Category Archives: Favorite

Breaking out the White Denim for Spring!

 So…spring has been late in coming to Seattle, but we’ve had a few sunny days (or at times hours) here and there, and it’s just about the only thing getting me through this never ending winter!!

One of the first thing I get excited to wear is white denim!  I have a bit of an obsession with white jeans, and have dedicated many a post to them haha.

I recently scored these off eBay (like new for $2.26-SAY WHAT?!!), and I love them! We ran right past the focus point on this one…boo hoo!!  I still like it even though it’s out of focus though.  Maybe more so because of it?  I couldn’t decide if this was an outtake or not! LOOOOOOOOVE her!  And the light this day was sooooo good!
Anyone remember Goffrey?? 🙂 I want to eat her up!!

On me…

Top- Dallin Chase (thrifted, similar here, and less expensive super cute here)
Jeans- Current Elliott “The Cropped Straight Leg” (Bought on eBay like new for $2.26!!!)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
On Maya…
Dress- Crewcuts (thrifted, similar here)
Leggings- Hanna Andersson (old, but these are cute!)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Hahaha.  I don’t always catch the perfect smile and laughter on Maya…her face!!! 🙂 running in for a hug!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Crockpot | Paleo | Whole 30 )

I’m sure most of the world is feeling the warmth of spring and summer, but…in Seattle, we are NOT-UGH!!  But…while I’m sick of wearing layers upon layers, I never get tired of yummy soups!  Especially easy ones that are practically cooked without me!

This is a recipe that I’ve now done twice because after the first attempt was so well received, I obviously did it again!!  And it was all a fluke of things I just happened to have in my cupboard and fridge-WHOOP!

Ingredients (feeds 4 with leftovers)

  • 4-5 frozen chicken breasts (I’m ALWAYS on the fly.  If yours aren’t frozen, the timing should still work.  It might just mean the meat will be more tender)
  • 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Cream (check labels if you are on Whole30, I used Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 Can Chicken Broth (check labels if you are on Whole30)
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed lemongrass
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 Medium to Large Onion Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots (I used organic Rainbow Carrots, because…duh FUN COLORS! :))
  • If you aren’t on a dietary restriction you could add 1/2 a box of Pasta (again, I go light on this end and used veggie pasta.  You could use gluten free OR 2 cups zoodles or sweet potato noodles etc if you are Whole30!)

Directions

  • Place everything in the crockpot, and you’re DONE!!!I  I always wonder if things look the way they should when I’m throwing things together, so…yes, it should look like this 🙂And then….after you take the chicken out and fork shred it (it will be SO tender!!)

THIS!

  • Unless, you want to add a noodle variation.  When you are about 10-15 minutes out, you can add the pasta or zoodles etc and they will cook to being tender.  I think they’d be mushy if you added them in at the beginning, but let me know if you try!  I even added them after the cook time when it was in “warm” mode, and it worked!

Another Recipe you might enjoy…

I posted one of my latest crock pot easy healthy dinners last week.

Crockpot Veggie Pasta and Turkey Meat Sauce

Honestly, I was on a crock pot roll lately.  Too much to do, no time to cook, yet I wanted yummy healthy food.  I didn’t have a recipe for either of these meals and both were DELICIOUS!  I’m saying this because a lot of times I see recipes that I like, but I don’t have the time or the ingredients.  THAT is the best part of the slow cooker.  I have taken tried and true recipes that involved multiple pots and hours of time of me in front of the stove, and rolled the dice throwing everything into the slow cooker in the morning.  Guess what?  They’ve all turned out fine!  Are they as amazing as the original?  Sometimes maybe not QUITE as much, but honestly…

It’s pretty darn good!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

SwimZip “The Sophisticated Swim Cover Up” Day to Night

I did a post before about my love of SwimZip.  You can see Maya frolicking in low tide in the cutest suit in this post.  Seriously…LOVE!

After having two skin cancers dug out of me last year, I’m all about the cover ups!  Also…at 42 my skin does not need any more damage.  I swear, every day I find a new sun spot, and I hate them!!  Much better than finding more skin cancer though…

All that to say…I’m a total fan of cute cover ups that have SPF built in, and SwimZip has SO many great options!

About a month and a half ago, they posted on their Instagram page that they were looking for bloggers to partner with.  I jumped at the chance, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them and shoot this adorable dress! I looooove the cinch tie side!!  You can adjust it to the length you want, and the draping effect is super flattering!  I got a medium.  For reference, I’m 5′ 8″, but have a super long torso and no…well, no boobs to be blunt.  I had considered getting a small, but was worried I would be too self-conscious about it being too tight.   I’m so glad I got the size that I did!  It may have looked baggy on me except for the cinching!  All that to say, there’s some wiggle room.

And the thumb holes on the sleeves-love!! These are SO cute that I wanted to show how you could wear them day to night!  You know when you are on vacation and you go straight from the pool to dinner?   Ok, I don’t, because I want to go shower and change, BUT…you totally could with these if you didn’t have time!

What HAS happened to me?  I am super careful during the day about sun protection.  I lather up in sunscreen/and or wear cover ups, but then at night?  I throw on a summer dress and that’s it.  And then because the sun is still out, I get sun damage-GRRR!

Well, now I have another option!  🙂 Ps- I showed these to the Huz, because I was a liiiiiiittle nervous about this post showing too much skin and wanted a second opinion (so weird because I’ve done posts in cut offs and tanks, but…).

When he saw this next one he said “Woah…I want a copy of that one!”

So…as self conscious as I felt…he liked it, and on some level…I guess that’s all that matters 🙂

On me…

Hat- Thrifted, similar here.
Bag- Gift
Sandals-Salt Water Sandals and Ugg (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
My excitement over this swim cover up aside…I hadn’t quite realized just how nervous I would be to take these images!!  I think every woman is self-conscious about her body, and I’m certainly no different!  I kept vowing to not have any wine the week before, and try not to snack so much, but…yeah, that never happened.
Then there’s the fact that I take all our images with a self timer and tripod… I felt like the biggest nerd on the beach by myself, but I honestly had so much fun taking these shots!!
You can watch a behind the scenes video of me taking the close up shots.
THEN there’s the fact that we are still having total winter weather!!  It literally snowed the weekend before, and had been raining non stop.  We had a break in the rain, so I decided to just go for it…in 50 degree weather-I wore a down parka and my Hunter boots down to the beach hahaha..  I had dreams of taking these images with amazing sun flare, but… At least I had the beach to myself!  Not sure I could have done this in front of a bunch of people!  Although, there is a walking path right above where I was, so I’m sure a few people wondered…
Oh, and of course the owner of the “closed” restaurant lives across the street and came out to ask if he could help me-AWKWARD!
While I was given this amazing cover up, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod)

dit-elle-Lauren

White Button Down + High Rise Crop Flares (Classics for the WIN!)

 We actually got a break in the monsoon season weather we’ve been having!!  Seriously…our basement flooded, but besides that and in addition to that I’m SO OVER IT!!

It was SO nice to have a sunny day.  As nice “looking” as it was, it was still super windy and cold.

We only had 10 minutes before we had to go get ready for Maya’s T-Ball practice, so we made this a quick little shoot 🙂

I took these pair of high rise flares (that I thrifted for super cheap!) and chopped them off at the bottom.  Crop flares are currently my favorite style, so I may or may not have chopped off a number of my flare and boot leg jeans recently! 😉  Better than buying a bunch of new current crop flares for a kazillion dollars, I say!

Paired with a white button down?  Really…you can’t go wrong pairing a white button down with ANY pair of jeans!  Total classic…

Hahaha.  This next one cracks me up!For those wondering.  The reason the first image and the image below look “lighter and hazier”, it’s because I had my tripod in the sun to get the shot.  The darker and crisper close up shots, were with the camera in the shade with us.
This next four shots literally happened in less than a minute.  Taking images with a tripod isn’t always the easiest, but the remote trigger taking a shot every second for 10 seconds sure is! I flipped our position and then got these! I managed to convince Maya to do ONE twirl picture by herself…

On me…

Top- AG Jeans (eBay, similar here)
Jeans- J Brand (thrifted and DIY raw hem, similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Lili Gaufrette (thrifted, but current styles here)
Leggings- Children’s Place (thrifted, but 2 pack similar here)
Keeping it Real…
What happens when people drive by and you are the nerd by yourself taking pictures….
Her face!!!  hahaha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Layering for Spring (in GREEN!) Happy St Patrick’ Day!

 I wish I could say that I totally planned for us to wear green, and I had this post all lined up for St Patrick’s Day, but….I didn’t.

It was a happy accident though 🙂

I’m sooooo over the weather that’s been going on!!  I just want to wear summer dresses (ok, no I don’t, because summer dresses aren’t my go to, buuuuuuut, right now??  SUMMER DRESSES!  I want to wear them.  And flip flops, and shorts, and anything else that’s appropriate for 65 degree plus.

Which, we are NOT seeing…

Until then, I will layer summer dresses with sweaters, jackets, and booties 🙂

Oh, Maya….you know the smile that’s next is not just me! I can’t even…

The reason I wanted to do this shot.  Other than, I LOVE shoe shots?

Both of our booties are WATERPROOF!!!

Ok, maybe mine are only water resistant.  I haven’t tested them.  She for SURE has tested hers 😉

But…if you are looking for cute water “resistant” boots, check these out.  Mine are sold out, but the brand makes more!! This is Maya’s posing face…

haha. I meant to get some sun flare, and got a rainbow flare instead-WIN!!! Oh, and waterproof, you say?  Let me test them out!!

Ok, I never told her they were waterproof.  She would have tested them out regardless…

But…her socks were dry and a wet wipe made the boots good as new!

Retail…$75.  Thrifted in like new condition…$4.25.

So, sure-walk through those puddles as a test! 🙂

On me…

Jean Jacket- 3×1 thrifted for $10!!! (similar here retails for $300!!)
Sweater- Inhabit (old, similar here)
Dress- Ella Moss (eBay-love this one here)
Boots- Aquatalia (eBay for $50! similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket-Zara (thrifted)
Dress- Antik Batik (eBay, this is fun too)
Leggings- Tea Collection (thrifted, similar here)
Boots- Pediped “Flex Issa”  (thrifted for $4.25)
Keeping it Real…
I swear, whenever I say I want to try and get a few pictures of just me…. I give her snacks, yet she always wants to be in the shots!!!
However….when I want to get a shot of her or the both of us??
Yeah….she’s off and running away, and it takes me 10 minutes to get her back. 🙂
Oh….WIND??!  Yeah, miiiiiiiiiight not be wearing this dress on windy days.  NOTE TO SELF!Yup….so her.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Overalls + Chunky Knits + Hats (fall or…COLD spring!)

 Anyone else wondering WTF is going on with our weather??  We had snow a week ago in March…in Seattle!!

All that to say, I’ve gotten creative with my layering.  Chunky knit under overalls?  Sure, why not!

Oh, and a hat to keep my hair from blowing crazy in the WIND?

YES, PLEASE!blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-1 blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-2 blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-3 blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-4 blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-5blog-vintage-felt-hat-paige-sierra-overalls-j-crew-sweater-sam-edelman-lisle-booties-6

On me…

Sweater- J Crew (thrifted)
Hat- Vintage (thrifted)
Overalls- Paige “Sierra” Overalls (eBay, similar here)
Boots- Sam Edelman “Lisle” Boots (thrifted for $10!!  Sold out, but love this lower heel version)
Keeping it Real…
I l had 20 minutes to take pictures before I had to pick Maya up from preschool, so I thought I’d go somewhere other than right outside our house.
I went a few blocks away, got somewhat set up in front of a cool neighborhood side walk, and I kid you not…as soon as I was ready, two teenage boys came home from school and walked into the house I was about to shoot in front of-giving me weird looks.  I could have waited, but…TWENTY MINUTES!!
So….I gathered up my tripod and focusing stand that I’d already set up, and drove on.  I pulled up to another block in my neighborhood, and decided to go for it no matter what.
Um….DEAD half eaten RAT!!!!  AND….dog poop.  Right where I was going to set my tripod!!  I had to laugh!  Because, thankfully, my tripod doesn’t care.  I DID!!!  But…I looked away 🙂
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

4 Ingredient Protein Packed Pancakes (gluten free)

These were a total spur of the moment “I have stuff that’s going bad, and I should probably make something!” recipe.

I had made a quinoa dinner earlier in the week that I’ll hopefully post soon (practically a one pot easy meal!)  So…why am I posting this before that?   was that good!!  And more importantly…THAT EASY!  Oh, and should I mention-HEALTHY?!

Because this was that good!!  And more importantly…THAT EASY!  Oh, and should I mention-HEALTHY?!

When it’s a trifecta, I know I should blog it!  Ok, when it’s a trifecta, and I actually take pictures, I know I should blog it 🙂 

What you need… (makes 20 mini pancakes or 10 medium)

  • One overripe banana
  • One cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

What you need to do…

  • Mash the banana, add everything else, and mix a lot (baby got back! ok, nevermind…)

blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-2 blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-3She’s usually up for being my baking assistant, but not always the willing photography assistant.  Totally understandable since it was first thing in the morning  🙂blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-4 blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-5Above are Tablespoon mini pancakes for Maya, which she’s flipping (and are pictured stacked later)

Below are the 1/4 cup pancakes that I ate (as well as a few of her mini ones :)).
blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-6The mini ones were easier to photograph, and….could she be a better assistant???!! blog-4-ingredient-protein-packed-gluten-free-pancakes-8

Just for kicks, I entered everything into VeryWell.com.  If you eat the entire batch, it’s less than 500 calories and has 20 grams of protein!  Honestly, they were so filling, I ate half the batch myself, and then worked out.  I was totally satisfied until lunch!  Normally, I eat a lot more of-to be honest…processed calories usually, and am not as satisfied.  Lesson to be learned.  But, let’s be real.  This was super simple, easy, and quick to do, but…it wasn’t as quick as grabbing something with no clean up.  I GET IT!  I’ll let you know if they toast well haha.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (423g)
Per Serving % Daily Value*
Calories 458
Total Fat 13.6g 21%
Saturated Fat 2.9g 15%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 327mg 109%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Potassium 564mg 16%
Total Carb 66.9g 22%
Dietary Fiber 8.2g 33%
Sugars 15.1g
Protein 20.5g

Enjoy!!dit-elle-Lauren

Layers + Nene Matching Leather Slip On Shoes!

 It’s been SO COLD lately!!  Like way TOO cold for pictures.  We got a break last Friday where it crept into the 40’s.  We literally had 15 minutes before we had to race to gymnastics, but we’d recently been given these amazing matching shoes, and I’ve been dying to take pics of them!!

Oh, and I’d washed and straightened my hair, so….not letting THAT go to waste haha! 🙂

This is actually a sweater vest that I wore under the denim jacket for a warming later, and some texture from the fringe.blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-1 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-2 Gah…the way she’s looking up at me!!

Although, see what was really going on in the “Keeping It Real” section… 😉blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-3 How fun are these shoes??!  The leather is SO soft and gorgeous, and the foot bed is extra cushiony (I don’t think that’s a word, but you know what I mean!)blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-4 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-5 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-6 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-7 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-8 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-9 blog-3x1-denim-jacket-stylemint-fringe-j-brand-nene-joyce-slip-ons-10 blog-zara-girls-puffer-sweet-luka-mo-aztec-dress-shoes-black-joyce-slip-ons-1 hahaha.blog-zara-girls-puffer-sweet-luka-mo-aztec-dress-shoes-black-joyce-slip-ons-2 blog-zara-girls-puffer-sweet-luka-mo-aztec-dress-shoes-black-joyce-slip-ons-3 blog-zara-girls-puffer-sweet-luka-mo-aztec-dress-shoes-black-joyce-slip-ons-4 She even cracks herself up!blog-zara-girls-puffer-sweet-luka-mo-aztec-dress-shoes-black-joyce-slip-ons-5

On me…

Jean Jacket- 3×1 thrifted for $10!!! (similar here retails for $300!!)
Sweater Vest- Stylemint (old, Love this one here)
Top- Free People (thrifted, similar here)
Jeans- J Brand (eBay, similar here and here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Zara Girls (thrifted)
Sweater- Tucker and Tate (thrifted)
Jeans- Levi’s (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
To see what was really going on when we were trying to get the shoe shots…
I was trying to get the focus down for a shot, and she just kept jumping off this rock.  Which…then gave me the idea for the jumping shot 🙂
blog-outtake-1 Um…blog-outtake-2 blog-outtake-3
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Little White Dress…Day to night (Night)

I showed this dress on Monday as an every day wear, but honestly…it begs to be worn out!!

All the little details…kill me!  Oddly, when I got home, I swear the attached slip shrank like 4 inches!!!  I don’t remember it being so short in the store, so I added another slip underneath for coverage!

If I were to go out for New Years, this would absolutely be an option!blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-1 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-2 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-3 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-4 I told Maya we could do whatever she wanted for these next shots.  I’ll reveal what she really had us doing in the “keeping it real”… :}

All in all, I just want her to have fun, so whatever she suggests, I’m game for 🙂  AND, I got some great shots of us laughing, so I’m beyond happy too!blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-5 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-6 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-7 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-8 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-9 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-10

On me…

Leather Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)
Booties- Nine West (I think 20+ years old! Love these!)
On Maya…
Vest- Zara (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- See Kai Run(hand me down)
Keeping it Real…
And for those following along, yes…she’s still in the licking phase ;{
blog-outtake-1In her words when I asked what we should do…
“Make funny faces, and pee in our pants!”
“WHAT?!?!”
“Just preteeeeeending!!!”
blog-outtake-2
Behind the scenes video here!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Family Pictures 2016

As a photographer, you’d think I’d put a ton of time and effort into our family pictures every year.  Truth be told.  I’m SO freaking busy taking everyone elses pictures, that I am contstantly amazed and thankful that we even TAKE pictures!  Oh, and it’s getting even harder as the boys get older.  With all of our schedules, and the weather, it really is a miracle that these ever happen…

SO glad that they do though!!

blog-family-pics-2016-1 blog-family-pics-2016-2 Hahaha.  Charlie standing on his tippy toes!  Like he needs to…1-blog-family-pictures-1 I can’t even….

I pity the guys that want to date her…1-blog-family-pictures-2 1-blog-family-pictures-3 1-blog-family-pictures-4 1-blog-family-pictures-5LOVE this shot of them!!!
1-blog-family-pictures-6At this point, I didn’t want to mess with the tripod again, so my mom got these next two of me and Maya 🙂
blog-family-pics-2016-3 blog-family-pics-2016-4 blog-family-pics-2016-5 hahaha 🙂blog-family-pics-2016-6GAH!!!  She looooves her daddy!
blog-family-pics-2016-7 blog-family-pics-2016-8 This just makes me happy on so many levels.  This image captures so much about them, and I love it!blog-family-pics-2016-9 blog-family-pics-2016-10As we were heading to the car, I realized I didn’t have any with my parents!!Mom got this…

Mom got this…blog-family-pics-2016-11 Dad got this….blog-family-pics-2016-12 Oh, and I never got any of just me, so…I got these when I came home.blog-family-pics-2016-13blog-3x1-destroyed-denim-jacket-vince-shirtdress-el-naturalista-booties

On me…

Jean Jacket- 3×1 thrifted for $10!!! (similar here retails for $300!!)-
Dress- Vince (eBay)
Jeggings- Helmut Lang (eBay)
Boots- El Naturalista Duna N528 (thrifted for $7!!)
On Maya…
Jacket- GapKids (thrifted)
Dress- Jill Stuart NY (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
“Can you give me a kiss?”
I guess that’s a no?blog-outtake
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of the kids and ones of me with my parents :))

dit-elle-Lauren