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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

i’ve created a monster.

last night, harper decided that we needed to get ready for picture day.

she had me show her the pose that i selected on her order form.

she then got out every piece of clothing she owned and tried on different outfits, doing the pose she’d be doing for photos. THE POSE. WITH EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT, PEOPLE.

and she rejected one outfit

after another

and another

and another.

i’m dead serious. the reasons were varied. everything from “awkward” to “the pattern is too small” to “not fashion enough”. there was also something about “not ‘propriate”. WTH?

sadie was laying on her bed moaning and mumbling. the only word i could actually decipher was “widicuwous”.

then this morning she woke up early so i could curl her hair. and of course, every.single.curl. was accompanied by screeching.

i’m talking alley-cat screeching. which is pleasant. there were tears. harper tears and mama tears.

and we were 5 minutes late for school. but when all was said and done, look at my beautiful girl.

yes. her fashion staples are present. pearls and skinny jeans. and flats, of course. when i put this outfit on her she posed, had me snap a picture…and then jumped up and down yelling THIS IS IT!!!

she might be a little bit over the top, but i must admit the girl has ‘ashion skills. and i love it. even though wedding dress shopping should be…interesting?

happy tuesday,sweet friends.

xoxo

Comments

  4. You forgot homecoming and prom – just sayin’ ;o)
    So so funny and cute! This is the stuff you miss out on with two boys and no girls!

  10. just wait until shes 12, then you can’t get a word in on what she wears, it’s all fighting and downhill from there…lol…we saw some homecoming dresses in the mall and she was so excited looking at them thinking that in two years she’ll be in high school and will be able to pick a dress out…lets just hope that in those 2 years her fashion tastes change, because every single dress he picked out was just hideous and we were arguing…ugh…btw…could Harper be any more beautiful? I think not!! so cute!!

  12. LOL! Thanks for a great post and a good laugh. In a few years, you will have 4 fashionistas to get ready for picture day. 😉
    Screeching bring back memories of begging my mother to french braid my hair and promising I wouldn’t yell, but I always did. My family would run around shutting windows so the neighbours wouldn’t get the wrong idea. 😉

  15. Oh this made me chuckle!!! She is so funny (and cute!!) I remember the days of tears and screeching when curling/combing hair with my girls. Believe me.. there was PLENTY! My oldest (now 24) when she was little pulled a Maizy (ever seen Uncle Buck?? You know that scene where the parents have left and the oldest is fixing little sister’s hair. When all done, Maizy ran her hands through it and messed it up). Yes, my oldest would do that when she got to school. One of her friends ratted her out. LOL
    You will have to share her pics when you get them back. They are going to be adorable!!

  16. big grin reading over here. 🙂 and i’m sooo glad to know i’m not the only one who deals with two sets of tears during hair time. (so thankful that the youngest has a head of steel nerves.)

  18. So cute and way too funny! And, might I say, that I wish I had that outfit in my closet? I would totally wear that!!!

  19. the wedding gown shopping: will be magical. HINT X 4: make it the bride, J., and you. That is all you will need to make it perfect. ‘arper does have the ‘ashion down! maggieb!

  23. OMG that is hilarious! I can’t imagine my daughter doing anything like that, I’m dreading the day she stars having an opinion about what she wears lol! Harper does have skills though 🙂

  26. She is just precious!! And a super stylish little girl… ‘widicuwous’ made me giggle! 🙂
    Have a happy day!

  28. I love that little girl!!!! Scrap that story – so, so cute! Loved Sadie’s comments too…she always cracks me up!

  31. Too cute! Where is that shirt from? Oh and I keep meaning to tell you to check out Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown (if you haven’t already). It is a must for me when I visit my friend in Newport. 🙂

  34. Could this be a new spin-off to “Say Yes to the Dress”? Love the picture, but, as the mother of a 14-year-old daughter, all I can say is, “You are in trouble!” Enjoy the ride!!!

  35. Hehe I love reading your blog everyday. They make me smile, thank you for bringing a smile to a total stranger so far away from you. I live in Singapore. 🙂
    Harper looks really great, I can’t wait to see her growing up and her gorgeous ashion sense 🙂
    Your other 3 girls are fabulous too, unique in their own ways and totally loveable! I adore your girls!

  36. She looks adorable, but just wait. My daughter is in seventh grade and got up at 5:45 today to get ready for picture day. And she wears a school uniform, so it was just about the hair!

  41. She’s rockin’ the outfit she chose – great choice! Ha, wedding dress shopping – that made me giggle!

  42. LOVE … my boys have a very clear idea of what they want to wear and how to wear it since the were little too. She’s such a cutie. At least with boys hair it’s just pull a brush through and it’s done 🙂

  43. Way to go Harper! She’s rockin’ the outfit AND “the pose”. Awesome choice, Harper! Her rejection reasons totally cracked me up. Not ‘propriate. Hahahaha. And I can just picture Sadie. Was there lots of eye rolling along with the widicuwous-ness of it all? LOL.
    Wedding dress shopping?! You’ll have plenty of (interesting) experience by then: prom, homecoming, first date …
    p.s. At least she’s a planner. I’m usually pulling this exact same routine minutes before the event.

  46. how cute! Love her outfit. My girls are always throwing something together the morning of picture day. Well, my 14 yr. old 10th grader is all into what she wears the past couple years. But my two younger girls don’t care. Maybe Harper needs to come and teach my kids how to dress!

  47. Perfect “propriate” photo day outfite was operation success. But oh fashion monster indeed. She is a super cute one though and just think when those kids have finally drove you mad she will be able to dress you and make sure you look super cute as well. Bwa ha ha ha. Just caught up on your blog from the past week and of course it gave me the usual range of emotion….laughter, tears, heart swell, and gladness. Just for the record…that wordless Wednesday from last week…yep that is just how I feel today. Hope Harpers pictures turn out just like you…errr SHE wants them.

  48. Oh my goodness, I thought my daughter was the only one to do that but she insists on practicing her hair style too! She’s now 11 and hasn’t changed – good luck every picture day.

  49. I love this monster you created. She got taste and style. Somehow reading this entry makes me feel that she is just like you. Looking forward to see her fashion style. Go go Harper !! You got a fan here:) oh Sadie that you wrote I can just kinda imagine how she look saying that word ‘widicuwous’ . Thank you for sharing us your little story of your family.

  51. Middle school and high school will be interesting. Just pick your battles! Have standards that can’t be broken and let the rest go! Although I will say right now she looks just right!

  54. So funny! I don’t have to deal with that since I have 2 boys who don’t give a darn about what they wear. My older son went to school in maroon soccer socks the other day. Hmph.

  57. Love it! Also loved Sadie’s reaction too – i may or may not have snorted. 🙂
    Just read your later post about Harper at recess as well. It made me tear up. You must be so proud. SO hard to not go with the crowd and she truly does shine. She’s as stunningly beautiful on the inside as she is out. You’re doing such a great job. X