Show & Tell: Shopping

Two Monday's in a row for a link-up?! Well, okay then! *Okay, so I didn't quite make it to finish my post for the link on Monday so I'm doing it today!*

I used to be such a shopper. Loved it. Went a lot. I made my money and I would spend it. Not to the point of danger but I liked nice things, cute clothes and taking care of myself. Then I got older, married, bought a house and had a baby. Let's just say my shopping habits have calmed down. Quite a bit. Anyhow, I though it would be fun to chime in on the shop talk anyway.

1. Tell us your favorite stores to shop at.

My all-time favorite clothing store to shop at is Nordstrom. I love how nice their stuff is, the return policy and how organized everything always is. I can't stand shopping in a mess. I definitely don't shop at Nordstrom as much as I used to but if I do have some spare money or want to update with a couple items you can most likely find me there because I like to buy classic pieces that will last. I also enjoy going to Target. I'm sure this is a popular one but they usually have some in-style stuff for cheaper and I do think their items have gotten a little better quality. I also like a lot of their home items if I am looking for those kind of items.

2. What are you "signature pieces" to wear.. your go-to outfits?

I definitely wear jeans a lot. I actually just got a new pair of jeans that I would call everyday jeans. I have been lacking a pair of these for awhile so I was so happy to see when one of my favorite brands {Lucky} were at ... yes... wait for it...Costco! I am absolutely in love with them--perfect fit, perfect wash, just great! So, anyway, jeans and a sweater, jeans and a flannel or jeans and a cute zip-up are all at the top of my list for go-to fall/winter outfits!

3. Show us your style through pictures {of you or pinterest finds}.

Source: dressinterest.com via Allyce on Pinterest

Source: dressinterest.com via Allyce on Pinterest

Source: dressinterest.com via Allyce on Pinterest

Source: dressinterest.com via Allyce on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Allyce on Pinterest

This kind of makes me laugh because there is a definitely pattern with all of these looks. I chose everyday looks and I like to think I branch out a little if I am dressing up or for different events. However, my everyday is pretty casual right now!

4. Show us your favorite celebrity style icons.

Source

5. If you had to spend money on clothes or home items, which would you choose?

For where I am at in life, I would definitely say home. We have a few remodeling-type projects we are looking forward to so it would be nice to have a little extra to spend on those!

6. Show us your favorite accessories.

Link to all

If I wore no other accessory other than earrings, I would be a happy girl. They complete me. Except, with an almost 11 month old my ears have been naked lately for fear she will rip my ear off. Sad.

7. Tell us in one sentence your philosophy behind shopping. {What makes you buy an item

How much will I use this?

Front Door Facelift

As Eleanor and I were out watering our plants yesterday morning, I looked at the "cans" that I have had sitting by our front door for a couple of years--well, actually since our wedding since they were used to hold flowers at our wedding--and they were empty. And sad looking.

I really like them but thought they needed a little something. Also, don't mind the rose bush, it isn't staying there, we just haven't decided on it's permanent home yet. I had a few errands to run and they happened to be by the dollar store in our area so I figured I would pop in a peek at their fake flower selection. I am not always a huge fan of fake flowers but I figure that not a ton of people go in and out of our front door and obviously guests won't be thoroughly examining them, so I figured for this spot it would be okay. Actually I am not a huge fan of dollar store fakes. The ones at Michael's have come a long way and can actually look quite real.

Anyway.

I picked a few out and I still need to do a bit more adjusting but I think they look pretty good and help the cans not to look so drab.

I don't know why this excited me so much. Probably because it was a quick, easy and cheap spruce. It's the little things, people! 

Any spruces around for you these days?

Finally, Some Hair Bows

So when we found out we were having a girl, I didn't race out and buy tons of headbands, hairbows or accessories. I don't really know why. Don't get me wrong, I love a baby girl with a headband or hairbow just as much as the next person but I just didn't get the itch to do that.

Well, when I met my baby, she greeted us with a full head of dark hair. To me, right away, that distinguished her as a girl. I don't know why I thought that because I know there are a lot of boys born with lots of hair to but for some reason, I still didn't accessorize her head much.

I also would always think,"Oh, we are just at home, we don't need to put anything on her head," or ,"I don't want to put something on her head and then have her rub it off in her carseat or have it irritate her." I think I just didn't have a lot of logical thought for awhile, so let's face it, my cute baby girl, wasn't accessorized much. She also wore a lot of jammies. Hey, it was winter, okay?!

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I was checking out one of my favorite daily reads she talked about one of her sponsors and a really cute website to get hair accessories. Okay, I will also confess right now, I think that a lot of hair accessories for babies are way overpriced. Hence, my new love for Polkadot Posies! Her products are great quality, inexpensive and I ordered them, I think on a Monday or Tuesday and they arrived that Friday. I ordered two headbands and three bows that can be interchanged. My total, with shipping was around $10. Awesome.

Excuse this cell phone pic. Just wanted to get
one of the actual model! ;)

I really would love to be creative like this girl and make cute hair accessories {I mean, seriously, her bows are the cutest!} and, guess what? I bought some supplies to do so thinking it would be nice to have a quick and easy craft during Eleanor's naptimes but then she starting the whole napping-on-mom-quite-often thing so that hasn't worked out quite yet. I did make her a quick clip one day:

Anyway, I was not compensated to write this, I don't even know who is behind Polkadot Posies, but I just wanted to share my find, it's cuteness and affordability and thank AP!

Small Pieces of Fabric can Talk Big...

I love summer. There is no doubt about it. I would love to live in an area where we had more of it but that is not reality right now. We definitely like to make the best of what summer we do have around here by grilling, going down to the lake, going on walks, camping here and there and whatever other summer activities we may dream up. I'm sure this summer we will probably even take a couple trips to the zoo. Even though E may be a little young to understand it, she will obviously like to get out and take in all the sights!

One thing I am a little nervous about for summer is ... a post-baby-body bathing suit. 


Let's face it. I haven't actually bought a real bathing suit in quite a few years. I was the same size for quite some time and since we don't get too long of a summer stretch, my suits don't get too worn out. A couple years ago when I had a wild hair to do a sprint triathlon I bought a couple pieces that I would wear during the swim portion. Basically a sports bra and some little Nike bootie shorts. Cute as they are, I'm not quite in the shape I was then.

So, thoughts of one pieces have commenced.

They are not the oober-mommy-looking suits they once were. There are some downright stylish, cute ones. I don't know why I am so obsessed with the idea of a swimsuit. I don't always wear one. But I think I would if I had a cute one that I felt good in. I got the Nordstrom book last week and of course I found cute ones in there. But, I'd be really off the deep end even more than I already am to think that I could drop that sort of coin on a small piece of fabric!

Source

I love the bunching in the middle to hide the lil' pooch I still sport. I also love the navy and white--clean and classy.

Source

So yes, technically a two-piece but covering up what I want to cover up. I know the tie-dye is a little crazy, but I do love that it's different and I am always a sucker for purple.

Source

Very cute print here and again, I love the bunching in the middle.

I am obviously seeing a little pattern here in all the styles I like. These suits, in regular me fashion, are all well out of my price-range. However, I feel like this may be a good jumping off point to seek out the styles I like in a little more wallet-friendly atmosphere. 

We are going on a vacation with friends in early September and even though that is still a ways away, I think it will be fun to have a cute suit that I am not embarrassed to put on!

Mother's Day Link-up: My Mother, The Haggler

Thanks, Holly, for having a fun link-up for Mother's Day to share stories about our lovely mothers!

I figured I could go on and on about how much I love my mom and how she's my best friend and a great lady and she's been there for me through thick and thin and yada, yada, yada...{well, there, I did, in the condensed version} but it's more fun to share one of her quirks.

And quirks she has.

My mom and I are opposite in a lot of ways but I like to think I inherited her loving and nurturing ways. One of the main ways we are opposite is the are in which my mother has no shame when it comes to getting a good deal. Getting what she believes to be the best deal. I keep thinking that maybe as I get older this will come more naturally or I won't feel so bad for trying to haggle someone who is trying to make a little extra money or ends meat down to the last penny that I think is possible.

There are stories upon stories over the years including car salesmen, couch salesmen, cell phone guys, antique dealers, and of course garage sales. The most current would be the meat salesman who came to our door on Monday. My mom and I were in E's room trying to get her to sleep and a guy came to the door giving some story about having an excess of meat so his boss told him to go get rid of it so it was a really good deal. It was basically an Omaha Steak situation, just a different name. I was holding the baby so Ben and my mom went out to the van. They were out there for a good fifteen to twenty minutes and came back empty handed with my mom going on about what she would have paid him had he taken it. They talked about the prices and the product for a few more minutes and then Ben just kept saying how he felt bad for the guy and man, what was he doing selling meat out of a van and such and such. My mom just laughed and said, well, he has a job.

So my mom left and a little later Ben just looked up and again expressed his disbelief in how my mom can just keep asking and asking for the lowest price and Ben just sits there feeling bad for the guy. I learned a long time ago that yes, in the moment it is really embarrassing to be standing next to my mom when she is working her magic wheeling and dealing but we are all appreciative in the end when we pay way less than we would have. And, she always says, it never hurts to ask and then if it doesn't work out, obviously they can't go lower on the price and we can make our decision to buy or walk away from there.

{another "mom" quirk? She has a beautiful smile full of beautiful, white teeth and she never manages a smile for pictures. I think she is always talking during pictures.... ;)}

So, Mom, Happy Mother's Day and thanks for never being bashful about getting me a good deal! ;)

Head on over and share a story about your mom!

A Couple of Mom Milestones

I guess the ol' blog keeps getting away from me as for some reason my days fly by. It sounds weird, and some of them seem rather long, but before I know it, I am cooking dinner and Ben is walking through the door. A wise friend said to me the other day: The days are long and the years are short. We haven't made it a year, yet, in this whole parenting saga, but I already know what that means.

Anyway, we had a couple of fun/new things happen in the past month that I wanted to document. I kind of wrote about going out and about with Eleanor back in February and I can assure you, I am definitely better now. I think it all just has to do with gaining confidence, getting used to having to take a million things along with us and everything taking triple the amount of time it used to. That's okay though.

Eleanor and I went out to lunch a couple of times. Once with my mom and once with a friend and her nephew. Both times she sat in her carseat the whole time, looking around, smiling and just being content. It was great. Well, a couple of weekends ago we went to Ben's basketball game which was on a Sunday afternoon and after that our group of friends had decided to go get some drinks and food after the game. We ended up at a pizzeria by the University of Washington which was actually perfect because when we got there, no one was there. At first E was great, looking around, sitting in my lap and playing with some toys. The place began to fill but I felt at ease because at almost every table there were either kids or babies. Very family friendly. As it filled, it got pretty warm as well. We got through our salads and our dinners had just come and E started to melt down. Ben walked outside with her and she immediately calmed down. He came back in, sat for a few minutes and she just wasn't having it. So I took her and Ben finished his dinner. Outside, she was happy as a clam, talking, smiling and resting her head on my shoulder. I think she just got a little overwhelmed.

This was a good outing for us because although it did not go perfectly {which, let's be honest here, what ever will in our lives now that we have a baby in tow?!} it went. I did not feel embarrassed that Eleanor was crying. I didn't feel anxious. I wasn't "angry" that I was "missing out" on dinner or visiting with friends. We just dealt with the situation. It may not be what works next time in the same instance but at that moment, that was what was working so that's what we did. I felt good driving home {even though she cried in the car} and felt just a little more confident about being a mommy.

Last week, for some reason, felt a little bit long by Friday morning. Eleanor and I had been home all week and even with a few visitors were feeling a little cooped up.  I had been looking on Old Navy's website and had seen a few cute baby clothes. So, instead of ordering them online {you know, like a true hermit would do...which I am totally not...}, I decided E and I could make the 20 minute drive to our nearest Old Navy. When I pulled up to the mall, she was still awake so I puller her out of her carseat, slipped her into the Ergo and went on our merry way. We wandered around the store, E was content and I felt good. She was close to falling asleep when we left the store so she fell asleep once we got in the car. My first solo shopping trip with my daughter. I think that's a milestone in any mom's book!

I know, some may look at me and think I am weird. Or a scaredy-cat or whatever other words you can use to describe a first-time mom who is hesitant to do a lot of things but I feel as if I am doing what works for us.  And, although it probably sounds silly to some, every little milestone we hit, makes me feel good. And like a mom.

Sunny Day Randoms

I know. I had to put "sunny" in my title because in our part of the world, it is a beautiful, February day that I have to celebrate and acknowledge!

First and foremost it is truly amazing what a little Vitamin D does for the mood, soul, skin, hair, etc. Okay, maybe a little carried away but this girl is getting a little tired of the short, dark days so I love a little brightness in my life. I also love introducing my baby girl to one of my favorite things--Mr. Sunshine!

Source: etsy.com via Allyce on Pinterest

It is so fun having friends with babies. We can get together and not feel weird about staring at our babies. Or being a little distracted because you are paying more attention to your baby than the friend you are visiting with. Swapping stories, advice or even some weird emotions you may be having is also nice.

Source: Uploaded by user via Allyce on Pinterest

It has been a long time coming but I am enjoying my Toms. I have wanted them for awhile. Tried them on and couldn't decide. Couldn't decide on a size or color. Thought they looked strange on my feet but good on everyone else. But I have finally decided and I love. And I can't wait to get a pair for Baby E.

 I have discovered the true meaning of coffee now that I have had a child. I have only been having one cup in the morning as opposed to the two maybe three in the past but I truly look forward to it and it is a nice start to the day while Baby E is at her happiest and we are waking up.

Source: earthytoastyspicy.blogspot.com via cindy on Pinterest

I am falling more and more in love with my cloth diapers everyday. Okay, well, not my cloth diapers. But Eleanor's. They are so cute, actually surprisingly easy to deal with and so much less garbage.

Source: familyoffarmers.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

The sunshine peeking out is really getting me excited for spring and our garden. Also for summer and being warm and grilling and being on the water and introducing E to nature and more.

Source: gardenrooms.typepad.com via Emily on Pinterest

I would love a garden that looked like this!

These are my thoughts for the day. I mean, I have more, but sometimes it is hard to get them organized with a sweet babe kickin' next to me so this is all for now. 

What are your Friday random thoughts?

Baby Wearing

I don't know why this is such a tough decision. I want to be able to wear my little nugget, you know, around the house, walking, maybe in stores if she isn't asleep in the car seat but I just cannot decide which carrier is the best, most comfortable, most cost effective and best fit for me.

I tried on a Moby today for the first time and I loved it because it's so comfortable and Eleanor and I felt like we were just cuddled up. It would definitely take some getting used to of learning how to get it on and get her in by myself. Granted I didn't wear it for too long so I don't know the comfort level and for how long.

Source

The thing that is off putting to me about this wrap is that it is close to $50 for a long piece of fabric. I know it is a piece of fabric that serves a very big purpose but I feel it is a little on the steep end.

We received a Baby Bjorn as a gift and today was my first day trying that out. I love how easy the Bjorn is to put on. A couple of clicks and she is in. It is pretty comfortable, I wore it for about half and hour. I vacuumed with it on. The only thing I worry about with this carrier is that it has no lower back support and I have read some reviews that say once the child is heavier, it can put a lot of strain on the shoulders and not be very comfortable.

Source

The other option I have been contemplating trying on is the Ergo. I have had a few friends tell me how much they like theirs. It seems like the best of both worlds, comfortable, cozy, functional and great support. However, also the most expensive of the options. Hence why I would most likely forgo both of the above options and just have the Ergo. Now I just need to take my baby to try one on.

Source

I really love the idea of always having the option of having her with me. Whether she is fussy or not, needs to be put to sleep or I just don't want to put her down. This way, I can go on about things with her right with me.

Are there any suggestions out there? What is your favorite carrier? Any advice for or against any of these products?

Etsy Dreamin'...

What better thing is there to do for a girl that is into relaxin' these days than to peruse Etsy? It's kind of like window shopping except I can do it from the comfort of my couch with my feet up. How perfect.

I was reading Miss Mommy's post this morning and she mentioned the Etsy store Brag About It and I figured I should probably check it out. What cute stuff! I love this cute, new mommy gift.

Image

I always love the finds in Little Miss Momma's shop and this table runner doesn't disappoint. A little rustic, a little vintage, simple yet eye-catching.

Image

I am also slightly obsessed with this adorable necklace. 

Image

I love the work in this shop as well. Whimsey & Co. has some really nice work and I am just having a hard time deciding what to personalize for the baby!

Image

I already ordered a couple of headbands from Simply Carly--one for me and one for baby girl--however, I came across this one the other day and feel like I may need it too.

Image

I think Etsy is just so great. What a great community and that it just promotes creativity and small businesses. I love that most of the stuff is original and the stores I have already dealt with--Little Miss Momma and Simply Carly-- have been very easy to communicate with and very professional.

What are you coveting on Etsy these days? What are some of your favorite stores?

My Favorite Store

Probably since I was about 5 years old, my favorite store has been Nordstrom. I may be exaggerating on this age but probably only a little. I don't feel like I am a pretentious person or that clothes, accessories, shoes and handbags are the most important things in my life but I have always liked nice things. I am a person who would rather spend a little more on something to know it's going to last--not lose shape when I wash it, lose a button right away, have a zipper break, etc. It is also nice to know that a store has such a great return policy. I know Hub can attest that I have improved immensely on my shopping since we have gained more responsibility. You know like a mortgage and such. I know that I cannot be shoppin' all the time which is why when I do, I like to make it count.

In past years I have been a crazy, mad woman shopper who likes to get to the store before it opens on this first day of the anniversary sale.

Source

A couple of years ago, I did go to the sale early and bought a beautiful pair of Frye boots. However, this also happened to be the summer that we were about to get married, I was about to go on my bachelorette weekend, spend money on things such as nails and hair for the wedding and then travel on a honeymoon. Not such a great time to be splurging on some boots. Even though they were a really good deal! So with my buyer's remorse, I marched back to the store, shed a tear, and returned them. I have regretted it ever since. They were an all-around versatile boot, it was a good deal, and I have never seen them on sale since.

Fast forward to this year's sale. I did not rush in the morning of the beginning of the sale. I was at work. I had some other obligations after work, I was busy over the weekend so I did not make it into the sale until today. It started last Friday. I had my eye on a couple pairs of the Frye boots that I had seen in the preview book. I had birthday gift cards burning a hole in my pocket and I was so proud of myself for saving them for the sale. 

I walk right to the section where the Frye's were displayed and do not see either boot. I immediately know that what I dreaded was true. They sold out. I find a salesman to confirm my suspicion and he does. I was disappointed but not entirely. There were so many other cute pairs. I tried a few on and found a pair I loved. I had planned on spending a little of my own money on the Frye's but with the ones I got I didn't even have to because they were less and I had enough in the gift cards and birthday money.

Source

Love! I have been wanting knee-highs for a long time. Well, obviously since the summer of '09 when I bought the others! I just hadn't found the right ones. Now I have. I love that they aren't totally flat and have a small heel. I think they are versatile enough for what my "style" is and will go with a lot of outfits.

Another area I like to shop while the sale is on is men's dress attire. Not for me. For Hub. He wears a shirt and slacks to work and there is no better time than the sale to get them. We are slowly working the less expensive and less durable items he has out of his wardrobe and replacing them with nicer and more durable wear. He scored a couple of button up shirts and a polo.

I even splurged on my first baby purchases and got our girl some Nordy's duds. So, so fun. No I will not shop there all the time, I am not crazy, however I figured for the first couple of items I actually bought, a little splurge was okay. And hey, they were on sale!

Moral of the story, I love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and it will take a lot to talk me out of the fact that spending a little more at once but getting more for my money, outweighs spending more over the course of the year. I don't know if that makes sense, but I think you probably know what I mean. 

Spring Fever

Last week was my best friend's birthday. We don't make a big thing out of gifts but I always like to get her a little something. My thing about gifts is that I don't usually set out to find a specific something, I just get a feeling when I see it. Little Miss Momma put up her Spring collection on her Etsy store the other day and let me say I was taken! All of the items are so bright and cheery and made me want it to warm up to about 70 degrees right now.

As I said, I wasn't looking for a gift for my friend but I came across this necklace and it just screamed her neck name.

Image

Going through the items, I really wanted to order them all. So darn adorable. Simple, elegant and so springy! Good prices too. So, I just had to get myself a little something too. I didn't set out to by myself anything either.

Image

I love this shade of teal. This antiqued band is so cute and it will go with a lot of my outfits! I would also like to sing the praises of dealing with the shop. I had my loot within a week with an email prior telling me when it had shipped. It came in a darling box wrapped in a cute teal and white twine including a LMM business card. Overall, a stand up job and I would recommend these pieces to anyone and dealing with Little Miss Momma!

{All opinions expressed are my own and I was in no way compensated to talk about these items or the Little Miss Momma Shop.}

Happy Jewelry Shopping!

Spring Shoppin'

With all this dreary rain we have been seeing lately, it is always nice to look ahead to the nice weather that is to hopefully come. So what do I do? Start peeking online at some spring attire. I found all the looks below and then I checked my blog reel for the morning. 

{Click on any picture for the source}

Little Miss Momma decided to showcase a great website and a giveaway! There is nothing like oogling over some items and realizing that they are a little out of the ol' price range and then seeing LMM's post and discovering that there are good prices out there. La Posh Style has some adorable items for great prices. I'm not going to give you any sneak peeks here, you will just have to head over to La Posh to see for yourself. I just love looks that can interchange, mix and match and be worn for multiple activities. 

LMM had a great blog about her life, her creations and featuring other bloggers and shops. Go take a look at her blog as well as the giveaway. Time to gear up for spring!

What are you eyeballing for spring attire? What is your favorite go-to look for spring? 

Dreamin'...

...Of a new bed frame.

Right now, we have no bed. Just a mattress and box spring on top of a metal frame. To some that may be unfathomable. To us it's just normal. As I was skimming blogs one day, I came across the bed that Bower Power found and put together. Hub took a look and thinks he can do it. However, until then, these are what I am dreaming of.

I like that it's not a big-take-over-the-bedroom type of frame, but still holds its own. It is modern yet made of wood, which we tend to favor. Also, Hub is pretty tall and likes his feet to hang off the end of the bed. This looks like it would allow that.

I don't know what it is about "cushy" looking beds that I love so much. Maybe it's that they look like a couch and that makes it cozy? This bed looks just plain classy to me. Done in a linen fabric with pewter studs on the top? Beautiful. Again with the feet-hanging-off-thing.

Um, hello best of both worlds. Wood with upholstery?! Love. And those matching drawers for extra storage. Wow. This was made for our bedroom, I am sure of it.

This is a little plain for me, however, I do like how they platform can be paired with any headboard. In fact, the headboard pictured above is quite regal looking.

{Click on any of the above images for their sources}

Just a few pics to show you what I am coveting lately. No big deal. Not like I am headed out to buy a $2500 frame tomorrow. {I kind of lost my breath just typing that amount for a bed frame.} I just like getting ideas for the future. Or ideas to add to Hub's woodworking list. Don't worry, he likes it.

**I will sleep well tonight in my bed, thankful for my home, my bed and my many other blessings. My heart goes out to those in Japan and any here on the West Coast who may be being uprooted right now due to any Tsunami warnings. 

What are you looking for for your home these days? Any big purchases in the near future? How long do you shop before you make that BIG purchase?