Category Archives: Personal

4th of July | 2015

I actually forgot to take pics of me and us with the self timer and tripod, so this isn’t the usual post. It’s just the fun that was had on 4th of July. Hope everyone else had a safe and amazing day!

Maya had gone to a day camp during the week before. They gave her this hat and flag on the last day. DYING!! No, it doesn’t get much cuter than this!! We’re super lucky to have a neighborhood parade that starts a few blocks from our house! It was so hot though, so we didn’t even make it to the end. It actually got up to 90, which is SO rare for us this early. It’s been in the 80’s for most of June, and we’re dying!! An iphone snap 🙂The Huz went and got a ton of fireworks, and we just sat outside of our house with our neighbors and my parents and watched them all for 2 hours. So fun! Finally around 9, it started getting a liiiiiittle darker, so we let the kids do sparklers. I think she liked the fireworks 😉

Mother’s Day 2015

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Every year, both my mom and I ask for one thing on Mother’s Day. Pictures. The apple doesn’t fall far haha.

I got soooo much more though, and it truly was the perfect day. Maya and I started off going for a morning walk with my parents while the Huz got some work done (and snuck away to Pike Place to get both me and my mom gorgeous flowers!). Then, we took a little day trip to Snoqualmie Falls. Came home in time for Maya to “nap” 😉 while I got some work done, then my parents came over for an AMAZING dinner the Huz prepared. Couldn’t have asked for a better day…

I ditched the tripod and my mom got these of me and Maya before dinner.Btw, my entire outfit is thrifted, and the total cost was around $20! 🙂 This looks super sweet, but she’s just about to bite my nose haha. 😉 I could just eat her up!!!And then my dad got these of the three of us. That little smirk KILLS ME!!After dinner and a liiiittle wine, we all came back outside. I switched up Maya’s sweater so that she would match the Huz 🙂Dancing with Daddy 🙂The Huz finally got on the receiving end of Maya’s licking kisses 🙂And then my mom got a few of me and the Huz.LOVE this one.Yeah, Maya wanted nothing to do with getting in a pic with us.But you couldn’t get her OUT of the pictures I was trying to take of my parents hahaha. She’s actually in the one above this too, but I zoomed in and cropped her out 😉On me…

Top- J Crew (thrifted, similar here and here)

DL1961 Emma in “Cellar” (thrifted, but similar on sale here)

Shoes- Faconnable (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Sweater- Both are GapKids (thrifted)

Dress- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Zulily (search Eddie Marc Kids)

Keeping it Real…

And…this is a true keeping it real hahaha.

Nose bite…

“Toddler kiss” 😉

(Pictures taken by my mom, dad, the Huz, and me :))

Who are we?? A little more about us :)

2014 recap of Maya and me…thank you for following along!!

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This was such a fun year blogging! We really didn’t know what we wanted to do with this blog when we started, and I specifically wasn’t really sure what I wanted my posts to be about. They started off as casual mom fashion posts, but quickly turned into me documenting Maya and me having fun together, but…also showcasing our mostly thrifted clothing. 🙂

Fashion aside, I hope some of the images just made you smile 🙂 The main point for me is to have fun with Maya and to be able to show this to her when she grows up. That is the best thing to have come out of this little venture.

Life can get hectic and overwhelming, but this blog has consistently been something I look forward to doing. The images I now have of Maya and me are invaluable. Having a structured way to document us having fun and stories along the way, an absolute unexpected bonus! The people I have “met” both from the blogging community and on Instagram probably know more about my daily life than a lot of my family and friends (I still don’t really share this blog with that many people…maybe some day I will :))! For those of you that have followed along and become friends along the way…thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂

Anyway…No idea how I narrowed down my favorites from this year, but…here are a few (ok, a LOT haha).

Happy New Year!!!

(All pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya and 6 random ones of us that either my mom or the Huz took-can you guess which ones they are?? :))

What we wore for our holiday pictures…

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I’ll preface this to say…our family pictures were more along the lines of those viral forwards that everyone laughs about and says “thank GOD that wasn’t us”. And just wait for it. The truth is in the pudding. Really, I don’t even know what that last phrase means, but…it sounds better than the truth is at the end 😉

And yet… I’ll start of with what we wore, because well…that’s what this blog is mostly about 🙂I scored this top from The Oxford Trunk for $10 (!!!) when they had a big sale. I got it in both white and black, and I looooove them!! A post with me wearing the black version is coming soon. These next two are a little out of focus (we missed our mark in the excitement), but I don’t care 🙂 She’s been extra into giving kisses lately, and I’m not complaining!! And…here’s our holiday card 🙂 Not at all what I had planned, but it’s what we got. And…I kind of think it’s perfect 🙂SO….keeping it real ahead of the real “Keeping it Real” at the bottom. All of the above pics of me and Maya were taken a few days ago. The holiday card…3 weeks ago…

I have a list of suggestions for clients before we take family pictures, and I absolutely LOVE when they put some time and effort not only into what they wear, but how they want their pictures to look. That said, my number one goal is to make sure everyone has FUN…and then I capture that.

Well….none of that usually happens for us haha. What’s the phrase “The cobblers children have no shoes”??

I’ve been insanely busy doing everyone else’s holiday pictures, and we’ve had a LOT of stuff going on personally so I honestly wasn’t sure we’d even have time to take ones for ourselves.

ANYWAY. I had a last minute cancellation about 3 weeks ago, the weather was actually clear, so we scoured everyone’s clothes to find things that were clean and somewhat went together, I grabbed the tripod and away we went. Maya is always so excited when her brothers are in the back seat with her, so she was chatting and laughing the whole way there. I was getting hopeful that we would get some great shots of everyone…

We all get out, and I get a few pics of the boys with the Huz. Again thinking “This is going to be great!!” Maya was just running around happy as a clam, playing and then trying to get in their shots. As I’m getting the tripod set up to get a group pic, Maya starts howling. Like a hysterical crying that I’ve never heard before. I make sure she’s not hurt (she’s not). All she wants to do is have me rock her on the bench. Um….are you kidding me?! The kid that gets her picture taken almost every day of her life, and is totally used to having it taken with a self timer and tripod is now flipping the F out! Inconsolable even??! I tried taking a few and playing with her like I always do. NOT WORKING. At this point, I’m losing my patience and am getting totally frustrated. Tears may have been shed from both of us. Honestly, I really just wanted to get ONE picture of all of us, and a few of Maya with her brothers! It sounds like something that would be easy to get, but with teenage boys and us all being so busy. It just isn’t… Oh well. I Photoshopped two images together to get the one for our card, and honestly, that’s all we needed. I got a few of the 3 of the kids at Thanksgiving, and that is better than most…

On me…

Top- The Oxford Trunk (sold out, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 Emma in “Cellar” (thrifted, but similar on sale here)

Boots- Circa Joan & David “Kirstin” (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket-Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Gap (thrifted, but love this one here)

Tights-H&M (old, similar here)

Boots- Zulily (search Link Boots)

Keeping it Real…

This is what really went down… hahaha. I can somewhat laugh about it now :{

And here’s the Huz finally calming her down, and honestly my favorite picture of the entire shoot… She looooves her Daddy!! Sadly, it was too late to get all of us into this moment. I don’t care though, because THIS…was all worth it for me 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya and her Daddy :))

Jeans that feel like pajamas? Count me IN!

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I’m a little embarrassed by how many days in a row I’ve worn these jeans :} They are not the most flattering jeans, but you cannot beat them for comfort! Not only are they super baggy, but the cotton is this super soft thin fabric. Even better? I got them off eBay for $15!I recently scored this sweater from StyleMint when they had their get 3 for $20 sale. Yes, this sweater was less than $7 (regularly $69.98)!! The road to having this sweet little nugget was not an easy one. Looking back now, I’m glad for every road bump, every hope dashed, and every tear shed, because they’ve been blown away by all the laughter and love she has brought into our lives. For those that have struggled to have a child, it’s SO hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Believe that it is there…

I vascilated between leaving it at that and telling the whole drawn out story (I actually did, but ended up deleting it because it was literally a novel that maybe 2 people would read…)

My story really isn’t any different from many. We started trying to have Maya a little before I was 35, aka “advanced maternal age”-UGH, can they not think of a better phrase now a days??!! So…I was somewhat prepared for complications and not so easy road. What I wasn’t that prepared for was exactly how much of an emotional roller coaster it would be. Every month, getting your hopes up, and then having them crushed. A process that is supposed to be joyful, ended up just being frustrating and depressing.

BUT…after two years, almost as soon as I became pregnant, I knew! Before any kind of testing, I just knew, and I WAS!! I’m tearing up just typing this. I took a test early, and it came back positive. Yes, I still have the test (gross to some, but there is no way I’ll ever throw it away!!)

And then…I got to go get the official word. The only real bonus to going to a fertility specialist is ALL the extra/early tests you get! I remember the crappy parking on a downward hill to get to the clinic. I remember getting in the elevator to get to the office. I remember it ALL. And I have the worst memory ever!!

The minute I heard the heartbeat…it became a reality. Maya became a reality.

A reality, I could never have imagined… A love I could never have imagined. A joy I could never have imagined, and yet it was mine.

I know so many people that have stories way more complicated and heart wrenching than mine. The ability to have a child is such a gift. A gift many can’t have.

I will never stop being thankful for this gift.

On me…

Hat- Nordstrom (thrifted, similar here)

Sweater- StyleMint “Nicholas”

Belt- Vintage (thrifted)

Jeans- Rag & Bone (ebay, similar here)

Shoes- Target

On Maya…

Top- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Harper” (C/O)

Boots- Cherokee (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

I wear these jeans around the house unrolled, but they look even more unflattering that way. SOOOO comfy though. The fabric is so soft that they don’t really hold a roll though. SO…about every picture I took I had to roll them again… 😦 All in the name of vanity, because I couldn’t show you just how slubby I really look every day-HA! Oh, and while I’m at it. Yeah, not only was I NOT showered, we had just gotten back from the gym. It was such a nice day though, and I knew I wouldn’t have time to take pics after we took our shower/bath. Maya was already dressed, so I just grabbed what was laying in a heap on my dresser from the day before hahaha. Thank GOODNESS there’s no smell cam on computers 😉 And double thank goodness for the hat trend!

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

One of my favorite posts…Because I can’t think of a title…and it is :)

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I envy anyone who has a way with words. Someone that pulls you in with their story. One that can make you feel as if you were there by the way they describe what happened to them. Witty titles. Heart wrenching stories that pull you in, and make you ache from what you read or make you laugh out loud. Or…just a recounting of their day (good or bad) that makes you think of a day you similarly had that makes you connect to them.

I follow people’s blogs or on Instagram that have this gift, because they inspire me and leave me in awe, but I will never be that person. I’ve never had that special way with words. I’ve always used another medium to express myself. Right now…it’s pictures. And, honestly, I feel blessed to be able to do that for other people, and honestly…for myself.

I’ve never been good at story telling. I always forget 75% of what I’m trying to tell. I’d never be able to accurately recount to Maya all the fun we had in her childhood, but through this blog…I can. And I am forever grateful for that. Zero followers or a bunch of followers. It doesn’t really matter. The end result is that I can show her this later and show her how much fun we had and how much I love her. Because by the time she actually reads this, she will “hate me” for telling her she can’t wear this or that I’m sure haha :{

I’m sure it isn’t a secret that I don’t really feel comfortable in dresses. I love them, buy them, but never wear them. One of the pages I follow on Instagram is CoastToCoastCentral. Not only do they have great fashion posts and challenges, but they are very involved in raising awareness around sex trafficking. It literally makes my shudder to think about this being a reality, but is sadly it very much is. They recently partnered with Dressember in order to raise awareness of human trafficking. Honestly, I can’t wear a dress for the entire month (ugh, maybe I could, but…this year, I will try to commit to wearing them MORE! Baby steps).

Sooo, day 1 (or, in reality Day 8 by the time I post this)! Honestly, this dress would be indecent on a 40 year old mom (who’s 5′ 8″!), so I paired it with some skinny jeans and boots and I was happy as a clam! Extra bonus? Totally hides all the holiday indulging-WIN!!

And then the sun went away… In case you were wondering 😉OMG, loooove that I captured this!! Usually, I only capture the after math (ginormous hug), but this is what leads up to it, which…is almost just as good 😉 Ok, this is better 🙂 “Maya, can you stand like a flamingo?” haha. Because she’s obsessed with flamingos, and there’s no way she would follow “Can you do what I’m doing?” Hey…whatever works, because…how cute, right?? 😉 I cannot tell you how much I love it when she just busts a move!! 🙂OH MY GOSH, I have no words. She is so freaking cute I can hardly stand it. And no, I’m not biased (haha ;)) SHE IS!!!Looove this one too.Does anyone remember Geoffrey? Yeah, he disappeared, and no other stick has lasted past the walk we are on. This stick stayed on the path. For those that don’t remember Geoffrey, he came with us everywhere for…a month? Broke twice, had bandaides all over, and kept on going until…he was lost. 😦On me…

Jacket- Levi’s (thrifted)

Sweater- Inhabit (ebay, LOVING this one here)

Dress- Free People “Sunbeam Mini Dress” (Nordstrom Rack, love this here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Emma” in Bloom (C/O)

Boots- Frye 12″ Harness Boots

On Maya…

Hat- (thrifted, but similar here)

Sweater- (thrifted, but similar here)

Vest- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Top- Little Boogaweezin (sold out, but the SS15 is preview is AMAZING!)

Jeans- DL1961 “Chloe” in Rafaeli C/O

Shoes- Vans (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

Ok, this first one…hahaha. I was trying to show the movement of the dress and in my mind I wanted a graceful twirl. What I got instead! HA-NOT GRACEFUL! Hey…you try twirling for 10 seconds and have it time it just right 😉 Totally cracked me up when I saw it though!! I look like a tween line dancing (no offense to line dancers!!)

And, this next one wouldn’t be an outtake if there wasn’t a guy walking his dog (I probably could have removed him in photoshop), and the voluminous dress didn’t look soooo unflattering when I bent over :{ But…it happens, and I still love it, so it’s an outtake! 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Leather Jacket + Sequins + Coated Denim….Holidays are coming!

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I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving surrounded by ones you love! I’m listing some of the things I’m most thankful for in the “Keeping it Real” at the bottom 🙂

The holidays are coming, and that means parties! Well, for some of us. It used to mean a few parties for me, but now…not as much haha. That said, there are still times when we do go out, and I want to make sure I’m ready! So….I thought for the next month, I’d do a post a week that wasn’t really as much “mom friendly” as it was “get me out of the house and party” friendly 😉

I wish it meant a fun dress (I have a ridiculous amount of them waiting to be worn!), but I really just don’t feel comfortable in dresses. I LOVE them, buy them, and then 30 minutes before we are about to leave…rip them off and change in a panic!!

For me, that means black or coated denim, something a little fun/sparkly on top, and a leather jacket. Oh…and HEELS!! Becuase…those really only come out for special occasions and they make me feel like I’m stepping it up (HA, literally and figuratively) 🙂I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that if you are reading this blog that you are either my family (haha) or that you like fashion, food, or ridiculously cute little girls (ha!) Anyway, for those of you that are fashion minded, you will appreciate this. I coveted these jeans for soooooo long, as I talked about here and when I finally scored them from Nordstrom Racks “Clear the Rack” here,. And yet…I’ve only worn them ONCE! What the heck??!!! They are comfy, repel toddler gook, I LOVE THEM, yet…I save them/never wear them? I need to get over it!! I really have been trying to work things into my wardrobe that I’ve been “saving” aka…most of my clothes, but this blog is actually making me stick to it a little more…little by little. I still tend to wear the same jeans 3 days in a row when we are not taking pictues (for whatever reason) In the beginning, I was all about taking pictures every day to show what a day in the REAL life of a mom was, but…A) who wants to see that?? and B) I just don’t have time for that! So…now, it’s a mix of boring reality and fun 🙂 By the way…I’m TOTALLY open to suggestions of what you might want to see if anyone has any!!!All that said. Leather + Fun Top + Coated Denim = My Happy Place/Comfort Zone And THIS…is our happy place 🙂 Um, yes. She is the cutest thing in the world. Just in case anyone was wondering! 🙂 On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)

Top- Velvet “Vonnie Sequin Top” (similar here)

Jeans- Paige Edgemont coated (Nordstrom Rack)

Boots- Paul & Joe (Old, similar here and less expensive option here)

On Maya…

Jacket- Amy Coe (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Leggings- Zulily

Shoes- (thrifted, and DIY glitter toe shown here)

Keeping it Real…

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!! Things have been a bit crazy in our life lately, so it was even more special and nice to just relax, overindulge, and be thankful. It’s so easy to focus on the daily grind and get overwhelmed with what’s not going the way you want. That’s the best thing about Thanksgiving. Hopefully, you have the day off from work, are surrounded by loved ones, eat way more amazing food than you every should, and…reflect on what you are thankful for.

This is what I’m most thankful for…

1- Family– I am so incredibly blessed the have an amazing family. They say you can’t choose your family, but if I had to pick mine out of a ginormous book, I’d choose mine in a heart beat! Which…is kind of my 2, 3, and 4 🙂

2- The Huz- I not only married my best friend, but I married the yin to my yang. We have enough in common to understand each other and have fun, but also have completely different strengths, that allow us to navigate through this crazy life in a way I never even dreamed was possible.

3- My Parents- Before the Huz, they were my best friends. Still are… I’m so lucky that they now live only a few blocks away and that both Maya and I get to see them almost every day.

4- Our kids– Two teenage sons and a toddler… It can be tough at times, but we are so lucky to have 3 genuinely good, caring, NICE, kids that truly all love each other. What more could you want?

4- Life– It can be crazy at times, but I am soooo lucky to be able to do something that I love to do while getting to spend the majority of my day with my favorite partner in crime (and play!).

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Happy Halloween! A day late…hope you recovered from your sugar coma ;)

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Ok, so I’ll admit it. This is the FIRST Halloween that Maya really participated in. (insert horror emoticon that I can’t yet do via my computer :)) It’s the busiest season for me (workwise), so up until now, I just talked myself into thinking she really didn’t care, so…why stress myself out trying to do all the “stuff” that goes along with HALLOWEEN! Now that the day has come and gone, and her complete JOY over the 2 day festivities has really hit me. I realize, it’s such a fun day for her, and I will absolutely treat it as such going forward!

All that to say. I still bought her main outfit at Goodwill for a few dollars haha! When we were there and looking at all the stuff (insert CRAP), I pulled this one out and asked her

“How about this one?”

She said “I don’t like it!”

“But it’s a Pumpkin PRINCESS!?”

“Oooooooh, OK!!”

And so I made her a crown to go with the outfit and all was right in the world of Maya 🙂I didn’t get creative with my look…all black works for Halloween, right??These were before her preschool Halloween Party. I asked her to “curtsy” and showed her how (I mean, how cute, right?!) She bowed and said “Your Majesty” hahaha

I’ll take it!!! This just shows you that I woke her up about 30 minutes before it was time to go to school. Dazed and confused…yet so cute. On me…

Jacket- Matty M (via Instagram similar here)

Top- Collective Concepts (thrifted, similar here)

Jeans- Dl1961 “Amanda” LAX (ebay, similar here)

Boots- Born (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Outfit- (thrifted)

Crown- DIY (Instructions here)

Boots- Kenneth Cole Reaction (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

The above pics were taken over a two day period. Thursday Maya had her Preschool Party, and then Friday was actually Halloween. This next picture was us going trick or treating. She woke up late from her nap because I had a shoot that went late. I rushed her into her costume and gave her turkey jerkey before we headed out. Since it was our first venture out, I thought that we might only be gone for 30 minutes MAX. Mother of the year? I’m thinking no. Maya? She’s thinking YES!! Because she ran from house to house for an hour and a half on a relatively empty stomach, and would have gone more if I hadn’t dragged her back for a late dinner before one piece of candy 😉

I call this “completely dark FLASH face 🙂

Blog Halloween 2014 Pumpkin Princess-KIR

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Getting all dressed up for a great cause…

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One of my best friends is the CEO of Alpha Supported Living Services. It’s an amazing nonprofit agency providing supported living and group home services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in homes in King County.

To say I admire all that he does would be an extreme understatement.

One of the fun ways to support him and the agency is their annual benefit dinner. It’s always a beautiful moving evening that leaves you not only thankful that your children are healthy (as selfish as that sounds), but also so relieved to know that there is an amazing place that will truly care for them if they need it in some special way. Also, having been to other events involving their clients, it makes you realize just how special each and every one of these individuals is. That even if they are lacking in certain developmental ways, they make up for it in others. And don’t get me started on the parents. Wow, is all I have to say. Wow. I find myself complaining about daily parental struggles, but the love that all these parents have in their heart and the patience they’ve had to develop. Admirable to say the least!

It’s so hard to pick and choose who you donate your money and time to. Every story that you hear tugs at your heart! I think we all chose things that have meaning to us in some way. I’ve always donated to things that involve children (young and old). Even when having them was not even close to being on my radar. I could go on and on, but in case you want to know more about Alpha, you can do so here.

SO…in a rare occurrence on this blog, I’m in a dress, I actually have make up on, AND my hair is not in a bun SIMULTANEOUSLY! All that happened literally 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave, so there was no time to set up the tripod and do my usual self timer shots. My parents came over to hang with the kids, and my mom was nice enough to run out and take these pictures really quick 🙂 Patiently watching…Ok, in reality, she was just running up and down my neighbors hill in front and in back of me haha 😉 My new favorite picture of me and Maya! Then at the 5 minute mark, the Huz came outside. I asked if he would take a few pictures, and almost fainted on the spot when he agreed! LOVE!!! Now, sadly one of the boys was working and the other was playing video games. Guess that means we get to do another real family shoot for our holiday card!! 🙂

And then of course, I had to get a few more of just the Peanut.On me…

Dress- Karen Zambos (ebay, loving this high neck similar style ONE SALE if you’re a P here)

Shoes- Nine West (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket- H&M (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Gap (thrifted, it’s actually a size 5/6, but I love how long it is 🙂 couldn’t find similar style)

Boots- Xhiliration (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

There are a lot of reasons I take a majority of our posts myself with the self timer and tripod. I’ve talked about my control issues before a few times ;). One of the nice things, is that I know when the picture is being taken. Although, one of the funniest things about when someone else takes the pictures, is the outtakes! The look on my face on the left?? And, on the right, I was trying to figure out how to show off the cool sleeves. THAT was not the correct way haha!

(all pictures taken by my mom, except ones of Maya at the end :))

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