Zebra Bows

I think I say this every time, but taking pictures with a now two year old Bianca is hard!  I dread having to do it, but then realize how much I love capturing these memories and posting them here.  As an ameture photographer, I know what times of day capture the best lighting for optimal photos.  But as an expert mommy, I know I can't wait for those times.  We get them done when she's in the best of moods and I entice her with candy (or on this particular day, a visit with the Easter Bunny).











Dress- Trashy Diva (no longer available)
Shoes- Chelsea Crew
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- c/o Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Bloodline

Bianca's Dress- Trashy Diva
Bianca's Shoes- Payless

Trashy Diva has stolen my heart, especially with their Rockabilly Baby line.  As much as I love putting their gorgeous and impeccably made clothing on myself, it makes me even happier to have the opportunity to put Bianca in them as well.  We don't usually match our outfits, but I love that we can!  These Zebra Bows dresses are made from a high quality cotton voile, which means we can wear them for the expected sweltering summer ahead.  I put Bianca's dress on first and she was so exited to wear it.  But when she saw me put on the same dress she nearly lost her mind!  She then picked out both of our shoes (I'm not even joking) and we were off to the park, where we received an infinite amount of compliments.  I can honestly say I'll probably remember this day forever!

xoxo

Ashley

Forget Me Not Floral

This was kind of an unexpected Mommy & Me post.  Kevin decided to surprise us with matching dresses from Trashy Diva and I couldn't be happier!  I've been eyeing more than a few dresses from their Rockabilly Baby line and I'm so happy this Polly dress is Bianca's first one.  I'm wearing the Bianca dress, which is somewhat out of my usual 50's inspired comfort zone, but a welcomed change.  As you can tell by our faces, we loved our new dresses from daddy!









Dress- Trashy Diva
Shoes- Chinese Laundry
Hat- c/o Modcloth
Tights- Macy's

Bianca's Dress- Trashy Diva
Bianca's Shoes- Payless Shoes
Bianca's Tights- Target

The Forget Me Not Floral collection is made from a luxurious rayon crepe de chine fabric that is both light and comfortable.  I wasn't crazy about this floral pattern at first, but I love the vibrant colors in person.  These dresses can be worn with layers for the cooler months but are light enough to wear all year around.  I can't wait to put Bianca in this dress again, she didn't want to take it off the first time!

I've been combing through my closets, trying to get rid of things I haven't worn in awhile.  It's been a tough process, only because I have emotional attachments to certain pieces in my wardrobe.  I'm going to push through and let go of them anyway, so if you're a size XS-S (0-4) and want some of my new/like new goodies, I'll be posting them on my Instgram closet all this week!

xoxo

Ashley

Bianca's 2nd Birthday

Well, my little baby turned two on Friday.  We decided to take her to her favorite place, Disneyland!  Before hitting the park we had breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, which was wonderful.  The characters come right up to your table and let you take pictures with them, which is so much better than waiting 45 minutes in the park to meet your favorites.  Bianca had her first experience on the teacups, Peter Pan's Flight, and the Enchanted Tiki Room.  She also got to see the barn animals at Big Thunder Ranch for the last time, as it's being removed for the new Star Wars themed area (so bummed about that).  She fell asleep in the early afternoon so we decided to make this trip short.  Since we have annual passes, I'm sure we will be back in a few weeks.

We finished off the day with a delicious homemade birthday cake from my mom.  I'm so happy we got to enjoy this day together and make her birthday special!  I've attached some photos from our favorite moments of the day below.  I don't usually post personal photos on here but I feel like this occasion was worth it!

















It's going to be hard to top this birthday next year, but I have another 363 days to plan it out!

xoxo

Ashley

Rocket

I'm so proud of Bianca, this little lady was fighting a cold and still managed to give me a few smiles in our matching outfits!  Much like her mommy, she loves getting dressed up, especially if it involves a "pretty dress".  These matching Jivin' skirts from Lil' Lou Lou are quickly becoming a favorite, because there's nothing better than wearing a kitschy novelty print!

Lift Off!

I don't think I will ever get tired of matching my outfit with Bianca's.  I can't say she will feel the same way forever, but she gets so giddy and screams "dress" when we match right now and it absolutely melts my heart.  Lily, the wonderful woman behind Lil' Lou Lou, surprised us with a few matching outfits from her Rocket Science collection.  I let Bianca open the package and she went crazy, I'm not even kidding!  Lil' Lou Lou has tons of beautiful high quality pieces and I couldn't wait to feature her shop!

Cherry Pie

As much as I love doing these mommy and me posts, they get a little bit harder every time.  Now that Bianca is older, she feels incredibly independent and doesn't want to stand still.  Luckily, I was able to get a few shots of us together because our matching outfits are too cute!  Both my capri pants and Bianca's neck scarf are from Sourpuss Clothing and happen to be the perfect match!

Pigtails and Pirates

I'm not going to lie, this week has been a rough one in mommy land.  Bianca's been more than a handful and she's really testing the strength of my sanity.  But then we make our way out and do something fun and I get to capture moments like this.  I know Bianca spoils me, her terrible moods/actions are so few and far between.  I guess I'm not really accustomed to a "difficult" child so I feel completely overwhelmed when she acts anything but perfect.  Basically, I need to stop complaining and remind myself how thankful I am for my beautiful child.  Can I start over again?

Sailor Sweet

I'm one of those people who feels like they need a vacation from their vacation.  We came back from Temecula yesterday afternoon and I'm just not ready to start the week yet.  It was a wonderful three days filled with swimming, wine tasting, a Chris Isaak concert, and lots of family time.  It was a much needed departure from our everyday life.  I hope I don't have to wait three more years to take another weekend off!

Crystal Castle

Mother's Day isn't until Sunday but I couldn't resist an opportunity to take some mother/daughter pictures with Bianca.  We haven't taken pictures together since the holidays and so much has changed since then.  The most obvious is her ability to take off!  She wasn't as interested in posing as she was in her surroundings, which means she ran from about 75% of these pictures.  She loves animals and nature so her attention span was quite short here.  I was still able to get a few good shots so I'm a happy momma.  I think I'll plan on doing this with her every year.  I'm getting my memories, whether she cooperates or not!

Bianca's First Birthday

I'm so excited to share these photos with you!  Bianca's birthday party was perfect.  We had a great turnout and most of all, Bianca had the time of her life.  I couldn't have asked for a better day.  Although I don't think I'll be planning such a large party for her second birthday.  It was a lot of work!

Photography- Vivian Atnil

Cake and Cupcakes- Suga Lane Gourmet Treats

Bianca's top and skirt- Posh Peanuts

Bianca's crown- Princess Abigailia

My dress- Voodoo Vixen

Hair flower- NicCoCo Creations

xoxo

Ashley

Twelve Months

Is it weird that I have tears in my eyes as I write this?  I can't believe it's been an entire year with this little nugget.  She's changed my life so much.  I remember mothers telling me how different your life becomes after you have a child and that you truly don't understand that kind of love until you do... And I would give a major eye roll.  As annoying as those comments are, they're absolutely true.  Having a baby is all about giving a part of yourself for the well being of someone else.  As someone who can admit to being a pretty selfish person in the past, Bianca has changed me for the better.  Now I can't even picture my life without her!

Just like last month, Bianca has been on the move!  She falls a lot less these days and can walk much faster.  I might even say she runs!  She's also getting adjusted to walking in shoes.  She doesn't wear them very often so she looks like a little baby deer when she has her little ugg boots on.

Because she's been so focused on walking she's been a little stunted in the vocabulary area.  She talks all the time but in her own gibberish language.  She does say dada a lot, that's about as sophisticated as it gets.  She's great at understanding us when we talk though.  At least she knows when I don't want her to do something.  Whether she chooses to listen is another story...

Bianca is now completely on solids.  I still make her pureed food, but only because that's the only form of vegetable she will take.  Much like her parents, she enjoys a lot of "bad" food but compliments it with fruits and veggies.  I'm still breastfeeding, but only 2-3 times a day.  I'm hoping to have her completely off breast milk in a few weeks!

Now for the most exciting news: Bianca now sleeps in her crib!  Both at night and for naps.  I really enjoyed co-sleeping, but I never realized how little sleep both she and I were getting.  Now that she has her own space to sleep it seems like she's much more rested in the morning.  I'm still adjusting to sleeping more than 2-3 hours uninterrupted, hopefully I'll start to enjoy the solid nights of sleep Bianca is giving me these days.

These monthly updates have been such a joy.  I frequently look back at the younger months and can't believe I ever had a baby that small.  Now that she's moved into toddler mode, I'll probably update every six months or so.  Of course, you can always find super cute pictures of her on my Instagram too!  Thanks so much for reading my journey into mommyhood.  It's a bittersweet goodbye but I'm excited for our future together with a toddler :).

xoxo

Ashley

Eleven Months

This past month has been pretty big.  Bianca went from walking a few steps here and there to full on walking.  I'm such a proud mommy!  It seems like she's gained a lot of confidence because she's testing her abilities constantly.  It keeps me busier than ever but I enjoy every minute.

Just like last month, her vocabulary is getting stronger.  You can tell she tries to communicate with Kevin and myself but just hasn't figured out how.  If I repeat a word over and over she stares at my mouth and tries to emulate the sounds.  I love how interested she is when it comes to learning new things.

Bianca has regressed a little bit when it comes to eating.  She's starting to get picky!  She now refuses to eat butternut squash, which is crazy because it's so good.  She also doesn't like to eat her food if she knows I'm eating something different.  She actually compares our plates and starts yelling for my food if it's not identical.

Her sleeping hasn't improved much.  I think it's mostly because I'm still breastfeeding (I'm going to make it to a year!) so she still wakes up for feedings.  Because I only work on weekends I don't really mind the nighttime interruptions.  Once she hits the twelve month mark, I can start giving her whole milk and maybe it will keep her fuller for longer.  Let's hope that will finally be the answer...

Writing this post is a little bittersweet.  I only have one more to go!  It's been such a great experience sharing Bianca's first year so far and I'll miss these monthly posts.  I know it's been said a million times, but time just flies and babies grow way too fast.  I just wish I could put her on pause and enjoy this time a little longer!

xoxo

Ashley