Year: 2011

  • Lucky number fourteen

    If you’ve read this blog for any significant amount of time (and God bless you for that) you might remember that I managed to cram all my significant life events into the month of August. Of course, I didn’t have anything to do with my birthday. And, ultimately, I didn’t really have anything to do with Caroline’s birthday. I mean, yes, I did but I didn’t have a specific plan about the month of conception and how it related to a good birth month.

    However, I could have chosen a different date for P and me to get married. But I was all giddy with love and we wanted a short engagement and he made it pretty clear he’d like to get married before hunting season like all true romantics. And that’s why we chose August 16th, 1997.

    For those of you doing the math at home, that means today is our fourteenth wedding anniversary. Not our fifteenth like P thought until I corrected him yesterday. I explained it just FEELS like fifteen.

    On Caroline’s birthday, she requested that P fry fish for all her friends. I watched him in the kitchen that night battering all those fish and laughing with the kids and thoroughly enjoying himself. And I thought to myself this is one of the things you don’t really know about someone before you marry them.

    Actually, it’s probably one of the things you don’t think about because you’re focused on how cute and funny they are and how good they look in their jeans and boots. Hypothetically speaking of course.

    And so you don’t focus on questions like will he happily cook fish for a group of kids on his daughter’s birthday?

    Or will he be a good, loving daddy who adores his little girl?

    Will he be a good provider and work hard without complaining?

    Will he try to understand me even when I don’t understand myself?

    Will he hold my hand in the delivery room while I’m in labor?

    Will he throw all the kids at the neighborhood pool even after a long day?

    Will it drive me crazy when he leaves half a paper towel on the kitchen counter every day?

    Will there be times he asks me what’s for dinner before 8:00 a.m.?

    Will he bring home a large antelope of the Lord and hang it on my wall without asking?

    As it turns out, the answer to all these questions is yes.

    And will he still make me laugh after fourteen years of marriage?

    Yes. Yes he will.

    I love you, P. Happy 14th (not 15th) Anniversary!

  • I’m stocking up on One-A-Day plus iron

    Well, let’s see. This weekend was fairly uneventful. We went to movie night at our church on Friday night and then Saturday Caroline went swimming with some friends and then she and P went to the ranch. I went to Banana Republic and found a cute top on sale for $15.00 (It really was $15.00. I know I say that all the time, but this time it’s the truth. I’m like the clotheshorse who cried wolf.) and then picked up veggie tacos and watched a movie. Oh, and I turned forty yesterday.

    And woke up having a hot flash and had to pluck three gray hairs out of my head before I left for church.

    Then I got home from church, checked my email and had an e-card from my dermatologist.

    Offering me $50 off Botox treatments.

    Perfect.

    But, honestly, I’m okay with forty. Yes I have some gray hair and, sure, my metabolism seems to have picked a fine time to leave me Lucille, but I’m happy with where I am right now. The thirties were all about settling into married life, becoming a mother, learning how to get the smell of rotten sippy cup out of my car, and trading in corporate life to be a homeroom mom. They were about finding my way and getting used to being called “ma’am”.

    So I guess the forties will be about helping Caroline through her pre-teen and teenage years, following where God leads, taking multiple vitamin supplements in an attempt to hold back the hands of time and getting reacquainted with Jillian Michaels and The Shred. A friend of mine, who is in her forties and very wise, says the forties are like a crossing over for a woman. It’s a new beginning of sorts.

    I choose to believe that.

    A few weeks ago I read a quote by Max Lucado that I’d never read before. “The difference between mercy and grace? Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance. Grace gave him a feast.”

    I feel like when I turned thirty I’d accepted God’s mercy and was so grateful that he’d saved me from myself and a steady stream of bad decisions.

    But yesterday, as I spent some time by myself and thought about all my thirties have brought me, I realized it was the decade God showed me what grace really looks like.

    Because when I look at life, even with all the ups and downs and good and bad and things that haven’t turned out the way I wanted, I realize he has blessed me with so much more than I could have imagined. My friends, my family, P and my baby girl.

    He has given me a feast.

  • Fashion Friday: Edition top ten fall trends, part one

    Yes, Virginia. There really is such a thing as fall. I keep reminding myself of that because otherwise I will fall (no pun intended) into a pit of depression from the likes of which I may not recover until the temps dip back down to a cool, refreshing 95 degrees.

    I long for the day that I can pull out my favorite boots and a lightweight sweater and wear my hair down without fear of the havoc created by heat indexes above 110 degrees and humidity levels normally found only in the ocean.

    Not to mention that fall is my favorite time of year because, HELLO, college football. And the Aggies are starting the season ranked in the top ten with rumors flying about our possible SECession to the best conference in college football along with a potential Aggie presidential candidate. It’s a good time to be a graduate of Texas A&M.

    But enough about that. Let’s talk about fall trends. I’ll list five this week and five next week. Unless I get distracted between now and then and it doesn’t happen.

    1. Bordeaux

    Otherwise known as Aggie Maroon. See what I did there? I said I was done talking about the Aggies, but I wasn’t. It’s as if the fashion world knew that all roads would lead to A&M this fall.

    Whatever the case, bordeaux is a big color for fall. And that’s a good thing because it’s a flattering color for almost everyone.

    I love this Tinley Road cowl neck top.

    And this winter kate top that says it’s a dress but that has to be wrong.

    How much would I love this darling maroon jacket? Sure, they call it Cordovan. But I know it’s maroon.

    Or maybe you need a nice pair of wine-colored heels to give an outfit a little unexpected color.

    And this scarf would be perfect for game day.

    Or you could just go with my personal favorite.

    2. blazers

    Y’all. I love a blazer. It’s true. There was a time in college that I even owned a tweed blazer complete with suede elbow patches. I felt like it made me look intellectual and sophisticated. Of course the fact that I wore it while playing a game of Quarters probably counterbalanced that effect.

    But still, a blazer is brilliant. And so easy to throw over a simple t-shirt and look pulled together.

    If I were you, which I’m not so feel free to ignore me, I would start with a simple black blazer. You can find them in a wide range of prices depending on how much you want to spend.

    This one below by Elizabeth and James is pricey, but I love the way it’s styled with the longer shirt underneath and that gold pendant necklace.

    I like the velvet schoolboy blazer from J.Crew and, naturally, I love a good tweed blazer.

    For some super affordable versions, check out this black Mossimo blazer and this one from Forever 21.

    3. tiered necklaces

    I want to say something clever about tiered necklaces, but P is sitting beside me watching The Book of Eli and I’m kind of paying attention to it in spite of myself. I’m finding it equal parts fascinating and disturbing. And it has made no mention of tiered necklaces. Apocalyptic movies are funny that way.

    But I do like the tiered necklace. It’s a great piece to add to your fall wardrobe because accessories are an inexpensive way to spice up an outfit.

    Here are a few that caught my eye.

    This double layer pendant necklace.

    The siren necklace in turquoise.

    And this chain-link bib necklace.

    4. the feminine blouse

    The feminine blouse is a great piece because you can wear it with jeans on the weekend or dress it up during the work week. Of course I write a blog from home so not even the feminine blouse can make my faded plaid pajama bottoms look better.

    But it’s nice to have something versatile in your closet that looks pretty.

    I love this poet blouse.

    And I adore this wingfall blouse from Anthropologie. Maybe it will go on sale.

    This loosened shelby blouse would be perfect for a Texas fall and so would this pruned and flourishing blouse.

    Old Navy has a great sheer ruffle-front top and I like this flutter sleeve top.

    5. jeans with flare

    Please tell me you’re picturing me wearing jeans with a bunch of buttons with random slogans pinned all over them right now. And then I could tell you I don’t like to talk about my flare.

    On one hand, I am sad to report this is referring to a different kind of flare. But, on the other hand, I am thrilled that the flared jean has made a comeback. Or you might say don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years. And I’ll say Mama said knock you out.

    Now it’s just late and I’m delirious.

    The bottom line is the flare has made a resurgence and I think this is good news for all women who weigh more than 100 pounds. It’s a flattering cut and you can choose how flared you want to go. And if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, a good pair of jeans is a game changer.

    Personally, I’m a fan of Sevens, but there are so many options. You just have to go out and try them on. Nordstrom Rack is a great place to find designer jeans for less. I’d also look at your local TJ Maxx or Steinmart.

    I also know several people who’ve had a lot of luck with Gap’s long and lean jeans which happen to be on sale right now.

    That’s it for me for today. If you need me I’ll be perusing all the A&M message boards to find out more about this whole SEC business.

    Y’all have a great Friday.

  • It’s 1:21 a.m.

    It’s 1:21 a.m. and my summer schedule is officially out of control. I’ve totally reverted to the same schedule I kept in college, up until 2:30 a.m. and sleeping in until 10:00. The only difference is I’m not skipping Biology Lab.

    However, tonight I have a good reason for being up so late. Gulley and I went with her mama to see a 10:20 showing of The Help.

    Let me just say that y’all will not be disappointed. I know sometimes movies fall far short of the book, but they got this one just about as close to perfect as it could be.

    In fact, I may go see it again before the weekend is over.

  • Because everyone knows the right glue stick is the key to education

    Yesterday was the day I’ve been dreading since April 25th. Why April 25th? That was the official deadline to sign up for the pre-packaged school supplies provided by the PTO. All I had to do was write a check and we could show up for Meet the Teacher and receive a handy, shrink-wrapped package full of all our necessary school supplies.

    But I didn’t do that.

    Mainly because I was totally scarred by a heaping dose of mother guilt when Caroline was in first grade and her teacher handed her a generic red notebook from her pre-packaged supplies and Caroline said, “No way would my mom buy me a plain red notebook.” And she’s right. Because I appreciate that sometimes a girl needs a notebook featuring a baby seal or a kitten snuggled up with a ball of yarn.

    However, her second grade teacher wasn’t a fan of notebooks with horses sidled up next to ponies and all that frivolous baby seal nonsense and so we were forced to live through a year filled with generic red, green, and blue folders. Nary a dolphin or a puppy or a chimpanzee wearing a jaunty hat to be found.

    This year is different. I haven’t talked about it because it falls under the category of things too good to be true, but Caroline’s beloved first grade teacher is moving to third grade and we were allowed the option to automatically be in her class this year. And her first grade teacher is a firm believer in finding the fun in school, as evidenced by the time she let her students push her down a ramp in her rolling desk chair. Needless to say, she’ll probably be okay with a loose variation of the standard school supplies.

    I printed out the required list of supplies and we headed to Target. Actually, we stopped by Academy first to look for tennis shoes and walked away empty handed, primarily because some genius at Skechers thought it was a good idea to invent tennis shoes with wedge heels and some sort of ballerina spinning device on the sole. What is wrong with just a simple shoe that allows a person to walk or run or engage in athletic activities like God and Nike intended?

    After our tennis shoe fail I was disheartened but pressed on to win the prize for which God had called me, which in this case was school supplies. We wandered the aisles in search of purple glue sticks and 5 inch scissors and wide-ruled notebooks in green, red, and blue. And along the way, one of us found Pipsqueak markers and three ring binders with a unicorn flying through a peace sign and all manner of superfluous things that weren’t on the official list.

    By the time we actually checked out I was worn down. I’d agreed to a new blue thermos and some sort of monkey ice pack. We also ended up with a pencil sharpener shaped like a flower and after that I think I blacked out. The good news is I rallied enough to turn down the request for a multi-colored neon cheetah-print backpack that I declared perfect for someone who’s color blind and can’t see patterns.

    The problem was all other backpacks paled in comparison. She’d had her heart set on a glittery backpack from Gap, but it was way too small to carry all her things so our search for just the right bag continued. At one point she tried to convince me to buy her a sequined duffle bag that we found at a local gift shop. By that time I’d lost my sense of humor about the entire thing and probably scared everyone in the store when I announced, “YOU CANNOT CARRY SPARKLY LUGGAGE TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY.”

    Ultimately we resorted to online shopping and agreed upon a very bright, yet tasteful, messenger bag with matching lunch box. And so, between that and all her purple glue sticks, she’s officially ready to start third grade.

    Except she still doesn’t have new tennis shoes.

    But I can’t think about that right now. So instead I’ll focus on happier things, like chimpanzees who wear jaunty hats.

  • The ability to accessorize is what separates us from the animals

    I think we all know by now that we are in the midst of some turbulent economic times. Perhaps the worst financial times this country has ever seen. Maybe the Great Depression was worse. I don’t really know because I didn’t really pay attention in my American History class.

    And I’m certainly no economic genius, as evidenced by the solid D I received in Personal Finance 201, but I’ve always thought the key to getting out of debt involved not spending any more money. Which is why I tend to think we ought to just clear everyone out of Washington D.C. and start over from scratch, maybe hire some of those accountants from Price Waterhouse that tabulate the results of the Academy Awards every year.

    But that’s just me.

    I don’t know about you, but when the economic times get tough I like to shop for cute, inexpensive accessories. It’s because I’m a true patriot and feel like I should do my part to stimulate the economy. Actually, that’s not true. I really just don’t have much to write about tonight and spent a great portion of my day yesterday looking at accessories for a friend so I thought I’d share some of the great stuff I found along the way.

    1. pyramid drop earrings

    2. bold medallion leather bracelet

    3. african turquoise on leather wrap bracelet

    4. dangle earrings

    For some reason I can’t post the picture of these, but they’re cute. And are only $6.50. SIX AMERICAN DOLLARS.

    Which, by the way, isn’t worth as much as it used to be.

    5. boho locket pendant necklace

    6. turquoise and pearls ring

    7. confetti pendant necklace

    8. crater lake ring

    9. ethereal necklace

    10. iznik scarf

    Have you found any great accessories lately? I’d love to know about what and where and when. After all, this economic crisis isn’t going to solve itself.

    Y’all have a great day.