My favorite denim…

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I honestly cannot remember how or when I came across DL1961 Denim. Looking back, I remember wearing them when I was pregnant with Maya because the fabric was perfectly stretchy and SO comfy. Obviously, that was over 3 years ago, and I now have 10+ pairs (I can’t help myself, they’re that good!!). What I do know, is that they are hands down my favorite denim. I’ve talked about the amazing 360 degree stretch a number of times on this blog, and how perfect they are for active moms. Really, they are good for anyone who wants to look better and feel like you’re still wearing your yoga pants haha. I actually wore them for my very first blog post-that was weird to look back on!!

All this to say, I literally could not believe my eyes when I got an email asking if I’d be interested in doing a Mother/Daughter collaboration with them!! Like…mouth hanging open, and I reread the email about 10 times before I convinced myself it wasn’t spam :}. Everything that they wanted to show, is exactly why I wanted to do this blog. That there are comfy cute clothes that let you play with your kids and still look good.

They just came out with a line for kids this summer that not only has 4-way stretch that is great for playing/climbing/jumping, but it’s also anti-bacterial, odor-resistant fabric-WHAT??! And if that wasn’t amazing enough, theirs are about 40% less than other designer denim for kids-only slightly more than chain store toddler denim!

So…in an effort to step up my mom game a little, I did my hair, actually put make up on, put a liiiiittle more thought into what we wore, and went to one of my favorite parks. All of which (besides the hair and make up :)) are totally within the realm of daily activities for us!

The weather here is still a bit bipolar. Raining one minute, sunny the next, windy and cold soon thereafter. Big scarves are the perfect in between accessory. They keep you warm, but not too warm!I wish you could feel how soft and comfortable this fabric is! This particular pair “The Emma in Bloom” is softer than any other pair I have. Feels almost like a stretch silk denim. The faux front pockets make it so you don’t have that annoying pocket lump. And really, who puts anything in their front pocket?? I seriously took more pics of my arse in this post than ever before. BUTT (haha ;)) they really do flatter the backside!! And, who couldn’t use that?! I mean…can you sit like this comfortably in many other jeans? Fyi, Maya’s off to the side eating her apple 😉And…playing with her dolls that I couldn’t manage to get out of her hands for half these shots. Keeping it real over here 😉 This was so fun for me as a photographer. I usually only set the tripod up in one maybe 2 situations, get a few shots, and then move on to taking pics of Maya or just put the camera away and play. I tried to get a little more variety this time and shoot shots that I would want to shoot if I were only the photographer vs also the subject.Love, love, LOVE these next three. It’s so us. She loves to be cuddled, and I LOVE TO CUDDLE HER! Maya’s wearing a “slouchy slim” fit. The fabric on these is the same ridiculously soft fabric as my jeans! I admit to putting her in skinny jeans that probably aren’t the most comfy for her (yes, I’m admitting it Mom and Dad!!), but these? She could climb just about anything! On me…

Scarf- Vintage (thrifted, LOVING this here)

Sweater- Autumn Cashmere (old, similar here and here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Emma” in Bloom (C/O)

Boots- Sam Edelman “Petty Suede Boots” (thrifted for $8.40!!!)

On Maya…

Jacket- Circo (thrifted, but similar here)

Top- Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Harper” (C/O)

Shoes- Osh Kosh (purchased from Zulily, similar here)

Keeping it Real…

So, about 10 minutes into shooting an entire field trip of kids came up to where we were and were learning about the park/pine cones/who knows what. They were literally right where I was standing in the first shot, so….I just flipped the camera around to get the ones of me and Maya. Yes, I was embarrassed for all of about 2 minutes, and then I figured-what the heck. I am NOT wasting a non rainy day, on which I actually did my hair and make up haha. So, the show went on!

Here’s a picture I took with my phone 🙂

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

DIY Toilet Paper Roll Glitter Crown with Tulle

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Maya is obsessed with “princesses”. Every dress is a “princess dress”, and her obsession with Elsa and Anna is (like most toddler girls) a bit out of control 🙂 I had brief thoughts of making her an Elsa costume, but then reality slapped me in the face. Esther, on the other hand, IS making Ava one, and I cannot wait to see it!! I went the easy route with Maya’s costume and found a cute orange and black tutu looking outfit at Goodwill for $4. It’s supposed to be a witch, but I called it a Pumpkin Princess outfit, and Maya’s in love haha.

But…every princess needs a crown, no? The DIY lace crown I made before was super easy, but I wanted to try something a little more complex and fun. I had the idea of using a toilet paper roll for the crown, putting glitter on it, and somehow having tulle shoot out. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it until I started making it ha!

As luck would have it, Mother had a post that very morning on Toilet Paper Roll Crafts. I had originally just cut my crown straight across, but their gold crown with the points was so much cuter! Saved just in the nick of time!

What you’ll Need

Toilet paper roll
Sharp scissors
Glitter
Marker that is either the same shade or complimentary to your glitter
Glue
Small Hole Punch
Elastic
Tulle (a yard should be plenty, although if you want a longer train use more)
Large Cookie sheet lined with tin foil for easy clean up
Toddler (added bonus :))

Instructions

Cut your toilet paper roll in half
Cut jagged design in one half
Cut the other half into a fourth and then cut up one side so it slides inside itself to be smaller and will fit inside the jagged crown piece.
Color the Crown piece with your marker. That way when the glue dries, you will see that color vs the brown toilet paper roll.
Punch holes in opposite sides at the bottom of the crown.
Lightly coat the crown with glue (I put a little too much on and it started dripping :{
Have your toddler help with lightly pouring the glitter on. I used both black tiny ball glitter and gold dust glitter.
Set that aside to dry. If you lightly coat it with glue, it should be fine standing up right.
Next, cut your tulle into 6 inch squares. I had probably 8-10. Stack all the tulle with the corners at varying vs being all lined up. I think it would look cool if you did longer pieces and they were flowing down the back too!
Place your cut 1/4 piece of the roll in the middle of the tulle stack and fold up, securing with a rubber band. Secure the excess with more rubber bands so it’s easier to feed through the crown.
When your crown is dry, feed the tulled inner crown up through the middle and place some glue around the bottom to secure.
Cut the rubber bands and fluff the tulle.
Tie the elastic through the punched holes, and your done!Have fun!!

Plaid and Coated Flares…fall in Seattle ;)

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So, I’m on a roll with wearing things that I’ve been “saving”. These coated flares have been folded up in my closet just waiting to be worn, and I finally stopped waiting for the right occasion. Because playing on a pier overlooking Seattle seemed like the perfect occasion 🙂 These bubbles were totally faulty!! Poor thing. I even tried and got maybe 2 bubbles at a time 😦 That didn’t stop her though haha. She got ONE! Ok, screw bubbles. This pole is totally fun to spin around… 🙂 Her Gigi would be proud. We are getting our miles out of these boots she got Maya for her birthday!! On me…

Jacket- Gap (seriously, probably 15+ years old?? Similar here)

Top- Vintage “Panhandle Slim” haha (thrifted, but similar here)

Jeans- J Brand Martini Coated Flare ($20!! from Twice, similar here)

Shoes- Sam Edelman (thrifted, similar lower heel here)

Bag- Gustto (ebay, similar here)

On Maya…

Vest- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar on sale here)

Dress- Old Navy (thrifted, but similar here)

Leggings- Carters (similar here)

Boots- Corral Kid’s Turquoise Full Stitch Square Toe Boot

Keeping it Real…

I rarely wear heels anymore. I used to wear them all day long in my previous corporate life, although I sat for most of the day… These Sam Edelman wedges are actually super comfy when you first put them on. Two hours later, chasing Maya, running on rocky beaches…I practically threw them off the minute we walked through the door! So…back to flats/boots for me 🙂

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

Savory Delicata Squash

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Not only are pumpkins in season, but there’s an abundance and huge variety of beautiful squash out there. This recipe calls for “Delicata” squash and you can eat the peel – which is full of good nutrients too.

A dusting of curry powder and freshly chopped cilantro make this a wonderful, subtly flavored, side dish! Actually, I could probably eat this as a main dish! So yummy! 🙂 savory squash

Ingredients

About 6 cups of your favorite squash cubed (I used Delicata squash, including skins, and it was delicious!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsps fresh chopped cilantro
Salt/pepper

Directions

Oven to 425*
Toss cubed squash in oil and season with salt & pepper
Place in a large pan
Bake for 30 minutes or until soft enough to easily spear with a fork
Remove from oven and toss with remaining ingredients
Serve hot or at room temperature

Super Mom Tip: Cube the squash a day ahead and store in a bag in the fridge until ready to use.

Thriftstore scores again!

Pumpkin Season – a collection of fall favorites!

Sometimes it’s fun to dress up for no reason…

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As a work from home mom, sometimes it’s a miracle if I take a shower, let alone get out of my walking clothes. Yes, this blog has helped inspire me to into normal clothes more often than not, but I still have those days when 7pm rolls around, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think “YIKES!” Then I’m left to wonder if I even brushed my teeth… :{ Other days, I just feel like putting on some heeled booties and wearing a top that I’ve been “saving for a special occasion” for no real occasion at all. Sadly, I only put the effort in from the neck down haha. No shower, no make up, lazy mom top knot. I did however, brush my teeth 🙂

This is the same park we went to the other the day for Maya’s 3 year pictures. I love that it’s not really a park. It’s in the middle of this little neighborhood, but nobody has ever been there when we’ve gone. Perfect for running around, and nerdy self portraits 😉This was actually sold as a dress. I may have washed it (dry clean only, WHATEVER!!), and shrunk it a little… Like I would ever have worn it as a dress anyway… If Maya had control over what she wore, she would wear this dress and one other one every.single.day. Now, she knows to ask “Is the purple dress dirty?” Because I say that all the time in order to get her into something else haha.She could jump into my arms over and over. “AGAIN!!!” Which is good, because it took me a while to time these right. I really wanted one of her mid air, but we’ll try again another day 🙂Love this next one. I’m so glad she’s such a snuggler!!On me…

Top/Dress- H&M (cream is sold out, but here it is in Black)

Jeans- Goldsign “Mayhem” (Sold out, but similar here)

Boots- Frye “Lisa Short Stitch” (eBay, sold out but similar here and here and less expensive here)

On Maya…

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted)

Shoes- Arizona Jeans (thrifted, but loving these)

Keeping it Real…

Funny story. My husband had a work event a few weeks ago that happened to be in Seattle for once. He asked me to take some pictures, and his one request? “Um, do you think you could wear your hair down?” haha.

(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 :))

Salmon with Dill Cream

Pops of color…

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Truth be told, I would be happy to wear denim, white, black, and gray all day every day. At one point in my life, I made a conscious decision to try and work color into my wardrobe. I’m still not a big pattern fan, but every once in while I’ll try and do that too 🙂 Part of the reason is that I like to ~~hoard~~ hold on to my clothes FOREVER, and people remember patterns year over year. A well made basic black sweater?? I’ve got some that I’ve had for 15+ years and STILL wear them!

There’s something about this coral color, though. I think it works for just about every season, don’t you?? Please say yes haha.

We went over to a friends house for dinner while the Huz was out of town, and literally took these in 10 minutes before hopping in the car. So…not much variety 🙂 Maya’s Gigi (the Huz’s mom) lives on a ranch in Oklahoma with horses. She STILL competes and places Nationally in Horse cutting. I won’t say her age, but let’s be honest…at 40, I would consider myself lucky to be competing in anything! All that said, she sent Maya these beautiful cowboy boots for her birthday! You will be seeing these a lot in the next few months 🙂 Some boots were made for walking…and some dresses were made for twirling 🙂 On me…

Top- Sanctuary “Jacinda” (Nordstrom Rack a few years ago-Sold out)

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

Boots- Frye “Lisa Short Stitch” (eBay, sold out but similar here and here and less expensive here)

On Maya…

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Boots- Corral Kid’s Turquoise Full Stitch Square Toe Boot

Keeping it Real…

We went over to a friends house for dinner while the Huz was out of town. I literally took these in 10 minutes before hopping in the car. So…for those that wonder if taking pics has to take a long time or if you have to go searching for a fancy location…you don’t. At least not all the time 🙂 Find a nondescript wall or a bush/ivy lined wall, set up your self timer, and snap away. 🙂

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

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