Fruit

There was a moment today that I realized my Whole 30 and national donut day will be colliding and nutrition is going to win. And I wanted to have a good cry because I'm on day 3 and I want out already. I miss cheese and I miss sour cherries, two of the best food creations known to man, and I love celebrating National days of utmost foodie importance. None of this qualifies as Whole 30 compliant.

I cannot make a blog called StyleSmaller entirely about food. Let's talk about something else, shall we?

Kids' style eh? Here's my cutie picking flowers like she does, in a dress covered in oranges. 

Photo by Pictilio

How much do I love oranges? Excessively. How much do I love fruit-covered clothing for kids {and myself, for that matter?} Also excessively. In case you love summer fruit prints as much as I do, I've gathered my favorites for you:

orange dress . striped tee . chambray dress . strawberry shirt . pineapple sweater . pineapple sweatshirt . 

So cute, right? I'm thinking Maggie would look juuuust right in that chambray number. So now I've created a post that has everything to do with small style and everything to do with nutrition, all in one. 

xoxo.

What To Wear

I was asked to give some tips to a friend on creating a great wardrobe. It was a surprising request, because I'm always talking about kids' clothing, but BECAUSE I'm always talking about kids' wardrobes, I thought it would be a really fun change-of-pace to post my own style tips. ;) If your eyes are glazing over already, just know we'll be back to the regularly scheduled program again tomorrow. ha!

Here's the fact: I don't have the most creative wardrobe ever. Here's a look at pieces from {or similar to} my every day uniform:

1. Black Booties 2. Railroad Stripe Skirt 3. Hooray Bag 

4. White Tee 5. Folkstitch Jacket 6. Gladiator Brown Sandals 

7. Blue Skinny Jeans 8. Gold Necklace 9. Black Tank 

10. Brown Hat 11. Sunglasses 12. White Jeans

Black, white, grey, and denim rule my drawers. 

That said, I do love to get dressed. I love working with what is in my closet. To me, money does not buy style, so it's not necessary to spend in excess. My "investment pieces" are well-made tees that fall exactly as they should and get worn a million times because of their comfort, quality, and versatility. I love well-made tried & true pieces that get worn until they have holes. My goal is never to have the MOST clothing... my goal is to wear every piece I own, so I'm not storing unnecessary pieces. I purge the closet constantly. Here's what I'm keeping in the rotation these days:

• TOPS: For the every day, I switch between slouchy tees and slouchy tanks, and button down plaid. I do the half tuck these days to keep it really casual. If I want to spruce things up, or if I'm going somewhere fun in the evening, I'll switch to a blouse type of shirt, or I'll just change my jeans to a skirt and that's fancy enough.
• BOTTOM: Skinny jeans or a casual skirt generally... geez, am I original or what? 
• SHOES: I wear booties year-'round. I buy one great pair of sandals every spring. I wear chucks, Minnetonka flats, and have one fabulous and neutral strappy heel {similar} that takes care of all the fancy events. My shoe closet is not extensive, but I feel I have the right shoe for any occasion. 
• ACCESSORIES: Earrings every day. Big and gold are my staples, but I switch them out for basic gold triangle studs when I wear my long necklaces. I either go big on the earrings or necklaces, never both. ;) It's the easiest thing to add jewelry to an outfit, and it makes me feel more "put together" and ready for the day when I do. Win-win! 
• JACKETS: I'm in love with my bomber jacket {similar here} and my faux leather jacket {similar here}. Honorable mentions not yet in my wardrobe, (but wish-listing because I heart jackets so much) here and here.

There you have it! Your annual "Kate's style" report. 

Ps. I'm trying not to hoard these "hooray" bags. They're my current favorite piece in my whole shop... 

xoxo.

12 Days, 12 Giveaways: $100 to #ShopLocalSF

'Tis the season for giving and gifting! There is no better place to shop than in your own community, and Six Doors has created an app to do just that. 

San Franciscans with very little spare time this Christmas season can do the following: download the Six Doors app for free, shop hundreds of boutiques and small business in San Francisco, AND {this is the best part} have the delivered to your doorstep within the day. Whaaat? Yes, I said it... and I meant it.  

Pick-Up Sticks, Tantrum, $8 / Jess Brown Doll, Half Hitch Goods, $180 / Travel Scratch Map, Carmel Blue, $19.99 / Wooden Stir-Fry Toy, Carmel Blue, $19.99 / Alphabet Abacus, Carmel Blue, $29.99 / Wooden Puzzle, Fiddlesticks, $28 / The Happy Lion, Tantrum, $14.95 / Pretend Sushi Set, Fiddlesticks, $28

Here's the fun part: a giveaway!! Wait, I meant to say TWELVE $100 Giveaways! Today's is on my blog; simple entry form is below. The other 11 giveaways are other fabulous San Francisco bloggers' sites. The schedule for each giveaway is below, so be sure to visit each and every one of them.

My favorite picks for your city kids are featured on the Six Doors app TODAY. Be sure to download the app and enter the giveaway for $100 toward this or any other gift set from my fellow bloggers! 

Today through December 16th, head to a different SF blog each day to win more and discover great boutiques and gift ideas around the city: 

Day 1 - GIFTS TO PAMPER A FRIEND: Visit Victoria of SF Girl By Bay to find perfect gifts for pampering.

Day 2 - GIFTS FOR THE TRENDSETTER: Visit Kelli of Leopard and Lavender to find stylish, of-the-moment gift ideas.

Day 3 - GIFTS FOR CITY KIDS: Find perfect picks here at StyleSmaller TODAY to discover picks for the little ones in your life.

Day 4 - GIFTS FOR THE NEWLYWEDS: Visit Allison of Engaged and Inspired on Wednesday, 12/4 to find gift ideas for your favorite new couple.

Day 5 - HANDMADE GIFTS: Visit Natalie of Coquette on Thursday, 12/5 to find items made lovingly by hand.

Day 6 - GIFTS FOR SAVVY HOSTESS: Visit Melissa of Savvy in San Francisco on Friday, 12/6 to find gems for your favorite in-the-know gal pal.

Day 7 - HOSTESS GIFTS WITH A TWIST: Visit Paul of Urbanite Suburbanite on Monday, 12/9 to find a little something unique for your holiday hostess.

Day 8 - GIFTS FOR THE FOLKSY FOODIE: Visit Ana of Fluxi on Tour on Tuesday, 12/10 for yummy, giftable treats.

Day 9 - GIFTS FOR STYLE SAVVY FAMILIES: Visit Janette of Fashion Loves People on Wednesday, 12/11 for unique gifts for parents and kids.

Day 10 - GIFTS FOR THE FRENCHIE FOODIE: Visit Andi of Misadventures with Andi on Thursday, 12/12 to find great gifts for the Francophile in your life.

Day 11 - GIFTS FOR THE STYLISH GOURMAND: Visit Marcia and Tablehopper’s The Sugar Mama on Friday, 12/13 to find great gifts for your favorite foodie.

Day 12 - Visit Adelle of Fashionista Lab on Monday, 12/16 to find high style items for you or your FAVORITE FASHIONISTA.

Enter each giveaway throughout November and December, and discover some amazing, San Francisco based blogs and shops this holiday season! Check out all of our hand-picked gift sets and #ShopLocalSF by downloading the SixDoors app.

xo.

*This giveaway is only open to SF locals*

Favorite Fall Accessories

Tights ||  Necklace || Baggu

Headband  || Tights || Barrette

Scarf || Gloves || Bracelets

I like to show my new favorite accessories a lot. There are so many good ones out there, and they generally don't break the bank like new wardrobes, so I'm a big fan. I'm particularly loving the yellow barrette these days. Zuzii makes such cute things.

In other news, last night I stopped taking NyQuill because I was feeling much better, but I couldn't sleep! I had convinced myself that in three days I must have become addicted (I hardly EVER take medicine because of paranoia!) and now I'll never sleep well again, when Brian said jokingly to me "hey Kate, did you give us caffeinated coffee?" 

Every night when the kids fall asleep, we make some decaf. It's our substitution for dessert. We always always make decaf, until last night. When he asked, I knew in that instant that, yes, I had subconsciously made caffeinated coffee. Dun dun duuuunnn.

A lot of tossing and turning, and many minutes later, we fell into a deep sleep. I didn't look at a clock after midnight because it would have totally stressed me out. ;)

Thankfully, Maggie decided to let us sleep until 7:30, and we woke feeling refreshed-ish and, obviously, I'll be teased for awhile. 

Ohhh Tuesday. 

Summer to Fall

That chill is coming and it's one I know and love: FALL. Crisp leaves, cider, coats, yes please.  

We had the most fabulous little photo shoot at Blink Inc. the other day, which is where I got these amazing pics of my kiddos... One, painless little 10-minute photo shoot was all it took! I'm baffled at the skill level.

We created the shoot as a way to show how my girls like to transition their summer staples into their fall wardrobe. (I managed to forget to bring Sophie's jacket, like any good mother taking their children in 65 degree weather, taking pictures for fall, but we can all use our imaginations and get the idea...)  

Maggie likes shorts. I like when Maggie wears shorts because it means it's nice and warm out, and I'm probably exploring the city and smiling and laughing a lot. Shorts are a one-season item, right? Wrong. Shorts are crazy-adorable on little girls who want to look their preppiest in the fall. Shorts with grey tights and sassy moccasins and their favorite green peacoat hand-me-down. Happy all around.  

There is nothing my Sophie loves better than a good twirly dress. Her go-to is a floral number that she has worn or requested to wear 23 of the 24 days she's owned it. She loves it to bits. It has a halter though, and that's just not necessarily a practical decision when the temperatures drop a bit. What do we do when she wants to hit the playground in her favorite dress when it's a misty morning? Knee high socks, rain boots, warm scarf, and any basic jacket or sweater! 

The moral of the story? KEEP the summer gear!! Be creative with it, and have your kids' clothing live to see another day, stylishly! 

The other moral of the story? Find Blink Inc. ASAP and book a session. Photographic brilliance in mere minutes. GREAT for the kids who just don't love long photo sessions, and SO much fun to do with props!

Cannot wait for the next chance to get more picture gems of my kiddos. 

xoxo

Celebration Inspiration

Photo of Maggie by Modern Kids for OhHappyDay! 

Maggie's 2nd birthday is coming wayyy too quickly, and I just started getting my party-planning in gear! Because it's a 2nd birthday, it'll be a small party, thankfully, but I want to make it very "Maggie." She's a big fan of puppets: finger puppets, hand puppets, puppet fans... they all make her laugh, so I used my winnings from the Land of Nod to get a surprise puppet stand for her. We have plenty of garland to hang, and goodie bags and party hats are a total requirement, according to her big sister.

Here's are some other things I love for celebrating my little Maggie-girl:

ONE || TWO || THREE || FOUR || FIVE || SIX