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Friday, April 08, 2011

Milan Maternity review & giveaway

I can't STAND the sayings splashed all over maternity clothing nowadays. Add some rhinestones to make them even tackier. Ugh. Here are just a few maternity shirts that earn a thumbs-down:

Please don't wear this to your holiday party
More is more: slogan AND ugly screen printing AND horizontal stripes
Lovely
I guess this one would help fend off questions...
This shirt makes me want to ask how ripe her cervix is...

***End of the Maternity Shirt Hall of Shame***

I saw a woman wearing a Milan Maternity shirt several months ago. I loved the fit and style, so I contacted the company to see if they would let me review one of their shirts or dresses. I chose the Annalisa in Mocha, size M. Isn't it lovely? (And Inga too?)


I really like Milan Maternity's line for several reasons. First, the styles are classic; the tops and dresses are all solid colors. No patterns that will go out of date, no obnoxious slogans. Just well-designed basic pieces.

I also love the versatility. The tops and dresses are stylish and flattering even when you're not pregnant or nursing. The fabric is super stretchy. It will hug your pre-pregnancy body, expand to fit your growing belly, and then shrink back as you transition to motherhood.

The Annalisa is both a maternity & a nursing top. To nurse, you first pull aside the V-neck. There's a second layer--still giving you full coverage--that reaches underneath the bust line. You lift up the second layer to nurse once you've opened up your bra. It's much simpler than some of the other nursing tops I have tried, with their mysterious hidden layers and flaps.

If you'd like a chance to win a top of your choice, visit Milan Maternity and tell me about your favorite top or dress. For a second entry, link to this giveaway on FB, Twitter, your blog, etc. (new comment, please).

Giveaway ends Friday, April 15th. Open to US & Canada residents.

141 comments:

  1. I love the Carissa in Grape - super cute

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  2. I love the Lucia top. So simple, comfortable and cute-looking.

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  3. I linked this post to my FB as well.

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  4. Julianna in cerulean blue is my favorite. I'm not pregnant yet, but I want to stock up now!

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  5. I like the Lucia nursing top-- looks very flattering.

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  6. Love the Emilia top - just found out yesterday I'm expecting, so this would be fun to win :o)

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  7. Annalisa in dark heather!

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  8. My favorite is the Annalisa in dark heather. I love grays.

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  9. I can't decide between the feliciana and the daniella. They're both pretty fabulous, and your are right fabulous maternity clothes are hard to find. Trust me, I just popped, and I've been looking!

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  10. I shared on facebook too :)

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  11. I'm in love with the Lucia (M). Looks stylish and comfy! Thanks!

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  12. Oo. How nice. Nursing clothes that aren't saggy and baggy! I really like the Juilianna in Dark Cerulean.

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  13. Wow, cute stuff! Thanks for the head's up. I really like the one you picked, or the basic Bella. I could see getting a lot of mileage out of that one. Inga's adorable.

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  14. I like the Julianna dress (Dark Cerulean) — I'm three months pregnant now, with my fourth and a likely wedding to attend this summer. I could see wearing this to both the wedding and then Thanksgiving, after the little one is born. It's lovely, and it can be so hard to find a good nursing dress!

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  15. What? You don't like the lil' belly dancer shirt? Classy, is all I have to say :)

    Looks like a great collection--I like the Juiliana nursing dress (and the pictures of you and Inga, so sweet!)

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  16. Thanks for letting us know about this site... I don't understand why sayings need to plastered all over maternity clothes (and baby clothes, for that matter). I like the Mia and the Bella tops a lot!

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  17. I love the Carissa top! I like the length on the sleeves, and the design looks much more flexible than so many maternity tops with pre-determined boob locations! ;) Thanks! :)

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  18. I love the Carissa in aqua. Our baby was due on Tuesday, so hopefully very soon I'll be in need of nursing tops!

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  19. Julie Talbot4/8/11, 1:48 PM

    I like the Annalisa in dark heather!

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  20. Julie Talbot4/8/11, 1:49 PM

    I like the Annalisa in dark heather!

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  21. I also like the Annalisa top but I think I would get it in the Dark Heather color. I'd love to win, good nursing tops are hard to come by.

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  22. I <3 the Juliana Nursing dress! Totally lovely and versatile :D I always need good nursing dresses.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  23. I linked this giveaway to my FB page

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  24. I LOVE the Annalisa in dark heather but I also really love the Emilia in slate! Oh my! Their clothing is beautiful and affordable! If I don't win I may just end up buying myself something!

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  25. Those are beautiful maternity clothes! The one you picked out is gorgeous!

    My favorite is the Julianna dress!

    Thanks for the link. This is a great store.

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  26. Linked on Facebook as well! (Thanks for doing this review, seriously, I am so glad I know about this Maternity/Nursing shop now!)

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  27. The Julianna is my favourite - so classy. I only have one dress currently that I can nurse in and I miss wearing dresses so much!

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  28. The Julianna nursing dress is gorgeous... I hadn't even considered how difficult it must be to nurse in a dress. Hmmm....

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  29. I also posted a link on FB to this giveaway.

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  30. Carissa in Aqua rocks!!
    Wonder if I can double up with the twinners with it?

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  31. i'm with you - i like the annalisa in mocha or dark heather the best. so versatile!

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  32. I love th Lucia shirt in raspberry. It was so hard to find shorts to nurse easily, and I love the color!

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  33. i really like the Gabriella and the Mia.
    joellemarie72(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  34. I like the Annalisa in mocha best. Although the dresses are lovely I'll get more mileage out of a shirt. I love rayon. I'm due in September and nursing my 3yr old. Hope I win!
    -Maggie

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  35. I love the Isabella in black! Maternity clothes are such a joke! I have a whopping 2 shirts that make me feel good about my pregnant body, these ones look awesome and if I wasn't in my last month I'd be ordering some right now.

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  36. Such lovely pieces! I can't decide whether I like the Feliciana or the Julianna best. I'm a big fan of wrap dresses.

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  37. Juliana Dress

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  38. Love the Annalisa in mocha, especially the way the openings are shaped. Thanks for sharing the website with us!

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  39. ohh! I love the Annalisa in Dark Heather. =]

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  40. I love the Carissa in Grape!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

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  41. I love the Julianna in Dark Cerulean! I always have trouble finding dresses that are easy to nurse in.

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  42. I like the Annalisa in Dark Heather. I love that it can be used before, during, and after pregnancy. So great!

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  43. Elisa in olive - what great stuff they have! Hope to need the maternity clothes soon!

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  44. Love the Julianna dress!

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  45. I really like the Julianna nursing dress.

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  46. love the julianna dress!

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  47. linked on fb too: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=734623855919&id=17819182&aid=2324985#!/katrina.anderson/posts/122193721192492

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  48. Julianna is my favorite for sure, love both color and style of it!

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  49. Love the Feliciana! The prices are great!

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  50. Love Elisa in Gray. Hope I can fill it out as well as the picture.

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  51. Oh my goodness - the Juliana is cerulean blue is SO gorgeous! I love that you can wear it during pregnancy and nursing (and beyond!).

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  52. I'm going to be a copy-cat because I love the mocha Annalisa!

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  53. I feel you, I hate pregnancy graphic tees. Most are so tacky. I love the Julianna dress in the gorgeous Cerulean color. In fact, I may just buy it right now anyways. I've been looking for cute dresses I can nurse in.

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  54. I love the Gabriella shirt in Vintage Blue. I NEED transitional clothes right now, I just had a baby and I am in the strange phase where nothing really fits nicely!

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  55. I would choose Carissa in aqua in size med. :O)

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  56. Love the Elisa top. SO pretty and versatile for dressing down or up!

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  57. I love the feliciana dress. it is so nice to have a nursing dress.

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  58. I love the Lucia top since it looks like it would hide belly flab well when not pregnant, stretch well to fit a pregnant belly, and then be a nursing top after baby arrives.

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  59. I like both Annalisa in dark heather and Lucia in raspberry. Carissa would also be awesome if it had a bit different color options.

    I'll probably wait till the end of your giveaway and if I'm not the lucky one, go get one of those two by myself.

    Thanks a lot

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  60. Love the Bella. Simple and beautiful.

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  61. I love the Mia top...the crisscrossing at the top looks like it can help to camoflage a large chest.

    danielleaknapp at gmail dot com

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  62. I really like the Julianna Dress in Dark Cerulean. I work in a office that requires dressing up a bit, and finding clothing that looks good and you can still pump and nurse in can be challenging. This dress would work in all seasons and all 4 trimesters of pregnancy. The color is gorgeous too! Thanks for recommending the website!

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  63. I tweeted about your giveaway! My name is @samsstories on Twitter.

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  64. I love the Lucia nursing top in raspberry.

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  65. I also linked to your giveaway from my blog :)

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  66. I just love the Julianna in the dark cerulean!

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  67. Linked to my Facebook page, too! Thanks so much for the opportunity!

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  68. love the Carissa in aqua....looks to be so versatile and comfortable!

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  69. I love the Julianna dress!

    janiebt at gmail dot com

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  70. Such beautiful maternity clothes! I like the Annalisa in dark heather.

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  71. I posted it on my FB page, too: http://www.facebook.com/Anktangle/posts/138264686246184

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  72. I tweeted about the giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/anktangle/status/56562280044822528

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  73. My favourite nursing top is hands down...plain v-neck t-shirt with a sports bra underneath.

    And for an extra laugh, no, cringe: I saw a tank top in a maternity store once that said "Pregnant is the new skinny." I should have complained to the management, actually.

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  74. I like the Emilia and the annalisa. Cute and affordable !

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  75. I would choose the Juliana dress. Just because I have my brother's wedding in three months and haven't found any good dresses to wear for a July wedding that would be easy to nurse in. In fact, if I don't win it here, I'll still get it!

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  76. The Lucia and in lemon. Bright, fun, the rouching is very cute and the fact that it has a nursing insert makes it even more fantastic!

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  77. Wherever you got the belly dancer picture from, I think somebody edited it to add the saying on a picture of a woman in a plain shirt. The words just don't curve and such as you would expect if they were part of the shirt. Just to picture perfect straight lines, even size, etc.

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  78. I'm slowly learning the lesson that I'd rather have fewer good quality pieces than a bunch of cheap ones. It makes such a difference to feel good in what I'm wearing! My current fav is a purple sweater I bought at Anthropologie. It's so distinctive and stylish - makes me feel like a hip mama. :-)

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  79. I am about to start my last month, and I'm almost completely resigned to my hubby's t-shirts and basketball shorts. But on our budget, I just can't bring myself to plunk down the cash to buy (unflattering) clothes that I'll wear for no more than a month and a half now.

    I really like the Elisa, especially in olive or sepia, but I'd probably choose the one you are pictured in as it's cute and versatile, too. Oooh, or the Julianna or Feliciana for the same reasons (and because I have a wedding to go to in July).

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  80. Putting my ticket in for Julianna - Dark Cerulean in Medium. Thanks!

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  81. Linked to facebook, too!

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  82. Oooh the Isabella with its cute side bow is simply adorable.

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  83. As for tops, I love the Lucia (in EITHER color!) I'm super in love with the Julianna dress, though (I have a wedding to go to with my baby at 3 months postpartum - that dress would be PERFECT!)

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  84. I tweeted about the giveaway as well! (I'm Kenner82 on Twitter)

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  85. I'd love the Mia, but the stock doesn't seem to have my sizze right now.

    Carissa is really nice too.

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  86. I like the Annalisa in Mocha, XL. I will be linking to this in FB today. ;)

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  87. I love the Feliciana dress in black. Classic styles that are great for nursing and pregnancy is so hard! Glad you reviewed this company!

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  88. Also posted to my facebook. And commented on how awesome this blog is. :)

    http://www.facebook.com/stand.deliver#!/profile.php?id=183405260

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  89. I love the idea of transitional tops! I'm pregnant with my 4th right now, would love to win! I like the Gabriella in blue.

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  90. The Lucia in aqua is my favorite. I'm a week away (hopefully) from my third baby and wish I'd had these shirts with the other two!

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  91. I would pick Lucia. Love that bright pink!

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  92. I like the Bella in charcoal. It's surprisingly hard to find simple, well-made maternity tops like this one (at least for a reasonable price).

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  93. Love the Lucia top in raspberry. Gorgeous!

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  94. Very cute! Love the Lucia and Carissa!

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  95. Linked on fb. Anything to stop the horrid maternity shirts!

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  96. I like the Annalisa, too, but in Dark Heather.

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  97. the emilia is adorable!
    ykatrina at hotmail dot com

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  98. I like the Lucia top in raspberry but I also like the Annalise in Dark Heather. I can't decide :)

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  99. I love the Emilia in slate... about perfect for being pregnant in July and August, I think!

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  100. Wow I really love the Juliana dress. It is hard to find affordable nursing dresses that I would actually wear! Thanks for leading me to this site. Mama's going shopping...

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  101. I like the Emilia in Slate. It's a very flattering fit for before and after baby. It would be adorable this summer.
    kirbycolby at gmail dot com

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  102. I'm completely crushing on the Feliciana dress. I've hit a point in the pregnancy where I just want to wear a pretty dress again and look sexy.

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  103. I like the Annalisa in Dark Heather. Just had my baby boy and I have no nursing tops. Just a few tank tops that don't fit very well.

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  104. I'm loving the Feliciana dress - I may actually buy this for a wedding this fall.

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  105. Love the Annalisa top, and also the Julianna dress! :)

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  106. So love the Feliciana dress... Nursing-friendly dresses are hard to come by. :)

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  107. I like the Lucia.... Short sleeved for the summer. Just 2 wks away from meeting my girl...

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  108. So hard to decide! So many of them are so cute! I'm going to say the Julianna dress is the one I would most want!

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  109. And I posted this on facebook!

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  110. At my first baby shower someone gave me a shirt with a port hole on it that said "Womb with a View" It promptly went back to the store!
    I like the top you were wearing the Annalisa and the mocha color too!

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  111. I like the Bella tops and so many others. Hard to choose one.

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  112. It is so hard to find nursing clothes that I usually resort to tank tops under everything, and I never wear a dress to church b/c I have to pair a shirt and skirt so I don't have to hide in the "mother's room." I like the Lucia in bright lemon and the feliciana dress! Thanks for a new place to shop.

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  113. Hey Rixa, those are cute shirts! I just wanted to tell you that you look FABULOUS! Inga is so cute. I can't wait to see you guys in a month!

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  114. The Julianna dress is so pretty!

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  115. I love the Adriana in blue!

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  116. Love the annalisa mocha and the Elisa olive. I really like their shirts.

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  117. My choice would be the Carissa in Aqua.

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  118. blogged about it, too: http://gollihughfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/giveaway-for-nursing-and-preggie-ladies.html

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  119. How do you pick just one?? I LOVE the Julianna, and I think the Annalisa comes in at a close second (perhaps tied for first).

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  120. I just linked to the giveaway on my fb page!

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  121. I would choose the dress Julianna in Dark Cerulean. I have blue eyes, so this color will make them pop! Since I just had my son on 4/8, this dress is perfect for what is left of my pregnant tummy and would look great even after I get back into shape. I would wear this dress pregant or not.

    I liked and linked your blog page to my facebook page.

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  122. Saw the link from my friend and new mama, poster JennWatt!

    I like the Alisa top. Dresses look wacky on me, sadly, or I'd be all over some of that skirted cuteness.

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  123. I love the Gabriella in Vintage blue. Gorgeous!

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  124. Also mentioned on FB! :)

    Also Evelyn and Valerie are my friends!!! :) And I'm pretty sure they found you through me. How COOL!!!

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  125. I like the Mia shirt

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  126. I like the Adriana. The neckline is awesome

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  127. I could really use a cute nursing top for baby #4! I really like the Annalisa in dark heather and the Carissa. Thanks for the chance!

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  128. The Carissa in raspberry is my favorite! Love these clothes...thanks for reviewing and sharing about the company. Always great to find classy and functional maternity/nursing clothing.

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  129. The Carissa in raspberry is my favorite! Love these clothes...thanks for reviewing and sharing about the company. Always great to find classy and functional maternity/nursing clothing. :)

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  130. Not original, but I absolutely love the Annalisa in mocha! I am 16 weeks pregnant and just starting to need maternity clothes. It's hard to find something that's both cute and affordable, without being trashy and flashy.

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  131. I love the raspberry colored Lucia top. Looks sooo comfortable and would make nursing in public a breeze!

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  132. You have great taste, Rixa. The Annalisa is my favorite, too. :)

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  133. Hmmm, I like the Annalisa best, too! Although the wrap dress is great as well.

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