OOTD: Pink Florals + My Q&A!

Congratulations, you've made it to Friday!! It's my favorite (work) day of the week! As always, I'm excited for the weekend- tonight I'm going to a craft fair with my girlfriend and tomorrow we have a Halloween dance class for Ellie, a family BBQ with some family who's in town, then Sunday we have church (I'm helping in nursery again!), and I want to make something yummy in the crock pot for dinner. What's your favorite dish? I'll probably do a loaded potato soup recipe my girlfriend shared with me.

I'm so excited about today's post too! I absolutely love this Pink Blush dress, it's the same silhouette as this dress, and I love it so much. It fits true to size, is fully lined, and so comfortable. Pink Blush has so many great pieces right now, I love their items and wore a few during my last pregnancy that I still wear now. Everything I have from them is good quality and has been really versatile to work for the different seasons of life. I know it's the end of October, but we're still enjoying (or should I say suffering?) through warm temps so my summer dresses are getting lots of use still. It's easy to "fall-ify" your clothes with hats, booties, layers, and tights. This get-up makes for a perfect weekend outfit, GNO, or date night.

One Instagram last Sunday, I asked everyone for some questions for a Q+A and here are ALL of the answers! It was so much fun and there were so many really great and fun questions, plus a few that really made me think! Thank you so much to everyone who commented, I really appreciate your support, it means so much to me!


 

OOTD: Distressed Tee + Pumpkin Patch

 Last week we took the girls to a pumpkin patch, and I can't wait to go again! There's some really great ones by our home and we've only been to one! Last year, this was my last month on maternity leave so I felt like we were always doing something fun. Our weekends are so packed, I'm hoping to maybe squeeze one more in before Halloween with the girls.

OOTD for the Kids: What I'm Packing!

I've started packing for our upcoming family trip and put together a few outfits for the girls using my Labor Day Sales  and some recent purchases and I'm so excited! The girls have the cutest clothes and I'm so looking forward to cooler temps so they can wear these sweet looks! I also wish I had a few of them in my size too!

Our Weekend

This past weekend was a whirlwind! We had so much fun and it didn't seem like it was gone in a blink of an eye. There was lots of laughs, lots of food, and most importantly some quality time with the girls. We played, cuddled, napped, and ate. I wish all weekends could be like this!

Friday Faves

Friday!! My favorite day of the work week is finally here!! Last weekend was so busy and flew right by and I've been looking forward to this weekend all week long. We just have a few plans, but I mostly plan on staying home and hanging with my littles. Swim, dance, cleaning, purging, relaxing, and lots of ice cream are on my to-do list.

This week's Friday Faves is a little bit of everything and I'm super excited about each one. I love sharing these posts with you guys. It's been a great way to share different items and shops I've found. I try and do them every week, but if I don't have enough things for a post, I just put what I love on the list for the next post. Everything I share here is always items I truly, and honestly use and enjoy, whether they're items I've bought on my own or were gifted to me for consideration. If it's not something I love, I'm either going to give it an honest review letting you know to skip it altogether, or I simply won't share it. You can always know that my posts are a 100% reflection of my true feelings.   So let's get started!

Our Weekend

Happy (super late) Monday! I"m finally sitting down after a long day and it's even Tuesday for some of you! We had such a busy weekend, but it was so fun! We were out every night and had back to back activities and we stayed up way too late and were up way, way too early. What I would have given for today off or even an extra two hours asleep!!

A First Birthday Garden Party

Well guys, the day has come and gone. My littlest baby, Emma, turned one and I still can’t stop crying about it. Didn’t I just announce that we were expecting her arrival? Wasn’t I just sharing my hump day bump day pics? Didn’t I just bring her home? Ugh, the agony. Time is so dang selfish! Ok, I’ll stop the pity party to get on to the fun garden party we had to celebrate her.

Since I first started thinking about Emma’s birthday, I knew I wanted to do a garden party theme with soft pinks and a relaxed vibe. She is just the easiest baby, so sweet and always smiling and I wanted the party to reflect that. We’ve also had a bit of a floral theme throughout her first year with her nursery, monthly photos, and clothes I’ve leaned towards when shopping for her so a garden party was an obvious choice. We invited just our families to celebrate her big milestone, which still makes over 30 people, and since it was a small gathering, it was nice to really sit and visit with every guest. It's so easy when you're hosting a party to be so busy that it feels like you didn't get to really talk to anyone. I loved that we were able to enjoy the party and catch up with loved ones. We even stayed up till 230 with a few of my cousins just chatting and eating late night pizza around our fire pit. It was a great end to a perfect day!

At parties, I always like to know what people serve at parties and this year we kept it simple with sandwiches, fruit, veggies, broccoli salad, potato salad, and various chips and dip. Dessert was vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and sugar crystals. They were so yummy! For favors, we had pink chocolate dipped rice krispie treats (with pearl sprinkles!) wrapped individually for our guests. I'm glad I made extras because nearly everyone wanted to take one or two extra home. We had them at the dessert bar at Eleanor’s first birthday party and they were gone in minutes so I knew everyone would enjoy them. We set up seating outside, had a bounce house, our guests played cornhole, and we just talked, ate, relaxed, and had a great time!

Emma didn't care much for her cake, even after sissy showed her what to do! We put some on her lip, but I think there were too many eyes on her for to check out the cake for herself. It was so cute and she smiled so big when we sang happy birthday! It was really a beautiful day and the party turned out fabulously.

For her party, I partnered with some really great shops for decorations. Without them, the party wouldn't have had the same feel and I just love how everything looked! The toppers, balloons, florals, everything was beautiful and I saved them for keepsakes or for future decorations in Emma's room and the girls'  playroom. They were all a dream to work with and helped make her party a success!


Floral Headband // Floral Highchair Garland – Enchanted Bow Shop
Tissue Garland// Emma is One Balloons – LoveGarlands
Cake Topper – Rustic Daisy Designs
Cupcake Toppers // Happy Birthday Emma Banner – Good News Lane Get 15% off using EMMA15
Felt Flowers (used for photo clips) – Wholesale Bow Supply
“One” Highchair Garland – Sugar Daisy Doo
Moss Table Runner – Amazon
Pinwheels – Hobby Lobby
Chalkboard signs – Amazon (from our wedding!)

Friday Faves

Happy Friday everyone!!! The weekend is finally upon us! These last few days have just flown by for me and I'm hoping the weekend won't feel as quick. Have you shopped the Nordstrom sale yet? I posted my faves this week and will be checking out my cart this morning! I can't wait for it to arrive, I'll be sure to post some OOTD and reviews for you guys. I didn't order too much and I'm hoping a few items will restock. Did you get anything?

This weekend we don't have much planned, hoping to get some cleaning and errands ran and head to church Sunday. Ellie's hair is baby fine and the ends get knotted really easily so we've toyed around with the idea of getting her hair cut. When I mentioned it to her she flipped out and covered her hair with her hands saying she didn't want to cut her hair and that it will hurt. Poor thing took forever to settle down and I felt so bad. I only even contemplated it thinking that it may be easier to brush with that little bit gone. I've thought about taking her to a princess salon and having her watch other girls trim their hair and see how she feels about it. If we don't cut her hair, it's no big deal, I'd be devastated anyways because she has the cutest of curls only at the ends and I hate the thought of losing them. 

This week's Friday Faves is a bit of this and that, hope you all enjoy!

Lauren B Polish

This week I was putting Emma to bed when Ellie came in to give her kisses and say good night, she saw my feet on my the rocker and talked about how my toes weren't painted. She immediately left the room and came back with a polish and a napkin (to keep under my toes) so that she could give me a pedi. It was so sweet so I told her once Emma was down she could do it. I'm so glad I let her! Usually I'm too OCD and afraid that she would make a huge mess, but it was no big deal. It was the sweetest and funniest thing I've ever seen. It was all over my toes and so thick and wet in spots, she was so careful to get all of my nails covered in paint, going slow and as meticulously as she could. It was just the cutest thing. She has a heart of gold that little one.

Sutter Sisters Bow Shop

How cute is this leather trio set from Sutter Sisters? I love the colors, it's going to be perfect for now and transitioning into cooler temps...whenever that will be! It's been over 100 every day this week so far! The dark floral is my fave! I'm in love with this cookies and milk bow too! I paired with this bubble romper and I can't wait to get Emma in it this weekend. Sutter Sisters is also offering 20% both their shops (here and here) with KRISTEN20, so be sure to grab a set or two! There's a ton of super cute bows, moccs, and purses for your little ladies.

Emma's birthday is just around the corner and the first of her party decorations have arrived! I'm obsessing over this cake topper from Rustic Daisy Designs, it's absolute perfection! Before I had settled on a theme, I knew I had to have it for her big day. We're doing a garden party and when I saw these sweet felt flowers from Wholesale Bow Supply, a million ideas zipped through my head. This weekend I'll be doing a few more crafts and picking up some items and then I gotta go to work on the details. I'm so excited for her party and can't wait to share more with you guys!

I shared this pic already on Instagram, but I'm always, always wearing a hair tie on my wrist but I try and hide it under my watch because it can be such an eye sore, Maria Shireen sent me this gorgeous rose gold bracelet and you can wear your hair tie in it! It's the most genius thing ever! I love the look with the hair tie in or out of it and that you can even change your hair tie to something fun and bright to get a whole new look or pop of color. The bracelet is really well made and I love that it takes something so ordinary and transform it to something beautiful. Another item I'm listing in the "why didn't I think of that" category. You can support postpartum awareness and support with their Charity Ties and $10 for each bracelet sold is donated to Postpartum Progress to help build healthier families and build and support women.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Thank you for stopping by!

Our Weekend

This weekend was amazing for us. We did nothing! It was awesome not having somewhere to be or go (besides regular errands and swim class). We're always on the go, go, go, and I'm so happy to be busy with loved ones, but we've been needing a weekend just at home. The days seemed long and we napped both Saturday and Sunday (not long naps, but a quick cat nap that I'll take any day). They were long in the sense that we didn't feel like they just slipped between our fingers with a blink of an eye. We played and played with the girls, did some weeding outside, went on a Costco run, and caught up on Big Brother.

Hat // Top // Shorts (on sale!)

This hat is a lifesaver! I've been wanting a baseball hat forever and it's just one of those things for me that I don't really go out and buy, it's something that I just kind of come across. Does that make sense? Since we moved into our house, I seem to have lost all of my hats except for two- a floppy felt hat and a straw panama one. Well, I've been on the lookout for baseball cap that I like and I couldn't pass this one up. Matt and I are Dodger fans, it's a soft fabric, and it's small so it fits perfectly. I've basically lived in this exact outfit all weekend long. Here, I had just washed and blow dried my hair (just flipping it over, no time for a real blow out) and threw it on to run a few errands. I think I'll be wearing this hat all the time!

 

Suit

Ellie has been doing so great in her swim lessons! She goes just once a week for 30 minutes, but we swim a lot on the weekends with family and friends. She's been working really hard on a few skills and this past week she's moved up in her class. We're so proud of her and her accomplishments! I really look forward to every Saturday because I love watching her in the water. She's such a natural and it's so fun to see what she's learned and how far she's come from when she started.

Romper // Bonnet (c/o Little Sun Hat)

Last week I realized I never gave a full update on Emma and her broken finger, so sorry to be so late on it! Emma had her cast removed a few weeks ago and her finger is healed!! Originally, the doctor had said we would need to follow up every three months and that surgery could still be a possibility. I was worried that it wouldn't heal correctly and afraid that she would have to have surgery. When the doctors removed her cast and took new x-rays, her finger had healed so well that no follow ups will be needed! I'm so incredibly thankful! Thank you everyone for your sweet words, prayers, and thoughts. It means so much to me and the family!

Are these not the cutest bows you've ever seen? I'm just in love with them! They're from Rain & Honey Bows and the colors, prints, and shapes are just to die for. I seriously want every single one in every single color and shape. Ugh, they're so cute. 

We've lived in our house now for just over two years and it's slowly coming together. One room that is just the bane of my existence is our dining room. We've been wanting a buffet since we moved in and last weekend I finally found one! It was a total score at HomeGoods and it was so funny because when we had just bought the house I found a similar one there and by the time I decided to buy it, it was already sold! In a matter of 15 minutes or less! So this time, my mother-in-law and I guarded it with our lives until a worker came by to help us out. Now that we have it set up in the room (we finally busted out our China set from our wedding!), we just need to style it, paint the room, get a mirror, art work, a new dining table and the room will be complete! LOL. The room looks so much better though now and we finally have a direction of what we're looking for and where we want the room to go. 

Sheets // Ruffled Comforter and Pillow Set (Target, similar here)

Square Pillows (HomeGoods)

Last weekend, I took advantage of a bedding and bath sale at Target and I just love how a fresh made, clean sheet bed feels. I love these sheets because their have an extra elastic on them that keeps them from coming up on the corners- a problem we always had before! We've bought so many different brands and types of sheets (deep pocket ones for example) and these are our favorite! I love this taupe and gray print too, it looks so pretty against our headboard.

That's exactly where I am right now too- in my nice cozy bed, finishing tonight's Big Brother, with my little Ellie belly snoring next to me (thanks to a bedtime meltdown, she's in ours for the night). Hope you're ready for the work week! May your Monday go by quickly tomorrow!

Ellie's Bubble Bash!

My little girl turned 3 at the end of May and we celebrated her birthday over Memorial Weekend with a huge party, lots of food, and even more fun! I had been planning her birthday for a few months, bought decorations, planned out the food and activities only to ditch it completely a month before. Craziness I tell you!

We decided to ring in the big 3 with a bubble bash! It all started with the adorable invitations from ElementDStudio. I fell in love with her invitation and the theme had more range for fun and creativity. I would think of one thing and then another, and then another. I like parties that are fun, relaxing, and have just enough to keep everyone entertained with activities people can do at their own pace. We had about 60 people (including kids) at the party so it was a pretty big party, but a ton of fun! It was definitely less stressful than her first birthday party, I've learned to start early and keep the DIYs simple.

I had ElementDStudio create matching coloring pages from the invite to use for bubble painting. It was so much fun! A drop or two of food dye in bubbles and voila! It's such a fun activity and something different for the kids to enjoy. I picked up these cute craft aprons for the kids to wear to protect their clothing and the colors matched great with our bright theme.

These fun popcorn boxes were at the Target $1 spot and I knew I had to get them! The tables were covered in different colors and matched with different boxes. I picked up some flowers in the morning from Costco, used some tin cans from IKEA for snack mix, and filled small cups with bubble gum.

We also had a big bubble station for the kids with a ton of different wands (I bought two sets of these and picked up some more at our dollar store). For favors, the kids each got a bubble set with a net to catch their bubbles (it was awesome with our bubble machine) and ElementDStudio created matching tags "Thanks for POPPING over and making my party BUBBLICIOUS!" They were my favorite touch!

A few days before, I thought it would be a great idea to make a photo backdrop and it turned out really great for being a last minute craft. Matt had built the PVC pipe stand from a previous party and I used $1 table cloths and garlands I already had. It turned out so cute and I love it in all of our pics! I'll definitely be doing it again for Emma's birthday at the end of summer.

For food, I made tissue poms (so easy!) and balloons for decorations and we served pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, watermelon, and baked beans. Matt had been making the meat since the day before and it was so tender and juicy! ElementDStudio made matching food labels as well.

Danielle of Pretty Posh Shoppe made Ellie the cutest hat and cake banner! She's made a hat for Ellie every year and I've kept all of them as a keepsakes. They're adorable and perfect for the birthday girl!

I just wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to Marin from ElementDStudio! Marin was so easy to work with and made all my party dreams come true with the invites, coloring pages, food labels, and favor tags. I love all the colors and they helped bring together our theme so well. They added such a nice touch to the details and I couldn't be happier with her work! If you're planning a party, definitely check her out! It was nice to have one shop to get all matching items to pull the party together.

We had so much fun celebrating her big day! Last year, we just had a small family party and plan to only do big parties every other year instead. It was fun to go all out for her, she was so excited and talked about her "happy" for weeks!! Thank you so much to all our friends and family who came and celebrated with us!