True Elegance

Updates~ my relationship

2015-01-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Considering my last post, and how long ago it was, I know that some of you are probably wondering how I'm doing, if I fell off the edge of the earth, or something like that. You may also be wondering about how my relationship is going. I apologize for not posting in so long, but between me being busy, and my boyfriend being busy, and trying to adapt my schedule to work around his so I have free time when he does, life has been even more hectic than usual. I could try to tell you everything that happened, day to day, but I'm not sure I have enough time for that unfortunately. So I'll give you a brief synopsis, and pictures that tell the story better than I do instead. ;)

I was frantic trying to get all those wedding pictures edited before Kenny graduated from college, because they wouldn't tell me when they were coming, but I knew it had to be sometime after his graduation. I got my pictures completed the day before the graduation. Sadly, I didn't get to go to it, but I was now anticipating whenever Kenny and his family would be coming to Louisiana.

The following week we scrubbed our house from top to bottom. Everything anyone said was carefully analyzed by me, looking for a clue to when they would arrive. The weekend came and went, and they still hadn't showed up. I think if they wouldn't have shown up when they did, I may've been in danger of having a heart attack lol.

a picture of Kenny and the rental car they used to get here and back.

That Monday, I noticed that my mom was acting strangely, watching the street and looking out the windows. That, and a few other things, tipped me off that they were coming that day. Needless to say, I was ready the whole day, never ceasing from looking out one window or another. I didn't get much accomplished. At about 5pm, they drove up to our house. I watched Kenny get out of the car, my heart pounding. I waited for him to knock, but those moments it took for him to do so seemed so unbearably long. My dad says he heard me run down the hall, although I wasn't even aware that I had run. Kenny knocked, I opened the door, and Kenny, his dad, his brother, and my dad were all standing there in a semi-circle. Kenny yelled surprise in my face, so they still got the stunned look they wanted, lol. I'm sorry to say, that we didn't take a picture that first night, we were both so excited, and I think still in shock that this was actually happening, and we were really seeing each other face to face for the first time. I'll admit, that I'm extra sad that I didn't get a picture, because Kenny wore a red plaid western shirt, jeans, and boots, because he knows I love that look. Still can't believe I didn't get a picture! Haha.

Tuesday


our first picture together

Tuesday they came to our house that morning, talked a little while, then went outside to play toss the football and catch with a softball. I had fixed my hair that morning, but between the mud, humidity, sweat, and exercise, my hair did not look too good by the time this picture was taken lol. This is what happens when you court a guy who loves sports. ;) We had a lot of fun that day though, between playing catch, card games, and cooking dinner together. That night we had church since Christmas Eve was the next day, and my dad preached. Kenny and I got to sit together, and he got to meet some of my church family.

Wednesday

Christmas Eve morning after breakfast, Kenny tried to teach Mark and me P'knuckle (not sure how to spell it, lol). I don't think I ever did understand it. Soon, Kenny and I got to cook our Christmas Eve lunch, the biggest meal my family usually prepares for Christmas. We made gumbo, potato salad, and monkey bread. We had also gotten some pies for dessert. It was interesting to see how differently we worked in the kitchen, although I think we complimented each others talents a good bit. We bantered and sparred, having lots of

fun as we worked. The man can cook AND wash dishes!!! Doesn't he sound like a keeper? ;P

a pic Kenny's dad took of us

After lunch, we opened gifts. I don't have any pictures of all of that downloaded, but I can show you Kenny's gift to me, and my gift to him.


apparently, this was the face I made when I opened my gift lol

Kenny drew this picture of me, using the picture that he first saw of me. I think he did an amazing job creating it's likeness. He's so incredibly talented in so many ways. :)

And then, he got to open my Christmas gift to him. :D

tee shirts that say, "this girl loves her boyfriend" for me, and "this man loves his girlfriend" for Kenny. We both love our shirts. :D

We mostly relaxed for the rest of the day, watching movies, talking, going on a short walk, and playing Bible trivia that night while snacking on leftovers whenever someone was hungry. It was so much fun to play, talk, and just be together. :) And that game of Bible trivia got pretty competitive. ;)

We also changed our relationship status that night at 11pm. It was so much fun to see everyone's comments and finally be able to talk about our relationship and post pictures. :)

Thursday

Christmas morning we had a large breakfast, then headed to my Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house for the day to be with all the extended family. It was lots of fun to introduce Kenny and his dad and brother to everyone. I also got to meet my newest cousin, this adoable little baby named Miles. Can I just say that a man holding a baby is so attractive? ;)

We ate tons of food, opened gifts, and hung out together. I also got to introduce Kenny to what's becoming the family mascot, my cousin's bearded dragon, Hydra.

I'm one of those odd girls that loves reptiles, so Hydra and I are old friends. Isn't he neat? :)

Before we left, Kenny and I got to sit on the swing in the corner of the backyard and talk. It was calm and peaceful, and so amazing just to be talking face to face and being in each others presence. I didn't want it to end.

Thankfully, my mom captured the moment, and took some pictures of us that turned out to be my favorites.

The second picture is both of our favorite. :)

We went home and hung out some more, while some people took naps. Kenny and I sat on the couch together, mostly silent, as we cherished the last few hours together. They left at 3am the next morning, so we knew that night that we had to say goodbye, at least for now. We went to the church and popped some fireworks that Kenny's brother had bought. I tried to take pictures, keeping behind Kenny as they went off, trying to stay warm in the cold night air. After they finally got to meet and talk to my pastor (no other time had worked out the whole week), and talking some more, we said goodbye. In just a few short days, I not only had gotten so attached to my love Kenny, but also to his gentle giant little brother, and his dad that I can't wait to be my amazing father-in-law someday. It felt like our families had already joined and become one. As my dad said, he no longer feels like he's losing his daughter, but that he's gaining a son-in-law.

So now, even though it's been hard and we miss each other, we still talk and text every day. We continue to skype often, and work towards preparing for our future through Bible studies together, getting set goals accomplished, and becoming stable financially. We both have a ways to go, but every step is important, and I'm trying to enjoy and cherish each new phase and accomplished goal.

So, that's my story of Christmas week! It was my most amazing Christmas thus far, and I look forward to the bright future ahead. If any of you have any questions about me, Kenny, our relationship, or courtship, please feel free to ask. I'd be happy to answer your questions, and try to do so to the best of my ability. :)

And so....

2014-11-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

I really did not know how to title this post, maybe that's why I've put it off for so long. Some really amazing earth-moving things have been happening in my life right now. I've been really busy between ministry, family, homeschooling, housework, and Bible College. I'm shooting my fourth wedding this Saturday. But honestly, even though all those things have taken a lot of my time, there's one thing that came unexpectedly, so quietly, that I never saw it coming. And now, I know what I should've titled this post.

Love comes softly.

I always thought I'd meet a guy and there would be an instant attraction, an equal recognition of soul mates, and courtship would come quickly, soon followed by marriage.

But, that's not what happened.

I stopped looking. I was discouraged, and finally giving up, at least for a little while, just to heal my wounds and get my focus back on the Lord, and determine goals for my life. I was done, even at that point, desiring a relationship, at least I couldn't feel it through the pain and discouragement. And that's when the Lord must've said, "Ahh, now you're ready."

I met Kenny on September 1, 2014. I know some people that are seriously against this, but I was on a Christian dating website. I was already talking to one guy on there, when I got a message from Kenny. He obviously had used an older picture, and I honestly thought he was lying about his age. He looked way younger than 23. I hovered my mouse over the button to send a polite rejection, when I felt the Lord tug on my heart and stop me. So I messaged Kenny back and we started talking a bit. He told me his full name and said I could friend him on facebook, so I did. I was upfront with him, and told him that I was already talking to another guy, but that we could be friends. He said ok, and we continued to message back and forth on facebook. Considering I was talking pretty seriously at the time to the other guy, I told Kenny that I would only talk to him on facebook out of respect for the other guy.

Well, without going into the gory details, the other guy backed out, and left me pretty heartbroken. Kenny and I had continued to message each other and talk about our beliefs, standards, and interests, and were amazed about how many things we had in common. I was even going to introduce him to a friend of mine! Kenny was just a chum, and I didn't think it would ever possibly go beyond that.

When things ended with the other guy, Kenny was an extremely supportive, loyal friend. He asked if we could start texting and talking on the phone. I agreed, but let him know ahead of time that I was NOT looking for a relationship, only good friends. Even though he hinted and let me know that he did like me, he was respectful of my wishes, and didn't push things. We talked all the time, several hours a day, and texted a good bit. It seems like everyone saw it before me. They asked and suggested that I liked him, and I kept saying, "No! We're just friends!" I didn't realize what everyone was seeing in my eyes and my conversation. I was getting very attached to, and falling for Kenny.

Almost a month after we had met, one night, it hit me. I was messaging him, and suddenly told him that I didn't know what to do. My feelings for him were much stronger than I had ever imagined they would be. What had started out as a buddy and loyal guy friend, had turned into much more. The sweet guy apologized, I guess he thought he had done something wrong, and asked if I wanted him to back off. But he was such a mixture of close friend and romantic interest that I immediately said no. I couldn't bare the thought of not talking to him everyday, and I knew it would probably hurt him as well. A few days later, once I had gotten used to the idea and no longer felt shocked, we talked about our feelings. I love how every step of the way, in each tiny step of our relationship, we have stopped and talked everything out.

So, now we've known each other for 2 months and 12 days, and every day only gets sweeter. I never imagined that a relationship could feel so natural. We're courting, having a relationship with a purpose with both our families heavily involved. My family loves him and his family loves me. Our families do a joint Bible study on Friday nights over speaker phone, and Kenny and I have been doing Bible studies on the weekdays. We also now have his sister and sometimes their dad join in our Bible studies, which always turns out amazing.

There's so much more to our story, and I hope to write it all down one day, and also everything that is sure to come. I'm extremely happy, content, and feel so blessed to have this amazing man and his family in my life.

Oh, and just in case you wanted to see what he looks like.

Can't wait until we can finally take a picture together!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Autumn Series ~ Nailed it

2014-09-18T09:24:00.001-07:00

This beautiful Hampton Peach is the last color I put on my nails.

(left to right: Manhattan, Tribeca Silver, and Angora Cardi)

And these are the polishes I plan to use on Saturday. I'm putting Manhattan on my toes, and Angora Cardi on my fingers, with Tribeca Silver as my accent nail on my ring finger. The skirt I'm wearing Sunday is very close to the Manhattan color, and I'm wearing my black bow heels and a black lace shirt with it.

I didn't feel like it was time to pull out my pumpkin orange or my beautiful new crimson polish, so these colors seemed like good transitional colors.

Here's a few I've really been liking on Pinterest.

(Essie chinchilly)

(Essie Style cartel)

(O.P.I. Danke)

(Essie Oxblood)

(Essie Bahama Mama)

The nail art is so adorable, but I'm nowhere near that talented. I've really been enjoying watching football games this year with friends, so I liked the football nails. :) I love the matte look, and I really hope I can get some Matte finisher polish in the near future, but they all seem so expensive.

What colors are you looking forward to this Autumn?

Autumn series ~ Don't mess with the dress

2014-09-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of planning and searching for this year's Autumn looks, so I thought I'd share some of it with ya'll. :) I have so much to talk about, that I'm splitting it up into four parts: outfits, nail polish, makeup, and hair. This post will probably be the longest of the four. ;)

1. The Fall maxi

I adore my maxis all year around. They can be cool and flowy in the spring and summer, and with tights underneath and scarves and jackets they can be warm enough in fall and winter. I could go on and on with these examples, but we don't have enough time for them all. :)

2. Fun tights

(I know these are pants, but they'd be cute tights.)

I'd really like to get more of a variety of tights this year in fun colors and patterns. It's something new for me, and I think it would be a nice challenge for myself. :)

3. sweaters and cardigans

I'd really like to get some cute sweaters and cardigans this year, especially a colorful Aztec cardigan. I've liked the Aztec print for a while now, and I think it looks really cute on those flowy cardigans. :)

4. ivory sweater

Last year my goal was a black turtleneck, and I found it. Just like I thought, it's been a wonderful staple piece in my wardrobe that will be useful for (hopefully) years to come.

This year, I'd love to find an ivory sweater, preferably in the first or third picture's style, but I like the second picture also.

5. ankle boots

I didn't think I'd like these at first, but the other day I tried some on at Target, and was surprised at how much I liked them! So if I can find some for a good price, I might be getting some. I still can't decide if I like the tan or black better.

6. miscellaneous favorites

(with boots)

So what styles are you looking forward to this Autumn?

Autumn's Coming! (eventually)

2014-08-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

As many of my readers know, I live in Louisiana. And let me tell you, it's hot. So, while Autumn may technically start in September, we'll be lucky to get cooler weather come October. However, it doesn't stop me from dreaming of my favorite season. :)

If you've read my blog for the past years, you probably know about my yearly, "dreaming of Autumn" posts. They usually happen around this time, even sometimes as early as the end of July.

Some of my favorite things include lighting candles, blankets, opening windows, the cool, crisp air, leaves falling, and all the pumpkin flavored things. ;)

But I especially love pulling out the jackets, sweaters, longsleeves, boots, and scarves that I get to wear at this time of year. Also, the deep red, purple, dark green, orange, and mustard yellow colors.

So here's a few polyvore sets I made this morning with some of my favorite Autumn accessories.

The first transitional piece from summer to fall is the scarf. You can use summery colors or autumn colors with light, cool scarves. There are so many ways to wear them, so many colors, and so many patterns!

I've always been more of a jacket girl, and haven't really liked hoodies in years. But this year I've become obsessed with them! Once again, so may colors, styles, and patterns. Do you like printed or solid? Zip up or pull over? Cropped or regular length? Bearing graphic design or a sports company symbol? They can be so much fun, and let's face it, they're so wonderful to snuggle up in and feel cozy. :)

When it gets a little cooler, it's time to break out the leather jackets. I love how they've been coming out in a variety of colors lately! I love them all, but the red, cobalt, and burgundy colors are my favorite.

So, in other, news, this morning was my fourth day getting up early, and going for a 30 minute walk/jog! It feels great, although I still can't stand getting up in the morning. But getting out of bed is the hard part. Once I've dressed, exercised, taken a shower, and pour my coffee I feel completely rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. :)

So are you excited about Autumn coming? Or are you trying to hang on to summer?

Color Combo Crush

2014-08-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

For so long I've had a ton of mint in my wardrobe. Mint lace skirt, 4 or 5 mint tops, a sweater, earrings, necklaces, scarves, and even a purse. But as some of you know, I just got into yellow this year.Thankfully, I now have a little bit of yellow in my closet. Then, I saw this picture again on Pinterest. I had seen it before, even pinned it, but I thought it would never work for me, because I thought I couldn't wear yellow. Well, I was wrong. I just can't wear an abundance of it near my face. Skirts, scarves, even jewelry is ok. I can wear a yellow top, but it has to be broken up with other colors or stripes.

Like this.

And since then, I've seen several inspirations and ways to mix match these awesome colors.

I have a mint sweater similar to this.

And this is my adaptation of the outfit.

So now I absolutely love this color combo. I can see other ways to style it, like with camel.

I can wear my camel boots and swap the yellow necklace for my yellow and white stripe scarf come this Autumn. I can wear them with coral or navy to create a different look.

The thing I'm learning about colors is that no color is technically impossible for any person. But the shades of that color is what matters, and what changes what works for each individual person.

What do you think of mint and yellow? Would you try it?

Outfits, shopping finds and time with friends

2014-08-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Or this post could simply be entitled, Busy Days.

So, two weeks ago, I was away from home all week, then last week I was practically not home because of my rush to edit my friend's photos, and now this week I've been gone a lot again. This is actually the first afternoon I've been home all week. Not that that's a bad thing. I enjoy being busy with a full schedule, but I also enjoy when my life slows down, and I have more time to reflect, or in this case, blog. ;)

Monday and Tuesday I got to spend a lot of time with my biological father, Jonathan. He lives about 4 hours away, but he came down here for vacation. We went bowling, sightseeing at places called Acadian Village and Jean LaFitte Park (both tell of the Cajun history, and I'd never been to either), and finished Tuesday at the Kart Ranch, riding go karts in the pouring rain, then playing putt-putt golf.

Here's a few pictures I took with my iPhone (sadly, my camera hasn't been fixed yet.)

I love this little village so much. It gave so much information on the Acadian's (or now referred to as Cajuns) past, which is something I always enjoy learning about. The little church especially took my heart, along with the uniquely built Acadian houses all around it.

(Ford tee- Walmart (men's section), jean skirt- really old, black lace converse- Walmart, jewelry- made by me)

I knew we'd be doing a lot of walking and possible go kart riding, so I tried to go with cute, sporty, and practical. I'm always nervous about the go karts, the seat belt buckles between your legs, and with zooming around I'm always afraid of my skirt flying up, so I wore tights under my skirt. I didn't want to wear a more straight down skirt, because I would've had to pull it up a little to buckle. Not so ladylike. Plus the worker, usually a young guy, has to check and make sure you're strapped in safely, which can sometimes be very awkward. Thankfully, this outfit proved to be the least awkward of any I've tried. Experimenting works, folks! ;)

(Aztec top and white bubble necklace- Cato, skirt- Goodwill, flipflops and leaf earrings- Walmart)

I had this outfit planned since I got the shirt a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to go with a more boho feel, and I think I achieved that. Putting the necklace with the top was actually an accident. I got them both at the same time, and when I was putting my stuff up I realized how good they looked together! I wore this for me and my bestie's shopping trip on Wednesday. We went to Goodwill first, and ended up not going anywhere else! Normally, I can't stand to spend 2 hours in a store, but every time I turned around, I found more stuff! It took us a while to try on, and narrow down what we were going to get. That store had a wealth of hidden treasures, but I only had so much money. ;)

First up, a New Orleans Saints pillow pet! They had them in the store for $30 (which I was NOT gonna spend on a pillow pet), but I found this one in really great condition for $5! I was like, "Oh yeah, you are so mine." ;)

shoes 2 for $6

$4.50

3 pairs for $2

I usually have a hard time finding shoes that fit perfectly due to having wide feet. But this Goodwill had tons of shoes that fit me! Sadly, I couldn't get them all, but these two I can see getting plenty of use. The navy pumps stay on my feet without pinching (a miracle for me), and have a cushiony bottom. The black flats are already broken in while still looking good, and also have a cushiony sole.

I got the grey skirt as a challenge for myself, to style it in non frumpy ways, and dressed up or down for different occasions. I already have a lot of ideas for casual, dressy, winter, and summer.

The grey sweater is soft and comfortable without being baggy, tight, or lumpy, and the perfect palette for a wide variety of styling. Perfect qualifications for a sweater. I also got a jean skirt, but it's in the dryer. :)

Sometimes, you just need fun socks, you know? They can be the bright side of a rainy or severely cold day.

As sad as it is, Megan and I did not take a selfie during our day out. Sad right? I think we're kinda stuck between the older generation and the teen generation that takes a selfie every hour of the day. However she did make this sweet card for me that is now on my wall. She's a red head, and I'm a brunette. The picture and caption perfectly describes us. :)

When we got back to her house we ate dinner, then watched the Christmas Card (my movie contribution), then God's not Dead. I'll say that I was pleasantly surprised by that movie. I really hadn't had high expectations for it, but I was gladly proved wrong.

Oh, and God's not dead. :)

My favorite music group is the Piano Guys, and they now have a tee on their website! I'd love to have one. :)

And lastly, a selfie I took while waiting for Megan to get to my house. Still learning how to edit my iPhone pics the way I want.

Have a great week!

Shopping Finds~ Catching up

2014-08-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi ya'll!

I've been getting in some really good shopping lately.

Wanna see?

Everything above came from Cato. I didn't list the prices, because some I really don't want to remember what I paid for them. ;) I was so excited to get the maxi skirts, and can see them getting a lot of use. They were $12 each, which wasn't bad prices for maxis. I didn't go to Cato looking for graphic tees, but I fell in love with these. I've been wanting something axtec print for a while, and the first tee was my favorite of the ones I found. I love the colors and the thin, soft material. The LOVE tee is so versatile, and I've already styled it a few different ways. I've been wanting an Eiffel Tower tee for a long time. But when I saw both of these, and tried them on, I couldn't decide which to get, so I ended up getting both. I love the look of French words, but if I can't understand what it says, I won't buy it. Thankfully, I knew what this one says, except for one word, but I know at least what the shirt is talking about. The jewelry was all in the $2 and $3 range. I finally have a white bubble necklace! I'm not sure if you can see the silver necklace that well, but it has a beach theme of shells and starfish. It's really cute. :) Then, I got the yellow set for my new maxi, since I don't have any yellow in my wardrobe.

Then, I found this adorable jean skirt at Goodwill for $4! I don't normally like pleats, but this skirt looks straight down, and is super easy to walk in. And it fits like it was made for me. Perfect length and width. :) I also found a hardback Hardy Boys book, a three-in-one for $.99!

Last Sunday, one of the ladies at the church we're helping walked up to me with a Walmart bag and put it in my hand saying it was a gift. When I opened it, I found a top I had complimented her on the week before! I guess I better be careful with the compliments. ;) Just kidding, I really do like it, I just never intended for her to give it to me.

The colors and pattern are so pretty. :)

I love the graphic tee and statement necklace style. I can't wait to try it with my new tees!

In other news, last week I helped at the revival I told ya'll about. I really enjoyed working with the kids again, and just had a lot of fun the whole week, even though I was kept really busy. ;)

The week before I was able to hang out with this fabulous lady for a Sunday afternoon. We had fun running errands, eating at Wendy's, and browsing at Goodwill before heading back to church for choir practice. It was so fun to sing alto again, even if just for a day. :)

Oh and I finally did it! I wore stripes with floral! And I really liked the results. :)

So besides that, I've been reading, homeschooling and editing pictures, celebrating my sister and brother's birthday's at Chuck E Cheese, and next week I'm going to Megan's house for a sleepover! I can't wait!

So what's your summer been like?

P. S. <3 <3 I can't wait for Autumn!!!! <3 <3

Rainy Days- outfits post

2014-07-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

It seems like I usually get around to posting here when it rains. Maybe because my body seems to calm down to the soothing sound of rain, and allows me to think and dream more. It brings out my writer's spirit, I suppose.

Lately I've been helping with my sister's school, practicing music, running errands, reading a lot, and spending time with my family. I don't want to ever become so busy that I miss out on the opportunities at this time of my life that I may not have in the future. I continue to be my busy bee self, but remind myself to enjoy life, take a break, and spend time with those I love.

Sadly, Bible College has been on the back burner lately, which is something I hope to change soon. It just seems like every time I pull out my college materials, that I'm suddenly asked to do something or find out we have to go somewhere. I'm going to try to make more of an effort at it though.

Considering I've lacked inspiration in the outfit department lately, I've been trying to do the outfit challenges on the Modern Modesty Facebook page. It's helped me put together some new outfits, and restarted my creative juices once again. Now, when I look at my closet, I notice things that would go together that I've never put together before.

Here's the challenge for July. I've been having a lot of fun with it. :)

I had wanted this skirt so bad that I traded a friend of mine for it, but I've had a hard time styling it. Which is really sad, since my favorite color is red. But since then, I've found a few things to go with it. I'll leave that for another post. ;) The shirt is from my mom, originally from Cato, the flats were $3 from Goodwill, and I made the jewelry. It was nice to finally be able to wear this awesome necklace. It feels so Native American to me.

This one was for the neons on neutrals. I've only ever styled this top with blue or white, and it was always really baggy so I hadn't worn it in a while, even though I really like it. When I saw the undershirt and top next to each other, I knew they'd be great together. I think it brought the top to life, and with tying it, it wasn't so baggy. I can see it being worn a lot more now. :)

I know it's a horrible picture, but instead of just doing my side pony tail flipped under, I added a braid. I really like it too, it just needs more practice.

Last Wednesday night I was in nursery, and the challenge was orchid and mint. Now, I have a lot of mint, but I couldn't find any orchid. Then, I remembered my favorite tee. I normally wear my mint hoops with this shirt, but considering I'd be around babies, it didn't seem like a good idea. So I went with the jewelry underneath instead.

oops! Almost passed up Tuesday's outfit. The challenge was jean and white. At first, I had it all on but the scarf. I do like the minimal look, but it felt too plain. So I added the scarf that I haven't worn in a long time, and really liked how it came together.

And here's yesterday's outfit. The challenge was boho, and I consider this really my only boho outfit. What makes it boho for me are the earthy tones, nature in the owl and leaves, and the flowy patterned skirt. It's so comfortable that it makes me want to wear more boho. ;) I also was barefoot with a messy bun.

Which outfit was your favorite?

The old and the new- outfit post

2014-07-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

tee and necklace-gift, flipflops- $2 Walmart, jean skirt- $4 Goodwill, bracelet- $1 at the zoo in Florida.)

I'm trying to get better about taking pictures of my outfits. This was my traveling outfit for Saturday. Extremely casual and comfortable. No makeup, although I did use my curling rods again. I tried to make looser curls. One side came out ok, but the other side was too curly. I'm just experimenting with them until I get it right. :) I love this new tee my mom found for me.

necklace, earrings, skirt, flipflops- gift, green tee and dot undershirt- Walmart.

And here's today's outfit. I went grocery shopping and it seemed extra hot today, so I went for, you guessed, it, cool and comfortable. With an exception for the purse, I've had everything else for a long time. But I haven't worn any of it in a while, and never all together. The skirt can be casual or dressed up, but I usually use it as my casual black skirt, and leave my other black skirts for dressier outfits. The necklace was a little dressier than I normally wear to Walmart, but it was the most casual gold necklace I have. I really would like to get a gold monogram necklace one day.

My hair went into my favorite summer hairstyle, a nice cool, out-of-my-way top knot. It's an especially good hairstyle for third day hair. ;) I've learned to spray my hands with hairspray then smooth them over my hair to keep down all the little hairs that seem to pop up. It's been a really handy trick.

I'd like to try a series, if I have the time, recreating Pinterest outfits with stuff in my closet. Maybe it would inspire my readers, as well as myself, with new ways to wear our clothes. What do you think?

I guess a sort of hair tutorial?

2014-07-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

I've never, ever done a hair tutorial, but one of my sweet followers requested it, so I'll try my best.

You saw this picture in my last post.

I got curling rods yesterday, and tried them for the first time today.

Warning: Coming up are some really and I mean REALLY not good pictures of me. ;)

Considering I'm not good enough to be able to roll these into my hair and take pictures at the same time, I'm afraid you'll just have to see how they look all in.

It came with 8 big rods and 12 little rods. I used 6 of the big rods, three on each side, and that worked out great for my hair.

Second warning of this post: If your family has never seen you in curlers, you may have to suffer being called Princess Lea the whole time the rods are in, like I did. ;)

So first I washed my hair, conditioned, and lightly towel dried it. Then, I added some leave in hair defrizzer.

(This is the kind I use)

I used the blowdryer on cool for a little while, but then ended up just letting it air dry. When I took out the rods, it was still pretty wet, so I might need to do things a little differently next time.

Right before we left, which was a couple hours, I took the rods out. Putting them in and taking them out were super easy which is a huge plus for me. I've never been able to use a curling iron or curlers very well. It probably took me less than three minutes to put them in.

This is what it looked like when I first took them out. I had some weird sideways curls near the front, so I think next time I'm not going to roll those all the way up.

I clipped the front back on either side and liked it much better. I quickly hair sprayed it all and ran out the door.

Five hours later, after being in the heat, humidity, and getting lots of hugs from people, my hair looked like this.

Not too bad, considering. ;)

So, in case you didn't know, these are my new best friends. :)

Simple. Light. Comfortable. Easy to travel with.

And here's the whole process in one collage. They suggest curving the rods into a C shape for best results and to keep it securely in your hair. Although I wouldn't recommend putting the ones by your face the way I did, for before mentioned weird sideways curl.

Here's an example on another way to use these.

link

Have you ever tried these before? What's your favorite ways or tools for styling your hair?

Outfit Post

2014-07-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

I've taken a few outfit pictures over the past couple of months. Not as many as I would've liked to, but as I said before, I've been really busy. So here are just a few of my outfits.

(top and belt-given to me, skirt- $10 at Berks, jewelry- made by me, shoes-$5 Cato)

As you can see, this outfit was inspired by an outfit I saw on Pinterest. I really liked the cream and grey colors together, with the dash of turquoise to bring it together and give it some life.

Lately, I've been so busy that I've gotten lazy about dressing up. Frankly, I mostly want comfortable. So I've pretty much been living in tee shirts, jean skirts, and flip flops. I've even been getting dressier flip flops so I could wear them to church. At this point, I'm just sad. ;)

Here's some of the tee shirts I've been getting and wearing. (out of the guys section. Don't judge. They're REALLY soft.) ;)

I guess it's just a phase I'm going through. Anyone else gone through this?

I wore this outfit this past Wednesday night, and ended up getting a lot of compliments. I got the shirt probably two years ago, and hadn't even worn it this year yet. And you can see of course, flip flops. ;)

(flag tee- $4 Walmart, skirt-Goodwill, necklace and earrings- made by me, bracelet-made by a friend, flip flops- Target)

And here is today's outfit! I was so comfortable in it, and I actually made an effort on my hair, big surprise these days. The top knot has been my go to hairstyle as of late. More about my hairstyle in the next post. While shopping for a patriotic tee, I liked how this one was grey. It kinda broke up the only red, white and blue, you know? And made it extra casual. I wore this to a fish fry at the church in Abbeville.

Yesterday, I was shopping with my family, and really, really liked this little bag at Payless. It was on clearance for $8, but when I got to the register it rang up as $6! I was perfectly ok with that. ;)

The curling rods were something I've been wanting to try. There'll be more about that in the next post.

So what kind of outfits have you been wearing lately? Have you noticed your style changing? Is there anything in particular you'd like me to write a post about?

Has it really been two months?

2014-07-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

First off, Happy Fourth of July!

To say life has been crazy would be an understatement. I don't even know how I would begin to cover just the events of the last two months, but I'll try. ;)

First off, we finished helping the church in Abbeville, and began to help a church in Houma, which is about 2 and a half hours away. Before in Abbeville, we were able to stay home and drive there for services, but since Houma is much farther away, we stay the whole weekend there. Which, honestly, is awesome for our family. We enjoy camping out in churches in our sleeping bags, working with the pastor and his family and hanging out together. It's so fun. Since we've been there, Bro. Barry has kept us busy with music and helping around the church. It has been such an experience to get the little tidbits of knowledge from him, especially in the area of piano. My piano skills have escalated in just the past couple of weeks. He's given me ideas and techniques to try which have led to some of my own discoveries. And now he's letting me learn how to play his auto harp! I never saw one before we went over there, but he said anyone can play an auto harp. I practiced and played with it so much last week that I got blisters on my thumb.

This is what they look like.

Besides all that, I've been helping my little sister with her school, which has turned into a full morning job. I enjoy working with her, and the experience I'm getting. :)

Then, two weeks ago, I went to Camp Liberty.

Me and Meg on the way to camp.

Camp name tags and mementos.

This was my 8th year at this camp, and my fourth year as camp photographer. As always it was an awesome experience, but it came with a few hard challenges for me. Worst of all, my camera stopped working the Wednesday morning, right in the middle of camp. I used other people's cameras for the rest of the week, but I was heartsick for my poor camera. I believe that God knows what's best, and I have confidence that He will provide a way, hopefully to either provide the money to get my camera fixed, or for a new one. It's been such a huge part of my life over the past four years that it was almost like losing a friend. I ask that ya'll keep me in your prayers about this. Not only do I catch little bits of my life and my family's life, it's the main piece of my livelihood as a photographer, and a tool I've used for our ministry and to be a help to others. I know that God will handle it, and probably in ways I never would've thought of. :)

So there is other stuff going on, but they're going to be so detailed that it's going to take two more posts, one for each subject. And considering I can't seem to trust myself to have the time to write another post later, I guess they'll just be back to back. I have really missed you guys, and I hope to not be gone so long again.

Love ya'll!

What I've been up to....

2014-05-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Happy May 1st!

Sorry for disappearing for a while like that. I've been crazy busy editing my friend's wedding pictures, a revival at the church we're helping, homeschooling, among many other things keeping me busy. Here's a few pics of what's been going on recently.

Here's a couple new friends I made at the revival. The sweet girl in the middle is getting married this Saturday! :)

Here's my little buddy. :) He's imitating my editing pics on my laptop by pretending to type on Rachel's little Barbie laptop. Isn't he cute? :)

Here's a pic of me at a church crawfish boil last Sunday afternoon. I of course had to go pick out a friend crawfish out of the bucket (before they were boiled) and walked around with him, scaring little kids and cracking up the adults. I guess you can say I'm 100% Cajun. ;) During the short service I had him sitting calmly on the end of my umbrella. Eventually my dad made me put him back before I asked to keep him as a pet. R.I.P. Pierre' Boudreaux. ;)

A few weeks ago I was getting ready for Sunday evening service and didn't really like how flat my hair looked. So I attempted (once again) to get my hair to do what I wanted with my curling iron. And it worked! It had beautiful, flattering soft waves that I adored. Now, if I can only get it right again....

Then a couple of evenings ago my mom dropped me off at Hobby Lobby to get some chain for a friend's necklaces. I then walked over to my favorite Christian bookstore, Mardel because I love the atmosphere, and of course, the books. As I was browsing through their (really awesome) clearance section I found this book from one of favorite authors! Cliff Graham who wrote the Lion of War Series has an amazing knack for making not very explained Bible events come to life, and the people that only their name and a sentence about them are in the Bible suddenly become your favorite book characters. Of course, a lot of it is fiction, but he does a really good job of researching and making sure it could've happened like this. I have the first book and I downloaded the third on my Kindle, and now I have this one, which is the second book, for $3! I was so excited I almost bounced out of the store. :)

I have another post planned about some natural stuff I've been doing and the hair and face products I use coming up soon!

The world traveler returns....

2014-04-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so world traveler may be stretching it, but I have returned. ;)

Plans changed so quickly right before the trip that I wasn't able to update ya'll. We had planned to drive back from Pennsylvania and get back (maybe) this Wednesday, but we found out last Wednesday that our plans had fallen through. Within a few hours, God worked things out, and I had a flight back as well as a flight to the wedding. It was an incredible journey of traveling not only out of state, but for me, out of comfort zones. So many things happened within three days that I'd like to share them here not only to share with ya'll, but to record this paragraph of my life.

(none of these pictures are edited. Yes, I know, bad me. ^_- They're also all from my iPhone)

This was my first photo from our second flight. Our first flight was at 5:30 am, so we really couldn't see much. On my first flight we started out on a small express plane, and had a very nice stewardess and pilot. The security, thankfully, could see my nervousness and was very patient and kind to me. That could've had something to do with Mrs. Charlotte growling at them that this was my first flight, and for them to be nice to me, but, nevertheless. ;) The turbulence was horrible, and I almost got sick, but thankfully didn't. Mrs. Charlotte, who flies a lot, said that it was the second worst flight she had ever been on, so I know it was pretty bad. Unfortunately, it gave me terrible anxiety for every flight after that, which I think was a big part of my problems for the other flights.

The sights from the air were amazingly beautiful. Our first flight was only 45 minutes to Houston, then we had to run from one end of the airport to the other to get to our second flight, which took us to Philadelphia. Mrs. Wanda (my pastor's wife) had done some research on the best restaurants in "Philly" and found out about a place called Pat's. However, on the plane a native Philly guy said that Jim's was much better, which was reaffirmed by the guy at the car rental place. So, winding our way through the crazy roads and traffic with a much confused Siri, we found Jim's.

It had a cute, old fashion style, and 50's decorations inside.

I was telling my parents that I either appeared really nervous in all these new places, or very young and naive, because so many places, including Jim's, the worker would be snapping at the person in front of me, then look at me, and say, "What do you want, baby?" It was sort of odd, but I guess it worked. ;)

Everyone in my group enjoyed their Philly cheese-steak sandwiches. I enjoyed eating food after having a turbulent stomach, and was grateful for the filling food, but I'm afraid I was a little disappointed. I felt that their should've been some seasoning on the meat, but I guess that's because I'm just so used to Cajun food. We don't cook anything without some kind of seasoning. After my meal, Mrs. Charlotte pulled out the salt and pepper shakers from behind the napkin holder I had been looking for before. It was pretty funny. ;)

I loved the street scene from the second floor of Jim's, especially the cute little blue mini cooper. :)

This is Mrs. Charlotte with the sweet Saint Bernard we met on the street. It was the first time I had ever seen a Saint Bernard in person. She was so huge!

We went into the historical section of Philadelphia and I couldn't get over how tall the buildings were! This one wasn't even near the tallest building there.

I took a picture before this of this horse, but right after that, he put up his leg like this and posed! I asked the guy holding the reins, "Did he really just pose?" The guy nodded, and said, "Yep."

We went to see the Liberty Bell, but the line was extremely long. As we walked around the building housing the Bell, I looked up and thought this building looked familiar. I asked Bro. Heard, and he said it was Independence Hall! I think I was more excited about this building then the Bell. Sadly, we didn't have the time to walk two blocks in the opposite direction to get a ticket then walk back, but at least we got pictures of the building.

A lady who lived in Philly showed us a side window where we could still see the Liberty Bell. It was so neat to see, after reading most of my life on the Revolutionary War, and those times.

And here is my wings! I'm so thankful for Mrs. Charlotte telling the stewardess that it was my first flight. I didn't even know about these things!

Well, we have revival this week, so I'll give you a short summary of the rest of our three days. After leaving Philly we drove three hours to Williamsport and to the hotel. God blessed us with an upgrade for our room, and we enjoyed the extra space and lovely accommodations. We went to the rehearsal that night, figured out where Mrs. Charlotte and I needed to be as the photographers, and showed everyone where they needed to stop for pictures. We got to see old friends and made new ones, and I was so glad that I was blessed with friendly people to work with. I won't be sharing any pics of the wedding for a while until I sort, edit, and send all the pictures to the bride, but you can believe me, that it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to.

After the wedding we went to the store to get to the necessities, and hung out in our hotel room with some friends to watch a movie and catch up on everything. There was a lot of giggling and outright laughter as we fondly teased each other and acted goofy in our tired, delirious states. It was ended short by me leaving with the Heards at 12:15 AM to drive back to Philadelphia. We had a flat after hitting a pothole, cold weather, and winding, confusing roads, but through it all I was blessed to get 2 hours of sleep. I was nervous again when we went through security at the Philadelphia airport, but except for getting patted down, everything went smoothly. (Let me explain. I was wearing a skirt, so I guess there was a chance I could be hiding something. I was just surprised, but it still went fine.) The first flight was ok, and I got to sleep a couple more hours, sitting between two very nice people. Our flight was late, so we missed our connecting flight to Lafayette. But in a way, even though we were too late to get to church, I was thankful for that extra time between flights to relax, eat, and calm down before my last flight. I think between that and the low turbulence, my last flight was so much more enjoyable.

I'm so thankful for the Heards for traveling with me and taking care of me in situations I wouldn't have known what to do, and Mrs. Charlotte for showing me the ropes and explaining to me what to expect before they happened. They made these new experiences so much easier for me. I'm thankful for the sweet friends we got to see at the wedding and spend time with, and the new friends I got to meet. I'm especially thankful for Carolyn asking me to shoot her wedding, and being patient with all my questions. But most of all, I'm thankful to my Heavenly Father for taking care of me, sending the people I needed into my life, and giving me wisdom in times I wasn't sure what to do. Also, for keeping my mouth shut when it needed to be. ;) And for giving me the peace I asked for when I was anxious on the plane, and allowing the Benadryl to knock me out even when I struggled against falling asleep because I was afraid of my head falling on one of my seatmate's shoulder. He took care of me through it all, and for that, I'm so thankful. :)

The Blessing of Traveling

2014-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

At this time next Friday I'll be on a plane from Houston to Philadelphia. I was thinking about it last night, how much I've been able to travel in the past three years.

I photographed a wedding in Florida in 2012, my first time ever to Florida.

I shot a family reunion in Texas last April.

I went on a vacation with two of my closest friends to Florida last May.

I went again to Florida in November with my family to some friend's house for Thanksgiving/ vacation.

And now?

I'm getting ready to fly for the first time (not counting the little Cessna plane and my flight to California when I was two which I can't remember), seeing parts of New England for the first time, shooting my friend's wedding in Pennsylvania, then driving back through more states I've never been to before and stopping in Maryland, North Carolina, and Alabama.

Wow!

Besides photography and making jewelry and a little side cleaning job, I don't have an actual place of employment. And the little things I do don't make much money. Which shows me that my heart's desire of traveling to new places in my teen years is being fulfilled by my dear Heavenly Father. Once again, He's taking my dreams and making them a reality.

Psalms 37:4-5 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

There's very few things that make my heart race faster than the possibility of seeing new places and having a new adventure.

As I mentioned before, I dreamed of travel in my teen years. I even planned out a dream trip, including Rome, Paris, London, Scotland, Nova Scotia, and ending with the Statue of Liberty. Of course, I know that a trip like that would take thousands of dollars, and considering I don't plan on marrying a millionaire it will probably never happen. But it was so fun to plan and just dream.

I'm so thankful for this time in my life. Even though being single can be hard, it gives me the opportunity to experience new things and places and try to be a help to others. To grow closer to my family every day, and try to be the best example I can to my younger siblings who are always watching me. If I were in a relationship at this moment, I know that most of my thoughts would be on him, and our relationship. Not that I think there's anything wrong with that, it's just not what season of life I'm in at the moment. I'm in the happily single stage, until I get to the relationship stage that will be with me for the rest of my life. I'm thankful and content in the season I'm in until the Lord believes I'm ready for the next season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

I just wanted to share with ya'll some thoughts and blessings in my life. Have you realized or thought of how God's been blessing your life lately?

Current life happenings

2014-03-25T16:13:00.001-07:00

This is my background on my phone at the moment. I've just fallen in love with the color yellow lately! It's so sweet and cheery.

Speaking of, remember when I said a while back that I was looking for the perfect yellow item to add to my wardrobe? Well, today I found it!

Isn't it lovely?

I of course had to try it on and practice styling it when I got home.

Not really sure why my face is so red in this pic, must be the lighting.

I've had this skirt for a long time. I tried a little pattern mixing with the flowers and stripes. I think I like it. :)

Then, I had to see the $5 bubble necklaces in a myriad of beautiful colors. Grr. Oh well, I love my new navy bubble, and it's the first piece of navy jewelry I've ever owned. I'm wearing it to my friend's wedding.

I like this outfit for the wedding much better than the one I had chosen before.

Then, since I was in an outfit trying mood, this is my outfit for Sunday.

Both shirt and skirt were $2 each at Walmart! My mom found them and thought they looked like my style. :)

So what has this girl been up to?

Taking two mile walks nearly daily for the past two weeks, studying for and teaching Sunday School, playing games on my phone (yes, I'm guilty of getting into racing games lately, thanks to my lil bro), Bible College, and spending time with family. It's been fun, crazy, and needless to say, busy as I prepare for my first flight ever and shooting my friend's wedding in less than two weeks.

Have a happy week! :)

It's a deal!

2014-03-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

The pastor's wife at the church we're helping knows how much I love scarves. They were missionaries in France for 17 years, and she said that a lady gave it to her while they were over there, but she never knew how to wear it. So she gave it to me! It's such a lovely teal, and I love the French tag on it. I just had to share that. I thought it was so cool. :)

Last week I was looking in my closet and realized something. I had five dress shirts. Now, I do have shirts that can go either way, but as far as dressy, I had very few. I had wondered why I haven't really been wanting to dress up, but wearing my nicer casual clothes. I had more options that way.

So I went to Goodwill, which was followed by Cato, and found some really nice stuff!

Goodwill $4

Goodwill (originally Cato) $4

Goodwill $4

Goodwill $2

Everything I got at Goodwill was a nice brand, in great condition, and my style! The pink top was considered a muscle shirt, so I got it for $2! I love how I can wear a different color shirt under it to style it different ways. I love them all, but I REALLY like my zebra shirt. The lace back is so elegant and cool, perfect for spring and summer! The light green top makes me think of new grass and spring, and makes me happy. :)

Cato $10

Cato $15

The stuff from Cato was a little pricier, but I really liked them, and could see them getting a lot of use. I've been wanting a nice floral top, and I love orange and cobalt. The second top was not something that's normally my style, but I picked it up anyway. When I tried it on, I just liked it. And the more I look at it, the more I like it. I already wore it once with my brass owl necklace. It was definitely a new look for me, but I think it works.

The week before I had gone to Cato, and got a few things also.

$13

$20

My mom was nice enough to get me the lovely jewelry set and purse. This is one of the options I had been looking at a little while back when I decided on the tan bag. I still liked this one a lot, so I ended up getting it. The jewelry goes perfect with my peach lace top. The skirt, I had to really bite the bullet on. I normally really don't like spending $20 or more on one article of clothing, but I know that this maxi will be getting a lot of use.

Have you been looking for Springy stuff?

Have you found any good deals?

Things are Happenin'!

2014-03-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

Right now, I am super excited. But you'll have to wait until the end of this post to find out the thing I'm the most excited about. But through out the post, I will share little things that are part of the excitement, and maybe a few hints about the main event. :)

crossbody bag $10, blue suede flats $7, nude and black flats $10

Yesterday, I went to Cato to get a new crossbody bag. My last one went kaput when I got back from my trip to Florida in May. It had been such a handy little bag, the perfect size, easy to carry, and of course, cute! I'd been putting off getting another one, but yesterday I found this one. I had been down to three cute bags, but the nice saleslady was great at helping me decide. And I'm very happy with my choice. I was SUPPOSED to just go in for the bag, but of course I couldn't help glancing (More like thoroughly searching) the clearance racks (this is Cato we're talking about, ok?) That's when I found the cute flats. I realized that they would be really handy (Any excuse works when it comes to cute shoes) for this event I'm preparing for. So, of course, I happily got these new items. :) I love how the flats on the left match the purse so well.

Then I went to Walmart, only intending to get these SD cards. I promise, I went straight from the camera section to the checkout! But next to the cashier were some scarves that someone obviously hadn't wanted. You know my weakness for scarves. I gulped, then asked the cashier how much they were. And you'll never guess. $5 for a two pack of scarves! I groaned, and told the smiling cashier that I wanted them.

Please forgive the not so great picture. The pink aztec print scarf came with the bright blue scarf, and the blush pink came with the awesome printed scarf at the top. O well. I now have 21 scarves.

Next, I cannot tell you how much I adore this App. It's called DuoLingo and it's amazing! I'm learning Spanish so quickly, and it's so much fun! I way prefer doing this daily over playing any game. It's fun and you learn so quickly! If you ever wanted to learn a language and have an Apple product, (iPad, iPhone, etc.) I highly recommend it.

And that concludes my random rant.

So, here's the big news.

I'm shooting my friend's wedding in Pennsylvania! Honestly, this little doubter didn't think there would be any way I could make it to her wedding, but the Lord has provided right in front of my unbelieving eyes. It's been amazing to watch.

And....

I'M FLYING!!!!!!!!

For the first time!

I get to take pictures, be at my friend's wedding, visit states and be in a part of the country I've never been to before, and I get to FLY!!!! I'm only flying there, but I'm so thankful for this new experience.

the picture of the white dog's expression perfectly describes what I'm feeling. ;)

Inspirations and Current Likes from Pinterest

2014-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

Now, I know we all get lots of ideas from Pinterest. It's so easy to become dissatisfied with what you have and yearn after what you don't have, which is a true danger of Pinterest. The way I've found to combat this problem however, is to use it as the tool it was meant to be, to inspire. I look at their ideas, and figure out how to use the things I already have in a new way, and therefore use the things I have to the best of their ability. So here's some things that have inspired me, or some are things I already do, and hope to inspire you.

I love tying long or floaty tops! I use this quite often, especially in the summer where I use my collection of camp tees that I got a little big so I could tie them to the side, like the picture above. I think it's just a cute, chic but modest way to wear a special or not so special tee.

I just love this turquoise necklace. It's so earthy and unique, making a statement while still being simple. It steals the show. I think I know where I can find the stuff to make this necklace, or at least it'll be similar. Sometimes it's such a blessing to be able to make your own jewelry.

Florals and stripes. I NEVER would've thought to put these two together before Pinterest.

Colorblocking is another thing that is new to me but I'm having so much fun with!

Did you maybe lose weight, or bought a shirt that was too big because you liked the style or color of it? This is a great idea that doesn't require sewing, just a cute broach to fix it up!

Last year I got to tye-dye for the first time. I think this would be a fun way to personalize a maxi skirt, or maybe even a dress.

Ever since I got my black and white polka dot scarf, I think polka dots are finally growing on me.

I have the lace top, red flats, and jean skirt for this outfit! I can't wait for a special occasion to wear it.

I have lots more, but I have to get ready to go somewhere.

Have a great Monday!

The importance of Modern Modesty

2014-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

I was simply washing my hands in the bathroom of Cracker Barrel before we ate dinner. Looking down at the water, I suddenly heard the words, "Oh my word, you're drop dead gorgeous!" I looked up, wondering who the voice was talking about, when I was startled to realize that the 12 year old young girl with her friend behind her was gaping at me! I said, "Uh, thank you." And continued washing my hands, probably blushing from the still gaping girl. Her friend called her weird for saying that to a complete stranger, while she continued to say, "But it's true! She is!"

At first I took it as an amusing, random happening that I shared and joked with my family about. But then, as I thought about it more, I realized something. The Lord has helped me accomplish a goal I had set in my life.

I was wearing this outfit with my hair straightened and pulled half way back, with my only makeup being eye shadow and mascara. I was just going out with my family for a post Valentine dinner, doing my best to look modest and feminine while still feeling comfortable.

The goal I have is to prove to ladies that modesty doesn't equal frumpy. You can be cute, and even trendy if you want within the guidelines of staying modest. Also, that modesty isn't the only important thing. God made you female, so you should dress feminine as well as modest. Before I realized that I dressed modest, but quite a few of my shirts could've been worn by a man. I didn't understand the importance of being feminine, being undeniably my gender, as God had made me. Femininity is too often considered a weakness in today's day and age, when honestly, it is a strength. That's why I have this blog. Not only to journal happenings in my life, but to hopefully be a help and encouragement to other young ladies around the world.

So back to my story. It was an encouragement to me that this impressionable, young girl could look at me, a skirt wearing, high neckline, with minimal makeup, teeter-totterer between misses and plus size in a world that frowns on anyone that's not stick thin woman and think I was beautiful. My prayer is that both of these young ladies grow up to realize that beauty is not defined by Hollywood, and that God has made us each and everyone uniquely beautiful. I also pray that someone would give them the gospel, and that maybe the Lord used me to plant the seed for them to listen to another Christian later on. I wanted to give them both a tract, but something happened immediately after that prevented me from doing that. And once I left the bathroom, neither girl was in sight.

I hope that with the Lord's help, that He will use me to make an impression in other women and girl's lives throughout my life.

My life lately

2014-02-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that since I got my iPhone that I take pictures pretty much daily just like I used to. I mean, I love my SLR, but it usually seems like too much hassle to pull out to take pictures of everyday, and I'm usually afraid to go just anywhere with it, because I'm afraid of it getting broken or stolen. But since my phone is always with me, and it takes really great pictures (for a phone), I'm once again enjoying capturing the little things of life. So here are some glimpses into my life through iPhone pictures.

Me and my friend Carolyn at her bridal shower last Tuesday. I so wish I could make it to her wedding, but it'll be all the way in Pennsylvania! *sighs*

My post on Facebook the day before Valentine's. I truly had a great day too with my siblings. :)

My yummy breakfast for Valentine's included coffee with marshmallows, biscuits and honey with a fried egg. Mm-mm!

This was while we were trying to play a board game. Matthew climbed on Mark's shoulders all by himself. Here's Mark trying to look mad. ;)

mint sweatshirt, bubble necklace-both $3 at Cato, mint hoop earrings-part of a set at Charming Charlie's, pink undershirt-given to me, jean skirt-$3 at a thrift store in Florida, nude flats- $20? at Payless.

teal tee, royal blue undershirt, flip flops, and polka dot scarf - all from Walmart for $2 each, hair flower and initial necklace- gifts from friends, jean skirt- $3 from thrift store, earrings- $2 from Goodwill.

scarf- given to me, from Cato, bracelet- made by me, earrings- part of a set from Charming Charlie's.

peach shirt- gift, $5 from Walmart, jean skirt- $5 from Goodwill, mint undershirt (not shown) - $2 from Walmart.

blue tee, black crop jacket- at Cato (long time ago?? Not sure of the prices), skirt- $6 from Clothes Mentor, a thrift shop, zebra necklace- made by me.

Another great thing about my iPhone is how much easier it is to take outfit pics and upload them so I can use them on here or on Modern Modesty. I know, I almost sound like I could do an advertisement for Apple! ;)

This was the weather we had today. Yes, you have permission to be jealous. ;) I was so excited to see the warmer temps again that I pulled out my short sleeve tee and flip flops to go grocery shopping ( I was wearing the outfit with the polka dot scarf today.)

And this amazing stuff is what I'm going to be attempting to make tomorrow morning. Praying that it comes out ok and I don't waste anything.

What have you been up to?

Shopping finds

2014-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, this last week I got to do something I haven't been able to do in quite a while. Shop! And the Lord blessed me with some amazing finds, even some that were paid for by someone else. ;)

This red jean (feels like soft cotton) skirt for instance, cost me nothing. A friend and I both wore a skirt that the other liked, so we swapped! She liked an orange skirt I was wearing, and I had two orange skirts. I've been looking for colored jean skirts (it seems like) forever, so I was more than happy to trade. I know it flairs, but it goes down pretty flat when you're standing still, and looks great with a more fitted top. I can't wait to find new ways to style it!

Cato Fashions $7

Cato $7

Cato $3

I do a lot around the house, so sometimes my mom will get me something in appreciation. The other day when we were at Cato, she got me these two scarves, and I paid for the mint lace sweatshirt. The top is in a laid back sweatshirt style, while the lace makes it more dressy, which makes it easy to dress it up or down.

Walmart $3

Walmart $2 each

Walmart $5

All of these are things I can see myself styling many different ways for any time of the year (Well, the grey will proly be put up for summer). I wore the grey shirt when we went out with some friends Friday night with a red, black, and grey leopard scarf. The aqua tee I wore with a long sleeve white tee underneath and the zebra scarf on Saturday. Sunday I wore the lace top with a wine chiffon maxi skirt and gold heart dangle earrings. The grey and pink plaid top I plan to wear for my friend's bridal shower tomorrow night, with a jean skirt, cowgirl boots, and a pearl necklace and earrings. I've never been very fond of polka dots, but at $2 I figured I'd give this scarf a try. I can already see so many possibilities!

Walmart $2 each

Saturday we were at Walmart, and my dad saw me looking at these. I wear undershirts almost all the time, so I've been wanting to get some different colors for more options. So without me asking, he let me get them! :)

Then this morning my mom woke me up by dropping a Walmart bag on me. Inside it was the peach version of my ivory lace top! I've been seeing a lot of different ways to style peach, especially with mint, which I have a lot of. I hadn't told anyone that I wanted something peach, but the Lord blessed me with my inner desire, really just an offhanded thought, but He showed me once again that He's paying attention to me. I'm so blessed with the wonderful Heavenly Father and thoughtful family I have. No, my family is not perfect, but I love them anyway. All the items in this post (with maybe the exception of the pink and grey plaid) are very versatile, which is something I've really been keeping an eye out for things in my closet.

So what do you look for when you shop?

Sunny Yellow

2014-02-04T08:23:00.001-08:00

For quite a few years now, I've said that the only color I didn't like was yellow. Due to the yellowish tint to my skin, it usually made me look sick if I tried to wear it. Then I tried mustard yellow, and amazingly, it looked fine! So It's been a lil over a year now since I discovered Mustard yellow, but I still said I didn't like bright or light yellow. I like it on other people, I just felt like I couldn't wear it. Well, maybe because of all the rainy/cloudy/icy weather and lack of seeing the sun, I've really started to yearn for yellow. The two days that the sun came out I was outside nearly nonstop, trying to soak in the beautiful warmth of the sun. But now that it's back under it's thick blanket of clouds, I find myself craving yellow.

(my favorite!)

So I think I'm going to give yellow another try. Maybe if I keep the yellow away from my face, like a skirt or shoes. Or maybe if the yellow is broken up, like that yellow and white striped top. Or maybe in small portions like a yellow necklace, or a scarf with yellow and other colors. I really like the yellow and grey, yellow and navy, yellow and burgundy, yellow and black and white, and even the yellow and mint mixes. I'll try a little bit at a time, to see what works for me.

On a side note, a friend and I are going to try to host a clothing swap this Friday. Maybe I'll be able to find a few yellow items! :)

Has there ever been a color you thought you couldn't wear?

Thoughts for Valentines

2014-01-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

No, I don't have any particular reason for celebrating Valentines Day, but I enjoy dressing up for it anyway. I made some sets on Polyvore to show some ideas or maybe even inspire what one of my readers could wear for Valentines, especially if you have a very special reason to. ;)

Shabby Chic and Classic Cutie by pawpawsgirl92 featuring Royal Albert

The first outfit is a less traditional (as far as Valentine's goes), springy, more vintage look. Depending on your style, you can wear the boots for a younger, old-fashioned style, or the pale pink wedges for a more modern look. The second outfit is for the monochromatic, super girly, romantic dreamer. If you can picture yourself being proposed to in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Valentine's Day by your Prince Charming, this outfit may be for you. Depending on when and where you're at, you can wear the scarf and flats for a more casual event, or the necklace and pumps for a formal one. (I would prefer if both of these dresses were longer, but I do like the color, texture, and overall style of them.)

Valentine-red and black by pawpawsgirl92 featuring a vintage black cocktail dress

These red and black options are either more subdued or more bold than the previous set, depending on your opinion. Personally, I'd be more comfortable in a black lace dress (a longer one), or this red dress than the brighter, more eye catching lighter colors. I'm a good bit of a wallflower, and not too crazy about drawing attention to myself. Although I like the first set, I'm very in love with this one. It's just a lot more my style. The soft long curls would look great with either outfit. In the first outfit, the bracelet could be removed and the earrings changed to silver hoops to make it more casual. I would prefer if the rose were a bit more to one side in the second outfit. I want/need a black lace dress so bad. I might start thinking again about making one.

romantic and whimsical by pawpawsgirl92 featuring dangle earrings

And if you're not so into the traditional Valentine colors, why not try a lace dress in this lovely cobalt blue? With just a hint of Valentine in the romantic, classic red nails and lips with the soft curls, bow shoes, and pearl or locket necklace?

Valentine fancy by pawpawsgirl92 featuring stud earrings

Maybe you're not going anywhere special on that day, but you'd still like to incorporate something into your outfit for Valentine's, How about this simple, oxblood pencil skirt, glittery sweatshirt, pink heart earrings, and sweet, black ballet flats?

Comfy by pawpawsgirl92 featuring a striped shirt

Even though I'm posting all these sophisticated, elegant outfits, the outfit above is more similar to what I'm wearing right now. An old jean skirt, a roomy flannel plaid shirt, and slippers. Actually, two pairs of socks and slippers. It's 25 degrees outside and feels like 12 degrees. It's been sleeting all day, and let me say we are NOT used to this in south Louisiana. Please pray for us Cajuns as we deal with these weather conditions we're not used to, and the ones like my dad who still have to go to work.