Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Currently...

Reading... Bone Tree by Greg Iles. I just discovered that it's the second book in a three-book installment, which explains why I have no clue what's going on.

Watching... very little TV lately. I have zero enthusiasm for anything that's on right now (most especially The Bachelorette), and all I ever want to do is watch Friends re-runs. Anyone feel me?

Trying... to gather prints/pictures for the gallery wall I'm putting together in our home office. I seriously can't wait to show you guys when it's finished.

Cooking... healthy things again. Finally. I'm jumping into another Whole30 because I just need it, so I'm meal-planning all kinds of things this week.

Eating... Paleo chicken salad, buffalo chicken salad, chicken curry, turkey burgers, and Paleo chicken pot pie. I'm suddenly ravenous.

Drinking... unsweet tea. With a straw. Always with a straw.

Pinning... all kinds of things, per the usual. Today I attempted this hair tutorial. Mine obviously didn't turn out quite as perfect as hers, but I kept it in because I didn't feel like messing with it anymore.

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Going... to Minneapolis tomorrow for a deposition. I'll be back late on Thursday, so it'll be a short trip, and then I should be DONE traveling for awhile. Hallelujah.

Loving... this Smashbox Double Exposure Eyeshadow Palette. Flushed and Fig have been my go-to colors with this red hair.

Hating... the heat. Where are you, fall?

Discovering... that purchasing fragile things via the Internet isn't always the best course. I ordered a mirror for the office a week or two ago, and it arrived very rattle-y. Sure enough, the glass was in shards at the bottom of the box, and I'm having heck getting the company to respond to my emails.

Thinking... that we really need a vacation but probably won't get one until after my trial in October or November.

Feeling... like the gray hairs that have popped up on my crown seem to be here to stay. I'm not even thirty yet, you guys.

Hoping... for no more rain, at least for a week or two. My hometown experienced very serious flooding this past weekend, and while a Texas girl is always thankful for rain during the summer months, I feel like we've had our fill for awhile.

Smelling... this candle. It's the most perfect summer scent, and it's on major sale right now.

Thanking... the Lord for this little pretty. She makes my world go round.

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Considering... going for it on this contour palette from Maskcara. I adore her and, though I wasn't obsessed with the formula of her first contour palette, this looks like it might be worth trying.

Finishing... this tea. Time for some more, yeah?

What are you up to, currently?

(Thanks for posting your Currentlies, Tricia! I took your hint and posted some of my own!)

Sunday, June 21, 2015

What I didn't expect...

From the very beginning, I knew you were going to be a wonderful dad. I could see it in the softness of your touch, your servant's heart, and the way you treated your mama.

I had every expectation that you'd do your fair share of the raising of our children and that I would feel like I had a partner in crime as we navigated new territory together.

I figured you'd help change the diapers and pitch in when I got overwhelmed. And that you'd be present for dance recitals and school plays and basketball games.

But I never expected this.

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I didn't expect ring around the rosie in the front yard in your work clothes. Or Daddy/Gracie dinner dates when I'm out of town. Or belly laughs at a volume that I can never seem to procure.

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I didn't expect you to be so utterly devoted to a curly-haired two year-old who adores you more than life itself.

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You change diapers and sing songs and watch Frozen for the zillionth time and dispense snacks and give piggy-back rides and kiss boo-boos and tickle toes. You are truly one of the most dedicated and affectionate fathers I have ever seen.

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Grace and I are the luckiest ducks to have you.

I hope you know that you are my dream come true.

Happy Father's Day, my love. You deserve a medal.

Friday, June 19, 2015

The last little while...

There are so many things to tell you about what we've been up to the last couple of weeks.

For instance, Gracie made it down the aisle in her first (and maybe last) stint as a flower girl. Barely.

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She was such a doll in her little dress and flower crown, and she sat so still and good as I was curling her hair and putting on her shoes and dress. And she had a ball playing around on the stage and in the aisle when the church was empty. But then all the people began arriving, and she started to get scared. In fact, as everyone was lining up, I thought Micah was going to have to walk down the aisle with her. But we grabbed her little hand, stuck in my niece's (they were walking together), and pushed her out. Thankfully she didn't cry until she saw my dad in the front row. Ha.

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We didn't make it very long into the reception until she had had her fill of the DJ's loud voice ("Noise, Mommy! I go home now?"). But we survived, and she was adorable.

And then we woke up the next morning, dropped Grace off with my dad, and headed down to Galveston for another wedding, this time for one of my best friends.

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(Don't mind the bathroom selfie and my ridiculous roots. I need a fresh color bad.)

It was so beautiful and so very Candice.

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... including Christmas lights and a rooftop view of Galveston!

It was a quick trip, and I headed straight from Houston to Austin the next morning for a three-day trip that just about killed me. On top of the mental gymnastics involved in expert depositions, I just missed my loves. Thankfully, I made it to the airport in time to catch the last flight out of Austin on Wednesday. And now I'm home.

Hallelujah.

So what did I miss? What have you guys been up to?

Friday, June 12, 2015

A Stitch Fix Review: June 2015

Y'all, my Stitch Fix stylist killed it this month. After last month's misses, I went back and edited my style profile, added some new stuff to my Pinterest board, and left a detailed note for my stylist with some general pointers and preferences. And she totally listened. I kept everything!

Crescent Sage Dress ($74) 


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This dress is perfect for summer. The fit is flattering if you've got curves, the crochet detail is gorgeous, and the print is fun and trendy. It's a teensy bit short for my taste, but I feel like adding the jean jacket gave me the ability to go a bit shorter without feeling like I was showing everyone all my goodies. Totally kept it.


Papermoon Bankside Split Neck Tunic ($64) 


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This tunic is so me. Like, if I saw this in a store, I'd make a beeline to it. Fit = perfect. Style = perfect. White for summer = perfect. Kept it.

Daniel Rainn Hydie Floral Print Crochet Detail Blouse ($68)

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This shirt is also so very perfect, and I totally kept it. I love the floral print, the crochet sleeves, and the flowy fit. It's long enough for skinny jeans, and it'll look great layered underneath my favorite lightweight cardigan for work.

Papermoon Upland Embroidered Tunic ($54)

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I kept this one, too. You can see that it's a bit sheer, so I'll probably wear a nude cami underneath. But the length is great for skinny jeans, and the color is fabulous for summer. I'm also majorly obsessed with the high neckline, which you can't really see in this awkward mirror selfie, but trust me. It's great.

Bancroft Alize Hammered Oval Bracelet Set ($28)

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These little bracelets are so dainty and classic! And I love that I got both silver and gold versions. Kept these, as well.

Have you tried Stitch Fix yet? It's seriously my favorite indulgence each month. The surprise of the box is a blast, and I'm honestly just way too busy to spend my time searching for fashionable clothing. I like being able to keep my wardrobe updated and current without having to step foot in a dressing room. Plus, I have so much fun playing dress up with this little photo bomber.

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** All links in this post to StitchFix are referral links, but I love this company and do these posts because they're fun. Over and out.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Monumental things...

Before I forget, I want to say thank you so, so, so much for your encouraging and supportive comments on last week's post. To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting such an overwhelmingly positive response given the divisive nature of the topic. But you guys lifted me up, as always. And, judging by the insane number of hits that post has gotten over the last week, you guys must have been sharing it, as well. Just know that I'm always thankful for this space and your unyielding support. Always.

Hi friends! I'm quickly typing out this post at nearly midnight on Sunday evening. I just finished up a work project and have a 7 a.m. flight to Austin in the morning. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a ridiculously busy ten days that I'm hoping will fly by. I've got three work trips, two weddings (one of which will involve a certain two-year old in a flower girl dress), and a rehearsal dinner to conquer, and I'm tired just thinking about trying to fit it all in.

But before I disappeared (because you know something's got to give), I just wanted to drop in and share a couple of things that we've been up to. The first is sort of monumental, given that Micah's been waiting for this moment basically since we started dating nearly 13 years ago.

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The boy got himself a boat!

It's a bay boat, and he'll be able to use it in freshwater and saltwater for fishing. It'll also double as a playpen for Grace when necessary. Ha. She definitely likes playing "in [her] boat."

This purchase marks a dream come true for Micah, and I'm over the moon happy for him.

Also fairly monumental, we finally got around to getting built-in bookshelves installed in our home office, and we even managed to get paint up on the walls. Given that we've lived in this house over four years, I'd say it's about time. I'm still working my tail off decorating the space, but I'm making progress, and I've got a plan. Which is definitely significant. You may have already seen a sneak peek on Instagram, but here's another one.

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(I spent several hours covering books with craft paper this weekend. Nothing will take you back to the days of high school like putting book covers on textbooks while watching Friends re-runs.)

I'm going for an understated nautical theme, and when you see the wall paint color, you'll understand why.

Last, but not least, figured I'd share this lazy girl hairstyle with you guys.

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It looks complicated, but if you can french braid your hair, you can do this, I promise. I just sectioned off about 2-3 inches in the middle, french braided it back, and then threw it up in a high pony. This style is perfect for straight or curly hair that's too dirty to wear down, but not dirty enough to justify getting up early to wash and blow-dry it. Ha.

That's all I got.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

#callhercaitlyn

Yesterday, we all watched Caitlyn Jenner emerge on the cover of Vanity Fair. As I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, my eyes glossed over the picture at first. Probably like many of you, my first thought was, "Man, she has great hair." And then, "OH MY HEAVENS. THAT'S BRUCE JENNER."

I've been following the story since the tabloids first leaked pictures of Bruce's extraordinarily long fingernails and rumored trachea shaving. The recent Diane Sawyer interview and E! special certainly brought the issues into focus, but there was something about seeing that first picture of her that gave me serious pause.


Because I am a Christian, after all. A Baptist, in fact. And issues relating to gender and sexuality and mental illness tend to incite knee-jerk reactions in those of us who frequent back rows of churches.  

Give us an unexpected death or surgery or job loss, and we will rally the troops and cook casseroles until the cows come home. Show us someone struggling to make ends meet, and we will fill the offering plate faster than you can say "love thy neighbor." 

But mental illness? 

Addiction?

Someone who has struggled her whole life to figure out why she cannot force herself to feel like a man?

... crickets...

Or worse.

Judgment.

There are so many things I feel compelled to say in response to the commentary filling my Facebook feed. But trial lawyers recognize the value in keeping our points concise and limited in number. So you get three.

One. The struggle is real.

When I was pregnant with Grace, we were referred to a specialist to check for holes in her heart. During our routine ultrasound, the technician couldn't get a good look at all of the chambers in her heart due to her position in my uterus, so we had to go in for a high-resolution sonogram. It turns out that her heart was just fine and that all of my worry was for nothing. But if the news had been different? If they had told me that Grace had a congenital heart defect, I can tell you exactly what I would have said:

"How do we fix it?"

That's because we don't hesitate to fix things that are broken in ourselves or our loved ones. 

Fractured arm? Cast it up. 
Ruptured appendix? Take that bad boy out.
Leukemia? For me or mine, it'd mean the fight of my life and the strongest radiation and chemotherapy doctors can find.

But battles that wage themselves in our minds can't be put right with an X-ray and an ace bandage.

That doesn't mean they aren't real, and it doesn't mean it's wrong to try and fix them.

I won't pretend to understand all of the details surrounding these very complex issues. I do know there are distinctions between transgenders, transsexuals, transvestites, and intersexes. I also know that many of them spend much of their lives struggling with the feeling that they don't belong; that their bodies do not reflect who they really are.

What I don't understand is how a person's desire to seek treatment for and resolution of these issues is an affront to God's design or providence. 

We can talk about Genesis 1:26 and Deuteronomy 22:5 all day long. But I think we'd be missing the point. 

The truth is that our human bodies are imperfect. People are born with no legs and missing bones and holes in their hearts and mutations in their DNA every minute of every day. And we'd never dream of questioning someone's desire to acquire prosthetic limbs or metal rods or to undergo life-saving heart surgery to fix those things.

This is no different. Indeed, scientific analysis indicates that for many transgenders, there are biological markers that demonstrate a discrepancy between the gender they were born with and the gender they identify with. Just because we cannot see this struggle or because it is unfamiliar to us does not make it trivial or wrong.

It seems that Christians are jumping to the conclusion that a person who is transgender is simply experiencing a disordered desire that needs alignment with the Word of God. Where does this even come from? Certainly not the Bible. (To be very clear, gender identity is a wholly separate issue from sexuality, and I don't have the energy for that debate today.)

This conclusion appears to come from our preconceived notions of what we think gender is and should be. It's blue and pink and dump trucks and Barbies.  

To say that God doesn't make mistakes is to absolutely speak the truth. But the world is obviously imperfect. Sometimes DNA replication goes awry. And sometimes our minds make clear what our bodies do not. How God intends to use these struggles for His own glory is His business. How we respond is ours. Which leads me to my next point.

Two. We're blocking the view.

To be honest, this issue deserves a whole series of posts, but you've probably already tuned me out, and I did promise to be brief. 

Let's put aside the fact that the Bible doesn't even seem to identify the transgender experience as sin. We can even pretend it is sin. While I'm well aware of the Bible verses directed to exposition of sin and rebuking, I'm not sure they mean what many Christians think they mean. And I'm not at all convinced that God intended us to use them to justify the hate speech that seems to emanate from people purporting to speak God's truth.

Instead, we are to be salt and to be light. Our every hope should be that people look at us and see Him. 

I promise I won't quote Matthew 7:1 at you. Instead, I'll just ask you this:

If you were a transgender person, and your only impression of God's love for you came from what you observed from the American church, what would you see? 

Would you see love? 

Or are Christians today one big, judgment-plastered condominium obstructing the world's view of God's grace and glory and mercy and love?

Three. Not all heroes are created equal.

I will be brief on this, but it's worth mentioning. 

One person's heroism does not define or detract from another's. 

Caitlyn Jenner is brave and heroic because her particular life situation meant that she'd have to reveal her choice to the entire nation. Being willing to identify your struggles, address them, and then talk about them to an audience of roughly 300 million people is indisputably brave. (I can promise you that I couldn't do it. No way, no how, not in one million years.)

Such bravery is not diminished simply because someone else, somewhere else, in some other way, is also brave.

(I'm talking about this, and despite the fact that it doesn't appear to be based at all in fact, it's spreading like wildfire on my news feed along with other proclamations that Caitlyn should not be heralded for her bravery because her life choice is purportedly wrong.)

Heroism takes many forms. At the top of that list are those that sacrifice their time, resources, and lives for others. But can't we all agree that the list is a long one? And that there is room for all?



To sum up this uncharacteristic rant, friends, I'll say that my point is simply this:

Let's call her Caitlyn.

And let's show her what love looks like.
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