Other

In lieu of any actual paragraphs and/or sentence formation, here are six things that I thought I’d share today.

1. Gilmore Girls trailer

This trailer was all over the internet yesterday and it hit me square in my feelings. Once upon a time, I would watch Gilmore Girls every single week and dream that maybe one day I would have a daughter of my own. (True story, I actually had Lorelai on my list of baby girl names but P nixed it because he said that was the character on the show where everyone talked so fast about nothing and WHATEVER some people don’t appreciate art.)

Then I did have a daughter and have been waiting for her to be old enough to appreciate the wonder that is Lorelei and Rory Gilmore and that day is finally here. And in a total bonus, there are four new episodes on Netflix beginning November 25th. I cannot wait.

2. Old Navy waffle knit leggings

I ran in Old Navy yesterday and saw these and fell in love because I love plaid and I love waffle knit and I love leggings.

3. OPI Malaga Wine nail color

So I voted yesterday, hence the sticker. Then I posted the above picture on Instagram and what everyone noticed was my nail polish. The lesson here is that sometimes a good nail polish color is the real winner.

And the funny thing is I used to never get manicures before the dawn of the shellac manicure because I have a terrible habit of biting my nails and using my hands like a multi-tool and it always seemed like a waste. But when I started doing book signings and things, I decided maybe my nails should look like that of a grown woman as opposed to a third grader and now I’m a big fan of the shellac manicure. I even go to the same person every time because she does such a great job and is the one who encouraged me to “pick a good color that’s not that same boring light pink” when I saw her earlier this week.

I thought yesterday that it’s funny how I keep adding little things to my beauty regimen, but decided it’s the same reason the musicians kept playing as the Titanic went down. Sometimes you just have to make the best of a sinking ship.

4. stila smudge stick waterproof eyeliner

Speaking of beauty, I have been on a search for a good eyeliner. I wanted something that went on easily because I have the steady hands of a cat who has had too much to drink and needed something that would last. This Stila smudge stick is both of those things. It goes on so easily, you can smudge it if you want a softer line and it stays on until I take it off.

5. The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp

Ann Voskamp’s new book, The Broken Way, released yesterday and it is every bit as beautiful and honest as One Thousand Gifts. I brought it to soccer practice to read last night and it became quickly evident that it’s not a book to be read in between watching corner kicks, but rather a book to be read slowly so you don’t miss a word.

6. Cycle Hub

If you’ve read here for any length of time, then you know I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. Actually, it’s more of a hate/hate relationship, but see the reference to Titanic above and that’s why I’m trying to stay committed to working out more. I also think that losing Jen and seeing her so weak in the last few months had an effect on me because she always loved nothing more than a good workout and it was so hard when she realized that her body couldn’t do what it did before she got sick. And so I feel like part of me works out for Jen if that makes any sense at all. The irony is she used to love to tease me about how much I hated to exercise and eat healthy.

Anyway, I’ve become a big fan of spin class. I mean, sure, the first few times I thought people were big liars when they said you never forget how to ride a bike and I hated every minute of it. But then I realized I could burn about 500 calories in thirty minutes and that’s two glasses of wine, otherwise known as one hour of Caroline doing Algebra homework. All that to say, if you’re looking for something new to try and don’t mind feeling like you might pass out for thirty minutes to an hour while loud music plays, then maybe you should visit a spin class near you.

Have a great Wednesday.

Well if you pay any attention to college football, then you probably are aware that the Aggies lost to Alabama on Saturday. And, honestly, I’m okay with that. I even expected it to some degree.

Actually, that’s not true. Because while playing the #1 team in the country – a team that some people say is the best they’ve ever been – is a little like this

I’ve seen Rocky IV enough times to know that Rocky not only beat Ivan Drago, but essentially caused the entire Soviet Republic to crumble as they all chanted “Rocky!, Rocky!”.

But, apparently, Saturday was not the Aggie’s day to be Rocky Balboa although we were actually winning the game for a glorious three minute period of time in the third quarter and I will remember that three minutes with fondness for the rest of my life.

The truth is my stress level for the game was reduced greatly by the fact that Caroline had a soccer game in Austin at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and so I had to resort to listening to the game on the radio. I attempted to live stream in on the CBS Sports app, but it was on at least a 45 second delay and was driving me crazy. Radio and Twitter became my go-to and something about not actually watching it on T.V. helped me disassociate. And then Caroline’s soccer game began right as the Aggies were winning in the third and by the time I checked the score again we were down by two touchdowns. So soccer mom for the win!

Caroline’s game ended in a tie, which felt like a victory considering where the Aggies were at that point. And then we drove back to San Antonio after picking up Chick Fil A for dinner and watched LSU beat Ole Miss. Nothing about that stressed me out in the least, mainly because I didn’t really care who won. I used to always cheer for LSU but that has lost its luster now that Les Miles is out of the picture.

On Sunday morning we had church and then Caroline had another soccer game that afternoon. They won that game and then we spent the rest of the afternoon working on a history project. And by “we” I mean that I did laundry and made a grocery list while Caroline analyzed political cartoons and wrote essays.

And so that’s what’s been going on around here.

Hope you’re having a good week!

So I flew into D/FW yesterday afternoon because I’m speaking at a luncheon in Fort Worth on Friday. And the bonus was that my friend Jamie was able to come meet me. We spent about three hours catching up on life in my hotel room before we finally headed to Mi Cocina for dinner. And then as we were leaving dinner, we decided we needed to check out Sundance Square and inadvertently found ourselves in the midst of some sort of TCU pep rally.

What else do you do in that situation besides take a quick picture with an inflatable horned frog?

And I promise that before we walked away I heard that horned frog whisper, “Beat the hell out of Alabama”. That’s my story and don’t try to convince me otherwise.

Here are some cute things I found this week:

1. calavon peplum top

I love the way this top is cut and am also a fan of the cute pattern. It also comes in blue and is on sale for $49.95.

2. papillon flutter top

I featured this top earlier this fall when it was still full price. I tried it on in the store and fell in love with it because it is so much prettier than it is in this picture and perfect for a Texas fall. It’s now on sale for $59.95.

3. striped oversize pullover sweater

I used to always check online at Urban Outfitters to see what they have in stock but had kind of forgotten about it. I think it’s because I prefer their winter clothes like this striped sweater. I’m a little bit in love with it and it also comes in hot pink, yellow and red stripes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I think I like the hot pink the best.

4. gap slouchy zip hoodie

I saw these hoodies in Gap and like that they don’t have elastic at the bottom. They hang down just a little bit longer and that makes them good for wearing with workout leggings or even a pair of sweatpants.

If I never wear elastic at my waist again, it will be too soon.

5. cable knit sweater

I love a simple cable knit sweater with jeans and boots. This one is a great price and looks perfect.

6. loft cuffed rib trim sweater

I like the sleeves on this sweater and that it’s more lightweight. It comes in a couple of different colors and it’s on sale for $25.

7. leith cocoon knit cardigan

These cocoon cardigans completely sold out and I don’t know if they’ll get more in stock. But they have added two new colors, this light gray and also a pale pink.

8. stripe crewneck tee

This tee is just $19 and also comes in navy. It sells out every time they get it back in stock, mainly because it’s a great length and good either on its own or layered under a jacket or sweater.

9. stripe sleeve tunic sweatshirt

A tunic length sweatshirt? YES PLEASE. This is basically my dream weekend outfit paired with leggings and tennis shoes.

10. topshop ivy hooded jacket

How cute is this rain jacket? I love the striped interior and am partial to this bright yellow color (although I’ll refrain from wearing a cropped t-shirt under it) It also comes in light blue, red, and white.

11. chevron knit cardigan

This is a great piece and also comes in charcoal gray. However, I think I like this color the best. It would look cute thrown over that striped tunic tee with jeans.

12. camo print jeans

Several people have emailed to ask me about camo jeans and I hadn’t really seen any I liked until I found these at Zara. They are a good print, very stretchy and flattering on. An additional note on Zara jeans, I’ve had a hard time finding jeans that fit Caroline because her legs are long and thin. Zara makes jeans in a size 00 and 0 that are perfect if you’re in the market for jeans for a teen who has a hard time with fit and is past the age of being able to find jeans with an adjustable waistband.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

And Gig’em Aggies!

I am the danger. #bthobama pic.twitter.com/kBuZdJ8diN

— cuppycup (@cuppycup) October 20, 2016

I think I’ve finally figured something out. I’ve had an epiphany of sorts.

In July 2006, I started writing this blog. Caroline was a month shy of her third birthday and so our lives were essentially chaos from 5:30 a.m. until she went to sleep at 6:30 every night. That’s right. She went to bed at 6:30. And that was fine with me because she was a child who never understood how to take a nap so, by the time 6:30 rolled around, she was just shy of her head spinning around and spitting out green pea soup.

This meant that by 7:00 p.m. most nights, P and I could sit down and enjoy a nice dinner together, have a real conversation, watch some T.V. and then I’d write a blog post around 9:00 p.m. to kind of wind down my day. But, over the years, Caroline’s bedtime has gotten later and later because it’s hard to convince a second grader that they need to go to bed while it’s still daylight outside and she can still hear the neighborhood kids playing kickball.

Which brings us to now. I guess really our schedule started to shift some last year, but this year has really taken us to a new level. Between soccer practice three or four nights a week, plus her homework load (I’m looking at you, Algebra) and a later school start time, there are some nights she isn’t in bed until almost eleven. I vaguely remember parents of teenagers telling me this would happen but I blew them off because we were going to be different in that way you always think it will be different for your family until reality slaps you in the face.

And so my blog writing time in the evening has become nonexistent unless I either stay up until the wee hours of the morning or write in my car while I’m waiting for soccer practice to be over. And, to add insult to injury, Caroline ends up needing to use my computer a lot of nights to do her homework because our old Mac has finally circled the drain and we are basically living like The Flintstones with one good laptop.

Essentially, I kept waiting for our schedule to get back to normal and it dawned on me last night that this is our new normal. It only took me the first nine weeks of school to figure it out. To translate that into those of you who appreciate an algebraic equation that means if X is my brain and Y is common sense then X + Y = WHY ARE YOU SO DUMB?

(I don’t even know if that’s how an algebraic equation works. Which is why I stay up late with Caroline as she finishes her algebra homework and merely serve as a cheerleader who occasionally offers a snack and/or a word of encouragement. While I drink wine.)

Anyway, I think I need to train myself to write more during the day. But daytime has always been when I work on books and other projects so I’m not sure how that’s going to go. All I’m saying is my life has changed and I’m bad at change and it’s going to take me a while to adjust.

In the meantime, here are a few things I thought I’d share today.

1. Homework wine pairings

Yes to all of this.

2. Georgica Pond by Johnny Swim

This new album by Johnny Swim is so good and has saved my sanity as I serve as Caroline’s chauffeur. I was going to tell you my favorite song but realized they are all my favorite. Just gorgeous.

3. Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

This is the third book by Beatriz Williams that I’ve read in the last couple of months and it might be my favorite of the bunch. I’d mentioned at the beginning of the summer that I was really wanting just a good old fashioned beach read with a love story and some glamour and these books fit the bill for all of that. They are full of twists and turns and keep me turning the page.

4. Dylan McKay on the cover of AARP

What is even happening here? My friend Alison put this on her Facebook page and I almost had to put my head between my knees. Remember when Kelly Taylor chose herself over Brandon and Dylan? Wasn’t that just like two years ago?

Please discuss this because I don’t even understand.

Have a great Tuesday!

I thought this week would be easy because it was short week due to the Columbus Day holiday on Monday. But I was wrong. It was four days that seemed to last forever. But now here we are and it’s Friday.

Here are some cute things I found this week.

1. silvie mock neck top

I love this. It’s a great length to wear over jeans and you could do skinny jeans and boots or wear it with a great pair of flares and wedges. It’s $78 but Anthropologie is offering 30% off with code YAY on all regular-priced tops. It also comes in blue.

2. pavin button-down tunic

I’ve featured this before in the burnt orange color for my Longhorn friends, but I also love it in this light gray. It’s $88 but 30% off with code YAY. It also comes in orange and cream.

3. nightingale tassel blouse

How pretty is this top? It also comes in charcoal. It’s $88 but 30% off with code YAY at checkout.

4. lace line tee

I really like this because it’s so pretty all by itself but would also be perfect for layering under your favorite vest or jacket or sweater coat. It’s $68 but 30% off with code YAY and also comes in white, lavender, turquoise and pink. The length is perfection.

5. serengeti top

If you’re looking for just a great basic top with a little bit of extra flair, this is the top. I ordered this for myself and I love the material. It’s kind of a microfiber/jersey-ish type fabric so it drapes beautifully and doesn’t wrinkle. I’m a big fan of the charcoal gray color but it also comes in brown. And it has elastic cuffs at the wrist. So maybe I love it because it’s like the sweatpants of tops.

And I love this camo cardigan too.

6. moon gazer print woven dress

The length on this is 31 inches in the front so it’s not a dress for most of us. But I love the color and the pattern and think it would look so cute with leggings and boots.

7. come together print joggers

Oh! While I was looking for sweatpants/joggers yesterday, I came across this dressier version. I’m a little bit in love with them, especially the way they’re paired with a bootie. They also come in a burgundy floral pattern if you want something a little more winter-ish.

8. leith shawl collar cocoon cardigan

I continue to put this cardigan in my Nordstrom cart and then leave it there because it’s going to be 92 degrees next Tuesday according to the forecast and I’ve quit believing I’ll ever be cold again. However, it continues to get great reviews and I love the way it looks. Too bad I don’t believe in winter right now.

This also comes in olive and charcoal.

9. chuck taylor shoreline converse sneaker

Some of you asked about the right shoes to wear with joggers/sweatpants for a casual look. I’m a big fan of a sneaker because I think they can be worn with everything from jeans to sweatpants and they’re cuter than a basic running shoe.

You can never go wrong with Converse, but I’m really loving these retro nike cortez ultra moire. They also come in black but I’m partial to these because I had this exact pair in fifth grade. I wore them with an Izod and a pair of Jordache jeans.

And how cute are these puma suede sneakers? They come in several different colors.

I also love these vans black ball sneakers for something different.

10. loft utility blouse

I originally saw this top on Sheaffer’s blog and thought it was cute. It’s a great addition to a work wardrobe because you can wear it with everything from skirts to pants, but still be able to throw it on with jeans.

It’s 40% off with no code needed and comes in a ton of great colors and has hundreds of great reviews.

11. gap plaid pin tuck popover

I thought I was finished with Fashion Friday for the day, but happened to check out Gap and love this plaid popover top. I’d order it in a tall size because I like stuff like this to be a little bit longer. And I don’t see a discount code for Gap right now, but I bet they’ll have one up soon and you can get this for 40% off.

12. mixed stripe wool cardigan

Oh! And this is 30% off with code YAY at checkout at Anthropologie. I love the colors and the stripes. Super cute for fall and winter. Assuming they ever show up in South Texas.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

Today is either going to be a high or a low depending on your current outlook and station in life. I realize we are living in times that are fraught with controversy and I certainly don’t mean to cause anymore strife amongst us, but sometimes you just have to go out on a limb and talk about what really matters.

And, today, that is the return of sweatpants.

Oh sure, they are calling them “joggers” to placate those of us who have experienced sweatpants before. But make no mistake, these are straight up, elastic-at-the-ankles sweatpants. Sweats. Stretchy pants in the vein of Nacho Libre.

The first pair of sweatpants I ever loved were from my junior high days. They were royal blue with Bammel Patriots written on them in red and I wore them constantly, even after we moved to Beaumont and I no longer attended Bammel Middle School. Eventually, I moved on to other pairs. I remember a blue pair with a bear on them that I wore to school far more often than was probably socially acceptable and then a pair of gray sweats that were part of the workout uniform for the high school dance team that came with a matching hoodie.

My freshman year at Texas A&M, I treated myself to a pair of maroon sweats with “AGGIES” written down the leg and really believed that I was living my best life. But at some point in my college tenure, the cotton sweatpant fell out of favor and was traded in for the more elegant and sophisticated “wind suit”.

Let me present Exhibit A.

In the interest of full disclosure, I think I wished for that exact wind suit for Christmas 1992. I did not receive that exact wind suit and I’ll let you be the judge of whether that was a good thing or a bad thing when I tell you I received an all white one instead with yellow, black and red trim. Why hello there, Michelin Man, you are looking awfully sporty on your way to Geology 201.

I don’t recall that the wind suit phenomenon last for very long (Shocking, I know.) but I do remember transitioning to some sort of wide-legged drawstring gray cotton pants in the late 90s before J.Lo and Juicy Couture brought us the wonder that was the velour tracksuit in the early 2000s.

Don’t be fooled by the velour that I got, I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the block. Or a middle-aged woman who probably shouldn’t have “JUICY” written across my rear end.

But there were soon multitudes of versions of the velour tracksuit and I embraced it because it was like pajamas you could wear to the grocery store. And then the velour began to go away and we were left with the standard black yoga pant. Practical, comfortable and generally acceptable in polite society. I wore yoga pants with abandon.

However, at some point in the last couple of years, the yoga pant seemed to transition into workout leggings/tights. This is all good and fine, except workout leggings and tights aren’t necessarily as comfortable or forgiving as yoga pants and all of the aforementioned predecessors. Don’t get me wrong, they are great for working out and are even perfect for Saturday morning soccer games or trips to the grocery store. But they are a little restrictive when you just want a comfy option to watch college football and eat chips and queso.

In fact, Gulley and I had this exact discussion about a week ago. I’d gone over to her house to watch the Aggie game and wore a pair of loose fit, flare jeans with flip-flops and an Aggie t-shirt. She liked my jeans but I told her I really wanted a more comfortable option, but the jeans were the best I could do. And we both agreed that what we really needed was a sweatpants option…something that offered the comfort of an elastic waistband yet without the judgement that comes when you wear actual pajama pants in public.

Why did we ever decide we were too good for some fleecy cotton with elastic at the ankles? As we continued our discussion, I told Gulley that I didn’t want us to get our hopes up, but I had seen signs that sweatpants were making a legitimate comeback. However, we will need to call them joggers. Because in the words of Jerry Seinfeld, “You know the message you’re sending out to the world with sweatpants? You’re telling the world, ‘I give up. I can’t compete in normal society.”

I’ll tell you what sweatpants need, to hire the same P.R. person that kale hired a few years ago.

As I continued to think about sweatpants over the next few days (Because what else is there to think about? We all need a distraction. How else do you explain the current fascination with Ken Bone?) I realized I’ve actually been on the path to return to my first loungewear love for a while.

It all began two years ago when I first bought a pair of these gap soft cotton print leggings.

I intended for them to serve only as pajama pants, but I will admit they have made a few trips out of my home. However, I kept them confined to the inside of my car when I drove Caroline to school. Mainly because P said, “You’re wearing your PAJAMAS out of the house?” Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Then last spring I purchased these nike gym vintage capris from Nordstrom.

Mine are actually blue and I do wear them when I take the dogs to the park or take Caroline to soccer practice. They have been the perfect thing to throw on this summer while the weather is hot because they are just thin cotton with no lining.

And then I walked in Gap about a month ago and spied the gap cozy skinny joggers.

I tried them on and discovered they were both cozy and skinny. They fit a little more snug than ye sweatpants of yore, but are really cute. I held off on buying them that day because I didn’t want to pay full price for them and wasn’t sure if this was actually going to be a socially acceptable garment. I have since ordered them when Gap offered a 40% off coupon and am waiting on them to arrive.

(FYI, Gap is currently offering 40% off everything with the code STYLE at checkout)

While I was debating ordering the Gap cozy skinny “joggers”, I asked people on Twitter if it was good idea to order sweatpants and was met with a resounding yes. One person even said that sweatpants are like a hug for your leg and I think we could all use a good hug right now.

And so, emboldened from the Twitter, I also ordered these nike rally tight pants.

I received them today and they are just like the sweatpants I remember from my youth. They do run a little small so you may want to order a size up if you want them on the looser side. But I adore them if for no other reason than I can say, “I’m the only girl in town with tight pants. I’ve got my tight pants, I’ve got my tight pants on.”

Someone on Twitter also mentioned how much she loved her camo joggers which led me down a Google trail that ended up at these ily couture camo joggers.

And if you enjoy the camo but want a less expensive option. I found these eco fleece jogger pant on Amazon for half the price.

I also really like these nike jogger sweatpants that come in black or gray.

I mean they’re no wind suit but they’ll do.

And before you judge me and my return to the sweatpants of my youth, I’d just ask you to consider how perfect they’ll be this winter as you curl up by the fire and watch seventeen hours of Netflix in a row.