Sayulita Love

Casa Palmar (with the Sayulita Love rocks in front)

It's been a couple of weeks since our glorious tenth anniversary trip to Sayulita, Mexico. We had such a good time there. The town is such a breath of fresh air and very different from our previous trips to Cabo and Riviera Maya.

We stayed in the villa pictured above, Casa Palmar. It was so beautifully decorated with concrete floors and walls, painted concrete tiles and an outdoor kitchen, bathroom and patio that overlooked the beach. They have a larger villa for bigger groups (on the first two floors), that is equally beautiful and accommodating. We will hopefully go there again when we take the girls. If you're interested in staying there, you can find more info here:

https://www.sayulitalife.com/palmar

In addition, the Sayulita Life website above provides a ton of helpful Sayulita travel tips.

The view from our balcony

Our adorable outdoor bathroom and the beautiful painted cement tile

I've loved Mexican decor for a long time, and I was so inspired by the villa caddy corner to us. This may be where I retire...

We also stumbled upon this adorable inn called Mi Pueblita that had just opened. They have this stunning courtyard and pool. It looked like a wonderful place to stay also.

Mi Pueblita courtyard

A seating area just off of the pool

Hammocks in the courtyard

A plant wall in the courtyard

I just couldn't get enough of all of the hand carved wooden benches and furniture

Isn't this wood so perfect with the rich tapestries???

This IS going in my home

The other wonderful surprise was all of the amazing shops in town. We visited so many, I've forgotten most of their names, but we came home with blankets, pillows and a comforter for Mila's soon to be big girl bed, ceramics, and wooden carvings. It was all so wonderfully priced and well made. When Marco and I were first married, we would take trips to Reynosa to shop and buy decor for our first apartment. We haven't been able to do that in several years, but we definitely made up for lost time.

This is the adorable store where we got ceramics and Mila's pillow and blanket for her big girl room

The fishing was AH-MAZ-ING! I've never been fishing like that before, where you throw your line in and real in a big fish, and then another, and another. Our sashimi and ceviche fed us for more than a couple of our meals.

Mahi Mahi, a.k.a Dorado

Ceviche fresh from the ocean

Fresh home made sashimi

For our anniversary, we took a day trip to the Marrietas Islands and the Hidden Beach. It's a car trip back into Puerto Vallarta to catch the boat, but it was so so worth it. These beaches are environmentally protected, and very secluded but it was such a nice thing to do to commemorate our tenth anniversary. We paid for the photography package and came back with so many amazing shots.

The Hidden Beach

Swimming under the rocks to get to the Hidden Beach

If you're thinking of taking a trip to Mexico, I highly recommend Sayulita. It's just such a breath of fresh air. This eclectic surf town is so rich in culture, nightlife, food, people and just plain fun. I hope this blog post has captured the essence of the town and makes you want to visit very soon!

XOXO & Sayulita Love,

Fashion is Dead

Sayulita, Mexico October 2018

Fall Trends: I'm sharing my shopping list!

Maybe it was our nice, cool 99 degree day on Tuesday, but I feel fall coming. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I'm optimistic that this year we'll have an early, long cool fall. My friends in the Northeast probably aren't loving the vibes I'm putting out, but they don't get 105+ degree heat for 20-30 days. So, I'm getting a jumpstart on my fall wardrobe planning, and now, so are you.

Moody Fall Florals

1. You all know I love florals. They're carrying into fall with a fun dress, an oversized jean jacket and a pair of flat cowboy booties. Yes, remember those bad boys from the 90's??? They're back and I can't wait. I always welcome trends that will fit into my lifestyle and these boots will be as good as last season's Chelsea boot.

2. My obsession with the 90's continues. This was the decade that encompassed the majority of my adolescence, so it would make sense that I'm welcoming its return with open arms. Denim. A-Gold-E. You might remember the long cutoff shorts I posted about this past summer. Well, I LOVE this denim brand. It's all cotton and it just brings back memories. They're great, high waisted awesome jeans. They'll take you back in time and have you feeling oh so current all at the same time. Music to my Gemini heart!!! I'll be pairing them with a great white tee and the black booties.

3. Blazers and rocker tees. This will continue from last fall. Its just such an easy way to dress when you want to look casually fly.

4. Basic additions. I'll be updating my flared denim this year. Here's the style I've had my eye on for quite a while. It's definitely a splurge for denim, but I love her trousers so much, it will be completely worth it. Decisions, decisions...

XOXO,

Alison Salinas

Fashion is Dead

Swimwear through motherhood

This entire post makes me nervous. Super nervous. Putting a picture of yourself in a bathing suit into the blogosphere is nerve-wracking, to say the least. And after having three kids, forget it! Never! But every decision I make now is in terms of how I would advise my girls if they presented me with the same question. Would I discourage my daughters from posting (very tasteful) images of themselves if it wasn't up to the unattainable standards that exist in the fashion industry? No, I wouldn't. I mean, you never want your children to post things that are in poor taste or will come back to haunt them later in life, but I do want them to love themselves and appreciate their bodies for their strength and their God given natural abilities. I don't want them to be ashamed of themselves. I want them to know appreciating yourself is putting body positivity into the world. So, I'm taking the advice I could one day give them.

Swimwear didn't become a big issue for me until after I had Ava, my second (and largest) baby, although none of them were small. She was a whopping 10 pound, 23 inch long baby girl. And with her came diastasis recti. But before that, I'd never given swimsuit shopping a second thought. It wasn't something I stressed out about. Boy, did that change. Since having our third daughter, I've become less self-conscious about it, but it still bothers me. I find myself longing for my perky chest and flat tummy of years past. I have a feeling I'm not alone in this. But I also try to appreciate my body and the things it has accomplished. Because its a crazy blessing to have the ability to carry, deliver and breastfeed three thriving, healthy little girls.

On to this summer's recent vacation. I found this black one piece from @SweatyBetty and thought I would give it a try. After trying it on for the girls, Ava told me it was "so so cute." To which Isla promptly told me that it was a little "inappropriate" because it was a little too plunging and didn't cover my entire backside. Isn't it funny how their personalities are exemplified in these two simple comments. But I decided that these are two of the assets I wanted to highlight. So I kept it. And I LOVED it! I felt so confident in it all week long on the beach. I felt confident playing with the girls in the water and sand. I'm usually worried that my strapless styles will get pulled down. I have a two piece that I love, but we'll work up to photographing and posting that. I'm just not there yet.

Sweaty Betty Curve one piece (black, navy or white)

I've pulled together this style and some similar styles that I think you all will love. I'm also loving these large straw hats right now. They're a cross between Weezer's in Steel Magnolias and a style Gucci has available. So you know it's good!

And, just in case you think this is all too perfect, I had this suit on inside out the entire time. Because, you know, #momlife and you never get two seconds to get dressed in private.

XOXO,

Happy Shopping!

Alison Salinas

Fashion is Dead