Light & Easy

Wow, we got all deep and serious this week, didn't we. ;) I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing. Now maybe you know a little bit more of the real me. In all honesty I am a pretty serious person in real life.

Back to the frivolous, though. Here is a super comfy outfit I wore for grocery shopping. I am wearing one of my hubby's shirts from his high school days and a cardi and jeans from walmart with my super comfy payless oxfords. Easy, peasy.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up with Casual Friday, All Things Chic and Blonde Episodes.

Shopping Ban Update

Happy Wednesday, lovelies! I hope you are having a wonderful week. ;) I totally loved this outfit. It is so basic and really minimal, but for some reason just felt really amazing on. While I love my colors, some days a bunch of neutrals with a splash of burgundy is all you need. ;)

So, I am nearing the end of my shopping ban and I thought I would just give y'all a little update. I have done really well. The only spending on me has been using an old navy gift card from GCOGH. To be honest keeping the ban hasn't been much of an issue for me for a couple of reasons. First, the only stores around are walmart and Cato. It was pretty easy to just stay out of Cato (I took the kiddo to the park or the library instead) and I know what walmart has and am waiting for it to go on clearance anyway. Secondly, our finances were really tight. We are getting down to our last couple of months before the bank account is empty. (Hubby is preaching at a really small church that pays a couple hundred a week and has been unable to find another job.) So, we were looking at not being able to give our kiddo the Christmas we wanted to. Don't get me wrong, he will get plenty from grandparents and other family members, but we didn't think we would be able to do much. And it broke my heart. So there was big motivation to save every penny I could. Now comes the happy ending. Over the past three weeks we have received three monetary gifts in varying amounts that will allow us to make this Christmas special. I have seen God provide for us in miraculous ways over and over again. (You don't make it through seminary with Him providing), but it continues to surprise and amaze me how He blesses us. I felt kind of silly praying and being upset about Christmas when I know that my child is not in need and will get plenty. But God knew my heart and blessed us with the ability to provide for him ourselves.While our future is still totally up in the air and I have no idea if hubby will have a job anytime soon, I know that I can trust that God will continue to provide for us and take care of us. And for now, that is enough.

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde and Rae Gun Wear.

Comfy, Cozy & Content

Happy Tuesday, y'all! Let me first take this opportunity to let you know that I am aware that this ginormous cozy sweater is not the most flattering item of clothing. That said, it is one of the most comfy. It is soooo warm and soft and it covers my rear. I'm going to be real here. I realize that the entire fashion world believes that everything we wear should make us look taller and slimmer and more fabulous. Here's the thing. I am not tall. I am not slim. And I am very ordinary (not fabulous). And while I am always happy to look my best, my appearance is just not the most important thing in my life. (I realize how contradictory this is considering I have a style blog.) I spent most of my twenties believing the lie that my worth as a woman was tied up in the way that I looked. In spite of the fact that I had a husband who loved me for the woman I am and not the way I look, I felt ugly. I just didn't live up to the image. You know the one. The sexy, perfect, airbrushed model in the magazine. I will never be that. After I had my kiddo I probably looked worse than I ever have in my life. (Having babies does really bad things to bodies, especially petite bodies that don't have room.) But, I was born to be a mother. And for the first time in years I felt good about myself. I  began to realize how unimportant my appearance is in the grand scheme of things. And how absurd it is to be so worried about being 'sexy' when I already have the best man in the world love me. And that my worth as person, as woman is so much deeper than my skin. I am a child of God, created in His image. He has given me a purpose on this earth and a family to love and be loved by. And so, while I still struggle with feeling chubby, hating my hair, bemoaning my acne (in my 30s for pete's sake!) and sometimes wishing I looked better, the truth is, I have mostly come to a point of contentment with me. In all my imperfections.  What was the point of all that? Just that sometimes I want to wear comfy clothes that feel good. And this sweater makes me feel good, whether it makes me look good or not. ;)

(I realize this makes my dieting and exercising sound hypocritical, but I am petite and my body doesn't deal well with extra weight. It makes my joints hurt and I end up exhausted and miserable and unable to keep up with my very active preschooler.)

Do you ever wear unflattering clothing because it is comfy or makes you feel good?

Linking up with Watch What I'm Wearing and Real Girl Style.

Lace, Poundage and Christmas Prep

Whew! I think I gained ten pounds last week. Holy cow, did we eat a lot of really yummy food. ;) I am immensely grateful for stretchy clothes right now because I have indeed gained a few pounds. Yikes. And while I would usually just start my diet, the truth is there is an entire month of treats and yumminess ahead. And I can't just abstain because the kiddo is having a ball cooking right now. So. I think I am going to start my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred today just to see if I can keep on top of the caloric consumption. I am not looking forward to it. I will be very sore tomorrow. Very sore.

In other news, I totally stole this outfit from Molly. Of course, since I wore it for church I didn't feel my leather jacket was entirely appropriate. (Our congregation is primarily older retired folks.) So I substituted my black blazer and felt quite fab today. ;) So, thank you, Molly for the outfit inspiration.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week. I will be prepping for Christmas this week. I am making an advent calendar to start on Saturday with the kiddo and of course finishing up decorating the house and maybe watching a holiday movie or two. ;) My little dude is old enough to really enjoy all the festivities this year and I am so looking forward to enjoying Christmas with him.

Linking up with Visible Monday, Monday Mingle and YOLO!

Monochromatic Grey

So, perhaps this isn't the most exciting outfit ever. Grey tee, grey skirt, grey flats, grey necklace. But. It was comfy. And my necklace was sparkly, so there is that, right? I will be spending today decorating my house for Christmas. I will not be spending today shopping. I have to admit I have never been big on Black Friday. The deals are just not worth the crowds to me. I prefer to have my shopping done before Thanksgiving so I can just enjoy the holiday season. This year we are making a lot of our gifts, so there will be more work involved, but the supplies have already been purchased. Truthfully I will be avoided any shopping destination until after Christmas (with the possible exception of my birthday!).

Are you a hardcore Black Friday shopper? Or would you rather be doing anything other than fighting the crowds?

Happy Thanksgiving

owl earrings

charm bracelet

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are enjoying some yummy food and special time with the people you love!

Chambray and Lace

Happy Wednesday! Hope y'all are having a lovely Thanksgiving week. Here is another outfit from September featuring my chambray top yet again. I have more than gotten my money out of this $6 top. ;)

In other news it is that time of year again. What am I talking about? Waaay back when hubby and I were dating he got me started reading a fantasy series called the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. At the time I think there were five or six books and although (with the exception of Tolkein) fantasy wasn't my usual genre I was hooked. The books are well written and the world he has created is awesome. Beginning that Christmas and for several years after one of my presents was always the next hardcover in the series. Because we were getting up to eight and ten and eleven (really long) books in the series I got in the habit of re-reading the entire series every year before Christmas so I was ready to read the new book. Then the unthinkable happened. Robert Jordan died with the series unfinished. Thankfully he had left comprehensive notes on how the series was to end so his wife worked with Brian Sanderson to finish out the final three books of the series. After 22 years (the first book was published in 1990) the fourteenth and final book will be out in January. So, I have started the series from the beginning and am happily immersed in a world of fantasy and will be for a while. If you enjoy a good fantasy I would highly recommend these books. They are awesome. (One caveat: the female characters are extremely annoying for the first several books - they do grow into themselves though.)

Any of you confirmed bibliophiles out there? Have you read the Wheel of Time books? What did you think?

Stealing from the Hubby

Y'all, I stole this top from my hubby. ;) He can't wear it anymore, but I love it. Men's shirts are perfect for wearing with leggings and skinny jeans because they cover up the bum. ;) And they are soooo comfy. I have problems with ladies button ups because I am petite and quite busty so fit is almost always an issue. I loved this outfit, but looking at the pics, I should have added my yellow necklace to tie in the sandals. Eh. Live and learn.

Do you ever steal clothes from your hubby/significant other?

Linking up with Real Girl Style and Watch What I'm Wearing.

Playing Catch Up

Happy Monday! I will be playing catch up this week with some outfits from September that haven't made it to the blog yet. Here is an easy Sunday morning look with cobalt and grey. I love this top - I got it at JCPenney several years ago and it has been a fall and winter staple ever since. It is soooo soft and comfy.

I have a week full of making Christmas presents, baking and cooking for our Thanksgiving meal, trying to finish up my Christmas shopping and getting the house clean and ready to decorate for Christmas. Last year we didn't get to put our tree up until after we moved which was mid-December, so I am looking forward to having it up the day after Thanksgiving this year.
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What do you have planned for this week?

Linking up with YOLO, Visible Monday and Monday Mingle.

Thankful Thursday - on Friday

chambray top: cato, skirt: old navy, flats: dillards (old)

rose gold arm party/ watch: cato, bracelets: ayami

Happy Friday, friends! Hope y'all have had an awesome week. ;) Since I did my Linky party yesterday, I am doing my Thankful Thursday post today. The linky party will be open until the end of the month, so be sure to link up any remix posts you have! Now, on to the gratitude.
  
First up, I am thankful for awesome sales and clearance. As many of you know, at least 90% of my wardrobe is either thrifted or clearance. Wanna know why? This green corduroy skirt from old navy is currently on sale for around $25 online. I found it in the store for $6.49. Seriously. It is stretchy and comfy and the prettiest shade of green. (In case you were wondering, it was purchased before my shopping ban.) So, sales equal awesome in my book. 

I am also weirdly thankful for pinterest right now.  I have been having a blast finding inspiration for fun Christmas stuff and gift ideas for my family. I have already gotten the supplies do make several of the gifts for the people on my list. So much fun. I have a ton of fun things pinned for the holiday season and I am really looking forward to making them happen. 
 
Pie. Yep. Pie deserves a category all it's own. I will be making (and consuming) an apple pie and a pumpkin pie for our church potluck on Sunday. Then another pair for our family Thanksgiving dinner. Yum. I am so going to need to diet when the holidays are over, but for right now, I am going to enjoy the foods I love and time with the people I love.

And finally, I am so grateful that my little guy is feeling better. This bout with pneumonia is the sickest he has ever been and it was pretty scary for the first couple of days. Once the fever broke, he was up and around, but still hyper and irritable (typical behavior for him only when he is sick). I kept him out of school until today to be on the safe side, but we were about to drive each other crazy. ;) Thank God for his grandparents who took him for several hours yesterday to give me a break. My in laws are awesome. Just sayin'.

What are you thankful for this week?

Linking up with Blonde Episodes, Casual Friday, Favorite Frock Friday and Momma's Me Time.

Basics Re-Mixed Link-up

outfit 1: grey sweater with polka dot flats and long beaded necklace

outfit 2: coral blouse with polka dot flats

outfit 3: cream sweater with belt and leopard flats and bag

So, last week I talked about one of my favorite skirts from my grandmother that I love but never wear. I challenged you to find a closet orphan or basic and create three outfits with it. Here are my three outfits. What you see are screenshots of my ensembles from Go Chic or Go Home. As you can see, I have an inspiration photo in each outfit, which is great for me because in some cases it reminds me what look I am aiming for.

I have really been enjoying GCGH lately as I spend time building outfits for the coming season. If you would like an invite or help in using the site, be sure to let me know. It is a great community and a lot of fun!

Now, as promised, here is the link-up!

I am not a huge fan of a bunch of rules. So for this one it is super easy. Link up any post (or posts, as many as you like) showing ways to remix any item. Easy right? It doesn't have to be current and you do not have to be participating in the shopping ban. If you feel like it, link back to me in your post and I would love for you to follow, but it isn't necessary. That's it!


Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty and Rae Gun Wear!

 

Everybody, Everywear: Boots

It's Everybody, Everywear time again. This month's theme is boots. So. Here is my boots outfit. Everything but the necklace is thrifted. The necklace was brought to me from Africa by a friend. It spent years as a decoration in my room and has only been worn in the last year or so. Statement necklaces weren't really the thing back in the early nineties when I received it. Now, however, it is the perfect finishing touch to a bright fall outfit. As a bonus, my kiddo loves the little animals. I love it when my jewelry entertains my kid.

Speaking of my kiddo, he is doing much better. He's been fever free for a little over 24 hours and actually played yesterday. Y'all when a four year old doesn't want to play you know he's really sick. I am so glad he is on the mend now. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

Linking up with Everybody, Everywear, YOLO, Real Girl Glam, Visible Monday and Monday Mingle.

Prayers Please

Hi, y'all. Just popping for a quick post to ask for prayers for my kiddo. He has pneumonia and has been really sick all weekend. Thankfully he hasn't had to be hospitalized, but he is still really miserable with a high fever and coughing. He hasn't left my arms except to potty and isn't even interested in playing. Needless to say, it has been a really rough weekend. (Photos are actually from halloween week)

Hope you all had great weekends. God bless.

Hearts and Boots and Swaps, OH MY!

It's the weekend, y'all! I realize that this comes as a complete surprise to most of you and so I thought I'd let you know. ;)  I am actually pretty pleased with this outfit. With one teeny tiny exception. The boots. I love the color and the style and the price. I thrifted them for $15 back in the summer and realized upon wearing them that I was so excited to find them that I didn't pay attention to the fit. Y'all these things are about two sizes too big. I felt like I had on clown shoes all day. Crazy. Anywho. Once the ban is over, I will be on the lookout for a better fitting pair of tan/cognac boots. (I will also have birthday money to spend on them which means I can get a decent pair.)

Now then, on to other things. I mentioned in an earlier post the possibility of organizing an online clothing swap as part of my shopping ban. So here's the thing. There will definitely be some organization to go in to it. If you are interested in participating, I will need you to let me know in the comments so that I have some idea of how many people are interested. Next week I will have you begin emailing me with your information (sizes and amount of clothing and accessories you will be adding to the swap).  I am still working on the logistics so if you have any ideas or have done this before, please feel free to help me out! ;)

Hope y'all have an amazing weekend!

Linking up with All Things Chic, Blonde Episodes, Casual Friday and Favorite Frock Friday.

Outfit Details:
cardi: walmart (2009)
blouse: charlotte russe (2009)
khakis: walmart (2010)
boots: thrifted (2012)

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, lovely ladies! I hope you are all having a lovely week. Here is a super simple, comfy outfit from last week. I pulled out my bootcut jeans, that I haven't worn since last winter and paired them with some blue basics. I have to admit, I am not loving the way the scarf looks. What do you think?

I am thankful I live in a country where I get to exercise my right to vote. And while I am not happy with the way the election turned out, I am grateful that I worship a God who will be there for me regardless of the leadership of my country.

I am immensely grateful for a little thing called an updraft or nebulizer machine. Both my husband and my son suffer from asthma and that little machine has saved us a number of trips to the ER. 

I am obviously crazy grateful for my beloved hubby. My best friend and favorite grown up person in the entire world. After almost 14 years of marriage, he is still the person I want to spend time with and I love him far more today than I did then.

And of course, I am just super grateful for the most amazing kid in the entire world. (Obviously if you have a small person or two you are super attached to, you won't agree, but that's ok.) It is such a blessing to be mama to this little guy. He is funny and obedient and loving and so precious. And I totally adore him. And he is growing up so fast. ;)

I am grateful to part of a church family that loves and supports us. The last couple have been extremely difficult, so it is such a blessing to be ministered to while we are ministering ourselves.

I am grateful for my bloggy friends. You guys totally make my day with your comments. Every one makes me smile.

I am also grateful for a closet full of clothes I love and enjoy wearing. ;)

What are you grateful for today?