(Ryan photographed this rose on a recent walk.)
This week flew by and Christmas is getting closer and closer! It took me a while to get over that cold (or whatever it was) I caught last week, and then Rhys got it, too. Everyone’s back to normal now and ready to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday this weekend!
I tweaked my blog a little more. I know, I know. But I’m really trying to focus on my writing, and I want that to be what you see when you visit. I moved my photo to my About page, and I created a new page for all of my friends’ blog buttons, as well as the blogging organizations I support. Feel free to swap your blog button with me if you aren’t up there already.
Here are some things that interested me this week.
I’m a huge fan of This American Life’s Ira Glass, but now I’m really concerned for the guy. And his safety. Here’s why.
An historic wedding at West Point’s Cadet Chapel.
And a funny story from my local paper, which leads nicely into this. If you’ve never read the entire piece, do it now and smile. “Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.” So lovely!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Christmas cards stress me out. In years past, I would just buy a cute pack or two, address and mail them, and that was it. But then we had James, and Rhys a year and a half later, and now people actually want to see what our boys look like, so it’s become a major ordeal. There must be a special place in heaven for photographers of children, because assembling two uncooperative little boys in matching red shirts and asking them to look remotely pleasant for a half second while a picture is snapped is quite literally impossible.
Still, we manage to do it year after year, selecting one picture out of a thousand that is a little less terrible than the rest, and I know it is appreciated by the recipient for a minute or two before it goes into a pile with the other Christmas cards, only to be thrown in the trash with the opened boxes and ripped paper on December 26th.
I know this, because I do the exact same thing with the cards I receive. Seriously, Christmas cards are for grandparents.
But, in the spirit of good cheer, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the photography torture session our boys endure each year, for your visual pleasure. And I’ve edited the selection severely, because there were over 200 pictures from which to choose.
(The tree is up and the boys take a practice shot.)
(After deciding to go through with it, Mommy brings out red shirts for both boys. Lots of thought went into their wardrobe choices.)
(And the race begins. The first take is less than stellar.)
(Rhys is the first to fall, the victim of a toddler meltdown.)
(He quickly rallies, only to be squeezed almost to death by his big brother.)
(Mommy steps in to help, and makes a threat or two.)
(Noses start itching.)
(Which leads to the inevitable snack time.)
(Exhausted, Mommy and Daddy resort to bribery.)
(When the insanity finally ends, we are rewarded with a pretty good picture.)
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is just a small glimpse into our annual Christmas card photo shoot. If you do receive a card from us this year, I beg you to treasure it forever. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of it, and you might not get one next year.
I’ve written about not wearing a coat in our mild Texas winters, and getting by with a few light layers and comfortable cardigans. And then I planned a little trip to Salt Lake City in January, and immediately realized that I’ll need something more substantial to shield me from the actual SNOW that apparently falls from the sky there.
I have a leather coat that’s over ten years old and a shapeless gray trench that I throw on for walks around the neighborhood, but I wanted something more sophisticated that doesn’t scream, “Look at the girl from Texas who doesn’t know the first thing about outerwear!” and when I saw this piece on sale at Anthropologie over the holiday weekend, I knew it might work for me. Plus, the amazing Lindsay from Black & Blonde gave her approval, so I jumped at the chance to update my coat collection.
I realize I have Anthropologie on the brain recently, and I’m blaming it on the cupcakes. Honestly, they had a really great Black Friday sale and I purchased the Modernist Shawl-Collar Coat for an amazing deal. It’s incredibly warm and comfortable, but I was first intrigued by the unusual collar and the flattering closure that stops midway down. As a pear-shaped woman, I often find that longer jackets and coats fit great around my shoulders and torso, but not so great around my hips. This silhouette is comfortable and flattering, and also extremely warm. It will serve me well for the few days in January when an actual cold front blows through, and paired with a sweater and a few layers, it will also keep me warm in Salt Lake City.
(A detail of the collar.)
I love the definite modern look of this coat, but it also feels very classic to me, too. And I personalized it just a little with a sparkling ballerina pin.
(The coat unbuttoned.)
It also works unbuttoned, and the shawl collar falls nicely around my shoulders like a scarf. I’m not a fan of constricting clothing around my neck, so this piece suits me perfectly, keeping me warm without that suffocating feeling I dread.
(It’s HOT, y’all!)
And once again, in the true spirit of blogger integrity, I’m keeping it real and revealing everything. My fabulous coat arrived just in time for another warming trend, and it was a balmy 80 degrees when these pictures were taken. I wore my trusty old boyfriend capris for a little ventilation.
But I’m so excited to wear my amazing coat when the temperature does finally take a plunge, or when I step off the plane in Salt Lake City, whichever comes first!
