Little Summer Style Favorites

Here are a few things that the girls are wearing now that the weather is (finally!) warm...

Floral Surf/Water Shoes - are these not the cutest water shoes you have ever laid eyes on?!
Sunglasses - love these - comfy, cheap, go with everything.
Kitty Cat Sandals - Violet loves kitty cat shoes. She has probably had some form of cat shoes since she was two years old. Luckily I keep finding them so she keeps wearing them.
Flamingo Headband - flamingo. headband. Need I say more?
Tutu Dress - we have this in multiple colors! It is seriously so adorable and we got them on sale at 40% off so it was a fab deal
Flower Hairties - we got these a year or two ago and the girls literally argue daily over who gets to wear them!
Striped Rainbow Maxi Dress - Violet loves rainbows and maxi dresses, so this was a no-brainer.
Ruffle Swimsuit - the toughest thing about this suit is deciding which color to buy! So flippin' cute.
Natives Perforated Slip-on Shoes - the girls wear these constantly in the warm months. They are great because they can get wet, they're super comfy and act like sneakers for playing at the park, but they don't get smelly if the girls wear them sans socks.
Rosette Swimsuit - Violet always requests flowers on her swimsuit, plus as a bonus this one comes in her favorite color
Rainbow Striped Skater Dress - the girls seriously live in skater dresses over the summer. Our favorites are from H&M and American Apparel.
Flower Power Headband - this was a birthday gift and Violet loves, loves, loves it.
First Gloss Hunter Rain Boots - so they can jump in muddy puddles "just like Peppa"

Things I Like

I have a new "Things I like" section that I added (you can access it anytime via the "THINGS I LIKE" link at the top of the blog). A few other bloggers that I follow have this feature and I love it. You can click on any of the photos and it will take you to the product. There are affiliate links included.

1/2 Kitchen Reno: Inspiration

So we're currently in the midst of a half kitchen renovation. One side of the kitchen has an island complete with barstools graciously left behind by the previous owner and a baby poo brown crackly accent wall. I'm kicking myself that I don't have a better straight-on photo of this wall in all its glory, but it is what it is. Regret is for the weak, right?

We aren't ready time or budget-wise to do a full kitchen reno, but we've decided that we just can't live with this look a minute longer. Here's the plan that we came up with on a budget:

1. SHIPLAP. I miss our wood plank backsplash wall from the kitchen of our previous house, so we decided that this would be the perfect place to add a splash of shiplap. The wall is recessed on both sides, so we won't have to come up with any awkward solution for the ends or anything.

2. Redo the island. We want to cut down the island to one height (right now it's part counter-level and part bar-level), replace the countertop with some sort of reclaimed wood/butcher block, and paint it. I'm leaning toward black at the moment. We have a LOT of white going on in the house so far and I love the drama of a little splash of black here and there.

3. New stools and dramatic lighting. I'm not sure what style of seating we're going to go with for sure, but I'm definitely leaning toward something with a back for comfort purposes. I really like the metal cafe/Tolix look, or some sort of bentwood stools. Lighting-wise I'm also torn. I love more traditional fixture like this and this, but also could see myself going more modern like this or this. Or maybe something in between? Decisions!!! Which way would you go?

Image sources: 1 . 2 . 3

Ideas for Violet's Room: Creating a Bed Nook

The girls have handled the transition to our new house fairly well, but it's definitely been a bit harder on Violet. She was at an age where she had started creating real memories in our first little house, and there are things she misses dreadfully. Her top two complaints are missing her "secret garden" (a large rhododendron that was in front of our house that she would play beneath), and her bed nook. She just loved that she could close the curtains and feel like she was in her own secret fort. She misses the coziness of sleeping in that little space tremendously.

So as I've been thinking about how to design her new space, I've been trying to think of creative ways to give her that same cozy, adventurous feeling. My Pinterest board for her room is full of these sleeping "nooks," whether it be a cupboard-type bed, a canopy, or even a lofted playhouse. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. I love this cupboard-style bed. The designer actually created it out of necessity to hide a staircase. I think it would give Violet a really similar feeling to her previous bedroom (and those red check curtains are so cute!):

2. Here's another very similar bed nook. I love that this one has storage beneath and the curved edges and little wall light are just adorable:

3. Here's a super-fancy version of a cupboard bed with all of that gingerbread trim. I absolutely adore that one of the drawers pulls out to reveal stairs, and I think Violet would love the sconces on the inside (especially if they were on a dimmer switch!):

4. It looks like this one was created with just fabric, which is something I could more likely accomplish on my own without as much help from Kev, although it probably would look this professional and tailored than this photo!

5. This is from good ol' IKEA, which I'm guessing means that it has potential to be a "me" project as well. It looks like you just suspend this curtain rod system. from the ceiling, hang curtains, and voila - instant dreamy bed nook:

6. This is incredibly adorable. I've found a bunch of different versions of playhouse beds (even some that you can buy, although they're completely out of our price range. I even found one that is a hack of the IKEA .

7. And last but not least, here is a more trendy and insanely adorable bed nook complete with shiplap and some of my fave wallpaper! I adore the little inset bookshelf:

Now that I've collected a bunch, I think it's time to show them to the boss (AKA Violet) and see what she thinks! Which is your favorite?

Sources: 1 . 2. 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7

Violet & Lucy's Minecraft - Dinosaur Birthday Party

I'll admit that I actually wasn't planning on letting the girls choose a birthday party theme this year. It's been a rough year - I started a new full-time job, which has me completely exhausted and beyond stressed at the end of the day every day. The first half of the school year I was coming home crying almost daily. Add to that fact that Violet started school this year, we moved into a new house (on the day that Violet started kindergarten and I started my new job), and that Lucy is two (just turned three!), and it's a recipe for wanting a simple, easy birthday party! Much to my dismay, the girls remembered choosing their themes before, and announced without being asked that they wanted a "girly" Minecraft (Violet) party / dinosaur (Lucy) party. So I mustered what little I had left and this is what I came up with. In the end I'm glad that we did it, and I'm happy that they were both happy!

We had a dinosaur bean bag toss that Violet helped me to paint onto a cardboard box using some leftover paint testers, and a pin-the-tail on the Minecraft pig that I made out of paper. I had some other fun ideas (Pinterest!!!), but managed to reign myself in and not overwhelm myself with unnecessary details. It was a really fun day and we got SO lucky with the weather (I think every other weekend has been cold/rainy so far). I still can't believe I am the mother of a three and six-year-old! Happy birthday girls, we love you to the moon and back! xo, Mommy & Daddy

P.S. If you want to see a few of the girls' past birthday parties here you go! 2015 . 2014 . 2013

Pink + Turquoise Girl's Room

I have been on the hunt for a full bed for Violet's room, and came across this adorable blue one at L.L.Bean of all places! I didn't even know that they made furniture - did you? I'm seriously considering it for her room. She wants the same daydream wallpaper type pattern that I painted in her room at our former house, so I decided to design a space with those two pieces in mind. I'm still not sure what direction we're going to go with her space for sure, but I'm loving this look! What do you think? xo, Lauren

Themis Mono Mobile - Wayfair
Pom Pom Hamper - Spearmint Love
Unicorn Lamp - Target
Orchid Print - Emmy Rickard
Arrow Decorations - Mineral & Matter
Love You Nightlight - Housey Home
Adventure Print - Mottos Print
Doll - Poosac
Pink Overdyed Rug - Urban Outfitters
Lakehouse Metal Bed - L.L.Bean
Pom Pom Basket - Anthropologie
Wooden Dipped Stools - Serena & Lily
Gold Arrow Curtain Rods - PBTeen
Flora Chandelier - Serena & Lily
Daydream Wallpaper - Hygge & West
Painted Globe - Wild & Free Designs