Five On Friday

I think I’m finally on the other side of this funk that I’ve had all week.  Still chugging Nyquil before bed like nobody’s business, but hopefully tonight will be the last time. 

O N E 

Well, our home décor has officially had its first casualty since having kids.   

We made it four years, two months, three weeks, and one day with no stained couches, no broken knick-knacks, no crayon-marked walls… nothing.   

Olivia decided, however, that this week it was time to break the streak.   

I was picking up the living room the other evening while the kids were playing happily, when I heard it.   

“Rrrriiip!” 

I immediately ran over to assess the damage and Olivia was staring up at me with a mischievous grin on her face and holding a chunk of the dust jacket of my beloved “Humans of New York” book.   

And I haven’t even read the whole book yet!!   

The tear is (at least) symmetrical, so I guess we won’t call this one a total loss.  As one of my friends said, “She just wanted to see the pictures!”

T W O 

Earlier this week, while I was rinsing Olivia’s cup in the sink, she swiped my phone out of my back pocket like a little thief and started pressing buttons.  We had just been listening to Luke Bryan in the car on the way home, so his face came up on the screen.  She studied it for a minute and started saying, “Dada?  Dada?” 

“I wish, sweetie.  I wish.” 

(Sorry, Brian.)

T H R E E 

Y’all, my baby boy is reading!!!!  He has loved books since he was itty bitty, he started talking at a very early age, and he started sounding out some simple three letter words about a year ago.  The last time we practiced, it took him some time to read each one as he had to slowly sound each letter out before putting them together. 

Well, earlier this week he asked if we could practice reading some words on his chalkboard, and y’all, he blew me away.  We went through at least 30-40 three and four letter words, and he was reading each one as quickly as I could write them on the board.  I couldn’t believe it.   

His teacher actually just informed us yesterday that she’s placing him in an accelerated program since he already knows everything that they’re currently covering.  He will stay in his same class, but he and a few other kids who are also on the same track will start learning sight words to pave the road to reading.   

Like mother, like son. 

F O U R 

We are having family pictures taken sometime in the next couple of weeks because I would like an updated picture to put on Christmas cards.  Yesterday I posted a few tips about how to coordinate outfits for the whole family to ensure that everything looks picture perfect.  You can check that out here.

F I V E 

I’ve been contacted several times regarding the ballet flats that I wear pretty frequently, so I thought I’d share them with everyone. 

  

Now I don’t usually splurge on shoes… the majority of mine are typically $30 or less because I adore fashion and the trends change so quickly that I can’t bring myself to spend a ton of money on a pair of shoes that I’ll only wear a few times.   

However, a few months ago I received a gift card for Macy’s and I decided to splurge on a pair of Jessica Simpson Ballet Flats because the reviews were so fantastic and because they’re just so pretty.  I was undecided about which color to choose, so I ordered them in black and natural and I figured I would just return the ones that I didn’t want.   

Y’all.  These shoes are so amazing.  They don’t slip on your heel, you can dress them up or down, they add elegance to pretty much any look, and the best part – when you wear them – you feel like you are walking on a cloud.  They are cushiony, soft, and wonderful and they also come in snake print, coffee (brown), and gold (which I now neeeed.)  I cannot say enough good things about these shoes! 

So I kept both pairs. 

And I fully intend to wear both until they fall apart. 

You can get yourself some here.  You won’t regret it.   

And this isn’t even a sponsored post.  I just love them that much.

I love them so much that I posted a picture on Instagram several months ago, and Macy's recently contacted me and asked me if they could use the picture on their website.  And as a matter of fact, when I popped over there to grab the link for this post, there was my picture from Instagram, front and center right on the product page!  So exciting!  So of course I had to grab a screenshot for you!

Sending good weekend vibes to each and every one of you!  XO

Linking up with A Liz Adventures for Five On Friday and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.

How to Plan Outfits for Professional Family Portraits

Tis the season for all things fall… apple picking, pumpkin patching, and football watching.  Fall also happens to be my favorite time of year to have family portraits made since we like to send out Christmas cards every year.  Not to mention the weather is typically sunny and cool, everyone is extra snuggly, and Mother Nature provides the perfect backdrop of reds, oranges, yellows and greens that result in gorgeous pictures. 

One of my favorite things to do is to plan the outfits that each person will wear for the photo shoot.  This can be a daunting task, especially when you’re planning for larger families, but I am about to provide a few tips to make it a little less stressful. 

Pick a Color Scheme 

This is probably the hardest part of all since there are so many colors and combinations of colors.  In recent years, I’ve been working to change our colors so we have something fresh and different each year.  Some examples for color schemes are as follows: 

Denim and white  

Black and white 

Neutrals – creams, browns, blacks, and greys 

Complementary colors – these are colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel.  For example, red and green, purple and yellow, or pink and lime. 

Analogous colors – these are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.  For example, aqua, green, and lime or red, pink, and purple. 

This year, I chose complementary colors for our portraits because I wanted them to be colorful.  The winning colors?  Mustard and aqua. 

Find One Inspirational Piece to Create a Focal Point 

The items I choose to be the focal point are typically some kind of pattern (plaids, polka dots, etc.) and then I build everyone else’s outfits around that one. 

Last year it was my red and black buffalo plaid shirt, and this year it is Jacob’s mustard and aqua plaid shirt and vest.  The second I saw this rugged, outdoorsy combination hanging in Carter’s, I knew it was exactly what I wanted for our pictures this year. 

Choose a Solid Color from the Focal Point 

There shouldn’t be too many patterns because that can be extremely overwhelming, so the next thing I typically do is pick a solid color from the pattern on the focal point for someone else to wear.  It was easy this year because Brian already had an aqua polo hanging in his closet that coordinated perfectly with the aqua in Jacob’s shirt.  I love it when a plan comes together this easily. 

Throw in Some Neutrals 

It can also be overwhelming to have too much color, so neutrals are the perfect way to tone it down a bit.  Olivia already had a cream sweater and this darling gray fur vest, so I decided that she would be neutral girl this year.

Throw in Another Solid Color to Tie It All Together 

Since Jacob was the only one wearing mustard, I decided that I would wear it as well to bring the whole look together.  I found this shirt at Target and it could not be a more perfect fit. 

Add Accessories for Texture and Depth 

A floral scarf and a cream cardigan (not pictured) for me, a bow for Olivia (not pictured), and brown fringe boots for both of us were the perfect way to add dimension to the look without overwhelming it. 

 

Fur Vest Similar Here // Cream Sweater // Baby Girl Boots Similar Here // Mustard Sweater // Womens' Fringe Boots Similar Here

Check Your Work 

Lay all of the outfits down on the floor or the bed and make sure that the overall look is cohesive.   

Next, take a quick look to make sure that all of the outfits look good together in pairs.  Examples below: 

Mom and dad

Mom and son

Mom and daughter

Dad and son

Dad and daughter

Son and daughter 

We often take pictures in pairs and we like to get lots of pictures of the kids alone together, so I like to make sure that every possible combination of outfits looks good next to each other.

Pray the Photographer Gets a Shot of Everyone Smiling in the Same Picture 

Good luck!  Can’t help you with this one!  :o) 

We will be taking ours in a couple of weeks, and I’ll be sure to share them with you as soon as they are available. 

Until then, here’s a look back on the past fall family photos that we used for Christmas card pictures.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

What I Wore

YOU GUYS!!  I can’t believe it, but this is my one hundredth post!   

When I first started this blogging thing, I figured that I would post once or twice a week, but I’ve enjoyed it so much that I’ve been posting almost every single day with the exception of weekends.  I guess I just have a lot to say!   

Brian will tell you that is a true statement. 

Now, onto this week’s looks… apparently I had a color scheme for this week’s attire without even trying… looks like I was really feeling pinks and reds!

October 14 - Ballet Flats

October 15

October 16

October 17 - Pants

October 18

October 18 - Jeans // Striped Sweater // Olivia's Ballet Flats

October 18 - Jeans // Striped Sweater

October 18 - Olivia's Ballet Flats

October 19

October 20

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore.



Costumes of Halloweens Past

Today I’m linking up with Momfessionals for Show and Tell Tuesdays to share our old Halloween costumes. 

I’ve always loved getting dressed up for Halloween… our friends used to throw a huge Halloween bash every year, and we always had the craziest and best time!  We’ve since traded in our crazy costumes and beer kegs for trick-or-treating and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, so those crazy parties haven’t happened in a few years, but I sure do miss them!   

It was always so much fun to hunt for the perfect costumes and the perfect accessories to go with them.  Brian and I used to go all out.  And of course we always had to be themed (with the exception of the first year since we weren’t prepared).   

Let’s just take a step back in time, shall we? 

2004 – Shaggy From Scooby Doo and a Witch 

This was the second Halloween that Brian and I were together, but it was our first time attending a Halloween party as he was out of town on business the prior year.  I don’t remember why, but we didn’t have much time to plan for this party, so I grabbed the only costume that I had on hand (a witch), and we ran out to buy a Shaggy costume for Brian since everyone used to tell him that he looked like him.  This was the one and only time that we didn’t match.

2005 – Doctor and Nurse 

This year we were totally ready!  Brian and I had three other friends that wanted to get in on our theme, so it was extra fun!  My friend Shelly and I were nurses, and Brian, as well as Shelly’s husband (then boyfriend) were doctors.  Brian’s best friend was our patient, and he had one of those ridiculous hospital gown costumes with the fake butt hanging out of the back.  He added a crazy mask to it just for fun.

2006 – Hugh Hefner and a Playboy Bunny 

Do you guys remember that show The Girls Next Door?  Well, it was all the rage that year, so we thought it would be fun to dress up as Hef and one of his bunnies.  I absolutely adored this costume and I even DIYed a Playboy bunny necklace out of cardboard and paint to match.  You couldn’t even tell it wasn’t real jewelry!

2007 – Creepy Bride and Groom 

At this point in time, we were waist deep in wedding planning as our wedding was barely a month away, so how could we not incorporate that into our costumes?!  I loved the streamers hanging off of the arms on this costume, and I carried around a bouquet of black flowers.  Brian got really into the face painting for this costume, but since my skin is so sensitive, I wasn’t about to put that mess all over my face! 

2008 – Christmas Elf and Santa’s Helper 

These were, by far, my favorite costumes evarrrr!  I’m obsessed with Christmas and I was even more obsessed with my red and white striped thigh-highs.  I wish I had an excuse to wear this now, because I still have it and it still fits.  Oh, and, red lipstick. 

2009 – Hippies 

This was one of my favorites as well, but the “dress” was extreeeemely short, so I had to wear shorts underneath.  I also apparently wanted to be a football player that year as well.

2009 was the last year that we attended the Halloween party… I don’t think our friends had one in 2010, and then in 2011 we had to attend a wedding on the same night as the party, so we missed it.  I was super bummed about that one.  By 2012, they stopped hosting the party altogether because everyone got busy with babies and life in general, so our recent years look a bit like this… 

2011 – Pod of Peas 

Jacob was three months old for his first Halloween, and since he couldn’t do much, I took full advantage.

2012 – Vampire Bat 

He had just started walking for his second Halloween, and he looked darling toddling around in this costume.  Such a doll!

2013 – Elmo and Cookie Monster 

At this point in time, Jacob’s favorite character was Elmo (like every other two year old), so he wanted to be Elmo for Halloween.  We found the perfect Cookie Monster costume for Maui and these two were a match made in Sesame Street heaven.

2014 – Superman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman 

Jacob decided last year that he wanted to be Superman for Halloween, so I figured I would dress up Olivia and Maui to match.  I sewed a Batman patch on a black onesie, bought a black tutu, and made her a Batgirl headband, and BOOM.  We had a house full of superheroes. 

This year, sadly, will not have a costume theme, but I still can’t wait to see the kiddos dressed up in their Halloween best.  It’s going to be so much fun!