You Are My Sunshine

What beautiful weather we've been having during the back-to-school season!

(Knock on wood.)

Yes, there has been some rain.  But overall, August has been much less miserably hot&muggy than its usual.  This has helped ease the transition for Pretty Little Bare Feet (who is actually sporting Sun-San Salt-Water sandals most of the time) onto this new school year's bigger playground w/ more children to befriend.

So here's to sunshine & these last few fleeting glimpses of summertime!

(via: Pose)

Personalized Preppy Visor by 2 Preppy Girls

"You Are My Sunshine" Fun Size 9x10 Sign by Go Jump in the Lake

Colossal Dots Curtain in Yellow by Porridge at Anthropologie

Solar Fair Dress at ModCloth

Have a fun, sunshiney day today, no matter the weather! =)

Guided by Glitter

I apologize for blog neglect.  If you've been a longtime reader, you'll recall that I did not start blogging until Pretty Little Bare Feet was more than six months old, & I did not actually post with any regularity until she was more than a year old (with a somewhat established naptime).  So, considering My Little Man is six days from being a year old...

(I can't believe it!)

...it's not that surprising that I haven't been the best blogger lately.  I'm also planning a relatively big pirate-themed 1st Birthday party.  & summer is always a bit more chaotic since regular "school-year" activities quiet down.

(Yes, even for three-year-olds.)

Furthermore, even though it is glaringly obvious every evening that Pretty Little Bare Feet still needs an afternoon nap, she rarely takes one.

I do intend to commit some more time to the blog once I get an updated header, & start editing the sidebars & updating the look.

You can find me "posting" a lot more frequently on Pinterest.  I do love&adore Pinterest!

Anyway, while I'm taking this downtime, let me share with y'all my current favorite daily blog read. Are y'all following the Glitter Guide yet?  You must!

(all via the Glitter Guide)

Pinteresting Update

So you know how a few weeks ago I was musing about Pinterest & not getting excited about it?

Well...

...I got excited about it!

Follow me on Pinterest!

I've been thinking maybe I could maintain the blog better if I got rid of some other "clutter." I'm thinking about just following all the bloggers I follow on Twitter on their actual blogs...

(duh)

...& then deleting the Twitter account.

(or at least giving notice of its abandonment)

I'm not the greatest at maintaining my (personal, private) Facebook account, but I do it just to keep in touch with those I wouldn't otherwise easily keep in touch with.

So if I could stay relatively current on

blogs,

Facebook,

& Pinterest...

...I'd feel "connected" enough, I think. More so than I have been, anyway! LOL

(& I'm behind on email, as usual...)

So tell me, how do *YOU* maintain your social networking?

(while presumably having a "real life")

& do you keep your blogger identity separate from your personal contacts?

Happy (long!) Weekend!

Brrr...It's Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

We've all been sick off&on for the better part of two weeks now. Yuck! Pretty Little Bare Feet started coughing a couple weeks ago, which turned out to be just the first symptom of an ear&sinus infection. My Little Man picked up part of it & had his own little double ear infection last week...& on top of it, the poor little guy is cutting about four or five teeth all at once! Since I am awful about remembering to take care of myself, it's unfortunately no surprise that by this last weekend, I had an ear&sinus infection of my own, with laryngitis to boot.

So it is a cold, sniffly Valentine's Day here in the Screen Door household, but while Pretty Little Bare Feet was staying home sick from nursery school last week, RSV showed up in her classroom. So we are just most grateful to be missing all of that worry!

(Big knock on wood!)

I am continuing to hold out hope that springtime will show its pretty face sooner rather than later.

Some of my favorite Valentine finds this year...

Persian Love Cake

the Hopeless Romantic Collection by Bobbi Brown

E-Valentines by Kate Spade

Personalized Girl Mouse by Kata Golda Animals at Arte Bebe

John Steinbeck on Falling in Love

Have a Happy, Lovely, Wonderful Valentine's Day!

the Golden Globes: Top Trends

(I *LOVE* this dapper little dog! =))

Like many of you, I love "Red Carpet Season." I kind of felt like I was alone in watching the People's Choice Awards (at least on Twitter), but I know many of us were watching the Globes last night! It's one of my favorites because...I love that the fashion bar is raised - but the actual dialogue on stage, & the interaction between the attendees, is less formal than at awards shows later in the season.

(Also, I love Ricky Gervais!)

So here are a few of my personal favorite looks from the Globes parties & red carpet, & the trends they'll be inspiring me to look into this week:

1. Sofia Vergara

jewel tones

My Prince & I *looove* Modern Family, & I think Sofia Vergara is hilarious - & beautiful! She looked the part of classic bombshell at the Golden Globes in her dazzling blue Vera Wang fishtail gown with its swirls of pleats. & she accessorized with more than five million dollars of diamond jewelry from the Harry Winston collection! Elegant, glamorous, & just incredible!

2. Shailene Woodley

pale pastels

So I have to admit that I am only familiar with Shailene Woodley from the clips of the Secret Life of the American Teenager that Joel McHale plays (& rightfully ridicules) on E!'s the Soup. But I have been impressed with her absolutely stunning red carpet looks, & she comes across as much more adorable in real life. This beautiful (& age-appropriate!) dress by Marchesa is classic&effortless - but it has this lovely color to it that looks like lilac in some photos, pale blue in others - & yet I thought it was silver when I was watching the telecast! The look is bright, cool, & yet still dramatic.

&...her chic, daring after-party dress was so sleek that I am willing to overlook, just this once, that whole dressed-down shoe debacle...

3. Nicole Richie

metallics

We just don't see enough of Nicole Richie's amazing style anymore! I was excited to see how beautiful&chic she looked in this open-backed metallic silver Julien Macdonald dress, which she described as "a little bit heavy." ;) I also love that she carried her own signature House of Harlow bag, & I thought her hair was great! What do y'all think about her upcoming fashion reality show...will you watch? I am undecided...

4. Charlize Theron

headbands

I am generally not a big fan of Charlize Theron. I like her as an actress, & there are plenty of great movies that I've enjoyed watching her in, but...there have been at least a couple interviews I've seen where she's come across as really arrogant & a bit condescending. However, last night she was maybe the most excited&happy I've ever seen her in a red carpet setting. & I loved her 1930s-feeling look! The blush-colored chiffon gown she wore by Christian Dior Couture was amazing, with an almost dainty effect in spite of the oversized bow detail on the waist. & how gorgeous was her dramatic vintage Cartier headband?! There really wasn't a lot of big excitement! on the red carpet last night, since a lot of stars seemed to be playing it kind of safe, so I liked this inspired fashion risk.

5. Kim Kardashian

Old Hollywood

This is another personality that I'm honestly not a fan of, but supposedly she had a sense of humor about the jokes Ricky Gervais made about her, & she brought a pretty classic look to the after-parties. So while I wish somebody I had more admiration for had been showcasing this fresh take on dramatic glamour, I will give some credit to Kim. She ventured away from her usual play-it-safe red carpet standards to wear this head-turning black lace cap-sleeve dress by Bruce Oldfield, & I think it's very "Old Hollywood siren!" & what really pulls the look all together is the way her hair is pulled up with the 1950s loose curls & the deep side part. Oh, & the big diamond&ruby bling adds a special touch, too! ;)

...& although there weren't a lot of glaring fashion disasters this year, my least favorite looks were:

Jessica Biel

(all that lace + dowdy long neck&sleeves + the floral applique + the high slit = overwhelming)

Mary J. Blige

(that odd feathered, furry skirt at the base of the sparkles was just unappealing)

Zooey Deschanel

(I actually liked the dress - I thought it was a very good look *for Zooey!*...but that hair was just atrocious - the side curls seriously look like sideburns, & it bothers me that there is no visible part...it's so retro that it looks costumey)

Lea Michele

(this went beyond just revealing - into tacky territory - with its barely there detailing & sheer panels...plus it was just unflattering & gave her an unbalanced frame)

Katharine McPhee

(the color washed her out & really faded her into the background, & the poor fit & uneven cut didn't help matters!)

So how excited are you about the kick-off of Awards Season 2012?! & has watching the awards shows so far inspired you to add anything to your "must-watch" list? I am really interested in seeing

the Descendants,

the Help

(I love love loved the book & have been apprehensive about seeing the film adaptation),

& maaaybeee Hugo.

Maybe.

Anybody seen it?

So stay tuned this week as I blog about some of my favorite shopping finds that were inspired by my favorite Golden Globes trends! =)

Present

The other day Joy from All Things Refined! asked us what our word was going to be for 2012. I've decided that the best way to sum up my personal hope for 2012 is with the word "present."

Over the years I've become less & less "Type A."

(Though I'm sure My Prince would probably argue that I still have plenty enough of those qualities to still qualify for the Type A label!)

In 2012 I hope to continue becoming more relaxed about things.

I want to be able to stop & smell the roses.

It's not always easy for me to stop the constant train of thought in my head...which usually includes worries about the things I haven't done but meant to do, as well as stress about whatever is coming up next on my schedule. I make zillions of to-do lists, & I get frustrated with myself every time I see one that didn't get completed.

But in 2011 I dropped the ball in a lot of areas. & I left a lot of to-do lists untouched.

& you know what?

The most important things still got done,

we still showed up at the most important events,

& our family made many important memories together.

So my DVDs didn't get re-organized. So I didn't read as many books last year as I usually do.

(& almost no magazines.)

So I still haven't decorated every room in the house.

My Prince has always been a "better late than never" kind of guy. & I have to say I'm usually pretty annoyed by his tendency toward perpetual lateness. ;)

But I think there is a middle ground to be found between

so tightly wound that one never has any fun, due to a preoccupation with perfection...

...& so laid-back that you're irritating the ones you love because you aren't always prioritizing the same things.

Certainly, I don't think I'll ever be one of those "free spirits" who can truly relax about everything & just let things fall where they may. But I've decided that sometimes if I'm not excited about doing something on the list, it may just be because there is something more important I should be doing - something that isn't on any list.

So I hope to be present - mentally&physically - for all of the important moments that happen in 2012. & I hope that living in the present will help build a foundation of appreciation&patience for the future.

So, what is your word for 2012?

Happy New Year!

I honestly don't know what to say. That's exactly when you shouldn't update your blog, isn't it? ;)

Obviously, this has been the longest hiatus I have taken from the blog since I began it back in the late summer of 2009. In between blog posts on the subjects I usually address here, I posted several updates in 2011 of a more personal nature, which is exactly the kind of thing I shy away from. However, because of that unofficial "rule" that I have about not posting the personal stuff, this blog ended up being pretty sparse on posts in 2011. That's because 2011 was a pretty emotional year for me & my family.

Most of you know that our newborn son got really sick in September. Those of you that know me well know exactly how sick, & know about the battles&setbacks we've faced in the last few months. Many of those hurdles have been related to our son's health.

That being said, please know that my absence from the blog does not mean that I have been depressed, or even that life hasn't been going on.

(Though perhaps going on a bit less organized. My Type A rep has taken a hit!)

There have been so many wonderful memories made in between these low points we've hit!

Our faith has been tested, but I believe I have come through the last year with my faith possibly stronger than it ever has been before. I have certainly experienced a very real connection with God during some of these highs&lows I've faced.

I can certainly understand why so many marriages suffer when a family adds the special management of a child's health to all of the other everyday stresses we all face. I am so, so blessed to say that throughout every single bump in the road we've faced, My Prince & I have strengthened our bond & acknowledged how very grateful we are to have one another

in good times & in bad,

for richer or poorer,

in sickness & in health,

'til death do us part.

Also, a couple of cliches proved true for me in 2011:

You find out who your friends are.

(& sometimes you find you've taken some for granted...& sometimes you find you've perhaps been putting a bit too much effort into others. It's another one of those "growing up" things, I think, that it becomes easier to let go of the ties that aren't strong enough to hold through the hard times.)

Also...

...when it rains, it pours.

But personally, I found that the harder it rained, the more easily I adapted to finding ways to make the cold & the wet seem sunny&warm!

In fact, a lot of people have asked me, "How on earth do you stay so positive?" Well, I just do. You can't change these kinds of things, & there is certainly more power in positive thinking than in wallowing in self-pity. & even when My Little Man was very sick, I also had to be a good mama to a beautiful little girl who adores her baby brother, & I would never want to allow my own worries to affect her.

My Little Man is doing well today.

He will always see specialists,

& he will always have some things that need to be monitored,

& God knows I will always be worried to death about him.

But he is a chubby, smiley little cherub; & he is developmentally perfect on all of the cognitive&physical charts. Were it not for the miracles of advanced modern medicine, nobody would even know anything had ever been wrong!

(Although I am not comfortable disclosing any more details, since this is still very much a public blog, & My Little Man has an incredibly rare condition; please feel free to email me if you want to know more. I certainly consider many of you friends & am not intentionally shrouding myself in mystery from those of you!)

Please forgive me...

...if I have not replied to your email at all;

...or if I have taken weeks to respond to your Twitter request.

Please forgive me...

...if I haven't kept up with your blog, which I probably love & miss reading!

...or if you generously offered me some fantastic gift or blog giveaway, & I never even got around to replying to you.

Truthfully, there have been many times in the last few months when I have begun composing in my head some kind of "signing off" or "taking a break" blog post. But each time something prevented me from doing it, even when I felt like I was too emotionally detached from this blog to continue to try to put any kind of heart into it.

Now, after making one of those silly New Year's resolutions to blog more, I've been trying to figure out how to go about it.

Do I just jump right back in, pretending as though nothing personal ever happened to the author of this blog?

Do I delete this blog & start over someplace else?

Do I just go to the email account associated with this blog & "mark all unread?"

Well, I just couldn't bear to do any of those, & so I've spent the last couple days scrolling through emails&messages...& my heart has just been bursting at the outpouring of love from my beautiful blogfriends. THANK YOU.

(I've also been humbled to have some of the most awesome bloggers, & folks from some of the most awesome companies, share words of encouragement&praise! Thank you!)

& so with all of that love, I am beginning 2012 with a big smile & a heartfelt appreciation for all that this "impersonal" blog has personally done for me.

I have no idea where this year will take this blog...

(or me!)

...but I am overjoyed to have you along for the ride.

A Letter to My Followers

I have not been a good blogger for the past eight months or so. This is by no means the "end" of my blog - in fact, it may end up being a new beginning of sorts.

(& I fully intend to participate in Pink&Green Thursday tomorrow!)

But before I get back to the fun stuff, I just wanted to say...

Dear Friends (My Readers!),

This blog has been a little bit of everything in the last two years. Yes, it's been two years! I absolutely forgot that the two-year anniversary of my blog came&went at the end of August.

I've blogged about lots of shopping, recipes, submissions for link-ups, & everything in between - with only the occasional philosophical rambling or serious post. I've gone for a week or two where I've blogged every single day, & I've gone for as long as five weeks in between posts.

Those of you that have been with me since the beginning know that I waited to begin blogging until my older child, Pretty Little Bare Feet, began a consistent nap schedule. I had been reading blogs for months, but could not find the time to do what I wanted with a blog of my own.

Once Pretty Little Bare Feet began nursery school last fall, I was able to really begin blogging on a more regular basis, even contributing to a Southern Mommas blog something like weekly. But as my pregnancy with My Little Man progressed, pretty much everything became more difficult, including finding the time (or energy) to blog.

Because most of you know that this blog is not about my personal life, I have never disclosed anything about My Little Man's health, until my recent post with an update explaining my complete disappearance. Some of you are friends from "real life" who know all the details; & some of you I have been blessed to become friends with *because* of this blog, & of course y'all know all the details, as well. For those of you that do not know me personally, I certainly still appreciate you & your prayers every bit as much.

(& he is doing GREAT, by the way!)

Even though I am not comfortable sharing details about my personal life on this blog, I have often felt a sense of true friendship amongst our community of bloggers, & my last year of ups&downs has been no exception.

Mostly, though...

...before embarking on another fun series of blog posts about cookies, great Etsy finds, preppy fashion, & all the others things we enjoy discussing around here...

...I just wanted to say, "Thank you." & "I'm still here."

Love,

Sara

Pink&Green Thursday: It Was a Watermelon Wednesday!

So apparently August 3rd is National Watermelon Day. Who knew? A while back when I ordered a few party goods from Oriental Trading for Pretty Little Bare Feet's 2nd Birthday party, I received a 2011 wall calendar with my order. Now of course it's not as pretty to look at as the Lilly wall calendar, but I enjoy it for a completely different reason - it includes all these random little fun holidays that I'd never know about otherwise!

So even though Wednesday has come&gone, I say continue celebrating the summer fun that is watermelons. I refuse to cave to all of this back-to-school madness...

(though I do love a good tax-free weekend!)

...as it is still way too stinkin' hot&humid to be shopping for jeans&sweaters. Pretty Little Bare Feet has been on her own little watermelon kick all summer long, & I am inspired to join her in her sweet fun!

(via: Sugar&Charm)

watermelon mojito pops

Yesterday I picked up some (more) watermelon & fresh mint, fully intending to mix these delicious goodies up last night for My Prince & me. 'Til I realized they have to chill overnight, so then I figured they'd be a happy hour treat for us today. Only I can't find popsicle molds anywhere! So they may end up being a day late...

...& uh, just watermelon mojitos w/out the pops!

(But there's still plenty of fun in that!)

(via: Just Married & Cooking)

watermelon margs

I also think these look fantastic & worth a try. I've been craving a mango margarita from Chili's since I was in about week 34 of my pregnancy, & I haven't gotten one yet...

...so maybe I'll do some more at-home bartending with this watermelon I have, & see if I can satiate that fruity margarita thirst that's been nagging at me!

Watermelon Stripe Sundress by Hartstrings

I love, love, love pretty much anything Hartstrings, & I am especially grateful for them now that I have a boy - which makes it so much more of a challenge to find cute little clothes! There is still plenty of hot summer weather around these parts, so I've hit the summer sale on the Hartstrings website a couple times already, & will probably be back at it again!

(Especially with cute stuff like this on major sale!)

Watermelon Quilted Backpack by Stephen Joseph

Is Stephen Joseph all the rage in the halls of your kid's nursery school? It definitely is in ours! & in the lobby of the gym where we take her for gymnastics...

...& pretty much anyplace around here where cute little mamas bring their cute little tots!

Pretty Little Bare Feet has the cupcake quilted backpack (monogrammed, natch!) & the owl lunchbox (just a name label sticker on that one). & when she was a little baby, we loved her ladybug bib&burpcloth by Stephen Joseph.

I haven't seen this watermelon backpack in person, but came across it on the website, & now it might be on the list to replace the cupcake backpack once that one is completely worn out.

(& it's well on its way there...toddlers are pretty rough on their bags! LOL)

Laceless Watermelon Sneaker by Keds at Urban Outfitters

Although all the little watermelon-wear out there for kids is so sweet, it's not impossible to cutely incorporate watermelons into our own wardrobes. I think these little sneakers would be so fun to pair up with basic polo&shorts combinations, especially for a hot summer day outdoors!

Hmmm...

...now I see that today is Champagne Day...;)

What I Want This Weekend, July 22nd, 2011

So here are some pretty things I've come across this week,

from some blog

or catalog

or friend

or magazine

or another;

or just from my own browsing&shopping&surfing,

that I need to convince My Prince to dole out the cash for...

Gloworm Throw Pillow by Suzy Ultman at Land of Nod

I'd buy this pillow for Pretty Little Bare Feet's bed...

...but I wouldn't necessarily object to it getting left in our living room either. ;)

Maria Legging in Starless by J Brand Jeans

How do y'all feel about high-rise jeans? I love skinny jeans for fall because they are great with boots&sweaters. But I haven't really tried high-rise cuts.

Just a couple more weeks to go before I can start running again, & thus allow myself to check the scale again. I was able to lose the baby weight after having Pretty Little Bare Feet, most within two or three months, all within five months...

...Anyway, I have a couple pairs of J Brand jeans, & they are some of my favorites, but I have completely worn out one pair (the shoreman sailor jeans) because they button in a way that allowed me to wear them when I was in that transition period between my normal size & maternity clothes (during both pregnancies!). So I think a new pair of J Brand jeans will be a nice reward for myself after I get back to getting in shape this fall.

Faustina Top in Scarlet by Nanette Lepore at Revolve Clothing

Love everything about this top.

The color,

the drapey fit,

the embroidery.

& Nanette Lepore is one of my favorite designers, especially for tops. They always fit comfortably & look nice.

Bowen Dress in Perfect Afternoon by Lilly Pulitzer

I think this is my favorite dress that I didn't get to buy/wear this summer of being pregnant/postpartum. I think I'll keep an eye out for it to go on sale someplace...

Nice Stems! Collection by OPI

While my toenails are freshly painted...

(Pretty Little Bare Feet's, too! - we had a spa date last weekend!)

...lately I haven't been able to visit my friends at the local salon that I get all of my (current) OPI nail lacquers from. I just love this summer's little mini-collection, though, especially I Lily Love You (light pink sparkle) & Come to Poppy (shimmering coral-pink).

T.G.I.F.! What do YOU want this weekend?