It’s that time of year again! The holidays = hot chocolate, twinkling lights, hugs from family, and the biggest shopping season of the year. To thank all ya’ll for supporting me and allowing me to outfit you with rad bow ties all year I’m holding my annual black friday/cyber monday sale. Starting this evening all the bow ties in my shop will be marked down to $25 each through late Monday night. They’re going to fly off the shelves so if you’ve got a favorite, grab it early! Aaaaand, shipping is free too. See? I really love you guys.

And just in time, holiday bow ties are in the shop. For $25 you can have your very own Santa bow tie. Awesome.

the blue house. We’re in a quiet little neighborhood just 15 minutes away from the north shore.

living room. Look at that lovely built-in and the awesome windows!

kitchen. I fell in love with the floor to ceiling wall of shallow cabinets and the stainless steel countertop. There’s no fridge (it’s rusty and moldy and on the back porch) or dishwasher, but we’re making those adjustments.

dining room. Currently our closet and storage room. ha!

the backyard. With a Lychee tree! We have a 6000 square foot lot which is huge for Oahu- it was really overgrown when we moved in. Garth’s been tackling it jungle style and keeps finding things as he gets farther into it (like a commercial cement mixer?!)

and apparently I didn’t take any photos of the bathroom or the three bedrooms…. hmmm….they’ll be better all painted anyways. =)

We’ve painted a few things here and there and Garth redid the hardwood floors (which we later learned was subflooring- it’s a single wall construction house so the floor boards that we se are the same floor boards that you see from UNDER the house. Same with the walls. Yikes) but there is still lots and lots to do. Beyond just the simple repairs and fixes that we need to make, we also plan to add a deck, a sunroom, and possible a second bathroom (maybe). So, we’re really in for it.

We are currently trying to get the kitchen into comfortable working order. More on that later.

Awesomeness all around,
elle

This year the team consisted of me and Julia, and Eric and Stephen. We sub one person out while playing. Each person below is indicating with thier fingers the number of baskets that were made by them in that game. Notice that I am not pictured because I had no baskets to indicate.

My brother, Stephen, who is living and working in Japan was in the US on business that week and was able to fly to Spokane for the weekend (and hoopfest!). It was awesome to hug him- it’d been at least a year. We were so excited to have most of the clan in one place at one time that a family photo was manditory. Unfortunately the only time that we were all available was a 15 minute window on a Sunday night when my Dad was on a break from his retail job. We descended onto he store in our yellow shirts and took over the housewares department, treating it as our own living room as we snapped away dozens of photos with a tripod and a timer. The results are hilarious and priceless. This is why I love my family.

Garth only stayed with us for the week and then flew home to Hawaii to get back to work. We drove him to the Seattle airport and picked up a chainstich embroidery machine on Whidbey Island along the way. How it fell in to my lap is the story for another day but it afforded us the opportunity to visit the lovely grey west side of the state and ride a ferry (twice!).

We spent the 4th of July in Riverfront Park, as is tradition, and we enjoyed the heck out of it. We had lots of great food, the best company in the world and the night was warm and breezy. The kiddos had glowing American flags and Ginger fell asleep during the fireworks.

I had the opportunity to babysit all of the Hawker neices and nephews in turn and Jack & Ginger were LOVING cousin time. Everyone spent half of their waking hours on the trampoline or the swings.

Yay for cousin time! We are sure missing having all of those awesome people around us on a daily basis. We love you Abraham, Samantha, Miriam, Kaitlyn, & Samuel!

Volume II is on deck, and it is rad.

xo
elle

So it is 5am (as you have probably already guessed) and I am leaving for the airport in 2 hours for Chicago & Indie Wed and I am just now starting to feel like I’ve accomplished something. Tonight was a marathon bow-tie-making evening with my sweet husband and generous parents pitching in until the wee hours of the morning.

I am tired, but I feel good. I’ve felt like I’ve been in quicksand lately- trying to take care of my two kiddos and keep up with the business and prepare for this show, and spend time with my family while I’m here, and sleep. I know, it’s always something with me, right? Really my only complaint is that there is not enough time in this world, and budgeting it is hard. And being a Mom requires me to be unselfish and that is hard.

By the way, we did eventually get into our house, just a few days before we headed out to the mainland and my hometown to spend 6 weeks with my family.

My family rules.

Chicago, here we come!
p.s. if you are int eh Chicago area and would like tickets to Indie Wed, let me know, I have a few to give away! Just e-mail me at elle@xoelle.com

xo,
elle

ok, so I know that spring is sooo last month, but I’m a little behind and have just recently put all of the spring bow ties into the shop. They are lovely- but I pick out every pattern and then sew every stitch, so I am a little biased.

All orders placed through the wednesday (april 20th) will be upgraded to Priority shipping on the house!

And for those of you that are already dreaming of the fireworks and popsicles and lazy sun-filled afternoons, the summer bow ties are just around the corner.

happy spring my friends.

xo elle

nordstroms

louis vitton

mui mui.

louis vitton again.

awesome, right?

You are 2 today. TWO. You are a handsome, sweet, precious little man, just like you were the day that you were born. I sang “I will” to you in the hospital to quiet you at night and I sing it to you now to get you to fall asleep. We are learning so much about who you are everyday and it is such a treat to have a front row seat to your life.

You love to help. You’ll push the stroller and the shopping cart, carry bags anywhere we ask, get diapers for ginger, and act as a courrier service between mom and dad when they are in seperate rooms.

You adore music. We suspected this when you were still in the womb and it was confirmed when you were a day old and went for your hearing test. The technician that administered the test admitted that they had been playing r & b in the testing room and turned it off for you when you entered. You started crying hysterically and the only way to get you to stop crying was to turn the music back on. This is still true. Dad will try to get you to fall asleep at night by playing the ukulele and you get so upset when he stops. If we turn the radio down in the car you will whine, “nuesek, nuesek, newwwsecccckkkkkk!” over and over until we turn the volume back up. In the morning I can expect that your first request will be one of three things: chocolate (pronounced tchaw-tchit), movies (you call them “nudies”), or music.

oh the sweetness! There is certainly a fair amount of terrible-two in you, but at heart you are such a sweet little boy. You love giving and receiving hugs and kisses and will offer them freely to everyone. Your toys and your sister are often the recipients of random kissings. While putting you to sleep last night you spent a good 45 seconds kissing mom and dad in an alternating pattern.

You and your dad are great buds. You like to be right where he is doing what he’s doing. He can’t wait to take you on bike rides and hikes.

There are cabinets in the kitchen that we left empty when we moved in. They have become your cabinets. You climb in them, eat out of them, and hide your treasures in them. It’s always a delight to open them up as I walk by and see what you’ve stashed in there.

We keep the back door locked because if we don’t you’ll wander out into the gravel parking lot that is our backyard and throw rocks at things. Or jump in puddles. You love it out there. Sometimes when I catch you out there and you don’t want to go in you’ll sit on the top step and ask me to sit next to you. Or rather you’ll yell “sit!” to me while pointing to the empty space next to you. It is irresistable so I usually obey. We’ll sit there and watch for airplanes, name the things that we see, or you’ll just tell me stories. It’s sweet.

Your hair is so long that it whips you in the eyes when we drive around with the windows open. And people always tell us what a lovely girl you are when we are out and about. We’ve been saying that we need to cut it for months but we think that you are adorable and know that those baby curls are gone for good with the first hair cutting.

You love to dance. I daresay that you like to dance almost as much as you like music. When there’s music on you will pucker up your lips, raise your pointed fingers to the sky, and boogie. You dance at home in just your diaper to Dad’s random iTunes selections. You dance at church to the prelude music (and sometimes clap and shout “yay!” when it’s over). You dance in downtown Waikiki when you see hula dancers and don’t even notice that a crowd has gathered to watch you. You want everyone else to be dancing too. It is usually unacceptable that there’s music on and you are dancing and I am not. I find myself led to the “dance floor” in our living room at least once a day by your sweet little hands.

Your favorites, in no particular order:
cars, chocolate, cake, rocks, balls, hugs, goldfish crackers, motorcycles, airplanes, trucks, milk, flip-flops (because you can take them off yourself), walks, music, dancing, and of course, your Mom and Dad.

We love you so much little dude. Happy birthday.

xoxooooooxo

mama

I own two pairs of nice running shoes.
I needed a third.
I went to the store and gawked at the $150 price tag.
I told Garth that I would just buy a pair at a thrift store.
We made our way with our trusty GPS, but the kids were whiny.
Garth told me to go solo. Solo to a thrift store? I would relish it.
I parked a block away from the downtown Honolulu Goodwill. In front of a McDonald’s.
There was no change in the car to feed the meter.
I bought a small sundae from McDonald’s to get some quarters, fed the meter, and ate my sundae on the curb.
I wandered, I shopped, I went up and down the aisles, and I found a pair of New Balance running shoes for $6.99.
Two bags of treasures emerged with me back onto the noisy Honolulu street.
I noticed that my car was not parked where I left it.
I called Garth. I noticed a tiny tow away zone sticker on the meter. (no parking between the hours of…)
I called the police to ask where my car had been towed. They told me to call 911.
They wanted my license number and I didn’t know it.
Garth had just registered it in Hawaii with new plates the day before.
A nice lady at McDonald’s overheard my conversation and offered to drive me when she was done studying.
Garth looked up the tow yard, and told me how to get there.
I walked a few streets down and caught the number 3 bus for $3.
Garth talked to me on the phone, following me on google maps, and made sure that I utilized the right stop.
He also made sure that I walked the right direction once off the bus, pointing out landmarks along the way.
The nice lady at the tow yard window took my $165 cash and told me that my car was around back.
I noticed that the receipt she gave me included a daily storage fee of $25. (the car was there a grand total of 45 minutes)
My car was waiting patiently with a yellow ticket from the honolulu pd on the windshield.
I put down the top, turned the music up, and drove home.

sundae: $1.07
meter: $0.75
shoes: $6.99
bus fare: $3.00
tow fee: $165.00
ticket: $50.00
___________
total= holy moly

But Jack sure looks pretty cute in them, eh?
And, they’re pretty nice on the old toes while I’m running.

hello ya’ll coming over from MADE- I am so so happy to be participating in celebrate the boy with Dana and so many other wonderful mommies and bloggers. Boys rule! I am the lucky mama of one particularly handsome almost-2 year old wonder boy, Jack. He is particulaly stylish and has deen wearing at least one bow tie a week since he was 5 days old, which makes him especially qualified to contribute to this post on dressing your little man for special occassions.

If you are the mama of a little boy then you already know that the clothing selection at your average department/retail/box stores for tiny males is really very limited- and that’s just for everyday sort of wear. What about white dress shirts? Dress slacks? A suit jacket? A proper bow tie? Not happening. I learned this when I was searching for an outfit for my son to wear to his blessing before he was born. Not only could I not find a simple white dress shirt and slacks for a newborn, I couldn’t find a single button-down shirt without sports or transportation screenprinting/embroidery on it or a pair of pants without cargo pockets/patches/intentional wear in any size. Thus began my education in the little man’s Sunday wardrobe, and it’s an education that I’ll pass right on to y’all.

First and foremost: little guys look their best when they are dressed like men. Stick a little guy in dress slacks, a nice button-down shirt, a bow tie, and a suit jacket and you’ve got a swoon-worthy companion. Many of the same rules that govern men’s fashion come into play here: shoe color should match belt color, either suspenders or a belt should be worn, not both (I prefer suspenders!), clothes chosen should be comfortable and fit the personality of the wearer. We will ignore men’s fashion rules in regards to patterns and colors. In fact, in elle’s book of little man’s fashion these are non-negotiables. Have that little man wear brightly colored striped (or argyle or polka dotted) socks, put on a bold print tie, and go ahead and mix up those prints. Dressing little men is fun.

Secondly, mix it up. Look for pieces that can be worn in more than one setting. A pair of chino or corduroy pants are perfect for a Sunday outfit when paired with the right elements, but they are also perfect for an afternoon out shopping with Mom when paired with a vintage-esque tee. My little man’s Sunday clothes are in his weekday rotation because they are versitale. Part of mixing it up is also pairing new clothing with vintage and handmade items. There is depth to that sort of style- it is timeless and efortless.

And of course, last on my list is where and when to get your hands on all of this wonderful stuff (and there is a strategy!). I have found that when it comes to dressy stuff for the little guys, when you need it and you’re looking for it, you can’t find it, but when you’re just wandering, there it is. So, I’ve learned to buy it when it’s there. For thrift and vintage shops that is year-round. For retailers that sell new clothing that generally means Easter and Christmas (or shortly thereafter to get the after-holiday discounts). Of course, the absolute best way to get your hands and exactly what you want is to make it yourself. There are so many amazing tutorials and patterns available especially with the addition of Celebrating the Boy to the blogosphere- so make something! And while you’re planning/waiting/sourcing-the-perfect-madras, here’s some inspiration for the scholar, poet, artist, rebel, treehugger, and the sailor in your life.

Now, on with the cuteness!

button down dress shirt by Janie and Jack
cherokee douglass dress shoes by Target
italian chino suit pants by J. Crew
classic blazer by The Children’s Place
telstar necktie handmade by Apple and Ivy

converse one star shoe by Converse, available at Target
regular fit jeans for baby by Old Navy
convertable gingham shirt by The Gap
skull and bones chambray tie by J. Crew

yellow and white gingham bow tie handmade by babybystevie
color block socks by kidssocks.com
vintage baby shoes sold by lishyloo
vintage plaid blazer sold by apple vintage
vintage corduroy pants sold by Age of Bliss
blue oxford shirt by Old Navy

red gingham shirt by Ben Sherman
vintage red wool blazer sold by heartcity
boys marled striped socks by J. Crew
boys striped elastic belt by J. Crew
boys seersucker shorts by J. Crew
marina moccasin by The Children’s Place
nato bow tie by xoelle

the velveeta little guy bow tie handmade by buttered toast
vintage suede velcro sneakers sold by Stylin Recyclin
vintage cardigan sweater sold by Thrifty Vintage Kitten
blue oxford shirt by Old Navy
boys striped socks by J. Crew
plaid shorts by Janie and Jack, available at ebay

button down dress shirt by Janie and Jack
vintage chocolate bow tie sold by stilleto girl
mio blazer handmade by mioseoul
vintage navy sweater vest sold by 3 ring circus
greendog baby shorts, available at Macy’s
boys cotton argyle socks by J. Crew
kids leather oxfords by J. Crew

my favorites:
thrifting locally. find a thrift store near you here.
vintage on etsy, especially frecklewonder, lishyloo and 3ringcircus
J. Crew (They sure do know their seersucker over there)
The Children’s Place

I hope these ideas have made dressing your little guy up for an occassion even more fun! Do you have any places you love to shop or style tips that you’d like to add? Let us all know in the comments below!

Rock on cool Mommas of little well-dressed dudes,

elle

We had a short weekend in New Orleans before boarding a long flight to Hawaii. We stayed in the french quarter and had beignets and hot chocolate. mmmmmmmm.