Daffodil Field Pictures

While we were in Arkansas over Spring Break, my mom and I dressed the girls in their Easter dresses and took them to the Daffodil Field near her house! The field is just gorgeous, and there are daffodils everywhere! There's a little church on the grounds, and every Spring, they host a little Daffodil festival and people come just to take pictures or have picnics and walk around. It really is breathtaking!

Several years ago, I took just Gretchen, and then we haven't been in town when the flowers were in bloom, so I was excited that we made it!

I always think it'll be easy to get pictures of the girls. But, man, it is so hard! Every time I attempt to get photos, I realize more and more how hard a professional photographers job really is! 

Megan had been really cranky that morning and fell asleep on our way there, so she didn't want to take pictures at first. 

I took a few pictures of just Gretchen and Adalyn.

Then my mom blew bubbles and we still couldn't get Megan to sit with the other girls. 

I took a few of Gretchen, and this one may be my favorite. 

Although, I love how she looks like such a little lady here!

I took a few of Adalyn, but for a baby that is still wobbly when sitting and waves her arm everywhere, I didn't get too many fabulous ones!

She was so happy though!

Then there was Megan.

She just did not want to cooperate. 

Finally, my mom brought out these little fuzzy chicks that she had bought the day before and we played hide and go seek with them in the flowers.

The little game finally brought Megan out of her shell, and she began smiling, laughing, and playing in the flowers.

The candid pictures I got of her are some of my favorites. 

And, she finally agreed to sit with her sisters.

And that's when I learned how hard it is to get three girls to look at you at the same time, and to have them all smiling.

And, this is where I'm thankful that we have a photo shoot scheduled with our photographer in just a few weeks!

Gretchen grew tired of taking pictures, but Megan continued to cooperate.

And, I love this one! 

I finally decided that I had taken enough (over 300!) and we let the girls walk around in the flowers, and Gretchen may have picked a few!

Then, we found this girl who had a box of bunnies that she was renting out! It was such a smart idea, but we didn't have any cash with us, and I could just see the bunny hopping far away from my girls.

Gretchen held it though, and she let me snap a quick little picture.

 

Toward the end of the trip, the girls were laying down in the flowers and I tried to get a few pictures of them again. I love this one of Megan, but I hate that her eyes are closed!

The girls, my mom and I had a great time once everyone started cooperating! We had beautiful weather! Now, I just have to narrow down the pictures i'm going to print for their rooms… that's always the hard part! How do you choose?!

Tickled Pink!

While we were in Arkansas last week, I hosted a baby shower for my sister in law who's expecting a baby girl in July! Pretty much the same day as Adalyn's first birthday, and I'm so excited to have another niece! 

I did what any good hostess would do, and browsed Pinterest and made an entire Pinboard for ideas!  I decided that I wanted a vintage natural theme for the shower.

I printed out invitations on chevron scrapbook paper and mailed them in brown paper envelopes. Each envelope was sealed with an "It's A Girl" sticker. 

The entry table was decorated with a pink table cloth and a lace runner, and decorated with flowers.

Each guest was asked to fill out a paper of their hopes for the baby! Things like, "I hope you never forget……., I hope you love……… I hope you remember……"

My sister in law came up with this idea, and it was the perfect alternative to games!

The great-grandmother sent an arrangement of daffodils, so we used that on our entry table.

We also placed envelopes, so guests could pre-address the thank-you cards!

We used a large table at the front of the room for food. 

We covered the table in a lace table cloth and used a huge decorative vase for the centerpiece. The vase held white and pink flowers and large twigs. On each side of the vase, was a candle.

The food was served on china, pewter, and crystal dishes, and we used gold serving pieces. 

I wrapped mason jars in burlap, and added pink bows for the forks and spoons.

On the other end of the table, a mason jar held pink paper straws. 

We served chicken salad with pita chips or croissants, fruit salsa with cinnamon pita chips, mini ham sandwiches, had veggie trays and dips, cheese, and pickles, and baby blue, green, and pink chocolates!

The cake was breathtaking! My mother in law did a fantastic job picking out the cake! 

A pearl pink fondant bow graced the top of the cake.

Other decorations include more lace adorned tables with burlap and lace wrapped mason jars and twigs.

We dipped marshmallows in pink chocolate and added pearl sprinkles as parting gifts for our guests!

The marshmallows were wrapped in cellophane, tied with pink ribbon, and "It's a Girl" stickers were added.

This was very much a DIY shower and I personally loved every detail! I hope that my sister in law loved it too! I know that she and baby to be were showered with so many presents and many loved ones attended! Much thanks to Linda H, Roxanne L, and Dianna W for helping to host the shower! They allowed me to put all of my ideas into place and helped in so many ways! I am so thankful for all that they did!

Mason Jar Tutorial: Ask your grandma or friends for any old unused mason/canning jars! Wash them out and let them dry. I purchased burlap ribbon by the roll from Hobby Lobby and hot glued them on. I made a tails-down bow and hot glued it on the front.

Marshmallow Party Favor Tutorial: You can buy a bag of colored chocolate from Hobby Lobby. Do not add food coloring to white chocolate, it does not turn out well- trust me! Melt about half the bag of chocolates in the microwave. Cook for 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, etc. Dip half of the marshmallow into the chocolate. Set on wax paper- make sure the chocolate part is up, and the marshmallow part is on the wax paper. Sprinkle with sprinkles. Allow them to dry, and then insert a lollipop stick. 

#weltegram2014 Days 79-85

Amen that it's Thursday y'all! Once I get over Wednesday, I have no motivation to clean my house or do anything until Saturday. So here's to the upcoming weekend! I'm so thankful that it's close by! 

Day 79- Cousin fun at Gee's house!

 

Once we arrived at my mom's the girls could not wait to play with each other! They jumped on the trampoline, played with bubbles, and colored pictures.

Day 80- We had dinner at Pizza Inn then went to Jump Zone! These girls are silly when they're all together!

Day 81- We went to All Aboard in Little Rock.

Day 82- Home again! DJ had a team meeting, the girls were in the bed, and it was time for me to unpack!

Day 83- The girls started soccer!

Day 84- Every morning, I put a little piece of my heart on the bus.

Day 85- Right after I took this picture, Megan reached over and knocked Adalyn down. (Because we were done taking pictures.)

And a few more for you:

I was relaxing in the couch when I looked over and saw this... Melt my heart. 

And, a sneak peek for Kendra! I'm loving your super hero themed bows!

(Find my Shop Here)

 

Instagram: @ewelte

Twitter: @elainewelte

WIWW

I'm back for WIWW! I took the last several weeks off because I felt like I was wearing the same thing over and over again! Plus, I was forgetting to take pictures, and rushing around with sick kiddos!

 

 

Today, I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW, Get Your Pretty On, and Because Shanna Said So.

Monday was jeans day at work! (I just love me some jeans day!) Last week, I purchased the stripe top from GAP for around $5 or 6.00! (score!)  As well as a new pair of skinny jeans. I paired the two together, with my TOMS wedges and called it a day! I was so thankful for the sunshine!

Yesterday, I wanted to be comfortable, and the weather was cooler, so I needed to be warm too! I also didn't have time to iron, so I put on my fleece leggings, a black and white stripe tank, and this grey shirt from Loft. I wear this shirt all the time, but I just love how it fits!

Before spring break, I purchased these earrings from One Little Belt. I got them in on Monday (because DJ had our mail stopped while we were gone) and I love them! I've worn them both days that I've had them! They are so stylish and light weight. I know i'll be ordering more from her!

 

These are the 3 inch, and I'll probably order a size down next time. I love these camo earrings and these green ones.  

 

Hey, DJ- mother's day is right around the corner- I know you're reading- so feel free to buy me a present!

 

If you didn't stop by my Girl Mom post yesterday, go here and read about how I buy a wardrobe for all three of my girls!

 

Find me:

Instagram: @ewelte

Twitter: @elainewelte

Facebook

 

Have a great day, and don't forget to accessorize!

 

Girl Mom~ Spring Wardrobe Shopping!

If you're a girl mom, you know that clothes and shopping come with the territory! I knew once we had our first daughter that we would be broke! Now that we have three daughters, well, let's just say that I won't be quitting my job anytime soon! Girls are expensive, especially three

I'm so glad you're joining me today, and I'd love for you to share your tips for providing your daughter an adorable-girly wardrobe- on a budget- and let me know your favorite places to shop!

If you've missed my previous "girl mom" posts, go HERE.

Okay, let's get serious and talk shopping! I'm pretty sure I could write 101 posts about shopping for my girls, but i'll try to highlight a few tips today!

Like I said, when DJ and I found out we were having a girl, $ signs flashed through my head. I know that we went out that day to buy her an outfit and one of the first outfits I bought for her was a purple tunic from Old Navy, a pair of blue jeans, and matching purple shoes. In fact, Gretchen had 14 pairs of shoes that were newborn-size 2. 

Now that we've had three girls, I've learned to scale back and spend a little wiser. I've never bought Adalyn a pair of shoes, so it's a good thing that Gretchen had so many!

Gretchen and Megan wearing dresses we bought the year before. Adalyn wearing Gretchen's Christmas dress.

• I like to shop "off-season". At the end of winter, I buy for the following winter. At the end of summer, I buy for the following summer. I'm so thankful that my girls have always been true to size. So, I'm able to just buy the next size up, and I know that they'll fit. This has worked for Gretchen from the time she was born until this past year. It's still working for Megan and Adalyn.
• Because buying a size up, isn't working well for Gretchen right now, I try to only buy shirts that are a size up. Her waist is tiny and her legs are long, so I buy her blue jeans in the fall, and I pray they'll last all winter and into the spring. 
• Gretchen hates blue jeans. I have to force her to wear them at least once a week. Because of that, she wears a lot of leggings! Leggings are great because you can pair them with a t-shirt or a dress, and she's still super comfy! They also can eventually turn into capri's if they're still in good shape. If jeans get a little too short, but it's close to the end of summer, we just roll them up. I buy her blue jeans at Old Navy. The size 6 jeans, still have the buttons so I can tighten the waistband, and they fit in length.
• At the end of each season, I go through the girls closet and I pull out shirts that we need to sell or donate. I also pull out clothes that don't fit, but that I want to save for the next child down. I pack the clothes that we are keeping in a plastic box with a lid, and I store them in a closet. I tape a piece of paper to the top that has the size and season, so I'll know when to pull them out. I've done the same thing with shoes.
• Gretchen has two closets. One closet is for her clothes that she can wear right now. The other closet is for any clothes that we've pre-bought.
• All closets are organized by church dresses, boutique pants, skirts, long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts. All of their leggings, jeans, and shorts go in a drawer in their dresser.
• Because I save all of the clothes that I consider "timeless" or that are still in great condition, I don't have to purchase as many clothes for Megan or Adalyn. However, I still do purchase them a few new pieces every once in a while. Again, I like to shop off-season, and only occasionally purchase a few pieces for them to go ahead and wear. 
• I love buying the girls smocked dresses to wear! Most of the time, my girls can get two years out of these dresses, because they are made to be long! We get their smocked dresses on sale from Strasburg, Belk,'s or online. 

Gretchen wearing a smocked dress. Megan wearing Gretchen's old Easter dress from Strasburg, that I saved.

Now, let's talk about where I shop!

Because taking three girls to the mall or shopping, would be my worst nightmare, I do a lot of shopping online! I also enlist the help of my mom! My mom is great about buying the girls Christmas clothes at the end of Christmas, or even their Easter dresses at the end of Spring!

When shopping online, my first go-to site is Zulily. I get their email every morning with their new sales, and to make it easier, I have their app on my phone. I love that I get a $15.00 credit, when someone that I've referred places an order, and I love that their inventory changes daily! They often carry Mud Pie, Carters, and boutique items! I've also purchased several cloth diapers from Zulily! I buy a lot of Christmas gifts from Zulily! Just order early, because their shipping takes several weeks!

A few years ago, I started buying from Lolly Wolly Doodle. I don't buy from them much anymore, because I always want to buy pieces that the girls could match in. When I calculate that the three outfits, could end up costing me $60+ I kind of croak a little, and talk myself out of it!

Megan's dress is from Old Navy. I embroidered her name and added the appliqué.

Recently, I've been purchasing from many re-sale groups on Facebook.

If you want to purchase monogram items, you can search for your child's letter and find a group. 

M group

A group

G & T group

I like these groups because I can also re-sell the girls clothes!

Facebook groups allow me to get boutique clothes for the girls without paying the top dollar prices!

Matilda Jane

Mud Pie

Kelly's Kids

Closet Envy- sells MJ, KPEA, & Persnickety

Smock Market

There are so many more groups, that I could really go on and on! These are just a few of my favorites, and so many people that are re-selling their boutique clothes take such good care of them and they're only worn a few times.

I do shop locally as well. Typically when I'm out without the girls! Target is an always, because their clothes are super affordable, and it's convenient- i'm there once a week! I also buy a lot from Old Navy, and I always browse their sales rack while i'm there. I love their graffic tee's and their leggings. Crazy 8 also has some good sales, and I shop at outlets when we are in Branson.

Adalyn's outfit from Target. I bought when I was pregnant with her. 

Phew! I told y'all, I could write a book! And, I know I still haven't covered everything! So, how do you save money on your child's wardrobe? Where do you shop? What are your favorite brands?

Share away ladies!