calivintage – Page 27 – mom jeans + puff sleeves

two years

January 11, 2016 1 Comment

my little baby is two years old! we celebrated the big day at home with family, nothing too big this year. having a birthday so shortly after the holidays can be a little overwhelming, so i think i’m gonna have to learn how to better incorporate the planning in with everything else that goes on during the end of the year. and what’s even more, my own birthday is merely nine days away! thankfully, i’m a grown-up that doesn’t want or need much of a celebration. but i hope that as adam grows older, he’ll have fond memories of his birthday parties. he’s to young to remember this one, but i will certainly never forget just how much he enjoyed the day. he was cool and calm all day long, he oohed and aahed for every single gift, and at the end of the day, he asked if he could eat cake in bed and requested to bring a balloon into the bedroom. and he fell asleep singing happy birthday to adam, haha. it was really sweet to watch, and even though i’m not a very sappy person, i couldn’t help but get a little sentimental thinking about his life and how much joy he’s brought into our home in a matter of just two short years. here’s to many more!

ooh, and if you’re curious, we got the happy birthday plates, harlequin pattern napkins, and happy birthday garland from meri meri. i ordered some party hats that inexplicably didn’t arrive in the package, but the rest of the decorations were delightful. i got the cakes from a local bakery, martha green’s, and requested for them without piping or decorations so that i could add rainbow sprinkles at home. oh, and yes, that is a photo of me holding a giant burrito. we got them from a local favorite, rosa maria’s. i’ve always wanted to get one of their giant party-sized burritos, although i will admit that there are logistical challenges to eating said burrito once it’s been cut into slices!

food

the little baker boy

December 25, 2015 8 Comments

it’s christmas, and we’re all feeling comfy and cozy, enjoying this chilly southern california winter. the other day was particularly grey and rainy, so we stuck to indoor activities and decided to bake sugar cookies from scratch. fortunately for us, we just received the most adorable little kid’s apron set by odette williams, which turned out to be the perfect accessory for our activity of the day! like most toddlers, adam is obsessed with doing everything he sees his parents do, especially in the kitchen. brendan washes dishes most mornings before heading off to work, and adam often wakes up requesting to help his daddy! and you know he was ready to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty when i started mixing cookie dough. i set up a little work station for him to experiment with rolling out the dough and using a cookie cutter!

i’ve mentioned it here and there before, but i’m a certified pastry chef. before i became a blogger, i was actually a professional cake decorator. i still don’t know why i don’t show off my baking chops more often on the blog, but perhaps with adam’s help, we’ll share more of our culinary adventures in the new year. baking with a kid can be a test of patience, but it’s so rewarding to give them the opportunity to try something new and to truly feel like they’re contributing and collaborating with you. especially during such a special time of year.

beauty

a diy holiday

December 23, 2015 4 Comments

over the past couple of years, my sister and i have inadvertently started a new holiday tradition of getting together to make diy christmas presents. last year, we mixed up fancy bath soaks. and this year, we tried our hand at a little holiday care package including: a tinted lip balm, a brown sugar lip scrub, and a hydrating rose water spray to give as gifts to friends and family. finding the right gifts for everyone on your list can be a really harrowing process, but we’ve found that by slowing down and thoughtfully putting together a few luxurious products is almost always a gifting win. heck, even the process of making them becomes a mini spa experience with all of the essential oils wafting through the room. so without further adieu, here are a few recipes that you can pull together with simple household ingredients, even on the eve of christmas eve!

rosewater facial mist

ingredients:

3/4 cup of distilled water

1/4 cup of rosewater

2-3 drops vitamin E oil (or any carrier oil)

2-3 drops rosehip seed essential oil

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Oil and water doesn’t mix, so be ready to pour into your spray bottles immediately for a more uniform mixture in each. The fun thing about face mists is that you can play around with oils that you find calming. If you prefer a strong aroma of rosewater, then change the ratio to 1:1 with distilled water or even fill the entire spray bottle with only rosewater.

coconut lip balm

ingredients:

2 tbsp grated beeswax

2 tbsp organic coconut oil

2 tsp carrier oil (anything from vitamin e to sweet almond oil to jojoba oil, which is what we used)

several drops of vanilla essential oil

In a small saucepan on very low heat, combine beeswax, coconut oil, and carrier oil. Keep a watchful eye. Stir ingredients until all the beeswax has melted and immediately remove from heat. Over heating can ruin the texture. Once off the heat, add in your essential or flavor oils. Stir. Then, with a dropper, fill your container with the mixture. This recipe is really open to interpretation. If you prefer a softer lip balm with more shine, then change up the ratio between the beeswax and coconut oil – more coconut oil means a glossier, softer balm. We love the simple mix of delicate coconut oil with vanilla, but we even played around with some adding peppermint oil. To get a colored balm, we just added a chunk of lipstick to the saucepan while melting ingredients. The more lipstick the stronger the color.

brown sugar lip scrub

ingredients:

2 cups organic brown sugar

1 cup of oil (any oil or combination of oils will work, we used organic coconut oil with a few tsp’s of sweet almond oil)

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Since we used coconut oil, this involved us getting our hands a little dirty – using natural body heat to melt the coconut oil and combine with the sugar. The mixture should be more dry and gritty than wet. If you find it too wet, just add more brown sugar to the mix. This base recipe can be dressed up by using essential or flavor oils. We decided to add some spicy ground ginger and allspice to the mix, along with a few drops of vanilla essential oil, for a warm holiday inspired aroma – again, play around with the amounts, a tbsp of each was enough for us, but you could omit one or the other or add more of both for a bolder flavor.

my style, maternity

maternity style: holiday comforts with zappos

December 22, 2015 4 Comments

hard to believe it, but i’m already more than halfway through my pregnancy! it’s not my first time celebrating the holiday season while pregnant, but if there’s one thing i’ve learned from the past, it’s that you gotta dress comfortably! but of course, i still want to look nice for the few holiday parties and new years celebrations that i will be attending, glass of sparkling cider in hand. so this year, i partnered with zappos to shop my holiday looks using the style room. it’s basically a one-stop shop for all of your holiday outfit needs, and everything is listed in tidy categories based on your personal style preferences. for this simple holiday look, i went for a mix of classic and contemporary. but since my belly is just starting to emerge, i was a little bit unsure of what size to order. the nice thing is that they have free two-day shipping and free returns, so when the first dress turned out to be the wrong size, i was able to quickly make an exchange with plenty of time before christmas and new year’s.

now, i know this outfit isn’t your traditional holiday outfit, but i’m not exactly going to be hitting up the club. my christmas eve will be spent with family, most likely unwrapping a present or two and stuffing my face with tamales. christmas day is also a pretty casual affair around here, and new year’s eve will be similar. i’ve invited a few people over for the celebration, but we’ll probably be turning in a little early with a nearly two-year-old in tow. but that’s alright with me! there’s no right or wrong way to celebrate the holidays, and i’m totally ok with going super low-key this year.

wearing:
vince camuto turtleneck sweater dress courtesy of zappos
sam edelman petty boots courtesy of zappos
vintage jacket
clyde mohair pinch hat
clinique lip pop in cola pop

food

mexican albondigas soup

December 8, 2015 3 Comments

if you’re a regular reader of my blog, you may remember this post from last year. but i just couldn’t help but post it again since it’s officially that time of year. in the past couple of weeks, i’ve already made three giant pots of this favorite family recipe. so here it is again!

coming from a mexican family, i grew up eating mexican food, with all of the recipes being handed down from generation to generation on my mother’s side. and as soon as the weather gets chilly, we all start craving a pot of caldo (soup) to warm our bones. albondigas (meatball) soup is one of my ultimate comfort foods. in fact, after adam was born, i asked my mom make a giant pot for me, and it was literally the only thing i ate for at least a week after i got home from the hospital. i just didn’t have the stomach for anything else. she would serve me a warm bowl of soup with a rolled up tortilla, and i would be in heaven.

last week was grey and rainy, so it was the perfect time for us to practice our family recipe. my sister and i made a big pot of soup under my grandmother’s supervision so that we could share the recipe with you. mind you, this is a recipe that we’ve all committed to memory, we eyeball the measurements for all the ingredients, and each of us tweaks the recipe to our own personal taste. there really are no rules, especially when it comes to making soup! i’m offering you the base for how we make it in our family, but feel free to add or subtract whatever ingredients you prefer.

albondigas soup

for the meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup brown rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped mint
garlic salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

for the soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup rice
1 tbsp crushed garlic
cumin to taste
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups of water
1 small can of tomato sauce
2 cups cubed red or yellow potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
green beans or any other vegetable you prefer!

garnish (to taste)

cilantro
green onions, chopped
oregano

after prepping all of your veggies and meatballs, coat the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of olive oil. saute onions until translucent, then add crushed garlic and saute for another minute before adding the cumin. finishe sauteing for another minute, then add the vegetable stock, water, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil.

once the soup is boiling, carefully drop in the meatballs. let boil for about a minute before adding in the vegetables. reduce heat and allow the soup to simmer until all of the ingredients are tender, about 30 minutes.

serve with cilantro, green onions, and oregano to taste. then warm a tortilla and enjoy!

giveaways

a giveaway for the littles!

December 7, 2015 No Comments

i hope you’re looking at this post on a mobile device, because i’ve teamed up with bitte to share a really amazing giveaway with a host of talented bloggers and makers. the giveaway is on instagram, but i thought i’d share it here in case you missed the post!

i have to admit, with my own little one on the way, i might be just a teensy bit envious of whoever wins this. one winner will receive a massive prize package including:

$100 gift certificate to petit collage
an ella lou play mat (value $89)
$100 gift certificate to bitte
$100 gift certificate to parabo press
a pair of lex & liv moccasins (value about $80)
$60 gift certificate to umi shoes
2 pairs of loungewear from skylar luna (value about $80)
a baby brezza baby food maker (value $159)
a one duo diaper bag (value $145)
$75 gift certificate to le petit organic

enter here!

lifestyle

makr cards for christmas!

December 1, 2015 3 Comments

this time of year, i haven’t had much time for anything other than holiday prep – and i’m not complaining! i mentioned it in another post, but having a kid around during the holidays makes everything just a little more delightful. seeing the way adam’s eyes light up when we set up the tree, or watching him react to all of the silly christmas decor is enough to make me melt into a big sappy puddle. we’re even sending out christmas cards this year, which i have never ever done in all of my life. but when makr asked us if we’d like to partner up to try out their service, i was totally on board. and you bet i pulled up our cheesiest family portrait just for the occasion. i know that all of our aunts and uncles and distant relatives will be delighted to see our little family, and to hear about our new addition to arrive early next year!

i ordered the happy holidays pack, which includes a set of cards that you can customize front and back, along with little matching gift tags! the tags came in handy because i’d already put together my own little hot cocoa recipe to send as gifts for friends and family who live in faraway places. and i had a lot of fun putting together a customized calendar using pictures of adam throughout the last year. but of course, who could resist our silly little family portrait? it’s very rare that we pose like that, but looking back, i’m glad we did it at least one time this past year so that we’ll have a little token of our memories as time goes by.

get 20% off your holiday pack order via makr.co with code “CALI” now through 1/31/16!

this post was sponsored by makr.

fashion, fall 2015

good night, day knits

December 1, 2015 2 Comments

i know i already wrote about good night, day earlier this fall, but designer tara-lynn has created yet another beautiful set of photos to accompany her hand made knits! and she has just released a beautiful new knitting patterns book! her sustainable knits are handcrafted in canada by tara-lynn herself using carefully sourced, fair trade wools from uruguay and peru. if you’re at a loss for gifts to give, i highly recommend this collection. you know your money is being well spent on a practical item that will last for years to come. adam has a couple of her handmade toques that we absolutely love! they’re super soft and warm, and he loves them so much that he requests to wear them nearly every single day.

photos by arden wray.

lifestyle, home

breakfast in bed with eve

November 25, 2015 8 Comments

as many of you know, my life has changed pretty dramatically over the past couple of years. after making a big move across the state, having our first baby, and buying our first home, we just found out that we’re expecting another baby early next year! with all of these constant changes, we’ve been making a lot of big adjustments. one adjustment we didn’t anticipate? the shrinking size of our bed! we’re all about attachment parenting, and we’ve been co-sleeping with adam since he was born. and while we are beginning to transitioning him to his big boy bed, we still fully expect him to occasionally wake up during the night and wander over to our bed… which is soon to see yet another new occupant! so when eve asked us if we’d like to try out a mattress, i jumped at the opportunity to upgrade!

eve just launched in the us earlier this month, so i was pretty excited to be among the first people to give it a try here in the states. the model is simple and straightforward: they designed one ridiculously comfortable mattress, cut out wholesalers and middlemen, and ship the mattress in vacuum-sealed packaging so it can easily fit through a doorframe, or up a flight of stairs. the result is a luxury mattress experience at a fraction of the price. when it came time to pick my own, i didn’t even hesitate: i knew we needed a king sized bed to accommodate our growing family.

when the mattress arrived, it was tightly wrapped up in its compact box. we slid it into the bedroom, pulled it out of the packaging, and watched as it magically unrolled and filled with air right in front of our eyes. the yellow trim and cheeky packaging was unexpected and delightful, but we were sold once we stretched out on our new massive expanse of bed. adam hopped around while i dressed the bed in new linens. and we spent the rest of the day anticipating bedtime to give it a try. as expected, the mattress is super comfortable thanks to four different layers of squishy memory foam. and all of the extra space feels like a major luxury after sleeping on a much smaller bed for the last couple of years.

one major perk? eve offers a 100 night trial — if you don’t like the mattress, they pick it up and give a full refund — no questions asked. but we’ll be keeping ours, thanks!

this post was sponsored by eve. all content and opinions are my own.

lifestyle, kids

blurb books for the holidays

November 24, 2015 1 Comment

’tis the season, you guys! in some years past, i’ve been known to be a little bit of a scrooge, but having a baby has really changed my perspective on the holidays. children have this way of making the holidays magic. and this year, i’m really excited to have had the opportunity to partner with blurb books to create customized photo books to give as gifts to some of my closest relatives. adam’s grandparents and great-grandparents are always pestering me for more photos of adam, so i know that these little books will bring them lots of joy. i have to admit, even i got a little teary-eyed when the package came in the mail and i flipped through the images of adam over the past two years. i arranged the book in reverse chronological order, so as you turn the pages, you watch him transform from a rambunctious toddler to a squishy little baby to the very day he was born. it’s kind of fun to get lost in memories as you reminisce further back in time to days not so long ago, but forever in your memories.

and the best part is that the entire process was totally painless. the books are completely customizable, but virtually foolproof. i get completely overwhelmed by projects like this, but i was able to do the whole thing online. you can start by choosing a book size, pick from a few different style options, and then simply upload your photos and insert text wherever you desire. my hard drive is currently a mess, so i was happy to see the option to pull all of your images directly from your instagram account. and that’s pretty much it! of course, if you happen to be a design pro, then there are also a lot of other options for publishing your book, but i definitely like that you can keep it simple, and still come away with a really beautiful book.

this post was created in collaboration with blurb books.