October Book Review

My husband got this book for me for my birthday. He gets props because I only mentioned it to him once or twice, months before. I was pretty excited when I opened it up, despite it coming a little banged up. It is a really cute book! It is very readable--with larger fonts, big pictures and adorable graphics. You can buy it here. 

I thought this book was going to be all about modesty. But it's not! It's a how-to-navigate-life guide with a twist. The authors, Jessica Rey and Leah Darrow, talk about important things like confidence, and how our sense of beauty and self worth is being destroyed through media and products and companies, how to navigate the dating world correctly, how we should treat others, and not only how to dress a little more modestly, but also why we should dress more modestly. They call it like it is, but do a really good job avoiding being offensive. 

As I was reading, there were so many times I wanted to shout out, "YES!" and "I agree!!" My husband probably heard most of the book, as I read the parts I liked (and there were a lot of those) out loud to him. I can't decide what I want to share with you, there is just so much goodness in this, not so little, book. Hmm... 

Ok, favorite tidbit #1: Perfection and beauty are not the same. And perfection, is impossible to obtain. If we are comparing ourselves to models, ads and commercials we will always lose. We don't have a real life photo shop option in our makeup bag! They talk about this video in there book. Take a look.

Favorite tidbit #2: Girls and boys are different. But, we are valued as people, equally. I am a strong believer that girls and women don't need to be identical or be treated identically or do the exact same things as men and boys. Yes, treat us equally. But do not take away my right to be a woman, or to be feminine. Do not consider me small minded because I enjoy being a woman in the name of equality. We were created beautifully and with purpose- two things the world likes us to forget but things this book reminds us of. 

Favorite tidbit #3: "sexy = objects = things"

This was a lesson I learned the hard way. When I was younger I wanted to be like the girls I saw on TV. They had lots of friends, everything always went their way and they weren't just pretty, they were sexy. Sadly, I had to learn the hard way that sexy is not always a good thing. I realized, as I dressed in a way that I thought was sexy, I not only felt uncomfortable in what I was wearing or in the way I was behaving, but I also was very uncomfortable with the attention I was receiving. At first, getting attention was great. Finally, people and especially guys were noticing me. Then, I realized they weren't noticing me, they were noticing my barely covered butt or boobs. Great. I had literally become an object of attention.

So, needless to say I'm a fan. It's a feel good kind of book. And, it is actually on sale right now! But, if you don't want the book, and still want a few feel good feelings, here are a few quotes you can download for free, print out, and hang up on your wall to remind you how wonderful you really are. 

    

When you click the image you want to download, it will bring you to a Google Drive page where you can download the image. It's completely safe, allows for the best quality download, and you don't need to have a Google account to access it.  I figured this was better than the good ol' right-click-save option.

I would suggest printing them through Shutterfly. They have a 4x4 print option, which is what these are graphics were designed for.  Then, go to Michael and get yourself some baker's twine and cute mini clothes pins and you've got yourself a new, and fairly inexpensive, decoration for your room. Enjoy!

I Don't Wear Ripped Jeans, But When I do...

One day, while I was driving, I found this really cool looking abandoned (pizza?) place. The brick walls are covered it chalk graffiti. I guess that's how they do it here in Utah. You wouldn't want anything too permanent... Anyway, I really wanted to come back. And so I did.

shirt here - similar jeans here - Keds here

Today I am totally and completely repping Old Navy. I think they are a hidden gem for modest clothing. They often have skirts and dresses that are long enough and most of their shirts are pretty modestly cut, and only some are sheer. Also, if you know how to shop the store right, you can get some pretty good deals too!

This shirt is a little sheer. But, I popped a nude tank top on underneath and you can barely tell. It's really comfy and I love the length. It's actually pretty long. Long enough to wear over leggings, but still short enough that it doesn't have awkward bunching when you tuck it in. My only complaint; it wrinkles pretty easily. 

Ok, time for the jeans. I've never been the biggest fan of ripped jeans. There, I said it. I just don't find gaping holes in my clothing appealing. But that is just my style.

 Sadly, Old Navy no longer carries these jeans. I'm super bummed! Behind each hole and rip there are floral or patterned jean patches. It's such a feminine detail. I love it! And, even though there are rips in my jeans, my pasty white skin isn't exposed. They're pretty great. 

I linked a similar pair from old navy that, if you were willing to be crafty, could totally be turned into this pair. Joan Fabrics has a pretty large selection of patterned jean fabric. You would only need a few inched of each pattern and you could sew the pieces behind each hole. I've seen it done with floral cotton fabric too. It was super cute. You know what else would be cute? Seqiun patches. 

A Little Touch of Gold

Look at these! I got them a few months ago, but haven't worn them until now. But, now that I've finally worn them, I think I'll be wearing these beauties more often. They're unique, but not too flashy. Just my style.

The sweatshirt, which you can't see, says PRO-KEDS. I found it in Japan, while I was on my mission, at a thrift store. Want to know how much I paid for it? Ten cents. Yes, you read that right. And yes, I typed that correctly. I bought my first pair of Keds almost six years ago, and I've been in love ever since (you don't even want to know how many pairs of white Keds I have gone through). How could I not buy a vintage Keds sweatshirt, especially at that price. 

At the time of my first Keds purchase, years and years ago, I was NOT the biggest fan of modest dressing. I loved my little skirts and tiny dresses. But now look at me! My skirt goes to my knees and I felt like a million bucks all day. I was SO proud of my outfit and I felt so pretty and confident in it. I wan't even sure it would turn out. I mean, a sweatshirt with a fancy tulle skirt AND metallic Keds... It was a risk. But, I'm so glad I took it. 

jean jacket here - similar skirt here - Keds here

Pretty cute, right?

An Outfit with a Side of Inspiration

This vest is amazing. I realize I say that about a lot of my clothing. I just get excited about clothes. And, if I didn't think every piece in my closet was amazing then, I probably shouldn't have bought it right? But, back to the vest. Does it remind you of a very popular and very expensive vest? That's 'cus it's a knock off from Wish. Wish is a pretty cool site. You can buy cheap stuff, for ridiculously low prices that, generally, are pretty good quality. I've only had one item come that was junk and the company refunded me immediately. I highly suggest them. Maybe I will do a post about all my great finds from Wish.

Are you ready for a story? Once upon a time there was a girl (me) who fell in love with a herringbone vest she found on Pinterest. She searched far and wide for the vest and eventually discovered that it was from J. Crew. But, alas, by the time she found this out, she could no longer order the vest from said store. So, she looked else where and found what she thought was the same vest from J. Crew Factory. It turned out that it was completely different. Reports of it being cheaply made circulated, and upon further investigation the girl realized that the herringbone pattern was printed on a nylon fabric.  That wasn't ok. So, with a heavy heart the girl continued her search, checking on e-bay and other places where jackets could be sold second hand. There was a lot of dishonesty going on with second hand sellers ( a lot of people try to pass of factory clothing as the real thing) and with a bit of skepticism the girl finally ordered a vest from e-bay. She waited and waited for it's arrival, and upon reviving it was disappointed to find that she had ordered a piece of junk. Months passed, and after many pleasant experiences with Wish, decided to order one from the site. It finally came the other day, and the girl could not be happier with it. the herringbone is stitched and textured, the zipper works and does not pucker, it doesn't smell, and it is really well stuffed. 

And so, the vest and the girl lived happily ever after. Just in time for Fall. 

The End. 

similar shirt here - vest here - jeans here - shoes here

I'm not perfect. Here's proof. 

It was windy. Really, really windy. 

And now for some promised inspiration. I wish there was a magic potion we could all take that would help us each realize our true potential. But, I guess for now, you are just stuck with my little reminders. Don't ever forget how much worth you have! You have unlimited potential to be greater than you could ever imagine.

Karma- It Really Does Work

On Monday I had great plans to take outfit pictures. Needless to say, it didn't happen. On my way to take pictures, I found a husky wandering around in the streets. I'm pretty sure I'd stop for any animal, but huskies have been my favorite kind of dog since...well, forever. When I was little, I had great plans to move to Alaska, with my 13 huskies, and run the Iditarod. But then I got a little older and realized I hated the cold. A lot.

Anyway, I spent way too much time following the dog around, knocking on doors, and eventually just leaving the dog in the yard I was pretty sure he belonged to. All the time I had allotted for taking photos was now used up. Oops. 

Later I went to DI and found two chairs for our living room! One of the chairs fit perfectly into our car. But, there was no way we could fit another chair into our back seat, so we had to come back for the second chair. That evening, Blake went back to get the chair. Butttttt, it didn't fit in our car. Luckily, there was a nice man, who looked like Santa Clause (I'm pretty sure he could be Santa) who was willing to take the chair to our house! He went way out of his way to drop it off. What a Saint.

As he was leaving he told me "you know, I believe in karma." I told him I did too, and as I was struggling to carry our new-to-us over sized chair, thinking of ways I could pay it forward, and sending good thoughts to the Karma gods for Santa's twin, I realized maybe he was my good karma. Chasing that dog around ended up being totally worth it! 

Now, without further ado, my outfit of today! It was cold. Fall is officially here. Ahhh! Before we know it, it's gonna be winter. I love this dress! It is super versatile, and comfy. I have all sorts of plans for outfits with it. And don't worry, I'll be sure to share them with all of you.

Similar dress here - Sweater here - shoes here

Boho Beauty (and no I'm not talking about me)

Guys, guess what?! There is color in Utah!! Coming from the beautiful, lush, green East Coast, Utah desert life has been quite the adjustment for me. But, I found my own little green oasis today- just north-east of Orem. It was beautiful! The trees on the mountains were changing colors for fall, there were waterfalls and a creek, the sky was oh so blue, and there was a beautiful golden field. I'm for sure going back tomorrow. 

Blouse in white or blue here

Also, do yourself a favor and go buy this shirt. I LOVE it. It's super soft, and flowy. But, the material is just a little bit on the thicker side, so it is perfect for the cooler end of summer/ hey, fall is here kind of  weather. Plus, I'm a sucker for embroidery. And this top is actually stitched. Do you know how many tops I've found that have printed on embroidery?? I mean, come on, what is that?

So the blouse is on sale on-line and in store. There's a link under the photo. But, it's totally worth it to take the trip into an Old Navy store and get it for about eight dollars cheaper. They have a lot of mark downs/ clearance for cheap! I got some pretty sweet deals (that I'm sure you'll see later) and I bet you could find something good too. So...come back to my page later (pretty please) and go shop!

Jersey Skirts...Who Knew??

similar shirt here - skirt here but wrong colors - similar skirt, correct color here

Greetings from the sick house! My poor husband caught some mysterious illness so we've been home watching Friends, rubbing oils all over feet and bellies and experimenting with the effects of different medicines. Fun, right? Well, I decided to take of break from all the fun (you know, cus too much fun is bad for you) got dressed up, spent way too long in target (something I think everyone can relate too) and then decided to document my outfit, for your viewing pleasure. 

So, I absolutely love jersey skirts. They are super comfy, go with everything, and can be dressed up or down. AND, best of all, they make them in modest lengths!!! I'll post about where my favorite places to get them are later. This one is from Forever21. And my shirt is from Japan. I actually found it here butttt unless you can read Japanese you are probably out of luck. Oh how I wish I could order just about everything from that store. But, I'm just as out of luck as everyone else. 

Ladies and Gentlemen...Cousin It

Sorry guys, I just think I'm so funny. Actually, when I was in either middle or elementary school my Aunt called me Cousin It once. Just once. It stuck with me. And now that I have locks to rival those of Cousin It's, I just had to take this photo. And then, I had to play with the colors for dramatic effect. 

All Cousin It jokes aside, you've gotta admit this is a pretty cute outfit. Am I right?? I got the dress on clearance at F21 a while ago, and it has become a staple.It's light, casual and just loose enough that it's super comfy, yet ultra flattering. They have a similar one on sale on-line right now! The shirt, I'll admit, is a children's size boy shirt. The links to everything are below.

While getting dressed this morning I was thinking about modesty (something I think about A LOT) and the nature of the beast. I really wish that the modesty culture wasn't so much about covering up or finding clothes that are cut just enough to be considered modest. Been there, done that. Shopping is no fun when you have that attitude. And getting dressed is even less fun! I want to change that. We NEED to change that. What if getting dressed stopped being about just following the rules of modesty? What if we dressed in a very deliberate and stylized way, that just happened to be modest? 

What if we created a style of our own.

similar dress here - chambray shirt here - classic keds here