Thank You, 2015!

 Photo by Jody Gianni

I will say that 2015 was the best year of my life. For two very cute and precious reasons...

I guess when you have children, you become more aware of the time that escapes you. Considering the boys are now 8 months old, I look at them every day and ask myself, "Where did my little babies go?" They are growing up so fast, and already making big strides in their growth. Landon and Nathan can both stand and crawl, are excellent eaters, grant me many nights of sleep because they sleep through the night (I probably jinxed that now that I said this), and of course, make Mike and I so happy. It is truly instant love when you have a baby, and each day when I come home from work just gets better as they are excited to see me. All the changes that have come to our life have been things more interesting. Some for the better and some, well, just different. We roll with the punches and look forward to the future.

But, I have learned many new things this year that have open my eyes to this new time in my life.

1.  I am a mom, but I'm not Super Mom.

Being a mother was and still is a learning process. I don't have all the answers, but I do what I feel is best for the boys. I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself a question out loud just because the pure thought of figuring out the answer baffles me. I'm sure if the boys could communicate with me, I'd be better able to figure out what they need in those moments of crying. But, I do what I can, and do what I know. However, the sense of pride I have in myself knowing that I do all that I can to raise two happy little dudes in the best way I know how is rewarding.

2. There's never enough time for anything.

 This revelation pertains to two things in specific:

A. My blog.

I'm putting it out there - House Of Jeffers isn't my first priority. I still love blogging, I love writing, and I absolutely love playing dress up. But, I don't know many bloggers who have twins who also work full time. The days of going outside on a nice day to take photos has escaped me since my sons are my absolute priority. Their needs trump anything that is going on in my life. I have tried my hardest to sit down at the computer and pen interesting posts with visuals - but I haven't done a good job of it. I'm often tired from work, and then, have responsibilities for the boys that need to be addressed. By the time it's bedtime, I'm exhausted. Or, on the days when the weather does cooperate and I can go outside, something comes up where I can't pack the boys up to take photos. Maybe when the boys are at the point where we can take them for walks and do more things with them I'll have more opportunities to carry on with the blog like I want to. But for now, I have to fit House Of Jeffers in when I can. However, to compensate for the lack of posts here, I've been upping my game on Instagram at House Of Jeffers - where you can find me anytime. A small compromise, but still, an effort I"m trying to make.

B. My social life.

Um, what social life? Listen, I'm well into my mid-30s, and not that life is over, but I'm not interested in going out and spending money on things that I don't need, nor, do I need to go out partying since I'm married. But, the free moments I had for girl's night out are few and far between. I've had to miss out on lots of things and that's okay. It's part of being an adult and being a parent that I signed up for. I can only complain so much considering my family goes above and beyond to watch the boys when social engagements come up. My husband and I try our hardest to maintain as much of ourselves and our hobbies as possible, but parenting takes a precedence to anything else we have going on. Not many people can understand that, and may be mad at me for it. I can only say that when they are in my shoes, they'll know what I mean.

3. Being a mom doesn't mean I have to give up who I am.

The mom bun is not part of my style routine. I don't own a velour jumpsuit. I still wear heels.

I still put on my makeup, do my hair and of course, pick out an outfit to wear that says "Jen", but a stylish mom-version of her. 

Not all aspects of being a mom are glamorous, but that doesn't mean I have to rough it every morning in order to get the boys ready. Getting myself dressed and pampering myself in those small moments makes me feel like I'm more ready to take on the day. So while I might not get out of my PJs till 12 on a Sunday, when I do, I look like my normal self.

4. At the end of the day, nothing else matters except for your family's happiness.

Listen, things don't always go the way I plan. People sometimes turn out to be jerks, and let you down. But compared to what's going on at home - it's all trivial b.s. that will work itself out. As long as the people I love are happy - who cares about anything else? If you can't control it, don't waste your time worrying about it. That mantra is something I preach but don't always practice, so I have some catching up to do in 2016. 

But, 2015 was amazing. I loved every minute of it, and I hope you did, too. If not, you can always start over... and January 1 is a great place to start.

Have a wonderful, happy, amazing and adventurous 2016!

All In One

Seven months into being a mother, I'm finding that I still take pride in getting ready in the morning. I know that for some, it can be hard to put the energy into getting yourself dolled up to go to work, or even just take on the day, but that is the one thing I told myself I wouldn't let go of. After the boys have been fed, or are taking a nap on the weekend, I then make it habit of putting an effort into pulling myself together. That's not to say that if you are a mom who doesn't that you don't care about your appearance, because trust me, I have days when I have to half-ass getting ready for the sake of my children... I just find that being a mom doesn't mean I have to or need to let go of my former self.

With that being said, I do turn to clothing that is comfortable, practical, but yet, has something visual going on outside the norm of some of the things I wear. Take for instance, this pinafore. One part suspenders, one part dress, it gives the illusion that the outfit is really intricate when it fact all I did was put on a sweater and put a dress over it. The sweater has a Peter Pan collar so again, it looks like I put on two shirts for effect, but really, it's all in one. 

I hope you all are having a great holiday season. As you can imagine, and as you can probably tell from the lack of updates on the blog, I have so much going on between work and the babies. I do miss blogging, and I do miss the routine I had on the weekend to prep for blog photos, but it is so hard for me to find time literally outside of my home to go outside and take photos. I won't risk taking the boys outside on cold days, and it's not fair of me to get the twins bundle up just so I can take my photos; my sweet husband has offered to do this for me numerous times a a result of the guilt I feel for not maintaining House Of Jeffers. I just can't. So, I find time... Key word "find". 

If you are a mom blogger, I would love to know your secret on how you make time to take photos for your blog when you have a newborn. And this isn't just rhetorical question - I would love to hear from you. Please email me at houseofjeffers@gmail.com! I am desperately struggling to maintain the blog, and if I can find a way to still deliver great content while taking care of the boys, I'm all ears.

Outfit:

Red Pinafore - ASOS / Polka Dot Sweater - Forever 21 / Leather Jacket - Forever 21 / Fringe Saddle Bag - Steve Madden / Leopard Print Shoes - BCBGeneration / Leggings - Francesca's

Plaid: The Unapologetic Fall Uniform

I've pretty much been wearing plaid every day. And I should probably find something other than plaid to wear since it's not like I don't have other clothes in my closet to wear.

Never been one to fully master layering, I figured if was going to put on another button-up shirt, maybe I should break it up somehow. Instead of a chunky knit sweater, I tried out this sleeveless peplum shirt from H&M, and there you have it - the outfit I wore to take Nathan and Landon to visit Santa! Yes, I already took the boys for their first Christmas photo with Santa about a week ago. And yes, I am that mom. No way was I going to brave doing this on Black Friday, or really, any weekend after that considering the mob scene the mall turns into. Moms out there know what I'm talking about - I've got potential diaper changes in the mall and a feeding schedule to contend with. Early it is.

And since we're getting all festive, I'll be rocking this perfect Kate Spade New York Southport Avenue Handbag that I got for my birthday! It's actually called the Jenny (not the reason I wanted it), and if I do say so myself - it fits my style personality. It's bold, and different, yet can become a classic wardrobe piece with extreme versatility. Since I opt for darker colors to incorporate into my wardrobe, I've found having a red handbag to be extremely inspiring in terms of finding new things to pair it with.

Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving, and better yet, took advantage of those killer Black Friday sales! Onto Cyber Monday! If you need me, I'll be stalking Instagram and cleaning out my email from the 200 emails an hour I'm getting because of it.

Details:

Tommy Hilfiger Plaid Shirt - c/o / Peplum Sleeveless Top - H&M / Jenny Bag - Kate Spade New York / Jeans - Urban Outfitters / Patent Leather Boots - Modcloth

House Of Jeffers - 5 Year Later...

A very special dress deserves a very special post.

While a little behind since motherhood has taken over my life...

House Of Jeffers is 5 years old!

Unbelievable. Five years of fashion, style, adventures... and so many life experiences. I always look back on what's transpired in relation to the first year I started blogging, and this year really takes the cake. But before we get into all the milestones that happened this year, let's acknowledge the dress.

This dress.

It is stunning. I fell in love with it so quickly, I didn't care where I was going to wear it, if it was an impractical piece that would spend more time in my closet then on my body... All that I knew was that it was quintessentially Jen. The print is so intricate and vibrant, and uber boho gypsy. And no, it's not vintage. It's ASOS. But I will say that this is probably the most beautiful dress I've ever dared to wear. So, I knew I had to save it for my blogiversary photos, which my extremely talented, generous and supportive friend, Jody Gianni, captured for me. Please, do yourself a favor and check out her amazing photography here.

Which brings me to today. House Of Jeffers has absolutely changed since 2009. My idea of what fashion was then was probably way off. I had different interests which influenced my style aesthetic, resulting in looks that were a bit more edgy and maybe a little immature youthful. [Insert embarrassing photos here.] I worked at Barneys New York at the time as a copywriter, so I just started to get exposed to designers and brands. I also married my husband that year, which brought a new-found inspiration from his home, England, to House Of Jeffers.

In 2010, I started to come into my own as far as being a blogger is concerned. I found my voice, and started to branch out and take more risks on House Of Jeffers. Inspired by England, bits and pieces of the UK found their way into outfit posts. Trips across the pond further motivated me to share how much I love England with you.

As years passed, so did my fashion sense. I stayed pretty much on par from 2012 to 2014. One of the best things to happen to me was the friendships I made. Oh, and that time I was to be in a Tresemme Hair video shot by Candice Lace during New York Fashion Week. Let's call them "the definitive House Of Jeffers style years." Being exposed to other bloggers, and getting into social media influenced me to really hone in on personal style and create a signature look. I'm sure people associate my bangs with me more than any other look I've showcased on the blog. 

Yet, even when I was pregnant, I felt like I did a pretty darn good job of putting an effort into looking like me. I navigated maternity clothes and found short cuts to dressing my bump without feeling dowdy. 

Of course, the biggest change to House Of Jeffers, and me, was becoming a new mom in April 2015. It is my biggest adventure yet, and my most favorite of all. I've only started to share some of who Landon and Nathan are becoming on the blog, and more is hopefully on the way. Another new change for me this year on top of the mom title was being a full-time working mom. Plus, I was promoted at work so that too made returning to work something more positive. Leaving my littles at home is something I still struggle with, but loving what I do makes going to my job easier.

Finally, I took a step away from blogging for better half of 2015 to focus on my sons. They are just about to turn 7 months this week, and as you can imagine, things are very hectic on the home front. Knowing that my life has evolved into what's beyond my closet, the decision was made to change the format of House Of Jeffers to focus on not just style, but lifestyle, #momlife and being a real person on a real budget. The new format has breathed new life into content that I hope resonates with you - whether you're single, married, have kids, have a cat, hate work pants [I loathe them]... whatever. The goal is still to make this little blog of mine better, and I'm hoping to find more time to do so in the future.... 

But if you find some time for me, or know where to get some, let me know.

As always, I need to acknowledge all the people, friends, family, brands and readers who still support me and House Of Jeffers. While this place might have some cobwebs on it occasionally, know that I am so grateful and humble to have a moment of your time. The kind words I receive here and on Instagram do not fall on deaf ears. Thank you for letting me entertain you... and indulging my narcissist ways  regarding my bangs. I mean, they are pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

So, again, thank you! Let's see where we are in 5

years when we come back to this place and look back!

Statements That Shine

The easiest way for me to up the ante with any outfit that I put together is with a statement necklace. And I must admit - lately, my necklace game has been on point! Stocking up on sparkling stunners in both gold and silver, I love having different styles of jewelry so I can play up outfits or push them over the edge with a simple statement piece. And since I'm on the budget side of things, that always helps.

Investing in jewelry is something that you won't regret as you'll have the piece for years to come, and when just when you're feeling like your outfit is kind of "blah", wearing jewelry changes the look instantly. One of my favorite places to hunt down jewels is Shiny Mix. I was fortunate enough to meet gorgeous founder Kathy at the Lovely Happenings event, and I pretty much acted like a giddy child over our encounter since I obsess over her stunning assortment of jewelry! Case in point, you might have spied the Shiny Mix's Dynasty Bib - a mixture of uber sparkle in edgy shapes - on my Instagram. I paired it with a collared plaid shirt to give my two-tone top some sparkling contrast. It's gorgeous. It's serious. And it's completely swoonworthy!

Absolutely check out her site as you would be crazy not to find something that fits into your style aesthetic... and within your budget. She's on Instagram, too, so you can envy all the shiny things she's up to!

 

Outfit:

Plaid Crop Top - Forever 21 / Faux Leather Pants - Zara / Fringe Bag - Steve Madden / Suede Ankle Booties - Target /  Dynasty Bib Necklace - c/o Shiny Mix