lilac is the new black // nursing in style

you might be catching on, but i have a few faithfuls in my closet: cardigans, camisoles, toothpick jeans and kendras.   #winnerwinner

j-crew factory (yes, the outlet!) toothpick jeans are my go to because i have midget legs, and they are the only jeans i can buy at ankle length without having to hem. #honestandlazy  they look great with a shirt, tunics, or dressed up with heels.  when your budget is stretched and your fun-money-funds are a little scarce, it's important to find key pieces that fit well and make you feel fantastic in all scenarios. 

why this works // button downs are an obvious go to for nursing, but the flat front is super slimming and flows well.  these camisoles are lined, which is fantastic for avoiding extra layers in warm weather.  you could also pair with shorts and sandals or tucked into a maxi!

jcrew factory // camisole, jeans (similar), cardigan
target // shoes (from way too long ago)

what do you think mamas?

easter blessings from our little family

our first easter as a family of three was lovely.  it was simple and sweet. a little break from the chaos of a busy season.  we were able to attend church with our families, laugh, play games, and just enjoy a day together. 

i also discovered my love of smock dresses. #betterlatethannever

oh, and we didn't get a family photo. but let's be honest, these snaps of EG are way better. :) 

incase you were wondering what sunshine looked like in baby form, she is it.  

each and every morning, i wake up thank the Lord for the gift of this beautiful baby girl.  the Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he placed her in our lives.  and oh how glad i am that he knows best. 

i am so thankful for a loving Savior, who came and lived a perfect life, died and rose again to save my sweet family.  in the last year, i've developed a new appreciation and perspective for what sacrificial love really means. in my relationship with bub-hub, with our families, and especially for our baby girl. 

this world is so full of evil and trouble and fear and anxiety, but knowing that we serve a sovereign Lord who protects us and provides for us is more than enough.  he is all the hope we need. 

oh, and my photography assistant, a.k.a. pops, stole few kisses.  perks of the job i suppose.

Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed.

smock dress // borrowed but similar here
ivory floral crown // little winter shop

nursing in style // caramel and denim

my mom calls me the cardigan queen. cool right? #youknowyouwanttobemyfriend

recently, i've been trying to break out of cardigan comfort zone and branch out...to longer sweaters. i know. look out world.

i found this caramel colored open faced sweater at target.  it's super cozy and neutral which means it can be worn with practically anything. i layered it with a tank here, but it would also look great with button down, or even a t-shirts or v-neck. 

as far as tanks go, i'm obsessed with the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks. 5 days post-partem, my mother-in-law asked if i needed anything from target, and i said, "yes! a few more nursing tanks please!" because i had a baby with acid reflux and laundry wasn't exactly at the top of my priority list.  the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks are my favorite because they look normal, they fit well, and they, let's be real...they wash well. :)   

also, let's be honest, i'm barely out of my maternity jeans.  after wearing stretchy yoga-maternity-jeans for 7 months, it's pretty ridiculous to expect anyone to squeeze into anything that buttons.

jewelry is always hit or miss.  luckily EG usually ignores my kendra's, so i'll always make the attempt.

why this works // nursing tanks are always a winning choice, but i think the sweater and fun shoes make it look like any other cami.  i think shoes are the best way to add something fun to your outfit, and the baby can't take that away from you! :)

sweater, shoes and tank // target
earrings // kendra scott
jeans // jcrew factory

so mamas, what do you think?

spring break fakin'

spring is in the air y'all, and by spring, i mean summer. because let's be real. spring doesn't exist in dfw. well that's a little bit of a lie. it exists for 27 minutes. 

EG and i had a lot of fun parading around town during spring break.  i mean, our lives are pretty busy, so we needed to get away from the daily grind.  #gimmiethebbq

we took a trip to the farmers market, ate a ginormous sandwich at pecan lodge, threw a fun gender reveal party for our bestie, played in the backyard, and ordered chocolate chip pancakes at the local diner.   #allonatuesday 

we also hit some pretty major milestones this week. EG posed for her first passport photo #cheeseplease and fed herself puffs.  she's gotten pretty good at swatting them off the highchair, but now we've moved on to bigger and better things. aka: stuffing her whole fist in her mouth, sometimes resulting in puff-eating success.  raider is pretty bummed about it. he's not blinded by her sweet baby girl grin. #gimmiethepuffs
we also got to hang out with uncle grayson this week!

yay for spring break. it's pretty much awesome all around. even if you're fakin' it.

nursing in style // casual chambray and black

time for some honesty.

throughout my pregnancy, the "will you won't you breastfeed" question was kinda overwhelming to me.  and this is pretty selfish, but after 7ish month of maternity clothes and stretchy striped everything, thought of not being able to wear anything cute or feel like myself for another extended period of time wasn't exactly encouraging.  i remember sitting on the couch, browsing the fantastic selection of nursing tanks and wrap shirts and thinking about how adorable my sweet friends were were going to be in their cute summer outfits. ehhhh no thank you. but baby trumps fashion and selfishness.  

eight months in, i wouldn't necessarily consider myself an expert, but i do feel like i've gained a bit of confidence and am learning to branch out a little.   i've enjoyed getting to wear and shop for normal clothes again, even if i have to think things through a little bit differently.  and let's be real, feeling cute makes a big impact when trying to fend off the baby blues. gotta love those post-partem hormones. 

and thus, nursing in style was born. :)  this is my attempt to encourage nursing newbies through the tough times and help build a little of that confidence.  nursing is hard enough as it is...there's no need to feel frumpy on top of that! 

this outfit is fun because it's super simple, and easy to change up with different sandals or jewelry.  EG finds this neckless pretty entertaining, so that's good and bad...sometimes it ends up in my purse. 

and these shorts...so comfy.  i'm going to get all the colors. and even better, they seem like they'd be maternity friendly!

why this works // button downs are a staple for nursing mamas and stretchy shorts are forgiving when you're learning how to dress the new you. this pair is also flowy which looks great when you're standing, or sitting on the floor with your babe. :)

shorts // target

shirt // j-crew factory

shoes // carlos via dsw

necklace // target, similar 

so mamas...what do you think?

emma grace // eight month update

dear sweet baby girl,

you're getting sillier by the day.  i don't know where you get all your smiles, but they are the most pure form of joy.  i'm so in love with your sweet hugs and kisses. you're such a little snuggle bug and i hope that never changes.

you're trying new foods...so far we love sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, blueberries, and you love your puffs! i think you'll be ready for fro-yo any day now!

this month, you took your first trip sitting up in the shopping cart and loved every minute.  you're little miss independent and love looking around and reaching for everything. your favorite grocery store toy is the bag of chocolate chips...someday i promise i'll let you try the real thing!

i think crawling is right around the corner, but let's be real, you're really ready to start running!  we've created a little machine in that walker, and i think it's going to be impossible to keep you down for long!  you're moving from room to room like a pro, following us around and showing off your skills.

my heart is growing more and more every day for you little one. i love you more than you'll ever know. 

love,

your mama

emma grace // seven month update

dear sweet baby girl,

oh how i love you so! your daddy and i are just head over heels for you.  we can't get enough of this little adventure that we are on with you.  you're so interactive and your little, and by little i mean HUGE, personality is shining through.

you're a reaching and chewing machine! your toys, my hair, anything on the table (uhh....the table), and sometimes even sweet potatoes.  oh, and now your stickers! :)  i think you're starting to teethe, so anything that can fit in your mouth is fair game for chewing!

we're finally getting to wear some of your 6m clothes.  it's been so fun to see you grow, and i can't get enough of your arm and thigh rolls!

you've discovered your voice and are giggling and squealing up a storm. you LOVE your walker and are becoming a pro at moving from room to room.  you've started rolling from your back to your tummy, and sometimes even back again.  we haven't quite started crawling, but we are pretty good at wiggling around in a circle! you're also becoming quite the expert at sitting and reaching. you know what you want, and you go for it!

you have the biggest and best smiles. i can't get enough. thank you for bringing the sunshine. :)

love,

your mama

fun with felt // baby girl DIY

i've recently entered the world of baby girl bow mania.

i know...i'm a little late to the game. but i'm making up for lost time.

my new obsession combined with an audit of my craft closet resulted in....valentine felt bows for eg!

i've been getting so many questions about them, i decided to take a stab at a tutorial. #marthawannabe

i'm not a tutorial expert, but here it goes.

what you need:

felt

scissors 

embroidery thread

large-ish needle (that's the technical term)

hot glue gun

pencil

elastic (mine is 1/8 inch wide...ish) and/or alligator clips 

what you do:

first, decide what shape you want to cut out, and trace it with a pencil.  i did a few circles and a few hearts in different sizes, and then i'd decided to get a little crazy and did a little "e". :)

next, carefully glue the pieces together.  i think it's best to have two layers, but it probably just depends on the quality of felt you end up with.  oh, and don't go too crazy with the glue.  if you're going to add stitching, it's harder to stitch through the portions that have been glued, so plan accordingly. 

then, if you want to add a little extra pizzaz, you can stitch around the edges with the embroidery thread.  i chose a lilac purple, because that's what i had left in my craft drawer, and surprisingly, it turned out pretty great! 

lastly, carefully glue the alligator clip to the back of the felt cut out. or, if you're using elastic, space out your pieces and glue them on accordingly.  i added an extra piece of felt on the back to smooth out the portion that would be on baby girl's head. 

oh, the actual last step is really putting the bow on the babe and snapping a bazillion and one photos so you can overshare on instagram :) 

pretty sure this is going to be my new favorite holiday tradition.  

watch out president's day....it's about to get cray. 

Emma Grace: One Month

and just like that, our baby girl is one month old.

sleep has been replaced with snuggles and diaper changes, and my target gift cards are spent on diapers and pacifiers instead of cute shoes and maxi dresses.  i'm not complaining though...she's pretty darn adorable. even at 2 and 3 and 4 am...

inspired by @gusandrubyletterpress 

baby bump and baby beats

emma grace and i are officially in the home stretch. don't get me wrong, i love having a little buddy with me all day every day, dancing and wiggling around like a fool. pretty positive she's got some baby beats on and is practicing for her audition for step up 6...

i'm just ready to see her little face!

now that the end is in sight, everything is becoming so much more real. for the longest time, her arrival felt forever away. but now that we've crossed into the less than one month mark, we feel a definite sense of expectation and excitement. it's been so much fun getting her room ready, putting together her furniture (well fun for me to watch bub-hub at least...) and hanging up all of her tiny little clothes.

i've really been loving our family time and have been enjoying this season of stillness and calm. i'm so guilty of being a busy-bee and a multi-tasker, but lately, i've been trying so hard to sit still and soak in every minute we have left as a family of two.  i really think my level of exhaustion is a real blessing from the Lord to teach me to step back and let go.  i'm just tired enough to need to sit and do nothing, but not too tired to spend time hanging out with bub-hub and raider.

now the real test will be to see if i'm still feeling calm and relaxed a week from now. :)

life lately: homeownership

since apparently the whole becoming parents thing wasn't a big enough life change for us, we decided to add home-ownership to our list of responsibilities.  after months of searching and making offers and searching some more, we finally found our perfect little house. God is so good and provided the perfect place at the absolute perfect time.  we are in the process of packing (again...) and painting and planning projects, and I just can't even wait to move in!

lately

bub hub
has discovered his secret painting talent. #edgingexpert
is a master at unloading the washing machine now that the prego-belly is getting in the way.
won the best husband award for bringing home frozen and letting it be our packing party background music.

raider
has been a perfect walking companion, even now that mama's had to slow her roll a little more than usual.
is mastering the doggy door at the new house. #professionalpup
shows his love and excitement for emma grace by pouncing on mama's belly every time she's on the couch.

sarah grace
is still pregnant with only 8 (insert long or short here depending on the hour...) weeks to go!
is a terribly painting assistant and not so great with keeping paint off the floors.
is taking naps and sleeping in every chance

emma grace
is growing bigger every day and wiggling up a storm.
finally has a nursery...at least a room that will be decorated sometime in the near-ish future...
is already loved more deeply than a mama could ever hope and dream.

life lately

lately

bub hub
has been inching his way closer and closer to the tax deadline.
is love march madness.
is an expert curtain rod and picture frame hanger-upper.

raider
has spring fever.
is glad all his toys made it to the new apartment safely during the move.
loves his recently rediscovered rope toy.

sarah grace
is obsessed with her pre-natal barre workout dvds.
loves getting to wear comfy cozy clothes all the time, even to work.
has been rocking her grocery budget goals, but not so much her fun, shopping ones.

baby emma
is already 25 weeks old.
is swimming around and kicking up a storm, especially when we were at the mavs game!
can't get enough frozen yogurt, topped with almonds and m&ms and blueberries.

twenty five and i'm feeling good!

last week, i turned twenty-five. ahhhhhhhh!
i spent the day being spoiled by my sweet bub-hub, and the rest of the week/weekend being spoiled by friends and family.
twenty-five is a pretty big life stage.

bub-hub's family has this fantastic birthday tradition that involves the birthday-ee choosing all of the meals for the day. when we got married, i made sure to inherit this tradition.

we splurged on donuts for breakfast, chick fil a for lunch, and chipotle for dinner with fro-yo for dessert. the next day, we had a yummy family birthday dinner at sfuzzi's! and of course, lots and lots of red velvet birthday cake!

i think twenty-five is definitely my favorite age so far, and i have a feeling it's going to be my best year yet!

what birthday is your favorite?

instagram // etsy // pinterest // twitter

i'm perfect for this job, oh, and i'm pregnant.

it seems little strange to say it, but i think the hardest part of my pregnancy to date has been telling my new employer about baby.

after a lot of prayer, here's how my "telling the boss" situation went down.

i started my job hunt in january, and began interviewing when i was about 12 weeks pregnant. as i went into the different offices, i tried to put feelers out for any hints of "family-friendly-culture" and get an idea of what the job structure and schedule would really be like. 

after a lot of prayer and reading a lot of articles, i knew i wanted my interviews to be focused on my job skills and my professional capabilities, not my pregnancy. bub-hub and i decided that if i felt the appropriate time came up in my second round of interviews, i would share my news with them. as much as i wanted the job, i wanted to be upfront and honest. thinking ahead to the doctors appointments and other situations i would need flexibility for, i wanted assurance that my workplace would be a supportive environment.

my first round of interviews (for my final position) couldn't have gone better. i met with three different women from three departments. each of them had fantastic personalities and i just knew it would be a great work environment. immediately after i left, i felt a wave of anxiety hit me. i was so nervous to see if they would call me back for a second round.

soon after, i received a call from the recruiter with an offer. uhhhhh say what? nuts. a total gift from the LORD. after talking to the recruiter about a few job details, i decided that i needed to tell her. she told me not to worry at all, that pregnancy is an exciting part of life, and it is not something to cause stress. she encouraged me to give it a few weeks and establish myself within my position and then, once i felt comfortable, reach out to my co-workers.

and that's what i did.

i started my position 16 weeks pregnant and disclosed my pregnancy at 20 weeks. i was blessed with a reasonably small bump, which gave me a little more time than some. the extra few weeks gave me a chance to get to know my co-workers and feel more comfortable sharing my news with them.

i understand that each and every situation is different. not everyone has an understanding work environment. not everyone has strong, working moms in leadership roles within their office. luckily, the LORD provided me with both. although not ideal timing, interviewing while pregnant does happen, and after reading dozens of articles and blogs, i realized that each and every situation is unique. cue the signature pregnancy situation answer...

overall, i think the best piece of advice i read was to make sure the interview remained focus on your job skills. if you're a hard worker, and you have the skills and abilities to do the job well, you can't lose.

what have you had to overcome in the interview process? and interviewing advice tips?

budgeting isn't a dirty word.

i have a strange relationship with money. i feel uncomfortable talking about it. i try not to think about it. and i really don't like when people tell me what to do with it. but i love target. as long as i have a basic understanding about what's going on in my accounts, i'm happy.

doesn't this make me a perfect fit for my financial planner husband? just like gourmet peanut butter and 99cent store jelly.

with all of our grown up decisions coming up in the next year, i have definitely been trying to get over my awkwardness. babies are expensive, buying a house is expensive, buying a new car to keep baby safe is expensive. so we're starting to stick to our budget. for real this time...

we started taking the dave ramsey "financial peace university" course, and so far, i've been learning a lot. one of the main themes that has been sticking with me is that it all comes down to my attitude and my motives. what do i truly value and why do i value it?

i've been trying to get over my little issue, not only to work on my personal contentment and lower my need for more stuff, but to support bub-hub as he tries to lead our family. being the road block speed bump in his plans gets a little old after a while. if only i could learn to love and appreciate the word budget as much as he does.

here are a few things i've been trying lately:
*click unsubscribe on all of my daily shopping emails // in my current pregnant state, i may not be able to wear the cute spring clothes, but that doesn't mean i can't indulge in accessories and shoes! cutting out that daily temptation definitely helps decrease the number of "but it's so cute!" thoughts i have each day.

*subscribe to budget-focused lifestyle blogs for tips and encouragement // i really enjoy reading about individuals and families who work hard and succeed. it's so inspiring to me and i feel encouraged knowing that if they can do it, so can i.

*apply the 24 hour rule // if you love something in the store, or think you really need something, give it 24 hours and see if you still love it as much as you did before. my mom taught me this in high school, and usually, i completely forget about it, so it seems to be a pretty good trick!

*shop on the weekends and with a budget-buddy // my budget buddy is bub-hub. and i'm not gonna lie, i thoroughly dislike shopping with him. this is really hard for me, but i definitely make better choices when he's with me.

am i the only one who's awkward about money?

any tips for staying on a budget?

high five for friday! // january 31

happy friday!

the cold weather this week had me stuck inside a little more than i'd like, but it definitely helped with my productivity. if only i could make it through the day without taking a nap, or thinking about how badly i want to take a nap…

one. i recently downloaded lightroom, and i've been trying to get my brain wrapped around it. i know everyone says is so simple to use, but i'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty intimidated. but i bet all the free tutorials i've been finding online will make me a pro in no time!

two. i've started my first project life album. i got one for our family and one for baby! i'm obsessed. i can't wait to share more layouts and pages as i figure it out.

three. raider and i have been training for the color run. after not being able to run for four months, it's been quite the task getting back in the swing of things, but it's great to have a running buddy! even if he doesn't quite know what he's getting himself in to.

four. bub-hub and i took our first expecting parents class last weekend. i didn't think it would be possible to feel more prepared and less prepared at the exact same time, but that's where we are! i feel so encouraged knowing we have such a supportive church body. and know i have a list of things to figure out. but at least i have a list now! :)

five. is it wrong to blame my addiction to thin mints on baby? i'm the worst future mom.

how was your week? have you given in to the girl scouts yet?

new year, new blog

happy new year! welcome to the first post on the new blog!

after several years of blogging at gracefully made designs, i've decided to split the blog and start a new family focused blog, the chastain family!

here, i plan on sharing our family adventures and life's ups and downs, while gracefully made designs will continue to focus on designs, event planning and other business endeavors.

i'm not making any promises, but i can almost guarantee that i will post way too many photos of bub-hub and raider [as if there could ever be too many…], and i will probably forget to post for weeks at a time. but this is our family's blog and i can't wait to share our adventures with you all.

what i'm loving today

my name is sarah grace, and i love etsy.
i love seeing the beautiful things that people create,
and i love adding them all to my wish list!

today, i'm loving these beautiful water color prints by caitlin mcclain, designer and owner of little low studios in austin texas. 

i can't get enough of her "man's best friend" illustration print. 

although personally, i think raider would be a perfect candidate for the letter "r"! :)

little low studios via etsy

little low studios via etsy

if you're an etsy addict like me, you should probably sign up for this super fun swap over on my friend amy's blog!  i can't wait to see who i'm paired with!

what are you loving today?