Today is True’s birthday and I can’t believe she is 11 years old! I want to share 11 ways to she is a blessing to our family:
1. She rallies the sisters to get things done.
2. Most of the time, she puts away all the dishes without being told.
3. She will call me out when I’m doing something wrong, which is a lot.
4. She’s quick to forgive.
5. Every morning and right before bed, she consistently will come to us to give us a hug.
6. Her enthusiasm in making things for the family.
7. She is the best kidtographer around (she takes a lot of my photos)!
8. Her helpfulness in putting away groceries without me asking.
9. Her love for being a kid. No tweenager yet. Thankfully.
10. Sometimes, she surprises us and makes our bed.
11. Her eagerness to serve our church family by helping take care of the babies.

Happy Birthday True! We love you so much!

I’ve heard lots of good things about Salt & Straw ice cream and we were all very excited to finally try it when we were out in Venice for our beach day. We got a double scoop of salted malted chocolate chip cookie dough in a cone, and a double scoop of honey lavender and black olive brittle & goat cheese in a cup. We asked for an extra cup to split the ice cream further. Also, True can’t have anyone double dipping into her cone since she’s allergic to nuts. Typically, our go to would be some sort of salted caramel, and while their sea salt with caramel ribbons was delicious, I can something similar at home (see my recipe here), so I opted for something different.

Salt & Straw is runner up to my ultimate favorite ice cream place, A la Minute. I love Salt & Straw’s unique flavors and how you can taste them prior to ordering (you can’t do that at A la Minute since it’s made to order). Their ice cream isn’t as creamy as a small batch ice cream place, but they really do win with their flavors. I absolutely loved the honey lavender one so much and was kinda hoping the girls didn’t like it, so I could have it all to myself. My next goal is to make my lavender ice cream again (see my recipe here), but see if I can bring out more of that honey flavor. We were thoroughly impressed with their ice cream and we will definitely be back to try other flavors.

Once school lets out for the school year, I am ready to redecorate (a little). Maybe move things around, change out pillows, switch some tables, move plants around. Nothing major, but simply do a little refresh. I  love having pink touches throughout the house, so I’m going to try and tone down some other colors, and simplify the color palette a little (it is pretty simple already, but I don’t think I have a cohesive palette. I’m thinking green, light pink, white, and browns.

image credits from top to bottom: bang & olufsen, simon watson, sigurd grünberger, rent patina.

This week’s learned, links, and thankfulness…

We had a great spring break and because one was sick, we were stuck at home most of the time. This allowed me a lot of time to work on the WOVENFOLK. I still have a way to go, but hopefully I’ll have a launch date for you soon. Meanwhile, see the WOVENFOLK tumblr for basket lady inspiration.

Thankful for Ben’s cousins and how much they love and spoil the girls. They are off at Disneyland for the day, Ben and I went out for a lunch date, and I even got to take a nap! Such a treat for the girls and us, and we are so thankful.

After watching Lion, I want to read A Long Way Home: A Memoir. The movie had me in tears, so I’ll probably be blubbering throughout the whole book.

Would happily hang this gorgeous mural anywhere in my home.

If you’re looking for a nice, minimalist dress for spring/summer, check this one out.

S’mores waffle with nutella and toasted coconut sounds pretty delicious to me.

Someone get this vintage, denim romper from Ms. Tips (she’s got a lot of pretty denim in the shop right now).

“His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” The lines of this hymn have been comforting my soul as our family is going through some trials.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

Last Monday, pretty much spur of the moment, the girls and I took off midday to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. It was a long drive (2 hours), but I don’t mind driving as long as it isn’t in traffic, and thankfully, there wasn’t. The girls did school in the car, and with music blasting, we made our way to see the fields of poppies. As we neared the poppy reserve, the girls got giddy seeing spurts of poppies here and there. First, it started with small groupings scattered about, then suddenly, happy hills covered with orange appeared (and lots of cars parked on the side of the road). Once we parked and got out, they immediately took off exploring. A friend had told me that you really needed an hour there, but we ended up spending almost 3 hours there. It was Monday of Passion week, so we all sat together and read what happened on Monday together. Then, the girls wanted to play, so I parked myself on the ground and let them play. I watched as they ran up and down little hills (being careful not to step on any poppies), collected tumbleweeds and turned them antlers, and went “rock climbing” on large, smooth rocks they found on the side of a small hill. When it was time to go home, they protested a little because they were having so much fun.

I was enjoying everything so much too that we walked around the fields a bit more, took more pictures, but then that when things started to go south a little. There was a sweet couple who offered to take our picture, and somehow when we all sat down for it, I smashed True’s “deer antlers.” I hadn’t realized it until when we got back to the car because she burst into tears that she didn’t have antlers. Oye! She explained I smashed it when we took the picture. I felt bad, so I was encouraging her to try to find another one. Well, it took awhile until the crying stopped, my temper flared up because the crying wouldn’t stop, and then when all was calm, it took more time to find another pair of antlers. And that’s real life folks! While these pictures show all the fun we had, we also had to deal with fragile hearts and quick tempers, then demonstrate love and forgiveness with each other. Even with the bit of drama at the end of our adventure (and traffic on our way home), I’m so glad we made the trip out to see the superbloom at the California Poppy Reserve. It was definitely well worth it!

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I had been on the search for the perfect wide-leg pant (in white) for awhile. I thought the Everlane pair might work, but it sold out quick. When I finally was able to order it, the wrong size got sent, and it sold out again (in my size) before I could reorder (ugh!). While I was frustrated when that happened, I am so glad it did because I love this vintage pair that I picked up from Passport Vintage so much more (follow @passportvintage on Instagram, which is how I found this pair). They are a soft, painter pant style and they fit perfectly. I prefer vintage pants because they are typically high-waisted (and the rise is always higher than modern things that claim to be high-waisted) and it helps keep my mom gut in check.

When it comes to buying vintage, I know my measurements, so I typically don’t need to try it out to see if it fits, as long as I know the measurements of the item. Also, I always carry around a measuring tape, so when I’m thrifting, I don’t ever try things on, but simply measure items to determine if they will fit or not. I recommend knowing what cuts/styles you like in your closet and measure them. Knowing that will help you determine if a vintage piece is right for you. Know the waist, rise, hip, and inseam measurements your prefer for pants/skirts, and the pit to pit measurement for tops. I’ve been trying to branch out from wearing blue and denim all the time (though I’m wearing blue sandals here), so I think you’ll be seeing a lot of whites and creams here and there.

on me: top, vintage (vintage here, new there). pants, vintage via passport vintage (vintage here, new there). basket, wovenfolk (shop coming soon, but meanwhile see some basket lady inspiration on the wovenfolk tumblr). sandals, banana republic.