What I Wore Sunday

Back to our regularly scheduled What I Wore Sunday over at Fine Linen & Purple.

I'm super on the ball this morning, huh? The faster I get this up, the faster I'm back in maternity sweats. So yeah, you could say I'm a pretty motivated person.

I like wearing this she's-not-pregnant outfit to Mass 

so when I turn for The Peace...

I can watch people's double takes.

I'm back to my old (navy) ways, again:

Sweater: Old Navy  Can't find the black/grey version

Black Pants: Old Navy

Boots: Blowfish 4-5 years ago

Black Undershirt: Liz Lange from Target

Scarf: made by your's truly

Have a good one.

7 Quick Takes

A Christmas Miracle! I'm writing a Quick Takes post (the first time ever). And I'm choosing to do it after a 2 week Christmas-Extravaganza internet-hiatus. Surely the perfect atmosphere to keep things quick and random, right?

1. We've never lived close to our families, so Christmas morning has never been in front of our tree, with just our family. Instead, we choose to open gifts the day we leave for the holiday. This year it was December 15th. The girls get to open gifts from Momma & Papa and Santa drops off a gift wherever they happen to be on Christmas morning. It's not the ideal situation, but I don't see any kids complaining...

2. I'm super excited about adding a boy to the mix of cousins & second cousins. Totaling each of our sides, there are 24 girls in Joan & Charlotte's generation and only 9 boys. These don't show everyone, but just look at all those girls!

3. Joan & Charlotte had plenty of baking time with their grandmothers and though their diets for the last 2 weeks pretty much consisted of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and lots of scary dyes, I'm sure they'll live. At least until next Christmas...

4. The gift on the left is for Jude (my husband for the last 6.5 years & boyfriend for 1.5 years before that). The gift on the right is for Jason (my sister's boyfriend for a year). They're both from my parents. That's all. You make your own conclusions... 

Kidding, Mom. We know you love Jude!

5. Two questions: Does your mall have awesome things to do like bungie-trampolining, train rides, and indoor playgrounds like the one where my parents live? and Why am I always pregnant for the fun stuff?

You know, just dancing on a stage for the food court.

6. It might be too late, but this is our What I Wore To Christmas photo and we're all conveniently in coordinating colors.

6b. An appropriate time to sneak these in, too.

We really missed having Art & Chloe there, but are so happy to welcome their new baby Henry to the family!! 

7. It's not a Christmas post if you don't include a photo of Baby Jesus or Santa, so here goes...

Merry Christmas and check out everyone else's more appropriate Quick Takes over at Conversion Diary!

He sure is proud to be a boy,

but he could use a lesson in modesty.
We are so very, very excited!

Can't be playing favorites

Charlotte got her own Cinderella version.

(I'm very much in the way of her viewing pleasure.)

I considered ironing it for the photos, 

but since this is how they treat my masterpieces, why bother?

Making things make life better

I really hate dress up. The large canvas bag that holds gobs of polyester and tulle stays locked up in the closet, never to be mentioned, until some little girl begs long enough.

But instead of crushing someone's apparent "dream," I found it in my kind soul to create an outfit that:
A). I don't mind looking at
B). is comfortable & minimizes complaining
C). qualifies as appropriate to wear to Wal-Mart
D). won't tear to shreds in the washer and
E). aids in saving planet Earth (repurposed from old t-shirts)

I gathered inspiration from these, but was overwhelmed by Belle's dress, so I couldn't even look at how the peasant top was supposed to be constructed. I just started cutting and pinning and things worked out.

I went with the mid-calf approach so that it wouldn't be too long for Charlotte

and so it hopefully fits them both for more than a month.

Your majesty.

What I Wore Sunday

I managed to do it. An entire outfit without one single item from Old Navy.
Is that applause I hear? Oh, thank you.

If I were a teacher, I guess I'd wear this.

In anticipation of the "I couldn't see your belly"
comments and emails, I give you proof.

I thought I was doing my standard 20 week photo.
Turns out I'm only 19.

Dress: Gap from the local consignment store
Cardigan: Mossimo from Target
Tights: Berkshire Maternity tights - reasonably priced & reasonably comfy
Boots: Piperlime circa 2008
Necklace: Jude bought this for me at the Porter Flea Craft Fair last weekend in Nashville, but doesn't remember the vendor.

Head over to Fine Linen & Purple to see what everyone else is wearing. And I've forgotten to mention Bonnie's Advent Series that you should be checking out, too. I was the guest blogger yesterday, but she's had and will have much better posts, so make sure you catch up!

Verbatim

Charlotte: What's this book?

Me: It's about Jesus being born.

Charlotte: No... the manger

Me: What's a manger?

Charlotte: uhhhh

Me: It's where Jesus was born, like I said.

Charlotte (skeptically): I guess so...

Joan: I tooted... and it smells the same as yours, Papa.

Joan: I don't like this song. Let's do another one - just not rock 'n roll...

Joan: These are the rules of the fancy dinner: Eat your food, don't make a mess, and be pretty!

Joan: Wow, Momma. Now your belly's bigger than your breast!

You're not crazy.

I am.

St. Nicholas's Feast day is today, the 6th.

Not on the 5th, like I thought.

So, may your celebrations be merry and your calendar be tidy.

Christmas is still on the 25th, right?

St. Nicholas came to town

The girls were so excited to dig into their stockings this morning. One year they'll remember that he almost always brings the same stuff: chocolate coins & new toothbrushes. Guess their tiny brains can't remember all of 2010 & 2011. Well, those years are a bit of a blur to me, too.

Adorable pjs courtesy of Nanny Chloe & Uncle Art

"toothbrushes are legit!"

Cinderella, her "bay-vrit"

I hope I never lose the link to these coin images 

and that Dollar Tree never stops selling them.

And because today's not just about them, we brought our gifts to the church 

for a family in need, in honor of St. Nicholas.

What I Wore Sunday

I might start titling this What I Wore That Came From Old Navy, but I won't. I think that's against the rules.

I literally (and I mean literally - not like when people use this term so loosely, they actually mean kind-of-sort-of. "I literally ate like 10 pizzas!" No you did not. You probably ate half a large. So settle down.) stayed in pajamas until 25 minutes before Mass.

Not a big deal? Mass was at 5:30 p.m.

But I changed into this frock right before and yes, I'm wearing jeans (not black pants like they appear) which you're only allowed to wear to Mass if it's the late college Mass. If you show up to 9:00am or 11:30am in denim, you'll be sued for whiplash. Actually, I like that everyone dresses up here, but why does it have to be so extreme - the ladies in the morning are wearing designer dresses, but the ladies (ok, sorority girls) in the evening are literally (yes, literally) wearing oversized t-shirts, Nike running shorts, and tennis shoes, maybe even Ugg boots. But I digress.

No time for outdoor pictures. 

It was already pitch black by the time I got dressed.

Shoes: Old Navy

Skinny Jeans: Old Navy Maternity

Shirt: Old Navy non-Maternity

Cardigan: (Just so it wouldn't be all ON) Mossimo from Target

Necklace: My dear friend Jill made this for me

Check out her awesome Etsy Shop for other handmade goodies!

To see what everyone else is wearing, check out Fine Linen & Purple.

Our First House

It may seem like I just reused this photo from last year, but I assure you it's not. It's a whole new picture with a whole new perspective.

Because tonight, when hanging a memento of our very first home - one we loved and were proud of - we hung our praise and thanksgiving on that branch, too, because it's finally not our house anymore, but hers.