Share the Covers--Every Breath You Take

On Saturday morning directly after staying up into the wee hours of the morning hanging out with my favorite people in the world, nearly all of those favorite people in the world caravaned out to Kaden's 9:00 a.m. baseball game.  We were up until 2, then Reilly woke up at 5.  Then we had to lave the house at 8:30 for the game.

Here's the great thing about being a mom though--you're used to it.  And somehow even though you are hungover on your maybe three cocktails and running on no sleep, you can effectively clean up the mess from the night before, do a load or two of dishes and make 40+ homemade doughnuts and doughnut holes before you even head out the door.

Sure, we were all tired.  We were all hungover.  None of us had showered and we were all wearing raggedy clothes.  The house was messy, at best.  But the coffee was brewed, the kids were having the time of their lives and our 8 house guests were excellent help and company.

I am constantly amazed at the lovely and loving people that I have in my life.  It is weekends like this where I feel truly blessed.  Blessed in the mess and the noise and the chaos and the dirty towels and footprints on the floor and the giggles.

Striped Shorts and Blazer-Banana Republic, thrifted

Mint Hat Printed Top-Forever 21, thrifted

Heels-Forever 21

Earrings-gifted

 

Make it Work Monday #17

I wish I knew who this young lady* was so that I could credit to her for this lovely outfit.  I couldn't help but repeat it because this dress was thrifted by me probably a year or so ago, but I could only now just fit into it.  I am stoked because I fell in love with it immediately.

*EDIT--I have found the name of this lovely lady.  Her name is Sammi (ironic enough also my sister's name of whom I am speaking of in this post!) and her blog is The Soubrette Brunette.

Our weekend was quite full and while it was full of a bunch of fun stuff, we were stuffed from Friday to . . .  well now.  On Friday night my cousin, mom and brother in law threw my sister a surprise birthday party.  It was so great!

I talk to my sister in some form almost everyday.  It was really hard to keep the secret.  And by nature I am horrible at keeping secrets--even by accident--because I have Accidental Big Mouth Syndrome.  One of my sister's favorite stories about this is when my sister, brother and I bought my mother Mother's Day gifts with our own money and wrapped them up all ourselves and I handed them to my mom and told her "The earrings are from me, the scissors are from Sammie."  

We chose a Hawaiian theme because of one year when my sister and cousin accidentally celebrated the first day of Spirit Week at school (tropical theme) a week early and they showed up at school in grass skirts and coconut bras and floral print and flip flops . . . and everyone thought that they were kind of ridiculous.  In true fashion, they thought it was hilarious. 

So after the Rob Thomas concert was cancelled as Rob Thomas was supposed to come on (which makes this story even funnier) and she thought that none of us were available to see her on her birthday, I was able to control my mouth for once and we were able to really surprise my sister.  She said it was the best birthday that she ever had!

Plaid Dress-thrifted

Straw Hat-vintage

Pink Boat Shoes-thrifted

Pearl Earrings-gifted by Patrick from Qatar

Mission #60, Day 5

Well folks.  We did it.  Five items from the closet dressed up in five ways.  I for one totally recommend this challenge.  It sparks creativity, yes, but it also gives you an appreciation for your closet.  And that is immeasurable--especially when you are on a shopping ban.

On that note, I have been really good.  The shopping ban has been in effect for almost a month and I have been clean of buying anything at all clothing related.  It feels good, actually, and I have barely been tempted at all.  (Not totally clear of temptation but I've been pretty good.)

I do have a very healthy wish list going for when I am no longer on my shopping ban, though.  That list includes white pumps, mint pumps, these adorable off the shoulder dresses and tops that everyone has now, a black romper and suspender dresses (why are you just coming out now, suspender dress?  why??????).

And I've been able to use the money that I was using for clothes in other ways.  I got to get Patrick a few really cool Father's Day gifts.  I got to buy a juice cleanse (I'll be following up on that next week).  And I got to take my kids on a few ice cream dates.

In all honesty, I could probably prolong this shopping ban to the end of the year.  And I might--depending on how I feel when summer is over.  The urge to shop for clothes hasn't really been there so much and I really feel good about using the clothes that I currently have that have gotten neglected over new purchases.

If 5 pieces of clothes can make these 5 outfits . . . then imagine what my entire closet can do!  What if I made it to a year without shopping?  That would be amazing in all honesty, though perhaps a bit unrealistic.

For now I will just channel my energy into the present time.  For now I am trying really hard to already discipline myself for the Vegas trip next month.  Especially since my mother booked a hotel right by a huge mall.  How thoughtful of her . . .

Black Joggers-Nordstrom

Red and White Striped Dress-Milly for Kohls

Leopard Slides-Target

Necklace-Charming Charlie's

Glasses-Bebe

Diamond Stud Earrings-gifted

Mission #60, Day 4

I am not just surprised by how easy it has been to create five outfits out of five pieces of clothing for this Mission Week, but I am also surprised about how many more possibilities that there are from these five pieces!  This was a really fun outfit and it was comprised of two of the pieces and . . . .

THREE pieces from THREE different grandmothers' closets.  LOL  Yep, that is right.  I don't just love the Macklemore song, I actually live that life.  I literally wear your grandmother's clothes.  And I love it because it is so special to me.

Take this amazing white fedora.  It was Patrick's Grandma Carlson's.  It was one of the many that she was ready to just throw away because she no longer wanted it.  And yet, it is one of my favorite of the bunch that she handed down to me.

This watch?  It was my Grandma Wagner's.  She loved her jewelry alright.  But she had really sensitive skin and was limited to only the finest metals to be worn on her skin or in her ears.  And while I have never really been a jewelry gal, I do adore playing in her jewelry. 

And these wedges that Patrick's Grandma Vandervliet gave me right after I had Reilly.  And I mean right after I had Reilly.  She brought them with her one day when visiting the baby.  One day when I was annoyed that I still looked 8 months pregnant and roasted on a five mile walk in the blazing sun with Reilly in the stroller.  But guess what?  Shoes always fit.  Hence, they can always make you feel better ;-)

And am I ever ashamed to wear grandmother clothes?  Answer:  Never.  Not once.  I love it.  

Leather Skirt-The Liminted, thrifted

Chambray Button Down-Lee

Wedges-gifted by Patrick's Grandma

White Fedora-vintage from Patrick's other Grandma

Watch-vintage from my Grandma

Earrings-Charming Charlie's

Mission #60, Day 3

This week could also be centered solely around this chambray shirt.  In fact, I have specifically not done a Thursday Mixer series on this shirt because I have worn it so many ways that it would take too long to create the post.  But tying it over a dress is certainly another way that you can create an outfit out of 5 items.

So tonight I am going to see Rob Thomas in concert with my sister.  Anyone privy to information on my sister and I's history with Rob Thomas will find this hilarious.  Do you want to find it hilarious?  Here's the story:

My sister has been obsessed with Matchbox 20 and, more specifically with Rob Thomas, ever since they came out.  She has been to every concert, bought ever CD and has enough MB20 memorabilia to create her own museum.  One day, the day of a Matchbox 20 concert, there was a radio contest for not only tickets, but backstage passes to the concert.  My mom called and she and my sister actually won!  Of course, my sister already had tickets, so she now had four total tickets and backstage passes.  Being that the concert was that evening, she was hurrying to find someone to utilize the two extra tickets.

That's where my then 21 year old self and my best friend Matty came in.  My sister offered us the tickets and we took them--even though we weren't super keen on the band, it was something to do.  And we went.  And my sister had the best day of her life.  She met Rob Thomas--he even gave her a kiss on the cheek.  My sister was on Cloud 9.  But . . . Matty and I were newly 21.  And we found ourselves somehow downtown Denver with some time to kill.  And somehow we made it about half a song of Matchbox 20's set before we ended up ditching the concert to go dancing and drinking. 

We made it back to the concert hall just as the show let out and we totally played it off as though we were there for the whole show.  And we kept that facade up since--12 years running.  Until I was talking to my sister a few days ago and she mentioned that she wanted me to go to the concert with her so that I could finally see Rob Thomas in concert.  I guess she had found out.  I'm not sure how.  But I definitely owe it to her.

Red and White Striped Dress-Milly for Kohl's

Chambray Button Down-Lee

Flats-Target

Earrings-vintage from Grandma

Watch-vintage from Grandma

Mission #60, Day 2

This look includes 3 of the 5 of the items for more of a layered look.  It is a very business casual look--especially with kitten heels and reading glasses.  Speaking of business and of casual, let me tell you a little bit about my office relationship with our associate attorney Danielle.

I love Danielle.  She is fun and sweet and funny and very hard working.  She is extremely smart and thorough in her work.  Sometimes, though, she gets suuuuuuuper stressed out--as one does when you work in a law office.  At the office, though, my job is to lessen the stress of the attorneys as much as humanly possible.

So at work, I try to calm her down by asking her to tell me what she needs me to do to lighten her load and help her out.  Usually, she tries to do everything herself and takes it all on and then freaks out about how she will get it all done.  She always thinks that the worst possible scenario will happen and she is always prepared for crazy ish to hit the fan.  All of these are common as well as pretty admirable in an attorney, but sometimes it can be a little difficult to deal with.

So I was talking to Patrick about this.  And he asked me "Do you know what's funny?  You act exactly like she does at home.  She is the perfect person for you to work with."  And he is right.  Because while I might be an optimistic, easy-going smoother-outer at the office, at home I am a total nut job.

I constantly freak out on Patrick about things that need done, chores that need done, events that we need to prepare for and always think that the worst possible thing that can happen will.  I flood myself with to-do's and never ask for help and always spaz out whenever I have something important coming up.  And it is always Patrick who is always asking me how he can help, calming me down and trying to rationalize my anxiety.

And in that moment, I realized that he was right.  And I had two sides of myself--work self and home self.  And that I needed to take my own advice and ask for help, have some faith in myself and not try to control things that are out of my control.

#mindblown

Black Joggers-Nordstrom

Light Blue Tank-Ann Taylor, thrifted

Chambray Button Down-Lee

Kitten Heels-BCBG, thrifted

Glasses-Bebe

Earrings-Kohl's

Mission #60, Day 1--5 for 5

Recently, Kinsey did a 30x30 challenge.  For those that are not familiar, it is a sartorial exercise in which one gains a certain level of respect and appreciation for the clothes that you have by limiting what you can wear.  You pick out 30 items of clothing and you remix those for 30 days.  But because this is Mission Week, not Mission Month, I chose 5 items to remix for 5 days.  Here are my items: 

Essentially, these are some of my closet go to's and they are as follows:

1.  Chambray button up shirt

2.  Black jogger pants

3.  Brown leather skirt

4.  Solid color tank top

5.  Striped dress

The first day of this challenge in real life was pretty chilly so tights and a jacket were necessary and I allowed it even though they were not part of the 5 for 5.  Since 5 items are pretty limited, I chose not to include things like shoes, outerwear and accessories.  

And besides, I had yet to wear my absolute favorite floral trench yet this season.  So I better hurry up and get my floral trench on while it's still spring.  (Actually . . . is it still spring?  Maybe it's technically summer now.)

Floral Trench-Gap, thrifted

Brown Leather Skirt-The Limited, thrifted

Baby Blue Tank Top-Ann Taylor, thrifted

White Tights-Kohl's

Platform Loafers-ANA, thrifted

Earrings-Kohl's