calivintage – Page 15 – mom jeans + puff sleeves

outfit: lacausa

February 15, 2017 8 Comments

can you believe it? i’m not wearing blue! i always always always fall back on my trusty blues, so i’m feeling rather proud of myself for wearing a different color haha. in the past, i’ve shied away from greens out of fear that they weren’t “flattering” against my pale olive skin, but that’s just silliness. i hate the idea of avoiding things because of silly “rules.” if you like something, you should wear it. and i’ve been drawn to all sorts of different shades of green lately. perhaps this is the color of the year somehow sneaking an influence on me? or perhaps it’s because i just desperately need to break free from my endless stream of blues?

anyway, if you’re really worried that a color won’t work for you, just keep it away from your face and/or try some lipstick or blush to balance it out. i did both of those things with this outfit. you can barely tell, but i’m wearing a peachy shade of lipstick from my new make beauty celeste e verde palette. that and the peachy sunglasses seems to do the trick!

the t-shirt and the pants are from lacausa clothing. in spanish, lacausa means “the cause” and this la-based brand has made sustainability and ethical conditions their cause. they carefully select fabrics for both ease and comfort, without losing sight of their ethical stance within the industry. and they’re totally affordable! sometimes it seems that these things don’t go hand in hand, but they do at lacausa! you can select from more timeless basics like what i’m wearing today, or you can pick something a bit more bold, all without having to save up a months worth of wages just to buy it.

wearing:
lacausa vintage frank top and isabelle trousers
steven alan bryce suglasses in peach crystal
make beauty celeste e verde palette
mari giudicelli leblon mules
vintage sweater

my style, kids

outfit: winter water factory spring 2017

February 13, 2017 6 Comments

whoa how did that happen? it’s suddenly spring around these parts! since moving back to southern california, i’m still surprised by how quickly the cool weather fades away and we get right back into warmer days. and of course it was the perfect opportunity for us to slip into our new winter water factory spring 2017 clothes. it’s funny, i used to make a lot of jokes about my matching “motherboy” outfits with adam, but i think this is the first time i’ve worn a matching outfit with ed! of course, she steals the show in her tiny summer romper. but if you’re a fan of their iconic kid’s prints, then you will be happy to know that they recently started making women’s sizes, too. i’m wearing one of their newest t-shirt dress prints that just came out today, but they also have several other dress styles and prints to choose from as well. what’s more, all of their clothes are certified organic cotton and made in the usa.

shop winterwater factory here. or get edie’s adorable petite soul ladybug bonnet here.

lifestyle

eco-friendly at home

February 6, 2017 9 Comments

let me just start this post by quoting the wise words of esqueleto from the movie nacho libre…

“i believe in science.”

i know i’m being a little silly, but the truth of the matter is that things are scary out there. we’re living in uncertain times. but what i do know is that there are people out there– people in our own administration– who don’t believe that climate change is real. but it is real! and every individual (as well as institution) has a responsibility to not only accept the scientific consensus, but commit themselves to doing whatever we can to help save our environment. all of the social issues that we’re currently struggling with (and they are major), won’t matter at all if we completely obliterate the environment. it’s scary stuff. so i have strengthened my resolve to be more vocal about the ways that i’ve committed to being eco-friendly around the house. you may remember this post about going green that i shared after we moved into our new house. i touched down on energy-star rated appliances, recycled denim insulation, solar panels, buying used and vintage, grey water, and drought-tolerant landscaping. i’m still moving forward on those projects as well as doing research into smaller ways that i can reduce my waste, including cloth diapering!

so today i thought i’d share some of the inspiration i’ve been collecting on pinterest. mostly around reducing waste by buying bulk, using reusable glass and cloth containers, and generally replacing plastic with more sustainable materials. very soon we’ll also be installing solar panels on our home, so i’ll be sharing information and updates on that project as well as the progress we’ve been making on our california native, drought-tolerant landscaping!

lifestyle, home, kids

cloth diapering (some of the time)

January 24, 2017 15 Comments

first things first! i know that cloth diapering isn’t for everyone. having had two babies, i’m well aware of the multitude of barriers that keep people from doing it. before having kids, i really thought i’d be one of those crunchy mamas with babies in cloth diapers. my mom cloth diapered me and my siblings, so i kinda just assumed i would do it, too. but as adam’s birth drew closer, i just didn’t take the plunge. i was worried that just taking care of him would be enough work. i was already overwhelmed and i didn’t want to add to the stress i was experiencing. i lived in an apartment without a washing machine. then, after he was born, i gave it half-hearted try, and of course, it didn’t work out. i thought maybe i’d eventually try again, but before i knew it, he was out of diapers.

then edie was born. i stocked up on our “eco-friendly” disposable diapers and water wipes, and didn’t even consider cloth. i did all of the other eco-conscious things with her like i did with adam. exclusive breastfeeding, babywearing, avoiding plastic, using organic textiles and products, wood toys, all that crunchy stuff. but i didn’t try cloth diapers. until i started chatting with a local friend who recently launched squeaky cheeky, a new cloth diapering service here in town. i had never heard of such a thing before, and it sparked a little glimmer of hope for us. i was especially intrigued because it was the perfect way for me to give it honest-to-goodness try without sinking-in all of the up-front costs of buying a ton of inserts, covers, supplies, etc. that’s a huge barrier because the up-front cost is kind of high when you don’t even know if it will work out for you!

the way the service works, you pay a monthly fee (similar to that of an eco-friendly monthly disposable subscription) and all of the supplies are dropped off at your doorstep. in our case, we got prefolds, covers, snappis, and cloth wipes. then each week, you leave the bag of dirty laundry out on your doorstep and they swap them out for clean supplies. we tried it for a month to see how it would go, and the verdict is in: we’re now officially cloth diapering part-time.

what we learned right off the bat, is that we couldn’t go full-time because we have too many caregivers helping with edie. that’s great for me, but not so great for cloth diapering. not everyone is comfortable learning how to use them, and you certainly can’t send a baby to most daycares in cloth diapers. so we’re using cloth diapers during the hours when i’m watching her, but we use disposables when she’s being watched by someone else. edie also sleeps through the night, and i can’t stand the idea of waking her just to clean-up a diaper, so we’re using overnight disposables so she can stay comfortable and dry without being disturbed.

another thing i learned is that i’m terrible at using pre-folds. i know with time, you get better. but there are also other options. we got to try out an all-in-one diaper, and i really like that you can pretty much change them just like you would a disposable diaper. they’re a little bit more expensive than pre-folds, but they work for us. on the flip side, i’ve now switched over to cloth wipes! i didn’t even know that they existed before, but i like them so much better. for those who aren’t familiar with how they work, you use water or bum spray first, then wipe things up with the dry cloth. wet wipes are awesome for cleaning up dirty hands and faces, or picking up small messes around the house, but i know adam hates them because they’re cold. and those wipe warmers are notorious for getting moldy and gross. so this is the perfect option if you’re ok with a bit of (admittedly gross) extra laundry.

as far as the service, i’m no longer using it because i’m able to handle the extra laundry, but i think it’s a really great option for households who want to go green, but don’t have a washing machine. and it’s an especially great gift for a new family who is on the fence about cloth diapering because it gives them a chance to try it out without making any up-front investment. i know it was a great learning experience for me.

our top drawer set-up. prefolds with bum spray and clippis, covers, cloth wipes.

don’t worry, we lowered her crib right after taking these photos! she was 6 months in this photos, so she had literally just started standing on her own.

the supplies arrive in this laundry bag, and the service provides a laundry bin for the nursery.

lifestyle, food

party party

January 19, 2017 2 Comments

i told you it was party month over here! today i thought i’d share a few photos from the little spread i put together for a very low key new year’s eve celebration. i’m not especially big on new year’s and i don’t tend to make resolutions. i always have big goals that i want to achieve, and i feel like all the resolution stuff is just more added pressure getting tacked on to the passing of another calendar year. but i do like any excuse to drink champagne and eat fancy uncured meats and stinky cheeses. so i put together a rather decadent spread and invited just a couple of people over to enjoy a very casual celebration. at dinnertime. because we decided to put the kids down to sleep at their usual bedtimes rather than tempt fate and force them to stay awake on the edge of tantrums and meltdowns. i did actually stay up until one minute before midnight when edie woke up crying. so i rang in 2017 nursing my little baby back to sleep.

but back to the important stuff: meat and cheese! i keep seeing these epic platters on pinterest, so i decided to give it a try for myself. this was my second attempt, and i would say that it was a success! and perhaps a new party tradition around here. it’s my birthday tomorrow, and i still haven’t made any plans, so perhaps i’ll have to pull one of these together and pour myself another glass of champagne. i’m gonna need it to drown my sorrows. not because i’ll be a year older, but because tomorrow is inauguration day.

my style, kids

outfit: the baby backpack

January 18, 2017 4 Comments

remember in the ’90s when baby backpacks were all the rage? well, today i’m talking about a different kind of baby backpack. because i’ve got two babies now, and a teensy tiny backpack will no longer cut it. now i carry a backpack full of diapers, and it’s huge and fully loaded (the backpack, not the diapers– hopefully). since becoming a mother and accepting that i will indeed need to carry a diaper bag, it’s been really hard for me to find something that is both fashionable and functional. thankfully, there are a lot more brands understanding that not all parents want to carry around a puffy bag covered in cartoon characters. i mean, it’s cool if you want to, but i prefer something a bit less conspicuous.

so when i came across leader bag co., it was love at first sight. it’s my holy grail of diaper bags. and not just because it’s good looking, although that certainly helps. it was also designed by two mothers who are well aware of the organizational needs that one might have when lugging around a bag filled with baby stuff. before i got this handsome backpack, i carried around a fjallraven, which was awesome, but sorely lacking in all of the little compartments i needed to contain various diapers, wipes, toys, pacifiers, coloring books, snacks, bottles, etc. this one has tons of useful compartments, plus it’s handmade in new york city with soft leather accents and a durable cotton canvas body with a wipeable nylon interior and brass hardware. swoon. it also has padded shoulder straps and comes with two leather stroller straps. inside, there is a separate pouch that doubles as a cross-body handbag, and contains a nylon changing mat.

it’s so good looking, in fact, that even brendan is willing to carry it around. and i know some people may balk at the price tag, and i totally get that not everyone is willing or able to spend that much on a diaper bag. luckily, i also wrote this quick guide to finding a cute diaper bag, which has several more options that might suit your needs! and a little birdy told me that they will also be coming out with an all canvas style in tons of fun colors (think mustard, blues, purple) in mid to late february! so keep an eye out for those, too!

wearing:
colorant cashmere sweater
rachel comey slim legion pants
maryam nassir zadeh roberta heels
steven alan bryce sunglasses (in peach crystal, coming soon!)
young frankk orb cuff
leader bag julian julien set in natural

lifestyle

pajama party with chasing windmills

January 17, 2017 1 Comment

even though it’s actually quite sunny today, it feels like it’s been raining nonstop since december. and while it’s still not enough for drought-stricken southern california, it certainly feels like a lot for us! and since we normally don’t get this much rainfall in our area, we don’t necessarily have all of the waterproof gear one might have if you lived in the pacific northwest, so we’ve been spending a lot of time indoors. in our pajamas! i actually shot these photos in november, but they pretty much sum up what our days have been feeling like.

edie and adam are wearing their chasing windmills pajamas made of a superfine merino wool, which is my favorite! adam is in the thermal long johns and edie is wearing the romper. i’m really big on textiles and started my love affair with merino wool back in my days of going on cycling tours. i found that it kept me warm on chilly mornings, but not sweaty or smelly. and even on a hot day, a lightweight merino is way more comfortable than a cotton t-shirt. so of course, i love merino for the kids. i also recently learned that it doesn’t hold a flame or melt at high temperatures like synthetic fabrics, which is ideal for kid’s sleepwear. that means we can avoid flame retardants without feeling like we’re sacrificing safety.

i also recently switched to linen sheets and bedding, which gets softer with each wash and requires less pesticides out in the fields. like wool, it’s one of those fabrics you might not consider outside of a particular season, but it’s really great all year round. i also have a thing for wrinkly sheets, and linen has that perfect rumpled texture. ah, can we just stay in bed all day?

kids

gift guide: adam’s 3rd birthday

January 11, 2017 3 Comments

it’s party month over here at calivintage! adam’s birthday was on the 10th and mine is on the 20th, so it kinda feels like we’re those last people at the holiday party lingering just a little too long haha. most people have moved on to their new workout routines and green smoothies or whatever, but we’re still eating cake and popping bottles of ~~champagne~~ sparkling cider. but hey, people celebrate birthdays every day of the year, so there’s really no better time than now to share some of the gifts that i’ve been eying for a just-about-to-be-three-year-old boy. in particular, adam’s interests include trucks, monster trucks, cars, and trains. notice the theme? but he’s also got an artsy side and spends a lot of time drawing, painting, coloring, and reading books. most of his drawings are of monster trucks. and his favorite book is about the history of monster trucks…

so yeah, he likes trucks. but i also try to keep things balanced so that he’s still exploring other things and learning new skills. he has a ukelele on a stand that he is welcome to experiment with, and there’s a little baby doll in a toy pram that he mostly ignores these days, but it’s all there for him when the mood strikes him! sometimes he decides to cook us lunch on his toy kitchen, and he does spend a good amount of time playing with blocks and legos and lincoln logs in order to build tunnels and garages for his trucks, haha.

all of this is to say that i try to be observant of his interests, but i also don’t necessarily zone in on only one thing. he might only want trucks for his birthday, but i also sneak in some other stuff that i know he might like. so with that in mind, i decided to pull together a quick gift guide with items from my favorites kids shop, bitte. or if you don’t happen to be looking for gifts for three-year-old boys, i also pulled together a gift guide with my eight-month-old edith in mind, which you can see here.

sarah’s silks play silks

charley harper wildlife wonders floor puzzle

tiny cottons faces fleece sweatshirt

traffic jam puzzle book

areaware cubebot micro

fishing at balaton game

areaware blockitecture garden city blocks

tegu magnetic building blocks

petit collage ocean abc nesting blocks

tiny cottons faces leggings

ella lou wanderlust organic play mat

maileg wooden bus

my style

outfit: these days

January 9, 2017 7 Comments

looking a little disheveled, but this is me, out in my natural habitat on a typical day. wearing clothes and drinking coffee, as i am apt to do. i swear i have other clothes besides kamm pants and these mules, but it’s almost impossible for me to wear anything different! i just love them so much.

wearing:
carleen pleat shoulder shell – this is currently on sale! you might not be able to tell in the photos, but this is actually made of a super soft cotton flannel, which makes it irresistable to wear.

jesse kamm sailor pants in bill cunningham blue – this was my first pair of kamm pants from a couple of years back. she’s improved on the fit since then, but i think i actually prefer these because they are shorter in length, so i didn’t need to get them hemmed. i always kind of hate to get my wide leg pants hemmed because you cut off some of the width in the process.

mari giudicelli leblon mules – yes, i know. i wear these nonstop. but they go with everything, so i can’t stop wearing them! i think i should just admit that the only shoes i want to wear are brown leather. i always think i should get a “statement” pair of shoes in some bright color or metallic, but even if i buy a pair like that, i always default to brown leather. i need to stop fighting it.

sylvain le hen xs barrette in gold – i got the xl barrette several months ago before i chopped off all my hair again. this one is awesome because it makes me feel like a mom in ’90s with the side pinned up.

young frankk orb cuff – i love this bracelet because it works with practically any outfit. it’s good with something super casual like this outfit, but it also looks really classy dressed-up. i recently wore it to adam’s winter recital paired with a really minimalist silk dress and i felt like a million bucks. young frank is easily one of my favorite handmade jewelers right now.

j.w. hulme legacy bag – we need to talk about this bag. i think i’ve had this handbag for 8 years now? probably one of the strongest workhorses in my closet, this bag was handmade in the usa and it only gets better with age. and it basically goes with everything. i own other handbags, but this one is almost always my go-to.

garrett leight wilson sunglasses – i love garrett leight glasses, but i’m actually on the fence about these. not because of the glasses themselves, but because i’m not sure if i’m pulling them off. i love the style, but every time i put them on i feel like they just aren’t me. but then again, i always have a hard time with glasses. i think it’s because i have bangs and i feel like the glasses and the bangs blend together and it’s like i’m wearing a giant mask or something. maybe i should try to grown my bangs out for the millionth time…

kids

hazel village kidswear

January 4, 2017 4 Comments

it’s a fresh start to a new year and i’m hitting the ground running because adam’s birthday is just a week away! it’s a tough time for a birthday because we’re just winding down after the holiday season and i’m all out of gift ideas! i keep reminding myself that i need to be better about planning his birthday well before the end of the year or else i’ll keep having this problem haha. fortunately for me, there are still plenty of awesome things out there for the little ones, like the launch of the new hazel village kidswear collection!

whether you have a birthday coming up, you’re planning a cute photo session, or you just want to have some dress up fun, this collection is the perfect solution. we have long been fans of hazel village stuffed animals, and i will admit that the first thing i did when we got lucy owl, was attempt to dress adam in a matching outfit. which has now been made infinitely easier with their new collection of organic kidswear to match their favorite woodland creatures.