Elle Macpherson Intimates + VS pajamas + AIMbaby + monogrammed anklets + peacock feathers = mySTYLE july {2 wks postpartum}

Clothing

top: Victoria's Secret racerback tank in dark charcoal - not currently available, but this looks similar.
shorts: Victoria's Secret mayfair eyelet-trim short in black/white paisley - find this season's prints here.
bra: Elle Macpherson Intimates beach babe wire-free nursing bra in insignia blue - buy it here. I'm loving this Belabumbum for sleep.
manicure: shellac polish, featuring a peacock feather - do it yourself here, done for me by a special friend ;)

Evley Love: Her white ruffle blouse was a gift from Great Grandma Rita, and was likely from a department store. Her lovely peacock feather leggings are AIMbaby and can be found here. Shop all the cute prints & cuts in their Etsy shop here. AIMbaby leggings are handmade in Colorado, by a Mama I know, and the quality is impeccable. 

Customize Evley's anklet by clicking here {and see more details below}. I made these matching anklets a week before I had her, and we both wore them home as bracelets from the hospital. 

Her peacock feather swaddle blanket is by aden + anais, and you can find it here. I absolutely love these blankets.

Accessories
necklace: find the details in last month's post here.
earrings: cheapy gold hoops from Claire's.
anklet: Mine & Evley's - matching, Pretty by JL Monogrammed Geometric Adjustable Anklet/Bracelets, in rose silk - see this season's silk colors in this post.

Photography
All photos are by & property of E. Lee Photography :: Visit her Website and on Facebook to see more of Esther's work & to schedule your own shoot. 

{click on each image in this post for a better view}

Is this really the last day of July??! Do I really have Evley Love with me, to hold, in the flesh??! Was she really three weeks old yesterday???????! 

This month has been a bit of a blur to say the least, and time is absolutely flying by. Evley is an absolutely amazing baby. She is doing so well, and is growing so fast. The photos in this post were taken a measly nine days ago and she seems to have changed so much in that time. Am I overusing the word so? Well, that's my postpartum brain for you. Anyway, Evley's hair is still gorgeous and dark, her eyes are still ocean blue, but she might be an inch longer, and she has shed all that peeling skin from birth. She's beautiful and incredibly sweet.

On the note of postpartum, I usually get dressed and am somewhat presentable by 10 a.m. But, I've had a few pajama days. And I've maybe worn mascara once since Evley was born. I'm not getting out tons, unless it's on small Bayfield walks. But, visitors are now welcome...if you want to come by and bring me coffee I will likely love you for life {although I likely do already} >>---> dark chocolate iced mocha, pretty please, from the Tuning Fork!

I can wiggle into my pre-pregnancy jeans, but it definitely looks like I'm Rockin' the Beer Gut, which is fine by me...I'm going to enjoy being a little more curvaceous while it lasts! Seriously, I love thin, I love curvy; I think women's bodies are beautiful no matter their size. And, as much as I'm at peace with my smaller, God given bra size, I sure do enjoy having a little more boob to look at while breastfeeding. I hope you don't mind the peek, either. I've always wanted some PRETTY breastfeeding pictures, and I had to share now that I do!

A huge thank you to Esther for again reminding me of my pretty at a time when it's so easy to forget. She has taken so many pictures this year that I will treasure for life. See all of this year's mySTYLE posts to date by clicking here. For the details of Evley's first two weeks at home, click here. And stay tuned for her birth story...now would be a fantastic time to subscribe to the PRETTYblog if you aren't a subscriber already! You can do that by clicking here {be sure to enter your mailing address so that I can send you your gift!}

I hope you are doing well and are enjoying the holy heck out of your summer!!!

X O X O X, JL

breastfeeding literature link collection >>---> updated periodically

I've got breastfeeding on my mind today, and figure that it is as good of a time as any to begin earmarking posts/articles on the subject that I like. Below you will find a collection of written works relating to breastfeeding. I am an advocate and celebrator of breastfeeding, and appreciate baby friendly practices, breastfeeding support, encouragement, and overall family health.

If you know of an article or post which would be a good fit for this page, please leave a link in the comments! If I agree, I will publish it here. This post is pinned to this board on Pinterest. Feel free to follow the board, check the post regularly for updates, and share with others who would appreciate or benefit from the material linked within it.

Please bear with me as I gather more material...I know that there is a LOT of good stuff out there. I'm hoping to weed through some of the junk material that's also out there in order to provide a resourceful point of reference for myself, and for any of you who share similar views to mine. Again, please send links my way that you find informative or encouraging regarding the topic of breastfeeding.


Breastfeeding in public

The Best Defense for Breastfeeding in Public 

{source: Craig Norton}

Getting real about breastfeeding :: Advocates

Smug Breastfeeding Advocates Strikes Again! 

{source: AmyWest.co} 

It's Time We Break Up with the WHO Code, Breastfeeding Advocates 

{source: AmyWest.co}

Society + Culture

Our Masculine Culture Harms Breastfeeding 

{source: The Alpha Parent}

Nice reminders & perspective

A Poem to End the Mommy Wars by Kim Simon

{source: HuffPost Parents}

The Questions That Will Save Your Relationships
{source: HuffPost Parents}

New Mamas Get Nothing Done (And Other Untruths)
{source: Big City Moms}

Necessary/useful "stuff"

The Baby Crap Trap

{source: AmyWest.co}

dear friend :: #1

I'm up and burning the midnight oil tonight...poking around my blog and website thinking about things; looking at things. I like to do that stuff. It's fun for me and I call it dinking.

Yesterday, I typed my friend an email in which I took a sec to tell a story. Usually, our emails are quick and to the point since we also have a working relationship. Nearly two years ago I wrote an email to her in a similar way...recalling and sharing a story with her. Back then...I wasn't blogging nearly as regularly. When she replied to the email that I had written to her she said, "This is the stuff you should be blogging about..."

Several such emails come to mind. I write things to friends for all kinds of reasons, but they all boil down to life. I like to tell stories, and they definitely seem to come out the best when I write them.

Since it is still August, and still World Breastfeeding Month, and since I have not held true to my weekly breastfeeding related posting {like I claimed I would for World Breastfeeding Month}, I am going to begin my column titled Dear Friend now, and with what I wrote to my friend yesterday. Since it is related to breastfeeding, now is the perfect time to start...

{below is copied and pasted from email dated 8.26.13 // names have been changed for privacy // unedited otherwise}

Hello!! It is fantastic news!!! "Drying" up happens to the best of us and thank goodness we have healthy options!!! It is wonderful to hear that with the simplest of changes (a little supplement), that Ben is thriving! That is what we want!

Breastfeeding is still a success, in my opinion, if mom is happy with the effort/result...and to me, it was a success with you big time. Not to mention it is still going! Hooray for naps & talking & raspberries!!!

I used a Fenugreek supplement when my milk started to dry up with True after he had a bout of refusing to eat which affected my supply & demand...it really helped. Although I always had one boob that produced less and then he favored the other one which just kept the cycle going. Anyway, just thought I'd mention the Fenugreek in case you want to look into it. I didn't do much research. Just took left overs of Brittany's. But, it got us going again...made my armpits smell like maple syrup which was weird!

In case you are wondering why True refused to eat, it goes like this...when he was eight months old we went camping. He'd been crawling around on the ground before I took him to the truck to feed him. (both of my kids always put stuff in their mouths) When we got to the truck, I began nursing him like normal...he latch right on and began to suck. Then he got a horrified look on his face, came off the boob, and was just looking at me horrified while also not breathing. I looked back at him horrified for a split second and then sat him up. His color started to change and lips began to blue. I had no idea what was happening. I turned him over and started patting his back (or pounding on it!) and he started to cry. We both cried as his color came back. Then he spit out a leaf. It was about 1 x 3/4". He must have inhaled it, blocking his wind pipe when he began to nurse. He would not nurse for two weeks and then started again very hesitantly...he associated his chocking to breastfeeding. I was in turmoil over it for the two weeks. I pumped and fed him from a bottle, but offered him the boob every feeding until he finally started taking it again. But, in the beginning he'd scream bloody murder when I brought out my boob. It was so sad & discouraging. I didn't have my breast pump with me when we were camping or any breast milk. But, by then he was eating solids...he just ate solids and drank water. I was miserably engorged and Gabe helped me hand express to relieve the pressure. True ate mostly solids and drank water at home, too, because he never would drink much breast milk from a bottle. He finally wanted it badly enough that he started again. I on the other hand, never responded well to the pump. So, my supply started dwindling because of pumping and not feeding. That's why I took the Fenugreek...just to try. I thought we might be done. But, it worked and we went strong for another six months. Craziness, huh?? Damn leaf! I hope little Ben is a kiddo who doesn't like to put things in his mouth...there are kids who don't, but I didn't get one!

Sounds great about naps! It's nice to have info to compare against, and to have ideas to try instead of being a test dummy! That's how I like to roll anyway :)

Let me know how things go!

xoxo,
JL

When did your milk dry up? Do you have any experience using Fenugreek? Do you have any stories relating to a baby refusing to nurse after breastfeeding was well established...how did it turn out?!

Mommy Milk Creations :: breast milk pendant

{Products, People, Places}

{Photo taken by me on Instagram}

For World Breastfeeding Month I want to be sure that I get a p.p.p. in on a breastfeeding related product. Since you know that I love jewelry, is it anything but fitting that I would choose to feature a breast milk pendant?!

The above is the design I chose from MommyMilk Creations on Etsy, and when I cashed in on a gift certificate I received for my birthday last year. I had shared a link to MommyMilk on facebook when I first saw them...thinking that it was the coolest thing ever. I was still breastfeeding Elle West at the time, and I was donating her extra milk to Mothers' Milk Bank in Denver. Donating milk made me extra sentimental about breastfeeding. Chloe picked up on it, and gave me one for my birthday last September.

Elle West weaned a few months later, so I didn't send milk in for my pendant right away. I waited until my final donation shipped and I had only a couple spare ounces of breast milk left in the freezer. Allicia's process takes awhile {owner and designer at Mommy Milk Creations}, and she makes that perfectly clear. So, I wasn't in a hurry to receive my pendant, but was definitely excited when it came! I chose a large pendant with two milk beads {flat hearts}...one to represent me and one to represent Elle West. I chose a silver background and used Elle's name. I received my pendant about ten-twelve weeks after I shipped my milk.

It was a very fun package to open, and True wanted to claim it for himself! He was utterly fascinated with that Elle West's milk was inside! I didn't wear the pendant a ton in the beginning. I think the size felt a little clunky to me, but I seem to have gotten over it! I've worn it a lot this summer...

Above is an ootd I posted on Instagram a few weeks ago. I'm wearing the MommyMilk Creations pendant shown above, a silk & sterling silver Pretty by JL braid bracelet, a wrangler snap shirt, Splendid tank, a Navajo beaded Thunderbird buckle from Toh-Atin in Durango, Miss Me Jeans, and Minnetonka Feather Mocs...in my backyard in Bayfield. The photo gives you an idea of how easy the pendant is to wear regardless of your style. Here's a bit of a closer look though...

Allicia takes pride in her as close to perfect as can be milk beads, and from what I can tell with very good reason. The pendant was so worth the wait and such a super cool keepsake. There are many many many styles available in the MommyMilk Creations Etsy Shop. I LOVE this one {with the tree bead & antique finish}, and the simplicity and class of this one.

Find out more about Allicia and her shop here, check out her blog, and like her shop on facebook! Shop for your own breast milk pendant here!! Getting one for yourself would be a fun way to honor and remember World Breastfeeding Month 2013 ;)

X O X O, JL

breastfeeding in public :: would you eat an apple?

{Photo taken by me on Instagram}

You might be wondering...what kind of a question is that?! If you aren't wondering, you might be thinking that I'm going to talk about the health benefits of breastfeeding. Nope. I'm not. We all know what those are, and if we don't, there are better places to find out about those types of things {browse the Best for Babes website for resources}. 

What I'm referring to is the infamous breastfeeding in public debate. I've been pondering on the topic for awhile now, wondering what the right answer is. It's a fuzz more tricky than the advocates let on. We jump up and down when we catch glimpses of celebrities breastfeeding their children in public, and we get really mad when a mother is asked {or told} to stop or to leave an establishment because she is breastfeeding.

I say we because I am indeed an advocate. I'm pretty sure that no matter where I am, if I see a woman breastfeeding, I will likely smile. If she looks like she needs assistance, I will try to help. If she looks shy, I will give her space. If she is my friend, I probably won't stop talking. I've squeezed my brain trying to come up with an instance where I would be offended or bothered by a woman breastfeeding...or a place. I can't think of one. The closest I come, is when I imagine that something else is also happening. Something else like some strange crude act that's inappropriate, or if something is inappropriate or harming the child whilst also being breastfed. In such a case, it wouldn't be the breastfeeding still, but the strange something else {I'm thinking like...porn}. These are those outer limits of my mind that I simply can't conceive as being real possibilities. But okay, what if? Then it would be weird and I might be offended...again, not really by the breastfeeding, but by the whole ordeal. 

Alright, now that that bit of ridiculousness is out there, you know where I stand. I'm all for women breastfeeding in public and it's irritating that not everyone feels the same way. I also couldn't care less if she were covered up or 100% topless...that's just me. 

Okay, well here's the other side. With all the press from advocates about the okayness of breastfeeding in public, and with it actually bordering on pressure to do so, how do I feel about breastfeeding my children in public? In all honesty, the most comfortable and preferred place for me {and them} was always in their room. I breastfed in public when I needed to; sometimes covered up and sometimes not. I've breastfed in bathrooms, under stairwells, in restaurants, in bookstores, and I've spent a lot of time breastfeeding in cars. The best place was always in their room.

The reasons for my covering up while breastfeeding would depend on my comfort, my child's comfort, and the comfort of those around me. As okay as I am with women breastfeeding around me, I do do my best to respect the comfort of others. That said, I will do what makes the most sense for my child and I regardless of the comfort of others. But, if I can make everyone happy I will. 

Luckily, I have never ever been harassed while breastfeeding. I have never heard any discouraging words, nor have I gotten any discouraging looks {that I've noticed!}. I have been really lucky, and if all of it were based on my experiences, one would assume that breastfeeding is normal to all. When I think about what the right answer is regarding breastfeeding in public, I have to remember that it's not based on my experience alone. Many women are harassed while breastfeeding, and many people are offended by being in the presence of a breastfeeding woman.

So, with what I know about our society, and with being as much a product of it as anyone else, here's the question I'd pose to myself when trying to determine the appropriateness of breastfeeding in public...

Would I eat an apple right now?

If the answer is yes, then that means that I am: a} comfortable enough to breastfeed and b} in a place or situation where breastfeeding will/should be accepted. Sound crazy? Well, I wouldn't eat an apple in a courtroom for fear of bothering someone or being a distraction. So, I'd probably remove myself to feed my child. {Again, I wouldn't blink an eye at a woman breastfeeding in a courtroom. But, this is about my comfort level while being the one breastfeeding.} 

I would eat an apple in a park, on a bus, in a restaurant, on a street bench, and really darn near anywhere. But, if I were nervous for some reason, I might not eat an apple at all. The same is true about breastfeeding. 

Both of my kids were very easily distracted while breastfeeding. True popped off the moment someone entered the room or walked by my car on the sidewalk. Elle West would get angry and cry if I spoke at all while she was eating...as if it were too loud or the vibrations in my chest bothered her. Breastfeeding is about nourishing our babies to me. Which entails the feeding part, but also involves respect for the child and attentiveness. Accomplishing all of those things were very difficult for me when I breastfed in public. That's why I did it when I needed to. Then, at least the feeding part of their nourishment needs were taken care of, but I usually felt less than satisfied with the respect and attentiveness variables that matter to me.

If it is okay for an adult to eat, then it should be okay for a baby to eat...simple as that. If it's not okay for an adult to eat, then it still may be okay for a baby to eat...but, maybe a little less so for a toddler. Maybe if it's not okay for an adult to eat, it makes sense to try to breastfeed elsewhere. 

I found this post interesting. I read it last week, when I'd already planned to write this one. I'd never thought about the jury duty side of things. It is a too typical response of our masculine society, and it's maddening. 

But, I'm okay with the apple question...that's what makes the most sense to me. It's the only answer I've come to that seems fair for everyone. If everyone could see it the same way, I think breastfeeding would be viewed as normal...'cause eating an apple is pretty darn normal. But, there are also times that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to eat an apple. 

Do you have plans for World Breastfeeding Month? The theme this year is Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers...how do you interpret the theme, and how do you plan on helping?

<3, JL  

We've Got Your Back, Babe! :: Pretty by JL MOTIVATIONAL AWARDS

Have you heard yet, about Best for Babe's newest team, We've Got Your Back, Babe!? This has to be one of the neatest ways to raise money for the Mother of all Causes and to get into shape! 

Best for Babes teamed with Breastfeeding USA to create this team to celebrate World Breastfeeding Month, which is this August. We've Got Your Back, Babe! is the...

FIRST NATIONWIDE FITNESS CHALLENGE TO URGE AMERICA TO BACK BREASTFEEDING AND SWEAT FOR THE LOVE OF MOMS AND BABIES! 

What makes this team so unique is that you don't have to be anywhere. You don't have to run a race. You actually get to set your own fitness goal! You can get together with some girls in your community, some friends by way of phone or email, or tackle the challenge with your headphones alone...anyone can do this! 

It simple...to find, join, or create a team, click here. To join the virtual team, click here. You can join now, and through August, and you have until October 31st, 2013 to meet your goal!

For fun and motivation, there are some incredible prizes to be won! Each member who meets their $200 fundraising requirement will receive a swag bag with goodies, and on Tuesdays in August, motivational awards will be given out via the team's facebook page! Check out all of the details on WGYBB's official page here!

What about Pretty by JL?! I was contacted to see if I'd like to donate any accessories to be used as motivational awards. My answer? HECK YEAH! Here's what we're doing...

...I shipped off ten of the above today! Five silk, sterling silver, and stainless steel Pretty by JL key fobs in Best for Babe's trademark colors, and our 2 color arrow design, AND five silk and sterling silver Pretty by JL braid bracelets...also in true Best for Babes fashion!

I'm guessing that they'll be given away via facebook in August...Go like their page to learn more and see for yourself!

Everyone who reaches their fundraising commitment gets a swag bag. Pretty by JL put a little something in each bag. Check out what Chloe designed for us at a moment's notice {a pretty postcard}...

front:

back:

We are super excited to be a part of this super cool, fun and wonderful event! Am I on team WGYBB? Nope, 'cause I'm training for our family 5k, on August 31st in Durango, and am on a good ol' fashioned Best for Babes team! Otherwise I would certainly be!! I hope they do more like WGYBB because virtual is where it's at for me...I don't get out to many events and would fair much better accomplishing my fitness goals {and fundraising} if I had the support of all the other moms who were out there doing the same thing!

World Breastfeeding Month officially begins THIS Thursday! Make this your celebration and join Team WGYBB today! Good luck, and I hope you win a Tuesday motivational award on facebook ;)

X O X O, JL

Ever notice that I don't talk a whole lot about breastfeeding?

I've been thinking about that lately, and wondering how I might best define the reason to you. So here goes...

...to me, it's NORMAL.

Maybe my emphasis should go more like this...

...TO ME, it's normal.

Here's the deal...I started this new blog about four months ago, and the only thing that I've posted in that time that is categorized under breastfeeding is a beautiful photo love of my friend, Maria, nursing her baby, John. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about it, or like people may be judging me for it...finding me superficial. So, I'm going to clear the air now. There are a couple reasons that I don't talk much about breastfeeding. 

The first is that I'm overwhelmed. I'm not sure where to begin. I lost some great content and resources in my old blog. The resources are not lost of course, but the task of gathering them up just isn't on my list of things to do right now. That makes me feel a little guilty.

The second reason is because I never gave breastfeeding much thought. My body made my kids, and it also made milk that they were meant to eat. So, I fed it to them.

What I did give much thought, was how little I felt like myself during pregnancy, after my children's births, and while breastfeeding. There is a broad spectrum of emotions felt during those times, and while many many many of them are wonderful, there are some that are not. Even of those that are not necessarily bad, there are a whole lot of new and unfamiliar emotions and experiences that occur in a tremendously short period of time.

After excitedly setting out to shop for my first nursing bras, I mourned for my spirit of self. It was such a small and ordinary task, yet coming home empty handed made me question my ability to be a mother.

How dare they! Why on EARTH would anyone create something so unlike anything I'd ever buy? I didn't understand and I was crushed. The ONE thing that I was getting to shop for that was for me, and not for the baby...was hideous. They all looked like something my grandma would wear. I didn't feel like my grandma, but feared that I might easily begin to if I wore those bras.

So now, some of you might think-- she IS superficial...because I HAVE learned throughout this venture that not everyone cares about what their underwear looks like. I have also learned that the reason someone would indeed create something so blah and unlike anything I'd ever buy is because breastfeeding would be like nothing I'd ever done. The purpose of a nursing bra is to support heavy and uncomfortable breasts, while providing the functionality of feeding a baby easily. I've learned that those things are true, but I will never believe that they are enough.

I didn't buy nursing bras at all. Or, not until True was five days old, screaming and pissed because he thought he was starving, and my milk finally came in. My, normally 34 B sized, breasts were so engorged that they each swole up larger than True's newborn head.

{A five day old True, eating in the car after his first doctor's appointment.}

Then my mom went with True and I to Wal-Mart (back when they still carried nursing bras), where I grabbed two of the least expensive nursing bras I could find, and where I suffered from anxiety as True cried and dirtied his clothes by way of his first explosive diaper. It was a terrible experience, and was topped off with the obligation to spend money on something that I would never normally spend money on...Wal-Mart bras. If I had to buy them, I was not going to spend a lot of money, and I would get back into my normal bras as soon as possible! I spent $10 each on a black and white nursing bra.

Days later, when I was venting with my wonderful friend, Emily, about the horribleness that was nursing bras, I vividly recall whining, "Why can't they just make them PRETTY?!" She was in complete agreeance, but didn't have an answer.

I will side step quickly to say that the nursing bra market has come a wonderfully long way in the past five years. I will also say that I did not shop online for them at all because I seldom went online back then. I likely had far more options than I knew about. But, they weren't options for me, because I didn't know.

Now, take a moment to see the direction that this post is going. It is in my natural instinct to go on, on, and on about nursing bras and the reasons that I think it is so very important for them to be pretty. But, that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose is to talk breastfeeding and why I don't talk much about it.

Well, breastfeeding is normal to me like drinking water is. It's normal like going to the bathroom. It's normal like sleep and sex. It's normal like breathing. While I talk about all of those things sometimes, I don't bring them up lots...I just don't think to. I'm not the sort of person who asks why. I come to decisions with relatively little research, and I didn't love school. Writing a business plan, for me, was painful. I don't really even enjoy being on the computer much.

But, I do love to write. While I dislike shopping, I love clothes, boots, bags, and jewelry. I love friends, and I love moms who love their children. I appreciate ALL things pretty, and they fill me with absolute and utter joy. I might be superficial. But, this is me. I'm nothing too special and a long way from perfect, but really special and perfect at the same time. 

I leave the breastfeeding wars to others because there are people who enjoy arguing, asking why, and researching. I just don't. I find the facts interesting, but it still just boils down to that my boobs made milk. I'm not sure that the pro-breastfeeding information helped me much, because what swayed me more than anything was that I thought it was normal.

So here I am, a breastfeeding advocate and celebrator that doesn't talk much about breastfeeding. I'm doing it my way...by surrounding it with what I find normal. I'm lending my time, money, voice, image and spirit to the cause. If it were indeed normal it wouldn't be a cause, and that it is a cause completely breaks my heart.

I am not calling a single person abnormal who is not like me in any of these ways. Normal is defined by the person or country claiming it. I am just as influenced by our society as the next person is, and I don't claim to have any answers. But feel free to keep an eye on me. You may not understand by looking at what I'm doing today, but I can assure you that I am...

...helping each woman soften the challenges of breastfeeding by celebrating her body and satisfying her spirit of self.

During the month of August, for World Breastfeeding Month, I will be doing a breastfeeding post weekly. The theme is Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers. I'm going to do my best to help.

All my love, JL

photo love :: 2

LOVE

noun--strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties :: an assurance of affection :: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration 

verb--to hold dear :: to like or desire actively :: to take pleasure in :: to thrive in

{Source definition, in part, merriam-webster}

{Photo taken and shared by Charles & Maria Grant}

love... precious moments :: amazing moms, women & friends like her :: sweet babies like him :: catching a glimpse of her wearing her Pretty by JL charm bracelet 

X O X O, JL