Category Archives: Favorite

Woodland Pixie | Maya’s Halloween outfit 2019

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So, I didn’t get in these this year…
I’ve made mild attempts in the past years, but October is my crazy busiest month for work, and this year has been even busier.  I’ve had no time for…well, just about anything.  BUT…I’m determined to still do all the normal stuff for Maya, and attempt to capture it!!
We literally had 5 minutes before Houston was going to take Maya up to his parents house to visit for a few minutes before we ate dinner and then trick or treated. I still can’t believe this was just a branch we grabbed that had fallen down in a storm! I just wound it around and tied a bow in it. Literally…less than a minute, done. ALSO…can’t believe it was slightly warm enough to get a pic without her coat!
This LIGHT!!!
This dress is actually an adult size ballet costume that I thrifted probably 3-4 year ago! Maya hadn’t been that keen on it, but she loved the idea of it for this costume-yay for hoarding haha!! I had to knot it up in the back to make it fit. This last one is so good.  Honestly, I LOVE it, but it’s also indicative of her feelings…
“Are we done yet…?”
On Maya…
Crown- DIY (Literally wrapped a branch we found on a walk around a few times!)
Jacket- Marks & Spencer (thrifted, similar here)
Dress- Adult ballet costume, cinched to fit (thrifted)
Boots- Joy Folie (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
There was lots of “throwing the basket around” attempts…
None of them succeeded…
But, I admire the thought!!

dit-elle-Lauren

3 Generations…Girls Night Out! | Aqua by El Gaucho

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My dad decided a while back that he wanted to do a boys night out with Houston, the boys, and Houston’s dad.

Great idea!!

Oh, but, WAIT!!

Then, my mom suggested that us girls should go out too!  Sadly, my mother in law couldn’t join us, but my mom, Maya and I went out!

Such a special evening. Of course…we’re girls and we used it as an excuse to get dressed up! As we should.

The food was AMAZING! I cannot believe I’ve never been to AQUA by El Gaucho . The food was delicious, views were gorgeous, service was exceptional, and the company…beyond words.

Thanks Mom! ❤️

A few pics we snapped before we hopped into our Uber!

Uber car selfie for the win!

And, Maya took the image of me with my mom!
I mean…

Coloring!

YUMMY FOOD!!
And bathroom selfies! 🙂
I ran outside before the boys left to see if they’d at least let me take a picture with my phone, but…

This was all I got.

THANKFULLY they had their picture taken at the meal!
On me…

Leather Jacket- Vintage (thrifted)
Dress- L’Agence “Sophie  Print Maxi Dress” (eBay $35, retailed $600!!)
Belt- Vintage (thrifted)
Booties- Paul Green “Kimberlie” (eBay $24!!, retailed for $400+)
On Maya…
Jacket- Xhiliration (thrifted, similar here)
Dress- (thrifted, similar here)
Leggings- Crewcuts (thrifted)
Sandals-
Keeping it Real…
Um…where are we supposed to stand??  AND…Maya’s face!
Again…I just want a hug!! haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Gray Long Cardigans + Striped Knotted Tee + Wide leg Raw Hem Culotts + Birkenstocks | Transitional Dressing

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Spring casual… .OMG, edited to add…Fall casual??

The beauty of Seattle is that fall trends and spring trends sometimes can look the same!  The trees are a lot greener here in these images than now in fall, but…whatever.

Can we just pretend?

I’m tired of only having special occasions on here!  SOOO…this was back in spring when we took pics for fun.

Variations of this look on repeat!
🤷🏼‍♀️
Jeans + Fun tee + Cardigan for when the weather inevitably changes 87 times during the day.
👌🏻
This past Saturday, we went to the gym, went swimming, hit a local thrift store, and the Huz grilled dinner. 🙌🏻

All in all, my perfect Saturday 🙂 . AND…the same, spring, summer, fall, and winter!
❤️

Maya actually hopped behind the camera while it was on the tripod and snapped these first ones!

Aiming to post ALL THE POSTS while I have a break in my work schedule!
I had to lure her from behind the camera!!
THIS is why I do this blog!!!

To show her these images…

When all she wants to remember is me yelling at her, I need proof of the fact that most of the time, we had fun and loved on each other.
One of the MANY things I love, is that she still always reaches for my hand.  I’m sure the years are limited for that happening, but I will treasure it for as long as I can!!
She also still happily sits on my lap 🙂
Pretty much and every day occurence.  NOT on my lap on the sidewalk!!  But us laughing together, and it’s my favorite part of my day.

On me…

Sweater- Splendid (eBay, similar here)
Jeans- NSF “Culotte” in Jopelin (eBay for $14)
Sandals- Birkenstock “Gizeh” (thrifted, like new for $25!!)
On Maya…
Sweater- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)
Jumpsuit- Tucker & Tate (thrifted, but similar here)
Shoes- Birkenstock “Rio” (eBay)
Keeping it Real…
The only bad thing about Maya behind the camera, is that she KEEPS ON SHOOTING even after I’ve said “Ok!!  56 clicks is ENOUGH!!”  haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Le Diner En Blanc | Seattle 2019

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Le Dîner en Blanc was actually on July 25th, 2019, but…(broken record time) . I haven’t had time to blog them until now.

I had 3 shoots get rained out this weekend (ugh!!), but I actually have a little time to spare while I upload a bunch of other client galleries.

I didn’t have time to take pics before the event, and honestly still was undecided on what I was going to wear until about 20 minutes before we left (as per usual!)!

SO…a few mornings later, I put my dress back on, and Maya and I ran outside for a few quick pictures!

Can I tell you how excited I was when I realized this dress had POCKETS?  Honestly, that’s what tipped it into the winner category!
This is the quickest, easiest hair do to do in a pinch.  With the elaborate neckline of this dress, I didn’t really want to wear my hair down.  However, I decided on this dress so last minute that I had to do a quick hair adjustment!  I threw one of the flowers from the bouquet we brought, and called it good!
Seriously, one of my new favorite images I’ve taken of us!!!

That sun flare!!  The joy….LOVE!!!
Dying… I LOVE the way it looks like she’s playing with the light in these next ones!
And then looking up at it???  All coincidence haha, but I love it!
I didn’t bring my real camera with me to the event, so the pics I took aren’t the greatest with my phone.

The official pics can be seen here, as well as information about the event.

The official promo video is super cool though, AND we are in there twice!  At minute 1:23 and then again right after dancing in the GIF photo booth (still pick of that at the end of this post)

I ended up going with my friend, because Houston gave it the big thumbs down after hearing all the details haha.

I will admit, that I am SO GLAD I went with a girlfriend.  There is a LOT of prep and planning that goes into it.  You have to bring your own table, chairs, and decorations.  It ALL has to be white!  We also chose to bring our own food, because the meal options didn’t look as appealing.  Honestly, I’m still undecided if we will go that route next year or not…

After all that though, I can honestly say it was so worth it, and SO much fun!!
Here’s our little table spread and food.  Yes, that’s for two of us hahaha.

We shared. 😉
They had a photo booth that did GIFS!  SO FUN!

On me…

Dress- La Vie Rebecca Taylor “Eyelet Shift Dress” (eBay NWT $17, retailed $295!!!)
Shoes- Nine West (traded with a friend! Similar here)
On Maya…
Dress- Cat & Jack (target old)
Keeping it Real…
Well, the real keeping it real is that the first images are from a few days later right before sunrise.  I just twisted my hair again really quick, and didn’t even bother with make up-ha!
And then…I messed up the focusing on the first batch of pictures!!  I can’t really tell on the back of my camera if I’m not wearing my glasses!  We came inside, and I was like “OH NO!  Maya, we gotta go back outside!!) . Let me tell you…she earned some extra ipad time for that 😉
The upside?  When we came back out the sun had risen a little more, and that’s when we go the amazing sun flare!!  SO…HAPPY ACCIDENT!!
So cute though, right?
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

LBD and Booties for our TEN year anniversary!

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Wow…I’m SO behind on blogging, it’s ridiculous.

And…this is my busiest week to date, having photographed 15 families, and two more this weekend, oh…and Maya’s bday tomorrow, but…for F’s sake.  I need to finish this post!!!

Edited to add that, I’m now at 25+ families, and Maya’s birthday was 2 weeks ago, BUT I had a complete rain out this weekend, so, I’m going to be posting ALL THE THINGS!  Ok, I probably won’t, but I’m posting this post that I had 90% done ha!

Our official anniversary was on 8/8 (those pics here), but we went out on the Saturday night after to celebrate.

Good food, amazing wine, and the best company…

Happy Anniversary to us! 

Love is me saying “Can we go take pics??” 5 minutes before he orders the Uber, and he said YES!

Oh, and while I have the tripod set up….can you take a few of me, since the remote still isn’t working?

SNAP, SNAP, SNAP!

Again…my love language haha.
My face is like “You’re ok still snapping, right??”
And big thanks to my parents for taking Maya for the night!

I took this right before they took her out to dinner!

In, or course her favorite outfit that they brought her back from Vietnam!
We started off the night going to the Goldfinch Tavern in the Four Seasons downtown Seattle.

It’s a BEAUTIFUL hotel and bar in downtown Seattle.  Not sponsored in any way, but I’ve been the bar a number of times, yet haven’t stayed in the hotel.  It looks amazing though.

The bar has a great happy hour, at times live music, always a great ambiance, and if you can secure it…a great view of the water!  We got there late for that, but didn’t care 😉

Oh, and the food…

SO GOOD!
Next, we went to the Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

Honestly, we rarely leave our neighborhood, BUT the great thing about Seattle and honestly Costco, is that you can get gift cards for 20% off to a bunch of amazing restaurants!  We’ve been to so many, but one memory that we had of an early date night was going to Purple and having stuffed dates with a red wine flight that blew our minds!

SO, we decided to go back and maximize our money!

I would recommend asking to go upstairs if you go.  It’s a much more intimate experience than down below.   Almost as if you are in a small bistro,

We forgot to do that this time, but…we had better light for iphone photos haha.On me…

Dress- Misa Los Angeles “Zelda” (eBay for $30!!)
Leather Jacket- Vintage (thrifted for $6!!)
Cross Body Bag- DVF (eBay, similar here and less expensive here)
Keeping it Real…
One of my fav pics of the Huz, and so accurate of how he feels about pics, but…he’s a trooper!!
I didn’t want to mess with the focusing stand, so…the Huz was my focusing stand.
So…
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Low Back Apron Dress with Vintage Accessories for date night!

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It was actually Charlie’s birthday  1️⃣9️⃣😳😭, and Maya wanted to get all dressed up (as per usual).
🥰
C clearly didn’t want pics. 😂

I didn’t wear this to our neighborhood restaurant, but changed when we got home, because…why not? 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

it came with a belt of the same fabric, but I added my own vintage one for some added fun.
🤗😍❤️

 So, admittedly, I hadn’t tried this dress on when I bought it.  I got it when we were in Chicago a few weeks ago, and was in a hurry.

Honestly, I thought it would be super sweet in the front, and low in the back.  The ruffles meaning I wouldn’t need to wear a bra-WIN!

OBSESSED with the back of the dress!!
What I wasn’t expecting….how revealing it would be on the side-WHOOPS!!
THANK GOD there were to wardrobe malfunctions!!
LOVE! Her Fingerling that she recently thrifted for $2, that she couldn’t NOT have with her… Remember when these were ALL THE RAGE and you couldn’t buy one for Christmas except on ebay for $100?!!  Yeah, she didn’t get one that year, and has wanted one ever since…

On me…

Belt- Vintage (thrifted)
Bag- Vintage (thrifted)
Sandals- Koolaburra “Alexa” (eBay)
On Maya…
Dress- Milly Mini (eBay $5!!!, and she’s obsessed! similar here)
Shoes- Tom’s “Correa” Sandal (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Had to get a pic with the Fingerling!
Funny thing…My remote broke again, so we did these all with a 10 second timer.  SO…not as
many outtakes (oddly), but…
Yup, almost a wardrobe malfunction, and we weren’t even doing anything!!
If there is a cat or dog near…Maya will not pay any attention to me.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Vintage Chemise + High Wasited Crop Flares + FLORAL CROWNS!!

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Ugh….these were taken SO long ago (almost TWO months!)

It was such a magical day!

Maya and I went to an event hosted by Kirsty of  The Kirsty Files , Jenn of What Jenn Wore  at Pacific Place.  

I’ve seen some of the events both Kirsty and Jenn have put on, and they look SO fun and always have a creative aspect to them.  When I saw that this event would include the making of a floral crown, I knew I had to ask if kids could come!  Kirsty said yes, so I was all in!

What do you wear to a fashion event…that’s always the question.  I see people dressed to the nines, but that’s not me. Especially if I’m bringing Maya with me.

SO…vintage top, my fav high waisted crop flares, and some comfy sandals-DONE!
I can only hope that she will come to more events with me, because we had the best time!  And…it carried through the entire day!
Here are the floral crowns we made,  And by we….I mean, I made them, while Maya walked around and schmoozed with the guests.  But….let’s be honest.  That was fine by me.  We were both in our happy place!
I borrowed this image from Jenn’s Instagram.

And this next one from Kirsty’s blog post,

Both images taken by Saskia Potter.

We all seriously had SO much fun making these crowns!  Everyone’s was different, and ALL of them were beautiful!  All the flowers were graciously provided by the talented Holly Yee

On me…

Top- Vintage
Belt- Vintage
Sandals- Ugg (thrifted, similar here and love these here)
On Maya…
Romper- Ella Moss (thrifted, but similar here)
Sandals- Stuart Weitzman “Camia Ava” (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Here’s a little behind the scenes video we took while taking these shots.
Maya’s commentary and her savvy use of the video camera kill me!!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren