You had me at Shopping

Most of my closest friendships have originated from my days back in elementary school and are still genuine after 31 years. In the past 9 years I have established my "mommy friends." I have bonded with these compelling women, over the trials and tribulations of raising our children and surviving (thus far, at least)! Lastly, there is that one special friend that entered my life unexpectedly, when she started dating a friend from college. That friend is Jen. Our friendship was sealed when I realized I had found my permanent shopping partner! Jen, like myself, is an avid lover of fashion, and we instantly connected over kimonos and skinny jeans. Beyond the mall, our friendship grew deeper when we both became mothers and our husbands were called upon as the godfathers of our daughters. Endless phone chats, play dates, shopping escapades, and dinners have secured our friendship for life. Jen is more than just a friend, she is family.

She inspired me to begin this fashion journey. I watched her single-handedly embark on her own entrepreneurial path a few years ago when she developed an online children's boutique called Sunday Chic Boutique. Hardworking and dedicated, she recently expanded her business and incorporated custom designs. She is beyond talented. Hence, it doesn't surprise me that her business is thriving so much that she has decided to focus solely on her custom creations.

She was an integral member in the development of my styling business and has proposed so many creative and useful ideas. I rely on her immensely and have become more bothersome than I would like to admit!

When she recently called upon me to dress her for her family photos, I felt honored but instantly panicked! 1. Jen is 8 months pregnant and these family photos will be taken 7 days post delivery!! 2. She is undoubtedly one of the most fastidious people I have ever met and very hard to please. I say this in the nicest way possible and we joke about it relentlessly. Nonetheless, I am honored that she has faith in my styling abilities. I am determined to break down her fashion walls and incorporate more color and accessories (at least for one day)!!!

Her go- to store is currently Anthropologie, so that was our meeting ground. Not only do they offer so many trendy pieces but they also accommodate her body type and sell larger sizes for after delivery. We basically went into this mission blindly because we don't know how swollen she will be or how much weight will shed in 7 days. Thus, we were forced to look for styles that were more loose fitting, solid, and forgiving. Jen gravitates towards black and navy blue religiously, so I made every effort to lure her towards some mauves and lighter blues as well. Since her pictures will be taken in April and her daughter Taylor will be wearing spring hues, I thought it was important for her to match that theme. We grabbed many tunics and tops with ruching and piled into the dressing room. Less painful than expected, we agreed on two tops that were most versatile. They would flatter her post baby body but also become a permanent staple in the months to come. One (navy of course) and the other a very dainty top in sky blue. Both a wrap style, they looked simple, yet chic and would be perfectly depicted in pictures. We already tackled the shoe department ( a nude booty) and jeans were taken care of. Last stop: jewelry. Jen is a jewelry minimalist. She sticks to her basic watch, ring and stud earrings daily. While both her tops are great, they need a little sparkle. We are still searching for the perfect statement necklace as we speak. I insist on one with color to not only spice up her outfit but to draw attention upward. I am confident we will find it in time! I can't wait to meet baby Stankowitz and share pictures of the finished product!!!!