Life Lately

31 days til Christmas.  Can you believe it??   I am itching to start decorating and put our tree up but Matt insists  I need to wait til after Thanksgiving.  I get it but seeing everyone's trees up on instagram is making it hard!  I want white lights, and sparkles and lots of decorations now.

Life has been busy lately and I am sure it will stay that way til the end of the year!

My mom came in town the beginning of the week for a quick visit with her friend.  We enjoyed two fabulous meals at Indaco and Zao Bao Biscuit.  It was a quick visit but I always love spending time with my mom.

Denny Cardigan | Tee Shirt | Leggings | Glasses | Booties

Sterling and I stuffed and delivered our boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  I am trying hard to teach him not everyone is as fortunate as he is.   He doesn't get it yet but I hope it will set in one day and traditions like these will help remind him what Christmas is about- giving.

I worked on my Thanksgiving Table Setting.  I will share my menu tomorrow.

 Napkins | Napkin Rings | Plates

Friday I went with Sterling's class on a Field Trip to Middleton Plantation.  It was so fun, I had never been before.  If you have kids you should visit we had a blast!  It is just gorgeous out there.  It was so nice to have some one on one time with Sterling because that never happens these days.

The animals were our favorite part.  I could not get over how beautiful the peacocks where.  Just stunning in person and the colors were so vibrant.

This little guy is a Cashmere Goat and you guessed it that is where cashmere sweaters come from. He was so incredibly soft.

After the field trip we went to Trader Joes and picked up some Boxwood wreaths and a gingerbread house kit for Sterling.  I hung three on our front windows and love them.  Hoping they stay alive til Christmas!

and I am officially obsessed with the battery powered LED lights.  I found some at TJMaxx and stocked up, they are so awesome!

Saturday night we cooked homemade Big Macs and they were insanely good. Recipe is under Main Courses in the recipe tab.

This dress I ordered for some holiday events came in the mail and I really love it.

On sale Here in select sizes.

 || Clover Canyon Enchanted Woodlands Dress

I planted a winter garden with kale and swiss chard I am so excited about!

I eat so much kale it will be nice to just go out back and pick it.

Sterling, oh Sterling.  He is such a handful these days and so exhausting but man he makes me smile.  Two favorite scenes from the week.  The first picture he came out dressed like this and said " I am business Daddy on a work call."   I could not stop laughing because he kept the same serious face expression and had no pants on. 

 and the second picture we had an impromptu dance party Friday night while we waited on Matt to get home.  Batman had some sweet moves. 

 You can see in this picture where our cabinet used to be that we had knocked down.  It is so awesome to have that space opened up into our dining room.  This week we are building built-ins around the fridge for more storage and then the cabinets will be painted.  I am looking for a great gray color any suggestions?

and this girl, she turns one tomorrow!!

Hat (use code HAPPY for 30%off)

Have a fabulous Monday.  

Frances Moon Style | Moc Lover

Since Sterling got a post dedicated to his favorite shoes  thought it was only fair I share Frances Moons too.  Of course she can't talk yet to tell me her favorites but these are my favorites and I am sure she would agree.  Every time we wear these shoes we get stopped to ask who makes them!

We are huge fans of Moccasins around here.  Freshly Picked and Minnetonkas are two of my favorite lines.   Both awesome shoes for the little ones.

Frances wears them almost everyday.

 Someone gave us a pair of the Freshly Picked Mocs after Frances was born and I was hooked.  They are just the cutest shoes, made of the softest leather and easy to put on your babies feet.  They were frequently sold out but now Nordstrom carries them and has plenty of stock.

Frances wore her first pair of Freshly Picked Mocs for almost an entire year and we just ordered up to size 2.  So while they are a bit expensive they last for awhile and the quality is amazing.

They come in so many different colors. 

|| Colored FP Mocs

I am a big fan of the metallic ones (they come in 4 metallic colors).

|| Metallic FP

and if I had a baby boy I would be all over these camo ones.  Thinking my nephew Finley needs a pair!

|| Camo FP Mocs

We also love the Minnetonka Mocs, they are a different style and cheaper price point.  Most all are under $30.  They also have some great versions for the older kids as well.

Double Fringe Bootie | Fringe Bootie | Classic Bootie | Slipers | Beaded Bootie |

Double Fringe Bootie

and while we talking cute shoes for the Winter, I want to order

 Frances a pair of baby Uggs- anyone know how these run size wise?  I can't decide between the two versions below.

|| Ugg Erin Bootie

|| Boo Bootie

Freshly Picked, Minnetonkas, and Uggs are are all online at Nordstrom.  They have an excellent selection and free shipping and returns.  These would make great gifts for the littles!

Shop our favorites below:

thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.  All thoughts opinions and shoe choices are my own.

Annie Griffin Maxi Dress Pre-Order

Hey Girls and TGIF!!  I wanted to let you know that my friend Sarah at Social Dress Shop is taking pre-orders for this gorgeous Annie Griffin Maxi Dress and today is the last day to place an order.  Last year her maxi dresses sold out so fast so this guarantees you one.  I am obsessed with this pink one and know I will be wearing it often come this Summer!  You can pre-order it HERE

|| Annie Griffin Hudson Dress

Lulu & Georgia $100 Giveaway!!

Happy Friday Friends.  I am thrilled to be teaming up with Lulu & Georgia for their 12 days of giveaways.  I am giving away a $100 gift card!  It is no secret I am a huge fan of Lulu & Georgia.  We have three of their rugs in our house and various accessories and love them all!

Ink Dye Rug | Bold Arrows Rug 

Their Holiday stuff is pretty amazing this year too.   I would love any of these in my house!

Draper Plates | Draper Glasses | Trees | Antelope | Draper Pitcher |  Cheers Champagne Glasses | Sea urchin | Fancy Another Tray | Sparkle Coasters

A few other gorgeous things I love:

So many awesome things you could put $100 towards!!

Enter to win below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Boy and His Boots || Sterling's Favorite Shoes

 

I have to admit Sterling is very opinionated when it comes to what he wears, from his outfits to his shoes.  I don't know if it is because he is 4 and sassy or just because he is my child (and we all know I am particular about my outfits).  Either way he tells me what he wants to wear every SINGLE day.  I gave up the battle a long time ago and let him wear what he wants.  Sometimes I cringe at what he puts together and sometimes I am amazed at what he put together and proud of his style, either way I let Sterling be Sterling.

He loves shoes and oddly enough shoes are some of my favorite things to buy for him.  I feel like you get your money's worth out of shoes more than clothes because they are worn more frequently.  Once the cold weather hits Sterling is all about boots.  I am not kidding he wears them basically everyday, either his cowboy boots or his Hunter Boots.  Both have been worth every single penny we paid for them;  they are well worn and well loved.

I am a huge fan of  Hunter Boots, they can get dirty and all you have to do is wipe them down.  Sterling picked out the navy for his boots which I love because they go with everything.  Best part they are easy to put on unlike some other rain boots.  They also come in black and dark green.  Sterling got these last year for Christmas and they still fit so they last awhile if you buy the right size.

 || Hunter Classic Rain boots

 He even insisted on wearing them for our Christmas Card pictures, I almost protested but decided they make him happy and show off his personality.  I will smile every year when I look at our cards.

If you have a little girl they also come in gloss pink and red which I adore.

|| Gloss Hunter Boots

They also come in a bit different style with a bigger heel and buckle if you like that look better.  This style is made for the older kids as well.

|| Hunter " Tour"  Boots

 Do any of ya'll use the socks with the Hunter Boots?  Most of them are on the girly side but I kind of love these mustache ones.  I think I am ordering a pair for Sterling's stocking.  They come in blue, red, and green- really cute colors.

|| Mustache Socks

A few other sock options:
Fleece Socks | Geometric Socks | Cardigan Knit Socks | Cable Knit Socks | Yellow Fleece Socks | Navy Fleece Socks

You can view all the kids Hunter Boots Here, Nordstrom has a great selection.

His other favorite pair of shoes are his cowboy boots.  It honestly makes me smile every time he puts them on.  I didn't want to drop $100 on Frye boots when I wasn't sure how often he would wear them.  Little did I know he would want to wear them everyday.  These boots are $39 and pretty awesome.  We went with dark brown but they also come in black, metallic pink, gold glitter, and red.

|| Cassidy Boot

If you want to invest and spend a little more these Frye boots are pretty darn cute and on sale.

|| Frye Carson Boot

You can view all the kids cowboy boot options HERE.   There are some cute options for girls as well.

I know most of you think of toys for gifts for the kids but shoes are a great practical gift that can be fun too.

Most kids love a fun rain boot or cowboy boot.  A few of our favorite rain boots and cowboy boots are below.  All from Nordstrom who by far has the best kids selection of shoes and if you live in Charlotte you must stop by the shoe department in the store.  Sterling is obsessed with the big fish tank there, plus free balloons equals a great combo for shopping.

thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post

thredUP || #BagUP Event!

Are you gals familiar with thredUP?  If not you should be.  It is an online Consignment store where you can sell your old purses and clothes and shop for new ones.  They have a great selection and it is great way for you to get rid of things you no longer use and make some cash!

 Currently thredUP is running an amazing deal: If you send your handbags to thredUP before the end of the year, thredUP will not take any commission on them, you get 100% of the sale.  This kind of deal never happens at any consignment stores so it is a great time to sell your old bags if you have any!  I have a few I am going to send in that I never carry!

A Few #BagUp Details

• Send your handbags in to thredUP between 11/10 - 12/31 to receive 100% of the amount the bag sells for. There's no catch; thredUP's giving you every penny that someone pays for your bag, taking 0% commission.
• As always, thredUP will cover the cost to send your handbags to us in one of our Clean Out Bags (order one here). They do all of the work to photograph, list and sell your bag.

some interesting stats about women and their purses:

Bags consume serious real estate in a woman's closet

• American women, on average, own 11 handbags
• Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) women own at least 10 handbags
• 1 in 10 American women own more than 20 handbags!

And only 35% of women are using all of their bags

• 1 in 5 women (20%) hold onto their handbags because they've spent so much money on them
• Half of women (50%) are holding onto them all to have a variety of styles to chose from

I definitely won several bags that I no longer carry but just can't quite part with but need to!

Thredup is also giving away six designer handbags (pictured below)  from brands including Fendi, Jimmy Choo and Stella McCartney. Enter at thredUP.com/bagUP by sharing the contest on Facebook. Entry will close on Friday night and winner will be announced on Monday. Selection is random, but you can enter daily to increase your odds of winning!  

You can check out the whole thredUP site here, and don't miss out on this great handbag #BagUP event!

* Thanks to thredUp for sponsoring this post!

Winter Kale Salad + Boots on Sale

If you love Kale like me, you will love this salad.  It was so delicious.  I actually loved it so much I think I am adding it to our Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.  I used the flat kind of Kale -lacindo because it was in my CSA basket last week and it was just wonderful.  Sometimes I prefer it in salads,  but I am sure the curly kind would work as well too.  Best part about this salad is the crunch and flavor combinations.  The fresh granny smith apples, bacon, carrots, and Parmesan cheese go so wonderfully together. You can make this ahead of time.   I assembled it in the morning but then did not add the dressing til dinner.  and actually I saved the leftover salad with the dressing and ate it for lunch the next day and it still wasn't soggy.  It makes a beautiful presentation for any special event and would be great for the holidays.

|| W I N T E R   K A L E   S A L A D ||

Adapted via Style and Grace

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale, stem removed & chopped
• 1/2 green apple, julienned
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly chopped
• 2-3  (or heaping 1/3 cup) stripes of cooked bacon, crumbled
• 2-4 ounces of Parmesan or similar cheese

Dressing

Adapted from New York Times Cooking

• 1/2 shallot diced finely
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Prepare dressing – In a medium sized bowl, whisk together together shallot, vinegar, mustard, and salt + pepper. Continue to whisk while you add olive oil. Set aside.

In a large salad bowl, massage the kale with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing.

Add apple, carrots, hazelnuts, bacon and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Toss with a little salad dressing at a time – you won’t need the entire amount. Taste & add more if needed.

Top with a little more cheese and freshly ground pepper.

...............................................................

Shopbop is running a sale on boots just til tonight at midnight!

25% off all select pairs.  My favs below and you can shop all the others HERE

Splendid Boots (great deal under $200) | Iro Boots | DVF Boots | TB Boots | Rag and Bone Boots | Madewell Boots