Since Last Week

Let us just breeze past the fact that I've been absent from the blog for a week, shall we? I don't have any excuse and I'm feeling pretty guilty about it, which is silly, I know, but it's that dang title! Daily Damara. Couldn't I have had the foresight to imagine that some days I just wouldn't feel like it? Rest assured, though, that I am alive, just not recording as much of said life here and I do apologize for that.  

Anyhoo, The Swede and I put a date night on our calendar several weeks ago, booked a hotel room and a babysitter and then, at the last minute, he got sick. I couldn't cancel the room so I decided to take my other favorite dude and let The Swede heal at home, alone. So Jambo and I had a cozy dinner in our old neighborhood and then watched some Disney and ate candy in bed at the hotel. On Saturday, we had a great time checking out a few of the playgrounds in the neighborhood. Thankfully, The Swede was feeling better by Saturday afternoon because I had to leave Jamie with him to go sing in a folk music concert with my choir. I wish I'd taken some pictures or recordings of that, because it was magical. 

Yesterday, Jamie and I took the train into the city to visit a new American food store. My purchases, if you please: Buffalo sauce, Funfetti pancake mix, Lucky Charms, graham crackers, a can of grape soda, Hawaiian Punch Hubba Bubba, Lipton's onion soup mix, Cheetos. The dude also threw in a real New York bagel and a couple of Tootsie Rolls for Jamie, who loved them because I gave him no choice. Is it worth mentioning that I can't remember ever purchasing any of these items for myself when I actually lived in America? Just so you're not totally disgusted by me, you know?

Daily Jamie

August 26th

August 27th

August 28th

August 29th

August 30th

Daily Jamie

August 22nd

August 23rd

 August 24th

Daily Jamie

August 19th

August 20th

Steps Back, Steps Forward

Yesterday, Jamie and Axel started a ten-week program at tennis school. They were both SO, SO excited until the very second that it began and then Jamie lost it. Axel followed the teenage leaders and Jamie sobbed, clung to me, and refused to join the others. It was very uncharacteristic but I could definitely sympathize. In fact, the whole thing reminded me of that feeling of terror and imminent tears that I haven't felt for at least twenty-five years, but that happened semi-regularly as a child. You know the feeling: I don't know these people, I don't know what I'm doing and I'm going to mess up in front of all these people I don't know, I just want my mom and a hug. I'm hoping that next week, when the less-"fluffy" (MY SON SAYS I'M FLUFFY and I'm really hoping he means cuddly) Swede is there he'll be less likely to hold back.

Since that reticence was so unlike him, I was a little concerned about how his annual checkup at the nurse would go this morning. They were going to test his language, hearing, sight, fine and gross motor skills, among other things and if he was nervous it would be difficult to get an accurate result. Also, I knew they were going to ask him to draw a person and I'd never seen him do it before and didn't think he could, but please look at this:

Most four-year-olds just draw a head with arms and legs coming out of it, but my boy drew a body! And hair! Genius? Could be. At any rate, he wasn't nervous at all and actually seemed to be having a blast. He's growing like a weed and passed all the test with flying colors. I couldn't stop grinning.

Daily Jamie

August 14th

August 15th

August 16th

August 17th

Daily Jamie

August 11th

August 12th

The Business Cas Fashion Show

One of the things that got me thinking about wanting less was cleaning out my closet. I’ve known for a long time, but not really acted on the fact that my favorite kinds of outfits, on both myself and others, are the simplest ones. For a long time I tried to be very creative and colorful and followed the lead of a handful of whimsical mommy bloggers to construct my wardrobe. The result was a lot of clothes that I had lukewarm feelings about, unnecessary quantities of the same kind of items, and a lot of frustration about how smooshed together everything was in my closet. Again, a symptom of that more is more attitude that was dragging me down. So, over the course of three days, I put about seventy-five percent of my clothes, shoes, and accessories into paper bags that will be donated after the girls get a chance to sift through them. The only remaining items are ones that I wear because I like the way they look on me, not because I feel guilty because I bought them and feel like I have to. I cannot tell you the feeling of satisfaction I get when I open my closet door since the big purge. I will have much stricter standards for new items from now on. Here are a few outfits that made the cut. 

 

Here’s a great example of what I’m talking about in terms of my new standards. I knew the second I put this lace pencil skirt on that it was going to make my husband really happy, which would, in turn, make me happy. I love the way it fits and the fact that it’s practically as versatile as jeans in terms of what I can wear it with. Here it is with my favorite sweater for a day when corporate is visiting…

…and with a t-shirt any other day. Even cuter, in my opinion.

I have two peplum tops and they’re not going anywhere. I can’t imagine anyone not feeling her best in a well-cut peplum.

 

Here’s the kind of minimal outfit I meant. A favorite pair of jeans, white top, leather sandals. Any one of these items could go with any number of other things.

Oh, and another boring simple outfit! It's been a pretty mild summer so I've worn these jeans, like, every single day since I got them at American Eagle Outfitters in New York this spring (AEO is the ONLY place I can find jeans that are the exact right length for my stubby legs). Since the leadership was still on vacation the past couple of weeks I could get away with ripped jeans at the office, but now they’re back and I’ve had to relegate them to weekend-wear only, boohoo! Also, lemme just give you a warning about online shopping: this sweater was advertised as cashmere on an online clothing shop I (used to) frequent and I couldn’t believe how cheap it was. Well, caveat emptor, my people, because it was five percent cashmere and stretches out of shape like nobody’s business with every wear. I still kept it. That five percent makes me feel luxurious. And with a practically-empty closet I need a little of that.