Back to School on a Budget

So I am experiencing Back to School as sort of a real thing for the first time with a soon to be Kindergartener. The kids' preschool has uniforms, so I have never felt the pressure quite so much to get things together. No whining from me though, I am so excited for the kids and happy to shop. ha Kids clothes are fleeting and inevitably stained within hours of wear, so investments should be kept to a minimum in my book. But, you also want things that will last an entire year and not fall apart in the wash. So I put together a few looks for both girls and boys from Nordstrom, with of course a few things for Mom to treat her self as well. Everything is under $50, with most being under $30. 

Girls up first...

1. Love a mixed print dress. 

2. A sweet floral top and retro jean skirt lasts into fall with a tee and leggings added. 

3. Love the mix of a more tomboyish hoodie with a sweet floral printed legging. 

4. How fun to channel Cher Horowitz in this baby tee and plaid skirt. 

5. Black knee high boots are so cute on little legs. 

6. Slip on prep sneaks with a little rose gold for luck. 

7. These are like little Rag & Bones. And who doesn't want a heel? 

8. These little ballet flats are so sweet. They also come in other colors. 

9. There is a lot of sparkle to this one, but the old school shape is so cute. 

10. Stripes and a cute shape. 

11. Love this classic, but oh so pink back pack. 

12. A little Lisa Frank and I like it. And it is reversible. 

As much as I would love to send my son to school in button downs and khakis, I know he is way more comfortable (and happy) in options like these...

1. Love this waffle ringer and just got these jeans for Tommy. No fly to deal with! 

2. A classic henley updated in color block paired with pull on chinos shorts, no fly again for the win! 

3. A classic stripe tee and joggers look cute and keep them comfy all day. 

4. If they want to go character, I like these vintage tees. And all boys want to live in these, right? 

5. Leather sneaks with nothing to lace makes Moms really happy. Comes in other colors. 

6. Leather high top Converse class up the original a bit. Comes in other colors. 

7. These Nikes are a long time favorite in our house. 

8. Love these classic Adidas. 

9. A little surfer mixed with business from Vans. 

10. A stripe monster is cute always.  

11. Love the manly color block of this backpack. 

12. A character backpack done right. 

And a little something for Mom for killing it every day...

1.  An easy t-shirt dress that screams for leggings and sneaks. 

2. These are the cutest espadrilles. 

3. Sweatpants that can pass for real pants. (insert high five)

4. Remind yourself of this mantra when you drop your kids with two different shoes on. Because it is still true. 

5. Fake a rosy glow perfectly with this Nars multiple stick. Orgasm looks good on everyone, I am into Maui right now. 

6. This pj set is so lux for a fraction of the usual cost. Comes in other colors too. 

7. A cute shirt for back to school drinks with your friends. 

8. This legging always has rave reviews. Every outfit could start with them really. 

9. A sweatshirt long enough to wear over leggings. Also comes in other colors. 

10. I buy a pair of these every year. Love this color, but they come in a bunch. SO comfy. 

11. These masks are magic and perfect for a quick night time pampering. 

12. Are they slippers or fancy sandals? Let's say both. 

xo

Erin 

Family Photo: What To Wear

Family photo taking season is upon us. While fun to set up and get the proofs from, it can be a little tough to put together a look for the entire family. I think these groups just nailed it. 

While I do not have anything against matching outfits (I have actually seen it done well. Rarely though), it is better to stick to a cohesion as opposed to straight up uniformity. I put together some groupings so you could see what I mean. 

Other rules of thumb are be careful with your prints, stick with clothes that fit really well to your frame, and wear body smoothing undergarments (aka spanx and smoothing tanks). That way you are comfortable moving around and wrangling the kids while they take the pictures. 

I broke the options down by their theme/dress code with a little boy and girl option to go with the parents. 

If you are doing a more formal sitting, then a cocktail dress you can sport to parties/weddings one the season is perfect. I kept the rest of the family in the same color story of navy, gray/silver, and white. 

 1. Alice + Olivia $396 / 2. J. Crew $405  / 3. J. Crew $128 / 4. Gap $60 / 5. Gap $9 / 6. Gap $26 / 7. Gap $24

We have all seen the families with the white shirts and black pants photo. This is a different take. Again, staying with the theme but breaking it up so it is not too matchy. Pair the girls tunic with leggings and boys sweater with jeans. 

1. J. Crew $98 / 2. Koral $159 / 3. J. Crew $128 / 4. J. Crew $155 / 5. Gap $44 / 6. Gap $39

Choosing a color to work around is not a bad idea. Just pick several hues and mix in at least one pattern. 

1. BB Dakota $65 / 2. J. Crew $88 / 3. J. Crew $69 / 4. Old Navy $12 / 5. J. Crew $39

Another example, this time in green and gray. 

1. Bailey 44 $174 / 2. J. Crew $118 / 3. J. Crew $69 / 4. Zara $35 / 5. Boden $30 

This is what I call "Everyone is dressed for Fall." Chunky knits, warm colors, and denim. 

1. Etienne Marcel $209 (wear with tights) / 2. J. Crew $98 / 3. J. Crew $155 / 4. J. Crew $48 (wear with leggings) / 5. Gap $44

Most likely you will base everyone's pieces off of yours. Right? So this for example shows you that by just adding in a color from your dress to the group and adding one more with pop, everything sort of mixes perfectly. 

1. Maison Scotch $120 / 2. J. Crew $98 / 3. J. Crew $69 / 4. Gap $44 / 5. Zara $19

And if you are headed outside in the cold to take your photos, try and coordinate your outwear. Yours should have a belt of fit as close to the body as possible. It is more flattering. I love this black and gray set so much. 

1. BB Dakota $144 / 2. J. Crew $520 / 3. Patagonia $114  / 4. Gap $44

I hope this helps you with some inspiration for your family photos. Really just work around a color or set of colors and you should be set. The most important piece of advice I have is to wear things you would wear normally. Everyone wants their pictures to be as natural as they possibly can be, they always turn out better. 

xo

Erin 

Surprises, Sunrises and a Nursery

You might not be hearing from this girl for awhile. Last weekend the little babe I have been anticipating to come in three weeks decided to grace us with his presence early. He arrived just after dawn on Monday and has been filling up my days and nights with so much joy that I hardly (a bit of a stretch) notice how little sleep I am functioning on. Even with so little rest, sunrise with my little guy in his nursery is my favorite time. 


I wanted to share pictures of the nursery so you can see what I put together for the little man. This being one of the few posts you will see from me for awhile, I wanted to make it a good one. 


We always knew it was going to be a boy and I wanted to create a modern, yet cozy space that would be inviting for him and comfortable for us. The room started as an extra room used only a few times for overnight guests. 

I loathe that fan. It was the first thing to go. 

It is a good thing that I went through that whole nesting phase early, as the room has been done and it was so nice to come home to a finished room. 

The walls are painted Bunny Gray from Benjamin Moore, which is a pale gray but also changes to a light blue in certain light. The chevron rug is from Dwell Studio, which along with the glider from Room & Board, is one of the first pieces I picked out. What is great about the glider is that is wide and deep and covered in a soft, short velvet. Big enough to stretch out and super comfortable for Dad. The brown leather Moroccan pouf is from a store on Ebay and the initial pillow is from Jonathan Adler. We already had this twin bed from Crate & Barrel and turned it into a day bed with lots of pillows. 

The white furry pillow and the navy corded pillows are from Crate & Barrel. The white pillows and soft gray pillows are from Ikea. The chevron pillows are from WillaSkyeHome and the striped pillow is from ModernMarvelousHome, both on Etsy. 

I am completely obsessed with the animal prints from The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose. 

The black out curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids and do a really great job of getting the room dark during nap time. The curtain rod is from West Elm. 

The dresser is from West Elm, shelves are form The Container Store and the changing pad is by Nook. The glass containers filled with pacifiers and toys was something I had seen on Pinterest and loved. I also love that I found a place for my White Sox bobble heads on the top shelf and a mini version of the trucks used in the family business.   

The crib is Sparrow by Oeuf and the bedding is Pottery Barn Kids. I love the modern crib with the simple, preppy stars and stripes. The Love poster is by MadebyGirl, one of my favorite print shops and blogs. 

It is so fun to share this project with you and a great send off for me into a nice long break to take care of my son. 

Thomas Michael is the new love of my life and hopefully I will be back soon to share more about life after baby and how my world has changed. 

Until then, lots of love. 

xo

Erin