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July 16, 2010 in Fashion, Food by Sara | 1 comment

I am very picky about my pajamas.

Clearly, this is going to be one of my more serious posts.

But now really. It’s hard to find just the right thing to sleep in. I have friends who solve that problem by choosing to sleep in nothing. I have a fear of the house catching on fire and me perishing because I’m too ashamed to run out of my house naked.

These are perfect. Light and cool and loose but not too loose.

The perfect thing to wear should you ever have to vacate your house in a hurry.

I’m making this tomorrow night for a little girl’s get together I’m throwing. Should be just the thing to cool us all down after the hateful hot and humid weather we’ve been having. Come on over and I’ll pour you one.

There IS Such a Thing as Being Too Skinny

September 30, 2009 in Fashion, Kids by Sara | 2 comments

Today we had part one of that wonderful experience I like to call pure and utter torture but most people would call “shopping for jeans for the kids.”

I call it part one because I could only bring myself to take Elena tonight. Part two with Katie still looms on the horizon.

I swear that dressing my littlest one is like trying to dress a toothpick. Her waist to length ratio is so far off that she is darn near impossible to fit. Fits around the waist? The leg length makes it look like she is afraid a flood is on the way. Fit’s in the length? If she’s not careful the darn things will fall to her ankles with the first step she takes.

Yes, the adjustable waist is certainly a help. However, as Stacy and Clinton will tell you, lots of extra material in the crotch area just isn’t flattering on anyone. Not even an almost eight year old. And unlike her older sister, she actually cares what her clothes look like.

Do you hear that laughter in the background? That would be my mother. I, too, was toothpick-like in my build. And adjustable waistbands? Not even on the horizon. The best we could do were “slims” from the Sears and Roebuck catalog that were so stiff I could hardly walk. It must have had something to do with that extra reinforcement in the knees. That stuff that could withstand being dragged across the driveway and never even look like it was going to give way.

I spent a great deal of my elementary school years in polyester pants with elastic waits and a seam down the front.

I’ve always been a fashion plate, I tell you. There are pictures to prove it.

In the end we came home with four new pair from Old Navy. And a few less hairs on my head.

Tomorrow: An Update on Sam!

Opportunities for Growth

June 10, 2009 in Fashion, Marriage by Sara | 3 comments

After wearing a uniform for 20 years, JD is about to have to venture out into the world of fashion. This will not be an easy thing for my husband. This will not be an easy thing for my marriage.

In preparation for this tumultous time, I taped an episode of “What Not To Wear” featuring a guy that looked like he might have the same build as JD. I thought I’d lost him when the first outfit they suggested featured a purple polo type shirt. JD has an almost lethal allergic reaction to anything even remotely “preppie” and this shirt evidently fell into that catagory. Of course after almost 13 years of marriage I still don’t have a completely clear picture of what “preppie” means to my husband. I think he just throws it out there at anything he doesn’t like.

Given the fact that both of us felt a little frustrated with the other after just WATCHING a show about shopping (not actually DOING any shopping), I’m hoping that we’ll find a lot of stuff on sale.

We’ll need to save our pennies for all that marriage counseling we’ll need afterward.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

May 8, 2009 in Bloggable Moments, Fashion by Sara | 4 comments

I’m at the end of my rope with this crazy weather. We have not seen blue skies in these parts for seems like weeks. Actually it was 2 weeks ago. When it stopped raining and the temperature rose to 90 degrees before plummeting back down to the 50s and, you guessed it, it started raining again.

I’m feeling a little gyped. Spring is usually the most beautiful time of year in Northern Virginia. It is usually filled with lots of flowering bushes and trees and beautiful low to mid-70s days.

Instead, today I went into the grocery store and the sky was dark, but clear. Ten minutes later I walked back out into a torrential downpour that left me soaked from the neck down.

Why only from the neck down, you ask? Did I have an umbrella handy?

Of course not, but a good Southern girl will do whatever she can to save her hairdo.

This may or may not have involved me putting a plastic grocery bag over my head and running like crazy to my car.

My pants might have become completely see through, but every hair on my head was bone dry.

I’m Beginning To Dread Weekends

April 27, 2009 in Fashion, Health, Sports by Sara | 2 comments

It seems as though we have started a pattern.

Every weekend someone has to get hurt.

There is a history of this in my immediate family. For years we dreaded the 4th of July. Without fail something would befall one of us kids. One year I burned my hand badly, another year my brother had an encounter with the sharp end of a board that may or may not have been partially my fault.

Last weekend, Elena got kicked by a horse.

This weekend?

Remember that Katie is playing on her first softball team?

And that she is playing catcher?

Well, see that ball headed toward her glove? Evidently even at age 10 the pitcher has enough oomph behind her throws that if you put your ungloved hand up before the ball smacks nice and secure into your gloved hand, you can do damage to said hand.

She complained about her little finger a bit and because I am a kind and concerned mother, I told her to put some ice on it, gave her some Motrin and returned to whatever I was doing.

And then when it looked more swollen this morning I sprang into action by giving her more Motrin and more ice.

Then I made her practice piano.

Turns out her songs have a lot of notes requiring the use of the right hand’s fifth finger.

Oh, and when one of my friends suggested that it might be broken, I promptly poo-pooed her.

But then I went upstairs and found Katie behind her closed bedroom door with big old tears in her eyes. She looked at me pitifully and said, “Mama, it really hurts.”

Yeah, I guess it did.

Cause it was broken.

Her piano teacher is going to be thrilled. I’m steeling myself for a scolding. Piano teachers sometimes don’t understand parents who put their children’s fingers in harm’s way.

Luckily it looks like she’ll only be out of commission for a week.

I can’t wait to see what next weekend has in store!

I Heart Flowers

March 20, 2009 in Fashion by Sara | 3 comments

I don’t know if it’s the little taste of spring we saw here a couple of weeks ago or what, but I am obsessed with flowers. Real ones and the ones I’m finding all over the catalogs. These are a few of my favorites so far.

This tee makes me long for the days when I could wear such flimsy things without worrying about bulges of any sort.

Listen to me all ye young women under 35. You will never be as firm as you are right now. Make the most of it.

How about we throw this cute cardigan over the top. (Another JCrew find)

Side note. I once painted my kitchen this exact shade of orange. While it is lovely in this sweater, the same can not be said for a large space full of appliances.

If I hadn’t just watched my 401K fall to new lows last week (I know the market rebounded this week but I think it’ll just get my hopes up if I look.), I’d buy this clutch from Boden and carry it every day.

And I’d wear these shoes and be happy.

I’m pretty sure this skirt might make me forget my bitterness about the cold rainy weather outside my door right now. Who could feel sad wearing something this cute?

I’ve found the cure for seasonal depression right there in the Boden catalog.

Pharmaceutical companies all over the globe just shuddered.

But here is a shot of my favorite spring flowers. And these didn’t cost a thing.

Now head on over to Big Mama for some real fashion advice!

Bet they don’t have this size at The Gap

February 27, 2009 in Family, Fashion by Sara | 2 comments

One of the things that was high on our list of things to do while in New York City a couple of weekends ago was to find a next great pair of jeans. I have several pairs of jeans but only one that holds my heart in its dark wash, just a touch of stretch hands. I bought them about 3 years ago and have absolutely gotten my money’s worth. I agree with the advice of Big Mama. Buy your self a good pair of nice fitting jeans and you’ll never regret it.

So Ann and I decided that NYC was the perfect place to find such a superlative pair of denim.

We shopped around at a couple of store and didn’t find just what we were looking for. Everything was just a touch off.

But we were not disheartened. We knew we would prevail if only our legs could hold out from all the walking and Ann didn’t fall off her shoes again and hurt herself.

We wandered into a promising store called “Maire” or “Marie” or something like that. It had several pair of cute jeans in the window and shelves and shelves of every shade denim imaginable. Surely we had come to the right place.

Ann wandered off to one side of the store and a very young guy came over to me and asked if he could help. After getting the specifics from me, “mid-rise, dark wash, not trying to look like I’m 25″, he pulled several pairs of jeans in the exact same size I had tried on in the last store and sent me to the dressing room.

I couldn’t get one pair of those things up past my mid thigh. I checked the sizes again. Yep, same as the last store. I sucked in everything I could suck in and tried again. Nope. Not gonna happen. And while I did some good eatin’ while I was there, I don’t think I gained 3 sizes in the space of an hour.

Clearly this store was for some mutant female type that only roams the streets of Manhattan and is the same size around her waist as she is around her ankles.

I walked out with my pile of jeans to find my sister laughing her head off at one of the other tables.

Turns out that after the young man sent me into the dressing room on my fruitless mission, Ann told him that she was also looking for some jeans. And since my sister has been blessed with what we affectionately call the “Blythe Butt” and is a little more voluptuous than her older sister in the derriere, she told this youngster that she would need something a little wider in the seat than what he had given me.

She said that he visibly gulped and sputtered, hemmed and hawed before saying,

“I’ll have to go get my manager.”

But before he left he pointed her to a table of jeans.

And this is what I found my sister holding when I walked out of the dressing room
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We just left laughing without even trying them on.

I’m pretty sure that if the “wide and full” size had gotten stuck at our mid-thigh, our self esteems might have suffered a fatal blow.

New York, New York

February 13, 2009 in Family, Fashion by Sara | 8 comments

My eldest and I are off to NEW YORK CITY (say it like these dudes for full effect )for the weekend. It’s our first mother daughter trip and we are going to have a great time.

Katie is beside herself with joy because we are going with her FAVORITE (emphasis hers) cousin, Sara and my sister Ann. Katie has told everyone in 3 states how excited she is. Having Sara all to herself is a dream come true for that child of mine.

We’ll see Phantom of the Opera tomorrow night and then see if we can score last minute tickets to something else on Saturday. We are going to feed them New York Pizza, real bagels, Dim Sum from China Town and an Egg Cream from Juniors. And that’s just the first day! We’ll be walking so much that we won’t even feel guilty.

I personally have been taking notes from Big Mama and What Not to Wear and plan on finding some of those shops that Clinton and Stacy frequent. However, without their gift of the $5000 Visa card, there is a really good chance that I’ll be doing mostly window shopping.

Full report on Monday.

I don’t know how you’ll be able to stand the suspense.

Don’t feel bad for our youngest. She and her daddy have a full weekend planned with lots of fun stuff. She’s not the least bit sad to have him all to herself.

Have a great weekend!

Spring is in the air

February 6, 2009 in Fashion by Sara | 6 comments

Well, actually it’s not. It’s the coldest day of the year here in DC and we are hunkered down under blankets and have the heat cranked up.

But apparently somewhere it is warm because I’m getting about 30 catalogs a day filled with all kinds of wonderful spring clothes and shoes.

And while my toes are in bad need of a pedicure, I’m paler than pale, and my legs haven’t been shaved in several weeks days, here are a few things I’m putting on my wish list.

This dress by Anthropologie makes me wish I actually lived a life where this is what I’d wear on any given day.

This blouse speaks to me. Although it’s entirely possible it’s just those pesky voices in my head again.

These shoes are delightful and come in under the height requirement imposed on me by my shorter than me same height husband. He’s working on his issues.

Finally, this bag is just what I need. I like to carry the biggest bag possible so that I can spend countless hours of my life rummaging around in the bottom of said bag in pursuit of my car keys.

For more ways to spend money that, let’s face it, none of us really have, head on over to one of my favorite blogs. You’ll find a thousand different ways to spend that tax return of yours

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