list #11: finds i scored at a big sale last week

Last Thursday, Bethany and I hit the My Sister’s House Sale, a huge consignment sale in downtown Abilene. This was the first, and I hope it’ll be annual or semi-annual – there was SO much good stuff! Here are my finds:

1. Brown Nine West peep-toe heels: $8

2. Pinstriped gray Gap cropped trousers (with the tags still on!): $12

3. Flowered Ann Taylor skirt (cream with red/pink/orange flowers): $14

4. Black wrap dress with bright pattern: $6

An evening of shopping with one of my best friends? Priceless.

That’s all for now – I’m busy grading and planning and running hither and yon. More soon!

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love thursday: feeling beautiful

Karen’s Love Thursday post today ends with the gorgeous line, “And my love-filled wish for you is that, at some point today, you realize how beautiful you are.” (Go over and read the whole post – and check out the other Love Thursday links. I love that she dedicates one day a week to recognizing and spreading all the love in the world.)

I know her post wasn’t just about physical beauty – but this week I’m loving the clothes that make me feel physically beautiful. You know those clothes – sometimes they’re brand new, sometimes old standbys. Some are chic and fancy; some are soft and casual, worn in until they’re just right. I’ve worn both kinds this week, and I’m so thankful for those clothes that flatter my figure, suit my complexion, match my eyes or make me feel like a knockout.

The wide-leg, dark-dyed sparkly jeans. The v-necks from Gap whose V dips down to the perfect spot. (One of them is the exact colour of my eyes.) The gold flats that make my toes feel twinkly. The bright coral linen skirt, bought in Oxford, that makes me feel like Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail. The soft, elegant grey cardigan from Express that goes with nearly everything. The charity-shop strappy stilettos I just love. The colourful sundress I inherited from Mom, just right for graduation. The little black halter dress I always feel fabulous in. The ripped, faded, worn-out jeans I’ve had since I was 17 (they are my very own “traveling pants”). The T-shirt from Rome that says “Ciao Ciao” instead of “Coca-Cola.” The trusty Mossimo tank tops that hug my curves perfectly. I could go on – but I’m so thankful to own clothes like these, that make me feel and look exactly like the best version of me.

May you wear clothes that love you today – and may you feel beautiful, inside and out.

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perfect Saturday

Girls’ day at Abi’s on a cool, misty morning. Brunch with muffins and fruit, and two pots of tea (Abi keeps a tea cabinet much like mine, with six different kinds of Earl Grey).

Bare feet on wood floors; crafts spread out all over the living room. Kelsey sketching dresses next to Sarah painting a tray for her mom, next to Grace weaving in the ends on a knitted capelet. Abi on the floor, surrounded by ribbons and buttons and scraps of paper, making cards but also playing hostess, jumping up to get more tea or put a tea cozy over the pot to keep it warm.

Me, curled up on a sand-coloured couch, knitting away and pausing to sip tea and laugh at Kelsey’s funny comments and Grace’s jokes. Later, Easter Parade and Fred Astaire’s incomparable dancing. Two more hours of heartfelt chat with Abi after everyone left.

Yes, a girls’ day at Abi’s equals a perfect Saturday.

P.S. I finished April with 29 poems – not quite 30, but still not bad. I may post some more soon, after revising them. Happy May.

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cheery cherry red

I bought this cardigan yesterday from Dorothy Perkins, undoubtedly my favourite high-street clothes shop in Oxford. (Well, I love Monsoon, too, but I can’t afford anything they sell.) DP offers a 15% student discount, and this was just too cute to resist.

Julie, I knew there was a reason we were friends.

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A few items of interest:

I love early summer because early evening feels SO much like late afternoon. With all the windows open in the flat and light pouring in, it’s heavenly.

I just witnessed a sunshiny shower on my deck. Went and stood out in it, in fact. Only in West Texas…

Anne Lamott is right. Pretty lipstick, or lip gloss in my case, “gives me a face I am happier to bring into the world.”

New favorite bath product: the Beach Cove Tropical Bomb body bar, given to me at Christmas by sweet Dani Lin. I was saving it until spring…and I LOVE it. Smells like the beach, for sure.

There are nearly a dozen books by Madeleine L’Engle in my flat right now – I checked out three the other day. I am SO happy about that.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: Intense. Convoluted. Heart-wrenching. Drenched with special effects and strange accents and surprising twists. I howled with fury at the end (not quite literally) – but I MUST go see it again. Soon.

Anne and May’s new book comes out next month, as does Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Get excited…I love summer reading!

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