our maternity session

Welcome to the last post of 2018, I can't believe how quickly the year has passed. It has been the BEST year yet! Definitely not without it's ups and down, struggles throughout but honestly the best because we got to greatest gift I could ever have asked for. In just a few short weeks we will welcome baby Girl into the world and then 2019 will be the BEST year ever. Today I am going to share our amazing maternity photos we had taken while in Arizona. I had been putting together a vision on what I wanted my maternity photos to look like and after hours and hours of stressing that vision came to life exactly how I imagined! 

one stop shop for everything expecting moms need

Good Morning + Happy Saturday! It has been a bit since I have gotten on here to check in with you all, life has been busier than ever and with baby quickly approaching and tying up loose ends in order to start maternity leave from my photography company. Needless to say my brain has been bit all over the place. 

I am so excited to share one of my favorite CANADIAN shops with you today! I have been working with this company for a few months back and couldn't be happier with their brands and customer service they offer! It has truly become a one stop shop for moms to be, you can pick up your maternity items, baby gear/clothing, and even postpartum. Bellies In Bloom is located in Victoria, BC and ran by the sweetest owners, Sabrina + Becca. They have a brick and mortar shop as well as a huge online selection. Take a look at a few items I picked up from them and have been using/waiting to use non stop!

must have maternity dresses

One of the most exciting and stressful parts of being pregnant is finding the perfect dress to accent that cute bump you have. Whether you are looking for a dress for Christmas, your maternity photos, or holiday parties wanting the perfect chic dress that everyone says 'oh you looking glowing in that!' makes you just feel beautiful inside and out! I knew we were traveling to Arizona for American Thanksgiving this year and my in-laws always have a dressier dinner so maternity leggings and a baggy t-shirt was probably not going to fly. I also knew I needed a Christmas dress for both Christmas eve and Christmas dinner, as well as a possible maternity dress because of course we are taking maternity photos. My favorite maternity shop PINK BLUSH has over hundreds of styles of dresses (and other maternity clothes!) and they are having their biggest sale of the year! It is the perfect time to stock up on any dress you will need in the next few months! Today (11/26-11/30) is PINK BLUSH's Cyber Monday sales! Use code CYBERMONDAY for up to 60% off site wide and 40% off ALL dresses!

Head over to my Instagram STESHAROSE account where I am giving away $75 gift card for the next 24 hours to one lucky winner! PINK BLUSH also has women's + children's clothes if you aren't expecting.

Happy Shopping!

Front Porch: Updated Fall Decor

Hello! Today I am FINALLY sharing our front porch Fall decor. I decorated for the first time last fall, (you can read that post here) and tried to update it each season. Obviously Fall is the best of all and this year I think I stepped it up another notch.  Give me allll the pumpkins you can! I was able to snag a couple "pastel" pink and green pumpkins from our local orchard, and if you have been following on instagram you would have seen we went to a pumpkin patch over the weekend and got these bright orange ones for carving. The more pumpkins the better... right?! 

Also, if you have been following on instagram stories, you would have seen that I was on the search for a new front door mat... ALL OVER TOWN! It is such a challenge sometimes living in Canada where shipping and duties will cost you a fortune. I can not justify $80 a door mat, so I did some exploring and searching and came up with this orange "gather together" mat and a secondary rug underneath for some dimension. 

Fall Bucket List

Everyone, it is October! Can we believe that?! Fall has been around for the last couple of week like a mentioned before but it TRULY feels like Fall and so many Fall activities going on. We have been having some gorgeous days (although we are embracing ourselves because rain is in the forecast) with golden glows of sun and walks around the property. I have officially stated that Fall is by far my new favorite season here in BC, the colors, the outfits, and the crisp air gives me all the good feels. 

Speaking of outfits, I am so happy to get able to start layering cozy cardigans and flannels! I keep adding more to my online shopping carts and then get frustrated when I g to pick out an outfit and the cardigan I had in mind is not in my closet it is in my cart... anyone else do that?! I also love these new mauve distressed denim pants I received from the Pink Blush maternity line. They are a great muted color for Fall and I cannot wait to pair them with many more sweaters. PLUS, a big bonus that none of my other pants have... front pockets! Yes, these maternity pants have real front pockets which I love. 

life on the go

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Annie’s and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

I can't believe it is well into September already! Seriously, do the years get shorter or is life just so busy time is flying by? Must be the second one. Life lately has been a zoo around here! School has started, Sofia is loving her grade 3 class and of course she got the teacher she wanted (yayyy!). Ballet has started up again, this year she is in primary which means she will be taking classical ballet exams in the Spring AND Stephen is playing softball 2 times a week which Sofia just has to go to!  Not to mention we are half way through the pregnancy and my work is on over load. Geez, I get tired just hearing it all! haha. However months like September and into October are some of my favorites even though they are the busiest because come December when the snow hits we tend to hibernate as a family. 

One aspect to being busy that stresses me out is making sure my family has the right nutrients and healthy foods to eat! If you have been watching on Instastories I have recently been making homemade pear and apple sauce to have on hand for the winter. We grew our garden all summer long which is now coming to an end, and as seen a few posts back we have been hitting up lots of orchards for fresh fruit. Busy life doesn't have to mean fast food, you can still eat healthy even when its quick. 

bumpdate: 20 weeks

Okay, I may be a week and a half late posting this BUT I am getting around to the 20 week bumpdate. I feel like so much has happened  in the last 6 weeks however that could just be because I do more than eat bagels, sleep, and work... I, my friends, have become a member of society again! The questions, how are you feeling comes my way my answer is GREAT! At week 7, 8, or 9 I never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but here I am. I honestly feel great. Of course there are some second trimester symptoms that are present but compared to the first trimester this is a breeze!

dress (under $20!) // jacket // shoes // bag // watch // earrings

pregnancy style; leggings on repeat

This week marks 20 weeks of pregnancy for me. I can't believe it! I remember being 13 or 14 weeks and thinking 20 was soooo far away, but now it's here. Living in a small town maternity clothes are as difficult to come by as one would expect. For this reason I was able to hold off on purchasing any maternity clothes until just a week or so ago. A little secret though, if you are like me and have been holding off on purchasing maternity pants go get yourself a pair because they are life changing. I think I want to continue wearing them even when not pregnant haha. 

I wasn't sure how much my body was going to change when becoming pregnant. You see these beautiful women on Instagram who literally look like models with tiny bodies and the cutest bellies. It was almost immediately where I felt my body change, my shorts and jeans literally didn't fit at 8 or 9 weeks, I was so shocked. I have turned to dresses and lots of leggings since then! 

Gender Reveal: Baby Girl Puckett

Last month we were able to throw together a little BaByQ gender reveal party with some friends and family! We have been working so hard on the yard, both front and back all summer long. It was just one year ago we were able to move into our little farm house and we have a one year goal to get the house presentable! If you remember our initial home post (here) our little cozy farmhouse is only 807 sq ft, so when having a party/bbq/people over ever we need to be OUTSIDE! We are lucky enough to have a huge enclosed deck and lots of grass to run and play. 

Our goal was to have the yard ready but the end of summer. I wanted to have a little gender reveal party but mostly it was an excuse to have our friends and family over to see what we have been working on. I also felt that if I gave Stephen a deadline he would be sure to get the work done! If you remember on Instagram and from this backyard patio inspiration post I was trying to find the best use for our deck area to accommodate seating. Take a look a what we have accomplished so far...

Okanagan Summer: Pear Picking Adventure

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and OnStar and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

Okanagan Summers are one for the books, always. Every year you can count on beautiful weather, warm lakes, fresh fruit from the local orchards, and lots of outdoor time! We spent last summer building our home so this summer we wanted to take full advantage to get adventurous with exploring the Okanagan in full. If you have been following along on here for some time or on Instagram you know we made it a priority to explore lots of what BC has to offer, even what is in our own back yard!

Fresh fruit is a total hit in our household! Sofia loves almost any fruit you give her and the most recent obsession is Pears. Last year we went peach picking, remember this post? Earlier in the Summer Stephen and I spent a morning cherry picking, I posted an instagram here of it! So when Pear season came into play we knew Sof would be all over it. We spent a day driving around to different orchards Pear picking and then headed off to have a picnic overlooking the Lake!

bumpdate: first trimester

I am finally getting around to giving you my first bumpdate! Many times I feel like my days are going so slow, yet my weeks are flying by. Today I am going to share everything from my first trimester including; symptoms, cravings/aversions, pregnancy must haves, and what I am looking forward too!

Big Sister Party

I have been thinking of how we would tell Sofia she was going to be a big sister since I knew we wanted to expand our family, so a while to say the least. It wasn't until we were actually pregnant that all of a sudden time was passing and things were now becoming real. How would we tell Sof she was going to be a big sister? Is she going to be happy? Sad? Unsure? Will she jump for joy or say, "cool" and walk away. All these thoughts were running through our heads daily. Sofia was also leaving us for the summer, I would be almost 9 weeks when she leaves, that is still so early. But I would be over 16 when she comes back and that is a long time to share the news with the person who deserves to know most. 

Our first ultrasound appointment fell on June 21st, which also happened to be Sofia's half birthday. She has been saying for weeks she wanted to have a half birthday party.... excuse me what?! Listen girlfriend, mama is not in the mood for these shenanigans since when do we do half birthdays in this house?! And a full party at that! I also saw this as an opportunity to take advantage of, we could throw her a half birthday/big sister party, this will be perfect!

Baby Puckett Announcement

GUESS WHAT?!

I am over the moon excited to announce that we are expecting a BABY February 3rd, 2019! Those words feel so good to type, you have no idea! This has been such an emotional journey and by far the hardest secret to keep so today, to be able to share with you all our news feels amazing. We can't wait to meet the little boo, but before then I am so excited to take this pregnancy journey (although it has been kicking my ass!).  

I will post a first trimester recap later on in the week but for today I am going to share our story on our road to becoming pregnant. Our journey has not been an easy one so I wanted to share the hard times we went through before we got to receive this overwhelming happiness we now have. 

Farm House; Master Bedroom Reveal

I have been working on this post for some time and am finally getting it up for you today! Decorating a new home can take time, lots of stress, and honestly when you live in a small town where store like Ikea, Target, and Homegoods are not available it can get a bit discouraging. I decided to make the master bedroom the last room in the house to finish and have been collecting pieces over the last several months. It wasn't until just recently that the last few finishing touches came in and it now feels so good to rest our heads down in a peaceful, clean and organized space. Small farmhouse living at its best! Take a look...

snaps from Revelstoke

Sorry I have been a little shy around here lately, wedding season is well under way and life as I know it has been busy. If you have been following on Instagram you will have noticed that we have been doing lots of traveling for work, weddings in all different cities! Last week Stephen and I were lucky enough to travel to Revelstoke, a small mountain town north east of the Okanagan up into the rockies. We had a wedding to photograph on the Saturday so we decided to go up a day early and explore a new town we had never been to!

Today I a going to be sharing all the places we ate, slept, and saw. It was a quick weekend but we managed to fit a lot in! This Spring we have been able  to explore all over BC, last month I posted about our time in Abbortsford for the Tulip Festival in case you missed it and what to check it out!

the perfect pink dress

The Okanagan is literally one of the most beautiful places this time of year! In the Spring all the orchard trees are blooming pretty pink and white flowers. Driving through town each hill side is all kinds of colors and the smell is just amazing! The blooms only last a few days only about 5-7 so you have to catch them just at the right time. If a big wind storm or rain comes they will mostly likely blow off so fingers are alway crossed for hot calm weather!

On a fashion note for today, I picked up this blush pink dress a few weeks ago when we were down in Bellingham! I am so in love with the pockets, the crochet mid section, and over all cut! I have been on the search for some comfy casual dresses to wear all summer and this one is it. I am actually still kicking myself I didn't buy it in black, I may have to order it online! 

shop this look:

backyard patio inspiration

If you have been following along on Instagram, mostly the stories, you will have noticed we have been working the outdoor of our home insanely hard! We have planted and seeded grass, sodded the entire backyard, put in a walkway, planted a bunch of beautiful trees + bushes and now finally I am concentrating on the part that I like, the decorating. We have a big 400sq ft deck off the back of the house, yes our deck is half the size four home haha! (You can read all about the building stages of the home in this post here.) We know from about April 1st - October 1st we will be spending the majority of our time outside so I want to make the deck is as cozy and functional as possible!

my favorite parts of Spring

Bring on the shorts, skirts, and anything bare leg weather! Spring has totally Sprung here in the Okanagan and it is literally THE prettiest season yet. My + Sofia's favorite 100%. Driving through our town there are so many different colored trees + bushes blooming. The orchards are in full bloom with pink and white flowers, every tree lining the streets is now pink, the magnolias are incredible and just recently the lilacs have come out as well. Not only are the flowers beautiful the smell is out of this world, we are in heaven! I apologize in advance is every post has tree blooms in the background but I have to take advantage as much as possible. 

Today I am excited to share this adorable gingham wrap skirt! I love the ruffle bottom it adds such a feminine feel and is perfect for the Spring weather. I chose to pair it with a blush top (inspired by this image I found on Pinterest!) instead of the traditional white or black. Although I think adding black cami would be perfect for a more dressy night look! 

shop the look:

DSLR photo editing 101

Back in March I posted my first photography tip post on iPhone editing 101. It was the first of a three part series I am sharing on how I edit my blog + instagram photos. I have been mixing up my editing style for years now and I am sure it may change again but for the time being I am really loving what I have been doing! Today I am going to cover DSLR cameras + Lightroom presets. 

I took a small break from blogging from mid December - mid February and during that time I did some research and played around with a few different editing styles. I wanted a new and different look than what I had been doing for years. If you are a long time follower of my blog you will know that I also run Stesha Jordan Photography, a wedding + portrait photography company. I love my light and airy style for that company but here on Stesha Rose I wanted to mix it up! Today I am going to give out 3 tips on how I shoot my blog photos as well as the Lightroom presets I use. 

Bloom Tulip Festival

Hello! Hope you enjoyed Tuesday post all about Abbotsford, today is an extension of that post. As I mentioned seeing the Tulip Fields was a bucket list item for me so naturally it was going to get its own blog post. Bloom is the Tulip Festival in Abbotsford located right off the highway but you can't see it because they have black fences up blocking the fields from the road. With the owners family originally from the Netherlands (home of the tulip fields!) it has become a family affair and how thankful we are to have them here in BC! The fields only last about a month, if lucky! This season the blooms were a bit later due to the long cold winter, I was really hoping for a full high bloom but we got just the end of the low bloom period. I would say 60-70% of the fields were in bloom but as you can see from my photos there is still a lot of green. 

In this post I am going to share 5 tips I have learned on how to take the best travel photos. We all see the amazing images on Instagram with the outfits that match the scenery perfectly, or the image perfect hairstyle, the right sunlight and so on and so forth. It isn't by luck that all these factors come into play when out taking travel photos lots of planning and research goes into the mix. Below are 5 tips to help take the best travel photos and honestly make life less stressful when doing so. 

Snaps from Abbotsford

I am so excited to share this post with you today! Stephen and I recently celebrated our 2nd wedding Anniversary on April 22nd and since our schedules have been so busy we wanted to take a little weekend away to celebrate. We are still in our first year living in BC and a goal we made to each other, okay correction a goal I strongly urged to Stephen was to make it a priority to get to know our new home. BC is such an incredible province, with hot hot summers and snowy winters there is so much to see and do all year round. One bucket list experience I wanted to see in real life were the tulip fields! I am sure you have been seeing girls running in white dresses through the bright red, yellow, and purple fields on instagram these past few weeks and I wanted to do it too! Spring is such an amazing time of year and with flower fields just 4 hours from us I knew we had to make the trip down to Abbotsford!

We have driven through Abbotsford many times when driving up from the states. It is the cutest little country/farm town with incredible mountains lining the valley with fields for days everywhere you look. We have always wanted to learn more about this cute little town so we decided to spend the weekend. Take a look at where we slept, ate, and played at during our Anniversary weekend away!

Spring Trends

Sorry I have been a little absent lately, I promised I would be blogging twice a week but sometimes life just gets in the way! It has been b u s y around here the last couple of weeks. With the weather changing to Spring (woohoo!) we have lots of yard work to get done so we can enjoy a wonderful summer and get rid of this mud. I have been pinning like crazy different inspo for the yard, take a look here if interested! Landscaping can be fun yet it is a ton of work, our backs are pretty much broken! 

Today's post is a classic outfit post (yay!) with an all white look! I love white on white it gives you many options to accessories or add color if you wish. I chose these favorite cognac wedges from last year (still in stock) and a straw hat to keep the sun off my fresh yet pale winter skin. It is a great weekend outfit for farmers markets or brunch dates!

Easter Weekend Family Fun

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! 

On Saturday we decided to pack the family up in the truck and head out to do some great BC family activities... like fishing and playin in the lake! Stephen has always loved fishing and now we are living in the great outdoors so we are trying to take advantage as much as we possibly can. The weather has been getting warmer and warmer each week (well, minus the snow blizzard Sunday morning!) so we have been spending much more time outside. 

We headed out to a place called Mabel Lake which is probably about 45 minutes from our house. We had made the trip once this summer and decided to head back this weekend. It is one of the prettier lakes in the Okanagan, no homes and very few cabins line the store which gives it a sense of freedom. Although we didn't catch any fish, we had a great time and the dogs even more. Levi is totally obsessed with the bobbers that go on fishing lines and would try to jump and grab it at any chance he got. As he got more comfortable he eventually started running and jumping in the water after it! Eventually we took the hooks off and let the dogs have some fun.  I can't wait for the weather to warm up even more so we can get in the water and swim with the dogs like we did last summer. See: evening at the dog beach post. 

tips to shopping with your daughter

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and H&M and have

received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

Today's post is an exciting one, one we have been looking forward to sharing with you! As we have anxiously been awaiting Spring to arrive we have had LOTS of time to go through last years Spring wardrobes to see what still fits (and what we still like... mostly on my end!). One major difference with living somewhere that has 4 full seasons is that we put away half our clothes every 6 months. When we pull the storage containers out it is fun to see what we have been missing, and in Sofia's case what no longer fits anymore (insert a mix of emotions, cliche they grow up so fast!).  Today we have partnered with H&M and H&M Kids to bring you their newest Spring line, which is seriously SO good. We love H&M for the entire family, its an easy and affordable place to stock up on new trends. 

Shopping can definitely be overwhelming, I feel like this often. When I started shopping for Sofia I was really excited at first, I mean kids really do have THE cutest clothes. But over the years as she grew, had more of an opinion of what she wanted to wear, and prices became higher I found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. When I discovered the huge selection of kids clothes at H&M I was over the moon and relieved, their clothes are adorable and really affordable. Plus, I feel they portray  positive messages and styles for young girls. Today's post is going to talk about tips for shopping with your daughter and how you can build confidence and self esteem in the experience!

5 tips for working from home

I have been working from home for almost 8 years now, I really can't believe it! Before I got the guts to get up and quit my day job and follow my dream job I was working 5am-2pm Monday - Friday while getting my Masters in Business. It feels so weird to think about those days. Life was very routine, I never brought work home with me and honestly I felt like my days were much longer.... sometimes too long. Since becoming self employed my life has changed greatly and I have learned (sometimes the hard way!) tips on how to be successful when working from home. 

I have been thinking of this post for awhile but never knew if it would be welcomed or not. Then I thought of the struggles I have faced over the years and even if this post helps one person out, or saves them from making one mistake I made then it is all worth it. Below I am sharing 5 tips for working from home!

donut friday

Here is a fun little post for you today, not sponsored just a little local small town support! Vernon has two kinds of people who live here, families who have lived here their whole lives, generations of Vernonites! Then there are people who move to Vernon from surrounding cities because in a thriving economy yet very expensive economy Vernon is probably the most affordable without living 40 miles from a grocery store.  I would say my general family falls in the first of the two however I (and my husband and daughter!) are new back to Vernon after 20 years of being gone, so I guess technically we may fall in the latter of the two. 

Being new back to Vernon is actually great because you want to explore and see what is out there. Figuring out new restaurants for yourself can be tricky but if you talk to someone who have lived here for their whole life they already have their favorite. This brings me to todays post, about #donutFriday in Vernon put on by Ratio Coffee Shop. 

kids Easter basket for under $15

I am back today with another Easter post for you! Thank you for all the sweet compliments on our matching maxi dresses from Monday's post. They are definitely one of our favorite matching combos we have! Today's Easter post is one that I always search on Pinterest for, and each year I try and do something a little different for Sofia as her Easter basket. Like I mentioned Monday, Easter is totally my favorite holiday BUT that doesn't mean you have to overspend! Today I am showing you how I created Sofia's Easter basket for just over $10! Yep, that is right I think everything comes to about $11 + tax and we are about $15 max. 

a little Easter decor

hello + Happy Monday! I am so excited to share some holiday decor tips with you since Easter is right around the corner. Easter is totally my favorite holiday, has been since I was a little girl. I love tulips, pastels, the sun is always shinning, Easter dresses and of course the chocolate that comes with it!  I have slowly been decorating around the house for Spring (even though there is still too much snow outside!) and today I am going to share with you a free printable Easter banner I found on Pinterest! 

Do you follow Stesha Rose on Pinterest?! You should if not already! I found this amazing free printable Easter banner and knew I needed it for the big blank wall we have in our kitchen. If you remember from winter I did a wreath wall in the same location. I LOVE the floral design of the letters, they give off a very anthropologie type feel don't ya think? It was super easy and fun to do, take a look....

iPhone editing 101

I am so excited to share this post with you today. It was one of the highest response rates I have received on an Instagram poll and honestly it has been something I have been thinking of sharing for some time. I believe in community over competition, I get asked often what apps or tricks I use in personal DM's or emails so I want to open up and share with everyone! I will be giving away many of my editing secrets that I use for my blog photography. As many of you know I am also a wedding photographer over at Stesha Jordan Photography, a company I founded 7 years ago. I have spent years getting that editing and branding down to a science so those secrets I am going to hold tight BUT all my blog editing recently has changed and I have been getting so man questions on it. Those are the tips I will share with you today!

I have broken this photography series into three part series. A lot of my editing gets intertwined from my DSLR to iPhone from laptop editing to phone editing and of course my blog photos to instagram photos. 

PART 1: iPhone editing - favorite apps 

PART 2: DSLR + presets

PART 3: presets with iPhone photos

6 neutral outfits to transition from winter to spring

Happy Monday, I can't believe we are well into the first few days of March. There is no surprise here in BC we are still in the Winter season, I can't believe how long the snow is staying (insert eye roll!) this is not stoping me from puling out my Spring transition outfits tho. Many other parts of the world are now onto shorts and cute tanks, up here I am happy just to be pulling out my white denim!

Today is a quick post with some my favorite Instagram outfits I have been sharing lately. I seem to be gravitating towards creams, grays, mauves, and lots and lots of denim! Take a look and tell me what ya think...

5 tips to help make a healthy marriage

dress c/o Chicwish (currently sold out - similar here)

I am so excited to share this post with you, it has been a long time coming. Stephen and I had the chance to model for an AH-MAZING photographer named Jennifer Hodder, here in Kelowna last September. It was just as the weather was starting to turn from summer to fall and we were lucky enough to sneak in just at the last moment while all the peaches were still on the trees. Sofia + I actually went back just a few days after this shoot and picked some fresh peaches for our peach pies. I posted our adventure in this post and the pies in this post. 

The shoot was so much fun, it was the first time Stephen and I had ever done something like this before. We have only ever had our photos taken twice and both times were by a friend of mine back in Arizona. Stephen usually prefers to be behind the lens as photos aren't his thing but he knew it was important to me so agreed to participate. Since we never did engagement photos when we got engaged 3 years ago, it was fun to bond over this experience and now we have adorable orchard photos to add to our photo galleries. 

weekend movie night

who else has a little girl who's completely obsessed with Shopkins?! raise your hands mama. one of the biggest epidemics yet, Shopkins everything. if you remember from a few months ago I posted Sofia's bedroom reveal, and now again, thanks to our great friends over at Moose Toys, she is Shopkins set for life. literally. 

this big package arrived the day before Sofia left us for Christmas break. it was such a tease because all the packages go to my moms house and then I drive over and pick them up every other day or so. my mom literally only lives about a quarter of a mile (maybe half mile at most) from us, so super easy to run back and forth. it was such a huge box and when I opened it Sofia's eyes got so wide. I told her she needed to wait until she returned after Christmas break to open it and play with everything. kinda of torture, I know!

bring on the roses with Pixi

it is hump day, and what a week it has been. I am excited for todays post, it is the first time in a long time I have posted about beauty. while I am patiently awaiting Spring's arrival (still!) I was so happy to receive this gorgeous package from Pixi Canada. 

I am always open to  trying new beauty products especially when they come from Pixi. I love their moto, the brand, and honestly everything I have used from the Pixi line has been incredible. their newest line is all focused on roses which next to peonies is my favorite smell, not to mention is it my favorite flower for obvious reasons!

5 hard realities of winter in Canada + neutral winter outfits

vest c/o Shein

welcome back + happy Monday everyone! today I am excited to show you one of my favorite neutral outfits I put together as well as talk to you about 5 hard realities I have learnt while trying to survive my first Canadian winter. I have been patiently awaiting Spring, and even as I write this post I am pretending it is already Spring even though the reality is I have another month until that actually happens.

before we continue, notice how gorgeous that building is behind me in the first photo? that is the Catholic Church in town that I used to attend Midnight Mass and Easter Sunday at when I was just a little girl. it is hands down my favorite building in town, I could stare at it all day long. I actually featured it back in a post in my first year of blogging, I went through and dug it up here!

happy valentine's day

pink pom cardigans c/o Chicwish 

happy Valentine's Day loves! I l o v e Valentine's day, not because its all about being in a relationship or having a man to spoil you, because honestly my husband doesn't do anything romantic on this day! In time and with enough nagging I am sure might change :) the real reason I love this day or actually the first 14 days of the month is to show love to everyone special in our lives. I am going to share 5 things you can do on a budget to celebrate Valentine's Day for everyone!

new direction, 2018

hello! oh, it has been some time since I have gotten on here but I am so excited for my first post of 2018 AND to introduce you to my new site, Stesha Rose. if you follow me on Instagram you will know my insta handle is SteshaRose, which is my first and middle name. back in 2012 when I started blogging I thought I needed a cutesy name for my blog, hence Classic & Bubbly, but it has been in the back of my mind since day one... 'why did you not chose Stesha Rose?' 

as many of you know my life took a huge change in 2017 when my family and I decided to move from Arizona to BC, Canada. I wanted to keep blogging but I was so overwhelmed with the move, the building of the new house, adjusting to small town life that I kind of, well half a**ed the blog. it just wasn't feeling right to me anymore, never the less getting my hands on new trends and clothes was either extremely difficult or extremely expensive. wearing the newest jeans or sweaters from Nordstrom just wasn't a priority when I live in a town with no mall.  

so, let's talk about what Stesha Rose is going to be about....