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Image: WWD

A decade has come and gone by in a flash. It really has been the fastest decade of my life. The majority of it was spent raising kids, working, and establishing a home. Over the course of the decade, I’m sharing some of the lifestyle trends that defined each year.Disclaimer: By no means is this a definitive list of all trends, but more of a personal reflection of the decade trends that I participated in or adopted in aspects of my own personal life.

A lot of these trends I foresee carrying over to this new decade as some of the trends are also non-trends suitable for daily life and everyday style, such as classic fashion pieces that never go out of style, a less is more approach (in the home, with material possessions, and consumption), wellness, plants and gardening, and high quality and crafted foods designed for both entertaining and everyday sustenance.

Here is my decade trend recap (as best as I can remember!) from each year:

2010: Macarons are at every dessert table, subscription boxes (produce, meals, clothes, beauty, etc), wedge sneakers, skinny jeans, photo collages, booties are a closet staple, festival wear, street style bloggers are the go-to for inspo, #ootd

2011: Succulents are everywhere, cheese boards/charcuterie boards are a kitchen entertaining staple, garden beds and container gardens are the norm, colored denim skinnies, millennial pink

2012: Fiddle Leaf Fig, boho interiors, Birkenstocks are back, peplum, lighter and brighter interiors replace dark furnishings

2013: Boyfriend jeans, the year of Moscow Mules and the copper mug theft across America! Rose all day! Farmhouse everything thanks to the HGTV hit FixerUpper, LaCroix’s comeback, foil ballon number and letters

2014: Blazer capes, coats worn over the shoulders as capes, Doc Martens reemerge, cropped jeans, mom jeans, the lob (long bob), essential oils, KonMari Method book changes life

2015: Midi dresses, off-the-shoulder tops, slip-on sneakers, athleisure, backless loafers/mules, fanny packs/hip sacks, embracing the art of Hygge

2016: 90s revival: bodysuits, crop tops, high-waisted pants, lug sole boots, the block heel, faux fur coats, animal print, faux stems and greenery are more than acceptable

2017: Midi skirts, culottes, paperbag pants, bras and bralettes worns as tops, hikers as everyday shoes, chunky sneakers (again 90s), wildflower loose stem bouquets, floral arches, floral garlands, eucalyptus, IG Stories

2018: Balloon garlands, biker shorts, dad sneakers and Tevas comeback (again 90s), snake print, olive trees

2019: Neutrals, microbags, slip dresses (again 90s), organic earthenware, pottery, mixing metals, earth tones, Amazon The Drop

What are some of the decade trends that you are bringing with you into 2020 and beyond?

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

It is a Monday for all, but for us it’s a big, big day.

Today, our first born son Jonah turns TEN. Double digits.

I feel like 10 years has really passed in the blink of an eye.  I know that sounds cliché.  I remember the first moment I saw him and held him.  When they laid him on my chest, I remember the fussy expression on his face upon entering the world. I remember how the late summer sun felt beaming on my newborn and me as we sat outside the back deck while I held him skin to skin as he nursed.  His first steps, his first words, his constant chattiness as a toddler, yet with an independent spirit, I remember it all so vividly.

Going home day! September 10, 2009

I, like many new moms, didn’t know what I was doing.  NO CLUE.

But I did know that this boy was very special, that only after having him did I know actually what being a mom really entails.

Although this is more a lifestyle blog, this is in my heart right now and I really feel the need to write Jonah a letter here on my blog.  I hope you’ll read it too.

TO MY SON ON HIS 10TH BIRTHDAY

Dear Jonah,

Wow!  10 years!  As I write this I have tears streaming down my face and that ball in my throat, not because I’m sad but because I’m so very happy.  Happy Birthday to you. I am so very proud that you’re my son.

I thought to celebrate an incredible decade together that I’d write you a letter.

I really can’t believe you’re 10!  It seems like only yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital.

Newborn portraits, 1 week old

In many ways, I feel like we’ve learned how to be parent and child together.  In the early days I learned to feed you, comfort you, change your diaper and you learned how to do so many things – talk, walk, run.  You would also spend a lot of time with your lolo and lola and go on walks at Alki to breathe in the fresh salty air and dip your tiny toes in the water.

Alki days with lolo and lola

 

During the first days at home together we’d sit outside underneath the trees, listening to the birds, while you nursed all day, and I’d be waiting for daddy to come home.  I remember telling friends that the days seemed to go slowly. I was always told how fast you’d grow up, and everyone was right – I want those early days back.

First home in Seattle (the treehouse!)

Camping trips, Deception Pass

We wanted you to grow up in the city where mommy was born and raised. God had different plans for us and we ended up moving to one of the most beautiful mountain towns outside of Seattle because we wanted the best schools for you and to raise you surrounded by nature. Our home in Issaquah was walking distance to the park and trails where we spent many hours outdoors, playing at the park, riding your bike and walking the trails. To this day, I believe you were born to be and raised outdoors, just like your daddy. You’re also a great camper and traveller!

Riding through our new old neighborhood, Issaquah WA

Hiking trails in our backyard with the dogs (RIP Gir)

CA Redwoods

 

For the first four years of your life, the afternoons consisted of mostly just you and me. We would have so much fun together exploring the town, running our errands, and going on adventures. I’ll cherish these memories as my focus was solely on you!

 

Then the arrival of Baron brought a new role for you!  Big Brother!  We actually made a bigger deal of you being a big brother than of Baron being born.  You took this in your stride and have been the BEST BIG BROTHER Baron could have asked for.  You play with him, you read to him and you help him. You were never jealous of a new baby but a brother brought out more play and more love in you.

First Disney World family trip

 

In math, art and technology you’ve found a passion. You are also creative.  You can see solutions in everything.  Please always use this creative side of yourself. It is good for your mind and your soul to tap into it, and I know it makes you happy.

Beyond your amazing creativity, you have an amazing mind.  One which takes in so much, like a sponge, but you retain it too.  When you were a toddler you knew so much about tractors and trucks and at preschool you were telling the teachers things they didn’t know.  I’ve learned so much from you about nature and the environment and science. I hope you’ll put all you’ve learned in these subjects into good use.

Boating, Lake Granbury TX

Our move from Washington to Texas was the biggest change for me, but you taught me that new environments and change shouldn’t be feared, but rather embraced. You took our move with such tenacity and treated it as a fun new adventure, which I now understand and agree it has been that all along, and I would not have wanted it any other way.

Stay who you are! You are perfect just the way you are.

One day in the not to distant future, your ideas; your brilliant mind will create solutions to problems.  Your ideas will speak to so many and touch them as it has us and your family and friends.

The last thing I want to tell you is that wishes really do come true. I dreamed of starting a family.  You made my dream come true.  So when you blow out the candles on your cake dream big and make a wish. I know it will come true.

Hartstene Pointe, Harstine Island, Shelton WA

I realize as I write this that in 10 more years you’ll be twenty and you’ll be well on your way to being a man and you may not even be living at home, you may be at college.  That is so hard to think of!  My heart hurts knowing soon (hopefully not too soon!) that you’ll be starting a whole new path and journey that won’t always involve me.

But know that daddy and I will always love you every step of the way and be so very proud of you.  No matter what.

Colorado trip

Happy 10th Birthday to our Jonah Boy!

Love,

Mommy

 

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

I turned 39 last Monday.

39.

OMG

There are a lot of days where I still feel like I’m in my 20’s, but wiser. Thirty-nine sounds like a blah number, but if you ask me there’s something significant about numbers ending in nine.

Nine, 19 and 29 have been pivotal years of my life. I felt as though I was on the cusp of something new and exciting at those ages, reflective of the decade soon to pass and eager to welcome a new decade.

I love the thirties! I’m convinced the decade of the thirties goes by the fastest in life, faster than the twenties. In the thirties one is constantly moving or on the go and juggling all the changes that comes with a shift in priorities.  The thirties is where the majority of my life was spent raising young kids (had Jonah at 29 and Baron at 35), progressing in and redefining careers, upgrading and moving homes, celebrating anniversaries, milestones, and a multitude of family and friends’ celebrations.

A clip from one of my favorite movies that ironically came out in my twenties.

 

Despite the excitement of another birthday, I must admit that with turning 39 there comes a feeling of …apprehension.  As I enter the final year of my thirties, I can’t help but reflect on where I am in life and what I want for my family and myself moving forward.

As we enter our late thirties, we enter a stage where we realize we’re still young and healthy enough to do the things we’ve always wanted to, to take risks, and to get out there and live life. It’s time to clear the clutter and bad energy from your life. It’s time to embrace who you are and make certain you do not live life in regret.

Each year I feel a little closer to understanding myself, finding my purpose and what I want from life and of course that evolves and changes over the years.

I have grown significantly as a person in my thirties. Life with kids will do that to you. You love deeper, you discover patience you never knew you had, you learn to survive on a few hours’ sleep and you have more money AND less money despite working harder than you have before.

My thirties have been full of life and all that it brings – love, marriage, death, friendship loss and gain, the birth of two beautiful children, sleepless nights, laughter, tears, and life changing health issues.

I know the forties will be no different with regards to highs and lows, joys and challenges, and I’m ready to tackle them head on.

As I celebrate my final year of my 30s, I recognize this life-changing decade draws to a close and prepare myself for a new decade full of life and all that it has to offer.

Birthday outfit and brunch look in black and leopard from Zara

I am eternally grateful for:

  1. The people in my life
  2. The love I’ve received and the love I’ve given
  3. The family who raised/guided me & gave me every opportunity in life
  4. The experiences I’ve had
  5. The cities and countries I’ve traveled to
  6. The opportunities I have been presented with
  7. The love and life I share with my husband
  8. The mistakes I’ve experienced that have helped me grow
  9. The honor of being a mother to my boys, loving them and teaching them kindness, compassion, and the value of life

There are so many more I could list, but one thing I ‘get’ about getting older, is that I can truly appreciate all of these things and more. Good and bad, it’s the perspective you gain as you age.  For all of this, I am truly grateful.

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I get eager as March approaches as I can feel spring just around the corner.  I love the renewal and rebirth of nature. As a family, this is our first spring season in Texas and we are seeing signs of spring earlier than we are used to from springtime in the Pacific NW.   I’ve always dreamed of having lots of yard space to grow a garden for flowers, trees, vegetables and herbs, and yard space for the kids to play.  Now that we have the yard space at our Texas home, it was time to make it all happen.  We spent the past couple of weekends starting a new gardening project that involved installing raised garden beds, selecting seeds and fruit trees, and getting the seeds and starts in the soil.  I would eventually love to have a greenhouse, but I’ll save that goal for a later time and focus on starting small with raised beds and a few fruit trees.  We planned and plotted the northern portion of our property that receives full sun to place our garden.

Our gardening project consisted of three phases over two weekends:

  1. Phase One: Inspiration, planning and and plotting
  2. Phase Two: Select trees, seeds and space, and install raised beds
  3. Phase Three: Add soil, sow the seeds, plant the starts

Phase 1: The Inspiration

We recently returned from our first trip to Waco and the Magnolia Silos and what a better time to visit and get a burst of inspiration as we were in the beginning stages of our gardening project.  The gardens outside of the Seed and Supply store truly inspired me to get my garden dream going and #gardengoals accomplished.

Not to mention, reading up on my Magnolia Journal with a cup of coffee led to me plot out where this garden would go and what would go in it.  I’m still not sure how all this will turn out, but I will give it a try and enjoy the process and hopefully be rewarded with a beautiful harvest.

Early morning reading and inspiration to start a garden (January 2018)

 

 

 

First rough sketch of where the raised beds and trees will go (February 2018)

 

Phase 2: Tree and Seed Selection

We got our fruit trees from Guerin Nursery in Granbury. This is a great local nursery that carries many native plants and varieties of annuals and perennials, with the largest selection of fruit and flowering trees. We knew we wanted apple trees and peach trees for their spring blossoms and of course for their fruit! We were thrilled to find Honeycrisp Apples (our favorite) and Fuji Apples.  We let the boys each pick out their own trees. For seeds, Eden Brothers offers one of the largest seed and flower bulb assortment available in the United States from heirloom, rare and hard to find flower seeds, vegetable seeds and herb seeds.

Nursery with the boys to pick out fruit trees that will be planted in the garden (February)

 

Seeds I selected, thanks to Joanna Gaines’ inspiration from her Garden Shed episode on Fixer Upper: Hyacinth Beans, Sweet Peas, Zinnia, and Wild Flower seeds

Vegetable and herb seeds for John’s salsa garden

 

3L x 6W ft cedar wood raised beds installed by John with Baron’s help :). (March)

 

Adding a water seal on the exterior to protect the wood from the outdoor elements

Lining the interior of the beds with landscape fabric to prevent weeds from growing into the soil and plants

 

Phase 3: Add potting soil, sow seeds and plant starts

I wanted to involve the kids as much as possible in the process of planning and creating our new garden.  They had fun choosing the fruit trees at the local nursery that would be planted in the ground, along with what types of fruit and vegetables they wanted to grow.  Jonah chose strawberries and Baron chose carrots!  The boys will have their own dedicated garden bed that they will tend to, while John and I will share three garden beds dedicated to growing ingredients for his salsa garden and my very own cut flower garden.

Jonah’s strawberry starts

Jonah and Baron sowing their first seeds in their garden bed

Jonah’s sweet pea seeds

Baron’s hyacinth bean seed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we wait for the grass and trees to turn green and bloom again, and let Mother Nature take its course.  I can’t wait to see how everyone’s gardens will grow: my cut flower garden, John’s salsa garden, and the boys’ fruit and vegetable garden. My hope is that gardening with our kids teaches them to appreciate nature, the virtue of patience, and to celebrate wonder. The past weekend with my little gardeners, we planted the seeds of hope—which is what a seed is and what a garden is—a promise of what will come.

 

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

At the book fair!

Outfit details: Blazer:  A New Day, Target  | Shirt:   Who What Wear | Pants: Mossimo, Target | Boots:  DV

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Blazers: Shirts and Pants H&M Kids

 

This Valentine’s Day is one I won’t easily forget. Like any other day, I look forward to waking up to our normal daily routine of kissing the boys good morning, seeing John off to work, and getting the kids and myself ready for school, work, and the day. Jonah’s school had “Lunch with Loved Ones” where parents, guardians and family members could join their student at lunch and accompany them to the book fair.  I excitedly dressed the boys in their matching Valentine’s outfits and looked forward to spending time and sharing a meal with both boys together. Baron was especially excited to get to go to “brother’s school”.  What made this Valentine’s Day different was coming home to the news of the tragic shooting in a South Florida high school where 17 people (students and staff) were killed, just after Baron and I returned home from Jonah’s school.  It made me think that this violence could have happened anywhere and to anyone at any time. Just as the previous school shootings that have taken place , it could have happened at Jonah’s school while we were there and I would not have known how to react or protect my own children and life in a moment’s notice.  Without politicizing the tragic event, I do believe that solutions are needed once and for all. What those solutions are I do not know. But I do know one thing, that no matter what political beliefs or political party one belongs to, we need to come together as a nation and as a community and come up with concrete solutions that can be implemented locally and on a global scale to keep our children and our nation’s future safe.

Our Valentine’s evening still ended on a positive note at home.  John cooked us a gourmet meal (lamb and gnocchi – my fav!), we tucked the kids in bed, and finished a good bottle of wine with chocolate, reminisced about our first Valentine’s date and discussed and debated the day’s earlier events. We both agree that we all need to love our children, set good examples and recognize when someone or something is not right, and act accordingly.

John’s specialty: roasted lamb and pesto gnocchi