Want/Need/Wear/Read - Emily & Jen, dullDiamond (+ an Arm Party giveaway!)

Hola!! I'm checking out for the weekend but leaving you with a new Want/Need/Wear/Read from 2 of my favorite designers who just happen to live in my backyard, well Minneapolis that is, Emily & Jen of dull Diamond...I'm crazy about their bright, eclectic jewelry and happen to know firsthand that they have mad personal style as well (hmmm....maybe if I get ambitious we could have a closet/studio visit with these two...) AND they've generously offered up two dull Diamond bracelets to some lucky readers so keep on reading below to win!! Thanks girls!!

want! // clarinet (emily's husbands birthday is coming up and he wants to start playing!) // turkish bath kimono robe // erin considine necklace 
need! // amazing swimsuit // home brewing kombucha bottles (we drink so much, its time we make it ourselves) 
wear! //  ikat jumpsuit   //  clare vivier tote // dullDiamond (hehe. what, we like what we make.) // handmade Tejido sandals by beatrice valenzuela 
read! // letting loose the hounds (short odd and entertaining stories which never end up where you think they should) 

Here are the goodies up for grabs...Aren't they beauts!! It makes me wish I could enter my own giveaway...

so To Win:

go visit dull Diamond and let us know in the comments below 1) your favorite piece and 2)

your favorite summer read...

okay I'm off to place a little personal order just for me...I'm dreaming of the necklace Emily was wearing when she came to visit yesterday...

I'll pick a winner Sunday at midnight...and announce it on Monday along with the winner of Wednesday's giveaway (did you enter yet??) I told you everything was coming up in two's lately!

xoxo, M

Pretty Mommy Turns Two! (+ a giveaway)

It seems as though everything in my life right now revolves around two...so it's only fitting that my little blog has it's second anniversary today...amazing to think when I sat down at my computer in a funky pair of cutoffs and decided to write myself out of a sartorial slump that I would end up here, just a couple of years later with so many cherished friendships, a thriving boutique, and a little space of my own on this crazy interweb...so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to anyone who has read my goofy ramblings, has inspired me with their beautiful blogs, and who has supported my little shop...I have discovered so many amazing, creative, kind, and wise women through blogging....

I would love to reach through my screen and give all of you a great big virtual hug or a piece of cake but I thought a giveaway might be a better alternative so here goes:

Up for Grabs: One $200 Gift certificate to the shop! (been eyeing a Clare clutch? a matta scarf? a Dream Collective necklace? enter to win!)

How To Win:  

 Leave a comment below - Show me some love (I'm such a needy Leo you know...) tell me your favorite thing about the blog, or in the shop, or point me towards some new inspiration

want extra chances to win? 

Follow me on twitter  and retweet this post

and/or Like me on Facebook

(social media is so shameless, no? If you already follow & like me then you are set!)

Winner will be picked on Sunday at midnight...

xoxo, M

ps - how perfect is that Lulu Frost ring...I do have a birthday coming up... (if only the Mr read my blog he would have present ideas galore, eh?)

Mellow Lellow...

Bonjour Mes Amis!! How have you been? I'm popping in after a much needed internet break - although I'm still muddling over the idea of an extended one in August - tres Euro of me, no? anyone want to join...blogger's vacation? but I have a few things to chat about this week so stay tuned!! In the meantime here's a little color crush on all things "lellow" as Lila likes to say...are you feeling it?

xoxo, M

Clair Cottrell Sporting a Clare Vivier Yellow Oversize Clutch, Bosquez Petit Cosmos Necklace, Baskets & Rug, Ice Cream & Stripes - Natalie Neal, Matta Jemu Scarf, Yellow laundry hamper, Vintage Bazaar - Photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Matta Sandhya Kamal Dress, Textiles - Big BANG Studio, Brigitte Bardot's Hammock - Impossible Cool, J Crew Lucinda Blouse

Gone Fishin'

Taking a little impromptu staycation...see y'all next week...Ciao!

xoxo, M

ps - photo via Funny Face (Lila's new favorite movie - nice to find some we can both enjoy, any other classics you like to watch with your kiddos?)

pps - as always, the store marches on...check out all the gorgeous new arrivals!

Want/Need/Wear/Read

Want - Banquet's new year of the Rabbit print...for the 2 bunnies in the family...

Need - Call it blogger peer pressure but after seeing this Chemex coffee set up (first spied at Joslyn's - and don't I usually want everything on her loving posts?)) on a number of blogs I almost ordered one just for pure looks...but after tasting Moonshine's Chemex brewed creations at the Fulton Farmer's Market it promptly moved into the NEED category...found here

Wear - two things on my wish list - the Emersonmade Butterfly Caftan & the LemLem Tena Drape Jacket sold out the first day they went on sale...so I'd head over to their respective websites and get on the waitlists for the next round - whew!

Read - the absolutely fantastic "Balance" series on Cup Of Jo last week featuring moms like Jordan Ferney, Elizabeth Antonia, and Deb Perelman discussing how they balance motherhood with work, marriage and life...I Loved hearing their daily routines and knowing I'm not the only one trying to fit work in between naptimes and playdates...I'd love to hear how you "make it work" - anyone want to join me on Friday and write their own balance posts? Here are some of her questions...

1. What's your work or blog schedule?

2. How do you handle childcare?

3. Where do you work/blog during the day?

4. What do you like best about your current set-up?

5. What do you find tricky about your current set-up? What would you change if you had a magic wand?

6. How does your husband contribute to managing the juggle/house/childcare?

7. Do you have time for yourself? What do you do during that time?

Hope everyone is staying cool!! It's positively soupy outside...

xoxo, M

Random Mix...

 Hello Friday!! Whew...we are off on a mini adventure and unplugging a bit but I couldn't resist showing you a few things happening around the shop before I left...

 With Fall deliveries on the way, Mandee has been working hard to get the new collections online...sneak a peek at the new Wren and Ace & Jig that should be here any day now...YEAH! and of course one of those leopard numbers will be migrating into my closet...

 Our Scout & Catalogue delivery is already flying out the door...gorgeous gauzy shawls, beautiful worn in bags...the perfect collection for sultry summer days and great transition pieces for cooler weather as well...

 If you missed out on the first round of Two (some pieces were gone in minutes - WOW!) we have more coming - check em out here...

it's just as hard to keep Clare Vivier in stock...but we're staying one step ahead and have lots of goodies to choose from...my current favorite is the Bando bag - seen here in action (via Clare's blog)

Of course, to make room for new the old must go - which means more markdowns in our sale section...Spring collections from Ace & Jig, Matta, Stewart + Brown, Virginia Johnson, etc are now 25% - 50% off...and when you spend over $150 you can take and extra 20% off your entire order - enter "JULY" at checkout!

and speaking of sale - I snagged this yummy bright Ace & Jig Caftan (paired with a new favorite necklace - Matta Maya in black) for myself to finish out the "Get Dressed" challenge...which I think turned out to be a successful experiment! Even if being more put together didn't equal smoother days it was so nice to recapture a sense of fun in dressing up and I felt a little more me after so many months of dressing around a baby bump...plus, thanks to the magic of instagram filters, I didn't have to cringe too much - for someone who never posts her own picture that was a whole lotta sharing...whew!! Anyone still with me?? Thank you again to the lovely gals who played along - Trina, Molly, Torrie, Estelle, Shannon, and Tina - I had so much fun seeing what they were up to we might have to make it a weekly thing??  What are you wearing Wednesdays?? Seriously, could I be more of a geek?

Hope everyone has a great weekend ahead...put a fork in me - I'm done and ready for one of these...Cheers!

xoxo, M

Picnic please!

I'm having crazy tech issues so I'm taking it as a sign to unplug again today and spend the afternoon outside eating this yummy meal I spied at the gorgeous Sunday Suppers...minted rose water with quinoa, grapes,  and spring garlic...

thank you for all your supportive comments over the last few days!! I read and reread them all - and felt a little teary that I have so many lovely "penpals"...which reminds me - we're headed to Palm Springs in late October (whoop!whoop!!) shall we plan a blogger meet up?? 

Look ma no hands! getting back in  my groove...

 Day 5 - J Crew top, Madewell skirt, Dream Collective Necklace, CV flat clutch...

Day 6 - Thrifted skirt, target vneck, and Kayce Hughes necklace...Lila approves!

how's your week coming along?

xoxo, M

A New Hour...

 a little sartorial inspiration: Jane, the lovely Elizabeth of The Littlest, Jackie, Linda, vintage, street style

A couple of weeks ago I pulled up to a birthday party after being lost for 45 minutes with a baby who screamed the entire time and immediately burst into tears...my lovely friend Katie gave me a big hug and said "Don't worry, it's a new hour"...it was so simple but just the perfect thing to say and has really stuck with me through the last couple weeks...needless to say I adore my girls but occasionally the transition from one to two has been a little rocky...and I love the idea that it doesn't have to be a new day or week to push the proverbial restart button - just simply a new hour!  Case in point, Saturday night I had to put the two girls to bed by myself, which is often the case as my Mr. has to go out to shows at night, and neither one would settle down...I was not being very cool about it because, frankly, I wanted just a tiny bit of alone time...after an hour of tossing and turning Lila whined "I'm huuuunnnngry" so I threw up my hands, pulled them out of bed, gave her a bowl of cereal, and snuggled on the couch while we watched "Secrets of a Stylist" (LOVE!)...I rolled my eyes and said "You girls are driving me crazy!" and Lila and I had a good laugh...We finally all fell back to sleep together, happy & peaceful...So even at 8:30 pm it was okay to restart...

 Saturday - thrifted top, J Crew pixie pant, beaded sandals, Laura Lombardi Scale necklace...

 Lazy sunday - Steven Alan Catalina Dress...

Monday - J Crew linen vneck tee, Mother Denim Maxi, Lem lem scarf, No 6 Clogs...

which brings me to my little "Get Dressed" challenge...I haven't been breaking any style records but it has certainly been a mood booster...how about you?? Thank you especially to Estelle, Torrie, Molly, Shannon and Danielle for tweeting their pics too so I keep motivated & don't feel like a total goofball ;) You all look fantastic!!Anyone else want to join in?

xoxo, M