family + travel + lifestyle + wellness
This dress is a true vintage piece, it was my mom’s dress when she was younger! I loved that she saved it so I could wear it. It’s polyester and a unique color for my wardrobe. I tend to gravitate towards black, white and grays. I like the fit and rust color of this dress.
Tessa’s dress is also second hand and I loved the navy and rust color combination we happened to be wearing this past Sunday, It reminded me on an old American flag 😉
Some of my favorite childhood memories came at the ballpark. Growing up a Padres fan wasn’t anything glorious since they’re not a super wealthy or winning team ha, ha but it was always very fun to go as a family, eat a hot dog, learn about the game, and watch talented players come (and go).
Since then, Dave and I have loved going to baseball games together. We made a goal to see a game at every MLB ballpark. So far we’ve been to 19 out of 30 ballparks! Luckily we were able to see a lot when we drove to the east coast in 2009 and again in 2010. When we lived in DC in 2009, we adopted the Washington Nationals as our team together. They were a fairly new team to the area (having moved and re-branded from Montreal in 2005). This was before they had many big name players so tickets were pretty cheap and we were able to see a lot of games.
We haven’t been to a new ballpark basically since that time but we have plans to go to Seattle and see a Mariners’ game this summer for our 11th anniversary!
Dave found the website where I got this shirt (below) and I love it because it’s soft cotton, has Bryce Harper on it, and isn’t super girly. I kind of hate sports team apparel that is pink or glittery just because it’s marketed towards women. Many times I’d much rather have the same design as a men’s store just in a women’s size and fit!
shirt from Level500 / Old Navy flannel / Converse a million years old 😉
I usually struggle finding pants, skirts and dresses that are a good length for me (short girl problems ha, ha) I enjoyed this post about how to style a long coat for shorter females
A comprehensive list of ethical shops online
How gorgeous is this black dress?! I love the details on the sleeves.
Today is my parents’ 38th anniversary! Here’s to many more to my amazing mom and dad 🙂
The main reason I started making jewelry a few years ago (before I started my Etsy shop) was because I could picture the jewelry I wanted that was my style but couldn’t find it in physical shops or online. I experimented with several different methods, designs, materials, suppliers, etc and through lots of trial and error and google, was able to design and create the pieces I was looking for. While my work needs a lot of practice and work, it makes me happy to be able to turn my vision into an actual product.
Here are a few new earrings I’ve been experimenting with – my first experiment with wire hoop earrings. The top pair has details of tiny gold geometric seed beads. The bottom pictures are similar design with a leftover herkimer diamond (from a necklace I made) paired with the same gold seed beads as the top pair of earrings. I’m pleasantly surprised with how they turned out and that all my tinkering and manipulating the wire turned out ok 😉
It’s started to feel like Spring this last week (even though it’s been our most mild winter in 10 years ha!) and it’s especially nice because my skin is less dry. I received these Farmhouse Fresh masks for my birthday and they are so awesome. The green is avocado butter (a super hydrator), the white is tapioca (to improve texture) and the orange is pumpkin (to boost radiance) and smells exactly like a delicious pumpkin pie! All three of them smell so good and feel very gentle on your skin.
I also got this avocado cuticle oil from a local beauty supply store and I feel like it’s definitely helped soften and moisturize my cuticles. I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t sure how oily it would be or how well it would absorb. Luckily, it absorbs well and doesn’t leave your nails or fingers feeling oily. I was going to post the Amazon link but it was $8 — I found it locally for $1.95! So if you’re looking for it, hopefully you can find it for cheaper. While I was out, I also found this pineapple hand cream at Bath and Body Works ($3) which is my favorite flavor!
And…a Spring haircut! I normally prefer my hair long but every few years get in the mood to cut it shoulder length. The first cut it always scary and I feel like it’s always shorter than I imagine but luckily hair grows back 🙂 One of the challenges with moving so much is not having a regular hair stylist. You have to find the right people to get recommendations from, finding a good price, and salon aesthetic that suits you. I found this stylist off Yelp recommendations based on the fact that I wanted someone right in Chino Hills as opposed to driving downtown or to Orange County. The layers were a bit too choppy for my style, but it’s nice to have a fresh, light cut. 
A long time in coming, but there are new shop items! Last year we were so busy packing, unpacking and moving that I felt like I barely had time to devote to my shop outside of ‘Buy 1, give 1‘. It’s been a fun hobby for me to learn new skills and have the opportunity to create. A few new necklaces in the shop:
This winter is the warmest winter we’ve had in the 10 years we’ve been married! 10 years! The kids’ and my favorite thing to do in the summer is the splash pad but our favorite cold weather activity is the library. When we lived in Utah, Brent and I went to the toddler story/sing time every week. Our library in Texas had tons of puzzles and puppets (in addition to books obviously) that the kids loved. Our new library here in CA only has computers as an extra ‘activity’ to books which I don’t love since we try and limit the screen time the kids get. However, it’s still fun to read new books!
Linking up for Mommy Style Monday for other Winter activity ideas check out:
Kiana at Glitter & Donuts
Madeline at CaseyLand
Shani at Sunshine & Munchkins
Britt at My Little Sunshine
Rachel at Tutus and Heels
Noelia at You Can Call Me Noe
Jessica at Mason Jars and Lemon Bars
Michelle at The Mumsy Blog
Kahana at A Beautiful Life
Monica at It’s All About
ankle boots
Thanksgiving brought in family visiting from out of town and cooler temperatures! I finally unpacked some cardigans, sweater and coats just in time to pack them up again in a few weeks when we move to CA 😉 We enjoyed showing my family around Austin, playing tourist at the state capitol and LBJ museum and eating lots of BBQ and Tex-Mex; amazing brisket is one of the things I’ll miss most about Texas! I’ve found lots of awesome online boutiques through social media that match my style: trendy-classic and affordable. Here are a few of my favorite coats that like all of my wardrobe, won’t break the bank!
My Black Friday usually involves sleeping in, going to the gym to work off pumpkin pie calories, eating Thanksgiving leftovers and some online shopping- no crowds, no shoving, and all from the convenience of my house! Here’s a deal you can get right now in your pajamas: enter the giveaway I’m partnering with JORD Wood Watches. You can read my review here and enter the giveaway by clicking here.
Also, 25% off with code ‘HOLIDAY‘ in the Etsy shop (min $5 purchase, expires 12/23/16)
One of our favorite things about living in Scotland was seeing tartan in everyday life and learning the different clans and their signature pattern. Scottish people are very proud of their heritage and family names. Dave’s ancestors come from Macaulay and Moffat heritage lines. Plaid, or tartan, is such a classic pattern. I would love to get one of these plaid skirts (none over $100)!
Jen Holtkamp 