I am now five months along and am definitely growing, as evidenced by this photo. I am feeling great and feeling him fluttering inside {as I type this right now, in fact} is making me more and more excited to meet baby boy.

Speaking of this photo, this shirt {which I love and get compliments on every time I wear it} was designed by my friend, who has a great eye for design, Angie Rebennack from the Outfit. You can find the shirt here, if you love it, too. If you're local, you're in luck...you can stop into The Kids are Alright {x: Broadway & Redondo in Long Beach} to shop the Outfit. Angie has chosen the cutest selection of baby and children's items - all handmade items made by moms from all over the country. You won't be disappointed!

Sponge Coral Necklace

I spotted these sponge coral beads recently and had to have them! They are a beautiful shade of red, with a hint of orange. I designed this necklace to be worn two ways - as shown above. You can wear it simplye as a strand of beads or to accent a v-neckline, you can turn it around to showcase the dangles of a faceted olive jade stone, a turquoise nugget and a sterling silver bali bead. You can find it here!

*I think this would make the perfect accessory on a Valentine's Day date, don't you?*

True Cuddles

Have you been to True Cuddles yet? It's a great new site that features mompreneur interviews, reviews, giveaways - they wade through the clutter of main streamed products to find unique products that help celebrate motherhood and guess what?!?...they thought bel kai designs qualifies...makes me *blush*. So, if you have ever wanted more inside information on what makes me tick and why I started down this journey, you can read more of my interview here. Or you can bypass all that and just enter to win a free custom piece of jewelry...designed and made by yours truly. I won't know either way. :) Good luck!

Sweet Pearl & Poppy Necklace

Every once in awhile, I create a piece that turns out better than I envision in my mind - {what a pleasant surprise!} and I fall in love with it instantly. I made this last night in a quick moment of inspiration - and as soon as I put it on, I swore to never take it off - well, until next time...

You can find it here.

Use coupon code "VALENTINE" to save 15% off all orders until February 15th.

the weather outside...

Wow - I am practically sweating as I am working today in my house - it is a very warm 87 degrees today - but I am loving it! I can't wait for spring. So, we definitely took advantage of the weather over the weekend - we helped a friend move {well, we took lunch for everyone and enjoyed a picnic on their new home's front lawn} and enjoyed a nice lunch out yesterday at an outdoor cafe. E enjoyed a nice bike ride with Lance today - a bike ride and a smoothie - pretty much as close to perfection as it gets for little E. He loves both...goes crazy when he sees the Jamba Juice logo. :) We also enjoyed a little time playing with sidewalk chalk today.

custom family tree

A newly designed pendant for a friend - this version of a "family tree" includes a mama bird on the branch below looking up at her three children - my friend is represented on the left and she has two older twin sisters represented on the right. So sweet!

back to real life

I was having a hard time accepting that vacation and the holidays are over - it seems like everytime I read a blog post or facebook status, friends are echoing the same thing. It's hard working from home, because there was never really a vacation, but I pretended nonetheless.

So, somehow, someway, I am feeling motivated today - I have my studio all set up. (That's a joke - I don't have a studio. But, I pretend my dining room is one sometimes. I just have to overlook the mess surrounding E's highchair and the fact that I have to organize and clean up every time we need to eat.) I am looking at this beautiful flower arrangement from my husband and listening to my favorite tunes, I am ready to create again and am looking forward to unveiling some new designs in the months to come. Hope your new year is well underway and you are finding ways to motivate and inspire you!