my capsule wardrobe || a modern boho spring

the other day i was eating sushi while the kids were watching the last bit of nanny mcphee. they just got home from school & i was still trying to figure out where the week went. i haven't known what day it is the whole week (common problem with me). i got a reminder phone call from the dentist saying the kids all have appointments for the next day. grrrr. all. of. them. at the same time. i mean, the convenience of getting us all in & out is great, but like, calming each one & bopping from one chair to another to another. i will also be carrying a baby around who will, in all likelihood, be tired or hungry...or both. i normally try to beg another adult to come with us; but do you ever just get tired of asking people for help. like, i should be able to handle my business, right? hi, i'm stubborn.

i've been thinking about my spring capsule & pinning away for a few weeks now & wasn't sure if i was going to do an official blog post about my final capsule decisions; but i, personally, love these types of things & decided, "what the hey, post away!"

linen tunic above by the lovely ladies @underatinroof.
click HERE to visit their etsy shop or HERE to visit their website
& learn more about this amazing mom & daughter team.
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ON TO THE CAPSULE WARDROBE BUSINESS. this is the last (new) season left for me to capsule, then it will officially be one year & four seasons of pairing down & carefully choosing my wardrobe. {click on the "what i'm wearing" feature on the blog OR click here to see all my capsule posts or here for my HOW TO DO IT YOURSELF rhetoric.} i cannot imagine living sans-capsule ever again. spring, however, really isn't my jam. i mean, i get excited (like every other human) for the birds to return & the warm air to float into open windows, but other than that...meh. i also really hate the return of bugs & bees. jus sayin. it's also spring in ohio we're talking about here soooo the spring capsule (march, april & may) must work for those few warm days but mostly cool moorings & evenings.

how i will combat tricky transitional spring:

most of march can still be labeled sweater-weather if you ask me. but i've already packed up most of my sweaters & will be relying on layering. i'm keeping a few cozy cardigans in the mix & a knitted pullover for layering. i also have one linen short trench that i will reach for most mornings as an added layer outside. that reminds me, i need to swap out my winter scarves for my spring/summer ones. i'm also not ready to give up my ankle boots. i wear them year-round & have anxiety about the day they need replaced. i love you booties! muah.

something i find interesting:

since i have started making specific decisions regarding what i wear & purchase, a very distinctive style & color scheme have emerged. or more like, smacked my closet in the face. i drift from warm whites & stripes to merlots & mustard to olive & indigo. throughout this process i have so obviously found my niche of stores that i like to purchase from. you can see them show up over & over below. for me, they need to be a mix of affordable yet quality pieces. balance is good. i also find it incredibly interesting that i'm down to 3 or 4 pairs of shoes on rotate. this coming from the girl who was once known for her large collection of shoes (sorry, i don't miss you, heels.)  

my spring capsule: THE DEETS

you may start to recognize some pieces that continually make the capsule cut. obviously my go-to's. and per the norm, stripes fo life. i believe i ended up with about 5 new purchased pieces to add to spring (how exciting!). i've been holding on to them until march (which is some of the most fun you will have with all of this). i've designated those new-for-spring purchases below with an " * ". i think i made it to 36 pieces for spring! you guys! who knew it would/could come to this. i am amazed.

there are a few pieces below that were/are on the chopping block. in the "don't-want-to-let-go-of-but-don't-really-love" pile. but considering the low number i was at after "my favorites pieces" selections, i brought a couple of pieces back in. i tried them on & i still liked them. they've just been around for a while & leave me a little uninspired. so if i don't grab for them this season, they will be gone for the next. final decision. last chance, girls! i have also included a couple dresses (mostly for church & easter) but i seriously doubt i will be in them much. alas. (do i HAVE to start shaving again??)

so here it is,

my modern boho spring capsule wardrobe



tops/tunics

top left: free people

top center: old navy

top right: my diy!

bottom left: kmart (chopping block)

bottom center: lucky brand

bottom right: free people

top left: target*

top center: old navy

top right: old navy

bottom left: madewell

bottom center: under a tin roof*

bottom right: target

top left: madewell

top center: forever 21

top right: free people

bottom left: free people*

bottom center: target (chopping block)

bottom right: madewell

top left: madewell

top center: madewell

top right: madewell*

bottom left: cato

bottom center: flax linen

bottom right: madewell

top left: forever 21

top right: old navy

bottom left: elizabeth suzann*

bottom right: aritzia

dress: old navy

bottoms

top left: old navy (chopping block)

top right: forever 21

bottom left: target

bottom right: forever 21

(i also want to note there is another pair of blue denim pants floating around in the laundry that will be worn, as well.)

shoes

first: minnetonka moccasins
second: birkenstocks
third: cato booties



happy leap day & happy easter & happy closet planning, friends!!



xo

above the clouds || lincoln turns 7

this little angel of ours has made it 7 whole years topside. if you knew him during the terrible 3's, you'd grasp how amazing that statement truly is. actually if you know him now, you'd think it was quite the accomplishment. let me expand on that. 

day of party:

he refused to wear his birthday boy badge. he refused to wear his suspenders. he took his balloons outside & let them go. he left his own party to ride his bike. while riding his bike, he invited some neighbors to his party. they came. with gifts. found out he also invited some kids from church after parents started asking what time the party was. he refused to eat his food. got mad when we threw it away. called his sister a buttface in front of everyone. generally talked about farting for entirely too long. 

it was a fun party. 

at some point i remember informing our guests that we will no longer be having parties at all. and i'm fairly serious about that. 

so, a few years ago, we gave up on the huge birthday parties. for one, our families are huge = huge parties (i.e. lots of food & crazy amounts of gifts). two, our house is small = always having to book a different venue & transport food, decorations, gifts...twice. it was getting out of hand. so the past few years, we've just had the grandparents over for a small in-house party. 

if you've been following long here or here, you've maybe caught some of my posts of birthdays past. often times last minute. always very homemade. once the kids decide on a theme, i like to go through our house & find items that may work as decorations instead of buying stuff. this year, lincoln decided on a plane theme birthday. my thoughts: yay! that sounds fairly simple & quite doable. reality: apparently we have -0- airplane toys or airplane-related items in this house. (how is that possible?!) so aside from picking up one small airplane toy at wally world, we were "winging" it (harhar). also, that chalkboard wall comes in pretty handy. 

 

yes, he may cause me to have a nervous breakdown one day, but he really is the best. our little caretaker. always cleaning. knows where everything is. we joke that he'll probably grow up to be a janitor. and he'd love it. the neighbors here call him sheriff. always up in everybody's business. asking a thousand questions. keeping tabs on everyone. i'm sure it's endearing. but truly, if i don't feel well, he's the first to "feel" it. the first to come over & rub my back & ask if i need something. God's given him such a nurturing nature & i hope that never leaves. 

happy birthday linc.

you'll always be the one i turn to when i'm 90 & need assisted living.

xo

so there's this guy...

...the words every mom of a girl dreads to hear. i mean, please tell me i'm not alone.

so hubs & i were having our evening round-up. (well, doesn't that sound like fun. a bunch of super cool cats over here.) ya know, the time after the kids get to bed & the two of you actually get to talk. where you share the screenshots of the funny thing you saw on pinterest & he tells you about the nutty thing his co-worker said. you describe how sweetly the babe fell asleep for their nap & he wishes he still got naps. you tell him about something you saw on the news today & he tells you the latest news around the office. well, it was my turn. and well. i've been putting off this convo for a while now. for good reason. but i could hold it in no longer... 

"so there's this guy." 

i'm referring to the words of our pre-teen daughter.

hold on to your seats, kids. 

better yet, just hold on to your kids.

yes, there's this guy at her school. there are charming words being said. there are compliments being given. there is flirting. there is a mom throwing up...and now a dad. this guy's older. not by much. he could be reading this. he could care less. regardless, he is talking to OUR daughter. 

i mean, we knew this day would come. right??? hubs is a high school principal for goodness sake. heck, we had her when i was still in high school. WE KNEW THIS DAY WOULD COME. yet, here she is. in middle school. smart. kind. cheerful. gorgeous. (i'm her mom, leave me alone.) she's a CATCH. but. she doesn't need to be caught. not just yet. 

mom talk: How To Be a Mom of a Tween Girl

1. nobody knows. (KEEP TRYING ANYWAY)

2. open communication!! this is key for me. no matter what, i always knew i wanted to hear her out. always put myself in her shoes. to meet her where she's at & parent from there. i know our roles as parents/mothers is to give structure, stability & discipline, but i don't want to forget that i'm hear to help her navigate through life. to use what i've seen/experienced to enlighten/encourage her. to explain to her the way boys/men think. to discuss what it is we should be looking for in a (future) husband. to lay out goals for her in THIS stage of life, so that we are both on the same page & to hopefully help her see a little more clearly in case any situation may arise. 

we may not always make the right choices in life, but what other way to try to combat mistakes than with preparation through the setting of boundaries & goals. WE'RE TRYING HERE, FOLKS. 

3. be prepared. (these are the condensed minutes from our come-to-jesus meeting that we had a few months back) us girls talked about what boys are to her in this stage in life. for us, for now, they are friends. we are all getting to know one another. we are here to have fun...in groups of friends...with adults present. we don't need to have private conversations. we don't need to text one another. we don't belong to someone else. we aren't property. we know we will be attracted to people. that is the physical part of growing up. it doesn't mean we're in love. it doesn't mean we have to date them. we don't have to invest our hearts at every turn. our goal is not to give away our heart to every guy coming & going. we want to save our hearts & bodies for THEE guy that God has waiting for us. everyone wants the prince, but no one seems willing to wait for him. 

i digress.

4. do battle. i went back & added this one. be ready to do battle. against the world. against society. against the media. against television. against "everyone else." because "everyone else" is what our kids measure everything against. and what we are saying isn't the norm. no, my kid doesn't have  social media accounts or a cell phone. she doesn't understand why not because "everyone else" does. but we are confident in our opinions on the topic. and are a united front, hubs & i (that's important, too). and it IS a constant battle. but be confident in your own convictions. power to the parents y'all!

as we crept closer & closer to this age, i knew, going in, what kind of parent i wanted to be & did not want to be. i knew i did not want to be naive. even though that sounds pretty heavenly when you're in the thick of things. i knew i wanted to know everything i could about everyone i could. because truly it isn't just about your kid. parenting has a lot to do with knowing those who are always around your kid. i wanted to know what she was dealing with. i mean, how can i help her if i don't know what's going on with her?? i wanted her to always feel safe & accepted when talking to me. i wanted her to feel like i was there to help solve life's problems, not to condemn her every action. parenting isn't all about disciplining, it's a lot about instructing. i think that helped some-having those goals of my own. MY GOSH, parenting is, by far, the bravest thing i've ever done. forget jumping out of a plane or facing a grizzly bear--try giving your sweet little baby girl "the talk." i was sure i was ruining her life forever. 

now, can i address the "don't be her friend, be her parent" thing right quick, please? i get it. i do. but i soooo want to be her friend. because my mom & i are friends. like the bestest. SOOOO...

...I'M DONE. i'm done with dreading this stage in life. i'm done with constantly complaining about it. yes, she drives me absolutely batty! and she doesn't listen very well. and she doesn't do things the way i want her to. hello, she's navigating this life for the first time. just like i'm navigating this stage of parenting for the first time. can we cut ourselves a little break, here?? they are kids. they are going to mess up. probably a lot. they will disappoint. BUT IT'S OKAY. there's forgiveness & unconditional love & grace. oh, thank you, Lord, grace. we need to accept enough grace for ourselves & then let it flow out to them. SOOOO, in the spirit of being "done," i am ready to be excited. let's end on that, shall we??

I'M SO EXCITED. she's not a baby anymore. that stuff i had to tiptoe around before?? now i don't have to. that stuff i could only laugh about with her dad, we can all laugh about together. we can have deeper discussions. she has opinions! we can debate. we have inside jokes. we share coffees (jk, we each get our own). we share music. we share our love of fashion. heck, we share clothes! we share makeup tips. we share hair ideas. and we talk about regrets. and we talk about mistakes. yes. because i want to be a human being to her. i don't want to be some intangible ideal. i want to be real. i want to be friends. and that's okay. because i won't be her friend at the expense of being her parent. i want our relationship to be rooted in respect & friendship, so that the parenting part can come organically. so yeah, i'll be her friend. and her parent. and her mentor. and her counselor. and her disciplinarian. and whatever she needs me to be. for as long as she needs me to be. because that's the love of a parent. 

i may be losing my baby but i'm just getting to know my best friend.

....now, let me go pick up her dad from the floor....

p.s. now, what do you do with sons??