Sweet Heart Convos

I'm no fan of those conversation hearts, not since I was a child anyway, but it just wouldn't be Valentine's Day without them and so I buy them every year and make sure they find their way into whatever V-day goody box I put together for my loved one (who by the way, all love those pastel hearts).  

For the longest time, I was also not a fan of conversations with loved ones.  I had a tremendously hard time just saying, "I love you," let alone saying the things that come with loving someone like, "Let me help you," "I'm sorry," and the toughest of all, "Do not treat me that way."  That last one may come as a surprise to some of you as a conversation had out of love, but I assure you that I have learned the hard way that when we truly love someone we don't just tell them when they got it right, we tell them when they are way out of line.

Does it really matter?  Just let it go.  That used to be my mantra.  And I used to think that by not telling someone they had hurt me that I was showing my love for them; I wasn't.  It's not love to allow people to hurt you and to behave in horrible destructive ways that make them despised by others.  It's usually fear mixed with selfishness and sometimes pity.  Love is tough and when you love someone it means you do the tough thing, not the easy thing.

When we allow these sorts of behaviors in children it's called "spoiling" them.  And the original meaning of spoiling a child was utterly ruining them as a human being, making them a putrid, disgusting thing.  Pretty awful, right?  It's no different with adults.  Sometimes by saying nothing, we're enabling the people we love to be awful, selfish, cruel, pathetic.  What happens when people are cruel to us?  We begin to hate them and others do too.  Do you see what I mean when I say that it isn't really love to keep silent in these matters?  

When someone is in need of correction, if we love them, we will reach out.  The truth hurts, and that's why we must always tell the truth in love.  Adding the love part is what makes the truth receivable.  It is worth it to have the difficult conversation, tell the truth, and the sooner you address the issue the more likely you'll be able to do it in love rather than anger.  It's also better to address things sooner than later because once these patterns become habits they are difficult to break and the longer these habits persist, the more difficult it is to salvage the relationship and the person.

I am thankful for the times when someone cared enough to tell me I had hurt them and gave me the chance to make it right instead of hating me, avoiding me, or letting me treat anyone else that way.  I am blessed to have been told that my behavior was destructive and it would not be tolerated.  It woke me up and helped me to change.  And As much as I didn't want to have those tough talks, I've come to see them as the best thing in the world I can do.  I address the issue right then with as much love and patience as I can muster which by the way is way more than if I wait and let my anger grow.

So, if you love someone, tell them so, often, daily if you possibly can, but don't shy away from all the other things that people who love each other should say often too:  Don't act like that, Let me help you, I'm sorry, and I forgive you.  They are phrases with few enough words they could probably fit on a conversation heart and yet they have the power to change lives and heal hearts. 

Shopping Info: Light Pink & Sparkling Hearts Dorothy Swing Dress and Pink Cardigan from Unique Vintage

A Christmas Song

The Christmas Song

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Jack Frost nipping at your nose

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir

And folks dressed up like eskimos

Everybody knows a turkey and some

mistletoe

Help to make the season bright

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

Will find it hard to sleep tonight

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times,
many ways
Merry Christmas to you

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times,
many ways

Merry Christmas to you
Merry Christmas to you

Shopping:  Dress from The Other Sparrows, Eyelet top from SheIn 

No Dreams Can Compare

 The best days, the very best days are the ones where I have no where to be and nothing demanding my attention. 

My imagination is free to roam and what better place than here in all this natural beauty. 

I'm a dreamer by nature, preferring my own thoughts and the stories in my mind to anything the waking world has to offer  except on a day like this.

 

I could be curled up by the fire now, warm and lost in a book.  And maybe in an hour or two, I will be, but this sort of winter day deserves a little attention.

 

With just enough snow to muffle the world sounds of traffic and make these bare gray woods seem crystalline and hallowed, these woods become a winter cathedral.

There are moments in life to which no dreams can compare.

Shopping Info:  Crop top from Shein, Skirt from Chicwish, heels from ModCloth

Subdued Stripes; Boisterous Style

Something you should know about me is that I'm cold.  Pretty much all the time.   And in nearly every season.  When it's 90Fahrenheit/ 32Celsius, I'm finally comfortable...providing there's no breeze.  Unfortunately I spend my life at work and home with significantly warmer people and therefore I've had to make provisions for my own temperature comfort.  

At work, I keep a small space heater under my desk which I keep running practically year round.  I also coordinate virtually every outfit with a blazer or cardigan and tights.  I've been wearing Charter School Cardigans pretty much since ModCloth first introduced them, and they have been such a staple in my wardrobe and my comfort that I don't know what I'd do without them.

So, strange as it may seem to call this a summer look when I have an extra layer present, yes, this is a summer outfit complete with peek-a-boo bow front on my sundress and some airy espadrilles, but I will still need a cardi because, well you know, that's just how I am.

This particular Charter School Cardi is called Subdued Stripes and I knew the minute I saw this mustard yellow dress that I would be pairing it with my Subdued Cardi.  I love the way these colors and the stripe print really take a pretty dress and make it an amazing outfit.  You can see why I own at least a dozen of these cardis.

Taking photos on this morning was such a treat, because one of the baby Bleus came with me to do her own outfit photos.  So, I got to take some photos of her as she is growing and finding her style.  I won't post them here, because she hasn't given me permission, but I think she did a fantastic job of putting together some stylish looks and capturing her expressions in these moments of early morning sunlight and being able to share this time with her meant so much to me. 

You can see from the glow on everything that the sun is just coming up over the buildings.  This is my favorite time to take photos, but it does mean getting out of bed very early in the morning.  I didn't think baby Bleu would be able to manage it, but she did just find and we managed to catch this golden hour of sunlight.

When I convert this outfit for autumn, and you know that I will, I'll do another post and we'll see exactly how many layers I can manage to add to this outfit.  I'm thinking: slip, tights, and top underneath the dress........TBC

Shopping Info: Dress and shoes from: SHEIN, Charter School Cardi from ModCloth

Funny Girl

Right about now, I was hoping to do a post about healthy habits and sticking to your New Year's goals, buuuut...........I haven't exactly been able to start, let alone stick to, any new or renewed healthy habits this year.

If it were up to me, I would move the beginning of our calendar year to March 1^st.  The reason is quite simply that January and February are the very worst time for new beginnings.  Whether it's a new exercise regime or a commitment to changing old habits, I think the success rate for all things would be much higher at the start of spring than at the tail end winter.  January and February are always marked by what seems like a succession of foul weather, (sleet, snow, and the like) followed by illness after illness.  How can any new, healthy habits succeed against so many interruptions?  The answer is—they very often don't.  

Personally, this year has seemed extra difficult.  We've had so many sick days.  First a cold, then I threw my back out during a very easy weight training session, then being snowed in, then icy roads kept us home, then the flu....I've barely had a "normal" week this year so far, let alone the ability to implement my improved and more committed fitness regimen and healthy eating system.  I always make a little deal with myself whenever I make a New Year's resolution or any kind of attempt at starting something new—be realistic.  If I've had a severe cold for a week that's kept me in bed, followed by caring for sick children for a week, followed by the flu for a week, followed by caring for children sick with the flu for a week, chances are I have a pretty good excuse for not getting up at dawn to exercise each day.  

Rather than getting frustrated with myself or being too harsh, I'm realistic.  I wait a bit, rest a bit, and start fresh the following week.  There are always going to be things that come up unexpectedly and threaten to shatter our focus and best efforts at change.  The best way to deal with this is to plan on it.  Plan to be patient with yourself and your circumstances.  Plan to be kind with situations that are out of your control.  Plan to be persistent and keep going again as soon as you're able.

So, I'm finally fully recovered from a cold and the flu and so is everyone in my household, plus the weather is getting warmer and sunnier each day, and I think it's time that I started working on those fitness and cooking goals I set myself over two months ago.  For today, I'm still keeping it simple with something colorful and whimsical that just makes me feel good to wear it and it's To Be Continued on those New Year's Resolutions.........

Shopping Info: Top from: SHEIN, blue skirt by Forever XXI from ThredUp, Flats from Ebay

Seize the (Snow) Day

I was awake at the usual time this morning.  Laying there in the dark, I started to get up but then noticed how chilly it was and quickly ducked back into bed.  The fire must have gone out in the night and getting it started can be a chore.  I decided to put it off for another half hour.  

By then the sun was coming up and I wrapped up in my robe and went straight to the kitchen to put the kettle on before starting the process of building a fire.  As it turned out, there were still a few coals and the fire was roaring in no time at all.  I left the stove door open to heat the house more quickly and to create that inviting orange glow that makes that house feel not just warm but cozy on a winter morning like this.

With the fire taken care of, I went to heat the oven and popped in a few blueberry coconut muffins to warm up before pouring some steaming water into my cup.  I like to let my herbal tea steep for at least ten minutes before drinking it, last year my teas of choice were dandelion root, milk thistle, or burdock.  This year it's been holy basil with clove or thyme tea, and it takes about as long for my tea to steep as it does for the muffins to heat in the oven—no microwaves in this house.

I can usually enjoy a few quiet moments on a morning like this before the rest of the house wakes up.  This is my time to contemplate my daily to-do list.  But, I decided that today, I would probably spend all day right where I was reading, drink tea, maybe playing a card game or two and very likely not getting out of my pajamas and robe.  

And so I was curled up by the fire, tea cup in one hand, muffin and plate in the other, when my youngest daughter came out of her room, hugged me for a moment, then went to the window to wave at the cats before crying, “look!”  I went to see what the cause of her excitement was.  The whole forest, the whole mountain was frosted with snow and ice crystals.  It was lovely indeed and all my plans of doing nothing went right out the window with the view.

I hadn't planned any outfits, in fact I was down to the bare bones on outfit ideas since it was so cold and bleak outside, but I couldn't let a backdrop such as this go to waste.  It was below freezing out, so I assembled only a few outfits, quickly did my hair and make-up and went out into this beautiful icy landscape.

Snow is such a rare thing here; I almost wish we had more of it so I could take more photos out in it, but then I suppose that the very fact that it's rare makes these photos more special to me and gives me more motivation to get outside than if it happened all the time.

And as for the rest of the day?  Well, I when I came back inside, I promptly switched out my pretty dresses for some fuzzy socks and a sweater and resumed my place in front of the fire with a second cup of tea.  And yes, we did play a few rounds of cards, but mostly we all just hovered near the warmth of the wood stove and went about our day in a cozy, quiet harmony.

Shopping list:  Outfit from Shein

Glam & Glitter

FemmeLuxe collaboration week continues and today's post is by far the girliest. In some of my previous posts, I mentioned that Femme Luxe has some lovely glitter bodysuits and this month for our collaboration I thought it would be fun to try one and do an outfit post about them. I've promised to be a little more thorough about breaking down my shopping and outfit making process, so to that end, I'll tell you how and why I decided on the Pink Glitter Puff Sleeve Plunge Bodysuit-Roxina. I chose Roxina because I love the romantic style with all the ruching and the sweet heart neckline. I also adore this pale pink color; it is just too, too pretty.

Most of the time when I'm searching for new items to add to my closet, I look for things that pair nicely with at least one and typically many things in my existing wardrobe. That way I can get lots of outfits with the new item without spending a ton of money. Occasionally I will buy an entire outfit from a shop just as they have it displayed, but that's rare. I do recommend doing this if it's part of your shopping style to only shop once a year and get a complete outfit or two and then wear them over and over until their spent. That's one method, it makes sense to me, and it works quite well for some people. For the most part though, I buy a single item at a time that I really like and have in mind to wear with things I already own.

For this Roxina Bodysuit, I knew right away that it would be the perfect thing to pair with my colorful, feminine ChicWish skirts. This watercolor print immediately came to mind because I knew it had the same sweet sugar plum pink in it as Roxina. Watercolor prints offer lots of options for outfits and in the past I've worn this skirt with yellow, orange, navy blue and dark purple, but the pale pink/purple is the color I have really been looking for in a top to go with this skirt because it is my absolute favorite. So, when I saw the Roxina bodysuit I knew it was just what I had been waiting for.

In the past I have typically worn this skirt as part of a wear-to-work style, but truly a skirt like this deserves a little glamour. No only was it the color of Roxina that I loved, but the princess style sleeves, ruching, and glitter really drew me in. A glitter bodysuit is just a little to stylish for the office. No, a top like this instantly adds the kind of glam I knew the skirt deserved. This look now feels like something I would wear to a formal event or special occasion. But, it doesn't end there. Imagine this glitter body suit with a lace pencil skirt or even a pair of dark wash jeans. No matter what you pair with it, the Roxina bodysuit is going to make it elegant.

I wanted to take just a moment in this post to discuss the fit of the Roxina bodysuit. As you know, bodysuits extend down and snap together to create a form fitted silhouette. What this can also mean is some discomfort when the bodysuit rides up, or it it is quite snug against the body. This is not the case with Roxina. It is very breathable and stays comfortably in place, no ride up. Even the sleeves were not too snug at the shoulders or cuff. This is definitely one of the more comfortable bodysuits I've ever worn.

FemmeLuxe has some great Corset Dresses which I hope to wear in the coming months as part of my collaboration with Femme Luxe, and I always love to wear their Jeans because they fit like a dream and give me such a confidence boost, but for tomorrow's post we're going to change gears a little with a glam Trousers outfit. I'm so excited to share it with you, so visit the blog tomorrow for my final Femme Luxe outfit of collaboration week.

Shopping Info: Pink Glitter Puff Sleeve Plunge Bodysuit - Roxina from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, Watercolor Impressionist Midi Skirt from ChicWish, Purple Heels from Amazon.com