Style Scoop - Candy Pink Ombre

Our next two weekends are booked up with girl’s birthday parties, which has put me in a girlie mood.

The ombre trend is popular at the moment and I think it looks especially cute on little girls. I found this soft tulle dress by Chasing FireFlies which would be perfect for a special occasion, and at an affordable $58.00 it would look great with candy pink or metallic shoes.

For us moms, a maxi length dress is ideal to keep cool in during the summer months, as you can throw it on for an effortless look at the park, pool or school run. It can be easily transformed into a smarter look by accessorizing it with a belt, beads or statement necklace. This pink and coral striped maxi dress from GAP also comes in violet or royal blue, and would also work with this pink ombre scarf from Forever 21 if you are heading into the cooler city. 

1.    Living etc. magazine view website

2.    Pink ombre scarf, Forever 21, $6.50

3.    Pink & coral maxi dress, GAP, $74.95

4.    Pink ombre tulle dress, Chasing FireFlies, $58.00

5.    Ombre swirl cake by Glorious Treats blog 

Simple Style Solutions

I am so excited to reveal my blog’s new redesign with you today!

I gave a creative brief to my friend Amy Bartle at Simple Style Solutions who helped me by designing the new header, background and custom buttons. 

As a fashion stylist and blogger, Amy understands the role that image plays in communicating a brand message. She now offers her expertise to small businesses wanting to develop their brand and expand their on-line profile through blogs, social media, free sites and practical advice on digital photography.

What and who inspired you to create your business?

“After taking a short break from fashion styling while I raised my son, Noah, I got into blogging as an outlet for the creativity I was missing from working on magazines. I loved the process, but learnt quite quickly that there are limitations to what you can do with very basic knowledge, so I began taking classes both on-line and at local colleges trying to fill in the gaps in my design knowledge. 

One of the most inspiring courses was “Blogging Your Way” with Holly Becker of the brilliant blog decor8. She runs regular courses to help people develop their blogs and brands, and I felt like I wanted to share some of my knowledge and experience with other women. It started as sitting down with family and friends helping them build their own blogs or websites on free platforms like blogger, and I'm hoping to be running my first workshop soon. It sits nicely with my new personal styling service and gives me the time to spend with my son.”

Amy's personal blog Karma and Cupcakes 

What does your service offer?

“It is a very relaxed approach to design, working closely with individuals to develop their own ideas and give them the knowledge and confidence to do what they would like with their blog and social media presence. I was always intimidated by the web design world and the costs that were involved, but with a little guidance a lot more is possible than we imagine."

What do you want to achieve for your clients? 

“Foremost a design they love without the designer price-tag! Also the confidence that they can move forward and develop their own ideas and brand independently, to feel a little empowered in the tech-world.”

Parenting website Chatterbox designed by Amy Bartle

Some bloggers enjoy the blogging process but lack the "technical know-how", what advice would you give them?

“There are so many amazing resources on-line, tutorials and guidance that are free, this is a great place to start. Aside from Holly's courses [which you have to pay for] some of my favorites are Pugly Pixel, and the Biz Ladies on Design Sponge. Download a photo editing package like Photoshop, if you can't afford a professional package like this there are some great free sites that will work well to edit your pictures and design posts - one of my favorites is Pixlr. Great pictures are so important to building your blog. Beautiful, unique content can be posted to sharing sites like Pinterest to drive traffic to your site.”

What brands/companies/blogs are doing it right, that we should keep an eye on?

“There are so many out there it is almost impossible to choose a few. The most effective blogs for me have a simple design and a very clear message. Here are just a handful:

Apartment 34, 
Garance Dore, 
a creative mint, 
Griottes, 
This is Glamorous

Any other advice you would like to share?

“A little knowledge goes a long way, I would really encourage anyone starting a small business to make sure they are in control of their web presence [if you are hiring someone else to design your website etc. be sure to read the small print carefully]. The more informed and empowered you are with your business on-line, the stronger your brand will be.”

Being a fashion stylist Amy also offers a new type of personal styling and shopping experience to those living in the UK. The service offers a tailor-made wardrobe edit, with styling suggestions and ideas to update your style to fit your lifestyle and budget. It can help to simplify your life as a busy working or full-time mom juggling life’s demands. Maybe your body size has changed since having a baby, or you are thinking about going back to work and need to adjust your wardrobe for the next chapter in your life?

Amy Bartle's editorial styling

For further information on how Amy can help you or maybe you know someone who could benefit from Amy’s help: Email Amy Bartle,

Follow  Simple Style Notebook blog,

Follow on Pinterest & Twitter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Start The Week Off On a Happy Note!

It’s hard getting motivated at the beginning of the week, so surprise your other half or colleague by serving their morning cup of Joe in these adorable coffee cup wrappers. They are available as free printables on the "Eat,drink,Chic" blog  by Amy Moss. 

Cup wrapper printables on 'Eat, drink, Chic' blog

Another way to cheer you and your loved one up is by hanging up this compliment bunting to give the words of encouragement you both need. The creative blog "How about Orange" offers a downloadable file to make them yourself!

Bunting on 'How about Orange" blog

Valentine's Day Crafts, Food & Gifts

Valentine’s Day is creeping up so here are some fun activities and gift ideas for the loved ones in your life.

For the Kids:

It is fun to make handmade crafts like love hearts or decorate cute photo frames with glitter and paint.

I adore this LOVE banner in my favorite circus inspired font by Roselyn Hellard, you can follow a tutorial on how to make it on her blog at Second street. You can also make your own version using different colored paper or fabric. 

atsecondstreet blog banner

Let them help with breakfast by making heart shaped pancakes with strawberries or bake cupcakes together with pink frosting and sprinkles. A good tip to create the heart shape is to insert a marble at the top of the paper case before you put the batter inside to create a heart shaped cake or muffin.

Pinterest

For Him:

The new David Beckham range of underwear for H&M was the perfect gift for my husband this year; it also gave me an excuse to gaze at Golden Balls himself. Very sexy…and the underwear isn’t bad either!

David Beckham Underwear for H&M

For Her

A woman can never have too many handbags, so check out this red suede purse ($90) which is perfect for Valentine's Day, and deep red leather tote bag ($135.00) from British fashion designer Julie Williams who deconstructs one-of-a-kind accessories from vintage fabrics especially leather and denim.  

Julie William's red suede purse

Julie explains to The Marin Scoop:

"I am given jeans and leather as donations from friends and family which it makes it inexpensive except for hardware, beads, thread, needles and of course the time and love that goes into making each piece. With the old saying in mind "waste not want not", I would like to recycle that by giving back to the community I live in by donating $1 for each bag sold to Homeward Bound of Marin."

Julie William's deep red leather tote

Julie's love of reconstructing fashion and her one-of-a-kind designs inspires the modern day woman to express herself and her individuality in a fun and stylish way.  

For further information and to buy product check out Julie's Etsy Store 

Get Pinning on Pinterest!

I love pinning, pinning is addictive, I find myself pinning while the kids are asleep, pinning while watching TV, pinning at the park, pinning while I prepare food. What am I talking about? The best thing since slice bread, well in my opinion anyway, especially if you love beautiful visuals like me…Pinterest!

Mel & Liza Blog

Source: Mel & Liza Blog Link

Pinterest is an online service which allows its users to create various pin boards and upload your own photos onto them, you can, more importantly, search for pictures on the Pinterest site or pin photographs you have found online and build up “visual collections”. You can follow your friends through Facebook or Twitter or other like-minded “Pinners” and leave comments or “re-pin” the pictures they have come across to your own boards.

Party Ideas for Kids Blog

Source: Party Ideas for Kids Blog link

For years I have turned to magazines for inspiration and kept tear sheets and shelves of back copies of my favorite titles, something I will probably continue to do for some time. But now I can find beautiful pictures instantly and constant refer to them on the boards I have created in my Pinterest account.

North Hawai'i

Source: North Hawai'i

For example I love interior design so I have “inspiring interiors” and “home things” boards, I collect fashion inspiration for shopping and style tips in my “women’s fashion & things”, I love to collect ideas for parties and entertaining so have a board for that too, same for food, photography, travel, men’s things, also design and clothing for kids.

bakedBree.com blog

Source: Baked Bree Blog link

If you are planning an event like a wedding, a party or special dinner then Pinterest helps you with visual ideas and has links that directs you back to the site or blog it originated from, so you can read the recipe, shop for the items or read more about the article it came from.

Wonderful Joy Ahead blog

Source: Wonderful Joy Ahead blog link

The people from Pinterest say it best:

“Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.”

You have to request an invite onto the Pinterest site and get an email shortly afterwards to set up an account and start pinning. Have fun getting inspired! 

Decorista Daydreams blog

Source: Decorista Daydreams blog link

Baby & Toddler 

Weekly Activities Calendars

Looking for something to entertain your toddler or want to reach out to new moms with babies this week?

To view this week’s activities: Click here