Everyday Look // Overalls

Tuesday, July 30, 2013




wearing: cotton citizen tee // thrifted 90's overall dress (similar here) // H&M sandals & panama hat



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Juicing Love

Thursday, July 25, 2013



Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge juice lover. I wanted to share a little bit of why I juice so much and the awesome changes it has brought to our lives...

How We Got Started
When I was young my mother would make us vegetable juice since she always was a bit of a health nut. All I remember from them was thinking that they were disgusting and foul. Fast forward many years later, as an adult, I always thought I was pretty healthy because I consumed a "nutritional" diet but as I have recently learned, I was very wrong. In the past months I've had a bit of an epiphany and shift in my lifestyle when it comes to what I eat and what my family eats. Through educating myself about the food industry and how the food that is marketed to us affects our bodies (which is a whole other lengthy topic), I've found myself living a healthier life and finding true nutrition. The one thing that brought this clarity to me was juicing and now I realize my mom was on to something!
Several months ago Michael, his mom, and I decided to do a 3 day juice cleanse after watching some very eye-opening documentaries (check out Hungry For Change, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, Book: Food Matters). For 3 days all we did was drink fresh vegetable and fruit juice. At the end of the 3 days we had all lost weight and felt revived. Since then we have not stopped juicing and now have changed our diets completely. No more processed foods, no more corn syrup, no fast food, ever again. We now live a plant and grain based diet with fish although Michael and Koji still enjoy their meat once in a while. The results? Our whole lives are healthier! Just to name a few of the benefits...we feel better, we have more energy, we save money by not going out to eat as much, we drink less, & more. For this, I have juicing to thank.

What we Juice
Our weekly grocery list includes:
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Green Apples
Kale
Oranges
Grapefruits
Lemons
Beets
Strawberries
Blueberries
Ginger
Garlic
Then I try to find new and interesting seasonal fruits and veggies we can mix in! Right now we're loving peaches & cherries. I also try to buy most of the produce at the Farmer's Market for many reasons plus it simply tastes better but it can get expensive so certain items I buy bulk.

What we Use to Juice
Currently using the Breville BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer & Vitamix 

Favorite Juice Blends
Through trial and error and internet recipes we have found our favorite recipes and continue to look for new ones. Here are some of our current faves: (quantities are not exact, add more or less for taste)

Carrot Gingerade
5 carrot
1 orange
1 lemon
1" of peeled ginger
1 clove of garlic

Green Machine
1 bunch of kale
1 cup pineapple
5 celery stalks
1 large cucumber
1 green apple
1 lemon or orange

Cherry Beet Booster
1 large beet
20 pitted cherries
3 carrots
1 cucumber
1 green apple
1 lemon

Post Workout Smoothie
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups almond milk
1 cup kefir
2 tablespoons flax seed
2 tablespoons coconut butter
Blend in the vitamix!

I also try to include Chia seeds in all my juices and smoothies, delicious and nutritious. If you have any awesome juice recipes please share! I'm always looking for new ones to try.

Happy Juicing!

Party Inspirations // Neon Love

Friday, July 19, 2013

top left: Bonjour Frenchie on Etsy, top right: Brooklyn Bride via pinterest
Mila-Loveology via pinterest 
left: Bolig Magasinet, right: Ernests via pinterest

I'm totally loving the neon trend for parties at the moment. We are planning a very cool dinner party at Soiree Events which I am so excited for where we want to include some serious pop of color! I thought I would post some of our inspiration for a little eye candy...obsessed. 

To see more of our event planning inspiration and work, head over to our blog Rich in Style. Make sure to follow and stay posted for our styled photoshoots coming soon!

Koji Daily // l i k e s

Thursday, July 18, 2013


wearing: Billabong tee from Jack's Surfboards, Camo shorts from Old Navy, Vans Shoes, Panda hat from Sol Baby, Hermosa Beach.

Koji likes...

  • riding...bike, skuut, razor, motorcycles and now wants a skateboard
  • gum...addicted
  • Yogurtland...plain yogurt flavor with gummy bears & 1 peppermint patty
  • ramen noodles...he can almost finish an entire order by himself
Favorite phrase lately...
"But I thought you loved me"
He uses this every time he gets reprimanded and when trying to avoid time-out. 

Wanderlust: Traveling with Children

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Jaco, Costa Rica // 7 mo.

We took our first major trip when Koji was only 7 months old, 5 weeks in Costa Rica. We traveled almost the entire country mostly by car and some buses with the help of Michael's family. Since that trip we've been to England, Ireland, Japan, Mexico and smaller roadtrips as a family which hasn't always been easy but certainly rewarding.
I've always been a lover of traveling and share that wanderlust with Michael, so when Koji was born we promised each other that having a child would not halt our plans of seeing the world. Our plan is and always will be to share with him our passion for traveling and know he will find the same joy in it.
I wanted to write this post because Koji and I just got back from a trip to Arizona by ourselves which reminded me of how traveling has changed for us since he was born. I think a lot of families limit their world travel when they begin to have kids because it may seem like a terrifying experience (which at times it can be), but I've found that with a couple adjustments and a little patience traveling can be amazing and beautiful for all of us. I'm definitely not saying it's easy and we have been fortunate to have family to support us but I truly believe that traveling is an essential part of living and it should be done at every stage in life!
So here are some little tips and some photos (which really just make me want to travel again) that I've gathered in the past three years...

#1:  Travel before the age of 2
Children under the age of 2 fly free and get free admission everywhere which saves you TONS of money. Some challenges I faced around this age were breast feeding, diaper changing, finding hot water for formula but I found that people are really willing to help you when traveling with an infant, especially when you're looking like a frazzled maniac. I cannot tell you how many times we were given free warm milk in Europe straight into Koji's bottle...
Farmer's Market in Costa Rica // 7 mo.
Lincolnshire, England // 1yr, 4 mo.
Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, Japan // 2yrs

#2: Travel Light
I know this is an oxymoron when it comes to traveling with children but you really just have to learn to travel with just the essentials. We cut Koji off the bottle pretty early on but when he did have a bottle we would carry only one or two bottles and even recycle the plastic inserts by washing them thoroughly. We also purchased a very light (and cheap) umbrella stroller that we still have today at Target. It's no Bugaboo, but these are great for airports and walking long distances with sleeping babies but can also be folded up and easily carried. Besides formula, I wouldn't travel from the U.S. with too many diapers and wipes as that is something you will find everywhere. Over the shoulder bags, comfortable shoes, baby carriers and bicep curls help too...

Kyoto Japan // 2yrs
London, England // 1yr, 4mo.
Tokyo, Japan // 2yrs

#3 Bring MOM! (or any other family member)
Grandmas rule but really so does any body that can help you and entertain your child when you can't. If you can do it, travel with a family member.
 Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica // 7 mo.
 Gallway, Ireland // 1yr, 4mo.
Kyoto, Japan // 2 yrs


#4 Hire a Nanny for a Night Out
I've only done this once in Dublin, Ireland and it went well for us. I researched nanny/babysitter agencies in the area, chose Nanny.ie and they set me up with a great lady who came to our hotel and stayed with Koji while he slept and we enjoyed a night on the town. I would definitely do it again. Some of the more expensive resorts also offer child care if you set up a reservation.



Cliffs of Moher, Ireland // 1yr, 4mo.
 Lincolnshire, England // 1yr, 4mo.


#5 Keep Calm and Carry On
Seriously... I remember on of my first domestic flights with Koji when he was only 3 or 4 months old, he became very irritated and started crying hysterically. I tried to breastfeed him but didn't have the proper shirt on or a cover so all I could do was not freak out and try to quiet him which eventually he did. 2 and 3 year olds WILL have fits and people WILL stare but then you will most likely never see them again. I found that traveling by train was the most kid friendly mode of transportation because Koji wasn't confined to a  car seat and he loves trains!



 Sedona, Arizona // 1yr, 6mo
Ready for an 11 hour flight to Japan the day before his 2nd birthday

A few DONT'S from my experience:
DON'T do museums unless you have very little sleeping infants. Outdoor places, weather permitted, are much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
DON'T pack too many toys and gadgets. Little ones get tired of their own toys so it's better to pick up things along the way even if it's a free cup or paper airplane.
DON'T wait too long to book a trip, just do it and figure out the details later


We're hoping to take another far away family trip soon and I want to say that it has gotten easier as he's getting older but we are still in the "terrible" stage and it really does take a lot of energy to keep Koji entertained for long hours. But at the same time he is experiencing more which means he enjoys more of what we enjoy, plus now he can chew gum and use an i-phone so that works...happy travels!

Jigokundani Monkey Park, Nagano Japan // 2yrs

The Simple Things // Beachy Sunset Ride

Monday, July 1, 2013





It's the simple things in life...
like...
A good chambray shirt
A nice sunset
Riding with my monkeys
A cheap, comfy pair of leggings

Wearing:
Me - Paige Denim Chambray Shirt, Printed Leggings found @Marshall's, Steve Madden Flats, Vintage Purse
Koji - H&M kids everything!