Dressy Jeans

Blouse (similar)
Sweatshirt 
Pumps (similar)
Similar Tote

Life is too short - wear heels! No, seriously, ladies enjoy the season while you can still walk barefoot. The time of the year when we sit at home and look out of the window in hopes of seeing a ray of sunshine is almost here. I'm dreading the next six months I'm going to have to spend in fleece pajamas and triple tights. 

But on a happy note, Christmas time is coming and it's the most fun when you have kids. Can't wait for Jonathan actually get to open presents this year. Yay for white Christmas but then I wish we could just skip straight to May and have beautiful spring all over. Alas, it's not going to happen. 

So head on over to your closest TJMaxx and grab some fleece lined leggings, put them on and marvel at the fact that you haven't been living them before. You are welcome! 

Fall Plaid

sweater: Banana Republic, skirt: Gap (real, steal), scarf: Joe Fresh (real, steal), bag: (real, steal),   flats: Marc Fisher (real, steal)

I know that a lot of my readers range in income and buying potential. A lot of times, I only include only ONE option for the clothes I have one, but from now on I will try to include a REAL($$$) price and STEAL($) price. So whatever it is you're looking for, you can find it on here.

Hope you are enjoying your week because mine is going extremely well! Hubby and I got to spend a day together without baby at home and I tell you people, it's such a blessing to have family close by. We weren't planning on anything but it just turned so that Jonathan spent the night at my mom's house and my sister babysit him entire day. 

We were able to get some quality time together (ya know;-), lounge in bed, sleep in and have coffee together in the morning - all without being interrupted for one minute. Then we spent the rest of the day furniture shopping and possibly getting me a birthday present. It was glorious! I cannot imagine my life without my family and so grateful that we live close to both parents. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Mix It Up

dress: Target (similar, similar)
shirt: Target (similar)
boots: Nine West
bag: similar
necklace: J.Crew

Welcome to Monday! Hope everyone is getting used to the plunging temperatures and slowly taking those sweaters out. My favorite thing about the fall is riding boots and the many (many) ways I can wear them. I love pairing them with dresses, skirts, jeans and even shorts. You can't go wrong with a nice pair of cognac riding boots. Also mixing prints is always fun, but I like to stay within the same color scheme. Thank you for stopping by gals! 

Have a great day! 

Unrushed Yes {God Thoughts}

source

In the middle of my usual everyday chores, I had a thought. 'God, I'm so busy all the time; unrush me'.

Most of the time, I'm doing something. I'm not an idle person, as taught by my mother, always completing chores and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. (side note: will the dust under my bed ever stop accumulating?)

I come from a family of hard workers - there was no time to waste, and something always had to be done. Even now, when I sit down to relax or simply have a day off, I feel guilty unless I accomplish even the smallest of assignments.

A lot of times, I think that what I'm doing in the here and now, isn't as important as the big things I could be doing. But that's simply not true.

So after praying that simple prayer to God, I got my answer almost immediately and I didn't like it. (I burned my hand  taking a pan out of the oven. Ouch.)

There I was standing over my kitchen sink with my hand under running cold water, mad. I was steaming and yelling at myself for not being more careful and just hating the fact that I will have to take a break and sit down for a few minutes, because I had 'stuff to do'. 

Shortly after, I sprained my wrist and really had to stop doing certain things. Being that it was my right hand, I had to ask my husband to chop the onions for soup (and I'm an independent girl). It was annoying and painful but I wasn't rushing through anything for sure.

God answered my prayer and I didn't like it because it hurt me.

A lot of times, we have these grand aspirations, and superb ideas of serving God. Weather it is on the mission field or as a church leader, yet we forget the simple, every day tasks God called us to do. We rush through the everyday stuff, we pass by the little things in hopes to achieve that grandiose mission. That's no what God asks of us.

Before we become the church leader and go to the missions, we must learn to embrace the everyday, to slow down and notice God's hand in the small things.

I know personally, that I have a tendency to rush. I rush through things in hopes of completing the task AND THAN enjoying myself. But maybe we should enjoy the moment we are in. We need to see what God is teaching us through it, learn to unpack even the tiniest responsibility.

His lord said unto him, Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your lord. (Matthew 25:21) KJV

I want to give God my life of service to others, but most of the time I complain about the enormous piles of laundry I have to finish. Or when I don't want to get up early to get my child because he won't sleep in on Saturday morning.

I'm learning to slow down. To enjoy the moment, to learn what God's teaching me right now but it's a conscious decision that I have to make every day. Instead of planning and scheming for the next project, Simply take your time in the present and ask the Lord to give you gentle reminders to slow down.

God bless and thank you for stopping by! 

Asos Sale

 black dress / Jasmine bodycon dress, / green dress /  bodycon dress / navy blue dress / floral dress /  Maternity Midi Dress In Stripe / nude wide shoes /  leopard shoes / top handle bag / crossbody handbag

Check out the ASOS sale that's going on right now! I know, I know, I'm an enabler but seriously there are so many great finds. I love the stripe dresses and the florals, as well as the navy blue pencil dress.

And can I have all the shoes? Please and thank you.

Have a great day! 

Yesterday

shirt: J.Crew
skirt: J.Crew
necklace: similar
bag: similar
shoes: Aldo (similar)

Hello lovelies! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and did something fun. We had a family-filled days and girl-talk evenings.

I was afraid I was going to look too much like Christmas with this outfit, but the pink/purple skirt helped. Also, I love plaid. You will be seeing a lot more of the print because I literally have gazillion (well, maybe just 7) plaid shirts. I have to go help hubby wash the windows but here I am blogging away. Ooooops. :-)

Thank you for stopping by! 

Fall Uniform

top: TJMaxx (similar)
blazer: H&M (splurge, save )
cords: LOFT similar
flats: Ellen Tracy (similar, similar)

My fall uniform consists of these cords. I mean, I wear them every day, except when I'm on my knees scrubbing the floor after breakfast (read: smashed scrambled eggs. yuck!) I love corduroy pants because they are the most comfortable pants in the history of the world. They make you look put together without compromising style and you can dress them up or down. This is my version of dressed down, because you know, flats. Hope you are having a great and thank you so much for reading! 

5 Things That Make Our Marriage Great

Sometimes life over takes us. We get so busy with everyday things and responsibilities that we forget to take the time to look at our lives and just be thankful. My husband and I are far from perfect and we have our share of problems but I need to remind myself once in a while why I chose this man. Here are a few of the many things that make us so perfect for each other.

1. We put God first. In our lives, in our ministry, in our parenting, in our relationship with each other. I know that my husband can never make me happy 100% of the time. He is a human being and as such he will make mistakes. No matter how much I try, my marriage will never satisfy me spiritually so making Lord God my priority and source of joy, makes things a lot more stable.

2. We are committed. In our 6+ years of marriage, we have experienced some very high peeks of happiness and low points of disappointments, but we've gone through it all together. Knowing that no matter what happens, we are together definitely brings peace into my heart. It's one thing knowing it in my head, and totally another, going through it. Sharing life's greatest and worst moments together brings us closer to each other every day.

3.  We are best friends. If there is one thing that I love about us, is that we've always been best friends. I know that I can talk to my husband about anything, get honest advice and encouragement. We don't have secrets and we share our lives with each other. There isn't an area in our lives that we haven't covered at one point and if something is on my heart, I know that I can go talk to him. It's the best part of our relationship and I wouldn't have it any other way.

4. We have the same views on life. We share the same views on a lot of things in life - from parenting to taste in food, some of that comes from cultural similarities. Other parts are from living together and rubbing off on each other. In the end we really do understand each other very well and don't have to argue about religion or politics, or even which restaurant to go to because we agree on the same things. It makes life a lot easier knowing your partner understands you completely and although we do have disagreements, major things are covered.

5. We aim to please each other. *Cough* As a married couple we enjoy each other very much. The intimacy and closeness is important to both of us and we are certainly on the same page. I know a few couples who have very different views on intimacy and it definitely brings conflicts into the marriage. We strive for mutual satisfaction, in all areas of our lives but having a partner who 'gets you' makes intimacy that much more special.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Color Blocked Fall

dress: Eddie Bawer  Thrifted (similar)
blouse: Loft (similar)
shoes: Liz Claiborne (similar)
bag: similar, splurge, steal

Well, another week has gone by and I'm reminded, yet again, that time is a precious commodity. I'm loving fall this year, and that's an understatement. Warm sun-filled days and crisp cool nights; the smell of apples and cinnamon in my house as I whip up some fall-themed muffins. It's simply breathtakingly beautiful! I'm also gravitating towards cooler colors and lots of color blocking this fall, as well as sleeveless dresses with blouses (remember this look?). This is a second look this fall and I can't get away from it. I hope you are enjoying this time of the year and having a good time of your life. 

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!

Trendy

skirt: Thrifted (similar, similar)
blouse: Forever21 (similar, similar)
shoes: Liz Claiborne (similar)
bag: similar

Well, oh well, looky here. Someone has fallen to the peer pressure and bought into the trend, and it's very obvious who that someone is. The very first time I saw a leather skirt on one of the bloggers I honestly thought it was a little too much, too tacky and not for me. Fast forward year later, and I'm the one wearing it but when it comes to items like that, it's all about balance. I could not (well, I guess you could) wear it with anything like sequins or print but rather with an understated top and nude heels. Is it church worthy? I don't think so because it has too much of a sexy factor and shines like crazy. (And no one wants to see my rear in grease-like accent haha).

Do you buy trends as soon as they come out, or does it take a few years for you to warm up to the idea? Do share ladies. Thank you for stopping by.

Beef and Brussels Sprouts Risotto {Recipe}

I've always been a fan of risotto but found that it was quite labor intensive after looking at a few recipes. Then one day I decided to buy the rice and just make it. It was delicious but my husband wasn't a fan of mushrooms (first time I made a mushroom risotto). The next time, I tried to find a flavorful recipe with out mushrooms and stumbled upon this one. The only vegetables that I had in the fridge were Brussels sprouts, so I decided to throw them in. It turned out excellent and I could not wait to share this fall-inspired recipe with you.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1lb of beef (steak of your choice)

2 cups Brussels sprouts

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

~ 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmaggiano Reggiano cheese

Method:

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium.  Meanwhile trim Brussels sprouts. Cut small sprouts in half, and bigger ones slice in thirds so they are at most 3/4 cm thick. 

Add to skillet with a big pinch of salt and give it a shake. Allow the Brussels to caramelize on one side before flipping, check every 3 minutes. Once nicely browned, flip and do the same to the other side. Remove to a plate. 

Wash and pat dry the beef, then cut into small pieces. Raise the heat to medium and add more oil and butter to the pan. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute them for about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add beef chunks. Sear the beef until lightly browned and turn the heat down to medium.

Wash the rice and add it to the beef, season with salt and pepper. Fry rice with beef for about 10 minutes stirring constantly, then add wine. Do NOT stop stirring. This recipe has only one thing that's hard - you have to keep stirring. Keep adding the stock one cup at a time and do not stop stirring until all the stock is gone and rice is cooked. 

Depending on how you like your rice, it will take about 35 minutes of stirring. The rice should be cooked by then but f it's not, just add another half of cup of water and stir for a little longer. 

Mix in the Brussels sprouts and the cheese, stir. Let the risotto stand for about 30 minutes before you serve it.

Fall Is For Plaid

dress: Thrifted (similar, similar)
cardigan: J.Crew
shoes: Tahari (similar)
tote: similar

So it's fall, like officially! And the only thing that will signify its coming is plaid everything. I love the come back of plaid in fashion and welcome it in my closet this fall. From blazers to dresses and scarves, I just can't stay away from it. Although it can look a little ancient, with addition of correct accessories, it looks chic. Hope you are enjoying this gorgeous time of the year and exploring some unbeaten path with your loved ones. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Things You Don't Appreciate Until You Have a Toddler

Time is flying way too fast around these parts. With fall in full swing  and Jonathan entering toddlerhood, I catch myself wishing for this stage to never end. On the other hand, I can't wait until he is a little more independent and we are over the potty training (oh the joys of potty training). I'm definitely learning to enjoy my time with him more and just take in every moment with this curious, smart and energetic boy. Also, looking at life through eyes of the toddler makes me appreciate the simple, every day things that I would've taken for granted otherwise.

The wonder of an open book. Jonathan loves reading, and every time I have a minute to sit down he brings me a book (or asks for one). The pages come alive in his eyes as he learns and explores the familiar stories. It's the excitement and wonder in his eyes that make me stop and enjoy the story with him. He never tires of it and is always ready to listen while intently studying the pictures. He will sit down and imitate reading while flipping through the pages by himself. It's the most adorable thing ever.

The beauty of nature. There are things that he finds in our yard that I didn't even know were there. Being outside, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine is his other favorite thing to do. Either it's taking a walk through his grandmother's garden or swinging in the park, it's always so joyful and exciting. He doesn't care if it's sunshine or rain, there is plenty to  discover and learn. The outside world is always exciting and never boring.

Unconditional love. No one loves as unconditionally and freely like toddlers. They don't hold grudges, they don't remind of old mistakes and forgive very fast. They really put the meaning of unconditional love in our lives and undeniably receive it in return. Children (and especially toddlers) love us with all our faults and mistakes, they accept us for who we are and perhaps that's why they are the most fun bunch around.

Our own parents. Living with a child and experiencing all the day-to-day difficulties and joys makes us appreciate our own parents  even more. All the cooking, cleaning and teaching our mothers did for years now seem so real and personal. It takes a lot of effort to keep a toddler out of harm's way, and at the end of the day, I am exhausted just by doing simple household tasks. After I had Jonathan, I understood all the work my mother put into me and appreciate it a lot more.

The value of a family. Children really bring life to a family and make the home come alive. Sure we were happy and satisfied as a couple before but now, it's just a lot of fun. Every single day. It brings my husband and I closer knowing that we are in this together and that we are a family. Life without children seems dull, and with addition of just one (so far) in our lives, we have experienced so much joy and fulfillment it's hard to describe it. Children bring extended family closer, they make us drop our guard and open our hearts to each other, because, really, nothing out there is more valuable than family.