stripes shopping

So I have a fashion confession to make: I have a complete and total addiction to stripes.  It actually got so bad at one point that when I couldn't decide what to wear, Darrell would just say "just put on something striped like you always do."  See posts here, here, here, here (this could go on for a while) as evidence!  So this summer when I was putting together my wardrobe, I decided to completely cut stripes out of my wardrobe.  Break the rut.  No buying anything striped!  

But guys.  

I really missed them.  Looking ahead to fall, it's pretty much all that I want to buy.....and I've decided to cave to my impulses.  The Nordstrom anniversary sale had WAY too many cute pieces (many for under $20, holla) and I have already loaded my fall wardrobe with stripes in every color and width.  So obviously I had to share my finds with you, right?  

(ps - You can have that drop shoulder tee from J.Crew monogrammed. I obviously did.)  

If you haven't checked it out yet, this weekend is the last couple of days of the Nordstrom anniversary sale, and many of the pieces I picked here are only discounted thru Monday, so definitely check it out!  I spy a sweater and tee in the collage that are less than $20!

the best swimsuit trend ever

Left, Middle, Right

In "things I never though I'd do" posting post-baby photos of myself in a bikini on the internet probably topped the list, but here we are because sometimes you have to share the important stuff, right?  

So, bathing suits and I, it's always been kind of a saga.  Not because I have any terribly horrible wobbly bits I'm attempting to hide from the world, but because of my boobs.  

They've always been huge.  ALWAYS.  Lord knows they didn't get the slightest bit smaller when I got pregnant and then started nursing a baby, so my hopes for finding a swimsuit this summer were pretty low.  In one-pieces, gravity wasn't as nice to them as I wanted.  In halter tops, the knot behind my neck was downright painful.  Those had always been my go to, and many summers in a row I've dropped upwards of $100 on JUST THE TOP of a halter bikini that was adjustable in the band for my tiny ribcage, yet large enough in the cups for the girls.  Tops that fit that criteria have historically been hard to find and very expensive, without exception.  My mother and I have even joked about starting our own swimwear line because it was obviously such a problem.  

Then this year apparently designers thought to themselves "hmm, I wonder if women want to do stuff in bikinis like run, play, and dance.  Isn't the average bra size in America a C cup?  Maybe we should make swimsuits like sports bras!"  Or something of that nature, and so they did!    

The week before Memorial Day weekend I was feeling daunted at the task of finding a good swimsuit for our trip to the lake, and I found a goldmine.  I bought an unprecedented SIX swimsuits this year, all at Target.  Do I need six swimsuits in a summer?  Absolutely not, but I am seriously concerned that the trends next year won't be so good, so I stocked up.  I excitedly texted my mom photos from the dressing room, like I needed reassurance that they were really that good. For sizing reference, I got a medium in all the tops and a small in all the bottoms.  

You can shop all the suits I bought including ones not pictured here in the widget below, and I also included links to my favorite solid color bottom, the Victoria's Secret "itsy," a fun and verrrrry cheeky brazilian style bottom.

 *This post was not sponsored in any way by Target or Victoria's Secret, I was just really excited to find affordable options that fit at a great price.  

the weekender

Easily my new favorite picture of Claire!  Ever!  She's so funny, and we had so much fun with her on this gorgeous summer weekend.  However, we have had a crazy crazy summer with just not enough time to just us, so on Friday night I practically begged Darrell for a date night and he made it happen!  My sainted brother in law came over to hang out on our couch after we put Claire down for the night and we got to have an old fashioned dinner and a movie date.  The verdict on "Trainwreck" is that we thought it was hilarious but my parents hated it so......might not be for everyone?  

Date night outfit for posterity and also this seems to be the thing to do on a blog. 

 

Links for my outfit - 

(My top, shorts, and wedges - which are on sale for $7.  No, I'm not kidding.) 

We didn't stay out TOO late, and Claire slept in until 8 so we had all kinds of energy to hit up the farmer's market and splash pad on Saturday morning.  I'm not sure that I can adequately describe how magical Tower Grove Farmer's market is for children.  Bubbles are obviously not easy to photograph but when we walked up there was a band playing, the fountain was covered in children splashing, and some genius had a huge bubble gun going.   It took Claire all of a minute to demand entry to the splash pad.  Also her saltwater sandals finally fit which basically makes my life, because more matching, all the time!  

 

 

We ended the day with pool and porch hangs, pretty much maxing out summer for all that it's worth.  

 

This weekend she started dancing, which is my favorite new milestone of alllll the milestones.  

 

I also might like Sophia the First more than Claire does - it's catchy, okay?  Now get yourself some coffee and go have a great Monday! 

forecastle festival!

 

 Take me back!  

That's what I'm thinking, just a little.   However, being away from Claire for three days is a LONG TIME so mostly by the end of our weekend at Forecastle I was thinking "take me back to Claire!"  

She had a fantastic time staying with my in-laws and Darrell's brother and girlfriend (soon to be sister in law!) who graciously provided us with adorable photos of Claire hanging out on their farm.   

WE had a fantastic time dancing to My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse, Sam Smith, and Portugal The Man, to name a few.  Oh, and staying in possibly the most adorable AirBNB house on the planet.  And now, cue the photo reel: 

 

This was the living room of our house, something straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog and the rest of the house wasn't much different!  I was half tempted to link to the owner's listing but honestly....I want to stay there next year.  No stealing it from us!  

 

 

 I realize this may seem like an odd place for a feather boa, but festivals are gigantic and it can be realllllly hard to find your crew after something as simple as a solo trip to grab a beer and fill up on water, so a random flying object can be amazingly helpful!  People get pretty creative with these things...

It was a small but really pretty area for a festival, complete with the river running right down the middle!  Annoyingly, there were tons of guards around this area that wouldn't let you actually get in, just dangle your feet (although that didn't keep people from doing it on day three, but temps climbed over 100 degrees.)  

 

Now I know you're all here to see what Claire did all weekend so, don't worry, I got you!  

 She obviously had a terrible time and missed us so much (hah!) Okay she WAS glad to see us when we got there but we honestly wondered if she missed us at all, she looked so happy in our photo updates.  And that baby bathrobe?  We may or may not have passed around our phones to half the people at the festival to show them that picture.  

To be continued at Lollapalooza in a week.....

And like what is this life of 50689 festivals this summer?  What parents do this?   

(who even are we!?!?!?)

white dress + the perfect wedges

I picked this dress up at Nordstrom at a ridiculously good sale price - $25 or something - earlier this summer and it has been worth every penny!  It has little pom poms on each tier, which is a detail I'm obsessed with, and is nicely lined (not nearly enough white dresses are!)   What is it about the heat that just makes you want to wear a white dress, always?  We snuck into the side yard to take these pics while Claire napped Sunday morning, before heading off to brunch with a cheerful and well-rested kiddo.   

Dress: Sun & Shadow, also comes in navy and less then $50!  (I'm wearing size small) 

Wedges: Jeffrey Campbell

Earrings: Kendra Scott - over half off! 

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

splash baby

 

 This summer we have lots of plans, but this weekend, for two glorious days we did not!  Which worked out well, because our teething baby needs lots of attention, and it was good to just enjoy a sunny weekend as a threesome.  We woke up early Saturday (I mean, we wake up early every day because BABY) but didn't much mind since we had plans to hit up the farmers market for dinner ingredients and most importantly, coffee.   I put Claire up in the pretty Kindred wrap I'm testing out, which we both loved. 

 

Last year right after Claire was born we went to the market pretty much every weekend.  We needed to get out of the house a little each day, but not TOO far our of the house.  The park was always the perfect destination for a sleepy newborn, a postpartum mom, and a dad learning the ropes. 

We used to see the kids at the splash pad and think about how much fun it would be when Claire was old enough to run around in it.  How cute they were, and how much we'd love sharing breakfast on the steps of the pool pavilion and drinking coffee while we watched her.  Those conversations were so vivid in my mind as we tore up our food truck crepes and sipped on iced coffee.  Afterwards I let Claire out of her stroller and she made a beeline for the water. 

It didn't take us long to ditch the dress, it was pretty much in her way.  At 9 am the temperature was perfect, and it wasn't too hot or sunny yet. 

She was so brave!  Easily the youngest kid there by probably about 6 months and she was practically leaping into the sprays.   There were a few careless big kids that almost knocked her down, but Darrell grabbed my forearm every time as if to say "she's fine, let her figure it out."  And of course being the independent kiddo she is, I had no reason to worry. 

a few 4th of July photos

 

 Happy Monday!! Except not at all.  Can I go back to Thursday?  I would like to do this weekend all over again!  We headed to the lake middle of last week and while the forecast originally threatened rain all weekend, each day the sun came out anyways!  

 

Claire made herself right at home immediately, marching around with "baby" and Elmo, her two #1 companions lately.  

 

During the week, there had been so much rain that the lake levels rose dangerously high, and although it sounds like a bummer it really worked out in our favor.  Friday the entire lake was declared a no wake zone, and that enabled us to take the boat out with Claire at an idle speed!  She could walk around as we cruised and even drove a little, as you can see.  

 

Darrell's brother Darrin and girlfriend Bridget, and our close friend (and neighbor!) Barrett came with us for the weekend, and we spent Saturday baby-less at the "Rehydrate" pool party at a lake bar.  Some may say we had TOO much fun, hah.    Excuse the port-o-potty photo bomb.  It was a classy joint, let me tell you.  People watching bonanza!!

 

Then we went back to the condo and got dress in our 4th of July finest for fireworks!  That darn bird statue was pretty determined to photo bomb us. 

 

 We hope you had as great of a weekend as we did, and Happy Independence Day!