This spring I am embracing and loving boyfriend jeans. And girlfriend jeans. The looser fit is really catching my eye and I am loving how versatile and easy they are to style . While I am not ready to donate all of my skinny jeans I am ready to embrace a looser fit. Not sure if it is the old age or winter crock pots but the boyfriend fit is happening!
As I sit and write this I am enjoying a little mama break down in Mexico. I am blessed to spend some time with a friend of 14 years here in this amazing place- relaxing, filling up on Vitamin D and reconnecting after my time abroad. And while I have been here I have been reminded of the importance of not taking life too seriously… are there times and incidents where a serious mind set is warranted and needed- ABSOLUTELY…. but this week while I am away I am focusing on not taking myself too seriously and enjoying the moment.
As a mother I tend to over analyze and over think almost every situation; from whether I brushed his teeth long enough to whether I fed him a balance nutritious diet (which I may have but he did not eat) to whether I am too overprotective or not protective enough… and sometimes (more often than not) these things do not matter. Tomorrow he can brush his teeth a little bit longer, I will give him extra strawberries, will let him fall down and then make sure to give him extra kisses when he does. But today I am going to let it all go and not take myself or the situation too seriously. Sometimes a good old fashioned chuckle is the best way to handle the over analyzing, over stressing and overprotective nature I feel with Declan.
Too often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we do not see the everyday laughable moments. Too often we focus so much on success and progress that we are unable to see the lighter side of life. As driven, successful, accomplished humans there is a stigma that accompanies that- there is an expectation of consistent and utter maturity- there is an image to uphold. As I get older (my birthday is next week) I am rethinking the image I portray, I am taking into account the unexpected and I am relishing in those awkward moments of immaturity and the unknown. Friends- I am not perfect and to be honest at times I am down right laughable.
So… I decided to jump on the band wagon of the bandanna trend and I do NOT regret it. I am loving the ability to spice up an outfit with a simple accessory like this bandanna. I plan to, also, wear it in my hair or maybe wrapped around my wrist- it is that versatile! I am obviously obsessed with any pants that feel like pajamas or sweats and so these joggers were an immediate choice when I stumbled upon them at Gap. I love that these joggers are light enough to wear in the summer but still good for a cool spring day. These also come in other colors and styles and I would suggest you swoop up a pair ASAP. This tank is under $15! Shut the front door… $15. Old Navy has been great for some of those simple staples you want to have for summer- I recently stocked up starting with this tank.
Would you believe me if I told you this purse was my Grandmothers?!? Seriously, it was! I found it the other day when I was going through some old boxes and I immediately knew it would be the perfect compliment to this outfit. I have very vivid memories, from when I was a young child, of my grandmother using this purse and I want to be believe she would be happy to know I am still using it today. I have linked <here> and <here> a few similar straw bags to compliment any summer outfit!
I act like a child, I skip and dance around the house to tween music, I make lame and obvious jokes, I love to sing in public and I am obsessed with kissing and hugging my son. All things which do not uphold the image of maturity, stature or status… but each day I laugh. I laugh at myself, with my son, with my friends, with my husband.. each day I giggle at the smallest things… and each day I find the humor in my life. I embrace the fact that this is my life and I choose not to spend it caught up in images, stuffiness or expectations. I strive to spend it laughing, giggling and chuckling!
With Love,
So this marks my first official “mom” blog post. Finding the ever fleeting “mom balance” lies ahead.
Since the launch of Pish to Posh I have tried to keep Declan separate but I have learned time and time again that, for me, I can not do that. Declan is my world…. Declan is my grounding rock and on some days my only friend. Declan makes me laugh harder and love more intensely than I ever imagined. He reminds me to slow down and look at life through the lens of a child; very matter of fact like. There is no subjective undertone when he is talking to me and asking me questions, he has no hidden agenda- he is only three. I crave to spend time with Declan and I have the worst FOMS (fear of missing something) as a mother. I want to be there at every step of his growth, I want to be the one to teach him everything he knows. I never want to see him fail and I so desperately want to be involved in EVERY single aspect of his life ….except when I don’t.
And that my friends is real life.
Sometimes I want to run away and never look back. There are days where I question every life decision I have made that has led me to the point where I am having another conversation as to why we can’t flush the dog down the toilet. Believe it or not sometimes I want to sit down and eat dinner without a continous battle over whether one or two bites is enough to earn a cookie. There are days where I would love to read a book without having trains, trucks and dinosaurs trampling me. And do you know what I would give to drink a cup of coffee or wine uninterrupted???? I am not the parent who is obsessed with their child. I am obsessed with being a mother and I am obsessed with providing the very best for my child but I am the first to admit that I crave balance between being a mother and being a woman. There is nothing I want more in life than to love and spoil my son… the appropriate amount. I am not that mom. Does that make me a bad mom??? Sometimes it may seem that way and some may say it does but for me finding the balance is the only way I can continue to strive to be the best mother for Declan.
Photos: Jenna Sparks Photography
I am by no means an expert on parenting but I can say with a lot of confidence that I am an expert on parenting Declan. There is no one who knows him like I do, there is no one who gives up as much as I do and there is no one who loves him like I do. And because of that I know that the balance we have of time together and time apart is what keeps our relationship strong. It is because I know him so well that I understand he needs socialization and play, it is because I give up so much that I allow myself to take time to nurture my soul and it is because I love him so much that I seek time without him. Love makes the heart grow fonder and I find the more I miss Declan the more I crave to be with him.
Some of you know but many do not that Declan had serious medical issues at birth ( a whole other blog post to come) but an immediate and overwhelming need to protect and care for my son was thrown upon me as he was rushed to the NICU, after an unplanned immediate c-section, where he lived for 4 long weeks. My path as a mother lead me to quit my job and stay home with Declan. The first 18 months were challenging to say the least (my goal is not to attract sympathy but to provide background). However out of those months we formed a bond that I am confident we would not have if it not been for his medical issues. HOWEVER, now that he is a 100% healthy, thriving, inquisitive, mischievous and flourishing toddler it is time for us to figure out what the next chapter holds. Our bond as mother and son is unbreakable so I am not afraid to create some space… for both of us to learn… for both of us to grow… to find some balance and for both of us to bloom.
I hope that with these new “mom blog” posts you will continue to see the message behind my writing and that you come to expect the same honest and truthful nature I try to capture each week. Writing about motherhood is harder than I had anticipated but I want to be authentic in this space. It is less about the fashion (although Declan is a total ham in front of the camera) and more about my desire to connect with each of you on some level. I know that not all of you are mothers but I hope, even you, will come back each week for a little insight into my everyday world as a women, blogger and MOTHER.
With Love,
Surprise!! A Monday post! Floral Dress and Branding!!
Over the last several weeks I have been working on figuring out how blogging fits into my Denver life. To recap- 3 years ago I quit my job as a teacher because my son needed me at home with him, then we moved to London, I started Pish to Posh (in London) after craving something for myself, we moved back home and now I am blogging in Denver. So… like any brand I am learning what is successful, learning where I need to grow and learning how to survive. Being in Denver has offered some amazing support and I have met so many wonderful ladies!! I have also had some opportunities come my way that I otherwise would not have…. But I am still branding myself (and not with a hot prod iron). Each day I am figuring out how to rejoin a life, here in Denver, that did not exist before I moved is challenging. When I started Pish to Posh I had a steep learning curve but felt I had accomplished a lot by the time we got ready to move. Now here in Denver I am, again, facing a steep learning curve… learning how to come back to a life that I never had. So, I have physically returned to a place but the landscape looks completely different.
If we think about branding as self-growth we all start somewhere and then we grow… or don’t. I am determined to be the girl who grows both in my Pish to Posh brand and in myself. I never want to be stagnant. I never want to be just “good enough”. But I am also aware and continuing to learn the sacrifices one must make in order to grow. How high of a price is too high- both in my branding, so monetarily and in my self-growth, so emotionally?? A few friendships have been lost but I have gained so many more. Some dollars have be spent but I am beginning to see the light (albeit dim).
Photos: Jenna Sparks Photography
In this post I want to introduce you to a new online boutique I have fallen in LOVE with! Everly Oak offers such cute, stylish pieces at a great price (this post is not sponsored by them). I was turned on to the brand through their Instagram and you should be following them if you are looking for unique, affordable, trendy pieces. I loved this floral dress at fist sight and am so happy I purchased it. The floral trend is so hot and I am eating it up! I love this floral dress because it is light, comfortable and versatile. I wore it here with these lace up sandals but would absolutely pair it with flats sandals, booties, or even flip flops. I love the unique tie neck and the overall fit of this floral dress. These stacked heel lace up sandals are so comfortable and chasing my toddler around I need this. And if you follow me on Instagram you know I have some serious back problems and these do not hurt my back at all. I paired this dress with this neutral structured bag but think a spring straw tote would be fabulous as well!! Below I have linked a few other floral dresses as this exact one is only available through Everly Oak’s online store.
I understand that in this journey to create a brand and an lilfe I am proud of I will encounter road blocks, I will face challenges and I will be let down. But I hope that I continue to stay true to myself full knowing the sacrifices, consequences and outcomes may cause me some pain. It is hard to create a brand without those things. It is hard to act on self-growth without those things. My morals, values and passions still stand at the root of my journey. It is my hope to continue to surround myself with people who support me, with like-minded individuals and creating a brand I am proud of.
With Love,
Today I have written 4 separate posts and deleted them all. Here’s to the fifth one being the keeper!! It is colorful in it’s own right and I think you will see the chaos as you read on.
A few snipets of the previous 4 attempts:
I think this post is now about my inability to commit, focus and follow through with much. Honestly friends- I am a complete scatter brain. Anything and everything distracts me, I am constantly changing my mind, my emotions, my clothes, my outlook and my hand lotion. I am always thinking about something other than what I am doing or supposed to be doing. Hence the 4 attempts at a blog post. Now, I do think you see a few of these come to fruition in the next couple months; once I am able to focus and put pen to paper and write- but until then you are left with this mess!!!
Photos: Jenna Sparks Photography
This colorful casual comfortable look kind of feeds into my inability to get focused. I have been obsessing over gray tops but am so distracted by all the colorful chaos of springtime colors. Seriously, loving the bright colorful pops of this outfit but then I am drawn back to the basic neutrals of gray and distressed denim… its like I am chasing squirrels. ALL OVER THE PLACE. So, this top is super easy to wear, comes in a ton of colors and is very reasonably priced. Perfect for spring and cool summer nights. These distressed skinnies are a few seasons old but still a favorite pair of mine, so I have linked the closest pair I could find. I know my days of denim are limited so I am trying to wear as many as I can before the temps are in the 90’s here in Denver and these babies are keepers!!! These mules are the perfect transitional shoe, I know I talked about that in this post but I can’t stress enough how practical, functional and super cute they are. LOVE THEM.
This colorful clutch was a gift from my SIL from her Mexico travels. It is a handmade limited edition colorful clutch so head over to Erica Maree designs to snag one up! She has such beautiful, vibrantly colorful stuff you do not want to miss; especially if you are headed to the beach or sunny location! I have linked several others in similar style <here> and <here> but I would encourage you to check out her website! The necklace was a boutique purchase and I was immediately drawn to the colorful multi-strands… but don’t worry I was quickly running all over the store buying up everything I could find because I could not focus on any one thing. I have linked a few similar colorful necklaces <here> and <here>. I loved how this bag and this necklace were the perfect colorful accessories to jazz up my gray obsession.
*** I have been really loving smaller boutiques and pop-up shops so not everything I wear is linkable. I try my best to find similar items but I also need to stay true to me and wear what I love!!!***
That is my life in a nutshell, friends. I start a task, find something new to do half way through, sit down to drink some coffee, run off to play with Declan, end up talking the dog for a walk and yet… still nothing is getting accomplished over here in my world. Kid you not, this post was started and deleted at least four times and this fifth one was a struggle. I try making to do lists but can never seem to finish them, I try setting reminders in my phone but then silence them…. I write and leave sticky notes around the house and Declan steals them… no hope people!!! Let me clarify and say I know the reality is that I have too much on my mind, too many moving parts and too few “life tools” to deal with it all. This is a self made problem and therefore only myself can come out of it. In all honesty, it isn’t all bad- I feel like each day I am learning something new about my life, or how to parent Declan, or which cosmetics I like, or which Sauviognon Blanc goes best with toddler food, how many times my coffee can be re-heated in the morning. You know LIFE. So, if you need me I’ll be over in my corner of the world indulging in my colorful chaos… come on over and stay a while.
With Love,
