Author: Big Mama

Y’all.

I am so excited about today.

Do you remember when I wrote about my living room and the transformation that Holly Mathis helped me make?

I mentioned that one of my very favorite things is this sign I had custom made by Andrew and Tara Lowry at Between You and Me Signs.

Later that day, they emailed me and asked if I’d be interested in giving away one of their signs to one of my readers.

Umm. How quickly can I email back YES?

Because look how great they are.

The winner can choose one of the signs from their Etsy shop or you have the option to have one custom made. I honestly can’t express how much I love mine. It may be my favorite thing in my whole house right now.

And I’m so excited that one of you will win one for your house. Or your beach house. Wherever you want. I’m not the boss of you.

Here are the official entry rules:

1. Leave a comment on this post. I’d love to know if you have a favorite quote or scripture you might use if you win or if you’d pick one of the ones from the Between You and Me store.

There’s no right answer, I’m just nosy.

2. One comment per person please. Duplicates will be deleted and make my life difficult.

3. Due to cost, this contest is only eligible for shipping in the continental U.S.

4. I’ll keep comments open until Sunday night and then email the winner.

Y’all have a great day! And good luck!

Spring Break is over.

Well, technically it’s not over yet because I’m writing this on Sunday night. But it will be over in about ten hours when the alarm goes off and I have to reconcile my new reality with Daylight Saving Time. I was able to put it off for a week, but you and I both know that will serve as small consolation when I’m packing a lunch while it’s still dark outside.

On the bright side, our week ended on a high note after starting off as one of the more crappy Spring Breaks in recent memory. Or ever.

Wednesday afternoon Gulley and I got a text from our friend Tiff letting us know she and her family were coming into town and wondering if there was a time we could all get together. Our calendar was pretty wide open thanks to the onset of the plague early in the week, so we made plans to meet for lunch on Thursday.

It was the perfect afternoon. The weather was gorgeous and we sat outside and ate Mexican food while the kids ran around and played together.

Tiff even brought her copies of Sparkly Green Earrings for me to sign.

And then we took a group shot of all the kids.

We try to do that every time we’re together, but it had been a long time because it’s rare that we have all the kids with us at the same time. I’m feeling a little nostalgic so I just went and found the other group picture of them that’s framed in Caroline’s room.

Yeah. So that’s been a few years ago.

The fat baby is Will who’s now eight. And Tiff’s youngest son, Zeke, wasn’t even on the radar.

And then we took a group shot of the three of us because of course.

Then, because like I said, I’m feeling nostalgic I found this picture of us in one of the many quilted photo scrapbooks I made in college.

Yeah. So that’s been a few years ago.

That’s Jen, Tiff, Gulley and me in 1991. Please note our wind shorts. And Jen’s Dooney and Bourke purse that I envied for the bulk of 1990-91. It should also be noted that the car in the background was Gulley’s dad’s red Chevy Blazer that he let us drive to Baton Rouge for a baseball tournament. In retrospect I can’t believe he trusted us that much. Also, he probably shouldn’t have.

Anyway, it was great to see Tiff. The best friends are the ones that have known you since you thought it was important to wear sliding shorts under your wind shorts.

Then later that night Gulley and I took the kids to see some of Jackson’s friends play in a band because what’s not to love about some eleven-year-old boys doing a cover of Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

On Friday, P and Caroline headed down to the ranch because P was hosting a big shoot out weekend for the Sportsmen’s group at our church.

Gulley’s husband took their boys down there too which meant that Gulley and I ended our day with pedicures while our people were down at the ranch shooting guns and fishing and camping out. I’m pretty sure we got the better end of the deal.

Especially when I tell you that they ended their trip hunting down and shooting a six foot rattlesnake.

You can tell Caroline was absolutely terrified. This is the same child who freaked out because a mayfly got in the house last week. I don’t understand.

Meanwhile, Gulley and I had our toes painted in colors reminiscent of Easter Eggs. I went out on a pedicure limb and went with OPI’s Do You Lilac It? I have to say I’m a fan.

But here’s what went wrong with our pedicures.

I realize that part of the charm of the nail salon is how they like to give you the up-sell. Do you want the regular or deluxe pedicure? Would you like a manicure too? How about a paraffin wax dip?

No thank you. Just the regular pedicure, please.

That’s when they go for the jugular. Would you like your lip waxed?

See? Now you’ve just hurt my feelings.

But it was what happened after the lip wax offer that really got me. She looked right at me and said, “You want your eyebrows waxed? I make them look really nice, not bushy.”

Ma’am. I have dedicated the better part of the last six months growing out my eyebrows to look like this. I spent actual American dollars on an eyebrow serum called Talika to make them grow. And now you’re telling me you can make them look nice, not bushy?

You know what I say to that? That eyebrow serum totally works. And, also, STAY AWAY from my eyebrows. I am on the cusp of a Brooke Shields moment.

But all was forgiven by the time my pedicure was over because she was a big fan of the lilac color I chose. I told Gulley I think she even wanted to hug me but I wasn’t sure and I hated to go in for the hug if I was reading her signals wrong because that might make things awkward.

Kind of like asking someone if they want their lip waxed.

******

Just a reminder: I’m signing books at Adelante Boutique in the Pearl Brewery tonight (Monday) from 5-7 p.m.

I can’t believe it’s already Friday. Our week of stomach bugs and relaxation and sunshine has flown by. And in some ways it’s made me wish summer would hurry up and in other ways it’s made me realize I need to get us some activities on the summer calendar because we fall into a pattern of sleeping in until 10:30 every morning way too easily.

So here are a few things I’ve found this week:

1. embroidered pintuck dress

I bought the royal blue version of this last year and loved it so much. And now I really want the white version. But can’t decide if I need white and royal blue in the same dress. It might be redundant.

However, there is no doubt it would be redundantly cute.

I have no idea what that means.

Also, Gap has 30% off everything online this weekend when you use the code GAPFRIENDS at checkout.

2. the perfect sun hat

I believe I’ve mentioned once or several hundred times that with my advanced age has come an unfortunate skin development where sun on my face tends to give me dark spots in the perfect shape of a mustache. It’s a low.

And it’s why Mamaw needs a good sunhat that offers full facial coverage. I love this one. And it’s from Noonday so you get the added benefit of giving back.

3. fluid roll-cuff henley

I tried this on in Gap the other day and really liked it. It’s super soft, comes in pretty colors and is the perfect thing to just throw on with jeans or shorts or a skirt. Or even some culottes.

Not really on the culottes. Do they even make a culotte anymore?

4. tiered habitual shirtdress

I love this. It also comes in royal blue and the biggest question is would I want the red or the royal blue. And then I remember my royal blue Gap dress I mentioned above and think probably the red. But you don’t have that same issue unless you already have a blue dress in your closet.

I also think this would look cute over some white skinny jeans.

5. ruth necklace, turquoise and red

And then this necklace? Sigh. Love it so much.

6. front zip tweed moto jacket

I’ve been on the fence about buying myself a little tweed jacket. They’re very in right now and look really cute just paired with jeans and a t-shirt. But we have weather issues here in South Texas. Specifically, once it gets hot, it gets HOT.

And then this jacket isn’t so much cute and trendy as it is a device of torture and agony.

But if you live in the North or the Midwest, then I totally support this jacket. It’s also 40% off when you use the code LUCKY at checkout.

7. colorblocked 3/4 sleeve cardigan

This is super cute and makes me think of neopolitan ice cream. And while I don’t care for neopolitan ice cream at all (Get your strawberry away from my chocolate.) I do think the colors are bright and fun.

Plus, a 3/4 sleeve cardigan is a great spring item to throw over a dress or pair with a skirt. Or with jeans and a tank.

8. fiesta chevron dress

We’re not far away from Fiesta time in San Antonio so maybe that’s why this appeals to me. It’s a little bright but super fun for spring.

9. piped cotton eyelet trench

This is super darling. I love the coral color and the little detail in back. It falls into my whole issue about the necessity of a jacket in South Texas in the spring, but I still love it a lot.

10. old navy chiffon sleeveless tunic dress

I haven’t seen this in person, but I feel like it has potential to be great. I love the coral color and think it would be so cute with sandals and some jewelry.

And that’s it for today.

Y’all have a great Friday.

It appears the plague of Spring Break 2013 has come to an end. No one else has contracted the bug and I’m choosing to believe it has run its vile course. Gulley read through comments yesterday and appreciated all the good thoughts. She will live to eat another day.

But there really isn’t much to report here so here are just a few things you might be interested in knowing. Or not. Either way.

1. Christy Nockels

I have long been a fan of Christy Nockels. And the one time I met her in person for a brief moment, I could not have acted more awkward because I was torn between wanting to be normal and crying to tell her how much her lyrics have meant to me over the years. But I’m hoping maybe she doesn’t remember.

Anyway, she wrote a blog post the day that the new Passion CD came out and I love it so much. You can read it here.

2. Ice cream

You are not going to believe this tale of woe and sadness. Actually, you aren’t going to believe that it qualifies as a tale of woe and sadness.

But here goes.

Several years ago, Dreyer’s made a chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. It was delicious. Words really can’t describe it, but it was far superior to Baskin-Robbin’s chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream of which I’d been a fan since childhood.

Then they quit making it. And there was sorrowing and pain in the Embassy of Spain. Or at my house. Whatever.

But wait! They started making it again but with vanilla ice cream. Get away from me, wretched subpar imposter!

There has been a chocolate peanut butter ice cream void in my life. That is, until Tuesday. When I went to HEB and discovered Breyer’s Blast Reese’s Chocolate ice cream.

Life is worth living again.

(Also, does anyone know why there is a Dreyer’s ice cream and a Breyer’s ice cream? It’s kind of confusing.)

3. Book signings

I have two events coming up in San Antonio.

Monday, March 18th from 5-7 p.m. I’ll be at Adelante Boutique courtesy of The Twig in the Pearl Brewery. There will be snacks and shopping and it should be big fun. Plus, it’s a great chance to check out all the new stuff down at the Pearl.

Wednesday, March 27th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. I’ll be signing books at Julian Gold as part of an event that benefits Girls, Inc. of San Antonio.

4. Miracles & Moments of Grace by Nancy Kennedy

This collection of essays from fifty different moms in all stages of motherhood just came out last week. It’s filled with funny and tender moments that define motherhood. There might even be an essay by me. And some other bloggers you know. You can read more about it here.

5. Beauty Balms

Have y’all heard about these? Apparently they’ve been in Europe for years and have just now made their way to America. Or at least that’s what I read in some magazine at the doctor’s office. I have no idea if that’s true or just a clever marketing ploy.

They claim to moisturize, correct and protect in one convenient application. The coverage is a little heavier than a tinted moisturizer but lighter than foundation.

Anyway, I’ve tried the L’Oreal version the last few days and I like it. I can’t decide if it’s a replacement for my tinted moisturizer, but it has possibilities. I’d be interested to know if you’ve tried it and what brand you like the best.

And that’s it for today.

See y’all tomorrow for Fashion Friday.

Well the good news is I’m finally better. I can’t remember the last time it took this long for any type of food to sound remotely appealing. Probably because it’s never happened. This was an unprecedented level of gastrointestinal distress.

And the semi-good news is that, as of this writing, it’s only taken one other person I love down.

The bad news is it was Gulley.

And the really bad news is it meant we had to cancel our Spring Break road trip to Dallas.

We had planned to leave on Monday around noon. And our itinerary involved a stop at Shady Grove in Austin because I felt like if any food might provide a source of healing and comfort it might be their jalapeno ranch dressing and chips. I realize this sounds like a bizarre and ambitious choice for someone recovering from the worst stomach virus ever, but I will tell you I’ve been known to eat a Frito Pie less than six hours after being sick on previous occasions. My stomach makes cast iron envious on most occasions.

(Every time I write about Frito Pie some of you ask what that is and I grieve for you. I grieve deeply. A Frito Pie is simply Fritos covered in chili with grated cheese on top. Some people like to add onions or jalapenos but I’m not one of them. Also, they never taste better than when served in the actual individual size Frito bag.)

(Which reminds of me a place called Lake Tejas in Colmesneil, Texas where I used to swim in the summers with my sister. Our grandmother would take us there and we’d swim all morning and then sit in our bathing suits and eat Frito Pies right out of the Frito bag for lunch. That’s some body joy when you can eat that type of meal while wearing nothing but a swimsuit.)

Anyway, I was packing up my suitcase and Caroline’s suitcase on Monday morning, still feeling more than a little puny myself, when Gulley called and said, “It may be psychosomatic but I woke up feeling a little queasy. I’m going to lay down for a few minutes and see if I feel better.” And I agreed that sounded like a good plan because you know what’s worse than having a stomach bug? Having a stomach bug in the midst of a five and a half hour road trip with three kids.

About thirty minutes later my phone rang and it was Jackson. He said, “Um, Mel? My mom is in the bathroom throwing up.”

Yep. That is the sound of a nail in the coffin of the road trip.

I told him she was going to be fine even though I know one of our friends got this same bug so bad that she passed out cold and then asked him to have her call me if and when she could talk. When she called she began to apologize profusely for ruining our plans in a whisper of her normal voice and I cut her off by assuring her I’d never had more empathy for someone with a stomach flu than I did while still in recovery myself.

And so I made all the calls to let various people know we weren’t going to make it to Dallas. Which included canceling my book signing on Tuesday night and I hated to do that. But we’re going to try and reschedule at some point because I would love to visit Dallas, just not while I’m still feeling slightly like death with a side of black plague.

Basically what we were left with for Spring Break was the distant memory of a time we ate food for pleasure and three disappointed kids who are bored and possibly ticking time bombs to also become stomach bug recipients.

So on Monday I picked up Gulley’s boys and brought them to my house. It wasn’t necessarily the makings of the vacation they’d dreamed of but at least they were all together and got to play Wii and mill around the backyard and eat generous amounts of ice cream because I felt kind of bad for them. I even made them popcorn because I think we all know the clean, fresh house thing went out the window with the stomach bug.

And then yesterday morning I called Gulley and she was feeling better but far from 100%. Or 35%. So I told the kids I’d take them bowling later that afternoon. Which kind of seemed lame considering the weather is absolutely gorgeous, but Caroline still has a boot on her foot and that puts a limit on most outdoor activities. It didn’t really work well for bowling either, but since she bowls an average of 39 when completely healthy, I figured it didn’t matter much.

I meant to take some pictures of our afternoon of bowling to document Spring Break 2013: The One Where We Gave Thanks for Zofran, but I only got this one of Will.

He doesn’t know why people keep asking about his hair.

And, like Gulley said, this was a pretty tame day.

I drove the kids home about 5:30 and all of a sudden had an epiphany. I mean, white smoke didn’t come out of the Vatican or anything, but after days of no appetite I knew there was something that I actually wanted to eat for dinner. A craving, even.

Red beans and rice from Pappadeaux’s.

And I’m back. The cast iron stomach is back.

Every January since 1997 there has been a conference for college-aged kids called Passion. And it’s always been a dream of mine to attend even though I’m now a little bit beyond college age. But just by a few or twenty years. The good news is it’s now simulcast every year so I can watch it from the comfort of my couch like an old person.

Here’s the thing about Passion, the teaching is phenomenal. But I think my favorite part is the music. In fact, from the moment I watch Passion every January I can’t wait until March when the new Passion CD is released because I know it will pretty much be my soundtrack for the rest of the year.

And this year is no different. I received an advance copy of this year’s Passion CD called Let the Future Begin and I’ve already listened to it about twenty or fifty-six times. It is so good and I know y’all will love it.

Here’s the best part. I get to give away five copies of Let the Future Begin today.

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on this post. I’m thinking you can tell me your current favorite song because those are the things I like to know.

I’ll leave comments open until Sunday at noon and then choose the five winners using Random.org.

And if you can’t wait that long, then you can download it on iTunes right now for just $9.99.