Fall Tablescape inspiration

As I curled up with my Fall Magnolia Journal, I came upon their article talking of soup gatherings. A simple meal for your dearest friends to gather and enjoy each other's company.  The whole mission is to create a standing date of soup, gathering and quality time  No fuss !  I of course don't mind a little fuss so I decided to create a lovely tables cape to accompany my launching of the monthly " Soup Sioree" ( yes I gave it a name). I have so many incredible friends and wanted to mix up my group a bit and grab some of my most dynamic.  I have 3 girlfriends coming over for lunch tomorrow.  One is a fine art photographer, one a self made bad ass attorney with her own practice and another attorney with the most impeccable home decor taste I have ever seen! Just interesting, cool, funny ladies.  Some of us know each other better than others and some not at all. Love that part!  I can't wait to see where our conversations lead.

Farmhouse table,Faux fur pillow,White dot pillow, Soup bowls, Napkins, Beaded dinner plate, Straw charger, Gold flatware,  Striped runner, Grasscloth runner, Brass bell, Pitcher, Brass name plates

 I am prepping an easy Ablondigas soup which is hearty and all things yummy.  I created an airy table filled with Fall feels yet kept things coastal like I love.  I topped my layered grass cloth and striped runners with straw chargers and beaded plates that we received as wedding gifts. I love how simple pieces can be refreshed over and over.  I added more texture with a simple plaid patterned napkin and an adorable vessel for our soup.  For my runner, I grabbed pumpkins from our porch and foliage from our yard to bring nature in.  I added Hearth and Home pieces to make things personal and warm.  

Cheers to amazing, inspiring, funny friends! 

Christmas picture outfit inspiration

If you are a "Classic Christmas" fan and love all things green and red for Christmas you may lean towards this timeliness option for your pics.  We did a play on this look last year amongst the trees and it turned out so festive. You could also shoot this look next to your Christmas tree at home.  

Tip: Don't be afraid to introduce sequins and navy blue into your classic feel.  Navy adds some dimension to the traditional red and green and there is nothing more Christmassy than sparkle! 

His: Red Sweater, Plaid Button up shirt, Dress Pants, Dress Shoes

Hers: Drop Earrings, V-neck Sweater, Sequined Skirt, Nude heels

Little lady: Pearl headband, Plaid dress, Glitter flats

Little man: Blazer, White button up, Tan courdory pants, Suede boots

Our 2015 Christmas pictures ore my favorite to date!  We were barefoot and casual.  These pics turned out so dreamy!  I wore a flowy navy blue dress which caught the slight breeze perfectly.  The girls wore soft cream dresses and Peyton topped hers with a faux fur vest.  The added texture and color was unexpected but just right.  I loved our clean pallet that just lent itself perfectly to the coast. 

Tip: Mix and mingle textures in neutral colors for beach shoots.  I always aim for coastal colors when shooting at the beach. Think creams, tan and blues for the perfect soft pallet.  Bright hues tend to detract from the gorgeous coastline.  You want to pop against the waves but organically so. 

His: White button down shirt, Dark denim jeans

Hers: Gold hoop earrings, Blue maxi dress

Little lady: Faux Fur vest, Lace 3/4 sleeve dress

Little man: Chambray button down shirt, Tan corduroy pants

Think crackling fire, snow covered trees and snuggles!  This theme is so fun and totally casual!  Go all out with your plaids, beanies, vests and fur!  All of it works!  

Tip: Classic red and greens are super festive for this sort of theme.  I like to play the outside of the obvious choice and go with neutrals and deep jewel tones.  Layer colors and fabrics to create something interesting and different. 

His: Fur lined denim jacket, Plaid flannel shirt, Khaki pants, Brown leather boots

Hers:Cream fur lined coat, Cream turtleneck sweater, Highwaisted jeans, Tan suede booties

Little Lady: Fur Lined puffer vest, Polka dot blouse, Burgundy skinny jeans, Fur boots

Little Man: Olive green puffer jacket, Cream cowel neck sweater, Jeans, Brown leather boots

Christmas picture tips

I love love love Christmas cards and get so giddy when planning our Christmas pictures for the year.  It's one of my most favorite parts of the holiday!  We rush to our mailbox ready to gather up sweet cards each day of December filled with our friends and family's gorgeous faces.  I know that Christmas pictures can be dreaded for many families though.  What to wear?  How to get the kids to cooperate?  How to get the husband on board with a 30 minute photo shoot?  ALL the things!  Luckily, I've got you covered on the fashion end of things!!  I love dressing families and making the group as a whole look effortless yet still cohesive.  First, here are some first key elements to nail down before working on your outfits. 

1. Where is your shoot taking place?  We have done beach, woods, kitchen, pumpkin patch etc.  It doesn't matter where you pick but make sure your photographer is used to shooting there and is skilled at kids photography.  Our dear friend Alice Hu has shot our family for years and we are all so comfortable with her that our shoots go super smooth.  The kids love her and she knows how to capture the magic of a family.  

2.  Pick a time that everyone is feeling best.  If naps are in the mix still schedule your shoot for about an hour after your little ones nap so you know you have plenty of time to get a snack in and everyone is at their best.  Also, keep the session 30 minutes long!  You will lose your people after that!  

3.  Consider hair and makeup for mama.  I know this sounds a little overkill but nothing makes you feel better than a little pampering.  If all else fails, mommy looks fantastic!  

4. If working with a new photographer and not yet built a great rapor, bring along a trusted friend to help make sure you all look great.  You know that friend!  The one that will shamelessly tell you, you look chunky in that pose or help you not do weird things with your hands.  A wingman of sorts.  

5.  Lastly, don't sweat it!  Make sure to encourage the kids to play and keep loose.  There is nothing worse than looking stiff in pictures that should capture the essence of your family.  If you don't get the best family shot, use a great candid of the kids or make a collage of some great relaxed moments of the kids frolicking and you laughing  with your hubby.  It's all about capturing the current moment and there is only magic in that. 

I'm excited to share our favorite pics from past years!  Hopefully they can give you some idea inspiration for themes for your own shoots.  Stay tuned for my full family outfit looks tomorrow!  

Photo: Jackie Wonders 

Photo: Alice Hu 

Photo: Alice Hu

Photo: Alice Hu

Photo: Alice Hu

Photo: Alice Hu

Colors of Fall: Burgandy and Olive Green

Fall booties under $150

Our weather has been so gorgeous lately.  It's been crisp in the mornings and a perfect 75 with a breeze in the evenings.  I am dreaming of hot apple cider on a rocking chair on our porch.  Dreamy right?!  I'm starting to slowly bring out my cooler weather pieces in my closet.  I love the way a chic boot can change the whole feel of a look.  Floral dresses paired with suede booties or skinny jeans tucked into slouchy bootie styles.  I'm always partial to a pointed toe style.  I feel like it elongates any leg and keeps the look feeling chic and elevated.  I've collected my favorites for this fall all under $150.  

Mommy Monday- Stuck in a rut

As you know, the girls have been back to school for a couple weeks now.  For some reason this year, it was really hard for me to get back into a groove.  The first week back, I felt like I was a little aimless. I have had a list of to do's growing by the second but I couldn't get myself sorted out enough to tackle any of them. I really noticed myself not really interested in getting ready for the day in anything but workout clothes.  Not that I was really working out though.  I hate the feeling of non productivity and am used to getting a lot done in a day. This odd feeling of lack of ambition was really thick and I didn't like it at all!  I decided enough is enough of that!  I decided to get my act together and get back to my normal kick butt routine and feeling great.  

Here was my plan: 

First, I decided to tackle myself.  I took a long shower, slathered on some tanning lotion ( I feel like tanning lotion solves a lot of issues - if you can't tone it, tan it :)).  I whitened my teeth and got myself in for a hair cut and color.  BAM!!  Already feeling a little better.  I decided to get dressed up a bit even just to pick up the kids from school.  I put on my makeup and off I went. This can seem so trivial and superficial but I think my rut was something of not feeling great about my appearance too.  Once, I put in a little more effort my focus came back in line.  

Second, I started making tight plans to workout again regularly.  I don't love to work out but know it does wonders for my productivity and doesn't hurt in the body either!  I've gotten back on the train with my Tone it up workouts and am doing regular yoga too.  Yoga is a savior for me!  

Thirdly, I made a master list of what I wanted to accomplish that week and a plan on how to get it done.  Little to big!  I packed our fridge with healthy food, meal planned for the week, made sure we had pencils and erasers set aside and ready for homework and mopped the floors.  I took a look a head at my work needs and made a plan of attack on scheduling and emails.  I did all the laundry and organized the girls clothes back in order. This alone made me feel so in charge.  

Lastly, I picked out a new outfit for a date night with my guy. It was a funny feeling going gapping specifically for a date night outfit. We have been married 10 years now.  With crazy work hours, his new position at work and me with the kids schedule, it can be really tough to plan/justify a date night.  Nevertheless, I was a woman on a mission!  I put together an outfit that made me feel pretty and we loved our night. I can't say I've woken up this week with the same pep in my step but I plan to repeat steps 1-4 and tackle this week again like a BOSS! 

Anyone else feeling like they have been a little "stuck" lately?

Oak Glen Apple Picking

September is in full swing and we are plotting our Fall bucket list.  I love apple picking and last week we had perfect weather for it!  We were a little early in the season but still had a great time! We are lucky to be so close to apple country and love the sweet country feel of the area.  Our favorite Riley's farm was closed , so we visited Riley's Apple Farm to pick our apples.  We had such a great lazy day.  The girls found some fun activities.  Capri decided she was very into archery.  Little Peyton was to young but was just as happy to watch.  After our Merida moment we went on the hunt for apple pie.  We ventured up the hill further to Los Rios farm and picked up a slice of apple pie.  The fresh air, bbq smells and families frolicking on the large grass lawn made for the perfect kick off to Fall.  

Mommy Monday-Back to school blues, Destruction and bed buddies

We have officially started back to school this week. I have been feeling so sad about our lazy days coming to an end.  I am not however sad about the constant mayhem and destruction that these two tazmanian devils cause.  OMG!!!  How can two little girls make such a hurricane of a mess every day.  As August rolls around, we typically travel a lot and keep slower days when back home.  The means, loads of endless eating, fort building, slime making, scrapbooking, etc.  SO MUCH MESS!!  My girls are generally pretty messy all the time but they love to play together and are super imaginative.  As I write this they are converted two large boxes into forts and are closing each other into them with tape and "shipping" each other off to exotic lands.  They are giggling so hard that each of them has basically peed themselves.  While I'm scrubbing surfaces and sweeping slime supplies I can't help but adore those giggles.  That is what imagination is all about right?  With that said, I think my melancholy about back to school has worn off a bit. A quiet house for 80% of the day is pretty heavenly!

This week we got the girl's room lights installed. They both have pendant lights now above their beds for reading.  I adore how they turned out!  While they love their new additions they are both total scardie cats when something changes in their rooms.  Peyton was first with her imaginary fear.  As I was tucking in Capri for bed and discussing her day, in comes sissy worked up about something in her room.  Of course I knew it was the new light.  Capri offers to share her bed with her for the night so she wouldn't be scared.  Big sissy protection.  I wash my face and get into bed so giddy to binge watch Game of Thrones and in comes my two little babies.  Both now are spooked by something so in my bed they come.  While I know I'm getting no sleep that night I can't help but love them all cozied in with me while daddy was gone.  I remember the feeling of calm that would come over me as soon as I was let into mommy and daddy's bed when scared.  I'm hoping they are over it tonight though!  Peyton likes to sleep on my head for most of the night and Capri grinds her teeth out of her head.  It's super restful!  

'til next week....

Barstools: To Splurge or Save?

The second we started the kitchen vision board, I had my heart set on these Serena and Lily's barstools.  These stools were the perfect height and the wood color was perfect!  I loved how they weren't a typical option for a kitchen. Since we have finished the kitchen, I've even saving my pennies for all the decor items to finish off the attached rooms like the living and dining room.  We still have to finish painting the fireplace, add built ins and a couple bigger projects but the decor elements are really starting to come together.  This is where all those pennies I've been saving can add up.  My perfect Serena and Lily stools aren't super cheap and I wanted to be practical with this purchase.  The chairs were going to be used pretty often with sticky fingers and plenty of crayons.  Durable and easy to clean were top priority! They needed to be attractive from all sides as they are seen from all angles in kitchen and living room.  We have a couple different wood colors flowing through the rooms so the wood on the chairs needed to compliment.  Little checklist to work with on requirements.  I started searching for similar styles of stools and found some great options.  Here were the top two contenders!  

Summer to Fall transitional outfits

Were we live, summer hangs on for quite some time.  Our summer wardrobes need to stretch a little longer yet have a transitional feel for when nights get cooler.  I have been eyeing some great classic pieces that will get me through summer, the cooler seasons of Fall/Winter and even into spring.  I love all these picks because they can be layered, mixed and mingled or worn separately and work seamlessly together. This is my method of shopping always.  I only like to add pieces into my wardrobe that can be worn at least 3 different ways.  Here I have slightly paired everything in outfit suggestions in each row to help you envision how I saw each piece working as an outfit. 

Look 1: Striped sweater, Navy bow tank, distressed denim

Look 2: Blush sunglasses, rust sweater, white denim shorts, tan strappy sandals

Look 3: Blush trench, White embellished peplum top, distressed denim

Look 4: Beaded earrings, Striped peplum blouse, white skinny jeans, tan loafers

Mommy Monday- Summer tutoring, delirium, groceries and game day

We have heard nothing but daunting claims that 3rd grade is the most challenging  academically. Man, I thought 1st and 2nd gave me a run for my money with my not so studious big girl.  She comes by it honestly though.  The academic part of school was not my specialty.  Ha!  I had the social part down though!  Learning new skills still are hard for me.  I have to work really hard to master something and Algebra was never one of those things.  We are supposed to tackle multiplication, division, long addition and subtraction and ALGEBRA!  What the heck!!  I was planning on doing some tutoring with both girls this summer to hopefully get a head but we are into August and mostly have been just partying!  I decided that since all I've done is work on the fashion part of school next year, I should probably get going on this "getting ahead biz".  Math is her biggest struggle.  I called a couple local tutoring centers and they were all so pricey!  I thought maybe I would skip a formal atmosphere and get them something online that they would think is fun.  Challenge accepted. We do Jiji math at their school but I wanted to try something not as familiar for them to hopefully keep it fresh.  We landed on Splash Math and it seems to be going well.  They start with an assessment and then we move on slowly through the different lessons to really hit all angles of the new skill.  Both girls seem to be enjoying it and most of the time they are able to get the hang of it themselves.  So far so good!  

Today was filled with church and solid delirium for both the girls.  They were so giggly and looney!  This makes me nuts!!!!!  I love the giggles but the loon nonsense makes me crazy! They just start getting ornery and stop listening.  We have been staying up really late and I've decided it might be time to start inching towards our normal bedtime to avoid days like today.  The day ended nicely thoug.  I fired up my Chris Tomlin worship music and sent them outside to jump on the trampoline for 4 hours.  Work that energy out while mommy get's rid of her crazy eyes.

Next thing that I can't understand is the sheer amount of food my family eats during summer!  Any other mamas find this to be a struggle to keep up with?  I'm talking meals and snack plates every hour!  I really try my best to feed my family fresh and organic.  I know this isn't for everyone but it's really important to me and something I try to stick to.  We have a great produce stand around the corner from us that I make weekly trips to stock up on all of our fruits and veggies.  I recently tried Butcher Box for our meats and we gather fresh eggs from our hens daily.  My girls are super picky as I mentioned last week in my Mommy Monday post and my hubby is pretty picky too. I'll eat anything so I'm super easy I think!  Erik is a big guy so to feed him is literally 3 servings of our dinner or meal.He likes what we have coined "goulash" meals.  That means basically anything that looks like a casserole and is all wet and mushy together.  He also is trying to keep the lbs. off so he wants me to make healthy " goulash" . What?!  He loves mexican food, won't eat fish, no pork, minimal fruit and some veggies.  Okay, good luck to me!    My struggle is not spending an million dollars a week on feeding everyone.   How does anyone else battle this?  I think it may be time to get back to Costco trips!  

Lastly, I had such a happy mommy heart this week with my whole gang together.  If you have followed for a while you know my hubby is a police officer.  We don't see him as much as we would like to.  When he is home our time together as a unit is gold!  He took the kids with him running errands the other day and came back with two games. They picked up LIFE and Battleship.  We decided on LIFE first.  We got our snacks all ready and gathered around our sweet new breakfast nook table to play.  We giggled and played together for about an hour.  Man do I love my little group.  Time like that is so priceless and makes my heart so full. 

Capri's gallery wall

I finally finished Capri's gallery wall!  I have had this artwork for months now and have been dragging my feet on completely the project.  Well, this past week was the week!  I knew I wanted an eclectic yet polished feel for the wall.  The gallery was being done above her day bed on a large wall.  I had super cute artwork with a coastal, fun feel. I found this adorable striped umbrella print and this  ocean wave illustration to kick me off in the right direction.  I consulted Framebridge to help me with the layout and some design ideas.  They have this great design program for $100 that you can send them the sizing of your art and they will design a couple layout and frame options for your wall.  This also includes the hanging measurements of each piece too on your wall.  I love it!  Sort of everything I needed.  You can of course choose from their huge variety of frame options or take the basic idea and replicate the look on your own.  I did decide to take full advantage of a frame sale going on a Michaels and get some similar frames to those Framebridge picked out for me.  I just adore how it all came together.   

Kitchen farmhouse sink

There were a couple changes I made to my original kitchen plan and the sink was one of my favorite switch ups.  I thought that I could save a buck by putting a stainless steel undermount sink and call it a day.  As I festered more on it, the idea of mixing metals that close to each other was bugging my eye.  I was dead set on a brass faucet and brass hardware and I felt that the stainless steel sink would though my off.  Not to mention would be harder to keep clean looking. 

Once I had decided that I was going the farmhouse sink route, I went on the hunt for something in the right size (36 inch) and reasonable. I wanted a single bowl option.  I found a great option in the right size at Ikea but the apron wasn't long enough.  This was apparently a thing that I didn't know I was supposed to pay attention too.  I moved onto another option on Amazon  and ordered the longer apron to find out that this option was now to long for our cabinets.  Kill me now!!!! I jumped back on Amazon and ordered the shorter version of the white farmhouse sink. This time was perfect!  It's such a simple piece in the kitchen but I feel like adds so much!  So worth the shopping around! 

In my research, I was shocked at how many cool farmhouse style sinks there were.  There are stainless steel options, textured white options, copper and even black sinks for the edgy kitchen.  

Mommy Monday-Back to School, chore charts and picky eating

So many mommy things going on this summer!  We have had the best summer and never want it to end!  With that said, we went to school today to drop off our next year's tuition (OUCH $$) and our principle mentioned that our school year packets are coming in the mail early next week!  Yay!  I wasn't expecting them for a while!  Something about these packets gets me all excited!  I love paperwork and schedules and stuff!  I love inputting the school calendar, looking over the supplies list and thinking on back to school cute outfits.  We will also find out who we are getting for teachers next year! So pumped!  The girls are going into  3rd and 1st grade which is just the saddest!  I feel like time is going to fast!  So anyway, back to cute outfits. I LIVE for back to school outfits!  I have the best memories of my mom taking me to The Limited Too ( anyone with me on how "little girl chic" Limited Too was??) We would go for hours and do fashion shows and pick out loads of cute things for the new school year.  We'd go home and do another full fashion show for my dad. To fun!  Of course, this is one of my most favorite things to do with my littles.  If you have followed us for a while, I'm sure you have seen our Instagram fashion shows.  They are VERY serious!  We don't start back to school until after Labor Day and last year I made the rookie mistake of waiting until the end of August to do my back to school shopping.  So many schools in our area go back mid August and I'm seeing all the sales pop up now.  This mama is not messing around this year!  I've hit our favorites and saved so much $$.  We destroyed Old Navy, J.Crew and Cotton On Kids.  Peyton is very into dresses and will rarely tolerate shorts.  Capri got funny last year about ruffles so we are now into a sportier look.  We are doing stripes, white denim, comfy dresses but really no frills.  She is super girly but the ruffles just didn't make the cut.  It stays so hot in our area until about October so I didn't put to much attention on winter items yet. I will go through ZARA and Gap later in the year for warmer things.  Here are some of the things we got.

In other news, we have started chore charts.  Capri is getting to the age were we need to start instilling the value of money and saving.  Both girls have been spoiled with loads of luxury travel but we aren't big toy consumers.  They very rarely get any toys are goodies outside of their birthday and Christmas.  Still, chores are on the radar.  We officially started our charts two days ago and neither of them have completed their days.  KILL ME now!! I'm talking easy chores too!  Like making their beds, brushing their hair etc.  Come on now!  To much frolicking to do apparently.  So hopefully today is the day.  We worked out a system of $5 a week for all their chores completed every day and then bonus chores for .25 each.  Capri is saving for an American Girl doll and Peyton (little sissy that she is) has no real clue but says she is going for an American Girl doll too.  Any other mommies have luck with getting this chore chart biz?  

I also had a major mommy win this  last week with a dinner that they would eat!  Can I get a HALLELUJAH!!!!  Man these two have pulled a fast one on me in the eating department.  One eats broccoli sometimes and other won't at all.  One eats pbj and the other only pb and honey!  This goes on and on!  I made them ravioli the other night and you would have thought I was trying to poison them!  I tried my luck with a toss together crockpot meal and WON!  I had 4 chicken breasts that needed to be cooked so I tossed them into the crockpot with two jars of salsa, approx. 1 ts coriander, chili powder, cumin and garlic.  I cooked the chicken on low for 8 hours then shredded it and left in juices to warm.  I found a random can of refried beans in the pantry. We topped whole wheat tortillas with the beans, sprinkled on mexican cheese and topped both with the chicken!  Both girls gobbled up their burritos and gave a thumbs up!  I WIN!!!  Anyone else have a go to meal that the kiddies will eat?  

Styling Series: Christina from Hello Blue Photo

My dear friend and Orange County fine art photographer Christina of Hello Blue Photo works with me in the wedding industry. When I say this girl is a girl boss, I mean girl BOSS.  Her work has been featured on top wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty, Grey Likes and Brides along with major print publications like US Weekly, People and Instyle.  

 Our wardrobe for wedding days and meetings with clients has to be fairly specific.  With the work load of a photographer on a wedding day you have to look chic and polished but be able to be on her feet all day, bend, sprint and get all sorts of athletic all while blending in perfectly.  Tricky right?!  When Christina reached out for some advice on work looks I jumped right in!  There is nothing more fun for me than to play dress up with my fab friends.  Christina is a major babe and has a super cool, feminine and boho look.  Very different than mine so I thought picking looks for her would be a super fun challenge.  When we discussed her likes and dislikes, we ruled out form fitting, anything off the shoulder ( not so practical for wedding days) and of course anything overly patterned or white. 

Taking full advantage of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I curated a large selection of dresses, jumpers, jogger pants, shoes and bags to piece together for a closet full of chicness.  

Here are a couple of my favorite pieces that I've created looks around.  I like to aim to create capsule collections so every piece in your closet can be mixed and mingled and worn multiple different ways.  Add a blazer or chic suede moto jacket over any of these looks to change the whole feel of the outfit.  

From left to right: 

Floral Blouse, Black Joggers, Metallic loafers, Navy Blue Jumpsuit, Pom Pom suede flats, Olive Green brocade shift dress, Tan suede sandals, Black floral blouse, Leather leggings, Black bow slides

Here is the whole round up of pieces I curated for Christina.  All can mixed and mingled with each other and paired with heels or clutches to take the look from day to night.  

Living room blue couch inspiration

I've started focusing on the living room  now that the kitchen has been pretty well under wraps.   I still have to finish up my floating shelves and then I will be sharing the final reveal soon!    The main focus of our new set up is getting as much seating as possible in every corner of the house. We have added the breakfast nook, barstools (hopefully soon) and next up is a great big sectional.  With two active kiddos, hubby and pups I know a white couch is out of the question.  I have been obsessed with bringing in loads of happy color into the house and the couch will be no exception.  I am smitten over this Interior Define sectional in the color Evening.  I feel like it's just the right pop of coastal color that I love.  I can just envision us all sprawled out with the pups on movie nights or entertaining with our friends for game night.  The fabrics are ultra durable and kid/pet friendly.  Does it get any better?!  I plan to keep it layered with colorful pillows in stripes and textures and fluffy  throws.  I love a jute rug and will play with that idea under the couch.  Still working on coffee table ideas but love the idea of something  woven raffia like this and this option.  Here are some dreamy living room inspiration pics I've been gathering on Pinterest!  

To see the before picture of our kitchen visit this and this post! 

Nordstrom Anniversary SALE Early Access

It's that time of year! The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is the by far the biggest sale of the year!  Thousands of staple pieces, sweaters, boots and coats are all on major mark down!  It's the perfect time to snag all the best Fall and Winter pieces for when the weather cools down.  I love winter dressing!  

All these picks are shopable with your Early Access to the sale.  In order to be able to shop early, you will need a Nordstrom Debit or Credit card. 

I've rounded up all my most favorite pieces for the chicest winter wardrobe!  

Sweaters

Pants

Coats

Shoes

Cozy night in

Summer workout outfits

It was time for me to get my booty back into gear and start working out again.  If you follow my insta stories you know I started BBG before our kitchen remodel.  I hung in there for about 6 weeks but found with my schedule it was tricky to get my workouts in.  Now that I'm back on my wellness game, I've started daily workouts with Tone it Up and am following their nutrition plan.  Both are really conducive to my summer schedule and I'm feeling great!  The nutrition plan focuses on clean eating 5 mini meals a day!  That is my favorite type of eating because I get to stuff my face constantly!  FAVE!!  I am not a picky eater and love all healthy veggies and fruits. I've been whipping up veggie packed frittatas for quick mornings, chopping up fruit and munching on super yummy salads with all the veggies I can find.  I've also upped my water intake to 90 oz a day which keeps my system flushed and my energy up.  I am horrible at water drinking so I'm making a super conscience effort to mix up my infused water options and this must have bottle with me all the time to sip on.  The workouts are great because they are quick on most days.  I even break them up  into morning and night deepening on our schedule to feel less daunting if it's a longer 40 min workout that day.  Because working out is that much more fun in super cute workout gear, I've rounded up my favorite summer J.Crew Sport items for you!  Everything but the sneakers are 30% off right now with CODE YESPLEASE!

Tennis dress, Navy racerback, Blush sneakers, Palm leaf sports bra, Striped racerback, Palm leaf shorts, Blue and pink top, Pink capri, Navy capri, White skirt, Navy sneakers, Blue and pink capri, Striped cropped tank

Magnolia Market recap

Outfit details: Hat, Bag, Dress on sale now, Sandals

My mom and I have always loved traveling together and like everyone in America we are big Fixer Upper fans!  Who doesn't adore Chip and Joanna and an eyeful of shiplap? NO ONE!!!  We decided on a little spur of the moment trip to Waco to visit Magnolia Market and see the Silos. We did a bunch of asking around on what tips and tricks we could put to good use on our visit. Our last trip just the two of us, without the kiddos, was 8 years ago.   We thought we would leave the babes at home and make it a mother/daughter trip. Capri and Peyton are actually really big fans of the show too and were bummed to miss out!  Taking into account that we were making our visit during June, we know the weather was going to be HOT and lines could be long.  Although, it would have been great to have them there we decided for our first trip we better be safe than sorry.  When asking around, we found out that the best days to visit are Wednesdays and early in the day.  We knew that the trip would only take about 3 hours max for us to go through the market and bakery and explore a bit.   My mom did some researching on accommodations and we decided to stay at the Lake Austin Resort and Spa.  More on that delightful place in a later post!  The resort was about 2 hours away from Waco but an easy drive.  We decided to go on Wednesday and be there as it opened.

 The bakery opened at 9:00 and we rolled in at 10:00. The lines were a piece of cake!  ( pun intended)   There were maybe 5 people ahead of us.  We were offered a menu and ordering card at the door.  We weren't really sure what to get so we got a variety of goodies.  We decided on a Elderberry soda, Cranberry Orange biscuits, Oatmeal Chocolate chip cookies, Lemon Lavender cupcake and a Classic cupcake which is chocolate cake with vanilla icing.  Piglets party of 2!  We both have major sweet tooths and are cupcake consesuers.  We both decided that the desserts were some of the best sweets we have ever tried!  Beyond delish!  That Joanna knows how to whip up a treat!  Not only was the bakery precious but the staff was lovely and got us in and out.  

We mozied over to the market for some shopping. It's huge!  The whole place is a renovated grain warehouse.  Every piece is handpicked by Joanna.  We asked if she ever comes in to visit guests. The lovely staffer said she comes in later in the evenings before closing mostly.  She will come for her meetings and then the whole market will be rearranged in the morning. The market is full of pure Joanna goodness.  Sweet tablescapes, soft textiles, kitchen goodies and endless floral displays for oversized vases.  I recommend keeping a very tight list of what you are wanting to take home because you can easily swept away but all the pretty things. I  picked up a beautiful salt and pepper caddy and my mom grabbed the cutest wooden recipe cards.  If you do pick up large pieces for your home they have a really convienent shipping station to send your finds home.  Chip has a cute little area of items with his "chip-isms" on them, fun shirts and trinkets for the guys in your life. I was also on the hunt for treats for the girls.  I really wanted to bring them home these sweet egg collecting aprons I had seen on Magnolia's website.  We found them in the adorable Seed shop. The shop in surrounded by the sweetest herb and veggie garden and is full of items to build your own dream garden.  They had cute seed packets, gardening tools, fairy garden accessories and watering buckets.  We weren't hungry after our sugar fest but peeked through the food trucks.  They had a smoothie truck that served smoothies out of hollowed out watermelons and another truck serving sweet tea out of mason jars.  Just adorable!.  The silos weren't open but we hear that they are being worked on as a "his and her" duo and  that Chip sneaks into his when the big Baylor games are on. I'm predicting a home and furniture store in hers. What do you think? 

We can't wait to go back and do another tour of the Silos once they are done and take a tour with Waco-Tours.   The tours include trip through a handful of the Fixer Upper homes, Harp Design, local shopping tips etc. in a party bus atmosphere! Girls trip, Bachelorette you name it they do it!  So fun right?!!  

Fourth of July outfit inspiration

We are headed to Hotel Del Coronado for the Fourth of July!  We love it there and they know how to do the Fourth right!! Coronado Island has a annual Fourth of July parade honoring veterans and those in active duty. Back at the resort they host outdoor movie, smores, crafts and the biggest fireworks show we have ever seen all to music! I rounded up my favorite eats at The Del the last 4th of July we visited for the foodie!  I love dressing for the Fourth!  So festive! I've rounded up all the pieces I plan to sport on our trip!    

Romper, Sunglasses, Bow tank, Red striped one piece, Red ruffled tank, Blue striped one piece, Red ruffled eyelet dress, Blue gingham off the shoulder dress, White denim skirt, Straw tote, Red sandals