Author: Big Mama

That’s what I’m telling myself. Three more lunches. Three more lunches. We’re on the downhill slide to summer.

And before we get to the fashion part of this post, just a quick reminder that this starts this Sunday. We are so excited and would love to have you if you’re in the area.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can read the details here.

Now for the cute things I found this week:

1. lace scroll peasant top

I nearly showed this last week and then just ran out of room. But I think it’s so pretty and such a great soft blue color. And it’s on sale for $59.95.

2. pintuck peasant blouse

I have actually tried this on. It’s shorter in the front and longer in the back, but it’s a great top to wear if you want something that hits closer to your waist yet offers a little more coverage in the back. I think it would look really cute with the right skirt or a pair of shorts. And it’s on sale for $59.95.

3. most likely to succeed top in green

I’m all about the green these days. This would look great with just about any type of white jeans, pants, shorts, skirt you pair with it.

4. phara tassel lariat necklace

The other day my friend Meredith and I were texting about Kendra Scott jewelry and I told her I wear this necklace all the time. And it’s true. Of all the Kendra Scott things I have, this one is my favorite. I wear it at least four or five times a week.

5. lush roll tab shirt

I’m a little obsessed with this style of top because it’s cool and comfortable and doesn’t require ironing and comes in a ton of color options.

6. gap v-neck linen tee

This tee might be my favorite thing I’ve bought this summer. It seems a little bit dressier than a normal tee and is the perfect length. Not too long, not too short.

7. diamond daze maxi

How cute is this? And you know what the most important part of the description was for me? BRA-FRIENDLY. I don’t have the time or the inclination to deal with a strapless bra no matter how great it may be.

8. old navy cutout pattern swim coverup

Love this coverup and it also comes in black.

9. indiga swing dress

This dress is one of those things that would be so easy to throw on all summer long with a pair of sandals. Love the color.

10. old navy jersey circle skirt

These skirts at Old Navy come in several different color and pattern options and they’re a great price. You can pair them with a tee or a tank and a denim jacket if you need it. Very versatile.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

I actually said this sentence to someone today: “I can’t wait for summer so I have time to catch up on all the shows waiting for me on my DVR right now.”

Honestly, I don’t know if that feels like a high or a low.

The truth is I’ve dropped so many shows in recent years that it won’t take me that long to watch what I’ve recorded. Sometimes I wonder if I need to give a show a few more episodes to redeem itself or get back to what it used to be – I’m looking at you Grey’s Anatomy – but then I feel so thankful for all the time I didn’t waste watching something when one of the main characters gets killed off and I’ve saved myself the grief.

Last fall I began watching The Good Wife and am midway through Season 4 right now. (No spoilers please even though I am aware that someone I love on the show is going to die because no information is sacred on the internet) And I’m sure it won’t take me long to catch up to the current episodes once summer gets here and I get into my full night owl ways and begin staying up until 2:00 a.m. every night.

So here’s my question. What T.V. series do you recommend? There isn’t much I love more than a good T.V. binge where I can watch twenty episodes of a show over the course of a week. Or maybe just two days. Don’t judge me.

I’d love to hear your recommendations. Right now I’m leaning towards watching Alias all over again from the beginning. And I’ve already seen all of Friday Night Lights, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars and Scandal. All of which I’d recommend watching if you haven’t already seen them.

See you tomorrow for Fashion Friday.

Here’s just a few quick things today because I am smack dab in the middle of end of school year insanity and am out of coherent thoughts and the ability to write paragraphs.

1. So the state of Texas has had some rain.

Maybe you’ve heard.

Several of you emailed or messaged me to make sure we were okay and, thankfully, we are high and dry at our house, but there are others who have lost family members and their homes and sure could use your prayers right now. And if you want to help, there are several links in this article with information on where you can send donations.

2. During the heaviest rain on Saturday night, we all sat out on our covered back porch and watched the lightning and rain. Caroline felt like it was a fine time to play in some puddles while Mabel and Piper tried to catch the earthworms that floated to the surface.

3. The Dot Mom Conference is one of my favorite things I do each year and you can still get early bird registration pricing if you sign up by June 1. It’s September 25-26 in Nashville, TN and you can find all the information here.

4. Nobody’s Cuter Than You is on sale for $13.98 here on Amazon and here at Barnes & Noble.

5. If all goes according to plan and nobody eats a toad or anything at my house, I’m planning on sending out a new email newsletter later today. If you haven’t subscribed, you can click here or sign up in my sidebar. Make sure if you subscribe that you receive a confirmation email and click on the link or you’re not officially signed up.

Also, is the font on my blog better now? We darkened it and got rid of the italics. Let me know if you still find it hard to read.

6. Just in case you need a little gift idea, how cute are these monogram note pads?

7. I feel like I’m constantly looking for easy things to cook in the summer (I think we all know how I love to wrap something in a tortilla, squeeze some lime on it and call it dinner.) so I was excited to see this recipe for Steak Caprese on my friend Kate’s blog.

I love caprese salad. P loves steak. This feels like a win.

I was going to try to make a complete list of ten things, but I’m just out of steam. But if you feel like there’s something you want to share (a recipe, a new song, an article, etc.) feel free to leave it in the comments.

See you tomorrow.

Last week was kind of insane. You know, the kind where you already have a lot on the calendar going into the week but then life throws all manner of curveballs your way and a couple of them manage to hit you right in the arm. And they leave a big imprint of laces on you. Did you know that can actually happen if you get hit really hard by a baseball? It’s true. I’ve seen it.

But this isn’t about baseball and now I’ve gone too far with my analogy or metaphor or what have you and will need to bring this back around to the real story.

As I mentioned last week, we brought Piper to the vet Tuesday to get spayed. I knew from when we had Mabel spayed last fall that this would mean we’d need to keep Piper relatively still and calm for ten days afterwards and the part of that equation I’d failed to remember was that Blue Lacey dogs have a lot of special gifts, but being calm and still isn’t among their main assets.

Piper spent Tuesday night at the vet being monitored as planned, but what I did not plan on was her kind doctor calling me by 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning to inform me Piper was a little bit of a “non-compliant patient” and suggesting I should come get her as soon as possible. Apparently she refused to eat or go to the bathroom or take her pain pills and it was implied her social skills might be lacking.

So I ran up to the vet to get Piper and brought her home where she promptly used the bathroom for around twenty minutes because she’d been holding it for so long and then she and Mabel rejoiced at being back together before I had to separate them since STILL AND CALM. This is Piper after I finally got her to relax.

(I posted that pic on Instagram and someone named Michelle made the comment “Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack” and she is now one of my favorite people I’ve never met.)

Right about the time I finally got Piper settled in her bed, the school nurse called to tell me that Caroline had been in her office three times over the last two days complaining about her ankle and needing to have it iced. She suggested that I might want to take her to the doctor to have it X-Rayed and part of me wanted to ask if X-Rays could also detect drama but I refrained on the off chance that Caroline did actually have some sort of fracture and I would thereby seal my fate as the winner of this year’s Worst Mother Ever Award.

I put Piper in her kennel to help with the keeping of the STILL AND CALM and then drove to school to pick Caroline up and take her to get X-Rays. The X-Rays did actually show drama in the form of nothing is actually wrong with her ankle. Except for a bad hematoma. For those of you unfamiliar with medical terminology, this would be a bruise. But the doctor did suggest it might be helpful to wrap it or wear some sort of supportive sleeve for a few days so there’s that.

Then we ran home so she could finish her homework before soccer practice and let Piper out of her kennel, but I’d forgotten that we had a repair guy coming over to look at some things we need done in the backyard which meant I had to corral Mabel while keeping Piper STILL AND CALM. Let’s just pretend that all went smoothly.

But all of that is just a long lead in to Thursday. Caroline had soccer practice again on Thursday evening along with finishing the Science project requiring her to design a space suit. (Speaking of the space suit project, I was so tickled that one of my fellow moms put on Facebook that her son told her about the project and said, “Not even Pinterest can help us this time”. Which is how you know a project is a bunch of bull because Pinterest has EVERYTHING.)

She got most of the space suit project finished but we had to leave for soccer. Then afterwards we drove through Chick-Fil-A to pick up dinner because P was at a school board meeting and it was just us. I told her to hurry up and eat as soon as we got home since she still had to finish her project and shower before bed, meanwhile I went outside to feed the dogs. This sounds so simple but the reality is we have to feed them all separately, so I brought Piper in to feed her while Mabel ate outside and Scout just had to wait patiently because this whole explanation is so tedious that I just died of boredom.

But I looked outside and saw Mabel was in hot pursuit of something which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a toad. I tried to distract her as I yelled at Caroline to go outside and catch the toad and remove it from our yard, but Mabel was too fast for me. She ran after that toad and caught it just in time for Caroline to see that she had it in her mouth. But, much to Mabel’s surprise, that toad didn’t go down without a fight and sprayed or spit or oozed or whatever it is toads do in Mabel’s mouth.

And that’s when Mabel dropped that toad and began to foam profusely at the mouth. And gag. And throw up. And just generally LOSE HER MIND. None of which was helping Piper – or any of us – remain STILL AND CALM. I tried to rinse Mabel’s mouth out with the hose while Caroline googled “What to do if your dog eats a toad” and ran out to report that toads can be toxic to dogs and we needed to get her to the vet immediately.

This is the exact type of scenario that requires P. If he’d been home, he would have talked us down and taken the time to read further on the internet to assure us that truly toxic toads are mainly not located in backyards in San Antonio.

But STILL AND CALM aren’t really hallmarks of mine or Caroline’s personality which is how we found ourselves loading up a foaming Mabel and driving hurriedly to the Emergency Vet Clinic at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday night. Here she is while we were waiting to see the vet. Doesn’t she look like a dog in distress?

The good news is Mabel was fine, the bad news is we spent $70 for them to rinse her mouth out with water, tell us to give her a Prilosec when we got home, and an informational lecture about Bufo toads and where they live and don’t live.

And when we finally got home well after 10 p.m., she curled up in her bed. I’d like to entitle this photo “I Immediately Regret My Actions”.

Naturally, Mabel has written a couple of haikus about the whole experience.

Toads are deceptive
Jumping, playing, poisoning
They are pure evil

Oh vile tasting toad
Do not trust amphibians
Venomous liars

Yet she clearly is still struggling to process her new information as evidenced by the fact she caught another one yesterday. #slowlearner

This is going to be the quickest Fashion Friday ever because this week? I can’t even.

But the good news is it’s an extra jam-packed Fashion Friday because Nordstrom is having their half-yearly sale and there are so many good things to be found. So the first ten things are all from Nordstrom and then the last five are other things I found elsewhere that are also on sale.

1. harmony espadrille wedge

I really like these because they are a great transitional shoe. You can wear them all summer and into the fall, especially if you live in Texas or somewhere else warm. They are currently 40% off which makes them $59.90.

2. lush knit maxi dress

These maxi dresses are always a favorite. I love the blue and white print on this one and it’s on sale for $38.90. It would look great with a denim jacket or some type of white crocheted sweater over it if the straps are too bare for you.

3. swiss dot split neck dress

Love the blue color and easy style of this dress. You could dress it up or just wear it with a great pair of sandals. It’s on sale for $39.90.

4. NYDJ stretch skinny ankle pants

NYDJ pants are perfect for just about everyone because they are flattering and not low-rise. This style comes in a ton of great colors and they’re 40% off.

5. free people textured lace camisole

I found this on sale in a hot pink color at Free People and love it. You obviously need a cami under it but it’s super cute. It’s on sale for $40.80.

6. slouchy faux leather tote

Remember last week when I showed you this cute tote? It’s now 50% off. And it also comes in black.

7. michael kors turquoise dial watch

I love the turquoise face on this watch. It would make such a great summer accessory and it’s on sale for $166.90. But another, less expensive but equally cute option is this fossil pink face watch for $86.90.

8. lysse control top capri leggings

Love the pattern on these. They’re on sale for $37.52. Is it just me or are all these sale prices weird numbers?

9. free people woven pattern poncho

I originally saw this poncho in navy and coral and loved it. But I also really like this green. It’s on sale for $45.56.

10. sam edelman plaid shirt

This is a great plaid shirt with really cute styling in the back. It’s on sale for $59.40. You could wear it with shorts now and jeans all fall and winter.

11. crocheted lana cardigan

I saw this cardigan in person at Anthropologie and it is gorgeous. Look how great it looks layered over a simple white tee and jeans. It was originally $198 but is on sale for $99.95 plus an extra 20% off with code GONEFISHING at checkout.

12. paned cocoon dress

I haven’t seen this in person but the reviews on it are amazing. It could be great as a dress or over leggings. It’s on sale plus an extra 20% off with code GONEFISHING.

13. attylie textured blouse

I bought this top early this spring and then took it back because I realized I have an addiction to cream-colored tops and didn’t really need another one. But I still loved it and am tempted to go ahead and get it now that it’s on sale. And it’s an extra 20% with code GONEFISHING.

14. midday melange top

This is the only thing that’s not on sale but it’s still a great price for a really cute top that would look equally great with jeans or shorts.

15. maxi tube swim coverups

Old Navy is having a HUGE sale. Practically everything is 50% off so the best advice I can give you is to go look around and see what you can find. Personally, I really like these coverups and they’re on sale for $20.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

A few weeks ago, I made an appointment for Piper to get spayed. We’d already had Mabel spayed several months ago but had waited for Piper because it seemed like too much trouble to do it at the same time.

Yesterday morning was the day of the surgery. P had to be at his job site earlier than usual because they were pouring concrete and so I had to get Caroline to school and have Piper at the vet by 8:00 a.m. The tricky part was getting Piper out of the yard and into the car without Mabel because they are always a package deal. And so it essentially felt like I was running a goat rodeo in my backyard at 7:35 a.m.

But I managed to get Piper loaded up and she was delighted to be in the car. In fact, she didn’t seem sad at all that Mabel couldn’t join us. It was all happy times until we arrived at the vet and she began to feel something was amiss. Which is appropriate because I’d feel the same if someone took me to get a hysterectomy without mentally preparing me.

She immediately knew she’d been duped into believing she had a better day ahead than what turned out to be her reality. But, listen, she’d be more upset if she found herself knocked up by some mutt who’d leave her to raise a bunch of puppies all by herself.

Meanwhile, I came home to a despondent Mabel. She spent the rest of the day being lost without her sister and spent most of it using sleep as a coping mechanism.

And, later, I discovered she’d written several haikus in her poetry notebook.

I was left at home
they took my sister away
gloom, sadness, despair

Where did Sister go?
Car ride to nowhere today
Am I going next?

Now I’m stuck with Scout
Old man sleeps and poops only
Where is my Piper?

Sister went away
Like Barry Manilow sings
Can’t smile without you

And then our sweet vet texted this picture of Piper saying, “Not what she had planned for the day.”

I believe this look says, “Is this because I ate six chocolate chip cookies off the countertop?”