3.31.2016

Thoughts for Thursday: The Renovation Wheels are Turning

Happy Thursday Friends!  Last night we met with a builder/designer to discuss our kitchen and first floor renovation.  I'm so excited about all the different things we talked about and all the ideas and suggestions he gave us for making the most of the space we have.
I really want to do a better job documenting our process and progress this time around, mostly for myself so that I can look back and remember.  One thing I love about this blog is being able to look back and re-read posts about my life over the years.

The first thing we plan to do is the kitchen.  You can see pictures of our current kitchen in this post here.

Right behind the kitchen is the dining room and our plan as of now is to rip out the wall between the two rooms, just like we did at our hold house and rip out all of the bulkheads in the kitchen.  Similar to our old kitchen that I showed below we want to turn it from a formal dining room into a more informal dining room and make our kitchen bigger.

This is the kitchen in our old house.  It's not even the best picture but you get the idea.


The next project on our renovation list is incorporating the sun room into our family room.  The sun room is hands down my favorite room in our house but we never use it.  We have a small wall heater and air conditioner out there but with the floors not being insulated it doesn't get warm enough in the winter or cold enough in the summer to use all the time.  We absolutely hate having wasted space so the contractor suggested that we take out the sliding doors that are connecting it now, open up for a larger archway and bring up the floors so they are level with the family room floors. Basically combining the two rooms into one so that we could use it year round!
You can see more pictures of our sun room from this post here.

Here is a picture of the sliding glass door that current connects our sun room to the family room.


We are still in the very beginning stages of the process so next we will meet with the designers to figure out how we can make this all work and fit it into our budget!   The design part was so much fun for me last time and I'm so exciting to see what they come up with this time around.  I promise to keep you all posted as we move forward with this project.   It's all exciting and stressful at the same time,  I'm not even letting my brain think about how I'm going to get through this renovation with two toddlers.  That's a post for another day, or if anyone has any advice feel free to send it my way.

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3.30.2016

Life Lately

Well it appears I can only get my act together one day a week.   I was going to do an Easter weekend recap but I realize that your feeds are inundated with those so I'm going with a general life update today.

We had a great very low key Easter weekend.  My sister, husband, and my nephew came down on Saturday and spent the night.  After we got the kids to bed we had a big fire in our fire pit.  The weather was perfect for it and it was fun to enjoy some drinks and sit outside by a fire.

On Sunday morning we hosted Easter brunch for my parents and sister and her family.  It was nice and low key.

This was my brunch table setting using my new plates from Pottery Barn.  

We managed to get one semi decent family photo and I got a few decent ones of the boys.  I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that at this stage in life I'm not going to get perfect smiling sitting still boys for photos but that's ok!   

I decided on this BCBGeneration Blouson Dress and it was perfect! 


We leave for Rosemary beach in 4.5 weeks which means it's time to get my act together in the diet department and the packing/organization department.  I'm so excited for our trip and looking forward to exploring the area.

My kids are pretty set for bathing suits but Miller just had a huge growth spurt so I'm going to need some new shorts and shirts for him.  Miller is tall but still so skinny, he's only 27lbs!  So I'm looking for shorts that are long enough with an adjustable waist.  So far I'm thinking these J.Crew Factory ones might work. They appear long and have an adjustable waist which so many of the cheaper brands do not.   Has anyone tried these?




Matthew got his first big head scrap over the weekend.   It looks worse than it is but he fell head first out of our new sandbox.   It's mostly just a surface scratch but I feel so bad for the kid.



We are meeting with a contractor tonight to discuss out kitchen and first floor renovations!! I am so excited to get started and I promise to do a much better job sharing our progress this time around.  
I can't wait to fill you all in once we start making decisions.

Hope you all have a great rest of the week and I promise we'll have Thoughts for Thursday back up tomorrow.


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3.23.2016

Current Obsessions

There is so much good spring and summer stuff out right now!  The closer and closer we inch to spring weather the more and more I can't wait to pack my jeans away and be in shorts, tanks, and flip flops everyday.  This is the first year I'm not pregnant or a few months postpartum since 2011(insert praise hands)!!! My body is finally (mostly) back to normal and I cannot wait to not only wear some old favorites, but stock my closet with cute clothes I couldn't quite wear yet last year.  

It's taking all myself control not to add all this to my online cart and hit purchase... 

I have this shirt in last year's pattern and it's a must have!! The style is so flattering and every time I wear it I get a ton of compliments on it. 


I've heard great thing about her swing dresses and even though it's a total splurge I feel like I could get a ton of wear out of this over the summer.  We also have our Rosemary beach trip in few weeks so I'm back to craving fun beach sundresses. 

I'm not sure why but I am obsessed with white this season, which is ridiculous since I have two toddlers but this dress is no exception to that.  It looks so cool and casual. Perfect to throw on for running errands on a warm day.  

I'm not usually one for midi-skirts but I love this one from JCF I feel like it's perfect for church, a baby shower, or any event where you want to dress up but still be a little conservative.  

I love the blue color of this dress and think it's perfect for throwing on after a day at the beach.  

I think Gap has been so hit or miss over the last few years but this spring line is looking really good.  I've always had great luck with their dresses and I think this one and the one above I posted will both be great summer staples.   I also love anything eyelet, if you can't tell yet!  Sadly the Gap in our mall closed recently so I'll have to order these to see what they're like. 

I have always been a big fan of the J.Crew vintage tees especially the tank.  I love all the fun colors it comes in this year.  

How adorable is this striped dress?  It looks like the perfect winter to spring transition piece.  Plus it's stripes so I obviously love it.

Splendid Mason T Strap Sandals

I love a simple flat sandal in the summer and these Splendid ones fit the bill.  They also come in black and gold and don't break the bank at $68.


Edgewise Peplum Tee
How adorable is this striped peplum tee?  So cute with a pair or white jeans or jean shorts this summer.


H&M Chiffon Dress
I know this looks kind of drab and not springy but I feel like you can't ever have too many basic black dresses.  You never know when you might need one or want to wear one and for only $19.99 it might be worth it.


Meda Lace Top
Again with the white (it also comes in a pretty blue)! I'm not sure if there more white in stores this season or if I'm just drawn to it but I can't stop obsessing over this one too.   The reviews have pretty much sold me on it and everyone says it works well for tall girls since it's long.

Splendid Jayla Heels
If you're more of a heel person in the spring I LOVE these!! I love the light color with the dark heel.  I would buy them but 1. I'm not the best in 4in heels and 2. I don't love being over 6ft in heels so if you're shorter and love heels buy these and tell me what they're like.

Sole Society Faux Leather Shopper
Have you seen Sole Society's new faux leather shopper that looks just like the Madewell Transport tote?  If you've been wanting to get this look but don't want to break the bank this might be the tote for you.  At under $100 I think it's worth it.


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3.21.2016

Easter Dress Ready

Well here I am again down to the last minute looking for a cute Easter dress for myself!  Of course the boys outfits have been put together since January.  #momproblems   Can anyone else relate?

I rounded up my favorites below and I ordered some today, so I promise I will share which ones I get and which one I'm keeping.   The weather is cool here today and looking to be in the low 60s on Sunday so I'm leaning toward a long sleeve option but threw a few short sleeve or sleeveless in there in case I change my mind or any of you warm weather folks are looking for something. 


Easter Dresses


Top Row: one// two// three// four// five// six 
Bottom Row: one// two// three// four// five// six 

Do you have an Easter outfit yet?  Anyone else stress more about the kids outfits now, and then forget about themselves until the last minute?  


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*eastcoastnat.blogspot.com occasionally receives vendor/brand sponsorship for mentioning their products and services   
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3.18.2016

Friday Five

TGIF Fridays!  I hope everyone has had a good week.   The weekends are becoming my favorite thing because it means I won't be solo parenting!  Kyle's travel schedule has been insane lately so I'm soaking up any and all time I have where there is another adult in the house to help me out.

ONE
Instagram's New Algorithm 
Have you all seen this?!! Instagram announced this week that they are changing their algorithm and instead of being chronological you'll start seeing your feed based on likes and comments, meaning feeds more relevant to what instagram has decided you like.  I find this so annoying! I like the whole instant part about it and I like seeing things as they are happening.  I don't want to see pictures from some big celebrity event three days later because it's what instagram thinks I might like.   You can see more information here on their blog and a here is a petition that people set up to keep instagram the way it is.  Snapchat was already becoming my new favorite so it looks like snapchat is going to be my new instagram (@eastcoastnat)


TWO
Andy Cohen on Snapchat 
Speaking of snapchat, Andy Cohen just joined and he's hysterical.  Last week he and Anderson Cooper were snapping their road trip and I was loving it.  That's basically my celebrity dream date right there but throw in Hoda and a big bottle of wine and I'd be in heaven.  His name is @andysgotthe411

THREE
Starburst Jelly Beans 
Obsessed. I've already taken down one bag this week. These are my favorite Easter candy. Not just any jelly belly though, it has to be the Starburst original.  I'm so happy I can usually only find them around Easter.  


FOUR 
I just randomly picked up this hand soap at Target this week because we needed some and it's my new favorite.  The scent is amazing and I've decided I need to make some sort of grapefruit basil cocktail this weekend because it seems like it would be a delicious refreshing drink.  

FIVE
This Kitchen 
As we start to talk about renovating our kitchen I've been saving little kitchen ideas and details here and there.  I love the subtle gray on the island here and for some reason I'm loving this style of pulls this time around.   Also that round table and chairs might be perfect for a little nook in our kitchen.  I wish I had somewhere to add those windows- so much natural light!


Happy Friday Friends, hope you all have a great weekend!

Linking up with April 
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3.17.2016

Thoughts for Thursday: Random Ones

Happy St. Patrick's Day Friends!  Do you have your green clothes ready to wear?  As I was laying out clothes for the boys for today I realized that the green in my closet is very lacking, I'm going to need to fix that.  I actually had a completely different post all set and ready to go but then for some reason my pictures wouldn't load correctly.  I'm having so many issues with blogger lately it's making me crazy!

So instead this week you're getting some of my rambling thoughts:


- We started a diet on March 5th and it was all going well until this past weekend. We got off track with two parties we went to and I'm having the hardest time getting back into the swing of it.

- I'm blaming all the Easter candy that I can't.keep.my.hands.out.of

- I'm on the hunt for a new concealer which I mentioned on Snapchat.  I've gotten some awesome recommendations so I'm going to hit the mall this weekend and see what I can find.

- I'm also looking for new daytime face moisturizer.   I've been using this Yes to Tomatoes one that I bought on a whim last fall and it's fine.  It's not bad and it doesn't break my face out but I wouldn't say it's doing anything for me either.  Anyone have a good one to suggest?  I need something light that won't break me out but will also help with my dry leathery winter skin and maybe make me look 25 again ;) (ps- when is it summer?!)


- I've been taking the boys to the park as much as I can since it's warming up outside.  It has been so nice to let them burn energy but the best part is that Matthew keeps falling asleep on the swing.   It's so hysterical.

- I'm finally getting my hair done this weekend, after trying to go a few weeks ago, and I'm going super blonde. Well I'm hoping I turn out blonde, fingers crossed.   I'm so tired of this brassy blah hair I have going on right now.   Here are some inspiration pictures:



Well that's all I've got for today friends! Maybe if I can get my other post to load today I will put it up later.


Grab the button below and link up to Annie and Natalie  on your Thoughts for Thursday post.  
Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones and @eastcoastnat.
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3.10.2016

Thoughts for Thursday: Life Lately and a Starbucks Giveaway

Hi Friends!  I hope you all have been having a great week, sorry I've been MIA and running late today.  I've got some fun stuff planned for next week.  I just wanted to pop in and give you all a little life update and tell you about an awesome giveaway!

Last Thursday I took Matthew on a little shopping trip with me where I picked up this blouse for the spring.



These booties (below) I also got last week are all thanks to my girl Lindsay, and you need to do yourself a favor and get a pair! They are awesome and under $75.  I've worn them three times already and probably gotten 10 compliments on them.





On Friday I took the kids to the Maryland Science Center to see the dinosaur exhibit because Miller is a huge dinosaur fan right now.  I was afraid it might be over his end but it ended up being perfect! He got to see "real" dinosaurs and dig dinosaur bones which made his day.







It has been absolutely gorgeous here this week with temperatures in the 70s which is rare for March!  We have been outside every minute that we can soaking up the sunshine.





Finally I have such a fun giveaway for you today! I've teamed up with a few other bloggers to giveaway $150 Starbucks gift card!! Who doesn't want to win that?!  It's like free coffee for about a month ;)




a Rafflecopter giveaway



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3.05.2016

Saturday Shopping: Steals and Deals

Happy Saturday Friends!  Today I've rounded up some sale items that you don't want to miss.

Nordstrom is one of my favorite places to shop and I love browsing their sale section to see what's new and because they price match when items are on sale at other stores.  

My favorite leggings and I love this fun color for the gym marked down to $34.80 from $58

Bobeau One Button Cardigan
My favorite go-to sweater to throw on with jeans or leggings marked down to $39.90 from $58

How adorable is this romper?!  I have some dresses from Leith that I just love so I know I would love this romper.  It's marked down to $40.80 from $68 

This popular tote is on sale in some color ways for $32.   It's such a nice roomy tote and I love that it's reversible 

Old Navy, which you know is always a go to for me, has 30% off dresses right now with the code Dressedup.  Some of the dresses start as low as $15! Here are the ones I'm loving: 

This dress is marked down to $15 

 This one is marked down to $25 and I love the print.  It also comes in a great red color too 

How cute is this striped shift dress for spring and summer?!  I'm obsessed with and only hope it's as good in person 

I've mentioned before that Loft is hit or miss with me.  I just saw their new arrivals though and I'm loving so much of it!  Right now they have 30% off new arrivals or 40% off for cardholders with the code Firstlook.  Here are my favorites below: 

How cute is this dress?!  I have a baptism and bridal shower coming up so I know this dress would be perfect for both since it's still cold here but I'm craving spring colors.  

I'm having a white blouse moment these days and this one reminds me of the one I just bought this week from Nordstrom but about 70% less!  

I just bought this off the shoulder blouse and I can't wait for it to be delivered.  I will keep you updated on how it looks person.  

Love this style of sweater, it's so dainty and feminine in that pale pink.  


Happy Shopping Friends! 

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