DIY Ripped Denim, Vintage Clogs and Purse = Thrift Store Scores!

I actually took these a while ago during a random sunny (albeit WINDY AND COLD) day.

Ps- Can you spy the Space Needle? I had a hard time getting us both in the frame 😉Do you have a pair of straight leg denim that you don’t know what to do with? It’s kind of a weird cut for me, BUT I often find them at the thrift stores for so cheap, so really…I have to, right?! I usually just cuff or roll them (my answer to just about every jean, since my legs are so short!), but I got this pair of ridiculously comfy 7FAM straight leg jeans for $7.50! I knew that I wouldn’t wear them as is, so, I cut off the hem to my favorite length (measured off a pair that I love), and then cut/distressed them a little. I’ve worn them SO many times now since! Yeah, this is the self conscious laugh of someone who is taking pics with a tripod on a busy path with people walking by making comments (don’t mind me!!) 😉 ps-this entire outfit was $38! But…the most expensive part (the vintage clogs for $19), I got for “free” with a credit I had at my consignment store! Whoop whoop! It LOOKS sunny and warm, but…it wasn’t. It was at our house, but when we got down to the water? Not so much. Maya had been in the car next to me eating her snack. When I got her out of the warm car, she had a bit of weather shock! And then…she was ok. Seriously, doesn’t she look like a grandma on her way to the bus stop!?? hahahah 🙂

I really hadn’t planned on taking pics this day. She had gone to preschool in the morning, and it’s all about “comfort/what you don’t care about getting ruined” /what I can get ON her and out the door in 15-20 minutes. Let’s be honest, I still want her to be cute, but…what she goes to preschool in isn’t necessarily what I blog all the time. Mainly too, because once she’s gone to school, I don’t have time to take pics after/or it’s got paint/mud on it!But get her near the beach, throwing rocks and sticks, and she’s happy. 🙂On me…

Top- H&M Conscious Collection (thrifted, similar here)

Purse- Vintage

Jeans- 7 FAM (thrifted and DIY destroyed. Similar here)

Clogs- Vintage Holje (Funky Jane’s Consignment, find some similar here)

On Maya…

Sweater- No tag (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Cherokee (thrifted, but LOVING these)

Keeping it Real…

At this point she had snot running down her nose, and I dragged her back to the car. Of course as soon as we got back to our house it wasn’t windy or that cold again…

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

Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup

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It’s been rainy and damp this past week, so this soup seemed like a great dish – the sweetness of the sausage and sweet potatoes balance out the kale in a delicious way. Hot steamy bowl anyone? This recipe makes a large batch and freezes very well!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb sweet turkey or chicken Italian sausage
8 c. coarsely chopped peeled sweet potatoes (~2 lbs)
5 c. water
4 c. chicken broth
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped
1 cup coconut milk
Salt / pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in large pot, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes
Add garlic, salt & pepper (if desired) and sauté for a minute
Remove casings from sausage and add sausage to pan
Cook 5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned, stirring to crumble
Add potato, water and broth and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for ~8 minutes
Gradually add kale, cook another 10 minutes or until tender
Season with salt/pepper as needed
Makes 10 servings

No need to save “that” for a special occasion… ;)

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I’m sure I’m not alone in saving things for “special occasions”. I bought these pants at the last Nordstrom Rack “Clear the Rack Sale”. I meant for them to be pants that I’d wear when I shoot weddings. Comfy, yet still dressy. Well, I decided not to wait! I rolled them up for a little more casual look, and I loved them! And this jacket of Maya’s? She wore it for Christmas, and that’s it. I LOVE IT though, so I decided she could dress it down too 🙂There was a tagger on the loose all over West Seattle. We actually saw some of this person’s work outside of our gym, which is a good 15 minutes away from this park. I actually posted a picture of Maya imitating this face on a wall near our gym on my personal Instagram account. So funny! Omg, could this dog be any cuter?? Not ours, but Maya loves and wants to pet every single dog she sees. “What’s his name?!” And then the dancing began 🙂 On me…

Jacket- Doma Leather (Old from eBay, similar here, less expensive here)

Denim Shirt- Gap (thrifted, similar here)

Top- Zara (on sale for $9.99!)

Pants- J Brand “Irene Pant” (Nordstrom Rack, can still be found here)

Shoes- Superga (thrifted)

On Maya…

Jacket- Gymboree (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Harper” (C/O)

Boots- (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

If there is a curb, or a ledge…she wants to walk on it. 😉

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

All Black + Leather Pants and a Pop of Red…

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Funny thing is…we weren’t going to have a fun outing this day. It was raining, Maya was sick, I hadn’t taken a shower. Then…the rain parted, Maya was on her lunch “high”, and I thought…well, why not?! What else are we going to do? The best part? This entire shoot lasted 10 minutes…and it’s one of my favs. We were going to keep running and playing, but Maya decided to run into the muddy stream and fell. She was still game to play, but I figured a wet muddy sick toddler needed to go home.

This is such an amazing little hidden park. You can pull up (I’m sure illegally) and park at the entrance. Maya can see me from her car seat. I can take pics. Then I grab her. Take a few with her, and then let her run wild. She loves it. I love it. It’s a WIN for us both! Oh, and it’s about 3 minutes from our house!

Before all the mud, while she was in the car finishing her snack…I took these really quick 😉Yes, I managed to wait a few weeks before photographing these leather pants again.

LOVE THEM!!!

And yes, I wiped some mud off at the end of all this, and they are good as new-WIN!! And…she’s OFF and RUNNING down the path! Which she thinks is just about the funniest thing ever! And then…she went exploring in the mud and slipped. It’s the number one reason I like to thrift most of her clothes. I might have had a heart attack had I paid retail for any of this, but I didn’t. And…it all washed out anyways…

Bottom line, can you deny that joyous face??!! I’ll answer that with this one…NO!!! 😉 On me…

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

Leather Pants- Genetic Denim (eBay sold out, similar here and here)

Shoes- Superga (ebay, sold out, but similar here)

On Maya…

Hat- H&M (old size 8-10 :), similar here)

Jacket- Amy Coe (thrifted, but similar here)

Sweater- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeggings-Levi’s (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Xhiliration (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

This is right after she fell in the mud. She wasn’t so sure what to do haha.

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

Shakshuka

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What’s Shakshuka? That’s what I wondered too when I saw this recipe. Apparently it’s a popular dish in Tunisia and Israel – a thick sauce made of onions, peppers and tomatoes simmered with spices. Then you poach eggs directly on top of the sauce and serve. Yum!

The recipe below makes 12 servings – a lot! You can easily cut it in half, or the sauce freezes very well!

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
2 large yellow onions, diced
10 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon cayenne or harissa (optional)
6 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp salt or to taste

Toppings

Eggs (optional)
Avocado (optional)
Feta cheese (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

In a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions, and stir for several minutes, cooking until translucent and pale gold, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add garlic and cook for several more minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Stir in spices, cayenne or harissa and bell peppers. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes with their juice and broth, stirring gently to blend. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 60 minutes, until liquids have reduced to a thick sauce. Taste and add salt as desired.
Warm the sauce to medium and poach one egg per person directly in the sauce.

To store: Divide equally between 3 large freezer tubs. Label with the name and date. Use within 6 months.

Thanks for the inspiration PCC Natural Markets.

Nightgowns + Robes…I mean dresses + cardigans!

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Basically, I felt like I was wearing a nightgown and my robe all day…which counts as a home run in my book (or touch down as the case may be lately- or not :{)The Huz asked me why I was wearing a “sexy dress”. My answer? Because I felt chubby and didn’t want to wear anything tight. Basically, I felt anything but sexy, and that’s when he thought I looked sexy. It’s funny how differently men see us vs how we feel, no? That awkward moment when cars drive by and they do a double take…

Yeah, I’m standing in front of my house taking my own picture…whatever. 😉Maya always wants to get in my mouth when I’m chewing gum.

“When I get OLDER, I can chew gum!” 🙂 She has a mouthful of cracker here. She’s started saving her food in her mouth. Which wouldn’t be so bad (choking hazard aside!), but then she repeatedly spits it out into her hand, looks at it, then puts it back in her mouth-EW!! Not sure if she’s pretending it’s gum? Or taking to heart all the many times I’ve told her to slow down and actually chew her food. OR…she’s just being a toddler 😉 In any case, she thinks it’s hilarious. Not as hilarious as running away from me. That’s pretty much her most favorite game to play! On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, but similar here and less expensive here)

Sweater- Vince (Nordstrom Rack, sold out, similar here)

Dress- StyleMint “Eva Maxi”

Boots- Born (thrifted, SO comfy, similar here in brown)

On Maya…

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

Sweater- Il etait Une Fee (thrifted, but similar color here)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Leggings- Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Mexx (thrifted, but DYING over these here)

Keeping it Real…

Maya’s had a cold for the past few days. She is still pretty happy go lucky, but just wants to cuddle and watch movies all day. She even fell asleep on me this day, which never happens anymore! It brought back so many memories of when she was a baby, and would sleep in my arms all the time!! Part of me misses those days, so it’s nice to revisit them every once in a while. Wish it wasn’t accompanied by her feeling crappy though.

I still think a little fresh air does a body good, so we have been doing little brief outtings here and there.

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

Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce

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Totally delicious melding of flavors: the tartness of baked apples, cinnamon, raisins and toasted almonds.. topped with a sweet and creamy vanilla sauce.. It’s a classic Scandinavian dessert. Comfort food for winter is what I call it! 🙂

Baked apples

4 apples (Granny Smith work great) – cored
1/3 cup roughly chopped almonds
1/3 cup raisins or dried currants
1 tsp cinnamon
water

Directions

Core your apples carefully with a pairing knife
Toss raisins, almonds and cinnamon
Place apples upright in glass baking dish and fill each center with nut/raisin mixture
Any leftover nut/raisin mixture can be tossed into the bottom of the baking dish
Pour a little water into the baking dish
Cover with foil and bake @350 for 45 minutes or until knife inserts easily into apple

Vanilla Sauce

2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp agave syrup or other sweetener
1 Tbsp tapioca or other starch (whisked with some water)

Directions

Put all ingredients (including vanilla pod if you are using that, but excluding vanilla essence) in a pot and bring to light boil while stirring to avoid clumps
Remove from heat and add vanilla essence (if you are using that)
Cool a bit and ladle on to baked apples
Delicious hot or cold! 🙂

Stripes and Wide Leg Denim

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I’m totally on the fence about these jeans. I think that unless you are super tiny or have ridiculously long legs, wide leg denim needs to be worn with heels, or they are just not that flattering. They are comfy though, and I wasn’t in the mood to wear skinnies. I think I’ll keep them until I finally stop “holiday/stress indulging” Because…it’s got.to.stop.SOON!

Anywho… I loooooove the fog!! I know I’ve mentioned that before, but just thought I’d mention it again 🙂 On me…

Top- Zara (sold out, similar here)

Jeans- J Brand (via Twice, similar here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket- Levi’s (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Vans “Candy Hearts” (thrifted, but loving these silver heart ones here)

Keeping it Real…

We took these last Friday, and I’ll be honest. It wasn’t a banner day. There were tears shed by both of us through out the day. You know those days when one little thing after the other happens, and then you just can’t take anymore? Yeah…that was Friday. But thank goodness, Saturday brought a new day of good times had by all 🙂

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

Apples & Toffee Caramel Dip

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Go Seahawks!!!!!!!!!! I’m reposting this as an awesome super bowl game day snack. Totally unhealthy, totally delicious. Super easy to make. Enjoy!

This dip pairs especially well with Honeycrisp (or a tarter) apple!

Ingredients

1 brick cream cheese
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag toffee chips (like Heath toffee bits)

Mix first four ingredients well and fold in chips. Let chill for at least an hour. This makes very well a day in advance.

Honeycrisp apples are amazing with this dip!

We are in clog heaven…

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We had a completely random 60 degree day on Monday. It was SO NICE!!! Sadly, our day was jam packed, and we only had 30 minutes to play outside and take some pictures… ;{ Can we talk about how freaking adorable these clogs are??!! And what’s even better? They are totally comfortable! Clogs really are the best mom shoe! They allow you to wear a little bit of a heel, yet your feet don’t hurt and you can still ~~chase~~ play with your kids 😉 And they look adorable too-bonus!!

I was contacted by Sven Clogs after we posted and tagged them in a few shots on Instagram from the post I did a few weeks ago. She said she loved the pictures and wanted to send Maya and me some clogs as a thank you. WHAAAT??!! I couldn’t believe it!!! I went to their site, and fell into the rabbit hole of cute clogs. The attention to detail is beyond gorgeous. I got the medium height ones with the bendable base, which is what makes them so incredibly comfortable. The vintage clogs I wore in the other post are ridiculously cute (you will see me in them again next week…), but I have to admit…the wooden base isn’t as comfy as these are. I have to kick them off the minute I walk in the door, unlike these. I wore them all day! Haha. Peace out!

Or…possibly reprimanding me. She has become the total manners police. It’s kind of funny. “Mommy, that’s not good manners!” or “Mommy, you said a bad word!” Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I have…well, I like to curse. BUT…I really try very hard not to in front of the kids. So, if I say “Shut up!” in an Elaine way, not a mean way, Maya still says that’s bad manners 🙂 And I’m dying over Maya’s! SHE loves them too! She wanted to wear them the minute we took them out of the box, and was so excited when I said we were going to wear them this day.Oh, and I’d like to take a moment to thank that ship for being perfectly coordinated with our outfits hahaha. 🙂Every time we come to this park, Maya loves to get on top of this little ledge and jump off over and over and over. I was a liiiiittle nervous about her jumping with clogs. I wasn’t sure if she would twist her ankle with the little bit of heel it has. I was trying to talk her down and say that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to jump. All I got was a “Shhhhhh”

No idea where she gets it… 😉And so she jumped!And she didn’t twist her ankle. So, she jumped again, and again, and again.And then…it was time to go pick up her brother.On me…

Top- See by Chloe (ebay, similar here and less expensive here)

Jeans-Vince Destroyed Stretch Skinny (thrifted, similar here and less expensive here)

Clogs- Sven Clogs “Lacy” Bendable Base (c/o)

On Maya…

Vestt- Gap (jacket that I cut the sleeves off of (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- H&M (thrifted)

Jeggings- Levi’s (thrifted, but similar here)

Clogs- Sven Clogs “Mary Jane Ankle Strap” c/o

Keeping it Real…

Since we only had a limited time, I was kind of rushed and didn’t have time to really check what pictures I was getting. There was also a guy at the end of the pier with us, and that always makes me feel like a big nerd. ANYWHO, can I just say how sad I was when I got home and realized I totally messed up the focus on this shot? There were a bunch of cute ones that we took that were all this fuzzy. BOO!!! 😦

A HUGE thank you to Sven Clogs! We are beyond grateful, and we LOVE THEM!! All that said…generous gift aside. All my views on them are totally genuine and have nothing to do with the fact that they were given to us. If they were horribly uncomfortable, I would have just kept my mouth shut and said thank you 😉

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

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