New Year's Resolution! (It's kind of crazy)

Hello! Today I am so excited to announce a new years resolution (more of a challenge really) That me and my husband will be taking on as of January.


"Deep breath" We will not be shopping traditionally the entire year.

Our goal for 2019 is to be intentional about everything. But most specifically, how we spend our money and why we spend. Now the disclaimer is this. Obviously, consumables such as food, toothpaste, shampoo and such do not count. Home goods though? Yeah, they all need to be thrifted. Clothes? and THINGS? all second hand. And ONLY if we need it. (Oh, also underwear. We will not be thrifting that )

It's daunting. And slightly horrifying. But we're so ready and excited!

Modern-day consumerism quite genuinely makes me sick. The incessant need for more things. For ordering on Amazon Prime at the drop of the hat (haha me), for not being frugal and the second you want something or even kind of need something, immediately filling that need or desire by buying it right away.

Now Ethan and I are already quite thrifty. However this year we really want to stretch ourselves and see how much we can save and how creative we can get.

I should note that we will be doing a bathroom renovation and kitchen counter re-do in 2019. We aren't sure how we are going to factor that into our thrifting plan and we may have to give and take some. Except here's the cool thing. We already have the granite for the counters and Ethan picked up an old vintage tub being thrown away the other day that I will refurbish for the bathroom. Soooo on that front, we're already doing pretty decently. But like I said, there may be some trips to the hardware store involved.

The last thing I will note is that I will allow myself to sew (and fabric shop on a very strict budget) Honestly I am looking forward to getting away from costuming and focusing on everyday clothing for me and my family. My large project of the year will be sewing myself a pair of jeans..... Pretty scared and excited about that.

That's all for now. I just wanted to pop by here and write a little something. I am hoping to be journaling our year-long thrifting journey pretty regularly over on Instagram and write some more detailed posts over here.

I hope you are having a Merry Christmas!

Olivia

Happy Holidays

Do you remember when you were a kid and life seemed to be so much easier? Not to mention straight up magical during the Christmas season? I consider myself to be so greatly blessed that I can. Life catches up though and responsibilities begin to pile on so high you feel like you are going to collapse under the weight. I gather this is why #adulting exists. Which fyi I think is a ridiculous hashtag.  

Lately, though I haven't been feeling the joy of the holiday season. Do you ever feel like you standing in the middle of a high way and incoming traffic is heading towards you at breakneck speed but your feet are planted in the ground? Well, you don't see that embroidered on a Christmas pillow but that is how I feel.  I keep getting completely caught up in the next shift at work, caring for Audrey, throwing a meal on the table, dishes, laundry etc... It's a vicious never ending cycle everyday life is. You know what though? It is a privilege to live it. To be able to do the things I complain about.

 Sure I sometimes forget to brush my teeth in the morning (insert all the facepalms😐) my hair is more often than not a mess, and I almost never respond to text messages right away. I am in a constant state of feeling behind and like a total failure. My gosh though, there a people who don't know where their next meal is coming from, how on earth do I have the audacity to complain? 

 There are so many things to be thankful for I can't even count them! Choosing to focus continually on the negative is by far my greatest struggle in life. I don't want to be that way. And yet I am. It will forever astound me how those who have nothing to give are the ones who give most and are frequently more cheerful. I won't and I can no longer let the small or even sometimes great hardships in life steal my joy. I will wake up and make the choice to let the little things go. To read an extra book to Audrey instead of getting all of the dishes done. To give more to others, and realize that at the end of the day everything will be ok. While I wish a life and mentality change like this can happen overnight I know it can't. It will be a steady uphill climb possibly for the rest of my life to choose joy. I have hope that I will get there though. My whole life I have struggled with anxiety, depression and oddly enough into adulthood I have developed nearly crippling OCD. Help from God, prayer, meditation, EOs, and being married to the most eternally optimistic person on planet earth all will help and encourage this journey- I have no doubts.  

Indeed, these will be happy holidays

Olivia 

Audrey Elizabeth Burton Schilling
her famous frog face 😂

Outfit Post and Thoughts on Velvet

Hello everyone:) Wow didn't Thanksgiving sneak up on us?

My husband and I are both working Thanksgiving this year but that will not be stopping us from enjoying this wonderful holiday. While I am on the subject, I am so very thankful for our jobs! While it can be easy to grumble about working the holiday, there are far worse things in life.

Now to delve into the subject at hand.

I work in retail and love/study fashion. I notice and read so much about what is trending and popular in this world. And I have something to say. You guys, what in the world is up with velvet? Not real velvet mind. There will always be a place in my closet for a classy dark velvet blazer. No, I am talking about medieval looking fake velvet shirts or knife pleated velvet skirts. This photo below is the kind I am talking about

NO.NO.NO .  MAKE IT STAHP.

I mean at the end of the day if you love velvet who am I to tell you not to like it? You do you. But my personal opinion on the trend? It needs to be buried alive. Which brings me to today's outfit post.
Trade your velvet in for corduroy! I have a serious love of corduroy this season, and I believe my infatuation is here to stay. It is warm, not fussy, and just has this fantastic texture. In my opinion, playing with different textures can completely elevate an outfit from boring to interesting in a second. I picked up this skirt from Brooks Brothers and it has already become a fall/winter staple skirt for me.

Other small things that elevate an ensemble this time of year is stockings. There are so many fun things you can do with them! Usually, I am biased to seamed stockings. (Go figure right?) However, I just picked up a packet of fishnets which while I consider risky to wear correctly, I can't wait to figure out some ways to incorporate them into my wardrobe.

Also, yes that's the Brooks Brothers logo at the bottom of my stockings. If you are interested in the history of their logo check it out! Most people think it is a flying pig. Spoiler alert, it's not 😂

 http://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/meet-golden-fleece/

Seriously, over half of the photos Ethan takes are outtakes. 👍

Outfit details: 

Fur coat- gift from my sister in law

Top- Ann Taylor (thrifted)

Skirt- Brooks Brothers

Shoes-Payless

Stockings- Brooks Brothers

Pearls-Flea Market

I hope anyone reading this has a lovely and safe Thanksgiving. 

Share my thoughts OR think my thoughts are ridiculous on the velvet trend? leave a comment! I'd love you hear what you think.

xoxo

Olivia 

Sky Top

You guys-
I have not posted since April. APRIL!

OH, my how much has changed.
Ethan and I are settling into being parents and getting to know our little baby girl Audrey. She is the most fun... And did I mention she sleeps through the night? I think she's a keeper.
We are still living in the mountains of North Carolina and loving nearly every second of it. While life is crazy with both Ethan and me working, we managed to be able to take some time and go apple picking with my brother-in-law, his wife, and daughter. I wanted to share some snapshots from the trip! And include a mini outfit post.

Skirt: J.Crew- ThredUp

Shoes: Frye- Ebay <3

Shirt: H&M

Socks: Sock Dreams

Hat: Made by me 

For the first time in nearly a decade, I am wearing a jean skirt. Haha. Granted, it's not the full length a-line jean skirts I wore early in my life... but still, I find it amusing.

Cider Doughnuts 👐 Amazing!

The above photo is just a gem... yes I totally did a wardrobe change in the parking lot because I wanted to be more comfortable. And the height difference between my sister-in-law and me is just highly amusing. 😂

Well, that is all I have for now! I hope you all are having a lovely fall season. 

Xoxo

Olivia 

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hello, everyone! It is becoming quite apparent to me that I will never be a perfect blogger and get 3 plus posts out a week. I can barely seem to do one a month! But that is ok :) My husband and I moved again… haha… Within the same county! and we have the same jobs, so it wasn’t like the last two moves which turned our lives upside down completely. That still does not change the fact that moving can be quite difficult and strenuous.

This move, in particular, turned out to be difficult for me. On the one hand, I was incredibly excited to be transferring to a larger house. And not just larger folks, but a house that wasn’t falling apart. Our last house we rented while picturesque in some ways was literally falling to the ground. Between termite damage and the owners not fixing it since the 1970’s, it made for some interesting times. Holes in the kitchen floor larger than my foot, no insulation, the gas went out and we cooked over a fire outside for a time, and did I mention the entire house was carpeted in green shag carpet? Yes, even the kitchen had green carpet. To say I was looking forward to a better house is an understatement!

The monkey wrench in this move ended up being my husband had to leave for two weeks of job training for the week leading up to the move as well as for the move itself. Also, I was 29 weeks pregnant. That made for the worst formula ever. EVER. I have never and I mean never been so stressed in my entire life. I could not have done the move without the help of my two brother in laws and friends that’s for certain. Still… as cheesy as it may sound, I never realized how much I actually relied on Ethan until he was gone for two weeks at a crucial time. I felt like everything was completely falling apart.

Some odd weeks later we are getting settled in. Life is swinging into a more normal rhythm and I feel like I can sit down and breath. Currently, I am 32 weeks and some days pregnant. As the due date (May 24th) draws closer, Ethan and I grow more and more anxious to meet our baby girl. My mind is flooded with things to do! From setting up her room to arranging her baptism after she is born. The to-do list seems endless. I had to laugh a bit the other day. Before the move, I truly did have grand summer sewing plans. Which, coincidentally all flew out the window. I don’t have time to sew before she is born, between work and still moving in (it takes me a while to get things just how I like :) as well as I find myself purely not having the energy. Simple activities seem strenuous to me. Simple as in getting out of bed in the morning. That being said, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Yes, it’s difficult. it’s difficult physically, and emotionally. Not to mention dealing with the onslaught of comments from the world. Such as your 20 and pregnant? Why on earth would you do such a thing? I have actually had some people ask me in hushed tones at the doctor's office (and elsewhere) “Was this on purpose?”


I thought getting married at 19 brought enough from the peanut gallery. Nope, turns out starting a family at the age of 20 “blows peoples minds” so to speak and they ask “But why?”. Continuously. The subject is difficult. I will be honest, becoming a mother has never been my dream. As a young adult, I had plans for my life that didn’t include marriage let alone having children until I was at least 26 or 27. The saying if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans has continued to ring true with my life day in and day out. Which I am thankful for! Because I wouldn’t trade having a baby and being married for anything. Yet, there are still moments of weakness. Moments when I wonder what life would have been if I really had joined the Navy and gone to nursing school. If I had pursued modeling and fashion design more. Those ‘what if’ feelings really creep up when other people feel the need to tell me how they feel about my life decisions. Comments like “Your wasting your life” “What are you thinking” come to mind as a write. Both of which have been expressed to me on numerous occasions from different spectators.

But every time I feel her kick, look at an ultrasound photo or even think to the first time we found out we were expecting; a pregnancy which sadly ended in a miscarriage. I think to myself it is so worth it. And while it isn’t what I had planned for my life, it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t.

Our old house WAS pretty cute. on the outside :) 

I am learning a lot right now. Being stretched and grown (literally and figuratively hehe) more than ever before. I’m learning to let go of having the perfect body. As well as learning I have major pride issues. A clean eating gal who works out regularly doesn’t get diagnosed with gestational diabetes without taking a major hit to her pride. When I was told I failed my glucose test, I actually told the doctor “That just can’t be. I do everything right! There’s been a mistake.” No, no mistake. I do indeed have gestational diabetes. Which makes me feel like a failure already as a mother. I know that’s not true and it really is a medical condition that I couldn’t help but that didn’t make hearing the diagnosis easier. On the brighter side! I am measuring perfectly, my weight gain is under control, and the doctor said my blood sugar numbers look good. So YAY.

To cap off what has been a super random post… I am counting my blessings as they are so many this Sunday. I am thankful for the warm weather, the mountains of North Carolina, my husband, our baby, a church, for growing fresh herbs and planning a summer garden. For letting go of being “perfect” or rather my illusion of perfect. Life is messy but lovely. And honestly? I don’t think I would change anything right now. Even the messy parts.

Summer Wardrobe Plans

Happy February to all! My heavens January flew right by didn't it? You may be wondering at the pre-maturity of the title seeing as it is just barely February. However, I am very much in the throws of planning and creating my summer wardrobe. All in my pre-baby size. While I feel this is quite a risk to take, it's one I am 100% taking. Allowing for minor adjustments such as enlarging the bust size and opting for not too heavily tailored styles.

When I originally sat down to sketch out my wardrobe, I drew up lots of separates. I had visions of pants and shorts all matched with cute tops. And while I am not entirely abandoning this plan, I am adding to it. Recently my husband and I ventured into downtown Asheville to catch a showing of La La Land. The film was absolutely stunning! Being Jazz music lovers, musical theatre performers, and old movie buffs the movie was just our cup of tea :) Needless to say, Emma Stone's wardrobe greatly inspired me to add some dresses to my wardrobe. Honestly, I haven't sewn myself a good staple dress in years. Far too long!

One of the elements I enjoyed most about Emma Stone's wardrobe was that her dresses had a vintage feel and nostalgia to them without being over the top costumey looking. Some flowy breathable dresses will certainly be making an appearance in my closet this summer.

My practical reasons for this choice being we live in the Carolinas. Every single year summer rolls around, salutations are made to 100 plus degree weather not including the humidity index. Also no fuss dresses sound fantastic to throw on while taking care of a newborn! I can imagine I won't have nearly the amount of time to get ready as I do now.

Without further adieu, here are my sewing plans.

Separates: 

View 1 of the Colette Zinnia skirt. I have some incredibly soft, light wash denim waiting to be used for this!

The Rita pleated shorts from Wearing History. Made from a rayon challis I have in my stash

I am so excited about View 3 of the Sencha blouse! I picked up this pattern in Seattle, WA at District Fabrics along with some lovely cream and yellow polka dot fabric for the intent of this project. I am 90% done with this blouse! YAY :) From talking to other mothers, the overwhelming advice is this. After you have a baby, there will be hardly any extra time for activities such as sewing. Thus, I am attempting to get a head start. Time will tell if this is a genius idea or just..not.... haha 

 Dresses

View A of this Butterick pattern. 

I am planning to sew this a size larger than I usually would and I figure I can do that! because it has these fabulous giant ties that can easily adjust the size and shape of the bodice as my body changes. 

I would love to make this dress in a very free flowing drape-able fabric. Perhaps in a deep pink or lavender? I usually do not gravitate towards these colors, however my skin tone is summer. And this year, I am trying to use fabrics within my my color wheel.. Also, to break out of my normal wardrobe choices. 

This halter dress will be made using a deep green crepe. My plans being that this dress can easily transfer from summer into fall.

Can we all take a moment to realize how awesome and beautiful halter top dresses are?? Specifically those styles from the 1940's and 1950's. I am just not a fan of modern halter top styles. My rule of thumb with a halter dress or top is this... If you have an open back to a dress, one must have a high front. Simple as that!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter.

Is anyone else out there planning their spring/summer wardrobe? 

Comment below and let me know!

Olivia

A New Normal

Happy Sunday to everyone!

It seems there was a quick preview of winter last week, (Bonjour snow! :) Sadly it has left. Currently, we are enjoying 50 degree days here in the mountains. These bounces back and forth in the weather make for quite the interesting wardrobe. Not even factoring in the fact I am not able to fit into any of my old clothes anymore. Today marks my first maternity outfit post. Yay! I have had quite the time as of late trying to find clothing. First off, can we talk about the fact that a lot of maternity clothes are awful? I never truly realized it until I had to start shopping for some. Honestly, that combined with the constant body changes right now, I don't want to even get dressed in real clothes half of the time.

 I have majorly struggled with the weight gain aspect of pregnancy, to be honest. I am eating incredibly well though, having successfully cut out almost all sugar, bread, and dairy. None the less, my body has been consistently packing on the pounds. ALL OVER. My legs, back, hips, arms etc. You name it. As someone who is obsessive about their weight, this has led to many a meltdown already. Honestly, my self-confidence is at the lowest it has ever been which is difficult. It's a bad downward spiral of feeling selfish for feeling upset about gaining weight...over and over and over again. Slowly but surely I am working through it.
That being said, I could not be happier about being pregnant! My husband and I are truly thrilled and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new little girl. It gets more real with every day. This past week I have felt movement which is truly the most incredible thing.

I have reached 21 weeks which is past the halfway point. Yikes! May 24th will be here before I know it. Although due dates are hardly ever 100% correct, it's a date we are planning everything around. And I can't wait to share some tiny adorable sewing projects being worked on in the sewing room. 

Dress: Target

Belt: Gift from my sister in law

Bag: Antique find!

Shoes: Cole Haan

I must sign off for now as tons of housework calls my name. I hope everyone is having a lovely winter!

Olivia