lifestyle – Page 17 – calivintage

we woke up like this

September 2, 2014 3 Comments

ok, i know full well that i’m reaching maximum baby capacity on the blog lately. but it was a long weekend and when you wake up in bed with a happy lil bebe like this, sometimes you’d rather just stay in your pajamas all day. so i decided to skip the outfit post for today in favor or showing off our preferred sleepwear of choice. i’m wearing my favorite set of j.crew pajamas and adam is wearing a set of eric carle pajamas that we received as a gift from gymboree. i don’t think there is any better way to start off the day than with your little one smiling in your face when you first open your eyes. and i’m glad that we pulled out the camera to capture this moment, because boy, is it fleeting. looking at these pictures, i can’t believe how big he’s gotten already! i can’t help but sort of wish that he would stay little forever!

lifestyle, kids

calivintage + target: what’s in my diaper bag?

August 28, 2014 7 Comments

This post is sponsored by Target.

since becoming a mama earlier this year, i now have a new accessory to add to my repertoire: the diaper bag. before adam was born, i somehow managed to forget about this very essential item. the one i carry now is actually a weekender bag by kate spade saturday that i packed for the hospital. when we got home, it sorta just morphed into the diaper bag after i discovered that i could no longer leave the house without an array of very essential baby things. and now, several months later, what was once merely an afterthought is now one of my most crucial necessities. i’ve even begun to take great pride in how quickly and efficiently i can pack this bag, like a doomsday prepper anticipating a really major diaper blowout. or, you know, like a mom who might be excessively worried about somehow managing to lock herself out of the house (am i the only one who worries about that kind of thing?) or who has one of those rare babies who can’t stand to be in a carseat for more than five minutes.

all kidding aside, the diaper bag really is my lifeline. i pack it every day and never leave the house without it. i keep it in the stroller on our morning walks around town, and i toss it into the car when we head out on afternoon excursions to the park (or to go thrifting!). if we visit friends or family, it’s always nearby, filled with all of the essentials to help adam feel right at home. so of course, i was thrilled when target asked me if i’d be interested in sharing a peek at my tried-and-true baby essentials:

diapers
my selection of diapers is mostly based on whatever eco-friendly option is available. we’ve had about the same success rate with every brand we’ve tried. i’ve found that they key is to make sure they fit! we’re currently going through a big case by seventh generation, but i’ve also been happy with earth’s best and babyganics.

baby wipes
these are not only great for their intended use, but are also very practical for wiping dirty hands, toys, and various spills. they’re so useful, i actually don’t know how i lived without them before i had a baby. we’re been using seventh generation, but just about any brand will do.

toys
the toys may come and go and change over time, but don’t get between a baby and his favorite toys. at this stage, his favorites are usually little teethers that are easy for him to clutch in his little hands. like every baby on the planet, he loves his sophie and we never leave the house without her. he also really enjoys chewing on this silly little baby banana teething toothbrush, and lately he’s been really into his ladybug rattle and bumblebee beeper by plan toys. it’s not currently his favorite, but for months we couldn’t go anywhere without his rainforest tails book by jellycat.

clothes
another pretty self-explanatory essential. it’s always good to have a fresh set of clothes on hand in the event that baby decides to make a mess of some sort. in fact, i sometimes even stash a second set of clothes for myself in the trunk of my car. you never know!

snacks
like toys, little finger foods can be a really great distraction when adam isn’t so keen on sitting in his car seat. they can be a bit messy, but it’s totally worth it. i simply put him in a bib and let him go to town. his current favorites are these little baby cookies by ella’s kitchen. note: this is also one of the reasons i recently invested in a dirt devil to keep in the backseat of the car!

toiletries
like many babies, adam has a tendency to get a little bit of baby eczema on his chin from all of that teething and drooling! it’s par for the course, but i’ve found that reapplying a little bit of lotion every now and then really helps to keep his skin free of irritation. i’m personally a big fan of california baby and use their everyday lotion, shampoo and body wash, diaper rash cream, and bubble bath. another little trick if you’re in a bind: a stick of unscented lip balm. got that tip from another mom in the pediatrician’s waiting room!

baby food (optional)
when i can, i let adam try a bit of whatever food i’m eating, but i always keep a stash of baby food in the cupboard. they’re especially handy to have on hand when we go for a long visit with family since he tends to enjoy sitting at the table when everyone else is eating and he can’t always partake in what we’re having. earth’s best is my go-to because they’re organic and free of preservatives or other additives.

but here’s the real beauty behind my well-stocked arsenal of baby supplies: subscriptions. before adam was born, i’d only really dabbled in subscription services. i often subscribe to a weekly csa share for fresh fruits and veggies. and i’ve gotten a few beauty boxes here and there. but nowadays, it’s really important that i always have plenty of baby essentials on hand. at target, you can pick from an array of subscription items, from baby supplies to vitamins to pet food or ink cartridges, then you simply set the frequency of your shipment and you’re good to go. i have my schedule set for monthly shipments, then i just wait for an email notification letting me know when my next shipment is up, and i alter my order based on my needs. this way, i’m never caught without diapers or wipes when adam wakes up crying in the middle of the night. and when i get up in the morning, i know i have everything i need all neatly packed up in my diaper bag, so we can head out on our baby adventures!

all of the target products in this post were purchased by me, and are all items we use daily. thank you so much to target for sponsoring this post. it’s because of opportunities like this that i am able to earn an income and work from home to take care of adam in his first years!

kids

adam: 29 weeks

August 24, 2014 2 Comments

these photos were taken of adam right as he woke up from a nap while we were in the middle of our indigo dyeing frenzy a few weeks ago. aren’t babies so sweet and precious right when they wake up?

lifestyle, home

the bedroom

August 22, 2014 4 Comments

since moving into our new place in redlands, i’ve been really eager to start sharing some of the progress we’ve made in decorating our new space. there have been a few kinks in the road, but the good news is that we’ve finally got some painters coming in this weekend to start the process! the girl who used to live here got a little color happy with the walls. all of the paint is high gloss and features such fun colors as a bold, dark maroon in the living room, a bright cornflower blue in the kitchen, and probably the most offensive: black and metallic gold in the bathroom! i’m sure she had it quite nice in here, but the whole thing is painfully wrong for my own decor. i know it’s just paint, but i kid you not, sometimes i close my eyes and imagine the walls painted a nice, soft white and it calms me. i know i’ll breathe a sigh of relief once i have my nice blank canvas to work with.

most of the rooms in the house still need a lot of work, but for whatever reason, i’m actually finding the most forgotten room to be the least intimidating and most exciting project: my bedroom. in the past, i’ve always sort of left it bare, a big bed in the middle with clothes piled around and hanging on racks. if the house is messy and people are coming over, i grab everything and dump it into my bedroom and close the door. but lately i’ve been seeing this room as more important, a safe haven away from all the outside noise. a place where i can go to nurse adam to sleep while we nap together in the afternoon. a place where i can lay down and read a book and de-stress. i imagine myself swathed in comfy blankets with pretty things around me, waking up to the morning light filtered through the curtains.

so of course, i’ve been stalking pinterest for bedroom inspiration and hoarding pins in a private board. i’ve been going out to thrift and antique shops on the hunt for furniture, pottery, decor. and so far, i’ve had a lot of luck. i found a beautiful woven wall hanging at the thrift store a few weeks back, and i hand-dyed a pretty quilt with natural indigo. my little space is really starting to come together, and i hope to share some pictures of the process very soon. but in the meantime, here are some pictures that have been providing me with inspiration.

above: kara rosenlund.

julia kostreva.

caroline z hurley.

in bed.

my scandinavian home.

outfit: motherboy

August 20, 2014 10 Comments

calivintage_com_0294

i didn’t plan this. no, really, i didn’t! earlier this summer, i just so happened to post a picture of myself wearing this corey lynn calter dress on instagram when my pal katie (and co-founder of mother) spotted it and told me that her baby diego had the matching onesie designed as part of an exclusive corey + buru collaboration. clearly, it was a sign. so thanks to the internet, the wheels were set in motion, and it was only a matter of time before i found myself doing my very best lucille bluth impression in a matching mommy & me outfit with adam. and i’m not gonna lie, i kinda think it’s the cutest thing ever. #noregrets #sorrynotsorry

wearing:
dress courtesy of corey lynn calter
handmade sandals by tuto
jasper sunglasses courtesy of warby parker

on adam:
baby jumpsuit courtesy of corey lynn calter + buru
handmade moccs courtesy of freshly picked
hand-dyed baseball cap

kids

adam: 28 weeks

August 17, 2014 2 Comments

today i was talking with brendan about how happy i am that i decided to do this photo series of adam. it’s a good reminder for me to pick up the camera at least once a week to document just how quickly this little guy is growing up, even if some of the photos come out blurry because he won’t stop wiggling around, and even if i’ve missed a week or two here and there.

i love this picture because it’s showing off adam’s “muscles.” he has so many arm rolls that we always joke that he looks like popeye and we coo and say, “ooohhh adam, look at those muscles. so strong!” haha.

kids

the emmaljunga

August 14, 2014 27 Comments

since adam was born, i’ve posted a few pictures of my emmaljunga pram on instagram. a lot of people have expressed some interest in it, so i thought i’d share a bit more about it. it’s vintage, so i always kind of awkwardly ramble on whenever people ask me where i got it. “oh, it’s vintage. it’s by this swedish company called emmaljunga. actually, i don’t know how to pronounce it. um… they’re kind of hard to find in the states. i found it on craigslist…? eh?”

then cue the eye rolls because i know that everything that just came out of my mouth totally sounded like something a very pretentious cartoon character would say. ok, i’m dramatizing. i usually have very nice, friendly conversations about it, even if some people think i look a little silly with it. i just always knew that i wanted one of these slick, european strollers. even before i knew i wanted to have kids, it wasn’t hard to conjure up some romantic fantasy of myself being that mother, the one who always seems to look so effortlessly pulled together while strolling down the sidewalk with her fashionable baby or whatever.

so when it came time to actually start looking for baby stuff, i knew that i would have some challenges resolving the idea i had in my head of all the cool stuff i wanted, and the reality of having a budget and not being able to just buy whatever fancy toys they sell in fantasyland. i would browse the aisles in the big box stores kinda cringing at the baby stuff in all of it’s bright plastic glory. yeah, i know it’s about the kid, but let’s be real: babies would be perfectly happy playing with trash all day if you let them. buying stuff for them is just as much about your own preferences as it is about the practicality of it. and yeah, i admit that i’m picky.

enter the emmaljunga. it’s a swedish brand that’s been family owned and operated since 1925, having the distinction of being the oldest pram manufacturer in europe. i looked into buying a new one, but i was disappointed to see that the modern styles had been updated and were a little too “sport utility” for me. that coupled with their rarity in the u.s. market and an astronomical price tag, and i knew it was going to be a hunt.

but who can resist the thrill of the hunt? i started scouring ebay, craigslist, and etsy several months before i was due. they don’t pop up often, and when they do, they’re usually not in the world’s best condition. the fabric might be faded or ripped in some tiny spot, or else there would be a pram with no seat attachment, blah blah. i even found the perfect one, only to have the seller, suddenly struck with nostalgia, pull out of our craigslist deal at the last second.

but after months of determined searching, i found her. i don’t know the year, but it’s a viking model if you’re interested in sleuthing around. she’s a beautiful navy blue buggy perched atop a shiny chrome chassis (with suspension for a smooth ride). when adam was a teensy little guy, i would gently lay him in the bassinet while he was napping and cautiously stroll him around the neighborhood. then once he was old enough to sit up, i detached the bassinet and replaced it with the equally pretty, upright and adjustable seat. i bought it from a woman who had pushed around two of her now-adult children in it, and kept it in pristine condition because it was a top-of-the-line purchase at the time. and now i, too, get to push him around in it feeling every bit the glamorous mother that i always wanted to be. at least until he starts to cry…

kids

adam: 27 weeks

August 10, 2014 2 Comments

i can’t get over putting little hats on this boy. my mom picked up this straw fedora on sale at gap, and we’d been waiting months for it to finally fit his head! this picture makes me think of adam’s namesake and my great-grandfather, juan urzua roque. i always remember him in a straw hat similar to this one. and a simple button up shirt, as old men will wear. my great-grandpa had very strong mayan features, and we could actually see this very slight resemblance in adam when he was born. it’s hard to say who he’ll actually take after, but it’s fun to see little glimpses of similarities from different family members.

also, he is making the most ridiculous face, haha. i was actually snapping his photo on my iphone and got this cute shot before i decided i should probably memorialize it with a better camera. of course by then he wasn’t too interested in waiting around for me to get a good shot anymore.

wearing: gap hat, denim shirt from swapdom, koala baby leggings.

lifestyle

indigo diary

August 6, 2014 12 Comments

last week, my mom came into town and we embarked on a fun summer project: indigo dyeing! as i mentioned in my last post, my mom was an elementary school art teacher (among other things) for a long stretch of my childhood, and one of the benefits was that our summers were filled with arts and crafts projects. she would test out new projects on us, or give us the leftovers from previous classes. as a kid, i had a pretty large repertoire of crafty skills including fiber and basket weaving, paper making, crochet, rug hooking, cross-stitch, sewing, etc. so you’d better bet that it was a nostalgic event for us to set up shop with adam watching closely nearby.

it all started a couple of months ago, when i started hitting up the local thrift stores on the hunt for new pieces to fit into my wardrobe. i needed new clothes in easy, washable fabrics that would be practical enough to wear while taking care of adam. i didn’t want to spend too much money because i was experimenting with new styles, and i was still losing the baby weight. not exactly the time to be investing in super expensive pieces. and going to thrift stores turned out to be a pretty fun little outing for me with the baby in tow. i would wear him in a carrier and bounce him to sleep while i scoured the racks.

but old habits die hard. before i knew it, i was deep in the throes of my thrifting addiction. i almost immediately began unearthing all sorts of pretty silks, cottons, linens. themes started to emerge, i started finding multiples, i could even divide my spoils into different colorways. and as usual, a lot of it wasn’t quite my size or wasn’t exactly what i was looking for, but i just couldn’t stop myself from picking them up. i told my mom that i probably already had enough pieces for a small vintage collection, and that perhaps it was time to open up my shop again (more on that later).

my mom, of course, is my enabler. she’s the woman who taught me about the joys of thrifting. telling her this information was all she needed to start her own thrifting frenzy. they clearly have some amazing thrift stores out in arizona, because after a month or so, she’d amassed a collection of her own. and, of course, it was her suggestion that we try indigo dyeing some of the stuff she’d found in odd colors like grass green or saturated pink. stuff that i wouldn’t have considered, but that would be pretty cute in a nice, deep shade of my favorite color.

so we pulled together our masses of thrifted goodies and embarked on our dyeing experiment. i mostly wanted to over-dye some lighter denim pieces, and to play around with how the dye would turn out on an array of different colored fabrics. but once we had all the dye in a tub, i figured i might as well try a few shibori techniques as well. i didn’t share any pictures, but my mom also had some fun dyeing vintage linens, doilies, and hand towels.

i won’t dare try to outline the directions for how to do all of this, mostly because you can easily google plenty of really detailed instructions on the subject. so instead, here are some photos of the process (which we did over the course of three days in the sweltering heat) along with some of our results. now that i’ve tried it out and seen how it all works, i’m already itching to try new techniques. i really want to try my hand at marbling next time!

kids

adam: 26 weeks

August 3, 2014 1 Comment

i’m jumping ahead to 26 weeks today because i shared a picture of adam at 25 weeks in this post the week after we moved to redlands. thankfully, adam isn’t allergic because one of his favorite things to do is play in the grass. we didn’t really have a yard at our last place, so it’s been a fun activity to hang out in the shade if the heat isn’t too unbearable. and despite the fact that he seems to want to put everything in his mouth, he never tries to eat the grass, which i think is kinda cool.

« Previous 1 … 15 16 17 18 19 … 29 Next »