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These past few weeks have been equal parts exhausting and exciting. Moving is So. Much. Work. But now that we are starting to see the ground as the boxes are leaving the house, I’m slowly getting around to the start of decorating. One area that has been driving me crazy was our mudroom/entryway from the garage. It has plenty of space to serve as both a home to shoes/coats as well as a command center for our family and with mail, bills, keys etc. being thrown around causing much confusion these past few weeks, it was time to get things in order.

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I wanted to start with a console that fit the space and wasn’t oversized. I found this one on Ballard and it fit the bill perfectly. Not only does it provide extra storage but it also allows for the inevitable ‘drop spot’ keeping my kitchen counters clear.

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My main focus was to keep paper organized. We have what feels like an insane amount of constant paperwork between bills, school papers, receipts, invitations to be kept up with, thank you’s to be sent out….I’m not alone here am I? I found these galvanized metal bins and envelopes at none other than Target and knew they’d do the trick. Be warned, the bins aren’t open the whole way down as they look, so they wouldn’t be good for holding folders or anything oversized.

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I know a typical command center would include a calendar, but my husband and I have tried the pen and paper calendar and it’s never worked out for us. We work much better with synched google calendars, so we’re going to stick with that for the time being.

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Here’s to hoping this system keeps us on track!!

 

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It was a close call, but I almost didn’t get a chance to wear this beauty of a dress (or attend my brother’s wedding, that’s what’s important, right?!). This past weekend my family and I spent in Pittsburgh, PA celebrating the marriage of my brother and his new wife. As timing would have it, I came down with mastitis (a crazy infection that can happen while nursing which results in flu like symptoms) during the wedding rehearsal. I had this infection previously with my other daughter so fortunately I knew exactly what was coming on and was able to have my doctor call in a prescription for me immediately. I may not have been 100% but I wasn’t missing that wedding! I had booked this Monique Lhuillier dress from Rent The Runway and I wasn’t about to let that go to waste either. Getting to wear a designer dress at a fraction of the cost certainly helped to perk my spirits :) I’ve used this service a few times now and have loved each experience. If you have yet to try them out I encourage you to do so. They send you two sizes in case you are unsure (huge bonus, right?) and they handle all the cleaning. All you need to do is get it back into a UPS drop box and you’re done! This isn’t a sponsored post either, I’m simply voicing my satisfaction for a company I’d highly recommend!

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Details: Monique Lhuillier dress via Rent the Runway / Nine West pumps (similar here and here) / Sole Society necklace (under $20!) / Stella & Dot bracelet / Kate Spade sunglasses

Casual Summer

Packing and unpacking these past few weeks hasn’t allowed for much creativity in the styling department. I’m finding myself reaching for denim and a t-shirt on a daily basis both for the comfort factor as well as the ease of nursing (hello cotton). When I need to run out the door, my sneakers and a hat (because who knows what kind of shape my hair is in!) are what I reach for. My brother is getting married this weekend and I’m certainly looking forward to getting all dolled up for the first time in a while. I turned to Rent the Runway once again and thankfully they send two sizes, one of which I’m hoping will fit! Until then, here are some staples I’ve been turning to day after day along with a variety of some of my favorite tee’s/tanks…
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hat / shorts / sneaks

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Midi Dress

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Did you guys have a good 4th? We are continuing to work through the process of unpacking/organizing/working on our new home (hence the lack of posts lately!) but we did enjoy time with friends and family as well as getting to meet some of our new neighbors at a fun omelet party. Apparently it’s an annual ordeal around here and I’m already in love with the neighborhood :) There are tons of kids and everyone is super friendly which makes the adjustment all the more easy.

Over the weekend I gave my sweats a break, threw them in the hamper and put on this adorable new midi dress that I recently grabbed while shopping at LOFT with my mother. We both saw it and knew it was totally me. It’s so comfortable yet beautiful and I love the soft colors. Perfect for everyday, showers, girls day/night out, you name it.

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Details: LOFT dress / LOFT jacket / DV by Dolce Vita shooties (similar) / Michael Kors watch

Life Lately

Hey guys! My apologies for the lack of posts this week, but for those of you following along on Instagram, you know things are a bit crazy over here. We are officially moving this weekend and my life is literally in boxes. I can’t wait to finally get into our home and begin to piece our life back together. If any of you are contemplating a move, don’t do it! Haha…but seriously…I told Jack I think I’d rather go through labor again than ever have to move. Wish us luck and say some prayers, we’ll need them!

I’ll leave you with an image of this doll. 7 weeks old tomorrow!! She coo’s and smiles and is starting to get a few beautiful rolls :)

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Blue Maxi

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The majority of my time was spent painting/prepping our new home this past weekend. I am exhausted but running on excitement as we only have a few days left until we move in. My feet and legs are covered in paint (I swear I’m not really that sloppy of a painter!) but thankfully this pretty maxi covers it all. This was another piece I had ordered while I was still pregnant, and of course has since sold out. However, I link to a few other maxi’s I’m loving below and also found this very similar option for you.

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Details: JCrew Factory dress (sold out but love this, this and this)  / Target necklace / Rayban sunglasses / Sandals (similar)

Life Lately

Happy Friday, all! Life is crazy, but we’re moving along here. My head is spinning with packing, painting and mothering (that’s the tricky part!). We officially move next weekend, so crunch time is just about here. I’m not much of a procrastinator until it comes to packing! I’d much rather be working in the new place than gathering the belongings of 5 people and keeping it somewhat organized at the same time. This will be the 5th time Jack and I have moved since we’ve been married and I’m hopeful that this is the last, at least for many, many years!

This peanut sure is a doll. She’d love to be held most of the day, but luckily she’s been giving me some decent nights.
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A number of family members have been helping us get our home ready and we’re so thankful! This 6 year old especially has been more than eager to lend a hand!LL6192

Here’s a glimpse of the after. A shade that I love in the light and am deciding on the darker shade that comes off in the dark. Paint sure is a tricky game to play!

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Speaking of games, this is the one I’ve been playing in every room. It’s fun, but I hope I win :)

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Wishing you guys a great weekend! I’ll see you next week!

Girls Swim

I think many of you would agree that shopping for swimwear isn’t exactly appealing. I can think of a laundry list of things I’d rather do! But when it comes to swim shopping for my little ones, especially the girls, I’m overwhelmed with adorable options! I’ve rounded up some of my favorites for you to see below. As much as I love the one-pieces, I had a friend recommend two-pieces for this summer as my daughter is newly potty trained. It’s made a world of difference being able to quickly pull down her two-piece as opposed to peeling off a sticky one-piece numerous times each afternoon! Most of them are already on sale, so it’s a great time to grab some and even stock up for next year!

 

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Baby Blue

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Sunday was pretty much the only day I pulled myself together this week. Thank goodness for church which forces me to get myself in gear! This top was one that I ordered while I was still pregnant and eager to get into normal clothes. I loved the color and feminine shape and grabbed it when it went on sale. Now as I work on losing the baby weight, I love how forgiving and figure flattering it is. It makes me feel as though I actually have a waist again :)

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Details: JCrew tank / AG denim (similar) / a.n.a. heels (similar) / Stella & Dot tote / Vivi necklace c/o (similar)

Life Lately

Hey guys! I wanted to take a moment to fill you in on what’s been going on off-line over here. Although my posts aren’t as regular yet, life is certainly busy! To start, adding Audrey to our clan bumped the number of birthdays in our family to four within one month. Yes, every member of our family, except for me, celebrates their birthday between May 9th and June 4th…throw in Mother’s Day and that’s a heck of a lot of celebrating! I also mentioned before that we are moving. Between this weekend and the end of June we’ll be painting/prepping and moving into our new home. Please pray for a baby that sleeps extra well these next few weeks!

In case you forgot what she looked like, this is the face I can’t seem to take my eyes off of. They change all too quickly not to take in every possible moment! As of yesterday, she is officially one month old.

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In the midst of all the birthday chaos, my mother in law’s also falls into that group. I mentioned how we spent the afternoon at Bedford Spring’s Resort in this post where I made Strawberry Cake Balls, but I also had to share the best present that my sister in law came up with. Okay, technically it came from Pinterest, but finding it makes it hers, right? She was celebrating her 60th birthday so my sister in law had 60 friends and family members send their favorite memory of her. It was incredibly touching, and we all enjoyed listening as she laughed and cried through them all. Seriously, #bestpresentever.

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Jack turned 6….6! That just feels insane to me, but yes, 6 years ago this little guy made me a mom and I’ve loved watching him grow and turn into such a sweet little man.

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We also wrapped up the school year and Jack is officially a 1st grader. He’s reading, writing and doing math like a pro. I also had to share this artwork. His teacher had the students look at the same picture and draw it at the beginning and again at the end of the year. I was blown away. A little Da Vinci on my hands ;)

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Before we found our house we were debating building one. At this point I am so thankful we didn’t because I can hardly handle selecting new carpet let alone having to pick out every fixture and piece of tile!

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And this probably sums things up for me. A three year old obsessed with her real life baby doll and a 6 year old home for the summer with endless amounts of energy. As long as that energy carries over into packing and hauling boxes, I’ll be ok :)

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Hope you all are well! Anything new and exciting going on?!

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