When I was 14, I went on a mission trip to Mexico with my youth group.  It was almost Christmas, so we filled huge trash bags with toys and walked through a sprawling, pitiful-looking community–full of houses made of corrugated tin and cardboard–giving toys to each child we saw and speaking and praying with people.

We came to one house, and a little boy who was probably around 3 or 4 was playing outside with his mom.  He was playing with an old, broken metal dump truck that was resisting his efforts to roll around on the dirty carpet beneath him.

I smiled at this sweet little boy and held out my hands.  In broken Spanish, I asked him to please hand me his truck, because I had something better for him.

At first he hugged the broken truck to his chest and shook his head; “No! Don’t take my special thing!”

It was so frustrating; I wasn’t trying to take his truck away because I didn’t want to him have a fun toy to play with, but because I had a better toy for him. A toy that was new and functional and would help him have more fun than ever before.

Eventually, reluctantly, he handed the old, broken dump truck to me–and gave me the stink eye for emphasis.

Then!! Once his hands were empty, I placed a brand new dump truck in his hands. A shiny, functioning, better-than-anything-he’d-ever-seen toy.  His eyes lit up.

It was the best feeling in the world, replacing an okay thing with a better thing for that little boy.

I only knew this child for a few minutes, but I relished in replacing the broken thing in his life with a good, new thing.  How much more does our Heavenly Father, our loving Daddy God, delight in lavishing good things, better and best things, upon us?

Oh, friend! I know how painful it is to give up the current good thing–the job, relationship, addiction, house–but He is waiting, waiting to hand you the better and best thing.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

This is my fourth fix, but only my second Stitch Fix review. While my first fix was great and full of items that my stylist had pretty much plucked directly from my Pinterest style board, fixes 3 and 4 were underwhelming. And full of things I don’t really wear.

Stitch Fix has awesome customer service, and they were super receptive to my please-look-at-my-style-board-and-I-REALLY-don’t-wear-short-skirts feedback, and this fix was great.

Although I liked these Colleen straight leg jeans at first, after wearing them for the 20 minutes or so we spent taking these pictures, I decided the fit wasn’t that great on me. Plus, I already have a ton of dark wash jeans.  (The shoes are Blowfish.)

I ended up keeping this sweet Ilean crochet detail tank; I think it will be a good transitional piece between seasons.

I loved the color of this top–the Natasha front pocket sleeveless blouse–but it was a bit too loose and open on the sides, so it went back. (Anyone else feel like they’re having to wear a camisole underneath every.single.shirt these days?)

I almost kept this Moni stud detailed 3/4 top, but I decided it was too similar to some things I already own. The color is beautiful, though.

This Andi ikat print maxi skirt was cute, but a bit too snug for me. I like my maxis loose and flowy. Time to hit the treadmill.

My tips for getting a great fix: set aside at least 30 minutes or so to fill out your online style profile. Include a link to your Pinterest style board, and be specific about what you like and don’t like. Also, you can request specific items if you’ve seen something in someone else’s fix that you like.

Not sure how to fill out your style profile, because you’re not sure what you like? Spend some time in Pinterest, pinning every outfit that’s appealing to you, and tear pages out of magazines. Even if it’s something you wouldn’t necessarily wear, if it appeals to you–take note! After you’ve got a pretty full style board/pile of magazine pictures, look through them and see what the common theme is. Are you drawn toward bold prints? More classic styles? Lots of lace and florals? Use the looks that appeal to you as a basic guideline for filling out your style profile (and for shopping in general).

Happy Stitch Fixing, ladies!

This is a book about stripping down to your true self, you wonderful thing, you.

Being authentic and vulnerable–getting emotionally naked, if you will–is hard.  And it requires bravery and making the daily (and sometimes moment by moment) decision to be yourself.

It’s good to know that we’re not alone in this journey and to hear about others’ experiences.  On that note, my sweet friend, Liz Morrow, has written a fab ebook–Get Naked: Why the World Needs You to be a Little More You. 

Throughout the book Liz bravely confronts shame and our need to “cover up our real selves” out of fear.  I think a lot of us can relate to the personal stories she shares; it’s time to pursue freedom and get (emotionally) naked!

The very best part, though? Liz is giving her ebook away for free! Just head over to her site to sign up for a copy.

Last weekend I sneaked away from The Declare Conference for several hours to attend the first night of The Hundred Event, an intimate–limited to 100 attendees–blogging conference.

The Hundred was hosted by Lauren, Megan Graham, Bridget Hunt, and Grace Patton.

When Bridget announced The Hundred on her blog in June, I was super excited and wanted to go, but I’d already committed to Declare. Because God is good and wants us to be happy, Bridget and her girls offered a Friday night only option, and I immediately purchased a ticket.

I’m so glad I did.

(In every photo I’m holding a different drink. In my defense, only 2 of them were alcoholic.)

Sweet Julia is originally from Argentina and now lives in San Francisco. Her blog is funny and has lots of good mommy info.

In the few hours I was there, I met so many talented, kind girls, including a fellow Dallas blogger, Kendi Skeen. Kendi and I chatted for a bit during the happy hour–turns out our husbands went to high school together, and my mother-in-law works for the company Kendi used to work for.

Kendi was the keynote speaker that night; it’s so encouraging and helpful to hear wisdom and advice from more experienced bloggers.

The dinner was sponsored by British clothing brand Joules–swoon. They provided us with super generous swag bags, which was a fun surprise.

I was lucky enough to be seated at the same table as the owners of Lily Jade; their bags are beautiful and extremely practical. I have my eye on a few.

So, it was a fun night with lovely people, delicious food, good information, and a plethora of drinks. I’m definitely sad that I missed out on the rest of the weekend with The Hundred girls. Next year, it’s a date–yes? Yes.

 

***all images (except the black & white one) by Paige Budde for The Hundred.

Studying the Bible can be difficult, amen?  It’s such a massive, rich book, and it’s hard to know where to start and, once you’ve started, where to go next and how to get the most out of it.

Over the past year, I’ve discovered three tools that have made studying the Bible much, much easier:

1. Podcasts.  If you’re not familiar with Joyce Meyers, you should be. She’s an amazing teacher and, bonus: She has a dry, sometimes twisted sense of humor. She’s hilarious. She talks a lot about fear, anxiety, the power of our thoughts and words and–my jam–freedom.  I also listen to our church’s podcast whenever we’ve missed a Sunday. And sometimes I will just listen to a really great sermon a second time and dig deeper into the scriptures referenced.

2. Bible.is app. Beyond a basic Bible app, Bible.is has an audio feature, as well.  Yes. Actors will read the Bible to you, with different people doing different characters, in addition to a main narrator. I love this feature; sometimes I’ll choose a book of the Bible in the morning and listen to several chapters on my way to work.

3. #SheReadsTruth has been mentioned in this space several times before, and that’s because it’s one of the best devotional/Bible study tools I’ve ever discovered.  You can read the daily scriptures and devotional post on their website, or you can receive their daily e-mails (which is what I’ve always done). But wait–there’s more!! Now they have a beautiful, user-friendly app (currently only for iPhones, but an Android version is in the works). As a fun bonus, the app also has background photos for your phone. Love. Also, I’ve chatted with the #SheReadsTruth girls in real life, and they are legit. Sweet and humble and truly women after God’s heart.

What are your favorite ways to study the Bible? Do you have any tips and tricks to share with the rest of us?

A little over a month ago, one of my grandma’s rings was stolen.

After she died, the women of the family went through her closet and jewelry boxes and divided up her things (with my grandfather’s encouragement). It was difficult and awkward and painful, but it needed to be done while we were all in the same country together.

My grandmother didn’t really have super valuable things, but each of us wanted certain pieces that held special memories of her, little treasures to cherish and hold onto.

I have a thing for unusual, eye-catching rings, so these are mostly what I asked for.  Again, none are really valuable, but they’re special because they were my grandma’s. Too paranoid to pack them–even in my carry on bag–I wore one ring on each finger for my flight home from London. My very favorite of the rings is chunky and gold and has a little clock inside.

I left it by the sink in a restaurant bathroom the second Sunday afternoon in July.

Somehow, I didn’t realize I wasn’t wearing it anymore until Jon and I were getting in the car to leave.  I screeched “THE RING” and leapt out of the car.  I burst into the restaurant, ran up to the manager, and asked him if it had been turned in (it hadn’t); it was no longer in the bathroom.  Like a crazed maniac, I ran around to every woman in the restaurant and asked if she’d seen the ring.

It was my grandma’s, she died in May. Please.

The ring is gone.

I have cried bitter, gut-wrenching sobs.  I have grieved for my grandma and over this ring, over losing one of my grandma’s special treasures that I was entrusted with. I have been super angry–at myself for being careless and at the woman who stole it from the bathroom.

A few days ago, I pulled out my iPad and settled in to catch up on my #SheReadsTruth Bible plans.  The very first one that pulled up?

PRAYING FOR YOUR (PERSONAL) ENEMIES

Ugh.  At first, the thought of forgiving, of praying for, the woman who stole my grandma’s ring made me sick to my stomach.  But, in order to not let this anger and bitterness take root in my heart, to not let it become a thing, I know I need to.  For freedom, for spiritual and emotional wholeness, I need to.

This is something I’m still working through, and my daily prayer has been for Him to make me want to want to forgive her, to pray for her.  I don’t know why this woman picked up that ring and decided to slide it on her finger and walk away instead of turning it in.  But I know she needs Jesus.

And so do I.

Since I’m preparing to go to my second blogging conference this weekend (Declare), and the Influence Conference is a little over a month away (!!!!!!), I thought it would be a good time to talk about preparing for a blogging conference.  I know it can be super overwhelming, and I hope this helps a little (or a lot).

Things to bring:

1. Clothes.  Oh, the clothes.  I put a lot (too much) time, energy, and maybe a few tears into choosing my outfits for Influence.  I did not need to stress as much as did; however, it is important to pack cute, comfortable clothes that you will feel confident in.  I packed two outfits per day.  On both Thursday and Sunday I wore two outfits (I changed for dinner and the evening sessions), but I wore the same thing all day/evening Friday because I really loved what I was wearing. And that, I think, is the key–pack your favorites. The things you love wearing and feel good in. I would recommend packing an extra outfit or two and a few accessories (scarves, hats, statement jewelry), in case you want to change things up as you transition from day to evening.

2. Comfy shoes.  You will do quite a bit of walking.  Hotels are big places, and not every restaurant you go to will be just across the street.  I packed riding boots, oxfords, and a pair of wedges.  The wedges were borderline uncomfortable, and I was glad I didn’t bring any heels.

3. Flip flops.  I also packed my black Havaianas because I knew that if I wanted to visit a friend’s hotel room late at night I wouldn’t want to pair my riding boots with my PJs.  I was especially grateful for the flip flops when I had to run down to the lobby at 6:00 am for extra towels.

4. Power strip.  This came in handy in the hotel room.  4 girls charging phones, iPads, and using curling irons/hair dryers/straightners vs. the two plugs in our room… the power strip is a sanity/friendship saver.

5. Blog/business cards.  I ordered mine from Overnight Prints. I recommend getting the card situation sorted out a few weeks early to avoid a mad scramble right before the conference (and ending up with cards you don’t love).

6. Hole punch/binder rings.  I used this to organize and contain all of the blog/business cards I received, and I’m so glad I did!  There’s nothing sadder than not being able to follow up with a sweet new friend because you lost her card and can’t remember her name.

7. Notebook.  There will be a lot of note-taking, my friends.  Even though a couple of the speakers handed out little booklets for us to take notes in, I like my notes the way I like my cards–contained in one spot.

8. The best pens ever.  Seriously, y’all.  These pens are amazing.  They write like a marker, but they don’t bleed through paper.  Loooove.

9. Roommate gifts.  I gave each of my girls Rosebud Salve lipgloss, a mini notebook, kleenex, and gummie bears.

10. Cute PJs. Pack PJs you wouldn’t mind being photographed in or running down to the lobby for towels in (ahem).

11. Earplugs/eye mask/Tylenol PM. Bring anything you think you might need to help you sleep, especially if you will be sharing a room with multiple girls. Trust.

12. A prepared heart. On my way to Influence last year, I took some time to pray and think about why I was going to the conference and what I really wanted to get out of it.  I made a list of things I desired to gain from the conference (lasting friendships is one example) and then a list of the things I would do to make that happen.  I left Influence without any regrets because of this time I took to prepare my heart and set my intentions.  I walked in with a game plan; I highly recommend taking some time to do this. Check out this post to see how my preparation paid off for me.

Things I’m glad I didn’t bring:

1. DSLR.  I’m so glad I didn’t lug this around the conference all weekend.  One of my roommates (who is a professional photographer) brought hers, but I felt much more comfortable taking photos in the sessions with my iPhone.

2. Laptop. I had no downtime to work on the blog during the conference, and I took notes with my notebook and the best pens ever.  There was an Influence girl on my flight back to Texas who wrote a couple of blog posts while we were in the air, but I was way too physically/mentally wiped out to write anything coherent, so I’m glad I didn’t bring it with me.

(Keep in mind that you might need your laptop or DSLR, depending on what sessions you’re attending at the conference.)

Do you have any blogging conference tips? Feel free to add them in the comments!

 

 

1. Popsicles.  I bought a giant, seedless watermelon at Sprouts the other day because it looked pretty, and you’re supposed to buy and eat watermelon in the summer.  It sat in our fridge for a few days–taking up an entire shelf–and I didn’t know what to do with it until: POPSICLES. I had the brilliant idea to blend the watermelon with a few frozen strawberries, a generous splash of agave nectar, and the juice of one lime. I poured the blended up goodness into my popsicle mold (I use a couple, but this mold is my favorite) and squeezed it into the tiny bit of spare freezer space I could find. Delicious.

I had quite a bit of juice leftover, which I’m keeping in a jug in the fridge.  I think the only thing that could make it more perfect is a splash of tequila.  I even mixed some of the juice with water (sans tequila) for my Orange Theory class, and it helped me keep my energy up.

2. I love podcasts.  I’m a few years late to the podcast party, but, now that I’m here, I never want to leave. (That was cheesy. I apologize.) I’ve found several great ones; I’ll share my favorites with you guys soon.

3. Online classes. I’ve been feeling super frustrated and limited lately by my lack of technical know-how.  Enter: Skillshare (which I learned about on a podcast!). Seriously, this website is amazing–classes on everything and anything.  I can’t wait to learn ALL THE THINGS.

4. The farmers market. I adore the farmers market, but I’ve realized I need to plan my visits better. I always seem to spend $87.43 and leave with only a cube of organic cheese, a pear, a .0000025 ounce bag of fair trade coffee, and a flower.  Instead, I need to make a B line for the Mennonite family selling organic eggs with a brief stop by the tomatoes and okra and call it a day. I need to not talk to the goat cheese girl, because then I will hear her story about leaving Maine with only her goat and a dream to sell delicious, overpriced goat brie to Dallas surbanites like me, and I will feel bad and I will give her my debit card and tell her to go nuts.

5. Sometimes self care needs to come first. Lots of late nights and early mornings have left me feeling incredibly exhausted. Like, falling asleep driving to work exhausted.  I really wanted to get this post finished and linked up by Thursday, July 31st, but Wednesday night I decided to get in bed early with a book and the bitties instead. Self care is essential; remember, you have to fill your cup before you can pour anything out.

So, what did you learn in July?

This post is a linkup with Emily Freeman of Chatting at the Sky.