What I Wore Wednesday

Do any of you have trouble switching seasons in regards to your wardrobe? What I mean is, do you struggle remembering what to wear in the summer after a long winter of tights, boots, and scarfs? I tend to forget what I wore last year, so I have to make up all new outfits. It takes about 3 weeks of warm (or cool) weather before I start getting into the swing of things. Before I realize that I can wear those shoes with that dress or that I can make that a "summer sweater" by wearing it with shorts. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? There is a good chance that it is just me.

Luckily, I'm starting to get into the swing of summer. That means my legs are shaved regularly enough that I don't have to cover them with a maxi dress, and my toenails are perfectly polished, so I don't have to cover them with ballet flats. Here's what I've been wearing lately....

One of these days, I'm going to take pictures of my outfits with a real camera in my full length mirror, but for now, this is what you get.

Sweater: Old Navy ($9.99 Clearance!)

Tank Top - ????

Scarf - TJ Maxx

Shorts - Maurices

Shoes - Sperrys

This was my first day of classes. I wore MU colors even though I'm getting my doctorate from KU. I was being passive agressive.

Dress: TJ Maxx

Cardigan: Lane Bryant

Purse: Kate Spade

Shirt: Lane Bryant

Sweater Thing: Old Navy

Pants: Half of Half ($2!!!)

Purse: Garage Sale

I love maxi dresses! Love them.

Dress: New York and Company

Sweater: Old Navy (I bought it in high school!)

I wore this to shoot a wedding a couple of weeks ago.

Dress: Half of Half

Boots: Garage Sale

Belt: Cato

This dress was never actually worn. It was one of those moments when I put something on in the dressing room, and thought it was ADORABLE, then got home and realized I looked like a bridesmaid from 1988. It was awful. I literally laughed at myself in the mirror. It was terrible and went straight back to TJ Maxx.

So I'm back in summer mode, and I love having a tan and painted toenails and no make-up. Do you guys tend to wear a lot less make-up in the summer, or is that just me? Maybe it's a teacher thing.  I feel like I'm asking a lot of questions in this post, so I'm going to go ahead and end it here.

:j

This post is linked up to The Pleated Poppy: What I Wore Wednesday {wiww}

The Great Hair Debate

Let's talk for a few minutes about my hair. You should probably have a seat because it might be longer than a few minutes. I was born with no hair. Momma used to tape bows to my head until my curls started growing in when I was a toddler. It was traumatizing.

Pointing out that I was a bald baby to my cousins at Christmas a few years ago.

My hair as a toddler - don't mind my screaming. Water terrified me.

My poor mother has thin, straight hair, so she really had no clue what to do with my thick, curly hair. She used to brush it. It traumatized me. I used to cry because it hurt so much. My brothers still tease me about how much I hated getting my hair brushed growing up. They don't understand. Curls are not meant to be brushed. So when I was in fourth grade, Momma had my hair chopped off. It was traumatizing. (Do you see a pattern?) I can't even show you pictures because it looked terrible.

My go-to hair style. Long, curly, bangs.

When I was in junior high, I started figuring out that I had curly hair. It was a bit revolutionary for me. My hair was not in fact a huge mess of red frizz. I started reading everything I could about hair care, and began learning how to fix it. (Don't get me wrong, I still had terrible hair in junior high and high school.)

My senior photo - before the days of flat irons. I used to straighten my hair with a curling iron. That's talent.

In college I came to really understand my hair. 

My hair in its most natural state. (Don't mind Lenzi, there's no telling what we were up to.)

I was known as the girl with the long, curly, red hair. When people met me, there first question was almost always, "Is that your natural hair?" Which really if you think about it, is kind of a tactless question. What if it was a wig? I kept it down to my waist for most of the college years. I would cut 4 or 5 inches off every now and then, which was a big change for me, but it still remained long.

My friend Jess and I getting ready for a wedding.

Right after college, I cut my hair to shoulder length. I got bangs. It was new and different and exciting, but soon I missed my long hair. I missed having people at Wal-mart tell me how amazing my long hair was. I missed being able to braid it. I missed not having to fix my bangs every single day. So I let it grow again.

My friend Bryce convinced me to eat Wasabi straight up.

Two years ago was the last time I got it chopped off. I donated 14 inches to Locks of Love. I had "grown-up hair".

Looking very grown up with my short hair.

It was so free feeling. My head was so light. I could nod and shake my head without getting a headache, but I still missed having long hair, so I let it grow. Since then I have cut many inches off, but I haven't gone back to short hair. I just don't feel like its me.

This is what it looks like straight. In case you were wondering.

But now I'm going through the hair debate again. Do I want it long? Do I want it short? On Saturday night, I cut 7 inches off my friend Raylene's hair. (No, I'm not a hair stylist - just over confident in my hair styling abilities.) And her hair looks so cute now. It has so much body and life, which makes me think I should cut mine.

After my last hair appointment. The tired eyes are the result of not wearing make-up.

But then I remember all of the traumatizing that I experienced as a child, and I just want to keep my hair. I have so much fun fixing it....but it takes forever. So that is my quandary. I don't know what to do.

Raylene on the left before her haircut. Me on the right with long hair. And Laina in the middle being amazing. :)

 Maybe I'll just flip a coin.

:j

My Christmas Craft

Sometimes I get ideas for projects, and I think through it, and then I decide that I should wait until a more opportune time to paint my table or rearrange my guest room. Then there are other times that I decide I should paint a door to use for Christmas decor instead of clean my house, go grocery shopping, or work on photos. 

This is that door.

Yes, I should have used a level. Yes, I should have planned it out a little bit before just free handing the lettering. But I still love it.

In case you can't read it, it says...

In this home,

Christmas

is about

our Savior

laughing together

singing around the piano

Praising God

giving generously

showing compassion

sharing our joy

celebrating His birth

kissing under the mistletoe

blessing others

loving others

being kind to others

the manger

peace and hope

Family Time

Jesus.

:j