Author: Big Mama

Well.

I haven’t been a great blogger this week. But that’s just how summer goes. On the upside, we’ve been having a lot of fun and sleeping late.

Here are a few cute things this week.

1. free people austin embroidered dress

I got the new Free People catalog in the mail this week and this caught my eye immediately. Love thinking about it with leggings and boots this fall.

2. butterfly sunglasses

A few of you asked about the sunglasses I was wearing in Monday’s post. Here they are. Be warned they are very fancy and cost $12 American dollars.

3. gap pleated eyelet stripe skirt

I was in Gap this week and saw a lady trying this skirt on and fell in love with it immediately. The picture really doesn’t do it justice. It’s much cuter in person.

4. gap faded v-neck tee

I don’t know why I can’t get this picture to upload, but just envision a great v-neck t-shirt in a bunch of great colors. On sale for $13.99.

5. jane drop waist lace dress

I think this would look great paired with leggings and a great leather jacket in the fall. Or with skinny jeans and sandals right now.

6. flora vignette dress

My hairstylist is pregnant right now and she had this dress on the other day and I just thought it was the cutest. Not that you have to be pregnant to wear it, but it’s pretty versatile. And it’s on sale.

7. sleeveless dot print blouse

I’ve featured this before but now it’s on sale for $33.60.

8. frye jenny leather hobo

Okay. The Nordstrom anniversary sale started yesterday and there are some great deals available for a limited time. If you’re a Nordstrom card holder then you can have early access from July 10-17 and then it opens to the public from July 18-August 4th. The best part is you can do what I did and get a Nordstrom debit card that comes right out your checking account and gives you the chance to earn reward dollars from your purchases. This is not an ad, I’m just sharing information.

Anyway, this gorgeous Frye handbag is on sale for $285.90 and is normally $420. It’s just one example of incredible savings during the sale.

I’m also just saying that it would match my boots and I have a birthday coming up soon.

9. boden rainy day mac

Boden is having a big sale on all their summer merchandise. Personally, I’m always drawn to these rainy day macs, but there are some great skirts and tunics and dresses on sale too.

10. gap stripe fold over skirt

Gap is also having a huge clearance sale and this darling striped skirt is on sale for just $21.99.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

I was talking to Gulley yesterday and we were discussing how many books we’ve managed to read in the last few weeks. I must confess that there may be some pride involved for both of us. We agreed that part of what has been so helpful were all the book suggestions we got from the comments you left a few weeks ago when I asked for a good book to read.

I mentioned this last week but I’ve read Mrs. Poe, What Alice Forgot and Looking For Alaska in the last couple of weeks. I’m in the middle of finishing Mennonite Meets Mr. Right and then I’m planning to read The Husband’s Secret next. I’ve also ordered Roses and Somerset, both by Leila Meacham who happens to be a fellow San Antonio author. A friend recently read both of her books and highly recommended them.

Also, I’m sure many of you are familiar with Goodreads. I have known about it for years but have only recently become a little obsessed. If you’re interested, you can find my bookshelf here to see what books I’ve read and have on my “to read” list.

Anyway, I took the time to compile a list of your suggestions from the comments a few weeks ago. The first twenty or so books on the list are ones that were recommended multiple times and then it’s the ones that were mentioned at least once. I stopped the list at 75 because I need to go to bed and that comes out to more than a book a week for an entire year which seems sufficient.

Finally, (I’ve worn myself out with explanations) there is an asterisk in front of the books I’ve already read and I have to say I enjoyed them all.

Here’s a list that you can file away or put on Pinterest or print out and hang in your laundry room. Whatever works for you. Please keep in mind I haven’t read the majority of these books so I can’t vouch for their greatness, but I’ve learned that y’all rarely steer me wrong. I think there should be something here for everyone no matter what you like to read. All of these should be available through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I didn’t actually link to them because I don’t have that kind of time or motivation.

I’m also throwing in a bonus suggestion written by a reader named Willow Feller. It’s called The Epic Undoing of Haley Ann Ewing and it looks delightful.

*1. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

2. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

3. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

4. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

*5. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

*6. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

*7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

9. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

*10. Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

11. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

12. Sycamore Row by John Grisham

13. Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

14. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

15. Open by Andre Agassi

16. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

17. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

18. The One and Only by Emily Giffin

19. Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

20. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

*21. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

22. Serena by Ron Rash

*23. Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

24. The Gift of An Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison

25. Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers

26. Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

27. Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

28. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Series by Neta Jackson

29. The All You Can Dream Buffet by Barbara O’Neal

30. The House Girl by Tara Conklin

31. And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

32. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

33. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

34. A Southern Family by Gail Godwin

35. Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

36. Defending Jacob by William Landay

37. The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

38. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

39. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

*40. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

41. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

42. Watermelon by Marian Keyes

43. Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble

44. Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian

45. The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes

46. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

47. I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum & Craig Marks

*48. Bossypants by Tina Fey

*49. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

50. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

51. The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher by Rob Stennett

52. The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

53. The Professor by Robert Bailey

54. The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy

55. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman

56. 11-12-63 by Stephen King

57. Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey From Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray

58. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

59. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

*60. Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

61. The Century Trilogy by Ken Follet

62. The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

63. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

64. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel and Brett Witter

65. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman

66. Lower Than the Angels by Margaret Symmank

67. I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

*68. Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

69. Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale by Ian Morgan Cron

70. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

71. Heft by Liz Moore

72. Handling Sin by Michael Malone

73. White Gloves and Collards: A Memoir by Helen Pruden Kaufmann

*74. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

75. One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

Please feel free to leave any other can’t miss suggestions in the comments. Happy reading!

Tap, tap, tap.

Is this thing on?

It feels like a million years since I wrote anything besides a quick list of things I need from the grocery store. I almost feel like I’ve forgotten how to string words together that turn into sentences and, lo, even paragraphs.

In all honesty it’s been kind of nice.

I didn’t mention this last week just in case there was a band of marauders scouring the internet for potential robbery opportunities, but we took a little family vacation for the Fourth of July holiday. Specifically, we went to Nashville to see various friends. I am not kidding when I tell you it was the first time P has left the state of Texas since 2009. He just doesn’t see the point when there is both hunting and fishing within minutes of our house.

But he decided to make an exception because Caroline and I went to Nashville last summer for a little business trip and he had heard all year long about how much we loved both the city and the people there.

So on Wednesday afternoon we caught a flight and two hours later we landed and about thirty minutes after that we were in our swimsuits by the pool with our friends Angie and Todd and their girls. The next few days were a whirlwind of activity filled with lots of pool time, talking late into the night, and various July Fourth activities.

There was swimming in a creek.

There was an incredible neighborhood parade where the theme was Night At The Movies. You can tell you’re in a town full of creative artists when a parade includes a glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jaws and Elliot flying over the moon with E.T..

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there was also this.

In case you can’t tell, that there is an RV, Clark. But don’t you go fallen’ in love with it ’cause we’re takin’ it with us when we leave next month.

After the parade we headed straight to the pool where I’m sad to say that Caroline didn’t fulfill her goal of becoming a bi-state (or maybe bi-pool) belly flop champion, but all was not lost because Todd and P were on the winning Men’s wet t-shirt relay team. You’ve never seen such athletic prowess in your life. And by athletic prowess I mean they mastered the art of getting a wet t-shirt off one man and on to the next.

I also got to see my first greased watermelon competition where two teams compete to see who can get a greased watermelon out of the deep end and on to the other side of the pool first. I’ve never been more certain I was about to witness a holiday tragedy. If ever there was a time for the phrase, “I don’t feel like this will end well” it was at that moment.

Later that night, after a little break in all the fun, we went back down to watch a theatrical production performed by the neighborhood kids about the history of the United States. I am not kidding when I tell you it started with Marco Polo and an hour in we weren’t even to Herbert Hoover. I’ve never felt more like I was living out a scene from Waiting For Guffman. Then it was time for the fireworks and they were amazing.

Here’s a picture that doesn’t even begin to do it justice.

The best part was watching and listening to Caroline who was sitting right beside me and giving new meaning to the word “joy”.

She couldn’t contain herself and laughed and yelled, “THAT’S AWESOME!” and basically just put a voice to what we all were thinking. It was an incredible show. Pyrotechnics the way God and the Founding Fathers intended.

We drove back to the house, tired and a little sunburned, but satisfied that we’d partied like it was 1776.

The next morning we slept in and then made our way to downtown Franklin for a quick stop for ice cream before we headed to the airport.

Then we took a quick group selfie before we all hugged and shed a few tears that the trip had ended way too soon.

And P, Caroline and I got on the airplane and talked about all our favorite parts of the trip but I think there were too many to count. It was four days full of staying up late, talking nonstop, laughing so much and just enjoying being with friends we don’t get to see nearly often enough. It was the perfect way to spend the holiday.

I also need to share what I feel was a personal breakthrough for me. After the first night I told Angie that I couldn’t believe P and I had slept so well in a queen-size bed given my various and sundry sleep issues. Which is when she informed me it was actually just a full-size bed. And so the way I see it, I pretty much camped out for three nights and lived to tell about it. There is no doubt that I have grown as a person.

Of course maybe it was just that I didn’t have to worry about these two yahoos who spent their Fourth of July at the kennel and were beyond thrilled to see their people when we returned.

Okay. So maybe I missed them, too.

Well I didn’t really plan to take this whole week off, but now I’ve decided that makes the most sense so I can fully enjoy the holiday and eat hotdogs and watch fireworks and all manner of other things.

But I guess since I’m writing something right now, I haven’t technically taken the week off so much as just four days or so. Whatever. I just like to check in.

Here are a couple of quick things that might make your week better:

1. Food to eat

P and I went out for dinner a few nights ago at Tre Trattoria which is a little Italian restaurant we enjoy. And the market salad of the day was this delicious concoction of heirloom tomatoes, peaches, arugula and burrata cheese. I ate every bite and couldn’t quit thinking about it.

I consulted Pinterest and found a similar recipe and it was equally delicious. Except I substituted mozzarella for the burrata because it’s what I found at the store. This would be a great side dish at any of your Fourth of July gatherings.

Here’s the recipe: tomato, peach and burrata salad

On a slightly less healthy note, my friend Jill mentioned a while back that the chocolate cake recipe on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa is one of the best chocolate cakes ever. I made it a few weeks ago and she was totally right. The only thing I might add are some chocolate chips because I enjoy a little texture in my chocolate cake.

Here’s the recipe: hershey’s perfectly chocolate chocolate cake

2. Books to read

A few weeks ago I asked for book recommendations and then I went to Target that same day and bought a couple of books on impulse because I felt like I couldn’t wait one more second to read something. Here’s what I’ve read in the last two weeks:

Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen – This was totally different from anything I’d normally read and I can’t say I loved it. It was okay and an interesting look at the literary community in New York in the 1800’s, but I wasn’t dying to read it every chance I got which is how I judge a great book.

Looking for Alaska by John Green – I love John Green’s writing and how he perfectly captures teenagers. This is good if you’re a fan of young adult literature.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty – I just started this and am only three or four chapters in but it’s already my favorite of the summer so far and I picked it because so many of you suggested it. Great choice.

3. Things to watch

I’ve totally gotten sucked into the World Cup. It’s filling a void for me since there is no college football to be had right now. Team USA plays Belgium later today and this might get you pumped up.

And win or lose, Nordstrom has some really great international soccer gear for kids available right now for your favorite little soccer fan.

Hope you all have a great 4th of July! See you next week!

This is a hard time of year to find cute things online. Or maybe it’s just because it’s so hot. I realized the other day that I just don’t wear that much in the summer, as evidenced by my laundry that basically consisted of pajama pants and swimsuit coverups.

But I did my best and there are some good sales to be found.

1. split-tone tunic

I think this color combo is really pretty, even though this does come in some other color options. This is one of many things on sale at Anthropologie right now and is only $39.95.

2. swingstripe tee

I actually featured this when it was full price but it’s now on sale for just $39.95 and comes in several different colors. Personally, I like the yellow and gray version.

3. sol stripe pullover

I nearly featured this last week and then didn’t, but it still caught my eye this week. I really love the colors and think it would look really cute with white shorts or jeans.

4. flying tomato santorini maxi skirt

I adore this. Adore. It would look great now with a simple black tee or tank and, later, you could throw on a jean jacket with it.

5. bold beaded strands

I love this necklace and you won’t even believe all the gorgeous colors it comes in. Fuchsia, gray, black, hot pink, etc. It’s a great accessory to add a little pizazz to any outfit.

6. max & mia crinkled maxi skirt

I have this skirt in the bright coral and love it, but they just recently added this gray and I really like it too. It’s as neutral as the black, but a little softer.

7. gap thin flip-flops

These are my favorite summer sandals. I’m about to wear out my second pair of gold ones and am thrilled they are on sale for $17.46. I may need to buy enough pairs to last me for the next eighteen summers.

8. loft roll-sleeve romper

This caught my eye this week and I ran to my local Loft store to try it on, only to discover it had sold out. Which makes sense because it has great reviews online. And now I’m only more determined to make it mine. I think it would be super versatile and easy to dress up or down.

Bonus! This is now 50% off at checkout along with tons of other stuff when you use the code FIFTY.

9. ipanema embroidered top in navy

I’ve been seeing tops like this everywhere and love them every time. Love the navy with the yellow.

10. free people el mirage top

I can’t remember if I’ve featured this before but I’ve had my eye on it for a while. I really love it and now it’s on sale.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

Well I’m sad to report that I was supposed to be on a date with P tonight but am instead sitting here on my couch because Caroline has come down with a touch of the stomach bug. Or she ate something that didn’t agree with her. We’re still not sure which one, but I’m sure we’ll know in the next 24 hours if anyone else falls victim.

We were supposed to drop her off at Bops and Mimi’s late this afternoon. However, it became apparent that wasn’t going to happen and, frankly, I blame Dish Network.

How is this possibly Dish Network’s fault, you may ask? Because they were the beginning of my week not going quite as planned. Because of them, I missed 24 on Monday night and I believe that one thing caused my whole week to fall apart. I realize this seems like a heavy burden to place on them, but I don’t care.

On Monday morning I immediately logged into the Chat feature on Dish Network to report our Dish receiver outage. I have found that I prefer typing my issues furiously into the computer as opposed to spending hours on the phone where you also have to make awkward small talk about the weather. This probably also explains why I have a blog.

Anyway, I explained that our receiver wasn’t working and continuously told us it needed to do a hard drive reset and had lost all our recordings including True Tori. Of course the person I was chatting with is most likely based in India and isn’t aware of the intricacies of Tori and Dean’s marriage so she wasn’t really as sympathetic as I would have liked. But she did apologize that I had to spend my valuable time taking care of my television problems in a sentence that had to be directly taken from a Dish Network employee handbook entitled “You put the ‘U’ in Customer Service”.

So I told her we had repeatedly reset and unplugged and turned off our receiver while sitting on the couch and standing on our hand and clicking our heels three times and reciting “There’s no place like home”. And she immediately replied with “You need to reset your receiver. Unplug it, wait for ten seconds, plug it back in and turn it on again”.

I never would have thought of that.

But I did it for the eighty-fourth time and, in what was a shock to absolutely no one, it failed to fix the problem. She said they could send me a new receiver in five business days.

Five business days.

Sure. Like I have enough hobbies to be without a T.V. for five days.

I typed back that this was unacceptable and asked if I could go pick one up or have it delivered that day because JACK BAUER. And, miraculously, they were able to suddenly overnight one. Even better, they were only going to charge me $20 instead of $35. Which led to me to ask why I was being charged anything considering that I was already going to miss Jack Bauer and it wasn’t my fault that their equipment had circled the drain. And, miraculously, they were suddenly able to waive all charges. It’s amazing how that works, but why do you have to be a squeaky wheel to make it happen?

The new receiver arrived on Tuesday afternoon and I was able to read the instructions and get it set up and working so that P and Caroline could watch T.V. that evening while I went to see The Fault in Our Stars with Gulley.

I had read the book over a year ago and so I felt like I was emotionally prepared. But based on my sobbing, it’s safe to say I was not. Gulley and I had what we refer to as a “My Girl” or “Hope Floats” situation based on the extreme crying we both experienced in those movies. It’s a rarely experienced level of emotional anguish over what is supposed to be entertainment yet causes a level ten Kleenex situation. All that to say, I really loved the movie. I couldn’t imagine how they were going to capture the feeling of the book and especially Augustus Waters, but they did a fantastic job. Just know that it may be best not to see it if you’ve already missed Jack Bauer on Monday and in an emotionally fragile state.

On Wednesday morning we woke up to thunderstorms which was absolutely delightful and ended up spending the day doing not much of anything. I ran a few errands, specifically to the pet store to get the puppies more things to chew on that aren’t the plants in our backyard and the frame of our back door.

And now we’re missing date night and watching T.V. on our new receiver that seems to be working beautifully. Except that it is lacking Jack Bauer.