Author: Big Mama

This is going to be brief because I am watching the Aggies play TCU and we’re going into the bottom of the 15th inning. For those of you unfamiliar with the game of American baseball, a typical baseball game is only nine innings. This is what I signed on for tonight, but here I am five hours and six more innings later.

I was going to wait to post this until I knew how it ended but now I’m not sure it will ever actually end and whenever it does I don’t believe I’ll have the strength to write any words. However, I’m hoping by the time most of you read this we’ll know what happened. Either that or please come peel me off my couch where I will be in a stone cold stupor caused by adrenaline and anxiety.

So here’s something really quick because I need to get back to texting furiously about this game and wringing my hands.

Yesterday was National Best Friend’s Day and I had no idea. But it seems like something you should know if you’ve written a book about friendship. Personally, I celebrated it by getting a new battery in my car, going to the mall with Caroline and then stopping by Gulley’s to visit and drink a Diet Coke while the kids watched some terrible movie called Ping Pong Playa. Maybe you remember it from the Academy Awards this year. All I know is it caused me to lose at least twenty precious I.Q. points in the few minutes I watched.

Anyway, I made this offer a couple of weeks ago to anyone who subscribes to my email newsletter, but I am going to offer it to any of you who may be interested in light of yesterday being National Best Friend’s Day and me totally missing out on the whole celebration.

My publisher has designed the cutest book plates (a fancy name for a sticker) that I can personalize and sign and mail out to any of you who might want to give a copy of Nobody’s Cuter Than You as bridesmaid gifts or graduation gifts or to a group of your girlfriends. The only requirement is that you have to buy five or more copies, then just email proof of purchase (a receipt or invoice from anywhere books are sold!) to [email protected] along with your mailing address and any special personalization you’d like and I’ll get five or fifty-five (or however many books you buy) signed bookplates in the mail to you. This offer is good until I run out, but I can’t guarantee when that will or won’t be.

Have a great Tuesday!

Yes. It’s officially summer. I can barely contain my excitement and enthusiasm.

But, first, I have an important announcement for those of you who either attended our Community Worship Service last week or hope to attend in future weeks.

We are moving to a new location this Sunday. Same time, different place.

The thing about starting something like this is you have to be flexible and open to change. (Two qualities that are not my strong suit.) We knew from the beginning that we might need to find a different venue depending on size, logistics, etc. and so apparently that meant the second week into this thing.

Turner Street Productions is a really cool space. It’s at 8126 Broadway on the corner of Broadway and Flamingo, next to ReBar and across the street from Beto’s. (I realize this means nothing to those of you who don’t live here, so feel free to skim this part.)

So we’ll see how it works this week and go from there. We have joked that we may just become a flash mob church that pops up at random places. (But I seriously hope that’s not the case because see above about being flexible and open to change not being my strong suit.)

Anyway, we’d love to have you join us if you’re in the area and feel free to spread the word and bring a friend. It’s very casual, informal and just pretty much a no-frills church service with contemporary worship and a practical message.

Okay, so about it being summer. WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO.

We already made our first outing to the pool after school let out yesterday and spent an eternity waiting for a mediocre hamburger cooked by the teens working the pool grill. So, basically, we’re off to a brilliant start.

Now for the cute things I’ve found this week:

1. scalloped crochet poncho

This is so pretty and on sale for $59.95.

2. aeris silk peasant blouse

I tried this on a month or so ago and it is gorgeous. Even prettier than the picture. But I didn’t want to pay full price. Now it’s on sale for $69.95.

3. sabine maxi dress

Well. I need this in my life.

4. gap tencel jogger shorts

I bought these shorts a few weeks ago and they are the best. Flowy and comfortable and much cuter in person than this picture indicates. Gap is offering 30% off with code GOOD at checkout.

5. stripe foldover stripe skirt

I have a gray and white skirt similar to this that I bought last summer and have worn until it’s almost threadbare. So easy to just throw on with a tank or a tee and look cute.

6. rip curl viva mexico beach bag

Kind of a fun, bright tote or small pool bag for summer. Love the bright colors.

7. embroidered stitchtake dress

I saw this dress and thought it was so cute, but couldn’t figure out why they were calling it the Shittake dress. Is it that bad? Or is it related to mushrooms in some way?

But then I realized it says STITCHTAKE dress and that makes much more sense.

Bonus, Madewell is offering 25% off summer dresses and sandals with code YESPLEASE at checkout.

8. ocean front maxi dress

This just looks soft and comfortable and like a nice thing to wear to dinner at the beach. Maybe that’s why it’s called the oceanfront dress.

9. sundowner blouse

Love the colors and pattern of this top.

10. j.crew knit romper

This romper also comes in a striped pattern. It’s super soft and would be great as a swim cover up or as loungewear or even just to throw on and wear to the grocery store.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

Sophie and I recorded a podcast early yesterday morning. I’d say more but I’m typing this on my phone.

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.

Y’all.

I may have to declare a little bit of blog bankruptcy this week. It’s like this week heard that I said last week was crazy and started to feel insecure and thought, “I’LL SHOW YOU CRAZY” and now here I am trying to catch up.

So please forgive me for a quick catch up for now.

All you really need to know is by late Sunday afternoon my brain was so tired that I had a legitimate conversation about Potsie Weber from Happy Days making up that song to prove he didn’t cheat on his anatomy test.

Just in case you were born after 1990 or new to earth, here is what I’m talking about.

Potsie Weber. It was a simpler time.

Anyway, so many of you have emailed to ask about our first Community Worship Service and I’m sure at some point I’ll have so much more to say, but it was amazing. When I say it exceeded our expectations, I am not kidding. I feel like we expected to see familiar faces, but were blown away by seeing so many people we don’t really know walk through the doors. It’s so fun to see what God can do when you say yes and just follow his leading.

I think we thought maybe ten people might show up – normally I’d assume twelve but Mimi and Bops were out of town – but not only did people show up, we might need to find a larger venue at some point if it’s like the old Faberge shampoo commercial and they tell a friend and they tell a friend and so on and so on and so on.

What is wrong with my brain?

After our service on Sunday morning, P took Caroline to her soccer game and I came home and finished going over my notes because I was the keynote speaker at a Baccalaureate service for our high school. And by the time we were finished with Sunday, we all fell into bed where I didn’t sleep at all because I couldn’t turn my mind off.

Clearly it was too busy thinking about pumping up your blood and shampoo.

Then Monday turned out to be almost as hectic as I ran a million errands and tried to get laundry finished and everything else because Gulley and I are heading to Dallas on Tuesday morning (which is today now) because Jen is throwing a birthday party for our friend Jamie and we haven’t seen them in almost a month and are going through withdrawals after all the book release get togethers.

So that’s what’s happening here.

We’ll get back home on Wednesday and then Caroline’s last day of school is Thursday and she gets out at noon which means we are down to just two lunches. Really only one by the time you read this and if you’re paying attention you’ll realize I just packed my last lunch of the year because I won’t be here to pack Wednesday’s lunch.

And that feels like a win.

Almost like all those women who discovered Faberge shampoo and that time Potsie used his musical gifts to prove he wasn’t a cheater.