Friday's Fancies

Happy friday everyone! I don't know about you, but I sure am glad this week is almost over. It's been a crummy one in this household with both kids sick. My husband has been gone for the past month now for work. He's due back home next week but the entire time he's been gone I've been crossing all my fingers and toes hoping that neither the kids nor I will get sick. We had a good run, we almost made it. 

For anyone following me on Facebook, watch your news feed because I've recently discovered what a great outlet it is for sharing collages of new trends and current obsessions. Just let me know if I start to get a little overboard.

So as it turns out, this week's friday's fancies is all centered around food. What can I say, I do like to eat. Hope you have a great start to the weekend and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. xx

I have only just discovered these little doughnut peaches and am kicking myself for not trying them earlier (obviously never quite mastered how to 'not judge a book by it's cover'). These little peaches are quite genius. It's flattened shape means you can walk around snacking on them without making a mess. I know I know, hastag firstworldproblem. 

Starting the day off bright and cheery with a rainbow breakfast treat of fruit loops, organic yoghurt and organic strawberries. I am constantly on the lookout for ways to reinvent the most mundane meals to satisfy my picky eaters.   

Could not resist taking these adorable chopsticks home with me. Tried justifying it by telling myself I will start my kids off young. It has not worked yet. My two year old still eats with her hands.

My sister is quite the master baker. How cute are these cupcakes she recently made for a baby shower!?

She also made the adorable three tiered birthday cake for my older daughter's first birthday last year.  

Savouring as much fresh fruit as I can before the end of summer. It's been a nonstop rotation of strawberries-cherries-peaches in this household.

Friday's Fancies

Friday is almost over and I am still here putting together this friday's collection of polaroids. My excuse is... well I don't have one really. I spent the day at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, enough said.

This week was a good one despite some unexpected news. The highlight was a little midweek getaway with a few girlfriends and all our kids. One of the things I enjoy most about being an army wife is the amazing people you meet who comes from all walks of life and are joined together under a common cause. We all live in close proximity to each other, our husbands all work together and our kids are all roughly the same age. The sense of community here is really strong and quite different to civilian life. I would consider this little community to be quite segregated from the rest of society. We live in the outskirts of major cities. The entire population is mostly made up of military families and contractors. There is no real interaction with the outside world unless you leave the town. When deployment comes around, swarms of soldiers leave together leaving behind their spouse and children. In those times, your friends really do become your family. I know this blog is called {camo meets couture} but I rarely write about military life. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my world.



Day spent at the manmade beach resulting in the most horrible tan for myself (see instagram @jeneechen) and no signs of sun whatsoever on either of my kids. Sunscreen really is a wonderful product. I really should be using it on myself too and not just the kids.

My daughter's and their bff's. How many people can say that they were friends since before they were born? When I was pregnant with my first, my good friend was also pregnant resulting in our two girls being born two days apart. When I fell pregnant the second time, the same friend also fell pregnant resulting in the birth of our other two girls born two weeks apart. These four were destined to be friends for life. 

Cloud gazing is a favourite passtime of mine. In my much younger days I use to want to be a meterologist. I would bury myself in books memorising different cloud formations and their scientific names. Seriously, who's ever heard of someone say they want to be a meterologist when they grow up?

My little one just loves to smile. Her aunt once asked me in all seriousness if she had a smiling disease? These toothy grins just get me each time. 

Dear Nordstrom, thank you for your yearly Anniversary Sale. I look forward to them each year, especially when they coincide with Tax Free Weekend like this year!

Friday's Fancies

Phew what a long week it's been! My photographer has been out of town this week hence the lack of outfit posts. Here's a look at some of the things the kids and I got up to. It's been a week of mischief (on their part), summer storms, outings to the beer garden (with the kids in tow, ha I won't even begin to explain that one) and lots and lots of cleaning. Did I mention the word cleaning?

This week I have also started my fundraising campaign to help raise money and awareness for Pin Down Bladder Cancer. It's one on those lesser known cancers that is no doubt equally as deadly. For the month of July I will be incorporating their limited edition PDBC pin into my outfits each day. You can follow me on instagram @jeneechen to stay up to date on how I style the pin. I would greatly appreciate your support and ask if you would kindly donate $1 for each day I wear the pin (there are only 12 days left so do the maths, but really any amount would be greatly appreciated). Thank you in advance. Together we can Pin Down Bladder Cancer once and for all. @PinDownBC #PDBC
                                                                Happy weekend all! xx

I do not know how many times I've mentioned Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream on here but they are seriously addictive. This week I decided to try out Wildberry Lavendar and Mango Lassi along with my favourite Salted Caramel. 

Love taking time out during the day to just sit and read. Luckily for me, I have an abundant amount of magazines I still need to get through. 

Ah yes, this is the stuff memories are made of. What's a childhood summer without a little indulgence. 

How cute are these mugs? I picked them up at my local TJ Maxx for myself, my sister and my cousin. Guess which one is which?

My girls are Olympics ready! Their team USA outfits have arrived. For anyone following the Ralph Lauren controversy, these say they are made in Peru. 

Red Balloon Inspiration

I cannot believe my baby girl is turning ONE in two month's time! It seemed like only yesterday when I was planning her big sister's first birthday party. Good news is, this year she will get to celebrate her birthday in Australia just like her sister did. To all my Aussie friends reading this, yes you're all invited :)

While scouring Pinterest for inspiration (where else of course) I came across a lot of fantastic party themes and ideas but none of them screamed out to me. What I kept coming back to was the picture of Banksy's girl with the red balloon. That got me thinking, how fantastic would it be to create a birthday party around that piece of graffiti? To my surprise (and slight dismay) there isn't too many red balloon themed parties out there. Here are some pictures I've found that I'm feeling particularly inspired by. Enjoy! xx

via: weheartit.com

To my two girls who may read this one day in the future. Just like Banksy's balloon girl, may hope and love never be too far from your grasp. 

via

Friday's Fancies: Father's Day Edition

In celebration of Father's Day this upcoming weekend I thought I'd dedicate this week's Friday's Fancies to my wonderful husband who works 12 hour days yet still comes home to play with the kids, wash the dishes and spend time with me.

This photo was taken a few hours after the birth of our second child. At 4 hours old, my little freak of nature was already propping herself up on her elbows and curiously  examining the world around her. 

Just another ordinary day in Armytown. Watching them fall from the sky is a bit like watching dandelion seeds fly through the air. Yes, that's my husband up there, yes he jumps out of planes for a living.

I knew I had myself a winner when I found out my husband loved shoes as much as me. I swear he has more pairs than I do. Here's a partial look at his boot collection. 

Excluding our honeymoon, this was the last vacation we took as a couple. Just 18 more years till the kids are off to college, then we'll be able to pick up right where we left off and continue traveling the world. 

There's nothing hotter than watching grown men goofing off with the kids. After typing that last sentence all I can think of now is Ryan Gosling. I bet he'd make a great dad too. 

Wardrobe Diaries: Playing House

If you had asked me where do I see myself at this age five years ago, never would I have imagined myself happily married with two gorgeous little girls. Yet here I am in small town USA, living the life of an Army wife and raising our precious children. A world of difference from my previous life of city dweller/architect/foodie/urbanite. It's true what they say, "life happens to you when you're busy making other plans."  I love this crop top I picked up recently from Nasty Gal, the fabric is luxurious and the lace and silk combo gives it a vintage vibe. When it comes to clothing, I do believe in quality over quantity. Well-cut pieces in beautiful fabrics will never go out of style. 

{ j.crew skirt similar here . jigsaw blazer similar here . nasty gal crop top . victoria secret tank similar here . nine west pumps similar here and here . louis vuitton bag . j.crew seersucker headband similar here . j.crew bib necklace worn backwards }

Friday's Fancies... Mother's Day Edition

Continuing on with the theme of Mother's Day I thought I'd dedicate this week's Friday's Fancies to the two sweetest little monsters to have graced my life and made it oh so eventful.

It's amazing how we all start out the same way- tiny, pink, swollen, and screaming for dear life. 

Flaunting my belly, yes I contemplated whether I should share this photo or not. I was known for not hiding under loose tops and baggy pants during my pregnancies. 

Sweet smiles from my little girls make all the sleepless nights and endless cleaning worth it.

My mum bought me this Tiffany & Co. pave ring to celebrate my passage into motherhood. I wear it on my pinkie as a constant reminder to set a good example for my girls. 

Recent photo taken at a Sesame Street concert hosted by USO.