i know, i know...i've been a bit MIA lately.  as a result, i don't think i need to point out that i did not complete the 30 for 30 challenge.  between transitioning jobs and getting ready to list our house, i may have gotten more than a bit sidetracked.

allow me to show you a glimpse at what i've been up to the past two weeks, between cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning of our house.

warning:  you are about to experience a slight picture dump.  i promise if you stick around, you will be rewarded at the end.


i made, and enjoyed, some good food.

i went home to see my family and helped them pick out a sweet little puppy named Riley.


i spent time with my own sweet, beautiful, snuggly pup.

i celebrated the love of my life's officially-closer-to-thirty-than-twenty birthday.



and today, i finally got to start my new job.  i held babies, i met great people that are part of an organization that encourages them to talk about their faith; oh, and my boss?  is the kind of person that leaves this for me on my desk as a welcome:

and finally, i made a scarf especially for EBEW.  turns out i don't really own anything with polka dots.


unfortunately, as it turns out, the pattern is so subtle and soft, it doesn't really read in a picture.


and now, as i promised, if you made it through my last two weeks in pictures, a reward:  I will be replicating this two-sided circle scarf for one of my readers.  this is my first official giveaway to make up for being gone for two weeks.  so do you forgive me?

here's how it will work.  sometime between now and 11:59 on Friday, March 11, leave a comment on this blog telling me how you would style this scarf.  the winner will be chosen by random.org on Saturday, March 12.  this giveaway will be open to those located in the continental US.  sorry, but give a girl between paychecks a break.

cowl scarf: me; belt: thrifted

necklace: Forever21

belt: thrifted; hair accessory: me

hair accessory: me; scarf: H&M; belt: thrifted

i will forgive you if you think i'm some kind of flaky slacky blogger.  i'm sorry to say it may be like this for a while...if it's any consolation, i've missed hanging out with all of you and i've been thinking of you every night that i don't blog as i fall into bed from sheer exhaustion.


if you've been around these parts for a while, you may recall me talking about my confusion over what i want to be when i grow up.  a large part of the reason i was considering going back to school to pursue a teaching degree is because i wasn't finding any open positions that would allow me to use my degree.  although i love working with three of my friends and the routine that comes from working a 9-5 job at the law firm i've been at for the past 14 months, i know that my talents haven't fully been put to use.


since moving to Fort Wayne, i've been keeping my eye open for positions available with the YMCA.  i fully support the mission of the Y, "to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all."  i believe in the power of community and have desired a chance to be a part of creating a sense of that while helping others to reach their health and fitness goals.


in January, i applied for a Program Director position at the YMCA.  i knew in my heart that I would be great for the position, and that the position would be perfect for me, but given the fact that i am 24 and haven't worked in the fitness field since my internship in 2008, i wasn't sure that anyone viewing my resume would feel the same.  i think you see where this is going...


last Tuesday, i got the amazing phone call that i've been waiting for: i was offered the position!  i have since learned that i was one of 115 applicants.  seeing all of the facts laid out in front of me, i know 100% that this is where God wants me to be, and he provided the path for me to get to this point.  i felt in my interview that every work experience i've ever had has led me straight to this position.  i am so excited to take on this new challenge, to oversee all of the existing programs at the YMCA and to create new ones as well.  i know it is going to push me and stretch me, and i can't wait.


the best part of this position is that it's in the town where Eric and i eventually wanted to live.  he already works there, and we had plans to move there years from now.  well, our timeline has now been changed a bit.    things have been a bit crazy this week, as we have decided to list the house and are in the process of preparing it a bit more before our realtors come on Tuesday to talk about list price and our game plan.


please pray for us:  first, thanks to God for providing direction in our lives and a position where i feel that i can make a difference, and also that things would go smoothly with this selling process.  i never would have imagined preparing to be a second-time homeowner at the age of 24, and we certainly weren't planning to sell our house in this recession, but i trust that God will take the reigns and provide according to His will.  please also pray for my sanity as i will be forced to keep this house spotless for who knows how long.


i'll be sure to keep everyone updated.  please be patient with me if i don't post as often through this process.  i'll do the best i can!

sweater: Banana Republic; skirt: thrifted; shoes: Bandolino; coat: Guess; scarf: Target; belt: Forever21; tights: ?

sweater: Kohl's; jeans: LOFT; boots: JC Penney; hat: Loehmann's; scarf: target; necklace: Forever21; socks: Target

do you like how i'm immediately posting this after that last dreadful outfit in the hopes that you all will just pass over that one and forget it happened?  except now i'm mentioning it, which just draws attention to it.  crap.  can we just strike this from the record?


today was a busy day around these parts.  it consisted of vacuum and valentine's day gift shopping to start things off.  you know what's sad?  when you become so acclimated to frigid temperatures that you sweat when you're out and about when it reaches 37 degrees.  c'est la midwest vie.

so after picking up our new Shark, assembling it, sweeping our living room (during which i had to empty the canister five times from all the hair it picked up that our last hunk of junk didn't (gross)), and wrapping the hub's gift, i decided this warmer weather called for a run.  i announced this intention to Lily, and this was her reaction:























oh, yes, this little lady knows the word "run".  in fact, it's one of her favorite words in the whole world, along with peanut butter, cookie and snuggle.  she was ecstatic.  so i bundled up in the clothes that i love most and hit the pavement:

riddle me this:  what would you get if you crossed a Lily and a Titan?  (hint: see the background for the answer)

the two of us had such a wonderful run, with the sun shining down on us and the cold air in our lungs.  i love that after not running for about three months, that three miles was a breeze.  now if only i could undo the mental damage that training for a marathon did, all would be good.  i still have such a problem feeling like three miles isn't enough after running 12, 15 and 18 miles at a time.  oy vey.

sweater: Gap; jeans: LOFT; boots: JC Penney; cowl scarf: me; belt: AE

at the beginning of the day yesterday, i thought this was a good comfy, casual look.  i thought this chunky belt was good for this sweater.  i was wrong.  after looking through all of the pictures for this outfit, i really just look like a frumpy mom.  and not the cute, stylish, young kind; more like the been-wearing-the-same-out-of-date-clothes-for-the-last-twenty-years kind.  p.s. i hope i'm never that mom.  this one is a big fail in my eyes, and my diet must be too, because my thighs?  they be getting bigger.

speaking of moms, walking through Target today past the baby section, even the sight of diapers tugged at my heart strings.  or was it my ovaries?  either way, i'm in one of my baby moods.  suddenly, every baby represents something i want but know in my heart that we shouldn't pursue yet.  this mood comes and goes, but right now it's in full force.  do i want all of the responsibility yet?  not really.  i just want those cheeks.

those cheeks will get you every time...

cowl scarf: me; belt: thrifted

i wanted to wear a skirt today.  i was finally going to wear a skirt today.  but zomg, below zero??  i considered an attempt at layering all thirty items, but then thought the stares from passers-by may be more awkward than the frigid temperature.  so comfy, neutral and predictable it was.  the hair?  didn't really feel like doing it.  it's really just been one of those days.  can we just forget it ever happened?  great.

as a personal style blogger, does anyone else ever find themselves feeling super lame when trying to explain what this is all about to non-bloggers?  my typical conversation regarding my blog:

friend:  "you blog?"
me:  "yah...isn't that awesome?"
friend:  "well, what do you blog about?"
me:  "oh, well...my clothes...and other stuff"
person that asks a lot of questions:  "so what?  you just say what you're wearing?"
me:  "there are pictures involved, and i then i talk about other things, too."
seriously with more questions??:  "what, like makeup too?"
me:  "no, like lots of other things, like my husband and dogs and Young Life and crafts and omgee, i swear it's not as lame as it sounds."

i feel like i should just carry a laptop around with me at all times so when someone asks, i can just show them instead of trying to explain.  anyone else had more success?  please, do share so people will stop smiling and nodding and start throwing high fives my way.



oh haiiii Titan.  wow, i'm really glad he wasn't pooping or anything embarrassing back there. hat: Loehmann's; belt: thrifted




check out that action shot.  hubs is becoming a professional at this.



today is the debut for 4/5 of this outfit (minus the shoes), and what a BIG debut it is.  five pieces in one outfit.  holy remixing, Batman!  this is where i have to say i love 30 for 30.  this is an outfit i would never think to put together, but at the end of the day, i'm pretty happy with it.

...minus the wrinkles.  i need a little portable steamer for this shirt, and unless i aged 60 years overnight, i don't think i'm supposed to have bunchy knees.  how do you all keep your skinnies from bunching up so much?  if someone could throw some magical remedy at me, that would be great, thanks. 

a couple nights ago, i had my first blog-related dream.  and it involved the lovely Linley.  i saw her out-and-about in Fort Wayne, and i got uber excited.  i approached her to say hello, although by the time i reached her, somehow we were magically in Florida instead.  as you can imagine, i was somewhat hurt when she didn't recognize me (although this could have something to do with the fact that i had short hair and was about 60 pounds heavier in my dream, which is more like a nightmare.  i've been about 25 pounds heavier than i am now, and even those extra pounds made me feel like crap, so 60?? I can't imagine.  but i digress...).  so i proceeded to introduce myself:  "hi, i'm Lauren (Lo) from Lo & Behold."  she looked at me like i had a huge piece of broccoli in my teeth, which, seeing how this dream went, i probably did. 

and that was it.  the dream ended there.  aren't your dreams supposed to be the place where you can be skinny with legs about six inches longer, have long, perfect wavy hair, and Linley is your best friend?  i'd like to order up that dream instead, please.

ah well, at least we were in florida...

scarf: target; belt: thrifted

hello wrinkles.  i should really start taking pictures in the morning.

i don't really have anything for you today.  it's been a long day.  hopefully i'll have some big news to share next week as a result of today.  for now, all i can do is tease you a bit and make you wonder.  try not to lose any sleep at night over it, but feel free to speculate.  maybe we can turn this into a fun round of hot and cold.  ready?  go!

i forgot about EBEW today, but guess what?  i wore a blazer to work anyway.  my subconscious remembers these things for me.  thanks, pal!

headband:  me; scarf:  target; belt:  thrifted

confession time:  i hate chain emails.  like really really hate.  this whole stylish blogger thing?  feels a bit like that.  but what kind of bloggy friend would i be if i didn't thank Beverly for thinking of me.  i'm flattered, and it will give me an opportunity to share seven things with you about myself that you may not otherwise know:

1.  Eric and i met online.  this is why the concept of having online blogger friends isn't that foreign to me.  i'll share more about our story in a future post, but if you are a Christian single or know of one, i highly recommend Christian Mingle.  my friend Steph heeded this advice of mine and it landed her a wonderful husband as well.  you're welcome, Steph!

2.  it is my dream to someday have children with red hair.  Eric's grandma was a ginger back in the day, and he's got some serious red in his facial hair, so i guess it's not outside the realm of possibility.  you can bet if we do have a red-headed child, i will fight as hard as possible to name it Ron or Lucy.

3.  that being said, i want to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Orlando Studios with every ounce of my being.  who wants to take me??

4.  sometimes i feel more like one of the guys.  i am a big fan of most sports, and since moving to fort wayne, i've been disappointed to come up short in the girlfriend-sports-fan area.  when we were engaged, Eric's friends dubbed me Lars for nights that we would go to the bar to watch a game and get greasy food and a beer.

5.  i have a budget of $100 per month for all things personal, including any clothes i want to buy, haircuts and/or color, makeup, lunches, nights out on the town with the girls, crafting, etc.  girl's got to make a dollar streeeeeeeeetch around here.

6.  my favorite smells are babies, fabric softener, bleach and gasoline.  oh, and Acqua Di Gio.  swoon.

7.  i just started reading Radical, by David Platt.  i'm only ten pages in and i fully expect it to alter my life/faith (i started off listing that as life and faith, but that would imply that the two are separate, when in reality, they should be one and the same).

thanks again, Beverly!

scarf: H&M; earrings: honeymoon resort gift shop; flower hair clip: me

i was completely oblivious to the snow for the better part of the day.  i went to breakfast with one of the Young Life girls this morning, and then we headed to the high school to watch some more Young Life girls in their dance invitational.

ummm...hmmm...words.  yes, um, WOW.  those girls are so incredibly talented.  i think i felt a small fraction of what parental pride must feel like.  i showed up with my SLR in tow and ended up taking, literally, hundreds of pictures.  it was senior day, so things got a bit emotional for me.  i've really only gotten to know these girls well this year, but they have such a large piece of my heart.  i was so incredibly proud to not only watch them perform amazingly, but also to hear their bios read that only confirmed what incredible young women they are.  their hearts are as beautiful as their movement and i've been blessed to experience both.  i will be so sad to see them go, but am so excited to see them continue to grow and see how they impact this world of ours.  and you can bet they will...

Psalm 149:3  Let us praise Him with the dance

scarf: knit by me; belt: thrifted; earrings: my wonderful husband

 i hope you guys don't think i'm overdoing it with the cowl scarf two days in a row.  if you do, you're in for some disappointment, because this thing is Comfy with a capital "C" and i have no intention of giving it up anytime soon.  don't worry, this is just what i do.  when i first buy or make something, i want to wear it all the time for about two weeks, and then it disappears for a while.  so on the up side, you only have to endure about twelve more outfits with it.

wanna see what i did with my friday night?  well, about twenty minutes of my friday night; this one's quick and easy, folks.

i went shopping tonight for some random things (including my 30th pick!  yes, i did adhere to my original mustard long-sleeve tee idea, although the search was excruciating, which is a story for another time...) and i picked up this small cardboard block "A" from Joann Fabrics for $2 with a 50% off coupon.



from there, cut your next two pieces to place on either side of the first piece.  after doing so, glue all three pieces in place on the letter.

note:  only use a small amount of glue, and make sure it's spread evenly.  you don't want to create lumps and/or wrinkles in your paper:

this is me faking it.  i am most definitely useless with my left hand.  somebody needed righty to press the shutter.

 flip the letter back over and glue your final two pieces into place:

okay, good work!  you're done! ...kidding.

now flip your letter back over.  at this point, i recommend using a cutting mat, as you will be using the exacto knife.  that is, unless you're doubling your crafting efforts by engraving your dining room table.


yes, that's better.  now cut around all of the edges of your letter:


finally, using your brush, apply a thin, even coat of mod podge (i used a matte finish).  this will help the edges of the paper blend together more and lay nice and flat on your letter.  you may also want to use your fingers to smooth the paper over the edges of the letter.


voila!  now stand back and admire:

hat:  Loehmann's; necklace:  H&M; scarf:  knit by me; belt:  thrifted