Blanqi Maternity/Support Leggings

Today I am very excited to share about my very favorite maternity item: my support leggings! 

I heard about Blanqi via Instagram and was super intrigued by the promises they made. I had already added to my maternity collection and found the leggings I owned to be too much pressure on my sensitive stomach, too saggy in the front, or too restrictive throughout my expanding hips and thighs (pregnant ladies… am I right?!) So to say I was skeptical would be an understatement. 

However, as I assume most of you expectant mothers are, I am desperate to feel more supported, comfortable and secure throughout my day. It was recommended to order a size up to ensure  that the tights are not see through, which I did. I sized up to a medium and it was the PERFECT choice. 

My Blanqi maternity leggings are my favorite maternity piece for a multitude of reasons. To break it down, I identified the things that make them above and beyond other maternity leggings. 

Seamless:

I cannot tell you how many times I take off other pairs of pants and see lines ingrained in the side of my legs. Being pregnant comes with its own set of discomforts, and the last thing I need is my movement restricted and my skin being dug into it. With Blanqi, you won't have ANY of this! Completely unrestricted movements and no pressure on my thighs. 

Supportive: 

It's a fine line with maternity gear. You want fluid movement, but you also want to feel "held in". Somehow, Blanqi has managed to achieve this all in one! The stomach portion of the leggings is designed for maximum comfort and support. No awkward pressure, but I still feel like I am held in place. 

Multi-Functional:

Well, I wear these leggings everyday. I wash them constantly so that they are always available! 

I am able to wear these to work and dress them up. At the same time, I have worn them to work out in! They hold up beautifully, are NOT see through, and are completely breathable.

Finding a pair of pants/leggings that I can wear ALL DAY LONG has been absolutely priceless. I was hesitant to purchase a pair as it's hard to know what to invest in for pregnancy clothing. But this item has paid for itself over and over. I would recommend these pants to everyone expecting and I would buy myself several more pairs! 

I already have my eye on the Postpartum Nursing leggings and cannot wait to try more Blanqi gear. Being pregnant is not easy… finding clothing that is comfortable and makes you feel good is SO important. Get your pair of maternity support leggings HERE! 

Special thanks to Blanqi for the privilege of trying their leggings! All opinions are genuine and mine alone. 

Big thanks to Rocking J imaging for capturing my favorite leggings 

ofw {apricot lane}

I feel like Fall is officially here and it is HEAVENLY! I love the crisp air and getting out on walks/rides without suffocating in the humidity. Who's with me?!

As previously mentioned, I am a little delayed around here. We've been doing some upgrades to the home which means our lives have been torn apart! Luckily, we are back in business and I'm so ready to share my Fall Omaha Fashion Week look with you all!

I've said it before and I'll say it again… Omaha has a fabulous variety of local boutiques (both in store and online!) It is the greatest thing ever in my opinion! I love being able to shop local. 

Apricot Lane has served me well over the past couple of years. I found my "vision" rehearsal dress there for my wedding and have been returning to check out their gorgeous merchandise ever since!

It was a pleasure to meet Janee, the owner of Apricot Lane, who help us put together our Omaha Fashion Week looks. I owe this entire look to Janee (and her sweet mom!) who made sure this outfit fit me to a T! I promise, you will be VERY well taken care of at Apricot Lane! Not only do they stock the latest in fashion, they take great care to make sure their customers are satisfied. 

When I saw this shirt I could NOT get away from it! The colors scream Fall to me and I am not quite ready to give up the OTS look! It was perfect. 

It's not super obvious, but the back of the top is open! I thought this gave the top so much more character and made me love it even more (if possible!)

And can we talk about this skirt?! I definitely branched out (with Janee's assistance ;) ) to try this one. The scalloped bottom is what made me end up saying YES! And what do you know, I ended up loving it! (PS - this skirt looks SO CUTE paired with a bodysuit!)

Kristin and I at the show (her dress is also Apricot Lane!) 

A BIG thank you to the Apricot Lane crew for styling us for the show. 

Have you stopped in to check out Apricot Lane yet?! What are you waiting for?

Check them out on Instagram as well to stay up to date with their most recent merchandise :) 

Another BIG thanks to Rocking J Imaging for the photos! 

Boyfriends & Girlfriends

Not that kind of boyfriends and girlfriends!

I'm talking about the jeans.

This pair from Nordstroms...

 

 

I've been crushing on a pair of boyfriend jeans for the last 1+ years and I STILL haven't found any that fit me!

I've tried them on at everyone's favorite places. And nope. For some reason multiple issues have continued to abound: they fit my butt, they don't stay up. They are too tight on the leg and gapping at the waist. I just could not get it right!

So I basically gave up. Then I started noticing that a lot of places were selling "girlfriend" jeans. If  you are like me and wondered what that meant exactly, I'll fill you in.

By fill you in, I mean from my Google research, the "girlfriend" cut is basically a slightly less baggy and slightly more feminine version of the "boyfriend" jean. And that seems to be consistent with my overall findings. One of the things I appreciate about the girlfriend jean is that it seems to have shortened the zipper region. I can't get on board with an overly saggy crotch on jeans. Too boyfriend-y for me.

So this weekend I finally made the purchase. The Express outlet had a really cute, distressed pair that I actually could pull up. They fit a little bit baggy but they also have a feminine cut that doesn't make me feel like I am actually wearing guy pants.

The exact pair from Express that I bought.

The only issue is with the waist. And to be honest, this is an issue for me with regular jeans as well. It's super hard to find a pair of pants that fit my butt and thighs AND doesn't gap in the back. And no, like I tell my husband, I will not wear a belt.

Do I just need to get a tailor and start taking all of  my clothes in for small alternations?

The tags are still on the pants and I plan on trying them on a few more times before I make a decision. All of this rambling to say... does anyone else have this issue? Have you found a pair that works? Fill me in!

Oh, and happy Monday!