Happy October || Fall Family Photos Outfit Inspiration

I am completely in love with FALL. Pretty original, right? Oh, well. I'm on the FALL train with the rest of Instagram. I love it. And I love this quote:

This weekend, my amazing sister is taking family & maternity photos of my little fam. I am really excited, because FALL is finally here {it's been in the 80's up until last weekend!}. The leaves are changing to burnt orange, everything smells of pumpkin, and there's a cool bite to the air. I am 30 weeks along and am excited to document this baby boy bump!

I've been turning to Pinterest for all my fall photo color & fashion inspiration. Here are some pins that inspired the color scheme I chose for our family photos. I am loving these colors for fall 2014. You'll notice that MUSTARD YELLOW is at the heart of my fall color love. It's just yummy and cozy and I love it. If you know where I can get a mustard yellow throw - you'll be my best friend.

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And here is my outfit mood board I created for what I plan to have my family wear! I've already changed it in my head a few times - I can't decide juuuuuuuuust how I want our outfits to go - so we will see this weekend what I actually decide on. I've never planned out a photo shoot like this, but it's been fun.

What do you think? Does it scream "FALL" enough? Did I pull from my inspiration photos? I can't decide if the coral cardigan (for Ava) should be mint, instead of coral...and if there should be more pops of color. I'm pulling from that pattern in the bottom left, which is a headband I ordered for Ava from Lemons and Lace. Let me know - I need all the help I can get before Sunday!

xo

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More things that are yummy:

My Favorite Top Knots

Top 10 Hospital Bag Must Haves

Not-So-Casual Outfit Look ... Guest Post by Kristy of Salty Mess

Morning ladies! My name is Kristy and I am the creator and content writer of the blog Salty Mess. I am very honored to be taking over Daniela's blog for the day to share with you some easy tips on making your casual outfit look not-so-casual! I think everyone can agree that there is a universal feeling to want to look cute and feel comfortable simultaneously. Well, I have found that if you follow a few simple tips, then you can achieve this with any laid back outfit.

1. Make your outfit POP: Try doing this by simply adding a striking color to your outfit or some chunky jewelry. This will make your casual look stand out. Never is a t-shirt and jeans look boring with this technique.

2. Makeup: Your makeup can do wonders with any outfit. Because whatever you do with your face can change the whole look, try to have your make up look a little more clean and chic and this can definitely make it seem like it took you twice as long to get ready. 

3. Layering: This technique is fun! If you have a hard time figuring out what extra things you can add to your outfit and not make it look too messy, just follow your color pattern and chances are you will just do fine! Grab a bag, jacket, beanie, something to tie around your waist, have socks coming out of your shoes, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I hope you have read these techniques and now try something new out! Feel free to follow me and tag me in some of your new attempts. I would love to see :) Thanks for reading!

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Contributor Post at Pretty Providence - April

Today is very exciting, friends. Today is my very first contributor post - ever! Not just a guest post, but an actual C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-O-R post, which means I'm a recurring lady on someone else's blog. I'm REALLY excited and kind of nervous at the same time. The blog is Pretty Providence.

I've followed Jessica and Sarah's blog for a while now, and really love it. Their style and tastes are super similar to mine. I've thought about being a contributor on another blog before, and have even been asked to be one, but I've never felt like the timing was right or found that one special blog that really fit ME and MY style. Pretty Providence does that to a 'T' - so when I read they were calling for contributors, I didn't even hesitate to apply. Jessica and Sarah were amazingly nice enough to love my blog and really want me to be a contributor! I'm just so excited to share my love of simple & easy crafts with others. I'll be posting once a month over there as a Fashion DIY contributor, and I'll give you all a reminder the day I do, so you can check out what I have to share!

Today, I am sharing a cheap & easy tutorial for making your own Anchor Tee. I just LOVE mine and wore it to SNAP! {a blog conference here in Salt Lake City}. I even got complimented on it from a huge blogger that I totally {heart}, so it kind of made my day. I hope you'll visit Pretty Providence and check out my first contributor post {there may even be a FREE PRINTABLE for you!}. Have the best day!

DIY Anchor Tee at Pretty Providence

xo

I hope you'll stop by my link party and link up at Link'n Blogs before you go! Click > HERE <

Also, you can enter to win Ad Space for your blog on MY blog for the month of May!

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Bebe Bloom Boutique Feature & Giveaway

Today, I'm happy to introduce you to an adorable shop! Bebe Bloom Boutique is a handmade accessories boutique for our little one. Headbands, dresses, bow ties, suspenders, pacifier clips, hats - it's all there! Annie is the owner, and I love what she says on the About Me page of her website about starting Bebe Bloom Boutique:

SHOP | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST

"Born out of a need to find one-of-a-kind items that just weren’t being stocked in stores, Bebe Bloom offers unique handcrafted accessories and beautiful handpicked apparel for infants and children. As a mother of two beautiful little munchkins, I came across this little dilemma while searching for these hard-to-find novelties. Unsuccessful in my search, I decided to make them myself! As my hobby grew, I learned that friends, family, and colleagues were absolutely crazy about them! Realizing there was a market for exclusive hand-made items, Bebe Bloom was born."

Ava was able to try on a couple of these adorable headbands!

Because I'm Worth It ... Tees for Charity

Hello lovies. Do you remember my friend Cady of Enjoy Essential? She makes the adorable onesies Ava loves to wear. Cady reached out to me asking if I would share a special shirt she has designed to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - and I am very happy to share it with you today! Here is the info Cady sent me - all about her friends that are running for cancer awareness. I hope you'll check it out and share the love, if you'd like to help support. :)

"Enjoy Essential is partnering up with two young women who have decided to run the San Francisco Nike Women's marathon this fall, and in order to do so, they will need to raise money for the charity of their choice. We have designed kids tees and women's tanks to support their cause, and all proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Here is some info about Arianna and Jenn and how they encouraged each other to start running and training, and why:

Warby Parker + Architecture for Humanity Feature

Happy Monday, everyone! 

I am really excited to talk about something a little different from crafts and Ava {which are my two favorite things to talk about!}. One of my favorite parts of blogging is feeling like I have a voice! And can reach people - especially when the cause is good! Today, I get to talk about two great organizations working towards a good cause.  Warby Parker is an eyewear company I found out about from my brother-in-law just a couple weeks ago. I was super intrigued with how this company worked. You order 5 frames you get to try on, see which ones look amaze on you, then return them all. You then can customize and order the pairs that you LOVED. And he said it was pretty affordable, too. It sounded awesome. I've used other online glasses companies before and blindly ordered glasses, which can get dicey, but have never heard of a company sending you frames to try on first. Plus, he said for every pair of glasses they sell, they give a pair to someone in need. Sounds pretty cool, right?

What was even more cool was when, last week, Warby Parker contacted me asking me to tell all of my fabulous readers about a new eyewear collaboration they are doing with Architecture for Humanity. After hearing about the great work they are doing, I, of course, said YES and am super excited today to share this great effort with all of you. 

"If you think you can handle it" - To Adorn Feature

Guess what?! My family has some super exciting news. We are moving!! After 6 years in our newlywed home, its officially up for sale! We are building a new home in a city about 30 minutes south of us - closer to my husband's work, but still close to all the areas we love. It is really really bittersweet. I love the excitement that change brings - that chance to refresh your life and build new memories. I'm definitely ready for more space and *finally* a craft room! It will be really hard to spend one last night in our home, though, and say GOODBYE. We've put everything into this home for six whole years. We haven't sold our house, yet, so until then, I am enjoying everything about our current city and life.

I have some moving tips & related posts I'm prepping to post in the next few weeks. It's seriously been CRAY. Super insane crazy. We just live in limbo between packing and temporarily moving things to my dad's home and constant CLEANING, CLEANING, CLEANING for house showings and staging. I haven't cooked dinner in over 2 weeks, Chick-Fil-A employees now think we are regulars, Ava has missed too many nap times because of showings to count, and all my craft supplies are boxed up and in the garage. So bare with me if I don't have as many crafty posts here until we get settled in our temporary home before we officially move into our new house. Do you have any moving, packing or home selling advice & tips? Have you done it before? This is my first time selling a home, so I'm all ears for advice, tips and ways to stay sane and patient during this whole process!

Last night, my little fam went for a drive to our new neighborhood, and we decided to eat dinner there to see what's it like. We tried out a sports grill and, luckily, it passed the taste test. I was just excited, because I got to wear my new chevron cardi from To Adorn. I may not have given away all my other cardigans, but seriously, this one is my new NEUTRAL. It's the Buzz Lightyear of cardigans, and all the other toys are intimidated by it's arrival. ;)  It just goes with everything! 

{pardon my fuzzy photos - my camera is packed, so these are from my lovely 3 year old phone!}

DIY Polka Dot Pants

We've all seen them. An adorby pair of polka dot pants in your fave store just hanging there saying "Buy Me" - "Buy Me". The other part we also see? The price tag. OUCH! Keeping up with the latest trends can get pricey pricey these days. BUT. Thankfully. There is a way to get your polka on (literally) without breaking the bank. Three little letters: D-I-Y. It doesn't get much simpler than polka dot pants. You only need 3 ingredients: pants, fabric paint & foam pouncer. Read on, my friends. Read on.

I went to Deseret Industries ("D.I." - as we call it - a LDS thrift store) and bought a pair of used skinny jeans for $3. One time through the wash and they are good as new.

You can buy fabric paint, or make your own. I always opt for making my own. SO cheap and easy to make just a little for your current project. Buy a fabric medium and mix 2 parts paint with 1 part medium. I use a couple cupcake liners stacked to mix my paint. That way, I can toss it when I'm done.

Wednesday Roundup ... 10 Ways to Wear Tulle Skirts

The pin that started it all.

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And I was a goner.

I knew I needed a tulle skirt. Yep. I said it. NEEDED. One sale at Poppy and Dot and my dream became a reality. I have a cream tulle skirt. And LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I wear it almost every other Sunday to church. LOVE it. Today's Wednesday Roundup showcases 10 ways to wear tulle skirts. But don't say I didn't warn you. You will NEED one after you read this post. Proceed at your own risk. :)

Be bold. Pick a colorful skirt and keep the rest neutral.

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The Fashionista's Diary ... Guest Post by Ashley of Profoundly Ash

Hi Dolls! :)

It's Ashley from Profoundly Ash! To start out, TGIF and Happy Weekend to you all!!
I am honored to be guest posting on Put a Bird On It today. 

SO thank you for having me :)

I am a registered nurse by day, with a HUGE passion for beauty and fashion. Ever since I could walk, I would play dress-up in my mom and aunts closets, prancing around in their high heels.

I grew up styling my friends from head to toe; giving fashion advice, helping with hair and makeup. It's what I LOVE! I love that just a "little somethin" can make someone feel and look like a million bucks! It makes my heart smile :)

And yes, over the years I frequently get asked, well why don't you do this for a living?

 I have come to realize life is just too darn short. God can take it away from us any second or any minute. I have always been a dreamer. And recently with the support of my AMAZING husband, I started the journey of blogging last summer, which gave me the courage to follow my dream and open up my very own women's boutique.
And I couldn't be more excited!!!!!!

Here I am today, 2 months away from opening my very own online boutique, Ginny Blues. Words cannot express my excitement! I am excited for so many reasons, but mostly to share with you all the amazing pieces I have. Allowing you all to buy fashion that is fabulous and affordable.

I picked each item from my heart, knowing if I wouldn't wear it, I wasn't buying it. If I wouldn't spend that kind of money, it wasn't going on my racks. And ya'll don't know me, but I am one fearless fashion bargain shopper through and through!

I cannot wait to dress you all :)
Ginny Blues will be offering the most affordable, unique, and stylish apparel and accessories by the comfort of buying from your own home!

~Opening May 2014~

Today I wanted to put some fun and funky looks together for you. When it comes to style and fashion, be you and wear what you wanna wear. For this spring and summer, think outside the box.
 Mixing polka dots and stripes, leopard print and neons, T-shirts and tulle skirts, chunky necklaces and sweatshirts, stilettos and distressed denim, tie dye prints, big hair, and bright lips.
Like Marilyn Monroe says, normal is boring! :)


Look #1

another look here; photos don't do these shorts justice!

My Go To Outfit from To Adorn

If you go back a couple posts, you will see that I recently reached my 100th post here at Put A Bird On It. One of my favorite parts of blogging for the past 6 months has been getting to know lots of amazing companies and getting to show off their great products to Y-O-U. If you click on the Sponsor tab at the top of my blog, you can quickly see all of the great companies I get to work with. I don't get paid to be affiliated with them - I just get a sample of their product to be able to write an honest review. I never promote anything I don't absolutely LOVE, so you know when you hear me rave about something that it is totally true! :)

Today, I want to introduce you to one of my most favorite daily deals sites: ToAdorn.com ! You may allow know about them - I've done a couple amazing giveaways with them already. Read through, because there is a link to 10% off!

Boutique Deals at up to 80% off

website | instagram | facebook | pinterest | twitter

Who they are. At To Adorn, they feature several deals every day, all at low prices. I love their products, because they are super relevant to my life. Gorgeous handmade accessories, lots of fashion items, home decor like vinyl and pillowcases and cute boutique items. All at a great discount. I also love buying from them, because I know most of the vendors are boutique shops here in the USA.

How it works. Every day, new deals are posted at 12am. Deals only last for 3 days, though, so you need to stay on top of it to be sure you get what you want! I've been that girl that had my eye on a cute item and hesitated and it was gone!

How you can get it on the fun. Head to ToAdorn.com to view all their deals. I recommend signing up for their newsletter, so you can get an email about their deals. That helps me, so I am the first to know about today's deals. Plus, if you CLICK HERE, you can get 10% off your first purchase!

How I wore it. When I posted about my favorite Top Knots, I had a giant disclaimer that I am NO fashion blogger! I feel silly taking photos of myself ... and try to leave the cute modeling to baby Ava. :) But, I do love showing off things I love, which is best done showing me using the item. So you get some photos of ME here. We took a lot and they all are of me laughing, because my husband just kept saying "do stuff" - which just made me laugh. Also, people kept walking by and watching us. So yeah. This is my last disclaimer on fashion posts, ha ha. I need Whitney to give me some tips! {you can check out her fab fashion blog here >> Polish & Pipsqueaks} These jeggings are my FAVORITE. I wear these jeggings almost every day. I love that they are thick, so nothing shows throw {which means - yes - they can be pants!}. This is my total go to outfit: leggings, tunic, cardi & flats.

tunic & leggings from To Adorn

Follow me on Instagram, where I post more fun deals like this one! >> @putabirdonitblog

xo

Simple Ways to Add the Pantone Color of the Year "Radiant Orchid" to Your Life in 2014 ... and a HUGE GIVEAWAY!

Who are the Pantone people and why do they get to decide what color is "IN" this year?! This question always baffled me. I read the Wikipedia page (cause of course that's where all knowledge comes from, ha ha), and I guess a group of colorfully important people meet together at a secret location in Europe and decide which hue will determine fashion, home & design shades for the following year. I guess WHO they are doesn't really matter - just WHAT shade they pick! And this year, it is RADIANT ORCHID.

AKA - purple! I think I own one purple shirt and ... well ... it stops there. When I saw that Radiant Orchid was the color for 2014, I kind of was like "what you talking bout willis?!" Purple? Really?! I just put it out of mind and decided I would wait for next year's color and hope the Pantone peeps didn't mess up again in 2015. But it kind of nagged at the back of my mind, and I decided to give this pleasant purple a chance. So I turned to Pinterest. A simple search of those two colorful words brings up a MASSIVE WORLD of pretty purple that I immediately fell in love with! I am all about Radiant Orchid now! 

photo credit: HauteLook

Now, we all can't go around painting and wallpapering our homes per Pantone's annual color palette, even if it is very pretty. But - there are some simple ways you can add the Pantone Color of the Year to your life, without drastically changing anything or spending lots of money. Simple touches here and there are all it takes to add this pretty purple to your life this year. AND - stay tuned until the end of the post - I have a huge giveaway for you with over $100 in Radiant Orchid items you could win!

Bridal & Romantic Hairstyles for Valentine's Day ... Guest Post by Becky from Babes in Hairland

Hi everyone and Happy Valentine's Day! I'm so excited to be guest posting here on Put a Bird On It. My name is Becky & I blog over at Babes in Hairland. I've been blogging for over 5 years, and as a result our blog has hundreds of hairstyle tutorials. We are all about hair, and having only girls, that means I get to do a lot of hair!

Our blog has a wide range of hairstyles (for babies and toddlers, to prom & bridal styles, and everything in between) and since it's Valentine's Day today we thought it would only be right that we share with you some of our gorgeous updo's and styles that are perfect for a wedding or a romantic night on the town!

Don't let some of the pictures deter you from trying these out. I'm not a professional stylist, so if I can do these, (and if you are a bit hair challenged) with a bit of practice you can do these too! Some of my tutorials are in video format, others are step-by-step pictures to show you how I achieved the look. Just click on the name of the hairstyle and it will take you right to it!

#1 - Elegant Half-Updo 

I actually was just messing around when I came up with this style - but it turned out great so I shot a video showing how we did it. I can totally see this at a wedding or prom.

DIY Glitter & Gold Heart Sleeves made with Homemade Fabric Paint ... And A Silhouette Studio Tutorial

I am SO EXCITED about this tutorial. I've been anxiously waiting to post it, because it is one of my most favorites ever, and I've been wearing this cardi every day for five days. Yep. I am quite obsessed with gold + sparkles right now. Plus, add HEARTS on top of that, and you can safely use #SWOON. I love the look of elbow patches, but girl can't sew, so I had to  come up with a different way to get the look. I decided to use homemade fabric paint {I have a tutorial for making your own fabric paint - check it out HERE}. I absolutely love making my own fabric paint. It is SO inexpensive, and I never seem to run out. I used acrylic GLITTER paint for the first time. I was nervous, because I didn't know if it would work well as a fabric paint. I was over the moon happy with the results. The glitter paint worked out beautifully.

This project was SO EASY, I can't stress the EASY factor enough here. I made it in about 20 minutes the night before Build Your Blog Conference, because I wanted to wear this cute cardigan to the conference. I definitely wore my heart on my sleeve that day. :)

Here's what you'll need to make your own cute heart-on-my-sleeve shirt:

The Goods
Shirt {I used a cute cardi I got on sale at Target}
Heart Stencil {I cut mine out of vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo}
Fabric Paint {2 parts acrylic paint + 1 part fabric medium}
Foam Brush

Here is the tutorial for making a stencil using a Silhouette Cameo. I just LOVE my Cameo, guys. I use it almost every day. It's rare for me to make a project without using it in some way. I thought it'd be helpful to show how to make a heart stencil out of vinyl using the Cameo and designing it in Silhouette Studio. If you don't have a Cameo {yet!}, you can skip this part and go to the next part about painting on your shirt. You can make a stencil out of freezer paper or buy a heart stencil from the store. After seeing how easy it is with a Cameo, though, you might be headed out to get one for yourself.

*I know it seems like a lot of photos, but I swear it is SO easy. Don't let the photos scare you - I just like taking photos, ok?! ;)

My Love Monday ... Our Weekend with Boughtin Baby & Bride

You guys! I have been SO EXCITED about today's My Love Monday feature. It is all about Boughtin Baby & Bride! I found Cady Boughtin's adorable shop on Etsy and fell in love with her baby onesies. Her designs are unique and CLEVER as heck. The one that really solidified my love for this shop? This little number:

I mean, come on, a Mean Girls reference on a onesie? Brilliant + Adorable. I was so excited when Cady wanted me to do a feature post on her shop. I just had to share her stuff with all of you! 

ETSY | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM 

Cady sent me three darling onesies that have become staples in Ava's wardrobe. Ava wore all three this weekend, and I wanted to show them to you in real life settings. I could have done a cute photo shoot in a studio with props and balloons and all that jazz, but I wanted you to see how these onesies can be worn in real life, in real time, on real babies, in every day settings. Not that photo shoots aren't sweet and fantastic because they are...but I figure that's what the company's website is for...to show you their designs professionally photographed in studio, and it's MY job to show you their products and how you can use them in your every day life. Does that make sense? Ha ha, hopefully. And hopefully you enjoy this type of lifestyle photography and product display, because it is ME and my style. I love "real" lifestyle blogs...that show life just happening in real time. Ok ... enough with the chatting ... and on to the CUTENESS!

Our Weekend

*with Boughtin Baby & Bride*

statement necklace onesie || five guys restaurant || ava's first movie

"my auntie shoots people" onesie || grandma's house || with Aunt Sandra the photographer

"magnifique" bird onesie || grandma's house || with momma

Cady wanted to make a custom onesie for Ava, and I left the creative work to her! She brilliantly came up with a way for us to literally PUT A BIRD on Ava. :) I love these onesies, because they all play into our life in perfect ways. That's one thing I love about Boughtin Baby & Bride...there are so many designs to choose from, you can pick onesies that are perfect for your personal taste. And Cady makes 100% custom onesies, too, so you can modify any onesie to your style OR design your own for her to make a one-of-a-kind onesie for your baby. I love following Cady on Instagram and seeing all the awesome custom onesies she makes for people. She just posted clever camping onesies she made for a camping themed baby shower. They are too cute for words. Check it out here!

AND -- Cady is giving away a custom onesie to one of my readers! She is a doll to do this, and I can't wait to see what you pick for your baby to wear. Show your personality through your baby!

Just enter using Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends February 2 at midnight. All entries will be verified.

As if Cady isn't enough of a sweetheart, she is also offering my readers 25% off with promo code BIRD. This is an amazing deal! You can find lots of adorable onesies at Cady's new site Enjoy Essential. Contact Cady for custom orders. Now all that's left for you to do is pick out your fabulous design.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I hope you all have a fantastic Monday. Conrad and I are officially on STAYCATION today through Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. That needed a gajillion exclamation points, because we don't take vacations often. Conrad works very hard and is really busy during the week, so having 3 days OFF is like CHRISTMAS to me! We are going to Park City to do some snowboarding, relaxing at the hotel and of course a visit to World Market! This is all dependent on if Conrad will let me outside longer than 10 minutes in the cold...because I'm still recovering from PNEUMONIA. Kind of a bummer during staycation, but I refuse to let not feeling 100% ruin these 3 days! Choose Happy!

I may be a little MIA over the next few days, until we get back. I guess we'll see how I feel and how much down time I actually have in the hotel, ha ha. Have a great week and DO SOMETHING FUN even if you aren't on vacation. It only takes 3 minutes dancing with baby in the kitchen to your favorite song...singing in the car to the radio...taking a #selfie and posting for the world to see...or doing a Top Knot and trying that RED lipstick...to make your day a little better and remember to be grateful for THE NOW. There is no time like the present.

xo

Don't miss out anything from Put A Bird On It! Scroll the left side of my blog for all the ways you can stay connected with me. I recommend following through GFC and getting updates sent to your Inbox! xo

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