HELP! I Am Becoming My Mother.

It's funny how when we are children, we think our parents just don't understand us. Our levels of understanding and comprehending really become challenged when we enter our teenage years. We're in love, we hate school, and our parents are RUINING our lives! Or at least that's what we think during that awkward stage in life. I know I can't speak for everyone, but when I was younger, I felt that my mother couldn't possibly relate to anything I was going through. And because I was so selfish (rightfully so because I didn't know better at the time), I never thought about the fact that once upon a time she was a teen like me. My mama already knew the game. 

Now that I'm an adult, I see where mama was coming from. As an adult, wife, and parent, I can finally relate to the successes and struggles I only saw then from the outside looking in. Not only do I now understand what it means to put the needs of other people before yourself, but I also "get" those awkward situations in which we were both learning about parenthood from each other. So today, I would like to share with you guys five ways I feel as though I  can not only relate to my mom, but ways in which I have completely become her all over again. 

Ask Away Friday with Sonya K

Happy Friday, loves! I'm excited to be participating in another round of Ask Away Friday, as it has been a while since I've done so. Today, I'm tag-teaming the link-up with the lovely Sonya K. of Saving Everyday with Sonya K. I get hyped every time I get an update from Sonya's blog, as I know she has some good sale alerts coming in! And we know I love a good deal, right? This exchange has been a great way of getting to know the woman behind the blog.

Now if you aren't familiar with #AskAwayFriday, it's a weekly link-up hosted by The Real Housewife of Caroline County, Mrs.Tee Love Life and Laughter, Bold Fab Mom, and This Momma's Ramblings. It's a great way for bloggers to meet and get to know each other better. Partners exchange ten questions and answer them on their respective blogs. Sounds pretty cool, right? 

Below are the questions Sonya asked me and my responses to them.

We are both 90's kids so lets start with some questions about the 90's.

1. As a kid I thought that 90's fashion was "all that", who doesn't love bright colors, spandex, and overalls to name a few. What were some of your favorite fashion trends from the 90's? I loved the entire "around the way girl" look of the 90's. Combat boots, bamboo earrings, and overalls were definitely among my favorites. And thanks to Aaliyah, I've worn my share of oversized Tommy Hilfiger Jeans, Timberlands, swoop-bangs, and batman sunglasses. The 90's were a great time to be a tomboy, indeed. 

 

2. You mentioned watching TGIF on Fridays in one of your recent posts. I loved Family Matters. Laura with Steve Urkel or Laura with Stephan Urquelle- which couple did you like the most? Don't get me wrong, I loved Stephan! He was something cute and charismatic, wasn't he? However, I wish Laura would have just went for Steve. Do you remember that one episode where she kept having dreams about Steve and eventually kissed him in front of everyone? I can't remember all of the details because it was so long ago, but I remember rooting for Steve instead of Stephan in that episode. Steve was so sweet and sincere. He deserved a woman who loved him for who he truly was--geekery and all!

3. A few months ago I asked Mrs. Tee this question. "King of Pop" Michael Jackson vs. Prince, who reigns supreme in your opinion? Now you know the purple royal highness reigns supreme around these parts, Sonya lol. I can't imagine how he would react if he saw this question on my blog. Lol :)

4. A few weeks ago you have a post about when you first fell in love with Hip Hop. MC Hammer made rap mainstream for a lot of people. I LOVED me some MC Hammer. Were you a fan, if so what was your favorite song by MC Hammer? I used to love MC Hammer back in the day! Oh, the memories I have of the MC Hammer doll and the Hammerman cartoon. Even though I had no clue what he was talking about in his songs, I was a fan. I was an adult before I even knew what "pumps and a bump" meant!  Nonetheless, I was singing along with his songs on the radio and begging my mom to let Aunt Nancy sew me a pair of hammer pants. I think my favorite Hammer song is "Too Legit to Quit." I loved his rendition of "Going Up Yonder" too, as that is one of my favorite gospel songs.  

I know you like to write, so here are a few literary questions.

5. Do you have a favorite poet, if so who? My favorite poet is Maya Angelou. Though I love many others, it was Maya Angelou's works that inspired me to share my voice through the written word.

6. Do you have a favorite book that you can read over and over again? Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, hands down. I discover something new in this literary gem each time I read it. 

You post a lot about fashion, so lets talk fashion.

7. Has your sense of fashion changed since becoming a mom? If so, what are some of the ways your style has changed? I wouldn't say my style has changed because I became a mom, but I will say my style has matured through time. Before I was a mom, I was a nineteen year old kid. I wore graphic tees with bright accessories and Nikes to nearly every event. And though I still love my tees, jeans, and Jordans, I know how to get dressed for the occasion. Oh, and I do wear less skin-tight clothing now. Lol. 

8. I love a good deal and hate to spend a lot of money on clothes. Are you a bargain shopper or do you like to splurge when it comes to fashion? I'm a bargain shopper all the way. I rarely splurge on apparel. Every now and again, I'll buy a really nice pair of shoes or bag. And I might just buy wardrobe staples at retail price. But everything else is with a deal, a coupon, on sale, or possibly thrifted. I love to save a dollar.

9. Unlimited funds fantasy shopping spree for one store only. What store would you choose for the ultimate shopping spree? If I had unlimited funds, I would still be in the stores budgeting. It's just in me. So this question is really hard. I suppose I'd go to a department store that has everything, like Macy's or Nordstrom.

10. My daughter is about to turn 2 and she already wants to pick out her clothes (she will actually say no if you pick something from her drawer that she does not want to wear). Is your daughter a budding fashionista or are you still able to pick out most of her clothes? Aww, that's too cute! My daughter is 9, so she pretty much wants creative control over her style. But since I buy simple mix and match pieces for her, she could put just about anything together and it "goes." She came up with this look all by herself last week and was very proud! When it comes to church and family functions, however, I will pick out a couple of outfits for her and give her options.

It's been so much fun answering Sonya's questions! To get more familiar with Sonya while scoring cool deals and savings, click the button below and show her blog some love. Her answers to my questions go live today as well, so make sure you check them out and tell her I sent ya!

7 Days of Love | 3 Lessons Learned in Marriage

Hey guys! In celebration of Valentine's Day this upcoming week, I'm collaborating with three of my beautiful blogger friends on a series called the "7 Days of Love." Each day we will be talking about different topics with the approaching day of love in mind. 

For the first day, we are to discuss things marriage has taught us. Seeing as how J and I had been together 8 years before we got married, we learned a lot about relationships prior to saying "I Do." So to keep it light, airy and romantic around here, I'll discuss 3 major lessons being married for the last (almost) three years has taught me.

1. COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL.  I feel like the main ingredient of any lasting relationship is great communication. J and I are able to talk about ANYTHING together and I'm very grateful for that. No matter what is going on or what kind of emotions I am experiencing, I know I can go to someone who has my best interest at heart. Sometimes I have a tendency to bottle my emotions in until the point that they come bubbling over. But being with J through the best of times and worst of times has shown me that I can truly depend on him to listen and really care about my feelings. If there is an issue within our marriage, I have no problem going to him and discussing it, either. While sometimes it may be tough, we always try our best to "talk it out" whenever something is bothering us. A little conversation about a matter can go a long way! 

2. DATE NIGHT, LUNCH DATES, & MONDAY MATINEES ARE A MUST. One would think that J and I spend a lot of time together, being that I'm a SAHM. But that's not always the case. Having children, with one being a 5 month old, can be quite taxing! So when I'm not spending time nurturing them, working on various projects, or taking care of the home, I'm trying to get a few winks in. Lately, however, I'm only able to catch those winks when J is home. With everyone being busy during the week and always having a meeting to attend, practice to go to, and extracurricular activities to work on, it's easy to lose that quality time a new marriage so desperately needs. That's why I make sure to schedule time throughout the month that J and I are able to spend alone without the children. Sometimes it happens in the daytime, sometimes we are lucky enough to score weekends. But whenever it's feasible, we do make the effort to do something together. Not getting that one-on-one time leads for two frustrated parents and no one wants to see that, trust!

3. THE CHASE SHOULD CONTINUE, EVEN AFTER VOWS ARE EXCHANGED. For some reason, the sanctity of marriage can get a bad rap these days, when it comes to intimacy. People assume, because of these played-out stereotypes, that married women stop fixing up and claim to have a headache when it's time to get intimate. Others think married men are sex-deprived and dream of living life like their single friends. None of this is true. Well at least not for me it isn't. Please understand that each individual marriage is what the couple makes of it. I still like to "get pretty" for my husband among other things, and he enjoys "getting to know me" on a deeper level. We still talk and ask each other questions as if we are getting to know each other all over again after eleven years. He still tells me I'm beautiful. I still tell him he blows my mind. We still date, role-play and all that other fun stuff. I say all of this to say, we've been learning that we can still keep the fire burning as long as we put in the work. Fireworks aren't gonna just shoot from the sky!

What lessons have you learned in your marriage?

Please be sure to stop by and check out my partners for the week. 

We are each married SAHMs that have something interesting to add to the mix.

So check them out and show them some love!

The Chic SAHM

Baby Teems

Carissa via The Green Eyed Lady Blog

 

Feel free to join in on the fun by using these prompts if you would like! 

We will be here all week :)

When I Was Gab's Age

If anyone were to ask my mother what type of child I was growing up, she would enlighten them on how curious I was. I asked questions about any and everything going on around me. I had to know how things worked, why things were, and I wouldn't accept just any old answer. I'd need an explanation, some substantial evidence, and if possible, another party present that could co-sign the information given. Just kidding! But it's not that much of a stretch. 

Twenty years have since passed from those days and the tables have turned. I have a curious daughter of my own that has no qualms about asking me questions about EVERYTHING under the sun. So when she says she has questions for me, I take a brief pause to "breathe slowly" before she proceeds to ask them. The other day, though, she simply asked me what I was like at her age. She sat across from me at the dining room table with her frilly pink notebook and matching pen as if she were preparing for an interview. When I agreed to answer her questions, she asked me things like my favorite foods, tv shows, friends, and places to go back during that pivotal time in the 90's. Answering all of her questions sent me on a trip down memory lane and prompted me to pen this list for myself. I wanted to always remember these things, in case one day I could no longer do so.  

When I Was Gab's Age...

-I was drawing and writing all the time.

-I was begging for Right On! magazines in the grocery store each month.

-I was in love with Sister, Sister. I even received an autographed Tia and Tamera photo in the mail as a fan club member.

-I was also obsessed with singer Brandy. "I Wanna Be Down" was my favorite song at the time.

-I was rocking LA Gears with the light up shox in the back.

-I was in Mrs. Hunter's class. This was the beginning of my obsession with grammatical correctness. She marked off for every single error on my homework.

-My favorite lunches at school consisted of personal deep dish pizza in a plastic bag. My favorite breakfast was the Super Donut.

-My brother and I got off the bus after school at Grandma's house. We watched Darkwing Duck, Duck Tales and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers together. If we stayed late enough to have dinner with grandma and granddaddy, we watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy afterwards. Granddaddy always said I was smart enough to go on Jeopardy, too :)

-I got a Sega Genesis from my dad for Christmas. I was hooked on Sonic the Hedgehog for years.

-I saw Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time. I was intrigued by the animation, and the film became one of my favorites.

-Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince, Thea, and Hanging With Mr. Cooper were among my favorite TV shows. Judy went upstairs on Family Matters and never came back down.

-I had a crush on one of the "new" boys down the street. I would soon learn he had a crush on me too.

-I collected beanie babies and forgot all about my troll dolls.

-Clinton was president.

-Doug Funny, Patty Mayonnaise and Apple Jacks made my Saturday mornings.

-People called me Patty Mayonnaise. This would continue on into high school.

-Doug E. Doug had a tv show on ABC network's TGIF lineup called Where I Live. I remember him sitting on that stoop and his father always getting on him about something. And Flex was his best friend.

-When Mighty Morphin Power Rangers came on, my brother and I pretended to be Aisha and Zack. I can still remember him yelling "MASTODON!"

-Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beakman's World taught me everything I needed to know about Science.

-I shared rooms with my little sister. We had the cutest red bunk beds. That is, until my older brother came to visit and we broke the ladder. Scared that we would get in trouble, we blamed that incident on my cousin Easha.

-I listened to Salt 'n Pepa on Easha's walkman whenever she came to visit and decided that I was going to be a rapper just like her.

-I went to church in what I now believe to be the cutest of ruffled and laced dresses in hues of green, mint, chartreuse, lilac, pink, and yellow. Back then I hated them and would find creative ways to get them dirty (ie, splattering nail polish on them). My sister had matching ones, too. I didn't learn the value of those beautiful dresses until one day after church, I decided I would go playing in the woods with my cousins while still wearing one. You all can imagine how that story ends :)

WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES?

ARE YOU WRITING THEM DOWN?

#AskAwayFriday With Mrs. Tee of Love, Life, Laughter

Happy Friday, loves!  Do I have a treat for you today! I'm participating in #AskAwayFriday again this week, and I've been honored to pair up with my blogger friend in my head Mrs. Tee H. of Love, Life, Laughter. 

She's such a COOL mama, guys! Reading her posts have uplifted, motivated, and inspired me to be a better mom, wife, and woman. Her spot is described to be a place where love, life and laughter collide to make a collage of unexpected happiness. Be sure to check her out to read more about her life as a mom, wife, and God-fearing woman. In the meantime, peep my answers to the questions she asked me.

Your tagline is "On a journey through life with her pen, notebook, and laptop in tow--wondering as she wanders."  I love it!  How did you come to it and what does it mean to you? My tagline is actually a part of a poem I wrote a long time ago called "...So She Writes." The poem spoke of my journey through life as well as my journey to self-- and the utensils I use to get there. I haven't always been as vocal as I am now with my thoughts, so I would write everything down. And there's several journals around here that prove it. Unfortunately the poem "...So She Writes" in its entirety was in a journal that was destroyed. "Wondering as she wanders" paid homage to Langston Hughes, one of my favorite writers.

When did you have your first encounter with makeup?  Was it love at first application or did you grow into it? My earliest memories of playing in makeup stem from admiring my aunt's makeup collection. I write about that here in my favorite post to date, The Burgundy Lipstick Story. Somewhere between sneaking in auntie's makeup at age 8 and sneaking to CVS to buy Wet 'n' Wild cosmetics in the 8th grade, I fell in love with wearing makeup. I didn't start wearing foundation until 2009 though.

Having kiddies of my own I know that their personalities can vary like night and day.  Do you children have similar or opposite personalities?  How do they interact with each other? My children are like night and day for real.  But I think they get it from J and I. Gabs is just like me when I was her age. She's very quiet and reserved if she doesn't know you well. Corey on the other hand, is very outgoing. He's also very competitive and always feels the need to be right (like his daddy lol). Sometimes these things can drive a wedge between the two because Gabs is the oldest and she can be very bossy. Needless to say, they stay bickering about the smallest little things. Jj is still very young, so it's hard to say how he's tempered. But I can say he loves his big brother and sister. He just lights up whenever he's around them!

If you could have any of the following which would you pick and why: maid, makeup artists, chef. Can I have all three for $1,000 Alex? Lol. If I had to choose, it would definitely be a maid. As much as I love makeup, I could do without it, or swing it on my own. I love to cook, so I could swing that too. But I would pawn the cleaning off to someone else in a heartbeat!

Where would you go for a fantasy vacation as a family? Since we will be seeing Atlanta, GA and Orlando FL in the near future, I guess I would say San Diego, CA. I probably wouldn't take them out of the country just yet and the babies are always saying they want to see the San Diego Zoo. I bet they would love going out there to the West Coast.

Where would you go as a fantasy romantic getaway just you and hubby? I so want us to travel to the Virgin Islands for a week-long getaway. I could picture us there now. I have photographs of St. Thomas and St. Croix in journals and envision myself in them from time to time. Hopefully it will happen soon :)

What are your fantasy date night plans? I don't even need anything fancy. It's been so long since hubby and I've had a date night that I just need some alone time in general lol. But if I would have to be specific, I guess going to a low-key jazz spot together or a R&B show down to the House of Blues. We could wrap up the night at the beach, since that's my favorite place to be. It's so calm and serene at night. Watching the sun rise there is always the best :) I said all of that to basically describe what a normal date night looks like lol.

me and my sweet thang :)

With Christmas being next week I have to ask..what is your favorite Christmas tradition as a family? Since we don't have an official tradition yet, we just watch Christmas movies together and drink hot chocolate. I will be gifting everyone in the house pajamas on Christmas Eve though, as I discussed in this post.

Do you have any Holiday traditions from your childhood that you have carried over to your family or are you starting all new ones? I think opening one gift at midnight was something that carried over from childhood. I don't know where it came from, but we've been doing it since Gabs has been old enough to unwrap a gift.

My signature question:  Are you a member of the Coffee Crew or Team Tea? Ooh, now this one is a toughie. In all honesty, I think I would say--- coffee is my wifey and tea is my mistress. I'm hopelessly devoted to my morning cup(s) of jody-joe, but when I want to sit back and unwind with no stress, I look to my right hand-- my tea lol.

I hope you all enjoyed our Q&A this week!  Be sure to visit Mrs. Tee over at Love, Life, and Laughter to check out her answers to my questions :) And if you would like to partner with me in #AskAwayFriday, drop me a line in the comments link or shoot me an email! 

5 Christmas Traditions for New Families

Usually for the holidays, my family always packed our suitcases and head to my hometown to celebrate Christmas with my parents and siblings. My siblings and I would always come "home" and get together to discuss Christmas memories, listen to Christmas music, and muster up some Christmas cheer to pass along to my children with mama & daddy.  But for the last couple of years, I have been looking for my own Christmas traditions to practice with my husband and children. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with everyone over at mama's. But now that I have my own family, I want to start a tradition within my own home-- something my children can look forward to each year. And since we have a new baby in our new home, I thought this would be a great year to start something new!

On the search for new traditions to begin, I found a plethora of ideas on ever-so-faithful Pinterest. And just in case some of you guys were thinking of beginning new traditions, I decided to share a few ideas I found there with you, too.

1. The Christmas Jar

The Christmas Jar is such a great way to teach our little ones about giving-- in the true spirit of Christmas. With this activity, everyone puts money in a mason jar (or whatever jar you have in your home) throughout the year. On Christmas Eve, the family delivers the money jar anonymously to a selected special someone. This beautiful idea was created in 2005 by author Jason F. Wright, who also chronicled this notion in his novel Christmas Jars. To read more about this idea, read here and here.

2. The Christmas Eve Surprise Box

The Christmas Eve Surprise Box would be ideal for my family. With this tradition, there's a box loaded with goodies such as new pajamas, hot chocolate, marshmallows, mugs, popcorn, holiday movies, and books. J and I would pack this box with said goodies and open it with the kiddies on Christmas Eve (at sunset). This sounds like so much fun, especially since we already do movie night with snacks each week anyways. To read more about this idea, click here.

3. Annual Christmas Book

Now if you're more of a book person than a movie person, you may like the "Annual Christmas Book" tradition better. In reading this idea, I found that "Santa" sends a new book to the children for them to read each Christmas Eve before heading to bed. While I like this idea in theory, I would probably have the books sent via the grandparents or from J and I to the children. Read more about this tradition here.

4. Christmas Cookie Baking

Since I'm a cookie lover, I'm all about baking cookies for Christmas. When I looked for different cookies to bake on Pinterest, I found so many cool ideas!The one that stuck out the most was the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Project. With this project, several baking bloggers got together and baked Christmas cookies, using the twelve days of Christmas as their theme. Click here to read more about that project.

As for my family, we may choose a couple of those ideas and bake cookies on Christmas Eve, to enjoy in the evening along with our hot chocolate and Christmas movie choices. And if we don't stick to that theme, we'll be trying these cute snowman cookies out I found here.

5. Soundtrack to the Holidays

This is actually a tradition that I came up with on my own. Since I'm so big on holiday music and making mixtapes, I decided to create a mixtape each Christmas. Each of us will add a few songs to the mix and explain to the family why we chose those particular songs. I'm letting the kids create the album cover art, and everything! I will upload the songs and make copies for the extended family to give out at my mom's annual tree-trimming party. Look out for more information about this tradition in an upcoming post!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Will you be trying any of these?

He's Here!

Alas, after 39 weeks, 6 days, 3 hospital visits, several appointments to the ob/gyn and maternal-fetal center, and 7 hours of active labor-- my 8 lb 13 oz baby boy was born! Ladies and gentlemen, meet my Jj.

As many of you may already know, this is baby number three for me. And let me tell you, every experience I've had with childbirth has been different. While I was younger and less experienced with my older son and daughter, I felt more at ease in my pregnancy with Jj. I was more relaxed, I was less stressed (until moving time came in August), and I was more in tune with my body. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same body or energy I had at 19 or 21, so I had a few issues with blood pressure and fatigue. Nevertheless, I pulled through that labor like a gangster for real and am bouncing back much better than I did with my other two children. Now ain't that something?

In the meantime, I am falling in love with this little guy more and more each day. He will be three weeks old this week and I swear my love grows stronger by the moment. It amazes me how happy he seems to be-- always cooing and smiling (unless it's gas lol) and how much sleep he's letting me get so far (win, win!). He does sleep longer in the daytime than at night, but I'm sure he'll get straight on that with time. He has a hearty appetite already-- just like his daddy lol. And he's in awe of his big brother and sister, as they can't wait to get home from school so they can ooh and aww over him in the evenings. I would say we are all adjusting well to the new addition to the family.

Overall, my pregnancy has been a beautiful experience. My husband has truly been my rock through everything and my two oldest babies have been a great big brother and sister so far. I've had such a great support system also-- among others, my mom has went above and beyond the call of duty and my bestie (aka Jj's godmommy) has been such a huge help to me. I could not have asked God for better. With the help of a great family and awesome group of friends, I am confident that our transition from a party of four to a party of five will continue to be seamless ❤

So what have I been missing out here in the blogosphere?  What have you guys been up to? I will be catching up on my blog reading and visiting today, so I hope to see more from you guys. Wave, wink, leave me a comment and let me know you all are still hanging in here with me! :-)

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Dre Writes: The Burgundy Lipstick Story

My obsession with lipstick dates back around two decades ago.  I was always fascinated by the way it made my aunt's lips the first thing I noticed when visiting her as a child.  It left such an impression on everything.  It made others hang on to every word that escaped her lips.  It even left its heavy stain on the glasses she drank from and the silverware she ate from.  It made such a statement that I wanted some of my own.  Somehow I knew I would not be able to get my hands on any for myself though.  Grown-ups have a way of letting children know that certain things are for grown-ups only so I knew none would be outright handed to me.

One day I came up with what then seemed like a novel idea.  I made up in my mind that during the next visit, I would get some lipstick from my aunt without her knowing.  The wheels of the plan were set in motion on the way to her house soon after.  Upon arrival, I was so anxious I couldn't even sit still!  While no one was looking I decided to sneak up to her room and find her makeup bag.  It wouldn't be very hard, because when my mother went anywhere, she had four children with her.  I was one of those four.  No one would notice I'd be missing with three younger children to fuss over.

In the short moments that led to me being in this space and time,  I had to make sure to remain unseen and quietly creep off into my curiosities.  In record time, I found myself quietly closing her room  door and spotting that bright red vintage makeup bag with the golden zippers. I carefully drew back the opening seams of that bag to uncover hidden treasures of  honey brown-stained sponges, circular contraptions with "Fashion Fair" imprinted with gold strokes, black pencils with clear toppers and big fluffy brushes.  I rummaged through the bag with my little curious fingers and large inquisitive eyes looking for the big prize.

Finding that single tube of lipstick immediately made me feel powerfully statuesque in all my 4 foot glory.  Twisting the bottom of the cream colored tube and smearing the stick of burgundy color onto my lips made me very visible.  In fact, it transformed me into quite the diva.  Wearing it removed me from the blur that was "the four."  It also gave me access to a secret of beauty among the women in my family. It was their way of being noticed in a room full of women without saying much.  It was also a good way to get in trouble with my mama, had she caught me wearing it.  It would be worth the risk though. After basking in the application of the lipstick and enveloping the magical, mystical feeling I imagined my aunties felt, I would wipe it away in a haste, without anyone noticing.  Or so I thought.  The haste of my mother's footsteps was much faster than the quick swipes of my forehand I thought would make me go back to being unnoticed.  Too bad the color was so heavily pigmented, my lips were left stained with shame until my bedtime bath.

I had almost forgotten the burst of excitement I felt in that brief moment of time.  My reflection in the illuminated mirror back in 1992 with a crimson grin dripping from my chin had nearly escaped me.  It wasn't until I peeked into my bedroom twenty years later that I found that same bashful smile grinning back at me, one part proud yet one part afraid.  I smiled to myself, and indeed let my reflection know I was amused by her new smile.

I didn't make her take it off, either.  But I did inform her that I could see her just fine without it.  I still wonder to myself, however, if she feels the same way about me.