Walkin' On Sonshine: September 2014

As I sit here typing this, I am still suffering the after-effects of skipping town for a weekend. It's as if my brain is skipping town for the week, as punishment for leaving my dear kiddos and hubby behind for two days. As a momma and wife, leaving town is always a good idea in theory. It's also always a sure-fire way to guarantee that seventeen new gray hairs make their way to a momma's scalp. Nashville was fabulous; the wave of exhaustion I've felt ever since walking into my home Saturday evening.....not so much.

Rest assured, friends.......my friend Jayme and I solved several of the world's problems during our eight-hour non-stop gab fest while on the road this weekend. I'm sure the Tennessee mountains are majestic and all that, but quite frankly.....we didn't have time to slow down our very important conversations to look around at the breathtaking landscape. We had more pressing matters to tend to. For example.....where we might possibly find the sketchiest gas station restroom in Tennessee. Pretty sure we nailed that one.

If you're not familiar with dotMOM, it is a conference for mommas, put on by the fine folks at LifeWay. I stumbled upon this conference last summer, after reading a blog post by BooMama, and was able to talk Jayme into attending the 2013 conference in Chattanooga.

Our time in Chattanooga was one of the highlights of our lives thus far, so we decided to make the dotMOM conference our annual tradition. The 2014 conference was just as special for us. It was held in Hendersonville, TN, in the most amazing church I've ever laid eyes on -- Long Hollow Baptist Church. At one point in the conference, we sat through a breakout session in the kids' center, and it was just stunning. Beautiful.

I'm so glad that Jayme and I have decided to take a weekend out of each year to renew our faith and restore our spirits at the dotMOM conference. As busy mommas, we sometimes feel like we're the only ones on earth who experience some of the insane, often embarrassing-to-admit, things we feel, say, and do on a daily basis. It's nice to spend a weekend with other mommas who have, admittedly, dug in the dirty clothes basket to find a pair of suitable shorts for their kiddos to wear to school, because there were none clean.

Aside from being enlightened on the "10 Things Your Spouse Needs From You," and "Making the Most of Your Fringe {Free} Hours," I was also educated in another matter while at dotMOM this past weekend.

101 WAYS TO ROCK SOME SUPER COOL BOOTS.

{That wasn't really a breakout session, but it sure could have been.}

These Nashville chicks can rock a pair of boots, I'm telling you. I was so envious of their southern fashion and flair. These women looked bold and beautiful, and confident in the promise of no spit-up on their blouses for two. whole. days. They were so cool.

All weekend long, I fantasized about what might be waiting for me in my Stitch Fix box, due to arrive on Monday. I secretly crossed my fingers in hopes of opening my box to see some bold Aztec print peeping out at me, since that seemed to be the IN THING in Nashville. Although my box was absent of anything Aztec, I was still impressed with this month's Stitch Fix selections.

ITEM #1: Clarita Floral Print Flutter Sleeve Blouse (by Collective Concepts)
I know I said it last month, but I am SO impressed with the attention these Stitch Fix stylists pay to their customers' preferences. This shirt might look familiar to you, since I was sent a shirt in the same print last month. I hated the cut of the shirt last month, but was IN LOVE with this print, and I told the stylists just that. This month? Voila. Same print -- new shirt. After trying it on twice, though, I just don't think I'm in love with the way the shirt fits. It feels a little like a maternity top. And ain't nobody got time for an awkward, "Oh how sweet! When are you due?" moment at the grocery store.

STATUS: SENT BACK

ITEM #2: Jonathan Corduroy Skinny Pant (by Kut From The Kloth)
I am wearing the pant with both the flutter sleeve top and the elephant print top. I do love the dark green color, and I actually have several tops I could pair with these pants, but at $78, I'm just not feeling them, unfortunately.

STATUS: SENT BACK, AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION

ITEM #3: Elli Elephant Print Neck-Tie Blouse (by Under Skies)
Soooo.......how do we feel about this blouse, and all of the pink elephants on it? The stylist called this print "whimsical," which is the perfect word to describe it. I'm all about some "whimsical," so I think I really like this top. Or do I? Heck, I can't decide. My 15-year-old niece saw it, loved it, and promised me that, "elephants are really 'in' right now," so maybe this top is hipper than I'm giving it credit for.

STATUS: STILL THINKING........

ITEM #4: Genevieve Stacked Chevron Pendant Necklace (by Pixley)
Super excited about this necklace, for the simple fact that I pinned it on Pinterest, and now I own it. Another true testament to the fact that these stylists DO THEIR HOMEWORK.

STATUS: KEPT

ITEM #5: Alan Cowl Neck Asymmetrical Cardigan (by Market and Spruce)
Oh my goodness gracious, I can't tell you how much I love this cardigan. I told the stylists that I FREEZE all day at work, so they sent me this little gem. A friend of mine also received this cardigan in a peach color, which gives me great hope that I might someday own this cardigan in every color imaginable. I love it that much. My stylist Jillian {who signed my note, "XO," if that isn't the most darling thing ever} said that this cardigan is a great substitute for the heavier army jacket that is "super on trend" right now. So glad I can finally be on trend.