Rock Shic

#400 Ko So Good

Poached egg w/caviar and fingerling potato chips

Savory chicken legs w/olive puree and anchovy sauce (love the little circle of condiments to the right!)

Momofuku Ko possibly needs no introduction, as it’s been around since 2008, and is operated by the famous David Chang (who also runs Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, and the Milk Bar in NYC, not mention various other spots sprinkled throughout the world).

Oh yeah, and he’s got plenty of Michelin stars, James Beard awards, radiant reviews à la Adam Platt (NY Mag) and Frank Bruni (NY Times) to last him a lifetime.  Underachiever, this man is not.

That said – thankfully, it is no longer as monumentally difficult to procure a reservation at Momofuku Ko as it once was, some five years ago.  This comes as a relief, since… well, on top of everything else that I’ve been dealing with lately, who has time to stalk a reservation website at precisely the right hour at the right day of the week?

The savory experience, however, at the twelve-seater restaurant, lives up to its seemingly untouchable reputation.  This was my first time, and surely not my last!  The ten-course meal you get is both inventive and intricately put together (crackling pork skin is par for the course for David Chang... but shaved foie gras with lychee?!!! Mais oui!).   

Even if this were my last tasting experience prior to Nukie’s arrival (which, at this rate, it well could be)… I think I’d be okay with that.  

Spanish mackerel, with black sesame and bites of watermelon, both beautiful and delicious!

Lightly poached diver scallops!

A gazpacho of cucumber, avocado, & macadamia nuts... like a rite of Spring!

Tortellini with Peekytoe crab and saffron

Shaved Hudson Valley foie gras w/riesling jelly, lychee, and pinenut brittle, I wish it looked as awesome as it tasted!

Arctic char with roasted chanterelles, zucchini, and citronelle sauce (a wonderful balance of flavors and textures!)

Ice cream of "winter green" w/cherry mousse stars over a disc of chocolate (scrumptious both for the eyes and the taste buds!)

Coconut-lime sorbet w/torched meringue, frozen bananas, and shortbread cookie crumble (watching the meringue getting torched was also a delight!)

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#399 Elegant Expecting – Week 36 – The Final Countdown

Dress: Theory (last seen here) | Silk Shirt: Zara | Shoes: Melissa Campana | Bag: Skunkfunk (from Barcelona) | Sunglasses: Cole Haan | Necklace: from Blessed Peacemakers       

I must admit, this post comes slightly overdue, as I’m already into my 37^th week.  Though in a way, I feel as if the 36^th week really serves to highlight the final phase of my maternity style (much as it marks the beginning of the ninth month!).  Almost there.

As much as I like to complain about the various discomforts of pregnancy (swollen feet, a general sense of heaviness, so on and so forth), I feel like I’m finally coming into my own in terms of dressing (and feeling!) pregnancy chic, as I am at a stage where I feel truly comfortable and adaptable in what I wear.  It hasn’t always been easy, and there’s certainly been lots of trial and errors along the way, but figuring out your maternity wardrobe is a key step for any mommy-to-be.   In a way, I will miss my maternity wardrobe when it's all over!

Looking back, I realize that the seventh month (starting with week 28) was a real game-changer for me.  Prior to that, I thought that I was *humongous*, but little did I know what was in store for me! The beginning of the seventh month was also when I realized that I was better off in form-fitting (read: tight) clothes, rather than trying to “hide” my bump (a futile effort at this point).  

I’m particularly fond of this Theory dress, namely because it’s served me well over the years, and surprisingly, it isn’t actually meant to be a maternity dress (though the cut and ruching might suggest otherwise).  I actually first wore this piece here!

The key now to styling is all about balance and proportions.  My fitted dress, while dominating on its own, works quite well with the flowy nature of my Chinoiserie-inspired Zara shirt. The texture of the silk cover-up also lends an air of lightness and freedom to the black/clingy fabric of my dress. 

While the overall busy pattern of the shirt may be overwhelming for the office, it’s perfect for a weekend outing!  In this case, we were going to see the limited showing of “Journey to the West” (“Xi you ji”) at Lincoln Center, an iconic Chinese classic which (bizarrely) hubby and I both grew up with! (Who knew that they would have this in New Zealand also?!).

That said, one could easily argue that my Oriental inspired get-up was well suited for the occasion.  Now I just have to work out ways to integrate this look into my post-pregnancy wardrobe.  Something tells me that it wouldn’t be too difficult!

I have to say, some of the perks of being pregnant, if you will – are great hair and great skin. Rock it while you've got it ladies!

The bump on full display!

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#398 Musings on Wedding Invites

A personalized invite from our wedding, which I have right by my bedstand.

Save-the-date postage has never looked so classy!

Weddings, much like babies, are quite the industry!  Both are equally life-changing, and I suppose in many respects, one is a harbinger for the other.

Lately I’ve been thinking quite a bit about wedding invites, namely because we keep getting them... as ‘tis the season for weddings!!! We had one in June in San Francisco, and three in September!  (Why, just this time last year we were gearing up for our wedding in Rio!).  

While I’m remaining cautiously optimistic, hubby is of the opinion that we may not be able to attend some (or all?) of them, given that they are all a few weeks past my due date.  Ah well, what does he know anyhow – where there’s a will, there’s a way.

That said, I love receiving personalized wedding invites, as I believe that each of them encapsulates a little bit about the individual, not to mention the couple.  Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe in the sanctity of invites, as they just add a little something special to the occasion than an Evite (though I guess you could do whatever you want these days, it’s *your* party afterall).

The bonus of putting in extra effort on your own wedding invite, is that you can even use it as a memento later on in life, and I find that to be quite nice!! For instance, our wedding invite still sits in a frame next to our nightstand.  When it’s not covered by junk (aka when it’s actually visible), the mere sight puts a smile on my face. 

Wedding Invite #1: Hand-pressed invites! DIY vintage perfection.

Wedding Invite #2: Country-chic in the Catskills

Wedding Invite #3: Urban style and fashion

Love the small personalized touches!

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#397 Project Nursery – Step 4: Rug Hunting

Baby nursery in its current state (we're still using our Stokke Crib as storage!)

Our ultimate rug of choice: the Cutouts Wool Rug by West Elm!

It’s been nearly a month since I’ve had a chance to update project nursery (thankfully it hasn’t been that long since we’ve actually worked on it!).  To be fair, I try to do a little bit each day (okay per week), but now that my due date is fast approaching (I’ve stopped counting the days, for now, so as to not pysch myself out).

Of the things that we’ve recently had to work on, was procuring the right rug for the nursery.  You’d think that’s a relatively easy task, but for some reason it took us a good week to achieve any results.  Namely, I think we wanted different things.  Hubby wanted something practical (e.g., durable, noise-canceling, good for moving furniture around w/o scratching the hard-wood floors, and soft enough for the baby to crawl on at a later stage). All good points!  I, of course, was approaching it from a more aesthetic angle (e.g., will the construction and the design of the rug fit the overall color-scheme of the nursery? And will the size be overpowering for our little second bedroom?).

In the end, we went with the West Elm Cutouts Rug (5x8).  It somehow fulfilled all of our criteria (miracle!), and was within budget (I didn’t see a whole lot of point in splurging big on a kid’s carpet, so somewhere like West Elm was a great fit!  Plus, I’ve always liked their style). 

My key takeaways from the overall carpet-finding experience:

1)      Always have a couple of ideas of what you’re looking for.   In our case, we (okay, I) knew that we were looking for something relatively modern, with some fun but neutral colors (think yellow, grey, with maybe a dash of orange) and designs infused (below are some final contenders I liked):

Alternative Option A: The Keys Rug (CB2)

Alternative Option B: The Lourdes Sanchez Swirl Wool Rug (West Elm)

2)      Having done your research on-line, it’s good to then streamline your options to say, one or two (or three and four). In our case, we nailed it down to our top three choices (the Cutouts, the Keys Rug, and the Swirl) and proceeded to execute the plan. 

3)      I highly recommend going to the store to take a look for yourself.  It’s super tempting to buy on-line (believe me I looked! Overstock, eBay, Amazon, Pottery Barn, you name it), particularly with a busy Manhattanite’s schedule.  That said, when we did go to West Elm in Chelsea (followed by CB2 in Soho), I quickly realized that what I thought I wanted (e.g., the Swirl Rug, funky as it looked in photos, see above), was just waaaay too busy in reality.  Same went for the Keys Rug from CB2, which had initially been a top-contender, but in real life was just a sheer disappointment (the yellow being too dominating and not quite right).  Trust me, the trip you make in person is well worth the hassle of returning and/or exchanging at a later date!

Real life staging of the Cutouts Rug at the West Elm in Chelsea, not as posh as the magazines, but you get a much better sense of what the rug actually looks like!

Hubby arrived at West Elm first, and sent this to me :)

4)      Photos, photos, photos – okay, so I have a tendencey to take this notion to the extreme because I blog and I tend to be pretty visual in general, but there it was invaluable for me to take photos of the nursery (in its rough form) and photos from the manufacturer’s own website (sometimes it’s worth visiting their social media sites too, as they tend to provide more up-to-date visuals there). 

The winner: the Cutouts Rug

5)      If you have the time, try and visit a couple of architecture/design blogs on-line (I personally liked the Decoist, Apartment Therapy, and House Beautiful).  Personally I found this approach to be both useful and inspirational for ideas, you never quite know what you'll find! (For instance, how fantastic is this Mr. Fox rug from the UK?) 

In the end – project rug, time consuming and all-encompassing as it was for a condensed period of time, was well worth the effort, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!  Hope the Nuke will dig it too.  

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#396 Nuevo Latino by ABC Cocina

Happy Saturday!  It’s been a rather hectic week, which sadly prevented me from writing as much as I had hoped to.  Nevertheless, I’m back on track (at least I hope so!), after catching my second wind.  Speaking of seconds, I was even thinking last night that I’ll start writing two posts per day… (of course, I had that flash of inspiration just moments before I passed out, so we’ll see how that ambition goes!).

Today has been a rather busy day for us, as per normal.  We spent a large chunk of it dedicated to baby prep – interviewing baby nurses and the like.  Luckily, we did have an opportunity to sneak away to meet some friends for a leisurely Saturday brunch (yay!), where hubby had the wise intuition to put a moratorium on “baby talk.”  Sometimes – you just need that.

We checked out this new spot called ABC Cocina in the Flatiron (which I had recently read about in the New Yorker), brought to you by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who also runs, among other things, the eponymous Jean-Georges on 1 Central Park West and the lovely ABC Kitchen right nearby.  This place recently replaced Pipa, a cute tapas restaurant adjacent to the furniture store ABC Carpets, which was always adorned with parades of chandeliers (presumably from the furniture store itself), and also happened to be a favorite meeting spot for my old book club.

As it turned out, the spirit of tapas still lives on at the new ABC Cocina, serving some of the best sangria I’ve had to date (admittedly I haven’t exactly been imbibing tons of sangria, as you can imagine).  I highly recommend the white passion fruit sangria – which hits just the right note of refreshment for the summer. 

My verdict?  Go, go, go!  It’s on the pricier end (but hey, this is New York), and the seasonal menu, in true ABC/Jean-Gorge fashion, does not disappoint (much of the ingredients were sampled fresh from the nearby Union Square farmer’s market).  For me personally, the peekytoe crab/corn fritters were a standout, as were the many different taco options (hubby’s chipotle chicken tacos w/grilled jalapeno salsa disappeared within two nanoseconds).  All of our dining companions were sated and happy by the end of the meal. 

Plus, it’s nice to have a break from baby-prep every once in a while – bring on the sangria and the farm-to-table tapas! 

Crunchy mexican spiced french toast and apricot!

Brunch w/some Spanish flair – housemade chorizo sausage, peekytoe crab and corn fritters, bacon, and patatas bravas

White passion fruit sangria, yummy!

 

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#395 Styling Portfolio – Prints Charming

Whether florals or dots, the designs should balance each other out (here it's best to stick with a basic black and white palette with just a dash of color)

Lately, I’ve been so wrapped up with all things baby prep that I haven’t had a chance to do many styling sessions.  Lo and behold, yesterday I managed to squeeze in two back-to-back client sessions and had an absolute blast!

As I am reviewing my clients' respective Lookbooks tonight, I can’t help but relish some of the work we did.  These days, I am all about the concepts of “thinking outside of the box” and “shopping your own closet,” (I suppose building a maternity wardrobe with an ever-changing body will do that to you!).

To this end, I’ve been particularly crazed about mixing and matching prints and patterns.  Who doesn’t love donning some unbelievably cool combo that (when worn right), will garner you loads of compliments?  Now, the tricky part is getting the combos just right – but with the right balance of colors, proportions, and accessories, you can become an instant mix master!! (With just a handful of pieces, I swear!).

At the end of the day, this is why I love the art of fashion consulting and the ability to explore my creative side so much. 

…now, back to the real Prince Charming (aka the Royal Prince who was born today! Weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces no less!!).  

I love the art of doing more with less – the mod prints on this black and white dress is fantastic, and you can really play it up w/shapes and proportions! Mix it up with a tee? Drape a soft chambray over it? It all works! Again, don't be afraid to experiment with colorful accents (I am loving the yellow belt & the funky tribal necklace combo in the middle).   

Sometimes, all you need is a versatile top (like this floral mini right here), and there are multiple ways to mix and match! Even something as simple as switching statement necklaces will give you a different look (see above panel).  The possibilities are endless. 

For a vintagey/"Anthropologie-esque" vibe, pair it up with a nice neutral color, like the mustard-color cropped top to your left. For a more casual day-look, chambray will never lead you astray. Lastly, to exude a feminine/flirty energy (especially on this curvy bodacious bod right here), a fitted lace top can serve as the perfect complement! (I woud add a skinny belt just to play up her tiny waist and lovely curves).

This again, is a great example of how to wear that "funky," patterned piece in multiple ways!  Sometimes, we fall in love with a single item off the rack, but then become positively stumped when it comes to actually wearing it day-to-day (I am certainly not immune to this dilemma).  Though with a little bit of orchestration and prodding, you can truly explore all of your options!!! After all, it's a shame to let such a beautiful piece go to waste, wouldn't you say?  

#394 Baby Shower Etiquette – Bonnie Marcus Thank You Cards

I framed our Bonnie Marcus Thank You card for the Nursery! You can also check out her cutie-pie Sonogram frame in the back, which I plan to feature another time.  

I once heard a colleague say, “I hate writing Thank You cards, but I am always very thankful.”  This bodes true for me, since I myself am rather poor at writing Thank You notes myself, even though I distinctly recall the wonderful sensation that overcomes whenever somebody does something nice for me.  To this date, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I may have never finished writing all of the Thank You’s for our wedding, which was nearly five years ago.  But that’s a whole other story.

However, I always remember receiving a Thank You note (regardless of how bad the penmanship or how impersonal the card), and each time I would think to myself, “oh how nice of them!”

It’s never too late to turn over a new leaf (though old habits do die hard), but how could you resist using Thank You cards as delightful as the ones below by Bonnie Marcus?  Perfect in the aftermath of my recent baby shower!

I had first come across the designer (rather haphazardly) via her whimsical “Expecting in Style” flip flops (featured here), which I’ve since then brought with me everywhere, including my birthday trip to Barbados.  They’re so me! I thought to myself… really, what girl wouldn’t want to covet these?  In fact, Bonnie’s flip flops played a role in my decision to launch my Elegant Expecting series, which have since then brought me tremendous joy and fulfillment along my pregnancy journey.

So imagine my delight when Bonnie (a total mompreneur herself) wanted to do a collaboration with RockShic!  I was thrilled (not to mention honored).  Bonnie Marcus actually launched her “Fashion meets Paper” business during her third trimester – kudos to the woman! Her custom-made Thank You cards have garnered me tons of compliments along the way (“they’re like wedding cards!” a friend exclaimed when I handed one to her).  In fact, I love them so much, I even decided to have one of the cards framed – keep an eye out for its appearance on Project Nursery!  For more on Bonnie's chic baby paraphernalia, check out her "Beautiful Baby" line.  

Now, I just have to hunker down and focus on finishing writing my Thank You cards!  For my baby shower that is… the wedding ones will just have to wait.  

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#393 Elegant Expecting – Week 35 – Heat Wave

Photos taken at Washington Square Park, NYC

Dress: London Asymmetrical Drape Dress by Donna Morgan c/o | Shoes: Michael Kors | Bag: Kate Spade | Lace & crochet top: Cecilia Prado | Bracelet: Incognito Vintage from Manhattan Vintage | Glasses: Fendi

This past week has just been absolutely brutal temperature-wise! (And here I thought that week 34 was bad).  With so much to do still for Project Nursery, not to mention a ton of places that remain from our Manhattan Baby Shopping List – what’s a girl to do?    

Ordinarily, I don’t mind the heat.  In fact, summer has always been my favorite time of the year… where I could put on a sundress, some heels, show a little skin and off I go!  Light, airy, not a care in the world.

Okay, so that’s not exactly how I feel at the moment (heaviness, with an ever lingering backache at the end of the day, is more akin to what I feel).  Though that said, there’s no reason to skimp on the cute summer dress part!

In comes my London Asymmetrical Drape dress by Donna Morgan, which I love (and which, as you can see, can be worn post-maternity as well!).  The patterns are feminine, light, mod chic, and surprisingly flattering for this preggo mamma!  The drape dress also pairs perfectly with my white lace and crochet top by Cecilia Prado, a Brazilian designer I've recently come across whose knitwear and swimwear I quite like.  Add some nude pumps and I'm ready for anything!  (Don’t worry, I packed a pair of my trusty Tieks in my purse just in case).  

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#392 Punk Couture at the Met

I feel a bit guilty, as this post has long been overdue – but they say, better late than never right?

Lately, particularly as I get closer and closer to my due date, I have this overwhelming desire to squeeze in as much “culture” as possible (in fact I just made a date with a girlfriend earlier today to do some museum hopping this Friday!).  Call it a case of preemptive nostalgia? 

As a matter of fact, my Gilt order of some rock and roll onesies from the label Mini Shatsu actually inspired this post.  I went and saw this exhibit a looooong time ago (same time I caught the Impressionism exhibit actually).  Was I blown away?  Yes.  Did I think that the punk couture fashion was positively fab and larger than life? Yes, yes, and yes!

From DIY inspired hardware to rap and rock, to hoops, tattoos and Mohawk artistry, there certainly wasn’t a shortage of fashion inspirations – both within the exhibit and outside (as many attendees at the Met also dressed in the spirit of Punk). 

One thing that could certainly be drawn from the exhibit, bigger is indeed better, a concept I can full-heartedly endorse.  Go and see for yourself, the exhibit ends August 14^th!  

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#391 Blogterview Feature – Bird a la Mode

Happy Monday!

­­I've come to realize, more and more – just how much I love Mondays.  It marks the start of the week, so in many respects full of hope and new ideas!  You’re more or less better rested from the weekend, and ready to kick-off a new adventure, with brand new possibilities.  In fact, increasingly, at the start of each week, I try to make a “goal list” (cheesy I know...) and if I can cross off something akin to 50-60% of that list, then I’m a happy girl!

That said, one of the things on my list has been to post a new Blogterview series (it’s been a while!).  Given this brand new direction I’ve taken in life (on the road to mommy-hood!), and my new ventures related to maternity styling and baby nursery prep, I’ve been naturally taking on a greater interest in mommy style blogs out there. 

Turns out, there’s not a shortage of mommy sites and on-line resources!  (Surprise, surprise). I’ve had the good fortune of coming across this lovely blog called Bird a la Mode, and had the fantastic opportunity of getting to know its author, Shannon – who somehow manages to juggle her blog, her beautiful children, husband, travels, moving – all whilst looking fabulous and being on top of everything. 

Impressive!!!  

Read on and learn more about Shannon – her take on beauty, style, travels, & raising her adorable kiddos!

RockShic:  Tells us a little about what inspired you to start your blog?  

Shannon: As a family, we travel a lot together.  On a family trip over Christmas to Hawaii, I was swimming with my son Hudson, and my Husband had his phone out taking pictures.  I knew right then, these moments were much more important than just a quick snap of a camera phone.  I really wanted to capture these memories and preserve them.  My camera phone pictures posted to Facebook was not a great way to chronicle our adventures as a family.  I also love fashion and food and my family, so I incorporate these interests in my Blog as well. I thought a blog would be a great way to combine all of my interests and share them.

My first Blog post for Bird a la Mode was in mid March, so I have been  blogging now for about four months.  However, I love blogging and am so fascinated by the creative process and the memories and friends made along the way.

RockShic: What would you say is the primary theme of your blog?

Shannon:  Bird a la Mode is tailored really to anyone with similar interests as me.  I think originally I envisioned it for my close family and friends, but the Blog has grown to an audience much bigger than I originally envisioned.  I now have people I have never met corresponding with me and reaching out to ask questions or discuss new ideas in Fashion or Travel.  I love the opportunities and relationships I am gaining because of the blog.  I focus quite a bit of attention to activities I am engaged in with my family, while highlighting fashion, travel and fun family ideas.  I am working on incorporating some more food and design Ideas, as these two areas are big interests of mine, that need some more attention on the blog.  

RockShic: In three words, how would you describe your style?

Shannon: Fun, Flirty and Functional!

RockShic: Tell us about your favorite design/designers?  Does it change seasonally?

Shannon: I wouldn’t say my style changes as much with season, as it does with my interests or situation with my children and family.  My favorite designers have evolved as I have transitioned from a college student to wife and now mother.  Also, as I learn more about fashion and what my inherent style is, the designers I turn most to have evolved and changed with me.  Currently, I am loving  Kate Spade, Burberry & Nanette Lepore.  Of course I am always dreaming of Chanel & Prada! I have my eye on a great Prada bag for this fall that should be making an appearance on the Blog!!!

RockShic: Speaking of season, what are some of your favorite looks?  

Shannon: I am very into florals and nautical themes right now.  I love summer and all its style options. My husband Dallin is from the East Coast and I fell in love with all the coastal and nautical inspired looks of the beach town he grew up in.  Florals and pretty prints and light materials for summer is most of what I am currently wearing.    For Fall, I really am looking at a lot of Black and White mixes.  I also really feel that leather, tweeds and patterned sweaters will have a big presence in my Closet this fall.   

RockShic: As a stylish mommy, what would you say are your maternity must-haves?

Shannon: I loved wearing ASOS maternity dresses while being pregnant, and swimsuits. Honestly I believe it is very important to take care of yourself, especially when you are pregnant. From shopping, eating right, and exercising. I used bio oil to prevent stretch marks. I used Assets, Target's version of Spanx by Sara Blakely immediately after childbirth to help move my hips back in and pull my stomach in. And my hospital water bottle. It’s good to stay hydrated and curve your appetite with a whole bunch of water!!!

RockShic: Tell us about some of your favorite baby fashion!

Shannon: When our oldest, Hudson, was born we wanted to dress him in cute looks that weren’t too “heavy” looking.  We wanted our baby to look like a baby.  This theme still influences our clothing choices.  We shop for clothes that make our children look and feel like kids, without being too cartoonish or like a walking billboard.  We shop Crew Cuts along with several European brands such as Mayoral, 3 Pommes, and Petit Bateau.  We did throw in a few Designer items as well, just to spoil him a little!! (We love dressing our children!).  For my babygirl Holland, we style in a very similar fashion, and since she is so new (1 Month) we are excited to watch her grow and find her style as we shop for her.  

RockShic: What about your favorite styles/fashion for men?

Shannon: For Men’s style, I am definitely into men looking and dressing like they care and pay attention to detail.  I love clean looks that are unique and fit is very important for the modern man. Baggy or improperly sized items have been donated!   Dallin is great to shop with. If I feel I love something he buys its and wears it, even if at first he is hesitant.  So I do help him know what I think looks great on him, however one of the things that most attracted me to him was his great fashion sense and that he wasn’t afraid to take risks with his style.  He also dressed like a man, not a boy when I met him.  Men in their 20’s tend to struggle with this.  I love RRL, Marc Jacobs, Nudie Jeans, and Paul Smith on Dallin. 

RockShic: Given all of your travel experiences, what are some of your favorite destinations?

Shannon: In December we went as a family to Maui, Hawaii with our good friends. It was so much fun because even Hudson’s really good friend Capri was there with us. We also really loved going to Atlantis in the Bahamas. That would have to be my favorite vacation spot and one that I am dying to go back to because it is such a kid friendly vacation with so many activities for every age group. Not only was it a beach vacation, but a water park/museum as well. There was so much to do without ever having to leave the hotel property.  

Pink maternity swimsuit (ASOS)

RockShic: While you’re on the go – what are some of your travel essentials?  

Shannon: My Bugaboo Donkey (last seen here) is a MUST, along with my Medella Pump. When we are on the go my kids are always strapped in the donkey. I also hate nursing in public, mostly because it’s a 40 minute process for me. Whereas pumping takes me 15 mins, and then I can give Holland a bottle even while on the go.

RockShic: Tell us about some of the blogs that you like to follow?  

Shannon: Some of my best friends are bloggers, Emily with the Ivory Lane, Rachel with the Pink Peonies, and Amber with the Barefoot Blonde. Those are the three blogs that I follow – as I love their styles and most of all I like to check in on my good friends!