Next week, June will be six months old! I can hardly believe it. One thing I’m really excited about is: Solid Food. Of course, it’s not truly “solid” — more like mush (so why do they call it “solid”?). Anyway, we’re about to get the talk from the doctor’s office about how to start her out on this culinary path.

Pre-baby, I imagined myself as a happy chef (in adorable apron) who would blend up anything and everything natural, organic and nutritious and keep it in pretty jars, ready to be spoon-fed into my hungry baby’s mouth. But now that she’s about to start eating, I have no idea what we’ll feed her.

Should we start with fruits and vegetables? Should we leave out meat for a while? It seems like babies eat a lot of mushed up bananas and avocado, right? (I’m gleaning my knowledge from movies like Mr. Mom and Baby Boom, by the way.)

I’d love to hear from other parents: What did your baby eat when s/he first started on “solids”? Any tips for bibs or stains or highchair etiquette?

Let the eating begin!

p.s. Thanks for your brand-new mom advice on last week’s post. It’s great to hear encouragement from the been-there crowd!

I received this question from Hannah Binter from Boston, MA (right over near my neck of the woods!!) last week and I wanted to answer it quickly because I’m seeing so much of it lately.

Her email to me was:

Audrey,
I keep hearing everyone talk about color blocking. Is there a right way and a wrong way to do this? And what exactly is it?

This is how I would define color blocking… combining different colors that support and compliment each other. It’s VERY trendy right now and it’s also very easy to do. I love it because it’s a simple way to work in a trend and make it your own. It’s also very bold and beautiful to see a color blocking trend, I love it.

Here are some examples…

See how the colors complement each other?

The right way to do it is to find colors that complement each other, you may not want black and blue. And you can do this on your own. Just the other day I wore brown jeans with green boots and a navy sweater – VERY much on the color blocking side.

Hope this helps Hannah!

So I wanted to share a perfect beach outfit for moms.

Whenever I talk to a mom about beach time or pool time, usually the FIRST thing out of their mouth is: I do not want ANYONE to see me in a bathing suit. Are you kidding me?

But… one of my girlfriend’s had on the most perfect outfit this week and I absolutely wanted to share the ease, chicness and trendiness of it.

My friend Ashley from Frugal Coupon Living hit a homerun with her pool side look….

Fedora? Check.
Sunglasses? Check.
Maxi Dress? Check.

FABULOUS!

Chic and effortless… she NAILED it! Perfect for anyone, steal this style!! The reason why I loved it was because there’s 3 components you need, and they’re not difficult to find and/or to get. I love how you can pull a chic look in together in minutes!

Yup… I’m speaking from experience. Not always a fun place to be at.

Last Friday afternoon I went to my usual salon to get my hair highlighted. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get an appointment with my usual girl, so I had to make an appointment with another colorist. I don’t know if maybe I sensed something was going to be amiss, but I certainly felt it in my bones leading up to the day. I just kept thinking, “I should really wait till I can see who I want to see.”

Well, I didn’t.

I wanted blonde highlights, nothing different for me… but the problem was, the color didn’t come out like it’s supposed to. Instead of having it look dimensional (which I love), she dyed it where it looked like one-solid color. For someone like me, hair like that really looks bad on me. I was so upset that I cried the whole way home. I was able to get it fixed this past weekend, but I had to get creative while I waited.

So what to do when you have a bad hair color? (I literally did ALL of these this past weekend while I was waiting for my hair appointment.)

1. Wear hats!
2. Take a gigantic pair of sunglasses and use them like a hairband (they will distract attention).
3. Use a gigantic headband to conceal what you can.
4. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT immediately for a fix.

Has this ever happened to you? What have you done?

Yesterday while in NYC during a video shoot, I could not get over seeing SO MANY women wearing orange lipstick. I mean, they were out in full force with these gorgeous, light orange lips. It was beautiful. The makeup artist at the shoot yesterday told me that orange has been hands down the hottest color in lipstick lately.

But really? Orange Lipstick?

I just don’t see it looking good on me. At. All.

And yet the makeup artist ASSURED me that any woman could pull off the orange look. I don’t know if I believe her. I think it would pale me out quite a bit and I also feel like it’s a bit too young for me. Am I wrong?

Would you try this currently hot color on your lips?

I’ve been growing my hair out for the last 6 months. I’m really attempting to go long again, something I haven’t done since 2007. I love being able to do things with my hair; braids, buns, ponys, twists, etc. I’m not the best when it comes actually styling my hair, so I have to rely on easy, doable trends and styles.

Right now there are 3 trends that are really making waves (no pun intended). I love each one for these key reasons:

• They’re absolutely possible to do on your own.
• There isn’t a particular hair color necessary for any of these, (I refuse to dye my hair gray because it’s “hot”).
• They’re versatile—you could easily take these styles and wear them to a variety of events and occasions.

Are you ready for them?

1. Loose Waves— Oh, yes – they’re back and VERY in right now. The best part is, you can accomplish these by twisting your hair with a curling iron and wand very easily. Or, by going to bed with a loose bun on your head and then letting the hair cascade down in the morning… it’s super soft and wavy as can be.

2. Bangs— They’re hot as can be again! I’ve always been a little afraid to do a bang, but I’m telling you – I think they’re awesome. I went to the salon last week and I “almost” (yes, almost) got some cut. I chickened out at the last minute. I think they’re super perfect with ponytails and when you’re hair is down and you can kind of sweep them to the side.

3. Buns with Embellishments— I love this trend because I think it’s just REALLY fun. Take your standard bun and then add in some gorgeous embellishments. Have some fun with it – go to a craft store and pick up some flowers, ribbons, etc and tuck/nip through your bun. It gives it such a fun look!

This is the view from my window this morning…

… I have to admit, it’s making me VERY happy to see some snow.

But with the COLD comes dressing for the COLD. I have a few favorites and must-haves that I need for the cold winter months. I always like to go with cream colors because they just make me feel so much like winter. Outside is all winter-white, so I love my clothing to reflect that, too.

Here are some of them:

1. I love a GOOD Puffer Coat! Nothing keeps you more warm and toasty than a soft, cozy puffer jacket.
2. I just started wearing ear muffs again! My mom used to always have me wear them when I was a kid, and now that I’m a mom myself… I’ve brought them back into my life! I love having my ears warm.
3. Infinity scarf… I never have to worry about it falling off! Easy as can be!
4. I’m all about the mittens… I’m not one for gloves all the time, but especially in the snow, I love love love mittens because they keep my hands warmer, especially with a little faux fur!
5. Ski socks are a MUST HAVE for anyone living in cold conditions. Socks just can’t do the trick in snow, you need something extra warm, with some extra something-something!

What are your winter must haves?

I feel like I had a team of design experts helping solve the toy clutter problem last week–thanks for your great ideas!

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about Beyoncé. Okay, I know that sounds crazy, but it’s her first week as a mom, and no matter how much help she and Jay-Z have with little Blue Ivy, this is a really hard time! I remember feeling like I was living in a cave, with no sense of what time it was or if I’d ever go outside again. There’s so much anxiety, love, fear, pain, ecstasy… it’s a roller coaster, even if you’re, well, Beyoncé.

I have a few real-life friends who are in their first weeks with new babies, too, so here are a few comforting thoughts that I’d have liked to hear back then:

• 1. Babies cry. Soothe as best you can, but don’t let the crying drive you crazy. It’s okay. Your child is safe and loved.

• 2. Don’t worry about emails. Let them go. You’ll catch up later.

• 3. I promise you’ll go out with friends again one day–and it’ll be sooner than you think.

• 4. Labor and delivery can be traumatic, but everything heals. Really.

• 5. It’s fine–encouraged even–to spend all day on the couch with your baby, cuddling and feeding and drifting in and out of sleep while you watch a Real Housewives marathon.

Want to add some? Please do! You know, for Beyoncé.

I love going through questions from our zulily readers, and today I wanted to pull one that was all about the TRENDS. It’s not always easy to keep up with the current and “latest and greatest” trends, especially when they’re changing from month to month and season to season.

I thought this question was extremely appropriate because now that we’re into 2012… and January is winding down, it’s fun to know and to share what trends are going on right now.

This question came in from Melinda O. in Chicago…

“Hi Audrey,
Can you let me know what are 3 trends that I could be wearing right now? I’m a mom of 2 and like to stay trendy, but don’t want to break the bank and I’m usually not the fashion-forward. Love to see what some easy trends are.”

LOVE this question!

Yes… here are 3 easy trends that you can wear right now:

1. Pops of color. Add a yellow or orange or pink cardigan to a “basic” outfit. So for example, take a pair of jeans and tee, and just add some color. Like this…

2. Stripes. Oh, yes… they’re back! I love stripes because they’re so classic and nautical, I just love that look. The best part is, you can wear stripes anywhere and (really) with anything. Check out this example…

3. CLOGS. Everyone keeps asking me about shoes, and I’ll tell you what – clogs are in! The best part is when we have some amazing clog sales on zulily (which we just had with Sanita). Plain or with studs… they’re fabulous to add into your closet right now.

What’s your favorite out of the 3?

And GREAT questions Melinda! Thanks so much.

If you have questions… please email me at Audrey523 @ mac.com.

When I was in high school, I used to get my nails done in this really bright neon orange all the time. Literally… the color was so bright, you could probably see me a mile away. I don’t know what it was about the color, but I loved it. It always seemed to cheerful and happy to me. I was 16 years old, so believe me… I could get away with it.

Times have changed a bit.

I’m 33 years old and there’s no way in hell you’ll ever see me with neon orange nails again, but… oh, man… neon accents are hot hot hot right now!

I’ve said it before here and I’ll say it again – one reason why I love color trends is because they’re easy for ANY woman to pull off. You don’t have to be a certain size or shape… color is the easiest trend to bring into a closet or wardrobe.

So how can you do this with neon?

I want to show you different ways in which neon can fashionably be brought into your wardrobe…

Easy, right?

xo