Outfit Post // My Wedding Dress

 Hey y'all!  Yesterday, Jesse and I, celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary!  It doesn't seem like we've already been married that long at all.  The weather is so gorgeous and exciting and it finally feels like spring.  Just like it was on our wedding day two years ago.  I decided to show y'all in this post, my wedding dress.  Dressing modestly and appropriately is something that I am very passionate about and I feel can be done prettily on all occasions, even on your wedding day.

It can be very difficult to find wedding gowns that don't cost a fortune, and even harder to find a modest one.  I actually found my dress at, don't laugh, a thrift store.  It costed a grand whopping total of $13!!!  My mother and I had bought it long before Jesse and I were ever pursuing a relationship with each other, just because it fit perfectly and was so pretty.  Little did I know that I would be wearing it in my wedding the very next spring.

 The dress is an antique that was in great condition.  We did have

mended a bit on some of the lace pieces because of its age, and turned out splendidly.

 I loved how incredibly comfortable the dress was and how well made it was too.

The lace is so intricately delicate and the sleeves were very pretty.

Also the material was very lightweight and breathable for an outdoor spring wedding.

  

 The bridesmaid dresses were all handmade by friends and the flower girl dresses were bought at a local children's store, but were altered a little.

Everything turned out so lovely!

//outfit details//

Wedding Dress: Thrift Store

Hair Piece: Hobby Lobby

Flowers in my hair: out of my bridesmaids bouquets

Necklace: a special gift

Barefoot! (oh yeah)

 I hope this has been helpful for some of y'all that are planning your own special day, helping someone else get ready for their wedding, or just to give you some helpful ideas for the future.

Hope y'all have an awesome day and thank you so much for stopping by! :-)

(oh, and by the way, I hope to be posting some of my
March photo challenge pictures real soon.  It's been awfully busy around here)

Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

Hair Tutorial // Twisted Ponytail

 Hey y'all!  It is finally starting to feel like spring around here.  Yipeeee!  The birds are all singing prettily this morning, flowers are staring to bloom, and I'm all exited about getting into my garden again.  With spring in mind, I was messing around with some cute ways to dress up a ponytail and add a flower to the hairstyle.  Here is the twisted ponytail hairstyle that I tried on Gina last night and it turned out so cute! :-)

First take a small strand of hair from the right side of your head and

 twist it down towards the floor (the direction you twist it is very important).

 Now, pick up another small strand of hair and twist it down towards the floor too.

 Cross the second strand over the first as pictured above.

 Next, you're going to pick up another small strand of hair and add it to the first strand (that is now on the bottom).

 Twist them together down, towards the floor.

Continue adding and twisting the hair all the way down on this side of your head.

 Pin all of this out of the way (or if you're doing it on someone else's head, just have them hold it)

 Repeat the same thing on the left side of your head.  Twist all the the hair on this side right, down, and towards the floor.

 Fasten it all off with just an elastic band, or add a flower, or some

other kind of decorative hair accessory.

Tadaa!  A cute, dressed-up ponytail for early spring. ;-)

How do y'all dress-up a ponytail?

What ways do y'all incorporate flower accessories in your hairstyles?

March Photo Challenge

Hey y'all!  One of my favorite blogs, Joyfully His, posted this photo-a-day challenge for March.  It looked really fun and I'm so excited about doing it.  I know I'm late posting this (mostly because of bad internet service), but y'all can still participate in this challenge by just catching up on the first few days. :-)

I'm hoping to post the pictures that I've taken at the end of each week. Also, y'all be sure and go check out Joyfully His.  They are a great Christian blog and have really been an encouragement for me and are truly inspirational!

Outfit Post / / Sky Blue Scarf with Black + Denim

 Hey y'all!  Brrrrrrr, it has been just a little windy and kinda chilly here the past few days.  Mostly with those types of  mornings that make you want to bundle up in a cozy sweater, or wear a warm scarf, and drink some hot, yummy, tea.  My husband and I have been very busy around here lately.  Mostly running our online business which involves things like getting inventory, posting items, and working through all of the financial stuff.  Although this isn't exactly what I would call a particularly fancy, classy, or fashionable outfit, but I decided to go ahead and share it with y'all anyway.

I chose it because I needed something to wear that was practical, comfortable and warm.  The scarf (from Charming Charlie's) was given to me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago by my aunt.  I haven't had the opportunity to wear it that often, so I was exited to get to use it again when I noticed that it matched my light, blue tank.

// outfit details //

Shirt: Walmart

Tank: Belk

Skirt: Made by me

Scarf: A gift

Boots: Walmart

This skirt is one that I made, back in the fall, from an old pair of tapered-leg, work jeans (hence the paint on them) that had gotten too tight for me.  Click here to see an older post about when I made this skirt.  I absolutely LOVE it because, since it used to be pants, it has front and back pockets!  So, if I pair the skirt with anything, it automatically makes that outfit very functional.

I hope you're all having a fantastic week and thank you so much for stopping by! :-)

What have y'all been busy doing lately?

Do you wear scarfs a lot?
Have you turned old pants into a skirt before?

Headband Tuck / / Valentine's Day Hairstyle Tutorial

Hey y'all!  With Valentine's Day just right around the corner, we've been having fun coming up with some cute hairstyles for special occasions.  I've been seeing variations of this headband style everywhere lately, and was excited to get a chance to try it out on my sister-in-law, Chelsey (remember to check out her new health blog lasantecafe.blogspot.com), and we we're very pleased with the results.  One of the things that I completely LOVE about this style, is that it takes less than 5 min. to style (always very helpful for busy mothers with little ones!), keeps your hair out of the way, and is still such a pretty updo that can be fancy or worn everyday! :)

Start with your hair down and

 place a headband on the back of your head.

Now begin rolling your hair in and around the headband.

Tip: depending on your hair type, you may want to secure with bobby pins as you go, instead of waiting until the end.

Do the same from the other side of your head.  Finally, roll the remaining middle piece in and around the headband and secure all hair with bobby pins.

Voila!  An adorable updo that works for any occasion.  Another plus is that this style works regardless of hair length and it doesn't matter whether you do or don't have it cut into layers.

Very Elegant.

So Pretty.

What ways do y'all usually style a headband?

Are there any "special occasion" or "less than 5 min." hairstyle that you use a lot?

I'd love to hear about them!

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!  Each and every comment that y'all write truly brightens my day. :)

Baby Gear Favorites

Hey y'all!  This is the first chance that I've gotten around to posting some "young mother ideas" in my journey as a new parent.  In this post I just wanted to share a few of my favorite pieces of "baby gear" that I've been using a whole lot lately, and have really appreciated and enjoyed.  The majority of them were gifts that so many loving friends and family gave us, and we want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to y'all!!!  The "favorite" things that I've used and loved have changed constantly since Gavin was born until now, but here are some of the products that have brought me joy as a new mother with a now 8 month old baby boy.

SleepSack Wearable Swaddle Baby Blanket by Halo

I really liked these blankets as Gavin got too big to swaddle.  They're awesome because he can't kick them off and they keep him nice and snugly warm all night long.  I use them ALL the time.

Cosco Flat-Fold High Chair

This has got to be one of the greatest inventions ever!  It is a portable high chair that folds completely flat.  You can store out of the way to keep the kitchen less crowded, and pack it away easily in the car for traveling.

Waterproof Absorbent Bibs

This pack of waterproof bibs are great and have kept Gavin's clothes clean a dry since he's been eating solid foods and teething.

NUK Learning Cup

I've tried lots of different cups for Gavin, but have found that these two (above and below) are the easiest for him to hold on to and drink from.  I like them both very much!

Munchkin Training Cup

Baby Cowboy Western Boots

And last but not least,  are these adorable cowboy boots that are actually warm and are SO CUTE!!!  Pretty much look great with every outfit. :)

You can find all of these great products on Amazon at some really decent prices!  Also, since we use Amazon a lot, and selling online is one of our home-based, family businesses (Wright Resale), we've become part of their affiliate program.  That means that if you buy any of these items, that we recommend or promote, from Amazon through us, than we'll make a small percentage from the sale and you'll be helping us as well. :)  They've got some the best prices on these products too!  So be sure and go check them out.

Anyway, that is a basic list of what I've found to be useful lately with my little one.  Maybe this was helpful for some of you moms, soon-to-be mothers, or as ideas of good, practical gifts to buy for someone that you know who is expecting a baby. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by!

What are some of y'all's favorite "baby gear"?

Or perhaps stuff you've found useful with baby siblings?

DIY Hair Detangler / Leave in Conditioner

Hey y'all!  I've been meaning to post this forever ago, but we've just been super, busy lately.  I just finished laying little Gavin down to sleep for the night, the house is peacefully quiet, and this is the first chance I've gotten lately to really sit at my computer and work on some things. :)

Anyway, I'd like to show y'all today how to make something that I use all the time: hair detangler.  My hair has pretty much always been very thick and tangle-prone.  I've been using the stuff from the store since I was probably about 8 or 9 years old, but I had no idea how simple it was to make yourself!

A few weeks ago, my 10-year-old, sister-in-law, Charlene (she also has really thick hair) stayed with us for a few days, and we made this together.  It works great!

All you need is:

                                                    1. your favorite hair conditioner

                                                    2. warm water

                                                    3. fragrance or essential oil (optional)

                                                    4. squirt bottle

Directions:

Simply fill your squirt bottle a fourth of the way, or so, full of the conditioner (you can use less), then add warm water, and shake until mixed well.  Next add a couple of drops of your fragrance if you'd like; Charlene and I used honeysuckle (which you can find on Amazon, click here) and it smelled AMAZING!  If your conditioner already smells wonderful though, than you can skip that step.  That's it. It truly is just that simple and saves you so much money to make yourself, rather than buy it at the store.  It also really helps with static, and calms frizzy hair during these winter months, due to the dry, harsh, cold winds and low humidity.  The detangler/leave in conditioner makes a great moisturizer for the ends of your hair too.

I hope that this is helpful and informative for some of y'all out there that are

constantly dealing with long, thick, tangley hair like me!