bits + pieces

bits + pieces from a good day

1. A small harvest fresh from the garden.

2. Carrying his favorite doll.

3. Out of focus hugs

4. Hiding from the dogs but secretly wishing they would come find him. 

5. Da! Lights are being pointed and looked at all day every day.

6. Left behind.

7. Puppy paws and dirty long nails that need some attention.

8. Wood+Stripes 

9. Puzzles keep little guys busy.

10. My most favorite in all the land.

11. Ladybugs.

12. Best buds. 

13. Testing how far one can go. 

you're my wonder woman

source

you know those days where you don't sit down from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed late at night? where you run around all day from one chore to the next? where every time you feel like you're done you come across another task you just can't let be for another second? but it's not a bad day, it's actually a really good day and it feels great to get things accomplished.

yeah that's the kind of day I had yesterday.

don't get me wrong, there are many times where I let things go and don't worry about whether something really should have gotten picked up, cleaned or folded (yeah I hate laundry). but then once in a while I get this weird surge of energy that won't subside all day and makes me turn into sort of a super woman.

maybe yesterday it had something to do with logan deciding that sleeping in until 10.30 am was in order and just overall being super pleasant and balanced all day? don't you love it when you walk in their room in the morning and you can immediately tell that it's going to be a good day for everyone? that's how our day started off.

i showered without a rush while J was on breakfast duty (turkey bacon and eggs, yum!), grabbed a quick bite and went off to the grocery store. i didn't even get mad when a rude senior citizen cut in line in front of me, while everyone around me including the cashier was giving him the hardest time about it - didn't break my stride. by the way, he just told everyone that he didn't know what all the fuss was about since he only had "a few things" (like 25 few maybe).

then i ran to the bank to deposit a few checks. putting money in the bank is always a good thing.
jason left for work right as i got home and logan and i played for a while before he went down for a 2,5 hour nap. holy cow! that kid can sleep.

i called my parents in germany and had a nice long talk with my dad which hadn't happened in a few weeks. then i moved on to cooking up some lasagna soup and chocolate chip muffins and had dinner ready for when logan woke up. we ate, he played while i cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and while I folded and put away laundry. i cleaned him up, we played some more, story time and bed.

you'd think now would be the time to relax and watch some olympics or read one of the 278 magazines that are sitting on my nightstand...
but noooo my wondrous surge of energy forced me to change the sheets on our bed, pick up the room, water the plants, clean off a table in the kitchen, oh yeah and how about watering the vegetable garden in the dark? what? another load of laundry done? tomorrow's blog post?.... ahhh you get the point.

in the end, i sat down and thought about how much i appreciate all the things my mom did (and still does) for me, my brothers and dad while we were growing up.
in my early 20's, getting married, moving away and running my own household truly gave me newfound appreciation for the things my mom gave up to make my life easier. it brought us closer and we became friends, not just mother and daughter.
having a baby and becoming a mother myself just made that relationship blossom even more.
i am sure that all along she was probably thinking to herself that one day i'd understand, understand what it takes and why she made the choices she made for us and our family. how patient and kind she was while we danced around the house with little regard for the time she had put into keeping it clean and warm for us.
and i do understand now more than ever before. it's not always fun and sometimes you drag yourself out of bed and know the day will be horrible, but then you have days like this one where you are reminded of how much fun it can be and how rewarding it is to see the smiles on the faces of the ones you love. that and the taste of warm, fresh out of the oven gooey chocolate chip muffins.

so thanks mom! thanks for always being there and for always getting out of bed, on the good days and the bad ones too. you're my wonder woman.

diy: bleached studded denim shorts

yes, it's another fashion diy tutorial today. are you getting bored of these yet? 

i had a pair of cut off jean shorts laying around that i just don't wear like that anymore. instead of throwing them out i thought i would give bleaching denim a shot and this is what i learned:

you'll need: 

• a pair of denim shorts (or just cut off an old pair of jeans, goodwill has great high waisted jeans for a few bucks)
• a plastic bucket
• +/- a gallon of bleach
• something to hold your jeans up out of the bleach (i used knitting needles but dowel rods or a long ruler would also be great) 
• gloves

i didn't cut my shorts off all the way so that i could get a feel for the bleach effect and cut them to the exact length when i was done. you may of course cut them exactly how you want them first and then start bleaching.

i also mixed bleach and water in my first try but was too impatient to wait for the results so i ended up just using straight bleach. submerge your shorts partially into the bleach and simply let the bleach do its magic. i recommend you don't submerge the shorts too far because the bleach will actually creep up the shorts anyway. the bleaching process may differ from denim to denim. it will take longer if you use super dark denim so keep checking on the progress frequently. once you have reached the level of bleaching you'd like, remove the denim and rinse it very well. make sure to wear gloves and wash separately for the first time. 

once the denim was all dry i cut it to the length i liked. you don't have to distress the cut edges because your washer and dryer will automatically do that with the next wash. i actually took these pictures before washing them again so they frayed edges are a lot nicer now. 

i also decided to add some metal rivets as a little edgy accent underneath the front left pocket. for this you'll need a hole punch, rivets and a riveter. choose a hole size slightly smaller than your rivets and position and attach them as you like. 

here is the final transformation: as i said, the cut edges will fray nicely with a second wash so save your time and just let the washer and dryer do the work. 

if you like this tutorial check out more HERE.

cincinnati trip - what to do and what not to do

we got back late last night from our trip to cincinnati. even though papa had to work we still had a great time and got to do some fun stuff. i've spent all morning doing laundry and trying to get the house back in order but i took a little break to upload some pictures and relive a few of the memories we made this weekend. so here is a list of things to do if you're ever in cincinnati and of course also a few things not to do ;) 

things to do in cincinnati:

• shop at kenwood towne center right outside of cincinnati - huge mall with stores like nordstrom's anthropologie, madewell, pottery barn, jcrew and the magical place called the disney store. didn't make it next door to crate&barrel and the container store :( maybe next time! 
• play in the water fountains down by the great american ballpark (unless your toddler is afraid of getting his face wet, then just chase after him and try to convince him that water really is pretty cool especially when it's 95 degrees) 
• cross the river into kentucky and have ice cream at the newport riverwalk. then pay $24 a person at the newport aquarium because it's the one thing to do that offers air conditioning. no really, that aquarium was actually worth the money! 
• order take out from rock bottom brewery at fountain square and have a hotel room picnic for dinner. their asiago artichoke & crab dip is to die for! 
• eat lunch at moerlein lager house down by the river. the short rib grilled cheese and smoked salmon salad were super yummy.
• check out glier's goetta fest and the longest yard sale if you happen to be there in late july.
• go to a baseball game and enjoy seeing your team win :) 

things not to do in cincinnati:

• stay at the westin and expect great service. probably one of the worst westin experiences i've had. no one offered to help me with my bags when i got there as well as when i was leaving, both times by myself with a toddler, stroller and several bags. room was ok, nothing special for a westin though. room was at the very end of the hall (normal if you travel with kids) and was quiet for the first night, then they put a group of college students next door... really? hotel is right across from fountain square where they have concerts every night during the summer so expect it to be loud every night up until around 11 pm. no crib in the room even though we had requested one in the reservation. took several calls to the front desk and about an hour for them to finally bring one up. 
• walk through a part of town called "over the rhine". we expected it to be like the artsy part of town with little shops and galleries. most shops where still closed at 11 am on a saturday and the area was run down and kind of scary. if you love the smell of stale pee - by all means go for it! 
• go to a baseball game with a 14 month old, in 90 degree heat, by yourself because your husband happens to be working at that exact game - holy stickyness! 
• eat breakfast at bruegger's which makes each of your family members spend prolonged times occupying the bathroom.

so there you have it! overall we had a great time and i'm sure we will be back next season. then hopefully it will be a little cooler so we can visit the zoo (heard great things) and a few more of the museums. 

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favorite european fashion brands you can shop in the US

This was my contributer post for July over at Love Stitched, in case you missed it here it is:
I thought I would share a few of my all time favorite European brands with you.
I always like to find new brands and the following ones can be shopped via the ASOS website which (lucky for us) ships to the US :))

Pieces Accessories by theforgestyle featuring genuine leather belts

Pieces cross body shoulder bag / Pieces logo bag / Pieces bracelet / Pieces pearl hair accessory / Pieces genuine leather belt / Pieces Etika Snood / Pieces Eileen Snood

First on the list is a danish accessories label called PIECES. They make the most gorgeous scarfs, jewelry and leather belts. You'll find wardrobe staples as well as on-trend accessories for a fair price and once items go on sale they are a steal. I just returned from Germany with a new scarf (and one to giveaway on my blog) as well as a great new belt. I really love how they use different patterns in their pieces which can add so much interest to a plain outfit. I am also very much into scarfs with a collection that mostly replaces necklaces for me - super comfortable and multi functional.

Vero Moda by theforgestyle featuring knit tops

Vero Moda scoop neck t shirt / Vero Moda knit top / Top / Vero Moda hooded trench coat / Vero moda / Vero Moda long pants, $16

Second is another danish fashion house called Vero Moda.
Vero Moda, in my book, is a more affordable alternative to Zara. Their pieces are trendy and well made but remain practical for everyday wear. They also have a line of intimates which is super pretty and feminine. The brand has used models such as Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen in their campaigns.
I am in love with that coral rain coat!

Mango by theforgestyle featuring skinny jeans

Dress / Mango maxi dress, $55 / Mango double breasted coat, $89 / Skirt / Mango Yellow Stripe Detail Jumper / Mango skinny jeans, $55

Lastly, spanish fashion brand Mango is a go-to for basic pieces with an edge.
The tailoring on their coats is great and my most favorite leather jacket is from there. I've had it for years and it still looks amazing. Best of all - it only cost about $120!
I definitely have my eye on that amazing mustard and striped sweater next.
You can also shop their online store on their website.

So there you have it. 3 wonderful new fashion brands for you to explore and hopefully fall in love with :) I would love to hear your opinion and maybe you'd like to share a few of your own not-so-well-known brands?




Disclaimer: Neither Brittany nor I have been paid to advertise for any of the above mentioned brands or ASOS.com. All opinions are my own and your experiences may vary. All images were taken from ASOS.com via Polyvore. 

diy: ombre dip dye sweatshirt

today is part 2 of the ombre dyeing series. you can find part one with full directions on how to achieve a dip dye ombre effect here. not only did i dye this shirt but i also dyed a white sweatshirt i got a wal mart for $3. the process was exactly the same as in the ombre shirt tutorial but the result turned out a little differently. the sweater definitely soaked up a ton of dye and i think that's what created the more obvious lines. the gradient doesn't flow as smoothy but i still like the end result. it's much more interesting than just a plain boring white sweater and one of a kind. 

i let the sweater soak a lot longer than the shirt because i wanted the very bottom to be nice and dark. you can see how i used several hangers that were suspended from the tension rod in my laundry room so that i didn't have to hold it the entire time. i also used an old paint stirrer to keep the dye moving.