// A Sappy One

I've been having a time of it lately... Trying to process watching Toby grow up before our very eyes. To think back a year and a half ago now (wow!) to when we got custody... he was so timid and quiet. His personality had yet to really blossom. Now he's constantly on the move. He has reasoning ability and opinions. He understands his actions have repercussions. And he's so very polite (even if it kills me, he'll be polite!)

Now the title "Mommy" is reserved for when he's upset, for whatever reason. In the general day by day I'm simply "Mom" and that's okay. My heart breaks just a little when I think about how much he's grown up. I miss that sweet little chubby face from when he was barely a year old. But at the same time I cherish the conversations I have with him now. My heart swells when he asks to ride along to run tedious errands with me. Every morning he greets me with "Hey mom, want me to check the mail for you?" He'll lend a helping hand at home without even realizing it's typically considered more of a "chore" than simply being kind. But that's just who he is... kind. 

All of these thoughts and emotions started rushing over me when I picked him up from our bed the other night (where he fell asleep) and carted him over to his room. I laid him down, tucked him (and Jumpy, his kangaroo) in, and kissed his forehead (no need to push his hair back now that it's all gone! Ah, that's a whole other can of worms!) I whispered "I love you" as I started to pull away and he wrestled around and murmured "I love you, too". Well, to be fair it was more of a "eih lohh eh too" haha, but I knew what he was saying. 

He's never going to be this small again, and I'm trying my best to make sure I cherish each and every moment. Even the ones where he's kicking and screaming up a storm because he simply doesn't understand something. Despite how easily I may become frustrated on certain days, I pinch myself constantly because I know just how lucky I am. Mike and Toby have given me the very best gift of all, and that's the gift of being a mom. I wasn't given the gift of motherhood by biology, but that doesn't mean I don't feel it 110% in my heart. Toby has taught me so very much about life in the past year. I know we're in each other's lives for a reason.

What an amazing little man.

// Things I Love Thursday v.137

♥ these "Poehler-oids!" ha ♥

♥ this little elephant is having a good time! ♥

♥ ...just starin' at myself. ♥

♥ this is SO cute! ♥

♥ that tongue! ♥

♥ would you give this "blind date" for books a go? ♥

♥ this is the heart of the Congo, shot using dead-stock infrared film! ♥

♥ this whole amanda bynes thing is really sad, but this tweet was gold. troll or in need of help?♥

♥ this is a "virtual market" in japan! scan what you want + it'll be delivered to your home!  ♥

♥ love this photo of manhattan ♥

♥ an honorary master's degree was given to a service dog who sat thru every one of owner's classes ♥

// How about a "Juggalo OKCupid Tumblr" blog?! Oh yes, it exists. And it is magical!

// My favorite song by my favorite band just turned 10 years old. Here, have a listen!

// Restaurant allows unemployed patrons to work for a meal. I love this business plan so much.

// "Stop Rescuing African Children Through Corrupt Adoptions" This was a really interesting read.

// Ashley just posted an extended introduction on her blog and I loved reading it. She has such a cute space on the 'net!

// "I Was Outsted As A Boy Scout Leader For Being Gay, And I Will Not Allow My Son To Be A Scout Again Until Their Policy Is Equal"

// New bits and bobs over at The Northern Sea: this antiqued cicada ring (!!!), a chevron ring (love the layered look), and the leaf ring in gold (and silver, too!) Can you tell I'm totally into rings right now?! haha

// Carrie Anne always has the most interesting guest posters on her blog. The latest about Greenwashing is no exception! I feel like I always learn a lot when I pop by her place. (I love her Snapshots posts, too! Fantastic links)

// Wishlist Wears: I love the coloring of this mint chiffon dress (with pink and white!) // i love this peach dress so much! oh my stars // this black and white graphic dress // I NEED this horse belt! // tortoise sunglasses with a fun shape // this dress is the perfect mix of daphne + thelma from scooby doo i think! // i love these bright red sandals, and the $17 price tag // black bauble bib necklace // the perfect striped beach bag // lazy oaf "weirdo" tote // nautical bracelet with anchor!

// "The Great Online Dating Debate: Am I Too Successful To Date?"

// ROXY GOT MARRIED! Look at these darling preview photos!

// "My Tattoos May Make Men Think I'm Easy, But They Also Make It Easy To Meet Men"

// Karen was tagged in the "25 Questions" meme - I love stuff like this!

// Beluga bookends! How cute!

// Don't forget! We'll be with Honeybean at Porter Flea tomorrow night and all day Saturday! There are still a few preview market tickets available for the party on Friday night (21+). Then Saturday we'll be open 10am - 5pm! You guys HAVE to come see all of the new goodies we've made/procured! I'm so excited! Are any of you planning on dropping by?

What are you loving this week?

// Swan Dive

Yeah, I'm totally starting the blog post with that picture. Whatever. These photos ended up being way underexposed so please excuse the janky Lightroom hackjob on fixing the exposure. My bag looks like it's glowing but that's really basically the truth. This thing is HOT pink. Like, the most neon pink you can ever imagine. And because of the fabric, it just reflects an insane amount of light. I should probably tote that around if I find myself walking on a dark road at night haha This white lace dress is another find from JCPenney. I swear I'm not getting paid to shop there (though that sounds like a fun gig!). But there's seriously so much good going on in there! I topped it off with my striped swan cardigan and it was the perfect outfit for Saturday's errands in Nashville. I also wore my light pink bib necklace that I recently got via StitchFix! This necklace is awesome. I must be tardy to the party when it comes to the bib necklace trend but I am making up for lost time!

Speaking of StitchFix - I received my 30th fix last week (WHOA!) That should probably be embarrassing to admit, but I'm a loyal Stitch Fix fan so I can't help it. I've got a permanent stylist at this point it seems (Margaret - she's amazing!) and I am always so impressed with how far she goes to get me something she knows I'll like. She's even scoured my Pinterest boards and emailed me to keep me in the loop! Love that so much. I'll probably go to my grave preaching the Stitch Fix gospel haha Have any of you given it a go lately? If not, here's an invite! If so, what'd you think?

My holiday-weekend-acquired tan is finally in full force. My freckles are out and about and they make my tattoos look like they've been splattered with brown ink dots. Freckles are my absolute favorite thing about summer so bring it on! I'm also loving what the sun is doing for my complexion. I wear makeup with built in SPF but one thing I notice is when the sun comes out in full force, my face becomes the clearest. I love not even having to slap on tinted moisturizer sometimes. Just some pink on the cheeks and mascara, then boom! Good to go! I'm going to do a litte write up about my favorite tinted moisturizer though. I could sing about it from the rooftops, too! I swear, when I find something that just works for me, I become the most loyal avid follower. Moisturizer, Stitch Fix and JCPenney... you're currently rocking my world!

Also! We did a limited run of 5 (of the 15+) envelope pillow shams we'll have at Porter Flea this weekend + made them available for online purchase! There are only 3 of each design available. The ones up for immediate purchase are the hot dog print, analog camera, vintage mcdonalds, mushrooms, and pastel donut designs! You can shop those HERE! (Free domestic shipping!) -- I also have a very limited number of custom painted wooden signs up for grabs! They range in size and price, but can be made to say/look however you want! These make *the best* wedding gift - So thoughtful and unique! Feel free to email me (kaelahbee@gmail.com) if you want to order one! They're selling like crazy mad so reserve yours quickly!

JCPenney dress
Swan cardigan c/o LOVE clothing (2 years ago)
Bib necklace via Stitch Fix
MIA Jukebox wedges
Neon pink bag via Marshalls

// Patriot

Happy Tuesday, friends! Phew, what a weekend! I'm finally home and actually back in my office for the first (real) time in over a week. Last week was Porter Flea prep (and still is) and this past weekend was spent on the go. Saturday we had errands and bit to do in Nashville, and we met up with Sarah (from Yes and Yes) and her friend Darcy at Mas Tacos for a delicious lunch. Then we high tailed it home to rush to my little cousin's dance recital. Immediately following that we loaded up our cars and headed to the river where we camped until yesterday. I didn't even look at my phone the entire two days we were down there. It was amazing. We grilled out, had a campfire, broke in the RV, took out the boat, drank a lot of beer, got entirely too much sun, and watched Toby have the time of his life. It was the perfect mixture of sun and fun. Of course I managed to get too much sun and even with boat loads of SPF, my sleeve swelled up and burnt. The pain coming off of my forearm yesterday was indescribable. A mixture of what felt like ninth degree burns (ha) and tendonitis. Luckily it wore off and now I just need my red body to turn into a tan one. We all had such a blast though. I think the whole unplugging bit really helped, too. It's not hard for a lot of people to unplug, but I usually stress out about missing an email or something. Just goes to show how much we inflict on ourselves. I hope I can start unplugging more often (and spending more time at the river!)

Remember last week when I made the quip about owning all of the blue and white polka dot dresses? Well, here you go again! Nothing special or amazing about it, but it is another one of those awesome JCPenney finds. It could probably use a few accessories, but in all honesty it was the perfect run-around-town outfit for the day. At this point I think I just need to order about 2 more backup pairs for all 3 of the MIA Jukebox wedges that I have. I seriously wear these shoes more than any others (except my trusty tan Target flats... they're my new "black flat crutch" haha). They're the perfect wedge in height, comfort and style. My nails have been painted yellow for the past couple of weeks, but I actually swapped it out for a peachy coral the other day. That's not the point I was getting at: My nails look diseased! Ugh, that yellow is seriously such a gorgeous shade when applied, but the aftermath is straight up icky. It doesn't help that my nails are chipped and broken from working with my hands the past few days either. It's a little bit embarrassing to be honest haha 

As I said up above, I'm finally back in the work saddle for a few hours each day this week. I'll be working on design work and sponsor bits during that time. If you're looking for either a new look for your blog/biz, or maybe some new customers/readers, shoot me an email and let's work together! We head out Friday morning to get set up early at Porter Flea, then we'll be in Nashville until Saturday night. There's a canoeing trip on Sunday but Mike and I aren't sure we'll feel quite up to speed to attend. A 10-mile float that takes roughly 12 hours?! Yow. I think I got enough sun this past weekend to last me quite a while! Speaking of Porter Flea - there are still a few Preview Night tickets left. Friday night's event is from 5pm til 8pm and you'll not only get a leg up on shopping, but you'll also get plenty of delicious beer and snacks. It's 21+ and you can find out more at the Porter Flea site. The best part about Friday? Skipping out on the insane crowds! December's event was absolutely insane. I hope everyone comes back for the summer event this weekend! Let me know if you'll be there!

JCPenney dress
MIA Jukebox wedges

// Summer of Kintage Giveaway!

This giveaway is so exciting to me! Aileen wanted a fresh new concept for this month's Kintage giveaway and her idea was spectacular: Offer up one lucky winner the chance to pick her favorite piece each month of summer and have them delivered in style! Yep, one of y'all will get to pick your favorite Kintage piece in June, July, and August! In case you're not familiar, Kintage is an adorable online boutique specializing in affordable, attainable fashion. Aileen works diligently to source and stock the most adorable styles for every day. Lately the "New Arrivals" and product sneak peeks have been out of this world! (Seriously: She posted the most adorable yellow and white dress on the Kintage Instagram and I'm counting down the days until it's listed for sale!) Whoever wins this giveaway is going to be a very very happy lady!

Visit the Kintage shop and tell me what you'd pick for June! 

(You can share your premature July + August picks, too - if you'd like!) Leave a comment below with your choices, and a way to contact you if you win!

(Totally optional! But please leave a separate comment for each!): Like Kintage on Facebook ♥ Follow @Kintage on Instagram ♥ Follow @ShopKintage on Twitter ♥ Tweet this: I hope I win the Summer of @ShopKintage giveaway on @kaelahbee's blog! KaelahBee.com"

Overall that's 5 ways to enter! I'll choose a winner at random next weekend and announce shortly thereafter! Good luck! Have a safe and happy weekend! xo

PS; Once Kintage reaches 1,000 IG followers, Aileen is giving away multiple $50 gift cards to the shop! Plus it's awesome to get a heads up about new arrivals, and help in the decision making process!

Congratulations JaeTea Skywalker!

// Holy Guacamole! (+ Happy 4th Birthday Georgia!)

First and foremost: Happy birthday to our sweet little baked potato, Georgia! I say that like she can, you know, read my blog or something, but whatever. Today she is 4 years old! (Mike's dad's birthday is the 22nd, then my blog on the 23rd, then G on the 24th haha) Seriously, she's FOUR! What?! How?! I remember the day I went to pick her up. Ah, my heart! I get all weird about her birthday when it rolls around because I think about the "expected lifespan" of bulldogs and then I cry because I feel like it's already halfway over. Then I think I'm ridiculous because I spend more time worrying about the inevitable than just hugging on her and spoiling her with treats. That big ol' butterball turkey is my baby so I can't help it. I just love her so much. And now I've realized I've spent all of this time blabbing on about it. Today we're going to treat her extra special!

The title of this outfit post comes from Mike's affectionate nickname for this dress. When I first opened the package to try it on he was totally skeptical of the color/pattern. Luckily once I had it on he decided that he actually quite liked it, yet he still called me Guacamole the whole time I wore it. I'll just consider it a pet name, yea? I actually wore this outfit last week when we headed up to Nashville to have dinner with Elle + Bryan. We stopped off at a park in Spring Hill to snap some pictures on our way up. This dress is seriously *so* comfortable (though it runs a smidge big, FYI)! Ugh, I'm embarrassed to admit I totally slept it in for like 2 nights because it's just so lightweight and breezy. (Anyone else prefer to sleep in dresses? Just me?) I grabbed my throwback Blowfish Garrens to wear with the dress, and my new favorite "everything and the kitchen sink" IZOD bag. I also took the opportunity to wear my new name laser cut necklace from Kim! Isn't it darling?! I love the typography.

I'm currently writing this post with bandaids on 6 of my 10 fingers. "What happened?!" you might be asking... A glue gun happened. How on earth I managed to burn and blister so many of my fingers is beyond me, but I did. Typing is really hard to do and we've been pulling 14-17+ hour days working on Honeybean wares lately. That combination of events has kept me from responding to emails in a timely fashion so if you're waiting on a reply, hold tight! We've been working so hard/long that I seriously start falling asleep with a glue gun in my lap. It hasn't been my finest week but man oh man, we've been so productive! Life will go back to normal after next weekend though, and I'll be so grateful for that! 

Today we're back at it again, but we'll be taking a nice mid-day break to take our munchkin to get the long awaited hair cut. He was so adamant about having long hair for the longest, but now he's decided to chop it all off. Honestly I'm relieved. I love his long blonde hair but I'm so over saying "Get your hair out of your mouth!" 37 times a day. And being asked "Aw, how old is she? She's so cute!" haha Traditional gender roles be darned, but it'll hopefully save the honest people the embarrassment once I politely say "He's four, but just has long hair"

Do any of y'all have any exciting plans for the holiday weekend?! Tomorrow we'll be spending most of the day in Nashville, but then rushing back that evening to go to my little cousin's dance recital. Then Sunday we're hoping we'll wake up early to head down to the river in the RV. Wishful thinking (always!) but I'm so ready to break that bad boy in! Whatever you end up doing (even if it's just a normal weekend in your neck of the woods) I hope it's fun and safe! Pop back by tomorrow for a giveaway from one of my favorite online shops!

Caught Your Island dress c/o ModCloth
IZOD tote via TJ Maxx

Blowfish "Garren" platforms (c/o, 2+ years ago)
"Kaelah" wooden necklace c/o Finest Imaginary

// Things I Love Thursday v.136 (+ Happy 4th Birthday LCH!)

This little blog is four years old today! Isn't that crazy? Not nearly as old as some of my favorites, but four years ia long time for me haha It's so crazy to think that it's been four years since I was packing up my bags for my first solo stint in NYC to work at Bust magazine. Then again, it's hard to believe that was only four years ago! Things are so different now... different in a good way though. I like to get all sentimental about this little blog. It's done so much for me. It has brought so many people into my life, and so many doors have opened. I hope the trend continues well into the fifth year and beyond. Thanks for sticking around and making it a fun blog to write day after day!

Now here's a collection of lovely things to get you through the last bit of your work week!

♥ this looks like so much fun! ♥

♥ this dress!!! ♥

♥ this! i'm so fascinated by bioluminescence. ♥

♥ watch your veggies grow with this neat planter ♥

♥ these button cookies! ♥

♥ can we talk about how fantastic this necklace is?! ♥

♥ this adorable mug ♥

♥ these pillows are so cute! ♥

♥ this silly shirt! ♥

♥ this girl had the coolest life growing up! read more about her here. ♥

// Adventurer Vintage is moving out! Snag some sweet sales while they last: 35% off everything with code MOVINGSALE, then an extra 20% off of sweaters + coats. And free domestic shipping on sale items!

// This Fresh Basil Corn Salad looks delicious! (and I'm currently starving so...)

// Roxy shared her engagement video preview! Ahhh, so cute!

// Y'all... Amanda Bynes is just a whole lot of "HUH?!" -- What on earth is going on with that girl?!

// An open letter to Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries... along with some new advertising suggestions in the form of photos. You go, Jes!

// Zach Galifinakis is amazing. No doubt.

// The best thing ever: Gizoogle! Put in your favorite blog URL or Twitter username! Or even your own! Watch the magic unfold.

// Karen's pet Panda! (It's a guinea pig named Panda... but omg!)

// Amanda is selling her Oklahoma "Warrior" print to raise funds for disaster relief in her home state.

// Have you heard about this? Jose Canseco tweets the name, photo, and whereabouts of his rape accuser.  WTF?!

// Is Anyone Else Still Traumatized By Books And Movies From Childhood? Yes: Fox and the Hound. My heart breaks every time.

What are you loving this week?

// Currently

READING: I'm about halfway through three different books, but I'd be ashamed to tell you how long it's been since I picked one of them up. I stocked up on Amazon a few months back : Sophie Kinsella, Anna Maxted, etc. (My very favorite authors!) but I've yet to allow myself time to relax and read. Our hammock is fully functional and canopied by twinkelights, so I think it's about time I took advantage of the evening cool down to read.

WONDERING: How on Earth we'll be able to churn out all of the necessary product to stock Honeybean with at Porter Flea. I know my post yesterday included much of this same worry, but I'm sitting in our living room completely surrounded by craft supplies, lists, and finished products. We made a huge dent in the production needs of items last night, but we have a long week and a half ahead of us.

FEELING THANKFUL: To be self employed and able to do what I love day in and day out. Just this morning I was working out our budget for bills, Honeybean, and "fun" when I started to panic. I worked myself all up before realizing that client invoices were due and payments would be made to us today. Running your own show isn't always the most lucrative gig, but every panic session and worry is trumped by creating things with our hands and being proud of the finished product. There is both an air of excitement and absolute fear in being 100% responsible for yourself (and family).

EATING: a lot of fresh strawberries! My mom has the best little strawberry patch and each year brings a more bountiful harvest than the last. She made mention in passing how it'd be nice to own her own little strawberry farm, and ever since she said that, I've been consumed with the adorable idea. It'd be darling, yea?

WATCHING: tonight we're set to watch the season three finale of Downton Abbey. Everyone has prepared me for the "WTF" aspect, but I'm quite intrigued. We're all done with Hart of Dixie so once DA is over, I'm not sure what we'll be watching to help pass the crafting time! Do y'all have any suggestions?!

WORKING ON: felt bows, felt flowers, repurposed button items, handpainted pennants, envelope pillows, jewelry, tents, handpainted wooden signs... you name it! All in the name of handmade and Porter Flea.

LOVING: this summer sunshine! While it's about 90 degrees with 90% humidity right now, that sunshine is pretty great! (Okay, truth be told - I spend 95% of the day indoors because the air is so thick it's hard to breathe, but I do love the option of taking a break from the daily grind to hop into the pool.

ATTEMPTING: to unload the last 35 items in Kaelah's Closet! Even after they're all gone, I'll need to clear out another load of stuff, too. I wish shipping shoes wasn't so expensive because I literally have a hundred or more pairs that I'd like to sell! - If you're keen to help me clear out these items, you can take 25% off everything at Kaelah's Closet with code 'TWENTYFIVE'! :D

WANTING: someone to kick my butt into gear early on Saturday mornings in order to take advantage of local yard sales! Some of our very best finds have been from the garages of people here in town. Some of them simply don't know what they have! -- I could also really go for a coffee shop. Small town problems!

What are you up to today?
If you're looking for something to do, share your own Currently post on your blog and leave a link to it below! I'd love to know how you're spending your day! (Currently post inspired by Danielle's feature!)

// Navy + Chambray

I think this is my favorite outfit to wear as of recently. Something about the blue on blue, dots and stripes. To be fair, the cardigan came into play during a nice two-day reprieve of the heat, but I've been wearing this dress to death. I picked it up at JCPenney last weekend and seriously, that store blew my mind! I haven't shopped in a JCP in well over 10 years, though I do appreciate the Sephoras inside! I liked a dress on a recent JCP commercial so we decided to stop by while we had some time to kill last Saturday. Mike nearly never got me to leave! I probably pulled 20 dresses to take to the fitting room the first round, then we maybe stopped at another JCP on the way home haha! Every single dress was on sale and they had extra 20% coupons to add on top of everything. I was seriously in heaven! Mike even managed to find some incredibly flattering khaki shorts, too. We're planning on heading back to stock up on a few pair for him because they're the perfect length and price ($13!). This IZOD tote bag was also a major sale find - I snagged it at TJ Maxx a while back on clearance for only $15. I bought it because I knew it'd be the perfect vacation bag. It's a nice size and will come in handy for sunscreen, iPad, towels, etc. I love me a good sale find.

This weekend was a nice relaxing (albeit hot!) one. Saturday Toby and I spent the day over at my parents' house while Mike took care of some stuff out of town. We all loaded up in the evening and drove over to the Pink Cadillac drive-in to see The Croods and Iron Man 3. We popped popcorn and stocked up a cooler, then loaded up some camping + crescent chairs for comfort. The Croods was adorable and Iron Man 3 was fantastic. I was a bit distracted though, as shooting stars blew up the sky. We saw the most amazing one that looked exactly like a firework (but wasn't, obviously haha). Seeing the stars like that is one major perk of living out in the country. I don't miss that light pollution one bit! Toby knocked out in a blanket bundle as IM3 started and slept it out in the Jeep until I tucked him into bed. My stepdad saw a flyer saying that the drive in will potentially close down in August due to the cost of running it, so we're planning on seeing as many movies there as possible. I'll be so bummed when it goes - It's such a staple for growing up around here! I wish we could buy it and make it over. Wouldn't that be so fun?! Sunday was spent cleaning the house (finally!) and then lounging around over at my parents' again. Toby played in the sprinkler and then we grilled out for dinner. Being able to see our families so much is the icing on the cake for living down here. I really really thought we were going to hate it... but it turned out to be just what we needed!

After we got home last night we started pulling out some crafts to prototype and sketch. We're in crunch mode for Porter Flea which happens on May 31st + June 1st. We took on way fewer designers this go around because we phased everyone out, so we have some huge shoes to fill. We're trying to give our local customers something new and exciting, and I'm really stoked on unveiling a lot of our recent efforts. Part of me is also panicking because not only do we have to prepare for Porter Flea, but I also have to keep up with other work such as designs and sign orders. I'm not even sure why I opened up the sign shop on Etsy... I think I've sold all of 2 on there, but a few dozen via email. I've been having a lot of repeat customers lately who bought their first one for the holidays, and are now buying them for wedding season! (Seriously, they make the best wedding gifts!) I've been toying with ways to make them festival-market ready by using quotes and things like that, but I've almost run out of supplies so I can only hope to have them at Porter Flea. I guess that's a good problem to have! Are any of you local Nashvillians coming?! I'd love to see you! If we've never met, please drop by the booth and say hello!

Today it's supposed to hit at least 90* and the humidity is seriously deadly. I'm hoping I can get enough work done early on so we can sneak over to my parents' house for some pool action. Then it'll be back to the grind. The next two weeks will be pretty crazy, but shortly after Porter Flea we'll be able to pack up our swimsuits, hop in the RV and set sail for the beach! Ahh! Vacation cannot come soon enough!

Here's to hoping you have a super productive (and air conditioned!) Monday xo

JCPenney dress (similar)
Forever 21 cardigan
IZOD tote
MIA Jukebox wedges