30 days of thankfulness, a link and a thought.

day 6: thankful for "my person". she knows exactly who she is. our once a week hour long "catch ups" are the best.

day 7: i'm thankful for my little holiday job. (i help a friend decorate for christmas at different businesses and homes) not only does it make giving a little less stressful because of the extra money, it's just a lot of fun.

a link:
http://lotsofscotts.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-you-dont-get-your-way.html

my feelings exactly on the election last night.

a thought:
writing a facebook status is not the only way to change the world. i think we need to do less talking and a little more loving on folks. people don't care what we say, they care how we act. had this exact conversation with "my person" this morning.

cheap mom style. yay!!

usually when the season changes and it's time to evaluate my wardrobe i have to start with the basics- long sleeve tees, jeans, cardigans, boots- stuff like that. the reason being that i'm not ever really sure what trends i'm going to actually embrace. sometimes it takes me a while to kind of warm up to stuff... BUT... the reason is....

some trends just kind of throw me for a loop.

 

i'm sorry, but there's just no good reason this should have come back. y'all just wait- spiral perms and tight rolled blue jeans will be making a comeback next! #iwasateenagerinthe90s

but i digress. other than this, there's really a lot of cute trends this year that i've been snapping up on the cheap.

first up- i bought one of these DARLING bubble necklaces from thebluedoorboutique.com (they don't have this one in stock anymore however, so i couldn't pull my picture from them.) 

i heart it sooo much. i got it for $11.99 but i'm not sure they're still running that deal :( surely you can find them elsewhere for a great steal too, huh? the first one i ordered was missing a bead, so i emailed them on monday and got my new one today! i didn't have to return it or worry with shipping- fast customer service! they have soo many cute dresses and tops. next big sewing order i get i'm buying something. if my kids don't need anything. sigh. isn't that always the way it is?

 i've seen these paired with a million different colors- i really don't think anything would be off limits. i'm warning y'all though, these dudes are not for the faint of heart- they are CHUNKAY and BIG. i like it though. it's definitely a statement piece and i think it could make last year's boring stuff look fun and trendy.

next up:

LEG WARMERS!! i wanted a pair last year to wear with my tall boots but i never found any (apparently they don't sell them at old navy which seems to be where i always find myself. sigh. again.)

anywho, they are on sale for $10.99 right now so i got me an off-white pair which i think will go with lots of stuff. i can't wait to get em! i bought them at http://shop.thenestonmain.com

they'll go great with my:

skinny jeans! (yes, i'm excited about everything i've bought!) i got these at a little place here in town. it starts with a W and i often refer to it as my most hated place. yesterday in a blog post i referred to it as godforsaken. but occasionally you just have to go, and when you do, you might find skinny jeans for $13.88 on a roll back. and you might buy a red and a turquoise pair and die from excitement about wearing them. besides, colored skinny jeans aren't basics in my opinion. i'll love them for a year or two and then send them on to a better place- aka goodwill which is a better place than the dumpster, no? i love buying trendy ChEap clothes.

Today i bought me a CUTE blue jean skirt from old navy. i couldn't get an image from there so this is just one i googled,  but it kind a looks like this. it was only (drum roll) $15!! pretty doggone good i think. if you buy them online they're $25, so i'm glad i didn't go that route. anyway, can't you just see cute little legwarmers and cowboy boots with this skirt. YAY! i can. i also saw a cute friend of mine in one with a pink button down polo and it was darling and preppy.

i've also been into the scarf thing for a while, but i've bought a few cute ones here and there as i've found them. i think they, like that bubble necklace, can make just about any old boring thing look cute and trendy.

i bought one like this at that place that i hate when i was buying those darling skinny jeans. for $13.88!! the jeans, not the scarves. i think they were like $7 when the sign said $5. but i lived with it because i'd just purchased two pairs of jeans for under $30.

now here's a few trends i'm scoping out. (i have to spread out my purchases so it looks to the man like i'm only spending $10-15 here and there- wink, wink ;)

i really want a blazer like this one- from thebluedoorboutique.com  so classic. i have an oatmeal cord one already, but it's not dressy like this. (y'all i shopped at the limited for too long in my twenties- all colors are oatmeal and storm and apple colored. ever noticed how they were never taupe and navy and red??)

i really want a chevron skirt too. i keep seeing the DIY versions, but honestly- most of the time with women's clothes you can buy them cheaper than you can make them. kids clothes- most of the time a bargain, women's- rarely. but if i see some cute chevron on sale i might go for it!

 alrighty then friends. here's my mom on a budget version of cute!! now all i need is some stinkin' cool weather. i did wear a scarf today!!

i'm heading down to the basement

y'all, seriously- i know that some people love debate and thrive on posting their political/religious/whatever beliefs on social media and that is absolutely their right- but it makes my head and stomach hurt. i know how i feel when someone posts/tweets (i'm not on twitter, fb is too much for me most days!) something derogatory about my God, my state, my team, my lifestyle- it hurts. i can't help but wonder about my friends who are living a lifestyle different from me, if they are hurt.  if what we as christians write make them want to get to know Jesus more. if we aren't drawing a line in the sand and saying, "i'm over here and you're over there because you're gay/agnostic/liberal/inter-racially married." how do they ever cross that line? until they become like us? 

there's even lines within the christian groups about "movies (no, i didn't see magic mike.), tv, working/staying home, homeschool/christian private school/and poor socially backwards and uneducated public school kids who will never be good christian members of society (eye roll), where we eat, what we buy, who we are friends with, what denomination we're a part of"- this list could go on and on. 

there is complete truth in the Bible. i'm clinging to it and believing that every scripture is from the Lord-  absolutely and without a doubt. there is mercy and grace and judgement and power and healing and more things than i can name wrapped up in scripture than i can write here.  i'm just not fully sold on the way to inspire others to seek truth for themselves is through social media. i'm assuming if you're reading here you want to hear what i have to say, nobody's forcing you. actually, you had to seek me out.

and i'm not really saying we shouldn't speak our point of view- we just need to do it in LOVE people. we need to think about the impact of what we write and other's feelings. we don't need to be a stumbling block to non-believers because we're so caught up in being right. i'm SO very guilty of this. i fall captive to this need over and over again (just ask my husband!)

and so, now that you've read this essay, here's another one that does a better job about what i'm trying to say.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/07/27/in-the-basement

my favorite quote from the article:

"The lines we draw in the sand do absolutely nothing except assure everyone else: YOU’RE OUT." ~Jenn Hatmaker.

my thoughts exactly.

do i think christians should speak their beliefs? absolutely. but i don't believe we change hearts that way. we change hearts through kindness, generosity, mercy, love, prayer- investing in relationships with people the way that Jesus did.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2012/08/01/ben-jerrys-chic-fil-a-political-correctness/

i loved this!

y'all i promise i don't sit on this here blog all day- but, i took a quick break and read THIS and thought it was too good not to share. LOVED IT!