i promise, next week, a full play-by-play-recap of passover 2013 at casa bn.  but for your viewing pleasure now, as i edit photos, sweep up matzah and try to detangle my hair (all while documenting Supreme Court hearings for my other job)…

check out EBN, checking out EBN.  this is not the dress but we brought it home because for a hot second i thought i could get past the bright white and if i added a yellow bow, and shortened it like 5 inches than maybe?  but no.  and so the search continues.*

*we’re looking for a dress for DBN’s upcoming wedding in july.  EBN has requested that she dress like a “fairy-princess-flower-girl-dinosaur.”  if you have an idea of a store that might sell such a dress, let me know.

sorta like our version of gym, tan, laundry.

turns out, curly hair gets kinda dready (is that a real word?).  so it was time for a major chop little trim.  she sat totally still and thoroughly enjoyed her lollipop afterwards.

then it was off for a little shoe shopping.  i knew she was in need of new tennis shoes and promised my little puddle-jumper real rainboots.  turns out girlfriend was wearing shoes a size and a half too small #mamafail.  so we bought these outrageous new kicks (i want a pair for myself so badly!) and ordered the boots (as well as crocs and a pair of red chuck taylors).  i then put my credit card in the back of my wallet – not to be used again.  #budgetbustingkindaday.

our day wouldn’t have been complete without a special mama/kiddo lunch.  i love that at cpk you can get a beautiful grilled chicken breast and broccoli for $4.  EBN devoured her meal and i completely enjoyed my chopped salad – hold the cheese, saying almost killed me.

after her nap, we changed into play clothes and headed outside for bubbles and a walk up and down our huge hill so that we could enjoy the sunshine.

i don’t use the word perfect often – it seems – unattainable.  but i’d say this day was pretty close.  for me and my little girl.

imagine my surprise when innocently scrolling through my facebook feed to find a picture of myself!  my mom was at it again – with technical help from a certain brother (she’s not quite tech savvy enough to do side to side work on her own!).

a couple of things to note:

1.  photo of me was captured in the fall of 1983, meaning i was at least 2 1/2, probably closer to 3.  EBN isn’t yet 2.

2. the comparison proves once and for all, EBN has way curly-er hair than i ever did.  and i was way redder from day 1.  yes, i had already had my first hair pushing 3.  we’ve yet to touch EBN’s curly mop but as her crazy tresses continue to grow and tangle, we’re getting ready to start thinking about doing…something?

3. they sure don’t make clothes like this any more….luckily my parents saved EVERYTHING.  this is just one of many toddler dresses that EBN has hanging in her closet that were once worn by her mama.  if i had known there was such a stash i would have seriously considered naming her elizabeth fanny II – we have sweatshirts in size newborn – age 12.  just wait until she is big enough for her first burberry trench!

and with that, i’m taking my little one to open-time at the gym.  my hope is that she’ll run until she can’t run anymore and then she’ll sleep for a good long while (we had an early morning)…but not before we get home because car naps are the worst.

have a great weekend

xo,

LBN

p.s this weekend, during a long shower with a beer, i plan on doing my monthly breast exam.  it’s been a crazy month with lots of travel, holidays, a job change and a big community event to organize for next weekend.  but, my boobs deserve my attention too and this weekend i’ll be making the time to get the job done.  if you haven’t already, be sure to give your boobs a squeeze as well.  instructions can be found through the link above!

on monday, for synagogue, i blew my hair out.  for the first time in…how old is EBN?  at least 22 months but my gut says i didn’t do much blow-drying while knocked up.  i didn’t do much of anything while knocked up.  i pretty much tried not to puke.

i’ve been searching for the right occasion to wear this dress for months, since i bought it back in february when JASON WU and TARGET worked some MAGIC. because i’m used to working in pajamas yoga pants, opportunity hadn’t really hit until now.  it’s not quite a date-night dress but really it is quite perfect for shul.  and i’m already planning on packing this bad-boy, with the sweater (from my days of being a personal shopper) when i head to boston in november for business (i’m going to be in a real, live, actual office, with a water bubbler for a full week.  that’s at least 5 outfits.  i’m so excited!  it should be noted that what i miss most about working in an actual office are 1. the people.  2. playing dress-up.  3. a water bubbler.  in equal parts).  and, although you can’t tell from this photo, i’m wearing heels.  this fact needs to be acknowledged.

i’m loving the blown-out hair look.  my past history with blow drying is a bit…frizzy.  but now that my hair is super long (just ask my mom) it seems to hold itself down more than before.  and also, the sleek look lasts more than 20 minutes.  as in, when i woke up on tuesday morning all i had to do was run my fingers through my hair and i was basically able to recreate this look (that might be a bit of a stretch but you get the idea).  this phenomenon is basically unheard of in my life – says the definition of bed-head.

sunday night, for a holiday dinner with friends, i opted for a bit more casual look.  yes, i went with the boots (why not), and i found a time to wear the cream-colored dress you all agreed was not someone-else’s-wedding-appropriate.  my hair was big and curly and because i’m afraid you can’t tell, that is a big, fake-gold elephant, holding onto a big, fake-amber rock, hanging from my neck.

i know – i need to invest in a full length mirror in a room that gets some light and that is not littered with laundry.  how embarrassing.  the worst part is that ABN and i came up with a great idea of where i could place said mirror but for the life of me, i can’t remember what we settled on – sigh…

and just because she’s the cutest, EBN’s attire for sunday night…can i get an amen?!

ps. if you wouldn’t mind doing us one, small, favor.  if you read FITF on a regular basis – and you aren’t part of the facebook group already, go ahead and LIKE our page.  while you’re at it, make sure you are following us in other forms of social media….wouldn’t want you to miss a moment

this is what EBN wore to my papa’s 95th birthday party this past weekend.  her outfit was as epic as the event itself.  it was so fun to celebrate my PAPA JOE with my family and old (often REALLY old) family friends.  lots of toasts, lots of scotch, lots of hugs and kisses with red lipstick left on our cheeks.  i love living in nor cal but i sometimes forget how special it was to grow up surrounded by all of my cousins and aunts and uncles.  we were a family who never misses an opportunity to celebrate – and eat – and i miss these times together.

now that we’re back – life has gotten all kinds of nuts.  work is just out of control busy and while this period will quickly pass the next week and a half are a true test to how much i can pack in.  we leave (again) for a wedding this weekend and on top of trying to decide what to pack (man, i wish i could get away with EBN’s ensemble) there’s just what feels like an endless checklist of shit to get done.  i’m not complaining.  i’m just busy.  but, happy to report, i’m still finding a way to run.

okay now for the dress update: obviously, do to OVERWHELMING response (so glad it was SO clear to all of you!), i’m keeping the polka dot dress and planning to wear it to the wedding next saturday.  but, because i’m a girl who always needs a back up plan, i’m keeping the stitch fix dress as well – which, i should point out, is navy – not black.  thank you all so much for your help and advice.  so glad to know you’ve got my back.

this weekend i spent an obscene amount of time in our basement.  i decided it was time – i had to go through EBN’s baby clothes.  the girl has been blessed from day one with an overflowing closet.  equal parts very generous family and friends – and a mama who just loves playing dress up (side note: today i ordered THIS – best $ i’ve spent in a while!  it’s one time i wouldn’t mind my kid wearing the same thing as every other kiddo in the neighborhood).  she’s been growing at space-mountain-warp-speed since debuting at 6 lbs, 7 oz (that lasted about a half a second) and so we go through clothes – quickly.  as we plan to, one day, do this baby thing again, i don’t really want to get rid of stuff and at the same time, the clothes are taking over our world.  it was time to sort and pack it all away, until the next time.  finally, a use for our storage shed out back.

i’ve never been a girl to crave baby (i’m pretty sure ABN would strongly dispute this last statement), but going through EBN’s most special (and teeny tiny) duds, made my uterus ache in a way i wasn’t expecting.

when i was about 7 months pregnant i was eating dinner at THE DAILY GRILL in LA when a little old lady approached and asked me if i was having a boy or a girl.  when i told her that we didn’t know and that we weren’t going to find out, she reached into her purse and pulled out two hand-knit baby hats, 1 pink, 1 blue.  she shared that she always keeps a couple in her bag, incase she runs into someone who is expecting.  and since i didn’t know what i would be having, i should take one of each.  it was such a sweet gesture – don’t worry, i washed them twice.  it seems fitting that in going through EBN’s things, i never did find the blue one – we suffer from pink-ness overload.

EBN’s first fanshirt!  she might not have been able to attend the show – oh, and what a show it was! – but that doesn’t mean she can’t dress the part.

is there anything better in this world than polka-dot, velour, footed pants?  i would argue no.

the dress EBN wore to her baby-naming (looking at it now, it sorta looks like a christening dress.  but it’s not.  it’s from the gap.  and cotton).  i love this dress.  it’s horribly yellowed which is so weird because she wore it exactly once, and it has be ironed just so.  but it’s perfect.  and it sorta smells like THE REAL NANI.  i hugged it tightly before i gently placed into the keep forever and ever and even a little longer bin.

oh, and just incase you thought i was kidding about all the pink:

this is the sum total of gender neutral clothing that we have, if i were to ever grow anything other than a girl.  so for now we’re saving ALMOST everything and if something with boy parts were to ever arrive, it will all be taken immediately to the consignment store – like while i’m still in the hospital.

until then, i’m happy to act as a lending library.  shoot me a line if you in need of some pink!