OUTFITS IRL

SHIRT (similar) / JEANS / SHOES (similar) / EARRINGS

Hi! Welcome to 2018 and the first post of the year [finally!]. I’m finding a lot of people are asking where to find clothing, baby stuff and home pieces that I post on Instagram or in IG Stories, and try as I might, it’s hard to always post the exact link or have time to find a similar option. I’ve never really gotten into LIKEtoKNOW.it, but have started linking certain things in my IG Stories [swipe up ;)] as a way to help share products in a more immediate fashion. Honestly, if people prefer LIKEtoKNOW.it, voice your opinion and I’ll attempt to figure that system out! But for now, I decided it might be fun to do a quick recap of the real outfits I wear on a daily basis to work, to run errands, to the playground, to lounge around on weekends at home. Since with two kids it’s kind of hard to shoot and post full outfit posts these days, let’s try this way of sharing and let me know what you all think of it! Mind you, it’s all mainly iPhone pictures, but you can see what my go-to outfits have been recently, how I’ve styled them and hopefully it will lend some inspiration! If you like this sort of recap, leave a comment and let me know so I can put them together more regularly. 

CAMISOLE / JEANS / SANDALS / SCARF

SHIRT (similar) / JEANS / JACKET (option #2) / SHOES (option #2)

SHIRT (option #2) / JEANS / JACKET (option #2) / SHOES (similar)

SHIRT (option #2) / JEANS / SHOES / EARRINGS

CREATING NEUTRAL HOLIDAY DECOR

Here we are, it’s nearly Christmas again and I’m continually stunned at how fast the months are going by. While I love the holiday season and everything it encompasses, I’m not really known for my knock out Christmas decorations. I guess it’s one of those odd things, considering I have zero chill when it comes to decorating for smaller occasions like the girls birthdays or even just a simple Halloween gathering. I can’t contain myself in those situations. I’m always festive! I’ve convinced myself that maybe it’s the overwhelming amounts of bright colors that cause me to be easily scared off or possibly just the overwhelming amount of options these days to choose from or maybe now with kids, I just feel like everything will get broken and pulled off the tree. So, I did a quick search trying to source some neutral holiday inspiration, and came to find, there weren’t a ton of options. This is where I decided to partner with Pier 1 Imports again and share some tips on creating an affordable neutral holiday palette, whether you’re doing everything last minute or just want some ideas for a simpler set up this year or also have tiny humans ready to destroy everything at a moment’s notice.

It’s no secret that I’m pretty minimal and tend to steer clear of bold colors or patterns in my clothing choices, and that is also reflective in my home decor. To begin, I chose silver, white and wood as my main ‘colors’ and used them as the common denominators when choosing decorations. [I’ll take the time now to mention that you should start a drinking game (with hot cider, of course *wink, wink*) and take a swig for every time I use the word ‘decoration’ or ‘decor’ or ‘holiday’ in this post!] I found silver ornaments that were a mix of glittery, matte and shiny and started with those. Check! I let Parker pick out one ornament that she loved, and she choose the little grey sweater, which was insanely cute. Then I added in some natural touches to the tree with these pinecone additions, that are in fact napkin rings, but don’t let them fool you… they can also be hung on the tree like ornaments. The ornaments are plastic and the pinecones are very sturdy, so the kids can help hang them and nothing will be broken. The final touch on the tree… bells. Why? So I can keep track of any tiny hands trying to sneak up on the tree or attempting to peek at presents. Genius, I know.

Probably my favorite neutral option for the holidays is birch. Anything birch. I was able to find these super chic birch pillars, that could honestly also be flipped over and used as vases for flowers. They also have birch wrapping paper, that helps keep everything uniform and not a mess of wrapping designs under the tree. Newspaper is also a great neutral option for wrapping if you have some laying around! To create the tree skirt, I used two of these super soft and lush blankets and just wrapped them around the bottom area. Pretty cozy if you ask me!

I spoke in my harvest post about the importance of letting your mantle take center stage during the holiday season and December is her finest hour. I snagged this extra long garland from our local tree stand and spruced it up with a couple of these white pinecone picks. They’d also be great to put in the tree with the ornaments. All of the products are classic in a way that they can be used year after year and even incorporated into a larger, more colorful, theme if you choose to go that route.

In closing, even if you’re a contestant on ‘The Great American Light Fight’, I would hope even this lends you some inspiration and always remember that holiday cheer can come in a small dose and still make a big impact! Happy Holidays, friends!

Other products featured: Cake stand / candle / twinkle lights / metallic basket / pillar candles / white mugs

*This post is in partnership with Pier 1, a brand we use around our home. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support my little space of the internet. All of the products mentioned are available at your local Pier 1 Imports store location or www.pier1.com*

CONCRETE HOUSE TOUR

If you could believe it, these are actually two houses that sit together near the seaside on Zhoushan Island in China. After being unoccupied for nearly 70 years, they received a facelift and were updated internally, as well as, externally to withstand the harsh conditions of typhoon season. Hence, all the concrete. The entire structure is made up of bedrooms renovated from the two old houses and then a studio converted from an old kitchen that now has a glass ceiling. Since they kept a good bit of detail from the original structures, they're old and modern at the same time. Which is my favorite mix!! 

photos via: oracle fox