a nurse's dress and a couple of ponytails

shoes: steve madden. dress: gap. belt: thrifted for my son's pirate costume, then stolen for myself. necklaces: random places. 

 This week I'm grateful for:

- swimming pools.

- surprise visits from family. And planned visits. And any visits, for that matter.

- hearing "Mom! This is the BEST BIRTHDAY CAKE EVER!!!" from my son...annnd his party-attending friends. (Minus the "mom" part, of course.)

- this blog. And you adorable readers.

- Roald Dahl. The man was a genius storyteller.

- a healthy body. Which might not last long, because I'm also grateful for...

- ...eating ice cream and cake for many days in a row. Sometimes multiple times in one day. I know. I win. And by "I" I of course mean "my blooming fat cells."

- a 2-year-old who pretends to "read" a scripture verse and always starts with, "And it tame to pass..." and usually involves Jesus, a king, a queen, and a monkey. And a swimming pool or bathtub, one of the two. And she's utterly, adorably sincere.

- fresh salsa and "hint of lime" tortilla chips. If you haven't tried those, run -- don't walk -- to your nearest grocery store and pick up a bag. Those puppies are DELISH.

Happy Sunday.

the merits of hats and not doing one's hair.

 shoes: unionbay brand. jeans: kohl's. cardigan: vintage. shirt: don't recall. bracelets & necklaces: hodgepodge of places. hat: thrifted. belt: forever21.

I wasn't going to get dressed today. But then I did. In a pretty predictable ensemble, until I piled on the accessories. Over-the-top? You betcha. And, strangely, I'm okay with it. Sometimes that hides the mundane-ness. Like putting cinnamon and nutmeg on apple slices. Unexpected and maybe awesome.

So. There you have it. Broke all sorts of rules today, like wearing random flats, totally and unnecessarily over-accessorizing, adding a hat with no rhyme or reason, and getting dressed at, like, 3 p.m. But it's good to keep life spontaneous. "Will I eat 1 handful or 1 bag of pnut m&ms?" I never know. And it's terribly exciting to contemplate...

Happy Monday!

Want this look? Askew your belt, then shop below:

More Eddie Bauer...

cellllll.uh.brate good times, COME ON! let's celebrate.

Warning: I'm in kind of a crazy-giddy-do-weird-stuff-and-laugh-really-hard-about-it-for-no-reason-much-to-the-annoyance-of, well, everyone-around-me mood.

I don't often get this way, actually. But when I do, it's serious. I lose all control. See those karate kicks? That's what I'm talking about. Random. And juvenile. And inappropriate. [Editor's note: But also...entertaining...] 

 Shoes: Mudd brand. Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters. Shirt: Gap. Belt: F21. Necklaces/bracelets: Who the heck knows. Flower: gifted.

  

Chances are, you're laughing so hard [Editor's note: She's flattering herself again; you and I both know that you're just rolling your eyes. And for good reason.] at today's pics that you (a) haven't even noticed what I'm wearing, (b) don't even care how it came together, and/or (c) forgot you left the iron on downstairs and need to go turn it off. Stat. Go ahead. I'll wait. 

So, for many of you, New Year's Eve parties involve lots of sequin and gold and fanciness. For me, it (ideally!) involves a small gathering of close friends and family. And lots of kids. And games and food and attempts to squelch the urge to turn the clocks ahead 3 hours to "ring in the new year" at 9 and get home and to bed by 10 because I'm a granny and can't seem to stay awake that long anymore and, really, what's the difference, the new year's here when we wake up tomorrow.

Geez. Those of you who are not yet 31 are reeeeeeally scared of the middle-ageness you're seeing evidenced here. Live it up now, you young fries. Live it up.

ANYwee. I'm wearing my favorite black button-up, some pegged jeans because they just seemed to match my crazy unexpected mood (and I think they're Maybe Awesome here), and some heels (mary janes! I love.). Not wanting attention drawn to my feet, I kept footwear neutral.

Sequined belt tied in a cuh-razy knot. Tons of random jewelry. And my favorite lucky flower headband (recognize it from here and here?). I'm loving how I feel a little glamorous but can still do whatever my mood desires. Bring it on, new year! I love ya already.

Happy 2010.