cornflake dreams.

a goodbye note

2017-09-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

Well, after almost seven (!!) years of blogging, I have decided that this will be my last post on Cornflake Dreams. This blog has meant so much to me over the years and it connected me to so many amazing readers -- some who became friends in real life! And I am so grateful for that. It was so fun to get creative with my writing and graphic design and collaborate with companies that I love. But the blogging world has changed over the years, and it's just not a priority in my life anymore. I want to focus my extra time and energy on our growing family and other interests -- like working out or reading a new book once in awhile! I'm also looking forward to having a little more privacy online -- so I plan to set my instagram account to private next week.

Thank you so much to everyone who has visited this space over the years, left comments, or sent emails -- your kindness and support means the world to me!

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. we can still keep in touch here: email / instagram / pinterest

friday five

2017-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Christina, April, and Natasha to share five things:

art by Rifle Paper Co.

ONE: The devastation from Hurricane Harvey has been absolutely heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the people who have been affected by the storm and especially to those who lost family members and their homes. It's uplifting to read stories of everyday heroes and survivor stories, but the people of Texas still need our help -- consider donating to the Red Cross by visiting their website (or you can text HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10). The Texas Diaper Bank is also taking donations online, they provide diapers, formula and other necessities to families in crisis. Also read this article for tips on where to donate and how to avoid scams.

TWO: I've had good luck lately at the library with books for Vi -- and since good toddler books can be tricky to find I I thought I'd share them here. We loved reading Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and The Circus Ship and King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen.

THREE: I also (finally) started reading We are never meeting in real life: essays by Samantha Irby. So far, it's hilarious! Do you have any other book recommendations?

FOUR: I was recently introduced to Wikibuy and it's a really easy to use site to save money when you're shopping on online! Wikibuy has three approaches to saving money. Their Chrome extension finds lower prices from other sellers while you shop on Amazon and will also check to see where else the product is being sold and shows the price (including tax, shipping and minus any coupons that apply) for each of those locations. You can also search Wikibuy for products, which will display all the places the item is being sold and what your cost would be on that site. And finally Wikibuy also tests coupon codes automatically at checkout and will find online rebates from participating retailers. I was able to find some great baby essentials -- like a new Ubbi diaper pail and Gerber white onesies (my favorite when Vi was a newborn), and track their prices to make sure that I was getting the best price!

Nursery Art - Kids Wall Art

FIVE: There are some great sales going on over Labor Day weekend! I already shopped the Pottery Barn Kids sale and picked up this backpack for Vi and another set of sheets at 25% off with the code SAVEMORE.

I also bought some personalized name labels from Minted at 15% off with the code LABORDAY17. Minted's baby and kid's line is on sale -- including birth announcements, baby shower, birthday party invitations, nursery and kids art, and more. Minted's Wedding line is also included in the sale.

and ETSY is also having it's first-ever Labor Day sale! I love these cute peg dolls and hand knit unicorn for Vi and a black felt letter board for me :)

Have a great holiday weekend!

-xo-

Jillian

back to school - etsy picks

2017-08-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Vi starts preschool in next week!! I'm already way too emotional about it. And when I say preschool I really mean that she's going to two half days of preschool a week, which I know is nothing compared to sending your kid to school every day, all day. But it'll still be a huge adjustment for her (and let's be honest, probably more for me!) Vi will be 2.5 yrs old next month, so we decided it was time for her to get some independent socialization with other kids her age. And I'd like her to get used to preschool before her little brother or sister arrives next year so it won't be a huge shock! Of course I wanted to find her something special to wear for her big first day -- here are some cute "back to school" finds from Etsy:

alphabet pinafore dress (the back is so cute!) / apple swing dress / alphabet dress (I ordered this dress for Vi! I really like the alphabet fabric, and the dress has pockets which I know Vi will love! p.s. if this dress is sold out on Etsy, check the seller's website) / personalized apple baseball tee / milk and cookies pencil case / donut case (the pineapple and pencil cases are cute too!) / unicorn pencil case (I also like the robot pattern) / retro apple dress / first/last day of class chalkboard sign (I like that this is reusable) / bear backpack (the rifle paper floral pattern is cute too) / smiling apple tunic / personalized school bus tee

Mamas if you have any tips or books that will help make the first day go a little more smoothly please let me know!

-xo-

Jillian

baby number two!

2017-08-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! We shared some big news this week -- we're having another baby!! So I thought I would answer a few questions about baby number two!

ONE: How have you been feeling? TIRED. I was convinced I was pregnant with twins because I was SO tired all the time! (I'm not, they checked!) I guess I really underestimated how tiring pregnancy would be when I spend most of my days chasing around an active toddler. So I finally took the advice I ignored when Vi was a baby, and I nap during her naps! Thankfully I'm starting to feel a little more energetic and otherwise I feel great! I've had a few food aversions (mostly meat related) and the first few weeks I only wanted to eat bread, cheese, and pizza. I also had zero energy or interest in working out during most of the first trimester, so my bump is coming in a little faster than my first pregnancy!

TWO: What about your Crohn's? Unfortunately since it's a chronic disease, my Crohn's isn't going anywhere. So far my symptoms have been under control and that's probably because I've continued to take my medications. When I was pregnant with Vi I took Humira throughout my pregnancy, but this pregnancy is going to be a little different. After I was hospitalized last December I was put on a new medication that makes this pregnancy fall into the "high risk" category. We talked to my GI doctor and consulted with high risk OBGYN about all the risks that would be involved before I got pregnant. I have been seeing my OBGYN every two weeks to make sure the baby is growing on schedule -- so far it is! And we already had some genetic testing done and I am very grateful that everything looks good! I'm praying the rest of my pregnancy goes smoothly and I'll do my best to avoid any flares.

THREE: Were you surprised? YES! With Vi it took us over six months to get pregnant, so I was shocked when I got pregnant after the first month. However, that's not to say we weren't ready! Since we knew that this pregnancy would be "high risk," we took a lot of time to weigh out all of the risks and waited a while until we were both ready to try. So when we saw that positive pregnancy test we were ecstatic!

FOUR: Does Violet know she's going to be a big sister? YES and she talks to the baby almost every day. It's adorable. The other day she lifted up my shirt and said "I gonna protect you!" and gave my stomach a kiss. It was so sweet, I almost started crying. She also asks to watch the "baby video" -- referring to the What to Expect When You're Expecting baby development videos on my phone. It's pretty amazing to see her eyes light up when she sees a baby on the screen and then she pats my stomach.

FIVE: Are you going to find out the gender? YES! I wish I was patient enough to wait, but I'm not and thankfully neither is H. I'm sure I will share the gender with family and friends and here eventually -- BUT we are going to keep the baby's name a surprise until she or he is born.

-xo-

Jillian

safe toys for babies + toddlers

2017-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went to the flea market and I found a really cute vintage Fisher Price Circus Train set from the 70's. And then, after doing a little research on Google I quickly discovered that most toys from the 1970's used lead paint!! Children who are exposed to lead can develop headaches, stomach pain, behavioral problems, and anemia. Lead can also affect a child's developing brain. We all learned about the dangers of lead exposure for children after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, but I didn't think I had to be worried about lead in children's toys! I found this information about toys from the CDC really interesting:

Paint: Lead may be found in the paint on toys. Lead was banned in house paint, on products marketed to children, and in dishes or cookware in the United States in 1978. But it is still widely used in other countries and therefore can still be found on imported toys. It may also be found on older toys made in the United States before the ban.

Plastic: The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. Lead softens the plastic and makes it more flexible so that it can go back to its original shape. It may also be used in plastic toys to stabilize molecules from heat. When the plastic is exposed to substances such as sunlight, air, and detergents the chemical bond between the lead and plastics breaks down and forms dust.

Needless to say I won't be buying any more vintage toys, and in the future I'm going to try to do a little more research on where Vi's toys are manufactured and what materials they use. I found some great non-toxic and environmentally friendly toy options:

Plan Toys makes all of their toys in a sustainable factory in Thailand, and they only use non-toxic paints and materials.
Grimm’s Spiel and Holz is a wooden toy company based in Germany. They make high quality, handcrafted toys from sustainable hardwoods and then finished the toys with water-based stains and/or linseed oil.
EverEarth toys are made from sustainable, FSC-certified wood, and water-based dyes.
Maple Landmark has made eco-friendly, educational wooden toys, games and gifts in Middlebury, Vermont since 1979.
Bannor Toys is based in Iowa, they make non-toxic handmade wooden toys either left unfinished or finished with beeswax and/or flaxseed oil.
Under the Nile specializes in 100% fair-trade, GOTS certified, organic Egyptian cotton toys and clothing.

for toddlers: Plan House Dollhouse (I'm adding this to Vi's Christmas wish list!) / Plan Toys Farm Animal Toy Set / Plan Toys Camera (Vi plays with this all the time) / Plan Toys Fruits and Veggies (I like how you can cut the fruit apart) / EverEarth Jr. ramp racer race track / Grimm's Pastel Rainbow Stacker Set XL size ( a smaller Rainbow in Primary Colors is also available)

for babies: Natural Maple School Bus / Plan Toys Stacking Ring / Under the Nile Scrappy Cats / Grimm's Rainbow Bead Rattle / Plan Toys Dancing Alligator / Bannor Toys Heart Rattle

Green Toys is another great company! Their toys are made in the USA and use 100% recycled plastic from milk jugs that are free of BPA, PVC and Phthalates.

for toddlers: Tea Set (Violet got this set last year and she still plays with it all the time) / Airplane / Dump Truck / Farm Playset (on Vi's Christmas wish list) / Sand Play Set for babies: Shape Sorter, Elephant-on-Wheels

Do you have any more eco-friendly / non-toxic toy brands that I should check out?

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. See my toddler toy picks from Etsy here!

loving lately: black + white

2017-08-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

If you couldn't tell by my office space post a few weeks ago I'm really loving black and white lately. And to be honest, I wear something black almost every day. Here's a few cute black and white picks for mama + mini:

la luna art print / tie-shoulder eyelet top - there are so many things to love about this top! the ruffles, scallop hem, and eyelets are so pretty / tassle ball earrings - so retro and fun / serena sandal in black - I have these in tan and I LOVE them! / scalloped shorts - these have been on my wish list forever / isa slide sandal / embroidered floral top - okay technically this is navy and white, but I'm obsessed with the floral pattern / liam waterproof booties - on sale $99 from $149, I've tried on a million pairs of booties and these are one of the first pairs that I've liked -- but unfortunately I can't find a size that fits! ugh... so bummed, they would be great for Fall and Winter because they are waterproof! / lace liana triangle bralette - pretty and only $32 / into the woods art print

softspun cap sleeve tee - I bought a different softspun sweater last Fall and it's SO comfortable! / slim ribbed stripe tee - you can never have enough stripes! / bien fait tote bag - this would be cute to take to the library or farmer's market / ruffle tank top / gibson twist front sweater (not pictured) - on sale for $40 - I bought this in burgendy and now I want it in black too!

It's surprisingly difficult to find cute black and white clothes for toddlers, but I found a few things for my two-year old:

bow headband / kissing mickey + minnie mini melissas - these are about half the price of these new ones / eyelet three-quarter bell top / skinny polka dot pull-on jeggings / mosaic bow romper - I want this in my size! / panda pjs

-xo-

Jillian

friday five

2017-07-21T08:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Christina, April, and Natasha to share five things:

multi-color hearts / rainbow / rocket ships

ONE: We still haven't transitioned Vi out of her crib. She sleeps great at night and she isn't trying to climb out, so I don't really want to mess with it. But when she's ready for a "big girl" bed I already have her sheets picked out! I just bought a set of heart twin sheets and I love the rainbow and rocket ship prints too. Mamas, what do you recommend -- keeping your toddler in a crib with the toddler rail? or should we just switch her to a twin size mattress on the floor right away?

pink adidas / cubs light blue / gray adidas

TWO: I've been helping H with a lot of outdoor yard work lately, and it'd be nice to have a baseball hat to keep the sun out of my eyes. I'm not into sports at all so I'd rather not get a hat with a team logo. Although, the light blue Cubs hat is cute...and I've been to Cubs games before that makes it ok right?

eyelet criss cross tank dress / eyelet spaghetti strap dress / in my shopping cart: floral romper
THREE: I keep finding super cute clothes for Vi -- thank you Gap reward points! She officially has a much better wardrobe than I do. Too bad she usually insists on wearing the same dress ALL the time. It's getting so bad that I have to hide some of her favorites.

FOUR: What have you guys been watching this summer? I'm loving this season of Younger (you can catch up on old episodes on Hulu or Amazon!). H and I are almost finished watching season two of Fargo. And I loved the last season of Veep!

FIVE: The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is finally open to everyone including non-cardholders (yah!!) I know there's a ton of sale posts out there, but here's what I purchased: adidas sneakers / striped top (I bought this top last year but I got paint all over it) / waterproof booties. And here's what's still on my wishlist: tie front sweater / a new bra! / a comfy cotton tunic for Fall / fresh sugar lip set / a lightweight plaid shirt for layering.

Have a great weekend!

-xo-

Jillian

living room update for summer

2017-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: Thank you to Duralee Fabrics for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

After I finished our living room makeover Vi got sick allll over our mohair buffalo check pillows... life with a toddler is never dull :) As much as I liked our plaid pillows, I decided to take this opportunity to look for "summery" pillows for the room. I knew I wanted something blue with a pattern to go with our dark indigo velvet pillows and cream pillows. I found this photo on Pinterest and I fell in love with the geometric pattern and light blue "frost" color. So I tracked down the vendor, and Duralee Fabrics was kind enough to send over a few yards of fabric. I had my favorite seamstress (thanks mom!!) sew a set of 20x20 throw pillows and I love how they turned out!

The Frost blue color has been discontinued but the same pattern is available in gray and key lime.

Duralee Fabrics has a lot of other great options to choose from -- here are my favorites:

Natural Blue Stripe / Natural Blue Dot Lines / Putty Diamond

Thank you again to Duralee Fabrics for the beautiful fabric - I love my new throw pillows!

-xo-

Jillian

conscious closet find: waremakers

2017-07-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: Thank you to Waremakers for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

A few months ago I shared a post about building a conscious closet. And today I am excited to share another great shop to add to my list! Waremakers' mission is to promote a culture of buying fewer, better, lasting goods. They partner with independent producers from all around the world to offer a wide range of high quality items for men and women, and your home and office. They also tell the stories about the people, process and materials behind each item so shoppers know where the items they are buying come from (see all Maker stories here). I really love their collection of wallets, bags, and purses:

natural: large clutch (made in London, England) / everyday shopper (made in Aarhus, Denmark) / kongehoeje shoulder bag (made in Mors Island, Denmark) / passport case (made in London, England)

tan: card wallet (made in Carmarthen, Wales) / gia bag (made in London, England) / eric bag (made in London & Manchester, England) / robin bag (made in London & Manchester, England)

black: hebe bag / peggy bag / polly card holder (all made in London & Manchester, England)

Waremakers was kind enough to send over a new wallet for H (Violet threw up on his last one!) The slim wallet was designed and made in Switzerland. It's made out of vegetable-tanned calf leather and it's really soft in person. H likes it's minimalist and functional design.

-xo-
Jillian

friday five

2017-06-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Christina, April, and Natasha to share five things:

watercolor flowers / I'll take two burgers stripe / Positano / ketchup and mustard

ONE: I'm hosting a cookout for some friends in a few weeks and I just sent out our invitations through Paperless Post. They have so many cute online and printed options to choose from.

cottage white blackout curtains / pink tassel curtains

TWO: We finally got blackout curtains for the master bedroom and Vi's bedroom! I used to have trouble staying asleep in the morning, but our new curtains do a great job at blocking the sun. They have made a huge difference in my sleep!

THREE: We're in the process of getting our siding, trim, front door and shutters painted. And before the work got started, our painter sent over a color consultant from Benjamin Moore to help us pick out the perfect colors. I had a general idea of what I wanted -- beige for the siding and trim and black for the door and shutters. But there are a TON of options out there so I was grateful to have a second (and professional) opinion. We decided on Lime White -- it's a popular exterior option to use if you want to match the mortar color of your exterior brickwork (which was exactly what I wanted!). And for our shutters and front door we chose the black color Midnight Dream, it's not a super bright black and I think it'll look great against our red and orangish bricks.

dragonfly / quatrefoil / lion (on sale!) / pineapple / modern rectangle (on sale!)

FOUR: To complete our exterior makeover we also purchased a new door knocker! The last one had the previous owners' last name on it, so we knew we wanted to get rid of it ASAP. I'm excited to share a few images of the makeover project when everything is finished -- hopefully next week! Any guesses on which door knocker we went with?

halter wrap / ruched femme / plunge v-neck / scalloped v-neck

FIVE: We've been at the pool a lot this summer, so I've been on the hunt for a great one-piece swimsuit. I ended up trying on a LOT of options from J Crew. I loved the halter wrap suit, but the "wrap" detail makes it way too easy for a toddler to grab on your top and flash everyone at the pool. The plunge v-neck one-piece didn't work with my small boobs, but I really liked the silky soft fabric. I'm generally not a fan of ruching so I was skeptical of the ruched femme swimsuit, but it's super flattering and it holds everything in. And I still want to try the scalloped v-neck suit!

Have a great holiday weekend!

-xo-

Jillian

office space

2017-06-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: Thank you to Destination Lighting for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

When I blog and do other graphic design work on the side, I'm usually sitting on my couch in the living room with my (hot!) laptop on my lap. So now that we have the space -- an extra guest room downstairs, it's probably time for me to have an actual home office. For my office I want to keep the decor pretty simple -- black and white with just the essentials: a desk, chair, some great art, and a pretty (and functional) lamp.

I love this black and white Riviera side chair! Since I can't convince H to put Parisian bistro chairs in our kitchen or dining room, I thought the next best room would be my office. I also like this Vienna black wood chair and for something a little more comfortable this upholstered chair. For my desk I don't need anything too big, but it would be nice to have some drawers for storage. The ALEX desk from IKEA is on sale (under $150!) and I like it's simple and modern design. I also like this classic but more expensive option. Keeping with the black and white theme, I picked out two gorgeous prints from Minted: the Lula abstract art print and Days in Paris art print. I want to use my ceramic pencil cup from Target (under $10!) and it'd be nice to have a small clock (also here). And finally, Destination Lighting was kind enough to send over a beautiful aged silver Pharmacy Lamp and it's is one of my favorite lamps in our house and it motivated me to get working on my office space decoration plans!

-xo-
Jillian

birthday wish list

2017-06-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm turning 32 next week and I'm really happy with life. I'm healthy, I have an amazing family, and we're lucky enough to live in a house that we've stayed in long enough to hang up frames (Yess!) So as far as wish lists go, I'm all good! I actually went back and forth about doing this list...are you ever too old for a wish list? But like everything on this blog it's fun to look at old posts and see what I was into at a specific time in my life... so here are a few things that I've had my eye on:

New records usually end up on my wish lists, and I always want "oldies" that I know I'll love like Stevie Wonder and Van Morrison. H already surprised me with a Diana Ross and The Supremes album :) Birthdays are a great time to ask for pretty things that you'd never buy yourself -- like a watercolor Peony Tea Towel! I'd love a Straw Market Tote for the pool. I used my favorite Christmas candle from Candlefish (No. 52) up this winter, so I'd love another one. I love almost everything in Caitlin Wilson's line -- but her blue stripe and Santorini floral pillows are my favorite! Beauty products are always welcome! Aveda rosemary mint shampoo + conditioner smells great and makes my hair so shiny. Butter London Cotton Buds + Smith and Cult Plastic Beach Nail Polish would be perfect for bright white manicures and hot pink pedicures. A new travel case set for Vi's diaper bag/future trips would be nice-- this one from Cuyana is really pretty. And I had to add this pair of Pink Lace-up Bow Flat Sandals - yep. I'm obsessed.

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. here are those old birthday wish lists if you want to take a look: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2011 :)

best books for toddlers

2017-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Violet still loves to read and we try to go to the library at least twice a week for story time and to check out new books. We read a lot of books at home and I get so excited when we find a book that my two-year-old AND I both like.
Here are 15 current favorites:

Rosie Revere Engineer - I LOVE this book! Rosie is an imaginative little girl who with the help of her Great-Great Aunt Rose (#girlpower) learns to believe in herself and follow her dreams.

The Fox in the Dark - It's a shame this book is so expensive on Amazon! (and I can't find it anywhere else online) It's one of our favorites and it's really fun to read. Check to see if your local library has it available to checkout!

The Wonderful Things You Will Be - Vi calls this the "baby book" because it's filled with pictures of babies and kids. The story makes me sentimental about being a mom and I can't help but think about all the wonderful things my own little girl will grow up to be!

Triangle - I love the minimalist design of this book and the characters -- Vi likes the unexpected ending.

Gaston - A bulldog and a poodle learn that family is about love not appearances.

The Watermelon Seed - This is another beautifully illustrated book. It uses bold colors to help tell a silly story.

Mustache Baby (I like Mustache Baby Meets His Match even more!) - Hilarious books with perfect illustrations. I'm pretty sure Vi thinks some babies are born with mustaches ;)

The Giving Tree - I loved this book when I was little. But when I read it now as an adult I have mixed feelings about it. Even if the overall message is unclear, it does teach about feelings (happiness, sadness, loneliness), selfishness, selflessness, caring and giving.

Harold and the Purple Crayon - This book celebrates a child's imagination in the most creative ways.

Horrible Bear! - A sweet story about forgiveness.

M is for Me Personalized ABC Book - I love this book because it exposes Vi to a lot of different words (one for every letter of the alphabet!)

Put Me in the Zoo - I find a lot of Dr. Seuss books to be super tedious to read (Fox in Socks drives me nuts). But this one is cute and it's just the right length.

Where the Wild Things Are - This is a timeless book that is fun for mom and dad to read!

Corduroy - This is another classic book that has been a favorite for years. I also appreciate that the little girl in the book is African American. I'd love to find more children's book that have celebrate diversity. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Wolfie the Bunny - A cute story about a new baby, sibling rivalry, bravery and love.

---

Violet also loves a vintage Walt Disney's Mother Goose book from my grandma. It includes some pretty questionable nursery rhymes that we skip (I can see why they don't teach "The Old Lady in Lived in the Shoe" in grade school anymore). But it's really cute to hear a two-year-old recite "Hickory Dickory Dock" and "Old King Cole."

Scuffy the Tugboat - I'm not really a huge fan of this book. But I LOVE to hear H read it to Vi in a squeaky Southern voice. She must like it too because she wants to hear it almost every night.

Do you have any favorites that I missed?

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. I rounded up our favorite baby books HERE + more toddler board books HERE.

8 family photo session tips for summer

2017-06-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

When Violet turned two in March I really wanted to have family photos taken. But at the time we had a lot going on -- we had to pack for our move, finalize the renovation details for our new house, and plan Vi's birthday party. Needless to say the photos never happened. So when Lindsay from Photography by Lindsay (Pbl) reached out to see if I wanted to work together I got really excited. And after I saw all the gorgeous photos on her website and Instagram page, I emailed her right away to set up a summer family photo session.

We quickly found a date that worked for both of us. And then Lindsay sent over Family Session Location Guide with a detailed list of sites to choose from. The list also included photos from previous sessions so I could get a feel for what our photos would look like -- this was so helpful! She also sent over a Family Session Prep Guide with lots of tips for the day of the shoot. Below are four of my personal favorite photo session tips and four tips from Lindsay:

1. Pick out your child's outfit first. This is our fifth photo shoot as a family and I always pick out Violet's dress first. For me, our family photos are more about her than us and I want her to stand out. After I choose her outfit, I will pick out what I want to wear and then something that goes with those colors for H. I'm personally not a fan of super matchy matchy outfits...they can get awkward.

2. Keep your dress/top child friendly. I was all set to wear a black v-neck dress for this photo session and then I bent down in front of the mirror at home to pick up Vi and I was showing a lot of cleavage. I decided to go with something a little more modest for the photos so I had one less thing to worry about. You don't want to have a great photo ruined because mama is trying to pull up her top :)

3. Keep your jewelry and accessories to a minimum. When Vi plays with my old statement necklaces she looks like Mr. T. -- HA! Trends come and go and I cringe a little bit when I think about all the enormous gold necklaces I used to wear. So I like to wear simple jewelry that has personal significance for family pics -- for example in our holiday photos last year I wore a gold locket my grandma gave me.

4. Leave the stuffed animals or other props at home. It's distracting. You want to see your child's face not Snuffy the elephant. (Although not all props are bad to have on hand! -- Lindsay had a small, simple white rocking chair and it was perfect for Vi to sit on in a nearby forest).

from Lindsay:

5. Don't make other plans the day of the session. Having an active day could make the kiddos extra tired. I typically schedule sessions leading up to sunset if possible, so this could make for some extra, tired kids. The time the sunsets changes throughout the year ranging from late afternoon to evening. Try to do a late nap (if your child still naps).

6. Eat before your session. It's super important to have kids with a happy, full belly. We don't want Hangry Kids (or parents) for photos.

7. Take a break every now and then! If your child is getting antsy or cranky during a photo shoot, let them play for a little bit. If they are in a better mood they will look happier in the final photos. (I LOVED that Lindsay took breaks with Vi and I think it helped to get her smile a little more during our shoot).

8. What to Bring: diaper bag, snacks, stroller, change of clothes for kids (just in case!), drinks (sippy cup or bottle of water), wipes for messes, brush/comb, hair clips or bobby pins, outfit extras (shoes! bowtie, etc.), pajamas (if need be) to change in to when the session is over and for the ride home.

If you're in the Chicagoland area and you're looking for a photographer for your family, a birthday party, engagement, wedding, high school graduation portrait, or any other special event I would highly recommend Lindsay!
-xo-

Jillian

p.s. In case you were wondering -- Lindsay took a LOT of photos, these are just the blog-approved ones :)

loving lately: pink shoes

2017-05-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

I've been seeing pink shoes all over Instagram and now I really want a pair of pink sneakers AND sandals. and I'm sure my pink-obsessed two-year-old would love a pair too :)

sandals: one / two / three - I love the braid detail / four - scallops AND tassels! / five / six

sneakers: one - loveee -- but I'm not sure I can pull them off / two / three / four

toddler picks: one / two / three - perfect for summer / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine

Which pair is your favorite?
-xo-

Jillian

toddler swimsuits

2017-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

We took Vi swimming for the first time over the weekend and she loved it! I have a feeling we will be at the pool a lot this summer. She looked so cute in her little swimsuit it made me want me to buy another one. Here's some cute options for toddlers and little girls:

gingham: cobalt blue - I love the pink scallop detail / pink (similar suit for mama) / navy - I have a similar swimsuit so I'm tempted to buy this one for Vi so we can match! / monogram pink ruffle - this one is sooo Southern! It's also in blue

patterns: floral - I love this retro tropical print / sprinkles - Vi has this suit and it's SO cute in person! / watermelon - the watercolor watermelons are so fun! / flamingos

stripes: neon blue and pink / cherries / black and white one shoulder (matching for mama) / watermelon (matching for mama)

-xo-
Jillian

one room challenge: dining room final reveal

2017-05-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: Thank you to Destination Lighting, Minted, and VivaTerra for providing products for this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

It's the final week of the One Room Challenge! I'm so excited to finally share photos of our finished dining room! It's one of my favorite rooms in the house. Here's a quick reminder of what the room looked like before:

I knew right away that I wanted to remove the carpeting, columns (why?!!), crystal light chandelier, and install new hardwood floors and paint the room. I shared more information about the paint color I chose and our dark hardwood floors in this post.

And now for the "AFTER" photos:

Adding the Capri Waves Print in a Brushed Silver Frame from Minted added so much personality to the room. I love it and I'm glad we went with something abstract.

I found the prettiest watercolor Navy Grid Napkins on Instagram (Yao Cheng has so many beautiful things in her shop and everything is made in the USA! I was such a fan of the Grid Napkins I also bought a set of Honey Berry Napkins to put on our side table. And now I have my eye on this tea towel.) Anyways I kept the table setting simple with our white dinner plates, navy placemats over Chilewich Silver Placemats. And a Hurricane Vase with a Pillar Candle as the table centerpiece.

Our Silver Delta Chairs, Gray Cushions and Shayne Drop-Leaf Table fit perfectly in the room with the Oversized Pendant Drum Light I blogged about in week four.

I managed to sneak in two Paris prints in my favorite Brushed Silver 5x7 Frames on the wall we normally store Violet's highchair.

White Serving Platter + White Scoop Bowl + Honey Berry Napkins

Cookbooks: Charleston Receipts Repeats, Love and Lemons + Cravings

I needed something to balance out the dining room table and the rest of the room so I was really excited to find the perfect buffet/side table on Destination Lighting. I was tempted to go full on blogger and use it as a bar cart, but my husband and I don't really drink so it'd be the saddest bar cart ever. I decided to use it to display some of my favorite things. I bought a lemon post card in Paris on our honeymoon (almost five years ago!) so I'm happy I finally got it in a frame. The larger lemon print was a wedding gift. I love my new Balloon Vase from VivaTerra -- the vase one-of-a-kind and made out of eco-friendly recycled glass. It's the perfect vase for faux blossom stems. (I initially filled it with silver dollar eucalyptus stems from Trader Joe's but after a day they looked rough!)

I'm so happy with how our dining room turned out and I had so much fun participating in the One Room Challenge! See other makeovers HERE!

-xo-

Jillian

See all of my One Room Challenge posts: week 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

loving lately: lemons

2017-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've loved lemons for a long time so I was excited to add a few of my favorite lemon prints to our dining room. And now I want all the lemon things :) here are a few of my favorites:

sugar lemon eau de parfum / c.o. bigelow lemon hand treatment / lemon plates / lemon grove pillow / lemon drop tea towel / lemon tray / lemon pillow / rifle paper co market list / lemon iphone case / citrus print

and of course a few lemon picks for my mini me:

little lemon lady dress / circle lemon dress / headband / ruffle trim top (the dress is cute too!) / romper

-xo-
Jillian

gifts for mom

2017-05-05T08:57:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is one week away! I'm excited to celebrate early with a tapas lunch date with my family this weekend. H's birthday is always the weekend of Mother's Day and my birthday falls around Father's Day so once we became parents we decided to save the gifts for birthdays. So this gift guide is more like an early birthday wish list ;)

Beaches - everyone loves a good coffee table book / Mini Tassel Bag - this pretty bag comes in blush and black too

IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Color Awakening Lip Treatment in Pink (also in Natural) / Smith & Cult Nail Polish - for summer pedicures / Paris In Bloom - you can't go wrong with gorgeous photos of flowers in Paris / Enamel Locket (also here) - a sweet way to keep your family close to your heart

Potted White Hydrangea - These flowers will last a lot longer than your typical bouquet / The Love & Lemons Cookbook - I just ordered this cookbook and I can't wait to try out some new dishes

Have a great weekend!

-xo-

Jillian

one room challenge: art options

2017-05-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Minted. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

I'm back for week 5 of the One Room Challenge! I'm almost done decorating our dining room and next week I'll be sharing lots of "after" photos of the room. Until then let's talk about art! Initially I planned on using this pretty Paris print from Minted:

I like the Looking Over Montmartre print because it's one of my favorite places in Paris and Paris is also where my husband and I went on our honeymoon. I thought the black and white photo would look great on our navy walls. My husband liked it too, but he thought it might be fun to mix things up and get something more abstract since we already have travel prints all over our house. Minted has a LOT of gorgeous abstract art options to choose from. Here are my three favorites:

Movement of Light and Water

Capri Waves

Pamela - I considered getting this print for our living room too!

Which one is your favorite?

I can't wait to show you which print I picked next week!

-xo-

Jillian

friday five

2017-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Christina, April, and Natasha to share five things:

ONE: I am so excited to start wearing my spring and summer clothes again! I just bought these white jeans and I love them. Here's a few other things on my wish list: salut tee / fresh sugar tinted lip treatment / lip & cheek color / sandals (cheaper option here) / off the shoulder swing top (I tried this on last week and it's really cute! and it doesn't feel like it's going to fall down.) / scalloped shorts. Also loving this ruffle tank and straw tote.

TWO: What are you watching on TV right now? I watched the last season of Girls and Big Little Lies (so good! I liked it even better than the book). I just started watching the new seasons of Veep and Catastrophe. And thanks to H, I've also been catching up on old episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm which I never watched before but I'm loving now.

THREE: After a little hiatus (which I'm blaming on our move) I started reading again! I picked up Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein from the library and I can't put it down. Shrill by Lindy West and The Misadventures of An Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae are also on my reading list.

FOUR: I got my hair cut last weekend (yah!) and picked up some much needed product (also here). I use a small amount on my hair before I blow dry it and it makes my hair really soft.

FIVE: Mother's Day is coming up! And Open Door Shop -- one of my favorite Charleston shops -- has tons of great gift ideas! I'd love to try some new recipes in the dude diet cookbook and Gwyneth's It's All Easy cookbook. I also LOVE their collection of terrafirma platters -- the oval platter in cobalt honeycomb and large stack tray in cobalt strata are my favorites. Their collection of wood pineapple bowls are perfect for entertaining and they come in three different sizes: small, medium or large. And the leaf paper placemat and set of 4 gold leaf glasses would be fun for a summer party :) Follow Open Door Shop on instagram for more entertaining ideas! And use the coupon code CORNFLAKEDREAMS online at Open Door Shop for 20% off your order until 5/5/17.

Have a great weekend!
-xo-

Jillian

one room challenge: lighting

2017-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's week 4 of the One Room Challenge and today I'm going to talk about picking a light fixture. I initially wanted something very modern for our dining room. I picked out three options to show my husband and paired them with our dining room furniture (I think visuals help a lot with the decision making process).

Brayden Studio Corvus Sputnik Chandelier / Ink + Ivy Gold Chandelier (also in bronze) / Robert Abbey Jonathan Adler Sputnik (also in gold) / delta silver chairs / white table

He wasn't a fan of ANY of the options. Meanwhile I started to become super excited about sputnik lights after seeing them all over Pinterest. I showed him these dining rooms:

one / two
and he still wasn't impressed.

He eventually told me that if I really wanted a sputnik light just go for it. But what I really wanted was for us both to love the space.

Our new home is a very traditional 2-story brick house, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the modern chandeliers I picked out don't really "fit" with that traditional exterior. And after seeing this dining room:

I decided it wouldn't be so bad to play it safe and keep the lighting simple. I ended up buying a similar oversized white pendant drum light and H and I both love it!

It works with our furniture and it's still modern without being too "in your face". Not to mention, if we ever decide to move again we don't have to worry about potential buyers being scared off by a modern light fixture right when they walk in the door.

A quick note on our floors -- our contractor removed the old carpeting in the dining room and installed new hardwood floors and stained them. We used a 50/50 mix of Jacobean and Ebony Minwax stains (top on the samples below) to get the final dark stain color. I love our dark floors but it's true what they say -- they scratch easily and you can see every crumb on the floor! So not exactly the best mix for a toddler. But we've reduced scratching by putting felt pads on our furniture legs and Roomba helps with the crumbs.

I'll be back next week to talk about artwork and all the finishing touches!

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. you can see my other ORC posts here: week 1, week 2, and week 3.

white table lamps

2017-04-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've had a lot of fun decorating our new home -- our living room is finished and we are making progress with our dining room. But there's still a few rooms that need some love. Our master bedroom is a mess. It's the only room that still has boxes in it -- most of them are filled with frames that we still need to hang up. And I think it's time to finally buy some table lamps for our nightstands. I don't know what it is about table lamps -- maybe it's because I've never had them -- but they make a room feel so grown up. I want something simple that will work with our white furniture in our room. I think white or beige lamps would look pretty in the space, here are eight options that I've had my eye on:

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight (my favorite!)

And if you want a little color -- this one is fun!

Which lamp is your favorite?
-xo-
Jillian

one room challenge: finding the perfect paint color

2017-04-20T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm back for week 3 of One Room Challenge and I'm sharing a major update in our dining room! Before we purchased our home I spent a LOT of time on Pinterest looking at paint colors and I driving my husband crazy comparing different options. There are way too many options out there!

Our dining room opens to the foyer and it's the first room that you see when you walk into our house. So I wanted to make sure that whatever color I picked for the dining room worked with the rest of the colors in the house.

I already decided on using Sherwin Williams Zurich White for the foyer, kitchen, hallways, and living room -- it's a great neutral grayish white and Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray for our downstairs bathroom, playroom and Violet's room. We used both of these colors in our last home and I loved them. I also wanted to use Sherwin Williams Let it Rain -- a grayish blue -- for our laundry room and upstairs bathroom. The colors in our master bedroom, upstairs guest bedroom, and H's office were fine so we left them alone. That just leaves the dining room!

I used Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue in our master bedroom in last home in SC. I liked it, but H always referred to it as the "little boys room" -- so that color was out.

I decided I wanted something richer and darker for our dining room. Benjamin Moore has really helpful tools that allow you visualize their paint in a room. After a lot of research I narrowed down my choices to Hudson Bay and Hale Navy. Here is Hudson Bay in a dining room similar to ours with white wainscoting on the bottom:

Same room in Hale Navy:

HALE NAVY! Hands down. I love how dark it looks in the room and it's totally different from our old bedroom. And it looks great with rest of our color scheme:

Here's a quick reminder of what we were working with "before":

And now our dining room with Hale Navy paint on top -- with our new unfinished hardwood floors and the same old chandelier:

Also in case you were wondering... I drove myself crazy trying to find the "perfect" white, I spent a lot of time looking up different shades of white on Pinterest. I ultimately gave up and told my contractor to use whatever they normally use on walls. And it's perfect. So sometimes I guess it's OK not to over analyze everything!! :)

What do you think -- did I make the right choice?

-xo-

Jillian

p.s. you can see my other ORC posts here: week 1 + week 2

minted's semi annual foil event

2017-04-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Full Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Minted. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting brands that support Cornflake Dreams.

Minted's one-of-a-kind gold, silver and rose gold Foil-Pressed wall art, wedding invitations, and birth announcements are all on sale during their semi-annual Foil Event! Save 20% off with the promo code SHINE. Below are my favorites:

These pretty art prints would look great in a kids room or a nursery: chicago map / under the microscope (my favorite!) / custom footprints / you are so loved

It's been awhile since I've looked at Wedding Invitations but I love this modern gilded foil-pressed invitation, and this beautiful feminine floral ampersand foil-pressed invitation. The silver foil adds such a classy and pretty touch to both designs.These adorable Baby Announcements make me wish I was pregnant again! I love how the silver branches frame that sweet little baby on the willow announcement and how the little rose gold stars sparkle around the shine bright announcement.Minted is also hosting a graduation event with 20% off foil-pressed graduation announcements, 15% off all other grad cards and gifts. The effortless and etched in love announcements above are both way cooler than my high school graduation announcement!

Both promotions end 4/24, use the promo code SHINE to save!

-xo-

Jillian