Us lately

 I had a whole post dedicated to why I haven't really been blogging lately when at last minute I decided I didn't really need an explanation, life gets busy, plain and simple. I'm a mom to a fast paced, curious little boy who has me going non stop till around 11 at night and my alone time lately consists of Pinterest on my phone. I still craft, I still thrift and I still photograph all of the awesome things he does all day but finding time to write about it sometimes gets away from me. Most of my free was going towards a children's clothing line that a partner and I had been working on over the past few months. Unfortunately plans fell through so now I am working on a plan b. I could say so much more about the situation but I will share that I'm working on starting my line independently now. I'm also moving into a much larger area at the antique mall so I've been focusing my attention towards my new space and all the awesome changes that come with more room. Having a husband that can build just about anything is the best! Speaking of husband, Steve just celebrated his 40th birthday on Tuesday! We had a big bbq on Saturday with our friends and enjoyed a weekend off together. On his actual birthday Miles did the unthinkable and went to bed before 9 (!!) so Steve and I had a few drinks together, laughed our asses off and ate way too much cake. We had fun! 

Last week our cat Willow scratched Miles' face and left a nasty bruise under his left eye. Miles is pretty affectionate with our cats and she usually tolerates him but this time he grabbed onto her too rough and she hit him back. Poor babe looked pretty banged up for a few days. Thankfully after a half an hour of crying he forgot all about it. The weather last week was killer so we spent a lot of time in our backyard and at our neighborhood park. We can't wait for summer around here. Being cooped up indoors with a mobile kiddo can make us all a little wacky after a few months. Thankfully this winter hasn't been too crazy in Portland so we've had some nice days in between the rain. The upside to staying home more often is being able to work on forgotten old projects and a few exciting new ones.

 A recent haul of pretty shoes to the antique mall.

An exceptionally warm day!

 Hanging with dad.

 Snaking on fruit strips (the start of his bruised eye).

 Miles loves to climb! He likes to hang off of things too :)

The culprit.

Nap time in the car always lasts longer then at home!

What Miles Wore

 If you know me at all, you know I really love dressing my kiddo!
Sometimes people think that because you have a boy it's more difficult to dress them in cool clothes other then onsies with sports teams and animals on them. Honestly, I have way too much fun in the boys clothing sections then the girls and most of the time we go to the girls section for unisex jeans and leggings.Over the last few years a lot of shops have started to introduce really funky/fashionable boy items and Target, H&M and Old Navy are just a few of the affordable options out there. We have really good luck finding unique and inexpensive shoes and clothes at resales clothing stores and thrift shops too. He has so many awesome sneakers and moccasins that I purchase from other mamas online or resale shops and surprisingly I always find his Converse at thrift stores (he has six pairs of hightops he's waiting to grow into!!). Don't be afraid to mix and match patterns and colors. I find that he always looks extra adorable when wearing printed leggings with bright shoes and striped socks. Because we frequently are complimented on Miles' fun style, I thought it would be cool to do a weekly post on "what Miles wore" to show how I mix a little bit of new, thrifted and vintage into his outfits.

Weekly thrift finds

I am so in love with all of our colorful finds from last week! I found the eagle cushion at an estate sale for fifty cents! It's totally handmade and has wheels on the bottom too. I was so happy to find another large woven basket to store blankets in the living room and Miles has fun dragging it around. The clogs unfortunately don't fit (too small, too big dammit!) so I hauled them to the antique mall already but the Southwestern tapestry is a keeper! We're talking about updating our bedroom right now so I'm excited to incorporate this in our design.

 I SCORED on these vintage state pennants while visiting my mom a few weeks ago. A huge pile at such a killer price and there was even an Oregon one too!

I picked up this super cool vintage pedal car for Miles and we already have big plans on restoring it for summer. Miles' feet don't quite reach yet but he's enjoyed climbing all over it and being pushed by papa.

Shopping tips!

Hi mamas and papas, over the past few months shopping with Miles has become a real challenge at times. Walking was a major game changer with my kid. He wants to run and explore everything possible when we're out which makes running to the store an hour long trip with a few tantrums along the way. Being a mama that picks and sells we are out at thrift stores, estate sales and target (duh) all day long but the number one thing I always try and remember is that my kiddo has a limit to his patience and if he's hungry or tired or even over stimulated it can increase irritability and at that point my errands can wait because my kiddo can not! I know as parents we try and use as many tricks to keep our babies from being out of control so I thought I'd share what helps our outings to be a little more tolerable these days.

1. I know most kids hate wearing sunglasses and hats but my boy loves them so to keep his hands occupied he plays with them and puts them on his and my face a good billion times.

2. STICKERS RULE! Seriously, this is a new one for us and he loves it! I keep a pack of stickers in my bag so while we wait in line it helps distract him. I stick them all over us and he has a blast taking them off my face and hands.

3. I recently added a ton of educational games and videos to my Nook so that Miles can play with it while in the shopping cart or car.

4. We try not to give Miles too many sweets but Redvines are the best and take forever for kiddos to eat.

5. Music makers are awesome toys and keeps your kiddos hands busy. Miles is usually happy sitting inside the cart playing with his light up guitar and tambourine.

6. SNACKS! Baby food pouches, fruit bars and string cheese are our jam! Miles is always hungry so I bring food that's easy for him to independently east while we are out for the day.

7. Snack container and drink leashes are genius! Miles is a thrower so being able to attach his sippy cup to the cart makes life just a little bit easier.

my kinda kid!

Happy Weekend, y'all!

D R E A M Y

Right before we headed back to Portland I asked my old friend Isaac Gibbs to photograph Miles for his portfolio at Balboa Park in San Diego. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I finally got to meet his lovely ladies Dana and baby Rosie. Also, my awesome girlfriend Susan and her daughter Addison joined us down there so that was an added bonus to our day. Isaac sent me over 20+ photos last night and I am in love with every single one of them! Love, love, love!

 Helping my little pal out :)

A steady home

Well, we are back home and happy. I'm missing my family terribly but I absolutely love being home with hubby. It has taken me a good week to start feeling back to normal around here. I promise you that I finally just unpacked our suitcases tonight, blahh. Two naps a day, bananas and peanut butter, thrift shops, post office, dinner prep, dad's home around 6, catch up on our fave shows, bath time... it's all pretty basic stuff but I'm thankful to have a routine somewhat back in action. I know I haven't been keeping up on the blog lately and frankly I've felt a little lackluster towards the whole blogging world over the past few months. Since Instagram keeps me vaguely up to speed on what my favorite mama bloggers are up to, I feel like my time has been more directed towards mellowing out with Miles at night and getting to be early instead of being on the computer till 2 (Ahem, like tonight!). I have a few awesome DIY plans for next week, fun projects too! Plus, our vacation photos!!

Last minute Valentines!

Well hi, hello! I wanted to share Miles' Valentines that we sent to our families this year. I found this ADORABLE diy on The Paper Mama's blog and couldn't resist making our very own. If you're looking for a great last minute Valentine for your family or friends I would totally suggest this one. Very easy instructions and was almost under $10! So cute right!?
On a side note, tonight is our last night at my moms. So sad but SO ready to go home to my husband and kitties! Three weeks is a long time to be away from home let alone with a little guy in tow. Thankful for my time with my wonder family and friends but can't wait to see papa!

funny face

My best bud!

here we are

 Well, I've got to say that the past week has been such a wonderful whirlwind of family that I haven't really bothered with the computer much and that's seriously alright with me! I've finally started to go through my emails from last week and am so freaking excited about these dreamy photos that the crazy talented Margaret Jacobson took of my boy for his portfolio. I absolutely adore these photos of him and can't wait to frame them when I get back home. Be sure to check out her beautiful kiddos awesome style too!

Papa headed back to Portland Tuesday afternoon and right after we dropped him off my mom, Miles and I headed to Las Vegas to hang with my sister for a few days. Unfortunately the day we arrived my sister and her two youngest got hit with the flu pretty bad and by this evening my mom was in the same boat. Damn!

Miles has been teething heavily since we left Portland so nights have been terribly rough for us but thankfully my darling nieces have been wearing him out during the day. Miles has changed so much since the last time we were with them so it's been so much fun watching them all play together this trip.

I've been slowly working on a children's clothing line with my sweet girlfriend Lindsey and having finally chosen a name and logo design makes me feel like we are headed in the right direction! I've been gathering fabrics while thrifting and Lindsey is working on mock ups of our designs so when I get back to Portland we're going to start finalizing all of our ideas and get this party started. Pretty exciting, people!