Wright For Michele

Lifestyle blog devoted to cultivating stylish, relatable and creative content.

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Macie & Marlowe | A nursery reveal

I had the best time designing our nursery. Newborn babies enjoy staring at patterns, and black-and-white images are one such pattern that seem to interest them the most. I have always admired Danish design so when I found this black and white Half Moon wallpaper on Ferm Living I knew it would make an excellent backdrop in our nursery.  I purchased two rolls before moving in to our new house and installed it the night we were given our keys. The beautiful thing about this room is the collection of art on the walls from our friends. My two best friends who hosted my baby shower made us colorful felt ball mobile’s, garlands and a wood plaque among other pieces we were so lucky to receive from others. I’ve since carried this black and white theme into the girls bathroom to be revealed soon and are busy prepping for a very large main floor remodel starting next month.Jeff and I have been blessed with the opportunity to stay home with our girls for the first 5 months of their life. Starting last week we had a nanny join our family caring for our girls two days a week and grandma (Jeff’s mom) one day. It’s been one month since I returned back to work and I have to say, I’ve enjoyed every minute. I design apparel for Columbia Sportswear and there’s only about 6 weeks of actual designing within a season. I happened to return the week the styles were handed out and just wrapped up final designs this week so that’s made the return enjoyable. I’m also looking forward to less stressful workdays, just in time to mix things up at home. Dust and babies, this should be interesting.

Color Coded

Hey cool, it’s a blog post

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Blouse : J.Crew
Skirt : Mango
Boots : Solestruck


Well, where do I start?  
…Merry Christmas!
…Happy New Year!?! 
…I head back to work in 1 month! (Can you feel my pounding heart?)

Last year we were living in a tight space in NE Portland with our 2 dogs. I would have never guessed that within twelve months we’d double the size of our human family and be cozied up in a spacious MCM in NW. It was a good year to farewell. I’d re-live 2014 over and over again.

I remember crying over every growth spurt my girls had but have quickly realized that every step only gets better. Important milestones: I can finally get through “You Are My Sunshine” without crying. Around 2 months old they told me that they loved me, with their eyes. Open mouth kisses are the only kind of kisses. And Marlowe, she’s a couple weeks shy of losing the nick name “Bob Burns”. “Bob” for the exaggerated head bobbing that’s given almost every Marlowe snuggler a fat lip, and “Burns” for her impressive resemblance to Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.

This post is a jumpstart to getting back into my creative flow. I enjoy this space to keep connected to myself, the creative culture in Portland and to chronicle life’s important pieces and tid bits. I have found a goal to set for myself going into 2015 and I think it’s something important. Too often people forget that some of life’s greatest moments are the not-so-pretty ones. They’re not as fuzzy, or beautiful, or well… Perfect. Social media has allowed people to create fictional, unattainable lives that are rarely displayed in their natural light. I’m not planning on exposing myself to you all without makeup on (holy shit) or getting dark and depressing. But, to just be realistic. 

Family

Macie & Marlowe: A birth story

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. It took a couple months to get adjusted to these bitty babettes and being a new mommy but we’re doing it. I mean, we get dressed sometimes.  
 
I remember feeling as if I were going to be pregnant forever. Tuesday September 23rd, I was going into the hospital to be induced and the doctor was going to send me home and tell me that the girls would need to be in the womb indefinitely. The morning of induction day I sat in our kitchen window, hair done and makeup on, surfing the internet shopping for outfits I may one day get to wear again. It seemed like days waiting for the noon o’clock check-in hour.  
Jeff and I arrived at the hospital and were escorted to our room. We sat down in the corner together just the two of us in total silence. Neither of us had to say anything and knew exactly what the other was thinking. We were about to meet the babies we’d waited to meet for years.
 
The day was casual, Jeff set up the tv to stream movies and I got as cozy as I possibly couldn’t on the hospital bed. The nurse was sweet and funny and put up with every bit of my fussing over the IV in my arm. After we settled in the nurse started the induction process. And then we waited, for hours, visiting with family and watching babies heart rates. This process replayed itself two more times. Ten hours of waiting and I was still dilated at a 0. I’d eaten dinner and done just about everything I could to keep myself from ripping the itchy straps off my stomach, IV out of my arm and waddle home screaming “I knew that I wouldn’t get to meet them yet”. The nurse was allowed to give it one more shot before she had to put a call into the doctor for more extreme measures, then BAM! I went from lying on my back in total boredom to bouncing on a medicine ball with a trash can next to me because I was going to lose the turkey dinner i’d eaten just before. I had extreme low back labor, Jeff used hot pads to push on my low back during each contraction. This lasted about 45 minutes until I was finally dilated to a 4, and the epidural was ordered. I was ecstatic that we made progress and trembling, literally. I’d never had shakes like that in my entire life. Once the epidural kicked in I was in better shape then when I walked in. I was able to relax in bed and look Jeff in the face. I told him to get into the diaper bag, I had a card for him. I wanted him to know how amazing he’d been throughout the entire pregnancy. I was so thankful to be pain free and to enjoy what was ahead. The nurse advised us to try and sleep, so we did.
 
It’s time! The nurse popped in 45 minutes later to check my cervix and Macie had crowned. I had no idea! Because I was pregnant with twins, delivering in the operating room was mandatory. There was a 40% chance that I’d have to have a C-section on baby B if she flipped after baby A delivered naturally. My shakes returned when they wheeled me in the OR but they were worse; I was terrified. The room was bright white, almost blinding at first. I was introduced to two doctors and observed the eye’s of nurses everywhere as most were covered from head to toe. The nurse I’d had for the last 9 hours was by my side and felt like my best friend. I remember thinking I wanted to grab drinks with her when I was normal again. She coached me through every push and put Jeff in the passenger seat. After 45 minutes of pushing in absolute pain free peace, Macie was born at 3am, 5.5 lbs. Jeff and I couldn’t stop staring at her as she lay on my chest. Baby B (Marlowe) had flipped and they were struggling to get her positioned. fortunately after 11 minutes of minor panic and heavy pushing, Marlowe was born at 3:11am, 4.12 lbs.
 
Our little family spent the next four days living inside the sweetest and mushiest happy little bubble of our own at the hospital. It felt as if there was no world outside of it. It was scary, exciting and extremely difficult and I’d do it all over again just to experience it one more time. Jeff and I have been together for 12 years and have never been as close as we are now. 
Below I share some pictures to our story.
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8 days old.
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Personal Style

9 MONTHS

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Sweater : American Apparel
Skirt : Kohls (not maternity but XL and stretchy works)
Shoes : Zara (sold out, similar HERE)

I just want to point out that these photos are in no way a reflection of my state of togetherness right now. I’m on my 4th week of wearing the same three stretch cotton outfits on rotation. Standing is the only comfortable position. I have itchy palms. I’ve mastered the skill of sleeping upright. And baby housing is so cramped their hiccups can be seen from across the room. Up close you can see foot imprints when Macie isn’t happy with my ribs. It’s incredible and incredibly painful at the same time.

Today marks the beginning of my 38th week of pregnancy and the beginning of my third week on maternity leave and these girls have yet to show any signs of budging. Fortunately this has provided Jeff and I with ample time to properly nest. And by nest I mean Jeff building lots of amazing things for our new house while I watch… if I’m not napping. One of which is our new modern fencing built with the help of our friend Ike. It’s absolutely beautiful and most importantly, keeps Tucker and Paisley housed safely while outside. We love the deer that tromp through but the coyote fights we’ve heard from afar are frightening.

When we bought this house we sold almost all of our furniture from our previous home because of the style. We came from a traditional craftsman to an untouched mid-century modern and are totally adoring the transition. I’m also looking forward to getting my energy and motivation back so I can start sharing more of our new abode. Until then, next up are posts of our Wright ladies, Macie and Marlowe ♥. 

Personal Style

7 months | Watanabe wedding

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One month ago yesterday Jeff and I celebrated these two amazing humans, Elena and Adam Watanabe. There isn’t anything this girl can’t do nor is there a sweeter soul then hers. For example, you need a website built? …she’s the gal. A necklace designed, welded and brought to life? …done, she’s got you! Need a compliment to feel good about yourself? …she will shower you. Photo session needs? …she’s my go to. Graphic design question? …she has the answer. It’s kind of amazing because she doesn’t just brush the surface of any of the above, she masters at ALL of them. 
Elena, I love you and couldn’t be happier for you and Adam. There isn’t anyone I know more deserving then YOU! 
 
I write this post as I march into my 34th week of pregnancy, that’s half way into my 8th month. Holy shit! Reflecting back on these 8 months I get so proud of my body and what it can do. There wasn’t a day that passed I wasn’t fearful at the possibility of losing these two baby girls that we’ve been waiting so long for. But, as I reach the end I begin to think that this feeling never leaves a parent no matter what age their child is at. I’ve never felt so close to my own mother as I do right now. I now understand her crying at every first day of school or waiting up at night until I came home in my teenage years. I’m 34 years old and I still have to text her when I arrive somewhere safely even if it’s just the Oregon coast! I know I am going to be the exact same way. Life will forever be changed… amen!

Personal Style

The price is Wright | The 90’s trend

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Dress : Urban Outfitters (sold out)
Shoes : Loeffler Randall (sold out)
Necklace : Etsy (similar)

If you hadn’t noticed that 90’s fashion has made it’s way back this year then get on the google and shop around for, well, a couple of seconds and you’ll see. Crop tops, windbreakers, overalls, hoop earrings, ditsy floral and sunflower prints, fannypacks, the normcore trend… the list goes on. Fashion cycles every twenty years so it looks like the nineties are back in full swing! Makes me feel like I’m reliving my high school days of watching My So-Called Life on my bean bag chair.  

This dress shown above may have been purchased recently from Urban Outfitters by me but I did own this exact dress in 1993. I know because I wore it to a middle school dance with Joey Brenner with my hair up in ringlets and I have proof! But… my mom and I cannot find the photo anywhere, when I do, oh you’ll see! It’s a good thing I scooted out with this $89 dress for $19 because I couldn’t possibly pay a lot for something that used to be mine. I mean, how did they find it? 

These ditsy and sunflower prints, the ones I thought I would never love again are totally pulling at my heartstrings. So I put a collection together below of my favorites.
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I’m 30 weeks pregnant this week. I’m also afraid I’ve run out of room for the girls to grow. According to all 5 apps I follow, they will double in size in the next 8 weeks! This is possibly where the outfit shots stop, and they house pictures begin! It could get awkward. 

ABOUT THE BLOG

Wright for Michele is a Portland based lifestyle blog devoted to cultivating stylish, relatable and creative content. It also serves as a personal time capsule of my family’s journeys, giggling and stumbling a bit, through it all.

I started "Wright for Michele" back in 2010 as a creative outlet and to share the things I love (basically the exact same reason the rest of the internet started blogging). Often this blog is about family, sometimes it’s about style, and in general it’s about life and how you (and me) can make every single area in it, better. It’s simple, it’s real (sometimes a little raw and almost always full of grammatical errors), it’s honest and hopefully no matter what it’s a little sweet.

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