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a new gallery wall with framebridge (and a discount code!)

August 11, 2015 3 Comments

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in this beloved digital age we live in, it seems that everyone is spending more and more time documenting just about every moment of our lives. now that adam is around, i know i pull out my phone at least once a day to snap a couple of photos. and i’m certainly not the only one in constant battle against that little pop-up on my phone warning me that my storage is almost full. but even with all of this picture-taking, i’ve somehow never gotten a single image printed, let alone framed, in the entire 19 months since adam was born! it’s actually kind of embarrassing to admit, but the task always seems so ridiculously daunting. i have so many photos to go through, and then i have to find a printing service, load adam up into the the car, and either attempt to frame them myself, or take them into a framing shop. it’s pretty much the last thing on my mind, until adam’s grandparents and great grandparents remind me that they’re still waiting on all those portraits i’ve been promising… so you can imagine my relief when framebridge asked if i’d be interested in partnering with them to try our their online framing services.

the way it works, you simply visit the site, upload your photos, select your frame, and kick back while framebridge does the rest. you can do a live-preview of each photo within it’s respective frame to get an idea of how it will look, but if the selection of frames feels too daunting, you can always opt for the designer choice to have one of their professionals on staff help you pick the right frame for your photo. or you can take a peek at their cheat sheet for a few different ideas to help you get started. and i especially like that they have an “instragram mini” option with perfectly-sized frames for only $39. i’ve personally been getting into the swing of thing when it comes to home decor, so i got a little carried away planning out a whole theme for the portraits and frames i chose, with a focus on capturing all of the different stages of adam’s life. i decided to go with simple white frames as a base with a selection of different wood frames to compliment the mix of mid century and bohemian decor in my house.

the only problem? i was kinda sorta planning on giving the photos as gifts, but once they arrived, i couldn’t resist the temptation to try out a gallery wall in our entryway. and once all of those photos were up there, i couldn’t bear to take them down! so it’s a pretty good thing we have a 20% off code, because the next time we get a visit from the grandparents, we’ll all be fighting over who gets to keep what!

get 20% off your first framebridge order of $59 or more using code “calivintage20” now through november 30, 2015!

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my style, lifestyle, kids

run free with bugaboo

July 28, 2015 4 Comments

hard to believe it, but my little adam is already 18-months-old! no longer a baby, he’s now a rather rambunctious toddler, and these days i have to get pretty creative to complete even the simplest of tasks. i put on my makeup in the bathroom while adam takes a quick bath in the morning. i answer emails with one free hand while i nurse him in the afternoon. i even practice my lunges while dancing him to sleep in my arms. because let’s face it, i’m not about to get a break. which is why i was especially excited when bugaboo asked me if i’d be interested in teaming up with them to try out their new bugaboo runner. before this shiny new beacon of light arrived at my doorstep, i was struggling to find time for even a quick jog a couple of times a week!

so when the package arrived, it was basically like christmas day. adam was squealing in delight over the big cardboard box, and i was already pulling on my jogging shorts while i ripped apart the wrapping and snapped everything into place. we’ve never tried a bugaboo before, so the first thing i noticed was the seat. adam is a particularly picky customer when it comes to strollers, so if the seat is too deep, or the harness is too clunky, he kinda freaks out because he’s basically feels ‘stuck.’ so it was pretty cool when i sat him down without the slightest protest, and he was able to sit comfortably upright with a really nice vantage point while we rolled around town. not only that, but you actually have the ability to position the seat facing you or facing the world, a unique feature among running strollers. but of course, if you already have a different bugaboo seat (like the bee3, chameleon, buffalo, or donkey), you can easily snap it into the runner chassis.

but the real test is once you get moving. the three-wheeled suspension is so smooth that it practically begs you to run. in fact, it almost feels like it glides along more smoothly the faster you go. and if you’re lucky like me, your child will also act as an exceptionally motivating personal trainer. adam particularly likes it when i run very fast for short spurts and then abruptly slow down for a bit before picking up the pace again. yep, apparently he is already versed in interval training. and if he were to have a preference for speed, it would definitely be very fast. hey, i’m not gonna argue with the kid. he clearly knows what’s good for me!

but joking aside, it’s really is huge relief to have found such an amazing stroller. it’s enabled me to get out into the world and to get more exercise while still being able to bond with my little guy. and it’s just as useful while walking around town or through the park. sure, it’s a running stroller, but it’s just as practical even when i’m not trying to fit in a workout. we’ve been taking it out for walks around town or through the park, and people even stop to complement me and ask where i got it. it’s not big or clunky or garish, just a really good tool that fits right in with our lifestyle.

lifestyle, kids

quiet time with latch

July 14, 2015 6 Comments

with adam hitting the 18-month mark just the other day, quiet time around the house has become more precious than ever. developmentally, this little guy has a lot going on, so it’s only natural that we’ve started to see the very first of his terrible tantrums. like pretty much every kid his age, he’s super adorable and awfully cheerful most of the time, but we’ve definitely reached the point where we’ve gotta have an arsenal of tools to help keep him calm when he gets worked up. this, my friends, is no easy task. it actually makes the entire previous 18 months of his life look like a walk in the park. in fact, some days it takes all of my effort to simply convince him to go on a walk in the park with me! so today i’ve teamed up with munkchin to share a few of my tips and tricks for helping toddlers (and babies!) get the quiet time they need. because a happy baby means a happy mama.

create a calm and peaceful environment. there are certain areas of the house that we use as “chill out zones.” they’re places we go to be calm and quiet, rather than play. adam’s doesn’t have a playroom, so we simply used a large shelf to divide his bedroom into two spaces: a play area and a sleep area. we have a rocking chair set up with comfy pillows and a white noise machine, cues that help him understand that it’s time to wind down. we don’t play with toys in that area of the room, and if he wanders over when it isn’t nap time, we lay our heads on the bed and pretend to sleep (fake snoring and all!), so that adam knows what the space is for. this is really helpful for those moments when baby is wound up and overtired and just needs a break. in fact, now that he’s a little older, he even sometimes takes me by the hand and guides me to the chill out zone to let me know he’s feeling tired.

the munchkin latch pacifier. munkchin developed their latest pacifier with the help of pediatric dentists and the experience of real moms. it’s a one-piece, lightweight silicone made in a variety of different shapes to help your baby comfortable latch on no matter what their stage of development, from 0 to 3 to 6 months and up. i actually wish these were around when adam was younger, because he had a terrible time trying to keep a latch on his pacifiers! and even if he could, sometimes they had such an odd shape that it didn’t fit well on his tiny face. the latch has a nice, ergonomic heart shape that fits perfectly beneath baby’s little nose. and having something soothing to suck on is really helpful when your little one needs to calm down and chill out, especially because there are times when mom can’t always breastfeed on demand.

p.s. i made the pacifier clip above using cotton string and wooden beads! it was super easy to make, i really should share a how-to!

aromatherapy. it’s true! back during my pregnancy with adam, i had a seriously rough case of morning sickness that lasted well after the first 12 weeks. my mom is super into holistic medicine, so she gave me a tiny bottle of grapefruit essential oil to help. the first time i took a little whiff of that stuff, i was sold. aromatherapy really works and i’ve totally turned into one of those crunchy granola moms with an arsenal of different essential oils and herbs to cure what ails you. this includes infusing a bit of lavender or chamomile in an evening bath (assuming baby doesn’t have allergies!), and placing fragrant herbs around the house to help calm the senses.

you can find the munchkin latch pacifier in-store or online at target.

my style, fashion, lifestyle

outfit: outdoor inspiration, pt. 2

May 26, 2015 12 Comments

the time has finally come for me to reveal the final result of my recent project in collaboration with hp sprout! you can read this post to see the first part of the process, but i’ll also catch you up to speed right here. after playing around with the capture app, i chose a few different scans of bright orange kumquat branches to create a custom fabric for my very own shirt design. i uploaded my design to spoonflower, and in a couple of weeks my custom-printed fabric arrived, and i was ready to start sewing! i’m not much of a seamstress, so after doing a bit of research online, i decided to simply trace the pattern of a very simple top i already owned to use as my guide. it was literally two pieces of fabric sewn together and took all of 10 minutes to complete. but what really brought it to life was the bright and cheerful pattern.

it was a really fun process to go from picking flowers in the garden, to designing my own custom print using sprout, and creating a finished product. i would never have even considered taking on a project like this, but with the sprout, i managed to create something in only a matter of hours.

wearing:
self-made top using fabric designed with my hp sprout
vintage denim skirt
brookes boswell wakefield hat in panama straw
vintage coach bucket bag
swedish hasbeens peep toe high
shinola runwell watch
gillian steinhardt right hand charm bracelet

my style, lifestyle

my happy place

May 20, 2015 2 Comments

you may remember a couple of months back, i teamed up with hp to share a glimpse at how i’m able to work remotely utilizing mobile technology. well, for their latest campaign, they decided to expand upon the concept and encouraged a group of bloggers to share how we work from our ultimate happy places. at the time, i’d been spending a lot of time getting sun and snapping photos at the park. when i’m feeling overwhelmed, i pack myself a little picnic and head out for a leisurely hike and a bite to eat before diving in to a busy week. it gives me a chance to clear my head and get the fresh air that i need to tackle my countless jobs, and it’s a great place to take adam so he can run free and explore nature. but not so far off the beaten track that i can’t stay connected using my hp stream 8 tablet.

they just released the video, and it’s so much fun to catch a glimpse of my own happy place among so many other varied worplaces. it’s really inspiring to see the way others work, and a good reminder to myself to turn those dreamy aspirations into a reality in my own life. if you could work from anywhere, where would you go?

this post was created in collaboration with hp. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible.

lifestyle, home

5 simple summer decor ideas

May 12, 2015 3 Comments

well, we finally did it! we moved into our little dream house. now we can just lay back and relax, right? yeah, right after we unpack the piles of boxes and get to work on refinishing the wood floors, getting a new electrical panel, painting all of the kitchen cabinets… the list goes on! but just because we’ve got a big job ahead of us, doesn’t mean we can’t do simple little things around the house to brighten the mood. in fact, it’s pretty much a requirement when everything else is in disarray. so when glade challenged me to come up with 5 simple home decor tips for the summer season, it was just the kick in the butt i needed to spruce things up around this place while things get back to normal.

so without further adieu, here’s my list of 5 quick (and inexpensive) fixes around the house that have already made a major difference in welcoming the summer season, and helping to brighten up our little work-in-progress.

1. arrange items by color. this is a really simple decor idea that utilizes objects you already have in your home. change things up by reorganizing all of the books on your shelf by color instead of title. or go to the baby’s room and pick out a selection of toys in one color to highlight on a shelf or ledge. you can even rearrange the cosmetics on your vanity for a quick visual refresh. the fun with this one is that you can pick and choose which color to work with as the seasons change. i’m especially smitten with yellows and oranges for the warm summer months.

2. fresh flowers. probably one of my favorite cheap tricks for livening up the house is to run to the farmer’s market on saturday mornings to buy a few bunches of fresh flowers. these yellow and orange tulips are an instant mood lift and make me feel so much more happy in my home, even if the rest of the place is a disaster zone while we unpack all of the boxes!

3. fresh fruit. it’s easy to add a few pops of color with seasonal blooms, but don’t forget the possibilities sitting right in your own kitchen! think outside the box (or kitchen, as it were) and slice a few citrus fruits to use as a centerpiece on the table or as an accent on the bar cart when guests come to visit. not only does fresh fruit add a cheerful ambience, but it smells delicious, and won’t go to waste. greyhounds, anyone?

4. decorate with seasonal accessories. summer is quickly approaching, and all i can think about are lazy days spent lounging by the lake. with a laundry list of things to do and a toddler running around, i sometimes forget to take a step back and live a little! i gathered up some of my beach-going accessories that i already had in my closet and arranged them at the foyer, all ready for an impromptu trip to the lake. it creates a carefree ambience that really lightens the mood as you enter the house. and hey, you never know when the occasion might present itself!

5. add texture. i’ve been spotting lots of pretty woven wall-hangings on pinterest lately, so i decided to give one a try. i made this simple little textile in just a couple of hours, and it’s already made a big impact. i tend to be a bit reserved when it comes to the decor in my home, so this quick little tapestry was an easy, no-commitment way for me to step outside of my comfort zone and test drive a different color.

this post was created in partnership with glade and was inspired by their limited edition scent, soak it in summer swim. thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible.

my style, lifestyle

outfit: outdoor inspiration

May 5, 2015 12 Comments

after all of the upheaval of moving into our new place over the last couple of weeks, i’m finally starting to settle back into a normal routine. there’s still tons of work left to do, but i try to make a little bit of time to work on creative projects to keep myself sane. so when hp sent me the new sprout and challenged me to create something with this new technology, i was more than ready for the opportunity to get creative. this new all-in-one computer combines a regular pc with a 3d camera, a touch mat, and a touch screen, transforming your desk’s surface into a digital-physical workspace. being the very hands-on person that i am, i was pretty excited to give it a try. so after brainstorming a bit, i decided to bring some of the outdoors in, and i headed out to my aunt’s garden to forage for natural objects to scan into the computer. you simply place on object on the touch mat, and the computer scans your image so you can start creating.

at first, i was a little overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. you can use the images to create greetings or invites, you can scan in fabric swatches to create moodboards for interior design, or you can create digital scrapbooks with photos and small objects. the possibilities are limitless, so i really had to reign myself in for my first project. but after playing around with some of the foliage, i decided to create my very own custom print for fabric! it’s something i’ve always wanted to do, but always seemed a bit too complicated before now. i just sent my pattern out to be printed using spoonflower, and should expect the fabric to arrive in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for part two of my project very soon!

the post was created in partnership with sprout! thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible.

lifestyle, home, kids

a nursery sneak peek with munchkin!

March 25, 2015 5 Comments

back when adam was just a tiny babe, i half-jokingly declared that i would consider it an accomplishment if i managed to photograph the nursery before he was a year old. and here we are. adam is 14 months old, and i’m finally getting around to it! besides the fact that i have never photographed or shared any of my interiors on the blog before, i think my biggest hurdle was that i kept expecting the room to be “finished” one day. but then, as i rearranged the room for the millionth time since he was born, i realized that there would never be an end point. a home is this living, breathing thing that grows and changes right along with us. adam’s needs are ever-changing, and so is his room. (and with any luck, we’ll be moving out of this place very soon, so i really need to document it before we leave. more on that later!)

so in the spirit of building things up, i partnered with munchkin to give you a little tease before the big reveal. most of the room has remained pretty much the same since adam was born, but i’ve been making important additions to the room here and there. one such essential came in the form of our new arm & hammer diaper pail that we received courtesy of munchkin. i had originally picked up a little stainless steel step can because i thought it looked nice, and i honestly never even considered using a diaper pail. and i got away without one for quite a few months before i started to notice a particularly offensive funk wafting from the nursery. unless you plan to make multiple trips to the dumpster throughout the day, a regular can just isn’t gonna cut it. needless to say, i was pretty relieved to finally make the upgrade, especially after having to explain the stink to guests a few too many times…

and with that final odor-free addition, i can finally say that i’m ready to share the nursery! hope you enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for the full reveal coming soon!

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this post was created in partnership with munchkin. thank you for supporting my sponsors!

my style, lifestyle

four days, four outfits

February 17, 2015 9 Comments

one thing i’ve noticed is that life has changed so dramatically over the past couple of years, that it’s really hard for me to get into the routine of photographing my daily outfits like i used to. i’m just so distracted by whatever i’m doing that i never seem to stop and think about taking a picture. i certainly haven’t lost interest in my personal style. in fact, getting “dressed up” every day has been an important part of my routine. it just makes me feel good about myself, and more prepared to tackle the day. but i haven’t exactly been documenting it!

so last week, i decided to bend the rules and do things a little differently. i partnered up with HP and Megan Trainor to feature the four ways you can use the HP x360, and i saw it as the perfect opportunity to take it along with me while i documented four days in my life, outfits included! instead of trying to make a big production out of getting the usual head-to-toe outfit shots, i just kept my camera by my side so that i could snap a few quick pictures of whatever i was up to.

monday

the weather has been so ridiculously nice lately, that we’ve been taking every opportunity to head out and explore the parks and nature areas around town. my brother has been really into photography lately, so we’ve been getting together a lot to visit new places and snap a few photos. when i lived in northern california, it felt like we did this kind of thing just about every weekend, so it’s been fun to finally get into the routine here in our new home. i certainly never knew we had this cool little spot hidden in our own back yard!

wearing: gaia black shift dress from earth & beauty, elizabeth suzann raw silk tie, rachel comey mars boots, claire v. messenger tote, warby parker jasper sunglasses

tuesday

my sister usually has one day off during the weekday, so we’ve made a routine out of getting together once a week to cook a meal or two. we’d been doing it so often, that it’s actually what motivated us to try our hand at food blogging. i just never thought to take a picture of myself in the kitchen!

of course, i spend an embarrassing amount of time on pinterest, which is where most of our new recipes are born. the HP x360 was a nice new companion because we could convert it to tablet or display mode while we browsed around the web looking for new ideas.

wearing: cardigan new york marc sweatshirt dress

wednesday

i tend to get my work done in very brief intervals throughout the day, usually for a couple of hours while adam is napping. we got this really cool coffee table that converts to a desk so that i can set up my laptop to answer emails and work on blog posts whenever the opportunity arises. it was a ridiculously sunny day, so i was actually quite happy to perch myself at the couch with my new HP x360 in tablet mode to get some work done. i am terrible at typing on a tablet or phone, so it’s nice that the 360 has a keyboard so i can get through emails more quickly. later on, i may or may not have cheated a little and switched it to tent mode to catch up on new episodes of broad city…

wearing: apiece apart crop top, lauren moffatt jumpsuit, swedish hasbeens braided high in natural

thursday

i don’t get out as nearly much as i used to, but luck had it that i was able to get away for a quick daytime date with brendan. so of course, i used it as an opportunity to throw on this silly vintage dress i picked up at the antique mall downtown. it’s a little different than what i normally wear, but it was fun to try out for afternoon drinks.

wearing: vintage dress, warby parker jasper sunglasses, swedish hasbeens peep toe high in black

this february and march, HP is going on the road with Meghan Trainor to cover her u.s. tour in a new documentary series, “all about that tour,” giving you a glimpse behind-the-scenes as they travel from vancouver to nashville with some of their favorite Meghan Trainor fans from her lips are movin’ video to help bring the tour to life—check it out here!

this post was created in partnership with HP. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible!

lifestyle, beauty

keep it simple

January 30, 2015 12 Comments

i know it probably doesn’t seem obvious from looking at my blog, but i’m actually really shy in front of the camera! i can be totally comfortable and feeling really good about my outfit or my makeup, but the moment the camera comes out, i suddenly slouch and my face gets stiff and i totally forget how to just act natural. it’s like that scene in 30 rock when jack donaghy has to film a promo video… my hands just start floating upward and into the frame, ha! so a big thanks to bareMinerals for asking me if i’d be interested in trying out their latest product, without which i might not be gracing you all with a bunch of silly pictures of my mug!

as part of my new year’s purging ritual, i recently went through my cabinets and got rid of a ton of stuff. i really like to try new beauty products, but sometimes i forget to be mindful of what ingredients i’m using on my acne-prone and slightly oily skin. if i really want a quick and easy beauty routine, i have to remember to start with ingredients that won’t irritate my skin or clog my pores. so of course, i was pretty excited to get my hands on the new bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, especially since i’ve really been paring down my beauty routine to only the essentials, which includes getting more comfortable with a little less coverage. the new formula is a gel cream which aims to combine the best of a bb, a cc, and a tinted moisturizer with sheer coverage and a very natural finish. i find that it goes much better with my current makeup routine that my usual full-coverage foundation, which was starting to feel a bit too heavy when paired with just a swipe of blush and some mascara. my skin feels comfortable and natural, and i just have to use a dab of concealer here and there to cover up blemishes and dark spots.

as illustrated below, you can either smooth it on with your hands like you would a moisturizer, or use the Smoothing Face Brush for more even application. for this look, i added just a touch of blush on my cheeks, mascara, and a very minimal application of liquid liner.

“be original. be natural. be good.” thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible!

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