coffee break

Floral Blouse ~ Thrifted

Blue Skinny Jeans ~ Walmart

Cream Undershirt ~ Walmart

Pearl Stud Earrings ~ Walmart

Hot Coffee ~ Parents' Kitchen  ;-)

Oh, the pleasure of simple, coffee-sipping days.  I'm learning (even though it has been quite a soul-ripping process) to enjoy decaf, which I have switched to for health reasons.  I'm soaking in the company of my family each day and definitely loving my short break from being "head housekeeper"!  *wink*

My weekend was a busy one.  It was filled with work and play.  I was able to see some wonderful friends from childhood years at an open house, some of whom didn't even know I'd been married for nearly two years!  And, of course, all of the time my family spent in the van travelling to and from the celebration was loud with music (no radio, just us).  We had so much fun, singing everything from "Sound of Music" to "Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang" to "Beauty and the Beast".

I wore this outfit a little while back and moving into a new house got in the way of posting until now.  :-)  I would apologize for the lack of footwear, but some days are just too beautiful to not go barefoot.  It was wonderful.

My hairstyle was a simple braiding of my growing-out bangs and then the classic messy bun.  This has to be one of my favorite go-to hairstyles on "weird hair" days.

Honest moment, since this blog is written by a real person who is so far from perfect: 

One thing that has bothered me at times about the whole "clothes and blogging" world is how expensive so many of the clothing items worn on blogs can be.  I am a penny-pincher, but sometimes even I can feel insecure when I post pictures of myself wearing a skirt I found at Dollar General while many other bloggers sport big brand names. 

Then I receive the comments from ladies who are happy to know I found a cute skirt at a dollar store, the thrift store, or Walmart and I have to take a step back and remember why I do this.  I post these pictures simply to offer ideas to young women striving to dress in a beautiful and modest way; if I also show ways to dress nicely while on a tight budget, that's just a bonus. 

I am not here to impress anyone with my incredible taste or expensive wardrobe.  *silly me*

And I shouldn't need comments to remind me of that... but I thank you for them just the same.

Lovely thought for today:  Don't let the opinions, tastes, or strengths of others ever keep you from being who and all you are.  There will always be someone else who is better at something than you, prettier in something than you, or doesn't share your taste in clothes.  If you are embracing the Lord's leading and following His Word, you can blossom into someone completely new, unique, and beautiful.

This doesn't just apply to how we feel about ourselves, but how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I've learned that I can appreciate the styles and life-choices of others (when they are honoring to the Lord), while still being secure in my own personality, likes, dislikes, and lifestyle.  Not everyone will love coffee, flowy blouses, quiet days at home, singing loudly in the car, and going barefoot... but I can still love them.  That's what I seek in friendships; not people who are just like me, but people who embrace the God-given uniqueness each of us possesses and see the differences as beautiful.

So, what can you do with this lovely thought today???  It is so easy.  Take a look around (you might not have to look farther than in your own home) and see those beautiful differences.  Embrace them (and that person!).  Tell a sibling, parent, child, friend, or spouse something that you appreciate about them (something that is different from how you are!)... how it makes you better to have them in your life.  We are called to strengthen each other after all, aren't we?

Blessings and love to you all.