The crop top or NOT top?

Last week, when I was opining on spring 2015 fashion, my always chic, friend-of-the-blog Ms. (parent)thetically speaking asked in the comments section for my thoughts on wearing the (tasteful, tiny-bit-revealing) crop top trend. Girl, how do you read my mind so well!?

About a month ago, when I was having a particularly fit and healthy-eating week, I found myself in Zara, trying on THIS adorable eyelet crop top. On that miraculous Saturday, with normal waist-height jeans and a top sized to mostly cover me unless I lifted my arms, I was feeling body confident and trim and I said "I can pull this off tastefully!" so bought it. Full disclosure - I have yet to actually wear this top out of the house. I had it on vacation (where the weather was warm and crop-top friendly) but each time I tried to compose an outfit I liked, I worried that I would look silly, age-inappropriate, or if I'm being really honest, fat. Did I make a bad purchase!?

Here are some must-considers for those ladies thinking about sporting the crop top trend:

1) Does the shirt look well made? I think for those of us in the 30+ age bracket, fabric and cut of the shirt are vitally important. In my opinion, anyone older than a college co-ed is past being able to pull off a flimsy, short cotton crop top (anywhere other than the beach) without looking like she's trying too hard. Buying something structured, barely-belly-baring and well made with a quality fabric will ensure the youthful trend looks mature on you.

2) Do you own pants or skirts that will compliment the shirt? Not just from a style standpoint, but from the even more important flattering-fit standpoint. Even the tiniest of women can end up with a little muffin top over fitted pants or a tight-waisted skirt. Before going crop top, make sure you have bottoms that fit you well without cutting you off.

3) Do you have the confidence? This last question is probably most important. I believe there is no age when showing a little bit of toned tummy is not sexy and chic, but you have to feel comfortable rockin the look to really pull it off. 

Merry Meri Verdict: No need to be stick-thin or 18 years old for this trend, it's all about the outfit you compose - where the shirt hits you, how your pants sit, etc. etc. You'll know the right setting (a summer picnic, al fresco dinner with friends...), you have the tools to pick the right top, now you just have to bring the babe!

Homemade Halloween?

This post brought to you by the fabulous (parent)thetically speaking.

I write this as I take a break from one of 3 “sewing” projects that I’ve got going. I say “sewing” because while what I am doing involves taking two pieces of fabric and joining them with needle and thread, I am doing so in an incredibly crude and amateur way (7^th grade home ec for the win). My mom did give me her sewing machine, and boy is that a fear I need to conquer. So by hand is how I do.

star wand in progress.

My little girl has opted to be a pink sparkle flower star fairy (inspiration image here, she enjoys the PBK catalog, just like her momma). Homemade tutu and star wand are under way. She is so so excited about it, and that makes me so happy. Little Mister is still an age where he actually has no clue what Halloween or costumes are. So I figure this is the time to have fun with it. We were thisclose to having him be The Dude, but Harry Potter prevailed. I’m working on a fleece Gryffindor scarf (thank goodness it doesn’t have to be very long).

scarf-spiration

How do you do Halloween? Do you use what you’ve already got? Do you find an inspiration image and get supplies to bring it to life? Do you go to Party City and get the whole kit and caboodle taken care of in one shot? I see benefits to all paths. There are times when you want to be what you want to be, and store-bought is the easiest, and surest, way to get the complete vision. There are times when a mix is in order. Like Potter for instance. I’m making the scarf and wand. I bought a little black cape and a gray and scarlet sweater vest from a local kids consignment place. There’s just no way to DIY that stuff (with my skill level at least). 

I think the same can applied to most anything – homemade vs. store-bought…food especially. It comes down to what you have the time, skill, energy and enthusiasm for. (do you like how I ended that with a preposition? I’m 30 and I still don’t know how to avoid that…7^th grade language arts, not for the win) Do you have certain things where homemade is an absolute priority? Other things that are just as good off the rack?

For all things fabulously (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE.

That’s what she said

Kids say the darndest things...

This post brought to you by the fabulous (parent)thetically speaking.

This volume, ladies (and gentlemen?) is all about the arrival of “why?” into the little miss’s vocabulary and the story-telling, oh the story-telling! Has a story (or a tiny, rambling, crazy person) made you chuckle and think “what could possibly be going on in their head?” Here are some gems that I’m oh-so-glad I wrote down...

* Yesterday there was a little almond sticking out of my belly button.

* You’re my goofiest cookie in the whole wide world and I can’t believe I get to eat you.

* Sometimes firefighters go to synagogue on their own, and they make the synagogue spicy.

* My bracelet says after Mother’s Day is Sister’s Day. That’s where you give all the sisters hug and kisses. And then give them treats like chocolate and Hershey bars.

* The other day, when I woke up in my crib, Daddy wasn’t there, he was still at the dentist where I was born.

* A spectel is when you’re not talking nicely.

* Elsa’s really good at making braids mommy, but you’re not.

* I smell chocolate chip cookies, I think I’ll keep the smell in my nose.

* You know what I call Target? Rawr-get.

* This animation is kind of rude.

* Consplain it to me.

* That hill tickled the inside of my belly.

And now... That’s what she asked

* Do witches brush their teeth?

* Why does red mean stop - why doesn’t green mean stop and red mean go?

* Why do we have a mailbox?

* Where do trucks live?

* Why do people have skin?

For all things fabulously (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE

Summer in a jar

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Smitten Kitchen strikes again! Deb has got to be one of my top 3 favorite food bloggers. I’ve made her homemade marshmallows, banana bread, Dijon brussles sprouts among a ton others, and this is my go-to out-of-this-world chocolate frosting. I find, that with recipes at least, I’m much more prone to search out a recipe for something specific (a chicken dish, an outrageous dessert, etc) via Pinterest or Google, rather than just making a recipe on a whim because it showed up in my Bloglovin feed (<- thanks for that tip Merry Meri!). However, I saw the post on Monday and….

I made my first batch Tuesday night and I have a second batch pickling as I type. (I already had the dill, so I thought, what’s the big dill? I’ll just make some more!)

Maybe it’s the bright green color, or the fact that you store them in a mason jar, or the ease with which you make and consume them, but right now, these pickles are just the essence of summer.

What’s summer for you right now? Watermelon? Time spent outside? A cold, boozy drink? Weekends at the pool? Family trips? All of the above? (lucky duck).

For all things fabulously (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE

Pin there, done that Vol. 2

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When I last left you with Pinterest project updates, one project's fate hung in the balance. I'm happy to report that it turned out great.

Pinspiration here. My result:

Playing-with-cars-while-scratching-dads-back Fathers Day gift was also a pin-success.

A #fail were these oven-baked "matzah"rella sticks. I've seen the breadcrumb version pinned all over the dang place, and decided to give it try with matzah during Passover. Obviously, no. (blame the chef and matzah, not the recipe)

A combination of a win and a whomp whomp is my DIY upholstered headboard, pinspired by this post and this post. When I made it 2 years ago, the fabric covered buttons just did not cooperate to make the tufts. So I left it alone with just the fabric and I love it, win! (very squishy and great place to rest your head while reading). But, just a week ago, we moved our bed and headboard to make room for a new area rug, and the screwed-on legs broke off. Whomp whomp. So we'll remount it directly to the wall with no legs, and it should be all better.

And last but not least (because it's one of my favorite pin-to-real-life projects) is this "monster door" that I did for my baby boy's Halloween-themed First Birthday party. I saved all the components and plan to use it every year for Halloween decor. 

What pinteresting things have you been up to lately? Any successes we absolutely must know about?

For all things fabulously (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE. 

cook it out, cook it in, let me begin...

"I was born in the wrong decade..."

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(parent)thetically speaking.

Sun, glorious sun! Thank you for (finally) showing up. When it gets sunny, I start thinking about getting together with friends and family, letting the kids run wild in the backyard, drinking some sangria, and eating yummy, yummy food (preferably prepared on a grill). This is the stuff dreams are made of. Or at least summers. 

When I hear "cookout", I have some go-to dishes that immediately pop into my head, for a few reasons. They're relatively easy, and are always, always crowd-pleasers. I thought I would share them with you - since the weekend of epic cookout proportions is upon us.

*Broccoli Cole Slaw

I fought the slaw, and the slaw won.

I've made this so many times, I no longer need the stained, wrinkled, ripped recipe card. I've made a few adaptations. No sunflower seeds, not sure why, probably because I didn't have them the first time I made the recipe. I take the seasoning packet from the second package of ramen noodles and add it to the melted margarine (instead of butter, and I only use about 2 tbsp...Ms. Deen definitely put her butter stamp on this recipe) to toast the almonds and raw noodles. And I use less oil, a little over half a cup. Nothing like taking a vegetable and ruining the nutrients of it by adding butter and oil!

*Chili Sauce

Let it simmer on low low heat for as long as humanly possible. That is all.

*Key Lime Pie (or Lime Custard Pie)

I say that because this is still delicious using regular limes even if you can't get your hands on key limes. I believe this is the recipe that Joe's Stone Crab uses (via Food Network). About 6 years ago, I searched and searched for a legitimate Key Lime Pie recipe. This is the one that I put on a recipe card, so it's what I use, but I do not have the original source. 

so key-ish, so lime-ish

1 homemade graham cracker crust (I'm sorry to be demanding, but it must be homemade). For key lime pies, I like to use cinnamon sugar graham crackers (fun, right?)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. fresh squeezed key lime juice

2 tsp. key lime zest

2 egg yolks

fresh whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks and zest. Then slowly add the condensed milk, then whisk in lime juice. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 15-25 minutes, until solid (no longer jiggly). Let cool and chill it in the fridge. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

*Brownies

Not classy, fancy or unique, but man, are they ridiculously good. Sometimes, for people I really love, I swirl in some peanut butter.

Jan's Brownies

from the cookbook Just a Matter of a Thyme by Roxie Kelley

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Add cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13" baking pan and bake for 23-25 minutes. Frost with chocolate icing, or sprinkle with powdered sugar, or swirl in smooth or crunchy peanut butter.

Or forget baking or cooking - just stop by Costco and grab a gigantic bag of Brownie Brittle and a jar of peanut butter and you'll be everyone's favorite person for ever and ever.

For all things fabulously (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE.

dresses and grass

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(parent)thetically speaking.

First of all, guys, I'm blushing over here. How sweet is that Merry Meri of ours? She totally has my back with the blog that I started, and some of you have even checked it out! Hope you're liking what you see over there! Clerical note: I'm going to switch to the pseudonym system for my little family that I'm using over there, instead of the initials that I (initially, ha) started with here.

So my daughter Sally, has, for quite some time been unswervingly focused on being in "just her legs" when she wears a dress. There may or may not be twisting, kicking tantrums that ensue when I tell her that it's a tights or leggings day (it's always been slightly aggravating for me, because as my dad says, it can be like trying to dress a drill bit).

So the other (leggings-wearing) day, she finally gave some insight into her strong feelings on the subject. She uttered what might possibly be the most innocent and beautifully simple sentence ever: "mommy I don't want to wear leggings because I like when the dress tickles my legs."

Oof. So simple. So sweet. Something so little brings her so much joy. During the spurt of warm weather two weekends ago, she got similarly upset when we said she had to leave her shoes on (we were doing yard work, so the grass was seed-y and wet - I know, I know, we're cruel, thoughtless parents). And then, wait for it, she says - "but I want the grass to tickle my feet. Mommy, take your shoes off so the grass can tickle your feet too."

Always practical (and responsible) aren't I? Leggings when its cold, shoes when its wet. Do we lose that sense of simple joy when we grow up and become responsible adults? Or maybe not...is it really the small things that we look forward to, that drive us? (believe me, the big, responsibility-laden stuff is quite a motivator as well). When I think about the things or moments that bring me actual joy, its everyday happenings, its the times when we remember what tickles our legs and kick and scream to make sure we get to experience it. 

What is it for you?

Our growing (blog) family!

A celebration is in order!

If you are super observant and really into this blog (cricket cricket..?!) you might have noticed a recent addition to the BlogRoll I keep on the right side of the page (and if you've never even noticed the BlogRoll before, scroll down past that pesky ad and you'll find a list of my most favorite blogs). Annnyways, today it is with tremendous excitement that I share the newest addition to my daily blog reading list, three girls three cities, written in part (one-third to be exact!) by our very own (parent)thetically speaking!

The joyful and fun tone of  3G3C (may I call it that!?) so far, makes me think it's going to be a lot like this merry space, except shared among three friends. Plus, today's post is by Ms (P). Speaking herself and includes a free springtime decor printable!! So before you abandon your computer for the sunny weekend ahead, pop on over to three girls three cities and welcome these fabulous ladies to the blogosphere! xox

geeking out.

Being a geek means......

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(parent)thetically speaking.

so guys, I think I’m a geek. Nay, I KNOW I’m a geek, but I just kinda wanted to put some stuff out there, and see if maybe we all have a little inner geek? I remember it well, when I realized and embraced my geek-ness. It was middle school, and I was the brunt of some teasing, etc (your classic middle school stuff) because I, like, voluntarily raised my hand to answer the questions the teachers were asking. And I voluntarily stayed home on the weekends to watch Nash Bridges with my dad and go thrifting with my mom and read John Grisham books. So there you had it, I was a geek, I identified it and looked forward to a lifetime of discovering the ways my inner geek would become an outer geek. So I thought I would share with you, through the magic of internet links, the ways in which I tend to geek out. Anyone else relate to this stuff…anyone? Bueller?

Basically the greatest shirt ever.

*My (mandatory) but entirely too enthusiastic participation in History Day  and my completely optional participation in Odyssey of the Mind...or maybe it was my pride in making it to states for both…word.

*my excitement for 7pm when Jeopardy would come on (to this day…though it’s on at 7:30 here, kind of life-altering) 

*My obsession with the notion that our universe has a shape – I just think it’s one of the coolest things to think about! Here’s a quick write-up, but I feel as though I could’ve taken an entire college course on the subject

*I would like to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my 5^th wedding anniversary, and would like to make it a requirement that my husband read all the books before we go (he’s only seen the movies, ugh, don’t get me started). And I want my own wand. I really really do.

*Aaron Sorkin is a writing genius , and I quote parts of his dialogue daily. (full disclosure, I spent at least a half hour reading quotes before picking one to share)

from The West Wing…

CJ: Duchamp was the father of Dadaism.

Toby: I know.

CJ: The dada of Dada.

Toby: It’s like there’s nothing you can do about this joke. It’s coming and you just have to stand there.

*One of my besties (who totally gets me) got something like this for my son for his first birthday…why, yes, it is indeed a toy lightsaber

So there you have it. And this handy Buzzfeed chart lets me know that I am an offshoot of Geekus Prime. Please tell me you’re on here somewhere too?! 

that’s what she said…

Part II.

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(parent)thetically speaking.

part 2! Hope you’ve (mostly) enjoyed this snow-buried long weekend. With the amount of time I’ve spent stuck indoors with a rammy 3 year old and an adventurous 1 year old, I probably already have enough to do parts 3 and 4 of this series. 

Has a story (or a tiny, rambling, crazy person) made you chuckle and think “what could possibly be going on in their head?” Here are some gems that I’m oh-so-glad I wrote down…

(on wanting to tell a story…)

- I have milk in my toes and it’s called a boot

- I know Jerry Lewis! I went to college with him yesterday

(on the weather…)

- The snow came from rain. It's magic and it made it chilly. So yeah.

- Snow is getting the whole world cold

(on the challenges when your pretend patient is an entire kitchen...)

- Counters don’t really have eyes…I’ll just check its heartbeat

(on perspective…)

- Those aren’t carrots, they’re stretchy tomatoes

- Oh, those are flying babies

(on invoking self-pity…)

- I’m going to go sit on the first step and cry

(on Disney princesses as cake ingredients, acquaintances, and family members)

- I made a cake - it has apples, Sofia, strawberries, more apples, more apples and more apples

- Eric and Ariel are super married. That means they’re best friends.

- Her name is Rapunzel Jackson Tangled H*****r (our last name)

(on spelling and pronunciation…)

- Fernomitter

- Lellow

- B-O-T-S-R…Botsr, it’s another word for cheese

- Stop being stubberd

(on beefing up our savings…)

- When I get older, could you get me a me-sized horse?

(on pure sweetness…)

- Stay here always

- I have the comfiest shoulder you’ve ever slept on, baby bro

For previous posts from (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE

On Becoming 30

Even SHE knows, 30 is fabulous

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(parent)thetically speaking.

Tomorrow's the day. And you know what, I'm forcing myself to have feelings about it. Because, really, I don't. (I mean, I'm still excited, because cake. ice cream. presents. birthday.) But I decided I needed to get some feelings about it and that I should probably talk about them, because this could be one of those situations where you're eating cake and then all of a sudden you're crying and eating cake, and crying more and then eating more cake.

So here's what I think I think (thanks Peter King) I'm not turning 30 - I'm not going to be one person on Thursday and another person on Friday. Same girl, new decade! I'm becoming 30. It's just what's next (and frankly, I'll still do some things that keep me feeling like the 90's were 10 years ago...like doing the dance to Bye Bye Bye whenever and wherever I hear it). It's organic and natural - nothing is altered about who you are. We spent our 20's figuring out "who we are", now we get to BE!

This is a milestone year for many of us, how are you feeling about it? Those who have paved the way - how did you deal? Anyone else passive on the whole thing, like me? Oh, and I'm slightly appalled at the number of 'pins' for 30th birthday cakes that are a tombstone marking the death of youth. Ugh, please, youth is in the mind of the beholder!

I do love birthdays though (not just mine!), and am totally looking forward to the celebrations that such a milestone warrants (my little girl is just old enough to understand and participate, so we're going to bake together and I'm hopeful for a little beaming-with-pride-I-brought-mommy-breakfast-in-bed deal). How do you celebrate birthdays?

ps. Public Service Announcement! I can't be the only slacker who coveted the now-sold-out Zara soft checked scarf. Well, in my desperation, I went to eBay to find it. It's going for around $100. This is unacceptable, as it was $30 for full retail. My desperation goes further...because I found a knock-off and I bought it. It took a week and a half to get here from China, but hellllo gorgeous - got it today. If you are a coveting, desperate, slacker like me, here is the eBay listing. (be sure to select the "camel" color scarf.)

For previous posts from (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE

good gets (and some regrets)

j'adore.

This post brought to you by the fabulous 

(parent)thetically speaking.

You ever open your closet and just sigh with happiness at some of things you find hanging there? The pieces that you turn to time and again and never let you down? When I think about those pieces, I find that most of them are within a certain color spectrum (black and cream are totally a spectrum), cost slightly more than I normally spend and were purchased pre-motherhood (see point #2). So my sigh of happiness is usually more a sigh of thankfulness that pre-baby me had the foresight to purchase some nice, quality pieces (or get them as gifts).

These items are clutch, always always. For a wedding, a weekend away or a celebratory night on the town - when I want to reach for something just a little bit more special than the Cheerio-dusted duffel bag that is my purse, or the American Eagle jeans I live in.

To contrast, there are also times when I open my closet and I see missed opportunities. The shirt with the tags still on or the shoes with nary a scuff on the sole. And I find that most of them were impulse buys. We all do it, and we will always do it! Shopping is fun! But at least as I "mature" I'm getting better at impulsively grabbing something I may actually end up putting on my body.

5 items 25-year-old-me totally nailed:

 *Michael Kors satchel bag (I wanted to link to something similar, I did, but I couldn't find anything. It's black, with gold, and some buckles, and some patent leather, and I just love it. Every single time I use it. It was love at first sight - for both of us)

*J.Crew strapless black cocktail dress (ugh, again no linky. I'm giving away my age here, aren't I?!)

 *J.Crew black patent heels

 *vintage knee-length winter coat, with fur-trimmed (faux?) neck and cuffs. yup, it's black.

 *red (just kidding, black) belted trench coat. I do wish I had gotten a hooded one though.

  

5 items that I...oh, something shiny...

*turquoise flats. in theory, they are the cutest ever and lend such a pop of color! nope, uncomfortable and too bright.

*black skinny jeans. not a flattering fit and too long. I was desperate to make my Pinterest dreams a reality.

*American Eagle "women's" hooded sweatshirt. It's a little too form-fitting. Now, I'm allll about the hoodie, but hoodies are supposed to hide holiday cookie transgressions, not highlight them.

*There's this one store that lures me in, and other than some jewelry and one awesome dress, the stuff I buy there just gets worn once...

*For a time I was drawn to crew neck shirts. I grabbed one at every store I went to, all different colors. And guess what? I wear the black one, and the white one. You knew it, why didn't I?!

Pretty please, I'd love to know what some of your favorite, go-to pieces are! Anyone else have a problem item (or whole store!)?

For previous posts from (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE.

A Gift Guide, Guide.

Sparkle Baby!

Happy Friday my merry friends! I woke up with some extra pep in my step knowing that the happiest of happy hours was finally within reach and because the lovely Ms. (parent)thetically speaking and her hubby are in town for a little work trip/visit. Nothing like waking up to a favorite friend snoozing on your pullout couch:) It's a happy Friday indeed!! 

Here to take you into the weekend, one of our last before Christmas, is a roundup of holiday gift guides. Since every blogger on the planet has been posting gift guides all week, I thought I'd create the pièce de résistance, a "Gift Guide, Guide" (game over I win!). Check out my favorites of other people's favorites and then get shopping! (And because every Friday should have a funny, THIS is just.... HA!!!)

For the Dudes

* For hip dudes 
* For cool dudes 
* For the man (or lady really) with a mug in his hand 
* For the man who likes a drink 
* For your hottie husband 
* For your fashionist'er 
* For your super cool Dad 

For the Ladies

* For adventurous chicas (love this whole list!) 

* For your female foodie (especially love these tea towels designed by Diana of exPress-o!)

* For Miss Betty Crocker Jr 

* For a classy gal 

* For the home decor obsessed 

* For the chic one 

* For little miss elegant 

* For your wonderful mom 

* For the lady who gives what she really wants to get! 

For the Kiddos

* The perfect toy collection

* For baby and big sibling

* For little miss sophisticated
* Perfect for any age

High end gifts for Friends, Family & Lovers

Super glam Manhattan mama Marissa over at Lady & Prince has had some amazing guests post carefully curated lists on her blog. These lists all ooze elegance and though some items are pricey, they won't all break the bank!
* http://ladyandprince.com/2013/12/holiday-gift-guide-curated-abigail-klem/

* http://ladyandprince.com/2013/12/holiday-gift-guide-curated-cannon-lewis/

* http://ladyandprince.com/2013/11/holiday-gift-guide-featuring-katie-evans/

* http://ladyandprince.com/2013/11/holiday-gift-guide/ (this one is my fav I think!)

Plus! YouAreMyFave has been crushin it with creative gift wrap ideas (HERE) 

PS- For Dr. H, my avocado King http://diana212m.blogspot.com/2013/11/christmas-gift-guide-2013-part-four-for.html

Hump Day Distractions

awww twinsies!

Happy Hump Day my fellow this-is-the-longest-week-ever endure-ers! Though the minutes seem to be dragging by this week, we've finally made it to the halfway point and I couldn't be more thrilled. Also bored, but mostly thrilled. Is it Friday yet!?

* These brilliant shadow sculptures really blew my mind. So creative!

* Remember when (parent)thetically speaking told us about her adorable toddler's musings? This simple craft is a great way to save those charming child moments forever (the examples are pretty darn adorable too!)

* Just when I thought I couldn't love hockey any more than I already do... THIS.

* An elegant take on baked ziti sure to satisfy your winter comfort food cravings.

* So THIS is pretty magical.

* Hairbands transformed into sparkly, sweet tiaras? Someone get me some pipe cleaners!

* I waited and contemplated and now my size is sold out. DOH!!!

* If NYC was turned into a Super Mario game.

* What's the weirdest thing about your state? (Here in New York we've got an upside down bridge!!)