Other

It would seem that the second week of school is keeping us a little more busy than the first week of school. I went to the grocery store yesterday and bought all the food in the hopes that at least I’d feel organized as far as meal times go, but then Caroline came home with Algebra homework and asked me about protons and neutrons and then needed to use the computer and, well, I am done with this day.

But here are five things I want to share:

1. Justice & Mercy Gala

My friend Mary Katherine who heads up Justice & Mercy International was so blown away by the response to the JMI Gala on September 27th that she gave me an additional table to give away. Make sure you check your email if you left a comment to see if you’re one of the lucky winners!

2. Orthodontia

I didn’t mention this earlier but Caroline got braces the week before school started. For years the dentist had told us she didn’t think Caroline would need braces but, alas, she does. And so we are now literally putting our money where her mouth is. I personally think she looks really cute with them and they only seemed to bother her for a few days. We go back in late September to get the bottom braces put on.

3. This is everything. And just perfect because college football starts this weekend. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

4. And this makes me laugh.

5. Places I’ll be this fall.

I really scaled back my speaking schedule this fall just because I’m in the process of several different writing projects and wanted to be home more. But below is a list of where I’ll be at this point. I’d love to see you at one of these events if you’re anywhere in the area.

September 9 – Clovis, NM at Central Baptist Church – Tickets available here.

September 22 – Albertville, AL – Women’s Health Luncheon: A Day of Learning and Lunching hosted by the Marshall Women’s Guild 10:30 am – 1:00 pm Sebastien’s on Main

October 21 – Aledo, TX – Aledo Children’s Advocats Help and Hope Luncheon – More information available here.

November 4 – Austin, TX – Hand To Hold Luncheon – More information here.

Have a great Tuesday.

Well we made it through the first week of school but I will confess it took us a little longer to get going each morning. And night owl Melanie has had to make a life adjustment. It’s all very sad.

Anyway, here are some cute things I found this week:

1. savoy swing tank

Gulley and I went shopping on Wednesday and both bought this tank at Anthropologie. And we had a discussion about how sometimes online shopping at Anthropologie is deceiving because I never would have looked twice at this tank online, but it’s much longer in person. It will be a great piece to wear alone now and under sweaters and jackets later.

It comes in several color options and is on sale for $39.95 and everything on sale at Anthropologie is an extra 25% off plus free shipping. The discount is automatically taken at checkout.

2. otranto tank

This top is so pretty in person. It’s a great length and the detail at the neck is really nice. It’s on sale for $59.95 plus the extra 25% off and also comes in chartreuse, white and blue.

3. melange t-shirt dress

I tried this dress on and really wanted it but decided I don’t need it. And I’m trying to practice shopping self-control. But it is so soft and so flattering. It hits right above the knee and would look great with everything from booties to boots to a cute pair of sneakers or sandals.

4. new balance boardwalk sneaker

Speaking of cute sneakers, there are tons of options out there right now but I really like these. They are a fun option instead of Converse.

5. traveler cargos

Y’all. These cargo pants. They are so unbelievably soft and so cute on. And now I’m not sure why I didn’t buy them. They come in a few different colors but I’m partial to this olive green.

6. vigoss skinny jeans in dark olive

The olive green cargo pants led me down a trail of deciding I need a pair of olive green jeans. I searched the world wide internet web before finally finding these Vigoss at Nordstrom.

I love my gray jeans and think they need an olive green friend. And then sometimes the gray jeans can tell the green jeans, “It’s not easy being green”.

I’m sorry. I don’t even know what just happened.

7. runaround french terry tunic

If you see me this fall, there’s a good chance I’ll be wearing this top. I bought it about two weeks ago and tried it on as soon as it arrived and basically didn’t take it off for the next 48 hours. It’s lightweight, the perfect length and looks great with everything from workout leggings to jeans. And, maybe the highest praise of all, Caroline said it was cute and asked if I’d order one for her.

To purchase something from Ikat Elephant, you just leave a comment under what you’d like on the Ikat Elephant Facebook page saying sold along with the size you want. I also found this top to be true to size. I ordered a medium because I wanted it to be a little big.

It comes in light gray, charcoal, and black.

8. gap flannel plaid shirt

My love of a plaid shirt is well-documented. And Gap does a good plaid shirt. Plus I like that you can order this in a tall size if you want it a little longer (which I always do).

Right now Gap is offering 35% off with code EVENT at checkout. This also comes in a red plaid.

9. toms desert wedge bootie

Can we talk about booties? I spent the first two years that booties were a thing trying to pretend they weren’t a thing. I had bootie confusion. And after I bought my first pair of booties, I had bootie insecurity because, while I liked the way they looked on other people’s feet, I felt like they looked weird on me.

Gulley and I talked about this yesterday because she bought a pair of booties last fall and has bootie regret. But I assured her I really like her booties and that bootie fear is real. To which she said, “Get behind me, bootie Satan.” And this basically reaffirmed that she will be my best friend forever.

Because bootie Satan is real.

So here are some really good, moderately priced bootie options that will hopefully help you push past any bootie insecurity or regret. All of these come in several color options.

The treasure and bond winsor bootie

The lucky brand eller bootie

The sole society romy bootie

The sole society lyric bootie

I hope you have found this helpful.

10. old navy pleated tie-neck swing dress

Old Navy always does a good job with dresses and this one has good potential. I’m not sure if I like the print options in this, but I really like the navy. It would look great with a pair of booties and maybe a denim jacket when the weather cools off.

Old Navy is offering 40% off at checkout with the discount automatically taken at checkout.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

So I have a fun giveaway today that I’m really excited about. Over the years, P and I have become good friends with Kelly Minter and one of her closest friends, Mary Katherine. And through them we have learned all about a ministry called Justice & Mercy International (JMI). We’ve listened to stories about their trips down the Amazon River to help the forgotten people who live along its banks and really got an understanding of what a difference this ministry makes when we read Kelly’s book, Wherever the River Runs.

Here’s a description of what they do that I copied and pasted from their website (Because why reinvent the wheel? Especially when it’s a really descriptive wheel?)

“Justice & Mercy International (JMI) is a faith-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that exists to make justice personal for the poor, the orphaned and the forgotten of the world.
The children and families JMI serves are incredibly vulnerable. Impoverished and powerless, they contend daily with the threats of human traffickers, substandard education, hunger, and treacherous living conditions. JMI staff, sponsors, and volunteers work together to offer hope and help to the most vulnerable.
Through our volunteer mission trips we wrap our arms around defenseless children and tangibly address the most acute needs of the poor and marginalized. Through our sponsorship programs we invest in the long-term well-being of a child, and by providing essential programs and services we rescue them from harm’s way. Through every action we demonstrate the love of Jesus.”

Every fall, JMI has a huge benefit gala in Franklin, Tennessee to raise money to continue to fund all the great things they are doing all over the world. And P and I always say we wish we could go, but the details never work out. So we are doing the next best thing. Today I am giving away four sets of two tickets each so that some of you can attend the Justice & Mercy International Benefit Gala. (Unfortunately it’s not a regatta gala, but there will still be plenty of good times to be had.)

This year’s gala will feature author/speaker Angela Thomas, former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency David Shedd, author/speaker Kelly Minter, and singer/songwriter Christy Nockels. It’s Tuesday, September 27 at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee at 7:00 p.m.

I have no doubt that it will be an amazing night and I’m excited some of you have the chance to be there live and in person.

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

1. Make sure you can be in Franklin, Tennessee on Tuesday, September 27th. (This giveaway is for tickets to the gala only, no travel expenses included.)

2. Leave a comment on this post. Maybe you can tell me who you’d invite to go with you if you win.

3. I’ll leave comments open until this Sunday, August 28th and then notify the four winners by email on Monday, August 29th.

As hard as it is for me to believe Caroline is in her last year of junior high, it’s apparently the reality based on her school schedule and all the forms I signed over the last twenty minutes.

School starts a little bit later this year so the alarm wasn’t as jarring as it has been in years past. Although as soon as I was awake enough to realize it was pouring down rain outside, I immediately had my feelings hurt that it was a school day. And it took me a full thirty minutes to remember I was supposed to be packing her lunch.

Caroline stumbled out of bed, ate a bowl of oatmeal, made an outfit adjustment when I informed her suede booties and rain don’t really go together, and then let me take approximately two pictures to document the first day of eighth grade. I’m thinking by next year I’ll just be lucky to get a picture of her back as she walks out the door like the one my friend Jamie sent me of her son today.

Normally we do first day of school pictures on the front porch but that wasn’t possible due to the aforementioned torrential rain. And really it’s for the best because the flowers in the planters on my front porch died sometime in July due to either sadness or extreme neglect and the front porch isn’t really having its best moment right now.

I normally cry a least a few tears on the first day of school but I was dry-eyed this year. The nice thing about eighth grade is that junior high is old news by now and there’s not really anything new to navigate. So maybe that’s why I didn’t cry. Or maybe it’s because I’m a lot tougher than I used to be.

On second thought, it’s probably the first thing.

I spent the day enjoying being able to think all the thoughts in my head and working on book edits that are due at a date that used to seem far away and now? Not so much. And before I knew it, the clock told me it was time to go pick up Caroline from school.

The good news is she reported it was a great day. She likes all her teachers, has some friends in every class and is excited about the year.

The bad news is Piper just threw up all over my living room rug.

Which isn’t at all related to the first day of school, but I thought you should know what I’m dealing with over here. And that I may still cry before the day is over. Just not for the reasons I thought.

Monday is our first day of school and so I’m sure I’ll be writing soon enough about packing lunches and how Algebra homework is the reason I can’t quit drinking wine on weeknights, but I realized that I never really wrapped up our summer vacation. This summer was so different in a lot of ways. Gulley and I were lamenting last week that we never even spent an entire day at the pool with the kids or had a day where everyone was so bored and stir crazy that we actually considered something insane like taking them to play putt-putt golf. And so we made it our goal to get to the pool this past week, but it rained all week long and so, alas, au revoir pool days of 2016, we hardly knew ye.

The truth is this was a weird summer. Caroline’s getting older, our schedules are busier, the road trip had to be shortened, and we lost Jen. But the one constant was our annual family trip to Port Aransas. We always go at some point in August and this year Caroline wanted to go the week of her birthday, invite a friend and celebrate there. So that’s what we did. And I figured I better recap it for posterity before it’s September and I’m busy ranting about Aggie football, finding the right no show socks to wear with my new booties, and how much I want to wear jeans and boots even though it’s still 106 degrees outside.

And this is basically going to be a lot of pictures for my own benefit so I can look back someday and remember that time we went to the beach in 2016. I realize this may be a little boring and like Gulley says when someone overposts vacation pictures on Instagram, “Back in the 1970s we used to make fun of people who invited you over to watch a slideshow of their vacation.” Basically, what I’m saying is there may be a minimum of 6,403 more interesting things on the internet today than this post.

We arrived at the beach on Monday afternoon and immediately unpacked and headed down to the water for a couple of hours.

This is the Port Aransas version of Perry.

He is perhaps the best version of himself at the beach. He’s like a beach cruise director and is always finding fun things to do like catching crabs, finding sand dollars, riding waves, and fishing for sharks. Which is perfect because the beach version of myself likes to read books and listen to the ocean. (I can’t really think about the fact he fishes for sharks just a little bit further out from where people are actually swimming.)

On Tuesday we spent the whole day at the beach and then P had arranged for us to go out with a guide to flounder gig. You essentially go out on a boat after dark and look for flounder then gig them with a pitchfork type thing. The girls thought this was basically the most fun thing ever.

I know that picture is dark but, well, it’s dark out on the ocean at nighttime. But I wanted to give you an idea of what it looks like. You’re on a flat bottom boat that can get in shallow water and then it has lights on the front so you can see all manner of sea creatures swimming around. I kept wondering to myself how much money it would take to actually get me in the water and decided there is no amount high enough.

This is blurry but the girls were doing their best version of King of The World from Titanic on the front of the boat as we traveled to a new spot.

The next morning was Caroline’s birthday and so we went to eat breakfast at The Island Cafe because she loves their pancakes. And her friend, Maddy, broke a wire on her braces so we spent some time after breakfast trying to find an orthodontist or dentist in Port Aransas. Thankfully, we found the only dentist on the island.

What could possibly go wrong at a place called Texas Dental Oasis?

The truth is we showed up only to find out it was the dentist’s day off, but either his housekeeper or dental technician happened to be there and said she could cut the broken wire for us. Desperate times and all. But, whoever she was, she did a lovely job and didn’t charge us anything.

After spending the rest of the day back at the beach, we had a little birthday party for Caroline that night complete with a crab boil featuring crabs we caught that day. I have no pictures of the crabs because they asked for privacy.

One of her gifts was a sweatshirt that basically sums up thirteen.

On Thursday we did a little shopping in the morning and took the obligatory Port A picture inside the shark.

And then we spent a little more time at the beach before packing up, saying goodbye to Port Aransas for another year and heading home.

On Friday morning I picked up Piper and Mabel from the vet where they spent their vacation. We’d tried to tell them it was going to be just like camp, except not fun.

Mabel wrote a haiku about it:

No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
This hurt my feelings

Piper also wrote about it:

THE FOOD AT THAT PLACE WAS NOT GOOD.

And now, much like The Olympics, summer is over. I’m sure I’ll feel differently when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning, but it’ll be good to get back into a normal routine. Even if that means having to figure out what to put in Caroline’s lunchbox every morning.

(Disclaimer: I’m not sure I really believe any of that previous sentence but it’s what I keep telling myself.)

I realize some of you have already headed back to school. But, for us, that day comes on Monday. And so this week has been a flurry of appointments and haircuts and back to school shopping. It’s also been rainy here all week which has tricked my brain into thinking it’s fall because, even though it feels like a sauna when you walk outside, it’s a brisk 82 degree sauna.

Anyway, here are some cute things I’ve found this week as I dream about legitimate cooler temperatures.

1. gap stripe poncho

I love this striped poncho. Mainly because I love stripes. And ponchos. This is currently an extra 40% with the code STYLE at checkout.

2. gap fit breathe weathered hoodie

I love these hoodies from Gap and I have about five in my closet. They last forever and are so soft.

3. b.p. stripe crewneck tee

Remember that time five seconds ago when I said I love stripes? Yeah. That was fun. Anyway, I love the length of this top and the fact that it’s just $19.

It also comes in an array of solid colors here.

4. leith shawl collar cocoon cardigan

This was part of the Nordstrom sale and I didn’t get one in time and I have to live with that regret. However, it’s now back in stock, has great reviews and comes in charcoal, orange, olive, and tan. I’m leaning toward the olive.

5. camo pocket tee

I have a camo tee that’s very similar to this and I love to wear it by itself or under a denim jacket or the sweater featured above. It is so soft you won’t even believe it.

6. campino booties

I’ve had my eye on these booties for a long time and now they are 25% off. I like that they can be worn year round and have a low heel which makes them practical for every day. They also come in black.

7. jasper and leather bracelet

Love this bracelet.

8. beaded fringe earrings

A friend of mine had on these earrings the other day and they are so pretty in person. I immediately came home and ordered a pair. They come in this turquoise color but also in hot pink, light pink, cobalt, black, yellow, orange and sky blue. I believe the cobalt is my favorite.

9. topshop grecian embroidered peasant dress

This summer when Princess Kate was in India she wore a Topshop dress that was pink and black and perfection. Alas, it sold out in about 2.4 seconds. This is a short version of that dress. It’s also red and white. But I love it.

10. delia tie neck shirtdress

There are some plaid pants at Anthropologie right now (you can see them here if you’re curious) and I adore them. The only thing keeping me from buying them is the price. But it confirms what I have long known, I love some 1970s fashion. And so maybe I’ll settle for buying this dress. It also comes in navy if you want something a little more understated.

11. sam edelman felicia flat

I included these at the last minute because leopard is going to be a really big thing for the fall. Plus, they are called the felicia flat so if you wear them your friends can say “Bye Felicia” whenever you walk away. Don’t act like that’s not a bonus.

That’s it for today.

Happy first day of school present or past tense depending on where you live.

Have a good Friday.