27 Feb
Brain Dump III
1. Bowling
A few weeks ago a sweet friend gifted me a coupon book called The 2010 Entertainment Book, filled with coupons for services and entertainment in the Dallas area. We decided to use one of the 50% off coupons for a bowling alley nearby. It’s not really enough to write a full post about, but I wanted to share these pictures of That Husband with you because I think he is such a hottie.
Hot…
Hot hot…
HOT HOT HOT!
Ummmm… not so much.
Bowling made us both sore. We’re kind of sad and out of shape that way. Also it’s expensive. I won twice, and he won once, in case you were wondering. Although I should point out that on that last game, he beat me by a rather incredible amount.
2. The Effects of Disney Princess Movies
I read this on the blog of a family friend and it made me laugh out loud. The mom posted about how her daughter had been watching a lot of Disney movies lately and asked her readers to guess what movies Emily was quoting. Do you know which movies she is pulling from? I can only figure out #2 and #4.
Movie #1Me: Emily, you need to go and get your jacket on.Emily: no, that is not the path my heart choosesMovie #2Me: Okay Emily, you need to pick up your books and then you need to put all your dress-ups in the dress-up chestEmily: and then what step mother?Emily in the bathtub with a wash rag: Sing sweet nightengale, siiiiiiiing sweet nightengale sing!Movie #3 (this is a hard one)me: Emily, you need to share your toys with JakeEmily: Oh, for goodness sakes!Movie#4Emily: mom, hand me that dinglehopper!
3. Stretch Marks
I have them. It looks like a cat mutilated me. I’ll show you the final outcome when I hit 40 weeks.
And this too short? (The upward angle doesn’t help.)
I can’t imagine sitting down in this one.
I’d never buy this, but short short short!
I mourn because I worry that this is the beginning of the end, and soon they will be yet another company who makes dresses that would almost work, but not quite. I feel like I’ve seen the same thing from Down East Basics as well (at least in the last catalog I received). At least we have eShakti now! (Has anyone actually purchased from them yet? Still seems too good to be true.)
5. Embrace Life
Have you seen this commercial? Does it make you cry, or is that just pregnancy hormones? Found here.
6. Old Sweet Love is my Favorite Kind
Found here. I think That Husband will be just like this when we are older (in fact, I think this comes pretty close to describing us right now!)
“Elmer always takes my hand and leads me across the parking lot like I’m his girl and he’s taking care of me,” says Imogene.
“I take Imogene’s hand and help her walk because otherwise she’s liable to fall down,” says Elmer.
(Imogene & Elmer Edwards: married 55 years)
Winners of the Thank You Giveaways announced later today!
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
1. I didn’t get any stretch marks with Grant - actually just one little line. Kyle though….all over. Good thing I don’t wear or plan to wear bikinis!
2. Yeah, that blue dress does look a smidge wide. Especially with these nursing garments, they seem to be narrower towards the shoulders than other ones (though why am I still wearing them? I stopped nursing 2 months ago…)
3. I plan to order from eSkati one of these days - I’ll let you know how it goes when I do! I hope isn’t too good to be true either!
1I think this shows how many Disney movies I watched as a kid but I think. #1 is Aladdin, #2 is Cinderella, #3 is Alice in Wonderland (I’m unsure about this it could probably be mulitple), and #4 is The Little Mermaid.
Lol! Have an amazing weekend!
2Be glad you can’t wear those dresses. No homegirl past the age of 18 months should be sporting giant bows like that.
TH totally does look hot in that last pic. Am I creepy for saying that?
3I wanted to comment on the last blog where you ask about our visits to your blog. I couldn’t find the comment box, so here I go here…
My daughter intoduced me to you, talking in the most delightful way about you and your work here. I checked it out and found you to be delightful, interesting, etc…I new there was a friend in the making for my daughter and I have ALWAYs been interested in my children’s (6) friends. That is partly why I check your blog several times a week, lately.
Here’s the other reason…. I hope it doesn’t annoy my daughter….
I miss Evelyn, or sometimes I just wanna peek in on her. I don’t call my children much…don’t wanna bother ‘em, so after I read your blog sometimes I read all of the comments. Most of the time I scan thru them, looking to see if my daughter commented, and I get a peek into what my child thought about that day. so you enable a momma to connect with her daughter in an unobtrusive manner. Thank you, Delightful Woman.
Jenna Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Evelyn is pretty awesome, I can see why you would miss her so. Thanks for reading and commenting!
I’m not LDS, but I loooooove Shabby Apple because they are one of the few companies that make, cute wearable dresses with sleeves! Perfect for those of us who don’t like to show off arms. I’m sorry they are changing the things you like about them - I hope they don’t start going all sleeveless, too!
5You know, Jenna, I’d really love to pick your brain about where you do buy your skirts and dresses. I’m not LDS, but that doesn’t mean I like wearing clothing that barely hits midthigh when I stand (and I don’t even want to talk about what it does when I try to sit). All the skirts and dresses are SO SHORT these days! Even the BM dress I have to wear in May falls a good 6″ above the knee. Hrmph. Why to these stores think women want to show off their jiggly, white thighs? Don’t tell me most women don’t have jiggly white white thighs - the amount of fast-food restaurant choice out there, combined with my observational skill says otherwise! heh. Anyway I did find a cute empire-waist, smocked-top swimsuit coverup at target that goes past the knee. It’s strapless, however… which doesn’t bother me but I assume isn’t up to your modesty standard.
JessicaMayLords Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 1:32 am
Here here!! I’m not LDS either but I don’t want to show off my thighs and I’ve got a bit too much boobage to feel non-slutty wearing most strappy shirts. So many dresses these days are mid-thigh and low-cut or strappy! Not sexy unless you’re built like a supermodel or a pre-pubescent girl!
First, movie #1 is Mulan-inspired (I think. If not, it’s from Aladdin).
Second (and this is just my opinion), I can’t say that I see the difference in the neck of the first dress and your own wedding dress. I’m only saying that because I’ve seen pictures of your dress and think the two compare closely. I’m not LDS, though, so I could be totally wrong. All that to say, I think those dresses are beautiful and it really would be a shame if you couldn’t wear them anymore because of the specifics.
So sorry.
Jenna Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
The guidelines are super hard to grasp until you actually start wearing them. It was a bit difficult for me to figure out how to alter my dress because I had no idea what parts of me had to be covered for it to work.
To give you an idea, here is my original wedding dress, before alterations:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-z9aU-VMP4E/SLI-p9FmrpI/AAAAAAAAD9U/ODLfJPDZEZo/s400/IMG_3939-2.jpg
And here it is on my wedding day:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-z9aU-VMP4E/SZGJls3kqGI/AAAAAAAAHnQ/dm4Nxkyfn6s/s1600/14.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-z9aU-VMP4E/SZGKAaOHyKI/AAAAAAAAHoI/fxmt5lYY5Lg/s1600/7.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-z9aU-VMP4E/SZSxMs4VSyI/AAAAAAAAHuw/aiYJRIJaF2g/s1600/8.jpg
The seamstress (who has worked with many, many LDS brides) brought the neckline in toward the neck, down toward my arms, and up around my chest. I was proud to be a bride who didn’t have to “tuck” her garments at all, something that was really important to me.
The first Shabby Apple is just way too wide to work with the neckline of the garment, unless you were to wear some kind of undershirt underneath which would totally ruin the look in my opinion. My friend says that they are coming out with some great stuff in their next collection though and that she goes to church with the model wearing that dress and that she is super tall so the dress isn’t quite so short. I haven’t lost hope yet.
wow! eshakti looks awesome. im hoping its as good as it seems.
8haha, Drew will be happy to hear that you young ‘uns get sore bowling too, he thought his soreness was due to his recent 30th bday!
i wouldn’t totally discount Shabby Apple and Down east - once they get big enough to hire professional models, they might be tall girls, that’s my experience with my two down east pieces (not LDS, but don’t like things above the knee). Of course the fact that they were created as clothing that is fashionable but modest and then start showing their pieces as less than modest might signal another problem, but it’s just a though - don’t know what their return policies are like but it might be worth checking out a piece you like.
and being able to get into bowling position at 30+ weeks? that is hot Jenna.
9is the third movie mary poppins?
10I think 1-Mulan and 3- Alice in Wonderland maybe?
I just bought my spring wardrobe from eShakti - thanks for introducing me! I mentioned I heard about them through your blog - maybe they’ll give you a kickback
11The first one is definitely Pocahontas!
“But Grandmother Willow, what is my path?”
“Listen with your heart, you will understand.”
The third can be found in at least Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, probably more…
12I doubt it’s the movie in question, but #3 reminds me of one of the little girls from Annie - “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” It’s been years since I’ve watched Annie, but I still feel like I could quote the whole thing. At the very least, I may have to go belt a few bars.
13Hey hon, I just wanted to say I wouldn’t worry too much about the length on dresses. As long as it’s near knee - on you will probably be below/at knee. ‘Cause you’re short like me!
14I have never heard of eShakti… but I am not IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shaylene Carter (That Sister) Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I mean *now* in love
I think the fact that the models are really tall makes the garments seem like they would be shorter….so maybe it would be worth trying and if your garments show send it back?? I know that some of the stuff even at J.Crew looks kind of short in the catalog but not on me, but I am only 5’3. I agree that the one dress is too wide.
Obvi I don’t wear them but I need dresses to hit my knee and have sleeves for work so I feel ya.
Emmie Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Two more things: I like the disclaimer at the bottom!
And about the stretch marks…they don’t seem too bad. I have seen much, much worse!
I think that navy dress *might* work with something under it, but yeah, it is so sad to always feel like you can’t find fashionably modest clothes. This was a problem for me even before I converted, because, as a devout Baptist, we have pretty much the same conditions for modest attire.
Luckily in Utah it’s easier to find clothes I like.
Bowling is a great idea! You have a very handsome husband. And I think you look lovely in your bowling outfit! I love that color on you!
17Your stretch marks aren’t that bad. Mine were AWFUL. My stomach looks like well, it looks bad. all scrunched up and sad.
Jane did a number on me. 
Worth it though!
18That first top does seem way too wide to work with them, and that purple dress is definitely too short- sorry one of your favorite places is being weird
Cute bowling pics by the way
19I am just devastated over the length of that green and white dress. I think it’s adorable and I’ve loved Shabby Apple dresses since I decided to start dressing modestly. I’m almost willing to risk buying it to see if it’s long enough but I feel like it’s not worth it
Really, though I agree with Pink Heli above - I’d love to hear more about good places to buy modest clothing. I’m not familiar with any of the other brands like Down East and Shabby Apple that even offer mostly modest options. eShakti really looks awesome though!
20The Mister and I are part of a bowling league in our city. Not long after we had moved in to our new house, our neighbors asked us to be on their team. I’m an alternate because the league takes place while I’m at bootcamp, but the Mister is officially on the team. I think it’s a right of passage as a couple. My parents were in a bowling league when I was younger.
I love when you mention some of the places you like to shop. I think we have a similar style and although I’m not LDS, I still try to dress more on the conservative style. I checked out eShakti and it’s just like Anthropologie but a third the price! I also got my swim suit from DownEast Basics because you mentioned the link last summer. I’m going to be ordering my Easter dress from there. Thank you!!!!!
That was a beautiful commercial!
21the model is super tall and skinny- she’s in my ward-the dress hits her shorter than it would someone who is not 5’11″
don’t lose faith in shabby-they have some FANTASTIC dresses coming out over the next few months-promise :).
22Entertainment Books are fabulous! We always use my parents - I think using two coupons usually pays for it.
23Oh, and I meant to say I posted that Embrace Life psa on my facebook last week after I saw a story on it on CNN, and I have cried *ever single time* I’ve watched it. And I’m not pregnant, so we’re both just emotional I suppose
24I love entertainment books! It’s fun to make it a goal to save what the book is worth!
Those Disney quotes are cute! I think #1 is Pocahontas..I remember her asking about her path in the movie. #2 Cinderella, #4 The Little Mermaid. I have no idea on #3 though.
25I don’t think it’s the pregnancy hormones; that commercial shook me up too.
26re: modest clothes, I’ve found that even though their knees are showing in the photos it’s not always the case IRL, models are super skinny and real women have curves that cause us to order sizes that have more length n proportion to our waists that are larger than a pre-pubescent
don’t forget to smile!
27I’ve had good luck and bad luck with Shabby Apple with their length online. I always avoid it if I can see the knees. It is just too dang uncomfortable to have to squirm around all the time.
I’ve ordered from eShatki and am waiting to get it!
28Disney quotes! Huzzah!! After four years of being a cast member at the Happiest Place on Earth, I know those answers, fer sure!
#1: Pocahontas. She says it towards the end of the movie, when she saves John Smith’s life.
#2: Cinderella, most def.
#3: Alice in Wonderland. She says it when she abruptly grows very tall and the bird calls her a serpent.
#4: Little Mermaid!
I’ve followed your blog since you were Miss Avocado…but I’ve been a bit too shy to comment. I love reading it though!!
29Those clothes were really cute, and I can see why you would think they are too short, but in fact it is probably the angle or the model is tall. I have a weirdly long torso so I have a problem with length a lot and I find dress’s are one area I don’t have an issue finding a good length.
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