Streamlined Cold Weather Wardrobe

Clothes: Coat/Dress/Pixie Pant/Sweater/White Button Down Shirt/Sparkle T
Accessories: Scarf/Necklace/Pumps/Ankle Boots/Envelope Clutch/Bucket Bag

Brrrr it's cold out there! I found myself shivering under my comforter yesterday morning and at the same time dreading the fact that I was yet again not ready for the change in seasons. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm totally excited about incorporating the 365 Style method into my life.  I like the idea of putting together a few go-to outfits so that I can walk out the door looking presentable 100% of the time. 

Streamline Your Wardrobe (Nicky Hilton's 365 Style)

Post baby, I have really struggled with maintaining a sense of style. Like a lot of moms, fashion is not at the top of my list of priorities. My body is not the same, so all of my favorite wardrobe stables are 3-4 sizes too small. I don't really want to go shopping with what little free time I have these days.  And, I have far less disposable income than I once did.

In the past year, I've learned that the only way to maintain some sense of order in your life is to have systems, lists, and plans in place.  And I've just realized that I need a system so that I can leave my house looking somewhat decent. 

Enter Nicky Hilton's 365 Style where the hotel heiress lays out a system so that you can be fashionable regardless of the size of your tush or bank account. 

Baby Boos (Baby Halloween Fashions)

1. Monster Romper 2. Cat Set 3. Ghost Socks 4. Orange Elf Suit 5. Gap PJ's 6. Booties 

 

Last week I had a post on Halloween fashions. I realized after I selected the items that there wasn't much on there for bitty babies.  

 

It's funny how quickly I've forgotten about my daughter's early days.  Less than a year ago she was in that cuddly, pj's are appropriate all day phase. She seemed so tiny at the time that I wondered if we should even go through the hassle of dressing her up for Halloween.  

 

Here are some picks for you parents want to be festive but might not want to deal with selecting a costume.  They also make great gifts for any Fall baby. 

 

P.S. I really wish I had known about these elf suits last year.  

Fab-boo-lous (Halloween Fashion)

1. Masked Sweatshirt 2. Camo Pants 3. Bat Hoodie
4. Cat Cap 5. Ghost Cap 6. Socks 7. Dress 8. Leggings

It's never too early to start thinking about Halloween, especially if you are a kid.  Here are some non-costumey Halloween picks for your little ones. 

Shoe Loves (Birks and Socks)

The 90's are back.  I'm not complaining about it, I loved the 90's (with all my heart).  I did make a number of fashion choices that I'm not in a rush to revisit: dark lipstick, matte foundation, shirts under dresses, and of course the boyfriend jeans. 

This summer I got caught up in the 90's revival and bought myself a pair of Birkenstocks.  Now that fall is here, I'm ready to wear my Birkenstocks as long as the weather allows.  Fortunately, my daughter is still too young to be embarrassed by me.

How would you wear Birkenstocks on colder days?  Hat tip to my friend K.B. for the inspiration.

This is my favorite look by far.
 Image via The Street Style

Shoe Loves (Charleston Shoe Company)

Charleston Shoe Company's owner and founder.  Images via Charleston Shoe's website

During our vacation I discovered these awesome boots made by the Charleston Shoe Company.  I liked them because they looked like they would be sturdy but sexy. 

Shoe Loves (Saltwater Sandals)

I know it's August and you probably aren't thinking about summer clothes anymore, but I have to tell you about these wonderful sandals my daughter received from her great aunt for her first birthday. 

Where I've Been (Crazy Day Slippers)

Aren't these Stubbs and Wooten slippers perfect for those days where you feel like life is spinning out of control?  The best thing about palm trees is that they sway all over the place but their roots keep them grounded. 

Life's been a little cray cray since I last posted. Over the past three weeks, I've been to two memorial services and spent my first weekend away from my baby.  In addition to that, our nanny was on vacation so I had to navigate the crazy world of finding backup childcare when your child is experiencing stranger anxiety.  I had planned on taking some time off to oversee the transition, but work got totally insane. And by insane I mean the kind of busy where you might decide to go to work even if you had a bad case of food poisoning. 

On the bright side, my daughter taught herself how to walk, turned one, became adjusted to other caregivers and survived for her first birthday party.  And (drum roll please), our first real family vacation starts one week from today.

When my life gets crazy I try hard to simplify.  Meaning I don't do anything beyond resolving the crazy.  Sometimes that's a good strategy but other times it means you don't get to do the things you enjoy that help relieve that stress.  It also means that you put things off that you need or want to do.  That camp care package I put together?  It hasn't been sent yet.  Haven't returned your call (trust me I feel terribly guilty about it). 

Next time this happens I need to remind myself about palm trees and how sometimes keeping up with your routines and hobbies (your foundation) can help you weather the storm. 

How do you stay grounded when your life is feeling like is spinning out of control?

Happy Campers (Camp Care Package Gift Guide)

1a&1b/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

Summer is in full swing. I imagine many of you know a camper that is either having the time of her life or about to have the time of her life.  What are you planning on sending to your favorite camper? 

1. Watercolor Postcards and Watercolors- Camp is one of the last places on Earth where you actually send and receive snail mail.  These watercolor postcards are a great idea.  Your camper need not only use watercolors.  She can draw on them, decorate them with stickers, decoupage. . .  

2. Personalized Stationary- I love these cards because they have a campy feel to them.  Tinyprints can get these to your camper in less than a week. 

3. Stickers- Younger campers will trade them and older campers can put them on envelopes. 

4. Books- Kids actually read at camp because there's no television.  I am told that Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl series are popular with both pre-teens and their parents. 

5. Fake Tattoos- Because we all know that camp is the time for fake tattoos, friendship bracelets and other fun stuff.

6. A knotted bracelet screams summer.

7. Zinka- I don't know if kids these days use it, but I'm glad to see it's still around. 

8. Glow Bracelets- Things that glow in the dark are fun for campfire time and also after the lights go out.  Get this pack of 100 and your camper can share them with her bunkmates.

9. Hairbands- like socks and underwear, you can't have too many hairbands.

What would you add to your camper's care package?

Father's Day Gift Guide 2014

Shinola Watch/ Levenger Iphone and Card Holder/ Glennfiddich 15/ Merino Hoodie/
Madras Shorts/Tie/ Converse by John Varvantos/ Baseball Cap

Father's Day is coming up. It's a going to be a big day in our family. . . my husband's first father's day coincides with his birthday.   So this year I need to come up with something really special. 

I typically like to give a material gift with something a little more thoughtful and non-material. Here are some of my ideas. 

What do you plan on giving your guy for Father's Day?

Weekend Packing List (Fashion by the Numbers)

1. Hat/2. Fatigue Jacket/3. Stripped Tank Top/4. Boyfriend Jeans/5. Dress/
6. Heels /7. Clutch /8. Swim Suit /9. PJ's/10 Silk Drawstring Pants /11. T-Shirt /
12 Hoops /13 Slip-on Sneakers /14. Weekender Bag

Travel light, travel right, it's only an overnight. 

My very chic aunt would say this each time I packed for camp or for a vacation. Now that I'm older and somewhat wiser, I hear her saying those words when I get ready to pack for a trip. 

Summer Bag Watch (The Herschel Novel Duffle)

We were away last weekend for my husband's college reunion.  One of the things I love about travelling and taking small getaways is that you get out of your routine and see things you don't see on your average day.

Now I could tell you about the lovely exhibit we saw, the new people we met, the music we listened to, and so on, but for this post I'm going to tell you about a bag I discovered: the Herschel Novel Duffle.

I love that this bag has a compartment for shoes that seemed large enough to fit sneakers or a pair of men's oxfords.  The interior of the bag also has several pockets so you could easily place things like your keys or sunglasses.  The cross body strap makes it easy to carry. 

Do you have a special bag for short getaways?

Summer Bag Watch (State of Escape, Escape Bag)

I'm loving this neon yellow bag from State of Escape.  It is roomy and bright.  Perfect for the beach or walking around town.  And get this, you can actually wash it.  The mom in me is very excited about the last part. H/T to Little Miss Party.

Rachel Riley Clothing (The Prince's Choice)

Rachel Riley has been well known for her children's clothing for years.  But, Prince George has brought the designer to a whole knew level of name recognition.

The Gap's Miami Collection (Serious Nostalgia)

Jacket/Shirt/Shoes/Jeans/Bracelets/Bag/Glasses/Watch

Have you checked out the Gap's Miami Collection?  It really captures the essence of Miami circa the late 80's/early 90's. 

Gifts for the Lady Graduate

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

I'm pretty terrible at selecting gifts for guys, so I'm going to focus on the Lady Grad in your life. 

Minnie vs. Pixie

I've been a big devotee to the JCrew Pixie.  They are like leggings but the thick ponte material really makes them pants.  Last week, JCrew had a sale on their Minnies and to my surprise I found that I liked these pants as much as the Pixies.

Are you a Pixie fan or a Minnie fan?

Handle with Karo's Mother's Day Gift Guide 2014

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day is two weeks from yesterday.   HwK's suggestions.

Baby Girls Part II (Jessa and Shoshona)



I had this blog entry ready to go a few weeks ago before my Facebook account was abrubptly disabled. Since then, I had been focused on getting my account (and photos) back and then my regular life and work picked up. So let's return to part II of our Baby Girls series. I had so much fun putting Shoshanna and Jessa's baby outfits together.  Take a look  how how these stylish cousins dressed as babies after the jump.

Bunny Gifts (Variations on a Theme)

1. Tiffany Bunny Bank 2. Bunny Walker 3. Dwell Studio Pillow 4. CozyChic Blanket Buddy 5. Dwell Studio Cotton Cannister 6. That's not my Bunny Book 7. Bunny Baby Shoes 8. Gap Pajamas
 

Do you know of any Eastertime babies? Maybe you know some of parents or babies that are particularly into bunnies? Or perhaps you are visiting a young niece or nephew this weekend?  If so, we have some gift suggestions for you.