Adorable Hartstrings Easter Outfits #CBias

One of our family's Easter traditions is to get dressed up as adorably as possible!  I love to make my kids' Easter outfits; but, some years, that's just not feasible.  This year is one of those years, so I was so thrilled when I was given the opportunity to shop www.Hartstrings.com for a couple of cute items for Avalon and Liam!

Usually I go with one color and match everyone, but this year I thought I'd try mixing it up a little.  I normally put Avalon in pinks and purples so I decided to go a completely different direction by picking out a dress for her in blues and greens.  I knew that Liam, with his irresistible strawberry blonde hair, would be sweet in bright yellow!

When I got to the Hartstrings website, I was greeted with a pop-up window that invited me to enter my email for a 10% off coupon!  Being a savvy couponer, I jumped on that!  I looked around the site for a little bit and pinned a few things onto a Hartstrings Pinterest board that I created for future reference.  I had originally picked out a really adorable anchor-button dress for Avalon but then realized it was a newborn size!  Bummer!

One thing that I really liked about the selection on the site was that, in addition to there being lots of different colors to choose from, there were also many different styles to choose from.  This is something different from the cookie-cutter children's fashions I'm used to seeing in some other collections.

Other things I loved about the site included the mouse-over zoom to see products more clearly and the fact that, at checkout, I could see actual photos of what I'd chosen. This helped me remember what I was buying and made it easy for me to compare and make sure the colors would go well together. 

By this time, the 10% off code had been sent to my email so I was able to use that...and...I didn't realize that both the items I'd chosen were on sale!  So, with the sale price and promo code, I saved $25.35!  

At checkout, I do remember wishing that they accepted PayPal, as I do a lot of shopping with my PayPal balance.  But then, I remembered that I had a PayPal Debit Card so I was able to use that!  Yay!  I was excited to see that I was receiving Free Shipping, but I would later come to wish that there were other shipping options available.  

After receiving my shipping confirmation email three business days later, I ended up needing to call the company because the tracking link didn't work in the email.  I found out that they have quite a round-about way of getting their orders out to customers and I would have liked the option to pay to have my order shipped more quickly.  My tracking number was first scanned on the afternoon of the third business day after ordering.  I received it eight days later.  Even so, I'm glad I ordered these early enough to be able to match them with things the older kids have for our adorable Easter!

Our order arrived safe and sound and without a wrinkle!  I was impressed to open up the box and find these nicely packaged in plastic, pressed and folded!  I felt that this was a really professional presentation.  Avalon was so excited to put on her new dress that she was jumping up and down on my bed and clapping her hands!

I chose this tropical print for Avalon---it's just the right length and I love the ruffly capped sleeves.

I like the way this dress hangs and doesn't ride up when she walks.  Later, when I went to change her back out of it, I was surprised to find that it had pockets too!  The way they're cut into the dress, they're completely invisible!

I was totally sold on the crochet trim!

Liam's shirt fit him well and I could tell that he really felt grown up in it!  Both of these pieces were just the right size.  Avalon turned 3 a few weeks ago and I bought her a 3T.  Liam will be 2 in about 6 weeks and his shirt is a 24 month.

The fabrics are soft and comfortable...Liam just might take a little nap after this photo shoot!

When Avalon was born, we had several instances where daffodils ended up being her theme.  These bright colors and good quality items make me want to order more things for our little ones and do a great big family springtime photo shoot!

Happy Easter from Liam & Avalon!

To see more from Hartstrings, visit them here:

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This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  #CBias  All opinion are honest and are my own.

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Modest Dressing: Modern Regency Look

It's that time of year for me---the in-between pregnancies time when I'm so so SO tired of the maternity clothes but the regular clothes aren't quite fitting yet!  (Yes, this really is a yearly thing for me!)  One of my favorite things to do during this time is to experiment with what I have in my closet and see if I can come up with some new outfits!

Here is an idea that readers of all generations might like to try out:

I often find so many cute dresses that I'd love to wear but they're too short!  Here is a gorgeous burgundy, high-waisted dress that I found last year at Motherhood.  It hits just above my knees, which is shorter than I'm comfortable wearing. 

I found this black, flower-print skirt at a yard sale a few years ago and fell in love with it (even though I don't normally wear a lot of black).  The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was semi-sheer and I didn't like how the outline of my legs could be seen when light shined through the fabric.  So, I stuck it in my mending pile and planned to *someday* make a lining for it.  

I sprayed the two pieces inside and out with Scotch Guard to keep them from forming static and layered the dress over the skirt.

Because the top of this dress is a little big on me, especially post-maternity, I layered a lace-topped camisole from Maurices underneath.

My jewelry included this vintage-style necklace that I found at Maurices last year.  I've gotten so many compliments on this necklace---I love it!

I finished the look with a light-weight sweater (also from Maurices).

 I like to call this my "Modern Regency Look".  Whenever I wear this dress over another skirt, it reminds me of this pattern that Mrs. Jennie Chancey created for Simplicity:

 

This dress is a popular style today and is reminiscent of the lovely empire-waists and puffed sleeves of Jane Austen's England.  

Here's an image from Ackerman's Repository of a Regency lady wearing a Spencer jacket.  I suppose my little black sweater could serve as a Spencer jacket for my modern-day walking dress!

Hmmm, now to find me a bonnet...

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This article was published in The Christian Home Magazine, Issue 37.  Check out this great online magazine here!

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