Dreamy Photography

i have been following and admiring irene suchocki's work on etsy for years.  it's glowy and gorgeous and i immediately recognized it when i came around the corner a few weeks ago to a huge display.  i felt so excited and happy for her to join the ranks of other talented artists + designers to be featured, so her photography definitely had to make the cut...

target style #112 - irene suchocki canvas prints

for more of her work check out ---

eye poetry photography on etsy and her official site

The Beauty of Boys

life with cole and dean according to instagram...

fabric store flirting, big bear hugs, holding daddy's hand,

ribbon ninjas, stealing shades + the cream at the bottom of our coffee, towel turbans,

picking flowers, smoothie dates, and grabbing the camera.

[previous beauty of boys post here]

Tent Life

working for the weekend in our flea market tent for four days.  even the heat, the storms, and three hour traffic jams didn't stop us.  it was a reminder that no matter how hard you try, you just can't plan for everything and being able to go with the flow is just as important as being organized in situations like these.  we had a great time and made lots of new friends and it all turned out beautiful in the end...

we filled our tent with tons of beautiful terrariums + plant life courtesy of my friend jenny
who is a floral designer.  [you may remember her from here] along with many
of our vintage finds, jewelry, and pillows from my etsy shop.  i also debuted some new designs
that will be for sale there soon.  cole came the last day and enjoyed lots of fair food
and hanging out with his very stylish cousins ethan and sophia [also from here]

a special thanks to everyone who helped out in the booth and all the
babysitters that made it possible for jenny and i to do this.

Modern Macrame + Crochet

pieces have been showing up everywhere and i'm loving them...

modern poufs via apartment therapy

cradle + gran baby blanket from fine little day

outfit inspiration - crochet top, denim cut-offs,
gold rayban aviators, gold bangle bracelets + macrame clutch

target style #111 --- cream crochet chevron tee

Pillows, Plants + Pretty Things

are what we'll have at our tent this weekend, come check it out...

click here for more information and details

A Piece in Every Room

i mentioned a few big projects i had in the works recently and this is the biggest of the big - a pop up store/booth at my favorite flea market with my friend jenny.  i've been working to get ready for it for a while now and it's finally only a week away.  i will be posting more on the booth later, but in the meantime, here are some items i have collected from there over the years.  i realized i almost have a flea market piece in every room...

deans room - hanging globes + boat

entry - gold sunburst convex mirror - i got it a few years ago
when they were popping up everywhere and it was only $10!

bookshelf - budda head + goede

cole's room - plaid blanket

live edge console table/desk

wood dressing screen i turned into a chalkboard for the boys

white + gray starfish on our mantel

cole's room - hanging sailboats [and the robot is from here]

wine barrel ring i turned into a chandelier [featured in this post]

kitchen island + wood carved candle pedestal

i've been going to this flea market for over ten years now,

and i've collected some great funny memories to go along with the pieces i've found...

like wading through rain up to my ankles holding that soon-to-be chalkboard over my head,

to swollen ankles and realizing the irony when i bought these for dean's room.

happy mothers day!

Thrifty Flip // Part II

i picked up this little ottoman while thrifting and was so excited when i found this cool snakeskin gold vinyl to cover it in.  i know those three words combined might sound crazy to some, but the brushed gold color and texture is amazingly beautiful to me.  better yet - it's super durable for my kids...   

i also made a boudoir pillow in it

and in the spirit of being thrifty i turned this gray ikat tank
into a couple boudoir pillows.  i think the pattern makes so much
more sense as a pillow, probably the reason i never wore it.
the three tan ones were a set of napkins that i also converted,
and the sequin stripe is from here.

the multi-stripe and gold snakeskin pillows
will be coming to my etsy shop soon!

click here for thrifty flips / part l

Shopping Local

i love to shop online, especially now that i have kids, but sometimes the real thing is just better.  i discovered this place a couple months ago and met up with a client there the other day...

packed with so many great pieces - i will definitely be back!
the staff was extremely nice and helpful too.

click here for store hours and more information +
here's a link to their facebook page for more pictures.

Weekend Wear

i'm in love with these new pants, a find from a couple months ago, that i just broke out this weekend....

target style #110 - mossimo printed harem pants

they are unbelievably comfortable + silky soft and you can dress them up or down.

 i wish they came in more patterns because i would buy them all up! 

a couple images that had inspired me to try them in the first place.
i went down a size to make them less baggy, i wasn't ready to try pulling that off.

click here to view my [fashion inspiration] + [target style] boards on pinterest

Thrifty Flips // Part l

i've been going thrifting a lot lately and have found some great pieces that cover all focuses of this blog... home, kids and style.  my friends that have never gone and have also been asking lots of questions and wanting my secrets on where to go and what to do.  i know entering a thrift store can be intimidating and overwhelming to some, so here's my little quick guide to having a good thrifting experience. 

1. go often.  and if possible go on a weekday, otherwise it's slim-pickins and a crowd of people to contend with.
2. grab a cart as soon as you enter.  i always think i'll never need one and end up juggling stuff and heading back to get one.  most importantly, grab anything of interest and do a best of the best sort at the end.
3. move quickly and don't linger.  [i usually try to be in and out in 20 mins] skip areas all together that you have no interest in.   for instance, don't even attempt looking through the clothes if you aren't into wearing vintage.  keeping the trip short is key, that way if you leave empty handed you won't feel like you've wasted a bunch of time and will look forward to your next trip back.  

here's a couple of simple before and after projects, starting with the kid finds...

i picked this up for only $5.  i'm guessing all the marks on the top made it that cheap,
but i thought it gave it character.  i actually forgot to take a picture of the before,
but found a picture similar desk so you get the idea of the original color.
i sanded off the stain on the top to enhance the look of the wood and painted the bottom.

got this guy for $14, i loved the wool mane and his leather ears
and modernized him with a coat of high gloss white paint.
[cole enjoyed "helping" and was cracking himself up as usual]

a few things to keep in mind... no two thrift stores are alike.

 the prices and selection vary based on the city you're in.

i circulate a few on a regular basis and certain ones are definitely
better stocked in departments like clothing or furniture.
i have had my share of busts, but the good trips definitely outweigh the bad.
the best part is, if you get home and have buyers remorse you have spent little 
and you can just donate the item back on your way in the next time.