Faux Leather Biker Jacket + Stripes + High Waisted Crops + Booties

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 I can’t stop buying high waisted crop jeans.  Granted…on my monster torso, they don’t look so “high waisted”.

I think they can be harder to style in the colder temps, but they work great if you can find the right height of bootie to wear with them!

It was SUPER windy on this evening.  Maya was actually waiting in the car by the side of the road.

She could still see me btw… Then, she came out, but insisted I hold her the whole time because she was too cold… LOVE this next one!!!! Ok, I love ALL these!!! I could lie and say this next one was a super sweet shot of her holding my face, but…

She thought it was hilarious to put her cold hands on my face. 🙂 Another favorite!!  The symmetrical nerd in me loves how my leg mimics the curve of the grass!

Complete happy accident haha.I convinced her to get down on her own for a few saying she could dance to keep warm… DYING!!  She clearly gets into it when she dances 🙂

On me…

Jacket- Zara (thrifted, similar here and here)
Top- J Crew (thrifted, similar here)
Belt- Vintage (thrifted, similar here)
Jeans- J Crew “Vintage Cropped” (thrifted for $6! similar here)
On Maya…
Sweater- Pumpkin Patch (thrifted)
Top- H&M (thrifted, but similar here)
Overalls- Crewcuts (thrifted for $7!)
Shoes- Crewcuts (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Yeah…it was really windy!!
haha.
One minute…super sweet looking shot (above), then….reality. And….then she decides to look down my shirt??? She REEEEEAALLY gets into her dancing haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Playing on the windy beach in Hunter boots

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 To be honest, the overcast somewhat nasty days are usually my favorite days to go outside and play! No need to fight any crowds, so you have the beach all to yourself! I’m sure most people wouldn’t think of playing on the beach in the waves when it’s 44 degrees  and super windy outside, but we had so much fun!

I took a video of how I set up the camera and the shutter release I use which can be viewed here. Of course she thought it was hilarious trying to get ME into the water! I looooove that this almost looks like she’s playing in the snow in these next ones! Her face!!  LOVE!

On me…

Sweater- Elizabeth and James (eBay, similar here and less expensive here.)
Top- Banana Republic (thrifted, but super fun sleeve option here)
Jeans- DL1961 Toni “midrise” (eBay, similar here)
Boots- Hunter (thrifted, but similar here and here)
On Maya…
Vest- Zara (thrifted, but similar here)
Sweatshirt- Crewcuts (thrifted, )
Jeans- DL1961 “Chloe” (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- Hunter Original Kids (eBay)
Keeping it Real…
I messed up locking in the focus on a whole series of shots! UGH.  SO frustrating, but thankfully I moved the camera and got the focus right.
Not really an outtake, but her pose!!  KILLS ME!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Off the Shoulder Cashmere Sweater + Skinny Boyfriend Jeans + Booties

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 I love the idea that any wide neck sweater can easily turn into an off the shoulder one!

And…if you are unsure of the off the shoulder trend or don’t want to wear a strapless bra…layer a fun bralette or tank underneath! Looking back on these pictures, I needed to roll the cuff once more or a little bigger…I don’t really like where they hit me at the ankle.

One of the many benefits of taking pics! GAH!!  Her smile and laugh are just about my favorite thing to see!! This smile now is very GAP TOOTHED!!  I have a loooooot of posts I need to do with her old teeth still in.  I cannot WAIT to start posting her new smile!!

On me…

Sweater- Feel the Piece SO obsessed with this brand! (eBay)
Top- H by Bourdeax
Booties- Sam Edelman “Posey Chain Trim Bootie” (eBay, fun ones here & here)
On Maya…
Sweater- Naartjie (thrifted)
Top- (thrifted)
Jeans- True Religion “Skinny” (thrifted, but similar here)
Shoes- Children’s Place “Sequin Popstar Hi-Top Sneaker (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Most times, I just let Maya jump and dance around, and it ends up being so her and so cute.
And then there are the in between moments….haha.
Her classic face… 🙂
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Fancy Dresses on a windy beach…

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 One thing we’ve had LOTS of lately, is windy days!!

I’ve been wanting to get dressed up and play with the wind, and we finally did it the other day.  Maya LOVES to dress up, so that was an easy sell.  It was pretty cold though, so layers were key.

I totally underestimate the wind and which direction we should be facing.  I thought it would be better to have the wind at our fronts, but that just pushed my dress in all kinds of unflattering areas!

This one totally cracks me up though, and thankfully she’s hiding me-haha!I took a little video of Maya running around too… (click to view) Loooooove this next one! I messed up the focus on this next one.  It’s harder to lock in the focus on my tiny little focus stand when the camera is farther away from the tripod…

Soooooo, I just did a creative blur, and called it an “artisic shot” haha.

I actually really like it!

On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)
Belt- Linea Pelle (Old, similar here)
Boots- Circa Joan & David (thrifted, similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Zara Kids (thrifted, but similar here)
Sweater- CrewCuts by J Crew (thrifted, but similar here)
Shoes- Unlisted “Totally Mine” (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
I tried to get an image of my super fun HANDMADE earrings/necklace, but the wind was obviously not cooperating!
So…I came back and took a pic in front of my house.  Of COURSE my neighbor came by when I was taking them-as they always do!
Today she’s doing a buy 2 get 1 free sale!  Now that’s fate!  SO….check out her amazing designs!
I aaaaaaalmost posted an image that showed just how badly the wind was blowing my dress onto me, but just couldn’t.
You’re welcome!
Because….it wasn’t pretty-haha.
Her face in this next one… 🙂
And another video we took “I just want to go in the car now mom!” haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Vanilla Cake with Cashew Frosting and Strawberries | Paleo

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I made this for Maya’s birthday, which was back in…..

OCTOBER!

Sigh…

Poor thing’s birthday is right in the midst of my busiest time at work!  She still got the cake she requested, but I never had time to blog it!

I used Paleo Grubs “Famous Vanilla Cake” and only made a few changes.  Everyone LOVED it, and no guilt either!

Ingredients

For the cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp raw honey
  • 5 tbsp coconut flour
  • 5 tbsp almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla pod
For the filling
  • 1 3/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hour and drained well
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • about 1/3 cup water
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • seeds from one vanilla pod
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt

Directions for Frosting

  • Original recipe says to make the filling a day ahead.  I made mine the day of, but made it first and chilled it while I was making the cake.
  • Place all the ingredients except water in a high power blender and blend until smooth. Add the water, a tablespoon at the time until the filling become silky and you get your desired texture.Having a cute assistant adds even more sweetness 😉 . Ok, that was bad…but true! 🙂
  • Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or for a few hours like I did 🙂

Directions for the cake

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Original recipe says to line two 8 inch spring-form pans with parchment paper, but I just greased two 8 inch cake pans really well and they popped right out.
  • In a large bowl or food processor cream the eggs with honey.
  • In a separate bowl combine flours with salt and baking soda.
  • Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and add vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod.
  • Divide the mixture between prepared pans and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

For visual reference.  The dough will be more dense. And it won’t rise much after cooking.

  • Remove cakes from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
  • After the cake is cooled off, smooth half of the frosting on top of one cake layer, and layer sliced strawberries.
  • Place 2nd layer on top and spread a thin layer of the frosting on top and place strawberries with the top cut off around the cake.
  • Scoop the rest into pastry bag or you can use a ziploc bag with the tip cut off.  Squeeze onto cake for decoration!

ENJOY!dit-elle-Lauren

Stripes + Boots in the golden hour…

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 It’s been sooo cold, windy, rainy, and miserable, but….a few days we’ve had sun!

And when that happens, we all run out and enjoy it!

Ps…Maya was hitting the shutter on this one…over and over and over haha. LOVING this next one in black and white!!! Ok….I might start posting more black and whites!  In my home, that’s mostly what I print, but for some reason I rarely post them here.

LOVE! Yes, we clash stubborn whits at times, but…gah.  I feel SO lucky that she’s my daughter!

I’m sure every mother thinks that, but I really would rather hang out with her than most other people… She cracks me up all the time, and is so kind, caring, and loving.

I mean…her joy!!!  It’s so infectious!

Another shot by Maya pushing the shutter… Those missing teeth!!!

The top two are about to go too.  I will not be able to handle the gap toothed smile!!!

It will be FULLY DOCUMENTED-be forewarned! 🙂

On me…

Sweater- Vince (Nordstrom Rack, sold out similar here)
On Maya…
Top- Crewcuts (thrifted, but similar here)
Jeans- Mini Boden (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- Timberland “Earthkeepers” (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
I couldn’t decide if this was an image I loved or an outtake haha.  Once again, I danced my way right out of the frame.  BUT….it could be an artistic crop!
  Her face! Noooo idea what was going on here, but I want to squeeze Maya’s belly!!  Actually, I think it was a piggy back dismount that didn’t go smoothly and wasn’t meant to be captured 😉 . I can’t hear the shutter when we are that far away though, so I honestly can’t tell when it’s going off or stopping haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Vintage Levi’s Jacket + Leather Crop Flares + Stripes

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Back in mid December, I posted these super fun leather crop flares in a holiday look.

I SCORED these on NWT (!!) eBay for $104, but leather pants are still an investment piece no matter how much you pay for them!  I am always trying to find ways to dress them down for everyday wear to get more use out of them.

I’ve done a bunch of posts about my love of leather pants!  Looking back, some of these are my favorite posts, and can be seen Here (leather leggings day to night), here (with a plaid blanket scarf), here (Playing on the beach), here (All black…always a good combo), here (dressed down in a boho look), and here (with an oversized Cardigan.

On me…

Jacket- Levi’s (thrifted, similar here)
Top- Stylemint (Old, similar here)
Jeans- Frame “Flounce Pull On” Leather Pants (SCORED NEW on eBay for $104!, similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Zara Kids (thrifted, but similar here)
Sweater- CrewCuts by J Crew (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Blueberri Boulevard (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- Naturino (thrifted, but similar here in pink)
Keeping it Real…
Well, I only took 3 pictures in this dressed down look (I stashed a change of clothes in the car, and YES, changed on the side of a very busy street-whoops)  before having to run after Maya who went down to the beach without me!
So, I should probably include one of those too… Because twirling on the beach in a party dress is so freaking cute! And this is the ONE shot I got of us together in this look.  WAY after the sun had set, and only lit by the street lamp!
My shutter release was still broken at this point, so….😭
(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Bone Broth Rotisserie Chicken Soup (Crockpot )

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By now, I’m sure you all have heard about all the amazing health benefits of bone broth.  If by chance you haven’t, you can read about some of the benefits here.

Often, I’ll make a soup from the turkey carcass after Thanksgiving, by boiling it on the stovetop but other than that…I’ve been totally lazy thinking it was too much of a process to do regularly.

Until recently, when a friend told me she does it in her crockpot over night-DUH!!

Every week we have a rotisserie chicken for dinner.  For whatever reason, the chicken gets dried out and nobody eats it after a day.  So, every week I end up throwing away the leftovers after a few days and get SO frustrated over the wasting off all that chicken!  NO MORE!

This last week, I took off all the extra chicken we didn’t eat that same night and put the carcass in our slow cooker.  The next day, I added back in the chicken

Ingredients (feeds 4 with leftovers)

  • One Rotisserie Chicken (Mine was half eaten from the night before-haha!)
  • 4 Medium sized carrots(I used organic Rainbow Carrots, because… FUN COLORS! :))
  • 6-8 Cups of Water
  • 2 Can Chicken Broth (check labels if you are on Whole30)
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed ginger
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 Medium to Large Onion Diced
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 a bag of noodles.  (You could use gluten free OR 2 cups zoodles or sweet potato noodles etc if you are Whole30!)

Directions

  • Pick off all the chicken from the bone and set aside in an airtight container.
  • Place the carcass in the slowcooker with the carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger.
  • Pour 6-8 cups of water.  I used 6, but then added some chicken stock later.  I wasn’t sure if just one carcass would flavor the broth enough.
  • Cook on low overnight for 12 hours.
  • The next morning, pull on the bones out.  I left the carrots and onions in there.  They were mushy, but I figured the flavor would still be good and it was!
  • Add shredded chicken back in and let sit on warm until dinner!
  • If you aren’t doing Whole30 or you could also add in noodles at this point and they end up cooking on the “warm” cycle til dinner.  Ours were a little soft, but still yummy!
  • For Whole30 add in zoodles or sweet potato noodles!

You can see Esther’s chicken soup post where she started from scratch with a whole chicken.

And, other easy Crockpot Recipes you might enjoy…

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Healthy Chicken and Dumplings

Crockpot Veggie Pasta and Turkey Meat Sauce

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Chunky Knits + Overalls + Booties | Fashion at ANY age….

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I was listening to a podcast the other day (ok, by this point it was a while ago…delayed posting and all that!), and it was an interview with a popular blogger.  In her interview she made a comment along the lines of “Nobody wants to see a 49 style blogger!” 😳

Not going to lie. It kind of pissed me off. 😠

I was SUPER uncomfortable, self conscious, and felt totally narcissistic posting images of myself when we first started this blog. Ok, I still am, but I’m getting over it.  You know why?  I am SO unbelievably thankful that I have all these images of me with Maya, but also…just the images of just me (😬🙊🙈 ) .

The bottom line is that I love fashion.  I am over apologizing for it.  I’ve loved fashion since I was Maya’s age! AND….I’m guessing I’l love fashion in 6 years when I turn 49!

Her comment actually made me want to do more fashion posts!

Now…I just need more time!! This cozy cardigan?  Handknit by my dad!  He made it from himself, and then it was in one of their “donation bags” that I intercepted haha.  SO GLAD-love it!! Her face!!  DYING! Ok, I’m dying NOW!  At the moment…well… My remote trigger had died, so taking these was with the self timer.  And, I kept running back and forth and looking down…

Seeing this face wasn’t EXACTLY what I wanted to see, but now that…a month and a half (!!) has gone by…I LOVE IT!

It’s SO her.  If it’s in any way posed…she’s NOT having it.  That is why post of our images are fun/action based!  A little harder when it’s a one shot deal with the self timer…I can’t believe I did ALL our images that way in the beginning!! Oh, but then….I wore her down!!!

As I do. And these next few are some of my FAVORITES of us!!

I’ve really been wanting to capture the golden hour more.  I just didn’t have the time to take pics of us in the fall, because I was so busy with client shoots.  The ONE bonus of the sun setting at 4:30, is that I can pictures of us in the golden hour in the afternoon!  haha. LOOOOOVE!! She was trying to capture bugs that were flying in the sunlight! And lastly….singing.  As she does.

On me…

Sweater- Handknit by my dad!
Overalls- Paige “Sierra” Overalls (eBay, similar here)
On Maya…
Vest- Zara (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- J Khaki Kids (thrifted)
Leggings- Children’s Place (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- Pediped “Flex Issa”  (thrifted for $4.25!!)
Keeping it Real…
 A DOG!!  MUST PET THE DOG!!
Which pretty much happened in between every shot, because we were on a path in a large park…
This is what the majority of our outings look like haha.  I try to squeeze in pics of us here and there in the break of dog walkers…
(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod because my shutter release BROKE-WHA WHA!!), except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Happy New Year! | Family Pictures, a little late…

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 I honestly wasn’t sure if we were going to be able to take family pictures this year!

Between my work schedule on the weekends, Jackson’s schedule coming home for the weekend, the WEATHER, and…my overall desire to pick up my camera for anything that wasn’t being paid for…well.  That left one weekend in mid December, and all the stars aligned!!

I almost didn’t do a card this year, because we missed all the deadlines for STEEP discounts at most card vendors, and I honestly like to upload my own simple design that focuses on the image with only a few simple graphics.

Low and behold…I randomly tried Costco!  AND…you can upload your own design front and back!  Huge for me, because I can never decide on ONE picture to post!  And, sorry for those of you that do, but I don’t want a bunch of small images.  It’s a GREAT way to share a bunch, but I really like one image of us all looking at the camera smiling, and then a more candid happy shot.

And, no coupon code needed!  It was super affordable!  This is NOT a sponsored post!!!  I wish it was haha.  But, just know, you can absolutely print your professional pictures at Costco, with the CAVEAT of marking the button at the end of your check out “do NOT color correct!”

My parents joined us! Love these shots of them! And Maya could NOT be any luckier in the big brother department!  I kind of feel sorry for any guy that dates her…

Watch out for BIG brothers that LOVE their little sister! That gap tooth smile…LOVE!  And it’s even more gap toothed now!  And will be SO gap toothed in few more months! And…getting this guy in front of the camera is not easy.

I talked a lot about how thankful I was for Maya and my mom in the last post that I did…a few weeks ago-yes, I took a break from blogging for a while. I need to mention that I couldn’t be more thankful for this guy!  The way he looks at me is enough, but what he does on the daily…

Works his ARSE off to provide for us, while working from home and no longer traveling so that he can be HOME.  He made a conscious decision to try something different because he wants to be with us, which speaks volumes to how lucky our family is to have him.

Does he “complete” me?  No, but he compliments me in just about every way.  Literally is not only the yin to my yang, but the yin to my yin, and the yang to my yang!  In ways that I never thought I needed someone to compliment me.  And I don’t mean saying nice things to me, although he does that too.  🙂

He’s always been SO supportive of everything I’ve ever done, and consistently helps with my business in ways that I NEVER could.

At the end of the day…I can’t wait to just hang out with him, and I think that’s the most important thing!
Might be one of my new favs of the three of us!  Thanks Huz! Oh, and had to take an outfit pic!

On me…

Top- Ramy Brook (eBay, similar here or sleeveless here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Crewcuts (thrifted, but similar here)
Sweater- Crewcuts (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Gap Kids (thrifted)
Tights- Hanna Andersson (old, but similar here)
Boots- Nine West “Sassy Tran”  (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Ok, Maya was ON FIRE for this family shoot, which is usually not the case!
I know…SO WEIRD if you follow us and see her in every other post, but during family shoots, she has freaked out more often than not.
BUT…this year.  I told her she was free to be her goofy self.  That i WANTED her to be that way.  Well…she took that to heart haha.  BUT, it made everyone else laugh too, so I’ll TAKE IT!!
(All FULL family pictures taken with a self timer shutter release and tripod, but everyone pitched in for the rest!)

dit-elle-Lauren