And Our Baby's Gender Is...

Attention, ladies and gentleman:

The moment of truth has arrived...

we are having a precious baby boy!

Can I just tell you how excited I am? Now I can really get to shopping and decorating for the little stud muffin. I will be honest, baby boy fashion intimidated me at first. Onesies and shorts get really boring, really fast. This is until I honed in my fashion sights to that of the male species. And guess what? Boy clothes can be fabulous.

Here is a list of my favorite stores with killer little man style...

CrewCuts (J.Crew)

Janie and Jack

H&M Kids

Baby Gap

Old Navy

Vans

And here are a few of my favorite finds so far...

Gray Slip-On. Vans.

Skinny jeans, ankle boots, layered sweaters. H&M Kids.

Kid aviator sunnies. Crewcuts.

Brown tweed vest. Crewcuts.

Heaven help my husband.

Friday Favorites

TGIF!!!

Working two jobs gets tiring, so I can gratefully ring in the weekend this week!

This is what my Friday is all about today...

Favorite craft: 
Scrapbooking

I need to catch up from 2010!

Favorite book: 
The Help

I just started reading so I can go see the movie, which I hear is fabulous!

Favorite song: 
Song for Bob by Nick Cave ft. Warren Ellis

For all of you music lovers, this song strikes right to the inner core. I came across this beautiful ballad on Pandora recently, and cannot stop listening. Perfect serenade to a peaceful Friday. 

Hope you have a delightfully relaxing Friday!

Can You Blame Me?

Guess what? 

My pants no longer fit, and I am making the most of my blousey, tunic tops. 

Floppy Hat: LOFT. Ruffle Top: LOFT. Shorts: LOFT. Sunnies: H&M. Peacock Earrings: Gift from Spain.
Picture by The Besich.

Bump: 18 Weeks.
Picture by The Besich.

Outfit posts don't seem quite as thrilling as they used to. Many times I have asked, can you blame me? I feel as though I am not being true to my fashion blogging roots, but...can you blame me?

Fortunately, beauty trends are a category of the fashion industry which I just so happen to adore. Product reviews will be in the works. Especially ones that require major self-pampering. 

I also just wanted to share some of my highlights of my first-ever trip to Vegas this last weekend. 

One major highlight actually...

The shopping! The red soles! The Abbey Road at H&M! 

(And sorry about the picture quality. Our little Olympus is on the fritz, soon-to-be death bed.)

Have a lovely day, loves!

Guest Post: Molly On The September Issue

Happy Monday, little lovers! Today, my very best friend in the whole world, Molly, is guest posting here at Along Abbey Road! Molly has been a fashionista ever since I can remember, so do take her styling advice! You won't regret it! Take it away, Momo...

Hello bloggers! My name is Molly Huish [mollyhuish.blogspot.com] and I have been best friends with Abbey since we were little. These days I’m living the east coast life in Washington, DC as Abbey’s token single friend, loving boat shoes, anything with stripes, and boys that work on Capitol Hill!

Even though I love holidays and birthdays, tomorrow is honestly my favorite day of the year. Why pick some random day in August to love? Because tomorrow the September issue of Vogue hits newsstands!

I realize many people may roll their eyes at this statement, as every teenage fashion wannabe is a professed Vogueaholic. But for me, the September issue is so much more than the fashion [which is incredible!]. Like New Years, it feels like a chance for a new beginning. I love looking back over the past four seasons and picking out the good and bad [fashion] decisions I’ve made, hoping to be smarter this year.  

A lot of complaints I hear about Vogue is that it’s all advertisements and there aren’t wearable clothes. To that I would say that the ads make the magazine. They give us a glimpse into every store in the world, adding to the already beautiful photo spreads the magazine produces. The advertisements are to be looked at, not skipped over. As for the clothes the magazine showcases, they are often not meant to be worn by everyday folk like you and I, but the styles they show will set the trend for the coming season. I may not wear the $2,000 Chanel wool coat, but finding a similar coat that is more my style and budget means that my wardrobe is ultimately influenced by Vogue.

Since I’m a slightly superstitious person, I believe that the coming year in fashion will emulate the quality of the September issue. Since I’ve already seen some of the pictures from Kate Moss’ cover wedding shoot, I think it’s safe to say that the next few seasons are going to be amazing!

Happy September-ing!

My favorite September Issue...

Nicole Kidman, September 2003

And my least favorite Issue...

Sienna Miller, September 2007

Do You Know What BUI Stands For?

Today is my 100th post! That is approximately 5,000 words--the equivalent of a 10 page paper. Does this mean I'm on my way to becoming a fashion/beauty/blogging expert?  Probably not, but I do know I can write a blog post in a rather short amount of time, compared to the eternal amount of time it used to take me at the beginning. If you aspire to increase your writing abilities, I suggest starting your own blog. It's just what your cranky, old English teacher would order. 

Since we are on the topic of school, let's move onto today's lesson:

BUI...

Buying Under the Influence

Hand illustrated by me. Drunk shopping looks frightening, doesn't it?

Recently I read a magazine article about the growing issue of drunk shopping. Not only is it a pain in the rear for retailers dealing with mass returns and cancelled orders, but it wreaks havoc on the shopper's fiscal and personal life. 

From statement shock, "$600 on camping gear??? WTF!?!", to blatant denial, "You mean to tell me I actually bought five pairs of snowshoes? That's impossible! I hate the snow!", buying under the influence can never end well.

Even if someone belligerently purchased that $1,000 pair of Louboutins they'd been coveting for the past decade, the happiness of opening the package would be exceedingly outweighed in the rage their husband would soon express when he saw the mammoth bank statement.  

The negative impact of BUI is quite frightening. The looming threat of divorce for married offenders could be around the corner. Credit ratings could hit rock bottom, just as fast as a bottle of vodka in the care of Lindsay Lohan does. That beautiful dream home could instantly disappear because the down payment was used to purchase worthless crap once upon an intoxicated evening.

Fortunately, I don't drink, but I know plenty of people who are plagued by alcohol-induced spending. If you fall into this category be aware of your actions, know your limits, and do not let others take advantage of your spending rampages in a drunken stupor. If you don't party much, take care of your friends and family that easily fall victim to BUI. They'll thank you in the morning :)

Pinterest Love

Who loves Pinterest? I do!

After a bout of skepticism this last month, I came to realize Pinterest is one of the most amazing things on the planet, and I've been pinning my heart out ever since.

The ideas are endless and it is pretty much every lover-of-pretty-things dream come true!

(snapshot of some of my boards)

Are you a Pinterestholic? If so, let's follow each other!

Click on the cute, red button on the right hand side of this blog page or go here to see my Pinterest page! If you are a full-on Pinterest addict, you can join this Facebook page to feel a bit better about your pinning obsession.

If you are not on Pinterest, you need to make sure you are by the end of the day. I like to think of it as a productive way to waste time. That way, you don't feel as bad about aimlessly playing on the internet all day because you were cultivating your creativity. 

Happy pinning, loves!

Dressing For Your Age

 I received a reader submission to show how a certain item can be worn at any age. Since leggings are becoming a major part of my wardrobe and the fall season will soon be upon us, they made it in as the spotlight item of the week.

 For us younger gals, leggings are perfect to wear with a long top and some seriously fabulous heels or booties. Don't forget to add your pop of color for some funk.

The length of the shirt dress is longer, but still short enough that leggings are a good way to add a third piece to this oufit. Flats make this age appropriate and a belt is a perfect accessory to pull the look together.

As you age, it is important to dress AGE APPROPRIATE. Let's define age appropriate and address some things you should avoid like the plague:

• Short skirts, dresses, shorts, or basically anything where your thigh is exposed like a 16 year old Hollister employee. It just makes you look older than you really are.
• Glitter. Nobody wants to see glitter lotion, makeup, or hair on a middle-aged woman. It screams midlife crisis.
• Graphic tees. This category of clothing is targeted specifically at a young crowd and needs to remain that way. Stay away from the Justin Bieber tees and Twilight logos!
• Excessively high platforms. Again, it looks like you are trying too hard. And don't try to justify the fact that Madonna is 52 and still wears them. She is Madonna and in a league of her own (ha...yes, I am laughing at my own joke).

Now here are the key items that will keep you in style and feeling your age:

• Cropped pants. These are a fabulous go-to option for warm and mild weather, and they look cute with flats or a heel.
• Blazers. These are a prime fashion item that look exquisite on older women. It screams fabulous.
• Basic tees. The way to make these fun and styled are to add a printed cardigan or your amazing diamond necklace you got for your anniversary. Lucky for you, you can adorn yourself in diamonds and not look tacky, as Audrey would say. And we should always listen to Audrey.
• Scarves. This is an accessory great for any age, and specfically looks chic on older fashionistas. It's an easy way to add a pop of color or print to a simple outfit.

Speaking of accessories, my giveaway ends next Monday so hop on over here and enter! There is a good chance you will win something, as there is a list of 5 things and it is an extra special giveaway!

Make it a fabulous day, lovelies!

Awkward Situations

 

Blouse, Crops, & Ring: LOFT. Necklace: Thrifted. Sunnies: Vintage. Heels: Dollhouse.

Sometimes communication with others is extremely awkward. We are all people, so of course we all make mistakes, feel embarrassed, or just plain out feel awkward from time to time.

Situation #1: Small Talk With Acquaintances

This is especially applicable to seeing your parents' old highschool friends or people you know well enough where it would be rude to keep on walking and awkward to give them the "I just saw you but am going to pretend I didn't" walk-by. You all know what I am talking about, and we have all done it at one time or another. In these small talk chat circles, I always find the topics to be trivial. It's like in all the old English movies where they tell you to talk about the weather and your health and you will be fine. Sound advice, I tell you..."How are you doing?" "Very well, thank you." "Lovely day for a picnic, isn't it?" Then you are off on your merry way. The worst though is when you are at the grocery store and you keep running into them, which resorts in making some sort of joking remark about peanut butter because you don't know what else to do. Awkward.

Situation #2: Trying to End a Conversation With People That Talk Forever

Bless those who have been gifted with the ability to talk for hours on end. I, for one, am not one of those people. Yes, I like to gab and have great conversation (so don't peg me for an antisocial), however it can get awkward when trying to exit the conversation because an errand or appointment needs tending to. The worst is when you go to say "well, gotta get going!" but then they lead into some heart-wrenching story that you simply can't walk away from. Again, it would be rude. After 45 minutes of non-stop chatting, it gets to the point where you have to be blunt and say you really have to go since you are late for a meeting, or something of that nature. Then the other person feels embarrassed and gets all apologetic for talking your head off. Awkward.

Situation #3: Parents Attempting to Unearth Your Personal Issues (Or Theirs) You Would Rather Not Discuss With Them

I am a firm advocate of keeping an open channel of communication with parents. It makes for a stronger family unit, but there are just some things you don't want to talk about with your parents. The main topic that should be on the Do Not Speak Of list are talks or descriptions of one's detailed intimate life. I don't care how much wisdom they have to share, I would rather read it in a book by someone claiming they are a professional. The only time I have ever seen this work is in Meet The Fockers, and even then Gaylord gets embarrassed and you end up feeling awkward for the poor shmuck. Let's just say there is a difference between the birds & bees talks as a pubescent teenager, versus adult, married sex talks. The first I would say is mandatory; the second I would say is not advisable and...awkward.

Now say awkward 25 times, as fast as you can. You will begin to sound and feel like a bird :)

Don't forget to stop by here and enter the accessories giveaway! It ends in less than a week, so scurry on over if you haven't put you entries in!

Hope you all are staying happy and avoiding awkward situations today!

Trend Alert: The Fishtail Braid

Hottest new trend in hair styles? 

The fishtail braid.

Everywhere I look, celebs and fashionistas alike are twisting their locks into a chic little fishy tail braid!

Diane Kruger wearing a french braid modified into a fishtail.

Image from InStyle.com

Nicole Richie looking amazing hair-to-toe at the Ella Moss 10 Year Anniversay Celebration.

Image from coolspotters.com

Whitney Port is the queen bee of trendy, fun hairstyles. This pic is a mini tutorial to get her flawless braid, or you can go here for the how-to segment featured in Us Weekly!

Just a few more months and my hair will be long enough to sport the fishtail. 

Word to the wise: Do not cut your hair short if you love playing with all sorts of fun do's and styles. You will be very sad when you go to play dress-up and there is nothing there to twist, knot or braid. Granted there are mounds of funky, cute short hair styles and you can always go the extensions route if you have $600 smacks just laying around. 

Be sure to pop by over here and enter my giveaway! I want to hear your latest jokes (explanation at giveaway post)!

Happy Monday and August!