Author: Big Mama

So we’ve had some rain down in Texas. And while it hasn’t been too bad here in San Antonio, the people in Houston have had more than their share. I have several friends and acquaintances who are dealing with high water in their neighborhoods and even flooding in their homes and I know they would appreciate your prayers.

It was a rainy weekend here which is why I purposely took Piper and Mabel to the park on Friday afternoon and ran them for all they were worth. It was a banner day at the park because there had been a polo match (like for real with horses and everything) a few days earlier and all the leftover horse poop combined with plentiful mud puddles was essentially a dog paradise.

Mmm. Tepid, still water with a nice mud bottom.

Mabel chose to shake it off just like Taylor Swift tells us to do, but she also saved some for when I loaded her back up in the car.

Meanwhile, Piper had located half an uneaten breakfast taco and a can of Bud Light with about four drops of beer in it and deemed the entire experience to be the best day ever.

By the time I loaded them up in the car, they were tired, happy, muddy dogs in dire need of a bath and a breath mint.

But dogs are much like toddlers in that expending all their energy one day doesn’t translate to the next day. They are ready to go full force all over again after a restful night’s sleep. This would be fine except for the rain that caused the nearby parks to be closed. Maybe you’re thinking I could put them on a leash and walk them to which I say bless your heart. The only way to achieve that without getting my arms ripped off might look something like this.

While we had some down time at home during the day Saturday, two things happened:

1. I caught up on the rest of Kate Middleton’s trip to India. And while the remainder of her outfits were beyond fabulous, I was most impressed with this.

That was after a six mile hike up a mountain in India. She looks better than I did on my wedding day. Granted, I was dumb enough to get married at noon in August, but still. I also can’t even tell you how close I came to ordering the boots she’s wearing before remembering I am not on a royal boot budget. I love them with all my heart.

2. I fell into a Netflix hole and finally watched The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Why, oh why, did I wait so long? It is proof that Tina Fey’s mind operates on an entirely different and better level than the rest of ours. So funny.

In a perfect world, I would share clothes and have botoxed sweat glands like Kate Middleton, but I would have Tina Fey’s brain.

Anyway, later that evening we hosted a crawfish boil at our house. It was just a small group, but I was so happy to get my crawfish fix and get to hang out with some of my favorite people.

On Sunday we went to church, then I did some laundry while I watched more Kimmy Schmidt. What did we do before Netflix?

It’s my personal version of the dog park filled with cans of Bud Light and half eaten breakfast tacos.

Yep.

Today is April 15th which means that if you haven’t sent in your income taxes then you really shouldn’t be shopping online right now. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and then you can focus on Nordstrom. Or just cry about how many pairs of shoes you could have bought with the check you just wrote.

Here are some cute things I found this week:

1. caslon linen shirtdress

I love all these shirt dresses right now. This one comes in a few solid colors right now, but I think I’m fond of the stripe. Great, easy thing to throw on with some cute wedges all summer long.

2. nadir semi precious stone drop necklace

I saw this in the Nordstrom catalog yesterday and just think it’s so pretty and delicate, plus I love the colors.

3. semele shirtdress

I love when Anthropologie offers an extra 40% off things that are already on sale. This dress is currently one of those things and I think it’s so pretty with the blue and white pattern.

It’s on sale for $79.95 plus an extra 40% off with no code needed.

4. luca tie neck blouse

I believe I mentioned this top a few weeks ago. I bought it in the navy and I really like it so much. It’s super versatile. And it’s on sale now for $39.95 plus an extra 40% off. It also comes in pink, yellow, navy and gray, but sizes are limited because they are selling fast.

5. devi stripe tunic

I am continually drawn to comfortable things that I can throw on with leggings or over a pair of jeans. This has great reviews and is on sale for $39.95 plus extra an 40% off. Which is practically free.

6. sole society audrina espadrille

I think I featured these last week, but I had just ordered them for myself and didn’t know how they would work. I got them yesterday and am SOLD. They are super comfortable with all the benefit of a heel without having to deal with a steep incline. I will say that you absolutely need to order a half size up because they run small.

7. gap sleeveless v-neck swing dress

I ran in Gap last week and walked out with this dress. It’s super soft, easy to throw on and will look equally great with a pair of Converse or some sandals. Gap is offering 35% off with the code NOW at checkout.

8. sun daze frock

I really like the colors and pattern of this. I’m not sure if I would use it as a coverup or a dress or both, but it appears to be perfect for a summer vacation.

9. gap denim sleeveless shirt dress

I also bought this at Gap last week. I will tell you that it doesn’t have pockets in real life which was a selling point for me. I have always loved a denim dress and this one is really soft and easy to wear.

10. j.crew factory crochet-front tank

Apparently my UPS man and I became very close this week because I also ordered this. I wasn’t sure if I would actually like it and thought I might end up sending it back, but it’s better in person than it is in pictures and will be great on its own or under a jacket.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

Apparently there was quite the hail storm in San Antonio on Tuesday night. I wouldn’t know firsthand because I was in The Woodlands. But after my speaking event was over, I checked my phone and had a missed call from Caroline and a whole bunch of texts. She was calling to report on the baseball-sized hail and to inform me it was headed to Houston and I needed to find a covered spot to park my car.

(I wish I had a picture to show you of the size of the hail but my people were apparently the only people in San Antonio who didn’t take a picture of it to put on social media somewhere. But it was huge. I always thought baseball-sized hail wasn’t a real thing. I was wrong.)

This is all sweet and fine except I was staying in a hotel and there was no covered parking. Although I did explain to the guy at the check in desk about the whole possibility of hail dilemma and asked if I could park under the porte cochere by the entrance. He told me that was against state law which seems like possibly a little bit of an exaggeration, but I decided not to argue with him especially because it wasn’t like I even knew if it was supposed to hail in Houston except for the fact my twelve-year-old daughter told me so. As it turns out, there were only thunderstorms where I was and no hail. Which is good because I really didn’t want to have to live through a whole scenario that would have me waking up to a big hole in my windshield and being three hours from home. This would require several different life skills that aren’t necessarily my favorite.

Anyway, I had a great time at Crossroads Baptist Church and even ran into an old friend from high school who I hadn’t seen since the night we graduated. I kept looking at her thinking she looked just like a girl I went to high school with and that’s because she was actually that girl. It was a fun little reunion and proof that the world is a peanut.

I woke up this morning and made a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee before I made my way back to San Antonio. The drive home was super easy thanks to the ladies at Crossroads telling me to take the new Grand Parkway around Houston. Siri had not informed me this was an option when I asked for directions on the way there and it made the trip home so much better because it would appear not many people know to use Grand Parkway yet.

As I drove into my neighborhood, I could see all the signs of the giant hail storm because there were trash bags over car windows and cardboard on house windows and just general damage here and there. Soccer practice was cancelled due to wet conditions and, even worse for Piper and Mabel, the dog park was closed. They looked at me all afternoon with eyes that seemed to say, “I beseech you to take us to the place where we can participate in all the recreation” because I think they tend to speak in an old-fashioned manner when they are really desperate.

Alas, it was not meant to be because everything was closed. And they didn’t even get to ride with me to pick up Caroline from school because they tend to end up fighting each other in the back of my car when they haven’t been able to burn off some energy and a dog fight is really more excitement than I can bear by 3:30 in the afternoon.

After school Caroline and I ran by to see Mimi and Bops because we haven’t seen them in over a week just because we’ve been so busy and then I took Caroline to get her hair cut. On the way there she mentioned she might like some side bangs and I quickly shut that business down because we have traveled that road before and it leads to NO GOOD and a lot of bobby pins.

Which kind of makes me think of Duchess Kate. If you’ve been following her trip to India (WHICH YOU KNOW I HAVE) you will notice we’ve not seen hide nor hair (literally) of those bangs she cut several months ago. Because you know where you don’t want to have bangs? INDIA.

But have you seen the clothes she’s wearing? I think they’re my favorite ever. She has this whole bohemian 70’s thing going on and every day I decide it’s exactly what I’d wear if I ever went to India and was, you know, a princess. Except she doesn’t look like she’s hot at all and has yet to just throw her hair up in a ponytail and put on a baseball cap. It basically confirms my suspicions that they must give her Botox to shut off her sweat glands because how can you wear polyester in India and not sweat?

Princesses, they’re not just like us.

Except when they deeply regret getting their bangs cut.

So, first things first, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be speaking at Crossroads Baptist Church in The Woodlands tonight (Tuesday, April 12th) from 7-9 (I won’t be speaking that entire time because no one wants to hear me for two hours). It’s a free event and you can find out more information right here on their website.

In other news, things around here can best be summed up by me telling you I’m trying to finish a book. I’m on the downhill side at this point which is great considering my deadline is just a month and a half away. But it occupies most of my brain right now because if I’m not actually writing the book then I’m thinking about how I should be writing the book or I’m watching Netflix feeling guilty for not writing the book. Or I completely derail and start looking at things on Pinterest like “How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets”. And that’s really no good for anyone.

On Saturday we spent a lot of the day getting the house cleaned up because we were having a bunch of people from Community Worship over to cook out. The house was actually not bad, but I needed to clean our back porch area. Piper and Mabel have completely taken it over and feel that the new furniture is solely there for their comfort and enjoyment and so I needed to wash the slipcovers. But when I walked outside on Saturday morning it looked like a murder scene. There was blood everywhere. And I thought, “Well, this is something they don’t show you in the Restoration Hardware catalog”.

As it turns out, Piper had cut her foot on part of our fence and then bled all over the patio. And the furniture. And the sidewalk. And the truth is it was actually a pretty minor cut but I guess it was one of those that hit something just right and BLOOD. ALL THE BLOOD. It didn’t phase her at all but I really thought they must have killed a squirrel or something.

So I washed all the slipcovers and scoured the patio because I may not be Martha Stewart but I’m socially savvy enough to know most people don’t want to see blood all over the place while eating a hamburger.

We had a great time on Saturday night and then went to church on Sunday morning. Then, as soon as we got home, I fell asleep for about three hours. I don’t know if I have a cold or allergies or what, but it has knocked me flat for the last several days.

As for the rest of this week, I’ll just be here writing a book. Have I mentioned that?

Hope you have a great day!

I am so glad it’s Friday because at some point this week I started to feel like I had a little bit of a cold that has manifested itself in a scratchy, sore throat and full on narcolepsy. I nearly fell asleep in my car last night during Caroline’s soccer practice.

Anyway, here are a few cute things I found this week:

1. alma modern top

I like this top because I love a black top, but this one has a little pastel touch that makes it more seasonal.

2. barber agate drop necklace

How pretty are these? There are so many different styles to choose from, but I think these are my favorite.

3. audrina platform espadrille sandal

I love these because it’s all the height benefit of a heel but without the full heel commitment thanks to the platform.

4. lush lace up tee

I feel like I’m seeing laces everywhere so I think they must be a thing. It does make a plain t-shirt have a little something extra.

5. eyelet and mesh shift dress

This dress is at Gap and now I’m dying to go see it in person because it appears to have great potential. It comes in several color options, but I really like this coral.

6. crochet front tank top

How pretty is this tank? It would look so great under a little jacket or sweater with jeans or shorts. It also comes in pink and celery.

7. laser cut floral dress

This dress is really cute and a great price. It comes in cerulean, persimmon and sky.

8. chambray henley shell

Perfect sleeveless top to throw on with white jeans or a pair of shorts.

9. chambray shirt dress

Chambray shirt dresses are everywhere right now. I like that this one is a light wash and that it’s short sleeved.

10. banana republic belted wide-leg pants

Banana Republic is winning the war on pants this spring. I don’t know what that means except that they have had the cutest pants in stock. These would totally make any outfit better.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.