What I Wore [Mercy] Sunday, Volume 8

Jesus, I trust in You!

This Sunday, when my heart is weighed down with both my own personal worries and worries for the state of our increasingly God-less world, I find comfort and hope in the words of these prayers (from the Divine Mercy Chaplet) to our merciful Father in Heaven:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world...

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

I went to 7:00 a.m. Mass alone today, on this glorious Divine Mercy Sunday.  You see, my husband is in the air, en route from Paris to NYC, as I write this.  It's not as glamorous as it sounds--he's an airline pilot and that's just what he does for a living: he flies planes over the ocean to exotic European locations and back again.  (Believe it or not, it gets old; and he says he's never left the house for a trip without wishing he could just stay home instead.)

Aside from having to attend Mass all by my lonesome, I was also left without a fashion photographer for my weekly "What I Wore Sunday" shoot.  [Gasp!]  So I was faced with the prospect of figuring out how to work the self-timer on my new (actually year-old, but still somewhat new to me) camera.  But I didn't want to miss out on the weekly link-up with all my blogging buddies over at Fine Linen and Purple...

and I was all dressed-up for church anyway...so I figured, why not--what have I got to lose?

Whoops...I hadn't quite gotten the hang of setting the 10-second self-timer for that first one. We're off to a good start. Well, I wanted you to see the pretty detail on this dress anyway. It's sheer cotton on top (in what I believe is known as a "burn out" pattern, so when the light hits it you can see through the flower outlines), and completely lined with stretch knit fabric. And I love the gross grain ribbon belt--so feminine.

Okay, here goes nothin'.  Hands placed awkwardly on hips for the slimming effect: check! Goofy embarrassed smile: check!

But no shoes--and the shoes are the best part!  Let's back this up a little and try again.

A little out of focus, but that's about as good as it's gonna get.

I normally steer clear of brown, but I love this dress (the style, the fit, and the price), and the peach-colored bolero sweater adds a nice pop of color to an otherwise drab-ish palette.

Breakdown: 
~Sleeveless dress: Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit Designs (retail: $89.00; I paid $19.99 at B.J.'s Wholesale Club)
~Cotton bolero-style sweater: R & K Originals ($10.99, also from B.J.'s Wholesale Club--better known as my favorite dress boutique)
~Leather "alligator" slingbacks: Liz Claiborne (from Goodwill--only $9.99, and they'd never been worn!)

Aren't these shoes amazing?  I wear either an 8 and 1/2 or a 9 (these are 9's), so I don't usually go for the super-pointy toes that lengthen my already-long-enough feet and make me feel like I'm wearing clown shoes. But I'm so glad I didn't pass up this pair of fabulous slingbacks.  (The things you find when you're just stopping by Goodwill to drop off a couple of bags of old boys' t-shirts!)

The only bummer is that at 6:45 this morning, it was so chilly outside that I had to cover up my pretty ensemble with all kinds of cold weather gear: a down parka, a hand-knit "cowl" scarf (made for me by my daughter-in-law this Christmas), and a furry hat (a little something my husband picked up in Moscow once upon a time).

I didn't really have to wear all of this...almost, but not quite.  (But seriously now, I want to know: is spring ever going to come to New England?  And will it get here before summer?)

God bless you and yours on this feast of the Divine Mercy...now you should head on over to Fine Linen and Purple and see what everyone else is wearing to church today.

O.C.D. (Out with Closet Disorganization!)

My second oldest son and his lovely girlfriend had Easter dinner with us last Sunday, and we had such a wonderful time.  The after-dinner conversation, which is my very favorite part of any meal, got a bit silly (which is actually par for the course around this house: for instance, we've had lengthy and spirited debates more than once about the proper pronunciation of the word "Reese's").  We found ourselves discussing the somewhat comical O.C.D. tendencies of someone near and dear to our hearts (who might suffer from a clinical case, we decided--but then again, there was not one M.D. at the table), and before long we were revealing our own secret and not-so-secret rituals and ridiculous habits.

We came to this conclusion: maybe all of us are just a little bit strange, in our own little ways.

Before you judge us and think "I have no O.C.D. tendencies--what is wrong with those people?", ask yourself this: how do you eat an Oreo?  That subject alone kept us talking--and laughing--for about 20 minutes.  (I don't have a set routine when it comes to Oreos; sometimes I twist off one of the cookie sides, eat it, and lick off all the cream before I eat the other side; sometimes I just bite through the layers with reckless abandon.  My son's set-in-stone Oreo-eating process, on the other hand, would require a user's manual to help a novice get through all the steps.)

Or how about M & M's?  Do you eat them by the handful, or do you count the number you take out of the candy dish/bag first?  My son's girlfriend admitted that she must always eat them in 3's.  (How crazy is that?  I hate to tell her this, but she just might have a problem. Because the only way to eat M & M's--obviously!--is in even numbers!)

I felt that as long as we were sharing, I should come clean and admit my secret shame, known only to my husband and myself.  It's not really a secret, because all it would take to uncover it is a quick peek inside my closet.  But I raised five sons who probably never noticed the paint color on the walls of the bedrooms they slept in the whole time they were growing up in this house, so I doubt they even know where my closet is.

Okay, then, here's my O.C.D. secret: I keep my dressy shoes in plastic shoe boxes that are almost clear, but not clear enough; so I have pictures of the shoes taped to the outside of the boxes, making it easy for me to find the pair I'm looking for.  I saw this tip in a women's magazine article about closet organization, and I thought it was genius.  But everyone at the table on Easter night (et tu, hubbay?) looked at me as if to say "Now that's crazy."

C'mon, this closet doesn't say "crazy," does it?  I just can't stand a disorganized closet.  I had to lower most of my neatness and cleanliness standards long ago (with a houseful of boys, it was either that, or lose my mind!), but I figured I could at least maintain control over the state of my own closet.  That's understandable, isn't it?

And aren't there people who actually make a living as closet organizers?  Isn't that a booming business these days?  If so, I think I may have missed my calling, because I love the challenge of finding ways to store my things neatly.  Here's my solution for storing all the beautiful pashminas my husband got for me in Istanbul, back when that was one of his work destinations.

My husband, the least complicated, most well-adjusted human on the planet, sat mostly silent during this marathon post-Easter dinner discussion, listening to and laughing with (at?) the rest of us.  So I felt it was only fair to bring up his long-and-involved routine for preparing a baked potato before consuming it.  Way back in high school when we first started dating, he was already famous for it.

You know, I think the term "O.C.D." is overused these days, just like the term "dysfunctional family."  I don't think I have O.C.D.; I think I'm just what back in simpler times was known as a "neatnik."

P.S. I think I have too many pairs of shoes!

"7 Quick Takes Friday" #11: We Could All Use Some Prayers

--- 1 ---

I wasn't planning to come to the 7 Quick Takes party today.  I wasn't even sure that the link-up was going to happen this week, due to the surgical procedure Jen had scheduled for today.  (I'm including a link about it for my small stable of followers, some of whom may not be aware of all that 7QT's hostess with the mostess, Conversion Diary's Jen Fulwiler, has been going through in her high-risk pregnancy.)  I see that the procedure has been postponed for now, but still must be performed before labor is induced on Monday.

When I think of all the complaining I did during my own routine pregnancies, I feel like a big fat baby.  My thoughts and prayers are with you, Jen.

Calling on St. Gerard!

That was only one of the reasons I wasn't planning to play today.  I also hadn't given a lot of thought to what I should write about, and I realized that by the time I figured it out, I'd be about #300 on the list.  Then I saw that this is the day the comments will be shown in reverse order, so...game on!

--- 2 ---

My #4 son could use as many prayers as you want to send his way.  Today is his last day at home before he begins the process of traveling overseas to begin a six-month deployment to a very dangerous part of the world.  He will be saying good-bye to his serious girlfriend of over a year, and also to a ferociously (almost pitifully) devoted dog he rescued from the shelter about a year and a half ago.  I don't know how Finny is going to get through this deployment--at least my son's girlfriend will understand why his hero is missing, but he's going to be a wreck.

This is true love, folks.

I woke up in tears this morning, thinking about my poor boy.  My husband and I traveled down to VA last month to see him (and the brother with whom he shares a house); but now I'm having that panicky "I want to see him again before he goes!" feeling.  October won't come soon enough.

--- 3 ---

Do movies about dogs make you cry?  If you saw Marley & Me or My Dog Skip (two enthusiastic paws up for both!) and didn't shed a tear or two, then you're a better dog's best friend than I.  What is it about dogs?  Some of my tears this morning were actually for Finny, who I fear will be heartbroken and spend the next six months looking like he does every time his master leaves for even a couple of minutes.

Watching the door, waiting for his favorite human.

--- 4 ---

I probably shouldn't be here today.  My heart is too heavy.

God has been so incredibly good to me, blessed me in more ways than I could ever deserve...yet I can't help feeling very sorry for myself.  I'm ashamed of admitting that, especially when I know how much heavier others' crosses are than mine.  I'm going to finish out this post in pictures, I think, rather than subject you to any more of my maudlin musings.

--- 5 ---

I thought my table looked very pretty for Easter.  (That is, if you disregard the spots on the knives
in the foreground...and maybe line up the silverware a little better.  Martha Stewart I am not, I guess.)

--- 6 ---

Some people have way too much self-control when it comes to chocolate bunnies,
and some people don't have any.
Take a guess whose bunny is still in the basket almost a week after Easter:
my husband's or mine?

--- 7 ---

Please keep these three beautiful creatures in your prayers!

God bless you, Jen.  And God bless our troops, and all those brave Americans who put themselves in harm's way on our behalf.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Theme Thursday: Funny

I'm trying a new link-up today called "Theme Thursday," hosted by Camp Donaldson.  I didn't know what to write about today anyway, and this link-up appears to be all about pictures.  Yay!  I can always do pictures.  Pictures are my favorite!  And today's theme--"funny"--that's my favorite theme.

Looking back into the family archives, there is no shortage of funny pictures starring my five sons.  But I decided to further narrow down the theme du jour; this post would more aptly be titled "Funny in Sunglasses."

This is my firstborn son in July 1983, at St. Augustine Beach in FL.  As if the fact that he's wearing grown-up sunglasses on his baby-sized face isn't humorous (and picture-worthy) enough, my husband had to contribute to the delinquency of a 9-month-old by making it look like he was drinking a can of Coors.  (That's my husband's brother, his accomplice, in the background--making sure the little social drinker doesn't topple over before I can get the shot.)

My boys always liked sporting sun-"gaggies."  Here's another picture of son #1--along with son #2, his ever-trusty sidekick--in June 1987.  (I guess son #3 didn't get the memo that the dress code for this photo shoot was sunglasses and floaties.)   We weren't exactly right next door to the ocean, so I'm thinking they must have been getting ready to hit the plastic baby pool out back on the patio.

Please realize that this is a family-friendly blog, and there are bathing suits (make that "babin' suits") under those floaties!

Thanks, Cari, for hosting--and for giving this empty-nester/grandma who misses her boys an excuse to enjoy some misty watercolor memories this morning!

(Now make sure to go over to Camp Donaldson and check out the other funnies!)

To market, to market...

to buy a fat pig to sell my Catholic novel..hopefully?

Well, maybe not--but I've got to keep on trying!

My first novel, Finding Grace, has now been on the market for about 8 months; and while there have been some real bright spots (receiving the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval being the most noteworthy of these thus far), sales would have to be considered...ahem...um...well, just a tad slow.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you, because I didn't write the book with delusions of grandeur, imagining there would be a six-figure movie deal and I would become a rich and famous household name.  I intended it to be a sort of antidote to some of the poison being peddled to teens and young adults these days via books, movies, TV, and the Internet (and while I was at it, I hoped to create a story that would prove to be an entertaining read).  But I wouldn't mind seeing a teensy-tiny little jump in sales, if I'm being honest.

Finding Grace is listed on the website of my publisher, Bezalel Books (a wonderful small Catholic publishing house run by Cheryl Dickow), on Barnes & Noble's website, and on the Amazon.com mega-site.  (I also Googled it, and I was surprised to find it advertised for sale on all kinds of foreign bookseller sites, in just about every language there is.)  But for the most part, the publicizing/marketing/selling of the book depends largely on how much effort I'm willing to put into it.  And even more so, how willing I am to talk it up, to put myself "out there" (like I'm doing right here, right now)--out there where my precious baby is vulnerable to criticism, bad reviews, and rejection.  For someone who tends to begin every phone call she makes with "I hope this isn't a bad time," apologizes to chairs--out of habit--when she bumps into them, and asks for favors with the opener "I'm sorry to bother you," this self-promotion business doesn't come easily.

But I am constantly seeking ways to increase the book's visibility and marketability.  On Easter morning, I came up with a new ploy.  My most recent Facebook profile picture was one of my husband and me snuggled into one another at an Irish bar down in South Beach, the night before the ND-Alabama BCS Bowl game in January; now--perhaps you can guess where this is going--it's been replaced with a picture of the front cover of my book. (Shameless, I know!)  I'd given up Facebook for Lent (except for quick check-ins on Sundays to make sure I wasn't missing any important messages or notifications), and this profile pic update seemed like a good way to celebrate the end of Lenten sacrifices and the Resurrection of Our Lord!  Not long after my new FB profile picture was posted, I was tickled to get some nice comments from author Amy Bennett, whose mystery novel End of the Road is being published by Dark Oak Press sometime this year, and who is currently working on a Catholic YA novel for Tuscany Press.

(As I was checking out the comments after the profile pic switcheroo, I took a photo of my laptop screen.
Then, because I'm so techno-savvy these days,  I added the helpful arrows.)

Amy had already read Finding Grace--and last month she posted this terrific review on my book's Amazon page, for which I am deeply grateful:

________________________________________

The author must have been hiding under my bed when I was 13!, February 11, 2013

It's not often an author can combine solid Catholic theology with laugh-out-loud and almost cringe-worthy real-life characters. Laura Pearl does a masterful job in "Finding Grace".

Many young people deplore their parents' choice for their names, and Grace Kelly (she of the horn-rimmed glasses, braces, and frizzy hair) is no exception! But living up to a glamorous namesake is nothing compared to the subtle challenge Grace detects from her loving father--to become a saint!

As the story of Grace's teen years unfold, American society during the turbulent '60s and '70s with its radical ideas becomes Grace's biggest opponent to her goal of becoming a saint. I, for one, strongly identified with her and her desire for true love, especially in a world that seems to find traditional mores impossible to live with and personal sanctity an impossible ideal to live up to. Yet through it all, Grace perseveres in her faith and love of family, and despite her myriad setbacks, she discovers that true saintliness is achieved by discerning God's will for one's life and accepting it whole-heartedly.

I have recommended this book to my nieces and nephews and I'm sure they will see themselves in it as surely as I have seen myself!

_________________________________________

Amazon sells Finding Grace for $17.99 (plus shipping & handling), but I have purchased copies that I can offer to you, my dear readers, for a discounted rate of $15.99 flat.  If you'd like to put in an order, contact me by clicking on the words "Email me" up there on the right side of the page, and we can set up the payment/shipment details.  (I'll even sign it for you if you wish.)

So, then: to market, to market...to buy a copy of my book?

A Sucker for Seersucker

Yesterday, I saw the cutest picture of my blogging friend Rosie's husband and young son sporting matching blue and white-striped seersucker suits for Easter (on her site, a blog for my mom).  Seersucker suits with plaid bow ties.  Priceless!

Then last night we face-timed (is that a verb yet?) with son #3 and his awesome girlfriend, and she pointed out the new blue and white-striped seersucker shorts he was wearing--fashion-forward shorts she'd talked him into buying, hoping they would be the gateway article of clothing that would one day lead to the purchase of a full-fledged seersucker suit, complete with a bow tie, as befits a proper Southern gentleman.  (As she said this, my son just shook his head and grinned indulgently, with a look on his face that said, "That ain't gonna happen.")

All this talk of seersucker suits yesterday reminded me of the miniature one I made for my oldest son almost 29 years ago, with the intention that he would wear it for a family wedding that was going to take place a few months later.  (This morning I went up to the attic and dug it out of a huge plastic bin filled with decades-old little boy clothes--which probably should have been dropped off at Goodwill at some point, if only I could bear to do it.)

Well, here was the kicker: my baby boy grew more than I thought he would between the time I made the suit and the date of the wedding.  The pattern I used was a size 1 (which was closer to a ready-to-wear 2T), but at about 10 months old my firstborn was already 32 inches tall and tipping the scales at a healthy 28 lbs.  The little shorts still fit him, as did the short-sleeved white oxford button-down shirt and tiny bow tie; but  it was a late summer wedding and we were smack dab in the middle of a heat wave (with the temp hovering around 100 degrees and the humidity a good 500%), and between the chubbiness and the sweatiness, there was no way I was going to get those edible little arms into the jacket sleeves, no matter how hard I tried.  (Think Chris Farley in the movie Tommy Boy: "Fat man in a little coat...fat man in a little coat...")

I was just shy of three months pregnant at the time, and wearing a bridesmaid gown that was straining at the waistband--even though my mother-in-law, who'd sewn mine for me, had specially re-worked the non-maternity pattern to fit my expanding waistline.  I didn't really look pregnant yet, just sort of dumpy.  I was hot (and bothered), suffering from first-trimester queasiness, feeling distinctly unattractive...and so disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to show off my baby boy in exactly the manner I'd planned.

Had I not been so hormonal, I would have realized that even minus the jacket, he was one cute little wedding guest--as you can see (despite the graininess of this pre-digital age snapshot).

But by the time the wedding Mass was over, he'd wet through his Pampers and his seersucker shorts, and--because I'd forgotten to pack a spare outfit--he attended the reception in a natty get-up of diaper, shirt, and tie.  Still undeniably cute, but not exactly the look I was going for.

Luckily, however, I did go on to have more boys (four of them).  And it just so happened that when his first Easter rolled around, son #3 was able to wear the seersucker suit to church. He was about 11 months old, but a good bit lankier in build than his older brother had been at about the same age, and the suit fit him like a glove.  This time around, instead of a button-down shirt and bow tie, I paired it with a Peter Pan-collared shirt, knee socks, and blue and white saddle shoes--three clothing items that have been on my son's "fashion don'ts" list ever since.  Oh my goodness, he was so adorable!

Such a tiny little man, in such a tiny little suit!  Here he is walking along with my husband's late father, our boys' beloved Papa.

Okay, I'm dying now.  That is one of my all-time favorite pictures from days of yore.

I am so enjoying visiting some new blogs I've found through the "What I Wore Sunday" link-up over at Fine Linen and Purple, and seeing all the cute young families...and the wee ones sporting their Sunday best...I always think, "If only I could have been a blogger way back when, and showed off my precious little boys in their church togs..."

Well, if I'd been a blogger when I was a young mom in the 80's (whose glasses were very big, while her boys were very small), linking up at FLAP to show what we wore Easter Sunday, I suppose my post would look something like this (from Easter 1987):

[Sigh...]  I really am a sucker for seersucker!   If any of my boys ever has a son, Grammy would love to see him sporting the pint-sized seersucker suit she made all those years ago. And Papa II will be only too happy to play the role of his dad before him...to walk hand in hand with that well-dressed little man.

What I Wore [Easter] Sunday, Volume 7

I didn't get around to getting my "What I Wore Sunday" post ready for its close-up (and its link-up to Fine Linen and Purple) yesterday, but when my husband and I got back from 9:00 a.m. Mass, I did have him snap a few quick pics of my Easter Sunday ensemble so that I could share those with you today (lucky you).

Even though there is still snow on the ground, it was a glorious, sunny, and relatively mild day up here in New England, and I almost got up the nerve to wear a lightweight, flouncy, flowery sundress to church.

Almost.

I tell you, it's such a bummer to live in an area where it's still so cold at this time of year that the church is filled with blacks and browns and tweeds and down-filled outerwear at Easter Mass!  I thought I'd at least wear a spring-like hue under my coat, so I chose a pink (raspberry?  Magenta?) sheath dress, and I broke out my favorite fancy hat--one that my husband picked out for me as a Mother's Day present several years ago, after I'd decided that I was going to begin covering my head when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

It was a good day to wear a hat rather than a chapel veil, because I love the whole idea of Easter bonnets--on little girls especially.  I was tickled to see a handful of pint-sized fashionistas in church yesterday, wearing pink straw sunbonnets with ribbon streamers, flower-print dresses, white ankle socks trimmed with lace, and patent leather Mary Jane's. Adorable!

Anyway, on to the outfit!

Breakdown:

~Crepe sheath Dress: Jones New York, from Dress Barn

~Knit ruffled topper: Dress Barn

~Nude-colored opaque (flaw-hiding) tights: Wal-Mart

~Black leather pumps: Kohl's (from about a million years ago)

~Pearl earrings: inherited from my maternal grandmother on my 16th birthday (I don't know why I told you about those; you can't really see them in these pictures.)

~Pearl necklace: inherited from the same grandmother on the occasion of my college graduation

~Awesome hat: from a small local shop called "Puttin' on the Ritz," a gift from my sweet husband

I thought I'd try to get a close-up of the hat's big old silk flower/bow embellishment, as well as the cute ruffles on the jacket.  (Please note that the shadows on the right add about 10 pounds, as does the camera!  And as for that weird "Do I look stupid doing this?" expression I'm wearing...let's just say I'm not 100% comfortable doing these WIWS fashion shoots yet and leave it at that.)

Today I'm linking up with the usual suspects here:

But I'm trying out a brand spanking new link-up here, at Camp Patton, as well:

You should head on over and check out Grace Patton's awesome blog, and while you're there you can see all the stylish Easter outfits that were on display in churches across the country yesterday.

(Hey, I just checked in at Fine Linen and Purple, and it looks like they postponed the link-up until today anyway--so I'm not late for it after all.  Phew!  That was a close one, huh?)

Hope you had a blessed Easter!