Monday, June 30, 2014

Guest Post >> Jill @jilliant

My name is Jill (@jilliant over on Instagram). I have two daughters, Ava who just turned 8 and Cobi who is 20 months old. I was totally flattered when Urban Cub approached me about writing a piece on kids fashion for their blog (thanks ladies!). I truly love fashion and have a wonderful time finding new favorite brands and pieces for both of my girls. I have never considered myself trendy nor worried much about whether their fashion fit a certain mold. I truly see it as a way of expressing one's self on a daily basis and being comfortable while doing it. My Instagram feed is in no way a fashion page- nor do I want it to be. I truly use it as a memorable diary of our day to day and the memories we are making together! I am truly flattered that anyone sees it as a reflection of good taste.


When Ava was younger I had a hard time finding unique pieces that really fit her personality. She is a free spirit; truly vibrant and full of life! I always say she is my little flower child, remnicent of periods in fashion where bell bottoms and crop midriff tops were all the rage. Being 8 years old she really enjoys putting together her outfits that she wears day to day;I let her dress herself for the most part. I feel for an older child that bit of freedom is very important! It allows for her to really express herself the way she wants and how she wants other people to see her. She is also very active so comfort is also a necessity. A typical outfit for her usually contains a lot of color and more often than not, a pair of Toms, Minnetonkas, or her Birkenstock sandals! Some of my favorite brands for her are Neve and Hawk, Anais and I, Wild and Whimsy and Peek. All these brands celebrate individuality, the use of bold color and being unique.


Dressing Cobi has been an adventure in itself. Although young, she is very opinionated about what she wears. Cobi's main concern is comfort over fashion. I never dress her in something restricting or uncomfortable for the sake of fashion. She has a lot of energy and enjoys being outside- whether that means exploring in the forest or being at the horse arena where her sister takes riding lessons. If you follow me on Instagram its pretty obvious that my favorite fashion trend for her is the romper; it can so easily be dressed up or down and is pretty seasonal as it can be worn alone or paired with tights and a long sleeve shirt. I tend to be more attracted to pieces with a classic fit that aren't trendy or seasonal. Mixing vintage pieces in with modern day pieces is a fun way to create a unique look that is not easily replicated. Some of my favorite brands for Cobi are Mabo Kids, Soor Ploom , Goatmilk NYC, and Wolfechild.


A good knit is something I will always invest in. I love that they can become heirloom pieces that can be passed down through generations. Cobi has some fantastic knit sweaters, rompers and shorts that truly are every day pieces. Living in the Pacific Northwest the weather changes frequently and is often cool in the morning even if the afternoon will get warmer. I always have at least one sweater in my purse or car for her to wear. My favorite knit brands are Misha and Puff and Babaa. The craftsmanship is amazing and you can really tell the pieces are made to last a lifetime!


Thank you Urban Cub for the invite! xo Jill

Friday, June 27, 2014

Etsy Shops >> Poketto

Everly and Silas' love for animals and ice cream is pretty extreme, so on any given day we will hop in the car and take a trip to a local farm where we can find both!  It's always a treat and brightens their day and that's all that matter's to me.  To see their smiles and their eyes twinkle is everything to me.  I love Summer day's with these two!

Everly's Outfit |romper - poketto| |tank - nun kids| |sandals - saltwaters| |headband - sweet kiddo co.|
Silas' Outfit |tank - nico nico| |bloomers - flora and henri|

I love when I come across new handmade shops on Etsy.  It's like a huge score!  I feel like with the majority of Etsy shops that sell children's clothes, you know you are getting a one-of-a-kind, unique look and I love that.  I love to dress my kids in clothes that aren't seen everywhere, so I'm always on the hunt for a good find on Etsy!  I came across Poketto on Etsy not too long ago and fell IN LOVE with all of Janine's work.  She make's the sweetest little sunsuits I've ever seen.  These sunsuits have become a staple in Everly's closet!  And they are also super reasonably priced which is hard to come by anymore.  Clothes are expensive these days...  Anyway, I love Janine and I love her work and she even wrote a little bit about herself and her shop, just for us!

A little bit about Janine; the creator of Poketto:

I am an architect and self taught sewer, a passion which was sparked after wanting to make a few cushion covers out of fabric I had screen-printed. 

My love of making children's clothing came from looking back through photos from my childhood (photos below) – I loved the sweet little outfits my mum dressed me in, especially the sunsuits, which became one of the first things I wanted to make for my little girl. The clown sunsuit has been one of the standouts for me, one which I will re-create one day :) 

I love mixing vintage patterns with modern and up-cycled fabrics, and have recently been working a lot with Organic and Japanese fabrics. My aim is to create special pieces which are practical and made to be worn! My next step will be to introduce screen-printed fabrics and create quirky characters on the bibs of the sunsuits - bear, girl, boy.
Poketto ||shop|| ||instagram|| ||facebook||

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!  xox

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Inside the Shop >> Amelia Presents

Today I am introducing to you a new series I'm really excited about sharing with you guys - Inside the Shop!  I have found that a lot of us shop online from some really amazing brick and mortar shops, that we don't even know what the shop looks like on the inside.  Today, we have Erin, from Amelia Presents sharing with us the inside of her shop!  Erin has the sweetest taste in style, so it was a lot of fun to see how she added all those extra sweet touches in styling her shop as well!

Welcome Erin and enjoy your little peek into her sweet little shop; Amelia Presents.

After moving all over the country throughout my twenties and traveling for work even further, as a merchandiser for several different bands, in 2005, it was time to get back to my roots and move back to the Oxford, Mississippi area, where I grew up. As I continued to travel for work as a travel nanny, I would always look for the type of shop that I could pick up something from a local artist or something that I couldn't find anywhere else. Time after time, I would discover so many great artists, making jewelry, stationery, housewares and so on. As I started to travel less and was looking to change paths, I decided it was time to open up a shop, the type that stocked the handmade items I had spent the last nine years searching for and like ones I had worked in previously, like Lipstick Traces in Seattle, in 2000 and Decades Ago-go in Tampa, where I worked all through college, 1994-1998. After years in retail, it seemed like the proper next step. So, in 2009, Amelia opened. A shop where the new wave of craft culture meets design and makes it an art. I only buy smaller quantities so that everything in the shop is more limited and unique and allows for space to find new artists. Amelia is only 187 square feet so thinking about space is a daily obstacle. People ask me all the time where the name Amelia came from.... When I was brainstorming about a name, I knew that I wanted one that made me think of a time when everything was handmade because that's just the way things were done, so an old fashioned name was what I wanted. Seeing that I have a lot of travel items and also a lot of children's items, two different icons named Amelia came to mind, Amelia Earhart and Amelia Bedelia. And so it came to be...


Visit Amelia Presents online, here.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

25/52

"A portrait of our children, once a week, every week, in 2014."


Everly & Silas // My Summer loves.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Lucy and Leo

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Lucy and Leo garments are designed and manufactured in New York.  They are committed, in their own small way, to bettering the world. They do that in three basic ways. 1. They manufacture in the USA to support our local economy. 2. They only use environmentally sensitive and organic materials.  3. For every garment purchased, they share a portion of their proceeds with charities supporting arts and music education for children.

I get so passionate about a good organic label.  Especially when the brand fits right in with my fashion sense for the kids  That's why I love Lucy and Leo so much, because I don't feel like I'm jeopardizing the look I'm going for, just so my kids can wear 100% organic materials.  Each Lucy and Leo garment is made with the finest, highest quality clothing on the market.  And I love that Everly can move and play and be herself, all while being comfortable!


It important for us to get one-on-one time with Everly, so about once a week we try to get out with her by ourselves.  Sometimes we don't always get to leave the house, so when there is a moment that allows, I may ask Everly if she wants to go for a walk outside.  I love watching her be wild and free.  Even if there are no words communicated, I know she enjoys the time when it's just the two of us.

Outfit Details
Flutter Dress - Lucy and Leo