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You are here: Home / Other / Fashion Friday: Edition the greatest gift

Fashion Friday: Edition the greatest gift

August 30, 2013 ·

Okay.

Why did I just start this with “okay”? Am I suddenly Leo Getz from Lethal Weapon? “Whatever Leo wants, Leo Getz”.

What I’m trying to say is that before I get started with Fashion Friday today, I have to tell you about something else that you’re going to want to buy to start a new tradition with your family this Christmas. I realize it seems to early to talk about Christmas, but there are Halloween decorations at Michael’s which means we are about one week away from a barrage of dancing Santas.

My dear friend Ann Voskamp has a new book out today. It’s called The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. It features beautiful readings that each point to the coming of Christ for every day of Advent, tracing the Messiah’s lineage through the Old Testament and culminating in his birth.

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Isn’t it gorgeous? And the parts I’ve read are written in that stunningly beautiful way that is so unique to Ann, each line it’s own bit of poetry. Here’s a brief excerpt:

The coming of Christ was right through families of messed-up monarchs and battling brothers, through affairs and adultery and more than a feud or two, through skeletons in closets and cheaters at tables. It was in that time of prophets and kings, the time of Mary and Joseph, that men were in genealogies and women were invisible. But for Jesus, women had names and stories and lives that mattered.
The family tree of Christ startlingly notes not one woman but four. Four broken women—women who felt like outsiders, like has-beens, like never-beens. Women who were weary of being taken advantage of, of being unnoticed and uncherished and unappreciated; women who didn’t fit in, who didn’t know how to keep going, what to believe, where to go—women who had thought about giving up. and Jesus claims exactly these who are wander- ing and wondering and wounded and worn out as His. He grafts you into his line and his story and His heart, and he gives you his name, his lineage, his righteousness. He graces you with plain grace.
Is there a greater Gift you could want or need or have? Christ comes right to your Christmas tree and looks at your family tree and says, “I am your God, and I am one of you, and I’ll be the Gift, and I’ll take you. Take Me?”

You can buy it here on Amazon or here at Barnes & Noble.

I can’t wait for this book to become part of our Christmas celebration each year.

And now for some cute clothes. (How’s that for worst transition ever?)

1. striped merino wool blend sweater dress

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At some point I’m going to quit complaining about the lack of cute maroon clothes. But considering that it’s the first weekend of college football, it probably won’t happen anytime soon.

So when I see something appealing in maroon, it jumps out at me. Not literally because that would be frightening.

Anyway, I saw this dress at Loft yesterday and it is precious. Sadly, it is made of merino wool so probably won’t be appropriate gameday wear in Texas until mid-October.

2. baka cut sling backs

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I think these are so cute.

3. hastings street georgette blouse

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This is not maroon. It’s magenta. There’s a big difference. But I do think this would look really pretty with jeans for the fall.

4. naughty monkey fall fever boot

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Why is it that when I see the brand name Naughty Monkey I want to channel my inner Austin Powers and say, “OH BEHAVE”?

Whatever. I like these boots. They’re kind of different and priced well for a boot. Or a pair of boots. Because just one wouldn’t do you much good.

5. l’artiste curvy plus top

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I realize I am bad about posting plus-size things, but here is something I found yesterday. I love this top. The colors are gorgeous and the style is just perfect.

6. deka crocheted bootie

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Just because my bootie search is over doesn’t mean yours is. These are really pretty.

7. sam & libby leopard ankle boot

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I was in Target the other day and came so close to buying these. They are cuter in person than they are here and they also come in black. And for the three minutes I had them on my feet they didn’t appear to be too uncomfortable.

I think the leopard could be really fun for winter. Just think of it as a neutral.

8. plaid shirts

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Plaid is one of the big trends for fall and Old Navy has several plaid shirts for sale right now. In fact, everything at Old Navy is 30% off all weekend.

9. frost free vest

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This vest is also from Old Navy and it comes in a bunch of great colors. I really like this color though. I’d wear it with jeans and boots over the shirt I just mentioned above.

10. cowl neck tunic

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I’m always on the lookout for warm, cozy things I can just throw on when the weather cools off. I realize it’s going to be 102 this weekend, but just humor me please when I say that certainly cooler weather isn’t too far off.

That’s it for today.

Y’all have a good Friday.

Oh. And GIG’EM AGGIES.

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Comments

  1. Mary

    August 30, 2013 at 12:09 am

    I went on the hunt for a maroon game day dress this weekend with my sister in law. We had many things against us including A) being in Lubbock while shopping, and B) the fashion world believing that maroon dresses must be made of winter material and have long sleeves. So rude!

  2. Heather

    August 30, 2013 at 3:08 am

    I completely understand the bootie/no bootie debate. I have stood my ground on the ‘just say no to the bootie’ trend since they first started appearing. I just can’t get on board.

    Just say no to the bootie are words of wisdom for our girl Miley. Oh, Miley, honey…just say no.

  3. Vicky

    August 30, 2013 at 5:43 am

    That shirt is not plaid – it’s a large gingham.

  4. Jessica

    August 30, 2013 at 6:48 am

    Since it will be 105 degrees tomorrow at the Aggie game, I am wearing a maroon sleeveless breezy top from Old Navy with white cut-off jean shorts. Will probably be my go-to for games until November when it is a chilly 75 degrees outside.

    http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=72298&vid=1&pid=648763012

    • Paula

      September 3, 2013 at 2:51 pm

      Thank you for this link! I went by there this weekend and got myself one. It’s a maroon game at Miss. State this weekend. And it will be 150 degrees – so this is about as comfortable as I can get. And it was on sale – $18!

  5. Sarah

    August 30, 2013 at 6:58 am

    Good to read the stuff, i will definatly try the frost free vest with my purple jeans and fancy hat>

  6. Meagan

    August 30, 2013 at 7:09 am

    Clearly, Hobby Lobby doesn’t think it’s too early to think about Christmas. Walked in there yesterday out of the 105 degree heat and my twins screamed “SANTA!” Sure enough, right beyond the Halloween/Thankgiving decor were multiple displays of Christmas. I love that day more than anyone, but throwing up Christmas trees in August seems a bit extreme. At any rate, thanks for sharing about that book, it sounds wonderful!

  7. Colorado

    August 30, 2013 at 7:19 am

    95 degrees in Colorado yesterday, and today will not be much better! It’s sort of hard to think about cooler fall clothing, Halloween, and Christmas when it’s blistering outside but we know that the cold and snow will come. I like the plaid/gingham shirt but I’m not a fan of the bootie. Enjoy your weekend!

  8. Becky

    August 30, 2013 at 7:35 am

    I feel psychic because I just ordered that tunic a few days ago. Also, you should come to Starkville to shop, there is no shortage of maroon. Actually, one of our local shops Deep South Pout has a pretty good selection online.

  9. Brookles

    August 30, 2013 at 7:51 am

    Check zulily. They have numerous maroon things, specifically geared at college fans. Super cute. I think of you every time I see something maroon.
    IT’S GAMEDAY IN KANSAS! Every Man A Wildcat! Go State!

  10. Christy

    August 30, 2013 at 8:10 am

    Howdy from Big D!

    Since it won’t be cool until the end of the Great State Fair (mid-late Oct) and sometimes not even then….I figure I have plenty of time to look for long sleeved items, as shorts will be appropriate until then…it has been quite a long wait for football season to start, but the drought is over TOMORROW!! YAY!!!! I totally agree, no to the booties, but love those boots…Have a great weekend and HOOK ‘EM!!!!!

    p.s. I sure do miss not having our last game of the year against y’all..it’s just not the same..:-(

  11. Miss B

    August 30, 2013 at 8:36 am

    First of all, love the vest and the tunic. I put the vest on my post Labor Day shopping list. I need to talk about the Naughty Monkey boots though. I honestly do not understand how no one else on the whole entire planet is seeing the problem with that style of boots. Maybe I’m just dirty-minded, but every time I see those, I think “uncircumsized penis boots”. Nothing against uncircumsized penises, but they are better not worn as footwear.

    • Lisa

      August 30, 2013 at 10:46 am

      Dying laughing! Maybe that’s why they named them Naughty Monkey!

    • AngAK

      August 30, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      Oh my, I thought the very same thing! so glad you brought it up. whoops!

  12. Rene @thedomesticlady

    August 30, 2013 at 9:43 am

    I was just starting to think about Christmas presents. This book is perfect for my two mother-in-laws (no, I am not a weird reverse polygamist, divorce just causes all sorts of weird family phenomenas). Happy Labor Day weekend! I am headed over to amazon.

  13. Melissa Pasche

    August 30, 2013 at 10:02 am

    Melanie, as a fellow Aggie, I’m always in search of cute maroon clothing. And it’s everywhere this year! Except that it tends to all be corduroy or silky tops, which is obviously a no go for Texas football (100 degrees this weekend!) So maybe we should have been more specific when we begged for more maroon 🙂

  14. Becky in 'Bama

    August 30, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Love the Fall/Winter wear ’cause it covers my ‘old lady’ saggy upper arms. Last summer the husband and I were headed out to a church sponsored picnic – and I was wearing jeans and a discrete sleeveless top. His comment, “uh you wearing THAT?” My puzzled look turned to mortification when he noted, “you have those wrinkled upper arms.” I wore it anyway (too late to change), but since then I’ve avoided sleeveless wear like the plague. Yippee the three-quarter and long sleeve are every saggy woman’s dream wear. 🙂

  15. kasey

    August 30, 2013 at 10:56 am

    love the book! can’t wait to get my hands on it. never have read her before, that exerpt was amazingly written. can’t wait for the weather change to start wearing some cool fall clothes. and…WHOOP!

  16. Helen

    August 30, 2013 at 4:24 pm

    Can’t wait to read the book…. and get some to wrap for Christmas. I went to Old Navy after reading your blog….thanks for the 30% off tip..wouldn’t have known. I found a cute maroon and white strip sweater there! Yea! Thanks to you :)) and of course, I found about 20 other things NOT maroon….then headed over to one of the Aggie tent sales for more maroon..Gig ’em.

  17. Monica

    August 30, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    I’m currently obsessed with these booties and am about to pull the trigger. I’ve never had Dr. Scholl’s before…but they should be super comfy and cute, right? I CAN’T GET ENOUGH FALL SHOES.

    http://www.drschollsshoes.com/en-US/Product/01240-5165321/Dr.+Scholls/Greystorm/Womens+Balance.aspx

  18. Deb B.

    August 30, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    I just finished reading your book today! I loved it! I laughed a lot! Made me think of my own daughter when she was growing up. She is 22 now and just got married! I’m so glad you are enjoying the time with Caroline. Time passes sooooo fast!

  19. Nancy

    September 1, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    Do you know how many pages Ann’s new book is? We do outreach to at-risk young women in our city, and I’m wondering if this might be a good Christmas gift for them — but our budget is tight, so I need a few more details than Amazon is telling me. 🙂 Thanks for any help you can provide!

  20. Lea

    September 2, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    Love, love all the boots and booties. Might have to check some of them out. And, the cowl neck top – too cute! Have a splendid week!

  21. Leslee Graves

    September 11, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    howdy! What bootie ended your search? I guess I missed it. 🙂 And, I can’t seem to find them. Would love to see what you choose.

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Who is Melanie?

Melanie ShankleMy name is Melanie and, in some strange twist of fate, I’m also known as Big Mama because I started this blog in July of 2006 when my daughter, Caroline, was not quite three years old and I was in the process of convincing her that BIG girls use the potty and BIG girls don’t have pacifiers, thus she thought BIG was the highest compliment in the land and began referring to me as BIG MAMA.Read More

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And just like that, her first year at Texas A&M is And just like that, her first year at Texas A&M is over. ⁣
⁣After we moved her out of the dorm last weekend, we looked around the empty dorm room and she said, “This has been the best year of my life”. And because moms know these things, I can attest to that. ⁣
⁣
I loved Texas A&M as a student, but I love it even more as an Aggie mom. What it has given my girl over the last year has been beyond anything I even prayed for. The way she has grown in her faith, the incredible friends she has made, the professors and advisors who have guided her, the experiences she’s had, the Aggies beating Alabama at Kyle Field…it’s all been Ephesians 3:20 in action…more than I could ask or imagine. ⁣
⁣
When she left home at the end of last summer it felt like an ending, but what it has actually been is the most beautiful beginning to the future God has written for her. And it’s a reminder to me that the best prayer we can pray as a mom is, “God, this one is yours. You are the author of her story and I trust you to write an amazing one”. ⁣
⁣
Thanks and Gig’em. 👍🏻❤️

(Photo by @doubllel)
In light of all our construction issues this week, In light of all our construction issues this week, I felt like it was time for a special edition of grown up story time because I remembered I actually wrote about the poor tile job in our shower years ago in Sparkly Green Earrings. ⁣
⁣
This is when it pays to have a written history to help myself  remember I shouldn’t have been surprised by anything that transpired this week.
A friend texted me this photo the other day. It wa A friend texted me this photo the other day. It was taken my last semester at Texas A&M and I’m with a group of friends at a Wes King concert at Wolf Pen Creek. (Shout out to those of you old enough to remember what a gift Wes King was to Christian music in the early 90s.) I had recently found my way back to God after a long hiatus and wasn’t entirely sure how I ended up at this concert with some new friends who wore Jesus t-shirts, but was so grateful to be there because I felt content and happy for the first time in years. ⁣
⁣
The point of this picture is that if you look on the left you will see a young Perry Shankle with glasses wearing a white t-shirt. And if you look on the far right you will see a young Melanie Marino with an aggressive side part. I don’t think we even spoke to each other at the concert that night. No one would have put us together because we were complete and total opposites. And I like to think God laughed knowing what was ahead. ⁣
⁣
A year later, we started dating. And three years from just about the day this photo was taken, we were engaged. And currently, we’ve been married almost 25 years and are cleaning out the attic together today which is the height of romance. What I’m saying is dream big, kids. You never know what is waiting right around the corner, right in front of you, that will change your life. ⁣
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Side note: If you look closely you’ll see that my friend Jen and I are sitting on a blue striped comforter. Perry still sleeps with that exact comforter every single night so what I’m saying is that on that night back in 1994, he had no idea he was with his future wife and a blanket he would treasure, lo, all these years later. God is good. ⁣
⁣
Also, as for the attic clean out, he informed me last night that he did own two horses when we started dating. That’s why there is a saddle in our attic. I had no idea.
Big night out for Mom and Dad tonight. ⁣ ⁣ We Big night out for Mom and Dad tonight. ⁣
⁣
We went to the wedding of the daughter of some dear friends and it was at the same church and the same reception venue as ours was almost twenty-five years ago. ⁣
⁣
We agreed we barely remember anything about that day. It’s all a blur. But we agreed we like each other more now than we did all those years ago when we had no idea all that our life together would hold.  And that feels like a win because I was pretty crazy about him then. ⁣
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Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Glass! Loved celebrating with you. 💕
Here’s a confession: I hate waiting. I don’t l Here’s a confession: I hate waiting. I don’t like sitting in the unknown. I’m not sure any of us do. ⁣
⁣
The truth is waiting makes me feel anxious as I worry about timelines and what ifs and when I’ll have answers. And it dawned on me today that waiting is really the crux of Good Friday. ⁣
⁣
I think one of the most powerful moments in the Bible is when Jesus is on the cross and with a loud cry breathes his last breath. Mark 15:38-39 says, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”⁣
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Think about that. The sky has grown dark, the earth begins to shake and then as Jesus cries out with his last breath, we learn that what has been an impenetrable, thick curtain in the temple - there to separate us from the Holy of Holies - tears in two. It’s powerful enough that this centurion, a battle-tested leader in the Roman army, witnesses it and realizes Jesus is absolutely who He claimed to be. ⁣
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Jesus’ death and resurrection are the moments that changed eternity and gave hope when all was lost. The ultimate victory of good over evil. But there was also waiting. ⁣
⁣
The centurion may have realized that Jesus was the son of God, but everyone had to wait to see what that meant. They didn’t know the stone would be rolled away. They didn’t know the crucifixion was just the beginning of a story of hope and redemption. All they knew on Friday was pain and loss and darkness. They had to wait for Sunday and they didn’t even know what they were waiting for…maybe just a small sign of hope. ⁣
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Don’t we do that? Question if He’s good or if He will come through for us? Wonder how things will work out when all seems lost? Is He who He says He is and what does that mean for our life?⁣
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Here’s what I know. Jesus is the wonder our heart is waiting for. He is our peace, redemption, and salvation. He breaks strongholds, takes away our fear and shame, redeems what has been broken and lost. He does more in our lives than we even know to ask for. We are never so broken that He can’t restore us. ⁣
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All that we wait for, all that we hope for…HE IS.
My first Aggie parents’ weekend as an Aggie pare My first Aggie parents’ weekend as an Aggie parent. Loved every minute with my girl. 👍🏻💕

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I got to interview one of my all time favorite authors on the podcast this week and when I listened to the finished episode I had a "I can't believe I got to do that!" moment. Thanks for joining us, @BigMama and thanks for getting my Mary Katherine Gallagher reference. 🙂 https://twitter.com/RealHoustonMoms/status/1522222777549443075

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