Good morning, lovelies! Into the week we go—big mug of black tea in hand, and my new leopard-print sunglasses on my head! {gotta love the dollar bin at the thrift store!}
I woke up with this song in my head, and I figured that was a clue to share it.
“Lord, I want to yearn for You, I want to burn with passion over You, and only You.”
At first, I didn’t think much of this colored jean phenomenon. I bought some dark green jeans just because they were the color of one of my alma maters. This was in 2008, before the craze really took off. I remember wearing them to school one day with a simple white tee and some gold flat sandals, thinking, WHY did I get green jeans? Am I a crazy person? To be honest, I put them in my “donate” pile several times!
Of course, now these dark green jeans are oh-so-very tame.
Let’s talk colored jeans.
Still wearing them, 4 years after that first “Am I crazy?” thought! This sweater with the same green in it creates a harmonious line for the eye. The nice thing about these dark-green jeans is that they transition to all seasons. {Outfit 1}These jeans are F21 and cost $10. They are nice and lightweight, though not stretchy, per se. And easy way to break into the trend.
Pinky-red jeans! I have actually found a lot of ways to wear this color, and a combo with mint (an idea taken from the J.Crew catalogue) was a fun one! If you’re stuck for ideas on how to wear the jeans, you can check out J.Crew or other websites/catalogues for more ideas! {Outfit 2}Brand is BDG, which I think is from Urban Outfitters, generally? These I got at a tag sale for $1. They fit well and I wear them a lot, but they don’t like to stay tucked in neatly (they get wrinkly easily).
My light pink jeans are fun to wear monochromatic-ally since I own a few light pink things (seen here), or with a bright contrast of red! Since the light pink jeans are almost neutral, a bright color works well with them. {Outfit 3}The light pink jeans are Gap Pencil Cut, and I love them. Thrifted (under $10–can’t remember exactly). They are soft, stretchy, and the perfect color.
My mint jeans are so much fun! I loved wearing them in winter, for an unexpectedly fresh look. Winter white & black really let the mint color shine. Goodness, wearing these puts me in a happy mood! {Outfit 4}
I paid $22 for these at the consignment store. That is generally too much for me, but I just had to have them! Unfortunately, I have to admit they are rather thick and kind of uncomfortable to wear. Some weird brand I can’t find online? Love Park?
Lastly, break out that color wheel! Blue and orange are opposites on the color wheel, making them complimentary colors. You can’t go too wrong pairing them! This was my favorite outfit, I think because the outfit really goes for it! This outfit projects oodles of confidence. {Outfit 5}These are my absolute favorite jeans. They were $4 at the thrift store, and they are by far the most “out there” colored jeans I have. Strangely, they are also the ones I’e worn the most, and I’ve only had them a few weeks! I think that is because they are incredibly soft, stretchy, and fit very comfortably. These fit very well and are just the right level of tightness around the ankle, and don’t sag or stretch out, so they look the best tucked into boots, and rolled up. The buttons and rivets are little peace signs 🙂 Xhilaration brand jeans from Target. Unfortunately, I think Target only has Mossimo brand colored jeans right now, which I can’t vouch for, I’m afraid.
Go grab a pair, wherever you can find ’em, and mix up some fun outfits this spring!
It’s almost Mother’s Day! And that means it’s time to whip up a special treat for the beautiful women in our lives.
This is a quick and fun project that turns out so cute! A relaxing bath is a rare luxury in just about any household, and one that is sure to be savored. Encourage a moment’s peace with these sachets of relaxing herbs for the bath; they are affectionately termed Chamomile-LavenderTub Teas.
Gather your supplies: Fabric scraps, thread, needle, scissors, parchment tea filters, ribbon, and herbs of your choice. I used chamomile & lavender for a relaxing blend. You could also use mint & lavender, dried lemon peel, dried rose petals, etc. to create your own blend. You should be able to buy these ingredients in the bulk department of a natural foods store.
Fill the tea filters with your herb mixture. Then, carefully fold the top down by pulling the two corners in to create a point. Then tuck the point under, and fold once more, like a tea bag top (keep one out for reference, if you need it!). Quickly hand-sew a long length of ribbon (long enough that it can be tied to the faucet of the bath and be in the water) in place at the top of this fold, securing the fold as well.
Then, cut out hearts or use your pinking shears to cut little square fabric “tags.” I did some of both. I recommend using cloth as opposed to paper, since it might get wet. Sew this tag to the other end of the ribbon. Voila!
Time to package them up! I used my favorite little waxed paper bags and washi tape to recreate another ‘tea bag’ feel for the outer packaging.
You could also make a tea-themed gift, with tea to drink, a cute tea infuser, and a good book. Why not throw in a Dayspring mug, too? I love Dayspring’s cheerful, encouraging mugs, and they are only $10!
Make sure to include a note for mom that these teabags are to infuse a lovely, luxurious bath soak.
Call your mom, pop a letter in the mail (now so you don’t forget!), or craft up a cute little weeknight project to lavish the love on moms! They deserve it.
It’s only Tuesday? I feel like it’s been an awesome, busy week so far. Good effort everyone. I call an early weekend, ok? Aaaaaaaaand cue the movie marathon and ice cream sundaes.
Ok, so maybe it doesn’t actually work that way. Drat.
Today was rainy, rainy, rainy. Rainy. (photos from a few days ago) And the Lord was gracious enough to bless me with a rather cheerful attitude for the day. Don’t you love that? Love it.
Sometimes, I try to reclaim my teenage years, and I use sky blue eyeliner. Can you see it? So much fun, and I love the way it catches the light.
Something about an Eiffel tower sweater that demands bling, sunglasses, and red lipstick.
Wow, I’m so ridiculous. Paperbag-waist pants (hehe silly name) bring out the silly in me. Or caffeine & sunshine. They do that, too.
Just FYI, my belt is sparkly. And my shoes are silver.
I can’t figure these pants out, you guys. Some days, I love them. Other days, I hate them. Some days, I think they look good with flats only. Other days, only with heels. But they are super comfy, I must admit, and I find the paper bag waist super fun. But there are so many good things in this outfit that I’m quite sure I like: stripes, pink, blingy necklace, red lipstick, sparkly belt, silver driving mocs.
Goooooooooood morning, loverlies! I was up and at ’em early this morning, something my heart delights in in the summer. Though I wouldn’t call this chilly, windy morning “summer” quite yet. What better morning treat for a Friday than a creamline Orange Creme organic yogurt made with milk from 100% grass-fed cows, along with some “hippie” cookies I made last night, spread with the leftovers of the maple cream cheese. Then there’s my newly thrifted 1970s Norwegian mug over on the left. Some local half and half, and a french press of coffee waiting in the background…
“Cookies” for breakfast. Hey, they have applesauce & raisins in them! And millet! And chia seeds! Whatever those last two things are! (just kidding…I know what they are, that’s just the coffee talking.)
And some morning encouragement…
Have a beautiful day, you lovely readers with beautiful hearts!
Bumped hair with pink bobby pins—rest of hair twisted around back to side pony 🙂
Lots of studs…studded belt + stud earrings, too,
Purple makeup + false eyelashes.
Light pink headband plus light pink belt.
This dress is yet another item I wanted to wear before it got too warm for such a heavy (visually and materially) item. I brought in a bit of lightness with the light pink headband and belt, and a sparkly cardigan that catches the light (you know the one, gray with sequin stripes, right?).
I was so happy this day! I love a good full-skirt dress with pockets and a vintage vibe with decidedly modern touches (exposed zipper!). This has a unique neckline, too. It will be so great to wear to Christmas parties, don’t you think? We are 1/3 of the way through with the year! Gah!
I very rarely go shopping. Actual, real, new-clothes shopping, that is. I go thrifting…well, we won’t discuss how often I go thrifting. So when I went to run an errand in a shopping plaza that had a Kohls, I couldn’t resist the allure of checking out the new additions to the LC Lauren Conrad line. While I haven’t been to a Kohls in absolute ages, they have really upped their game, I gotta say. It was a breath of fresh air to look at the colors, textures, styles, and cuts that are current. I’m so used to sifting through dingy colors and ratty old t-shirts at the thrift store! I wanted to share a few of my favorite faith-based fashion finds for spring (modest, budget-friendly, and adorable) from shopping in-person.
Let’s pretend that we’re shopping together! Here are my favorite things that I would pull from the racks and hold up to show you:
You saw that adorable Elle lace peplum top in my last post–it was the most expensive of the things I actually purchased, but I am so excited to wear it all sorts of ways this summer. I also picked up the black/white/hot pink top. It is just so darling! The orange skirt was so cute, but I’m not sure midi-pleats and I get along (someone with more delicate ankles than me, please wear this!). Gray cropped trousers don’t look like anything special, but they were quite adorable on–and the little belt is actually a bow. The blue floral top is just about the softest thing you’ll ever wear (and cute to boot!). A little chiffon peplum vest could go over just about anything..and go from work to weekend easily, too! And who doesn’t love stretchy mint jeans or vintage-inspired sunnies?
I hope you enjoyed “Good Girl Style Goes Shopping”! Let me know if you like this concept for a series, and maybe I’ll take you shopping with me next time, too. But it will be your turn to get the coffees 😉
Hahahaha. Ok, I added that last pic above just for random/silly effect, and then I realized the one above it is looking down, and it looks rather Brady Bunch-esque.
I so adore this outfit. The light pink monochromatic base, with texture changes and some cognac leather feels so delightfully feminine without being over the top.
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you at the proper time. Cast
all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
I thought I had a stomachache tonight.
Turns out it was more of a heartache.
I cancelled babysitting based on what turns out to be a terrible case of…gas. That’s right, I said it. The sausage I ate at lunch didn’t want to let me go play with my friend’s adorable little guy. I absolutely hate breaking commitments.
You see, I’ve had this hurting heart I’ve been ignoring. Ignoring it felt fine at first. But then it brought out anxiety. It brought out insecurity. It made me feel like the worst person in the world for cancelling a commitment. Basically, holding in a heartbreak surfaces all of my faults and failures, and makes them seem insurmountable. A gray Sunday night with rain on the tin roof, a cancelled commitment and a stomach ache just felt like too much.
I don’t have to HIDE the fact that my heart is broken. Pretending I have it all under control robs me of God’s comfort and healing power: the very things my heart needs! I long to pour myself out at the feet of Jesus. I desire it so deeply now! To pour out all of those insecurities and fears that were welling up behind my heartache. Then move on to pouring out the heartache. God can be trusted with these things. He cares for us. But first, we must humble ourselves under His mighty right hand. We come to Him, humbled, broken in spirit, and say, “God, I hurt. I am hurt.” He will hold you in His mighty right hand, and He will say, “My dear, my dear. Find your rest in me. I will uphold you. I have a plan for you in my proper and perfect timing. Give my your cares, because you don’t need to trouble with them.”
The opening verse, from 1 Peter, is really powerful in The Message version, too….
“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs.
God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right
time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.”
1 Peter 5:6,7
The “putting on airs” part really got my heart—pretending to be OK is putting on airs. And what good is my testimony if I am constantly putting on airs? I share this tonight, to remind myself, and maybe to remind you, too: It’s OK. You will be OK, but it’s OK to have a broken heart. Bring it all to God, humble yourself at His throne, and cast your cares on Him. He cares so utterly deeply for us, and He has plans for us in His perfect timing.
