School pics have arrived...

I was hoping to post pics of our adventurous weekend today but here's the deal...Clay has all the pictures on his phone and still hasn't sent them to me (despite numerous requests). This is one of the reasons why I'm unable to post things timely. The other reason is that even when I have the pictures on our regular camera, I have to use Clay's computer to upload and it's never here. I'm kind of tired of all the delays so I've decided screw it...I'm going to get my own camera that I can upload (timely) on my own computer. Maybe this will help me with my blog goals.

Anyway, since I don't have those pics yet, I figure I can post the next best thing which are Lo and Gainesy's new school pics. I made sure to pick the ones that made me laugh the loudest. And, yes, I laughed out loud when I was going through the pictures. I'm fairly certain the picture lady thought I was a nut but oh well. I mean look at these! Are you cracking up or what?!?!?!? Love it!!!

Lo has been very good this week. Going to bed like a "big girl" and all. So her award is a day with me today. We're taking the day off and going to hang at the pool with friends. Super excited!

It feels like a Kebabalicious kind of day!

My darling, myself and the kiddos had a fabulous weekend. I can't wait to post the details of the adventures but I'm slammed at work this week (and every week for that matter) so I'm not able to post it today....maybe tomorrow.

Due to our adventurous weekend, I didn't quite make my 9 mile run on Sunday. The guilt has been brewing and I've obsessively been thinking I absolutely HAVE to get it done early this week....especially since we're doing 10.5 miles this weekend and I want to live through that run. So, even though sleep was slim last night due to Gainesy baby, I still pulled my arse out of bed at 5:40 a.m. and got it done this morning. YEA!!! Yep, 9 miles is now under my belt and it hurt bad.

Now, I'm STARVING and feel like it's definitely a Kebabalicious kind of day. I heard the other day that Austin has 1200 food trailers...craziness. We're not not only the "music capital of the world" but also the "food trailer capital of the world". Hey, I'm not complaining about either because I love them both. And, they are two reasons why we love Austin so much!

One of my fave trailers is Kebabalicious featuring Turkish style wraps that just melt in your mouth with every bite. I typically try to save it for a very special day and I count today as a special day. So, I'm sitting here waiting for my clock on my computer to strike 11:00 a.m. so I can make a run for a lamb kebab - extra spicy and add feta cheese please. Oh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Here it is in all it's glory...

YUMMY!

Oh Darling, Lets be Adventurers

There are so many things I wish I could do with this blog. One would be to post our daily activities and things going on in our lives timely. With a 10 1/2 month old and 3 year old, we have so many great moments and I think "this has absolutely got to go on the blog"...then the days pass and the feelings of the moment fade and I'm no longer able to genuinely post the exact details. Every week I think I'm going to get better....I say to myself that I'm going to catch up on all things in the past and try to really make a point to post moments right when they happen. Where does that get me???? Considering it took me almost 2 months to post Lo's recital and I still haven't posted pics or even given a recap of our Marfa trip, I'm just not sure if it's ever going to happen.

Another thing I would really love to do on a more regular basis is post finds from some fabulous blogs, websites and magazines (when I find to to read them). And also those in our local stores and festivals we attend. I have so many things stored away on my "list of things to post to the blog" but seem to never get around to them...ARGH!!! Maybe one day....

But today...I shall post one of those. Here's one I've had saved away for a while and I think is a perfect post to go into the weekend. I love these very simple sayings by FifiduVie - A Modern Romance. When I look at them...read them...something about them makes me smile. I guess there is something to say about simplicity. Here are some of my favorites:


Dying to have this print. Clay and I have done a really good job this year of not getting in a slump. We try to keep life interesting and not get stuck in the same routine as we've been there and it wasn't fun. We've been taking trips, seen many bands, attend festivals and try to get out every weekend and do something fun. We've also been doing a really good job of exploring our creative side (more on this to come...hopefully). Even with this, there are still so many more things we would love to do. Now that the heat has come on in full throttle, sometimes it's hard to motivate ourselves to get out of the house. This is why I love this print and I must have it....we always need a reminder that it's time to get up and get out to do something fun and adventurous. Even if it is just walking to the park or to South Congress as you never know what you'll discover.


Definitely need this one to sit in my office right in front of my computer. I think it would really help give me that much needed boost I need on many days! It would have been great to have it this week as it's been a rough one. I was downstairs working starting at 4:00 a.m. this morning and still have so much more to get done before the end of the day. Can I even get it all done????

We all feel our lives are filled with madness right?!?!?! This is why this simple statement moves me. And, it goes along with one of my New Year's Resolutions...Love more..

FifiduVie also show their romantic statements on totes, pillows and postcards. You know how I love totes!

And now onto my fave...


How perfect is this one! I think I love it so much because it needs no explanation at all.

The only thing missing is one that says TGIF....I guess that wouldn't be so romantic though...right?!?!?!

Also check out their blog....it's one of my faves to check in on when time allows!

Happy Weekend to all!!!

P.S. I have a 9 mile run this weekend that I'm obsessively thinking about...hope I can make it through in this heat. If anything, it will definitely be an adventure! Wish I could convince my "Darling" to run it with me!

Bye-Bye big grand hopes!

I (we) had big grand hopes that our little sweet laid back smiley Gainesy would stay this way forever....even through those crazy toddler years. With an exception of the nights and the lack of sleep we've received over the past 10 1/2 months, Gaines has been a very laid back and easy baby. "They" say (who are "they" anyway) if you have one that's tough, you'll typically get a break with the second. I don't know...is such a statement scientific or just based on luck???? Either way, this theory didn't work out for us either scientifically or through luck as it appears we have another high maintenance one on our hands! YIKES!!!

We have been very blessed to have had two good infants (again, with the exception of the lack of sleep which you tend to adjust to and you also tend to not complain about much unless you're writing a blog). But, now that Gaines has hit 10 months, he's found himself and is a WILD CHILD (this is exactly when Lola turned on us)!!! I think Dado (Clay's dad) explains Gaines' new self just perfectly...he says "He's as wild as a peach orchard boar". Literally, love this statement for many reasons. One, because it's just down right funny and two because it's oh so true.

Our little guy is now movin' and groovin' and getting into and climbing on EVERYTHING! He no longer prefers to just sit all snugly in our laps (although, he does have his moments) rather he's constantly wants to be on the floor slapping his hands on the ground as he crawls around trying to figure out what his next target will be. Just when I think I have everything put up and nothing for him to find that will cause any major turmoil, he finds it! How do they do this???

Anyway, in addition to this, he's become quite vocal. When he's doing the "slap crawl" (which is Hilarious BTW...must catch on video and post), he's constantly babbling or screaming something or other. He's gotten to the point where he loves to read books too. We read to Lo constantly when she was a baby and still do. We haven't been real good with Gainesy as we have other things going on (like a crazy 3 yr old for example) so I've been worried the lack of reading to him may affect his speech or cause a delay. Luckily, so far, that doesn't seem to be the case. He's saying "Mama" and "Dada" of course. His "Mama" is more of a smacking of his lips unless he really wants something and then it's clear as can be. He'll say Baba (bottle) at times and my new favorite is the cute little wave followed by a giggly "Bye-Bye". Of course, he'll never say any of his words on demand.

On another note, you've probably noticed that the lack of sleep we receive is mentioned often in this blog. Well, we're full on tackling it now. I invested in a fabulous sound machine which seemed to make a big difference. For the first time since August 4, 2010, Gaines slept from the time I put him down around 8:30 (late I know but I have both kids on my own this week so impossible to get them both in bed on time) until 4:19 a.m. This is the longest Gaines has ever slept. Now, this would have been considered an excellent nights sleep except for the fact that I didn't go to sleep until around 11:45 (last looked at the clock at 11:39) and then Lola woke around 2:00ish and 5:00ish. Other than that, this was still a great accomplishment.

Our next big step....we (well actually I) decided to separate the kiddos and move them into different rooms for a number of reasons. So Gaines is moving to our room upstairs which is now the master, the master bedroom will now be moved to the guest bedroom downstairs and the guest bed will be in Gaines' room....PHEW...I wrote all of that without taking a breath (not sure why). Clay doesn't know it yet, but this is all being done this weekend. I've kind of given him hints and have received no comment on the back-end of the hint giving. But, it has to be done ASAP! In my opinion there is no point in delaying the inevitable anymore and I'm ready to start getting some consistent sleep.

With this big move, I will need to use Lola's bedspread in Gaines' room and get another one for her room. I found this adorable bedspread from Urban Outfitters that I'm super stoked about. I think it will be adorable in her room!

Since our room will be highly visible to all visitors (now that it will be the first room to the right off the entry when you walk in our front door), I would love to spice it up too but that's not going to be on my "To Do" list anytime soon!

With all the changes, our house has become even more hectic. I actually didn't know this was possible but guess what?!?!?! IT IS!!! Evenings are very interesting around here to say the least (thinking room change situation will help some of it). However, I'm happy to announce I've seemed to develop a pretty strong threshold for all the craziness. As I continue my way through this parenting "journey" (Yes, a very obnoxious word I know), I find that my patience is getting much better...I could maybe even call it good. Clay's been working a ton and he's even traveling this week and I've yet to have any feeling of a potential nervous breakdown on the horizon. This is happening despite the crazy work days and sleepless nights. YEA!!! I must say...I'm pretty proud of myself. I found the key to all of it (or actually most of it because clearly we still haven't figured all of it out..i.e. sleep situation) is to keep em' busy. Considering I'm a busy-bee myself...that's very easy to do. I guess you just get better with this whole parenting thing with time. Now maybe we can consider a third...HA!!!

Tiny Dancer

Here it is....FINALLY!!! I'm posting the much anticipated "Tiny Dancer" blog. I love, love, love that I have the opportunity to use this lovely phrase as a title to a blog as the song Tiny Dancer by the fab Elton John is one of my ALL TIME faves!!! I've had so many moments either in the car or at a friends house or in a bar and even at a wedding where I can't help but to break out into a full on karaoke style jam (with an imaginary microphone and all) to this song. Oh...the memories...

Anyway, now onto the most important "Tiny Dancer"...our little Lola! As yall know, her first dance recital was back in early May (still can't believe it's taken me so long to post this). This is a moment that every mother who has a little girl dreams of (and some who have boys as shown in the video below...he's adorable...maybe this will be Gaines one day). I was fully prepared for Lola to just stand and not do a thing the entire recital but boy was I wrong. She danced her little heart out. It brought tears to my eyes watching her. I was so proud of her and for her! It's clear Lola truly loves dance. So, enough of my chit chat...lets get on to the good part. Pictures and the video of Lo's recital.

And now, for the finale! There are two dances - the first is the ballet number which is clearly Lo's fave and the second is the tap number (you have to click on the 2 to view). I messed up the video when posting it somehow (not techy much!) so just click on the link below. I actually plan to upload the video to youtube later this week so it will be more clear....will let you know when I do this. No further delay...I hope you enjoy as much as we did!!!

Smilebox slideshow" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d6a55774f54517a4e44633d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none;" height="303" width="386">

slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none;" height="46" width="386">

Back in Techy mode!

So you may wonder why I didn't blog last week. Well, it's because I left my cell/blackberry in Miami and it threw me completely OUT OF TECHY MODE!!! Literally! Without my phone I felt I couldn't function with technology (so sad I know) which meant I couldn't blog. My cell arrived this morning so I should be up and running again this week with the blog. YEA!!! A lot to catch up on....I plan to post recital pics/video finally and have to catch you up on our little Gainesy...boy how this boy has changed. More on this to come...

In the meantime, I made a few fabulous purchases in preparation for our Miami trip (more on this trip too). I'm uber-obsessed with my new shoes (even though they caused a wicked blister the first time I wore them) and this sweater from Anthropology (seriously their sale needs to end NOW). These two items I've been wearing with EVERYTHING! Love it when I make good purchases like this.

I've been throwing this Hyperbole Pullover over everything...dresses, tanks, shirts, stripes, florals, etc and it is adorable. I love to layer but it's hard to layer when you live in Texas as it's so dang hot (especially this year...YIKES)! This was my solution...I can layer this one with everything....and I do!

I'm thinking these Diamond Brocade Wedges hold their own and don't really need an explanation. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Oh, did I mention that in addition to my blackberry being out of my hands all week, our TV also went out. So we've been living in the olden ages with basically no TV. Yesterday, we finally made the dreaded trip to look at TVs. It was Father's Day so it seems everyone had this same idea...ARGH!!! Anyway, we figured out what we want but didn't make the purchase (more techy stuff I wasn't willing to deal with until my BB arrived). I keep telling Clay "I'm fine with not having a TV"...he keeps looking at me like I'm insane. I hate to make big purchases like this (especially after we JUST bought a car and took a trip to Miami...guess it all goes down at once...at least this is always the case for us) but I guess we have to do it (Bye-Bye Nikon Camera and/or iPad...at least for now). So, I'll be off to take care of this today...the thought of it just makes me cringe...UGH!!!

Miami Baby!

I'm SO excited about our trip to Miami this weekend! Young lovers get-a-way trip. It's Perfect timing as it's coming after a fairly stressful week. CAN-NOT WAIT!!! I've already checked in on our flights, ready to start packing (but still have a long day at work), have to go get my hair cut, pedicure, etc. So much to do to get prepped for a fab trip.

Funny story before we head out....While Clay was out of town, he got real sick with stomach problems. He woke up Wednesday morning feeling just as bad. As I was taking the kiddos to school, I told Lola "Daddy is real sick with stomach problems". Lola continued to probe me and wanted to know exactly what was wrong. I explained to her that he had "poopy problems". She said that we needed to take him to Dr. Mirrop when he got home.

Now, to preface, anyone who knows Clay well should know he gets super embarrassed very easily. And, anyone who knows Lola well, knows she will say anything and everything at any moment (part of being a 3 year old and a talkative one at that). I knew when I told Lola her daddy had "poopy problems" she would be very concerned and would likely tell everyone at her school (Yes. That's what these lovely 3 year olds do!). So, it gets even better! When Clay went to pick the kiddos up, Lola ran to him and said "Daddy, Are you still sick? Do you have poopy problems?"...I must add, she yelled this in front of all "her friends" and teachers. LOVE IT! Clay, of course, didn't love it so much and wanted to crawl under a rock. Me, well, I found great joy in hearing this story and thought it was absolutely hilarious! It's moments like this when you gotta love a 3 year old!

Have a good weekend all!

Fun times as a parent!

Let me just tell you...it's all fun times around here in the Odom house! No one ever said parenting was easy but this....OUCHERS!!! We're going through some tough times right now with the kiddos and it's starting to make me question the whole third child possibility. I'll tell you that as of now, Gaines will be AT LEAST 2 or 3 years old before we even start considering it...maybe older. But, the problem is I'll be a ripe 'ol 38ish around that time. Oh well, people are having kiddos in their 40s so why not.

Anyway, here's the deal...as you know, Gaines got tubes just a few weeks ago and the possibility of an ear infection with tubes is very low....merely impossible. WELL, guess what?!?!?! I think our little guy has one. CAN YOU BELIEVE?!?!?!? Why oh why! So, we'll likely be back at the ENT this afternoon or tomorrow (I was also there Monday BTW...yes, I live at the doctors offices). The possible looming ear infection equates into (once again) NO SLEEP. We were up all night last night with Gainesy and then Lola decided to wake up around 6:00 a.m. whining and crying and screaming and whining. When she finally stopped at around 8:00ish, she said "I'm sorry Mommy, when I start crying I don't know how to stop". It was so sad to hear this. I know that's probably the case or otherwise why wouldn't she just stop. Poor baby girl. Age 3...ROUGH TIMES!!!

Speaking of age 3....the other day I had a girl who actually rolled her eyes at Lola and gave a huff. Granted, Lo was acting a fool (mainly because she was hungry and she's 3) but who is this girl to have the balls to do this (must I mention that she was maybe 20 and has no clue what will be coming her way one day). I was SO irritated! I know that when Lola is acting like a crazy 3 year old, people are thinking "That lady needs to get her daughter under control". But you know what...NOT FAIR!!! Every child is different and we have tried everything and we continue to try. The fact is that Lola is a great child with tons of personality and is also beyond sweet but she's also a strong willed child and it's all part of it. I even talked to Dr. Mirrop about this and he said it's all completely normal and those with strong personalities seem to give their parents a harder time. I have a friend who read the Lola on a high! blog post and it drove her to send me an email. Her comment to me was that she's certain she was just like that when she was 3 and her preacher says "Strong willed girls are the ones who won't have teenage boys in their bed at age 14". I'll keep thinking this and hope that age 14 will bring all joy! She also told a friend about the blog post as she too was going through the same thing with her daughter. You know...sometimes it's good to know we're not alone in all this and others may be dealing with the same thing!

On top of all this, I have two kiddos who always want to be in my lap which equates to no time to regain my sanity after a long day at work. Gaines, well, he's just a Mama's boy which means anytime I'm in the room he's crying to get in my lap. And, Lo, well she gets a wee bit jealous and then she wants to be in my lap too. Then when they're both in my lap, Gaines is pulling Lola's hair so Lo screams and wants him down but if I put Gaines down then he's crying and trying to crawl up my leg to get back in my lap. All along, Lo kicking at him to get away. This makes for a vicious never ending cycle filled with kiddos whining and crying. EEEK!!!

Anyway, it's a week like this when I tend to struggle but I also always think this:

(Love this image and have been looking for the perfect opportunity to use it!)

Lets face it. Although it can be very tough at times, they still brighten up our lives on a daily basis and I'm so glad they were born! Here are just two examples as to why...

Lola having fun dressing up in her Halloween costume from 2009. She loves to play dress up whether it be as a bride, as a princess, as a fairy, as a ballerina, as a chicken, as me (she LOVES to put on my clothes and pretty much does it every evening...it makes me happy that she finds me interesting enough to actually dress up as me...sorry...proud mommy moment) or really anything she can come up with which can vary and is quite entertaining.

Our smiley Gainesy. He's such a happy baby (unless it's the middle of the night). He's out grown all his one piece sleepers so I'm now putting him in Lola's old pajamas. There's something so funny about a little boy in a pink top with cupcakes and cookies and shorts with butterflies. Love it!

Coming Soon!

So, I promised to post Lola's dance recital pictures and videos today but Clay has yet to send me the photos I need in order to post the blog. FRUSTRATION! Anyway, I figured I would give a little sneak peak and hope to be able to post all the details tomorrow!



While I'm at it with the sneak previews...here's a picture of our new coche:


It's practically brand spankin' new and was a deal of a lifetime. Clay and I typically are never so lucky to get a deal like we got on this car. More details to come! Woohoo!!!

Super Challenge!

I'm super P-U-M-P-E-D about our upcoming trip to Miami! But, I'm also super nervous about the wedding attire which has created a super challenge for me. I was thrilled to find this adorable Rhanna Gill dress at none other than the fab Anthropologie.

Check out the back...LOVE!!!

As usual, Anthro made the dress hunting challenge very simple. This was the first place I started my hunt, my eyes immediately went to this dress, it fit like a glove and the hunt ended right then and there. I mean look at it...does it not scream Miami?!?!?! And, when the wedding is over and behind us, I can easily dress it down with a cute sandal, flat, simple jewels, etc and wear it daily. I may even hem it up a bit (since I can do this myself now...Woohoo!) to make it a little more casual. Love it! However, my super challenge is this...The wedding is on Fisher Island and notes "formal attire". I have to find a way to really "fancy" this dress up. What to do?????

I've yet to find any answers. I know I need a fabulous pair of shoes. I'm thinking something patent but haven't found the right shoe yet. YIKES!!! The Anthro girl and Clay both mentioned maybe pairing the dress with some sort of shawl. But, I don't know what color, style, etc. It just hasn't hit me yet and typically I'm all over stuff like this and know exactly what I want. YIKES again! Then, the jewelry will be key. I think I have a few pieces that will work but I may need to go on another hunt for another piece just in case. I have to do all of this in a matter of days. On top of this, Clay is out of town until Wednesday so I'll have the kiddos on my own which leaves me with even less time. YIKES again again!

If anyone has any suggestions on pairings to "fancy" this one up, please throw them out there.

P.S. UMMMM.....We have a new car. A VOLVO! Yes, silent debate #1 lost. More on this later in the week. The car is BEAUTIFUL!!! Super pumped. Also, posting dance recital pics/video tomorrow...I promise!!!

The neverending debates....

Clay and I have had a few ongoing debates going on for AT LEAST 2 months. Of course, our debates are probably a little different than most. I say "I think we should get X" and Clay says "I think we should get Y" and then the conversation ends there and we never come to a decision. So I guess you would actually call them "silent debates". I try to probe Clay to make a decision but it doesn't ever happen. At this point, all I'm asking is for a decision to be made even if my choice doesn't win so we can move on but the conversations continue to be avoided.

First debate...

Nikon Camera

VS.

iPad 3G

Our birthdays are upon us and we've decided to combine our gifts to invest is something we'll really put to use. The problem....well, I'm dying to invest in a better camera and Clay is really pushing for the iPad. However, although he's pushing for the iPad, he has yet to say "Ok, lets just get one!" instead he just lets time pass. Yesterday I even sent Clay a text and said "I think we should go ahead and get a good camera for our birthdays. Is that ok?" His response "Not sure" and the debate will end there and no decision will be made. I seriously want to SCREAM!!!

Next debate (a bit larger)...

Chevrolet Equinox

VS

Volvo SUV

We absolutely HAVE to buy a new car. The last time we went out looking to buy a car we got so overwhelmed and stressed that we abandoned the idea all together. Even now, this is something neither one of us really want to do as we feel it's almost a waste of money but it is no longer a luxury to have a new car but it's a MUST!

We've spent thousands on repairs for the Passat. Most recently we spent close to $1900 (in and out of two different shops) and the damn car still isn't working right....it's back in the shop as we speak. Frankly, I'm tired of dumping money into it. We could own a top notch BMW for what we've spent on repairs year over year. At this point, we really have no choice but to make the Passat a second car. So, the silent debate begins....

Clay is a bit of a car snob. The last time we went out to look for cars, he really only wanted a BMW, Volkswagen or a Volvo. Well, here's the problem, I WILL NOT EVER buy another Volkswagen. I know some people swear by them as they're suppose to be reliable cars but after the problems we've had with our lemon of a Passat, I won't do it. I quickly put an end to that debate! So that leaves us with the BMW or Volvo. Well, I do the finances around here and I'm not willing to buy a new BMW or Volvo SUV. Even though both are great/beautiful cars, I refuse to pay that much for a new car. So, that means we would have to go with a used BMW or Volvo SUV. But, I absolutely don't want a used car after all the problems we've had with the Passat. We bought the Passat new but I want a new car where we can get 100k mile warranty. No used cars for me. Just don't want to risk it. And, frankly, I'm over German cars. I want a good ol' American made car that even if we do have problems, it's cheap and easy to repair.

With this, I've thrown out the idea of the Chevrolet Equinox. It's a reasonably priced car, it's roomy and I think it's nice looking. Granted, not as nice looking as the BMW or Volvo but it looks similar. Plus, we can attach that good ol' 100K warranty. Now, that's what I'm talking about! I asked Clay to talk to his dad to see if his cousin who works at a Chevy dealership could get us a good deal. I was pretty certain that conversation was never going to happen so I took it upon myself to call his dad myself. Last night at dinner, I tried to have a good conversation about the Equinox. I said "Seriously Clay...it's a nice looking car, why don't you want to at least consider it?" His response "Because it's not a Volvo". Yet another decision not being made...HELP!!!

There they are....our current debates. What to do???? I feel like we need to hire a mediator. Just sit down with a third party and talk out the pros and cons. Then we can be on our merry way. Anyone interested???? Likely never going to happen but we'll have to start making decisions shortly...especially regarding the cars. ARGH!!! I have a feeling we'll be walking away from this whole deal with an iPad and a Volvo as I'm just ready for a decision to be made....NOW. Keep you posted....

Love for Madewell!

I have a semi-obsession with Madewell. The list of things I love in this store goes on and on but I'll spare you all the details and keep it simple for this blog. Some of my favs right now at are all their fun denim pieces. Check them out.

These overalls are my absolute favorite! At first I wasn't so sure about the overall trend but now I'm all over it.



I'm also dying over this denim worksuit. Let me just tell you, if it were cooler here in Austin, don't think I wouldn't be sporting these around because I absolutely would. Hopefully they'll still be around for the fall!

And then there's the striped steamboat boilersuit. I'm a sucker for the one piecers.


Another thing I have been loving that's not denim is this belladonna maxi skirt.

As a matter of fact, I was so obsessed with this skirt (I wanted it in black) that after a long stressful day last week, I took it upon myself to drive all the way up to Madewell to make the purchase. I was dreaming of wearing it with everything in my closet...t-shirts, tanks, tucked, not tucked, belted, not belted, flip-flops, wedges, scarves, necklaces, etc. I convinced myself that it would be put to excellent use so was well worth the money. While I was in the process of doing this, I texted a friend and told her "I'm going to Madewell to buy a skirt I can't afford. I already feel guilty about it and haven't even gotten there"....I continued to explain to her the stress of the kids drive me to make such guilty purchases. Her response was quite humorous. She said "Oh friend, at least it's a skirt and not a whole cake!". I loved this! She also has a 10 month old and completely understands the stress these super cute kiddos can bring on.

Anyway, when I got there, the guilt was still a brewin' but I went for the skirt. When I tried it on, it was everything I wanted. I loved it! I had to have it! But, I stopped myself. As I sat there and stared at myself in the dressing room mirror wearing a skirt I absolutely adored, I couldn't justify spending $78 for a maxi skirt. I figured surely I could find one somewhere else for less. I was VERY proud of this moment and the will power I exhibited in Madewell that day (Taylor, Are you proud of me???). Since, I've been successful in finding another black maxi skirt for $19.99. YEA! I admit....it's not as cute as the belladonna skirt but it's also $58 less.

Although I love a nice quality piece, I also know at times, bargain shopping is the way to go. With all that said, even if you can't always afford the Madewell piece you love, it's still a great store to use for inspiration!