What I've been wearing lately (early 3rd trimester, part 1 of 2)

 I just entered my third trimester and I'm still feeling pretty great. Since we found out we're expecting a little boy (awwww) we've been busy talking and reading to my bump and planning a nursery in hues of sage green, grey, ecru and espresso. We're getting pretty excited to meet this little one!

It hasn't been practical to take photos in real time, so I did a blitz of outfits I've worn in the months since my last post, split into two posts. This one covers late winter and the next early spring. I'm 28 weeks pregnant here, or 7.5 months. 

My pregnancy uniform has included more black, flats and lower heels, layering on top, and cinching or detailing just below the bust. 

Check back in next week for part two!

xx

Top - RW&Co outlet

Poncho - Majora, thrifted
Pants - Old Navy Maternity
Shoes - Aldo
Earrings - Hand-me-down
Ring - Winners

Sweater - DKNY outlet

Pants - Motherhood Maternity

Jacket - Paola Prata, consigned

Shoes - Anne Klein via Saks Off Fifth

Earrings - Ardene

Bracelet - BHLDN

Ring - Winners

Leggings – Gap

Top – Motherhood Maternity

Cardigan – Rebecca Ruby, thrifted

Scarf – Consigned

Boots – Aquatalia

Earrings - Gift

Ring – Winners

Jeans - H&M Maternity

Top - Bylyse, on loan from my mom

Ribbon - from RW and Co sweater

Blazer - H&M

Shoes - Coach outlet

Watch - Cole Haan

Pants - Theory via Saks Off Fifth

Belly band - Old Navy Maternity

Tank - Motherhood Maternity 

Cardigan - Twik, on loan from a friend

Shoes - Coach outlet

Earrings - Gift

Ring - Winners

Pants - F21 via clothes swap

Tank - H&M

Blazer - Banana Republic

Shoes - Aldo

Necklace - Le Chateau

Earrings - Hand-me-down

Long-sleeved tee - RW and Co outlet

Tank - Lululemon via clothes swap

Leggings - Gap

Shoes - Cole Haan

Dress - Blumarine, consigned

Vest - Calvin Klein via Winners

Tights - H&M Maternity

Shoes - Coach outlet

Bracelets - Aldo accessories, Toronto boutique

Tank - Pea in a Pod Maternity

Blouse - Larry Levine Signature via Winners

Pants - Theory Saks Off Fifth

Shoes - Aldo

Ring - Hand-me-down

Earrings - Gift

Tank - RW and Co.

Pants - Old Navy Maternity

Blazer - V.O.K.

Necklace - Road Trip

Shoes - Aldo

Earrings and ring - Hand me down

Turtleneck - French Connection

Skirt - Ann Taylor, on loan from my mom

Boots - Aquatalia

Tights - H&M Maternity

Earrings - Le Chateau

Top - Trf via Laura 

Pants - Motherhood Maternity

Shoes - Aldo, thrifted

Earrings - Moon Rocks

Bracelets - Aldo accessories and Toronto boutique

Ring - Winners

Dress - Jacob

Cardigan - Neiman Marcus outlet

Tights - H&M Maternity

Boots - Aquatalia

Necklace - Aakriti Designs

Hail Caesar!...salad

This is a monster of a Caesar salad. I didn't follow any particular recipe but tried to make sure it had a good balance of veggies (romaine, peppers) and proteins (chicken, eggs, prosciutto). And of course a few tasty morsels tossed in. That is to say, FRIED CAPERS. Ohmygod. Forget what you know about those pungent, briny pearls. Frying capers transforms the flavour and texture into something milder and aromatic, with a pleasant light crunch. Sooooo good. Make a batch and save the leftovers for pasta or beef carpaccio. Mm-mm. 

So, the salad. You know you want it. 

xx

To prepare chicken:

Shred 1-1/2 cups of roasted or rotisserie chicken. 

To make hard-boiled eggs:

Place 6 eggs in a saucepan and add cold water until the eggs are submerged by at least 1 inch. Add 1 tsp white vinegar. Bring to a slow boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and allow eggs to simmer for one minute. Remove the saucepan from the element, cover, and allow to sit to 12 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Remove and dry the eggs, then discard the shell. Coarsely chop.

To prepare prosciutto:

Cut up 6-8 slices of prosciutto in small strips. Dry heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the prosciutto. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until the prosciutto is starting to brown and turn crispy.*

To make blackened peppers:

Core and deseed 4 or 5 red or yellow peppers. Cut in half vertically, then place on a baking sheet skin-side up. Roast at 450°F for 20 minutes. The skin should be mostly blackened. If not, broil for a few minutes further. Using tongs, place the peppers in a large sealed ziplock bag for 20 minutes. At this point the skins should slip off quite easily and they can be discarded. Dice the peppers. 

To make roasted garlic:

Cut the cap off a head of garlic so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly in foil. Roast in the oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Squeeze out the roasted cloves and mash with a fork. 

To make capers:

Drain, rinse and thoroughly dry 1 jar of capers, reserving 1T of the brine. Pour enough canola oil into a small sauté pan to cover the bottom. Heat oil on a high setting it reaches 350°F. Add the capers and sauté for 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan, until light brown. Drain well on paper towels. Set aside 1/4 cup of capers for the recipe and refrigerate the rest for a later use. 

To assemble salad:

Wash and tear up 1-1/2 heads of romaine lettuce. In a large salad bowl, toss lettuce, chicken, prosciutto, eggs, peppers, garlic and capers with commercial or homemade Caesar salad dressing, croutons, grated parmesan, cracked pepper and fresh lemon juice to taste. 

*'Health Canada recommends dried and salted deli meats in pregnancy as a safer alternative to non-dried deli meats.' 

What I've been wearing lately (2nd trimester)

a.k.a. the arrival of the bump

What they say is true: the second trimester is AWESOME. I've been lucky and had an easy pregnancy so far. Still, it was nice to get a surge of energy after the never-ending fatigue of the first 12 weeks. 

These photos were taken around week 19 (4.5 months 5.5 months), when many of my pre-pregnancy clothes still fit over my growing belly. Some of the best pieces have been my thrift store finds! 

Posting will continue to be erratic but I have a couple of recipes I can't wait to share, and I'll take more outfit photos now that I've really transitioned into maternity wear. So, keep checking back in!

xx

I wore this beloved thrifted skirt often in the early stages of pregnancy, just hiked up a little higher. Nowadays, I wear it partially unzipped with an elastic belly band over top (about $8 from Old Navy's maternity section) and a longer top to cover

Skirt - Joseph Ribkoff, thrifted

Blouse - Adrienne Vittadini via Saks Off Fifth

Blazer - Banana Republic

Earrings - Aldo Accessories

Shoes - Aldo Outlet

I didn't wear this cardigan much pre-pregnancy. I like how it frames my belly in these photos, and gives the whole ensemble a bit of a scholastic vibe. I wore this midi-length skirt hiked up over my belly. While it's got sharp tailoring, the material is basically sweatpants so it's nice and stretchy. 

Skirt - Femme de Carriere

Tee - Banana Republic

Cardigan - Atmosphere, clothes swap

Necklace - Hand-me-down

Shoes - Via Spiga via Saks off Fifth

These high-waisted, faux leather (and very expensive) leggings have been amazing through the first half of my pregnancy. Bonus: you can dress like you're going to a club, throw on a black blazer and no one at the office will say a peep because she's pregnant.

I even took these pants to my tailor to see if she could temporarily turn them into maternity wear. When she answered no, I stored them away and bought a pair of faux suede maternity leggings from H&M. 

Leggings - Wilfred via Aritzia

Black tank - Winners

Sequined tank - Sportsgirl

Blazer - Mexx

Boots - Aquitalia via Century 21

This empire-waist dress with darts accommodated my growing belly well in the beginning. However, it's non-stretch and eventually got too snug. Sidebar: I find myself liking the look of cardigans a lot more. 

Dress - Calvin Klein

Cardigan - Banana Republic, clothes swap

Boots - Aquitalia via Century 21

Necklace - consigned

Elastic-waist trouser-style pants = much-needed breathing room.







Sweater - Winners
Pants - Vero Moda
Shoes - Via Spiga via Saks off Fifth

This stretchy knit wool skirt has a lot of give below the elastic waistband. I can wear it hiked up, so long as I'm wearing a top in a thicker fabric. 

Sweater - Olsen, thrifted

Skirt - Carroll, thrifted

Shoes - Via Spiga via Saks off Fifth

Earrings - Laura

Bracelet - R&W Outlet


This dress is fully lined and clings in all the right places, thanks to rutching down the sides. I wore it for a winter wedding reception, along with nude maternity tights from H&M. 

Dress - Ralph Lauren Outlet

Shoes - Aldo Outlet

Clutch - Bob Mackie, consigned

*Sigh* I look forward to reuniting with these leggings again. 

Leggings - Wilfred via Aritzia

Long-sleeved tee - Guess

Vest - Calvin Klein via Winners

Shoes - Aldo

Scarf - Sirens

These boots were a splurge purchase when I visited a friend in NYC, even at 50% off. But they fit like a glove, keep me toasty warm, are weatherproof (!!) and, so f*#$% comfortable. I can't say enough great things. No wonder the Duchess of Cambridge is a fan of the brand.

I sang the praises of this wrap top in a post from two years ago (here) so I'll save repeating myself.

Leggings - Wilfred via Aritzia

Top - Rebecca Ruby, thrifted

Tank - The Bay

Boots - Aquitalia, Century 21

Necklace - Laura

Spinach power salad with citrus vinaigrette

This is a salad of superheros, filled with all kinds of healthy proteins, leafy greens and sweet, fresh citrus. After indulging over the Christmas holidays, and again during a winter getaway to the sunny shores of St. Martin, this kind of healthy eating is exactly what I was craving. I'm the kind of person who needs carbs at every meal, so I tried a trick I picked up in a men's magazine and added some quinoa. I loved the pearly crunch it lent to the dish. This recipe is my own and serves 4-6.

To make salad:

Wash and dry one bag of baby spinach. 

Peel and section 6-8 mandarins. 

Finely slice 1/3 red onion. 

Dry saute 1 cup whole almonds in a frying pan over medium-low heat until fragrant and starting to brown. 

Cook 3/4 cup quinoa with a mixture of 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup pineapple juice. I let it cook a tad longer than the instructions called for to get the bottom a bit crispy.

Shred 1-1/2 to 2 cups of roasted or rotisserie chicken. 

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.

To make citrus vinaigrette:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, 1/4 cup of pineapple juice, the juice and zest of 1/2 lemon, 2T lavender honey (can substitute regular honey), 1 tsp minced garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the amounts depending how tart you like your vinaigrette.

The vinaigrette has a tendency to separate, so pour it into a small Mason jar and shake vigorously before using. Allow salad to absorb vinaigrette for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Any leftover vinaigrette can be refrigerated for future use.

Turkey, mushroom and pepper strata

Let me just say, I did this blog post a huge disservice, visually speaking, by sprinkling Guiness-flavoured cheddar on top of my dish. Most cheese turns a nice golden colour under the broiler. Cheese that's already brown ends up looking like shiny black worms... Let's move on.

I took my ham-and-pesto strata recipe, stripped it down to the essentials - bread, eggs, cheese and milk, then built it back up with new ingredients: turkey scallopini, portobello mushrooms, diced tomatoes, peppers. The peppery sharpness of whole grain mustard lent a nice savoury touch to the dish, as did a stronger cheese.

For the uninitiated, here's how wikipedia defines strata: "[...] brunch dish, similar to a quiche or frittata, made from a mixture which mainly consists of bread, eggs and cheese. It may also include meat or vegetables. The usual preparation requires the bread to be layered with the filling in order to produce layers (strata)."

xx

To make, pat dry approximately 500 g of turkey breast scallopini. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then shake off excess. Heat 1T oil in a hot pan and sauté turkey for 1 minute per side, until browned. If the turkey is still a little pink in the middle, don't worry as it will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the turkey and set aside. Lower heat slightly, and add more oil to pan. Sauté four portobello mushrooms, three red or yellow peppers, and 1/2 small onion all cut into 1/2" dice, plus 2 cloves minced garlic, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slice a day-old whole grain baguette into slices 1" thick. Spread whole grain mustard on half the slices and canned diced tomatoes on the other half. Top the tomato slices with the turkey and vegetables, then add the mustard slices to make mini sandwiches. Line the bottom of a 9x12" baking dish with the sandwiches placed on their sides. Sprinkle about 1 cup grated cheddar on top (I used a Guiness-flavoured cheddar). In a bowl, whisk 5 eggs with 2-1/4 cups of milk, and pour this on top of the cheddar. Cover the baking dish and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to let the bread absorb the eggy milk mixture. Sprinkle a little more cheddar on top, then bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.

{a more appetizing photo}

Slope style

All this image is missing is the dancing flames of a crackling fireplace and a steaming mug of cocoa. I'd also take a mountain full of fresh powder...

I did get to wear this for a equally wintry pursuit: a New Year's Eve get-together at a log home, nestled on a rural property filled with snow-capped trees. In Great White North tradition, we played flip cup in the garage. Our clunky winter boots were lined up on our feet and - because our friends are getting to that age - the baby monitors were lined up on the workbench, ready for one parent or another to slip away.

I was 13 weeks along in this photo and my bump was just starting to protude :) I can see these fleecy leggings (a $7 Winners find) and this adjustable top being in frequent rotation over the next few months!

xx

 

 

Top - Charlie via Laura

Leggings - Winners

Scarf - Halogen via Nordstrom

Socks - Brand unknown

Earrings - Hand-me-down

Some news from a second glance

Hope you all had a fun and festive holiday, filled with good food, warmth and laughter. Ours was extra-special this year. I'm happy to announce that

♥ B and I have a little one on the way in 2016 ♥

We are over the moon with happiness. 

I could have renamed my last post 'trying to pass for a non-pregnant person at work'. Even though my wardrobe options are getting more limited, I'm looking forward to styling my growing bump!

xx