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Fashion
05.19.17

Fashion Friday (new favorites for the kids!)

Happy Friday friends!  We made it through another week!  I don’t know about all of you but around here that is definitely something to celebrate. :)  We have been running non stop this month with the usually May madness, but somehow managed to make some time early May to prioritize cleaning out the kids’ closets.  Getting Kole’s clothes sorted and moved into his new bedroom inspired a little clothes clean out with my girls.  I had them bring all of their clothes into their hallway so they could sort everything and only keep what they really wear, love and what actually still fits!  This sort of thing used to be so difficult for them!  It would take forever and they would hardly part with any clothes.  I was so impressed at how quickly they went through their clothes and that they got rid of more than they kept!  They are definitely growing up.  And my endless quest to teach them how to de-clutter and organize just might be paying off.  At least when it comes to clothes.  Stuffed animals are a different story. ;)

When their closets were clean we looked at their clothes and could easily tell what they needed for Spring/Summer so updating their clothes was a breeze!  My girls had earned some money so after we cleaned closets I took them shopping for a few new things to wear and two days later Nordstrom reached out to me about collaborating on a post on kids’ clothes!  One step ahead of you Nordstrom!  Talk about feeling organized. ;)  Today I’m sharing what we found for the kids and are loving right now!

(affiliate links used)

New running shoes for my little buddy who never slows down!  Love them.  He wears a lot of orange.  Because I love him in it. :)  I got him the Vans for church and times he needs to dress up.  Of course another pair of Converse one size bigger for El along with the Adidas.  So she can match her mom. ;)  Addison needed new shoes for PE and Volleyball and has loved these Asics.

This Print Handkerchief dress we picked out for Addison is my absolute favorite!  So cute.  It hits above her knees in the font and then comes down longer on the sides.  We bought her sandals at Nordstrom last year (love them!) and they are back in other fun prints and colors.

Love the back too!

She was on her way to audition for a play when I took these pictures.  Proud of her. :)

 (Shirt/Cargo Pants/Flip Flops)

A fun new causal outfit for school!

Love these cargo pants.  I wish they had them in my size!  Such a great fit and the zippers are too much fun.

This girl is pretty fun too. :)

(Good Life Hooded Tank/Asics)

Day two of her play audition!

She got called back for day two that was all about dance.  This hooded tank was perfect.

I picked her up from school, braided her hair and dropped her off at dad’s office so he could take her while I took El to dance.  YEA for days when dad can help with activities.

El and I Sunday after church a couple of weeks ago.  Comfy shirt dresses are her favorite right now.  This blue dress is from Nordstrom but I can’t find it on line!  (You can find my Knit Flare dress here.)

This X back knit dress and Gladiator Sandals are another recent favorite outfit of El’s.  Comfy and low key for summer.  Summer!  It just can’t get here soon enough.  I’m so ready.

This is the same dress but in a different print.  Because when you love something this much you buy it in two patterns. :)  (Similar black shoes)

Let’s dab for a moment shall we?  Because when you live with teens that what you do. ;)  Love this girl.  We have had quite a month.  She has been studying the Reproductive System in Science so lots of heavy questions and conversations.  We had “the talk” over a year ago but this has been all of it on a whole new level!  13 years old is full of a lot of changes and some nights I lay in bed at night going over and over our conversations in my head.  Hoping I said the right things and explained it all in a way that makes sense.  Hoping she feels like she can always come to me with any questions.  Teen parenting is no joke!  And we are at the very beginning.  I’m tired just thinking about it. :)

Love her so much and I’m so proud of the way she has handled the adjustment to Middle School this year.

And my little man.  Had to get him a few cute new things to wear!  Last year I told you all about my long time love of Natives.  Hands down my favorite summer shoes for Kole!  Perfect for mud, water, whatever kids throw at them!  These knit shorts are another fun find.  I’m always looking for comfortable clothes since Kole sleeps in them too.  Ha. ;)  I think I shared these in a past post already, but for moms of little boys these underwear are my all time favorites!  Stocked up on a few more.

I mostly order from Nordstrom on-line because it’s so fast and easy, but it’s honestly one of my favorite stores to shop in at the mall too because of their awesome customer service.  Taking three kids shoe shopping is not my idea of fun!  At Nordstrom they always help me get in and out so quickly!  Kole always leaves with a balloon and I always leave with my sanity in check.  Thank you Nordstrom. :)  We bought him a pair of navy Natives and the grey/green combo which he wanted to just wear right out the door.

Loved this shirt so much I bought it for Kole in two colors.  He’s showing me his hip hop dance.  We tossed him in a hip hop class this year because we are at the dance studio so much with my girls.  He is the only boy in the class and for the recital this year they are doing a dance to “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and he’s the Fresh Prince.  Ha!  Ask me how excited I am for that number.. my boys got moves. ;)

And he NEVER slows down.

Like I said, same stripe v-neck shirt different color. :)

Found this pic on my phone.. heading to Target I think.  Btw.. this Fleece Twist Front shirt is seriously the coziest top EVER.  We had a cold snap last week in San Diego and I wore it three times!

Another favorite new top for Kole.  And these shorts!  They are the Ribbed Waist Utility Shorts and are hands down my favorites shorts for my little buddy.  I bought three different colors and plan to order a couple more.  Summer wardrobe right there!

So tough.

DIVE SCHOOL

Love him. :)

These are those same utility shorts in orange.  His front tooth on the right is loose.  I’m trying not to be, but I’m so sad about it.  Once kids lose their baby teeth there is no trace of little left.  Not quite ready for this one to grow up any more than he already has!

This Smartcare wrinkle free white dress shirt is another long time favorite.   A dress shirt I never need to iron?  Yes please.  Do you love the portrait he drew of me in church last week?

I don’t think I’ve ever looked better.

:)

Enjoy your weekend everyone!  Sources are below along with a few other fun things my kids are wearing and loving right now.  Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!  And for making shopping with my three as painless as possible. ;)







xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
05.17.17

Nautical Industrial Boy’s Bedroom (progress!)


Friends!  I feel like there is so much going on I want to share with you all!  I could seriously start typing and never stop.  Well.  I might stop for a snack.  My posts usually make me want popcorn.  But as long as I had some popcorn I could seriously start typing and never stop!  But I won’t do that to you.  Yet. ;)  I need to keep the chit chat to a minimum because I have SO many pictures to share of the progress I’ve made in Kole’s bedroom!  I titled this post “Nautical Industrial Boy’s Bedroom” because that seems to be the direction his room is heading.  Although by the time I finish decorating there might be a new spin on things.. who knows at this point.  I’m all over the map this month!  (This might be a good time to grab that popcorn.)

Quick re-cap where I left off.  My little boy has been sleeping in our guest room since we moved into our new house because he was so little when we moved in and that room is closer to our master bedroom.  My baby is 7 years old now and not a baby anymore {tear} so we are finally moving him into his real/big kid bedroom and turning our guest room into a real guest room.  (Suddenly Pinocchio is coming to mind…)  When I last shared his room we were having our carpenter install some shiplap for a fun focal wall to get the party started.


These two go way back..

Long time buddies. :)  At least now Kole “helps” by chatting with Chuck while he works instead of climbing all over his supplies. ;)


Come in come in!


Come in faster!  ;)


Friends.  We have furniture!  And a rug!  And bedding!  Not a lot of decor yet, but all of the large, main items have been chosen and delivered and assembled.  For me getting to this point is the biggest hurdle.

(affiliate links used)


I knew I wanted an industrial style bed for this room and we have been so happy with the Owen Bed from PB Kids.  It’s well made for a kids’ bed and I love the look!


The bedding is from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child.  I wanted simple navy for the comforter and debated between this set, this set and the set I finally chose because I love the grommets.


These letter sheets (also from RH) were the first thing I found and bought for his room!  Love them.  They are so much fun and crazy soft.  BUT.  They are flannel and way too hot for summer so I am probably going to replace them soon and just use them during our few cold winter months.

Rug, dresser, nightstands and the rope mirror are all also from RH (teen and baby/child).  I found multiple options for each item.. some less expensive (I’ll share them all at the end of this post), but I ended up getting a lot from RH for this room because aside from loving the look, they also carry larger sizes that worked better in this space.  The fun industrial/rope basket holding stuffed animals next to the dresser is from Tai Pan.  I bought it a year ago for my family room but didn’t love it in that space.  I was so happy to find a home for it (and a good purpose!) in Kole’s new room. :)  I still need to figure out something to hold his plastic swords/light sabers in the other corner.


This mirror looks so small in this picture alone on this wall but it’s actually quite large!  And very heavy.


The built-in window seat is my favorite part of Kole’s room.  Such a fun spot to chill and read a good book.  And those drawers below!?  I was in my happy place designing those.  :)  I’ll share how I’m organizing all of his things in an upcoming post.  But you already knew that. ;)


I picked out the coastal wall lanterns when we built the house and the linen/zinc bulletin board was a happy mistake!  I had ordered it from RH for our master bedroom, but the wide zinc frame looked too industrial for that space so I bought this one for my master and was planning on returning the zinc board.  On a whim I decided to take it to Kole’s room to see if it would work anywhere.


PERFECT size for this wall space in-between the two windows!  That was a happy day. :)


The bench seat was custom made by my friend Tritia (you can find her info. here).  The fabric has a navy and orange stripe because I’m planning on bringing orange into this room as an accent color.


Kole’s favorite Star Wars pillows are a start (here and similar here), but I need to find more fun pillows for this bench.

Homework I can handle. ;)


I looked at SO many rugs for this room.  I kept gravitating toward stripes, but wanted to try something different because I have so many striped rugs in my house already.  Ha.  :)  I tried getting Kole’s opinion and it was pretty clear he could care less!  At the end of the day I went with the stripes.  I just liked this rug the best.  What can I say!?  Except buy what you love. ;)


The biggest decision I had to make for this room was what to do with this blank wall in-between Kole’s bedroom door and his closet/bathroom.  I debated so many options!  For a while I was planning on putting a desk against this wall.  But after finding desk options and measuring, a desk and chair would have come out too far in the room.  This open space is the main walk way in this room (and the best open space for Kole to use when he plays) so I wanted to keep it open.  That meant finding something that didn’t come out too far into the room.  I decided a book shelf would be best!  I originally wanted this Emerson shelving from World Market (I’ve always loved it!) but it wasn’t wide enough for this space.  Back to RH!  This industrial pipe shelving was more than I wanted to spend but it was the perfect height, width and depth for this wall.  I’m so happy with how it looks (matches his bed perfectly!) and I can’t wait to style those shelves.  The steel pipes had to be mounted to the wall so this baby isn’t going anywhere for a while. :)


A few weeks after we got the shelves up my husband brought in this annoying Internet access point and said it has to stay put on this shelf so I’ll have to work around some lovely cords when I’m styling!


Using the bottom two rows for books.  :)


Around the corner from the bookshelf is a walkway that goes into his closet on the left (pictures of his closet in my last post!) and his bathroom.


So that’s a wrap on the progress in Kole’s room!


There is still a lot to do, but next is the fun part.  My favorite part!  The smaller stuff.  Styling and adding Kole’s things and personality into the room.

He has personality plus so that shouldn’t be too difficult to do. ;)

Sources are below!  I also included similar items I considered and the sheets I’m deciding between for the warmer summer months. :)

*Paint is “Himalayan Trek” by Benjamin Moore #1542.   Fan is from Craftmade Fan Solutions.






xoxo, Erin
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Organization
05.10.17

Garage and Closet Organization


Random post today friends!  A little garage progress and the start of some closet organization going on around here.  So the garage.  {Sigh}  Otherwise known as the never ending organizing project on my list that will never be checked off.  Ha!  Only feeling slightly deflated. ;)  The last time I shared progress we had done more purging, more cleaning and had new built-ins installed!  I started putting things away in the cabinets and the space was looking really good.  Then I started organizing/purging other areas of our home and before long.. piles started popping up all over the garage again.  Mostly black sacks and other random large items that needed to go to Goodwill.


That’s the tricky part about the garage isn’t it!?  It always becomes the catch all.  This stuff sat in our garage for months until we finally found a free Saturday morning to do something about it.

Did you know that you can rent a truck for just a few hours from Home Depot?  I didn’t!  Until we called and asked and picked one up to get rid of all the stuff accumulating in the garage.  I can’t remember what we paid, but it wasn’t much.  So nice to finally have a way to move a lot of items quickly!

Kenny loaded the truck.  I took pictures.

Because I wanted to help. ;)

It was crazy how much we were able to haul at one time.  We took two loads to Goodwill and it made a huge difference!  Now we just have a couple of things left to take to Utah for family on our next trip and then I can finally finish the garage this summer.  At least that’s the plan.  At some point I will finish this garage!  I needed to post this update as a pep talk to myself more than anything. ;)  But also to let you all know about the Home Depot truck renting option!  In case any of you are doing some major purging and don’t have access to a truck or time for a yard sale, etc.

Next little update!  Last week in this post I shared the fun new galvanized bins from PB I got for Kole’s closet.

(affiliate links used)

Perfect for organizing random items like swim suits and clothes that are too small and need to be saved for cousins.  Finally finding bins for Kole’s closet shelves inspired me to go through his clothes, do some purging and organize his new closet!  I say new because he has been using the guest room the past three years and we are finally moving him into his real bedroom.  (Guest room update post here.)

I’ve only moved the clothes at this point and still need to bring in his toys from the playroom.  This closet is clearly quite an upgrade from his closet in our previous house that was halfway filled with my scrapbook supplies. ;)

This is how I’ve been organizing Kole’s clothes (in both closets).  Dressier shirts and ties for church on the top.  Next to that are all of his long sleeved shirts.  Not a huge collection since he only wears them for a few months each year.  The bottom row holds all of his t-shirts that he lives in.  Yes I loosely color coordinate them.  For two reasons.  One because it makes it easier when I’m grabbing an outfit for him to wear.  I always pick out his shorts first and then I can quickly find the color of top that coordinates.  (Quite a bit simpler than the elaborate way we prepped my girls clothes when they were his age.. ha!).  Two because I can.  I still have control of this closet (which won’t last forever) so I get to do fun things like color coordinate his shirts.  Which makes me happy. :)

His drawers are pretty simple.  Underwear not pictured in the top drawer.  Btw if you have small boys, these underwear are my all time favorites!  Good quality, great fit.  PJ’s are next.  Which he hardly wears because he likes to sleep in his clothes.  So yes.. I pick out the shorts and coordinating top the night before while he’s showering and then he sleeps in his clothes and wakes up ready to go.  How’s that for making our mornings simple?  Ha!  His idea – not mine, but I’ll take it. ;)

Shorts in the next drawer.

Pants on the bottom.  Boys are TOO easy!  At least when it comes to clothes. :)

On a side note.. this closet is painted ONE color.  Crazy how the lighting changed the way the paint looks on the top of the closet vs. the bottom in these pictures!  The bottom is the true color of his closet and bedroom and I’ll share that paint color in his new room update.  Because I can’t remember it and I’m too tired to go hunt it down right now. ;)  There are still a lot of things I plan on storing in his closet, but for now it feels nice to have only the clothes that fit and he wears organized in this happy space.

So there you go!  Not huge garage and closet progress, but progress none the less.  And considering it’s May and I’m running non stop all day, I’ll take any progress around here I can get!

For more closet organization you can check out Addison’s organized closet here.  Like I said, my girls’ systems are a bit more elaborate than Kole’s.  Although I think we should all take a page out of his book and start sleeping in our clothes for the next day.  Talk about streamlined mornings! ;)

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
05.06.17

Fashion and Favorites!

Happy weekend friends!  I’m so behind on things I want to share with you all!  Projects and pictures are piling up with little time to post about them.  May has officially arrived!  Hold on tight moms. :)  I have so many recent favorite things from the past couple of months and am trying to play catch up so this post has A LOT of pictures.  Grab a snack and I’ll try to keep the chatting to a minimum!  (I’ll have to try hard.) ;)

(affiliate links used)

Three books I can’t wait to dive into this summer!  Complete Book of Clean by Toni who blogs at A Bowl Full of Lemons, Simple Decorating by Melissa Michaels who blogs at The Inspired Room, and Simply Clean by Becky who blogs at Clean Mama.  Love the subjects, love the authors!  I have flipped through each of these books and have no doubt they will all be favorites!  I always read the most over the summer.  It’s really the only time of year that I can fit in a good book.  I love to sit outside and watch my kids play or swim while I read.  Give me some sunshine and a good book on cleaning, organizing, decorating or time management and I’m a happy girl. :)

Not long ago in this post I shared some purses I’m loving and talked about how I’m living it up with small purses after being chained to large bags for so long filled with fishy crackers, sippy cups and books like The Wheels on the Bus. ;)

But smaller purses obviously come with less space so I decided to pick up a small wallet for nights out when I’m using one and just need a few credit cards, some cash and my drivers license.  I’ve been using this small Kate Spade wallet for a few months now and I’m sold!  LOVE not carrying around a bulky wallet everyday.

I especially love this wallet because it has a place for my driver’s license on the back so it’s easy to whip out when I’m traveling.  Plus hello.  Mint with stripes?  #perfection

Plenty of room for the essentials inside.  A new favorite for sure!

So in love with these marble/wood hexagon coasters!  $18 for a set of four and they are beautiful!  Pretty and practical.

We always have drinks in this room so I love having a place for everyone to set them without getting my wood table wet!  I have to mention these hydrangeas.  Always a favorite, but this particular arrangement from Costco is 3 weeks old!  I’m not kidding!  And I think they still have another week left.  Longest I’ve ever kept flowers alive.  I did put two flower food packs in the water instead of one so I’m wondering if that did the trick.. or if these flowers are just magic.. or if overnight I’ve turned into a flower whisperer without even knowing it.  My bet is the latter.  ;)

A little decorating tip.. faux flowers/plants always look real when you also add real flowers/plants in the room.  My favorite faux fig looks even more real now that I added a real plant on the end table in front of it.  Made me fall in love with it all over again. :)


{Medium bread board/Small bread board/Round bread board (not pictured but you’ll see it in my kitchen soon :)/Marble and Wood board/RUG}

New cutting boards for the win!  Can’t wait to style these in my kitchen!  Plus they will be perfect for summer entertaining.  I ordered them on-line from McGee and Co.  Have you guys checked out this on-line store yet?  Oh my word.  DON’T.  Well do, but proceed with caution.  Ha!  So many beautiful things for your home!  A little pricey on some items, but very nice quality.  I seriously love and want everything they sell for the kitchen.  This vintage dough bowl is on my wish list!  So cute full of lemons. :)

A sweet reader who owns the company Olive and Linen recently sent me the most gorgeous Turkish towels!  Talk about happy mail!  Olive and Linen sells Turkish towels, throws and blankets and all of their products are handwoven on traditional looms in Denizli, Turkey.  You can read more about the company and their products here.

They come in so many fun colors.  Aren’t the coral hand towels beautiful!?  Perfect for my kitchen.

She also sent these larger lightweight towels and I can’t wait to take them to the beach this summer!  The company owner who reads my blog and reached out to me is such a sweetheart you guys.  I instantly loved her. :)  She is offering all of my readers a discount if you want to order something!  When you check out type “sunnysideup30” for 30 percent off of your entire purchase (including free shipping)!  Thank you Olive and Linen!

So a few weeks ago I shared my new favorite earrings but forgot to post this picture that also included my favorite perfume.  I have to admit that I wasn’t a huge perfume girl until my husband gave me Flowerbomb for a gift because he loved the smell so much and now I’m hooked!  Apparently everyone else is too if you read the reviews!  So heavenly.  A favorite for both of us.  I love putting it on and then enjoying the smell that lingers in my bathroom. :)

I wear a lot of black so I’ve loved having my fun turquoise earrings to add a pop of color to my outfit.

I was bummed they didn’t come in coral (love coral with black!) so I searched on-line and found and ordered these Baublebar earrings and can’t wait to get them!  SO cute.  Baublebar has a little discount code that pops up when you first visit their site so I used that and got a discount.   All of their earrings are so much fun.

Aren’t these lacquer box sets fun decor!?  You’ll be seeing the light turquoise set pop up in my house soon. :)  These are from Frog Hill Designs and they are 72% off right now!  No I’m not kidding!  Head to their site here and enter the code TODAY (these cute boxes were recently featured on the Today Show) to snag some while they are on sale.  They come in so many fun colors!  Love them.

I’ve had this fun Colorblock faux leather tote for a while now and love it!  Clearly I can’t completely ban my large fishy cracker carrying bags.  Old habits die hard. ;)  It’s such a great catch all bag and I’ve been rotating between this and my Tory Burch bag depending on whether I’m wearing brown or gray.


It looks a lot more expensive than it is.  Beautiful quality and I love the colors.  It looks good with anything I wear!

It also came with this fun wallet inside.

I had a school meeting last week and wore it with this Ruffle Sleeve top that is seriously the SOFTEST shirt I own.  I love this whole outfit!  (And my espadrille sandals are on sale right now!)

This black Scallop Faux Leather Tote is also darling and a great price.  I gave it to a friend for her birthday a few weeks ago and she loved it!  SO cute and comes in lots of colors.

Scallops are so in right now!  I ordered this fun J Crew Scalloped Romper for a swim suit cover up months ago and totally forgot about it because it was backordered.   It sold out SO fast you guys and just came back in stock!

This is the other romper I ordered that I shared a couple of weeks ago.  I got both so that I could try them on and pick one.  Keeping them both!  I know I’ll live in them this summer.  So cute with my swimsuit and Tory flip flops!

This scallop romper runs a little big.  I just ordered another one size down so I can see if it fits better because this one is a bit baggy at the top so you might want to size down or order two sizes to try.  Summer can’t get here fast enough! :)

Aside from bags and scallops I’ve also had a recent obsession with ruffle sleeves!  There are just so many cute ruffle sleeve tops out for Spring!  I love how feminine they are.   This blue ruffle sleeve top is a recent favorite!

K you guys.. I promise I wasn’t trying to stick my chest out in this picture!  Ha!  I just wanted to show you my favorite thing about this shirt!  Sometimes ruffle sleeve tops are cut so low under the arms I feel like I need to wear a tank with them.  I LOVE how this shirt comes right up under the arm.  Clearly I couldn’t figure out how to show you that without looking like I’m about to bock like a chicken.  This selfie business is harder than it looks. ;)

Isn’t it pretty!?  Also comes in orange and white.

Also love this Eyelet Collared sweater top.  The navy collar had me at hello. :)  Cute and comfy for everyday running around.  You might remember my sandals from last summer.  I hope they bring them back this year because I’d order them in another color.  Love them!  Also.. you guys.. in January I found some AMAZING jeans and I keep forgetting to tell you all about them!  I’m wearing them in this picture and like AG, they are now a favorite brand.  

They are DL – the Margaux Instasculpt Ankle Skinny Jeans.  I went into Nordstrom with Christmas gift cards and asked a girl working there to bring me her favorite jeans for minimizing thighs and booty and she was so funny!  She said “GIRL!  Have I got the jeans for you!”  She brought me a pair of these jeans to try on and I about died.  SO slimming!  They do just what they say.. Instasculpt!  :)  Plus they are such a comfortable fit.  Thought I’d share for anyone else who could use a little sculpting too. ;)  You can see they are supposed to hit at the ankle.  On me they are full length but I think they work either way!

(Eyelet collar top/DL jeans/purse/bracelet}

Another favorite ruffle sleeve top!  Clearly I’m a fan of the ruffle sleeve. :)  This one is dark navy and silky and just SO beautiful.

It’s the Flutter-Sleeve button shirt from BR and would also look so pretty dressed up with a skirt or with white pants.

I wore this Striped Knit dress last week to church.  Bad lighting in this pic and I snapped it so fast but I’ve had this dress for over a year and still love it so I wanted to include it in my favorites round up!  Cute for summer and SO comfy.  It runs large so order one size down.  I’m wearing the navy but it also comes in black.

I ordered this cute casual maxi dress to try.  Perfect for summer and it comes in other colors and in stripes.  It was backordered so I’ll have to be patient. :)  Sizes are going fast!

And a recent favorite dress that I’m seriously so smitten with!  There have been so many events I’ve had to go to with my husband for his work lately.  Kenny is always telling me to stop buying pajamas and to buy more dresses.. ha!  This might not be as dressy as he’d like, but it’s just ME.  This is the Maya Belted Shirtdress and my pictures don’t do it justice!

SO cute you guys.  It comes up higher on the sides, has a huge band around the upper waist (so slimming) and ties in the front.  I bought a similar black shirt dress after Ellie was born and 13 years later I still wear it!  A dress like this never goes out of style.  Plus it’s so perfect for events you need to dress up for but you don’t want to be too dressy.  I feel like I need a lot of clothes that fall into that category!  It runs large (this is a 0) so definitely order one size down.  I need to look for some other shoe options because I’ve about worn these coral shoes out!

It also has pockets. :)  This cost a bit more than I usually spend on a dress, but the material is so nice and I know I’ll wear it for years and get my money out of it and then some.  Plus this time I had Kenny’s permission. ;)  I ordered a few more dressier dresses for times I really need to step it up so I’ll share what I love when they come in!  And if I don’t love any of them I’ll just return them and go for some new pj bottoms instead. ;)

I have to show you all something funny.  Remember our pink flamingo that we pretty much lived with last summer?  My kids affectionally named her Pinky.

They loved this floatie and played with it all summer long.  Last weekend we went swimming and the kids wanted me to blow her up (she had deflated quite a bit) so I did and we realized she has a hole.  My kids were so bummed (especially Addison – she about started to cry!) so I promised them all I’d order another one.

The next day I walk into this scene in Addison’s room…

I seriously laughed out loud!  The flamingo has clearly found a new home.  With her own blanket and pillow…

and a plate of food in case she needs a snack.  Because sometimes a hot dog, egg, bacon and orange juice just hits the spot.

These three!

Life sure would be dull without them.  And Pinky would be in our trash can instead of being pampered with blankets and food.  Lucky flamingo.

Lucky me.

:)

Most of my favorites from this post are below!  Enjoy your weekend everyone!







xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
05.01.17

Pottery Barn Small Space Collection (decor updates!)

Home Updates with the Pottery Barn Small Space Collection

Happy Monday everyone!  I’m so excited about today’s post!  The crew from Pottery Barn reached out to see if I would be interested in sharing with you all how I’m using items from their Small Space Collection in my home.  Hmm.. let me think about that one.. ;)  It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Pottery Barn and always have been!  I have so many PB items in my home!  I’ve always loved that they offer so many beautiful decor options in a wide range of sizes.   A lot of items in my previous smaller home were also from Pottery Barn because aside from large furniture, they also sell a lot of smaller furniture that is still big on style.  And I love their style!

(affiliate links used)

Home Updates with the Pottery Barn Small Space Collection

There are so many fun things in their Small Space Collection that I had a hard time narrowing down what to get!  I finally decided on a few things.  I ordered two of the Mateo side tables and couldn’t be more excited about them.  I have been looking for a side table for this end of my couch for a while now.

This side table is the perfect size!  I love that it’s open between the table top and bottom shelf so it doesn’t feel too large and bulky.

The bottom shelf is perfect to hold beloved magazines that get read over and over.

Plus there is just enough room on the table top for a drink, reading book and a pretty plant or some flowers which is what I wanted in this space.

Our new side table has made this corner of our couch perfect for afternoon reading time. :)

Kole still loves to sit on my lap when we read together and I’m in no rush to see that tradition end.  Pretty soon his legs will be longer than mine.  (tear)  Not that that’s saying much. ;)  #shortie

Owen is a long time favorite.  Love that Mrs. Tweezers. ;)

Home Updates with the Pottery Barn Small Space Collection

Home Updates with the Pottery Barn Small Space Collection

A lot of times after we finish reading books together he likes to sit down and read the stories again to himself. :)

Such a cozy corner.  Now we all fight over this spot!  I ordered two of these side tables thinking I would put one on the other end of my couch, but I’ve been moving it around and trying it in lots of different spaces.  Playing my favorite game.. musical furniture. ;)

{Family Room Sources}

Mudroom decor

It looks good everywhere I put it!  For now it’s sitting in the corner of my mudroom.  Ever since I put a Christmas tree in this corner last December I’ve felt like I need something here.  I don’t have a lot of space between the door and wall and this table is the perfect size.

Custom Mudroom

These fun pillows are also from the PB’s small space collection.  LOVE them.  The black and cream is a fun change for this room and I love the patterns.  They are the Gemma Lumbar Pillow and the Jules Embroidered Pillow  and both pillow covers are on sale!  Don’t forget pillow inserts too. :)
Custom Mudroom

I’m thinking some fun art prints or something would look good on the wall space above the end table.  Or you might see that end table pop up somewhere else.  Nothing stays put in my house too long. ;)

Craftsman porch (Sunny Side Up)

I also tried my new pillows on my outside bench and love them there too!

coastal-front-porch-sunny-side-up

They go so well with my lanterns and black striped rug.

Craftsman porch (Sunny Side Up)

Hello Spring flowers!

Craftsman custom Home (Sunny Side Up)Thanks to my little buddy our porch is sparkling clean. ;)

Closet organization (Sunny Side Up)

The last item I ordered from the Small Space Collection were these Galvanized Nesting Bins for Kole’s closet.  I just started moving all of his clothes up into this closet a few weeks ago and have been looking for some bins or baskets to fit on these three closet shelves.  I was so excited that these galvanized bins were the perfect size!  His room decor is taking on an industrial vibe so they are perfect.

galvanized-storage-bins

Right now I’m using them to hold clothes that are too small and need to be taken to his cousin in Utah, clothes that are too big that he isn’t wearing yet, and then one for all of his swim suits.  These bins are deep and have a lot of storage space so they might end up holding toys or blankets at some point too.  They were made to work with the Turlock Coffee Table or the Turlock Storage Table and I love both of those pieces.  I keep thinking about how fun the Turlock Storage Table would be in an outdoor patio area to serve food/drinks.  All of the galvanized bins could hold plates, napkins, kids’ outdoor toys, pool towels, etc.  Stylish and organized!  My favorite combo. :)

pb-small-space-collection-storageThe small space collection also has so many fun options for wall hooks and shelves.  Perfect for a bedroom, entry or really any space in your house.  If I would have had the wall space in Kole’s room I would have hung this rustic shelf with hooks in a heartbeat.  I love it so much.

Some of the items in this collection I already have..

This Oxford striped rug has been a long time favorite in our mudroom.

dining room nook (Sunny Side Up)

The Small Space collection also includes my beloved Bistro chairs.

This collection has so many fun and affordable options to refresh spaces in your home regardless of the size.  Below are all of my favorites!  I’ll take one of each please. ;)



Huge thank you to Pottery Barn for sponsoring this post!  Believe it or not this is the first sponsored post I’ve written for Pottery Barn.  You might not know that because I promote them so much regardless… ha!  There are just certain stores that you can always count on to have one or two things you are going to love and want to take home.  For me when it comes to Pottery Barn, I always want to take home fifty.  ;)  Their Small Space Collection is no exception!

Enjoy your day friends!  I hope it includes time with those you love most.

And a little decorating on the side.

:)

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
04.28.17

Reward Style Conference (and what I wore)

Happy Friday friends!  Have you all been doing your 20 minutes of organizing each day after reading my last post?  Yes?  No?  Kind of attempting but not really happening?  Ha!  I get it.  I pulled off 3 nights so far.  I was on a total roll until last night when Kole decided that he wasn’t tired when I put him to bed and needed a story.. or two or ten before he could sleep.  Probably time better spent anyway. ;)  I’m excited the weekend is finally here!  I’m still so sleep deprived from last weekend that I’m desperate for a morning to sleep in and catch up.  Today I’m sharing a few fun pics from the Reward Style conference I was at in Dallas last weekend.  It was held at the Cresent Hotel and everything was just beautiful!

(*affiliate links used)

{Brittany/me :)/Bree/Kelley/Elaine/Kris}
{Camo pants – 30% off right now/shirt/shoes/purse}

I have to say that this conference had me a bit intimidated!  It’s mostly the fashion blogger crowd and I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was invited to go last year but didn’t dare.  :)  I’m not exactly runway model fashion like a lot of these girls.  My style is more like running around chasing/driving kids all day fashion.  Ha!  ;)  This year some of my home blogging besties were also invited and we decided that we’d brave it together.. strength in numbers!  This was a pic of us when we all arrived at the hotel.  I was so excited to see my friends!  Wore my favorite camo pants for comfy traveling on the plane.   (They just went on sale btw!)

{yellow blouse/gingham skirt/sandals}

The first night there was a pool party hosted by Sole Society.  Sarah joined us all and we had a great time catching up!  Everyone at the conference was so nice.  Every time I go to one of these conferences I wonder why in the world they stress me out!   They always end up being a lot of fun and not at all intimidating.  Even the runway models with their personal photographers were nice.. mostly. ;)

{jeans/shoes}

Heading to dinner after the party!  After I changed into my favorite jeans.  Because I will hands down pick jeans over a dress if given an option!  EVERY time.

Three things I loved about this conference.. one was how gorgeous everything was.  The flowers at the hotel were just stunning and they had everything decorated so beautifully.  Spring is such a fun time to travel, isn’t it!?  I also loved how organized it was!  We got an agenda when we arrived and had been assigned certain classes based on recommendations for us.  Everything ran so smoothly!  I loved the way the conference was laid out.  Because I’m nerdy and pay attention to details like that.  When things are pretty and organized I’m a happy girl. ;)  It was also really fun to see all the clothes!  So many stylish girls in one place.  It was like a non stop fashion show.  One trend I noticed were the shoes!  Lots of cute wedge sandals with straps.  I’ve been eyeing this pair for summer but keep going back and forth because there are so many fun styles I love and want right now!

There were flowers and lights in all the trees.  It was especially beautiful at night all lit up!

Another fun party!  I didn’t buy a lot of new clothes for this conference (although I probably should have given I was at a  conference full of fashion bloggers!).  This black flutter sleeve top was the only new thing I wore.  It looks really cute tucked into a skirt like I’m wearing it or partially tucked into jeans.  I was so excited to see Megan!  We have been friends for a long time and have so much fun together.  She called me the day before the conference to catch up and I seriously could have talked to her for six hours straight!   All of these girls mean so much to me.  We met a lot of sweet girls that night including one of the Real Housewives of Dallas.  Who everyone knew except me!  Oops.  I don’t watch the Housewive shows.  A lot of my friends do and love them, but honestly all the arguing just gives me a headache!  And seems so ridiculous.  I can’t go there.  Am I getting old!?

Beautiful picnic lunch one afternoon with Banana Republic!

{Cargo pants/Rebecca Minkoff tee/shoes}

Every single time I wear these cargo pants people compliment them and ask me where they’re from.  Every time!  Some girls I kept passing in a store a couple of weeks ago said they were calling me “the girl with the cute pants”.. ha!  They are definitely favorites.  So comfy!  And perfect for a full day of sitting in classes at this conference.

Class time with Cassie!

And lunch with Topshop.

{Denim dress/shoes/purse – my denim dress is on sale this weekend with everything at BR!  Better pics of it in this post}

{Black lace dress/earrings/similar purse}

The last night we got all cleaned up for a fun party to finish off the conference.  We spent a few hours chatting with everyone at the party and then decided to call it a night and go back to the room to put on sweats, order food and have girl time.  We called an Uber, got in our car and were starting to drive away when we saw that the party was moving to another location for dancing.  Some girls wanted to still go back to the room but a few of us hopped out to head back to the party.

Oh my word.. best decision ever!  I seriously haven’t danced like that since my high school/college days!  It was so much fun.  And unlike most people at the party, I don’t drink so I was feeling especially proud of myself for getting down like I did without the help of alcohol.. ha! ;)  I’m always begging my husband to dance with me at parties and he never will so I loved being with so many fun friends to dance with!  If the DJ is playing “Salt-N-Pepa” and “House of Pain” and other music from my era.. I’m gonna dance.  TOO much fun.

We danced until about 1:00 am and closed the place down.  By that point we were seriously sweating and our feet were KILLING us so most of us had shoes off.  Megan was the only smart one to bring flats to put on.  It was such a fun way to end the trip!

{shirt/jeans}

Heading out to catch my plane home and I got a quick picture with Cyndi.  Another friend I’ve made through blogging who I absolutely adore!  Loved catching up with her last week.  We were so in sync with our coordinating striped shirts. :)

My whole crew was excited I was home but this little guy was the most excited to see me.  He came running at the airport and almost tipped me right over with his hug.  Best feeling EVER.  Love my little buddy.  #pleasedontgrowup

I love to travel but it’s always so good to be home. :)

Couple of fun favorites that are on sale this weekend!  My layered top is 40% off!  Sizes are going fast.

These favorite sweats are also on sale!  I have loved these so much I just ordered this pair.  Make and Model and PJ Salvage are hands down my favorite pj’s.  And I know pj’s.  ;)  The only thing I don’t love about this time change and the lighter evenings is that it’s a bit more embarrassing when I put on my pj’s for the night at 5:00 pm.  When it’s dark I feel like I can get away with it easier.  That doesn’t stop me from doing it of course..  :)

My favorite rug is also on sale!  PB has all of their rugs marked down this weekend and I’m debating between a couple from there and one from West Elm (also having a big sale on rugs) for my guest room.  I feel like I need to hurry and decide tomorrow to take advantage of the sales.  So excited about how the room is coming together!  I’m waiting for a few things to come in and then I’ll share another progress post.  {All of my family room sources are HERE}

My kitchen canisters are also on sale!  Love them.
My kitchen decor gets switched up monthly, but the canisters stay. :)  Most recent kitchen post HERE – I still need to finish my sources!  Always a work in progress around here.

Alright friends!  That’s it for this weekend.  I hope you have a good one!  We’ll chat again real soon. ;)

xoxo, Erin
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Organization
04.24.17

5 reasons you can’t stay organized (and how to fix it!)

Hello friends!  I’m back from Dallas and had such a fun trip!  I’ll share a few pics at some point.  As soon as I’m caught up on the cleaning and the laundry and my e-mails and my sleep and the 2,000 other to-do’s that got shoved to the side while I was away.  So basically those pics will pop up next year. ;)  Actually when it comes to the cleaning, I’m not too worried about recovery.  Even though I came home to a semi messy house (my husband did the best he could with all that was on his plate the past four days!) I have most of my rooms/spaces organized in a way that makes clean up pretty simple.  This hasn’t always been the case!  The first year in our new house I struggled with organization (despite my love for it!) but I think I’ve found my groove and am finally starting to feel mostly on top of things when it comes to keeping my home organized.  Today I’m talking about 5 reasons you can’t stay organized (and how to fix it!).  These are some of the stumbling blocks I’ve faced over the years when it comes to keeping my house organized and what I’ve learned about how to work around them.  See if any of these 5 things sound familiar to you too!

1-  We don’t prioritize organizing.  I’m busy.  You’re busy.  We’re all busy.  Well.. except my parents who are retired and absolutely loving life with no schedule.  But they were once very busy too and finally now deserve to chill a bit. ;)  Here is the point and something I know to be true – if we don’t prioritize getting organized, it won’t happen.  By prioritize I mean schedule the time for it.  Organizing a messy space takes time.  If there is an area of your home that is an unorganized mess, you have to look at your calendar and decide when you are going to fix it.  You might choose to block out a full day to knock the entire space out, or (since that isn’t possible for a lot of us), you can choose to spend 20 minutes every day for a week working on it.  Either way – schedule that time!  And don’t let anything else get in the way!  A quote by Jim Rohn I’ve always loved is “if you really want to do something, you will find a way.  If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”  No more excuses!  Look at your schedule this week and find some time to prioritize organizing.  This week I’m spending 20 minutes a day organizing.  I need to finish a few bathroom drawers and finish organizing some files in my office.  I’m doing this between 8 and 8:30 pm (after I’ve put Kole in bed and while my husband is picking up my girls from dance and other activities).  It’s on my calendar!  I’ve scheduled organizing like this before and it really works for me.  I pick a time that I know I won’t be distracted and put it on my calendar for Monday through Friday.  Often there is a day during the week that something comes up and I can’t do it, but I can usually stick to it for 4 out of 5 days.  Prioritize organizing and just START.

5 Reasons You Can't Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

{GIRLS’ ORGANIZED BATHROOM DRAWERS}

2- We organize clutter.  Oh man.  Am I ever guilty of this one!  It took me years to really understand that in order to stay organized I need to constantly PURGE!  And then purge more than that. :)  You will never stay organized if you have too much stuff.  It just won’t happen.  I have purged more in the past 3 years that we’ve lived in our new house than I ever have before.  Let me tell you something about purging because I know that it can be hard – it gets easier the more you do it.  Try to be constantly mindful of things you aren’t using and don’t need any more and always have a black sack nearby to easily toss things into.  I always have a black Goodwill sack in my garage and when I come across something we don’t use/love/need, into the sack it goes.

5 Reasons You Can't Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

Here is another example of organizing clutter.  Because I can be really good at it. ;)  Soon after we moved into our house I started organizing my office.  I gathered up all of our camera instructions and other miscellaneous manuals and put them in tidy little ziplock bags with labels.  So cute.  So perfectly organized.  Guess the last time I pulled out one of these tidy little labeled sacks and used these manuals?  Hasn’t happened.  Clutter!  These manuals are clutter.  Now maybe you have manuals that are important and that you need to keep but MOST things like this, you will never look at again.  If I have a question about my camera or one of my computer programs, I’ll look up the answer on-line!  These manuals are getting trashed.  Stop wasting your time organizing clutter so that you can spend that time organizing the things you truly need and use every day.

3- We gather too many tips/ideas.  Something else I’m completely guilty of doing!  Oh Pinterest.  I love you so much.  We all do.  But Pinterest can be a problem if all we are doing is pinning others’ organizing ideas and not implementing those ideas into our own homes.  Sound familiar?  Sometimes gathering tips and ideas completely backfires because it makes us feel overwhelmed and like our homes are so far from those beautiful, organized pictures that we shouldn’t even start.  Or we use the only free 20 minutes we had in an afternoon looking at ALL the pretty pictures instead of using that time to organize something in our own home.  Instead of gathering tips and ideas on Pinterest or looking at pretty pictures in magazines this week, use that time to organize a drawer or cupboard in your own home.  Inspiration is wonderful when it truly inspires us to act.  Time to stop gathering so many tips/ideas and start acting!  And when you’re done organizing that drawer and decide to head to Pinterest for a little more inspiration you can follow me here where I share lots of it.  Ha.  ;)

5 Reasons You Can't Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

{ORGANZIED JEWELRY}

{MASTER BATHROOM SOURCES}

4- We don’t recognize and fix systems that aren’t working.  Sometimes it happens.  You spend precious time organizing a space only to find that weeks (sometimes days!) later it’s a mess again.  You straighten everything again but bam.. before you turn around it’s a mess.  A truly organized space is one that isn’t difficult to keep organized.  You’ve all seen the craft closet I organized in my office…

5 Reasons You Can't Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

{ORGAIZED CRAFT/SCHOOL SUPPLIES}

My kids use this almost daily and it still looks just like this.  Maybe the papers at the top aren’t quite so straight, but other than that, it really does look the same.  No.. my kids aren’t unusually clean (I wish!).  This space is just easy to keep looking this way.  My kids grab the bin they need, make a mess with the things inside of it, then when they clean up, they simply put everything back in the bin.  Below is a space in my house that isn’t working so well for us.  Remember my organized medicine cabinet?

5 Reasons you can't stay organized (and how to fix them!)

Beautiful right?  I snapped a picture of it today..

5 Reasons You are Struggling to Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

Hmmm.. not quite the same. :)  I know this isn’t awful, but it certainly isn’t as tidy as it once was!  When I organized this cupboard the first time I didn’t allow room for anything other than what we had.  We’ve all been sick here and there over the past six months and have added a few more medications to the cupboard.  The system I originally set up isn’t really working anymore.  Instead of trying to squeeze things in the small containers and make it work, I need to come up with something better.  There have been lots of times that I’ve organized a space and realized later that it isn’t working for us.  I remember in our previous house organizing my girls’ toys in some bins stacked in their closet and I thought it was the perfect solution!  Right up until they were ready to play and couldn’t reach the top bins.  Ha!  It happens!  When it does, recognize that you need to re-think your space and try again.  You’ll know when you’ve struck organizing gold when your space is easy to keep looking nice.

p.s.  You can see my solution to this cabinet I came up with HERE!  Working like a charm. ;)

5- We let “perfection” get in the way.  This has been my BIGGEST stumbling block when it comes to organization – and really all other areas of my life.  I used to think “if I don’t have time to completely organize a space and make it picture perfect from top to bottom then why bother?”  So I would do nothing.  The problem is, there is never time to completely organize a space from top to bottom and with three kids, picture perfect isn’t going to happen either.  We can’t wait for circumstances to be perfect.  Don’t tell yourself that you’ll get organized “when you have time.”  And don’t focus on making everything picture perfect.  That’s a blogger’s job. ;)  (And trust me, once I’ve taken pictures of an organized space for my blog, life happens.  Those spaces stay organized, but they don’t always look picture perfect.)  Get over that idea of “perfection” and settle for good enough.  Jump in and spend what little time you have today purging and organizing and trust me, you will feel better.  You will also be inspired to spend a little bit of time organizing tomorrow.  And before you know it, your home will start feeling much more organized.  Bringing some much needed sanity back into your life.

5 Reasons You Can't Stay Organized (and how to fix them!)

{ORGANIZED CLOSET}

Do any of these issues sound familiar to you?  These are 5 reasons I’ve struggled at times with organization and I hope that by sharing them (along with how I’ve learned to fix things) I’ve helped you think about what you might need to work on to finally get organized.  It’s a nice feeling to know that even when my house is a mess, it won’t take long to pick it up and recover.  So get out your planner, schedule some time to organize, toss things you don’t need, stay off of Pinterest and stay focused on your goals.  Keep moving forward!  You’ve got this!  And so do I.

Our pep talk for the day is officially over.

:)

 

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
04.19.17

Tory Burch Favorites with Nordstrom!

Is it just me or does it feel like it should be Friday by now?  Or at least Thursday!  But it’s not.  So happy Wednesday.  And counting down. ;)  My week is dragging but this post will be a fun mid-week pick me up.  I hope it is for you too!  The crew at Nordstrom asked me if I wanted to share some of my favorite Tory Burch items with you all and I don’t think you’ve seen anyone jump faster.  What a chore right? ;)  Most of you know I’m a huge Tory Burch fan and as you can see my friends love all things Tory too!  We all do don’t we?  What’s not to love about Tory Burch?  Maybe the prices. ;)  But seriously if I am going to splurge on something nice, quite often I turn to Tory.

I have been eyeing this Parker Leather Tote for months now.  When I got asked to do this post I knew it was sign!  It was meant to be mine.  I bought the bag and then that night when my husband came home from work I told him he has been working so hard lately that I really wanted to take a few things off of his plate..  “Babe.. I got myself a great gift for Mother’s Day this year so that you don’t even have to sweat it.  It’s perfect and I love it and you’re welcome.  I’m always thinking of you.”  He rolls his eyes at me, but secretly I think he does love not having to come up with a gift.  And I love my new bag so win win for everyone!  Mother’s Day just got good before it even started.  Now all I need are homemade cards from my 3 favorite little people and I’m set.  Sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands with these holidays, right girls? ;)

{J Crew Lace Bib Sweater/Jeans/Brown Bracelet/Navy Bracelet/Similar Shoes/Tory Burch Tote}

It really is such a gorgeous bag and it comes in lots of colors.  I used it a few days ago for the first time and loved how much I was able to fit inside of it.  Perfect for when I want to bring my planner and notebooks and extra stuff for the kids around with me.  The great thing about splurging on a nice Tory Burch bag is that it never goes out of style.  I have a Tory purse from about 10 years ago that I still use and get compliments on!

One of my friends at church last Sunday had her Tory tote with her so I snapped a picture of it.  This is a similar style but several years old.  She said it’s her favorite bag.  Classic!

Doesn’t she look beautiful in this skirt and head to toe pink!?  Wish I could pull off that color like she can!  So fun for Spring. {Thanks for modeling for us Vanessa! ;)}

You can see the cute lace in this pic on my new J Crew sweater (details in this post).  It’s perfect to wear with my two favorite Tory Burch bracelets.  My Tory Burch double wrap logo bracelet and my little navy Tory bracelet have become staples for me.  I bought the brown double wrap logo bracelet in LA with friends.  A little 40th b-day gift to myself. :)  There are SO many cute Tory Burch bracelets in stock right now!

 

 

I love that double wrap look so much that I’ve had this watch on my wish list for a while now too.  Just waiting for another holiday so I can make life easy for my husband again.  He’s so lucky to have me. ;)

Aside from Tory Burch bags and jewelry, I’ve also always LOVED Tory flip flops and sunglasses.  These cute flip flops are so comfortable and come in LOTS of fun colors and patterns.  A great price for Tory too.

{Swim suit/Black Romper/Tory Flip Flops}

K – let’s all ignore how white my legs are (time to bring out the spray tan!).  I really didn’t want to post this picture.  A little self conscious because I don’t love my legs/thighs, but I’m sacrificing myself to show you how cute the flip flops look on – ha!  All in the name of fashion!  Plus I’m 40 years old now so I’m trying to embrace all flaws and stop being so hard on myself… because that’s what mature 40 year olds do, right?  #workinprogress

I chose the Black Gemini Link patterned flip flops because my favorite swim suit and new romper that I plan on living in this summer are black.  Plus I wear a lot of black clothes in general so these will work with everything and be perfect to run around in on hot summer days.

Aren’t these other colors/patterns fun too!?  There are even more to styles to choose from on-line.

I also love the Tera Flip Flop.  They make me excited for summer!

You really can’t go wrong with Tory footwear.  A lot of my friends have these signature Tory Miller flip flops and love them.

I’ve been wearing Tory Burch sunglasses for years now and I always gravitate to them because aside from loving the look, they are such a great fit.  My face is narrow so I have a hard time finding sunglasses that don’t slide right off of my face.  Tory sunglasses always fit so well!  Snug but not tight.  These 55 mm square sunglasses are so cute!  They come in lots of different colors/patterns.  I have the dark tortoise and love them.

Pic of the back side.  I love the Tory sunglass cases too. :)

I snapped a few pics of my sunglasses in my car a few days ago while Kole and I were waiting to pick up the girls.

{Sunglasses/Black Tee}

My partner in crime wanted to join the selfie party.

Then he grabbed my phone and the next 20 pictures after this one were a blur of our heads and him laughing.  Never a dull moment with this one. :)

There are SO many fun new Tory Burch bags in for Spring!  Nordstrom always carries such a good selection of them.  They carry a good selection of all of my favorite brands which is why I shop there so much.  All in the name of making life easy for my husband of course.  Because I’m nice like that.

Speaking of Mother’s Day, I’ve been searching for a nice gift for my mom!  One of her favorite brands Nordstrom carries is Eileen Fisher.  Eileen Fisher clothes have a fun coastal, relaxed feel with clean lines and they are amazing quality.  I tried on this organic linen sweater and loved it!  It didn’t come home with me only because I had already splurged on my Tory Bag. :)  Here are a few things I’ve been debating for my mom..  mom – pick out your favorite! ;)


Thank you Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!  And for your amazing selection and customer service.  And for making my Tory Burch tote dreams come true.  My husband also sends his love. ;)

TORY BURCH FAVORITES:

In other random news I am off to pack because I’m flying to Texas tomorrow for a conference.  I’ve never been to Texas!  Crazy right?  I’m excited.  My husband will be managing life at home with the kids for the next few days.  I don’t know that he shares my excitement. ;)  My kids are obsessed with making slime at the moment.  I shared this picture on IG and Facebook and it sounds like a lot of your kids are doing the same.  Elmer’s Glue is a hot commodity right now.. ha!  So yeah.. say a prayer for Kenny.

He’ll need one. ;)

xoxo, Erin
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Organization
04.17.17

How to organize EVERY space in your house!

 How To Organize EVERY Space In Your House!

Did you all know that I started blogging in March of 2008?  That means I’ve been blogging for nine years.  NINE YEARS!  Do you all know how much organizing I’ve shared in nine years?  A lot.  I’ve also shared a lot of decorating, fashion, and complete nonsense in that amount of time.

But that’s beside the point. :)

Today I’m sharing a round up of all of my past organization posts!  Well.. most of them.  I’m sure I’ve missed a few.  Like I said, a lot of organizing has taken place in the past nine years.  But most of my past organizing posts are linked all together here.  Ideas on how to organize EVERY space in your house!  In the survey I sent out at the beginning of the year many of you asked for ideas on how to organize smaller spaces and believe me, I’ve been there!  I’ve broken things down into two categories – posts from our new/current home and then posts from our previous/older home (that was much smaller). I hope these past posts give you an organizing idea or two!  Or twenty. :)

I’ve also got a lot of current organizing projects in the works around here that I’m hoping to share soon so the fun continues!  For at least another nine years. ;)  Make sure to subscribe to my blog at the end of this post if you haven’t already so you don’t miss what’s coming.  I can’t promise less nonsense, but I can promise more organizing along with it. :)

{NEW HOUSE ORGANIZING POSTS}

 To see all of the spaces I’ve organized in our new home click {HERE}.

(You can also check out our home tour {here}, see past decorating posts {here}, and check out my latest favorites in fashion/home decor {here}.)

{OLD HOUSE ORGANIZING POSTS}

How To Organize EVERY Space in your house!

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
04.16.17

Life lately, fashion, organization and everything in-between :)

Happy Easter Sunday friends!  Or happy day or two after if you’re reading this then. :)  This post was supposed to be up on my blog Thursday.  Then Friday.  Then Saturday.  Then at one point it was going to be two or three different posts.  At this moment in time I’m not even sure what it is.  A whole lot of randomness I guess!  Mostly pics from my i phone of what we’ve been up to with some organizing, fashion and favorites thrown in.  Kinda like a turkey sandwich.

That includes chicken and roast beef.  With popcorn on the side.

I must be hungry.

Moving on!

My little buddy has been home with me all week for his Spring Break.  I told him we could do anything he wanted thinking he’d pick Disneyland, the zoo, the beach, the park.  He said “really!?  Can we clean the front porch!?”  Ha ha.  Definitely my boy. :)  He loves to spray off my lanterns with the hose.

Give the plants a drink with a spray bottle.

And sweep the porch with the big broom.

I’d have to agree.. this beats Disneyland any day. ;)

(Front porch sources in this post.  Affiliate links used.)

{shirt/cargo pants}

Date night with my babe.

Pancakes (and grilled cheese) with these two while their sister was on a class camping trip.

She was missed. :)

My girls went with their dad to New York for four days over their Spring Break.  They had the best dad/daughter trip!  First time on a subway. :)

Rowing in Central Park.

They climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty and toured the 9-11 Memorial Museum.

And saw two Broadway plays.  Ad was so excited to dress up fancy.  El begged Kenny to let her wear leggings.  Clearly they get their way when dad’s in charge. ;)

What were Kole and I up to while they were gone?  Spring cleaning and the park.  Even better than Broadway right?  ;)

Our laundry room after a typical busy week.  Those hampers work so well when the clothes make their way inside of them.

Dance competition season is in full swing and has kept us hopping!  We had three weekends of competitions in a row.  I can apply El’s stage make-up in my sleep at this point!

It really has been so much fun spending time with my sweet girl who is growing up so quickly right in front of my eyes.  About a month ago she asked me if she could get some shoes like mine.  Huh?  What was that El?  Are you actually admitting that your mom is cool?  Apparently only when it comes to footwear.  Shoe source is in my header under “shop my favorites” in case you too want to be the envy of your teenagers. ;)

I have to show you all these cool garment bags we got to hold El’s costumes and accessories for any dance moms out there.  They are an organizer’s dream!   The suit case is from Rac n Roll and it has this cool rack that you put up to hold the costumes.

Then each of the bags have all these zippered compartments to hold all of the costume accessories.  I so love zippered compartments!  How can you not just smile when you see zippered compartments? :)

There is even a place to make a label for your costume.  And you thought it couldn’t get any better.  Me too!!  :)

Then I bought this fun organizer from The Container Store to hold all of her make-up and hair accessories.  She has had some fast costume changes when we are flying to get her ready so having everything organized is a must!

Aside from the make-up I’m also so proud of myself for perfecting these dutch braids.  I had to practice them so much you guys!  I watched a You Tube video about 20 times and then Ad let me practice over and over on her hair until I was fast enough to whip them out.  It’s the little accomplishments right?  :)

The best part is watching her dance.  The first time she got on stage to do her solo I was so nervous I seriously thought I might throw up.  My hands were sweaty and I felt light headed and Ad was sitting next to me telling me to get a grip!  Ha ha.. It’s easier now that she’s done it a few times. ;)  She has grown so much this year and is becoming such a beautiful dancer!  #proudmom

After with her dance coach and friends.  I’m not the only one who is proud.  My mom sent a text to me and Kenny asking how she did after her first competition and Kenny wrote back “it’s an odd sensation to have tears of pride come to your eyes while your little girl is doing a booty shake to a hip hop song.  That was me this weekend.”  Ha!  That about sums it up. :)

Playing downtown after a local competition.  Gaslamp Quarter is always a good time!

So is the Spaghetti Factory. :)  Love this crew!

Quick pic in a new shirt that to be honest cost way more than I like to spend on a shirt!  But my husband gets sick of me saying “I don’t have anything to wear!” when it’s time to dress up a bit for something because my closet is full of pajamas and tops like this.  He’s always encouraging me to buy more dressy tops and he picked this out for me.  So I’m trying to wear it for him.  And it is cute and flattering (you can find it here).  But in my opinion it’s not as cute and flattering as these.  ;)  On sale for $30!

I had a couple of helpers with this photoshoot…

I don’t know about all of you but I think she’s got the knee pop down. ;)

Off to see Peter Pan!  This family loves the theatre.  Kole wouldn’t let me touch his hair and when it comes to parenting I choose my battles wisely.  So does Mr. Penguin.  The two of us have things figured out and put up with a lot. ;)  (My purse and other outfit sources are in “shop my favorites.”)

Someone didn’t make it through the whole play.

Speaking of my favorite kind of clothes and much to my husband’s dismay, I found another casual top I’m in LOVE with! So cute.  So comfy!  So like everything else in my closet!   Gotta be me. ;)   Comes in navy and cream.

This next top is another favorite although Ad isn’t sold.  When I came across this pic on my phone I laughed out loud at her expression!  Not planned.  She cracks me up.

But this time I’m going to have to agree to disagree with her.  Isn’t this Rebecca Minkoff top darling!?  LOVE the cut out sleeves.  It’s the cold shoulder look without the cold shoulders. ;)

I’m also so in love with these BaubleBar earrings!  They come in fun, bright colors for Spring and I love that they aren’t heavy like some longer earrings are.  A birthday present that has become a favorite!

Wore them to lunch with my two favorite guys.

This striped V-neck is another recent go to!  I am actually getting better at passing up stripes.  Just not stripes for $24. :)

And in other fashion news, my beloved Hudson Camo skinny jeans are back!  Nordstrom hasn’t had these forever!  They have been a favorite go to for years now.  But most of you know that.  :)  These are the exact same pair only without the holes in them.  Supposed to be “ankle grazing” but on short people like me they are more like heel grazing. ;)  They work and fit cute either way!

And my last recent favorite find is this darling off the shoulder romper that I’m so exited to wear as a swim suit cover-up this summer!  I have my favorite swim suit on under it in this pic – I actually got to try it out around the pool last week because it has been so warm here!   This is perfect for the beach or to slip on over my suit on those summer days that I never get out of my suit. :)

I also like it with the shoulders up.  Either way it’s so cute and very flattering!

Can you tell I’m excited for this?  :)

{Easter Tablescape}

I’m also excited for tomorrow.  I love Easter Sunday!  So grateful for a day to celebrate our Savior and spend time with loved ones.

Well!  That might have been the longest random post I’ve ever written!  My turkey sandwich clearly included ALL the toppings.

With a pickle and chips on the side.

With the popcorn.  ;)

I’m going to sign off now.

:)

(You can find all clothes sources from this post and new favorites here!)

xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
04.11.17

Guest Room (the beginning!)

Alright friends.  Guest room!  Let’s do this. :)  When I posted a reader survey at the beginning of 2017 most of you requested seeing more decorating/organizing progress posts.  This is definitely a progress post!  Small progress.. but progress none the less.  I’m working on a few spaces in our home this year and one of them is our guest bedroom.  A bit of background on this room…

When we first moved into the new house 3 1/2 years ago Kole was 3 years old.  Still so little and he was just getting used to sleeping in a bed.  (You can see his nursery from our previous house that doubled as my office/craft room here.)  Our guest room is located just down the hallway from our master bedroom so we moved him into the guest room to keep him close to us at night knowing that at some point when he was a bit older we would move him into his real bedroom and make this space a guest room.  These bunk beds were in my girls’ bedroom in our previous house so we put them in the guest room for Kole to sleep on temporarily.  We weren’t sure if he would be in this room one year or five.  It ended up being three. :)  I didn’t take a picture of what this room looked like before we started moving everything out, but it really wasn’t decorated much more than this.  Some dinosaur bedding and random toys.  A temporary happy space for Kole since he doesn’t seem to mind whether or not his room is coordinated. ;)

I took these pics when we were starting to move everything out of this room.  Still hanging on to the rocker from his nursery.  I need to get rid of it but am having a hard time letting go.  I rocked all three of my babies for countless hours in that chair.  It might have to hang around in the attic for a bit until I’m feeling stronger about parting with it. ;)

How is my baby 7!?

We cleared everything out of this room and brought in the guest bed (that was temporarily in Kole’s room).  Then we tackled the bookshelf last.

We got rid of over half of his books and just kept favorites.  Kole was a huge help with the purging as always. ;)

Good-bye bunk beds!  I had a hard time parting with those too, but they went to a good family so that made it easier. ;) You can see in this pic that the walls were a blank slate and I knew I wanted to do something fun for a focal wall when we turned this space into a guest room.  For quite a while I was planning on putting up some wall paper.

Then on a whim I decided I wanted to do a grid pattern with molding instead.  My carpenter and I sketched it out and two days later the wall was up!

 The next week I had it painted white.  I love the way it turned out!  It looks better in person (I snapped these pics so quickly and they aren’t great!)

I’ll take you on a quick tour of this room.  Lots of doors. :)  This guest room will be used by any guests who stay with us, but my parents will most likely use it the most and because of this my mom put in a request for a TV.  Ha!  She likes to stay up late watching the news in bed.  When we were designing the room I knew I had to fit a TV on this wall in-between the closet and bathroom door so we tried to make the space as big as we could!  As soon as the focal wall was finished we got a TV for my mom.  We’re hoping it bribes her to come down more often. ;)

Window on this wall.

And a blank wall opposite the window just waiting to be decorated! :)  (The doors across the hall open up to my organized decor closet I shared a couple of months ago.)

As soon as I take down the “art” Kole decorated with.  There’s quite a story that goes along with the two long pictures.  All sorts of ghosts and monsters and good guys and bad guys are in a major battle.  Add a print out of a donut, some snowflakes and his handprints and we have quite a masterpiece.  On second thought maybe the decorating on this wall is taken care of. ;)

There really isn’t much I need to do in this room and I’ve had a vision for what I want it to look like for a while now.  It should come together fairly quickly because I already have most of the furniture picked out.  In fact, the first of the new furniture just came last week!

These lacquered mint nightstands from Anthro were absolute LOVE at first sight!  The second I saw them I knew they would be perfect for this room.  Of course I’m a huge fan of mint everything, but I also love the gold hardware and that they have a bit of a filing cabinet vibe.  They make me think of organizing.. ha!  I know that’s so nerdy but it’s true.  You can see why they had to come home with me!

Also they are lined with flowered paper!  A fun surprise when they arrived.  Just when I thought I couldn’t love them more. :)

Obviously they don’t work so well with the old quilt this bed is currently sporting. ;)  Next update post should have some new bedding!

These are a few of the pillows that will go on the bed (also from Anthro).  Colorful and fun with touches of mint.  I’m so in love with this room already!  More progress coming soon!

And mom.. your Diet Coke with lemon will feel right at home on the new mint nightstands.  Plus the TV is waiting..

:)

GUEST ROOM SOURCES: (rug is from my master bedroom)

(Affiliate links used)

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
04.07.17

Fashion Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  We made it!  I’m not going to lie.  I feel like I’m limping across the finish line right about now.  What a week!  It has been non stop around here and I’m ready to come up for air.  I feel like we are way over scheduled this year, but I don’t know how to under schedule us.  A topic for another day!  As soon as I can pause long enough to write about it. ;)  Aren’t these flowers gorgeous!?  I snapped a picture of them at a stop light.  It was a long one. :)  Wild flowers are popping up all over San Diego right now and everything is absolutely beautiful.  So colorful and green because of all the rain we’ve had.  Nothing like Spring!

*Affiliate links used

{Metallic Tee/Jeans/Necklace (on sale right now!)/Purse/Shoes/Bagels – here and here}

On to a little fashion to end our week!  Did you all know that Nordstrom carries J Crew?  Such a happy discovery for me!  I do most of my shopping on-line these days and Nordstrom makes it so easy with their free shipping/returns that I’ll admit I get lazy and don’t look around at a lot of other stores.  I love that they carry so many brands and right now they have so many cute J Crew items!  This Metallic Linen Tee has quickly become a favorite go to for me.  You all know how much I love a good tee. :)  This top is comfy like a regular tee, but the metallic gold dresses it up a bit.

This picture doesn’t do it justice!  Such a cute tee.  My J Crew purse was a birthday present from a close friend – love it Katy :) – and it looks so cute with this top.  (This tee comes in silver too  and the purse also comes in a bright green and pink!)  My favorite necklace looks really good with it too and is on sale right now!

Another favorite J Crew find is this beautiful Fringe Dot skirt.  I love it with the metallic gold tee.  This neutral look was really speaking to me!  I can’t find the cream skirt on-line so it must have sold out!  I’ll add the link if it comes back in stock.  This skirt also comes in navy.  SO cute!  Wearing it with these shoes but in the summer this will look cute and casual with flip flops.  I love clothes I can easily dress up or down!

J Crew also has a great tee with longer short sleeves.  It’s fitted but not tight and comes in so many colors.  Love the mint!  And the green.. and the navy.. and maybe the charcoal. ;)  I’m a bit tee obsessed because I live in them – especially in the summer.  You know the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper?  How the Ants work hard all summer to store food for the winter?  That’s me in the Spring stocking up and storing all of the cute tees for the upcoming summer.  Kenny should be so proud of me for thinking ahead like that.  ;)

If you ever shop at J Crew you know that this Chambray denim shirt is one of their staples.  I’ve had it for a while and love it.  It has a really flattering fit and is so comfortable!  It runs big so size down!  I love how it’s fitted, but doesn’t pull in the chest like some button up shirts do.  Sometimes I wear it tucked into a skirt.. sometimes tied at the bottom.  I wore it last week with jeans and my new wedges.

The last time I was in Nordstrom I saw this darling outfit on the mannequin.  I was so excited because I already had the shirt!

And the purse!  (So cute in green too, right!?)

So really I had no choice but to get the skirt to complete the outfit. :)  This berry print skirt is darling!  So fun for this time of year!  It fits true to size but is a little long on me and I wish it came in petite for us shorties.  Those of you who have long legs will look amazing in this!  I’m keeping it anyway because I love the print so much.  Being 5″3 and a half (don’t forget the half) is rough sometimes. ;)

Two other J Crew finds.  I tried on this lace bib pullover and loved it in the navy.  It came home with me.  I tried it on in the white and didn’t like it as much.  For some reason the lace in the front looks better in the navy.  I also tried on these J Crew cargo pants and really liked them!  They didn’t come home with me though because I didn’t like them in the back.  Totally not the fault of the cargo pants.. more my fault for eating too much junk over the past month.  Ha!  Such a disappointment because they were cute in the front – a perfect length and so comfy.  I tried a bigger size but they were too big everywhere else.  This face is my “shoot.. time to get serious again and work off the bootie weight” face.  Baby Got Back was playing in my head.  You can tell I’m not impressed with myself.  ;)  #toomuchbirthdaycake

Here is a pic I took a few days later when I wore the lace bib pullover.

The lace detail in the front is darling!  Plus it’s light weight and perfect for this time of year.  I’m so happy Nordstrom is carrying J Crew!  They honestly have so many cute things in right now for Spring.  (I got this skirt too and love it!)  Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!  With their great customer service, easy on-line ordering and wide range of brands and options they make it easy to love them.  (Too easy my husband will tell you.)  ;)

SOURCES:



I’ll leave you all with a few favorite pictures from this week.  Kole’s favorite part in Moana is when the crab sings “Shiny.”  Moms.. have you all seen this movie over 1,000 times too?  :)  He has made up his own “crab dance” and it is seriously hilarious!  After school if he gets all of his work/homework done he can turn on “Shiny.”  Then he does his crab dance while the music plays.

Highlight of my week.

:)

 

xoxo, Erin
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