Thursday, December 31, 2015

Christmas Eve Plaid






Dress : Toad & Co  //  Jacket : Forever 21  //  Scarf : made by me 
Leggings : Charlotte Russe  //  Booties : Tommy Hilfiger  //  Bag : Victoria's Secret

Christmas has come and gone and, along with it, the busyness that always takes up so much of our time but, in the end, I miss. I love being so booked up with family and visiting that I have absolutely zero time for anything else. Although, I wish I had scheduled a few more posts so I could've given you some inspiration for more holiday style before the season was over. Ah well, better late than never right?! 

I wore this look for Christmas Eve with my parents and extended family. It was basic, comfy, not too dressy and worked perfectly for an evening at my Aunt's. I love the longer length of the dress and it's t-shirt fabric, just a little stiffer, so it's basically like wearing pjs which is right up my alley. This jacket is a great staple piece and can add a little edge to any outfit. I've had a lot of fun already mixing it up with different dresses and tops. And the booties are great with pretty much anything. I love mixing black and brown hues, it just seems so natural to me. Why it was ever not allowed I'll never know but, I'm glad it's kind of "in" now. This fringe bag is so fun I love taking it along to add a little texture to my look. The red lip stain added just a touch of color to my otherwise dulled down palette and, I just love the festive plaid in the scarf. It was a nice muted color combo for a less dressy holiday look. 

How was your Christmas?! Did you get all you asked for this year? We were sure blessed beyond measure. Look for a couple more festive styles in the next few days because, it's really Christmastime till after the New Year right?! Just me? Okay then. I hope you all had a very festive and blessed Christmas!!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Sunday Style : Christmas Tulle

I mentioned on my instagram a few months ago that I'd just finished probably my prettiest DIY ever but, shortly after that we found out we were expecting our newest little guy. So, I never got around to sharing my creation. Well, while on the search for Christmas outfits, it dawned on me that I could finally wear that gorgeous thing I'd made but never shared. So, Christmas Sunday, my family and I went to church. The boys in their cozy sweaters and plaid and I in my pretty, fluffy, flowy tulle skirt. You heard that correctly. I wore a tulle skirt. To church. And I loved it! I was so nervous at first because, let's face it, tulle is mostly reserved for little girls and brides. It's just not a big thing around where I live. But, I ultimately decided to take the leap and do it. Not to prove anything to anyone or to stand out in an extreme way. But, just because I thought it was pretty and my husband thought it was nice and I really really REALLY wanted to wear it.



 





Skirt : made by me (Cotton & Curls tutorial)  //  Sweater : A.N.A. (thrifted)  //  Shoes : Cato (thrifted)
//  Clutch : made by  me (Merrick's Art tutorial)

I paired it with a pretty red sweater with puffed shoulders, some simple pearls, black pumps and my diy faux fur clutch. And, do you know what? I got so many compliments that morning. I think sometimes we worry too much about what other people will think of our style, our personality, our parenting methods, to really be ourselves and let our individuality shine through to our life. I'll be the first one to admit that I'm a "good girl". I love dressing up, primping, having good, clean fun and staying away from things that could lead me down the wrong path. I'm a little cautious and, you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm slowly learning to push my limits and get myself out of my comfort zone in many ways. But, I won't compromise myself or my beliefs to prove anything to anyone.

This outfit though? A major win for me, personally. It really made me stand up and be me without reservation. And I loved it. I pray you all had a very blessed Christmas and that you would be able to let your true light shine through to those around you in this new year to come. Don't be afraid to be unique in a world full of cookie cutter people. God bless you and Happy 2016!!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Momma's Wish List

Gifting for the woman in you life, it can be hard. Especially with those fashion conscious women who have a specific idea of what they'd like to receive. Those, more or less, picky ladies. I know I'm one of them. And that's okay. Guys are selective about their hunting gear and clothing brands too right?! Yep. Anyway, I thought I'd share what's on the top of my wish list this holiday season, if nothing else, to give Glen a little shopping help (lol). Seriously though, what guy wouldn't love a list of specific things his wife wants?! Gift giving made easy I tell ya.

Probably number one on my list this year is a dress form. I love to sew, especially when it comes to clothing. For a while I borrowed a form from a family member but, it was reeaally old and about 4 sizes too big so, it didn't work very well for me. I would love to be able to try my pieces on my own, correctly proportionate mannequin. It would make pinning, hemming and practically everything so much easier. This one from Amazon has great reviews, has partial shoulders (which is a must) and a nice classic look and I have the perfect spot in my sewing room for it. (So not kidding lol)


I have wanted one of these for so long I decided that maybe it's time I actually ask for one! Curling wands from Nume are so amazing. They do a fantastic job and make curly/wavy hairstyles so easy. We all know I could use a little help cutting down "primp" time with five boys hurrying me along. If I could choose one, I'd love to have this 25mm wand.


When it comes to clothing, I'm pretty picky about what I like and I know it makes it a tad hard for Glen to shop for me. That's why I love making a list on my favorite online boutiques so he can shop directly from there. Just pick the size of the item you want and add it to your wishlist. It couldn't be simpler. I love Magnolia Boutique for clothing and they have some of the cutest riding boots right now. Here are a couple of things I'm crushing on and the link to my full list. Goodness knows it can get kind of lengthy sometimes.



Also on the top of my list are these beautiful mules. I love a good neutral shoe that I can pair with lots of different outfit combinations and these would be the perfect addition to my closet. (Bonus : they're actually on sale! But, in case they sell out before the holidays, I added a similar pair to my amazon wish list.)


It's no secret that I love accessorizing so I have to include some Nickel & Suede on my wish list this year! They have beautiful handcrafted earrings (not to mention tons of other great accessories) that are just to die for. These are some of my favorites.




Of course, $$ is always on my list. That way, if someone wants to get you something but worries about getting the wrong thing, you can go buy it yourself. I know a lot of people don't like gifting money because it takes most of the thought and effort out of gift giving but, personally, it's one of my favorite things to receive. There's no hassle about spending it at one specific place and you can hold onto it for as long as you like (especially if you like to wait for sales like me).

Right along with the fashion conscious thing, long cardigans are definitely in right now and these are some super cute options. If you were a big black Friday or cyber week shopper, you could have gotten some great deals on some!



Another cute sweater option. The bottom ruffle is so feminine and adds the perfect touch to any outfit. I love the blush pink color of this one.

Women's AB Studio Chiffon Hem Crewneck Sweater

Great makeup is a winner, if you know what brand she prefers. The Naked palettes are so pretty and could work for any skin type and occasion.

Image result for naked makeup

I could go on, lol. But, I hope you got some good ideas if you're stuck in a rut on what to buy. These are all great options you can play off of for any woman in your life. So, guys, if you haven't shopped for her yet, get going! Merry Christmas Eve and happy wrapping!!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Holiday Style : Faux Fur, Leather & Suede




Dress : made by me (Merrick's Art tutorial)  //  Jacket : Forever 21 (thrifted)  //  Vest : NY Collection (thrifted)  //
Leggings : Charlotte Russe  //  Booties : old boots diyed by me  //  Bag : Victoria's Secret

Black, white and red seem such an easy and festive holiday combo. I have very few red pieces in my closet but, I do have black and white. So, I can easily pair what red that I do have with it to get a pretty, Christmas ready look. This faux fur vest has been on repeat the last few weeks as the colder weather has set in and layering has become a necessity. It works great with a long tunic, simple button up, cozy sweater or, in this case, something a little less traditional. Black leather, suede and a pretty muted red dress. This outfit came together so easily that I can't wait to wear it again before the New Year comes. Because, after all, the Christmas spirit sticks around for at least that long.

I did pretty well and finished up my Christmas shopping with plenty of time to spare this year. I carefully and sneakily stowed all my treasures in one of our basement bedrooms so no one would have the urge to peak. And then they sat there for a month. *sigh* So, yesterday I finally began the big job of wrapping everything with a joyous and festive spirit. I do love wrapping. I love to get the big rolls of contractor paper from Lowes, print my own little gift tags and tie them on all nice and pretty with some twine while blaring my Pandora Christmas music station. It really is great fun. And, this year I was able to do some wrapping with a great friend so that made it even better. Even if I did only get a handful of things wrapped between all of the two year old histerics and two month old nursing binges. Ah well, it was a start anyway and it gave me great motivation to knock some more out during naptime!

Can you believe there's only TWO days left until Christmas arrives?! Have you finished your shopping yet? Stay tuned for tomorrow when a little gift guide for her will be right here. Because, everyone knows most hubbys wait till the last minute to shop anyway right? Haha! Merry Christmas Eve Eve and God bless!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Gifting for Growing Boys

With Christmas fast approaching, I'm checking things off my list like crazy. It probably comes as no surprise that I'm doing a lot of my shopping online this year. Yea, I'm just not brave enough to drag four boys to every store looking for the perfect gift. It's been much easier, though very time consuming, to use Amazon and christianbook.com,among others. I have a master list of all that I had in mind to get my boys and, surprisingly, I've finished theirs completely! I'm now on to family and exchange gifts. I can see the end and Christmas is still two weeks away! Mom win!!

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to do a little roundup of things my boys love and will be receiving as gifts this year, from us and family members (yea, I still add things to their lists lol), a little gift guide of sorts. We tend not to do a lot of toys. Anyone with kids knows how eager everyone else is to get them things like that so, we steer more toward things they can use that won't just clutter our home and also last longer than a week or two. I feel like we've always done pretty well at picking out some things they'll really enjoy and this year, I'm so excited to see them tear into their gifts on Christmas morning!

My boys are definitely in check with their piers about the whole Ninja Turtle movement. That being said, they've been asking for a turtle shell since they saw them in our local Walmart months ago. Thankfully, I've already got them bought and stored in one of our basement bedrooms with the other gifts (shhh, don't tell the boys!) so I won't have to worry about finding three as things start to disappear off the shelves in the coming weeks. These will be a major hit I know.


Something else my older boys have taken a major interest in is Legos. I love that they have Juniors building sets for ages 4 to 7 years and sets geared toward older children as well. We added one of each to our shopping list and they'll work great with the lego blocks and mats they'll be receiving from family.

LEGO Juniors Turtle Lair

LEGO City Great Vehicles Race Car Building Set

Something more practical I purchased for our boys is a good pair of shoes and some new clothing items. Everyone knows how quickly kids grow, especially their feet, so I always try to include some new (or thrifted) items in their gifts for Birthdays or Christmas. To be honest, my boys love clothes, especially if they have a cool design, are their favorite color or boast super heros. And shoes? If they're new (or new to them) then they always make them go faster than any other pair and that's an obvious win. Seriously, what isn't a competition among boys??

Something else my boys have been asking for the past few months is a water bottle of their own. We often take trips to the part during the summer months to walk with friends and, since we usually go early, we take breakfast and eat after our workout. We always bring tossable water bottles but they've always wanted one of their own to fill and take with us. So, this year, I found some great stainless steel bottles on Amazon. They come in lots of colors which is great if you have more than one kiddo. I ended up ordering the same size bottle in blue, red and purple. (For their favorite Ninja Turtle, of course!)

Klean Kanteen Kid's Sky Diver Stainless Steel Storage with 3.0 Sport Cap, 12-Ounce

I'm one of those moms that loves getting their kids new Christmas jammies every year. Last year I found a great deal on some from Children's Place during the holiday sales but, this year I went for something a little different. I found the perfect jammie sets from Burts Bees Baby and loved them. But, instead of matching all of them, I decided to coordinate. Then, after the holidays, my older boys can use theirs as long johns when they go on cold weather excursions with their daddy. And they come with a super cute and festive matching stocking that will be great to use again every year! I bought ours at a steal from Kohls.com instead of paying full price, which I loved.






Now, obviously, my younger boys can't really get into all that the older ones enjoy. So, instead of a lego set, we got Blake (our two and a half year old) a stuffed Donatello (his favorite!). He loves cuddling his teddy bear (which he's slept with every night since moving to his toddler bed) but, it's starting to get a little worn. So, I thought we'd try to replace it with this great stuffed friend and, maybe he'll be brave enough to go to sleep on his own. We'll see how it works!



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Donatello Pillowbuddy


Also, I love including books in everything we get the boys because they love reading so much and it's just super important. This year, I found this cute truck book on Amazon for a great price so that will be under the tree for Mister Blake as well. 




For our newest addition, I found some super cute gifts that I am so excited about! First up are these adorable swaddle blankets, because, let's face it, you can never have too many blankets! They have great modern designs and will be perfect to grow with him.



I also found some simply adorable bandanna bibs that will be perfect as he gets older and starts cutting those teeth. I love the designs of this little set though amazon had many cute patterns to choose from. 




And, lastly on my little guys list were these super adorable moccasins! You can purchase these from so many places nowadays but I found a great deal on some at Jane.com. I ended up getting a taupe pair in 0-6 months and a coffee bean pair in 6-12 months. I figure, they're less likely to get scuffed up when baby is smaller and the darker color will be good for when he starts to walk. I just love how sweet they are!



Stocking Stuffers were last on my list for our boys and I finally finished that up last night! We don't do the candy in the stockings thing. We just aren't a big candy family. Now, that's not to say we don't eat it. Because we do. We love chocolate, a lot. But, we typically get enough of that from family around the holidays that I don't' even worry about buying any. I like to get things that will last more than a few seconds and they can enjoy more than once. This year, I found some VeggiTales DVDs on clearance so I purchased one each for our older boys for their stocking. I love how they are Bible oriented but still highly entertaining, even for adults. Plus, they usually play off of other popular stories so that's even cuter.


Rack, Shack, and Benny (reissue) VeggieTales DVD  -

Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella--DVD  -

Pistachio: The Little Boy That Woodn't, VeggieTales DVD   -

For the older boys, I also got them each a set of TMNT tableware. They love choosing what spoon/fork they're going to use at each meal and what we have we've had for years so, I thought a new set might be fun. I found these at Walmart for super cheap and they look pretty sturdy.


Gerber Graduates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fork & Spoon Utensil Set, BPA-Free

Lastly, while looking for some kind of ocean animal, I came across these! My boys are big into deer hunting (All of them!!) so, I know they'll love these mini bucks. Major win here!

White-tailed Buck Figurine by Schleich - 14709


For our littlest guy, I decided on some super cute camo sunglasses. Because, if he's anything like his older brothers, he's going to have to wear a pair anytime we leave the house. Another walmart find (perks..or downsides? to living in a town too small for target lol), I know they'll get lots of use.

Child of Mine by Carter's Newborn Baby Boy Sunglasses

Add in this classic Christmas tale and his little stocking will be stuffed!

Charlie Brown Christmas 50th Anniversary, A: Deluxe Edition

Since we rarely buy things other than necessities throughout the year (besides birthdays), I love to pick out gifts for our boys at Christmastime. I don't spend a ton of money but I get them things I know they want and will love. We try not to keep an excess of toys and such around so that they learn to take care of what they have and it has worked out really well for us so far. Though I love the whole experience of Christmas shopping and gift giving, I also want my boys to understand the real reason we celebrate Christmas. It's like the song JD and I sing together at our church during this season. It's called It's About the Cross and it talks about how it's not all about the presents, the feeling of the season, the manger or the wise men. It's about the cross and the fact that my Savior came to die for my sins. It's about the empty tomb and that He has risen again to give us real life. An everlasting life. It's such an overwhelming feeling of love and joy and adoration and I want my boys to experience all of that. The real reason for the season. God bless you all this Christmas. And, please, no matter your shopping budget this year, take advantage of the free gift that Jesus has given to you. His perfect love and unmatched grace that he extends to each and every one of us. Let that be the greatest gift you receive. Merry Christmas!!