I'm Turning into my Mother

If my husband was to read the title of this post, I know exactly what he'd say. "What do you mean turning?!" He would say I already am my mother. He may be right. However I prefer to think it's still in progress. Denial is not just a river in Egypt...

This "me into mom" transformation tends to happen most often around the holidays. This year is no exception, and although we don't technically have a house to decorate yet, I've already started my planning. When I placed my first order it became quite apparent to me that our house was definitely going to scream "Kathy's daughter lives here!"

I know y'all are just dying to see what I bought, right? Of course you are. I should preface these photos by saying they are all from potterybarn.com, and I bought them all with a coupon I received when we moved. I would never have convinced Ben to let me buy them all otherwise!

  

First we have my favorite piece, the Paros mercury glass lantern. I adore this thing! Can't wait to see it glowing with a candle inside. These come in 5 sizes, and I opted for the tall cylinder to get that "wow" factor without breaking the bank. 

  

Burlap ribbon, another look I love. This will serve as garland on our tree. I'm planning to use this with red, white, and silver ornaments for a look that blends rustic with shine. My mother would love that! 

  

Last but not least, our stockings. I love the classic look of these. Ben, Sadie, and I already have one with our name on them, so all I had to do was get one for the new baby. 

I pretend that being like my mother is something I don't want. Truth is, I'm glad I am. Thanks to her, I know how to cook, decorate, keep my home in order, and most importantly be a mother. I hope my girls will feel the same some day!

Oh Happy Day!

It's a quarter till ten o'clock on a Sunday morning, and I am feeling as bright and chipper as can be! Why you ask? Because I didn't wake up with laser beams of sunlight in my face, and I actually had to turn off the a/c! It's overcast and chilly this morning, and our high is only 86. That's a 20 degree difference from what our highs have been averaging!

This weather is putting me in a Fall mood. I have a recipe for some crockpot baked apples, but since I just made crockpot ribs yesterday, I'm not sure I want to mess with it again today. I do want to get outside though. Poor Sadie hasn't been able to play outdoors much at all this summer. If it doesn't rain, maybe we'll take her to the park.

Today would be perfect for a drive out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to look at the buffalo and longhorns, except...it's on fire. The news says it's 100% contained but I'm sure there is smoke everywhere. Maybe we'll drive out there anyway, just to get out of this house. We can keep the windows rolled up! Haha.


I know today's post was a little rambling and boring, but I feel guilty for not posting more regularly. Maybe I will have some more interesting things to say this week since the weather is much better for the time being.  Thanks for stopping by!

Playing Dress Up

Ask any mother of girls, and they will tell you that one of the best things about having a daughter is the clothes. I could literally spend a week buying clothes for my girls, and still find things they just *have* to have.  So, with this weekend being tax free weekend, I decided to hit the mall and see what I could snap up.

I was honestly a little disappointed. Most stores are only starting to receive their Fall inventory, so there wasn't much of a selection. (If you could peek into Sadie's closet, you would see why I refuse to buy any more Summer clothes!) It also doesn't help that our mall here in Lawton is a little, shall we say...bereft...of children's clothing.  Our choices are Dillards, The Children's Place, Sears, and Old Navy, none of which with the exception of Dillard's, usually thrill me. (Admittedly, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to my children's clothes.)

Anyway, Old Navy was practically empty in the infant and toddler section. What they did have was very summery and not what I was looking for. Dillard's was still full of Summer dresses, and I didn't bother with Sears. So, finally I made it to The Children's Place. Everyone else must have had the same idea, because the place was packed! It was like black Friday in there.

I quickly scanned the sale rounders, and finding nothing I wanted (although they did have some great deals on summer things), I spotted something at the back of the store. Tulle. I have radar for that stuff! I could probably spot it from a mile away. So, I made a beeline for the rack.

Readers...it was like a light from above. Leopard print tulle skirts! Hanging right next to some adorable denim jackets! Oh, I was in heaven alright. Almost instinctively, with the amazing cat-like reflexes I seem to acquire while on the hunt, I thumbed through the rack and found Sadie's size. Then she needed leggings, which just so happened to be on sale for 8 bucks. I snatched some of those too. Feeling quite satisfied, I paid for them and left to find Ben and Sadie at the playground.

Since I know y'all want to see the cuteness, here is the outfit.

  

All she needs now is some brown boots and a leopard bow. I'm pretty sure I can find those. In fact, last time I checked Target.com, they had some adorable boots. 

I also got an adorable coat from Zulily this morning. At $22.00 for the coat and the hat, I couldn't pass it up. Also, I'm in love with hound's tooth. 

  

So, that's the loot from this weekend. Sadie's Fall wardrobe is officially started! I can't wait to see her in these clothes. As soon as the stores start putting out more Fall things for infants, baby number 2 will be racking up too. Thanks for stopping by again this evening! Hope y'all have a good weekend. 

I Miss Thunderstorms

It's Thursday, and you guessed it, we are still broiling out here in okie land. It's 104 at 9:30 at night! God bless the a/c.

Believe it or not, there is something about summer that I love. Thunderstorms! There is something so soothing about that distant rumble and the graying of the sky, followed by the pitter pattering of the rain drops on the pavement. It's even better at night, when the wind picks up and the rain taps on your window. There is nothing like the sleep I get during one of those storms.

Unfortunately, we haven't been blessed with any such storms this summer. In fact, we've had several warnings that never materialized. I think this is part of why I'm so homesick.

When I was a little girl, afternoon storms during the summer were almost a daily occurrence. We'd be playing outside, and then have to run for cover, shrieking  as the rain started. Sometimes we would watch the storm move in, seeing how dark the sky could get before it was time to go inside.

As I grew up, I learned to enjoy sitting on the porch during these storms. Watching the rain fall as the breeze cooled us from the heavy southern heat was one of life's pleasures. You could almost see the grass greening up as the lawn drank in the moisture.

I remember quite a few times when we were caught in thunderstorms at the beach. Our family always went shell hunting together, and at least once or twice during the week we were there, we would have to walk back to the house in the rain. Those first few drops were so cold on my sun warmed skin! But it was so refreshing.

I will always remember the way my Pa looked as we searched for shells, his head down as he focused on the sand at his feet. Despite the fact that he was always way ahead of the rest of us, he always found the best shells and biggest sharks' teeth. He was the one who taught the rest of us to find those teeth.  I will never forget that.

All this is probably why I hope to have a large front porch one day. A little something to connect me to my southern childhood, and I want to watch the storms roll in like I used to. When I'm old and gray, you will probably find me in my rocker on that porch.

Mommy's Salary

Today, as the dishwasher was humming along and the washer and dryer were occupied, I was playing around on the computer and came across a really fun site:

http://swz.salary.com/momsalarywizard/htmls/mswl_momcenter.html

I did the personalizing thing, and found out if I was actually paid for what I do around here, my salary would be $98,590.00! Say what?! That is more money than I've ever made in my life!

This got me thinking, and it made me more appreciative of what my own mom did for my sister and I while we were growing up. She had to work, but she spent the rest of her time taking care of us and our home.  She was (and still is!) a pro at all things domestic. She deserved a higher salary too!

Maybe being a barefoot in the kitchen stereotype from the 1950s isn't so bad after all! If only we could find a way to turn that imaginary salary into reality....

Another post for today, because I'm crabby

I've noticed something lately, and it's really starting to bug me. I think it was triggered today when I saw a Halloween ad on Pottery Barn's facebook page today. People got upset and angry at PB for daring to put up a fall advertisement at the end of July. Really???

Is it that serious people? With school starting next month for some kids, is it really that unreasonable to start seeing fall/Halloween stuff cropping up? Some people even went so far as calling the ad "disgusting." Please. They acted as if PB was forcing them to buy these things, just by making the ad. Have people lost all sense of personal responsibility?

It truly blows my mind that people could get so up in arms over something as simple as a fall ad. It's called self control people...if you don't want to buy something, don't! One of the comments said something to the effect of "this is like someone putting a gun to your head, because things go quickly and if you don't buy now you won't get it. So if I want to throw a Halloween party and want to order something October 1st I'm out of luck." Who waits that long??

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and easily irritated, I just found all that ridiculous. It's probably ridiculous that it bothers me too though, haha. Anyway, thanks for reading my little rant.  I feel better now!

Making New Friends

Happy Friday y'all! Welcome to the weekend. Only one more left for the month of July! Is it just me, or did this month really fly by?

Last night, I went to see the movie Horrible Bosses with some ladies from a meetup group I just joined. The movie was absolutely hilarious! I'm really glad I went, because these ladies were so much fun to be around.

As a stay at home mom, sometimes it's hard to have adult interaction. And as an Army wife, it can be even harder, since we move so often. We don't live on post, so I haven't met many people out here and since I have Sadie I can't always go to the unit functions. That's why I was so happy to find this meetup group!

The ladies were all super friendly and welcoming. I really didn't feel too much like the new girl. I even found out one of them is from SC! It's always nice to meet fellow Carolina girls.

I'm taking Sadie to a tumbling class tomorrow. This is another event organized by the group. I'm excited to let Sadie make some friends too. I feel like she really needs to play with other kids at this age, to develop those all important social skills. I think I'll take her to the spray park next week, and maybe story time at the library too. It's time we got out of this house more often!

I guess that's all I've got for today!  It's another slow news day. Hope everyone has a great weekend, and stay safe in this heat. It doesn't look like it will be letting up any time soon!

Super Mom

She can leap piles of laundry in a single bound! She can pick up toys and straighten a living room faster than a speeding bullet! She can persuade even the most rebellious toddler to take a nap,she can make beds, she can vacuum the house, and still have dinner on before her husband comes home! She is...super mom!

Ok...maybe that was a bit dramatic. But some days, like today, I really love being a stay at home mom. Today has been very productive at our house. I have managed to get every scrap of dirty laundry washed, folded, ironed, and put away. I've done dishes. I've vacuumed. I got my little monster to take a nap without a fuss. I was able to treat myself to a long shower. I'm even finding time to make a homemade chicken casserole for dinner.

This may not seem like anything out of the ordinary for other women, but for a a woman who is 7 months pregnant and running low on energy most of the time, this is a lot of work! Maybe I'm still nesting.

I think the drive to do all this stems from the fact that I don't want to have a bunch of little things waiting to be done around the house when the baby gets here. I know I'll still have everyday things to do, but if my house is basically clean, I can handle it. (Or Ben can handle it...ha!) Besides, who wants a dirty house when company is over?

I need to thank my mom, once again, for passing that cleaning bug on to me. Anyone who has ever visited my mother's house knows what I mean! Spotless. It took a while, but maybe those OCD habits are kicking in for me too.

Speaking of kicking in, I just heard the dishwasher stop. Time to finish that chore. Thanks for reading today! Be sure to tune in tomorrow, for our recipe of the week! Y'all are gonna love it!

A Tribute to Lavender

Lavender (n.): 1. a : a Mediterranean mint (Lavandula angustifolia syn. L. officinalis) widely cultivated for its narrow aromatic leaves and spikes of lilac-purple flowers which are dried and used in sachets and from which is extracted an aromatic oil used chiefly in perfumery

b : any of several plants congeneric with true lavender and used similarly but often considered inferior

  2

: a pale purple

(Definition taken from Miriam-Webster.com) 

I think I'm in love with this little plant! I love the way it looks when bundled and dried. In fact, I want some of this for my home. How pretty would this be sitting on a kitchen window sill? 

 

Lavender not only looks pretty, it smells pretty too! It has a very relaxing aroma. Thus, it's used in calming bath soaks and bedtime baby washes. As a mom, I cannot praise this attribute enough! It really helped Sadie sleep when she was tiny. 

  

  

I can't talk about lavender without mentioning how pretty the color is! To me, even this component is soothing. This was the inspiration for our second daughter's bedroom. I wanted something other than pink, so we decided on lavender and green. 

  

I guess you could say I'm obsessed with this little purple flower. I just think it's lovely and underused when it comes to decor.  What is your personal color obsession? 

Mama Needs a Haircut!

Happy Wednesday! We're midweek again, but the fact that I actually see rain clouds outside makes me feel a little more cheerful. We haven't had a good soaking rain since around Easter. Can you believe that?

Anyway, on to the reason for today's post. I need a haircut. I haven't even had a trim since March, for my friends' wedding. My poor locks are in dire straits! Since I'm pregnant, I don't really want to do color, although it's probably ok at this point. I would just prefer to keep my natural color for a while. (Read: easier to maintain with a newborn!)  I've always had shortish hair so styling time doesn't really factor in here, since I'm used to doing it. Here are my picks, in no particular order.

I love how "edgy" this one looks. I feel like this one is really fun, and I love the choppy ends.

  

I like this one, but I'm afraid it will scream "mom hair!" Also not sure about the bangs, since I usually have them swept to the side. 

 

This one is pretty similar to the first one, only with longer bangs and it's asymmetrical. I like the asymmetrical look, just worried about those bangs being too heavy. 

  

Are you sensing a pattern yet? I love the angled look of this one. My only concern is how high it's stacked. Not sure if that's too "bouffant." 

Which one is your favorite? Help me decide! 

Is it really only July??

Yesterday Ben, Sadie, and I ventured out into the heat. And let me tell you folks...this is not your garden variety heat. This is open oven door, satan's back porch, I'm surprised my feet aren't sticking to the pavement heat. The thermostat read 116...yeah. Ben said he felt like he was back in Kuwait!

So anyway, we ventured out. Our first stop was Hobby Lobby. I was in a crafty mood and wanted to do something for the baby. We made our way back to the barrettes and baby items aisle, and unfortunately I was disappointed. I was hoping to find some cute iron-on appliques for bibs or onesies, but everything just looked kind of dull. Dull or cheap. So I gave up and decided to shop for other things.

On our way out of the store, I spied autumn orange from the corner of my eye. I could hear my subconscious saying "Squee! Fall stuff!" So of course I turned the cart and made a bee line for that section.

I could actually feel myself relaxing as my gaze wandered over ceramic pumpkins, scarecrow porch decor, and little "Welcome Fall" door signs. A black and white filigree pumpkin? Yes please! There were vase fillers, leaf garlands, and candles that made me want to go home and bake a pumpkin pie.

Alas, I felt silly buying any of those things in the heat of July, so I left empty handed. It was nice to experience that little mental vacation though. Autumn can't get here fast enough!!