Strange Day

As I was going to bed last night, I realized that I was getting the throat thing that Ada has had all week.  So...this morning, Scott took Ada and John to church, and I stayed in bed until noon!!!  (CRAZY).  I did get up long enough to pick out clothes for Ada and John and brush Ada's hair.  There is no telling how Scott would have dressed them for church.

Feeling sick was disappointing for so many reasons.  I hate to miss church because, one. I like the corporate worship, and two. I like the fellowship.  But I was also disappointed because I had planned to go to Perimeter Mall this afternoon because I have a Anthropologie gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  (Thank you, mom and Ann!!!).  I had even worked very hard to pump some milk, using my measly little manual pump, and I was crossing my fingers that John would drink the milk out of a sippy cup.  I tested the sippy cup earlier in the week using apple juice, which he loved, so I was hoping he would also take milk from a sippy cup. 

Well, Scott and I evaluated the situation, and I decided to head to the mall despite not feeling well.  So, off I went, all alone, headed to the mall to shop at Anthropologie.  You can see why this was a strange situation for me.  Alone.  Shop.  Anthropologie.  What?!!!

So, I got to Anthropologie and headed straight to the sale section with hopes of making the gift card stretch as far as possible, and here is what I found.

I don't think this picture does the sweater justice.  I really love it in person. 

I tried on lots of other clothing, but I wasn't finding anything else that worked.  They didn't have much in my size in the sale section.  So I headed to the home section.  There I bought these

I plan to hang these in John's room, and I am so excited to have them because I think it will make his room look much more complete.  I also purchased a candle with a M monogram to go in our downstairs guest bathroom.  It was marked down from 26.00 to 4.00.  Yes, even at Anthropologie I am finding deals!! And guess what, I have almost 30.00 left on the gift card.  I think I can easily find a sale shirt for not much more than that. 

Okay, at that point, I called home to see how things were going, and Scott said good, so I decided to browse through Forever 21 for a bit, since I am never near a Forever 21.  And this is when things got really crazy.  I tried on and bought a pair of skinny jeans!!!  I can't believe I did this.  The only reason that I bought them is because they were only 9.50.  And I want a pair of jeans to wear tucked into boots.  I will only wear the skinny jeans with a tunic type shirt that very much covers the rear end area.  I'm just saying.  I mean, 9.50.  Really.  And by the way, Scott informed me that he doesn't like the jeans in boots look.  Oh well.

Here are the jeans, and, by the way, my legs do not look this skinny in the skinny jeans.  (side note--thanks for the blue jean feed back.  Obviously this jean purchase was based on price not on recommendation)

Now, in the midst of deciding whether or not to buy the jeans (for 9.50), I called home to get Scott's input, and I found out that John refused to drink the milk out of the sippy cup.  Come on, John.  8 months, and we have never been apart for more than 3 hours.  Cut me some slack, buddy.  So, I hurried my way through the check out process and headed home, slightly panicked that John was going to freak out when he realized that I was not there.  (no worries, Scott fed him two jars of baby food and he was fine.  He did start crying as soon as I walked in the door, but he often starts crying when he sees me.  I have that effect on him.  Who knows).

So, overall, it was a very strange day.  And now, at 9:00, I am about to go to bed because I still don't feel well, and I think sleep is the best solution.

By the way, I would love some advice on getting John to drink milk from a sippy cup.  I know that I prayed that he would nurse, but at some point in his life I do plan to wean him, and I don't want to wait until that point to introduce the sippy cup.  And I would love to have another option other than me to give him milk.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?

For Fun

In an effort to avoid cleaning up the kitchen, I have been perusing the J. Crew website. 

I started by looking at the crew cuts clothing.  I am a bit obsessed with J. Crew's children's clothing, and if I had more money in my pocket, Ada's wardrobe would most likely be made up of mostly J. Crew clothing.

Well, while at the website, I saw the weddings tab, and I just couldn't help myself... I clicked on it.

Any other women out there who still like to look at wedding dresses, after the fact? 

Well, I saw this dress and told Scott that I wish we could have another wedding so that I could wear this dress.  He said I was crazy, but it's still fun to dream. 

I even tried to get him to get off the couch and come see it to tell me if he liked it or not.  He didn't budge.

Okay, reality check:  my husband, who I already married while wearing a different wedding dress than the one above, is on the couch folding clothes, our two children are upstairs asleep (thank you, Lord!), and I need to get off my tail and go finish the kitchen.

Great Blog. Great Dress.

I have already mentioned this on here, but I can't say it enough, I love this new blog that I stumbled on.  I can't even remember how I found her, but everyday I am awed by her affordable fashion blogging. 

Well, right now she is doing a give away.  Giving away this dress.  Isn't it great?

Have you heard of Shabby Apple?  So cute, so modest.  What a great combination.  Now, the prices are higher than, say, my 6.00 Target finds ;), but not too much for the occasional special occasion.  And probably not too high for everyday wear for many of you lucky ones out there. 

You should head over to her blog and get in on the giveaway and her great fashion finds.

on a happier note, let's talk J. Crew for kids

thanks for the encouraging comments, friends. I greatly appreciate it.

Our day today is going slightly better. We made it out of Publix with only three major battles;)

So...I decided to cheer things up a bit with a discussion on my favorite brand of clothing for little girls, Crew Cuts. Oh. my. goodness. I am in love. When Scott and I were at the beach, we visited the outlet malls in search of a pair of flip flops, and we took a minor detour into the Crew Cuts store. I was dying over the cuteness. We picked out a skirt and a top from the clearance rack, and ever since then, I am constantly pouring over the sale section on the website.

Here are the things I have my eye on right now.

Of the three, which is your favorite?

Just in case you were wondering

Because I am loving this "conversation" we are having about what is hip and un-hip, I am here to share a few more secrets with you.

In case you were wondering, I have a few inside sources. It's true, I have two college-age sisters who keep me "in the know," and I have two friends who are on staff at Auburn with college ministries. Unfortunately one will soon be moving overseas to Hong Kong, but I am thinking that Hong Kong is pretty cutting edge when it comes to fashion. We will soon find out, I suppose.

Well, one of my "inside sources" is my dear friend, Amy, who I just spent a few hours with when I was unexpectedly stranded in Auburn. Well, one day we were driving and talking about the changing fads in the guy world, and she told me something very shocking. She said that the new trend among the artsy college guys is to buy and wear girl jeans!!!!! When she first told me this, I assumed she meant that guys wore jeans that look like girl jeans. No, what she meant was that a guy walks into Gap and buys a pair of jeans from the girl section. Is your jaw dropping to the floor in much the same way that mine did? I couldn't get over this for a while, and I kept going over it with her to make sure I understood. So, that is the most shocking of the college fads, and I am thankful that Scott is not that hip because I prefer his baggy boy jeans, thank you very much.

Okay, Katie B., being quite hip herself, is my other non-college student inside source, and she actually first introduced me to the concept of an emo. I am thinking that emos are the very ones who might wear the girl jeans. I had lots of questions for her about emos, and I still don't fully understand. I get emos and goths mixed up a bit. But it is my understanding that emos are less "dark" than goths. (Katie herself is not an emo, she just knows about them.)

What we have above, is a picture of an guy who is an Emo. And for all we know, he might actually be wearing girl jeans--two trends in one.

Update: Scott just informed me that Emos are old news. Sorry to imply that they are a new trend. How Scott knows this, I have no idea.

And of course, I have my younger sisters, who provide very valuable information when it comes to fashion and "hipness" in general. Just this past Easter weekend, Sarah informed me that short nails with chipped finger nail polish is a new trend. I am not sure if it has made it's way to Auburn yet, but it is apparently sweeping the celebrity circles. I will easily be able to accomplish that trend without even trying. It goes hand in hand with motherhood, I do believe.

So there you have it. If I think of more I will add them. You just thought I knew a lot about couponing, now I am also your number one source for fashion and all things cool. Again, I kid, I kid;)

And please, if you know some of the latest trends, enlighten me. I would be most grateful.

Crimping Iron Update

One, it made me feel better to hear that others had never heard of such a thing. I envisioned the whole world crimping their hair every morning as I unknowingly straightened mine. Good to know that is not the case. I kid:)

Second, the crimper just arrived about 30 minutes ago. It was perfect timing, really, because Ada was down for a nap, so I was able to immediately tear into the package. I plugged it in, waited the appropriate amount of time, and I then attempted to "wave" my hair.

I am somewhat unimpressed. I am thinking I should have paid more than 13.00 for the crimper. I learned a long time ago that in order to straighten my hair, I have to pay the big bucks for a flat iron or my hair will laugh at the iron's attempt to tame it. I am not sure I am willing to pay much for a crimper.

My camera battery is currently charging, so I can hopefully post a picture soon. The wave is so slight that I am not even sure you will be able to see it. I am not giving up on it, though. I did flat iron my hair this morning (despite the advice of the young hair stylist), so maybe it will work better without being straightened first. I'll keep you posted.

Attempting to maintain the cool factor in the face of stay-at-home motherhood

Do ya'll know about crimpers?

They are apparently the new thing. Feeling rather frumpy and out of touch with what is hip, I headed to the hair salon last week. (By the way, Scott said that he had never heard the word frumpy until I used it last week to convince him that I needed a hair cut. I feel like it is a common word. Do you agree?) The girl cutting my hair was much more "in" than me, and she cut my hair like I requested, and then she proceeded to take out a curling iron and put ringlets in my hair. I kid you not, Ada and I had matching hair styles. The thing is, she seemed to know what she was doing. I suspect that she didn't realize just how curly my hair is. Anyway, apparently the look she was going for can be achieved with the tool you see above. A three barrel crimper. I double checked on the name several times before I left the salon, and what you see above is on its way to my house as I write.

I sacrificed a few swagbucks to purchase it off Amazon, but it was all in the name of fashion and anti-mom frumpiness.

I have this theory that everyone is at their hippest during college. This is when you are on the cutting edge of everything--fashion, hair style, education, research, relationships, Christian culture--am I right?

Well, I left Auburn in 2005, and at that time, flat irons were still the way to go. Apparently I got stuck there, and it's not a good situation. So...because I trust the hairstylist who was younger and cooler than me, I am going to try my hand at crimping my hair, though I think the appropriate term might be "waving" my hair. I will let you know how it goes.

Please comment if you already knew about the crimper, and let me know if it is already on its way out.

Thank you, E-bay

Below is what greeted me in the mail today. Well, yesterday and today. And Ada is modeling (and singing "If you're happy and you know it")."If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

"...then your face will surely show it..."
"If you're happy and you know it, give a smile..."

I think we might have moved into freestyle dancing, here.

I love the ruffles on the rear.

By the way, Scott picked those shoes for this outfit. I am picturing white sandals and a big red bow. In fact, you will see the bow in the following pictures, along with E-bay outfit #2.
what television show is she so interested in--Tae Bo!! I tried to switch it to a cartoon, but she requested that we stay there.
and then she decided to join in. Got to keep those arms looking good for these sleeveless summer outfits!

Just a reminder--each of these outfits was less than 10.00, including shipping, and I received 9 more of those bows for 10.00 including shipping. Let me repeat, I am loving E-bay!

Photography Question

Okay all you photographer types out there that might be reading this, I have a question.

The Moore family is scheduled to have our first ever family photo session in the next few weeks, and I am wondering what to wear. Is there something that photographs better than others? In my head I am thinking a black wrap dress. It just seems like black is the best choice. Is this true? Or could I go with a more "creative" outfit?

And because of the beautiful fall colors, I think Ada will be wearing the dress from the last post for a more dressy photo, and a fall brown and green polka dotted jumper for the more casual family photos. The session is mainly about her, but we will be getting a few family shots as well.

Seriously, any wardrobe advice is much appreciated. There is a dress at Gap that I am contemplating buying. It is on sale and I have a coupon, and really, who couldn't use a black, wrap dress? This is the weird thing. It's on sale, B1G1, which is bizarre to me. Who buys two of the same dress? Even in different colors? So, if any readers want to join me in a trip to Gap, maybe we could work something out with that deal. However, we would then having matching dresses. This is a very strange deal, Gap, I have to say.

It's a good night...

Tonight I am feeling very content.

I am tucked safely into my warm home. Comfy in my favorite Auburn hoodie and pajama pants. Ada is sleeping soundly upstairs, my hubby is on the couch doing his bible study, and life is good.

Other little things making me happy tonight.

A diet coke bought with a 5.00 dollar bill that Scott just handed to me. Said do what you want with it. We both knew what that money would be going toward:)

After examining the budget, this way and that, and figuring out a few places we can reduce costs this week, I am going to Target to buy these boots this weekend. They are slightly on sale, my freezer is stocked with chicken and vegetables so the grocery bill should be low, and we think we can swing it without adding any extra money to the budget. So exciting.

Plus...Ada has been sleeping until 7:30 lately. This gives me a few extra hours to play with at night, and tonight I plan to stay up, even after Scott goes to bed, to tackle some cleaning projects. I am looking forward to a quiet, lamp lit house, Gilmore Girls on in the background, and finally getting this house clean. I plan to feel very accomplished when I finally lay my head on that pillow.

Again, I tell you, Go to Old Navy!!

This is a quick post to remind you to go to Old Navy. Tank tops are still on sale for .99 cents, though they mainly have very large sizes left. Perhaps if you search you can still find a variety of sizes. There is still a rack of summer shirts for a dollar. Stock up for next year if you can find your size!!

As for the baby section, halloween costumes are 50% off, which means you will pay about 12.00 for a costume. I don't think the selection is a good as last year, but they are still cute. All baby clearance is 50% off the clearance price!! Yesterday I purchased two sets of footie pajamas for Ada, and the total was 4.26--with tax!!! I did buy 6-12 months because her 18 months clothes are still too big. I hate buying 6-12 months for her since she is working on 15 months, but at 2.00 a piece, I was willing to buy 6-12 months for a few weeks worth of wear. Plus, with the cold nights we have been having lately, I want to make sure she is nice and warm when we put her to bed. If you have baby showers coming up, now would be a good time to buy gifts. The pajamas are part of Old Navy's little bundles line, which I love, so even though the price says otherwise, these make really good baby gifts. Really.

The Old Navy clearance rack always Works For Me!!!

p.s. It is 9 am, and Ada is down for a nap. Surely to goodness this will be a two nap day. Please, Lord, let it be a two nap day. She has been so fussy lately, and today I decided to try a new tactic. As soon as the fussiness began, I put her down, and she's asleep. We'll see what happens this afternoon.

You must go to Old Navy and buy some tank tops

I am slightly obsessed with tank tops. I have been since college. They are so versatile--great for layering, exercising, covering up a bathing suit, sleeping, and the list goes on and on. I have two separate drawers just for my tank tops--one for white and one for colored. The problem is that ever since little Ada came into my life and just rearranged everything--including my body--my old tank tops have been too short. I can't put my finger on the too short thing, perhaps my ribs are wider and my stomach a little bigger after giving birth. Who knows. Anyway...Ada and I needed an outing today because she was getting fussy, but I wasn't ready for her to take a nap at 11 am. Things work out better for everyone if she takes a later nap. So, we headed to the outlet malls a few exits down from our house. With the beautiful weather, we like to do this because we can walk around outside, and I might stumble on some amazing deals. And today, stumble I did, onto .99 cent racer back tanks at Old Navy. I bought six of them. SIX!!! I had to search for my size, but I searched, and I bought. And I am so excited to be the proud owner of six new tanks that are long enough for this post-pregnancy body. Only two were good colors for layering--I bought two black ones--the rest were things like green or yellow striped. But, they will be perfect for running or sleeping, and I can wear them instead of dirtying a brown, black, or white tank that I need for an actual outfit. Really, you need to go to Old Navy!!!

They had an entire rack of summer shirts on sale for a dollar, but that would have a required an amount of digging through that I was not capable of doing with a 14 month old in tow.

I did walk away with a dress and skirt that Ada can wear next summer--both for under 5.00. Amazing deals, people. Now is the time to stock up on summer clothes at Old Navy. It's CRAZY. 1.00!!!!

p.s. Scott, if you are reading this and wondering where I got the money to spend at Old Navy, it came from the Banana Republic shirt I returned. No worries--we are still on budget:)

How I manage to feed my clothing addiction and stay on budget

As I have mentioned before, I have always been a lover of all things shopping. When we (my sisters and I) were younger, a lot younger, we sometimes had special one on one time with my dad. Ann got to go to Auburn football games with him, and my special event was Christmas shopping at the mall. And I looked forward to it all year long. In first grade I even wrote my dad a note in class (I guess I was planning to hand it to him in person?) about how I couldn't wait to go to the mall that night. And for as long as I can remember all I ever wanted for my birthday and Christmas was money for new clothes. It's such an addiction. Right up there with my love for diet coke. Well, obviously clothes cost money, sometimes a lot of money, but I think of myself as somewhat of an expert on making that clothing money stretch, and here is how I do it.

I know that some people like to spend a lot of money on nice clothing that will last for a while, and I understand this concept, I do. But I tend to be a trend follower, and we all know that trends last for maybe one second, so there is no point in investing big money in trends. So how does one enjoy the fads of the season without breaking the bank?

First of all, don't overlook stores like Target and Old Navy. These are truly two of my go-to stores. Sometimes they are a gold mine, and sometimes I can find nothing at all, but they are always worth a look. Plus, I rarely buy something full price at Target, and here is why. Once a week (I think) Target marks things down. While 25.00 is an amazing price for a cute shirt, 5.00 is even more amazing. The key is to go to Target often and look through the clearance racks. There is a 30% rack, 50% rack, and a 75% rack. Granted the 75% rack is often very picked over, but it is always worth a look. I will say this, I am 5 ft tall. Obviously this is much smaller than the average joe, so my size is usually left. If you are more of an average size, you may not be able to find as good of deals.

Old Navy also has great sales. It doesn't happen as often as it does at Target, but I often find things for very inexpensive. Three summers ago, I purchased a blue seersucker jacket from Old Navy for maybe 13.00, and I wear that thing all the time. I love it. And it is perfect for Auburn games when paired with an orange tank. I think it was originally like 40--something. So these stores with already low prices will eventually go even lower, just have patience.

I will say that Old Navy and Target usually have a good selection of basic stuff to fuel my everyday wardrobe, but sometimes you are in need of something a little more fun. This is where I say don't over look the junior department. Again, I am the height of an elementary student, so junior clothing works for me most of the time. I do have to wear a MUCH larger size than in a normal store because this post-pregnancy body doesn't fit so well into those clothes designed for a 15 year old, but hey, I am willing to go up a few sizes for the sake of fashion. My two favorite junior stores are Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe. Forever 21 has seriously low prices. So low. And you can find cute dresses there for less than 20.00. Keep in mind, that these things are not going to last forever. This is not investment shopping, but it is worth it to me to have a season or two of wear out of an item. Charlotte Russe requires a little more looking to find something worth buying, but there are usually some really cute tops. And for my biggest secret of all. My favorite, favorite jeans come from Charlotte Russe. I pay 45.00 for two pairs of jeans that I love!! They have great color options, and I honestly love the way they fit. Again, I go up many sizes compared to jeans from Gap, but I can't get one pair of jeans for 45.00 at Gap, and I like the way Charlotte Russe fits even better than Gap. One pair is 30.00, but almost always they have specials where you buy one pair of jeans and get the second for 1/2 off. I am telling you, check it out. I really do love them.

Finally, if you want more quality clothing, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, and The Limited have awesome clearance racks. Banana Republic clearance racks are my favorite. I really love Banana Republic, and I would love to shop there all the time, but it's just not possible on one income. However, their sales are amazing. Just a few weeks ago, I bought two sweaters for fall that were marked down to like 10.00 each!! Granted that was at the outlet, but still.

One last thing before I go. I do think there are items that are worth investing in. A good pair of pants is a must. I am willing to pay the big bucks for a nice pair of black pants or brown pants. These I will wear year after year if they will last. I bought several pair of pants my senior year of college that I am still wearing. I think that is worth the cost. A good black dress or any dress that will work for a wedding year after year is also worth the investment. Black boots, brown boots--these are a must. Even a good pair of black heels. You want these things to last. But a cute top or skirt, you can find those for cheap. I promise.

As always, I love learning new ways to save. So, if any of you have suggestions on how to dress cute on a budget, please share!! Especially if it involves children's clothing--my newest addiction!!

Diet Coke Withdrawals, Extra Long Naps, and a whole new wardrobe=Life in Scottsboro

So we have been here since Sunday, and the diet coke reduction is going okay. I have decided that I will no longer purchase diet coke at the store, that way if I want it I have to actually get in the car and drive somewhere to get it. And I can only afford so many fountain drinks a day. Hopefully this will make the whole process a little bit easier. I have been drinking lots more water, but I am not sure how much all of this is helping. We'll see.

Ada is also adjusting well to being here instead of her own home. I was a little nervous about having nights by myself because Scott is much better at letting her cry it out. However, I had enough sense to know that if I gave in on night one, we would have a terrible week, so I stood my ground through two middle of the night wake ups, and since then it hasn't been so bad. She still wakes up at least once a night, but I just go in there and lie her back down, and we all go back to sleep. Plus, today, she took a 3 1/2 hour nap. I think she would have kept sleeping, but I thought that if I let her sleep longer than that she would never go to sleep tonight. Yea for a long afternoon of rest for me!!

And the best part of Scottsboro so far--last night Ann gave me all of her non-maternity clothes to wear while she is pregnant. Basically I received an entire fall and winter wardrobe for FREE!! Yea for sisters that are my same size. I told her we should just keep doing this--once she has this baby, I will proceed with baby number two and we can switch again. I get the maternity clothes and she gets the non-maternity clothes. It's a great system that saves lots of money. Ada is certainly thankful for all of the clothes she has borrowed from Ellie!! Seriously, though, I have been wanting to invest in some new fall clothes so badly, and I am oh so thankful that I am borrowing these for free. Dave Ramsey would approve, I think.

Live Blogging from the Double Tree Guest Suites

I have a little time all to myself this afternoon, as Scott is at the church getting ready to be a groomsman in Sheffer's wedding, and mom, Mary Ann(my aunt/mom's sister), and Sarah, are in McDonough with Ada, so I decided to blog a little bit.

I have to leave for the church in a little over an hour, but I am soaking in all of this quiet rest. So wonderful. So refreshing.

I just finished reading the first in Robin Jones Gunn's new series about Katie Welden--Christy Miller's best friend. I felt like I was hanging out with old familiar friends. Loved it. Loved it. And I so hope Ada will read them all one day. I am sure she will say, no way, mom, they are so old fashioned, or whatever term she might use, but they have so much truth hidden in the middle of good escape type story telling.

In the middle of all of that reading, I also found time to have lunch with my hubby. We headed over to Atlantic Station around noon, and lo and behold, H & M is officially open as of yesterday. And it is glorious in all it's inexpensive fashionable perfection. But as inexpensive as it may be, we have no room in the budget this month. Sad. So very sad. I was practically drooling over all of the adorable clothes...including the ones in Ada's size, but not this month. The sewing machine may have to wait until I have had a chance to spend a few dollars at H & M. How can I not? It was two floors filled to the brim with cuteness just waiting to be tried on by me.

So, there's a quick update on what's going on with us this weekend. We are sleeping in, enjoying a fun wedding with Scott's friends from G-ville, and as always when we are away from her, missing Ada.

It's Friday. And that's reason enough to be excited.

Tonight's the big night when Scott and I are venturing into the city. And hopefully I will come home with some new shoes that will do wonders for all of this training. I'll keep you posted.

Other news--well, obviously, I updated the blog, and in the process I lost all of my links. I am so sad about that, but I am pleased with the new heading. Check out scrapblog to make your own. I discovered the site through another friend's blog, so let's just keep passing the word. It's so much fun that I am tempted to change my heading every week. Don't worry, I think I am finally finished "decorating" the blog. In the mean time, I will slowly be adding links to all of the blogs that I read.

What else? Well, this week's bargain. I have to share. I have a wedding to go to this weekend in Rome, GA. As of Wednesday, I had no idea what I was going to wear. Ada and I were in Wal-Mart, and I decided to stroll through the clothing section, just to see what there was to see, and, guess what? I found a precious little black sun dress for $9.00!!! And I will be wearing it on Saturday. It is the bargain of all bargains, and I am so proud. Pictures to come. Lesson learned--don't underestimate what you might find in Wal-Mart.

While in Wal-Mart I also picked up my first two sewing patterns. I know, I know, I don't even have a sewing machine yet, but I just couldn't resist. I am dying to get my hands on that sewing machine, and, well, if I can't do that, I can at least learn to read a pattern so that I will be ready when the machine is finally in my posession.

We have a busy weekend ahead that involves a visit from old friends, a Saturday afternoon wedding, and Elisha Boutwell's birthday party. Elisha turning one is just a reminder that Ada's first birthday is right around the corner--wow.

Speaking of that little stinker, she is more on the go than ever. She even crawled up the entire staircase yesterday (with Scott right behind her just in case). She has had another cold this week, but that has not slowed her down--though it has caused some sleepless nights for us all. And last night, she said what I am considering her first word--bye. Scott and I were waving and saying bye (even though we weren't going anywhere), and she imitated us. So of course we got her to say it over and over again. It is so cute. She waves her hand back and forth and says bye. Where did my tiny baby go? I bought batteries for the camera today, so there will be pictures and even a video to come.

And that's our Friday. What about you? Any big Memorial Day Plans?

p.s. I am still accepting recipes. Even if you already submitted one. Consider it an open invitation.

Reentering the world of fashion design, step 1

So...if you have perused the blogs I link to at all, you might have discovered that I read quite a few sewing blogs. The reason being that despite my big decision to leave fashion design behind and enter the world of writing and literary theory, there is still something in me itching to create. And with a new baby and a new house and a limited income, I am DYING to get my hands on a sewing machine. Well, I have been doing lots of research online. Googling things like "what I need as a beginner sewer." Every search has led me to believe that I must buy my first sewing machine from an actual sewing shop, not a chain such as Target or Wal-Mart. Apparently if you buy your machine from an actual specialty store, the owners really help you out with picking out the machine, learning how to use the machine, fixing the machine should it break, etc. etc. Plus, they sometimes throw in a few free sewing lessons. This leads me to today.

Scott and I were out driving around, doing a little exploring of this place we now call home, and we stumbled upon our very own sewing shop. Obviously, I had to go in. And I even talked to a salesperson about which machine would be right for me. Then, the best part of all, she lead me over to the machine, and she encouraged me to try it out. And it was wonderful. And I remembered all the things that I did love about fashion design. Scott was watching all of this unfold, and he knew before we even left the store, that I HAVE to have this machine. Of course, it is so far out of budget right now, that it's insane. But each week I am tutoring and making a few dollars, and we both agreed that those paychecks will start going in a separate account until there are enough dollars to purchase the machine, and then I am on my way. The possibilities are endless. And I just can't wait.

Ten Exciting Happenings From the Past Week

1. Let's start by traveling all the way back to last Friday, when I happened upon some stemware on sale for .98 at Pier 1 Imports!! I snatched up six of those before someone could tell me it was a mistake. If you are in need of new stemware (which I was not), I suggest you quickly make your way to the nearest Pier 1 and check out the clearance section.

2. 1.00 Large Diet Coke at McDonald's. Yes, .86 cents for a large diet coke at Sonic is still a better price, but McDonald's wins because you can go anytime, not just from 2-4.

3. A Banana Republic outlet opened a mere seven minutes from my house, and J.Crew is coming soon. Hallelujah!!

4. Four new dresses for Ada at 5.00 a piece. Oh how we love Target. (I am only letting her wear dresses these days because I am so tired of people telling me how cute my little boy is.)

5. A cute one piece bathing suit with a skirt for me. Don't think Grandma, think retro. And hey it covers all of my least favorite spots on my body. Who cares if it screams mom--I am a mom.

6. Ada has a new habit of wanting to hug me. All the time. So we spend a lot of our day sitting on the floor hugging. Not a bad job, I have to say. It makes the time she spends screaming a little more bearable.

7. A night spent with the women from my church helping a soon-to-be mother of two weed and clean and prepare her life for baby #2 who will be here any day.

8. My best childhood friend gave birth to a little baby boy.

9. All this pregnancy and baby talk, is giving me an itch for baby number 2. Though Scott and I don't really feel like it's time, I love the fact that I will be so excited when I find out I am pregnant with number 2. Thank you, Lord, for turning my life upside down and, slowly, making it seem like it was my choice all along.

10. And, finally, the possibility of a date with Scott on Saturday night. We'll see.