Monday, April 28, 2014

30x30 Week 3

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I had a little hard time sticking to my set apart articles of clothing for this week. It was my birthday and I got a few new items as gifts so I had to squeeze one in for the challenge. However, I always made sure to wear something from my challenge with a mix of my other clothes and my new clothes but again I suck with pictures.

On Sunday for church, I wore my Aeropostale cami with my American Eagle capris. I added a gray and white cardigan from Old Navy that I have had for years and a pair of sandals I got from Wal Mart a few years back as well. After church, I changed into shorts and wore some other sandals (which is the same outfit I wore the first week and didn't get a picture wearing it).

Top: Aeropostale / Bottoms: Old Navy

Today, April 28th, my sister took me out to dinner as a birthday gift and I wanted to wear my new skirt I got from Aeropostale.

Top: Old Navy / Skirt: Aeropostale / Shoes: Academy

I have fallen in love with these skirts this season. I want a ton and would love to buy many more but I have to stick to my challenge.

How are you doing on avoiding shopping?

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Monday, April 21, 2014

30x30 Fashion

30x30 Week 2

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There isn't much commentary for today's post. I didn't have too much of a challenge this past week. I only ran across one problem.

The dress I picked out to wear for Easter was see through (although I wore the dress before and didn't realize, no bueno). I need to pick up a slip skirt to go underneath so I can actually wear it for the challenge. I know the rules are I can't buy anything but I won't be actually buying it. I still have a Macy's gift card from Valentine's Day that I have yet to use.

Anyways...

Top: Old Navy / Bottom: American Eagle / Shoes: Academy

Dress: LC by Lauren Conrad / Shoes: Academy

The belt is actually from a shirt a bought a few months back from JC Penney but I thought it paired perfectly with my sandals to make this outfit look dressy yet casual all in one. BTW, this isn't the see through dress. I will have to rework my Easter dress for another occasion.

How have you been doing in the challenge if you joined?

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Friday, April 18, 2014

Spiritual Growth

Change of Heart

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Around this time of year, I think most believers start really thinking of where they were before Christ changed their hearts. Let me rephrase, I'm sure they think about it often but Good Friday probably puts a little more emphasis on the leading up to them being saved. I know it does for me.

I recently watched this clip by Jackie Hill Perry were she addresses Christians dealing with same-sex temptation. The point that stood out to me and convicted me the most was when she said:

"If God was to completely save you from

homosexuality but not give you the power

to walk by the spirit in everything, you'd still be a liar...

we are holistically in need of God in every area..."

It made me think of when I first started going to church on my own as an adult; the very first thing I changed was my cursing habit. I simply made a behavior modification to make myself feel better. I think this is something we as humans typically do by thinking we fixed a certain behavior in our life that said we are sinners, we are now okay with God.

I stopped cursing yet I was still an adulterous (having sex outside of marriage), a coveter, a liar, etc.

Instead of trying to focus on one sin in our lives, we need to focus on the root of all our sins: our heart.

But that change can only come from God and by the work that was done on the cross by Jesus Christ.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

30x30 Fashion

30x30 Week 1

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I survived the first round of the challenge!! Honestly, I had my outfits planned all week but that is when I didn't have any plans for the weekend.

Wednesday, I get a call from my mom asking if Anthony and I would like to join her at the Toyota Center on Sunday because her church was throwing this big event so we agree to go. On Thursday, we get an invite to go to the beach on Saturday and we agree to that as well. Boring weekend suddenly full.

The problem is my outfits were perfectly picked out for a Saturday at home and a cute outfit for our church service. Therefore, I had to rethink my entire plan. This may not seem like a big deal but it took such a long time for me to come up with the outfits I already had!

But hey! That is why I took this challenge.

So challenge accepted!!

The plan on Saturday was kind of up in the air between the actual beach or going to Pleasure Pier in Galveston. If we did the latter than my outfit would still work but we all pretty much really wanted to go to the beach more than anything.

The beach it was and this is were the struggle got real. I had my swimsuit to wear but none of the clothes I chose really worked as a coverup (at least not to me). A little voice in my head told me I needed to make a teeny tiny exception this one time and go out to buy a coverup or buy new swimming bottoms. Sooo...

I shut that voice down! I will make something work and I did. I just didn't get a picture of me wearing it.

Boo me!!

UPDATE: This is the outfit I wore.

Top: Aeropostale / Bottom: Old Navy / Shoes: Academy

After the beach, we decided to go to dinner which would be the perfect chance to choose another outfit and actually take a picture.

Top: Old Navy / Necklace: BD Boutique, LLC / Bottom: American Eagle / Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Let's talk about this outfit for a bit. I had to go with this color shirt because it distracted a bit from my tomato face (go me for not applying sunscreen). However, I wanted the outfit to look a little dressy for dinner without being tooo dressy which is why I added the necklace and sandals. I think the look came together very well.

Sunday was easier to dress for, I knew I wanted to wear my LC shirt because I'm obsessed with it but I needed a way to dress it down so it looks more casual which is why I paired it with my capris and these sandals.

Top: LC by Lauren Conrad / Bottom: American Eagle / Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Did you take the challenge? How was your first week? Did you get tempted to buy something like I did?

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

30x30 Fashion

30 with Thirty

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Have you ever had a moment where you stare in your closet and there are a million and one items in it, yet you have nothing to wear? This happens to me every time I look for an outfit to wear.

So, there I am at work scrolling down my Instagram feed and I see Kate, from The Small Things Blog, posted a picture with the caption "Trying desperately to gather items for another round of 30 in 30.."

What the heck is a 30 in 30? And what does that have to do with clothing?

Well, I went to Kate's blog in search for further clarification. In her post about the 30x30 challenge, she explains what it is as follows:

"Basically, they take 30 items from their closet

and make 30 outfits from them. It's a way to

challenge yourself to be creative and rethink

your wardrobe while trying to avoid shopping."

Even though, Kate challenged her readers two years ago I want to take the challenge now. My hope in taking this challenge is having two things accomplished. The first to avoid shopping. I am halfway through my weight loss and want to wait to spend money on a new wardrobe when I reach my goal weight. The second is to take inventory of what I actually wear. With this, I can see what items I wear the most and which barely get touched. It will help me determine when it is time to donate an item that isn't getting much use.

So here is the lineup for my first 30 with Thirty:

1. Old Navy / 2. Old Navy / 3. Old Navy / 4. Banana Republic / 5. Old Navy / 6. American Eagle / 7. Levi's / 8. American Eagle

1. Soprano / 2. LC by Lauren Conrad / 3. Charlotte Russe

BD Boutique, LLC.

1. Sperry / 2. Toms / 3. Fergalicious / 4. Academy / 5. Academy / 6. Charlotte Russe / 7. Academy

1. Aeropostale / 2. American Eagle / 3. American Eagle / 4. Old Navy / 5. Old Navy / 6. LC by Lauren Conrad / 7. Spense / 8. Old Navy / 9. Old Navy / 10. American Eagle / 11. American Eagle

I plan to tackle this challenge in about 15 weeks, about two outfits a week. I will try to give weekly updates with pictures of the outfits I create with these 30 items. Wish me luck!!

Have you taken the 30 with Thirty challenge? If you haven't, do you plan to take on this challenge with me? I dare you to!

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