My eyes have finally recovered! They got worse before they got better, and then I went to the beach and exposed them to the Florida sun for four days straight. So yeah. I take care of myself like that.
But your questions.
THANK YOU for your questions.
Seriously.
They’ve been extremely therapeutic for me to ponder, because one of the reasons I’ve been blogging less lately is that I’m overthinking everything – I feel like all of my posts should be creative, yet I also feel like I’m significantly less creative than I used to be (or I am out of ideas after over 2,000 posts.) So I end up finding a reason why nearly every post idea I have would be boring or offensive or both.
Guys, you have NO IDEA how much angst I put myself through on a daily basis. Just ask my friends and husband. I’m The Worst in my head.
But your questions have reminded me that non-creative topics can be interesting, too – I usually talk myself out of writing about many of these things because I wonder why you would care what I think about everyday stuff. I’m still not really sure why you do, but the fact that you care enough to ask is strangely relieving…I can just talk about normal things sometimes and at least one person won’t be bored. I don’t have to wait until we get overrun by bats or I’m inspired to write about Uranus to blog.
So. I’ll be answering your questions all week in the order in which they were received (just like my Gynecologist’s nurse’s voice mail message states), and feel free to add any new or follow-up questions in the comments.
Without further ado, you guys.
Kim asked,
Have you read any good books lately? (Or listened to?)
Not super lately, but I went through a phase last year where I seemed to find more time to read. My favorite during that time was The Rosie Project – it was a delightful book about a character very akin to Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. However – the sequel, The Rosie Effect, was a total train wreck that I couldn’t even finish. I kept hoping it’d get better but then I heard from others that it didn’t so I quit reading it because I was getting seriously stressed out. But the first one is my favorite book in quite a while.
Also fun was Where’d You Go, Bernadette? It was exquisitely crafted in a creative format, and was highly enjoyable with the exception of one glaring continuity issue toward the end of the book. I don’t understand how you can end up with such a gaping plot hole in a published work. But it was still lovely to read, and fun to get all indignant about at the end.
Chris and I have been listening to the audiobook Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on and off starting on the way home from our anniversary trip to Savannah. We have watched the movie a couple of times (as should anyone before visiting Savannah), and are enjoying the longer, more meandering format of the book.
(All three of the above books come with a language warning.)
On my nightstand currently is Andrew Peterson’s series, The Wingfeather Saga. I’ve heard fantastic ravings about it and can’t decide whether I want to read them to myself first or read them aloud to the kids. Based on the minimal amount of time I currently have for reading, I’ll probably read them to the kids.
As for what I’ve read aloud to the kids in the past year, we finished the Narnia series (which should be every kid’s first read-aloud series) (but they must be read in the PROPER order as C.S. Lewis intended, not the horrible no-good oh-so-wrong order they now package them in. The ONLY correct order is The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, The Last Battle. If you read The Magician’s Nephew first, I’m likely to yell and scream at you repeatedly, as I regularly do (in my head) to the publishers.) After that, we read my favorite childhood book, The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – which was completely magical for me and a tiny bit magical for Ali. We have also been reading James Herriot stories, Aesop’s Fables, and I have tried to start reading them some poetry for the first time ever. And, of course, I’m still reading Ali my blog from the beginning – she calls it her personal history book.
And, to address the Most Important Alabama Literary Question of the Year, I have not read Go Set a Watchman yet, but did start the other highly controversial Harper-Lee-Related book, The Mockingbird Next Door. I might at some point read Go Set a Watchman, but I’ve read enough about it not to be excited about the prospect.
How’s homeschooling going?
I’ve got an entire post in the works about this, but needless to say, Noah is not quite the delightful, attentive, eager-to-learn student that his sister has always been. That’s why God made him so adorably cute. So that he can get by in life on his looks.
I jest, I jest. He’s a very smart kid. (Noah, when I read you this post one day, I promise you’re brilliant.) (And also brilliantly contrary.)
More on school later – I promise.
Any fashion tips? What about kid’s fashions?
So, this is the first question I will answer with a question. This is one of the many subjects I get hung up on regularly. I enjoy fashion and experimenting with it, and I have highly formed opinions on many things fashion-related. However, I’m continuously sorely afraid of posting about fashion because,
a) I’m not guaranteeing my advice/opinions are any more valuable than the common fire ant’s opinion of fashion,
b) I never post selfies because I live in paranoia of being accused of being narcissistic, and
c) I’m lazy. Oh and,
d) In the past, I’ve only posted about fashion if it could also be amusing – not just straight-up fashion tips.
My jeans posts were different because they were highly self-deprecating (so I didn’t feel narcissistic), I was fairly confident in my opinions, I was going through a non-lazy streak, and they were hopefully somewhat entertaining.
So. Would y’all find semi-regular possibly-not-amusing fashion posts a highly annoying addition to my extremely random repertoire or an appreciated relief from my normal useless bluster?
While I wait for your answers, as a gift, from the post that I never posted at the beginning of the summer regarding the dos and don’ts of shorts, here is a picture of me…in Doilies as Shorts.
In case you didn’t guess, this is a huge, giant, gargantuan, ruffle-bottomed don’t.
Terra asked,
What your thoughts on leggings for adults? Cute or just “leggings as pants”? Do you wear them and do you have a favorite brand? Hope your eyes heal soon!!
I’m still extremely reluctant to wear leggings as pants unless they’re running leggings and I’m about to or have recently run. I do love the feel of my running leggings, though, so I sometimes stretch my acceptability window to stay comfortable.
However, I did order the most fantastic pair of leggings last week, both in design and luxuriousness in fabric (they’re like wearing butter – without the grease) because I thought they were running leggings but when they arrived they were clearly yoga leggings because the inside seam is not reinforced meaning that my thighs would destroy them in the first mile on the first run, and so now I’m trying to decide how I can still wear the fabulous leggings of my life – should I take up yoga just so I can wear them? Should I wear leggings as pants? Do I have a long sweater that would match them? Perhaps wear them under a short skirt?
Clearly the problem here is that the model shouldn’t have been wearing running shoes. Then again she has thigh gap so she actually could run in them. DANG HER AND HER LACK OF THIGHS.
More answers tomorrow, starting with the question about my new camera. Which could turn into an entire post on its own…feel free to ask more!
Cracked up at the voicemail reference. My gynecologist’s nurse’s voicemail says the same thing … with the provision that calls received after 2.45 PM will be returned the next business day.
I have a new question but I can’t remember if you’ve answered it in your blog before. What’s your Myers-Briggs personality type? I’m an ISTJ and I can over think things too.
Re: Books: Thanks for the tip on The Rosie Effect! I loved The Rosie Project and don’t want to ruin anything by being disappointed in the sequel. Rain Reign by Ann M Martin is a YA novel about a girl on the autism spectrum. You may want to read it first before reading to Ali as some of the topics are heavy and I know Ali is sensitive.
I liked The Mockingbird Next Door, but really didn’t like Go Set a Watchman. I really don’t believe Harper Lee ever meant that to be published.
Re: Kids: My kids are the same way. I told my husband that one smart one out of two isn’t bad. My younger one is very sweet, and she’ll probably be our care giver when we’re old!
Re: Fashion: Bring on your fashion thoughts!
I love your fashion posts, and would love to see more of them! You have a unique style, and your jeans advice is spot-on. (Seriously. Those posts changed EVERYTHING about the way I buy jeans.) I wouldn’t worry too much about appearing narcissistic, since there are a million fashion blogs out there written by people who actually are incredible narcissists. Your regular readers know that any selfies you post are in the interest of being helpful to us. Like those DON’T shorts. :)
Thank you, thank you for saying that the current order of the Narnia series is wrong, I agree with you wholeheartedly and I’m reading them to my kids in their proper order; currently we are on Prince Caspian. Here is an article which gives some reasons why the original order is the best. http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2013/04/16/why-you-should-narnia-in-publication-order/
I would be interested in anything fashion related as I need all the help I can get in that area!
I need to get the Narnia books to read to my girls. I don’t want to pass up the window where K would be interested, but I don’t want to start S too young and she is terrified of pretty much anything with even a hint of scary-ness. :P You don’t actually have to answer my Sesame street question…it’s just something I have long pondered. Haha :)
So first off, I think the problem with that picture of the model in the leggings is that she’s actually on 10 yrs old! Sheesh, no on should be allowed to have thigh gap that big. I’m horribly jealous.
Thanks for the reminder about the Narnia books. My daughter is about to turn 7 and I think she’s at a good age for those. She’s currently going through a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle obsession that I’m struggling hard with. She’s not allowed to watch the show, but she is still obsessed. Draws pictures of them constantly. In school, they had to draw a person, animal, place, and thing as an exercise. She drew herself, a turtle, the zoo and a TMNT!! sigh…. So the only books she wants to read are TMNT related. If you have any good advice on kids phases and obsessions that would be fun too!
Ack! I missed this picture. I have no advice on kids and obsessions, though. I just let mine play theirs out, but they don’t seem to get too hung up on things. My little brother, however, was/is a different story. I should get my mom to answer this question. :-)
Helloooo from England!
I have been reading your blog since having come across your infamous and very funny ‘mom jeans’ post – or ‘mum’ jeans as we call them over here ;-) – …not sure what I’d searched for on pinterest that led me to that post but I haven’t looked back since! This is the first blog I’ve ever followed, too!
I haven’t commented till now but felt compelled to speak on the leggings issue… here in England leggings are very much an every day piece of clothing for non-runners and runners alike. Probably and especially if you are a dishevelled mother of 2, I team mine with baggy jumpers (sweaters), converse (chuck Taylors), longer length t-shirts and tops and a cool necklace or big hoop earrings.
Easier to throw in the wash (laundry) then jeans or trousers (pants), can be colourful or plain and generally… should be worn with a thong to avoid the double bum (butt) look. Or your knickers showing through the fabric. Not sure what you guys would call knickers – underpants?
I think those leggings are lovely and with your runners legs you can definitely pull it off as an every day look!
Hope my translations (in brackets) have been useful!
I feel the need to comment on your comment because I totally agree! I think leggings are needed in every day life. I think whom ever invented leggings was created very special by God! Also thank you for the translations in brackets! I read this blog aloud at work from time to time and one of my co-workers basically only watches the BBC Network so she was delighted to hear your translations!
Nice to meet you! And I adore all the translations (as did another reader that commented back to you on the post.) Knickers are either underwear or panties over here. :-) Perhaps I’ll try my leggings out as a hat-tipping to you! :-)
Btw, the dishevelled mother of 2 I refer to is myself, so as to clear up any possible confusion or offence!
Go Set a Watchman=horrible horrible horrible. I wasn’t bothered by the storyline and things that changed from Mockingbird, but the plot was just bad. It was like reading a short story that for some reason just kept going.
Interesting description – and good to know. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks!
Love your blog! Reading old posts but haven’t seen a home tour. Would love if you wanted to do one :)
Oh MYYYY…. my home tour would include piles of junk and stacks of pictures that need hanging on the wall. I’m not the decorating type of blogger. :-)
Yes to fashion posts!
And I love that you read James Herriot stories to your children. They’re set in Yorkshire which is where I’m from. Have you watched any of the BBC TV series All Creatures Great and Small? That’s based on the books too.
My dad read them to me as a kid and I loved them. They lived in England when he was in the Air Force (maybe near there? I’m not sure.) I definitely need to check out the BBC series!
Regarding the Narnia books, you are SO right! He wrote them that way on purpose and it messes up the underlying point of the story as a whole to read them in the wrong order, just like jumping around in any book series would.
I wear leggings under my jeans every day in the winter (in Pennsylvania) and then I wear them with a T-shirt as pajamas. I highly, highly recommend American Apparel cotton leggings. I’ve had some pairs for as long as 7 years of regular use. Although I don’t run in them (except for occasional sprint to catch a bus) they are withstanding friction with the seams of my jeans as I walk, and I walk 3-5 miles a day. Oh, and the colors are great and don’t fade, and they are made in USA with fair labor!