A Welcome Escape!

Today, I got to get into the classroom I will be occupying this summer, and I got to go to a graduation party for a very promising young lady! The graduation fete was called a "Get Out of Jail" party because the young lady who was being honored did not really relish high school. That is to say, she received more enjoyment from working after school with children, people with Down's Syndrome, volunteering, and participating in theater. She realized that there was much more life to live beyond the walls of her school, than in her school, where her peers seemed concerned with shallow and trivial pursuits. And, apparently, she is not a fan of teenagers.

We have something in common.

One of her teachers was at the party and he had nothing but glowing things to say about her, so it is not that she doesn't enjoy learning and studying. There were also many other guests with praise for the graduate. It was a very fun and happy occasion, and I am so glad I got to be there. I will leave out the antics of my children while we were at the party...

On a completely different note, today when I was working in the classroom, I was trying to help HaHa turn on a computer, which she was determined to do, and she pushed my hand away and said "I do it!" It sounded like, "I'll do it", and Richard and I started cracking up! She said it again later, and I'm sure she'll be saying it again. That's my little independent HaHa bear!

Outfit:

I got a sun burn when we were at the park a few days ago, so I opted for a racer back tank today. These past couple of days my shoulders have really killed me. I wanted to be comfy so I paired it with these kick around corduroys. Of course when I got dressed this morning I wasn't thinking about the party later, but I manage to spruce up my outfit with just a couple of tweaks!

Print Shirt: Forever 21. I really can't resist a fruity print!

Brown Pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.

Sweater: Hand me down from cousin. Merona.

Shoes: Fit Flops.

Tweaked by adding:

Gold Crop Jacket: I got this for 5 buck at Walmart when I was visiting my mother in Hanson, Mass. 

Shoes: Patricia Field's for Payless  that I got for 12 bucks! I was looking for shoes for the boys a couple years ago, and I went to peruse the 10's. I saw these and snapped them up! I wish I had bought a second pair because they are soooo comfy!

Pants: I took the elastic bands I had around my wrists earlier in the day and gathered the pants at the bottom so they were more stylish, and less frumpy... At least I hope they were!

Sex ATC!

Okay. Although it pains me to admit it, every time I see an add for the new Sex and the City movie, I get a little giddy and I actually watch it rather than fast forward through it. When I lived in New York, I never saw a SATC episode. For starters, I didn't have a TV, and second, it just wasn't of interest to me. I even babysat for a woman who would constantly tell me that her best friend was one of "the producers of Sex and the City!" I would just nod my head enthusiastically and smile while thinking, "So what?" Later on I would look up said friend, and sure enough there she was on the credit list.

I also had a friend who was an extra on an episode and though I was happy that she had gotten some work, it didn't really matter that it was on that show. Again, I had no connection to the show, so I congratulated her and we moved on in the conversation. I didn't grill her about the cast, or Patricia Field, or being on set. Cut to March, 2001. I move from New York back to Los Angeles after 10 years of living in the Big Apple. 10 crazy and important years. Years I grew from girl to woman. Starting as an NYU freshman and ending up as a single pre-school teacher and nanny. I learned so much about life and myself in those year, and I had a lot of fun.

So it's  March 2001, I'm back in L.A. and I'm living with my mom and step dad thanks to NYU's exorbitant tuition that ate through my "moving to L.A." savings account. (But that's another story.) My mom has a TV, and she has HBO. I sit down to watch an episode with her and I am instantly filled with nostalgia and palpable love for the city I just left. I'm hooked. I relate to the story line and to the ladies as well. I can't believe I've been missing out on this pop culture treat.

After Charlie was first born I was alone a lot because we had moved, I didn't drive, and my friends and family all had jobs. Lucky for me, it just so happened that HBO was showing ALL of the SATC episodes from Season One to the present season! I can't explain what a comfort it was, but it was really helpful to me at the time. It gave me a daily dose of the city, and a dose of entertainment when I needed distraction.

So why am I telling you all this? Because The Richard and I are going to see SATC tonight and I am excited even though I am fairly certain it is going to stink up the joint. I liken it to fashion porn. It will be totally gratuitous and over the top, but can't a girl have a little mindless fun every now and then?

Outfit:

Inspired by SATC. I think there's a little Carrie in it.

Shirt: Goodwill. Isabel Marant.

Blue tank: Urban Outfitters. Very Old.

Pants: Massachusetts thrift store. Mossimo.

Shoes: Patricia Field for Payless. I saw these shoes in Lucky Magazine (shopping porn). My friend gives me her old copies. I thought they were very cute and I found them a couple of months later on sale for 12 bucks! Whoo-hoo! 

HaHa is feeling better! Thank you for the kind words!

Pot Luck!

I stayed in bed as long as I possibly could. I have to thank Richard and my Aunt Janine. We are going to the final parent pot luck for Leo's class. One last time to mingle before we go our separate ways in June.
There will be Margaritas and tacos. What more could a girl want?

I am not writing a lot today. I am hoping the blog police don't report me. I waited until 5:30 to take my pictures, so the light was against me. I went back between flash and no flash, and the pictures were a little dicey.

Outfit:

Lace Empire waist shirt: Isaac Mizrahi for Target. I got it for 7 bucks!

Grey Pencil Skirt: Goodwill. Zara.

Sweater: Friend hand-me-down: H&M.

Shoes: Patricia Field for Payless. I was looking for shoes for the boys and I saw these. They were on sale for 12 smackeroos.

By the way, it just started to pour, so I may be heading to the shin-dig in my handy dandy rain boots!

Back-UP!

The Superbowl, along with American sports fanaticism, and patriotism, is all about commercialism. It is the one time during the year that our boys get to see commercials without us first pausing the DVR or making them leave the room. They love it! I noticed last night that there was a theme of harried, hen-pecked manhood, and I did a lot of eye rolling as I eyed Richard across the room nodding in sympathy with the beleaguered males.

The one ad that made my eyes pop out was the trailer for J-Lo's new chick-flick The Back Up Plan. The commercial started with a deep voice saying "Warning. What you are about to witness..." Black screen. Red letters (see it here). Next, a group of women, one beating a drum, surround a kiddie pool while a woman labors horror film style. Now, I have a hard enough time defending my choice to birth at home, without the film industry's portrayal of home-birthers as crazy, hippy-dippy morons who sit around in groups drumming babies into the world. I am tired of films presenting labor as hysterical, out of control, and horrific. All of the images I had of birth, before my own births, were of women screaming "I hate you!" at their men and huffing and puffing to distraction. Now, while there can be some truth (and comedy) to these representations, they really do a disservice to women and the birth process. They scare us into thinking we can't handle birth and they contribute to the intervention-heavy delivery that is common-place in this country. I am amazed at how many women, most of whom took extra care to eat and live perfectly while they nurtured their fetuses in-utero, sign up for a heavy dose of drugs right before the baby enters the world. The umbilical cord is still attached. To me it's like running a marathon and getting to the 24th mile and saying "Okay, give me some drugs!"

It is my personal belief that almost all of the emotions one can feel in this world are experienced in childbirth. Excitement, fear, pain, pleasure, exhaustion, hope, agony, triumph, relief, and ecstasy, to name a few. Unnecessary interventions rob women of the satisfaction of knowing that their bodies are capable of such a feat and that they can trust themselves. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that sometimes things go awry and there are complications, but I feel like doctors have made women doubt their own power, and have taken something magical and turned it medical.

And please, to those of you who had to get drugs, for whatever reason, I mean you no disrespect. I would have taken drugs too, I'm sure, If I had been offered them every hour while I was in labor. That's precisely why I had a home birth. In a birthing pool, with a little bit of screaming and NO drums!

Outfit:

Cap Sleeve knit shirt: From cousin (see Comedy Tonight). Old Navy.

Blue Tank underneath: Old Navy

Cream Sweater: From cousin. Merona.

Black, Red and White Checkered Skirt: From Salvation Army. I got this in high school!

Black leggings: Richard gave these to me. They are wool and they have many moth holes, so I have tights underneath.

Shoes: Payless. 5 bucks!

Into the Woods!

I am literally running out the door to see a play presented to the Alumni of the High School I attended. It is Into the Woods, one of my favorite productions! I am hoping other people dress up because this is L.A. and you just never know. I am bringing my rain boots just in case!

Outfit:

Maroon Shirt: I found this at a Thrift Store and fell in love with the details. It is by Antik Batik.

Velvet Jacket: I found this at Forever 21. The fabric and cut drew me in.

Tweed Skirt: Thrift store.

Tights: Hue

Shoes: American Eagle from Payless. These are the most comfortable heels ever. I have worn them to many wedding gigs and my feet never hurt.

This outfit is all about texture! Happy Saturday!

Hey Thursday!

Hey! So, I am not subbing today, which allowed me some time to catch up on things around the house (primarily showering) . My mom's twin sister is here keeping an eye on HaHa while I putter about. She is a life-line for our family and I do not know what we would do without Aunt Janine. The boys adore her, we adore her, she is very sweet to us, and a lot of fun to have around. She is a Grandma-Double. Richard and I would probably never go out if it weren't for her. When we win the lottery, she is on our list for a BIG payoff!

I'm keeping it brief after such a long post yesterday.

Outfit:

Sweater: From cousin. Mossimo.

Wrap blouse: I got this at a warehouse sale although I can't remember the name of the company that puts it on. I think the front of the shirt is made from old scarf material. It is now dubbed my "Tiger Woods" shirt. I have to support a fellow mulatto, even if he is "troubled".

Jacket: Goodwill. Allegory.

Jeans: Cousin. Gap.

Shoes: Payless! 5 bucks! They are the red platforms. They don't show up so well in this photo!

Casual Friday!

A relative sent me an email that said she was surprised that someone with four kids has as much free time as Richard and I appear to have. I replied that it wasn't free time, it was time we weren't sleeping!

Last night, after I made dinner, gave the kids a bath, put them to bed, put away laundry, made their lunches, put their clothes out for the morning, tidied up the kitchen, got my stuff together for the morning rush, and uploaded pictures, I wrote my post (Richard edited it in the morning) and finally lay my head on the pillow at 1:30 a.m. I usually write my posts after the kids leave for school, but since Richard is indisposed, I wrote yesterday's and today's the night before. I am looking forward to returning to my regular routine. Today I realized again how helpful a second person is in the mechanics of running a household. I am amazed by single parents who do it all on their own (shout out to my moms!).

In addition to this ridiculous bed time (in light of the fact that I had to get up at 6:45), Hollis picked last night, of all nights, to wake up at 4 a.m. for an hour and a half of fun-filled playtime. This included sitting on my head and playing with the phone and radio. I finally put her in her crib and let her cry. I guess it was more like whimpering, but I didn't care because I was exhausted.

In truth, this blog doesn't require that much time, but I have let some things fall by the way side. These would include bathing and the constant cleanup our house requires. If this blog were in Smell-O-Vision I'm sure no one would be looking at it. Picking out an outfit is relatively quick. I'm inspired by a mood or event or piece of clothing. The writing is also pretty fast. What does take a long time is getting a decent picture, and I now have much more respect for Tyra Banks. In the past when I've seen her talk about how much "work" modeling is, I've scoffed and rolled my eyes. Now, however, I have a deep respect for her smising technique and her H2T (head to toe) modeling edict. I am hoping that I will eventually get down to a good pose in 3 shots or less. Thank God we are in the digital age!

Outfit:

The black shirt is From the New York International Children's Film Festival. I doctored it a while back when I was tired of the standard tee. The film festival is screening The Secret of Kells, which is nominated for an academy award, this Saturday at The Egyptian in Hollywood at 1:00pm.

White shirt - vintage piece I believe I found at Goodwill. It has lovely detail.

Jacket - one of those Goodwill finds I revel in. It is unique and well made!

Jeans - Goodwill.

Shoes - Payless.

Belt - London hand me down (same as in Iron Lung).

P.S. I showered! Don't forget to take the shoe quiz!! Happy Weekend and thank you for the comments!!!