lifestyle – Page 14 – calivintage

outfit: riding around town

February 23, 2015 13 Comments

since having adam and moving to a new home, i’m embarrassed to admit that it’s been quite a while since i’ve gone on a bike ride around town! riding a bike has been a big part of my lifestyle up until now, and it’s certainly not something that i want to give up. so when brooklyn bike co. got in touch and asked if i’d like to try out one of their bikes, it was just the kick in the butt that i needed to hop back on a bike. after a bit of consideration around my needs, i picked out the willow 3-speed in a sleek gloss black frame. it’s a nice lightweight, but sturdy chromoly frame that weighs in at about 28lbs. it’s got three speeds– nothing crazy– but just enough to help me get around town. it’s relatively flat in all of the places where i would be doing casual riding, so i don’t need a fancy road bike with a million different gears. and i like the classic black frame because it’s simple and chic and won’t clash with any of my outfits. of course i love that the step-through frame has a vintage vibe, but since it’s brand new, it’s much more comfortable to ride. i have a vintage raleigh which i love, but i swear to you, it’s like 50 pounds. super cute, but not always the most practical.

so here’s what i wore on my first day back in the saddle! it was a sunny day, but just cool enough that i opted to wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt. but the nice thing about an upright bike like this is that you can get away with wearing pretty much anything you’d like. i went for a but of a tomboy look, but once the weather is a little bit warmer, i’m sure i’ll be hopping on in a little sun dress.

wearing:
willow three speed courtesy of brooklyn bicycle co.
lake merced shirt courtesy of tradlands
mih halsy straight leg jeans
marais usa cowboy mules
jasper sunglasses courtesy of warby parker
the runwell courtesy of shinola
horseshoe ring courtesy of erica weiner

my style, lifestyle

four days, four outfits

February 17, 2015 9 Comments

one thing i’ve noticed is that life has changed so dramatically over the past couple of years, that it’s really hard for me to get into the routine of photographing my daily outfits like i used to. i’m just so distracted by whatever i’m doing that i never seem to stop and think about taking a picture. i certainly haven’t lost interest in my personal style. in fact, getting “dressed up” every day has been an important part of my routine. it just makes me feel good about myself, and more prepared to tackle the day. but i haven’t exactly been documenting it!

so last week, i decided to bend the rules and do things a little differently. i partnered up with HP and Megan Trainor to feature the four ways you can use the HP x360, and i saw it as the perfect opportunity to take it along with me while i documented four days in my life, outfits included! instead of trying to make a big production out of getting the usual head-to-toe outfit shots, i just kept my camera by my side so that i could snap a few quick pictures of whatever i was up to.

monday

the weather has been so ridiculously nice lately, that we’ve been taking every opportunity to head out and explore the parks and nature areas around town. my brother has been really into photography lately, so we’ve been getting together a lot to visit new places and snap a few photos. when i lived in northern california, it felt like we did this kind of thing just about every weekend, so it’s been fun to finally get into the routine here in our new home. i certainly never knew we had this cool little spot hidden in our own back yard!

wearing: gaia black shift dress from earth & beauty, elizabeth suzann raw silk tie, rachel comey mars boots, claire v. messenger tote, warby parker jasper sunglasses

tuesday

my sister usually has one day off during the weekday, so we’ve made a routine out of getting together once a week to cook a meal or two. we’d been doing it so often, that it’s actually what motivated us to try our hand at food blogging. i just never thought to take a picture of myself in the kitchen!

of course, i spend an embarrassing amount of time on pinterest, which is where most of our new recipes are born. the HP x360 was a nice new companion because we could convert it to tablet or display mode while we browsed around the web looking for new ideas.

wearing: cardigan new york marc sweatshirt dress

wednesday

i tend to get my work done in very brief intervals throughout the day, usually for a couple of hours while adam is napping. we got this really cool coffee table that converts to a desk so that i can set up my laptop to answer emails and work on blog posts whenever the opportunity arises. it was a ridiculously sunny day, so i was actually quite happy to perch myself at the couch with my new HP x360 in tablet mode to get some work done. i am terrible at typing on a tablet or phone, so it’s nice that the 360 has a keyboard so i can get through emails more quickly. later on, i may or may not have cheated a little and switched it to tent mode to catch up on new episodes of broad city…

wearing: apiece apart crop top, lauren moffatt jumpsuit, swedish hasbeens braided high in natural

thursday

i don’t get out as nearly much as i used to, but luck had it that i was able to get away for a quick daytime date with brendan. so of course, i used it as an opportunity to throw on this silly vintage dress i picked up at the antique mall downtown. it’s a little different than what i normally wear, but it was fun to try out for afternoon drinks.

wearing: vintage dress, warby parker jasper sunglasses, swedish hasbeens peep toe high in black

this february and march, HP is going on the road with Meghan Trainor to cover her u.s. tour in a new documentary series, “all about that tour,” giving you a glimpse behind-the-scenes as they travel from vancouver to nashville with some of their favorite Meghan Trainor fans from her lips are movin’ video to help bring the tour to life—check it out here!

this post was created in partnership with HP. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible!

lifestyle, kids

thirteen months

February 12, 2015 5 Comments

well, it finally happened. after thirteen months of carrying around this extremely large baby, i finally injured my back. it’s just a strain, but if you’ve ever hurt your back, you’ll know how much it still totally sucks! much like when me and adam both came down with a nasty cold at the same time last month, being sick or injured is a million times more challenging when you’ve got a little one to care for. he’s at a very clingy stage, which is totally normal, but i can’t exactly bend over and lift him up! i know i need to stay down for at least a couple of days if i want to heal, and thankfully i’ve got family members taking shifts to help me take a break. so of course, i’m propped up at the computer editing photos! i shot these a couple of weeks ago at the elementary school near our house. brendan usually takes adam there on weekends to explore the playground. i’m actually surprised how often we have the whole place to ourselves! adam gets to roam free in the big grass field, or else we help him maneuver his way around the play structure.

and can we talk about his vintage sweater set? i’ve recently fallen down the vintage baby clothing rabbit hole. there are a ton of sellers on instagram who post new items daily. i’m actually lucky that it’s so much harder to find cool vintage baby boy clothes or i might be out of control. the girl stuff is crazy good. it’s taking all of my strength not to start collecting darling little ’60s baby dresses for a girl that i don’t even have haha!

wearing: japanese vintage sweater and hat set from vintagenthings, levi’s knit leggings, hansel from basel mini puff dot crew socks, handmade leather moccs that i picked up from kissui, our favorite local baby boutique!

lifestyle, beauty

keep it simple

January 30, 2015 12 Comments

i know it probably doesn’t seem obvious from looking at my blog, but i’m actually really shy in front of the camera! i can be totally comfortable and feeling really good about my outfit or my makeup, but the moment the camera comes out, i suddenly slouch and my face gets stiff and i totally forget how to just act natural. it’s like that scene in 30 rock when jack donaghy has to film a promo video… my hands just start floating upward and into the frame, ha! so a big thanks to bareMinerals for asking me if i’d be interested in trying out their latest product, without which i might not be gracing you all with a bunch of silly pictures of my mug!

as part of my new year’s purging ritual, i recently went through my cabinets and got rid of a ton of stuff. i really like to try new beauty products, but sometimes i forget to be mindful of what ingredients i’m using on my acne-prone and slightly oily skin. if i really want a quick and easy beauty routine, i have to remember to start with ingredients that won’t irritate my skin or clog my pores. so of course, i was pretty excited to get my hands on the new bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, especially since i’ve really been paring down my beauty routine to only the essentials, which includes getting more comfortable with a little less coverage. the new formula is a gel cream which aims to combine the best of a bb, a cc, and a tinted moisturizer with sheer coverage and a very natural finish. i find that it goes much better with my current makeup routine that my usual full-coverage foundation, which was starting to feel a bit too heavy when paired with just a swipe of blush and some mascara. my skin feels comfortable and natural, and i just have to use a dab of concealer here and there to cover up blemishes and dark spots.

as illustrated below, you can either smooth it on with your hands like you would a moisturizer, or use the Smoothing Face Brush for more even application. for this look, i added just a touch of blush on my cheeks, mascara, and a very minimal application of liquid liner.

“be original. be natural. be good.” thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible!

my style, giveaways, kids

giveaway: win $150 to micaela greg!

January 20, 2015 6 Comments

i’m happy to say that adam and i are finally recovering from that nasty cold we caught last week. and it couldn’t have come at a better time because today just so happens to be my birthday. i ended up postponing my own party plans until next week, but in the meantime, i decided to celebrate with a giveaway! i’ve partnered up with san francisco-based knitwear designer micaela greg to offer you the chance to win $150 to the shop!

i’d been familiar with design duo marie and karen potesta’s line of womenswear knits for a couple of years now, but was especially excited when they recently launched their first kid’s line this fall. i think i’ve said this before, but as much as i love dressing myself, i have even more fun dressing adam! so when they sent me these little sweatpants, i knew i wanted to bundle him up in all his best knits (including a misha & puff sweater and hand knit goodnight, day toque). meanwhile, i’ve been lounging around in this ridiculously comfy knit jumpsuit, usually paired with an oversized jacket and mules.

so now’s your chance to win something for yourself! you can enter by using the widget below:

Micaela Greg Giveaway!

lifestyle, kids

life lately

January 16, 2015 7 Comments

if you haven’t noticed, january is officially the month of adam around here. as soon as the holidays ended, i hit the ground running when i realized that i only had a week to plan his first birthday party! we pulled it off, and i couldn’t have been happier, but all of the stress and anticipation and ups and downs must have left me susceptible because both adam and i have been sick all week with a nasty bug. at first i thought it was the flu because adam had a bit of a fever, but now i’m thinking it was just a bad cold. either way, we’ve been resting all week on our “mandatory staycation” and are finally starting to get back to normal.

so 2015 is off to a bit of a rocky start. i’m not feeling glum at all, but i am feeling pretty overloaded. i’ve hardly had any time to keep up with work and emails, and i’m not anywhere near back to my normal blogging schedule. and it’s my birthday in only a few days! we have a little getaway planned for this weekend, but i almost don’t feel like i’m ready for it! i still have a million and one things to do this month, including a nursery makeover for adam’s room, which i was kinda hoping to complete and photograph before he turned a year old. i guess the universe is trying to tell me to chill out and take a breather, but i’m fighting it like mad. i just want to go go go, and i have so many ideas and plans that it makes it hard to take a step back and just chill out!

above is a shot of adam wearing the cutest little hansel from basel socks. he’s not quite walking on his own yet, but he’s just about the age where i get to put him in fun shoe and sock combinations like this.

lifestyle, kids

happy birthday, adam!

January 13, 2015 9 Comments

oh man, it’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since my little dude was born! i still remember the day we brought him into this world as if it were yesterday. but here we are, celebrating our little one-year-old boy. i’ve never been one to get into party-planning, i hate celebrating my own birthday, and even decided to forgo a baby shower before adam was born. but obviously, i changed my tune when it came to celebrating the big number one! i still wanted to keep things simple, but i also wanted it to be special. so after much hemming and hawing, i decided to rent a cute little cottage in the mountains for the weekend, so we could have a few days to celebrate. my mom and sister came with me and we made all of the decorations by hand. and on the big day, we served tacos hot off the grill, and i decorated a bunch of tiny cakes just for the occasion. we sang happy birthday, and adam cried when everyone applauded, but quickly changed his tune when we gave him his smash cake, which he very delicately broke into. and when it was time to open presents, he squealed with delight over each and every gift. it really was a great show. i am so happy that it went off without a hitch, we survived the stress of it all, and were able to enjoy celebrating adam’s first year with family. so here’s to many more birthdays to come!

lifestyle, kids

the decorating party

January 12, 2015 6 Comments

over the weekend, we had the pleasure of celebrating adam’s very first birthday party. it was such an exciting milestone for us that we decided we might as well turn it into a weekend affair, which included a little pre-birthday decorating party! i really wanted to create an uplifting atmosphere for our guests, and thanks to pinterest, i had about a million different diy decorating ideas i wanted to try. and as luck would have it, glade just so happened to reach out to ask if i’d be interested in trying out some of their candles and wax melts to help create the right mood for my next party! so we partnered up to share a few of the fun things i created for the occasion.

i really wanted to add my own personal touch to such an important event, so instead of buying a bunch of pre-fab decorations, i opted to personalize the decor with a series of very easy diy projects. with that in mind, i set out to create a bright and cheerful atmosphere using white, gold, and silver as my “neutral” backdrop, and incorporated plenty of bright pops of color using rainbow confetti, sprinkles, and pom poms. it was super easy to make, and the bright colors mixed with the uplifting scent of lavender & peach blossom created such a delightful feeling for me and my guests.

confetti cakes

instead of making the cakes, i simply ordered them from a local bakery and asked for them to be undecorated so i could add my own rainbow sprinkles for a personal touch.

confetti balloons – for these, i purchased confetti and added a little handful to clear latex balloons. make sure you use paper confetti, the metallic variety will pop your balloons!

pom pom garland – i wanted to add pops of bright color throughout the room, so i created a simple rainbow-colored garland by stringing together various sized pom poms with a needle and thread.

this post was created in partnership with glade. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible.

my style, lifestyle, kids

#passthebag: donate clothes to benefit schools!

January 5, 2015 1 Comment

and just like that, it’s 2015! we had a nice few days off to enjoy with our little family, but now it’s back to the grind. we’ve been cleaning the house and clearing out all of our christmas decorations to embrace the new year with a clean slate. adam has gone through yet another growth spurt, so we’ve been sorting through his clothes and saying goodbye to the last of his little onesies. he’ll be one year in just a week, but he’s already wearing toddler sizes! i was getting ready to drop them off at the local thrift store when schoola contacted me and asked if i’d be interested in donating some of our gently used kids’ clothes as part of their #passthebag campaign to generate funds for schools. if you’re not familiar with the site, schoola is an online, gently-used clothing retailer selling kid’s clothing, sizes 1 year and up (and will be introducing a women’s clothing category late this year). all the clothes they sell are donated by parents, and $2 out of every $5 spent on the site goes right back to schools!

here’s how it works:

step 1: go to schoola and request a donation bag.
step 2: once the bag arrives, fill it with gently-used children’s or women’s clothes, and send it in for the benefit of your child’s school.
step 3: challenge at least 3 friends or family members to do the same by posting on facebook, twitter, or instagram and using the hashtag #passthebag.

adam helped me pick a few items to send in, which will soon be for sale on the site. so now it’s our turn to #passthebag! i’ll be nominating a few friends on instagram later today!

lifestyle, food

the year in review: things i made

December 30, 2014 5 Comments

hard to believe it, but i’ve been writing this blog since december of 2008, which means i’ve just celebrated 6 years as a blogger. and for most of that time, it’s been pretty exclusively about my personal style and forays into fashion. but 2014 was a year of firsts, and i finally opened up a little and shared some of my interests outside of fashion. true, some of it was fashion-related, like my adventures trying out indigo dye and making baby-friendly jewelry. but i also started food blogging including a family recipe series for the holidays. i even shared an easy bath salt diy.

at first, i was pretty anxious about sharing something new because blogging about anything other than my outfits was kinda out of my comfort zone, but i’m really glad i gave it a try. working on projects like these can be really therapeutic for me, and they help me to break free from the sometimes monotonous routine of staying home to take care of the baby. i definitely plan to continue this trend, and i’m especially excited to finally start sharing some glimpses inside my home as i work on our interior decor! and i would love to start talking a little bit more about my adventures in parenting as well. so here’s to many more fun lifestyle posts in 2015!

« Previous 1 … 12 13 14 15 16 … 29 Next »