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You know what never gets much love? The sixth of May. So today’s Fashion Friday salutes May 6. Thank you, May 6, because without you there would be no May 7th.

Here are some things I found this week:

1. maggy london fit and flare dress

This also comes in a turquoise pattern. I think both are so cute and perfect for a summer wedding or such.

2. maxwell sandal

These sandals are now 40% off and sold out in a lot of sizes and colors, but I had to include them here because I think they are great. I have a similar pair and I love that I can wear a heel without actually wearing a heel. And I happen to love this coral color.

3. free people mixed print slip dress

I wouldn’t wear this as a dress but I would absolutely wear it as a tunic. I love it.

4. tiled drop waist dress

I already have too many dresses with this same cut but this is on sale and I think someone might need it in their life.

***Edited to add that Anthropologie is offering 20% off everything all weekend with the code XOXO at checkout.

5. centaury drops

I think these are such a pretty, neutral earring that would go with a lot of different outfits.

6. j.crew floral crochet tank

I love these crochet tanks because they’re great on their own or good for layering.

7. off the shoulder dress

Loft is offering 40% off almost everything now with no code needed and this is just one of several dresses that I think are really great. And, yes, off the shoulder is going to require a strapless bra but it might be worth it.

8. jungle drop earrings

I just saw these on the Nordstrom website and apparently so did a lot of people because they are backordered. I adore them.

9. monogram pendant necklace

I’ve been eyeing this for a while. I like that it’s a different take on a monogram necklace. A little quirky.

10. j.crew flip striped sweatshirt

J.Crew Factory has a lot of stuff on sale, including these cute striped sweatshirts. This also comes in blue and is on sale for $41.50.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

So I just had a couple of things today that I wanted to share. And I didn’t add the first thing to this list, but I’ll go ahead and tell you now. So many of you have asked about the Big Boo Bus Tour and I’m so sad to tell you that we’ve had to cancel it. As it turns out, June is just not a great time to try to put something like this together because logistics are just really difficult and so we are looking at the possibility of rescheduling during a more optimal time. In the meantime, I’ll keep you posted if Sophie and I will be together on the road somewhere. I’m sad that we’ll miss out on seeing you, but I have to admit I’m a little relieve to not be spending ten days of my summer on a bus.

As for other things:

1. All of Titus’s nicknames for Kimmy Schmidt

This was one of my favorite parts of watching Kimmy Schmidt. Titus calls her different names and it’s so quick that you can also miss them if you aren’t paying attention. So I was so excited when Sophie’s friend, Daphne, sent me this clip yesterday.

2. lace-up henley

I realize it’s not Fashion Friday, but this shirt is on sale at Anthropologie and I felt it’s too good to not share immediately. I have a chambray shirt by this same brand and it’s so soft and comfortable. And the lace up detail is super in right now.

It’s on sale for $49.95.

3. JW Marriott Resort in San Antonio

A lot of you email me about taking a vacation to San Antonio and I just had to share that you can’t beat the JW Marriott, especially for a family vacation. It’s not cheap, but they’ve added all these great new water slides and I feel you can never go wrong with a lazy river.

This isn’t a paid ad or anything, I just think it makes a great family vacation destination spot.

4. Kate Middleton’s Vogue photoshoot

Well, first we get birthday pics of Princess Charlotte and then Kate’s Vogue photoshoot. This article confirms a couple of things I already suspected namely that she uses rollers in her hair and that her stylist carries an entire rolling bag full of hair products. My kingdom (that doesn’t exist) for a list of those hair products.

5. terra exotic potato chips

I picked these up on a whim the other day because I felt like my life wasn’t complete without exotic potatoes. And they are indeed delicious. Plus they make me feel like I’m eating healthier because they are multicolored.

6. Ladies Worship Night

This is happening tonight if you find yourself in San Antonio with nothing to do. Everyone is welcome and we’d love to have you. It’ll just be a low-key, casual night.

Happy Thursday.

Well, it is officially May. And we get out of school exactly one month from today. Hallelujah and amen. I ran into a mom who’s a friend of mine at the store yesterday and we both agreed we are so tired of packing lunches every day. And then she commented that her daughter told her how gross the microwave is in the junior high cafeteria and now I can’t quit thinking about how disgusting a microwave used by junior high kids all year long must be. This image will be at the top of my list next time I have a stomach bug and need something to push me over the edge.

I was at the grocery store because we were essentially out of everything that is required to sustain human life. Or at least everything that allows us to live our best life now, like Oreos and Honey BBQ Fritos and Cocoa Puffs. I wish I were kidding. At one point I looked in my cart and felt like I was shopping for a frat house filled with drunk college boys who have no regard for their metabolism or cholesterol. So I threw in a bunch of bananas, a pack of strawberries and some skim organic skim milk to make myself feel better.

All I know is that sometimes when you have an imminent book deadline and it’s May and you helped your daughter with two different school projects over the weekend, that you need to turn to the two most important food groups to help you find the will to go on. And by two most important food groups, I mean Oreos and wine.

On Friday night we went out to dinner even though I think we were all tired and not feeling great. But we had to eat and I certainly wasn’t going to cook, so we went out. A big storm was rolling through right as we got back home and so we sat on the back porch and watched the lightning and then eventually the rain before we all called it a night and went to bed.

The next day we had soccer at noon, but it was an hour away and we have to be there an hour before game time which equals leaving the house earlier than I would prefer for a Saturday morning. We drove to the game, Caroline’s team lost but we stopped at a cute burger place with her team on the way home so the day wasn’t a total wash. After we got home I made her work on her Texas History project because I didn’t want to spend my Sunday listening to “I HAVE SO MUCH HOMEWORK!!” and felt that she needed to get at least half of it finished, especially since she had soccer again.

Sunday’s game was at 10:00 a.m. so P took soccer duty and I spoke at church. Caroline’s team won, which was fun since it was their last game of the season. And then we all met back at the house and I fell asleep for nearly two hours on the couch because of allergies or the fact that I ran out of Kimmy Schmidt episodes or because everyone in my house, including Piper and Mabel, snored all night the night before due to a combination of colds and seasonal allergies.

Later on that afternoon, I broke out the hot glue gun to help her finish a Science project and then we all ate a combination of whatever we could find in the fridge for dinner.

But speaking of dinner, last night I made these slow cooker ribs. My people all feel that a meal is not a meal unless there is a lot of meat involved and we are all big fans of ribs. I figured there was a way to cook them in the slow cooker and Pinterest confirmed that yes, there are approximately 683 different ways to cook ribs in the slow cooker. I opted for barbecue ribs and then went to the grocery store to get all the needed ingredients, mainly baby back ribs and side dishes since I had all the other seasonings in my pantry.

So I made the rub exactly like the recipe calls for, but I didn’t make the sauce. I used a jar of sauce from The Barbecue Station which is our favorite local barbecue place and, frankly, I knew I couldn’t make sauce better than theirs. And then I seared them at 400 degrees like the recipe says but ended up putting them in a dutch oven and cooking them at 250 degrees in the oven for the next three to four hours. I’m sure they would have been great in the Crockpot too, but I’m in this weird thing right now where I’ve decided everything cooked in the Crockpot comes out tasting the same. It’s like eating at Chilis. You can order a burger or the enchilada soup but it all has a similar taste and leaves you with a bitter aftertaste of chili powder and regret.

But potato, PO-TAH-TO, the ribs were delicious and the meat fell off the bone. It was hit with both P and Caroline and, best of all, allowed me to pretty much do nothing all afternoon except bask in the glory and satisfaction that can only come with knowing dinner is already cooking in your oven.

Most importantly, it allowed me to quote lines from the classic “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”. And I don’t really know how much more you could ask for out of a Monday evening.

How are we already at the end of April? I mean, as ready as I am for summer, it feels like it was Christmas about three weeks ago. But here we are and I’m not complaining about it one bit.

Before we look at the cute things I found this week, I wanted to share about a fun new jewelry line that’s an offshoot of Stella & Dot called Keep Collective. My sister’s cousin-in-law (Is that a thing?) told me about it and I thought it might be a great gift idea for Mother’s Day. Just know that you have to order by MAY 1 to get it in time for Mother’s Day. You can find all the collection here to make something totally unique but here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what you can do.

And speaking of bracelets, two readers named Megan and Casey sent me pics of these bracelets they had made and, well, they might be my favorite ever.

(They ordered them from Farm Girl Paints on Etsy in case you’re looking for a custom cuff bracelet.)

1. AG Stevie cuff jeans

When I was shopping with Gulley and Jen a few weeks ago, we all tried on these jeans at Jen’s recommendation and she didn’t lie. They are great. But I didn’t buy a pair because I decided I didn’t need them, then every time I saw Gulley wearing them I felt deep regret.

The good news is they are now 20% off along with all jeans at Anthropologie. And this style also comes in a traditional blue denim if white isn’t your thing.

2. zella live in crop leggings

I have noticed that my Zella leggings are my new go-to. They are so comfortable and fit so well, plus they come in really cute patterns and colors.

3. layla tassel cross body bag

I haven’t seen this in person, but I love the tassels and summer is a great time for a cross body bag. This one is a great price and also comes in black and chalk.

4. smoke beaded stretch bracelet

This also comes in gray but I love the white with the pink for summer.

5. frayed hem plaid shirt

I’m kind of missing my plaid flannels now that it’s warm so I may have to look into a summer plaid option. Love the colors in this.

6. geode drops

How pretty are these? Love these colors for summer and you can get 20% if you sign up to receive emails from Bauble Bar.

7. j.crew linen shirt

I really like a linen button-down in the summer months because it’s easy to throw on with a skirt, jeans or a pair of shorts. J.Crew has these in a whole bunch of colors and they’re on sale.

8. free flyknit 5.0 training shoe

I just bought a new pair of tennis shoes but now I want these. I’m partial to this black combo but all the colors are great.

9. mother of pearl pendant necklace

Only $18. And perfect to give your summer outfits a pop of turquoise which I believe is the perfect summer color.

10. kids double decker perforated slip-on sneaker

I saw these in person the other day and they’re even better in person. So cute and fun to wear with everything from shorts to dresses.

11. gap leather flip flops

I realize this is number eleven but I love these Gap flip flops. I buy a new pair every summer and wear them constantly. They are on sale for $19.96.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

Before I talk about anything else today, I’ve been meaning to mention this:

Next Thursday, May 5, we are having a Ladies Worship Night at Turner Street Productions where Community Worship meets. I’ll be speaking but, even better, August Joffe will be leading the worship and she is so unbelievably talented. It’s just going to be what we hope will be the first of many laid-back, casual nights where women can get together and hang out and worship. It’s open to everyone regardless of denomination or church affiliation or whatever. So please feel free to join us if you’re in the area and feel free to invite a friend or six. We’d love to have you there.

On a different note, I think it’s been well-documented that I am a sucker for beauty products. It’s the reason I only let myself go into Sephora on rare occasions lest I leave with one of everything. I believe all the promises, all the hype, every single marketing ploy until I try it for myself and it leaves me with the bitter disappointment and agonizing defeat that can only come when you realize your face looks exactly the same as it did a month ago.

However, hope springs eternal. And so I thought I’d share the products I am loving right now. You will notice there is no mascara or eyeliner on this list and that’s because I’m still looking for love in all the wrong places. I currently have six different mascaras in my makeup bag and I’ve decided they are all just pretty good, yet have left me feeling like surely there is something better out there. Like maybe eyelash extensions. Except I don’t feel like I’m equipped for that level of maintenance.

Anyway, here is my current list of favorites. Feel free to add to this list in the comments with anything you are loving now and/or that might change our lives. Or at least our lipstick.

1. Nars hot sand illuminator

I had wondered about illuminators for a long time and then Shay at Mix and Match Mama mentioned that she mixed her BB cream with this Nars illuminator to give her skin a little glow. It totally works. Sometimes I think BB creams can look a little dry and chalky and this just gives your skin a little bit of a pop so it doesn’t look dull and dry.

2. dr. gross ferulic + retinol wrinkle recovery peel

Listen. This is a game changer. I have searched high and low for a product to help with the sunspots on my face and this has lightened them considerably. It’s also made my face so soft and smooth and I think helped with fine lines, too.

They are just pads that you use about 2-3 times a week and I am a big fan.

3. dr. gross alpha beta glow pad for face

Now that I never let my face see the sun, I need a little glow in the summertime and I love these. They exfoliate along with giving you some color that’s a natural shade and doesn’t look orange. I really can’t say enough about all the Dr. Gross products and this isn’t an infomercial. It’s just my opinion. They are all really great.

4. OPI let’s be friends nail color

I’ve been on the search for the perfect white/pale pink nail color. I used to go with Mod About You by OPI as my go-to but it is much more pink than white. Then I discovered Let’s Be Friends. It’s part of the OPI Hello Kitty collection so, like all things in my life, is very mature and sophisticated.

But, seriously, if you like a white/pale pink nail color this is my favorite find of the spring.

5. dior addict lip maximizer

I read about this on somebody’s blog and I can’t remember who now. But it actually promotes collagen production in your lips along with being a great lipgloss. Both colors are totally neutral so they work well over any lip color you use.

6. NYX butter gloss in creme brûlée

This has become my new favorite lip color for spring. I bought it at HEB and it’s all of $5.00. It’s a great pink/nude color that doesn’t look too washed out and it has pretty good staying power for a $5.00 lipgloss.

7. anastasia brow wiz

I’ve loved this for a long time. It’s the best brow pencil because it doesn’t look too heavy and is pretty much idiot-proof which is right up my alley. I use the soft brown even though my eyebrows are dark because it fills them in without looking too harsh.

8. bobbi brown long-wear cream shadow stick

Ok. So I haven’t actually tried this yet, but I’ve heard amazing things about it. I’ve noticed as I’m getting older than any type of powder product can settle in creases over the course of the day and that isn’t my optimal situation. But these cream shadows seem like they might be the best solution plus the reviews are amazing.

Now I want to drive to Nordstrom tomorrow to buy one.

9. jergens natural glow moisturizer

This has been my favorite self-tanner for at least five summers now. It gives gradual color and that’s what I need because otherwise I’d be that person with orange hands and knees. This smells good, is easy to apply and dries quickly. Plus you can’t really mess it up.

10. it’s a 10 miracle leave-in plus keratin

I’m in the midst of a shampoo/conditioner quandary. It’s not like I hate what I’m using but it’s not like I love it either. It’s all okay. But this miracle leave-in is so great. It makes my hair so soft and smooth and I swear it’s making it grow faster.

All I have to do is spray just a little bit into my hands and then comb it through my damp hair before I add my other products and either blow it dry or let it dry overnight. Either way, it makes it smooth and eliminates frizz without feeling heavy.

So there are my current top ten. Feel free to comment with any of your favorites!

Well we just had another hail storm here. Except this time I wasn’t in Houston, I was at soccer practice with Caroline. Thirty minutes from home. Fortunately, one of her teammates lives right around the corner from the fields so we sought refuge there until it was over and they even had room in their garage for me to park my car. AND they fed us a delicious dinner of fried chicken. All in all, it was about as good as a hail storm can get.

We’re supposed to get more bad weather tomorrow, but they hadn’t forecasted any for today so I don’t know that I believe them about tomorrow. I guess we’ll see what happens. And maybe check the radar before we drive out to soccer practice again.

Speaking of driving, I drove to Abilene last Thursday to speak at a celebratory banquet for the Abilene Christian women’s basketball team. They won the conference championship this season and look how cute they are.

I wore my highest heels and was still the shortest person in that picture. Fortunately you can’t tell because we’re doing the patented cheerleader hands on knees pose in the front row. They were the sweetest group of girls and I’m beyond impressed at all they accomplished last season.

Meanwhile, while I was in Abilene, P took Caroline to the coast for a day of fishing. Friday was a school holiday here and so they took advantage of that. And I’m thrilled to say that they didn’t let the big one get away.

Honestly, I’m not sure how she managed to reel that redfish in because it looks almost as big as she is, but where there’s a will there’s a way and she has never been a kid who has lacked in the will department. P cooked it along with a few more that they caught on Saturday night and it was totally delicious.

(On a side note, after they left to go fishing I went to go get a manicure and pedicure before I left for Abilene. While I was there the manicurist asked me something about my child and I mentioned she was fishing with her daddy. Then she asked,”Why can’t she go on Saturday? Why are you letting her miss school?” Which threw me off because I prefer my beauty treatments without a side of judgement.)

On Saturday Caroline had a soccer game. It ended in a 0-0 tie which isn’t my favorite way for a game to end, but it’s better than a loss so we’ll take it. And then we spent a lot of time just relaxing and recuperating from a busy week.

P went to the ranch on Sunday and Caroline and I went over to Gulley’s house for a little bit. We both agreed that we are both in a summer frame of mind even though it isn’t even May yet. I get summer fever every year but I usually hold out until May, but this year I’m done. We have about five and a half weeks and I’m not sure I’ll survive it. I’m tired of packing lunches, washing P.E. clothes, listening to sighs over homework, and the carpool line. I’m ready for the pool, sleeping in, no schedule, reading lots of books, watching a lot of shows on Netflix and no practices. It’s so close, yet so far.

In the meantime, I’ll be here trying to figure out what to pack in a lunch that’s not just a bag of pretzels and some Oreos, attempting to finish my book since my deadline coincides with the end of school, and scheduling an appointment to get my eyebrows waxed because they have been sorely neglected and I scared myself when I looked in the mirror yesterday. I’d do them myself but that never ends well.

And I’m scared the eyebrow girl might judge me. Both for my unkempt brows and my child’s school attendance record.