Natalie - Natalie Wise Blog

Good Morning!

Gooooood Morning! It’s Friday!

Sooo…I’m wondering. How did donuts ever manage to get the “breakfast food” distinction, while just-as-sweet treats like cakes, cookies, etc. were snubbed and called “dessert only”? I’m not sure who decided that. Give me a banana, cheese stick, and piece of chocolate cake for breakfast, and I can power through the day. Granted, I do NOT indulge for breakfast very often, and do not think it is necessarily the best way to start my day, but being an adult does have its advantages. Like eating cake for breakfast.

I just remembered: this was Kate Spade’s adorable advertising/motto earlier this year!

Amazing and so much fun. How cute are those outfits?!

Have a great day!

Birthday Celebrations

Birthday cakes are the picture of happiness. Sugar-overload, celebration-happiness baked in a pan and served with a smile. I just love to bake a cake, putting little touches here and there (such as handmade birthday bunting flags), and to offer it as a gift and celebration of friendship, of life, of good things that have been and good things that are to come.

Gluten-free chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting…with organic strawberry milk.

It makes me happy.

How could it not?

Sending so many good wishes for the coming year to the birthday girl!

Happy Birthday and Lots of Love!

xo!

Snack Time

So.

There’s this chance I have developed a bad habit.

By bad I mean, utterly delicious. Watermelon sherbet with Cool Whip.

Nightly.

No, it’s not a bad habit, really.

It’s sherbet! Less fat and fewer calories than ice cream!

Right? RIGHT?

+++++

Oh, how we can rationalize to our hearts’ content. See, here’s the thing: God calls us to take every thought captive. Every word, every deed, everything in our hearts–to take it captive. To pass it through the sieve of the Holy Spirit, so that we can make every thought/word/deed obedient to Christ.

But–well, we’re really good at RATIONALIZING.

I’m equating my rationalizing a “bad habit” of sherbet with sin, just for effect.

Because the problem is, sometimes sin tastes delicious.

It feels good.

It might make us feel alive for a minute, or dulls our pain for a minute, or maybe we think it’s just plain fun.

And that never hurt anyone, right?
Wrong.

It hurts God’s heart. It hurts him because He is Holy. He detests sin and unrighteousness. And he LOVES us. He WANTS us.

Next time you find yourself rationalizing sin, remember: God detests that. He loves you. And that is enough.

That is always enough.

Bows and Bouffants

I’m a ’60s girl at heart, I do believe. Give me a bow and a bouffant and I’m quite happy indeed. Touches of leopard (and more bows in my hair!) and a blouse covered in tiny bows…yes yes and more yes. Always yes to bows!

I think it’s so amusing how skinny jeans are such a modern trend right now, but they suit my ’60s tendencies so very well. Everything old is new again.

xo!
Natalie

{P.S> Sorry my “Love, Natalie” graphic has gone missing…it will be back soon!}

Blue Skies

It’s been getting a little too casual around here. So I wore my Jackie dress again.

My Jackie dress makes me feel happy.

{Mom, where are you to give my dress a good yank down to smooth out those wrinkles when I need you?! }

I’m wearing the gold/seafoam cocktail ring, too, but you can’t quite see it.

Seafoam + Sky Blue + Royal Blue.

It has been so wonderful to see blue skies again!

I hope you have a beautiful blue-sky week!

Natalie

Sunny with a Chance of Preppy

It was a sunny weekend! Sunny with a chance of preppy 😉

I took that chance of preppy–not a style I do often, though I adore it. I just generally inch towards vintage-girly more so than the straight lines of preppy.

Braided gold flats with a tiny wooden heel certainly feel preppy to me. Very nautical.

I picked up these bright green bermuda shorts, thinking I could use them as a summer version of colored skinny jeans. Do you think colored shorts translate as well?

The shirt is yellow gingham, but it’s hard to tell in the photos above.

I got SO many compliments on this sunny yellow nail polish.

I’ve been wanting to try the yellow nail polish trend for a few summers now, but kept telling myself I had plenty of nail polish to use up first. But when a perfectly yellow bottle of Sally Hansen showed up in the clearance bin for $1, who was I to argue with my deep-seated inner yellow-nail-polish love?

It lived up to my expectations and I just adore it for summer. It will definitely be a regular part of my summer nail polish rotation.

Don’t worry, seafoam green…we’re still friends, too. In fact, I think you and sunny yellow will play nicely together, like this:

{found online…anyone know which blogger this is?}

Because aside from the fact that she’s wearing way too many accessories, those amazing polka-dot pants paired with yellow & sea foam green alternating nail polish are crazy-inspiring.

Have a great week, my dears! You’re looking lovely this Monday morning!

Natalie

Sunshiney Morning

{azaleas, still a bit wet}

It’s sunny this morning! It’s sunny! I feel like harps and trumps and angels should sing!

I’ve already been up and inspired with this lovely sunshine streaming in—I potted some beautiful fuschias for my front step.

Fuschias are one of, if not totally, my ABSOLUTE favorite flowers. Well, they are my favorite non-bouquet flower…they are just so incredibly beautiful, fun, girly, and colorful. They come in all different color combos, some more fancy and layered/ruffled than others.

I’m pretty sure they are just about the most perfect Natalie flower you could ever find—they are fairy flowers, ballet costumes, cupcake toppers, just flirty, girly, and FUN FUN FUN.

My favorites!

See! They match my pointe shoes!

Whenever I’m feeling happy and lovely, I put on my flat ballet shoes or pointe shoes. I haven’t actually danced en pointe for many years, so I just dress-up in those 🙂 But my flat shoes…oh yes, I dance! Dancing makes my heart feel so much lighter, more beautiful…and expressed. How often do we get to feel that our hearts are fully expressed and poured out? I feel that dance can absolutely be worship too–I put on some praise music, and dance my heart out before God. Oh it is so beautiful.

Well, those are the things for this happy Friday morning!

xo, my dears!

Natalie

Feminine Oxford

Sometimes I find oxfords are far too masculine for me, my shape, and my taste. This vintage button-up has enough detail to make it feminine…cute side vents, ruffled collar & sleeves, floral pattern, and it’s the perfect blend of being ultra-soft and yet crisp.

A blue floral print and jeans with just enough detail to keep things interesting…perfect for a breezy summer day!

Natalie

Things I Think When It Rains

I’m tired.

And did I mention it’s still rainy?

So I thought, why not monochromatic, and stripes with more stripes?

And then I thought…I normally pair gray and mint with silver. But what if I paired them with gold?! What then, huh?

Anything seems like a good idea when it’s been raining for ~~days~~ weeks.

Actually, I don’t think gold flats and a gold/green ring did any harm.

In fact, I might like it.

I might try it again on some non-rainy day.

If that ever happens.

I’m putting my foot down.

The rain’s gotta stop.

You got that, rain?

K, good.

Natalie

Joy and Shades of Pink

Rainy days call for “JOY” French “Diva-nilla” coffee. Haha. Love this cheerful polka dot coffee and polka dot, “You have filled my heart with greater joy,” Dayspring mug (check out their Good Things- Teacup and Tote Gift Set). So much extra cheerfulness for the day!

It was raining all day, so I didn’t get to take outfit pictures of this outfit “on”. But I was crushing hard on the color combo, so I wanted to be sure to share it.

Ballet Pink cardi + Hot Pink scarf + Latte tee

Add cheetah ballet flats, jeans, lavender nail polish and hair band, and citrine earrings.

I think this color combination is just wonderful! It feels sophisticated, yet youthful. What do you think?

xo!

Natalie