Moms Love Rosé in the Park

This is the first Mother’s Day since I’ve been a mama where we had beautiful weather!! We live in Ohio where April showers bring more May showers. It actually rained Saturday and stayed overcast. We got lucky on Sunday!

Last year, we did breakfast in bed and I thought that might be a new tradition. Nearby, we had a new market that opened with a few food vendors, a bar, speak easy, and an event center all in one building! The grand opened was last weekend (we didn’t go because, I’m not gonna lie, prefer being out in public when there aren’t big crowds. We showed up exactly at 11AM when it opened. Ordered some food and waited with mimosas on the outdoor patio. We were back at home in time for Olivia’s nap and that’s when I got our picnic basket ready: Rosé, black truffle guyere cheese, pepperoni wrapped white cheddar, wheat crackers, and dried fruit. I know these aren’t perfect pairings to rose, but it’s all about Mom and what she wants.

Truthfully, I’ve never been on a picnic. So my vision for a picnic experience might be shaped by images I’ve seen going viral, setups on TV, and on advertisements. I pictured romantic, florals, gingham, feminine…. so this dress was perfect for my vision. The right about of girly, ruffles, Peter Pan collars, pastels… everything but the gingham print (didn’t want to clash with the blanket). This dress is more of a splurge, but if you’re lucky enough to find it on a resell website, they are more affordable! I’m in between an XS/S and I’m wearing a small. The length is not too short, even with heels! It is a little looser up top and the tie string doesn’t do much to adjust that. The buttons are functional and there’s also a silver zip closure on the side.

Speaking of heels.. while it did look silly to chase my toddler around the park in heels and a dress…. how good is this combo? These suede lace up heels match the pastel florals perfectly and complete this outfit with a nice pop of color. This is my fourth time wearing these shoes and they’re extremely comfortable! I think they fit TTS.

I was able to link a very similar, if not the same picnic basket on my LTK page. This was a bridal shower gift years ago and I’ve been dying to use it! We’ve packed it on our beach vacations every year, but have only used it to carry wine to and from the beach at sunset and use the plastic cups, lol. It is a whole table setting for two – plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, s&p shakers, plus the washable blanket. Good amount of space inside too. Makes a great bridal shower, wedding, anniversary, birthday, or Mother’s Day gift!

Highly recommend a picnic in the park this Spring! It was really relaxing to sit around drinking rose in the sun. Let me know how in the comments how you celebrated and what your ideas are for Father’s Day, too! xoxo

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

Stumbling upon Larimer Square

At the end of August, we traveled to Denver, CO for one of my best friends wedding. I’ve been to Colorado a few times, but mostly for skiing or to visit my grandparents right outside of Denver. So, long story short, I’ve never spent time in Denver. We stayed at the Westin downtown – walking distance to 16th street mall, Rockies stadium, and Larimer Square. Our room actually overlooked Larimer Square with all of the string lights – it was beautiful!!

We landed in Denver at noon on Friday. I lucked out with direct flights both ways! The train commute from the airport to downtown is about 40 minutes. Then we walked to our hotel and grabbed lunch at Oskar Blues along the way. The welcome party was a rented cabana suite at the Rockies game. Nothing better than beer, stadium food nachos, and friends! Fun fact, I used to work HR for the concessions company at the MN Twins – not a fan of the game, but I do love it as a summer social activity 🙂

With that said, I may have been the most excited to wear these keds baseball shoes! I only get to bust them out if I’m at a game and this was the second time this summer I got to dust these bad boys off! I did size down a half size in the shoe (linked above!). Pet peeve is wearing another teams hat to the game if they’re not actually playing in the game!! Since I didn’t have a Rockies baseball cap, I wore this black Nike dry-fit one. The purple and black flannel was the perfect choice to still show support for the Rockies by wearing their colors! It actually gets chilly in Denver, which I wasn’t expecting so I was happy to have a layering piece once the sun went down. At first I was a little unsure how to tie the flannel around my waist while wearing shorts (can’t see the shorts in the back – am I even wearing pants?!). My tank top is an $8 Target find and comes in a toooon of colors.

Leaving the game, we decided to head back towards our hotel and find a place to grab a night cap. I remembered seeing the string lights from our room so we ventured out on 16th Street Mall and you can’t miss Larimer Square from there! It was so much fun!! There was a champagne bar, wine bar, ice cream shop, a few other bars – some even opened as vendors on the street, a record store… We snagged an ourdoor table at the champagne bar and ordered a glass of bubbly plus oysters – how fancy! Our preference was to sit outside, but actually I wished we would have requested an indoor table because the chandeliers were so glam! But I was definitely feeling underdressed! I made Max return the following night, after the rehearsal dinner so I could at least have one cute outfit pic at the Square 🙂

What a cute area! The 16th Street Mall actually reminded me a lot of Nicolette Mall when I lived in Minneapolis. I was feeling a little nostalgic.. This post wraps up summer travel and summer outfits! I’ll start posting more fall inspo next week. It’s October 1st so I’m thinking we’re even going to a pumpkin patch this weekend – can I get a FALLELUJAH?!

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

Wine down Summer

This was too cute to leave out
The shirt is longer than I wanted – this is the length before hemming
The inside space at Coast Wine House is GOALS
Our view on the front porch

This week marked the first day of fall. I love summer but it also doesn’t feel like summer when you’re working from home, wearing sweatpants and only leaving the house when you have plans. Summer is normally extremely busy and filled with a lot of pool days. So I’m not too mad that fall has arrived. I’ve already greeted pumpkin in the form of coffee, creamer, and muffins. I’m planning a Trader Joe’s haul this weekend to clear them out of anything related to pumpkin – Sorry in advance, Easton Towne Center!

I planned a wine night with one of my girlfriends at a fairly new wine bar in Dublin, Ohio. I’m on the east side of Columbus and Dublin is on the West so I never venture to that side of town. But Coast Wine House was the perfect spot to meet. They were hosting an Italian Holiday pop-up, featuring wine and food from Italy. We actually ordered cocktails and bought wine to take home. The shareable food was light and refreshing, even Olivia enjoyed the corn and burrata salad! We sat at a table for two on the front porch and it was the perfect setting. Definitely recommend checking out Coast Wine House for a drink, a bite to eat, or for a small party/gathering.

The mix of “Italian Holiday” plus a coastal vibe had me SET one wearing this matching set from Petal and Pup. I ordered it during their July 4th drop but hadn’t planned on wearing it for any 4th of July activities. I loved the European vibe it’s giving off. Plus you can mix and match the pieces – pair the shorts with another top and the top with jeans and white birks or sneakers for a casual fit.

I will let you in on a secret… the length of the shirt covered the shorts in the back so it was much longer than I wanted. I ordered some hemming tape off of Amazon, rolled up the hem of the shirt to the height of the tape, and ironed it. It worked perfectly and you couldn’t even tell. Some reviews said the tape dissolved in the wash, which I was okay with because this was more of a temporary fix; However, I washed the outfit and everything stayed intact!

I still have a few summer posts to catch up on, so you may not see fall Inspo until mid October! I still need to re-arrange my closet and pull out my fall items anyway :). It’s such a project..

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

#NSale 2021

I love this Club Monaco top. It was an item I purchased in store after seeing it on the floor.  The fringe is so fun and the material is great quality.  Wearing an XS.
The flannel is super oversized.  My original order of an XS got canceled but I was able to re-order a Small and I think it still works.  Wearing a S in the off the shoulder top.  The material is sooo soft and I love the neutral color.  The Free People bralette is beautiful and I have in two colors (black and white).  A few colors are on sale, check them out if you like color
This is the shacket I purchased.  I love the brand and I love the print.  The navy plaid is more subtle than the other similar products in the sale.  Wearing an XS.  Leather skirt is old but linked the exact product because there’s one size left.
THe bobble cardigan was another in store purchase. I think it’s so cozy and will get a lot of use this fall/winter (…especially with the hybrid work situation. It’s col d in my house and I was always bundled up last winter).

Since January I have been so consistent publishing posts once a week….until June, when summer took over!

Taking my baby to the beach for the first time, hopping on my first flight since August 2019, exploring a new city (Portland, Oregon), celebrating my birthday… there’s a lot of content to catch up on! J

I’ve been so excited to shop and cover the Nordstrom sale this year, but in my opinion, after viewing the preview, there weren’t a lot of pieces that stood out to me.  I knew going into the sale I wanted to purchase a shacket for the upcoming fall, a new pair of denim, and, of course, shop the shoes!  The only item I was successful in finding was a shacket…. A new shacket, hat, bobble cardigan, and a couple tops later, I had ordered everything I wanted!  My shopping day opened on July 14th which is the day I returned from Oregon.  I placed an online order and then packed up my baby girl and headed to my local store to pickup and shop more in store items.  Other than baby trying to escape under the door of the fitting room, we had a great day shopping together!!

I made up some collages of my Nordstrom picks…. Better late than never!  The last day to shop the sale is todayyyy!  If you’re reading this, you’re interested in shopping sale and have probably already purchased your favorite items.  So, if nothing else, my hope is that I can provide from style inspo with your new purchases!

Happy NSale Shopping!!

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

Ready for Spring with Red Dress Boutique

This is my second try on haul with red dress in the last two months. They’re always been my go to for special occasion dresses. Recently, I’ve purchased loungewear sets and pajamas (that’s *another* try on haul on the way…)

While I’m not ready to go out in public or large gatherings, there are a couple of upcoming events and holidays where I felt like I needed a wardrobe refresh.

I could be returning to the office as early as June! It’s crazy to think that this is the first time I’m seeing my coworkers since I became a mom! I want to continue dressing like my personality. I love how feminine this top is – the eyelet, lace, and pastel colors are beautiful! Definitely one of the first tops I’ll wear when we return to work. I paired the top with these Abercrombie high waisted jeans and white mules.

This floral dress is gorgeous! It comes in white and this mauve pink. It was a very tough decision to make! I actually preferred the white, but white dresses remind me of occasion dresses – bridal events, baby showers, holidays, etc. I tried to picture where I could wear this dress and my future sister in law’s bridal shower came to mind. I wish I could have photographed the back – it’s low cut and ties. I am able to wear a strapless bra. Wearing a small.

This tiered white blouse is one of my favorites in the haul. It’s comfortable and I love how it flows. I will warn you that it’s not lined so a cami underneath is preferred. This feminine and flowy blouse is giving me free people vibes without the free people price tag – win! I did pair with my free people jeans I purchased during the Nordstrom sale last August. I’m also linking the same pair in black because I see they’re 40% off (I’m wearing a 27). Also, hi to Livvy in the background 🙂

This sweater dress is most surprising! The fabric and texture hug in all of the right places. I love the cut of the skirt, how well it flows, and the shape it gives! For Spring, pairing with white booties is a great choice. For Fall or Winter, I’d throw on a suede jacket and tan boots.

When I ordered this dress, I couldn’t tell if it was pink leopard or pink floral. It’s pink floral – like watercolor – either print, I knew I’d love this dress. Again, it’s so feminine! The square neckline, the sleeves, the length. I think this is the perfect Easter dress. I’m wearing a small.

Although this dress was in the same order, I hadn’t planned on sharing it with this haul; However, I saw it’s only available in Small and wanted to share it so you had a chance to purchase. I plan to wear this for my daughter’s FIRST BIRTHDAY party in TWO WEEKS :(. I’ll style it better in that post – because you know there’s going to be a whole blog post dedicated to my sweet girl and her birthday, lol. I’m 5’3″ for reference and was worried this dress would be too long. With heels, it’s a great length. I love how the buttons stop halfway down to create some leg! I’m wearing a small and do think this dress swallows me a bit. It is too low for me up top and I actually have it pulled back and fastened at the nape of my neck. I’ll have to get alterations or pin it up for the party. It would work a lot better if I had something to fill out the dress on top, lol. Otherwise, I absolutely love this dress, the colors, the print, the boho vibe. The sleeves are long sleeve but sheer so no fabric is rubbing against you and it’s very comfortable.

Stay tuned and follow along for the party! Here’s to a few more weeks until Spring!

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

Baby’s First Valentine’s Day 💗

I’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day. I love to love but I think that should be celebrated every day, not a planned event. Now I believe it’s so true what they say, “kids make the ‘holidays’ better!”

I’ve only gone out to dinner once on Valentine’s Day and we both regret it. We made reservations for 7pm at the Bonefish Grille. We arrived a few mins early and there was a line out the door. I was catching conversations that people had been waiting an hour. Long story short, we didn’t get seated for an hour and a half, they brought everyone FREE bang bang shrimp, and my husband surprised me with a cute homemade voucher to cash in for a free vacation. So, okay, maybe that wasn’t the worst v-day, but we both agreed, our usual at home date night is the more enjoyable routine.

With the pandemic, our plans for an at home date night didn’t waver. If anything, it motivated us to dress up! We ordered the steak and lobster special from Cooper’s Hawk and picked up a sparkly bottle of Pinot noir rosé wine from our local wine and beer retailer, Grain and Grape.

I decorated our fireplace and mantle with some decor I picked up from Target this year. Olivia had a great time tearing down the foam hearts every chance she got 🙂

My favorite part of the day was a photo shoot with Olivia. She looked adorable in her heart onesie and large pink bow from Stevie J’s. My pink bodysuit is on sale for under $25. It’s a tight fit and a deep neckline but it’s perfect with jeans or a skirt for date night. My Agolde jeans have been my most comfortable pair of denim and my booties tied in the color of Olivia’s dress from H&M.

When I told my husband I needed to order Olivia a gift he said, “we need to get her a gift?” Ugh yes! She’s our valentine! It was just a couple of cute items: a book, a smock bib, and a rubber duckie dressed like Ariel (she loves to play with rubber ducks in the bathtub and if you ask her where her duckie is, she drops what she’s doing and will pick up her duckie).

How do you and your significant other celebrate? Any special traditions? Let me hear ‘em!

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

My recent Nordstrom Rack purchase under $100!

I love Nordstrom Rack but I rarely have the patience to visit the store and dig through their racks for good deal on a name brand item. I was looking for a Free People sweater on Nordstrom Rack and found it for $26.23 – that’s 75% off the original price, wow! While I was impressed with the sale, I also didn’t want to pay for shipping :). Why does it make me happier to reach the free shipping threshold? Anyone else? Another option was to ship the sweater to the store for free – but that would require a visit in the store and thanks to this pandemic, I haven’t been to a mall (other than a curbside pickup) in almost a year!

So, I kept shopping their clearance category and loaded up my cart! I placed my order before the new year and received my order last week. Shipping took a little more time, but it appears the items are still in stock!

I love this casual outfit. The neutral striped sweater features blouson sleeves, a pocket, and color blocking in the back. It’s a little cropped so I paired it with my favorite high rise Agolde denim and these neutral booties that I wear with anything that isn’t a dress!

I fell in love with this brand, Naked Zebra, when I lived in Minneapolis. I purchased several pieces from a local boutique. This tiered dress is going to be perfect for spring. Unfortunately this color is sold out, but it’s available in two other colors that I’ve linked. I was surprised by the material of this dress – it’s double lined with a silk slip which makes it so comfortable! The length is great and I’d consider making this one of the first pieces I wear back to the office 🙂

This bodysuit is giving me Valentine’s Day vibes! The color and the rouching are so feminine. I have a couple of bodysuits from the same brand, ASTR, so I ordered my normal size, XS, but it runs a little tighter than the other bodysuits. It fits a little snug around the bodice so I’d consider sizing up if you’re larger chested than me.

Saved the best for last! This floral dress is so perfect! Love the pink floral print and think it pairs perfectly with this mauve hat! Another Valentine’s Day contender. This smocked dress can be worn on or off the shoulders – it’s comfortable either way. I almost paired this dress with black boots and a black leather jacket, but any excuse to wear a hat over unwashed hair, count me in!

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

NY Resolutions!

 
I’ve enjoyed reflecting on 2015 {with the help of social media – time hop, instagram, etc} and looking forward to what 2016 will bring! Every year, I try to set a new year resolution – something that can reinvent me!  I already work out in the mornings and read at night so things like ‘going to the gym’ or ‘reading more’ isn’t really an accurate way to better myself. 
 
A New Year’s Resolution can be fun and motivating at the same time.  I’ve been feeling inspired to get back into blogging after my long hiatus in 2015.  I miss the blogging world, so I’m challenging myself to get back into it in 2016!  According to Instagram, my best 9 (aka the pics with the most likes) captured 5 pics used for blogging, 2 pics from my boyfriend and I’s ‘band, 1 {vacation} selfie, and the trip of a lifetime to the American Music Awards in LA!  These are three hobbies that I want to strengthen in 2016: blogging, playing music, and traveling.
 
I need to hold myself accountable for these goals but will also look to the support and feedback from all of you!
 
What are your new year’s resolutions?  I want to know!
 
 

whatkikiworeLeave a comment

Summer Prints

Holy Moly!!  Is it August already?  I am still living in the past – back to June – where I took a week long vacation with my boyfriend and his family.  We vacationed at Martha’s Vineyard and it was just the escape I needed!  My days went something like this: Wake up with coffee on the back porch while looking at the beach, go to the beach, come home for dinner, shower, head back to the beach (with wine) to catch the sunset, back home to sleep, repeat.  Martha’s Vineyard is huge about outdoor showering – like, every house has a private outdoor shower.  It was secluded and still had a perfect view of the beach.

Another reason I like the beach so much is it requires no make-up!  Big hat, sunglasses, sunscreen ,and a bathing suit.  You’re all set!  Packing is rather easy – I think I packed one dress for a ‘nice dinner’, two outfits (hint: this is one …) to hit the towns in, three pairs of shoes….aaaand 5 bathing suits and 5 swimsuit cover ups.  Just because I’m on the beach without makeup doesn’t mean I actually want to look like a bum…

This dress from New York and Company was flowy enough that I could wear it the day after eating a big lobster dinner and consuming glasses and glasses of wine.  The Panama hat is a must when you’re out in the sun all day. I couldn’t resist the gladiator sandals either. They were a fun twist for this summer dress and, thankfully, I did not have a tan line at the end of the day. {That would have been awkward}

We went into Oak Bluffs this day which is the more ‘touristy’ spot among the three towns. Any souvenir you want you will find in Oak Bluffs. I purchased a shirt I had my eye on last year. To my surprise, it was half off this summer! My buyer’s remorse paid off for once!!!

Dress – NY & CO
Hat – Marshall’s
Necklace – Francesca’s
Jacket – American Eagle {old}
Shoes – DSW {These are on super sale}

 

whatkikiworeLeave a comment