Soulmate Fate: Should I Stay or Should I Grow?

It's been a while since I blogged about a book or did a book post on Insta.  Which is funny, because the Insta book was by Josie Silver too.  But the heart wants what the heart wants, and apparently mine wanted love, loss, and a tear in the space-time continuum.  Enter The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.  Twenty-eight-year-old Lydia's fiancé dies in a car accident on her birthday.  She escapes the pain by sleeping, dreaming about -- and quite possibly living -- their life as it might have been.  But dividing her time and heart is a lot, raising more questions than it answers.

I love a love story, and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a good one.  But ultimately, it's not about whom we're meant to be with, but whom we're meant to be.  And I love that kind of story most of all.

Kitschy 'til the Cows Come Home: Neon Trees and Jujubes

Top: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Boots: Betsey Johnson, Zulily

Sunset Ranch Necklace

Bag: Zulily

Clips: Marshalls

Hand cream: Cath Kidston, Kohl's

Top: ModCloth; Skirt: Trixxi, Kohl's; Bag: Dolls Kill; Shoes: Madden Girl, Amazon

Glamazon of the Galaxy Necklace

Lipstick schtick.

Purple clip: Lisa Frank, Kitsch

Yellow: Always appealing.

 Skirt: So, Kohl's

Clips: Every '80s baby's Kitsch wish come true.

Bag: Amazon

Top: Care Bears, Dolls Kill

Just kidding.  There are no jujubes.  Just two candy-bright fits that I wore to work and one I wore in my yard.  Partly because I can't drive in those boots and partly because even I have my limits.  Still, my coastal-cowgirl-going-to-a-rave look holds a special place in my heart.  Maybe one day I'll get to wear it for real.

Stagecoach, here I come.

Blooper Scooper: Mother's Day Hits and Kisses

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad; Kohl's; Bow barrette: Wild Fable, Target 

Cake Talk Necklace

Shoes: Madden Girl, Macy's

Proud graduate of Mom's school of I hope it's enough.

Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target

ShopRite: Baking so moms don't have to.

Bag: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Just two rebels wearing white shoes before Memorial Day.

This was my second year hosting Mother's Day.  And by hosting, I mean serving store-bought dessert after my dad takes us out for dinner.  Still, I managed to drop my niece's ice cream on her dress and my nephew's on the table.  What can I say?  Coordination isn't my strong suit.  Anyway, I loved hearing Charlotte's shrieks as she ran around with her cousins while I caught up with my mom and sister.  And when it was over and it was just cake crumbs and crumbled tissue, I realized what I had to reach midlife to learn: messy is happy.

So, to all who celebrate, I hope that you had a great Mother's Day, one so full of laughter and heart that you had to break out the Dust Buster.

Although not literally.  Because cleaning on Mother's Day is sacrilege.  

And no one has Dust Busters anymore.