Modest Fashion Features #20

I may not be posting as often as usual (which I know is only a couple times a week as it is) because I am busy all but Monday this week! Also it is just a really busy time period in my life.  If you follow my twitter, you'll see that today I got to try on a bridesmaid's dress for my brother's wedding that I'm in! I've never been in any wedding other than my own, and feel so honored and blessed. This is the dress but it is in a Canary yellow (if you have been a follower of my blog for a long time, you'll know that I have an obsession with yellow dresses and have owned more yellow clothes than any other color so this is really awesome) The peek-a-boo and sash are in a Clover green (and there will be a flower on the sash too). They're marrying on the 28th! I homeschool my older son in Pre-K and he has only about 5 weeks left of school! I'm so proud of him. He's writing and reading words now (not sentences yet).

As for the features this week, I must say it is one of my favorites that I've chosen throughout a week.  While most people seemed to have their eyes peeled to the Royal Wedding, I didn't see it at all and really get easily bothered by the idea that 60 million dollars was spent on it when I think of how many homes that can give people in third world countries. My mind is not "normal" when it comes to such things. I'm more simplistic. I like to spend as little as I can and see most things to be "wastes" when others feel such things should be extravagant. Seeing the features this week reminds me that some of the most beautiful pieces of fashion might be some of the oldest or the cheapest pieces, and that's just fine!

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Favorite of the week: Emily!!!

Top Left to right: Whitney, Toria, Kathy   

Bottom left to right: Laura, Liz, Marie 

If you want recognition for your modest outfits just let me know about your blog in a comment or even submit a photo here. Most of the time I pick from my random searches of bloggers or daily reads. To see the daily features and people's submissions, follow this tumblr I run. 

Easter Outfits

Outfit Details:

Vintage hat: REiNViNTAGE
Vintage gloves: VintageKats
Vintage 50s Dress: Raleigh Vintage
Shoes: Lulu*s
necklace: my mom's

[Photos of me taken by my husband Rob. Photos of my sons taken by me]

Modest Fashion Features #19

The cool part about this week's favorite, is that she submitted it to Ruby-Eyed Okapi's Tumblr and I really adored it. She made the top (which is a dress tucked into the pants). It's lovely!

Thanks to all the people who have been voting for me in the top 25 Stylish Mom bloggers. Currently I'm behind (number 40 or so) but would like to make at least #25. I get enough hits on my blog each day where I can have a way to catch up. You can vote every day up through the 6th I think (they want this list done for Mother's Day).

Right now I'm waiting for my Easter meal to finish cooling off (ham, mashed potatoes, and corn). Speaking of which, I hope everyone is enjoying Easter (or what we like to call Resurrection Sunday). Just remember that this day should be reflected upon daily. It is not something to just think about once a year or to push aside completely. Thousands of people witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus (which the word Execution comes from it, as it was known as the most painful way to die). Hundreds of people witnessed that Jesus was alive afterwards (which was very shocking for them). It is not a fearytale. Just because it wasn't video recorded or posted on twitter doesn't mean it didn't happen. That's like saying things like the Columbine School and Virginia Tech shootings didn't happen (when there were less eyewitnesses for each of those), or saying slavery doesn't exist (just because you don't see it every day in plain sight, yet 27 million people a year are enslaved in the world). loads of people were there!!!!!! They were in shock. It continues to be told because it has continued to transform people to believe and have faith. His grace covers our sicknesses of sinful nature to change our lives completely.

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Favorite of the week: Karen!!!

Top Left to right: Allexandra, Kristania, Jessica Bottom left to right: Emily, Mici, Delmy

If you want recognition for your modest outfits just let me know about your blog in a comment or even submit a photo here. Most of the time I pick from my random searches of bloggers or daily reads. To see the daily features and people's submissions, follow this tumblr I run. 

Movie & Music Suggestion Post #42

Movie Ratings are on a scale of 1-5.  Anything rated over 3 stars and is in bold, is totally worth seeing! - I rate pretty harshly.

Tangled 2010 (w/ voices Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy) - 5 stars - The story of Rapunzel has been my favorite faerytale since I was a child (part of why I am in love with long hair and want to grow it long). I found out that this movie was coming out a few years ago and waited and waited to see drawings or any pictures for it, etc. I finally saw the movie (wanted to see it in theatres). I love the twist and unique storyline created for it!! PLUS this is my favorite Disney princess because she's probably the first A-cup princess. Hooray for us small busted ones!! She probably is the most talented of all the Disney princesses too. Rapunzel has a special ability due to a situation that saved her pregnant mother from death. However she was kidnapped and locked in a high tower. I laughed and cried watching this. It is now my favorite animated Disney film! content: none that I noticed at all other than hitting people over the head with frying pans and attempting sword fight (mainly for self defense)

Seventh Heaven 1937 (w/ James Stewart -my fav! & Simone Simon) - 3 stars - They slightly changed the beginning of this story compared to the original silent film from 1927 which I loved and reviewed too. It was exactly the same but with talking! A girl who is used and abused is able to escape her life when a man who takes her under his roof and tells her he has no belief in God, but life with her starts to change his mind and the story shows reasons why or how.  It was a good movie but because it was so completely similar to the silent version, it didn't stand out. content: kissing, near suicide

Doctor Who: The Movie 1996 (w/ Paul McGann, Eric Roberts, Sylvester McCoy, Daphne Ashbrook) - 1 star - Okay when this movie came out I was anticipating it with my brothers like crazy. As I've stated before, I've been watching Doctor Who since the 1980s (the CLASSIC Doctors, Baby!). We had seen every episode (other than the damaged/destroyed ones, obviously) and finally we could see this. The worst part is the beginning because Sylvester McCoy was one of my favorite doctors (the 7th) and of course we knew he'd have to regenerate into Paul McGann but to see how it was done is awful!!!! I shouldn't have re-watched this movie because we all hated it when it came out and I hated it more now. They get too many things wrong (if you have seen all the episodes be it classic and the new ones, you'd understand I think too).  Anyway, It is because of this movie that I don't count Paul McGann as a Doctor at all. :: sigh :: Content: cleavage & kissing

While You Were Sleeping 1995 (w/ Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns) - 3.25 stars - A commuter is obsessed with a guy who comes through at her job. She dreams of being with the man. When he is mugged on the tracks, she saves him from being run over and ends up playing it up that she knew him very well. It causes her to learn a lot about his family. This is a really sweet and funny film! content: some language, talk about sex and pre-marital pregnancy, kissing

Amish Grace 2010 (w/ Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tammy Blanchard) - 3 stars - This movie was based off of the events in 2006 when school girls in the Amish village were killed in Pennsylvania. It shows how different people coped (from the murderer's wife to the Amish themselves).  It was very good. It was completely clean too (no language, visible violence, or sexual content).

The Greatest 2009 (w/ Carey Mulligan, Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon) - 2.75 stars - A family loses a son and each family member copes in a different way. The girl who was with him during his death comes into their lives and everything seems so hard for each of them. They don't know how to move on while the girl is able to accept things in a more positive light. It is a very dramatic and sad movie and sometimes moves pretty slowly but was good. content: a sex scene in the beginning (I skipped it so I don't know for sure what is in it), language, drug use, teen pregnancy, a guy's bum close up as he is naked at a party

49 Up 2005 (documentary) - 2 stars - In 1964 there were children chosen in the UK to be filmed on a regular basis every 7 years. They started at age 7 and this documentary shows how they grew up, the relationships they went through, the families they had, the jobs they pursued, etc. It was unique that someone dedicated themselves to film these people every 7 years! I thought that was interesting. They were 49 when this was completed. Even so, I was rather bored after a while. It was far too long and wasn't as interesting after the first few people they showed. I couldn't wait for it to finish. I love learning about people, but it was not displayed well enough to capture my interest.

Secretariat 2010 (w/ Diane Lane, John Malkovich) - 3.25 stars - A bio film about a woman who becomes an un-common housewife since she takes control of her father's farm and horses to prepare in raising the perfect race-horse. She deals with traveling away from her family often, finding a trainer and jockey worth putting her heart into, and she fights a male dominated sport. This was a very good film and was quite enjoyable. I think I cried too. Based on a real life event from the late 60s-70s. content: a couple immodest outfits worn by teens (brief), I think I heard 2 light swear words, mockery of being a woman, death in a family

My Dream is Yours 1949 (w/ Doris Day - my fav!, Jack Carson, Lee Bowman) - 3 stars - apparently the original version of this film was made in 1934 which I have not seen (usually I see the original first). It is about a talent agent who really wants to hit it bigger in the music business but he just lost his #1 partner. He comes across a great voice and tries to make a hit out of her.  The cheesy part of this film is that Bugs Bunny does a song & dance number with them! It was otherwise quite cute and really a fun romantic tale. content: kissing, immodest outfits

Let's Dance 1950 (w/ Fred Astaire, Betty Hutton) - 3 stars - This was funny at times and a little sad at other times.  It is about two entertainers who do many numbers together singing and dancing. However the woman is married and the man had no idea. After a few years they bump into one another and the woman's husband died shortly after they last saw each other. It deals with the situation and fight that they work together in trying to unite the woman with her son who was being taken care of by her mother-in-law. Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton were a funny pair (i love Betty Hutton's humor in the films I've seen with her). content: kissing, kidnapping, lying, gambling, couple immodest costumes

Good 2008 (w/ Viggo Mortensen, John Issacs, Jodie Wittaker, Mark Strong) - 1.75 stars - I couldn't get into this movie. I expected something better. It was quite boring. It was long and drawn out but at least the ending seems realistic to what real life would have been! It is about a writer who gets chosen by the Furor (Hitler) to be in a special Nazi task-force. However he has a Jewish friend and he has some family drama which make his life hard to be "good".  content: language, nazi street violence (nothing graphic), notions of an affair, woman in bed with a sheet over herself, the starting idea of a man about to get oral sex (nothing shown, scene cut off), women in area-covering lingerie, a close up of a woman's bum sticking out of her bathing suit

Temple Grandin 2010 (w/ Claire Danes, Catherine O'Hara, Julia Ormond, David Strathairn) - 3.75 stars - This is an inspiring and amazing bio-pic about a woman who is autistic and had to deal with breaking many barriers in the 50s-70s because people mock her and say she is retarded. She learns to overcome and pursue her education which was not commonly heard of at all back then.  Claire Danes played the role perfectly and had me convinced. This woman connected and expressed how to overcome the struggle of being autistic while being an inventor and using her mind to get through situations. content: they show how animals would have been treated in that time but Temple Grandin helps clear this idea, Also there is mockery of how she acts as well as a scene showing bull testicles to try to scare her off.  There also was an idea of a sexual response thought by an educator after Temple invented something but it is not noticeable really. No language or anything else in this film to be worried about!

Featured Band & album

Tilly and the Wall (Bottoms of Barrels album)
I still remember the first time I heard the song "Rainbow in the Dark" when I was pregnant or perhaps just had my firstborn son. I was amazed that instead of using a drummer (which they also use sometimes too), this band had a tap dancer to provide the percussion! They have a lot of energy in their sound and My favorite tracks from this album are "Rainbows in the Dark", "Lost Girls", "Sing Songs Along"<--my favorite, and"The Freest Man". I haven't listened to any of their other albums and really should, since it's been so long!

Looking at the Heart

This is the outfit I've tried to photograph a bunch of times but it rained whenever I attempted to do so. You'll notice the lovely flood waters behind me here. This was taken in the parking lot behind the building that is next to my church. It took up even more of the spots on the right of me (I didn't photograph the area though).

I had been trying to find newer high waisted bellbottoms for a while. I've been wearing bells since 1992 (when tight pants were all the rage). I feel most like myself when in them (in jean choices). I blame it on my childhood-self watching too much Candleshoe and Freaky Friday (the original) from the 70s with Jodie Foster.

A lot of people lately talk about confidence in one's bodyshape on fashion blogs. I've always been tall and thin and never had much structure to me other than my hips (once I was 13 or 14). My hips are 10 inches larger than my waist and I really love them and always had (and am thankful for them since they helped me have a 10 pound baby). They're the largest part about me (well other than the length of my legs). I never really liked my legs until a few years ago, I used to wear a lot of bracelets to hide my very thin arms, and certainly still am not very happy with my lack of womanly form up top (sometimes I cry about it. Some things never change since my pre-teens) and I haven't much of a bum at all (which also used to bother me). God continually tries to let me know that my beauty and body will fade away and to stop worrying about my vanity. Wrinkles will come, crows-feet will definitely show up, etc. It is so much more important to work on my spiritual growth because the soul is what is going to go on forever. I honestly am not really confident in my outward appearance and I realize that I shouldn't either. I am however confident in Christ Jesus who gives me strength and makes me see that I am a treasure! We spend so much time focusing on the outward appearance when really I feel many people are just withering away on their inside beauty. I encourage you all to find your self-worth in who you are and not in what you look like.

1 Samuel 6:7b "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Don't forget to vote (can vote once a day) for me at Top 25 Moms with Style. 

I keep getting onto #25 then falling behind again.

Outfit Details:

(non-vintage! :: gasps :: )

'Cause I Want Tulip Top - Modcloth

Jeans - Urban Outfitters

Shoes - Modcloth

Hat - Tillys

Modest Fashion Features #18

If you have been to my blog over the past few days you may have seen that I am up for vote as a top 25 stylish mom blogger. Last I saw I was #27 and you can vote every day. i'd truly appreciate the votes. For a direct link to my voting page, click here. There are really a lot of great stylish moms and I do think that the #1 person deserves to be there because I am addicted to her updates myself. Anyway i'd like to at least make it on the top 25 somewhere, so help me! You don't have to sign up to vote!

You may have also noticed I have disqus for the comments now, because it's easier on the busy housewife/stay-at-home Mom!! I love you all!

I was going to take outfit photos yesterday but it rained a lot. It is an outfit I've tried several times (past month and a half) to photograph but every time I do, it rains! Hopefully I can get shots sometime this week as I'd like it to be my next outfit entry!

The features this week again have some common bonds to one another except for my favorite one, I believe. However I think each individual here shines and looks amazing and unique in their own way!

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Favorite of the week: Amanda!!!

Top Left to right: Bente, Nana, Ashley
Bottom left to right: Camille, Steffy, Nicole

If you want recognition for your modest outfits just let me know about your blog in a comment or even submit a photo here. Most of the time I pick from my random searches of bloggers or daily reads. To see the daily features and people's submissions, follow this tumblr I run. 

A Part of Who I am - Some Facts

I did a similar thing not too long ago, but two wonderful people [Mrs. Amber Apple & Matchless Vision] awarded me with "The Versatile Blogger Award". Thanks so much ladies! I am to pick 7 other bloggers with this award. I decided to award it to bloggers who I think deserve recognition and who perhaps will post one of these as well: Even One Sparrow, Allison Writes, Laughing with Broken Eyes, Girl Next Door Fashion, Beautifully Pure, She is Sara, Bow Ties Are Cool 

7 Facts about Myself

1. Classic & New Doctor Who Geek
My father started watching Doctor Who a very long time ago (it did come out originally in 1964 but I don't know when he viewed it in the US). He in turn introduced it to my brothers who were watching the re-runs constantly when I was a very small child. I started to get into it when I was about 6 years old (1989) as they had all the episodes video-tape recorded. My favorite companion ever is Romana II played by Lalla Ward in the 1970s (with the 4th Doctor. . she married him for a short time). She was brilliant and I had similar hair to her as a kid, so I wanted to be a bit like her. I also wanted to be like Ace played by Sophie Aldred (I made people call me Ace when I was 10) who was the last companion (w/ 7th Doctor) before they started to bring it back after after a 16 yr. haitus. Yes I like the new series but I prefer the classics (other than the 6th doctor).
Here is a photo of Romana II from my favorite Doctor Who Episode of all time called "State of Decay"! (screenshots by me!)

2. I've never traveled further south than the tip of NJ (Cape May) in the US
It's such a beautiful place to go to. Look at the buildings there! I know many people who have been much further south than I have, and have lived here a long time, but it is okay. Maybe one day I'll travel further down the coastline.

3. Small Earlobes
My earlobes are pretty small (but I have cute elf ears). So small that when I got my ears professionally pierced when I was 11, my earrings ripped through my lobes. I re-pierced my ears a couple of times myself afterwards in one ear (later on in the other one too). I have had so many problems wearing earrings that I just stopped. This is a picture of my earlobes with pretty much the only earring that suited my lobes (it was a screw, I wore it for years and years, I was about 17 or 18 in this shot). You can see my earlobe was ripped in the front as there is a little dip from the scar.

4. Summer Camp was amazing
I went to summer camp every summer for a few weeks at a time and loved it so much. I used to work there once I was 15 and could get working papers. I worked as a groom aide with the horses. It was a great experience. I made loads of friends there each year and would meet-up with them again the next year and the next. Outside of camp I was a loner and didn't really enjoy my life. Camp (an all-girl Christian camp) was the best place for me to go to. I went to Camp Cherith in the Adirondack mountains (it's now called Camp Cedarbrook). Here I was all sweaty while piling up cedar chips to dump into each horse stall (and went swimming in them a little just for a photo).  When my kids reach about 10 or 11 years of age I plan on sending them to summer camp as well (if they are willing).

5. My 1st Car
I really loved my first car. 1983 Mercury Zephyr. It was awful though. I couldn't drive it when it rained because the battery died pretty much every time and I had to have my dad drive out to revive it. When i'd put my lights on and wipers on it usually died or would stall out.  If I drove it over 55 mph it would need to be ventilated because the anti-freeze would drip on my foot and smoke would come out of the vents. It was fun and I loved it and I have dreams sometimes that I am driving it around!

6. Alien Eyebrows
My husband likes to embarrass me by telling people about that so I thought I'd share it anyway. When I was 13 my brother told me I had bushy eyebrows (which I honestly didn't, in fact I rarely ever pluck because of how wonderful they are).  I didn't know how to pluck at all, nor did I even know what plucking was or waxing, so I shaved my eyebrows off. I cried that I looked like an alien. Thankfully my Mary-Kay consultant (my late God-Mother) saved the day with her eyebrow pencil solution! I have never shaved since then because honestly the idea of it scares me and I really don't know how people are able to still do that even if they do draw in their brows. :: gets the shivers ::
SADLY I had to get my school pictures taken with my eyebrows penciled in and I did a poor job of recreating my brows since I didn't know how to! 

7. I'm a youth leader
I've made it quite known that I'm a lover of Jesus here. I also have been serving as a volunteer leader at my church youth group for my 4th year as a Jr. high leader, 3rd year with the Sr. high. (11-18 year olds overall).  I have been building relationships with the kids and truly they mean so much to me! In case you are unfamiliar what I do - I get to know the kids, I give lessons from time to time to help encourage them and help them understand God's Word, I have fun playing games with them, and I pray for them as I really worry about what some of them might be going through. I hope that they will choose to live their lives for Christ after they are out of high school. They are amazing.
I'm the one with the flower. This is a shot from last year with some of the Sr. highers at the youth retreat.

Your Collared Blues (not to be confused with Collard Greens)

We decided to have lunch at the mall this weekend, which is something we never do, but it was nice to get out of the house. When I was ordering food for my husband Rob and our sons, I had my 4 year old with me while my 2 year old and husband saved a table for us (and then I went to get my food afterwards). Rob saw two young ladies taking photos of me and he was laughing. I had no idea it was happening, but I was wearing what you're about to see in these photos and he saw that they really liked my dress and were trying to hide that they were taking photos of me. Honestly, if anyone ever sees me, ask to take a photo. I am not a shy person at ALL. We live near a very busy area and a very busy mall so with all the people around, it is hard to know what anyone is doing!

I think I was 6'1" with these shoes on!

Yes I'm a sucker for Sailor collars

Rob took these photos of me while standing outside of our car down a road that still has some flooding from a month ago! He likes taking shots of me in between times that I'm prepared, just because it's enjoyable for him, I suppose. It did cross my mind that I would have swam in that polluted water because I love mud if I was in a different outfit!!!

I wore my hair like this at church the following day too, and a handful of people didn't know if it was a headband or my real hair. Truth is, I've been doing this with my hair since I was 15. So yes, it's my hair and is extremely simple to do if your hair is long enough to wrap around from one side to the other (behind one ear to the other ear, then bobby pin it). I got the idea from watching too much Ever After, which I saw in theatres at 15 (or maybe I was 14?). I still do about 3 other hairstyles from that film.

I don't know how you girls who wear skirts shorter than this can do so, since it was windy out and I wear slips and petticoats under all my outfits as it is. I can't imagine how uncomfortable that is to hold down skirts or bend over and needing to do so really carefully. This is the shortest I go outside of the bedroom (which I know is probably considered long to a lot of you)!

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Vintage Dress (assuming late 70s/early 80s): Kitten Paws Vintage
Shoes: Modcloth
Belt: don't recall
socks: Target

Leto eating Fried Shrimp at the mall. He likes it with ketchup.

Micah reaching for a french fry, his favorite food.

This is Rob (on a different day eating a hotdog, but he ate one at the mall too so I felt like posting it because of that. This was when we were visiting my friend Lynsie posted two outfits ago)

My boys hugging. Grilled cheese unites them always.

Leto wanted me to show you his drawing of Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper and their two kids  (they are the blotchy things between them) from the Blue Clues show. He actually draws this on a regular basis and it looks better every time (this was his first time drawing it though on a magnadoodle type of thing).

Modest Fashion Features #17

This week went by quickly (which was nice, in a way). I spend a lot of my time cooped up at home because Rob and I share our car and I stay at home watching our sons. Now that the weather is better and the boys are older, I really look forward to teaching the boys a little about baseball; Leto with hitting a ball and trying to show Micah how to throw and catch a ball.

I noticed that I've really enjoyed looking at accordion skirts this week. A few of my favorites are included in my modesty features. Also a few bloggers have pinterest accounts, which I have one as well and hope to include more in it soon. I plan on putting all the weekly modest ultimate features (the largest photo) in there when I get some time.  

I've been doing a lot of reading this week. I finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy (excellent series by the way). I also read quite a bit of manga and manhwa (Japanese and Korean comics/graphic novels). If you have a goodreads account you can see what I am reading and what I've read (I have 156 books read & 338 manga read - granted some of those are box sets, and even list books I want to read).

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Favorite of the week: Tricia!

Top Left to right: Christy, Linda, Friend in Fashion
Bottom left to right: Sarah, Bee, Charlotte

If you want recognition for your modest outfits just let me know about your blog in a comment or even submit a photo here. Most of the time I pick from my random searches of bloggers or daily reads. To see the daily features and people's submissions, follow this tumblr I run.