Insta-lately.

Where has the time gone?!

I cannot believe we're knocking on June already!

This new life as a mom is definitely crazy, but awesome.

J was out of town all week on business,

so we for sure had a week of mommy boot-camp going on.

Props, high-fives, and fireworks to all you single mamas out there!

Admiration only begins to scratch the surface.

Here's an Insta-glance of the past few days...

{you can keep up with me @elizabetheuna}

Yellow Top: Need this & this, Necklaces: EBay and love this, this, & this 

 Skinnies: F21-old {but want these}, Top: here, Heels: similar, 

Sunnies: here, Jeweled Bangles: Harper Designs, c/o, Tassel Necklace: similar

Jacket: Similar, Pearls: here, Floral Necklace: Similar here and here

Panama Hat: here, Swimsuit: Similar here {also adore this}, Sunnies: here, 

Shorts: old but love these seahorse print picks here and here!

Mint Dress: Stella Rae, c/o {similar here} Necklace: EBay {similar}, 

Bag: Louis Vuitton, Bangles: David Yurman

Hope your weekend's wonderful, guys! xoxo

His faithfulness.

Chambray: similar here, Skinnies: Banana Republic {similar here}, 

Heels: old purchase but obsessed with these, Sunnies: similar here,

Neon Bib Necklace: Ebay, Monogram: Max&Cleo, Bangles: Harper Designs, c/o 

I know it's been six weeks since Hugh was born,

but it really seems like life is just now starting to return to normal...or a new normal, I suppose.

I still don't really feel like myself, but am feeling more like it a bit each day.

Hugh is growing so fast it makes my heart want to swell with joy and break all at the same time.

Goodness I love that boy. So much so that I really can't even wrap my mind around it.

I've been thinking a lot this week about where I was this time last year-feeling empty and defeated.

Dreading Mother's Day after months of being unable to conceive.

This year we're a family of three, celebrating with our perfect, tiny man.

God is so faithful.

Jasper Hugh.

Long time, no see everybody!

I know it's taken me forever to get Hugh's birth story posted.

Finding the time to get my thoughts together the past couple of weeks has been pretty difficult...

welcome to life with a newborn, Elizabeth!

We are finally starting to settle into a routine,

so I'm excited to get back to blogging and connecting with you guys.

Now, let's get to the day our Hugh boy made his appearance...

I shared that we were originally scheduled to go in the morning of 

Tuesday, March 25th for a scheduled induction.

That Sunday J and I took it easy...the calm before the storm, if you will;)

We planned to do everything else that needed to be done-errands, housekeeping items, etc. on Monday.

So after a relaxing Sunday {mani/pedi for me, round of golf for him}, we turned in for the night.

Literally right when I got in bed I felt what can best describe as a "ping," followed by immediate pressure.

My water had broken. Baby time was now!

No real dramatics getting to the hospital, although our dogs were pretty freaked out as

to why Mom and Dad were leaving the house at 11:00 at night.

Hospital bag was packed and ready to go, just a quick change of clothes and we were on our way.

We got checked in to the maternity ward. At first we weren't completely certain if they were going to keep me overnight. The nurse checked me a couple of times. I was at about 2.5 cm, but she was unsure whether my water had broken or not because of the lack of fluid. The incredible pressure and contractions I was beginning to feel-I knew that it had. They eventually determined I had a slight break, think leaky faucet {kind of gross, I know}, 

and decided I would be staying and having this baby.

Around midnight I was really starting to feel an increase in pain, but nothing severe.

Things quickly took a turn though because by 1:00 am I was very uncomfortable and desperately ready

for the epidural. To me it felt like forever, but the anesthesiologist did come pretty soon and delivered the goods. Hallelujah! After that I was feeling comfortable and managed to sleep the rest of the night.

Our families arrived for the big show that morning.

The day itself was pretty low key. Thanks to the incredible staff at the hospital, my pain

was managed so well that I managed to sleep much of the day up until it was time to push.

After about 45 minutes of pushing, at 1:59 pm, our Jasper Hugh was born.

It was so surreal, like a dream. Finally having this little boy in my arms,

 that we'd prayed and tried so hard for.

I feel so lucky that we get to spend the rest of our lives with this boy.

I keep asking myself...what did we ever do before him?

A word from Whitley...

Hello lovelies!  I'm Whitley, and my little corner of creativity is Simply Whit in a Sequined Life, where I like to share my personal style and obsession for anything plaid...

or striped....

or polka dotted...

I just really love patterns :D

I am so excited to be guest blogging for Elizabeth while she enjoys time with her little munchkin (isn't he ADORABLE??), but I know she's excited to be getting back with you all pretty soon!

When she asked me to guest blog for her, I was of course happy to say yes, afterall she did blog for me while I was gallivanting about Germany!  But then I had to think of what I was going to share with you all....I thought about coming up with a genius complicated outfit with lots of patterns and colors, and then I thought about writing a "How-to" style post like how to style stripes for work...And then I thought why not  mix a little bit of both worlds??

Challenge accepted. :)

On most days, I stay pretty buttoned up (no pun intended) because as a teacher, I must look professional.  On the weekends, however, I am more than happy to ditch the pencil skirts and blazers for something easy and comfortable while running errands (I once went to the laundromat in heels...um, why did I do that, again???).  Although I am eager to be as comfortable as possible, I still want to want to look put together (I am a girl, after all)! :D

With the weather (THANKFULLY) getting warmer, thin knits and shorts have finally come out to play...Guess it's time to start shaving my legs on a daily basis!  (Who else has glowing white carpets for legs??)

The Deets:

striped top:  Target (in stores), similar here & here | gingham:  Gap | shorts:  American Eagle, similar

crossbody bag:  Louis Vuitton, love this one | shoes:  Keds, similar | hat:  Target, similar here & here

flower brooch:  ban.do c/o Crystal Feather Boutique | sunglasses:  Kate Spade, similar

If you are like me, and have to dress up for work, and would like let your hair down on the weekends; or if you would just like to step your comfy weekend outfits up a notch, it's a lot easier than you think!    Let's do a breakdown of my outfit: -basic tee -button down -shorts -sneeks -crossbody bag -hat -sunglasses Pretty simple pieces that I'm sure most, if not all of you, already have in your closets!  I took two colors from the same color family (the blush striped shirt and the coral shorts) and then broke them up by using a second color (the mint gingham).  Added a crossbody bag for comfort (anyone else's shoulders get tired from carrying a giant tote all the time??), threw on some sneakers for comfort, and topped it off with a hat to keep my hair from getting tangled by the wind.  The mint flower brooch was a fun piece to add to the hat because it just so happened to match my gingham shirt. :D This look would work with just about any colors; don't have a mint colored shirt?  Try a navy or a yellow, or even another pink shirt in a different shade!  Or try pairing different shades of blue and purple together like this outfit.

This spring, I've really been drawn to playing with different shades in the same color family.  While I still love mixing contrasting colors together (sometimes with not-so classy results....oy!), the more simple the color palettes, the more appeal they've had for me.  Something I've slowly learned this past year in blogging is that you don't have to pair three different colors together to appear fashionable; more often than not, less is more! Thank you so much for having me here on The Book of Leisure, today, it's been fun taking over for Elizabeth! :)  Stop by Simply Whit in a Sequined Life to say hi, and you can always follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. :) Stay Classy! Bloglovin' / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest

Stephanie's newest obsession...

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outfit details: earrings - Zarah Grace, lace tank - J.Crew old {similar <- 40% right now!}, pants - Target, pumps - Jessica Simpson old {similar, similar}, clutch - Clare Vivier, sunnies - Escada old {similar}, antler necklace - House of Harlow old but she's got similar pieces, watch - Michael Kors, all bracelets - Anna Beck.

Hey guys, so since Elizabeth just had her precious little one, I am guest posting for her today! I'm sure you noticed she looked a little like me in these pictures ;) I've never guest posted before, but when Elizabeth asked I was eager to give it a try. I'm a newbie to the blogging world, so I hope you find my insight interesting and will hop over to my blog and check it out [seesteph.blog.com]. Feel free to leave me any comments, suggestions, or even criticism (as long as its constructive :) ). Thanks again for the opportunity to post on your blog Elizabeth! And congrats again on your little angel!

If you follow me on Instagram [@stylemesteph] you've noticed an influx of statement earring posts... well here's why... I have recently been introduced to the Zarah Grace Boutique and, consider yourself warned, I quickly became obsessed with all of Kecia's pieces! Her statement earrings and necklaces are simply to die for, and so reasonably priced that buying just one is not an option! I received these white statement earrings (along with a few other goodies soon to be featured) just last week and I want to wear them with EVERYTHING! These statement earrings are such a fun alternative to a statement necklace. They really dress up whatever you're wearing whether it's a lace cotton tank and some military knit pants like me, or stunning black dress that hugs you in all the right places. Some say the "ear party" is quickly becoming the new "arm party" so feel free to stack these beauties with some of your existing pieces for a completely new and unique look! The Zarah Grace Boutique is also on Instagram and Kecia often posts exclusive sales on her page. Follow her ladies, and check out her store, seriously, you will not regret it!

Showering our boy...

Outfits 1, 2, & 4: ASOS Maternity; Outfit 3: Maxi-Target, Kimono-Bumpstyle Box

One of the best things about getting ready for our sweet little Hugh boy

was getting to celebrate his arrival with our awesome friends and family.

J and I are so blessed that God has put such incredible people in our lives.

I can't wait for everyone to meet our little guy, he's one loved fella:)