Last Post Here

Today is the last day I'll be posting over here. Come join me at Clothed with Grace from to see this full post today and from now on : )

Proof

In case you missed it, I've moved over to Clothed with Grace, come join me over there to see today's full post. : )

Loving Lately

Today I thought I'd share some things I'm loving lately!

Just a reminder, I'm now blogging over at Clothed with Grace, come join me over there to see this full post and update that book mark too. : )

Rocksbox

In case you missed the memo yesterday I've move my blog to a new location, here: Clothed with Grace. I'm excited for the chance, come join me!  I plan to post here for a few more days, while everything gets switched over, but please come join me at Clothed with Grace to see the full post : )

I just got my forth Rocksbox. I was able to preview what they sent and it's safe to say I was stalking the mailbox. This Kendra Scott necklace was part of the box and living in Nebraska I haven't seen any pieces first hand, so I was so excited to get to try a piece out! That I think is one of the best things about this service. I love a getting the change to try brands I wouldn't normally get a chance to see. It's been so fun!

 If you're not familiar with Rocksbox it's a fun monthly jewelry service.  It normally cost $19 a month, but you get a $10 credit towards any purchases. You can also send the box back and forth as many times as you want each month. I'm really loving getting to try it out and you can try it free for a month too. Just go to Rocksbox and use code "newfavoriteoutfitxoxo" at checkout.

Big Changes

For quite a while I've been itching to change the name of my blog.  When I created this blog over two years ago, the name really fit. I had rediscovered my closet and every outfit I put together was literally "My New Favorite Outfit." Now, two and a half years later, I still enjoy getting dressed and want to feel good in my clothes, but it's ok for an outfit, to just be an outfit.

I began thinking and searching and thought about who I am, and then I realized that I am way more than the clothes I wear, I am "Clothed with Grace" by an unfailing God! He pours out his grace on me so freely and I'm so thankful for that! The new name was born.  :)

So here's my plan. I'm still working on getting everything switched over, including Bloglovin' for those who follow me that way, so I'm going to continue to post here for another week or so. A lot of you have my blog bookmarked, so I want to make sure you have a chance to re-bookmark my new address at Clothed with Grace. I don't believe those of you who follow through GFC will be able to see new posts once I've moved, so you'll probably need to refollow over there too.

I'd love for you to stop over there today and let me know your thoughts!

Now, here's today's post!

First off, I love how this outfit came together. I think it's perfect for this spring and summer, and I felt great wearing it. I just got this top after seeing it on another blogger. I hadn't ordered anything from Sheinside before but have seen c/o pieces on other bloggers.

Everything on Sheinside is super cheap and it comes from China. The top I'm wearing today was only $10, and you get 30% off your first purchase, so I figured, what did I have to lose other than $7. I normally get a medium (sometimes small), but I ordered a large, as I've heard that the sizing runs small when ordering from a site located in China. It only took about two weeks to get here, which I thought was pretty good, but I'll tell you, you get what you pay for.

This "large" fits more like a small-medium in my opinion. It doesn't have a tag of any kind, so who knows if it really is a large. There aren't any washing instruction either; I ended up washing it in warm/cold and not drying it, and that worked fine, though.

So, although I think this print is absolutely adorable, I definitely got what I paid for. I don't think I'll order from Sheinside again. I know some bloggers who really like it, but I think I'll stick to brands I know.

Getting Ready for Spring

"Outside! I love outside!" This is what I heard from Grant recently when I suggested he play outside. After being cooped up in the house all winter, it's like he needed to be reminded of the fun he could have. We spend a lot of time outside once it's nice, so I was excited to go pick out some fun things from Gordmans to help get the patio ready for spring.

Playing outside is a lot of work for a kid and I'm not a fan of running in and out and tracking sand all over the place. Who's with me?!?!? So I was excited to find this fun ice bucket at Gordmans. It's been on my list of wants for a long time, so it was a fun find! Now we can have ice water to cool down and keep the sand outside where it belongs.

Pretty Jewels Make Me Happy

Recently I discovered Lauren's Little Luxuries through Instagram and I fell in love. Her pieces are beautiful and custom made. She was kind enough to send over this necklace and  this bracelet for me to add to the other two pieces I purchased, this bracelet and this bracelet.

Her prices are great and her necklaces are unlike anything I've seen before. I also love that you can custom order the size of bangle you want, based on your wrist size, I got small. She's also kind enough to giveaway a $30 credit to her shop! You can enter down below!

As for my outfit today, I got this dress at a clothing swap and have been waiting to wear it for nearly two month. It's officially maxi season in my book. : )  I've had this cardigan from J.Crew for almost a decade and love wearing it as a light layer. I can't forget these sandals, they are the best! I scooped them up quite a while ago, and not it's finally warm enough to wear them. There are definitely going to be my go-to sandal this summer.

He is Alive!

Today is Easter, it a reminder of Christ's love for us and that although the world crucified him he has overcome the grave!

Maybe as you read this you're in your jammies, sipping coffee and looking forward to a family brunch.

Maybe you don't know what this "God stuff" is all about.

Maybe you're wishing you'd gone to church.

Maybe you're reading this alone in the evening after you've seen your Facebook and Instagram flooded with images of "perfect days" spent with family, saddened that this isn't your reality.

Regardless of where you are today, God wants to meet you right there. We sang this in last night and today and I've overwhelmed by the lyrics. I hope you'll take the time to listen to this beautiful song.

I want you to know God loves you, just as you are. I hope you'll hear this truth and let it change you for the better.
 
           

Style for Spring

I have the itch for spring clothes. How about you? It seems like when the seasons switch I have a hard time deciding what to wear. I'm going to make it easy on you, if you have the same problem. I've created 28 outfits to help you get inspired to dress for spring. Just sign up for my email list, and I'll send them your way!

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Self-Doubt

Recently I asked you all to complete a survey, and just like with anything, once you get the results you begin to think about what to do with them. One thing people said they wanted to see more of was how-to posts. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that was something I did pretty regularly up until this past fall. Honestly, how-to posts are A LOT of work and I'd been working to find a balance between this hobby and the rest of my life, so time intensive posts like that went out the window.

I did, however, notice the way Audrey of Putting Me Together had her tabs set up, and I really liked how she had it organized.  I thought that was a great idea, and it would be simple for me to do as well. I could search my archives and make all my how-to posts easy to access, and highlight some other useful posts as well.

What started as a good idea, caused me to doubt myself and becomes super critical of myself as well. I totally didn't expect this. I began to look through my archives and I began to cringe at almost all the posts I created during my first year. The outfits, the poses, the picture quality: awful. Delete. Delete. Delete, post after post. In the midst of that though, I saw a thinner girl, seven pounds to be exact, which shows easily on my 5'4" frame. Now, the clothes from those pictures still fit me, I just look bigger now. What started as a good idea when south pretty quickly.

I'm generally a pretty self-confident person. However, I do believe that Satan will do what he can to get a foothold in our lives. My self-doubt and criticism wasn't from God, I knew that. Here's what I know about the nature and character of God:

Psalm 52:10 "The steadfast love of God endures."

Romans 8:39 "Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God"

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world he gave his only son, and whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life."

Roman 8:21 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

God loves me and is for me, he is not a God of doubt and criticism.  I began to get some perspective. If the early posts looked the same as the posts today, I wouldn't have "grown" in any way. Also, although I wouldn't mind losing the seven pounds I've gained in two years, I'm way happier now than I was then, and I'd choose happiness over seven pounds any day.

Yes, this is a "fashion" blog, but that's not what's most important to me anymore. Life is about more than clothes, and thank God for that. I could have curled up and cried about what I saw in my archives, but what a waste of time that would have been. God is for us and that's what matters.

I wore this outfit to go to the zoo with Grant over spring break. It's so nice that he's big enough to walk and I don't have to mess with a stroller. Since pulling out my boat print blouse this spring I haven't been able to take it off, this version is pretty adorable too. I've also been wearing my red jeans like crazy. After wearing a pair for two years that very really fit me right, it was awesome to find this pair at a fashion swap a few months back.

Blink of an Eye

Today I'm going to be getting pretty deep with you all, so here's your forewarning. Recently I had a dear friend tell me about an awful situation that happened to some college friends of hers and her husbands, Kimberly and Dan.  The two couples had spent a lot of time together in college, each couple got married about the same time and have kids about the same age- one and three.  

Recently Kimberly had a nagging cough, and doctors thought it was a cold that just kept hanging around. Kimberly, also happened to be pregnant with their third child at the time.  What seemed to be a cold turned out to be a rare valley fever in which fungus starts growing on your lungs. She delivered her third baby at 23 weeks, and he died shortly after. Things got worse and Kimberly soon died too. Her life was over in the blink of an eye. This story is literally the worst. 

Kimberly and her husband Dan were unwavering Christians, you can read more about her story here. The family is at peace knowing Kimberly and her baby are in Heaven, but it still doesn't make this situation seem much easier here on earth. Sometimes things happen that I just don't think we as humans have the capacity to understand. I don't know why God would take her from her family at such a time as this. I can't understand the logic.

I shared this story with my husband, Brian, who is well known for his honestly, not his empathy. He responded, "We're not promised any specific time here on earth. When it's our time, it's our time." So, for the record, the response I wanted to here "Man, what an awful situation," but there really was truth in what he had to say.

As Brian said this we were walking in the doors of Grant's elementary school for kindergarden roundup, something I've been looking forward to for quite some time. Here I am, making plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, and even next year, but what if I don't get a next year? 

That's why it's so important to make the most of each day.  God wants each one of us just as we are. Tired, bruised, broken, He loves us all. If we wait around until we're perfect to come to God, we'll never get there. Meeting him is not like a job interview, where you have to be "hired," He's our father, waiting with open arms, ready to accept us just as we are. 

My friend said she's been hugging her kids a little bit tighter all week, and as for me, I don't want to take this life I've been given for granted. I want to make the most of each day. I don't want to let daily "annoyances" get to me, because in the end, they don't matter. I want to be in daily communion with God, so that when my day does come, he'll say to me "Well done, good and faithful servant." I wish the same for you too.

I found this J.Crew factory dress on thredUp (surprise, surprise).  I'd been eyeing it when it was first a J.Crew factory this fall, but didn't get it because it was so much more of a spring dress. Then it showed up on thredUP, new with tags for $15 and I had credits to use. Nice. Use this thredUP link to get $10 off your first order, seriously, you'll be amazed at what you can find!  I'm planning to wear this for Easter and I adore it with my necklace from Rocksbox, another gem (no pun intended) that is right up my alley. I love getting to try new jewelry, and this is the one piece I've decided to keep so far. You can also try it for free. Just sign up at Rocksbox with the code "newfavoriteoutfitxoxo."