Tag Archives: Fashion

Faux Leather/Fur Vest + Striped Top + Ripped Skinnies + Booties

 I took these a while ago, back when we still had sunny evenings…but honestly, we’ve been super lucky and have had a lot of sunny (albeit COLD!!) days lately!

For those in between weather days, vests (especially faux fur cozy ones!) are a great layering piece! These are hands down some of my new favorite pics of us!!

Mostly, Maya, because this is just so HER!! LOOOOOVE!

On me…

Vest- Velvet (eBay, similar here in black)
Top- We the Free (Free People) Peplum Tee (Nordstrom Rack)
Jeans- DL1961 “Amanda” DIY raw hem (ebay)
On Maya…
Dress- Indigo Collection (thrifted)
Leggings- Hanna Andersson (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
As always….most of the parks we go to have a LOT of dogs.  Which means….Maya is lost to me.
Yup, that’s a DIFFERENT dog… 😉 hahahaha.  ME..attempting to enthusiastically call her back to ME…the dog won. I messed up an entire series of shots because I wasn’t in the right spot, so they are all blurry… still love this one though!  Oh, and yes,  That sign was in ALL of our shots… 😦
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Happy Halloween!! (2017)

There’s a dragon on the loose!! I honestly felt bad that I didn’t do more of a DIY costume this year, but Maya saw this mask and tail at Goodwill, and it was game over.

Honestly, I didn’t have time to make anything this year, so in a way I was relieved.  Last year’s DIY costume (OMG, is it possible that I didn’t BLOG IT?!!) was super fun, but wow…time consuming and a bit stressful.  Houston took her over to my In Laws early so they could see her in her costume.  Probably the only actual people to see her since she will be wearing a super warm jacket tonight! Every Part of her costume was thrifted.

On Maya…
Leotard- Bloch (thrifted)
Skirt- Hanna Andersson  (thrifted)
Sequined Leggings- A Children’s Place
Boots- Timberland

Mask , Tail, and Wings- Goodwill

 

 

Bodysuits + High Waisted Chambray Pants + Leather Jacket + Booties

I posted a look last week that was beyond comfy, yet still for the warmer temps.

Seattle has since gotten a lot colder, but it’s hopefully going to be back in the 60’s this next week a few times!

The easiest way I know to transition your summer favs into fall is by adding a fun jacket (my favs are denim and leathe!) and booties!

So…I did just that! And meanwhile…there’s Maya art directing haha. 😉

On me…

Leather Jacket- Plein Sud (eBay, similar here), faux leather option here)
Bodysuit- Velvet Torch
Booties- Sam Edelman “Posey Chain Trim Bootie” (eBay, fun ones here & here)
On Maya…
Dress- Hanna Andersson (love this for fall)
Leggings-Hanna Andersson (thrifted, similar here)
Clogs- Hanna Andersson ( similar here)
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Bodysuits + High Waisted Chambray Pants + Clogs = Jammies in public!

 I’m all about outfits that make you feel like you’re in your jammies, yet totally fake people out that you have your sh*t together! 🤣

This is one of those outfits! 💃🏼🙌🏻🤗

On me…

Bodysuit- Velvet Torch
Clogs- Swedish Hasbeens “Fideli” (eBay, sold out, similar here)
On Maya…
Dress- Hanna Andersson (love this for fall)
Leggings-Hanna Andersson (thrifted, similar here)
Clogs- Hanna Andersson ( similar here)
Keeping it Real…
A lot of the times, I tell Maya she can pick what we do.
Usually, she wants me to copy her.
Usually, we do something weird haha. 😉
I just wanted to post this, because it looks like I actually have boobies here!
I don’t… 🙂
Must remember what bra I was wearing haha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Little White Dress…Day to night (Night)

I showed this dress on Monday as an every day wear, but honestly…it begs to be worn out!!

All the little details…kill me!  Oddly, when I got home, I swear the attached slip shrank like 4 inches!!!  I don’t remember it being so short in the store, so I added another slip underneath for coverage!

If I were to go out for New Years, this would absolutely be an option!blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-1 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-2 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-3 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-4 I told Maya we could do whatever she wanted for these next shots.  I’ll reveal what she really had us doing in the “keeping it real”… :}

All in all, I just want her to have fun, so whatever she suggests, I’m game for 🙂  AND, I got some great shots of us laughing, so I’m beyond happy too!blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-5 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-6 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-7 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-8 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-9 blog-doma-leather-joie-oshea-dress-nine-west-10

On me…

Leather Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)
Booties- Nine West (I think 20+ years old! Love these!)
On Maya…
Vest- Zara (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)
Boots- See Kai Run(hand me down)
Keeping it Real…
And for those following along, yes…she’s still in the licking phase ;{
blog-outtake-1In her words when I asked what we should do…
“Make funny faces, and pee in our pants!”
“WHAT?!?!”
“Just preteeeeeending!!!”
blog-outtake-2
Behind the scenes video here!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Family Pictures 2016

As a photographer, you’d think I’d put a ton of time and effort into our family pictures every year.  Truth be told.  I’m SO freaking busy taking everyone elses pictures, that I am contstantly amazed and thankful that we even TAKE pictures!  Oh, and it’s getting even harder as the boys get older.  With all of our schedules, and the weather, it really is a miracle that these ever happen…

SO glad that they do though!!

blog-family-pics-2016-1 blog-family-pics-2016-2 Hahaha.  Charlie standing on his tippy toes!  Like he needs to…1-blog-family-pictures-1 I can’t even….

I pity the guys that want to date her…1-blog-family-pictures-2 1-blog-family-pictures-3 1-blog-family-pictures-4 1-blog-family-pictures-5LOVE this shot of them!!!
1-blog-family-pictures-6At this point, I didn’t want to mess with the tripod again, so my mom got these next two of me and Maya 🙂
blog-family-pics-2016-3 blog-family-pics-2016-4 blog-family-pics-2016-5 hahaha 🙂blog-family-pics-2016-6GAH!!!  She looooves her daddy!
blog-family-pics-2016-7 blog-family-pics-2016-8 This just makes me happy on so many levels.  This image captures so much about them, and I love it!blog-family-pics-2016-9 blog-family-pics-2016-10As we were heading to the car, I realized I didn’t have any with my parents!!Mom got this…

Mom got this…blog-family-pics-2016-11 Dad got this….blog-family-pics-2016-12 Oh, and I never got any of just me, so…I got these when I came home.blog-family-pics-2016-13blog-3x1-destroyed-denim-jacket-vince-shirtdress-el-naturalista-booties

On me…

Jean Jacket- 3×1 thrifted for $10!!! (similar here retails for $300!!)-
Dress- Vince (eBay)
Jeggings- Helmut Lang (eBay)
Boots- El Naturalista Duna N528 (thrifted for $7!!)
On Maya…
Jacket- GapKids (thrifted)
Dress- Jill Stuart NY (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
“Can you give me a kiss?”
I guess that’s a no?blog-outtake
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of the kids and ones of me with my parents :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Batwing Sweaters + Crop Flares + Booties (in the last of the golden hour)

I’m just going to say this is a holiday outfit inspiration post!  In reality, we took these images over a month ago!  I just haven’t had the time lately, and it totally bums me out…

BUT… Long loose cashmere top, with stretchy crop flares?  YES!  I just might wear this again for a holiday party this year!blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-1 Oh, and if you’ve followed along…I’m a total sucker for an open back top!  This bralette is the best for coverage, and on Amazon for CHEAP!  Although, it’s really only good for those of us that don’t have “support issues”. 😉blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-2 Oh, and…yes, we are totally matching, and I LOVE IT!blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-6blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-3 blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-4 blog-rachel-pally-sweater-j-brand-gigi-crop-flare-67-booties-6blog-zara-faux-leather-jacket-crew-and-lu-josmo-boots-1 blog-zara-faux-leather-jacket-crew-and-lu-josmo-boots-2 blog-zara-faux-leather-jacket-crew-and-lu-josmo-boots-3

On me…

Sweater- Rachel Pally (old, similar color here.)
Bralette- Here
Jeans- J Brand “Gigi” (thrifted for $6!!  Similar here)
Boots- SixtySeven “Blake” Bootie (Nordstom Rack, sold out, loving these)
On Maya…
Jacket- Zara (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Crew and Lu (sold out)
Jeggings- Gap Kids (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
The downside to shooting with a tripod.  Spinning right out of the frame 🙂
blog-outtake-2 What I use to set my focus on, because she never stands still like this!!blog-outtake
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

These boots are made for..

You know those boots that you could practically live in? Boots that are super comfy, that don’t mind a puddle and some dirt, and that are also cute? These are my “made for walking” boots. I was in Barcelona last week and I’m glad I brought them with me. I skipped around cobble stone streets, wore them out to dinner, and even ran through an airport to get to a connecting flight.

Blog Esther Boots-1

Blog Esther Boots-2

Blog Esther and Kids-1

On me..

  • Timberland Women’s Savin Hill Tall Boot, found on Amazon in color “Tobacco Forty”
  • Faux Fox Fur purse here
  • J.Crew Toothpick Jean here
  • Boden Relaxed Merino Silk Sweater here
  • The last photo here is from another post, see this and more details on kids outfits here

dit-elle-Esther

The Faux Fox Purse

I’ve been on a faux fur kick this past year. This summer I posted the Lion Tote – golden faux fur with dark accents. The latest creation – the Faux Fox. Faux fur, light camel colored felt sides and top closed with a zipper, and dark handles.

Making this purse was not easy. I had a vision, found the materials, and got started. The design part was easy, the construction and assembly pretty hard.. You have to think about things like what seams carry weight, overall architecture and construction.. For a while it was a very frustrating “try as you go” DIY project, several ‘start overs’, pricked fingers, but I finally got a good prototype out of it.. and I will say, this purse gets a ton of compliments!

I haven’t (yet) created a *real* pattern for this purse (that would take a little more patience and a lot more time!) but I did get some tips from this awesome DIY faux fur collar to clutch pattern which I found on Pinterest. What would we do without Pinterest!

Thanks Lauren for the fabulous photos. Despite doing a fashion/food/design blog together, we rarely see each other, but had a chance to get together on Veteran’s day for an hour or less in a park – and the kids and weather all cooperated brilliantly so we were able to get a few bonus shots!

Blog DIY Faux Fur Leather Purse-4 Blog DIY Faux Fur Leather Purse-3 Blog DIY Faux Fur Leather Purse-2 Blog DIY Faux Fur Leather Purse-1

Blog Esther Boots-2

dit-elle-Esther

Pink Tulle for End of Summer

“Bear Hunts”, puddle jumping and running through the woods.. that’s what end of summer is all about! 🙂

So I’m working on a photo book that follows the theme of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt“. This is the kids’ favorite book right now, so much so that I know every word by heart. Even after the lights are out and I’m getting the kids settled, I will sometimes sing or narrate the story. Despite the somewhat wild dash at the end of the book, it settles them right down..

Anyway, we’ve been out and about enjoying the last days of summer doing our photoshoot and of course what better to wear than pink tulle for a Bear Hunt!?

Thanks to my very patient husband who took the pictures!

Bear Hunt (1)

Bear Hunt (2)

Bear Hunt (16)

Time for a snack!

Bear Hunt (8) Bear Hunt (20)

Bear Hunt (28)

Bear Hunt (51)

Bear Hunt (31)

Bear Hunt (40)

Love the early fall colors in the background!

 

Bear Hunt (41)

Trying not to fall off the log!

Bear Hunt (61)

Good thing we brought a change of clothes!

My obsession with tulle actually started a few years ago when I saw this beautiful pink tulle skirt on Pinterest. It was paired with a black knit turtle neck and I thought “Oh that looks totally gorgeous, totally easy, and I can totally make that..” It was NOT easy, but it IS doable! Tulle is actually somewhat forgiving when you’re working with it. I found this DIY Tulle Skirt pattern which is a great guide. Don’t want to make one? No problem.. do a search on Amazon or other online retailer – there are plenty of cheap options out there!

For some reason my tulle skirt turned out super poofy (at first) and I had to adjust the slip underneath to lay flatter by removing some fabric instead of doing a full circle.. I’ll call it a success though because even if I did not achieve the original look I was going for; it was fun, we had a lot of laughs and Ava was happy that we could have matching skirts. Plus, who doesn’t like a little pink tulle now and then.. perfect with rain boots and for a “bear hunt”! 🙂

On me

  • DIY tulle skirt DIY Tulle Skirt pattern
  • Dalmatian Boots from JCrew (5+ years old)
  • Gray shirt from Banana Republic (3+ years old)

On Ava

  • White knit sweater with fake pearl buttons (saved from my wardrobe, 30 years old)
  • T-shirt with lavender print flowers
  • Mini tulle skirt from Carter’s
  • Pink rubber boots

On Anders

  • Blue button down shirt
  • Cargo shorts
  • Rain boots

dit-elle-Esther