Hola Lola

The Bolder the Better

2012-01-17T13:49:00.000-06:00

Hey guys. Good 'ol Hola Lola will be out of order for probably the next two weeks as we are crazed with work (Florida all of last week... now swimming HARD to try to get my head above water) and when not working and entertaining the kiddos, we are spending all our time trying to launch the new The Bolder the Better (fashion,art, music) blog. I CAN NOT WAIT to kick this one off! We're hoping within the next week (or two max)...YIKES!!! In the meantime, please be patient with me here at Hola Lola because I (and the kids) will be back!

P.S. I must also mention my back has gone out and I'm walking around like a 90 year old decrepit woman. Not even kidding!

TGIF

2012-01-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

Wowsers! IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY! I put this in all caps because to be short work week, it sure did seem loooonnnngggg! But, we finally made it and now I'm super excited to get into the weekend to see what it has to bring. Hope to recap next week but for now, here are some clips from today....

Someone woke up with some major bed-head. With the curls and all, there is typically some frizz kickin' it in the mornings and I always have to wet the hair-do down to get it looking right. But today was a little more crazy for some reason. It was so cute, I decided to leave it exactly like this!

My outfit today (which of course includes animal print...Imagine that!). Top - Zara, Scarf - gift from years ago, Dress (yes, it's a dress not a skirt) - BCBG via Co-Star (a bit obsessed with this local boutique), Tights - Amazon, Boots - Pookie & Sebastion (NYC boutique). These boots are pushing 10 yrs old and I still LOVE them!

Nothing better than an ice tea with crunchy ice! After very little sleep last night, this helped get me through the work day....

After I picked the kids up from school, we went to our favorite local burger joint!

Lo can never resist the candy/trinket machines so we got us some staches for a quarter which served as our entertainment while we waited for our burgers to arrive.

Now onto the good stuff...Ahhh...the vino! P.S. Love this wine stopper my dad got me for Christmas. He was SO proud of this gift and could not wait to give it to me. His quote was "I bought you the second best gift I've ever gotten you"....second to the key finder (also from Brookstone) he bought me a couple years ago (Yes, I'm one of those who is always looking for my keys).

I hope everyone has a good' weekend!

Back to the grind!

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to take 10 days off from work. Well, that included weekends and work holidays but it was more time than I've taken in years. I found when you have a demanding/stressful job taking time off is interesting and it's still yet to be determined if it's worth it. Here's how it goes...It takes 4 days to get the stress of work and the idea being away from the office off your mind...then you have a few days in there where you actually feel "stress" free (minus the sounds of screaming kids and all other things in life that bring stress)....then there are the 3 days before you go back to work that you start worrying about all that will have to be done when you return....then there are the two nights before when you get NO sleep due to this stress...IS IT WORTH IT?!?!?!? Despite all the stress of work, etc, keeping in mind we work hard to give our family a good life then I guess this makes it all worth it....right?!?!?!? I just wish there were a happy medium.

Even after taking those days off, I still feel like I need a break. How is that?!?!? Maybe it's because the holidays had us running around Texas non-stop. Then, when we got back it was all about getting everything in order at the home front. So, once again, I'm at a point where I feel I'm hitting an existential crisis. I hate these moments and really hate kicking off 2012 feeling this way but also know it will pass. In the meantime, we'll just keep cranking along.....working long days, dealing with the sometimes stressful mornings and evenings, try to sleep when possible (my body doesn't allow this much anymore these days), grocery shopping, keeping house in order, etc....it really does seem never ending and at times daunting. Thank goodness for moments like these to keep us going....

Climbing fences seems to be one of the kids new favorite things to do these days.

Home Slice is one of our favorite stomping grounds in SOCO. Good NYC style pizza.

Munching down on the good stuff!

Lo wasn't too happy that G tried to snag some of hers.

Ahhh....the good stuff!

A walk home on a beautiful day in Austin.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-04T09:02:00.003-06:00

Wow! It's 2012. Kind of crazy. I hardly can believe how quickly time flies. It seems my baby girl was just born and she'll be turning 4 this year. And, then there's my baby boy who will be turning 2. Wait...didn't I just have him???? I mean, I'm still struggling with the baby weight from that pregnancy (note to self...don't let yourself gain 50 + lbs). YIKES!!! The good news is it's a new year so I'll make sure and work on that in 2012!

Last year I started 2011 with a blog that was full of optimism (here). Unfortunately, even with all the enthusiasm it took less than 30 days for everything to start crashing around us. But that's ok....we've become stronger as people and as a family because of it. We had a year that included much financial distress (the most ever) but we also had our happiest year ever (as a couple & as a family)....funny how that works huh????

This year we're kicking off 2012 with new projects, a new blog and new dreams (more to come very soon). Rather than making "resolutions" we will set goals and take those goals one day at a time. If we accomplish them in 2012, great! If not, then there is always next year to keep trying.

I loved the resolutions/goals we set for 2011 - Read more, Run more, Love more, Want less. These four simple goals have been hanging on our fridge all year. They are one of the first things we see when we wake up and one of the last things we see before we go to bed. For now, we'll stick with these and add to them as the days of 2012 come and go.

Happy New Year all!!!

An obsession with print on print!

2011-12-30T13:28:00.002-06:00

I've always been a sucker for fashion/style and going BOLD! I love that 2011 brought lots of fabulous trends. One of my favorites is the "print on print" trend. I feel this is something I've been doing for years but have really taken it to another level in 2011. Specifically, when fall arrived as it brought the opportunity to layer, mix and match. Here are some images I dug up of some of my "print on print" looks I've been wearing this fall and now on into winter. Of course, most of them involve animal print because I'm AP OBSESSED!

Top - Antrhopologie, Jacket - Can't remember as it's literally pushing 7 yrs since this purchase but I actually think it was from Stein Mart, Jeans - Nordstrom (2010), Belt - Target (2009), Boots - Free People

This animal print top is one of my faves which I wear several times a week. I will mix & match it with just about any and everything!

Top & Jacket from one of my favorite local stores Co-Star.

I'm also a little obsessed with dots...polka dots that is. I have fun mixing this shirt with bright jeans, scarves of all prints & colors and I really love mixing it with this textured "velveteen" jacket.

Animal print top - Anthropologie, Stripe top - Francesca's (2010), Jacket - H&M (2005), Boots - Anthropologie (2010)

I'm pretty much obsessed with this coat which I got at H&M way back in the day when we lived in NYC. I love that it has a vintage look. Heck...considering how old this sucker is, it will probably soon be considered "vintage". Year over year I never look for a new coat as this one is ALWAYS my "go to".

Sweater - Strut Austin (2009), Dress - Emerald's (2009), Scarf - gift, Green Jean - Anthropologie, Boot - Free People

Believe it or not, Lola picked this outfit out for me. I had to tweak a few things but for the most part, this is her creation which I LOVE. Do we have a future stylist on our hands????

Top - Maya Star - local Austin boutique (2010), T-shirt - Fossil, Jean - Paper Denim (2008), Boot - Free People

I pair this top, t-shirt and boot with something several times a week. They are all "go to" items in my closet. Love the boldness of the colors and patterns.

Dress - Urban Outfitters (2009), Jacket - Urban Outfitters (2010), Scarf - gift from several years ago, Boots - Urban Outfitters (2010).

I guess you could say I was having an Urban Outfitters kind of day. I bought this dress when I first found out I was pregnant with Gaines to help hide the puffy belly. I kind of forgot about it until last week and it is now another "staple" item to throw on as it's comfy and great to pair with any print or color.

So there it is! Evidence that clearly I'm obsessed with pairing prints, colors and more. I will say that one great thing about pairing prints is you can always turn an old piece into a new outfit. My strategy is to purchase the basics (whether it be dots, floral, animal print or all of the above) and then pair away. And, don't forget....when in doubt GO BOLD!!!

DIY bags & wrapping paper

2011-12-20T06:51:00.000-06:00

I had a lot of very high hopes this holiday season of things I was going to make for Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, we're now down to the very last week and I'm just not sure how much of it I'll get done. ARGH! However, we were able to make these adorable little bags filled with goodies for Lo's teachers. The best part is we had a ton of fun while making them. It's just this simple....

canvas bags and glittery bags for the goodies.

You can get a 3 pack or 6 pack of these canvas bags at Hobby Lobby. This very simple canvas bag has become one of my "go to" items when you need to throw together a quick gift (or a special gift) as there is so much you can do with it.

The artist!

Then it's time to entertain a toddler while making gifts. Isn't this the best!!! In the picture above, Lola is making wrapping paper. Yes, we made our own wrapping paper this year and it turned out really cute.

We also added some glittery sparkle and a felt cut out!

At one point, Lo took a break from the wrapping paper and started painting the bags for her teachers. Each bag was special. Lola would note which bag the teacher was for and then painted away. She could not wait to wake up the next morning to deliver her gifts. The teachers went nuts! This is a great way to give someone special (the teachers in our kids lives) something special!

Here's another idea for ya....

As a birthday gift for the kids aunt, Tia Molly, we got a larger tote at Hobby Lobby and the kids created a "masterpiece". I grabbed some fabric (animal print of course b/c I'm obsessed) and sewed the sash but you could use ribbon too.

Then we made a tag using vintage fabric and sewed it to the inside to the bag. This way, that special person will always remember who it's from.

Give it a try! It's fun, easy and I can guarantee you that the person you're giving it to will love it!

Off to Houston for a client meeting now. Happy Tuesday!

Rainbow bright!

2011-12-16T12:21:00.001-06:00

I'm all about bright, bright, bold colors (hence the name of the upcoming blog - The Bolder the Better). As I was going through my archives trying to clean up folders, I found I've saved lots of bright images with rainbow like qualities. Here are some of those that inspire me the most and make me happy!

Art / Photography

Streets

Stairs

Decor

Kitchen

Party

living space

Food

Orange slices

Fashion

Neon bows via Of a Kind

Via The Man Repeller whom I'm Ob-sessed with...

Via Honestly WTF - yet another obsession.

I apologize for all the images where there is no source. I seemed to have misplaced the document used to save my sources on images...UGH! Thanks goodness for Evernote now which will allow this to never happen again. Yea to organization!

Happy Friday all!!!

Santa is coming to town...

2011-12-15T09:55:00.000-06:00

We've made a couple trips to see Santa this year. The first was this one at Lola and Gaines' International Night program. Although Lola loved this "Santa" she made us aware that "This was not the real Santa as his beard isn't super white and long" which meant we would have to make a visit to the "real" Santa too...


Here he is...the REAL SANTA!!! Side note...the polka dot skirt Lo is wearing is a Minnie mouse skirt from one of my old dance costumes. It has a red sequin belt on the top and also has a tail and suspenders which we removed. This seems to be Lo's favorite skirt right now. LOVE that she's able to wear it!

On Monday, I picked the kids up a little early from school so we didn't have to fight the torturous lines. My strategy worked as we walked right up to the "real" Santa. Lola immediately ran up and hugged him yelling "SANTA!!!". Gaines, at first, gave us puffy lip and cried a bit but then he just gave this stare in which I know he was thinking "Who in the heck is this guy?!?!?!".

Lola had been asking for dresses that twirl and dress up "princess" shoes (ummm...with heels). We wrote a note to Santa to request these "goods" earlier this month. In response to this, I (Santa), ordered some dresses that twirl (which includes a righteous petticoat from American Apparel) and the very very tacky dress up "princess" shoes. OK...so we're all taken care of right?!?!?!? Nope because this visit to Santa Lola took it upon herself to change up what she was asking for Christmas. HUH?!?!?!? As a super obsessive planner, this doesn't sit well with me. NOW Lola wants a Ariel mermaid type doll thing. Damn Disney!!! Lets just say she won't be getting the exact one she requested (b/c we despise the promiscuity of her attire) but we're on a search for a mermaid type doll now. She'll still get the dresses that spin but since she's no longer asking for the very very tacky dress up "princess" shoes, I've donated those to a child in need. So even with the last minute change, it will all worked out.

On our "journey" to the mall (I hate malls btw and the word "journey" but still use it), the kiddos also took a train ride where once again I think G was thinking "What the hell have they gotten me into this time?!?!?!?"...

"Let me out!" thinks G.

And they're off...

Happy Holidays all! I hope to reveal some of our fun Christmas projects we've been working on soon. Of course, I still have A LOT to make with very few days remaining. YIKES! I kind of over committed on the whole "Do it Yourself" idea for Christmas this year. Hopefully it all turns out! Oh, we should have our Holiday cards done this weekend too. Super excited to see how they turn out. Yippee!

Through the eyes of a child

2011-12-09T11:50:00.001-06:00

The other morning Clay caught this shot of Lola daydreaming. His quote was "If we could only continue to see the world in the eyes of children". This photo and the thought behind this statement moved me. As I went through images of Lo, I found she is often daydreaming....imagining... To a child, the world is a magical place...they aren't yet aware of all the stresses life can bring or tragedies that take place around the world daily. Really....wouldn't it be nice to live just one day through the eyes of a child!?!?!?

Daydreaming in the grass.

More "deep thoughts".

Daydreaming by the creek.

Lola was fascinated by this Buddha we found at a park near our house. She was entranced and in this position for a little while. I wonder what she was thinking????.

I couldn't publish this post without a picture of our little guy deep in thought.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-11-29T09:10:00.001-06:00

We're in FULL ON Christmas mode around here which is causing me to slack on the blog. This along with a hectic work schedule and getting the new Bolder blog ready for the new year (Yikes!). We have so many fun holiday projects going on at our house right now which is causing quite a disaster zone. Here is just a little taste....

The Christmas Tree!

After a long week of traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, Lola would not let us go home without first making a Christmas tree purchase.

Gaines' new thing is climbing chairs. After a few big falls, you would think he would learn his lesson...not so much!

Boppity!

Boppity, the elf, arrived and quickly got a new make over!


The end result!

Holiday projects in the making!

Clay and Lo were inspired by the holidays and made this little village out of construction paper. Ironically, this little village is also the inspiration for our upcoming Christmas card. Can't wait to reveal this one. May be the best one yet!

Christmas antlers. Inspired by the picture of the cow above. I actually have big plans for these antlers but this project will have to wait until after the holidays.


Fabric/felt for Lola's stocking. Will have some other fun fabrics and small-bits for the other three stockings. More to come on this!

The sparkly stuff!

Tree garland.

Inspiration for a holiday wreath.

Lo and I made these glitter letters which will be fun ornaments for the tree.

Finally, the holiday brew of choice!

This is just the beginning. Lola is beyond excited about Christmas this year which is making this all a magical experience. Can't wait to reveal the results!

iRetrofone = Love

2011-11-18T08:39:00.001-06:00

It took me a LONG time to finally jump on board with the rest of the world and invest in an iPhone but I finally made the big decision to move away from the blackberry and this is a decision I don't regret. I now want to invest in the iPhone 4 (not 4s)and will likely make this jump this week. I mainly want it for the flash on the camera since I seem to use my iPhone camera more than our other two better cameras. Ok...so if don't feel you really need the iPhone for all the "techy" stuff, here's a reason alone to get one.

Seriously, check out this iRetrofone. This is a charger and a doc. Ummmm and you can even make calls from it. How great is this?!?!?! Love it!

Happy weekend all!!!

Lets talk about scarves...

2011-11-17T09:14:00.001-06:00

Prints and striking colors

Via The Cross

Via Crush Cul de Sac

Every year around this time I become obsessed with scarves. This year I've been doing a few new things with my scarves. I've also found a true love for vintage scarves. There are places around town (Cream Vintage, Leighelena, Room Service Vintage - just to name a few) that have bins filled to the top with a plethora of vintage scarves. The best part is most of the scarves typically range from $3 - $5. Greatness!!! When I run into one of these bins, I find myself going on a digging spree. Here are some simple looks...

Love exploring with the small scarf. They're back!

Via Us Trendy

Or the long scarf...

Via Pinterest

I also still love the basic scarf. And, boy, I have plenty of them. As I was doing my search for scarves I discovered these beauties.

Via Pinterest

Lets just say, the sewing machine is out and lace is purchased. I'm excited to work on this new project. I'll plan to combine patterns with the lace and solids with the lace...can't wait to show you the results! Oh, and here's another DIY project I'm considering...

Via Anthropologie

Ahhh...more patterns and color. My favorite! This will be a challenging one but I'm going to go for it! So much to do, so little time!

A movie under the stars....

2011-11-15T20:47:00.001-06:00

Just thinking of the idea of sitting in your very own yard watching movies on a big screen is whimsical. Can't you just imagine yourself in one of these fabulous settings....

Modern

Cozy

Todd Oldham's home cinema photo. Love the splashes of color.

We took inspiration from these images and decided to do it ourselves a few months back. Now, ours wasn't quite as "upscale" and beautiful as the settings above but it was just as magical. Here we are, watching a movie under the stars in The Compound.

Image / logo ideas

2011-11-11T09:29:00.001-06:00

Goodness! It's been a week since I've posted. Today brings an unexpected vacation day as the kids are out of school for Veteran's Day. Although I just discovered this fact yesterday afternoon, I'm looking forward to a long weekend. I must get back to my parenting duties but in the meantime, thought I'd show you some image tests (merely tests) for Bolder.

Unfortunately, I can't get some of my favorite images to upload because they're too large. Even with these, I'm certain they will evolve and we'll eventually have our logo!

Don't forget...When in doubt, go BOLD!

Happy Friday all!

Enamored by...

2011-11-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

I'm here to announce I'm sorry I've not been as good this week with the blog. Work is of course insane (nothing different) and any spare time I have is spent working on getting the new blog - The Bolder the Better (we call it Bolder) up and going. It's a lot more work than we anticipated but feel it will really pay off. We have some really unique ideas and I seriously can't wait for the launch!

In the meantime, I realize Hola Lola is suffering but it will be back too. I have several projects I can't wait to post and of course updates on the kiddos. For now, I have to jump on a conference call in 12 minutes, so I leave you with some images that are inspiring to me....that I'm enamored by...

Via Kelly Wearstler - Ob-sessed with the chains. LOVE!

Via Miss Moss bwo Honestly...WTF - The boldness of the colors and patterns in this image are beyond lovely.

Via The Glamourai - I'm inspired by each and every pattern on these pillows. Believe it or not, this was the setting / seats for a fashion show. .Love it!

Happy Friday all!!!

A Halloween to remember...

2011-11-02T11:04:00.001-05:00

Halloween is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. The costumes, the parties, the candy, the jubilation...it's one day that's for the kids / all about the kids and I love it. This Halloween was no exception, we had such a great time and I'm kind of sad it's behind us!

Just like every little 3 yr old girl, Lola wanted to be a princess but we wanted something a little more unique. We were able to find this adorable buttercup fairy costume at Chasing Fireflies. It had the tulle and all the frill Lola loves but was not pink and was not a princess (thank goodness). Great compromise if I do say so myself!

Nice smile Lo!

Can you guess what G was? A sock monkey! Note to self: Don't buy a 1 yr old a costume with a hat....it doesn't stay on for any length of time!

And, then it was all about the good stuff....trick-or-treating. We had such a blast! Our great friends Kristen and Kev decided to come along for the ride with us this year (they're always such troopers). Oh, and it was a wild ride!

The trick-or-treating crew!

Lo was a little shy at times.

G wanted to hit up the houses himself. Maybe next year!

We ended the night back at the compound hanging with neighbors and handing out candy to all the kids. Lola and Gaines loved this part of the evening as it entailed lots of candy eating. Needless to say, they were in hog heaven.

G discovered his love for suckers. And I discovered if you give him a sucker it allows us a few moments of peace and quite. I've also used this trick since this night. Bad I know!

Loved this night and already can't wait until next year!

Old shoes turned new shoes

2011-10-28T08:46:00.000-05:00

Lola and I took on a little project this past weekend and we turned some old shoes into new shoes. How did we do this?!?!?!? By using a can of gold metallic spray paint. Love it!

Now, I must say, this was not my original idea. The inspiration came from my very creative sister-in-law, Molly, who spray painted an old pair her shoes a while back. I loved the idea so I decided to give it a go.

I used a pair of shoes I got from good 'ol JCP a few years ago. I love the style of the shoe but I'm not crazy about the color so don't wear them as much as I'd like.

The process went a little something like this....I taped the heels / inside of the shoe and just started spraying away with the metallic gold paint. Easy stuff here!!!

Lola decided she wanted to spray a pair of hers too. Why not?!?!?!

I grabbed some laces from American Apparel and I absolutely LOVE the result!

They're fabulous with jeans too...

So there you go! I took a pair of shoes I really never wore and turned them into a shoe I'll wear like crazy! I even got a few pair of laces which I can switch in and out depending on the outfit. The great part about the laces is I'll put them in other shoes for both me and Lola. If you don't want to go all the way with the spray paint, a new lace is another great way to spice up an old pair of shoes.

If you like this, you should also see where my inspiration came from via Smmidge.

Oh, and guess what?!?!?! I have more fun projects up my sleeve. Hopefully you'll see the result shortly.

Happy weekend all!!!

A baby is born!

2011-10-27T09:47:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce my brother Adam and his adorable wife Brana (a.k.a Beans) had a little baby boy - Porter Davis Rope - on Tuesday evening around 8:00 p.m. He's a cutie isn't he! I absolutely can't wait to get to Dallas to meet this new addition to our family! More to come...

Enamored by...

2011-10-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

This bright living room featuring bold patterns galore. It doesn't get much better than this! I mean...the green couch....the rugs...the aztec/stripe chair...there are no words!

Via Oracle Fox

I'm absolutely in love with this jean silleoutte by Olivier Theysken. Need I say more...

Via Vogue.com

How A-dorable is this handmade Halloween costume???? I wish I had talent like this!

Via Tiny Dallas

Finally, what about these knitting Eames wire chairs. I DIE!!! I'm adding this project to my "to do" list. How fun will this be?!?!?!?

Via Flickr

More good news! I know many of you like the fashion, music, art posts on this blog and some family members just want to see updates on the kids so I've found a solution to all the madness...I'm starting a new blog titled The Bolder the Better (my motto) which will feature all my fashion inspirations! I'm excited and hope to launch it within the next 60 days. Then Hola Lola will go back to being all about the kids and the "madness" in this household. More to come!

Coffee table turned chalk board

2011-10-24T09:28:00.002-05:00

I hate our coffee table. For years I've been on a hunt for a new one but haven't found the perfect fit for our living room yet. I really want a mid-century modern vintage table but anytime I find the "perfect" one, it doesn't fit in our budget. So, we continue to keep the same table in hopes that one day (soon) we'll find "the one" that is within our budget.

Since I don't care for this coffee table much, I typically don't fret when the kids are drawing and just so happen to run the marker, crayon, pen, etc onto the table. There are days when the entire table has marks all over it from the kids. And then there are those days when I can't handle it anymore and I scrub the table clean...only to stay clean for a few hours of course.

One day when I was scrubbing all the kids marks off, I had an epiphany....instead of constantly asking the kids not to draw on the table, why don't I make it to where they can draw on it?!?!?!? At the very least, it's one less thing for me to scream at the kids about. Hmmmm...now that's a thought. So here's what we did.

Before...

Please disregard all the clutter that slips under the couch. I guess I need to get under there and clean that out! That's a good job for Clay.

The process...

G ran out and went straight for the table before we could catch him. Oops!

After...

Kind of fun huh!!!!

Free People + Austin Style = Fashion Frenzy

2011-10-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

I'm certain all my fellow blog readers know exactly how obsessed I am with Free People. If not, you can see some examples of my obsession here and here and here and this outfit here. I think we all get the point! So, when I saw Free People was putting on a contest to show your "Free People style", I couldn't resist.

The contest was to submit a picture showing yourself in a favorite Free People fall fashion look (easy) and write a quick something noting why you love Free People (even easier). Despite the fact that I'm not too keen on photos of myself, I just went for it...

Free People denim shorts, Free people blouse, Free People shawl, Sam Edelman boots via Free People. Did I mention I like Free People????

So there it is! I would like to say this was a blast but unfortunately it was not all fun and games. The submission was due at 10:59 p.m. tonight and I hit submit at 10:51 p.m. only to realize I did not submit all the pictures. I immediately tried to resubmit but it would not allow me to do this so I quickly set up a new Facebook page then submitted again with all photos. Unfortunately, I didn't get it all in on time. STRESS! At least we tried. Thanks to my fabuloushubby for helping with the photography and putting all this together and also for pushing me to go for it. Keep your fingers crossed!

Utopia Fest Recap

2011-10-18T09:38:00.002-05:00

We had a fantastic time at Utopia Fest with the kiddos. What's better than camping in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, hanging with groovy people and listening to phenomenal music??? Here's a little recap of the fun!

The campsite had breathe taking views!

Lola quickly met friends which she ran around with all weekend (thanks to our strategic scoping of where to set up camp...always by another tent with kids). BTW...we were obsessed with the tepees around the venue! We plan to build one right in our yard. Too cool!

Gaines chomping down on a banana. He felt like a "big man" in his little chair.

Hanging out day after the shows. About to go in for a kiss right on this lovable little boys cheek!

The music scene!

Have I mentioned that I'm ABSOLUTELY OB-SESSED with Blitzen Trapper. I loved them before but seeing them live took my obsession to another level. I was front row joe and in hog heaven listening to their fabulous tunes. TO. DIE. FOR!

Gaines with his headphones getting ready to hit the sack. He slept great in the stoller while we rocked out despite the loud music!

Lola also sporting her headphones getting ready to jam out with the other kids.

As much as we didn't want to, we all had to go to sleep in our snugly tent.

The day and night went so well, we decided not to push it. Instead of spending another night out at the fest, we went out to explore the hill country. Here's a setting we loved.

There is really nothing not to love about the Texas Hill Country and everything that comes along with it! SUCH a great trip that will go down in the memory book!

Dots + Blitzen Trapper

2011-10-14T06:36:00.002-05:00

I have a double whammy for yall! I have to do Fashion Friday of course because it's Friday (FINALLY) and I must debut one of my fave musicians! Today is a "Fun Friday" for a change. We're getting geared up to head out for a weekend full of camping, music and friends at Utopia Fest in Utopia, Texas.

First off FASHION! Right now I'm pretty obsessed with stripes and polka-dots. This is really nothing new as I seem to always lean towards bold patterns (My motto: The bolder the better!) and stripes/polka-dots fit right in there. As I went into my archives of "looks I love", I found a plethora of both stripes and polka-dots and had a very hard time narrowing it down so today's Fashion Friday will be very "dotty"...

Via Atlantic-Pacific (a fave fashion blog right now) Blouse: MinkPink. Skirt: ASOS. Blazer: Zara. Boots: Givenchy. Bag: YSL Muse (similar here). Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Jewelry: David Yurman (bracelet c/o), Michael Kors, Pomellato, Gap, BR, Rings c/o Stella&Dot, Max&Chloe. Lips: Make Up For Ever Professionals. Nails: Pop.

Seriously, love this look! I love it so much that I couldn't resist this shirt and it will be delivered to my front porch steps next week. Now, I got a less expensive version at Zara...I'm all about bargain shopping you know! I also love the watch with stacked bracelet look (more on this to come on this).

Via The Satoralis t

I was all about tights last year and I'm waiting patiently for the weather cool down here in Austin so I can pull out my tights again. This year, I'll definitely add in more bold patterns. You can find a tight similar to these at Nordstrom.

Via Pretty Stuff

I was obsessed with this dress the minute I saw it a few weeks ago. I would wear the living heck out of this! Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time locating it and/or something similar. I'll continue my search!

Via Anthropology

I absolutely love this shirt for so many reasons. The dots. The bold colors. My mind spins thinking of all the things I could do with this shirt. It's on sale now. Check it out!

Now onto music. We're very excited about the festival this weekend. We're most excited about seeing Dawes, Cowboys and Indians and Blitzen Trapper. If you haven't listened to Blitzen, this is a must. I'll leave you with this Blitzen video to help kick off your Friday and soon to be weekend!

Life is a present...

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

Such a sweet video which inspires me in such a great way! We all have struggles throughout life. Seeing something like this makes me feel we can make anything work at anytime!

Present from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.

A visit to the Fair!

2011-10-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised to do better this week but haven't done so well. Sorry! Clay left town this past weekend and I made a last minute decision on Saturday to head to Dallas to visit family and didn't get back until yesterday. We had a great time which included time with Tia Molly, Tio Ben and Cousin Doss along with time with my family. Nice to squeeze it all in one big swoop! It was also nice to take a day or two break from the lovely job. Of course, now I'm behind so have to get back but here are some pics from our trip to the Fair.

Did I mention Aunt Brana (a.k.a Beans) is 8 1/2 months pregnant and was lugging herself around that Fair. I'm also always amazed at how little she complains. I mean....you remember my state of mind - EXAMPLE and another EXAMPLE. There are more but I'll stop there.

Lola has lost some of her "no fear" attitude. She only rode one ride and we were off to the games
.

Gaines scoping out the animals. It was pretty sad seeing all the animals in the small cages. I had to walk away pretty quickly.

The best part of the Fair...FOOD, FOOD and more FOOD. I felt sick to my stomach after scarfing down a corny dog, a VERY greasy turkey leg and some brew...YUCK!!!

And finally, the butterfly garden. Such a sweet experience. I'm actually excited to go back and go through the entire garden after the Fair is over.

Believe it or not, this is the first time I've been to the Fair since high school I think. It was fun but I got my "Fair fix" for now and it should last until next year.

Fashion Friday - 100 Years/Style/East London

2011-10-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

Once again, things are bit crazy around here so I haven't had much blog time this week which I hate since this is my personal psychologist. I'm hoping next week will be better...I feel it will be already! Updates on kiddos and all!

In the meantime, although it's not necessarily a "Fun Friday", I'll throw another "Fashion Friday" out there. When I saw this video, I loved it for so many reasons. One being the styles. Although it is East London, it's pretty interesting to see how style has evolved over the past 100 years. Even more interesting, is seeing how certain styles have come back in different ways. So many pieces in this video I have hanging in my closet now....a modern version of course.

The second reason I loved this video is for the dancing and music. Watch it! It will help pep up your Friday.

The Happiness Project

2011-10-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Goodness! Sorry I've been a little out of the loop this week. I guess several things kind of got me off track. One being the scream-fest that took place in our house this past weekend. It's really taken my head/nerves until today to recover. Yes, we finally had a weekend at home to enjoy our time as a family and do whatever the hell we wanted and it ended up being BEYOND chaotic...IMAGINE THAT...we are the Odom's...isn't this just expected!?!?!? Of course, the chaos seemed to be mainly driven by a little 14 month old who has really discovered his personality and definitely has his favorite words he likes to scream out over and over and over and over....more on this to come...

Anyway, in addition to this, I hit a point. Don't really knows what it means but I hit "a point". HMMMM!?!?!? I got out of my "funk" (Thanks Goodness!) but then moved to a new phase ("a point") and I'm trying to figure out how to work through it. Okay, I'm even confusing myself now as this is all kind of hard to explain so I'll just move on to how I'm working on this new phase. It's called The Happiness Project!

Now I know what some of you are saying...something along these lines "Yeah, Yeah...we've all heard of The Happiness Project" but there's more to this whole thing....I truly believe it and it didn't take me long to fall for it. I had only gotten to Page 2 of the book when I found the author describing what happened to me last week when I hit my "funk" perfectly. She described something I was unable to translate from my brain to paper (a.k.a. blog). Yes. I marked up the page and must say I'm a little embarrassed to admit but there ya go...I'm admitting it.

For those of you who don't know what The Happiness Project is all about...Well "it's an approach to changing your life"...it's about being happier. Simple right! This book is not directed to those who are unhappy or depressed (I'm none of these BTW) it's more for all of us who are happy but think we can be happier. How do we get there??? You may think that you can't be any happier but just read a few pages of this book and you'll quickly realize you can...A-MAZING!

So, I'm off on my "Happiness Project" journey. I'm only just starting this book (and my personal project) but I know the first step to becoming happier is by making my (our) life more manageable which translates into de-cluttering all! No joke. I'm using this month to get rid of everything I (we) don't need and get things organized/clutter free! Just the thought of it already makes me feel happier although it will be a huge undertaking. I'll continue to walk yall through my "journey" (literally HATE this word not sure why I keep using it) on The Happiness Project. It's a 12 month process so will take time but we'll get there!

As for now...this moment...I need to go fill up my very hungry belly and I know I'll be much happier!

Fashion Friday

2011-09-30T08:31:00.000-05:00

I used to have what I called "Fun Fridays" back in the day. On "Fun Friday" I would kind of take it easy during the work day. I always got everything done that needed to be done but I would also plan lunch with a girlfriend, possibly run errands and maybe even leave a little early that day to reward myself for making it through a tough work week. But, now that I basically need to work 7 days a week 15 hours a day, there are no more "Fun Fridays" (and hasn't been for a long while) but rather "Frantic Fridays"...ARGH!!! Anyway, since I've had to do away with my "Fun Fridays", I thought I could have a "Fashion Friday". Why not right?!?!!? With that, here's a look that I came by that I'm COMPLETELY obsessed with...the skirt, the boot, the necklace, the glasses, the hair...UHHHH...I want to be this chick!!! TOTALLY groovalicious!

Via Cats & Rocking Chair

Although I will NEVER look like this chick (one because I'm too dang old), my goal is to have this outfit or something similar maybe. Luckily, it's doable...I think. After the Missoni stafu at Tar-Jey, maybe this is my opportunity to acquire a Missoni-esk piece (the "esk" is the key to this word)! See this skirt on In Love With Fashion. I've also seen some skirts in a similar style with different prints in the Nordstrom Junior department (Yes, I'm 35 and shop junior departments..EEEK!) that were reasonable priced...$40ish

Another obsession I feel I'm going to have this fall (once fall weather ever gets here...) will be the wide-leg jeans. Over the past couple years, I've stuck with the skinny jean and still love them but I think I'll also have to grab a good pair of wide-legs to spice up the ol' wardrobe. Albeit, I'll have to lose a few more EEELLL BEEES (that's pounds) to really pull these off. It's amazing that it's harder to pull off wide-legs than skinny jeans but this is a fact...at least for me. Here are some good wide-legged looks.

Via Anthropologie

Via EmersonMade

Via Free People

And, lets not forget about the original and where it all started.

BTW...I also plan on snagging a pair of wide-legs for Lola too. She had a pair last year and I LOVED them but I'm assuming she's grown out of those by now.

So that's Fashion Friday...and now it's time to get frantic! Happy weekend!

We're all about tents around here...

2011-09-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Tents, tents and more tents. We've been on two camping trips this year and still have one more to come. On top of this, we've set tents up in just about every room in our house as this is Lo's "thing" right now (among many others). This is our most recent creation....

Bed jumping is another one of Lo's fave things and now Gaines. I let it happen all the time and will continue until it results in a broken limb! YIKES!

G is not so happy here!

Yes, we have a full on tent from a sporting good store in the kiddos room. They love it! It will be there until it's time for our next camping adventure and will then return.

No, our little tent set up is not necessarily the tents you see out there on other blogs, pinterest, etc but it is one that has been created over time. Oh how I would love to have more time to come up with creations such as the ones below but I guess you could say ours is more organic right?!?!?!?!

Via Happiness Is... This really does make me happy just lookin' at it.

Via Tim Walker Photography - Magical!

Via Shoelaces and Cheese -I would love to sit and each cheese and crackers and drink wine in this tent. Wouldn't you???

Via Babble

Seriously love them all!

I'm in a funk!

2011-09-28T09:12:00.000-05:00

I hate this feeling...being in a funk but I've hit it. After no sleep last night due to both kids waking each other up then waking up to the same morning routine of all screams, trying to get everyone dressed, fed, teeth brushed, etc then everyone is off and BOOM...all the sudden it's quite. QUITE! I don't know how to take quite anymore. So, this morning after everyone left, I sat outside and drank my diet coke trying to pull myself out of the funk all along thinking "I don't think I can drag myself into my office to work all day" but I know I have to. If the weather was nice (not 104 like it was yesterday), I could take my computer to Jo's or another coffee house to work but NOPE...I sit here in my office and have a good 8 hours of work ahead of me...the same work. I'm done with all my deadlines but now I have to spend the next two weeks catching up only to start new deadlines. HELP!

On top of all this, we're coming off a high. Non-stop travel for work and plans every-single-weekend for two months straight. Now, there are no work trips scheduled until November, no weekend plans...I craved this moment for so long and now that it has arrived I kind of don't know what to do with myself. No ACL to look forward to...no Marfa to look forward to...only the same ol' daily routine. This is life I know. But sometimes it's hard to take...the same routine day in and day out. I think "How can I spice up our life???" Really...how can I?!?!?!

I also sit and think that I want to redo our living room and guest bedroom. I want a new rug, I want to re-upholster a chair, I want new bedding but it's just not going to happen right now. I also hate all my clothes...the same clothes I loved so much over the summer. I look at my closet and feel I have nothing to put on....so I put on the same old things...over and over. These days, I rarely put on make up or brush my hair anymore. NICE! I'm over it all. I.NEED.FALL.WEATHER. I'm even thinking I might go ahead and switch out my closets just to feel my wardrobe has been refreshed. I can't believe it's end of September and this it the outfit I have on today. REALLY?!?!?!?

I don't know. I really don't. I do know I hate this feeling and can't wait to move beyond it. Yesterday, when I picked up the kids from school, I couldn't bare to come home to the same routine so we stopped at Amy's Ice Cream on South Lamar and ate good grub, played on the playground, took photo booth pics...it was fun! A good way to switch up the routine. But now, here I sit again...the same routine. Oh...what to do!?!?!?

Now, I don't want this post to come off like I don't love my life...because I do. Anyone that knows me well knows I love my kids, I love my husband, I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job, I love Austin, I love my house and all of it more than anything. But sometimes, I believe we all hit a point where we just feel strange and need something but don't know what. Luckily, these moments always pass. I'm looking forward to this one passing soon.

I leave you with this quote I saw a few weeks ago which just stuck with me...so much so that I wrote it down...

When will fall arrive????

2011-09-27T07:38:00.000-05:00

Technically it's fall but unfortunately here in Austin we're still feeling the 100 degree weather. Lovely! I'm over summer and I'm ready for beautiful fall weather and to pull out my warm clothes. Although we're not quite there yet, I was inspired by some of these images that remind me of the fall I love so much!

You can just feel the crisp weather in this image by Patric Johansson via Söderberg Agentur.

Looking forward to long sleeves, scarves and tights (although not viewed in this photo). Loving this look from Never Fully Dressed.

Pumpkins. Can't wait for the pumpkin patches to begin popping up around town. Here's Gaines from last year. Wow..he's grown. I can't believe this time last year I was on maternity leave. Has it really been a year?!?!?!?

And Finally, fabulous fall comfort food...My favorite is chili with cornbread...What about you?!?!?

Lord help us...it's Monday!

2011-09-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Monday and I don't know about you but I'm having a very tough time getting it going. After traveling for all of August and September for work, I don't know what to do with myself now that I have a full week in the office to actually get something done. On top of this, after a long trip back from Marfa yesterday, I kind of just want to lay in bed and relax. Of course, this is not going to happen! Needless to say, it's taking me some time to get in the groove.

Speaking of Marfa...WOW...what a fabulous trip! We has such a great time and met some great people. Including one person specifically that I feel we'll be long time friends as we all had such a connection. Love it when this happens! Luckily, I'm sure our "Goodbye" is only meant to be short. Anyway, on this tough, tough, tough Monday, I thought I would start the week off with a tune from Mother Falcon. This was a moment I loved at Trans-Pecos over the weekend. They are absolutely phenomenal and really doing something different which I love...

Happy Monday all!

Trans-Pecos Festival of Music and Love

2011-09-21T09:13:00.001-05:00

After a long weekend of music out at ACL, I'm feeling some withdrawals. Luckily, we only have 2 days before we're off to El Cosmico in Marfa for the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music and Love. We're excited about the line-up...specifically our new neighbor Patty Griffin (and possibly Robert Plant) will be playing at the festival and many other bands such as Black Angels, Heartless Bastards and Mother Falcon. I never can get enough of music like this!

Even above the line-up, I think I'm more excited to head back to El Cosmico to hang with groovy folk, camp, play music, bike around the fabulous town of Marfa and maybe even get to hang with one of my favorite people, Liz Lambert. Absolutely can't wait! Here are some moments from our last visit out to El Cosmico/Marfa...

Marfa - The town of all towns.

A favorite hole in the wall bar.

We had a special Design your own TOMS moment while we were in Marfa. They had a blank canvas up and we were able to write a special something. We dedicated ours to the kids and Uncle Foy. TOMS will take these canvases and produce shoes from them. It was a pretty cool moment!

JUDD - What it's all about!

I seriously can't get enough of this place!

A little girls dream...

2011-09-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

My little cousin, Taylor, got married at the Arboretum in Dallas this past Sunday. I hardly can believe she's old enough to get married as she was a Junior Bridesmaid in my wedding over 10 years ago. Boy how time flies!

Taylor married a wonderful man, Austin. He's literally one of the nicest people you could meet. They asked Lola and Curry to be flower girls in the wedding which was very special to us. Lola has been talking about this day for months. When the day finally arrived she did such a good job. She loved being a flower girl and dancing/prancing around at the wedding reception. For a while there she wouldn't stop following Taylor around. I think she thought she was a princess which she was on this day. Lola said to me "I love Taylor and Austin's wedding! Can we spend the night here?" We weren't able to spend the night but the wedding was beautiful and I'm sure a dream wedding for Taylor and Austin. Their off to St Lucia now for their honeymoon...I must say I'm jealous.

The beautiful bride and her father (Uncle Corky)...

Our little flower girls...

Lola was suppose to hold Curry's hand down the aisle but she kind of left her in the dust as she was so excited about throwing her flower petals out on the ground. When it was all said and done, Lo kept saying "Are you so proud of me?" and of course...we were so proud of both of them.

Congrats Taylor and Austin! We're so happy for yall!

What I'm reading now....

2011-09-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

I finished up The Leftovers in just under a week. I highly recommend this one. Without telling too much, as you read this book you don't realize how connected you become to the characters until it's over and you continue to think about them for days. It also makes you value those you love most as they could "suddenly disappear" at any moment. Tom Perrotta does a great job touching on "faith" without blatantly throwing it in your face. How those who are extreme (or not so extreme) can destroy themselves without even knowing it. This is a definite read for everyone.

I decided to move onto a love story. I chose One Day by David Nicholls.

We've all seen the movie previews featuring Anne Hathaway (one of my faves) and Jim Sturgess (still haven't figured out exactly how he fits this character but hopefully I'll get there). I REALLY want to see this movie but part of my obsessive personality won't let me see a movie until I've read the book. I've only gotten through the first few chapters and I'm LOVING it! The way David Nicholls writes is very inspirational. Two people struggling with who they are and what they want to be....both in very different ways. There are so many sentences/statements made by these characters that I've underlined or written down as I want to always remember them. Even though I'm just getting started on this one, I can probably go ahead and confirm it will be highly recommended. Will keep ya updated!

Supereditions!

2011-09-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'm absolutely LOVING these little books by the Parisian publishing house Supéreditions. The stories are short and funny with an original concept...the kiddos can play a part in the book to create their own illustrations. Kids can use markers, pencils, crayon, watercolors, cutting and paste paper....anything! I'm telling you...I'm completely enamored by these!

Where do monsters and spiders hide when they're afraid?

The angry fairy

ACL is upon us....

2011-09-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

I must admit up until now I've had a very hard time getting excited about ACL this year. Not because I'm not S-U-P-E-R P-U-M-P-E-D because I AM! The reason is I've been going non-stop for work which included waking up (yet again) at 3:30 a.m. on Monday to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight. This just following a full week of travel all of last week (and the week before and the one before that). BUT...here we are...it's now Wednesday and I fly back later today and now can start getting in full on ACL mode.

I'm completely stoked (can't believe I just used that word but it's so fitting for this moment) about the line-up this year. Although we've seen a good number of the bands at least once this year (because most of them are our faves), I still can't wait to see them again in the ACL atmosphere. I'm sure I'll have much more to say as we get to the weekend and many updates on our fave bands and those who we aren't so familiar with and discover (BTW...one of the bands I'm obsessed with (yes I know I have many) is Angus & Julia Stone...we just happened to watch last year at ACL having no idea who they were...they are BEYOND phenomenal...more on them to come).

Anyway, the list of artist I'm excited to see is limitless....yes...the line-up is just that good this year. But, as you know, one of the bands I'm loving these days just so happens to be Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I've always liked them a lot but my true obsession began after seeing them at the Railroad Revival Tour. The lead singer whose name actually isn't Edward Sharpe (stage name only) but is Alexander, just released a new album and he will be playing at ACL. After RRT, I absolutely can't wait to see him again. Of course, I should know it will likely be different but I'm still looking forward to it. Here's a clip of a recent song release off of Alexander's new album...brace yourself because he's a strange bird...just warning ya!

Bright jean...YES!

2011-09-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Anyone else excited about the bright jean trend????
Yes, I realize this is more of a Spring/Summer 2011 trend but when you start getting 100 degree weather in April, it makes it a little tough to pull this one off as I couldn't bare to squeeze into a pair of jeans with weather like we've had. But, now that the it is cooling off...I'll be all over this one! Can't decide which color I'll go with yet....I think I'm kind of leaning toward red but we'll see!!!

Everyone have a fab weekend!

Gaines walking...

2011-09-10T16:25:00.003-05:00

Today our little guy just randomly decided he was ready to start walking. YEA!!!

What I'm reading now....

2011-09-08T11:12:00.004-05:00

So I finished Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. I have to reiterate my original blog posting on this book....this one is a complete RIOT! Let me put it this way....Don't read this one (specifically the last three chapters) on a plane or any other place where you are close to strangers.

When I boarded the plane to head to Minneapolis on Tuesday, I only had three chapters left. I was super excited to finish up the book and then it happened.... Chelsea made some humorous statement and I started giggling....I continued reading and kept giggling and got to the point where I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. At points, I was laughing so hard that I had to put the book down and look away to try to avoid snorting out loud or peeing in my pants (a very Chelsea thing to do I must add). SERIOUSLY...I was dying...on the plane! I could tell the lady next to me was very annoyed and I absolutely don't blame her. Anyway, can't wait to read another one of her books as they are beyond hilarious. I only recommend this one (and likely any of her books) if you are not offended by vulgarness though.

After finishing this laugh-out-loud book, I moved on to something more serious....

Its subject? It's a satirical novel about the suburb town of Mapleton. At the heart of this book a “Rapture-like phenomenon” takes place in which millions of people vanish one day, leaving their friends and families unsure how to respond. But, was it "the Rapture"? It seems to have been a "random harvest," with Muslims, Jews, atheists and homosexuals (not to mention J.Lo, Vladimir Putin, Adam Sandler and the pope) among the disappeared. Plenty of irritated super-devout Christians are still hanging around here on Earth, along with all sorts of bewildered ordinary folks. Sound good??? I'm actually having a hard time putting this book down. Tom Perotta is a great writer. Some of his well-known books are Little Children and Election. I should be done with this one soon and look forward to giving you the full review.

At last...a weekend at home (so I thought)...

2011-09-07T07:30:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was our first weekend to be home in WEEKS. Literally since 4th of July weekend we've either been on the road or had plans....non-stop I'm telling you. So we were uber-excited about having a full long weekend at home to enjoy family time and get organized (BTW...why is it that we're always in need of organization!?!?!?).

Well come Saturday, I was in a HORRIBLE mood (as hard as I tried not to be) and was not pleasant to be around....AT ALL! I rarely ever allow myself to get this way but unfortunately work pushed me to this point. So here it is Saturday of a Holiday weekend and I was hell on wheels. Nice! All I could think about were all my work deadlines and wondered how in the world I was going to get it all done. This formula resulted in one moody mommy! I think Clay kind of got the hint and on Sunday he decided to take the kids down to his parents in Baird in hopes this would give me the opportunity to work all day and get some stuff done. He's smart because he knew if the kids were home that I wouldn't get anything done and would continue to stress and be hell on wheels. Very intuitive I must say!

Anyway, they headed out Sunday first thing and I worked from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m then took a break to try to start getting the house organized. It felt SO good to get work items checked off the list. I woke up first thing Monday and worked more then organized more. Before I knew it Clay and the kids were back and we were able to have a very enjoyable Labor Day Monday!

It all worked out perfect other than the fact that I wasn't with Gaines or Lo on Sunday and I left yesterday for Minneapolis. When it's the evening or weekend, I want to spend all my free time with the kiddos so I hated this wasn't the case over the weekend. However, my guilt went away when I found out how much fun Gaines and specifically Lola had playing with their cousin Doss. It's been a while since we've gotten them together and they had a blast. So in the end it was all worth it for me (as I got TONS of work done and some stress unloaded) and the kids as they were able to spend time with cousin Doss. Here they are...

Lola and Doss move a bit faster than Gaines so I hear he had a hard time keeping up. But, Clay did capture one photo of Gainesy and Doss playing with a ball.

Hope everyone is having a fab week! I already can't wait to get back home to the beautiful weather Austin is having...lower 90s...OH HEAVEN!!!

An Elsley must have ....

2011-09-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

We MUST get this Fish Hotel Fishbowl for our little Elsley! How cool is this tank?!?!? It's like the Soho Grand of fishbowls. If you gotta have a fishbowl then this is the one to have right?!?!?!?

Elsley has really become a part of the family. We love him and his little personality. Yes, I'm talking about a fish! But, seriously, he wags his tail around when you go up to him and tries to communicate with us...in a very fishy kind of way.

I almost killed him last week and I went in to complete panic mode. I was changing his water out and refilled it with water that was too cold. Before thinking I put him back in his bowl and felt he was possibly freezing to death...literally he froze and wasn't moving...this wasn't like Elsley. We immediately put him outside in the heat to get the temp of his water down and since it was 109 degrees, that didn't take long. He was alive and kicking this morning so we're all good. Would have hated to lose him!

Enamored by...

2011-09-02T07:14:00.002-05:00

This week I'm really enamored by the following...

Themis Mobile by designer and illustrator Clara von Zweigbergk. I know lots of people about to have babies and this is a perfect modern mobile.

Eames children's elephants created by none other than Charles and Ray Eames as they were fascinated by elephants. How fab are they?!?!? Great to sit in a child's room, living room, outside, etc. They are big enough for kids to sit on and light enough for them to move around. I love these!
I'm also enamored by this fashion statement...

The 60s and the 70s had absolutely the best hair dos. I'm loving that the trend is coming back. Bangs. Check. Now I need to grow my hair out so I can have a fab pouf like this. I'm also loving/enamored by her makeup. Simplicity at its best. I feel the following outfit would go right along with the bang/pouf hair style...

OB-SESSED with this Polynesian Princess Romper. I've been all about rompers this summer and plan to take them into Fall. This ones on sale now so I may have to add it to my romper collection!

To top off the hair and romper, you must add this Spilling Chains Necklace and the Dara Ettinger ocean's floor ring. LOVE!!!

Finally, we can't end this without presenting a fabulous pair of shoes to help tie the whole outfit together (b/c this is my vice right?!?!?). How great would this outfit be with this Miista Naia Heel!?!?!?

I know summer is quickly winding down (although the heat isn't) but slip on a cardigan over the romper (I would pair it with a bold animal print cardi) and VOILA you have yourself a groovy fall outfit. Oh...It's all so Carrie Bradshaw and I'm enamored by it....

AND one more thing I'm enamored by and this one is a BIG one. We did the whole cry it out thing with Gaines and we've gone a full 5 days without him waking up. Sleeps from 8:30 p.m. until 7:15 a.m. YAY! EEEE-NAMORED!!! Why didn't we do this 8 months ago????

Everyone have a great Labor day weekend. I'm off to Minneapolis next week and then Chicago the following for work but then should be on the ground and stable for a few weeks (other than a few Dallas, Houston and Marfa trips planned). Will be nice to put the suitcase away for a while!

Wedding Bliss - Part II (Dream Wedding)

2011-09-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

I realize this blog is very much delayed but it seems I'm just now getting to my Wedding Bliss - Part II blog which of course is a continuation of Wedding Bliss - Part I...better late then never I guess.

I'm dying to somehow make this wedding a part of my life...so much so that I've thought about this in great detail....Clay and I could get a divorce only to re-marry the next day (probably not the best of options right?!?!?) or we could renew our vowels (liking this but we just missed our 10 yr anniversary which would have been the ideal time to do it) or we could have a Halloween party where Clay and I are the bride and groom and everyone else is either in the wedding party or are wedding guests...hmmm...what to do...what to do????

Anyway, check this wedding out featured on the Green Wedding Shoes blog....I die!!!

Seriously cool couple. Check out her turquoise shoes and his totally hip shorts suit. Ummm....and what about their groovy friends and their outfits. LOVE!

Styling & Design: sitting in a tree // Photography: Joielala Photographie // Florals: Tend Living // Truck & food: MIHO Gastrotruck // Videography: Austin Hendrix Productions // Hair Accessories: Lo Boheme // Hair & Makeup: 10.11 Makeup // Furniture: Personal collection & Archive Vintage Rentals // Clothing: Personal collection & Bad Madge // Jewelry: Shel // Bowties & Ties: Tux and Tulle

These shoes are made for walking...

2011-08-31T08:51:00.010-05:00

Over the past month or so I've invested in some shoes for the baby boy in hopes they would help him get up and at 'em and start walking. Not so much. However, one day last week Gaines randomly grabbed his little push cart we got him for his birthday and started walking across the room. We went nuts! Up until that point, he has shown absolutely NO interest in walking. The days following this excitement he actually took one step when he was trying to get from the coffee table to me on the couch. I thought we were on our way to walking but now Gainesy boy has decided he's not very interested in the whole walking thing after all. I mean...he won't even stand on his own. Although he could if he wanted to, he prefers to squat and get into the crawl position. I guess I don't blame him because he is a mover and a groover when it comes to crawling. So here's how it normally goes...

He's standing and kind of liking it...

He's decided to go for it and take a step...

And he's done! Time to get down in the comfortable position...the crawl!

BTW...Are you loving the Toms or what?!?!?!?

I also have Gaines some white converse that I love pairing with bright colored striped socks. And, here's another one I couldn't resist.

You seriously have never seen something quite as cute as these little Natives on Gaines. L-O-V-E! These are actually his favorite scoots. As you can tell, I'm pretty much obsessed with shoes...whether it be for me, Lo or Gaines and I have a REAL hard time resisting all shoes, boots, flip-flops, etc. A vice I have I guess. Speaking of vice...I'm also dying to get this Puma for Gaines...

I'm going to wait until he's officially walking before I invest in this one. You know how fast their little feet grow so I can't get too out of control. Plus, as much as I love shoes, I still LOVE a barefooted baby!

What I'm reading...

2011-08-30T08:35:00.005-05:00

It took me longer than normal to finish my last book which was The Help. I've had so many people tell me how much they loved it and some even say it was their "all time favorite book". But, for me, it was a tough read. Not because it wasn't good...because it was....mainly because it was super depressing. A story that needed to be told no doubt but it was very heartbreaking from my standpoint. And, to be honest, in parts of the South, things haven't changed just a whole lot which makes it even more depressing. Over the weekend, a girlfriend told me since I've finished the book I have to go see the movie but I'm not sure I can put myself through that. I find myself avoiding any movie that can bring a tear to my eye! I know I'm missing out on a lot by taking this approach but I just can't help it.

With this, I had to lighten things up. So I started reading Are You There, Vodka? IT'S ME, CHELSEA by Chelsea Handler.

Let me just tell you...this book is a COMPLETE riot. I mean the title alone...HIL-ARIOUS! I'm not necessarily a huge Chelsea Handler fan but I'm still loving the book and will likely be a huge fan from here on out. To be honest, she reminds me of me just a bit (minus her laugh-out-loud humor)...I think it's her thought process when she gets herself in a "pickle"...I seem to always get myself in some sort of "pickle" (like Chelsea) and when I do I have a similar thought process as Chelsea. Anyway, this book is fabulous and worth reading if you want to have a good laugh.

One Charming Party

2011-08-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

I love to check in on the One Charming Party blog! Two moms who love crafts and party planning started this blog a few years back. There are so many fun projects I'm dying to do with the kids and so many great party ideas. Here is a project I want to partake in with the kiddos asap.

Water Party: Sponge Ball

How cute are these sponge balls?!?!? I just think this is such a great /easy project to do with the kids then run outside to play in the pool. I know Lo will enjoy making them and Gaines will love playing with these sponge balls in the pool as he's all about balls right now. Absolutely can't wait to give it a whirl! Will post pictures once we do.

We went to the lake this past weekend to hang with friends. Lola has really become super confident with her new swimming skills. By yesterday afternoon, she was jumping off the doc into the lake and swimming around all without a life jacket. Gaines also LOVES water. We have him a little infant jacket and he dives in and tries to swim like the big kids. He loves putting his head under water and all. I think we have another little swimmer in the works as we speak.

Lo in Rag

2011-08-26T08:33:00.004-05:00

I don't believe I've told yall the story of Lo's most recent hair cut. I was getting real tired of her long stringy hair mainly because she would never let us brush it. Every morning it was a screaming fight to try to get her hair to a presentable point. By the end I said "screw it" she can go to school with a rats nest on her head for all I care. With this, I've been DYING to get it cut but daddy bear loved it and didn't want to get it cut (let the debate begin!). He says "Some people pay money to try to get their hair to look like this." Meaning, un-brushed kind of wavy hair. I'm not so sure about the paying money part but I get what he's saying...people try to get the whole "natural" look I guess.

Anyway, I got to the point where I was fed up and one day I decided to get the scissors out. Lo said she wanted it as short as Gaines. Luckily, since I'm not Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and I don't take a comment like this to heart as she's only 3 1/2 and doesn't really know how she wants her hair I don't think (If you remember, when Shiloh Pitt wanted her hair short like her brothers, they cut it). So one day when Lo got out of the bath, we sat there and cut her hair. I was trying to get it to where it was all one length not realizing how much I was cutting it. I chopped away and once I was done I went into PANIC mode because I really chopped it and didn't realize how much until it was a done deal.

It may be hard to tell from the pic but this is a few inches of hair. Although I miss her "long beautiful hair", I'm getting used to the new cut now and kind of like it. I also know it will grow better now. Lola loves it and will now let me brush it which is nice. I'll have to post a pic of the "new do" soon!

On another note, Lola recently moved up to a new "big girl" classroom at school and I've never seen a little girl happier. She wakes up ready to walk out the door immediately to head to school. This morning she said "Mommy, I'm going to smile all the way to school today because I'm so excited!" How cute it this! She's always loved school but this move has taken it to another level. She can't wait to get there and doesn't want to leave. She also asked me this morning if "Madison could come over this weekend to play?" so it looks like we'll have to get a play-date in the works. After only a week in this class, she's already learned so much. It's actually amazing! She can now identify most of her numbers and is almost there with her letters. She's also learning to write which is all new to us so we had to get the tracing paper out last night like they do at school. Love seeing Lola so happy and learning so much!

Everyone have a fab weekend! We're off to the lake for hopefully a relaxing weekend with friends.

Toodaloo!

It's all about the Texas tuxedo!

2011-08-25T07:39:00.001-05:00

I'm dying to pull off the "Texas tuxedo" look this fall and winter. Bring on the cool weather because here I come. Now...when I say "Texas tuxedo", I'm not referring to this kind...

But, something more like this from The Satorialist.

Or, these looks from Free People.

I've also been on a hunt for the perfect fun ankle boot to spice up the good ol' Texas tuxedo and I'm loving these two options...actually obsessed with both of them....

I saw these Sam Edelman Petty animal print boot in the August issue of Lucky mag and fell in love with them.

Or, I'm also loving this stripe Jeffrey Campbell boot...literally LOVE!

Tough call on this one! And, my boot obsession continues....

On another note, if you're reading this blog, you know I've been in NYC this week. And, if you watch any TV, you know there was an earthquake on the East Coast this week. Yep! I experienced an earthquake....ABSOLUTE CRAZINESS!!!

This trip my client was on Wall Street right across from the Stock Exchange. We were on the 10th floor and all the sudden felt the building shake and keep shaking and keep shaking. I locked my eyes on my work colleague across the table and was thinking "OMG....is this normal?" Then I realized it wasn't normal and my first thought was "It's a terrorist attack." I didn't think it was our building being attacked but I thought it may be a building close and we were feeling it but then my mind kept spinning..."What will happen next? What floor are we on? What do we do? Do we run downstairs? If we're not able, can we jump out the window if it is an attack? Not an option as we're on the 10th floor...WHAT DO WE DO???" After what seemed to be 20 + minutes but was probably only 20 seconds, my colleague said to me "This is not normal!". I just sat in silence thinking of my kids and family. We quickly found out it was an earthquake. Although I was relieved it wasn't a terrorist attack, I still was thinking I would rather be on floor 1 rather than floor 10 just in case there were aftershocks. I toughed it out and stayed but it took my heart about 1 hour to slow down and stop bouncing out of my chest. THIS my friends is an experience/feeling I will never forget!

Oh how I miss you...

2011-08-23T06:42:00.008-05:00

NYC

I'm here...in NYC and here are just a few things I miss:

The people.
The cultural diversity.
The style. Everyone has style regardless if they have a "fashion sense" because in NYC, every one's personal style is considered "a style" without even trying. I love this!
The food. I'm even super excited about getting a bagel with creme cheese from one of the local street vendors tomorrow morning.
The smell of the subways. Weird I know. But, as I jumped on the 1 train and switched over to the express 2, I felt like I never left...like I still live here and am a true part of the City. For a moment, I wished we still lived here...I wished I was heading home to our walk-up apartment....until I saw a mother carrying her infant stroller up the subway steps...yep...that all went away and I'm happy we're in Austin!
The buildings.
The architecture.
The history.
The crisp blue skies.
The flowers. I love that all the flowers at all the local markets. I wanted to grab a bundle for my hotel room when I was walking back last night. I stopped myself as I realized this may be a little much!
The weather. When I landed in NYC at 2:15 p.m., it was 77 degrees. It was 78 degrees in Austin when I left my house at 5:00 a.m. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. In Texas, you would not consider walking out of the house without shorts or a sundress on only...in NYC, everyone is in jeans and cardigans. Oh so nice!
The shopping.
The friends. Looking forward to dinner with them tomorrow night.
The feeling you have when you're here. Indescribable!
The hustle and bustle.
The sounds. I slept with my window open last night and it was amazing! The sounds of the breeze between the buildings, the cars, the people talking/walking...I'm way up on the 16th floor and felt like I could hear it all....like I was in the moment with all the sounds in the City.
The energy. This city makes me feel like there is still hope for this country....for this world.

I decided to do something different this trip. I'm staying at the World Trade Center. I've never stayed downtown but I'm absolutely enamored by it! As we are coming up on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, I feel so much staying here....being here! I think of all those lost and where we are today. How it's changed all of us who watched it on TV and those who lived through it. For the good....for the bad...I don't know...but we've all changed.

I truly love NYC!

The bane of my existence AGAIN!

2011-08-22T07:01:00.002-05:00

Gosh...I can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted a blog. Needless to say last week was insane. And the bad news is this week will not be any better. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting at the airport right now waiting for a flight. My 7:00 a.m. flight was canceled, I had to switch airlines and now I don't leave until 9:30 a.m. Unfortunately, this will really set me back this week as I won't get to my audit until much later than anticipated. At least this gives me time to post a blog and then I'll get an hour or two of work in before it's time to board. Oh the life of a traveling Mama...

Guess what's back?!?!?!? The bane of my existence...THE BOTTLE! If you don't remember this from child #1, see The Bane of My Existence Part I and Part II. Yes, there were two parts. Looking back at those postings, I couldn't help but giggle. Boy how I've changed. I was so obsessed with the whole "cut your baby off the bottle at 12 months because that's what "they" say to do" thing. It's funny seeing my obsession over it. Now I can think clearly and know that my children will not walk into kindergarten with a bottle in hand so it's not such a big deal if Gaines doesn't want to let go of his bottle at 12 months. PHEW...one thing less to stress about!

Even though I'm not obsessing about this particular issue, I can already tell you this will once again be "the bane of my existence" because, like Lola, Gaines is super attached to his bottle. Both my kids never took to a pacifier, blanket, doll, etc. I tried hard with both of them with a blanket and/or doll by rocking them with it, putting it in their crib, etc but neither one of them were interested. But, the bottle....oh the bottle they love oh so much!

Angle 1

Angle 2

It doesn't matter which angle you look at the baby boy...both ways it's VERY clear he loves his bottle. Gaines will take a sippy cup but they are not his preference when he wants to get serious with his la-la-la leche....only the bottle works in these serious situations! My plan is to start weaning him over the next 6 weeks. After trying several different sippy cups from Target and HEB, I've finally invested in the Think Baby and Born Free cups. I figure since these are his favorite bottles, maybe it will make the transition a little easier.

Definitely will need him weaned by October 26th as that's when his new baby cousin (Porter Davis Rope) is due to arrive and I will need to hand the bottles back over to Aunt Beans and Uncle Adam for the new addition. As usual, I'll keep ya posted!

So many updates for you but not sure if I'll get to them this week due to the hectic work schedule. We just got back from a long weekend with the family down in New Braunfels. Floating that river is my idea of heaven...SO much fun! Lola, Gaines and Curry are all "river rats". They loved it! Lola was able to put her new swimming skills to use and is already drastically improving. We'll continue to practice as we're heading to a swim party then the lake this coming weekend. I'm telling you...it's NONSTOP around here! It seems we never stop blowin' and a goin'....

Enamored by....

2011-08-12T08:23:00.010-05:00

Today I'm enamored by the fact that I went to the doctor earlier this week for my much dreaded annual obgyn visit and an appointment that should have taken one hour took three hours. First off, I've been rescheduling this appointment since January. I know this because the last time I went for my regular post-having baby 6 month check-up, my doctor (whom I LOVE) basically DEMANDED that I stop breastfeeding as it was causing too much stress (if you remember, Gaines never latched so I was spending half my days pumping...going insane). She also demanded I come back in two weeks to confirm I had in fact stopped breastfeeding and for my annual. Since I didn't stop as ordered I continued to delay that appointment. Then, when I did stop (VERY hard decision and only stopped because my pump died and I thought it was a sign...even though I don't really believe in signs...I cried and cried), I continued to reschedule due to my busy work schedule. Little did I know it would only get worse!

So come Tuesday when I had an appointment scheduled, I yet again called to reschedule but they wouldn't let me. Yep! Basically, demanded I come in so I was forced to go....ARGH! The appointment was interesting to say the least. My blood pressure was so high that my doc walked in saying "What in the world is going on?" So I let it all out....works insane, still no sleep, screaming kids, traveling constantly for work, traveling every weekend due to non-stop plans, etc. She spent the next hour lecturing me and telling me I have to get some things under control. She also confirmed that the light headed/nauseous feeling I get everyday is likely due to the high blood pressure. In addition to all this, I confessed that I was having baby fever....her eyes opened up very wide and she DEMANDED that I absolutely could not have another baby right now until something gives in my life and then DEMANDED I get on a birth control (I'm thinking she didn't trust me). Of course, since my blood pressure is so high, I can't be on a birth control so she is using another method. I'm telling you...she wasn't letting me walk out of that office without some sort of birth control! Finally, I had to get blood work done to see if something else is going on causing this blood pressure issue, fatigue and all the other.

So, that's what I'm enamored by this week...the fact that my health is now officially being affected (Or is it effected??? Never have been able to get this one straight.) by my very stressful life. Yet, I still have to go on with this life and meet the deadlines, wake up with the kids, etc...it's not like I can just run away from all of it to take a sabbatical. BTW....when I was pushing for the 3rd child thing I told her..."Think about it...if I get pregnant then I know I have a 3 month sabbatical just around the corner (a.k.a - maternity leave) ...maybe that will help my stress"...she did not fall for that one. As a matter of fact, she looked at me like I was completely insane...frankly, I probably am!

Now, on a good note, I'm also enamored by this dollhouse...

Is this 1970s dollhouse rockin' or what?!?!?!? The artists/maker is Christopher Cole.

Lola is all about dollhouses right now. I'm dying to get her a fabulous house she can use to play with her Erikas. Lo has three dolls she named Erika. She's always looking for them saying "Where are my Erikas?". She also sleeps with them every night. The current dollhouse she has was a Christmas gift from her Tia Molly, Tio Ben and cousin Doss. I love this one because she was able to color and paint it to make it her own. However, the Erikas don't fit in this house.

By Kidsonroof

I've been scoping this dollhouse from PlanToys for a while. Every time we go to my favorite baby/kid store in Austin, GaGa, Lola plays with it the whole time so I know she loves it too.

Now, what I would really love is for Clay to design and build her a groovy dollhouse but I'm not sure he has time on his hands to dedicate to this! In the meantime, I'll keep searching for the perfect dollhouse for Lo Bear!

Who knew the "enamored by..." theme could go in so many different directions!?!?!? I'M LLOOOVING IT!

A Must Have!

2011-08-11T06:04:00.010-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything fashion related. It's probably because at this point, I'm only throwing on the same dresses over and over and rarely even add accessories due to the extreme heat. To be honest, until yesterday (I had a lunch meeting), it had been weeks since I even put on make-up. I guess I'm going with the "all natural" look this summer...is this still a trend??? If so, I'm right on!

Earlier this week my two favorite catalogs and favorite fashion magazine came in...Free People, Anthropologie and Elle. I still had a hard time really getting excited over anything (although it is all fabulous) as it's all Fall stuff and I just can't bring myself to get even remotely excited and inspired by Fall wear....maybe it's because it will be at least November before we can start wearing any of it?!?!?! The good news about my daily dresses I'm wearing now is they're all dresses I love and I want to transition them into the Fall. So when I came across this pair of boots, they immediately caught my eye and I thought "I MUST HAVE!".

Ancient Inklings Boots

I was absolutely obsessed with boots last Fall/Winter and feel I will be obsessed again this year. Even when I think of the dresses I'm throwing on every day....These boots would be great with all of them. So, although we'll likely still be dealing with very warm weather in October, they could help me transition some of my Summer dresses into Fall wear. SO EXCITED!!! Oh, but wait....I first have to figure out how to afford them...hmmmm!!!! Maybe an early Christmas gift??!?!?

Speaking of boots....

I got these last year from Anthro (an early Christmas gift) and literally wore them EVERY DAY last Fall/Winter and through the Spring. I was heartbroken when I finally had to put them away in late May. I'm still loving them and they will absolutely be in the mix again for this Fall/Winter. You can tell I wore the hell out of them and their also nice and dusty...must have been a concert or something...I'm kind of liking the dusty look...blends in perfectly with my dusty floor!

Anyway, hopefully I can start getting inspired by Fall looks soon but if not, I guess I have my boots!

P.S. It's only 6:15 a.m. and I've already received a Instant Message and a phone call for work...craziness!!!

Play Me, I'm Yours

2011-08-10T07:40:00.004-05:00

Back in April, when you went around town, you would notice pianos placed randomly on the streets of Austin. This was a public art display which was part of the “Play Me, I’m Yours” exhibition by artist Luke Jerram which was sponsored by the Art Alliance Austin. It's an international tour which started 2008 (ends September 2011 in Tilburg Netherlands) where 400 pianos were installed in cities across the globe, from New York to Sydney. There was nothing better than taking a jog across the pedestrian bridge at the lake at 6:30 a.m. and coming across someone playing the piano. I loved it and wish it was back. There is a new art exhibit out there now for us Austinites which I'll post shortly but in the meantime, here are some pics from around town of the fabulous "Play Me, I'm Yours" exhibit:

Photography by Peter Tsai.

Gotta love Austin! REALLY....you gotta!

Welcome Elsley!

2011-08-09T09:02:00.010-05:00

This is Elsley! The newest member of the Odom household. Lola picked Elsley out all on her own after visiting two pet stores....she was very particular about exactly which fish she wanted. Elsley was a reward for completing swim lessons last week. Granted, he's not the parrot she originally wanted but he'll do. We actually like him a lot! Lola feeds him every morning and evening and is constantly going to check on the little guy. For a fish, he's quite social which is nice and he's very pretty. Lo also picked out all the decorations for his little tank. He has a pretty cool pad I must say!

Now on to the swim lessons.... I struggled with when and if I should do the swim lessons this year. I finally decided if I was able to get into Gwen a.k.a "The Swim Whisperer", that I would do it. Miraculously, she just so happened to have a cancellation and one last open spot in August.

Going into to the lessons I wondered how in the world Lola would learn to swim over a four day period with only 15 minute lessons a day. The friend who recommended her swore by it so we thought we'd give it a shot. The first day was pretty torturous for all of us. It was basically filled with screams...NON-STOP blood curdling screams. I must preface, Lola LOVES water and always has....she will swim away with her floaties on but typically doesn't swim with her head under water. The first day was filled with Lo being dunked...not fun! Come day two, Lola was screaming that she didn't want to go to swim lessons and continued to scream all the way into "The Swim Whisperers" arms but within minutes she stopped and she was swimming on her own. I have no idea what Gwen was saying to her but whatever it was, it was truly amazing to see Lola swimming like a fish after only 20 minutes of lessons. By day four, Lola was jumping into the pool and swimming to the side. I'm telling you...absolutely amazing!

Now Lola LOVES to go under water. She has to have her goggles on of course. I'm going to make sure to take Lo to the pool at least once a week if not more to practice the new swim moves. I'll also take Lola back to Gwen next summer to learn technique and I think I'll go ahead and start Gaines. Here's some pics from last weekend in Baird of Lola using her new swim skills...
BTW...if you want to get into "The Swim Whisperer", she opens her schedule up on January 1st and by January 15th, she's booked for the entire summer. So, it's really miraculous that we just so happened to get in this summer. YEA! It was well worth it.

It's Monday...NEED MUSIC NOW!!!

2011-08-08T15:05:00.006-05:00

Well, it's Monday and it's beyond INSANE over here! I have mass amounts of tension in my shoulders/neck (really can't explain the tension I'm feeling right now) and I've already almost hyperventilated no less than two times due to the stress at work....literally my head starts spinning and I feel like I can't breathe...NICE!! After this happened the first time, I took it upon myself to scarf down four brownies in hopes this would help me feel better (as if I'm diabetic having some sort of attack or something). Instead, I'm now on a sugar high...HELP!

Oh, did I mention on top of everything else going on today, I also accidentally called 911 this morning?!?!?!? Yes. Here I am sitting on a conference call with my BOSS and see a policeman cruising up to my front door. I quickly prefaced to my boss "A cop is at my door...if I'm arrested, it's only for an outstanding ticket I forgot to pay (note: forgot to pay due to the mass amount of work which allows me no time to take care of things in my personal life) and not for anything else". Luckily, I wasn't arrested...just accidentally called 911 when trying to call Clay's 917 # dialed too quick and pushed 911...Yep!

Anyway, THANK GOODNESS I have something to look forward to tonight...MUSIC MONDAY! Clay and I are heading to The Decemberist show tonight at Stubbs. SUPER PUMPED! Oh do I need a couple hours to decompress with one of my favorite bands.

Here they are (some of my fave men and woman) playing Don't Carry It All (note to self) from The Kind Is Dead album.

Say what you will about The Decemberist (I know there are a lot of haters out there...can't quite figure out why...I personally think it's a "trend" to hate them...), but their new album is phenomenal!

Enamored by...

2011-08-05T08:37:00.006-05:00

So, one of my favorite blogs has a "Loving..." day. Basically, she posts things that she's "Loving..." that particular week. I too am constantly coming across things that I'm "Loving". Most recently, when I was on a search for Gainesy a birthday gift, I found so many toys, books, etc for both babies and toddlers that I was absolutely "loving". But, since my fellow blog friend already uses the "Loving..." title, I figured I shouldn't be a copy cat and decided to change it up a bit. So, I'm going with "Enamored by...". Granted, not as good as "Loving..." but I'm still "Loving" "Enamored by..." too.

Here are some of the things I'm "Enamored by..." when it comes to the kiddos.

Animal Masks - There are so many reasons why I'm Loving...oh wait...enamored by these masks. One, their adorable and two, you can also get creative with them in so many ways. You can keep them as is or have the kids paint or color them to make them their own.

Animal Alphabet Wooden Puzzle - Again, these are great for so many reasons and are good for a 1 yr old or 3 1/2 year old or older. All kids love to play with wooden things (Gaines specifically would love them because of this). Toddlers love puzzles (Lola specifically would love them because of this). And, they're also perfect for Lola as we're working on learning her letters now. This is a fun creative way to learn the letters!

Double Rainbow Maker - This is my FAVE!!! It uses two crystals that spin in opposite directions and makes a multi-rainbow display of dancing colors around a room. It has a suction cup so you can stick it on the window. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! And I know Lola would be absolutely fascinated by this. She just recently asked how rainbows were made...I let Clay answer this one. Santa Claus will definitely be bringing this one to her this year (Yes. Already planning ahead for Christmas...craziness!).

Playshapes Building Blocks - Lola loves playing with blocks. I specifically love these blocks because they're a little more unique and allow any toddler to use their imaginations and be creative with the shapes.

Tegu Discovery Set - We got these last year for my 2 yr old nephew for Christmas. This will be on the Christmas gift for Gainesy this year. I think they are great for any age but probably perfect for those little guys who are still trying to develop motor skills. The blocks magnetically connect and inspire creative play.

Wooden Fishing Play Set - How cute is this! Enough said right?!?!?!

I could go on and on but I must stop now. All of these fab items above are from the MoMA Store which I'm obsessed with....check it out!

Hope to have more blog time next week. We had a huge week. Lola completed swim lessons...YEA!!! More on this to come...

Have a fab weekend all!

Happy Birthday to Gaines!

2011-08-03T17:42:00.010-05:00

Guess what today is???? GAINESY's BIRTHDAY (...and President Obama's)!!!

I can hardly believe our little baby boy is 1 yrs old today! Un-believable...REALLY!!! Wow how he's changed our lives (all in a good way of course)! Over the past year, we've been confronted with many challenges (two vs one child (Yikes!), no sleep (again), endless ear infections and visits to the doctor (painful for all of us), picky eater (hard to get this child to eat anything other than cheerios, feta cheese (no this is not a typo) and pizza), jealous sister (Oh Lord!), losing baby weight (leave weight...LEAVE!!!), etc) but there have also been countless happy times that have come along with the challenges. And boy how much our little guy has changed. They really do grow up way too fast. Before we know it, he'll be too old to rock to sleep...NO!!! I'm sure that's when I'll insist on another one (wink, wink)! As Tina Fey would say "I have a top notch baby with whom I am in love. It's head-over-heels "first love" kind of thing because I pay for everything and all we do is hold hands." I laughed out loud at this one! Think about it...this statement is SO TRUE!!!

Happy Birthday Gaines! We love you more than anything in the whole wide world!

A visit to the museum...

2011-08-03T08:34:00.007-05:00

We went to Dallas last weekend to hang with friends and family. On Sunday, Clay took Lo to the Kimbell Art Museum to see the Picasso and Braque exhibit. Lola absolutely loved it and had strong opinions on which pieces of art she preferred. I'm not surprised as this child has strong opinions on everything these days! Here are some pics from their visit.

Lola loved the sculptures. I'm not quite sure what this pose is she's busting out with?!?!?!

Absolutely love the simplicity of these photos.

The museum visit and Picasso exhibit was perfect timing as Lo's favorite book right now is When Pigasso met Mootisse.

Since grabbing this book at my fave book store Book People, Lola and Clay have also been looking at one of his Picasso books every evening and talking about the pieces in great detail. This little girl really seems to love art which is great. I hope it sticks with her!

An "I'm a terrible mother" moment...

2011-07-29T08:38:00.007-05:00

Luckily, I haven't had one of these moments in a while. A point where something happens and I think "Am I a terrible mother?". Well, yesterday, unfortunately, I had one of those moments...

It's been an absolute hell of a week with work. I've been beyond buried with deadlines. Deadlines that I wasn't sure and I'm still not sure I'll get done. Yesterday was a big day to really make some headway so I could leave today to tie up some of the final edits to get a report out to a client. Then it happened! My phone rang and Nursery popped up. I knew it was about Gaines as he had been running a slight fever earlier that morning (I blamed the fever on a new tooth, pumped some Motrin into the baby boy and sent him off to school). As I was cranking along finally making some good progress on my report, the first thought that went through my head was "Maybe I just don't answer it". Then I quickly realized this is absolutely not the right thing to do. So I answered. And, yes, Gainesy was running a high fever and they asked me to come pick him up.

Oh hell! I went into complete panic mode. The first thought that popped in my head was "If I leave now, there is no way I'll have enough hours to get this report done". What do I do??? I have so much work to do and this is setting me back. What do I do??? I couldn't call Clay because he too had a huge deadline and took one for the team Wednesday night to let me work. What do I do??? Seriously, what do I do??? I thought maybe I'll just work for another 45 minutes and then go grab him. Then it hit me...."OMG...Am I a terrible mother or what?!?!?!?!?". Here I am choosing work over my sick child. This is horrible. Why would I ever consider doing this and then I had this thought...

I stopped what I was doing immediately! I sent an instant message to a work colleague and did something I've never done before...ever....I asked for help! As I was asking for help, I was apologizing profusely and telling her how much I appreciate her helping me under the circumstances. Her comment to me was...

Amy: Thanks so much for your help. I really can't thank you enough.
Work friend: No problem. And by the way, baby first, job second. I'm here to help. I don't have any babies except Homer and he's a dog so it doesn't count
Amy: I know...it's so bad that automatically I feel the need to deal with the job. He's in really good hands up there though.
Work friend: I know. I also understand. Our job can eat us up sometimes.

So, with the help of a work friend, I put my baby boy first (which I should instinctively do right?!?!?) and went to pick him up. When I got home, I put Gaines in the baby swing (which he's way too big for BTW) in hopes that he would be content and let me work for a bit. I couldn't believe I was still doing it...choosing work...but I had so much to get done. Then, once again, I had another "I'm a terrible mother" moment. I immediately stopped what I was doing and gave my full attention to Gaines for the rest of the afternoon.

Later that day, after having all these "I'm a terrible mother" moments, I loved that I received this email from my sweet aunt.

I luv ur blog. U need to be a "writer".... I so wish I could take a "bite" out of G & L cheeks... They are adorable... I do mean this... u r great parents.. U and Clay are definite "soul mates"; u both are so talented and keep the challenges going... Luv u both, Your aunt in Plano.

Perfect timing Linda. Thanks for the message! I needed it yesterday more than any other day.

Ok. Off to get this big deadline done (Will I get it done???). Hope yall all have a fab weekend!!! Toodaloo!

Photographer in the making????

2011-07-28T07:11:00.001-05:00

If your toddler is anything like mine, they probably love to play with cameras not realizing that a camera is actually not a "play thing". Lola has had her time with our Canon Elf snapping pictures (See photos below). Of course, I always fear she's going to break something on the camera or change some setting which I'll never be able to reset again (Like she's done with my blackberry every time she gets her little hands on it...one time it was so bad AT&T couldn't even figure out what she did and I had to order a new one...) or delete photos, etc. We have several trips coming up so I thought it was a perfect time to get Lola a camera of her own. After researching, I think this Holga Camera is absolutely perfect for her.
Why this camera?!?!?! 1) Because it's plastic and I think a toddler camera should only be plastic for obvious reasons. 2) Because it's only $29.99 for black or $48.00 for colored - I ordered Lo's in turquoise and it's absolutely adorable! and 3) Because it takes film. I know in our digital world this sounds weird but I think it will be fun for Lo to snap her pictures and then we can take a special trip to CVS to get the film developed. She'll love seeing the pictures printed out. Yes, you can do this with a digital camera too but I think it will be a better experience using the old school film method.

Here are some of Lo's photography moments:

I would say she has a pretty good eye...wouldn't you?!?!?! This should be interesting to say the least but we'll have a ton of fun in the process!

The playhouse of all playhouses...

2011-07-27T07:12:00.002-05:00

How fabulous is this playhouse designed by the Slovenian firm Ravnikar Potokar.

Our neighbors grand-kids will frolic in their big beautiful back yard and they'll run over to their playhouse that backs up to our yard and will play for hours. Although it's just kids playing, it seems so magical. Who knows what goes on in the playhouse or what's going through the kids minds. I'm sure their imaginations are taking them to some fantastic place whether it's a tea party with imaginary friends or a superhero tucked away in his home. I've put Clay on a mission to design/build a playhouse for our little guys so one day they too can let their imaginations run wild in their own fabulous playhouse!

Summer time fun!

2011-07-26T08:35:00.011-05:00

Here are some pics from yesterday of summer time fun out in the sandbox! The kids love being outside....even with this heat. Gainesy also LOVES his sister and wants to do everything she's doing which can result in lots of screams if Lo doesn't want him in her business.

Scenario: Gaines swoops in to play with Lo's sand creation. Lola screams "No Gaines!" and Gaines screams right back because he wants to play too. It's non-stop. I'm glad he loves his big sister so much!

Gaines is always right by Lo's side.

Now he's reaching for something...she's not going to be so happy about this!

I think Lo shooed him away so it' time for him to find something else to play with on his own. What will he find????

Awe. Perfect. A leaf. Gaines loves showing you his finds and handing things to you. He's also big into pointing right now. This leaf will likely be in his mouth shortly.

See! What did I tell ya?!?!?! Leaf in the mouth! Is it good Gaines???

Not so much!

Wish I had more but this is it for today. Big work week ahead of me again...NEED. A. BREAK. ASAP!

Music festivals that are a MUST!!!

2011-07-21T09:27:00.015-05:00

This has been a big year for music festivals and we have really been taking advantage of them. I would say attending music festivals is one of our favorite things to do. Although we've already had a great year of music, I hardly can believe some of the best is still to come. Here are some upcoming festivals we'll be attending. If you too love music festivals, well then these festivals are a MUST!!!

We struggle with ACL. Last year we decided to go with a 1-day pass and we couldn't decide what to do this year. We finally decided to take a risk and we went ahead and bought 3-day passes. Thank goodness our risk paid off because the line-up this year is phenomenal. Some of the featured artists are: Arcade Fire (Already saw once this year and it was fabulous!), My Morning Jacket (love the new album), Bright Eyes (Already saw once this year and can't wait to see them again), Iron & Wine (One of my faves...one of the best shows we went to last year), Cold Play (Say what you will but I like them and excited about this one and hope to catch a glance at Gwenny), Stevie Wonder (random I know but hear great show), Social Distortion, Broken Social Scene (Love...always wanted to see) , Ryan Bingham & the Dead horses, TV on the Radio (Already saw this year but excited to see again), Ray LaMontagne (Already saw this year but will be great to see him in this atmosphere), Kanye West (Yes, I will be at this stage), Old Crow Medicine Show (Already saw this year at the RRT but will go again), Delta Spirit (Already saw this year with their collaborative group...super pumped about this one actually), Allison Krauss & Union Station , Court Yard Hounds...ok...I'll stop...but you get the point...it's going to be a great year for ACL and we're super pumped!

Next up....

The weekend after ACL, we'll be heading back to Marfa for the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music & Love. We'll be camping out at El Cosmico again. The line-up hasn't been announced yet but we hear Patty Griffin is one of the performers and I'm sure Amy Cook will be there too. More to come on this one!

Next...

The Utopia Fest is in the West Texas Hill Country. Some of the featured artist at this festival are Blitzen Trapper (one of my faves that I've been dying to see) and Dawes (Will be the 3rd time to see them this year but may as well do it again in a festival atmosphere right!). This is another festival where we'll be camping. This will be our first year to attend this one but it should be fun.

And finally...

The Fun Fun Fun Fest is in Austin the weekend November 5-6. Some like this one better than ACL but I'm not sure about all that. The line-up hasn't been announced yet but will let you know when it is.

So there they are....my recommendation for the must attend music festivals remaining in 2011. Hope to see you there!!!

Embrace your inner hipster...

2011-07-19T06:35:00.001-05:00

I love my hubby for so many reasons...he's uber talented designer and artist, he's driven, he's super intelligent (like no other trust me), he's a phenomenal father, he's such a fun person, he's passionate about those things he cares about most, he's supportive on all levels...this list could go on and on! But, one of my favorite qualities Clay has is the fact that he is completely "in the know" about all things fashion....especially women's fashion. I'm not sure if it's his past experience with designers like Luca Luca and Gucci or some of the many fashion boutiques he's designed such as Standard Style in Kansas City or the sheik V.O.D boutique in Dallas...regardless...he's definitely "in the know".

This can really be handy for me. I love fashion and Clay always pushes me to take my fashion to the next level. When there is something I'm not so sure about, he'll make sure and push me to take it there. I love this! It's like having my own personal stylist in the house.

This also holds true with my hair-do which technically is an accessory right?!?!? Anyway, around the time Gaines hit 9 months big 35 was looming in my future and I hit yet another major existential crisis. I hadn't lost all my baby weight, I hated my hair and my face looked horrible/old. It was super traumatic for me.

When I hit this point, I didn't linger and allow myself to get all in a funk...I made a decision to do something about it ASAP. First, I was going to run my heart out. And I've been doing this consistently and it's paid off as I'm now officially back to pre-baby weight this week. YEA!!! I would like to lose another 15 lbs to get to my goal weight (which I have not seen since I was 18 years old). I seem to be losing about 1.5 lbs a week so should be there soon. Woohoo!!!

Next, my face! I had to do something about it. Luckily, right when I hit the crisis mode my mom just so happened to have bought me an entire Estee Lauder aging kit (hint,hint,hint...) filled with the face wash, lotions, etc. Let me tell you...it's made a HUGE difference. It's actually amazing the difference it's made! Of course, I went from never washing my face to a routine with a great product so it was pretty easy to show an improvement I guess.

Then, there was the hair-do. The same day I hit my crisis mode, I called my stylist at the totally hip Birds Barbershop and made an emergency appointment. She was able to get me in thank goodness! As I was sitting waiting for her to finish up her client, I sent Clay a text and a series of text messages began...

Amy: Do you think I should cut bangs?
Clay: Cat Power.
Amy: So, that's a "Yes"?
Clay: Cat Power.
Amy: Are you sure?
Clay: Yes. Embrace your inner hipster....

For those of you who don't know Cat Power, she's a fabulous musician that I have a sneaking suspicion Clay has a secret crush on (or maybe it isn't so secret).... Here she is in all her glory.

I loved this! I trusted Clay ....I did it and I have absolutely LOVED "embracing my inner hipster"....

Although not quite Cat Power, the new look has brought out a whole new me!

Of course, with the heat, it's not always feasible to have these bangs in my face which has helped contribute to my obsession with headbands. I have many I love, love, love and anytime I see one that's fun and unique, I'm always open to add it to my collection. Here are some of my faves which I wear daily.

Preview please!

I've also always had this thing with clips and probably always will. I was wearing them when they were cool....I was also wearing them when they weren't so cool....now I think they may be cool again but it doesn't matter because I'll continue wearing them when they are no longer cool. I guess you could say clips are "my thing"! Many times I just throw on a simple old school bobby-pin which is actually my fave but ever so often I'll spice it up. Easy accessory to funk up any outfit.

Please disregard the crows feet which I don't even need to use an arrow to point out as it's so blatantly obvious. The Estee Lauder face wash/lotions can only do so much. I'm thinking they can only be cured with botox. Although I've always said I would never go there, after seeing these pics I may reconsider. EEEK!!!!

I urge you too to embrace your inner hipster. It's an awesome feeling I assure you!

It's Camera Time!!!

2011-07-18T09:41:00.006-05:00

I finally have Clay on board with buying a better camera. We still have some ongoing debates but I plan to have them solved this week (OCD much!) as we're about to start a travel whirl-wind between now and October and I want to have radical pictures come out of these trips.

The battle: After several discussions with some camera connoisseurs (which even included a professional photographer) the ongoing battle is now between one of the Leica point & shoots or the Canon EOS. We already have a Cannon point & shoot so I'm pulling for the EOS. Since Clay won the last battle (Ummm....Volvo), maybe I'll win this one. You think?!?!?!

It would also be fun to invest in some of these groovy cameras from Urban (Seriously LOVE this store for so many reasons...more to come on this). Unfortunately, although I would love to have a plethora of cameras to play with (or for Clay to play with), it's not in our budget. ARGH...always the budget!!!

How fabulous are these!?!?!?

Clay and Lola came home with this book the other day and have been glancing through getting ready to make there own pinhole camera.

Pretty cool I must say! Off to Kansas City today. Toodaloo!!!

Wedding Bliss - Part I

2011-07-15T08:20:00.013-05:00

We've been in the middle of wedding bliss. It's fun seeing all the new love birds tie the knot with hopes of having only pure joy together for the rest of their lives (What is it they say????..."until death do us part"...aahhh). After 10 years of marriage, we know marriage is not all joy but at least if it's joyful 95% of the time and you're able to work through the problems then that's a success in my opinion.

We've been to two weddings over the past 6 weeks and have another one still to come. I must debut all the wedding photos including my dream wedding which I found on a fabulous blog that literally makes me want to renew our vowels so we have an excuse to have this exact wedding (Just. Wait. It's AMAZING!). More to come on all this along with a fabulous engagement party for my cousin that was absolutely perfect from every angle. With all the wedding fun surrounding us these days, there will be a few phases to the Wedding Bliss blog postings.

For the Wedding Bliss - Part I post, I thought I would post some pictures of our neighbors, Mark & Ari's, wedding. The wedding was in South Austin at a groovy place called Mercury Hall. A perfect fit for our very laid back totally hip neighbor friends. I loved that the ceremony was far from traditional. It took place outside under huge oak trees and was perfect. The bride & groom had each of their parents present a poem which was all very touching. After the ceremony, we hear the reception was a blast....drinking, dancing, pinatas...an all night party. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay long as it was close to Lola and Gaines' bedtime and they were getting fussilicious. Considering we were the only ones there with young kiddos, we figured we wouldn't spoil every one's fun with a couple of crying kids and made the decision to head out early.

Here we all are before the wedding. THANK GOODNESS for my anthro dress I bought for the Miami bound wedding because it's been well worth the money so far.

Look at the Twinkies! Clay asked if I planned this. I would like to say I did but I actually didn't. However, I absolutely love how their outfits turned out. Too cute! We'll have to make sure to coordinate these outfits together again.

My adorable little Gainesy. OH....he is the love of my life (other than my fab hubby and beautiful daughter). I would love to give him a big kiss right now!
This is the new face he loves to make. Always makes me laugh when he scrunches his little button nose up like this.
I'll take this smile any day! Lola absolutely LOVED the wedding. When we were heading there she asked if Ari would be wearing a crown. She was completely enthralled when Ari came walking down the aisle in her wedding dress and veil. She was a beautiful bride!
After the ceremony, sweet Ari gave Lola her bridal bouquet which was very special for Lola. She carried them around proudly for the rest of the evening!

That's it for today but hope to be back soon with more wedding fun. Weddings really do make me happy. I'm off to Kansas City on Monday but will be back soon with more updates!

Happy Weekend (Can't believe we finally made it here...too bad I have lots of work to get done this weekend not to mention a house to get in order....ARGH ARGH ARGH)!

Stella Sale!

2011-07-14T10:47:00.017-05:00

Gotta love Stella! I know I do. I keep waiting for her to design another line for Gap. It was so adorable and I still try to cram Lola in some of those outfits even though they are size 18 - 24 months!!! Anyway, since there likely won't be another line at Gap for a while (or at least not this season), I'm pretty pumped that she's having a 50% off sale on her original line. Check it out!!!

Minnie: smocked dress - $38.00

Emma: bloomer and top - $44.00

Horrace: striped print sweater - $31.50

Back tomorrow with pics/updates of the kiddos. Sorry I've been bad with this lately...you know...camera/upload issues. ARGH!!!

Making Ikea yours...

2011-07-13T16:16:00.007-05:00

Fliffa is a Brooklyn-based studio that customizes IKEA furniture. What a great idea! I'm wondering if I could pull this off. You would think right?!?!?! Would love to do something like this for Gaines for his upcoming birthday!

Ikea Ekorre Rocking moose - Before

After via Fliffa designs

TIME...Where are ya when I need ya!!!!

Keep it moving...

2011-07-12T14:52:00.006-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm moving too much and don't give myself enough downtime. However, I find when I give myself downtime (which is rare), I tend to get in a funk. That's why I like the saying above....for me this holds very true.

It's only Tuesday but here's a quick recap of some of the movin' and groovin' going on around here....Yesterday - Woke up at 4:15 a.m. to catch 6:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh. Got stuck in Atlanta. Didn't land in Pittsburgh until 3:30 p.m. Missed my 2:30 p.m. meeting. Rescheduled the meeting as a "working dinner". Presented report in about 2.5 hours. Headed to hotel around 9:00 p.m...although beyond exhausted couldn't sleep...couldn't sleep....last look at the clock 12:06 a.m. Alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. (that's 3:45 a.m. Central...Ouch). Caught cab at 5:30 a.m. Caught flight at 7:25 a.m. In Houston at 10:40 a.m. Back to Austin at 12:38 p.m. Went to lunch with the hubby. Back to the office. Conference call in 15 minutes. Then another after that. Pick up kids. Take Lo to gymnastics at 5:15 p.m. Ready for a cocktail but not going to happen as I'm no longer drinking during the week (At this point, the no drinking during the week is not sounding like a good idea). Have to wake tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. to meet some folks for a 5 mile run at 6:00 a.m. Long day full of work deadlines. Playdate at Stacy pool with one of Lo's school friends. Thursday will bring more running (getting geared up for marathon...Woohoo!!!) and more work. Same on Friday. Birthday party at 11:00 a.m. Saturday for an adorable 1 yr old. Heading to Fredericksburg after that to hit the horse races. Staying the night. Back Sunday. Clean house. Laundry. Get ready to start another week. Monday back on a plane again. Off to Kansas City for a meeting. Back Tuesday night at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday morning head to Dallas for meetings. Visit family. Back to Austin Thursday night. Friday morning up early. Heading to the coast for the weekend with friends....I HOPE TO SEE SOME DOWNTIME THERE!!!

Happy Week!!!

Railroad Revival Tour 2011

2011-07-08T08:08:00.001-05:00

Well, since I didn't get any pictures downloaded last night I guess I'll go ahead and finally post something on our fab Marfa trip. LOVED IT!!! And already can't wait back to go back in September....Now onto the star of the show...The Railroad Revival Tour - I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE EXPERIENCE WE HAD AT THIS CONCERT!!!

Yes, I just put that in all caps for a reason. Literally, this was a mind-blowing experience that I'll never be able to explain in words. I'll just try to keep it simple and sum it up in one word...MAGICAL!!!! Yep, I think that does it! Even to this day when I think of the show or watch the videos below or listen to one of the band's CD (yes, we still buy CDs...crazy people we are!), I get chills and want to be back in that moment. A moment I didn't ever want to end. Unfortunately, it did and now I'm left to tell the story so here it is....

The Railroad Revival Tour - Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show embarked on a tour "unlike any in recent memory". They traveled across the Southwest over the course of a week to six unique outdoor locations along the route- starting in Oakland, CA then to San Pedro, CA, then to Tempe, AZ, then to Marfa then to Austin and finally the ended the show in New Orleans. The best part was they traveled by train in vintage rail cars. There was talk everywhere that this was a once in a lifetime show to see and it all lived up to the hype. (Side note...on top of seeing AMAZING bands, I was also able to stare at Jake Gyllenhaal most of the concert. Yes, he was there and YES he is hot, hot, hot! Supposedly he hoped on the train in San Pedro without a bag and traveled on the train the rest of the week with the crew. Gotta love it!)

The bands! Man are they fabulous! Although I thoroughly enjoyed Old Crow Medicine Show and truly appreciate them as a band and like their music, they aren't one of my "favorite" bands. Again, that's not to say the show they put on wasn't great (especially Wagon Wheel) but I just wouldn't throw in one of their CDs and listen to it over and over. Now, with that said, two CDs I would (and do) throw in constantly and obsessively listen to are the new ones from Mumford & Sons (LOVE LOVE LOVE....OBSESSED OBSESSED OBSESSED!!!) and Edward Sharpe (LOVE LOVE LOVE and obsessed but probably not quite as much as M&S...well...maybe:)). Hopefully one day I'll be able to give these two bands their own blog because they deserve it!

With all that said, let the fun begin. Man, it was hard to choose which video to play so I just chose several....get ready for some flutters in the belly.

Old Crow Medicine Show performing Wagon Wheel

Mumford & Sons performing Little Lion Man

Edward Sharpe & the Magnificent Zeros performing Home

The finale where all bands came back for an encore and performed Amazing Grace.

I seriously didn't want this show to end. What a perfect way to end your week with these videos though. Have a good one!

We love Jesse Knish!

2011-07-07T09:24:00.014-05:00

As usual, I have so much to update you on and once again I haven't stayed up to date on the happenings...hmmmm. Seriously...if I don't post daily then I'll miss something...crazy good times around here. BUT, I'll get it done soon. I have great photos from our adventurous weekend to Krause Springs with friends (PHENOMENAL place). Plus our visit to Gruene home of the yummy Gristmill and of course Gruene Hall and the river. Finally, Mark & Ari's wedding (our cool neighbors) at Mercury Hall (totally cool joint) last weekend. This is just the past two weeks. All so much fun! Of course, I don't have any of the pictures on hand as my lovely hubby is hoarding them. I'll make sure to grab his camera tonight and try to get a hold of all the pics.

In the meantime, I have to post this video put together by our good friend, Jesse Knish, who just so happens to be a fabulous photographer. He used our photo shoot from back in December. Such a sweet surprise! I love it! Thank you Jesse!

The kids (especially Gaines) have changed SO much. He's almost 1 yr old...CAN YOU BELIEVE!?!?!?!? I know I can't. You wouldn't believe how much more he's started doing over the past two weeks. They grow way too fast!

Speaking of this video....Jesse used a song I love from one of my fave bands - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros....more on these guys to come...they are amazing!!! The song takes me back to the lovely memories of our Marfa trip and the fact that I STILL haven't posted any pictures or given yall the lo-down from that trip (BTW...we're going back to Marfa in September for the Trans-Pecos Festival of music and love at El Cosmico...tickets were purchased yesterday...WOOHOO!!!) . In addition to the beautiful scenery and friends we made on that trip, we also saw the best concert I've ever seen. It was really a once in a lifetime experience that we'll never forget. Would give my left foot to see it again. More on this to come....possibly even a video...I mean I have 30 of them from that weekend. Off to work now...

School pics have arrived...

2011-06-30T08:49:00.011-05:00

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!

2011-06-29T09:54:00.008-05:00

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

2011-06-24T05:35:00.003-05:00

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!

2011-06-23T08:00:00.004-05:00

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

2011-06-22T08:00:00.012-05:00

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!!!

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Back in Techy mode!

2011-06-20T09:00:00.007-05:00

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!

2011-06-10T08:48:00.006-05:00

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!

2011-06-09T09:18:00.008-05:00

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!

2011-06-07T09:00:00.006-05:00

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!

2011-06-06T13:32:00.007-05:00

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....

2011-06-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

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!

2011-06-01T07:30:00.011-05:00

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!

Hola Lola

The Bolder the Better

TGIF

Back to the grind!

Happy 2012!

An obsession with print on print!

DIY bags & wrapping paper

Rainbow bright!

Santa is coming to town...

Through the eyes of a child

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

iRetrofone = Love

Lets talk about scarves...

A movie under the stars....

Image / logo ideas

Enamored by...

A Halloween to remember...

Old shoes turned new shoes

A baby is born!

Enamored by...

Coffee table turned chalk board

Free People + Austin Style = Fashion Frenzy

Utopia Fest Recap

Dots + Blitzen Trapper

Life is a present...

A visit to the Fair!

Fashion Friday - 100 Years/Style/East London

The Happiness Project

Fashion Friday

We're all about tents around here...

I'm in a funk!

When will fall arrive????

Lord help us...it's Monday!

Trans-Pecos Festival of Music and Love

A little girls dream...

What I'm reading now....

Supereditions!

ACL is upon us....

Bright jean...YES!

Gaines walking...

What I'm reading now....

At last...a weekend at home (so I thought)...

An Elsley must have ....

Enamored by...

Wedding Bliss - Part II (Dream Wedding)

These shoes are made for walking...

What I'm reading...

One Charming Party

Lo in Rag

It's all about the Texas tuxedo!

Oh how I miss you...

The bane of my existence AGAIN!

Enamored by....

A Must Have!

Play Me, I'm Yours

Welcome Elsley!

It's Monday...NEED MUSIC NOW!!!

Enamored by...

Happy Birthday to Gaines!

A visit to the museum...

An "I'm a terrible mother" moment...

Photographer in the making????

The playhouse of all playhouses...

Summer time fun!

Read more...

Music festivals that are a MUST!!!

Embrace your inner hipster...

It's Camera Time!!!

Wedding Bliss - Part I

Stella Sale!

Making Ikea yours...

Keep it moving...

Railroad Revival Tour 2011

We love Jesse Knish!

School pics have arrived...

It feels like a Kebabalicious kind of day!

Oh Darling, Lets be Adventurers

Bye-Bye big grand hopes!

Tiny Dancer

Back in Techy mode!