a little more salt water love

I own a pair of salt water sandals, actually I own two pairs one in red and one in brown. They are seriously comfortable, and I wear them all the time. I think my oldest daughter may be a bit annoyed that they look like kid's shoes (which they are), but for me comfort trumps everything! 

I was shooting a job for Billabong kids line, and I had on my red sandals, my little model had the exact same shoes on! We were twinsies, but she was so much cuter in her sandals!

vivi taking a break from shooting in her salt water sandals, www.mysaltwatersandals.com

Even big girls can rock some little girl wear!

lily in vintage romper and new sandals

give back....it feels good

With the holidays either upon us, or getting ready to hit (sounds like a storm watch....which it kind of is), take a few minutes to up-cycle, and weed through your children's toys and clothes. Donation sites and centers vary from city to city, but you can google your city and find a place that will take your gently used items and put them to good use. Start with those who need things most, and can't afford bargain prices....shelters. There are women's and children's shelters around the country, and they need kids clothes and toys. Try your local church/ temple or place of worship. Turn uniform pieces back into your child's school uniform recycling program. After the purge, be mindful about what you replace your items with.

Spread a little love, warmth, and joy.

sisters emily and hannah....always lend a hand when you can.

be creative....101

It’s amazing how you can take a skirt, and make a dress out of it, with little to no effort. Old lace pieces make beautiful scarves during any month. Boys blazers are adorable on girls, and can be found at second hand stores for a few dollars. Even boys formal wear pants and jeans make great pants on a girl, especially with suspenders. 

Learn to sew or knit...just a little. There have been times when I can’t find the right item of clothing. The right bloomers or the right colored skirt. I can’t really follow a pattern well, but I have been able to whip out a few simple elastic skirts from muslin that have cost about a dollar. Anything that has a cinched waist can be a cinch to make!

on zoe, boys jeans √, satin suspenders √, and girly t-shirt √....enough said.

vintage....101

Vintage finds at thrift stores and flea markets are a great way to enhance a child’s wardrobe. Vintage now includes the 60’s and 70’s when some kids clothes were indestructible, and the cuts were more true to size. The shorts and pants are not low rise, but they have a great classic fit without loads of pleating. I’ve found vintage dresses that look like Missoni and Gucci from the 60’s. I’ve also been able discover really basic navy wool capes (which you see frequently in my personal work), and gorgeous wool jackets, that look very much Burberry kids line. 

Many designers buy vintage pieces as their inspiration for the lines now. But, it is great fun when you pay $5 for something that would retail for 20 times that! You do want to make sure that the vintage pieces work with the edit in your closet, and they’re just not an impulse buy for the “aaah” factor. If the item is the right fit, and your child will wear it, and the colors work, and it’s in good condition, buy it! 

a sweet little thing, in a few sweet little things. vintage 70's buckle shoes (my ex. wore these on his parents wedding day and his mom kept them), vintage wool cape from a local kids resale shop, www.kidstockla.com/, it was a steal....no one wanted it!

sizing up ....101

I found that my daughters started nicking clothes from my closet in elementary school. My shirts became belted tunics and dresses. My leggings were taken and cuffed up to the right height. Often when I’m looking for wardrobe for a certain look, a big girl shirt becomes a great dress for a little girl. Or a women’s shirt will become a dress for a big girl. The arm holes may be a bit deep, but layering a tank underneath does the job in making the “dress” a perfect fit.

hannah rose wearing an adult sweater from www.anthropologie.com; it makes a great fall tunic over leggings, add some rubber boots from www.tretorn.com. super simple, super cool.

sewww easy....DIY peter pan collar

•• this lovely video is not mine, but I wish that it were.

This DIY peter pan collar is sewww easy to make, that you may find that your older girls request a trip to the fabric store for some fabulous felt, or really any other material, fabric glue and ribbon.

check out this lovely young thing's video channel on you tube hellopie92

scrappy.....um fabric scraps that is

•• this is not my image

So, in the vain of repurposing, and reusing, and mixing things up. For those crafty people out there, it's super easy to whip together a peter pan collar necklace to add over a sweater or plain basic t-shirt. How super cute is this collar on Etsy. I love the monochromatic look of the black and white, and it transforms a simple shirt into a machine washable, something special.

image source, and source for this awesome piece....http://www.etsy.com/shop/RitaVanTassel

repurpose....101

While editing, you may see some of your child’s favorites that still fit in the chest area, but not in the length. Or you may find that dresses have been outgrown, but the bloomers still fit really well. If you find pieces that fit in one way, and they work with your collection, hold onto them. Outgrown dresses look adorable as a shirt with jeans or leggings, and bloomers as shorts is an international look. 

Also, look at details on the clothing. I’ve found at some major flea markets, that there are vendors that sell vintage collars. Everything from baby peter pan collars, to larger embroidered collars. There are details on some dresses that may be worth keeping, as it takes only a few minutes to hand stich a collar onto ribbon, and presto, a very sweet necklace is born. You may find that some of your most favorite baby dresses become your daughter’s favorites for her dolls. Keep a doll dress bin, and limit what you have in your child’s collection so they will wear what they have.

olivia sporting bloomers as shorts (too cute to be hidden under a dress).