July Q & A

I cannot believe that it is July 13th. Just four short months ago I was 12 1/2 weeks pregnant and packing up my little family to head to the beach for a nice getaway. Little did we know that a week later there would be a pandemic and the world would shut down. Fast forward about 18 weeks and we are now just a little under 10 weeks away from meeting Vivienne and in FULL nesting mode at home. The pandemic is still happening and unfortunately Dallas is a hot spot so we are still spending all the time at home and having very little contact/interaction with anyone.

I am very thankful that in June we were able to sneak away for a few weeks to our happy place in Idaho to spend *extra* quality time on our last trip as a family of three. It really is still hard for me to process that in a little over two months we will get to meet our little girl and we will be a family of four. While this pregnancy is not at all how I pictured it would be, I will say that this time around I am grateful for the length of time that a pregnancy really is. The time has allowed me to process how different things will be when we meet baby girl. If you would have told me four months ago that no visitors in the hospital, face masks during delivery and window visits at home would be the new normal for meeting babies I would have laughed. Sadly, this is our reality and I am thankful for the length of time I have had to process this new normal.

Now, the real reason you are probably reading his post today…my Q & A. I have gotten such a positive response from these posts because they not only help you all get to know me a little better but they often answer the questions that you all have been asking! As always, if I have missed a question or you want to know something feel free to e-mail me (amy@dallaswardrobe.com). Enjoy my July Q & A! xx

July Q & A

• Where are Ralph’s beds from? His beds are from Restoration Hardware.
• Why does Ralph have two beds? I am so surprised how many of you have asked why the two beds! Honestly, it’s because I have always thought twin beds are so charming. Also, the guest room has a queen, our room has a king and Vivienne’s room has a daybed. I wanted all of the bedrooms to feel different and what you probably cannot tell from Instagram, Ralph’s room is HUGE so a single twin bed would have looked really silly.
• Why did you take down Ralph’s wallpaper? I was so sick of it and it had so many little scratches. We also wanted Ralph’s big boy room to look a little more refined and “older” and the blue and white stripes were just not cutting it. Plus, Vivienne’s room has the same color walls and a similar color scheme so everyone is “the same”.
• Favorite spa treatment? I would say a facial or a massage. If you look at my track record though I for sure get more facials (pre-covid).
• Favorite shampoo and conditioner? I have been switching a lot lately because this pregnancy my hair feels so dry!! I have been using Oribe and I just got this mini collection of Colleen Rothschild shampoo, conditioner and their hair serum and it is amazing. My hair feels so good I am going to order the full size bottles! 
• What is your workout schedule? Pre-covid I would say spin 2 times a week and yoga 3-4 times a week. Now that I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and covid is in full swing in Texas still, I am riding the bike 3 times a weeks and going on a long walk 1-2 times a week. My goal is to just keep moving “every other day”.
• Do you own the house in Idaho and when did you buy? We built the house with another couple in the fall of 2017.
• What are your thoughts on botox and fillers? You do you. I do both (when not pregnant) and have for years. Big fan. haha
• What is the difference for your 2nd pregnancy? I would say this time around I am much more tired. It’s no joke when they say that you show/grow faster during your second pregnancy so I really think that getting bigger faster has made everything harder. Plus, having a three year old to chase around and entertain (especially since we have been hanging at home since March) has made it a little harder.
• What high school did you and Wade go to? I went to Trinity Christian Academy and Wade went to Vernon High School.
• Favorite baby names besides the ones you picked? Before we had Ralph our baby names were Ralph, Pierce and Eloise. We have some good friends who told us Pierce was also on their list (it was the girls grandfathers name), so we took it off and ended up going with Ralph when we found out we were having a boy. For round two the only names we had were Hugh Rhodes Havins and Vivienne Wade Havins. I loved HRH because it was a name you do not hear often. Plus the HH was so charming to me. Vivienne was actually on our good friends Kristin and Jack’s list before they had their baby girl Lillian and I asked and they said it was not on their list anymore (if they had a child in the future) and we could have it. I love the name Vivienne because I have also loved the name Scarlett. While it is a bit overused now, in the movie Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O’Hara was played by Vivien Leigh. This is another reason Vivienne (we are spelling it differently than she did), stuck on our list. I chose Wade as a middle name because Vivienne is such a feminine name, I wanted her to have something short and masculine to balance it. Plus, Wade is actually my favorite human in the entire world and I love that our only daughter will be named after her dad. I mean how cool if you are a little girl and you have your dads name??
• Being a mom round two what are you planning to do differently this time? I love this question because it has really made me think. To be honest, I am learning every single day and I am not sure when I will ‘stop learning’ how to be a mom. I think with round two I will be a little less anxious? I mean it’s always stressful when your baby gets sick or you cannot stick to the ‘schedule’ exactly. While I feel like I am pretty relaxed with Ralph, I feel like I will be even more relaxed with Vivienne. But also who knows, girls and boys are two totally different ball games, so I am sure I am in for many a surprises.
• Where you always minimalist and clutter free? Yes, even my grandmother would agree. While I am not a true minimalist, I do believe that everything has a place and if you are not using the item or have not in a long time to donate it. I would rather an item get continual use instead of sitting in a closet and collecting dust, which is why I give pretty much everything we are not using away.
• Where did you get your outdoor patio furniture? We got our couch, ottoman and dining chairs from Pottery Barn. The dining room table was actually my parents first dining room table when they got married (1981). It was originally pine and has been everything from a dining table to an arts and crafts table. When my parents got divorced about 11 years the table was sitting in the garage and I was moving into my first apartment post college. My mom let me take the table and it has been with me ever since. Maybe 9 years ago I had it stained so it would be darker. It is literally one of my favorite things, ever.
• What are your favorite stores to shop for Ralph? I get 98% of his clothing from Ralph Lauren. The other pieces of his wardrobe come from Neiman Marcus, Stella McCartney kids and Roller Rabbit (all his pajamas).
• Favorite restaurant in CDA? Sadly, we did not make it to CDA when we were in Idaho this summer (our home is on the other side of the lake). That being said, my favorite restaurants are Fire (their pizza is insane), Syringa (the head sushi chef actually trained under Chef Nobu) and Beverly’s (it’s located in the Coeur d’Alene Resort hotel and has a pretty view of the lake). We also love Vault coffee and The Wellness Bar (for juices and açaí bowls)
• Favorite handbag? I wish I could answer this but I really cannot. I feel like that is asking someone to pick their favorite child! I honestly love EVERY single bag that is in my closet and each bag sparks a special memory or trip.
• What is the most important design aspect of a room? (paint, curtains or rug)? Gosh this is a tough question, especially since I am not a designer but I would say paint, window treatments and rug (in that exact order). There is nothing worse than bad paint or bad window treatments. I feel like there are so many sources these days where you can get a reasonably priced rug and you wouldn’t even be able to tell that it was less expensive than something that was cut and bound for a space.
• C-section recovery tips? REST. I think this is the biggest tip for both c-section and vaginal birth. Rest/sleep is what everyone needs when you are healing. I know it’s easier said than done but put your baby down and take a nap when baby is sleeping. Also, give yourself time to really heal and don’t “rush” into anything.
• Did you or will you ever visit Scruff’s post college? Of course we have been back to Scruff’s! While it has probably been 6-7 years since our last visit, that bar will forever be a favorite.
• Ralph’s favorite golfer? Ralph admires anyone that plays golf (could literally be the worst golfer ever and he thinks that person is so cool because they play the game) but if he had to pick a favorite I would say Tiger. Probably because it is an easy name for a three year old to remember!
• Does Ralph take golf lessons? He doesn’t! Maybe in a couple of years if he continues to show interest he will but for now, it’s just backyard golf, range sessions and the occasional golf holes (or two).
• Favorite pregnancy friendly dresses? I love finding pieces that I can wear during and post pregnancy. For me Sleeper has been a great option, as well as Zara and Hatch. 
• Two things you do quickly to calm your mind? Breath and remove myself from the situation (or if I am by myself walk into another room where whatever was causing me stress in the prior room is no longer around)
• Where do you get most of your art? Does Cindy find it all? A lot of different places. Me and Wade have actually sourced or created every piece in our home. That is the one thing that Cindy does not do for us (although she does it for the majority of her clients).
• What do you love most about being mom? Everything. Being a mom is the most wonderfully rewarding and humbling experience ever. Every day is different and it is so much fun seeing everything through a child’s eyes. It really makes you stop and admire everything.
• Number one item for baby girl? The Doona stroller/car seat. I actually still need to buy one! When Ralph grew out of his two years ago, I gave it to someone who was having a baby and was unable to purchase one.
• Does Wade golf a lot? How does that affect your relationship? Wade does golf a lot but Wade also does not miss anything. Weekend golf doesn’t really exist for him anymore (unless he tees SUPER early or he is playing in a tournament) and weekday golf does happen quite regularly but he is always home in time to have dinner with me and Ralph.
• Must have home item to splurge on? I would say fixtures. Fixtures or the jewelry as Cindy likes to call them can transform any space. I like to describe it like this. You can go an buy an extremely reasonable pair of jeans and a simple white tee shirt. While the look is great once you add a fantastic handbag or a great piece of jewelry, your “reasonably priced” outfit becomes so much more elevated.
• Where do you get Ralph’s shorts? Ralph Lauren but pro tip: take your little boys shorts to your tailor. I get all of his shorts altered!
• Favorite bbq place in Dallas? We love Peggy Sue’s but my all-time favorite BBQ place is in Frisco. It is called Rudy’s (they also have a Waco location and we went to Baylor so we got hooked in college).
• What is your favorite thing Ralph does/say lately? Ralph says a lot of funny things but lately he likes to tell me that “his baby tummy is moving” (he thinks he also has a baby in his tummy) and he also always says “Mommy, you okay??” (whenever I look tired or stressed). Kids pick up on everything and I love it so much.
• Tips for beginner blogger? Network and create content that is unique to you. Share what YOU love not what you think you should share.
• How do you juggle work and kids? It is for sure a balance and some days easier said than done but at the end of the day I am grateful for a supportive husband and the world’s most wonderful nanny.
• Will you use the Snoo with your newborn? No. While the Snoo sounds like a great idea in theory, the thought of my baby only being able to go to sleep while being rocked sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. I prefer my children to learn to sleep in their crib without expecting a “rocking motion”.
• How as traveling during this time with a toddler? Easy! Literally no different than before.

Okay, wow. Another long Q & A. I honestly applaud you if you have made it through this entire thing! As always, I am so grateful for all of your questions and I really try to answer majority! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day and until next time! xx