guest room revamp

One thing we walked away saying after selling our home in St. Louis was that we didn't want to let house projects go undone this time around. Simon's schedule is so much better these days and we want to enjoy the time we have in this house instead of saying, "wow - why didn't we just bite the weekend bullet and get such and such done from the beginning?" ... of course, we've been here a year and we still have a long to-do list but we're chipping away slowly at our wishlist of projects and improvements.

We have kind an odd split-level situation in the back of the house with a guest room and bathroom upstairs that we never use unless we have guests and it was kind of a waste of space and catch-all room. Simon does a lot of research for work that he can do from home and we thought it would be nice to have a dedicated area for me to blog so he hatched the idea of turning it into a guest room and office; a room that we would love and use instead of ignore and hastily clean before guests arrived. However, it's a small room and it felt crowded with a bed and a sizeable desk and a bookshelf and (some day) a reading chair of sorts so Simon decided he was going to build a bed that folded up into the wall. When Kathy Davis approached us about collaborating on a post we knew the time was right so we (he) got cracking on the construction.

Even after he'd purchased the majority of the supplies I still just smiled and nodded because I thought it sounded like an awfully ambitious project for someone whose last big woodworking project was a beer pong table he built in college but he proved me VERY WRONG.

Very wrong, indeed.

Okay, so here's the before ...

after we cleaned ... lolol.

And the after!

Not only did he build a super functional bed but also built shelves to go on the sides and made it look pretty darn aesthetically pleasing when it's not in use ...

Here's how it unfolds in case you were curious ... (I know you are!) ...

Not bad, right?

If you know me at all you know that I'm terrible at making any sort of home decor/design decisions so I was thrilled that Kathy Davis offered to send some bedding from their home line. I loved hearing that the brand had evolved from the belief that everyone has the right to, "create a life they love" and felt like (Simon) creating a room we love drew a fun parallel to their philosophy. Kathy Davis is committed to creating meaningful products that foster connections, inspire others, and honor their brand mission.

Simon often say we should just do away with our comforter and duvet cover and just get a comforter so I'm thinking he'll be lobbying to move our new guest room bedding down to our room any night now.

I know myself and I would've gone with something simple (whispers: and boring) like plain white but I love the pastels on the comforter and I love that's reversible should we choose to switch up the look at any point in time.

Kathy Davis is built on four brand pillars; one of which is to create a home in which you feel relaxed and inspired - to appreciate yourself. Simon says the room won't be truly relaxing and conducive to getting actual work done at our (yet to be set up) desk until we get noise canceling headphones but ... I think we're well on our way.

If you saw how many crayon murals I've cleaned off our walls and furniture you'd understand why this room is very much off-limits to the kids but we made a little exception for the one child that isn't skilled at crayon wielding ... YET.

In an effort to recognize the peace and beauty we bring to our surroundings how we begin and end each day Kathy Davis is generously giving away a bedding set to one of you fine readers.

Best of luck! And a big thanks to Kathy Davis for sponsoring this post and helping pull the room together in a major way!

KATHY DAVIS™ & Camp Patton Bedding Giveaway

chocolate protein pancakes

While I'm not so patiently waiting for Emily's book to arrive in the mail this afternoon I thought I'd share what's become a bit of a breakfast staple around these parts. I know, I know! They look oh so appetizing but I promise they've won over even my pickiest eater.

Ingredients:
3 eggs (2 egg whites and 1 whole egg)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use this)
1-2 ripe bananas (one is fine, two is better)
1-2 tablespoons almond (or regular) milk
dash of chia seeds if you so desire
sprinkle of PB2 if you like (we like)

combine everything in a bowl - (I use a potato masher because it's a lot faster than a fork but to each their own!) until mixed but still slightly lumpy. Once I took things WAY too far and dumped it all in a blender and added spinach -- a happy batch of pancakes it did not make. Just mash.

We use an electric griddle (the only thing Simon felt strongly about putting on our wedding registry and we use it all the time) and heat them "low and slow" so between low and medium. I can usually cook four at a time and one batch feeds me and the kids if we're having something else like yogurt or smoothies. Sometimes, I double the recipe if we're all really hungry.

These are sweet enough that the kids don't need or ask for syrup which is nice for a million reasons.

My other go-to breakfast recipe is the Kodiak mix thrown in the blender with an egg, almond milk, and spinach to make waffles and those actually turn out just fine. Even Simon didn't bat an eye at the slightly green hue of the waffles.

Aaand of course the classic soft boiled egg that we all know and love.

Any kid-friendly breakfast ideas you want to share? I'd be much obliged.

Happy Tuesday.

an assortment of everything

Linking of up with Kelly!

1. A few (and I DO mean a few ... as in three) people have asked me about mom-friendly but not super dowdy swimsuits and I have found a few that I love but thought I'd ask you fine folks if you have any favorites. There are lots of great comments on my postpartum swimsuit post and I know Lands End is the queen of great suits AND I also saw that these skirts from Rad Swim are TWO DOLLARS. They have no idea who I am and didn't ask me to post but if you're a swim skirt girl ... go!

2. So after all that dress stress (well, not stress but you know) there was a little communication snag with our sitter for our dinner but luckily (oh SO luckily) we found another sitter available last minute. While we were waiting for her to show up - Theo offered to take some photos of us. He's really into taking photos with my camera and phone and gets the subject in the shot about 40% of the time.

He just held the button down and took a burst of 63 photos. Bless our little aspiring Ansel's heart.

I found this dress at Nordstrom Rack along with these shoes. I thought the shoes would be killing me by the end of the night but they didn't - color me pleasantly surprised.

3. I had so much hope - too much! too much hope for this season of the Bachelorette. I just think Jojo was dealt an eh group of guys and she's doing the best she can. It seems like she likes Jordan the most but I can see Robbie and Luke sticking around to the end too. Simon thinks Luke is the final man standing. We shall SEE. As always, I love Sharleen's thoughts!

4. This was a pleasant surprise. Mucho undeserved and potentially a mistake?

5. Simon and I went on a little froyo date (who do we think we are? sitter addicts? perhaps!) this week and I really and truly fell for this ...

... I hate mayo more than anyone in the history of mayo and my eyes about popped out of my head. Good one, Yogurtology.

And yes - that's my cup to the left, to the left. Judge me real hard. Please.

6. There's a big fat Lily Jade giveaway going on over on my Instagram. Go, go, go!!

7. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!

my most recent Stitch Fix ... in all its selfied glory

Does it feel like something is missing from your life? Well, feel no more. A bevy of Grace selfies (Gracies? too much? yes.) a la Stitch Fix are coming your way. Right here. Right NOW.

My most recent "fix" before this one was --- no bueno. Like, pants that laced up and had grommets bad. But! I've had such great luck with past fixes that I persevered through it and was a lot more specific about my preferences (pointing them to my Pinterest board) and was mostly happy with what I got. Allow me to show you ...

We'll start with my favorite and spiral downward from there.

Forgive my facial expressions .. I was trying to beat the naptime clock - no time for perfecting my "this selfie is so normal" smile. None.

shoes
shorts

So, I'm really loving the looser peplum trend - maybe a little too much because I wear this shirt multiple times a week. And I really (crazy intense eyes) love the embroidery trend (is it on its way out? I don't care) so that was a match made in crazy Grace heaven. Before I even tried it on I knew I wanted to keep it - as long as it wasn't a crop top.

So, I did - because it wasn't.

Moving right along. I'm sure they wouldn't do this but I could swear I've gotten this exact tank from them before. Maybe not - maybe something super similar. It was just too short for my liking and a little too loose (the fit was fine I think the style was just billowy) and so ... back it WENT.

denim
same shoes as above, duh.

I requested some dresses to wear to a baptism in July anddddd .... eh.

The first one was this ...

wedges

The length was a little too short in my opinion, and the weird bunching was really weird unless it sat just right which it won't because Bosco and Phoebe and maybe Theo will be pawing around my lap the entire time. And the pattern reminds me of something I might've loved in middle school. Not that my taste has matured much since then but -- just not a keeper.

Next!

I like this one quite a bit more but I have a really similar dress in blue that is just a teeny bit longer and more appropriate and it seems silly to have two of the almost same dress. Right?

I'm not a big wearer of purple though and I did like the dress a lot!

And la-la-la-la-LASTLY.

We've got this ...

I WANTED to love this. I did! But, button-ups sans collars always look a little silly on me ...

And the curved hem made it just a little too short for a church function, I thought. So, three strikes there. But, I do love my tank enough that it's allllll good.

And lest you think we have some magically empty white room floating around our house -- here's what the other side of the room looks like ....

the guestroom/office is SO close to being done. Obviously.

Okay, over and out. Happy Friday.

(this post isn't sponsored at all but I did use my Stitch Fix affiliate link, f to the y to the i :))

Have you Stitch Fixed? Did you love/hate/like if so? I'm not a devotee but I'm a fan, usually!!

the calm before Colin

Welllll ... this is a little bit like blogging about Christmas right around Easter because tropical storm Colin rolled through here a few weeks ago but I have an embarrassing number of photos from directly before the storm that are just dying to see the light of not my phone camera roll. So, I'll keep this brief ... ish.

I heard talk of the storm but didn't go to any great, "buy all the milk and bread" lengths because I didn't think it was going to hit us too hard and thankfully ... I was right. I was mostly worried that we'd be stuck inside for days on end due to the predicted heavy rain so when I saw a relatively non-rainy hour in the forecast on the morning before the storm I pounced on it and took the kids for a walk.

Rain coats because you just never know.

doesn't Sebastian look like he should be entering 3rd grade and not um, preschool next year? spoken like a true mother, I know.

Phoebe loves to hold Theo's hand ...

... Theo does not. But, he obliges on occasion.

One of these days we are going to wake up and Phoebe is going to tower over Theo. Maybe. Just a parental prediction.

the kids didn't go in the water and this was before that poor toddler was snatched by the alligator at Disney World but you better believe we've stayed far, far away from the water's edge ever since then especially because there are alligator warnings posted (although we have yet to see one in the flesh). My heart really, really goes out to that family - what a nightmare.

Anyway, the kids were intrigued by the "black goose" ... my little aviary experts.

Phoebe was especially happy because there were absolutely no dogs being walked - I'm guessing due to the weather. Dogs are her new grocery store cashier -- her latest and greatest fear. It makes going to the park VERY fun.

Ah, yes Bosco was there too. 

Riding lonely in the triple. He is a lover of the stroller which I will never take for granted because we've had a few stroller hating little angels and a fun life they do not make.

always wrestling - no matter how public or inappropriate the arena. c'est la wildest vie, I suppose.

Later that morning I tried to run an errand and was met with flooded streets and witnessed a semi take down a stop sign so I turned around and s-l-o-w-l-y made my way home. But, other than that the storm was pretty mild in our area. This time! I'm told tropical storm season is young.

Happy Wednesday :)

summer strategies

We are all happy that school is out and that Julia is here all day now. Despite it being just one more body in the house it's so wild how much the dynamics shift drastically among the kids. For better or worse, she enjoys playing mother hen to everyone and I'm realizing that we need to have a couple of very loose objectives for the summer months.

At the top of my short list is to try to streamline the afternoons when the three youngest are napping. Having special and dedicated activities for quiet time makes for a, "less fighting, more harmonizing" environment which makes me happy and hopefully more productive on the cleaning/blogging/dinner making/laundry folding front. We learned last summer that the it rains almost every single day during the summer months here in Florida and usually in the afternoon so I'm trying to encourage a bit of creative, imaginative, and independent (emphasis here) play beyond their usual backyard activities. 

So, with all of that said! You can imagine my excitement over Sago Mini releasing its first playset: Jinja's House this past week.

I made a big deal about setting a rug out on the porch because it was raining but still pleasant outside. The kids had been asking and asking and asking and ASKING to open the package that had come a few days prior and when we finally opened it -- it did NOT disappoint. 

The compact playset opens to almost two feet wide and comes with a variety of accessories (along with characters Rosie and Jinja) and provides endless possibilities for that sought after creative play. 

Jinja's House is thoughtfully designed with everything coming in mini "moving boxes" so the kids could enjoy moving Rosie and Jinja in their abode. They also included little play pizza slices which was right up Julia's tiny thing loving alley. 

Julia kept instructing Sebastian to go set the table in the "diving" room which you would tell confused him but being the people pleasing second born that he is, he obliged. Then they enjoyed some fine diving dining. 

I knew the kids would be big fans of Jinja's House and truthfully I thought it was more Julia's cup of tea since she loves to play house but I was pleasantly surprised when the little kids woke up from their naps and both Julia and Sebastian were both still happily lost in Rosie and Jinja's world. 

Because there are small pieces involved, it's important that we keep it up and away from Bosco and Phoebe which works out really well because ...

... everything fits inside the fold-up house and is held together by attached elastic making for easy clean up (my FAVORITE) and makes it transportable (hello airplane entertainment). 

I'm pretty picky when it comes to toys in this house and would never tell you about something we didn't absolutely LOVE and we really adore Jinja's House. If you're in the market for some summer time or anytime entertainment you can buy Jinja's House here!

Sago Mini is generously giving a Jinja's House along with a $500 Amazon Gift Card away to one lucky Camp reader.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for reading and playing!

around here

1. Good morning. Welllll, the older boys set a new house record for ungodly wake up hour morning and rather than wailing and gnashing my unamused teeth -- I'm going to lemonade the situation and link up with Kelly. I'm also going to order this clock. And put them to bed at 4pm this afternoon. Karma and consequences are a b, gentleman. 

pause for a photo of Bosco having the first of his birthday cupcakes and a couple of middle children not able to hide their confusion and annoyance at the situation.

If looks could kill ... my cell camera is dead, buried, and long gone.

2. Only about two years behind the curve I tried my hand at zoodles this week and the general family consensus was shockingly (shockingly!!!!) positive. Simon and the kids are not veggie lovers but with a little avocado sauce and some garlic shrimp helping the situation along - I just wish I'd made a lot more. We'd previously had this contraption which only led to frustration, a bleeding thumb, and the tiniest zoodle yield time after time so I went for the gold after reading lots of positive reviews and I'm a satisfied customer. I might even take the time to write a positive review. Or blog about it. Like I just did.

3. I was so happy to read that I wasn't losing my marbles after reading Christy's assessment of The Nest. The book really left me scratching my head over it's popularity and I'm pretty easy to please in the book department. I was SO happy when Hallie kindly let me know that Emily is coming out with a new book and I'm in the middle of The Assistants which is okay - but SO much better than The Nest. My apologies to any Nest lovers out there.

4. You know I'm a pretty big fan of Stitch Fix and this touching story only made me love the company more. I had a pretty great "fix" earlier this week that you KNOW I'll be sharing with you via many, many mirror selfies. Gird your pupils and judgment. Gird them good.

5. The older three kids start swimming lessons this morning and I think it could either go (wait for it ...... ) swimmingly (stop, Grace, stop) or disintegrate into a very public meltdown disaster. I'm going to pray for the former and prepare for the latter. I'm honestly mostly worried about Phoebe realizing she's not part of the aquatic activities and throwing a small to medium tantrum but we'll cross that bridge over potentially troubled waters when we get there.

6. Sebastian found this (sadly deceased) itty bitty baby lizard yesterday and after having me take a picture he ripped it in half and threw it at Julia's face.

She reacted accordingly and I didn't blame her ONE BIT.

7. Okay, well the boys are requesting a third breakfast and they aren't taking, "in a minute .... or two" for an answer. Maybe I'll take them on a long and step-heavy walk beforehand. Selfless mother
 4ever.

There's so much more I have to say -- like the delicious genius that is this dark chocolate but not super unhealthy popcorn that I discovered this week or how much Bosco relished and enjoyed and looooved this birthday cupcakes (from a box) -- oh, fine! A photo.

Okay, I'll save the rest for later.

Have a wonderful Saturday. I pray you were able to sleep in until 7. At least.

over and out. for now ;)

trying the trend: jumpsuit style

jumpsuit

shoes

purse (c/o) 

watch

believe it or not I hadn't had a sip of alcohol (yet!) in that last photo - just my natural face. lucky ME. 

This might be the first and last in a series of one - you know how bloggers can be with things like this. I play it really safe when it comes to my wardrobe which is fine but usually also very boring so I thought I'd branch out a bit and stop saying things like, "she can pull overalls off but I could never" which well, that MIGHT be true and maybe I should never wear overalls but maybe I should at least try. So - gateway drug to overalls and maybe eventually culottes (today's gaucho pants)- the jumpsuit. I thought this was a romper but Old Navy tells me it's a jumpsuit. Is it the most flattering? No. Do I still really like it? Yes. It's a pretty obvious copycat of this Madewell jumpsuit (that I actually saw on the clearance rack at Nordstrom Rack yesterday - the only difference is the Madewell suit zips up the back) and it's really comfortable and breathable and not clingy.

Simon and I are trying to go out just the two of us because well, we just are. We've done a terrible job of getting out sans kids ever since we moved here so we are turning that around now that Bosco is a little older and we feel comfortable leaving all the kids with a competent sitter. We went to a Tapas (which Simon always says I say too fast and it sounds like, "topless") restaurant that was so SO good where they had the best mojitos and twists on Moscow Mules. The jumpsuit made it's debut and I was expecting Simon to have plenty to say in the negative about my outfit but he surprised me by saying how much he liked it - unsolicited. Shocked face emoji. However! He did almost have a cow when I pulled a little cardigan out of my purse because we were sitting on the patio and it was um, warm. I do believe I was made for Florida living.

Okay, that's all. For now.

Oh! Thank you for all your dress votes and thoughts last week. I ordered several and didn't love any of them so I sent them all back I found something simple (and probably boring - those old dogs and their impossible new tricks) - I'll try to get a picture because I know you're dying to see.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

GP

one!

I have to say the cliché and wonder out loud how Bosco is already a whole year old. I know I'm his mom and of course I'm going to say he's the best baby but -- he kind of really is. We had a rough couple of weeks after we moved but since then he's been a little dreamboat the vast majority of the time. I can see tiny glimmers of toddler 'tude here and there -- throwing the occasional toy when he's angry, slapping my face away when he wants food and not a kiss, and getting antsy when I take the time to open the blinds after his nap when he just really wants to get out and play with the kids. But, overall he's pretty easygoing, loves his naps, and is at the glorious age when he's thrilled to play with a set of measuring cups and a spoon for long stretches of time.

Because everyone cares about other people's babies culinary preferences I'll tell you that his favorite foods are avocado, pizza, hummus, and strawberry smoothies. When he hears the blender going he does a very happy dance from wherever he is perched in the house. Much like Sebastian, he's a big fan of any and all trucks and even has a little sound effect that puts into practice whenever he spots one. He could play with the cabinet doors on the toy kitchen for hours, and started saying, "mama - mamamamamamamama" on Mother's Day but has since stopped that little trick. He's forever trying to get outside and his eyes shine bright when someone opens the front door and he sees an opportunity to escape by way of the ever efficient crawl.

Phoebe is always happy to play police and tell him, "no, Offy!!!!" which brings her greater pleasure than I think any of us realize. We keep telling her it's Bosco's birthday to which she scowls and says, "no - mine." Selfless saint in the making.

I was all set to make him a carrot cake when Simon said he didn't think Bosco liked carrot cake (aka - stop making carrot cake, Grace) so we're set to make red velvet cupcakes and probably some pizza for his big (little) celebration tonight.

He's VERY excited.

Happy birthday sweet Bosco Ignatius! Thank you for going with the daily crazy flow and letting Phoebe pretend you're her own personal saddled horse day after day :)

+ Bosco's birth story
+ newborn snaps (thank you Janel!!)
+ 3 months old

just for kicks

I know I've typed about kids' shoes before and how important it is (to me!) that I find shoes that: 1. fit and 2. the kids can put on themselves. Emphasis on numero dos. So much emphasis. I've drifted here and there for the sake of aesthetics but ultimately steer myself back to the safety of sanity land. I started looking for dress code friendly shoes that Sebastian could put on himself months ago (found them!) even though he doesn't start school for a few months because I was starting to have nightmares about what I like to call rush hour before we leave for school. Heaven forbid I have to tie a pair of shoes or coach a kid through tying his own shoes somewhere in that there hour. Have I mentioned how laid back I am? Good, good.

Anyway, okay - here are my favorite staples. As always - I love looking for shoes at thrift stores, over on thredUP, on Kidizen, and on IG closet sales. Kelsey recommended putting dryer sheets in particularly smelly shoes overnight and I could kiss her because it's worked so well on the boys' tennis shoes. SO WELL!!! Genius.

Here we go. Finally.

1. Toms - I'm not sure why I was such a Toms naysayer for so long because a few people kindly gave us a few hand-me-downs and they are awesome. The three older kids can put them on themselves, they aren't too narrow, and there are so many styles beyond the basics now. I believe I saw that they are on Zulily this week too. Score.

2. Saucony Jazz - We are usually big New Balance fans but I haven't had much secondhand luck with them lately and the Saucony are just as wide and easy to get on and off. Plus - they kiiiind of have New Balance beat in the color variety department.

3. baby Minnetonkas - While I think baby shoes are super cute (who doesn't) I've yet to meet a non-moccasin pair that doesn't get kicked off (and likely lost) after a few minutes. These stay put and look cute for the times when bare feet aren't on the dress code du jour.

4. Pons Avarcas - I have a pair so I know firsthand that they check out in the comfort department. I sort of thought these would slip off but -- they don't. It's like magic. I didn't love the little kid style (or maybe my kids' feet are just too wide - despite even going up a size) but Julia lives in hers and I'm patiently waiting for Phoebe to grow into her old pair.

5. Rain Boots (in pink too) It rains every single day here in the summer and leaves behind small ponds/puddles all over and I hate to be the uptight mom telling the kids to stop splashing (I mean sometimes it's necessary) so some sort of waterproof footwear is a necessity. I love these because they have great treads and the kids have to try REALLY hard to slip and fall.

6. saltwater sandals - none of my kids can put these on but the bonus is that Phoebe can't get them off which is one of her new car hobbies (remove and hide my shoes - so fun). I like this version better than the traditional style because the toe strap is adjustable and they just look more comfortable.

7. Natives - I wish my kids were more into flip flops (because hello cheap) but they really prefer to wear these which is fine because they are waterproof and last forever. Everyone is jumping on this shoe style bandwagon ... Old Navy has an adorable version and even a girl's mary jane style. The Crocs version look even easier to put on. (Phoebe can put her Natives on all by herself which never fails to elicit some sort of angelic song from the heavens above - dramatic? never) And look! Even Toms is getting in on the action.

8. Thunderbirds - Theo is SO picky about shoes and how they feel on his feet which is his prerogative but incredibly frustrating at times but he requests to wear these quite a bit. They slip on fairly easily and stay on and we've got a pair that's been passed down through three kids and they are still in really great shape.

One honorable mention: Bensimon slip on sneakers - I lucked into a secondhand pair for Julia a few years back and can't wait until they can fit Phoebe.

Okay, enough!

Do you have any favorites I haven't mentioned? I'm sure you do. I'm far from a shoe guru, obviously.

have a great rest of your day!

here, there, and everywhere

Friyay.

Frinally.

TGIF.

What else? There have to be more.

Linking up with Kelly!

1. Let's just start things out with a BANG. Sebastian loves to help me bake and is always, always asking if we can bake some cookies. So we DO but when it comes to cookies and having cookies in the house I have no self control so I steered his passion over into zucchini bread territory this past week and he wasn't disappointed, thankfully. I subbed in 1/2 coconut flour because we are only half healthy but Simon (coconut hater) and the kids still devoured it. WIN.

2. Earlier this morning Julia was hard at work with paper, scissors, tape, and the need for, "the kids to just leave me alone" while I was cleaning the kitchen. Several minutes later I looked up to see that she'd fashioned cat ears for herself and these three kittens ...

... please note the craftsmanship quality of her ears vs. everyone else's.

3. About once a week the non-nappers find themselves needing an extra hour of sleep by way of a 6pm bedtime and last night was that night. So, I took the nappers (well, the ones that walk - sorry B) on a puddle jumping walk (no stroller!) while Simon stayed back with the other three and I think they thought they'd died and gone to heaven.

 
They lead charmed lives, I assure you.

4. I've only watched Monday night's episode of the Bachelorette so I don't know what went down on Tuesday but I do have to say that I like Chad better than I like Evan. I know, I know - Chad is awful but Evan throwing down the ultimatum so early in the game? Not a fan. Good think Jojo and I are bff's and she has me to turn to for advice.

5. It's really, really rare that I have reason to get dressed up but we have a dinner to attend that warrants wearing something something slightly fancier than my church dresses and I'm trying to steer clear of black. So, of course - the abundance of navy. Grace Risk Taker Patton. I love ordering from ASOS because the returns are so easy (no printing of the return label, thank you very much) so I picked a few things out last night and thought I'd take an informal poll. I'm a little weary of the wrap dresses because I have yet to love a wrap dress from ASOS but I still might risk it.

a. double layer dress - I've never worn anything like this so it could look terrible. Or not!

b. floral wrap - I'm pretty sure this is a faux wrap so the fit could be a little too tight or a little too loose but I love the color/pattern so much I might just have to try it.

c. navy lace (also comes in grey) - aside from the sleeves, the dress is fully lined (even thought it kind of looks likes it not in this picture) and it might be my favorite.

d. ruffle neck - the ruffles could look not great on a non-model but I love the length and color.

e. wrap maxi - too much? I don't know.

What say you? I'm tempted to try the dress that I've seen over and over again on a few of my friends and just be a copycat. We'll see. 

6. I'm going to count this for two.

7. And I'll cheat again by using number seven to say I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

gp

vacation prep

We're not leaving for quite some time but Julia is very concerned that when we're gone on our trips this summer new people are going to move into our house.

So, she set them straight with a sign for our front door.

I appreciate that only the parents are worthy of apostrophes. Also, it's never to early or too late to start thinking about Christmas. Or our imaginary chimney - smoke and all.

And Sebastian was worried that the steps weren't clean so he mopped them with a broom in the pouring rain and lined them with paper towels in case GG (great grandma) slips. We are actually the ones going to visit her but better safe than sorry, says Sebastian.

And Mama G is giddy over the thought of only having to pack one pair of shoes (on their feet while we fly so not really packed, I guess) per child that are both waterproof and church appropriate (Julia, Phoebe, and then the boys are going a slightly more casual route, c'est la summertime vie) and fitting everything in one big suitcase. Giddy!

Anyway, I'd say we're basically ready to walk out the door.

:)