Two weeks ago, my family from Washington was in town for Disneyland after my cousin’s return from his mission in the Philippines. Ellie and I were able to meet up with them for dinner and had so much fun! I wish we had more time together with them and we’re hoping to make a trip up there this fall. My cousin has the cutest son who is the same age as Ellie and it was adorable watching them interact. To us, they look so similar too! Ellie really is a good mix of both Matt and I, but when I get her with my Dad’s side of the family she is a total Anderson. All I see is our features in her cheeks, lips, the shape of her ears, etc. It’s so amusing to me how her features change so often and how much of both sides of our family I see in her. Genetics are incredible.

We also attended a gorgeous wedding at the Leoness Winery in Temecula. It was for one of Matt’s best friend and he was a part of the wedding party. It was the perfect day and we are so excited for them! All of the details were beautiful, the food was delicious, and they both were glowing and gorgeous! They used the same photographers Matt and I use for our family/maternity pictures, Lovers of Love Photography, and they've already posted some sneak peeks and I can’t wait to see more. Jamiee made the most stunning bride, her veil was to die for and they got some great blowing in the wind pictures of it I’ve been drooling over these last few days. I love looking at wedding pictures, it’s so heartwarming to see such special moments of your loved ones.

This weekend we have ZERO plans (besides for the 4th!) and I can’t wait. We have been waiting for this weekend for months. We’re just going to relax, clean/organize the house, and check out our neighborhood. It’s been hard to organize and stay organized at our new home since we've gone back and forth so much. There’s still plenty to do!

I hope each of you are having a great week and have a fantastic weekend!

Are you my Younique Rose Water giveaway winner? Congratulations Jacqueline!

Baby Must Haves: 12 Months

Wow. So I’m super behind, but wanted to finish up my first full year of baby must-haves. This past year has been incredible and so much fun. Every month was better than the last and continues to still get better. Having a child has enriched my life beyond measure and has been an incredible journey. I want to get all mushy here and write how much becoming a mother means to me, but I’ll save that for another time. It’s really hard to articulate the love I have for her and the joy she brings me.

Here are some fun updates with Ellie, we had her 1 year baby wellness appointment and she is still above average in both height and weight. That’s not a shocker since most “pants” are short on her and I have to size up on the majority of her clothing. She has started to babble with more meaning to what she’s trying to communicate. She has said “up”, "papa", and “mine” a few times and says different variations of “ba” and “bla” for blocks or her sippy cup. She points at everything, brings you stuff, and follows simple commands. She also started walking just a few weeks before her first birthday! Which is tons of fun. It’s amazing how fast she’s developing and growing. It’s seriously ridiculously crazy how our bodies and minds work.

We are still breastfeeding, but are going to start the weaning process. I’m going to possibly do a post about our journey because it really has been a roller coaster. I’m so happy and surprised that we have even made it this far. I would like to nurse for longer, but I’ve barely hung on as it is! I think it will be pretty tough on her, she has started to point to our boppy (which I almost always use to nurse) and pull it to me as well as pulling on my shirt when she’s ready to nurse. I want to wean as naturally as possible, I don’t want this to be a negative experience for us. If you have any tips at all, please share!

Here are some of our most used/played with items this past month:

Small Chair or Seat: We gave this to Ellie on her first birthday and she’s obsessed with her chair. At my cousins' homes they have similar chairs or mini love seats that pull out into a bed and Ellie absolutely loves playing and sitting on them. I remember being a child and loving anything that was small and my size. Now there are so many toys available for children, I’m excited to give Ellie some of the stuff I know I would have enjoyed myself.

Push Toys: I’ve posted about push toys back in my 9 Month Must Haves and wanted to add some new ones. Now that Ellie is walking on her own, she loves toys that are easy to move with her. She loves push toys more now that she’s able to play more with them while walking instead of using it to help her walk. She loves the shopping cart to put her toys in as she moves around the house and take them out. For her birthday she also received fun vacuum and popping push toys as well that she enjoys. It’s so cute to see her interact more with the toys and play with others.

Glow Worm: This doll is Ellie's must have. She sleeps with it every night and has to have it. It sings various lullabies and its face lights up. After 10 minutes it stops playing and the light dims to off. It's great on the nights we put Ellie to sleep tired, but she's not quite ready to fall asleep yet. There's been a few times where she wakes during the night crying because she doesn't have her doll and she reaches out for it and goes back down. I love checking on her at night and seeing her cuddle her dolls, it's so sweet. She'll play and cuddle this doll and now even pushes all of her other dolls tummy to see if they do any tricks.

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Say Please Tea Set: Ellie got this gift as an early birthday present. When we went to Utah earlier this year, my cousin's child had the same toy and Ellie had a great time playing with it. Since getting the toy for herself, I have to seriously pry it out of her hands for bedtime. It's so cute and I love the songs and sounds it makes.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Greatest Hits): Ellie loves music and really enjoys the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse songs. This CD has lots of songs and it's fun to listen to on long drives. She kicks her feet and gets excited when she hears songs she recognizes. I think my next CD purchase for her will be this Now That's What I Call Disney, Vol. 1.

What are some of your baby's favorite toys and items?