A big trend I’m noticing this fall is split hem pants. They’re everywhere right now from faux leather, to leggings to denim. They’re so flattering and really elongate your legs. While I’ve mostly been seeing this trend done with black, other colors are also coming out to play. I’ve put together a round up below of 12 different pairs in different price points and materials – and most are under $100.
second row: left, middle, right (the pair I’m wearing in the photo above)
4th of July has always been one of my favorite, if not favorite, holidays. It’s such a fun summer day… and I can’t believe it’s less than a month away. Our neighborhood goes all out for the holiday and does a huge parade in the morning. I ordered this kids outfits yesterday and came across so many cute options I wanted to share in a blog post.
on Crosby: dress
on me: hat, sunglasses, sweatshirt, shorts
Toddler/little girls
middle row: left, middle, right
bottom row: left, middle, right
Toddler/little boys
middle row: left, middle, right
bottom row: left, middle, right
We survived another month of 2020 and now we’re really in the homestretch. I’m not sure how a year that feels so slow can still be moving this fast, but here we are! I definitely didn’t get much holiday shopping done during the cyber sales but I will be buckling down on that soon. In the meantime, it’s the first of the month which means it’s time to share my top 5 best sellers from last month.
J. Crew Collarless Sweater Blazer – For the third month in a row, the coatigan makes the list. I’m happy to see everyone is liking this cardi as much as I do! It’s such a great staple and it goes on sale pretty regularly (still 50% off today). I have it in camel and gray and wear them both frequently.
Geometry Towels – My absolute favorite dish towels! These were on sale for 15% off over the weekend + you were able to stack my discount code (ASHNFASHN15) for an additional 15% off. That sale is over now, but my discount code always works. They sold so many they’re not backordered until the middle of January! They make the best gifts, I stocked up so I can have them on hand for teachers, neighbors, etc.
Black Outdoor Bar Stools – After we completed our outdoor bar at the end of summer I knew we needed stools for the space. I found these on Wayfair and love them! They’re metal and can be cleaned so easily, but they’re still light enough to move around.
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings – These leggings are so flattering and really hold everything in. They’re a bit pricey but go on sale a couple times a year. I was lucky enough to snag them last year during the cyber week sale and have been so happy with them. I wore them weekly last winter and so much during the first few months of quarantine.
Baby Boy Cardigan – I purchased this cardi for Wilder at H&M back in October for family photos and die over how cute he looks in it. I’ve since gone back for the darker gray one as well so he can wear them all fall and winter. They’re comfy (sweatshirt material) but run really big. He’s 19 months and wears a 9-12 month for reference.
We’re taking family photos next week and I’m so excited. We haven’t taken photos of the four of us with a photographer in over a year and it’s crazy how much bigger the kids are now. Wilder looks like a completely different baby. It might be the former stylist in me, but I enjoy picking out our family outfits for the photos. I wanted to share some styling tips if you’re taking family photos soon.
I usually start by going through our closets and pulling possible choices we own in the colors I want us to wear. Since we’re taking them this time of year I’m leaning into fall neutrals – beige, brown, gray, black, cream, etc. I pulled a few dresses from my closet to try on and decided on this black wrap maxi dress from Yumi Kim. It’s at least four years old so I don’t have a link but I found some similar Yumi Kim dresses: here and here, and a couple dress I think are gorgeous and would be so pretty in photos: here and here.
I knew Jeff would have something that would work so I didn’t bother to go through his closet until I had the kids looks nailed down. The kids have grown so much since last year and needed new things. I first went to Zara because I love their baby boy basics but struck out on sizing for Wilder. Note, size down at least two sizes when shopping for babies there. Luckily I found Crosby’s dress there. Next I headed to H&M and found these skinny jeans and cardigan for him. I sized down to 6-9 months in the pants and 9-12 months in the cardi. He’s 18 months old and typically wears a 12 month size elsewhere, just to give you an idea on sizing.
Next I lay out our looks to see if the colors/patterns (if there are any) compliment each other and then I work on Jeff. To be honest, his look is usually more of a filler. I knew he’d either wear a henley or button down and gray pants or jeans. He usually wears a one of these henley’s, J. Crew pants, Levis, or a button down.
To summarize:
Think about what colors you want
Go through closets first and pull and possible options
Shop for other pieces you need
Lay them out together and photograph to make sure they go together and there are no clashing colors or competing patterns
Now that the outfits are set, we tackle the hardest part… actually taking the photos with two toddlers + a husband who will probably want nothing to do with it. It’s really the most wonderful time of the year!
Eleven months! One more month until Wilder is one, I just can’t believe it. His face is basically how I feel about him almost being a toddler. I just want to keep him a baby forever. He’s had a pretty busy month… his top 4 teeth popped through, speed crawls all through the house and pulls himself up on anything and everything.
I’ve been buying him some spring clothes I wanted to share. I think little boys look so cute in basics… henley’s, t-shirts, etc so that’s what I’ve been buying! They’re comfy and perfect for play.
These henley’s from H&M, they come in a 2 pack. The quality is great and they run a little big.
Also love these shorts from H&M and think we need at least one more color. They also run big, I went down a size and think they’ll fit for at least a few months. They even have an adjustable waistband.
Target has really good basic t-shirts right now. I bought this one, this one, this one and this one all in 12 month size. This one is super cute too. They’re a little big now but should fit for awhile.
I also picked up these shorts at Target, they’re similar to the H&M pair but you can never have enough basics.
We spend a lot of time outside and I like to keep a hat on his head as much as possible. This one is so cute and goes with most of his clothes.
He’s had this jacket since he was born but has outgrown it… I love it so much I got it in a bigger size so he can continue to twin with me and Crosby.
For sure I’m still loving Freshly Picked moccasins and these slip on checkered vans. Once he starts walking I’ll get him some more hard sole shoes.
Hope you have a great day – thank you so much for reading and following!
The sun is out and it’s finally starting to feel like summer! Just in time for stores to bring out all the fall things. Ha! But in all honestly, our summer is only just beginning and it won’t be anything close to fall until at least Thanksgiving. Crosby and I are taking this opportunity to wear all the cute swimsuits we can… starting with these fun one-pieces we wore Sunday.
on me: one piece c/o, similar coverup, shorts, hat, bag, sandals
on Crosby: swimsuit, shorts, bag, similar sandals
I got this one-piece the other week from Beach Riot. I love the cutouts and ties… it almost gives it a bikini feel, but there’s plenty of coverage since it’s still a one-piece. I paired it with my new favorite shorts. They’re a steal at $30. I’m going for anything high-waisted right now and these are amazing. Crosby wore a cute seersucker one -piece with the softest draw string denim shorts from Target. They’re only $8 and I can tell they’ll be a summer staple for her.
Crosby is just getting into accessories. She’s all about sunglasses and bags right now. She got this cute beach bag as a gift a couple of months ago and I knew she’d love to bring it to the lake with us. We left Wilder with my parents so I took this as an opportunity not to bring my normal diaper bag. I put Crosby’s things in her bag and used mine for snacks and my stuff. I also couldn’t pass up an opportunity for a mirror selfie with her cute bag. I think it’s time for us to start sharing!
on me: one piece c/o, similar coverup, shorts, hat, bag, sandals
on Crosby: swimsuit, shorts, bag, similar sandals
Hope you had a good long holiday weekend! XO
I'm Ashley, a professional stylist, wife, and new mom, sharing my love of fashion, beauty, home decor, travel, and life in sunny Southern California!
