Year: 2011

  • Fashion Friday: Edition all I care about right now is the Cotton Bowl

    Those of you who are Aggies are probably well aware that there is a very big game tonight. And the rest of you may or may not care. But I can’t pretend that it’s not all that’s on my mind.

    I’ve spent the better part of the afternoon piled up in some message boards as if they can predict the future and tell me if the Aggies will be able to beat LSU and Les Miles and his pure brand of crazy. No one seems to know that answer. Although I did find this video that I’ve watched 942 times.

    But I don’t want to let down those of you who are here for the fashion and not for the football. So here are a few things I’ve found this week. And almost all of them are on sale.

    1. the nouveau copenhagen cardigan

    Okay. So this isn’t on sale. But something about it really appeals to me. The colors? The Fair Isle knit? The fact that I’m cold right now?

    I don’t know. I just like it.

    2. killington stevie bag

    Yes. This is still a pricey purse. However, it is significantly less pricey than it was a week ago. And still just as cute.

    There are some Les Miles crazy deals at Kate Spade right now if you have some Christmas money or a trust fund burning a hole in your pocket.

    3. line of latitude cardigan

    I really like this and can picture it just thrown on over a t-shirt with a pair of jeans.

    4. tuxedo shirt dress

    I featured this before but I like it even better now because it’s on sale.

    5. precocious plaid scarf

    Love this scarf in all the different color variations. I may need to get myself one before the alleged ARCTIC BLAST hits next week.

    6. tulle ruffled coat

    I’ve loved this coat all season and it’s on sale.

    7. orla kiely classic shoulder tonal trim

    Orla Kiely bags always get me. There is just something about them that I adore.

    8. ruffle trim henleys

    Saw these in Old Navy last week and thought it might be the kind of thing I’ll want in multiple colors. A great basic but with a little extra flair.

    I don’t like to talk about my flair.

    9. slim fit corduroy pants

    These are a question mark. On one hand, love the idea of a skinny cord tucked into boots. On the other hand, need to know that they won’t give me a bad case of mom booty with their nondescript pockets.

    Of course that could be alleviated by wearing a long sweater over them.

    10. sperry rainboots

    Do I even need to tell y’all that I still don’t own a pair of rainboots? And now we’re in the middle of a drought and I can’t bring myself to buy a pair. However, these may convince me to just go ahead and take the plunge already.

    That’s it for today. Y’all have a great Friday.

    And beat the hell outta LSU.

  • Because books are your friend

    I returned the Emerson microwave to Target yesterday and replaced it with a Panasonic model with maximum wattage because I don’t want to listen to P talk about how it takes him six minutes to heat up his coffee every morning. Not that it’s not a perfectly delightful way to start the day.

    My trip to Target also resulted in an economy-sized container of cheese balls, a new sweatshirt and some blocks that spell out LOVE that I found in the dollar aisle. I don’t know how this happens every time I go there but WELL PLAYED, TARGET. WELL PLAYED.

    Later I picked up Caroline from school and we went to HEB because we were officially out of all the major food groups and I was begging to catch a bad case of tetanus if I didn’t invest in some new razors. And that’s when it happened.

    P had written Zyrtec D on the list. In fact, he writes Zyrtec D on every grocery list I start. Zyrtec D is the York Peppermint Patties of 2010-2011. So I stopped by the pharmacy to purchase the Zyrtec D since you have to jump through hoops to get the real decongestants in these litigious times.

    I requested the large box and the pharmacy tech asked me to scan my driver’s license. And then, AND THEN, I was denied. Thanks to P, I have exceeded my maximum allotment of products containing pseudoephedrine and am possibly being investigated for running a meth lab in my spare time.

    So there I stood, denied and Zyrtec D-less in the pharmacy line, feeling the need to loudly proclaim that I am not running any sort of meth lab but that we live in South Texas and the cedar allergies are through the roof and we are just looking for a little relief from all the histamines.

    And I think you and I both know that there is a great likelihood that P didn’t really even need a new box of Zyrtec D right now and is merely trying to create a massive stockpile in case of a decongestant emergency.

    But let’s talk about a more pleasant topic.

    The book club.

    I’m so excited that at least four of y’all think it might be fun. And I’m also glad to see that many of you share my feeling that it needs to be something fun and light. My thought is that there are great opportunities online to participate in discussions about serious books that really make you think and contemplate life and I’m not going to reinvent that wheel. I just know that I’d like to read more books this year and this might motivate me.

    So here are my thoughts:

    1. I think we ought to allow 4-6 weeks to read the first book. I know everyone is busy and I don’t want this to become a source of stress. Not to mention that I am also very busy with my meth lab.

    2. On the appointed day, I’ll write a post with my thoughts on the book and a few discussion questions. Everyone can participate in the comments. Or you don’t have to participate. Whatever. I’m easy.

    3. I kind of have a book in mind for our first venture into book club territory but I’d love to hear any suggestions y’all might have. (I don’t want to read any books about vampires that sparkle in the sunlight.) I’d prefer for it to be a book that’s already in paperback because it will be more affordable and will keep anyone from having to wait for it to become available at the library or shell out $25.00 for a hardback book.

    4. If I choose a book that doesn’t interest you in the least then you don’t have to read it. In fact, you can mock it endlessly and decide that book club is dead to you unless we choose a better book next time.

    5. I don’t know that there will be a next time. We’ll just see how it goes.

    I’ll announce the book selection sometime next week after I worry and stew about it for a little while. This all makes me feel a little bit like Oprah, but without the house in California, the tea room that looks out on my rose garden, and the massive media influence.

  • Ten things I’d like to share that are of debatable interest

    I’m very busy watching the Sugar Bowl right now and being an Arkansas Razorback fan for the evening. We’ll see how that turns out.

    Anyway, in lieu of a real post with paragraphs, here are ten things that I thought I’d mention and/or share.

    1. There was a question in yesterday’s comments about how to make choffee. I really don’t want to brag, but I consider myself to be the foremost hot choffee maker in the United States. And possibly the planet.

    I only use Ghiradelli Double Chocolate hot chocolate mix. I put three heaping teaspoons in my favorite oversized coffee mug while I heat up a cup of skim milk in the microwave. I add about two or three splashes of P’s morning coffee (Ted Nugent’s Wackmaster Sunrize made with a french press because if it’s good enough for Uncle Ted then it’s good enough for us.) and then pour in the warm milk. Then I heat the entire mug up for an additional 30 seconds or so.

    No, I’m not high maintenance. Why do you ask?

    2. Speaking of microwaves, we had to throw out our old microwave after we burned the Kraft Mac and Cheese to the ground a few weeks ago. The smell. My word, the smell. I can still smell it right now if I think about it for too long and then I begin to gag.

    So I went to Target and bought a new microwave. It’s a stainless steel Emerson and just as cute as it can be. However, it seems to be possessed and turns itself on at random times. I know it sounds crazy and I totally thought P was messing with me until I witnessed it for myself. Not to mention that he woke up Sunday morning to discover it had turned itself on and been running for who knows how long. You have to think that’s not safe.

    Needless to say, I’ll be taking it back to Target this week. In the meantime we just unplug it every time we finish using it which kind of makes me feel like my grandparents.

    3. Gulley and I went to lunch at Urban Taco yesterday. I am a big fan of their zucchini jalapeno salsa. It’s an unexpected, yet delightful, combination of flavors.

    4. Several people have emailed and asked about Caroline’s outfit on Christmas Eve. It came from Naartjie and she picked it out all by herself. I love it because it’s so much more practical than a fancy dress that she’ll never wear again, plus she can mix and match all the pieces.

    5. The Bachelor. I don’t even know what to say.

    Actually that’s not true. I do know what to say. If you’re seriously looking for a wife, then I would suggest you bypass the gal with her teeth shaved into fangs that tried to bite your neck.

    Also, the one that got out of the limo and yelled, “Catch me!” as she ran towards him took at least ten seconds off my life as I died of all the feeling awkward.

    And what are the odds that in a group of thirty women you’d have to specify which “Chantal” you’re talking about? Jennifer, maybe. But Chantal? Although I did see earlier that one of the Chantals is actually a Shawntel. Not to be confused with Shawndeen from My Blue Heaven.

    6. After I mentioned The Other Boleyn Girl the other day and several of you commented on it, Gulley and I got excited and discussed that it might be fun to have a little internet book club on the blog. Any thoughts on that?

    7. I just asked P to get a splinter out of my foot and he just walked back in the room wearing his headlamp and carrying a magnifying glass and a knife.

    I’m frightened by his enthusiasm.

    I think I may opt for the splinter to stay and make a permanent home in my foot.

    8. Caroline and her friend were riding in the way back of the station wagon on the way home from school yesterday. The topic turned to boys, so I did what any savvy mama would do and turned down the radio so I could hear the conversation.

    I heard Caroline say, “There’s a boy in my class that really likes me. He likes that I act like a boy and can run super fast on the playground. AND he’s from a whole other world called CALIFORNIA.”

    It may be time to invest in a map.

    9. I don’t think I’m really helping the Razorbacks.

    10. That’s all.

  • Back to life, back to reality

    Well. Yesterday morning was everything I imagined it would be. Complete with crying and real tears over all the tiredness along with an attempt to possibly manufacture a little stomach pain. And it was rough on Caroline, too.

    (I totally used that same joke on Twitter earlier. I apologize but I’m struggling for material here.)

    But, in the end, I helped her get dressed, put her hair in a ponytail, found her schoolbag, and sent her off to school with a cheery “GOOD NEWS! YOU ONLY HAVE TEN MORE YEARS OF THIS AHEAD OF YOU!” before I crawled back in bed.

    Not really. I didn’t go back to bed. Although I seriously considered it for about five minutes. Instead I fixed a cup of hot choffee and listened to some of Passion 2011 online before I finally made myself get dressed and go for the run I’ve been dreading for the last three weeks. Yet I did it because I’d promised myself I would every time I reached for a sugar cookie over the Christmas break. Which means I promised myself about 8,064 times.

    I survived the run, but didn’t experience a runner’s high so much as a MOTHER OF PEARL! THE PAIN! THE PAIN!

    (I’m using a lot of exclamation points today. I don’t know why!)

    After I got home and quit hyperventilating, I decided to run up to Michael’s and look for some picture frames for the living room. They’re currently 50% off with an additional 25% off coupon. (Supplies are limited. Limit one coupon per customer. I promise that Michael’s did not pay me to mention this and I’m just oversharing about the craft store savings.) Anyway, they were out of black frames in large sizes except for one that had a big scratch on it.

    I debated driving across town to the other Michael’s but that would have taken at least eight minutes and I was cold and lacking in frame ambition. So I went home. But I still need to find a frame because I finally ordered a vintage Texas map for the living room wall in the hopes that it will offset the large antelope hanging on the opposite wall.

    (Just play along with me on that. I realize there is no way to offset an 800 pound animal hanging on your living room wall with horns that make it look like a minion of the devil. But I need to hold on to just a bit of false hope.)

    I got back to the house just as P was getting home from having lunch with Caroline. He’d brought sushi up to the school because we are not opposed to food bribery when we’re trying to convince our child that she’ll have a great time being back at school after two weeks of all the fun, all the time.

    And so P and I sat down on the couch and spent the rest of the afternoon watching Rudy like we were a couple of kids in college with nothing better to do during the middle of the day than watch a movie that’s almost twenty years old and one of us has seen several times.

    (P had never seen Rudy. He didn’t even realize it was a true story. I don’t even know what to say about that. However, he did know that he was supposed to chant, “RUDY, RUDY, RUDY” so at least there’s that.)

    I had to leave to pick Caroline up from school right before Rudy actually got in the game. (I’m sorry if I just ruined the ending but it’s twenty years old and I figure if you haven’t seen it then you probably don’t care to.) She walked out of school smiling and holding hands with one of her best friends and they begged to have a play date, so it would seem that she survived the day in spite of the three part Greek tragedy she performed earlier that morning.

    Then I opened up her homework folder and the reality of spelling words and word problems hit me squarely in the face and I wished we could go back to Christmas vacation and a world where I don’t have to figure out how many hours Mary was at basketball practice if she got there at 4:00 and left at 10:00 but left for one hour to have a snack. Yes it’s basic math, but it’s still math that involves numbers.

    Of course I actually did my own math problem yesterday before she got home from school because when P asked me how much the frames at Michael’s were going to be if they were 50% off with an additional 25% off, I knew the right answer was CHEAP.

    Otherwise known as $15.00.

  • Meanwhile, back at the ranch

    Happy New Year. I hope 2011 is treating you well thus far.

    It was treating me immensely well until I spent the day yesterday taking down all our Christmas decorations and vowing that I won’t use as many lights on the tree next year. Even though we all know that I’ll forget all the pine needle inflicted agony of the past few hours by next Christmas and will once again get caught up in all the festiveness and feel the need to use eighteen strands of lights on one tree.

    But now the tree is down and the garland is gone and the toffee has been eaten. It’s time to return to real life. A life that requires me to wear pants that button and aren’t made of flannel.

    We spent New Year’s Eve down at our friends’ ranch. Which is the same way we spent last New Year’s Eve and has become my favorite way ever to bring in a new year. There is something about being away from everything and just hanging out with friends you’ve known forever and eating a lot of chips and dip and homemade cheesecake and black-eyed peas.

    After the kids spent Friday afternoon building forts and zooming back and forth on the zipline and the mamas spent the afternoon sitting on the front porch not doing one thing and the daddys made sure all the guns were sighted in and helped the kids catch a few perch, it was time for the evening hunt.

    The mamas continued to sit on the front porch because it’s what we do best.

    Meanwhile, P decided to take the big kids out for the hunt. But first they needed proper face paint.

    Then they had the delight of looking at themselves in the rearview mirror.

    And, finally, it was time for the mighty hunters to head out for the evening.

    Sadly, they didn’t manage to shoot a deer. Which is shocking because CAMO FACE PAINT. You would think that would totally throw the deer off in spite of all the gum-smacking and hair flipping and loud stage whispers of “WHEN DO YOU THINK THE DEER ARE GOING TO SHOW UP?” and “DO YOU SMELL A TOOT?”

    They did manage to shoot a very large male hog. And P said there were some discussions about its anatomy.

    I’ll leave it at that.

    The rest of the evening was spent lighting various fireworks and the kids loved it even though we couldn’t shoot off the massive aerial ones like we did last year since we’re in the middle of a drought and surrounded by dry grass. Nothing would kill a new year’s celebration like a massive grass fire.

    After I took those stellar photos, I realized I was cold and went back inside with Julie and Gulley and we treated ourselves to some decaf coffee with a little Baileys Irish Cream which was a delightful addition to the celebration. I give it five stars.

    Eventually all the revelers made their way back into the house and we waited to count down to the New Year while Will walked around trying desperately to pull his loose front tooth out of his mouth because he wanted to start 2011 off with some cold hard tooth fairy cash in his pocket. Alas, his efforts were in vain.

    Gulley served as our official timekeeper. Mainly because we realized her watch was four minutes faster than everyone else’s and we were all ready to go to bed. We counted down from ten, hugged and kissed and HAPPY NEW YEARED, and then all went to our respective rooms and crashed for the next nine hours. Except for P who got up in time for the morning hunt because hunting never takes a holiday.

    (I just made that up. I don’t know if hunting takes a holiday. I just know it doesn’t take a holiday at our house.)

    After breakfast all the kids wanted to go for a ride in the Polaris. The mamas immediately strategized and managed to load all the kids and dads, Beverly Hillbillies style, into one vehicle.

    And we opted for a ladies only cruise in our own vehicle.

    It turned out to not be much of a safari. P said it was because the mamas talked so loud in our own vehicle that we scared everything off. However, we did manage to see this guy.

    It was a rare sighting. Especially considering that you won’t be seeing his kind at any sort of bowl game this year.

    (Just a little rivalry humor.)

    (The Aggies play LSU this Friday in the Cotton Bowl. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Mainly because Les Miles is insane and manages to win even when it doesn’t make sense.)

    Anyway, we all went back to the house and I headed home with Gulley and her peeps while Caroline and P opted to stay and hunt the evening. I felt like I needed to get back and have a little time to get the house in order and enjoy some quiet. Plus it was totally worth riding home with Gulley because I got to sit by Will and he offered me multiple chances to pull his front tooth for him.

    I passed.

    After I got home I made myself a fire in the fireplace, turned on the Christmas tree one last time and just listened to all the silence. My inner introvert was in desperate need. I also managed to finish The Other Boleyn Girl which I’ve been reading for the last two weeks and haven’t been able to put down. I don’t want to ruin the ending but Anne Boleyn gets her head cut off.

    And then I spent about an hour researching the history of the Reformation and the British monarchy like a big nerd. Of course my main source was Wikipedia so there’s a good chance that everything I read isn’t even true. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to manipulate multiple future conversations to the topic just to so I can share my knowledge that may or may not be accurate.

    Caroline and P made it home about 10:00. He said she talked non-stop all the way home which is always a sign that she’s exhausted and fighting sleep with everything in her. We all fell into bed and she and I didn’t wake up until 10:30 yesterday morning.

    Then we spent the entire day in our pajamas taking down Christmas decorations.

    Which means that Monday morning and the alarm clock are going to beat us like a rented circus monkey.

    But other than that, 2011 is off to a good start.

    (That picture doesn’t really go with anything but it makes me happy. So there it is.)