Author: Big Mama

The latest around here

I have to tell you that I am impressed with my own self over the number of books I’ve managed to read over the last few weeks. Here’s a quick list with a brief review of each.

1. I Regret Nothing by Jen Lancaster – Funny, light, perfect to start summer

2. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery – So many of you recommended this and you were totally right. It’s the sweetest story.

3. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr- Gorgeous book

4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – I couldn’t put this one down. Finished it in two days.

5. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume – I hate to say it but this wasn’t my favorite. A lot of characters and at times it was hard to follow even though I did like it better towards the end.

6. Crazy, Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – Another light, easy read but I enjoyed it.

Anyway, I started Secrets of A Charmed Life by Susan Meissner and have already ordered a few more off my list so they’ll be waiting for me. And one of the reasons I’m so motivated to take the time to read in the summer is because I think reading makes you a better writer. It has always helped me to read other people’s words and stories because they inspire me to work harder at what I do.

But this summer it appears to have the opposite effect. I’m so busy reading that when it comes time to write a blog post (like tonight) my brain is so into whatever book I’m reading that it’s hard to step outside of it and write about real life. And it probably doesn’t help that real life has been pretty uneventful.

Although I did go to Nashville last week to record the opening video for Dot Mom and I got to put butterfly clips in my hair like it was 1995 again and -OH YES- I got to meet Christy Nockels.

I know what you’re thinking. Nice poker face.

I find it’s important to play it cool in all situations and act like you’ve been there before. Clearly I’m a master at this.

And I only sang one of her songs to her once. Or twice.

The truth is she couldn’t have been nicer and Sophie and I loved spending the day with her even though the bulk of that time involved us making fools of ourselves on video. But I will say that our acting skills must be getting better because we were able to get most shots done in one or two takes which is significantly less than it’s taken in the past. Or maybe they just know us well enough by now to know it isn’t going to get any better than what they got in the first take.

After a day of shooting the video, we met a bunch of friends for dinner at a gluten-free restaurant that was surprisingly not bad given the lack of, well, gluten. And then we headed back to the hotel because I had a cab picking me up at 6 a.m. to get me to the airport.

Later that day, after I’d arrived home, I remarked to P that I couldn’t believe the sun was totally up at 6 a.m. in Nashville and said it must be because it’s further east than Texas, but he said the sun is up here at 6 a.m., too. I just never see it. And I don’t think I believe him but I also don’t care enough to get up that early to find out if he’s right.

As for the rest of the weekend, we spent a lot of time lounging around. Caroline had soccer camp all last week and spent the night with a friend on Thursday so she was more than a little tired. I’ve already mentioned that I’d seen the sun come up in Nashville on Friday morning and P has been working long hours because ’tis the season for landscaping. And so we were more than happy to just spend time together doing not much of anything.

Then on Sunday morning we had our seventh Community Worship Service. I may be biased but I felt like it was one of my favorite ones so far. We are all getting into a routine and figuring things out as we go. August and John led amazing worship and P taught the best message from Psalm 139 about how God uniquely designed each of us. This is a picture from a few weeks ago, but it’s a good look at our space.

We’re meeting at Turner Production Studios at 8126 Broadway from 9:30-10:30 every Sunday morning and anyone is welcome to join us if you happen to be in the area on a Sunday.

After that, Caroline had an indoor soccer game which HOORAY FOR AIR-CONDITIONING. And then later she and I ran some errands, I took Piper and Mabel to Yappy Hour at the Dog Park (not an official thing but it’s what I call the 5:00 hour at the Dog Park) and I’ve been curled up with a book ever since per my summer routine.

Tomorrow we’ll be busy packing our bags because Gulley and I leave with the kids on our annual road trip on Tuesday. Speaking of Gulley, it’s her birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Gulley!
Fashion Friday: Edition I’m literally at the airport

This is going to be quick today because I’m at the gate waiting for my flight home. I meant to do this last night but I fell into my hotel bed with the fitted sheets and that was all she wrote.

The first three things today are from Loft and the Junk Gypsies, but all the rest are some fabulous deals available at Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale that’s going on right now. From now until July 16th you can shop early if you’re a Nordstrom card holder, otherwise you’ll have to wait until the 17th to take advantage of these deals or go get yourself a Nordstrom card.

(Which I highly recommend by the way. Free shipping, free returns and you earn reward dollars)

1. sleeveless eyelet shirt dress

This also comes in black.

2. gypsyville campus vintage shirt

Well. I am in love with this.

3. diagonal stripe maxi skirt

Love a striped maxi.

4. zella peace out studio tee

These studio tees come in a bunch of colors and are on sale for $28.

5. north face glacier quarter zip fleece

I am powerless to resist a North Face fleece. I will wear this all winter long and there are a bunch of colors to choose from all on sale for $39.

6. onzie low rise capris

Love these. They come in a few different patterns and are $39.90. I’ve finally accepted that this is the kind of stuff that fits into my daily life because why dress up when you can wear work out clothes instead? Working out is optional.

7. sam edelman fringed bootie

Really like these and they are on sale for $109. I’m a fan of the low heel because they’re perfect to wear everywhere.

8. street level vegan tote

If you’ve had your eye on a Madewell tote but the price made you choke, here’s a deal for you. Super cute tote on sale for just $31.90 but I’m betting the cognac color won’t last long.

9. frye heidi fringe bag

But this is also a great time to splurge on a really nice bag if you’ve been in the market for one. This Frye fringe bag is on sale for $305 and is normally $450. And there are a lot of great deals on various bags during the sale.

10. barefoot dreams drape front cardigan

My friend Sheaffer named this the blardigan a couple of years ago and insisted it was a must have. I finally listened and I have to admit she’s absolutely right. It’s the softest, best thing ever and now it comes in this fun stripe, plus it’s on sale. Perfect to stock up for Christmas gifts or for yourself. I pretty much wear mine around the house all the time.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.
Live from Nashville

I’m currently sitting in a hotel room in Nashville on a bed that I’m delighted to report has a fitted bottom sheet. The fitted bottom sheet is like the elusive rainbow unicorn of hotel experiences and so I always embrace a hotel stay that doesn’t require me to re-tuck in the flat bottom sheet posing as a fitted sheet. Also, I just called and requested that they bring me four extra pillows.

I prefer not to use the term “high-maintenance”. I just like things the way I like them and I require a lot of accoutrements to have a proper sleep experience. Says the girl who travels with her own bedside fan.

Anyway, I’m here to shoot a video for the Dot Mom conference with Sophie and have already gotten to visit with some friends and will see more tomorrow so that’s fun.

And so I’m really just checking in to say hi. How are you? Anything new?

I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about tomorrow but the most exciting thing going on at this moment is that I bought a new suitcase before I left town and it has those wheels that are very spinny and can go in any direction you want. It’s from Target so you know it’s fancy.
Summertime and the living is easy

I always feel like our summer really kicks into full gear right around the fourth of July. And by full gear I mean that we are sleeping later than ever and I haven’t cooked dinner in at least a week and the stress of the school year schedule is but a distant memory.

Which is great for life but not great for writing a blog because I can barely distinguish one day from the next.

However, I guess last Wednesday stands out a little bit because that’s the day Piper and Mabel got dismissed from their second camp of the summer. That’s right. Two time losers. I even took them to the dog park for an hour before we went to camp in the hopes it would burn off their stress and energy.

To be fair, they did last about one hour longer at the second camp than they did at the first. However, I still had to make the walk of shame into Pawderosa Ranch to pick them up after their expulsion.

Normally Mabel does all the writing and journaling, but I think she was too stressed out by her two hour camp experience and she just curled up right next to me like the raging codependent she is.

But Piper actually put her thoughts to pen and paper this time.

KAMP IZ 4 LOOZERS

Um.

She lacks some of Mabel’s eloquence.

Many of you suggested that Gulley and her boys could watch the girls but this is problematic because they are actually going with us to the beach. And so I’m now looking into finding a pet sitter that can come to the house. Mimi and Bops have also offered but I’d really like to find a solution that will always work and doesn’t depend on them being in town. I mean one of these days we may all want to travel together.

In other news, we had a great July 4th weekend. We started Saturday morning at our neighborhood parade.

And then we headed up to the pool with Gulley and her family later that afternoon. The kids attempted an egg toss competition with results that weren’t optimal, but Will brought home the belly flop championship so it was a proud day for all of us. Jackson and Caroline decided they were too old to belly flop this year and it was time to give the younger kids a chance at belly flop glory.

After Will received his winnings, we packed it up and came back to our house to grill hotdogs and shoot off fireworks. Which resulted in the police doing a drive by and caused all the adults to relive our teen years because we immediately all ran for cover and left our kids to fend for themselves. Fortunately, they gave the neighbors a warning about their fireworks and totally missed that we were doing them also.

On Sunday morning we met for our Community Worship Service and served communion for the first time which was great except for the gluten free wafers I ordered. They were proof that sometimes you need a little gluten, even when eating the Lord’s supper.

Then that evening we ordered pizza and watched the U.S. Women bring home the World Cup title which was just the best. Particularly Carli Lloyd’s 60 yard goal that caused us all to lose our minds.

And so that’s what’s been going on here.

As for tomorrow, I have big plans to buy dog food and make a run to the grocery store.
Fashion Friday: Edition God bless America

I nearly didn’t do Fashion Friday this week because of the July 4th holiday, but then I got an email from Anthropologie yesterday announcing that everything on sale is an extra 20% off and it led me down a trail that involved me railing against the internet because the entire Anthropologie site seemed to crash just when I was ordering a top that was almost out of stock and by the time I was able to get back to my shopping cart checkout it was sold out.

Sometimes life is cruel.

And I’d show you the top but it’s all for naught now because it is SOLD OUT.

However, there are still plenty of good fashion times to be had.

1. beaded maxi coverup

This beaded maxi coverup is probably a little overkill for the neighborhood pool or a day at the watermark. But perhaps you have a vacation planned to the south of France and you have a need for poolside glamour. I don’t know your life.

This is $99.95 but an extra 20% off which will automatically be deducted at checkout.

2. noetzie maxi dress

I need a maxi dress intervention. I do not need another one. But if I did I would be really tempted by this one. It’s $89.95 plus another 20% off at checkout.

3. springstripe skirt

I find myself wanting to wear skirts more than ever this summer. They’re just such a great alternative to shorts or jeans. This one is $49.95 plus 20% off.

4. kado tunic

I think this is pretty. It’s $39.95 and I believe I’ve mentioned an extra 20% off that price.

5. haidian top

I am a sucker for a pretty white top. I’ve had my eye on this for a while and it may finally be mine now that it’s $49.95 (let’s all say it together…plus an extra 20% off)

6. j.crew gingham button down shirt

I love a navy gingham because it’s a great neutral that would look good with just about any color shorts or skirt, but then it transitions nicely to fall and winter with jeans and a jacket. You can also get it in green gingham.

It’s $31.50 plus an extra 20% off with code HOTSALE.

7. j.crew silk drawstring dress

This looks like an easy breezy dress to throw on all summer long. It also comes in black and is on sale for $49.00 with extra 20% off with code HOTSALE.

8. gap v-neck linen tee

I’ve mentioned this tee several times but it’s just because I love it so much and I want to share it with the world. I’m in love, I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it.

Don’t let the linen in the name fool you. This is a great wash and wear t-shirt that is a perfect length if you like a longer tee. Which I do.

9. old navy jersey circle skirt

These skirts at Old Navy are currently on sale for EIGHT DOLLARS. EIGHT GOD BLESS AMERICA DOLLARS.

10. old navy linen blend boyfriend tank

I haven’t seen these in person but I feel like they have potential. They are $15 plus 30% off with code VERYGOOD at checkout.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday and a happy Fourth of July!
Big Boo Cast: Episode the FIFTIETH one

And what’s more appropriate to celebrate fifty of anything than Sally O’Malley.

However, on this podcast we neither kick nor stretch. Also, we didn’t even realize it was the fiftieth one until Sophie’s son told her.

And so if you listen until the end, there is a very special, well thought out giveaway in honor of this important milestone. By well thought out, I mean that we literally came up with something in that very minute.

We also discuss Piper and Mabel’s latest escapades, the fact that we’re relieved to be raising our kids better than our dogs, Apple’s new music streaming program, and – of course -mascara.

Here’s the code:

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

Or, as always, you can subscribe on iTunes.

Just FYI – here’s where you can get more info on the products / places we mention (these aren’t affiliate links – just regular ole links):

– Jen Lancaster’s I Regret Nothing
– Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies
– Benefit They’re Real! Mascara
– The Most Awesome Power Ballad Mix Tape Playlist (by Sophie via Apple Music)