Matricide!

My daughter is killing me. One late, horrible, not-going-to-bed, at a time. Take tonight for instance. I had the boys in bed by 8, I had HaHa bathed and dressed and sleepy. I nursed her, which she still demands,(another way she kills me), and I lay down with her, sang to her, and still, no dice. 9 o'clock, 9:45, HaHa awake. My work is not getting done. My patience is worn thin. So, tonight, I decided that I was putting my foot down; HaHa was going to fall asleep on her own, in her own bed, no matter what.

Well, the no-matter-what was pretty awful, and it lasted until 10:45. There was screaming, blood-curdling shrieks and thrashing about. There was jumping on the bed, and "Mama's!" so pitiful, it took everything in me not to cave and pick her up. Everything.

It's not her fault. It's ours. From the time she was born she was in somebody's arms. And getting dragged about town in her car seat. No regular sleep schedule. I thought daycare would work out her sleeping kinks, but it didn't really change much. She's still a sleep demon. Or maybe I should call her an avoiding sleep demon. Whatever the case, these are the parts of motherhood that I could do without, but that is the stuff of life, I suppose. You can't have the sweet without the bitter...

Oh, and by the way, HaHa goes right to bed when Richard puts her down. Guess our mother-daughter stuff is starting early! Also, if they made baby cages, I would have put her in one!

And, now that it's 11:39, I guess it's another late night Chez Espy! Richard's still out too!



Outfit:

Still rocking the summer outfits, unfortunately. I am dreaming of chilly fall days, but it was 90 degrees today!

Tank: Old Navy.

Green shirt: Goodwill. Lux.

Pants: Salvation Army. Mossimo.

Shoes: Zoe & Zac.

Pre-loween!

We had a lot of Halloween fun today at school. It started with an all-school parade that is one of the annual highlights. Richard brought HaHa, so she was able to experience the glory and the madness. It was a bit overwhelming for her, but she was a trooper, and she even played with some of my first graders. They were very sweet to her.

I thought of a Halloween costume the night before, and Richard was kind enough to make it for me! I never figured out what the numbers he printed on my contestant sign. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

Spending the day with children completely giddy from their costumes and the ritual of Halloween was a lot of fun. They get so excited. It's very sweet.

Outfit:

Floral shirt: Clothing swap.

Under shirt: Friend hand-me-down. Lux.

Jeans: Clothing swap: J. Crew.

Shoes: zoe & zac.

Fashion Risks!

Okay. I think everybody knows by now that I have sleep issues. I cannot say that I am very different from most Americans, so I'll shut up about my sleeping (or lack thereof) from now on. For the remainder of One Closet One Year, it's style and gossip! Or something like that.

In the era of Flashdance...

Now, I'm sure you've noticed that I love to layer. In fact, my friend Pollyanna dubbed me the "longest-serving current head of the state of Layer-dome". I have been layering as long as I can remember, and I have photographic evidence. You can take a look at my outfit from the 6th grade, and see that I really thought about it. This particular outfit was the result of Pollyanna and I deciding we were going to "dress crazy" for a day. We wore these outfits to school. We were not afraid to put ourselves out there fashion-wise.

Two girls dare to make a statement!

I still love to experiment with my clothes. Skirts as dresses, clothes worn backwards, pattern-mixing, and whatever else strikes me as interesting. By the way, one of my fashionably gifted friends told me that The Huffington Post had an article about Michelle Obama wearing her sweater backwards! That's my girl! The First Lady getting her style on by rocking a look in reverse is awesome!

Outfit:

Print Shirt: Goodwill. Lux.

Jacket: Forever 21.

Skirt: Thrift store.

Dress (under skirt): Goodwill. Old Navy.

Shoes: American Eagle.

To Trails and Back!

We left the house at 10:00 a.m., and got back at 7. What a day! Hanging out at Griffith Park. Birthday party after that. Old friends, new friends, and very delicious food. So tired am I, I will do a post in pictures.

My camera is acting wonky, so my outfit photos are not so hot. Also, my battery died while I was taking my photos. I guess I took too many shots of HaHa eating cake. Excuses. Excuses.

Guess what?!  I got 75 days left people. I've been doing this for 290 days! That's 290 different ensembles and NO shopping!

Outfit:

Sweater: Goodwill. Lux. I love the flower detail. HaHa wore it when she spilled water on her shirt today.

Long sleeve sweater: Cousin hand me down. Forever 21.

Body Suit: Goodwill. Star Cody. I folded the top down so that it extended the waist of the skirt!

Skirt: Walmart. George. I got this skirt when I was visiting my mom. It was 5 bucks!

Party Favors.

Hair

Shoes: Mossimo. I wore my fit flops for our Griffith Park hike.

263 Days!

It's been 263 days of NO shopping, no swapping, no thrifting, no sifting (through racks of clothes, that is). I have been sifting through my closet, and I realize that when my time with this project is up, I am getting rid of a TON of stuff I've been holding on to for years.

For starters, I have a lot of clothes that don't fit properly. Because I've gotten so many clothes via handing down from friends, and clothing swaps, many of them are off in one way or another. Also, I have a lot of things I've kept for sentimental value, or because they are "nice", or "I might wear them someday". Whatever the case, come January, if I don't love it, it's gone!

Now, the main reason I was sifting through my closet this weekend is because I am attending a wedding on Saturday, and I was trying to figure out what I am going to wear. I tried on a few dresses, and I realized that they need to go. They just aren't me. I also tried on a bunch of other things and I realized that they aren't right either. For a gal who plans to wear her prom dress to a wedding this weekend (clothing nostalgia anyone?), this is a good sign. I think it's time to let some things go. I will, however, keep everything I love, and everything that fits.

By the way, I have gotten rid of tons of clothes over the years. Just the other day I was thinking about all those clothes. Hundreds and hundreds of items. Why did I ditch them? And, more importantly, why did I buy them in the first place? As I start to think about my future shopping adventures, I realize that mindfulness is order. I don't want to end up here again in a few years!...

Or do I?

Outfit:

T-Shirt: I got this in NYC at least 17 years ago. I thought it was funny. Today I had band practice, so I thought wearing the optimistic rockers would be a good idea!

Shirt (under): This was a hand me down from a friend. I threw it under my Hanson's tee because it has a low halter back. Lux.

Skirt: Thrift store.

Shoes: Fit Flops. 

Charlie!

Today Charlie turned seven! I cannot believe that this many years have gone by so quickly! It seems like it was just yesterday that I was first pregnant and trying to figure it all out. I had always wanted a baby and a partner to raise that baby with. They came to me in such an unexpected way, that I was absolutely giddy and certain that it was all kismet. Sure enough, it was.

I had tried to plan a little get together for Char-Char, but because of many obstacles, it turned into just the family going to dinner for sushi (Charlie's choice). However, when the kids arrived to pick me up from work I learned they had been fighting all day, and that HaHa had not napped. Jordan and Richard were out and about picking up uniforms for high school, and Richard had to go back to work where he would be staying all night. I could not imagine going to a restaurant alone with cranky and tired kids, so I opted to cook instead.

We had a few surprise guests for Charlie's birthday dinner, including the lovely Pollyanna, the gorgeous Ayiko, and the ever handsome Josh and Brady. So, although it was completely spontaneous, it felt like a party. There was even some dancing! Happy Birthday Charlie!

Outfit:

Shirt: Hand me down from friend. Lux.

Pants: Forever 21.

Sweater: Clothing Swap. Express.

Shoes: Mossimo.

   

Play Date!

Today,  I experienced the worst play date ever. My child didn't kick anybody in the head, or draw on the wall, or say and choice words. However, he did manage to throw up all over the play room carpet. Of course there was a linoleum floor a few inches away. And a bathroom within a few feet. However, Lee-Lo hasn't thrown up in years, so I suppose he didn't know what was happening. As soon as the grown ups were alerted of the situation, I immediately jumped up and tried to assess the damage. Child: okay. Carpet: screwed.

I happened to have some rags and bags with me from the picnic last night that I picked up the mess with. Then Erin gave me some more cloths and I got on my hands and knees to start the cleaning and scrubbing and spraying that would lead to a mostly clean carpet! However, just when I thought the dirty work was done, Erin discovered another pile on the play room chair!

I was horrified! All that time I was scrubbing the floor, the mess was just sitting there. That made it far worse than it would have been if I had immediately gotten rid of the bulk of the problem. So, for the next hour, I scrubbed and scraped and sprayed and washed, until I knew there was nothing more to be done. I also had to make sure Lee-Lo was staying away from the other kids, and staying calm. Ha! Right. I took apart the cushion on the chair, and let it sit in the sun. As I was laying out the fabric, Erin commented that the chair belonged to her 90 year old grandmother. D'oh! Could it be any worse?!

I guess it could have been worse. Erin could have been visibly perturbed. She was absolutely, down-right gracious. Leo could have vomited on a child. Or in a shoe. Or on a piece of art. Whatever the case, I just hope that next time he knows what to do and asks for help!

Outfit:

Flower Sweater: Goodwill. Lux.

Floral shirt: Goodwill. Clio.

Jeans: Goodwill. Gap.

Shoes: Not from Goodwill! Q'uelle surprise! Predictions.

D'Oh!

Okay, so it's 9:58 and my friend just left, and it's poker night, and Haha hit her head and just fell asleep 20 minutes ago after being awake for the entire day, (save for a half hour nap en route to get the boys)... And I had a summer school meeting with the director, and then I came home and had to clean up and make dinner, and I am really, terribly disorganized and all of these are just lame excuses for why I do not have anything poetic or notable or interesting to write about tonight. And, that little monologue reminds me of something I might overhear on Grey's Anatomy while Richard is watching it and I am gagging on the sidelines because nobody talks like that and it is sooo cheesy. So what does all this mean? Chalk it up to writer's block or a bad case of PMS!

P.S. I think I may have found another lost member of The Brunettes!

P.S.S. My hair looks like one of Marge's sisters in this photo!



Outfit:

I think this outfit says "writer's block" too. As I said I had a "business meeting", so I tried to look semi-professional. However I kept my shirts loosely tied for better nursing access and I ended up looking sloppy.

Long sleeve blouse: Goodwill. Seen in Science is Real!

Green Blouse: Goodwill. Lux. Seen in Bieber Fever! Haha just happened to be playing with a matching Home Depot flag! She was also quite eager to pose (see below!)

Black Dress: I got this at Urban Outfitters probably around 16 years ago. It has cool beading on the front, but I'm wearing it inside out. Maybe tomorrow I'll wear it the right way. When I bought it, it was on sale for 50 bucks from a hundred, and at the time I remember thinking it was so expensive (I was a poor student)! This is the dress I was wearing the night I went into labor with Charlie. It's very stretchy (see swollen feet)!

Shoes: American Eagle. This is the first time I've worn closed shoes since I cut my heel. It was okay, but I might wear open heeled shoes tomorrow!

Bieber Fever!

I've been hearing about Bieber Fever for a while, but it was only recently that I heard Justin Bieber sing and saw him engage in witty repartee with Oprah.  He was very charming and quite talented, I thought.  Besides his crazy hairdo, I could understand why young girls are obsessed with him.

What a lucky lad to be born in the age of You Tube. Where was You Tube when I was a kid? Pollyanna and I could have uploaded our "The Brunettes" songs! With our brilliant lyrics and dazzling personalities I'm sure we would have gone viral in a flash!

Just take the theme song (?) for our band: "Brunettes Have More Fuh-uh-un. I know it 'cause I am Wuh-uh-un (one). Brunettes have more fuh-uh-un. I know it 'cause I am one!" Sheer brilliance!

That song is second only to the toe tapping hit "Us". It goes like this: "We. We are us. We grow each day. Life can be easy, it can be tough, but, we have to take it either way." (By the way, Richard wants me to remind people that these songs are copyrighted and he is very litigious.)

Now, in our/my defense, we were in fourth grade and we were nerds. And, I am sure I was a negative influence on Pollyanna's lyrical styling. After all, she listened to the Beatles and Carole King. I listened to KISS-FM. Oh, to bring this back to the fashion side, we made our own Brunettes t-shirts with puffy paint. They were awesome! (By the way, Richard also questions the past tense use of "nerds" in referring to Pollyanna and me. Sorry Pollyanna!)

Outfit:

White shirt: Goodwill. Isabelle Marant.


Green Shirt: Goodwill. Lux.

Brown pants that look black in the photo: Goodwill. I.N.C. (fabric right)

Shoes:  zoe & zac

We Wear The Pants!

I was happy to learn that out of 36 people I did NOT own the most pairs of pants. I was surprised that most people (12) have under five pairs of pants. That seems like quite a modest number. Now I am curious to know how many pairs of jeans people have. I am also wondering if people included yoga pants, sweat pants, or if they were thinking slacks, cords, and seersucker bell bottoms. I don't know.  I guess I need to make my polls more specific.

I had a happy day after seeing Leo perform in his Spring Concert with his peers. It was adorable and included a folk dance where Leo danced with a girl! Afterward Haha and I strolled about and enjoyed the sights around the city. Everything was good up until the point where I drove for an hour in traffic to pick up Charlie at the Wadsworth Theater (located near one of the most congested intersections in the nation - Westwood and Wilshire), only to discover that the bus had taken the kids back to school. Therefore, I would be late and I did not have any numbers for the coordinators. Smart.

This was one of those occasions I was ecstatic that a) I had my cellphone. and b) it was charged. I called Richard and told him the situation . He said he could leave work and fetch Charlie. While I was on the phone with him I got a call from the parent coordinator asking if I had Charlie. I said "No" and became even more upset than I had been. Charlie was missing and it was my fault.

In those next 20 minutes where I did not know what was going on, I was struck by how I would do anything to have Charlie be okay, yet I so often feel annoyed or upset by his behavior. Why does it take something bad to happen to make me see the blessings I have in my life?

Charlie was in a friend's car. Richard got him and the parent who called me was forgiving of our error.  I was thankful and appreciative of the universe and family and friends. I must remember to always count my blessings!

Outfit:

Shirt: Goodwill. Lux.

Polkadot wrap: Thrift store.

Jeans: Hand me Down from Pollyanna! Express.

Shoes: Mossimo

6 a.m....

I got called at 6 a.m. to sub today. Fourth grade here I come! Hollis woke up when the phone rang, so I had to wake up and get dressed while trying to "entertain" her. I threw this outfit together in a flash and tried to get out of the door as quickly as I could. Of course, with 3 kids this is nearly impossible.

Once I got on the freeway I was distraught at the HORRIBLE traffic. On the way to school we passed 6 fender benders! The final accident I saw included a teacher at the school I work at who happens also to be my best friend's boyfriend. What are the chances?! Today is the first time I have posted away from home, and I had technical difficulties.

Outfit:

Brown Shirt: From Goodwill.

Sweater with Floral detail: Goodwill. Lux.

Pants: Isaac Mizrahi for Target. I got these for 8 bucks!

Shoes: Airwalk.