while i'm thinking about it

while i'm thinking about it,

i want to say that the most definining thing i was ever taught

was from my mother

who really hammered home that i can be anything i want to be.

Now.

If you happen to be closely involved in my life, and have your own ideas about what it is I do or do not want, I  encourage you to rid yourself of such ignorant assumptions, and base your opinions on  my realities:

I am a healthy, happy young woman.

I am finding my own way to live my own dream,

and regardless of what was spoken of in the past,

the Present is my Reality,

and I have come to it now, by being anyone I chose to be.

When my mother said to me,

"You can be anything you want to be,"

she gave me the option

to define myself

instead of being defined by others.

she gave me the naivete to make a difference with my life

and go where i wanted to go,

choices i continue to make

every. single. day.

she opened my doors,

allowed me free-reign

as a very young girl, it was a gift i am blessed she could give.

things are different, now,

for my mother,

my father,

my younger siblings.

and even though a childhood dream differs from a grown-up dream,

i encourage you to reconcile your own ideas of me

based upon

my childhood self and my grown-up self.

you are disservicing us both by being disappointed in who i am not.

but this is still the same for me:

i will be whatever i want to be.

you

mark

my

word.

ode to a momma

I'm waking up in a good mood lately. :)

when i was a very young girl growing up in farmersville, texas, i had a happy childhood.

we lived in a great, big, old victorian style house, all the grace, of course, which was lost entirely on my brothers and me.

it was big.

and cavernous.

and echo-y.

and often, and by "often," i do mean perhaps, "every single morning," my mom walked through this rickety old house singing this song at the top of her lungs.

it pleased her to wake us up so joyously.

of course, the joy was lost on entirely on my brothers and myself.

we preferred to groan ansd scream and yell at her to leave our lights turned out.

but what a good mom i have!

our surly attitudes, out in full force, were no match for her love of gene kelly/her love for annoying us all so much!

did your mom ever do something like this?

 i imagine most moms being particularly chipper in the face of early-morning grogginess.

What's that? You shop for your Mom, too?

i started a board on pinterest called "Things I'd Love to See My Mom Wear," because,

like you, dear reader,

i too enjoy shopping for my mother. :)

ALSO. My mom is a busy, kick-ass lady.

doesn't a busy, kick-ass lady deserve a tailored, beautiful, gorgeous wardrobe?

she does.

here's my thoughts for my mom:

solid, rich, sexy colors.

fabrics that are worth it.

following looks you love (regardless of size. find the fit - get the style!)

also -- two of the looks i put on my "Mom" pinboard, i also stole and placed on my own "Reigning In" style pinboard where I focus my thoughts as to the direction of a more Allyson-as-she-is-now wardrobe.

pinterest is kind of great for collecting thoughts and sorting patterns. :)

ALSO. do you ever shop for your mom? what's your big mom-worthy styles lately? and when i say "mom-worthy" styles, i mean "i'm a kick-ass, strong, modern, powerful woman," NOT i like to take my children to after-school practice" (even if she does.) Every mom needs to be powerful withing everything, even if that everything IS taking kids where they gotta be. :)

man oh man

man oh man

am i lucky to be surrounded by such amazing family.

<3