lately, lily

when you were little, did you pretend you were traveling all over the world, having adventures, seeing all kinds of amazing things, and meeting many different kinds of wonderful new friends?

i sure did.

well it seems lucky lily gets to live this dream... 

and we get to live vicariously through her.

(and her seriously talented folks!)

i have a serious design crush going on...

their website is insanely creative, colorful, and fun.

 it chronicles lily's adventures around the globe with her best friend zeborah & her "sunny yellow suitcase" in tow. 

(i can't wait 'til the girls are around to show them!)

best of all, they've created adorable cotton tees featuring art inspired by their travels that you can purchase on the site!

they're made right here in sunny soCal. 

now your little dreamer can rock a super-soft, adorable tee that doesn't have the stereotypical princess or other 

character-y types on it... ewww. 

(i'm not a fan. just sayin'.)

there are more on the site. 

i can't choose a favorite. 

lily, welcome to our world... 

or should we welcome ourselves to yours?! 

looking forward to sharing more adventures with you soon!

xo

(all photos via latelylily.com)

gifts for girls, affordable version

so i've been thinking

(not to mention shopping)

about gifts for girls, and thought i'd share 
some of my finds with you.

when putting together a gift, i really like to get a couple of things, if possible, and kind of tie the items together
--as much as it pains me to use this term--around a theme.

i'd wrap the book & shoes either together or stacked, & have the clip on the outside of the package. better yet, put them all into a bag she can re-use (a backpack? tote bag?)

super cute, right?

i'm kind of in love with suejean rim, and birdie's big girl shoes has been a favorite of my birdie's for over a year now. 
can't wait to read her latest, birdie's big girl dress!


food for thought. 
what are you gifting the little ones in your life this holiday?
more gift ideas--for boys, too!--later today. 


xo
*ps. apparently i'm experiencing some technical difficulties in the polyvore department. make that operator error difficulties. once i have more than five minutes to fix it, i'll get right on that. :)

back to school

a week from now my first-born baby girl will be starting kindergarten. 

(wait, wait. aren't i still 22? i was sure i was still 22.

how exactly can i be old enough to rent a car without a 
co-signer, let alone have a daughter beginning kindergarten?!)

i can hardly believe it, yet i'm ready. 

i think.

it breaks my heart, as i feel once school begins, 

i may as well begin planning her high school graduation party; time flies too quickly as it is. 

then again, i know she is just chomping at the bit to meet friends here, and school is (hopefully) the best place to make that happen. 

she's also totally brilliant, and i welcome the opportunity for more information to be soaked up on the daily by that 
spongey brain of hers.

i remember kindergarten, don't you?

the water table, the sand table, piles of books, playdoh that may or may not have made its way into my curious mouth 
from time to time. 
ewwww. i know. 

praying that my kid is smart enough not to eat the playdoh, not to pick her nose (in public, anyway; giver her a break), not to put up with mean girls (or boys), not to settle for less than excellence, and above all, to have fun! 

she's going to love school. 

and i'm going to love missing her. 

(remind me of this next week when i'm bawling my eyes out, k?)

back-to-school clothes shopping happened last weekend. 

a long-lived tradition among millions of us, am i right?

BTS1 by mollymarler featuring hermes bangle

BTS2 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

BTS3 by mollymarler featuring bags

BTS4 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

bts5 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

i love this time of year. 

its going to be different out here in california, but i can still imagine the crisp, fall air; leaves changing color & falling from the trees; the smell of autumn.
or i suppose i could just drive a couple hours north and experience a west coast fall. 
(kinda loving it out here, can you tell? :)

tomorrow i'll share with you our chic school supply haul; but today, its all about the clothes!

xo

ps! i'm guest posting for my gal jenny today 

while she's on vaycay. 

hippity hop on over there and check out more of my brilliance. 


better hurry... don't want to be late for class.