Archives: April 2013


THE CUTOUT

Leather Shoulder Contrast Top – c/o Sheinside // Shorts – Zara // Cutout Ankle sandals / boots – c/o Choies // Fringe Vest – Urban Outfitters (similar) // – Daisy Crossbody Bag c/o Linea Pelle

(How do you like Rylee’s photo bomb at the bottom there!? ha. Love her.)

So, I made it guys.  My bangs are officially long enough to pin back.  This calls for celebration!  I really didn’t think i’d make it.  Those bad boys have been the death of me the last few months, and every other day I’ve been tempted to chop them.  But here we are! (and yet, still, sometimes I just want them to be like this again).  But the husband likes them long, SO…i’m riding it out.  What do you think!? Long…..or blunt? Such an important issue, I know. haha.  I think i’ll always have a thing for blunt cut bangs.  They are my comfort zone.  But we all know we need to get out of that every now and then!

I got these fabulous cutout boots from Choies.  They have more of a pointed toe than I am used to…but they are growing on me!  I’ve been wanting a pair for a while now.  Below is my wishlist roundup.  I say boots are appropriate all year around….and these cutout options are making me feel even better about that opinion!

1.  Rachel Comey Dazze in Charcoal Perforated

2.  Shakuhachi Cutout Tassel Boot

3.  Sam Edelman Petty Whitewashed Booties

4.  Ecote Scaled Leather Ankle Boot

5.  Jeffrey Campbell Everly Cutout Boot

6.  Jeffrey Campbell Gallant Ankle Boot

7.  Triple Chain Moto Boot

8.  Modern Vice X Natalie + Dylana Suarez Jett Boot


FLORAL MINDED

Floral Maxi Dress – Free People / Tank – Anthropologie (similar) / Hat – Cotton On (similar)

I don’t know about you, but all I want lately is florals.  To wear, to hold, to paint….it’s bad…and yet, so very good.  I guess Spring has a way of bringing back my love for blooms!  But this season, more than ever.  Free People always kills it with their selection.  I was sold the minute I saw this dress.  So versatile and perfect for the warmer weather.  I can even see it working layered up come Fall.  Also loving this suit, this top, and these overalls!

I’m pretty excited because Sam and I just made last minute plans to go to Dallas next week to meet up with some good friends out there.  I’ve never been, so I’m looking forward to the trip! It’ll be a solid 5 days away from the babe, my longest stint yet.  Should be good for us…but there’s no doubt i’ll be requesting a pic every hour from grandma. haha.

ALSO, today through Friday I am offering 15% off your entire purchase of anything in my shop.  Just enter the coupon code ‘MOTHERSDAY’ at checkout! This print would make for a lovely mother’s day gift I might add!

And lastly, I have a guest post up over on Green Wedding Shoes today: My Wedding Reimagined.  It’s a fun one!! Check it out. Happy Wednesday friends!

Photos by Erica


16/52

The 52 Project – a portrait series of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013 

I give Rylee a bath almost every night around 7.  I think I look forward to it almost as much as she does.  I’ve realized over the last year and a half, we’ve slowly grown into our own patterns.  I’ve never been one to set strict rules or hold Rylee to a tight schedule.  Not that I think that that way of parenting is wrong by any means,  I think some babies probably do need a bit more structure.  It’s just never been something I’ve felt compelled to do with her.  Perhaps if Rylee had a different temperament or had a hard time sleeping, things would look a lot different than they do now.  But our day to day patterns have grown really organically.  And honestly, I think I just lucked out big time with this girl.

I often feel like I am on the go more often than not, and ever since she was tiny, Rylee always came along.  Her naps were not always at the same time and she didn’t always get what she wanted right when she wanted it.  But she’s always been a trooper.  I remember when she was just 2 months old, I would take her in to the office I was working at at the time and have her lie next to me in a portable bassinet as I worked….for hours!  She would just lie there, cooing and crunching her butterfly.  Of course, she was a huge distraction for me because all I wanted to do was play with her.  But the fact that I was even able to do that at all, is proof to her easy going nature.  Fast forward to today, and there is a whole lot of sass and humor mixed in to that easy disposition….but it makes me love her all the more.  And reminds me a bit more of myself at times!

But back to our patterns.  I have a few favorites that I look forward to.  One is our morning ritual.  Waking up to her quiet requests for her baba in the room next door. Opening the door to see her hair all disheveled to the left and standing there with a big smile on her face  and talking to me like I know exactly what she’s saying.  It’s kind of my favorite thing on earth.  I get her a bottle and we sit on the couch together and I wait for her to pick one of three shows : “elmo!” (sesame street) / “goge” (curious george) / “ga ga” (yo gaba gaba).  It’s the one time in the entire day that I can get her to sit on my lap for more than 5 minutes.  And I soak in every minute.

Our other highlight is bath time.  No matter how much I want to get sick of it….she doesn’t let me.  It’s like a new exhilarating experience, every. single. time.  At the first sound of “bath” she scrambles upstairs and does her best to take off all her clothes as quickly as she can.  She never gets very far before I have to help her.  After several squeals and sometimes excitement pees (TMI?) she’s ready to go.  She’d stay in that tub all day if I let her.  Filling her cups and playing with her fish. The hardest part is telling her it’s over.  But i’ve learned the trick to an undramatic exit….a bunny towel.  Who knew? She walks around in that thing like she owns the place.  And let’s be honest, she kind of does.


DIY – BATIK DYE WALL HANGING

Nicole and I have partnered up again for the second installment of our DIY series!  Coming at you once a month! Remember last month’s watercolor paper flower tutorial!?  Well, today we are teaching you how to batik dye, creating a beautiful tapestry for your wall….or any fun special occasion!

Supply List:

– Drop cloth or heavy cotton canvas

– Paraffin wax or Beeswax (or a combo of the two)

– Crock pot or double boiler

– Rit liquid dye

– Pencil

– Scissors

– Gloves

– Old paintbrushes

The first thing you will need to do is cut your fabric to the preferred size and lightly sketch out your design.  We cut our drop cloth to 34″ X 46″ and went with a simple flower crown illustration for our design.

Next, heat up your wax in an old crock pot or using a double boiler on the stove. Heat the wax to around 170’F (80’C) making sure that your wax does not get to the flash point. (never leave it unattended).

Take an old paint brush (one you don’t mind tossing)  and trace over the design with the wax as you would with paint.  We recommend placing some cardboard underneath the fabric so you don’t destroy the surface of whatever you are working on.  Remember, you are painting where you do NOT want the dye to go.  Make sure your wax is at a hot enough temperature so that it absorbs into the thread.  You dont want your wax just sitting on top of the fabric, because that will effect the outcome.  Allow wax to harden.

Take liquid RIT dye and mix with warm water in a large plastic bucket (or mix the dye as indicated on the packet you are using) Don’t be a afraid to play around with the ratios of dye to water- use test strips until you achieve the color you really want.  We used a black dye and the color ended up being a purple-ish charcoal tone.

Put on some plastic gloves and dip your fabric into the dye….if you want it darker, allow dye to soak in as much as possible to achieve the darkest shade.  Ours was left in the dye for about 15 minutes before rinsing.  Rinse with room temp water and hang to dry.

To remove the wax: Place a paper towel on both the top and bottom of your fabric.  iron the fabric until all the wax has heated and lifted from the fabric. Replace the paper towel as you go until all the wax is absorbed.

Your fabric is ready to hang!  You can choose to display your fabric however you want, but what we did was sew a small pocket at the top of the fabric, about an inch wide.  We inserted a wooden rod and attached string to either end to hang.  The edges were left unfinished.

Voilà!

Hope you have fun with this one!  Let us know if you give it a try!