30 because i am 30 challenge

i love to read and i especially love to do so in the summertime. some of my best memories are of sitting on a couch reading book after book, enjoying the air conditioning while other kids played outside in the blistering heat. nerd heaven. or in college when my friends and i would sneak into the DT pool with out arms loaded with books we had just picked up from the juvenile fiction section of the library. good times, skin cancer and literacy.
for this summer i have issued myself a challenge. i am going to read 30 books before september 15th. there are several reasons behind this.
1. parents who love reading have children who love reading.
2. i have been stressed to the maxx yo for the past several months. i think reading is most my healthy creative release.
3. i actually get more done when i am consistently reading. when i read only occasionally, my already chaos-laden house becomes a more unbelievable pit of doom. when i am reading on a schedule and with a plan, i actually clean and organize and do things with the kids more. when i allow reading to become a part of my life, rather than an escape, it's better for everyone.
happy mom=happy everyone else

so dear readers, this is where i need you. i need some suggestions for good books to read this summer. i don't have much criteria, just something that's not too hard of a read. nothing too philosophical or intense. i don't mind sad or thought provoking, i just don't want anything like "phenomology of spirit" by georg wilhelm freidrich hegel or "finnegan's wake" by james joyce. (sidenote- if you google the phrase, the most difficult books ever written, these two books top a list someone created on amazon.)
i have already read three books this week,
a-hush hush by becca fitzpatrick
b-fallen by lauren kate
c-the dark divine by bree despain
and i am well into my 4th,
d-the lightning thief by rick riordan(really, really good bytheway)

i especially love YA books because i think you have more leeway to be creative because you are avoiding unacceptable youth subjects(usually) like gratuitous sex and drug use. and the author often has to think of real plots twists instead of just swearing and nudity. i believe that some "adult" authors become mired in lasciviousness because they think that is what real authorship is about, debauchery instead of imagination. smut instead of ingenuity.

ps-carie, the painted veil is already on my list. think of something else.
pps- i issue a challenge to everyone else. read gone with the wind this summer. perfect summer read. change your life, eat grits, love scarlett.

jo! how could you? your one beauty!

name the movie quoted in the post title and win 5304 points!

i got my hair cut last weekend.
BEFORE:

i asked for a small trim and some texturizing on top. simple enough. what i ended up with was the "rachel" haircut pre-nose job, minus 4 whole inches of length. communication is key in any relationship, especially haircutting. either i can't communicate or my stylist can't listen.



AFTER:

i am obviously very distraught about this. poor thomas. he had to listen to me cry for an entire weekend. he was probably thrilled to go to work on monday morning. my hair is the one thing i can count on when i am having a zitty or blubby day. goodbye my securty pony tail. hello emotional downward spiral. let's go down a plate of brownies and gallon of ice cream and relive my junior high perm. heck, we could even relive my junior year of college perm. what was up with that? we don't even need the good stuff this time. even soft serve ice cream will do.

anywhooo, some recent outfits since i have sort of given up on being creative on a daily basis.

mother's day-
i spoke in our sacrament meeting so i tried to go for something maternal and mature but fresh in order to lend some credibility to my words. this was the result:

last sunday-

chambray skirt from belk

and reagan's graduation:

the chambray skirt comes in two other colors, khaki and black. i think i need both. i prefer skirts over shorts or capris any day.

no bret

no bret. we're the lucky ones.
ps- thanks to bret for inspiring this summer's hairstyle. he's not trendy. he's timeless!

pps- how bald do you think he is under there? peach fuzzy? huge forehead? skirted eggshell? onion slick and the hair is attached to his scarf? not that i have anything against the folliculary challenged. just an enquiring mind.

ppps- i love that even from his deathbed he is wearing a headscarf. i plan on wearing false eyelashes and high heels on mine.

nicole richie, not bret michaels. but it's a closey.

do you think she is bald under there? is bald the new black?

skirts and belts, it's a way of life

new game at our house. both my kids try and get into all of my pictures, sometimes at the last minute. it's cute and annoying. and that's also my opinion on parenting in general. hahahaha. i kill myself.
the unintentional theme of the week was skirts and belts. i love heat and this month of may has already proved nice and warm. high 80s and even 90s today. so high buns(in my hair and elsewhere) and skirts are a must.
sunday:
cute
cuter
cutest, she kills me!

monday
this outfit didn't really work for me. i love all the pieces, but the waistband on the skirt was too loose to look good with the belt and high waist. it was a bunchy mess with the shirt tucked in. but scarlett just looks beyond perfectly adorable. no pants and everything. she prefers to be au naturale. staying dressed is a struggle. and that hoot owl shirt is her favorite shirt, and probably the 5th shirt she wore that day.

tuesday
i can't even remember what i did on tuesday, let alone what i wore. it's been that kind of week. i think it was pants. or sweats. i know i slept in my muumuu nightgown that night. i love it. now THAT is postworthy.

wednesday
the camera timer was a little too quick for me on this one. it caught me fluffing. but it was the best out of all of the rest.
a belt closey. totally worked. except for at the dmv and the doctor's office when scarlett treated like a whip. but both of those places only require about 14 hours each. always a quick visit.

hombre ombre

i love ombre. every few years it comes back in style. things that are slightly boho appeal to me. tie dye is fun, but if you want something a bit more polished, i think this would be a great wardrobe update.

just some ideas:

prada handbag(i know i know. could i find anything else more high end?)


forever 21 tshirt

badgely mischka(for real. instead of groceries for the next 3 months.)

victoria's secret pleated skirt

keds from zazzle

calvin klein shirtdress, this is probably my favorite item

jcrew lorelei dress

2 shots of gwen stefani's wedding dress circa 2002. love it. and i'm not a pink girl.



and finally, fashion noted ombre necklace giveaway
i hesitated in posting this because i wanted to win it for myself, but go for it. i won't begrudge anyone else winning. very modern, but so classic.