Author: Melissa

Yesterday morning, we left the house at 9:30 to run errand.

• We went to get Colin's hair cut. (NOT a hit with the boy. He SCREAMED!)
• We ran to Target to pick up diapers and batteries. And left $127 later. (How does that happen? Darn you, Target and your cute stuff!)
• We drove over to Old Navy to make a quick return.
• Headed to Sam's for the monthly stock-up-on-meat run.
• Realized it was 11:40 and Grace had to be at school at 12:00. 20 minutes away.
• Ran through the drive-thru at Wendy's for a very healthy pre-school lunch of chicken nuggets.
• Dropped Gracie off at school ten minutes late.
• Got home, carried zonked Colin up to his crib, made a quick lunch for me and sat down at the computer to work.
• Colin wakes up and we immediately head out to the car and go pick up Gracie at 3:00.

What was wrong with this picture?

If you guessed "The Crazy Lady never unloaded the tons of groceries she bought at Sam's because she is a total FLAKE" than you guessed right.

I haven't been blogging because I've been playing with my new phone:

And by "playing" with the phone I mean "calling people accidentally while trying to update my address book," "not knowing how to hang up the phone after calling aforementioned people" and "messing it up so that my husband has to fix it."

Really. If I called you last night and hung up… sorry!!

"Ellie, let me put a note in your folder for your teacher – you have Daisy's today after school."

"Are you sure Mom? Maybe you should check your calendar. You seem to get your days mixed up a lot."

Now while I do like Vera Bradley, I am not as big a fan as some people I know.  I only have two Vera purses (one of which is a diaper bag) and I haven’t really fallen in love with a design since Java Blue came out about 4 years ago. And while this new fall design definitely caught my eye, it didn’t make my heart skip a beat.

But then, I got the new spring catalog.

And I saw this new color:

Another thing to add to my wish list!

Are you  Vera fan? What’s your all time favorite pattern?

Voonder: This terrific company offers personalized technology guidance and support for individuals, families, and small businesses.
Each customer is assigned their very own Guardian Tech who becomes acquainted with their unique situation and helps with everything from fixing your computer to giving you lessons on how to use it! And everything is is plain English.

From Japan with Love: I am obsessed with Bento Boxes and have been wanting to get some for my girls' lunches. They're so environmentally friendly and fun! And – if you've priced them out like have – you'll love the prices at From Japan with Love! I'm thinking this design for Ellie and this one for Gracie. Not to mention the entire Hello Kitty section (which is probably where they'll pick their Bento Boxes from!)

Popham Lane: Another wonderful Etsy store. Personalized kids towels, reusable lunch bags, adorable aprons, placemats, and amazing quilts.

Grace Hester Designs: An Etsy treasure. Fabulous gifts for wedding, birthdays and baby. I would LOVE to get this Love, Peace & Joy Print Set for my friend's little boy. And this modern alphabet print would look fantastic in Colin's room.

Fresh Gems: gorgeous, simple handmade jewelry that looks much more expensive than it is! I am completely in love with this necklace.

Need some cute tops for not much $$? Don't we all! Enjoy and happy shopping!

1. Simply Vera Wang Abstract Floral Tunic – on sale for $20
2. Pique Polo – $10. Classic.
3. Modern Short Sleeve Jersey Scoopneck Inset Ruffle Top – $19.50 at Lands End. Love the cut, the detailing and the terrific color selection!!
4. Ruffled-trim Jersey Polos – $14.50 at Old Navy. Can you tell I love this shirt? Not only did I buy it,  but I've mentioned it in my last two fashion posts!
5. Double Flutter-Sleeved Tops – $16.50 at Old Navy. This is the perfect example of how little details can turn a regular top into something adorable!
6. Dobby Bowneck Shirt – just $15 at Lands End. This shirt is too adorable. Would be fabulous with boyfriend jeans or capris.
7. Draped Vest – $20 at American Eagle. I'm not a huge fan of the vest trend, but this is darling!
8. Chiffon Stripe Graphic Tee – on sale for $20 at Loft. Super cute.
9. Dolman Sleeve Tee – $7 at Target. I love how loose and drapey this is. Would look great on anyone!
10. Semi-Sheer Pleated Top – $15. Perfect for spring! I love the sleeves.
11. Cowl Neck Runched Top – for just $20, this looks much more pricey!
12. Raw-Hemmed Jersey Dress – $15. Okay, not technically a top, but with a belt and jeans, it could be!!
13. Runched Front Scoopneck – on sale for $20 at LOFT. I may have to buy this. Would look so cute peeking out under a unbuttoned cardigan!
14. Freelance Embroidered Yoke Top – $18. Gorgeous – and a killer deal at 70% off.
15. Runched V-Neck Tops – $16.50 at Old Navy. If you are smaller on top (such as me), the runched neckline if very flattering!
16. Elbow Sleeve Lightweight Cotton Tie-Neck Top – on sale for $13 at Lands End. LOVE the neckline!
17. Smocked Top – $15 at Kohls. Simply cute.
18. Striped Pintuck Tunic from Kohls – on sale for $28. Would be sweet with skinny jeans!
19. Split Neck Top – $22.50. I just love the bright blue and grey pattern.
20. Swirls Applique Tee – on sale for $24 at LOFT. SO CUTE!
21. Smocked Top in Red Paisley – $20 at Target. How fun with jeans?
22. Puckered Solid Camp Shirt – $24. This takes a button-down shirt to a whole new level.
23. Full Twist Tee – $20 at Anthropologie. Love the twist – great for hiding tummy issues.
24. Floral Smocked Top – $20. Casual enough for jeans, nice enough for black pants or a skirt. Love the bold pattern!
25. Medallion Smocked Top – on sale for $15 – what an awesome pattern and a unique cut. I love this!

I get a lot of emails and comments asking about our camera/lenses we use here in the Girlymama household. Now first let me say that my husband is the true photographer in our house. I love taking pictures, but he is the one who knows what he’s doing! So here is a list of the cameras and lenses we have and love!

cameras:

We’re a Nikon family. Our little point-and-shoot camera is a Nikon Coolpix. It is super easy to use – even my 7-year-old has learned to use it – and it takes surprisingly high-quality video. I love that it fits right in the pocket of my jeans, so I can always have it with me without the bulk of an SLR camera. Its perfect for not missing those sweet moments that happen on an everyday visit to the park!
I love the video! I’ve used it in the school auditorium – while sitting in the second to last row – and its still taken decent video. Pretty impressive for such a tiny little thing.

Now our baby I mean, our SLR camera is a Nikon D40. (Now the Nikon D3000 ) We purchased it in 2007  and its traveled all over the world with us. I can honestly say that this is one of the best purchases we’ve ever made.  It takes gorgeous pictures and, while it has the ability to be as complicated as a photography could want, it also has a point-and-shoot ‘automatic’ option that keeps it easy to use.
We use it constantly. Even before we branched out into buying different lenses, we we’re very impressed with the consistant quality of the pictures we were able to take. This is one of my favorites, taken in India in Himalayas. I love how it captured the colors perfectly and the whole thing is in perfect focus – all the flags and little Gracie in the corner. It really looks like you’re there. Can’t you just feel the breeze? Thats what great photos are about.

lenses:

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens. This is my favorite lens. When we bought it, it stayed on our camera for about 4 months… we just didn’t need anything else. If you are going to buy one lens, this is it. You know those pictures where the subject is in focus and the background is blurry? This is the lens you need. Pictures like this:

After doing lots and lots of research, our newest addition to the family is this mouthful: Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens with Built in Motor. Basically, its a superzoom lens. So you can shoot from across the room and it looks like you are right next to your subject: the image quality is truly amazing. We just got this a few weeks ago, but I am so excited to use it for school programs, our trips to disney and Hawaii and taking pictures on the soccer field.

Even if you wear contacts, you should keep your glasses perscription up to date.

Because then when you get pink eye and can't wear your contacts for a few days, you end up with gigantic headaches from wearing glasses all day that are over 6 years old and are about 3 perscriptions ago.

And don't even get me started about trying to DRIVE with these things on. (Don't worry, Mom - only going the 2 miles to preschool and back!)