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Hey, hey!! How’s the week going? My week has been a week of high and low extremes it seems. On Monday I proudly proclaimed that it was my “best day ever” as a new parent of 3 kids. After two months of my head spinning off, I finally felt like, “I’ve got this!” I got the girls off to school and ballet class, Jack took great naps and was super chill and happy all day, I was productive blog-wise and managed to Insta-cart some groceries and cook a healthy dinner. Boom! And just like that I wake up at 4 am on Tuesday morning to a baby with a fever and two grumpy toddlers (why do they pick these days to be in a bad mood?! ha!) and my world is suddenly back to chaos mode. Yesterday was a brutally hard day for this CEO Mommy. I didn’t eat, shower or even brush my teeth (yuck!) until 7:00 last night. I cried in my pediatrician’s office. My friends ran into me post-doctors appointment and immediately sent an “are you ok text, because I know I looked like a total train wreck.”Just one of those days as a mom that kicks your butt. Isn’t parenting a roller coaster?! Gosh, the highs are so good though. I got the first REAL smile from Jack this morning and my heart may have exploded. Ok, sorry for the Dear Diary moment, just had to get that off my chest. And why can’t there be cool emoji’s in blogging? I need them when I’m getting all chatty over here.

If there’s one trend that’s on fire this year it’s the bell sleeve, and I am loving it. It adds such a flirty and feminine touch to an outfit. This top is sure to be on repeat because it can easily be paired with denim or a skirt on dressier occasions. Since my dress-up days are few and far in between these days I’m most often rocking my bell sleeves with a pair of skinnies and some metallic statement loafers. However, if I were headed out on the town I would totally pair it with this fun leather number and these rad pumps (on sale, so snag them while you can)!

outfit details | top | skinny jean | loafer | Illesteva | handbag | tassel earring | coat

photos by Kate Robinson

Statements sweaters are truly my jam. I recently realized I have a closet full of ivory and black sweaters but tend to gravitate towards my bright, patterned pieces when push comes to shove. Cardigans and ponchos are my go-to during the winter months because they’re so easy to layer. I typically pair this poncho sweater with jeans a classic white button down or this black turtleneck. But could totally rock it with this faux leather skirt and tights if the occasion calls for a dressier look.

outfit details | Mara Hoffman sweater, also love this statement sweater on major sale | turtleneck top | denim | Rebecca Minkoff tassel loafer, also love this pair | Rebecca Minkoff clutch also available here | Matsuda sunglasses, similar here | Daniel Wellington watch and cuff bracelet |

photos by Traci Ling

What are your new year’s resolutions? Aside from the token work out more, eat healthy resolutions, I’m resolving to say NO more often. {and learn how to turn on my TV-no joke the controller beats me every time!}. You see I’m a YES person, I really hate saying no, especially if someone I really care about is asking something of me. Whether it’s a dinner, or to chair the next gala or to join a supper club or pick up tennis, I so badly want to say yes, yes, yes! But with a new baby and two other very young kids who need me, my resources are tapped out. My family will always come first. But sometimes all of the yes’ end up stressing me out to the point that I’m not being the best version of me for my family. I’ve even had a lot of guilt about the time I spend on this blog away from them, or with them in tow (which is actually pretty fun!). I’ve actually considered putting L. Avenue on hold a few times over the past month. I thought about it long, and hard. And at the end of the day, I’m choosing to keep feeding this piece of me that’s turned into a full time job. Will I have to scale back a little? YES. But more than anything it means saying NO to almost everything else for now. Just until I find my stride with the new normal life with 3 kids at least. To my Houston friends, even though I previously alluded otherwise, please still ask me to dinner. I’m changing my mind on this time commitment because well, a girl’s gotta eat!

Contrary to the title of this blog post, this plaid top saved me during the holidays. I wore it on repeat to the point that friends were calling me out thanks to Intagram stories. I love this plaid print, but what I love even more is the cut of this top and it’s rad plaid ruffle detail. This flare pant is the first non-maternity denim I’ve found that actually fits. Not a jean that I can currently wear with shorter tops or something tucked in because well, there’s a lot of extra post baby tummy action currently. But I can tell you how awesome it felt to wear normal jeans again. And the top covers everything just right. I think I may have to buy it in another color, I love it that much! It would also be cute layered over a turtleneck or button down.

outfit details | plaid top, also love it in this style and plaid color | Avenue Montaigne flare jeans from Tootsies, but here are similar | J. Crew bag | Illesteva cat eye sunglasses | On a cooler day I would totally pair with this ACNE studios moto jacket, also love this steal version | Pumps also lobe this splurge here and steal here

photos by Traci Ling

outfit details |Paper Crown Women’s Marseille Top, Black/Sequin c/o Paper Crown | faux leather leggings $29!, also love this moto pair for $39 | boyfriend blazer, similar here | pumps, sold out, similar here | handbag | sunglasses, same style here

photos by Kate Robinson

It’s been strange staying in town for the holidays. We typically head out to Santa Barbara the week between Christmas and New Year’s, quite possibly my favorite trip of the year. But baby Jack wanted to hunker down here in Houston. This week is pretty low key, but I’m honestly grateful for some downtime at home with my little tribe of 5. I’m even more excited to catch up on everything neglected during the holidays to attempt start off 2017 somewhat zen. Or as zen as one could be with a newborn baby in the mix.

So in case you’ve got some downtime this week, let’s get your winter uniform straightened out for 2017, shall we? I had a few minutes to hit up Nordstrom’s half yearly sale and think you’ll be pretty excited about the winter outfit staples on sale right now. I’m sticking to what I know best and rocking the blazer-denim-sneaker combo this winter. It’s 80 degrees in Houston right now and hard to justify spending money on winter coats, so my typical winter investment pieces are on blazers layered over sweaters or tees depending on which end of the spectrum the weather pendulum happens to swing that day. I found this top (on sale!) at Nordstrom which I plan to dress up for NYE and wear on the reg in 2017 underneath a blazer with denim. Blush tones are taking over my wardrobe and I love the blush + black lace appliqué on this top. I layer a black cami underneath but a black bra would be pretty fab too. I also love this lace trim blouse, also on sale. I’m still rocking maternity denim, but can’t wait to squeeze back into some normal jeans again. I have my eye on this pair (on sale!) and think I’ll pull the trigger on this pair and just size up a few sizes for now. They are a steal and I’m so ready to toss the maternity clothes.

outfit details | boyfriend blazer, similar here, also love this blazer and this statement blazer is a steal | lace sweatshirt | denim | sneakers, also love this pink suede sneaker | sunglasses | handbag (last season), similar version here

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Nordstrom. Thanks so much for supporting the brands and businesses that make L. Avenue possible.

photos by Traci Ling