Keep Repeating to Myself....

I do not go to cocktail parties. I do not need this dress. I do not go to cocktail parties. I do not need this dress.

Anyone having a cocktail party you would like for me to attend? Anyone? Please?

Holiday Wrap-Up

I have lots of great pics to share, but none today because I totally forgot the camera at home. Whoopsies. It is a crazy work week this week, and I can't be counted on for much at all.

Anyway, we had a lovely Thanksgiving, and the break from everything was very much appreciated and enjoyed. On Thursday, I spent the early part of the day in the kitchen, roasting turkey and making pies and all of that. Everything went off without a hitch, which was nice. The meal was wonderful, if I do say so myself. Matt said it was the best ever, but he says that every year. I was very proud of myself. After dinner, we watched a bit of football and napped and I slowly cleaned up the kitchen. We also planned for Black Friday shopping. I tried to get the kids in bed at a decent hour, but well, Alice is Alice and she read my mind that I was planning on getting up at 2:30 am to go shopping, and well, she decided to stay up until 2:00 am. I have no idea why, no idea what would possess her to do such a thing. But she did it. She wasn't grumpy about it--quite the opposite actually as she joyfully danced around the living room. But she would not go to sleep. At about 1:00, I just said to hell with it and sat up with her and ate dark chocolate almonds to keep myself awake. And at 2:30, I got Gabby up, and she and I went shopping.

Gabby and I go Black Friday shopping every year, and we truly have a blast. We always wear some kind of Christmas headgear (reindeer horns, Santa hat, etc.) and we have our set places to go and we buy very few gifts, but fun stuff for ourselves, our family, and for the holiday. We never go after a "big ticket" item like a TV or a camera (it is a little known fact that you can actually get better deals on brand name electronics if you wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas). We also drink copious amounts of Starbucks and giggle a lot. This year, Target was our first stop, as it always is. The line was much longer this year than in the past, but we got everything that I had wanted to get, including a toy for Sam (got the last one!) and a nice big blanket for my grandmother and some new sheets and pillows for everyone's bed. The line was long to check out, but everyone at Target was super friendly and accomodating. We then got our first Starbucks drinks, and went to Old Navy, where I got every one jeans and puffy vests (including skinny jeans for Big Al that may be the cutest things ever). After that, I was really dragging because of my lack of any meaningful sleep, and thought about turning around to go home, but Gabby started telling me about people at school, and I got tickled about it all, and we drove on to the mall, where I took part in the 50% off sale at Gap. That, ya'll, was amazing. I got a pair of Long and Leans, a pair of Modern Bootcuts, a tweed moto jacket, and a striped shirt that I am currently wearing. I got Alice a little tulle skirt and some of their play leggings and tees, which hold up very well and are super cute. I also snagged Gab a cardigan for Christmas by doing a little hiding game with my jeans. We also went to Bath and Body Works for Chinese Christmas gifts for my grandmother's house and my work and then to Justice, where I got Gab some other goodies and got a $25 gift card for coming out early! Score! We were immensely proud of ourselves. We stopped at Panera on the way home and got bagel sandwiches and then got Starbucks once more and drove home. Super fun, and we got a lot of great stuff for not a lot of dinero. Just the way I like it!

When we returned at around 10:00, I had hoped that I could take a little nap, but Sam wanted to decorate for Christmas, so that is what I did. I pulled out everything but the ornaments for the tree (we will get that next weekend) and we put up stuff and cleaned and listened to Christmas carols. We ate leftovers and just generally had a good day. Matt got home from work, and was pleased to show me that he had gone Black Friday shopping for the first time, and had gotten a $10 coat at Old Navy and two video games for $10 at GameStop. The pull of the Black Friday cannot be ignored....

On Saturday, we went up to my mother in law's for Thanksgiving dinner. I made (PW's) pecan pie with whiskey maple cream sauce. It was great, even though I am not a huge fan of pecan pie. We sat around and talked to my in laws for a while, and then came back home. Matt passed out because he had had early mornings at work the last two days, so I stayed up with Al and read magazines and watched Sleeping with the Enemy on Lifetime. My first time seeing that. I can't believe that I've made it this long.

On Sunday, we packed the kids off to stay at my mother in law's and Matt and I went out to eat lunch. We both are expecting a crazy week this week, and we felt we needed some time to decompress before we got started. We had lunch and then came home and watched shows on the TiVo and just hung out together and talked. We had a great time. The kids came home and I finished up laundry and then read magazines in bed until I passed out.

How was your holiday weekend? Any shopping? I just bought Alice a dress at The Children's Place online because you can stack their 25% off Cyber Monday coupon with free shipping (BOO YA!) and I bought a gift for my mom at LL Bean. I was so looking forward to purchasing the Sloan velvet trousers from BR with any kind of CM deal, but BR and Gap are not offering one. WTF, Gap?!?! I am not spending $110 on a pair of velvet trousers that I am only going to wear 3 months out of the year, so I am left pondering if I should get some from Ann Taylor that are not the ones I want exactly and that I am clueless about length in or if I should try to wait and see if these go on any kind of sale. I can't wait too long, though, because our Christmas party is December 16. So it is a conundrum. And I'm kind of pissed off about it. If Gap is still struggling financially, they should know that not doing anything for Cyber Monday is not helping a bit. Even J. Crew has a deal.... Sigh.

I am having a week of 12-14 hour workdays this week, so posting may be spotty at times. Or it won't be. We are hosting a conference here, and I'm still wondering what it is actually going to be like. We'll see, I guess.

Giving Thanks

I just realized that the underwear post was my 100th post. Seems fitting, I would say. But anyway, HUZZAH. If I were very good at this whole thing, I would have a fun, commemorative giveaway or something. But I'm total crap, and we all agree on that. So let's just keep it simple.

I am off today, so I am sitting at home, considering all the housework I need to do and wearing my night gown. The kids are not up yet, even Big Al who has decided that she will refuse to go to sleep if you even THINK of trying to get her to before midnight. Seriously. I struggled with her last night, and we finally both fell asleep in a hapless heap at around 12:30. She is still asleep in there, and I swear, when I looked at her this morning I wanted to be mad at her for her exploits. Because not only did she stay up that late, but she rolled around to nurse A LOT. Homegirl must be getting a tooth. Anyway, because of it, I am still sleepy. And my boobs hurt. But then I looked at her this morning--her mouth was open and a little spot of drool was on the corner of her chin, the dark hair she got from her father was mussed and fuzzy and her pajama shirt was pulled up around her chest--and I thought, "What an amazing little creature." Not in an ooey-gooey, helicopter mom kind of way, but in a total awe of just how much I enjoy her. Just being with her--in her presence. And how much I enjoy the other kids. Despite Sam mooning me about 3 times last night and Gabby getting into this giggle fit and starting to talk in a weird voice that no one could understand and just getting terribly annoying. I am incredibly thankful just to have them in my lives--just to know them. Much less to be their mom. And sometimes I consider a life where I wear La Perla lingerie and have the time to just sit down and read a magazine every once in a while, and I wonder what it would be like. But today, and really everyday, I am oh so thankful and almost giddy at the thought of spending the rest of my life caring for and loving them.

So now that I've made you completely sick, I'll tell you what I am planning for Thanksgiving dinner. I make dinner every year--have since I was 20 years old--for just our family. We invite others sometimes (this year I have invited my mother and father in law and my grandmother), but basically it is just for us. I make it come hell or high water because it is that important for us all to just sit around and eat together and give thanks and enjoy each other. It is not a formal affair--the kids and my husband wear their comfiest clothes and I use our same place settings that I use every single other day of the year, albeit with bigger plates. I did buy a table cloth this year at Target but mostly because I didn't want to have to scrape and coddle the dining room table where SOMEONE who shall remain nameless has made a mess of things at her particular spot. I make everything from scratch, and the only rule is that dinner is done when I get it done--I refuse to put a time on it. So I fix some snacks early in the day and let everyone graze a bit until I get it out on the table.

Here is this year's menu:
Snacks: chips with caramelized onion dip, stuffed mushrooms
Roast turkey with gravy
Cornbread dressing (yes, I live in the south, and it is dressing, not stuffing, and there is no sausage. That is just crazy talk. And I make my cornbread in a cast iron skillet, which is the only way that it should be made and there is NO SUGAR. Lord, you Yankees and your sugary cornbread...gettin' me all riled up...)
Mashed potatoes (if you have ever met my son, you know that his favorite story to tell about himself is when he ate a whole pot of mashed potatoes himself on Thanksgiving. He was 1 and it was adorable and if I close my eyes, I can still see his fat little face inhaling the potatoes.)
Sweet potato casserole (with both marshmallows and pecans because I can't decide)
Creamed corn (what we call "Skoby's Corn" because the recipe is from a restaurant that used to be in Kingsport, TN and was amazingly good. It is basically creamed corn made with half and half and a whole lot of fresh ground pepper.)
Spinach with gruyere (this is my first year making this, and it is a substitute for mac and cheese, which I have always made. I feel like our tastes have grown a bit, so I am trying it out. It is from last year's Real Simple magazine.)
Sherried green beans with wild mushrooms
Honey yeast rolls with honey butter
Bourbon cranberry sauce
Desserts: Pumpkin Pie with maple whipped cream and sugared pecans
Cherry Cheesecake

So that's it. It seemed like more food when I was making the list--now that I see it typed out, I'm wondering if I shouldn't add something. Oh well. I am super excited because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it is also the "kick off" to the baking season which culminates (I feel) at Valentine's Day. My birthday is in there too, and I always make myself a wonderful, chocolate-y cake. This year, I want to keep an eye on my weight so it is going to be tougher, but I am still excited about all of the goodies to share with others.

What are your holiday traditions? Do you cook or go to eat with other family members? I am actually going to another Thanksgiving celebration tonight and then another on Saturday at my MIL's. I have to say that I am looking forward to my own the most though! Is your meal a formal affair or do you eat in elastic waist pants?

If you follow me on Twitter (@pbpickledginger), you will probably get to see a few pics as I put everything together. My husband always takes pictures of me cooking on Thanksgiving, and they are so fun, so this year I am going to ask him to put them on Twitter (A side note--probably one of my favorite pictures of myself EVER was taken on my first Thanksgiving that I made. I am holding the uncooked turkey and smiling this huge grin and you can see my tiny apartment kitchen and on the counter, there is a cookbook and a copy of the Norton Anthology of English Literature. Sam is holding on to my ankle. That pretty much sums that part of life up better than anything ever could.). This might elicit and eye roll, but I'm sure he'll do it because I always make him sweet potatoes and put both marshmallows and pecans on them because he can't decide either.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Let's Talk Underwear

Remember that time that I told you that I bought some new bras? And how awesome it was? Here is where I tell you every last detail about it and make you want to go buy some new bras too. Even if you are a man. The force is strong with me.

So I had this one bra to wear to work. One bra. I know, I know. Here's the thing. I hate (well, hated, up until this point) to buy bras. Because buying bras meant that I went to Victoria's Secret and bought one overpriced bra and had my sense of smell obliterated by lots and lots of cheap body lotions that smell of Dina Lohan. And desperation. Going to VS now is slightly better than it used to be--when I was a size 14, no one would even LOOK my way in that store, lest they catch the fat disease. Now that I'm smaller, they are way too nice about the whole thing, constantly trying to get me to buy things that I have no desire to even see--the Lohanesque lotions, a demi racerback bra (HELLO? My boobs are huge and that goes up to a C Cup. Someone needs to go back to VS University.), a pair of sweatpants with writing on the butt. Knowing this was my fate, I made do with my one VS bra--handwashing after 2-3 wears and line drying at night, changing into a comfy nursing bra as soon as I walked in the door after work. I made do because I could not fathom driving an hour to walk in to that store and drop another $50 on another one.

Oh, and did I mention that the strap broke on the bra? Yeah. It is a convertible bra, and somehow the strap broke on one side, so I've been wearing it as a one shouldered bra. For a while now. And I have never owned a one shouldered top. I'll just let you mull that one over for a few minutes.

On Saturday, we finished at the parade and had a couple of hours before the lights started at the speedway. So my mom asked me if I wanted to run to the mall since she could watch the kids and let me go shopping untethered (which is something that I only dream about). At first, I said sure, that I wanted to go to the farther away mall where there is a Gap and get something for 40% off. A sweater, a pair of pants...nothing I really needed, I just wanted to get something cheap. When we thought about the time it was going to take to get over there (and Sam heard the word "Gap" and said he refused to allow such an abomination), we reconsidered. So I said, "Well, maybe you could run me to the mall and I'll buy a bra." Grumble, sigh, nashing of teeth. My mom was like, "Oh, you need bras?" And I said, "Well, yeah...." and I tell her the whole story about what I was currently wearing.

She hit the brakes and said, "I raised you better than that."

And she did. I suddenly realized how embarassing the whole thing is. I told her about not wanting to go to VS, and she clucked her tongue and dropped me off at the Belk entrance. Belk, for those of you not in the south, is like Macy's. With a Southern flair, I would say. So I go in, just knowing that I won't find anything.

I was desperately, sadly wrong. Once inside, I realized that all bras were on sale for $18 that day. $18!!! That is crazy talk, ya'll. I was going about my business, looking at the selection, when this nice lady of a certain age walked over to me and asked if she could help. I told her that I was just looking for bras--just that. And she nods one time and leaves and returns with about 5 different styles IN MY SIZE. Homegirl just looked at me, ya'll. Didn't ask what size I am, NOTHING. I'm pretty sure that this is a super power, and I have just discovered the person who will save the world from itself. She sent me to the dressing room without saying a word.

And they fit. Amazingly well, actually. They actually do, you know, what bras should do. And I think they make me look smaller. And the comfort level is amazing. Most of the bras that I purchased were different styles from Bali, which I think I vaguely remember wearing when I was in high school (back when I was a 32C--those were the days). One of them is actually, honest to goodness, gorgeous, like a pretty date night bra that actually does its job (I haven't been able to find it on the website, and the SA said she thought it was a holiday exclusive--I might go back and buy 2-67 more). The funny thing is, though, I didn't find a t-shirt bra, so I was looking at one made by the same company. The SA saw me out of the corner of her eye, and goes, "That just won't work for you." Ok then. Putting it down. Walking away.

I also bought this. Shapewear? Who knew? I am one of those rare beings who never got on the Spanx bandwagon, and so the whole thing is new to me. I really like this particular little tank though, because it just looks like a regular camisole. And, because it is just a cami, you totally avoid that "sausage skin" look. You know how some shapewear seems to make women look cylindrical? Yeah, none of that there. It actually just makes my clothes seem to hang better. Nothing too drastic. And very comfortable, which is, you know, a big plus with me.

I should also post and say that Big Al got some new undies too this weekend--I ordered her two FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diapers in Medium. And I love them! These are the first sized diapers we have gotten--my dad got me a BG set of 12 last year for Christmas, and I have a set of six that I bought, plus assorted other dipes that we have picked up through DS and the like, but they are all one-size. I am amazed at how trim the FB's are. Allie was able to wear her leggings without so much of a comment about her big old butt. I think she was happy about that. Al would like me to remind you that Kim Kardashian she is not.

The moral of this long, dramatic story is this: Skip Victoria and her Secret, and find you some nice bras. Preferably from a middle aged Southern woman who will tell you EXACTLY what you need and need not buy. You will thank me later.

OOTD: Budget Bitch

I wasn't going to post an outfit today, but I thought it necessary. Why? Well, because I look at a lot of fashion blogs, and every day I see people wearing GORGEOUS outfits that are amazing and perfect and that I adore with every fiber of my being. And then I click the link and they are made up of things from J. Crew that cost $80-$100 a pop. And I weep. At my desk. My mascara runs, I do that weird snubbing noise. It's bad, ya'll.

Because here's the thing: I have three kids. And kids cost a lot of money. Actually, let me rephrase that. My son and youngest daughter are relatively inexpensive. Alice wears cloth diapers and eats what we eat and nurses. Sam is pretty happy if you just give him a $4 comic book. But Gabby. Holy crap. Between jeggings and dance classes (I just wrote a check the other night for an $80 dance duffle bag for her competition team) and can-I-have-$5-for-the-concession-stand, Gabby is an expensive little beast. And, you know, I like good food. A lot. And I need a new car for myself (we have a newer family car, but the car I drive to work is 10 years old--and AWESOME). And I have been known to buy a cookbook or two. So, while I love clothes, I cannot spend every cent that I or Matt make on them.

So here's today's outfit. I like it--it is super comfortable for the LAST WORKDAY OF THE WEEK (HUZZAH!), and I think it expresses my fun, slightly-quirky style pretty well:

The sweater is from Target. I bought it this weekend--it was on sale for $15 (reg. $22). I highly recommend these Merona cardigans because they hold up very well and have great colors. I actually like this one better than my favorite J. Crew Jackie's because it has full length sleeves instead of the 3/4 style on the Jackie. I have a summer version that is black with a white pattern that both my mom and I own. We both love it and wore it a lot in the summer.

The tank is the silk ruffle tank from J. Crew. I got it off of J. Crew Afficionada for about $15.

The pants are Modern Bootcuts from Gap. I actually bought this with one of my Groupons earlier in the year. So, although they are $59.50 in store, I got mine for $34.50.

The shoes are also from Target--also bought this weekend. They are by Mossimo and were $24.99. I looked all weekend for a pair of gray suede shoes at multiple stores (not just Tar-jay) and these were the cutest that I found. See? I was even willing to pay a bit extra for them, but found that the budget ones were the cutest and most comfortable.

And the necklace I got at American Eagle. I think it was actually free, because I bought a pair of earrings and their jewelry was BOGO that day. If you don't usually check out AE, give it a try sometime. Their jewelry is super cute, and my mom swears up and down that Artist pants are the best out there. I'm also wearing hoop earrings that were a gift from my kids for Mother's Day.

So according to my excellent-English-major calculations, my entire outfit today cost me $96.49. That is roughly the cost of one sweater at J. Crew that I am coveting right now. That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally splurge--I do--but I have found that building a wardrobe is easy and fun if one mixes their high end loves with a few budget friendly tricks! This makes for happy frugal husbands and lots of cheese in the fridge. And you know, lots of dance costumes. Can't forget that. Sigh.

OOTD: Nabokovian Edition

So I am wearing the miniskirt! Yes, the one from Land's End Canvas that I threatened to order. It came in, and at first I was on the fence about it, and then I thought, "Ah, hell. You only live once." And I decided that yes, I would wear it. So here it is!

(I was going to post the picture of what it looked like on the model. But then I realized that seeing her beautiful long legs next to me would make me feel sad and I would then be contractually obligated to go to McDonald's and buy a mocha frappe and a small order of fries and drown my sorrows. So, if you have to see that picture for comparative reasons, here is the link to the previous blog post.)

As you can see, I am wearing tights, and instead of gray suede heels (that I still really want), I went with grey suede flats. Just because I don't want the whole thing to be too Hit-Me-Baby-One-More-Time for work. The tights and the shoes (which are new) are from Target. I will say that they are very comfortable. And (obviously), the shirt and skirt are from Lands End Canvas.

I don't know if you can tell (or if you care), but I colored my hair last night. It is not that much different--just a tinge darker. I was really trying to eliminate all elements of summer brassiness from it, and I think it did the trick. I used Perfect 10 hair color, which is pretty easy to use, even if you are completely hapless like me. I used Medium Ash Brown, I believe. For some reason (unrelated to the color, I think) my hair is acting up today, so I now have it in a ponytail. See that weird bump over my shoulder in the first picture? Yeah, that's not supposed to be there.

I asked Matt what he thought this morning, and he said that it was, yes, Nabokovian. I think he just likes that word. Anyway, we recently made reservations for a cabin in the mountains for a little alone time after Christmas and as I was leaving, he said, "Oh, and when we go on that trip, you're taking that skirt." So I guess that's a compliment. Nice.

Did anyone take part in Ann Taylor/Loft's F&F? I did not because I did LE Canvas's F&F and Gap's Give and Get and various other alliterative sales, and Black Friday/Cyber Monday are rapidly approaching and well, I was pretty sure that Matt would give me a very derisive look if I did. What did you get? Let me live through your purchases vicariously!

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend was relatively busy because my mom was in town. When my mom comes into town, I'll just tell you--things get crazy. My mom and I have a very similar Type A personality that keeps us on the move all the time and when we get together, things get hairy in a hurry. In fact, we pretty much know that we have to live at least 3 hours away from each other at all times so that our lives are not in constant turmoil ALL THE TIME.

Anyway, on Friday, mom fixed dinner for us down at my grandmother's house, so we went down and ate fried chicken and creamed corn and coleslaw and knocked about 5 years off of our lives. It was truly delicous though. Then we spent the night looking at old photos and laughing like crazy. Let's just say the 80's and early 90's were not that kind to my mother, and especially, her hair.

On Saturday, we went to a Christmas parade in a nearby city. This is a tradition with my mom and I--we have gone every year (that I have lived in the area) since I was 1 year old. In fact, my mom can probably tell you an interesting anecdote about every single year. For instance, we pulled into a parking place and she goes, "We parked in this same spot when you were 3. And I locked my keys in the car." Nice. The parade is your typical holiday parade with lots of goofy things and then Santa coming in on a big firetruck. The kids liked it, especially Alice, who really enjoyed the motorcycles. We bought some cupcakes from a downtown bakery and had bento boxes for lunch. After the parade, Alice and Sam promptly fell asleep in the car, so Mom dropped me off at the mall, and I went and brought some bras. We will discuss this later, ladies. In vast detail. Let's just say I have a new lease on life after the experience. It was uplifting. And yes, that pun was totally intended.

Then we drove to the Bristol Motor Speedway in Lights. If you live anywhere close to this area of the world, you know about this thing. It is basically a huge light show in the Nascar track and is gigantic and fun and holiday spirited. We go multiple times a year. My son, Sam, loves it, mostly because my mother is a crazy person and lets him drive the car and she races the lighted cars and things around the track. Insane. They also have a "Holiday Village" in the middle of the track, and it has funnel cakes and marshmallows for roasting and Santa and rides for the kids. After having all the holiday joy we could stomach, we left, took a quick detour at Target, and then headed home. I fell asleep while Matt gave me a much deserved back massage.

On Sunday, my grandmother was going to fix Thanksgiving dinner, but she had a close friend pass away, so we all decided just to go to dinner out. She was ok with that. We had a great time visiting with my uncle and his wife and eating at The Chop House, which is just delicious. Here are a couple of pictures I snapped:

The above is Alice, of course, and she was REMARKABLY good during this meal. So much so that people came to our table and commented. I wanted to say, "No, she is an evil genius, and she is just PRETENDING to behave in order to enact her future plan which involves world domination and an unlimited supply of Kleenex to shred," but I refrained. The other picture is of my mom and Gabby, and my mom would most certainly be upset that I posted it because it is not the best picture of her. I would counter by reminding her of the pictures that we saw this weekend. And the fact that I have a scanner. Do we really want to go there, Mom? Just ask Alice. I'm a mean girl with embarassing pictures and a free blogger account. Don't mess with me.

After lunch, we took a quick detour to the bookstore and to Ulta, and then I dropped mom off at the airport and the kids and I drove to Target (AGAIN) and Starbucks and then went home. We were all tired, but I spent the evening trying to straighten up because our living room looked like a goat exploded and there was a crazy amount of laundry. It.NEVER.ends.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and is slowly (but surely) getting into the holiday spirit!