12 in '12

I linked up with this last year, and feel like it was a nice quick reflection on the past year. Even though I don't really follow these bloggers, I had fun reading other people's posts!

12. Favorite movie you watched: Okay, so you want to know how many movies I saw in a theater in 2012? Try ZERO. And I think I only watched maybe three movies on TV/computer too. So instead, I will respond with Legally Blonde: The Musical which I got to see performed back in the summer (a friend of mine played the keyboards in the pit orchestra). It was great! If you're a fan of the movie, you should definitely see it!
11. Favorite TV series: It's still The Amazing Race, but I want to mention a show that definitely deserves more attention. ABC's The Middle. Hilarious. Sue is my favorite. (Also, it's set in Indiana with an occasional mention of my husband's hometown.)
10. Favorite restaurant: Hopjacks in Pensacola for their brie dip. I made sure to go there on our last night in town! As for Fort Wayne, I'm still exploring . . . but I already kinda miss Waffle House.
9. Favorite new thing you tried: Motherhood? Is that a cop-out answer? I guess the other thing would be parasailing. It was so peaceful.

8. Favorite gift you got: B got me a heater for "Christmas" but we started using it the day he brought it home (about 2 weeks before the holiday). Our bedroom is over our garage, our central heat is seemingly inefficient, and this space heater is the best present ever.
7. Favorite thing you pinned: Chicken taco soup. We need to make this again, stat!
6. Favorite blog post: It's my second most-read post, the Birth of Cora Elizabeth. (If you're wondering, my most-read post is my Homemade Protein Bars--thanks, Pinterest!)
5. Best accomplishment: Still breastfeeding! We definitely had our issues in the beginning, but we will make it to a year!

4. Favorite picture:

My brother-in-law took some pics for us at Thanksgiving, and this one is a favorite

As for pictures that I took, this one from July still cracks me up:

3. Favorite memory: Probably my birthday, even though most of the day had nothing to do with me. Celebrating someone else's accomplishments, which took my entire 28 years to happen, was much more enjoyable than just another birthday.
2. Goal for 2013: Make Cora's "first year" book. And finish the wedding album for my mom! (Only 3 years late now, sorry Mom!) Other than that, I'm not much into resolutions. We're looking into buying a new car for B and a house(!), so who knows what 2013 will hold? If anything, I'd like to go on more date nights. We've had TWO in the past 11 months.
1. One Little Word: Faith. I think that's a good focus for my family and myself in 2013.

Happy Christmas, Y'all!

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say "y'all" any more now that I live in the land of "pop."

Anywho, who wants to see our Christmas card? Okay, awesome. I made these on Shutterfly, and they came out great as always.

Yes, we are the W---------s. You can figure it out.

One thing I love about Shutterfly cards is how customized you can make the backside of it! It was a perfect place to announce our move and new address, and even throw in a few more pictures.

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day!

What I Wore Sunday (Vol. 8)

I'm back at this again!

Link up with these ladies

It looks like the 5pm Saturday vigil is becoming our mass. I don't really like that, but B has been working every Sunday, so it's just another sacrifice of married life (and him being employed, which I am very happy about). I find the vigil is hard because it feels like just another thing "to do" on Saturday. I was bumming around in a hoodie and jeans all day, complaining about constantly being cold, and it just didn't feel right to wear that to mass. I looked like a mess and felt like one too. Changing my clothes immediately brightened my mood.

Don't mind the little bokeh spot

It probably also helped that of the five pieces I wore, FOUR of them were new (to me).

Button-up shirt: The Limited (thrifted way back in high school) // Vest: NY&Co. (hand-me-down from my sister) // Skirt: Ralph Lauren (thrifted) // Leggings (fleece-lined!): Target // Boots: Bare Traps from DSW (my Christmas gift from my mommy)

That third picture is THE COAT. I mentioned it a few weeks ago, and now it is finally cold enough to wear it.

Coat: Kenneth Cole Reaction from Burlington Coat Factory

The coat probably could stand to be a bit warmer, but at least I felt pretty and fabulous in it. I have found out that this coat exists in two other colors, but they are out of stock everywhere online. If they ever come back in, I'm buying both! I really like how the hood is removable (it zips off) and it looks good either buttoned all the way up or leaving the top two buttons undone.

I get cold very easily, so hood went up!

A few observations on mass for this 4th Sunday of Advent: sitting up front is the absolute-hands-down best way for me to pay attention. All of the other times we've gone to this church, someone's head has been blocking my view, and it causes me to lose focus. We found an open pew in the very front this time, and it was so much better for me. 

Also, I don't know what's up with this church, but the congregation LOVES to sing. It is fantastic. I love to sing, and at previous parishes I often felt like I was just an extension of the choir or a cantor-wannabe. (True story: at my church in Norfolk, a visiting priest made everyone sing "Jingle Bells" in the middle of July because he said that we didn't sing loudly enough.) 

But that is not a problem here. I first noticed this when we went to the most recent holy day mass. The choir (might have just been a few cantors, actually) did a song during the Offertory that I had never heard before. They don't generally do sing-along songs for that part of mass--they just show off their musical chops with something choral. Well, I looked around and I noticed all kinds of people singing along. And singing along to the different parts, too. Old blue-haired ladies and teenage dudes in letter jackets alike. I seriously did a triple-take. Maybe I can point this out and finally get B to start singing at mass.

I will leave you with this photo because it caused me to laugh hysterically:

Baby is a total camera ham (I promise I'm not scolding her) BUT WHO IS THAT ON THE COUCH??!?
This pretty much sums up our family.

7 Quick Takes (Christmas Decor Edition)

This is going to be a mostly photo edition of 7QT! You get to glimpse at some (most) of our Christmas decorations. We live in a small apartment and have been progressively baby-proofing (we have a curious one). I'm also going to double-dip and add this to NFP and Me's Christmas Decor linkup.

--- 1 ---

My sister gave me this version of the Nativity for Christmas last year. When my parents were in town this past weekend, one of them (probably Mom) moved them to say "YOJ." Sigh.

--- 2 ---

Our stockings are hung by the chimney. Oh wait, we don't have a chimney and also have to push stuff up against the fireplace so baby can't climb into the thing (works most of the time). My stocking (on the right), I've had all my life, and B and Cora will be getting similar ones hopefully by next year. As a placeholder for B's, my mom got a cheapo stocking and printed out an iron-on to show him what his will look like. Also, I think something is in my stocking already from Santa Mom.

--- 3 ---

Baby has her own Little People Nativity (given to her as a Christmas gift last year, when she was still in utero). There's a sheep missing, probably under our couch or something. Usually this is all over the floor--she really likes that angel--but she's napping so I put it back together for a photo op.

--- 4 ---

Why yes, we have a real Nativity set as well. Family tradition to put an animal on the roof.

--- 5 ---

Are. You. Ready?

--- 6 ---

We originally had the Christmas cards hanging off the bar like we did last year. But baby grew an inch overnight or something, so they had to move. That's our utility closet. And check out another Holy Family decoration there on the table. All of my decorations have been gifts, by the way. Including our newest--this little guy on the bar:

--- 7 ---

Can't forget the tree! Pushed all the way back so baby can't get it. Except for the time she did somehow...
And her ornament:

--- 8 ---

Bonus take: gratuitous baby with Santa photo!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes (Family Near and Far Edition)

Haven't done one of these in a bit, but so many scattered thoughts in my mind today so why not?

Link up with this gal

--- 1 ---

I had my first last name recognition in this town! Last week when I was dropping baby off at the gym's childcare, my name kicked up on the screen and the childcare worker asked if my husband or I was a teacher. She said she knew there was a teacher with that last name at her child's school. We have a pretty unique last name, but I did say, "Well, there's a lot of us." I don't know what all of B's relatives do, but I figured out within five minutes which aunt it probably was.

--- 2 ---

On the flip side of this, I had my first encounter with the "dark side" of the family. Not to air too much dirty laundry here, but since it's starting to affect my life I'm okay with mentioning it. One side of B's family had a big falling out among the siblings and a handful of them don't talk to each other any more (his parent is one of 10 kids). When I went to church with his aunt a few weeks back, apparently her brother she doesn't talk to was also there and walking behind us as we walked out. I've never met this person and was trying to sneak a look but failed.

The whole thing just weirded me out. I only have one sibling, and I couldn't imagine not talking to her if I ran into her randomly. (Although with only one sibling, you kinda know where they are at a given time.) I guess when you're one of ten, your siblings are more like cousins? But even then, I'd talk to my cousins.

--- 3 ---

I had the worst Wednesday night. The day itself went pretty well, but it all went downhill around 6pm. Here's a recap: managed to burn our dinner even though it was in the crockpot, got rear-ended at the first light coming out of our place by a girl who I'm pretty sure didn't have insurance, tried to find a movie at the library that said it was there but apparently wasn't anywhere to be found, tried to exchange something my husband bought for a different size but couldn't find it in Meijer after looking for half an hour, had a package I sent get labeled "missent" and spent too much time trying to track it and figure that out, and then once I finally got into bed the monitor started 'sputtering' quite annoyingly and then the baby woke up screaming within 2 minutes of my head hitting the pillow.

That makes me tired just thinking about it. But I also realize that most of that is a bunch of first world problems.

--- 4 ---

Wanna know how all of that was resolved? Dinner: we ate it anyway. Fender-bender: decided to let it go since my car is now over 5 years old and it was a small scratch. Library movie: never found it, even after stalking other library patrons to see who had it (checked online after it closed and still says it's there)--will try again today since you can't put them on hold. Clothes exchange: made my husband deal with it today since he's the one who actually knew where they were in the store. Package: giftee called the post office and it's still being sorted out but should make it to him soon. Monitor: changed the channel, which I seem to have to do once a month. Baby: nursed back to sleep.

This is me in the trunk of my car on the day I bought it . . . back in September 2007.

--- 5 ---

Speaking of the baby and sleep and my recent cry-for-help blog post, I checked out the "No-Cry Sleep Solution" from the library and am hoping it will answer my prayers. I've made it all of 20 pages in and all I've found out so far is that a lot of babies are far, far worse sleepers than mine.

--- 6 ---

If you're not doing anything tonight, you should watch Elf with Dwija and Cari! That was actually the movie I was trying to get at the library. I've never seen it, but I've heard good things. If I find it today, I might just join in. However, my parents are in town so who really knows what the day entails.

--- 7 ---

My parents are here! My parents are here! They drove up from Georgia last night (because they are nuts), and they are staying until Tuesday. They are currently both sleeping since they didn't stop and got here at 6am. We're taking Baby Cora to see Santa at the Y tomorrow morning and going to buy the baby a big-girl convertible car seat at some point. I'm sure we'll do other fun stuff too, and maybe I'll even tell you about it!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Overwhelmed and Underprepared

I've taken a step back from blogging lately. Actually, I've taken a step back from nearly everything, including reading, housework, and even taking pictures.

I am exhausted.

My baby is generally a good baby, but she has been putting me through the ringer lately. She's nearing a year old, and some days still decides that she wants to be very awake at 5am. I have a rule that our day cannot officially "start" until 6:30am, so on those days it seems I end up rocking/nursing her in the glider, praying that she'll go back down. She'll be almost asleep, and then once I put her back in the crib, she pops up to pull up on the crib and starts screaming her little baby head off. Crocodile tears and all. Some days it takes me 45 minutes to get her down for a nap, and then she only naps for 20 minutes. That's about enough time for me go to the bathroom and eat a snack.

This lack of sleep affects me so much mentally and emotionally. I usually break down at some point on those days. I want to be there playing with her, but those days I just lie on the side of the couch lazily watching her bang a block against the coffee table. Sometimes I pitch a fit to B about it the second he walks in the door.

And then I feel guilty. Guilty about how messy our bathroom is, even though I have no energy to clean it. Guilty about not singing or even talking to my little girl when I know she loves hearing my voice. Guilty about counting down the days until I start mommy-led weaning. Guilty about asking my husband for help in the middle of the night even though he works his butt off to support us. Guilty that I fantasize about dropping her off at her Grandma's for the weekend so I can get some decent rest. Guilty that in my angry fits, I am unjustly accusatory of my husband.

I know many people would tell me to remember that "this too shall pass." But the fact that I only have one child right now and know that I will have at least one more in the future doesn't make that statement very easy to digest. Yes, it will pass, but then I'll just have to do it all over again while dealing with a toddler-energy-ball. I have actually had dreams that I was pregnant again already, and in all of those dreams I was not happy about it. At all. Cue more guilt.

All of this is weighing down on me, causing me to not enjoy this Advent or even look forward to Christmas. I have hardly bought any gifts for family members, and haven't even put a card in the mail for my nephew's birthday which is in two days. It's not just physical, though. My heart has yet to "prepare the way of the Lord," and it has become just another season to get through until the weather warms up/my baby weans/B's job gets less busy. I realize that some of this is due to being in a new town and not having any mommy friends yet. I also realize that this is my first foray into full-time SAHM-hood, as I had to part with my fantastic and flexible part-time volunteer job once we left Florida. I realize that I should probably just give myself a break somehow, swallowing my pride to call one of B's aunts to help me out on occasion.

But yesterday, I forced myself to nap while baby was napping (thankfully, a long one). After he got home from work, B and I went to the gym together, dropping baby off into the capable hands of the Y's child watch. We lifted weights, spotting and encouraging each other through bench presses and barbell squats, and I remembered that our marriage is first, always. I love those gym dates. I also found the strength yesterday to get down on the floor and really play with Cora. Something I did caused her to emit her big, deep belly laugh. I hadn't heard that laugh in a while, and it came back as a reminder that sometimes, just sometimes, motherhood is a job that smiles back at me. I just have to let it.

What I Wore Sunday (Vol. 7)

Check out the awesome sauce.

I tried yet another church today. Since B is off doing his Navy Reserve stuff, I went to mass with his aunt and uncle at a beautiful church downtown. While I was getting ready, I kinda sorta felt like I was prepping for a date! A date with Jesus, that is. A date that lasted only 45 minutes, which I found odd for the 9:15 time slot. But unlike a normal date, I don't have to worry if my date is going to walk me to the door or call me tomorrow. I sang "Jesus Loves Me" the entire ride home. (Not really.)

Not sure if I would wear this on an actual date. Also, I'm not barefoot.

Most of this outfit is secondhand in one way or another. My mother-in-law had a bunch of clothes that apparently don't fit her any more, including a handful of nice dress shirts and a few skirts. Some of them still need to be altered a bit to fit me well, but I'm not one to turn down great wardrobe staples! When I put this shirt on, even though it fit well, it overwhelmed my petite frame. I decided to roll the sleeves up a bit to balance it out. I also think my outfit would go better with some colorful flats or tights, but alas, I do not own either of those. Maybe another day.

Shirt: Eddie Bauer (secondhand from MIL) // Belt: also from MIL, she said it came with a pair of pants // Skirt: The Limited (thrifted) // Tights: have had forever and wasn't sure if they'd still fit // Shoes: RocketDog from Burlington Coat Factory

Oh, you may have noticed that I never wear earrings in any of my outfit posts. That is because I fall into the 12% of American women (I made up that statistic) who don't have pierced ears. My mom had a rule that you had to be 14--she doesn't have pierced ears either and most likely wanted us to be able to maintain them on our own. My sister got hers done on her 14th birthday. And I just never really wanted it. I still don't.  I know it's the norm in some cultures to pierce baby girls' ears, and that is fine, but I think I'll keep my mom's "14 rule" in this house. Even though my baby girl has minimal hair and looks like a boy. She also pulls headbands off in 2.467 seconds flat. Here's a gratuitous baby picture taken during those few seconds from we watched THE BIG GAME last night.

Cute baby almost makes up for disappointing game outcome. ALMOST.

(Oh, I forgot to mention the coat again from last week. I have indeed taken the tags off and started wearing it. However, it wasn't cold enough to wear today--in the 50's and rainy, so maybe next week I'll get a picture. I'm still loving it.)

A Milspouse Once Again

I guess he just couldn't stay away.

In reality, we had gone back and forth about B joining the Navy Reserve after his separation from Active Duty. For various reasons, he decided to postpone any decision one way or another until we knew where we would land. He actually kept telling me that I should join it myself, and I was honestly starting to consider it. It would be nice to have something of "my own" I thought. But then I also thought that I would have to do a full 20 versus B's 11 years left for retirement. Why oh why didn't I do this when I was 23 and living in Norfolk?

{Source}

Well, now that we have landed ourselves somewhere, the decision needed to be made. Once B found out he could drill two hours away in Indianapolis, I think it sealed the deal. I can even tag along and just go hang out with my in-laws for the weekend if I feel like it. He signed the contract for three years. They threw a bonus at him, and he started telling me how much it was. I said "Yeah yeah, that's great, but when can we sign up for health insurance?"

Yes, this is a enormous blessing in the insurance department. His new job offers really crappy benefits that were going to cost and arm and a leg and still have a high deductible. I don't think his company even subsidizes the insurance since I found something similar online that I could just buy privately. The Reserve version of TRICARE insurance isn't free by any means, but it's pretty good in comparison to what we were offered.

He's actually gone for his first drill weekend right now. I was a bit concerned about doing church on my own for the first time since Cora was born, so I called up his aunt. Of course she wants to help hold the baby during mass! Living near family, even if it is family I married into, is such a godsend and something I should learn to utilize more often.

One weekend a month and two weeks a year. That's how we're doing the military life now, and I'm happy about it.

30 Things I'm Thankful For

It seems like all my Facebook buddies are doing this, which is great and all.  But I don't like updating my Facebook daily (and many of them have gotten way behind or abandoned the idea by now), so here is my "thankfulness dump" I'll do it here in one post, and hooray, it won't take me all month!  Genius, right? (Of course I would have had to start 27 days ago, so maybe I'm just lazy.)

In mostly stream-of-consciousness order, I am thankful for these things:

1. Good health for me, husband, and baby
2. My husband
3. Our baby
4. God, Jesus, Holy Spirit; our faith
5. My husband's job
6. The internet
7. My college degree
8. Our home
9. Living near family members
10. Having the option to be a SAHM
11. Music and my singing voice
12. Over-the-air (read: FREE) television (and Hulu)
13. My parents
14. My car
15. Friends and family both near and far
16. That my baby keeps a schedule now
17. Breastfeeding and a vaginal delivery
18. Electricity, heat, and indoor plumbing
19. Literacy
20. The public library
21. Our gym
22. Laughter
23. Clean water
24. Blogging and the friendships it has led me to
25. The many adventures I have had
26. In-laws. Mine are pretty cool :-)
27. Pizza, chocolate, and other good food
28. Love
29. Hope
30. Charity

Also, I absolutely adore this VeggieTales song, and I think it is fitting for this post!



And hey, there's a linkup for this!

Linked up at It's Just Called Spicy

What I Wore Sunday (Vol. 6)

Link up your church attire with Fine Linen and Purple

My husband now refuses to take my picture for me. Once he heard the word "blog" he went running the other direction. It would probably be better if we weren't always rushing out the door for mass every week. We finally got to try a new church today, which our GPS had never heard of and wasn't marked on our map. I had a vague idea of the directions based on my online research last night. We made it before the processional was over, but this church filled up fast! And its attendees didn't know how to scoot to the center of a long pew so the stragglers (there were a lot of us) could fill in easily. An usher came to our rescue after the "Gloria" was over. I still remember back in college the reader would make a pre-mass announcement to get close and make some room.

Well, I now either have to use self-timer or do mirror shots. Here is my attempt at a selfie:

This is my "slightly peeved with my husband" look

Shirt: H&M // Pants: Old Navy // Shoes: they're actually knee-high boots from DSW (Impo brand I think?) (These are the only shoes I could wear that made the pants not drag on the ground) // Necklace: made by my aunt // Watch: a gift from a long time ago (I rarely wear it and found out today that it needs a new battery)

But really, who am I kidding here? The churches here don't want to pay to heat their spaces, so this is what I really looked like the entire hour:

Check out my "after mass" hair

The coat is from Old Navy, and yes it is too big. I've had it since college, and my mom convinced me I needed to "size up" to fit however many layers underneath there. What my mom didn't realize is that coats add that extra room to your regular size (at least all of mine do, that is). Never take coat-buying advice from someone who grew up in Florida and then moved to Atlanta. Remember that, everyone.

I have actually bought a new coat, but I still haven't committed to it enough to wear it or even take the tags off. I thought I wanted a colored coat--like burgundy or at least a light gray, but I also didn't want a pea coat again (so many useless buttons!). Well, I found a gorgeous coat at Burlington and it is black black black. But it was too nice not to buy. And unlike the pea coat above, it actually buttons all the way up the neck so I don't really need a scarf. I should probably just wear it and get it over with already! Next week, my friends. Next week. Feel free to hold me accountable.

Stuff On My Sidebar and Black Friday Online Deals

I've been adding a few items to my sidebar lately, most under the title "Check It Out"

1. First, I want to mention that I've now joined the affiliate program for my favorite cloth diaper retailer, Mom's Milk Boutique. My very first order of cloth diapers was with them last year on Black Friday. They have great prices and free shipping for orders over $25, which is pretty easy to do. In addition, they have a "Milk Miles" reward program, where you get a $10 gift card at 200 miles. A lot of times they do "double miles" days, so I've been able to cash out quicker than I thought. Their Black Friday deals (going on all weekend, actually) also has stackable freebies, so I'll be putting in an order again this year. I got some free Babylegs along with some other stuff last year with my order. Not only do they sell cloth diapers, they also have baby carriers, nursing tanks, and more.

Signing up to be an affiliate means that I get a kickback if you order by clicking my referral link. They also sent me a coupon code to share with everyone. The coupon code is MMB10 and it is good for $10 off a customer's very first purchase of at least $75 with Mom's Milk Boutique. (The coupon does have some exclusion due to manufacturer restrictions - bumGenius, FLIP, Econobum, ERGObaby, Thirsties, Sakura Bloom and Beco Baby Carriers.)

You can click this box or the one on my sidebar to get to MMB!

2. It's not on my sidebar any more, but I wanted to give a shout out to Lilla Rose, the hair clips that I reviewed and gave away a few months back. I still looooove my clips, and my consultant Linda Menke is running a Black Friday special. It's 20% off all orders, including party orders, on Friday and Free Shipping for orders over $50.  In addition, the adorable Who’s Hoo Owl will be available that day only while supplies last. The owl clip is so cute!

3. I also have my referral button for Swagbucks on my sidebar. I have been using Swagbucks for almost two years now, and it has been a good and consistent way for me to earn a little spending money. It's a point website that is free to join, and you earn points by searching the web, watching videos, even using coupons. You can redeem your points for Amazon gift cards (or other items), and I have earned quite a few--even given away a few on this blog in the past. There's also an option to redeem your points for a Mom's Milk Boutique gift card, so this blog post has just come full circle :-) You should definitely check out Swagbucks if you haven't already.


I'm not much for Black Friday stuff in the stores, but I'll be hunting for some fab deals online this year. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Recent Craftiness: Cupcakes and Hairbows

I've been seeing this sentiment go 'round the interwebz recently:

I generally agree, and that's why there haven't been too many posts with "Stuff I've Made" recently. Also, sometimes when I finally get to doin' something, I rarely also find the time to blog about it.

I made a comment on a friend's Facebook wall who posted this that I think these Pinterest mommies just never sleep, since I can never get anything like that done until after baby goes to bed for the night. I found out how true that was the night I made these:

I made these for the Thanksgiving (Round 1) at B's grandmother's house, which happened yesterday. They were a hit, and I got to impress the in-laws, but I was up until midnight the night before doing them. Dumbo/masochist me decided it would be a good idea to make half of the batter as mini cupcakes. Great idea in theory, but at 11:15pm, I stared down at them and realized I still had another 12 to go. Sigh. At least it forced me to watch the end of that Stanford/Oregon game, though.

I found the ideas online, and I think these are featured in Hello, Cupcake.
Peas: Skittles
Carrots: Starburst, cut into fourths
Butter: Starburst
Gravy: Caramel sauce
Pie filling: M&M's
Pie "crust": yellow food dye and some cocoa powder added to my homemade buttercream frosting

Also, the actual cupcakes were strawberry (from a box mix, no shame), and someone commented that with the Skittles and Starburst, they were "delightfully fruity." I have to agree.

The other thing I made last week wast inspired by a craft fair I went to recently where I saw some cute headbands/flowers that were definitely made out of old t-shirts and selling for eight bucks a pop.  So I made my own:

Flower Instructions
Headband Instructions (both from Craft Snob)

For the headband part, the directions I found said to sew it, which would be super-easy if you had a  permanent sewing station. Which I do not. We couldn't even fit my craft table in this new apartment, so it is folded up and in the little shed attached to our patio. Instead of sewing, I just kept using my glue gun.

After baby wore the headband for one day, it was already stretched out almost too much. I decided she needed an adjustable one, so I knotted it like those neon bracelets you used to get out of the vending machines (remember those?). The great thing about t-shirt fabric is that it doesn't fray so you can really try anything with it. I made some more flowers and just glued a hair clip on the back so I can change them out easily.

I don't have a pic of the adjustable headband, but it kinda looks like this, except white because I kept using the same t-shirt:

(Source) - someone actually sold these on Etsy and made money.
I think I'm in the wrong industry...

And I'll throw in one more picture of the cute kiddo, just 'cause.

What I Wore "Sunday" (Vol. 5)

Today is Thanksgiving, Round 1 in our house. B's grandma is going on a fab trip to NYC for actual Thanksgiving (and she gets to see the Macy's Parade!), so she wanted to do Turkey Day early. We complied, and I have corn casserole in the oven as we speak.

We also accepted an invitation from other family members to hit up Saturday vigil mass and then a nearby Italian restaurant afterward.

Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple

Before I show you what I wore to church, let's talk about shoes for a second. Here is a picture of my shoe rack:

Do you notice anything wrong here? Like the fact that I live in northern Indiana now and about 67% of the shoes I own are open-toe or sneakers? The truth is that I hate shoes. One of the first things I do when I get home is take off my shoes. And it's not because I'm trying to keep the carpet clean or any frou-frou reason like that. I also dread shoe-shopping. Because no matter how comfortable a pair feels in the store, it is just never the same when I actually wear them. The two pairs of "nice" black shoes in the upper right almost never get worn because they're just not comfortable. I've decided to blame my feet. I think my right foot is bigger than my left and that my toes are wide-ish but the rest of my foot is narrow. (B blames it on wearing flip flops for 10 months a year while in FL--his theory is that my toes got to spread out.) I don't know. But I have actually added two pairs to this collection recently, for better or for worse.

And one of those pairs is the ever-so-trendy riding boot. I revisited the idea of jeans at mass since I also added a pair of skinny jeans to my closet as well.

Pardon my dopey expression.
There also used to be a bookshelf behind me, but it has now been moved.

Tank top: Merona from Target; Cardigan and belt: Charlotte Russe; Jeans: Old Navy; Boots: Solanz from Shoe Carnival: Watch: Fossil; Necklace: from some Catholic church bookshop (it's a cross with my birthstone in the center)

I'm still getting used to the boots, and B told me that somewhere around the internet he read that it takes 60 days to break in boots. Maybe that has been my issue with all my shoes? Usually I just give up after wearing them three times.

Day Trip to South Bend

On Sunday we took advantage of some nice weather with a little day trip to "see the sights" of South Bend. It was actually more of a nostalgia trip for B, since he is a proud graduate of the Class of 2005.

There are two ways to get to South Bend from here. One is via the interstates, and the other (which is apparently quicker) takes you through the boonies of the Hoosier state. Oh, who am I kidding? You can drive about seven minutes west from our apartment and you're in the boonies. But we got to drive through little towns with rusty barns and barely pronounceable names. Apparently we were also in Amish and Mennonite country. It looked a lot like this for an hour:

Once we got up to South Bend, we bee-lined it to get to mass on time. Notre Dame is mostly a walking campus, so we had to trek fifteen minutes on foot to get to mass. (Hey, at least it's flat! Says the girl whose college campus was on a huge hill.)

Basilica where we went to mass

It's pretty on the inside, too!

After mass, B gave me and baby the "grand tour." This was actually a re-visit for me, as back in 2007 I was given the "baby grand tour." This time we chanced upon some Taco Bell for lunch at the student center (or whatever fancy name that building had). We then moved on to the library, where "We're Number 1" Moses stands.

I was trying to get baby to hold up her "We're Number 1!" finger, but this is the best we got.

And of course we made a visit to Touchdown Jesus.

There is supposed to be water in a reflecting pool behind me.

We're yelling "Touchdown!!" just like we do every Saturday while watching our teams play.

We then took a little break to stop and smell the flowers eat the leaves.

And look at the ducks:

We thought about feeding them some baby puffs we had in our bag but decided against it.
They'll forgive us since they're Catholic ducks, right?

We also hit up the stadium, the Grotto, and the football practice fields. B kept pointing out buildings that apparently didn't exist the last time he was here, although they blended quite well.

Our day was not without calamity, of course. Baby Cora pulled one of her socks off while we were wandering around and dropped it somewhere, never to be seen again. Then our one-sock baby wet through her clothes while we were in the bookstore. B tried to put her new outfit on in a little sitting area, but she's getting to that stage where she hates getting dressed and will try to escape from it. So that's how this happened:

She bit it pretty hard on the carpet, yet somehow still smiled for the camera.

B was hauling her off to the bathroom to clean her up when I realized I had a camera and could get a picture. For posterity's sake, of course. Poor baby.

At least we got one good family picture to cap off the day:

I wish the stranger who took the pic would have gotten all of Our Lady (at the top of the Dome).
Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.