This blog is about random things in my life, I like to talk and I like to share my opinion (whether asked for or not) and this seems like the best place for those quirky random fleeting thoughts!
Summer dress... party dress... something to wear to a wedding, whatever you want to call it I'm having a little trouble deciding what to wear to an upcoming event.
When purchasing a dress for an acquaintances wedding many requirements arose.
#1) It has to be multi-functional, I can't justify getting a new dress if I'm only going to wear it to weddings. (At my age there aren't so many weddings anymore.)
#2) It has to be able to handle weight loss & gain. (This is unfortunately common for me.)
#3) It has to be fun, I'm not really into formal, chic, or stuffy. (Most people are surprised when they see me in a dress.)
#4) It has to be summery with refreshing colors, patterns, or embroidery. (Here in NL it's only warm enough to wear dresses in the summer anyway.)
Keeping all of this in mind, as well as a budget, I ordered 8 dresses from an online store. The beauty of ordering online - you can try it on in the convenience of your own home and return what you don't want. Generally the "fitting room" sessions are quite upsetting. I went through this in the weekend at H&M, I left feeling like an elephant and that styles these days aren't made for my body shape. Depressing!!! But luckily the "fitting room" session in my own bedroom today went much better. Shockingly I liked the majority of the dresses and they liked me. I actually had to choose between what I wanted to keep and/or found most relevant for the event. (This never happens!)
So, now I've narrowed it down to two dresses, and just have to decide which one to wear. The old tradition says never to wear white to a wedding, but come on, it's 2014, and I'm sure that tradition is long gone. But I also have to keep in mind I'm in The Netherlands and to be honest I have no idea what their norm is for wedding guest attire. And to be fair, coral is my color, it makes me look tan and cheerful. So most likely I'll go with the coral dress but I thought I'd first ask around for other opinions.
What do you think, which dress is more wedding guest appropriate?
(Keep in mind the white one is embroidered on the top, it's kind of hard to see. And the stripe near the bottom is see through.)
Yep, it's true, I'm a cougar, my husband is younger than I am! And that awesome hubby of mine, turned 32yrs old today!!! Congrats, babe! It's been great growing up together (he was just 19 when we met)!
I have to admit his birthday did sneak up on me though. Like I mentioned in my last post he's been travelling a lot, and I've been holding the fort down, and before I knew it his birthday was already here! He's the type who doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday but somehow the festivities carry on for around a week.
Yesterday I wasn't feeling great (and to top it off our street was closed off due to a gas leak) so I wasn't as motivated as I would have liked to get things prepared for his b-day but my daughter really helped! We blew up balloons, decorated the living room, and filled out b-day cards. But after about 6 balloons I had to give up, my cold and congestion just couldn't do anymore. And since we couldn't be at home all afternoon there was no time for the cake, bummer. My thoughtful husband did help blow up tons of balloons last night after our daughter went to bed, he was even going to let me take the credit but I just couldn't.
The b-day excitement started early this morning, between our daughter and family there wasn't a chance my hubby could sleep in! Unfortunately he has to work today, but right now there's a cake in the oven and I have his favorite dinner planned, so there will be plenty to enjoy tonight.
So, let the festivities begin!!!
Happy Birthday, Ry!
And just for fun, here's a Throwback Thursday, me & the hubby way back in 2002!
Yesterday was our daughter's 4th birthday, and this big celebration called for a special cake. The past couple years we've skipped cake, the large party at a pancake house in the middle of farmland was more than enough. But this past year I exposed my daughter to the Cake Boss. (For those of you unfamiliar, it is a tv show about a bakery that makes elaborate cakes.) Well, this obviously inspired my daughter and there was no getting around a cake for her party. It took us a while to decide on one, we searched ideas online and hoped we could actually find a bakery here that would make one. In The States these colorful fondant cakes are quite common, here, they're harder to find and way more expensive. An American friend of mine had a fun dinosaur cake made for her sons birthday, but when I asked the price I couldn't help but cringe. I went in search of something cheaper, but inevitably ended up at the bakery she originally found. Boy am I glad I did! And as a huge thank you to Irene for such a special cake I am writing this post, hoping to drum up some business for her in and around Eindhoven. All I did was send 2 pics we found of cake ideas and a copy of the gift bags and voila, she made exactly the cake we imagined. Our daughter was over the moon, and it was a big race between the kids to eat all of the little animals she created. And top it off, the vanilla cake with chocolate crème between the layers was delicious.
So, if any of you have any events coming up and you need a cake, be sure to visit Irene at Irene's Suikercreaties!
Multiple times this weekend I have found myself bringing up an event that just didn't sit right with me, and here I am telling you all about it. I felt this past week a school and fellow parents let me down. How you ask? I was able to leave a school yard with two kids I didn't know and no one stopped me or even questioned my actions.
I guess I'll have to start from the beginning for you to understand (and I want to be clear on one thing, in no way do I blame my friends). Some close friends of ours were hosting a birthday party for their son after school and I offered to help out, especially since my daughter was already attending the party. Here in The Netherlands once a kid turns 5 yrs old they start hosting b-day parties just for kids, this means the parents of the birthday boy or girl get 5-10 kids handed over to them and they're responsible for their well being for 2-4 hrs. To me that's not so unusual except in the fact half the time the parents aren't even asked to drop or pick the kids up, it's left up to the host. Different culture, different ways, or maybe I'm just clueless to how elementary aged kid b-day parties work, since mine is still a toddler. Our good friends said they could use help transporting the kids from the school to the playground where the party would be held. I was happy to help, even though part me assumed I would end up with one of their kids and maybe a friend in my car. Since I'm unfamiliar with the school I ended up parking around the corner from where the other party cars were parked. So once all 9 kids were rounded up (I think I saw 3 parents hand their kids over) they were divided and sent to 3 different cars. I ended up with two little boys who I had never seen before. Trusting our friends, these kids followed me & my daughter to our car and hopped in. Then they rode to the party 15 minutes away in another town with us, all the while telling me everything about their personal lives (they're 5-6yrs old).
This event sent up so many red flags to me, maybe I'm over reacting but I am really disappointed in these kids parents, the school, and any onlooker at the school. Why?
An unfamiliar women at the school (my kid does not attend there) led 3 children off to her car and not one teacher or parent stopped to ask any questions! They were purely handed over by their parent or teacher to a b-day party and never asked for any more details.
Am I overreacting? All I can think about is my kids future and the many parties she'll be invited to, I would never want my kid to end up in a vehicle with someone I had never met, I would never just assume she would be o.k. and get dropped off at home hours later.
I expressed this to our good friends and they agreed with me, they too were shocked at how blasé the parents were. Our friends are good parents and very trustworthy, maybe that's why the kids were handed over so easily, but even so I am disappointed in the way parents handle their kids these days. Just because something is considered the norm doesn't make it right. I plan on attending b-day parties with my daughter until she's older, and even then I will be the one dropping her off and picking her up. Again, am I blowing this out of proportion?
It's birthday season again. Starting in April we have 2-5 birthdays a month that we either have to recognize, buy a present for, attend a party, or all of the above. And this lasts for about 5 months! I do my best to get excited about parties, what's not to like about spending money to stand around and talk to strangers/acquaintances, ha-ha! I'm not exactly the most social person. But there is one person in my family who loves birthdays, my toddler. Whether it's her own party or just someone in her class, she's excited, hands clapping, eyes twinkling, talking 90mph. Wow, I wish I had that enthusiasm. One thing is for sure though, she is motivating... there's no way she'd let you forget to decorate or buy a present if needed. And almost every day she asks, "who's birthday is it today?" That could also be because we have a b-day calendar next to our toilet. To American's this probably sounds very strange, to a Dutch person this is quite normal. In theory it's a great idea, you're guaranteed to go to the toilet every day, so there is no way you miss seeing any upcoming b-days. In reality, it looks kind of strange, but hey, when you're integrating you jump on the bandwagon.
Yesterday was the first of many b-day parties to come, and to be honest, it was wasn't bad. The guests were friendly, the kids happy, the food was good, the weather great, and there was plenty to keep everyone entertained. Oh, and when the 2yr old opened his gifts there was a big smile, which means the presents were worth it! So I must say it's a good start to this years b-day season. I'll have to try and remember to follow up on this post after birthday season, ha-ha!
One thing I do like about parties, cake! On occasion I miss American birthday cakes. Cakes shaped like dolls & animals have been popular in The States for a long time, but it's within the past few years that they're catching on in The Netherlands. So far we haven't bought one for our tot yet, but considering she's seen everything from elephants to Super Mario, I have a feeling we'll be searching for a cake designer in a few months. If you happen to know anyone in the Eindhoven area please let me know!
