Baby Shower - March 29, 2014

I felt like I had a straight face most of the day because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude during my baby shower.  It was beyond wonderful to have everyone gathered and to open gifts for KJ (short for Kevin, Jr.).

My mother worked tirelessly helping me turn my house into a home; my girlfriends arrived early and took care of pretty much all things shower related!  Hubby pitched in by picking up flowers and food (a big help!).

Here are the photos:

What I Wore: Maternity Leggings; Boston Proper Top bought on super sale; Dillards Boots; Necklace by Sarah C Jewelry and earrings by Elena Maratos.

Heavenly Angels Princess Pageant - March 16, 2014

One of my very last appearances as Mrs. Pennsylvania International 2014 was judging the light hearted and fun Heavenly Angels Princess Pageant.  It was held in Milton, PA on March 16, 2014.  Needless to say, after some sleepless nights (thank you baby KJ who likes to kick mommy in utero in the middle of the night), I had energy and was awake for this event (especially after visiting Altoona on Thursday, Washington, D.C. on Friday, and New Jersey International Pageants on Saturday!).  It was a LONG and very worthwhile weekend!

Many of these contestants were first timers, so they were especially adorable in their naturalness!  I loved chatting with Shawna's daughter, Kelsey, and her friend.  Kelsey is a remarkable young lady!

Enjoy the photos!!!

Contestants in Princess Wear

 WHAT I WORE:
Boots: Dillards
Leggings: Pregnancy - not sure of the brand, but any black pregnancy legging; I am at the point in pregnancy that no other pants other than maternity pants will fit.
Sweater: White House Black Market (thanks to my mom who purchased this to show me how to dress while pregnant)
Earrings: very old black Cache earrings (circa 1997)

LINK UPS: see links at the left to the three blogs where I link up!


THANK YOU to Grace James and her family for the beautiful Vera Bradley Diaper Bag!  I LOVE it and cannot wait for Kevin, Jr's (KJ) arrival so that I can use it!

New Jersey International Pageants

After D.C., Rachel and Ashlee (and Ashlee's mom) stayed at my home so that the three of us could attend the New Jersey International Pageant together on Saturday, March 15, 2014.  We clapped happily for three new queens embarking on an incredible opportunity!

I am especially proud of one teen contestant, Sarah, who competed for the second year in a row.  Sarah wears a lot of my clothing (fun to be the same size!).  She really looked beautiful on the stage and I am so proud of her improvement in performance over last year.

Congrats to our NJ titleholders! Miss Teen NJ International Alexandra Marschall, Miss NJ International Allison Sharkey, and Mrs. NJ International Lea Moelk!

Before the pageant, I showed the girls a bit of Newtown, PA. We took a quick walk at Tyler State Park and enjoyed lunch at the Farmer's Market.

Tyler state park is where I plan to do many many walks with Kevin, Jr after he is born.  My close pageant girlfriends already purchased me an incredible "off-road" stroller so that KJ can enjoy the park with Mommy (and for some walks with future God-Mommy Susan, Mrs. PA International 2008, too!).

Check out Sami Cessna's fabulous green velvet dress - it is a vintage piece from her family member's closet; she paired it with costume jewelry from her grandmother.  I thought she looked incredibly regal!

What I Wore: ASOS maternity dress + Stella and Dot Jewelry + LK Bennett heels