is it bad?: prom

shorts ~ Marshalls

tank ~ TJ Maxx

shoes ~ sister's

earrings ~ F21

necklace ~ Heartbreaker

~ is it bad that i watched the movie Prom yesterday?

~ is it bad that i liked it?

~ is it bad that it made me cry?

~ is it bad that it made me cry more than once?

~ is it bad that it made me cry four times?

~ is it bad that i now have a small crush on one of the actors in Prom? (this guy)

~ is it bad that my house is a mess and all i want to do is watch bad teen movies?

that's all i got...time to clean the house!

xo,

megan bird

outfit of the day(bird): kindergarten

dress ~ Dots

vest ~ thrifted

shoes ~ Kohls

necklace ~ F21

earrings ~ hand-me-downs

sunglasses ~ thrifted

oh my gosh you guys, eva started kindergarten yesterday. i now have two school-age kids – and i'm a mess. when henry started kindergarten, i expected to cry and i did, but i held myself together (for the most part). but there was something with eva that unhinged me. i am pretty sure it's because she is the baby. with henry, i could always tell myself, "well, there's eva and she's not in school yet..." i could hold on to the fact that at least one was still a little kid. and i know, i know that they technically, at seven and five, are still little kids. but to me, i see them starting school and i think to myself that it just seems like yesterday they were babies...and time flies by so quickly! i want them to still snuggle with me and not be embarrassed to hug me and come to me always when they get bumped and bruised. even when they are 30, i want them to crawl in my lap and snuggle with me. (ok, maybe that sounds weird, but i don't care.)

anyways, she paraded around on tuesday night, trying on outfit after outfit. she planned it all out and on wednesday morning, she asked if it was time to go to school at 6:15 am (school starts at 7:30). before anyone even woke up, i was crying sobbing as i made their lunches, and when it came time to finally bring her to school, i had to leave my sunglasses on, even when we were in her classroom. i didn't want her to see me cry. i wanted it to be a happy day....and it was, but there was a little bittersweet mixed in. 

so yes, now i am a mama to two kids in school. and they are excited. and they are in school together. i see years and years of big brother protecting and defending his little sister. and i see a few times where little sister will do the same for him. (watch out first girl who breaks his heart, eva will come after you!) and i see a mama who will cry every.single.year. and i see a papa who won't ever quite understand, but will hold me in his arms until i stop crying anyways.

xo,

megan bird

inspiration picture for september 3: jessica hart

the inspiration

jessica hart

i will be the first to admit that i don't know who jessica hart is. i googled her, and of course, she's a model. i mean look at her, i should have known. all i know is that not only do i want to own this exact outfit, i also want to look just like her while wearing it. i guess i will have to settle for owning some items that look vaguely similar to her pieces. that will do for now.

so even if you don't look like jessica, and even if you don't have this exact outfit, we'd love for you to play along with us on monday. (i happen to know at least one person who will be happy that we are featuring yet another jessica as our inspiration.) if you don't know how to play along, but want to, click here for the rules! we hope to see you on monday!!

xoxo,

two birds

love*birds: 8.29.12

things i am loving this week:

~ baby ben is two weeks old today! happy birthday baby ben!

~ my two kids! i am the mother of two...so crazy. and i love it. i love my little family.

~ jim. he has been so helpful and supportive these past two weeks. i seriously have changed maybe (maybe) ten diapers in the last two weeks. and that is only the first item on the list of why he is the most amazing husband ever. i could go on and on...

~ hearing mimi say, "my baby brother." so sweet.

~ sleep. i don't get much of it these days, but the little i do get is so glorious!

~ Pretty Little Liars. i have started watching this show during late night feedings and have become obsessed. total guilty pleasure. i finished the first season last night and am excited to start season two!

and here are a few other things we are loving this week...

nora bird

organic canvas bag

i love a good tote. and this one is made of recycled materials which makes it that much cooler! i love the original geometric screen printed design. just a great carryall.

1960s polka dot dress

this vintage dress is so gorgeous. so classic yet so fun! (polka dots make everything more fun!) and it looks to be in amazing condition. so lovely.

"know your coffees" print

jim and i are both huge fans of coffee (yum!) so this would be the perfect print to hang in our kitchen. these little guys are so cute! i just love it!

1960s poncho

with fall right around the corner i have started to think about layers (yay!). this cape would be perfect for throwing on over some skinny jeans, boots and a basic tee. in. love.

ombre beaded necklace

these handmade, clay beads are so beautiful. this necklace just makes me happy and i would love to wear it all the time!

blog*love

i have been doing a horrible job of keeping up with blogs the past couple of weeks (i am so sorry everyone! i will return to reading them all very soon! i miss you!) but i happened to see this recipe on Smitten Kitchen today and i must try it asap. yum!

insta*love

super dad

i got to go to target all by myself the other day. it was wonderful. and when i got home i saw jim doing some yard work with ben. such a sweet sight to see! i told you he was amazing, right?

megan bird

mid century plant stand

i will have one of these some day. i am on the hunt for a small round plant stand to replace a table in a hidden corner of our living room. i don't have the greenest thumb when it comes to indoor plants, but maybe if i had this cute stand, i would do better!

silver sparkle vintage maxi skirt

how is this skirt not in my closet? i love it! sparkles, pleats and a maxi? now if only i had the model's body...

sweatshirt dress

just for the heck of it, i searched "sweatshirt dress" on etsy...and boy am i glad i did? sweatshirts and dresses are like the fashion peanut butter and chocolate. they are meant to go together and are oh so comforting!! add the cute little birdcage and it's a yes!!

spike necklace

i saw a similar necklace to this the other day when i was reading a very mature and educational magazine (ok, it was US Weekly). either way, some star who is just like us was wearing it and i fell in love, and now i found an affordable one. yay!

anne michelle fringe bootie

for as many boots as i own, i don't believe any of them include fringe. this needs to change. that's all.

blog*love
cara over at I Dabble has the cutest little diy for adding a little sparkle to your hair accessories! so easy and so doable...i might have to try this myself!!

insta*love

transparent

the kids and i had the best date day last weekend. part of the date consisted of visiting the minnesota-famous sculpture garden and it's oh so fun "transparent" mirror. we were all amazed!

what are you loving this week???

xoxo, two birds

outfit of the day(bird): clean your room

 

 dress ~ b. (a resale shop)

shoes ~ thrifted

earrings ~ Kohls

bracelet ~ thrifted

 i have come to a realization that my house may never be clean. i have two kids, a super hairy dog and a fiance who likes to take his socks off and leave them wherever he takes them off (and this can be anywhere). i am also, at times, lazy when it comes to cleaning up after myself. there are some days when i look at the dishes and think to myself, "these can wait until tomorrow, tonight i need to relax." i am ok with this for the most part, but there are some days when all i want is a clean house and more free time. is this even possible???

when i was a kid, my mom stayed at home with us. all of us. there were five girls within a 13-year age range, so my mom had to deal with all kinds of different messes, from diapers to 30 pairs of shoes in the entryway. i never understood her frustration about it then, but i do now. at the time, i just thought to myself, "that's where shoes belong", but now, every time i trip over my kids' shoes in our entryway, i think of my mom and say a 30-year old silent sorry to her.

however, i also chuckle to myself, because my mom's way of getting us to clean our rooms and the entryway was very unorthodox. you see, when she would get really fed up with the mess, she would just throw it all outside. it wasn't uncommon for us to come home to find piles of shoes, clothes, school notes and cassette tapes spewed along the front lawn. the worst was in the winter...it's sometimes hard to find those things in three feet of snow. and oddly enough, it never taught us to stop. we never thought to ourselves, "hey, if i don't pick this up, mom will – and she'll throw it outside." instead, we continued to be the slobs that we were, and she continued to throw it all outside. kids never learn.

i like to think that the act of throwing our stuff outside was somewhat therapeutic to my mom – so we were really doing her a service, right? i'm sure she always looked at it that way.

so sorry mom, for not doing what you asked. i know now what i didn't then...looking at two kids' pairs of shoes in my entryway drives me crazy, i can't even imagine what it was like to see five girls' worth of shoes in yours. and for the regular readers of this blog, you all know how much we birds like our shoes...so once again, sorry mom. 

xo,

megan bird

inspiration monday: stadium

the inspiration

jessica alba

megan bird

jeggings ~ H&M
blazer ~ Target
tank ~ Marshalls
earrings ~ F21
shoes ~ Kohls

on saturday morning, i woke up earlier than the rest of the family and decided it was a good day to try a new workout. i had read a blog post earlier in the week about stadium workouts, and decided that i needed to try it myself (actually ever since jack met desmond in the stadium on Lost, i have wanted to try this type of workout. "see you in another life, brother.") anyways, i digress. 

i got out of bed and told chris i was headed to the local high school to work out. he laughed at me and told me there was no way i was going to be able to get in. i had seen people running the tracks there before, so i just assumed he was wrong. he wasn't. i got to the school, looked at the 10-foot fence, circled the perimeter, and tried to see if i could squeeze through a small crack (i couldn't), before finally deciding that i would scale the fence. (cue julia roberts in Pretty Woman, "big mistake!")

i started climbing and realized, a little too late, that the holes in the fence were a little too small for my feet. but i kept going (and slipping), and once i was over the top, there was no going back. i made it over (with minimal damage to my crotch), jumped to the ground and walked toward the track...only to see another fence. i was literally trapped under the bleachers, and all i could think was that they sure have made things more secure since i was in high school. i had a couple options. 1. i could scale the fence again (crotch be damned) and find another way to get in that wasn't under the bleachers. 2. i could leave. I chose #2. it was way too much work, and at this point, i imagined that all the people in their houses drinking coffee across the street were probably laughing at me. so i scaled the fence again, cell phone and car keys tucked into my sports bra, nearly tearing my pants at the top of the fence, and left.

in the end, i realized that all i really needed was a tall set of stairs and a running path, which are all on the parkway near my house. so i did the same workout, legally, which is a good thing, because it after this workout*, i would not have produced a pretty mugshot**.

xo,

megan bird

*if you're looking for a good workout, check this out. you may feel like throwing up a little on the 8th double stair run, but it's worth it!
** as i was running steps on the parkway, i did hear police sirens and silently said a quick thanks to myself for choosing option #2.

is it bad?: honesty

dress ~ H&M

booties ~ b. (a resale shop)

necklace ~ Clothes Mentor

earrings ~ F21

~ is it bad that last weekend my daughter told me that my butt looked big in a pair of pants i was contemplating buying? (didn't buy them)

~ is it bad that two days later, she then asked me if i had a baby in my belly? (i don't)

~ is it bad that i am kicking myself for teaching my kids to never lie?

~ is it bad that i rented the hunger games and ate popcorn for dinner?

~ is it bad that the dress above is really a swimsuit cover-up?

~ is it bad that i bought two new pairs of boots (see one pair above) even though i literally have a steamer trunk full of boots?

~ is it bad that i have a steamer trunk full of boots?

~ is it bad that i also have a huge armoire full of shoes?

~ is it bad that i was thinking about buying a new winter coat, put it back on the rack and then ran to snatch it back up as soon as someone else walked in the store? (i wasn't sure that i wanted it, but i didn't want anyone else to have it.)

~ is it bad that i bought a new winter coat that i didn't necessarily need?

~ is it bad that while i was shopping for these boots and coat, i couldn't carry everything i wanted, so i made my daughter hold the boots?

~ is it bad that she got bored of watching the boots, and walked away for a minute?

~ is it bad that in that minute, a woman (same woman i didn't want to buy the coat) tried on the boots?

~ is it bad that i made it known that my daughter was supposed to be watching the boots for me? (probably)

~ is it bad that i didn't really feel guilty about it because i got a brand new (to me) pair of vintage riding boots for $16?
~ is it bad that these are kid's shoes? (correct answer, yes it is bad.)

xo,

megan bird

frugal feathers: run for your life

tank ~ F21, thrifted

shorts ~ COlumbia, thrifted

belt ~ thrifted

necklace ~ thrifted

earrings ~ F21

shoes ~ $9.98 store

i am a morning exerciser. i wake up at 5am every week day and work out. in the summer, i typically run outside, and in the winter, i watch bad tv and use the elliptical in our basement. i really don't mind waking up that early most days. sure, there are a few times i would prefer to stay in bed, and there are a few times that i actually do stay in bed...but then i have to work out after work and i lose out on precious family (and me) time.

in the summer, when i run, i run with one or two friends every day. we run from spring to fall, and for part of that time, it's light out by 5am. but, early spring, and then starting right about now, it's darker and darker in the mornings. luckily, i know the lake path that we run around. i know where it dips, where it curves and where i might need to watch out for errant acorns on the ground. my friend also will often wear a miner's lamp on her head to guide us along. it works is what i'm saying. there is safety in numbers, and her big black lab helps, too.

the other morning, though, our texts didn't cross paths. she thought i wasn't running, i thought she was. so i waited for her on our corner. she didn't show, and i made the creepy decision to run by myself.

 the beautiful thing about minneapolis is that it is covered with trees, bushes, lakes and flowers in the summer. i love it that i live so close to a lake and a creek parkway that i can run/bike/walk on. but, with that beauty comes lots of places for scary people to hide and lots of shadows in the dark. and if you remember this post, you will know that i am afraid of the dark.

needless to say, the whole run, i was thinking to myself that at any given moment, some crazy man was going to come at me from behind a tree. every branch that was moving in the wind was a man walking towards me. every squirrel that ran by was a chainsaw-wielding freak. so i sprinted. i ran so fast around the lake that i might have beat usain bolt's time*. i ran so fast that about halfway through i realized that if someone did in fact start chasing me, i wouldn't have the energy to outrun them. so i walked for a bit to catch my breath. and then a real man did start walking towards me, so i ran again. it turns out he was a friendly old man just getting some exercise.

so i think i will stick to the elliptical from now on if my friends are unavailable. because while i do have the energy for a 30-minute run every morning at 5am, i don't have the energy to deal with my crazy morning drama brain.

xo,

megan bird

* definitely not true.

once again, don't forget that tomorrow will be the first link up for "is it bad?". play along if you want!! my original post is here if you want to see what it's all about.

inspiration picture for august 27: jessica alba

the inspiration

jessica alba

i feel like we just keep circling back to jessica alba for inspiration monday. i hope no one minds. she just has such great style...it doesn't matter if she's going for dressy or casual, she gets it right just about every time! i'm loving the transitional outfit here....blazer and jeans but still some fun colorblock sandals. this is how i plan on dressing until my naked toes can no longer handle the cold! i fight winter every year....and winter always wins.

join us on monday if you want...naked toes are welcome. if you don't know how to play along with inspiration monday, click here to see how it's done!

xoxo,
two birds

ps. we will also be starting the "is it bad?" link up on friday, august 24. we hope you can join in on that one, too. to see the original post, click here and then come back on friday with your own "is it bad?" thoughts!

love*birds: 8.22.12

things i am loving this week:

~ baby ben. duh. that's a no brainer. he is the cutest, sweetest, cuddliest newborn around.

~ chris. again, duh. he is the cutest, sweetest, cuddliest man around. plus, he's a regular mcgyver. seriously, give the guy a stick of gum and a paper clip and he can fix anything.

~ our soon to be new back yard. good ol' mcgyver took next week off to build our new patio and resod the yard. (see "what i love" just above this one.)

~ you guys. i want to thank you for all of your kind comments about how to discipline our kids. i will take it all to the bank!

~ camping. we are planning our (maybe) last camping trip of the season. as henry said, "every time i start school, we always go camping right after that!"

~ wild rice soup. i made a huge batch of vegetarian wild rice soup the other night. i have probably eaten my weight in wild rice.

and here are some other things we love this week.

megan bird

first knuckly bow and arrow ring set

i love the idea of a first knuckle ring. and the fact that these are bow and arrows make them even better!

vintage polka dot swing coat

is this coat for real? seriously, how cute is it? it's swing silhouette and big mid-century collar and polka dots, to boot??? for cute!

bathroom decor

speaking of childhood discipline...i couldn't think of a cuter way to tell your kids what they need to be doing in the bathroom! if only there were a "don't pee on the floor" and "put the seat down" for my son, we'd be set!

faux leather skinny jeans

i know i might be too old to try to rock a pair of these, but that has never stopped me before. i really want a pair of faux leather skinnies for the winter!

custom typewriter cufflinks

i like this idea. i think it would be cute to get chris some for the wedding with our kids' initials on them.

blog*love

thank you, molly for writing this post about "plus-size" models and real life. you pretty much said what i think all the time. if i were being judged by hollywood standards, i would probably sit in my room and cry all day. and in answer to your question, yes, i do think bloggers can make a difference. maybe just a small one, but that counts for something!

insta*love

my loves

i had a fun little day with the kiddos when i took last friday off. i sure do love them!

nora bird

black cuff bracelet

this geometric beaded cuff is so cool. it was hard to pick a favorite color, but i think the gold beads really pop against the glossy black background. gorgeous!

mod polka dot dress

this 60s, mod dress is just so cute! polka dots are my favorite. and i am just in love with the blue bow!

clear resin and pyrite ring

this clear resin ring would be cool on it's own, but the shiny fool's gold inside makes it truly unique. definitely a statement piece!

honey tan rising boots

with fall right around the corner i have definitely started thinking about boots. not that i need any more riding boots, but i don't have any this color (or do i? i have far too many boots...but i just love these!)

sheer peasant dress

more polka dots! i love the ruffled collar on this dress. and just imagine it with those boots above and a cute cardigan. perfect fall outfit!

insta*love

milk drunk

here is my new little guy, totally passed out after a huge milk bender. how cute is that little face???!!!

what are you loving this week???

xoxo, two birds