ASOS Style & Albion Basin

Midi Skirt | Necklace | Floral Headband | Blouse | Pumps

Sam is going to take some engagement photos in a few weeks, and we've been scouting for good areas to shoot at. I say we because although he is the photographer of the family, I'm his assistant. This might sound like an easy gig, but I assure you it is not. It's a workout with Klair. Luckily though the engagement shoot should prove to be an easier job than I'm used to since, you know, we won't be taking pictures of a toddler for a change. I doubt there will be much running involved, and I can leave my crazy noises/funny faces/talent for eliciting laughter via peek-a-boo at home. Following the advice of a good friend, we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Albion Basin a few nights ago. It's a beautiful area just above Snowbird and Alta ski resorts. I've driven up this canyon plenty of times in my Utahn life, but I had never driven this far. Once you get high enough, the pavement ends and a dirt road begins. This is where it really starts to get pretty, and where we decided to take the photos above. Wouldn't an engagement shoot in this location look absolutely stunning?? I'm in love. I can't wait to see what Sam produces.

Featured in the photos is a skirt and necklace that I bought online from ASOS which you can see here and here. The necklace is a layered locket. It's too small to put a picture in, so I had Klair kiss the inside instead. I've been wearing it non-stop since.

FYI both the skirt and necklace are on sale right now. Also, in case anyone is wondering, my headband came from a local boutique, but there is a similar one here.

If you love ASOS as much as I do, make sure to enter the giveaway below. It's running for only one more day, so don't put it off. They are having killer sales right now, so it's definitely a good time to win some free money towards their merch! Additionally, the giveaway will give you an awesome Style Lately tee of your choice and ad space on some awesome blogs. Win, win, win.

Also, this post wouldn't be complete without bragging about the last two photos. You see, I took them. That's right, me! I'm kind of proud because they just might be my favorite photos of Klair and her "dada" ever. And, even though Sam configured all the settings and set it all up, I'm the one who clicked the button. That's gotta count for something, right? I'd say so.

Happy hump day! And good luck with the giveaway :)

  A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Sincerely yours,  

DIY | A Centerpiece for Spring

My house needed some color to reflect the world that's waking up from its long winter slumber and increasing in beauty everyday. It was a warm, perfect spring day yesterday, so Klair and I took a little walk with Rosie down our street. She held my hand the entire time, and kept pace quite well. We stopped to look at every blooming flower and budding tree branch. Her eyes would light up with excitement. She was mesmerized, leaving a trail of "wows" in her wake as we strolled down the sidewalk. I LOVE this time of year, but experiencing it with her is more beautiful than any spring I can remember. And, now my kitchen matches the excitement taking place outside my house and inside my little girl's heart.

I found my inspiration from this tutorial on Pinterest, and it comes from this blog.

What You'll Need: 

Glass bottles I like the look of 3, but you can do as many or as little as you want. I picked mine up at a local thrift store for under a dollar a piece.
A small jar of enamel paint (it's made for glass) in the color of your choosing
A Funnel
Disposable gloves
Flowers (real or silk) of your choosing. I chose silk because I want mine to last forever. Also, I loved the color scheme offered by the original DIY so I stuck with it. I'm particularly fond of the deep-reddish orange and blue because they're nice for spring, but will also lend themselves well to summer.

First, wash and dry all of the bottles. If they have stickers you can use cooking oil and a scrubber to remove the residue that they so kindly leave behind. Next, insert the funnel into one of the bottles and poor some paint into it. Remove the funnel, put your thumb over the hole, turn the bottle upside down, and swirl the paint around until it covers the inside of the bottle. Then poor the remaining paint into the next jar and repeat this with each of the bottles (pouring the rest back into your paint can when finished). Then, leave  them upright to dry (about 3 days).

Once they're dry, place your flowers in the bottles (don't do this before it dries, because the flowers can scrape the paint off of the side--I learned this the hard way.)

I've seen people do similar projects where they paint the outside of the bottle, but this seems a lot messier to me. Plus, I like the look of the paint on the inside of the glass. It really accentuates the detail on the glass nicely, and they look professionally done (or like you simply bought them that way).

*Also, I bought the round wicker place mat that I put them on at Ikea for a few dollars.

What DIY projects have you done to celebrate spring's arrival? 

Seriously, send me a link. I'm feeling crafty :)