Cool to me a Mama!

I was sitting thinking the other day (I know...dangerous, right?), and I realized how far fashion has come in the last 10 years. Not just everyday fashion, but fashion for pregnant mamas and new mamas. Since I have an almost 9 year old, and a newborn (and one in the middle), I have seen how far we've come. So I'm going to dedicate my next few posts to show you some of my favorite mommy fashion inventions. Let me know if ya'll have any favs!

This is my sling (the black and white one). I love it dearly! When I had my boutique, I was prego w/ Hadley. I was at market in Atlanta and went to the baby floor. Luck would have it that I passed by the Sweet Fletcher booth and met one of the owners. She was so sweet and sold me this sling. It was a sample so I got a great deal on it! I was a sling mama with Hadley, and have continued it with Eli. Love it. It is so much easier to hold him while chasing Hadley, than toting the car seat around. I would've LOVED for these to have been around when Alex was colicky and screaming constantly. Not that they didn't have slings back then, but they definitely weren't this cute and hip! I always get compliments on it. Check out Sweet Fletcher for more cool designs.

Sweet Fletcher
Sweet Fletcher

Also, I have my eye on this one. It's called Baby K'Tan. Not as fashionable, but I think it'll be easier when Eli gets a little bigger. Shoot me an email or leave a comment if you know of any others I need to be considering!

Baby K'tan

It must be Halloween...

...because all of the freaks are out in their costumes. Oh no, wait, it's just another awards show! The ACMs were last night, and once again, the fashions were interesting to say the least. So maybe I am being too harsh. I'll show you some pics and you be the judge of it. Here's my rundown of the 2009 ACMs.

Category 1: Unknown

Why unknown? Because I have no idea what this get-up is. Still scratching my head on this one.

Category 2: Barbie

Peaches 'n Cream Barbie

Barbie Cake...See pics below in case you are not from the generation I am

(I think there has been some form of Barbie cake in every generation).

I was afraid Carrie was going to turn around and the stage hands were going to be enjoying a piece of her...er....her dress!

Category 3: I left 1/2 of my dress at home I was afraid that if she made a sudden move, we were going to get flashed.

Poor girl. I love Miranda, but someone lied to her and told her that her dress fit.

Is anyone else tired of the neckline and waistline merge? Who wants their daughters leaving the house dressed like this?

Sorry for being so negative about the ACMs. Just not thrilled about how my hometown was represented. Ya'll tell me if you have different opinions! On a happy note. Taylor Swift is still covering her body...thank God! Seems like our role models for our girls are getting younger, and hemlines are getting shorter...and as we see above, necklines lower. Alright, I'm off my soapbox!

Ciao!

Iron Sharpens Iron

I got an interesting phone call a few days ago. It was a man and he said, "Hello Holly, this is Sam, and your friend Joel gave me your contact info. I don't really have much of a reason to call other than to introduce myself. Joel said you were a really sharp businesswoman in the Nashville community who I must know." (Joel, by the way, was in a networking group with me when I was a recruiter, and is a wonderful businessman, and great family man). Ya'll, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he said that, and returned his comment with, "Yes, maybe 2 kids ago! I'm not so sharp now, but rather dull." Anyway, we had a good laugh and agreed to meet for coffee soon to talk business.

As I thought about this conversation, I was first of all, very honored that Joel would think of me this way...a sharp businesswoman is quite a compliment! And while I run my own business now, it is nowhere on the level that I was doing business "pre 2nd child." But I also started thinking of the woman I was 3 or so years ago, and the woman I am today. Have I lost it? What do we "career women" sacrifice for our children? Or is it a sacrifice at all? When/if I get back to where I was in my career, how long will it take for me to switch back into business mode, or is my "business brain" gone. Don't get me wrong. I love my job as a mommy, and my life is richly blessed because of my children. But (excuse my transparency), you can't help but wonder if you will be able to hold a professional conversation when that time comes without saying somthing like "May I use your potty?"

As I pondered all of these questions in my mind, I started thinking of the people in my life that have been so dear to me since I have become a stay at home mom. They are very "sharp" women! Even though most of them are in similar situations as me, we have very intellectual conversations, they are just different than what my conversations would be 3 years ago with my colleagues.

All in all, I think I have come to this conclusion. If God wants me back in the workforce, he will help me make that transition just fine. In the meantime, he will continue to put women into my life so like we are told in Proverbs 27:17 we can keep each other sharp. Thanks to all of you who are my iron

Proverbs 27:17
"As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man."

Fancy Nancy

Why didn't I invent this character? Fancy Nancy. She loves all things fancy from her tiara to her shoes to her big fancy words! I had never heard of her until Hadley got invited to a Fancy Nancy birthday party. So when we got invited, I headed to the library to get some of her books so we would know all about her before the party. Hadley has LOVED the book, and wants to read it all of the time. Nancy is my new favorite kid! Being a a first time "mama to a girl," all of this is new to me. You should totally check her out! She is fabulous!

Now, on to the funny part of this story. Have any of your kids called something other than it's real name and it sound like something else? Well, when Hadley brings me this book to read she says, "Read Act Nasty mama." Translated, "Read Fancy Nancy mama." It cracks me up.

I have a friend who picked up her son from daycare one day and the teacher told her he was saying bad words. She was shocked, and wondered where he heard them from. She asked what Sam said, and the teacher said "Dumb Fu#*!" My friend realized immediately what Sam was saying and it was "Dump Truck."

Ah, the things babies say. I told Hadley that her name is "Nancy, Ms. Jackson if you're nasty." I guess it's fine that she says 'act nasty' as long as she's not actually acting nasty!

Come, Sweet, Comb

Does anyone remember these combs? It has been awhile since I've seen them...until last week.



My drivers license expired, and I had to get it renewed. I know, right? Perfect timing? I love getting my picture made for something I will have to look at daily for another five years right after giving birth. I have dark circles under my eyes, and am "still swollen" as that peach at the park told me.

Anyway, back to the combs. Since I had to wait for about 1 1/2 hours (standard for these places), I had lots of 'people watching' time. There is also a sign up that asks you not to use your cell phone in there. I didn't know this, so didn't bring anything to read. Hence the people watching. I kid you not, 3 men pulled these combs out of there pockets to run it through their hair before posing for their pic. NOT KIDDING! Is this hilarious to anyone but me? I thought only people that take the school pictures had these. Maybe you had to be there, but let me explain the 3 people that had possession of the infamous black comb.

1) A man with a nice long mullet. Felt like I was home sweet home in Alabama again.
2) A regular looking man, dressed in a button up shirt and nice jeans...and a beaded Indian belt. He must've made a stop in Gatlinburg on his way. He didn't have matching moccasins, but another guy did.
3) A man with "Church of Christ Preacher hair." No offense to these preacher men, but since I went to a COC high school, I met lots of these preachers, and most of them had the same hair. And I think it is safe to say, they have a comb in their pocket, and a bottle of Aqua Net in their office.

Next time you go get your license renewed, take my advice...don't bring a book! The people in your town may quite possibly offer you more entertainment than you bargained for!

Out of the mouths of babes

Well, I think I've heard it all now. This evening I was at the park swinging Hadley and my anonymous friend "Teri" and I were visiting. A young girl (about 12 years old) came and hopped on the swing next to Hadley. She looked at me and smiled, so I smiled back. She said, "You pregnant?" I laughed and said, "No, I just had a baby a few weeks ago." She said, "Oh, and your stomach is still swollen." I won't tell you want I wanted to say to her if she were a little older, but I just laughed again, and said "Yes, thanks for pointing that out." She then looked at my friend "Teri" and said, "Is that your baby?" (She was holding Eli.) And I said, "No, that's my baby." Then she looked at "Teri" and said, "Oh, and she's the Grandma?"
AWESOME!!!! My belly is swollen, and my 30 something friend is Grandma. We must have looked BEAUTIFUL tonight!

Oh well, I will just raise my children to keep such comments to themselves, unlike this cruel human did to us!

Eli Pictures

Eli's online! Check out my friend Molly's photo blog. Isn't it nice to have such a great friend who is a photographer?! She's awesome! http://boulayphotography.blogspot.com/2009/02/baby-eli.html

If you want to see her other work, take a look at her website! www.boulayphotography.com I HIGHLY recommend her if you live anywhere near here...or if you are here visiting me! I'll put up some pics from my surprise 30th b'day bash that she and my other buds threw for me.

Ciao!