BCM - How did your life change when you became a mom?

Amy - A journalist and trend reporter, I have always been a stimulation junkie willing to travel wherever the fashion flock gathered.  Having kids really changed my ability to globe trot and seriously curtailed my favorite vices: champagne consumption and show shopping.  In fact, I had to funnel my penchant for super-accessorizing into swaddling. Quite the challenge!

BCM - What has been your most memorable moment (s) as a mom?

Amy - I love when my kids make me breakfast in bed for mothers’ day and my birthday accompanied by a hand drawn coupon for an activity. My favorite ritual.

BCM - What has been the biggest challenge for you in motherhood?

Amy - Having to prioritize the demands of others over my own. DREAM:  How great would it be to work out after work and meet my husband at the eatery du jour for dinner! REALITY: It’s 5pm. I have to run to the market to buy food, cook, do bath, read to kids and be in my pjs my 7:30pm

BCM - If you could give another mom or expectant mom one piece of advice, what would it be?

Amy - You cannot have it all. Being a mom (especially a working mom) is a ridiculous balancing act and you have to take the bitter with the better. Kids alter life in such a major way that loss and resentment (as in, bye- bye spontaneity) are so common amongst new moms.I wish that someone had told me that it was ok to get down. It was ok to ask (scream!) for help. And, that exhaustion can  make you feel insane. Once you get into the new rhythm of life as a mom, you will get your groove back

BCM – Congratulations on the success of your latest book Bump it Up!   Can you share 5 tips for expectant moms?

Amy - My book is all about how to have maximum style with minimal maternity. Creating a great outfit, pregnancy or not, is like painting a picture. You start with a basic, your canvas, and build it up with images, color and texture. Once you have captured the desired “look,” you go back and introduce the requisite accents to make a complete statement. By simply rotating basic silhouettes with groovy accessories, you can create dozens of killer looks, without investing in tons of clothing with a shelf life.   

1. Scarves are the ultimate layering piece. During the first trimester, these genius accessories camouflage a bulging belly as they flow elegantly over the midsection. For trimesters 2 and 3, drapey scarves deliver verticality to the somewhat stumpy pregnant silhouette.
2. A distant cousin of ready-to-wear, swimwear is home to explosively colored, Versace-esque apparel. Less flashy and far less expensive than ready to wear, these - name bathing suit “cover ups” can do double duty as pregnancy apparel.
3. Sneakers and sweat pants are the ultimate dowdifiers ! Never wear them unless headed to the gym
4. Your love affair with the empire waist. This genius silhouette gathers under the breast and falls loosely to the hip, knee or floor covering bulging bellies and butts with cascading fabric. The empire waist also put the the arms and shoulders, places where pregnancy weight does not manifest itself.
5. Get out of the preggo dumps-literally-with a heel. You don’t need five inch Carrie Bradshaw stilettos. But, with the watermelon in your belly, height will balance out the bulge, elongate your body and add that soupcon of glamour that transforms dumpy to diva.
   

·      BLING IT ON Baubles are the easiest way to make a basic outfit pop. Eclectic accents-think a bunch of Indian bangles, a chain belt, cool Tibetan pendants, adds a provocative element to your look

·      PROPORTION, PROPORTION, PROPORTION! Nothing frumpifies more than oversized clothing and lack of proportion.. Some guidelines? If it’s big on top, it should be narrow on bottom. If it is narrow on top, you can add some volume with a skirt or wide legged pant. Skirts and dresses should be above the knee or sweeping the ground to elongate the body. Legs are slimmed and lengthened with black tights and a boot or heels. Big blouses are countered with fitted skirts or tapered trousers.

BCM - How do you manage your career while being a mother and a wife? Any advice for moms?

Amy - It is really hard. I have become unbelievably organized. I cook for 4 hours every Sunday to get meals set for the week.I set up the kids’ play dates weeks in advance. I keep lists of the friends that I want to see and make plans (even months in advance) so we don’t lose touch. I schedule time alone with my husband and book trips for the two of us every few months. We also make games and rituals out of things that might otherwise be a bore like cleaning the house, unpacking groceries, etc. Above all, we laugh at each other.

BCM - What types of activities do you like to do w/ your kids?

Amy - We axed out all tv a few months ago so have much more time to be creative. We go to hear jazz, we go to shows, we bike, we cook together we do arts and crafts. They love to get their nails done as a special treat with me.

BCM- What has been your favorite Big City Moms event to date? 

Amy - I love the expectant mom events. They are wonderful to help new moms navigate the unchartered territory of motherhood, make friends and discover key resources.