How I Dropped My Pregnancy Weight in 3 Weeks

I will begin this post by saying I am in no way a health professional or dietician. My quick weight loss results could be based purely on genetics. However, I honestly think my post-pregnancy success is a result of my diligent meal planning during my pregnancy.

My height is 5'-6" and I normally weigh in at 118 lbs. When I was at the height of my pregnancy with the twins, I weighed in at 150 lbs. Three weeks after delivering the kids I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Below are a few tips on what I ate in a day. I was actually on bed rest towards the end (my petite body frame was not meant to carry multiples)! With that said, I was not only trying to eat healthy, I was also trying to keep my meal prep in the kitchen as minimal as possible. Buying pre-made salads and pre-cut fruit from the grocery store was key.

I literally ate the same meals day in, and day out, which honestly got incredibly boring. All I really wanted to do was eat cookies, fried chicken, and potato chips but I resisted...and man did it pay off! I got all of the healthy nutrients I needed for the babies, and for myself, and dropped that baby weight in no time.

Breakfast:

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt with Fresh Berries and Granola (high in protien)

Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices

Think Thin Oatmeal with Fresh Berries

Breakfast Shake (oats, peanut butter, almond milk, frozen strawberries, bananas)

Snacks:

Dates (great for fiber)

Dried Apricots (great for fiber)

Cashews

Almonds

Lunches:

Pre-Made Salads with Fresh, Pre-Cut Fruit (both from my local grocery store)

Dinners:

Salmon with Brown Rice (bake it in foil to keep from scrubbing pots and pans)

Grilled Chicken with Steamed Veggies and the BEST rice (Padma's Organic Brown Rice)

Vegan White Bean and Vegetable Stew (great for a cold weather pregnancy!)

Sweet Fix:

Dark Chocolate Covered Banana Chips

100 Calorie Frozen Greek Yogurt

A Travel Themed Nursery

When my husband and I found out we were having twins, our perfect little nursery no longer seemed so perfect. We had the ideal sized room for one baby, but two?! *sigh*

Time to go back to the drawing board, literally.

For this design challenge, I had to seriously put my Interior Design degree to work with lots of sketching. Living in a Victorian Row House, where the rooms are small and the shapes often irregular, this nursery proved to be a serious space planning challenge. BUT, as it is with most designs, these challenges actually lead to great design solutions.

Bulky oversized cribs got switched out for perfect little mini-cribs. A repurposed dresser became all the storage we actually needed. And photo frame ledges turned out to be the best way to display and store baby books. Miraculously, it all came together!

As for the theme, we had to go with travel. It's something my husband and I are incredibly passionate about, we take one big international trip every year. Our point of view is, if you haven't seen the world then how can you begin to understand it? Plus, we were having a boy and a girl, so travel worked out to be a perfect gender neutral design scheme.

Images of the nursery are below, including links to the pieces still available to purchase at retailers. Enjoy!

Race Car and Airplane Mobiles: Restoration Hardware, $54 

Babyletto Mini Cribs: Target,  $249

'Made You Look' Carpet Tiles: FLOR, $16 per Square

Hemnes Dresser: IKEA, $249

Knoppang Picture Ledge Book Shelf: IKEA, $6.99

Circle Mirror Set: Target, $19.99

'Explore' Print: Party Inked on Etsy, $15

Twin Feeding Table: Table for Two, $269

"Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil" Monkeys: Bought during our travels in Bali

Mid-Century Walnut Side Table: Handmade Wedding Gift from a Family Member

Restaurant Review: Due South in The Navy Yard

In the mood for a bit of soul food with an upscale twist? If so, you have to check out Due South in the Navy Yard neighborhood. I stopped by last week for a late, lovely lunch on their patio. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sunshine streamed down on us while the soothing sound of waterfalls from The Yards Park below set the tone for a relaxing, outdoor meal.

Lunch began with an order of the Squash Puppies with Roasted Jalapeño Aioli. The Squash Puppies were perfectly crispy on the outside, while still being fluffy and flavorful on the inside. The Roasted Jalapeño Aioli added a tasty kick to the pup, to be perfectly honest I doused each bite in it! The flavor was just too good to leave on the plate.

The main dish I ordered was their Bacon Pimento Cheeseburger. Juicy beef, crispy (but not too crispy bacon), with a delicious spread of that classic southern pimento cheese goodness. The burger came with a side of Herbed Fries that were total perfection dipped in their Mississippi Comeback Sauce. 

Check out this down home deliciousness next time you are in the Navy Yard neighborhood, Due South's menu and atmosphere will not dissapoint!

Lunch Menu

Squash Puppies

Bacon Pimento Burger with Herbed Fries

Due South

301 Water St SE

duesouthdc.com

Pineapple & Pearls Coffee Shop Opens on Barracks Row

If you live in DC and are a foodie like myself, you have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Aaron Silverman's newest restaurant, Pineapple & Pearls.

For those of you living under a rock for the past two years, Aaron Silverman is the Owner/Chef of the critically acclaimed (but not the least bit pretentious) Rose's Luxury. When Silverman announced he would be opening a sister restaurant literally next door to Rose's, I may have let out an actual squeal of excitement.

The fine dining portion of P&P is set to open sometime Mid-April (according to the barista I spoke to this week); however, the walk-up coffee bar portion is now open. My hubs and I stopped by this week to experience Silverman's take on a latte and pastry. Surprise, surprise I was not disappointed.

I had a perfect velvety cappuccino to drink and tasted almost every food option offered. My favorites were the Pineapple Roll, Mexican Hot Chocolate Roll, and Brisket Brioche. See photos below, let the drooling commence.

Final note, as someone in the design industry, I have to give props to Silverman for his meticulous attention to detail. From the stunning walnut and brass espresso machine to the sleek matte black to-go food bag, every piece of this coffee bar experience has been well executed.

Pineapple & Pearls

http://www.pineappleandpearls.com

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 8am to 2pm and Saturday, 8am to 4pm

Location: 715 8th St SE

Getting Crafty: DIY Custom Chalk Board Signs

It has been quite awhile since I blogged, personal and work obligations have been a bit overwhelming lately. The main reason I've been so preoccupied is that my husband and I are expecting twins (if you can believe it!) in early 2016.

I wanted to make our announcement in a creative way. My husband and I had always said 'one and done' when it came to kids. Having more than one child was just never in our plans and then, well, life happened and caught us by total surprise! As Mr. & Mrs. Murphy we laughed and chalked this up to Murphy's Law. After awhile I thought, how funny it would be to do a play on words with Murphy's Law on the Supreme Court steps.

To make the sign for our announcement, I bought the following items for a total of about $30.

- Chalkboard Sign from Target
- Chalkboard Markers from Michaels
- Small Pack of Regular Chalk from Michaels
- Pencil

Below are step by step instructions with photos showing how to make a professional looking, graphic chalk board sign. It was a fun and super easy project, enjoy!

Step One: Create the text on your computer (I used Powerpoint) and then print it out to the appropriate scale.

Step Two: Turn over the paper print and roll the chalk so that you cover the entire back side.

Step Three: Trace over the font with a pencil. Press down hard so that the chalk on the back side of the paper transfers to the chalk board. If the chalk board is magnetic, you can use magnets to hold the paper in place.

Step Four: Trace over the chalk transfer with the chalk board marker. The chalk transfer will be light so make sure you have a well lit space to work in. For the larger fonts I chose to draw in horizontal lines within the text for a bolder look.

Step Five: Enjoy the final product! 

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Step Six: Repurpose the chalk board and tools for another event or announcement. When we found out the genders (a boy and a girl!), I changed the chalk board text. I also reused the shoes from the original photo and by wrapping the velcro laces with blue and pink yarn. I loose laid glitter and stickers from the craft store for a more graphic look. It photographed beautifully on my iPhone and worked great on social media for the gender announcement!

Runway Recap: For the Love of Style Runway Event

On Saturday, October 3rd I was invited to attend For the Love of Style Runway Event, presented by Kamisol Style Consultancy. I was contacted by the event coordinators because of my Open Letter to DC Fashion Week post from October of last year. Kamisol asked if I could attend to review and critique their show as I did for DC Fashion Week. I was honored that they asked and was happy to attend.

For the Love of Style Runway Event was a show with heart. The event benefited both the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Suited for Change charities. I loved the concept of a fashion event that was connected to the local community.

The evening started off with a step and repeat, light hors de oeuvres and a cash bar. People mixed and mingled for an hour or so prior to the event start. The show was planned to feature three lines - Syreeta C Fashion, Clavon New York, and Anna Maria La Bianca Collections.

The originally scheduled Host and MC, Bianca Golden from Americas Next Top Model, did not end up attending the event. Luckily for Kamisol, they were able to find a last minute volunteer to fill in and do the job.

The show started with an accessories collection of oversized silk scarves from Anna Maria La Bianca. The textile designs of these silks were really stunning. I particularly loved the one shoulder, asymmetrical 'dress' scarves that screamed luxury resort wear.

The second walk featured looks from local designer, Syreeta C of Syreeta C Fashion. There were a few pieces in this collection I really loved, especially the cream/bone damask-esque tailored shorts that walked the first look. Syreeta C's line was the highlight for me from the evening.

The show closed with looks from Clavon based out of New York. The quality of material and attention to detail in the suiting were palpable throughout the show. The textile choices were unique and each piece looked incredibly well tailored. As a woman, if I were looking for an incredibly well-tailored, low cut suit to rock as evening wear I would absolutely book an appointment with Clavon.

As for the overall look and feel of the event, I would say the DJ had a great mix for each designer's collection. The music at an event is so key to setting the vibe! I also thought the model's were professional and walked well. Many of the mishaps that occurred for me at DC Fashion Week were no where to be seen at For the Love of Style. Bravo to Kamisol Style Consultancy for putting on a lovely event in support of great community causes!

www.kamisol.net

www.annamarialabianca.com

www.syreetacfashion.com

www.clavonswear.com

Boutique Critique: A Saturday Afternoon at Refine

We all know DC is starved for fashion. No matter how glamorous our city looks on television, we true Washingtonians know that our options for shopping are scarce in this town. When I heard that a new boutique was opening up in Northwest, I had to check it out.

Blush hues and shades of grey line the first rack as you enter Refine

Refine Boutique, located in Cathedral Heights, just opened in September. I spent some time last Saturday chatting with the owner, Tanya Semsar. What I learned is that there is a little bit for everyone at Refine, from the options of customer service to the pieces themselves.

Upon entering Refine, it's easy to be struck by the beautifully curated racks of sweaters, dresses, and everything in-between. But what caught my attention the most at Refine is the unique business model Tanya has developed.

Here's the skinny - if you live within a 20 mile radius of Refine (which is pretty much all of DC), Refine will come to your house with options to choose from. Simply fill out a customer profile indicating your typical size, styles, etc. and Refine will curate a collection of options for you.

You may think, wow, how luxurious! When would I need a service like that? Well, how about when you are packing for a last minute business trip? Or are scrambling for an evening event your boss sprung on you at 4pm? What if you are a working Mom with kids that finds it impossible to get everyone out of the house just so you can pick up that one outfit you desperately need?

Exactly. We've all been there, consider this your concierge service to boutique fashion. Best part is, if you fall within that 20 mile radius, there is no charge for the home shopping service.

As for the lines carried at Refine, the majority are made in the USA and the quality of the textiles is on point. As I went from rack to rack, touching each piece, I couldn't get over the hand of the fabrics. This is a boutique where you know you are getting exactly what you pay for, quality pieces that are worth the slightly higher price tag. Tanya has spent the last seven years working in retail, and she clearly is an expert judging by the depth and variety of pieces offered in her adorable boutique.

Important thing to note: Refine is open by appointment only. What I love about this concept is that you can schedule your time to have the shop to yourself with no lines for the dressing room or to check out. Refine truly is a special shopping experience which is what we all hope for when going boutique.

To set up your first appointment, email refineboutique@gmail.com.

Refine Boutique

3711 Macomb Street NW, #3A

(next to Cactus Cantina)

Washington, DC 20016