Gone Maternity: like totally to the maxi

The following photos were taken sporadically over the last month. I thought it would be fun to do a maternity series based on styles that are comfortable, practical and wearable through pregnancy. Naturally, maxi dresses are #1, a great investment for any pregnant woman who wants to wear her maternity clothes happily ever after. All the dresses below were purchased at non-maternity stores but work just as great (better, I think) than what you might find overpriced and unimpressive at your local pregnant person store.

Maternity jeans are a must-have obviously (more on that, later) but for those who find themselves pregnant in the summer, (Fable was born October 2nd, and these babies will likely be born around the same time) long and loose dresses win. Here are some of mine.

Dress: $20 find at Melrose Trading Post swap meet

necklace: 70's vintage, Melrose Trading Post swap meet

Sandals: Steve Madden

This will fit me all through my pregnancy and beyond. It is currently my favorite article of clothing/proof that thrifting wins. There is no better feeling than digging for treasure you never knew you were looking for. This dress is my happy place. I also can't help but notice how in ONE MONTH my body has completely changed. These pictures were taken when I was fourteen weeks pregnant. I'm eighteen weeks, now, and my body has seemingly doubled in size.

This next dress is by far the most comfortable article of clothing in my closet. I bought it when I first found out I was pregnant. It will stretch to infinity and I'll be able to wear it for the brutal postpartum still-looking-pregnant months. The sweater is falling apart but its my favorite and the shoes are deceptively comfortable. Definitely pregnappropriate.

Dress: Anthropologie

Sweater: Splendid

Shoes: 80%20

This next sassy little number was an early birthday gift from my mother. It's plenty big for me to wear through my pregnancy and is more comfortable than sweatpants. I've worn it three times in the last two weeks and slept in it once (is that weird?).

Dress: Anthropolgie

Flip-flops: Havianias

Cardi: Fluxus

Earrings: a gift from my brother & his lady

More stripes! Because they are my best friend! Everything in my closet involves stripes. Stripes, stripes, stripes. They're always on trend, classic, appropriate, easy to accessorize and for some reason, everything with stripes is always superiorly comfortable. Like this next maxi/top combo, jersey heaven.

Hat: Hal's

Dress/tee: Anthropologie

Flip-flops: Havianas

I like how Hal got all arty with this next picture. Foil(ag)ed again!

Also a gift from mom, this dress was so-so on the rack but on my body I love it so. It's comfortable, looks great with jackets, sweaters and will look just as lovely fifty pounds from now. I hope.

dress: Anthro

Jacket: Madchen

Sandals: Sam Edelman

What? You're over stripes? NOT ME! Don't worry, these ones are green. I bought this dress last fall on sale for $12 at Veronica M on Beverly. I was with my friend, Bethany who was like, "buy it!" and because I trust her pro-stylist opinion I did. And never looked back. The boobs are a little out of hand in this one c/o me accidentally buying an XS (which is NOT my size) instead of a Medium. I was able to pull it off sans jacket before I was pregnant but now, two bra sizes later, I'll spare the public my offensive cleave.

Dress: Veronica M

Jacket: a million years old

Sandals: Sam Edelman

Hal and I were arguing during these photos, can you tell?

And then we made up!

This next one isn't really a maxi dress. It is long-ish and loose-fitting and a great vintage find. I wore it Monday with my unitard and decided to include it in this post because maxi it may not be, but roomy it absolutely is. Also, I've always looked pregnant in this dress and now when I wear it I can finally be like, "Pregnant? Why, yes sir. Yes, I am."

Dress: thrifted (Melrose Trading Post)

Unitard: AA

Boots: thrifted

Body: growing massive-r by the minute

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Looking to do some maxi dress shopping? EVERYONE from Piperlime to Zappos to Nordstrom to ModCloth is fully stocked in the maxi department right now. If you're pregnant, make sure to go with dresses sans waistlines (no matter how elastic) in a jersey/spandex fabric and always purchase a size (or more) up. Happy maternity-ing!

GGC

How to Photograph Food (sponsored)

This content series is brought to you by Shutterfly. Make your photo book just the way you want with the all New Custom Path

challah french toast with fresh fruit and yogurt

When I started the Eat Well series with my mom, I had no idea what I was doing. Neither of us did. My original plan was actually to film a little cooking show with my mom in the kitchen. She comes up and hangs with me often and we take regular weekend trips to my parents' house, so our plan was to shoot several videos at a time and then I'd edit them together c/o my most impressive editing & production experience at La Costa Canyon High School, go Mavs, but twenty minutes into filming, we still had half our tutorial to go. Clearly my "Eat Well: the video series" idea was a terrible one. My mom was too thorough and I didn't have time (or wherewithal) to edit thirty minutes of footage into three. We decided posts + photos would be the way to go. Of course, making food look photogenic, let alone appetizing can be tricky, especially where certain foods are involved. Peanut sauce, cough. Enchiladas, cough cough.

Here are some tips we've learned for taking appetizing photographs of food for your blog.

beets topped with goat cheese & dill

1. Never use a flash. This seems obvious but most tutorials involve dinner food/planning which one typically prepares in the evening. But a flash instantly makes food look insane - like those wax crepes outside your favorite creperie. (There is nothing less appetizing than fake food covered with dust. Or worse! Food that's ten hours old trying its damndest to tempt customers with its hardened sauce and flies.) So, stay away from flash photography, prepare your food in the late afternoon or early evening, when natural light is plentiful.

Do: Vegetarian Thanksgiving + natural light

Don't: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers + flash photography

2. Never shoot into steam. This also seems obvious but my mom and I have both made the mistake, now, several times. Action shots tend to call for pouring steaming hot water into a colander, or ingredients into steaming hot concoction - be sure to stand back, use your zoom as not to muddy the shot. Or just bypass the "pour" shot entirely.

Do: Orecchiette with mushrooms + no steam

Don't: Quinoa + steam

3. Try not to shoot alone. Many times I was able to take photographs of my mom in the kitchen but mainly my dad fills in. My mom cooks on the weekends for the posts (in the afternoons for good light!) so when necessary my dad can stand in to take photos. Aw.

WWW making Gnocchi di Zucca

4. Add a side dish or garnish to course. Adding a pop of color is a must, especially when your tutorial involves a main course (most of which aren't as photogenic as say, a salad or some fresh fruit). Also, a side dish is key to distract from foods that although delicious, aren't particularly beautiful to look at. ED: Some foods cannot be helped.

pumpkin enchiladas with mole sauce

5. Shoot on WHITE PLATES ONLY. This is probably the most important tip I have to offer today. Because it makes ALL the difference. My mom has these beautiful floral plates and every time she sends me a photo using them, I'm like, "NOOOOOO!!!!" because simply put, they look amateurish. They take away from the food. Show me a gorgeous food blog and you will see solid plates, mainly of the white or black variety. This way the food stands on its own, as it should in a foodie photograph foodograph.

Do: polenta with greens on white plate

Don't: Gluten Free Matzo Balls on decorative plates

6. Up the contrast and saturation (ever so slightly!) in post - This way your colors will sing and your food will appear more textured, colorful and yes, prettier.

7. Crop Responsibly. An a-symmetrical crop job can make a bland photo more interesting, so long as it doesn't distract from your subject.

garden grown Fava beans

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What about you guys? Questions? Concerns? Anything you'd like to add? Food blog that you adore? First six commenters (once again) will win code for a free 8x8 Shutterfly Custom Path photo book, so you can build your own photo adventure! (Cook book, perhaps?)

Don't forget to include your contact information and... GO!

GGC

Let's Go See This: Beginners

I first saw the trailer several months ago - I think I even tweeted it because very seldom does a trailer affect me the way this one did. Trailers when done well are like poems adapted from stories, they stand alone.

Two nights ago I got a text from a friend who was just leaving a Beginners screening here in LA. "It will blow your mind," he said. In the meantime, there's this:

Beginners hits theaters June 3rd. I can't wait.

GGC