Guest Post by Jenna of Call Her Happy

I don't take blog recommendations lightly and so it is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to Jenna's brilliant blog (assuming you've not read it which probably isn't the case ... ). She is the mother to hilarious 17-month-old Ellen and is currently incubating another little bebe (although she most certainly doesn't look it). 

Her pregnancy announcement is among my absolute faves and Jenna is one of the charitable few that responds to my responses to her comments ... keeps me young and sort of fun. She's running an excellent series on how to Celebrate Like a Catholic that you should check out right after you enjoy the following ...



When Grace asked me to write a guest post for her, I was all "of course!" And then, she didn't get back to me for a few days, and I was all, "she must be really busy." Instead, Grace was all, "I'm in labor!" Welcome Theodore Augustine Patton! So glad you had your heart set on 2012. Now, put a steak on that eye. Now, I'm guessing the number one thing on your mind these days is finding new and creative ways to dress your toddler who is in that stretch pants and t-shirt funk. I have a few solutions for you on how to use up all that extra time you have in the morning while getting your little one dressed. Or, you could just do it when you plan on leaving the house and seeing people you need to impress...like I do. Here are a few of my fave ways to make sure Ellen looks ready to precariously toddle the runway before falling down and bruising something...per usual.

Baby Blazer I got this number for $7 at Target a few weeks ago. Have you ever seen something so polished as a baby in a blazer (with avocado smeared on her eyebrows, cookie remnants framing her mouth and a new found penchant for drilling her finger up her nose...thankfully not pictured)? I didn't think so.

 extremely expensive baby gate...

Supervised Scarfing So, the other day, Ellen stole this from my mom's closet, and it looked so awesome I let her wear it...until my dad told me she was going to strangle herself...buzz kill. So, I let her wear it if I'm watching her.

You can take your own risks for fashion.

Trusty Cardi Ellen wears this pretty much always. She loves Julia's so much, that we had to go out and her her a sweater to layer over her flannels.

I also had to go out and get a flannel for myself because I was jealous of my 17-month-old. Shallow? Maybe.

Glitter. Enough Said. Maybe I got this ridiculous obsession from my mother (who puts glitter in her paint before painting walls in their house), but I love me some sparkle. Perhaps I am forcing it on Ellen. Perhaps I am also making her life a little better. Yeah. I think so.  

You might miss the glitter shirt (and skirt), collar and bow in her hair because you are so distracted by her beautiful eyes...or her finger up her nose. One or the other. 


Fashion Glasses...kind of. So, she has a hard time keeping these on her head, but girl's got the idea.

One Upon a... Child. Go there. Spend little money. Get your Gap and Janie and Jack apparel for $1 a piece. I love this place more than Salvation Army. I said it.

I pretty much like to dress Ellen how I dress myself (anything that looks like it should be for an adult but is in child size pretty much captures my heart). When I shop, I look for things that I can throw on or layer and make me look really put together when really I probably laid on the couch until five minutes before we had to leave. I love creating the illusion that I have it all together. Sometimes I even fool myself. No, wait. No, I don't.

 Sometimes Ellen comes up with her own thing.