cookies bring Inception to life...

Baby steps for three more days of doing those numbers... Will someone remind me next time that I'm just too old and creaky? Pretty please?

booties: steve madden. jeans: american eagle. polka dot top & blazer: thrifted (but...old navy & the limited). belt: forever21. flower pin: downeast outfitters. watch: target.

Sometimes my world moves verrrrry slooooowly. Like right now. I'm sitting here in the kitchen, listening to my puppy snore, my 2-year-old talk about how pretty she'll look at her wedding (??? and again I say ???), and my 4-year-old and her BFF giggling adorably over their newly created play-doh Ice Cream Flower Garden. It's like time has stopped for a few minutes, because I'm fully invested in the moment called Now.

Of course, one can always take that time-stand-still mindset to an uncomfortable extreme. Like I did, when I (again) thought I could pull off double braids. C'mon, though. A blazer totally cancels out the juvenility (yep, made that one up...I think...), and then I've still got on heels, so I figure I'm 1 point in the positive for dressing my age. Two points if you count the watch, which means I could've actually tied ribbons around the braids, too. Next time.

Speaking of Now, there are some leftover snickerdoodles sitting on the counter that won't be here Later. And if that kind of time-manipulation speak confuses you, I don't recommend watching Inception. Or riding in elevators. Just in case.

Happy Monday.

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5-day recap

This just in: I wear a lot of blue. The question is: is that psychologically significant? Nah.

And, seriously you guys. Those boots? From Target? Best $23 I'll ever spend. (They were on sale.)

Does this dress make me look fat? (Correct answer: Actually yes. Yes it does.)

 Sorry about yesterday's lack of post. No, really. I'm sorry. Mostly sorry for myself, though, because now I have to actually figure out today's date (previously, the date = my 30x30 number). My poor brain. Hey, don't roll your eyes at me. These little things add up, people.

 shoes: union bay brand. tights & jewelry: don't recall. leg warmers: amazon. dress: gap. belt: thrifted. cardigan: j.crew.

This week I'm grateful for:

- paint rollers.

- beautiful blue sky peeking through the snow-laden branches of barren trees.

- a 2-year-old's trying to find her sister and calling out: "wheh IS you?"

- windows from which I can watch my children playing in the snow. Should I have been out there playing with them? Probably. But I'm the one who kicked them out into the "fresh air" in the first place, so I'll score myself a half-a-point in the Mothering Department. And anyways, we all enjoyed some hot cocoa afterward, so that gives me another half-a-point...right?

- the children's book Olivia. Don't think I could get sick of reading that one to the kiddos. And believe you me, I would've been sick of it by now.

- a mr.-fix-it husband. Who would vehemently deny the title. But it's true.

- our home.

- snickerdoodles.

- family & friends. Sounds totally cliche, doesn't it? Like, you're probably skimming by now and are thinking, "blah blah, family friends big whoop reeeeal original." Or, actually, you're probably not even giving it that much thought. Regardless of how stale it sounds, I couldn't mean it more genuinely.

- my cell phone.

- simple things.
- smiling to myself at the irony of almost ending this list with "my cell phone" and "simple things."

Happy Sunday! 

Want this look? Or do you, like me, feel it makes the wearer look chunky & stumpy and will therefore pass on copying it? Don't blame you at all...but either way, here are similar pieces below:

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To tuck or not to tuck? Or to tuck halfway? These are the questions...

Mirror images. Smashing. And also? Apparently my body rounds itself out where it wants and when it wants, but it blatantly disregards my needs for forming daily numerals (i.e., the bottom part of a "5"). Stinking stubborn knees that only bend. What good are ya?

 boots: target. jeans: kohl's. shirt: gap. cardigan: j.crew. scarf: gift (old navy). belt: Poket's. earrings: hawaii.

In junior high (yes, I'm old enough that I went to junior high and not middle school. Maybe we did arithmetic on slate boards and fetched water from the town well and carried hot potatoes to school in our pails, too. What of it?) (Just kidding. My junior high was just like middle school now--scary cafeteria food and a geography teacher whose white spittle that formed between his top and bottom lip while he talked was absolutely mesmerizing.)

Wow. Better start over. (ahem) In junior high, I remember tucking the front of my shirts in but letting the back hang out. Did anyone else do this? And is it weird that I'm doing it here and now? I don't see it often, but I wanted my belt to be seen here, because to me it tied in the boots to the whole ensemble.

What's your vote--yay or nay to a front-only tuck? And also, sorry about the cuhrazy lighting in these photos. I figure we're all just lucky I got any photos at all. And when I say "we're" I of course mean "I'm"...because probably you all could have a perfectly happy Friday without photos of a girl slapping her knee like a hoedown-beat-keeper and one with hair like a lioness.

But now that you've seen these photos...it's hard to go back to the person you were before. There there, little one. Don't cry.

Happy Friday!

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alexander has nothing on this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day...

 In a perfect world, II + IIII = VI. But in my imperfect world, and on a fairly rotten day like today, II + IIII = XXIV. Feel free to disagree and/or flunk me in Roman Mathematics. But it won't change the photo.

 boots: target. leg warmers: amazon.com. tights: gift. skirt: gap. shirt: a.n.a. brand. scarf: sweden. bracelet: forever21. fake smile: discontinued.

This morning I shaved my legs for the first time in...a long time. Probably somewhere between 5 and 20 days. Give or take. (Preferably not "give," or whichever one makes it longer than 20...) And in doing so, I accidentally gave myself a minor cut (probably from being so out of practice) below my right knee. No biggie, it was small. I got out and got dressed. About 3 minutes later I glanced down and saw a little spot of blood on my tights right there.

Sweet.

Now, if I were a hygienic person or even an average specimen of human beingness, I probably would've changed my tights. Buuuuuut instead I simply threw on leg warmers and pulled 'em real high to cover the spot up. Which ended up being okay, because it's snowing. Again.

Without laying it on too thickly, my day has gone downhill from there. Which is why I posted 0.5 of a photo today, and why I'm making this as brief as possible. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

*cough*

See what I mean? But tomorrow's another day. And I bet it'll be a good one.

Happy Thursday.

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better late than never...except for stuff like mold and rust. then i'd take never.

 Hahahaha. I'm sorry, but seriously...I can't stop laughing at the pic representing "3." Sometimes I crack myself up. Actually, a lot of times. Actually, that happens more often than it probably should, so says Pocket. I think he's right. But I can't help it. 

shoes: union bay brand. pants & shirt: gap. cardigan: j.crew. scarf: smith's marketplace. belt: thrifted. watch: target. earrings: gift.

 

Posting late today. I'm repainting one daughter's room so both daughters cans share the room so my son can move upstairs so we can maybe have houseguests for the next few months.

So I wore this ensemble for a total of, like, 1 hour today. I've been in paint clothes ever since. That's not cheating, is it? And, even if it is, I'm being honest about it. Which should cancel out any negativity you might feel from being betrayed. Let's all eat a pnut m&m as a token of peace.

Oooh, here's a psychological question for you all, once you've exhausted the chicken-or-the-egg bit: If someone tells the truth about their lie, are they honest or not? Annnnnd...yes, the chicken did come first. Absolutely.

Happy Wednesday! (what's left of it...)

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dark brown with black: too close for comfort?

 So I'm getting lazy in my old age. Meh.

 booties: steve madden. socks: don't recall. skirt & jacket: kohl's. belt: f21. watch: target.

A few things I'd love to bring up here, and I'd love your feedback if you have a thought or opinion. Which is code for: This is a test, kids. Get out your #2 pencils. (ahem) 

(1) Socks with this skirt. The skirt is verrry business-esque (try saying that 10 times fast. not a chance), and I wanted to make it more casual and fun. AKA, the knee-high socks bandit rides again. Mistake or Awesome?

(2) Brown socks and black skirt. Here's the thing: I didn't want all black-blackness in the ensemble. Sometimes I think that's a little harsh. But these (the socks and skirt) are close enough in color, kind of, that it almost looks like I made a mistake and unintentionally grabbed brown socks thinking "no one'll notice..." Which, yes, it might be a mistake (that's what I'm trying to determine with you all), but it wasn't unintentional. So. Socks/skirt coloration conundrum: Mistake or Awesome? Or somewhere in-between?

(3) Pencil skirt as a stay-at-home mom. I think I made a mistake in selecting my 30x30 items, because 3 of the 7 bottoms are pencil skirts. I adore them. But they're just not that practical to wear so often when I crawl around the house playing "here kitties" with my 2-year-old, or when I have to do laundry and am having to lean waaaay over to scoop out that stubborn sock in the back of the dryer, or other odds and ends of activities that fill my life. What do you guys say: pencil skirt as regular at-home attire: Mistake or Awesome? Or just plain stupid?

(4) Lack of necklace. I had one on originally and then took it off because I love this belt buckle so much, and I felt like the two were competing. But I do feel a little bare/plain. So. Mistake or Awesome?

Anything else that catches your eye that you either like about this ensemble, or that you think would've made it better? Seriously. This one needs help.

Happy Tuesday!

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reliving the brace-face of my past

These boots are saving my life. My goal this week is to bust out some other footwear...even in the snow.

Also, I just have to say...I had a bit of trouble with the coloring of Day 16's photo in this set...it's a long, tedious story of which I'll spare you all the details. But even though it kind of looks like I'm an albino with braces, and even though we've all heard the saying, "photos don't lie" (or something to that effect), you're all just going to have to trust me on this one: I don't have braces. That segment of my life is over.

Although, truth be told, I will be albino forever.

(p.s. If you want to see how Day 16 really looked, click here.)

no makeup? no problem...

boots: i think you all know by now. socks: Pocket's. jeans: kohl's. shirt: don't recall. cardigan: j.crew. hat: thrifted. watch: target.

Happy President's Day, guys. I'm all about America and our founding fathers and democracy and stuff...but to be honest, I've never really understood why we have this holiday...but to ALSO be honest, I've never really voiced that opinion because it's a free day for heaven's sake! Here's to you, George and Abe and all the rest. Thanks a mil. I slept in til 8:45 in your honor.

It snowed again last night. Not a ton, but enough to make me bust out the boots. Again. I kind of want to apologize--I really do have cute shoes in my 30x30, but the reality is they're just not practical for wearing in 10 inches of snow. Unless I'm part of the Matrix or Truman Show, in which my reality isn't real. But here's the deal: if that's the case, then let the Powers That Be send down a warm, caribbean-esque synthetic snow. Palm trees, too. And I wouldn't mind an oceanic beach in my backyard while they're at it. Hello. That's my kind of "snow."

Regardless, today's a great day. On the itinerary is sledding and a long list of nothingness. Which, frankly, is a glorious way to spend a holiday. Playing kinect (LOVE!), taking naps, playing legos and dolls, watching the snow fall from trees out the window, popping pocorn, playing games, listening to pint-sized arguments...this is the life. What's your vote: sometimes good to have a staycation, or do you need to get out? Either way...

...happy Monday!

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Just another manic Sunday...

Roman numerals?! Brilliant! Why didn't I think of these before...like on Superbowl Sunday? Sheesh...

boots: target. tights: forever21, skirt: j. crew. shirt: gap. cardigan: rue21. necklace: downeast outfitters.

This week, I'm particularly grateful for...

- Date night. Especially when it involves my two favorite men: Pocket and Brian Regan. In that order, but it's gotta be close...

- Snow. Beautiful, deep, lovely, sparkly, fluffy stuff.

- Having a pair of boots in my 30x30. Which have totally overstayed their welcome this week (along with colored tights). But. Snow, guys. Snow.

- Having smart readers who correct me on my TOTally inaccurate spellings of foreign words. Like segway (segue) and capeche (capisce). Learn something new every day. (Like the fact that I shouldn't speak, read, or write anything remotely foreign...)

- Family time that involves jumping around the basement and laughter. Which happens a lot around here.

- Grocery carts and the fact that the handle side flips up so my kids can crawl like tigers into the cart themselves and I don't have to lift them up-and-over because, let's face it, they are growing and I am aging.

- Sharing accessories with my daughters, who are old enough to be responsible and put things away.

- Finding the accessories that my daughters have lost because, come to find out, they're actually NOT old enough to be responsible and put things away.

- My daughters. And my son. And everyone else whom I love.

- Quesadilla makers.

- Internet.

- A big-picture perspective.

- Being able to laugh at myself. And encouraging you all to do the same. For example:

(Reeeeeally not sure what I was going for in attempting the poses above...but I'm glad they're all equally lame. And by "lame" I of course mean "awesome.")

Happy Sunday.

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Saturday brevity

shoes: union bay brand. jeans: american eagle outfitters. shirt & belt: forever21. jacket: kohl's. necklace & flower clip: gifted. bracelet: don't recall. earrings: hawaii.

I love it when Pocket goes shopping. He gets stuff like oranges and pnut m&ms and a kinect for the xbox 360. Which is why today's post is so short. I'm off to make my body into the controller and exhibit the reflexes of a cat. A nearly-dead bedraggled on-its-8th-life alleycat feline. But a cat nonetheless.

Happy Saturday!

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stuffy solids turn playful

 boots & watch: target. tights: giftedn. magic skirt: gap. shirt: j.crew. belt: don't recall.

Today's jumping-off point was this shirt. I adore everything about it--the color, the cowl neck, the sleeves, everything. But for some reason, I'm having a hard time styling it. So I decided that I'd put it on and see what else flew out of my closet and landed on my body, Mary Poppins cleanup-style.

[Editor's note: Maybe it's just me...it's probably just me...but has anyone else DREAMed of being able to snap your fingers and have results like that? Clean house, straightened appearance, birds singing outside the window? Hello. If I ever run into a genie-filled-lamp, the Magic Snap is TOTally in running. Along with an endless supply of calorie-free-yet-still-delicious pnut m&ms. I'd tell you my idea for the 3rd wish, but I haven't narrowed it down yet, and you just can't be too hasty in making these important life decisions. So.]

Ahem. Since I've worn pants the past couple of days, a skirt was in order. But no pencil skirt. (I definitely overestimated my desire to wear pencil skirts during this 30x30) Which leaves magic skirt. I almost wore the print side, but it's snowy and chilly and I wanted to be warmer with boots (for the four-thousandth time this week) and some colored tights.

Solid shirt, solid skirt, solid tights, and solid footwear. Normally I don't do this.much.solid.color. But today I left it alone. Simple belt, hairstyle, and a watch as my only other accessory. I think the color of the tights just ties in the whole look here. A bit Unexpected and Maybe Awesome.

Speaking of unexpected... *snap*

Nuts. Dishes are still dirty. Never hurts to try, though, right? *snap* Okay. I'll sto*snap*p. No really. Don*snap*e. I wanted to wash the dishes by hand anyways. So. Joke's on you, Poppins.

[Editor's note: Outtakes below. Legitimate pose attempts in all their magnificent embarrassingness. I have nothing to say for myself, 'cept that a Magic Snap would reeeeeally come in handy right about now. Clean these right off all our computers.]



Happy Friday.

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