My mom hates Halloween and never made a big deal of it when I was small. She actually used to bribe me with prizes so that I wouldn't dress up and go trick-or-treating. I don't want to be that way. I actually love Halloween (the movies, the books, the decorations, the weather, the soup, the candy- everything about it is wonderful to me) and want it to be a really fun time of year for Harper.
She has been dying to wear her Ariel costume ever since I first showed it to her. She carried it around with her in a bag for a few days until she started trying to sneak it on and I had to take it away and hide it (we needed it to last until Halloween).
When I received an e-mail about Boo at the Zoo, I knew we had to go. Colt was working on Saturday so it was just Harper (aka Ariel) and me but it was still fun. Harper had so much fun seeing all of the costumes and insisted on meeting every other Ariel. She would show them her fin ("See my fin?") and make sure to let them know that Ariel and Ursula live "under the sea." She collected candy, watched animals, rode the carousel, and asked to swim under the sea with the seals (I said no). All in all, it was a great way to kick of our Halloween celebrations.
And if you ask me, Harper was cuter than Ariel herself, even if she refused to wear her lovely red flower clip.
Yesterday, we took Harper trick-or-treating to do some family trick-or-treating. We visited Colt's parents and both sets of his grandparents. Harper had fun and was so spoiled that I felt like we were having Christmas in October (seriously, her Halloween buckets- yes, that's supposed to be plural- are full of jewelry, ponies, Barbie stuff, money, food, and candy).
I can't say enough how happy I am that Harper has so many loving grandparents. It's not just them, either. She has great friends (little and big) and aunts/uncles (official and unofficial) in her life. I always think about these special people with a lump in my throat. In my mind, I refer to them as Harper's Team. I love each and every member of Harper's Team and am grateful that my sweet girl has so many awesome people in her corner.
I wanted to share a few of my thrifting finds. I can't share them all because that would most likely take all day. Keep in mind that the majority of these pics were taken in my hideous bedroom (basement remodel will commence in January of 2013) and that I had neither showered nor combed my hair before taking them.
I just know that if I wait until I take better photos that I actually like (a nearly impossible task), I'll never get around to posting about thrifting and really, I need to share these treasures with you.
This skirt is so full and fun and I'm pretty sure it was homemade.
I wish you could see it better.
The pattern has like five colors in it, making it perfect for my never ending obsession with solid tops.
And I've basically been living in this Hello Kitty sweatshirt.
I'm obsessed with patterned button ups.
I loved them underneath all of my solid sweaters.
As for this red top... I'm totally obsessed.
Whitney found it for me and it's vintage and I'm pretty sure it was made for me (before I was even born).
Utah hoodies are my favorite, especially when they are already broken in.
I'm certain that this yellow skirt is my favorite find so far.
Yellow is, in my opinion, a neutral, and a I love it.
This skirt is my favorite length and will go with so many things.
Harper has, until now, been very resistant to potty training. She did really well for about a month after her second birthday. Then she got bored with it and gave up. Since that time, we haven't even been able to discuss the idea of potty training without defiance. Talking about wearing undies has literally caused her to go straight to meltdown status.
Not wanting to fight with my two year old about something as trivial as using the toilet, I let it go, knowing that this was a step Harper was going to have to take on her own time.
Last Thursday, Harper and I were looking at Disney.com trying to get some ideas for Santa. Harper has been wanting an Ursula doll and as we were looking at the different options, we saw this:
Harper went crazy. She "needed" it (really though, another set of small Disney toys is about the last thing she needs) and wanted me to order it "right now." I told her she would just have to wait and see what Santa brings. No way. She wasn't waiting for Santa. She didn't even want to wait until Saturday (Harper thinks everything big happens on a Saturday). She wanted this Ariel play set today.
Harper never gets this way about toys, unless they are Ariel toys. She is rarely demanding when it comes to buying things.
I saw my chance and took it.
I told Harper that I'd get it for her when she was potty trained.
She's been potty trained ever since.
True story.
This is no exaggeration. Harper has worn undies and used the toiled consistently since last Thursday. She has even stayed dry through her naps and at night. She has not had one accident.
Basically, if you wait long enough, your kid (with a little help from her best friend Ariel) will potty train herself and all you'll have to do is order a $15 set of Little Mermaid toys (Harper's are on their way!).
Before I got pregnant, I worked in retail management (Dillard's, local boutiques, and The Buckle). It was hard and frustrating (believe me when I say that sweet little daycare children are a million times better than ignorant customers and flaky employees) and the hours were long and my feet felt like death at the end of the day, but it wasn't without its perks. For nearly a decade, I had a discount on almost everything I could want. For a long time, I purchased shoes, purses, jewelry, and clothing with an employee discount and it was awesome.
It's pretty easy to get used to 30-40% off and it's hard- really, really hard- to get used to full price once you leave the folding and merchandising hell that is the retail world.
Now that I live in the real world where I fold clothes for free, it's hard to pay full price for stuff. Purses and shoes are easier but I can't justify $90 for a sweater, not after living the discount life. I love clothes and love shopping but don't want to break the bank for one outfit that looks just like everyone else's overpriced outfits.
This is why I love my new hobby: thrifting.
I don't just love thrifting. I'm obsessed with it and have to stop myself from going daily. I'm blaming Colt's Grandma Rushton.
A few weeks ago, Calli and I stopped in to visit Colt's Grandma Sharron (coincidentally, both of Colt's grandmas are named Sharron... I distinguish them by the R's in their names. Grandma Adams has only one R while Grandma Rushton has two). Anyway, Grandma Sharron with two R's took us to her basement (Grandma Sharron's basement is a treasure trove for me and the old lady that lives in my soul... I'd love nothing more than an afternoon to rifle through all of her vintage goodies). She told us to look through some boxes of stuff she had set aside for donation and to take whatever we wanted. I looked and then I left with 12 shirts, most of which are probably older than me.
Over the next few days, I was shocked- and thrilled- at how much I loved my new/old clothes. I told Whitney about them (she has since made her own successful visit to Grandma Sharron's basement and is, by the way, determined to bring the house coat back). She suggested that we try thrifting (ok, I guess I'm blaming her, too). She told me about a new Goodwill store (the first one in Utah) that she'd recently found and we made a date to check it out. I went in clueless and skeptical and came out with three bags (three very full bags) and a newfound faith in the glory of secondhand.
And now, I'm a thrifter. So is Whitney. We're like a team and we are pretty serious about it.
I'm not kidding. We have a system and everything and when we go, we go for hours and then we spend the next few days talking about how much we love all of our awesome new/old (old/new... whatever) stuff.
It's like a game- a fun one- for me to find the best thing for the best price and to put outfits together. My new treasures, by the way, have helped me rediscover so many great pieces that I already had hanging in my closet. It's been great.
One thing that I have really appreciated about thrifting is the fact that it makes me far less aware of sizes. I don't even look at the size of something before trying it on and that's a first for me. It's wonderful and exciting to not worry about zeros and double zeros.
So far, I've come home with skirts/shorts/pants/sweaters from Free People, Banana Republic, J Crew, Guess, Gap, BCBG, Michael Stars, and Forever 21, and not once have I paid more than $6 for something. The really crazy thing is that, for a thrifty thrifter like myself, $6 is steep. True story. I like things better if they are under $4.
For example, the unicorn (more about this precious treasure later next week) I purchased today was only one dollar and even though I would have been happy with it no matter what, I loved that little unicorn all the more because it was so very cheap (honestly, you can't even get a Diet Cherry Pepsi for a dollar!).
The cheaper, the better, and when I find something special in the weekly 50% off color tag (Whit and I cracked that system, just so you know, and we can barely wait for blue tag week), it's like Christmas.
Ridiculous? Maybe. I don't care. Gross? Not to me (no more gross than new clothing... I've spent years and years working with new clothes and I promise you that after manufacturing, shipping, merchandising, and being tried on countless times, new clothes are far from clean) and I still don't care. Thrifting can be ridiculous and it can gross you out (rest assured, I do wash everything the minute I get home) and I'll never care because it's fun and economical (less money spent on fully priced clothing means more money in Harper's college fund) and silly (if you don't think thrifting is silly, you haven't seen Whitney and me in a thrift store) and I like it.
In summation, thrifting is awesome. It's even more awesome when you have a partner. And it's even more awesome when you have a theme song (be warned: our theme song is not for innocent ears).
Do you thrift? If so, what are your favorite types of finds? Do you have a system? Do you go regularly? Do you have a favorite store? If so, what is it? What is your favorite thrifted treasure so far?
Just so you know, NONE of those questions were rhetorical.
Anyway, I was planning on sharing some thrifting pics but this post is already as long as it needs to be. Let's take a rain check and while we are at it, let's just make this thrifting thing a series. Sound good?
Colt's sleeping, Harper is watching Madeline (thank you, thank you to the library for having so many wonderful DVD's... this week we are enjoying Madeline, Mary Poppins, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Nightmare Before Christmas), and I'm just sitting here thinking about how wonderful life is.
I'm so grateful for life, for family and friends and experiences that make each day amazing.
I've been having all sorts of fun lately. I've been out and about with Colt, Kenzie, Calli, my parents, Whitney, and Harper. We've been playing, eating, thrifting, shopping, and seeing movies and it's been great. I love being so busy that my house gets messy- who wants to clean when there is so much fallish fun to be had?
Not me.
I wanted to do a quick catch up. I plan on blogging a bit more from now on. I needed to slow down a bit there for a while but lately, I find that I miss the blogging world. I miss it a lot. So, I'm here and I'm going to try to catch up on reading all of your wonderful blogs this weekend (I'm a hunting widow right now and have lots of free evening time on my hands).
Anyway, I figure that there is no better way to do a brief "this is what we've been up to" post than with a few instagrams...
Our neighbor Gretchen has a witch and Harper is totally fascinated with it. She has wanted to talk about "Gretchy's witch" every time we go outside. She keeps asking me where the witch came from, where her head is, if she is magical, and if she is going to come and take Harper away in the night. Harps is super into Halloween right now and I love it. She's also really aware of what is scary and has been having nightmares. That part, I don't love.
Harper naps are the best and really, aren't you jealous of that hair? I am, that's for sure.
It's Oktoberfest (or as I like to call it, Deliciousfest) at Porcupine. I can't get enough of giant soft pretzels dipped in beer cheese soup. Let's go again soon, okay Kenz?
Whitney and I have been thrifting fools lately, and with good reason, too. I got this adorable J Crew skirt at the local Goodwill for $2. Yeah. You read right. $2!!! I purchased a Banana Republic merino wool sweater earlier today. It was $3. Yep. Cheaper than your lunch. Go ahead and hate me now. I won't even mention my $3 Free People vest.
I'm planning on posting more about our thrifting adventures tomorrow. I have lots of ridiculously awesome finds to share. Basically, I'm addicted. Thrifting is my crack.
Harper can dress herself now and has become buttoning expert. This means that she FINALLY appreciates and her cardigan collection. Cheers all around.
Harper insists on taking so much crap stuff with us when we leave the house and it's getting a bit out of hand (obviously). By the way... That is her Ariel Halloween costume in the plastic bag. I won't let her wear it (because I'd like it to last until Halloween) but she has convinced me that she needs to "hold it in a bag" at all times.
This cuteness happened today and honestly, I nearly died. Harps got this adorable shirt for her birthday and is totally obsessed with it. I'm sure you can see why. When Ariel came to her birthday party, Harper held it up and said, "Look Ariel, this is you!"
I saw this sign at the library earlier today and have found myself trying to decide if I should try to pass as a 12th grader or as the mother of a really small kindergartner. What do you think? Either way, I'm going to this carnival, 29 be damned.
Today's post is a special one. I've been thinking about it ever since my friend Kristen asked if I'd like to participate in celebrating her daughter's life.
Ruby June Warburton was born last October. She was beautiful and even though I never met her, I know she was special. If you look at photos of Ruby, you'll see that she was perfect and heavenly. Her body, however, was not. Little Ruby spent only 15 days on this earth.
I do not feel like anything I would ever write would adequately express how special Ruby is or how big her impact has been.
If I were you, I'd readthis post from Kristen. Kristen, like Ruby, is beautiful inside and out and I've been so inspired by her strength. She has shared Ruby's life and built a platform of love and service upon her memory. She makes me want to be a better person and a more attentive and devoted mom to Harper.
Kristen wanted to do something special to celebrate Ruby's first birthday. She has put together a series of giveaways from her family and friends, all of which involve Ruby's signature color: red.
In honor of Ruby, I will be giving away a collection of Ruby Red beauty products. The winner will receive my favorite Infallible Ravishing Red lipstick from L'Oreal (it's pretty bright but can be toned down with a pink or white base or a pink gloss), some Yes To Tomatoes products (the facial wipes and the skin clearing mask are especially good for those with acne-prone skin), and my favorite Off With Her Red nail polish from OPI.
You must be a follower of both Diligent Joy and Come What May and Love It to enter. Leave a comment on this post and please include your name and e-mail address. Leave Ruby some birthday lovehere for an extra entry (be sure to let me know about it in your comment on my blog).
This giveaway will end one week from today.
Much love to Kristen. Thank you for including me in this special commemoration and thank you for being such a good example of faith and love!
She has perfectly curly hair, big blue eyes, and pokey ears.
She loves Ariel (obviously), My Little Ponies, Shrek, Hide n' Seek, tickles, singing, dancing, princesses, wings, dress-ups, shoes, Barbies, books, stuffed dogs (Scout, Wolf, Spot, and Abby Jack are still her favorites), treats, and stroller rides.
Right now, she is really into Halloween and loves to see all of the different decorations in our neighborhood ("Look mommy, more Halloweens!!!"). She is quite excited to go Trick or Treating.
Harper does not like having her teeth brushed, potty training (she tells us "not yet" despite promises of Disneyland, earrings, and ferris wheel rides), scary things, being rushed, or having someone tell her what she's going to wear (for the most part, she chooses her wardrobe each day, which means she is usually sporting a princess dress, a swimming suit, or a tutu). She also dislikes potatoes and her "new" milk (we think she might be a bit lactose intolerant and have been trying to introduce almond milk to her diet and she isn't having it).
Harper's favorite foods are watermelon (I don't know how to tell her that the season is over), crackers (Goldfish and Cheez-Its), apple juice, soft pretzels, carrots and sauce (ranch dressing), toast with neighbor Gretchy's strawberry jam, turkey dogs (warm or cold), popcorn, and fruit roll ups.
She also likes pop and is always trying to talk me into letting her have "baby drinks."
Her favorite shows are Ariel, Shrek, Puss in Boots, Barbie: The Princess and the Popstar, E.T., and Dolphin Tale. She also likes My Little Ponies, Super Why, The Bubble Guppies, and the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Her best friends are Cash, Paityn (a most loved daycare child who came here for over two years), and Alex (another favorite daycare child). In addition to these sweet little souls, Harper loves her family. She is blessed with wonderful grandparents, aunts, and uncles and loves each of them a whole bunch.
Harper's favorite activities include pretending, painting, going to movies, dressing up, dancing, and movie watching.
She can sing several songs (The ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday, Part of Your World, and Reflection are among her favorites), count to 12, somersault, dress herself, and clean up (when she feels like it). She also knows (and sings on key) the solfege scale.
(We aren't big on pushing Harper to learn right now. She has her entire life to learn and be responsible. We want her to play and laugh and be care free during her toddler years. The things that Harper knows came from television and the world around her and not from any type of formal learning. She is very bright and seems to soak up whatever she sees.)
Harper is a happy girl. She enjoys life and makes us smile countless times each day. She likes to joke and tease with us and would play fight all day if we'd let her. She also (much to my happiness) likes to cuddle. There is nothing I love more than Harper cuddles.
Harper is, to me at least, about a million and one kinds of wonderful. She is smart, funny, sweet, feisty, headstrong, beautiful, and healthy. Honestly, we could not ask for a more perfect child. I'm thankful each day for her presence in my life and for the chance I have to be mom to this amazing child.
Harper's birthday was pretty much perfect. She loved her birthday pancakes and had a great time at her party. We have some really awesome family and friends. I'm so thankful for everyone who came and showered Harper with love (and presents- so many presents) yesterday afternoon. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Harper is a lucky girl to have so many amazing people in her life.
Whitney was here as the official party photographer. I'll share the photos she took as soon as I get them (which will hopefully be very, very soon... ;). Until then, here are a few instagrams.
Sleepy Birthday Grinch
(Harper and I felt like this, too, and wound up in bed two hours earlier than normal.)
As you can see, Ariel came to the party. She was a big hit. She sang and danced and played with the kids. It was awesome and the little ones didn't want her to go (Harper asked if she could stay forever).
In real life, Ariel is my friend April. She is super cute and even more talented. If you want Ariel or any of the other princesses to entertain at your daughter's party, let me know and I can put you in touch with her.
So, I did really well yesterday. I did cry in the morning when Colt and I sang to Harper and again when she blew out her pancake candles. After that, I was just too busy for tears. And after the busyness, I was too tired for tears. Instead, I snuggled with Harper while we watched Aristocats (a gift from her Grandma Carrie). Then we went to bed (Colt is gone hunting and so Harper is sleeping with me for the week).
