Pineapple Obsessed

One of my favorite trends this season has definitely been the pineapple craze.  They are honestly everywhere! (Even on adult clothing) Today Stella embraced the trend and wore one of my absolute favorite shorts by Vivie and Ash. These pineapple printed shorts are one of the softest knit bottoms I have ever put on Stella. They are hand cut and sewn from 100% organic cotton and are extremely durable. You can snag a pair right now in her shop for just $18!

Im so excited because we recently scored a vacation to Hawaii, so these shorts will be perfect for our trip. I'm also loving the pink background on this geometric pineapple print giving it a little feminine touch. For a casual day around the house, a messy bun, some flip flops, a screen tee, and this pineapple clip from Giddy up and Grow was on trend, causal, and perfect for a day of playing in the summer sun.

Fashion Credits:

Pineapple Shorts:  Vivie and Ash | Tee: Tiny Bandits | Clip: Giddy Up and Grow

I hope you all enjoyed Stella's summertime outfit of the day. Remember "A Pineapple a Day keeps the worries away" 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Fair Lady

July is by far my busiest time at work, so I have not been home to spend as much quality time with my family. It's been a little routine lately; wake up, go to work, come home , eat dinner, take bath, go to bed. Of course every kid needs routine, but I love to spice it up with some Disneyland trips, or trips to the park. I have honestly had ZERO free time! Things are starting to settle back to normal, so we decided to head out to the OC Fair for some family fun! We had an absolute blast. From carnival rides and games, a petting zoo, and fried food, our night at the fair was just what we needed after a hardworking month. 

Stella wore the French girl carnival tutu, that I have been hoarding for our annual fair trip. I accessorized it with the "Candy Apples and Carnival" bow from our faves Birdie Baby Boutique, and some classic Converse high tops. Stella was twirling, and stopped to dance at every booth that played music. I absolutely must video her for you all. She can shake her booty better than me that's for sure! 

Fashion Credits:

Bow Birdie Baby Boutique | Tutu Dress:  Salt City Emporium| Shoes: Converse 

I even made it in a pic! A little selfie action on our way! 

Stella is 32" tall, which made her just tall enough to hit up a few of the rides in "Kid land". The cars were most definitely her favorite. She kept waving to us each time she whipped around. 

Of course it wouldn't be the fair without food. I had a basket of pickle chips, the "Latin lover" cheesy bread covered in jalapeños, and for dessert we shared this donut the size of my head. Stella was in sugar heaven. 

What a perfect night for me and my family. I might have a tummy ache from the greasy food, and our wallets may be a little slimmer from the overpriced carnival games, but spending quality time with these two people is what I live for. I may give myself a little guilt trip for working so much and not being at home with Stella 24/7, but working has enabled me and my family to live a comfortable life, and work towards a huge goal that will better our lives forever. It may not be New Years Eve, but I am going to share a little resolution with you all. Trevor (my husband) and I are working hard to save money and buy a home. It's not going to happen tomorrow, probably not even 6 months from now, but by this time next year, we are hoping we will be able to start the hunt. I will keep you all updated on how this little adventure goes. 

Yours truly,

Melissa 

Mini Boden Autumn 2014 Favorites

Today is the launch of Mini Boden's Autumn 2014 collection, and it did not disappoint! One thing I love about Mini Boden, is their collection is always full of rich colors, and fun prints for kids. For fall Mini Boden used gorgeous hues of mustard, muted purples, and oatmeal browns. The vibrant colors look fantastic paired back to neutral colored sweaters and vests, such as their furry reversible vest they release each season. The color palette definitely has a nod to vintage, however still looks very modern and fresh! As for prints, they are sure to be favorites for back to school. One of my favorite prints Boden used this season are "studious" owls and foxes wearing their reading glasses. So perfect for your little bookworms! 

From pinafore dresses, peter-pan collared blouses, corduroy bloomers, and printed tights Mini Boden's Fall 2014 line is full of fun styles for your little ladies (and gents) this season! Ill round up my favorite boy items tomorrow. Below are Stella's favorites from the new collection. One thing is for sure, their will be lots of Boden style posts, as Stella will most likely be decked out in this collection for the entire season. 

Reversible Furry Vest |  Owl Appliqué Tee | Pear Knitted Dress | 

Flower Print Pinafore  | Corduroy Bloomers  | Knit Hoodie | 3 Pack Patterned Tights  | 

Corduroy Dungaree Dress  | Printed Blouse | Farmyard Printed Dress

Stay tuned next week, as we have an exciting giveaway happening where you will have a chance to win a shopping spree at Mini Boden! 

Today truly is a HAPPY Monday!!

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Stella's 2nd Birthday Disneyland Shoot

We are gearing up to celebrate Stella's second birthday. As many of you know we have had passes as a couple for years, and have been taking Stella regularly since she was 5 months old. Watching her face light up as we walk up to the gates has been such a magical time. I have cherished all our adventures at Disneyland, and look forward to make many more as Stella grows. 

When choosing a theme for Stella's second birthday we chose Disneyland, since it is her favorite place to visit. Our photographer, who we have used for our maternity photo shoot, and recent family photos has a pass to Disneyland, so we thought what a great opportunity to take her second birthday photos at the happiest place on earth!  Stella currently has a Tinkerbell fascination, and since Tink is the mascot of Disney we thought this would be the perfect outfit for the shoot. We are going to use these photos for the invitations, and as party decor for her Disneyland themed soirée in August. I just love how these photos turned out, and think our photographer captured Stella's free spirited, and energetic personality so perfectly! 

Vendor Credits

Photography (Jack Rodriguez) | Tinkerbell Costume (The Disney Store) |
Sequin Shoes Toms | Custom Tinkerbell Bow Birdie Baby Boutique  |
Party Hat Little Blue Olive

As many of you know going to Disneyland has been such a special place for Stella, Trevor, and I. We have made so many memories there. I will treasure these photos forever. A huge thank you to our photographer Jack Rodriguez for making this possible.

Happy almost two years Stella Bug!!

(Ps. I will be taking a vacation away from the blog for the next two weeks. When we come back we have some exciting things happening)

Yours Truly,
Melissa 

Beach Bound Essentials

I only have two more days left of work, then I'm officially on "vacay" for an entire week!! I'm so incredibly stoked to have some quality Mommy and Stella time during this staycation. Although we are not going on any fancy trips, we plan on making many trips to the beach! This is just one of the awesome perks to being a So Cal mom. The weather has been so beautiful we have already made quite a few trips on my days off, so I thought I would share with you my favorite beach bound essentials.

We all know that when you have a little one, you need free hands. Last year I received this awesome beach chair that has back pack straps, making it an easy lug down to the sand. It's also super comfortable to sit in making it a must have! Other favorites include a beach mat that is easy to roll up, light weight, and won't get soggy like an oversized towel. For entertainment you can't go wrong with some sand scooped ice cream toys. Although, I highly recommend going for the real thing after your trip. Stella and I have been hitting up Rubys on the pier for a milkshake with two straws and it has been the sweetest new tradition.

Of course it wouldn't be a trip to the beach without some stylish threads! I'm obsessed with this new retro inspired swimsuit we got from La Pina Childrens Shop. It's so incredibly well made, and probably the coolest swimsuit on the market right now.

Check out all our favorite beach bound essentials below.

Sunscreen | Hooded Towel | Backpack Chair  | 

Swimsuit | Sunglasses | Beach mat  | Sand Toys | Sandals

Happy Sunning! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Little Celebrations: Under the Sea

So we are officially just two months away from celebrating Stella's second birthday. We took her second birthday photos yesterday, which had me feeling a little emotional. The time seems to be passing at warp speed. As many of you know I love planning parties, so putting together a sweet little celebration for Stella is definitely one of the most fun things I get to do as her mom. 

Last year the theme of Stella's birthday was "Under the Sea". I used classic mermaid colors of lavender and aqua as the color scheme, then  added seashells, sand, and fishing nets to create the sea like atmosphere. With Stella's party being in the middle of summer, we encouraged guests to bring their swimsuits to take a dip in the pool with the mermaids. I also set up water tables and little kiddie pools for the kids. 

For the sweets table I looked for candy and baked goods that resemble all the things we love about the sea. Cake pops that resemble octopus, gummy sharks, seashell shaped cookies, and salt water taffy, kept our friends sweet tooth happy. The center of the sweets table was a mermaid inspired two tiered cake covered in mermaid scales. It was beyond tasty too! 

For the tables I framed pictures from Stella's cake smash photo shoot to use as center pieces. I tied rope twine around mason jars, and added sand and seashells into the jars. Each table featured orchids, and a fish plate full of lifesaver candy. I found all of these touches at Home Goods! Anybody looking to put together a beach/ mermaid party this summer you must check out Home goods. I couldn't believe all the perfect under the sea decorations they had. 

For party favors I bought sand buckets and filled them with goodies, such as personalized mermaid coloring pages, and mermaid wands for the girls. I found letter stickers at Michaels and personalized each bucket. Probably my favorite decoration at the party was this oversized octopus plush I found at Pottery Barn Kids.  The kids took it down and had a blast playing with it. 

You can find all the vendor credits we used at the bottom of the page. We did a lot of shopping on Etsy, and had the best experience with all the vendors. Great communication, and fantastic homemade products! 

I feel like this was just yesterday. Where does the time go.... 

Vendor Credits: 

Cake, Octopops & Seashell Cookies Tinseltown Cupcakes | Macaroons Sweet and Saucy Shop| 

Personalized Coloring pages Sugar pie Studio |  Menu Cards A Petit Soirée | 

Fish Confetti Foolish Worker Bee | High Chair Bunting  JP Pink Daisy | 

Stella Banner Little Pink Tractor | Birthday Hat Prop Shop Boutique | 

Smash cake Bunting Hartranftdesign | Mermaid Napkins A Southern Flair |  

Paper Goods The Party Fairy | Mermaid Wands Ella Jace Crafts  | Favor Tags Scrap Your Story | Stuffed Octopus & Mermaid Sign Pottery Barn Kids

Yours truly,

Melissa