white + pink + black

There are no less than ten million ways to be inspired by Paris fashion week, but today this lovely ensemble worn by Elena Perminova is my favorite. 

vogue.com

By the way, she is pregnant. So she officially has the most amazing maternity style of all time. What is so fetching about this to me is the color combination and the statement of wearing pastel even in the dead of winter. White, soft pink, and black is so crazy chic and easy to pull off in our every day lives. Here are a few ways to put it together...

Work: Asos slim blazer + Gap t-shirt + Robert Rodriguez pencil skirt 

Weekend: Love Quotes knotted scarf + Equipment shirt + Goldsign flared jeans

Night: House of Harlow necklace + Lanston top + J Brand skinnies

Fun combination, right? I am crushing on all of these. Especially those flared jeans. 

xo

Erin 

Paddington Cuteness

Baby Gap is on heavy rotation on my online shopping regime and their new Paddington Bear collection is a-dorable (all under $50). Cute stuff for Spring, but you could start sporting some of these pieces right now. Tommy is growing out of the Baby Gap sizes, but I will squeeze him into a couple of these just for fun. Baby girl is going to look so cute in red, white, and blue! 

1. This flutter dress is too much. Cute with leggings when it is still a little chilly. 

2. These little suede ballet flats are adorable. 

3. Every girl, regardless of age, needs a trench coat right? 

4. I can't even handle this polka dot romper. Layer a long sleeve onesie when it is still chilly. 

5. Color block on a boys hoodie is a great addition for every day wear. 

6. A toggle coat for little men. 

7. These little sneakers are so cute and preppy. 

9. Tommy wears these pants every day. Love the stripes. 

8. Love me a denim jumpsuit for little boys. The stripes are a cute addition. 

10. Tommy has a shawl sweater like this. It is the cutest. 

xo

Erin 

Hump Day Dreaming

Photo Credit: Teri Bockting 

With almost the entire country in a ridiculous cold snap, it is easy to do some serious wander lusting.  Normally I would be perusing travel magazine sites and checking out luxurious resorts in far off, super warm places by the ocean. But instead, I get really excited to read the adventures of a fellow blogger (and sorority sister) who packed up with her husband for six months for Asia. They left behind their jobs, house, adorable Frenchie, and have been documenting their trip on their blog. It is such a great way to feel like you are part of their adventure. You can read about how they came to the decision and the ways they prepared by starting with this post.  

Photo Credit: Teri Bockting on Instagram

Not to mention they are fun, honest about the ups and downs of their trip, taking advantage of all the culture around them, and fulfilling the dreams that so many of us have. Packing up and going on an adventure of a lifetime. I am so glad they did it so we can all be along for the ride. 

Where would you go if you had the chance to take off for an adventure? I think I would pick Asia too. 

xo

Erin 

Kitchen Table + Chairs

I am so excited that my table and chairs have come! Thank you for all your feedback when I was deciding, it made ordering new things sight unseen a lot less scary. As you remember, this was the old set (and old wall color). It was a great set that we ended up selling on Craigslist (first time!), but the dark color was too much with the dark floors and island. 

The new set is so much more bright and cheery. It seriously lightens up the entire space. 

I love the style of the Boerum table from West Elm. It has a farmhouse feel, but is in a modern style of a Parsons. This is the natural finish. And you will not believe that a table this large and of this quality was only $600. 

The Serena & Lily Riviera chairs were worth my obsession for a year. I LOVE them. The navy is the perfect color woven with bright white. Again, the quality is really nice, which scared me given the price and the fact I had never seen them in person. 

Another bonus to both pieces is there are easy to clean and durable for the kids. The chairs wipe clean and the table does not show every finger print like a dark stained version does. 

Such a fun addition to the house. And a huge relief that it all worked out after only shopping on the Internet. What do you think? 

xo

Erin  

Best & Worst: Grammys 2014

The Grammys are usually a night that gives us a lot to get excited about fashion wise. Mostly because it is a hot mess we get to rip apart, but also because these crazy music industry people give us major drama (and weirdness) and it is fun! Not so much last night. It all seemed a little safe. Like I kind of miss Gaga coming out in something crazy and everyone could give their two cents on her sanity. None the less, there was fashion...

Chrissy doesn't have to be there for any other reason than to be the date of her fine man, John Legend, and she kills it in this gold number. Great hair, too. 

These ladies all looked great as well. Sarah could lose the strappy sandals, but the dress is fun and chic. Guiliana was the only one who wore a bright color. Taylor looks pretty. And Anna, while not that exciting, looks fantastic. 

Madge came with her son. They look awesome. The cane is a bit much, but I love me a tuxedo and only Madonna can pull off that hat. 

Mr. & Mrs. Pink are looking fly. That dress fits her so well and he was able to cover up his 4,964 tattoos pretty well. 

I do not really know this Adriana girl, but I have to say I love this. the shoes and the hose (!) have to go. 

Alicia looks good, but the half mohawk and plunging neckline has been done. By her. 

I really want to like the Thicke's since they are HS sweethearts, but something about them weirds me out. Paula is gorgeous and she needs a new stylist asap. I think I could like this without the lion heads on the chest. Which is weird since these are zebra stripes, right? 

They look good, but a snoozer. 

It is so fun to see Paris on the red carpet again purely to see what train wreck she is going to be wearing. Cut outs, sheerness, AND a mock turtleneck. Horrendous. Worst dressed. Welcome back Paris! 

Another worst dressed. Too "theme-y" and over done. Plus, her hair. ugh

I wish there were more worst dressed, but really everyone was so tame and "safe." What did you think? 

There were a couple other best dressed girls there last night near the stage. 

Jenny wearing Mason on the left looks gorg in leather, side swept hair, and every girls best accessory, a bright lip. And how awesome does her Mom look? Lucky girls! 

xo

Erin 

Paris Couture + Oscars 2014

Paris Couture week for Spring always turns out lots of options for the ladies who will be gracing the red carpet come Oscar night. These shows turn it out with lots of drama, beading, and avant garde lux. This look is not what many of these ladies will go for, but let's play pretend (forget about the upcoming New York shows) and dress them from Paris.  

I weirdly cut out their heads and stuck them on the models. Please excuse my amateur skills...

Amy has been all about showing her boobs lately, I think covering up a little more and wearing something straight up pretty would be a nice change. This color would be gorgeous on her. (Elie Saab)

This shape would be perfect on Cate. I bet she choses something even more gorgeous, but this Giambattista Valli is pretty while still being interesting.  

We know Jen loves her a strapless dress. A ball gown with a slit would be a fresh change and the flowers are fun in such a pretty blue. Also Giambattista Valli. 

Can you tell I loved the Giambattista Valli show? Jennifer Lawrence will 100% wear Dior, but honestly there were not a whole lot of options from that show. I would DIE if she wore this it is kind of amazing. The color, the tank, the structure. It is insane. 

Lupita is more of a minimalist, which clearly has worked for her. But this Zuhair Murad would be a glitzy departure. She has the bod and this would be so gorgeous on her. 

This was my other fave from every show. Also Giambattista Valli. Margot Robbie would KILL it in this dress. 

This dress was made for Meryl and a little more sexy then her usual frocks. Meryl would clearly not show nipple. Armani Prive. 

Sandra is looking H-O-T these days and looks so pretty in white. This Ellie Saab (with some lining obvi) would be gorgeous on her. 

Anne will be there presenting most likely and will not want to steal the thunder from the nominees. (Or would she?) This frothy Chanel number would drape well on her frame and be just enough to shine. I would think that Rachel Zoe would pick something other than trainers as well. 

Matthew McConaughey's better half, Camila, will be looking gorgeous per usual on his arm. How amazing would this Versace be? I kind of dig the hood, but it would get panned and it too much for the Oscars. It could easily be removed and she would look smokin. 

Dame Dench is nominated this year and this Valentino kind of screams her, no? 

I have no idea if Nicole Ritchie is going, probably not. But if she does this Versace would be a-mazing on her. It is tribal, sexy, and dramatic. All kind of her thing. (isn't the way I cut out her face creepy? ha)

Julia was kind of stuffy at the Globes and I kind of think of her as a bit of a hippie now. This Armani is relaxed, but blingy enough that it could walk the carpet. 

It will be fun to see what actually happens on the real night. More shows to go in New York to make some predictions, but I bet we see at least a couple of these on Oscar Sunday. 

xo

Erin 

Style at Home

While I try to get out of the house as much as possible, when you have an infant (or two) you spend mucho of your time at home. In these frozen weeks we have had, even more so. While reaching for my tried and true Juicy pants from 2005 feels good, it probably does not look so good. I find that even if I am putting on some sort of lounge wear, the more chic it is the better I feel all day long. I still cannot get over how amazing Spanx leggings are, so I wear those a lot with soft sweaters. I could use some more pieces in my arsenal. 

1.  I have a lot of these little Asos dresses, they are so comfy and look cute with leggings. $64

2. A jumper is such a no brainer and great with a cardigan already in the closet. Splendid $78

3. T by Alexander Wang always has great basic pieces and this t-shirt dress is so chic. $89

4. These Joie pants are errand friendly and would elevate a comfy Sunday. $128 

5. Elastic waist band and a bold color? Sold. Splendid $105

6. I am a sucker for a stripe. These J. Crew pants are super soft too. $49

7. Loving these Won Hundred chambray shorts. $150

8. The soft peplum is a nice addition to the usually boring tank. Asos $18

xo

Erin 

Recovered and Refreshed

No, I did not just return from a spa trip, I wish. But, I did just return from a trip to the reupholster man that I recently discovered. I have had two of the original chairs from our dining room set (from Matt's grandmother) for years with the original fabric. While the mauve plaid was really "vintage," it was not cute. I have looked at hundreds of fabrics trying to pick one. Why is fabric so hard??? My biggest concern was that the rest of the room was not done at all, so I had to pick something I liked, but was also neutral enough to be incorporated into whatever design decisions were made down the road. I came across Mally Skok and her fantastic fabric a few months ago. If I chose one of her fabrics, I could then use another pattern in the same colors for other options for the room later (drapes, other chairs, pillows, etc.) So I went with a simple stripe in shades of blue....

When in doubt, go with stripes, right? I think it turned out fab. My next move for the dining room is going to be paint. Or possibly wall paper. The darker navy in the stripe of the fabric is my inspiration and I am fairly certain I would like to do dark navy grass cloth above the chair rail and white below with some wainscoting. I found this photo for inspiration. 

If the grasscloth ends up being too pricey, I will go with a paint. Any favorites? Here is the room as is today. I really need to figure out how to use my DSLR, these are awful. ha 

Yep, that is a changing table in our dining room. 

I need to do something with that built in hutch as well. New hardware and a patterned paper on the inside possibly. 

Think I am headed in the right direction. We leave town for a couple weeks in April, might be a good time to do some painting. 

xo

Erin 

The Good Stuff

In the madness that is the first six months of life after giving birth, things can get pretty dicey. Between no sleep, hormone insanity, losing even more free time then you had before, and doing it in the middle of cold/flu season, it can be so overwhelming. I have really been trying to focus on the goodness in each day then the stressful, because even though it is filled with both we always seem to focus on the negative stuff. Or at least that is what my hormones are doing to me. So when Tommy holds Mary's hand out of the blue or she laughs at him while he dances to old school rap or any of the other wonderfully heart melting moments taking place, I really try to capture it. So that one day when I am old and gray I can think back to this time as wonderful instead of crazy. Because really it is. 

There are also other things not related to kids that are making my days sunnier, even in the bitter cold. Shocker, a lot of it involves shopping and my DVR during nap time. Currently, here are some of my faves. 

1. Someone reads my blog and gave me this Claire Vivier leopard clutch, which has been fun to use on date night. 

2. I have been using this SK-II facial Treatment Essence for a few weeks because I want to look like Cate Blanchett. So far, I am not there yet, but I love it. 

3. Bikinis themselves give me anxiety, but this scalloped one from Free People has been ordered for an upcoming trip to Palm Springs. Time to lay off the cookies. 

4. Cloth & Stone makes the BEST chambray shirts. Incredibly soft and they fall perfectly. This new style from Anthropologie is a new staple. 

5. Tommy lives in striped Hanna Anderson PJs and now I am obsessed with the prints from Serena & Lily for girls. They are a good addition to the hand me down boy patterns she will be sporting some nights. 

6. Just looking at this picture makes me want to ball! If you watched the first Downton episode you know the Ice Queen is back and I love it. So glad to have something on my DVR that does not start with "The Real....

SAG Madness

It has been way too long since I have written and I am sorry! Let's just say that it has been a bit of a roller coaster around here. There have been some amazingly fun moments and some exhausting low ones. Which is really just life, but finding balance for myself has been the toughest of all. So in lieu of writing I have been stealing moments for a workout, a quick magazine break, or a long hot shower. What I realize every time I come back here to post is that I really love this little space and appreciate anyone who takes the time to read it. So thank you for hanging in there with me, one day I know I will be more myself and a bit more of a master of mothering two little ones. 

Back to the fun stuff. So the Golden Globes came and went. I took to Instagram to pick my faves (Mr. & Mrs. Seth Myers) and who I thought was a train wreck (Hot Mess Hayden). All in all everyone looked pretty damn good. So when I started sliding through the pictures from the SAGs I was thinking that we were being punk'd. Everyone looked freaking awful minus a select few. So let's get to it, shall we? 

Julia, this is boring. And that slit up the front is weirdly and boldly too high. 

I loved Julia at the Globes, so this is disappointing. Another snoozer, but she looks chic. 

Thank god Sandra was there to pull this crowd up. I loved this.  

Jennifer looks awesome, but I feel like she has worn this before. Stunning none the less. 

What? I mean this is a joke, right? The dress, the (dare I say) panty hose, the gloves, this is a nightmare. Maybe an homage to when she got her SAG card, from the wardrobe of "Glitter," 

I love this dress, but it fits her weird. And I am not a huge fan of the sparkly belt or her hair. The whole thing just feels off, but it shouldn't. 

Pregnancy hormones are messing with Kerry's usually impeccable taste. WTF is this? Wearing a crop top while pregnant is one thing, but a voluminous skirt oddly placed over the middle of your bump is straight up bad. I swear I would have liked this more if she just had her cute little bump fully exposed. 

Thank god for Lupita. Her stylist is earning every dime she is making. Flawless once again and I cannot wait to see what she wears to the Oscars. 

Elizabeth looks really chic. Way to step it up, lady. 

Not that I expect much from Blossom, but this is awful. The proportions, the color, the lace. It looks like she picked it purely for the fact it had pockets, which only made it worse. 

In my mind, Cate can do no wrong. But I have to honest, I am not a huge fan of this. The draping is odd to me and the neck looks like it is choking her. Love the color, though. 

Tina looks rocking (except the hair) and bringing Alice as her date puts her at the top of the list. Jealous of Alice's clutch. Actually, her entire look. 

Unflattering, awful print (butterflies are NEVER a good idea), terrible shoes for this cut, the wrong jewelry... I could go on and on. 

Gorgeous. Love it all. 

Loved this too. She looks really great, which I don't think is usually her MO. 

No. Just No. 

This dress is actually great, but not on Julie. Somehow it just looks like she is trying too hard to be cool or something. 

This is the kind of look that at first glance I love, then at second glance I hate. Still up for debate. 

Great color, slightly weird fit, and too "pointy." Yet everyone was so terrible, that she is probably in my top five. 

Please get Holly a cheeseburger STAT! gross

I think this little munchkin is my best dressed. It is perfect. 

What were your favorites? 

xo

Erin