longing for fall

Totally diggin long over long for fall.

pop

Don't you just love a pop of color? The styling of this tabletop is spot on, don't you think?

weekend pics

What a jam packed weekend we had. We gave daughter and her husband a night away in Napa while we got the gift of staying and getting to know more about Ruby (or "RubyBird" as I like to call her). The blue eyes this girl's got will melt the heart of anyone that's having a bad day...

Lots of "read to me" time by Papa John

and lots of fun at parks and playgrounds with the Bird.

 

You know you're a good grandpa when you cram your 6foot+ frame into a child-sized slide.

Ruby really started her groove in walking in early August and these Keens are easy to get on and off and look so cute in this size!

Audrey and Josh with Ruby. Sunday morning was spent at the farmer's market ...amazing. Trying to catch a photo of a constantly moving Ruby along with her mom and dad is near to impossible.

So many fruit and vegetable stands along with pastries, hummus, and so many more delicious things to try. Our town is sadly lacking in the variety of produce in our area offered at our farmer's market and we enjoy seeing (and tasting..the pluots were incredible!) everything offered.

have a great week ahead!

three day

Taking Friday off to travel to California to see a special RubyBird...can't wait! Enjoy yours!

yes

seriously. 
bikes.
stripes.
fedora.
food.
it's perfect.

delightful

Fell in love with the delight in this little girl's face knowing that Prince William and Kate were close at hand. Life should always be this good.

*image from here

what are you wearing?

The dog days of August. It's hot.
I try to do my best to add some *wow* to a Wal-Mart fashion crowd at work (not that there's anything wrong with Wal-Mart...but there are so many other ways to make an interesting and inexpensive wardrobe). My job calls for the basics in wardrobe but I try to put a fun spin with fabrics, jewelry, and (later) lots of jackets and sweaters. These are my *go to* items as of late:
 Modaspia. Love them. The clothes are so well made and the owner Ursula will answer any questions you may have. Her designs are classic, timeless, and will last season to season...amazing quality.
This "Fiji" dress is made of shirt weight denim and isn't over the top expensive for all the fabulous detailing it has. It's a great basic and I can add boots, a sweater over, or a top under and bring it into fall/early winter.
I have a few other pieces from Modaspia in lightweight charcoal wool (soft to the hand) that I wore time and again last year. These classic pieces make my closet feel like I own a french wardrobe...a few pieces go a long way with jewelry and accessories added for variety.
Stripe shirts. Still not tired of them and they just add a smile to your day. I've gotten mine from J.Crew, eBay, Modaspia, Gap and thrift stores.
Shirt dresses. I've been wearing mine with sandals with our heat but will add leggings in the fall and on top of jeans with boots in the winter. What can I say? Style, comfort, and I'm sold. Mine are from CP shades (I find them on eBay at a fraction of the price) and Alternative Apparel (the company I get most of my tshirts from for DOTS so I'm lucky to get them wholesale)
Check shirts. Love them. They make you feel like you are so ready to take on the day. I usually wear mine as is or over a tank but planning on adding a jacket or a plaid shirt on top to mix it up in the fall. Most of mine I have gotten at J.Crew on sale (every once in awhile they've got amazeball sales- keep your eyes open for 40% off sale prices plus free shipping).
What are you wearing to beat the heat?

*modaspia is on etsy too!

so you think you can dance

Start the video at the 40 second mark to lose lots of announcer talk. And why a dancing dog and his owner?!
Lola's second dog training class is tonight and I've got high hopes. Seriously; can you imagine your dog doing all this with an audience and all the distractions? What am I saying?! can you imagine your dog doing this at all??!!
Watching the video makes me wonder if I would have most likely rewarded Lola a whole roasted chicken by the end of the song with the amount of treats she gets thus far for what she's learned from class one:"watch me" and "stay close" when walking.

time flies...

Many moons ago I wrote a series of children's books (The Cupcakes Club) inspired by a group of  girls at the elementary school where I work.

From first grade to fifth grade I would look forward to seeing the girls return each fall and enjoy the friendship that they all shared with each other. They were delightful and it was sad to say goodbye to them as they moved on to middle school.

The good thing about living in a relatively small town is that every so often you get to run into some of your favorite kids and Michaela is one of them.

Such a sweet girl and when I mentioned Dressing on the Side t-shirts and if she ever wanted to model("yes! yes! SO cool!) it was a blast from the past to spend some time with her. Isn't it amazing how a few years can change a face? a body? The great thing is that Michaela's joie de vivre is just as infectious as it always was.

Oh? did I just speak french? Take a look at our new shirt and say "bonjour" to BonBon Candies.

sunday reading

              Read any good books lately? I'm in the middle of "Room" and would most likely have read it all if I were on a plane to somewhere...as it is; I only get to read a few pages here and there but I like it.

TGI the weekend

This weekend I think I'm going to be doing what artist Oliver Voss's sculpture in Hamburg, Germany  is ...taking a long hot bath and forgetting the week.
"The Bather" gets lots of visitors rowing boats to get a closer look at the three piece work of art and you can see the appeal. She's 13ft high and 98ft long and will be relaxing until 8/12 when it's time to get out of the tub...er...the lake.

puppy puzzle

Puppy Puzzle from benson on Vimeo.
When we got Lola we knew she could have the possibility of being an intelligent dog. Everyone says it's the poodle in the goldendoodle that gives her the smarts so we knew we would have to be on our toes to keep her mind busy as well as her growing body.
Lola is 4 months old now and caught on really quick to her first interactive dog puzzle (Dog Magic) and now the Dog Brick. There's quite a few of the Nina Ottosson thinking dog toys and it is fun to see your dog figure them out so chances are we'll get more to amuse Lola (and us). They're durable, easy to clean and available on Amazon if you're looking for your pup to go back to school.
ps. and yes; I am a stage mother.

shoot me

Dressing on the Side tshirts pulled together a little photo shoot in Portland a couple of weeks ago and we're so happy with the results. Wendy and Tyler from BlueLily Photographers are traveling around the world snapping pics and we were lucky enough to catch them on the Northwest leg of their tour (they've already been to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Ireland and so many more countries...and all this with two kids under the age of 7!).
We'll be posting more (and a video!) in the next few weeks.

all day color

                   Now that my day starts at the crack of dawn and is filled with children, playground, and not much *me* time, I was thrilled to find a lip color that lasts ALL DAY. Seriously. All day. Looks just as good in the morning on the way to school as it does when I head for home.
Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor. One end smoothes on color that won't come off when you eat, have a cup of coffee, or look "tired" by the afternoon . The other end brushes on a moisturizing top coat with chamomile and soy extract for all-day glossy softness. There's lots of colors to choose from and available at any drugstore.