Yay! It is time for another Lulu’s Art Inspired Fashion post!! This month I picked the most lovely painting! The colors are just beautiful. You will have to head over to the Lulu’s blog to find out what it is (and to see more pictures!)…
Rowan and I (ok just me) made these pumpkin tea light holders last week. They are super easy. Just use old glass jars from things like pickles or jam. Paint the inside, sharpie the outside and add some wire. Instant Halloween decor. I hope you all have a great Halloween!
Here are some lovely links to share…
1. Do you remember what Kev, Rowan and I were for Halloween last year? This year we got Rowans costume from toddlerhalloweencostumes.com. We are going with a Star Wars theme tonight.
This outfit is the winner of the new fall favorite award. If there was such a thing of course. I have been wearing this skirt non stop with sweaters like in this picture, button ups, stripped long sleeves and blazers. It seems to go with everything. Today I paired it with this grey sweater and added a detachable leather collar. I have been stocking up on lots of colored tights lately. I love these blue ones. I have said it before and I will say it again. Skirts and tights are way more comfortable for me than jeans. I just love wearing skirts and dresses.
Today isn’t really about the outfit. In partnership with the Lucky Style Collective I am wearing pink in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think most people in some way have been effected by breast cancer. On the Susan G. Komen website it says LESS TALK. MORE ACTION. So lets do just that. Have you gotten a breast examine/mammogram lately? It doesn’t have to be scary. I was just reading funny tweets on Kori Gardner’s (Mates of States) twitter as she was getting one done the other day. Make your appointment today!
When I was at the Farmers Market a few weeks ago, I picked up some delicious beets and purple carrots. I started talking to the farmer about canning and she asked me if I was going to can them the lacid acid way. I told her I had never heard of that way before. I came home and started doing lots of research.
It is actually called Lacto- Fermenation. Lacto-fermentation happens when the starches and sugars in vegetables and fruit convert to lactic acid by a good for you lactic-acid producing bacteria.
This produces not only a tangy, delicious product but it also preserves it. It is actually way better for you then canning with vinegar. In a book called Nourishing Traditions it says… “The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.â€
-Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions
You usually use whey in the canning process but I did’t have any and well, that sort of scared me, so for the first round I just tried with an extra tbsp of salt. I didn’t boil/roast my beets first so they are very tangy and crunchy. They are awesome, but I think I will try cooking them first next time.
Ingredients:
Beets (peeled and chopped into bit size pieces)
Cinnamon Stick
Nutmeg
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
1 cup filtered water. Make sure there is enough water to cover beets. If you use more water you need to add more salt.
Same for Carrots but I used a little oregano for spices instead of cinnamon and nutmeg.
1. Wash beets and carrots well, chop and place in a quart-sized wide mouth jar.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over veggies, adding more water if necessary to cover everything. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
3. Cover tightly and keep and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
Saturday we spent all day with my family. We ate a delicious breakfast, walked around the farmers market, and just enjoyed everyones company. It was a day that called for a laid back, relaxed kind of outfit. I bought this jacket last year and it has been one of my favorite pieces of clothing since. I am kind of glad it is cold enough to wear it again. I love it. I have also been really into wearing button ups with large bib type necklaces. Love this new necklace from Modcloth.
This weekend was pretty perfect. My entire family came to visit! We haven’t been all together since Rowan was born. My parents and 2 sisters came Friday night and we got to all hang out until Sunday afternoon. It was short but very sweet. Now the count down is on till Christmas when everyone will be together again! Twice in 3 months is unheard of!! I am awful excited!
Sunday afternoon after everyone left, we headed out to Love Apple Farm to go apple picking with Don, Rachel and Addy. The morning started out grey and cold but by the time we got there it had turned in to one of the most beautiful fall days we have had yet. It was a lovely afternoon!
Have you checked out Closetista yet? Such a great place to find new & upcoming designers. I like this video of designer Angela Barrow. Love her use of fabric in her jewelry. Aren’t these necklaces awesome?
I hope you guys have a great weekend! I love Fridays because lots of bloggers do link round ups. I won’t lie- I LOVE THEM!! For some reason it makes me really happy to see what others have liked during the week. I feel like it is a little insight to who they are. Also, it’s a great way to find cool new things. Hope you guys don’t mind I do them too. I just like sharing!
2. Hey Friends. Could you help me over at Top Baby Blogs? I have fallen way behind. If you would be so kind, could you send a vote my way this weekend.
3. I have been thinking about The Sketchbook Project all week. I saw the video on Modcloth and I am obsessed with doing it this year! You need to sign up by next weekend.
4. I wore these boots all winter last year! I loved them so much that I think I will be ordering the same exact pair. I had the grey ones. They are the best.
5. Hot Toddys? Yes, please!! I want one right now!
6. Seeing post like this and this make me so excited for the future with Rowan. Katie and Hope are just the cutest!
7. This dress is so sweet and subtle. It’s just so pretty. Love Dahlia!
8. I loved Megan’s handmade pearl collar. How amazing is she?
9. I love these vampire teeth pumpkins. I have made a bunch around our house already. They are so funny.
10. My favorite outfit of the week belongs to Annabel. Perfection!
I went with cool and casual on Sunday as we headed out to church in the morning. Nothing says fall like a denim jacket to me. Every time I wear one I can’t help but think of High School/college. There were lots of denim jackets covered in band pins for me. Let’s think back… There was a Bane pin, a Mates of State pin, a Piebald pin, an At the Drive In pin, A Canadian flag pin, oh the list could go on and on. Silly high school Jen.
I love the mix of green and yellow in this outfit. It was unexpected but I kinda liked it. I have worn tights a few times but I am still holding on to bare legs as long as I can.
Outfit Details:
Jean Jacket: Gap (old)
Polka Dot Ruffle Top: Loft
Wool Skirt: Kate Spade
Oxfords: c/o Wanted
Vintage Coach Purse: Thrifted (like this one)
Dear little cheetah:
We have started to wean you off your bottle. It was kind of sad at first because we use to feed you a bottle before nap or bed time and you would fall asleep in our arms. I didn’t really want to give that up. I loved those moments. You are such an active little one, that those few moments when you would be sleeping in our arms were the only chance to cuddle you. I was scared I would lose that special time.
I had to come up with something new. A new routine that would get you ready for bed time. I started to sing to you. Everyday it was something new, sometimes old sunday school songs, sometimes Disney movies and sometimes just some of mommy’s favorite songs, but sure enough it started to worked. You started to let me hold you quietly after you drank your milk. You rest your head on my shoulder, tuck your arms up underneath you and you let me sing to you. If I stop for a minute you continue. You sing little notes back, as if you are telling me to keep going. I can’t help but hold you tight. I can watch your eyes get heavy in the mirror as we swing back and forth in our chair together.
Even after you have fallen asleep, I hold you for a little while longer and then I put you down to sleep. I treasure those moments. You are just too precious for words. I think I am really starting to love this new routine.
Do you ever feel like your house is so messy it is caving in all around you? haha. Well, that is how I am feeling. We are low on storage space and we just have way too much stuff. I have to keep emptying out book shelves as Rowan gets taller and taller. She just pulls everything out! I am running out of places to move things and I feel like I am constantly moving the mess from one area to the next. The time has come for me to do a major overhaul on our apartment!
I want everything to be organized and to have its own place, but still look cute and nicely decorated. Is there such a thing as cute and organized clutter?
How does one decorate how they want to with a 1 yr. old running around?
Do you have any secret organization tips you can share with me?
How do you decide what to get rid of and what to keep?
Random I know, but how you do organize your belts?
Please share with me your wisdom on keeping a clean and organized home with kids around. I need all the help I can get!!!
*photo above I found on flickr. If you know actual credits please let me know so I can update this. Thanks!
Guess What? ModCloth is joining forces with Frocktober to raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Modcloth sent this dress to a bunch of different bloggers to style for Frocktober. Have you heard of Frocktober before? I hadn’t, but after reading about it I am smitten.
Purpose (from their website): Frocktober is all about wearing dresses during the month of October to raise funds and awareness for ovarian cancer research. Currently, there is no appropriate early detection test for ovarian cancer. Frocktober supports the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation in Australia in the search for an appropriate screening test, with the ultimate aim to improve outcomes for patients and their families. Check out more at Frocktober.org to see how you can help!
20% of the proceeds from the sale of this Frocktober Dress from Modcloth will be donated to OCRF. Isn’t this dress just the cutest? I love the giant heart on it. I may have already worn this dress like 3 times since I got it in the mail. Run, Hurry! Head over to Modcloth and purchase this dress right away!!
Outfit Details:
Frocktober Dress: c/o Modcloth
White Button Up: jcpenney
Belt: Charlotte Russe
Jeffery Campbell ankle Boots: c/o ModCloth
And just for good measure- some pictures of Rowan watching us take these pictures. Gosh! She is cute.
Last week I realized that I have never in my life cooked lasagna. It is one of Kev’s favorites. Whoops. I lose points for being a good wife. I think I always passed on the thought of it because in my head I see it filled with meat. Yuck. I know there is veggie lasagna, but I just hadn’t thought of cooking it before. Now, enter in the best tasting lasagna ever! I cooked a butternut squash and spinach lasagna last week and Kev and I eat the entire pan over a course of 3 days. It was so good! Something about the butternut squash made it over the top delicious.
Ingredients:
2 cup chopped onion
10 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 (15oz) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (15oz) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
3 cups diced peeled butternut squash
6 cups Marinara
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
We headed out to the pumpkin patch on Saturday afternoon for a bit. It ended up not being a very good one and it started raining. Doh! I hate fields of already picked pumpkins but Rowan couldn’t tell the difference, so we made the most of it. She loved running from pumpkin to pumpkin trying to pick them up. She also loved being pulled around in the Radio Flyer wagon. The farm did have delicious cider donuts and like 300 carved pumpkins, which were very well done. Our fingers are crossed for a real pumpkin patch next weekend. Although, we did have a great time at this one.
Hey Ladies!
Bobbi Brown is such a fabulous makeup line. I have loved it for a long time. I was really excited when they launched this new Pretty & Powerful Campaign.
I was asked to write about who/what makes me feel Pretty & Powerful. Sure a new outfit, or a great pair of heels can make you feel good, but as I was thinking about my answer, it always came back to my family. Kev and Rowan make me feel pretty & powerful. They are my backbone, my life, my loves. They are there no matter what and that makes me feel pretty & powerful. Giving birth changes you. Having Rowan has given me more confidence in myself than ever before. She is so unbiased. She doesn’t judge. When she looks at me I feel like a million bucks.
These pretty palettes are the perfect accompaniment to anyones beauty routine. I like that they are sweet natural/pink colors. I don’t like wearing a lot of makeup but I love these pretty choices. Fresh and Romantic!
Bobbi Brown asked if this could be a different giveaway. A Twitter giveaway!!!
All you need to do is…
1. Follow me on twitter
2. Tweet at me letting me know who or what makes you feel Pretty & Powerful. I’d love to know. Make sure you use the hashtag #prettypowerful
3. Check out the Pretty & Powerful Campaign over on Bobbi Brown.
Winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via twitter on Sunday.
Good Luck!
I have some big huge news to announce!! My lovely friend from Baby Blackbird started the most amazing project and I have come on board to help. Want to know what it is????
Welcome to The Style Mentors…
Brandy says it best…
“It’s not a shop, nor is it another blog.
It’s a unique Online Stylist Service, or as we like to call it Style Mentoring Service. Myself and a couple other amazingly stylish and talented bloggers have teamed up to offer an affordable personal online styling service. We can style your whole family {kiddos and dad’s too}, you choose your stylist {the one who has the style you admire most}, and your package, answer a few questions and your mentor will create a lookbook with outfits {links to shops}, tips and advice just for you.”
How Awesome, right? I couldn’t be more excited about this project!
Here are the bios we’ve set up about each Style Mentor…
Brandy of Baby Blackbird
Melissa of Dear Baby
and me!
Head over to the site and learn more about what The Style Mentors are all about!
Rowan and I packed up the stroller yesterday to head out on a long walk to the Post Office. We walked all the way there, only to find out it was closed. I always forget stuff like that. DOH! At least it was beautiful out. We ended up stopping to take some outfit photos on the way back. These leather shorts are such a staple for me this Fall. They are so easy to wear (and comfy too!). Can’t wait to throw some tights on under them.
Outfit Details:
Sweater: Vintage
White Button Up: jcpenney
Leather Shorts: Urban Outfitters
Vintage Pins: My Grandma
Central Bow Flats: c/o Blowfish
Rowan wanted to be in some outfit photos too! Except she didn’t want to stand still long enough to end up in the picture. Silly little Cheetah.
Yay! I hope you will love these 50+ items as much as I did. I always have a hard time getting rid of things. I am too sentimental. haha. Anyway, head over to Goodsie and check out my store. Everything is cheap and I have included the style file where I could so you could see how I styled it.
*for some reason goodsie cuts the picture off when you first look at an item’s page. If you click the expand button it will load the full picture.
*New items going in all week. I majorly cleaned out my closet!
Hope you are having a lovely weekend. I couldn’t help but share a round up of not only my favorite links from the web, but also a round up of all Rowan’s weekly/monthly photos from her 1st year.
Favorite things from around the internet…
1. Thank you all so much for voting for us on Top Baby Blogs! You are all awesome. I promise I wont ask much more but… could you vote another time for us? (hangs head in shame)
2. Digging the colors of this skirt. So perfect for Fall!
3. I would just like to live inside Madewell all winter long please. I order way too much stuff from there. *swooon
4. How cool is this before & after? If only I could find a cool couch like that.
5. This was my FAVORITE thing I saw on the internet this week. The 60’s + cats= winning combination. So funny!!
6. I’m not one for scrapbooking but these seriously look awesome. I need to make something in these books.
7. How Amazing are these grey platforms? I would love these for Fall.
8. PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FILLING???? AMAZING!
9. I am just going to put this out there… I LOVE Danielle!
10. Oh gosh! Head over heels for these booties. It’s almost a moccasin with a heel.
There is no hiding that I am obsessed with instagram. I love seeing everyone’s pictures that I follow and even more so, I love taking pictures myself. Since Rowan was born, we’ve taken a lot of photos with our dslr, but the majority of the pictures are from our phones. Our iphones are always right there to capture the little moments.
I have always wondered what to do with all these photos because they mean so much to me. Then I found out that Blurb created an instagram book. It’s this perfectly shaped little book, that allows you to pull pictures straight from your instagram account. I had already started making one for Rowan for her 1st birthday when Blurb contacted me. I have loved blurb for a long time. I first used them about 3 years ago. I made a book from my old livejournal for kev. It was all the posts about when we lived in Hawaii. It is one of our most treasured keepsakes.
I filled our little instagram book with pictures of Rowan from her very first day here, till her first birthday. It turned out to be 160 pages! We named the book “Little Cheetah: Year One.” I hope I can make one for her every year. How cool, right?
Rowan loves the book so much. We can read it to her like a little storybook. There are so many memories with each picture. I like to tell her about where we were, what we were doing, etc… Her favorite thing is photos, so a whole book of photos of Dada, Mama and her is her favorite thing ever!
I’m hooked! I already have plans to make a 2011 recap book at the end of the year. They are so fun to make!
If you are not on instagram- you can see my pictures here if you want.
or find me on instagram: jenloveskev
In full disclosure our Instagram Book was courtesy of Blurb.
Are you having the most beautiful weather today? We sure are. I am going to keep this short and sweet so we can get back outside to enjoy it. This is my first official tights outfit of the fall. I guess there is no looking back now. I hold off as long as I can, but the time has come. I better stock up on some new colors. I love this blue color I got at Lucky fabb. I see them going with a lot this winter.
Cheers to beautiful fall weather!
and because it was making Rowan giggle so hard… a jumping pic
Outfit Details:
Peter Pan Dress: asos
Cardigan: Target (similar but better!)
Tights: Spanx (gift from Lucky Fabb)
Bass Oxfords: Thrifted (Buy New)
Brooch: c/o Paper Sparrow
They reset the votes again and I really, really need your help. I hate asking for votes but I also really like being part of this community of fabulous Mommy Bloggers. So much inspiration and encouragement!
It takes only a few seconds to cast a vote for us. I hate to beg, but I am just a little….
Kev and I realized recently that we hadn’t been on a date in quite a while. When you become a parent there really isn’t a whole lot of time for dates, especially when your family (willing baby-sitters) lives far away. Special time alone is definitely something I think is important in a relationship. So if you have family close by, I would take advantage and try going out when you can. Unfortunately, our parents don’t live right down the street, so finding a quick and easy baby-sitting solution isn’t as easy as we’d like it to be. Instead, we decided to start having Indoor Date Nights. We pick one night during the week, put Rowan to bed a little early and get dressed up. We don’t go anywhere, we just get dressed up, set the table nice, cook a delicious dinner together and then plan one fun activity for that night. No TV, no phone and no computer. We enjoy our time together as if we were out on the town.
I thought it would be fun to share ideas from each of our indoor date nights because I know there are a lot of busy moms out there (or just busy, busy ladies!). If you don’t get a chance to get out a lot, there is no reason why you can’t have your own little date nights during the week at home! Here is what we did our first Indoor Date Night…
I’ll try to share one of these posts every so often. Enjoy! Let me know if you try it out.
Here is what I wore for our first indoor date night…
Soup season is finally here!! When I am home during the week, I have a hard time making meals for myself. I cook dinner every night because that is for both Kev and I, but when it comes to lunches, it’s hard to find the time. I love when it is cool enough to make soup. All you have to do is make a big pot and you have lunch for a week!
White Bean & Spinach Soup with Sausage (the fake kind!)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cans of cannellini beans, or navy beans
1 liter of Organic veggie stock.
Large handful of fresh Spinach
Large Handful of Chopped Kale
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Italian Sausage (fake kind), Sliced (could make it with Chorizo for non vegetarian kind)
Salt and Pepper to taste
September sure went out with a bang last week! It held on to temperatures in the high 80’s long enough for me to dress up summery one more time, get some ice cream and to take outfit photos for the latest Art Inspired Fashion post. This month I picked a painting by Wayne Thiebaud. I love the retro feel to his paintings…
To see the outfit inspired by this painting head over to the Lulu’s blog and check it out… (if you’d be so kind, please leave a comment saying hello when you are there!)
Happy Monday & Happy October! It’s my favorite month! I can’t wait for all things fall and halloween. As we start this new week, I just wanted to share a few pictures from the Boston Fashion Week Swap last Thursday. So fun! I got to bring my good friend Erin along with me this time. I loved having her there with me!
and the very embarrassing fashion show down a huge flight of stairs…
Here are my favorite things from the internet last week!
1. A recipe for Spiced Apple Cider. Mmmmm
2. Can’t wait for this perfect fall hat to arrive on my doorstep.
3. I want this dress. It is so darn cute. Love the rich fall color!
4. How amazing is this d.i.y teepee? Brandy did such a fantastic job!
5. This necklace is pretty darn cool if you ask me. Love the two tone colors!
6. I love these food styling pictures. They are beautiful!
Welcome to my personal lifestyle blog. It features topics such as motherhood, family life, fashion, cooking, and all sorts of adventures. I hope you enjoy what you find!
the cutest?
