Sunday Best - vol. 2

Linking up with Grace et al to commiserate share how Clare did at Mass. It feels so liberating to grade her.

As an added bonus, you get a mediocre hall/closet mirror selfie of my outfit!

Shirt: Old Navy, several years ago
Skirt: Off brand from Last Chance, $5 several years ago (I've definitely gotten my money's worth!)
Shoes: Dillard's (they are actually my wedding shoes, so 2 years ago)
Ability to pass for a high school student: God
Laundry spilling out of the closet: actually got done yesterday

While I really like the skirt, it really does look cuter (and more like an adult is wearing it) with a cardigan. But the print is so summery, that my opportunities to wear it with a cardigan are limited, because, in June, in Phoenix, a cardigan outdoors while carrying my little personal space heater is just so not happening. First world problems, I know.

Speaking of my little personal space heater, she was actually a very good girl at mass, just some babbling (and announcing that she found another "BABY!"), but age-appropriate. That said, she gets major points deducted for an enormous, disgusting poopy diaper (and everything else) while walking from the parking lot to the chapel.

Grade: B

And since I have my outfit, I'm going crazy and linking up with the lovely ladies at Fine Linen and Purple, too.

Sunday Best

So, I have never linked up with the FLAP girls for myriad reasons. The two most important are 1) I wear the same handful of nice things to Mass pretty much all the time, so my posts would get repetitive quickly, and 2) I tend to not last long in my Mass clothes either before running out the door or after we get back home.

Not actually worn on Sunday, but eh, I like pictures in my posts.

In Clare's early days, there was spit-up involved in all those decisions that are now habit.

Anyway, my lack of selfie taking aside, I love the chance (thanks, Grace!) to grade my little Tornado's Mass behavior.

Today she was okay. She was pretty much quiet as long as you were standing and holding her and possibly moving. In other words, it was awful.

She gets a D. 

I am generous. I was going to give her a C- (mostly because I know it could be worse -- she could know how to walk). Charles voted for an F. I convinced him to raise it to a D because "she was quiet if you held her just right."

Grace has outfits and report cards. Enjoy!

Alleluia!

Happy, Happy, Happy Easter! Praise be to God! Alleluia, Alleluia!

I hadn't made any decisions about whether or not I was going to post during Holy Week, not post during Holy Week, or what. Then I got some sort of weird virus-y thing that left me congested and running a fever(?) and run down this week.

Anyway, I'm back up and running, just in time to celebrate! I'm feeling particularly joyful and festive today, even though yesterday I was feeling somewhat melancholy about not going to the Easter Vigil for the first time in a looong time. Last night, though, the joy filled me, even as He passed from death to Life.

He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Meanwhile, after Clare was in bed, we filled the house with Easter!
 

My first banner

First Easter Basket

Noah's Ark from Grandma

And this morning, we celebrated.

And celebrated some more at Mass. We decided to intentionally hit the outdoor overflow Mass at our parish, and it was a beautiful day to sing joyfully to the Lord.

Easter finery

Are we done yet?

With Mama

Grainy iPic of my shoes, 'cause the full-length shots make my knee-length dress look like the longest tea-length dress ev-er.

Told ya so

And since I'm linking with Grace, the deets:

Dress: Express (from a million years ago), Shoes Rampage (also very old), Cardi not pictured: Old Navy; Clare's dress: gift

Now, we're doing a bit of relaxing before Charles' parents come for dinner!

Happy, Happy, Joyful, Blessed Easter! Alleluia!

5 Favorites (Vol. 2)

I'm going with a random list of 5 loves this week as I link up with Hallie and the others at MoxieWife.com.



1. The word "nefarious." I started using it at random to describe the motives of people who might want to steal the Conclave ballots or otherwise undermine the Conclave, and it stuck. Gotta love a good vocabulary word.

Thanks Google search

2. Colored pants. Every time they come around I.just.can't.help.myself. I've been holding out, but am now seeking out some fun spring bottoms, which I'm sure I'll swear off of, again, in approximately 12 months. Oh, ye fickle fashion gods. Thank goodness (for the wallet) that finding pants that fit is even harder post-baby than it was before.

Via Gap - obviously not spending $70 on this whim.

3. I am also totally wanting a maxi skirt, which I'm sure my tiny frame (blame God) will regret. Comfy skirts are the only way to survive AZ summers (when cooling off means 105), though, and my old standbys are in sad shape. Seriously, I would not be freaked out if kilts caught on here for just that reason.

Via Old Navy

4. Whole chickens. Seriously, they were buy one get one free at the store this week, so I got two for $8 (that's $4 each!), and destroyed them yesterday morning. I made a batch of stock and froze the other carcass for use later. Makes me feel so domestic, frugal and productive. My freezer is now full of chicken yummyness.

Hormone lovin', cage livin' chicken

5. My journal. After writing pretty spottily for the last few years, I've finally been drawn back into journaling in my actual (now ancient) paper-and-pen journal in the last few days. I had forgotten how much easier it is for me to converse with God when I'm writing than when I'm trying to just sit and listen or sending up my all-day-running-commentary and pleas to help the baby pleeeeeeeeeease sleep tonight. Not that sitting and listening is bad, but having a conversation with God is the best, however it comes.

This is the gorgeous number I've been using for too many years now.

Thanks again for hosting! This is so much fun!