My daughter’s swimming lessons are starting up a week from today. This realization has kicked  my swimwear fears into high gear. Last summer I had just had my little bean and decided that I was only going to focus on finding cover ups that could take me from place to place. I was all about girl power and body acceptance. While I’m trying to stay on that train this time around, my needs are definitely completely different.

Last summer I was keeping one eye on my nervous five-year old in the pool while trying to rock my newborn and keep her asleep to avoid too much sun exposure. This summer I will have a much more confident six-year old who is already talking about adventures in the deep end and a 15-month old who fears nothing. I fully expect to be run ragged and am OK with that (chasing wild children counts as a workout, no?). The one thing I’m concerned about  is eliminating the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction.

I declare this year my Summer of Coverage. I’m not looking to be matronly. I just want to make sure I have some pieces that won’t leaving me pulling and tugging and fearing I can fall out at any moment. Because really, who needs a nagging fear of wardrobe malfunctions in the back of your mind when you’re trying to wrangle adventurous water babies?

1 Old Navy maxi cover up / 2 Splendid terry dress / 3 Lauren by Ralph Lauren swimdress / 4 Jantzen swimdress / 5 Old Navy striped cover up / 6 Athleta caftan / 7 Old Navy boyshort / 8 Old Navy shorts

Have you found swimwear or cover ups that you swear by? My hunt is in high gear and I would love and and all recommendations!

I know I’m a little slow here, but I am officially on the maxi train. I’ve been obsessing over them for more than a year now and I’ve finally found a recipe that works for my body.

tee: Old Navy / maxi: Old Navy / necklace: Hive & Honey / bangles left: Tinley Road / bangles right: Hive & Honey / sandals: Forever21

First, it’s all about the gauze. Breezy and loose fitting, the pretty gauze skirts and dresses out there won’t cling to you (ie won’t show any lumps and bumps that you’d rather keep under cover). I had been drawn to cottony pieces but have found that they just don’t work for me. I bought the maxi skirt above at Old Navy last week and I am madly in love. I’m seriously considering heading back in and buying a few more.

The other thing I’ve learned is that I need something that can be nipped at the waist. I love the really loose and flowy looks, but I need something that has at least a little bit of structure. Whether it’s darting in the dress itself, the addition of a belt, or using separates to create a shape, I need something or I run the risk of looking larger than necessary.

I’ve also learned that lots of the dresses that are out there have tiers that create a sort of drop waist effect. This is a huge no for my body, as it does nothing but cling to my gut–something I’d rather not make the center of attention.

Now that I’ve perfected my maxi recipe, I’m pretty sure it will become my new summer uniform.

Is there a trend that you’ve had to fiddle with until you find the best way to make it work for your body? I want to hear about it!

1 Ella Gajewska Hats fedora :: 2 FantaSea Jewelry stacking rings :: 3 Golden Plume ring :: 4 Bayan Hippo cross body bag :: 5 Thread Etc. straw hat :: 6 Sandra Hagen caftan :: 7 Caroline Cochran fine art photo :: 8 Mama Bleu Designs clutch

I couldn’t possibly decide which of these pieces is my favorite. Looking at each of them is like a mini escape from reality (and who doesn’t need that every now and then?). I can almost hear the crash of the waves and the sea breeze on my sandy skin. If I could jump into this collection you better believe I would!

Do you make handmade pieces? Email me a link to your shop and you may find yourself in next week’s roundup!

I’m completely obsessed with retro swimwear. And I’d be lying if I told you it’s solely because I think the silhouettes are cute and feminine.

I mean, they definitely are. But my favorite thing about retro swimsuits is that they are so very forgiving. They cover up areas I don’t feel like showing off to the whole world (hey upper thighs! hey baby pooch that just won’t melt away!) and they nip you in at the waist to create an hourglass shape that anyone would kill for.

Take a look at some of these fab shots to see what I mean.

So how do you rock a retro-inspired bathing suit without looking either frumpy or as if you fell off the set of a period piece? Luckily there are tons of options for retro swimwear out there. You just have to know where to look! ModCloth and Anthropologie are great places to start. Pin Up Girl Clothing also has some great options.

clockwise from top left: Anthropologie retro poppy bikini :: ModCloth two piece swimsuit :: Anthropologie gingham maillot :: ModCloth one piece bathing suit

So what do you think? Will you be wearing a retro bathing suit on the beach this summer?

PS You may have noticed things look a little different around here. My fabulous sister, Michele Frechette, redesigned my blog header (she needed something to do to keep her mind off of the baby that’s trying to crawl out of her uterus) and helped give the blog a fresh facelift. And a Facebook page is coming this week! What do you think of the change?

Whenever the temperature starts to rise and bare feet no longer means frostbite, I find myself on a hunt for bohemian pieces. There’s something about golden rays of sunshine and feeling a warm breeze on your skin that releases your inner hippie, don’t you think? It just makes me want to wear flowy skirts and flowers in my hair.

This is a major reason why, when we were putting together the first issue of our bridal magazine (a summer issue), we decided to do a bohemian photo shoot. We chose flowy, laid back dresses, piled on bracelets and big floral hairpieces (which I made!). The result was a gorgeous spread that even non-brides can look to for inspiration.

Since way back in December I shared my list of to-dos for 2012 with you, I thought I’d share some of the fabulous photos from my first big styled shoot!

photographer: JacPfef for Bijou
makeup: Meredith Hayman
stylist: Jen Garry

Are you drawn to bohemian fashion as much as I am?