Other

Before we even get into anything else today, I’m hoping that I’m welcoming back all of you who subscribe by email who haven’t been receiving the blog for the last couple of weeks. We think we have fixed the problem. Actually, I think my genius internet specialist, Cathy, has fixed the problem while I basically contributed little more than sending her emails like “HELP!” and “WHAT IS HAPPENING?” and “WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?”

So if this is the first email you’ve received in two weeks then you may have some catching up to do because I’ve been writing almost every day. It’s like the old riddle goes, “If a blog falls in the forest but no one is getting their subscription, does it make a sound?”

And if you’re not getting this, then please let me know. Except you won’t know you aren’t getting it and life is nothing but a meaningless twisting in the wind.

Anyway, here’s what’s been going on around here besides frantic emails to tech support.

On Thursday I flew to Dallas. Hite, Jen and Jamie all picked me up at the airport which I can’t even do justice in less you could be in the car with us. It’s a flurry of non-stop talking about fifty-eight different subjects in a fifteen minute period of time during which we’re also group texting Gulley because she couldn’t be there and we didn’t want her to feel left out. Then we dropped Jamie off at home so she could be there when her boys got home from school and Jen, Hite and I went to pick up Jen’s little boy, Lincoln, from school.

Jen warned me that he’d be grumpy after school but I’m a little proud to report that he smiled in spite of himself when he saw me in the car which means Aunt Camp totally paid off. Linc and I picked up right where we left off and he filled me in on important things like the yogurt in his lunchbox that he didn’t like and the fact that he recently lost his stuffed dog, Nothing, in a cafe. We all went to get ice cream at Harry’s and ended up also accidentally ordering a frito pie and a chili cheese dog to share. We just felt it was important to have some protein.

After we got back to Jen’s house it was time to get ready for my event that evening and then we picked up Jamie and headed out.

It was a fun evening and I loved being in Dallas because there were so many familiar faces. And, most of all, I loved being with Jamie and Jen. We went out to eat afterwards with our friend, Casey, who’d organized the event and had the best time talking and catching up. I will say that if there is any bright side to one of your friends having cancer, it’s that you appreciate more than ever any amount of time you get to spend with them. And the truth is there is really no bright side to one of your friends having cancer. The whole thing stinks and other words that I won’t use here.

Jamie and Jen dropped me off at the airport on Friday morning and I flew back home to San Antonio. We had no plans and it was nice to just have a relaxing night with my people, especially since we had to be up early Saturday morning for the first official soccer game of the season.

And I was delighted when I walked outside Saturday morning and discovered I actually needed a light jacket. In all fairness you should know that I need a light jacket any time it gets below 78 degrees but it still felt glorious. Perfect morning for a little soccer.

Our team lost but it was a great game and then P left for the ranch with Piper and Mabel while Caroline and I enjoyed a Saturday full of college football. I also managed to clean the house and get some laundry done in between watching to see if Auburn could pull it out with Jacksonville State and if Toledo was actually going to beat Arkansas before picking up barbecue for dinner before the Aggies kicked off in the new Kyle Field against Ball State. It was a nice change of pace to watch an Aggie game without my blood pressure increasing exponentially, but I’ll be back to that place soon enough when we start playing our SEC brethren. Speaking of, I stayed up way too late to see if Mississippi State could pull the upset over LSU. (SO CLOSE)

Then Sunday after church I tried to decide between a nap and cleaning out my closet and opted for the closet clean out. I recently read another article about Marie Kondo’s organizational theories and decided to approach my closet with the intent of getting rid of any item of clothing that didn’t “spark joy”. But here’s the thing. Just because it doesn’t spark joy today doesn’t mean it might not spark joy tomorrow. Otherwise I might not have kept P around all these years.

However, I still managed to clean out a good amount of stuff while Caroline helped herself to a couple of different tops. Granted, they’re a little oversized on her but they actually work which means it may be about time to install a lock on my closet door. Except I don’t have a closet door.

And that certainly doesn’t spark joy.

Last night I watched the weather and I was thrilled to see that the high on Sunday is supposed to be a crisp, chilly 89 degrees. I may wear boots to church to celebrate.

But it does mean that we can really start thinking about clothes that aren’t sleeveless and touch as little of our bodies as possible. Maybe I’ll even start curling my hair again. The possibilities are endless.

Here are a few cute things I’ve found this week:

1. vince camuto hillsy almond toe ankle bootie

I am in love with these. Of all the booties in all the land, I think these may be the fairest of them all. The heel is high but not the kind of high that makes you want to cut your foot off at the end of the day.

And here’s a tip for those of you who are brave enough to wear booties with skirts or dress, that v dip at the front of these booties elongates your leg which helps you not look stumpy. That’s always a plus.

2. lush perfect roll tab sleeve tunic

I’ve featured this before but I feel like it deserves another mention. It comes in several color options but olive green is supposed to be big this year and it’s a great neutral option that isn’t white or black.

3. bonfire stories tunic

I like this because it’s different from just a traditional plaid. A little bolder. And I like the brown and navy combo.

4. bobeau v-neck tunic sweater

I haven’t seen this in person but I’m hoping it’s all it appears to be. Which is a sweater with a v-neck that’s long enough to wear with leggings. I enjoy a v-neck sweater because I need my neck to breathe. And you can always throw on a scarf if you feel chilled.

5. transverse poncho

This poncho completes me. The end.

6. bobeau cowl neck shift dress

I don’t really like this with the shoes the model has on but I’m envisioning it with either booties or a great pair of tall boots and some gold jewelry. Perfect comfortable option for the office or just running around.

7. old navy plaid shirtdress

Old Navy has provided a photo of this shirtdress that is very unhelpful in determining how it actually looks. However, I think it has potential and it also comes in a black and white option.

8. plaid scarf

I love a plaid scarf in the winter.

9. press cotton/modal sweater

This sweater had me at modal. Because that means it’s soft and not itchy. I love the high low thing it has going on and it looks to be an easy piece to throw on with jeans or pants or a skirt.

10. loft collarless henley tunic

It is rare that I see something while looking for Fashion Friday and buy it immediately, but that’s exactly what I did with this top. I hope it’s all that I believe it can be in my life. And it’s even more awesome because everything at Loft is currently 40% with the code FALLSTYLE at checkout.

11. loft flannel blazer

It’s rare that I feature eleven things. It’s like the rainbow unicorn of Fashion Friday. But given the 40% off sale at Loft, I felt you needed to know about this flannel blazer. It’s a really cute way to dress up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

That’s it for today.

Have a great Friday.

I guess it’s because this week technically started on a Tuesday that I’ve really never gotten my act together. And it didn’t help that I woke up Tuesday morning with the worst sore throat that I felt served as a harbinger to my annual touch of the bubonic plague. However, I felt better as of about noon yesterday so I guess it was just allergies.

And I’m so relieved because I’m heading to Dallas today for a speaking event this evening. It looks like there are still some tickets available if you’re interested in going. I plan to talk about friendship and probably my dogs and having a daughter in junior high and maybe why most things cooked in the Crockpot aren’t nearly as good as things cooked in the oven. You can click here if any of that sounds interesting and the ticket price goes to the tuition assistance fund for The Covenant School in Dallas.

In other news, Tuesday night was back to school night at Caroline’s school and they set it up so the parents walk their child’s schedule. I’m sad to report I was tardy three times. Which completely destroyed my argument with Caroline that she should be able to make it to class with plenty of time to spare if she’d just quit dawdling. It may confirm that she comes by it honestly. Although I will say that yesterday morning she announced she was ready to walk out the door to school and I had to remind her she didn’t have any shoes on.

Anyway, here are a couple of quick things I thought I’d share:

1. Best salad dressing

We’re trying to eat more salads and that kind of nonsense around here and my big issue is always salad dressing. I love ranch but that kind of defeats the purpose. And so I searched on Pinterest for a homemade salad dressing that would fall more in the vinaigrette category and came across this one. I made it and it is indeed delicious. I will live to eat a salad another day.

I do have to say that I can’t eat anything with poppy seeds that I don’t think about Elaine Benes on Seinfeld testing positive for Opium when she worked for J. Peterman because she ate a poppyseed muffin. “That’s right, Elaine. White lotus. Yam-yam. Shanghai Sally.”

2. milk and honey tees

I adore Milk and Honey tees and she has some cute new options for the fall including this one with the camo pocket and state outline. It’s safe to say this will find its way to our house.

3. Yeti college cup

I saw this on Instagram this week and clearly I’m going to need one. And it looks like you can pick a different college although I don’t know why you’d want to do that.

4. Brand New by Ben Rector

I’m such a fan of Ben Rector’s music and so I’m a little bit in love with his latest album that just came out a couple of weeks ago.

5. tarte amazonian clay bb tinted moisturizer

I mentioned on the last podcast that I was in search of a better BB cream/tinted moisturizer and several people emailed me to recommend this one. And I’d also read about it in a few other places so I pulled the trigger and bought it yesterday. I haven’t worn it yet so I can’t tell you if I love it, but stay tuned. And feel free to offer any other recommendations in the comments.

That’s all I’ve got for now.

Have a lovely day.

When I was young, I used to dream about how I might spend Labor Days in the future and desperately wished that it might involve going to Michael’s to buy craft supplies to make a Texas Travel brochure for my daughter’s Texas History class. I’m happy to report that dreams do come true because that’s how I spent the day and it was everything I imagined it would be. I mean why would you want to spend the day at the pool or the lake when you have the option to stand in a long line at a craft store and then have the extraordinarily relaxing experience of listening to your daughter sigh loudly as she glues tidbits about various Texas landmarks on a piece of construction paper?

Maybe you can sense some sarcasm.

It actually was a fairly low key weekend around here. Caroline was playing in a soccer tournament in Plano so she and P spent Friday through Sunday in Dallas while I stayed home with the dogs. We’d tried to figure out a way we could all go, but since we now have the responsibility of our Community Worship Service one of us needs to be here every Sunday and it just didn’t make sense for me to go all the way to Dallas to watch what would have essentially been one soccer game.

So things around here were quiet until Saturday night when this happened.

I went over to Gulley’s to watch the Aggies because that’s what we do. And in the words of one of our other friends, we have our Aggie watching party on “LOCKDOWN”. This essentially means that there is only a very small, select group of people that we can be with while we watch an Aggie game. Largely because we are not fit for public consumption. We are not capable of making polite small talk while the Aggies are playing, mainly because there’s a better than 94% chance we will be ignoring everything a person says while we watch the game instead and might interrupt with “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SPAV? WHO TRIES THAT SAME TIRED PLAY THREE DIFFERENT TIMES ON THE GOAL LINE? PUT THAT PLAY IN THE SCRAP HEAP!”

But other than that, we are perfectly lovely and sane.

Unless it turns out that Coach Chavis is all he was cracked up to be and has managed to create a defense that looks dangerously close to being the return of our beloved Wrecking Crew. Then we might lose our minds. One of Gulley’s husband’s old friends was there watching with us because he shares our intensity and crazy and he had to keep apologizing to the kids for his outbursts. “Sorry kids! Uncle Joe Joe just gets really excited.”

By the time I got home after the game was over I was so wound up that I had no choice but to watch all the various news coverage of the game and read all the message boards and watch all the video clips.

And for all my talk about how I wasn’t going to get overly excited if we beat Arizona State because we beat South Carolina last year and it didn’t end up meaning anything in the long run, I’m in full drink the maroon kool-aid, buy tickets to the SEC championship game, optimism reigns supreme mode. But this is the beauty of college football season, you can be on cloud nine one weekend and tweeting about your team being a dumpster fire the next.

It’s my favorite time of the whole year.

I spoke at Community Worship on Sunday morning and refrained from making any part of my talk about Aggie football and instead spoke about how God meets us in the middle places of our life. And then I came home and took a delightful Sunday afternoon nap before my people got home around four. Caroline was so tired that she almost cried when she had to walk up the steps to get in our backyard. It only took twelve years to figure out a way to wear that child out, but apparently it involves a whole lot of soccer in the 100 degree heat, getting up at 5:45 a.m. and a road trip to and from Dallas.

And that brings us to Labor Day when all my Texas History brochure dreams came true. Truly giving new meaning and significance to the term “Labor Day”.

***Quick note: Several of you have emailed to let me know you’re not receiving my blog posts through your email subscription right now. I’m not sure what is going on but we are working on it. And by we, I mean that the nice people I pay to help this site run smoothly are figuring it out. Stay tuned.

***Of course I realize that if you aren’t receiving my blog through email then you may never get this message and the whole point is moo. It’s a cow’s opinion and it doesn’t matter.

Speaking of calling Wine One One…

Piper helped herself to a half dozen cupcakes I’d bought to celebrate the end of the week and had quite the celebration. I believe that’s a face that reveals little to no remorse.

I just wonder if she preferred the lemon, the carrot cake, or the vanilla. All I know for sure is that they were so delicious she’s been returning to the scene of the crime all night long to lick the floor.

Here are a few things I’ve found this week:

1. free people isabel panel flare

I’m not sure how I’d never tried on Free People jeans until last week but I have to say they are a game changer. They are unbelievably comfortable, very flattering and just $78 which isn’t that much more than you’d pay for a pair of jeans from Gap and I promise these are better and will last longer. Plus I’m a believer in spending more on jeans because you wear them all the time.

If you’re in the market for a pair of flare jeans, I think these are great.

And I also like the free people 5 pocket skinny flare option if you want a pair without the double stitching down the leg.

2. sonali turquoise pendant necklace

Love this necklace from Anthropologie. It’s on sale for $39.95 plus an additional 30% off when you use the code EXTRA30 at checkout.

3. rising tide swing dress

I bought this dress earlier this summer and I have worn the heck out of it. It’s super comfortable and so easy to just throw on with sandals. It’s on sale for $79.95 plus an extra 30% off with code EXTRA30 at checkout.

4. kite song pendant necklace

Here’s another great necklace on sale at Anthropologie for $39.95 plus an extra 30% off.

5. zella flirt back ruffle jacket

Nordstrom marked a lot of stuff down this week including this jacket. I bought it on a whim during their anniversary sale and wasn’t sure if I’d like it. But it is so cute on and the perfect weight for fall. It’s on sale for $52.80 and comes in several colors. I ordered a size up from what I normally wear.

6. belted military anorak

Sadly, this jacket isn’t on sale at Anthropologie but I had to share it because I tried it on this week and it is so unbelievably soft and comfortable and looks so great with a pair of jeans. I didn’t buy it but I’m keeping my eye on it.

7. oversized boyshirt in edina plaid

Madewell has a bunch of fall essentials on sale right now for 30% off with code YESANDYES at checkout including this cute plaid shirt.

8. lush tank

This comes in several colors and is on sale for just $20.40. I think it’s a great option to layer under jackets and sweaters for the fall and winter.

9. sole society woven ankle bootie

I believe I have mentioned that I’m on a search for a bootie with a heel. I really like several options available at Sole Society and you can get 20% off your first purchase if you sign up to receive emails.

10. barrington st. anne tote

My Barrington tote is one of my favorite things from last fall and I can’t wait to start carrying it again. It’s super roomy and I can even fit my laptop in it when I travel.

And I love all the different options available as part of their new fall collection, like this Navajo Mesa pattern.

Or this blackwatch plaid.

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend.

Maybe you can be like Piper and have a cupcake or six to celebrate.

Well, first of all, thank you so much for all the great recipe suggestions. I’d like to say that I immediately made my way to the grocery store, fresh with inspiration, and cooked one of these meals. But the truth is I made tacos for dinner. However, we did squeeze a little lime on them so there’s that.

I’m sure next week I will find it deep within myself to make a grocery store list and pull out the Crockpot and begin to work my way through some new dinner options. But at this point it’s technically already the end of the week and too late to turn over a new motivated leaf.

And it has been a long week. I think it’s just the reality of the school schedule settling in plus some normal junior high angst and grievances. I was talking to another mom today and she said, “I thought it would get easier as the kids get older, but I feel like I’m more frazzled than ever and the schedule is constantly changing and it’s hard to keep up with it all.”

Yes, this is it. When they were little they came home with a couple of sheets of homework sometimes, maybe they had one practice a week that started at 4:00 and was over by 5:00 and you could have these people in bed by 7:30 or 8:00 and have some quiet time to perhaps watch a T.V. show. But those days are gone. I saw this chart floating around on Facebook yesterday that tells you what time your child should go to bed based on their age and the time they wake up in the morning because apparently we now need to chart out our shame and failure.

Isn’t that precious?

Anyway, after talking with my friend and while texting later with another friend, I texted “I have to remember that the school year is going to be full of ups and downs and some days you’re going to have to call Wine One One.”

And I’ve since decided this has the potential to be a brilliant business idea. Can you imagine?

Operator: “Wine One One, this is the operator. What’s your emergency?”

Broke down mom: “We have six pages of Algebraic equations for homework for a child who swears they haven’t learned this in class, a husband out of town on a business trip, and a daughter who doesn’t like any of the clothes in her closet.”

Operator: “Okay, ma’am. Please remain on the line. We are sending a Cabernet to your house right now and I’ll stay on the line with you until they arrive.”

Here’s a different scenario.

Operator: “Wine One One, this is the operator. What’s your emergency?”

Mom on the brink of running away: “It’s 9:00 p.m. and all these people in my house are still running around, my son just told me he needs new football cleats tomorrow which caused my daughter to remember she was supposed to make a volcano for Science class. NO ONE REMEMBERED ANY OF THESE THINGS WHILE IT WAS STILL DAYLIGHT.”

Operator: “Please stay on the line. Someone is on their way with a chilled Chardonnay and a block of cheese.”

Or maybe this scenario.

Operator: “Wine One One, what’s your emergency?”

Mom who’s a donkey on the edge: “I have two dumb dumbs who have waged war on an entire flat of Jasmine and strewn the remains of pots and plants all over my back porch and show no remorse.”

Operator: “I’m sorry, ma’am. There’s not enough wine for that.”

Yes. I’m aware.