oh the joys....

There are so many things I could complain about today, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to not complain and instead think happy thoughts while I share with you my outfit for today's 21 Day Challenge. It's Day 17 and the challenge was to take something from your repair pile, fix it and then wear it.

Problem: I don't have a repair pile. I have had one in the past...but the last item in said pile was my favorite black pencil skirt. It didn't last more than 5 days in that repair pile. That was a month ago. (I think I'm just lucky right now nothing needs fixing or anything.) So what's a girl to do when she can't really heed to the challenge set before? She emails the founder of said challenge! Kayla was fabulous and offered an alternative challenge: Break a fashion rule. Oh man. I was all excited to do this...and then I started googling fashion rules. There are so many variations on fashion rules and what's okay and what isn't. However - I decided to break the one fashion rule that makes me shiver whenever I think about breaking it - wearing black and brown together. Now, I've read a lot of things in the past 24 hours and there are many fashionistas out there that say this is okay. They're both neutrals, wear them together, be brave. And...well...I can't help but think that said fashionistas are a little CRAZY. I even bug my mom for wearing black and brown together - and she does it subtly with just a brown belt and a black skirt or something. She's going to roll her eyes and then say I TOLD YOU SO when she sees today's outfit...so without further ado: my fashion rule breaking outfit

{leopard print top: JC Penney's black shorts: Banana Republic}

So there you go - brown leopard print (I swear there is no black in that top...AT ALL) top with a black tank top and black shorts. I paired this with some brown accessories (watch, bracelets, flip flops) and off I went. I'm feeling....okay about it. Will I do this on a regular basis? Probably not. Am I worried what people think when I'm out and about today? A little bit. Will I still mock my mother for wearing brown and black together? Probably. ;) It's just the way I roll. Also - let's make note of this style of shirt - I have like 5 shirts in this style all in different colors, patterns, and slightly different necklines. I LOVE this style of shirt. I super cute in it and I KNOW it makes me look good. That's all. ;)

Have a great Wednesday y'all!!

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 36th Edition

My tender mercy comes from my run last night. I rolled my ankle (not badly) about half way through. There was some pain, but as I walked it out, I considered just calling it quits and going home. It was my first run outside in a long time and I was mad at myself for not being more careful being outside. However, as I was walking in a circle, I decided that the pain wasn't that bad and that I could move forward and finish my planned run.

So I did. My ankle is still a little sore this morning - but there's no major bruising and the swelling seems to be non-existent. I feel like this is a huge tender mercy. I'm trying so hard to get myself into good cardio shape and to just be healthy overall. I very easily could've blown my ankle injury out of proportion and allowed myself to give up, but I didn't. I am so glad that I had the strength and the confidence to run it out. When I finally got back to my car, it felt good knowing that I had finished what I had set out to do.

:o)

In other news, today is Day 16 of the 21 Day Challenge and the prompt for today is: Menswear.  I thought about this one a lot yesterday afternoon/evening. I own a "boyfriend" shirt that is super comfy, but it's half-ish sleeved and just not something I want to wear when it's going to be 90+ degrees today. Instead, I dug into my closet and pulled out a tie that I borrowed from Dad ages ago to wear to school one day, and never gave it back. I love this tie, but hadn't worn it in a long time so I figured it would work for today's prompt.

{shirt and pants: Target tie: my dad}

The pants are a brown plaid with a hint of teal to them and the shirt is an awesome steel gray. Pair that with the maroon skinny tie and I feel like this outfit is a winner! I didn't button up my shirt all the way, mostly because I wanted to have that relaxed feel, plus I hate feeling like I'm being choked. :o)

Good Morning!

Good morning everyone!!! Even though I am saddened at the thought of a 9-hour work day, at my desk, inside....I had such a GREAT weekend, that I'm happy. Also, I've decided that I'm going to work on one of my Day Zero goals this week: Don't complain about anything for a week. I'm a pretty optimistic person, but there are times when I complain about EVERYTHING! So...this week I'm going to consciously make an effort to not complain about work, my love life, or the weather. I think I can handle that. I am allowed to voice my complaints on how sore I am after working out. ;) But basically I want to not be a sour puss, or a pessimistic person this week. I think it will be a good exercise for me. :o)

In other news, I have a new crush at church. His 'nym: Surfer Boy. :o) We went to a concert in the park randomly Saturday evening and then back to his ADORABLE house (that he owns!) to watch a surfing movie. He also came over to game night last night. Some of you might be wondering about other men in my life. They've pretty much all fallen off the face of the earth - although BM2 might resurface and Grizzly Bear is....confusing. It's okay though! I'm having the time of my life and it's great fun. :o)

Today is Day 15 of the 21 Day Challenge. I am going to be sad to see this challenge end. It has been such great fun to use style prompts to get ready in the morning. It has definitely helped me to add variety and newness to my wardrobe. Today's challenge was to do something new with your hair. I LOVE experimenting with my hair. I was using Pinterest one day and I discovered this blog with lots of cute hair ideas. I couldn't watch her tutorial for the hair do I went with and I wasn't wanting to pay for it...so I just looked at the picture and did my best to recreate it. I like how it turned out. :o) A great way to hide very dirty hair that I didn't feel like washing this morning....shhhh...don't tell anyone.  The result!

{3 buns! I love it. A great summer hairdo!}

And for your viewing pleasure, the outfit I wore with this hair do:

{plaid shirt w/belt: JC Penny paired with a brown shirt from Walmart, shorts: thrifted and cut off by yours truly}

For cute, right?! :o) I am a huge fan of JC Penny's these days. It's one of my favorite places to shop - but not for dresses. I want a cute new dress, but I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. It might just have to wait until Christmas though. sigh. C'est la vie.

Well....that's all from me dear friends. I hope you have the best Monday in the world. and just as a reminder...there are only 5 days until BYU Football kicks off their first season as an independent! I am SO EXCITED!!!!!! Have a great day y'all!

Day 14

What a Sunday today has been! So busy! I do love it, but it is very tiring at the same time. My weekend pretty much seems to have disappeared, but I have had a blast. :o)

Anywho, today's outfit prompt was to copy someone. I've seen a lot of this one style and when I went shopping with Sister B I wanted to add this outfit to my wardrobe. So, I sort of cheated and bought most of my outfit today, but here's the deal - I have plans on many ways to wear the top/accessories that I went with and I'm okay with the fact that I bought this shirt and necklace yesterday and made it work.

So, I've seen a lot of people wearing things like the following:

{a shirt like the one here}

{a necklace like this}

I've always wanted to try it. So...when shopping with my sister i tried on things that reflected the images above and styled my outfit like so:

{top and necklace: JC Penny, skirt: roommate's from Gap}

So...I really LOVE this top. Also, I was never sure if I could pull off this style of necklace, but I took the risk...and I'm VERY happy with result.  I wore this shirt over a blue downeast top, but I could so wear it with jeans, paired with boots, oh so many ways! Also, it came with a belt, but I ditched it by the time I got home from church. I was just done with wearing a belt at that point. ;) I think it looks cute both ways! Go me!!

Day 13

Today's outfit for Day 13 went pretty well. I went with a black neutral base and a pink sweater accent. Very chic, me thinks. :o)