Big Mama

It’s hard to believe that it’s Memorial Day weekend. But here we are and I’m sure for many of you this is your kick off to summer the way God intended it to be before state legislators decided we needed a certain amount of school hours no matter what makes sense.

As for us, we will celebrate Memorial Day with a soccer tournament, studying for final exams and maybe a little pool time on Monday if it all works out.

Here are a few things I found this week. Please keep in mind that there are plenty of great Memorial Day sales to be found.

1. j.crew embroidered dress

I saw this earlier this week and it was love at first sight. This is maybe the perfect summer dress. It also comes in white and in the form of an embroidered linen-cotton top if a dress isn’t your thing.

2. gap drapey eyelet tank

Speaking of tops, I look at this one every time I walk in Gap and I’m not sure why I haven’t bought it yet. It also comes in black and I think it’s so cute.

3. seaglass bib necklace

This is a perfect statement necklace for summer and will go with just about anything. It can dress up anything from a white t-shirt to a little black dress and it’s 40% off and now $40.80.

Nordstrom is in the midst of one of their half-yearly sales so there are tons of good things to be found.

4. j.crew embroidered floral dress

This is another great J.Crew dress for summer. I happen to love this bright yellow, but it also comes in a gorgeous blue if that’s more your style.

5. franco sarto sandals

I bought these sandals two summers ago and I still wear them all the time. In fact, I think I love them even more now. They go with everything and they are super comfortable. They come in other colors, too.

6. gap stripe v-neck t-shirt dress

I ran into Gap and ended up walking out with this striped dress. It was 50% off and I might wear it at least once a week. It’s hard to go wrong with stripes. It also comes in a navy and white stripe option.

7. in the meadow top

Free People has a dress/top that is super similar to this and about three times the price. I think this one is just as cute and will look great with shorts and jeans.

8. blank nyc skinny jeans

If you need a good pair of jeans for summer, I happen to like Blank NYC jeans for the price. These are 40% off and now $52.80.

9. wide leg marina pants

I have had my eye on these for a while and they are finally on sale. I love the chambray color and the wide leg. Almost everything at Ann Taylor is 40% off with code SUMMER at checkout.

10. surf gypsy cover up tunic

How cute is this coverup?

I’d seen this parker beach lagoon cover up and fallen in love with it, but it’s pricey even on sale. I think the surf gypsy one is equally cute.

11. farina embroidered blouse

Anthropologie is offering an extra 40% off everything on sale. This darling top is $59.95 plus an extra 40% off which means it’s almost free. I love the red and white for summer and it would transition well into fall, too.

12. abalone silk dress

I think this dress is so pretty and sizes are limited. It’s perfect for a summer wedding. It’s on sale for $49.95 plus an extra 40% off.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

It’s been a busy week around here because I believe you are probably all aware that it is May. And that means I have given myself a few more days to finish up one last project. Or at least I thought it was one last project until my publisher reminded me I actually have a whole other list of things I need to have finished by mid-June so I’m super excited about that except maybe I’d rather take a nap from now until July 1.

This past weekend – as opposed to the weekend that is now just a day away – Caroline spent the night and most of Saturday with a friend. P cooked dinner on Saturday night for all of us and then we went to church on Sunday. Caroline was invited to a friend’s birthday party that started at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning so I left church a little early to get her to the party and stopped by the house long enough for Piper to come inside and throw up all over the bathroom floor. This is exactly the kind of thing you want to deal with on a Sunday morning. It turns out she had found a stash of Easter candy. We realized this when she threw up about sixteen pastel foil colored Hershey’s kiss wrappers. Maybe she should’ve stuck to the Sour Patch Kids.

On Monday, Caroline complained that she wasn’t feeling well and I did my standard mom of the year thing by declaring it was probably just allergies. But by the time she got home from soccer that night, she clearly wasn’t her normal self. I sent her to school on Tuesday because she is right in the middle of getting ready for finals, but she called me at lunchtime and asked me to come get her. And then she came home and fell asleep which is always the sure sign that she is legitimately sick.

Then Wednesday morning, I woke up with a sore throat and a headache. Caroline went to school and called again for me to come get her by the early afternoon. This time we both slept until it was time to get ready for her eighth grade graduation. Yes, she graduated before she has taken her finals. I don’t really understand this, but I guess they figure it’s eighth grade and it’s as good of a time as any.

Here’s my graduate.

My brain cannot compute the part where she will be in high school next year.

There was a guy in line behind us as we walked into the auditorium talking about how eighth grade graduation is a big deal because a hundred years ago an eighth grade education was a real accomplishment in America. And, yes, I guess that was true one hundred years ago but today I believe we just call it you’re just a little over halfway finished to having an education that might actually get you a job that allows you to move out of your parents’ house. Congratulations.

So we still have a week left of school but most of that will be a final exam schedule and I think we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel. Or as I refer to it, only three lunches left to pack.

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Sophie and I finally found time to record a new podcast and I don’t think either of us realized this was Episode 75 which feels like a milestone. Granted, it took us nine years to get here but I’ll take my milestones where I can find them.

You can click here to listen. Or here. You can even listen right here on the blog.

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And if you’re on the Facebook, well, we are, too.

Here’s where you can get more info on the stuff / products / places we mention:

– Pippa Middleton’s wedding

– Vans slip-ons

– Vans Old Skool

– Superga sneakers

– Kiernan Shipka’s Five-Minute Beauty Routine (that’s really just two minutes)

– Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter

– Becca First Light Filter Face Primer

– Anna Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody

– The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

– Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher

– Chin Up, America t-shirts

– Neil and Whitney