I love it when I see Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums in partnership with one another.
More common, I see some of the women featured on this blog wearing the designs of other celeb moms previously showcased. Think Georgina Chapman, Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and others but this weekend, alum Alexis Fields designed the wine tasting room for fellow Bumpwatch alum Tamera Mowry-Housley.
Fields, a former child star and sis to Kim Fields (Facts of Life, Living Single, Real Housewives of Atlanta), turned her friend and one time Sister, Sister co-star Mowry-Housley’s new venture into a dream by working on the interior of the venue, a labor of love for The Real panel talk show host and her family’s venture, Housley Napa Valley.
Fields shared the unveiling to her followers and fans on Instagram.
“During this project, we became family,” she captioned the post. “It was such a group effort and couldn’t have been accomplished without the love and dedication of each person involved. So many incredible talents pushed through to make @tameramowrytwo and @adamhousley’s vision a reality.”
She added: “I adore these two and it is always an absolute pleasure to work with them. Tamera, I couldn’t ask for a better design twin. I love how we get each other and support one another. Thank you for always trusting me with projects so personal to you. I cherish our connection. Adam, the brother I never wanted….but I’m so glad I got.”
Later, she shared photos of the before and after of her workspace:
Fields even gave folks a taste of the work in progress last month.
Third-time mom-to-be’s Jenna Bush Hager wore a crimson cape dress to the CFDA Fashion Awards that concealed her bump. She said the outfit got mixed reviews but her two daughters loved it.
Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Jennifer Lopez showed off her rock hard six pack in an orange custom Ralph Lauren crop top layered with 43,200 crystals and matching floor length skirt on the red carpet and on stage when she received her fashion icon award.
CFDA Chairwoman, Diane von Furstenberg said JLo was a no brainer when it came to picking her for the award.
“Jennifer Lopez uses clothes as a way to express confidence and power,” the designer said. “Both designers and fans look forward to her fashion statements.”
Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA, added, “Jennifer Lopez’s style is bold, uninhibited, and always memorable. Designers, including many of our CFDA Members, love to dress her for both stage and private moments.”
Lopez joins past recipient that include: Rihanna, Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, Pharrell Williams, and Johnny Depp.
Also, Lily Aldridge, another bumpwatch alum looked sizzling hot in a classic and elegant crimson red gown by Brandon Maxwell.
I’ve seen a series of bad articles about cookbook chef, celebrity mom, NBA great Steph Curry’s wife and our Bellyitch bumpwatch alum Ayesha Curry.
They started when she made some controversial comments on Jada Pickett Smith and Willow Smith’s Facebook TV show TheRed Table Talk about feeling inadequate about never getting solicitation from other men compared to her husband who has women throwing themselves at him all the time and other topics.
I’ve had friends of mine proclaim that the kitchenware brand owner needs to simply “stop talking” so she would stop garnering backlash.
I decided to actually read the recent article in Working Mother which featured the mom of three’s interview and when I see the latest “explosive” comments in context, I think the opposite of her.
Curry needs to actually keep talking.
AT 37-years old, Ayesha is an restaurateur and co-owner of the “International Smoke” chain of restaurants, an influencer (boy does she get people talking), and the host and executive producer of a new forthcoming ABC TV show called Family Food Fight.
[*Good job generating buzz, girl*]
I think she needs to continue speaking up and raising awareness on things like the effects of postpartum depression on new mothers, gender expectations and the limitations men place on women and wives, the challenges of being multi-racial, colorism and the self-esteem issues surrounding being accepted and feeling welcome in one’s community.
We are such a judgmental society and we make decisions about people based on headlines, out-of-context snippets, and images that are attached to articles that float across our social media feed.
On The Botched Boob Job
Postpartum depression led to a rash decision to alter her breast size.
“I didn’t realize at the time, but after having Ryan, I was battling a bit of postpartum that lingered for a while. It came in the form of me being depressed about my body,” the CoverGirl and the Honest Company brand ambassador shared. “So I made a rash decision. The intention was just to have them lifted, but I came out with these bigger boobs I didn’t want. I got the most botched boob job on the face of the planet. They’re worse now than they were before. I would never do anything like that again, but I’m an advocate of if something makes you happy, who cares about the judgment?
On Using a Dismissive Comment for Empowerment
“I think a lot of people do not take me seriously,” confesses Ayesha, who turned 30 in March. Despite her ever-expanding empire, people chalk up her success to her pro-athlete spouse. “They think this is something I’ve obtained because of my husband’s income. That’s not true. He hasn’t invested a dime in my restaurant business.”
“When my career was starting to take off, this male reporter bashed me on live television, saying I should be more like the other [basketball] players’ wives. He literally said, ‘They sit there, they don’t cause any problems, and they look pretty.’”
Curry said a comment from a member of the media made her want to be more than just a quiet and silent wife.
“Why am I not allowed to have a passion and a dream and a voice?” she marvels. “That started a fire in me. I could not be stopped, and I wanted to prove myself.”
Since then, perceptions of her has changed.
“Now the conversation has shifted,” she added. “Stephen doesn’t get any negative [questions] about me. Especially in the Bay Area, people say to him, ‘I like her food a lot,’ and that’s been special for me.”
On being Black or white enough
Curry said as a product of multiracial heritage, she felt that in America, compared to her native Canada, she felt compelled to fit squarely into one box.
Her mother is Jamaican and Chinese, and her dad is Polish and African American.
“Everyone was from a place other than Canada and that’s how you identified yourself, not black or white,” Curry shared in that article.
“I identified as Jamaican because that’s where my mom came from,” she says of her childhood in Toronto, where her neighbors were mostly Asian and Indian. “In the states I’m simply ‘black.'”
And she has had to explain these complicated concepts to her kids so they grow up more centered and balanced and do not buy into Colorism:
“They’re fair in complexion, and they’ve said: ‘I’m not black; look at my skin.’ And I said: ‘No, no, no. You’re a black woman. You have melanin. It’s part of who you are. Our descendants are from Africa. This is what that means.’ It’s been a journey teaching them that, and that black comes in many different shades.”
In sum, it looks like she is very much misunderstood, but perhaps it is purposeful.
Folks would rather not read in context or look to nuances or give her the benefit of the doubt.
That takes more work and in today’s digital era, everyone isn’t granted time.
Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and it is just in time for you to swap out your lighter fabric and bright and colorful pieces from your closet.
Get inspired by our Bellyitch bumpwatch Alum Draya Michele who attended the The Daily Front Row Fashion LA Awards 2019 on Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California in a lime/neon green David Koma flared fish tail skirt and black Louboutin pumps.
Or Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o who wore colorful Prabal Gurung frocks while promoting her latest project Jordan Peele‘s Us
While promoting at Good Morning America, the Academy Award winner star of 12 Years a Slave paired one look with a pair of Fendi shades and Shirt and skirt and red reasonably priced Nine West Mana Leather Dress Sandal pumps!
And on another occasion draped a crimson Mackage Mai belted double face wool coat with waterfall collar over another Prabal Gurung dress accessorized Hayward‘s Field Pebbled Leather Top Handle Bag and Medium Neon Orange Loucite Jelly Hoops by Alison Lou.
I did not watch the SuperBowl last night so I missed all of the commercials. Congrats to our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Giselle Bundchen whose husband Tom Brady clinched his 6th historic NFL championship while playing for the New England Patriots.
In case you are like me, here are all the best ones:
One of the fave is our alum Serena Williams‘ commercial for Bumble.
And the other “mom” one featuring another one of our bumpwatch alums Christina Applegate.
I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed their Christmas Holiday yesterday. Because I know a lot of my readers follow this blog for celeb pregnancy and parents news, I did a round up of some of our fave celebrity Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums and other celeb parents featured on this blog in the past and what they shared on Instagram and social media on Christmas Day!
Ok. Halloween was Wednesday but I say until the end of Daylight’s Savings Time, it’s open season for bloggers to share Halloween costumes and their fave costume posts before we launch into Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Holiday season posts.
So…Here is my list of fave celebrity Halloween costume photos featuring their families and children that they shared in social media.
First, our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums, the celeb women whose pregnancies we’ve featured on this blog:
Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel and their son Silas went as the Lego version of Batman, Robyn and Harley Quinn!
Neil Patrick Harris and his fam usually do the best each year and this year was no different when they dressed as ghosts from the past.
Ciara and her fam dressed as characters from the Black Panther movie.
Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of Atlanta star Shamea MortonMwangi celebrated the impending birth of her daughter at the Four Seasons Atlanta Hotel this weekend during a Tutus and Tiara-themed baby shower.
Several of the celebrity guests including her RHOA castmates (current and former) came out including our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Kandi Burruss, current moms-to-be Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore, who was outfitted in a pink tutu as well, and Sheree Whitfield.
All indulges with chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels and Cookies provided by Sweetly Intoxicating bakery. Adonai Cookie Shoppe and Adonai Desserts Atlanta created the sweet multi-tower cake topped with a tiara and tulle at its base:
The iconic week of runway shows, parties, glamour and glitz gave a couple of our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums, Rachel Zoe and Jessica Alba, a perfect opportunity to collab.
For Rachel Zoe Spring 2019 Collection show held on Tuesday night, Alba’s new cosmetic line, Honest Beauty, made up the models who walked the runways to Zoe’s show.
“I am so excited to have Honest Beauty partner with the Rachel Zoe Collection since both brands are all about achieving an effortless, chic style” Alba shared about the look that her lead makeup artist Monika Blunder created. “I especially love the look that she did on the eyes using the Honest Beauty Eyeshadow Palette. The palette is foolproof and has versatile shades that are perfect for taking your look from Summer to Fall.”
Honest Beauty lead makeup artist Monika Blunder offered some deets on the look she gave the girls.
“I wanted to create a fresh-faced, Parisian inspired look utilizing monochromatic pink shades that are subtle and allow your skin to shine through,” Blunder said of her inspiration for the look. “I’m obsessed with how chic the lips are in this look – I just added the Honest Beauty lip crayon to the center of the pout and blended outward to achieve that effortless, flushed look.”
If you want to create a similar look, here’s how it broke down:
FOR THE SKIN:
Makeup Remover Wipes ($6.99)
Elevated Hydration Mist ($13.99)
Everyday Radiance Moisturizer ($27.99)
Tip: Start and finish your makeup with a spritz of the Elevated Hydration Mist to condition and soothe the skin and lock in moisture.
FOR THE EYES:
Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer ($14.99)
Eyeshadow Palette ($19.99)
Tip: Brighten up your eyes by sweeping Iced Cotton across your entire lid for a shimmery base followed by the Matte Plum from lash line to crease and a touch of Soft Bronze on the outer corners. Mix and smudge all three shades across the lower lash line and finish with a coat of the Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer.
From the show: Sarah Wright Olsen, Sara Foster, Jennifer Meyer, Rachel Zoe, Jessica Alba, Kelly Sawyer, Erin Foster
FOR THE COMPLEXION:
Everything Primer Matte ($21.99)
Everything Cream Foundation ($21.99)
Invisible Blurring Loose Powder ($19.99)
Creme Cheek Blush in Peony Pink ($12.99)
Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection ($19.99)
Tip: Before applying foundation, start with the Everything Primer Matte to ensure your skin is shining in all the right places.
FOR THE LIPS:
Magic Beauty Balm ($12.99)
Lip Crayon Demi-Matte in Fig ($12.99)
Tip: Glide on a flush of color using the Lip Crayon in Demi-Matte Fig and complete with a tap of Magic Balm for a glossy finish (Apply any extra Magic Balm on Honest Beauty products are available at Honest.com, Target.com and select Target retail locations
Fresh off confirmation that they secretly wed, rappers Cardi B and her new husband Offset, celebrated the upcoming birth of their first child together at a lavish “Bronx Fairytale” themed wedding in Atlanta, Georgia this week.
The event, named for the New York city burrough where Cardi is from, featured a 16-foot topiary floral wall, room entrance ways that resembled a 6-car subway train, and several rooms draped in 26,000 pink and white flowers, created by C. Waymen Florals & Events. One area of one room featured a mock “Bardi Baby Bodega” stocked with personalized diapers, bottles, and more.
Guests chilled out in an elegant lounge area and noshed on custom-made piraguas, sliced fruit, and soul food, while sipping on pink coquito cocktails and Hennessy shots, as Vogue style writer put it, a nod to Cardi B’s sister, Hennessy Carolina.
I loved best the “Bardi Baby Book Library,” stocked with Latina and African-American children’s books like “Buenas Noches”, “Luna”, and “Viva, Frida”.
The center piece of the event was a five-tier cake, with each layer a different flavor fave of Cardi’s: Dominican pineapple, strawberry, red velvet, chocolate ganache, and honey bun.
Entertainment included Orchestra Noir, a hip hop orchestra group, and the Ballethnic dance company.
Guests took home as party favors custom purple baby blanket, a nod to the epic self portrait shawl Cardi once wore to the airport.
A glowing Cardi went with light pink bodycon dress with bold brushed silver statement necklace and earrings while Offset opted for a denim jeans and a jacket with a black turtleneck, a large cross necklace and a studded silver belt.
Guests included fellow rappers and our Bellyitch bumpwatch alums Rasheeda and singer Monica, and at one point in one video shared on Instagram, Hennessy can be seen dancing with the expectant mom and rubbing her protruding belly.
It was very much the electrifying shower the “Invasion of Privacy” recording artist told Rolling Stone in her cover story that she wanted the event to be.
“I want a lit baby shower. My baby shower’s not starting at no 5:00. My sh*t is going to start at 9 p.m. because that’s how I celebrate, that’s how Caribbean people celebrate,” Cardi said. “I don’t like baby showers that be at 5 p.m. in the backyard, eating, cooking hors d’oeuvres. Nah. Sh*t, I might even drink some red wine. Red wine’s healthy, right?”