3rd of July

Shirt: Target; Skirt: Urban Outfitters

(Brad keeps telling me to put my hand on my hips for these photos -- so natural (-:)

Sandals: Handmade in Tel Aviv by Sandali via Etsy

Is this a style? I can only get my hair to do this right after a shower because otherwise my hair just slips right out. I was first inspired to do this by Kim Archer who has naturally curly hair and it looked so cute -- straight hair does things differently, but I still think it's fun. I rarely keep my hair down because it gets in the way while caring for little kids and because 10 month olds enjoy pulling and tangling it too much. So you know...

Ooh the best part -- my watchband broke this weekend and because Target didn't have any bands to replace it, I didn't wear a watch for a day. But then I started going crazy because my days require so much time watching -- time to feed the kids, time to get this one down for a nap, time to get dinner started for guests, time to change the laundry, etc. So, in desperation, I temporarily fixed it with duct tape. I know, but I didn't have time to do anything else to it. And I actually wore this to church and out on a biking trip and with company here for dinner. That's how I roll. It's painful.

Why do leather watchbands wear out so quickly? It's crazy. I wonder if most people who wear watches just end up with metal bands.

2nd of July

Shirt: Josh Ritter concert tee; Skirt: re-fashioned gifted and thrifted linen skirt from Banana Republic

Yep, Birks again...

Most days my only accessory...

1st of July

So I enjoy "Style Blogs"...these are a genre (or more often, a subset within) of blog where a person takes photos of the outfits they wear each day. They usually tell you where they got each of the articles of clothing they are wearing, their shoes, and accessories. They also usually comment on their haristyle and give tutorials when warranted.
At first, I was uncomfortable with these kinds of blogs -- mostly because it seemed so narcissistic. And I would say that most of these people are at least 15 years younger than me and usually don't have children -- which DOES NOT automatically make a person narcissistic, but it is easier to be so in those situations. I think doing such a thing could also be a way to understand your own relationship with clothing or style. It can also help other people get ideas of how to dress or NOT to dress. As for being 15 years older than most of these women, I often feel like I am 15 years behind everyone for everything -- getting married, having children, trying to figure out how to wear clothes, shoes, do my hair, cook, live in community with others, etc. As I prepare myself for Thea Belle turning one at the end of this summer, I am thinking of how much I prayed for a daughter for years before she was born and then again, intensely, when I discovered I was pregnant for the fourth time. I've written before about how deep the desire was to have a daughter and yet, how scared I have been about so many things related to being a woman, related to being a mother of a girl who will quickly one day be a woman herself. One aspect of that is my own weakness, ignorance, fear, and desire to dress in an interesting and lovely way, to "do" my hair, to have fun with how I dress. I want to give that to Thea. I want her to love being a girl -- all the deep, important inside parts of being a girl AND all the deep, important (in different ways) outside parts of being a girl. I don't want it to be her idol, of course, not to rule and drive her, but to be able to enjoy it, to play with it, to have fun with this part of being corporeal and living in a physical world. God did this on purpose and it means something. It's a gift. It's important what we do with it. Anway, so one night last week I was talking to Brad about these things and how much I am fascinated by these style blogs and how funny it would be to see what midwest, stay-at-home mom's in their late 30's would wear each day. And Brad says, "You should do that for a month." And I said, "But I wear like 10 things over and over and the same pair of Birkenstocks all summer. And my hair is in a continual ponytail." "Well, that's a style. And it would be funny." I thought for about 2 seconds, and decided it was brilliant. I think I will learn quite a bit about myself, and be shamed in the right ways, and have a better idea of what to keep and how to change and grow. So here it goes. Day one.

So my approach is going to be to actually wear what I really wear day to day. I'm trying not to tweak my normal wardrobe habits too much for this experiment. If I veer off, I'll note it for you (or myself, really). Okay: Shirt -- Urban Outfitters; Skirt -- Old Navy jeans made into a skirt (hippie style); Hair -- trusty ponytail; and shoes?...

I wrote a lengthy ode and explanation of my Birkenstocks but am having all sorts of problems with Blogger this weekend (thus being two days behind in post my outfit-a-day). Everything I've been writing for the last 20 minutes is lost, so I will just say: I bought my first pair of Birks my freshman year of college back in 1992. I have owned 3 pairs since then and could have made that only 2 if I'd taken better care of the cork on my second pair. I get the bottoms re-soled about every 3 years. They are ugly-ish but so comfortable and durable. I own three pairs of sandals: These, my dress pair (which will soon show up in a post), and an old pair of leather Reef flip-flops useful for short walks or dirty jobs when bare feet won't do. I don't really need anything else, but would love a red pair of Saltwater sandals like these (I found on the blog Cup of Jo):

A Passel of Children

Last weekend we drove down to Owatonna to visit some friends back in the States from Asia where they've been living the past 4 years learning the two main languages and the culture of the country they've given themselves to. They have returned for Nathan to pursue a graduate degree ijn Madison, WI in order to return to Asia to teach history at a native university. Shelley's family is from Owatonna, MN (just North of Rochester) and Nathan's is from Iowa. For a short month as they were preparing to leave the US the first time, Nathan, Shelley, and Nora (their only child at the time) lived with us. Nora and Atticus are only a month apart in age. While they were living with us, Shelley and I discovered (on the same day) that we were both pregnant with our second children. Then we had our third children within months of each other. So here we are again, much changed by all that has happened in the last 4 years and the new people given to our families. The kids got along famously and our families are so well suited for each other -- such a laid back, good sort of fellowship. Good, worthwhile conversation. Thankful to keep knowing these guys better as we follow their lives via emails and checking in face to face now and again.

Alexander, Dietrich, Nora, Thea Belle, Atticus, Lincoln & Cordelia

Getting to the picnic area...

Atticus & Nora when the Snodgrai lived with us for a few weeks...

The Changing of the Beds

A couple weeks ago it was time to move Lincoln out of his crib into a big bed...and sadly I haven't taken pictures of Lincoln in the bottom bunk bed, nor can I find a picture of Dietrich when he first moved out of his crib. Bad mother. But I did get some pictures of Atticus in his new bed (Thank you, Gollihers!!). The wardrobe and poses were his own "stylings". I couldn't help but think of the first time he moved out of his crib into a toddler bed...seems simultaneously yesterday and aeons ago (kind of like every week of life with small children).