There are times when I absolutely love shopping for clothes for myself. Those times usually involve a latte with a girlfriend, an entire free afternoon and maybe even a glass of wine. They definitely DO NOT include babies, kids, strollers or meltdowns. Since most of my days are spent with the latter of those lists, shopping for myself falls off my list of “enjoyable activities.” When I heard about Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service,  knew I had to give it a try.

Founded and run by Katrina Lake, an entrepreneur on the Bay Area, the service aims to deliver fashion-forward and flexible pieces that suit each person’s unique style. All without having to enter a store. By filling out a profile with info about my likes, dislikes and lifestyle then linking up to my Pinterest style board, I was able to loosely guide what I wanted the stylists to pick for my “fix.”

I’m impressed that my stylist – and, no doubt, the powerful Stitch Fix algorithm – picked up on my love for stripes, girly dresses and polka dots.

I really liked everything in my box, but a couple of things weren’t very flattering (Hello, empire waists on a body still trying to lose 15 pounds of baby weight? Not hot.) so I ended up keeping two of the five items in my shipment. The first was an adorable tie-waist polka dot button down. Perfect for summer, nursing friendly and totally cute when I tried it on. The other piece I kept was the sweet patterned dress in a soft buttery yellow. I wouldn’t have picked this off the rack, but when I tried it on I fell in love! So cute, totally versatile and my husband loved it. (Yay, a new date night dress!)

I also really liked this bracelet, but I have something similar already and decided to send it back. I’m sort of wishing I would have kept it now, though, since it’s pretty cute.

Each item comes with its own little styling card to help decide how to wear the clothing. I love this part! The pieces they choose to style the fix items are definitely staples that you’d already have in your closet (at least I had most of them in mine). If I tap into the organized side of my brain I’d probably stick these little cards in a binder or notebook for quick reference when I’m getting dressed in the morning or for a night out.

I have a few friends who jumped on the Stitch Fix bandwagon along with me – one was 100% over the moon with her shipment, another was only so-so on what she was sent. I think the more specific you can be about your style and sizing, along with providing a visual reference for your taste the better your fix will be.

If you want to get your own fix, click here to get started.

(This is not a sponsored post. I am sharing my experience and all opinions are my own! If you use my referral link, I get a $25 credit after you order your first fix.)

I’m slightly, okay completely, addicted to magazines. I scour the newsstands on the regular for my favorite international design pubs, subscribe to an unknown number and always ALWAYS pick up trashy tabloids before I get on an airplane. In fact, I think I stuck with working in advertising for so long because I loved the unlimited supply of magazines crossing my desk. I was so excited when part of my Valentine’s Day gift from my husband was an issue of the new-ish Thirty Two Magazine, a local (Twin Cities) publication.

Started by a husband and wife team and funded by a Kickstarter campaign, Thirty Two is filled with interesting topics, beautiful photography, nice art direction, cool illustrations and graphics, and a really unique (perhaps even a bit critical?) take on Minnesotan culture.

It seems the editors are hell-bent on making the Twin Cities great, encouraging us – Minnesotans – to better ourselves and make an impact on our home state. It’s also sending a big message to others who read it: this place is a helluva lot cooler than you think it is.

You like? Subscribe here or pick up a copy of any of these Twin Cities shops.

Because we’re already parents to a little boy, getting the gear ready to welcome another one wasn’t all that challenging. We pulled out our Graco infant car seat, the Snuzzler to keep our boy snug and warm in the car seat, my favorite baby carrier, a nice little place for the baby to sit and a warm stroller blanket.

The only major purchase we needed to make was a double stroller. We chose something that we felt would be the best for our lifestyle – urban, lots of walking, a nearly three-year-old who likes to walk but still needs a lift sometimes and a newborn baby who will likely be riding in his car seat. We also needed something lightweight and flexible that could fold to fit into a small hatchback. I can’t vouch for it yet, but after extensive research and even man-on-the-street interviews in NYC and SF (yes, I’m that person), I feel confident we made the right decision.

{1. Summer Infant Snuzzler :: 2. Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance :: 3. Graco Snugride 35 :: 4. Dwell Studio Stroller Blanket :: 5. Joovy Caboose Ultralight :: 6. Ergo Baby Carrier, Galaxy Grey}

You guys probably have a couple of friends who really have their, ahem…stuff… together, don’t you? I do. They’re the ones who send out thank you cards the same day they receive a gift or get a visit, including a note that’s perfectly sweet and personal and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

I’m pretty sure my friends who do this read the blog, so now they now how much these small touches impress me, yet also make me feel totally disorganized! How do you do it?? I’m not joking when I tell you I have a stack of thank you cards written and even stamped, just waiting to be addressed, from CHRISTMAS 2011. I try. I really do. But there’s always something that gets in the way of getting those dang cards in the mail.

I was out for dinner with some friends in Minneapolis over the summer and learned about a cool (FREE) app called Red Stamp, created by an entrepreneurial mom with a seriously impressive resumé. I’ve only explored the tip of the iceberg with what I can do with the app, but it’s already starated to change the way I think about sending greetings – invites, thanks and little hellos, even actual paper cards.

Here’s the blurb on the Red Stamp website describing the app: “Email, text, tweet, Facebook, Instagram and paper mail personalized photo cards, notes, invitations + announcements right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.” Pretty straightforward and massively useful.

The designs are completely adorable, everything is as customizable as you want it to be and it’s really easy to use. I have a feeling I’m going to start coming up with reasons to send these sweet notes to my people.

Check ‘em out on Facebook, Twitter or the iTunes store. Did I mention already that it’s free?

This week marks my first real “back to school” season as a parent. I always loved this time of year as a kid, and hope my little guys always look forward to starting a new year fresh with sharpened pencils, brand new crayons and a snazzy new outfit.

1 Lunch Box :: 2 Reusable Snack Bags :: 3 Bowls :: 4 Thermos :: 5 Hoodie :: 6 T-shirt :: 7 Pants :: 8 Shoes :: 9 Storage Bin :: 10 Colored Pencils :: 11 Tape :: 12 Artist Journal

I didn’t think it was possible to create the retail space that existed only in my dreams, but Heath Ceramics managed to do so right in the middle of San Francisco. Heath Ceramics has been making gorgeous pottery in Sausalito, CA since 1948 and has recently opened up a retail space across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Their new space is spectacular. Airy, open, bright, industrial yet comfy, and downright inspiring. Part shop, part factory and part cafe (a Blue Bottle coffee just opened in the space). Total perfection.

I managed to control myself while in the showroom, limiting my purchases to one little thing I’d been eyeing for a while (plus a delicious iced coffee, chocolate cookie and the most recent issue of Anthology magazine), but that didn’t stop me from creating an imaginary tablescape as I browsed through all the delicious wares that Heath had to offer. It’s summery and simple, striking the perfect balance of casualness and sophistication.

Multi-stem Vase :: Single Stem Vase :: Bud Vase :: Bonita Full Set Dinnerware :: Clear Glassware :: Salt & Pepper Shakers :: Colorful Table Runner :: Bud Vases :: Cutting Board :: Pitcher

If you have a chance, check out Heath Ceramics’ new space.

2900 18th Street (between Alabama St. & Florida St.), San Francisco, CA 94118

Mon–Thur & Sat 10–6
Fri 10–7
Sun 11–6

(photo #3 and product photos from heathceramics.com, all other photos © Senn & Sons)

At long last, I have PRINTS in my shop! And I have a new shop! I’m going to call this the “soft launch” of my new print shop, which will be growing and changing and becoming awesomer (it’s a word, trust me) as the summer goes on.

The prints are available in a variety of sizes on paper as well as gallery-wrapped canvas. You guys, they look hot. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working with an amazing printer in the Dogpatch neighborhood of SF. I won’t blather on about how awesome he is in this little announcement post, but expect full detailed coverage about working with a super cool fine art printer in the near future.

In a few weeks the shop will start filling up with more designs to choose from. So if whales aren’t your thing, just wait a couple of weeks and there might be something else that revs your engine *hint hint*.

But in the mean time, I’ve got whales. You like ‘em? You want ‘em? You get ‘em.

I mentioned in my Modern Americana post a couple of weeks ago that I had started shopping for supplies to create the artwork inspired by this mood board. My first stop was Building REsources kind of out between Bayview and Dogpatch. Their giant lot is filled with recycled, and reusable building materials – it appears most of the stuff has come from typical SF gut remodels. What you’ll find here is always a gamble since it’s completely reliant upon donations from builders and people renovating their homes.

You’ll find everything from bathroom sinks…

to avocado toilets…

ancient chests of drawers…

and old mantles.

Most importantly, this is perfect place to find some reclaimed wood floorboards.

I found exactly what I was looking for – a nice wide plank with a thin depth, in decent condition but still a bit weathered. There was just enough for what I needed and best of all it was a gorgeous California redwood. I’ll strip away most of the white and green paint and get my boards into a decent condition before building my “canvases” for the project. I was definitely worried about finding the right wood for the project, so I was thrilled to find these boards on our first stop.

I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but finding the perfect raw materials for the project felt like a huge step forward!

My family is about to embark on a fun little journey to the sandy beaches of Maui. We’re taking a much-needed break from the day-to-day of San Francisco life to dip our toes into the ocean, sun our marshmallow-y skin and drink mai tais by the bucketful.

Fedora, Forever 21 :: Sunglasses, Ray-Ban :: Earrings, Stella & Dot :: Rings, Stella & Dot :: Dress, Anthropologie :: Tangerine Bikini, Old Navy :: Polka Dot Bikini, Old Navy :: Tote Bag, ikabags Etsy Shop :: Espadrilles, Kohls :: Flat Sandals, Naya Samara

A huge shout out to my friends at Sprout who are celebrating the opening of their Chicago boutique this weekend! If you’re in Chicago, I’m sure they’d love to see you at their grand opening party tomorrow, Saturday, April 21st. Chicagoans, you’re going to love this store for your own babies and gifts!

Event Details:

Saturday, April 21st from 10 am – 7 pm

1943 W. Division
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 489-0009

There will be face painting, balloon animals, music, entertainment and photo shoots for your kiddos, plus awesome giveaways too!

More event info here.