little vintage style

Lark is a hugger. Like a wrap her arms around your neck and squeeze with all her might while she buries her head into your neck and giggles kind of hugger. It is pretty much the best thing ever. If she sees other people hugging she will crash the party and weasel her way in to join them. One of her favorite books has a line about hugs in it. The closer we get to that page I can sense her excitement start to build - her arms begin to slowly lift, a smile breaks out across her face, then before I can finish reading the word hug - bam! - she has that book in a full on bear hug.

I hope she will always embrace life with this same amount of excitement. And, of course, never stop freely giving me hugs.

Lark wore: romper, vintage//converse shoes, gift from this sweet lady

Mama wore: dress, vintage//belt, Target//shoes, BC from Ross

then and now

Yesterday this fun picture popped up in my Pinterest feed and it made me smile...

 (pinned via jenny//source)

...because earlier that day I had snapped this one.

a perfect match

I hereby officially declare this the summer of watermelon!

Our little Larkie Lou has fallen hard for the fruit and if it is anywhere in sight she will LET YOU KNOW THAT SHE WANTS IT IN HER MOUTH. I am telling you, the girl has found her soul mate food in those juicy red triangles. Of course, I know what comes out the other end when she downs half a melon, so I am not the one constantly indulging this love affair - Grandpa is the one to blame (or I'm sure in Lark's mind applause and deem him her favorite person ever ever) for keeping the house consistently stocked. But, really, I don't mind a bit. Watermelon and this girl were made for each other, so I'll let her enjoy this summer fling while it lasts...

Do you have a soul mate food?

shop update

 Sheer Flower Party Dress//Blue Lace Dress

 Blue Swiss Dot Dress//Pink Elephant Sundress

Orange Button Up Shirt//Pastel Pinafore and Shorts

 Bunny Romper//Striped Pants with Hammer

 Yellow Parasol Vest and Bloomers//Pink Plaid Blouse

 Pink Roses Pinafore and Dress//Red Buttoned Overalls

 Blue Gingham Sailor Dress//Pink and White Outfit

I added a bunch of new items to the shop today! And, I'll let you in on a little secret - the coupon code SUMMERLOVIN for 20% off is still working....for a limited time... ;) 

refashion: less is more

I love an easy and gratifying project that can be accomplished in one afternoon, and this refashion certainly fits into that category. When I came across this dress at the thrift store I immediately knew it could be something more - with less.

Out came the seam ripper with a fond farewell for the sleeves and lace. The ribbon was attached with a safety pin and that came off as well. Then I just had to sew the now raw edge of the arm opening down to finish it up. Twenty minutes later and voila, a whole new look!

More refashions here and here.

little vintage style: little patriots

We had a nice Fourth of July and hope those of you who are stateside did too. We spent the day with family playing volleyball, swimming, eating, and watching some firework shows from afar. Utah has been burning up with wild fires all over the state, and just this week the mountain next to ours went ablaze. It was heartbreaking and scary watching the huge smoke cloud billow up like a bomb as the neighborhood congregated on the street wondering if the flames would jump over to our peak. Needless to say, all fireworks were banned in our area.

The flames were mostly under control but still burning as we drove home late on the Fourth, so we went a little closer and watched them flicker in shock and awe...not the firework show we were anticipating this year, but mesmerizing none the less. Thankfully, everyone is alright and no homes were lost, but it definitely put the power of nature into perspective. Also, I love firefighters.

But, let's move on to happier subjects - like this face, for example:

I am telling you, this face has me wrapped around it's little finger. Lark is almost 16 months old and her personality is bursting out. She is so funny, and expressive, and learning new things faster than I can keep up. She loves looking at books and the other day I found her reading in the shower. Sometimes when she gets a little bump she will run to her sister for comfort. Watching the Little Miss hug her and pat her back while Lark buries her head in her shoulder and pops that thumb in her mouth... well, it's just about all my mothering heart can take. 

LM really is a sweetheart to her little sister. She cracks me up every single day. She is such a ham and loves performing whether she has an audience or not - I often walk in on her mid-song and dance routine and she is completely unashamed and just starts singing louder. Between the two of them I am completely done in.

For their patriotic attire this year Lark wore a vintage dress that you may remember LM wearing as a top. LM wore a vintage sleeveless shirt in a fun red, white, and blue print. See what she wore last year here.

Lark wore: dress, vintage//sandals, Target hand-me-downs

LM wore: top, vintage//worn-in pants, Target//sandals, Saltwaters

our growing library

(We are back and settling into a non-traveling summer routine. I have yet to go through all of our vacation pictures, but a recap will be coming soon!)

Most afternoons I carve out an hour or so during Lark's nap and the Little Miss and I have 'book time'. I've been letting her choose picture books, her favorites starting to look worn in, but the other day I decided to try a chapter book for the first time. This very copy of Charlotte's Web was my first chapter book, and it is a story that helped shape my love of reading early on, so it was an easy choice. I explained that there were not as many pictures so she would have to listen carefully and use her imagination. That day we got through two chapters which was more than I had hoped for and best of all - she liked it!

Adding a chapter book to our reading routine was such a nice change of pace for me. It helped rekindle my desire to build a library for my girls to fuel their love of books and learning. I have always been a bit of a bookworm myself, and enjoy snuggling on the couch reading all about bugs just as much as getting lost in a story.

Although we have plenty of present-day books in our library as well as on our wish list, I cannot resist snatching up all of the vintage books I come across at the thrift. And, lucky for me an old school teacher must have donated her books lately because I have been finding some real gems. Those pictured here are just a few of my favorite illustrations and typography - two of the main reasons I cannot resist them.

"Illustrated Atlas for Young America" 1956

"The Song of the Day Birds and the Night Birds" 1967 

"This is Music 5" 1962

"The Story Hour" 1957 

What present-day or classic books do you count as must-haves in your child's library? I would love to hear so we can continue to grow ours!