As you can tell I am taking full advantage of a little Christmas break. Next week we will be back to normal around here, but for now I am just popping in to share some holiday instagrams. Our Christmas was fantastic and horrible all at the same time. Fantastic of course, because we were surrounded with family and had such a wonderful time. Horrible, because Rowan and I were extremely sick. Rowan came down with a terrible, super high fever last week which left her with a crazy rash. The doctor still isn’t sure if it was a reaction to the antibiotic she was on for her double ear infection or if it was just Roseola. Either way, it left us with a baby who wouldn’t eat, who was inconsolably irritable and who had an awful runny nose. Both of us are on the mend, but I kind of wish we could have a Christmas do over. I hate being sick on Christmas!

Next week I have some blog changes to share with you. The New Year means lots of new changes!!

Yay!! It’s Christmas!! What better way to celebrate the holiday then to spread some cheer around. Modcloth is holding a special “Spread the Cheer” promotion this week and I was honored to be asked to participate. I got to pick out a very pretty dress and then send the same dress to a favorite blogger of mine. I chose to send it to Melissa from Dear Baby. She has been such an inspiration and a dear friend to me as a new Mom. Her love shines through every post she writes on her blog! Love her!

I know I said the other day that the Dear Creatures dress was “my new favorite dress,” but this is by far my most favorite party dress. Oh Goodness this dress is perfect. It is so freakin’ beautiful! Sometimes, I go into my closet just to look at it. haha. JK. I do love it to death though. I can’t wait to wear it tomorrow for Christmas eve service at church.

Outfit Details:
Raspberry Champagne Cocktail Dress: c/o Modcloth
Tights: Target
Headband: Selfmade
Bismuth Booties: Seychelles

You can see all the Bloggers participating in the Spread the Cheer Campaign over on the Modcloth blog. You can also watch a super cute video of Modcloth employees spreading the cheer by surprising local customers with their orders. If you purchase a $50 gift certificate from now until 12/25, you will be entered to win a second gift certificate so you can spread the cheer to your friends or family!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Well, I guess I should have posted this at the beginning of the month. Whoops. We are 4 days away from Christmas, so our little house and tree advent calendar is getting quite bare. I did actually think to take some pictures of it the other day though…

I made all 25 houses and trees out of kraft paper and fabric. I sewed the edges on the sewing machine and trimmed most of them with pinking shears. I added buttons to some of them just for fun. Then I strung them all from a tree branch and hung it on the wall in our kitchen. I kind of didn’t want it to get torn apart but it was really fun to give presents to Kev and Rowan everyday. They were filled with things like yo-yos, chapstick, candy, socks, mini books, cds, etc…

Here’s to next year and a new (on time) advent calendar!

Want to hear a little story? Yes? OK. Once upon a time, I was at J.Crew (ok, it was the other day), and the girl who was ringing me up was the cutest little girl ever. I think she was maybe 17, or well she looked 17. Anyways, she had a grey wool tie tied around her neck in a bow. It blew my mind. It was so freaking cute; I couldn’t stand it. I knew Kev had that same grey wool skinny tie at home, and I knew I wanted to copy the idea. I went with his floral tie instead today, but you can bet I will wear the grey one in a bow sometime soon.

The End.

Good story, huh? Haha. I am hooked on this idea of a mans tie as a bow. I had to try it with my new favorite dress! I feel like I say “my new favorite dress” a lot, but I just love a good dress. I love the full skirt and subtle details in this Chambray Dear Creatures dress. Perfection!

Outfit Details:
Dear Creatures Dress: c/o Modcloth
White Button Up: jcpenney
Cardigan: Target
Tights: Spanex
Calvin Klein Heels: Thrifted
Tie: Swapped

With our Christmas cards, we like to send out a little newsletter about the events that went on during the year. We don’t get to see a lot of our family and friends throughout the year as they span from Hawaii, BC, Ontario, FL, CA, well all over. This year we decided to create a little infographics newsletter. Kev was psyched! Anything where he gets to design he is always on board for. We were totally inspired by the amazingly talented Amanda Jane Jones (LOVE HER!) and by Nick Feltron (so cool, huh?).

Kev worked his magic and made an awesome graphic for us. We got them screen printed at a local shop in downtown Troy and voilà! the finished product…

We love getting a little extra creative with things!
p.s. somewhere in all the revisions we made, we lost/forgot the names under each pie chart. Whoops. Can you guess who’s is who’s?

I should have taken more pictures when we were in Canada the other week, but I kind of failed in that aspect. My sister Amy, on the other hand, took some beautiful b&w photos. She is one of the most talented photographers I know. She has that special something that knows exactly when to capture the right moment. Each picture holds so much more than just the picture itself. Amy is the one who took these pictures the night before I gave birth.

Here are 2 pictures from our trip that I will forever hold dear…

The first one is of my Nana. I love, love, love the way she is looking at Rowan. How cute, right? 4 generations in one picture. The next picture is of my Grandpa in his office. I love that, on the wall, there is a picture of the Maple Leaf Gardens, as well as a picture of my Mom and aunts when they were kids. I love that Rowan is sitting at his desk, as we were talking about maps and pretending she was the boss.

I haven’t lived in Canada for 17 years, but whenever I go back it feels like home. It holds all my wonderful childhood memories, and almost all my extended family. It is very special for me when Rowan gets to be a part of that.

Rowan and I are out running christmas errands today. It’s getting so close to Christmas! One thing that I do love about winter in the Northeast is that coats make up your outfit for a good portion of the year. Throw on jeans, shoes, coat, a scarf and you are out the door. Of course, you have a shirt on underneath, but your coat is never coming off, so you don’t have to put much thought into it. A nice coat is an excellent investment piece to add to your wardrobe.

Are you done Christmas shopping? I am trying, but it isn’t working out so well. Christmas shopping+malls+babies=disasters and bloody knuckles.

Outfit Details:
Plaza Wool Coat: J.Crew (c/o Shop it to Me)
Fur Collar: Vintage (it’s been in my family forever)
Belt: Forever 21 (similar)
White Button Up: jcpenney
Grey Skinnies: Target
Bismuth Booties: Seychelles
Bracelets: J.Crew, Vintage, handmade

Happy Sunday friends! I hope you are having a lovely weekend. On a long car trip a few weeks ago, I started thinking about how I am turning 30 this year. AHHHH 30!! haha. JK. I am not really freaked out about it. I am kind of excited. I think every year since 24 has just gotten better and better, so I am excited for what 30 has in store. Anyway, I have loved reading about other bloggers 30×30 lists (especially Nicole’s) and thought I would join in as well!

Here is my list of 30 items I would like to accomplish by next year…

Do you set yearly goals for your birthday? Do you get them all done? I am not stressing about the list. I just want it to be something fun- if I don’t get to everything than thats ok, but my fingers are crossed!

Haha. This picture is from Thanksgiving. Rowan was deep in thought over what christmas tree to pick. Don’t you wish christmas trees stayed up all year long? I do. I love them. They add such a warm and cozy feeling each night. I love cuddling on the couch with the lights twinkling. I have been trying to soak it all up each night but December always seems to go way too fast.

Hope you guys are having a great weekend.
Here are some of my favorite things from this past week…

1. A flirty sequin skirt perfect for New Years!
2. Mmmm Bite size baked brie on a stick! No more needs to be said.
3. Megan Nielsen’s winter collection is now for sale!! Go buy lots of stuff!!
4. Ahh little Clarks for Rowan? Yes Please. We just ordered her the plum color.
5. Some Sponsor Love- say hi to Virginie, Dani & Kelsey
6. How cute is Elizabeth’s handpainted tea set? Love it!
7. Can’t wait to get this mock over the knee sock tights in the mail!
8. My absolute favorite pair of comfy pants to wear around the house! Just bought another pair. They are on sale!
9. This soup looks so hearty and delicious!
10. How cute is Hope? Haha. I love her little guest posts.

I’ve worn this outfit for the past 2 days. haha. I always seem to do that when I put together an outfit that I really like. It’s one of those outfits that are easy to go about your everyday life in but still feel like you are dressed up a bit. I have developed a slight obsession with buying plaid button ups at triftstores lately. Every time I go, I buy some. They definitely have become a major staple in my closet this winter.

Outfit Details:
Plaid Shirt: Thrifted (similar)
Belt: Thrifted
City Mini Wool Skirt: J.Crew
Olive Tights: c/o Modcloth (perfect shade!- it’s hard to find green tights that don’t make you feel like peter pan)
Boots: c/o Wanted
Franklin Necklace: Jess LC

Outfit pictures seem to be more fun while this little one is running around, squealing in delight as the pictures show up on the back of the camera screen…

We just got our christmas cards in the mail from Pinhole Press and we couldn’t be more excited about them!! Kev and I are super nerdy about handmade books, paper, and well designed stationary. This is why we love, love, love Pinhole Press. The printing is beautiful! We love the matte finish and amazingly thick cardstock. Kev’s web design company is actually working with Pinhole Press and Pinhole Pro on some new website designs at the moment, so we know first hand that this is a great company.

Didn’t the cards come out so cute? I can’t wait to send them to all our family and friends. We also designed and screen printed an awesome infographic newsletter about things that happened in 2011. I will be sharing the end result soon!

NOW!!! Onto one of my favorite things this christmas… Pinhole Press has a photo book you can make called, The Big Book of Names and Faces. The book is already laid out for you! All you have to do is drop in a picture and type out a name. We made one and filled all 23 photo pages with everyone who has been important to her & us this first year. Rowan is going to LOVE this book; it came out so freaking good! The perfect christmas gift for your little one!

Here are a few of my favorite pages…

Head over to Pinhole Press to check out all their awesome products.
p.s There is still time to order for christmas delivery, but you gotta be quick!

Hey guys! If you are signed up for Shop It To Me salemails you might have seen my face today. haha. I created a little Pop Up shop of my must have items for winter. Boy, oh boy those emails are tempting. I love a good sale!

You can check out my items HERE! (only open till the end of the day though)

I have some fabulous sponsors this month and as I was doing some online christmas shopping this week for family and friends, I decided I should share some of their awesome items. Any of these items would make great gifts for moms, sisters or your dear lady friends.

1. Deja Vu: Titled Treasures Top. This would be a fabulous sweater to open on christmas morning! So warm and sparkly.
2. Barley & Birch: The Watch. Let’s give a gift that keeps on giving. 100% of the proceeds of this watch go to the Barley & Birch Foundation School in Haiti. This watch pays for one whole month of schooling for a little kid!
3. Radiant Cosmetics: Lipstick. Also a gift that keeps on giving. Radiant cosmetics is made in the USA, not tested on animals and donates money from each sale to help stop human trafficking.
4. Stella and Dot: MARCHESA NECKLACE. Not going to lie. I die every time I see this necklace. It is so gorgeous.
5. Aisle to Aloha Studio: Fallen Leaves Painting. How beautiful is this painting? The colors! You can’t beat the price either. I know lots of friends who would love this for christmas.
6. Pequitobun: Ixora Earrings. Oooh! So pretty. The perfect mix of recycled vintage jewelry and new items to create a truly one of a kind piece.
7. Dagala: Bralette + Bottoms. I love Dagala because they support independent designers. How adorable is this little lingerie set from The Loved One?
8. Oh Just Jess: Fulton Knit Braided Necklace. Love the charm and whimsy this necklace has. Such a pretty color.
9. The Sweetest Love: Gentleman Card. Everyone loves stationary! Why not give them a set of super adorable cards. Get 20% off your order when you enter “JENLOVESKEV” at check out. Discount good until Dec. 19th.
10. Lavalake: Stack Them Up Rings. Oh goodness I love these rings. So simple, yet so chic!
11. Acute Designs: Yellow and Gray Dahlia Hairpins. How pretty are these hairpins? Wouldn’t they even be cute on top of a present as decoration as well as part of the gift?
12. Manic Trout: Bylgia Mermaid Parade Necklace. How awesome is this necklace? I love the vintage scarf mixed with the beads. Such a cool statement piece.

Not going to lie, today has been rough. It is 9:05pm and I am just now sitting down to the computer to get some work done and a post up. When we were at the doctors today for Rowan’s 15 month appointment, we found out she has a double ear infection. She also has a terrible cold and is cutting about 10 teeth at the moment. It’s seriously the perfect storm brewing over here.

On to brighter things though… Do you love Friends? I do. Don’t you love the episode when Monica gets her new boots? haha. Again, I do. For some reason, as soon as I got these new boots I kept repeating lines from that episode in my head. Except these boots are the most comfortable boots ever, so kev doesn’t have to piggy back me home like in that episode. Actually, I wore my new Korkease boots all day yesterday. It wasn’t even a day that I didn’t do anything either. I was at church super early, running around setting up all the decorations for christmas. I was pretty much in love from head to toe with this outfit.

Outfit Details:
Dress: c/o Fossil
Blouse: Vintage
Belt: Thrifted
Socks: Target
Bailey Boots: c/o Korkease

Happy Holidays from Ruche! Win a $50 giftcard to buy something for yourself or a loved one this holiday season.

To enter, head over to Ruche, find your favorite outfit from the lookbook and then let us know in a comment below! Can’t wait to see what you all pick out.

Be sure to also take a look at Ruche’s…
1. winter lookbook
2. Homemade holiday guide
3. Collection of holiday party accessories

Giveaway open from now until Sunday evening.
Good Luck!

Hey Everyone!
Just a quick little post to say I am up in Canada visiting extended family. My Grandparents aren’t up to date on the internet so, I may be a little lacking in posts this week. I am going to take the time off and get in lots of quality time with my family that I don’t get to see all that often.

If you have written me an email please excuse my delay in getting back to you!
Have a great week everyone.
xoxox

(picture above: Rowan, me, my Mom, my sister Amy)

Happy Monday! We are officially in December and that means Christmas is fast approaching. I LOVE buying presents for people and I LOVE finding the perfect gift. This year, Kev and I joined forces with Fossil to share some items that would make perfect gifts for Moms, Dads, friends, sisters or brothers.

You know when you have a good quality sweater, it just feels like a million bucks? This sweater is the softest most cozy sweater I have. It’s the right length, the right weight and just so very soft.

Outfit Details:
Mattie Sweater: c/o Fossil
Evan Skirt: c/o Fossil
Stella Watch: c/o Fossil
Vintage Re-Issue Flap Purse: c/o Fossil
Denim Button Up: Forever 21
Tights: Target
Comfy Boots: c/o Wanted
The Old Bow & Chain Necklace: c/o Modcloth
Bracelets: Target

Kev has never been much of a watch guy. Well, that is until he got this watch. I guess he just hasn’t ever had a nice watch that he felt matched his style, but I’ve been noticing him wearing this one a lot! He is also pretty attached to this messenger bag. It is wicked nice. There is even a padded laptop section inside!

Outfit Details:
Clifford Wool Shirt: c/o Fossil
Flight Leather Watch: c/o Fossil
Estate Messenger Bag: c/o Fossil
Jeans: UO | Levi’s 511 Skinny
Shoes: UO | Vans Chukka Boot

Be sure to check out Fossil for their amazing selection of gift ideas!!

And now for some Rowan cuteness…

Want to win the cutest giveaway to date on Jenloveskev? Who doesn’t love cupcakes, right? The Sweetest Love is giving away a custom name print with her adorable cupcake letters. Perfect for the cupcake enthusiast, a kids room or well your best friend.

All you need to do to enter is visit Sweetest Love and then leave a sweet comment about them below. There is seriously the cutest cards over there!

*Bonus entries given for following them on Facebook (leave a second comment!)
Giveaway is open from now until Wednesday, December 7th.

I love Christmas time! We started decorating a bit but with little miss Rowan Winter climbing, pulling and tearing everything apart, we are going simple this year. I was pretty happy with the wreath I made. Got the idea from this lovely lady! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. We are going to bring Rowan to see Santa, head over to the Victorian Stroll on Sunday and then on Monday Rowan and I are heading up to Canada for the week. Can’t wait to see my sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. YIPPIE!!!

Here are my most favorite things from around the internet this week…
1. Kelsey rocking it at 25 weeks pregnant!
2. I think this red dress would be absolutely perfect for Christmas!
3. Homemade Nutella? Yes, Please!
4. How cute is this little kids bowler hat? I totally need this for Rowan because she always wears mine around the house.
5. Love Melissa’s family portraits. Inspired to get some new ones of our little family too.
6. Angela put together one of the greatest Christmas playlists! I’ve been listening to it all week.
7. Kind of dying over these super cute vintage inspired heels.
8. I think I need a new pair of colored cords!
9. How fun to have a yellow lace skirt.
10. I love Steffy!

I thought I was going to have a hard time with this one. He never tells me very much. I was sure I would have to dig around to find things he would like, but I ended up having the most stuff for him out of all 3 of us. Have you ever been to Fab.com before? It is like the coolest Sale website ever (Thanks Amy!). So perfect for the design loving guy like Kev.

1. Fossil Estate Messenger: Perfect for meetings or just generally looking cool
2. Volcom Stone Cloud Beanie: Kev loves a good beanie for the winter.
3. Jessica Hische Letterpressed I: This would look awesome in Kev’s office for Iron to Iron.
4. Ben Sherman Twill Tartan Shirt: Love Ben Sherman. This shirt has such great colors in it.
5. Helveticards: Kev loves good design. Why not have some well designed play cards.
6. Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier: Kev loves hiking. This would be perfect to take Rowan.
7. Men’s Earthkeepers® 2.0 Cupsole Moc Toe Boot: These shoes are awesome (and on sale!)
8. Books (Mere Christianity, and Doctrine): Great books by Great men!
9. BRUINS TICKETS!: We love the Bruins.
10. RayBan Original Wayfayers: Kev always borrows mine- he deserves his own.
11. New iphone 4S: We need new phones, we still have the 3Gs.
12. iMac Carrying Case: Kev has to carry his 27″ iMac around a lot. I know he really wants this.
13. Pentel Mechanical Pencil and Lead: Kev loves his mechanical pencils.
14. Ugmonk Math Problem Shirt: An awesome shirt!