Sunday, March 10, 2013

WIWS and 5 Things

The hilarious Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum threw me a bone and tagged me for 5 Things where you write 5 things about yourself that most people wouldn't know.  Ummm, I pretty much have no blog filter so I think you all know everything there is to know, but I'll try!

1) 
I hate being in pictures.  Hate hate hate.  All I see are my flaws and I always look better in my head (but not in a vain way, if that's possible).   One of the reasons I participate in What I Wore Sunday is because it makes me try to dress nicer than normal for Mass and I love seeing what everybody else is wearing.  But it's truly outside of my comfort zone.  The other pictures of me scattered throughout the blog are usually taken because my wonderful husband makes me get in some of the pictures to prove I was actually part of our family.  I think it's really good for kids to be able to look back and see their mother in pictures too.  

And on that note, here's WIWS:
We'll call this "Eskimo Widow Blinded by the Sun"
Shirt: Gap ($5.00 on clearance over the summer)
Skirt: Old Navy
Leggings: Old Navy
Uggs: From the Lost and Found at the high school I work at.  
Don't judge...they were practically brand new and nobody claimed them!

And one outside of church with my gorgeous daughter:
We'll call her look "Pinkalicious Eskimo Complete with Sunglare"
Please go see the better dressed at Fine Linen and Purple!

2)
One of the reasons I don't like my looks is because of my teeth.  I had a horrible overbite and buckteeth and wore braces for five years starting at age 8!  You know your teeth are bad when they put braces on an 8 year old!  Then I wore a retainer for years and actually had beautiful teeth.  But one fateful day I was playing Flag Football at good old Stubbier U and I slipped and fell (but made the catch!) and landed on my front tooth.  I totally killed it and it turned brown and I had to get a root canal.  The oral surgeon and my dentist from home both agreed to bleach the tooth, but it only lightened the bottom half.  They then decided was too fragile to try and bleach it out any further.  For years I went along with a half brown tooth until my current dentist, a female, understood my plight and tried bleaching it some more.  After three tries, it finally worked and looked much better.  But over time it has faded again and I'm not sure if I want to spend another $300 getting it done again.  Ugh.

3)
I grew up in a house with 2 brothers and 3 sisters.  That makes six of us.  My oldest brother is an engineer (married to a doctor), my next brother is a doctor (married to a nurse), my oldest sister is also a doctor (married to yet another doctor), another sister does tech/computer magic (married to an attorney), and my little sister is a nurse (married to a medical sales megastar).  We all went through college and grad school/medical school using scholarships, financial aid, loans, and working our behinds off.  My kids will do the same.

4) 
If I could only eat one treat for the rest of my life it would be these chocolate chip cookies.  Bonnie is giving them away and I'm hoping my mention of that scores me an extra entry?!?!?

5) 
Growing up we were not allowed to have barbie dolls.  I vividly remember opening up a gift for my 7th birthday party from a male friend, and it was a Barbie Doll.  I looked at her with horror and longing and thought he was going to get in BIG trouble with my mother for bringing such contraband into her sacred house.  But she waited until the party was over and then took Barbie and put her away until we could re-gift her later.  Don't feel too bad for me though, I had everything that Little Ponies could make!

And now I tag these 5 lovely ladies to play along: Jeannine, Valerie, Mary, Billie Jo and another Mary

27 comments:

  1. This is my first visit to your blog, and it is delightful! I have five kids, too--all sons, all grown up.

    Like you, I hate being in pictures, but I decided to go outside my comfort zone and join up with the FLAP gang.

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  2. Collen, you are gorgeous! Seriously, major ouch on your tooth accident, but I do not see one flaw in those photos--don't listen to your doubts!

    I love that skirt and am amazed by how you got those Uggs!

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  3. What!?! No Barbie dolls? I would really like to read the reasoning for that. I know some basic reasons, but I still like to read what other mother's opinion of them are. I haven't had a girl yet to formulate an opinion on them myself. I just know my nieces love them.

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  4. Thanks for the tag! And I love your outfit! Happy Sunday, friend!

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  5. Great find on the skirt! Loved your five things...these are so fun to read.

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  6. I love that outfit on you. Probably because it's something I would wear if I but had your legs.

    I knew about the tooth thing, but not in detail. Learn something new (about Colleen) everyday!

    You sure the only snack you would eat wouldn't be PHIL's cookies???

    I feel the same way about Barbies. Why do we buy toys for our girls that look like they're about to go clubbing?

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  7. I think you always look pretty in your WIWS pictures! I do understand about what you mean about looking better in your head, but not in a vain way. I think My Little Ponies are way cooler than Barbie.

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  8. Ok, I love that skirt but seriously the best part of the outfit are the lost and found boots! Great story!

    I totally get teeth issues. I have fluorosis and I would basically have to get veneers to not feel self conscious. Since I would feel like a horrible person spending our piddly income on veneers, I will just always be self conscious!

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  9. I really like the skirt and I love how you got the boots!! Wahoo!

    And, I do not like getting my picture taken AT ALL either.

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  10. You always look so pretty in pictures!

    I don't like having pictures taken of me because I've always been self conscious of my nose.

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  11. Love that skirt and free Uggs? Girl, I'd have judged you for not taking them! ;-)

    You look great!

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  12. Finally! Someone else who grew up with a Ban on Barbies! My mom referred to her as "a tramp" and I only owned 1 Barbie ever: ballerina Barbie. My godmother gave her to me because I was a little ballerina, and I guess she didn't look too trashy, because I was allowed to keep her.

    I played with Ginny dolls, and had a lot of clothes and accessories for sweet little Ginny. My sister had alllll the My Little Ponies, too!

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    Replies
    1. Our house had a ban on barbies too! Which made me kind of a boring friend on playdates because playing with them was all I wanted to do. If I ever have a daughter will she play with barbies? Nope.

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  13. I totally know what you mean about hating how I look in pictures. I generally hate pictures of myself..so I really have to force myself to post them on my blog (mostly because I really enjoy seeing other blogger's pictures and what they look like..it makes them much more "real")/

    I think you look great..and I love that outfit. I would totally take Uggs from the lost and found as well, if I had the opportunity and no one claimed them.

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  14. I've always thoughts you look like Toni Collette. Do you let your kids have Barbies? Love the skirt!

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  15. You ROCK the Eskimo look.
    And have you seen what they've done to My Little Ponies nowadays??? I wish I would've held onto my old ones.
    Thanks for picking up the bone!

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  16. I love a nice long-sleeve tee.

    And I never had braces- so I do occasionally have a *cringe* moment when I see my little snaggle tooth. But, my husband often tells me that he thinks it's cute, so I just try to cling to that. I think it's good to remind ourselves of the stories behind why we look the way we do. It makes it less "embarrassing" and more interesting. I think you're lovely!

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  17. Score on the Uggs!! I have 5 kids, too, and am terribly camera shy (issues from my childhood) - but this link up has helped me get over it, because I think all of the wonderful ladies who contribute are here to have fun and to share in something girly without the worry of being prideful or vain.

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  18. Colleen, as someone who has the exact same opinion of her own teeth and smile, let me assure you, you have a BEAUTIFUL smile! If I had my way, I would still be wearing my beloved retainer. Believe it or not, it came with me on my honeymoon! It broke several times and I would always super glue it back together until it finally broke beyond repair. And I've been despairing over my slowly drifting teeth ever since. But, back to you! You have a beautiful smile; I would have never guessed your teeth angst.

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  19. Great outfit! Love the Uggs and your daughter is beautiful!!

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  20. You and your daughter are both beautiful! I had braces for THREE years. Hated them, but my teeth are lovely now. It was worth it!

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  21. I love that skirt, I adore your boots and wish some lost-and-found Uggs would come my way (cause that's the only way I'm getting any). Your tooth smashing story made me cringe! Poor thing. And since I am late and combining comments out of efficiency, those brownies look AWESOME. Love chocolate mint, and we do a Sunday reprieve, too.

    Thank you for tagging me! What fun!

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  22. I think you look fabulous. I love that skirt with the boots. I feel you on the teeth thing. I had a horrible over bite.. got braces.. they looked better and then.. my teeth are still crowded they started to stick out again. I tried to get something new as they say I have a tongue thrust but i'm still very self conscience about it. :( You look amazing and it is important for your kids to see mom in photo's. Thanks for putting yourself out there. You're an amazing lady.

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  23. Girl, you kill me with your humor!!! No wonder you are such an awesome mama!!!! The tooth thing...I only laugh b/c I wore braces...twice! And I couldn't even get braces until high school b/c I had baby teeth through the eight grade...for reels! I just held on and on and on...to those stinkin' baby teeth!!!! Oh and I have to know...are barbies still considered contraband at your house???!!! I have some opinions about Barbie, but I'll refrain! LOL

    Thanks for the tag!!!!!

    Val

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  24. LOL at Eskimo widow :) I totally scored some nice clothes the same way when I used to be a youth minister long ago. Glad I'm not the only one!
    I hear you on the teeth. That's one of those things I would love to get fixed someday but probably never will because of the cost. Then I pretend that I'm okay with it because it will help me with humility :)
    Thanks for the tag...got it up today!

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  25. Well we learn something new about Miss Martin all the time, don't we? I only allow photos taken of me (as if anyone else ever remembers to take a photo and include the kids' mother) when I look 'decent' in my eyes. Mine is more of a paranoia and skin issues. Never look 'perfect'. Ugh. But hey, teeth. I had braces three times and while they were exactly perfect after (finally) the third time, my first pregnancy or two actually made the one in front that was the major issue round #1, turn just slightly. Grrr..there went those thousands of dollars my parents spent on my mouth. As luck (or genetics) would have it, Lily is destined for braces I'm sure and already got her first retainer last fall. Oh goody.
    I'm amazed to read all of the amazing-ness in family you have. Some very smarty-pants and well educated crew there. Very impressed. Not that I doubted it :)
    I like WIWS, but never contribute cuz it's way out of the comfort zone and I just don't rock outfits like you ladies do. I wish I could have all of you pick out my outfits each week and take me shopping!! I always think you look darling.

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