Category Archives: Favorite

Off the Shoulder Top + High Waisted Raw Hem Crop Flare + Birkenstocks

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 This is one of my favorite shoots we’d done in a while.  It was totally impromptu outside of our house, which is usually when Maya gets into it the most.

Oddly enough…favorite shoot or no, we took them FIVE months ago….whoops.

So, let’s pretend those are yellow and orange leaves behind us!

We actually had a nice sunny day today, so the outfits could have happened! These were one of the first flares that I chopped.  They are my FAV!!  And…the ones that started the chopping addiction ha! Baby Birks!!  DYING! These next images are some of my absolute favs of us! And….Maya totally schooling me on the art of posing!

On me…

Top- Free People (eBay)
Jeans- AG DIY Cut hem (eBay, similar here).
Shoes- Birkenstock “Grenada” (hand me down from my mom!)
On Maya…
Jacket- Brand Unknown(thrifted, but similar here)
Top- (thrifted)
Jeans- Gap Kids (thrifted)
Sandals- Birkenstock “Taormina” (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
I swear my fav blog posts also have the most outtakes…
hmmm….
Always a neighbor or FIVE that walks by…and usually when I’m taking pics ALONE!
Oh, well…
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Party Dresses on the Beach at Sunset…

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 A little over a month ago, Maya and I participated in a photo challenge put on by Red Tricycle and Disney Junior.  I posted one of our entries along with a quick chia pudding recipe here.

We didn’t win, but we sure did have fun!  We ended up knocking out 3 days worth of challenges in this one shoot, because…as fun as it was.  It took time!  And time is a hot commodity these days.  The best part was that we were doing it together though!  And Maya was excited about it-YES!

We were both excited about the “Elegant Ensemble” challenge.

Party dress?  Count us IN!

Looooove this next one! Another day was “Fancy Fingernails”

This was super fun!  Normally I go get manicures with just my mom, but I asked Maya if she wanted to come with us, and she did!  She was so serious when they were doing her nails.  And of course…she picked FOUR colors haha.

Blue and white on one hand…silver and gold on the other.  🙂

Maya on a rock…is her comfort zone…OMG.  This is hands down my new favorite picture of Maya!

SO HER!! And yet…this is also so her.

“I hate pictures!  Oh, but how about I nail this pose….”

😉

I swear these were ALL HER.

All I said was, “Can I get a picture of you standing on that rock?” Then…we got some together again as the sun was fully down.

These were to showcase our “Unique Updos”

I didn’t get a good picture of Maya’s (shown later in a phone pic in the “keeping it real” section!), but her’s was braided all along the back and then a braid bun.  She had been asking me to do her hair that way for a WHILE, so I finally tackled it.  She was VERY specific!

On me…

Belt- Vintage
On Maya…
Dress- Fleurisse “Samantha” (eBay for$3.50-retail $245!!!)
Shoes- Seychelles (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
I was a liiiiiittle nervous that I was putting too much time/thought into this shoot.  I kid you not, the more time and thought I put into shoots, the more likely it is to go to shit!
So…I made sure to leave with PLENTY of time to catch the sunset.  I picked a spot that usually isn’t very popular, but 10 min after we got there a family of SIX comes down.  Not only would they be in our shots I had set up, but of course Maya wanted to play with them!
We flipped it around and shot the other way… But, it’s a lot harder to focus when things are heavily backlit…
I messed up the focus on the first round of shots!
I DID NOT GIVE UP THOUGH!  hahaha.
And finally the family left after the sun had gone down.  And…we got the amazing shots on this rock!  But not before…
And…here’s the picture I actually took with my phone as I finished Maya’s hair.
SO glad I did!
And I’m only a little bummed I didn’t get a picture of it on the beach, but…whatever!  I got WAY
more than I expected to get!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Leather Bomber + Silk Tank Dress + Wrap Sandals | All Black for Date Night!

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 The Huz and I were long overdue for a date night!  We had gotten a gift certificate from his boss for….CHRISTMAS, but just hadn’t gotten the chance to use it until now!

Ok….these were taken about 3 weeks ago now…as per usual!

BUT…

We went to the Pink Door downtown, and I decided to sass it up a little bit more than my usual around the neighborhood date night.  This dress is SO comfy, and I love that it can be dressed up or down.  I’m all about small cross body bags when I go out.  Easy to wear and not at all cumbersome! AND…I even managed to coerce the Huz out for a few!! Maya was not as happy about it.  She was a little bummed that we were leaving her behind… I knew it would get chilly in the evening, so I brought along this leather bomber.I think it’s such a fun alternative to the classic biker leather jacket! And these sandals are SO comfy!  I accidentally wrapped them oppositely, but I kind of like it!Dying over this vintage Hanna Andersson dress!!

SO CUTE!!  Even if she’s giving total attitude…

On me…

Leather Jacket- Remake Remodel (eBay for $16!! similar here and cute faux option here)
Dress- Feel the Piece “Ray Tank Dress” (ebay $14- retail $290! similar here less expensive here)
Cross Body Bag- DVF (eBay, similar here and less expensive here)
Sandals- Koolaburra “Alexa” (eBay)
On Maya…
Dress- Vintage Hanna Andersson (thrifted)
Leggings- Tea (thrifted)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Her face in these…
Kind of classic these days.  I’ll TAKE pictures, but I’m going to be a grumpy face about it….
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Happy Mother’s Day to me! | 2018

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 I don’t really want a big fanfare for my birthday or Mother’s Day.   Really, I want a hall pass on some of the day to day duties (namely DINNER!) and I want pictures-duh.

It’s what my mom and I ask for every year, and I’m SO glad I have them to look back on!!

If you want, you can look back on 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 part one and two (lucky year!), and 2017.

And…I’ll admit.  This next shot wasn’t just of me haha.

The remote was going crazy and firing off never ending shots until we turned the camera off!  Needless to say, there are a LOT of outtakes.  And…some of Maya and the Huz next to me with questionable looks on their face :).  But, since I didn’t get a chance to take a pic of just my outfit…this will have to suffice 😉 What to say about this sweet nugget…

While she challenges my patience, she also brings me so much joy, love, and pride every single day!

I am one lucky mama.
And…twinning is always winning! Love these next few!!!

BUT…just wait for the outtakes at the end…
My new favorite of the three of us!! And…to my amazing mom and friend…

Maya and I are both SO lucky to have you in our lives!  Even luckier that it’s in our daily lives!! I can’t even… Again….NEW FAVORITE!
Funny story.  I cropped myself out of this shot because I was frantically running towards the camera on the tripod that was going CRAZY taking pics!  Maya’s face though….WORTH IT! All the heart eyes… Pretty much the best reality of our group shot attempts… But then we got this!! And this, so…I’ll take it all! And then…letting her do what she loves to do.

Which, is what I love to capture, so…win WIN!

On me…

Dress- Corey Lynn Calter (eBay for $14!!, LOVING this midi version!)
Clogs- Sven “Ankle Wrap Strap”C/O
On Maya…
Dress- (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
I thought of doing an entire post of our outtakes, but…let’s be honest.  I don’t even have time
to blog REAL posts, so…here are some of the best ones.  There are more!
SO…just know…as my mom and I walked away, we thought…
“I’m sure we got one or two…”
And of COURSE we did.  BUT…, it wasn’t all super smiley perfectness…
AND, I really could have posted twice as many outtakes, BUT, I also could have posted twice as
many shots that I love too!  I guess it’s all about balance…and…reality. 🙂
This first one.  Maya probably telling my parents she doesn’t want to take pictures.  And one of the many shots with the shutter firing when it wasn’t supposed to!
Hahaha.  Yes, by butt as a try to stop the shutter AGAIN, and Maya picking her nose…as she does ALL THE TIME. Licking me….as she does ALL THE TIME 😉
Me trying to wrestle her to NOT lick me… Maya giving herself a hickey that you can STILL see 3 days later…I love that I caught the remote being thrown in mid air.  I’d had it with it’s craziness!
Maya probably explaining to me how I can fix it 🙂
AND….any guesses what I’m about to say here?? 🙂
Even with all these, I’m so grateful for ALL these images, and feel totally thankful for my role as
a mama to Maya and daughter to my amazing mom!
Most pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod.  Or taken by me, my mom, and my dad!

dit-elle-Lauren

High Waisted “Mom Jeans” + Striped Top + Leather Jacket (Spring…??)

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 The weather here in Seattle is still sunny and somewhat warm one minute (it got up to 80 yesterday!!), and then overcast and COLD the next!  I’m SO excited for consistent warmer temps, but they just aren’t quite here yet…

Which means…of course…layering. Oh, and I’m totally into tying a bandana or scarf around my non washed mom bun.

Like….this hair that I haven’t washed in 4 days?  Let me wrap something pretty around it-ha! Notice…no shadows in this next shot??  Sun is gone! OH!  And then back again!Photographically, it’s a NIGHTMARE to shoot in these conditions!  ESPECIALLY if you are trying to take shots with a tripod.  Don’t get me started…

BUT…I mainly wanted to come down here for Maya to play, so it really was fun to capture her in her element.

Although, she will still always say… “I don’t want to go to the beach!!

Uh huh… Love these next ones.  There was this tiny rock that she balanced on. And then….just went in! Once she’s wet, it’s hard to get her out of the water!

On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)
Jean Shirt- Levi’s Western Shirt (thrifted)
Top- J Crew (similar here)
On Maya…
Faux Leather Jacket- Zara Kids (thrifted, but similar here)
Denim Jacket- CrewCuts (thrifted)
Sweater- CrewCuts by J Crew (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Crewcuts (thrifted, but similar here)
Jeggings- Crewcuts “Jodhpur Jeggings” (thrifted)
Shoes- Children’s Place “Sequin Popstar Hi-Top Sneaker (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
The main problem now taking Maya to a beach is that she just wants to play with all the other
kids, and….they just wander into our shots haha.  I tried to blur them out, but oddly, I don’t
know how to do that!
When there are others around, I aim to get one go for me, one go for both of us, and then just let her play.  Which I love capturing anyways!  And she has fun, which means…we keep getting to do this 🙂
Hahaha.  This little boy kept wandering into the shot and looking at the camera.  Unlike the one I wanted to take pics with me 😉
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Destroyed Denim Jackets + High Waisted Crop Flares + Clogs | Twinning is Winning!

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  I never know when I’m going to get a bunch of images I love…

I swear the more time and thought I put into a shoot, the less chance it has of turning out haha.

This one, however…I could split into two posts, because I got SO many that I love!

Yup, another pair of cut off pants.  Not going to stop, #sorrynotsorry 😉

I looooooove the detailing on the front pockets of these! Not quite sure how to put my hands in them though haha. This location is perfect for us, which is why we come here a LOT!  There are ALWAYS dogs walking by or playing in the field next to us, so Maya is in heaven!  It is sometimes hard to get her BACK into the shots with me, but usually I can grab her for a few here and there. LOOOOOOOVE this next one!

And…I was looking up this top from past blog posts, and saw THIS POST!

OH MY GOSH!  Chunky little Maya!  DYING!

AND!!!  There’s almost an identical image like the one below!

I HAD to put this other one in!!And then….these! LOOOOOOVE! I can’t believe it was warm enough for me to take my jacket off, but it was! DYING over these next ones!!  I’ll be so sad when her gap toothed smile grows back in!!
On me…

Jean Jacket- 3×1 thrifted for $10!!! (similar here retails for $300!!)
Jeans- Grey Ant “High Braid Jeans” DIY cut (ebay sold out similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Hudson Kids (ebay, but similar here)
Dress- Mini Boden (thrifted, but similar here)
Jeggings- Crewcuts “Jodhpur Jeggings” (thrifted)
Socks- Target 
Clogs- Sven  Sling Strap Children’s Clog C/O
Keeping it Real…
 Hahaha.
The downside of the remote trigger, and a noisy park.  Can’t hear when it goes off ha! Trying for a jumping shot!
NAILED IT!
OMG, this look is SO her… And…for those keeping track.  The licking hasn’t stopped.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Vintage Camel Hair Coat + Tie Front Striped Button Down + DIY High Waisted Crop Flare + Clogs

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 if you follow us at all, you know I’m totally obsessed with cutting my jeans.  It’s one of the many perks of thrifting!  I’m much more adventurous on my “alterations” when I’ve spent less than $20 on a pair of jeans.  Usually less than $15!  I went through a distressing my own jeans phase.

Now, I’m all about chopping off the bottom of all my jeans.  You see the raw hem trend EVERYWHERE, which is TOTALLY helpful when you have a short inseam! And also….striped button down tops!  I had to have an extension to my striped tee obsession haha.But back to the cutting of the jeans…

It’s to the point that it’s getting a little out of control-ha!  Yet…not?

It’s like I’m giving new life to jeans I was NEVER wearing!  AND…now I LOVE them.

So, is that wrong?  I think not.

I had to admit to myself.  Long jeans with heels are not happening anymore.  SO, all my beloved “date night” long jeans….chop chop!

And I’m now I want to wear them all the time!

And they will just get better with every wash… And I’m late in posting this.  Like…really late.

BUT, I’ve said it before.  One of my favorite things to thrift is vintage wool coats.  You can find AMAZING coats with details you can’t even imagine for less than $30!  This one was $16, and I have to be honest…I was cranky about that hahaha.

YET…if you were to buy a true camel hair coat of this quality in the stores, you’d be paying $200 minimum, and upwards of $500!) . SO, again, go thrifting!  Even if you are in a small town!  Go to vintage/antique stores or malls!  I’ve found some GEMS visiting random little towns.

On me…

100% Camel Hair Coat- Vintage (thrifted for $16! similar here )
Top- J Crew (eBay, Similar here)
Jeans- AG DIY Cut hem (eBay, similar here).
Keeping it Real…
Sooo…it was REALLY windy, as you can tell from my hair, but this is also on a pretty high traffic street.  Totally got busted by someone driving reeeeeeaaaaally slow by me wondering what the heck I was doing.  I’m actually totally over it, but still feel like a total nerd in the moment haha.
Whatever.  The look on my face though….
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod by me)

dit-elle-Lauren