Friday Flotsam

FRAHDAHHHHHHHHHH!

Split Leaf Philodendron

Raise your hand if your whole city slash life is completely drenched in rain?

THIS IS CRAZY. I feel like the entire U.S. is a giant squish fest. It’s rained for days. DAYS. And there’s no end in sight. Sort of. We actually DO get a break Saturday and Sunday, which is perfect because I desperately need the yards to dry out a bit so I can get prepped for our backyard movie extravaganza on Sunday night.

I’m like, “LISTEN, Mama Nay Nay. (<–Did you remember that I still call Mother Nature ‘Mama Nay Nay’? Did you still want to punch me?) We gots ta talk. I know you’re doing you, which is awesome, because I big time heart thunderstorms. BUT. My basement is wet. My kids can’t play outside, and I have adorable blankets and pillows to arrange in the yard and I can’t rightly take mud and earth worms and lightning bolts cramping my steez. Come back Monday. We cool? Coo. By the way your new mascara looks great.”

Mama Nay Nay wears mascara.

I should get more sleep.

Morning Hat Time

I have the single best story in the entire universe for you.

I’ve debated on how to even tell you, or IF I should even tell you, for y e a r s now. Because you have to know, this story is coming from the softest, sweetest part of my heart. Which, contrary to popular belief, does in fact exist.

All this rain keeps reminding me to tell you, and so I’ve decided that TODAY, May 27th, 2016 is the day. The day I shall tell you . . . the “You Better Don’t” story.

I just got chills.

It was about seven years ago. My younger sister was working as a photographer in Little Rock, AR. It was a Thursday afternoon, a day like any other, only it was pouring.down.rain. Like, torrential pouring. Meow and ruff style. She worked next door to a sweet older man, whose name we’ll call Skipper (to protect the innocent. you know.) He was a darling old soul, as southern as could be. Definitely smelled of tobacco and apple pie.

Barbara and Skipper shared a back door hallway thingy that led to the parking lot, where both of their cars were parked. On this particular thunderstormy day, Barbara decided to head out a tad early, to beat the worst that was yet to come. She and Skipper always shared a light, easy-going relationship, so once she reached the back door to lock it (which would mean he’d have to use the front door and run all the way around the building to his car, in the pouring rain because Barbara’s mean like that.), she goes, “Skippy! I’m gonna lock this door and you’re going to be stuck out in the rain!”

With a gasp, Skipper teasingly shouted back three tiny words that would change the course of so many lives, forever.

“Youuuuu better dooooon’t!”

….I’ll just let that sink in for a moment.

Not, “you better not.”

Not, “please don’t.”

But, “you better don’t.” YOU BETTER DON’T.

Are those not the most magical words you’ve ever heard in your entire life? Just reading them right now gives me so much happiness. They’re brilliant!

You better don’t.  (!!!)

Since then, the story (mostly the phrase) has become a regular staple in most of my friends’ daily lives. It’s been passed around through the years, giving meaning and purpose to those it touches.

I promise you, next time your pasta water is boiling over, or your kid threatens to throw your phone in the toilet, or your dog tracks in mud on your new area rug, you will say, “Youuuuu better dooooon’t!”

You’re welcome.

And Skipper, thank you. Thank you.

Madewell's Summer Jean - obsessed

Capsule wardrobes! (you’re like, how dare you switch subjects after that majestic story. you better don’t!)

I’ve been talking a lot about capsule wardrobes on the Snapchats, but I wanted to get your take on them over here on the bleegy.

Do you do it? Do you know about this phenomenon? Apparently most do it seasonally, which sounds like a lot of work to me, but whatever. You basically allow yourself 33 staple items of clothing to wear per season. (doesn’t include sleepwear, workout wear, and unders) – but everything else. Shoes, coats, one bag, etc.

I LOVE this idea, only I took it a step further. This last week I did the whole Marie Kondo approach, and I took every single thing out of my closet, looked at each piece and asked, “Do you spark joy for me?”

NOPE. EW. GONE.

You guys, I got rid of like, 70% of my closet. No joke. Seriously. Foooor real.

It’s now organized by color (and by color, I mean, lack thereof). From right to left it goes, blacks, blues, chambray/denim, whites, stripes (the most obnoxious amount), and my bathrobe. Ha! All my jeans are rolled up and stacked perfectly. Darks, lights, white, linen pants, 4 pairs of shorts. The end.

It feels w o n d e r f u l. It’s like, I know what I have, and can easily throw on an outfit that I’ve never worn before, simply because I purged all the ugly crap I’ve not worn in forever and said LATER, BIA.

So tell me, do you capsule? Are you on board? Can you swallow this idea? (<–ha ha ha ha)

Bee tee dubs – those jeans up there? Madewell’s new summer jean. Do it. I look like 1984 Goldie Hawn in them and I could not be more obsessed.

Natalie obsessed with Umbrella

I’ve got some fun news! You’ve most likely already seen this on my Instagram page and/or Facebook pages, but earlier this spring, the super sweet team from HomeGoods came to Kansas City and filmed two commercials!

With me in them. At my house. And Aaron. And the gremlins. And Charlie!

I seriously shop there (too much), and so it was definitely a partnership waiting to happen.

Here’s the full length video!

And the shorter :15 one, which is running on YouTube!

I’m done with the exclamation points now.

Toddlers on a Counter

Long weekend plans? You know mine. Getting prepped and ready for our Memorial Day cookout/movie night! We’ve also got some good friends in town, so we’ll definitely hang with them over a few brews. I say brews yet I totally mean wine. I will have wine. The dudes will have brews. Unless one of the brews is especially tasty and someone says, “Bev, taste this brew. It’s delicious.” And then I taste it. Like it. Order it. And never look at wine again.

Yeah that’s not happenin’.

Youuuu better dooooon’t!

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11 Responses to Friday Flotsam

  1. sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog May 27, 2016 at 8:27 am #
    Happy Friday!! Im hoping you post pictures on instagram of our movie under the stars ... I'm totes jealous - the closest I can come to hosting an outdoor movie event is .... in our living room :( lol
  2. Michelle May 27, 2016 at 9:15 am #
    I do a version of the capsule as well. Like yours, mine doesn't rotate every season, it's around 30 pieces that stay in constant rotation due to the milder climate here. (this includes coats and jackets) It's very freeing and time saving. I LOVE IT! So many colors...black, grey, brown, white...oh wait. Yeah, it's boring to some, but beautiful I think!
  3. Leslie May 27, 2016 at 9:22 am #
    That story is so great. I really need to hear you say it, though. I think I get the intonation, but I need more instruction. Especially if I am going to be adding it to my regular rotation of memorable lines! I am interested in the capsule wardrobe concept and have already purged a bunch. Now am in the process of finding a few more key pieces I love. I will be in KC next weekend to meet up with my best friend. Any fantastic restaurant recommendations?
    • Bev Weidner May 27, 2016 at 4:21 pm #
      It's sort of like this: YEEEEEEW BAYTER DUUUUUUUN'T! Super duper southern and draaaaawn out. :) Give it a try. It will feel right in your life. Restaurants! Yes yes: Bella Napoli in Brookside - fantastic Italian Westside Local in Westside - local, seasonal, organic, darling Lulu's in the Crossroad's - Thai - delish!!
  4. Taylor May 27, 2016 at 10:46 am #
    I know that capsule wardrobes are all the rage right now, but the thought of it seriously gives me anxiety. I admittedly have a lot of clothes, even though I did a major closet clean out a few months ago (I'm talking 5 giant trash bags stuffed full of clothes and shoes to good will), I'm envious of the super organized closet (seriously your snapchat made me jealous) but I just can't with the capsule. As for your weekend, I love the idea of your outdoor movie night, so fun!
  5. Stephanie May 27, 2016 at 10:53 am #
    Hahaha, I love the "you better don't" story. It reminds me of our family's "maybe never" story. For a few years my sister let her kids set her outgoing message on her cell phone which as you can imagine was always entertaining. But this one time her then 7-year-old daughter did it and it was magical. In her cute little voice: "Kristen can't come to the phone right now, she's baking cuuupcakes. She'll call you back...maybe...(long pause)...maybe NEVER. And from then whenever one of us says "maybe" we always finish it with "....maybe NEVER" and we all crack up. :)
    • Kathleen May 27, 2016 at 4:05 pm #
      Stephanie, cutest story ever. ?
  6. Lindsay May 27, 2016 at 4:16 pm #
    What is your snap chat name
  7. Lindsay May 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm #
    what is your snap chat name??
  8. Anonymous May 28, 2016 at 9:15 am #
    Will's little feet look like yours! Just. Ever noticed?

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