Do You Dawdle?

daw·dle  (dôdl)

v. daw·dled, daw·dling, daw·dles

v.intr.

1. To take more time than necessary: dawdled through breakfast.

2. To move aimlessly or lackadaisically: dawdling on the way to work.

v.tr.

To waste (time) by idling: dawdling the hours away.

It doesn't matter how early I get up in the morning, there will still be a mad rush to get out the door by 7:00 AM. I am fairly self-efficient- the alarm goes off; I drag my butt out of bed and start sleep-walking my way through my morning beauty routine. I second guess my outfit a couple of times, and then I eat some sort of breakfast. In fact I've streamlined my morning routine so much, I've actually been able to post blogs in the morning lately.

But Sean is a dawdler. When I use this phrase my students always look at me like I am speaking a foreign language. I thought it was a Southern thing, but now I'm not so sure. I try to trace back through my life where I might have first heard or seen the word dawdle, but I can't remember. However, I am well accustomed to dawdlers. My sister is one of the world's worst dawdlers (if you are reading, I love you, Desi!), and apparently Sean is taking after his auntie!

Breakfast is an hour-long affair over here, punctuated by battles to brush his hair and his teeth, get him dressed, put his shoes on, so on and so forth. This child does not get in a hurry. It's kinda sweet and whimsical at this age, at least for me. Curtis, on the other hand, is responsible for getting Sean to school and himself to work, so he's a little more stressed by the morning dawdling.

I hope I enjoyed these pictures. They were taken by my dawdling sister, and she may be so mad at me, she never willingly takes photos of me again....

A "GRAY"ve Situation

It is my experience that we all gravitate towards certain items throughout our lives. Like moths to a flame, there are simply people, items, places, whatever that we are naturally drawn to. This isn't a blog about soul mates. It's a blog about my obsession with the color gray.

It's clear I have a "problem" with the color gray (see here, here, and here for further examples). Gray has been my favorite color since at least 1999. It's my safety color- not as stark as black, not as earthy as brown or khaki. It's like a magnet pull. I see something gray and I want to buy it. Currently in my closet I have 6 different gray sweaters- I don't care who you are, that's too many.

I go through phases where I have to outlaw purchasing gray items for my wardrobe. People crease their brows when you say gray is your favorite color. "Really," they will say thoughtfully, "but that's so... depressing."

So, when I walked into my local Gap, I immediately noticed this beautiful gray wool skirt. And even though it was too big for me (what a great problem!), I couldn't resist the gray color and the $4.97 clearance price tag!  And I promise I haven't forgotten how to smile. This is what happens when I am taking pictures at 7:00 A.M. to catch the fog. I'm too tired to remember to smile!

Happy Monday! What's your favorite color to wear?

Occasionally Stylish : Valentine's Day Edition

We've never really been big on celebrating Valentine's Day over at the Hems For Her household since our anniversary is so close to the official day of love.  However, I love any excuse to dress up and go to dinner! And who doesn't love chocolate, right?

I've given you some super dressy options for guys and girls (of all sizes). Everything is, of course, in the palette of red and pink! You've got a couple of weekends until the big day, so pick yourself out a pretty new dress and make yourself a dinner reservation (and maybe even buy your guys something new too!). I love you all! XOXO-

I am saving up for a Kiyonna dress. This company caters in size 10 and up and the dresses are beautiful and luxurious. They have many beautiful red dresses, so I am sharing a few of my favorites! This red dress paired with leopard print peep-toe pumps is a recipe for HOT!

Red Dress- Kiyonna
Leopard Heels-  Payless Shoes

Dark denim is totally appropriate for a night out for your man. If he doesn't already have a pair of dark denim straight leg jeans, he should! This pairing of denim with the two shades of red in the T-Shirt and the V-Neck Sweater is a classic V-Day combo. And he can wear all three pieces separately afterwards!

Denim Jeans- Gap
Red Crew Neck T- Gap
Red V-Neck Sweater- Gap

Looking for a coordinating outfit for the two of you? Some people hate it, but I'll be honest, I kinda like it when Curtis and I coordinate, as opposed to clashing! This dress from Kiyonna is smokin' hot with  the layers of lace over the crimson fabric. I love it paired with a red shirt and a tie with varying shades of red, black and gray! Classy!

Lace Dress- Kiyonna
Red Dress Shirt and Tie- Kohl's

More awesome red dresses from Kiyonna! Now I can't walk in high heels to save my life, but if you can then you should rock out with some sparkly platform heels from Payless! These dresses can always play double duty- the same and length makes them both perfectly appropriate for work and play!

Velma Dress- Kiyonna
Platform Pump- Payless Shoes
Rita Faux Wrap Dress- Kiyonna

More jeans and sweaters for guys- what can I say? I'm a sucker for a man in a nice-fitting pair of jeans.

Denim Jeans- Gap
Vermillion T-Shirt- Gap
Crew Neck- Gap

So, I love Kohl's, and they have a great selection of red dresses right now, both in regular and plus sizes. Pair with red wedges for a fiery monochromatic look!

Lauren Conrad- Asymmetrical Pintuck Dress-Kohls
Embellished Plus Dress- Kohls
Lauren Conrad Tiered Chiffon Dress- Kohl's
Platform Wedge- Payless

Going somewhere a little fancier for dinner? Don't think dressing up means dark denim? Then dress that man up in a suit and your choice of subtly pink button-ups from Banana Republic. Real men definitely wear pink!

Pink and Gray Windowpane Shirt- Banana Republic
Men's Suit- Banana Republic
Pink Checked Shirt- Banana Republic

Other more casual choices from Banana Republic include dark denim jeans and a variety of red tops, including a red chambray top, I'm lusting for!

Red Striped Shirt- Banana Republic
Red Sweater- Banana Republic
Red Chambray Shirt- Banana Republic
Denim Jeans- Banana Republic

And finally rounding out the Valentine's Day Edition of Occasionally Stylish are two perfect pink dresses from BR. What's not to love?

Pink Silk Dress- Banana Republic
Neon Fuschia Dress- Banana Republic



Here's hoping you all have love-filled days ahead! What are you wearing for Valentine's Day? Any romantic plans?

Thankful Thursday: My Mother-in-Law

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I feel like I have so much to be thankful for this week. Not to talk about her ad nauseum, but it seems natural to thank my mother-in-law Sandra this week. She's earned it.

Dear Sandra,

I guess I should start by thanking you for raising such a kind and considerate and patient son. I know I've got a winner, and I know he was raised well! Thank you for being so generous with your time and talents. Thank you for inviting us into your home and doing so much for us. You spoil us every time we stay here!

It's funny- yesterday I said something about heading to my in-laws' house and a co-worker grimaced, "Ugh. How awful!" But then she stopped herself and said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you didn't mind your mother-in-law." This particular relationship (wife and mother to beloved man) can often be awkward and strained, but I think we've grown into ours quite nicely.

And thank you for bringing me my lunch Wednesday! You are a lifesaver!

Love you.

LOVING this Old Navy skirt- I think I'm going to be wearing it A LOT this spring!

My Life in Lists

So good things about living with the in-laws (albeit it temporarily):

* My mother-in-law is a much more dedicated housekeeper and chef than me
* My husband's bedroom is pitch black dark, so I am sleeping like the dead
* The landscape and surroundings are beautiful and serene
* Hot showers anytime! (We have a faulty water heater at home, so it's always a crap shoot)
* I like spending time with other people- talking and watching TV and entertaining Sean

Bad things about living with the in-laws:

* The internet service is HORRENDOUS
* It's really hard to wake up in the morning
* I left my tripod at home so no good pictures
* I feel guilty wanting to eat out or leaving early for breakfast in the morning

So I know you are all dying to know why we aren't at home. We aren't on some fabulous vacation. We discovered while on our disasterous anniversary weekend that we have a small carpet beetle "problem." Don't ask me about it- I've purposely avoided Googling the dreaded carpet beetle because I don't want to know. But apparently they live in carpet (big surprise) and eat hair (I have lots of that shedding all over the place) and animal hair (see the first reason I like living with my mother-in-law- I'm pretty gross.)

The good news is we don't have bed bugs. That was my first fear, and I was disgusted! The other good news is I was so distressed over the "bug problem" that my  husband let me have a mini-shopping spree at Old Navy.  Off to eat a meal that I didn't have to make!

CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE FRUGAL FASHIONISTA TIPS OVER AT BIRMINGHAM BARGAIN MOM!

I Would Like to Forget that This Ever Happened

I was going to write about my weekend (we spent the night out of town to celebrate our anniversary), but the weekend was SOOO horrible, that I decided to eschew that entire post. I don't want to remember the majority of the weekend sucked, the only high point being the food.

Suffice to say the weekend has ended with us staying with our in-laws and washing the majority of our belongings at a local laundry mat.

Yep.

Most people would say that the worst part of my weekend would be the staying with the in-laws part, but really, I don't mind that at all. So here's a story I don't mind telling. In 2008, when Sean was 10 months old, I starting teaching. Within a span of one week I started graduate courses, Sean started day care, I started my new teaching job, and our house sold. The economy had totally tanked and we weren't expecting the house to sale, but four weeks after listing it, the dern thing sold. With all the other stresses going on, we hadn't even looked at a single house. The buyers wanted to move in immediately.

The weekend before I started teaching we had a marathon pack up and found ourselves with no real choice other than to move into my husband's childhood home. At first it was a little awkward living there. It was odd to sleep in Curtis's bed and eat dinner with his mom and dad every night. But there are lots of perks- of course they all sound superficial and selfish- dinner every night, clothes washed and folded, built-in babysitter.

I know looking back that there is no way I would have survived that first year of teaching. I had class two nights a week. I got to school every morning at 6:30 and often stayed until 6:30 at night. I would come home and eat, prepare for the next day and crash while nursing Sean. If not for my mother-in-law, I would have lost  my mind. And tonight I am thankful again that I have somewhere safe I can go. Maybe one day you'll hear the rest of my weekend story, but I seriously doubt it. Seriously.

Occasionally Stylish: Sharp Dressed Men

So, I realize yesterday's post was was a little over the top mushy, so today I wanted to "man up" for you. Several readers expressed interest in seeing some advice for men and while Curtis has already covered this quite nicely at One-Step Father,  I thought I would show off some of my essentials for the man in your life.

I tried to cover a little bit of everything- formal workplace, casual workplace, and weekend looks. No matter what style a man has we all know that a little structure and updating is never a bad thing. Curtis is a fairly good dresser, but it was a long, painful road. However, I see men and lots of teenage boys every day who desperately need a push in the right direction.

Any man in a corporate environment needs to invest in a couple of great suits (in his price range). Now a suit at Kohl's is going to cost you considerably less than a suit at Banana Republic, but quality is sometime compromised. But for a man just starting out or on a budget (like us!) Kohl's is a great starting point. For the price of one higher end suit, a man could get three suits as a discounted price. I recommend every man own at the very least a black suit, but gray, brown, and navy are also great choices. Pinstripe and windowpane prints are also great investment pieces. And I'm not a huge fan of plain white shirts (although I'll show you some options a little further down), so don't be afraid of color!

Red Dress Shirt and Tie- Kohl's
Two Piece Suit- Kohl's 
Blue Dress Shirt and Tie- Kohl's

If your man is a little color-shy when it comes to shirts, a crisp white shirt is a traditional choice, but please spiff if up with a bright, daring tie.

Chaps Dress Shirt- Kohl's
Design Italia Striped Ties- Kohl's
Circle Dots Ties
World Globe Tie

Every sharp dressed man, as mentioned already, needs to invest in some suits and a NICE pair of black dress shoes.

Black Suit- Chaps Separates- Kohl's
Gray Suit- Croft and Barrow- Kohl's
Black Suit- Banana Republic Suit Collection
Deer Stag Black Shoes

In a more casual workplace, khakis in multiple colors are an excellent choice. Make sure they are flat front, not pleated. Adding a nice basic dress shirt over a casual sweater makes the sweater work appropriate.

Tailored Khakis Slim Cut- Gap
Dress Shirt- Chaps
Striped Cotton V Neck Sweater- Gap

Don't let the work environment limit you to severe blacks and grays. I love a man in warm, neutral colors, like the outfit below. Also do everyone a favor and invest in a great pair of BROWN dress shoes as well. Don't commit that fashion faux pas.

Yellow Dress Shirt and Tie- Kohl's
Yellow V- Neck Sweater- Gap
Nunn Bush Oxford Shoes
Tailored Khaki Slim Fit- Gap

Now we all know I'm all about dressing down on the weekends, but sometimes sweat pants and a ratty t-shit are just not appropriate attire for a hot date or a fun outing. However, these outfits are!


I am in love with this combo of super soft khakis with the bold stripes of the cardigan, and I love a pop of red with any outfit.

Broken In Khakis- Old Navy
Basic V Neck T- Old Navy
Striped Cardigan- Old Navy

Basics don't have to be boring. Old Navy has a rainbow of colorful basic tees. So tell your man to stock up!

Broken In Khakis- Old Navy
Basic Tees- Old Navy

Another khaki/cardigan combination here. I'm really digging this look.

Broken In Khakis
Striped Cardigan
Basic V Neck Tee- All Old NAvy

I love my chambray shirt, so it's no surprise that I love a man in chambray. The pairing of this button-down chambray with the soft red v-neck and the khakis is my idea of a sexy man!

Broken In Khakis
V Neck Tee
Chambray Shirt
All from Old Navy

Ah, a man in a good fitting pair of jeans. Is there anything sexier? Curtis was hesitant to venture out of relaxed fit and carpenter jeans, but once I assured him he wouldn't be wearing my skinny jeans, he was much more opened to the idea of slim and boot cut jeans. Again Old Navy has a great selection of cuts and washes/rinses, and an extensive Tall selection on-line (especially important for Curtis since he's 6'4"). I also really want to see Curtis in a shawl collar sweater pull-over, so this is going in my shopping cart.

Shawl Collar Sweater Hoodie- Old Navy
Ringer Tee- Old Navy
Jeans- Old Navy

Blue and Yellow Plaid Button Up
Yellow Half-Zip Sweater Pullover
Jeans- All from Old Navy

Also don't be afraid to wear dark or black denim. It's very classic. I loved pairing it with the shawl collar button up and a pop of turquoise.

Slim Straight Cut Faded Black Jeans- Old Navy
Basic V- Neck- Old Navy
Cable Knit Cardigan- Old Navy

And finally, if you have a nerd like I do, who tries so hard to dress cool, every now and then throw him a Star Wars-shaped bone! Again this is just a step above sweats and an old T-shirt, but so much nicer! Compromise met!

Star Wars T-Shirt
Hoodie Jacket
Broken In Khakis- all from Old Navy

Here's hoping this gives you or the man in your life some help updating his wardrobe! So what's next for Occasionally Stylish? What fashion dilemma do you need help solving?

Thankful Thursday: My Husband

Next week is my 8th wedding anniversary with the wonderful husband, Curtis. We were high school sweethearts, so technically we've been together FOURTEEN years, but who's counting anymore. We were friends in high school and dating was just the natural progression. He was (and still is) the sweetest, kindest, nicest, funniest man I've ever known, and I am thankful every day for having him in my life. Sadly in the hustle and bustle of everyday life- with jobs and a kid and bills and all that wedded bliss bull, sometimes I forget to tell him how important he is to me. So my husband became the natural choice for today's Thankful Thursday.

First date- February 1998, Prom 1998, Prom 1999

Dear Curtis,

Thank you so much for putting up with me for the past 14 years. I know I can be a total pain in the butt and super-lazy, but I hope you also realize how much I love you. I'm thankful every day that we met on the cheesy school field trip. I'm thankful that you agreed to co-direct that lame video for my creative writing class. I'm glad we started passing notes in class. I have a terrible memory, but I will never forget sneaky hand holding in French class and in the lunch room and in between seats in other people's cars.

I am thankful that I have gotten to see you grow from a young man obsessed with wrestling, video games, and football to an old young man obsessed with...well, wrestling, video games, and football. I know that I am so lucky to be with you because I get to be myself with you. I love just sitting with you in comfortable silence- reading, watching T.V., scanning the internet whatever. I love that we can have deep discussion about "True Blood", "America's Next Top Model", and any number of other girly shows you watch with me. I love when we get really cracked up about something and can't stop laughing (it's usually fart-related, but whatever, it's still funny!).

We like dressing up ;)

I am thankful that you help provide for our family, and that you take your responsibilities very seriously. I'm glad you aren't some sexist jerk from the 50's who thinks men can't wash dishes or vacuum (although I wouldn't mind being a housewife sometimes!). I'm thankful you pay the bills because I know how stressful that is. I'm thankful that you keep a job and that you've never let me quit a job, no matter how much I hated it, without having another job already lined up. I am thankful that you supported me and nearly single-handedly raised Sean for the time that I was in graduate school (including that hellacious summer of night and weekend classes non-stop).

I am thankful that you are the father of our son. I couldn't imagine a better man for the job. You are raising him right and you are patient and loving and clearly enjoy spending time with him. I am thankful for all the baths you've given him, all the diapers and Pull-Ups you've changed, all the nights you've put him to bed. I am thankful that you realize and cherish the importance of being a dad.

Thank you for all the naps you let me take. Thank you for all the support you give me to follow my dreams. Thank you for not being too mad about the tattoos and that time I got my nose pierced. Thank you for always telling me I am beautiful and sexy no matter what I look like! Thank you for reading, and being interested in, every blog I write and for listening to me drone on and on about blog-related stuff. Thank you for starting your own blog, so we could have even more to talk about.

Thank you for always making me feel little and petite, even though I'm not. Thanks for holding my hand and turning up the heat and sleeping on the edge of the bed. Thank you for calling me out when I have a bad attitude or spend too much money or don't carry my weight around the house.

Everything- Michael Buble

You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well, 
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space, 
You're every minute of my everyday.
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/michael_buble/everything.html ]
And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man, 
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through, 
And you know that's what our love can do.

You are Feeling Very, Very Sleepy...

It has been a whirlwind of awesomeness over here lately. I have been so busy with blog-related stuff that I can barely keep up. I spent most of the weekend taking and editing pictures and working on posts for my blog and guest posts for other blogs. This was one of my goals for 2012, and I am so thrilled! It reminds me of when I was in graduate school and I always had papers to write and articles to read, except that was torturous and blogging is amazingly fun. My mind is currently racing with what I'm doing and what I need to do.

I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have going on right now, but boy am I tired. I still think I am sleep-deprived from Sean's stint as a newborn, so I try to justify my naps by saying I'm catching up for lost time! Every afternoon about 3 o' clock, I hit a wall of tired. I just want to curl up in the bed and nap. But I don't do "power naps"; in fact, the very idea is insulting to me. Who wants to take a 15 minute nap? What's the point?

I want to curl up under the covers and warm and cuddly and SLEEP. For hours. Yes, I wake up feeling like crap, but that's so not the point. the point is sleeping in the middle of the day is so decadent that it is impossible for me to avoid. At the same time, sometimes I absolutely MUST take a nap or I know I will not make it through the rest of the day. It's not something I'm proud of, but sometimes I'm just so tired that I can't see straight. Part of this is health-related, but I also know part of it is laziness.

Full disclosure: I did stop writing this to go take a nap. Oops!

Dress and Cardigan~ Wal-Mart
Boots and Tights~ Old Navy
Scarf~ Gap