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So this Sunday is Valentine’s Day. P and I have very romantic plans which involve me speaking at church while he drives Caroline to a soccer game. It’s exactly like a Hallmark card. But we do have plans to go out for dinner tonight. Not because it’s Valentine’s Day weekend but because Caroline has plans and we have an evening to ourselves and we know we better take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself.

In other Valentine’s related news, I saw this online yesterday and it made me laugh.

As for cute things I’ve found online this week, here you go:

1. floral print lace up maxi dress

Free People has a version of this, but it’s kind of wonky. But I love this because it really does look like it’s right out of the 60’s and I think it has the potential to be really great.

2. long cocoon cardigan

I love these lightweight cocoon cardigans because, well, they’re lightweight. And they are perfect to throw on over everything from a long sleeve shirt to a tank top, depending on the weather. This blue would be really pretty with white jeans.

3. elan crochet coverup

What? A swimsuit coverup in February? MADNESS. But I figure some of you might be headed somewhere tropical for Spring Break and I really like this.

4. beach blanket bingo swimsuit

I know. A swimsuit. Bleh. But look how cute and retro it is! And ModCloth has so many cute swimsuits so it’s a great place to look for one if you find yourself in need.

5. tassel faux leather crossbody bag

I saw in the Nordstrom catalog that a must have for spring is a crossbody bag. And I agree because they really are so easy to carry around. I love this one by Sole Society and it also comes in black.

6. j.crew plaid gauze popover shirt

Last week we talked about WWJGD (What Would Joanna Gaines Do?) and I feel like this plaid popover from J.Crew fits that category.

7. j.crew skinny cargo pants

These pants are also a WWJGD. And they’d look great paired with the shirt above and some Converse.

8. timex originals leather strap watch

I was actually looking for this watch with a brown leather strap, but I saw this white leather and kind of fell in love with it.

9. gap stripe crew sweatshirt

I featured this a couple of weeks ago and mentioned I’d ordered it but I hadn’t received it yet. I can now say that I adore it. It’s super soft and very cute. But I will tell you that I ordered a large because I wanted it kind of big and roomy and I do not regret that decision.

10. sam edelman gemma lace up sandals

How cute are these sandals? I love that they have the lace up feature of a gladiator but without the full calf commitment. I could never wear sandals laced all the way up to my knees because 1. I am claustrophobic and 2. THE HEAT. But I think this version is a great play on the trend for those of us who can’t go full Marcus Aurelius.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday. And a good Valentine’s Day.

And a Happy President’s Day.

At least one of those calls for some cake.

For my first three books, I had an absolutely wonderful editor. I knew from the first time I met her that I could trust her with my words and it’s no easy thing to hand over something you’ve poured your heart and months of your life in to. But Stephanie Rische not only protected my words, she made them better. She knew how to make what I’d written funnier and sharper and wiser and also was the most patient person in the world as she’d sent gentle emails with questions like, “Did you intentionally write ‘TOOT SUITE’ ? Because that’s not really a thing.” Not to mention that she looked up countless obscure references to Coal Miner’s Daughter to make sure I phrased them right and that alone deserves some type of medal.

All that to say, I was so excited when she emailed me about a year ago to tell me she was working on a book of her very own because it is so exciting to see someone you admire so much follow their dream. Plus, I figured she’d learn for herself that I wasn’t kidding all those times I emailed her things like “WRITING A BOOK IS THE WORST. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?”

A few months later she asked if I’d write the forward for her book, I Was Blind Dating, But Now I See: My Misadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling Into Love and I was honored to do so. Here’s a little of what I said:

“…Stephanie Rische has given us so much more than just a tale of looking for Mr. Right in a world full of Mr. You Are So Wrong. It’s a different kind of love story…a story about a God who pursues us, challenges us, and let us wait on what we want most in life because he knows that the journey with him will ultimately teach us so much more than the destination. So even if you are way past your dating years, there is a message for you within these pages about being faithful, staying true to who you are, and not waiting for that “big thing” to happen before you live your life.”

So, because I love Stephanie and I love her book, I want to give away three copies today. All you have to do is leave a comment and whether or not you’ve ever been on a bad blind date for a chance to win.

I’ll leave comments open until Wednesday evening , then pick three winners at random and notify them by email. Thanks so much and have a great Tuesday!

Well, we’ve officially reached a weird fashion time of the year. And it doesn’t help that it’s felt like spring here much of the week. Of course the forecast for Saturday is much colder, OF COURSE, because Caroline has soccer all day long and we’ll be out in it. Welcome to Texas where you can go from shorts to a parka in less than twelve hours.

Anyway, it’s a mixed bag of stuff this week. And I didn’t mean to have a pun in this post, but there are a couple of bags featured so there’s that.

Here’s what I’ve found.

1. bp hammered circle earrings

These totally look like something Joanna Gaines would wear on Fixer Upper and I feel like a good fashion mantra is WWJGD? (What would Joanna Gaines do?) Best of all, they’re only $12 and shipping is always free at Nordstrom.

2. lush split neck woven top

This is the summer version of the top I practically live in. It’s perfect with jeans or shorts and comes in several different color options. I really like this oatmeal color with white jeans.

3. street level reversible tote

These totes are so great and a great value. They are reversible, hold up really well, and look a whole lot like the Madewell totes that are significantly more expensive.

4. boden wrap dress

Gulley told me the other day that Boden has some really cute dresses this spring and she was telling the truth. I think a wrap dress looks good on just about everyone and I love these fun prints. But there are also solid colors to be had if that’s more your thing.

5. bravura peasant blouse

This blouse is so pretty and would look equally good with jeans or shorts. It’s on sale right now for $69.95. I believe we all know how much I love anything navy.

6. cowled cableneck pullover

I’ve featured this sweater before and I don’t meant to be pushy, but it’s a great sweater. I have it in ivory and wear it constantly because it so soft and comfortable. It’s on sale now for $49.95 also comes in red and ivory.

7. i love your dress in black

It’s hard to be a simple, black knit dress. You can wear this with boots, sandals, a sweater, or a denim jacket. It can be dressed up or down and is so versatile.

8. bp summers wedge sandal

I first saw these last summer and fell in love with them. They are surprisingly comfortable and the cork finish will go with so many things in your closet.

9. osira dress

Anthropologie always has a least one thing in stock that I adore but is a little beyond my price point. That thing right now is this dress. I love it so much. And the next time they have any kind of a discount, I want to make it mine forever.

10. ashbury fringe tote

How cute is this fringe tote? It’s on sale for just $49.95 and I adore it.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

So Caroline ended up being home sick for the rest of the week last week. Truth be told, she may have been able to go back to school on Friday but she and P had an invite to go to a friend’s ranch for the weekend. And you know what a mom who’s been home with a sick kid for three days is ready to do? Be alone.

They left for the ranch early Friday afternoon and I visited with Mimi and Bops for a while before I treated myself to a pedicure. And after my pedicure, I ran to Central Market to get a couple of necessities because Gulley was coming over for a wine night.

I know it seems like we’re together all the time, but life has been so busy for both of us lately that our catch ups have been in three minute increments over the phone and it’s been forever since we’ve had real, uninterrupted time to discuss various life issues. It was much needed and I’m not sure either one of us really took a breath for four hours as we covered everything from books to fashion to kids.

On Saturday morning I attempted to sleep in, but I woke up at 8:00 a.m. and never really went back to sleep. I’m not sure what happened but I’m still sad about it. And so I drank my coffee and caught up on recorded episodes of Fixer Upper until I drove to the ranch to pick Caroline up and bring her home. P opted to stay one more night down south so Caroline and I had a girls’ night. We picked up dinner and watched Age of Adeline starring Blake Lively. It was pretty good overall but it’s hard to feel sorry for a woman who never ages and happens to look like Blake Lively. WHAT A NIGHTMARE.

My biggest takeaway was that I could be doing so much more with my hair. Blake Lively wore all manner of ponytails and hairstyles that made me feel bad about my commitment to twisting my hair into a messy bun every day.

I spoke at Community Worship on Sunday morning and then we spent the rest of the day enjoying the fact that it was 76 degrees on the last day of January. Seriously. I had on shorts. In a perfect world, I’d love a nice cold, wet winter but this is what we’ve got so I guess I’ll embrace it and start using my self-tanner sooner rather than later. We spent most of the day hanging out in the backyard and I don’t know what the groundhog is going to tell us today but I have lost all faith in weather prognosticators of any kind.

On a totally different but skin-related note, I’ve talked on and off about my love of Hummingbird Farms lavender lotion. Ever since I first tried it almost seven years ago, it’s been one of my standard favorite products. And we all use it at my house because there is nothing better for dry skin. My dear friends, Debi and Jack, are the owners of Hummingbird Farms and I’m so excited for them because they are debuting their Lavender Heavy Cream on QVC this Tuesday night, February 2nd at 8 p.m. central time. And you can go ahead and buy it here, along with a free bottle of lavender essential oil, right here on QVC. It’s made with real lavender and is aloe-based so you can’t even imagine how moisturizing it is or how divine it smells. True story, I used to use it on Caroline when she was little because I swear the lavender scent made her sleep better and kept her sensitive little skin hydrated.

And, finally, I just want to say that I’m probably going to be writing a little more sporadically here over the next few weeks. I’m trying to make some progress on the new book and it’s hard to come up with more words after I’ve spent all day trying to come up with words. Does that make sense?

But I have to laugh because Caroline is about to finish the first book in a new series she’s reading and just asked me to order the second one. I looked on Amazon and told her, “You’ll have to wait because it’s not releasing until May 3.” And she said, “What’s wrong with these authors? What are they doing all day? I need her to hurry up so I can read what happens next.” I replied, “Maybe they have seventh grade daughters who get sick and need to be driven to soccer practice all the time.”

She just gave me a blank look.

Which really explains so much.

At one point yesterday when I was working on this, I realized that everything I kept looking at was either navy or striped or navy with stripes. So that appears to be a continuing trend. But I did manage to find a few other things that are neither navy nor striped.

Here’s what I found this week: (I also realized I need to spend some time in actual stores next week because it’s such a weird time of year for clothes. Bathing suits and sweaters living together on the clothing racks.)

1. gap stripe crew sweatshirt

I ordered this earlier in the week and it hasn’t come in yet but I feel good about it. I love a sweatshirt with a terry interior and I obviously love navy striped things. This will be perfect with jeans now and shorts later on. Plus everything at Gap is an extra 35% off with code FORYOU at checkout.

2. embracing basic top

This actually comes in a lot of different colors but I’m on a navy thing. However, it’s a great price and a great basic. I love a v-neck.

3. gap stripe t-shirt dress

It’s hard to know for sure about this because I haven’t seen it in person, but it has really good reviews so I’m thinking that’s a good sign. It also comes in navy and is 35% off with code FORYOU at checkout.

4. new balance classics

I bought a pair of these retro New Balance sneakers in the fall and I adore them. Mine are green and totally sold out, but I love all the new colors they have for spring. They are super comfy and so cute.

5. kendra scott caroline earrings

Kendra Scott has some new things out for spring and these have totally caught my eye. I love the shape and they come in a bunch of gorgeous colors, although I think this is my favorite.

6. kendra scott shelton y necklace

This is another new piece and I love it. I have a lariat necklace that’s similar to this and I wear it at least three or four times a week because it’s so easy to throw on and makes any outfit look cuter.

7. zella live in inspire slim fit capris

These Zella leggings are so great. They fit really well, don’t get all baggy, and aren’t sheer. And they come in a bunch of great colors and patterns.

8. zella scoop jacket

This Zella jacket is on sale for $52.80 right now and comes in a bunch of colors.

9. fashionABLE tirhas saddlebag

I have this bag and am carrying it constantly these days. I love that it’s a cross body bag and yet roomy enough to hold all the junk I think I have to carry around every day.

10. pj salvage pajama jogger pants

Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.