ashlee raubach :: mini sessions

go here to see more photos from this shoot

The amazing Ashlee Raubach took these photos of my sister and her beautiful family. Yes she has five daughters who are all incredibly pretty. I am one lucky aunt! Great news...Ashlee is offering mini sessions, for those of you in Southern California, at an amazing rate. Be sure to check out the details here and hurry quick because slots are filling up fast.

home projects :: girl's room

I am having my second girl, so I have been trying to decide on how I want to decorate their room. I will have a crib and a bed in there and I have decide on this Rosette bedding from Anthropologie that I got for a steal. I am thinking I will pair it with these DwellStudio for Target sheets on the crib that match perfectly. Now I just need to figure out my accent colors and get searching for some decor for the room. Do I find throw pillows I like, or do I make them myself? I can't decide if I want it to be a little more modern/sophisticated, or more kid-like. I am leaning towards the less kid-like route. Any ideas?

custom party :: roma june

custom labels :: tyrannosaurus max

Hailey throws the best parties and is such a pleasure to work with. I am always excited to collaborate with her because her parties are one of a kind. This time around, it was a t-rex party for her son's 4th birthday. Of course no detail went unnoticed and the party looked like a hit. I made water bottle labels, party favor tag, napkin ring stickers, and a fact sheet about the birthday boy. Be sure to check out all of the details over on Hailey's blog.

just for fun :: gold polka dots

A few weeks ago I saw this idea over on Oh Joy!. I am filing it away for future use in my daughter's room. Such a fun and easy way to spice up a room, especially if you rent and aren't able to paint!

I also love this corner in her studio where she hung some fun things from confetti systems and then some original art hung with vintage hangers...darling!

photos via ohjoy!

ikea :: kidlark favorites

Ikea is one of my favorite places to pick up party supplies, especially paper goods. Their plates, cups and napkins are dirt cheap, great quality, and always come in fun corresponding prints and colors. I am especially loving the plaid theme as well as the blue and white theme they currently have in their stores. Even if you don't have an upcoming party, it's always a good idea to stock up on cute paper goods for future parties and get togethers.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

{click on corresponding number for link}

Bugaboo Donkey

During our interview at Giggle

Images via Bugaboo

My husband is a stroller guru/fanatic. He even had a little business where he would buy used strollers and resell them for more money. Because of that, we have had almost every stroller under the sun. The Stokke, Bugaboo Chameleon, Bugaboo Frog, Bugaboo Gecko, Bugaboo Bee, Orbit Baby, Phil & Teds Vibe, Quinny Buzz, and Quinny Zapp to name a few. Out of all of these, the Bugaboo Bee tops our list. It is hands down the best stroller around. When we had our second child we had to get a double, so we got the Phil & Teds Vibe. It's a good stroller, but is so difficult to maneuver compared to the Bee or the Chameleon. So when we heard that Bugaboo was releasing the Donkey, their first double stroller (that can also convert to a single stroller), we couldn't wait to see it!

Giggle in NYC had an exclusive launch party for the stroller last week, so we hurried over there while we were in NYC to check it out. While we were looking at it, there was a news crew interviewing Cool Mom Picks for the news, and they asked if they could film and interview us as well.

Needless to say, the stroller was absolutely incredible and definitely did not disappoint. If you haven't seen any videos on it, you should definitely watch this one here to see all of the features and options. It's seriously amazing!

travel log :: nyc

The husband and I arrived to NYC early this morning after a rough red eye flight. We decided to take a last minute trip to celebrate my birthday, and as a sort of babymoon before our new addition arrives. Our first stop, after sleeping of course, was one of our favorite restaurants. Balthazar is a tasty French restaurant and is always a must when we come back to the city. I ordered the homemade fettucine and Andrew ordered the steak frites...both were amazing!

We are heading to Boston on Thursday and I haven't been in over ten years. If you have any suggestions of things to do or places to eat, please send them my way!