Dress Like a Girl { September Challenge Link Up}

Wow, the end of September is upon us and October looms on the horizon. Did you complete the September Challenge ?

I used the challenge as catalyst to remove my husband oversized tee’s and old boxers from my pajama drawers and replacing them with comfy, feminine, girly things.

My first purchase a silky gown found on the clearance rack at my local Wal-mart. It was a mere $7.00. The first night I wore it, hubby commented on how “soft” it was, and kept touching me all night. :-)

Since I sometimes get cold with bare legs, I also purchased a pair of pajama bottoms and cute sleeping tank.

These two items together only cost m $10.00 – again, a big hooray for the clearance rack. While I bought new items to wear, the challenge is not about running out to stores to replace what you have. Perhaps you have a pair of long forgotten girly pj’s or a smokin hot nighty for the early days of wedded bliss. Dig them out, put them on, and celebrate being a girl.

Now it's your turn! Share a picture, or a story...tell us how you did!

Grab our button, and link up your September challenge post!

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Don't blog? Don't have time for a whole post? You can just add your photo to my Dress Like a Girl Flickr Pool or tag/post it to my Facebook Wall! We'll be featuring one person (and their blog!) next week when we announce the October challenge!

Please Remember:

- Please link to your post or photo on Flickr not your main blog

- If you post please include our button or a link back to this post

- Try to visit who linked before you and tell them how cute they are!

18 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

You are now 18 months old….nearly 19 months old as Mama took a little to long to get around to posting this. But better late than never. Here are your stats for this months:

• You are 40 inches long and weigh 24 pounds.
• Clothing sizes are all over the map for you. Since you are long and lean, you can wear anything from 12 months to 24 months. For example, on Sunday you wore a dress that was size 6-12 months. Today you have on a 24 month top and 12 month shorts. 
• You are now wearing size 5 shoes and should be in size 6 by the end of the year.
• You have 10 and a half teeth. There is another tooth on the bottom that is attempting to come in – we can see it but it has yet to break the skin.
• You are still in size 3 diapers….and I am thinking you are going to be in those sizes for quite some time.

Your vocabulary continues to grow. This month you’ve learned to say “Sit down"’, “Come on”, “Up”, and “Hold Me”.

You are learning the names of the various people in our life – both friends, family and schoolmates.  You still love music and dancing.  Whenever you get frustrated, I often turn on your kids music cd and the tears stop immediately.

This month we have started weaning you off of your “pap”.  We went from having it all evening, to just a bed time, to only in the car, to not at all for the last few days.  You are still finding a few stray paps here or there (I wonder how many we bought over the last 18 months), but we are usual able to take them without incident.

You are starting to assert your independence – wanting to pick out your own shoes, dress yourself, or climb into your own car seat.  We are both proud and dismayed by this – as it is a reminder that you are growing up.

We love you to the moon and back!

~Mama and Daddy

Five Minute Friday: Joy

Today I'm linking up to Lisa-Jo aka gypsy mama, who chooses a topic every Friday and writes for five minutes.

Only five minutes.

Today's prompt is joy…..

 

Here I go.

 

"I've got the joy, joy, joy…..down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart"

 

A chorus of 15 little voices belt out the words to this classic Sunday school song as they dance around our church's social hall. I wonder if they understand the depth of eternal truth that lies within those lyrics.

 

Do they know that joy is more than a feeling of happiness, of gladness?  Do they understand that joy is not temporary or fleeting?  Can they understand that joy exists even in the midst of troubles and trials?

 

15 tiny bodies dance around the social hall, bodies moving with abandon, grins stretching wide across rosy cheeks…..

 

While they may not yet understand all that joy is, it is evident that they are full of it.  And I will do all that I can to help them learn about the ultimate source of joy, our Heavenly Father.

 

And I will pray that they will come to find the source of joy everlasting, so that one day we can all dance before His Throne – and perhaps will sing those simple words "I've got the joy, joy, joy….down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart"

What I Wore: Wardrobe Formulas

 

Slowly but surely, I am relearning what items/colos/combinations work best for my body and my life. Additionally, I am developing a "formula" for quick and easy looks that I know will carry me thru the work day.  For me, that formula is trousers, knit top and either a jacket or cardigan. Here are two different looks that use that formula.

On Wednesday, I paired black trousers with a teal cowl neck top and a taupe cardi. I tucked in the top and belted the trousers to showcase my waist a bit more.

  Today’s version of the formula is simple greyish/black trousers, a patterned cowl neck top, and a cropped cardi.  I left the topped untucked for a little variety.

I think these looks is polished and professional without being too stuffy. Moreover, I could swap out the trousers for jeans/clam diggers or a skirt and have a simple mom-on-the go look.

Do you have a wardrobe formula? Perhaps, you have one or two go to outfits – looks you know will work and that do not require lots of planning?

Wordless Wednesday: Big Shoes to Fill

Dress Like a Girl Challenge: Revamping our Bedtime Wardrobe

 

September's Dress Like a Girl Challenge was to kick it up a notch in the bedroom.  When I am purchasing pajamas, I have a few factors that I have to take into consideration:

1. My husband firmly believes in sleeping in a cool room (think low A/C and a fan blowing), so I have to have pj’s that are warm.

2. I can not stand anything near my ankles when sleeping (weird I know) so pants are not an option.

3. I have an 18 month daughter who likes to pull and tug on my clothing, so I need tops that provide full coverage and are likely to stay in place.

A shopping trip over the weekend, led me to these little gems at my local JC Penney.

 

These mix and match tees and boy shorts, give me the comfort of my husband tee and boxers, but with a decidely femine shape. The $9.99 price tag meant I was able to stock up on several different options.

Hubby loves to see me in gowns – preferably silk – so I picked up the two gowns below….for a steal.

Source: JC Penney

Source: JC Penney

Melissa posted some great ideas on Monday. Go check her out and let us know how you’ll be revamping your bedtime wardrobe.

What I Wore: Feeling Patriotic

I suppose since yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th tragedy, I am feeling extra patriotic. This morning my eye was drawn to a navy blue blazer and a bright red layering tank. I wanted to pair the items with a tan skirt or camel colored trousers but I own neither of those pieces. Instead, I paired them with this pair of very light grey trousers.

In the week and a half since I began my little "project", I am learning to look at the items in my closet with an extremely critical eye. By doing so, I have eliminated items that I either a) didn't love or b) are not flattering to my body. Additionally, I am able to see where gaps exsist in my wardrobe and determine what pieces would be great investments.

Expect to see me purchase a tan skirt and camel trousers in the near future.

Thursday Thoughts: Ready for Another Baby?

I hold the fevered toddler in my arms, feeling her warm body curling into mine, her soft breathe blowing against my neck, closing my eyes I remember when this toddler was a tiny infant who loved to nap on my chest with her tiny head tucked under my chin. As I reminisce, I feel the faintest sting of longing.

I turn to M and say “ I want to have more babies with you”.

He smiles and says “Now…?”

“Yes” is my reply.

Fast forward a few days, and the toddler is healthy, whole, and running wild thru the house. M is on the tractor, mowing the weeds that are threatening to overtake our blueberry fields, and so I am left alone to cook supper, bath Joycie, fold a load of laundry, and prepare for the next day.

As the sun is setting, M comes home. Joycie has just sput out her a half chewed piece of chicken and is rubbing it into her freshly washed hair. Frazzled, I glance and M and vow “We are not having another child anytime soon.”

And so it goes, a constant back and forth of wanting to expand our family and desiring to keep it in its present form. I know in the deepest parts of my heart that our family is not complete - there is an empty chair at our kitchen table that I hope will one hold a rowdy little boy with his father’s green eyes and strong chin. Or perhaps it is where our 2nd daughter will sit, giggling with her sister over shared secrets and Daddy’s jokes.

But something is holding me back. I often wonder if it is fear – fear of another pregnancy, fear of how our family dynamic will change, or is it selfishness. It takes careful coordination for M and I to do the things we do with just 1 child, how much more effort would 2 require. Moreover, I am in the best shape of my life, and I am not ready to allow my body to be changed by pregnancy. And then there is Joycie – the apple of our eyes, the center of our world – who is day by day developing more personality, more spunk. I worry that another child would somehow shortchange her.

So we wait…..and pray….. for guidance to know when the right time will be, for the child that is yet to come, and for the sleeping toddler who is a blessing to us daily

What I Wore: Basic Pieces

 

This is not the first outfit that I put on this morning. I woke up with intentions of wearing an different top, pants, and cardigan. However, after dressing and living in the look I started to notice things that were wrong.  The top had stray threads from where the collar was unraveling, the cardi had a stain, and the pants are just too big.  So I put the items in a repair bin, a laundry basket, the donation pile and went to work finding something else to wear.

This outfit is pretty basic. It is just a simple sweater and dress slacks. To add a little oomph, I belted the sweater at the waist.  This look proves that you can take basic pieces and use them in new ways.

What I Wore: More Shades of Purple

 

I love suits as evidenced by what I wore yesterday. However, with a tiny upper body and a pear shaped lower body, it is often difficult to find suits straight off the rack that fit well.  Therefore, I often turn to seperates to create a “suit” look. This is the case with today’s look.

Jacket:  Worthington at JC Penney - $30

Lilac Tank: Worthington at JC Penney - $10

Pants: New York and Company - $40

Look at this picture, I notice that the pants are feathering at the hip area which normally indicates that they are too tight. However, this pair of pants fits me perfectly in the waist and hip area.

Do any of you readers have an idea on what could be causing the feathering?

What I Wore: Purple Power Suit

Tank: Bass Outlet - $3.00

Jacket: JC Penney - $6.97

Black Dress Pants: New York and Company $30.00

Dress Like a Girl {September Challenge}

I have an entire dresser drawer devoted to pajamas. When M and I first married, this drawer was home to silk gowns, lacey nighties, and a few items that were gifted to me at a lingerie shower.

Over the last 3 years, this drawer has come to house M’s oversize flannel pajama bottoms, his old ratty t-shirts, and a few of his worn out tank tops. I would like to tell you that M had invaded my drawer. However, the truth is that I am using his old clothing as my pajamas.

I tell myself it is because it’s more comfortable. After 8 to 10 hours in high heeled shoes, button down shirts, and power suits, I long for comfortable. But in all honesty, I have just grown complacent. I know that M loves me,finds me beautiful in anything I where, so I see no need to put forth any extra effort.

And that bothers me. And since Melissa agrees with me, we’ve decied to make the September Dress Like a Girl Challenge about ditching our husband’s cast offs and finding our own cute (and comfy) pj’s.

If you’d like to join us, then dig around in your dresser drawers, search thru your closets, and find a lacey nightgown from years gone by, or maybe swap out your usual pj’s for something cute and girlie. Melissa and I will be sharing ideas next week for cute, girlie, and inexpensive pajamas.

Weekend Recap: Football Season Begins

 

September means the end of summer and the start of college football season. While some will miss the hot sunny days of summer, I am excited about cool fall days spent tailgating and crisp fall nights spent in the stadium watching my beloved Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Tech kicked off their season on Thursday night – and M, Joycie and I joined my parents to enjoy the pageantry, excitement, and spectacle that is college football. I was even more eager to see how Joycie would react to football.  While we had taken her to the games last season, she was too young to do much but nap thru the games.

I had the camera ready and snapped this picture as soon as we walked into the stadium.  She was bit unsure of the noise, the lights, and the people.

  But she soon grew comfortable enough to prop up and wave at everyone who walked by our seats.

When the band took the field for the pre-game show, she stood stock still and then broke into a dances.

At the end of the first quarter, we made a concession stand run and Joycie enjoyed a bag of M & M’s all by herself.

At the end of the night, we danced in the stands as the band played our fight song.

  I will admit that Joycie did spend a good deal of time running up and down our aisle, climbing over the bleachers,  and trying to escape to climb the stairs – but all in all I think she did great. I am looking forward to seeing what she does at the next game.