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So I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’d gone to Nashville to film a video opener for the dotMOM Conference. Which caused several of you to email me and ask two questions:

1. Will you be at the dotMOM Conference?

2. What is the dotMOM Conference?

The answer to the first question is YES. Sophie and I are emcees for the dotMOM Conference in Chattanooga this September 20-21. We like to think we bring a certain level of professionalism and sophistication to the the whole event. Except for the opposite of that.

The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated. The short version is that it is an incredible conference for anyone who is or has ever been a mom. It’s for moms with kids at all ages and stages, whether you’re teaching them to use the bathroom or trying to figure out how to communicate better with their spouse. And this year’s main speakers are Jen Hatmaker, Vicki Courtney, John Croyle and Angela Thomas. Plus, Lauren Chandler will be leading worship.

Sophie did a fabulous job explaining all the ins and outs of dotMOM on a great post she wrote a week or so ago. You can click here for all the dotMOM information you could ever hope for.

And just for your viewing pleasure, this is the video from last year’s conference.

All I can tell you about the new one is that Angie Smith and the tiara make a reappearance. And Pinterest might be involved.

Would love to see you in Chattanooga this fall!

Here’s the honest truth. I’m tired of looking at summer clothes. And I get that it’s hot. It’s going to be hot here for at least another two months. That’s fine. I’m not saying I’m ready for summer to be over because that would mean we’d have to go to Target and buy school supplies and the debate over whether to get a notebook with a horse or a dolphin on the front would make me feel like the Apocalypse is quickly approaching. I’m just tired of looking at the clothes summer has to offer.

I’m a fan of fall and winter clothes. I like boots. And leggings. And jeans. And sweaters. I love a jacket. But a tank top? Not so much.

All that said, I struggled to find things today and finally ended up with a few things, many of which are more for fall than summer. But it is what it is.

1. shadow lace cardigan

This is on sale at Anthropologie right now. I think it would look so cute with skinny black pants and tall boots.

2. sequined kaleidoscope dress

This is also an Anthro sale item. I love the colors.

3. too-nic legit dress

This falls in the category of “not a dress” to me. But I love the length and it would be perfect belted or just loose with leggings.

4. faux leather biker jacket

Please don’t ask me why the model is sad. I don’t know. I wasn’t in on the photo shoot and don’t know her life. Maybe she’s sad this isn’t a real leather jacket. I still happen to think it’s very pretty.

5. john wind modern prep cuffs

I love these John Wind cuffs. So fun for summer if you aren’t over summer clothes like I am right now.

6. summer dreams shift dress

And this actually tempts me. I love the color and the style. Plus, I think it could transition into fall.

7. selvedge chambray shirt

This is a great chambray shirt. You could wear it now over a tank with a pair of shorts. Or wear it this fall with colored jeans and boots. Best of all, it’s an extra 40% off when you use the code Style40 at checkout, along with everything else on sale at J.Crew right now. There are some good deals to be had.

8. rugby crew tee

I bought this shirt in blue earlier in the summer and have worn it a ton. It’s super soft and perfect to throw on with shorts or jeans.

9. corrugated high/low sweater

This is on sale at Nordstrom right now and it’s the kind of thing I love to have to wear with jeans when the weather cools off.

10. timex antiqued case watch

I like the vintage look of this. And it’s a great price.

That’s it for today.

Y’all have a great Friday.

I got home from Tyler yesterday afternoon. It was a fun trip, but so quick and busy that it almost feels like it didn’t happen. Even though I know it did because otherwise why was I on an airplane?

That’s really all that’s been going on around here. Well, that and browsing the Nordstrom website trying to decide what I might want to buy while the big sale is going on.

And now I’m going to share that information with you. Because I know you were probably dying to know even though you didn’t ask. Here is my thought on early sales: Stick to the basics. Most of the time when I buy a trendy item months before the actual fall season begins, I end up regretting it. But this is a great time to buy some nice staples at lower prices, like a good pair of jeans or boots or a jacket.

You will also notice that the last two items are actually things for Caroline, not me. Because she has this weird habit of outgrowing her clothes.

Here are my five picks: (I’m sure there are more, but I’ll save those for Fashion Friday tomorrow.)

1. mixed media roll sleeve top

This shirt was sold out in almost every color just yesterday. But it’s back. I love the longer length and am definitely getting the green.

And maybe the purple.

2. michael kors chain link bracelet watch

This isn’t the exact watch I posted last Friday, but it’s pretty darn close. And it’s a great price for a Michael Kors watch.

3. dolce vita luanna boots

There are several pairs of really great boots on sale right now in various price ranges. I really like these because they’re reasonably priced, attractive and come in brown or black.

4. north face oso hooded fleece jacket for girls

I bought this jacket in hot pink for Caroline last year. And I don’t say this very often, but we got every penny’s worth out of it. She wore it constantly.

It’s super soft, very warm and, if you live in Texas, totally works as a winter coat.

5. asics gel nimbus tennis shoes for girls

Umm. My child has started growing out of shoes at a frightening pace. In fact, she announced yesterday that her soccer cleats are starting to feel too small which makes me want to cry because we bought them in May.

That’s why tennis shoes on sale are a good thing. Maybe I ought to go ahead and buy these in at least two sizes.

So those are my top five picks right now because they are the items I know we’ll actually wear.

I realize this has been fascinating. And if you happen to share my current obsession with the Nordstrom sale and know about a must-have item, I wish you’d share.

I’m on my way home from Tyler right now and knew there was no way I was going to be able to write any sort of coherent post because my brain will be shut down for the next twenty-four hours.

But the other day Caroline and I were watching old videos of her (It’s one of her favorite things to do) and we came across this one. It’s still one of my favorites and I feel certain it will make you smile if not laugh out loud.

Fishing Story from Big Mama on Vimeo.

God love her.

I woke up to the news yesterday that Duchess Kate was finally officially in labor. And that was pretty much my day.

Unless you count the moment I felt ripped off when I saw that this happened.

That’s a real live town crier. Like from Cinderella or something.

Can we take bets as to how long this becomes a thing on Pinterest where women hire someone to dress up like this to announce the birth of their child to their friends in the waiting room?

Also, I’m thinking Phillip for the name. I mean Kate hasn’t told me that or anything, it’s just my personal favorite based on the fact that it’s not like they can name him something like Kevin.

But I was convinced it was going to be a girl so you should probably not head to Vegas to place bets on anything I say.

In other non-royal news, I have to tell you (with just a little bit of pride and satisfaction) that I have succeeded in my goal to read more books this summer. And we still have five weeks left.

So, considering that yesterday was spent on royal baby watch and going to the pool, I thought this was a good time to share what I’ve read so far with a quick review of each.

1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

This was a fun, quirky read. I loved the humor and that it was ultimately a sweet story about the love between a mother and a daughter.

2. The American Heiress: A Novel

I picked this up at Target right before a trip. I’m a sucker for anything about an heiress. And it was pretty good. I kept waiting for it to take an interesting twist that never really happened, but it still kept my attention until the end.

3. The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future

This one fascinated me. I’d heard from several people that it was a must-read. All I can say is that if you were ever hooked on the Left Behind series, then you’ll probably like this book.

4. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

I know I’ve already mentioned this one, but it went straight to the top ten of my favorite books ever. It’s an incredible story filled with heart and adventure. I loved it. But I love most things that discuss World War II.

5. The Language of Flowers: A Novel

I finished this yesterday morning. I read the whole thing in less than twenty-four hours. It’s a beautifully written, heartbreaking story and I loved learning the meanings of various flowers.

And so those are the five books I’ve read so far. I’m taking a quick trip to Tyler, Texas later today (Edited to add that I’m speaking at Marvin Methodist Church tonight. Feel free to come if you’re in the area.) so I’m sure I’ll pick up something else at the airport. I’d like to get in at least one more book before I spend a week reading People and US Weekly’s reports on the new prince.

We made it home from the road trip late Friday afternoon. And then I fell into bed and slept until five minutes ago.

Not really. But I could have.

In fact, after we got home I began to unpack while telling P all about our trip and kept losing my train of thought. He looked at me and said, “Man, you really are tired, aren’t you?” As if I’d been lying. It also didn’t help that I woke up Friday morning with what I originally thought was pink eye, but turned out to be a stye. Either way, look away, I am hideous.

P left about an hour after we got home to drive to the coast and fish in a tournament with some friends. Caroline and I met Gulley and Will for Mexican food even though we’d just seen them and then we returned back to our respective homes to unwind. That’s when I got on Twitter and learned that a woman died while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags.

Here’s the thing. We didn’t ride the Texas Giant while we were there because the lines were too long and the kids didn’t care to ride it. But on every ride we rode I tried to make myself feel better by telling myself that you never hear about anyone dying on a roller coaster. And then two days later someone dies on a roller coaster. I cannot even imagine. It’s so tragic.

Needless to say, I think it might be a long time before I get on another roller coaster.

Saturday morning, Caroline and I slept in until after 10 and then she immediately woke up and asked me what we were going to do for the day. Umm. Nothing?

I told her I had to get some work done because I’d spent the whole week before acting like I had no real responsibilities or commitments and she decided that my plan to work sounded LAME so she called Mimi and Bops and asked them to come get her. Which they did. And kept her for the rest of the day while I worked on book edits and washed the white slipcovers on my couch that didn’t look white anymore and made a grocery list and researched Pinterest for the perfect shade of gray to paint the exterior of our house.

Just to clarify: I’m not painting the exterior of our house. We’ve hired someone to paint the exterior of our house. In a fortunate turn of events, the hail storm on Easter damaged our paint and insurance is covering the bulk of getting our whole house repainted.

P called late Saturday afternoon with the news that his team had won the fishing tournament and he even won a separate award for “largest red fish”. I was so happy for him. Until he got home around 10:00 p.m. and I discovered his victory came complete with a plaque.

That he placed proudly on the bookshelves in our living room.

I hate to show you for fear you won’t be able to overcome your envy.

The only thing it lacks is the ability to sing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” when you push a button.

I’m just thankful that Caroline has now begged to display the plaque in her playroom. Which, what kind of parents would we be if we said no to that?

So my plan for tomorrow is to unselfishly help her find just the right spot for it.