Super Simple DIY Sushi Roll Costume for Baby

Who would have thought? We're o-fish-ally on day 19 of Delainey's 31 days of Halloween (give or take a few days because she's one and not always willing to take photos...) and it's starting to become difficult for this mama to come up with a costume idea each day especially since this little gal has such a "tempura". I mean 31 costumes is A LOT for one mama and baby to take on.

While it's been challenging, I will say it has also been a LOT of fun...

As I discussed before, it's actually really educational and rewarding for D and since I'm having to get creative and use my crafting skills, I feel like it's been a bit of a learning experience for me as well.

I mean, a good challenge is almost always rewarding - just like mastering the art of taking photos of toddlers or making perfect little sushi rolls.

That's right - today this little chumaki-chunk dressed up as one of our favorite foods... and I maki-d her costume. Ha. Get it? I'm so punny, right? 😂

If you like the way we roll, then check out the details on this oh-soy-cute costume:

I made the little rice, fish, and veggie pieces out of felt and cotton balls. I just cut little scraps up to look like a piece of "raw fish", a few pieces of cucumber, and some avocado then glued on some "rice" cotton balls.

Once it was all dry, I used a spot of hot glue and attached it to her black The Baby Bird Boutique romper [use the code DelaineyBird to save]!

I could have stopped there but, I mean, no roll would be truly complete without a little bit of smelt roe, so I just had to add that as well...

And on that note, you can't have sushi without the basics... so we had to accessorize with a custom Bloomology Wasabi and Ginger bow!

So tell me, does anyone have any soy sauce? Cause that's all we're missing from this super scrumptious little costume and I'm ready to dip her in and just eat her up!

In all seriousness though, isn't this costume the cutest? It makes "miso" happy!

DIY Baby Bank Robber Bandit Halloween Costume Inspiration

This little lady is a criminal.

Well, okay... maybe she's not really a criminal...

But she's certainly guilty of stealing my heart.

And by the looks of it, she may have robbed a bank in her day. 😁

I feel like I need to share, her daddy may or may not have said she's stealing funds for our shared shoe shopping habit... and well, his "confession" may be true.

Are you a fellow shoe-aholic looking to fund your habits? Maybe you are you looking for a super cute costume for your kiddo that's easy to put together? This is it - This DIY Bank Robber Bandit Costume is the perfect last minute getup and so easy to put together!

For Miss Delainey's bank robber costume she wore an Oakleigh top from Little Sass Boutique. Her Black Distressed & Embellished BOSS shorties are from Baby Bottoms. And the finishing touch, the little Bandit mask with a bow was created by Bloomology! For her loot bag we just used an older reusuable grocery bag and attached a little piece of paper with $$$ on it.

That's it, now you're a "smooth criminal"!

While you may not be able to score these exact items last minute, feel free to "steal" our idea and make it your own!

But, here's the thing: This costume is super adorable, so be careful not to get busted and always be ready for a quick getaway... You don't want your babe to catch any excessive cuteness charges while on the prowl.

7 Tips to Help You Perfect The "Instagram Flatlay"

Brand repping has a range of duties, from showing off the shop owners work to showing love on social media. Most of it is actually pretty easy, especially if you love the shop, already play "mama-razzi" and you just enjoy sharing on social media... ahemmmm, I'm not the only mom like that, right?

While repping isn't too incredibly difficult, one thing that takes some practice is an Instagram flatlay. I'm not saying you have to be an artistic genius to achieve a great flat lay... but I am saying you need to have an "eye" for product placement. I don't know if it's the years I put in as a retail manager (shout out to Francesca's Collections) or if I'm using my "painting knowledge", but I absolutely LOVE putting a flat lay together. It's almost like I've created a true masterpiece whenever it all comes together and makes an eye-catching image... and today I want to share how I achieve that look.

Want to perfect your flatlay? Here's a few tips to help you up your game! Oh... and be sure to give us a follow (@Sunkissed_Sweetheart) so you can see these babie and a ton more

bubble romper from k&e couture || bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows

1. Keep a theme - Instead of going all willy-nilly, choose a "theme" and stick with it. I recently did a few travel related flatlays for some of our favorite small shops. I included things that I planned on having Lainey wear or play with while we were on vacation. Soon I'll be doing Fall and Pumpkin Spice themed flat lays! The possibilities for a theme are absolutely endless, so just pick one and stick with it. Grab that flamingo romper and then walk around the house looking for all things tropical, it's easy once you get the hang of it... and kind of fun to find little bits of your daily life, like baby's favorite book or toy to photograph and capture forever.

bubble from skyroseco || bow from Kenzie's Kollections || sunglasses from Carter's

2. Use a basic background - This one is easy-peasy. Score a foam board from the $1 store and use it to photograph your goodies. It makes your background crisp white and if you use an editing program, it's easy to adjust the white balance and perfect your photo even more!

3. Natural lighting is the key - This is true for all photography, in my book. Natural is best. It looks better and is easier to edit straight off of the camera, so find a well-lit table top or use the futon in your guest room, just chase the indirect sun and find the perfect lighting!

outfit from matilda jane || bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows

5. Find your style - Here's the thing... there is actually more than one way to do a flat lay. You can build a little tower of adorable-ness and share a "stack lay". You can do a daily post and include an #ootd flatlay that showcases what baby will wear and play with each day, you can only photograph one item, standing alone (which would make for a great "stock photo" type shop image for marketplaces like etsy)! There really are tons of different ways to go about showcasing items... but the easiest is kind of a random, eclectic way of showcasing items. Just placing them perfectly on the foam board and adjusting until it looks just right.

6. Such great heights- While placement of the items is key, making sure you take the photograph from the right angle is of prime importance as well. You'll want to be above your surface, able to shoot from directly above, allowing each item in your flatlay to be showcased perfectly. I use a stool and lay my flatboard on the ground, but do whatever works best for you!

7. Don't take it too seriously - While achieving a great flatlay is something some are able to do on their first try, for others it takes a few times before a shop notices your talent. Don't fret. Just keep working on your flat lay game and I guarantee shop owners will notice and begin reposting soon! Also, don't be scared to try something different. Pair pink converses with a purple outfit, if you like it. Think outside the box and enjoy sharing!

bubble: heart and thread

Brand Reppin' FAQ - The What, Why, & How of Repping Small Shops

I keep starting to type up all of these posts about brand repping - including posts about who we rep for, why we rep, how we achieve our lighting indoors and outdoors, etc. but I never end up hitting "publish" for some strange reason. I actually have had people ask me what brand repping is... and why we do it... and it's something I've really had to think about.

So, instead of trying to summarize our repping experiences, favorites, tips, etc in one post, all through the month of August, Delainey and I are going to share our favorite boutiques, some of our tips for repping, maybe even a few insider secrets. Want to chat about something specific? I'd love to hear your ideas so please shoot me a DM on instagram or email me!

With that said - mamas, go grab a glass of wine.
Potential brand reps, go grab your sippy! It's time to talk shop, y'all.

Let's start with a handful of simple questions.

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows, Top from Creek Baby & Co, White Denim from Baby Bottoms

What is a brand rep?

Basically, a brand rep is someone who represents the brand by taking high quality photos, promoting the brand and engaging with the brand, and ultimately, helping the brand grow. In exchange for helping the brand, reps typically get items for free or a hefty discount, whatever you decide upon making it a mutually beneficial exchange.

Bow from 21 blessings, leo from Brooklynn & Grey, socks - from a friend

How can your beautiful little bundle of joy start repping?

Well, sometimes it just happens and companies reach out if they find you via a random hashtag... but most of the time - you have to enter rep searches to be chosen. To enter, typically, shops have you repost a graphic on instagram promoting their search with a little about your kiddo in the caption, sometimes searches ask for information via email, and sometimes shops hold searches within their VIP facebook groups too.

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows, Tunic Dress from Ricrac & Ruffles, White Denim from Baby Bottoms

What are shops looking for during rep searches?

It's not a cute kid contest - they all will tell you that! Typically, shops want bright, clutter-free, crisp and clear photos. It's best if these photos accentuate and bring attention to the product. Happy, curious, introspective, funny, moody, and lifestyle type of shots seem to be the most popular - but each brand rep has their own style and once you start to rep, you can of find where you fall in the spectrum!

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows & Romper from Ricrac & Ruffles

Why rep?

Well... while I adore the big names we work with and the opportunity to spread awareness about our favorite brands at Target or Walmart via sponsored posts, I also have a soft spot in my heart for small shops. There's just something so special about handmade, specially crafted just-for-you items.

From Delainey's bows to the little gladiator sandals that go between her toes, I'm a huge fan of mixing and matching clothing and accessories from all of our favorite shops and spreading the word about all of those shops with you and my other friends. It's amazing to watch something a friend of mine made, with their own hands, go nearly viral with popularity when I post it on D in a facebook group or instagram. It's even more amazing to know that I'm helping a family live by sharing photos of my sweet girl.

That's what it's really about for Lainey and I. Spreading the word about our favorite shops, helping them to gain success, and also making friends and shopping buddies along the way. It's cool to get free and/or discounted clothing... but it's really cool to know I'm helping a fellow mama support her family doing something she loves by providing her with a little bit of advertising for her business. I suppose it's a bit like pro bono work since I'm a blogger first and foremost, but I just can't help but share these cute handmade shops work!

Bow from Chloe & Piper, Tunic Dress from Ricrac & Ruffles, Socks - from a friend

What exactly does a rep do?

Delainey and I receive items in the mail and within 3-7 days we provide high-quality photographs to our shops and then we spread the word. We talk about the new items on social media, we post in groups all over facebook, and when someone asks about her clothing in public, I even write down the shop names. I provide a discount code, for some of my shops, and they can track if I'm bringing in sales when that code is used. It really is a bit of a job, but I prefer to call it our "hobby" since Delainey seems to enjoy dressing up and I know I enjoy photographing her.


With that said, it's time for another rep shoot so I'll end the first part of our Reppin' series here.

5 Easy Steps to Perfect Your Instagram Feed + Gain Real, Engaged Followers Quickly!

I absolutely love social media. From Pinterest-inspired DIY projects to Facebook contests, the world of social media has provided me with a web of amazing things. One platform that really stands out in a creative sense is Instagram, I love how inspired I can get after flipping through some amazing feeds and I really love when I can inspire others with my own feed.

So that's what I've been working on lately, trying to "perfect" my Instagram feed in a sense. You may have noticed this if you follow me (ahemmmmm, if you don't follow me then you probably should, so just go ahead and click here). I'm trying new things out, using creative new ways to enhance my images and just really trying to make sure that I put my best foot forward on that platform, I even changed my profile and updated my profile picture.

Then I realized, there's lots of Instagrammers out there trying to gain a following as well. We all love sharing photos on Insta, that's why we use it, right? Well, today I want to share five steps to perfect your Instagram feed and gain real, engaged followers quickly.

Step 1 -  Get a Clear Focus + Establish Your Aesthetic: This step is a combined step because both parts of it are so easy to accomplish. Getting a clear focus for your Instagram profile over all will help you establish a following and guide you on your photo taking journey, but in this case I'm talking about choosing what the focus of your camera is on. All you have to do to adjust the focus and hopefully make your subject more vivid and clear is touch where the subject is located. Now, on to establish your focus on your actual profile, this is establishing your aesthetic and is so important! Whether you want to establish yourself as a pupparazzi for your new puppy and only post pictures of your pooch or serve up only fitting room fashion photos, it's up to you. Personally, I post about a little bit of everything but my food, fashion, and fitness posts seem to be the most popular.

Step 2 - Follow The Light: This step is even easier than learning to focus your camera, all you have to do is "follow the light". What do I mean by this? Simply take your photos in natural light whenever possible. If you are photographing food, set it on a window ledge or on your patio table. If you are photographing people, I suggest taking pictures around twilight so it's still light out but you don't have to worry about squinty eyes or the like. No matter what you are taking pictures of, know one thing, it's going to look a thousand times better in natural lighting!

Step 3 - Use Hashtags Correctly: Using hashtags is an art form. Whether you think they are annoying or not, they actually serve a very real purpose and can connect you with other people and maybe even companies you love. Some of the hashtags that I've been loving lately include: #NothingisOrdinary | #ThatsDarling | #ABMlifeiscolorful | #LiveColorfully. If you are looking for more hashtag inspiration check out the Tags for Likes or other fun hashtag apps!

Step 4 - Be the follower you want to gain: This is a bit like the famous quote, be the change you wish to see in the world, adapted for Instagram. You want followers that are interactive, that comment and like your content, and that genuinely want to get to know you. You need to be that type of follower in return, like photos, comment, and follow like it's going out of style and you'll notice you'll get some love in return.

Step 5 - Stay Consistent But Stay True: If you browse some of the most followed 'grammers you'll notice that their photos stay consistent to their style. Whether they are a rainbow themed account or a mainly muted pastel based account, you'll notice that a lot of the best accounts seem to edit each and every photo in the same fashion and they typically post similar content everyday. While posting similar content seems to drive in more followers and likes, always stay true to you...

#Love is all you need. 💞💋 #valentinesday #sprayroses #nothingisordinary #my_365

A photo posted by Lauren Paints (@sunkissed_sweetheart) on Feb 14, 2015 at 9:54am PST

Now that I've shared some of my instagramming tips today, I'd love to make some insta-friends! Leave your username in the comments below, or you can always follow me on the gram (and let me know how you found me) and I'll follow you back!