This Week's Nail Polish: Dark and Sparkly

Sinful Colors: Secret Admirer

I'm generally a late person.

I know it isn't the best quality and I'm working on it.

{mostly for my husband and partly because it stresses me out}

Well...yesterday morning, I was running late...per usual.

Husband wasn't feeling too bad for me, because he says I bring it upon myself.

{I can't help it...I just love snuggling under the covers.}

Correction...he wasn't feeling bad for me until...

I pouted, "Ugg!  There's a hole in my sock."

Yep.  There was my big toe sticking right out of my sock.

Apparently, all it took was a holey sock for complete compassion to pour over my sweet husband.

He said that he felt so bad for me....

Monday morning, running late, hole in her sock...poor wife, bless her little heart.

{Note to self: When husband gets aggravated with you, cut a hole in something...like a sock.}

Fashion Inspiration: Black Skinnies

tank: J.Crew, cardigan: Loft, scarf: Target, pants: Banana Republic, watch: New York & Company

Black skinnies have been on my "want" list for a looong time.
However, when I went to buy some it seemed like EVERY store was out of my size.
So you can imagine my excitement when Banana Republic was having an online sale.
I purchased this pair in a heart beat.  (and I'm not a big online shopper)
I was a little nervous about which size to get...but I have some Banana Republic dress pants, so I used them as a guide.
Wrong.  Try again.  They are TOO big.  :(
I guess I was too excited the first time I wore them and I talked myself into thinking they fit fine.
 And now it is too late.  I've washed them.
I'm a bit frustrated...but I have a plan.
I'm going to dry them.  I NEVER dry any denim material, but I think it's my only hope.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
(Before I take the plunge...do you have any suggestions?)


Inspiration for this outfit came from my good friend, Pinterest.
I'm a visual person, so seeing outfit and color combinations really gets my creative juices flowing.
Or in this case (well...most cases) helps me pretty much copy an outfit with the clothes in my closet.

{inspiration picture from Pinterest here}

Fashion Inspiration: The Daybook

sweater: Gap, tank: Target, scarf: gift, jeans: American Eagle, booties: garage sale

I'm continually amazed with the power of an inspiration photo.

This outfit is so simple...but once again, I don't know that I would have thought of it myself.

I really love the way she wore her scarf in the outfit below.

I tried to recreate it...but ran out of time and got frustrated.

Maybe next time.

{picture from Sydney at The Daybook here}

The Daybook is one of my daily blog reads.  

Sydney is adorable.  She is a wife and new mom.  

I get inspiration from many of her outfits.

 And man, oh, man her pregnancy outfits were amazing.

She inspires me to look forward to pregnancy fashion some day.

Fashion Inspiration: Bridal Shower

 

dress: Anthropologie, cardigan: Loft, belt: J.Crew Outlet, necklace: Target, watch: Michael Kors

I love this dress!  I bought it last summer at Anthropologie on super sale.

We're talking $20 and it's 100% silk.  Score!

I love when that happens.  

I love it so much that I had to share the love...

my cousin was in town for my brother's wedding and I just had to take her shopping, 

so she could score the same dress at such an awesome price.

(We decided it was okay to own the same dress since she lives in Ohio and I live in Texas.  hehe.)

Today, I co-hosted a bridal shower for one of my best friends, Danielle.

It turned out beautifully!

Everything turned out exactly how I envisioned it and Danielle loved it.

What more can you ask for?

{decor ideas from Pinterest here & here}

Wishes for the Bride & Groom
{idea from Pinterest here}

{tissue pom-poms tutorial from Pinterest here}

{easy & delicious raspberry recipe from Pinterest here}

{with the beautiful bride-to-be}

I'm so excited for this girl and I can't wait to watch her marry the man of her dreams on February 24th!

Fashion Inspiration: Stripes & Pink

shirt: Banana Republic Outlet, cardigan: J.Crew Outlet, jeans: Forever 21, necklaces: Forever 21, watch: Michael Kors

I wish that I could say it's because I was participating in some fashion challenge...but I'm not.

I just wore stripes 3 times this week, because I'm cool like that.

I love stripes and I never tire of remixing them.

I got the inspiration for this outfit from this picture on Pinterest...

{picture from Pinterest here}

I love the pop of green that she adds with her shoes.  

My sister has an adorable pair of green sandals.  

I think that I may need to borrow them this spring to recreate this outfit again.

Lessons Learned

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others.  

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  

Don't look out only for your own interests, but take interest in others, too.  

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."  

Philippians 2:3-5

It's amazing what can happen when we take the time to just open our Bibles.

Too many times, I am guilty of being too tired, too busy, too whatever...to take the time.

But it is in those moments...when I'm too whatever...that I need it most.

It is in those moments when I need to stop and refocus my priorities.

I feel like this week just came tumbling down, because I didn't have my priorities straight.

You would think that I would have figured it out sooner...since it actually started last week.

But no...poor me...7 crappy days in a row and I'm the victim.

How could I have been so blinded?

I had become selfish and self-seeking...and miserable!

I'd lost my joy.

I was talking the talk, but struggling to walk the walk.

So you can imagine my disbelief when my Bible fell open to Philippians 2 and I found the above verses underlined.

 (from when I had read them long ago)

And as I read those 3 short verses with fresh eyes...I thought...

"Oh my.  That's me.  How has that become me?"

How embarrassing!  That is far from who I want to be.

So...I'm considering this a lesson learned.

And...with the help of my wonderful Savior...I'm picking myself up and moving forward.

(I'm so thankful for a God of grace, mercy and second chances.)

Most importantly...I'm refocusing my priorities.

Number one on the list...start each day in the Word.

(You heard that husband...it's really going to happen this time...it has to.)

As much as I love sleep, I need to make time to start my day off right.

I can already tell that today is going to be 100 times better than the last 7...

(and that's not just because I took the day off, either)

...it's because I started the day off the best way possible...

in God's Word.

Fashion Inspiration: Monday

sweater: Gap, skirt: LOFT Outlet, tights: Target, boots: Gap Outlet, necklace: Tiffany's (gift)

I don't feel like this outfit it too complicated...
however, I also don't know that I would have thought of it without seeing this picture on Pinterest...

{picture from Pinterest here}

I'm going to admit that I didn't put too much thought into today's outfit.
(and I think you can tell)
I mean...really...it's Monday.  I know that isn't a good excuse.
If anything, it should be motivation to start the week off strong.
I'm working on it.
Next week...I'll put more effort into Monday!

I think that I may need to create another version of this outfit and add a little more creativity to it.
Do it a little more justice.

In the meantime...
whenever I'm having a case of the Mondays, I look at this picture and it makes me smile.

{picture from Pinterest here}

Fashion Inspiration: Navy Stripes

cardigan: J.Crew Outlet, shirt: J.Crew Outlet, tank: Target, jeans: American Eagle, necklace: The Limited

Oh, how I love Sunday!

Not too long ago, I didn't enjoy Sundays.

I would spend the whole day working and stressing about the upcoming work week.

Then I was reminded that Sunday is the Sabbath...my day of rest.

My day to go to church, focus on Christ, and rest up for the week to come.

So today...we went to church, volunteered in the nursery, took a nap and did some baking.

Oh...what a wonderful, relaxing day!

Husband and I got a present in the mail yesterday.

We combined our Christmas money and put it toward something that we both wanted.

A new DSLR camera!  Yay!

We are so excited about our new "toy."

I already feel like a better photographer and I've only taken about 10 pictures with it.

Now the quality of my pictures has drastically increased compared to my iPhone pictures.

Fashion Inspiration: Not Gingham, but Maxi Check.

shirt: J.Crew Outlet, cardigan: LOFT, jeans: Forever 21, belt: J.Crew Outlet, necklace: Target, watch: Michael Kors

I've tried on quite a few gingham shirts and every time I decide to walk away empty handed.

Even though they look soooo cute on other fashion bloggers...

I just haven't found one that works for me.

Now this maxi check shirt is a different story.  

Love at first sight.

I really like the bigger square pattern and this shade of blue.

It also helped that when I tried it on...my husband and sister loved it too.

As for this necklace.  Yes.  This is the third time I've worn it this week.

But...I'm okay with that.  I'm going to say that means it was a good purchase.

Thank you Danielle for taking my pictures today!

This Week's Nail Polish: Bright Red

OPI: Big Apple Red

Thank God it's Friday!

Yes. I felt the need to write out the whole phrase.  

TGIF just did not seem to express my true feelings.

i LOVE my job.  LOVE it!

But...I also love sleeping in and spending quality time with my husband.

Friday means that I get both of those things for the next 2 days.

{insert happy face}

Oh and I also love a good haircut...something I get tomorrow.  Yippee!

Fashion Inspiration: Pink & Red

red shirt: J.Crew Outlet, pink polo: Ralph Lauren Outlet, pants: Target

necklace: Target, watch: Michael Kors

I've seen pink and red together on a lot of fashion blogs over the past several months.

Every time I saw the color combination, I automatically thought...Valentine's Day.
Until I saw this outfit on Brighton the Day...

{picture from Brighton's post here}

Love at first sight!  

And that is when I knew I needed to try pink & red together.

At first, I was so excited to try it.  I have all of these pieces in my closet.

Pink button-down shirt. Check.

Red cardigan. Check.

 Score.  

I was going to recreate this inspiration outfit.  Easy.  

And then I started putting the outfit together and trying it on...

Not good.  Not good at all.  

The red was too dark.  

The pink was too salmon-y.  

The shirt was too short for the cardigan.  

Fail.

My first thought was..."oh well, guess I won't be recreating this outfit."

Then I started thinking of pieces I needed to buy to make it work.

No. No. No. 

I reminded myself that this isn't about creating a list of things to buy.  

It's about recreating with pieces in my closet and mixing my clothes in new ways.

So...I looked through every piece of red and pink clothing I own...

...and...

...I found the perfect shade of pink and the perfect shade of red.

Only it was a polo and a tee shirt.  

I started layering the two...added a chunky necklace...and...voila!

Somehow it worked!

Oh and don't you love the pictures taken outside in natural light! 

So thankful that my wonderful husband took my pictures today.  :)

Fashion Inspiration: Refashioned!

cardigan: LOFT, shirt: American Eagle, scarf: gift, pants: American Eagle (refashioned!), boots: Gap Outlet

I learned a new word last week.  Refashion.

{refashioned - when you change a piece of clothing that you don't love into something that you do}

Genius!

With the help of 2 tutorials from Pinterest (yes. 2 tutorials. one has awesome directions and the other has awesome pictures) and my friend, Patti...I changed these pants from an awkward fitting bootcut to a cute & comfy skinny.

                                                       Before...                                      After...

          

I am VERY happy with the end result.

I told my husband..."I got a new pair of pants and I didn't even spend any money!" 

He liked that a lot.  I also think that he was impressed with my mad sewing skills.

By "mad sewing skills," I mean it took me 4 hours to alter these pants.  haha.  

There was a lot of trial and error that went into the whole process.  

I'm sure that I'll be much faster next time.  :)

Fashion Inspiration: Simple

Shirt: Banana Republic, Jeans: American Eagle, Scarf: Target, Boots: Gap Outlet

Boring.  That was the title I was going to use for this outfit.  

Then right before I wrote it...I realized that I didn't like it at all.  It was negative.  Too negative.

This outfit may not be elaborate and fancy...but it's still cute and has some interesting components.

It's not boring...it's simple.

More importantly...it's comfortable and I feel good in it.

These thoughts made me ask myself the question..."why did you start this blog?"

I will admit that I got the idea because of all the amazing fashion blogs that I follow.  

I always get so much inspiration from them and I wanted to document my new found creativity.

What I didn't want to do was add pressure to myself to look as cute as these fabulous bloggers...all. the. time.

So this is the conclusion that I came to...

I started this blog...

...to document my outfits and encourage myself to get more creative with my warerobe.

...to remix the clothes that I have more and focus less on clothes that I "don't" have.

...to encourage myself to bake (and cook) more and share those recipes with others.

...to be a positive and inspiring source for others.

So as I continue to "aspire chic" in my life...I remind myself...

"She (a wife of noble character) is clothed with strength and dignity..." 

Proverbs 31:25a

And honestly...that's what is most important to me...being a wife of noble character.

Fashion Inspiration: The Weekend

Saturday

Dress (worn as skirt): Gap, Shirt: Banana Republic, Necklace: Forever 21, Boots: Gap Outlet

This outfit and I had some words yesterday.  First of all, I'm probably the only Texan who wishes it was colder and we would get some snow.  The original outfit idea included a nice, warm cardigan...but since temperatures ended up in the 60s yesterday, I had to change some things up.  I think that the final product turned out okay.  I was very proud of myself for wearing a dress as a skirt.  I've seen several fashion bloggers repurpose their clothes this way and I was so excited to try it.  I think that I am going to get a lot more out of this dress now that I know it can double as a skirt.

Sunday

Sweater: J.Crew Outlet, Jeans: American Eagle, Necklace: Target, Boots: Arturo Chiang (from Dillard's)

Simply and casual.  I think that should be my new motto.  I love outfits like this.  

Sweater.  Necklace.  Skinny jeans. Boots.  Done.

So easy and so cute.  My favorite kind of outfit.  (Plus, it's comfortable too.)

Food Inspiration: Rolo Brownie Bites

These are delicious!  

I found the recipe on Pinterest awhile ago and I finally made them last night. 

The best part...there is a Rolo in the middle.  Yum!  

My husband is in his second year of medical school.  Last year, I always made "treats" for him to take on test days.  This year, I've kind of dropped the ball.  So I guess you could say one of my New Year's goals was to start baking again.  It helps me release stress and it makes the future doctors happy.  (and you always want to make the future doctors happy.)  Plus, by him taking them to school, we are able to enjoy a few without eating too many or wasting the extras.

Get the recipe {here}.

Fashion Inspiration: Chambray & Pink

sweater: J.Crew outlet, shirt: J.Crew outlet, pants: J.Crew Outlet, shoes: Sperry Top-Sider

I was trying to take a risk and be a bit adventurous today.  

(this is the first time that I haven't worn a black shirt with these pants...predictable, I know)

But...I'm still not sure I "love" this outfit.  I think that it's the shoes that bug me, but I'm not sure.

I switched out the pants and shoes for my evening activities...

jeans: Forever 21, boots: Arturo Chiang (from Dillard's)

I think that I like this better.  Maybe.  I don't know.  I just don't know.

Which one do you like better?

This Week's Nail Polish: Purple

OPI: Louvre Me Louvre Me Not

Oh, Wednesday.  

Purple nail polish makes you a little bit better.  

Well....that and jeans day at work.  

Fashion Inspiration: Teacher

Cardigan: LOFT, Shirt: Banana Republic Outlet, Pants: J.Crew Outlet, Necklace: made by me, Shoes: LifeStride (from DSW)

I could hear my sister's loving voice as I put this outfit together.  "You look like a teacher."  

I'm going to have to agree today.  Is it the cardigan and khakis that give me away?  Or maybe it's my "old lady" shoes?  

Whatever it is...I am a teacher and today I look like one.  Hopefully, a cute one.  *wink*

My favorite part of this outfit is the necklace.  It adds an extra layer of "interesting."  

(and this outfit needed something interesting)  

Plus, I made it myself.  Don't believe me...I have pictures to prove it.

pictures by: P. Leeke

It was super easy!  No sewing involved...just a hot glue gun.  My mother would be so proud.

I followed this tutorial that I found on Pinterest.

Fashion Inspiration: Rain Boots

Dress: Target, Cardigan: Victoria's Secret,  Scarf: Target, Leggings: Target, Rain Boots: Garage Sale

Layers and Leggings and Rain Boots...Oh My!

It's rainy and cold, so I layered up and put on my rain boots.  

(well, my rain boot to be exact.  yep.  juuust one.)

In other news, I reorganized my scarves tonight thanks to an idea I found on Pinterest.  I think that it is going to give me a little bit more space in my closet.  (and every little bit counts)  

Fashion Inspiration: Casual Sunday

Okay...here goes nothing...my 1st blog post!

Scarf: Gap, Shirt: Old Navy, Tank: Target, Jeans: American Eagle, Boots: Gap Outlet

Our church is very causal and we were working in the nursery today, so I wanted to feel cute yet comfortable.  I decided to dress up a basic long sleeve tee with a scarf.  I am loving skinny jeans and boots these days, so it only seemed fitting to add them to my outfit.

I'm slightly embarrassed by my amateur, iPhone picture.  I know that it is poor quality and a bit ghetto, but it's all I have right now.  I'm hoping to provide you with more quality pictures in the near future.