Almost to 200

I just realized that I am coming up on my 200th post and I would LOVE to get feedback and some ideas on how to "celebrate" this anniversary. So, in the comments, leave any and all ideas. For my hundredth post I had a give away and that went pretty well. But if there is anything better or more personal I am very open to suggestions!  Also, what types of posts are people wanting more of? Recipes, "what I wore," random thoughts and inspirations, pictures of my kids? While I write this primarily as a time capsule for myself, I am always sensitive to my reader's perhaps varied interests so chime in and let me know!!!

A thought worth pondering

"The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order, a timetable not necessarily--perhaps not possibly--chronological. The time as we know it subjectively is often the chronology that stories and novels follow: it is the continuous thread of revelation."

                                                                                                                   --Eudora Welty

Back by popular demand

We went to Abilene yesterday, mostly because it is closer than KC and different than Manhattan, and sometimes you need to get out of Dodge.  Also, it provided the perfect chance to break out one of my favorite fall dresses.  These pictures in no way do it justice, but thanks to my sweet husband for documenting something silly even when the kids were raring to go do something else. It is a Nannette Lepore I found three years ago on a thrifting trip with my brother Derek, it was the icing on a very good day.  It has this sweet (but not sappy) tiered skirt, slightly raised waist, soft sweetheart neckline, and luscious Art Nouveau inspired print in olive, raspberry, cream, and dark brown. Oh and it is actually a cocktail dress, but seeing as I don't attend many cocktail parties these days, I tend to dress it down instead of up.  Thus the addition of raspberry merino cardigan, wide stamped leather belt, tall olive green socks (courtesy of Russ's military wardrobe), beat-up cowboy boots purchase for a dollar, and a dip-dyed "cafe au lait" wool scarf (a gift from Anne!) oh, and my favorite chandelier earrings that I wear too much.

Now you may ask why would I get so dressed up to stomp around an empty cow town? Or are you even comfortable? How do you take care of your children? First, I like to get dressed up. Most of you probably already know that. I figure wear what makes you happy. If that is jeans and a tee shirt (see the post below) GREAT! If it is a silk cocktail dress and cowboy boots, well wear that then.  And for the record, I was very comfortable, the dress just floats, and with the sweater and scarf I was just the right temperature. Plus those boots never hurt my feet!

Oh, and I figure I take the best care of my kids when I am happy and comfortable, and yesterday that meant wearing my favorite fall dress!

A casual outfit

I haven't had an outfit post in over a year! This isn't fancy or even particularly planned, but it does relate to my previous post about my inspiration board so I thought it would be a nice correlation.  The tee shirt is Old Navy, from the website. Thanks to Anne getting me addicted to its great drape and fit, I have it in a plethora of colors. It also comes in long sleeve. Be still my heart. The sweater is Banana Republic, from about 5 years ago. It used to be a wrap sweater but I got bored with it and made it into a "waterfall" style cardigan.  The jeans used to be my very favorite, you know the ones I sewed the waistband back on to. But now they are perfect for scrunching up, and rolling the ankles for that "boyfriend" look. The sandals are Chacos, the silver bracelets are a collection, and the rose behind my right ear apparently means I am available in Hawaii (thank you Russ for the trivia). I wasn't sold on the rolled hem jeans when Katie Holmes started it 3 years ago, but thanks to market saturation, I kinda dig it now. Anyway, back to the inspiration board; one of the trends/styles I kept returning to was rolled hems on jeans, both dark and slim jeans and baggy casual styles. This outfit is inspired by a picture from one of the Garnet Hill catalogs. The point isn't to copy any look head to toe, the model was wearing this awesome cardigan that comes past her knees and a necklace I am dying to try to make, but I looked at the lines, palette, and overall feel and did something similar.

Next: How to quickly re-fashion a genuine Grandpa cardigan into a "boyfriend cardigan"

Should I get my nose pierced?

Some pictures, a recipe, and something crafty/fashiony

But not necessarily in that order.

This is my current Fall fashion "inspiration" board.  When ever I start feeling like I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear or it takes me six outfits and constant adjustment to figure out what to put on, I head back to my inspiration boards.  Having a visual reminder of color combinations, layering, accessory details, or different ways to style some of my go-to pieces is an easy way to circumvent wardrobe confusion. And it is really easy, in fact if you recieve catalogs, occasionally buy a magazine, or even if you take pictures of inspiring fashions you are already started.  When I get catalogs, instead of seeing things I "want" I try to see new ideas for things I may already own.  First I tear out outfit combinations that I like and start collecting them--usually, one board per season.  Then I look for common themes or trends in the pictures I have collected. After sorting the pictures and putting them on the board, I look for similarities in my own wardrobe. If after looking through my closet there are a few gaps I make a list of things to look for on sale and at thrift stores. Finally, when I wear an outfit that I really like, I write it down in a journal I keep for that purpose. It may seem like a lot of work, but overall, it is a huge timesaver!

True to her namesake, my Beatrice Emily loves climbing trees. Even if her current climbing skills rely on mama helping her in and out!

my little tree-hugger

A recipe (unrelated to the above picture):

Autumn coleslaw:

zucchini, apples, carrots, squash, onions, almonds, raisins (shredded and chopped)

Two tablespoons butter

In large skillet heat butter, add veggies and let simmer until everything has cooked down. Add slivered almonds for some crunch. Serve with any Fall entree

Big brother is learning too, how to walk slowly and help Cissy!

Seems like a slower October, we still haven't had a frost and the temperatures hover in the 80's. The leaves that have turned are still lovely though



Next up: great jeans

One of the awesome things my mom did for me when she visited last week  was to entertain my dynamic duo while I went in search of my least favorite thing to shop for: jeans. Now some people dread bathing suit season, but I figure at least with a swimsuit I only wear it for a few hours at a time and during a select season. Jeans on the other hand I pretty much rely on. In my recent past I was a jean-snob, willing to shell out more for a pair of premium denim than I would for a pair of nice shoes or a formal dress. Those days are long gone but I still have a pretty high standard for my jeans. 

First requirement: a clean, un-distressed wash. The darker the better. Second, at least 99% cotton, I know that spandex supposedly helps denim to resist saggy-ness, but I think it always stretches too much through the day. Third, a slim straight leg. I like skinny jeans but they don't look good with as many types of shoes so I like a leg-opening that is not quite bootcut. Fourth, after two kids, I have no desire for my drawers to be on display so I like a low, but not super low rise. Oh yeah, and the price shouldn't top $50 and it should preferably fall under $30.

Now really, is that too hard to find? Well....

Before mom came I had spent a bit of birthday money on a pair of jeans at good ol' reliable Gap. Now these had an okay wash, a great fit, and a decent price. They had a bit more spandex than I wanted but I wasn't going to be too picky. Except, after wearing twice and washing once, they developed a little hole on one of the pockets. A bit of a dissapointment.

Oh and I guess that the final requirement is that I find them in town. I love KC and Lawrence, but putting kids in the car and driving for two hours drastically shortens their patience with mama trying on clothes--even with the inimitable Nonni for company.

It hit me while I was trying to strategize the shopping trip that the last pair of jeans I had really loved, loved enough to sew the waist band back in, had come from a silly, loud, stinky wanna-be Abercrombie teenie-bopper store. Yup,  I mean Hollister. So, embarrassing as it is to try on jeans in that obnoxious store, I thought I would give it a go. I won't do it again. First, their jeans are cut too low for me. Second, all their jeans were way to stretchy. And to add insult to injury, they now embroider a stupid seagull on the coin pocket. Idiots.

Following that failure we wandered down the mall hoping for inspiration. And then it happened.  Passing yet another stupid teen-oriented store, I paused. Why not?

And I found them!  Dark denim, no distressing, 99% cotton 1% spandex, slim straight leg, perfect rise. Jean perfection. For the sale price of about $21.00!  Want to know where to go? Aeropostale. Seriously.  These are the best jeans I have found for quite some time. The one downside, because they are made in bulk, and cut out 30 or more at a time, there is a huge size descrepancy.  I suggest trying on at least 3-4 pairs in about 3 sizes. I ended up bringing two pairs home, they fit the same but they are different sizes.

So there you have my newest little jeans "secret." And I hope it helps anyone else looking to cut their search down!

A wordy interruption

Hello dear friends and sweet family,

Time keeps speeding up and I so often wish I had a minute or two to write my thoughts down. Mostly so I will remember them, but also as a way to mark this time in my life. Our days are full, sometimes of housework and family time, sometimes with playdates and library visits, other times I don't even know where the day went. But mostly God is using these precious days to show me how big He is, how precious my children are, and how I may have married the most wonderful man ever (at least, he is my perfect match).

A friend recently wrote that she shies away from writing about her son because she hates how trite her feelings sound when written. I know what she means. I feel that everyday I have, every minute, every morning, afternoon, and evening are gifts. Such amazingly perfect gifts.

But, I have written these things before. And while my feelings about family and life only seem to intensify, I want to share a few things that are shallow pleasures by comparison. So, who wants a couple great recipes? Or my recommendation for really cheap but awesome jeans? Or my thoughts on a slightly pretentious French novel? Or maybe a few things off my current list of fall favorites?  Well, be warned, you are about to get all that and maybe a few other thoughts too.

Starting with a recent recipe that were pretty darn tasty:

Stuffed squash:  Okay, this is super yummy (if you like squash--R hates it...)

You will need:  A large squash (you choose your favorite) halved and hollowed out.

Ground meat (I used hamburger and venison, but I think sausage would be fantastic too)
pre-cooked rice, spinach, onions, garlic, apples, peppers, mushrooms, potatos (if you like starch :) Basically, use your judgement when it comes to measuring ratios and remember it will cook down.

 Brown your meat, with the onions, garlic, and peppers. Add apples, rice, spinach, mushrooms and potatoes. Throw in a little salsa to or spaghetti sauce and let it simmer.  When the spinach and mushrooms are cooked, stuff mixture in the hollowed squash. Top with cheese ( I used feta and grated parmesan) Cover with tinfoil and cook for about an hour at 350. Make sure you put some water in the bottom of your pan or your squash will burn.

Yum! and more fun things to come!

October Snapshots

Silly faces

Pumpkin-Patching

This was a never-ending corn maze! I wasn't sure if we would make it to the pumpkin patch. Thank goodness we all wore boots, it was a little mucky, but lots of fun.

 Bea says, " No, seriously, where are the pumpkins, I am tired of cornstalks!"

They had a whole menagerie of farm animals, including goats, calves, piglets, chickens, geese and sheep. The goats were the friendliest.

Everett loved the bounce house, which he had to himself since it was Monday. In fact we had the whole farm to ourselves for the same reason. But we couldn't have had more fun. It was cool but not cold and fall is definitely in the air. Even our hayrack ride was relaxing.

The only downside to being the only family (or people in general) at the pumpkin patch was that there are no family photos. Oh well, maybe next year!

A Grampy Visit

Dear Grampy,

Thank you for coming for a sleepover! We had so much fun with you. Even though it was short, something is always better than not at all!!! We can't wait to see you again.

Love always with big hugs and lots of wiggles,  Evie and Bea.

self-portraits with blue sky

While waiting for Russ and E to return from a quick run to the store, I decided to document me. You know in case I ever forget who that person in the mirror is. I actually have a whole post in my mind about the significance of portraits and what it means when we see ourselves. But, today, like so many of my days is not the time for lengthy thoughts.