Weekend

Summer is here! When you live in Minneapolis, summer takes on a whole new meaning. The weather has been wonderful lately (despite a few rainstorms) and we were even able to get some cilantro from our garden this week. What are your plans this weekend? We are taking our kids to the zoo and I'm hoping to finish the book The Fault in Our Stars. I'm dying to see the movie. Have you seen it? Enjoy your weekend.

A few links to share this week...

Pineapples are everywhere and so in right now.

Great article about asking for what you want.

Cute hat for summer.

Kate and George photos. Those overalls!

A pretty necklace.

Interesting article about handwriting.

My cousin's daughter wrote this adorable letter.

Embracing downtime. Love this!

This dessert is perfect for summer.

High rise jeans are back.

And if you're in the mood for a quick survey, I'm working to grow and expand my business and would love your feedback on my site!
 

A Sale at Anthropologie

metallic sandals / earrings / linen pants / floral top

Anthropologie is having a big summer sale and being that I used to work there years ago I have a soft spot for all things from Anthropologie. I especially love their linen pants and how perfect are those metallic sandals? Here are a few of my favorites from the sale.

wide leg pants / tablecloth / colored juice glasses / silk top

Style: Kimonos

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What are you wearing this summer? Lately I've been seeing kimonos everywhere, so many that online stores even have a kimono section on their sites. They seem great for summer because they are super lightweight and can easily be thrown over a t-shirt and jeans look.

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What are your thoughts? Do you like them? Find one here, here, here, or here, or if you're brave you can even try making your own.
   

Weekend

Happy friday friends! It finally feels like summer here and we have been outside nonstop. We also took little Lucas on his first bike ride and I can't get the image of his little smile out of my head. Tomorrow we are having a birthday party for Will's friends. We are taking them on a dinosaur scavenger hunt! Hope you have a nice and relaxing weekend.

A few of my favorite links lately...

Are you into the indigo trend? cool DIY picnic blanket

Summer dinner idea and food photography at its finest.

Pretty summer skirt.

Are you an introvert or extrovert? I think I lean more toward introvert.

A water bottle that reminds you to drink.

Best places to dine outside.

Cute summer look.

And happy national donut day! Are you eating any?
 

Color Inspiration: Periwinkle

dress / nail color / planter / baseball tee

Lately I've been inspired by shades of blue, especially this periwinkle color. I've been seeing it everywhere and it feels so fresh for summer. Plus, how lovely is that dress from H&M? Perfect for summer barbecues and picnics.
   

Will is four

I have a four year old! It's hard to believe my boy is already a little boy. For Will's birthday, we let him eat doughnuts for breakfast, watch Curious George, choose macaroni and cheese for dinner and pick a toy from the store (Of course, he chose a watering can. It always makes me laugh seeing what he picks). This age has been so fun and rewarding as a parent. He says and does the funniest things like asking why Lucas is wearing "overveins" aka "overalls." It makes me happy to see him grow and learn, but I secretly wish he could stay this age forever.

Here are a few things about Will.

1. He looooooves people! He is super social and actually quite comfortable around adults and will carry on conversations with pretty much anyone he meets. (he obviously did not get this from me:)

2. He has learned almost all of the states and capitals and if you quiz him, he will remind you the capital of Georgia is Atlanta and not Augusta. He also begs to do worksheets everyday. I hope his love for learning never wears off.

3. He has a great memory and has memorized a few books and songs including his favorites: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" as well as the blink 182 song "I Miss You" (thanks to Brandon for that one).

4. He is a sensitive boy and likes to encourage others. You will often find him patting others on the back telling them they did a good job.

5. He loves when people come over to our house and when they leave he always runs to the door and yells out, "Have a Good Day!"

He definitely has his moments of being a kid and throwing tantrums as all kids do, but overall I feel so lucky to be his mama and to see the boy he is growing up to be.

Summer Collection 2014

I'm back!!!! It was kind of nice to step away for a few weeks and take some time, plus I've been extremely busy working on my new summer collection. Here are a few photos from the shoot we had a few weeks ago. My inspiration for this collection came from Palm Springs in the 60s and is full of tropical and feminine patterns that are perfect for summer. See the collection here if you'd like...

and more photos after the jump:)

Mother's Day Giveaway

With Mother's Day this weekend, I thought it would be fun to celebrate mothers and host a little giveaway. I've been crushing on mint green for a while now and one winner will win all of the minty items shown above. The winner will receive: one striped mint pillow cover from my shop, a colorblock infinity scarf c/o 9th & Elm, an 8.5x11 inch ice cream print from my shop, a lip balm from eos, mint candy apple nail color from Essie, and a geometric wood necklace (DIY coming to the blog)!

To enter: Follow Ali Henrie on Instagram and post a photo about anything to do with motherhood using the hashtag #iedesignmothersgiveaway and tag me (@alihenrie). If you're private, you can email me the photo at alihenrie@gmail.com One winner will be selected sunday night:)

*GIVEAWAY is now closed*

   

Quilted Sweatshirt: 2 ways

Lately I've been into sweatshirts. They are so comfy and easy to wear, and I like that they can be dressed up or worn with jeans and sneakers. I love this short sleeve version with the quilted sleeves. Wouldn't it be great this summer worn with shorts or white jeans? Here are a couple of other ways to wear it. 

What are you wearing these days?

look 1: quilted sweatshirt / linen skirt / pendant necklace / spotted clutch / block heel sandals 

look 2: quilted sweatshirt / coral tote bag / tropical jeans / oversized sunglasses / converse sneakers

       

Weekend No. 17

Happy Friday friends. What are you up to this weekend? I'm finishing up the final designs for a few new patterns coming to my shop this summer (including this pineapple pattern). I can't wait to show you more. Will is back into swim lessons and after our trip to Mexico I can't believe how much he has already improved. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Here are a few links from this week.

Love these pictures of Will and Kate (and George too)!

Adorable clothes for little ones.

Puts things into perspective especially if you're having a bad day (via Cup of Jo)

Love this  nail color for spring.

This entry makes me want to paint my front door.

Cute and fun coloring book for kids (or adults:)

Whale piggy bank

Mother's Day gift idea.

A stranger captures photos of a proposal. So sweet.

Prettiest dress

It's tulip season!
   

Do You Make Your Bed?

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This week I read an article titled "Does It Really Matter If You Make Your Bed?" I found it interesting because as a child I used to make my bed the second I got out of bed in the morning. It became a habit. Karen Kingston made the point that making your bed in the morning can create a more structured start to your day.

"When you begin your day in this way, it sets a certain structure in place for everything you subsequently do, and creates a clear and welcoming space for you to return to each night. When you leave your bedding in a messy heap, you can tend to muddle through the day until it’s time to fall back in to bed again. "

She also goes onto to say.

"Taking this to an even deeper level, people with structure get things done. They are able to navigate life’s challenges, find solutions, and achieve great things. They are people of will. Conversely, people who lack structure can often be buffeted about by the winds of change, and tend to wonder how to find more fulfillment."

While I'm not as faithful at making my bed as I was when I was a child, I still strive to make my bed almost every day. I do feel like it makes a difference in the way my day plays out. How about you? Does making your bed change your day?
   

Make your own tortilla chips

We eat a whole lot of chips and guacamole at our house. I think we picked it up while living in Arizona. We always make our own guacamole, but until recently, I had never thought to make my own chips. They taste soooooo much better than store bought chips and are simple to make! Plus, I can control the amount of salt I want. 

Basically it's corn tortillas (I like the white corn ones) cut into triangles, sprinkled with sea salt, and baked on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown. I also brush some olive oil on the cookie sheet to get the salt to stick, but it's not necessary. Do you ever make your own chips or have you ever? 

   

A Spring Dress: 4 Ways

With it starting to feel like spring (YAY!), I'm excited to start wearing more skirts and dresses. As many of you know, I love to mix and match patterns and Boden makes it easy to do with their bold colors and variety of patterns. I'm a huge fan of the dresses at Boden for their classic styles and long lengths, which is why I've partnered with them to show you 4 different ways to wear the Seville Dress. This dress is stretchy and comfortable, yet still flattering (not easy to find) and I plan to live in it this summer! Plus, the pattern is so versatile and goes with almost any other color. Here are a few different ways to wear it...

Outfit 1: This dress is perfect on it's own. To keep it casual, throw it on with a pair of simple sandals, a cross body bag, and a straw hat. 

See 3 more looks after the jump...

Summer bags

With summer approaching, I'm in need of a good bag I can use for the pool or park, but can also double as a purse (or diaper bag). Lately, I've been super impressed with the bags on Sole Society. I've shopped for shoes in the past on their site, but never thought to look at bags until recently. Here are a few of my favorites. They also have pretty jewelry!

reversible bag

lasercut bag

printed bag

 

Summer collection sneak peek

I've been finishing up a few new summer prints that will be hitting the shop in the next few weeks. Here's a little sneak peek. Picking colors is my favorite part of designing, however it can also be the most difficult part as well. Can't wait to show you more in the next few weeks!
 

Tips for making your own pizza: part 1

I've always loved pizza! I mean, who doesn't? But my love for pizza has gone to a whole new level since we started making our own. I got Brandon the book My Pizza for Christmas. Since then, we have been making pizza like it's our second job. We've been trying different toppings and working on ways to perfect the crust, sauce, cheese, etc. It's a fun way to be creative and now we love to invite friends over for "pizza night."

The process didn't start out pretty, but we've learned several tips along the way....

Weekend

It's finally supposed to reach 50 degrees here this weekend and I'm psyched! We are definitely planning to get outside and enjoy some sun. I can't wait to pull out our bikes and take a little ride. Any fun plans? Enjoy your weekend.

Here are some of my favorite links this week...

Oh, these look good!

Swimsuit season is approaching. Love this one.

This quote. Couldn't agree more.

How cute is this play fruit you can make?

25% off at J.Crew. Got my eye on this tee.

Will is obsessed with worksheets, so we just got this book full of worksheets to keep him occupied.

Pretty DIY mirror.

Cute spring outfit.

Where to find the best croissants in Paris.

Simple bedroom.

Are you an overprotective parent?
   

For spring: the panama hat

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I wear hats frequently. I think it's because I know I can go one more day without washing my hair. While I tend to be most comfortable in baseball caps, (they're easy and go with everything) lately I've been trying new styles and particularly am liking the Panama hat this spring. It would be great for weekends or for a trip to the beach!

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Finishing things

One of the goals I set for myself this year is to finish things. I have a tendency to start something and then before I finish it, I move onto something else. Anyone else do this? I do it all the time and it gets pretty frustrating because then I end up with lots of unfinished projects and when I go back to finish them, I've lost my momentum.

Last night I finished the book The Power of Starting Something Stupid. It was a great book, but I was more proud of the fact I finished the book! I found the trick to be reading a little bit each day at the same time in the same place. I also promised myself a little reward that if I finish it, I can get a new book. Sounds like something simple, but I plan to use the same technique for getting more projects done.

What do you have a hard time finishing? How do you keep the momentum going?
     

Sandals for summer

Every year I like to invest in a brown pair of flat sandals. They go with everything from dresses and skirts to cropped pants and shorts. This year I picked up these ones from Gap because I liked the metallic detail, plus, they were less than $40! Here are a few of my other favorite picks.

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