Month: November 2013

Fashion Friday: Edition black Friday

It doesn’t matter what time you’re reading this for me to guarantee I am still full from Thanksgiving lunch. It’s not so much about the turkey as it is the vast array of complex carbs I consumed yesterday. And I don’t regret a single one. I’m saving regret for Monday when I go back to Smart Barre for the first time in several weeks.

So it’s Black Friday. That means there are a plethora of sales happening all over the place. And I won’t be taking advantage of any of them unless they involve online shopping. The news here just showed a line of people that have been camped outside of Best Buy since Monday and I can’t even understand.

Here are a few things that might make good Christmas presents. Maybe you should bookmark this page on your significant other’s computer.

1. open stitch infinity scarf

This scarf is 25% off and only $28.48. And it comes in some gorgeous colors.

2. buttermilk biscuit textured cardigan

I’ve had my eye on this for a while. It comes in a few different colors, but the navy is on sale right now.

3. gold scroll initial pendant necklace

I saw these necklaces in the Nordstrom catalog this week and love them. They’re only $38 and might make a great gift.

4. reva tunic

I realize this isn’t a very winterish piece. But I’ve thought it was so cute since I first saw it and it’s on sale now.

5. michael kors runway twist watch

Piperlime is offering 25% off with the code GIFT through 11/30. Which might mean it’s a great time to buy a new watch like this one. Or a new pair of boots. Or a new sweater. It’s totally up to you.

6. rustic hooded maxi cardigan

I wish you could see a picture of this because it’s really pretty. And it’s just one of several that Forever 21 have in stock right now. In fact, I had a hard time choosing which one to feature.

Forever 21 is offering free shipping for orders over $30 right now.

7. aimee tunic

I love these tunics. Perfect to wear over leggings. And it also comes in a taupe color and black.

8. marled sweater hoodie

I think Gap is offering 50% off today but I’m not sure because it’s not up on their website yet. But you know they’re going to have some sort of sale going on and I am more than a little bit in love with Gap’s sleep and loungewear. It never lets me down.

You can throw this on with some pj pants on some cold winter day when you want to give up on life in the outside world for a little while.

9. john wind gold initial bracelet

There are so many gorgeous things to choose from at Carol & Company that would make great Christmas gifts. I have loved this bracelet for a long time. And you can get free shipping on any order now through Monday when you use the code FREESHIP at checkout.

10. kate spade carlisle street ryan bag

Kate Spade is having a huge sale that ends at midnight on 11/30. 75% off all kinds of different purses, wallets, and jewelry at huge discounts. If there was a good time to buy a Kate Spade bag, this is it. Personally, I love this one but there are so many that it’s hard to choose.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving

I meant to write something yesterday but then we decided to spend one more night in Bryan and went to eat Mexican food and I fell into some sort of food coma and that was, literally, all she wrote.

Our original plan was to head home on Monday afternoon, but it was cold and raining outside and there wasn’t really anything to rush home for other than a trip to the grocery store to buy various things for our Thanksgiving food responsibilities and that was easy enough to put off for one more day.

And so we left early Tuesday morning after we made a stop for gas and a stop at Chick-Fil-A for chicken biscuits and a stop at Starbucks for a peppermint mocha. Basically, we left the city limits about an hour after we originally got in the car. But we aren’t pioneers. This isn’t a bare bones operation. We are a people with travel comfort needs.

When we finally arrived back in San Antonio, we dropped Gulley and the boys off at their house (You will be relieved to know that Will made it home with no carsickness issues.) and Caroline and I got home and I began to unpack suitcases and do laundry. You know you’ve had a relaxing vacation when your laundry basically consists of nothing but pajama pants and some fleece tops.

And then I began to make a list for the grocery store. I will be there later today. Possibly fighting someone for the last can of pumpkin pie filling. If you don’t hear back from me by Friday, just know that I loved you all very much.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with all the people and food you love!
The glass case of emotion

Well. So this pretty much sums up my demeanor on Saturday afternoon as I watched the Aggies play LSU.

It was a low point.

The great irony is I felt good about the game before it started. I wasn’t worried about LSU. Which, in hindsight, feels pretty stupid because LES MILES. It makes total sense that if anyone has truly figured out how to stop Johnny Manziel, it’s him. He’s some sort of weird genius with a side of some Louisiana voodoo mixed in.

And it’s safe to say that I will never wear that ’94 Aggie football sweatshirt again. I put that thing on, enormous sleeves and all, and wore it through the first quarter until I decided it was clearly contributing to our horrible performance and changed into a sensible fleece for the second quarter. Sadly, this did little to help the Aggies. It was too late for us.

I think it’s also obvious that we need to never wear those gray uniforms again. Our colors are blush and bashful. Oh wait. That’s wrong. Our colors are maroon and white. Thus, we need to wear uniforms that are either maroon or white.

And so that’s that.

On the upside, Gulley and I were at Honey and Big’s house in Bryan watching the game. Uncle Johnny and Aunt Diane came over to watch it with us and we all agreed we felt optimistic about the Aggies chances. And once it became apparent that we’d been delusional, we were able to relax and eat all manner of chips and dips and tell stories and laugh. So even though the game was a low, the game-watching experience was a high.

And so I’ve come to a point in the college football season where my grief over what could have been eases into acceptance for the reality. It could be worse, I could be a Florida Gators fan. My word. They have fallen on some hard times in Gator nation.

Speaking of hard times, we left for Bryan on Friday evening. The plan was for Caroline and I to pick up Gulley and her boys in Gruene around 6:15 because they were visiting some cousins there. But what I didn’t count on was the pouring rain and the traffic and the fact that people in San Antonio don’t like to drive over three miles an hour when the roads are wet. So what is normally a thirty minute drive took an hour and a half. An hour and a half where Caroline began to complain she felt nauseated.

By the time we got to Gulley and the boys I was a little frazzled. And by a little I mean that I needed to be medicated. But we’d come too far to turn back. Plus I knew if we could just power through and get to Honey and Big’s house it would be totally worth it once we slept in late and woke up to Shipley’s donuts on Saturday.

Around San Marcos, Caroline decided the problem was she was hungry and wanted to drive through Arby’s to pick up a roast beef sandwich and some fries. So that’s what we did. And everything was fine until Will decided the smell of Arby’s was making him feel carsick and began to complain of nausea.

Then in true Will form, he began to throw up between San Marcos and Bastrop which is a stretch of road that could compete with the Sahara desert for desolate. Fortunately, Gulley has become a master of holding a plastic grocery sack while Will throws up and so we powered down Highway 21 to the delicate sound of Will retching into an HEB bag as the rain poured outside and I came one step closer to needing to check into a mental health facility.

For those of you keeping score at home, yes, this now makes forty-six road trips where Will has thrown up. And, honestly, as someone who struggles with the carsickness I feel his pain. And the remarkable part is we all assume our positions. Gulley turns around and holds the bag, Jackson says, “Caroline, scoot over closer to me”, Caroline says, “It’s okay, Will”, and I whisper the serenity prayer to myself while declaring, “We’re almost to a gas station. Just hold on. We’re almost there.”

By the time we arrived at Honey and Big’s we were a carload of people in the throes of post-traumatic stress syndrome. We hit the front door and Will announced, “I’ve never barfed that amount of barf in my whole life.” Which was something we all intuitively knew based on the amount of HEB bags used. But about thirty minutes later everyone was showered and in pjs and Gulley and I had consumed a couple of glasses of wine for purely medicinal purpose and life seemed worth living again.

And I was right. Saturday morning as we all sat around the kitchen table with donuts and kolaches, the terrible events of Friday were but a distant memory.

Then the game.

I believe I’ve covered that part.

But here’s the thing. There are people and places that take the sting out of even big disappointments and understand exactly what you mean when you declare a sweatshirt to be bad mojo. And those are the best places of all.

Those are the places worth driving through wind and rain and throw up to arrive at your destination.
Fashion Friday: Edition wintry precip on the way

I know.

I have a fancy new Fashion Friday button that Edie made me. I feel very professional.

The catalyst for this came when I was at Allume talking to a few other bloggers and Ruth asked about my editorial calendar. Apparently this is something some people use to plan their blog posts days, and even weeks, in advance. And here I assumed everyone just sat down on their couch around 10 p.m. every night and just wrote whatever came to mind.

So while an editorial calendar is clearly out of my reach, I felt like I could add a button to Fashion Friday. As long as someone else made it for me because I can’t even remember that I have a gmail address I’m supposed to check.

Anyway, as I write this it is 85 degrees outside, but there’s an alleged winter storm on the way that’s supposed to arrive in the wee hours of Friday morning and drop temps down into the 30’s. There’s even talk of wintry precip. And you know it’s serious when the weather people leave the “itation” off the “precip”.

Personally, I’ll believe it when I see it. But I will be thankful for any temperature drop that means I don’t feel like maybe I should be wearing shorts.

Now for the clothes and such.

1. clutch oversized shawl cardigan

I love the length of this. It’s one of those long cardigan things that you can wear over a pair of leggings and know that your bottom area will be covered. It also looks really cute over a dress per the picture above.

2. gap suede booties

Gap has done something jolly with their booties. I really like these and there are also cute lace up version or biker boot versions. Some of the sizes are sold out online, but I bet you can find them in stores if need be.

But right now online, you can get 40% off any full priced purchase with the code GAPEARLY or 50% off with a Gap card when you use the code BFCARD. They’re practically giving stuff away.

3. clydeback hooded cardigan

‘Tis the season for an abundance of sweaters.

4. kaleidoscope fringe sweater

I recently found this boutique online and there are so many great things to choose from. But I decided this sweater was really calling out to me.

5. leopard chambray tunic

I wouldn’t wear this as a dress, but I do think it would look really great with leggings and boots. Love that it has that subtle leopard print detail.

6. ellesmere tunic

I’m about to tell you a sad story. Prepare yourself.

I tried this on in black a few weeks ago at Anthropologie. I grabbed it off the rack in the sale room in the back and didn’t have a lot of hope that it would actually look good. But then I tried it on and loved the length and the way the sleeves fit and that it was as soft as a pajama top. However, I couldn’t find the sale price so I took it up to the cash register and that’s when I learned there was no sale price because it accidentally got placed in the sale room and wasn’t actually on sale.

Why is my life so hard?

And so I handed it back to the salesgirl and told her I wasn’t paying full price. But now I keep thinking about it and I have some lingering regrets.

The end.

7. keep me v-neck burnout tee

Now this. I know it looks like an old t-shirt. And I know I’ve shown it before. But I bought this and cannot express how much I love it. It is so soft and there is something about the way it’s cut that makes it super flattering. I wore it with skinny jeans and boots on Saturday night and some friends came over for dinner and one of them was wearing the exact shirt but in a different color. It’s just that great.

And there are more colors to choose from on the Free People site but they’re not on sale.

8. toms nepal boots

These.

I need a replacement for my almost six-year-old Uggs and this is going to be it. They are so cute, so comfortable and come in an abundance of color choices. I tried them on the other day and fell head over heels in love.

9. old navy pop color crew neck sweater

For those of us who may want to channel our inner Laverne DeFazio.

And if you don’t they also make some that say “Joy” or “Peace” or other things.

10. gapfit tunic hoodie

I saw this in Gap the other day and really liked it. It’s longer in person than it looks on the model and is the perfect thing to throw on with leggings or your yoga pants. You could even wear it to actually work out if you’re into that kind of thing.

And that’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.

If you need me, I’ll be watching the Aggies beat the hell out of LSU. While wearing this.

Hopefully those enormous sleeves won’t end up in some type of dip.
Five things you might find interesting

Listen. Between family pictures and the faux cinnamon smell at Michael’s and getting ready for Thanksgiving break, it’s been a busy week. And I think I’ve used most of my words. For now.

So here are five things I thought you might be interested in:

1. Examining Truth and Twitter by Samantha Steele Ponder

Sam Ponder is a sports broadcaster for ESPN. And I absolutely loved this post she wrote about social media. I was already a fan, but now I’m an even bigger one.

2. How to host Thanksgiving and Enjoy it by Edie at Life in Grace

I would like to go live at Edie’s house for about two weeks. It would be like fantasy camp for people who enjoy delicious food and beautiful spaces.

I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but I know many of you are and thought you might find some of her tips helpful.

3. handknit stockings from Sundance

I just saw these in the catalog and thought they were so darling. I feel like they’re a little reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. Remember the Christmas Laura got that doll with the porcelain face? Good times.

4. A Scandal-ous Update by Sophie on Pioneer Woman

I believe I have established that I am slightly obsessed with Olivia Pope. And even though Sophie and I have discussed most of our thoughts via text and telephone, I still loved reading her post on Scandal.

5. Little Black Sheep: A Memoir by Ashley Cleveland

This book. I’d known for some time that I wanted to read it and then I finally ordered it because about six different people had told me how much they liked it. And it did not disappoint. I’m a sucker for a good memoir and this one is a beautiful story of God’s never-failing love and redemption. It’s hard to go wrong with a book written by an award-winning songwriter. She just uses her words like I would like to when I grow up.

And there you have it.

See you tomorrow for Fashion Friday.
Smile for the camera

For the last week I’ve been trying to get us ready for something we had scheduled yesterday that we haven’t done in almost six years.

And now I remember why.

Family pictures.

Let’s all have a moment of silence.

I mean, sure, we try to take a family picture in front of the tree on Christmas Eve as we’re all rushing out the door to church. And this past Easter we had a little photo session in the front yard that brought feelings and emotions out in me that made me extra thankful that Jesus died for my sins.

But I’m talking about real pictures. Taken by someone using something other than an iPhone camera.

And so I’ve spent the last week trying to coordinate outfits that work well together but don’t look too matchy-matchy. It was also important that they looked like something each of us would actually wear in real life. Because even though Caroline promised me she’d wear whatever I asked her to without complaining (See above Easter reference for when she learned that lesson.) I wanted it to be an accurate reflection of her style. And her current style isn’t so much Boden as it is Academy. However, I felt like a family picture deserved more than Nike running shorts and a stretchy sport headband from HEB.

P is easy. Plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. It’s been his “dress-up” uniform for the last thirty years and it works. Yes, it may be boring, but I promise that pictures of him from high school have stood the test of time much more than pictures of me from high school. When you fancy yourself a trendy dresser, you’re bound to have some regrets.

(I’m looking at you hot pink plaid Esprit pants worn with yellow and pink paisley shirt.)

I kept looking for the right thing for Caroline and had finally decided on a navy striped shirt with a navy cardigan from Gap that we bought last year. It seemed like the best option and I hadn’t seen anything else that really worked. But then I ran in Gap on Monday and found a cream tunic sweater that I felt would be perfect with her jeans and boots and also work with what P and I would have on.

I bought the sweater but I knew this was going to require a try-on session to make sure it looked good. And so when I picked her up from school and she asked if we could run by Starbuck for a frappuccino, I sensed the time was right to strike a deal. “Sure! But as soon as we get home, I need you to try on a couple of outfits for me.”

She’s powerless to resist the call of the Starbucks.

When we arrived home, I pulled the cream sweater out of the Gap bag and said, “Here you go! Try this on with your skinny jeans and boots.”

She crinkled her nose and asked, “Is that a turtleneck?”

“No. It’s a cowl neck.”

“Really? Because it looks like a turtleneck.”

“Well. It’s not. It’s a cowl neck. It’s a loose version that just drapes around your neck. Just go put it on.”

And so she did. Except she didn’t quite get the concept of a cowl neck and had pulled all that extra fabric down around her shoulders like a shrug and came out of her room complaining, “I can barely move in this thing. I can’t even lift my arms.”

This is what happens when you spend your whole life in assorted t-shirts from sporting goods stores.

I pulled the cowl neck off her shoulders and draped it around her neck the way God and the Gap intended. And she deemed it acceptable. I was feeling so optimistic that I declared, “That might even be cute to wear on Christmas!”

To which she replied, “Why would I want to wear a turtleneck at Christmas?”

Kids are precious.

Yesterday was the actual day and so if Easter and Christmas have taught me anything (I mean other than that Jesus loves me and came to save the world) it’s that I better have my hair and makeup finished hours ahead of time because my job on picture day is essentially to be like O’Brien on Downton Abbey. Except I’m not in as jolly of a mood.

So I showered and fixed my hair and did my makeup around noon. And then P stopped by the house to eat a quick bite for lunch and asked, “Now why are we getting family pictures made?”

“Because we haven’t done them since Caroline was four.”

“Well, does that matter? It’s not like we look at the ones we already have.”

Husbands are precious.

I reminded him that we needed to be ready to leave the house at 3:30. Then I went to pick Caroline up from school and began the process of rescuing her hair from its HEB sport headband and ponytail. I put on some lipgloss and we were ready to go and out the door at 3:30. It’s our first miracle of the holiday season.

And in the car I told them something that I may regret, but right now I mean it with all my heart. I said, “Just smile and do whatever we need to do to get some good pictures and we won’t have to do family pictures again until Caroline’s wedding day.”

Which, hopefully, is at least fifteen years away.

And even then might be too soon.