My sister-in-law Emily is getting married this June. Her wedding colors are red and black. Of late, I was given some news which sent me into semi-panic mode. I was told that she wanted Addyson and me both to wear red dresses for the reception. We are not going to be in a line, and I am not a bridesmaid--she just wants us to match for the family pictures. Seeing as how it is now Spring, this poses a bit of a problem. There are no red dresses to be found in any stores! It is practically impossible to find myself a decent, modest, semi-formal dress in ANY color during any season. Finding a red one in Spring (that is also flattering to my post-baby shape) is going to be a Herculean task. I hope I'm up to the challenge.
However, I did a search online for something for Addy to wear. I was pleasantly surprised to find there are a bunch of websites that offer semi-formal baby dresses in a variety of colors and styles. I figure I can take some creative license as long as I stick to either red or black, seeing as how I was given short notice in the off season.
Here are my favorites.
Dress 1:
No, it's not all red, but I love the polka dots! Doesn't it look sort of summery, too? (It also comes in black polka dots and bow.)
Dress 2:
Classic, right? I'm worried it is too wintery for summer.
Dress 3:
The sash comes in any color (red, black?) and I think the rose is a nice touch.
Dress 4:
I love the pattern on the bottom. Is it too much black? Plus, no red.
Please leave me a comment and let me know which dress you like best, or if you don't like any of them. I will put all of your names in a bowl and draw one out randomly to be the WINNER of a fun package in the mail from me (it may include a children's book, some treats and some of my favorite beauty products). I will draw the winner on April 12!
THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR INPUT! GOOD LUCK!
Recently my mother-in-law told me about this story. I forgot all about it until I was in the Mickey D's drive through with my mom when she was here (we stopped to get her a Diet Coke). I told my mom about it and she scoffed! She said something like "As if that would ever happen, the chain going on all day? Come on!" I believe that this story really could happen and it irritated me that she wasn't a believer! Just to prove her wrong I told her, "Okay then. I'm going to pay for the person behind us." Behind us in the drive through line was this huge, nice truck with a family full of kids. I was praying that their bill wasn't $50. When we got up to the pay window, I told the worker I wanted to pay for the car behind us. He was so confused and said he didn't think he could do that. I talked him into it and he reluctantly charged my debit card for their order. I wanted to pull up to the second window, take the Coke and drive off quick before they were told what happened. But alas, the line was SO slow, and we were stuck behind a car waiting for their food while the truck pulled up to the pay window. We watched them as the worker told them their food was paid for. The wife got this huge grin on her face. They kept looking at us in amazement like "Do we know them?" They looked so confused yet so happy at the same time! My mom and I were trying so hard not to laugh and kept straight faces as if we didn't know why they were staring at us. Then we took off as fast as we could. I don't know if they paid for the people behind them in line, but it was so fun. It made me feel so good! It was like a runner's high that lasted all day.
Today I went to the grocery store. I loaded my groceries in the car, put Addyson in and was heading over to return the cart to the cart return ( I hate doing this with her in the car, alone--I have to lock the doors first). This nice woman saw me load Addy in and came over and took my cart and told me she would return it for me. This was no huge deal, but it made a big difference to me and made me smile. It made me think about how random acts of kindness really can have an impact on people! Imagine if everyone did one RAK a day! Wouldn't the world be a better place?
I love this quote:
"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. " ~James Matthew Barrie
You are now five months old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Here are some recent observations about you.
1.You have recently started rolling from your back to your front (but only over the right side). In fact, you won't stay on your back at all! You immediately flip over to your tummy.
2. You are close to being able to sit up on your own...but not quite!
3. You love holding things in your hands, especially your colorful little linking rings.
I've been thinking alot about friendship lately. I think having girlfriends to talk to, laugh with, and rely on is so important. In my life, I can count on one hand the number of people I've met who I just automatically "clicked" with (you know, kindred spirits) and became friends for life. These kinds of friends are few and far between, but I am so grateful for these relationships. Unfortunately, none of them live in the same state as me! Of course I have other friends that I really like, too, and enjoy being with and that I can see regularly. In my humble opinion, there are some "unspoken" rules about friendship, and being a friend. These rules will vary slightly depending on the kind of friendship you have...but I present my rules of friendship.
My friend Brooke and me, circa 2006
1. Every friendship must be a mutual, reciprocal relationship. It should not be one sided, with one person always initiating. Have you ever (thought you) had a friend who always seemed excited to get together when you called but never called you? If I'm trying to become better friends with someone, I will invite them to do something (come over for dinner, go shopping, etc.) but then I will wait for them to reciprocate before I invite them again. Maybe I'm wierd that way, but they have to want to be my friend, too. Am I the only one who thinks this way?
2. All people do and say things from time to time which they don't intend to be hurtful, but are. It is important to be forgiving and not get offended when this happens with a friend. I'm sure I've said many things that didn't come out the way I intended them! On the flip side, I've had good friends hurt my feelings but I've brushed these things off and moved on. No one is perfect, even in a close friendship.
3. Friends should try to acknowledge milestones and events in life, such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, children's births, etc. with a card, a phone call and/or sometimes a gift. This is especially important with long distance friends. However, if your friend forgets an occasion, see rule #2.
4. Friends keep confidences and don't gossip about you.
5. Real friendship is unconditional. It stays the same regardless of your appearance, bank account balance, address, trials and mistakes. Real friends stick around when things aren't always pretty and fun. True friendship is always the same, even if years go by without contact. You just pick up where you left off.
6. Friends are interested in and ask questions about your life, your kid, etc. They can tell when things really aren't going well. They listen when you need to talk. They tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it.
I am so grateful for friendship in my life. My friend Brooke and I (see picture above) met about 9 years ago while working at RCWilley (she introduced me to Brandon!). We clicked immediately, and have stayed in touch over the years. We've recently started talking often and it's so fun! She's definitely one of my kindred spirits.
Can you think of any rules I missed? Do you agree with my rules?
