It was another all black kind of day…

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Do you ever have those days when you feel so overwhelmed with work, kids, and LIFE that the last thing you want to think about is “what am I going to wear?”?? Yeah, me too!! 🙂

When that happens, I revert to my comfort zone….black. When I wear all black, I like to at least play with texture… My husband worries that Maya will get “tainted” by me taking all these pictures of her and that she’ll think she’s a model. Um, I’m not worried 🙂 Just a kid jumping in leaves! Funny story. It was COLD yesterday and WINDY! Maya had ripped out the braid I had put in her hair and wouldn’t sit still for me to put her hair in a ponytail. SO…this is the 5 second updo, and I kind of like it! On me…

Sweater- Club Monaco (old, but similar here)

Jeans- Blank NYC corduroy (on sale here!)

Boots- Frye (less expensive version here)

On Maya…

Coat-Crazy 8 (thrifted, but this one is cute)

Sweater- Vintage Hand Knit (thrifted)

Top- Koala Kids (thrifted, but same idea here)

Jeans- Gap

Boots- Children’s Place (Thrifted, but similar here.)

Gray Frye Booties…what do I do with you?

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I bought these boots a while ago, and thought they were perfect! Until…I tried to mix them into outfits. The color is a little light… I can’t quite figure out a color scheme that works with them. After many attempts, I figured I’d just go for it and see how it looked on camera. It really is funny how I’ll see something in the mirror and think it looks good, but when I take pictures of it, I think….what was I thinking?? Kind of makes me feel bad for celebrities. Kind of… 😉

That is one of the things I’m really liking about doing this blog. The experimenting… Trying outfits I might not have tried before. Well, that, and actually just getting out of my work out clothes and taking a shower haha 🙂 This face makes me forget all about bootie woes 🙂 She kept going up and down this driveway. Up…and down. Up…and down. Don’t you wish it was that easy to find joy as an adult? 🙂 So…I’d welcome any suggestions on how to wear these boots! I LOVE them, but they have just been sitting on my shelf :{. They need to be worn!

On me…

Cardigan- Design History (similar color here)

Sweater- Club Monaco (old, but similar here)

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (similar here, and less expensive here)

Boots- Frye (similar here)

On Maya…

Cardigan- Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Top- Osh Kosh (thrifted, but love this here)

Scarf- Mine 🙂 thrifted

Pants- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Gap (thrfted, but love these here)

Tzatziki Sauce

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This is a no frills, super easy, super yummy tzatziki sauce! Serve with fresh cut veggies as an appetizer, as a dressing for gyros, lamburgers or Greek salad. Any recipe that can be made in a food processor is a winner in my book!

Ingredients

1 8oz container of Greek yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled & diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Splash of lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh dill (or dry)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt / pepper to taste

Directions

Put everything in a blender
Process until well combined
Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate
Let flavors meld for at least an hour for best taste

This Tzatziki sauce is not quite as thick as some recipes – I saved a few steps by NOT pressing water out of chopped cucumber or de-seeding it, but it tasted great!

My favorite leather jacket… in GREEN!

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I have this exact jacket it a bright orange (worn last here), and I love it! I get compliments every time I wear it, and even let a senior wear it for her senior portraits. When I saw it on eBay a while back in green (my favorite color), I sooooo wanted it!! I let it go (did I really need another leather jacket???!) Then, I saw it again a few weeks ago at a screaming deal (aka FATE haha), so I snatched it up! I have a few Doma Leather jackets. Obviously, the quality is amazing, but they also all have such unique details to them. I love that!! Scored these suede booties at a thrift store last week for $7!! They are super comfy too! On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, but similar here and super cool bright blue here)

Top- Joie

Jeans- Blank NYC

Boots- Ann Taylor (thrifted, but similar on sale here)

On Maya…

Overalls- Old Navy overalls. Thrifted, but similar here.

Top- Old Navy

Scarf- Mine 🙂 thrifted

Shoes- Jack and Lily

Faux leather leggings? I’m not sure I’m sold…

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Do you ever have a trend/article of clothing that you really want to work, but for some reason you can’t make it? Well, that’s how I feel about my faux leather leggings. I feel weird even typing that out. Am I too old for faux leather leggings? Say no!!! 😦 Alas…I might be.

I didn’t even blog the first attempt, it was so bad, albeit COMFORTABLE. At first I blamed it on the sweater. I keep trying THAT too, and don’t like the deep V! Grrr, two wrongs obviously don’t make a right! Anywho, I realized I shouldn’t hide my “misses”. So, here it is-first attempt. Did I mention how comfortable they are? So…I tried them again. This time I chose a different sweater…. Not 100% sold on this outfit either, but I do like it better than the first try.Seriously, it’s comedic how much Maya loves the self timer sometimes. Love this tunic from the Gap (old :() So, what are your thoughts on faux leather leggings? Should I try them again??

On me-Strike one…

Sweater- Joie (sold out, but similar here)

Leggings- Forever 21 (similar here)

Shoes- Converse (similar)

On Maya…

Jeans- Levi’s Skinny Cords (thrifted, but similar here)
Tank- Gap

Chambray Shirt- Thrifted, but similar here and here.

Shoes- Pink Glitter Converse (sold out ) plain ones here.

On me-Strike two…

Sweater- H&M

Leggings- Forever 21 (similar here)

Shoes- Sam Edelman (thrifted, but similar here)

On Maya…

Jeggings- 77 kids (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Gap (ThredUp but love this!)

Boots- SmartFit (old, but similar here and love these here)

Super Mom Tip-

Don’t be afraid to try new trends or step out of your comfort zone, but don’t spend a lot of $$ unless you try the less expensive version out. I buy a majority of my “tries” on eBay, but I also love H&M if you like to try things on. I actually found these Forever 21 leggings at Value Village (new with the tag!) for $2.50. Can’t beat that for a test drive. Even if I did crash and burn…twice.

If you find that you love it, then go for a more quality piece that will last/fit better.

French Onion Soup

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French Onion Soup.. mmm, a classic, hearty fall soup. Dress it up with some protein or serve as is. Of course some toasted baguette and melted cheese would be amazing!

Add some protein to make this an even heartier meal (shown here with grilled and sliced venison).

Ingredients

8-10 onions
Butter or other fat
One quart of beef stock
Splash of sherry (optional)
Sprigs of fresh thyme
Garnish with gruyere or cheddar cheese (if not paleo)

Directions

Melt butter in large soup pot
Thinly slice the onions (using the slicer blade on a food processor works well!) and add to pot
Let onions sauté over low-medium heat until they start to sweat
Cover the pan with a lid and saute for about an hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes
The onions will turn golden brown and while the bottom of the pan may be a dark caramel, make sure it doesn’t burn
Add some sherry or stock if you are skipping the sherry and use this to deglaze the pan
Add rest of stock and bring to a boil
Let cool a bit and ladle soup into bowls, topping with cheese and some fresh thyme

Casual everyday wear + lots of snuggles=good to be home :)

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It was so nice to get away, but I could not wait to get home and see the Peanut! Since I was gone all weekend, I hadn’t done any shoots, which meant I didn’t have to work as much this week and had more time to snuggle Maya-double win!!!

For these first two, she’s of course finishing off her lunch in her wagon 🙂 I think she may have forgotten how fun the self timer was… So, of course I had to remind her 🙂 On me…

Sweater- Sweet Romeo (Nordstrom Rack) Similar here.

Jeans- Hudson

Boots- Cafe Noir (thrifted, but similar here and less expensive version here.)

On Maya…

Jeans- Gap (thrifted) these are so cute here.

Top- Old Navy (thrifted) similar here.

Boots- Zulily

Weekend getaway-Date Night…take 2 (faux leather :))!

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So for our first date night on our getaway, I wore my new suede pants. The 2nd night it was a faux leather! I love this faux leather top from ASTR. I’ve been dying to wear it, but it’s been too cold in Seattle. Perfect for a sunny California getaway 🙂 Such fun details… Then, not to leave Maya out… I took these a little while ago on a “sweats day” haha. She’s obsessed with these snowboots! And…her duck 🙂

On me…

Top- ASTR (Nordstrom Rack) Similar here.

Jeans- Hudson

Boots- Paul and Joe (From Shopbop old, but fun different color here here, similar here and less expensive here)

On Maya…

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (similar)

Top- Old Navy (thrifted, but love this option here)

Sweater- H&M (last year, but similar here)

Boots- Champion (thrifted, but similar here)

Star Cookies

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Inspired by Elana’s Pantry, these Star (and Moon!) Cookies are a fun fall treat. I went to a Waldorf school a long time ago in a far away land.. and sun, moon and star cookies were an autumn tradition as part of the Moon Lantern Festival, which I’ll blog about another day. In the meantime, enjoy these high protein, not too sweet cookies. blog starcookies2

Ingredients

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
small dash of sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup coconut oil, melted
5 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients
In a smaller bowl, mix together coconut oil, agave and vanilla
Mix wet ingredients into dry, then chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour (or overnight worked as well)
Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until ¼ inch thick
Remove top piece of parchment paper and cut out cookies with a small star cutter
Using a metal spatula, place stars on a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° until lightly browned around the edges, 5-8 minutes
Cool completely prior to handling cookies

Super mom tip: these are great as a frozen treat and thaw quickly in room temperature for a few minutes! They are a nice high-protein/low-glycemic snack for little tummies.

dit-elle-Esther

Weekend getaway-Date Night | Suede Pants :)!

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So, weekend getaways mean a lot of things. Relaxation (i.e.-no cooking, no cleaning, no WORKING!!). They also usually mean-date nights! I get to wear things I’ve been saving for a special occasion. This time? SUEDE PANTS! I had so many doubts about these. Mainly, am I too old to wear suede pants?? Well, I figured vacation was the perfect place to try them out, and I LOVE them! I’m just going to pretend that 39 really is the new 29 and 29 is totally acceptable for suede pants haha 😉

Oh, and by the time we had gotten ready for dinner, it was dark outside. So…classy hallway shots it was :{. These next pics I took of Maya were from yesterday. A day where I stayed unshowered and in my workout clothes til about 5-which means total darkness now… Hey, it happens 🙂My favorite thing to say is “Maya, can I have a hug?” And she runs crazy into my arms. LOVE IT! 🙂