Fashion: love it or hate it, I have the book for you! {and GIVEAWAY!}

I have a new favorite book. I keep telling people about it and I'm carrying it around with me practically everywhere I go now so I thought it was time to write a proper review.

I've e-mailed back and forth with Shari, the author, a few times and she is absolutely delightful. She is NOT, by the way, compensating me for this in any way. I'm just a big fan and happy to promote her in any way I can!! :)

Here's my story.

I am by no means trendy, a fashionista or a style maven. I do, however, like to look as good as I feel or, frankly, look good even when I don't feel good! Plus I was tired of wasting time and money on more "stuff" (clothes, make-up, accessories, shoes) that didn't work for me.

So I ordered this book called "Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad" by Shari Braendel.



She has truly inspired me!! There's a chapter dedicated to each of the following topics:

* your body type (I'm a 'b')
* your true colors (I'm a "clear")
* accessorizing (including the "16 Point Accessory Rule")
* undergarments
* swimwear
* jeans
* hair and make-up
* jeans
* shopping
* modesty

There is a TON of useful information.

You'll learn how to dress your body type, what colors look great on you (plus your best neutrals), what size purse to carry, what style you tend toward and SO much more!

The format is easy to read, the tone is down-to-earth and all of the advice is very practical. You'll find yourself taking lots of notes! I'm going to create a cheat-sheet to laminate and keep in my purse to refer to when I'm shopping.

I could write pages but I'll just stick to the major ways the book helped me immediately.

Shari has tips for choosing a hair style and the right eye glasses, based on the shape of your face (mine is heart-shaped). Shari asks, "When was the last time you got a compliment on your hair?" My answer of, "I can't remember!" prompted me to make an appointment with a new hair dresser and try a chin-length bob to flatter my face. I didn't get highlights, either, based on Shari's recommendation to keep my hair as close to my natural color as possible, to bring out my eyes.

I took these pictures from my camera phone before and after my appointment.

Before (very "blah" and definitely not doing me any favors):



and after (wow!):



It's easier to style, it feels great and I think it even flatters my neck and shoulders.

And, yes, I have gotten compliments!!

Speaking of compliments, this book got me thinking about the times in my life when I felt great, at least partly because I knew I looked great. A family wedding when I was 17 came to mind. I wore a purple sheath dress and black high heels. People commented that I should be a model but what I also remember is that I felt like a million bucks.

It turns out that bright purple is one of my "pop colors" (you'll find yours, too) so it's no wonder.

I saw a similar dress on the rack recently and tried it on, just for fun. It looked sensational. I went home without it but after mentioning it to my husband, he insisted that I go back and buy it. Barely a week later, I was invited at the last minute to a swanky fundraiser at a resort hotel and was thrilled to have the perfect dress to wear. Sure enough, I knew that I fit right in and I felt fantastic. It was so nice to not be in a panic over not having anything to wear.



It got even better. I had the opportunity to buy a few new pieces of clothing with my mom this past week and was amazed at how much easier it was to shop when I knew what styles and colors would flatter me. I passed up entire racks because I knew the items wouldn't work for me and everything I took into the dressing room DID work--I just had to make sure to get the right size and colors. AND, I found such an amazing pair of jeans that I got them in two colors!

Saving the time, hassle and money in that one shopping trip more than made up for the cost of the book.

Lastly, I had to mention this.

One of my favorite parts of this book is how Shari addresses the meaning of Matthew 6:31-33 that says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV)

There is a lot of truth to unpack from this passage but here's the insight that struck me: how much time do we waste, "worrying" about what we wear?? Nothing fits, nothing works for our life, nothing makes us feel good and our pieces don't go with each other, let alone say anything about our personality...so we worry about what we'll put on that day, we worry about what to wear for a special occasion, we worry about the money we're wasting, we worry about what people think of us, we worry about the impression we're giving people about who we are...worry, worry, worry.

We owe it to ourselves to take the worry out of looking good every day. We need a wardrobe that is as effortless as possible, we need to learn how to accessorize so that it becomes automatic and we need the ability to shop efficiently so that we're not wasting time or money anymore. We need to learn how to look our best so that it's a not a worry, but a pleasure.

Shari's book does that.

Want to learn more? Here's her web site, which highlights everything she does (she's a part of Proverbs 31 Ministries). If you can attend one of her events, I'd highly recommend it. Don't miss the FREE on-line color analysis, too!!

Shari's web site

And don't miss her blog! TONS of great information!! I recommend that you subscribe to her "Faith Meets Fashion" E-newsletter. Shari's blog

~~~ GIVEAWAY!!! Just leave a comment about what kind of fashion help YOU need most and you'll be entered into a drawing for a FREE COPY OF "Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad." Just make sure to leave your e-mail address if you don't have a blog, so I can let you know if you win!

Winner will be chosen by the random number generator at midnight on Friday, October 22nd~~~

You can also snag a copy
on Amazon.com

Seeing Him in the Sky

Into every life a little rain must fall. The Bible promises that we will know trouble.



My storm of fear and anxiety raged off and on for almost two years. Sometimes the rain fell in a gentle sprinkle, sometimes there was heat lightening but no rain and other times the rain fell and fell and I wondered if it would ever end.

It's so easy to focus on the darkness, the rushing water, the sound of hail pelting the windows, the howling wind...and be afraid.

But in Arizona, storms never last long.

Even the worst storms in my life have been mercifully short.

And eventually the storm passed. Suddenly, not very long ago, I realized that the rain had stopped falling.

That storm is over. The sun finally came out again. I am in a new season, a season of gratitude, rest and reflection. I'm in the rainbow phase.

When my husband returned from work yesterday and pushed open the front door, there was a peachy tint to the sky that I recognized. It was a rainbow sky. I pushed passed him, barefoot, camera in hand. I got to the end of the driveway and looked up and there was a rainbow, arching directly over our street.



God's promise of a new beginning, displayed across the sky in technicolor.



Had I not been paying attention, I'd have missed it entirely.



My stormy phase taught me a lot about fear, trusting the Lord, getting to the end of myself, priorities and much, much more. I am grateful.

Now I am grateful that I am enjoying this new phase, as a new creation.

Now I can appreciate {and even enjoy} the storms...and the rainbows that come after.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

To see how others see Him, visit Holy Experience

1,000 Gifts: #61-100

First I saw that Angie from Bring the Rain was doing this book with the Bloom Book Club and THEN I saw that Ann from Holy Experience was doing it, too, so I decided to jump in.

The book is called "Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives" and you can get it on Amazon.com.

This is exactly the book I need for this new slower, more restful phase of life we're starting. This was our first "real weekend" at our new house and boy, did we enjoy it!

61:: an iced caramel coffee drink on a Saturday morning

62:: getting a pedicure with my mom

63:: the perfect shade of burgundy-red nail polish

64:: a baby shower with pink, ruffles, cupcakes, Winnie the Pooh and great good food

65:: not being pregnant

66:: a big-bellied mama, all smiles and glow

67:: giving the perfect gift

68:: buying that purple sheath dress at Drew's insistence

69:: size 8

70:: getting my hair to (almost) look like it did when I left the hair dresser

71:: Drew and Andrew going to get pancakes together

72:: the boys' outing being ruined by a poop incident--and no one really minding

73:: laughing about my grandmother, age 84, who has to put her lipstick on before she can go to Walgreens to pick up pictures

74:: a chubby 16-month-old sitting on the munchkin potty, proud as punch

75:: trying to type quietly

76:: inspiration from my dad

77: cracking up over chapter titles for my future book

78:: Angus burgers & tater tots

79:: an uninterrupted evening with my parents

80:: Sunday football

81:: a leisurely trip to the store

82:: a happy husband

83:: leg scratches

84:: the boys playing chase

85:: the actual pitter patter of little feet you hear in a two-story house

86:: figuring out why there was a screw in my cookie batter

87:: enjoying a new phase of life

88:: knowing I'm fertile

89:: being happy to gain 5lbs.

90:: posters and maps for the boys

91:: more sex

92:: being happy with doing less

93:: seeing both sides of the coin

94:: knowing that sometimes you do have to look back, to see how far you've come

95:: appreciating how very far I have come

96:: choosing to think positively about the future

97:: deciding what not to use in this house

98:: a new appreciation for "normal" days

99:: the occasional extraordinary day

100:: knowing tomorrow will be another amazing day

For more entries, visit Holy Experience

This Day

Now more than ever, I appreciate "normal days." Normal is so, so wonderful and never to be taken for granted. When I feel well, everything flows smoothly, I'm home with my healthy kids all day and there are no crises, that's not just normal, that's a MIRACLE.

Focusing on living each day in God's grace (not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future) is also an excellent anxiety-preventer.

Here are some of my favorite quotes about "this day:"

"Nothing is more important than this day." -Goethe {the quote on the front of my gratitude journal)

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve." (NKJV) Joshua 24:15

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV) Psalm 118:24

Today has been an amazing, blessed, one-of-a-kind day. Thank You, Lord, for normal days. May I always see them for the miracle that they are.

{I'm always adding to my list...do you have any favorites??}

1,000 Gifts: #41-60

We talk of little else except where the furniture will go, whether to order cable or Direct TV, the stuff we still can't find, what we forgot to get at the store and how glad we are to finally be in a new place.

I want to get to the accessorizing phase but there is still work to do, still boxes to unpack.

I want to meet the neighbors, host a play date, plan a tea party, stamp all my books with "This book belongs to:" so I can start loaning out my favorites.

But the craft room needs organizing. Artwork needs hanging. Toys need bins and cosmetics need baskets and clothes need washing and dishes need homes.

I want to make a difference in this community. I want to impact lives. I want our family's presence in this neighborhood to be felt.

But I must wait.

So far, we're just "the people who finally moved in to that rental." No one here knows us. No one has come to visit. I feel guilty, that I haven't "done anything" yet.

But I feel the familiar whisper, that whisper to a woman who is a border-line legalist, who likes to-do lists and rules, who doesn't feel like she's earning her keep in this world unless she's working and working and striving and striving.

He says, "It's ok to unpack. It's ok to nest. Take your time. Make your home the haven on your dreams. Make it your own. Make it wonderful. Your mission can wait."

Sometimes it's my husband's voice saying, "Would you just relax??" My mother asked me last night, "Have you even sat on your new couch yet?" No. I've barely sat down at all.

One of the goals of this whole move was for me to stop DOING so much. Yet all I want to do is DO. I have to work at not doing all the time.

So I'm nesting now. I'm rearranging and beautifying and making this place feel like I actually live here. And just doing that, for now, is enough.

41:: Pirate Andrew, third in line for face painting.



42:: enjoying an afternoon with my son without being behind a camera the whole time.

43:: attending a lavish birthday party.

44:: a new fall wreath, after I'd just hung te empty hanger on the door the day before and wondered what I'd put there.

45:: knowing God is real. Really knowing.

46:: chocolate cake, homemade by my mom.

47:: feeling "lighter" at church.

48:: fantastic worship.

49:: people who are genuinely interested in how I'm doing.

50:: getting the date wrong for a party and it working out for the better.

51:: Reading "Good Girls don't Have to Dress Bad" by Shari Braendel in one morning in my new Morning Room.

52:: resolving to stop apologizing for wanting to look fashionable and amazing.

52:: making a hair appointment with a new gal.

53:: looking out at my tree-lined street from the laptop.

54:: boys wrestling on the bed.

55:: leftovers from On The Border.

56:: sweet iced tea.

57:: Saturday McDonald's breakfast with my boys.

58:: being a minority sometimes.

59:: buying beer for my dad.

60:: Andrew's love of birthday parties.

Read more at Holy Experience

We who are loved much

At 11:11, I was face down on the floor in this room, the Tree House Room, the office/craft room in the new house. The room where I will read, craft, pray.



I was listening to this song...



...after reading

this post at Holy Experience.

I was praying for these people...



...and all the people in our new community. The people we will be serving in this new season.

"We who are loved much, serve much."

My Tree House Room has been christened in tears of gratitude. I have never felt more loved.

So I have a lot of serving to do in this new place.

Moving {surprises}

Tonight was the first time I went to our rental house since we toured it last weekend. My hubby had been taking loads of boxes over in the van all week then tonight we took over all the kitchen boxes I packed today.



Can I tell you how many times I've opened the drawer for a spoon or fork to find it empty?? At least five.

My hubby did it tonight, too. "Huh. No utensils? I was about to say that it seems like the stuff you'd pack way at the end, but....I guess it is way at the end."

Exaaaactly.

The Big Moving Day is Saturday so, yes, we are at the end. SURPRISE! It's here!!

The reality of the new kitchen being half the size of my current one is hitting home. There are several more boxes to unpack and my cabinets are full. And I didn't even unpack my pots and pans yet!!



SURPRISE!! I have waaaay too much kitchen stuff. I also have two boxes just of coffee and tea that have no home! I've got to do some re-prioritizing.

Then there's the stairs. I only went up to turn off the lights my son turned on and coming down, it hit me: this is my new home.

Stairs are my reality now. SURPRISE! I'll be doing the up-and-down routine hundreds of times in the next year.



But the highlight of the night was arriving at the house to discover painting supplies in the dining area. "Uuummm....Hoooneeeey??" I inquired.

"What??" My hubby asked, feigning innocence.

"Are we painting??"

We had decided to leave the red wall in the living room/dining room red. There was too much time, money and effort involved in changing it when the red was perfectly fine, especially just for a year.



"I told you we didn't have to paint that wall!" I reminded him.

"It's my new house, too, y'know," my hubby reminded me, mostly kidding. He knows I love green. He knows I wasn't overly enthusiastic about the red wall. But I was willing to work with it, rather than inconvenience anyone.

So my precious husband went to the store and picked out the perfect shade of green. The color? "Fresh Guacamole." It will go perfectly with my avocado posters in the kitchen. It is an amazing shade of green.

My husband didn't want me to settle, even for "just a year."

SURPRISE!

I need to stop settling so easily. Life is sure full of pleasant surprises and I get the feeling that I'm in for a lot of them this year. Let the adventure begin!!