Wardrobe Essentials: Save, Crave, Investment #3

A few years back, I had a come to jesus moment when it came to my every day wardrobe. I found that my typical uniform consisted of jeans, a (nice) t-shirt, and a blazer or a cardigan. The thing was, I started to find that the basic T-shirts that I was buying, were getting more and more expensive, and they were so thin that they wouldn't really hold up after only a few wears. Yes, I'm talking about those annoying holes that you inevitably get around your pants button the second that you put your shirt on.

I was always adverse to silk blouses, because I thought that they were only for special occasion wear. But, the fact is, a good blouse can be worn with everything from boyfriend jeans, to a pencil skirt, to a ball gown and they aren't that much more than a nice cotton shirt. The bonus is, they will last forever! Seriously, I'm always bummed that I can't get another, because the ones I've owned for years still look brand new. A lot of them are even washable, and nothing ads a touch of instant glamour to any outfit like a beautiful silk blouse. Right now, I am loving anything and everything that is emerald and blush, and after seeing this inspiration, you will see why. 

Hands down, there is no other blouse out there that beats the quality and cut that the company Equipment produces. Not only are they crave worthy, but they will last a lifetime. I don't own one piece of clothing that I wear more than my one in blush/ peach, and I love the simplicity that it brings to any look. While not the same quality, the save versions fit the bill and are 10,000 times better than any T-shirt out there! (No holes included ;)

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Help! Barcelona Tips Needed!

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 My husband travels globally, quite a bit for work, and sometimes I am lucky enough to join him. I think he used to dread having me in tow, thinking it would take away from what he actually needed to get done, but over our last couple of trips, I guess that I have proven myself, because now the man prefers to have me come along! I know for a fact, this has nothing to do with my sunny demeanor, but rather, my obsessiveness over creating a memorable trip, and the tables have turned, and he actually gets disappointed when I can't join him. Read: I find awesome restaurants, and good hotels, stay out of his way, and force him to leave his hotel. You know, actually travel!

We were both slated to go to Barcelona in June, and were considering taking the LM, but now the trip was cut to down to only three days, and we didn't feel it would really be worth the trouble to both leave the boys for such a short period of time. So, I'm staying behind, and yet, I've still been given the task of planning out the perfect trip. A trip that I won't get to experience. This time. 

I know very little about the city, so I would most definitely appreciate any advice you all have. I'm just looking for a few amazing restaurants, and a great boutique style hotel near the convention center. Any and all unique dining experiences would also be divine. I don't have much to give in return, but I will post down below, some of the finds from our last few trips. I'm working on a post about where we go in Costa Rica, for those of you who have asked, and I'm hoping to have it up next week. 

Any advice you have will be put to great use! 

Heading to Paris, New Orleans, or New York? Click the city to find out what I recommend! 

Currently.

 Coming off of a long weekend, I was less than thrilled to find out that the LM had pink eye, today, as I was dropping him off at school!!! (GAH, I thought he just had allergies)  Luckily, after a dose or two of drops, he seems to be on the up and up, and now I can't stop scratching my eyes. I'm hoping is this just phantom pain, but I have the sneaking suspicion this one may make the rounds. I guess this is just what we get for somehow avoiding for the last 6 years??? Just another day with life with littles, right?

I realized that I never shared our pictures from our trip to Texas, and this seems like as good as time as any. Of course, when we were in town, they had a random cold front come through, but in Texas terms, that means it was like Summer for us. The rest is a little of what we have been up to since we'e been back. Hope you enjoy!

{ready for takeoff} 

{the most epic bubble bath; ever}

{why do I have the feeling someone will be asking for a dog sometime soon?}

{obligatory running through sprinklers}

{first skinned knee... and sunburn}

{an empty pool, in the middle of April, that wouldn't give you hypothermia? Dorthy, we are definitely not in Kansas any more}

{and, I'm never cutting their hair}

{this is how excited the Clover food truck makes Gray}

{not to be out done by their love of bacon. I'm pretty sure the desire only increases when your parents don't eat meat!}

{loving Ben Harper and time with friends you don't see nearly enough!}

{and, of course, Spring in Boston}

{I mean...}

{we're number.... um 1?}  eek. This is what happens when you spend an inordinate amount of time in a skate shop. 

{Gray doesn't care that it was only 60 degrees out, if there is water, he will go} Notice how he was the only one. 

{Don't poke the pirate!}

Weekend Links.

 Happy Friday!!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited ;)

 This time I have a real reason to say TGIF! My best friend from law school (and maid of honor) and her "friend" are coming in to town, and we are going to see Ben Harper tomorrow night. I could not be more pumped!!!! The fact that the weather is supposed to be gorgeous all weekend is just the icing on the cake, and I plan on spending the entire weekend outside showing them around the city. With Spring in full bloom, I can't think of any place better to visit than Boston!

I hope you all have something fabulous planned! Here are a few links to kick off your weekend! See you all Monday.

My favorite Ben Harper song. 

The perfect Summer movie. As a former So Cali girl, I can't wait to see this one.

I am so inspired by this room, it is exactly the feel that I want our guest room to have; light and airy. What a beautiful space to wake up in!

A funny article, written during a terrifying ordeal. I hope these two get married!

A great case for meditation, something I need to do a lot more of. Sllllllllloooooooowwwwwwiiiiiinnnnnnngggg down. 

I have to get this print for my husband. This is so perfectly "him," I almost feel like he should get it tattooed on his forehead. 

Speaking of tattoos, this is the most hilarious video that I have seen in a long time. Is it wrong that it TOTALLY makes me want to get more ink?

The most perfect Mother's Day present FOUND. Now, who is going to get me one? :)

Janis Joplin drinking champagne at Woodstock. No big deal. {How much would you pay to go back in time and be there?  I think I'd pretty much sell everything!}

For some internal Spring cleaning, the perfect green smoothie guide. 

Amazing fashion advice from the most fashionable of them all. 

I am still waiting on my tile backsplash to come in. Too bad it will only look 1/20th as amazing as this. Can you even imagine?

Chalkboard markers on picture frames. Genius!

More school madness. Even though we have our situation sorted out, I am still so obsessed with the whole process. New York is no joke, man.

Wardrobe Essentials: Save, Crave, Investment #2

 Is there anything in your wardrobe that is more timeless and functional than a black blazer? The answer, of course, is absolutely not. I would have thought that this was an absolute essential item for any woman's wardrobe, but after peeking through a few of my friends closets, I was surprised to find that this wasn't the case. If you are one of those people, go out and get one... now! Heck, get two. Okay, kidding... (sort of) but in all seriousness, there isn't one item that you own that will be more versatile than a great black blazer. If you don't own one, you should. It will make getting dressed every day that much easier. 

Now, I'm not talking about just taking the top from your work suit, and calling it a day. This is not that black blazer. Rather, I'm talking about that perfect piece of outerwear, that can be layered over, and under, which adds just enough polish to make any outfit look more sophisticated, and pulled together. Bonus points go to ones with a more visual interest, like (eek) shoulder pads, leather (faux or real) details, and/or a boyfriend or tuxedo cut. 

This one piece can be paired with every.single.item in your wardrobe. Every item? Yes, every item. Jeans (skinny and flared)? Yes. Black pants, for a night out? Yes. Shorts, leather, lace, linen, denim, printed? Yes x5. Cargo pants, leather pants, skirts (maxi and short)? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. You get the idea. 

Need some more convincing... 

See what I'm talking about? A black blazer with some interest = wardrobe perfection, every time. 

Want the look? Here are a few favorites of mine.

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(this one is also great)

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 I would do some pretty evil things to get my hands on that investment one, but I have to admit, my trusty black blazer that I bought at Zara almost four years ago, still serves it's purpose every time. Which just goes to show how timeless this piece really is.  If you are on the fence, you won't be once you put it on for the 3,000th time. 

Click here to view wardrobe essential #1

Big News! (In Our House)

 Someone lost his first tooth yesterday! In case you forgot what it is like, this is a VERY big deal for a little kid. We have been on "tooth watch" for about 2 weeks now, and much to his delight, the tooth popped out while he was in school yesterday, doing yoga. He came out of down dog, looked down, and boom! there was the tooth. Apparently, this became the talk of the school, which tickled the LM beyond. Last night the very generous tooth fairy came, and someone is 10 dollars richer today! That sweet little fairy even left some fairy dust behind, on the bills, that looks remarkably similar to spray glitter. She sure is a crafty one. ;)

Back with more later...

Unplanned {but necessary} Double Bathroom Makeover.

Let's talk about bathrooms for a minute. Up until a few days ago, I'm pretty sure I had two of the most boring bathrooms on the planet. Boring, but totally functional. I had been wanting to do something in each of them, right after we re-did the paint in our master, but they were bathrooms, and really, who cares? After the construction nightmare we just went through a few months ago, the last thing I wanted in my house was more painters, and more disruption. But, each, equally have been driving me nuts, and on a whim, starting Sunday, I decided to do something about it. I began with the upstairs bath (the 6th image down) and finished up with what will now be the boy's bath, during an unexpected 9 hour black out yesterday (hence my lack of posting.) I'm still waiting on all the accessories, before I can give you a proper "after" but here is a little bit of the progress that I made over the last few days. 

First, starting with the boy's bath... my most hated room in our house. I finally took the plunge and decided to faux wallpaper the room with those bumble stamps I found on Pinterest. From the minute the first stamp was placed, I knew I was going to love the outcome. Mapping out the grid was a pain and a half, but the end result is so fantastic, I am kicking myself for not doing it earlier. I'm not going to lie, not every bee is perfect, but I'm pretty sure I am the only one who can tell where the mess ups are, and for 20 $, I couldn't be more thrilled with the final results. Behold my faux hand painted wallpaper!

So awesome, right? Once I was done, I was kind of at a loss with what do with the rest of the room. The gold bees are obviously very feminine, and once the boys become roomies this is going to be their bathroom, so I definitely wanted to make it more masculine, but also fun. I decided to draw inspiration from the 70's and considering that the bees look like old wallpaper, I tried to think of what a boys bathroom would look like in that decade. You know, what happens when teenage boys take over a room, that is already covered in Mom's floral wallpaper? That is the vibe I was going for, and with these accessories (all under 100 bucks!) I'm pretty sure this is now going to be my new favorite room in the house. 

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S, inspired by the boy's bathroom makeover, I knew our upstairs bath/ guest was next on my list. Originally, it was painted this kind of boring tan, that the rest of the house used to be done in, and I knew that first I wanted to lighten things up a bit. I picked a white(ish) paint that looks almost marshmallow, and decided to stick with a more grown up look, one that would complement the bedding that will be going in the guest. Of course, I had to add a little bit of whimsy, and after I found that brother poster on Etsy, I knew it had to be in there. On Sunday, the Little Man and I painted the whole room (2 coats!) during Gray's nap, and I can't believe how different the space looks, just by lightening it up a few shades! Here is the room before, with the plan down below. 

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 Now, you know after I stamped out the bathroom, I couldn't stop with just one room... it was too good. After questioning whether I should do the whole house, I wisely decided to stick with one wall, and stamped out the wall that greets you when you first walk in to our home. It adds just the right amount of kitch, and even my husband likes the after better. Shocking, I know ;)

What do you think? I am in looooovvvvveeeeeee. Who knew you could do so much with a ruler, a laser leveler, and a stamp? Once these last few rooms get done, I can finally say that I am happy with every inch of our home. It really is amazing the difference a 100 dollars can make, when combined with a little elbow grease! 

I'll be sure to post the after as soon as everything comes in. Our poor UPS man, he probably thinks I'm stalking him, given how I run to the truck every time he drives by!