(A new necklace I’m wearing to Texas Style Council this weekend!)
Wow, I can’t believe August is here already! We had a busy week preparing for the boys’ first big weekend trip to stay with my parents in San Antonio, and I’m attending Texas Style Council this weekend. I’m excited and nervous, and you’ll hear all about it next week. In the meantime, here are a few things that caught my attention this week.
Why every college student should major in English.
Gorgeous photographs of American icons. Which one is your favorite?
Tamar Braxton talks honestly about her struggles with motherhood.
Why the term “good mother” has such a heavy connotation.
A not-so-crazy suggestion for Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
Have a wonderful weekend, and if you’re attending Texas Style Council, too, then I hope to see you there!
Today marks the first anniversary of Walking with Cake and what a year it has been! I can’t believe that much time has passed since last summer, when I felt stuck in a rut and signed up for a blogging class on a whim. I know it’s a story I tell often, but I’ve gone from an occasional blogger to a committed writer, and so many things have changed since taking that first step. I’ve found something I’m truly passionate about, alongside caring for my family, and I’ve got several exciting new things coming my way in the next weeks and months. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for following along on this blog journey of mine. Your support means the world to me.
There’s a new musical playing in town right now, One Night With Janis Joplin, and her songs are all over my local radio station, too. Joplin was a Texas girl and spent some time in Austin, and whether or not she would like it, people here claim her as their own. I’ve had her on my mind recently, and I watched Janis, the 1974 documentary about her life. Joplin was only 27 when she died in 1970, but her voice carried the strength, power, and emotion of a much older woman. Had she lived, she would be 70 today, and I can’t imagine what her voice would sound like now.
(A 1970 publicity photo of Janis Joplin, a public domain image.)
Beneath that wild hair and her feathered hats was a deeply emotional, passionate woman, and you only have to listen to her songs to understand how she felt. Joplin’s version of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” IS summer in Texas, and you can feel the burning heat on your skin as she sings the classic tune. And though it’s one of her most popular songs, “Piece of My Heart” is my favorite Joplin number. This version is featured near the end of the documentary, and I love how she brings her fans onstage to dance and sing with her.
I don’t have much in common with Janis Joplin, aside from the fact that we are both native Texans, but this summer, she inspires me so much. She seems such a tragic, talented figure, and though her experiences were so different than my own, I really admire her strength and her determination.
And her voice. Oh my gosh, her voice.
Clearly I am seeing red these days! After falling in love with Mata Traders’ Shanghai Shift Dress in red, I also decided to try ModCloth’s top-selling Riviera Romance Dress, after admiring it on the site for months. This dress is literally perfect in every way, and I can’t stop singing its praises.
Not only is the dress fair trade and ethically made of 100% organic cotton by Synergy, it has a beautiful and flattering fit. I feel so lovely and feminine wearing it, and it’s kind of sexy, too. There’s a bit of Joan Holloway in this little number, in a way that’s perfectly acceptable for a mother of two small children to wear to a gymnastics performance, should the occasion arise.
(The stripes are a dark burgundy color that works well for all seasons.)
I know stripes are so overdone these days, and I personally refuse to buy more, but I made an exception for this dress because it is that spectacular. There are over 300 reviews of this piece on ModCloth’s site, all declaring their love for the stripes that so easily hide flaws while accentuating, um, your assets, and this dress is just so easy to wear. The cotton is incredibly soft and doesn’t wrinkle after washing or all day wear, either, and the cut of the sleeves makes it perfect for hot summer days. Hot, hot summer days. And nights. I can also imagine it paired with tights and a cardigan as fall weather slowly creeps in.
(The belt is long enough to wrap and tie in the front.)
The belt on the dress is long enough to tie in back, or wrap around in front, which adds a bit of interest, I think, and makes your exit more memorable, if you know what I mean.
All kidding aside, I’m so excited to finally own this dress, at such a reasonable price, and I’m getting so many stares much wear from it.
