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SS21
February 22, 2021

SS21

Welcoming SS21 / launching 2.24

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Holiday20
October 20, 2020

Holiday20

This year feels a little bit different. We created this collection many months ago not knowing what the end of the year would look like, but certain that we wanted you to have pieces that felt like home. We dreamed up a holiday collection full of classics that would stand the test of time, soft jammies that would transition into every season but keep you especially cozy during the sweetest months of the year.

Like you, we are finding joy in the simple things at home. Thank you for welcoming us into your cozy moments and inspiring us in the most meaningful way possible.

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FW20 Look Book
August 10, 2020

FW20 Look Book


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Summer Bucketlist download
July 23, 2020

Summer Bucketlist download

Does anyone else make a summer bucket list every year? We created this one in March and the timing never felt right to share! We are gearing up for the end of summer and wanted to share this list before it was over. So many fun activities can be adjusted to do inside as a family. Tag us along the way so we can follow your summertime adventures! Click here to download!

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Small Business Easter Roundup
April 02, 2020

Small Business Easter Roundup

Here's our simple and thoughtful gift guide for you and your little ones this Easter! I wanted to make sure to feature some of our favorite small shops.

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SS20 Lookbook
March 10, 2020

SS20 Lookbook

Spring 20 lookbook is here!

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WHAT WE’RE WEARING, EATING + MAKING FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
August 20, 2019

WHAT WE’RE WEARING, EATING + MAKING FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

It’s that time again, mamas. Time to start prepping and planning for the back to school hustle and, generally speaking...

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Travel guide with kids!
December 22, 2018

Travel guide with kids!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/

The holidays are here, which means a little holiday trip might be coming up! If you are new to traveling with kids, or even a little intimidated, I thought I'd write up a quick and easy guide to traveling with children of all ages. Hopefully you find something helpful here, and I hope you'll add your best tips and tricks in the comments as well.

 

I've had a lot of people reach out and ask for airplane traveling tips specifically, so this guide is geared towards that, but if you take out the airline security details, I think it'll work for road trips, too.

 

Carry on Bags

First things first: carryon bags! My husband and I each use one of these Fawn Design bags for our carryon. One is for us with all important stuff in it like my laptop and camera for work, passport books, wallet, plus baby essentials since she's usually on my lap most of the flight and trip. Our second Fawn Design bag contains the snacks, boggle boards, and random things like hand sanitizer, small toys, snacks, headphones, etc. for the older kids. One bag sits with me on the plane as a carryon and the other sits with the older girls, who are usually sitting with Kam.

 

We try to pack fairly light but also check everything we can, including car seats. We check the stroller at the gate, which is free of charge to do with most airlines. On the airplane we just have our two carryon bags filled with snacks and essentials. 

 

Packing

Packing for a family of 6 seems a bit daunting but I always start with a list. If you travel with kids you know that it typically feels like you pack the entire house and somehow forget a few items on the list; it happens to us all! I like to write down all the important must-haves or things you usually forget because believe me-I've traveled before and forgotten some important things like underwear or a razor. Keep an ongoing list on your counter top or Notes app the week of travel and write down little things you use, like a baby spoon or nursing pads. This helps me remember even the littlest of things! Everyone's list is different but here is a basic little guide I found on Pinterest that plans by outfit which is super helpful, too! 

 

We love to pack our three oldest girls in one of these Walker Family Goods bags. They can fit everything (including shoes!) and my favorite feature is the "stinky section" to store their dirty clothes.

 

We use these packing cubes to fill our suitcases. I got the idea from my friend Jordan. She has a whole highlighted series on how to travel with kids, and here's a link to her blog post. It really inspired me to use cubes for packing the girls.

 

We put all of Winnie's clothes in one cube, then use one of our Minnow swimsuit baggies for all of her bows. We then pack a few other essentials like Passy clips, Owlet monitor, and shoes in another cube. 

 

Getting Dressed for Travel

Babies:

We always have our babies travel in sleepers or warm clothing just in case the plane is really cold. We always have at least 2 baby outfits in our carryon bag as well. When it comes to diapers, you don't want to bring too little or too many. Easy, right? ;) If you're traveling out of the country or somewhere diapers will be expensive (like Hawaii), try to pack enough for the whole trip. Otherwise, just pack enough to get you to your destination and then buy some when you arrive. I always pack enough wipes to use for changing diapers, plus an extra bag for the little messes that come with traveling with kids.

 

Toddlers:

We always have our girls travel in their play gowns. They are cute enough to wear on the plane but comfy enough to sleep in. I do like to pair them with these shorts underneath (if you are a girl mom, you get it!). My girls all have different preferences for shoes. Some like to travel in sandals while others prefer sneakers with socks to keep their feet warm. I typically have them wear their shoes that take up the most space in the suitcase so we don't have to pack those.

 

When packing the girls I sort all their clothes by days. For my three older girls I have all of their outfits for day 1 stacked together, along with any accessories or hair ties. I am actually fairly minimal with their accessories because I pretty much plan on only making it home with half of the accessories we come with, so I pack light with those things. We always shower at nighttime so that means their PJ's and undies are stacked together in a "PJ cube."

 

You:

Something comfortable! I usually wear my 24hr dress with a Solly wrap, since it's easy to nurse in without pulling up my shirt. If I don't wear a 24hr dress I'll opt for some high-waisted jeans like these with a button down shirt, or a sweater with some high-waisted leggings and my favorite tennis shoes. Now that we carry joggers they have been my go-to travel outfit! I am always the person who is cold on the plane so a sweater is on my packing list even if I'm headed somewhere tropical.

 

Snacks

Did you know that you can bring a huge verity of snacks through airport security? I don't know why I always thought before traveling with kids that you have to buy snacks in the airport but you can totally bring your own. We pack everything from sandwiches to apple sauce pouches to snack on.

If you have a nursing baby or your pump you can also bring milk that is under 4 oz in each container for your baby; they just do a quick test on the liquid when you go through security (always check with the FAA guidelines if you want to double check the latest info). 

 

Here is a list of my do's and only a few don'ts for snacks (personal preference of course! You do you, mama!):

 

DO:

dried fruit

empty water bottle you can fill up in the airport

granola bars (my favorite are the high protein/low sugar ones, so you stay full longer, perfect for adults too!)

apples

fruit snacks (or something fun your kids always ask for in the store and you usually say no to)

smarties, this is my favorite candy to bring because it isn't messy and well, I like 'em too! Also they are individually wrapped so the kids can't down a whole bag of candy in one sitting.

We let the kids pick a (complimentary) drink of their choice on the airplane. I actually prefer them drinking sprite because it has lower sugar than the juices available and clear when it spills (ha! because usually we end up with a spill). I always ask the flight attendant to fill it only half way so it's still a treat but one that doesn't spill easily.

 

DON'T:

-Suckers. I always see these suggested for traveling, but I am against it! They are sticky and usually stain.

-Jerky. This used to be on my go-to list, but after opening a bag in a closed space I realized how smelly it really is! 

-Any candy that stains or leaves fingers sticky

-Chocolate. I know, I know--I sound like no fun! But there is nothing worse than sharing a bag of m&ms just to find out your kid has been sitting on that one that secretly fell through their hands onto their seat. 

 

Keeping them busy

We love to bring notepads, boogie boards, and occasionally a downloaded movie on the iPad if the airplane doesn't have movies. We also love to go to Target's dollar section to get little fun toys for the airplane ride. I would avoid bringing messy things like slime or small toys that could fall under the seats. Instead opt for a notepad with stickers, cool pens they can write with, or their favorite book.

 

Random tips

-Put a dryer sheet in the bottom of your kid's suitcase so it still smells extra fresh by the end of your trip. You can also spray their bag with essential oils to keep them smelling clean.

-Research what plane you are traveling on ahead of time. Usually you can look it up when your trip is confirmed. My husband loves to be in charge of this part, that way we know if it has individual TV's behind every seat or if we should bring extra toys/entertainment in the carryon bags.

-Pack this Tubby Todd travel kit. I even use the items in it!

-Always have at least 2 pairs of clothing for baby because they will blow out of their diaper if you don't prepare for it. :) 

-Target's travel section has a lot of little goodies that are really inexpensive. I always go there the week of the trip and stock up on little things like hairspray, hand sanitizer, and even Clorox wipes. I'll use Clorox wipes to wipe down my whole row before I sit down and even quickly wipe down the changing table in the airplane before putting my baby on it. If you end up traveling on a smaller jet plane just know that not every bathroom has a changing table in it. I try to change a diaper if needed in the airport instead of the airplane bathroom just in case the plane doesn't have one (really only applies to small regional jets but I've been stuck before on a plane with no changing table and wish someone would have told me ahead of time).

 

Finally…

One thing that I can't help but mention: have fun! Kids seem to find fun in the simplest of things like going up and down the escalator and watching airplanes take off from the terminal. One time our daughter kept getting on the escalator that continued to go down farther and farther away from us-my first thought when Kam looked at me was to get upset and stressed but instead I decided to laugh and shake my head, then quickly follow after her. Traveling can be stressful but it's not supposed to be. You will be shocked at what comes easy and surprised by things that may go wrong (like why are public bathrooms the hardest part?!). Kam and I have always noticed that we prep ourselves for the worst outcome and our kids end up handling it all better than we do. And let's say your kid does end up having a bad traveling day (we've had one earache on an airplane ride that made us feel helpless, I get motion sickness at the most random of times, and we've dealt with our fair share of having to wash the car seat at our destination because someone ended up throwing up during a road trip)…don't let that one bad day ruin the whole traveling experience! 

 

We hope this little guide helps your next adventure with little ones. Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions or advice, or any awesome tips you'd like to share along the way!

 

Safe travels,

Sarah, Kam + the girls!

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Simple advice for a new twin mom
November 07, 2018

Simple advice for a new twin mom

Meet Sara, mother of 4 little boys (last two are twins!), wife, creative, and twin herself! I asked her to share the best piece of advice to anyone expecting twins and her response was:
"The best advice I got before Soren + Huntly joined us was to never say no to help. That there is no such thing as visitors, ONLY HELPERS. if you know me, you know how difficult it is to ask for help or to accept help. Makes me so uncomfortable. The continued reminder from other twin moms that I will need the help kept resonating with me so when someone offered, I reluctantly accepted. Looking back, that help was my life line. Although uninterrupted sleep seems like a lifetime ago and everything takes twice as long, my heart bursts with the love I have for these two and their older brothers. All the hard parts are definitely overshadowed by all the beautiful and amazing parts." -Sara
I love this simple yet very important advice she shares! It is so important to allow others to serve us. If you are a new mom, in a possibly new area and don't have a village of friends/neighbors coming to your rescue in times like this here are simple ways I have found new friends fast. I usually find friends in places I go often like the park, church, gym, and even my neighbors. I also think it is important to note that a village is most effective when it's diverse! A few of my closest friends are other moms I have met at church, women I've met at the park who have little ones similar ages, and even neighbors who are more than twice my age but my kids now call them grandparents. 

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FW 18 Preview
September 24, 2018

FW 18 Preview

The House Wrap Dress
The Robe 
The PJ Set + Autumn Dress
All photos taken by @lizzyography
Launch dates:
PJ Set in Ribbed Modal 10/15
Autumn Dress in Ribbed Modal 10/15
Robe + Wrap House Dress 10/29
any questions? Contact us at hello@shopplainjane.com

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Sleep-in Beach Waves
August 30, 2018

Sleep-in Beach Waves

My Movie from Sarah Webb on Vimeo.

 

 

During the summer the girls and I created this video of their sleep-in-beach-waves. I am so glad they love this style so much because it works great during the school year! It's so nice that I can give their straight hair a little texture without having to use a curling iron, no one has time for that during those early mornings before school. 

I simple braid their hair, I prefer to do a dutch braid instead of the traditional French brain because it waves the hair away from the face. We make sure we always spray a little Tubby Todd Detangler in it. The girls love to read the bottle and smell it while I do their hair. It not only helps get the tangles out but prevents it from getting frizzy when brushing through it. 

Once we are done braiding it then its off to bed, Sophie decided to loose her other front tooth this night-seriously cracks me up that she goes from one to two front teeth missing overnight.

After waking up we take the braids out, brush through it, and add an accessory if needed. If the hair is a little hard to tame I suggest using an oil in it to help maintain the frizz! Since my girls have very straight hair and no issues with too much frizz we didnt need to use any oils. If you deide to add oil be sure to stay away from the roots, that will only make the hair look greasy.

 

And thats it! A simple tutorial from just a mom who has been doing her little girls hair since 2009. Do you have a favorite sleep-in hairstyle?

Featuring the mesa pink smock dress and citrus dotted smock dress. 

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PJ's and Pavlova
August 12, 2018

PJ's and Pavlova

Growing up my favorite part of each birthday was making a special cake for the day with my mom. I remember each year I would pick out the same cherry chip box cake. I've carried on the same birthday tradition with my girls and it's also one of their favorite parts of the special day! 

When visiting my SIL over the summer in the midwest she showed us the decadent treat called Pavlova. I couldn't believe I've never heard of it or tried it before. Bentley was obsessed with the sweet and savory dish and wanted Pavlova to be this years birthday treat! Below I have copied the recipe we've used from foodnetwork.com. It seems like such a fancy dessert but its actually very easy when you follow the simple steps. My added tips would be to

1. Don't skimp on the dark chocolate, spend the extra dollar to get the good stuff!

2. No need to buy superfine sugar, simply get the normal sugar you've got in the cupboard and put it in your food processor for a few minutes. The consistency is between a powdered sugar and normal sugar, basically superfine sugar.

3. Make sure you add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to your whipped cream when whisking it, I even add a dash of vanilla!

Ingredients

For the Meringue Base:
For the Toppings:

Directions

Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw a 9-inch-diameter circle on the paper with a pencil, tracing a round cake tin that size.

Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks - you'll still be able to see the circle.

Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Shape the meringue: Secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment within the circle, smoothing the sides and the top with a spatula.

Bake the meringue: Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers.

Let it cool: Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely in the oven. When you'reready to serve, invert onto a big flatbottomed plate and peel off the parchment. (*watch out for little fingers in your home, I like to do this part during nap-time so I don't worry about fingers being burned!)

Decorate the Pavlova: Whisk the cream till thick but still soft (*add a sprinkle of powdered sugar so its a tad sweet but not as sweet as you would for normal whipped cream-theres already plenty of sweetness in this dish it just needs a dash!) and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter the raspberries on top. Coarsely grate the chocolate haphazardly over the top so that you get curls of chocolate rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious color and form to be obscured. (*don't worry if the meringue starts to fall, this is normal! You want the Pavlova to look like a frosted cake. (*add sprinkles if you'd like, we did!)

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson for Food Network Magazine

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Baked Donuts with Rae
August 01, 2018

Baked Donuts with Rae

Our friend Rae created the sweetest baked donut recipe with her little ones and was kind to share it with us!

Baked Donuts with Rae

"Ever go on a trip, plan on visiting, eating or shopping somewhere, but put it off until the last day only to discover that it’s closed!? That was us last week while in Corvallis where there is this really fun donut shop called Benny’s Donuts that was recommended to us. So bummed that we missed out on a local favorite, but it’s also what inspired todays kitchen concoction which was delicious and fun too so I can’t be too mad about it!

VANILLA BAKED DONUTSmakes 12

You’ll Need:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk (whole, skim or anything in-between)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • *a donut pan (mini muffin pan would work too)

Here’s How:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with cooking spray.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.
  3. Spoon batter into donut pan, filling 3/4 of the way — Or pour batter into a ziplock and cut the corner to pipe the batter into donut cavities.
  4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then get started on the glaze (details below) and set out the toppings.
  5. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Transfer to a plate or cooling rack.
  6. Once completely cool, dip into glaze (recipe details below) and then toppings. Let glaze set for 30 minutes before storing or stacking.

DONUT GLAZE 3 WAYS

You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 drop of food coloring
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
  • toppings and sprinkles — animal cookies, sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, favorite cereal, cookie crumbles, bacon, etc.

Here’s How:

  1. For the glaze whisk together sugar, milk and vanilla extract. If needed, add milk in small amounts until you have desired consistency. Divided into 3 bowls.
  2. For vanilla glaze you can leave as is or add a drop or food coloring.
  3. For chocolate glaze, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coco powder to taste and mix well.
  4. For maple glaze, add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, to taste.
  5. Follow directions above to glaze and top your donuts!

(Poppy’s cute play gown from Plain Jane… also Jane is my mom’s name and Tilly’s middle name so their dresses are even harder for us to resist!)

Eating, I mean, taste testing as soon as the donuts are topped… no waiting for the glaze to set around here, LOL!" - @raeannkelly

All words and beautiful photos curtesy of Rae Ann Kelly.

To check out more recipes and read more of Rae's blog click here!

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Summer Collection 2018
June 18, 2018

Summer Collection 2018

Spring '18 is here!

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PJ Summer Bucket List
June 08, 2018

PJ Summer Bucket List

Even though summer doesn't officially start until June 21, it already feels like this sunny season is in full swing! My kids are finally out of school, the days are warmer and longer, and all of my favorite summer produce is starting to show up at the farmer's market. I always have big plans for summer break, but it sometimes feels like before I know it, we're in a routine of hanging poolside every day and I forget there is so much more to do! That's why I created this 2018 Summer Bucket List to print and put on the refrigerator, and I'm excited to share it with you, too. My girls are so excited to start putting stickers next to the ones we complete, and I'm happy to have a go-to list of ideas when I sit down to plan our week!

 

I hope you'll join in the fun and hashtag your adventures with #pjsummerbucketlist so I can share in your summertime joy!

 

I wouldn't suggest adding anything next to the poolside comment--I think it works great as is!

 

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Spring Shoot 2018
May 30, 2018

Spring Shoot 2018

I had the very best time flying out to Arizona for our Spring 2018 shoot! Tiffany Haynes was the amazing photographer behind all these beautiful images. We have been friends for years, its been amazing having the opportunity to work with her on this launch!

We are introducing two new dresses, the smock dress and classic play gown. We can't wait to see what you think! 

*A huge shout to to Amber Fillerup Clark for letting us rent out her Barefoot Blonde studio to take the photos!

 

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25 days of service
December 01, 2017

25 days of service

It's December 1st, which means it's the beginning of #plainjanetraditions! We've reached out to a few mamas to see what traditions you incorporate in your family during the holiday season. I absolutely love creating new traditions with my family so this gives me, and you, a fun list to use if you are in need of a few new ideas. We are starting off the month with our long time customer + friend Cassaundra, she's a mother of 4 living in sunny California. 

Cassaundra's 25 days of service:

 We started the 25 Days of Service a few years ago during the Holiday Season. Each day, starting December 1st we come up with ways to give to others or our Earth. The holidays are so magical and I wanted my kids to remember more and to feel more deeply. As a toy minimalist and an experience maximalist I was searching for ways to connect my children to the holiday season outside of fulfilling wishlists. I grew up flipping pancakes at an addiction recovery center in downtown Los Angeles with my family and I remember those mornings more then anything else. 

    Now my kids have caught the service bug and are so excited to think of ways to give back. We have the fondest memories of falling in the street as we try to run after leaving food and a tree on someone’s porch or handing a bag of food to the homeless people in our community. This year they are especially excited to clean up trash at the beach, pay for someone’s meal and decorate the trees at our senior living homes." -Cassundra Hull

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Plain and simple
November 05, 2017

Plain and simple

Remember those BIG flower headbands that babies used to wear? I may or may not have been one of the moms keeping Hobby Lobby in business by crafting an assortment of DIY headbands. And if we are being honest that was possibly one of the many things that inspired me to start Plain Jane. As fun (and funny!) as it is to look back and see different trends in my old photos I am kind of disappointed in how distracting some of those "trends" can be. Over two years ago when starting this small business I wanted to create pieces of clothing for my girls that were comfortable, playful, and simple-aka Plain Jane. 

One of my favorite things about seeing customer's dressed in Plain Jane is that we see the customers first. Thanks for letting PJ be apart of some of your memorable moments like when they meet a sibling for the first time, a cozy Christmas morning, snuggling your newborn baby, a birthday breakfast, running through the airport and so many more.

 featuring the oatmeal, blush and ivory, and navy vertical stripe bell sleeve. Bracelets found here and here

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A new beginning
September 25, 2017

A new beginning

If you've been around a while, you may have noticed a few recent changes around here. We've got a new + beautiful logo and website, and couldn't be more pleased with how it all turned out. It's been a labor of love but we can't take all the credit... or maybe any at all. :) Thanks to the amazingly talented friend of ours Angela Hardison we have a new look to be recognized by! Kam's known her since they were in grade school (possibly even his third grade crush), and I've considered Angela a friend for many years now. She's one of those girls that are creatively charming on social media and somehow even more whitty + lovely than you can imagine in person. I am gushing all about Angela because this whole rebrand is thanks to her being willing to work with us! We knew we couldn't do it without her!

 We've known from day one with Plain Jane that proper branding was a must. We never took the time/money to make it happen in the beginning and I believe a little bit of that comes from the fear to fail, and the fear to give it our all. To be honest when launching Plain Jane the whole first year we were not even sure exactly what we were doing. We loved every second of the new gig, interacting with customers, and designing new pieces... but didn't have the confidence to put our hearts into calling it a full time job. I remember thinking over and over again, "I want to see what happens with this if I don't give up." It seems like a long explanation for starting with mediocre branding but thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

Fast forward to this last year of running Plain Jane and we knew we had to rebrand and give this space we loved so much the attention it deserved. We are so pleased with how everything turned out and hope you are too! I hope this just goes to show that anyone can start a business and run it without every single detail being perfect from the beginning. As much as we would have loved to start out our small business with perfect branding from day one-we are grateful for the fact that we started from very humble beginnings. Sometimes you just have to follow your dreams and reach for things that sometimes seem silly and a even a little bit out of reach. I've learned that eventually you'll get to this big goal you've set and by that point you'll have a new one that seem impossible to reach once again. I remember reading a quote from another small business owner that said, "the people who are successful are the ones who stuck through the hard times and just kept going."  So... I guess what I'm trying to say is don't hold back, reach farther than you think you deserve and give the things you love in life everything you've got. 

Meet Angela! She's a wife, mom to two, and a brilliantly talented creative. 

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Hazel Village x Plain Jane
September 01, 2017

Hazel Village x Plain Jane

We are so excited to introduce our newest collaboration with Hazel Village! When we met up with the amazing HV team back in April and they mentioned a possible collaboration-we knew fall would be the perfect time to do that! Their cozy village of animals mixed with our comfortable dress makes for the perfect cuddling combo! We love that the doll dresses have a little knot in the back that allows an easy change of outfits when little ones are playing with them. Our little Reece has changed Ella Toad's Plain Jane mini dresses a dozen times today. We hope your little ones love these little matching dresses as much as we do!

*If you notice we are sold out already in your size and color that matches the dress don't fret-we are already working on restocking them! So grab a mini Hazel Village dress (click here) now before those are gone for good! 

Click below for the direct link to the dress you'd like!

Mustard Twill Stripe Shift Dress

Red Color Block Shift Dress

Cream and Dotted Cherry Bell Sleeve

 

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January 10, 2017

DIY Winter Citrus Garland

Our tradition's posts did not end with Christmas, we are going to feature other families and their traditions throughout the year!We asked Ashley Nielson, blogger at I Believe in Unicorns if she could share with us one of her favorite traditions this time of year. She's a fellow Arizona Native, and has just the right cure to bring some brightness into these last winter months.
"Citrus season in Arizona, hands-down, is my favorite time of year. It runs from December to April, which means not only am I eating and smelling one of my favorite tastes and smells on earth, but I also get to do it while enjoying our perfect Winter and Spring time temps!
Last year we were on a major natural kick (we still are, but most of it has become habit now, so it seems less relevant). So I decided to make all my own Christmas ornaments. I used popcorn, cranberries, and all types of citrus and I loved how it turned out so much I might have cried when we took down our sweet little tree. The citrus garland hanging on the stairs however, stayed up all year! I didn't see any reason to take down something so lovely.
So while these dehydrated citrus slices make excellent Christmas decor, I won't judge you if I walk in your house in May and see them still hanging around--you'll be in good company.
To make them, you simple pick out what citrus you'd like to use--pink grapefruit and oranges turn out best in my experience, but I've included lemons and limes in the past as well.
You then want to cut slices, not too thick or it will take a looooong time to dehydrate, but not too thin or else they'll burn (and you'll end up with some dark brown ones, like I got this year on accident--i didn't hate them though...) I'd say no more than half and inch, probably a little thinner. Pat the slices gently with a towel or napkin to absorb some of the excess moisture. Turn on your over to a low temperate around 125°. Arrange the slices onto cooling racks and put the cooling racks on cookie sheets--I recommend putting similar sized slices together so if your grapefruit take longer than you lemons, you can just removed one tray. Check on them every hour and you can flip them half way, especially if you're not using cooling racks. The house will smell so insane, you'll want to scream for all your neighbors to come take a wiff, so they can share in the euphoria that is drying citrus.
 
The slices should look like the majority of the moisture is gone, but not be brown (unless you want some brown ones). When you take them out, let them cool on the racks. They will still be a little tacky, but will continue to dry for the next few days. Feel free to make ornaments or a garland or window charms, whatever your heart fancies, as soon as they're cooled. They look especially beautiful hanging somewhere where they can be back lit by a window, so their colors shine through--you don't have to wait til they're bone dry to create with them!
 
Off to eat a grapefruit! 👋" -Ashley Nielson
DIY Citrus Garland #naturalhomedecor
on me:
sam edelman petty booties//nordstrom (one sale here)
 
on him:
striped onesie//j.crew old (buy similar here)
gray label organic overalls//noble carriage (buy here)
navy rainboots//c.o. western chief (buy here)
african market basket//sprouts (buy similar here)

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December 24, 2016

A Mother's Tradition

One of the main reasons I started Plain Jane was because of a special Christmas Eve Tradition. I remember patiently waiting by my grandparents fireplace each year on Christmas Eve, waiting to open a new pair of PJ's It was one of my favorite traditions as a child we now do with ours. We LOVE seeing that @ericapatten's mom has the same tradition with her children and now grandchildren. Seeing that we have become a small part of your traditions has got to be one of our favorite "pinch me" moments to-date. 

"Ever since my girls were little our Christmas Eve tradition was to open new pajamas right before bed. I thought maybe when they grew up and left home that the tradition would end but instead it's just multiplied and become even more fun.
Now we've thrown son in laws and grandkids in the mix, but it's still my girls that look forward to it the most.
The last two years we've added a new tradition to the mix which is getting Plain Jane dresses. This is a gift that keeps on giving as we wear them day and night all year round.  Counting down the minutes until we get to lounge in them all Christmas Day....they are church appropriate right?"- Phoebe

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December 24, 2016

Chopsticks and Puppets

     "Out of all of our little family’s Christmas time activities our very most favorite Christmas tradition is our festive Christmas Eve. Christmas is a magical time of year, especially at our house. Our three girls Ruby (10), Hattie (8), and Mabel (7) are mesmerized by the sights, sounds, and scents of the season. I am super sentimental and LOVE to create and look back on special memories and moments. We have kept the tradition of my childhood by first beginning our evening with a dinner of takeout Chinese food. The girls and I set the table fancy with pretty napkins and chopsticks and a fork Ruby says it’s for “just in case the rice is tricky” (the girls haven’t quite mastered eating rice with chopsticks yet but still think they’re extra fancy to use).

     After dinner we gather around the Christmas tree to open one present – jammies of course! Then, in the soft light of the Christmas tree we have our favorite activity: reading and singing the Nativity Story with our hand puppets. Five years ago with the help of our mother, my older sister Emily made us these darling hand puppets. Three wise men, three shepherds, a donkey, a sheep, a star, an angel, a Joseph and a Mary holding a baby Jesus. Great care and a whole lot of love went into making each little puppet. We love and treasure them so much. We each have multiple important roles as we read through the story. There are songs to sing throughout the reading of the story and now that Ruby and Hattie are taking piano lessons it is an extra special treat to have them play the songs they know on the piano! We love this special tradition of ours.  It is a lovely way to think of that sacred silent night so long ago, just before heading off to dreamland."

-Kerri Johnson

 

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