Month: July 2013

Planning a First Birthday Party

My daughter’s first birthday is rapidly approaching and I’ve been having a bit of a creative block on what the theme should be.  I really want to make this special!

Here are some ideas that I have been mulling over.

Paris

Gymboree Paris Balloon Bunny Dress
Gymboree Paris Balloon Bunny Dress ($32.95)

I’m totally inspired by this dress I saw at Gymboree this weekend. I love the hot air balloons (and its another theme I’ve been considering!).  And think of all the cool French desserts we could serve!  Macarons, madeleines, palmiers… yum yum!

Up, Up and Away

Up, Up and Away Shower

I saw this party on Pinterest and thought it was so cute! I love the clouds and hot air balloons everywhere.  However, I’m a little intimidated by the amount of work that would need to be done to create the hot air balloons!

Ballerinas

Pink and Gold Ballerina Party

I absolutely love the color scheme of this party and I’m just imagining all the fun things I can do with tulle and satin ribbon.  However, I’m wondering if I should save this for when she’s a little older and can ask for a ballerina party?

Have you ever thrown a party with a theme?  What was it and how did it go?

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

It’s one of my favorite times of year… the time we in the Pacific Northwest affectionately call “Christmas in July” because its time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!  It’s darn close to a state holiday here because many of the ladies I know take the morning off from work to go shop the sale — that is if they haven’t already taken a morning off to shop the pre-sale!  This post is a little late, as the official sale has already kicked off and will be going until August 4th.

This year, I made an appointment with a sales associate the morning of the first day of the pre-sale.  I brought 2 friends with me and we did quite a bit of damage going around all of the different tents in the store.

Here’s what I tried on in store for tops and jackets!

Hinge Jacquard Dot Top

Hinge Jacquard Dot Top (Sale: $49.90, After Sale: $78.00)
Hinge Jacquard Dot Top (Sale: $49.90, After Sale: $78.00)

I saw this online at midnight before my appointment and it was something I knew I wanted to check out in person. I tried on XS and the fit was true to size.  I picked up this in black, but it also comes in teal and white.

Vince Camuto Print Peasant Top

Vince Camuto Print Peasant Top (Sale: $58.90, After Sale: $89.00)
Vince Camuto Print Peasant Top (Sale: $58.90, After Sale: $89.00)

As soon as I put this one on, I knew it was a winner.  I tried on both the print version and the plain version and the print one was a lot cuter.  I also tried on the XS Petite and XS and surprisingly, the XS fit me better.  The petite version’s sleeves were a tad bit shorter and and the overall length was a touch shorter.

Ella Moss Textured Blouson Top

Ella Moss Textured Blouson Top (Sale: $119.90, After Sale: $178.00)
Ella Moss Textured Blouson Top (Sale: $119.90, After Sale: $178.00)

As soon as I saw the textured fabric I was in love.  The color is also the perfect shade of navy!  It’s a rather expensive top (though it also looks and feels expensive!) so I really have to think about whether or not I need 3 tops that are similar, and whether or not the first two fill the positions of flowy blouses well enough or not.

Pleione Tie Front Pleat Top

Pleione Tie Front Blouse (Sale: $44.90, After Sale: $68.00)
Pleione Tie Front Blouse (Sale: $44.90, After Sale: $68.00)

Nordstrom house brands always make some great products at a slightly lower price point, so I am always willing to give them a try.  This one ended up being a bit of a miss.  The fabric didn’t feel that great and the color that I tried (the pink blush) washed me out.  The cut was also a little too long and baggy for me and my husband commented that it looked like a potato sack.  I think this one could work for someone tall and thin, and the green color was a lot nicer than the pink–I just already own a green top in almost exactly the same shade.

Caslon Knit Blazer

Caslon Knit Blazer (Sale: $38.90, After Sale: $59.00)
Caslon Knit Blazer (Sale: $38.90, After Sale: $59.00)

I thought this one would be really versatile for the Fall.  Since it is a knit blazer, its a lot more casual than wool which is what I was aiming for.  I tried on XS Petite and the sleeves worked better for my shorter frame than the XS Regular.

Did you shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this year?  What were your favorite finds?  

Sale on Kate Spade Diaper Bags

There are a couple of diaper/baby bags on sale right on on KateSpade.com.  Kate Spade offers free shipping and free returns (on non-final sale items) so if you’re interested, it can’t hurt to order and see the bag in person.

Kate Spade Checker Place Harmony Baby Bag

This bag looks cute but the lack of interior pockets really makes me question how useful this bag would be.  Also, there is no top closure, so any small items could easily fall out.  The exterior material looks really durable and easy to care for though, as the description states it is a grainy vinyl that is wipeable.  I might consider this for a beach tote rather than a diaper bag.

Kate Spade Checker Place Harmony Baby Bag ($139)
Kate Spade Checker Place Harmony Baby Bag ($139)

Kate Spade Hinkley Sophie Baby Bag

I love the dot print and the color of this bag!  I also like that it has a top closure as well as pockets along all sides of the bag.  Comparing the dimensions to the Stevie, this one is slightly longer at 17.5″ (vs. 14.8″ for the Stevie), it is slightly shorter at 10.5″ (vs. 12.5″ for the Stevie) and slightly less wide at the base at 6.6″ (vs. 7.0″ for the Stevie).  The bag is laid out on the interior in exactly the same way as the Stevie, but is missing the 2 outside bottle pockets that the Stevie has.

Kate Spade Hinkley Sophie Baby Bag ($208)
Kate Spade Hinkley Sophie Baby Bag ($208)

Kate Spade Grove Court Floral Harmony

This is the same Harmony model as the one above, but it is in a floral fabric print with leather bottom.  Again, I think the lack of interior pockets and no top closure make this bag impractical for use as a baby bag, though the bottom leather area does make it seem more durable.  Note: This bag is final sale as it is 50% off the retail price.

Kate Spade Grove Court Floral Harmony ($199)
Kate Spade Grove Court Floral Harmony Baby Bag  ($199)

What do you think of these 3 choices?  Do you own a Kate Spade baby bag and which one?

 

Cute and Functional Diaper Bag Review – Storksak Olivia

As a handbag lover, I knew that I wanted to get a cute and functional diaper bag for when the baby came, since all of my new mom friends told me that I probably wouldn’t be carrying a purse for awhile since it would be too cumbersome trying to juggle both a diaper bag and a purse.

I looked into several diaper bags and I wound up buying the Storksak Olivia from Nordstrom before my little one arrived.

Storksak ‘Olivia’

Storksak Olivia Diaper Bag ($198.00)
Storksak Olivia Diaper Bag ($198.00)

What I love about the bag

The ample inside pockets!  On the inside, I love that there are elasticized pockets on both ends of the bag, as well as 2 pockets on each side of the bag.  That is 6 elasticized pockets inside which is fantastic.  There is also a zippered flat back pocket and it comes with an attached little flat pouch.  I store my diapers and wipes on one side of the bag, and on the other, I store fabric items like my nursing cover, bibs and a burpcloth. On the ends, I store hand sanitizer and a pouch of food.

Storksak Olivia - Interior
Storksak Olivia – Interior

On the outside, you can see there is a zippered front pocket (both zippers lead to the same pocket), the front pocket which has a magnetic closure, and 3 more pockets which don’t have any closures.  I store my ginormous wallet and trusty Canon Powershot S95 camera in the big zippered pocket, my phone in the magnetic pocket and on the sides I stow my water bottle, sunglasses and a big bottle of sunscreen.

I also love that there is both the top handles as well as a long adjustable shoulder strap.  This was a lifesaver when I was trying to head out the door with a giant, heavy infant bucket seat as well as my diaper bag.  I’d sling the diaper bag across my body and then hoist the bucket seat out the door.  The shoulder strap also comes in handy for hanging the bag on my stroller.

What I dislike about the bag

The first major issue I have is that once all of the interior pockets are full, the bag is FULL!  Especially since you also need to put the change mat in the center of the bag.  There is almost no space to put an extra outfit — I always end up stuffing it at the bottom of the bag.  Any toys that we want to bring end up being stuffed at the top.

In the early months, I used a Baby K’tan and it just would not fit in the diaper bag unless I really stuffed everything down.  Inevitably, I’d need something at the bottom of the bag and I’d need to pull everything out.  It was quite annoying!

Also, my phone has fallen out of the magnetic closure pocket on more than one occasion, though its my fault for not putting it in a zippered pocket.  I just wish there was a second zippered pocket on the exterior of the bag.  Between my wallet and camera, there is no more space in that big exterior zippered compartment.

Overall

I do really like this bag and I used it exclusively through my daughter’s first 11 months!  I got lots of compliments on the bag and my husband loved that it had so many pockets for organizing stuff. The adjustable shoulder strap was also a big plus.  I just wish it was a tad bit bigger so that when I had filled the interior pockets, there was still room in the center for a few items.

The bag seems well made and comes with a change mat, bottle sleeve and a flat zippered pouch.  I would recommend this bag to friends.

First Birthday Mini Style

My little girl C is fast approaching her 1st birthday and I really wanted to buy her a special outfit to wear at the birthday party that I am planning.  I am thinking that the party will be pink and Paris themed so with that in mind, here are a few options I’m considering.

Pippa & Julie Striped Dress and Leggings

Pippa & Julie Striped Dress & Leggings ($32.00)

I really like the bold stripes on this but its not available in C’s size, though I bet I might be able to track it down via customer service.

Janie & Jack Hot Air Balloon Dress

Janie & Jack Hot Air Balloon Dress (Sale: $30.99)
Janie & Jack Hot Air Balloon Dress (Sale: $30.99)

I love the vintagey theme of this dress but alas its not available in C’s size!

Pippa & Julie Print Dress

Pippa & Julie Print Dress ($26.00)

I think this one is really cute but the accents are red rather than pink.  It is available in her size though!

Old Navy Floral-Print Sash Dress

Old Navy Floral-Print Sash Dress (Sale: $15.97)

This one looks a little more orange than pink on my screen, though it is called Pink on the description page.  Hmm…

Nannette Baby Girl Dress

Nannette Dress ($24.00)

Daisies weren’t the theme, but this one might work!

Did you get a special outfit for your little one’s first birthday?  Help me choose which one would work with our Paris theme!  Which one would you pick?