It was a big weekend of partying for Lake. 


Lake is fortunate to be blessed with several good friends turning another year older this week. So after a wonderful time in Portland celebrating Maicy’s sixth birthday, we head back up the Seattle. From one party to the next… Lake catches a train nap to power back up!

Then back in Seattle we hit the ground running. Daddy picks us up at King Station and we all go straight to Once Upon a Time party space on Queen Anne. Lake is all ready to launch into the fun of Otis’ second birthday! He has a great time playing with the other babies, eating the delicious party food, and even gets his own personal slice of allergy friendly, health-nut-mummy-friendly, vegan birthday cake. 

Thank you friends for such a special fun-filled weekend! We loved your perfect parties! Lake is ready to accept your next social invitation!

We mobilized bright and early this morning, sweeping Lake directly from sleeping in bed to dressed for adventure. Daddy was the lynchpin, chauffeuring us into the car with coffee and smiles. He directly delivered us to King Street Station where we were boarded and rolling southbound in no time on the Amtrack Cascades. Destination: Portland!

Michael had some unsolicited words of wisdom tonight for expectant Fathers. 

They’re a lot more resilient than you might think. Both physically and emotionally. Don’t be afraid to do or say the wrong thing. They really don’t know what you’re saying anyway for the first three months or more and as long as you don’t twist or shake… they’re pretty bendy. 

And Lake looooves his Daddy!

Lake has become the proud recipient and owner of his very own heirloom rocking chair. His grandmother Julie lovingly restored it this summer and just brought it for Lake. It was hers as a little girl and then Michael and his sister played on it when they were little. It’s the perfect size. Lake loves to climb up on it and sit there in a self-satisfied way before sliding off frontwards. Then he is often climbing right back aboard. The cycle continues…

After a rough night I was greeted with this good morning sunshine!

Good morning Sunshine! Someone is filled with joy and ready to go! An in-your-face reminder that attitude prevails. Lake says: 

Alriiiight! Let’s make it a perfect day!

Thank you for sharing Lake! I’m glad I get to spend it with you in my life!

Lake so recently was taking in the full enjoyment of grandparents during the last nine days with Nana and Grandpa at Newman Lake. Now, two more grandparents are coming up to visit within the day. Lake relishes the devoted attention. 

Lake is learning to become quite a good friend. Thank you grandparents! Thank you for sharing your time and your lives accumulated wisdom with Lake. He can’t get enough.  Know that Lake loves you!

Our week of holiday has been rather perfect though smokey. We packed up the whole family and driven over to eastern Washington to our family lake cabin perched on the side of the peninsur hillside. Lake is the fifth generation to putter on the sandy beach and climb up and down the whimsically crooked stone steps, exploring freely. 

We kicked off the week with a family reunion and then settled in to enjoy a little peace and quiet where the grandparents could continue to enjoy time with their grandson. 

Strange week with all the smoke,

comments Michael. The smoke may have kept the lake eerily quiet and relatively devoid of the usual vacationers, but it hasn’t dampened our spirits or slowed us down much in our pursuits of recreational activity. We’ve played a full hand of good clean fun. 

From yoga to outdoor cinema, we lived up every moment and everything in between: running, tennis, swimming, sailing, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and dates with my hubs. We repeatedly filled our days with hiking in the adjacent conservation area, and visiting with friends, family, and neighbors. In spite of the thick wildfire smoke we reveled happily out-of-doors scampering all about the lakefront. 

When the smoke ultimately cleared Friday night, we woke to a perfect day Saturday morning where our activities culminated to perfection. From sailing to tennis to canoeing we did it all and everything in between. It wasn’t planned, we just managed it beautifully. 

Michael and I had a romantic sunset canoe paddle. Lake even got two naps, plus I did the laundry, washed Lunch dishes and checked the oil. How was this possible? I don’t know. 

During the holidays Lake grew exponentially under the tulage of many caring hands. He especially gained strong footing and revealed an aptitude for climbing 

Thank you family for a perfect holiday!

After receiving a couple of enthusiastic compliments lately towards Lake’s style, a friend encouraged me to write a baby fashion blog. So, here it is… enjoy!

As Lake transitions from to baby to waddler to toddler, he influences my sense of self just as I influence his. Underneath and within the nature/nurture layers there lies Lake’s essence. Fashion is about having fun and looking stylish with intention. Style is about (intentionally or unintentionally) honing a look and being true to your inner self. As Lake’s Mummy, my role is to honor and develop his style and keep him clean, well nourished, and fashionable. 

It is my philosophy that a well-dressed baby builds confidence early and teaches a second-natured look good, feel good sensibility. Thereby Lake’s fashionable style aids in laying the foundation of his social and emotional intelligence. He is a harbinger of joy and an delightful embassator for humanity. His smile is infectious when folks see a well-dressed joyful friendly baby!

Are you interested in refining your baby’s style?Are you ready to expand your fashion sense to include your little one’s? Do you want to dress your little prince on a pauper’s budget?

Begin by investing in some quality basics, and aim to paint a picture with the whole of your baby. Think of your own favorite staples and then modify them to fit your baby’s unique personality. For example, like Lake, he might be the one to rock a nice pair of black or navy shoes, some tapered jeans, chinos, and cardigan sweaters. 

Contrary to popular belief, dressing a baby stylishly does not have to be expensive. In my experience baby’s don’t need a lot of pairs of things. Lake is on his second pair of Robeez soft leather shoes. But I think that’s all he really has needed. One 6-12 month pair and one 12-18 month pair. They ground his look and have been foundational to his style (healthy, comfortable and classic). No socks needed, they support his baby foot development, and they stay on his feet 100% of the time. What more could you ask for in your baby’s footwear? Indeed, we are desperately ready for the next size! The latest navy leather moccasins in a slight variation on his footwear theme from Robeez in 18-24 months just in! 

So sometimes the look will be achieved by finding a staple and repeating it in graduating sizes, and sometimes the same article of clothing will contain that flexibility. Clothes he wore at 3 months all cuffed he now wears at 15 months as crop length. For example the favorite green pants and cotton/wool cable knit shown here (H&M thrift-sourced, Petit Bateau online sale splurge).

 

Just as is often strong fashion advice for you, so it is with your child: build the wardrobe on a mix of high and low priced items, a mix of new and thrift store items. Frequenting the second-hand children’s clothing boutiques or even the Goodwill or Value Village type places in a wealthy city like Seattle will generally turn up a gem or two. If you find a smartly priced staple while thrifting or shopping a sale, regardless of the size, nab it! One thing is for certain: your baby will continue to grow (for the next 15-20 years or so)! So buying a toddler shirt while your baby is still a waddler is actually a smart move. Who knows? You might be having quite a week the moment your child no longer fits in his current favorite shirt. It’s rarely a convenient time to find the next perfect wardrobe staple at a moments notice. This way you’ll have a selection of items available for your baby’s growing body.

When you have your staples organized, you can arrive at that squirming chaotic baby-dressing moment, baby-proofed. Unflappable. 

To further deconstruct, I have twelve ground rules. These help to define the secrets to my success. Feel empowered to stylishly and effortlessly dress our precious little persons. 

1. Put nothing in writing. Meaning a child’s clothes are not an opportunity to make a word statement or a joke. I have a firm no text on the clothes polity. Keep the details to  color, patterns, textures, contrast stitching, gathers, pleats or ruffles. 
2. Nothing babyish or gimmicky. Honor your baby’s dignity. They are a person not a thing or an advertisement. No pictures, cartoon characters, cursor animals or little neckties. 
3. Deconstruction as needed. Initial Deconstruction Here.Invest in a seam ripper and remove appliqués, branding and text assiduously. 
4. Stick to classic patterns: stripes, dots, checks, plaid. 
5. Have fun with color, within reason. Have a boy? No reason he can’t wear pink as long as it’s a complimentary shade. 
6. Your baby’s complexion will be complimented best by a particular color palate, usually a combination of his parents’ colors. So keep an eye on this when buying his clothes. A red shirt can be a great basic statement piece, but which color hue: orangish red or blueish-red? Honor your child and purchase only his correct shades to keep him looking good!
7. Stick to natural fibers: cotton, wool. Not only will these materials hold you in good stead, but your baby will also feel more comfortable and free. Definition of style, supporting your self- expression. 
8. If you’re going to use onesies stick with the plain white ones, and keep them snapped and worn under the clothes like the undergarment that they are intended to be. 
9. It’s okay to play into a theme. Going to the farmers market? Dress him in overalls and make everyone’s day!
10. Watch French films to gain inspiration for dressing yourself and your baby. 
11. Once you’ve refined your baby’s personal style, feel comfortable repeating it over the months and years to come. My neighbor noted, when I passed along some of Lake’s gently used wardrobe :

Did you know you have the exact same denim jumpsuit in three different sizes?

Yes, that is intentional. And I have one too! We found an article of clothing that worked well. No reason not to buy in multiples. In the case of babies the multiples are in consecutively increasing sizes. Go for it!

Finally, remember, you’re baby is the focal point, not the catchy phrase on his onsie. Spread comfort and joy through fashionable style that honors your little ones born identity. And have fun! Your baby is!

Thank you for reading!

Resources:

• Hanna Andersson 
• Anything French: Petit Bauteau, Jacadi Paris, little Lem, Cyrelle Paris
• H & M, Osh Kosh
• Robeez
• Ralph Lauren European Collection
• Anything plain or organic cotton from thrift stores!

Lindsin brought us a triple header tonight: walk, Woodland Park Zoo, and Greenlake. 

The Zoo was a real treat this evening, empty and cool. We pulled a Tolle classic, the Zoo Coup. We arrived at 5:59pm, knowing that the zoo closes at 6pm. The doors and the indoor exhibits close at that time, however you’re able to stay on the grounds for an hour after closing. With the beautiful warm evening and the soft smokey peach sunset we felt like we were on safari. We had a great moseying walk. 

We aimed for the baby giraffe born June 20th, but alas, she was in the barn. Even so, the two adults in the yard put on quite a scene and won best animal for the visit. Lake was enthralled with the giraffes. It was the first time he really comprehended a live giraffe and his brain was clearly working in high drive!

Finally it was time to go. At Greenlake we met up with our German friends to say a quick hello!

And then Lake and I arrived home in the dark. A full day, a packed evening, a perfect day… I’m glad I spent it with you!

Lake came out of the “talking-gate” speaking German. 

Ich. Ich. 

It means I, and he uses it mostly to indicate his desires, and mostly involving edibles. Like this evening, pointing at the blueberry bushes in our front yard that now have ripe blueberries on them after I picked a few for him. 

Ich. Ich. 

He wants more blueberries. Of course he does! He loves blueberries. 

His pronunciation is so beautiful!

Ich. Ich. Ich. 

Again this evening when we had the fruits and vegetables platters out for movie night. He wanted more grapes and jicama. 

Ich. Ich. 

Yes, Lake, Ich, Ich Ich Liebe Dich!