Other

Okay.

You are going to have to give me some grace with this one. And remember that I have never claimed to be an expert on the color orange. I am well aware that there is Tennessee orange and Auburn orange and Florida orange and another orange that is worn in a school in Austin.

I also know that Florida’s blue is more of a royal blue and Auburn’s is more navy.

And I just remembered that Oklahoma State is also orange.

Now my head hurts.

The bottom line is if I did this school by school, according to everyone’s precise shade of choice, football season would be over by the time I finished.

So just know I did my best to find various shades of all the different oranges and some of the different blues. I’m just a girl standing in front of a blog audience full of college football fans asking them to love me.

Here are a few things I found. Most will be presented without commentary because I am tired and it is late.

fringe at last vest

front keyhole embroidered tank

crochet inset dolman top

gametime henley

boho she goes top

joanna tunic/dress

kristi tunic

(also comes in blue)

eagle territory dress

basic dolman tee

pleione short sleeve scoop neck blouse

golden age top

good call dress

day to night delight top

chevron game day tank dress

orange accordion dress

topshop textured skirt

pim + larkin cutaway tank

lush knit maxi dress

also in royal blue

sam edelman anorak

on sale for $54.98 (Can we discuss that the model smelled something bad as this photo was taken?)

ella moss cowl neck tank

also in royal blue and is really cute in the back

ruffled game day tunic

also comes in various shades of orange

Accessories:

cause a stir necklace

also comes in blue

harlow statement necklace

also comes in a royal blue

danielle earrings in orange

dee earrings in cobalt

rayne necklace in navy

wonder woman bib necklace

bauble bar beaded necklace

boot cuffs from The Ikat Elephant

Tailgating necessities:

personalized rectangle casserole pan

insulated game day cooler tote

game day metal pumpkins from Ikat Elephant. She’s currently taking orders.

So there you have it. A non-definitive guide to orange game day wear.

Feel free to mention any other must have game day apparel in the comments.

That’s right. College football season is officially here.

I can hardly contain my excitement because I might look forward to college football season like some people wait for Christmas.

And it’s even better this year because my Aggies kick things off against South Carolina this Thursday, August 28th at 5 p.m. central time. But do you want to hear something dreadful? 6th grade Back to School night at the Junior High is at 6 p.m. on Thursday night. I can hardly even talk about it.

Gulley and I have been planning our game festivities for months and now I will be sitting in a classroom learning about my child’s school and teachers. I feel certain there will be no chips or dips involved. The less mature version of myself would like to play hooky. So my plan includes recording the game on the DVR and staying away from social media until I can get home and watch it and pretend like it started at 8 p.m.

(Of course this is how my dad watches every football game. He waits to see if his team won and then he’ll watch the game. If his team loses, then he deletes it off his DVR and doesn’t waste his time. This might be a path I’ll have to eventually take myself if I can’t learn to get my emotions under control. It’s a generational thing.)

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to do a series of posts over the next few days featuring various game day outfits according to team colors. And since I’m highly invested in finding maroon clothing and the Aggies play tomorrow night, it made sense to start with maroon.

And in a delightful turn of events, maroon clothing also includes my Mississippi State brethren. Or sisteren as the case may be.

Here are some maroon things I’ve found. Please note that they are various shades of maroon and I’m only going by the online photos. They all appear to be maroon to the best of my knowledge.

free people tie that binds blouse

This is my personal favorite. However, I wouldn’t recommend wearing it with just a black bra underneath. Free People seems to think it’s okay but I’d be willing to bet most Aggies and/or Bulldogs would declare it tacky.

Part of my personal maroon clothing criteria is that I’d wear it on occasions other than football days and this absolutely meets that standard.

dot print chiffon blouse

I like the dots. Old Navy is calling this red but either they’re mistaken or they need a better picture.

free people hallowed hill pullover

There again, I don’t know about the over the knee black socks with this look, but I do love this top.

roll tab sleeve shirt

For those of you who may enjoy a pattern, this looks promising.

lace knit and jersey top

Love the lace on this.

cute as a button top

I like this because you can roll the sleeves up or wear them long. Either way, it’s a cute top.

free people arosa dress

Truthfully, the puff sleeves here might be too precious for me. I’m not sure a puff sleeve translates to the over 40 crowd. But I bet this would look great on a college girl with cowboy boots.

old navy sleeveless shirt

I would recommend this if you’re attending a game early in the season when you will feel certain you’re about to die from the heat and wonder why you didn’t just decide to watch it on T.V. Maybe especially if your team is playing Lamar.

faux leather trim sleeveless wrap front top

This is really great. I love that it’s sleeveless and the leather trim just adds a little something that makes it above average.

chiffon high/low tunic tank

This would be great by itself or later in the season with a sweater or jacket thrown over it. Provided it will ever actually be cool again outside. I’m starting to have my doubts.

otis sweater dress

I featured this last week but wanted to put it here again because I think it’s so darling.

fitted twill utility jacket

Maybe some of you might like a maroon jacket. This one must be really fabulous because it’s currently sold out in most sizes.

j.crew puffer vest

Later in the season you could just throw this on over a white long sleeve tee with jeans and a pair of boots.

pleione split neck blouse

This is a good option if you aren’t comfortable going totally sleeveless, yet still prefer not to melt during a football game.

painted threads high/low tank

I think these stripes are fun.

gap a-line maxi dress

I know. It’s hard to even imagine wearing a maxi dress to a football game right now. But I’m thinking about the Aggies playing LSU at Kyle Field on Thanksgiving night and how cute this would be to wear to both Thanksgiving lunch and then to the game later with a denim jacket over it.

Unless it’s one of those Thanksgivings where it’s 85 degrees outside. Then never mind.

free people melrose swing tee

Love that this would be super easy to just throw on and still look cute.

gap legging skimmer jeans

Maroon jeans are in again this year even though I think they’re calling these “eggplant”. I question that marketing. I also question the shoes the model is wearing. But there are plenty of maroon jean options at various price points.

free people low back shirred pullover

My friend Leslie sent me this link last week and I fell in love with this top.

Finally, my friend Heidi who owns The Ikat Elephant Boutique on Facebook will have these next few maroon items (along with some other great stuff) on sale starting tonight, the 27th, at 8:00 p.m. and she’s offering 10% off everything maroon.

And now on to accessories.

maroon converse

Such a cute addition to a game day outfit.

grace and lace collegiate boot socks

I have these game day boot socks and cannot express how much I love them. They also make them with different sorority letters which would make a great gift for your favorite college girl.

kendra scott maroon jade elle earrings

Love these. I purposely linked to the smaller Elle version because sometimes a girl needs a lighter, smaller earring if she tends to get overenthusiastic at a football game.

rayne necklace in maroon jade

Finally, (I know. This is the longest post ever. Apparently I’m passionate about this subject.) you might want some fun stuff for tailgating and game watching. The nice girls at Two Funny Girls are offering 15% off for blog readers today when you use the code BIGMAMA at checkout.

Yessir styros

If you think I’m not getting these then you don’t know me at all. But you can get all kinds of styros in various colors and personalized however you want.

Or you can also get these personalized stadium cups in various colors.

Not to mention, personalized water bottle stickers in your team colors and personalized. I would go with “Beat the Hell Outta…” whoever we happen to be playing that week.

personalized maroon game day flask

Not that I am condoning the use of a flask in a stadium setting, but this might come in handy for some tailgaters.

game day crunch tote

I love that this picture shows it with “The Sumlins” on the side. Like Charlene packs up this tote with some snacks for Coach before the game.

melamine tailgate platter

Love this and love even more that it’s melamine since I have been known to host football parties where things get broken in all the excitement. This also comes in a chevron pattern.

So there you have it. If you’re a fan of a maroon team, you should be able to find at least one thing to make you a better fan and, lo, perhaps even a better person.

Gig’em Aggies. And Go Bulldogs. (Except on October 4th.)

First things first, I’m the realest.

Wait.

That’s something else.

So yesterday was the first day of school.

But, first things first, I need to briefly mention that Caroline played in a soccer tournament all weekend. This information is really not pertinent to anything else I plan to write about today but I need to share it so you will know that I spent the weekend feeling somewhere between the range of surface of the sun and Amazon jungle hot.

I know of what I speak because when I was in the Amazon a few years back I had no doubt that I’d never been hotter in my life. The only differences between sitting at this soccer tournament and being in the Amazon were that I didn’t throw up on a bus, no one acted like a grub worm was an actual meal, and I wasn’t wearing a fishing shirt doused in 100% insecticide. Other than that, it was uncanny.

At one point I laughed at all of us yelling at our kids to “run faster” and “get the ball” and “why are you dragging?” as we sat under our tents and some of us may have broken a sweat just opening up our folding chairs from Academy. There was even one dad I observed who kept moving and kicking his feet like he could control his son’s movements on the field like a virtual reality game. Bless us.

But Caroline had fun and her team came within one goal of winning the whole tournament so that almost made all those hours in the heat worth it.

We got home around six on Sunday night and I have to confess I was feeling pretty pleased with myself because I had the foresight to put a roast in the crockpot earlier in the day. There are really few things in life that make me feel more accomplished than having a meal totally planned out and ready to go at the end of a long day. Which makes me wonder why I don’t do it more often. I think it has something to do with the words “planned out”.

However, I am currently embracing the September version of myself and that means I am organized and focused and making meal plans and grocery lists full of nutritious ingredients and experimenting with various all-natural juices to enhance our vitamin intake. This is essentially the high point for me in the entire calendar year and I embrace it because it will give me something to look back on to make myself feel better when we get to the point in the year when I consider the pepperocini that comes with a Papa John’s pizza to be a sufficient vegetable.

Anyway, I was making some mashed potatoes and a salad to go with our roast while simultaneously helping Caroline get her name on all her school supplies and label her dividers according to her schedule (It was like someone might as well have recited the 31st chapter of Proverbs over me.) when P came limping out of the bedroom and declared that he’d pinched a nerve in his back. This never happens in an exciting way. It’s always a matter of bending down to pick up a sock or something. And we know that means about three days of ice packs, lying in bed, and muscle relaxers. Or as I call it, a vacation.

Oh I kid.

My stress level immediately went up when I realized P was having a difficult time just sitting down to the dinner that – I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this – I’d prepared ahead of time in the crockpot. It’s like I was watching his pain get worse and then, insult to injury, he managed to swallow a bone that had found its way into my boneless roast and felt like he was choking. None of this really fit into my night before school agenda. I went from feeling like I was every woman, it’s all in me to being one step away from a Xanax with a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup chaser.

But I eventually got everyone in bed and then spent the night thinking about super important things ranging from Caroline’s first day of school to P’s back and whether he needed to see a doctor to the Madewell transport tote. And before I knew it, the alarm went off and I’d gotten a totally refreshing six minutes of sleep.

On the upside, Caroline decided she wanted to buy her lunch at school instead of bringing a lunch so I really had very little to do besides help her straighten her hair and throw on some clothes that wouldn’t mortify her in case I had to get out of the car for some reason. Sadly, this was to be my last day to not pack a lunch because she reported the line was too long and the food was “just okay”. I wish I had known that was the case and I would have enjoyed it more. But “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot – for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot!”

We took the obligatory first day of school pictures. Please don’t feel like you have to pin my fabulous, creative first day of school chalkboard on Pinterest.

Oh wait. There is no chalkboard.

Also, please note that there is nothing in those urns but some zinnia remnants that died with my good intentions sometime in late June.

One of Caroline’s best friends rode with us to school so they could walk in together and as we pulled into carpool line and saw all the big kids standing in the courtyard, Caroline said, “Well. This is intimidating.” But she hopped out of the car without a look back and I did my traditional first day of school cry session as I drove to Chick-fil-A to find solace in a chicken biscuit. Then I came home and spent the day trying to figure out if we needed to take P to the doctor until all those muscle relaxers and Advil started to kick in around noon. The good news is it kind of took my mind off of what was possibly going on at the junior high and whether or not she was able to figure out her locker and find her classes and if we’d bought the right folders and all manner of absurd thoughts.

I watched her face as she walked to my car after school and I could immediately tell it had been a good day. She got in the car beaming and declared junior high to be “AMAZING” and “AWESOME” and “PERFECTION”. Her personal favorite were the teachers who said they didn’t believe in giving a lot of homework. But she honestly enjoyed the whole day, had at least a few friends in every class and loved how fast the day went when you change classes every forty-five minutes.

It was better than I could have hoped for.

So we celebrated with a Frappuccino from Starbucks, a new straightening iron from Ulta and at least a half dozen puppy hugs as soon as we got home.

By the time most of you read this, my little purple fairy will be well into her first day of junior high school.

I can’t even deal.

(She completely ignored my suggestion that we find her a new costume just like this in a bigger size.)

I’m super excited about today because the nice people at Bauble Bar have offered a 20% coupon code that you can use on any purchase through this Sunday the 24th. All you have to do is enter the promo code BIGMAMA at checkout to get 20% off all manner of great jewelry, plus Bauble Bar always offers free shipping and free returns.

I took the liberty of picking out some of my personal favorites just in case you’re interested.

(These photos are tiny so you may want to visit the site for a closer look.)

– lined up fringe pendant

– long porthole pendant necklace

– ruby desert bib necklace

– double knot cape bracelet

layered bead bracelet

– pave links

– pave cushion studs

– block monogram studs

– zen gem drops

And these are just a few things. There is so much to choose from and it’s all priced very reasonably. It might be a great place to find Christmas gifts if you can even begin to think of such. Personally, I can’t.

Here are some other things I’ve found this week:

1. bermeja tunic dress

I’ve had my eye on this for a while. And now it’s on sale for $79.95. Plus all sale items at Anthro are currently an extra 20% off. It comes in black, too.

2. ace delivery plaid shirt

I’m continuing to feel strongly that I need a plaid shirt for the fall.

3. siargao tank

This is another sale item at Anthropologie and I love the colors.

4. marrow print pin tuck pleat shift dress

This is Free People so it should come as no shock that I really like it. Of course I’d wear it with leggings and boots when the weather cools off.

5. topshop faux leather jacket

I really want to get a leather (or even a pleather) jacket this year and have been researching various options. This one has tons of potential and it’s only $100.

6. otis sweater dress

Um. Can you say Aggie game day dress? I mean at least once the weather cools off and it’s not like you’re standing on the surface of the sun watching a football game? I adore this.

Even better, Ruche is offering 25% off new arrivals with code NEW25 at checkout.

Also, Aggie football starts this coming Thursday. I can’t even deal with my excitement.

7. madewell paintstripe transport tote

I love these Madewell totes. They come in solid colors, but I’m totally drawn to this one with the stripe. Perfect bag for fall.

8. j.crew factory pocket utility jacket

This is a great jacket and is on sale for $78. I’ve been looking for a jacket like this because my goal for the fall is to replicate this outfit I saw on Pinterest.

9. 1969 gap boyfriend jeans

If you’ve been looking for a pair of boyfriend jeans, look no more. I saw these in Gap the other day and they are perfection. They’d look cute with the jacket above and a pair of Converse.

10. first kiss knit cardigan

This is described as pink, but it looks maroon to me and I’m going with that because AGGIE FOOTBALL. It’s also at Ruche so it’s 25% off with code NEW25 at checkout.

That’s it for today.

Don’t forget to go visit Bauble Bar and check out all the great jewelry!

Have a good Friday.

This is going to be quick because this last week of summer is wearing me out.

Pro kid tip: Do not ask your mother who has entertained you all summer, “What can I do today? I’m bored.”

You know what you can do? Anything except tell me you’re bored.

But I will tell you with more than a little pride that I managed to clean out so much stuff on Tuesday that I filled the back of my car until I looked like Fred Sanford.

Here are a few things I want you to know about:

1. I’m Living Proof by Travis Cottrell

This wasn’t supposed to come out until next week, but just be glad you can get it sooner rather than later. Essentially this is Travis and his incredible team that lead worship at all of Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live events and the songs they sing. I told P a while back that Travis Cottrell leading worship has spoiled me for all other worship leaders. You want this.

2. One More Step by Lindsay McCaul

I don’t know Lindsay personally but I love a lot of people who know her in real life and I kept seeing this pop up on Facebook until I felt the need to check it out. I loved her voice and the lyrics to her songs immediately. If you’re looking for great music (and who isn’t?) then you will love this.

3. Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

Listen. T. Swift knows how to sing a catchy tune. This has been in my head constantly since I first listened to it on Monday night.

Also, Caroline has decided she wants to get her hair cut short like Taylor’s and asked me if I thought hers would look like that.

Um. Well. No.

Mainly because I bet Taylor doesn’t just wake up looking like that after falling asleep with it wet and not even combed out.

4. Mascara

So this subject has come up a few times in the last few days. I have decided after much scientific and non-scientific research that drugstore mascara is just as good as fancy department store brand.

Thoughts? Opinions? Is there a must have mascara?

I will tell you that I’ve tried Dior Show and Benefit They’re Real and, while they were fine, I didn’t think they were any better than L’Oreal Voluminous.

Feel free to share your thoughts. And also any other beauty product you love these days.

That’s it for today. Have a lovely Thursday.