Hi friends! It’s Friday! I feel like I’m running on cruise control lately but looking forward to a weekend at home (kind of – NOT in our home yet). I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! xx

My mom, sisters, two cousins, aunt and I are going on a girls trip to Charleston this summer, any recommendations for restaurants or activities that are a must? 

I have a big Charleston Travel Guide filled with my favorite things to eat, see and do!

What car seat(s) do you have for Charlie? I have two daughters (2 and 7 mos – totally open to an arranged marriage with Jack and/or Charlie) and I’m struggling on choosing a convertible car seat for our younger daughter. We have the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 for our older daughter, but I’m not so in love that I’d do it again. I was so spoiled by the easy install for the Uppa Baby Mesa infant seat that I’m desperate to find something just as easy in a convertible seat.

Haha loved this! We have and looooove the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Convertible Car Seat! We actually bought the Maxi Cosi Pria originally and it was just too bulky in my opinion. Also, the extra cushioning was a little too much for Charlie (he always looked uncomfortable). The Peg Perego is a smaller footprint in the car, safe, easy to travel with and just overall a great car seat. 

We moved from the city to the suburbs about three years ago and I am still struggling to finish decorating our home. I am particularly struggling with a large wall in our living room – I don’t know what to do with it! Any suggestions on wall art or how to decorate this space? I have thought of doing a gallery wall of family pictures, but the room behind it has built-ins with a lot of picture frames already. Thoughts?

We are kind of in the same boat! I find art to be the hardest thing to invest in – especially because there are so many different variations, styles that I like. Unfortunately Dave hates art. He just doesn’t get it which means it is very difficult to agree on anything. I have actually thought about buying a big canvas and 2-3 paint colors that go with our room and having Charlie go nuts. Then getting it framed! Isn’t that kind of a fun idea? We need something big as well and I feel like this is the best way to get something original but also sentimental! If you are looking for a photo/actual art I love browsing Minted and Anthropologie. 

I’m due with my second child end of May and am starting to get anxiety on how I will handle two kids + working FT! How has the transition been from one to two kids? What’s been the hardest part? The best part? Are you still able to take Charlie to activities around the baby’s schedule? I don’t want my daughter stuck inside all the time because of the newborn. HELP!

It has been so much easier than I expected! I keep meaning to do a big blog post about this but honestly, not much has changed for Charlie. I was so crazy about Charlie’s sleep schedule when he was little but now that our days pretty much revolve around his schedule, Jack just has to go with it. Jack will usually take his first/quick morning nap at home and then we get out of the house. If that means he has to take his next nap in the car seat, then that is what happens! I keep telling myself that it will make him a much chiller baby (which seems to be true thus far!). The hardest part has probably been splitting my attention. Some days I give into the TV and the phone and Charlie has a little too much screen time so I can cater to Jack and sometimes we never manage to leave the house – I’ve learned that that is okay! I can’t do my job 100%, 100% of the time. We all need days where we throw in the towel early. I think coming to terms with that has put me so much more at ease as a mother of two. The best part has been just my general contentment with this stage. I feel like I am so much more aware that time with a newborn/baby goes so fast so I am savoring it much more. Charlie had a few weeks of jealousy but is honestly the best big brother now. I only see that getting better as the months go by! 

I would love some outfit advice for my upcoming trip to northern Italy/Tuscany. We’re going to be doing some wine tasting and a lot of walking/exploring but from what I can tell, we’ll be lucky if we get highs in the low 70s. 

I always opt for a comfy pair of jeans and a cute tee/blouse. Two of my favorite jeans for travel are this distressed pair and this straight leg pair. A few of my favorite blouses are this white ruffle blouse (would be so cute with this scarf around your neck!), this gingham wrap top is so classic, I’m obsessed with this red gingham top and this is such a good twist on a basic. Don’t forget to pack a bunch of basics and a good cardigan, too!

Totally embarrassing, but I am wondering if you have any tips for facial hair removal…upper lip, chin, corners of the mouth.  Even since having a baby, it just seems to grown. Eeek! I’m so worried the hair will grow in thick and dark if I wax it. Please help a fellow mama out and make me feel not so gross!  

Waxing! I get my upper lip waxed but my aesthetician always tells me that she waxes people’s entire faces all. the. time. I personally think waxing is the most effective if you don’t want to go back very frequently. I also used to bleach my mustache in college (haha), so that is an option too if you feel like your hair is darker? 

Two of my girlfriends are being very generous and throwing me a “baby sprinkle” for my second baby boy due in July.  Do you have any hostess/thank you gift ideas for two classy, work-hard-play-hard women in their early 30s?

Hm, not sure what you’re willing to spend but I love all of Cuyana’s Essentials! Or how COOL is this commute clutch? Or this personalized travel jewelry case? You could also get them some fun statement earrings or a pretty pair of pajamas. 

I work at a private school and am chaperoning the high school prom in a couple of weeks. Do you have any outfit ideas? It’s a formal event—students will wear long dresses or tuxedos. While chaperones don’t dress quite as formally as students, we tend to choose more formal outfits than the business casual ones worn during the week. The event is taking place in Boston this April—it could be nice out, but will likely still be a bit chilly.

I think Ted Baker has the prettiest dresses! I also love this, this or this all under $200!

We are traveling to Greece in June with our 6 month old and it is going to be HOT. What is it like to take a little one somewhere warm? I only know having a baby in cold and snowy Chicago!! Any recs for sun protective clothing? 

My babies have always been really sweaty in the heat after being born during Chicago fall/winter. I would say bring lots of breathable blankets (muslin). Not sure what his/her sizing is but Mott 50 has a bunch of cute pieces that are all 50 UPF! It’s the only blanket I use in the sun!

Your kitchen renovation appears to be coming along so nicely. Did you hire a designer? How did you pull it all together? How do you recommend doing a renovation project on a budget yet still looking effortlessly and chic? I’d love to hear any tips you have.

Luckily my mom is an interior designer so we had an idea of what we wanted to do before hiring our contractor! Because of this, we were able to source products that were more cost effective and go from there! We decided to keep our old cabinets and are having some additional cabinets custom built to match. We also found a lot of our products (floor tile, sink, faucet, hood) from Wayfair. Finding a contractor that was all-inclusive and in our price range was probably the biggest task but ended up being the most cost effective for the entire project. That is key! We interviewed 3-4 I think. We initially met with a full design/architecture team but realized that our project was pretty minimal and that a general contractor was really all we needed (since my mom was able to source items for us). 

Thanks so much for taking the time to field questions from readers! My sisters are throwing me a bridal shower at the end of April and I want to get them a cute gift as a thank you. Would love any ideas!

I know it is cheesy but I love Dogeared necklaces! Not sure how many sisters you have, but if there are three of you this would be so special for all of you to wear! Bauble Bar has a bunch of pretty personalized items, too. Or, I think this pouch is such a cool concept and so special! Especially if you wrote out an inside joke, “sisters” or even just her name. So many cute options!

As a fellow lady with (pardon me) awesome, strong, regular-person-not-model legs, how do you find flattering jean shorts? Do you have any suggestions for ladies with some quad muscle and/or booty?

First of all, I almost always buy jean shorts a size up. I don’t want anything hugging my thighs too tight! I love J.Crew’s high rise jean short and the AGOLDE Dee Shorts!

Why did you get your tattoo? Do you love it still? Would you ever get another? I’m debating getting one, and I just can’t decide if I’ll ever grow tired of it or where I would get it on my body!

Honestly, I have a love/hate relationship with my tattoo. I personally think it is kind of ugly – it is bleeding, faded and just blah. I got it my senior year of college on a random Tuesday in between classes. My best friend Darci went with me. I have a love/hate relationship with my tattoo. This sounds so stupid now but I got it because a few days earlier I had found out my boyfriend of 5 years was cheating on me. I decided that those 5 years had been completely dedicated to someone else and I wanted to do something out of character. Take a risk maybe! Do something that no one expected. So I got a tattoo and it was so liberating! I love it for that reason. It reminds me of a me that wanted to do something freeing and spontaneous. I hate it because it is kind of in my face and ugly. I contemplate getting it removed allllll the time but then I think of my 22 year old self who walked into the tattoo shop feeling inferior and insecure and walked out feeling proud and strong. See, love/hate…but I’ll probably never get another one. 

Can you give us summer wedding guest dress ideas under $200? 

I love this gorgeous yellow floral dress ($145), this off the shoulder maxi dress would be perfect for an outdoor wedding (under $50!), this Gal Meets Glam one shoulder dress is so classic ($158), a pretty lace flutter dress ($98) and this dreamy lace midi dress ($178). 

Don’t forget to submit your questions for next week by emailing Carolyn@sequinsandstripes.com with the subject “Coffee with Liz!”