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"kid friendly"

How to Style Red Series 2: Elevate Your Casuals

by Shalice Noel October 9, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

Happy Monday! We just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Carlsbad enjoying all the kid-friendly things to do there. I’d be very tempted to move there if it wasn’t so far from work in West Hollywood. As an on-the-go mom, I rely heavily on casual pieces that can go with everything. Unless it’s date night or an event for work, you can find me in everyday pieces that I can throw on and off as I head to a meeting, a school event, whatever. My hair and makeup is usually pretty minimal too, if I’ve done anything at all.

But just because I live in basics doesn’t mean I like to look or feel blah. I’m actually pretty picky about the casual basics that I buy, and always look for a detail that makes the piece stand out or look special. Or by adding a fun lipstick, usually in the form of a red.

Unique details, bright lips, or a pair of bold earrings are easy ways to take jeans and a cashmere hoodie to the next level – see these photos for proof. This cashmere sweater keeps this outfit chill, but how fun is the red stitching detail? Red always stands out to me, so it’s a detail that I look for when shopping for elevated basics.

A mixed pop of red on my ears and lips and the outfit instantly looks more put together than jeans, a bare face and a hoodie, right? All it takes is keeping an eye out for elevated basics and a bold swipe on your lips. Something even us moms have time for (usually!). Happy Monday!

earrings :: jeans :: boots :: sweater from LOVE PEACE AND THEN HAPPINESS

October 9, 2017

Lunch with SoYoung Inc

by Shalice Noel October 4, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

One of the things I appreciate most about my kids is their unique creativity. They each have their own traits, personality, and likes, and it’s been cool watching that evolve as they get older. Especially as the younger ones come out of their shell and have their own voice and style that’s different from their bigger brother or sister. Super cute!

So when I let them pick out their own SoYoung Inc. lunch boxes, it was a fun experiment to see them each choose a design. They were very excited to have their own, and that they weren’t all matching (which tends to happen when you’re buying multiples of something).

And as a mom who is constantly cleaning up after them (why are boys sooo messy?!), I love that these are raw linen and machine washable. Plus, they’re eco-friendly, so we’ve welcomed them with open arms in our house. No more brown bags for us.

I actually have my own, too, since they make adult versions. Great for when I’m working or on the go. Aren’t they cool? Officially bringing back the lunch boxes, but in a modern, way cooler way. If you’re curious to try a bag, use code “Shalice15%” to get 15% off your purchase!

Thank you SoYoung for sponsoring this post!

sweatshirt dress :: silk trench :: sunnies :: boots

October 4, 2017

Family Style

Bucket List: Surfing

by Shalice Noel October 2, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

It’s funny how events come at perfectly unpredictable times. Reid and I recently had the opportunity to take surf lessons at Manhattan Beach. This was perfect. Reid’s birthday was just around the corner and as a land locked kid growing up in Nebraska, Baywatch episodes conjured up dreams of hitting the surf. Look at us now, living the California lifestyle we literally dreamed about as kids.

With 10 years of marriage under our sheets 😉 I want to express the importance of doing things with your mate that they enjoy. It’s a simple concept really. Something we teach our kids every day. You do what your mate enjoys and they’ll do what you enjoy. It really does keep the spark ignited!

Surfing was an opportune moment to share something with Reid that he has always wanted to do. I on the other hand, was dreading ruining my recent blow out. However, I sucked it up and gave it my all.

Honest to say, this day was the first day I ever stepped into the Pacific Ocean. Reid and I learned something new together, shared in our vulnerability, expressed a little friendly competition and most of all showed each other that we are in love and a good team. Even though I’ve never intended to learn how to surf, I relish in the memories this day made in the story of our marriage.

What does your mate enjoy doing?

October 2, 2017

Family Travel

ROADTRIP LA to CHICAGO

by Shalice Noel June 19, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

phoebe distressed AG JEANS :: jacket LINEA PELLE :: tank LUSH similar :: heels Coconuts by MATISSE :: bag REBECCA MINKOFF ::

We set out on a sunny Friday morning which happened to also be National Donut day, for the city of Chicago. We allotted 4 days of travel via a large 2017 Suburban thanks to Budget, that we picked up the night before, along with donuts. The vehicle was perfect for our long journey of 2700 miles with stops in La Verkin, Utah, Vail, CO, Omaha, NE, Cedar Rapids, IA, and finally Chicago, IL. While as a party of six, as you can imagine there was a lot of “are we there yet?” and when can we dig into the candy kinds of questions. Beyond that, there was a lot of eye spying games and ooh’s and ahh’s once we got to Utah and were in awe of the rocks and mountains. It was great to be able to stop when we saw a scenic overlook or an old gas station or whatever of interest. I remember driving with Reid when we were dating from Chicago to Omaha and barely stopping once. Now, with children, they force you to stay flexible, go with the flow and savor this time that I hope they never forget. While we LOVED the long car trip, we all agreed flying home with American Airlines was the way to go. Four hours of flying versus four days, was a huge difference! Read on below for some travel tips answering some of my most asked questions.

Tips for Travel:

Where to Stay when visiting ZION NATIONAL PARK?

I got asked this a ton when we drove through Zion National Park. Stay in Springdale if you want to catch the ZION national park hikes and trails right out your front door. Such an artsy and pedestrian friendly little town (La Quinta had a great pool ). We made the rookie mistake of staying in La Verkin instead of Springdale which is closer to the park and has a free bus service that takes you to the ZION entrance. Read more Here.

Bring protein snacks and water everywhere! The desert literally had zero watering holes nearby. Be prepared.

Get organized. We had all the kids clothes in Ziploc bags. Each bag contained 1 full outfit (shirt and shorts or dress) and 1 pair of socks and underwear.

Don’t let kids pack their backpacks it sounds good but edit, edit! You’ll thank me when you’re on your second hike and they’re complaining how heavy their backpack is.

Don’t forget the baby wipes! I use them for everything from ice cream mustaches to cleaning the dashboard.

Make frequent stops at the scenic overlooks. The theme of your trip (if you’re traveling as a family) is SLOW and SAVOR. Even though it seems counter intuitive and oh-so hard, don’t rush what could be the most unforgettable memory. Truly.

girls romper Saks Fifth Avenue // girls white cold shoulder dress Target // girls maxi dress Target // my Jacket AG JEANS

bedroom credits //

nightstands Urban Outfitters // linen sheets West Elm // clothing rack IKEA // grommet tee Nordstrom // ivory sofa Interior Define //jute rug West Elm

June 19, 2017

Fashion Outfits Spring Style

A Silk top and a Cute Dog

by Shalice Noel March 29, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

Fishnets, cropped denim and extra silky tops for the win! And no, we didn’t get a dog. Here I’m standing with our friend’s dog, La Mer. And while La Mer is incredibly friendly and absolutely gorgeous, she’s also been known to eat lightbulbs and shoes. The kids desperately want a dog, but hubby and I aren’t quite ready to take the plunge (lightbulbs! shoes!) so we compromise by borrowing other people’s dogs. It’s working so far. But IF we were to get a dog, our 3 favorite dog breeds are Silver labs, Weimaraners, and any small mutt with a black eye. I’m just glad La Mer didn’t take a bite out of my Miu Miu’s. Now, that would be a whole different story.

Shop my outfit below or check my shop page.

priscilla top RAMY BROOK :: pumps MIU MIU :: fishnet socks ASOS :: jeans MOTHER :: hat FREE PEOPLE :: Photo’s by Tasha ::

5 Similar Tops:

March 29, 2017

Family Style

Family Weekend: 4 Top 4 Avocado Toast in LA

by Shalice Noel January 17, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

Our family weekend was full of energy, and started with brunch at Dinette. So much yum and lots of people watching! The kids enjoyed the croissants while we went for the avocado toast, which was no sacrifice let me tell you. You almost can’t believe it’s good for you. We love avocado toast so much that I compiled my top faves in LA below. Am I missing one? Let me know! And, if you’re curious, see our top coffee shops in LA here.

Top 4 places to get avocado toast:

Ledlow (So many good layers and a little kick. Not to mention the whole place is insta-worthy)

Winsome (I loved the creaminess. So good and super kid-friendly. It always makes my list.)

Gracias Madre (Oh my goodness. You will be asking for a double order. Don’t forget the guac. This place is also insta-worthy)

Dinette 1608 Sunset Blvd. Great people watching, kid and dog-friendly, and great avocado toast. Go early.

January 17, 2017

Accessories Collaborations Fashion Nordstrom Outfit Outfits Style

5 Coated Denim with Nordstrom

by Shalice Noel January 6, 2017

written by Shalice Noel

Partnering with Nordstrom is always a favorite job because their style and selection never disappoints, which makes my job that much easier. Today I’m going to go out on a limb and make a case for the lesser known cousin to traditional denim, the coated denim. With all the denim everywhere, it’s always good to mix it up. Here are my top 5 faves from Nordstrom. The burgundy denim boasts a post-Christmas, binge-friendly lycra waistband, a flattering leg, and not to mention, an awesome price. As soon as these arrived in the mail, I tried them on, did my usual tight-jean dance and called these a winner. As for styling tips, I went with my usual size and paired it with an oversize distressed sweater and my husband’s scarf. The latter was meant to be a Christmas gift to him, but like I always tell the kids, “Sharing is Caring.” See also how I styled a scarf with Nordstrom HERE and shop my coated denim look below. Which was your favorite?

Thank you Nordstrom for partnering on this post! All opinions are my own.

burgundy coated denim 1822 DENIM (I’ll try these next) :: sweater ZADIG & VOLTAIRE SIMILAR :: scarf BURBERRY :: sunnies CHLOE :: nude strap heel Similar

January 6, 2017

Style Travel

CHICAGO (West) Loop

by Shalice Noel June 14, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

While most of our Chicago trip was spent in the suburbs with family, Reid and I got one night away in the Loop. With only one night to get away, we chose to stay at SOHO Chicago. We loved going to Allis for coffee when we lived in Chicago and had always wanted an excuse to check out the hotel upstairs. This night out was our chance.

We took the Metra from the burbs to the loop and jumped in an Uber that took us to the front door of SOHO. It was still early, so we sat in the Allis and drank coffee and ordered the nuts and grain oatmeal. The magnificence of that bottomless cup of Chicago’s own Intelligentsia coffee cannot be downplayed! After checking in, we headed upstairs.The service was friendly, the atmosphere was elite and the décor was like the Restoration Hardware catalog. If only I could have product numbers – the light fixture and chairs at the end of the bed was major bedroom inspo!

The new Billy Reid store is nearby, so we meandered there where they offered us whiskey and champagne. (Why don’t more stores do that??) We then headed to dinner at a new West Loop spot call Duck Duck Goat, which is “reasonably authentic Chinese food.” You gotta love that. I had the veggie fried rice with duck egg and Reid had the Don Don, both of which we loved. Apparently duck is the new chicken.

After dinner we scored ice cream at Bar Sienna. The ice cream was great, but the service was well below par and the smell of trash drifted across our noses as the wind blew. We decided to walk back to SOHO with our cones in our hands.

We got back to our room and went to take the sim card from the camera only to find that the corner of the sim card had broken off. This was definitely the low point of the night. But with the help of a tooth pick and some super glue, not to mention some impressive surgical skills, Reid pieced the card back together like open heart surgery. With a sigh of major relief, we headed upstairs to the roof deck to celebrate. It ended up being a beautiful night, overlooking the city that we once called home. And that was our night without kids J

What are your favorite things to do when you have a night away?

June 14, 2016

Travel

Our Chicago Visit

by Shalice Noel June 4, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

Top WILDFOX / jeans SEAFARER / wedges AGL

a happy flower girl

dress SIMILAR / jeans TOPSHOP / wedges AGL

Hide and seek anyone?

ring bearer gang

Apparently visiting friends, staying with family and having your children in your brother’s wedding is exhausting stuff. Thankfully, it is also a special time to reconnect, hence the lack of blog posts. I blame it on plain quality family time with my parents, sisters and cousins! Below are some of our favorite Chicago coffee shops for you to explore and enjoy. LA bound tomorrow!

1. BOWTRUSS COFFEE ROASTERS – Roscoe Village – Bowtruss is our go-to before church and their “XO” wall will have you wishing you had one in your kitchen while you’re making dinner. This one gets #1 because it’s kid-friendly.

2. INTELLIGENTISA Wicker park – High on the charm scale though drinks are a bit on the small side. Yummy selection of baked goods and even the black coffee is good.

3. LA COLOMBE Wicker Park/Bucktown (right under the blue line Damen stop) – Great location, woody yummy lattes, and a beautiful aesthetic.

4. BLACKBERRY MARKET Glen Ellyn – Go early for killer lattes, gluten free options and a cute aesthetic. Did I mention the cinnamon rolls?

5. BUZZ KILLER ESPRESSO Bucktown – An upstairs, wifi, and the prettiest latte art makes this one top on my list when I don’t want to work from home.

June 4, 2016

Family

How to Spin Art

by Shalice Noel May 25, 2016

written by Shalice Noel

1. The directions on the Spin Art box are actually pretty good. So follow the directions and secure the square paper into the machine, turn it on and squeeze drops of paint while its spinning. You can adjust where and how much, but the rule of thumb is too much paint is usually too much paint.

2. Take it out. Let the squares dry.

3. Admire it and be impressed. Bravo!

They loved this so much! I told them to choose 2 colors and up to three squirts of paint. We took turns (for the most part) and they loved the result.

4. If you want to make your spin art square into art for your living room like I did above, just take it to your nearest printer. I took it to a Fedex Kinkos and requested it blown up to 21.5″ x 27.5″. He had to change the color from reddish pink to orange, which still looked great, and then I purchased a frame from Michaels – for reference, my frame is 25.5″ X 31.5″ . It wasn’t super expensive but I’m in the stage of life where everything eventually gets chipped or beaten up, so I’m okay with a cheap frame should a baseball fly through the house. You should have seen their faces when they first saw their spin art framed on the mantel. Reid and I believe art should be kid-friendly, accessible, and something that they are a part of in the home – and not just for art museums. p.s. If you try this at home, let me know what you did and how you did it!

May 25, 2016

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