5 Great Dresses Under $50

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Outdoor Play Spaces for Kids

Outdoor spaces are important for kiddos - especially because their attention is so divided by TV and video games so it's always good for them to have a fun reason to be outside playing.  These amazing spaces look so awesome, I am ready to put on some shorts and hang out in the sunshine.  They can camp out one night under a striped tent, build & paint tunnels with the cardboard boxes, bury their favorite toys in the sand, or hold babysitter club meetings in the playhouses.  Either way, each of these spaces is sure to please any kid and keep them outside expelling energy and soaking up their daily Vitamin D.  What do you think - can you see your little ones enjoying one of these?

{images and products found via here: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight}

Maxi Skirts

 

Have you been indulging in the maxi trend?  If so, here are 9 looks to steal from boho, to rocker, to casual and dressed-up.  Pleated maxi skirts are a great look that make your outfit look effortless while keeping you comfy and it's a huge trend this Spring because of our changing weather.  My favorite look is definitely the fuchsia skirt (second to last) because of the mix between a feminine color and heels with a rocking black leather jacket - the soft/hard look is a great juxtaposition.  Happy Monday!

{Pictures via here: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.  For similar looks, you can find look #5 here, look #3 here, a great Alice & Olivia maxi here, for under $100 check out this one, a pink boho maxi here, a great aqua maxi by BCBG here and for the budget-conscious gal this one is a great choice.}

Darling Thursday: Outfits for Spring

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Spring is here and with that comes shorts, slip-on shoes, dresses and many days in the park having picnics and playing on the swings.  The little ones are sure to look cute in anything they wear, but if you're looking for ideas, here are two Spring outfits to keep them stylish and comfy.  I love the print on the dress - the whimsical fabric is by Sarah Jane, but the sweet dress is an Etsy creation.  The shark shorts are also adorable and come in a great color, but those Keen boys' shoes are so cute I am about to start searching the web for the adult version!  Happy shopping & hope you're having a fantastic week.

Umbrellas for Spring!

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It's the start of April showers, and already Austin is brewing with thunderstorms and golf-ball sized hail is falling on our rooftops.  I love a great thunderstorm, especially on weekends when I can cuddle up on my couch and watch romantic comedies like Annie Hall on TV.  This morning however, I couldn't find a single umbrella I loved in our hall closet - they were all useful of course, but none that I absolutely loved.  So, off to the intrawebs I went searching for that perfect umbrella for Spring showers.

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There were a bazillion options - red ones & blue ones, dainty ones & goofy ones - and it was very hard to choose one until I saw the adorable red heart-shaped umbrella.  How cute is it?!  It's not too fussy or plain, but just the right mix of classic and whimsy.  I can not wait to receive it in the mail.  The cab-printed umbrella would be adorable for New Yorkers and the classic blue one makes me want to travel to London and put on some Hunter rain boots. Happy shopping & stay dry!

Darling Thursday: Children's Animal Coats

While rummaging through the pages of Etsy, I happened upon the cutest little shop filled with the most enchanting children's coats - owls, and lions and dinos, Oh my!  Seriously, they are ridiculously adorable and also made by a fellow Texan so I thought I would dedicate this week's Darling Thursday post to Little Goodall, a whimsical shop featuring handmade coats for the little ones.  The coats were even selected as one of Babble.com's Top 100 Newborn Essentials in 2011, and it's owner, Molly, is all too happy to gift wrap your coat for their special birthday.  Hop on over to her shop and have a look at more of her wonderful creations.  Happy Shopping!

An Etsy Easter Basket

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Easter is on Sunday, and what better way to celebrate it than by buying baskets and filling them with goodies for the kids! You can always choose to buy the pre-made baskets from stores, but I love personalizing them with heartfelt gifts, school supplies, and lots of yummy treats.  Besides, aren't these Etsy goods much cuter than those store-bought baskets?!

With 11 nieces and nephews, buying treats for everyone gets pretty expensive so I usually try to make them colorful eggs filled with confetti, sugar cookies with elaborate decorations, and then buy funky erasers for school from Target's dollar aisle along with little metal pails or felt baskets.  They never seem to mind what's in the basket as long as there is lots of candy.  Then of course, we all get ready for the big hunt and hide eggs all over the yard for them - eggs filled with candy, confetti, money, and even hard-boiled ones.  Last year, our littlest niece ate the entire hard-boiled egg, shell and all!  It was absolutely hilarious and no one had even noticed until she was almost done with it.  How about you - do you have any fun Easter memories?

Jackets for Spring Weather

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It was such a beautiful weekend - we spent the entire day on Saturday hiking through Zilker park, riding the Zephyr train, playing on the swings and dreaming of summer days at Barton Springs Pool.  Afterwards, we went to Homeslice Pizza for a bite to eat and a few beers followed by shopping on South Congress.  

Then Sunday morning rolled around and cold weather had arrived in Texas causing many of us to ravage through our closets for the perfect jacket for this crisp Spring weather. Though I didn't find appeasing options in my closet, I did scour the web to find many cute options - some with 3/4 sleeves, some light, some heavy (snow is still falling in the Midwest!), some colorful, and others true classics.  So, happy shopping and hope you're having a wonderful Monday.

Happy Weekend

pic via here

I am absolutely thrilled to have my big brother, little nephew, niece, AND mom here for the weekend!  We are planning a trip on Saturday to the Texas Hill Country which means picnics in sunshine, wine tasting and antique shopping plus lots of board games and storytelling.  It is always amazing to having them here with me and I'm really looking forward to helping him celebrate his birthday.  Then after they leave on Sunday, one of our favorite people ever is flying in from LA on Monday for two days.  It's definitely going to be a wild weekend, but special nonetheless.  I hope you have a lovely weekend and please enjoy these links from around the web.

celebs on pregnancy

hilarious commentary on David Beckham's bum

a moving photo by Yoko Ono on John Lennon's death

and in celebration of their wedding anniversary, their wedding album

npr on dubstep and SXSW

green sunglasses

Katie Holmes' beauty secrets

perfect schoolbag for kids

gift guide for men

cute peter pan collar

buy shoes for a good cause

most hilarious birth announcement ever

Spring Wedges

colorblock, check. coral, check. wedge, check.  

all signs point to this being the perfect & most affordable spring shoe!

Darling Thursday: A Baby Nursery for Girls



mobile / crib / kitten / bear / heart print / eames rocker / pouf / floor lamp

This April there will be two new additions to our family including a precious baby girl and the other is still a surprise.  As a result though, I've been shopping for cute little dresses and layettes and visiting the cutest baby boutiques.  I am amazed by how far nursery designs have come over the years - you can truly tailor the nursery to fit your design aesthetics by choosing modern furnishings or shabby chic fabrics or whimsical artwork.  The result is a room that flows well with the rest of the house's design versus one awkward & random room. 

Pictured above are some of my absolute favorites - the classic Eames rocker, a pouf to rest your tired & swollen feet, a sweet heart print reminding your little one of how much you love them, and something pretty for them to look at from inside their cozy but modern crib.

wallpaper / dresser / mirror / ladybug

 

And of course, every little one needs lots of storage to tuck away those darling dresses, pajamas and separates.  As your little one scoots around on her ladybug, Momma can fix her hair in this modern mirror or marvel at how sweet this flowered wallpaper is!

 

 

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And then there's the artwork.  How cute is this collection of whimsical prints & vintage needlepoint pieces?  I seriously want to purchase all of these and place them on a wall.  It's a really great mix of new & old but sweet enough for your little one.

 

I hope you love & adore these nursery items for a little girl as much as me!  What do you think - too modern or just right?

Etsy For Men

mod tea towels / vintage wayfarers / bicycle cuff-links / leather messenger bag / wild man cologne / tweed jacket / wooden bowtie / beethoven bookends / vintage binoculars / handyman's book / drinking glasses

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This week's Etsy post is dedicated to the gorgeous men in our lives whom we love and adore.  It's really hard to find great gifts for men and even doing a web search for a gift guide comes up with lousy suggestions.  As a result, I really wanted to focus my attention on finding things that would work for each of the scruffy men that surround us whether they be our partners, fathers, brothers or best friends.  Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the things I've found and purchased a few for my big brother, Bryan, who's birthday is today!

Happy Birthday, big brother!

Black & White Dresses

Black & White dresses are amazing because they can be used during any season by simply changing the color of your tights & lipstick.  Plus, they can be used for any type of occasion (barring the fact that they aren't velvet or satin) - dress them down with a denim jacket and flats or pair the dress with some sexy heels, clutch and dangling earrings for an art gallery opening or fancy dinner.  

Color-block dresses and shirts have been trendy for a few years now, and there are definitely a few here that  fit that category but my favorites of the looks below include #1 & #8 in the first picture - the sleek black lines add such a modern touch on the white dresses, really making them special.  For everyday, #2 & #5 in the second picture are perfect - comfortable and stylish.

Either way, here are 14 dresses (from $50 - $1k) sure to make you stand-out at any function.  Happy Shopping!

Ps. Can you tell the bargains apart from the high-end dresses?

1. Jamila Dress 2. New Della Sheath 3. Made to Border Dress 4. Audrey's Lace Dress 

5. Walk a Divine Line Dress 6. Party Dress 7. One Shoulder Dress 8. Aphrodite Dress

Left to Right: One Two Three Four Five Six

Happy Weekend

It is a beautiful day today and I am so happy to be enjoying it outside reading books and planning new projects.  Of course, I've spent most of my free week under the weather (catching up on Season 2 of Girls) or working on my re-upholstery project.  Of the three chairs, one is completely done and I am about 80% happy with it.  Mainly, I have a few more things to learn when it comes to attaching the cording and my paint job on one of the chairs could definitely use some work.  It's been fun, rewarding, and educating so I'm glad that this week has stretched me ability-wise.

I am also really looking forward to enjoying some quality time with my boyfriend this weekend.  We are planning on making a big meal tomorrow, cuddling on the sofa with some movies and will most assuredly be avoiding the SXSW craziness that is occurring around town.  What are your plans for the weekend?  I hope it's lovely and please enjoy these links from around the web...

article on changing careers

lena dunham

sexy heels

arianna huffington on burning out at work

adorable play kitchen

pretty cookware

I totally agree (with her dutch oven rant).

good advice for desk jobs

my current purse crush

whoa, pyrex, I heart you.

the First Lady's best looks

a great (and extremely affordable) Spring skirt


{picture via here}

Spring Sandals!

I absolutely love and want these sandals for Spring!  It's very on trend with the the gold accessory, wedge heel and chevron pattern.  What do you think?

Darling Thursday: Spring Dresses, Layering Tees & Sketch Bodysuits

There's a saying - If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change - and it definitely applies to Texas.  Lately, we've been having 40 degree nights and 80 degree days with cold fronts sporadically gracing our week.  It's been funky, but I consider it a great excuse to wear layers.  And, there's no reason the kids shouldn't look just as great for this early Spring weather.  Curated from around the web, today's Darling Thursday brings you Spring dresses for girls, layering tees for boys, and funky bodysuits with artsy sketches for the babies.   

1. Raindrops Shift / 2. Blue Floral  Dress / 3. Mignone Dress / 4. Floral Floating Dress / 5. Broderie Party Dress

1. Stripe Tee / 2. Funky Monkey Tee / 3. New York Tee / 4. Charcoal Henley / 5. Seaside T-Shirt 

1. Sammie Bodysuits / 2. Robot Bodysuit / 3. Giraffe Bodysuit / 4. Fish Bodysuit / 5. Dog Bodysuit

Affordable DIY Art: Framing Dish Towels

I love using random things for artwork and mixing them in with "real" art and photographs, especially since there are some amazing graphic artists out there.  Plus, it keeps me from breaking the bank as a result of purchasing multiple pieces of art.  

Lately, I've been obsessed with framing dish towels like the one I found above at Crate & Barrel for $6!  The frame is from Ikea and cost only $25 which brought my total cost to $31!  It's a total steal and you would be surprised on how many compliments I get over this piece.  No one usually guesses it's a framed towel, but it definitely is.  Honestly, it's become one of my favorite pieces in my apartment since it adds such a great pop of color to my white walls.

This one from Crate & Barrel would also be great to frame for a kitchen as well as these two (one & two) from Anthropologie. 

Etsy Tuesday: Handmade Wooden Toys

This week's Etsy Tuesday is dedicated to the darling little ones who surround us but then again - who wouldn't love these cute little wooden toys?!  I am in total awe of the people who made them since their woodworking skills are amazing and on par with Ron Swanson's (which is definitely saying something).  I'm really tempted to buy a few of these and use them as home decor, especially the gnome tic-tac-toe set and the pink camera. Plus I have a few nephews & nieces on the way so I'll definitely be shopping at their Etsy stores soon!


Top Row (L to R): 30-Piece Set of Wooden Blocks, Elephant Puzzle, Gnome Tic-Tac-Toe Game
Middle Row: Red Play Kitchen, Three Developmental Rattles, Dump Truck
Bottom Row: Oatmeal & Berries Play set, Play Dolls, Toy Camera

Peter Pan Collars

Peter Pan collar necklaces are very trendy at the moment and come in a wide assortment from vintage pearl collars to punk-rock inspired metal ones.  Plus, they are an extremely easy way to add a splash of sweetness or edge to your outfit and I just can't stop loving on them right now.  What do you think - fashion do or fashion don't?

For your shopping pleasure, here are the links to purchase these collars:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine