MOMMY AND TODDLER VALENTINE PARTY

One of our favorites: Mommy and Toddler Valentine Party! Here are the details on our design -- filled with pink, hearts, flowers and balloons -- and photos by One Eleven Photography.

Lets take a moment for Mila's outfit before we get to the party details. She's wearing a Wovenplay gold sunsuit, Tutu Du Monde cape via Shop Belle and headband via Thumbeline.

The neon pink “KISS” party favor bags by Meri Meri via Paper Source sent me into a tizzy, so I incorporated them into the tablescape to hold the “VALNTN” balloons from Shop Sweet Lulu.

You may recognize the “HAPPY” piñata letters from Mila's 2nd Birthday Party.  I DIYed them from an Oh Happy Day! tutorial.  

Twink saved hundreds of dollars on our party budget by making the three layer naked cake herself.  It’s a Pamela’s Vanilla Gluten-Free Cake Mix.  And then I decorated it with peonies, anemones and ranunculus in pink, coral and magenta.

Heirloom LA did gluten-free pizzas with a choice of cured meats or vegetables.  They also did a delicious crudité platter with homemade ranch and spinach dip.  

"I love you more than pizza."

Twink made the fresh fruit tray with organic, seasonal finds from a local farmer’s market and melons from Whole Foods.  

Twink made organic strawberry water and raspberry lemonade from scratch.

For the crafting station, I wanted something that wouldn’t intimidate non-crafters, so I opted for a simple feather mobile.  I pre-painted the feathers in six different colors for guests to choose from, supplied driftwood, thread and twine, and voila!, moms and kids crafting together!

Twink and Brixton even got in on the balloon pit fun.  And by the way, the gold balloon pit is just a cheap drugstore kiddie pool covered in gold duct tape.

The giant inflatable hearts and party favors are from Oriental Trading

You can also see more fun stuff on Style Me Pretty Living.  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  XOXO

PLAYING DRESS UP WITH WOVENPLAY

Photo by Josephina Carlier

Photo by Josephina Carlier

Wovenplay is described as "creative couture for the everyday artist and adventurer." I love that. The New York-based company believes in old techniques, hand-crafted textiles and the natural qualities of materials; drawing on the past to create modern, sustainable, beautifully hand-crafted clothing and costumes for little ones. It's obvious that founder and designer Katherine Edmonds applies her background in art, textile design and traditional french dressmaking to every collection.

I view buying a piece from Wovenplay like investing in a piece of art. Here are some current favorites.

Lola Bluejay Sun/Swimsuit.

Fila Tutu.

Lion Cape.

Shooting Star Dress in lavender silver.

Pepe for Wovenplay Blue Star Sandals.

TIGER TAMER HALLOWEEN COSTUME

I love Halloween costumes that come from the closet. And I love pieces that are made from high-quality, natural materials. So for Mila's tiger tamer costume I used two of my favorite brands: Wovenplay and Tutu Du Monde.

The Wovenplay tiger cape is hand-printed cotton moleskin with french wool fringe and a cotton twill tape tie from designer Katherine Edmonds.

The Tutu Du Monde onesie has silver sequin beading and scalloped edging with an underskirt of two tiers of tulle. This onesie has gone strong for a year, from Christmas photos to Halloween costume. Love it! The dove headband has a stunning white feather, with a touch of pink, is anchored by a rose gold beaded center ornament and attached to a white sequined band. You may remember it from our Valentine party earlier this year. 

CRYSTAL COVE BEACH

I'm not gonna lie, when I first got to Crystal Cove State Park, I was a bitter, bitter woman. I thought, why go through all this hassle (parking in a lot across the street, taking a shuttle and then walking down a hill) to get to a beach? Obviously, I'm a spoiled Californian, but still, it did beg the question. But once I got down to the beach, laid my eyes on the ocean and felt the sand surround my feet, I exhaled.

Head to the tide pools, over to your left.

Gorgeous view.

You can even stay at one of the beach cottages.

The Beachcomber Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spend $15 or more with them and they'll validate your parking.

We went for lemonade and Pellegrino at the bar.

Other places to eat within 15 minutes: R+D Kitchen, Gulfstream, Bandera. You're kind of in Hillstone heaven in Newport.