Hi! Its me, Kallah!  This is not the typical style post... just sharing an awesome new find with you mamas  (slash-future-mamas)!  As y'all know, this series is about taking something that can be uninspired, overpriced and even frumpy, yet something even we most-fashionable of mama's feel locked into...  and using imagination, creativity, and determination, making it fun, glamorous, and something to be proud of. If you thought this would apply only to your outfit and not other impossible things such as your  - gasp - diaper bag - think again.  Yeah, everyone knows there are cool diaperbags to be had out there. But a few quick looks show they are all extremely expensive. And not all of this expense is warranted. The materials are not always necessarily as high as the price tag would imply... Meet my new Simone Tote, c/o Ellington Handbags, a small Oregon-based company. 

The leather is as rich and sumptuous in person as in these photos. The quality is seriously unbelievable.

Unzip that center compartment, and you have:

-The essentials for an emergency poopy diaper. 

-A washable changing pad (they sell them super cheap at Target), diapers and wipes. 

-& when I have a newborn again, I can easily add my Bebe Au Lait nursing cover-up in the bottom there. 

Ellington prides themselves on giving their customers a "forever" bag. One that will never go out of style or fall to pieces.

This is a great quality to have for a diaper bag. Its big, roomy, has just the right amount of hidden compartments for all and sundry emergency Mom stuff, and looks awesome. 

Plus, the specific bag that I got is now on SALE for 50% off! 

It also comes in black. Go. Get it. You will not be disappointed! 

I was so blown away I was able to get my act together and send Ellington a handwritten Thank-You note... and get it into the mailbox! That is a huge deal! 

Peace out, mamas!

maternityshmernity: business casual for the s.a.h.m

Outfit posts are hard. Seriously.  I was a fashion blogger virgin before this series, and I was all, "Get cute (high res) pics of myself looking my best and put them online a few times a month? psshhh. Doing it in my sleep!" And after just two of these suckers, I'm all,  "How do you people do it??!!?!" [Camille.]

My husband is getting his MBA, and last Friday evening he really wanted me to accompany him to a little get-together of his fellow classmates and a few of their professors.  It was a very lowkey event... everyone else was showing up at the bar just in their business clothes.  This was, however, more intimidating to me than if it had been fairly formal. Being a staying at home mom makes business caszh tough enough... throw in a growing bump and you have quite a challenge. Have you noticed that alot of maternity clothes are either yoga-style comfy/casual, or going-to-a-wedding-style formal? I didn't want to stand out too much...but I did want people to be able to tell without a shadow of a doubt that I am pregnant, not smuggling muffins.  (ok- I may been sticking out my little 4 month bump a bit in these pictures)

my outfit: blazer- thrift find! // short sleeve top (sm.)- *anthro. // white Blanqi (reg. length) // 7 for All Mankind denim- on sale at Nordstrom Rack (duh) // jewelry- J.Crew + Banana Republic //  diaper bag- Ellington Handbags

*anthro runs pretty boho roomy in some things, so it makes it ideal for our series! this will probably only fit me for one more week lol, but then it'll make for a great transition time when I have that weird post-partum jellybelly going on

These pictures are not what I had envisioned when planning this post. 

For one, I had no control over the fact that the weather dropped from 60 on Thursday,

to 40 degrees on Friday night, when we went out. 

40 degrees and wet. And windy. And chilling to the bone.

I had planned on wearing some cute heels with this outfit but it was just too cold and wet, 

so these Banana Republic black boots had to do. 

(no longer available - these are not similar because they have a heel and I am anti-tall-boot-heel)

Ya'll like my diaper bag? Yeh, diaper bag.

Diaperbagshmiaperbag. 

This bag made me feel lux and confident among all those MBA girls. More details coming in the next post ;). 

Fashion bloggers: clap clap clap. How you make it look so easy beats me.