"I’ve been in this apartment for almost 8 years. My husband found the apartment about a year before we started dating. I remember coming here for a party right after he got it, back when he and I were just friends, and the walls were completely bare, no paint or art, just white. It definitely needed a little love. Soon after we started dating and I unofficially moved in, it wasn’t too long before I started putting my touch on the place."

Chelsa wears a Wilfred skirt and top.

“Contemporary and minimal. I hate lots of decorative stuff, trinkets, or clutter.”

“Less is more. Seriously, I really hate clutter.”

"Right before we got married we decided to buy one piece of art that we both love each year for our anniversary. The first year after we got married, we ended up purchasing 2 pieces (one painting and one hand-etched print) from Kelly Remsteen. They are by far my favorite pieces."

“The baby room is sweet. What used to be our tiny extra bedroom is now a perfect-sized baby room. It’s small with one wall made entirely of windows with wooden blinds. We’ll probably open one of the blinds slightly so we can peer in without waking the baby.”

"I really love our Oeuf crib, though I must admit I’m still confused by the airy, spongy mattress (i.e. Do I use a mattress pad or not?!). Anyway, it’s really beautiful and well made, plus the style of it fits right in. There are a few moments during pregnancy that makes it feel 'real' and watching my husband put together the crib was one of those moments. I also really like some of the random gifts that I received from friends, like the penguin mobile, Zestt baby blanket, and wooden dinosaur wall clock."

“Ha, this is going to sound silly, but it’s kind of a huge concern of mine, because I really can’t stress enough how much I hate clutter. And kid stuff is often so brightly colored, and of course clunky and clutter-y. I have this idea in my head that I will be the first mother who can contain this kid-explosion, but alas, I’m sure when it comes down to it I’ll likely throw up my arms in surrender. I will definitely fight the good fight for as long as I can, though!”

"A girlfriend of mine once said the coolest thing about being a mom is experiencing everything for the first time again through your child’s eyes. I think that is a great way to think about it and sums it up. I’m excited to go through this adventure with my best friend in life, as well, my husband. He and I make such a great team that I know it will be so awesome to translate that to raising our child together."

“All the unknowns. Will I know when my baby is hungry, full, sleepy, need something from me? Will I be a good mom, will breastfeeding come natural or not? Will I have a hard time juggling my workload and being a new mom?”

“We decided being surprised was the way to go, which is what excites us the most! I can’t wait to meet this little person that has flipped, poked, kicked, stretched, tickled, and hiccuped inside my body for so long.”

“We have a few names picked out for both a boy and a girl and a couple backups. We want to meet the little one before settling 100% on the name.”

Chelsa wears a Wilfred jumpsuit.

“After going through the pregnancy aspect of becoming a mother, it’s hard not to respect all moms. Mothers who work, stay home, have one or multiples, bare their own or adopt, single or married…I know it’s natural and all, but watching my body go through these changes for another little life is amazing and makes me understand the strength of mothers in a way I never could fathom before. A woman I know once told me that after she became a mother she became more of a feminist than she ever was for some reason. I totally understood exactly what she meant by that statement.”

“I’ve had a really great pregnancy (knock on wood, since it’s not over!), but I really do feel lucky. I haven’t dealt with any nausea or morning sickness and had very few aches and pains. And up until a few weeks ago have even been able to keep up on the thing I love to do most in my spare time—exercise! We always had an age in mind as our secret goal to have kids by and to stop thinking ‘It’s a bad time’ and just do it. I took myself off birth control after we thought we would start trying and got pregnant 2 or 3 weeks later, so that was a bit of a shock. I guess we’ve both had just enough friends who had complications that we assumed we would also face challenges. Obviously, we realize how blessed we are and couldn’t feel luckier or happier. Also to note, we are making it just under our secret goal ages to have a baby by, for some stupid reason that feels like a success in itself.”

“Yeah. It’s really the last thing you can plan for before this little thing totally blows up your life and even this plan will likely not go as scheduled. I plan on laboring at home for the most part before heading to the hospital since being relaxed, calm, and comfortable is my main priority. I’m 100% for drugs during birth. I mean, if the technology is there I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use it. Plus, it’s a human coming out of you, so do what you gotta do! That said, I plan to go as far as I can before the epidural. The epidural (needle + spine = yikes!) itself kind of scares me and knowing I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, I think I’ll be fine…until I’m not. I will play this one by ear. Bottom line, I’m sure my birth plan is very similar to most—whatever it takes to get a healthy mom and baby at the end is really all I could ask for.”

“That you are actually pregnant for 10 months! I’m just a couple days short of my 10th month. Seriously, where’d all this 9 month crap come from? As annoying as it is, I totally understand why people use weeks as their time measurement, as well.”

"I’ve been going to Soho Sanctuary, which is, just like the name promises, in Soho and a total sanctuary. I’ve received two prenatal massages there and even though I’m due this week, I'm planning on trying to squeeze one more in. I loved both my massages so far, but honestly just being able to lay on my belly during these sessions is a real slice of heaven. I would recommend going anywhere you can find that has the proper prenatal gear (i.e. holes in the table or pillows with holes for all 3 lady bumps up front). Trust. I hear pools are amazing when you’re pregnant, but sadly NYC is severely lacking public pools or spas with pools (that aren’t hot tubs, gross, or filled with drunk 20-somethings). I have been trying to get into Aire Ancient Baths in Tribeca, but I never know my schedule from day to day, so it’s been hard to plan since they book up quickly. If you’re a better planner than I, I would suggest trying that place out."

“Good question. Yes, I can see us having more, but ask me again after this one.”

“I would say feminine tomboy. Is that a thing? Comfort is key, but that doesn’t mean I am a sweatpants-and-sweatshirt kind of girl. A good knit dress or rolled-up jeans and a simple top is all I need. Oh, and a good pair of kicks, of course. That said, I think I clean up nicely and can fit into any black-tie event without a problem.”

“My style hasn’t changed too much. It was all about making small tweaks, like wearing thinner sweaters since the heavy ones weren’t as flattering, or wearing more knit dresses instead of woven, since they are more flattering to my new body-type. Keeping my style the same was a way for me to still feel like myself during this process. Even though I’ve always loved a good flat shoe, I will admit, it’s definitely been my excuse to wear more flats and sneakers than I normally would.”

"My go-to items since I got pregnant have been a jean vest from Madewell and a waistcoat from Zara. The layering gives me a little more style and great for when I’m wearing dresses, since they provide pockets! Plus, the extra cover-up (read: butt and waist areas!) doesn’t hurt. I’ve been relying on Storq for my basics and plan to wear these post-pregnancy, as well. I always have my Bartaile bag, since I carry my laptop everywhere. I love a good stylish backpack, however. I’ve now been stashing all kinds of snacks in my bag for those moments that I need a quick bite, which happens often and comes out of nowhere. And of course, you can’t find me anywhere without my Stowaway basics. I always have a concealer and a scarlet and champagne lipstick on hand."

"Storq has been my go-to for basics. The stretch and quality of the materials have been perfect for my changing body, but have kept me feeling stylish yet comfortable. Besides a few maternity jeans, which I couldn’t not have since I grew out of my regular jeans pretty quickly, I haven’t purchased anything that is truly 'maternity' and that I wouldn’t wear after the baby."

“Online mostly. Since my work schedule is sporadic and often hectic, thinking about heading to a store after work seems like the worst idea ever. I would rather have it come to me where I can try it on in my own home and return it if it doesn’t work out.”

“Luckily, with the beauty company I co-founded, I simplified my beauty routine to the extreme! Stowaway’s portable (or what we like to call ‘right-sized’!) essentials are all I use and they go with me for the days I don’t have time in the morning or need a quick touch-up during the day/after the gym.”

“There really hasn’t been a routine, other than just trying to fit it in between my work schedule and the exhaustion of pregnancy. It’s nice that I’ve felt good during my pregnancy and have been able to keep up on my exercise, though once that baby dropped a couple weeks ago the only exercise I’ve been doing is bouncing on my medicine ball while watching TV.”

Chelsa wears a Storq tank dress.

“Stowaway is right-sized makeup. It’s makeup essentials you love in sizes you can carry and actually finish. Half the size of standard cosmetics, Stowaway products are designed to be finished before they expire. The smaller sizes are not only convenient, but allow us to create premium, safe products without the questionable chemicals and preservatives (which are known endocrine disrupters!) for shelf life. We are proud to be EU compliant, paraben-, phthalate-, and cruelty-free.”

“I grew up partly in Florida, but mainly in Indiana. I’m a very small-town girl. I went to Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne, which is one of Indiana University’s off-campuses, and studied Marketing. I worked to put myself through college, first at Victoria’s Secret Beauty for over a year when they first broke off from lingerie and launched makeup and skin care products. Then I moved to Clinique, where I first worked as a makeup artist behind the counter. After college, I moved in-house at Clinique and focused on product education. I was with that company for 5+ years—they were a lovely to work for.”

“Nope. I’ve always been a hard-worker and probably always will be. I figure, as long as I continue to only do the stuff I love, it won’t ever feel like work. That’s the dream, at least.”

“Sure, I think so. A bunch of our friends already have children, so it’s been nice to take tips/pointers from them. My parents live pretty far away, but my in-laws aren’t too far and I’m sure if we needed them they could be here to help out. Honestly, this is one of those things we will have to feel out ourselves once the baby arrives.”

“This has been challenging, since the company is small and the team is smaller, I can’t really take the time off that I aspire to. It’s never a good time, right? I’ve heard from so many people how it’s great that I own my own business, because then I can make up my own maternity policy or do things on my own timeframe, but to the contrary. I’m worried about my time away and am cognizant about how it could affect our very small team. When the baby arrives, I plan to continue checking my email and work from home when I can (I guess I have do something during those 3 a.m. feedings!). I think this is one of those unknowns and I’ll navigate those waters once the baby arrives.”

“I love more than anything hearing from women that we’ve made their lives easier. Since that is no small feat, knowing that women juggle so much in their lives—from work to friends to family and even motherhood and homelife. Makeup is just one touch-point in our daily routines that often feels so convoluted yet we love (for the most part) doing it. Our north star as a brand is to make women’s lives simpler by providing fool-proof, amazing, safe makeup essentials with great quality and colors in sizes that make more sense for modern women. So, as cheesy as it sounds, anytime I hear from someone that I’ve accomplished making her morning, gym, or travel routine easier, it makes me incredibly happy.”

“A Stowaway sister brand? Hmm…maybe.”

Chelsa wears Zara maternity jeans, a Madewell vest, Brash Cat necklace, Withings Activite watch, Bartaile bag, and Loeffler Randall shoes.

“I don’t know, to be honest. I grew up in the country, so I do think it will be exciting to see the flip side of that, but actually, my husband and I have a house in upstate NY that we spend any free time we have (most weekends and aspire to be there more someday) and I’m more excited about raising our kids up there, especially since it’s still close enough to the city that it will be the best of both worlds.”

“I don’t think I have any particular places that I love, I kind of just love walking around the city without an agenda. Since most days, I do have an agenda, on those rare moments I don’t, wandering just to wander is my favorite. I’m sure it will be 100 times more great with a tiny baby in tow!”

For more on Chelsa and her new baby, check out her Instagram feed.