Author: Big Mama

  • Fashion Friday: Edition the one before Thanksgiving

    I loved reading your comments about Mabel yesterday and have no doubt that those of you who declared you don’t “reckon Mabel’s heart will hinder her none” are my people. I laughed out loud.

    For those of you who listen to the Big Boo Cast, Sophie and I recorded the first of two gift guide editions yesterday that will go up over the weekend. I’ll post that here on Monday.

    As for now, here are a few cute things I found this week.

    1. free people your girl tunic

    I bought this tunic in black last year from Free People because it only came in black or white, but now it’s available in lots of color options. It’s so soft and comfortable and just perfect with leggings. It’s $78 and free shipping is available for a limited time.

    (Mine is an XS so just know it runs large and you want to size down)

    2. aerie oversized chenille turtleneck

    This is my favorite sweater right now. I bought it in navy and have worn it so much already because it is the softest thing ever and long enough to wear with leggings. I got a medium because I wanted it to be a little big. It’s on sale for $41.96 with free shipping and it comes in lots of color options.

    3. levi’s ex-boyfriend denim trucker jacket

    I believe I have mentioned my love of a denim jacket and I am especially loving these oversized versions that are in style right now. This is just a great basic. It’s $89.50 and comes in a light or dark wash.

    4. chelsea 28 turtleneck sweater

    This is a great sweater for wearing by itself or a layering piece because it’s not too thick. It’s longer in the back which is always nice. It’s 40% off and on sale for $46.90 It also comes in burgundy, dark green and light gray.

    5. bp plush hooded cardigan

    This looks so cozy and I actually love the white. It’s on sale for $41.40 and comes in regular and plus sizes.

    6. asos hand knitted chunky scarf

    How cute is this scarf with the pom detail? I think this could be a great Christmas gift for someone. It’s $35.

    7. loft floral wrap dress

    I love this floral print and it would be a fun option for the holidays. It’s $79.50 but I bet it will go on sale at some point.

    8. zella live in high waist leggings

    I’ve featured these several times before but they are still my very favorite leggings. I wear them to work out and I wear them with sweater tunics and boots. They are so comfortable and I love that I can throw them in the dryer and they don’t fade or shrink. They’re $54.

    9. j.crew factory vail parka

    This is the most adorable winter coat and it’s on sale for $116. It also comes in camel, green and navy.

    10. bp cowl neck sweater dress

    I am really wanting a sweater dress and this one looks cute and is a great price point at $49. It also comes in red if you’re feeling extra festive.

    That’s it for today.

    Have a good Friday.

  • It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the size of the heart

    I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve started to write a blog post over the last few weeks and then I either decide I have nothing to say or I get distracted by Netflix or Caroline texts me from wherever she is at the time to tell me it’s time for me to come pick her up. And all my good intentions go out the window.

    But here I am. Caroline is home which means she won’t have to be picked up. P let me sleep in this morning and took Caroline to school so I’m not as tired at 10:15 p.m. as I usually am. And I finished QB1 on Netflix so I’m not tempted to watch it instead of write. It’s the perfect storm.

    Here are few quick bullet points about some things that have happened here over the last month or so.

    – There has been a lot of soccer

    – Two weekends ago it was my turn to record Caroline’s team’s soccer game on the big tower video camera so the game film can be uploaded to Hudl for learning purposes and highlight film. Everyone kept saying it wasn’t that hard and anyone can do it, so I felt that surely I was qualified. However, in the one hour that I was responsible for recording I managed to get stung by a bee and the wind blew so hard that it caused the entire tower camera to blow over into a huge mud puddle. These events probably ensure two things: 1. No one will ask me to record in the future and 2. There’s a good chance that the video includes two instances of profanity being uttered by the camera operator.

    – This past weekend Caroline and Perry drove to Dallas for soccer games and I flew to Marshall, Texas for a speaking event on Friday night. I talked about this on the podcast, but I have to write it here just in case you don’t listen to the podcast. Flying into the East Texas Regional Airport was a delight. First of all, it’s the size of my house. Second, I had to rent a car and they gave me a Volkwagen Beetle with a dent in the side and a large piece of plastic hanging down underneath it. The rental car employee, Don, walked me out to show me the large piece of plastic and even laid on the ground and reached under the car to try to break off whatever it was. Ultimately, he couldn’t get it to break off (car parts are tricky that way) and sent me on my way assuring me it would most likely be fine by saying, “I don’t reckon it will hinder you none.” This is now my new life motto. Also, you don’t get that kind of personal service when you fly into D/FW and rent a car.

    – I loved the women at my event in Marshall. They were so kind and couldn’t have made me feel more at home. I honestly find this to be true at every event I do which is my motivation to keep traveling for speaking events instead of staying home in my pajamas.

    – Speaking of staying in my pajamas, I am in the thick of working on my next book which, between that and the cold weather we’re having, means that there isn’t a lot of getting dressed going on in my world right now and I don’t hate that.

    So that’s kind of a catch-all for life around here. But the other development is that our dog, Mabel, has had some sort of cough/wheeze for the last six weeks or so. She doesn’t do it all the time, but when she wakes up or gets really excited the wheeze starts and is followed by the sound made by an old man with a cold ordering soup in a deli. It’s kind of a “KAAAAHHHK” thing that I originally thought meant she was about to throw up, but I guess is more of a throat-clearing thing.

    I took her to see our vet about a month ago assuming it was a respiratory infection of some sort. Our vet agreed with my unprofessional assessment, gave her some antibiotics, and said to let her know if it didn’t seem better in a month.

    Well. It didn’t seem better in a month. So we dropped Mabel off for a day of x-rays and blood work at the vet’s office on Tuesday morning. She called to let us know we could pick Mabel up at 4:00 p.m. and took me to the back when I arrived to show me Mabel’s x-rays. Her concern was that Mabel’s heart is twice as big as it should be for a dog her size and there were also some pockets of fluid and enlarged lymph nodes. She somberly told me that the enlarged heart could be a concern and a sign of possible heart disease, but we would know more in twenty-four hours after all the blood work results came in. She also suggested that we keep Mabel calm and limit her activity until we had a better idea of what was going on. Here’s the problem with that; Mabel doesn’t do calm. Mabel has two speeds: sound asleep or full-on crazy.

    Needless to say, we were worried about our Mabel and concerned about what a diagnosis of heart disease might mean in terms of how much longer she could live since there were several possibilities of things that might not be treatable. We love our vet and she knows how much we love our dogs and so she called us as soon as she got the results yesterday that showed that, while Mabel does have an elevated white blood cell count indicating an infection that needs to be treated with stronger antibiotics, her heart is totally normal even though it’s twice the size of a normal heart. Apparently, Mabel has a heart like some athletes do and it’s larger due to her activity level. The vet’s exact words were, “She’s got a heart like the racehorse Secreteriat had”.

    And so I think we all know that there will be no end to Mabel bragging about her Secretariat heart now that she knows this information. I told our vet that maybe Mabel is like the Grinch and her heart grew two sizes that day. But that doesn’t explain why she still doesn’t really like anybody except for her immediate family.

    Naturally, Mabel wrote a couple of haikus about what she is calling her “near death experience” and Piper keeps telling her what Rachel told Ross on Friends after he survived a “gunshot” that turned out to be a car back-firing, “THAT WAS BARELY AN EXPERIENCE”.

    Looked death in the eye
    Told it not to mess with me
    It got scared, ran off

    Heart like a racehorse
    Means I’m better than most dogs
    Especially Piper

    Hard to be elite
    I am both athlete and dog
    Destined for greatness

    My heart is so large
    Because I am filled with love
    Except not really

    Hope you have a great Thursday.

  • The Big Boo Cast, Episode 123

    This one contains some technical difficulties which reminded us why we only managed to record one podcast a year between 2008 and 2011. But we persevered because we are better people now than we were then or maybe we just have a few more tricks up our sleeve and knew to switch to a different format.

    We also discuss Mississippi State’s outstanding defensive performance against the Crimson Tide, unfair targeting calls (WHAT A SHOCK!), how much I love my new Sam Edelman boots, Sophie’s shopping hiatus and our friend Jamie Golden’s skincare regime.

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

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

    We’d love for you to subscribe on iTunes, and we’d be honored if you’d leave us a review.

    Show Notes:

    – Sam Edelman Camellia boots

    – Ben Rector’s Magic tour

    – H&M sweater tunic

    – Eric Church’s Desperate Man

    – The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy

    – Jamie Golden’s Instagram

    – Sophie’s favorite facial soap

    – The Ordinary

    Sponsors:

    – Poshmark (download from app store; promo code BIGBOO for $5 off your first order)

    – PEX

    – Casper (promo code BIGBOO for $50 off select mattresses; terms & conditions apply)

  • Fashion Friday: Edition I’m too tired to think of a name

    Listen. It’s been a long week here.

    But I wanted to let you know that for whatever reason, the sam edelman camellia tall suede boots are back in stock in limited quantities in camel and black right now at Nordstrom Rack. I got mine this week and they are all I dreamed they would be. I will suggest that if you’re between sizes or not sure, I’d order a half size up.

    They really are just the perfect boot in my opinion, assuming you want a suede boot with a wooden heel. Otherwise, maybe another is better for you.

    Here are some other things I found this week:

    1. judy henley top

    I think this is the cutest top and it’s on sale for $39.95 plus an extra 25% off. It also comes in black.

    2. always forever velvet minidress

    Clearly I would wear this with leggings and not as a minidress, but I think it would be so cute for the holidays. It’s $128 and also comes in black.

    3. bp knit funnel neck tunic

    I love the length of this sweater because you could wear it with leggings. It’s $49 and also comes in olive.

    4. halogen sequin pencil skirt

    This sequin skirt also comes in black and has great reviews that say how flattering it is. It’s $89 and would be so cute for Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Of course most of my Christmas plans can be done while I’m in my pajamas but maybe your life is fancier than mine.

    5. j.crew merino wool turtleneck

    This turtleneck would be great with the sequin skirt above. Or really with anything. It’s $44.50 plus 30% off with the code 2DAYSONLY. It comes in lots of color options.

    6. madewell colorblock sweater dress

    I love a sweater dress and I really love the color-blocking on this one. It would look great with those Sam Edelman boots.

    7. bp balloon sleeve sweater

    I love the balloon sleeves on this sweater and it’s a great length if you want something that isn’t a tunic, yet isn’t a cropped sweater. It’s $49. It comes in black, blue, magenta and red.

    8. the ikat elephant runaround camo tunic in gray

    I have several of these runaround tunics and I live in them. They are super soft, long enough to wear with leggings and the perfect weight. This is the camo version and it’s $34.

    Ikat Elephant is offering 10% off your total purchase through Monday when you use the code BIGMAMA10 at checkout.

    I also love this alexis tied sweater dress.

    It’s $40.

    And this fall feathers tunic is really cute.

    It’s $35.50 and ships after Thanksgiving.

    9. ae ribbed boyfriend cardigan

    I bought a cardigan similar to this one a while back and I adore it. It’s so soft and easy to throw on over a t-shirt or a tank with jeans. The length is perfect. It’s$49.95 and also comes in mustard and charcoal.

    10. loft pull through oval hoop earrings

    I had a pair of earrings like these that I loved but I lost one. And I’d be sad about it but they were only $8.00. These are $24.50 but 40% off with the code WORKIT at checkout and they also come in silver. They would make a great Christmas gift for someone, too.

    That’s it for today.

    Have a good Friday.

  • Fashion Friday: Edition it’s November!

    I feel like I blinked and October was over. And now that we are past Halloween, you know that it’s time to turn our thoughts toward the upcoming holiday season. I am a purist and fully embrace Thanksgiving and all that November brings before I focus on Christmas. I like to take my months one at a time.

    But I did want to tell you about one thing I’ll be doing for sure in the next few days to make my holiday season both easier and more festive. I’ll be ordering some personalized items from Two Funny Girls.

    Look at some of their cute options for Thanksgiving. I’ve decided that personalized paper plates and styrofoam cups are the new crystal and china. Plus, think of all the time you’ll save not washing dishes.

    I get more joy than I should out of leaving my house with a paper coffee cup with a lid and cute seasonal coffee sleeve. I blame Starbucks for this.

    You can find all those and more here.

    And for those of you already thinking ahead to Christmas, look at some of these cute things.

    And who wouldn’t want to drive around and look at Christmas lights with one of these cups filled with hot chocolate?

    You can find everything from personalized plates to cups to napkins for Christmas here.

    And there are a ton of pre-packaged plastic Christmas cups, styros and coffee cups here.

    I happen to think they make a great hostess gift if you’re going to a Thanksgiving or Christmas get together. In fact, I just thought about how excited I get over some cute seasonal styrofoam cups or coffee sleeves and have just realized it’s my love language. Give me cups or a new pair of pajamas and it’s really all I want out of life.

    I am a simple girl with simple taste. As long as it’s in a cute cup.

    This isn’t an ad or anything, just honestly sharing something that makes me happy.

    Now for the cute things I found this week:

    1. hermosa sweater coat

    This is at Anthropologie and it’s a little pricey at $138 but I think it’s one of those pieces you’d wear over and over again. I have something similar that I bought years ago and I still wear it every winter.

    2. oversized thermal button-front top

    These tops are $44 but currently 25% off and come in several color options. They are so soft and are great for wearing alone or as a layer. I also like that you can tie them up or wear them loose depending on your preference.

    3. bobby boyfriend striped sweater

    I think this striped sweater is darling. It’s $69 and comes in a few other colorways. I kind of like them all, but maybe like this one the best? I don’t know. I can’t decide. I just know this is perfect with jeans and sneakers for cold Saturday morning soccer games.

    4. adidas swift run sneakers

    I love these Adidas sneakers because they are retro and comfortable. They come in several color options, but I really love this pink. They are $85.

    5. treasure and bond menswear blazer

    If I have learned one things from following Meghan and Harry while they were on their Royal Tour of Australia, it’s that a menswear blazer is something I need in my life. She and Duchess Kate have both worn one in the last week and every time I see the pictures, I swoon a little. It’s an easy way to dress up a pair of jeans, yet you can also wear it to the office.

    This one is $89.

    6. commando perfect control faux leather leggings

    My friend Heather posted about these leggings this week and I’m intrigued. Apparently they feel much more like leather than the Spanx version and the price is the same at $98.

    I also like these commando control top velvet leggings because nothing says holiday season to me like something velvet. And also cute personalized cups apparently.

    7. loft criss cross wrap dress

    This dress has great reviews online and I love that it’s a good basic to have in your closet, yet can be dressed up or down depending on your fashion needs. Pair it with a leather jacket and boots and you’ve got a fun outfit for a night out. Wear it with a menswear blazer and heels and you’ve got something for the office. Throw on a denim jacket and Converse and you can go run errands all day.

    It’s $69.50 but 40% off right now and is sold online only.

    8. st. jubileens hoodie sweatshirt

    I saw a sweatshirt like this somewhere but it seemed like too much to pay for a hoodie sweatshirt. But then I found this one on Amazon for $27.99 and it comes in several color options. It has great reviews and I think it’s a great casual basic with a little flair to it.

    Quit talking about my flair.

    9. chelsea mock neck tunic

    I posted this last week but now have gotten mine in and I love it. It’s lightweight but warm and a great length to wear with leggings if I want. It’s $78 and also comes in black, camel and a gorgeous blue.

    10. glen plaid jumpsuit

    I was looking around on the Nordstrom website and saw this picture and thought those were the cutest pants, but then realized I’m never great at figuring out what kind of top to wear with pants like that and it just gets complicated. Then I realized this is a jumpsuit. They have done the top work for you and I think this is just perfect. You could easily wear a sweater or jacket with it now and then wear it as is during warmer weather. It’s $149.

    That’s it for today.

    Have a good Friday.

  • Big Boo Cast: Episode 122

    I think it’s a given that we discussed the outcome of the Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State game. Spoiler alert: The Aggies lost. But we also talk about Sophie’s tough love strategy and trying to turn our teens into productive members of society. And the fact that I guess I’m going to sleep with cloth surgical tape on my forehead from now on.

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

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

    We’d love for you to subscribe on iTunes, and we’d be honored if you’d leave us a review.

    – Nick Fitzgerald’s last touchdown against A&M

    – Sam Edelman Camellia boots (Melanie’s jubilee!)

    – cloth surgical tape

    – Aveeno Positively Radiant Overnight Hydrating Facial Moisturizer

    – QB1: Beyond the Lights

    – The Syla

    – Closing Song

    Sponsors:

    – FabFitFun (promo code BIGBOO for $10 off your first subscription box – and the fall box really is FAB)

    – Prep Dish (promo code BIGBOO for 2 weeks free)

    – Simple Contacts (promo code BIGBOO20 for $20 off your contacts)