Tasty Tuesday .... On Thursday!

Hello!

Sorry it has been a crazy couple of weeks here, so I haven't been very consistent in writing. I've had several posts planned, so I am gonna go ahead and share them! 

So it's Tasty Tuesday! .... On Thursday.. :-/ lol

Today I am sharing a recipe I discovered on allrecipes.com.  If you haven't heard of this site it's great to check out!! I use it often if I want to make something but don't have a recipe for it! Like a few days ago my husband requested oatmeal cookies! And I didn't have a recipe so I looked one up on my allrecipes app. :-) 

This one is called Devouring Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! And that they were! I made a batch and brought them to a family get together and they were gone when we left (and there were only 10 people there, lol)!!

What you'll need:
-1 Cup butter (2 sticks), softened 
-1 Cup brown sugar
-1/2 Cup white sugar
-2 eggs
-1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour
-1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 Teaspoon baking soda
-1 Teaspoon baking powder
-1 Pinch salt (I went ahead and used 1/8 of a tsp because I had a measuring spoon for that, a pinch is approx. 1/16 of a tsp, yes I looked it up because I'm a crazy perfectionist like that, lol)
- 3 Cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 bag chocolate chips (I always use milk chocolate chips because they're my fav!)

Make and Bake:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or if your like me, just rub some oil around on it!
2. Beat butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy.
3. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir, stir, stir it up!!! Or get out a mixer, they are wonderful. 
4. Gradually add oats 1 cup at a time and mix until will combined.
5. Fold in Chocolate Chips 
6. Place 2 tablespoons worth of dough per cookie on greased baking sheet (or just use a cookie scoop if you have one), make sure cookies are 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let them sit 2 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them carefully to a cooling rack. 

Nine minutes was perfect for my oven! They came out looking doughy in the center, but once they cool they were chewy!! The ones I left in for 10 minutes, got crunchy overnight, so if you like crunchy cookies go ahead and bake them for 10! 

Here is the original recipe!!

Enjoy! 

For His Glory!
Emily 

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Thoughtful Thursday - Discovery!

Hello!

It is Thoughtful Thursday! 

Once again, this isn't necessarily thoughtful.... (But remember that wasn't the point of "Thoughtful Thursday" I could be thoughtful or it could be just something I want to share ..... It can be anything I want it to be.... SO, no complaining when it isn't very insightful, thought provoking, or intuitive! lol) 

But I wanted to share with you something I discovered today!! And I am SUPER DUPER PUMPED ABOUT IT!!!! :-D

I discovered a new blog via Caitlin's blog! (You should remember her, she is a tool the Lord used to get me to start the Clothing Fast I am currently on!) 

The new blog I discovered is called Putting Me Together.  I love this girls style! She has a lot of really cute outfits I want to try! I haven't been reading her blog very long at all, like a few days, but she gave a shout out to her sponsors today.  One of them was Go Chic or Go Home.  I haven't gotten a chance to play with it very much at all, but it sounds like something I will love once I get a chance too! Basically you can upload pictures of all your clothes and create outfits without having to have a mess all over your bed!! (Anyone else have that problem? It is me on the daily!! ... Well on my days off anyway!) You can also upload pictures from online to see if the item will go with other things in your closet before you buy it! Brilliant!! Click Here to read what Audrey at Putting Me Together has to say about it!  She knows WAY more than I do! 

The reason I am so excited about this is because it will help me mix and match and create new outfits from what  already have in my closet!! It may help me put together outfits I haven't thought of before and when I am able to buy something (after the fast is over) I can see whether it would be a good purchase or not!! I'll give a review at a later date once I start using the site more!!

For His Glory,
Emily

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What She Wore Wednesday ... On Thursday

Hello!

Blog post #2 for the night since I am trying to catch up! lol


It is What She Wore Wednesday on Thursday! :-P



Here is my Pinspiration for what I wore Sunday:

And here is what I wore!:

Blue Oxford (Maurices),  Black Sweater (Old Navy), White Blazer (Maurices), Necklace (Maurices), Jeans (Maurices), Black Flats (Target)

And here is my Pinspiration for what I wore Saturday:

And this is what I wore:

Denim Shirt (Maurices),  Red Plaid Scarf (Aeropostale), Red Jeans (Maurices), Brown Boots (windsorestore.com)

For His Glory

Emily

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Tasty Tuesday ... On Thursday

Hello!

So this week has been crazy!! Hence the lack of blog posting happening! I am determined to catch up tonight though! 

I am going to share with you a recipe I got from my mother-in-law!!

Her salsa is the best and super easy to make!! We always have it in our house!


What you'll need: Makes aprox. 1 pint

-1 (28oz) can of mild Rotel
- 1 tsp oregano
-1 tsp cumin
-4 cloves garlic
-1/2 small onion
-1 bunch of cilantro
-Juice from 1 lime (can use a lemon)
-Salt to taste

Put all ingredients into a blender/ food processor and blend away!!!

It fits perfectly in a 1 pint mason jar! :-) 

Enjoy! 

For His Glory,
Emily 

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Faith Filled Friday- Week 1 Down

Hello!

So my mom and sister came to visit Friday night - Sunday afternoon so I didn't get a chance to blog on Friday.  So here is Fridays post.


Week one down of the Clothing Fast. 

I was tempted to buy something already. I didn't though! Working retail presents its challenges . . . or should I say temptations. :-/

What I need to start asking myself is why?  Why do I want these things. 

I know it is because I think this new thing will make me happy.  More content. 

I also know that it is a lie.  It is a lie I chose to believe even though I know it is a lie. That makes it sin.

 It is a lie that pulls me away from Who is ultimate, what is true, and Who will bring me lasting fulfillment.  It pulls me away from Jesus and His Word.  It distracts me from going deeper, it keeps me surface level . . . it feels safe.

I can hide here.  

I can hide in my material possessions instead of taking risks . . . instead of searching my soul . . . instead of working out my sin with the One who can heal me, the only One who knows me fully and wants to be known by me. The one who is calling me out from where I hide. 

Calling me to something greater. Greater than my self, my desires, and my will . . . He is calling me to a new perspective . . . 

A perspective of eternity. Letting go of the here and now and pressing forward to what is to come. This life is short in the time frame of eternity.  So why store up material treasures today? Why not choose what is better?  Why not choose treasures for eternity? Why settle for a hot dog when you can have a 5 course meal made by the finest chef?


 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21


What is your treasure? Is it Jesus? Or is it someone or something else?


Where do you hide?  What is Jesus calling you out from?  


What holds you back from taking the risk?


I hide in many ways . . . buying clothes is just one of them.  This clothing fast is a step of obedience. 

It's a start . . . A step of faith.  What is yours?


This is a great song if you are in need of encouragement. :-)

For His Glory,
Emily

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Thoughtful Thursday - Or Maybe Not

Hello!

It's Thoughtful Thursday!! - Or maybe not.

So this isn't really thoughtful ..... but it is useful and money saving! So if you're into that sorta thing then read on! 

For our wedding we received mason jars.  One of laundry detergent and one of fabric softener. ALL HOMEMADE!! And with it the recipes to remake them!!! Great gift!! WIN!! 

A couple of months ago I ran out of the ones gifted to us, so I got the supplies and made more!  


Here are the recipes:

Laundry Detergent - Makes approx. one gallon (see pic below): 
(This will last you forever!)

-All ingredients can be found in the laundry isle of Wal-Mart. 

-6 Cups Borax
-4 Cups baking Soda
-4 Cups Washing Soda
-2 bars Fels-Neptha bar soap (or Ivory soap)

-Shred the bars of Fels-Neptha with a cheese grater or food 
processor or blender. 
- Mix all ingredients together well.

-Use 2 Tablespoons per load (see why it lasts you forever!).
-Let Washer fill with water and soap before adding clothes.




Fabric Softener - Makes approx. 3 quarts (see pic below):

-6 Cups HOT water
-3 Cups white vinegar  
-2 Cups Suave Conditioner in your favorite scent 

-Mix conditioner and HOT water well, until conditioner dissolves completely (if your water is not hot enough it will take forever to dissolve! I found this out the hard way when I used warm water instead of hot). 
-Add vinegar and mix well.

-Use 2 Tablespoons in the fabric softener spot in your washer or in a downy ball, whichever suits your style. 

Here are my containers filled and ready for laundry duty! :-)





I found these containers in the kitchen section of Wal-Mart for around 5 bucks a piece (I think).  They are working great for storing the finished product! They are recloseable and can be poured right from the container !!  And are of course reusable which makes them even better!!!  Sorry I was just really excited when I found these!! lol!

I saw the same recipe online making much less.  They did the math and said for 24 loads of laundry it will cost you about $2.30 (depending on where you live).  Where as you'll pay $6-$9 (average) dollars at the store for laundry detergent doing the same amount of loads .  AWESOME SAVINGS!!! I'LL TAKE IT!!!  

Enjoy!

For His Glory!
Emily 

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It's What She Wore Wednesday

Hello!  

It's What She Wore Wednesday!

I told you I liked preppy and layering, so here we go again! lol.  Maybe I will try something new for next week.....

Maybe. :-)

Anyway here is my Pinspiration for what I wore on Sunday:

 


And here is what I wore:

Yellow Sweater (Target), White Oxford (Maurices), Necklace (Maurices), Jeans (Maurices),  boots (windsorstore.com  they are the exact ones in the photo of my pinspiration but it's kinda hard to tell)

Here is my Pinspiration for what I wore yesterday:

And here is what I wore!:

Navy Sweater (Old Navy),  Plaid Button Down (Gift, Rue 21), Cross Necklace (Maurices), Grey Jeans (Aeropostale), Boots (windsorstore.com,) 

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." - Proverbs 31:25

I really like this verse located in the Proverbs 31 listing of what a Wife of Noble Character looks like. 

This verse shows that she is not a afraid of the future because she is clothed in strength and dignity. But not her own.  It is the strength and dignity given to her by God. She has no fear because she knows Who goes before her and has confidence in Him.

Are you fearful of the future? Pour into the Word of God, ask the Lord for what you lack, and receive your clothing of strength and dignity! And go forth, not in your own strength, but in the strength of Jesus!  

Remember what you wear on the outside is vastly less important, than what you clothe yourself with on the inside! 

Have a great rest of the week!

For His Glory,
Emily

Tasty Tuesday! - Black Bean and Rice Casserole

Hello! It's Tasty Tuesday! 

Black Bean and Rice Casserole is what I'm going to share with you today! It is one of David and my favorites! David loves rice! I used to be a potatoes kinda girl (growing up we had potatoes almost every night for dinner), but I have since become a rice eating girl for obvious reasons! :-)

I make this almost every other week because it's super easy and tastes just as good the next day! 


What you'll need:
-2 cups uncooked white rice
-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-a little olive oil or butter
-15 once fluid can of black beans- rinsed and drained
-1 can corn - drained (sometimes I leave this out and serve on the side, it will turn out well either way!)
-1 cup sour cream (I LOVE sour cream!)
-One 8 oz can chopped green chilies
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus a little more to cover the top)
-salt and pepper to taste 




Directions:
-Cook the rice according to package directions (my mother-in-law gave me a tip instead of using the amount of water called for on the package, use however much rice your cooking plus one cup. My rice always turns out right when I do this! So for this recipe it is 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water).
-Cut up chicken breasts into small cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper (sometimes I add dried minced onion and a little cumin but it's not necessary) and cook it stove top style in a little oil or butter or both! 
-Once chicken is done, drain it.
-You'll want to preheat your oven at this point to 350 degrees. 
-Now dump those cans (corn, black beans, and green chilies) into that giant bowl! 
-Add sour cream, cheese, and cooked chicken.
-Once your rice is done dump that in there. 
-Now stir it all up ensuring cheese and sour cream our thoroughly  combined. Taste test and add salt and pepper to your liking. Stir until your arms get tired, that's when you know something like this is good and combined!  
-Dump it into a 9 by 13 baking dish, top with a layer of cheese, and pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes!

I usually serve this with my mother-in laws-salsa (that may be next weeks recipe) and tortilla chips!

Enjoy! 


I adapted the recipe from here. So if you want to check the original go for it! 

For His Glory, 
Emily   

Marriage Monday - How We Got Here

Hello! It is Marriage Monday!

Today I'd like to share with you about how David and my relationship came about, our wedding, and our 1st anniversary! :-) 

This could be a long post I got a little picture happy..... So if you don't like posts with a lot of photos turn back now..... Okay... Don't say I didn't warn you! 

...........................................................

Here is where my relationship with David all started! 

We were in a play together when we were 18. The play was called "The Family that Nobody Wanted." And is based on a true story about a couple in the 50's who end up getting married. And we played that couple! Ha! :) In the story, the couple has to overcome family induced obstacles and so did David and I. 

Isn't God funny! :-) 

This is a picture taken almost at our one year dating anniversary! And very near the time I became a Christian.  This may have even been the weekend I came home from college to be baptized .... not for sure though. You see David disobeyed his parents and dated me even though I wasn't a Christian (I told him I was though, because I thought I was), needless to say his parents were not thrilled at the time. But God used David's disobedience to save me. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

In case you were wondering I now have a wonderful relationship with David's mom and dad! I love them dearly! I look to them as Christian mentors and love spending time with them!

................................................................

After almost 3.5 years of dating .....

we got engaged! :-) This is one of our engagement pics

.................................................................

And 9 months later was the wedding 

(here is where I got picture happy... lol)

Here is my groom with his posse! (Isn't he a stud! :) tehe)

And me and my girls! Love them all dearly!!  

(The 2 red heads are my besties! (I have a God story about them, I'll have to share with you one day!) Jenna (on your right) and Katie (on your left, she is also my sister-in-law!), my younger sister is the other blonde in the pic, and all the blue dresses are my cousins, not all of them, I have many! lol)

My daddy :-)

 He is hard working, funny, and generous.  Love him a ton!

During the ceremony we read each other our verse:

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Ruth 1:16-17

And of course I had to show.....

a kissy picture! :-)

And my momma! 

This woman is amazing! She pretty much planned our wedding while I was 3 hours away at school! When I graduated college and came home, we had Christmas the next weekend.  New Years and my bachlorette party the next weekend. We moved our stuff into our apartment 3.5 hours away the weekend after that! And of course got married the next! I don't know how she put up with all of that! Thank you mom! You are amazing! I love you!

My parents and Davids parents :) 

My dad = Ron, Mom = Marilyn, David's Mom = Patricia, David's Dad = James

And the entire crazy crew!

A few moments alone.....

with the photographer..... 

and his assistant.....

and my Aunt Kathy who played chauffeur..... haha!

And of course:

CAKE!!!!

And then:

The car!! .... 

Or should I say the batmobile! 

(Yes they drew an outline of batman on the window for David's head! haha!) (David loves Batman and we love the beach, hence the leaves...lol)  

................................................................

And Cake again! .... 

A year later for us and a few scrolls for you! lol!

With my husbands goofy sense of humor of course, lol

We saved the top of our cake in the freezer for a year and ...

Ate it on our anniversary! :-)  Yumm! Red Velvet!

And again..... my husband is a goober!

..................................................................

My husband and I started a new tradition that we hope to carry on for many years. 

What you do is take a picture holding last years anniversary picture The first year you use a wedding picture of course!

Here is ours. :)   

........................................................

Sorry, I knew this post would get long ....  I got wordy and picture happy, but I did warn you, lol!

For my first "marriage" post I wanted you to learn a little more about how my marriage came about. And also introduce you to the most important people in my life via photos! You will probably here more about these people so might as well have a face to put with the name! :) 

For His Glory!
Emily

P.S. Follow Me on Pinterest!

Faith Filled Friday . . . On Saturday

Hello!

So I know it is Saturday, but I am doing my post for Friday.  So this is Faith filled Saturday or Faith Filled Friday on Saturday. . . . Or something like that.  Since every day should be faith filled I think this is okay.  

Last night something crazy happened at work and I ended up working for 12 hours. This is never fun and as you can probably guess I was not happy about it. Needless to say I did not feel up to blogging ... or doing much of anything.  An easy dinner of tacos was made and that seemed like enough accomplishment for one night, after 12 hours at work.... lol. 

So here is Fridays post on Saturday .....



So I am going to be honest.  Honest about something that I have a problem with.  Well lets just call it what it is.... Sin.  It is a sin I know the Lord (and my husband for that matter) wants to deal with. It is something that has held me captive for a few months now and it's a bit ridiculous.  

This thing is ..... shopping. I buy clothes .... a lot of clothes. And it is getting to be ridiculous. 

It started when I cleaned out my closet from my old wardrobe of Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and American Eagle.  A lot of it was immodest so I wanted to get rid of it.  But I also wanted to dress more my age.  I had most of those clothes since I was in high school and they were worn out or they were no longer my style.  So it started out innocently and then turned into somewhat of a monster. I now have more clothes than I can wear because I only get to wear the clothes I want 2 days a week do to my job, lame.  

Sometimes I buy something because I have wanted it for a while and I find it for a great deal ..... example a few days ago I bought a black cardigan($7), a mustard colored sweater($9), and a grey sweater($13).... I found them all on the clearance rack at Target (I love that place a little too much for all sorts of reasons!). They were all originally over $20, so I did get a good deal, and I have wanted them for awhile, but did I need them..... NO! I have plenty of clothes! But I can't seem to say no to myself.... Self control 
problems anyone? Yes self control problems. 

Other times I buy things just because I want them, only to find out I didn't really love it but it's too late to return because I already wore it. I hate that! And it has happened to me about 3 times. :-/ Ridiculous anyone? (I nod my head agreeing)

But most of the time I just see something. I want it. I buy it. 
It has become an addiction ... I see something I want and I can't get it out of my head until I purchase it ... So I do. The thrill is over, and I find something else that I want and the cycle continues. Shopping addiction anyone? (My hand goes in the air, as my eyes embarrassingly divert to the floor)

The good news.... 

Jesus has covered my sin with His blood.

Jesus loves me and doesn't want me to stay in my present condition.

God the Father wants to transform me to be more like His Son. 

And God has perfect timing .... always.
  

Example A of God's perfect timing:
 My husband and I were discussing my shopping obsession and how it needed to stop because it is costing us money that we need to be saving (David needs a computer because he went to school for graphic design, and we want to move... both are not cheap endeavors). Literally the next day on my lunch break I was on Pinterest, and I stumble upon this blog post.  (Go a head and read it, it is not long). 

This girl is awesome! Her name is Caitlin! And This  is her blog! :) I have read a lot of her posts since then and I knew God was calling me to do something similar. 

Then a couple days later I am again on Pinterest (lol) and I see a post by money saving mom called 16 Ways to Become More Content.  And what is #1?

"Go on a Spending Fast" !!!!!!!!! (If you want proof click on it!) 

And I'm thinking "Are you serious God?"  Within one week (3 days actually) he has put this idea in front of me twice!!! God is apparently using social media! lol. And apparently trying to tell me something..... Isn't the Lord awesome like that! :)

So that is what I am going to do ... I am going on a shopping fast for 3 months. 

For three months I will buy no clothes, shoes, accessories, or makeup I don't need. (By I don't need I mean - I will buy makeup if I completely run out of something, but only to replace exactly what I had before, no trying anything new). If 3 months doesn't sound very long to you, then you haven't witnessed my spending habits .... So 3 months it is! 

I am praying that during this time the Lord will show me why I have this problem and what is at the heart of it. I pray that through this He will draw me to himself, and that after these 3 months clothing will no longer tempt me the way it does now. That I will shop smarter and only purchase things I love and fit perfectly, not things that are just so-so. 

"What She Wore Wednesday's" will be about me creating fun outfits with what I already own ... I have heard it called "Shopping your closet." I can't remember where maybe Caitlin's blog.... I don't remember....


During this time I will play a game with myself.  And it is..... See how much money you can save! I am bringing my lunch a lot of days to work instead of eating out (aka taco bell) everyday as well as doing this fast. So we shall see how this all goes! 

I will blog about it here in hopes that it will keep me accountable.  


This is the last thing I bought and I pray that in three months I can show you the same  item and say the same thing! 


For His Glory,
Emily

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Thoughtful Thursday: Thankfulness and Prayer

Hello!

So yesterday I came up with a way to categorize what I will post daily but I forgot to share it with you!  So here it is!

Marriage Mondays
Tasty Tuesdays
What She Wore Wednesdays
Thoughtful Thursdays
Faith Filled Fridays 
Saturdays and Sundays I may post, I may not... I haven't decided.
(Organizational Freak kicking in .... Don't say I didn't warn you, lol).

I had trouble coming up with a name for Thursdays topics, so  my husband gave me the name "Thoughtful Thursday."  It will just be anything that doesn't fit nicely into one of my other weekday topics or if I have two that could fit under the same topic I will post one under the fitting topic and one under Thoughtful Thursday. Such as the one I am sharing today.  It could also be posted tomorrow, under Faith Friday. But I already have something planned tomorrow and I wanted to share this as well, so here we go! :-) 

Today I wanted to share with you a sermon that I listened to today!  It is a sermon by Matt Chandler pastor of The Village Church. I love Matt Chandlers sermons! He really has a gift for preaching! I am always blessed when I listen to him!   (I secretly wanna move to Texas to be apart of his church! Tehe, shh! Don't tell).  So you may see a lot of references to him here. Good thing or bad thing? I don't know, but it will probably happen, you've been forewarned, tehe.

I listen to sermons often. While I'm driving, working around the house, and during floor sets at work (Currently, I work retail, though I hope this changes soon). I just can't seem to get enough of them! :-)  I mostly listen to John Piper, things on Focus on the Family, and of course Matt Chandler. 

The sermon I'm sharing today is about Prayer.  Something I don't do nearly enough because the expectation is nonstop, 24/7!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (emphasis mine)

I gave the verse in context because it is very powerful! :-) 

Anyway enough ramblings....   

Click Here to Listen!


For His Glory,
Emily

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It's What She Wore Wednesday!

Hello! :-)

It's What She Wore Wednesday! 

On Wednesday's I will post an outfit or two from the week. I really enjoy shopping and fashion, so apart of my blog will be dedicated to that.  

I currently work for a clothing store that doesn't suit my style (which is good because I don't buy very much from there!). Consequently, I only get to wear what I want 2 days a week.  :-/  Poop. So I will only have one or two outfits to post. 

Also, I'll post pictures of where my ideas came from .... usually the wonderful world of Pinterest!  I cannot dress myself in the morning without it! Lol! I am not a creative person (My husband currently possesses all the creative brainpower in this family).... and therefore I steal all my ideas from Pinterest. :-P

This was my Pinspiration for the outfit I wore on our anniversary:



And this is what I wore:

Light Blue Oxford (Maurices), White Sweater (Old Navy), Necklace (Maurices) Jeans (Maurices), Brown Heeled Boots (Rack Room Shoes)

This was my Pinspiration for today's outfit!! 

And this was the outfit I created! 

Chambray shirt (Old Navy), White sweater (Old Navy), Black blazer (Maurices), Necklace (Maurices) Red Jeans (Maurices) Shoes (Target)  

If you can't tell already - I'm obsessed with Maurices! It's kinda bad actually .... more on this later .... I really like the preppy look and layering! :-) You will probably see a lot of it! :-)



For His Glory!
Emily