Biting the Bullet

Well, it's been six weeks y'all.  Fall has been kicking. my. tail.  Every time I start to sit down and write a post, I remember how long it's been since I've actually done one.  Which leads me to my fallback method of dealing with life....Procrastinating and procrastinating, and then procrastinating some more. 

(Or perhaps it's just sitting on the couch and watching tivoed Hart of Dixie episodes to cope with the stress.)

(Which has worked fairly well, up until now).

But now I am feeling guilty.  Because I know that all two of my readers are perhaps occasionally wondering where I am.  Or not.  Either way, I am biting the bullet.  Let's DO THIS.  Time for Fall Recap 2011. 

(It can't be any harder than Christmas Present Wrapping 2011).

When I last posted, I think we were at the beach celebrating our seventh anniversary.  Which you didn't know, because I'm paranoid crafty and didn't want Internet creepers to know we weren't at home. 

We went to Rosemary Beach for a week, in October, which has GOT to be the best time of year to head to the beach.  Except when you're nauseous for the entire first three days, thereby immediately convincing yourself that you're pregnant, and HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GOING TO DEAL WITH 6 STRAIGHT WEEKS OF CONSTANT NAUSEA?!?!?!  DURING THE HOLIDAYS!?!?!  I NEED A PREGNANCY TEST IMMEDIATELY!!!

Oh, what's that?  It's negative? 

Indeed it was. 


So, the beach was fantastic, and as per usual, I failed on the photo documentation aspect.  Maybe because our camera has been shoved somewhere down near the bottom of our diaper bag.  I think.  Anyway, here's our ONE "Let's Hold Out the Phone, Try Not to Shake It, and Hope for the Best" picture:

You know, it makes total sense that, of all the pretty backgrounds down at Rosemary Beach (namely, um, THE BEACH), we would choose the inside of the place we rented.  Obviously.

Before we left for the beach, we had a tiny birthday party for "our little pumpkin's" 2nd birthday.....



Cheesy? Yes. 
Easy to find 1/2 price fall decorations at Hobby Lobby? Why, yes. 
A good excuse to have my favorite cupcakes in the world from Little Cake Bakery?  Oh heck yes.

I feel that AG looks slightly unappreciative of the fact that she can totally rock a tutu and some boots.  Don't think I wouldn't try it myself, if I thought I could get away with it. 

And yes.  Yes, that IS the same shirt in all four pictures.  I know.  I totally need a fashion intervention, due to my tendency to, ahem, recycle my worn outfits all week long.  But guess what?  I'm totally re-wearing an outfit for the THIRD day in a row tonight at a Christmas party. 

Take that, Stacy and Clinton.

(Actually, come to my house and surprise me with a $5,000 gift card.....please?!?)


Okay, moving on to Halloween.  If you're still reading, I totally appreciate your willingness to be in this for the long haul.

I love how AG's all, "Hey! There's a giraffe sitting next to me!"

Unfortunately, when I brought out the "Eat Mor Chikin" sign, she freaked.  "NO, Mommy, I NO WEAR DAT NECKLACE!!!"

Diva. 

She did however agree to hold it for the pictures, after letting me know that next year, her contract would clearly stipulate no necklaces.

We capped off October with a trip to the Varsity.  Because, well, who doesn't love a chili dog and a funny hat?

Exactly.

So, yeah.  Not even into November yet. Don't worry, I'm gonna save that one for later. 

(And by "later," I do not mean mid-January.  I promise.) 

(Maybe.)

Potty Advice?

Well, not for me.  I'm pretty sure I know how to use the potty already.

(Although, if I didn't, I wouldn't exactly be putting it out there on the blog, now would I?)

I'm about to start potty-training a certain little 2-year old, despite my pediatrician's advice that I should wait until she's 3. 

(Also, despite my deep fear of having to clean up an "accident," and not one of the pee-variety.) 

So, I come to you once again, asking for advice.  And like before, I am not particularly concerned about whether you ARE a mom, and have actually tried said advice.  If you saw it on an episode of Teen Mom, and it looked like a pretty good idea, I'm game.

But I need help.

And probably prayers.

(And maybe some hardcore cleaning products.)

Pumpkin Patched

Since it's all the rage on Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger, I give you....

Our Day at The Pumpkin Patch

aka "It Really Does NOT Take Much To Entertain a Toddler."

Or her parents.

Some of these pumpkins were literally almost bigger than her! 



My girl loves a tractor.  But really, who doesn't?



My favorite moments of the day included this one, where we saw a big pumpkin and thought, OH how cute!  Let's take a family photo with AG sitting on the pumpkin! 

At which point some man yelled into a megaphone, PLEASE STOP SITTING ON THE PUMPKINS.

Lovely.



Also among my favorite moments? Watching my sweet girl hug all the pumpkins. 
(I'm pretty sure they loved it too, though.)


We had a blast, and if you think I didn't walk away with a big 'ol pumpkin pie,
you would be mistaken.

(And if you think that pumpkin pie survived the week at my house, you would probably be mistaken on that one too.)



Seven Years

I wish I could say that I got all crafty and made this anniversary gift for John.  But I didn't. 

I also wish I could say I had waited until our actual anniversary (today) to give it to him.  But, I ordered it back in August, and managed to wait until, well....August. 

(Clearly, I'm the very picture of patience and restraint.)

(By the way, the gift ISN'T the weird old gasoline/oil/I'm not really sure what they heck they used to put in that can.  Nor is it the drinks bin, or the wooden (sadly leaning to one side, and therefore unusable) table.  I hope that narrows things down for you.)

When I saw this sign on etsy, I was minding my own business, looking for fun pallet creations.  (Clearly after a session of stalking pallet ideas on Pinterest.) 

I didn't actually intend to get my husband an old pallet for our seventh anniversary.  But the words resonated with me immediately, and I just KNEW.  Knew he would love it.  Knew he'd much rather have this than a new watch, or some cuff links, or, oh who am I kidding? 
I would never buy him cuff links. 

When I gave it to him, I had all these plans to write a really meaningful letter about why I chose an old piece of wood as our anniversary present.  But since I basically ripped off the shipping materials and ran into his office with it, that plan didn't really happen.  It was more like, "Hey babe, here's your anniversary gift, yes, I know it's August, yes, I know our anniversary is in October, but look how cool this is, and aren't you glad you have it now?!"

Obviously.

If I had managed to not be myself for a minute, exhibit some restraint, and actually write the letter, I would've told him that it represents exactly how I felt on our wedding day. 

But it also represents a lot more than that.

It represents.....

The day we met.

The day he told me he loved me, and knew that I was going to be his wife.

The day he actually asked me to be his wife.

All the days of our honeymoon.

The day he surprised me with a little puppy we named Jackson.

The day we found out I was pregnant.

The day we watched our daughter come into the world.

And then a whole collection of days in between, spent doing nothing at all, spent acting like total goobers, and spent doing some insanely fun things.  But most importantly, just spent together.

It represents the gift of a life full of "best days I can ever remember." And today I am unbelievably thankful.

Happy seventh anniversary, babe!

Disclaimer: It's no secret that I can really get my mush on, particularly when it comes to my husband.  Sorry for that.  Feel free to go throw up now.

Happy Birthday, Little Presh!

Dear Ally Grace,

You're two years old today!  I am literally in awe at how fast the past two years have flown by.  You have transformed from a sweet little baby, to an adventurous, hilarious, talkative, and always entertaining little girl.  Your dad and I couldn't possibly be more in love with you if we tried. 

I want you to know what you were like at this age, so here goes:  You're quite the talker.  Girl, you can really get your word on.  (You probably wish mommy would stop getting her word on, am I right?).  You started talking super early, and have been communicating in sentences for awhile.  Like, actual sentences.  Some of my favorite:

"I like cupcakes."  (Well, so do I.  What a coincidence.  I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with the many cupcakes that were stuffed in my mouth while pregnant. Nothing at all.)

"I like a boy."  (Say WHAT?!?!  After I finished passing out, I mentioned this to your dad.  He was not exactly a fan.)

"Happy birthday for Chase." (Daddy is not so much a fan of this either, and would like to know exactly who is this "Chase" character?)

"Mommy hold you."  (You say this when you want me to pick you up.  Which is coincidentally a LOT more often, now that I have back problems.)

"Baby Rhodes rolled over."  (Yes, at least a month ago.  And we are still talking about it.)

"Gooooo, Dawgs, Sic' em.  WOOF, WOOF, WOOF."  (Okay, this may not actually be a sentence.  But you'd better believe I taught my girl to call the Dawgs. One of life's many important lessons.)

"Cookie, cookie, cookie."  (Girlfriend does a perfect impression of Cookie Monster.)

"La, La, La, Luuuuuuuke.  I am your Faaaather."  (A la Chris Farley, in Tommy Boy.  CLEARLY this was none of my doing.  But it's pretty hilarious all the same.)

You are a social butterfly.  You have NO qualms about waving and talking to people....friends, family, waiters, complete and total strangers, and possibly even just randomly yelling "Hey girl!" to people at the park.  (Even when they're not girls.)  One of your favorite things to say is:  "Hey. Whatcha doin'?  My name's Ally Grace. Nice to meet you."  I love your outgoing nature.  You're already confident, and that's one of my greatest desires for you--to have confidence in who you are in Christ.  I pray that every day for you.

Did I mention that you like to talk?  One of your favorite things to do is to repeat what we say.  Here's a conversation we had just the other day:

Mommy:  (while dropping her keys)  Darn it!

Ally Grace:  Darn it!

Mommy:  No, no, Ally Grace....don't say "darn it." 

Ally Grace, "Mommy say it."

Mommy:  Um........

Why are you already smarter than me, little one?

You are obsessed with your "baby Bible."  It's the first thing you want in the morning, and the last thing you want at night.  You may or may not love it more than you love me. 

(Since it's about Jesus, I'm okay with that.)

I haven't been doing the world's best job with the camera lately, but I've been taking some mental snapshots of moments that I want to make sure I don't ever forget:

You and Daddy, dancing in the bathroom to a Zac Brown Band song.

Hugging me through the slats of your crib, first thing in the morning.

Praying together before bed.  (A typical Ally Grace prayer? "Thank you God for mommy, for daddy, for Jackson.  For Man.  (Her little toy man, not actual mankind or anything).  Thank you God for fun.  Thank you for Dubs.  Thank you for Jesus.  AMEN!!!" (said with great flair)

Trying to teach Jackson how to use an iPhone.  (I'm not entirely sure he enjoyed the process).

Sweetly touching and naming every single part of my face.

Snuggling onto my shoulder at night before bed.

Yelling "GO DADDY!" at the top of your lungs, for no reason at all. 

Telling me you're headed to "Costco" when you're pushing your grocery cart around the house.  (Incidentally, this may mean we do sample runs at Costco a little too often.)

I know I could go on and on.  And on.  (Now, where do you get that talking thing from? Hmmm.  So weird.)

I just want you to read this one day and know, without a doubt, that you are completely and unreservedly loved. 

I promise we'll never stop.

Winner!

Okay, I LOVED reading about all of your favorite items of clothing!  And I realized that I never shared mine......right now, it's a pair of pink cropped jeans.  And before you're all, "Hey Sherri?  The 80's called, and they want their jeans back," I actually purchased them this fall. 

Although, come to think of it, I did totally rock some turquoise Guess jeans back in the 5th grade. 

(Along with a perm, some rompers, and various other fashion atrocities that should never be named again.) 

Anyway, on a more interesting note.....I've drawn a winner for the giveaway!  My friend, (and pregnancy soulmate) Caroline O, won with the following comment:

My favorite current item in my closet would have to be a new-ish pair of not-so-skinny, skinny jeans. They are cut like skinny jeans, so I feel a little sassy when I'm wearing them, but they are actually more of a relaxed fit...so I can eat as many krispy kremes as I want. I know these pants sound too good to be true, but I'm wearing them now and I assure you they are for real. Or I really AM imagining them and THAT'S why the bag boy offered to help me out to my car at Publix today...


Caroline, girl, your comment almost made me fall out of my chair laughing!  Have fun getting your "edit" on. And thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway!

Happy Thursday!

The "Edit" Experience...and a Giveaway!

Do you have one of those friends who always, always, always looks super cute and put together?  You know, the kind of girl that basically every time you see her, you're all, "I want to look just like that!" 

(Which hopefully you yelled in your head, and not out loud while drooling over her boots.)

I have a friend like this, and her name is Lauren.  And fortunately for me, she actually has her own wardrobe consulting and personal shopping business, Edit by Lauren.  (Not to mention, a super fabulous style blog that's on my daily must-read list.)

(Did I mention that she also had twins 9 months ago, and still hasn't succumbed to any kind of "mom uniform?")

(Unless that mom uniform is an adorable dress, cute jewelry, and fun wedges.)

(In which case, sign me up.)


Last week, I had Lauren come "Edit" my closet.  And let me start off by saying, I consider myself a fairly good purger of junk.  (I am also quite good at collecting it, but that's another story.)  So, honestly, I didn't know how much "editing" we would really be able to do.

Well, we did A LOT.  And y'all?  It. Was. Amazing. So amazing, that I knew I had to blog about it.


So, in no specific order, here are the Top Five Reasons to Schedule an Appointment with Edit (As SOON as You Possibly Can.)

1.  Lauren will help you figure out your style goals.  Mine included things like: "I want to quit wearing gym clothes all day, every day."  Or, "Help me figure out how to wear rolled up boyfriend jeans without looking like a total weirdo."

2.  Hanging out with Lauren is like hanging out with a really fun girlfriend. You know, one who has exceptional style, and isn't afraid to say things like, "I'm sure this short-sleeved jacket with the fur collar was awesome when you got it......but, maybe not so much now." 

(Definitely not so much now. Or probably ever.)

3.  She will help you decide what to give away, consign, or have tailored.  It's just like that Tim Gunn show that I used to love, except I like Lauren even better than Tim Gunn.  Which is saying a lot, because Tim Gunn is pretty darn likable.

4.  Lauren helped me pull some new outfits together using the clothes that I had. Did you hear that, ladies? In about 2 seconds flat, I had at least 5 new outfits, using items I already owned.  (Which is when John became a huge fan of the editing experience.)  Long vest that you're not really sure how to wear?  No problem.  You'll have 3 new ways to wear it within seconds.  Literally.

5.  Lauren helped me identify the "holes" in my wardrobe.  For example, having about 437 different kinds of boots, but no solid cardigans apparently isn't the best style strategy.

(Okay, fine.  I lied. I have a few more reasons to add to the list.  But isn't a top EIGHT list even better than a top 5?  Obviously.) 

6.  Edit offers all kinds of fun services--wardrobe consultation, personal shopping, makeup consultation, and even an "edit" your packing experience.  I may or may not need to try them all....especially the packing one, since I am generally known for having the heaviest suitcase in any given traveling situation.

7.  After your wardrobe consultation, you'll receive a Style File, which basically includes your new outfit options, wardrobe needs (along with specific suggestions and links), and some really fun styling tips.  It's like reading an issue of In Style, that's been tailored specifically for you. 

Um, yes, please.

8.  And here's the biggest reason of all:  Lauren is offering one of you a $100 gift certificate to use toward ANY of Edit's services!  Woo hoo!  All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment telling me about your favorite item of clothing.  Cute, comfy, whatever--what do you love most in your closet? 


Even if it IS a short-sleeved, fur-lined jacket.  I won't tell.