calivintage – Page 18 – mom jeans + puff sleeves

a family trip to st. louis!

October 5, 2016 4 Comments

if you follow me on instagram, then you may have noticed that we actually left the house last weekend! and not just for a stroll around the neighborhood. we packed our bags, drove to the airport, boarded a plane, and survived a two hour layover in order to make our way to st. louis–with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old! i know, it was no small feat, but it was 100% worth it. with the little ones around, we tend to be homebodies. we kinda stick within a few-mile radius of the house so that we can take naps, eat good food, and avoid toddler meltdowns whenever possible. but it also means that mama starts to get a bit of cabin fever. so when my friends at the alive influencer network and explore st. louis asked if we’d like to visit, i didn’t even hesitate! the last time we were in town, i was 6 months pregnant with adam and we had so much fun exploring the city. this time, things have changed quite a bit, but it’s only expanded our appreciation for just how family-friendly it is in st. louis.

city museum

this was the first place we went when we got to st. louis, so we still didn’t have our bearings. adam had a ton of fun there, but we totally forgot to take photos, so i hope that crumb bumbs doesn’t mind that i’m using some of her photos. she lives in st. louis and has featured this place a number of times on her blog, so you should definitely check her out. having said that, i can share our first impression, which is that the city museum is amazing and unlike any other place i have ever been. it’s like a giant playground for children and adults alike.

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pi pizzeria

i was really excited to visit this place because one of their claims to fame is that they make president obama’s favorite pie! in addition to their chicago-style deep dish pizza, they have a really great selection of craft beers and cocktails.

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living collective

after filling-up on pizza, we took a stroll down the street in the central west end neighborhood to this rad little boutique. they stock a really great selection of indie designers like samantha pleet, rachel antonoff, and nooworks. and they had the best halloween decorations up. not only that, but they share a space with vino gallery, so i got to sip on a glass of rose while i shopped!

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taste bar

this was my last stop for the evening because i had to get back to the kids, but it was pretty nice to sit and enjoy yet another cocktail and this incredibly indulgent ice cream treat topped with magic shell!

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strange folk festival

as luck would have it, our trip was perfectly timed so that we could enjoy not only the murmuration festival, but also strange folk! this free event takes place in the incredibly charming lafayette square. it was a seriously hot and humid day (we’re talking nearly 100 degrees), but we still enjoyed a slow stroll through this indie craft show while sipping on cold drinks. not only were there a ton of cool vendors, but the neighborhood and park were stunning. i seriously can’t get over the incredible history and architecture of this city!

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vicia

after heading back for a nap in the hotel room, we headed out to the vicia dinner pop-up to kick off the murmuration festival! they served a variety of super-fresh, farm-to-table bites and we had a chance to lounge around and relax a bit before the evening began.

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murmuration festival

we only stayed for a short bit, but mr. adam blended in quite well playing with my cell phone like a proper blogger, haha. the main different being that he was watching videos of monster trucks while patiently waiting for me to stop catching up with friends. it’s a 3 day festival featuring influential speakers, national innovation thoughtleaders, a juried art competition and cutting-edge music performances. innovators, scientists, artists and entrepreneurs are invited to engage the public and share their work. this was the first year of the festival, so i’m sure it will only continue to grow and feature some of the best and brightest of st. louis and beyond.

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the missouri botanical gardens

we have lots and lots of photos from our sunday morning at mobot because we were lucky enough to have the photographer, elizabeth wiseman, come along with us. she’s also the person who took most of the photos for this post. and she has a son close to adam’s age and lives nearby, so she gave us the insider scoop on the best spots for kids. they have a children’s garden with sand boxes. splash pads, a giant slide, the list goes on. definitely one of the more family-friendly gardens i’ve ever been to! definitely worth a visit if you’ve got kids!

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the preston

we rounded out our trip with one last stop for the evening at the preston inside the chase park plaza. this beautiful, historic hotel is located in the central west end, which is a super charming neighborhood right next to forest park. it’s a really great place for fine dining without all of the pretension. adam and edith were welcome to eat with us as we sampled their ecclectic menu of shareable dishes. and mom and dad got to try a fancy cocktail!

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the cheshire hotel and restaurants

and last but not least, a big thank you to the campy cheshire hotel for having us once again. we stayed there on our last trip, so it was fun to go back and say hello to the giant taxidermy bear and play on the giant chess board outside. they also have several restaurants on the property including basso, boundary, and the fox & the hound tavern. they were kind enough to supply us with a few gift cards to the restaurants, so when we weren’t out and about, you could find us sampling each restaurant while lounging around in the hotel room.

and once again, a huge thank you to the alive influencer network and explore st. louis for inviting us for such a fun family weekend!

my style, kids

family style with the new zappos loyalty program!

October 4, 2016 5 Comments

this post is sponsored by zappos.

if you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you probably know that i’ve been a zappos customer for years. i think i made my first purchase on the site before i was even a blogger, and i’ve been doing this for over 8 years now! so you know i was excited when they let me know about their brand new zappos loyalty program! whether you’re brand new to zappos or have been shopping there for years, it’s free to join and you can instantly start earning points towards perks and benefits like free expedited shipping and early access to sales. earn 10 points for every $1 spent, earn 50 points just for logging in, and earn 100 points each time you leave a product review. the more points you earn, the more rewards you get! and for a limited time, existing zappos customers will get a $15 zappos reward code when they join the zappos loyalty program.

so here we are outfitted in some of our zappos favorites for some fun family photos. i’ve been trying to make a better effort to get photos of us all together, which i have to tell you, is no easy feat! but getting some new early fall clothes in the mail was certainly a good excuse to do it! i’m having a lot of fun putting edie in little vintage dresses with tiny cardigans, while adam is going a bit more practical with sturdy pants and comfy sweaters. but this is california, so you know we all love our sandals, haha! these are some of my favorite classics from saltwaters sandals, swedish hasbeens, and birkenstocks. they all stand up to constant wear and go with pretty much everything. and i love the convenience of being able to buy all of these brands in one place with free shipping, free returns, and excellent customer service.

i’m wearing: colorant cashmere sweater, samantha pleet plank jeans, swedish hasbeens braided high clog sandals

edie is wearing: vintage dress, petite soul bonnet, pumpkin patch kids chunky cardigan, saltwater sandals sea wees

adam is wearing: fairends camp hat, polo ralph lauren kids hooded pullover, volcom kids frickin slim chino pants, birkenstock kids roma sandals

all linked items courtesy of zappos

fashion, fall 2016

garmentory pop up vintage shop!

October 3, 2016 2 Comments

it’s vintage month at garmentory! they’re hosting an exclusive pop-up shop all october long with one-of-a-kinds and coveted pieces from vintage curators where i was from, duo nyc, hey jude, blacksheep, the shudio, kaleidos, objects without meaning, shop boswell, johan and nonna. the shop just opened today, so you better head over because i have a feeling these pieces will be selling out fast. and you know the drill with vintage, once it’s gone, it’s gone!

bonus: if you’ve never shopped at garmentory before, you can get $20 off your first purchase using my referral link to sign up! the credit will automatically be applied to your account and works on anything available through the site.

lifestyle

des enfantillages

September 30, 2016 No Comments

even though today is only the last day of september, it really is that time of year when we’re switching gears and preparing for the holiday season. i always let it creep up on me, but with two babies to tend after, it’s become very important for me to prepare well in advance if i want to accomplish even half of the things on my to-do list for the holidays. that means i already have their halloween costumes picked out and almost complete, and i’m already thinking ahead to christmas gifts and birthday parties (adam’s birthday is at the very beginning of january, i can’t forget)! this year, we seem to have lots more babies and small children around us than in years past, so i’ve been on the hunt for nice gifts. which is how i came across the montreal-based children’s brand, des enfantillages. they make the most simple and charming little toys for children that i have come across in a while.

as i’ve mentioned before, we practice the montessori method both at school and at home for the kids. if you search around online, you’ll notice that a lot of the toys are very plain and simple. part of the ideology is that you don’t want things that are overly stimulating or distracting while they are engaging in imaginative play. and while i do tend to follow that to a certain extent, i do still enjoy a bit of color and whimsy. so these toys really do hit all the right notes for us. not that we don’t also have tonka monster trucks for good measure, but i do like to have a balance of toys around the house that will be both entertaining and educational for the kids. plus these make especially good gifts!

lifestyle, home

high traffic with stainmaster

September 29, 2016 7 Comments

we’re just getting into the fun stage with edie! she turned 5 months old this week and is getting pretty eager to start her adventures in crawling. it will probably be another month before she’s up on all fours, but for now, she’s having a heck of a time trying! so last week, i took to the living room to make things more baby-friendly to help edie along on her adventures. because when it comes to our decor, i think of the house as a living, breathing space that changes and grows with my children. i removed the coffee table completely, and decided to get a nice plush rug for her to roll around on. i know i just got finished talking about some of my previous rug mistakes, but when i saw this plush masterpiece in light colors, i had to have it. i know it goes against all of my own advice for keeping a house with a toddler and a baby, but if ever there is a rule, i have to break it. even when it’s my own rule!

it arrived in the mail just last week and we all oohed and ahhed as i laid it down in the living room. adam started running around on it and i took off my shoes to feel the softness beneath my feet. but if you so much as look at the thing, it gets dirty, haha! the living room is a well-used space, so i know this rug is going to be experiencing some heavy traffic between adam tracking in dirt from outside, edie drooling all over the place, and a rotating cast of friends and family coming to visit the kids. thankfully, i’ve been working with my friends at stainmaster to keep my beloved rugs clean, so i pulled out my stash of stainmaster rug and carpet cleaners to see what i could do to give this rug the longest life as possible. my current favorite? the high traffic cleaner. this heavy duty foaming cleaner loosens and lifts tracked-in soil, then goes a step further by applying an invisible shield to repel dirt and protect against resoiling. all you have to do is shake the can, spray the foam from about two feet away and spread it around with a sponge or mop, then wait for the foam to dry so you can vacuum to remove loosened dirt and dry foam. i get to keep my pretty rug and the kids get to play on it without giving me a heart attack.

giveaways, fall 2016

enter to win $150 to shop boswell!

September 28, 2016 5 Comments

today i am very pleased to share my latest giveaway with shop boswell! if you’ve been following me for a little while, then you may be familiar with this portland-based milliner whose hats are found almost permanently atop my head, but what you may not know is that she also has an online boutique filled with beautiful clothes and accessories from some of my favorite designers. or if you’re lucky enough to be in the portland area, you can visit her brick and mortar shop with her hat making studio nestled in the back. she offers a really excellent selection of new and emerging designers with a focus on quality craftsmanship and handmade objects. some of my favorites include caron callahan, correll corell, and wrk-shp to name only a few. she’s just released her new fall 2016 lookbook, so we’ve decided to celebrate by offering you a chance to win $150 towards anything in the shop. i’m sharing a few images here, but you really should head over to the shop to see the rest!

Enter to win $150 to Shop Boswell!

laura dart – photographer

kim namanny from windowwall salon – hair and makeup

laura burke – model

brookes boswell – styling

lifestyle, home

home improvements with the munchkin vibe gate

September 20, 2016 5 Comments

as you know, a big focus around the house lately has been in making improvements wherever we can–some large, some small. but with edie and adam to watch after, we’ve had put off some of our bigger projects until we can figure out the logistics of living through renovations. which means we’ve had to do a lot of improvising when it comes to creating a pleasant and kid-friendly space in the meantime. i’ve talked about this before, but a lot of the guiding principles in our home decor are centered around creating a montessori environment whenever possible, but as any parent will tell you, that isn’t always possible. especially when you have a half-finished kitchen that isn’t exactly toddler-proof!

which is why we were so excited to partner with munchkin to try out the vibe gate. the idea behind the design of this sleek baby gate was to turn an everyday safety item into a beautiful addition to your home decor. and you know how much this concept speaks to me! even though we’re putting a big focus on function, it’s still really important for me to have a beautiful space that both kids and adults can enjoy together. this gate functions exactly as it should, it’s constructed out of incredibly sturdy steel and mesh with a very simple turnkey mount that literally takes a few minutes to install, and it comes in a range of 5 different colors and designs, whether you want something minimal and neutral like ours, or you want to go more bright and playful with a pink hello kitty! from the moment i opened the box, i could tell they paid attention to all of the details, from the simple packaging to the easy closing latch that clicks perfectly into place.

it’s taken adam a bit of getting used to, but it’s given me some peace of mind without being an eye sore. i love the way it blends in with our mid-century modern decor, and i feel so much better knowing that i don’t have to worry about my toddler sneaking in to the kitchen–or his baby sister crawling in after him!

beauty

my beauty basics

September 15, 2016 4 Comments

it’s been a while since i’ve shared my favorite beauty essentials, so this post is long overdue. especially considering how i painstakingly search for and try new beauty products all of the time. really! i could probably have my own beauty blog if i wasn’t so shy about showing pictures of my face, haha. i don’t have makeup artists skills or anything like that, but i am addicted to testing out every lotion, soap, and cosmetic out there. at least when it comes to daily beauty looks. i don’t experiment a lot with flashy makeup, but if you want to know about waterproof liquid liners or lip and cheek stains, i’ve probably tried them all.

first aid beauty ultra repair hydrating serum – i’m actually a fan of a lot of first aid beauty products, but this has been my go-to serum for a while now. everything about this serum is ideal, from the opaque packaging that protects it from breaking down in the light to the pump dispenser that keeps your fingers from contaminating the product with germs. and of course, let’s not forget that it is filled with loads of antioxidant ingredients and doesn’t include any potentially irritating ingredients like fragrance or essential oils.

glossier priming moisturizer – truth be told, i first got into this line of products because i was drawn to the packaging. but it totally lives up to the hype! i am obsessed with anything including hyaluronic acid because it works instantly to plump up your skin. not kidding. it has a kinda fluffy, lightweight texture to it that is ideal for my skin type. which is, honestly, just regular skin, or what most people refer to as combination. my friends with dry skin say this isn’t heavy duty enough, but i find it to be perfect. i’m also a big fan of first aid beauty skin rescue oil-free mattifying gel as a moisturizer. especially good for oily skin or in the summertime when you need something lighter.

marc jacobs under(cover) perfecting coconut primer – this one was a bit of a surprise for me because i’ve never really seen the need for product primers, and i’ve never tried any marc jacobs cosmetics before. but this stuff is awesome! particularly if you are a fan of coconut oil and want to avoid silicone-based primers while still achieving a smooth surface for makeup application. i don’t have a problem with silicones, but i do love coconut oil and it’s just a really great product.

glossier coconut balm dotcom – i use this for essentially the same reason as i like the marc jacobs primer. coconut! other than that, it’s basically just vaseline, which is fine by me when it comes to hydrating my lips.

bareminerals complexion rescue – this has been my daily go-to since the product first launched. full disclosure, i received my first bottle as part of a paid promotion, but have since used multiple bottles until the very last drop. it’s kinda like a tinted moisturizer or cc cream (which are basically the same thing). not moisturizing enough to use without a lotion first, but that’s ok because it’s really meant to be used as a sheer foundation. if you have acne or anything like that, it won’t do much to cover it, but if you’re just looking for something to even out you skin tone while giving you that glowy look, then you will love this stuff. it’s a bestselling product, so they also recently introduced an expanded line of colors, which is even better. if you want something with more coverage, i live by the make up for ever ultra hd foundation. it’s highly pigmented, comes in a million colors, and is buildable so you can do either a really sheer wash or layer it on for complete coverage.

clinique all about eyes concealer – as far as concealers go, this is one of a handful of favorites. i’m featuring it mostly because it’s what i am currently using. i tend to cycle back and forth between this, the tarte maracuja creaseless waterproof concealer, and the nars radiant creamy concealer. they’re all really good. the downside to the clinique one is that they don’t have a ton of shades, so this might not work for you if you have darker skin or just a harder-to-match color. i use the light petal color which is kinda peachy, but i like that because it helps to color correct my dark under eye circles.

glossier boy brow – as with a lot of the glossier products, this isn’t revolutionary, but it is really great. i have been a huge fan of brow pomade since forever. it used to be, if i wasn’t going to wear any makeup, i would still just apply a brow pomade. this one is really nice for when you just want a natural look to enhance your brows. definitely not a precision tool, but that’s kinda why i like it. just a casual, easy look when you’re not trying to look done up. if you want more recommendations, i love everything by anastasia new york, especially the dipbrow pomade. you can use a really precise angled brush with this if you prefer something a bit more exact.

rms lip2cheek – these tiny pots of lip and cheek stain have some serious pigmentation to them. i was kind of turned off by the price tag for how small it is, but then i realized it’s because it will last forever and ever. i like the ethos behind the brand, and they have a ton of different natural shades that i enjoy. i’m also a big fan of the josie maran coconut watercolor cheek gelee and glossier generation g. oh, and i always have a bottle of the original benefit benetint. i’ve used it since i was 15 years old and let’s just say that’s more than half of my life at this point.

this post is not sponsored in any way, but i did use affiliate links and i’m sharing my link for 20% off your first purchase from glossier because who doesn’t love a discount?

lifestyle, home

a nursery tour on apartment therapy!

September 12, 2016 1 Comment

i’ve got some really exciting news to share today! first off, i recently started writing for apartment therapy! i’ve been a huge fan of the site for years, so i’m incredibly honored to be a part of the team even in a small way. and it comes at the perfect time because i’ve really become obsessed with pulling our little house together, so this is a really great outlet for all of the energy i’ve been pouring into all of our upcoming renovation projects.

which brings me to the title of this post: i was so excited when my editor asked me if i would like to share a before and after of adam and edie’s shared nursery/toddler room! i’ve been sharing more and more glimpses into the space over the past several months and while i do still plan to make some changes, this is pretty much the big reveal. i do plan to share a few more detailed posts that talk a lot more about why i chose everything in the space, but for now, you can get a look at what we’ve done. it’s funny, too, because even though i’ve been there for the whole transformation, it’s still kinda blows my mind to see the before and after shots.

lifestyle, home

don’t sweat the small stuff with stainmaster

September 9, 2016 6 Comments

as i’m sure you know, the past couple of years have seen a lot of change around here. it’s been an adjustment getting used to life with a toddler and an infant, on top of settling into our first home together as a family. the place has really started come together decor-wise in recent months, but it hasn’t always been that way. let me tell you a little story: before adam was born, i was never really into home decor. i was into punk as a kid and as i grew older, my various apartments were mostly filled with random thrift store furniture, house plants, half-finished art projects, piles of laundry… i didn’t know a thing about lamps or rugs or accent pieces. but in those last moments before adam was born, my hormones kicked into high gear and i suddenly found myself in a nesting frenzy. i was literally rearranging furniture at 38 weeks pregnant, and in a panic because his nursery wasn’t even finished. and in my rush to get the house perfect for the baby, i made some… interesting design choices. for one, i fell in love with a very stunning (and very expensive) vintage kilim rug with a pale floral pattern. and then adam was born.

shortly after his birth, our doctor referred to him as a “happy spitter,” which was basically a polite way of saying that he was a puking machine. he didn’t have anything medically wrong with him, he wasn’t sick or suffering from reflux or anything, he just puked. a lot. within months, my entire apartment was literally covered in baby puke. and that beautiful pastel rug i was talking about? let’s just say it was a small sacrifice to pay for a happy, healthy baby. fast forward a couple of years and i’ve learned quite a few lessons about decor and housekeeping. for starters, it’s probably a good idea to choose a rug in a more forgiving color scheme and pattern, preferably something that was designed for high traffic areas and lots of messes. we swapped out our beloved vintage rug for indoor/outdoor rugs made of 100% recycled plastic bags! they look like wool, but they do a really good job of repelling dirt, so they require a lot less care than a super absorbent natural fiber. but also, there are such things as cleaners that you can use to clean up messes before they get out of hand. yeah.

enter stainmaster carpet care. we teamed up with the brand to try their line of carpet care products, which are specifically designed to treat stain-resistant, nylon, and polyester carpets and rugs like the ones we now use. they have several different formulas designed to remove tough stains while leaving behind an invisible shield to repel dirt and protect against future stains without sticky residue. those two simple solutions have totally changed the way i react to my little “mess makers” around the house. now when edie spits up or adam drops his food, i’m not stressing myself out over ruined rugs. we simply wipe it up and move one to more important things. which is exactly the type of outlook us mamas need to keep sane and enjoy these precious moments with our little ones before they’re all grown up! oh, and it doesn’t hurt when dad pitches-in and helps us clean our messes, too!