Happy Friday everyone! Hoping you all have a fun weekend ahead. I on the other hand, will be attending a funeral for an uncle that suddenly passed away. He’s leaving behind his wife, three children/spouses and ten grandchildren. Please say a prayer that they may find some peace and comfort to get through this trying time.
Here’s a look back on my week. Pink was apparently a trend… (more…)
Bagels used to be one of those foods that I never considered making because they already seemed to be perfected and perfectly wrapped waiting for me in the bakery aisle. That was until I came across this recipe in Rue mag. I decided to make these the other night once the kids were in bed. Besides waiting for time to lapse, they were relatively simple to make. When they were done baking around 11pm or so, I planned on trying a bite because they smelled amazing coming out of the oven. A full bagel later I needed to get to bed before I decided to break into another one. Holy cow are these bad boys amazing fresh out of the oven! And the next morning they were just as good, if not even better. My 4 yo enjoyed his and my 1 yo couldn’t get enough. I’m not sure grocery store bagels will cut it anymore. What did I get myself into?! (more…)
I imagine that a dining room may not be a big deal to most of you, but this is the first time we’ve actually had a room specifically for dining. Not a coffee table, or a nook or a breakfast bar. A real dining room. We make it a point to eat as a family just about every night, so it’s obviously an important place of gathering for our family. We also enjoy having friends and family over and we’re thrilled to have more than three barstools for everyone to relax on. I wouldn’t call it anything fancy, but it’s very us….ok, me, hence us. Now, it is still a rental, so we were happy to find neutral walls that worked well for us. I’m not a fan of painting because the thought of returning everything back to its original color at some point is all too daunting and unappealing. This is also the reason we don’t have a beautiful light fixture hanging over our table. Someday ;) Until then, here’s what we have… (more…)
Stripes are everywhere right now. I’ve recently had fun sporting my striped espadrilles here, and a striped cotton skirt here. I don’t think they can actually be called a trend, but I’m happy to see them everywhere I look. Above you’ll find a number of pieces that caught my eye. I’d gladly sport any of these items this summer for everything from wedding/baby showers to an afternoon at the park with the kids. Now granted, the sequin skirt is currently $579.99 (on sale!), but how amazing is it? If it made its way into may closet, I’d make it versatile! (more…)
Madewell top, LOFT pants, Kate Spade sunglasses, Marc Jacobs watch, Bloomingdales bangles, Macy’s necklace, Sam Edelman sandals (similar)
We decided to take a last minute trip back to Hoboken this weekend. We’ve been gone for only three months, but it feels like an eternity. It was a whirlwind of seeing friends, dining out, walking (oh how quickly I adjusted to driving everywhere in PA!), and a little shopping. Hoboken will always hold a special place in our hearts.
I first mentioned this top on one of my wish lists (seen here) and I kept coming back to it. I love the pop of neon, but the fact that it’s on lace makes it even better in my book. A little sweet and sassy. I didn’t typically shop at LOFT in the past, but lately I’ve found a few pairs of pants that fit perfectly. These just happen to be the “Marisa” fit, so it probably wasn’t coincidental. The necklace was a find at Macy’s. I love how it resembles many from JCrew, but at a fraction of the cost. I mentioned we were walking quite a bit, so heels never crossed my mind. You can still be cute and comfortable at the same time, so don’t ever try that excuse on me ;) (more…)
All too frequently I get the desire to redecorate our home. I was in a home decor store last week and found myself envious of the owner who was rearranging her store, again and again. Unfortunately, that’s not very practical. I have a hard enough time getting my husband to lift the couch for me so I can sweep under it. Am I alone here? What is possible, however, is to update my home with fun accessories to keep things from feeling stale. I’ve gathered a few items (most of which I have in our home and would highly recommend) that may help to fulfill any decorating desires you may have, or create a desire you didn’t even know existed….until now :) (more…)
Anyone beach bound soon? Although we are not heading to the shore until August, I can’t help but browse all of the fun beachwear that’s out there. Below you’ll find two dozen items which can be mixed and matched to create some beautiful and practical beach ensembles.
Clockwise from top left: Anthropologie, Anthropologie, Juicy Couture, Madewell by Lauren Moffatt, Madewell or Anthropologie by Zimmermann, Ella Moss
Post kids, I’ve become a fan of one piece swimsuits. I feel more comfortable and I need not worry about anything falling out when I’m running around the beach filling up sand buckets, re-applying sun lotion and hydrating the little ones. Thanks to some great designers, I also find many one pieces to be more stylish than most bikini’s. Maybe that’s just me, what do you think?
Although my hairstyle has changed over the years, I’ve basically always had highlighted locks. I’m not sure how long the ombre trend will last, but I’m very tempted to give it a try. Highlights require a lot of maintenance and it’d be great to have a little break on the up-keep. I’m hesitant however, because all I can picture is a line running through the middle of my hair, the top half brown and the lower half blond, and me sobbing in the bathroom. What I’m hoping for, is something similar to one of these…
I love how subtle the transition is on these girls. It’s quite lovely. But I do wear my hair straight fairly often and I’m not sure how that will translate. Well, my trim/color appointment is next Wednesday, so until then I’ll be contemplating this decision.
What are your thoughts? Has anyone tried this? Any pointers?
Since our children happen to have birthdays that are two weeks apart, it seemed fit to have a combined birthday party. I figure we’ll get away with this as long as we can. We were leaning towards a Peter Pan/Tinkerbell party, but when my son decided that Captain Hook may show up he nixed the idea. We then settled on a Mickey/Minnie theme and invited those who wished to dress as their favorite Disney character.
I enjoyed their first few parties where we were basically entertaining our own (adult) friends. That was a piece of cake (pun intended). Now I needed to incorporate entertaining kids….not an easy task. That’s where I decided to turn the party into a carnival, hoping to keep everyone entertained and prolonging any meltdowns for as long as possible. From what I gather, I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I’m no Martha Stewart, but I love pulling ideas from pinterest/etsy etc and putting my own twist on them.
Here are some of the details, thanks to a great friend because I failed to capture the moments myself!
I ordered Jack’s t-shirt and Madelyn’s dress from Etsy shops and was thrilled with how they turned out. Madelyn also sported her brother’s first pair of red converse sneaks. I think she pulled them off well.
Anthropologie top (old), Target necklace, Kate Spade sunglasses shown below (old), JCrew shorts, JCrew Espadrilles, Michelle watch
As soon as these shoes (seen previously here) and shorts arrived from JCrew I knew I wanted to pair them together. We threw a Mickey/Minnie party for our son and daughter over the weekend and although I wasn’t wearing much/any black or red (they aren’t my colors at all) I still felt playful in this outfit. I was running around most of the day, but these wedges didn’t slow me down. They’re such a comfortable shoe thanks to the small platform and wedge and very flattering to the legs. Speaking of comfort, let me mention that these bright and beautiful shorts have an elastic waistband. Hello summer indulging! They had a casual feel but a classy look. You can’t beat that! The necklace was a sidetracked find at Target. Love when that happens. (more…)
