FASHION FILMS

/
FASHION DOCUMENTARIES.png

To continue on the subject of our fashion literacy post, I wanted to share some of my favorite fashion films with you. All of the movies listed are documentaries which present the fashion industry in different, intriguing lights and are equally educational and thrilling to watch. People tend to associate the fashion industry with lots of glitz and glamour, making it easy to overlook all of the hard work and stress of the industry. From watching the sweet French women putting all of their passion into creating Dior couture gowns, or witnessing the madness that ensues in making our favorite magazine, it's truly thrilling to peek behind the veil of the industry and witness the people who actually make it tick. 

The September Issue - We've all heard rumors about what happens behind the shiny glass doors of Conde Nast's Vogue. After watching this doc you'll never have to wonder again. You get to be a fly on the wall as Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, and the rest of the Vogue team jump through hurdles to create the 2007 September issue of the magazine. 

Bill Cunningham New York - Bill Cunningham invented street style. Waking up at the crack of dawn every morning, he rode his Schwinn through the streets of New York and photographed what he saw. He didn't look for what was "in", he just documented what the people were actually wearing at the time, sharing it in his weekly column in the New York Times. His incredible modesty and sweet spirit will warm your heart. 

Dior and I - Dior and I provides an exclusive peek into the making of Dior's 2012 Autumn/Winter Haute Couture collection. The film chronicles the arrival of Raf Simons to the prestigious house and details how he managed to bring new life to the brand while maintaining the deep-seeded elegance and history of the Dior name.

Iris - This Albert Maysles documentary follows the beloved 93 year old firecracker fashionista that is Iris Apfel. Known for her eclectic style and garish ways, Iris has made a profound impact on textiles and the way people approach styling. This woman is a riot. 

Image from Vogue.com. 

PINTEREST'S MOBILE MAKEOVER & YOU

/

Did you know that 75% of the users of Pinterest are accessing the inspiring social tool using a mobile device (more stats found here).  That means they are seeing everything through their phone or tablet. If you haven't opened your Pinterest app lately you probably should because things look very different from your desktop.

Gone are the days of your cover images. Instead, the first thing that a user sees is your name, photo and your recent pins. Then you'll see the board that you most recently pinned to with the rest of your boards descending in order from what you most recently populated down to the last.

So, what does this mean for you? 

1. You MUST be a good curator now more than ever. If my first impression is a series of pins that have terrible styling, content and photography I'm going to pass on following you.

2. Concise titles matter. Tell me what your board is about in two to three words. Ex: Recipes to Try. People scroll fast, so you need to be able to tell them about your content in a second.

3. Be active. Pinterest tells the viewer when you last pinned down to the minute. If you haven't been active in a week I'm going to pass.

4. Make sure you are pinning to boards that are relevant to the season. If the first board that pops up is your Christmas board because you last pinned to that and signed off, well, that's unfortunate because I don't care about Christmas right now. Sign off on a relevant note. Bonus tip: That said, it's usually best to keep general, evergreen titles to your boards so you can always populate them. Example: HOLIDAY vs. CHRISTMAS. I can pin to a holiday board year round, but I can only pin to my Christmas board once a year. 

Like these tips? See more here and here. Also, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can get this information before anyone else!

BABY BOY ESSENTIALS

/

I'm thankful that I have been able to experience being a mom to both a boy and a girl. When we found out the news that we were having  a boy we were so excited, but I quickly realized that I didn't have any clothes for a boy and many of the toys and books we had collected over the years for Elle were fairly feminine. I am of the mindset that there isn't a color or a toy or a book that is for just one gender by any means, but I also didn't want Levi to only have hand-me-downs that are pink and purple. The little guy definitely deserved to have some shiny, new gifts just for him in an array of colors.

Today, I'm sharing with you a list of things that I have been given or have purchased since having baby number two that I have really loved and would recommend to any other mom. 

1. Freshly Picked moccasins - There's no real need for babies to wear shoes when they are first born, but having these mocs starting around 5 months has been wonderful. Levi loves to plant his feet on the ground and jump in his jumper. These shoes are stretchy and easy to get on and off, which is nice when they have those pudgy baby feet. One mistake I made with Elle was never getting her used to having shoes on, so when it came time for her to wear them all she did was sit on the floor and cry. Haha! The poor kid didn't understand why she had to wear shoes.

2. Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada - This is the funniest and cutest baby book out there right now. Jimmy Fallon really did a wonderful job creating it, and I think it's a great gift for any mom.

3. Special Nursery Decor - There are toys that are meant to be played with and then there are toys that are so cute you want to display them. Every mom and dad wants these as gifts too. The Land of Nod has a ton of these toys, and I especially love this gray hippo. I'm going to save it for Levi forever and one day give it to his kids.

4. A cool hat - If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a couple posts about Levi getting the worst case of cradle cap. We are STILL dealing with it, and having a cool, cute hat for him to wear through this process has been critical. I adore this winter hat by 7AM Enfant. It's probably cutest, and coolest winter accessory there is for babies.

5. Zipadee-Zip - This MIRACLE product isn't pictured in the photo, but every single mom needs this flying squirrel-ish swaddle. After 3 months you are supposed to stop swaddling your baby, but Levi would still wake himself up if we didn't keep his hands away from his face. Enter in our saving grace the Zipadee-Zip. It was featured on Shark Tank, and it has blown up since then because moms across the U.S. know what I know...This thing works! Levi loves sleeping in it, and it keeps him warm without having to put on heavy jammies.

6. Bandana Drool Bibs - Forget the cheesy, "My First Christmas," bibs for eating and drooling. Go get these incredibly cool bandana drool bibs by Copper Pearl. They come in all sorts of designs for girls and boys.

7. Cute boy clothes - This is a whole topic for another blog post, but all I have to say is that I have searched high and low for cute boy clothes, and the line of affordable clothes I like for Levi that is by Burt's Bees. Yes, the chapstick company makes flippin' adorable baby clothes, and you need to check them out. I didn't want to constantly have to buy things on Etsy and wait for them to ship or spend a fortune at Baby Gap. You can grab these cute clothes at Buy Buy Baby.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

PINTEREST LOOK FOR LESS

/

Fashion month is officially upon us. It's so exciting to see what designers have dreamed up for us to look forward to in the upcoming season, but that's not the only reason I love following along with the action. One of my favorite things about fashion week is the hoards of street style shots that come along with it. From the industry insiders practically sprinting from show to show, to the stylish on-lookers who get caught candidly on camera, style and personal expression is at it's height. There's a certain essence and movement to these shots that simply can't be premeditated. 

You're sure to see lots of these street style shots flowing through my Pinterest feed over the next month. Below is one that I've pinned recently. I love this monochrome look with just a pop of red. The outfit is so simple, but the ribbed sweater and accordion pleated skirt give the look great texture. Grab the whole ensemble below for $145 and make the streets your runway. 

Screen Shot 2016-02-13 at 03.45.24.png

MARRIAGE & MOTHERHOOD

/

When I got pregnant everyone was quick to tell me all about what to expect and prepare for in becoming a mom and taking care of a baby. What they did not tell me was how my marriage would change and the bumps that come when you add kids to the mix. Today, I am continuing on in the series, "Real Talk with Real Moms," with other bloggers focusing on the topic of relationships. Be sure to read the other bloggers' experiences on how they have learned to manage relationships in their lives since becoming moms, and you can continue reading below to hear my experience, specifically, with marriage. 

Not to get too personal because one day I know my kids will read this, but my marriage to Ryan got so much harder when Elle came into the world. If I could sum up the source of all of our fights and trouble it would have to do with expectations. I could write a whole book on the importance of managing expectations with hundreds of examples of how I made mistakes in that arena. Our marriage definitely felt like it had taken a backseat to parenthood, especially during the first three months of having a baby. You can't be intimate for six weeks after having a baby, and let's be real here, it's not like the weeks leading up to having a baby I felt sexy either. So, with the dry spell of intimacy, on top of sleepless nights, on top of the stress of figuring out if you are doing things remotely right as a mom, on top of no date nights...Yeah...Our marriage was pretty much a commitment without all of the warm fuzzies. We were in the trenches of being parents. Anyone else been there?

Yeah, that's pretty much a recipe for disaster: a lot of fighting and a lot of resentment...Ryan having the expectations of sleep, of "down time" when he got home, of me feeling back to normal after six weeks...Me having expectations that he would always want to hold the baby after a long day at work, that he wouldn't complain about the sleepless nights, that he would be extra loving and caring of me...

The second time around the reality of challenging circumstances was similar (no sleep, two kids to take care of, no date nights initially, etc.), but because we knew what could happen to our marriage we found ourselves being so much more intentional with our relationship. We didn't plan a ton of date nights to fix things, but we did what we could to show love and for one another. Also, the biggest thing that has helped...marriage counseling. There. I said it. My husband and I have been in counseling for awhile, and it's probably the best thing in the world we could have done for our marriage. We fight better, love better, communicate better...Having someone help us work through old scars, underlying resentment and simply be a mediator that helps you get to the heart of issues and explore areas that we like to ignore has been the healthiest choice I have ever made.

Based on experience and the counsel we have received, here's a couple things that helped and are helping now:

1. When the kids are asleep, carve out 15-30 minutes of one on one time at night without any distractions to ask each other how they are feeling. Don't just ask, "How was your day?" That's an important question, but knowing how someone is feeling is even more important because you will know the emotions driving their tone, behavior, etc. Also, ask, "What are you wanting from me?" Maybe it's just a hug or maybe they are asking for more help around the house, but knowing someone's wants helps with understanding expectations so that resentment doesn't build. You might not always be able to give what the other wants, but you can hopefully come to a compromise.

2. Either ask for help or take things off your plate by saying, "NO." People, we only have so much time in the day, and we have to prioritze what's important. Taking care of myself and my marriage has made me a better mom, but that also means I can't do as much as a friend, daughter or blogger. Since having children we have outsourced a lot more so that my husband and I can see each other more.

  • Hired a house cleaner to deep clean once a month
  • Hired a babysitter to watch the kids three mornings a week
  • Put my daughter in pre-school two mornings a week
  • Hired a pool man
  • Hired an assistant for AVE Styles
  • Said no to some travel
  • Said no to having friends over sometimes
  • Asked family for babysitting during the evenings for date nights

3. Try to make a date night every other week when your baby turns 3 months. We ideally would love a date night every week, but it never has been able to work out that way. So, every other week or so we go out just the two of us. Sometimes it's during the day for lunch and sometimes it's a nice dinner and movie. Just make sure there is some conversation happening and you're not just staring at a movie screen the whole time. If you're a mom of one, take advantage of the newborn stage and go out on dates with the baby sleeping in the carseat next to you. Ryan and I would do this all of the time at restaurants where you could pay ahead so that we could leave at any point.

Check out other bloggers' posts below:
Could I Have That
Apartment 34
Smitten Studio
The Refined Woman
Parker Etc.
A Daily Something
Effortless Chic

Read past posts: Feeding, Sleep, Travel, Childcare

Photos by Gina Meola