Hello there my Inspired Style viewers!  Well we've seen Kate on air and on my Facebook posts but now we are going to get to know a little bit more about the gal who hangs out with us every Thursday night.  We love having Kate as part of the Inspired style family.  Not only is she fashionable but she is kind and sweet too -- The whole package!

Q: What do you do at QVC?

A: I am an Associate Producer here at QVC, which means I am in charge of coordinating and assisting all production activities  on the studio floor  during the live show. On any given day this includes: host/guest/model movement, camera blocking, product flow and demonstrations, and directing the "Testimonial Call" interview and approval process for on-air.  I am also a part of the Studio Scoop team and we capture behind the scenes pictures, write all-access blogs, and are on the scene for the celebrity visits to our studio!

Q: What do you like about being a part of Inspired Style?

A: I love being a part of Inspired Style because it's such a collective effort to bring ideas, fun fashion talk, and a down to earth approach to styling, trends, and working accessories into basics any woman would have in her closet. Everyone on set has a lot of fun before, during, and after the shows. Amy, Iris, and Deanna, all have great personalities and they make working on the show a lot of fun! The crew cares a lot about the show from beginning to end, and it's great to be part of such a dedicated team!

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: Describing my personal style is hard to put into one category because I have worked for many retail companies before I came to QVC, with each one being entirely different in styles and tastes!  Along the way I picked up ideas, trends, and tastes, from each brand, and worked them into my overall style today. If I had to choose I would say I am most comfortable dressed up, usually a simple bottom (like jeans), some heels, (I'm short!) paired with a bold top and bolder accessories-I  love statement earrings and necklaces, and I can never have enough sparkle in my jewelry!

Q: What is your favorite brand or product at QVC?

A: My favorite product at QVC would have to be St. Tropez Sunless Tanner! If there is one item I would panic without it would be this! I love being tan, but in a healthy way, and this tanner creates such a realistic, dark tan that makes me feel so much better about being in shorts, & dresses, without having to compromise my skin's health! I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great glow!

Q: Share a fun fact about yourself.

A: A fun fact about me is that I have a twin sister, Erin,  who also works at QVC with me, and she too works in the studio and is a member of the Studio Scoop team.  Multiple times a day we confuse someone who thinks that they are talking to the one sister until they find out it's the wrong one, and then they learn we are twins. It can be fun having people guess which sister is which!

Hi Ladies!

Last week Courtney and I were styled for the red carpet event by celebrity stylist, costume designer and soon to be QVC designer, Jen Rade. It was one of those "pinch me" moments where I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, and I think Courtney would agree. Jen's amazing and also so fun. We had a blast. Check it out here.

See you on the red carpet!

These were two great dresses, but you'll have to tune in on Friday to see THE dress. I don't want to spoil the big reveal :)

Amy

Hi Ladies! 

Quick update about Inspired Style tonight. Last time I was in LA with Inspired Style, I had the chance to meet Liz from Late Afternoon. We had so much fun trendspotting for IS and the segment is finally going to air tonight :)

I was browsing Liz's blog and also my own FB page for some inspiration and noticed how versatile the trend really is. Here's four pics of Liz and I -- each one with a scarf worn completely differently than the next. 

What's your favorite way to wear a scarf? We've come a long way from it being just a winter warmth essential, huh?!

Amy

Hi ladies! 

I'm so excited to celebrate Hello Spring Style tonight at QVC.  We gave one of our favorite blogger friends, Donna Kim of Donna Daily, a sneak peak at the fabulous collections we'll be debuting tonight.  

If you live in the northeast, get snowed in with us and tweet along using  #HelloSpringStyle! See you tonight.

For the past few weeks at the Q the hosts have been showing their purse-onality. This week it's my turn and I'm pumped. I chose the Aimee K. bag we went shopping for on Inspired Style! The shape, the detail, and the quality all caught my eye and I love what it does to a basic outfit. 

Day two of Purse-onality! A pic of me earlier on my way out to dinner. Even with a hat and a more laid-back outfit the Aimee K bag is working:)

Day 3 of Purse-onality!! Arrived to work rocking my Aimee K. Feels like she (as in the handbag) is encouraging me to play with my looks more. Grant it I'm stuck in my denim vest, but other than that I'm exploring more:)

Day 4 of Purse-onality!! I just came home from a lovely dinner at my neighbor's, she made lobster, yum! Now I'm headed out the door with clothes, my work binder, shoes, makeup, and of course my Aimee K! 

Last day of Purse-onality! From rolling up into work without makeup and in sweats, to getting all dolled up for the LRS show.

This purse makes me feel so fashionable when I carry it. I love to take it to work because it fits all my belongings that I can't live without. It looks best with the long strap left on because it is beautiful leather. Overall, this purse fits into my fashion obsessed life because it works with all outfits and that is my purse-onality:)

You can shop my bag by click here: Halley Satchel

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Love, your QVC family

* Leave your birthday wishes for Amy in the comments below! *

Hey Ladies! I’m excited to let you know that Courtney Cason and I are now on Instagram! We are going to be doing an Instagram Challenge where every day we snap a picture based on the challenge instructions. We would love for you to play along! It’s fun because it will be up for interpretation. I’m excited to see how mine and Courtney’s photos differ.

Here’s the first week of the challenge. Be sure to “hashtag” (I know I’m getting used to the funny words too, lol!) #InstagramChallenge in your posts and we can do this together! When you click on the “hashtag” you’ll be able to see our pictures all in one place.

1. Selfie
2. Makes Me Smile
3. Someone I Love
4. What I Wore (Fashion Day)
5. Pretty Pattern
6. Something I Read
7. My Shoe

You can find my Instagram here:AmyStranQVC

And here is Courtney's: CourtneyCasonQVC

Day 1: Selfie

Courtney's Day 1

Hello my lovely QVC ladies!! I have not written a blog in months, please forgive me!  I don't even know where to start it’s been so long.  Is it ok with you if I start talking about life backwards because I remember yesterday but I don't know if I remember March, lol!

So excited that spring has sprung!!  Steve and I are outdoor people so we love when it starts to warm up and we can eat, sit, walk, and live outdoors!  In fact we've been working on our deck as far as decor goes and starting to plant in the front of the house.  We moved into our house last year and though we did get deck furniture we didn't have all the finishing touches and that's what we are getting now.  I'll take pics when it’s all together and show you but I need to get one more thing, flameless candles from my fave, Candle Impressions. 

Our half finished deck! Note cute QVC flower boxes and the tree in the corner is a Roberta's lemon tree. 

This year we are tackling the front of the house too. We are in a townhouse but do have some yard.  We have a tree and a holly bush but there is room in front of them for more and we would like something that is a bush in the winter but blooms in the summer so I turned to my landscapers, mom and dad!  Now grated mom and dad are not "real" landscapers but they've been homeowners for 40 years and both have green thumbs that I did not inherit. Mom suggested Knock Out Roses because they are easy to care for but also bloom from spring to frost.  Now you know the first thing I did was go to qvc.com to place an order and boohoo they didn't have what I wanted.  I would like to put a request in with QVC where you can select your color configuration with flowers.  I needed 3 bushes but wanted 3 all the same color and we do packages of mixed colors.  So off to our local nursery we went.  Good thing was the nursery had roses on sale and in white which is what I wanted!  I'll take pics of those too!  Nothing else is really new in the house. Oh, we did get a clock from Pottery Barn and two white flower boxes from the Q that I will show you at the end of this.

Our PB clock! Please ignore the fact that the powder room door is open, lol.

How was your Easter or Passover?  We had a wonderful day that included brunch with Steve's parents and then on to my parents for a late Easter lunch.  Got to see my two favorite nieces (I only have two) and that meant I got to play baby dolls, school, spa, and my favorite; dance class!  We have so much fun with them!!  I'm looking forward to May because my parents, Steve and I , and Abby and Reese (the nieces) are all going to the beach together.  My big sis has a wedding on Martha's Vineyard so we get to keep the girls.  I love going to the beach in May because it’s not too hot and I don't feel like I have to stay on the beach all day and soak up the sun so I get to do a little more shopping, dining, and just relaxing.  We go to a wonderful town called Stone Harbor in NJ and it’s the beach I've gone to all my life so it feels like home.  Plus they have a great ice cream joint that serves peanut butter and brownie ice cream.  Hello, are you kidding me?!?! I get a cone every night!

One of the reasons why I love my nieces!!

Everything's good with the family, though we did have a scare when Steve's dad had a small stroke earlier in the year.  He is doing better and in fact back to work and finished with therapy but it certainly makes you realize how you just never know.  Makes you want to hug everyone a little tighter. I know I sure felt like that with the Boston tragedy too.  So scary, so sad, so painful.  I hope all of your family is doing well and that hugs have been given.

So let’s see, we covered house, fam, so how about work.  Things are great at the Q and I'm still loving that we get devoted time together between, Monday, Thursday and Friday.  It certainly is fun having Inspired Style on Thursday and then turning around and coming back for more fashion in The Lisa Robertson Show.  I certainly do my fair share of shopping those two nights.  Oh, speaking of.  Guess who has an Isaac cross body bag coming home to her.  Hoping it will be there when I get home today.

I'm going to start doing a lot of travelling soon for IS!!  Up to NYC, over to Philly, and way over to San Francisco!  I really can't wait especially to go out west as I do love it out there.  You know Steve always tells me he would move to LA in a heartbeat if QVC sent me there.  I don't think I would as I can't imagine being a plane ride away from the fam, I like to hop in the car whenever I want to see them.  Think my hubby secretly wants to be a surfer so I remind him he still would have to work if we moved and riding waves does not bring in income unless you are professional, lol.  Anyway, I will keep you posted on all of our trips.

You know I always find it's best to get updated with what I like to call "Amy's random thoughts", basically a bunch of run on sentences but I find that what I want to tell you doesn't always fit in its own pretty paragraph.  So here goes!

Had a great time in LA in Feb.  Didn't want to take my green dress off and had a pinch me moment when I was hanging out in Lisa Rinna's room at the end of the night with her and Jen Rade!

Stopped using Super Smile for a month and felt like my teeth looked like corn kernels instead of white Chiclets so I went back to the expensive but oh so good stuff.

I have discovered the most comfortable heels in America, they are DVF and the grey pair I wear all the time but you could run 5 miles in them, ok fine I exaggerated, 1 mile. 

Have two new favorite songs right now, for a slower/sad one, Tim Mcgraw's Highway Don't Care and for a fun/dance one Ceiling Can't Hold us.

Speaking of music, wanted to see Jay Z and JT in concert but then looked up the price for tickets and realized I could get a killer handbag, a ton of makeup, or three dresses and said never mind to the concert.

Tried a new shampoo and hated it (shh, its Loreal)

Tried Wen's Spring Gardenia and loved it!

I'm on the third Fifty Shades Of Grey book and I now see what all the fuss is about.  Though I will say from an HBO watcher I think Eric and Bill are more steamy then Christian. 

Steve and I finally sat down to watch old seasons of Breaking Bad and considering we are on season 5 in a matter of weeks I would say we are hooked. 

Got a trim and wasn't sure if I liked it at first because we put more layers in it, but I now I officially do like it!!

And lastly because I feel so close to you I'm going to tell you something that many might find over share but I Know many will find as exciting as I do.  We are trying to have a baby!!  Well, we've been trying since September and no baby yet and everyone keeps telling me not to think about it but how in the world do you not think about it!!! 

And that would be my life in a few sentences! Alright girlfriends.  Sorry again that I've been a bad blogger. As you probably know I'm a talker not a writer or as MJ would say I'm a lover not a fighter.  That is true BTW, lol!  Glad we got caught up except I do feel like I'm the only one sharing so reply and let me know what is up with you? 

Oh, before we leave each other let me tell you one more thing.  When I go to NYC in a few weeks I'm going to hang out with David Dangle.  Remember when IS did Dear Isaac?  We are now going to do Dear David.  If you have any style questions you want answered please feel free to write them in the reply section and I will ask him during the taping. 

Ok, great to talk you!!  I'll see you on the Q!

Much love,

Amy:)

Hi ladies!!!!!! 

Yes, lots of exclamations needed because of the exciting news but also because I feel like I haven't written a blog in such a long time!!  First, how are YOU?  I hope well and that summer was a wonderful season for you and now fall is treating you right too.  Just seems like everything goes by so quickly doesn't it?  I'm truly going to attempt more blog writing so this should be the end of the long pauses between touch bases.

So is it ok if we just jump right into the baby news?  I have wanted to tell you for so long, since the first days we found out. 

As you know from my last blog we had been trying since last September, 2012. When I last wrote to you in May we were right at the point where we were slightly frustrated, worried, and nervous that we weren't pregnant yet. Well spring came and went and still no baby.  You know me and Steve we kept doing our usual things and taking everyone's advice of not to think about it.  We went to the beach with the fam for Memorial Day, enjoyed a few staycations, went to our Tuesday night outdoor concerts, I had a birthday, Sunday fundays were still a blast, and before we knew it August was here and it had almost been a year of trying for a baby.  Well little did we know August was about to change everything for a our little family of two. Let me warn you I might get a little TMI at this point in the story. Its a Saturday and its the day that I'm expecting my period (warned you of the TMI) now its been ten months of trying so there's been those months where you buy the early detection pregnancy tests and they never make a plus sign, and there's been those times where I'm a day late and I swear I'm pregnant only to be disappointed in the morning.  So at this point when Saturday night comes and still no sign of my period I try not to get myself too excited and don't suggest to Steve to do a test as we walked down that road many times only to see a single line and a frown on our faces.  So off to bed we go.  Now Steve and I had a pact that I wouldn't do a pregnancy test without him if I ever thought I was pregnant because we both wanted to be there for that moment together.  I tell you this because I often wake up earlier then Steve and the next day, a Sunday, I wake much earlier then Steve and still no sign of my PERIOD.  I quietly exit the room and hang out downstairs while I patiently wait for Steve to wake up so I can tell him that I truly do think I'm pregnant and we should do a test.  After a bowl of oatmeal and two cups of coffee later I finally hear him so as soon as he comes downstairs I tell him to grab a cup of coffee and make his way back upstairs as I think we might be pregnant! We make our way upstairs and again at this point its been ten months of never seeing the symbol we want so we try to not get too excited.  We just casually walk up there, do "you know what" on a stick, and then go make the bed while we wait the 4 minutes you are suppose to.  Well when we walk back into that bathroom we both look at each other with tears in our eyes, big smiles on our faces , and a whole lot of what??!!!!??!!!  Is that a plus sign, oh my gosh is that what I think it is, are we having a baby?!?!!?  Hug, Kiss, hug, cry, laugh, pinch, is this really happening? We made a life, hug, tears, laugh, scream of joy!  It was such a wonderful 5 minutes to follow as we realized our life was forever changed and that what we wanted and even knew we would one day want when we met 11 years ago was about to happen.  We were going to have a family!

Even now as I tell you I can't believe there is a baby inside me.  I just want him or her to be healthy, big and strong.  Oh and if they are naturally well behaved I'll take that too. Our due date is April 20th which is ironically my big sister's birthday.  We will find out what we are having.  You know me, I want to buy a little outfit as soon as we hear.  I believe my Dec. appointment we'll be able to tell the sex.  I will of course let you know.  I always thought before we were pregnant that we would have a girl, just never imagined us with a boy but I'm seriously starting to think we are having a little boy. Just feel like its a little guy but maybe I'm wrong.  We already have names picked out but I'm going to wait to share those just in case we change our mind.   We already know we want white nursery furniture, picked out the bedding, oh and I know what stroller I want.  That's what happened when you try for ten months you start making plans even though baby isn't with you yet:)

I thought maybe you would already know I'm pregnant because there were a few times especially during Friday Night Beauty where I was so bloated that I thought for sure you would see the belly.  When you see me on air next try to get a look from the side and you will definitely get a look at the baby bump.  I actually just ordered my first few maternity pieces this week as some days I feel like my jeans don't feel all that comfy anymore.  Other than the belly that is forming not much more feels different.  I'm feeling great and would say the only thing that has changed is my love for all things carbs!!  Well I loved carbs before but now I eat them like they are the only food option.  Hey if baby wants cereal, I'm feeding baby cereal.

Thank you all for being so kind when you read my last blog and knew we were trying.  It was nice to read such positive thoughts.  If you were here with me I would give you the tightest biggest hug!!  We are having a baby!!  It was so hard no to say anything during our last Inspired Style shows but I wanted to play it safe and make sure we were through our first 12 weeks.  I will now keep in touch much more often through blogs so that I can fill you in on everything.  As usual thank you for being so awesome and Steve and I are both lucky to have you!

Hi everybody!!!! Happy belated Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukah!  Hope your holidays are off to a wonderful start.  Have you started decorating and shopping?  We haven't as I write this but by the time you read this the plan is to have the house decorated and a few gifts checked off the list

As promised I wanted to write blogs more freguently so I thought since it has been a little over a month since we announced the baby news, this would be a good time to catch up with you.  Our most exciting thing to share with you is that we are starting to feel the baby!!!  Well, me more then Steve only because I'm with the baby more, lol.  Plus I can feel it internally and when I put my hand on my stomach.  The first time it happened it was a wonderful feeling that made me laugh out loud and even brought tears to my eyes.  Because this is the first baby, the worry wart in me went "oh no what was that!" but it didn't take too long to figure it out and that is when the laughter and tears started.  In fact remember the night when I posted that Steve and I went to see the movie Captain Phillip's?  Well during the first part of the movie I was getting so many flutters and gentle kicks from this liitle one that Steve and I put the bucket of popcorn down (a first for us) and just placed our hands on the baby to feel all the acton.  It was wonderful!! Oh, and so was the movie by the way.

I know I said that we will know what we are having in December so if you are reading this the first day it is posted, I don't know yet but if you are reading later in Dec, we know!!  December 3rd is the big day and though we ultimately are most thrilled that we are having a BABY it will be exciting to hear boy or girl.  Only because I am a planner and you know I have two bedding sets picked, two color theme ideas, two different shower curtains for their bathroom, so it will just be nice to know.  Plus, you know me and I want to buy a cute baby outfit, lol!  You know how lots of couples now are learning the sex of the baby after they leave the doctors by taking a note with the sex written on it.  We thought about doing that but Steve and I also want to sit with the tech and really analyze the sonogram since you don't get to have one done on a regular basis. Plus we will have a million questions so the news of what we are having is more like the second exciting part of that appointment it's the seeing of the baby I can't wait for!  I for sure will share the news with you but I haven't decided how to tell you yet.  I can tell you the same way I'm telling the fam which is having the babies name embroidered on a Christmas stocking so when they come over for the holidays they will discover if its a boy or a girl.  I can take a pic of the mantle and put it on FB and tell you that way or I could tell you live on our first Inspired Style after the holiday. Which would you prefer?

 We also started "nesting" as they say, which pretty much means the basement underwent a complete clean up. When we moved in last year we didn't do a very good job of organizing things in our storge closet in the basement (it basically became our dumping ground). The other week we took everything out of there and went through what to donate, what to dump, and put the rest back very nicely so now there is room for more and we can finally see what we have! The plan is do the same system for every closet in the house.  We figure we will need a place to keep all the baby items that will be filling our house in a matter of months so the more space we can make, the better.  We also decided which room to use as the nursery.  We have one completely empty bedroom in the house and the other is a guest room.  We originally thought about moving the guest room into the empty room and converting the guest room into the nursery because it has a really pretty window.  Then when we went furniture shopping we realized we could get a set that fits perfectly in the empty room that allowed us to buy both a dresser and chest.  So we ordered that collection in white and decided to use the empty room.  The furniture doesn't get here until January so that will give us time to get the room painted once we hear boy or girl. I think we will do pink walls with a pink, grey, and white bedding set if it's a girl. If it's a boy we will do grey walls with this cute blue and red nautical bed set. Regardless of the sex, we went with white furniture because I just love that look for a nursery!

In other baby news, we did have two showers for my younger sis who is due in January.  Sarah and Mike are expecting their little boy mid January and so far everything is going well. Mike comes from a very large family, so to prevent having 100's of people at one party, we threw two seperate showers-- it's always fun to celebrate twice! I also personally enjoyed getting ideas for our own registry and learning about so many great things they make for babies these days. Plus there is something about seeing your younger sister becoming a mom that is very touching. When my big sis Jess was preganant it felt different, she is older and those things are supposed to happen, but the baby sister is a whole different story!  She will be a great mom and hoping I will be too.  I am the craziest of the three of us, (not in a crazy party way but in a crazy I over think everything way) so I'm scared I'll question myself instead of following my instincts.  Be prepared for me to use my Facebook page as a way of getting in touch when I have a parenting question.  It will be so nice to hear from many of you who have been there before. 

I suppose this leaves us with my random thoughts and comments. So let's see!

 - Been loving breakfast food right now and could eat breakfast for dinner a few times a week. 

- My pre-existing sweet tooth has recently magnified and it's safe to say the baby and Amy are both loving desserts!!

-I find my love for coffee has diminsihed.  Maybe because I'm drinkiong decaf but still not even loving the flavor as much as I use to. 

- For sure in maternity clothes and loving it.  They are so comfy.  I have a few of my "regular" clothes I can still wear but not many.  Let's just say the waist band was the first to be snug but now I can't even fit into my blouses in the chest area.  Time to go shopping! 

- Had a fun weekend in October with Steve's sis Kathy and her husband Dennis.  We went to an apple orchard and showed them some of our favorite fall spots.  Plus Kathy is a pro with a dutch oven so she treated us to some yummy cast iron meals. 

- Bought an Isaac crossbody bag that I live in and love. 

- Watched my husband go crazy over the World Series, go Red Sox!!!! 

- Had a fun weekend with my nieces at a children's amusement park. 

- Been eyeing up cute baby stores to play in when we find out what we are having. 

- Can't wait to decorate for Christmas.-- Oh, and we bought Elf the soundtrack, it's terrific!!

- Baby is drying my skin out so looking into new moisturizers from the Q. Any suggestions?

- Totally loving that Homeland is back on as I missed Sal, Carrie, and Brody.

- Looking forward to all our favorite holiday specials to start airing, always a spot for Rudolph! 

- And, lastly I might be slightly addicted to the Hallmark and Lifetime channels and their slightly cheesy but oh so fun to watch holiday movies!

I'll write again next month and I'll be sure to include whether we are having a boy or a girl too just in case you aren't on FB.  Since I won't write before the holidays let me also say have a wonderful, beautiful, warm, delightful, blessed, peaceful, exciting, fun, joyous holiday season!!!! 

Steve and I had so much fun this weekend hosting a stocking gender reveal party at our house where we announced the gender of our sweet little baby! There was no way we'd be able to wait until Christmas to share the news!

Getting the house all set up for the party

Steve pouring a champagne toast + sparkling cider of course for my nieces and me

 The whole family! My neighbor was nice enough to stop by to take the photo for us

 My mom and dad

 Steve's parents and his sister & brother-in-law

 Abby and Reese with their Chic-Fil-A

It's a girl!

 Homemade candy from my girlfriend who knew it was a girl :) We put this out after we announced to everyone!

I have to share my clever hiding spot for the stocking and the candy — the dryer!

I hope you enjoyed the photos! It was a beautiful day with the family.

-Amy

PS: remember you all took a poll to guess the gender a couple weeks ago? Well, 60% of you knew it was a girl ;)

Hey there! So as you know Season 3 of Inspired Style is underway as of last week! I’m so glad to be back shopping, spotting, and inspiring with all of you. Although it seems like I’m the fashion expert, I really don’t know what I would do without your inspiration—I mean that is why it's called Inspired Style!

I’ve asked that you hop on the selfie train and send me some pictures of you rocking your unique and authentic style that I love! The pictures have been great so far and have actually influenced a lot of my outfits!  

Here are some of the amazing selfies I’ve received so far from all of you! Thanks for inspiring me and keep them coming!

Doesn’t Darcy look great? Love the long cardigan, brown boots, tied together with the bright scarf.

This is Miro’s date night outfit. Great pattern paired with tall boots—Love it Miro!

Lynn is ready to take on 2014 with this black velvet pantsuit and heart tee for her New Years Eve festivities.

Yes yes yes! Loving the Leopard heel and thin belt—Taking this sophisticated look to a fierce level.

Christine is wearing the perfect casual, comfortable, chic outfit for brunch with friends. Love the print top and open cardigan! PS: hope brunch was yummy

Lynn’s date night outfit is amazingly unique and fun! My favorite part is the skirt-- You can actually convert it into a maxi skirt/dress! 

Look how Miro took this business look and made it her own with the animal print top! Also love the necklace!

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize! Loving this collage Miro made with all of her favorite bracelets, watches, polishes, and gloves. PS: Could really use those gloves now in this cold weather!

Emily showing off her inner rock-n-roll with the great leather jacket and combat boots.

Check out Samu’t's everyday look with the floral worn sweater, skinny jeans, and heeled brown boot. Ready to take on the day!

Loving Renee’s croched top with the coral jacket. Perfect outfit for a summer night out on the town!

Monica looks professional and chic with this lace pencil skirt, button and down--not to mention the killer layered necklace.

The lace and fur combo!!! Need I say more?

Brenda sure knows how to have herself an arm party! Love the watch surrounded by unique and simple bracelets!

Are people still saying “Fedorable” or was that never really a thing lol? Wearing a fedora takes confidence and that’s what this outfit says! Looking great Jessica!

Keeping it cool with the stripes and florals! Great summer day look Alaine!

Again with the arm party! Michelle keeps it simple and classy—Pretty in pink!

Gail looks festive and fashionable for the 4^th of July! A stand out at any Bar-B-Q!

Lynn took my advice with mixing prints and doesn’t she look fabulous! Ready for the office or dinner with friends!

Shasha is a long time fan of Coco Chanel’s style and nothing says Chanel like this Joan Rivers pearl jacket.

So.... are you inspired? Post a picture of your outfit on my FB page and I will create an updated album soon :).

Keep Inspiring!

- Amy

Hi Ladies!!! Happy New Year!!  I never know when to stop saying that but since this is my first blog of 2014 I'm hoping it's perfectly ok to say Happy New Year!!  Well are you as tired as I am after the holidays?  I love this time of year but it was exhausting between getting ready for it, working, having visitors, traveling, and then getting a cold on top of all that.  It's nice to have absolutely no plans for January and just take the time to get caught up on things.

 As exhausting as this past month has been it also has been wonderful!!  I think when we last spoke December was just about to happen.  It was filled with many wonderful moments but one of our most exciting moments was on December 3rd, when we found out that this little baby is a girl!!  Not sure if you already saw the details from my previous post but her name is Bree and even better her sonogram revealed she is growing very healthy. It was such an amazing doctor’s visit because you are there for a good hour and they look at everything on the baby. Her mouth, her heart, her toes and fingers, and everything in between.  They counted her little fingers and all ten are there, made sure all four of her heart valves are there, we saw her lungs, her kidneys and they even ruled out some other birth defects.  It was amazing seeing her and watching her move and wonderful to hear that she is healthy.  The nurse asked before she started if we wanted to know the sex and we told her yes.  I thought that meant that we would find out in the beginning of the process but the way they work is by following the baby's movements and check all her body parts as they can see them so it wasn't till about half way through where we found out.  It was very exciting and shocking because I really thought I was having a boy!  So many people guessed boy that I figured they can't all be wrong, lol.  I will say there was something even more fun about hearing girl because I did think it was a boy.  Steve and I both just looked at each other and laughed and cried and I think we both instantly felt even closer to that little life inside of me knowing even more about her now.  After we left the doctor's we went out to breakfast and I think talked about this little girl the entire time!!! Then because I do love clothes especially when they are the tiniest size ever we did make a trip to the outlets that day to see if there were any good deals at the baby stores.  See pics!!

(Steve and I waiting at the Doctor's office to find out the sex of the baby!)

(The adorable outfits we picked out at the Outlets immediately after finding out we are having a baby girl! -- Too cute, right?)

Second to knowing that Bree is developing and healthy, the next big exciting day was the 14th when we had both our immediate family come to the house for the big announcement!  There are lots of fun, cute, creative ideas out there to announce the sex of your baby but since it was Christmas and we knew her name we decided that we would have a stocking made for her and hang it on the mantle at the party.  We had everyone show up around 1 and we all indulged in yummy apps and then before we served lunch Steve poured everyone a champagne toast, nonalcoholic for me, the nieces, and the pregnant younger sister and we hung Bree's stocking for everyone to see.  They were all so excited and happy and it didn't matter if she was a boy or a girl but just hearing a name and a sex and the fact that she is healthy was just so special.  We ate lunch afterwards, watched my nieces put on a show, and then sang Happy Birthday to Steve as he turned 37 on the 13th.  Unfortunately when it was time for everyone to head out the weather had gotten bad but everyone made it home safely and it was a wonderful weekend.  The day after we had two holiday parties.  One at my friend Bev's house and the other at David Dangle's.  It was just a fabulous weekend and so much fun!

(Just love the way Bree's stocking looks on the mantle )

(Brunch at Bev's house!)

(David Dangle and I at his Holiday party!)

That leads us to Christmas!!  I was off Christmas Eve and day so we started our adventures that Tuesday and went to Steve's parents for a Christmas Eve brunch.  His mom is an excellent cook and so she had made us individual quiches and homemade apple muffins, so good!!  We then headed to MD where my family lives and spent the evening of Christmas Eve at my big sisters.  She has a wonderful church where they do a children’s pageant on Christmas Eve that Abby and Reese (my nieces) participate in.   We start out at her church and then go back to her house for an evening of gourmet apps.  Her husband is the cook in their family and so we had fried ravioli, all sorts of oysters, my mom made stuffed mushrooms, my sis made a very yummy warm cheesy onion dip, and all sorts of other things.  I attempted a Kahlua ice box cake for dessert that night and it was ok.  Next time I make it I'm going with more layers and whipping the cream less.  After desert, more shows from the nieces and some sprinkling of reindeer dust and we said goodnight so they could get some sleep before Santa arrived and Steve and I and my parents headed to their house.  It dawned on me this Christmas that for 31 years I've woken up in the same house on Christmas morning!  It's all about to change as I no longer am only a daughter but a mother too.  Now Santa might have to come to PA instead of MD and then we join everyone at mom and dad’s.  I know it sounds funny but there was something about knowing that this was my last Christmas with just me and Steve that made me take it all in even more but also made me soooo excited for next year!!!

(Steve's mom preparing our delicious brunch!)

Christmas day Steve and I always have a fun breakfast with mom and dad and then drop off presents to my closest girlfriend and her family.  We've known each other since 6th grade and have always stayed close so it’s nice that she is just minutes away from my parents and we are able to see each other that morning.  Once back at my parents my sisters and their families show up and we start opening presents.  Bree was especially thought of this holiday and we came home with many new items for her.  My larger family shows up once its closer to dinner and we all get caught up then it’s time for the feast.  We have the traditional ham and the casseroles to go with it but we also do some Italian dishes as not everyone in my family enjoys ham.  Once cleaned up we have deserts and we play games that my grandmother who is English has made a tradition.  They are certainly designed more for children so Abby and Reese enjoy them the most but they always remind me of my childhood and all the Christmas's we've shared as a family so I can't help but get into them too!

 (Christmas morning at my parent's house!)

I went back to work the next few days but then had more adventures when Steve's sis Kathy and her husband Dennis arrived at our house the weekend before New Year's!  They live in Manhattan so we don't see each other as much as we would like so we always make the most of our time together.  We started the weekend with a family dinner at our house.  Steve and I made tenderloin with a dill sour cream sauce that was yummy, his mom brought a delicious desert, and the evening was excellent.  Monday Steve and I worked so Kathy and Dennis both being teachers took the day to just enjoy the last few days of their vacation and then Tuesday was New Year's Eve so we were out all day.  Started with a walk in the morning, and then we went to the Q so they could take a tour.  We had lunch out and then went to a beautiful garden in our area that gets decorated for the holiday.  It's called Longwood Gardens and it's quite the magical place if you ever visit PA.  We were all so tired afterwards that we just went home and munched on snacks and no one made it to midnight.

(Steve, Kathy, Dennis, and I operating the cameras on set 3 during our QVC tour)

(The four of us at lunch post QVC tour!)

 No more guests and no more parties now it’s full speed ahead on getting Bree's room together for her.  We already had a pink room from the previous home owners so we just left it pink and went with white furniture, and are doing a grey bedding set.  I actually ordered two different bedding sets so I could see them in person and decide which one I like best. There are other things we want to get too, like her curtains, a nursery chair, and then I registered for some cute décor pieces!  I know we still have 3 months till her arrival but I 'm hoping it’s all done by the end of February so we just have March to do last minute things and wait for her.  I'm still feeling her move all the time and I try to talk to her throughout the day so she starts to hear my voice.  So many times I just say I love you so she knows that I'm here waiting for her with so much love in my heart already. 

(The view from our bedroom to Bree's nursery!)

I've been feeling great.  I will say heart burn has been an issue and I had a cold that would not go away!  Other than that I have no complaints and am just enjoying every moment of this journey. I'll keep you posted as to what comes our way these next few weeks. Oh, and there will be something big coming because my younger sis is due any day with her first, a little boy!!  Technically the due date is the 18th but she is ready and for her sake we are hoping that this baby boy won't be late.  I'll let you know when he's here!!

 Hope you had a wonderful December and a great start to 2014.  Also I so enjoy reading your comments on both my blog and Facebook.  Thank you all for continuing to make Steve, Bree, and me feel a part of your life.  So exciting we get to share everything with you.

Love,

Amy

Who's ready to talk about the Dooney & Bourke TSV?? I'm loving everything about this bag from the size to the chevron pattern, but there's only one issue. How am I supposed to pick one out of eight amazing colors?? 

Since I couldn't possibly have one in every color, I decided to ask some of my friends around the Q for a little help in narrowing down my options. Here are some pictures to document my Dooney-filled day:

I started with the handbag buyers, Jaclyn and Dana, who clearly couldn't help in picking just one lol! (Big thank you to these ladies who brought this beautiful bag to us in the first place!)

The next gal on my list was Gabrielle Kerr because this woman knows her bags!! 

I ran into some friends outside of the host lounge where guests check in and hang out... 

Karen, Nube, and Mary were quick to pick their favorite bags and pose for a picture!! These ladies know their style! 

Maureen, one of our models, picked up the pink and I think it looks great with her turquoise top! 

My friend Mary told me she was a "red girl," so I wasn't surprised she picked this bag! 

One of the lovely WEN models was super excited to throw the pink over her shoulder while getting ready in the salon! 

Tarte model, Chrissy picked out the black Dooney to match her outfit! She looks fabulous as always! 

I even brought out some of the girls from the Talent Department (Wendy, Katie, and Bryony) PS: Bryony was here visiting us from QVC UK!!!

Our lovely set designers, Rose and Lauren, took a break from their work for a quick Dooney photo shoot out on the set!!

I even bumped into Mary Beth Roe by the offices near the set. It seems like we are in the same pickle!

Well ladies, after hours of research it looks like the pink and black chevron were favored by most, but I'm still not sold!! Please pass on some guidance with your favorite color to help me make a decision! Click here to treat yourself to the Dooney TSV, after all you do deserve it!! >> http://qvc.co/TSV_DBChevron

- Amy 

Hi Everybody! Yay, it's March and that means spring is around the corner and so are babies!!  I know many people who are due in April and when I share my due date it seems there are many April Bdays out there.  Apparently summertime is the time to make babies, lol.   Our little bundle is still set for April 20th.  I'm thinking I will go late but Steve thinks I will go a day or two early.  Any bets from your end?  

We've certainly been busy the month of February with many wonderful things happening.  It seems those snow days helped us get all our "nesting" done and we officially have very organized closets in our household.  Seems like there is plenty of room to move Bree into our house but I have a feeling once she does get here we will need even more room for her items.  You should see how many bottles and pacifiers this little girl has already and she isn't even in our arms yet.  

Oh, the reason we have so many bottles and pacifiers was the highlight of this month, our shower!!  What a day!  It was in MD, in my hometown, and was a day filled with family, friends, food, and PINK, lol!  Steve's sis Kathy and her husband Dennis came down from NYC on the Friday night before the shower.  I was at work that evening with you for The Lisa Robertson Show and Friday Night Beauty but when I got home at 1am that night everyone had waited up for me so they could say hi.  They hadn't seen the belly in person since Christmas.  The four of us woke up Sat morning and had Panera bagels with their walnut honey cream cheese, my new pregnancy craving, yum.  We headed off to MD and by 1pm I was surrounded by a room filled with familiar faces, beautiful decorations, and lots of pink packages.  The men departed the festivities and had their own little get together in a near by bar/restaurant and we ladies all went right to food and chatter.  Always nice to see my family and this was also the first event where everyone got to meet Drew, my new nephew. He is so cute and so good, and I'm very impressed with the way my little sis Sarah has just embraced motherhood.  I'm hoping it comes that natural to me because she seems to have it down pat already.  

(Here is the invitation from my shower! Don’t mind my shadow and the crease, it was in my purse!)

(A look at the shower! The favors, the presents, and the sisters! J)

After some mingling and more food it was time to open those packages.  I got a lot of help from my two nieces, Abby and Reese. One brought over the next package and the other one helped me open the new one.  There were so many thoughtful appreciated gifts!  From homemade blankets and crafts to key items like car seats and monitors. There were all the necessities like bottles, wipes, diapers, bibs, burp cloths, and first aid needs. Also some of the cutest little spring/summer outfits.  Bree was certainly taken care of and her parents were too!  

(Can’t wait for this to no longer be empty!)

(Washing all her new clothes!)

We stayed in MD for a while that day but when we awoke in PA on Sunday morning I was in full blown clean up mode.  We built everything that day and cleaned it all up ,and then still managed to head out for a few more things we needed. It hit me hard that night how very much we had done, right when Downton Abbey started I said to Steve I can't keep my eyes open for this.  Even Mary and all her suitors weren't keeping me awake, lol.     

I would include finished pictures of her room and bathroom but I must say it looks even messier than before we left for the shower.  There are so many things now that still need to find a home and I'm also waiting on my parents to come up one weekend to help Steve and I hang things.  By help I mean they will hang them for us, lol.  My dad is quite the Mr. Fix it handy man type and so we want to treat them to dinner while they bang out the last of the to do list for us.  Then you will see all the pics you want!

(My new family room furniture, lol!)

We did though have a small photo shoot this month with QVC.  Her room was neat and tidy just not fully decorated and they came out to capture some photos.  Steve wasn't planning to be in any but it was one of his days off so since he was here they grabbed him for a few and they ended up being my favorites.  In fact I think one I love so much that I would like to frame it.  I also bought a 2 picture frame for her room so I'm hoping to capture a pic of Bree's tiny hand in her daddy's for one slot and then the one QVC took of me looking at my belly in the other.  I thought that would be cute in her room so she knows her parents think the world of her!

(My favorite photo from the Q Photo Shoot)

(This is the one I want to use for the frame that I bought for her room.)

Really we are just counting down the days, 48 if you are reading this the first day it is posted.  Hard to believe that July we found out we were going to be parents and now we just have 7 weeks to go. I haven't had too many changes as we entered the last trimester.  I have stopped jogging as my back just can't take it anymore so I'm now officially a walker.  I still have my heart burn and I've been told that means little Bree might have a head of hair when she is here in April.  I'm still hanging tight at a weight gain of 30 pounds.  Other than the bagels with cream cheese there isn't really anything too out of the normal that I'm craving.  I do like my trail mix right now and some cereal as a late night snack.  Bran flakes and almond milk seem to be my go to.  I do have a feeling though when this weather gets better ice cream might make its way onto my list more often than it is has in winter.  I also have noticed I'm certainly more emotional.  Not necessarily in a bad way but starting to think more about parenthood in general.  I want to be a good mom, a patient mom, and do the right things for my daughter.  I've been thinking a lot about being a better role model for her and how I would like to teach  by example so that means mommy and daddy could also remember to mind their manners more, treat others better, and just take a deep breath more often rather then getting annoyed with the small things.  We are working on it, good thing we have 7 more weeks:)

(Practicing! Me and Steve with our nephew, Drew.)

I'll write again soon and hopefully by then everything will be finished and we will just be waiting for her.    Gosh, I can't wait to see and hold her and put a little kiss on the face I've been waiting to see for 9 months!  Steve said just the other day he can't to smell her, thought that was so cute.  We certainly have realized how blessed we are during this time and are grateful that you've been sharing in our journey.  More to come as our last few weeks pass by and little Bree gets closer to meeting one very large QVC family.


All my love,
Amy

With only 5 weeks left until Bree's arrival, we have been very busy finishing up some final projects around the house and in her nursery. Because my Dad is the ultimate Handy Man, my parents stayed with us last weekend to finish up some of these projects.

Here are some updates from the productive weekend! 

This is the antique cradle that my parents brought with them. My dad refinished it when they had their first grandchild 8 years ago. Bree will be grand-baby #4 to sleep in it.  

We set it up in our room with the blanket my Grandmother gave my mom when she was pregnant with big sis. It's been in the family ever since!

Dad and Steve put her name above the crib!

They hung wall art that my girlfriend's mom made! It matches her bedding and is monogrammed with her initials! They also set up the monitor too (can you tell how excited and ready we are!!). 

The mirror is also a new addition to the room. They hung it on the wall and there was even time to antique! Mom and Dad found the gray table and Steve and I found the vanity tray. 

The hall bath was transformed with mermaid decor! Sorry guests, lol! 

I couldn't help but grab a picture of two grown men putting together a Mermaid themed bathroom, lol! 

We still have a couple of small things to do, but overall it was a very fun and productive weekend with my parents! You know I will keep you posted with more projects and Bree fun on my Facebook page!! {Amy Stran QVC}

All my love,

Amy

As many of you know, Thursday night was the season finale of Inspired Style Season 3. While I'm sad to see yet another season come to an end, my IS lovely crew saved me some heartache by throwing a surprise behind-the-scenes baby shower. Talk about going out on a positive note! 

Here are some pictures from our 3 am baby shower, lol! 

Special thanks to the amazing Inspired Style crew for such a great season and for all the love!

As for my Inspired Style fans...Thank you so much for joining our fashion fun this season, especially to all of you that chatted with us every week! I'm so looking forward to Season 4, but for now I'll leave you with this ... This isn't goodbye, it's "It's we'll see you soon..." In fact, we'll see you in August!!

xoxo Amy

Amy Stran took the Q Quiz...baby edition!

As many of you may know the Baby Bump is a common theme we have going on at the Q! Today after our host meeting, the team surprised all of us pregnant gals (Me, Gabrielle Kerr, and another member of our Talent Team-- Kim Green) with a baby shower!

It was such a nice surprise and the perfect excuse to treat ourselves to some cake!! You can imagine how excited I was for that!! 

Unfortunately, Gabrielle wasn't able to be there for our little celebration as she had a very early morning on the Q! We missed her tons! This is why "surprises" are so hard to plan, lol!

Here are some pictures!

PS: This is Kim who is part of our Talent Team and also expecting a little one! Don't mind those darn balloons lol! 

The beautiful and DELICIOUS cake! 

A selfie seemed necessary for the occasion!!

Thank you so much to the host team for such a wonderful surprise and for all of the wishes! I am so looking forward to introducing Bree into the our wonderful QVC family!! 

Steve and I have been enjoying our last evenings together as just the two of us. We’ve been together 11 years and married for six—so, while we’re excited, we also know things are going to change. One piece of advice we’ve taken to heart is to go to the movies! Here's a peek at some photos that I know you will love. I have the chills looking at them myself! Bree is only 20 days, 480 hours, and 28800 minutes away... but hey, who's counting?!

What have you been doing to prepare for the baby’s arrival?

A lot of things, but the main focus is trying to be healthy for her. Once we had that 20-week sonogram, found out she was going to be a girl, and put a name to her—Bree—it inspired feelings like “I’m going to have avocado on my sandwich instead of mayonnaise.” I find myself cooking different things, and I’ve been making a conscious choice to steer clear of foods with chemicals and preservatives. My mom always taught me that a well-balanced diet is the best diet, so I don’t limit my choices. But, I do try to eat one piece of cake and not two. Or, if Steve and I have pizza one night, then we’ll have grilled chicken and vegetables the next. I just think everything in moderation is fine.

Tell us about the nursery.

We chose a pink, white, and gray theme. The walls were already pink when we moved in—how convenient!—so we added white furniture and registered for bedding with all three of those colors. The effect is a shabby chic, vintage-y look that Bree can grow into over time!

Have you purchased anything from QVC for to prepare for the baby?

I ordered our EZ Moves Furniture Moving Sliders! They come with a furniture lift that made it easy to rearrange the nursery furniture—which we did about five or six times—without putting a strain on my body. For the nursery, I have my eye on our bestselling White Metal Birdcages by Valerie. They’ll look so cute with flameless candles inside! I’m also looking forward to getting Bree a little Halloween costume from the Q in the fall.

How have you handled your wardrobe?

Well, I’ll tell you, I’m in full-blown maternity clothes! If you look carefully, you’ll see I have a few core pieces—black pants, a black dress, a black skirt, denim jeans—and then I just try to accessorize very differently. I love fashion, so I use scarves and jewelry to play around with my look and have fun.

Can you tell us about your toGather™ “I’m Having a Baby” collection?

The great thing about toGather is you get to see how everything looks together, before you actually purchase it, and that can help with your buying decision. You start to see all these things that attract you—and, of course, the baby items are so tiny and precious.

Have you had any experiences you weren’t expecting?

Yes, the first time I felt the baby move. It was really amazing. I was by myself and had my hand on my belly. I felt, internally and externally, this little pop. It took me two seconds, and I realized that was my first little kick from Bree. And just like that, laughter and tears came out at the same time! I wasn’t expecting the wonderful connection you have just feeling the baby inside you. I also wasn’t expecting all the body changes: the heartburn, being short of breath, and the itchy stomach! Also, my sleep is not the best right now—I no longer sleep for eight hours. But, ultimately, I love my job and I love that I’m having a child, so it’s all worth it!

How do you plan to spend your first Mother’s Day as a new mom?

I could go for breakfast in bed or sleeping in! Steve and I still have our moms, thank goodness, so we want to honor both of them. I’m excited because now I’m included in this group of amazing moms and grandmoms in our families. My mom will host our family in Maryland, and my sisters and both of my grandmothers will be there. Being with all of them will make this a really touching Mother’s Day. Just to think that my sisters—I’m the middle of three—are the girls I used to wrestle and argue with, and now we’re all moms ourselves.