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"

Easter Beauties

These two beauties were super excited when their Easter dresses arrived in the mail yesterday from Janie & Jack! When I got home from work I brought in their new dresses, not knowing that they had a few treasures ready to share with me! Lucy was "super duper" (her new catch phrase) proud of her Easter craft that she had made at her sitter's, and they had both been busy gathering a bouquet of "flowers" for me from the garden - roots and dirt still intact. They, of course, wanted to get dressed up right away, and it took all of our powers of persuasion to convince them that no, they could not wear them on our walk (considering that it was still long pants and jacket weather!) So they settled for wearing them around the house for now. Here's hoping that the weather is nicer on Sunday or we'll have to break out the tights and sweaters!

I love Janie & Jack's classic styles, especially for special occasions, so I was "super duper" excited when they offered to send over these gorgeous Easter dresses and bows for the girls. Here's what I chose:

Violet's dress, Violet's bow
Lucy's dress, Lucy's bow

I had a tough time deciding though - everything was so cute! What would you have chosen for your little ones? Hope everyone has a lovely Easter! xo, Lauren

We Have a Kindergartener!

Well, it's official - and we have a backpack to prove it. We have a kindergartener! I can't believe Violet is going to start school in a few short weeks. Registering her was truly surreal. After we signed her up I went on a frenzied hunt to find the cutest backpack, and after showing her all of my finds she ended up choosing a $15 Sofia the First backpack from Target lol! Oh well, I had fun window shopping anyway. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Cat Backpack

Owl Backpack

Pink Converse Backpack

Canvas Backpack

Teacher's Pet Backpack: Kitty

Teacher's Pet Backpack: Unicorn

Floral Backpack

Skip Hop Unicorn Backpack

Max the Monster Backpack

Camp Backpack

Foxy Backpack

Patched Backpack

Peanuts Backpack

Color Block Backpack

Teacher's Pet Fox Backpack

Dinosaur Backpack

(My favorite and her second favorite was the cat backpack - and those unicorns came in a close third!)

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Get Cozy

It's that time again! Time to kick off our annual holiday gift guides. I've been loving all of the warm and cozy fabrics and textures that I've been seeing just about everywhere this year. And with how Fall has been going, it looks like we may be in for another polar vortex! Needless to say, anything cozy and cuddly is going to be a hit with the littles. Here are some of my favorite soft, warm, and cozy gift ideas for your littles:

Bear Sleeping Bag: RH Baby & Child

Knit Bus in Mint: Oeuf NYC 

Faux Sheepskin Throw: Pottery Barn

Bear Hat: Zara Kids

Sherpa Mittens: Gap Kids

Pointelle Blanket Mist: Blabla Kids

Bunny Slippers: Zara Kids

Knit Bunny Rattle: Anne-Claire Petit

A-Frame Tent: RH Baby & Child

Bunny Ears Hat: Anthropologie 

Ergobaby Carrier Winter Edition: Amazon

Lambswool Hippo: Tiny Warbler

Bear Slippers: Gap Kids

Knitted Jacket: Mini Boden

The Cutest Holiday Dresses for Little Girls

Violet's a total girly girl when it comes to clothing, and I'm not one to turn down a good reason to dress up my kids, so for the holidays we usually look for something on the "fancy" side. Here are a few of my favorite little dresses perfect for all of those holiday parties and get togethers (including one dress that I would never ever buy because of the price tag, but I just couldn't resist adding it to the list, it's SO pretty!):

Red Velvet Dress: H&M
Glitter Bow Headband: JCrew
Tulle Bow Hairband: Zara Kids
Corduroy Pleat Dress: Gap Kids
Silk Sequin Shift Dress: JCrew
Sequin Party Dress: Mini Boden
Brocade Party Dress: Mini Boden
Ankle-Strap Ballet Flats: Gap Kids
Glitter Ballet Flats: Mini Boden
Patent Ballet Flats: Zara Kids
Festive Mary Jane Bow Flats: Baby Gap
Velvet Bow Dress: Carter's
Cord Dress: Mini Boden

Keep Cozy: Favorite Outwear for Girls

I managed to survive on outerwear hand-me-downs until Violet was three and stretched out her first new winter coat for two years in a row, but I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a couple of decent (and warm based on this week's temperatures!) winter coats for the girls this year. Violet pretty much completely wears her coats out, so I basically have nothing left to hand down to Lucy. If you follow me on Pinterest, you probably noticed that I was on a bit of an outerwear shopping mission. Here are a few favorite winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots that I found during my hunt:

Red Hooded Pea Coat: Old Navy 
Bow Shift Coat: Gap Kids
Duffle Coat: Gap Kids
Pom-pom Ears Hat: Zara Kids
Fair Isle Gloves: Zara Kids
Warmest Empire Puffer Jacket: Gap Kids
Sherpa Mittens: Gap
Fur-Trim Puffer Jacket: Gap
Funky Duffle: Mini Boden
Cable Knit Warmers: Zara Kids 
Solid Rain Boots: Gap Kids
Furry Earmuffs: Gap Kids
Handmade Bear Hat: Zara Kids
Quilted Fleece Coat: Zara Kids 
Checked Jacket: Zara Kids

My Favorite Sources for Cute + Classic Jammies

For the first time in forever (scary that I can't say that any more without singing it!), I put pants and long sleeves on the girls at bedtime the other night, and found that they've both grown like crazy over the summer!  I'm thinking it's time for some new jammies. (I only wish I could update my wardrobe every season! My "pajamas" mainly consist of Kevin's t-shirts lol) These pretty pajamas from Skylar Luna are some of my favorites - they're cute, comfortable, and classic:

And here are a few of my other places to get cute sleepwear for the girls:

1. Old Navy | Gap
2. Crew Cuts (a little too pricey for us, but cute nonetheless!)
3. Hatley
4. Carter's (adorable and super affordable, especially during sales!)
5. The Children's Place (love their prices!)
6. New Jammies (love that I can use my Amazon Prime shipping)

We shop sales and choose the more inexpensive options for our every day pajamas, of course, but if it's for a special occasion where I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures (AKA Christmas morning), I'll sometimes splurge on a special pair :) And I won't lie - Violet definitely has her share of Disney princesses, Dora, and Hello Kitty pi's as well! Now if only I could find more sources for the super warm fleece winter pajamas, I'd be set. Violet's room is super drafty (old house = no insulation) and she never keeps her covers on. Gap's are great - so warm and soft, but also so pricey. I always have to wait for a really good sale and then I buy them up.  And there are a ton of super warm footy pajama options out there, but they are not so great for a kid who is still learning to use the potty by herself at night. Any tips for that would be greatly appreciated! xo, Lauren

Bright Baby Nursery Design Board + A Giveaway!

Today I'm so excited to also be partnering with Hanna Andersson to bring you all a super fun, bright, and colorful nursery design board plus another giveaway for a $100 gift card! The lovely folks over at H.A. contacted me about their new Bright Baby Basics collection and I was instantly smitten! I absolutely love the colors, design, and patterns and thought it was just the perfect inspiration for a fun and fresh nursery design board.

I love that everything in the collection is both adorable and affordable and that it was inspired by Hanna's very first designs over thirty years ago. The fabrics are all organic but the colors are so vibrant - not always the easiest combination to find in my experience. They sent a few pieces for Lucy and we just love them - they're so soft and comfortable but also cute and stylish. You can find the full collection here.

To enter the giveaway, simply follow Hanna Andersson on Pinterest and leave a comment below that includes your Pinterest handle. The giveaway is open internationally and you can enter through Wednesday 7/30/14. Best of luck! xo, Lauren

Bright Baby Nursery Design Board Sources:

Mini Library
Zip A Dee Do Dah! Print
Pendant Light
Crochet Garland
Wooden Sailboat Toy
Lemon Print
Enzo Mari Pear Print
Bright Baby Basics Blanket
Apple Print
Geometric Lamp
Wooden Toy Camera
Caravan Dresser
Lion Nightlight
Cloud Pillow
Colorful Stripe Rug
Stripe Crib Bedding
Gold Pouf
Framework Metal Letter

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win one of two $100 gift cards to Stuck on You! 

The Cutest Kids' Beachwear

Yesterday I shared some of my favorite things for beach babies, and today it's the big kids' version:

1. Straw Hat | 2. Umi Sandals | 3. Embroidered Dress | 4. Pink Sunglasses | 5. Stripe Beach Bag |
6. Star Swimsuit

P.S. Aren't those Umi sandals adorable?! I think it's my new favorite brand of kids' shoes - they are seriously the whole package: cute and classic, super sturdy and comfortable, and the strap looks like it buckles but it secretly is velcro! They sent the girls a few pairs and I'm now their biggest fan! I kind of secretly want them for myself. Why do grown up shoes have to be so much more expensive than kids'? I'm too cheap to buy myself nice shoes most of the time. Does anyone else have kids with nicer footwear than your own?

The Cutest Baby Beachwear

I'm so excited - in a few days my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew are arriving all the way from their home in Australia to visit for a few weeks. Every time she comes to visit, it seems like everyone on the planet wants a little bit of time with her, and I never get to see her quite as much as I'd like. So this time we've planned a little beach getaway while she's here to make sure that we get some quality family time. I can't wait to hug everyone and squeeze my nephew about a hundred million times! Anyway, I've been on a little bit of a shopping spree getting us all ready for our beach trip. Here are a few of my favorite baby beach finds that I've come across:

1. Hello Kitty Bandana | 2. Yellow Sunhat | 3. Bloomers | 4. Pineapple Swim Diaper | 5. Tuxedo Kurta | 6. Ruffled Swimsuit | 7. Color Block Sandals

P.S. Our visit to the beach down under + Beach with a Babe

Summer Baby Essentials

I've teamed up with the lovely folks over on Baby List to share a few of my favorite Summer baby essentials, and I'm excited to say that I'll be writing for them regularly! You can see the full post and all of the sources here. xo, Lauren

Holiday Giveaway No. 3: Foxy Thing

1. $85 Credit from Little Goodall
2. Fox Mitts + $3 Shipping Credit from Busy Bonnie Bee
3. Starter Kit + Shipping from Kiriki Press

This giveaway is open internationally (woohoo!) You can enter via the Rafflecopter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Milestone Month + Holiday Bucket List

Can't believe how fast my little sweetie pie is growing. Just over seven months and she's suddenly sitting on her own, crawling, trying to pull herself up, and getting teeth! Such a big month - our whole world has changed it seems overnight. Baby proofing is in full swing and Violet is desperately trying to keep her most precious toys out of Lucy's chubby little hands :) I'm now busy chasing after this little girl all day long - she even managed to break her first ornament already! So needless to say I'm super behind on just about everything and didn't even take her seven month photos yet (and we're at about 7.5 months here - oops!)

Although things are speeding up on the baby front, I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the holiday season. I can't believe we're in December already!  I took a minute the other day and wrote down a to-do list so that I make sure to get the really important things accomplished this Christmas season. Here's our Christmas bucket list:

1. Dance to copious amounts of Christmas music.
2. Watch the classics - we've already done Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Frosty, so that leaves How the Grinch Stole Christmas, White Christmas, and It's a Wonderful Life. (remind me if I'm forgetting an important one please! Mom brain means forgetting lots of things)
3. Take Violet to her first movie theater movie - we're thinking Frozen (reviews?)
4. Make a gingerbread house
5. Make and eat LOTS of Christmas cookies
6. Go to see Santa's "wane deer" and Christmas lights
7. Visit the big guy
8. Make a hand wreath for Lucy
9. Make ornaments with Violet
10. Go hunting for and decorate the tree
11.  Buy and donate toys to Toys for Tots
12. Go to see The Nutcracker
13. Make hot chocolate with marshmallows
14. See a nativity play or live nativity
15. Put out milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer

I also have to mention that I am completely obsessed with a few things that this little lady is wearing in the above photos - Toto Knits sent us this gorgeous warm sweater and we wear it ALL of the time. Can babies have a Fall/Winter uniform? Because if so this is hers. The tights are from Mini Boden - love, love, love their tights so much.The pretty headband is from Amanda from Oh My Little Dears - she makes the most adorable felt baby headbands and hair clips! Violet got a couple as well and she wears them 24/7 (yes, even to bed).

So what's on your Christmas bucket list? I'm so excited to work on ours. I love being a mama - doesn't it make the holidays so much more magical. Happy December! xo, Lauren

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: For the Babes

To follow our baby giveaway from yesterday, here are a few of my favorite lovely things for the baby in your life:

Leather Moccasins ($60) | Natural Squish Toy ($13.29) | Teething Rings ($15) | Ergobaby Carrier ($195) | Animal Friends Rattles ($12) | Onesie Gift Set ($25) | Wooden Hedgehog Shaker ($9.95) | Leather Blucher ($35.90) | Knit Bird Rattle ($24) | Bow Headband ($14) | Organic Clouds Baby Blanket ($42) | Stripe Baby Wrap ($65) | Wooden Fox Teether ($12) | Knotted Headbands Set | Swaddle Blankets Set ($34.95)

Initial Embroidery Hoop ($36) | Wooden Fish Rattle ($22) | Fox Terrycloth Bath Mitts ($22) | Pirate Rattle Set ($98) | Baby Swing ($183) | Classic Wooden Bead Toy ($15) | Minnetonka Moccasin Booties ($19.95) | Knit Dog Musicbox ($32) | Wooden Stacking Toy ($40) | Striped Booties ($16.95) | Crochet Fox Ball ($34.95) | Organic Clouds Blanket ($48) | Knit Crown ($42) | Hello Onesie ($18) | Yay Shirt

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and in case you missed it, here are my favorite gifts for little artists! xo, Lauren

P.S. My favorite baby gifts from 2012  and my baby wish lists.

Featured: 

Little Hip Squeaks

Little Hip Squeaks believes that kids are fun, and their clothes should be, too! Our aesthetic is for of bright colors and bold prints, with modern babies, tots and kiddos in mind. 

Juniper Wilde

Juniper Wilde began in 2010 when Owner and Designer Nicole VandenToorn gave birth to her first son. She was unable to find organic, eco-frientdy nursery decor that fit her own rustic/modern aesthetic. Being a trained designer it seemed only natural for her to take on the project herself. That's where is all began and from there a passion was born, soon to be followed by an Etsy shop! Nicole designs all of the fabrics for her collection and they are used exclusively for Juniper Wilde. All of the products are organic and the inks used in the printing process are non-toxic and eco-friendly, which makes Juniper Wilde items perfect for snuggling the style-savvy littles in our lives.

Egg-A-Go-Go 

The whole Egg-A-Go-Go product line is painted, designed and printed by Sarah in Boston. From tiny watercolor paintings on clay to screenprinted clothing and from clever cards to cute postcard sets, Sarah hopes to make things that make people happy and to bring appreciation to small and often-overlooked wonders.

Busy Bonnie Bee

Busy Bonnie Bee grew like a magic mushroom out of my crafts and crafty works that had started to accumulate over the years. As my kids were born and grew, I enjoyed dressing them in this and that, and I'm still tickled when they wear my clothes or when someone compliments their clothing and it's something I've made. My philosophy of creating clothes and toys is to have fun and love what I am making.

Koukku

I am a 34 years old, and I am very proud to say that I was the first one to bring crochet nursing items to Etsy. It was a fantastic creative process five years ago. My hobby and Etsy customers literally saved my life in 2011. I had to spend two weeks in the hospital and deliver my second daughter after six months of pregnancy. She didn't make it. I almost lost my life too. It was my Etsy shop that helped me to survive. I received orders and lovely feedback every day, so I just kept crocheting and my husband was my personal postman. And we made it. Day by day, our first daughter kept us busy as well and we are okay now.

I am working on an art deco collection for women and girls and hope to launch in 2014.

Help Me Choose

I had a gift card to Saks (yippee!), and I decided to buy this pretty dress for Violet for Christmas. Now I'm hung up on the accessories - which tights would you choose?

1. Gold
2. Polka Dot
3. Bow
4. Tartan
5. Stripe

And aren't these pom shoes adorable?! I haven't bought them yet, but I'm considering them. Thanks for your help! xo, Lauren

P.S. Violet's picture with Santa from last year.

Creating a Halloween Costume

When I create Halloween costumes for my kids, I usually try to do it on the cheap. And by that I don't mean that I'm some sewing or crafting or knitting wizard that can create an elaborate costume from scratch. I mean I try to use things that we already own to create something they'll love. Of course, I usually have to buy or DIY a few small things - a hat, a cowgirl vest, and the like, but mostly I just use clothing from the closet and random stuff from my crafting bin. Here's what I'm talking about:

On the left is my daughter on her first Halloween. We took her to the neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat and at the last minute I decided she should have a costume. I made a witch hat out of felt and pinned it to one of her fabric headbands, put on her striped dress and some black tights, and made a broom out of a dowel rod and some yarn. On the right is last year's trick-or-treat. Basically her own clothing with a vest I made using this tutorial (again out of felt and hot glue lol), her Poppy's bandana and a hat that her dad picked up at the local party store.

The beauty of using actual clothing to create your kid's costume is that you don't have to break the bank for a store-bought costume that's going to fall apart after you wash it once. And even if you do end up buying a new pair of tights or a dress or a pair of boots, they can use it for a significantly longer period of time, so you feel like you're not spending a ton of money for a few hours of wear. Here are a few ideas for you after the jump (feel free to substitute things that your kid already has in his/her closet):

Making Life a Little Easier with PanacheBox

Speaking of Fall, one thing I didn't have much time for this year was shopping for a new cold-weather wardrobe for my growing little girl. While I usually love scouring the interwebs for a good deal on "blue, wed, and puhple" clothing, with sweet little Lucy around shopping whether in person or online is just not an easy task any more. So I was thrilled to try out PanacheBox - basically beautiful (and comfortable) kids' clothing mailed to your doorstep!

When the box arrived I was smitten with it's fun shape (we made it into a Barbie castle!) and waited to see what my picky daughter would think of it's contents. Well, she was not disappointed - there were many, "oohs!" and "Oh my's!" - especially when she found a pretty necklace inside.

I love that the clothing is high quality and that everything works well with her existing wardrobe. Every piece is very versatile, so were able to mix and match things so easily, and she wears the clothing for all of her normal little person activities - tree climbing, park play, napping, and flower picking. I'm hapy that it's all practical for a kid on the go.

Violet's decided that this (below) is her "special" necklace and wears it all of the time. One thing I really love about this piece is that it has a magnetic closure, which is strong enough that it holds up with all of the normal rompings of a three-year-old, but is easy enough that she can put it on and take it off herself, which she LOVES to do. It's also playful, but goes well with just about anything she decides to wear (I lay out a few pieces each day and she picks her own outfits - little Miss Independent ;))

There are two ways you can build your PanacheBox - you can choose items yourself from their website or have them create a custom box for you little one. After looking at the site Violet and I liked just about everything, so we opted to be surprised - I really don't think you can go wrong! If you're like me and feeling a little overwhelmed with life, definitely check out the site - anything to make more time for my girls and less time for running errands is super amazing in my book! Plus they're offering readers of A Lovely Lark $50 off with the coupon code LARK through October 30th!

Happy Fall! xo, Lauren

Lovely Little Shop: Zuzii

I'm kind of more than a little obsessed with Zuzii - a little shop specializing in baby and kids' footwear and accessories. I'd love a pair of each of these shoes for Lucy, and pretty much ALL of the hair accessories for Violet (If she'd only wear them! She's more than a little obsessed with her simple Goodie fabric headbands :))

Wouldn't this hat be super adorable for this fall and winter??? The furry pom pom just kills me.

You can check out more of Zuzii's pretty accessories here. xo, Lauren

Fall Faves for Lucy

Lucy doesn't need quite as many new things, as she can wear a lot of Violet's hand-me-downs (I just have to dig them out!), but I can't help but look. Here are my baby girl faves for fall:

Hooded sweater, chambray dot dress, heart sweater, onesies, tights, stripey sweater dress, pink bloucher, leather slip on, bow trousers, ruffle overalls, scallop dress, knot headbands, dot sweatshirt

Now to go hunt for that box of baby clothing...

Fall Faves for Violet

I've been keeping an eye out for good Labor Day sales, and boy did I hit the jackpot! Carter's had 50% plus free shipping this past weekend, and some of my other favorite sites had good sales as well. Here are a few things I snagged, plus a few that I have my eye on for Violet:

Chambray tunic, mouse backpack, mocassins, polka dot jeans, yellow pintuck dress, printed sneakers, red rain boots, red stripe top, denim jeans, riding boots

And American Apparel has some pretty adorable things too (that I kind of want for myself!):

stripe dress, red tee, sailor stripe top

And I actually may have found a replacement for her favorite "kitty catty" shoes over on H&M:

striped backpack, tights, denim shirt, floral leggings, color block sweater, lilac sneakers, silver kitty cat shoes, floral boots, patterned socks, heart tee

And of course H&M is out of her size in those gorgeous floral boots :/ Ah well, you win some you lose some! Where are your favorite places to shop for kids' clothing?