whatever

moo.

so... i live in small town with no clothing stores.
and then if i go to where i used to live 10 minutes away, there is a walmart & a few places to shop for clothes.
we have no target.
no malls.
no GAP.
no starbucks.

and somehow.... i am still alive.
:)

it's a 30 minute drive to get to those things and really that is no biggie at all.

what i do have in my halfway biggish town that is 10 minutes from my house is Dress Barn.

i hardly ever go there.
and then when i do.... i always find stuff!
it's tricky.
there is a lot to navigate that is too "mature woman" for me.  
and there is a lot of.... ruffles where there shouldn't be?
and denim jackets with rhinestones.
in a bad way. 
and racks and racks FULL of mom jeans.

but i am telling you... it's worth a peek if you have time to shop with no children.

so today i will walk you though my shopping experience at the Dress Barn (moo)

(WHO named that store???? it's HORRID!)

i tried on this one.
it looks like it's coral zebra stripey fabic but it's actually seperate little layers of fabric.
too bulky on my curvy frame.
and looked too old on me. 

when i shop... i am committed.
i bring in A TON of clothes to the dressing room and try on ANYTHING i may remotely like.
i find this method to be productive when trying to shop without children.
maximizing my time.
if you don't like shopping for clothes... you definitely don't want to go with me.
i fully admit that i take forever. 

they didn't have this one in my size.
sad face.
i liked it a lot and would've probably gotten it...it's classic. 
but i would need a strapless bra and that is not a favorite of mine... but may still be worth it.

not my size in this one either.
boo.
it looks so comfy! 

not my size.
but i know it would be too low cut and too much focus on the hips for me with that v-ncek.

maxi dresses are always teetering on the line of cute and Mrs. Roper.
this one expecially.
a good maxi dress is hard to find if you are not a long skinny stick lady.

but if you are then i bet you'd look amazing in that!
you should also get a huge black sun hat.
and send me a picture.

this is a nice churchy dress.
it was not red it was orangey.
so orangey that i actually didn't even try it on.
i took it in but just couldn't do that color on me.... i knew i wouldn't want to look at it against my skin.

now THIS one.... i loved.
the color is off in the website photo.
it looked like this:

bright mint green...yellow, orange, and corally pinks.
with little birds all over it.
i loved it!
but in the end decided it was too dressey for my life.
i have no where to wear it...my friends don't get married any more... i go no where that requires this.

bummer.

 

funny story: one time (not yesterday) i was shopping and had an over zealous store employee trying to help me find something to buy. (dislike) i came out with a dress on and she was arranging me (touching me a lot) straighting and moving the belt and said "oh honey if you just need to get some Spanx and you will look great" and i said quietly "i am wearing spanx now"

ha.

 i did not buy that dress. 

this was my favorite.
orange dress...just the right shade of orange....with cream lace on top.
i think it is an AWESOME dress!

the photo looks pink but it's orange.

it didn't fit quite right.  :(

i am considering ordering it in two sizes & trying again in case it was that ONE dress that wasn't sewn right. 

this one i thought was really sweet.
kelly green underneath with white lace on top with that sweet little belt!
very flattering cut with the pleats facing inward.
(would that be called an inverted pleat? did i just make up a new term? let's say yes)
LIKE! 

this one is crazy bright yellow but i thought it looked good!
i think with brown cowboy boots... chunky necklace... denim jacket....yes! 

much better maxi dress.
slimming lines.
a bit more coverage up top.... probably a cardigan to top it off.  
thumbs up on this one too.

this one was the best for my needs.
it is a deep corally hot pink color not red like it appears.

my first coral dress of my life!

does it say "mother of high school graduate class of 2013"??

that is the look i am going for.

a cute cardi (of course)...  wedge sandal... pretty necklace.... shave my legs.... :)

YEP!  i think it will work!

let's party.

 

all of these dresses are their website.   (dressbarn.com)  

i appreciate the affordability there compared to lots of places.

they are having a sale with dresses.  (buy two save $10 i think?)

i really don't ever buy anything else there...it IS the DRESS BARN ya know?

dress barn did not pay me to post any of this.

i am not even going to link it because i don't want you to be confused. 

i don't even know the girl who helped me check out today.

i just thought i would share with you that dress barn (moo) is not that bad.

i mean... it has lots of stuff that is just NOT for me... but there is good stuff in there too.

 

i am having lunch with mr. duerksen today.
hubba hubba.

 

so pretty.

i have a fabric addiction.
i bet this is not news to you.
i am so thankful that i have found a way to be able to feed my addiction through my job.  :)

i can use it for craft weekend.
i can use it for my shop.

although i order a lot online (hawthorne threads and fabric.com) my favorite way to buy it is in person.
there is something about seeing the colors with my own eyes... feeling how soft it is... putting it together with other patterns... it gets my creativity going.

i thought maybe you would like to see what i chose last week at Sarah's.

my love runs deep.

:)

craig and i had a discussion about "art" last week.
we discussed what inspires us... art or not.
he and i are very different and that is totally fine.
the things that inspire him, do not inspire me and the things that inspire me, do not inspire him.
it was interesting to talk with him and learn more about him.

because in my brain... color and pattern and texture is supreme.

i can barely read books or concentrate sometimes on certain things because i am thinking about creating.

i see these patterns and i want to draw.

i see these colors and i want to paint.

i feel this fabric and i want to sew. 

i am at a restaurant and i notice the shape of the light fixtures or the tile on the floor.

i see a sunset and i notice what colors are in it and where they meet and blend.

i LOVE these things.
i thrive on these things.
i get antsy when i am not able to find it... like gray winter days stuck in the house.

and it's fascinating to learn that other people do not think this way... and then what does make them tick?

where do they find that inspiration?  what makes them happy or brings joy or satisfaction? 

isn't it amazing how we are all so different and unique?

i love that God did not make us the same.

and that He gives us people in our worlds who understand us.
or that may not understand but can appreciate the gifts we each were given for our own life.
such a blessing.

Thanks God for color and pattern and ART!

what are you thankful for?  

where does your inspiration meet joy in your heart?

 

 

i am smiley.

my little overnight girls trip was fabulous.

there is just something awesome about getting out of the everyday and changing it up!

taking a 3 hour drive to visit a friend.
with a friend.
about 2 hours into our drive i took a breath and said "well....those are all my stories.  So...what's up with you?"

i am kind of a big talker.

i love when there is TIME to really talk.
to get down to the real stuff.... once the stories are over, the big things that happened and get down to the stuff that is deep in your heart.
the stuff that doesn't get said until you are past the small talk.

and it almost always takes an overnight getaway to get there.
you have to be off mommy duty for several hours.
you have to be relaxed enough to let you mind go to a new place.

because at least for me... i can't be in "that place" all day everyday.

the place where your dreams are... the place where you can think about WHY you are the way you are.
the place where you can safely talk about what is going on and what do i REALLY want.
what God has been showing me, teaching me and how He has been loving me.

when your life is GO GO GO and you are doing everything for kids all day and work and life... 
"that place" gets shut out.

so it is always so nice to get away and find that place again.

:)

i love spending time with Ashley.  
she is a peaceful quiet force.
we are quite opposite but so much a like.  
and the same with kimberlee... we are so different but so much the same.
she asks questions that i never think of.  she speaks words of truth to me.

girlfriends are the best.

and when girlfriends will sit at breakfast drinking coffee until lunch.... then life is pretty awesome.

completely unrelated to this post.... but very pretty anyway....

i made some mini yellow bunting for the yellow bedroom at the Craft House.  

:)

 

ok...

we are going to do some fun stuff for spring break.
so i should help get ready for that.

or i could hide in my room for awhile longer....

 

do you have any girls time scheduled in your future?

you will be so happy when you do.

make some time.  stick to it.  and get away from life long enough to catch your breath.

it's so worth it.

 

 

 

 

wowza!

well.... how awesome are you?

i was not sure i could meet my goal of 50 stoves...$1000.

and as of NOW we have raised $4230 and sponsored 211 stoves.

THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!

 

let's keep this momentum going! 

:)

we have five more days.... let's hit $5000!!!!!  i bet we can!!

thank you to everyone who gave so far!
the adventure project thinks you are so cool. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

this fake commercial was on Saturday Night Live last week.
i thought it was very funny....

 

also The Lumineers were on!!!!
they were so so SO goooooooood!
did you see it?
you should go over here and watch  and then watch this one too!
they are pretty dreamy to listen to. 

 

i meant to have my craft weekend post up and ready today.
but it's not gonna happen.
i have been so busy....very happily busy... all good stuff.

how about some instagrams from the past week-ish?  

annie loves to go to the thrift store with me.
i told her she could pick one thing only..... i wish she would have chosen that couch!
instead we came home with that valentines bear from 2006.
i know it's 2006 because that is what is on the bear's foot.

my favorite mug.


kimberlee's coffee cake....it was totally delicious.


many monrings look like this over here.


i went back to the mall last week and the gold shoes
that were completely covered in gold glitter were 70% off!  
score. 

annie shouted "MOM pleeeeeease can i get one of these?! They are only $39.99!!"

only???

 

ran five miles by myself.... well, me and the avett brothers and mumford & sons.


tulips.
they are so nice on the eyes.


talby found these in the bathroom and wanted to know WHY? 
Why do we have them? Whose are they? What are they for? Where did they come from?

(they are a mold of craig's teeth...fascinating right?)

a vase of dr.seussy flowers were sunny and nice during this FREEZING week we have had.
 

so cold.
going running in this cold weather is quite something.
frozen thighs no matter how far we go.
but the reward will be endurance when the weather improves.... right?
i hope so.

i love this breakfast.
cutie...greek yogurt... granola... coffee with LOTS of half & half.


cleaning at the craft house is always pretty decent because it's all so pretty to see.


i steal my husband's socks for cold running.... they are just better.


on friday we did our run and then gathered at my friend's house and helped her prepare 25 meals for her freezer as a birthday gift to her.  :)
the gift was helping it get accomplished.
she is super organized so we did what we were told and it all worked out great!
that is my favorite way to cook... "just tell me what to do"

i chopped and chopped and chopped.


then i put together calzones.
it was a lot of work but so worth it!  it's a GENIUS way to cook meals.


saturday morning i snuck in some time under a blanket with coffee and my book.
the sun came up and became too much for me sit there anymore.
but i will take that sunshine anytime!

i took sean to his basketball tournament for the day... just the two of us.
he had three games and i really enjoyed it all.
it has been SO MUCH fun to watch my kids improve in their sports this year.


after sean's three games we went to scott's game at our old high school gym!
it was very surreal to be there as a grown up... as a parent... of a HIGH SCHOOLER?!
so weird.
and lots of the same people sitting or standing in the same place they did when i was in high school?!!

i am reading The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out.  

it's wordy but so far it's reeeeeally good.

"for grace proclaims the awesome truth that all is gift"

sunday night swimming.... yes please.
craig and sean spent almost the whole time wrestling.
why do boys do that so much?

talby organized all annie's babies for her so annie had to feed them all before going to bed herself.


and this morning.... we ran 6.17 miles in 17 degrees.
it was HARD.
but it's done. THANK GOODNESS!


then we met AGAIN but this time at the craft house and we made freezer to crock pot meals!
we made 6 recipes all together and bagged them in freezer ziploc bags!
awesome.

touching all that raw meat all day was kinda gross but i think we will all happily eat it.

i will definitely blog the recipes we tried and show more pics of that soon!
i honestly can't wait to do it again!

and now i am stinkin' tired.

i am going to bed.

 

thanks again for the stove sponsors!!!

you are RAD!

if you haven't given yet and you want to... CLICK HERE  and it will tell you how.
it couldn't be easier.

 

wish book.

when you were a kid did you get the sears or jcpenney christmas wish book and look at them OVER and OVER?
i did.
i circled things on almost every page.

just like my girls do now with the American Girl catalog or Justice.

i thought i would be silly and share my grown up wish list that is some parts completely impractical/pure dreaming and some parts regular stuff.

you never get too old for that.

 

tissue garland....that i didn't have to make myself.
isn't it lovely??

 

 
these Nike Free shoes that i can't find anywhere in an 8.5 online anywhere!!!
but if i find them IN store again i WILL snatch them up.

 

i would love to learn to make doughnuts.
i would need...

a Doughnut Pan or two

and a Doughnut Cookbook to guide me into being a wonderful baker.

 Bossypants  i never read it and i want to.

 

this is my favorite scent at Bath & Body Works.... STRESS RELIEF.  
i am not a smelly kind of girl but if i ever DO want to smell something this is it.
i don't wear perfume and lotions but when i take a bath... this makes me happy!  

 

 

Treadmill .... a good sturdy one that doesn't rattle or shake and is not deafingly loud
for all the running i will have to do all winter to train for this half marathon i agreed to do.

because i am crazy.

 

 

Mad Men Season One, Two, Three, Four and Five so i can watch Don Draper for hours on end.

 

i want this dress.
i would put it on and twirl all around.... my husband would take my hand and tell me how beautiful i looked... we would go to a fancy party and dance like they do in romantic movies... 

ohhhh... wait.... maybe this one instead.

it sparkles.  it's glittery.  i can just close my eyes and imagine what it would feel like to wear this dress.
{{{ S I G H }}}
it's a very nice thought.

 

this hot pink velvet chair from World Market..... is this the most perfect chair ever created?!!
yes it is.
can't you just imagine wearing the glitter dress and sitting in this pink chair?!



and this beautiful gray painted dresser also from world market that would look so perfect in a room that only exists in my head at this time... but trust me... it's a gorgeous room.  :)

 

 

i love yellow and i LOVE a big bold stripe...this is from west elm.

 

 

i have wanted a hot tub since... forever.
i still do.
i think it would be so relaxing.
the farm house could ROCK a hot tub so easily.  :)

 

i always love new colorful fun running gear.
athleta is beautiful but pricey so that is why it's on my dreamy wish list.
i feel like i am supposed to want a garmin... since i run.
but i run my miles and then i don't think about it again until the next time i go again.
so i don't know if i would even use it.  
what is the exciting part of garmins? 

 

this book Decorate Workshop looks like a fun book!

 

******************************************

 

so i made this whole list of things i love and "want"
but all day while i was working on it i just felt.... funny.
it's just a fun list.
i don't NEED any of it and do i even really "want" these things??
"it's just fun inspiring stuff....why am i feeling like this?" i said to myself all day.

 

 

what do i REALLY WANT?

 

 

i want Yana to have a mom & dad to take care of her forever.
to love her forever.

 
i saw her on Jeannett's blog yesterday and i can't get her out of my mind!!!
she is precious.
she is an orphan.
she needs a family.
it could be you!

don't you want to kiss her face?!  and hug her tight and never let her go....

i was not planning on writing about this.... i was just making a silly wish list.

but God would not let me leave it at that.
he took a hold of my heart and my blog today and made sure i refocused on the REAL want...
the desire of my heart. 

because all i really WANT today is for Yana to get a family this christmas.
i want to help her get that!!
that is the good stuff.

THAT is the sparkly glittery dress of real life. 

jeannett has helped two other sweet babies through Reese's Rainbow find families the past two years and it is so joyous to know i was a part of that.

so let's ALL help YANA this year!!

go over to Life Rearranged, read all about Yana and you can even enter jeannett's giveaway.

AND DONATE. 

it will be the best christmas gift you will give. 

 

it is friday after all...

well..annie's broken arm changed a lot of my plans this holiday.
i am supposed to be black friday shopping with my mom & sister and going out to breakfast.
it's such a fun day together.

i hope you girls went anyway!!
missed you this thanksgiving.

we ate a lot... twice.
annie was so worn out and said "can we please go hooooome?"
and requested the yucky tasting stronger medicine.
poor baby.

 

i thought i would share my instagram pictures from the past few weeks.
and NEXT week i will have those giveaways i told you about.  :)
broken bones and surgery trump blog posts. 

 

1. rainbow? i think i am needing a new bible...                2.  breakfast & blocks with annie (pre-broken arm) 

  3. waffle is a pretty sweet dog.  i like him.                    4. i was having an arm party with some of my faves.   

  5.  kansas sunsets are rad.  #nofilter                              6. 31" Batman dolls are super creepy and BIG.   

7.  lunch with annie at school last week                           8. got lost in a new (to me) antique shop :)

9.  made glazed apple bars.... holy heck YUMMM!            10.  creating while we listened to christmas music

11. new pants in my closet...annie & i will be twinsies.   12.  playing with my globe collection at the Craft House

13. my new stern notes i wrote on the washer and dryer. my kids do their own laundry and i am so tired of the laziness that has taken over in the laundry room.
i also taped the the laundry chute closed... out of order children!

15. ten baskets AND a mountain of bedding... REDONK.    16. got my hair did...love sitting under the dryer.

17. pumpkin waffles for thanksgiving breakfast!               18. strengthening her bones... GO ANNIE!

19. craig's uncle & aunt got a new puppy... we were smitten.                           20. my sean is... awesome.  :)

 

are you on instagram?

i am Meg Duerksen on IG... come follow along.

are you going out black friday shopping?
i am in the morning...starbies first....then all my favorite shops but it won't be the same without you mom & lorel!

i actually LOVE black friday.
it's not as crowded as you think.