Author: Big Mama

I cannot tell you how grateful I am that we have an entire week off for Thanksgiving. We spent most of our weekend – and by most I mean every waking hour – at a soccer tournament for Caroline. It was the first cold weather of the year and I got to wear not just one, but two different stocking caps and so that felt like a win.

You know what else felt like a win?

These cute girls and their team won the first place trophy.

And so now we have big plans to not do much of anything. I certainly won’t be cooking because my kitchen is now completely non-functioning. And no cooking means no grocery shopping. And no grocery shopping means I have more things to be thankful for than ever this Thanksgiving.

Here are two quick things I want to share with you today:

1. Heather Gauthier art prints

My friend, Heather Gauthier, is an absolutely amazing artist. She painted the portraits of Piper and Mabel that I shared earlier this year and she is now offering canvas prints of some of her original pieces. My only problem is that every time I see one of her new pieces, I decide it’s my favorite. I am currently up to 142 favorites and I don’t have that many walls in my house.

Here are just a few examples of what she has available.

You can see all the available prints here.

All canvas prints are available for order through November 30, 2016 for Christmas delivery! For questions or to place an order, email [email protected]. Be sure to include your preferred shipping address! An invoice will be emailed to you and must be paid by November 30, 2016. Flat Rate Shipping $10. Oversized Shipping (prints greater than 24″) $20. Orders placed with multiple prints will be $5-$15 per additional print depending on size.

2. Hummingbird Farms Bath & Body on QVC

I know I’ve mentioned this before six or seventy times, but my friend Debi owns Hummingbird Farms Bath & Body and they make the most amazing lotion I’ve ever used. We first started using it about six or seven years ago and it’s one of the essentials in our home that causes us all to panic if we are running low. I keep it in my bathroom, a tube in my purse, and always travel with it. It smells divine and moisturizes like nobody’s business.

Debi has now teamed up with QVC and will be on the air Tuesday night for the Tuesday Night Beauty Show at 8 p.m. CST and will be offering Hummingbird Farm’s three heavy creams on sale for $39.96. You can also purchase them right here.

She sent me the lavender citrus last week and it saved my hands during the soccer tournament this weekend when it was so dry and cold. It smells like a little piece of heaven.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a great gift idea for someone or just a great product for yourself, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Edited to add: I recorded a podcast with Sarah Bragg about friendship the other day and you can listen to it here.

I’ll see you back here for a special Black Friday edition of Fashion Friday.

In the meantime, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. When I count my blessings, you are at the top of my list. Thanks for showing up here and for being the best readers I could imagine.

I follow a lot of fashion bloggers because I love to see outfits and what people wear and it always gives me new ideas of ways to use things I already have in my closet.

And here is what I’ll tell you. I will never be a fashion blogger. The clearest reasons are the following:

1. It seems like a lot of work and would require me to put on makeup and fix my hair every day.

2. I have never been able to figure out how they take those full-length selfies of themselves. Maybe my arms are too short.

3. Some of them have their husbands take the photos of them. There is a phrase that describes what would happen if I asked P to photograph me in various outfits every day while I lovingly ponder the sidewalk or stare off into the distance while holding a Starbucks cup and that phrase is “recipe for marriage counseling”.

4. Last night I took off the bra I’d been wearing all day and realized the reason it felt so uncomfortable is because I’d been wearing it inside out the entire day. I wish I could explain why I didn’t figure this out before wearing it for twelve hours, but there is no reasonable explanation other than I shouldn’t be allowed out in public.

All that being said, I needed new pictures for various book and event things and my dear friend Leslie is an incredibly talented photographer so we went out a couple of weeks ago and she took about a gazillion pictures and ended up with about half a gazillion that were totally awkward and a few that actually worked out. I posted the following picture on Instagram a week or so ago and so many people have asked about my jewelry and my outfit that I figured it was just easiest to share the details here. The truth is it’s really just a bunch of simple pieces that I wear all the time and proves why I believe accessories make all the difference.

Here’s what I’m wearing:

Lush roll tab tunic in ivory. It’s on sale for just $27.90.

akola project demi necklace in dusty teal

gray skinny jeans (Mine are old, but there are lots of options here)

junk gypsy she who is brave boots in honey

nickel and suede earrings

michael kors watch (Mine is old but similar here)

loulabelle gold and turquoise ring

turquoise stretch bracelets (I bought mine at a local boutique but similar here)

john wind sorority gal initial bracelet

stella and dot engravable disc necklace

So there you have it.

As for other cute things I found this week:

1. trouve rib knit sweater

I love the length of this sweater and it also comes in cream.

2. traveler cargos

I finally ordered these from Anthropologie and adore them. They are so soft and a great casual option that’s different from my normal jean option. They come in olive, pink, light blue and gray and are on sale for $79.95, but all sale items are currently an extra 25% off with no code needed.

3. pilcro palazzo jeans

I have had my eye on these for a while now. The only tragedy is I don’t know that I need another pair of jeans, yet I do not have one single pair of palazzo jeans. These totally seem like something Mandy Moore might wear on a 70’s flashback on This Is Us and I adore them.

They are on sale for $99.95 but an extra 25% off. The reviews are phenomenal and the belt is removable. I share that piece of information because I love the belt in theory but not sure how it would work in reality.

4. lace up sweater

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the lace up trend, but I’ve decided I’m a fan. It’s a cute way to add a little something different to an average sweater. I really like this one.

5. cadelle top

This is a great top for this weird weather we are having right now where it’s technically fall but feels like summer. This also comes in olive green here and I love the thought of pairing either color with white jeans and tall boots or booties.

6. merona cable pullover sweater

I ran in Target the other day because we needed everything from paper towels to new socks and where else do you go but Target for that?

I mentioned last week that I’d been looking for a great cable knit sweater and I guess I should’ve checked Target first because this one is super soft, plus it’s just $27.99 and is currently buy one, get one 50% off.

And it will be no trouble to buy two because it comes in a bunch of great colors.

7. dreamers cowl neck sweater

I love the length on this because it’s perfect with leggings. And it’s on sale for $27.90.

8. halogen cashmere tunic sweater

This gorgeous cashmere tunic is on sale for $89.90 and comes in a bunch of great colors. The reviews are fabulous. And I think this could be a great Christmas gift if you are not yourself in the market for a cashmere tunic. However, to you I would say, TREAT YO’ SELF.

9. nike modern sweatshirt

I’m a sucker for a good sweatshirt and this Nike one is on sale. It’s perfect for wearing to go work out or just working out all your feelings about This Is Us while sitting on the couch.

10. loft stained glass lace dress

I have no need for this dress but I think it is so pretty. It would be great if you have a fancy holiday occasion on the horizon.

That’s it for today.

Happy Friday.

**** Edited to add: The Giveaway is now closed and the winners are being notified by email! Thanks, everybody, for participating! ****

So I haven’t really mentioned this but we are getting new kitchen cabinets. I’d hoped it was all going to happen in mid-October but life happens and now my kitchen will be completely torn up for Thanksgiving. Timing is everything.

But it kind of works out because we eat Thanksgiving at Bops and Mimi’s house and my contribution is always a pecan pie and I think I can still cobble that together and then bake it in their oven when we get there. I’m just hoping it will be all finished by early December so I can bake cinnamon rolls and make Chex Mix and all that Christmas hoop-de-doo.

Anyway, P and I were doing some of the demo of the cabinets last night because we are basically like Chip and Joanna Gaines except we don’t live in Waco and we’re not that cool. I let Piper and Mabel in while we were in the midst of this process because I clearly had a lapse in judgement. They were very excited by all the chaos and the breaking apart of countertops and cabinets and began to run back and forth through the house. I realized a few minutes later that it had gotten very quiet and I walked into our bedroom to discover Piper and Mabel up in our bed. This is not allowed.

Not only were they up in our bed, but they had completely disemboweled the comforter that P sleeps under every single night. There was stuffing and fabric everywhere. They were very pleased with their accomplishment. It was almost better than finding abandoned cupcakes at the park.

(Yes, P sleeps under his own comforter. We have a temperature/blanket weight issue and have slept under separate covers for the entirety of our marriage with the exception of the first two weeks when we were trying to be polite.)

(Also, the dearly departed comforter was a twin comforter that I used throughout college. So I feel that it had a more than adequate twenty-five year run.)

Mabel did write a haiku about it though:

Don’t tell me no no
You destroyed the kitchen
I ate a blanket

She has a valid point.

Here are five things, including a fun giveaway, for today:

1. Luke’s Diner Paper Coffee Cups Giveaway!

Just in time for the November 25 premiere of Gilmore Girls on Netflix, I am giving away these darling Luke’s Diner paper coffee cups. They are the perfect item for all your Gilmore Girls watching and coffee drinking. 5 winners will get a sleeve of 5 paper cups.

All you have to do for a chance to win is go follow Two Funny Girls on Facebook or Instagram and then leave a comment here letting me know you did or that you follow them already or that you would totally follow them but you don’t have Facebook or Instagram.

They have so many cute personalized party goods that would make great gifts or items for entertaining, assuming your kitchen isn’t torn up.

2. Holiday Traditions

If you are a San Antonio local, then this is for you. Holiday Traditions has a Christmas tree lot that will be open beginning November 26th at 3700 Broadway Street. You can go there, pick out your tree and then schedule a day to have it delivered. As in to YOUR HOUSE.

I think this is essentially the greatest thing ever because you know what’s more fun than trying to unload a Christmas tree by yourself? EVERYTHING.

3. Jamie Ivey’s 2016 Holiday Gift Guide

I loved this holiday gift guide from Jamie Ivey. It’s full of tons of great gift ideas from unique businesses. It helped me check a lot of things off my list.

4. Liked by Kari Kampakis

Kari Kampakis is the mother of four daughters and I admire her so much. She is so full of wisdom about the challenges that teen girls face and this book is all about the importance of remembering that we don’t live for the approval of others. I can’t recommend this book enough if you have a tween or teen girl in your life.

5. Unseen: The Prince Warriors 365 Devotional

And if you happen to have a boy around 8-12 years old or a girl who enjoys a lot of action and adventure type books (I have one of those), then I recommend Priscilla Shirer’s The Prince Warriors Book series. Book 1 is here and Book 2 is here.

They are full of action, adventure, battles and spiritual truth. And this devotional book is a new companion addition to the series. The collection would be a great Christmas gift for a kid.

That’s it for today.

I’m off to go find P a new comforter to sleep under.

Have a good Thursday and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win the Luke’s Diner coffee cups!

So maybe some of you wondered if you didn’t hear from me yesterday because Aggie football has killed me dead. And the truth is, yes, I was a little despondent as I watched us blow a 21-6 lead to Ole Miss in the final quarter of the game on Saturday night. But the thing about being a long-time Aggie faithful is that this isn’t my first rodeo. Heck, it’s not even my 18th rodeo.

At first there is anger but then it gently subsides into the acceptance that comes every year in November when you realize, well, the good news is I don’t have to worry about saving money to go watch the Aggies play in the National Championship. And so you get online and buy a new sweater instead. Hypothetically speaking.

Honestly, I couldn’t even be mad at the Aggies because Gulley and I had such a great time going to College Station and being at the game.*

(*This statement is a lie. I was furious at the Aggies. Furious. Like I may have said I was done with Aggie football forever. I am now writing this post over 48 hours later and so cooler heads have prevailed. I can’t quit you, Aggie football. I hate that I love you so much.)

I spent most of the day on Friday packing and getting ready to get out of town. I went to spin class that morning and then decided to take Piper and Mabel to the park so they could run around a little bit. And it was there that Piper made the greatest discovery of her life.

Two dozen abandoned patriotic cupcakes. She felt it was fitting to eat as many of them as she could since it was Veteran’s Day. I just thought they’d found some old trash until I got a little bit closer and then I dragged her away because I am the worst. But as evidenced by the purple dog throw up I found on the back porch about an hour later, she managed to get down at least a couple of them.

I picked Gulley up about 2:30 and we headed out of town in plenty of time to make the 6:00 dinner reservation Honey and Big had made for all of us at Christopher’s. Or at least that’s what we thought. We ended up at a total standstill in traffic at two different points because of a couple of wrecks and a three hour trip ended up taking us every bit of four hours and we didn’t even stop for candy or to go to the bathroom.

But Honey and Big went to Christopher’s at 6:00 and we managed to meet them there by 6:30. It only took me half of a pomegranate martini to forget all about traffic and just be completely and utterly happy. At one point during our dinner, we saw Jesse Palmer (one of the game announcers from ESPN and, also, former star of The Bachelor) walk by our table as he made his way to his table in the next room. Gulley and I were a little excited about it and Big said, “Y’all want me to go ask Jesse if he’d like to meet my girls?”

And we died laughing because that’s proof that Big still sees us as nineteen year old college girls, God bless him. We said Jesse would walk in the room and wonder where the “girls” were because all he’d see is two forty-five year old women who collectively own hundreds of dollars in various skincare regimens in a vain attempt to hold back the sands of time.

After dinner we partied like rockstars. Assuming that rockstars like to go home after dinner, put on their pjs, get on their iPads, watch an episode of The Crown and be in bed by 10:30 on a Friday night.

On Saturday morning we slept in and then sat around the breakfast table so long visiting and catching up that it turned into lunch time. And then it was time to get ready to go tailgate before the game.

Here we are on the shuttle that took us from the tailgate to Kyle Field.

And this is Gulley and me right before we walked into Kyle Field.

And here I am during the last three minutes of the football game.

A sad panda, indeed.

But other than the outcome of the game, it really was so much fun. We laughed and talked and ate all the carbs and just had an all around great time. We truly look forward to this weekend every single year and it never disappoints.

Gulley and I had an uneventful drive home on Sunday afternoon and now it’s back to the real world of Algebra homework, soccer practice, grocery lists and laundry. So basically, the same exact thing most girls our age are doing this week.

Hope you had a good weekend.

Well, I have never been so happy to see a Friday. Except for maybe last Friday.

And the best part is Gulley and I are leaving town about 2:30 today to head to College Station for a girls’ weekend to watch the Aggies play Ole Miss. We’re staying at Honey and Big’s house and are leaving the kids and all of our adult responsibilities far, far behind us. It’s like we’ll just be two carefree college girls again, but we will not drink any wine from a box nor beer from a funnel.

Here are a few cute things I found this week:

1. fair isle knit pullover

I saw this on the Nordstrom website and I love a fair isle sweater all the time anyway, but the sleeves on this one make it extra cute.

2. lush perfect roll tab sleeve tunic

I realize I have posted these tunics multiples of time. But this is seriously the greatest all purpose shirt because you can wear it with skinny jeans or leggings or dress it up for a work outfit. It comes in a ton of color options and is on sale for $27.90.

3. shawl collar knit cardigan

I really like a long cardigan and this one is really pretty. Easy to dress up or dress down with just a t-shirt, jeans and a scarf.

4. j.crew popcorn cable sweater

So this week I became a little obsessed with finding an ivory colored cable knit sweater. It all started with my unfortunate sweater I ordered online that turned out to be wool and made me look like a yeti.

I searched high and low and then I walked into J.Crew Factory yesterday and everything was 50% and, lo and behold, here was this sweater. It is exactly what I have been looking for in a sweater and was just $44. It’s soft and it doesn’t have a thick waistband. It also comes in camel and thistle.

And I will tell you that I bought it in a large because I wanted it to be kind of oversized and slouchy.

Everything at J.Crew Factory online is currently 40% off plus free shipping and there are tons of great things that would make great Christmas gifts.

5. lightweight turtleneck

Speaking of slouchy and oversized, I really like this sweater. It would be perfect with leggings. It also comes in red and black.

6. j.crew vail parka

When I ran in J.Crew Factory yesterday, I saw this coat in person and it is gorgeous. If I lived somewhere that required multiple winter coats or even a single winter coat, I would totally buy this right this minute. It’s 40% off with free shipping and also comes in black and red.

7. junie striped cardigan

Anthropologie is offering an extra 25% off on all sale items. I have had my eye on this sweater because I love the stripes and the colors. It’s on sale for $79.95 plus an extra 25% off.

8. outsider camo print jacket

I have a camo jacket similar to this that I bought at Old Navy years ago and it is one of my favorite purchases of all times. It’s super versatile and goes with so many outfits.

9. gap merino wool blend tunic sweater

I guess I was on a bit of a sweater kick this week. The tunic length on this one makes it perfect for leggings. I’m sure Gap has some sort of discount code right now, but not sure what it is.

10. selfie leslie sweater dress

While I was on my quest for an ivory cable knit sweater this week, I stumbled across this sweater dress at Forever 21. Now, I wouldn’t wear it as a sweater dress, but I really like it as a longer option to wear with skinny jeans or leggings with boots. It also comes in black and red and Forever 21 offers free shipping for orders more than $50.

cable knit longline cardigan

And while I was looking around on Forever 21, I found this cardigan. It also comes in hunter green and ivory.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.