Our sweet little peanut Peyton turns 6 this week! Can't believe how time has flown! There is nothing sweeter than this little girl! We celebrated with a handful of her school friends in our backyard. The party was super simple and just as she wanted it. We did a Moana theme with the cheesiest of Party City party supplies. We ordered pizza and sang happy birthday with an ice-cream cake! Do birthdays get any better?
We have been rocking and rolling through our kitchen renovation. As many people told me, this would be much longer than anticipated and not nearly as fun. I can absolutely agree with the fact that it has taken longer than we thought but I have been having a great time seeing the progress come along. I update my Insta Stories daily on our progress and love the feedback that you guys give!
First up was demo day! So cool! They crushed up the old kitchen and removed all the cabinets. Then they moved onto supporting the ceiling so the wall could be removed to create an open floor plan. We did have to keep on entry way small wall due to electrical and budget constraints. Small sacrifice to get that huge wall out! The week the wall started disappearing was so exciting! I happy danced so hard!
After all cabinets were stripped and wall was officially out! 600 lb beam was being delivered that week!
We are into week 8 and I think on the home stretch!!! I am getting super eager to wrap it up and do some summer entertaining!! We have now completed our cabinets, ordered our countertops and floors and are painting this week.
Kitchen after wall was removed, drywall redone, lighting and fresh coat of paint
We have had a couple hiccups but nothing major thankfully! First, issue we had was that the farmhouse sink we ordered had a long apron and we needed the shorter version. Then our microwave was the wrong size. Again small issues just a little pain! What I've found interesting is that there are very little resources for sourcing the products that I was looking for. I plan to do little mini posts here on the blog reviewing and explaining the reasons why we got what we did so hopefully any of you doing projects can find some products easier.
Our saving grace has been having a back room for our make shift kitchen. It's starting to get a little old but I'm happy to be almost done. We set up a table with my lunch making items for the kids, a toaster and coffee maker. I thought in the beginning of our process that I would be doing dishes outside but quickly ditched that idea. Total pain! Now, I'm almost exclusively using paper and plastic which has been ideal. We are grilling a lot and thank goodness the weather has been lovely. I've added a handful of grilling recipes to my Pinterest that we have been trying and loving. I am definitely missing easy access to things and dish washing. Who would have ever thought I would miss dish washing?!
We should have our countertops in maybe late next week and then floors in 3 weeks. So excited! Check back on my Insta Stories for daily updates!
via Pinterest
I've taken a hard pause on blogging for a couple months. I was finding myself getting sucked out of the moments of my life and only capturing "blog worthy" content. It was becoming not as fun as it was before. After some time away, I've refreshed my perspective on what I want this blog to be. I want to capture our life as it comes. I want to share our adventures organically even if that means not perfectly edited. I hope to help other women find their joy, balance and inspiration in their own lives as I aim to find all of those things in mine! With that said, I'm so excited to be back! I can't wait to share what we have been up to and what we have on the horizon!
If you have been following along on my Instagram you know that our life has been swamped lately with the kitchen reno and wrapping up the school year. I am getting into the season of a crazy schedule of kid's activities and am loving it! We have been doing ballet for about 4 years and now jazz since Fall. We just this week added on swim team that will run through summer and I am contemplating competition team for Capri with her jazz studio this coming season.
We have travel plans on the horizon including a trip with my mom to Waco!! I have been a big fan of Fixer Upper for years now and can't to see the Silos, shop in Magnolia and taste some yummy treats in the bakery. I hit up a couple of the weekend holiday sales to get some cute outfits together for our trip! Around Father's day we are going to try and squeeze in a camping trip either to the mountains or the beach. We love to play at Hotel Del Coronado over Fourth of July. Then later in the summer, my mom, the girls and I take our annual girl's trips which will include our favorite repeat Omni La Costa and new this year is Disney's Grand Californian. Am I a spoiled girl or what?! I love to travel and creating these special memories with the girls. So priceless! I can't wait to fill our summer days with homemade ice-cream, swimming and beach days!
When we bought our home a year ago, the potential of the home was just to much to pass up! The home was beautiful but needed a freshen up big time! Today we start the process of my dream kitchen! It's DEMO day! I couldn't be more giddy! I'm sharing all the fun on Instastories if you want to see some behind the scenes!
Here is a before image from last night. All ready for a wipe out!
I've spent the past few days moving everything out of our living and dining room and everything out of the kitchen! We luckily have a spare room in the back of the house that we have made into our makeshift kitchen for the next 5-6 weeks. Everyone has been warning me of the hideousness of living without a kitchen but we are looking at it like an adventure! Sorta like camping! I've set up a table in the back room with all my breakfast and lunch making supplies for the girls and they had a little picnic breakfast this morning. I plan to do a lot of grilling for dinners and sunny back yard lunches. I'm actually looking forward to it!
So here is what is happening with the kitchen. We envisioned an open concept for the living and dining room. Our kitchen is a galley style and was really dark. It has oak cabinets on both sides and white tile countertops. Lots and lots and lots of oak!!!! No thank you!!!! We are replacing the oak with clean white shaker style cabinets, clean white with grey veined countertops ( most likely quartzite) and gold hardware. We are replacing all our appliances which is really exciting too!
Here are some of the inspiration pics I've been pouring over!
via : Nicole Davis Interiors
via: Studio McGee
via: Pink Peonies
I love the classic look of a clean button up! The sillouette is so flattering and feels so timeless. Here are 4 ways I love to style a collared button up look.
Shirtdress
This sweet shirtdress is one of my faves!! I've been finding so many fun similar options this spring! How cute is this dress and this simple white midi option? I also love the ruffles on this one, the sweet bow on this option and the super on trend tie on this striped number
Tied up
Tying up a structured blouse nips in the waist immediately and look so cute with skirts and jeans for both spring and summer! Just so effortless! The bow on this chambray top is so cute and I adore the little cactus on this.
Layered
This trench doubled as a vest here but I love it alone too. I collared vest is an uber chic topping to make any outfit more interesting. The tan utility dress is so cute, love this luxe white vest and this flowy olive green trench is perfect on top of any sundress.
Blousy
This easy breezy striped blouse is just so perfect! I love that it's classic yet still feels casual. I love the little anchors on this blouse , the buffalo check on this one, and the pink stripes on this one are just perfection!
I am so smitten with the outcome of Capri's dresser! I am not a big DIYer but thought I would wing an Ikea hack on our dresser. With her room being bright white and cheery a black dresser just wasn't gonna work. We also added gold bar pulls and rose up the whole piece on legs from Pretty Pegs to make it fit the space better. I topped it with a simple gold mirror and sweet little accessories. Be sure to check out the major before and after pic below.
What we used to transform this piece:
Laminate covering primer ( we used this one )
White paint ( we used Vista White from Vista Paint)
Legs ** make sure you order the universal plates for these legs. I didn't the first time around and had to wait for them to finish. So annoying!!
We applied about 3 coats of prime with a small sponge roller. The primer dries quickly. We then applied about 3 coats of the white paint. Her room is so sunny that I wanted to make sure there wasn't any black peaking through. I had my hubby measure to the middle of the drawers and screw in the pulls. Screw on the universal plates for the legs and then add the legs. You have brand new gorgeous dresser!!!
Before and After
We are headed to Palm Springs again this year for spring break! I'm so excited to blob it out by the pool under the desert sun! We typically stay at the Omni Las Palmas but due to not knowing my hubbies schedule we got in on that gig a little late. So we are changing it up this year and trying out La Quinta Resort and Spa.
With all the lovely weather ahead of us this spring it was the perfect excuse to pump up my spring essentials. Enter sundresses, sandals, sunnies and swimsuits. I mean check out that alliteration!
I have been having so much fun working on the girls rooms. They are both so different that it's been fun to ask them what they like and work in sweet accents that make their own spaces feel special. I have a hard time focusing on more than one room at a time and getting the vision all together so I started tackling Capri's room first. Capri turned 8 this January and I wanted to make sure her room felt like a big girl and had lots of room to grow with her. She is full of life and energy so I wanted her room to feel happy to carefree. She loves the beach and bright colors so I aimed for a beach feel that was bright and cheery. My grandma always told me that when decorating your house you should only fill it with things you love. I've been keeping that close to mind while working on these new projects. Here are a couple of the prints and wall art that brought joy right away! The room is coming along so great and I can't wait to share the whole room when we finish it up! For more house renovation projects keep checking back under the or #LifewithLipstickOn on Instagram. Loads of fun stuff coming!
As we started getting working on our house projects we worked up a budget to keep our numbers from getting nuts. House projects can be wallet sucking and we wanted to make sure we weren't getting over our heads ( okay so my husband made me make a budget ) . We were getting quotes on our kitchen and our numbers were just a little shy of what was needed for the ideal kitchen we wanted. This of course pissed me off! I wasn't mad at anyone but myself! I was so bitter that I wasn't able to fork up the remainder we needed to get the perfect look I wanted. I was not thrilled with compromising what I really wanted. I have a thriving business and really should have had a nice little chunk of money saved up. But wah, wah, wah I havn't saved a rainy day fund to be useful in this project. Well that was just enough fire under my booty to get me in gear to lock down my money big time. I researched a couple things here and there and a few resources have clicked. I wanted to share them with you so you can get your fire lit too!
Digit app:
How the Digit app looks each day!
This app is amazing! It's free which is awesome and literally saves money from right under your nose! No really! I've saved over $380 in a month and didn't even know it! Here's how it works.... Digit tracks your spending habits as well as your deposits made to your checking account. It asks you how aggressively you'd like to save and then puts aside a little each day into what I like to call a "holding tank". Some days it saves $4 and some days it sets aside $16 all depending on my spending habits. It alerts you by text every day with sassy little videos and balance updates so you know exactly where you are at. What I'm loving too is how by being more aware of how I much I can save little by little without even feeling it, it really does sensor down my frivourless spending. No more nonsense! I want more GREEN in my wallet for pretty house things!
Rich Bitch by Nicole Lapin:
I was turned on to Nicole by listening to The Lady Gang podcast. She is super sassy and beyond practical. Such a girls girl and really makes things understandable which is why I love her! She had gotten herself in debt and messed around with money a bit then decided enough was enough. She got dumped by a boyfriend because she couldn't keep up with their intellectual money talk and she decided that she was pissed and was going to educate herself on how money works and what the best ways to deal with it are. Basic style! Her book is full of sass and I want to be her best friend! She is super transparent and breaks down topics so easily that have been over my head for years! She has 12 simple steps to getting your life together financially! Major light bulbs have gone off for me in Chapter 1, 3 and 7.
Now I get it, money talk isn't fun or sexy! But not having the money to spend on what you really care about isn't fun either! I find nothing more empowering than knowing where my money is and how I plan to spend that hard earned dough on something that I really love! I'm anxious to hear if any of you girls are in the same boat and how you are getting your wallet back in check! Let me know if you try either of these things and how you like them! Cha ching!!!!
I can't lie and say I don't feel fancy in making my own almond milk! So fancy!!!! I had a free weekend about a month ago and thought I'd give it a whirl after inspecting store brands and having a hard time finding one without a bunch of nonsense junk in them. I knew my aunt had been making her own for a while and so I reached out to see what her tried and true recipe was. Her's sounded nice and simple so I gave it a try. I'm hooked!!! I will never drink another milk ever again! I also find so much satisfaction in making something that is good for my body along with giving it to my kids. Now there are loads of different ingredients that you could play with when making almond milk but here is the one I've been mastering.
You will need:
yield approx. 3-4 cups milk
4 cups unsalted organic almonds
1 1/2 quartz size mason jars ( or roughly 3 cups) filtered water
1 TBS organic vanilla
4 organic Manjool dates
blender
To make:
Soak almonds in a airtight container overnight with approx 4 cups water. I usually like to make sure my almonds are covered with water by about 2 inches.
In the morning, strain your almonds and add to blender. Add your vanilla extract, water and dates and blend until smooth.
Open and drop your nut bag into a container ( I use large tupperware). Pour almond mixture into bag.
Squeeze the milk out of the bag, wringing out all the liquid.
I like to store my almond milk in a cute vintage milk jar. Milk is good for about 5 days.
I feel like spring is upon us and I'm obsessing over the sweet blush pink tones floating in! From home decor, swim, sundresses and athleisure you can find me in this cotton candy pink for the next handful of months! Here are a couple of the prettiest pink must haves I have found for Spring!
All I hear about in the beauty biz is the hype about charcoal. We have the charcoal masks and pills and I even came across charcoal lemonade this weekend. So what's the deal with charcoal? I wanted to see what the fuss was about. The thought of ingesting charcoal seemed so gross and the idea of putting on my face seemed like a big mess! Here is what I've found!
My investigating:
The benefits of charcoal are actually quite amazing! It has been mostly used in hospitals for alcohol poisoning and other poisoning. It essentially is a filtration system for whatever it is applied to. Chemicals attach to it and pull the toxins from your body. It's all natural and detoxifies and reenergizes skin, hair and your gut.
How it's being used for beauty:
So I made the mistake of going to charcoal full force without doing the full research. And I made Erik do it too! LOL! He had no clue I was doing it wrong! I'm dying now laughing but it was a mess!! I literally put a tsp of Activated Charcoal in water and slapped it all over our faces. Yep! We looked like chimney sweeps! So note....that is the wrong way!!!! The whole point of charcoal applied to skin is that it grabs all the impurities, oil and all the gunk that sits on the skin and lives in your pores. It doesn't leave any residue of itself behind so your skin is left squeaky clean. It helps oily skin and shrinks pores because they aren't holding a bunch of junk in them. If you use an exfoliator before you even get deeper clean out! Make note though, you aren't supposed to use charcoal daily! Once a week is fine!
How I was supposed to use it:
1/2 tsp of Activated Charcoal
1/2 tsp Bentonite Clay ( this is the step I missed. The Bentonite helps give potion an extra punch and also helps bind the mask together.
1 1/2 tsp water
Mix in a little mixing bowl and apply to face. Wait 7-10 minutes. Wash off your face and pat dry. Let skin breathe for a bit then apply your regular moisturizer. Say good by to black heads!
I had the most amazing weekend! If you follow my Insta stories you know how bougie and gorgeous my weekend has been! I would hate me!! After the holiday's I felt so in need of a break. Not to say we didn't have a really great Christmas and New Years, I think we can all agree the holiday's are a lot of hustle bustle. I was ready to get organized and back on track with goals and plans for an exciting 2017 but needed a little kickstart.
My grandma lives in Washington on Bainbridge Island and every January and February she comes to So Cal to beat the winter. We typically spend the couple months on Balboa Island at our favorite beach house that we have rented for years but this year we decided to mix it up. This time of the year is always so special for our family. I have a really close family whom I adore and it's so beyond reviving to be together! We sit around and talk for hours, take little excursions, see movies we're all wanting to see etc. Nothing really major ever is on the agenda but our time together is all we need. We love it! In leu of Balboa Island this year, we decided to move grammy into Pelican Hill. It was beyond heaven! She moved into a three bedroom villa bigger than my house! It is magical! The views are incredible and we had the best time!
I dropped off the girls with my mother in law on Friday night and high tailed it to meet my mom and grammy that night. We had an awesome dinner then tucked in by the fire and talked until 1:00 am. Nothing like hours of girl talk to clean the brain! The next morning, my mom and I woke up and did some yoga and headed to Lido Village for some shopping! I had been wanting to visit there for a while now and particularly wanted to play at Serena and Lily! Both my mom and I are obsessed with home decor and projects right now. I am starting on the girls rooms in a couple weeks along with kitchen reno right after and mom has a bunch of rooms she is working on at her house. We could have left Serena and Lily with every piece! I think mom may just might!
That night, I picked up the girls and we had another great dinner in and snuggled in for a cozy night. We hit the pool the next day and my 86 year old grammy played with the girls in the pool for about an hour! She was the cutest!
Back to reality this morning as I dropped the girls off at school after our long winter break. I am looking forward to getting back to our routine. I have the house to put back together, projects to coordinate and dinners to plan! I feel so lucky to have had such a great weekend to get me back in gear! Until next weekend Pelican Hill!
Skin is on the top beauty priority list this year and I want to share some tried and true products I love with you all as well as some I can't wait to try!
Rosehip Seed Oil- remove make and add to moisturizers for extra moisture surge. It's for sure my most used product in my routine and it's all natural!
Peter Thomas Roth Firm Peeling Gel- major exfoliator! For those who love instant gratification this one is for you! This gel is so weird!!! Within seconds of rubbing it on your face your dead skin literally roll and lift of your face! It's so fantastically gross!
Skyn Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels- under eye deputing to the max! I use these when I've drank a little to much or stayed up to late binge watching Netflix and need my eyes to depuff!
Eminence Bright Skin Licorice Root Booster Serum- this one is a little pricey but no more brown mustache or blotchy hyper pigmented skin! I say that is majorly worth it! Another all natural product that helps brighten the skin and get you back to an even tone!
PCA Skin Perfecting Neck and Decollete- Neck wrinkle wizard! I've noticed major neck wrinkles or lines for about a year now and am soooo over it! I've tried probably a dozen different methods and this is the only product I've found that has made any change in that area. I am still new to this product but so far I am already seeing a softening of those lines in about 2 weeks time.
I also just ordered this Activated Charcoal mask. I have been doing a ton of research on Activated Charcoal and it's skin benefits and will share all I've found out soon!!
I have been on the hunt for over the knee boots for a while now. With my shorter frame, I find that it is hard to find flattering styles that don't make me look like a pirate. I love that the tops of these are laced up in the back for a snug fit. I also opted for a flat version so I could wear them more. I plan to rock these with sundresses and leather jacket, over jeans and here I paired them with a tunic sweater and leather leggings and coat.
If you follow my social media, you know that Santa brought baby chicks this year for the girls! I had been wanting chicks since we moved into the new house since we have some land now yet didn't know when the time was right. We keep a busy schedule and I wanted to make sure I wasn't biting off more than I can chew! Because lets be real, mama is in charge of these chicks until they go outside. I did a lot of research before committing and asked a ton of questions! The poor lady at the feed store should have known when I showed up with over the knee boots on! This place was not for over the knee boots! Anyway, here are some of the questions I had and what we have found out.
Peyton with Flower
1. Which chickens lay the most eggs?
A:
Rhode Island Red- about 250 brown eggs a year. ( we got two of these)
Leghorns: about 250 white eggs a year- eggs from the grocery store are most likely from these
Plymouth Rock- about 200 light brown eggs a year. ( we got two of these too)
Sussex- about 250 brown or creamy white eggs a year.
Ancona- about 200 white eggs a year.
Marans- about 200 very dark brown eggs a year
Buff Orphington- about 180 eggs a year but get " broody" or lay less in the summer.
Also there are Easter Eggers or Ameraucana's that lay BLUE eggs! So fun! We want to add one to our roost as well as the ridiculous looking Silkie!
2. Which are the most friendly?
A: Our main purpose was raising chicks that were friendly and the girls could treat like pets. We found that Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orphingtons, Brahmas, and Silkies amongst a couple others are great with kids and can even be trained.
3. How many should we start out with?
A: We were recommended 4-6 to start with. We got two Rhode Island Reds and two Plymouth Rocks and plan to add two more to the bunch. We chose these two breeds because that is what was hatched at the moment as well as being friendly and good egg layers.
4. What sort of gear do we need to start with?
A: Chicks need to be incubated for 6 weeks or until they get their adult feathers. I'll be so sad when they lose that fluff! As soon as they have their feathers and the weather is warm enough ( 80 degrees) we can let them run around the yard a bit. For the first 6 weeks we got:
Nest ( we have used a plastic storage tote with tall sides. About 4 days after we got the chicks one started to jump onto feeder and onto edge! I cut up a used Amazon box and taped it to the sides as a make shift barrier. I think we are at the point of needing more space for them already ( about 3 weeks old)
Heat lamp- chicks have to be at 100 degrees at all times
Water feeder- we got plastic on with shallow dish ( chicks are big dummies and can drown easily so make sure water isn't deep.
Electrolyte powder and Probiotic powder- we add this to water.
Food feeder- Ours is plastic and has a dispenser with small holes. Again the dummies poop in their food sometimes and its best to not waste a bunch of food.
Food- the feed store recommended chick starter which is made of grain and milling. Its super fine and the chicks seem to love it. We will switch most likely to organic as soon as we get into their coop.
Shavings- A big bundle of shavings is put at bottom of your nest to keep sanitary and for them to be comfy.
5. How much maintenance do they need?
A: Chicks need very little maintenance! I clean the nest and replace the shavings once a week and keep an eye on their water and food. They do have a tendency to poop in their food as well as kick up shavings that land in it. I change their water it seems like about once a day or as needed. Their food dispenses as they eat it and I refill that maybe once a week. They also tend to poop their too so make sure to keep that clean so they don't get sick.
6. What's the coop situation like?
A: We are super excited about this Boomer and George coop . As soon as the weather is warmer and the chicks have their adult feathers they can go into their coop. It's recommended to keep coop in shady place and avoid a wind draft. Chickens like a little run so some space is good if you aren't going to keep them free range ( on the loose) all the time. 6 chickens will be just happy in a 4 box coop. They like to be together so some bunk up with another to lay eggs or keep warm.
Hay Hay needing to chill
Overall, we are having so much fun with them! They scurry around, eat like piggies, sleep and cheep! Ours are super curious and love shiny things. We have named them Hay Hay, Little Red, Bixby and Flower!
Happy 2017!!! Man , 2016 flew by! We had a wonderful year last year and I pray for more of the same! I love making goals and plans and so resolution time makes my heart happy! Here are some of the plans I have for 2017!
This just makes me laugh!!! via
Learn photography ( I signed up for an course yesterday and am so fired up to dust off my DSLF and make my brain work! )
Time block -ie crush my days more efficiently
Spend at least 30 minutes each day on house cleaning ( not excited about this one but know it will be worth it! )
Drink more water
Create a personal savings account ( get intentional with my spending)
Enjoy the process - I can get so into planning mode than I forget to enjoy and savor where I am currently.
Be mindful of what brings me the most joy
Pen in time with friends twice a month
Take more adventures with my family
Plan and stick to date nights
Read one educational and one fluffy book each month
Educate myself on more holistic methods for my home and family
We have been having so much fun decorating the house, planning school parties and holiday dance shows this last week! I have fully embraced my inner "dance mom" at this point! She has been waiting patiently to come out and it's go time! Both of the girls are in jazz right now while Capri still does ballet at a separate studio. The jazz girls are performing at the Mission Inn's Festival of Lights this year and I'm dying! I live for this stuff! Us moms have gotten together for full sequin domination on the girl's performance shirts. We have gloves, leg warmers and bows that rival the size of a bowling ball in the works! Going to be the cutest thing I've ever seen!
I also need to brag for a second and say I have crushed my shopping list this year! Granted, I only have like 5 gifts to buy but still worth noting! We don't go overboard at all on the girl's gifts. Growing up we got about 4-5 gifts and it was just perfect.
My Black Friday and Cyber Monday picks are rolling in and I am so giddy! We have plaid top, velvet top, this adorable wrap skirt, super chic booties and some over the knee boots! Winning!!!! Do you girls get anything fabulous for yourself? Share! Share!
We are gearing up like crazy for Christmas in our house and I had so much fun setting up for our annual Christmas movie night! I love giving the girls their Christmas pjs and slippers and we cozy in by the fire for a family movie night to kick off the season. We've done Polar Express before ( see our fun here) and this year we chose the movie Elf so I thought it would be fun to decorate with all things Elf inspired. Hot cocoa and candy galore! I found the cutest Elf quote mugs and wrapped up their glittery slippers and pjs with bright red ribbons. I adore this tradition!
It's "fancy" dress season! (insert happy dance) With all the festivities coming, there is nothing more fun than taking it up a notch! I've rounded up my favorite holiday worthy dresses for you today!! Cheers to looking fabulous!
Photos: Corey Morgan